highlights
@bhhighlights
October 10, 2014 Volume 88, Issue 3 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com
Student body reacts to gender equality speech Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Amanda Christovich staff writer Articles and videos relating to British actress and United Nations Womens Ambassador Emma Watson’s speech to the U.N. regarding gender equality and feminism flooded the Facebook newsfeeds of Beverly students last week after the speech went viral. On Sept. 25, Watson traveled to the U.N. Headquarters to launch her new campaigns for gender equality, “#HeForShe” and “#YesAllWomen”. The actress’s bold speech concerning feminism and gender equality, which launched the #HeForShe campaign, called for an end to the inequalities that women face worldwide. Among many definitive statements, Watson attempted to rectify what she believes is a severely misunderstood definition
of feminism by citing the Merriam-Webster perspective on the matter. “For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities,” Watson said. “It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” Students at Beverly echo both Watson and Webster’s definition of feminism. Senior Luca Amato defines feminism as “the movement for making rights equal for all genders.” Senior Megan Moreh, who watched Watson’s video and read many of the negative comments it received on YouTube, defined feminism as “equality of opportunities of genders in all aspects.” In her speech, Watson cited political, economic and social standing as aspects of life she believes gender equality should
permeate. “I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts,” Watson said. “I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.” As the speech began to trend on social networking sites, Beverly students contributed to the feminist deluge by “liking”, sharing and posting the video of Watson’s speech via Facebook. Senior Olivia Koshy, who watched the video, commended Emma Watson for bringing awareness. Continued on page 4
CO students, teachers fight ASB hosts, plans censorship of US history first talent show Veronica Pahovoma staff writer According to a report on Democracy Now, in attempt to initiate greater conformity among the student body, a county school board in Colorado announced their plan to eliminating any information of historical acts of civil disobedience from the district’s high school U.S. history curriculum. Ironically, this proposition only generated the very thing the board tried to diminish. The spark intensified from a minor dispute into a flame of protests when the board publicized their intentions of reviewing Advanced Placement (AP) courses and adding more material to it that would “promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights.” As stated by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, “The proposed changes also call for the removal of course materials that ‘encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law’.” In response, teachers refused to show up to work, pulling the
illness card. This lead to mass organized “sick-outs” with the absence of 72 of 102 teachers at Golden High School and Jefferson High School in Jefferson County, causing classes to be canceled for the second time. Some, however, choose to side with county school board. Fox
also encourage that there be no disregard for the law. Isn’t that why we have laws on the books?” Defending her and the board’s plan on MSNBC, Jefferson County school board member Julie Williams said, “I’m not saying let’s not teach history accurately; what I’m saying is let’s not en-
Cartoon by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA News host Gretchen Carlson, for example, stated her opinion on the matter. “And what does it say about our young people in this country and the teachers joining the protests that promoting patriotism is now a negative?” Carlson said. “The new curriculum would also teach a free-market system, like the one we already have. It would
courage our children to disobey the law.” According to John Ford, president of the Jefferson County Education Association and a social studies teacher at Moore Middle School, the school board majority that was elected is a “conservative group.” To read the full article, visit www.beverlyhighlights.com
Lucas Harward staff writer ASB is planning and producing Beverly’s first annual talent show. The show will take place on Oct. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m., and will feature about 25 acts. Senior Class President Danny Newman had the original idea for a talent show, which stemmed from his everyday experiences as a Beverly student“There’s just a lot of people at this school with a lot of talent,” Newman said. “I walk through the halls and I see all these people who are dancers, who are singers, who are magicians, and yet these people haven’t had a way to showcase their talent, so I decided that a perfect way to do this would be to host a talent show so we can show off what amazing students we have here.” One of the show’s participants will be senior Elliott Eghbali, whose act will revolve around entertainment and comedy. “I feel like [comedy] is one of the best things I do for fun. A lot of people tell me that I should be a comedian or do some type of YouTube channel, so I wanted to take advantage of this talent show to show people what I’m good at,” Eghbali said. Newman has high hopes for how the show will turn out, despite the fact that a talent show is a relatively new concept at Beverly. “I’m hoping that it will be a
