May 20.

highlights

May 20, 2014 Volume 87, Issue 14 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com

DANNY LICHT

Bitte Orchestra

At the Instrumental Spring Concert last Thursday, May 15, Orchestra played after a jazz band and Dance Company dancers.

Board analyzes year, next year’s changes Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief Though the members of the 20132014 BHUSD Board of Education believe that they have had a successful year in terms of launching new programs, being fiscally responsible and initiating necessary change among the high-school staff and administration, the immense amount of litigation the Board must deal with obstructs its ability to fulfill its actual role in dealing with policy and

budget, according to Board President Noah Margo.

“As far as the school year is concerned, I’m proud of the STEM [Science, Technology, Education, and Math] program we approved,...the new campus safety program that we devised,...the Fund 17 endowment which allows us to stock money away for a rainy day, which may be coming sooner than we thought,” Margo said. “However, we have a lot of unresolved issues, and a majority

of these issues regard lawyers and court cases. It’s hard to do your job as a member of the Board of Education when everyone is so sue-happy all the time.”

Litigation cases the Board has had to deal with this year include ones in relation to the Metro, bonds in construction and the Beverly Hills Sports Academy, as well as continuing cases regarding special education, according to Margo.

“One thing I said coming in was

“I want to return to being the Board of Education, not the board of litigation,” Margo said. that I want to return to being the Board of Education, not the board of litigation, but that hasn’t gone my way as quickly as I wanted it to,”

Margo said. “There are a lot of cases pending that could get resolved and turn around come September, but we’re at the whim of the court system and the amount of litigation is just disheartening.”

Vice President of the Board of Education Dr. Brian Goldberg agrees with Margo in that so much wasted time and money is put into dealing with lawsuits.

“Many people see the school district continued on page

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Amendments proposed during ASB election season Jessica Lu news editor In light of the spring Associated Student Body (ASB) elections, junior Amir Kashfi has proposed new amendments to the ASB Constitution regarding the qualifications for the Student Board Member position, which currently is part of Head Row.

Kashfi, who has no previous ASB experience, originally aimed to run for the position, yet faced constitutional challenges.

His proposed changes to two of the articles, if voted through, would be the first amendments made to the Constitution in decades.

“My intention is to democratize the election process so that

more qualified applicants can run, rather than let ASB maintain an unreasonable monopoly on the position,” Kashfi said.

Currently the ASB bylaws regarding elections in Article II, Section C, state that all those running for Head Row positions must have “served in the ASB class for at least two semesters.” Under the description

of the Student Board Member’s responsibilities, “participate in Head Row” is listed as one of the duties. Kashfi’s plan is to revise these two provisions in such a way that now any juniors who meet the non-Head Row GPA and conduct requirements will be eligible to run for the position. Previous ASB experience is not required.

According to his amendments submitted to the board, “ASB’s monopoly on this critical position is illegal under the superior BHUSD Board of Education’s constitution.”

“This position is unique in that there is no real way to gain experience through ASB,” Kashfi said. continued on page

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Graduation, beyond: where the class of 2014 is going Marguerite Alberts spotlight editor Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief Dami Kim culture editor Dani Klemes web editor-in-chief Though colleges in recent years have reported a recordbreaking numbers of applications as well as record low rates of admissions, according to

education.com, many students of Beverly’s graduating class of 2014 have been accepted to toptier schools, public and private.

This year, the administration has asked Phil Chase, AcaDeca instructor, to conduct a survey of the senior class to investigate what students will be doing their first year out of high school. Sev-

enty percent of seniors at Beverly have responded to the poll so far.

“Looking at the last four years,” Chase said, “UC admissions have been comparatively difficult for BHHS students, at least based on SAT scores — the average score of a BHHS admit was from 100-200 points higher than the average admitted student.”

Furthermore, Chase has also found that of those who responded, about 7 percent were planning to attend UC schools, 7 percent Cal State schools, 4 percent private schools ranked in top 50, 6 percent private schools not ranked in top 50, 10 percent public schools outside of California, 4 percent schools of art, music or

technical skill, 51 percent community college and 11 percent had other plans, such as travel, work or the military.

All information from the surveys has yet to be verified and any interpretation may be subject to change as Chase will be continuing his research. continued on page

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS MAY 20, 2014

A YEAR IN REFLECTION

Board reflects on successes, litigation, future targets Continued from Page 1 as an easy target with deep pockets and we live in a very litigious society. People’s first reaction is to sue…[and] this requires the board to spend time and money in defending or suing in order to protect itself,” Goldberg said. “We [have also] spent a lot of energy addressing an investigation into the summer Sports Academy, which was necessary but costly in terms of time and energy taken away from other issues.”

However, achievements such as “supporting more opportunities for students to compete and engage in in extra curricular activities [such as] debate, Science Olympiad, DECA, Math Counts, ACADECA, Robotics, etc.,” has been, according to Goldberg, one of the Board’s greatest achieve-

ments this year.

Goals for next year include “rebuilding the administrative team at the high school and ensuring [that] they have the tools and resources necessary to make BHHS a positive learning environment for our students and ensure academic success,” Goldberg said.

Large changes in faculty have been made, and by next year, a new administration will take over.

Both Margo and Goldberg are confident that this change will only increase the quality of the school.

“I hope the change next year is a step forward...it’s designed to take a step forward, though things can go wrong,” Margo said. “Not knowing an outcome is a risk, but we don’t take risks. The real risk is knowing that there are members of our faculty that could be more

effective, but aren’t. Everybody deserves to have that great teacher that they rave about all the time.”

Margo believed that Beverly’s

“To be effective, we must keep focused on the big picture,” Goldberg said. former position as one of the best high schools in the country was attributed to the skilled staff that once taught at Beverly, and that the district has lost sight that the key to a high quality school is a group of high quality teachers.

“I’ve tried stressing that the most important and effective way to be successful is to have the best teach-

ers in our classrooms, and I think my colleagues are just beginning to see that,” Margo said. “Back when this school was among the best in the country, the staff was the reason, not the parking or buildings or all the other things we talk so much about; it’s the staff. We want to get to a point where students don’t complain about their teachers because everyone will learn and have that teacher they love.”

Goldberg agreed that “without great teachers who engage our students in learning a promote a positive learning environment in the classroom, our academics will not improve.”

He also stated that the “most important role our aviv struts have with regard to academic success is the evaluation of teachers.”

However, Goldberg went on to

say that it is “often hard to balance all the competing interests within the district when there are limited resources and the students live in real time, meaning they do not get a do over for any school year.”

“As a board we have to constantly be looking at the big picture and see how everything fits together in a large puzzle that is BHUSD,” Goldberg said. “To be effective, we must keep focused on the big picture which can make you very unpopular and misunderstood at times.”

However, the key to being a successful board is to exhibit effective and powerful leadership, according to Margo.

“Something I’ve learned is that leadership comes from the gut...

Sacramento doesn’t always know best.”

Amendments proposed amid spring ASB election season Continued from Page 1 In an essay he submitted to the board, Kashfi wrote, “Is it important to have someone who knows how ASB runs, when that can be taught? I believe it is more important to have someone enthusiastic and ready to learn.”

Kashfi first approached ASB with a preliminary amendment and student signatures, only later to return with a more specific revision. His final draft was presented to the Board. The Board reviewed these proposed changes at their meeting on Tuesday, May 13, with split views.

“There were strong opinions [on the Board], but the strongest seemed to agree with Amir,” ASB adviser Mark Mead said. “In my opinion, I am not for or against it.

I see myself as a facilitator.”

According to Mead, there are two ways to view the position: firstly, as a “bridge” between ASB and the Board, and secondly “as a voice of the at-large voting community.”

Kashfi voiced that he believed the Student Board Member should be a “liaison” between the school as a whole and the Board.

Head Row President Josh Schenk investigated the Student Board Member position in the last 35 years and at other neighboring high schools, and said his findings mostly supported the first viewpoint.

“There are a lot of intelligent people who are passionate about what happens [at the school],” Schenk said. “But if you were to ask them about how a certain procedure works, they might not have

that knowledge about how that stuff works. Most of the Student Board Members have been developing those skills for two or three years.”

In general, however, Schenk would support either outcome of a vote because it would represent what the student body wanted.

According to Mead, however, the vote cannot be presented to the student body yet, as there is not enough time for it to appear on the May 20 ballot. Therefore, students will be voting on Kashfi’s amendments in December.

“It’s too soon,” Mead said. “The kids on this campus don’t have enough information to make this vote.”

Mead said that in polling several students that signed Kashfi’s petition, he found many did not know what they had supported.

“There were many students who said, ‘I have no idea what I signed,’” he said. “It’s a bit concerning to go to vote when a decent number of students are uninformed. [However], I don’t think Amir did anything wrong; I’m sure he was very articulate in what he had to say.”

Kashfi said he made sure the students were given enough information to make an educated decision on whether or not to sign the petition.

“I made my intentions very clear to every student,” he said. “Upon signing, I verified with the student that they knew what they were signing.”

One such student was senior David Prokopenko, who found value in the initiatives.

“I signed it because why not? He is clearly a man on a mission and I thought it was a brave stance he was taking,” he said.

