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Volume 85, Issue Ten · March 9, 2012
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The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) has been unable update all facilities due to financial restraints. Fortunately,$ the Beverly Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) has considered a partnership with the district to generate revenue for renovations. Specifically, Beverly’s planetarium is in the process of being renovated with the ultimate goal of student use, rather than its current use: idly awaiting fixing. In fact, student interest was actually the catalyst in the renovation equation. Mary Anne McCabe, the Executive Director of Budget and Food $ district office, explained Services in the Business Services sector of the the spark for renovations. McCabe attributes the somewhat sudden action to “the interest in more science opportunities for the students and the fact that we have $ a planetarium on campus that was not being used.” McCabe did not even know of the planetarium until recently. “I was amazed when I learned of the existence of the planetarium at Beverly and how fortunate we were to have that opportunity [continued on page 11]
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Inside this Issue... Page 2
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Seniors vanquish juniors in an exhibition of class warfare.
Highlights explains how to stay healthy despite the perils of teenage life.
Girls’ lacrosse beats Culver to achieve an even record.
2 news
March 9, 2012 Highlights
Seniors conquer athletic competition
Senior Brandon Adams and junior Cameron Paysinger battle it out in sumo wrestling. OLIVER GALLOP
Julia Waldow Arts&Style Editor In a long-standing tradition, juniors and seniors competed in a variety of athletic events at Junior Senior Night on Feb. 23 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Seniors triumphed in the night’s games and won the competition 110-60. “It’s probably the most popular event of the year that involves both the junior and senior classes,” senior class president Joel Yadidian said. “It’s loud, energy-filled and beyond fun, even if you aren’t participating in an event.” Upperclassmen gathered in the Swim Gym as the event commenced. Each grade showed off its colors (white for the juniors and black for the seniors) throughout the day and at the Swim Gym. Juniors’ and seniors’ posters, balloons, streamers and chants pumped up the participants. Although the students cheered for all of the contestants, junior Sam Berman’s dodgeball throws particularly caught the crowd’s attention. To cries of “Berman, Berman,” the junior chucked ball after ball at the seniors until he was the last one standing in the second and third rounds.
the class of 2012.” Even though they lost, juniors were excited to be a part of their first Junior Senior Night. “[At the event] I felt close to all of the juniors, like we were one big family,” junior Jasmin Lavi said. Prior to the event, juniors and seniors sold shirts to raise money for their respective classes and excitement about the competition. The class of 2012 sold black shirts with the word “seniors” on the back. The class of 2013 sold white shirts with the word “13OSS” on the front. The seniors raised $150. Results of the juniors’ sales were not available as of press time. Overall, students enjoyed the event, but they also offered feedback on the competition’s planning. “I think that ASB didn’t do enough publicity for Junior Senior Night,” junior Talia Gergely said. “Not many people knew about it until it was actually the day of [the event], unless you were friends with someone from ASB. But it was still really fun and successful.” As a student-centered event that enables upperclassmen to compete for athletic superiority, Junior Senior Night will continue to be held at Beverly for years to come.
“It was very exhausting to play three rounds. One person can only throw so many balls,” Berman said. “When I was the only one left and everyone was cheering for me, all I could think about was that this match was for the juniors and that I could not blow it for them. [When I won], I felt excited and hoped that it would help us beat the seniors.” Although Berman’s victory scored points for the juniors, by the end of the night, the seniors had been victorious in the majority of the events. The class of 2012 won limbo, girls’ and boys’ tug of war, girls’ sumo wrestling, girls’ Twister, girls’ and boys’ free throw and pushball. Juniors won boys’ sumo wrestling, the relay race, dodgeball and boys’ Twister. “We have so much talent, and so much energy,” Yadidian said. “Losing just Juniors Tatianna Amatruda and Brittany Zoet compete in Twister during Junior Senior Night. OLIVER GALLOP doesn’t seem possible for
IDF soldiers visit Normans for Israel Sarit Kashanian Staff Writer Two former Israeli soldiers visited the Normans for Israel Club to speak about their experiences serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday, Feb. 28. These soldiers are part of a tour program called “Israeli Soldiers Speak Out,” in which Israeli soldiers tour the world to fight the pro-Palestinian movement and share their experiences in the Gaza Strip. Both soldiers who came to the school served in the IDF against attacks from Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization that assaults Israel with suicide bombers. The first guest speaker was a female soldier named Lital who joined the Israeli combat force. Although most women in the IDF take on intelligence and secretarial positions, Lital decided to serve in the same position as men. “I wanted to do the same as the guys,” Lital said. “I didn’t want to serve coffee, I wanted to serve my country.” Shai, the next soldier to speak, served in the IDF for four years, one year more than the requirement. “We both wanted to gain more,” said Shai, referring to both Lital and himself. Shai spoke of a city in Israel called Sderot,
just one mile away from Gaza, which has been plagued by Palestinian missiles for the past ten years. According to Shai, fighting against terrorists could be complicated because the terrorists have devised clever plans to prevent Israeli soldiers from defending their country. Both Shai and Lital agreed that although the soldier training process was hard to adapt to, serving in the army made them realize IDF soldiers describe their experiences in the military. AJ PARRY what they are capable of challenges] all over again.” doing. Junior Shauna Ebrahimi, vice president of “When I was a child, I was told there would be peace,” Shai said. “You grow up knowing the Normans for Israel club, was a spectator that everyone gives his share. Now it was our among a full classroom of students. “I enjoyed how the soldiers were so genuine turn.” Shai compared his experience in the IDF to and honest, despite the fact that they were talking to a younger crowd,” Ebrahimi said. carrying a stretcher in battle. The soldiers ended the session by reminding “This stretcher is like taking the responsibility and the burden of defending the students that they can make a difference Israel,” Shai said. “Knowing the fact that by informing others about Israel and sharing I have to defend my country, I’d [face my the soldiers’ stories.
Quick Reads Model UN delegates win awards On Feb. 29, nine members of the Model United Nations club participated in a Security Council Conference at Gahr High School in Cerritos, California. Even though the school had the fewest delegates of the 17 other schools that participated, the club was awarded the Debate and the Diplomacy Awards and eight delegates won committee awards. Junior Natasha Natarajan and sophomore Lilia Abecassis received third place for their representation of Germany. Out of the novice delegates, sophomores Jessica Lu and Justin Kim won first place, along with juniors Eli Lloyd and Remy Jamal-Eddine, and freshmen Dan Park and Jack Stone. “I’m very proud of my team. We were able to succeed, despite facing competition from schools that offer Model UN as an elective,” Model UN advisor Malia Frutschy said. The delegates prepared for this conference for weeks. “My partner and I met up over the weekend and researched our debate topics in detail, and the hard work paid off,” junior Natasha Natarajan said. For Model UN conferences, every school is assigned a country and topic in advance. In this case, the club was assigned the topic of nuclear-proliferation in Iran. “It was hard to try to advocate to others why Iran should have nuclear energy, but since our country was the main topic of discussion, it made it easier to participate in the debate,” junior Remy Jamal-Eddine said. Model UN is now planning its annual Beverly conference in the Education Development Center for the spring. Hae Lee
Drilling necessary for construction Recent construction around campus has raised some concern about the traffic delays it may cause. BHUSD has been working with geologists and other officials to work through a number of projects simultaneously. The drilling that has been taking place on many parts of the campus has shut down a number of access points in the area, causing traffic and rerouting. “The traffic by the science building has been somewhat inconvenient. Too many construction projects are going on at once. I hope that they will finish them in a timely manner,” senior Arianna Aviram said. By state law, BHUSD is required to administer geotechnical tests, which are to be anaylzed prior to any modernization of Beverly’s property in order to ensure the safety of students. A specialized team took on the task of drilling and trenching over 100 feet into the earth in order to uncover some core samples which are to be analyzed by geologists. “The timeline for doing all of this had to be pushed forward because of the indications by other parties that we had potential earthquake faults under our property,” Superintendent Dr. Gary Woods said. “Our goal was to clear ourselves from the geotechnical standpoint, in order to begin building and modernizing the high school.” The construction and drilling have come to an end. The school district’s upcoming plans include hydroseeding the front lawn in order to beautify its landscape. Sayeh Mohammadi
March 9, 2012 Highlights
news 3
BSU holds assembly for Black History Month
From left to right: House A Secretary Andre Law stars in the assembly as a slave named Franklin. Senior Frances Dueñas covers Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as a tribute to the late singer. DAMI KIM
Dami Kim Social Media Director The Black Student Union (BSU) organized an assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 29 both to celebrate Black History Month, and in hopes of educating students about African American culture, history and notable figures who fought to make a difference in the world. The curtain opened with senior Frances Duenas singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” commonly known as “The Black National Anthem.”
