Highlights Vol 88, issue 1

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September 15, 2014 Volume 88, Issue 1 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com

New Theater Dept. leadership takes center stage Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer Hidden behind the glittering sleeves of a silver dress and a pair of oversized elephant ears, it’s surprising to see Dr. Brad Vincent dressed in regular clothing and not a sparkling theatrical costume. His new role as theater director at the high school betrays his serious stature as one who loves and appreciates the more eclectic in life.

Vincent and new choral teacher Stacy Kikkawa now form the updated theater department since beloved theater director Herb Hall retired last year after 28 years at the school. Already, there are major changes. Instead of the “one play, one musical” mentality of last year, Vincent has already lined up three plays for the kids to perform before the large musical in spring. This shows just how confident the new director is in his kids.

“I think it’s going wonderfully well. They work incredibly hard.

I certainly couldn’t ask for more from the cast and crew,” Vincent said.

Although new to Beverly Hills, Vincent isn’t new to his craft. He spent 20 out of his 24 years as a teacher teaching young adults theater at various high schools, being a technical director at a college, and teaching theater education at the revered New York University while getting his own PhD. His first four years were spent acting in the Private Sector, a “dramedy” about teenagers growing up in a bleak new generation.

“I just didn’t enjoy those four years as much as I did the other 20,” Vincent said.

What Vincent does enjoy is theater. Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, and Anna Deavere Smith are all directors who he enjoys and truly admires. However, there’s a special place in his heart for the alltime classic and the founder of English drama, William Shakespeare.

“I love Shakespeare. I love sharing it with students. That’s what got me most excited about starting off the year, is sharing something that I really, really love,” Vincent said.

For the past few months, the department has been undertaking the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. It seems as if Vincent’s own tragedies seem to translate into his passion for the tragedies that he now directs.

“This is gonna sound a little dramatic. My mother died when I was 19. My grandfather died when my father was 11. One of my mother’s brothers died when he was six. And another one of her brothers died when he was 44.

Since my mother passed away, I never count on living more than a year at a time. Given this opportunity, I wanted to do a play that I love. I wanted to do a play that has a great deal of beauty, even though it ends up as a tragedy. I think our world is severely lacking in beauty right now,” Vincent

said.

But there’s more to Vincent than late and great theater legends. He’s also been deeply inspired by people more involved in his life. His parents and a particularly influential theater director taught him lessons that he would remember and relishthe for rest of his life.

“I would say that those two lessons: love what you do, and do the best you can possibly do at it, is pretty key. Any success that I’ve had in my career is due to those people, my mom and my dad and my director,” Vincent said.

It may seem like it, but Vincent’s success in life is simply not something that comes easy.

Although his prosperity almost seemed to, he has learned that achievement in the theater business is not actually a walk in the park.

“Theater, acting, musical theater, whichever part of it you’re talking about, it’s all very difficult and hard. You have to do your

best and you have to do your best all the time,” Vincent said.

Though definitely difficult, however Vincent’s success came to him, Beverly is grateful for it.

“He’s very passionate about his work and you can see how much he cares about it through his teaching and how he handles rehearsals,” theater arts workshop junior Kyylexa Corday said.

The business may be rough and the journey tough, but Vincent has more than proven his position as new director at the school.

Now Beverly has the privilege of watching him do what he loves.

“You have to love it and you have to work, but, at a certain point, you find that excellence.

That art. That beauty. That level of achievement. Then it becomes like a drug, you keep chasing it, because there’s no other feeling like it in the world,” Vincent said.

“Romeo and Juliet” plays Sept. 17 through Sept. 20 at the Salter Family Theater.

Choral director Stacy Kikkawa and Theatre Director Brad Vincent collaborate for the John Ingle Memorial September Shakespeare. Photos by: MARTY SCHNAPP

Marrs takes over as new Service Learning advisor Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Service Learning is experiencing new changes this year, losing many seniors but gaining new cochairs and a new adviser.

English teacher Jamie Marrs has taken over Assistant Principal Michelle Halimi`s former position of Service Learning teacher.

“Taking on a new project like this is both exciting and daunting. I’ve been fortunate to step into a strong program that Ms. Halimi built over the years, making my new role pretty painless.

Following in her footsteps is also a little intimidating, but the students are very capable and so generous in catching me up and at the same time are open to my ideas and point of view,” Marrs said.

Service Learning keeps Marrs

interested and has helped her grow as a person.

“Anyone who knows me probably thought I was crazy for taking on Service Learning this year because I already seemed ‘too busy’ as it was. My ‘inbox’ will never be empty, so I may as well keep it interesting. Everything I do to keep growing as a person ultimately makes me a better teacher and being a teacher teaches me more than I can say,” Marrs said.