great show. We haven’t had a talent show in a while, so there’s nothing to judge off of, but we’re working on getting judges and prizes, so hopefully everything will turn out great,” Newman said. ASB President Alanna Schenk is also eager to see not only how the show turns out, but also how it influences the students who watch it. “I’m very excited about it and I think that there will be a great turnout of students wanting to watch the show. I know the students will have a lot of fun seeing their friends perform, and it might inspire them to go out and try something new and find their own special talent,” Schenk said. And in a school that is all about having students find a passion, ASB director Mark Mead sees the talent show as a vehicle to accomplish this goal.“I hope that the student body will realize that ASB is trying to provide a platform for people to get involved,” Mead said. “I know that the talent is out there, so I’m hopeful that ASB and the students will see that we encourage it, and it’s a safe place to show off what you can do.” But as Newman points out, the exciting prospect of a talent show had challenges. “It was extremely difficult to decide who made the show,” Newman said. To read the full article, visit www.beverlyhighlights.com
HIGHLIGHTS NEWS OCTOBER 10, 2014
2
Highlights Juliette Deutsch and Jackson Prince editors-in-chief
Guy Ginsberg sports editor
Sadie Hersh photo editor
Karen Shilyan
Business Manager
Veronica Pahomova Cartoonist Eleanor Bogart -Stuart, Amanda Christovich, Lolita Gorbacheva, Lucas Harward, Upasana Mannur, Celine Rezvani, Marty Schnapp, and Ben Shofet staff writers
Gaby Herbst
Graphic by: BEN SHOFET
Freshmen take high school full force Lolita Gorbacheva staff writer
Jackson Stewart plans success. Photo by: LOLITA GORBACHEVA For many, freshman year is difficult due to the lack of knowledge of what one might want to do in the future. But freshman Jackson Stewart didn’t suffer from lack of vision. He had a plan. “I’m in ASB, I play soccer and I’m preparing to try out for tennis,” Stewart said. Stewart, in addition, is attempting to continue a middle-school
Yosef succeeds in ASB and sports. Photo by: LOLITA GORBACHEVA Freshman Maia Yosef’s confidence was given a major uptick after being chosen as an ASB commissioner. It has resulted in a very busy schedule. “I have been playing soccer since I was little, and I joined ASB be-
Latham excells in Radio Airlift. Photo by: LOLITA GORBACHEVA Freshman Ian Latham wasn’t quite sure where his path would take him, though he knew his destination would be positive. “Going into freshman year I expected a lot of open opportunities and a lot of meeting new peo-
program at Beverly called “SET,” which stands for “Sit, Eat, Talk.” “We never have had anything like this at Beverly and I think it would be good for those people who don’t have that opportunity to sit with anyone at lunch,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of nice to make friends with people who need friends.” Prior to entering Beverly, Stewart feared being made fun of. However, he soon found that his initial perspective was wrong, and looks up to his upper-classmates. “I thought that there would be a lot of mean seniors and juniors making fun of the freshman, but it hasn’t really turned out like that,” he said. Stewart wants to be a leader in ASB, a creator of myriad clubs and a varsity athlete, all while completing AP courses. cause my older brothers were in ASB,” she said. “One of my brothers was ASB president a few years ago, so it’s a lot to live up to.” She appreciates the connections made with older Normans in ASB. “I get to be with all these older people that are so influential in so many ways,” Yosef said. Yosef also hopes to join the Cookies Cancer club, the Mental Health Awareness Club and KBEV. Yosef hopes to keep playing soccer, take hard classes and, in the future, run ASB.
ple,” Latham said. Latham attended Radio Airlift’s first meeting, and immediately found a home. “My dad does music for a living so I thought it would be cool to do music on the radio,” Latham said. “The guys are really, really great, and everyone has a good attitude about [Radio Airlift] so it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Latham also does backstage work for the theater department, spending a good deal of his time in Room 181 or in the Salter Theatre. In both areas, he hopes to rise up the ranks and prove himself in the field of theater arts.
Limor Shilyan maps future. Photo by: LOLITA GORBACHEV Coming into her freshman year of high school, Limor Shilyan expected to have a lot of homework and hard classes. She hasn’t been far off. “I like being in high school with all my friends. The work is hard, but it’s all part of the experience,” Shilyan said. To relieve some of the pressure, the freshman has joined DECA, the Cookies for Cancer club, and the Giving to Africa club. She
joined the frosh-soph volleyball team and is going to tryout for other sports. “I like that we get to raise money for organizations which benefit the community,” Shilyan said. Without being involved, Shilyan believes that her school year wouldn’t “be nearly as fun.” “I feel like it is my responsibility to make a difference in this school. I decided to be involved at this school because it makes the high school experience more interesting and fun. Being involved in school isn’t just fun, but it is good for the future,” she said. Shilyan’s goal is to accomplish sometime during her four high school years is to make a difference and get involved. This is why she participates in so many extracurricular activities, and is excited to entice herself with more.
adviser — The mission of Highlights is to deliver community-relevant news in a timely manner while adhering to professional ethics. Highlights is a forum for student free 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. Highlights is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF.
