highlights
January 22, 2016 Volume 89, Issue 8 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, California beverlyhighlights.com
Anticipation heightens for Beverly-SAMO Isaiah Freedman, staff writer Guy Ginsberg, co-editor-in-chief The boys varsity basketball team will face off tonight in the Swim Gym against cross-town rival Santa Monica High School, one day short of a year after the infamous parking lot brawl at Santa Monica’s campus between Beverly and Santa Monica students. In light of last year’s altercation, Principal Jackson has taken measures to ensure student safety for both sides. “Because of the incident last year, we have tightened security. I have six Beverly Hills police officers, I have our campus security and our four administrators. Santa Monica’s principal and I have talked and the [Santa Monica students] will go on Router Buses and they will have a wristband. We are going to walk them in and put them in the student section,” Jackson said. “If any [Santa Monica] students come to the door without a wristband I will deny them entry. If ac-
companied by a parent they will be allowed in. At the end of the game, [Beverly students] are not leaving until all the Santa Monica students are escorted out and put on the Router Bus. Then, I will release [Beverly students]. Anybody hanging around the gym outside will be escorted by the police.” As well as modifications in security measures, a few superlatives have changed since that game, notably Beverly’s starting five. Newcomers Mason Daniels, Maddox Daniels and Ron Artest III will all be playing in their first SAMO rivalry game. Guard Maddox Daniels, who attended Montverde Prep School in Florida last year alongside his brother Mason, has already formed his opinion toward Santa Monica. “I’ve kind of adopted how my teammates feel toward [Santa Monica], and I guess that is a good thing,” Maddox said. For Artest, who has never seen Santa Monica play this year, the mindset is clear. “I just want to beat them,” Artest said.
Beverly Hills comes into the game with a CA ranking of 128, while Santa Monica boasts a CA rank of 33. However, rankings don’t seem to be fazing the Norman squad, and as power forward Matt Lavi explains it, it’s doing the exact opposite. “I’m excited because they are ranked higher than us [although] we’ve beaten them every time we’ve played them the last two years, and we’re planning on beating them two more times this year,” Lavi said. Junior Sam Cohen, who played on the program’s JV team last year, is anticipating the big game. “We are all excited for the [Santa Monica] game. We have really been coming together as a team and a win against [them] would be a huge step in the right direction,” Cohen said. Team captain and point guard Denzel Holt emphasized a few points that the team needs to carry out in order to win the game. “Obviously this is a big game because SAMO is our rival, but if we come out with lots of energy, play together and most impor-
tantly take pride in our defense, it should be just another ‘W’ in the books,” Holt said. For Beverly coach Jarvis Turner, his team’s face off with SAMO tonight is no different than any other game. “To me, Inglewood is our rival, because we’ve struggled when playing against them. We’ve had success against Santa Monica
over the past few years. This rivalry comes from the players and the crowd. To me, this isn’t a rivalry game, it’s just another game,“ Turner said. The Normans, who have won their past four games by a combined 73 points, look to go 5-0 in league with a win tonight. Use #BevBall in your social media posts!
Last year, in a defeat of Santa Monica, Beverly’s crowd showed up in large numbers. Photo by: SADIE HERSH
STEM event encourages future scholars Sophia Goldberg, staff writer Marty Schnapp, co-editor-in-chief Members of the Robotics team assisted in organizing the Celebrating STEM event, aimed to inspire young middle school and high school students to pursue interests and careers in the fields of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), on Saturday, Jan. 16, in the EDC. With students participating from 12 different schools across Southern California, MorTorq 1515 raised awareness for students of all ages interested in careers in STEM . “The purpose of Celebrating STEM is to inspire young middle and high school students to pursue STEM and expose them to the capabilities of STEM.
The event was a great turnout because we were able to welcome students from 12 different schools throughout Los Angeles
ebrating STEM event organizers Noah Danesh states that it is important to introduce children to STEM at a young age, especially because the U.S. Bureau of Labor recorded that the demand for STEM-related jobs over the next few years will grow exponentially. “This is why getting younger kids excited about STEM is essential for their futures,” Danesh said. “Everything about building robots relates to STEM, so there is a fundamental link between STEM programs and robotics.” Danesh, along with his fellow Robotics event organizers, scheduled many guest speakers aimed at empowering those interested in STEM. “We had several guest speakers, including members of the Freshman Rebecca Newman poses with two middle school students who learned Society of Women Engineers about building robots at “Celebrating STEM”. Photo courtesy of MORTORQ. and other esteemed entrepre-
INSIDE
and Orange County,” sophomore Maya Luong said. Robotics Business Subdivision Co-President and one of the Cel-
NEWS
neurs. They talked about different opportunities available in STEM. Also, there were several stations that highlighted the subdivisions of our team and the importance of each, as well as a demonstration of our robot,” Danesh said. Luong believes that the event was very important for the community and a way for her to support her classmates in their STEM endeavours. “Often in our society, girls are discouraged from pursuing what they love because of gender norms,” Luong said. “This event aims to eliminate the stigmas associated with women in STEM. Celebrating STEM means a lot to me because even though I am not personally going into STEM myself, by holding this event, I get to be in a position where I can empower girls to do what they love.”