“I was inspired by [the song] which was talking about how African Americans got freedom after all their hard work. I thought we should honor them for it,” Duenas said. Next, the lights dimmed as senior Teeah Pandy waited on the stage to perform her dance solo to Big Rube’s poem “Love’s Deceit.” “I choreographed my dance so that I can express the emotions of the speaker from the poem through what I love to do, which is to dance,” Pandy said. House A Secretary Andre Law performed a skit about a fictional African
American slave family escaping from the plantation. The story focused on an elderly man named Franklin and his wife and young daughter, who were abused by their owner as slaves. “It felt great to perform for our students [and] being a part of the program meant a lot to me,” Law said. The story sought to depict the risks and consequences of escaping from slavery during the time. In the skit, sophomore Victoria Kelly played the role of Harriet Tubman, a famous conductor of the Underground
Railroad who helped the Franklin family break free from slavery and move to Canada. “Harriet Tubman was a positive activist who was inspired, motivated, and strong enough to help many African American get what they deserve the most, which was to be free,” Kelly said. “It was definitely a good experience to play a role of someone [who] people know quite well.” Guest speaker Macy Gray had a presentation entitled “Going Under,” which described the lives of African American leaders during the Civil Rights. Gray emphasized that there was a lesson behind every story of these historical figures that young people should understand. “As a young kid growing up, the most interesting thing to me was the contribution that teenagers made to the world, the society and the Civil Rights movement,” Gray said. “The Black history is such a rich, important thing, I want other people to acknowledge it.” Students also performed “I Am” speeches where they described an important historical figure in African American history. Junior Cameron Paysinger reenacted the life of famous American rapper Notorious B.I.G. through a short speech in memory of the rapper’s life accomplishments. “It was scary at first [to perform], but I felt comfortable when I got out there. I wanted [students] to know more about our rich culture,” Paysinger said. With a mix of skits and music, the performers during the assembly sought to bring African American culture and history to students.
Students engage in library contest Service Learning holds Staff Karaoke Brenda Mehdian Staff Writer Students packed into the library on Friday, Mar. 2 during lunch to view the student-cooked literary fare at the Edible Books Festival. Participants were given a task to create something edible inspired by a book they had read. In order to take part in the festival, students needed to turn in their creation to the library before nutrition on Mar. 2. There were no qualifications in order to participate; the creation just had to be book related. “The edible creation may look like a book, act like a book, be a pun on a book, or a book’s character, title or cover,” Boyarski said. This year’s judges were Chef Derrick Spears, French teacher Corinne Carlson, English teacher Christina Bahk and junior Anton Saleh. They were able to select categories for prizes based on the variety of entries. A few of the ten categories they chose included “Most Humorous,” “Most Creative,” “Best Collaborative Creation” and “Most Appetizing.” “I was just looking for something that was unique and something that was different and stood out,” Spears said. Along with the judges, students were able to see the festival and vote for their favorite edible creation. Freshmen Isabelle Perez and Laura Emerson won Most Bookish; sophomores Deena Baum and Laurie Wang won Most Appetizing; seniors Danielle David and
Emily Yang won Most Literary; freshman Rebecca Adler won Most Humorous; juniors Stephanie Levy and Fabiana Spitz won Most Creative; senior Jamie Marzouk won Best Visual Presentation; the Attendance Office staff won Best Collaborative Creation; Aubrie Amelang’s class won Best use of Food; senior Chloe Revery won Punniest; and seniors Justin Yadegari, Daniel Panahi and Michelle Omidi won People’s Choice Award. “My partner, Fabiana, and I did the Edible Books Festival on the book Lord of the Flies, using Piggy’s specs as a symbol. It took us four hours to bake and ice the cake, and we won the award for most creative,” junior Stephanie Levy said. Last year’s festival had more voters but fewer entries and many of the books were reoccurring among the entries. There was a larger variety of book titles seen in this year’s festival. Ten prizes were awarded this year while last year’s festival awarded eight prizes “Last year’s entries were extremely clever, so it was remarkable that this year’s projects were even more creative and varied! We had many more students participating, and I was impressed with the judge’s decisions – the competition was tremendous,” Boyarski said. The festival is modeled after the long celebrated tradition held in colleges all over the country. The festival is usually held in the springtime around April, to celebrate the birthday of French author Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote a witty meditation on food called “Physiologie du Gout.”
Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer On Tuesday, Feb. 28, Service Learning hosted a staff karaoke event for the school’s faculty in which all students could come to watch their favorite teachers sing and dance to hit songs. The event was held in the school’s auditorium at lunch, and admission was free with a suggested donation of $2. Teachers sang songs such as “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash and “Bust a Move” by Young MC. Performers included Graham Lockett, Dan Moroaica, Steve Geanakos, Keith Bolden, Bryan Herbold, Annie Terry, Nicole Cramer and Lisa Dickens. Cramer and Dickens performed a duet of a cover of the song “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green, with a mathematical twist. Overall, there were many great performances but the one remarkable performance that caught the eyes of many viewers every was Ms. Terry’s rendition of “Bust a Move.” “I loved Annie Terry because she puts so much into her performance and even though she does the same song every year, we always look forward to seeing her,” Service Learning member Natasha Natarajan said. Two of Service Learning’s goals for this event were to raise school spirit and allow the staff members to have fun and show off their talents to the students and other faculty members. Lockett’s performance of “Bye Bye Bye” by ‘N Sync was another highlight of the
Science teacher Graham Lockett sing ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye”. ZOE KENEALY
show for students. “When I saw Mr. Lockett’s exhilarating performance to ‘Bye Bye Bye’ I was absolutely stunned with the amount of talent [Lockett] had. He had a lot to live up to since ‘N Sync is my number one favorite boy band, but he exceeded my super high expectations,” sophomore Justin Kim said. “He honestly was my favorite part of the show and I’m definitely coming just to see him [Lockett] next year.” All proceeds made from the donations went directly to the Build-On Club, which raises money to help build schools and promote education in Africa. Service Learning hopes that this event will become a Beverly tradition, and asks for all students to come watch their teachers perform in the years to follow.
March 9, 2012 feature 4 Highlights Ants march into hallways, invade through cracks Candice Hannani News Editor
AJ PARRY
Max Eagle (11) “I think that in the old buildings there are a lot of ants because kids bring food into classrooms.”
