May 11

highlights

Beverly Hills, Calif.

Beverly Hills High School

Volume 85, Issue Thirteen · May 11, 2012

BEVERLY DRIVE Traffic incidents spark concern over students’ safety Sarit Kashanian Staff Writer With over 2,000 students, parents and teachers driving to school each day, the commute to school can be an arduous process. Traffic congests streets as countless vehicles flood onto the road before school starts.

Senior Tyler Maples attributes his driving difficulty to the traffic around the campus before and after school. Maples described his experience driving to school before first period.

“If I leave at 6:50 I get [to school] within five minutes, but if I leave at 6:55 it could take 20 minutes,” Maples said.

According to Maples, the traffic immediately after sixth period is not much better. Maples has a pass to leave school at 1:05, which is when students without a seventh period rush to leave the campus. “[After school], everyone leaves at the same time. On Santa Monica the traffic will pile up tremendously,” Maples said. “Going home takes about 20 minutes.

It’s like a warzone and everyone is frantic to get out.”

Sometimes the inexperience of student drivers can lead to accidents, ranging from a scratch on the bumper to the complete destruction of a car.

Maples has gotten into two car accidents this school year, both of which occurred at school. A few weeks before Spring Break, Maples got into a minor collision when leaving Lot C after school. [continued on page 6]

See CENTERFOLD on pages 6 and 7 for data on the most popular cars owned by students and teachers– and more.

Inside this Issue...

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Page 12

Movie Night does not get rained out, clubs raise money.

NAHS Art Gallery livens up main building foyer.

Members of the boys’ swim team splash to CIF.

2 news

May 11, 2012 Highlights

ASB holds first annual Movie Night

From left to right: Juniors Caroline Guntert and Taylor McBride and senior Sara Newman fundraise for the architecture club at Movie Night; seniors Justin Yadegari and Daniel Panahi snuggle up for the event. JESSICA MESHKANI

Dami Kim Staff Writer On Tuesday, April 24, the lacrosse field was teeming with students who participated in ASB’s newest event, Movie Night. According to ASB adviser Loren Newman, ASB wanted to plan an event that all of the student body could enjoy and participate in.

“I think some people may not know how to get involved or are too shy, or there are some who just don’t connect at all,” Newman said.

“So this was a great opportunity to open the doors to new experiences at our school.”

According to ASB publicity commissioner Nina Vir, the event was prepared in advance to have many students participate. ASB spent time on publicizing the event with posters and flyers hung around the campus.

“People commented about how frequent we publicized this event, especially on Facebook.

We know we may have bombarded the

newsfeed [of many students], but we wanted to make sure that everyone knew about this event,” Vir said.

Admission to the movie was free, but ASB class representatives and clubs sold food on the field an hour before the movie. ASB and clubs including the Art Club, JSA and Service Learning served foods such as In-N-Out, Feast from the East, pizza, drinks and Cup of Noodles.

Campaign for Real Beauty Club President Genevieve Javidzad believed that the event was going to be a success from the start, and the event met her expectations.

“Our club sold brownies and talked to students, mainly girls, on Tuesday night,” Javidzad said. “[Our club’s] purpose was to raise awareness at our high school that the beauty industry was sending a negative message to teenage girls, and nothing could have been a better way to do that than on an exciting movie night at our school!”

ASB showed “The Social Network” because it

was closely related to ASB’s purpose in creating the event. The purpose was to have a growing network of students get involved in school and to find new ways for them to socialize at school.

Junior Class President Jason Friedman felt accomplished to see that approximately 350 students participated in the event.

“I think it was a success,” Friedman said.

“Not only did it give people who like to come to school another reason to look forward coming to school, but it also allowed others who don’t usually get involved to get involved and enjoy it as a new experience.”

The movie was projected on a 20-foot screen on the lacrosse field. As Friedman recommended, participants brought sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and even camping chairs to enhance their experience.

With hopes of increasing the number of participants and school spirit next year, ASB anticipates that their second movie night will be another success.

Service Learning attends Relay for Life

Participants walk to raise money for cancer at Relay for Life. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELE KALT

Nathan Ong Editor-in-Chief On April 28 the Service Learning class participated in the American Cancer Society’s local Relay for Life event at El Rodeo School.

Prior to the event, Service Learning collected donations from sixth period classes throughout Beverly to help support the event. In addition, the class prepared posters and put them up throughout the school to publicize the event.

“We put up a lot of posters around school, and we had a main ‘We Remember’ poster where people could write their memories about loved ones who died from cancer. I think that that alone brought a lot of attention to the event and increased support for it,” Service Learning member senior Peiman Rafiezadeh said.

Relay for Life is a national event created by the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research, to remember those who passed away from cancer and to

support those who currently have it. The duration of the event was 24 hours, from 9 a.m. on April 28 until 9 a.m. on April 29.

The event consists of a continuous, 24hour walk that symbolically supports humanity’s continuous fight against cancer. Groups of people formed teams in which members of each team took shifts throughout the day to walk, ensuring that at least one person from each team was walking through the duration of the event.

In addition to the relay, the event featured a “luminaria ceremony” to honor those who have participated in the fight against cancer and remember those who were lost to the disease. Candles were lit inside bags filled with sand, with each bag bearing the name of somebody who was affected by cancer.

Finally, attendees of the event perform a lap of silence, remembering loved ones.

Service Learning members volunteered at arts and crafts booths and kid zones, and helped with the set-up and clean-up for the event.

“Although we worked shifts at the different booths and helped set the event up, the most memorable parts of the event were the candle ceremony and meeting so many people who were affected by cancer,” senior Jackie Kruglyakova said.

Not only were the students able to help make the event happen, but they also had the chance to experience the meaning of the event.

Quick Reads Students support Autism Walk On Saturday, April 21, Beverly students participated in the tenth annual 5k Autism Walk at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

Volunteers were given a choice of participating individually or as a team, and registering online for the position if they did not want to sign up the day of the walk.

Those who could not attend the walk may have “supported a walker” by donating money online.

Registration was free, and there were prizes at the end of the walk for the dedicated walkers. Each walker who raised $150 or more received a T-shirt. The Grand Club group was created for the walkers who raised $1,000 or more for autism.

Kyle Cousins, a 20 year old singersongwriter wrote the theme song of the walk “Everybody Wants to Be Heard,” a song that references his own autism.

