Issue 7, volume 87

highlights

December 16, 2013 Volume 87, Issue Seven Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com

Without permit students, how has Beverly changed?

Braden Bochner staff writer Audrey Park staff writer

VIRGINIA CARMELITANO

Right-back senior Sam Levy helped boys varsity soccer beat Winward 3-1 at a home game on Dec. 10.

ASB election votes in junior president, others Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief Though campaigning had started weeks in advance, the polls to vote for ASB (Associated Student Body) spring elections opened on Tuesday, Dec. 10 and ended Thursday, Dec. 13. Unlike in previous years, voting took place on Juno, rather than the eduBallot.

“Voting on Juno is so much more convenient,” senior Paloma Bloch said. “It’s so much easier to click the links to Juno that candidates post on social media sites rather than log in on eduBallot.”

Senior Allie Kahn, newly elected ASB Treasurer, agrees with Bloch and emphasizes the importance of social media in campaigning.

“Social media is an amazing way to reach people that you can’t reach out to and speak to in person,” Kahn said.

Junior Josh Schenk, newly elected ASB President, also attributes his victory to his ability to contact various individuals via social media.

“In my campaign, I made sure to reach out to every grade and every person as much as I possibly could,” Schenk said. “For the week of campaigning and the week of voting, all of my lunchtime was spent getting to know all the students on campus.”

Schenk elaborates on his goals as second semester ASB presi-

dent, which focus primarily on making sure that students feel like they have a say in the school.

“I want to make sure that no student feels like they are on the outside of the school looking in on the decisions that are made for the future of their school and community,” Schenk said. “ASB wants to connect all of the different groups on campus and work towards school spirit, involvement and enjoyment.”

“ASB wants to connect all of the different groups on campus,” Schenk said.

Sophomore Isaac Spector, newly elected commissioner, “hoped to work together with Schenk and create videos that would increase school spirit and promote ASB as a student body organization that would proudly represents BHHS.” Senior Gabriel Bogner won the position of Senior Treasurer, though he isn’t currently enrolled in the school.

“I’m coming back from taking a semester of school off because I’ve had many surgeries,” Bogner said. “I still basically had to come Continued on Page 2

news

Looking at the Cafe The Beverly Cafe has undergone a transition this year, which has, in effect, altered both its menu options and therefore the percentage of students who choose to buy its lunches. page 2

Formal dance to go down at Confidential Jessica Lu spotlight editor For the first time, Winter Formal is confidential, that is, at Confidential LA on Beverly Drive on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Associated Student Body (ASB) President Leili Hashemi teamed up with fellow ASB representatives and Assistant Principal Amy Golden to choose a new venue along with implementing other changes to Winter Formal.

ASB Advisor Mark Mead explained ASB’s overall goal.

“It’s hard to have a really explicit vision, having never done this, but, we want it to be classy,” Mead said.

Confidential LA fit the description because it was “clean, nice and decently sophisticated,” according to Mead. It has the added bonus of being local, which may lower the cost of transportation for students. In previous years, Winter Formal was at Key Club on Sunset.

“The biggest change that was made was the location,” Hashemi said. “The new location is a much different environment from years past, so that is something that is making this year unique. I’m interested to see how this new location, Confidential LA, is going to be.”

Continued on Page 4

spotlight

AFTER-FORMAL page 6

As of September 2010, Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) halted the continuation of the Diversity Permit Program, an agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), that allowed an allotted number of out-of district ninth graders to attend Beverly.

According to BHUSD Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Tedford, the Board of Education decided to eliminate diversity permits as it was in their “financial interest to serve the city of Beverly Hills and District employees along with residents only.”

“With the exception of the city of Beverly Hills and district employee permits, we no longer accept permits. This means that we only serve our resident students in the district,” Tedford said. “Last November in 2012, the Board directed the district to allow existing permit students to remain.”

Students who had diversity permits at both the middle and high school levels were allowed to remain at their respective schools until graduation. Out of the 178 permit students entering grades

1-12 next year, approximately 34 students will attend with permits other than the interdistrict permit.

The district eliminated permits after the Board of Education switched to basic aid, a funding system that provides a fixed amount of money based on the city of Beverly Hills’ property taxes. Therefore, every extra student brought in via permit equates to less money spent on a non-permit student.

“We only serve our resident students in the district,” Dr. Jennifer Tedford said.

Although the Board eliminated its diversity programs, they decided to continue the Interdistrict Permit Program which allows children of city and district employees to attend the BHUSD schools. Out of the 4,300 students attending BHUSD schools, 220 students are attending with interdistrict permits. Out of the 220 students, 42 are expected to graduate in May of 2014.

Continued on Page 3

Special ed director Parker to leave at start of next year Audrey Park staff writer The Beverly Hills Special Education Director Dina Parker will be resigning at the start of 2014 after her three years of working at the Beverly Hills Unified School District. According to Parker, the position in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District was “too good to pass up.”

After her leave, the department plans on continuing its development of research-based programs that support the special education students in the least restrictive environment possible.

“Beverly Hills High School staff has done an excellent job working with students with disabilities. I am very proud of them,” Parker said. “They will continue to work on compliance to state and federal laws, while developing programs that are research based to support

students.”

In the time that Parker served as director, the special education department was able to develop PrIME (Priorities for an Independent and Meaningful Education), a committee that explored co-teaching in the middle schools, and encouraged district-wide instructional assistant support.

“We created the term PrIME rather than using an outdated term that included labeling. We provided professional development to our instructional assistants, and brought behavior intervention as an embedded service to our PrIME classes,” Parker said. “We provided professional development to our BHHS special education staff in regards to transition services. We focused on so many things that we are proud of.”

Continued on Page 3

culture

sports

Some Normans celebrate the holiday season by giving back to their communities and participating in events sponsored by local non-profit organizations. page 8

Athletes at Beverly have strayed from specialization in one sport by participating in multiple sports. Multi-sport athletes are a large part of the athletic department. page 12

Helping Out

Multi-Sport Athletes

2

HIGHLIGHTS NEWS DECEMBER 16, 2013

Genetically modified foods may pose as risks to students Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief Danny Licht editor-in-chief

In 1983, scientists developed the first genetically modified plant, an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant.

Eleven years later, the first commercially available genetically modified organism (GMO), a tomato engineered to delay its ripening, was approved by Food and Drug Administration to be sold in the US. Today, approximately 90 percent of all American corn and soy are genetically engineered (GE), meaning that genes are extracted from one organism and inserted via viral injection into another.

Organisms are modified for various reasons. The most discussed GMO product relates to food production: fish and pigs and corn are genetically modified to resist disease and to grow larger and faster, which could potentially ease global hunger. Some GMOs are used to research diseases, where animals are modified to have human traits, while others are used to produce fibers and cloths. Additionally, some cats and dogs are modified to be compatible with people who would otherwise be allergic.

However, GMOs do indeed have adverse effects. Some animal studies have shown GMOs to cause organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated aging and infertility. In humans, other studies have shown genetically modified foods to leave behind material, such as various viruses and bacteria, though the effects of this are as of yet unknown.

In addition, genetically modified plants are often less nutritious than their organically grown counterparts. Since GMOs’ introduction into the consumer market, the number of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses has increased from 7 to 13 percent; the American Academy of Environ-

“I think the major problem with GMOs is that nobody knows enough about it to take a position.” mental Medicine believes there to be a causal relationship. For these reasons, the organization recommends that doctors prescribe non-

GMO, or organic, diets for all patients.

This unknowing is the primary issue for people like senior Da Eun Lee. “I think the major problem with GMOs is that nobody knows enough about it to take a position,” Lee said. “We don’t really know if it has a long-term impact on the health of individuals or why companies are against the labeling of GMOs if it isn’t bad for people.”

“Organic” in the context of food does not simply mean carbonbased, as biology students learn.

