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Beverly Hills High School

Volume 85, Issue Six · December 22, 2011

BLESS BAI

Beverly Hills, Calif.

Controversy reemerges as Metro conducts study Mabel Kabani Staff Writer For the past year, there has been controversy about the possibility of Metro building a subway underneath the school.

According to its website, Metro aspires to build a subway running from Downtown Los Angeles through Beverly Hills to Westwood. Metro is considering two routes, one via Santa Monica Boulevard or one via Constellation Avenue, for the extension according to its October technical report.

Mayor Barry Brucker says that the Santa Monica route would be ideal; however, recent analysis of the school grounds has shown that parallel fault lines have been found underneath the potential subway

lines along this route. Therefore, Metro is forced to build a subway that goes underneath the Constellation route, which means that the subway would indeed go under the high school.

“The city is completely opposed to Metro building a subway under Beverly High.

Metro has tested the high school grounds for any side effects that might occur from the subways placement to the staff, school or surrounding areas,” Brucker said. “To make sure of the quality of these tests

by Metro, the city will also perform an analysis. If we see something that might affect our students or the school, we will take legal action.” These test results were not available as of press time.

In January, the Metro board of directors

will also be taking a vote among themselves to see which route they should choose for the new subway line. The vote will determine whether the subway will be established underneath the school or not.

If the directors decide to use the Constellation route, the city will check the Environmental Impact Report, which will be released in January. If the city can not find a legitimate reason to take legal action against Metro, the city will let Metro proceed.

The city and Metro both agree that adults who live on the east side of Beverly Hills will mainly use the subway to get to work.

“La Cienega and the east side of Beverly Hills are always stuck in traffic. I think this subway will really help reduce the traffic,”

Brucker said. “Also, I am a huge advocate for public transportation because it brings a sense of culture and it helps preserve energy.”

The city, according to Brucker, also fears that building a subway underneath the high school will prevent future planning and construction around the high school.

The district and the city are in agreement that the parking around the school is quite chaotic, especially in the morning.

“In the master plan of the high school, we were considering making some of the parking structures subterranean,” Brucker said. “ But if the subway moves in, that will make things more difficult. All we can do is tell Metro to dig deeper.” [continued on page 6]

Inside this Issue...

Page 2

Page 8

Page 12

Seniors and performers travel to Albion Street Elementary with holiday cheer.

Major bookstore chains close across the Westside.

Boys’ soccer maintains winning record in preleague games.

2 news Quick Reads

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Students spread joy at Albion St.

Band, orchestra play winter music With the advent of the holiday season, the concert orchestra, chamber orchestra and symphonic band will be getting students into the winter spirit during their “‘Tis the Season” concert. The concert, featuring holiday music, will be held in the K.L. Peter’s auditorium tonight at 7:30.

There will be two solo pieces played, “Concerto Grosso” and “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.” The former will feature two violin soloists and a cellist, and the latter will feature a pianist.

Earlier in the year, director Bill Bradbury made the decision to hold a fall concert in order to give his students a feel for the concert experience before the winter concert. He currently feels that his decision will pay off and show during their upcoming performance.

“I definitely believe that the fall concert prepared the students. The experience and the fact that there is no let down time will show their development since last concert,” Bradbury said.

Only one minor change sets this concert aside from the others of its kind.

“The Chamber orchestra will play most of its music as a full orchestra, with brass wind, woodwind, & percussionists from our Symphonic Band,” Bradbury said.

Tickets will be three dollars per person, and there will be a bake sale during intermission.

Also, family donations will cost ten dollars per family and will be sold at the door.

Michelle Banayan

Seniors Jordan Neman, Tyler Neman and Joel Yadidian help give out presents to Albion Street School students.

Julia Waldow Centerfold Editor Students sought to spread seasonal joy by performing, celebrating and giving gifts to Albion Street School students on Friday, Dec. 16. This year marks the 84th anniversary of Beverly’s partnership with Albion Street School.

Service Learning members, qualifying seniors, Madrigals, Minnesingers, band members and varsity cheerleaders visited the school to entertain the students.

Once students arrived at the school, they held assemblies and visited classrooms in groups of three or four. Students did crafts with the kids and gave them presents. Band and cheer performed during recess time.

ASB president Tyler Neman dressed up as Santa and Beverly students dressed up as elves to give Albion students an authentic holiday experience.

“My favorite part of [going to] Albion

Street was when Santa first walked into the door of a classroom and all the children erupted in excitement,” Service Learning junior Natasha Natarajan said. “One fifth grade class even asked for Santa’s and the elves’ autographs.

Another great moment during Albion Street was watching all the kids open their presents. Their expressions were priceless. It made the many months of planning and stress all worthwhile.”

Service Learning held a school-wide contest between sixth periods in order to raise money to buy gifts for Albion students. In total, students raised $2070.12.

Spanish teacher Joseph Isaac’s class, which raised $274.42, won first place and will receive a pizza party. Ceramics and architecture teacher Melanie Bronder’s class, which raised $246.55, won second place and will receive Diddy Riese cookies. Service Learning purchased approximately 450 gifts with the money.

Photo courtesy of SHANEEL POONJA

As a long-time Beverly tradition, the annual trip to Albion Street gives children the only gifts they may receive this holiday season.

“Our students are so fortunate to see the changes they make and the people that they help [during the visit to Albion Street],” Service Learning teacher Michelle Halimi said. “It has become a community tradition that brings together so many aspects of the school.”

Participants also valued their Albion Street experience.

“We will be continuing this tradition because it makes such a great impact to both our sister school and to us,” Natarajan said.

“The way we give back to these kids is a memory they will never forget. We want to be able to continue to make such a difference in [their] lives.”

As a part of our school’s history, students will be visiting Albion Street School for years to come.

VSCF raises drunk driving awareness On Saturday, Dec. 3, the Vahagn Setian Charitable Foundation (VSCF) hosted a 5K Run/Walk event in Beverly Hills in an effort to raise awareness about the consequences of drunk driving as well as share the story of former Beverly student Vahagn Setian.

“It’s a way for all of us to get together and do something for a great cause in memory of someone who should’ve never left,” sophomore Chloe Ticknor said.

Not only did this event work to raise awareness about the consequences of drunk driving, but VSCF also had a goal in getting the residents and policemen of Beverly Hills together to appreciate the values that the city holds.

Sponsors at the event included Wells Fargo, The Peninsula and Tom Ford. The event raised money through sponsors selling food and t-shirts with sponsors’ logos. Admission to the event was free for anybody who wanted to attend.

Setian was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2006. Prison Break actor Lane Garrison was driving Setian and two other Beverly students while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. Garrison was charged for vehicular manslaughter after crashing the car into a tree on the corner of South Beverly Drive and Olympic Boulevard, killing Setian.