Because Kashfi’s amendments would not be passed in time, he is still ineligible to run for the yearlong position. Mead believes this turn of events removes Kashfi’s self-interest from the equation.

“Now that Amir can’t run, we can take a step back and do it the right way,” Mead said. “He and I have agreed that while he didn’t quite get what he was hoping for, I’m happy to say that at the end of it all, we’re shaking hands. He tried very valiantly and courageously.”

Although Kashfi said he was “disappointed” that his amendments will have to wait until December to appear on the ballot, he also felt confident that his changes will pass.

“I am certain by the time I graduate this change will be brought about,” Kashfi said.

Schenk voiced his support for Kashfi continuing to chase his political aspirations.

“If he wanted to continue getting signatures and petitioning and trying to get the school to pass the amendment, that’s a right that he has,” Schenk said. “ASB strongly encourages people to make amendments when they think something is wrong; it is a democratic right.”

Mead overall believes Kashfi’s actions illustrate a positive aspect on campus.

“Students getting involved with ASB politics is very healthy,” he said.

JACKSON PRINCE

Newman vs. Yadidian Jackson Prince sports editor The election for senior president is as tight as ever before, as juniors Sammy Yadidian and Daniel Newman have both run campaigns which have gone viral through the power of social media.

Newman, on Saturday, posted a video of himself playing a medley of pop hits, including “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus and “A Whole New World” from the movie “Aladdin.” He was accompanied by juniors Elliot Eghbali and Navid Simanian, who crooned madeup lyrics promoting their friend’s campaign. The video has neared 500 views in a matter of days.

The next day, Yadidian matched the piano man. After posting a video of himself interviewing randoms on the streets of Beverly Hills regarding his qualifications for the job, Yadidian managed to get NBA player Metta World Peace to endorse him, approving his presidency “as long as he didn’t elbow anybody to win the presidency… and he’s a good citizen.”

On Monday, Bleacher Report, a sports news source, picked up the story, giving the video further exposure.

This election seems to have taken advantage of the power of the online. Voting officially begins on Tuesday, May 20.

MAY 25

MAY 27-29

MAY 28

MAY 29

MAY 30

Senior Breakfast

Finals

Senior Awards Night

Last day of school

Graduation

HIGHLIGHTS NEWS MAY 20, 2014

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REMEMBERING RETIREES

Board of Education implements new admin changes Audrey Park staff writer Braden Bochner staff writer The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education currently has two open positions to fill for high school assistant principals due to the retirement of House C Assistant Principal Toni Staser, the resignation of House B Assistant Principal Regina Zurbano and the non-renewal of House A Assistant Principal Amy Golden’s contract.

“As a result of a retirement, a resignation and a non-renewal of a contract, Beverly has three open assistant principal positions to fill, one of which we filled with Michelle Halimi,” Superintendent Gary Woods said.

Woods gave an overview of the

Board’s next steps.

“We have over 80 applicants for the other two open positions,” he said. “We will interview top candidates and hopefully complete the process in June.”

Although the change may currently present a challenge, Woods is “very confident” that the district will be successful in filling in each of the remaining spots by selecting a “top candidate.”

“We are always looking for ways to improve the way we deliver our educational program at BHHS,” Woods said, also adding that “the new assistant principals will bring new energy and possibly new ideas.”

As a current board member, Lewis Hall hopes to be successful in driving Beverly into a more pos-

itive direction for the subsequent years.

“I strive to make positive changes that will move Beverly to the forefront of academic excellence.

[This] will help admit its students to the best colleges and universities and that will make the school a beacon for other schools to emulate,” Hall said in a description of his goals.

Junior Cathie Leon believes that having Halimi as an assistant principal next year will have a positive impact on the school environment.

“I personally do not think that we need three vice principals in this school. We just need one assistant principal that knows who we are and can talk to us,” Leon said.

She also saw an added benefit in having a previous teacher, one who has taught at Beverly for several years, take on the administrative role.

“It’s good that one of the principals is going to be a teacher because she knows how we act and what we want to change. She can relate to us.”

Although Zurbano decided to resign after the spring semester ends, she said she is “proud” of the work she has done at Beverly this year.

“Though I made the decision to resign, I wish the school, its students and their families and the staff much continued success as our paths diverge and I move forward in my career,” Zurbano said.

Zurbano also expressed gratitude for the experiences she was able to have as an administrator during her year here.

“I thank the Board of Education and the district administration for the opportunity that I was given this year to work here as a site administrator at Beverly,” she added.

Despite the current circumstances, Golden can say that she has loved the time she spent at Beverly.

“I will cherish the relationships I have formed with faculty, students and community members,” Golden said.

The board has yet to select possible candidates for the remaining positions for the 2014-2015 school year.

Toni Staser

Audrey Park staff writer After 10 years as the assistant principal in House C, Toni Staser will be retiring this spring. Staser began her career at El Rodeo School as a choral music teacher.

She then taught eighth grade social studies, worked as assistant

amazing to look at many of this year’s seniors and being able to remember watching them walk into their first day of kindergarten.”

Staser decided to retire after the spring semester because she believed it was time for her to move onto a new chapter in her life.

“Everyone tells you as you work through the years, that one day you will just know when it’s time to retire. It’s true,” Staser said. “As I ended last year, AUDREY PARK and started up this fall, I knew it was time to begin wrapping principal at El Rodeo and then up and moving onto the next adcame to Beverly in 2004.

“For years I worked with so venture.”

After working for 20 years, Stamany talented students preparing shows for the ER community,” ser is glad to had the opportunity Staser said. “It was also always to work at a “great school with a thrill to see a large number of amazing students and staff memthe students move on and con- bers.”

“I absolutely loved teaching for tinue participating in the music program at BHHS. It’s pretty the 20 years I spent in the class-

room and I have appreciated serving as an administrator and working with not only students, but with staffs and families,” Staser said. “My closest friends are those people I met while working in BHUSD. You count yourself very lucky to have a job where you are surrounded by people that truly have become a part of your family.”

Staser hopes that she is remembered for genuinely working hard to help both the students and staff members on campus be successful.

“I would hope that students would remember that I truly cared about them, handled issues immediately and was a good listener with a good sense of humor,” Staser said. “As for the staff, [I hope] that they could always depend on me to be there for them and to assist with any issue. As for my legacy in the District, just that there

was a teacher and administrator who loved being here, attending all the events and spending time with the students, staff and families.”

Senior Arielle Shalom remembers feeling better after talking to Staser about how stressful her workload was during her junior year.

“It was always nice to see Ms. Staser greet and smile at students in the hallways,” Shalom said.

“She was always there for me whenever I needed help regarding anything. I remember feeling more confident and relieved after listening to her advice on how I should manage my classes.”

As of now, Staser has no immediate plans for the future. She “really looks forward” to the simple things, such as not having an alarm clock set for the early morning hours or creating her own schedule to follow.

Diane Hale Dami Kim culture editor After 14 years of working at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), 13 years of working at Santa Barbara City College as a college counselor, six years of working at San Marcos High School and 10 years of working at Beverly Hills High School as a high school counselor, Head Counselor Diane Hale will be retiring this year.

“If you do the math,” Hale said, “I think that it’s time [to retire]. I probably will seek opportunities part-time at community college, teaching a college success class and consulting.”

Having graduated from UCSB with a bachelor’s degree in English, Hale initially wanted to become an elementary teacher.

However, subsequent to substituting a third grade class, Hale realized that she could not “handle the little kids anymore.”

“It was when I substituted a sixth grade class that I realized that some of the students had some really personal issues. This sparked an interest for me in counseling,” Hale said. “I really enjoyed dealing more with the feelings of the students and trying to empower them to be the best that they could be.”

After working at UCSB as a graduate counselor and a Senior Student Affairs Officer, Hale became a full time counselor at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) for eight years.

“In the community college system, you are working with students from all ages and all backgrounds, from 16 years of age to 90 years of age,” Hale said. “They have so many different experiences and to me that was really, really exciting.”

However, while working at SBCC and observing students without a high school diploma, Hale be-

came interested in figuring out why so many students did not graduate from high school. She decided to apply to work at San Marcos High School for a fulltime position while simultaneously working at SBCC to coordinate an educational program in which a student could earn their high school diploma while completing a two year degree or preparing to transfer.

“In high school, you work with the students a little bit differently because you really are trying to guide them and helping to self discover what it is that they want to do,” Hale said. “But at community college, [the students] pretty much begin to realize [what they want].”

In the summer of 2004, Hale moved back to her hometown, Los Angeles, due to her mother’s illness and applied to work at Beverly Hills High School as a counselor. After working at Beverly for

AUDREY PARK

10 years, Hale hopes that she has inspired all of the students that she has been in contact with.

“I hope that students will strive to reach [their] highest aspiration, broaden awareness of all those opportunities,” she said with a smile. “For my graduating seniors, strive to do more and give

back to your high school and your community.”

Hale left special advice to her colleagues: “Remember: we are a team,” Hale said. “Together, everyone achieves the mission; that is the counseling slogan that I have given to the department.”

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS MAY 20, 2014

Jason Newman

One of the things Newman will cherish from his time at Beverly is the relationships he formed with his students. He views the time he spent with his students as a privilege.

“What sort of encapsulates everything is the feeling that I have when I see former students and the fact that we are able to enjoy each other’s company,” Newman said.

