Oct 24 pdf

highlights

@bhhighlights

October 24, 2014 Volume 88, Issue 4 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com

Aerospace Association to build autonomous jet Marty Schnapp news editor The BHHS Aerospace Association is currently building and programming an autonomous jet, meaning that it will decide where to travel on its own.

The club has not yet fully assembled the jet. They are currently working with a pool of parts, but if all goes as planned, the machine should be able to fly and perform a multitude of functions within the next six weeks.

“We plan on testing the jet within the next few months. If our calculations are correct and we meet our funding goal, the jet should be able to reach a top speed of 50 MPH and send rich data like altitude, pressure, velocity, GPS coordinates and other awesome information,” president and founder Iman Enayati said.

The club’s leading members include Enayati, vice president Jake Wolken and programming captains Farbod Rafezy and Ben Heller. The Yale University

Senior Iman Enayati familiarizes his underclassmen members with the “brain” chip, the “key” to flight.

Photo by: MARTY SCHNAPP Aerospace Association inspired Enayati to start the club.

“I saw that they were creating rockets from devices that I

happened to be familiar with. I thought it would be a great idea to bring a club like theirs to Beverly,” Enayati said.

SMC-attending culture causes rift in community Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Guy Ginsberg sports editor It is not a secret that SMC and community colleges alike are common destinations for Beverly graduates, but just how many opt out of the four-year route? Beverly’s Dean of College Admissions, Ah Young-Chi says that about 40 percent of Beverly’s students end up choosing a path to community college after graduation While Young-Chi wants to encourage students to aim towards a four-year education, she understands the mentality behind community college.

“Yes we want our students to go to a four year college, but I think we also have to respect that some of our students want the “SMC or community college” to be the place they go directly after, so that they can go to the four-year college of their choice,” YoungChi said.

Young-Chi also wants to illustrate that SMC is not a dead end, and that there is a light at the end

2

of the tunnel for students.

“The rumour out there is that when you go to a community college you get lost and you never make it out, which part of that is true, but if you plan, and you know why you are there, and you are a full time student, it’s not true because you will make it out there, and not only will you make it out, you will transfer,” YoungChi said.

While she does understand the appeal of SMC to students, Young-Chi doesn’t want students to think that going to a community college automatically grants them an opportunity to transfer to a four-year school.

“Part of what [students] need to know is, you actually have to put work into it, you can’t just graduate from high school and then go to SMC and then expect to transfer to these phenomenal schools.

It’s just not going to happen automatically,” Young-Chi said.

While she is optimistic, YoungChi doesn’t believe that the community college culture at Beverly

4-5

The club was active last year, and it made progress that will help this year’s group.

“We developed an algorithm for

object avoidance, which we will use this year,” Enayati said.

Students actively participating in the project are developing different skills necessary to create a machine as complex as this one.

“We are teaching students how to program software for the jet, design the jet’s superstructure and assemble the many complex components into one final machine,” Enayati said.

The captains of the team learned how to program independently.

“We basically taught ourselves how to program using online resources like YouTube and websites like Stack Overflow,” Enayati said.

Enayati is able to apply some of his knowledge from the Robotics Program to the club.

“I was a part of the Robotics team my freshman year, so I’m also using what I learned from the Build and CAD subteams of Robotics,” Enayati said. [continued on page 2]

Norman Aid rolls out new methods

will change much.

“I do think that [the percent of students going to community college] is not going to change very much, and I hope that the number doesn’t go up, because then there is a larger problem,” Young-Chi said.

Senior Elliot Eghbali, who plans to attend SMC next year, believes that the school is a perfect fit for him.

“The fact that it’s such a great opportunity to learn about yourself and decide what path you want to take in life [makes SMC appealing]. It’s the perfect fit because I can really get my stuff together and it is financially a lot better too,” Eghbali said.

While some students appreciate the opportunities created by SMC, Junior Gonzalo Sanchez doesn’t like the mentality of students who go there.

“I feel as if SMC is a ‘get-outfree card’ for most students [who attend], over actually striving for a four-year college,” Sanchez said.

6

that are stressing them out or goals that they want to work on,” Norman Aid will debut a new intervention counselor Alison group therapy session called Norman-Franks said. “Two therLunch Club. The club is designed apists will be available to help for students that feel disconnect- them accomplish these goals.”

Students can find support for ed to campus or want to make anxiety and stress in the Norman new friends. The hope for the Aid center, where they can meet club is that it will bring students with Norman-Franks, peer counselors, counseling interns and therapists from the Maple Center.

“Our staff encourages students experiencing stress to pinpoint what is causing them to feel stress and find a technique to relieve that.

We always encourage stuPhoto by: KAREN SHILYAN dents to talk through their anxiety,” she said. “We usutogether in ally have two or three periods for order to help each other achieve walk-ins; they can meet with [us] goals related to their stress. so we can help them with differStudents can expect to see this ent relaxation and time managelunchtime opportunity making ment techniques.