Organic agriculture, as per USDA guidelines, is a method of production that relies on renewable resources and the conservation of both soil and water. This differs from the now-common industrialtype farming techniques which rely on products such as Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide, which kills just about all living things, in cooperation with the same company’s Roundup-resistant seeds. Research shows, however, that this relationship causes a pesticide treadmill, and as the pesticides get stronger and stronger, the pests do as well, leading to an unending race to im-

munity. To keep up, pesticides of increasing potency becomes requisite. A famous example of this occurred with the boll weevil, a beetle that feeds on cotton buds. The beetle was originally controlled by Monsanto’s DDT insecticide, but the boll weevil quickly developed resistance against it.

For reasons such as these, Media Director Romeo Carey calls Monsanto “the most diabolical thing that we know,” while noting that the benefits of genetically engineered organisms don’t actually exist.

“Students are being corrupted by the media and public school education into believing the GMOs are not at all detrimental to the quality of the world,” Carey said.

There is some resistance in America to the use of GMOs, but again, they’re nearly everywhere. A movement has been growing, though, to get the things labeled, as they are in all other developed countries.

Organizations such as Just Label It (whose slogan is “We Have a Right to Know If Our Food Has Been Genetically Engineered”) cites studies that have shown more than 90 percent of Americans to be in support

of mandatory labeling of GE foods.

Some of the anti-GE groups claim that the products have adverse effects on humans, though no study has yet proven this, most simply want to know what they are eating.

ASB Elections

Continued from Page 1 to school on certain days and attend ASB meetings and fill out forms, even when I wasn’t really enrolled.”

Though Bogner has previously held positions on ASB, he believes this year will be different due to the fact that he will now be on Head Row. “I always felt like I’ve had a big influence in ASB, but I’m excited to now be one of the actual leaders of the class,” Bogner said. “As treasurer, I mostly manage finances and approve clubs…I’ll be working closely with Trish on senior apparel, and through my position, I’m really excited to help make Beverly a better place.”

Newly elected ASB members will begin their terms starting Jan.6, the first day of the Spring Semester.

Beverly Cafe introduces changes to menu No longer working with ChoiceLunch, the Beverly Cafe welcomes a new management system Zoe Kenealy staff writer The Beverly Cafe has undergone a transition this year, which has, in effect, altered both its menu options and therefore the percentage of students who choose to buy its lunches.

Twenty percent of students purchase lunch from the cafe, a 4-percent increase from the year prior. According to Food Services Manager Heather Oyamo, this trend can be connected to the change in menu options, with the most popular dishes appearing to be Pick Up Stix and Fresh Brothers Pizza.

“I only get pizza when I go to the cafeteria, but that is often.

I like that the pizza is actually from a well-known company instead of just being tasteless cafeteria food,” senior Nicole Nedjat-Haiem said. “If it weren’t for Fresh Brothers Pizza catering to Beverly, I would probably bring lunch every day instead of buying from the cafeteria.”

Although the menu is noticeably different than last year’s, the main goal of the Beverly Cafe has remained the same.

Oyamo states that the Beverly Cafe strives to “serve students healthful, nutritious and tasty

meals for lunch, while being able to break even financially.”

However, in addition to maintaining previous goals, Food Services hopes to order from fewer catering companies and make more of the food inhouse.

Currently, companies that sell food to Beverly include Fresh Brothers Pizza, Pick Up Stix, El Pollo Loco, Jersey Mikes and Nagila.

“It sort of upsets me that the school wants to cut down the number of catering companies the cafeteria buys from,” junior Aron Selimovic said. “The caterers always have food that tastes better, in my opinion, and I actually look forward to the lunches that they bring. I hope that at least El Pollo Loco stays.”

Last year the cafeteria was run by the catering company ChoiceLunch. However, because ChoiceLunch was simply a temporary solution, the Beverly Cafe appears to be continuing in its current direction under the school’s management.

What do you want to see the Beverly Cafe serve in the future? Let us know at beverlyhighlights@gmail.com 106 students were polled from Dec. 11-13 MICHELLE BANAYAN

3

HIGHLIGHTS NEWS DECEMBER 16, 2013

Inspired by opera, Molloy pursues dreams Key Eunice Kim staff writer Ever since sophomore Myra Molloy was a child, she would watch Disney movies and Broadway shows and hold mock performances with her sister. She dreamed of one day becoming a famous singer and actress; however, never did she imagine that years later she would be the winner of Thailand’s hit television show, “Thailand’s Got Talent.”

Molloy was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and moved to New York City when she was four, and eventually returned to Bangkok. At the age of eight, she witnessed a live performance of “Phantom of the Opera,” which influenced her lifechanging decision. “[The opera] took my breath away. I loved the show and the music so much,” Molloy said.

At 13, she entered the 2011 season of “Thailand’s Got Talent,” singing “Think of Me” from the influential opera she had watched five years prior. Additionally, she sang a Thai pop song, “Star,” by Grand X and Sarah Brightman’s

version of “Time to Say Goodbye.”

“I never thought I was going to win at all,” Molloy said. “The oth-

er contestants were very talented and intimidating and they were older, so I thought I didn’t stand

MYRA MOLLOY

When Molloy moved saw “Phantom of the Opera” at the age of eight, she instantly knew performing was her passion. She pursued this passion by participating, and eventually winning, Thailand’s hit show “Thailand’s Got Talent.”

District enforces new policy toward out of district students Continued from Page 1 Senior Allison Klemes recalls having tears of excitement and sadness when she first heard the news that she as well as her sister, senior Dani Klemes, had been approved to attend Beverly on permits.

“I was going to miss going to high school with my friends from my old school, but I was excited to start a new chapter in my life in a beautiful city,” Klemes said. “I feel that this policy affected my life in a good way because it gave me the opportunity to go to an amazing school.”

Klemes, an active athlete in Beverly’s athletic department, is grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a school that offers as many programs as Beverly does.

“My parents were so happy that my sister and I got the permits,” Klemes said. “Compared to the LAUSD schools that I have attended in the past, Beverly is so much better. It’s much cleaner and the students are much nicer.”

According to BHUSD Chief Administrative Officer Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard, because the number of student enrollment has slightly declined, the district had been able to maintain “our programs despite the difficult economic situation that has changed California.”

“We have a responsibility to educate every student who is a resident of Beverly Hills,” Leopard said. “[Having permits means that] we have more students that we have to stretch our dollars to. Therefore, if we have fewer students we have more to spend per pupil.”

Although the elimination of the Diversity Permit Program helped the district schools financially, it also hindered the diversity among the student body.

“I noticed a difference in the dynamic of our student body now without permit kids,” math teacher Daniel Zadeh said. “It’s just not as culturally diverse, which was the nice thing about the permit program. Two-thirds of the students in my A.P. Statistics class used to be students from Palms Middle School.”

Zadeh, who attended Beverly as a student, recalls the competitiveness among students who strived to attend the high school. Students who applied for permits had to have a “certain grade point average from the school they were coming from and had to take several entry exams.”

“One of the two people I was friends with at Beverly who had permits is now the head of cardiothoracic surgery at a local hospital. The other one got a full scholarship for her PhD from Columbia University,” Zadeh said. “That was the caliber of students we were getting at the time. I don’t know if the reputation of our school has changed, but we don’t get as many candidates like that so maybe the district decided it was in their best financial interest to halt the program.”

Zadeh believes that the purpose of a permit program is to “make our student body stronger.” Therefore, if having a permit program helps create a more dynamic student body, then Zadeh is “in support of it.” On the

other hand, if the district eliminated permits with the “intent to improve the schools,” Zadeh supports the district’s decision.

“Each student deserves to get the most of what they could get and if having less permits allows the district to spend money on the kids who live in Beverly Hills, then God bless them, I think that’s what we should do,” Zadeh said.

The athletic department has also been impacted by the elimination of permits. Varsity boys football coach Vonzie Paysinger believes that all the sports in the Athletics Department have felt a loss due to the elimination of permits.

“If you go across the board, every boys sport has felt that hit,” Paysinger said. “Football went from having 120 athletes to having 80 to 90 athletes. When you lose 30 kids, it hurts.”

Paysinger believes that having a larger student population enables the coaches to create a team from a bigger pool of students. Particularly in football, “the loss of the extra 10 or 12 kids on the team makes a huge difference.”

The Board of Education will revisit their permit policy on Wednesday, Dec. 18 in order to decide the future status of permit students. The Board meets annually to decide the amount of permits to be offered each year.