It seems like ants have attempted to become better and more educated citizens by bringing their population to Beverly. Unfortunately for them, the rest of the school’s population has not been welcoming, and complaints regarding the ant migration have emerged from both students and faculty members. Recently, students have found a growing number of ants creeping through their notebooks, crawling through their lockers and exploring classrooms. “Sometimes, when I open my locker, I find ants crawling around my notebooks and textbooks, and they show up randomly in class! It gets really annoying,” junior Drew Hirshinger said. Faculty members like history teacher Dan Moroaica have been trying to get the unwanted creatures out of the classroom since the beginning of the school year. In Moroaica’s case, the ants had been coming in through window cracks and from leftover lunches in the hallways. “The main problem was that there were massive cracks in the windows that would let the ants come in,” Moroaica explained. “My classroom is also close to the water
Alexandra Aftalion (11) “There are a lot of ants where I eat lunch, which makes my lunch seem very unappetizing.”
Amit Levi (10) “I don’t think there is an ant problem. I haven’t seen any ants around the school.”
fountain, and so many sweet drinks near the fountain would spill, causing the ants to come into my room. Plus, having food in the trash cans [near my classroom] didn’t help. However, the custodial crew did an amazing job of fixing the problem.” The ants were saved from pesticides, mainly because the chemicals pose a health hazard to students. Not only were the ants seen roaming around the main building, but around the science building as well. “The ants in the science building are attracted to the food that people leave in the hallways during lunch,” freshman Gabriella Shofet said. Although students and faculty admitted to being pestered by the black bugs, the custodians did not see the problem. When asked about the recent increase in ants, head janitor Pablo Jaramillo said, “There isn’t an ant problem. Show me where the ants are, because I haven’t seen any around the school.” However, custodians did mention ways in which students could prevent ants from being attracted to the school. “Be careful where you leave your food. Littering will attract ants,” custodian Corey Baines advised. The ants did not wish to comment.
Ashley Kermani (10) “Ms. Halimi’s room is filled with ants. Once, I was taking a test in her room and I found an ant crawling on my face.”
DECA participants advance to next step, ICDC
DECA participants celebrate after their success at the State Career Development Competition in Irvine. Photo courtesy of OLIVIA KOSHY
Michelle Banayan Staff Writer Beverly Hills DECA, an association of marketing students, competed in the State Career Development Competition (State CDC) on Feb. 26 and came back with remarkable results. DECA Inc. is a non-profit organization with members in all 50 United States and many other countries.
“BHHS [DECA] has 67 members this year, and there were 16 [members] who participated in [State CDC],” DECA advisor Alberta Wilder said. At State CDC, two individual members from Beverly Hills received recognition at the conference. Senior Jennifer Song was a top ten winner in the Accessories and Apparel Marketing competition, and junior Jeffery Toobi was an outstanding
high scorer for the Marketing Management competition. Two teams at the competition, Hospitality Services and Financial Analysis, are going to the next level and will compete internationally in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Salt Lake City, Utah this April. Freshmen Olivia Koshy and Shyra Costas will compete in Hospitality Services.
“I honestly did not expect to even place [in State CDC], but just going to ICDC in my high school career is an honor and so exciting!” Costas said. Seniors Eli Wachtel and Chandler Davis are the two competitors for the Financial Analysis team, but they will not be attending ICDC due to a schedule conflict. Wilder believes that the fact the Wachtel and Davis are not able to compete in ICDC is not a big problem, since they may be replaced with others from the team. “It is the fact that [Wachtel and Davis] actually won in State CDC that counts,” Wilder said. Winning the competitions did not come easily, though. Competitors did most of the studying on their own in a short amount of time. Also, a few of the competitors are in Wilder’s entrepreneurship class, which played a large role in their success. Following the school’s current motto, “Get involved!” really paid off for the members of the Beverly Hills DECA, who will be representing both Beverly Hills and California at ICDC. “The actual competition was an amazing experience. I got so much out of it: I gained experiences, leadership, and most of all amazing memories!” Koshy said. “I was able to make so many new friends, and get advice from other DECA members from all over California. We all had a great time and by the end of it, none of us wanted to come home!”
jack abramoff/correction 5
March 9, 2012 Highlights
Notorious alum Abramoff returns to alma mater Mallika Sen Editor-in-Chief
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the KL Peters auditorium played host to one of this school’s most notorious alumni, Jack Abramoff. Abramoff, a former lobbyist convicted of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials, spoke to students in a special optional assembly convened during period four. The event was organized by a committee of teachers, including English teacher Julie Goler, Service Learning advisor Michelle Halimi and government teacher Roel Hinojosa, and was moderated by Beverly Hills Weekly publisher Josh Gross. “I was contacted first by [Gross] and he said that he thought [Abramoff’s book, ‘Capitol Punishment’] would be a great book for the kids,” Goler said. “You don’t always just learn from people who did the
right thing.” The format also provided for questions posed by preselected AP U.S. Government students, who were the particular targets of the event, as Abramoff is part of the class curriculum. Prompted by Gross, Abramoff briefly reminisced on his time at Beverly, remarking that the last time he stood on the auditorium stage was when he ran for ASB president– and lost (twice). He quickly segued to his college days at Brandeis University, where he was an active participant in the College Republicans. He then spoke about his introduction to lobbying as a profession. As it was the first time Republicans had held both houses in decades, most lobbyists were not familiar with Republican congressional representatives and thus courted Abramoff. “Keeping the government off people’s backs is generally something I support,” the staunch conservative added. Abramoff proceeded to hold forth on his
ascension to power, peppering his speech with anecdotes. He also explained the root of his competitive philosophy, recounting an ultimatum given by Beverly’s thenhead football coach Ben Bushman at an away game, where he threatened to make the team walk home if they lost; they won handily and Abramoff took this do-or-die mentality to his professional life, winning every stand save one. Abramoff then delved into murkier territory, discussing the 2004 Washington Post article that served as the catalyst for the derailment of his career. He did not offer much in the way of the details surrounding his charges, but admitted to authoring “boneheaded, stupid emails.” After his conviction, Abramoff was incarcerated for 1,299 days in federal prison, where “they take away rights [and] you’re a controlled slave.” Abramoff believes that “prisoners are the only group in America that was not
Q & A Jack Abramoff
VINCENT BROCK
emancipated.” In the allotted time for student questions, senior Liz Brajevich solicited advice on how students interested in politics could “avoid the lure of corruption.” Abramoff stressed the importance of rules, but highlighted the fact that “politics is meritorious, lobbying as well…every aspect of politics can be patriotic.” Senior Alex Kern inquired as to Abramoff’s opinions on the cinematic portrayals of his stories; Abramoff stated that he found the fictional dramatization to be more accurate, in some ways, than the documentary. He finished off his response wryly, saying he didn’t “know why these Hollywood types can’t think of better titles,” referencing both his own mediocre career as action film producer and the movies’ shared name, “Casino Jack.” Local media, including the Los Angeles Times, the Weekly, and radio station KPCC, covered the event.