He recalled one instance in particular in the recent past.

“The other day I saw a former student at a golf course and I asked him how old he was,” Newman recounted. “I expected him to say 37. He’s 51.”

Senior Lydia Choi is sad about Newman leaving the school and golf program, but glad that she had the chance spend her high school golf career under his coaching.

“My most memorable experience with the coach was taking

him to State in November. It was my last year at Beverly and it was the first time I had ever made it to State so it was pretty meaningful,” Choi said. “He was a great coach and the golf program will never be the same without him.”

Newman decided to retire after he realized that “nobody’s guaranteed tomorrow.”

“I’m 62 years old now,” Newman said. “I want to see what else there is in the world. I figured it was time for me to do it, and from a financial standpoint I would make less money by working next year than I would if I retired.”

Newman hopes to leave Beverly knowing that students will know he’s an honest person who genuinely cared for them.

“I hope that people would say at the end of the day that I related to people in an honest way,” Newman said.

Newman said he hoped to have made an impact on students even outside of the athletic department.

“I cared about all my students, not just the successful students,” he said. “I cared about my kids in physical education and the kids who weren’t so skilled on the teams.”

Newman hopes to travel the world with his wife. He plans to come to future Beverly games and cherish the memories of his “good fortune at Beverly.”

I got to be in the movie [as the principal],” Hall said.

Hall advises the next performing arts teacher to “not sleep and be patient.”

“Keep the work professional so the kids learn how to be professionals. We don’t do generic high school theatre. We have a highlevel of talent here,” Hall said.

Hall treasures his time at Beverly and hopes that he left a positive impact on all of his students.

“I hope that all the kids that I have trained have learned what it is like to be a professional and how to be good people. One of my rules always has been that there be no actors with attitude. I hope they remember that no matter what,” Hall said.

Despite the fact that Hall will be retiring, he remains passionate about teaching theatre.

“I am still very enthusiastic about teaching and have not lost that. I love what I do, but I have been teaching for so many years that it’s just time,” Hall said.

Junior Yassi Noubahar reflected on how Hall has helped her become a better actress over the years.

“Hall challenged me a lot and made me step out of my comfort zone, which helped me find my abilities as an actress,” Noubahar said. “Hall has different ways of getting you to understand your role and, when you do, you feel amazing.”

Hall will continue to pursue acting as well as screenwriting in his retirement.

“I plan on being busy. My wife and I planned a large trip across the country. I plan on starting to do more screenwriting and acting,” Hall said.

AUDREY PARK

Audrey Park staff writer Beverly alumnus, Athletic Director, Golf Coach and Dean of Discipline Jason Newman will retire after the spring semester.

Newman has been part of the Beverly community since he was a child and has worked at Beverly for 39 years.

Newman was first inspired to take a job at Beverly as a coach when he went back to see his former coach at the high school, who recommended that Newman pursue the career path.

“I had come back from a short attempt to play professional basketball in Israel, and when I got back it was too late to start law school, which I had already been accepted to,” Newman said, “so I came back home and visited my former high school coach and he said, ‘Why don’t you coach with me this year and see how you like education?’ I never left.”

Herb Hall Juliette Deutsch social media dir.

Performing Arts Dept. Chair Herb Hall has decided to take his last bow with the announcement of his retirement, leaving his Introduction to Theatre, Drama Lab and Theatre Arts Workshop families. Throughout his 28 years at Beverly, Hall has directed every show, from Shakespeare in the Salter Theatre to “Fiddler on the Roof” in the K.L. Peters Auditorium.

Hall was recruited to teach straight out of college. While he instructed acting classes in San Diego, Hall also pursued his own acting career, and then moved to Los Angeles to advance his passion.

“I moved to LA to do the starving-actor thing. I was hired as a speech coach first and, when [the] theatre position opened up [at Beverly], I interviewed and got the job,” Hall said.

Overall, Hall’s fondest memories from Beverly have been drawn from working with his students in the production of the various fall plays and spring musicals.

“All of the shows have been an amazing experience,” Hall said.

One of his best memories comes from his involvement with the movie “Clueless.”

“Amy Heckel came here to do her research for ‘Clueless’ in my classroom. The speech teacher in ‘Clueless’ is named Mr. Hall, and

AUDREY PARK

MAX STAHL

Jane Wortman Max Stahl comment editor Jane Wortman lectures with expertise and a passion for mathematics. She makes connections that reveal the hidden innerworkings of her subject material and challenges students to reconsider the big picture. She inspires not just success among her students, but creativity, as well. And now, after 38 years teaching here, she has decided to retire.

“There’s this optimal age, and I’m very close to it. The timing seemed right,” Wortman said. “It seemed like it was time for phase three, whatever phase three might be.”

Indeed, although there are some things Wortman will be able to do with her newfound free time — traveling, reading the entire newspaper every day, emptying her DVR, cleaning her garage — she currently has no fixed plans.

“Maybe I’ll start acting,” she said. “Who knows? I always figured I’ve been acting for 38 years with a captive audience every day. [The students] don’t even get to leave.”

Wortman had known that she wanted to be a math teacher since she was in the second grade.

While working toward her masters at UCLA, she got a part-time job at Beverly co-teaching math workshop, a worksheet-based class that is no longer offered.

The next semester, she got her own class, and the semester after that she was hired as a full-time teacher.

As a full-time staffmember, Wortman has taught every math class in the school except AP Statistics. She moved into the upper-level courses as the teachers who had been in charge of them retired, and since 1997 she has taught AP Calculus, Beverly’s most advanced math class. In addition, she has served as Math Dept. chair and coached softball, basketball and Academic Decathlon.

According to Wortman, the past 38 years here have “just been wonderful.” She remembers one class she taught early in her career that produced some of her favorite memories from this school.

“I guess maybe my third or fourth year teaching second-year algebra — and I was being ob-

served by our department chair at the time, and we were talking about angle of descent versus angle of inclination. And somebody had an airplane coming down from 10,000 feet in about 50 feet because they reversed the angle of inclination, and I made some comment like, ‘Oh my God your plane is dive-bombing into the ground!’ and my department chair made a comment: ‘very good way of teaching.’ So that was good,” Wortman said, laughing. “And from that same class I think I introduced factorials by writing the number four with the exclamation point on the board, and screaming, ‘You don’t read this, FOUR!’ And about 10 years later somebody in that class came back and said, ‘You know the only thing I remember from your class was when you screamed “four” at us.’ I said, ‘Oh, terrific, that’s all you remember.’”

But, of course, many students have remembered more from Wortman’s classes than that.

Wortman also reflected on visits from former students. Hearing back from those students is one of her favorite things about the job.

“Students have come back and made comments like, ‘You made things very understandable. I really got it in your class.’ And that’s always very satisfying, that you’re never quite sure if what you hope you’re sending out there gets picked up quite the way you want it to, but it’s nice when people come back and tell you that, sure enough, you did the job well,” she said. “I just get excited when my kids do well.”

As far as advice for other teachers, Wortman recommends staying up to date with developing teaching practices and keeping an open mind to different methodologies.

“Teaching is not a mechanical thing. It is personality- and content-driven. And if you don’t get that mesh between personalities, between the students and the teacher, then it becomes adversarial, and no matter how much content you know, it’s hard for there to be teaching. So I try and figure out ways for teachers and students to have a way to connect, and it’s different for everybody; we’re not all the same,” she said. “Being able to problemsolve is hopefully something that people will remember me for.”

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS MAY 20, 2014

Stewart Horowitz

Audrey Park staff writer When Stewart Horowitz began his teaching career in 1985 he had always planned to retire after 30 years of teaching. While Horowitz was at Beverly, he has taught various history courses, such as world history and United States history, elected as president of the Teach-

of [this] school year.”

Horowitz became interested in teaching after talking to a group of people he worked with in Washington, D.C., for a campaign of a senator who was trying to run for president at the time.

“I was sitting around with a bunch of people and talked about where we should all go from here,” Horowitz said. “The campaign was finished and a few people started talking about how they always planned to become AUDREY PARK teachers and the fact that their ers Union and elected as the Bevparents were teachers. I then erly Hills Education Foundation came up to California and looked (BHEF) president. into what it would take and decid“I knew two years ago that I was ed to go ahead and get my teachgoing to retire this year,” Horowing credential and get another deitz said. “I planned to retire in gree in history.”

2015, however when I ran for the After about 30 years of teaching, BHEF presidency in 2013, I dethe historical tragedies Horowitz cided to do the two year term as encountered stand out to him the president and then retire when most. the term is up, which is at the end

“My most memorable moments while teaching were going to school when the Challenger Explosion happened in 1986 or on the day of Sept. 11, 2001, and meeting with students when they got to school and seeing what was going on,” Horowitz said.

Although Horowitz claimed that there isn’t one specific memory that stays with him, there were many positive highlights of his teaching career.

“It was really exciting when, after my first year of teaching European history, the advanced placement test results came back and they were really excellent,” Horowitz said. “I also remember becoming BHEF president in a very close election in 1996. I was also enjoyed being the academic decathlon coach for seven years.”

Horowitz hopes to leave the school knowing that the students

in his class all gained a knowledge of their respective history courses.