CULTURE SPORTS
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MorTorq 1515 prepares for competition
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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS JANUARY 22, 2016
Math department experiences rearrangements Veronica Pahomova staff writer Sydney Tran staff writer This school year, Beverly’s math department has encountered some major faculty rearrangements. Students and teachers alike have had to adjust to their new roles and carry on with their curriculum. “When I look on my board,” Renee Cobb said, “the names have changed a lot.” Once math teacher Edna Broukhim went on maternity leave, Jane Wortman was asked to fill in her classes until the end of the first semester. Once second semester started, however, Jeff Berkeley took over. Since Berkeley was already teaching his own classes first semester, Heather Klein was asked to take over his former classes
that he was no longer able to teach due to his new partaking of Broukhim’s classes. Simultaneously, statistics teacher Danny Zadeh resigned during the fall semester, and Steve Madaris was requested to replace him. “We’re lucky I think--I don’t think, I know--to have members of the staff that are able to move around and keep you guys with a teacher that’s capable,” Cobb said. The assistant principals have taken it upon themselves to guarantee that every filled position is held by someone who is qualified. “The most important thing is not just a body in the room, we need someone who’s qualified to teach,” Cobb stated. As Cobb mentioned, the process is entirely focused on the students and their needs. Administration took time to interview many can-
didates and came up with the best ones to fill the required positions. “Whenever someone’s teaching a class, you wanna make sure they’re a highly qualified teacher, because our students are really smart,” Cobb said. “We have to bring people in that are qualified because our kids will challenge you.” In Cobb’s perspective, the transitions have gone relatively smoothly, and she admires the fact that her kids can adjust. Junior Golda Sharaf, a student in Honors Math Analysis, not only agrees with Cobb’s opinion on the transition, but is also impressed with the replacements that are set to be made. “It was really difficult that they had to find a new replacement in between first and second semester,” Sharaf said. “They did a good job putting a person who’s defi-
nitely qualified to teach our class.” Statistics student Maggie Curtis also sees that, despite the inconvenience, administration is accommodating students and maintaining a functioning learning environment to the best of its abilities. “I feel the admin is doing the best they can with what they have. There were [many] factors in the Zadeh situation...that admin had to deal with and I think, overall, it was just an unfortunate event,” Curtis said. The administration feels that its efforts to preserve the Math Department’s academic strength are proving to be successful and that Beverly’s learning environment remains unobstructed. “We were really diligent with making sure that we have the right people,” Cobb said. “I think we’ll be okay now.”
MorTorq 1515 team prepares for competition
Highlights Print Guy Ginsberg and Marty Schnapp editors-in-chief
Nirav Desai, Isaiah Freedman, Sophia Goldberg, Evan Minniti, Veronica Pahomova and Sydney Tran staff writers
Web Juliette Deutsch and Sadie Hersh editors-in-chief
Eleanor Bogart-Stuart, Natasha Dardashti, Lauren Hannani, Jamie Kim, Keith Stone and Max Yera staff writers
Ben Shofet business manager Jason Harward graphics editor Gaby Herbst adviser —
Our goal as a student-run publication is to provide reliable, accurate and fair content that informs and intrigues the Beverly Hills community by following the principles of ethical journalism and represents the student body. We will deliver a broad spectrum of coverage through a variety of mediums, including online and print. Highlights is a forum for public expression that is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Letters to the editor may be sent to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. Leaders Stephen Kim, Randy Schmidt and Yu Gin watch videos for inspiration. Photo by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA.