Beverly’s Peer-to-Peer club raised awareness of Autism Walk by setting up flyers around the school, hoping to get as many students as possible to join the cause.

“It was my second time going [to the Autism Walk] and it went amazingly.

[There were] so many touching stories and supporting families. I am so proud to be a part of [the Autism Walk],” Peer-to-Peer member Gal Bar-El said. “I’m glad we were able to go this year and show our Beverly spirit and support!”

Peer-to-Peer looks forward to participating in the eleventh annual Autism Walk next year.

Zoe Kenealy

College Fair deemed success On Wednesday, April 25, the annual BHHS College Connections Fair took place in the school cafeteria from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event was organized by the PTSA. Colleges throughout the nation, as well as a few international universities, came to answer questions of college-bound students.

“The college fair is a wonderful opportunity for students and families to educate themselves on the many college options they have available to them,” college counselor Jill Lewis said. “Students can gather a wealth of information about the schools including majors and programs the school offers.”

The cafeteria was filled with college pamphlets and flyers, SAT prep institution booths and over 64 stands of colleges that included Boston University, Cornell, Emory, Harvard, MIT, Michigan State, Northwestern, Princeton, Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Yale.

“This was my first time attending the college fair and I was impressed,” sophomore Sam Levy said. “The reps were very helpful and insightful, there were lots of interesting colleges and the turn out was a lot larger than I ever expected.”

The College Fair was not only tempting to students who wanted to continue their academic adventure but also those who wished to pursue a more artistic related career. A special workshop called “Applying to the Arts Colleges” also took place the same night from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Peters Auditorium Foyer. This workshop was held by representatives from UCLA and USC who gave advice on how to create portfolios for art, design, animation, game design, architecture and helped cover auditions for music and theatre.

Though the college fair was believed to be a success, the administration is hoping for an even larger crowd next year so that more students can expand their goals and dreams of attending four year colleges.

Mabel Kabani

May 11, 2012 Highlights

news 3

Quick Reads Cooking holds mock restaurant The Advanced Cooking Class, run by Chef Darrick Spears, put on a mock restaurant on April 16.

“Chef invited some students and teachers to come in and order from a menu we create while we cook the food,” senior Gabe Revery said.

One third of the class was the wait staff, which consisted of a host and headwaiters.

Another third of the class worked in the kitchen, which was complete with sauté station, dessert stations, a cold station (salad) and a head chef. The final part of the class involved the customers, who were able to order from the menu and eat at the mock restaurant. The three groups rotate throughout the process.

Spears wanted to train his students for real-world opportunities, so he brought the restaurant idea into the cooking program.

“I implemented it as part of the class curriculum,” Spears said.

Senoir Kareem Nizam appreciates the authenticity of this part of the class.

“We have our own menus, tables, and everything,” Nizam said.

Although Spears says the class focuses on making tasty food, the students realize the presentation is key.

“There is only one true quote that people take to heart in the class. It’s about preparation of food. ‘You eat with your eyes first,’” Revery said. Students are taught that it is important to entice their customers with a well-prepared presentation so that they have a good initial reaction prior to their meal.

Revery is looking forward to the final, which will be similar to “Iron Chef America”, where a cooking battle takes place among the classmates. Spears designs the students some ingredients to include in their dishes.

Ginelle Wolfe

MorTorq ends season in St. Louis Mallika Sen Editor-in-Chief MorTorq Team 1515 traveled to St. Louis, Mo. to compete in the FIRST Robotics Championship from April 24 to 29.

Twenty-three members of the ROP class, chosen for exhibiting commitment to the team, accompanied robot MettaBot World Peace, specifically designed for a basketball challenge, Rebound Rumble, involving shots and balancing platforms.

Some students cheered from the stands, while others participated in the drive team, in charge of controlling the robot from the field.

“Some members, like me, explained the robot and our team’s outreach effort to judges, other teams and visitors. I also gave out team swag,” Business Team Co-Captain senior Chloe Revery said. “My feet were so sore.”

Although the robot did not make it to elimination rounds, junior Matt Simon was a finalist for the Autodesk Computer Design Award.

“I’d say [our perfomance] exceeded expectations. We ended up being really good at balancing,” team mentor Kevin Bowers said. Bowers described how junior Bailey Berro’s aptitude for that part of the competition.

The team’s ranking, which, in addition to the win-loss record, was determined by how a team helped its opponents, consistently fluctuated.

“At one point we were 90, at one point we were 36. Our final seed ended up being around 66,” Bowers said.

MorTorq threw their support to two allied teams in the final: sister school Hawthorne and Pink Team 223, who troubleshooted a

KONY movement slows Mabel Kabani Staff Writer When the viral sensation “Kony 2012” was released March 5, many students were touched by the video showing African lives being destroyed at the hands of Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony. Parents, teachers and students were outraged by Kony’s actions which include the creation of an army known as The Lord’s Resistance Army, kidnapping children, forcing innocent girls to become sex slaves and turning boys into prepubescent soldiers who slaughtered their own villages and families.

The “Kony 2012” video has received over 100 million views and Kony himself has received a lot of attention. Anti-Kony Facebook groups and events have been made in effort to spread the word about Kony and the horrors he has committed. One of the more famous events made is “Cover the Night,” an event in which posters, signs and banners are to be hung to bring attention to the happenings in Uganda.

However, the buzz has slowed in comparison to its original boom. The Kony related statuses and tweets have declined, even though the Cover the Night event has just passed on April 20. This sudden decline has left students wondering about the legitimacy of the movement.

“I heard a lot of things contradicting what the Kony 2012 video embodied. I heard that apparently [Kony] is not even in Uganda anymore,” sophomore Daeun Lee said. “Why should I donate my money to an organization that has wrong or un-updated information?”

According to the Telegraph, the Lord’s

Resistance Army has moved out of Uganda six years ago and is now scattered along the countryside of neighboring countries.

Now that Kony and his troops have allegedly moved out of Uganda, certain local village members, such as the Gulu director of community health organizations, Dr. Beatrice Mpora, says that alerting people about Kony now might be a danger to his village.

Another reason Kony is fading from the topics of discussion is that the group that created the video “Kony 2012” seems to have formed a negative reputation for several reasons.

