March 30

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Beverly Hills, Calif.

Beverly Hills High School

Volume 86, Issue Eleven · March 30, 2012

(You can’t)

Ring my bell Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer Recently the ringing of the school’s fire alarms has reached an all-new high, going off at unreasonable times throughout the day. Although many of the alarms are ignored and turned off in a matter of minutes, some of them have been disrupting class time, causing classes to fall behind in their learning.

“I think that it’s created a dangerous environment at the school where teachers and kids are not necessarily taking the fire alarms seriously. I hope that they are punished to the fullest extent that we can, which can include expulsion, and can include arrest,” English teacher Julie Goler said.

The Beverly Hills District Office has planned to take action regarding the problem with the fire alarms, striving to stop the manner by finding the criminals who have been committing this felony. [continued on page 3]

VINCENT BROCK

Inside this issue...

Page 2

Pages 8-9

Page 12

MorTorq reaches quarterfinals of regional robotics tournament.

Highlights studies (and laments over) the evolution of television.

School vending machines escape state health regulations.

2 news

March 30, 2012 Highlights

TEAMS receives awards at regionals

TEAMS poses with their trophies from the competition. PHOTO COURTESY OF HYUNWOO YU

Celine Hakimianpour Staff Writer On Saturday, March 3, TEAMS (Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science), a branch of the Science Team, competed and won second place in a team-based mathematics competition and placed fifth place overall in California.

This competition took place at the University of Southern California and was hosted by the Technology Student Association.

This year, Beverly’s squad consisted of an upperclassmen team of eight people. Beverly competed in the 11 th

division, the category containing the largest schools. From there, Beverly competed against 21 of the 26 teams in the entire competition.

“This is the first time we won the entire competition and division. We came in first for division and in competition,” TEAMS captain Hyunwoo Yu said.

TEAMS practiced a month in advanced for this competition and they believe their hard work paid off.

“It’s so amazing to have them win regionals after all the work they put into preparing this year. Its such a great honor to have even been in this competiton, winning part of it is just

the cherry on top,” Science Team President senior Liz Brajevich said.

Each registered school and group receives materials to prepare them for the competition including a Coach Guide, competition scenarios, lesson plans and tips for group decisionmaking, and problem solving approaches.

This year’s theme for the competition was Healthcare and Medicine. The competition was split into two parts: in part one, the squad had to answer 80 multiple-choice questions involving math and science situations; in part two, the team wrote short essays about eight tasks they were given.

“What the teams lacked in competition experience, they made up with practiced teamwork, effective communication, and a keen awareness for and utilization of each others talents. I am proud that everyone of my teammates put their best foot forward and that, through the effort, we were able to bring home the first place trophy,” Yu said.

This is not the first time the Beverly TEAMS squad has entered this competition, but it is the first time they won first place.

“I think that this win will make people respect the Science Team more.

It’s really great to see the TEAMS program be so successful this year and [Hyunwoo Yu] is an amazing captain,” Brajevich said.

Being a part of the TEAMS squad allows students to work collaboratively and use their knowledge in math and science to solve everyday engineering challenges.

Robotics competes in Long Beach Julia Waldow Arts&Style Editor Robotics Team 1515, otherwise known as “MorTorq,” attended the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Los Angeles Regionals competition in Long Beach from Thursday, March 15 to Saturday, March 17. Robots played in a series of qualification and elimination matches for the game “Rebound Rumble” on Friday and Saturday.

During “Rebound Rumble,” alliances of three teams each controlled their robots to score as many baskets as possible in a two minute and 15 second time slot.

Each robot could hold up to three balls at once, and robots could act on defense or offense.

The game featured four baskets on three levels. The top basket was worth three points, the middle baskets were worth two points and the bottom basket was worth one point. To score extra points, teams could balance their robots on three bridges in the arena.

Besides earning points for shooting, teams could get cooperative points for working with other alliances and autonomous points for scoring in a 15-second self-functioning period. Additionally, team representatives who talked to judges about the team’s goals and accomplishments could win awards.

“Whoever scores highest wins [in

qualification matches], but it’s not about who wins more,” sophomore Michael Simozar said. “It’s about if individual teams and an alliance do well. If you do well you’re good for ‘seeded,’ which is where the top eight teams get to pick their own alliances for elimination rounds. In elimination, you are fighting with your alliance for your life.”

The team won three out of six qualification matches on Friday, but it suffered complications due to driving, mechanical and programming issues. On Saturday,

Team 1515 won two out of three qualification matches. It lost in the quarterfinals when its robot tipped over.

However, Team 1515 won the Safety Recognition Award for maintaining safety procedures with the robot and the pit area and the Gracious Professionalism Award, which recognizes a team that “maintains a degree of maturity, kindness and professionalism on and off the field,” according to Robotics advisor Eileen Kahn.

“This is a big honor and shows that we represent ourselves, the school and the community in a positive way,” Kahn said. “The award makes me very proud of [the team]. Every kid is smart, dedicated and eager to learn.”

To ensure success at the next competition, Robotics members set a series of goals to accomplish.

“We want to have the team better prepared and we would like to have more workshops to train the team better,” junior and build team captain Priya Sumeran said. “We would like to be more organized and even though we came up with a schedule, we would like to stick to it next year.”

Due to Team 1515’s success at the national competition last year, members are guaranteed a spot competing at the FIRST Championships in St. Louis, Missouri on April 24-28.

Quick Reads

Norman Aid Center goes online The Norman Aid Center has come up with a new program called the Norman Aid Support Blog, where students can leave posts and ask questions anonymously at www.normanaid. blogspot.com.

Every question and comment will be responded to within 48 hours by the peer tutors and staff members either through the blog or email.

“It’s great for students to just read about the challenges other students are going through. I think it helps students recognize that they are not alone,” intervention counselor Ali Norman said.

The blog received positive feedback from the students.

“I like the new program because everything is confidential and people that don’t have the courage to walk in the door of the center can still be helped,” senior Josephine Whittaker said.

The blog is intended to help to bring a more 21st century feel to the Norman Aid Center.

“I think it is great that our school’s support center has advanced onto the web. Technology always comes in handy,” senior Bridget Abajian said.

With or without the blog, students feel luck to have the Norman Aid Center at Beverly.

“There is nothing I would change about the Norman Aid Center. It serves its purpose and we are very fortunate to have this program at the school,” junior peer counselor Cameron Paysinger said.

The Norman Aid Center also offers many programs such as peer meditation, peer counseling, intervention and Maple counseling and girls groups.

Hae Lee

ASB designs senior class wall With eight weeks into second semester, it is time for the departing Class of 2012 to begin constructing the senior mural.

With the particularly praised 2011 mural, which depicted a BHHS Super Norman, seniors hope to raise the bar this year.

“It is not finished!” ASB Senior Representative Jordan Neman exclaimed, informing members that this year’s mural was in progress. The post sent the message that more will be done to the wall. Currently it reads “2012” in bold letters, with a Norman helmet hanging from one of the letters.

When brainstorming ideas for the prospective wall design, Senior President Joel Yadidian stated, “We wanted to do something different, not just a painted wall.”

ASB offered seniors to submit their own sketches through online broadcast messages, assemblies and the school’s bulletin. After coming to the conclusion that a moss wall, or a mural covered in moss patches, was not sustainable, ASB agreed on using a chalk design.

This plan would include giving seniors the opportunity to write on the wall themselves, once the current paint job hardened.

“The ultimate goal is to get students involved, enabling seniors to design it themselves,” Yadidian said.

Despite not having received any submissions from seniors who are not enrolled in ASB, “we’re happy with what we have,” Yadidian said.

In order to finish the mural, the seniors plan to personalize and collaborate on the wall.

Vincent Brock

news 3

March 30, 2012 Highlights

False fire alarms outrage students and faculty Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer

[continued from page 1] “We will be installing tamper proof, non toxic paint that will spray on the hand of the person who is pulling the fire alarms. Students who are caught falsely pulling a fire alarm could be subject to a number of legal actions.

We may be installing additional surveillance cameras to the key areas,” Superintendent Gary Woods said.

Many students have come to realize the effects of the misuse of fire alarms, and have also spoken out against it.

“At first I would be happy when I heard the fire alarm go off because that meant that I had a break from my class, but lately I’ve just been super annoyed and I wish whoever was pulling the fire alarms would find a new hobby or something because I really need to catch up in my period five class now. The least the person who’s pulling the fire alarms could do is choose a different period to pull it or something,” sophomore DaEun Lee said.

The amount of time that students are out of class due to the pulling of the school’s fire alarms has caused many classes to fall behind in their learning schedules that have been set up in order to prepare for the CST, AP Exams and Finals.