Veronica Pahomova staff writer Between 7 a.m. and 2:55 p.m., they conform with the rest of the school, going through the halls in a regular manner, attending their classes in a casual fashion. But as soon as the clock strikes 2:56 p.m., the business briefcases are presented, the programming laptops are unveiled, the protective goggles are carefully put on and the ripped off upper garment reveals a MorTorq t-shirt. These aren’t regular kids, they’re Robotics members. On Jan. 9, the robotics season began and the MorTorq 1515 team assumed their preparations for competition. Meeting every day, the team, as robotics teacher Elfego Cruz stated, works very long and vigorous hours crunching their long list of assignments. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends, one can find a myriad of frantic Robotics members rushing all over the second floor of the main building, each subteam trying to accomplish as much work as humanly possible per day. It is this dedication that has allowed the robotics team to win multiple awards, such as the Engineer Inspiration Award that is accompanied by $5,000, and the Chairman’s Award. The three subteams, business, building and programming, all work together to accomplish their goals. “Business is in charge of applying for awards. Build is in charge of programming the robot. Pro-
gramming is in charge of assisting build and programming the software so that the robot works,” Cruz explained. The team is participating in two regional competitions, one in Ventura, California, and one in Las Vegas, Nevada. Within these two competitions the team will be given many opportunities to qualify for the championships in Saint Louis, Missouri. “For this upcoming competition we have a lot to do. Throughout the year we’ve been focusing on spreading STEM throughout the whole community with multiple events,” co-captain Noah Danesh said. “For the competition, we’re working on this big essay called Chairmans in which we summarize what we’ve been doing all year.” While the business team’s overall goal is to apply to and win as many awards as possible, the build and programming team must fabricate the competing robot that will actually compete in the games. “Right now we’re prototyping and figuring out what type of design works the best for us. And then once we have our final design we’re just gonna build, build, build!” build leader Yu Gin Kim said. As opposed to contrary belief, building the robot is the least of their troubles. Not only must the robot be fully functional, but their invention must also be able to comple a list of obstacles and actions that are unique to the 2016 competition.
Junior Randy Schmidt contemplates his next architectural decision. Photo by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA.
“Our robot has to be able to maneuver through nine or 10 different obstacles, and be able to shoot a 10 inch ball between eight to 10 feet into a tower,” build leader Randy Schmidt described. “We compete with two other robotics teams, and we all compete in teams of three. So, we have to cooperate with the other robotics teams so we can maximize the points we earn in the game, which is only like two and a half min-
utes.” Schmidt is still optimistic and confident for the season, no matter how challenging the task may seem, and he’s not the only one. “I feel very hopeful,” Danesh reassures. “I feel we’re going to come out with the win and have a very great chance at it.” Want to support, join or recommend Robotics? Robomania on Jan. 21 at the Beverly Hills Public Library from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30
Visit beverlyhighlights.com. Follow @bhhighlights on Instagram and Twitter. Highlights is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF.
p.m. and the Egg Drop at the EDC from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. are two upcoming events for all ages, dedicated to influence current and younger generations to pursue STEM.
HIGHLIGHTS ADS January 22, 2016
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HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT JANUARY 22, 2016
Why Do(n’t) You Build Me Up?
Do you know the construction plan? “The school plans to begin construction following this years graduation.” -anonymous senior
“They are doing half then the other half or something? Honestly I have no idea, but I wish I did.” -anonymous freshman
Re
location delayed, construction continues
Nirav Desai staff writer Sophia Goldberg staff writer Evan Minniti staff writer
In defense of delay Isaiah Freedman staff writer Sydney Tran staff writer Upon heading home for Winter Break, the entire student body was prepared to have its classes transferred into bungalows. This, however, was not the case. The halt on the construction plans was decided by the board and is proving to be a positive decision. If the move had taken place at the beginning of second semester, it likely would have led to a negative effect on students, seeing as they would have to cope with being uprooted from their classrooms during a crucial time of the year, which can include AP tests, CAASPP and the overall stress of finishing school strongly. Entering second semester, students want to feel a sense of continuity that carries on from the previous semester. If the school had moved into bungalows, that sense of continuity would have been completely disrupted. According to a study by Ken Graetz of Educase Review, “In any learning environment, physical characteristics that cause discomfort can be expected to interfere with learning; environments that produce positive emotional states can be expected to facilitate learning and the development of place attachment.”
Senior Mishelle Arakelian agrees that moving during the school year would not have been the most productive option available. “It would have been disruptive in the middle of the school year and detracted from our accustomed learning environment,” Arakelian said. Furthermore, Arakelian is pleased to be able to finish high school in an environment with which she is familiar. “I’m glad to be able to finish my high school career in the classrooms I’ve grown accustomed to,” Arakelian said. Although construction is still necessary, it’s better to begin the renovation process at the start of next year, so as to have a fresh start. Nevertheless, it appears that the juniors will not be entitled to the same level of continuity the seniors are experiencing. Though the trek into bungalows will certainly not happen this school year, it will probably occur shortly after that, most likely over the summer. While it is a positive to delay construction until next school year, some students, such as junior Owen Lloyd, are still frustrated about the prospect of moving. “I’m outraged,” Lloyd said simply. Postponing the moving process is a plus for now, but a negative for the future.