Senior co-chair Tina Youabian believes that despite a large transition from last year, the group will still accomplish their goals.

“The transition from last year and this year is different because we have a new teacher and new students but I feel that we have a very strong class and we have a great new structure and it looks like we are going to have a great year and accomplish great things

again,” Youabian said.

In addition, Youabian believes that Service Learning should not just focus on helping the community, but rather helping anyone that is in need.

“I really want Service Learning to not only help out our community or anyone that needs our help. I would love for our class to turn into a mini family and become close. I believe it takes teamwork and leadership to get everything done efficiently this year,” Youabian said.

Service Learning plans to focus on community oriented events this year in conjunction to their yearly events such as Albion Street and hair donations.

“We are definitely going to continue the canned food drive, Albion Street and Hair Donations.

We also want to raise awareness about the campaigns and drives

that have received less attention in the past, but always make a difference to those who are close to them,” Marrs said.

Marrs has set a goal for the year to connect with other clubs on campus and have purposeful interactions with the community.

“Service Learning is made up of people who care about community, and so we have to start with our BHHS community. This year, we are focused on connecting with others, working more closely and purposefully with clubs, organizations, and people across campus, in our city, and in Los Angeles. We also have our own Community Liaisons who are responsible for keeping communication open about what’s happening with us, and what’s happening in the community around us,” Marrs said.

Marrs is preparing with Ser-

vice Learning for the Aids Walk and ALS Walk.

Both the AIDS walk and ALS walk are coming soon, and we are working with other groups to try to increase BHHS participation in those important events.

The funny thing is that Service Learning is always serving, even without publicized events. We’ve already been a part of a cooperative school supply drive with another school. we’ve resumed our school-wide recycling program; we’ve connected with the Beverly Hills Tutoring program that serves the BHUSD elementary schools; we’ve planned for Back to School Night to begin raising money for the December BHHSTo join Service Learning or find out more information about the class, contact Jamie Marrs room 118. Look out for ALS Walk and AIDS Walk sign ups.

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Psychology teacher Wolfe shares keys to happy living Celine Rezvani staff writer As Dr. David Wolfe embarks on his 19th year of teaching at Beverly, he shares his experience as a teacher and and philosopher.

Wolfe received his Masters of Science degree from San Diego State University, and continued on to Union Graduate Institute where he received his Ph.D in psychology. He specializes in treating depression, anxiety and severe addictions.

Deep rooted interest Wolfe’s profound fascination with psychotherapy stems from his experience in the dorms at San Diego State.

“I found that people wanted to talk to me, and that I was a good listener,” Wolfe said.

Throughout his career in psychotherapy, Wolfe has found that everyone deals with similar challenges, which has allowed him to

connect with a diverse group of patients.

“Everyone experiences anxiety and depression. It’s a healing condition, and that’s why I can relate to a lot of different people,” he said.

Wolfe has felt many of the troubling emotions his patients deal with.

“I’ve experienced anxiety. Every new academic year comes with a little bit of anxiety,” he said. “I’ve dealt with sadness, broken relationships, losing parents, disappointments.”

The beginning Before beginning a career at Beverly, Wolfe worked with international students at San Diego State and ran his own private practice.

“I felt there was a good balance between working at the university with a lot of students and working one-on-one with a client,” he said.

Wolfe is no stranger to the emotion his patients cope with.

“I’m affected by a person’s challenges, and what I’ve found to do is write about it by keeping a journal of thoughts and feelings,” Wolfe said.

Many therapists, including Wolfe, see therapists of their own.

“When I had my private practice it was good to talk to someone who was very objective, and understood my profession,” he said.

From university to high school Although he enjoyed aiding international university students, Wolfe prefers working at Beverly as a psychology teacher.

“I find students compassionate, interested in psychology, and excited about psychology,” he said.

“The staff is terrific and it’s a great educational community.”

Throughout his years teaching at Beverly, Wolfe has developed a distinct philosophy on the human condition. He finds it very important for students to honor their thoughts and feelings, while keeping in mind that they are ultimately responsible for their behavior.

“You can feel anything you want, but recognize that behavior has consequences,” he said. “Expression comes with consequences.”

Wolfe prefers teaching psychology over practicing psychotherapy.

“Psychotherapy can be isolating at times,” he said. “I wasn’t working with a lot of people, and I enjoy working in a community.”

A psychology student There are many community activities Wolfe has his psychology students participate in. One assignment the students have to complete is attending a 12-Step

meeting, like Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous or Marijuana Anonymous.

“Students get a lot out of that assignment, and they learn a lot about human nature,” Wolfe said.

“It’s a great place to observe human interactions. It educates them that there’s a place to go if you have trouble with alcohol or other substances.”

Wolfe assigns his students to complete a bucket list that sets goals of what they want to accomplish.