BLESS BAI

“This [falling behind in AP Exam training] is what bugs me the most. At the end of the year I have to take my AP Euro Exam and missing class [AP Euro] all the time because of the fire alarms is going to make me perform worse off than I would if I were actually learning. Instead of learning we’re just sitting on the football field doing nothing. It’s really irritating and seriously gets on my nerves,”

sophomore Arielle Shalom said.

The unrest that the false pulling of the school’s fire alarms has instilled in both the teachers, as well as the students of the school has brought many authority figures to encourage any student who might know anything about the matter to tell anyone in charge.

“If anyone has any information on the false fire alarms that we’ve been

receiving, please see and administrator as soon as possible. The conversation will be kept confidential,” principal Carter Paysinger said.

At the moment, students and faculty members are working toward stopping the abuse of the school’s fire alarms, but the dates of when the actions will be taken against the matter may not be revealed.

AcaDeca places 14th at state level ASB organizes dodgeball games Bless Bai Staff Writer From Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 18, Beverly’s Academic Decathlon team placed 14 th out of 65 competing high schools at the 33 rd Annual California Academic Decathlon Competition in Sacramento, CA. While Academic Decathlon will not advance to the national competition in April, students won individual medals. Junior Victor Lee won a gold medal in Physics under the Scholastic division, junior David Mnitsa won a bronze medal in Mathematics under the Scholastic division and junior Joye Yang won a silver medal in Interview under the Honors division. Junior Jenny Chieu had the top overall score on the team.

The team, which advanced from the county competition to the state competition, was required to put forth their best effort after preparing for months.

“We were really excited but really nervous at the same time,” Yang said.

The United States Academic Decathlon is a competition that tests high school students’ academic strength in various categories, ranging from language and literature to mathematics and science. In preparation of mastering all aspects of this year’s theme, the “Age of the Empire,” students across the nation were introduced to the material in the summer and began to prepare from the beginning of the school year.

Academic Decathlon is the only elective that is weighted as an honors course. With a new coach and new members, the team had to overcome unfamiliarity and approach the

competition with diligence.

“I think a lot of us had to learn a lot of subjects we previously had not come into contact with. We had to make our weak points our strong points,” Chieu said.

Students also spent extra hours studying at school to prepare for the competition.

“We were here every Saturday, some of the kids on Sundays, winter break, all the Mondays that everyone else had off.

Oftentimes my car was the last one in the parking lot,” coach Dina Yoseph said.

However, some students deemed the large amounts of extra time and studying worthy in light of their enjoyable experience.

“I like everyone on the team and I learn a lot. [The class] is not a bad thing to have on your college resume,” junior Adina Babaian said. At state, Babaian scored 900 points higher than she did in the county competition.

Although Academic Decathlon will not compete in nationals, the class is determined to perform more strongly at next year’s competition. Since currently eight out of the nine competing team members are juniors, junior members believe they hold an advantage in the 2012-2013 competition with this year’s experience.

“As seniors next year, we are motivated to make the best out of the last opportunity we have,” Lee said.

Yoseph also reflected upon the past year with satisfaction.

“I couldn’t imagine having gone through this year with a different group of kids,” she said.

After the competition ended, members of Academic Decathlon are currently spending their time doing extra work and discussing plans for the upcoming year.

Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer The dodgeball tournaments are here once again, bringing back many of the same teams from last year. Some returning teams are the Jew Crew, Chocolate Thunder, Sexier Laser Pandas and the Bad News Bears. The games can be seen every Monday and Tuesday for the duration of the tournament.

The length of the tournament cannot be determined at the moment, since factors such as bad weather may increase the duration of the competition. However, the last date planned for the dodgeball games, as of press time, is Tuesday, April 3.

“The big story is Chocolate Thunder, they won the tournament last year. Their captain is Gabe Laemmle and they have a new addition, Matthew Davidov,” ASB senior commissioner Cameron Countryman said.

ASB has coordinated the dodgeball tournaments for the past three years that they have been going on. Dodgeball has been a way to raise excitement and student involvement on campus.

“Everyone really seems to take part in the tournaments we set up, and overall I

think that these games are a great bonding experience for anyone who participates or even just watches them,” sophomore ASB member Maya Steinberg said.

Students take part in the dodgeball games not only by playing on a team, but by watching their fellow students compete against each other.

“This year was the first year I watched one of the dodgeball games and it was really exciting. My friend is on the AP Bio dodgeball team so seeing him play was pretty entertaining,” sophomore Victoria Hayostek said.

The one requirement for the teams participating in the dodgeball tournament is that they must have at least seven players on their team.

“I think it’ll be funny to see like, a girl team go against Chocolate Thunder or something because the girls will probably have a super different playing strategy, one that doesn’t involve having 50 pounds of muscle,” junior Kylie Blaine said.

ASB has moved all the matches from the Lacrosse field to the front lawn so that students and faculty can more easily access them.

Left: Arash Ghahremani and Daniel Kohanof play for Team Inhaled. Right: Brandon Neman, David Prokopenko and Aaron Wolfe race to pick up dodgeballs to begin their game. DANNY LICHT

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

Candice Hannani News Editor

March 30, 2012 Highlights Editorial

No more Mr. Nice Guy

The administration is right in taking charge against alarm-pulling criminals

Danny Licht Opinion Editor

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

Julia Waldow Arts & Style Editor

Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor

Chanan Batra Sports Editor

Vincent Brock Photography Editor

Sayeh Mohammadi Business Manager

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

Bless Bai, Sasha Park and AJ Parry Staff Cartoonists

Dami Kim Social Media Director

Lilia Abecassis Assistant to News Editor

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

Gaby Herbst and Katie Murray Advisers

This newspaper is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. · Send letters to the editors to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. · The journalism program is sponsored

by PTSA and BHEF. · Check out beverlyhighlights.com every day! · Ads are not endorsed by BHUSD.

SASHA PARK

After countless flashing red lights and piercing sirens, the administration has finally taken charge against the multitude of fire alarm pulling that has taken Beverly by storm.

The administration has identified the pranks as criminal offenses and commits itself to finding the offenders. But why did it take this long for Beverly to receive this wake-up call?

On Wednesday, March 14, Principal Carter Paysinger delivered a message to the staff: “Any student identified as responsible for causing a false alarm and putting the safety of others at risk will be subject to immediate arrest and possible expulsion from school. We encourage students with information related to individuals responsible for activating false alarms to share that information with any staff member as soon as possible.”

The “arrest and possible expulsion” policy is well justified. But although good in theory, the “students sharing information” suggestion is impractical. In many cases, cliquish high school students would rather cut off their own arms than rat out their friends. The unfortunate truth is that

no matter how harsh the consequences are, those involved with the pranksters are just not motivated enough to divulge any information.

This ‘fun’ probably isn’t worth the risk—and it is certainly not with its profound cost.

Getting fingerprints from the alarms and setting up video cameras are too expensive.

On second thought, without the $500 fines for each alarm pulled, maybe we could afford these. But thanks to the pranksters, that idea has flown the coop.

However, there are other methods to

catch the criminals than those proposed right now. Security, administrators and teachers should patrol the hallways on foot during passing periods and periodically look down the hallways for suspicious activity during class time. Or teachers should have students exiting their classrooms sign out on a clipboard with the date and time.

If an alarm went off during that period, the administration would have a likelier set of suspects and could focus its attention on investigating those specific people.

Unfortunately, the pranksters may still find a way to have their fun. And to that, we say that this “fun” probably isn’t worth the risk—and it is certainly not with its profound cost. The pranks have become so frequent that when an alarm goes off, we don’t even react. What is going to happen to us when the building is actually on fire?

As the pranks escalate and the fire trucks continue to rush to school, people who actually need the trucks’ resources are prevented from getting them. The next alarm that’s pulled could lead to death, whether it’s ours or someone else’s across town.

And what prankster wants that on his conscience?

March 30, 2012 Highlights

opinion 5

Kony

There’s something about

love

thy

textbook Teachers should not bash their bibles

The problems with this irresistable campaign Sarit Kashanian Staff Writer

Earlier this month, millions of Facebook users were captivated by the Kony 2012 video, featuring its creator, Jason Russell, the co-founder of Invisible Children. The 30-minute video has received over 80 million views and counting on YouTube.

As I watched the video for the first time, the sound of Russell’s soft, soothing voice lured me into my computer screen. My eyes shifted from scenes of Ugandan children holding soldiers’ guns to young Jacob, a former member of Joseph Kony’s rebel group, shedding tears of despair as he admits that he would rather die than live under Kony’s reign of terror.

The reaction to the video was both abrupt and widespread, as Facebook users sought to raise awareness for the organization’s cause by sharing the Kony 2012 video and making events to make Kony famous on the night of April 20 by plastering posters of the Ugandan warlord throughout various parts of the world.

However, the popularity of the film attracted critics who accused the Invisible Children foundation of being a fraud. The government of Uganda also responded to the video by addressing the antiquity of its claims, stating that not only is Kony absent from the country, but that the government there is already making efforts to locate him. After reading a few of these attacks on Kony 2012, I no longer knew what to believe.