What are your views on permit students attending BHUSD schools?

Let us know at beverlyhiglights@gmail.com

a chance because I was just one person. Especially against a team of dancers.”

When Molloy won, she was “excited, happy, surprised and honored.”

A few years after the competition, Molloy decided to move to the United States with her family to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and experience a life as a high school student in Los Angeles. By living in America, Molloy has been able to obtain help with her career networking, and with reaching out to potential managers and agents. “[Networking] is a process and I’m in a good place now and I’m thankful for everything [that contributed to my success],” Molloy said.

Molloy hopes to be cast in wellknown movies and have one of her records reach the top of the charts. She believes that with her “awesome” coaches and mentors, she can rise to the top and see her name among others whom she grew up admiring.

Dates

First–semester finals Dec. 17-19

Winter Formal Dec. 19

Winter Vacation Dec. 20-Jan. 5

Martin Luther Special ed director to go, King, Jr. Day replacement Jan. 20 not yet found Continued from Page 1 After her resignation, Parker hopes that the department of special education will continue providing its students with high-quality education in environments that promote individuality and support staff-family relationships.

“I hope that relationships between families and staff will continue to grow in a collaborative and positive manner,” Parker said. “I hope that all staff will continue to focus on interventions and supports prior to the need for special education.”

People close to the special education program at Beverly hope to see a consistency in the quality of education and direction in the department, despite the change of its director after the new year.

“I really do hope that whomever the department picks to replace Dina is dedicated to making the special education department at Beverly as good as can possibly be,” senior Maya Steinberg said. “I am a member of the Art Club, and we work with the special kids in helping them with different art projects.

I have really grown a close relationship with all of them and hope that the direction of special education goes well.”

As of right now, there is not a director ready to take Parker’s place, but the district is in the process of exploring its options to find a suitable replacement.

Junior–Senior Night Jan. 22

Band Concert Jan. 23

SAT I and II Jan. 25 Compass Test Prep practice SAT Jan. 26 PTSA Parent/Student book club Jan. 26

4

HIGHLIGHTS NEWS DECEMBER 16, 2013

Interact participates in local float construction Brenda Mehdian staff writer The Interact Club will be volunteering alongside fellow community members to decorate The City of Beverly Hills Rose Parade Float, which will be featured in the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.

This year’s theme for the float will be “Dreams Come True,” and according to the official Tournament of Roses website, the theme was inspired by the belief that through hard work and faith in oneself, all goals are attainable.

Members of the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, an international

organization that strives to create both positive and lasting changes in communities around the world, Les Bronte and Susan Berk have been working for the past couple of weeks the past couple months to secure volunteer spots for Interact members to work on the float.

“Just a few weeks ago we received the amazing news from Bronte that Beverly Hills Rotary was able to arrange for 33 spots for our members in the first shift to help with the float,” Interact President senior Nicole Sayegh.

According to Sayegh, this is the first time that the Interact Club will be taking part in an

are going to see in the parade.

On top of that, the flowers are beautiful,” Interact Treasurer junior Paige Dubelko said.

According to Dubelko, the goal of this event for the club is to have a lot of Interact members come and help decorate the float. Dubelko believes this goal will be achieved if all those who signed up to help out follow through with their commitment.

Interact looks forward to contributing to the float and helping represent the city of Beverly Hills. Stay tuned to check out a video of the float making process to be posted on our website in January.

event like this and she believes that doing so is “truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

While community members were given an area of the float of their choice to decorate, Interact members were appointed to helping with the float’s floral arrangements.

In an effort to increase participation for the city’s centennial year, community members had the opportunity to place their names in a random drawing that would give them a chance to appear on the float itself.

“I am really excited for this event and I think it will be one of our best. It is super fun to help build the float that people

Rules and Requirements to participate in float decoration 1) Float decorators are not required to reside in Beverly Hills 2) Participants ages 13-17 must be accompanied by an adult

3) Lunch or dinner will be provided to all volunteers 4) City shuttle will be provided for those interested

ASB makes alterations to this year’s Winter Formal ready have ASB [cards],” senior Eli Eshaghian said.

In addition to changes in location and price, the time frame for the dance has shifted an hour earlier so that it starts at 7 p.m. Mead believes the time change might be addressing administrative concerns, like chaperone availability.

Both identified the After-Formal party as another potential reason to start the dance earlier.

“It’ll be disappointing if people leave at eight to get to their after-party,” he said. “[But] I know these [parties] exist. I have nothing against them, as long as people are responsible and legal.”

the dance run smoothly.

“The biggest challenge is not knowing how formal is going to turn out,” Hashemi said. “But [we’re] really trying to reach out to all the grades and make everyone feel welcome to come to formal. It’s an event that is more fun when everyone is there.”

Mead said that in the future, the date of the dance may continue to be debated among ASB members.

“To me, it makes sense, you go home, take a shower, you look good and you go out with your friends to celebrate the break,” Mead said.

Yet others argue that some students will be out of town

Sophomore Treasurer Justin Friedman hopes the changes taken into effect will keep students at Winter Formal for a longer period of time.

“We’re really trying to reach out to all the grades and make everyone feel welcome to formal.”

“I think our students will appreciate the new developments to our traditional event and therefore be prompted to stay longer,” he said.

For now, ASB will focus on sales and making sure things at

or tired from school since the event is right after finals. For now, the date is still Dec. 19.

To read more about Winter Formal and After Formal, flip to Pages Six and Seven.

Missed the deadline?

Purchase tickets for Winter Formal by scanning the QR code below:

2013

Continued from Page One To further stress the value of having ASB membership, the price gap between members and non-cardholders has risen to $20.

“We did consider 40 and 50 as the [prices], but it seems to me very fair to offer [kids with ASB] a lower price,” Mead said.

Factors that go into the cost per ticket include the venue, security and the management of unexpected events.

Mead recounted that a few years ago a student broke an object in the bathroom and ASB had to pay for the damage.

“I don’t consider the price to be a barrier because most athletes and many students al-

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HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE DECEMBER 16, 2013

A taste of The Farmer’s Market

Vendors offer ethnic dishes, cultural experience Juliette Deutsch staff writer Braden Bochner staff writer Since the early 1960s, The Farmers Market, at the corner of West Third and Fairfax, has been an iconic Los Angeles landmark. In 1991 the Los Angeles City Council declared the Farmers Market as a Historic Cultural Monument of Los Angeles. The rows of shops on the south side of The Grove mall feature a variety of ethnic restaurants.

Loteria! Grill (stall #322) Jimmy Shaw opened his first restaurant, Loteria! Grill at The Farmers Market in 2002. Nestled in the heart of the Farmers Market, the small, open-air kitchen is surrounded by a buzzing and hectic atmosphere. Known for its menu filled with authentic specialities from various culinary regions of Mexico, Loteria! attracts an array of tourists and culinary powerhouses like Mario Batali with its signature take on Mexican cuisine. The Chilaquiles, a classic Mexican breakfast made of tortilla strips and chicken sauteed in a homemade salsa, is highly recommended.

Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts (stall #450) T&Y Bakery (stall #222) The Farmers Market has many different dessert options to choose from.

The one that caught our eye was the small family owned bakery known as T&Y Bakery. In the display case of T&Y was everything from red velvet cookies to tiramisu. After contemplating which dessert to try, we finally decided to try the red velvet cookie which was surprisingly delicious. This bakery is not talked about a lot when people mention the Farmers Market, but it is definitely worth checking out.

Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts is a Los Angeles institution. Since 1947 Bob’s has offered over 30 different doughnut flavors to choose from, with classics ranging from buttermilk glazed and coconut crumb to chocolate caramel nut.

The bakers at Bob’s make fresh doughnuts every morning at 4:30 a.m. and serve over 1,000 doughnuts a day to tourists and regulars. Bob’s is known for their classic apple fritter, filled with fresh bits of apples, making it perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Monsieur Marcel (stall #150) Tucked away in the back corner of the Farmers Market is where Parisians can get a taste of home. Monsieur Marcel Market is a French owned gourmet market and full restaurant. The gourmet store is a getaway from the rest of the busy Farmers Market. Monsieur Marcel sells many typical French delicacies which include a selection of French cheeses, jams, freshly baked breads and desserts. A mong all of the appetizing options the caramel flavored macaroons from the market and the traditional French onion soup were the best dishes.