A Thousand Words: Noah Lee meditates, ASB motivates
Sophomore Noah Lee takes the stage for a promotional ASB video in the first floor hallway. This harmless prank features Lee meditating in order to make a statement about the success of the sophomore class so far. Posing for 15 minutes, Lee was poked, proded and played with by passing students. Photo by: ELEANOR BOGART-STUART
HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 10, 2014
3
4
5
HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT OCTOBER 10, 2014
A WOMAN’S WORTH #HeForShe, #YesAllWomen take over Twitter
Watson’s speech followed through #HeForShe Continued from page 1 “I truly applaud Emma Watson’s efforts,” Koshy said. “It no doubt takes a lot of courage to be presented in front of the world speaking about a topic like feminism. [Watson] has a strong platform that caters to a large audience and I am curious to see what she will do with the #HeForShe campaign. It is great that people are talking and tweeting, but awareness will only help if positive actions are made after.”
The positive responses to Watson’s speech were accompanied by a significant amount of negative attention. Criticism of Watson’s speech include (but are ostensibly not restricted to) the fact that Watson failed to explicitly reference transgender discrimination or gender discrimination relating to race. History teacher Preston Joseph believes that despite its many criticisms, the most valuable part of Watson’s speech was its refer-
ence to the gender inequality that exists in other nations. “When you listen to [Watson] speak, [you] think about some of these other countries where women are way behind where they are in the United States,” Joseph said. “These are things that need to be heard.” To watch Emma Watson’s U.N. speech, check out the U.N. Women website or follow the #HeForShe and #YesAllWomen hashtags to see updates on the campaign.
Feminism in a rapidly evolving society Sadie Hersh photo editor
Is feminism moving in the right direction? Guy Ginsberg sports editor
For centuries, women were seen as the “lesser sex.” Although, as time progresses, it is becoming more and more evident that men and and women should be equal. However, equality comes in many forms, including economic, social, political and religious equality. While brilliant women continue to make cases for why they deserve equality with men in all these different ways, the fact is that men are more privileged than women in many cases. In a study by the United States Census Bureau as part of the Current Population Survey, it was found that the average man makes one dollar for every 81 cents a woman makes. Gender discrepancy is also seen in government, with just one of five parliamentarians in the world today being women.
Statistics like this, that depict the obvious distinction between the advantages of being a man compared to being a woman today, beg the question of how women’s rights activist will try to spur positive change in the future. In the modern day, a vast amount of women’s rights activism takes form on social media. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Reddit have become the modern day “salon” where young men and women can discuss a variety of social issues. That is a huge problem. The Internet is a great place. It gets people connected, informed and active in their society. Social media sites are mostly used by young people who want to connect and share their ideas in a positive and effective way. However, often times people take advantage of their ability to produce mass content for anybody
to see, and waste these great opportunities to have intelligent discussions and just post hateful or ignorant things instead. Sometimes, in an effort to gain followers, get “notes” or “retweets”, a person or group will post something completely biased or viscous towards another group and justify it by claiming that they did it in the name of their cause, and it’s becoming troubling. For example, on Tumblr, a blogging website, a blog titled “Queen of Feminism” posted this: “I heard this the other day and it’s pretty accurate. The reason guys play video games all the time is because it is stimulating enough and holds a lot of cognitive attention to distract men from rape urges. It takes the ‘thrill’ away for a while so they can control their testosterone and urge to rape. #feminism #rape culture #misogyny #patriarchy.” Now some-
one can say that this blog is just run by one person with insane and radical views, but with a little searching, one can find page after page of tweets, facebook posts, and blog posts just like this, that fight sexism with sexism and ignorance with ignorance. Acceptance is a two-way street, to be accepted, one must learn to accept. While there are, in fact, many justifiable reasons for women’s equality, it seems as if many young people are focusing on all the wrong ones. Social media shouldn’t be a platform for ignorance to fight ignorance, but for intelligent discussions to take place and actually create change. The abuse of social media by feminists is why it’s frustrating for me, a supporter of women’s equality, to truly believe that the feminist movement is headed in the right direction. While the basis of feminism is correct, the feminist methods are not.