Reflecting back on my initial experience watching the video, I became aware of several moments of skepticism. Some of what was presented in the video just seemed wrong to me, such as how Russell stated

Danny Licht Opinion Editor

that the U.S.’s intervention in Uganda to capture Kony was our nation’s first attempt at establishing peace in a foreign country, and how the video made it seem as if killing Kony would be a simple solution to all the problems in Uganda. And perhaps this was just my Jewish tendency to frugality, but the introduction of the Action Kit struck me as a scheme by Invisible Children to raise extra funds for their own personal use. (Considering the financial reports that Invisible Children only donates 31 percent of their revenue to charity, my last conjecture was not too far off.) Yet, by the end of the video, I felt compelled to click “attending” to a Facebook event intended to make Kony famous, along with dozens of my classmates.

Invisible Children later came out with a statement explaining that some facts in the video were simplified in order to appeal to a young audience. To the more intellectual of us who take offense from being grouped into Invisible Children’s definition of simple-minded youth, we question how we had ever fallen into Russell’s cunning trap. “But, he’s older than me, and he’s the founder of this big charity, and he has cool glasses so he must be right,” we think. The truth is that although adults often speak to children with the intention to guide them and help them succeed, as young adults it is ultimately up to us to decide our stance on an issue. Therefore, teens should do a little research before claiming to be political activists, because you never know when the man you support may end up getting arrested for pleasuring himself in public. · Check out beverlyhighlights.com for Robert Katz’s article “Kony 2012 draws support, doubts” about students’ reactions.

Some of what was presented in the video

just seemed wrong to me.

Laptops as notebooks

Pat Robertson, the televangelist who looks like an adorable version of George W., is a Christian fundamentalist. He sits in front of a million Americans most weekdays on his hit show “The 700 Club.” His sanity is questionable, but his consistency is remarkable: he is completely devoted to his favorite author’s best-selling book, the Bible. He is extreme, he is crazy, but at least he is consistent—and, when it comes to textbooks, teachers at Beverly are too inconsistent.

We use these books regularly: every math, science and history course I have taken followed their textbook in both sequence and content. And in many math, science and history courses I have taken, my teachers have complained about the course’s textbooks. “Your book doesn’t make any sense,” “Your book is wrong about this,” “Your book is outdated.” This is inherently wrong. Firstly, it violates the first rule of social courtesy, from health class: don’t talk in “you” sentences. Instead say, “The book doesn’t make any sense.” It’s more ladylike.

The textbooks aren’t perfect, students know this as well as anyone. But I have a modest proposal for a magical solution: just let it go. The problem is that when a teacher says the textbook is bad, errant, outdated, etc., our inclined ears hear the teacher saying that it’s all bad, errant, outdated, etc.

These implied (or inferred) sentiments are especially irritating because much of our homework—a characteristically mundane activity—comes from these books.

Whether we’re reading and outlining or reading and responding, the fact that students are told that these tedious works are bad by the subjects’ most credible sources just furthers the homework disdai.

Remember that from these offhand comments we lose faith not only in the textbook but also its direct attributes: your field of expertise, your class, you.

So, if Pat Robertson’s decrepit little face can’t convince you to feign love (or at least mask contempt) for your course’s bible, do it for the children, please. We need you.

An eighth-grader outlines the undeniable benefits

Hadley Rosen Horace Mann Eighth-Grader Laptop use should be allowed at schools for many reasons. Firstly, they will allow students to organize their notes more easily and conserve paper. Secondly, using laptops will also give students the opportunity to use online resources. Lastly, students also wouldn’t have to worry about keeping enough paper and writing utensils in their backpacks.

If students were allowed to bring laptops to school, they would be able to keep their notes organized and easy to read.

There would be no chance of losing notes.

It would also make it easier for people who were absent to get the notes from a classmate. When their notes are more organized and easier to read, there would be a greater chance of higher tests scores because students would feel more comfortable with studying. It would be easier to find notes and other materials on a computer than it

would be on a laptop, so students might spend more time working because everything is easy to find and use.

Students will also be able to utilize online resources for class assignments. Websites and other links will be helpful to use for in-class assignments. Students will easily be able to look up facts and use images in their work. When a student has the chance to learn new facts online instead of out of a textbook or off a worksheet, they feel better about the materials and might learn the facts more easily.

If laptops were allowed in school, then students would not have to worry about bringing paper and writing utensils to school. If they make a mistake on an assignment or want to change something, it doesn’t make the paper messy if they can delete it on a Word document. It would be easier and neater if students were able to type up assignments and notes instead of writing them by hand, especially for people who have messy handwriting.

Horace Mann eighth-graders entered a contest to have their essay featured in Highlights. Hadley Rosen won.

The previous competition was at El Rodeo, and the next will be for Hawthorne eighth graders.

SASHA PARK

6 the musical

March 30, 2012 Highlights

GREASE.

1

2

Set and Deck Crew The “Grease” set and deck crew works mainly on building sets, which consist of furniture used for the play and scenery, as well as keeping them in good condition for rehearsals and performances. Their job is to construct every single set, to make sure that the sets are safe for the actors, and that those sets are appealing to the audience.

“It’s a big responsibility. I have to say it’s a little nerve-racking,” stage manager and master carpenter, senior Emilio Renteria, said.

After they finish building, crew members carry each different set backstage and put it into place so it’s ready to be used for the show.

While the play takes place, set crew splits up into two different teams that are sent to either stage right or stage left to help. Each team moves the appropriate set on stage and into place for each scene.

To avoid causing confusion the members of the crew will be dressing up as greasers and in other 1950s wear to assure that their viewers will not be distracted from the play.

3

Costume Crew

4 5

6

Lauren Fonville, the costume designer, is in charge of all the crew heads and the actual crew. Fonville’s job is to decide what all the actors will wear for the play, with final say on every outfit.

Everyone on costume crew helps to design, sew and find the clothes that will be used in the play. The costume designer and crew heads locate shops for these outfits at thrift stores, costume stores and anywhere that clothes suitable for the musical can be found.

After the clothes are purchased, the crew works on hemming, altering and labeling each set of clothes so that each costume is the perfect fit.

“You have to be willing to put your time into helping create a fabulous production!” crew head senior Danielle Rose said.

In some cases the costume crew even draws out designs, takes measurements for and stitches together entire ensembles. They pay for all of this with a small budget, but still manage to create accurate costumes.

“It’s so fun and it’s my favorite crew to work on, but it can be stressful,” sophomore Brooke Teweles said.

Even though finding and creating the right outfits can be time consuming and tedious work, it’s the crew’s job to distinguish which designs are acceptable and which are not by researching the different kinds of clothing that were popular during the period when the play takes place. For example, in “Grease,” actors will be wearing 1950s style clothing such as poodle skirts, blouses, sweaters, leather jackets and petticoats.

Sound Crew When working on the musical, it is essential that everything goes smoothly, including sound. Sound director Zoe Fisch, mic-girl Savannah Le Moine and SFX programmer Zoe Gerowitz, all juniors, work together to ensure that sound is maintained perfectly throughout the show.

Fisch sets up the microphones on the actors and on stage, decides which actors get their own microphones and programs each microphone to the right frequency to avoid technical difficulties.

“During the show I will be at the sound board riding levels for the mics that the main actors use,” Fisch said.

Le Moine tests the microphones before the show to make sure that they work properly and does all of the mic changes throughout the show. She finds every actor who has a line in the show and gives him or her an individual mic pack.

Gerowitz mutes and unmutes all the microphones as the show progresses. She is also in control of the prerecorded sound clips used for the musical.

These three crew members cooperate to keep the music and sound at an appropriate level for the audience’s listening pleasure.

AJ Parry

(Inset) The Pink Ladies perform together 1. Cast members rehearse “Summer Nights” in plain clothes 2. Senior Aaron Kerman, who plays Johnny Casino, shoots a pose for the camera 3. Senior Steve Kearns dabs on his stage makeup for his role of Teen Angel 4. Senior George Efremidze styles his hair into that of his character Sonny 5. The T-Birds attack the villainous Eugene, played by senior Eli Wachtel 6. The cast rehearses a musical number in dress rehearsal. GINELLE WOLFE

Unsung ensemble of 18 brings harmony to show Danny and Sandy would be nothing without their Greaser buddies to back them up.

The “Grease” ensemble is made up of 18 actors who support the rest of the cast with their sound and characters. Although these members do not have specific character roles in the musical, each ensemble member appears in most of the scenes in the play, including “Summer Nights” and “You’re the One That I Want.”

“The ensemble has to carry a lot of vocal harmonies and sing backup for many songs,” ensemble member sophomore Brooke Teweles said.

According to Teweles, being in the ensemble is essential for all actors at some point in their careers.