One, the group created a charity, Invisible Children, which claims to be a nonprofit organization. However, according to cbs.com, the organization has been heavily critiqued for spending more of their money and resources on advocacy and filmmaking rather than the actual humanitarian work for which it stands.

Moreover, the creator of the “Kony 2012” video and cofounder of Invisible Children, Jason Russell, was caught on March 15, running naked in the streets of San Diego before he was placed in a hospital after receiving the diagnosis for brief reactive psychosis, according to the Huffington Post.

“It doesn’t matter to me if [Russell] was sick or not,” sophomore Mike Redston said.

“I don’t want to put faith in an organization whose cofounder was caught running naked in the streets. It’s not professional.”

Due to incorrect information to the public, problems with financial aspects and inappropriate behavior by key advisories of the anti-Kony committee, students are beginning to believe Kony and his story is a scam.

AJ PARRY

Robotics members pose for a group photo before going to St. Louis. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLIE KAHN,

problem with unexpectedly faulty motors.

The nature of the event also allowed for socializing.

“Meeting teams from around the world, from Canada to Brazil, was so cool,” Revery said.

The competition also featured speakers including Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway and FIRST founder, as well as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The latter was there “because of the basketball aspect, as well as to play his children’s book,” according to Revery.

As robotics season comes to a close, the team will conduct post-season analysis.

Bowers intimated that summer projects may be created to “keep building going,” as the loss of program veterans this year was

disadvantageous.

The game challenge changes every year; thus, building season does not begin until winter. However, to cultivate problemsolving skills, MorTorq will participate in workshops with local teams in the fall, including a popsicle stick building challenge.

As for the fate of MettaBot World Peace, it will be put on display in robotics once it is shipped back and cleaned.

“I wanted to tear [the old robots] down and recycle the parts, but the alumni cry when they come back,” Bowers said.

In the interim before the next competition, MorTorq will continue its community outreach efforts, participating in community service and fundraising.

4 opinion

May 11, 2012 Highlights

Choice comments Multiple-choice report-card comments do little but confuse Danny Licht Opinion Editor My all-time favorite report card comment is “Socializes/interferes with the learning of others.” Its two mismatched (or inappropriately punctuated) sentiments have conflicting meanings. According to both of the Oxford American Dictionary’s definitions of socialize—“mix socially with others” and “make behave in a way that is acceptable to their society”—this verb is a good thing.

These comments are saying, “Unfortunate Parent, your child interacts exceptionally well with his peers and/or makes sure they don’t learn in my class.” (Not to mention, this comment can be misinterpreted to mean that one chats with others’ education.)

There is a list of 37 coded comments that describe projected student behaviors. Some are vague, such as code S, which describes “Disorganized/careless” students, while others are more specialized, such as code T, which warns of “Non-suit in P.E.” They range from recommendations to chastisements, caveats to applause. Some use dramatic language, such as code J, which warns that the student is “In danger of failing.”

While I’m sure veteran teachers carefully chose these comments, I don’t understand why they are pre-decided and not customizable. Yes, students are predictable, and yes, these comments cover ample ground, but if they’re mostly self-evident (students know that they haven’t sported their P.E. garb)

then what’s the point of comments at all?

In elementary school, when my teachers had only around 30 students, they provided lengthy paragraphs that described qualitative strengths and weaknesses. These were genuinely helpful in self-evaluation, even for a third-grader. Our school’s list of comments is anything but that. The positive comments are nice to hear of course, but they’re too vague to have any meaning (i.e., what good does “Quality of work improving” do?). Most of the other comments, the jibes, are either obvious or exaggerated (think “interferes with the learning of others”). Students know when their percentage in the class is “Close to next lower grade” and if they have “Inconsistent effort and/or participation.”

Moreover, it must be a burden for teachers to rely on this big list to find the bestfitting sentiment, to scour it for the bestfitting words. But I say this facetiously; they don’t. Talking with teachers, I have found that most have a few comment codes ingrained in their memory and refer to the list only for out-of-the-ordinary cases. And while I’d love to think we’re all anomalies—we’re all unique and special—in the grand scheme of high school students, our behaviors are in fact classifiable. So while I’d prefer personalized comments from each teacher, both positive and negative, I know that for high school teachers, who can have five times 30 students, it’s impractical.

With that said, however, the blatant ambiguity of slashed comments really needs to stop. It’s disorganized/careless.

Apathetic seniors Nearing the end, many seniors stop caring about school Hae Lee Staff Writer After eight semesters of high school, and the nerve-wracking college application process, seniors have finally had enough. Since freshmen year, I have heard of this disease called “senioritis” and now I know it is not only real but also contagious.

Society has made high school a bridge to every student’s ultimate goal: getting into his or her dream college. Since freshman year, students have been committed to extracurricular activities, along with achieving community service hours and grades, all for the college acceptance letter. So once seniors are committed and relieved, all motivation and stress is lost.

Even the College Board knows senioritis is real, as the curve for AP tests for senior classes are relatively higher than the ones taken by other grades. There is an easier academic requirement for second semester seniors so the chance of a college revoking your acceptance is unlikely.

All that accepted students need to

Editorial

Testing our sanity This year’s cst schedule is too complicated

Just when students thought the schedule could not get any more confusing, lo and behold, it just got more confusing. The May schedule has been specifically designed to improve students’ scores on state-mandated standardized testing. In the meantime, students are already perplexed about where to be and when to be there.

“It’s something I had done at another school [Redondo Union High School] and when my old school did that, the scores went up tremendously because students weren’t taking all these tests in one day, there wasn’t test overload. Students got to go on to their other classes as well,” House A Assistant Principal Amy Golden said. “We thought that it’s something to try here as well.”

Despite the schedule’s alleged success at Redondo Union, Beverly’s Academic Performance Index (API) score rose tremendously last year, from 839 to 873, on a scale of 200 to 1,000, without such a varied schedule.

The Student Body Action Committee (SBAC) led classroom discussions during the past enrichment session to spread awareness of the API score and

its significance. Last year, since testing was issued during a limited number of days, the PTSA was also able to donate bagels and cream cheese to be served to students on the mornings prior to test-

turns. For example, a Monday could be a Wednesday-Friday schedule and a Wednesday could be a Monday-Tuesday schedule. One thing that Ms. Golden and the Highlights staff can agree on is that students should check the schedule every day.