“I want the students who took my history classes to have learned something that’ll stay with them over the years,” Horowitz said.

“Beyond that, I don’t think that most teachers leave much of a legacy. Four years later, there’s not a single student who knows who you are.”

Senior Brenda Mehdian remembers learning a lot in World History Honors with Horowitz during her freshman year.

“He was a really good lecturer so it made the class enjoyable,” Mehdian said.

As of now, Horowitz hasn’t made any specific plans for the future. He hopes to work on fixing his condo, sleep more, take better care of himself and make more permanent plans by the end of the year.

John Borsum Braden Bochner staff writer After 37 years as a dedicated faculty member, math teacher John Borsum has decided to retire. Borsum did not plan to retire this year, however, he found that “the district offered ‘seasoned’ teachers a monetary incentive to retire.”

As a high school student, Borsum already aspired to one day teach math as a high school teacher for his career. After visiting Beverly in 1971, he was intrigued at the possibility of teaching at the school.

“When I was a junior in high school, I came to Beverly to watch my high school [Millikan High School in Long Beach] basketball team play in the Beverly Hills Invitational,” Borsum said.

“We won the tournament, and I thought it would be great to come teach here.”

Borsum joined Beverly’s faculty in 1977, six years after his initial visit. Since obtaining the job, Borsum has taught at the school full time, as well as coached the mathematics team and Academic Decathlon. Borsum was also once the Director of Student Activities.

“One of my favorite memories is when my students in Academic Decathlon won the LA County Championships, and placed high at the State competitions,” Borsum said.

Borsum also treasures memories of traveling with students on school-sponored trips to Europe, as well as supporting his students by watching them participate in all sorts of school-related activities like sports, musicals and plays.

“I really do believe that I have touched many lives in a very positive way. I’ve always enjoyed the satisfaction I receive when former

students return to tell me how helpful I was to them when they went to college and into their careers,” Borsum said.

When looking back at his career, Borsum is proud of the way he opened up students to mathematics through teaching the subject.

“Mr. Borsum made math my favorite class,” senior Michael Simozar said.

Helping students appreciate math and seeing them continue to further explore it beyond high school has been a highlight of Borsum’s career.

“I am proud to teach mathematics, and to help students appreciate mathematics,” Borsum said. “I am fortunate to see many of my students go on to major in mathematics in college,” Borsum said.

Borsum also reflects fondly on time he spent interacting with his students in the classroom and

AUDREY PARK

getting to know them not only academically, but personally as well.

“I’m fortunate to join many teachers from Beverly Hills and elsewhere who have worked hard to help our students with not only our subject matter, but with the many issues that teenagers encounter during their years in high

school,” Borsum said.

As for his future plans, Borsum plans to take some time for himself and work on his trilingual skills.

“I’m hoping to have time to travel, work on projects around my house, read and try to improve my French and Spanish,” Borsum said.

Steve Rappaport

Zoe Kenealy staff writer Soccer coach and ROP Director Steve Rappaport will be retiring at the end of the spring semester.

Despite not returning to the staff next year, Rappaport plans on staying present on campus in order to maintain connection with the future of ROP.

initially an unexpected path to take, was a good decision as the position gave him the opportunity to work with teenagers and prepare him for involvement with ROP. “Twenty-six years ago when I was encouraged to coach boys soccer I thought it was a nuts idea, and the last thing I would have thought to do,” Rappaport said. “I went in for an interview and decided to take the opportunity to coach the summer team, ZOE KENEALY surprisingly. It was around 1995 that I began working with ROP as a teacher and in 2002 I became Rappaport has been at Beverly the director.” for 26 years and it is this longAs director of ROP, Rappaport lasting career, along with the jumped at the opportunity the newly offered package from the first year he held the position to district, that prompted Rapparedesign Beverly’s Career Day. port to take his leave. As his emInstead of offering students only ployment with Beverly comes to one period in which a rotarian a close, Rappaport feels that his would speak about his or her cacareer as an instructor, though reer regardless of the students’

career interests, Career Day now offers three periods of interestbased seminars in addition to an opening assembly, which brings in several guest speakers, who are oftentimes alumni and wellknown community figures. For Rappaport, Career Day is his “pride and joy” as he says his goodbyes to Beverly ROP. “I am glad that Rappaport altered Career Day to what it is now. The first Career Day I ever participated in was very helpful, and actually is what got me seriously thinking about being a talent agent,” junior Myra Molloy said. “If I had to sit and listen to a doctor speak to me about his career I would be unhappy and be wasting my time because I have no interest whatsoever in pursuing the medical field, so the way Career Day works now is great.”

Now that his time at Beverly has run its course, Rappaport plans

on using his retirement to further his involvement with the Concern Foundation, a local foundation that works toward raising money and awareness for cancer. Rappaport himself is a cancer survivor and sees the foundation as a way to help a cause he remains close to.

In addition to expanding his efforts with the Concern Foundation, Rappaport plans on starting up a foundation, an aspiration that he was not able to attend to years ago. The foundation will work with teenagers to further their knowledge on sports marketing.

Rappaport hopes to leave Beverly with an ROP that continues to grow in the direction it has been under his management.

Rappaport also would like to see the boys soccer team maintain its current reputation as a strong and dedicated team on campus.

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HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT MAY 20, 2014

The path to graduation and beyond: where Is the class of 2014 going?

Continued from Page 1

University of Washington Whitman College

The Ivies Six students from Beverly will be attending Ivy League universities next fall.

The Ivies are a collection of eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. Though the Ivy League schools, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania and Yale, are part of a collegiate athletic conference comprised of sports teams, these schools are now known worldwide for their rigorous academics, competitive admissions process and “social elitism,” according to the New York Times.

“It feels amazing to get into an Ivy, especially since the competition is so fierce each year,” senior Alex Massachi, who will be attending the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, said. “I started jumping and screaming when I first read the decision…Penn was my first choice.”

Senior Max Stahl, who will be attending Princeton University, had a more “surreal” experience when he was notified of his acceptances to all three Ivies that he had applied to, Columbia, Princeton and Yale, and he believes that learning of his acceptances has changed him.

“Now that I’ve had time to get used to the idea that all three schools somehow wanted me to go there, my attitude has changed a little,” Stahl said. “I still forget sometimes how incredibly cool it is that I got accepted to such great colleges, but most of the time I just feel honored to have been able to choose between Princeton and Yale. Not because they’re Ivies, exactly, but because they’re both incredible schools.”

Though Stahl and Massachi will be attending their first choice schools next fall, seniors Mehrzad Farnoosh and Ryan Whitfield, who will be attending Columbia and Princeton, respectively, had once hoped to attend Stanford University in Northern California.

“I didn’t get into Stanford, but I got into Princeton and couldn’t imagine being any happier,” Whitfield said. “I’m just excited about the college experience overall. I’m looking forward to receiving a great education and enjoying the beautiful campus at Princeton.”

Farnoosh is most excited that his acceptances affirm his “hard work throughout [his] childhood and teenage years.”

“When I first read the acceptance, I started freaking out and crying ‘Mom, Mom, Mom, your son is going to be an Ivy League man,’” Farnoosh said. “My parents were very excited.”

Although Farnoosh looks forward to joining a community with the “prestige and academic strength” of an Ivy, he does not believe that the college he attends will give him a “free ticket to success.”

“Studies have shown that state schools can give graduates the same income level as Ivy League graduates later on in life,” Farnoosh said. “Being admitted to an Ivy also doesn’t make a student extra special. It’s basically a lottery. A lot of seniors choose not to apply thinking they are not up to snuff, but that’s a defeatist attitude.”

Bard College Columbia University Hofstra University NYU Pace University Parsons The New School for Design St. John’s University Culinary Institute of America Vassar College Syracuse University Stony Brook University

Boston University Berkelee College of Music Brandeis University Emerson College Northeastern University Tufts University

Cal Lutheran Chapman University University of Wisconsin, Madison CSUN CSUDH University of Oregon CSLB Lewis and Clark College CSU Sonoma Indiana University LMU SMC American University USC Norwich University Georgetown University Northwestern University USF University of Vermont George Washington University University of Chicago UC Davis Howard University University of Illinois at Chicago University of Arizona UC Santa Barbera University of Pennsylvania Northern Arizona University UC San Diego Lafayette College Arizona State University UC Santa Cruz Muhlenberg College UC Berkeley UCLA WLCC Emory University SBCC Tulane University Georgia Southern Unviersity Pierce Community College FIDM Rice University Pasedena Community College UT Austin Cal Poly San Louis Obispo University of Mississippi Southern Methodist University Cal Poly Pomona Oberlin College Delgado Community College Princeton University Otis College CU Boulder Whittier College College of the Canyons Humboldt State University

UNLV

Washington University in St. Louis

Yale University

University of Montana

MARGUERITE ALBERTS MICHELLE BANAYAN

70 percent of the senior class was surveyed

Still, Farnoosh feels that the internships, job opportunities, alumni networks and the level of resources and money per student at an Ivy is what separates the eight institutions from the rest in America.

Stahl agrees that the resources, community and level of academic excellence is what has always attracted him to the Ivies.

“For one, they offer world-class education. They also have extensive resources, so if you want to start a club or go on a trip or something, you can probably get your school to pay for it.