Zoe Kenealy

Dancing for Starlight Foundation Shannon Toobi Staff Writer Dance Company performed at the Starlight Foundation event for families with children suffering from physical disabilities on Dec. 10. The Starlight Foundation works to put on events for families who do not get to spend much time away from the hospital or from home.

At this specific “Winter Wonderland” Great Escape event at the CBS studios in Los Angeles, Starlight hosted 350 families.

According to the Starlight Foundation website, “The Great Escape family activities program was created to provide families with a chance to spend recreational time together to relax away from the hospital and make special memories together.”

Because of Starlight’s local office location near the high school, Corporate Accounts Manager Alison Sadock immediately contacted Dance Company to perform at their planned event.

“We wanted to choose a group that lived and worked in the community we were serving, so the Advanced Dance Theatre Group from Beverly Hills High School was a perfect fit. The ladies put on a spectacular performance,” Sadock said.

Because of Sadock’s close relationship with Dance Company’s Assistant Director Mallory Russo, Dance Company

Dance Company members participate at the Starlight Foundation event. Clockwise from left to right: Nina Bral, Carly Stone, Teeah Pandy, Lucy Licht, Waverly Laksman, Mallory Russo, Talia Gergely, Paloma Bloch, Shay Saver.

Photo Courtesy of FRANCES GORITAS

did not hesitate to take Sadock’s offer.

Dance Company performed three pieces at the event which offered food, performances, face painting and a Wii game station for the children.

The dancers also considered the event much of a success and hopefully the beginning of a new tradition for Dance Company.

“It was really a rewarding experience.

We spend so many months working

towards our performance and ourselves, so it was great to give back and see how much the kids appreciated our dancing.

Hopefully this is becomes a tradition for company in years to come,” senior Dance Company member Lucy Licht said.

The Dance Company performances and events, however, do not end here. Dance Company continues to work towards its annual school performance on Jan. 18 through 21.

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December 22, 2011 Highlights

Quick Updates

Madrigals perform throughout city

Counselors’ Corner As part of the counseling department’s restructuring this year, Jill Lewis is the new College Counselor. Welcoming over 100 college representatives to campus this fall, Mrs. Lewis has opened room 273 as the new College Center. The center is open each day at lunch to all students, including seniors who may need last-minute help with college applications.

Beginning in January, all counselors will be meeting with juniors to discuss and prepare for the college application process.

Junior Night will be held on Jan. 24. There, students will hear from a panel of current seniors, former Beverly graduates who are currently in college and college representatives.

Upcoming college visits include Harvard University, which will be visiting on Jan. 13, and the University of Nevada, which will be visiting on Jan. 27.

Counselors are encouraging all faculty and students to wear college apparel for ‘College Tuesdays’ throughout the fall semester.

College Admissions Testing Night will be on Feb. 28.

From left to right: Madrigals carol on Canon Drive on Dec. 16. The Madrigal and Minnesinger choirs perform with other choirs at a school assembly on Dec. 19. OLIVER GALLOP

Michelle Banayan Staff Writer The Madrigals are spreading the holiday cheer throughout the Beverly Hills community with the power of their voices.

The auditional choir has been going from block to block singing Christmas hymns, as well as performing for specific audiences.

“We do caroling for fundraising as well as just for a service to the community,” junior Savannah Forno said.

They performed on Rodeo Drive on Thursday and Friday for the past two weeks from 5-8 p.m. “[The Madrigals] were amazing! They were caroling on various corners...and really got me into the winter mood with their great voices. It was beautiful,” sophomore Nicolette Shamsian said.

They performed at the Beverly Hills Country Club, California Club, Beverly Hills Public Library, and the Grove, as well as for the Board of Education and children with cancer.

On Friday, Dec. 16, they spent the whole day performing for Albion Street Elementary School and later, at the LA Rotary Club.

“I like the way we’re a family and spend so much time working together at something we share a love for. My favorite memory has definitely been going to Albion Street.

Getting to perform for the kids was so uplifting,” Forno said.

Minnesingers, members of the girls-only singing group, have also taken a part in the festivities; they performed for adult cancer patients at the Los Angeles Wellness Center on Dec. 16.

“I had fun singing with the patients. My favorite part was when we sang ‘White Christmas’ and they sang along with us. It was worth it to see them get so happy. It really melted away all my stress and it was great to see them smiling and cheerful!” sophomore Autusa Amiri said.

Students around campus are also getting into holiday spirit with the efforts of the Madrigals and Minnesingers.

“What they are doing is really sweet and I think that more school clubs and classes should do the same. It gets everybody cheerful for the holiday time and it’s for a good cause, too,” sophomore Soraya Sadeghi said.

Both singing groups performed in the holiday assembly on Tuesday, Dec. 20 and in their holiday concert on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

4 opinion

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Where Smart Thou?

It’s time to rethink what being intelligent means

Candice Hannani News Editor Stress. The word flies through our heads all the time, occasionally landing to give us that jolt of adrenaline that accompanies those who are constantly working to get that A. We all want to be successful, to prove that we can get through high school with a clean slate of grades and get into the school of our dreams. Many people I know stay up until three or four in the morning almost every day for the satisfaction of knowing that they will get into a worthy college and be successful in life.

Maybe those same people will get into the university that will make them look like geniuses, and maybe they will be able to boast of straight As in high school. Yet stress followed them through it all the way, and the mind-set that they had to be perfect in high

school in order to be successful will carry on in their future demeanors. Stress will always be lurking in our minds, so it’s our job to not welcome him from making it his home.

Aside from its basic, everyday use, I didn’t know the full definition of the word “smart” until a few weeks ago. I had always looked at smart as being the person with the straight As and the person who got into Harvard; my friend then claimed a smart person was someone who knew how to get along with others, who was universally loved and who knew how to love life.

It was then when I realized that I had been using the wrong mind-set, the one that was ingrained in me and many others, the one that said that getting good grades meant success.

Smart is the person who is content, who knows that a lower grade doesn’t mean fail-

ure, who knows that being optimistic and having an attractive personality will get them through life’s difficulties, not passing the AP or being accepted into an Ivy League. The reality of it is that the only way to predict someone’s success is through their dedication and their love for living.

I’m not saying that you should forget about your dream of getting a 5.0 GPA. Go ahead, just don’t think that getting into a top university equals being guaranteed a successful and joyful future when you are older. There’s no equation to life. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

So the next time you hear stress buzzing in your head, threatening to prevent you from sleeping or smiling, tell stress to shove it up his wings. You’re too smart for him.

Editor’s Column: Ong on what’s wrong

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School for the Holidays

hile students in most other schools are celebrating the holiday season and enjoying their winter breaks, students at Beverly are busy worrying about the busload of tests that teachers have scheduled for this week.

We’ve had scheduling issues for as long as any of us can remember, and it’s all coming down to the last day of school before our holiday break, Dec. 23, which is Christmas Eve eve.