No students or faculty members at Beverly will move into portable classrooms during the 2015-2016 school year. The decision, which came after several months of votes and alterations to the district modernization plan, was made by the BHUSD Board of Education on Jan. 12, 2016 after a unanimous vote yielded an agreement to delay construction until the summer. Board president Howard Goldstein relayed that construction would begin on buildings B1 and B4, the original school building that contains the history hallway and textbook room, and that classrooms would not be moved into the cottages until after the school year ends. “The Board of Education gave direction to renovate Buildings B1 through B4 at the high school. Beverly’s Building B is divided into four areas: B1, domestic sciences; B2, old classrooms; B3, the KL Peters Auditorium; and B4, the Salter Wing. The Board also gave direction to place portables that will serve as student classrooms and administrative offices. The portables will be located on the lacrosse field. To avoid negatively impacting the student learning environment and conflicting with state standardized testing, the district will wait until the summer to relocate classrooms and students into portables,” Goldstein said. Principal David Jackson believes the current construction plan for Beverly is beneficial to the student body. “I agree with [the construction]. The reason [I have a positive opinion] is because it doesn’t negatively affect our kids. We are supposed to be for kids, so I really do think that this is a positive move for our student body,” he said. The shift in the district’s construction policy can be explained by the recent board shuffle caused by the November election, according to BHUSD Superintendent Steve Kessler. “We had a board change in December. So our [two] new board members, who were just empaneled in December and [Noah] Margo returned, but with new board members you have new thoughts
and processes and all of that,” Kessler said. Margo developed a plan for splitting the funding from the Measure E bond, the bond passed to fund any construction projects in the district voted on by 65 percent of Beverly Hills voters in 2008, among all the construction projects in progress on all the school campuses in the district. Margo plans on using the existing $100 million to finish the construction projects at Horace Mann, El Rodeo’s Phase One and Beverly Vista. The construction at Beverly and Hawthorne will require another bond to be voted on in November. Goldstein agrees with Margo about the use of Measure E to fund the modernization of Beverly and to turn it into a 21st century environment for the students. “In November 2008, 65 percent of the City of Beverly Hills voters approved Measure E. Measure E authorized the Beverly Hills Unified School District to issue $334 million in general obligation bonds,” Goldstein said. “The district will need several hundred million dollars more than the $334 million available under Measure E in order to completely renovate the district. In that regard, the Board has committed to place a Measure E replacement bond or a new bond on the November 2016 ballot.” Kessler echoed Goldstein’s remarks, saying that the Board must seriously consider finding more money than the $334 million that is promised from Measure E. “Now one of the things is that currently the voters of Beverly Hills approved a bond measure for 334 million dollars. Since that time, years ago when it was passed, we have undergone further investigation of our schools…. yes, we will need more money than previously thought. And that is why, yes, the Board right now is seriously considering going out for additional money in November [2016],” Kessler said. As for now, the Board has voted unanimously in favor of appointing Eitan Aharoni as the chief facilities officer, a man who has 35 years of experience and who oversaw the use of one billion dollars in school planning over a period of 13 years.
“No idea, I just know that it’s supposed to take a while and they are knocking everything down in stages.” -anonymous senior
“Nothing, because the school board put a stop to it for now.” -anonymous junior
“I have no idea. The school has not told us anything.” -anonymous freshman
“I have no idea due to the school giving us little info.” -anonymous senior “I think it is being delayed.” -anonymous sophomore
“Aren’t they cancelling it?” -anonymous sophomore
“Construction has been postponed by the new board members until we can fully afford the construction.” -anonymous sophomore
“Tearing down the school and moving into bungalows.” -anonymous freshman
“I honestly have no idea. I wish that I knew.” -anonymous sophomore
“I really don’t know what the plan is for construction. I thought maybe it would start during the summer?” -anonymous junior
“That they’re probably not going to do it or they’ll start construction during the summer.” -anonymous sophomore
These quotes are from a Highlights poll sent out on Jan. 11.
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HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE JANUARY 22, 2016
A surreal, postmodern apocalypse in the Salter Theater Evan Minniti staff writer Drama Lab will perform the existentialist play “Chalk Circle” by the famed German playwright Bertolt Brecht on Jan. 29-30. The play is partly inspired by the Nazi’s persecution of Brecht for his Marxist political beliefs. The play follows a woman, living in a totalitarian society, who claims a young infant, who happens to be the heir to the throne, as her own child. The government puts her on trial to determine who the child really is.
“During the 1930s in Europe, specifically in Germany, where things had gotten so absurd, [Brecht] was horrified by the Nazis’ ability to sway people’s emotions in such a way to do such horrific things…and Brecht was so horrified by what the Nazis did, that he kind of wanted to go [away from emotions], and actually use absurd situations and absurd conventions to explain that ‘This is a play, it’s not real life, before you get swept away in the emotions, let’s think about the politics in this…’,” director and Drama Lab teacher Dr.