6

HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT DECEMBER 16, 2013

AFTER FORMAL Student-run after-party grinds against the Winter Formal Robert Katz web editor-in-chief Jackson Prince staff writer Amid the gyrations of student bodies and the pulsing of dance music, a Norman steps into a rumbling venue packed with over 400 dancing peers.

Students resemble a herd of sheep, as they are extremely close in proximity (granted, these “sheep” are dancing wildly and making out with one another). The interested Norman looks behind him for his friend, but she is currently consumed by the overpowering attractiveness of the entire scene. The Norman now understands the gravity of the situation. He must be at after-formal.

On the night of Dec. 19, 2013, the annual after-formal party will once again attract many Normans. Enticed by the idea of an unsupervised event and the ability to let loose after finals, these students will partake in a controversial event that has made strong impressions on the student body. after-formal, The which is always held the culminating night of finals week, has developed a sense of mystique among the student body as a darker, more exuberant sequel to the tamer, supervised school formal.

Even among some students who have not attended the party, the event has earned a reputation for entertainment.

“I’ve never gone but the amount of people promoting it and talking about it makes it seem fun,” a freshman, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.

Prospective partiers are forced to decide whether to purchase a ticket for formal, after-formal or both.

Pasha Farmanara, class of 2013 noted that students often chose the after-party.

“It’s a very common thing just to go to

after-formal,” Farmanara said. “Some people like to skip all the stress of having to get a date and a suit and just go to the after-party, which most people consider more fun.”

Although the majority of students who attend after-formal are Beverly students, it is not considered a school event.

Bailey Berro, class of 2013, who was involved in managing after-formal dur-

lieve that formal would be more heavily attended if it were not followed by afterformal, ASB President Leili Hashemi suggested that the latter had no reason to affect formal’s turnout, “because they are set on different times.”

“In the past when they overlapped, I could see [after-formal] taking away from formal in the sense that people left early,” Hashemi said. “But other than that, I don’t think after-formal affects

prefer not to sell on campus, but it’s the most convenient way to sell tickets.”

Berro declined to comment on how much revenue ticket sales regularly generated.

Berro’s co-host Matin Mehdizadeh, class of 2013, also declined to comment.

One junior, who wished to remain anonymous, had mixed feelings about after-formal.

“I think after-formal brings a lot of

ing his time in high school, claimed that the party cannot be considered related to the school, as “it’s not associated with Beverly and many students from other high schools attend.”

At some parties, Berro added, students from eight or more schools were in attendance.

Other students, such as senior Daniel Kahn, saw a clear link between afterformal and the Beverly-hosted afterparty.

“After-formal does take away from formal, as it draws attention away from [formal’s] existence. Because people down-talk formal and get excited over after-formal, [after-formal] degrades the school-sponsored formal,” Kahn said.

Though some students, like Kahn, be-

formal if their times are different.”

Concurring with Hashemi, Berro claimed that after-formal’s time gives students the option to attend both parties.

“As it is intended to be a standalone event that occurs post-formal, I don’t believe it has had a quantifiable impact on formal itself,” Berro said.

Berro also denied a rumor that was circling around the legality of ticket sale procedures.

“There were always allegations that sales were taking place on campus,” Berro said, “yet promoters were always instructed to not sell on campus and I have no reason to believe any of them did.”

An anonymous promoter for this year’s party claimed that “promoters

Beverly kids together,” she said, “but I hate the experience and I wish that people were able to come together in a better way.”

According to Farmanara, the school’s formal does not offer students many perks over the dance’s midnight counterpart.

“You’d think formal would be more formal, but it’s just the same as any other party,” Farmanara said. “There’s music, DJ’s, a dance floor, it’s really darkly lit.”

Students are more likely to attend the after-party for the lack of teacher presence and the option to wear more comfortable clothing, Farmanara said. Other than that, he believes that “the two post-final dances are not so different.”

“It’s the same thing,” he said, “ex-

cept for more comfortable clothes and teachers aren’t everywhere.”

Still, the question is raised over what sets after-parties apart from school parties.

“People are drunk,” Farmanara said.

“There’s definitely alcohol usage involved. It’s more promiscuous.”

Although drugs and alcohol are not officially permitted at after-formal, some students intoxicate themselves prior to attending the parties, otherwise known as “pre-gaming.”

One sophomore claimed that after-formal was “100 times better than formal,” noting that they enjoyed the carefree atmosphere of the event.

“People want to have fun and let loose,” he said. “I don’t blame anyone for their actions that night. It’s a ‘freebie.’”

It is the unconcerned, socially-insulated nature of after-formal, Farmanara believes, that attracts students.

“It’s a party that is thrown by kids for kids,” Farmanara said. “There’s nothing [for partygoers] to worry about.”

Farmanara was never surprised by risque activities that took place at the dances.

“There’s nothing at after-formal or after-prom you wouldn’t see at any other parties. There’s nothing very shocking. It’s normal prom night: people just making out, grinding up on each other. Normal stuff,” Farmanara said.

“I haven’t seen anything crazy like people having sex on the dance floor [or] snorting cocaine. They’re the same thing every time and they’re usually not too bad.”

As debauched as after-parties can become, after-formal may have certain benefits.

“It’s kind of a controlled, safe place for kids to act out. If there weren’t these parties, there would be other things that were less organized and they wouldn’t have security. I don’t think [after-parties] are a bad thing at all,” Farmanara

Man and woman graphic from cdc.gov, dollar bill graphic from mycreditunion.gov. Infographic created by MARGUERITE ALBERTS. Illustrations courtesy of NICOLE LEIBMAN.

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HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE DECEMBER 16, 2013

8

’Tis the season to be jolly

Students volunteer, create new bonds with family

Dami Kim culture editor Juliette Deutsch staff writer Braden Bochner staff writer As the winter vacation approaches, students find different ways to spread the holiday cheer, both within their own families and throughout the community. While some students devote their free time volunteering their services to charity organizations around Los Angeles, other students celebrate the holiday season by relying on traditions unique to their family’s cutlure.

Volunteering The holidays are a time when people can reflect on the past year and appreciate their families and friends. Some students celebrate the festive season by giving back to their communities and participating in events sponsored by local non-profit organizations.

Just this past year, the Associated Student Body (ASB) Community Service Committee had more than 1,100 students participating in volunteer work. Eightythree students volunteered over 100 hours of their time and were recognized with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a signed certificate from President Obama.

Volunteer work has a large presence year-round on campus.

The Interact Club, sponsored by the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, offers many ways for students to

get involved in the community and volunteer their time for a number of great causes.

“Thanks to the Rotary [Club], Interactors and myself have been granted the great chance to give back to our community through participation in such events as Every 15 Minutes, LA Regional Food Bank, LA Marathon, and many more,” president of Interact Club senior Nicole Sayegh said.

Interact Club members will volunteer their time at three different events this month: the Angel City Giveaway, a toy drive for families with victims of domestic violence and the decorating of the Rose Bowl Parade floats.

“I volunteer at Much Love, which is a mobile adoption agency and at Tomchei Shabbos, which is a food packaging and delivering service,” senior Amanda Abeles said. “My family and I volunteer together and volunteering [has become] a part of who I am.”

Sayegh believes that by contributing to the community and getting to know others, volunteer work can help one personally grow.

“I love changing people’s minds and attitudes for the positive. I love making a difference in the world,” Sayegh said. “In all honesty, life is not about dwelling on wasted opportunities, but rather creating a brighter future for generations to come.”

Making an impact on your com-

munity by helping those in need can help one focus on something other than themselves and gain valuable life experiences.

“To join a club and meet new friends, to help out your fellow community members and to be a part of events that have the potential to save lives are all wonderful experiences that I believe everyone should try out for themselves,” Sayegh said.

Many non-profit organizations in Los Angeles offer volunteer opportunities for high school students.