In your experience, how did both lobbyists and congressmen rationalize illicit activities? What’s happened is bribery has gone from showing up at our office with a stack of cash and thinking ‘make sure you better vote for me’ to ‘here’s some campaign contributions’ and it’s all very polite and proper, and everyone feels that…‘nobody’s buying my vote’ and things like that, so they don’t feel like they are doing things that are [wrong]– I didn’t, I didn’t. And there’s no undercurrent where someone might say ‘Oh, that might not be kosher’? No, no there are people doing it but…I mean I’m getting attacked right now, vociferously, because I’m saying it’s bribery and they are saying its utterly ridiculous. In fact, one of the lobbyists that used to work for me who’s got his own book out– incredibly, a felon like I am– incredibly running around saying there is no bribery up there. You know, I don’t know what he is talking about, what world you– I know where he came from, I just don’t know what his motivation is. Possibly to reingratiate in that world, I don’t know. How are you treated by the lobbying community? Well most of my [associates are imprisoned and] I can’t have any contact with anyone who is a felon or under judicial restraint, so I haven’t had any contact with any of them…I have plenty of friends, the people who are in contact with me treat me great, the people who disparage me…they don’t want to be in touch with me, and I am perfectly in agreement with that. After your indictment, have your core beliefs changed? No, other than I have a different outlook on the criminal justice system…I am still a libertarian, basically a conservative, not a Republican, because I can’t vote ever again As you mentioned that you and Senator John McCain did not get along, who would you have voted for in the 2008 elections? Mickey Mouse. [Laughs] I couldn’t have voted for McCain, I didn’t support him. You mentioned that a lot of politicians claimed not to know you. Do politicians ever exhibit sincerity in their mea culpas? Yeah, yeah some do, and by the way not every one of politicians ran…Tom DeLay [stood by me]…there’s probably some sincerity. As an Orthodox Jew, did you ever find that your faith conflicted with those of your colleagues? No, no the evangelical Christians love Jews, if anything there is an advantage to me being Jewish, they never– I mean, I’m sure there are people who are anti-Semitic, they just didn’t have the temerity to [say anything]. Mallika Sen
Textbook policies revisited in light of complaints Mabel Kabani Staff Writer The textbook room is a room stocked with copies of each and every book that is being used by the classes in this high school and is considered by some the basis of each course. However, due to the apparent lack of communication with the textbook room, students and teachers find themselves confused on the policies of the room. The key issue concerning the textbook room is that the books are frequently unattainable. “Such a vital room should be dependable through all hours of the school day but it isn’t always accessible. Especially not at the times we need it to be,” said sophomore Sam Levy. This, students say, is due to the often absence of Keith Bolden, textbook room manager, during school hours. “I think that Mr. Bolden should make it more clear to everybody when the textbook room is open,” said sophomore Ethan Kunin. “I have heard that you need to make
an appointment and I have heard that the room is open at lunch, but sometimes I go there in between periods and the room is open. He needs to be consistent.” The official timings of the textbook room are that it is open at nutrition and lunch and through appointment via email. Bolden, who other than working in the textbook room also has responsibilities pertaining to the foreign language lab and student store, clears things up for perplexed students and teachers. “I am here during nutrition and lunch. Students and teachers should not assume that I am always here. This is a one man operation so I do have meetings to attend to,” Bolden explained. Bolden also said that students need to arrange appointments with him via email. When appointments are set and scheduled, students also need to bring: a teacher’s pass and an ID card with them. This, he emphasized, is essential. A frequently occurring problem is that students sometimes feel the need to blame Bolden after they forget to pick up books
from the textbook room. “Students, after forgetting to retrieve their own textbooks, feel the need to blame me for not being here. Student’s think this is a joking matter when in fact, this can cost me my job,” Bolden said. “I think teachers, rather than blaming me for not doing my job, should communicate with me and better understand the timings and policies of the room.” Other complaints regarding the textbook room have to do with the lack of textbook updates. “Books relative to math, science, and history are being updated. However, due to the financial crisis in this state, the state has put a freeze on updating any other books,” explained Bolden. Complaints about the pricing of damaged books always crop up at the end of semesters as well. In the beginning of the year, each student received a textbook terms and policies sheet that lists the responsibilities each student must accept when in possession of a textbook. On that sheet is listed all the expenses for damaging
and losing books and while students think the prices are too expensive, they are for a reason. “Textbooks are bought in bulks. So if a student misplaces or damages a book, they have to buy a replacement which averages to about $75,” Jennifer Tedford, Interim Director of the Educational Services at the District Office, said. Most of these issues concerning the textbook room are due to lack of communication and misconceptions throughout the student and teacher body. So instead of trashing your math textbook with doodles and cursing outside the textbook room for it not being open, grab yourself a policy sheet, set an appointment and you are good to go!
The Spotlight article concerning the textbook room run in our Feb. 24 issue failed to address certain points, which we have rectified here. Highlights regrets the error.
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Highlights
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Worry flurry: stress common teen issue Mabel Kabani Staff Writer Adults always tell their children about how their teenage years were the best of their life. It was a magical time when freedom was granted, responsibilities ignored, and every day was a day filled with ambition, zeal, zest and excitement. Every remnant of an old photograph showcased a happy couple at a homecoming football game or a few close friends sipping sodas. Though it is true that teenagers of this generation are granted with amazing advances in technology that we attribute to our daily life (iPods, cell phones, laptops, etc.), the luxury that this generation of teens cannot afford is a stress-free life. Stress is a physical, mental or emotional response to a tension that takes place either in the mind or body, according to helpguide.org. Though stress can be a positive thing when it motivates a student to study harder to ace a test or to practice more to win a game, too much stress, especially at such a young and critical age of development, can become harmful to a person’s productivity, health and even overall quality of life. Stress for teenagers is obviously a part of life, but there is a big difference between teenagers merely coping with the pressures of school and crying themselves to sleep every night. “The largest cause of stress for high school students is either academic performance or personal problems that take place at home,” Coleen Davenport, athletic trainer, said. The stress caused from tests and large amounts of homework can help students but sometimes it just leads to their downfall. “Usually my stress comes from having to take tests,” sophomore Jessica Lu said. “It often causes me to perform worse and make little mistakes I wasn’t worried about before.” On the other hand, experience with stress can help an individual better deal with classes and tests. “Surprisingly, taking four AP classes isn’t as scary as it sounds because they give you a lot of freedom, just like college classes,” junior Eva Zheng said. “However, you do need a lot of selfdiscipline and that’s what I always fret over.” Since stress is something that all high school students deal with, how much stress is just too much? Detecting the levels of stress is difficult since different people can handle different amounts of pressure. “I know I am really stressed out when all my stress prevents me from working which results in more stress!” sophomore Mike Redston said. “The overall general symptoms of stress are aches and pains, nausea, inability to concentrate or relax, memory problems, anxiety, moodiness, irritation, depression, excess or lack of food and sleep, and isolation,” Davenport said. While these symptoms may not seem too serious right now, excess stress can cause diseases in the long term such as insomnia, depression, blood pressure fluctuation and even heart disease.
March 9, 2012
Communicating with teachers and faculty members about the workload received can help improve students’ situations. “High schools should have a program once a month where students meet with teachers and discuss what they can do to compromise work quantity,” sophomore Yasi Sanandaj said. “Teachers should talk about the mechanics of the class to see what they could do to change or modify to meet both the students and teachers needs. Collaborating work levels should work.” Since stress is part of a teen’s life, there are different ways to cope with it depending on the person. “A good way for me to release my stress is doing what I love, which is playing the piano,” Zheng said. “Oh, and there are times when I resort to Pokemon battles to relieve my stress.” Sometimes, all one needs to do is take a step back and relax. “Stress eats away at you if you have too much stress you freak out and so sometimes you just have to relax and take a deep breath”, sophomore Justin Kim said. So if you are feeling overwhelmed with homework and tests and school in general, sometimes calming down and taking on a positive attitude is all you need to live the stress free life you want!