“You need to create your own individual character with, in most cases, no lines and usually a lot less stage time than leads,” Teweles said. “Though being in the ensemble can sometimes make an actor feel unneeded, the ensemble is what really brings shows to life.”

Just like the other actors in the play, ensemble members have the responsibility of learning the dances to several songs.

“The ensemble takes part in a good chunk of the show this year, and there’s plenty of dancing,” Teweles said. “The dancing can be intimidating at first, but as you rehearse and rehearse it becomes second nature to you.”

Ensemble members rehearsed for hours on both weekdays and weekends in order to prepare for the show. Although principal characters in the show were required to attend more rehearsals, the entire cast has had a similar schedule, with rehearsals ending at 5 p.m. after school, to rehearsals in the weeks closer to the show ending at 7 or 8 p.m.

“I must admit [that] I was concerned about the show when we first started because a lot of people were getting sick and rehearsal times were confusing,” ensemble member senior Morgan Muldoon said. “But now that everything’s come together, I’m really excited for the show and I know it’s going to be amazing.”

After working months to perfect their performance in the show, members of the ensemble are ready to Hand Jive their way to a fun-filled night.

Sarit Kashanian

March 30, 2012 Highlights

the musical 7

Sophomore Anthony Lofaso performs “Summer Nights” as Danny Zuko, surrounded by the ensemble and members of his T-bird gang, played by junior Brendan Taglianetti, senior Michael Richman, sophomore Roman Zaragoza and seniors George Efremidze, Nadav Laemmle and Aaron Kerman. “Grease” runs from March 29 to March 31 at the KL Peters Auditorium, in addition to a matinee on March 28. GINELLE WOLFE

Anthony Lofaso Danny Zuko

Lina Hebert Sandy Olsson

Students may know sophomore Anthony Lofaso for his show-stopping performance in The Company and “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in the Winter Spirit Assembly. As Greaser Danny Zuko, Lofaso portrays a cool, charming, ladies’ man torn between his reputation among his friends and the new girl who steals his heart.

“To fully master the roll of Zuko I followed the footsteps of my father, who was a Danny Zuko back in his day,” Lofaso said. Lofaso also tries to embody his character and really become Zuko.

Lofaso has pursued Performing Arts for four years and has been in a total of nine musicals with an extracurricular theater group, in addition to appearing on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and the Discovery Channel.

Lofaso’s humorous charm and stage appeal have made him one of the leading participants in the Performing Arts department this year.

Junior Lina Hebert is the star of the show with her role of Sandy, the love interest of Danny Zuko.

“I had always wanted to play Sandy watching the movie growing up and it was so fun and such a great experience working with this cast that it lived up to everything I had hoped it would be,” Hebert said.

Hebert, who is also in Madrigals, has been involved in the performing arts since the age of six. She mainly participates in extracurricular theatre during programs over the summer, like an upcoming precollege program at Carnegie Mellon for voice training and Songfest at Pepperdine.

Hebert has enjoyed the challenge of the lead role.

“Singing-wise, it’s musical theatre, which can tire me out and actingwise, although Sandy seems so simple and innocent, it was hard to give her levels and make her believable and relatable,” Hebert said.

Savannah Forno Rizzo

Eli Lloyd Vince Fontaine

Sadie Katz Pink Lady

Junior Savannah Forno, who plays Rizzo in “Grease,” is a perfect example of ASB’s slogan “Get involved!”

In her sophomore year, Forno was enrolled in class periods two through eight to cover all her classes in the Performing Arts department.

As a member of The Company, the fall play “Twilight,” Madrigals and Theater Arts Workshop, Forno steals the show with her captivating acting techniques.

Through her experience as an actor, singer and dancer, Forno has learned that the best way for her to get into character is to relate her character to someone in her own life.

“My favorite part of performing is experiencing the feeling in live theater that you can never call cuts.

What happens on stage is live action and there aren’t any redos,” Forno said.

Junior Eli Lloyd has joined his own modern family as part of “Grease”. Participating in the performing arts since his sophomore year, Lloyd stars as Vince Fontaine, the charming, slick, crowd-pleasing host of the Bandstand National Dance-Off. In order to get into his character, Lloyd “disregards [his] normal awkward self, and adopts a persona that is cooler than the other side of the pillow.”

Lloyd’s favorite part of performing is hearing and watching the audience’s reactions, whether it is during a musical or volleyball game. There are many things that his peers don’t know about him.

“I am universally hated in the theater department for the habitual missing of rehearsals due to volleyball practices and games,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd’s sense of humor, involvement in the school and contribution to the theater department make his role in this year’s musical one that cannot be missed.

Junior Sadie Katz’s enthusiastic and outgoing personality is perfectly portrayed in “Grease.” As a Pink Lady and a radio voice, Katz puts her acting and singing experience from Madrigals and Theater Arts Workshop to good use. Even though it is her third year performing “Grease” in different theater programs, Katz has many tactics when it comes to acting.

“I try to get into the mindset of the character and I try to take on their personality during rehearsal time,” Katz said. In addition, Katz’s favorite part of performing is getting to play someone she’s not. “I love putting on a character’s costume and makeup,” Katz said. “Transforming into someone else is always fun!”

Over her six years in theater, Katz has developed an amazing memory and can remember specific details from past show; at least we know that she will not be forgetting her lines on stage.

10 feature

March 30, 2012 Highlights

Girl Scouts continue through high school, sell cookies Brenda Mehdian Staff Writer

Girl Scout cookies have spread through Beverly like wildfire. Beverly has a relatively sizeable Girl Scout population, as the scouts have perservered to balance a rigorous schedule with Girls Scouts. SASHA PARK

The smell of cookies fills the halls of the school as students devour one of their favorite snacks. Everywhere students turn, they are bound to see at least one of their peers cracking out a box of mouthwatering Girl Scout cookies.

Students and other residents of the area are able to get these cookies from the Girl Scout program.

Girls can start getting involved in the program as young as kindergarten and can still get involved as high school students.

“I joined Girl Scouts at age five. My sister was in it and my mom was her troop leader so it all seemed really fun,” sophomore Victoria Hayostek said.

The older the girls get, the harder it gets to balance their time. However, Beverly has at least three who have continued to be a part of the program throughout high school.

“Balancing everything is really hard, especially since I’m older now and have to balance school and friends and homework and other stuff,” junior Stephanie Ordaz said.

The girls have a heavy load, but they manage to balance out the many aspects of their lives.

“I always put school and family before it, but I try to go to as many events as possible.

I try to finish things for school, like projects and essays, ahead of time,” Hayostek said.

The older members in the programs have more responsibilities that they need to carry out. They tend to be in charge of hosting a lot of the events for the younger girls such as fundraisers, campouts and more.

“We go on campouts with the younger girls to promote inner beauty,” sophomore Sasha Park said.

This year they held an event called The Cookie Kickoff. Activities were created at a variety of stations where the younger girls could win prizes. The aim of this event was to get the younger girls excited about selling cookies.

Along with the responsibilities come some perks. At this age the girls are sometimes even able to go outside the country for scouting trip where they meet up with a bunch of girls from different troops to do all sorts of community service activities.

“It was really exciting to going out of the country by myself. Seeing all the sites and learning about their culture was something I will never forget,” Hayostek said.

Not only do the girls get to do more activities by staying with the program, but they also attain a sense of self-fulfillment.

“I love the feeling that I get after we have done a community service activity, it really makes you feel as if you made an impact on someone else’s life,” Hayostek said.

Next month the Girl Scouts will be donating cookies to the veterans. They also write letters to veterans, soldiers and hospital patients on holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

Twins display artistic skills through individual pieces

Junior Kayla Kaniel displays one of her creations, a handbag she designed herself. OLIVER GALLOP

Bless Bai Staff Writer Twin sisters and juniors Ariella and Kayla Kaniel share more than their genetic makeup. With both sisters growing up in an environment that fostered artistic growth, it wasn’t too long before the Kaniels found their own niches and pursued their individual passions. While the sisters’ shared affinity for art have brought them together in the same art courses, like Drawing and Painting, and groups such as the National Arts Honor Society, the sisters each work in a distinct field of art that distinguishes their talents and personalities.

Ariella, a self-proclaimed “hardcore traditionalist” who highly values the realistic dynamics of art, is known for her accurate illustrations of the human figure.

Her work, ranging from quick sketches to

completed illustrations using media like micron pen and oil pastel, draws inspiration from her interest in human interactions.

“I’m very interested in people and how they act in environments. Even if it means you have to creep around, observe them. I like the human figure; it’s very complex,” Ariella said.

Kayla, on the other hand, specializes in handiwork involving her complete startto-finish making of leather goods, ranging from handbags to clutches. A self-taught virtuoso in the field of leather, she made her school bag and pencil case all from her own knowledge of sewing. Gathering a motley of secondhand fabrics, Kayla first illustrates her idea in her sketchbook and works on bringing her vision to fruition.