“They should look back at it in five years and reassess,” he said.

“Goal setting is very important.”

“With meaning, purpose, and passion,” he said, “the chance of happiness increases.”

To Wolfe, psychology is never ending.

“We use it daily,” he said.

Electives jumpstart preliminary career exploration Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief Sadie Hersh photo editor Upasana Mannur staff writer Ben Shofet staff writer Whether it’s journalism, photography, culinary arts or theatre, students plan to pursue their passion in these electives beyond the walls of Beverly. To add, some have spent all four years dedicated to their chosen elective and found a career path through it.

Photography Seniors Alex Ghavami and Dominique Desage both take their interest in photography beyond the classroom itself.

Ghavami has been in the photography program for four years, and Desage has been in the class for three years. Photography teacher Tim Briggs uses their work as the standard for other students as they set a good example for those taking photography.

While Ghavami wants to be a wildlife photographer, his passion for photography started even before he entered high school.

“I had an old camera laying around the house from the 80s and I thought it was cool,” Ghavami said. “I thought it would be interesting to learn how to use it so I just got into it from there.”

Desage aspires to become a fashion photographer. She was influenced to go into photography by her grandfather. While she never met him, she had found out the he was a photographer and wanted to pursue it for herself.

Desage is a standout in Advanced Photography, as she inspires students to learn more and improve their work.

“I always do something or try something different and everyone asks me ‘Oh how do you do that?’ so I help everyone in the class or teach them how to do it,” Desage said. “Mr. Briggs helps me or teaches me something individually and then I will go and help other people do it.”

Theatre Arts Senior Yassi Noubahar has participated in the theatre arts department on campus for her entire high school career. She is currently in her second year in Theatre Arts Workshop (TAW) and the president of the Thespian Society.

Noubahar plans to pursue a career in musical theatre in college.

“Musical theatre is what makes me happiest and what makes me feel like myself. I would be insane not to pursue something that feels so right,” Noubahar said. “Right now, my first choice college is the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The department there is excellent.”

Noubahar realized her passion for the musical theatre when she was ten years old.

“When I was 10 I went to New York City and saw ‘Mary Poppins’ at the New Amsterdam Theatre and fell in love. From that day forward I could not imagine doing anything but musical theatre,” Noubahar said.

Culinary Arts Junior Joel Gabai is cooking up his third year in culinary arts. He plans on extending his culinary career by enlisting in the United States Navy.

“After high school I’m thinking of enlisting in the United States Navy as a culinary specialist. They provide more opportunities,” Gabai said.

Gabai plans on serving for 20 years in the United States Navy.

After his service, he would like to open or manage his own BBQ style restaurant.

Gabai’s interest in culinary began freshman year, but has grown tremendously in the past year. Watching the Food Network stoked Gabai`s curiosity for cooking.

“I was just watching the [Food Network] one day and I was really interested in it; it was something that just grabbed my attention real quick,” Gabai said.

Gabai participated in Skills USA, a culinary competition for students in high school and college. Gabai was one of two students from Beverly who participated in the competition, and he ranked ninth out of 15 in his specific competition.

Chef Rick Leece was quick to praise Gabai. “[Joel] did, and does, really well,” Leece said.

Leece has classified Gabai as one of most his “dedicated” and “passionate” students in the program.

Photojournalism Charly Azoulay, plans on applying to colleges with strong photography and creative writing programs, like Sarah Lawrence and Rhode Island School of Design, after spending four years in yearbook and interning with local luxury photographer Anolan Dragitsch over the summer.

Azoulay joined yearbook his freshman year, the following his sister’s footsteps. Although he took the class with no particular interest in photography nor writing for his first two years at Beverly, by junior year his elective became his primary passion at school.

“I’ve been into medicine and science. By junior year, I realized that writing and photography was something I liked and that’s what yearbook was. Now, I take it more seriously and see it as a possible career,” Azoulay said.

Last year, Herbst noted tremendous growth in Azoulay’s photography, writing and design.

She was impressed further when Azoulay was awarded Honorable Mention in the write-offs at the National High School Journalism Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. Herbst also saw that Azoulay began showing interest in leadership and demonstrated natural leadership qualities needed to run a yearbook.

To read more check out www.beverlyhighlights. Seniors Alex Ghavami and Dominique Desage work in photography.

Photos by: CHARLAY AZOULAY com

HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE SEPTEMBER15, 2014

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Indulging in Fall’s healthiest, yet tastiest indulgences Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief With the Fall season approaching right around the corner, here is a list of three healthy spots to satisfy Autumn cravings as we are moving toward the cooler months.