Ultimately, we its rounds in about a month. are there to support them, listen “The group therapy session to them, not judge them and help will be a safe, confidential place them to relax.” for students to meet with other [continued on page 2] students and talk about things

Karen Shilyan business manager

7

8

HIGHLIGHTS NEWS OCTOBER 24, 2014

2

BHEF re-evaluates budgeting strategy Ben Shofet graphics editor The newly implemented grant system created by the board of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation (BHEF), has proven to be a more efficient system in providing the exact amount of funds each programs needs.

“It was a board decision last year to change the system. Last year we were looking for ways to reinvigorate BHEF and find ways to attract donors. It was an idea that came up and basically the board accepted it. We figured out a way to create a grant request document and we worked with the district to refine it and now we’ve been very happy with it,” Ronit Stone, president of BHEF, said.

The newly designed system has only been in place for one year.

Now, if programs wish to receive additional funding, they have to submit a grant request to the BHEF. “We have a number of people who work with The Foundation, the PTSA, our district office and I think we do a pretty good job of trying to fund the programs as we can,” principal Carter Paysinger said.

The system allows extracurricular programs to receive the proper amount of funds, rather than being given an estimated amount.

“We try to fund everything that is requested of us, within our budget, and in this past year we were able to do that. I think there are definitely programs in the district that could definitely use additional funding,” Stone said.

The BHEF has been able to ap-

prove most of the requested grants by each program, through community donations.

“To my knowledge, all of the programs received what they ask for from BHEF,” Paysinger said.

“I haven’t had any of our extracurricular activities come and ask for something that they weren’t given or at least attempted to be given to.

So I haven’t had anyone complain about not having enough funds.”

One of The Foundation’s main goals is to preserve the extracurricular programs that are lacking funding.

“The board of education decides what programs are funded.

So if there’s insufficient funding it would be up to them to decide what to cut, and I would only be guessing that it would be some of programs like art and music.

Sometimes those other types of programs that are very, very, valuable end up on the chopping block when there’s insufficient funds.

I’m fairly confident without BHEF support, these programs would definitely suffer,” Stone said.

BHEF has successfully funded each of this year’s programs through the continuous support from the alumni, parents and businesses of the Beverly Hills community.

“We are a local public school, and we depend on the generous support from our community, including current parents, businesses and alumni to support our public schools,” Stone said. “We’ve been able to keep a lot of our programs where other public schools have had to slash, for example arts and music education,” Stone said.

A Thousand Words: Coming Home

Highlights Juliette Deutsch and Jackson Prince editors-in-chief

Guy Ginsberg sports editor

Sadie Hersh photo editor

Karen Shilyan

business manager

Veronica Pahomova cartoonist

Marty Schnapp news editor

Ben Shofet graphics editor

Eleanor Bogart -Stuart, Amanda Christovich, Lolita Gorbacheva, Lucas Harward, Upasana Mannur, and Celine Rezvani, staff writers Gaby Herbst

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

“Of my entire time here, this was the best Homecoming yet,” history teacher Dan Moroaica said.

Photos by: SADIE HERSH, CHARLY AZOULAY, BEN SHOFET

Follow @bhhighlights on Twitter and Instagram.

Highlights is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF.

BHHS Club Norman preps for Aid helps students take-off continued from page 1 Each programmer specializes in different programming languages.

“I specialize in Java and the Arduino programming language. Farbod specializes in Java. Ben specializes in Javascript and Java,” Enayati said.

One of Rafezy’s jobs is to oversee all of the programmers and keep everyone on task. He values the experience he has gained through working with others on the jet.

“Through helping with the programming aspect of the team I have further improved my own skills and learned to help others, a really valuable lesson. I look forward to making something from scratch and experiencing the development of something that once seemed impossible and magical,” Rafezy said.

Members of the Aerospace Association pride themselves in being inclusive, and it is always open to new members. No prior knowledge is required to join the team.

“We recommend that all who are interested in joining visit one of our meetings.

We meet every Wednesday in room S216 during lunch,” Enayati said.

continued from page 1 Many teenagers turn to drugs, alcohol, self harm and an overuse of social media to avoid the stress and anxiety that they are feeling. According to a survey done by the American Psychological Association, “nearly half of teens (42 percent) report that they are not doing enough or are not sure if they are doing enough to manage their stress.” Peer counselors such as Devin-Alexus Marin understand the vicious cycle of unhealthy coping methods.

“Most of the time when you’re coping in an unhealthy way you’re not even aware of it. Going and talking to someone definitely puts things into perspective. That’s what [Norman Aid] is here for,” Marin said.

In times of academic or social stress, students should check out the resources available in the Norman Aid center.

Photo by: KAREN SHILYAN

HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 24, 2014

3

4

5

HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT OCTOBER 24, 2014

(Don’t) Get Down with the Sickness Staff Sentiments

Flu season overlooked by students, American citizens

Guy Ginsberg sports editor Veronica Pahomova cartoonist Recently, most of the news headlines seem to be occupied by a viral outbreak. Due to its intense media coverage, I probably don’t even need to state the name of this fatal disease. By Oct. 15, three victims of Ebola were diagnosed and publicized in the U.S. Ebola is known to be lurking around in Dallas, but how long can the Texan borders contain this disease? Also, a new breakthrough vaccine is always a possibility, and it’ll be the first thing you’ll hear on your news channel or see on your email’s inbox. It’s a serious virus that needs to have millions of eyes on it. Ebola updates are a must.