Kayla’s personal projects are more than enjoyable hobbies. Currently, Kayla’s custom-made work is in demand from her peers who request individual pieces.

Junior Ariella Kaniel has completed over 14 sketchbooks. Her teapot sketch is pictured in the corner. VINCENT BROCK

“I have a few customers—one wants a vintage backpack and a personal friend of mine wants a clutch to hold her phone in,” Kayla said.

More momentously, the high-end clothing store Anthropologie offered Kayla to sell her own hand-made creations in its store on Beverly Drive.

Ariella also received special recognition from a professor at the Otis College of Art and Design, who mentioned her explicitly in a letter addressed to the citizens of Beverly Hills.

Both Ariella and Kayla were introduced to their passions at a young age as they were influenced by both their older sister, Abigail Kaniel, class of 2011 alumnus, and their mother.

“My mom would always be sewing when I was little and I thought it was cool. I started sewing by hand a lot,” Kayla recalled.

However, Ariella did not take her talent

seriously until middle school. Her peers’ encouragement in junior high at Horace Mann prompted her to pursue her talents seriously.

“I’ve always been doodling but I didn’t find out I liked to draw until sixth grade when people told me I should start carrying around a sketchbook,” she said.

Now, Ariella has completed over 14 sketchbooks containing at least 100 pages each. Always carrying her sketchbooks with her, Ariella takes advantage of every hour in school to add to her growing collection of sketchbooks.

“I think not drawing in passing period is such a waste. There’s at least 60 minutes of passing period a day,” Ariella said.

Both Ariella and Kayla hope to one day work in different fields of art, but for now, the twin sisters are just enjoying their junior year and are looking forward to working on their projects in the summer.

March 30, 2012 Highlights

feature 11 Charlie Award winners reflect on their success Mallika Sen Editor-in-Chief Seniors Liz Brajevich and Maddie Grossan are the joint winners of the Charlie Award, an annual prize for creative writing.

Contestants submit portfolios, which are subsequently judged by a panel of English teachers. Brajevich and Grossan will receive a nominal monetary award and a tea in their honor on April 17, in addition to recognition at Senior Awards Night.

Q. What compelled you to submit for the Charlie award?

LB: I had all of this work sitting in a file on my computer and decided maybe it was time to share my writing.

Even though I haven’t been formally involved with creative writing as much as I would like to, it’s still something I really enjoy. I figured there was no way I could walk away empty handed since [the competition] was giving me a chance to compile my best work into a portfolio I could be proud of.

MG: It was the opportunity I needed to begin writing again. During the college application season I abandoned any and all projects I had been working on and this pushed me to resume my writing.

Q. What types of pieces did you include in your portfolio?

LB: Three of my pieces are prose, three are mimetic poems that form a drawing of the subject of the poem, [and] three are poems I made with words I cut out of “Seventeen” magazine. One poem is in iambic pentameter, one poem is in Croatian (with an English translation), and there are seven other poems for a total of 18 pieces.

MG: I wrote a short story, a play, and a few poems. The short story was about two pages and the play was around nine pages.

Q. What inspires you creatively, writing-wise?

LB: I think life events are something really good to write about. I like putting myself in the shoes of my friends and family and trying to write things from their point of view. Also, I like making pictures out of the words. Sometimes my art skills limit me so I need to find something original to say about a cow.

Other times, I want to draw something amazing and just don’t have the words to make it up yet.

MG: I watch a lot of Jon Stewart and Colbert, which tends to inspire me to write satire or social criticism. A lot of my creative writing is influenced by currents events that compel me to try and shock the reader. However, a lot of times good writing is the catalyst I need to begin anything I’m working on.

For anyone with writer’s block I would recommend anything by Wulf Zendik or Philip Roth because their writing style is something I try to emulate.

Q. How often do you write? What is your writing process?

LB: I usually write after a shower.

When I’m in the shower, I’m singing [and] thinking to myself and in this melodic free time sometimes I’ll think of something great. I have to jump out of the shower to write it or else it just starts to blur with the lyrics of “Moves Like Jagger.”

MG: To be honest I don’t write as often as I would like. Yet when I do it is usually bits and pieces of a novella I have been working on for a while.

Q. What themes does your writing encompass?

LB: The themes of my works reflect on my life, being confused about changes, being confused about my family– being confused comes up a lot. It’s easier to write when you’re confused, [because] you don’t have to take any extra steps to add an air of mystery to your work.

Seniors Liz Brajevich and Maddie Grossan are the winners of the 2012 Charlie Award. Brajevich and Grossan will be formally recognized on April 17. GINELLE WOLFE

MG: My themes do tend to be varied, I try to write satire most of the time as opposed to moralizing about something. However, I try to create indepth character portraits which often deal with man’s inhumanity to man or general neurosis.

Q. Which piece are you proudest of?

LB: I am most proud of a poem I wrote in mimetic form. All of the words of the poem “The Beauty” make up a girl’s face. I love the piece because many of the lines start one way and have alternate endings, so, depending on how you read it, you understand another aspect of the character of the poem, who is the girl made up by the words. I wanted the reader to have more of a connection with the poem

by interacting with it. It’s about how nothing is as straightforward as it seems; this character is both perfect and flawed. Every strand of her hair is another line of the poem and her split ends offer different descriptions.

MG: The play I wrote is probably [my] favorite. Santa is plagued with the notion that kids will not receive their Christmas presents because William Shakespeare takes too long to read the children’s letters to Santa. Santa then hires Cliff Sparknote in hopes of expediting the process; however Sparknote wildly misinterprets the letters because he does not actually read them and merely summarizes their contents. Essentially, the play is a biting criticism of our over-reliance on Sparknotes.

Student visits AIPAC Conference, meets politicians Sunday

-Heard Obama speak about the importance of U.S.-Israel relations -Heard Israeli President Shimon Peres speak about how Israel is grateful for the U.S.’s foreign aid -Lobbying tutorial Issues to address: prevention of a nuclear capable Iran, continuation of foreign aid to Israel, pass a resolution authored by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Mary) and Rep. Eric Cantor (R- Va)

Lilia Abecassis and her mother pose for a photo with a poster of the elder Abecassis. LILIA ABECASSIS

Lilia Abecassis Staff Writer For as long as I can remember, my mom has been a member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Whether it was the events thrown at our house or my mom’s trip to Washington, D.C. for the annual policy conference, I had always wanted to be a part of it, too.

Last year, I got to do just that when my mom took me with her to D.C. in May. It was quite the adventure: I lobbied a

congressman, heard President Obama speak and stood on top of the U.S. Capitol Building rotunda.

This February I returned to D.C. for my second policy conference. The agenda was similar to that of the previous year, so aside from the exponential attendance growth, nothing was drastically different.

I saw Fox News political analyst Liz Cheney and former representative Jane Harman (D-Calif) go head to head on a panel. I heard Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak while sitting next to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) Rep. Joe Wilson (RSC) handed me currency from Kyrgyzstan

Monday

-Heard Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich address via satelite -Met Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R- SC) -Heard Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Tuesday

-Committee hearing -Lobbying Rep. Henry Cuellar (DTexas) at the Rayburn Building -Flew home

AIPAC Conference 2012 Itinerary because “it was the first country in its region to have an election where no one was killed.”

I’m still confused about that.

The Monday night gala, where I met dozens of Congressmen, ambassadors, and other important figure, was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I spoke to the congressman from my district, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif) who told me so to send over a copy of Highlights.

On Tuesday, Cuellar invited my mom and me to sit in on a Border and Maritime Security hearing, a subcommittee of the Committee of Homeland Security. The subcommittee was discussing visas. It was fascinating to see

how the government works, rather than just reading about it in a textbook.

My experiences with AIPAC have greatly influenced what I’m interested in: politics, journalism and international relations. I love turning on the news, seeing clips of Netanyahu’s speech, and being able to say, “I was there. I saw that in person.”

That’s what my AIPAC experiences have provided me with: the ability to witness speeches and panels with some of the worlds most powerful people. Witnessing it first hand makes it so much more interesting, and I (partially) owe my sparked interest in politics to AIPAC.

12 spotlight

March 30, 2012 Highlights

Truth about nutritional value of favorite vending items

OLIVER GALLOP

Vending items outsourced, escaping regulations Foodstuffs sold on campus do not meet state law suggestions for nutrional standards

Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor According to California’s Senate Bill No. 12, “the State of California has the second highest rate of overweight and lowincome children in the nation.” Because of California’s unfortunate state of health, many diseases caused by being overweight have emerged at excessive rates.

SB-12 provides an explanation for the steps being taken to implement healthier foods: “The growing epidemic of overweight children is due to poor diet and physical inactivity, putting growing numbers of California children at risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, along with psychological problems, including low self-esteem, poor body image, and symptoms of depression,” the Public Health Advocacy states.