We have a two-week holiday break, like

many other schools. However, half of our winter recess, which appropriately has a much colder name, occurs after the holidays. Instead of being excited about the holiday season and engaging in the holiday spirit, Beverly students have been stuck at school, preoccupied with completing their work and nourishing their grades. (Sporting pajamas at school doesn’t count.)

“Having break pushed back this far really lowered the holiday spirit throughout the school, where we’re all busy taking tests

during the holiday season. I wasn’t able to make my annual family trip to Vancouver to see my great grandpa this year,” junior Pasha Farmanara said.

This time last year, students were curled up at home enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and maybe even sneaking around the house intending to snag an early peek at their presents. But owing to the late beginning of this year’s break, we’ve almost forgotten our holiday cheer entirely. And now we might never know what gifts we’re getting.

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

Candice Hannani News Editor

Danny Licht Opinion Editor

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

Vincent Brock and Julia Waldow Centerfold Editors

Sayeh Mohammadi and Chandra O’Connor Arts & Style Editors

Austin Grant-Dixon Spotlight Editor

Ryan Feinberg Sports Editor

Sayeh Mohammadi Business Manager

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

Bless Bai, Sasha Park and AJ Parry Staff Cartoonists

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

Gaby Herbst and Katie Murray Advisers

This newspaper is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Follow us on Twitter @bhhighlights

Clarification from Dec. 9: “FrostBite: the MeltDown” may seem to imply allegations of prosecution against FrostBite LA. No allegations have been filed against it.

Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer

Oh.

Everyone’s been there. Awkward situations where a painless escape seems impossible, and dealing with it in the most ungraceful way is at times inevitable. One could say overcoming awkward experiences is a part of growing up, but the fact of the matter is that these uncomfortable moments are never going to leave anyone alone as they go through their daily social interactions with people at school and even, sometimes, their closest friends.

Awkward situation #1: While in a conversation with a friend, a new friend all of the sudden shows up and kindly exchanges a hug. The awkward moment occurs with sad realization that the conversation that took place just a moment ago is blown off for a new one, one that is between just the two of them. The desertion feels weird, and we classify it as awkward. So, it is unavoidable to inquire (while standing on the side

Dealing with awkward moments

trying not to look like a fool) as to where said friend’s manners are. Surely they know what it feels like to be in this exact situation. The next question: “Should I walk away or continue my efforts to look somewhat involved in this unholy conversation?” The best thing to do varies by the situation and must be evaluated according to the person, the topic of discussion and circumstances; all which must be considered in perhaps a split second.

Awkward situation #2: Sitting with a bunch of friends and telling a story when halfway through the once-humorous tale appears to be boring and irrelevant. If one finds themselves going through this he simply needs to admit to the fact that his story is going downhill, and do his best to convince the people around him that they “had to have been there.” It’s in the best interest for all parties to, hopefully, just give

up on the story and admit the sad truth that the story was never quite finished.

The best one can hope for in this situation is a somewhat smooth transition into a better, more interesting topic.

Awkward situation #3: Run-ins with exboy/girlfriends.

These seem to be the worst only because the old couple that knows everything about each other now chooses to act like complete strangers. The feeling of a stranger knowing every one of the other’s secrets and sharing many of the same memories not only comes off as awkward, but also as gut-wrenching. This is never a good experience, but one that most will have to face

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at one point or another. There’s nothing that could make the feeling any less awkward or unpleasant; these are unavoidable feelings that are best not thought of after the run-in.

Awkward moments occupy so much of our lives that it really is quite depressing.

The thing that one has to remember about awkward moments is that they play a big role in the development of one’s character.

If it weren’t for having to deal with situations like these, one wouldn’t know what to do when put on the spot in the future when social interactions matter a lot more than they do now, in high school. And, hey, an awkward situation can always be another had-to-have-been-there story that no one listens to.

the inbox It’s hard to teach rhetoric for a number of years without being able to recognize its misuse. Danny Licht’s Dec. 9 editorial, “Pre-Hammurabi,” illustrates what happens when one has rhetorical strategy but lacks strong factual support. For all the colorful skulls and bullets imagery, there is little here that would persuade an impartial reader.

In the first place, Mr. Licht fails to address the fact that, prior to the implementation of this policy, nothing would have prevented a teacher from penalizing tardies more severely than the current policy allows. Nor did any previous policy have a system for giving teachers the option of allowing students to work off some of the consequences peaking f of their tardiness. In those reIn reaction to “Pre-Hamspects, the current policy could murabi” (Dec. 9), the actually function in a less severe administration posted the tardy policy on the way than earlier systems did.

Mr. Licht would be on firmer school’s website. ground in his argument regarding one or two second tardies—if only he offered any evidence. On what basis is he making this assertion? How many teachers actually consider one second late as a tardy? Twenty? Five? One? For that matter, how many of the recorded tardies since the beginning of the year have fallen into this category? Also, what objective observer is there to validate the exact amount of time? (I have had students claim to be 30 seconds late when they were really much, much later than that!) Without any kind of evidence, the issue seems at worst just hypothetical,

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at best an argument against the way the policy is enforced, not the policy itself.

The “teacher tardies” argument is likewise devoid of any real evidence. Mr. Licht says they, “can be numerous.” Facts?

Statistics? Anything? No, not a shred of evidence there either. However, even if Mr. Licht was able to document that argument, it is an argument for teachers being on time and setting a good example, not an argument for throwing out the policy.

Mr. Licht also fails to account for the fact that tardiness is not a victimless crime. Late arrivals can disrupt the flow of the classroom; in my experience, the tardy students more often than not want to ask questions I have already answered, hand me assignments I have already collected, and just generally slow the whole class down for everyone, unless I just refuse to deal with them—in which case I’m sure there would soon be an editorial about the poor late students whose questions were not answered.

With regard to the “elusive” nature of the policy, yes, Mr. Licht is correct in arguing that the policy should be prominently displayed on the website, but as he also concedes, students received a copy of the policy at the beginning of the year. Students who don’t have a copy currently lost it. Seriously? The policy is elusive because students lost it? I would strongly urge Mr. Licht not to try this reasoning with a college professor or employer. Like being on time, hanging on to important documents is a responsibil-

ity that people need to fulfill if they want to be successful.

As for the, “When does a few seconds really matter?” argument, that depends on the circumstances. Someow s y riving times it doesn’t matter.

The Inbox is where you can Sometimes it gets you fired. respond to Highlights to agree, We know that the majority compliment, shun, debate, of people who lose their first clarify, praise or anything else. job lose it not because they Feedback is always appreciated. Please note that anything lack the intellectual skills but libelous or slanderous will not be because they lack the people published. See below for delivery skills and/or the right habit instructions. patterns (like getting to work on time). We have a positive responsibility to teach students life skills like punctuality as well as academic skills—and judging by the decline in the number of tardies in my classes, the new policy is serving the purpose of helping students develop good patterns for later in life.