The vast and intense media coverage of the current Ebola outbreak is not a good thing, because it instills unwarranted fear in the uneducated masses. A small boy shouldn’t be plagued with fear of Ebola every time he gets the sniffles, nor should his mother. The media should warn us appropriately, and if we pay attention then we pay attention. They shouldn’t scream it in our faces until we’re forced to react.

Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer As Ebola concerns continue in the U.S. and the mysterious enterovirus continues to affect young kids across the nation, some Normans might forget that it’s the end of October, and thus the beginning of flu season.

“I had the flu a month ago and it really sucked. I had a fever and a headache and no appetite for three days,” junior Jake Wolken said.

Although often passed over as a commonplace disease, influenza (the flu) can be debilitating for some. According to the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms include a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, aching muscles, chills and sweats, headaches, fatigue, nasal congestion and a dry cough. It’s also a highly contagious sickness. The CDC says that people up to six feet away are eligible for infection.

“Most experts think that flu viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze

or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs,” the CDC website said.

Those infected not only have to deal with harrowing symptoms, but their repercussions. Because of relentless coughing, headaches and fevers, some victims of the flu have to miss important parts of their everyday lives.

Sophomore Max Yera was unable to attend about a week and a half of his JV water polo practice thanks to “coughing that never seemed to stop and a pounding migraine almost all the time.”

“I missed a lot of water polo practice and a few exams. I only spent one day at home because I couldn’t afford to miss anymore school. When I was at school, I grew progressively worse,” Yera said.

According to the CDC, on average, approximately 5 to 20 million American citizens contract the flu each

year. The CDC reports that the flu, which many people mistakenly consider a “bad cold,” is a virus kills up to 49,000 people per year and sends more than 200,000 to the hospital.

“You’re far more likely to die at this point from not receiving a flu shot,” said Dr. Sampson Davis, an emergency medicine physician at Meadowlands Hospital Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, said to Yahoo news.

Half of the more than 100 children who died from flu in the USA last year were “healthy kids with nothing to suggest they were more vulnerable than other children.” Despite this, according to the Washington Post, over twothirds of Americans still are legitimately worried about contracting Ebola.

“I use Purell, like, three times a day, I try not to touch door handles, and I wash my hands a ton. I really don’t want to get sick,” sophomore Joey Yaris said.

The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. Flu vaccines are designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will be the most common during the upcoming season. According to a Highlights survey, 52 percent of students are not worried about catching a virus when they come to school and 48 percent are not planning on getting a flu shot.

It is possible, however, to catch the flu even after being vaccinated. To stay safe from the flu, one must maintain a constant state of cleanliness and awareness. Available from your doctor, Walgreens and Rite-Aid are the less obvious (and free) choices for a vaccine. No matter where one gets it from, the vaccine is only part of a bigger goal - to keeping yourself protected.

Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer

Sadie Hersh photo editor The mass media attention on the subject of Ebola is affecting the public just as the media intended: in a negative way. When reporters post articles or do news segments on Ebola they instill fear into their viewers and cause an uproar of widespread panic. Students are treating the subject as a joke by automatically jumping to the conclusion that their friend has Ebola when they are sick with the common cold. Not only is Ebola not a joking matter, but it is also not a topic that news outlets should abuse.

It simply does not make sense to stand against the media’s coverage of Ebola. This spontaneous, deadly virus has not only caused an upsetting amount of deaths internationally, but has just breached American soil.

The more the news talks about it, the better. Movies like “Contagion” (2011) have already predicted what the result of keeping a killer sickness under wraps is: bad.

It’s up to journalists, bloggers, news anchors and the everyday person to spread awareness as fast as Ebola is spreading itself.

Marty Schnapp news editor With the media’s intensive coverage of Ebola in mind, it has become difficult for me to distinguish whether the virus is or is not a serious threat to Americans. The internet is currently cluttered with opinions on the severity of the situation, some claiming that Ebola is a greater threat than most think, some claiming that the media has created a sense of unnecessary panic in America and others claiming that the media is overreacting to that panic. The overflow of “Ebola panic” and “Ebola panic panic” media coverage has created a sense of Ebola panic-inception to which, ironically, I am a factor of by writing this piece.

The media is not helping our nation by covering our reaction to Ebola; this multi-layered analysis is only causing confusion. And as we know, confusion leads to more panic, which is the last thing that America needs.

6

HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE OCTOBER 24, 2014

Highlights halloween favorites Five freakout Halloween tunes Norman dress-up Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer

When most people think about Halloween, all they see in their heads are ghosts, pumpkins and candy. What Halloween is missing is that killer soundtrack that makes people instantly think: things are about to get spooky.

This Is Halloween - Marilyn Manson This is probably the go-to anthem for anything to do with Halloween. Even the haunting face of the self-named “Antichrist Superstar” is scary enough, so this classic is sure to spook the most experienced of horror-lovers.

Manson’s infamous screech fits perfectly with his band’s thick guitar and ominous synth. The rest of the satanist’s repertoire, although not about Halloween, is filled with irrational gore, violence and heavy metal shrieking. To say the least, it’s little unnerving.