“Volunteering is fulfilling for students, because it’s a hands-on process,” Project Angel Food volunteer service associate Robert Cliff said. “You complete the task and see the results right in front of you: you’ve prepared 1,300 meals in just a few hours.”

Project Angel Food is an organization that serves hot and frozen meals on a daily basis to people with HIV/Aids, cancer and other serious illness in the Los Angeles area. Last year, Project Angel Food delivered more than 600,000 meals.

“Volunteering makes you reflect on how blessed you are. It gives you a sense of involvement in your community,” Cliff said.

“Being outside of yourself and stepping away from what is familiar can be very important.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities, look for notices in the Daily Bulletin and visit the Career Center or Houses

A, B and C. Family Traditions Similar to distinct shapes of snowflakes seen around this time of year, holiday traditions are unique to each family. Traditions depend on families’ community and their ethnic cultures. During the holidays especially, families come together and celebrate old traditions and new traditions.

After setting up the Christmas lights or getting a Eggnog Latte from Starbucks, the holidays look different for every family depending on a variety of things.

Family traditions differ from holiday to holiday.

“In my family on Christmas Eve we all go to the homeless shelter in the afternoon and help out there. It is a tradition every year and I love it because it makes me feel so much more thankful,” senior Tori Hertz said.

Besides participating in volunteering, Hertz’s family is also involved in typical American traditions around the holidays.

“Besides going to the homeless shelter and volunteering, my family also gets a Christmas tree and decorates our house.

Every year, we invite people over and set up all of our lights before Christmas Eve while listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate. This is a fairly old tradition because we have been doing this for about five years now,” Hertz said.

Besides decorating and volun-

teering, the days leading up to Christmas and Christmas Day are different for everyone. Some families visit relatives and get together as a bigger group.

“On Christmas Eve my family and I drive up to the Bay Area to see my family and the next morning we spend the rest of the day with my extended family, open gifts and have a Christmas lunch,” senior Zoe Tran said.

Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday celebrated over eight days, is also celebrated by many students.

Hanukkah this year was passed through the week of Thanksgiving. Since, those students already had their holiday celebrations, Christmas Day looks slightly different for them.

“My family celebrated Hanukkah by getting together with cousins and opening gifts on each night. Since that is the holiday that we celebrate, Christmas Day usually consists of going to the movies or just hanging out with friends who celebrated Hanukkah as well,” sophomore Rachel Monasebian said.

For those who do not celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas the holiday time is different for them.

“My family is Mormon so we don’t celebrate Hanukkah or participate in the typical Christmas activities. There is a church ceremony that we attend as a family which is part of a tradition but it is different than a Christian Christmas,” sophomore Elizabeth Del Rosario said.

Holiday Edition: home recipes for easy treats Juliette Deutsch staff writer

Holiday Trail Mix Ingredients: Half a cup of chocolate chips Half a cup of Nutella or hazelnut spread Four cups of chex cereal Two tablespoons of butter Two cups of powdered sugar Holiday M&Ms

S’mores Hot Chocolate Ingredients: One cup of milk Two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa or hot chocolate mix Three or four graham crackers Peanut Butter Marshmallows Chocolate Chips Plastic Bag

Step 1: In a bowl, combine the chocolate chips, nutella and butter. Place in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until combined.

Step 2: Place the chocolate mixture aside and add the four cups of chex cereal into another bowl.

Step 3: Combine the chex cereal and chocolate mixture until the cereal is coated evenly.

Step 4: Place the powdered sugar and chocolate mixture into a plastic bag and shake.

Step 5: Pour the coated mix out of the bag and into a bowl. Add the M&Ms and enjoy!

Step 1: In a bowl combine the milk and hot chocolate mix or cocoa powder in a saucepan.

Mix and let the combination simmer on medium heat for ten to 15 minutes.

Step 2: While the hot chocolate mix heats up, take four graham crackers and place them in a plastic bag. Seal the bag, and crumble the graham crackers.

Step 3: Turn off the heat on the hot chocolate mix Step 4: Take the peanut butter, and on a knife spread a thin layer on the rim of your mug.

Step 5: Place the crumbled graham crackers on a plate and dip the rim of your mug into the graham crackers.

Step 6: On a stick, take three to four marshmallows and roast them over a flame.

Step 7: Add the hot chocolate mix into your mug as well as the marshmallows and enjoy!

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT DECEMBER 16, 2013

THE FORUM

a debate within the Highlights staff

9

What kind of culture has the school created? Over the next several issues, members of the Highlights staff will contend with this question. As the discussion develops, different writers will bring up different aspects of the overarching question, elaborating upon and refuting arguments brought up in previous articles. Last issue, staff writer Zoe Kenealy commented on the pressures of high-school life. Now, web editor-in-chief Dani Klemes continues with a look at the media’s perception of Beverly.

Westside story: putting Beverly Hills into perspective Dani Klemes web editor-in-chief Past the Hollywood sign, off the I-405 freeway and down a Jacaranda tree-lined avenue lies my home for the past 17 years.

A 20-minute freeway trip from downtown Los Angeles and a windy canyon drive to the Westside, I am wedged between the solace of my post-modern suburbia and the chaos of the city. I am, by technicalities, a valley girl.

It wasn’t until eighth grade, though, that I actually considered Beverly Hills beyond its name. After my eight years in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), my mom saw it fit for my sister and me to experience a new setting, to venture off into the unknown, into what lay on the other side of Beverly Glen.

At the time, I didn’t really understand her reasoning for send-

ing us to school in Beverly Hills. It was something about having the “quintessential high school experience,” with Friday-night football and school dances. I mean, I guess it made sense. None of the public high schools within decent radius of my house even came close to competing with Beverly in most aspects.

My dad had attended Beverly (class of ‘76) and had made it out alive, so, really, “what was the harm in enrolling,” my mom argued.

When I received the news that my legacy permit application was validated, I cried. To be honest, I’m not really sure why, but it was probably some combination of melodramatic post-bat mitzvah angst and the idea of leaving my familiar LAUSD for Beverly Hills. Regardless, I entered the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) that autumn.

Most of my knowledge about Beverly Hills (prior to actually attending school in the city) came from the

media. Cheap blockbusters and the ritzy publicity centered on the city left an imprint on me, as they would to any impressionable 13-year-old girl. I already had a set idea of what Beverly Hills would be like: a place swarming with A-listers and labels.

Frankly, I had a biased view of the city, but it was more of an incomplete opinion than a definitive perspective. Sort of like the “Oh yeah, I know her. Well, I don’t know her know her, but, yeah, I know her” situation.

I hate to play the devil’s advocate, but for my first year or two in BHUSD, the idea of attending Beverly embarrassed me. I felt sort of ashamed to be associated with the shallowness and ludicrousness that went along with Beverly Hills, or at least with the overdramatization of Beverly Hills that the media thrust upon society. When people would ask me where I went to school, I’d answer “Beverly Hills High School,”

Students may need a little Senioritis Max Stahl comment editor It’s always the next thing. It’s always sacrifice, reaching for an ever-evasive future that we can shape through hard work today. It’ll be better then, we believe. It has to be. Why else are we all working so hard?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a better reason to quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

As we struggle to provide ourselves with opportunities years down the road, many of us forget that right now, in the prime of our lives, we could be missing the formative experiences that epitomize adolescence. The collegebound have spent the past three years focusing on strengthening and embellishing their applications. Those seeking jobs straight out of high school have spent years developing skills that they’ll need to use in the professional world. Both paths offer rich and fulfilling lives, and they certainly merit the hard work students put into pursuing them. But the students need a break. They need, in essence, a little bout of Senioritis.

And I do mean a little. The Senioritis advocated here is not the Senioritis you hear about from teachers and counselors. It is not an utter abandonment of academic or behavioral integrity, nor is it a descent into utter lethargy. Colleges do reserve the right to revoke lazy and rowdy students’ admission, and employers can rescind job offers just as easily. However, at least in the case of colleges, second-semester seniors are given a decent amount of leeway.

According to admissions officers in-

terviewed in the New York Times, students’ grades usually must drop around two letters below average before the college sends them warning letters. As for those who don’t intend to go to college, meeting Beverly’s graduation requirements and good behavior should suffice.