And as for meeting someone at exactly 6:30 for dinner, if I had a date with an attractive woman, I’d be twenty minutes early, not twenty seconds late. I suspect Mr. Licht would do the same.

By the way, Hammurabi’s code was much harsher. “An eye for an eye” comes not from Hammurabi, but from Moses (Exodus 21:24 and elsewhere), but perhaps Mr. Licht was late to history one day and missed that part.

Bill Hiatt English Teacher, Attendance Committee Member

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· Letters should be emailed with the writer’s name and grade level or position to beverlyhighlights@ gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity.

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Sasha Park

December 22, 2011 Highlights

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Highlights

[continued from page 1] Although those who work in Beverly Hills might find the subway useful, over half of the students certainly do not find it so. According to a Dec. 15 poll of 47 students, 55.3% of the students are completely against the subway being built underneath the school, and 44.7% of the students support the idea. “I do not think that a subway would be very useful to the students of Beverly Hills,” sophomore Sam Levy said. “Since the students who were coming to the high school on permits are all gone, basically, we don’t need other forms of public transportation besides the bus. Since Beverly Hills is a

December 22, 2011

centerfold

really small community, either students’ parents pickup and drop off their kids, or children walk to and from the school.”

A beneficial aspect to the subway’s establishment will be that lots of jobs will be created.

“The project would create thousands of construction jobs directly and indirectly through related expenses and multipliers through the local economy during the life of the construction of the project,” Jody Litvak, the Head of the Metro Regional Communications, said.

The subway’s location is not currently confirmed.

The Environmental Impact Report and Metro’s votes will be released in January.

TRACKING THE METRO

“...a subway would not be very useful to the students of Beverly Hills.”

DIG DEEPER HOW:

The tunnel is estimated to be about 50-110 feet from surface level to minimize noise and vibration on the streets. If the station were built under a street, the street would be covered with concrete decking during construction. This concrete decking will allow all traffic to flow without distractions. The tunnels can be built safely without impacting the people or streets located above it. Even though there are fault lines within the tunnel area, Metro studies showed that the Constellation route would not be within an active fault zone.

Extending Possibilities Dami Kim Staff Writer Home to some of the most famous Hollywood actors and known for its glittering shopping streets, the streets of Beverly Hills should logically be complimented by an incredible public transportation system. However, it does not even have a subway system. Most known cities in Los Angeles County such as Long Beach, Pasadena, Norwalk, El Segundo, North Hollywood, and Downtown Los Angeles benefit from a subway system.

According to Metro, over 300,000 people need public transportation in order to travel from their homes to the Westside of Los Angeles County for work. With the extension of the Purple Line in Los Angeles, from Union Station in Southwest Downtown Los Angeles to Westwood Veterans Health Administration Hospital, the Metro subway creates easier access to key destinations like Century City, Westwood, and finally Beverly Hills. If more than half of the people switch to using a Metro subway instead, the traffic would clear up since there will be fewer cars rushing to get to work on the street.

Less traffic on the road would also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by public transportation above ground. According to BicycleUniverse.info, cars cause most of the ozone pollution in the atmosphere by adding 72% of nitrogen oxide and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons, prominent components of pollution, into air.

In addition to more convenient and ecofriendly transportation, a one-way pass for the Metro only costs $1.50. As said by the Boston Globe, this is cheaper than putting gallons of gas in your car and spending on average of $1,425 per year.

Finally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California is suffering from an 11.7% unemployment rate, which, as of November, adds up to about 2,123,310 people. The construction that will result from the subway extension and its future maintenance will eventually create more jobs in the busy Westside cities in our county.

The extension of the Metro subway in Beverly Hills will provide more benefits than disadvantages to its residents and its neighboring cities.

COST:

The estimated cost to build the subway extension is $5.3 billion. The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) has granted Metro a loan of $640 million to be used toward the subway’s full construction cost. The TIFIA is designed to help grant loans to fund transportation, highway, transit and rail projects .

WHEN:

The subway’s estimated completion time is sometime in 2022. The subway will not affect Beverly’s use as an emergency shelter in the case of a natural disaster.

WHERE:

The Westside Subway Extension of the purple line will have stops at Westwood, UCLA, Century City, the Veterans Health Administration Hospital, Beverly Hills and Miracle Mile.

Underground Failroad Chanan Batra Staff Writer Building a subway under Beverly poses a variety of dangers. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) should not even consider tunneling under our school.

Beverly is our high school, our city’s disaster center and home to over 2,000 students and faculty members. No amount of testing can be administered by the MTA to ensure the absolute safety of this city center if there were to be a subway underneath the school.

The MTA claims that tunneling under Beverly will not pose any new risks to students, faculty and the community. The fact of the matter is that subway tunneling would bring far more issues than benefits. Yes, it may reduce travel time from Beverly to Westwood by perhaps a minute, but is that minute worth the unavoidable ground-borne vibrations and noise levels that could easily compromise Beverly’s learning environment?

The MTA guarantees vibration and noise levels will not exceed the maximum limits made by the 2009 Edition of the California Criteria for High Performance Schools Best Practice Manual. However, should MTA make even a minor miscalculation in its building of the tunnel under Beverly, noise levels would exceed these limits. What

would happen then? Would students have to abandon classrooms and relocate elsewhere?

Fixing these miscalculations would take much time and effort and would only cause more headaches for the school. MTA does not answer these questions, but rather leaves us to wonder what the answers are.

The fault lines in Beverly Hills cross underneath the high school and the El Rodeo campus. It is simply not safe to build a subway tunnel directly above a fault line. In addition, should subways be built underneath the high school and the areas surrounding the high school, both residential and commercial construction would be hindered because excessive weight over fault lines poses great dangers.

Currently, the MTA has been withholding its geotechnical data from the BHUSD. This forces the BHUSD to waste excessive amounts of money to conduct the same testing to get the same data.

Tunneling under the school poses too many potential risks, and the MTA cannot predict the outcomes of its construction because tunneling has never been done under a public high school in Los Angeles.

We must unite as a community to make it clear to the MTA that we will not allow tunneling under our school.

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WHY:

The subway’s extension would lessen traffic and oil consumption and provide a faster, cleaner source of transportation.

Compiled by Celine Hakimianpour

47 STUDENTS WERE POLLED ON DEC. 15

AJ PARRY

8 spotlight

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Fahrenheit 310 Rise of the e-reader

Michelle Banayan Staff Writer

People have depended on bookstores for ages, but with the advancement of technology, particularly e-readers, their necessity is rapidly decreasing.

These locations that are known for their tangible publications, familiar aroma and resourceful staff members are slowly being eliminated.