The Horror - RJD2 The Horror is for anyone who wants to get a little out of the box this October 31st. Ecclectic DJ RJD2 put a whole different spin on the idea of “scary music” for this song. With “The Horror” he stays true to his style: one constant and consistent beat fused with snippets of tunes and audio clips from whatever meets his fancy. This particular song even has

the voice of Gene Wilder in the tunnel scene from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” murmuring unintelligible musings.

What can be better than that?

Former dance teacher Janet Roston, who retired in 2005, will return to direct a portion of this year’s Dance Company performance. Roston directed performances and produced top-level dance concerts for 24 years, which was “wonderful,” but it was “time for her to move on.”

Roston came back this year to work on a new company piece with dance instructor, Dana Findley.

“Working with Janet has been a really great experience. She is a great choreographer and she gets things done efficiently. Having guest choreographers is great because it gives us a chance to experience new people and new styles of dance,” sophomore Sara Katz said.

The piece, which will cap the 2015 Dance Company performance this winter, will be “theatrical,” according to Roston. Set in the waiting room of a busy hospital, the dance features students playing roles of patients, doctors and nurses. Roston has arranged for guest appearances in the piece as well.

“I’m happy working with a big group and love doing theatricallybased choreography. Those teachers that have seen my work with Dance Company will recognize it as very ‘Janet Roston,’” she said.

The choreography is set to classic 1970’s funk: the theme song from the television show “Shaft”, sung

Each year, a few weeks before the month of October ends, every high school student must face an age-old question. What will I be for Halloween? Some tactful teens tackle this problem far before Oct. 31, but, unsurprisingly, most wait until the eleventh hour to plan out any sort of costume. And a lot of the time, they aren’t satisfied with the result. These students have taken the time to plan out their perfect costume for the perfect Halloween. Hopefully, those who are behind can take some inspira-

T i m e Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

tion from those who are ahead.

The Rocky Horror PicCartoon by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA ture Show itself Monster Mash.” Considering the is a seminal musical and Hallow- fact that Pickett didn’t really do een classic in many ways, only one anything else after this album, so of them being it’s fantastically- we owe him the continued tradifreaky soundtrack. This sex-driv- tion of listening and loving this en, silly, tribute to horror movies, song. His Transylvanian accent is key to any good Halloween ex- and ridiculous lyrics makes it irperience. It’s most beloved song resistible to dance to. It’s a classic. is the radical “Time Warp”. The song immediately induces a good Thriller - Michael Jackson time out of any experience.

The Monster Mash - Bobby “Boris” Pickett Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s claimto-fame is his one album of Halloween-themed songs with his backing band, The Crypt-Kickers, and his everlasting hit, “The

Retiree returns Lolita Gorbecheva staff writer

Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer

by Isaac Hayes, as well as tracks by Curtis Mayfield and James Brown.

“The contrast of the 70’s funk and a hospital scene is really amusing. It’s a wacky, funny dance with a huge cast of 32 dancers,” Roston said.

Many of Roston’s students have gone into professional dance careers, performing in professional companies, music videos and world tours with pop-music artists. Some of them continued with the art of dance, while others have gone on to be actors, directors, graphic designers, music producers, costume designers and architects. Some former students have even opened up their own dance companies and have become professional choreographers.

“I’ve kept tabs on many of my former dance company members; some of them still perform for me in my professional choreography,” Roston said.

While helping out with the Dance Company show, Roston is also constantly working as a professional dance choreographer.

Many of her current projects have been in theater productions, and she has also directed and choreographed shows in Los Angeles, Boston and Austin.

Her directing and choreographing is “Striking 12” at the Laguna Playhouse from Dec. 3 to Dec. 28.

Dance Company will be performing their annual show from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17.

And now, for perhaps the most important of the bunch. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” will always prevail as a “must-have.” Jackson parading around in-sync with zombies in a graveyard is just an indisputably iconic image that embodies the Halloween spirit.

RISKY BUSINESS - Junior Aaron Nehmadi found inspiration from one of his favorite T.V. show’s, “Breaking Bad”. Heisenberg is an alias name for Walter White, lovable drug lord played by award-winning Bryan Cranston.

“I’m probably gonna wear a yellow hazmat suit with a gas mask.

I might even break up some blue jolly ranchers to look like the famous blue meth that’s on the show,” Nehmadi said.

BOOK BABE - Senior Allie Finer channels her true passion for literature with this year’s halloween costume. “Considering that this is my last year at Beverly, I would like to pay respect to the great librarian’s we have at this school,” Finer said. She’s decided to take a classic approach towards the outfit. “I think I’ll go with a more classic librarian look. I’m thinking a long ‘amish-esque’ skirt with a tucked in blouse and glasses.”

FILM FANATIC - Sophomore Bennett Gershwin has got his costume down to the very last brown leather satchel. This year, he’s chosen to be one of his “favorite movie characters”, Indiana Jones.

Complete with man-purse, worndown hat and faded chinos, Gershwin has thought out each detail.

“I like it because it’s low maintenance. I can reuse virtually every part of it as an everyday thing to wear,” he said.

To read the full article, visit www.beverlyhighlights.com.