Brad Vincent explained. The play is notoriously abstract, so Vincent and the stage crew designed a set to convey the abstract intentions of the play. “The style is we use ladders and scaffolding and props that are [intentionally] unrealistic. And it’s very very different,” Vincent said. “It’s postmodern, apocalyptic, very much so. It’s very surreal...It is not your average night of theater.” Vincent admits that the play will be challenging for his young actors. “The play is very hard. It is, in
fact, one of the hardest plays I think that you could do honestly. You are continually having the audience pulled in and out of the world of the play, which is a huge challenge for actors,” Vincent said. Sophomore Lauren Aviram, who stars in the “Chalk Circle”, finds that the actors have a responsibility to heighten the audience’s awareness. “You are reminding the audience that [at the same time] it is just a play and to take matters seriously. For example, there are the issues of war, crime and rape. You want to
make the audience aware of that, so we are gonna do that in this version of the play,” Aviram said. “It is the first time that the Drama Lab class has done this play, or at least the first time in a long time if they have ever done it. It is really difficult, and we have a large class.” However, Aviram is confident in the ability of her fellow actors and actresses. “I think that our class is really determined. The majority of the class has been together since Intro to Theatre, so we are all very comfortable with each other.”
: This is the movie you’re looking for
Evan Minniti staff writer A chill went up my spine and goosebumps freckled my arms as the iconic opening title sequence blasted onto the screen. “Star Wars” is back! I screamed in my head. I immediately consumed my brother in a bear hug, to his great annoyance. But I was so happy that “Star Wars” was back that I didn’t care. J.J. Abrams directs “The Force Awakens”, this excellent installment in the “Star Wars” franchise. A few decades after the fall of the Empire, sinister forces still loyal to the dark side assemble under the banner of the First Order to overthrow the newly created Republic. Desperate for survival, the Republic forms the Resistance and attempts to track down a disap-
peared Luke Skywalker. In addition to old favorites, the movie follows two new protagonists: Rey, played sensitively by Daisy Ridley, a fierce scavenger with a tragic past who hunts for obscure droid parts on the desolate planet Jakku; and Finn, who is portrayed wonderfully by John Boyega, a stormtrooper who deserted from the First Order and joined the Resistance. In addition to them, other new characters include a Resistance pilot named Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac; a brothel owner named Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong’o; the sinister leader of the First Order named
der. In addition to his tri-bladed lightsaber, chilling armor, heavily distorted voice and a seemingly complete lack of regard for human life, Ren is also prone to temper tantrums. As the film goes on you realize that he isn’t really evil, but a very multidimensional person trying desperately to prove himself to Snoke. In the most poetic moment of t h e film, Ren sheds blood onto snow after being woundedin a duel. For llustration by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA the viewer, Ren’s greatest weakness is actually fanatical First Order General Hux, his greatest strength, as his interplayed by Domhnall Gleeson. But by far, the best new character nal struggle to suppress all traces is Kylo Ren, played by a fantastic of his humanity grips the audience Adam Driver. Ren is a tormented and doesn’t let go. Ultimately, this movie is about general fighting for the First OrSupreme Leader Snoke, played by the legendary Andy Serkis; and the
how central characters who try to cover themselves in facades to hide their weaknesses. The thing that is so emotionally affecting about the film is that as it progresses, events smear away the characters’ facades and expose their true natures. A great example would be Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford. As the movie progresses, you understand the things he buried in the back of his mind that are now ripping apart onto the surface. He has matured as a character. The film does have faults. Gwendoline Christie and Max Von Sydow’s roles are essentially cameos. With this being said, the combination of electrifying directing, sentimental storytelling, and moving performances from a talented cast makes “ T h e Force Awakens” a most welcome journey back to a galaxy far far away.
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HIGHLIGHTS OPINION JANUARY 22, 2016
Seniors must find a way to deal with senioritis Sydney Tran staff writer As Beverly delves deeper into second semester, seniors need to reassess the purpose of their time spent at school. Many students give into the idea that the second semester of senior year does not matter, but it does matter for a multitude of reasons. To start, if “senioritis” is a part of your high school experience, then Grad Nite, Prom or walking at graduation might not be in your future due to the enforcement of senior probation. Administration will enforce senior probation if students display a dip in academic success, such as a failing grade or excessive unexcused absences and/or tardies. However, the mere threat of senior probation and the revocation of senior privileges should not be the only thing keeping students from productively utilizing Beverly’s atmosphere of learning. Slacking off and giving into the social construct that is “senioritis” contradicts what students have spent the last three and a half years working toward, be it work, college, or any other goals one might have. Students come to school to learn and should attempt to do so to the best of their abilities, regardless of what semester it is. Otherwise,
their time spent is simply a waste. Additionally, just because some people have already been admitted to schools doesn’t mean that they
sist senioritis since final grades are still sent to colleges,” an anonymous student said. “Slacking off should be minimal.”