(how to avoid a)
Sleep is underrated Seven key nutrients
TEENAGE WASTELAND A balanced diet, regular exercise and enough sleep encourage blood flow to the brain, reducing the chances of depression and stress
Getting the recommended amount of sleep is vital to the process of muscle repair
Cardiovascular exercise helps the heart stay fit and deliver blood throughout the body
The universal benefits of exercising regularly When people exercise, they produce endorphins, which help them feel happy. This is especially good for people who have mild depression or low self-esteem. Exercise is also one of the most important parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight and will help prevent you from developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Over time, these diseases have become much more common in teens. There are many different types of training a person can do to stay fit. A fifteen minute run every day will help you feel better and much healthier. Over time, you can start increasing your running time and incorporating abdominal workouts or weight training. One of the big exercises that Beverly athletes have done is Sparticus. It consists of ten different exercises. You can start by doing thirty seconds of each one and increase as you start feeling more comfortable. Not exercising can lead to serious diseases later, so exercise now and your body will thank you. If you really don’t have that motivation to go out and exercise, try getting a running buddy or listen to music. Change up your workouts every week or so, so you will be excited to take on a new challenge each time.
Vincent Brock Photo Editor
Mabel Kabani Staff Writer
Sleep is one of the only free pleasures in the world. It is relieving, fulfilling, rejuvenating, relaxing, the list goes on. So why do teenagers across America avoid getting the recommended amount of sleep each night? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsiness and fatigue cause more than 100,000 car crashes each year in the United States. Perhaps it is a heavy workload from school, video games or friends that result in sleep deprivation, but regardless of the cause, getting a good night’s rest is vital to any teen. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), sleeping the recommended amount per night (about 9 ¼ hours for adolescents) can help one manage stress, and increase the ability to learn and memorize information. The consequences of irregular sleeping patterns and/or lack of sleep altogether are far more damaging. Medicalnews.com said that sleep deprivation encourages hyperactivity in the brain, which can cause depression and decrease one’s ability to pay attention. Sleep is considered to be the food of the brain, and without it, the brain, along with the rest of the body, loses its time to rejuvenate. The ability to tune out and slip into that reduced consciousness is a necessity, especially if you are old enough to be in high school.
It is important to eat nutritious foods in order to lead a healthy and high quality lifestyle. Though coming home and eating a bag of carrots is not always as exciting as chomping on a box of cookies, eating more fruits and vegetables can help teenagers ace more math tests, score more goals, and look and feel terrific all day long. There are seven essential nutrients, according to www. advantagenutritionandwellness.com, that teenagers should be consuming every day if they want to lead a more wholesome and vigorous life. Carbohydrates are nutrients that help your brain and muscles function. Fifty percent of a teenager’s total calorie amount at the end of the day should be carbohydrates, which include whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low fat dairy items. Proteins help repair, build and maintain your skin, muscles, organs, blood, and bones. Foods high in protein include beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts, seeds and soy based products. Fifteen of our daily calories should be protein and any excess amount is then stored as body fat. Dietary fat, not body fat, improves cellular structure, hormones, and a medium for fatsoluble vitamins. Dietary fats can be founding nuts, seeds, butter, fish/seafood, and baked goods. We should consume fifteen percent of dietary fats a day. Calcium is needed for the growth and development of bones and teeth. It also helps with skeletal growth during adolescent years. Calcium can be found in dairy products, certain vegetables, enriched orange juice, cereals, soymilk, and tofu. One thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred mg per day should be enough for teens to grow tall and strong. Iron is essential for the thickening of blood. Iron is plentiful in red meats, grains and cereals, dried fruits, and vegetables. At least 15 mg of iron every day will keep your blood volume high and give your face a healthy and pink flush. Zinc is important to keeping our body’s immune system healthy. Sufficient amounts of zinc can be found in seafood, meat, beans, and peanuts. Though zinc is good for our internal organs, exceeding over 15 mg of zinc a day can become harmful to us. The B-complex is vital for metabolism and upkeep of energy. This can be found in whole grains, rice, nuts, dairy, eggs, meat, fish, fruits and leafy green vegetables. Having a nutritious diet is important, but that knowledge does not mean that you must always replace your favorite chocolate bar with a celery stick. Eating everything in moderation can leaving you feeling happier and a lot healthier.
105 students were surveyed on March 8, 2012
Ginelle Wolfe Staff Writer
Staying away from toxins will make it easier for your liver to produce proteins Eating healthy foods makes it easier for the intestines to filter and isolate the nutrients from your food
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Running increases the lungs’ air intake, therefore expanding your lung capacity and oxygen flow
AJ PARRY
STRESS
DIET
EXERCISE
SLEEP
• MAKE TIME FOR YOUR HOBBIES • TALK TO A FRIEND OR COUNSELOR ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS • LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR TIME • TAKE BREAKS WHILE STUDYING • LISTEN TO RELAXING MUSIC
• EAT FOODS FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FOOD GROUPS • LIMIT YOUR INTAKE OF SUGAR AND SODIUM • SNACK ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES • DON’T EAT MERELY FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES
• RIDE YOUR BIKE TO SCHOOL • TAKE YOUR DOG ON FREQUENT WALKS • RUN ON THE TREADMILL WHILE READING YOUR TEXTBOOK • DO BICEP CURLS WHILE WATCHING TV • JOIN AN ATHLETIC TEAM AT SCHOOL • GET A PULLUP BAR
• AVOID EATING TWO HOURS BEFORE GOING TO BED • AVOID DRAMATIC CHANGES IN SLEEP PATTERNS OVER THE WEEKEND • EXERCISING EARLIER IN THE DAY HELPS TEENS SLEEP DEEPER AND MORE EASILY
March 9, 2012 arts&style 8 Highlights Food trucks transformed into L.A. phenomenon
Comfort food with a cheesy gourmet twist Alex Menache Staff Writer
The Grilled Cheese truck, which also caters parties, is popular among people of all ages. ALEX MENACHE
With shows like “Food Trucking” and “The Great Food Truck Race,” gourmet food truck cuisine has become a hot commodity in the United States, especially in Los Angeles. The key to a good food truck is its creativity and exclusivity; one is not going to spend time tracking down a food truck if its menu is reminiscent of that of any food joint down the block. The Grilled Cheese Truck is a perfect example of what it takes to catch the eye of any food connoisseur and set the standards for a high quality food truck. The restaurant on wheels has many specialties, including a crispy grilled cheese sandwich with mac n’ cheese, BBQ
ribs, bacon and caramelized onions. This unique, savory item keeps people waiting in lines for up to an hour. “The food is so good! A lot of times I prefer the taste of food truck stuff to restaurant stuff,” senior and grilled cheese lover Anna Khananashvili said. “Even though the wait can be annoying, it’s nothing compared to the speed of a lot of restaurants. It also feels more adventurous than just going to a restaurant like CPK or Chipotle.” Khananashvili’s statement seems to be a common sentiment among Grilled Cheese Truck followers. They enjoy the environment and the amazing food and ultimately indulge in the unique, trendy dining experience that food trucks never fail to offer.
Koo koo for Kogi BBQ Mexican-Korean mix Shannon Toobi Staff Writer The Kogi BBQ food truck serves a unique combination of Korean and Mexican food by representing a modern version of long-time popular taco trucks in L.A. Kogi BBQ has created a menu bringing high-quality food at street-level prices with most items sold for under $10. Kogi favorites on the menu include items ranging from the Kogi Dog and the Kogi Kimchi Quesadilla to Kogi Sliders. Aside from the specials, customers can choose from a wide array of tacos, burritos, sliders and quesadillas stuffed with any choice of Korean BBQ meats. “My favorite at the Kogi truck is definitely the chicken quesadilla. My mouth waters just
thinking about it,” senior Matthew Spector shared. The often recommended sweet chili quesadilla contains caramelized onions, chicken and Kogi’s sweet and spicy sala naranja. With social networking continuing to dominate all forms of information, the Kogi BBQ truck mostly owes its popularity to Twitter (@kogibbq). Through Twitter, Kogi fans can track down the food truck’s locations and even be informed of daily Kogi specials. However, Kogi’s popularity is not only centered in L.A. The Kogi BBQ food truck also provides catering for events including weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and birthdays. Therefore, whenever one is deciding between Mexican or Korean food, the Kogi BBQ truck provides a perfect compromise between the two.