The second semester of 12th grade gives seniors time to explore — socially, academically and culturally. I encourage you to continue to work hard in the classes you’re interested in, but you should also consider devoting more time to non-academic pursuits. Discover new interests, learn new skills, develop what you’re already good at and what you love doing. Second semester is an opportunity to become more cultured, to learn about yourself, to mature and, most of all, to relax. It’s the break you’ve been waiting for.

I’m hesitant to invoke Drake, so instead I’ll turn to the Roman poet Horace, whose “carpe diem” served as the ancient world’s YOLO. A life devoted to work is, in most cases, a life not worth living. For some, work is what makes them happy. But that’s not the case for everybody. We need time to discover what makes us happy and indulge ourselves a little.

For those who’ve loaded themselves with coursework and extracurriculars and deprived themselves of sleep for three and a half years, that time may be their last semester of high school. It is important to never lose sight of the future, but we must always remember that before we get to the next thing, we have to make it through now, and if we spend too much time worrying about the next thing, we may never realize that now, in the phosphorescent glow of our nimblest and liveliest years, we missed something truly beautiful.

but internally, I’d be screaming, “I’m not rich, I swear.”

How pitiful that the sleazy reality shows portrayed cities being “welloff” as a shameful thing. Of course, there is a major difference between thriving and boasting, but television displayed Beverly as a center of pretentious, in-your-face individuals — the media had everyone fixed upon the luxurious aspects of the city. Essentially, pop culture portrays Beverly as a breeding ground for pomp and brattiness. What my fidgety ninth-grade self was too naive to realize, though, was that I was feeding into the media’s image of Beverly. I didn’t bother defending Beverly at the time because I, too, was one of entertainment’s brainwashed souls.

People claimed that Beverly’s parking lot, rife with Audis and Mercedes, looked like a car show, so I agreed. People claimed that Beverly parties were extremely exclusive, so I agreed. But no one claimed that

there were students who read Kafka for fun. Or that there were students who visited museums on the weekend. Or that there were students who still listened to Steely Dan on vinyl. The truth is that there are students at Beverly who do all of the above, and they’re some of the most interesting people I’ve met — but unfortunately, they wouldn’t make good television.

I realized at the end of my sophomore year that I wasn’t embarrassed

by Beverly Hills, but rather by the media’s shallow, made-for-television version of the flourishing city.

There’s more to Beverly Hills than what the media pins as “iconic,” but most of Beverly’s brilliance doesn’t make airtime. Shrugging off the false perceptions and ignoring the biased remarks only gives the 90210 and its zip-code neighbors a bad name.

It took me a few years too many to realize this, but Weezer was right.

Beverly Hills is where I want to be.

Senioritis triggers adverse effects Jessica Lu spotlight editor My mom has been working in the medical field for 25 years, yet she’s never heard of Senioritis.

I’m not surprised, though. In China, where she went to school, seniors take college-placement exams in June, meaning they don’t get a “free” semester. To American high school students, this idea sounds crazy, but maybe the country is on to something here by preventing seniors from blowing off a whole semester. Maybe it’s time that Senioritis in the United States be treated.

Today, there are extraordinary amounts of pressure to go to college.

We often forget that the purpose of education is to learn, and so when college apps are done, it’s tempting to shut off our brains. But what good is this, when college professors will expect that you have a firm understanding of a subject? For students using AP credit to skip prerequisite courses, this is especially dangerous. It’s unfair to the professor and other students to waste course time on catching you up — in fact, this won’t happen.

Compared with first semester, the second is inherently less stressful already — no SATs, no college essays, no mindless application details.

It may even be excusable to place less emphasis on extracurricular activities you did “for college,” and instead explore some new interests.

So with this extra time and more enjoyable schedule, it’s entirely possible to continue being motivated throughout the end of the year. It’s expected not only by your parents and teachers, but also, by your col-

lege.

It’s well-known that colleges look at students’ performance at the end of senior year. The National Association for College Admission Counseling wrote in their 2009 report that 21 percent of colleges reported revoking admissions offers, with over 70 percent of the reason being attributed to drop in final grades and disciplinary issues. Both are telltale symptoms of Senioritis, for obvious reasons. Lack of motivation leads to falling academic performance, and more freedom can lead to questionable decisions. Colleges may send you warning letters or ask for an explanation. This undoubtedly muddies a college’s conception of you and could lead to a revocation.

If this college argument does not apply, the reasons against catching Senioritis are still applicable. As already stated, slacking off second semester suggests a diminishing quality of what’s accomplished by the student and sets a bad tone for the future. It shows the attitude that one has, to only put in the minimum amount of work. Senioritis widens the gap between those who try and those who don’t, and by falling behind, catching up is just that more difficult.

Avoiding Senioritis doesn’t mean stressing yourself out, but it does mean keeping track of what matters. There’s still plenty of time to pursue other endeavors, as there will be later on. No one, especially not college-bound students, should look for the easy way out of things.

Because, by doing so, one embodies the laziness any university or employer turns away. But I won’t waste any more words here — I’ve heard Senioritis dramatically reduces attention span.

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HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT DECEMBER 16, 2013

My Father’s Battle With ALS Richard Kraft guest writer I believe that sharing stories has tremendous power to inspire people and create change, so I want to tell my family’s story about dealing with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I hope that our experience will help others who are facing this disease and that one day nobody will have to struggle with ALS ever again.

Before my father, Bernie, was diagnosed with ALS, our lives were busy, but normal. We had a family business and, at age 75, my dad was as vibrant and hardworking as he had been at 45.

He was always the first one in the office at 6 a.m., after having done his 10-mile bike ride along the beach. He loved to chat with our employees as they arrived to work, and he spent his day talking on the phone to customers and vendors.

All that changed as he began to experience weakness in his legs, feet and voice. After many

doctors’ visits, he was diagnosed with ALS, a neurological disease that slowly robs a person of the ability to move, speak, swallow and eventually breathe, while all five senses continue to function normally. Most people with ALS remain completely aware as their bodies degenerate. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from onset, although in rare cases some people live with ALS longer. There is no known cause or cure yet.

His diagnosis was a huge shock to our family. It was hard to believe that someone as strong and vibrant as our dad, who had hardly been sick a day in his life, was now facing an illness for which there was no treatment or cure.

Our father, who reveled in long conversations with friends and business associates, would ultimately lose his ability to communicate. We all were enormously saddened, to say the least.

Then an amazing thing happened. After dealing with the initial shock, my dad kept on smiling.

He became determined that ALS

was not going to stop him from living his life as fully as possible.

He continued coming into work, joking with family, friends and employees, and somehow managed to keep everyone’s spirits raised. He lifted everyone around him with his positive attitude and incredible determination.

Of course, there were good and bad days. We soon realized that ALS puts a tremendous burden on families and caregivers as well as the person living with the disease. Luckily, we were directed to an amazing group — The ALS Association.

This organization became essential to our lives. For every question we did not even know to ask, ALSA already had the answer: where to find a support group, how to get a voice synthesizing device, what adaptive equipment could make my dad’s daily life more manageable and so much more. With ALSA, we had a group of caring, dedicated people to rely upon who were there for us at every turn.

I remember my dad at his first

ALSA Walk to Defeat ALS. He and my mom worked the food table, serving up bagels and information to participants who, like themselves, were dealing with ALS. They came away glowing with the energy of the day and pumped up from finally being able to do something to fight back

“It was hard to believe that someone as strong and vibrant as our dad, who had hardly been sick a day in his life, was now facing an illness for which there was no treatment or cure.” against the disease. The next year was rough, and my dad passed away just before walk day came around again. As we had promised him, my mom, sister and I organized a big walk team and participated that day in his memory. It was a chance to honor him

and to give back to the organization that had provided us with support over the previous year.

In the 10 years since my dad passed, there have been tremendous advances in the understanding of ALS and other neurological diseases. Developments in areas like stem cell research are exciting the world’s top medical scientists who believe we are closer to understanding the disease than ever before.