Sitting in a classroom for an hour and 50 minutes during CSTs is understandable, but spending the same amount of time in other classes consistently for a month rapidly gets tedious. In spite of the fact that teenagers’ attention spans do not span two hours, teachers may find their lectures falling on deaf ears, so to speak. The current schedule has students only concerned with one CST test per week, but is it worth the hectic May schedule? If we, as students, finished the CSTs in one week, we would get them out of the way quickly in one disruptive week AJ Parry instead of instituting a month of ing. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, chaos. don’t fix it.”

At this point, the schedule is set in Although the testing schedule had to stone and any reversions to normality abide by the states’ requirements for are highly unlikely. All we can hope for minutes, some uniformity would be now is that this schedule works its magappreciated. The schedule varies from ic and results in success. Let the race to week to week and has many twists and 900 begin, however begrudgingly.

Corrections from the April 20 issue: In the coverage of Celebremos (page 2), the Spanish department was referenced, though Beverly has no language-specific departments, just the general Foreign Language Department; Jacob Roeder’s name was spelled incorrectly on the front page.

avoid are Ds and Fs on the upcoming transcript and to keep a 3.0 weighted GPA, according to the University of California website.

Especially in May, senior events such as prom, Grad Nite and graduation are the only things on students’ minds. Also, seniors have to commit to their choice of college by May. Other concerns such as choosing roommates and dorms are what interest us, even though partial decomposition fractions are interesting, too.

Although laziness is apparent in most seniors, it is still important to maintain your grades and behavioral conduct because Grad Nite and prom can be taken away from you. Because in few months I will be going through a dramatic transition academically at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I try not to procrastinate because getting used to this bad habit will be the last thing I want next fall semester.

Second semester is full of excitement but I advise not to take advantage of it because next year laziness will come haunt your success.

The Staff 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

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. · The journalism program is sponsored

by PTSA and BHEF. · Send letters to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. · Ads are not endorsed by BHUSD.

May 11, 2012 Highlights

feature 5 The real teachers’ union NAHS displays artwork Mabel Kabani Staff Writer Beverly is not only the basis for a life long education, but also a starting point for lifelong marriages.

History teacher Pete Van Rossum met his wife, counselor Celeste McDonald, on her first day of work in the main office in 1995.

“I remember meeting him in the main office on the first day I came to work,” McDonald said. “We were friends for about three years before we ended up working in the same hallway and he finally worked up the courage to ask me out on a date that year!”

Their relationship flourished after that first date. Now, the two are married and, according to McDonald, working in the same environment as one’s spouse is very enjoyable.

“It’s fun to know that he’s always here, but I don’t know any other type of arrangement,” McDonald said. “Most spouses don’t work together, but this is just normal for us.”

As a husband, McDonald says Van Rossum is very supportive and encouraging, especially in matters relating to her work.

“Mr. V has been very supportive and he has had to listen to a lot of work talk as I transitioned into the counseling department after 15 years of working as an English teacher,” McDonald explained.

Though the two work together, according to McDonald, they hardly ever find the time to eat together.

“We probably only eat lunch five times a year! However, Mr. V comes by my office in search of food sometimes,” McDonald said.

Another famous couple whose relationship started at this school is that of Joshua and Alissa Glass.

“We met at a restaurant in Santa Monica.

We recognized each other from school and started talking there,” Joshua Glass said.

According to Alissa Glass, it was definitely love at first sight and the excitement in the relationship is not affected by the fact that the two are now married.

In response to whether the couple lacks diversity and variety in discussion at home since the two are teachers, Alissa Glass said, “NO! We have lives outside of school to discuss at home.” Joshua Glass agrees wholeheartedly.

Though they do converse about subjects outside the realm of school, education is a constant topic within their household and the two do have different educational philosophies regarding certain areas.

“With both our teaching and coaching styles there are some differences.

Fortunately, we are both very good at communicating, so if we have a disagreement, or a difference in opinions, we can talk through it,” Joshua Glass said.

Joshua Glass also spoke about the benefits of working with a spouse.

“It’s great. Very convenient in terms of knowing each others schedule and being able to talk at work. We also have common students, coworkers, and classroom ‘situations’. So when we talk about our day and how work was, we understand each other very well.”

One of the top ten reasons for divorce, according to divorce.com, is that couples do not have enough time to spend together due to their jobs and other commitments. For these two couples, working together has, according to them, brought them closer and has resulted in successful marriages.

Other married couples at the school include Vonzie Paysinger and Colleen Davenport, and Ryan Franks and Alli Norman Franks.

Senior Jin-Young Seo’s painting is displayed among the gallery’s numerous creations ARMAN ZADEH

Bless Bai Staff Writer On April 24, the National Arts Honor Society showcased 38 selected pieces for its new gallery on the wall near the spiral stairwell and across from the K.L. Peters Auditorium. This year’s theme, “Spring: A Breath of Fresh Art,” had students submit artwork pertaining to the theme of spring.

NAHS, a new group on campus, is a nationwide organization founded in 1978 that brings together high school students who have demonstrated great ability in the visual arts. The group aspires to enhance the art experience for both the school and the community through its various activities. President junior Matthew Hankin, Vice President senior Vivian Yang, Secretary sophomore Sasha Park, graphic design teacher Deb Joseph and Visual Arts Chair Michael Federman make up the club’s leadership. Currently, NAHS has approximately 15 members and meets twice a month to discuss plans for the group.

For the April gallery, NAHS found the theme of spring to symbolically represent the new formation of the group.

“The theme is symbolic of spring, and the new beginnings of NAHS,” Yang said.

Yang, who will attend Parsons The New School for Design this fall, is one of the school’s highly talented artists involved in NAHS. Having taken over eight art electives, Yang integrates her wide range of knowledge in the arts to contribute to the direction of the club and the selections in the gallery.

Currently, members of NAHS are in the process of deciding the gallery’s next theme and collecting more submissions.

“We are finding more ways to bring 3D submissions into the gallery. We are also making a diagram with the names of the artists to hang on the gallery,” Yang said.

NAHS wishes to continue the trend of putting up a new gallery to showcase every six weeks.

At the beginning of the year, NAHS gathers membership applications and dues, including a $20 induction fee.

Prospective members must have attained at least a 3.0 grade point average thus far and demonstrated a high level of participation in art, whether through art electives at Beverly or activities outside of school.