You also get to hang out with some of the brightest kids in America--in the world, actually,” Stahl said. “I think we’ve reached a point where an Ivy League degree can’t get you everywhere in life anymore, but as far as degrees go, they’re still pretty impressive. Also, every Ivy has a beautiful campus, and they all have these great histories that you get to be a part of.”

However, Stahl believes the disadvantages of attending an Ivy League can rival its advantages. “[Some Ivies] have such big gradu-

ate schools that they often don’t focus strongly enough on undergrads….

[Also], some of them — all of them, actually — tend to be pretty full of themselves. It’s hard to keep a level head at an Ivy. I have friends who do a pretty great job of it, but walking around those campuses, you can tell not everyone is,” Stahl said. “Another con is that going to an Ivy League college allows some people to wall themselves into the American elite and tend not to associate with middle and lower class Americans....

Also the Ivies, with the exception of Columbia and maybe a couple others, are more conservative than the kind of school I thought I’d be going to, but maybe that’ll teach me to have an open mind. Or I’ll just hang out only with the members of the Princeton United Left and throw eggs at everybody else.”

Study Abroad Though most students search for study abroad opportunities in their third year of college, students like seniors Mabel Kabani and Max Stahl will be starting their college experience in

a foreign country next year. Funded by their respective colleges, Princeton University and George Washington University (GW), Kabani and Stahl will embark on a challenging adventure in a completely new environment.

Similarly, Kabani will be spending a whole year in Paris, France, through an inaugural writing program sponsored by the School of Media and Public Affairs at GW. The Paris program “puts a new spin on a traditional course,” Kabani mentioned. A class in archaeology includes a trip to Greece, while students who take classes on fashion will attend Parisian fashion shows.

“I feel like the four years of college are the only years in which a person can be so free to do and learn whatever he or she wants. I want to be able to take classes in Neuroscience and Ancient Civilizations and be a part of debate club, and get internships in fields I don’t even want to pursue and meet amazing people that are so different from me just to be able to learn,” she said.

Despite the numerous options offered to Kabani in Paris, as of now, she will pursue her main interest in the field of

journalism under her major in Political Journalism.

“Nothing is for sure, of course,” Kabani said. “I’m just hoping GW helps me realize what I want to do with my life because just eight years ago, I wanted to be a professional ballerina.”

The Bridge Year Program at Princeton University, partnered with Intrax ProWorld, offers various development projects at Urubamba, Peru, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Participants of the program live with homestay families while working on “small-scale, grassroots projects,” learning Spanish and possibly Quechua and exploring Incan ruins and Peru’s history. Princeton will announce the participants on June 12.

Though hesitant at first, Stahl decided to apply to the program after realizing that it was “just what [he] was looking for.”

“After four really stressful years in high school, I think a year without required reading or deadlines on writing assignments will be really good for me,” Stahl said. “A really important thing, I think, is that the program will give me some much-needed perspective.”

With his passion for writing, Stahl hopes to return to Princeton with a “better understanding of humanity.”

“From [the program] hopefully I’d end up with an unforgettable experience, something I can tell stories about for the rest of my life. And I’m pretty sure that if I get accepted, by the end of the program I’ll be fluent in Spanish, and I’ll have plenty of material to write about,” Stahl said.

Out of Country Taking full advantage of his bilingual and multicultural heritage, senior Yusei Koizumi will be attending the Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, for the next four years. Based on the Japanese college system, Koizumi applied to a Global Political Science and Economics major at the Waseda’s School of Political Science and Economics to pursue the “global business endeavor.”

“I hope I’ll be able to understand and master everything they throw at me so I can have a better chance at being successful in the future,” Koizumi said.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to learn how to bring together global companies by

knowing both sides of the business, Asian and American, or better, be able to create an Asian company that would appeal to the global world and vice versa.”

Though Koizumi anticipates Waseda University’s academic rigor and cultural enrichment, he plans to return to America after his four years to earn a master’s degree in business.

Gap Year An increasingly popular alternative to attending a four year university or two year community college is taking a gap year, according to statistical data from americangap.org. Students taking a gap year, a year-long break from formal work, have the option of pursuing various non-work related activities including travel and volunteer programs.

The lure behind gap years is that they require no intricate design; students taking a gap year have the liberty of choosing what they want to do during their time off without the pressure of a preconceived structure.

According to G. Jeffrey MacDonald in his USA Today article “Gap year before

college gives grads valuable life experience,” “gap years should be crafted with clear goals in mind,” which is what senior Justin Kim is in the process of figuring out.

May 1 was “National College Decision Day,” as coined by various college counselors and universities across the country, marking the day when college deposits are due and high school seniors must commit to a school and finalize their college plans.

May 1 was a big decision day for Kim as well, but not in the same sense. After receiving the results of his college applications, Kim was “disappointed.”

Kim chose the schools he applied to based on “visits and the information he got from websites and college forums” and claimed he “didn’t have any expectations” going into the application process.

“I had originally planned on going to law school and eventually pursuing a career in politics, so when I started high school I was eager to join clubs such as Model United Nations and start volunteering at NAKASEC [National Korean American Service & Education Consortium],” Kim said.

Due to his circumstances, Kim decided to take a gap year, and though his plans are still “up in the air,” he hopes to work in Washington, D.C., and “eventually get an internship” during his year off.

A gap year is, technically, a year off from formal education, but for Kim, idleness isn’t an option. “[If anything, my college application results] only made me more determined to work harder,” Kim said.

While Kim is using his gap year to pursue a more open-ended path, other students in the U.S. are signing up for structured programs including City Year Chicago, a volunteer program in which students mentor Chicago public school students to guide them in their education and prevent them from dropping out, and AmeriCorps, a program in which students perform a variety of community service activities including building affordable housing and tutoring disabled or disadvantaged children.

Students who wish to travel abroad during their gap year are seeking opportunities through AFS (American Field Service) which include exchange programs where students are able to live with a host family in a foreign country.

One organization, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), organizes the placement of volunteers on international organic farms. Drawn by the program’s attention to “sustainable agriculture,” senior Zoe Zelkha is planning to use her gap year to work on a farm.

“I really want farming experience and I want to learn about different cultures and different people,” Zelkha said. “Initially, taking a gap year was weird because I’ve never had to plan my own time in so much detail before, but it’s gotten easier and I’m really happy I [chose to do this].”

The Arts Multiple students will be exercising their creative talents next year by attending schools and participating in programs focused on the arts.

Seniors Anthony Lofaso and Ariella Maman will be remaining in the Los Angeles area to concentrate on acting and dancing, respectively.

Lofaso will be sharpening his skills in dramatic and theatre acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

“This school is an acting conservatory that holds classes such as vocal/stage technique, dance movement, film/TV study, Shakespeare acting, stage combat, intensive acting, and script analysis,” Lofaso said.

Maman, however, will be attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).

“I want to continue dancing because it’s my passion and I still have a lot to learn,” Maman said. “I found a school that will help strengthen my skills and grow in all areas of dance.”

Unlike the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, AMDA is a four-year program. However, Maman intends to finish within two years by taking courses over the summer.

“It just makes more sense to continue dancing throughout the summer because I’m going to be dancing every day and it would be more beneficial towards my health and body to continue in that constant schedule,” Maman said.

In contrast to Lofaso and Maman, who will stay in state to continue learning about dramatic arts, senior Adar Thau will hopefully be taking classes at the Museum of Art in Boston while majoring in behavioral neuroscience at Northeastern University.

Military Service Some students have decided to postpone the standard forms of education in favor of one that involves military training. More than a few students have chosen to go into the United States Military or the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).

Next year, senior Jacob Jahr will be attending Norwich University which has a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

ROTC is a college-based program for training officers of the military.

“I choose Norwich University...it has a great army ROTC program and I will be able to play NCAA lacrosse,” Jahr said.

Joining the American defense forces in some capacity, either involving the military or the paramilitary, has been a life-long dream of Jahr’s.

“I want to serve our country and promote freedom and equality to other countries,” Jahr said.

Senior Inbar Avrahami will be continuing the family tradition of joining the IDF, where she intends to put her linguistic skills to use.

“I speak to delegates and diplomats that come to Israel,” Avrahami said.

Avrahami is also excited to learn more about the Israeli culture and hopefully figure out what she is passionate about along the way.

“I hope to gain new experiences, make new friends and experience a culture completely different from America’s,” Avrahami said.

Both Jahr and Avrahami hope to gain skills in leadership that they will put to use throughout their lives.

“The army is this amazing experience that I think really matures you and prepares you for the adult world,” Avrahami said.

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HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE MAY 20, 2014

Assistance for assistants

Summer internships for students staying in town this summer UCLA For those students who are interested in science and are looking for a challenge, UCLA has a variety of internships available to high school students. The Nano Science Lab is an exclusive five-day summer workshop that deals with advanced science and technology and is limited to 30 interns. Those students who are able to qualify for the internship will gain access to lectures and discussion, participate in hands-on experiments, train with scientific instruments and get scientific career mentorship. Students who complete this program will also receive two quarter units of UCLA course credit. In addition, UCLA hosts the Science Mathematics Achievement and Research Technology for Students Program (SMARTS) program in which 30-40 high school students take six weeks of college preparatory classes. Some of the students who participate in SMARTS will also be able to join the Research Apprentice Program, which is a paid summer internship. Students must currently be enrolled in 10th or 11th grade, have taken Algebra II or Calculus, be a U.S. citizen, and must be able to commute to and from campus. To learn more about either of these two programs visit http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/high-school.