The Kogi truck sells an interesting mix of Mexian and Korean food. ALEX MENACHE
Coolhaus houses coolest gourmet treats Shannon Toobi Staff Writer
The Coolhaus truck offers a variety of outrageous flavors and edible ice cream sandwich wrapping paper. DANNY LICHT
The Coolhaus food truck brings gourmet cookies and ice cream to a whole new level. With over ten different cookies and 50 flavors of ice cream to choose from, customers can make their own ice cream sandwich, the most popular item on the menu, for only $5. This gourmet selection includes some rather unique flavors such as Cuban cigar, fried chicken and waffles and spiked egg nog. “Our most famous [flavor] is our Brown Butter and Candied Bacon ice cream,” Coolhaus employee Frank Stouiszuski shared. “The thing that sets us apart is [that] everything is all natural with no chemicals, so you see exactly what you get.” Due to the food truck’s popularity, a Culver City Coolhaus store was opened on Wash-
ington Boulevard. The unique flavors and options to choose from is heaven for anyone with a sweet tooth. An especially fun fact about Coolhaus is the edible wrapping paper the desserts are served in. Customers are able to eat the wrapping paper along with their ice cream sandwich, making their dining experience more special. Rather than following the usual routine of eating at a restaurant, it is more of an adventure to track down a food truck. Through Twitter (@coolhaus), customers are able to find the Coolhaus truck’s location and catch it nearby before the truck is on to its next stop. “I love food and I love the chase, so being able to chase my food, what could be better?” senior Michael Laed said. So, instead of going to the usual after school lunch spot, see if the Coolhaus truck is in the area and go for the “chase.” AJ PARRY
Four eyes: Is the latest trend stylish or excessive? Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor During the NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities on Feb. 23, I could not help but notice LeBron James and Dwyane Wade wearing glasses. After some research, I discovered that Wade wears his frames, which protect him from light, to combat migraines. However, like many “hipsters” these days, James wears glasses for style. As someone who needs prescription eyewear for medical purposes, I am baffled by the choice to wear glasses to supposedly enhance image. The fad of wearing eyewear for style is not a new one, though. The trend dates back to the 1790s when the monocle
was introduced to promote a sense of high fashion. The frameless monocle was a popular look in the early 20th century and wealthy fops even had theirs customized. Nevertheless, the monocle did have its drawbacks. Like contact lenses, a monocle could pop out and, like glasses, it would have to be periodically adjusted. Looking at the monocle’s historic popularity and the newfound glasses craze, I wonder why anyone would voluntarily wear non-prescription eyewear. As someone who has worn glasses since kindergarten, I speak credibly when I say that glasses are a nuisance. Perhaps the greatest liberation I ever felt was when
I wore contact lenses for the first time my sophomore year. My face was finally free from the shackles my vision was dependent on. Glasses obstruct a person’s face. Rather than hiding behind frames, one should take pride in his or her natural appearance. For those who do not need them, glasses are an unnecessary barrier in the line of sight. Furthermore, glasses need to be adjusted periodically. For the image-obsessed, glasses’ most counterproductive effect may be the mark they leave on the nose after worn for a long period of time. The age-old case for wearing glasses has been that it forms a sophisticated image. This myth was demonstrated
in the episode “Mister Softee” of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” when Larry David advises his friend Leon Black to wear glasses so Black can be taken seriously. While Black subsequently enjoys better luck, it is worth noting that Black is a fictional character in a sitcom whose fate is just as unrealistic. To be viewed as sophisticated requires more than just wearing glasses. Glasses may or may not add a unique touch, but are they worth the impracticality? One could comfortably make a bold statement through apparel and hairstyles without using glasses. For the record, I have nothing against those who wear accessory eyewear for style. I simply question the purpose.
opinion 9
March 9, 2012 Highlights
What all this memes Beverly’s latest fad is more important than it looks
Sasha Park
Danny Licht Opinion Editor A few minutes past midnight on Valentine’s Day, Beverly alumnus Sina Famenini posted a drawing to his new Facebook page. It was a round, strained face holding up his stick-figure hands in rage. This face was word-sandwiched: above the face it said, “[teacher’s name],” and below it, “Y U NO TEACH US ANYTHING?” A week later, BHHS Memes, deemed “the biggest thing [to] hit Beverly since the Iranian revolution” by senior Jared Sleisinger, had upward of 1,000 likes. This page quickly became a salon for everyone who has anything to do with school, from sentimental graduates to over-excited middle schoolers. It is a medley of shared hardships, annoyances and pleasures. No joke is more conducive than an inside joke, and that’s precisely why this page works: it is an inside joke for the masses. Though there are a handful of gems, too many of these memes are sophomoric attempts at cheap laughs and numerous Likes. (After all, this page is fed by the student body’s hunger for Likes.) The quint-
essential example of such is a picture of a brain with these words: “This test will probably insult your intelligence” and “Get’s a 60%.” A fan of the page noted that the earned grade may have something to do with not knowing where apostrophes belong. She eased the sting with a cool “just sayin’.” This fast-acting natural selection in cooperation with the Like system acts as a quick-paced verdict regarding his or her future as a class clown. Seconds after the comment was posted the picture was deleted. Social networks quench power thirsts on a minor level, and BHHS Memes facilitates many a Facebook Like, sometimes hundreds on a single meme. The only risk involved is minor embarrassment, à la “Get’s a 60%.” And even then the ego hit vanishes with a quick delete. The posts on BHHS Memes are primarily whines about different aspects of the school. What makes these mundane groans interesting is that a large number of our peers love them. They consume them. They produce them. And more of them. And more. The page provides easy access to frissons of local fame because the page fans are
Like-happy. All this may sound like a messy ensemble of cheap high school jokes—which it definitely is—but, taking a step back, it is indicative of something more profound. At a peak of European oppression, in the nineteenth century, there was a palpable zeitgeist among the peoples. They had had it with the Old Regime, with feudalism, with their lack of rights. Because of their collective malcontent, a sweeping wave of nationalism emerged. For the first time in history, peoples identified themselves not by their religion or political party but by their nation. While Beverlian gripes aren’t as severe as revolutionary Europe’s, there is an important parallel: through our shared complaints about our imperfect school’s idiosyncrasies, an increase in school spirit is already developing. So though that original meme may have insulted one of our veteran teachers, it is doing something that no closed campus nor palooza nor special assignments nor worldclass principal can do. This petri dish of whines is the best thing that’s happened to Beverly’s school spirit.
the inbox
Send letters to the editors to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity. Let me correct a misconception contained in the editorial “AP Reviews: College Bored” (February 24). The writers imagine that BHHS AP teachers require extra review sessions and practice as the result of “extreme pressure put on educators to elicit strong test scores.” I, for one, have never felt any such pressure, nor have I heard of any of my colleagues facing pressure about student AP scores. So why do I require my students to attend a few review sessions and take a full-length AP practice test one weekend in March? It would certainly be a lot easier for me if I didn’t hold these extra sessions. I’m not paid any extra for this work. Holding the practice test will mean that I have to come to school on what’s usually a beautiful weekend to proctor the exam, and then spend nearly 30 hours (again, outside of school and unpaid) grading the essays. What could possibly motivate AP teachers to do so much more work than is required? It’s simple: we teachers at Beverly care about our students. And the fact that we don’t make review-
session participation optional? We want to make sure that all students do well, whether or not they care about that goal…and even if our efforts are not appreciated. Can you imagine an athletic coach making practices optional just because players griped about going to the extra effort? Several years ago one of my students refused to come to the practice exam. He argued that his performance on the AP exam didn’t matter, since the college he was going to attend (his first-choice dream school!) did not accept AP credit. I suggested that he might not know what the future holds, and implored him to attend the practice. But he accepted a grade penalty rather than show up at the practice, and because he didn’t even try to complete the actual test, he failed the AP exam. I heard from this student the following year: it turned out that his first-choice school wasn’t for him after all, and that after one semester he transferred to a different college. The new school would have given him college credit for the AP and would have let him skip a Freshman writing requirement, but because he failed the AP test, he didn’t have those options.