Peach Cobbler at Gracias Madre 8905 Melrose Avenue Located in West Hollywood, Gracias Madre was founded by the same owners as the all-vegan restaurant Cafe Gratitude. Gracias Madre puts their own twist on traditional Mexican dishes making them all 100 percent vegan and gluten free. Executive chef Chandra Gilbert has incorporated healthy ingredients into a classic Fall dessert favorite. Gracias Madre’s Peach Cobbler is made with organic peaches and homemade Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream. The dish is a perfect blend of warm peaches and summery coconut.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at Gjelina 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd

toriously known for its long waits and delicious brunch selection.

One of the featured dishes for Autumn is their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes created by chef Travis Lett.

The dish balances three dimesized buckwheat pancakes, topped off with a lemon ricotta and a raspberry reduction. The sweet lemon ricotta serves as the perfect topping to this otherwise simple concept.

Highlights Juliette Deutsch and Jackson Prince editors-in-chief

Sadie Hersh photo editor

Karen Shilyan

Business Manager

Veronica Pahomova Cartoonist

The Vegan Chop at Malibu Farm Cafe

Eleanor Bogart -Stuart, Amanda Christovich, Guy Ginsberg, Lolita Gorbacheva, Lucas Harward, Upasana Mannur, Celine Rezvani, Marty Schnapp, and Ben Shofet

23000 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu Farm Cafe, located within walking distance to the Malibu Pier, was started by Swedish chef Helene Henderson. Malibu Farm prides itself on using 100 percent organic ingredients, lots of whole wheat and zero sugar substitutes.

One of their most famous dishes is the Vegan Chop which is the perfect Autumn salad. The salad consists of a mixture of kale, romaine lettuce, butternut squash, beets, avocado and garbanzo beans. This combination creates a delicious blend between hearty and light ingredients.

Gjelina, located in Venice, is no-

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.

The Malibu Farm Cafe Vegan Chop Salad and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at Gjelina in Venice.

Photos by: JULIETTE DEUTSCH

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

Visit beverlyhighlights.com

Michel Paul promotes importance of computers Guy Ginsberg staff writer Math teacher Michel Paul wants people to make the connection between math and computers. In his AP Computer Science and F.S.T. classes, he emphasizes that math increasingly goes hand in hand with technology, and preaches how important it is becoming to be able to do math digitally.

say is the importance of computer science in the world today?

Michel Paul: Philosophy, reading Socrates. In a lot of ways I can’t really say that I have a method, because I’m always rethinking things. But primarily what I hope to do is to get people to question their assumptions, because one of the biggest obstacles to learning is thinking you already know. So ignorance isn’t the issue, it’s thinking we already know something.

Paul: It’s a new kind of literacy.

And so it’s not that everybody has to go out and become a programmer, and it’s not that everybody has to work at Google or anything like that, but it is a new kind of literacy. It’s a new kind of reading and writing, and so computer science is also providing a new way to understand physical reality, which is mind blowing. Computer science is a subset of information theory, and information theory is considered the third great revolution in physics. The first revolution was relativity, and then quantum mechanics, and then after World War II, information science got founded and it is now being seen as a revolution in physics. Because we now see matter, energy and information are completely intertwined and they always have been.

Highlights: How would you say the way that you teach helps that?

Highlights: Where do you think computer science is going in 10 years?

Paul: I like to ask questions about things where people assume they already know the answer. I especially like the method I use for assessments, with “justified true false.” Make a statement, and have a person assess whether they know it’s true, believe it’s true, don’t know, believe it’s false, or know it’s false and then ask them why, and that can be used for assessment, or for teaching, and it’s just amazing how much information that brings up.

Paul: The Computer Science revolution has really only just begun, What we see right now is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s gonna be brain-computer interfacing, and all kinds of things happening that we can only just get a glimpse of right now.

Highlights: Where did you discover your teaching methods?

Highlights: What would you

Highlights: Where do you see technology in general going in the future?

Paul: What’s happening right now is that nature is inspiring new technologies, so the most success-

Math teacher Michel Paul plans future lessons for his AP Computer Science and F.S.T classes Photo By: GUY GINSBERG ful algorithms that are being used right now are actually designed by the machines themselves, and not by people. What’s happening is that the power of natural selection and evolution is being harnessed so that computers essentially design algorithms through natural selection that work better than human-designed algorithms.

Highlights: Tell me about what is happening in the evolution of technolgy right now?

Paul: What’s happening right now is that nature is inspiring new technologies, so the most successful algorithms that are being used right now are actually designed by the machines themselves, and not by people. What’s happening is that the power of natural selection and evolution is being har-

nessed so that computers essentially design algorithms through natural selection that work better than human-designed algorithms.