The idea of feminism is not only alive and well but it is very much present in today’s younger generation. It is hard to get away from this subject, as it is constantly brought up in the political arena, contemporary music and even in designer fashions shows. Recently, actress Emma Watson gave a compelling speech at the United Nations to start a worldwide conversation about feminism. A video of this speech went viral and immediately ignited discussion amongst members of our generation. Popular music artists, such as Beyonce and Lorde, sing about being “Independent,” “Flawless” and a “Pure Heroine.” Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld recently ended a Chanel show with his models promoting feminism by screaming chants and carrying handmade signs that read “Ladies First,” “Free Freedom” and “Feminism not Masochism,” with supermodel Cara Delevingne carrying a bull horn and leading the charge by Instagramming pictures of the show. The aforementioned are primarily women, but
the fight cannot be won without the male gender. The word “feminism” in and of itself excludes men from being a part of the conversation to help create gender fairness. The word sounds like its a woman’s problem to fight for her own equality to men, and yet change will never come about until men and women work together. The word “feminism” is in dire need of a name change in order to represent gender neutrality, because in its current form, the word is uninviting. It is important for our own student body to not only be aware, but also involved in being a part of the the idea to bring change. Once we get out of our sheltered community and into the real world, is when equality among the sexes in the workforce, athletics and in our daily life will matter most. We are lucky to live where there is an equal playing field in school, sports and extracurriculars because parts of the world do not have this advantage. Let’s all take responsibility now so that our future will be both bright and equal for all men and women.
6
HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE OCTOBER 10, 2014
Two alternative workouts for the not so sporty Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Veronica Pahomova staff writer Before a student even takes their first step in the high school, graduating eighth graders are bombarded with numerous fall, winter and spring sports options. Non-sporty people obviously exist, and they would chose the option of PE, but what if PE isn’t delivering the right amount of exercise? This is when alternative work out options come in. SoulCycle, known as a motivational spinning workout, emerged in 2006 by co-founders Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler in New York City. The duo aimed to find an alternative to the fitness routines that felt like work. Combining inspirational instructors with highenergy music, the pair designed a workout that benefits the mind, body and soul. Since 2006 Rice and Culter opened the first SoulCycle studio on the Upper West Side of New York City and have gained a cult like following over the years. Currently, SoulCycle has 25 locations nationwide including 10 in New York City and six in the Los Angeles area. Acccrding to junior Mishelle Arakelian, SoulCycle is an inspirational way to get healthy without it seeming like a chore. “The combination of the up-beat music and relatively easy spinning concept makes SoulCycle really attractive especially to teens,” Arakelian said. Typically SoulCycle costs $34 per class. New members get a discount for their first ride mak-
ing their first SoulCycle ride $20. Signing up for a SoulCycle class is simple: just log onto their website at soul-cycle.com. Riders have the ability to purchase classes in bulk to save on cost. Another alternative way of exercising that Beverly doesn’t offer is CrossFit. CrossFit provides easily attainable and accredited training seminars and numerous websites with free workout material and training videos. The number of affiliated gyms reaches more than 5,500, and the amount of CrossFit Level 1 trainers, 35,000, leaves the previous number in the dust. “CrossFit is a lifestyle in which you are prioritizing your health. The ability to do many different things at a high level of intensity,” an interviewed member from their “Let Me Tell You About CrossFit” multimedia video said. From CrossFit Hitec in India and CrossFit Braunschweig in Germany, one center stands right in West Hollywood. Sophomore Justin Shambley, a
frequent member of Cave CrossFit, the CrossFit’s community based training facility in West Hollywood, shares his workout schedule. “The days that I would go are
Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesday, we would do something that would build up our max rep. Thursday was called gymnastics day and it was working on getting muscle ups. Then Saturday was all cardio, and then Sunday was olympic weightlifting,” Shambley said. Attending the center four times a week, he says that they hold monthly cycles based around certain activities, like bench presses or back squats, for example. “It’s like intense weight lifting and basically going to the gym on steroids,” Shambley said. The CrossFit community does not set its boundaries within the walls of their gyms. Aside from seminars and training sessions, CrossFit invites people from around the world to participate
in the annual CrossFit games and put their fitness to the test to see if they have what it takes to claim the title of “the Fittest on Earth”. According to the CrossFit website, “The aim of CrossFit is to forge a broad, general and inclusive fitness. We have sought to build a program that will best prepare trainees for any physical contingency -not only for the unknown, but for the unknowable.” “I can run faster and longer. My mile is 20 times faster than it was before,” Shambley said. “Before, milk cartons felt like a boulder, but now they feel like a piece of paper. It’s fun and everyone should do it. Smiley face.”