Man inside the vending van

food. Amir’s really nice and is always kind to everybody. He always tries to remember your A toothy Spongebob grins at name, and it’ll take him time, but passers by from the left side he’s very nice no matter what.” of a white truck. Covered with Nouri is not a one-trick pony. An half-faded stickers of childhood owner of a “vending van” and the treats, the truck, and the perhead of an ice cream truck comson who runs it, is not what most pany, he manages to keep up with would expect to be an integral “something kind of new” which is part of any high school. Yet, Amir unlike any of his past endeavors.

Nouri, entrepreneur and econom“I’m an owner of an internationics major, is beloved by many al business. We introduce Amerimembers of the Norman Nation. can-Canadian companies who are Nouri has played a role at Bevproducing medicine for animals erly for 28 years. After becoming to mostly Middlethe owner Eastern countries an ice cream and Minor Asia. I truck comfrequently travel pany, he was to Europe because spotted by a I have to attend former school shows and exhibiprincipal, tions. There’s a lot approached of European manuand asked if facturers and users. he wanted to This is a new thing sell food to for me,” he said. kids at the However, Nouri school, and spends most of his Nouri agreed. days in the Swim Although Gym parking lot, most think chatting with stuotherwise, Amir Nouri’s vending van can be found on campus daily. dents about current he refuses events, dreams and asto refer to Photo by: ELEANOR BOGART-STUART pirations and daily life. his job title “Honestly, my favorite reason as “ice cream man.” ingly difficult, Nouri, affectionately “This is not really an ice- known as “Amir,” and his trucks are for being here is for you guys,” cream truck.

I don’t go still fan favorites among students. Nouri said. “Not for quarter, “I go to Amir almost every not for profits. I love you guys a around the street. This is really a vending van,” Nouri said. day,” sophomore Elizabeth Lor- lot. And everybody knows that.”

Unfortunately, Nouri’s truck and anger said. “He has cheap, good

Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer

vending van business has not been doing well in the market lately, Nouri’s company used to buy its products at wholesale level directly from manufacturers. However, a “huge” company took over and acquired the exclusive right to distribute food stuffs from “Bakersfield to Las Vegas,” according to the driver. Nouri’s business fell under its umbrella, and the distributor raised their prices dramatically. It has grown “harder” for Nouri to buy products for his trucks.

Although it has grown increas-

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT OCTOBER 24 , 2014

7

Following the followers in a destructive culture Jackson Prince, co-editor in chief @katyperry, @justinbieber, @taylorswift13, @ladygaga, and @britneyspears.

You know them. You probably follow them.

In fact, 245,950,853 of you follow them.

To put it into perspective, if all of you followers lined up in single file, you’d wrap around the Earth approximately six times.

We have fixated our Twitter accounts on these figures, as well as countless other celebrities, athletes and mildly talented “Vinefamous” or “Insta-famous” sell-ebrities.

(Yes, there’s money in it for all of them, as they add each of us to their growing list of followers. We blissfully bask in the wake of every Tweet, Vine or Gram, take behavioral cues from them, and check our social media religiously for their changes in hair color, their favorite new song or movie, or their relationship status with Nick Jonas.

For these societal figures to rack up so many followers, there are a few basic criteria that are absolute musts: they must own an iPhone for proper Instagramming, they must be overly-attractive (or entertainingly unattractive) and they must keep an excellent ratio of “followers-to-following” in order to appear desired, rather than desiring.

And it’s not just celebrities. YouTube (over 45 million followers) and Instagram (over 35 million followers) have company Twitter accounts. Even Twitter itself has over 32 million followers.

We follow these people, or these cuttingedge companies, because they’re…well, sexy.

They’ve been taught to be sexy. They have

teams of experts on their payroll who train them to say the right things, take the right pictures and wear the right designer clothing in just the right way. If we see the ridiculousness of selling our souls in becoming followers of these clapping monkeys, then the situation is merely ironic. But that’s not so.

Most of us take pride in being followers: we loudly retweet and share Vines and Insta-

and Eva Peron were hailed as leaders as they translated their visions to a common goal (good or evil) shared by hundreds of millions of literal, not virtual, followers. Today, there are few followers, especially here in America, willing to take to the streets to join forces behind a charismatic leader. Leadership demanded such action in the past. Instead, today it takes a mere blue checkmark beside

Led by followers, we have nowhere to go. Cartoon by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA grams with everyone we know (and, thanks to the brilliance of social media, many we don’t know).

That’s not ironic. That’s sad.

The point is simple. If we are the followers, who are we choosing to follow? The natural response to such a question would be a “leader.” From pre-school, we’ve been taught to follow the leader. A “leader” is, quite simply, “something that leads,” according to Merriam-Webster. But let’s delve a little bit deeper, as that definition would hardly be deserving of a Tweet. Warren Bennis, a pioneer in the field of examining this subject, says that “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” In the past, Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington

one’s name to be considered a leader in society, and the leaders in the past are nothing compared to Rihanna and the 11 million who follow her Instagram account, and its accompanying photo of the singer in a bikini, showing off her tattoos and smoking what appears to be a special kind of cigarette.