However, this gradual shift toward electronic books is necessary. Technology brings change to society, which is especially obvious in the greater Los Angeles community.

“What’s happening to book stores is sad, but definitely a sign of the times. People are finding alternatives to reading and the closing of large book stores is a reflection of that,” Spanish teacher Susan Schneider said.

In recent years, many bookstores in Los Angeles have closed down, leaving regular customers searching for another way to purchase their books.

When Borders filed for bankruptcy, it was believed that Barnes and Noble would greatly benefit.

Recently, it was announced that Westside Pavilion’s Barnes and Noble will be closing at the end of the year because they cannot afford to renew their lease.

“I am sad because I usually go to the Westside Pavilion Barnes and Noble to buy books and it is a

good place to relax and read. Also, it is the closest bookstore to my house since there aren’t any other major book stores nearby,” freshman Camila Monchini said.

The increase in e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s own Nook is a key component in the fall of these two major chains.

Consumers can buy the same books for cheaper prices on an e-reader in some instances, and hold hundreds of titles on one small device instead ofhaving to carry a copious amount of physical books.

This has led to people being torn between the practicality of a bookstore and the convenience of an e-reader.

“One thing I like about bookstores is that you can look through a wide variety of books and easily distinguish ones you do and do not want without the mayhem of searching through thousands of titles on an e-reader. But online and with e-readers, it can be simpler because if you need a book right away, you don’t have to go all the way to the bookstore – you can get it instantaneously. I wish we could have both,” sophomore Charlotte Frank said.

As for now, people are simply wondering how the switch from bookstores to e-readers will affect the next generations and their experiences with book shopping and reading.

The sanctity of the book Lilia Abecassis Staff Writer There is no doubt that we live in a very technologically advanced world; nearly everything we do on a daily basis involves technology. We communicate electronically, we listen to music electronically and unfortunately, reading can be added to this list of electronic activities.

With the success of the Amazon Kindle, other technological companies as well as booksellers, such as Barnes and Noble, have been inspired to create their own version of an e-reader, which has been a main cause of the downfall of bookstores nationwide.

There are a few pros to having an e-reader. Instead of carrying a stack of books, one can take a lightweight e-reader and the downloaded books on it wherever they go.

But there’s something special about a physical book, something an e-book can’t replicate. One can’t turn the crisp pages of a freshly printed novel on an e-reader. One can’t touch the beautiful, reflective covers of the hardcover Hunger Games trilogy.

In my room, I have a bookshelf. It’s filled with my favorite books, everything from To Kill a Mockingbird to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which I dust regularly.

My bookshelf is comforting and homey; an e-bookshelf doesn’t compare.

Another problem emerges because e-read-

ers are expensive. For example, an Amazon Kindle Fire is $199. The price of a Kindle ebook ranges from the occasional free book to $14.99, nonetheless legible, physical books are available from $0.99 and libraries check them out for free. E-readers are also much more likely to be stolen, due to their value.

Although purchased e-books are usually available for re-download if the e-reader is lost, there is still the expense of the lost ereader. It is much less expensive to lose a printed book.

Regardless of how tech-savvy our society is becoming, there are some things technology should not interfere with. Books are one of those things.

BLESS BAI

feature 9 Chris Paul trade divides Lakers, Clippers fans December 22, 2011 Highlights

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor Few schools have been impacted by the Chris Paul trade as much as Beverly. The jubilation of Clippers fans alongside the frustration of Lakers fans within our school as a result of the trade has provided a contentious sports scene.

Upon hearing news of the trade, Clippers fans rejoiced and envisioned much success in the upcoming season. The team now has three All-Stars in Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul, as well as a roster stacked with young talent. While fans were disappointed by the loss of up-andcomer Eric Gordon, they are excited for the squad’s prospects.

“At first I didn’t think it was smart to give up Eric [Gordon], but obviously if [the Clippers] thought it was too much, they wouldn’t have agreed,” junior Maddie Steinberg said. “I don’t want to be too optimistic and say they’re going all the way, but I do think they will go farther than they ever have!”

The farthest the Clippers have ever finished in the playoffs was reaching the Western Conference semi-finals in the 2006-2007 season. The team has reached the playoffs only once since the 1996-1997 season.

On the other hand, Lakers fans were upset because Paul was almost traded to their team. The Lakers, first to propose a worthy trade for the point guard, all but acquired Paul on Thursday, Dec. 8. The deal appeared to be confirmed until Commissioner David Stern suddenly vetoed it on Thursday night for “basketball reasons.” Another Lakers trade proposal for Chris Paul on Saturday, Dec. 10 was also vetoed by Stern. The NBA purchased the Hornets last December

when owners George Shinn and Gary Chouest were no longer able to oversee the team due to economic reasons. As a result, Stern currently acts as both an owner and a commissioner, a dual role which some have criticized.

Furthermore, the veto had extended consequences for the Lakers. After hearing his name in a proposed trade, forward Lamar Odom requested a trade and was subsequently dealt to the Dallas Mavericks for a traded player exception of $8.9 million. The Lakers have up to one year to utilize the exception.

“[The loss of Chris Paul] definitely goes up there with the Lakers blowing a 24-point lead in Game 4 of the ‘08 Finals,” sophomore Sherwin Shamoeil said while describing the most frustrating moments he has endured as a Lakers fan. “‘Frustrating’ isn’t a strong enough word; more like ‘unrelentingly painful’ knowing that CP3 was pretty much ready to guard [the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose] on Christmas [in the Lakers’ game].”

While the consensus, even agreed upon by the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, is that the Clippers will be more fun to watch, fans are already debating which team is better. Interestingly

enough, Clippers fans approached for this article generally agreed that the Lakers are still more dominant. However, some Lakers fans conceded that, at least on paper, the Clippers have a better roster.

“As of now, it looks like the Clippers have a better team,” junior Matthew Simino said. “They have great young talent in players like DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe and Blake Griffin. They also now have a top five player in the NBA so the future looks bright for them, but it seems like every year people get excited about them and they disappoint.”

AJ PARRY

Class debates Shakespeare’s anti-Semitism To be or not to be?

“It was fun watching each side crush the witnesses with questions that would leave them speechless.”

Alex Massachi “I thought it really gave us a better understanding of Shakespeare and why he wrote his plays.”

Gabriel Bogner “It was a good project, but it increased a lot of blood pressure between the defense and prosecution.”

Da Eun Lee “We...learned that the play could be interpreted in many different ways, not just one point of view.”

Maya Steinberg OLIVER GALLOP and GINELLE WOLFE

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor Dr. Steven Rubenstein’s sophomore Honors English students were faced with a difficult question: Did William Shakespeare promote anti-Semiticism in “The Merchant of Venice”? After reading the play, the class had to determine the author’s guilt or innocence.