So, students (Seniors, I’m talking to you!): instead of complaining about how unfair your teachers are for making you come to practice tests and review sessions, thank them for caring about your welfare and sacrificing their own free time for your benefit. Dr. Steven Rubenstein English Department
The story “Fact: Angelina Jolie was a Norman” (February 24) is inaccurate and contains several examples of sloppy reporting. First, the story quotes an individual who identifies himself as “her former drug dealer.” Such a source is inherently unreliable and certainly not up to the journalistic standards of Highlights. Second, Angelina Jolie (then Angelina Voight) is featured in the Watchtowers from her freshman and sophomore years, but is not listed in either the senior photos or the index or the 1993 yearbook. This would indicate she either left Beverly early, took her proficiency exam, or dropped out. In any event, contrary to what this story implies, Angelina didn’t graduate
from Beverly. Josh Gross ‘91 President, BHHS Alumni Association
Candice Hannani interviewed me about dropping elective courses at the semester (February 24). For the most part she did an accurate job of expressing what I conveyed to her. But, one point of clarification that needs to be corrected is the following: She states, “Although in the past students were able to adjust elective classes at the semester, the administration decided to follow schedule policies regarding students’ schedules this year, according to counselor Diane Hale.” Correction which I thought I made clear is: “Although in the past students were able to adjust elective classes at the semester because we offered semester courses, the administration now has to enforce the schedule policy of completing year-long courses.” It is imperative that this is not misinterpreted that administration has just changed its policy. Diane Hale Counseling Dept. Co-Chair
10 opinion
March 9, 2012 Highlights
(not lean) at the BC Be seen Though often delicious, the new cafeteria is far from nutritious Michelle Banayan Staff Writer According to Resident District Manager Thomas A. Soika, the Beverly Café’s mission is to serve “the freshest, most appealing items,” which they do – all food is prepared fresh without the use of deep fryers. But what the Beverly Café has failed to do is provide the healthiest foods. A student on campus can purchase ice cream, coffee-flavored smoothies and cinnamon rolls the size of my face, in addition to healthier items, such as fruit, granola bars and milk. The Beverly Café feels students have the power to make their meals as healthy or unhealthy as they like, thus
explaining the reasoning behind the types of food on all levels of the health spectrum. While I agree that high school students should have the power to make their own decisions, certain foods should not be served in school cafeterias. What kind of example is it to serve cinnamon rolls every day of the week in a school cafeteria? According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the amount of overweight teens in America has tripled over the past twenty years, and you would think that with these figures our school cafeteria would serve food that is not just appealing but also healthy. After all, students on campus are required to take only two years of physical
education. Therefore, many of the school’s students are not getting daily exercise. The Beverly Café is essentially serving junk food to students who are not physically active. As we students get older, we will remember how our school, the one that “support[s] learning by promoting healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and fitness practices,” according to the BHUSD Food Services, served unhealthy food all the time. And the belief that certain foods are healthy when they are not actually will stick with us. The BHUSD says proper nutrition is what leads to better grades, test scores and health. The school is still in its “race to 900,” but, according to district doctrine, each nutrition ice cream slows us down.
Editorial
The administration must be consistent to be effective confusion as to how and when they would get their permits back and whether students would be able to drive to school the next day. The drivers were summoned to the EDC the next day and reminded that they are not allowed to leave campus earlier than 1:45 p.m. Their parking passes were subsequently returned. The obnoxious behavior of the students’ honking on Heath is unjustifiable. However, their impatience may be attributed to students’ ability to leave before they were supposed to and were frustrated with the abruptly strict enforcement of the policy.
Nathan Ong and Mallika Sen Editors-in-Chief
Candice Hannani News Editor
Danny Licht Opinion Editor
Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor
Julia Waldow Arts & Style Editor
Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor
Chanan Batra Sports Editor
Sayeh Mohammadi Business Manager
Oliver Gallop, Alex Menache, AJ Parry and Ginelle Wolfe Staff Photographers
Bless Bai, Sasha Park and AJ Parry Staff Cartoonists
Dami Kim
A call for reinforcement
On Wednesday, Feb. 29, a mass of cars idled on Heath in the minutes before the bell rang on what seemed like a typical lunch-after-sixth-period day, until administrators and security began walking through the throng of vehicles, confiscating students’ parking permits. On that day, drivers on Heath were especially impatient. Instead of calmly waiting ten more minutes for the bell to ring, one student decided to pass the time by leaning on his horn, causing a cacophony of honking to ensue. As a result, the administrators emerged and, along with the security guards, claimed the permits, leading to
The Staff
According to Assistant Principal Chuck Kloes, the policy “may seem inconsistent, but we hear lots of honking outside, so we revoked the permits. Just because some students decide to leave early before this incident, doesn’t mean that it’s OK.” It was understandable for students to have been angry with the confusion surrounding the issue of the confiscation of their permits because the 1:45 policy was not consistently enforced, despite their immature response. If any rule were to be taken seriously, it should never be allowed to be broken, especially to the extent that this policy was broken during first semester.
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
The mission of Highlights is to inform and entertain the community of Beverly Hills in an accurate, objective, thorough, timely and well-designed manner. · 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.
March 9, 2012 Highlights
spotlight 11 Planetarium pros, cons Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor
Renovations on campus Planetarium provides opportunities [continued from page 1] for our students,” McCabe said. “Alumni and other interested parties wanted to provide the current students with the same opportunities that alumni had and provide more opportunities for others to use our planetarium.” The hope of the BHUSD-BHEF junction is that the planetarium renovations will be financially suitable yet still technologically advanced. The company hired to install the equipment is the same company who originally installed the equipment in 1969. Of course, safety precautions must be met before any courses can be officially taught in the planetarium. “We need to make sure that we do not have any hazardous conditions to address before opening it up for introductions presentations and courses in astronomy,”
McCabe explained. Beverly has not yet determined who will teach the astronomy course. McCabe says that the course will be offered to high school students, presumably as an elective. In addition to high school students, middle and elementary school students in the district will have opportunities to experience the planetarium. However, McCabe noted that the time slots for the youngsters’ use would depend on “space availability.” The planetarium will be beneficial in different ways. An up-and-running planetarium will provide, as McCabe describes, “learning opportunities for students to gain or extend interest in astronomy.” McCabe continued to explain the positive aspects of an astronomy course that can more obviously be beneficial to
Athletic renovations
students. “The course does meet the UC requirements for science elective and provides a basis for expanding one’s interest in science,” McCabe said. Students appear to be supportive of the new opportunity to fulfill the science requirement. “I think it’s an absolutely wonderful thing because people will be able to enhance their science class experience,” junior Jonathan Leiter said. As with most changes, concerns have arisen. First of all, a genuine interest by the student body is absolutely essential to the success of the astronomy course. There must be some type of guarantee that the facilities will be used thoroughly after investing a sum of money toward renovations, but how the BHEF will determine that is still unknown.