Artwork displayed in the gallery is not the only benefit for NAHS members.In addition to recognition, members also receive a special seal on their diplomas at graduation.

Heart Chase motivates Celine Hakimianpour Staff Writer

AJ PARRY

Heart Chase, the American Heart Association’s newest fundraiser, is coming to Beverly Hills on June 16 to create an event that will help provide the community with a healthy and active way to get ones heart and body in shape.

Heart Chase includes a city-wide scavenger hunt hosted in the Beverly Hills Triangle.

There will be a series of activities at the event. People of all ages will form teams of up to four and give themselves a name.

Together, they will work to complete heart healthy challenges at the checkpoints that are spread throughout the city. To participate in the experience, one must first download the Heart Chase application onto his or her smartphone.

“I personally am very excited for this event because I think that growing up in Beverly Hills, people might get caught up in the moment and lose track about what life is really about. I want the community of Beverly Hills to work together so that America as a whole will become a healthier place to live in, because after all the heart is the most important part of the body,”

sophomore Jasmine Kadosh said.

The application guides the participant through certain checkpoints at the event.

A sponsor is in charge of each checkpoint.

Depending on which sponsor one has been paired with, one might be asked a series of questions to help spark interest in being healthy and fit. Some sponsors include Kreation, U-Sushi, David Barton Gym, Smile Angels of Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills Sports Camp.

Many prizes will also be given to the winning teams who have participated in this event. Some prizes include a one month membership at the brand new David Barton Gym with personal training, a copy of an original Mr. Brainwash painting, free teeth whitening, free dinners at local restaurants and spa packages.

“This event really is going to be so much fun! It will definitely be a day that you won’t forget so make sure to bring your cameras and be ready to get your game on! Like our Facebook page to stay updated! There may be celebrity appearances as well,” senior Heidi Uzelac said.

Not only does Heart Chase give people a chance to experience numerous varieties of exercises, it also brings the community together to fight for a special cause.

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Highlights

May 11, 2012

centerfold

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Beemer, Benz or...

Volkswagen?

Car accidents plague school

Driving 101: Getting behind the wheel

[continued from page 1] “[After school], everyone leaves at the same time. On Santa Monica the traffic will pile up tremendously,” Maples said. “Going home takes about 20 minutes. It’s like a warzone and everyone is frantic to get out.”

Sometimes the inexperience of student drivers can lead to accidents, ranging from a scratch on the bumper to the complete destruction of a car.

Maples has gotten into two car accidents this school year, both of which occurred at school. A few weeks before Spring Break, Maples got into a minor collision when leaving Lot C after school.

“I was driving straight and a guy coming from the stop sign was coasting through,” Maples said. “He T-boned me and just flew through.”

Senior Michael Richman was another student who got into an accident earlier in the year.

Although Richman does not find it particularly difficult to drive to school each day, he did experience some trouble on his way home from school on the night of the fall play.

“I dropped my friend off at his house, and I was heading home,” Richman said. I was crossing Beverly and a guy ran a red light and T-boned me on my right side.”

Fortunately none of the passengers in either car suffered serious injuries, but their cars fared differently. “[The other driver’s] car was pretty messed up. [It] was in practically an undrivable condition,” Richman said. “My car had some alignment damage, but since it was a Mercedes it was a ‘tank.’”

Richman had to wait two weeks for his car to be repaired before he could drive it again.

While she comes to school early enough to avoid the traffic around school, math teacher Edna Broukhim notices behavior by parents that adds to the disruption of the traffic flow around the campus.

“Many [parents] stop at dangerous places to drop off their kids so it either blocks traffic, or cars can’t see where they’re stopped,” Broukhim said. “Another problem is when people who know each other just stop in the middle of the street and start talking to each other without realizing there are other cars waiting to pass.”

Escaping the daily traffic around school can seem a nearly impossible mission, but with appropriate timing and diligence, drivers to school can avoid the unbearable conditions of the city street.

Julia Waldow Arts & Style Editor My favorite ride at Disneyland has always been the Autopia. When I got onto the ride for the first time at the age of four, I was psyched out of my mind. Finally, I would be granted the opportunity to drive, an activity usually reserved for “big kids” or “grown-ups.” Something about clutching my “driver’s license,” climbing into a multicolored car and cruising along a lush green path was a purely magical experience.

Even though I was obviously a world-class Autopia driver, my parents were hesitant about letting me get behind the wheel of a real car when I turned fifteen and a half. They thought that I needed to be older in order to really understand drivers’ responsibilities. I was upset with their decision at first because I wanted the freedom to drive as soon as possible, and I was jealous of my friends who were getting their licenses before me.

The summer before junior year, I told my parents that I was mature enough to be a driver. My parents said that I could get my permit after I cleaned my room, closet and bathroom. The process took a

long time because I had summer reading and homework during the school year. In January, I took an online driver’s education course to get my permit.

When comparing my permit experience to that of my friends, I learned a few things.

Permit pictures are pretty much guaranteed to be horrible. Even though my parents said my picture was good (because that’s a parent’s job to make their kid feel pretty), my hair was sticking up and my mouth was open too wide. I shouldn’t have gone to the DMV with unrealistic expectations about photos.

Also, I learned that the DMV people are busy and not as warm and fuzzy as we want them to be and that it is crucial to present an original birth certificate to DMV personnel.

A copy will not do.

Once I got my permit, I was eager to coastt down the highway with the top rolled down and the wind blowing in my hair. I thought that driving an actual car would be no different than driving an Autopia car. I could not be more wrong. I pushed all the way down on my car’s gas pedal just like I did in an Autopia car. The car lurched forward and almost slammed into the back of my dad’s car. Oops.

I took multiple lessons with my driving instructor, and the two of us bonded. She told me funny stories about how she met her husband (he stepped on her foot) and how she married him even though she didn’t like him initially. Her tales made the experience more fun. Instructors should make the experience more comfortable, not more terrifying.

My dad was great the first couple times I drove with him. After that, he would freak out whenever I made a mistake and cry out, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!” He shouted that I was driving too close to other cars when I was not. One time he winced and howled when he thought I was going to hit a parked ambulance. Another time when I was reversing, he yelled, “You’re going to hit the curb! The curb! The curb!” He’s gotten much better since then, but for a while, I was driving him crazy (literally).