For the mock trial, Rubenstein selected specific students for their roles. Students participated in one of the following roles: defendant, judge, court clerk, defense team, prosecution team, witnesses, court TV reporters and the jury. Members of the prosecution and defense teams were required to examine information to prove their arguments, with bonus points awarded to the winning team.

“We did a lot of in-depth research,” Keon Youssefzadeh, the defendant in the mock trial, said. “We learned a lot about ‘The Merchant of Venice’ from a lot of great sources and got a lot of opinions from diverse sources that we otherwise wouldn’t have known.”

For the last four years, Rubenstein has conducted the mock trial after his students read “The Merchant of Venice”. In previous years, Rubenstein’s sophomore students had debated whether Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was racist or whether Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” was sexist. However, in recent years Rubenstein has centered the mock trial around anti-Semiticism in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ because he believes the controversial elements of the play are most suitable for a mock trial.

Rubenstein shared that his main goal was for students to better understand the

author and his message.

“I think one of the problems is we think our greatest authors are infallible,” Rubenstein said.

“I really enjoyed seeing students think deeply about these deep issues, about whether even a great work could be doing something bad. The other thing I really like is for students to start thinking about intention and levels of meaning. If a character in a play says something bad, does that mean that the author believes that? I wanted [the students] to start thinking: Maybe you can separate a character from what an author thinks.

Maybe the author is being critical of the character.”

This year’s assignment differed slightly from previous “The Merchant of Venice” trials. Last year, the jury consisted of students from another English class during the same period, who had not read the play. Since Rubenstein’s class was larger this year, the entire trial took place solely within his class.

Additionally, whereas students randomly selected their roles and had time to trade roles among each other in the past, Rubenstein handpicked the students for their roles this year.

In the end, judge

Gabriel Bogner dismissed the case as a mistrial because a jury member was forced to vote against his will. Despite the inconclusive verdict, students have found the trial beneficial in their understanding of the play and its message. Competition also motived students.

“It helped me understand the literature because I put so much work into the research,” Da Eun Lee said. “I think the fact that I didn’t want to be made a fool of made me want to get as much information as I could.”

Courtesy of LIZA RAFFI

10 arts&style

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Fast brings back ‘No Age’ with his ‘lo-fi’ style Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer Sophomore James Fast is proof of how being yourself and wearing whatever you please is what ultimately makes someone appear “fashionable”. According to Fast, fashion does not come from knowing what’s currently “in” or “out”.

“Wear whatever...you want as long as you’re happy with the way it represents you,” Fast advised.

The style of Fast is one that’s influenced by his favorite musician, Alex Zhang Huntai. “[Huntai’s] clothing, this type of ‘50s Americana style, is clearly reflected in the music he creates,” Fast said.

Fast’s style is apparent to many of the students on campus. He spends 10 to 15 minutes getting ready in the morning, which clearly pays off; when students were asked what they think about the style of Fast, every response was one of fondness.

“I have to give a shout out to James Fast beGINELLE WOLFE

cause he is one stylish guy,” sophomore Aaron Karlin said.

Fast’s idea of an ideal outfit for a guy is very simple: “I personally think that jeans, a nice button down and a jacket look pretty good on any guy,” Fast said.

The day of the interview, Fast was wearing faded gray jeans accompanied by a “No Age” t-shirt (one of his favorite “lo-fi” bands). The thing about Fast’s style that’s different from many, is that with Fast it’s more than a sense of fashion he enjoys; it’s a lifestyle. Everything from the type of music he enjoys to the people he looks up to, all relate to his “lo-fi” style.

A noticeable aspect of Fast’s wardrobe is the incorporation of his Yukon hat.

“I’ve seen his furry hat, and I think it’s super cute and original, just like all of his outfits,” sophomore Milan Walls-Smith said.

Friends of Fast recognize his apparel as something that belongs to him. According to a close friend of Fast, Robert Katz, the way he dresses can come off as “intimidating.”

“James, [his style] is intellectual and casual. You feel enriched by his presence. You don’t necessarily want to take it [his style] from him, but you want him to keep it,” sophomore Katz said.

The main difference between Fast and many students on campus is the fact that he does not dress for anyone else. Fast wears whatever he likes, ignoring the question, “What will people think of me?” This stylish sophomore teaches that fashion, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

OLIVER GALLOP

arts&style 11

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Music heard around the world: Iran to the U.K. Iran

South Korea

Latin America

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

Shannon Toobi Staff Writer

Persian music is very much a part of the lives of Iranian students at Beverly.

At Persian gatherings, such as bar or bat mitzvahs and weddings, pop stars like Benyamin, The Black Cats and Arash can be heard blasting from the speakers.

Sometimes the artists are even hired to perform at the parties. The artists frequently hold concerts in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Most Persian music can be classified as pop, although recent rap releases have gained popularity, too. Persians are attracted to pop music specifically because the genre is upbeat in nature and easy to dance to. For example, the music video for Barobax’s rap song, “Soosan Khanoom,” has attracted nearly 900,000 views on YouTube since its release on Jan. 18, 2010.

Persian music has gained more publicity with its American Idol equivalent, the Googoosh Music Academy based in London. Under the leadership of Persian diva Googoosh, Iranian singers have gotten the attention of their compatriots. In fact, the Iranian government has banned the show by manipulating satellite signals because of the show’s Western influences, a quality frowned upon by the current regime.

For those interested in Iranian music, albums are easy to purchase; Westwood Boulevard has numerous Persian music shops with a wide variety of genres from traditional folklore to contemporary hits.

When it comes to foreign music, Spanish tunes have come a long way from Latin America to popular radio stations in the United States such as 102.7 KISS-FM or 97.1 AMP radio.

Spanish music originally used to portray history through its lyrics, however it now revolves more around passion, love, and emotion.

Spanish music has undergone serious transformations from tango, salsa, and samba to our modern spanish pop and rock. Spanish music attracts numerous non-Hispanic fans through its fast and upbeat rhythm, bringing energy to any listener. Today, the lively tune of “Danza Kuduro”

by Don Omar,

earning its popularity in Europe, produces the soundtrack for many “fiestas,” or parties.

Famous Hispanic artists range from Manu Chao and Adventura to El Canto Del Loco. Hispanic artists have also began meshing together songs in “Spanglish;” an example of this can be seen in the music of Armando Christian Pérez, better known by his stage name Pitbull.

In addition, well-known artists such as Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Ricky Martin all debuted Spanish tracks, many of which eventually became hit songs.

Whether one’s interest in Spanish music is rooted from family, friends, or just the radio, its energetic rhythm has clearly won Americans over, and its lyrics continue to spread across the country.

Brenda Mehdian Staff Writer Amongst the variety of genres of music found in Korea, K-Pop, Korean pop music, has appeared to be the most popular. KPop is characterized with ballads and dance songs with up-beat rhythms and catchy lyrics.