No longer a frantic freshman, I have time to observe the environment that I call my school. In regards to “fix-it” problems, I have seen both ends of the spectrum: I have seen immediate responses, and I have seen lousy responses. However, until quite recently, I had not seen innovation and renovation working in tandem seemingly in response to nothing but an interest in learning. Progress makes me proud. The renovations to the planetarium are promising. Although I have never personally coveted a career in astronomy, I am put at ease to know that Beverly is creating opportunities for those who have interests that too often go unmet. I am a firm believer that education leads to opportunities, and therefore, education should be the number one priority of a school, aside from safety. However, once the education standards have been met and, hopefully, exceeded, further opportunities should be made available. I am proud of Beverly’s efforts to take a step toward furthering students’ excitement of learning in an area of study that is unfortunately not often implemented into a school’s formula. Some negatives seem impossible to ignore, though. Firstly, truly how many students have such an interest in planetary studies that they will enroll in a course? Secondly, surely there are other places the money can be spent to improve our school. Finally, where is the planetarium?! Yet, I am hopeful that the positives outweigh the negatives. Interest will likely grow with opportunity, and excitement from the astronomy course will lead to a higher enrollment in the course. Pinpointing the location of the smartest place to allocate money is somewhat opinion-based, and I find the planetarium to be a marvelous opportunity for exciting learning. All questions will be answered in time, so I finish with this: reach for the stars, Normans.
Here, varsity baseball coach Vonzie Paysinger arranges the equipment that will ultimately be used to repaint the field to accomodate baseball. As assumed, when next season rolls around the fields will again be “fixed” to suit the current sports teams.
As the spring season commences, Norman Nation must adapt the facilities to the current sports. Athletic renovations include painting the fields, laying new grass, buying new equipment (balls, goals, etc.), coordinating field times for use by different teams.
Paysinger had Beverly’s field maintenance crew repaint the fields to be in baseball condition, as the field currently bears the boundary lines from soccer, a winter sport.
GINELLE WOLFE
12 sports
March 9, 2012 Highlights
Girls’ lacrosse has early success against Culver
Celine Hakimianpour Staff Writer On Saturday, March 3, the girls’ lacrosse team played three games in the Rose Bowl Tournament and came out with a 1-2 final record. Their only victory came in their game against Culver City, in which they won with a final score of 9-1. The Normans lost their first game of the tournament against Westridge in a close final score of 6-7. Natasha Kashani led the Normans with a
Chloe Ticknor attacks Culver’s defense in Beverly’s game against Culver on March 5. OLIVER GALLOP
total of three goals. Dillan Watts contributed two goals. Beverly did not have much success in their second game of the tournament either. The squad lost to Rosary with a final score of 2-9. Goalie Inbar Avrahami blocked a total of 11 goals in the second game, but her effort was not enough, as Beverly’s offense was unable to produce points to support her. “Effort is an important part of the game but it doesn’t always get you where you want to
be,” Kashani said. “Our first two games we had the effort but simple mistakes like bad passes and turnovers put us behind.” Beverly closed the Rose Bowl Tournament out with its first win, defeating Culver 9-1. Kashani contributed toward the team’s victory with three goals, followed by Talisa Kouyoumjian and Yasi Sanandaj with two goals each. The Normans’ first home game was on Monday, March 5 against Culver. The Normans continued their success against Culver, defeat-
ing them again in a final score of 12-3. “We had really great communication this game and we took what we learned from our past games and turned the mistakes into good game plans,” Avrahami said. “We had some really good stick work and the little things helped us in the long run.” The Normans now hold a current record of 2-2. The squad’s next game will be on March 12 at Glendale.
Track kicks off promisingly Golf over par, under par Ginelle Wolfe Staff Writer The track team kicked off its season with a strong start in its first week, having already competed in two meets. Sophomore Aaron Wolfe feels the team is even stronger than last year’s squad. “We have a lot of returners and Fisher is a great coach. I think the team has even more potential this year,” Wolfe said. The team has worked incredibly hard to ensure that all the team members perform their best. Each day, the team has a different workout, alternating between easier and harder days. The team makes sure to stay in shape by practicing on Saturdays as well. “On an easy day, we’ll do some general strength and ab work. Then the distance runners go on a 60 minute run, sometimes to UCLA, through the campus, and then back to the weight room,” Wolfe said. “Even an easy practice lasts about two and a half hours.” On Thursday, March 1, the team competed in an inter-squad meet to see where people currently stand and to get new runners used to racing. Junior Sydney Segal explained that the meet was more fun than competitive. “For me and a few other teammates, we had a morning workout, had a race or two, then had another workout after our race,” Segal said. “The races were ‘off races’ meaning that the team did not compete in traditional CIF-sanctioned distances.”
Wolfe added that everyone on the team showed a lot of improvement in the meet. One big race that day was the 300m, where senior Andrew Redston beat junior Chanan Batra by .2 of a second. “It was nice to race after a lot of hard training, and it was nice to come away with a victory,” Redston said. Segal added that another ‘main event’ was the 60-meter dash, where junior Vanessa Torres defeated senior Julian Jackson by a very close margin. The team’s second meet took place on Saturday, March 3 at the Oaks Christian Invitational. This was the first competitive meet of the track season. Several members of the team walked away with medals, new personal records, and some relays even set meet records. The boys’ 4x800 won their race and set the meet record in a time of 8:33. The boys’ 4x200 meter team finished second and qualified for the prestigious Arcadia Invitational, which will be held in early April at Arcadia High School. Both the girls’ varsity Distance Medley Relay and the girls’ varsity 4x800 teams took first in their relays. “Our 4x800 team set a new meet record despite not having all of our top 800m girls racing in it,” Segal said. “Personally, since it is the beginning of the season, I need to work up my speed since it’s my weakness and races like the 800m will help me a lot with my mile.” The track team is putting in a lot of training now to prime themselves for league finals, CIF, state and even nationals.
Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the boys’ varsity golf team suffered a loss against Peninsula on Peninsula’s home course with a final score of 214-227. Fortunately, the match was a non-league match, meaning the loss is not accumulated into the team’s league record. Despite the loss, senior Brian Song had a particularly strong performance for the team. Song shot 40, a mere five shots over par. Returning varsity golfGolfer Matthew Shin swings at the Rancho course. OLIVER GALLOP er, senior Ezra Laemmle, feels the team can and will attain its full Song and junior Nick Choi led the team potential. in performance, shooting 39 and 42, re“We all individually have room to imspectively. prove,” Laemmle said. “A good solid week Farmanara did not feel the team elimiof focused practice should have us ready.” nated their faults exposed in the first Junior Pasha Farmanara concurred match against Peninsula. with Laemmle. “We all need to improve our games in“We need to work harder and more efdividually,” Farmanara said. “We all have ficiently in practice,” Farmanara said. different areas in our game that are strug“Our lack of preparation in the offseason gling.” is definitely showing.” On Monday, March 5, a select group of Farmanara also partially credits the loss Beverly golfers attended the Glendora Into the fact that the Normans were unfavitational at the Glendora Country Club. miliar with the course. All three golfers had trouble on the The team faced Peninsula again on challenging course. Song shot 77, junior Thursday, March 1 at Beverly’s home golf Matthew Shin shot 90 and Choi shot 98. course at Rancho Park and had little sucBeverly’s next match is Monday, March cess in their second attempt, losing with a 12 against Oak Park at Rancho. final score of 194-214.