Bill Gates said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” But then again, why listen to this billionaire genius inventor? Bill is only 36th on the list of followers on Twitter, paling in comparison to such great thinkers as Niall Horan, Pitbull and Nicki Minaj.

Some people follow for breaking celebrity news, information that separates those “inthe-know” from those out of it. Others fol-

low out of societal pressure, as “who are you following” has become a much more significant question that “what are you reading” or, more to the point, “what do you think”.

With more people caught up in the seductive “follower” status, we have to ask a frightening question: Is anyone leading?

We have a President and the members of our federal, state and city governments who lead. (Obama is, indeed, in the top five of “most followed” on Twitter.) We have heads of societal revolutions (in the middle East and in Hong Kong, currently) and innovators of technology (not merely social networking technology) who lead. And we have real role models in society (those who care about the environment and civil rights) who lead. But these people are still prey to the wolf of the blue checkmark.

How do we create leaders in a culture of followers? How are young people going to be inspired to act for the sake of taking action for or against a cause, rather than being inspired to perform a highly asinine stunt in order to attract more followers? How will society progress if we are stuck in a vicious loop of retweets?

Being a “follower” can’t be as glorified as it is now. The “follower” culture is in full-swing and there’s no going back. The only thing that our society can do is to give less value to following, and more value to leading. @coachgambetta tweeted, “He who follows the flock will eventually step in s***.”

I couldn’t have said it better. @coachgambetta couldn’t have said it better. Or should I say, @coachgambetta couldn’t have retweeted chef Anthony Bourdain better.

Editorial

Students taking ACT are About the SMC stigma wasting time with PSAT Juliette Deutsch, co-editor in chief On Wednesday, Oct.15, many sophomores and all juniors were required to take the three-hour Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). The test commenced with a long-winded process of filling out logistical information, followed by several 25-minute critical reading and math sections. As an ACT test-taker, I couldn’t help but feel left out. It seems that the school hasn’t adjusted their plans to accommodate students who have found the the ACT is the right fit. Students should be presented with the choice between the PLAN (the preliminary ACT test) or the PSAT. The ACT, otherwise known as “American College Testing,” represents a fresh approach to the ageold SAT college entrance exam. For most students between 1950 and 2000, the SAT was the gold standard of the college admissions process. The goal of earning a perfect score of 2400 (or 1600, depending on the ever-changing nature of the test) has been ingrained in the minds of high school students since their freshman year. However, the SAT is disregarded by many students as second to the ACT, which is rapidly growing into the first-choice testing method.

According to College Board, 12 states, including North Carolina, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming, now require and pay for all public high school juniors to take the ACT. In addition, there has been a dramatic shift in the behavior of the nation’s top high school students. In 2012, “the ACT narrowly surpassed the ACT by fewer than 2,000 test-

takers out of about 1.65 million who took each exam,” according to the Huffington Post.

The SAT and the ACT have clear differences that are fitting to two different types of students. The ACT has four long sections including a science section that covers more advanced math including trigonometry and an optional writing portion. The SAT is composed of 10 shorter sections including a mandatory writing portion.

Jonathan Chiu, the national content director of high school programs at the Princeton Review, explains the ACT as more straightforward and thereby a more compelling choice among students.

“The ACT is more straightforward in their question construction,” he said.

“In math, they give you the information you need and tell you to solve for x.”

Students that opt for the ACT should be critical thinkers and fast test takers. The exam allots less time per question than the SAT, but the questions are much more straightforward. This method is underrated.

After taking the ACT you are actually given more time to go back and check over your answers in each section apposed to the SAT and that can save your score.

The shift to the ACT is here, and Beverly will soon feel its weight. Most students are preoccupied with a multitude of extracurricular activities and AP classes. Our precious time that we have to study for these standardized tests is better used by at least gaining a strong memory, becoming fast readers and processing information swiftly than memorizing 100 extraneous SAT vocabulary words which you will never use.

“As an ACT test-taker, I couldn’t help but feel left out.”