Most math educators and students see math and CS as two different things, but that is an outdated view. In reality, CS originated in mathematics, and the work of Voevodsky at Princeton is right now creating a revolution in mathematics that will change how math is done in probably just another generation. His work founds math on type theory rather than set theory, the way it has been for about a century, and this makes mathematical logic and CS one thing. Math education as we have it got stuck in the 19th century, and we are now in the 21st. Mathematics as the core of reality is eternal, yes, but human understanding of it is evolving, just like everything else.

Highlights: What do you think is the most effective way to teach math, and why?

Paul: I don’t really know what is the most effective, but I think the best thing to get a student to do is to solve problems that they may not have seen before and to think about them critically.

Highlights: Tell me about what you think the importance of math is?

I would say that math is all about making sense of things, and the best way to learn math is to put in the effort to make sense of things.

I think there’s all kinds of ways to get people to think, but that’s the thing, to get them to try to make sense of something.

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HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

THE NAKED TRUTH Opinion

The deeper issue behind nudes

Celebrity nudes spark controversy Marty Schnapp, staff writer Ben Shofet, staff writer Eleanor Bogart - Stuart, staff writer

Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Lea Michele were only some of the many celebrities who were virtually attacked and violated over Labor Day weekend. According to the New York Daily News, over 101 celebrities had nudes leaked by the same hacker, who posted his findings on the online forum “4Chan”. Having confidential photos leaked is not just an issue for celebrities; it is becoming something private citizens should worry about as well.

Especially when it comes to teenagers.

“I think it’s a large problem for teenagers in general. I think that teenagers can be impulsive, and that in relationships they can be very trusting,” intervention counselor Ali Norman-Franks said. “People will bully and do things over the internet or over the phone that they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing in person.”

According to Guard Child’s website, one in five teens has engaged in sexting; sending, receiving and forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email.

To add, over a third know of a friend who has sent or received sexts.

“Even worse than seeing women’s privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy,” actress Emma Watson tweeted in reference to Lawrence’s leaked photos.

The inevitable risk with sending something as private as a nude photo is the possibility of it being hacked. However, the danger isn’t only external. Hackers can cause some serious damage, but those with the closest interaction with the pictures should be the most feared.

“When I send a nude I’m thinking its private. I’m saying ‘don’t send it to anyone’, but that’s not the reality. And when it gets out, it gets out and I can’t do anything about it,” a male sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

Modern technology has provided students with a variety of ways to send and distribute nude photos. Now when a photo is sent to someone, they have the ability to share and publish the image, wherever and however they want. All these mediums only give way to more opportunities for an invasion of privacy and more opportunities for breaking the law. Sharing nude photos of minors can lead to some serious legal action.

“If a teenager’s picture does get sent out, and the family wants to press

charges, then every single person who took that and forwarded it to another person, they are passing child pornography around. So they can be held liable, and considered a sex offender.

In the s t a t e of California, that’s not somet h i n g that goes a w a y .

That’s forever,” Franks said.

It’s an issue that, although serious, is fixable.

Franks’ main goal is to understand the incentive for why teens are taking and distributing these photos.

“I think the goal is to try and understand what is it, what’s the need for them to feel like they need to send those kinds of photos. Is it some attention that they’re trying to get from that other person, is it attention they’re not getting outside of school, I don’t know,” Franks said.

The photos were leaked onto the internet, circulating websites like 4chan, Reddit, Imgur, Tumblr and Perez Hil-

ton’s blog, without the celebrities’ consent. One theory as to how they were leaked was that someone was able to access the photos through hacking into Apple’s iCloud.

The FBI is currently performing an official investigation to find out who leaked the photos.

However, the FBI is not able to stop the photos from reaching viewers.

Reports claim that Lawrence does not own the copyright to her images because she did not take them, and she will therefore find it difficult to have them taken down.

The photos of Lawrence and Upton, as well as dozens of other celebrities, are to be displayed on Oct. 30, 2014 at art-

ist XVALA’s upcoming art exhibition called “No Delete”.

Lena Dunham publicly spoke out against the actions of the photo-leaker and all who are reposting it.

“Seriously, do not forget that the person who stole these pictures and leaked them is not a hacker: they’re a sex offender,” Dunham tweeted.

Ricky Gervais commented on what he feels is an overly-severe backlash toward the photo viewers.

“Anyone who retweets this leaked erotic photo of me should be ashamed of themselves,” Gervais tweeted. Gervais later tweeted that it was only a joke and he acknowledges that the hackers are 100 percent at fault.

Junior Sam Rickwood communicates his opinion by putting himself in the exposed celebrities’ shoes.

“It really does breach their privacy, and we shouldn’t be so involved in their lives because if it were done to us we would most likely be more hurt than they are now,” Rickwood said.

Nude photos are not just an issue for celebrities.

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 20 percent of all American teens have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves.