According to the K-Pop club at Beverly, Girls Generation and Big Bang are two of the popular bands is the world of K-Pop Big Bang is a five-member boy band who, after being awarded Best New Artist by the M.net Asian Music Awards (MAMA), began recording their music in Japanese. The MTV European Music Awards also named them Best Worldwide Act. Big Bang continuously alters its musical styles, to keep their fans excited and interested. Whether they are performing hip-hop, rock, R&B, techno or even rap, band members’ vocals are unforgettable and the group’s fan base is always growing.

With three full albums in Korean, one in Japanese, three mini-albums, and fifteen singles, Girls Generation is one of the most top earning K-Pop groups in Japan according to mb.com. The band has been able to attract fans with tuneful hooks and creative music videos. They have also begun to make their American dreams come true. Girls Generation had their first performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 23, where thousands of fans lined up to watch them perform. They released an English version of their hit song, “The Boys” and the music video generated a staggering 17 million views. K-Pop is making its mark on the world and rising to the top.

France

Israel

Sarit Kashanian Staff Writer The music of France is representative of the country’s distinct culture and national preferences. Currently, France is experiencing a rise in hip-hop and techno music.

Modern styles of French music such as electronic have attracted attention from around the world. American hiphop music has influenced well-known artists such as electro and hip-hop DJ David Guetta and hip-hop and rap artist MC Solaar. Although born in France, Guetta has achieved notable success in the U.S. with hit singles such as “When Love Takes Over” and “Memories.”

In 2010, Phoenix, a popular indie rock band in France, won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and performed at several international music festivals that same year.

France even has its own “Coachella” counterpart called le Printemps de Bourges, a music festival held for five days every spring in Bourges, France.

Youthful spectators from France and around the world come each year to hear their favorite artists perform for a crowd of over 200,000. Although a trip to this annual music event may be out of most students’ reach, students can get the same cultural experience listening to some David Guetta or Phoenix from the comfort of their own home.

Hae Lee Staff Writer

BLESS BAI

United Kingdom Ginelle Wolfe Staff Writer Since the 20th Century, folk, pop and rock have dominated the United Kingdom’s music scene. Famous composers such Gustav Holst and Arthur Sullivan produced classical music that was listened to throughout the world during the late 1800s. Folk music has also always been popular in the U.K. Each of the four countries in the U.K. has its own distinctive twist to folk music. For example, fiddles are very popular in Northern Ireland, while bagpipes are well known in Scotland. Famous bands in the U.K. include The Beatles and Mumford and Sons.

The Beatles originated in Liverpool, England where they became a famous rock band. They later became the best selling band in history, and had more number one albums on the U.K. charts

and have held the top spot longer than any other musical act. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the Beatles sold more albums in the U.S.A. than any other artist. They also received seven Grammy awards and continue to sell albums even though they are no longer together.

The Beatles have had many hits such as “Yellow Submarine” and “Eleanor Rigby.”

They became so popular that the term “Beatlemania” emerged.

Originating in London, England, Mumford and Sons became a folk-rock bluegrass band. They released their first album in October 2009 and later released it in February 2010 in the United States.

Although different from typical pop or rock and roll music in the U.S., the music of Mumford and Sons became an instant hit and they have received four Grammy nominations for their song, “The Cave.”

The modern music of Israel is becoming increasingly diverse; it mainly includes rock, jazz, folk and hip-hop. The combination of Jewish culture and non-Jewish tradition attracts listeners from many other nations. This blend of music style is a result of immigrants from Asia, the Middle East and Europe who reside in Israel and contribute to Israeli music and pop culture.

According to Abbanibi, a website of Israeli Entertainment and Culture Newswire, “Fall in Love Again” by Mock Stereo is the most popular English-translated Israeli song. Mock Stereo rocks Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital, with its urban vibe, intermixing ‘60s guitar riffs with the latest beats. The band consists of Eli Abramov and Iggy Waxman who dominate the electro-pop and punk industry.

Harel Skaat was voted as singer of the year on the leading Israeli radio station, Reshet Gimel. He was discovered on the Israeli music show “Kochav Nolad” (similar to “American Idol”), and was later chosen to represent Israel in Eurovision, the annual European vocal contest, where he won 14th place.

Music is a very important part of Israel’s identity and cultural representation in the world. From its pioneering years, Israeli music was created for the purpose of nation-building, but as years have gone by it has morphed into an important part of Israeli culture, lifestyle and society.

12 sports

December 22, 2011 Highlights

Girls’ water polo squad hopes to grow as a team Chanan Batra Staff Writer

JV player Allison Klemes takes her chance to play in a varsity game against West Torrance.

Photo courtesy of ASHLEY BANAYAN

Despite a variety of new faces, girls’ water polo has had success this year. Captains Emily Grubman and Tammy Katz lead the squad as they try to compete for a league title and focus on defeating Samo for the third straight year.

“The team’s main goal this year is [to] just beat Samo,” Katz said. “The game is usually toward the end of the season, when we’re our most strong and have the fiercest spirit.”

Beverly has a record of 8-5.

According to senior Celeste Bean, the beginning of the season has been a learning experience.

“We’ve struggled a bit with the dynamic of the team this year because we have many new players,” Bean said. “However, now we are finally starting to work cohesively in the water, and I think more wins are in store for us.”

Both Katz and Grubman agree that the team must work on seeing the whole pool, not just on smaller aspects of the game. If the team can improve this, communication and set plays will run much smoother.

“Sometimes we can’t see everything going on in the pool, but we are working on it,” Katz said. “We will definitely have it figured out by the time we play Samo.”

According to Katz, a strength of the team is that there is not one star athlete. This enables players to utilize each other’s individual talents to win games.

“Each player has her own strengths so no one player stands out,” Katz explained.

“Celeste and I score goals, but everyone contributes and it’s with the help of every player that the goals are scored.”

The squad will have winter break to sharpen its set plays.

The team’s next game is Jan. 6 in a tournament at Garden Grove.

Boys’ soccer excels, defeats difficult opponents Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor The boys’ varsity soccer team has started the season with a record of 6-33, but the squad came up short in a 2-0 home loss to Lawndale on Friday, Dec. 16.

Captain Elijah Lichtenberg cited recent inconsistency as a primary reason for the loss. Additionally, injuries, including a concussion and torn meniscus, have sidelined multiple players and hindered the Normans from performing to their potential.

“We performed to our lowest abilities by far this season,” sweeper Golan Khorshidi said. “Our strengths were minimal but if anything we continued to strive to score a goal even if we were down. Our weaknesses included a lack of communication, too many turnovers because of dribbling, and specifically the midfield was not doing their part on the defensive end.”

The Normans hope to recover their form during the South Torrance Holiday Tournament, beginning on Monday and concluding on Thursday.