My family has stayed involved with The ALS Association, helping to support the work they do: providing patient care, funding cuttingedge research and advocating for favorable legislation and public policy. My sister and I help organize the Walk to Defeat ALS each year to raise both awareness about ALS and money to continue the fight. We still have a long way to go, but we refuse to give up until there is an effective treatment and a cure for this disease.

Highlights

EDITORIAL

Mabel Kabani and Danny Licht editors-in-chief

Michelle Banayan news editor

Max Stahl

comment editor

Dami Kim

culture editor

Jessica Lu

spotlight editor

Arman Zadeh sports editor

Marguerite Alberts graphics editor

Robert Katz and Dani Klemes web editors-in-chief

Marguerite Alberts and Dami Kim social media directors

Braden Bochner, Juliette Deutsch, Audrey James-Anenih, Zoe Kenealy, Eunice Kim, Brenda Mehdian, Audrey Park and Jackson Prince AJ PARRY

District should reassess merits of basic aid The 2013 school year marks the fourth year since the district’s change to a basic-aid funding system from one that allowed permits to out-of-district students. Current seniors who had permits to attend one of the district’s middle schools a few years ago had to scramble to find a new home in Beverly Hills to avoid transferring to a different high school. The district stood by its new policy.

Many firmly believed that the system would yield more funding for school programs and other needed accommodations.

They believed such results justified the means.

However, the “ideal” funding system has, in practice, been struggling recently. Though the system may really produce more

funding for students in the long term, Beverly has gone through cuts in budgets and programs in the last four years, while the district’s basic-aid endowment played only a small role in maintaining these programs.

Even though California’s passing of Proposition 30 helped to avoid the anticipated $6.2 million budget cut, BHUSD still suffered a $3.5 million cut last year. The high-school Teachers on Special Assignment position, K-8 school librarians and K-8 school principals were at risk of being laid off, and special education employees stood to lose staffing hours. Fortunately, the Beverly Hills Education Foundation alleviated the district’s pain of losing a huge part of the budget through its donations

and fundraisers.

Within the same school year as the state budget cuts, the Los Angeles County Office of Education cut one-third of all 23 participating Los Angeles County districts’ budget for the Regional Occupation Program (ROP). The budget was determined by the size of each district and the recorded student involvement through Average Daily Attendance. The majority of the funds were designed for use in maintaining ROP classes, paying teachers’ salaries, competition and registration fees, transportation and supplies.

Due to our school’s ROP budget savings of $60,000 from previous years, our school only suffered a 4 percent reduction from the total budget, resulting

in a $22,000 cut. The basic-aid funding system did not help in covering for these budget cuts, and we still suffered elimination of some ROP staffing positions this school year.

The adjustment of the district’s funding system also altered the school culturally, jeopardizing the diversity of the student body. The speculation that the lack of diversity among students undermined both academic and sports performances in recent years should be considered as a consequence of the district’s funding system. More importantly, it is essential for both the school and the district to reassess whether this change has produced more benefits than damages, and take measures to resolve accordingly.

staff writers

Nicole Leibman, Audrey Park, Sasha Park and AJ Parry cartoonists

Gaby Herbst adviser ­— The mission of Highlights is to deliver community-relevant news in a timely manner while adhering to professional ethics.

Highlights is a forum for student expression that is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Letters to the editor may be sent to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com.

Visit beverlyhighlights.com Follow @bhhighlights on Twitter and Instagram.

Ads are not endorsed by BHUSD. Beverly Highlights is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF.

11

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS DECEMBER 16, 2013

Coach Gevorkyal takes reigns of girls waterpolo team Jessica Deutsch staff writer Girls varsity water polo recently hired a new head coach, Artem Gevorkyal, for the 2013 season.

Gevorkyal was hired to take the team in a new direction in order to properly compete with other schools in the Ocean League.

Coach Gevorkyal, also known as coach Coach Arte, came to Beverly with the belief that the team has the drive to work hard and improve.

“The team is already a close knit group and expressed that they want to improve by the amount of hard work that they put into the first practices and attending Boopocalypse to brush up on their skills before we started practicing as a team,” Gevorkyal said. “My philosophy is that if you have a high team standard then you can succeed, and these girls definitely have a high standard.”

Before his arrival at Beverly, Gevorkyal coached Los Angeles Trade Tech College’s women’s and men’s water polo teams. Gevorkyal has many goals for the season and plans to implement all of them.

“One of my main goals for the season is to bond the team together and make them enjoy coming to practice and playing the game. I want us to place high or win a tournament which has not happened in a very long time,” Gevorkyal Said The first positive result that the team has noted since Gevorkyal’s

JULIETTE DEUTSCH

Coach Arte talks logistics with team member Allie Kahn.

arrival is that practices are more efficient, allowing for them to have enough time to practice plays and train in the weight room.

“Coach Arte does a really good job with planning out practices with enough time to practice in the water and get in shape by running and doing other exercises on the track. Last year running was left out of alot of our practices and it reflected poorly

on our performance in the water,” sophomore Maggie Curtis said.

Team members feel that Gevorkyal is a great fit and exactly what they needed to help them succeed and accomplish their goals.

“Coach Arte works us really hard and is exactly what we needed this year. He makes us repeat drills over and over until we perfect them and trains us in the weight room. He is

my definition of a perfect coach,” senior Allison Klemes said.

The team has also bonded through their improvements from last year.

“Before we started training with Coach Arte there was a really awkward vibe between the new players and returning players. Since we are all improving and starting to have a more competitive attitude towards the game we are all bonding and be-

coming closer,” Klemes said. “Last year we did not have a bond at all as a team which made practices and games unenjoyable.” Klemes said.

The team participated in their first tournament of the season on Friday, Dec. 6 at Western High School in Anaheim, Calif. This was the first tournament win that the team has had since 2010.

Artificial turf offers major benefits but at a price Danny Licht editor-in-chief If you spend any time on the football field’s artificial turf, then you know its tiny black rubber pieces intimately. They’re in your shoes and in your socks, in your room and on the carpet. The turf replaced the field’s natural grass in 2006, and though the omnipresence of those dark prickly cubes is irritating, the field offers various benefits.

Artificial turf doesn’t use the potentially dangerous pesticides that real grass sometimes does. In the rain it doesn’t get muddy, thereby increasing playability and decreasing the potential for injury. It saves water, too, which is good for both

Quick Recaps

Boys Soccer Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief The boys soccer team suffered a loss against Loyola High School, an all-boys Catholic school, on Thursday, Dec. 12. The final score was 5-0, Loyola scoring three goals in the first half and two in the second.

Regarding the defeat, captain Cole Offer believed that Loyola performed at an unusually high standard.

Loyola’s soccer team has, so far into the season, won four games and tied one, and has also ranked fourth in the CIF D-1 preseason polls.

“This was Loyola’s best team that I’ve seen all throughout high

the environment and the school’s tight budget. Also good for the budget is the decreased need for maintenance, though artificial turf does require some maintenance, according to Chief Facilities Officer Charlotte Clement, who is responsible for sports facilities’ lifecycle replacement.

“Though mowing is not required for synthetic fields,” Clement said, “regular maintenance is needed.”

This upkeep includes grooming and the removal of debris and gum, processes that real grass naturally takes care of. In addition, synthetic fields have a wear cycle of 10 years; replacement is scheduled to occur sometime between the field’s 10th

and 15th years (i.e., between 2016 and 2021).

While synthetic fields might be more cost effective in the long term, they’re expensive to install.

“The BHHS lacrosse field is grass because the district does not have money to replace the field with a synthetic field,” Clement said.

“A field the size of the lacrosse field would cost approximately $500,000 — not including architect, DSA [Division of the State Architect] plan review, testing, and inspection fees — to convert from natural grass to synthetic.”

In addition to their economic benefits, some athletes, such as varsity soccer player senior Daniel

Kahn, believes that artificial turf is “vastly superior” to regular grass for sports.

“There’s no dirt or mud,” he said, “and the whole field is level, too.”

Senior Yaniv Sadka, who plays varsity lacrosse, prefers the the synthetic turf as well for it “has a predictable bounce for the ball” and “provides traction for cleats.”