The creator of CrossFit, Coach Greg Glassman, is considered to be “the first person in history to define fitness in a meaningful, measurable way”, according to the CrossFit website. He created a “fitness regimen” that acts as a community risen from groups of aspiring individuals who workout together. As later stated on the official website, “CrossFit is an education about movenent, fitness, nutrition and community. All of these things require responsibility, common sesnse and work to educate oneself using all the tools available in the community. For more information about CrossFit and SoulCycle follow their tweets.
The SoulCycle motto, hanging in the Brentwood studio. Photo by: JULIETTE DEUTSCH Cartoon by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA
Spicing up Fall favorites with pumpkin spice flavors Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Although Sept. 23 was the official return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, October truly is the beginnings of the delicious fall favorites that typically include the addition of the beloved Pumpkin Spice flavor. The exact blend of Pumpkin Spice does not actually contain any pure pumpkin. The delicious flavoring is composed of nutmeg, ginger and allspice. To add, Pumpkin Spice is not just found in all of our favorite Fall dishes. It is used to scent candles, lotions and even gum. To celebrate sweater weath-
er, here are some favorite picks of Pumpkin Spice dishes.
$3.50 and is the perfect antidote to a any fall day.
Pumpkin Spice Macarons from Bouchon Bakery
Pumpkin Spice Cake Truffles from Momofuku Milk Bar
Bouchon Bakery was originally begun by French pastry chef Thomas Keller in New York. As Keller soon attracted a large following of New Yorkers, he decided to open a branch in Beverly Hills. Bouchon includes a myriad of traditional French pastries; however, this fall they have come out with a seasonal Pumpkin Spice Macaroon. The delicacy has a crisp outer macaron shell filled with pumpkin spice cream. This treat retails for
In honor of the fall season, Christina Tosi, the founder of Momofuku Milk Bar, decided to take her famed Birthday Cake Truffles and add a classic autumn twist. The Pumpkin Spice cake truffles from Momofuku are the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. This treat retails for $6 four-pack of truffles. To purchase pumpkin spiced Momofuku goods check out their website. A Milk Bar store is predicted to open in the Los Ange-
Recipe: Pumpkin spiced apple cider Makes four glasses. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: four cups organic apple juice five cinnamon sticks five whole cloves four whole cardamom pods one piece fresh ginger one tablespoon lemon zest one tablespoon brown sugar four orange slices.
Instructions: Combine apple juice and all ingredients, except orange slice, into a saucepan. Let it sit on low heat for 20 minutes and stir often. After 20 minutes, add orange slices and let the cider sit on low heat for another 10 minutes. Once warm, use a strainer to separate the juice from the solid ingredients. Garnish each glass with an orange slice. Serve and sip!
Pumpkin spiced cider served with orange slices and cinnamon sticks are a great way to warm up on a foggy an October morning. Photo by: LAUREN GORES
HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT OCTOBER 10 , 2014
7
Beverly falls short in ranking of L.A. high schools Celine Rezvani staff writer
systems gave an unfair advantage to larger and richer schools. With his system, schools ranks are computed by dividing the number of Advanced Placement (AP) and IB (International Baccalaureate) tests taken in a given year in a school by the number of people
lower number of AP tests taken. Furthermore, the list seems to be missing quite a few schools. Santa Monica High School, Milken Community High School, and Culver City High School appear nowhere on the list. Not only are these high
A recent article posted by the Los Angeles Magazine rated the top Los Angeles County High Schools, both public and private. Beverly Hills High School placed 38 on a list of 75 high schools, trailing behind both Malibu High School and Palos Verdes High School. To my surprise, the school ranked first is the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES), where the average SAT score is 1753 and half of the Average SAT scores of Los Angeles high schools do not correspond with ranking. Infographic by: CELINE REZVANI students are low income. The rankings perlexed me; I couldn’t understand in that school’s graduating class. In this way, schools not mentioned, there is also no adhow schools with lower average SAT scores Mathews believes larger schools have no ad- dressing the fact that they were left out. Is this because they were excluded for some and average GPAs than Beverly were rank- vantage over smaller schools. reason, or actually fall below 75th place? While I understand Mathew’s motive in ing several places ahead of us. The author of the article could have more computing ranks, I don’t think he really These statistics may seem incorrect and accurately ranked these schools. The numassesed all the factors that go into a rank. improbable on the surface. However, they ber of AP classes taken per student shouldn’t The method used here to rank high schools began to make more sense to me once I be the only thing brought into account