The tournaments, Lichtenberg shared, provide valuable in-game experience to

Home games Jan. 6, 6:00 PM Boys’ Soccer vs Redondo Jan. 11, 3:00 PM Boys’ Soccer vs Hawthorne Jan. 12, 6:00 PM Girls’ Water Polo vs Santa Monica Jan. 13, 3:00 PM Girls’ Soccer vs Morningside Jan. 17, 3:00 PM Girls’ Water Polo vs Torrance Jan. 18, 6:00 PM Boys’ Soccer vs Santa Monica Jan. 18, 7:00 PM Boys’ Basketball vs Santa Monica Jan. 20, 6:00 PM Boys’ Soccer vs Inglewood Jan. 20, 7:00 PM Boys’ Basketball vs Inglewood Jan. 20, 6:00 PM Girls’ Basketball vs Inglewood

reserves and allow coaches to make final adjustments before league play.

However, tournaments also have another advantage.

“Tournaments are a great way for the team to bond and get more chemistry that will hopefully help on the field,” defensive midfielder Angel Jaramillo said.

Overall, the team is content with its performance thus far. The young squad has competed well against difficult opponents. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement.

“The team’s performance has…surprised me,” Khorshidi said. “Our starting 11 is filled with youngsters…but we play with great confidence in our game. We took victories from great teams such as our rival Santa Monica. We hope to improve on greater communication especially from our core central positions. Also we hope to improve our two-touch only method that seems to be working for us every game.”

The squad’s latest tournament results include a 1-0 loss on Monday, a 0-0 draw on Tuesday and a 5-0 win on Wednesday.

The team’s next match after the tournament is Jan. 4 at Brentwood. League play begins on Jan. 11 at Hawthorne.

Defender Josh Horowitz shuts down a Lawndale offender. GINELLE WOLFE

Girls’ basketball plans to improve on mistakes from recent tournament Arman Zadeh Staff Writer On the week of Dec. 12, the girls’ basketball team participated in the Milken Tournament, finishing with a tournament record of 2-2.

The team ended by playing Terry Fox for third place in its final game but unfortunately could not attain a win.

Head Coach John Braddell believed the team played inconsistently throughout the tournament, playing well at times but poorly at others.

“We played pretty well, but we also had two tough losses in tight games,” Braddell said.

The team’s first game was against Viewpoint. Beverly won 49-35.

Forward Natasha Allen led the team with 14 points. Guard Debbie Reyhan contributed 10 points and forward Dorsa Mehrannia with eight points. Mehrannia also contributed with a team-high six rebounds.

The squad next faced Milken where they were defeated 66-62 in triple overtime.

Braddell feels the team’s inability to convert on key free throws led to the “tough loss.”

“It came down to free throw shooting.

[Milken players] made their free throws and we didn’t,” Braddell said.

Guard Megan Yee and Mehrannia both topped the team with 17 points. Allen contributed with 18 rebounds and two blocks.

The Normans next squared off against Yeshiva, winning 58-44.

Small forward Serena Shlomof contributed with 20 points alongside Allen with 13. Allen and forward Taylor McBride led the team in rebounds with eight each.

Mehrannia believed the squad was facing an easier team when playing Yeshiva and was able to defeat their opponents even while “playing down to [Yeshiva’s] level.”

The Normans’ last game was against Terry

Fox where they fought for third place. The team lost by a slight margin of 52-49.

Allen led the team with 17 points along with Mehrannia with 10 points. Allen also contributed with seven rebounds and two steals.

The team was outscored by seven points in the fourth quarter.

“We led pretty much the whole game, but in the fourth quarter we struggled offensively and that was the game, we ended up losing by three,” Braddell said.

The team next participates in the West Coast Holiday Festival Tournament the week of Dec. 26 and will play a total of five games over the span of a week. The squad’s first opponent in the tournament is North Torrance.

Braddell is preparing the team with free throw and layup exercises in hopes of a successful tournament, eliminating the mistakes made in previous games.

January 20, 2012 Highlights

arts&style 5

Dance Company performs captivating show Hae Lee Staff Writer On Wednesday Jan. 18, Beverly’s Dance Company performed twelve pieces in the K.L. Peters Auditorium in the first of four performances continuing through Jan 21.

The show this year did not have a specific theme; individual pieces had titles such as “Insomnia,” “Going Out To Sea,” “Regrette Et L’Acceptation,” and “...Just Walk Away...” The music choice was equally diverse, with songs from Max Richter, Block Party, Bon Iver, Time for Three, Lykke Li and Christina Aguilera, among others.

Frances Goritsas, in her second year as Dance Company director, says that she would not make any changes about the Company even if she had the choice to do so.

The Company worked tirelessly for five months, from seventh period until 6 p.m. on weekdays and added weekend rehearsals, starting in November.

“I think Dance Company is a great and very special program that encourages the students to choreograph and perform at an advanced level,” Goritsas said.

According to Dance Company member Carly Stone, the Company has had its ups and downs but its members have developed a strong bond.

“I don’t think that there is any other group, club, [or] sport on campus that shares the friendship we have. Dance Company is such an experience in which we all shed blood, sweat, and many tears.

I am so happy that I have gotten the chance to become so close with so many different people,” Stone said.

Like programs in the past, solos, duets, hip-hop, and ballet dances dominated the show, giving the audience a taste of many different forms of dance. Members of the audience appreciated the variety provided by the different styles of dance.

“I liked the fact that the majority of the dances were choreographed by the students themselves. It was impressive to see what the students were able to create,” senior Sarah Sarandos said.

Some students were happy with the absence of a theme as they felt it brought a sense of diversity to the show.

“I liked the no-theme application because every piece was different and fresh, yet still cohesive,” freshman Asaf Bar-Tal said.

AP Posse, a hip-hop group within the Company, performed a piece called “Waiter!” which depicted a scene of different kinds of people at a bar. This piece was choreographed by Beverly alumni Julian Recio and Dance Company member Simone Kochav. The piece featured music by Linkin Park, Robin Thicke, Vittorio Monti, and Esco Williams.

The main change from last year’s show is that there is only one AP Posse piece.

This came as a shock to many, because AP Posse was one of the favorite parts of the show in the previous years.

“I was a little disappointed to see only one piece of AP Posse. The show itself seemed a little shorter than the performances in the previous years but I still enjoyed it a lot,” senior Sho Emerson said.

The Company has improved its acts and amazed the audience all the way through “Bows,” the concluding dance piece.

The Company Paloma Bloch, Nina Bral, Adriana Buonocore, Alex Carlson, Savannah Forno, Samantha Galen, Talia Gergely, Simone Kochav, Waverly Laksman, Lucy Licht, Anthony Lofaso, Ariella Maman, Sydney Navid, Teeah Pandy, Shay Saver, Carly Stone

Apprentices: Mia Bronson, Sophia Estrada, Chanel Namigohar, Isabella Perez PHOTOS BY DANNY LICHT