Learning to drive is definitely a process that takes time, and I am glad that my parents had me wait until I was older to learn. It takes a lot of practice, but I am becoming a better driver. Who knows, with my new skills, I may be even better at the Autopia.

Drivers exhibit materialism Candice Hannani News Editor

Yes-33% Car population in faculty lot

No-67%

JEEP SCION 2.3% 2.3% NISSAN 2.3%

Do you own a car?

What was the price of your car?

$1-9,999-16.7%

$10,000-19,000-16.7% $50,000-59,999-4.1%

TOYOTA 20%

HONDA 17.9%

AUDI 3.1% CHRYSLER 3.1% SUBARU 3.8%

$40,00049,999-4.1%

Graphics by BLESS BAI and JULIA WALDOW

OTHER 7.6%

MAZDA 3.1%

$60,000+ -25%

$30,000-39,99916.7%

HYUNDAI 2.3% CHEVY 3.1% BMW 3.1%

$20,000-29,99916.7%

Car population in student lots B and C

MERCEDES 3.8%

ACURA FORD 4.6% 8.5%

LEXUS 9.2%

75 students were polled on 5/8 and 5/9. Teacher and student lot surveys were conducted on 5/4.

People commonly say that you are what you eat. In this materialistic world, however, the popular phrase has also molded into “you are the car that you drive.”

When I noticed that the student parking lot closely resembled the new car dealership near my house, I began to wonder why there was such a need among Beverly students to purchase cars that cost six digits.

I personally don’t see much reason in buying brand new, top-of-the-line cars when teens have just recently learned the basics about driving and statistically have four times more of a chance of getting their cars destroyed because of inexperience. I might not be the most optimistic person when it comes to such facts, but I also don’t think that the kind of idealism that parents show when they buy first-class cars for their teenage kids is very beneficial. What, after all, do students learn from receiving BMWs and Mercedes Benzes when they have achieved nothing in particular? Reaching 16 years of age should not be the same accomplishment as working consistently and diligently to earn enough money to buy a car.

To put it another way, the main purpose of cars is to enable us to get from point A to point B. They require maintenance, a good deal of concentration and control,

and maturity. But it seems that Beverly families don’t buy them simply to get from one place to another—cars are another form of fashion, another seemingly endless way to show off one’s glamour and (in many cases) to attract attention from the rest of the student population.

To give an example, all of us have witnessed a novice driver parading around the school at 50 miles per hour with loud music drowning out all other noise near his expensive-looking car. He, in addition to numerous others who mirror such a mindset, represents the Beverly Hills stereotype of snobbishness that we all try to dodge and avoid.

Especially after looking at the parking lots of some other high schools within the community, I have realized that many Beverly students do take advantage of their financial statuses and the willingness of their parents to purchase the automobile of their choice. Yet I have also realized that while many other L.A. students are satisfied with their dad’s 20 year-old Ford, many kids at Beverly are not satisfied with anything under a high standard car.

Whether this pride is beneficial or not to the reputation of the school is debatable, but it does not do much to lower the stigmas associated with our school. If students are truly the cars that they drive, then I fear for the materialistic mindset that will accompany students when they leave Beverly.

8 arts&style

May 11, 2012 Highlights

Beat the heat with how-to summer style guide Rock cool shades on hot days Dami Kim Staff Writer It is a dilemma when one finds a pair of sunglasses and realizes that it does not look good. However, these simple tips for finding the right pair of sunglasses will prepare one to have a “cooler” summer.

Even though sunglasses vary in different sizes, colors and shapes, they are actually customized to fit one’s face shape.

According to O magazine, a heart shaped face has a wide forehead and cheekbones and a narrow chin.

Sunglasses with rounded frames like cat’s eye glasses are ideal for this face shape.

For those with oblong faces, or long faces, it is best to try on oversize or wrapped frames. Frames should not be too narrow for the face since it will make the face look elongated.

It is essential for those with square shaped faces to balance the broad forehead and defined jawline with either round or oval sunglasses. On the other hand, those with round faces should get the opposite effect by wearing wide rectangular frames.

People with oval faces have the ideal face shape and tend to look good with almost any type of sunglasses.

So this summer, fight off those worries and rock those new shades!

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shopping ike r t trips.

The nude s s emphasizes the elegant feel that is d n essential for women. e tr

Hae Lee Staff Writer

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AJ Parry Staff Writer

As the summer draws nearer, girls

change their cosmetic style.

To really make a girl’s eyes pop, she could use neon colored eye shadow in shades such as day glow orange, blue, green or pink. She should top it off with black eyeliner on her top lid with mas- cara for a nice contrast.

If a girl desires a more natural

look, she could use pastel

or gold eye shadow, natural

colored mascara and

shimmery lip gloss.

Immoderate eye

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rls i G

Wardrobes change along with seasons and fashion trends. With just a few months until summer vacation, it is important to know the hot shoe trends of 2012.

Beige and peachy tones for all shoes, heels or flats are popular in designers’ spring and summer collections. A pair of nude colored wedges can be worn to all kinds of occasions such as day parties, lunch gatherings and

shadow can be unattractive.

“An excessive amount of makeup can be a bit overwhelming at times,” sophomore James Fast said.

Girls could wear neon, pastel or glitter nail polish.

“You can match nail color to the colors in the designs in your clothing and jewelry to make your nails stand out,” sophomore Aurora Hamner said.

Girls should not be afraid to try new looks and colors to stand out.

Cartoons by AJ PARRY. Pictures by OLIVER GALLOP, JULIA WALDOW

Wedges can be easily matched with summer clothes such as shorts, skirts, capris and pants.

With wedges, girls can look slimmer and more feminine while being comfortable and trendy at the same time.

On the other hand, mentallic and bright flats and sandals are popular. Metallic shoes come in every form such as snaps, buckles and zippers and will work cohesively with white apparel, as it will give the overall outfit a modern vibe.

Even though gladiator sandals are “so two years ago,” they are coming back this summer.

However, instead of just dark colored, snakeskinned material used before, gladiators will come in bold, bright colors.

Whether it is high heels or flats girls are rocking, walk in style this summer.