when may appear accurate, but it actually contook the ranking criteria into account. Jay ranking a high school. Average GPA, average tains many faults. First, the number of AP/ Mathews, educational columnist and writer SAT/ACT score, the school’s API, CAHSEE IB tests taken doesn’t necessarily equal the of the article, evaluates these schools by uspassing rate and graduation score are imnumber of AP/IB tests passed. Many stuing the method he created, which he calls the portant factors and should also be weighed dents who register for AP tests don’t actually “Challenge Index.” He created this method into the rank a school receives. Also, it’s unpass them. Also, some high schools don’t ofof ranking because he felt other ranking fer certain AP classes, and therefore have a fair to rank public and private school on the
same scale simply because students must pay a tuition to attend a private school. If the schools on this scale were ranked more appropriately, Beverly would have received a ranking higher than 38. Although I feel Beverly deserves a higher rank, I also feel there are many things Beverly can do to improve its ranking. For example, there is a definite correlation between Beverly’s low ranking and low school spirit. A student who doesn’t feel a sense of pride in their school is simply less inclined to work hard and achieve success. If Beverly were to somehow increase its school spirit, more students might be inclined to participate in Advanced Placement classes and take standardized testing seriously, which would raise the API score. Compared to other high schools on the list, Beverly has a lot of potential to improve. Students here have the raw material needed to create success. After looking at the ranking Beverly received, students and administrators shouldn’t feel discouraged, but rather determined to raise the score and display that Beverly really is one of the best high schools in Los Angeles County.
Decoding the antiquated, restrictive dress code Sadie Hersh photo editor Short shorts, barely-there crop tops and tight leggings are just some of the latest fashion trends that are seen all over campus and go against our dress code. The Beverly dress code has existed for years as a way to avoid distraction by students who reveal too much based on their choice of apparel. The dress code has become outdated because of new fashion fads that are established, causing styles to constantly be updated. Given the ever-changing world of fashion, how can students abide by these rules when new trends are introduced all the time? It used to be that fashion trends were seasonal. Now, due to stores introducing new styles and trends virtually every week, the Norman dress code guidelines are thrown out the window by the students in favor of what everyone is wearing. The current dress code reads as follows: “No revealing clothing. Students shall not wear sheer blouses, bare midriff or revealing tank tops, tube tops, open backed shirts, halter tops, spaghetti straps, or low-cut necklines. Short skirts and short shorts are not allowed. Shorts and skirts must be at least half way down the thigh. Leggings or tights must be covered by shorts, dress, or skirt,” for girls. The boy dress code reads, “no sagging pants, wallet chains, hanging belts, or hats/clothing with inappropriate language or logos. Hats or hoods may not be worn in class.” What stands out here are the articles of clothing that are commonly seen in stores and on our campus today, like crop tops, short shorts, leggings, hats and halter tops. For those of you who don’t know, a halter top is a type of shirt with no sleeves, but have straps that tie behind the neck. While it may seem like our male student body has an easier dress code to follow, many boys wear hats as a statement piece in
code; however, the majority of students fall victim to the latest trends that can bee seen all around us. We are constantly reminded about new products and styles through retailers’ websites and social media, as they send a relentless amount of posts in hopes of creating strong demand for the newest arrivals. Stores like Brandy Melville rely on their social media accounts to report the latest trends and products. With an audience of over The debate of what is appropriate and what is not persists. two-million Cartoon by: VERONICA PAHAMOVA followers on Instagram, Brandy Melville’s posts get over symbol of self expression, whether it repre10,000 likes within minutes. The purpose sents a sports team that a student likes, or a of these posts is to prompt girls to buy the preferred look a student wants to wear. Articles of clothing seen on our female newest styles. And while we all have the student body are mainly from stores like choice to wear more conservative clothing Brandy Melville, Lululemon, LF, Urban that fits the requirements of our dress code, Outfitters, Forever 21 and American Appar- looking at students on the second floor pael. These stores set the trends and carry the tio proves otherwise. The power of Instalatest styles for young women. It would not gram and social media triumphs over the be hard to find clothes in these stores that fit rules enforced by our dress code. Pictures the requirements stated in the Beverly dress posted on social media accounts of popular their outfits. A teacher might find a hat as a sign of disrespect and may ask the student to remove it, but usually is not the student’s intetion to be disrespectful. A hat can be a