reer, but most of the time we shrug off these anecdotes as too far off to apply to us. They’re only stories, right? Wrong! Colleges do review
Illustration by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA
should disregard their previous work behavior, as their grades may still be a factor. “I think that it’s important to re-
We’ve all heard stories of students getting their college acceptances revoked due to slacking off at the end of their high school ca-
some accepted applicants’ senior grades, so if you see one of your peers lose hold of their top choice university, you can thank me for
having heeded you this advice. The second semester of senior year is not the time nor an excuse for students to slack off and abandon their academic diligence. Rather, it is a time for students to prepare for their futures in their educational journeys or career paths, and for students who plan to take AP tests, this semester is the period during which they can prepare for such exams. Getting into college isn’t the end goal of life; succeeding in and after college is. In order to succeed in college, one must study, so if people condition themselves to study this semester, they will do so in college. The same goes, however, for those who do not study this semester. If students become familiar with slacking off and disregarding their habits, they will likely do so in college. “What we are learning will still apply to our lives later on, even if it’s outside of college,” the student said. There is plenty of time to have fun and relax during senior year, and the administration and ASB make it easy for students to do so by organizing senior events such as Grad Nite and Prom. Students should do their part in making the most of their final semester by succeeding academically and continuing the habits that they’ve displayed in order to make it this far.
No minorities nominated, but who’s to blame? Editorial There has been a tremendous uproar over the past few weeks regarding the 2016 Academy Awards’ nominations and the exclusion of people of color in the four main acting categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor and Best Actress. Within these categories, in which 20 total actors and actresses have been nominated, all 20 are white. Soon after the nominations were announced, #OscarsSoWhite, a popular hashtag, returned to Twitter for the second year in a row. Celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee and Whoopi Goldberg have all spoken out against the Awards, with Lee and Smith even promising not to attend. Some notable snubs this year are “Beasts Of No Nation” star Idris Elba, “Concussion” lead Will Smith and “Creed” frontman Michael B. Jordan. Outside the acting category, “Straight Outta Compton”, a film with a primarily African-American cast and an African-American director, was nominated just once for screenwriting (the film was written by two white men). The Awards will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock, who is black, and who has already voiced his opinion on the nominations, calling The Oscars “the white BET awards.” Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump spoke out about the awards, saying “well, what do we do with BET? The whites don’t get any nominations.”
The argument being made by Trump is not only vile but incredibly foolish. African-American directors direct great movies, think “Compton”, and these are mov-
need an award show for those deserving of awards. Right? Tim Gray, Awards Editor at Variety writes, “there were 305 films eligible this year. If hiring reflected
men and women have won an award in the four main acting categories. White people have won hundreds more, and Latino and Asian American winners could be
“Best White Actor/Actress” Illustration by: MARTY SCHNAPP
ies that should be recognized. So when African-American actors are consistently left out of the Oscar nominations, it only makes sense that they should be recognized somewhere else. If people of color were being appropriately recognized at the Oscars, the BET awards would most likely fade away. We don’t need an award show for white people and an award show for black people - we
the U.S. population, Oscar voters would have weighed 150-plus films directed by women, 45 directed by blacks, 50 by Hispanics, and dozens of movies by directors who are Asian-American, LGBT individuals, people with disabilities and members of other minorities. Of course, the actual tallies were a fraction of those numbers.” Over the 88-year span of the Oscars, only 14 African-American
counted on two hands. As far as Latino nominations, Alejandro Inarritu and his fully Mexican team will for the second year in a row be the only Latino’s nominated. While his film, “The Revenant” holds the most nominations at this year’s awards with 14 (he also had the most nominations for last year’s “Birdman”), it would behoove the Academy to recognize more Latino’s in the film
industry. It’s obvious that there is a problem here, but while many have turned to blame the Academy Awards, it’s possible that the real problem begins elsewhere. In an anonymous interview with Entertainment Weekly, a white, male Academy member explained what he believes is the problem. “I think employment is a bigger problem than awards, actually. An all-white ballot is the symptom; low minority hiring is the disease,” he said. In an interview with The New York Daily News, black comedic actor Marlon Wayans also weighed in on the issue of underemployment for people of color in film. “Do I wish there were more? Sure, but honestly, I wish we made more movies,” he said. “We’re not getting the big budgets, we’re not getting the scripts and we’re not getting the audience sometimes.” There are many problems in the film industry today. Women are underrepresented, AfricanAmericans, Latinos and Asians are underrepresented, and they’re all underpaid. Women and minorities still make far less per film than their male counterparts, which extends past the film industry. There has to be a change in the way Hollywood makes movies, and it comes from the viewers. Once moviegoers decide they don’t want to see an all-white cast, filmmakers will start to change their ways. Boycotting the Oscars is a good start, but if audiences decide to boycott monochromatic moviemaking, we might actually see a difference.