Pi ck a

bikZoe Kenealy ini is Staff Writer also a girly As the weather heats up, students will flock alternative to to the beach and the pool to get a tan, have fun the traditional with friends and relax. Girls should focus on bikini. their body types and personalities to find their The tankini is a wondideal bathing suits for warmer temperatures. erful option that allows girls If a girl is more curvy, the monokini is a great to be cute and comfortable in fit for her. The monokini has the sides cut out, the summer and spring heat. doing a girl’s curves some justice by The tankini’s sides are usually cut out, showing off her beautiful waist. and while it is still perfect for the heat, If a girl has larger hips than a bust (pear- the tankini also covers girls’ midriffs, giving a

shaped), she should wear a skirted shy girl more confidence during her

bikini that has ruffles because the pool sessions and beach days.

ruffles will distract from According to Seventeen magazine,

her hips and give more keeping these tips in mind will

attention to her definitely help to make

bust. The skirted bikini shopping more enjoyable and simple.

sp rin g

sw im su it

May 11, 2012 Highlights

arts&style 9 Bibigo offers fresh, healthy take on Korean cuisine Alex Menache Staff Writer Bibigo, a bold interpretation of Korean culinary tradition, is one of the latest and newest contributions to South Beverly Drive. Although Bibigo has many diverse locations, the Beverly Hills branch offers a unique cultural and stylish environment that provides for a special dining experience.

Although each dish is tasty and unique, the red chicken and the hot stone rice are popular among Beverly students.

The popular red chicken dish is fried chicken with a spicy and sweet sauce.

Following Korean tradition, the dish is served in a hot stone plate that enables the food to stay hot and crispy throughout the meal.

“Nutritious and tasty, [the dish is] the perfect combination,” senior Steven Neman said.

To order the hot stone rice, customers must take three different steps. First, they must choose white, black, brown/white or barley/white rice. Next, they must choose their type of meat: bulgogoi (a Korean style beef), chicken teriyaki, chicken breast, grilled spicy pork, shrimp or tofu. Last, customers can choose a sauce: Kohot (a spicy

sauce), Sesame or Citron The Hot Stone Rice is not the only meal served in a hot stone; the menu also

Soy.

includes g r i l l e d chicken, braised short ribs, tofu and n o o d l e s served on a hotline plate. The dishes never fail to be creative, well prepared and unique.

The Bibigo menu also includes tapas, small dishes that serve as perfect snacks after a long day at school. The tapas range from dumplings to fried chicken to the signature seafood pancake. The tapas, which are usually served on a small plate, allow a customer to try multiple meals at once or simply go for a quick snack.

Bibigo also offers a variety of teas including brown rice green tea, barley tea and rose tea, all of which accompany a hot stone, tapas or salad perfectly.

“I love their barely tea,” junior Cordelia Perez said. “It’s something you normally wouldn’t find at Chipotle or Subway.”

What makes Bibigo special is not only its vibrant and cultural food, but also its take-out or dine-in versatility. Bibigo’s food is prepared quickly and is easily picked up or delivered by bike to nearby locations. Although hot stone dishes are not available for take out, Bibigo offers many alternative dishes. These can consist of the same ingredients as other dishes but are precooked or prepared slightly differently.

Bibigo truly brings a taste of Korea into Beverly’s backyard and has quickly become a Beverly Drive hit due to its convenience, creativity and tasty food.

Clockwise upper left: Bibigo offers a variety of delicious, healthy teas. Bibigo’s interior has an earthy, comfortable vibe. Bibigo’s exterior is modern and sleek. Customers can order their food and drinks, as well as buy take-out goodies, at a long counter in the front of the restaurant. Customers can combine different ingredients into delectable hot stone rice bowls. ALEX MENACHE

10 ads

May 11, 2012 Highlights

May 11, 2012 Highlights

career day 11

The King’s Speech Larry King interviews alumni on career day

On Career Day, student body browses potential professions

Brenda Mehdian Staff Writer On Career Day a group of speakers to enrich the student body about future professions.

The day started off with an assembly moderated by television host Larry King. King conducted an interview with three panel members, all of whom graduated from Beverly in 1980 and excelled in their respective professions: television producer and writer Bill Chais, owner of Jonny Appleseed Landscaping Jon Goldstein, and FOX21 Television President Bert Salke. The speakers discussed their time at Beverly and how it affected their lives after high school. Students then attended three sessions in which they were able to further augment their knowledge about careers of their choice.

“What we really wanted to get out of Career Day was for each student to realize something or learn something that would be helpful to them later in

life,” ROP Director Steve Rappaport said.

Students were presented with a plethora of career choices to learn about. They chose their classes based upon an area of interest, and were able get a better understanding about what the road to their careers will entail.

“I am still indecisive about the exact position I want to hold in the future, but I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical field so I chose classes that taught me about different areas of medicine in order to give me a better understanding of some of my options,” junior David Hakakian said.

According to students, the most effective and helpful speakers were those who used creative ways to hold the attention of the students and get them interested in what they were talking about.

“In my advertising [and] marketing class, I felt that the speaker was truly amazing; she kept the whole

class engaged in the conversation by presenting it in a creative way,” senior Mina Yang said.

Speakers were able to make an impact on students by showing them they had excelled in their career not only because of their academics, but because they have a passion for their profession.

“Every person that spoke was involved in a career that they loved, and wasn’t just doing it for the money or because someone told them they had to,” freshman Ariel Mendelson said.

On the other hand, speakers who lacked this creativity were not able to grasp the full attention of the students.

“In my other two classes, I didn’t feel that the speakers were very helpful because they didn’t take the initiative to be as creative and exciting as the other speaker that I had,” Yang said.

Career Day was an opportunity for the student body to explore their options for their futures.

Clockwise from top left: Larry King ponders the panelists’ responses; the Bioengineering speaker counsels sophomore Alexander Ayzenberg; one session engaged in the Spirit of Entrepreneurship; panelists recount their high school days and career llife. OLIVER GALLOP

May 11, 2012 sports 12 Highlights Swim team performs well at Ocean League finals

Sophomore David Prokopenko dives into the pool during warm ups for league finals.

Lillia Abecassis Staff Writer The regular swim season has just come to an end, but senior Zak Zukoski, junior Steven Turnbull and sophomore Alexander Ayzenberg will continue on to CIF, as well as multiple relay teams.

Varsity boys’ and girls’ finished with a record of 3-3 and 1-5, respectively, and came in second and sixth in league, respectively.