Junior Tina Le Nguyen Quynh Chau believes that the photos have an effect on not only the celebrities, but also Americans who see or hear about them.

“I think it affects us in many good ways and many negative ways because it influences the kind of trends we follow,” Le Nguyen Quynh Chau said.

Blogger Jessica Valenti believes that the celebrity nude photos’ viral nature is a result of immoral human tendencies.

“People are titillated by leaked nude photos BECAUSE it is nonconsensual. Please consider that before you go searching for images,” Valenti tweeted.

Sophomore Jackie Hauser thinks that the celebrities whose photos were leaked should be more responsible with what they keep on their phone.

“An individual makes choices in life, and if that is one of them, they should know that there are possible consequences.

Knowing this, they should make it more secretive,” Hauser said.

Junior Trevor Atamian thinks that it is wrong for people to judge the celebrities for making a human mistake.

“I feel it’s unfair for people to judge them just because they have a nude photo or a nude video, because it shines a bad light upon their status,” Atamian said.

Source: InternetSafety101.org

Karen Shilyan, staff writer Celine Rezvani, staff writer For as long as we’ve had access to the internet, we’ve noticed a recurring trend: nudes. Every few months or so, a sexually explicit photo of some celebrity will surface anwd go viral almost immediately. The latest bunch of celebrities were exposed on Reddit, and included Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Lea Michele. Through iCloud, a hacker somewhere was able to access these photos and leak them to the World Wide Web for all to see.

But the pressing issue isn’t who posted these photos or how they were exposed, but rather the effects these nude photographs are having on teens.

The first naked photo of a celebrity during our generation was of Vanessa Hudgens in 2007. At the time, Vanessa Hudgens, or rather her character in High School Musical, Gabriella Montez, was who we had aspired to be, and who we had planned on being for Halloween.

Seven years later, we can recall the exact details of the photo without having to think too hard about it. Our 10-yearold worlds came crashing down the moment we saw that photo. We couldn’t possibly understand how the person we looked up to could be so flat out wrong.

We couldn’t wrap our heads around a good enough reason as to why any girl should feel the need to take a picture like that.

But seven years later, as our minds mature to a senior mentality, we start to understand why 18-year-old Vanessa Hudgens felt the need (or desire) to send a nude photo of herself. We start to understand why so many girls, some we’ve never met yet seen nude photos of, make the decision to take such photos. It all comes down to one thing: influence. The ugly truth is that media and social networking normalize these acts to the point that teenage girls think that they’re no big deal. The uglier truth is that they are monumental “deals.” We could name a handful of girls, ourselves included, who have felt pressured into sending a sexual photo at some point in time. The

sender may think that his/her photo will be viewed by just one person, but the harsh truth is that the receiver now holds the incredible power to share the photo.

The inevitable “share” is all too real. While we don’t listen to our parents, we hear them tell us that everything posted on the Internet is forever accessible to the world, which is probably what J-Law’s publicist is saying to her as you read this. As soon as someone makes the decision to send a nude photograph, that photo is at risk of being viewed by all.

Celebrities such as Lena Dunham are running to the defense of Lawrence and others unveiled. Dunham aimed to educate her fans through a feminist perspective about the factor of choice women have when sharing their body. She urged fans to portray the person who released the photos not as a hacker but rather as a sex offender. Dunham places blame on the perpetrator instead of the celebs that she labels as victims. However, this is a less of an issue about gender equality. In fact, nude photos are a direct contrast to the principles of achieving equality in the home and at the workplace.

Teens look to their role models to demonstrate that intelligence alone demands respect from the opposite sex. However, the statement that celebrities make by taking nude photos leads teens to believe that they can more easily receive respect by exposing their bodies. But what nude

photos provide teens is attention, not respect. The influence seen here is a roadblock to the gender equality movem e n t t h a t Dunham so greatly stands for.

Dunham fails to understand that the n u d e photo is a symbol of beauty over brilliance. The feminist movement prides itself on pushing the boundaries that men have placed on women. However, women who take nude photos are commonly portrayed as having a low self esteem and an overly exaggerated sense of arrogance.

Celebrities who raise their voices against these acts criticize the abuse of privacy rather than the act of taking the photo. Many of them speak up because they too are constantly documented and must calculate moves in order to remain a positive public figure. When celebrities defend their fellows, they portray the crime to be the leaking of the photo, not the taking of the photo. Similarly, teens defend their favorite celebrity’s right to privacy, yet demand to know what their favorite actor is wearing and who he or she is dating so they can follow by example.