For this reason, the state has established stricter laws regarding food sold in school vending machines. “Not more than 35 percent of its total calories shall be from fat… not more than 10 percent of its total calories shall be from saturated fat,” SB-12 states in regard to food sold in schools. In fact, no single item sold may exceed 250 calories.

Health issues are not the only reason the state is taking measures to decrease the sale of unhealthy foodstuffs. SB-12 says, “Obesity costs California an estimated $21.7 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity,” according to the Public Health Advocacy.

In fact, medicat costs pertaining to obesity exceed those pertaining to smoking/ drinking problems.

Chartwells is the food service that manages food sold both in the cafeteria and vending machines. As of March 22, Claudine Marshall will run Chartwells’ Beverly operations.

Heather Oyamo, BHUSD’s Food Services Manager, explained the current situation of food sold on campus. Although the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulates the health factors in selling foods on school campuses, Beverly no longer uses the NSLP, making it exempt from all rules and regulations regarding the health of food sold

on campus.

“The NSLP governs nutritional content that is served in food at school,” Oyamo said. “This means that Chartwells may put any product in a vending machine that would normally be sold in any public place like a mall…[giving] students the choices to choose healthy or less healthy options.”

Basically, if the NSLP still controlled Beverly’s food, the foods currently being sold in our vending machines would not be sold due to nutritional shortcomings.

As examples, Famous Amos cookies, Miss Vickie’s Sea Salt and Vinegar Flavored Potato Chips, and Cheez-Its all break at least one of the rules dictated in SB-12. Beverly is legally permitted to sell any food, with complete disregard for nutritional composition.

Although food orders are administered

by Chartwells, BHUSD employees are responsible for restocking the vending machines.

Some students are averse to introducing healthier snacks, enjoying the fatty options currently available.

Senior Peiman Rafiezadeh took a somewhat neutral stance regarding vending machine items sold on campus.

“I think that it’s fine as long as [the school] offers healthy foods too,” Rafiezadeh said.

“People have the choice to buy what they want, and if they want something unhealthy, then that’s completely fine.”

However, junior Allison Wolff feels that healthy snacks will greatly benefit the students at Beverly, not only physically but also mentally.

“I feel that healthy snacks will encourage a healthy lifestyle for those who lack the decision making ability to choose a carrot over Hot Cheetos,” Wolff said.

Sophomore Phinneas Bauer concurs with Wolff, saying, “I would rather have the school display healthier snacks that everybody can enjoy instead of some of the unhealthy choices that nobody really eats anyway.”

Whether or not healthier foods will be sold in the future at Beverly is unknown.

Staff writers Mabel Kabani and Ginelle Wolfe contributed to this report.

What types of snacks would you like to see in the vending machines?

On Thursday, March 22, 100 Beverly students were asked what snacks they would like to see sold in the vending machines.

Know your numbers • “Only 2 percent of California youth 12 through 17 years of age consume foods that meet national dietary recommendations.”

• “Approximately 70 percent of U.S. children age 2 through 11 consume foods that exceeded current dietary recommendations for intakes of total and saturated fat.”

• “Only 21 percent of California children meet the goal of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.”

Data from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy

March 30, 2012 Highlights

ads 13

Mabel Kabani Staff Writer

“The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins, a successful dystopian trilogy that has captured the attention of teens everywhere, became a box office legend when it was released into theatres nationwide on Friday, March 23.

“The Hunger Games” takes place in a post-apocalyptic society in the country of Panem. The Capitol, a cruel and ignorant bloodthirsty society, annually chooses a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each of the 12 districts to compete in the Hunger Games. This fight to the death serves as the citizens’ punishment for rebelling against the Capitol’s authority 74 years ago.

Katniss Everdeen, the fierce protagonist, volunteers as a tribute in these sickly games to save her younger sister, Prim, from having to compete in the event.

Peeta Mellark, the other unfortunate District 12 tribute, is a soft-natured boy who, along with Katniss, captures the sympathy of the Capitol by bewitching everyone into thinking the two tributes are in love. A sad and exciting tale of love, courage, rebellion and hope soon follows.

To most readers, the movie is a success.

With Jennifer Lawrence playing the courageous and feisty Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson playing the warmhearted and mellow Peeta Mellark, cast members make the movie a smash.

However, some book fans complained

about the lack of development in the characters.

“I liked the movie but it didn’t develop the relationship between Peeta and Katniss enough. I love the characters so much but they seemed so shallow [in the film].

Maybe the producers needed to go deeper into the characters’ stories,” sophomore Dani Klemes said.

There were also some minor plot changes in the movie.

“The changes they made in regard to how Katniss got the mockingjay pin were different from the book, but I liked the changes. And they added some riot scenes from District 11 that made me cry, so those were good. They also left out Peeta’s fake leg. That was lame. Overall, I think they did a great job,” sophomore Zoe Tran said.

Some people did not enjoy the film at all.

“After reading the series, my expectations of certain visual images were not met,” biology teacher Marla Weiss said. “The film was okay, but I did not think much of the book either. I also just expected more visually.”

Despite the movie’s controversial construction, some book fans still adored the adaptation of the book.

“I personally really enjoyed the movie because it accurately matched the visuals I created in my mind while reading the book,” sophomore Yasi Sanadaj said.

“The Hunger Games” earned a total of $214.3 million globally and ranks third under domestic openings.

Hungry for more “Hunger Games”?

March 30, 2012 arts&style 14 Highlights ‘The Hunger Games’ becomes box office legend

AJ PARRY

“The Hunger Games” gives readers an in-depth look at Katniss’s and Peeta’s actionpacked fight to the death.

“Catching Fire” brings readers back to the battlefield for a special edition of the Hunger Games.

“Mockingjay,” the final insallment of the trilogy, is filled with passion, betrayal and suspense.

Julia Waldow

Cupcake frenzy sparks Sprinkles ATM, ice cream Dami Kim Staff Writer

Clockwise from left: Sprinkles’s bake shop sits adjacent to its multi-colored automated cupcake machine. Sprinkles’s ATM, which only takes credit cards, transports fresh cupcakes to customers at all hours of the day. The Sprinkles ice cream store is currently undergoing construction and has adapted a new version of its cupcake logo.

OLIVER GALLOP

Sprinkles Cupcakes, seated in the heart of Beverly Hills’s “Golden Triangle,” is a little brown bakery that produces one of the most well-known cupcakes in the United States.

Candace Nelson, the judge on Food Network’s show “Cupcake Wars,” founded the popular cupcake joint in 2004. According to the Sprinkles website, Nelson was inspired to start her own bakery because she wanted to follow her great grandmother’s footsteps of producing famous desserts in San Francisco during the 1930s.

“These days, as I sift, whisk and frost at the bakery I began with my husband in Beverly Hills, I imagine our scratch-based cupcakes as a natural extension of my great grandmother’s legacy,” Nelson said.

Over the course of eight years, Sprinkles became a popular tourist attraction that continues to boom with customers demanding the store’s unique cupcakes.

Sprinkles serves over 24 flavors each week, including seasonal specials such as the brown sugar praline cupcakes, which will be available from March 23 to April 8 for Easter.

Sprinkles’s endless flavor possibilities allow it to sustain popularity among its consumers.

One of its loyal customers, sophomore Arielle Shalom, praises Sprinkles cupcakes’ quality.

“Sprinkles represents Beverly Hills’s cupcake stores. It has the most amazing cupcakes, which always put me in the best mood,” Shalom said.

On March 6, Sprinkles presented its solution to customers with a sweet tooth at midnights. The store constructed a brightly colored automated cupcake machine right next to its bakery shop.

“I conceived the idea of [the machine] after having midnight sugar cravings while pregnant with my second son,” Nelson said.

“Even as Sprinkles’s founder, I couldn’t get my midnight cupcake fix. I thought ‘there has to be a way’ and so the concept of the Sprinkles cupcake ATM was born.”

Beverly Hills Sprinkles spokeswoman Nicole Schwartz says that Sprinkles was very fortunate to have received worldwide attention from both the media and cupcake fans regarding the world’s first cupcake ATM. “The most exciting thing about the cupcake ATM is that we’ve been serving customers around the clock. Whereas we previously opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m., now Sprinkles addicts can go for a midnight cupcake run or swing by before an early 7 a.m. meeting,” Schwartz said.

This new development increases the amount of visitors to both Sprinkles’s original bakery and cupcake ATM. Sprinkles refills its fresh ATM cupcakes every two to three hours. According to Schwartz, the machine is attached to the bakery, a 24-hour operation. Bakers arrive in the early hours around 2 or 3 a.m. after the store closes and leave at around midnight.

This enables freshly baked cupcakes to be constantly restocked in the machine.