Courtesy of UCLA

LACMA

Starz Entertainment

Students with a more artistic side should be please to hear that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) also offers a high school student internship program. The High School Internship program allows a small group of students from the Los Angeles area to explore the world of the museum and its exhibitions. Through training sessions that emphasize teaching techniques and public speaking skills, students receive knowledge about how to conduct exhibition and gallery tours. Once a week throughout the school year, these students will work at the museum to learn the ins and outs of LACMA. Interns participate in special projects and are equipped with the tools to give tours to their peers in the spring.

Students are also able to get up close and personal with local artists and work on their own pieces of artwork, a chance to express their own identity. This internship program is funded by the Winnick Family Foundation and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Students interested in the entertainment field can apply for a summer internship at two different departments of Starz Entertainment. The photo department at Starz Entertainment is offering a three to five month internship through which students can “gain exposure and insight into the ordering, distribution, organiCourtesy of STARZ ENTERTAINMENT zation and management of the Starz Original Programming episodic, gallery and behind the scenes imagery,” their website says. Students will organize PDF files for marketing, assist with in-house imagery requests and more. Students intending to apply must have knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office applications. Students with backgrounds in photography are preferred.

Starz Entertainment is also offering a summer internship for its distribution department. Similar to the photo department, this three to five month internship allows students to “participate in the fulfillment of television series and feature distribution both domestically and internationally and support the efforts of the Distribution team in overall operations.” Students will coordinate distribution information, duplicate DVD screeners, assist in barcoding, label and track foreign language elements and more. Students must have a basic understanding of film and television post-production processes, knowledge of HD and SD tape, ability to multitask and be familiar with Microsoft Word and Excel.

For more information, visit https://www.velvetjobs.com/id/featuredjob/media/ guest/15998.

Courtesy of LACMA

Brenda Mehdian and Eunice Kim

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT MAY 20, 2014

9

Exploring the value of the high-school experience Robert Katz web editor-in-chief The end of high school is sort of a weird place to be. I always assumed I wouldn’t get this far (not that I had a specific reason for why I wouldn’t reach this point). I just assumed that the end of high school was “over there,” and I was “here,” and “here” would just never be “over there.” But, as it turns out, I was wrong about this just like I was wrong about the end of elementary school, the end of middle school.

Well, we’re “over there,” and that leaves 481 of us looking back, which is weird enough. It feels a bit like what I imagine the Rapture feels like, with lots of nervous fidgeting and social loose ends to tie up and people setting buildings on fire (on a serious note, we should give ourselves a big pat on the back for not pulling fire alarms every 15 min-

utes).

So what was the point of four years of high school?

For many of us in the Class of 2014, they were a good four years.

We made friends, we learned legitimately cool things and we found out that, hey, the onset of global warming doesn’t feel so bad yet!

Although now might be a good time to consider moving away from the coast.

Maybe for some of us, it wasn’t a good four years. Or parts of those four years really sucked. Four years is a long time, especially for teenagers, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t had one or two letdowns on the way to adulthood.

Regardless of whether or not you’ll one day look back fondly on your years at Beverly, you probably changed. You definitely went through puberty, which is a very fun process that you may have

coasted through, emerging softly from the silken chryssalis of youth as a fantastic emperor butterfly of an adolescent young man or woman. Or, like me, you were hit in the face for over six years with a cinder block wrapped in pepperoni pizzas.

And that’s without a KFC corsage.

So, the value of high school may not have been to learn to love your body — even though you totally should, because you aren’t getting another one (that might be a different story for you, Class of 2017).

You probably learned a lot. Even with all the shifting of courses over the last four years, Beverly has had a lot of educational and extracurricular options which may have not only broadened your view of the world, but also pointed you toward a very viable professional path.

Then again, you might be entering college as undecided, which is okay too, even if everyone at your lunch table is already interning at NASA

Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Let’s leave that one on the table. I like the “learning” angle.

But beyond academics, high school comes with a rather unique takeaway: What happens when the system backfires? When we join too many AP classes or clubs to handle because we really want some person sitting in an office on a college campus in upstate New York to look at our applications and click the “yes” button underneath the summaries of our entire lives? After all, that is secondary education’s singular greatest failure: too many, such as myself, burn themselves out at a time in our lives when we should not be hooked intravenously to Coffee Bean tankards and meeting a dozen deadlines a day.

Yeah, that doesn’t sound all that great, but there may have been a silver lining to so many sleepless nights spent huddled over MacBooks. Over time we may have

been able to feel about for our own limits, like little neurotic antennaed insects, and discover the things that come easily to us and those that are going to take a bit more out of us.

So, what’s the value of high school? There’s no set value to a high school experience, just as there’s no one way to cook eggs or to avoid working on post-AP projects that may be just important enough to kind of matter to your grade but not really. We probably won’t even know what we each got out of high school until the distant future, or at least by the time the Common Core is owned jointly by the College Board and Snapchat.

So, Class of 2014, congratulations on not dropping out and joining the circus (even though clown colleges are actually dwindling in support in America). Sorry about the cop-out, but this is really everyone’s question to answer: what did these four years really mean?

Sentiments over hotel’s ownership beginning of culture clash Danny Licht editor-in-chief At the six-way intersection of Beverly, Crescent and Sunset, there’s a pink hotel with a coffee shop downstairs that I used to go to with my family for breakfast. They make waffles and eggs and orange juice and the man who works behind the counter has worked there forever and the man who owns the pink hotel also owns a sovereign state in Southeast Asia where he recently established Shariah law, which includes amputation as a legal punishment and calls for the death-by-stoning of homosexuals and adulterers.

The pink hotel is, of course, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and its owner is Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan (i.e., Muslim sovereign) of Brunei.

And this juxtaposition of cultures (Southern California’s contrasted

with Brunei’s canonical law that predates the 7th century) offers us a very strange, very extreme, very horrifying case of the Internet-age effects of globalization. For the first time in history, a national leader is able to own properties that cater to rich and famous American liberals in addition to an Islamist state that severs limbs in the name of justice.

It’s a gross reminder of our American privilege; it reminds us how lucky we are to live in this place with freedoms that are anything but globally respected; and it puts us in a very unusual position.

We Americans love our First Amendment freedoms: of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly and of petition. We often think we adhere to them unconditionally, but that’s ridiculous — of course we don’t. Well maybe we do, but only within the American context. There is an understanding, a pretext, a

present value judgment, that there are in fact limits to these things, the things we might deem unethical or unreasonable or, you know, unAmerican. We reject the Sultan’s freedom of religion, his ability to act in accordance to the teachings of his holy book, even on his own property, even outside our golden door, because he does so cruelly.

And once we are aware of this fact, that we don’t accept these freedoms universally, that we do actually spurn this sovereign’s rights, we have to figure out how to act.

It’s not enough to reject the man, to call him cruel, to stop eating waffles at his pink hotel. It’s not enough to picket his verdant landscape and petition his ability to own property here. The man is torturing humans for petty crimes, brutally murdering for nontraditional sex.

On the other hand, though, it is too much to say that, within his

own country, within his own culture with which I’m hardly familiar, the man cannot rule in accordance to his religion. Look at what happened when we tried to do that in Iran in the ’70s or in Iraq in the ’90s: this outside-in approach simply does not work. It’s reckless and ineffective, brutal and misguided.

We Americans feel a new strain of the White Man’s Burden (though we’re too liberal, at least in some ways, to continue calling it that, or maybe we just lack the self-awareness); we feel morally superior to people who live outside the West.

Now this too is wrong. It conflicts with our understanding of human equality. But quite frankly, within the 21st century American context, within the context of our acceptance of opportunity equality and equal protection under the law, I think it is fair, logical and ethical to say that every person deserves to be

treated with the same humanity we Westerners enjoy within our liberal democracies.

Which is to say, the conflict remains. How can we make the world better (by our American definition, meaning more democratic) without being destructively, predictably, Americanly aggressive? And on the other hand, how can we deny the Sultan of Brunei from taking part in our American game of capitalism without betraying, if comparatively mildly, the very rights that we hate him for trampling over? Now, I am not a pessimistic man, but in many ways, modern globalization is looking increasingly similar to Samuel P. Huntington’s very pessimistic “Clash of Civilizations” — which isn’t to suggest that the only solution here is cultural warfare. I don’t believe that to be true. But it might suggest that, at this point, I can’t come up with another.

EDITORIAL

New anti-bullying law well intentioned, misguided Bullying isn’t something adults should just let happen. That’s more or less a settled issue. Sure, there are those who still believe students being bullied should solve the problem themselves, but tragedies like the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick have made it abundantly clear that when bullying gets out of hand, adults need to intervene.

A certain group of adults — the Carson, California, City Council — seems poised to do just that.

Last week, the city council unanimously approved a bill that would make bullying a misdemeanor, not just an infraction.

In other words, the ordinance would make bullying an offense punishable by, among other things, jail time. Today, the bill faces the city council for final approval. Regardless, the editorial board applauds the Carson City Council for its vehement opposition to bullying. However,

we are apprehensive about its method of attack. We believe the ordinance goes too far.