When a celebrity apologizes for a nude photo that leaked, they aren’t actually apologizing for taking the photo. If they didn’t want to take the photo, they wouldn’t have. What they are apologizing for is the impact that photo has on youth. It’s no surprise that teenage girls everywhere are sending nude photographs when the first thing they see upon opening Twitter is a picture of Kate Upton’s breasts being hilariously fondled by naked All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander. To a teenage girl, seeing a nude photograph so casually displayed is an indication that the taking of nudes isn’t a harmful or negative act. It is too easy to make a lasting impression on a teenage girl. Just one inappropriate photo can change a teenage girl’s view on nudes. This burst of obscenity and indecency from a group of irresponsible celebrities has damaged much more than their reputations and careers. The naked truth is that these celebrities might’ve destroyed the future lives of their worshippers.

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HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Right: Without intervention, African elephants are expected to go instinct within the next 10 years. Above: Rangers take the ivory of the Northern white rhinoseros to make them less valuable to poachers. There are eight of them left in the world. Photos by: JACKSON PRINCE

African poaching concerns must reach Americans Jackson Prince co-editor-in-chief According to a study published a few weeks back by Genome Research, African elephants were deemed “superior smellers,” due to their innate ability to distinguish different odors better than any animal ever examined.

However, despite their remarkably sensitive schnozzes, it seems as if elephants are unable to sniff out the danger to their very existence.

The Facts In 2012, an estimated 22,000 elephants, as well as 1,004 rhinos (which are far more endangered), were killed by humans. To be specific: poachers. Despite a number of laws enacted across the African continent over the past 20 years and a rising world awareness of the problem, 2012 marked the worst year on record. While official numbers have yet to be released on 2013 and 2014, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust says that one elephant is killed every 15 minutes, and the species could disappear from the wild by 2025 if the current pace continues.

The Motive These killings are all in the name of the rhino-horn and elephantivory trade, both banned in the 1989 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty. The treaty was ratified by 175 countries, all dedicated to putting a halt to the rapid extinction of these animals due to poaching.

However, as with almost all prohibited substances, humans seem to want even more the things they “can’t” have. And so it is with rhino horns and elephant tusks, compounded by a lethal combination of advanced killing methods and more desperate local hunters eager to cash in on the greed of the Asian market.

Blame Game “The price of ivory in China has tripled in the past four years,”

Denge, a resident naturalist at the Amboseli Serena Lodge in Kenya, said. “But we can’t blame it on the Chinese.”

Instead of blaming the price tag of $2,100 dollars per kilogram of ivory, Denge blames his fellow countrymen for committing “treachery.”

“Ivory will always be worth very much, even though it is merely made of keratin, which is found in your fingernails,” he said. “To stop poaching, we must take actions directly against the poachers. They are acting in a way that threatens our country.”

Western Aid Bill Mercandante, who directs safaris throughout Kenya and Tanzania three times a year with Tauck Tours, believes that the Western World is key in the fight against poaching.

“If we want people to understand why [poaching] is so important and take a stand, we have to tell our neighbors to visit Africa and see [the animals] with their own eyes,” he said. “Watching wildlife here can change someone’s priorities, and it can spark conversation at home.”

And he’s right.

hesitation, and the elephants reward all of us by crossing right in front of our Jeep. We sneak a few pictures with our iPhones and lower-caliber cameras.

I needed to learn this lesson in the field, not in a classroom or from a YouTube video. I needed to see rare rhinoceroses dehorned by rangers in order to discourage poachers from killing them. I needed to hear the local naturalists share their fears of the survival of their beloved creatures, considered to be national treasures. I needed not merely to understand why poaching was a serious issue, but I needed to feel it.

Violence isn’t the Answer Experiencing it Firsthand To take matters into their own hands, many national parks across Africa, including Amboseli National Park, implemented a “shootto-kill” policy. If a ranger sees any person in the park without a permit, they have the legal right to “assume that they are poachers and shoot them,” according to the Maasai naturalist. While an extreme approach, this measure is seen as necessary in order to deter poaching.

However, this policy hasn’t had the intended effect. In some cases, poachers hunt down the rangers, murdering them, before they themselves may be killed. This has resulted in a rise in the number of attacks on rangers, as two rangers are killed worldwide each week, according to Sean Willmore, President of the International Ranger Federation. In reaction to these deaths, the policy was suspended in late 2013 and, as might be expected, there was massive upsurge in the killing of elephants, as 60 were killed in the span of two months.

As the situation will not be solved by more bullets, Denge and others believe that locals should address the issue “in elections with ballots.” Yet, as many African countries struggle to gain stability, tackling issues of hunger, water shortages, wars and the eradication of disease, poaching cannot receive the attention it requires from governments.

I had a life-changing experience when our family took a trip to Kenya and Tanzania this summer.

It’s our first day in Kenya, having come from Tanzania. We drive into Amboseli National Park, famous for its significant elephant population. While we had seen a few of them earlier in our trip, the largest herds are known to be in here, so I’m pumped.