stores highlight when celebrities wear clothing from their store to draw attention to the items and hopes that it will influence our ever changing fashion looks. Even television shows such as “Fashion Police” and “Project Runway” are all about the new trends in the fashion world, which shows their viewers an idea of the new styles. When celebrities are seen in public, those styles are then emulated across the country by young woman who hope to look like their favorite stars. For example, when a shopper walks around the Kitson store, clothing is conveniently placed right next to a framed magazine page showing a top celebrity wearing the item they are trying to sell. The stores are hoping that their shoppers will feel the need to be trendy like the celebrities in the pictures. Magazines play a major role in dictating what the trends will be on a regular basis. People, Star, US and other weekly “rags” have feature endless pages of celebrities and the designers and trends they are wearing. Major celebrities like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj would have a hard time meeting the Norman dress code. Our school has never enforced uniforms for students, but has instituted a dress code that is meant to keep students looking respectable in an academic environment. It is almost impossible to comply to these codes because many students choose to keep up with today’s trends instead. As styles constantly change and hemlines rise and fall, adhering to the Norman dress code will continue to be difficult, as the requirements have not changed with the times or even been revised to accommodate today’s student body. We are a society that has always been fashion and trend obsessed, but our dress code doesn’t seem to care. With the constantly changing fashion styles the student body will continue to be slaves to fashion instead of followers of the school dress code.
8
HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS OCTOBER 10, 2014
Crossing the finish: young runners show promise A sneak peak at cross-country’s strongest young runners and what motivates them to achieve their goals Marty Schnapp staff writer Lolita Gorbacheva staff writer Boys and girls cross-country are fairly young teams, with 10 sophomores, three juniors, and one senior. However, with young talent, many runners feel that cross-country has potential for future success. Sophomore Noah Lee says that the program is “looking forward to [its] bright future.” Here is a look at sophomores Noah Lee, Jillian Dveirin, Jonathan Cohen and Jason Cohen, who are currently a few of cross-country’s strongest runners. Sophomore Noah Lee Lee has been running for both varsity track and varsity crosscountry since his freshman year. He has already broken three minutes for the one-mile race and 17 minutes in the three-mile race, and he has set big goals for himself as well as the entire cross-country team. “My goal is to beat Samo as a team by senior year and eventually get us back to the state meet,” Lee said. However, personal goals and self-motivation are not his only means of inspiration. Lee also looks to learn from the runners around him. “I am inspired by those who run faster than I do when I know that I’m just as capable,” Lee said. He acknowledges that he owes his success to his mentality while
running and his dedication to cross country. “I am a top runner because of my commitment to the sport and my mentality when it comes to pushing myself to the max in order to succeed,” Lee said. Sophomore Jillian Dveirin Dveirin loves running because of the feeling of completion she feels after a race. She feels her biggest accomplishment this year is finishing ninth in her first race against about 200 other runners. To avoid pushing herself too hard, Dveirin sets simple goals for herself instead of going into races with a set time in mind. “The goals I set for myself are very basic, like finish the race or just get a medal, and then I go from there based off how I feel during the race,” Dveirin said. She is inspired by the accomplishments of other athletes her age. “What inspires me is seeing people around my age doing incredible things in really any sport. It shows that any kid can do [great things],” Dveirin said. Sophomores Jason and Jonathan Cohen: Sophomore twin brothers Jason and Jonathan Cohen moved up ranks from freshman year and are now on the varsity cross-country team. “I run because I feel that it’s a really good feeling to see yourself improve at something you love and
The Cohen brothers ran three miles in 16:58.72 and 16:41.11 at the Woodbridge cross-country Classic on Sept. 19, earning first and second place, respectively. Lee ran 1.92 miles in 11:04.51 minutes at the Fastback Shootout on Sept. 6, earning first place. Dveirin ran 1.92 miles in 13:27.90 minutes at the Fastback Shootout on Sept. 6, earning first place. Clockwise: Photos by: LOLITA GORBACHEVA, GUY GINSBERG, LOLITA GORBACHEVA. exceed at it,” Jason said. When Jonathan runs, he feels that his accomplishments not only represent himself individually but
that they represent Beverly. “I run because I like to compete and to grow a special bond with everyone on the team. I like to rep-
resent BHHS,” Jonathan said. Both brothers hope to get a scholarship to an Ivy League school and continue competing.