While some forms of bullying certainly constitute criminal activity, Carson’s new law excessively broadens the range of offenses punishable by jail time.

Putting more children through the justice system may prevent bullying, but it would also damage the children being incarcerated. Such an experience can traumatize even an adult; minors, who almost invariably lack judgment and who might come from troubled families, should not be punished so severely that they emerge from the process scarred and jaded. Yes, there are some bullies whose actions are clearly criminal, but the law already accounts for them. As for the rest, the solution doesn’t lie in punitive measures taken by a city.

Top-down measures like Car-

son’s ordinance will discourage bullying, but they can’t possibly hit upon the root of the problem.

For that, intervention and counseling are far more effective.

Rather than focusing on punishing bullies, Carson should — and does — create an environment where students can feel safe letting others know that they’re being bullied, and work with bullies and their victims to find the source of conflict. Counseling might not always work, but a skilled professional can usually lead the students to talk through their issues and uncover what’s going on underneath the surface. Often, the conflict is more complicated than expected; the line between bully and victim is sometimes unclear. One could hardly expect Carson’s ordinance to be able to address these sorts of cases.

It also cannot address another common source of bullying: the

bully’s family. Oftentimes, bullies’ actions are a projection of their distress at home. The proposed law ignores this fact, punishing parents with fines for their children’s actions. While this measure might be effective for some families, for others it could be disastrous. Instead, Carson should seek to provide assistance to these families. Financial assistance might be a moral hazard, as it could incentivize bullying, but other forms of help — again, counseling comes to mind — could prove a worthwhile investment in the bully’s future.

Perhaps the law’s biggest failure is, ironically, its creation of a new type of bullying. Because it is so difficult to prove whether or not bullying has actually occurred, students will be able to abuse the law. Suddenly, kids will have new power, the power of the legal system, over each

other. They’ll be able to order their peers around under the threat of accusation. This potential consequence could undermine the whole law.

Ultimately, we’re not worried about the law’s vague definition of bullying. We trust the courts to be able to determine what constitutes bullying and what doesn’t. We worry, though, that this law, despite its intentions, will do more harm than good.

Children need to be treated more delicately than Carson’s ordinance allows. With its harsh and sometimes misguided punishments, the law can inflict some serious damage upon kids, their families and society. Some bullies need to be treated with the utmost severity, but almost always the situation is more complex than it seems. Carson’s ordinance can’t handle this complexity. Education, intervention and counseling can.

10

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT MAY 20, 2014

Phone usage causing discontinuities within relationships Danny Licht editor-in-chief At a music festival last summer, a few girls pushed their way in front of me, and that was fine — it was a music festival — but when they did, they also disregarded the music.

They continued their conversation. They drowned out one of Yo La Tengo’s quiet (and beautiful and wonderful) songs with their talk of leaving. Of food trucks. Of what band plays next and where.

All three were on their phones and texting and talking to each other about better places to go. One of them took a moment away from her iPhone to check out the band onstage, the band that most of us were there to see, and she turned back to her friends and said, “Not feeling it.” Ah. I didn’t punch her, though I did feel something burn within me, and I wanted to tell her something, to offer her some advice, and I would have, too, had I thought she could understand. I would’ve said, If you want to feel it, you must reach out. She didn’t give the band a chance.

This situation serves as a particularly irritating example of a pervasive problem with cell-phone use. When we use our phones, we don’t reach out. It’s too easy to slide to unlock a better, more comfortable, more familiar world than to try to find something meaningful within a song whose beat

doesn’t drop.

For this reason (and in fact, for many other reasons too) it’s alarming to me when I’m out with people and I notice that we’re all using our phones, when there’s a conversation or there’s no conversation and all of us or some of us are poking at our touch-screen realities out of habit or emergency or disinterest. And it’s alarming to me because I think there’s something deeper going on. All the vibrations and chat-sounds and quick glances down at notifications are mounting to become fundamental, seismic discontinuities within our lives, our experiences, our relationships with one another.

Of course smartphones offer new and cool ways of connecting with friends and family and even meeting people we don’t know in real life, making it fully possible to develop meaningful and supportive friendships without ever speaking eye to eye. But the usefulness of these things has its limits; it seems to be parabolic, which is to say it’s useful to a point, and then turns decadent and destructive. When I’m having a difficult conversation with a friend and there’s a pause, and one of us takes out a phone, the continuity is lost.

We’re no longer thinking about the problem at hand. We’re no longer trying to connect with each other, to understand each other in order to move forward, to find the problem and heal it. Instead we’re online. We’re literally forgetting how

to talk to each other. The 19th and 20th centuries were filled with conversationalists. That word is now antiquated.

But you know this. Most of us are ashamed of our cell-phone use. When we’re out and become self-aware of our usage, we recognize that it’s rude and we stuff the things into our pockets and we apologize and make excuses (“I was texting my mom”; “I just needed to check something”). And this self-awareness is reassuring, at least somewhat. The problem, then, is that we don’t know how to deal with the habit. We’re used to it and everyone’s doing it and it’s contagious — when other people are on their phones, we feel we’re missing something. So here’s some advice that I’m borrowing from a tweet by senior Zack Bialobos (@frenchsantiago): “When you go out to eat with friends put your phone on airplane mode so you can enjoy the food, conversations and experiences.” When you’re talking to people, or at a concert, or you’re simply existing in a place that you’d like to remember, silence your phone, put it on airplane mode, turn it off completely or even don’t take it at all, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” and that guy knew how to live. He was personable, a bon vivant, and he took full ad-

vantage of the resources offered to him. He cared more about living wonderfully than anything else, and while this sort of lifestyle isn’t exactly sustainable (it probably didn’t turn out great long-term) he still has a lot to teach us. Look around once in a while, and look around for a while. If you do, you just might feel it.

SASHA PARK

Highlights Mabel Kabani and Danny Licht editors-in-chief

Jessica Lu news editor

Max Stahl

comment editor

Dami Kim

culture editor

Senior Crossword

Marguerite Alberts spotlight editor

Arman Zadeh and Jackson Prince sports editors

Michelle Banayan graphics editor

Robert Katz and Dani Klemes web editors-in-chief

Juliette Deutsch social media director

Braden Bochner, Audrey James-Anenih, Zoe Kenealy, Eunice Kim, Brenda Mehdian and Audrey Park This is the last issue for the 14 seniors on our staff. So we decided to take a look back at some of the work we’ve done this year with a super mega ultra fun crossword puzzle!

staff writers

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

Gaby Herbst adviser ­—

Here’s a hint that’ll actually make it possible to solve the puzzle: All the solutions are first names of one of the seniors on the staff!

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

Answers will be posted on beverlyhighlights.com

ACROSS DOWN 3. He’s never offline 1. Buzzer-beater cinematographer 5. He’s the Ben to her Jerry 2. Simply Luminescent 7. A cult classic 4. He has a taste for reviews 8. Waxman and ___, man 6. Otis and Norman would be nothing without her 10. She owns the centerfold 7. Culturally sound 12. She’s far from “Meh” 9. Picture perfect 13. She’s sweet (not artificially) 11. She’s the Jerry to his Ben JACKSON PRINCE

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

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

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

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

11

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS MAY 20, 2014

Volleyball falls 3-2 to Heritage Christian, eliminated from CIF Arman Zadeh sports editor

ARMAN ZADEH

Ronan Massanna (left) blocks a Heritage Christian hit in the Swim Gym on May 15.

ARMAN ZADEH

Junior Eman Rafalian regains his composure during the second round of CIF playoffs on May 15.

The boys volleyball team was four points away from advancing to the third round of CIF playoffs for the first time in over 15 years, and in its first year under new head coach Daryl Adams. The team lost to Heritage Christian High School, 3-2, on May 15, making a second round playoff exit for the second year in a row.

Trailing after three sets, 2-1, the Normans nearly completed a comeback by taking two sets in a row, but dropped the final set 10-14 after a six point Heritage Christian run. According to libero Ethan Lew, Beverly could not match the momentum Heritage Christian carried into the final set after nearly losing a 6 point lead in the fourth set.

“I dont think we fell apart.

Heritage Christian gained a huge amount of momentum and

managed to simply outplay us in those final points,” Lew said.

After the ball’s final bounce, team member’s exhibited mixed emotions. Some players were reserved, others, like Lew were more immediately affected by their elimination.

“I was the first one to pull my jersey over my face and cry. I felt that I was responsible for some of the last points of the game and that I had failed my team,” Lew said. “I managed to regain composure only because my supportive teammates consoled me and that I knew that it was not the end of the world.”

Support also came from Coach Adams who told the team it was a “hard fought game” and that they should keep their heads up. Adams reminded players that the relatively young team surpassed everyone’s expectations by reaching the second round and finishing second in

league.

Prior to its loss to Heritage Christian, the team beat Temple City three sets to one in the first round of playoffs.

The team will have a relatively easy transition into next season since only four current members will be graduating. Seniors Ronan Massana, Lucas Wohl, Amir Movassaghi and Ethan Lew will not return next season, but junior Matthew Sater is confident the team can maintain the close relationship they developed this year.