Sprinkles is not only the home to freshly baked goods, but it is now also the home to creamy treats. A white building has emerged next to the automat to serve ice cream in the near future. Sprinkles’s teams in general express their excitement for their handcrafted American ice cream, the newest addition to Sprinkles’s line of desserts. “[With ice cream] scooped into crisp waffle cones, pressed between fluffy cupcake tops or piled high into sundaes topped with housemade sauces and toppings, Sprinkles’s ice cream shop is a back to basic creamery with a Sprinkles twist,” Schwartz said.

The store plans to sell flavors such as vanilla bean, chocolate chip, coffee, strawberry, butter pecan, salty caramel, peanut butter banana and upcoming seasonal specials.

In addition, it will be serving freshly baked cookies and brownies.

Job opportunities for the in-progress ice cream store are now open for high school students. Email jobs@sprinkles.com with “ice cream” in the subject line to apply.

March 30, 2012 Highlights

Profiles: Lady leaders

sports 15

Ashley Aviram on playing club soccer

Soccer player Ashley Aviram explains her experience as a starter for Valley United Soccer Club, a team that is headed to the National Cup in April.

Q: What club team do you play for?

A: Valley United Soccer Club.

Q: What is the club team’s rank in the country?

A: Well there are different levels for club. The team that I am on is at the premier level, which is the top twelve teams in Southern California. We will get our national ranking when we compete in the National Cup in April.

Q: What is your role on the team?

A: I start as center forward. I can also play wide forward, or wing.

Ashley Aviram uses her improved skills from playing club soccer to help Beverly, tying the record for most goals in one season. OLIVER GALLOP

Q: What is the time commitment to the club team and how do you balance your time to make room for the club?

A: I have practice two to three times a week in the valley. I also have games and tournaments on the weekend. It is hard to balance time because I leave my house at 4:30 pm and get back home at 8:30 pm. School is always my top priority though, so I work on homework on my way to and from practice.

Q: How has the experience of playing on a club team helped your game?

A: I have really improved as a result of being on the club team. There are 18 girls on the team and we are all really close and like a family. Because of this we all play really well together as a unit. My coach has also really improved me mentally and physically.

Q: How is competition in club compared to high school competition?

A: The players in club are much better than the players in high school. Games are much more aggressive and the players have much more skill. Unlike football, players get recruited through club, not high school games.

Q: What kinds of doors has playing for a club opened for you?

A: Because of the high ranking of my team, colleges are attracted to the games we play.

Colleges come to recruit at tournaments that my team goes to. The next showcases that my team will attend are in Las Vegas and Dallas, and there will be more than 150 colleges. I would like to be recruited for college soccer so this is very beneficial for me. Playing soccer will hopefully help me get into a college that I wouldn’t be able to get into with just my grades.

Chanan Batra

Dillan Watts leads girls’ lacrosse team on, off field Junior Dillan Watts explains her experience of being captain of the girls’ varsity lacrosse team, how she has recently recovered from a knee injury and her thoughts on being one of the first African-American girls to play lacrosse for Beverly.

A: I love making that perfect assist when cutters get open. I like to fake dodges and rolls to trick my opponent and really just throw everyone around me off.

Q: How does it feel to be one of the first African-Americans to play lacrosse for Beverly?

A: A lot of people think lacrosse is a sport only Caucasians play. Ironi-

cally, the Native Americans originated lacrosse, which not many people know.

My great-grandmother is Cherokee, so technically I am partially Native American as well as African-American and Caucasian. If [the fact that I started playing lacrosse] is having an impact on other African-Americans, then I am very happy about that.

and do you feel extra pressure to play well?

A: It’s challenging because I have to give orders and act authoritative, but it is necessary in order to be productive and successful.

Yes, I do feel extra pressure to play well, but that comes more from my desire to play at the collegiate level.

Q: What is it like being captain,

Q: How have you been playing so far this season?

A: I’m happy with my performance considering that I’ve only been back on the field for two months. I neither have fully gained my endurance back to play the entire game at midfield nor have I achieved my desired shooting accuracy yet.

Q: When did you first start playing lacrosse and what got you into it?

A: I actually only started my freshman year. I had no idea how to play lacrosse and never saw a game played until I came to this school. Honestly, my mom encouraged me to try out. She’s had a huge influence on me playing sports. I just liked being on a team instead of a PE class. I like the competitiveness and intensity.

Q: What are your goals and team goals for this season?

A: My personal goals are to regain my core strength, increase my running speed and to set a good example as a captain. Our team goal is to master catching and passing the ball down the field instead of having one player run it down. We would love to make it to the playoffs this year!

Q: I know that you recently recovered from a knee injury. How has the injury affected your play and how did you practice while injured?

A: What affected me the most was my inability to play club lacrosse to gain more experience playing with girls who want to play in college. I lost a good five months of playing time in volleyball and soccer, plus two to three more months in getting back into shape.

Q: What is your favorite part of playing lacrosse?

Q: Are you planning on playing lacrosse in college?

A: Getting into college is more competitive than ever. If playing lacrosse can help me get into the school of my choice, then I will definitely play.

Dillan Watts leads the girls’ varsity lacrosse squad this year and looks to play at the collegiate level.. OLIVER GALLOP

Oliver Gallop

March 30, 2012 sports 16 Highlights Boys’, girls’ relays run #2, #4 times, respectively Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

The boys’ Distance Medley Relay (above) ran a US #2 time this past weekend and the girls’ Distance Medley Relay (below) ran a time that is currently ranked US #4. Photos courtesy of SIMON LANGER

Tennis serves up wins

The varsity track team hit the ground running, so to speak, with an impressive start to the season.

The Normans won their first league meet, at home against Inglewood on Thursday, March 15.

The following Friday and Saturday, the team competed in the Redondo Nike Invitational. The boys’ 4x800 relay team, Chanan Batra, Josh Galen, Andrew Redston and Alex Rohani, finished with a time of 7:58:66, which earned them a seventh place national ranking. The girls’ 4x800m team consisting of Ashley Bootesaz, Amanda Christovich, Sydney Segal and Brianna Simmons finished the race with a time of 9:51:64, placing them fifteenth in the state.

The team’s success continued the following weekend at the California Relays at Cerritos College on Mar. 23-24. Both the boys’ and girls’ Distance Medley Relay (DMR) teams set new school records with their times of 10:20:62 and 12:15:09, respectively. The time completed by the girls’ DMR team, featuring Segal (1200m), Allison Wolff (400m), Lily Ting (800m) and Simmons (1600m) earned the girls first place in the race and fourth place in the national rankings, according to dyestatcal. com. Simmons ran a new personal record for the 1600m on her leg of the relay, anchoring the girls’ squad in a split of 5:02.17.

The finishing time of 10:20:62 by the boys’ DMR team, featuring Galen (1200m), Redston (400m), Rohani (800m) and Batra (1600m), earned the relay squad second in the race behind the number one nationally ranked Loyola High School. Batra also ran a personal record for his leg of the relay, the 1600m, anchoring the boys’ team in a split of 4:18.94. The boys’ time is currently ranked number three in the coun-

try. In addition, Segal won her individual event, the 3200m, in a time of 11:07.03.

Her time is the third best for the 3200m race in Beverly girls’ history.

Segal attributes the superb performances to intense preparation. In addition to the team’s daily practices after school, head coach Jeffrey Fisher holds mandatory morning workouts twice a week for his advanced runners. After numerous hours of practice time together, Segal believes the team has also been driven to success because of a close bond.

“As a whole [team], we’re much closer than last year,” Segal said.

While the extra workouts and their intensity can take a toll on the runners, Ting ultimately finds the regimen to be beneficial.

“We put ourselves through the excruciating pain of training and running on the track so that when we race, we’ve already been exposed to the pain, so it is a lot easier to compete hard rather than worry about the pain,” Ting said.

Despite the graduation of last year’s talented runners, including All-American Sydney Gray, the Normans may find themselves competing at the state level again.

As a result of the team’s hard work over the past few months, Rohani is convinced that the current squad is better than that of last year.

“We are in much better shape at this time of year than we were last year,” Rohani said. “We have harder workouts and go to the weight room more often which has really paid off because we have gotten a lot faster. Coach Fisher has helped us by always believing in us which has helped our relays do as well as they have in the last couple of weeks.”

Beverly had a meet against Samo on March 29, but results were not available as of press time.

Michelle Banayan Staff Writer

On Wednesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 22, the boys’ varsity tennis team played Palisades and Culver City, respectively, and finished with a win against Culver and a tie against Palisades.

The team’s match against Palisades was incredibly close. Palisades has been tough in the past for the Normans to beat, but the Normans ended up tying with them in a final score of 9-9. According to junior Drew Freeman, just tying with Palisades is considered a win for the team.

“We played really well against Palisades and fought very hard to pull out a win. We have had a history of losing to them, so we are all glad to get the win,” Freeman said.

The team started out playing well against the Palisades Dolphins, but did not play to its full potential during the middle games and fell behind. However, the team pulled through in the end and had a comeback to tie the match up.