“The lacrosse field is mainly dirt, rocks and mud which makes running and practicing extremely dangerous and ineffective,” he said.

The lacrosse field, which is supposed to be growing grass, “isn’t well maintained,” he said.

The boys lacrosse team heads down to the football field for its

games.

Though many student-athletes believe that the turf offers advantages that real grass does not, synthetic turf can pose health risks.

Some brands of the turf contain toxic chemicals that can be released during harsh rain or sunlight, and the dust emitted by the ground-up tires can irritate asthmatics. Plus, the synthetic turf kills all underlying organisms, which makes regrowing real grass impossible should the school decide to change the terrain. Although Sprinturf, Beverly’s brand of turf, does contain toxic material, the toxicity has been found to be minimal enough to be safe.

school,” Offer said. “We didn’t come out so strong, but they came out extremely strong...their passing was really on point and they beat us fair and square.”

Senior Phinneas Bauer agreed with Offer and believed that “[Loyola] was an amazing team and we just couldn’t handle them.”

He continued to say that in games against “teams like those,” Beverly needs to work harder and become more organized.

“As a team, I think we work well with each other; our passing and finishing is relatively strong,” Bauer said. “We just need to organize ourselves better in our positions and work harder for each other.”

Senior Sam Levy believed that the major weakness of the team, however, lie in the lack of commu-

nication between players. Offer agreed as well as, and stated that “[the team] needs to work harder off the ball and on the ball,” as well as play more effectively in terms of defensive strategy.

Though the team lost against Loyola, players such as Bauer and senior Jacob Price stood out.

“I’m sitting out right now,” Offer said. “Phin is playing well for center-mid, and Jacob is probably the most key right now.”

Levy and Bauer agree that Price is one of the most essential players this season, leading the team with two goals and four assists so far.

“Jacob Price played a game while he was sick and did a great job,” Levy said. “He was truly the reason we had any chance at all [against Loyola].”

Though the team recently suffered a loss, they are “doing pretty

well” according to senior Daniel Kahn, holding a 3-3 record as of Dec. 12.

The team’s seventh game of the season took place on Friday, Dec. 13 against Warren High School, but results were not available in time for the press.

game were not available in time for the press.

The Normans were led by 5-foot9 guard Siavash Yektafar who scored 25 points, dished out five assists, picked five pockets and grabbed two rebounds throughout the matchup with Viewpark. Yektafar remained humble about his and the team’s performance despite the win.

“We made made big plays when they were needed,” Yektafar said.

“I think I played well, but could’ve shot the ball better. I was overall happy with my game.”

The Normans continued their tourney play on Friday, Dec. 13 versus Serra on their journey towards winning the Beverly Hills tourney for the first time in recent history, a feat Yektafar believes is more plausible with this team than any other Beverly team he has been on.

Boys Basketball Arman Zadeh sports editor In the second round of the annual Beverly Hills basketball tournament, the Normans defeated the View Park Knights 64-60 on Wednesday Dec. 11. The Normans “upset”, according to LA Times sportswriter Eric Sondheimer, kept the team in the winners bracket as they prepared to face D-4 Serra on Friday, Dec. 13. Results of the

12

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS DECEMBER 16, 2013

Multi-sport athletes are the norm for Normans

Photo Courtesy of Natasha Kashani Jackson Prince staff writer While juggling is not a sport offered at Beverly, multi-sport Normans are more than familiar with the game. Athletes at Beverly have strayed from specialization in one sport by participating in multiple sports.

Not every high school advocates playing more than one sport. Some schools, such as Serra-San Mateo and its head football coach Patrick Walsh, dislike the idea of playing more than one sport. Specializing in one sport is the mentality of some schools, as it is believed that the extra focus placed toward one sport is a better path than spreading out into many sports.

Junior Jordy Wagner believes that one should only hone in on one sport if “one wanted to take their athletic ability to the next level.”

The pressure from coaches to keep their best players practicing year-round may discourage students from participating in many sports. However, this isn’t the case at Beverly, according to junior Harry Green, who participates in soccer, track and football.

“I think that the school does a good job in encouraging multisport participation,” he said. “In this same area, I think that students aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities they have right in front of them.”

However, there are many off-putting statistics regarding specializing in one sport by student-athletes. In April 2013, a study presented to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine revealed that, of 1,206 one-sport athletes between the ages of 8 and 18, two-thirds were suffering from an injury, and over half of these injuries resulted from overuse.

Wagner had been a three-sport athlete, succeeding as a quarterback, wrestler and catcher, until injuries destroyed his chances of ever playing a contact sport again.

“I cracked my spine, and I was forced to quit football and wres-

tling,” Wagner said. “I miss [football and wrestling] greatly. I had so much fun playing them.”

Junior Shyra Costas, involved in softball and volleyball, sees “playing one sport like only being shown one perspective.”

“You need to play different sports to work different parts of your coordination, your mind and your physical abilities,” she said.

For athletes like sophomore Nicole Yuan, who played softball, soccer and tennis in middle school, and still plays all three, multi-sport participation has been a part of their entire lives.

For others, such as freshman cross-country runner and soccer player Alex Glass, a second sport is acquired upon entering high school.

“I chose to additionally run cross-country because it was good conditioning for soccer, to which I am very dedicated,” Glass said.

The transitions from season to season are difficult for some athletes, both for physical and social reasons.

Green explained that the vast differences between two of his sports makes for a tough shift.

“The transition from football to soccer is particularly difficult because I have to be more agile and precise in soccer, whereas football is a lot more about explosiveness and sheer brute play,” he said.

Yuan found that the “transition of the people on the teams” is more difficult than “the transition between the actual sports.”

“I always fall in love with the sport and the team I am currently involved with, so when the season is over, it’s hard to pick up and leave,” she said.

At the end of the day, Beverly’s multi-sport athletes are simply playing “for the love of the games,” according to Wagner.

Some Normans, including Costas, struggle to pick their favorite sport.

“Asking ‘what is my favorite sport is’ is like picking a favorite child…I

Norman’s Own

Photo Courtesy of Natasha Kashani

NATASHA KASHANI Senior Natasha Kashani took on three sports her four years at Beverly. Kashani, a key element to every team she’s a member of, was captain of this year’s volleyball team and will play for the girls basketball team in the winter prior to playing on the lacrosse team in the spring.

Kashani has been a passionate athlete all her life since her parents first encouraged her to participate. Upon entering high school, her competitive nature drew her towards basketball, volleyball and lacrosse as a means of staying active. Now, Kashani says, lacrosse has become her most dominant sport.

With no breaks in between seasons, Kashani found herself overwhelmed but soon discovered the best way to deal with her frustration.

“The most difficult part of athletics wasn’t getting healthy from injuries, rather the mental obstacles that came with them,” Kashani said. “The best way to get through the stress is to take my aggression out on the court or field which makes me more competitive.”

Even though she has faced physical setbacks, Kashani has pushed through adversity to rehabilitate herself to a full recovery and now prepares for her final season at Beverly.

“Now that volleyball season is over, I’m excited to be playing basketball again because I feel the team is heading towards success this season,” Kashani said. “I am looking forward to lacrosse the most because I believe we can come in first in league and make it to CIF.” may be better at one sport than I am at the others, but that doesn’t mean that I prefer one over the

MEG ALBERTS

PHINNEAS BAUER Senior Phin Bauer has been a dedicated soccer and baseball player for a majority of his time at Beverly. Bauer’s love for both sports when entering high school drove him to devoting countless hours per week during both the winter and spring seasons to athletics while simultaneously taking on a challenging academic course load.

Even though he spent a majority of his time participating in sports, Bauer found that some of his biggest challenges were off the field. Time organization was a challenge to the budding baseball and soccer star.

“I was also playing club soccer while I was playing high school baseball and would have baseball practice from three to five, then soccer practice right after from six to eight,” Bauer said. “Sometimes it was brutal, but other times it would be a lot of fun. Eventually, it did become too much, though.”

rest,” she said.

Costas, like some Beverly athletes, couldn’t imagine dropping

ARMAN ZADEH

one of her sports.

“I’m not sure what I would do without my sports,” she said.