An overwhelming amount of students from While the counselor’s encouragement is reBeverly have made the decision to go to San- spected, the student left the meeting feeling ta Monica Community College (SMC) versus as if she was doing something wrong by even a four-year university. However, teachers, considering SMC as an option. The problem counselors and sometimes even students, here is that the Board of Education and staff have shared their disapproval of this choice. have the misperception that SMC is not the Adults have labeled the community college right place for hard working students. system as an “easy-way-out” or a means of This is not to say that there are not stuavoiding responsibility. However, by consid- dents who use use community college as a ering the exponential financial gain, as well way to excuse a lack of hard work. In fact, as the excellent academic record, students at this very school, there are students who are making the responsible choice for their live by the, “Who cares? I’m going to SMC, personal education. When it comes down to anyways” mentality. Throughout the years, it, the community college system meets the it has become apparent that our peers reneeds of several high school graduates and flect their expanding social life in their less their choice should be respected. than passing grades by spending more time After a recorded 146 Beverly graduates focused on friends and parties, rather than went to the commudevoting time to study. nity college last year, With an almost guarancertain members of teed entry to the comthe Board of Edumunity college, some cation pushed our students lack the desire school to discourage to apply themselves fully students from at- Students who choose SMC face critics. to their studies. Instead tending such institu- Cartoon by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA of studying in high school, tions. We believe that students are making certain abusers of the system will save their the educated decision to attend the school energy for SMC and bank on transferring to of their choice, and we cannot consider it a a four-year university. While SMC can be failure if Normans are taking advantage of looked upon as a second-chance, it can’t be a their rights. They should be able to attend haven for high-school procrastinators. the school of their liking without the presIn other words, SMC is not an inferior sure to reevaluate their choice based on a choice, rather a different choice. We, as a high school statistic or others’ opinions. school, cannot punish students for choosThis past week, a member of this editorial ing to attend a community college. If Bevstaff informed their counselor of their choice erly is getting its students into the colleges to apply to UC schools, with a back up of of their choice, it is blind of others to deem community college. The student’s decision our school as failing. As a community, we was built on the “basis that the school of- must erase the stigma that hard-working, fers a great education at minimal costs com- good students should only go to four-year pared to that of the alternatives.” In their universities and that community colleges four years of high school, this member had are for the scraps. Rather, we must create taken honors classes, AP courses and made a a new stigma. A positive stigma, that recmark in extracurricular activities. The coun- ognizes the success of landing a student at selor reviewed the student’s transcript and their choice institution and the success of implied that the student was “settling” for inspiring a student to continue their pursuit less than what her hard work had produced. of knowledge.

8

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS OCTOBER 24, 2014

Athletes losing respect, fanship due to bad behavior Lucas Harward staff writer $4.5 million. $3.9 million. $2.4 million. $2.0 million. These are the average salaries for athletes in the four major American sports leagues: the NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL. These numbers are a testament to the value Americans place on professional sports.

Sports are an enormous part of our culture. The national pastime is baseball. Popular athletes are on the same level as movie stars and other celebrities. And with more opportunities to follow sports and favorite players through fantasy sports and Twitter, Americans are more in touch with athletes than ever before.

Any outsider can observe a definitive effort being made by professional sports to use their influence to bring about positive change. Organizations like the NBA’s global outreach initiative, NBA Cares, organize community service events where the volunteers are active NBA players. This community participation stretches across the four major sports,

trying to pull the overall image the NFL. of professional sports in the right However, many critics see this direction. Athgood deed letes like Tim as a desperDuncan, Peyton ate attempt Manning, Derek to salvage Jeter and Roger a positive Federer are, by standing beanyone’s meatween moral surement, role fans and the models on and league. Deoff the court or spite the effield. forts by the Recently, Cinleagues and cinnati Bengals a minority defensive tackle of athletes to Devon Still, the shed a posifather of a fourtive light on Criminal athletes leave their loyal the year-old girl with sports, neuroblastoma, a fans in the dust. Cartoon by: a seemingly form of pediatric VERONICA PAHOMOVA larger group cancer, was cut of athletes are from the team. Upon hearing that sabotaging this effort. Ray Rice Still’s daughter was in poor health, was accused of domestic violence. the team signed Still to the prac- Barry Bonds took steroids. Kobe tice squad, enabling him to use his Bryant allegedly raped a woman. salary and health benefits from the Aaron Hernandez is accused of team to pay for his daughter’s sur- a double murder. Metta World gery and save her life. The league, Peace, formerly known as Ron as a whole, put together a true feel- Artest, attacked a fan in the good story, boosting the image of stands of The Palace. They’re

Ex-wrestler thrives as coach Ben Shofet graphics editor Wrestling coach Armand Farrokh rejoined the program that he helped build while a studentathlete at Beverly. Farrokh, class of 2011, has a passion for wrestling since his middle school years “I always really loved wrestling.

In middle school at El Rodeo, all the kids would be wrestling in the back and I’d always jump in there,” he said.

Farrokh’s wrestling, however, was not confined to the El Rodeo playground. At Beverly, Farrokh became the first Norman in over 40 years to make it past CIF Finals to Masters.

However, Farrokh wasn’t always the top dog of the wrestling team.

2007 was a winless year for Farrokh.

“The mere fact that he made it to Masters from a horrible freshman season is mind blowing to me. It proves that hard work pays off, especially the fact that he was one match away from state,” varsity wrestling captain Eli Soroudi said.

Farrokh worked tirelessly with Vwrestling coach Mark Mead to try to get one victory under his belt. After notching that first “W”, Farrokh was off to the races.

“I learned how to wrestle with him, almost literally. I wrestled with him every day. In his sophomore year, he was pretty easy for me. In his junior year, he was tough, but I could beat him. By the end of his senior year, he was a better wrestler than me,” Mead said.

Farrokh’s senior year was his best. He had an undefeated season, a streak that was broken at the Battle for the Belt Tournament.

“I was in the championship bracket and I went against this guy who was huge. He was a really strong dude and he gave me my first loss of the season by a huge margin. He beat me like 12-1. He

destroyed me, killed me, He made it miserable,” Farrokh said.

After his first loss of his season, Farrokh continued to pursue his dream of being the first wrestler in over 40 years at Beverly to make it through CIF. “In Beverly Hills history, there hadn’t been a Masters qualifier or a person who has made it past CIF regionals in over 40 years, and as a sophomore, it was my goal to make it to Masters and get my name on the plaque in the wrestling room,” Farrokh said.