Freeman played exceptionally well against Palisades, leading the Normans to their tie.

“I am most proud of beating the number two singles player 7-5 from Palisades. It was an epic match that helped us win the match overall,” Freeman said.

“In addition, I beat their number three singles player 6-0.”

Junior Cosimo Bochi also played well in his games, winning two of three.

“I initially played badly, but I got back on my feet late into my sets and domi-

nated,” Bocchi said. “The only thing that was holding me back from playing as best as possible was my morale early on.”

Head Coach Mike Margolin credits the Normans’ improvement from last year’s loss against the Palisades to their extensive preparation and hard work.

“We have been really emphasizing a few things this year in practice,” Margolin said. “We are working on being aggressive and playing smart doubles matches.”

After the strong performance against Palisades, the Normans had no trouble beating the Culver City Centaurs. The Normans had sufficient preparation for the match and defeated Culver in a final score of 12-3.

“Against Culver, we played very well,” Margolin said. “We let kids who usually do not get a lot of playing time play and we gave the varsity players a much deserved rest.”

Freeman defeated the number one singles player from Culver 6-0.

Bocchi also played well, winning both of his matches against Culver.

“I played well, but everyone on the team made a difference to win,” Bocchi said.

Margolin added that the team has been successful this year because it is made up of “a great group of guys who are very coachable.”

The team had another match at Peninsula on Wednesday, March 28. The results of the match were not available as of press time.

Boys’ volleyball in a slump Junior Jack Sternshein picks up the intensity in practice. GINELLE WOLFE

Ginelle Wolfe Staff Writer The boys’ varsity volleyball team is ready to finish league strong despite losses against Samo on March 20 and Culver on March 22.

On March 20, Beverly played an away game at Samo and lost to the squad three sets to none. According to junior Eli Lloyd, the team lost confidence after losing the first game.

“We played well in the first game, and when we lost that game, we gave up for the second and third games,” Lloyd said.

The team’s luck did not improve in its game against Culver on Mar.22.

Senior Will Park believes Beverly lost focus during the match, as the squad gave up a two set lead that eventually led to their defeat.

“We won the first two games, but we got overconfident and our energy level went down, so we ended up making a lot of mental errors,” Park said. “Culver ended up winning the last three games to take the win.”

However, Park mentioned that the team is improving and picking up the intensity in practice every day. With a break in its game schedule, the team will have time to prepare to face their rivals again.

“We don’t have another game for a while so we’re going to work on more transition defense and connecting better as a team,” Park said.

The boys are looking forward to their final matches of league. The squad hopes to win the Ocean League title, and progress deep into CIF play.

“Our goal is to get to CIF finals,” Park said.

8

Highlights

centerfold

Downfall of quality shows Lilia Abecassis Staff Writer Remember the days of quality television?

When shows like “Friends”, “Seinfeld”, and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” graced the small screen? Sadly, it seems those days are long gone.

Currently, we entertain ourselves with “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and “Jersey Shore”. Reality television has replaced the glorious sitcom, but I’d choose watching a rerun of “The Nanny” over a new episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” any day.

The ‘90s sitcoms were pure genius, and not just because of their humor and wit. Those shows made their characters tangible; they managed to incorporate emotion. Among the funny one-liners, there are heart-wrenching scenes, like when Will Smith rants to his uncle about his absentee father in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”.

The final scene of “Friends”, when the famous sextet heads down to Central Perk for a last cup of coffee, has brought viewers, including myself, to the verge of tears. I highly doubt anyone would cry at the finale of the “Jersey Shore”, except for the cast themselves.

Show quality has gone down the drain.

March 30, 2012

Maybe writers have run out of ideas and have thus resorted to televising rich halfArmenians shopping on a daily basis. But that is still no excuse for these pseudorealities that are broadcasted.

I can’t understand why reality TV is so popular in the first place. Why are we interested in watching orange, vaguely Italian 20-somethings GTL (Gym, Tan, Laundry)? Reality stars are not role models; they are far from it. Where are the Lucille Ball’s of this generation?

Reality TV isn’t the only problem on the small screen. Children’s television has gotten progressively worse with every passing year. “In case you haven’t noticed, people come in all shapes an sizes, and they’re all beautiful.” This line was said on “That’s So Raven” circa 2006. In 2012, a character on the program “Shake It Up!” said, “I could just eat you up! Well, if I ate.”

Shows have gone from teaching children about self-esteem and tolerance to mocking eating disorders. “Drake and Josh” taught kids about the importance of family, while still managing to be entertaining.

I can’t criticize all new TV shows, however. “Modern Family” and “The Office” never fail to make me laugh, but until the majority of this televised stupidity that is reality TV stops playing on my LCD I will keep watching my ‘90s sitcom reruns.

MTV: Metamorphosis of Television

SASHA PARK

Shahdacity of Bravo TV Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor As an Iranian-American, I am supposed to condemn “Shahs of Sunset” as a complete misrepresentation of my culture. I am supposed to write off the reality show as anything but reality and promote a boycott.

Basically, I am supposed to be filled with utter disdain toward producer Ryan Seacrest for making a mockery of my people. And that is exactly how I feel.

For those unfamiliar with “Shahs of Sunset,” the show’s Iranian-American cast is portrayed as narcissistic, spoiled and filthy rich. Any cultural appeal the cast members have is completely undermined by their pompous demeanors and lavish lifestyles.

Although some may find the series to be entertaining television, it is amusing in the same manner as a train wreck. Perhaps if there were an ounce of humility or inclusion of philanthropic endeavors, IranianAmericans like myself would accept “Shahs.”

However, my embarrassment is not just focused around the content of the show.

American producers enjoy great freedom with regard to developing shows, a democratic privilege that I support. In fact, I am primarily outraged by the consequences that “Shahs of

AJ PARRY

MICHELLE BANAYAN/SASHA PARK/AJ PARRY

Students’ choice: Best TV Show: Modern Family Worst TV Show: Shahs of Sunset “It didn’t really change my impression of Persians, but the people on the show appear to be more materialistic. If you don’t know who Persians are, it makes them seem very flashy and spoiled. All in all, it’s not a good representation because there are plenty of Persian students at Beverly who aren’t as bratty as the people on the show.”

-Lindsay Reisman, 11

“I think it’s a terrible representation of the existing Persian community and Beverly Hills. I can only speak for myself, and personally I am terribly embarassed by the things they reveal on the show, as it just labels the rest of us Persians as the same kind of people when, in reality, at least I for a fact am not.”

-Ariel

Azhdam, 11

9

Beverly speaks out regarding Shahs of Sunset “It really is the persian version of jersey shore.

The objectified cultures are just as badly stereotyped but because I have slightly more insight than the average viewer, I know that the qualities portrayed are realistic representations of persians, but the depiction does cater to people’s expectations.”

-Celeste

Bean, 12

“They tried to be in a social class that’s different. They stereotype because not all Persians act that way in real life. It gives first viewers of the race a wrong idea.

“I disagree with the false image the show sets, but if you look at any reality TV show-Jersey Shore for instance, a few eccentric people falsely represent an entire community. We should not base any community based on its TV show.”

-Monica Salandra, 12

-Jamil

Cineus, 11

Runners-up: Favorite: Friends Least Favorite: Jersey Shore

“[The show] makes the good people of Iran look like selfish scumbags with no morals...It will make Iranians look like a very selfish and classless people. Money can’t buy class, and these people should figure that out.”

-Omid Shamoil, 11

Sunset” has for Iranian-Americans.

Above all, my greatest concern is how the show will influence viewers who are not familiar with Iranians. Some argue that the show humanizes the perception of Iranian-Americans in that we are no longer associated with terrorists. But is it better to be associated with snobs who spend more on their handbags than on their rent?

The family in Iowa without prior knowledge of Iranian culture leaves their television set with the impression that Iranians are arrogant, materialistic people. The IranianAmerican job applicants have the odds against them as they are linked to the individuals on “Shahs of Sunset.” IranianAmerican students may be the targets of bullying in spite of the negative image the show casts.

I have no (prior) personal grudge against Seacrest. I only wonder why he needed to stoop so low for a project. Obviously, the producer was trying to make a quick buck, but was “Shahs of Sunset” really necessary?

After all, Seacrest earns $55 million a year according to “The Hollywood Reporter.” On behalf of Iranian-Americans, Ryan, I think you may want to consider an early retirement and enjoy that hefty salary – just make sure to steer clear of Sunset Boulevard, and for that matter, Westwood too.

“I think it is horrible. The show should be banned because it is scripted and gives Persians a bad image.”

- Chanel

Namigohar, 11

“I think it has embarassed Persians. The way the portray us, like how selfish we are and how we are all rich, is not true. It’s entertaining, but it sends the wrong message.”

-Jessica

Saadian, 11 OLIVER GALLOP