“We have three returning starters and a star in the making in outside hitter Brian Masjedian,” Sater said. “Our team finally came together as a family in the final weeks and we will be taking that spirit into our next season.”

13 compete at league, Block qualifies for Finals Jessica Lu news editor Track season closed with sophomore pole vaulter Amanda Block qualifying for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) SS Division 3 Finals, the only competitor of the 13 members who qualified to CIF. Prior to CIF, the boys team finished second at Ocean League finals and the girls took third.

“For the team to be so young and so competitive speaks volumes to their ability to compete and [to] what the coaching staff did this year,” Head Coach Dwayne Washington said.

As for Block’s qualification specifically, Washington said that he was excited, but unsurprised by the outcome.

“We’re proud of her qualifying and we figured she’d qualify. She’s very competitive and we knew she’s at that level,” he said.

“I feel good about it and now I’m focusing on getting a personal record and hopefully [clearing] 12 feet,” she said. Block currently clears 10-6, which tied her for fourth place at CIF. Senior Will Ezzard, who runs the 1600-meter run, saw great improvement in his performance throughout the season. Ezzard set a personal record at CIF, clocking in at 4:28.

“I had an uncertain start to my season and was running my miles slower than 4:50, way below expectations,” Ezzard said. “But I got a lot better as the season progressed.”

Fellow teammate and senior Aaron Karlin, who competes in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run, thought Ezzard had a strong showing at league.

“Will had a really good league finals race,” Karlin said. Ezzard set a new personal record “racing

against the top Samo guys that we had no chance against during cross-country season.”

Ezzard and Karlin both thought that the team, which is composed mainly of younger runners, had shown great strides. “[For many of] the younger runners, it was their first year ever running, [and they] set amazing personal records consistently throughout the season and really committed to the time it took to develop themselves from inexperienced runners to league champions,” Ezzard said.

Karlin echoed Ezzard’s thoughts and said this reflected well upon Washington.

“I’m really impressed with how Coach Washington took up the responsibility of such a big, brand new team and how the kids adjusted to the change,” Karlin said.

“I’m lucky to have been here at the start of the what’s looking to be a great program.”

Karlin ran with team members Dominic Perlman, Lucas Brito and Max Walder, and took 17th overall at CIF. Sophomore Sara Neiman, who qualified for CIF in high jump, said that both adjusting to a new coach and an injury made the season tougher, but ultimately, set her up for success.

“I think this season was tough,” she said. “But once I got used to it, it was good. I am coming out to practice every day and training hard.”

At CIF, Neiman, who has a personal record of 4-8 in the high jump, was unable to clear the 4-9 opening height.

Overall, Washington is pleased with the team’s performance during the season.

“I have high expectations and [the performance] matched up to where my expectations were,” he

said.

Washington attributed the team’s success to the hard work of the team, which is mostly composed of underclassmen, and of the coaches, most of whom were new to the team.

“To have that response with the new coaches is phenomenal,” he said. “I think they did a great job, and I appreciate the effort they put out this year.”

He said the general goal for next year is to have the boys and

Sophomore Lucas Britto races past his competition in the 200 meter.

Sophomore Amanda Block clears 10’ 6” to qualify for finals.

girls win league and get through CIF to Masters and State.

“We’re not settling on our success, we want to do better every single year,” he said. “We got some work to do, and we’re going to jump on it.”

Photos courtesy of WWW.BHHSTRACK.COM

Junior Dominic Perlman participates in the 4X400 meter relay.

12

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS MAY 20, 2014

Moments of the year: Norman athletics year in review

Arman Zadeh sports editor Jackson Prince sports editor Eunice Kim staff writer Audrey James staff writer Well, 2013-2014 has come and gone, and Beverly has seen some outstanding moments from our teams and athletes. Before we say goodbye, we asked athletes of Norman Nation what they thought their team’s moment of the year was.

Football

The football team, who looks to get back on track next fall after a paltry 0-10 season, still produced memories which will stick with players for the rest of their lives.

“My favorite moment of the season was scoring my first varsity touchdown,” tailback Raehaan Poonja said. “It was an experience I’ll never forget.”

The team, though losing several seniors, saw the development of younger players in the 2013-2014 season, including quarterback and defensive back Michael Massie, linebacker Dylan Rutigliano and tight end Solomon Nwankwo.

“The team looks to get better and stronger everyday [this offseason],” Poonja said.

Girls Water Polo

Girls water polo has not defined their success based on the conquering of titles, but rather based on the chemistry formed amid the players.

Girls water polo’s success lies in the chemistry that exists amid the players.

Senior Allie Kahn described many successful moments during the season but placed the team’s game against Torrance High School at the top spot.

“Our team beat Torrance in two

overtimes, it was the biggest moment of the season in my opinion,” Kahn said. “It really showed us exactly what we were capable of and pushed us to do more.”

There are not ‘finals’ or ‘league’ in Water Polo, but despite the team’s persistent efforts, they did not qualify within the top three to continue onto the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). At the close of the season, Allie Kahn was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.

Girls Basketball

The girls varsity basketball team put together a successful season with many “big” moments.

“Our team’s biggest moment of the year was our last home game against Culver City,” junior Gaby Ghermezi said. “It made me feel incredible because it was nice to see that all of our hard work and countless hours of strenuous practice had finally paid off.”

With the team’s win against Culver City, the Normans were not only able to see their hard work play out on the court, but also able to achieve a second-place bid in the Ocean League.

According to junior Bronte Yamodim, the entire team contributed to the overall success of the team.

Girls Volleyball

Despite facing adversity throughout the year, girls volleyball put together a successful season.

Senior Liat Hackman recounts the team’s biggest moment of the season, a win against Flintridge Prep High School.

“The most exciting moment in our volleyball season was when we beat the Flintridge Prep volleyball team,” Hackmann said. “We knew that they were good. Our team knew that we

still had the chance to win and we did it. We really worked well as a team, encouraging each other and fixing all our mistakes in the next play.”

Hackman recalls that this win established the motivation the team needed to win third in league at the end of the season.

Girls Soccer

Although the girls failed to win league, sophomore Carli Stein believes that her team’s greatest moments of the year took place during the Samo games.

“We’re very proud of our achievements and I felt like we accomplished something amazing by making it so far into our season,” Stein said.

Stein expressed gratitude for the senior players and stated that she “would miss them very much.”

“I believe the seniors [to be] the team’s most valuable players,” Stein said.

Girls Tennis

Sophomore Martina Bocchi feels “proud” of her teammates for their determination and courage during the 2013-2014 girls tennis season.

“I think our biggest moment of the year was when we made CIF semifinals. I was very happy and proud of my team, because we got to the semifinals together and never doubted we couldn’t do it,” Bocchi said.

Bocchi expressed that important games, like the semifinals, brought the team closer together, which furthered her development as one of the top players on the team.

“I think most of the team would say that I am the most valuable player because I lead them to many victories, and kind of kept the team going,” Bocchi said.

Softball

Junior Shyra Costas believes that softball’s first win against St. Monica was her team’s biggest moment.

“Winning was an amazing feeling and a great start to the season and it also showed us what we were capable of,” Costas said.

Costas believes that every member of the team is important; consequently, there is no single most valuable player.

“I believe we are all valuable because we all serve a purpose and have a place on the team. Everyone in this team is just as important as the last,” Costas said.

The softball team, while missing out on CIF this year, will bring back the majority of its starters for next season.

Baseball

Boys baseball will make a CIF appearance despite not winning league. The season was filled with small victories, such as the team’s win against Culver City which was the team’s “best moment of the year” according to junior Trevor Bergher.

“This win was huge for our team as it gave us energy to bring to our next games in league,” Bergher said.

Team leaders include Maxwell Martin, Jackson Martin and Rigo Fernandez, who all exemplified prowess on the field and in the dugout.

The team will compete in its first CIF game on Wednesday.

Wrestling

“By far,” senior Bram Geiderman said, “Our greatest moment as a team occurred against Torrance.”

The wrestling squad hadn’t beaten Torrance in over 45 years, until the 2013-2014 season came around. In what can be considered as a reason-

able blow-out, the Normans pounded Torrance on their home mat.

“It was an honor to be a part of this team, as we made history with this triumph,” Geiderman said.

Water Polo

Despite losing their long-time coach, Rob Bowie, boys varsity water polo had a “successful” season, according to middle Justin Shegerian.

“We came in third in Ocean League, which we were happy about,” he said.

The team peaked against El Segundo, when Shegerian’s overtime goal gave Beverly its first victory against them in years.

“In that game, we came together and we had a real reason to rejoice,” Shegerian said.

The team, though losing several “pivotal” seniors, is “confident” that they can improve further upon this season.

Basketball

“[Our best moment was] definitely finding out we won league for the first time in almost 35 years after beating Culver,” senior Ben Cohen said.

The boys basketball team ended a historic season back in February after highlights like sweeping Samo, winning league and reaching the second round of CIF playoffs. The senior heavy team featured point guard Siavash Yektafar, center Ronan Massana, guards Brandon Neman, Nima Rafizadeh and Eli Sachs and forward Ben Cohen.

After sweeping nearly every Ocean League rival, team members were understandably disheartened after a second round exit, saying beforehand that “anything short of a CIF championship would be a disappointment” according to Yektafar.