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HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS JANUARY 22, 2016
LAX builds on youthful enthusiasm Girls varsity basketball falls to Lawndale Marty Schnapp co-editor-in-chief
three teams. “Right now I’m on the JV team, and we’re growing really fast. I think we might win a few games. The varsity looks really good, so I definitely hope to see some wins
kids, we will have more kids who are passionate about the sport,” Kobe said. Last year, in the beginning of the season, JV games were “not very competitive”, but as the sea-
With an upward-trending amount of fresh talent, both JV and varsity boys lacrosse look to work hard and make use of “youthful enthusiasm” to compensate for an overall lack of experience. Coach Kyle Kobe adds that lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, and he has more rookies this year than ever. “I have a large number of rookies--probably about 22 brand new kids to lacrosse,” Kobe said. “Last year I had about 16, so the number is trending upward.” Varsity captain Amanuel Behailu thinks that having a program with more rookies than other years holds both positive and negative value. “We do lack experience, but it means that we have a Varsity lacrosse warms up with a catch-and-throw drill on Wednesday’s practice. Photo bunch of eager kids waiting to by: MARTY SCHNAPP learn,” Behailu said. Of the 22 varsity lacrosse play- there. The JV team is mostly fresh- son progressed, the games became ers, only “about 12” have at least men with a few sophomores, and more competitive varsity is more juniors and se“I hope to see the same trend in one year of experience. “Our varsity team is very young. niors, with a few sophomores scat- this year’s varsity team. We will have a lot of growing pains, but it Most aren’t like that,” Kobe said. tered throughout,” Gold said. Kobe values such a large num- should be a fun season to watch “We just don’t have that luxury.” Freshman Ben Gold notes how ber of athletes, because lacrosse is them progress,” Kobe said. “And that’s the joy of coaching--to see scattered the grade levels are played on such a large field. “It’s a big field; if we have more them progress, to see the knowlwithin the boys lacrosse program’s
Rams, NFL to return to LA Oakland Raiders Nirav Desai staff writer The Raiders were Los Angeles’ team. The attention-grabbing style of play, splashy transactions and silver-and-black hats adorned with cursive script that rested upon the heads of hip-hop icons were indicative of the city’s culture during the franchise’s short residence here in the 1980s and 1990s. A year of speculation about a possible return of the Los Angeles Raiders initially produced hopeful thoughts in the minds of those Raiders faithful who were left behind in the Southland. A round of meetings between NFL owners last week in Houston dashed those hopes for at least the rest of 2016, leaving fans dejected and the team homeless. Though they currently don’t have a lease on a stadium to play in during the 2016 NFL season, the Raiders and their fans can now be certain of one thing: the odds were sadly stacked against the Raiders all along. Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke and his moustache have been plotting the team’s relocation since late 2013, when he purchased the giant parcel of land that will soon house the City of Champions Sta-
dium in Inglewood. Now that construction is underway, Kroenke is reportedly going out of his way to seduce the San Diego Chargers as his stadium’s tenant in an attempt to keep the Raiders, and the certain demographic they attract, away from his multi-billion dollar sports and entertainment multiplex. This type of thinly-veiled discrimination is reminiscent of a recent Los Angeles Times opinion piece that claimed an influx of Raiders fans to the city would drive property rates down. Since being rejected by the NFL, the Raiders’ options have grown increasingly miserable. They could stay in Oakland, a city that is as passive-aggressive in its efforts to retain the Raiders as Raiders owner Mark Davis is when asked how he feels about being the NFL’s bowl-cut-headed stepchild. Or they could hope and pray that Kroenke hurt Spanos’ feelings enough during the owners’ meeting to prevent a stadium-sharing agreement before January of 2017, which would trigger the Raiders’ secondary right to join Kroenke in Inglewood. The Raiders were Los Angeles’ team. Both the city and franchise deserve a chance to reclaim that relationship.