After beating the CIF champion

strengthen the wrestling program and bring it to the same level that he had once brought it to when he wrestled at Beverly.

“I’m super proud of Armand,” Mead said. “I take a good deal of pride when I see him exhibiting the intangibles that we value in the BHHS wrestling room, in his coaching. No one I know believes in hard work as much as Armand.

He is crazy about it, I love that.

Without a doubt, he single-handedly resurrected the Beverly Hills wrestling name.”

Farrokh, while successful as a high school wrestler, takes more pride in the revitalization of the wrestling program than his legacy.

This newfound energy was key in his decision to help out with coaching the team.

“When I came here the program was nothing. My sophomore year there were only 10 guys here.

Now there are Top: Farrokh as a high schooler taking down his 35. This sport opponent. Bottom: Farrokh instructs the team in a gave me somehuddle. Photos courtesy of: ARMAND FARROKH thing that I had in Masters, Farrokh lost his final never had in my life. It gave me match, placing him in 12th. In or- some sort of validation,” Farrokh der to advance past Masters, Far- said. “There were a lot of things rokh had to make it among the top I hated about high school, but nine wrestlers, just missing the the only thing that I really, recut-off. ally missed was wrestling. There’s “It drives me insane that I didn’t nothing like it, and if I can help make it to state, even though my kids enjoy the same experience goal was to make it to Masters,” that I had and have them propel Farrokh said. the team to different heights that Now, Farrokh has joined his we hadn’t reached before, that’s past coach, Mead, in an effort to really the dream.”

not the only people who have ever done these things (except World Peace, he probably is), but their actions become inexcusable once you think about the worldwide recognition these players get.

Varsity tennis coach Mike Margolin believes that athletes can become role models for kids for very basic reasons, but the connection is made nevertheless.

“Rod Laver, a great Australian tennis player, was pretty much my role model when I was a kid.

I think I started paying attention to him because he was left-handed, and was somebody I could try to model my game after. I also just liked the way he acted on the court,” Margolin said.

Senior Chloe Barroukh thinks that athletes are role models, but only in certain aspects of their character.

“In a passionate, goal-oriented sense they are phenomenal role models, but when it comes to morals athletes are known for being immature and aggressive,” Barroukh said.

Despite the opinions, two warring schools of thought remain.

One believes that athletes should not be held to higher standard just because they are rich and their actions are very visible to the public.

The other believes that for that exact reason, athletes have a responsibility to show the public, especially the younger generation, the appropriate way to live life and treat others.

If society is choosing to treat athletes like gods, seeing them through rose-colored glasses, and athletes’ behaviors continue to decline, we will soon lose our patience, our loyalty and our respect.

New scoreboards donated to gym the games and my grandkids will be going there, so I want them to have a scoreboard.’”

Athletic director John Johnson appreciates and recognizes the importance of the donations.

“My understanding is that as part of their support for the high school, they The scoreboards add modernity to the classic Swim identified the Gym. Photo by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA need to make sure the volleyball team, boys and Score! Another intense pointgirls, the water polo boys and girls winning spike for the Norman teams, and the basketball boys volleyball team. Put it on the and girls teams had the most up board! to date and useful scoreboard and Another precise goal for the shot clock system inside the Swim Norman water polo team. You Gym,” Johnson said. can count it!

Johnson, having attended BevAnd another fastbreak layup erly in his high school years, refor the Norman basketball team. members the old scoreboard as As the crowd turns their attenbeing inadequate. During his time, tion to check the score, they will there was only one scoreboard on notice two changes in the presenthe west wall, so all of the game tation of this data. information a viewer received was The Swim Gym was closed to based on what they could see on students and faculty while unthat wall. Keeping in mind the ondergoing renovation. Then, the going basketball tournament Bevreconstructed Swim Gym was erly is famous for, in his opinion, unveiled, with two brand-new these donations were definitely scoreboards mounted on oppobeneficial. site ends of the gym, donated by “As an alumnus, you’re excited the Garland family and the Sachs about giving young people more family, respectively. than what you had so that they “A while ago the school was could have a greater sense of self,” talking about taking [the old Johnson said. scoreboard] down,” sophomore Johnson believes that the new Jade Garland said. “My grandma and improved scoreboards will offered to donate it.” have a positive effect on the athGarland’s grandmother spent letes as well. $45,000 on the scoreboard, with “Any time you are able to give a motive in mind. the best available tools for student “A couple years ago she was at athletes to perform, it’s like having my dad’s restaurant and somea brand new pen to write with, it one was talking about how the just makes you feel better. It gives scoreboard doesn’t work, and you a sense of, ‘I can feel better how sad it was that the kids play with what I’m doing,’” Johnson without a working scoreboard, so said. “And that’s all you want to do she offered to donate money for for students, to give them a sense them to get one,” Garland said. of, ‘Here, we are supporting you.

“She was like, ‘My kids went to Now go off and do what you can.’”

Beverly and I always went to Veronica Pahomova staff writer Jackson Prince co-editor-in-chief