Jackson Fives: Week Six Picks Player of the Month Jackson Prince co-editor-in-chief
I’m in a predicting sort-of mood, and I’m feeling confident. If you’re planning to read on, you should share the sentiment. FIVE FANTASY FORECASTS 1. Andre Williams is a topfive running back Week Six. Being the smart fantasy owner I’m sure you are, you anticipated that Rashad Jennings would go down early, as he’s just getting adjusted to the workhorse lifestyle. Right? No? Here’s your solace: Andre Williams is a beast. He’s got sticky hands in the check-down game and a solid frame that can handle 20+ carries. Pounce on him if he’s on the waiver wire and start him this week against the Eagles. It’ll be a high-scoring, high-yardage affair, and Williams will reap the rewards. 2. Torrey Smith will score. Twice. Let’s face it: Torrey Smith has been a huge disappointment. Despite averaging six targets per game, he’s only reeled in 11 catches for 176 yards and one touch-
down. But, my friends, this putrid statline is a fluke. Smith’s longest catch of the year went for 29 yards. We’re talking about a top deep-threat in the NFL not garnering any long receptions all year. He’s so very talented, and he’s bound to strike at some point. Week Six feels like a ripe hour for a breakout, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t doing anything special on defense and the Ravens’ run game is as bad as ever. Two touchdowns. One of them goes for over 40 yards. Big game this week for Torrey Smith, and for his owners. Start him. 3. James Jones will put up top-25 numbers. In four games, James Jones has caught 21 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. If my iPhone calculator is correct, he’s averaging 5.25 catches, 68 yards and half of a touchdown per game. In PPR leagues, that’s a top-25 receiver. In standard leagues, 60 yards and a touchdown is a treat. Either way, he’s got value. As the only viable receiving option for the Raiders, look for him to exploit a shaky Chargers’ secondary this Sunday. It doesn’t hurt that the Raiders will not have the lead in this matchup. Feel blessed if he’s your third wide receiver. 4. Ben Roethlisberger is going to throw four touchdowns.
Here’s one for Le’Veon Bell. Sure, take one, Heath Miller. What the heck, Antonio Brown, I’ll give you two. While Big Ben might toss a pick, this game will either see a blowout in favor of the Steelers or a tightly-contested affair against their division rivals, the Cleveland Browns. Either way, the scoreboard will be active. Look for a big day from Big Ben and his Steelers 5. Eric Ebron will be the surest-handed Lion this week. He’s no Calvin Johnson, but he’s big. At 6 feet 4 inches’, 265 lbs, Eric Ebron is a mammoth man. He’s also, according to NFL analyst Mike Mayock, “one of the best athletes [he’s] seen at that size.” Mayock went on to compare Ebron to a less “twitchy” version of Vernon Davis, but noting that Ebron is “a better athlete with better hands.” I don’t like Megatron’s chances of playing this week. Even if he does, he’ll be limited. And with a hurting run game (both Bush and Bell are questionable), Matt Stafford’s sandbox will have lost many of its toys. Yet, I see Week Six as Ebron’s coming-out party. Enough yards and a touchdown against the paltry Vikings’ defense will earn him a spot as one of the top-10 tight ends this week. This’ll be fun.
Ben Shofet staff writer
Junior Mohammad Abi-Kenari in his natural habitat: the soccer field. Photo by: BEN SHOFET The varsity soccer Player of the Month for the month of September has been chosen by coach Ryan Franks; Mohammad AbiKenari. Franks is the only coach at Beverly to incorporate a “Player of the Month” system, as well as an individual-player ranking system. The Player of the Month award is not necessarily given to the most skillful player, but given to the athlete that puts in the most effort and hard work, according to varsity captain Miguel Ramirez. “With the ranking system being introduced this year, the coaches are able to see who is actually leav-
ing everything they can in practice and who is not. The coaches are also able to see and compare each team, whether it be varsity, JV or frosh, and determine who is training the hardest,” Ramirez said. According to Abi-Kenari, the Player of the Month award recognizes a player’s elite attitude, rather than elite play. “It feels like I’ve accomplished something,” Abi-Kenari said. “I think there are better players than me, but my effort in this month was better. It’s about your behavior.”