Marty Schnapp co-editor-in-chief Girls varsity basketball suffered a 20-65 loss to Lawndale on Wednesday. This was the team’s third consecutive league loss, leaving them 0-3 in the season so far. Starting point guard Nikki Sameyah feels that the team should learn something from facing a team that plays at the caliber at which Lawndale played. “Lawndale High School has a very good girls varsity basketball team. They were very challenging, and it was a good learning experience. The game last night taught our team to play more aggressive and showed us flaws in our defense that we are wroking to improve for future games,” Sameyah said. Despite the team’s disappointedge growing.” Freshman Maani Tuli, one of the newest players to join the lacrosse team, is already excited for the upcoming season. “I just started playing a week ago, and I feel very welcomed by both the coaches and players. I decided to play because it looks like a fun sport and I’m excited to play,” Tuli said. Second year player Yoni Milstein
explains that the team is currently focusing on learning the technical aspects of lacrosse, as many of the players have no prior knowledge of how the game is played. “We mostly do passing and catching, offensive and defensive drills. Not that much sprinting, but we work on our fundamentals because we’re a very inexperienced team. We’re just working our way up,” Milstein said.
After weeks of scheming, there is finally an official decision regarding the #NFL2LA front. In short, the Rams are returning to Los Angeles, the Chargers may follow and the Raiders are staying put in Oakland (for now).
Los Angeles Rams Isaiah Freedman staff writer
ing performance, shooting guard Sherin Ebrahimi scored 12 points, all from three-pointers in the first half, including one from deep behind the arc. “I thought Sherin played really well. She was on fire,” forward Dominique Petrie said. “When she hit one from almost half court, the whole team went crazy.” Co-captain Shannon Sedighim feels that the team should take more than a loss away from the game. “Even though we lost, I enjoyed playing against Lawndale because they made us work hard,” Sedighim said. “By playing against a bigger and better team, it helps you get better as a player and a team.” Girls varsity basketball’s next game is tonight at SAMO.
sion, premium and club seating. The relocation plan also suggests that when the Super Bowl is hosted in LA in 2020, the game has the potential to create $50 million in revenue. Perhaps one of the more important reasons the Rams’ return is great for LA is that the building contractors hired for the Inglewood location are ready to start digging the instant the Rams are approved to play there. The return of the Rams will be an emotional homecoming. The Rams also have a young nucleus of talent, including RB Todd Gurley and DT Aaron Donald, making them a quick hit in the LA market due to their jaw dropping athletic ability. This team is perfect for Los Angeles, and Los Angeles is perfect for this team.
San Diego Chargers Jason Harward staff writer
The St. Louis (now LA) The entire world, right Rams are bringing their about now, is fully expecting collective talents to Los the Chargers to shed “San Angeles, ending the city’s Diego” off of their back and 21-year drought without a swap it for “Los Angeles.” football team. To make that The Chargers may curfinally happen, the Rams rently be in America’s Finwere lucky to have a deterest City, but they definitely mined and forward-thinkdo not inhabit America’s ing owner, Stan Kroenke. Finest Stadium. Because Kroenke had voiced his of the shortcomings of desire to return to the LA Qualcomm Stadium, the market and is the man beglamor, glitz and futurishind the lucrative stadium tic design of Rams owner in Inglewood. The 300-acre Stan Kroenke’s $3 billionInglewood site, originally dollar sports emporium the intended location of could be too much to deny. a Walmart Supercenter, While that all sounds will not only house what is splendid, the Chargers projected to be the biggest would be leaving their fans sports stadium in America, in the dust, forcing them to but will also have a public follow or just live without park, hotel, 6,000 seat allfootball. For the sake of the purpose theater and an NFL team, the fans and the NFL Network complex on its in general, they should just grounds. stay put. Not too This is shabby. because Inglein every wood’s s p o r t s state-ofpartnerthe-art ship, there complex is a mais set jority fato have vorite and 70,240 a minorseats, ity favorite. includThink Cliping more An architect’s drawing of a potential Inglewood stadium. Photo licensed pers and g e n e r a l from HKS Lakers. admis-
Though the Clippers are the statistically superior team at this moment, we can all agree that the Lakers are LA’s team. The Clippers? They’re not bad. They’re just second. That disparity, in fan appreciation, media coverage and overall status, is exactly what will happen to the Chargers. Because of the Rams’ financial superiority in being able to fund the stadium completely, the Chargers will have little to bargain with, and possibly delay their move even further. The Rams, who have already begun to establish their LA fans, have a head start on the Chargers. With the Chargers closing in on their move, even trademarking “LA Chargers,” the prospect of the Rams acquiring a roommate is becoming more and more realistic. Yet, the Rams, who were originally an LA team, will likely have the upper hand in season ticket holders, jersey sales and overall fan love. What kind of deal is that? So please, instead of forcing the Charger fan to be relegated to the level of the Clipper fan, don’t take the easy money and come to LA. All in all, it’s a losing deal.