The boys’ and girls’ frosh/soph teams ended with records of 5-1 and 1-5, respectively, and first and third place in league, respectively.

Ayzenberg is seeded ninth for the 200m Individual Medley and eleventh for the 100m backstroke. Zukoski is seeded 27th for the 50m freestyle and eleventh for the 100m freestyle. Turnbull is seeded fourth in the 100m butterfly and eleventh for 500m freestyle.

Zukoski, who broke the school records for the 50m and 100m freestyles, has high expectations for his last year participating in CIF. “I expect to get into CIF finals for the 50m and the 100m freestyle, and to also make it into at least consolation for the medley relay and the 200m free relay,” Zukoski said.

“I am very excited for CIF.”

In addition to individual swimmers, the boys medley relay, boys 400m freestyle relay and boys 200m and 400m freestyle will be competing.

However, none of the female swimmers or relays qualified for CIF. “The times that are required are difficult to get, but I’m not disappointed because I tried my best and that’s what matters most to me,” sophomore Allison Klemes said.

Despite not qualifying, senior Tammy Katz believes that the team tried its best during the season, despite facing some obstacles.

“I think the girls definitely put forth a lot of effort to overcome the fact that our team was so small,” Katz said. “We all dropped a ton of time at league finals, and even though we got sixth [in league], we know we performed the best we ever have.”

According to Head Coach Rob Bowie, the varsity teams have fewer upperclassmen than usual. The teams have a large number of sophomores but Bowie believes this will make the sophomores much better swimmers in the future.

“We have a lot of sophomores competing on both varsity teams that in other years may not have been able to do so,” Bowie said. “While they may have been thrown

Senior Zak Zukoski broke the school records for the 50m and 100m freestyle races. OLIVER GALLOP

into the fire this year I think it will only make them that much stronger in the next couple years.”

Although there have been rumors circulating concerning Bowie leaving after this year, nothing has been confirmed.

“There are rumors about me leaving every year,” Bowie said. “At this point I’m just focusing on the end of the swim season and getting the kids ready to put forth their

best effort.”

First round of CIF begins on Friday, May 11 in the Riverside Aquatics Complex at Riverside Community College.

To read about boys’ varsity tennis as they begin CIF play, scan the QR code above or visit beverlyhighlights.com Pictured: Jonathan Berger. OLIVER GALLOP

Baseball swings for CIF Girls’ lacrosse falls short Arman Zadeh Staff Writer

Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor

Varsity baseball continues to fight its way through the season in hopes of reaching CIF playoffs. The team currently holds an overall record of 13-9 and a 4-5 record in Ocean League play. They lag behind Santa Monica and Culver City, who have both managed to stay undefeated in league play.

The team prepared for the second of a double header against Inglewood on May 10.

In order to qualify for CIF playoffs, the team must win that game. Right fielder Adrian Spitz discussed the team’s mindset going into the game.

“We are all focused more than ever because we know if we don’t take care of business, our season will be over,” Spitz said.

In its first game against Inglewood, Beverly defeated Inglewood 2-1. Spitz assisted the team in its victory with two hits, including a triple and a run. Pitcher Sam Mason also contributed at the plate, scoring the team’s second run.

Pitcher Oliver Yi pitched a complete game while giving up four hits and one run.

Head Coach Vonzie Paysinger believes that the team played hard in its battle with “one of the better teams in the league,” referring to Inglewood.

“We pitched well, played defense, and we competed,” Paysinger said.

The team previously faced LACES, on May 4, where they successfully defeated the Unicorns 10- 2.

Mason pitched a complete game while allowing two runs. Second baseman Andrew Schwab, center fielder Gabe Laemmle and catcher Andreas Breliant contributed with two RBIs each.

Although the season came to end against Palos Verdes on Friday, April 27, the girls’ varsity lacrosse team did have the privilege of having two highly ranked players.

Attack wing Natasha Kashani was ranked first in Bay League, scoring 49 goals throughout the season.

Kashani attributes her success to a group effort, saying she “couldn’t have done it without [her] team.”

“We could have won against certain teams we lost to,” Kashani explained. “But in the end, when we lost, we did it as a team.”

Attack wing Dillan Watts was ranked fifth in Bay League and is quite pleased with that accomplishment as well. Watts scored 36 goals this season, bringing her to 75 goals in her lacrosse career.

Watts underwent a knee injury midseason, and fortunately recovered completely while remaining optimistic.

“I can’t believe I was able to come back almost as strong as before since my [knee] injury,” Watts said. “It has been a struggle, but also alleviating to know a blow to my

Pitcher Sam Mason throws a fast ball. ARMAN ZADEH

Leading the team in scoring was Spitz with two runs. Also scoring for the team was Mason, Laemmle, first baseman Jake Freud, third baseman Zach Gaon and left fielder Brodric Smith, each with one run.

Before its wins against LACES and Inglewood, Beverly was defeated by Samo 4-0 on May 3. The team had two hits the entire game as they struggled against a surging Samo squad.

“Against Samo our offense lacked so we didn’t put up much of a fight or threat on the bases,” Spitz said.

If the team defeats Inglewood, they play their first CIF playoff game next week. Paysinger has high hopes for the team as he expects them to go out and “do what [they] do.”

“We are who we are. We are going to get a good practice in and get ready to play,” Paysinger said. “Everybody knows what they have to do.”

Results for the team’s second game against Inglewood were not available as of press time.

knee cannot keep me away from playing sports.”

The team finished with a league record of 4-8 and an overall record of 5-10, sitting in fifth place in league standings.

“It’s unfortunate how our league is pretty difficult and the actuality that there is only one [league] in Southern California,” Watts said. “The team could have done better when it comes to transitioning with passing when switching the ball throughout the field.”

Watts partially attributes the team’s lack of success to the fact that other schools’ teams have players with more lacrosse experience prior to high school. However, Watts does feel the team did compensate for the lack of experience in their overall improvement throughout the season.

“It is hard to compare us when [other teams’] players are usually in club lacrosse or have been playing for three to four years,” Watts explained. “I am pleased with how we improved on our defense and offense dramatically in the end.”

The team did not make CIF playoffs.

Sophomore Natasha Kashani led the Bay League in scoring this year with 49 goals. OLIVER GALLOP