Our guide, named Comfort, tries to live up to his name as we bounce violently along a so-called “road.”

Suddenly, our Jeep jerks to a stop, sending my littlest cousin flying into the seat in front of him.

We stand up to peer out of the vehicle, and our glances are met by a cloud of dust, gradually approaching us. Half-hidden, but clearing with each step it takes our way, is a herd of over a dozen elephants. At this point, we’re silent, in reverence of a true spectacle of nature.

As they head closer and closer, another avid witness in a different Jeep pulls out a mammoth black Nikon with an even larger lens attached. The elephants stop in their tracks, freeze for a moment and take the position to charge.

I asked Comfort what’s going on.

“The elephants don’t like big cameras,” he says. “They remind them of guns. And an elephant never forgets a gun.”

The photographer puts down his “weapon” soon after their brief

The Ongoing Problem A week before my arrival in Africa, Satao, a legendary Kenyan elephant known for tusks that drag the earth, was massacred by poachers. A week after my departure, four rhinos were slaughtered in Nanyuki (where I stayed for two nights) by thugs with similar purpose.

In other words, despite its profound effect on me, my visit didn’t curb poaching. Mercandante was only half-right. The fact that Americans are taking more safaris doesn’t make poachers realize that they’re in the wrong. What does affect them is the spread of concern and pressure from outsiders to take a more aggressive stance.

Punishing the Criminals A month ago, Mandla Chauke was sentenced to 77 years in prison for murder, illegally hunting rhino, taking rhino horn, illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and for trespassing in Kruger National Park in South Africa. This news is “welcomed” by African authorities, as their courts seem to finally be getting the message that lengthy jail terms are necessary to fix the problem internally.

Many national parks are bringing back the shoot-on-sight policy, this time better equipping their rangers for any attacks. Animals are being tracked by drones, radar and other surveillance technology,

and more activists in Africa and around the world seem to be taking their place on the soapbox of the Internet.

Spreading Awareness And what can we do? For one, we can examine the flaws of the reports on poaching in our own country. The Los Angeles Times last ran an detailed article on African poaching in January of 2014, and…well...the last time the Times ran an intelligently-written, detailed article on poaching was on that January date.

Only a few weeks ago, on July 21, the paper ran a far more ignorant, and potentially dangerous article.

In it, Godfrey Harris wrote an opinion piece whining that he, and other “ivory collectors…are being vilified.” (By the way, Harris serves as the Principal Representative of the Political Action Network of the International Ivory Society.)

Godfrey, I hate to tell you, but you are the villain for giving any monetary or sentimental value to something that was cut off of an elephant’s face. Just because the ivory trade isn’t centered in America doesn’t mean that you’re not to blame for owning and prizing ivory. Shame on you. Focus on what’s literally grasping onto life, not on what’s been dead for centuries.

Our Responsibility There needs to be chatter throughout the country about this issue, continued reports of poaching occurrences and responses and dinner-table conversations, gut-wrenching videos and even trips to the zoo, as not everyone has the privilege of going to Africa.

We must make relationships with these countries’ governments, as well as support organizations working to promote the existence of these endangered animals. In short, we need to do more.

If the elephants can’t smell the danger that lurks around the corner, it is our job to make sure they pick up the scent of help that’s on the way.

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT SEPTEMBER15, 2014

7

Technology, beneficial or harmful toward student body Increase in technology ruins school As technology advances education, experience for students educationally Beverly lags behind expectations Ben Shofet staff writer

nology in their own classrooms. Just for the sake of using technology, some teachers waste valuable time that could have been spent teaching. Instead of wasting 10 minutes to set up a document reader and project a vocabulary book, they could simply ask their students to bring the book to class. It is in these instances where technology seriously conflicts with learning time. Technology does not make a teacher better than what they were without it; technology should be used as an aid and only in moderation.

“I think with a good teacher, you could put them on a desert island with a chalkboard and a piece of chalk in a grass hut and they’re going to do a better job than the worst teacher with a lot of technology,” Van Rossum said.

Teachers who require their students to use technology outside their classes can

The increasing use of technology in classrooms has not only crippled the amount of education students are receiving, but has also enabled students to put less effort into their studies.

The supposed application of technology was meant to enhance the experiences of students in classrooms. However, this plan backfired tremendously. Now, students have the unprecedented ability to share information at light-speed, making for highly efficient cheaters.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 1984, the average public school had one computer for every 92 students; today there is an average of one computer for every four students. The use of technology in schools has increased dramatically over the last 30 years, and with this increase has come an abuse of these resources.

Today, students are abusing the internet’s vast amount of resources by using websites such as WikiAnswers to complete their work with a click of a button. The Internet has become a fundamental resource students utilize for cheating. Students can now read summaries of books rather than reading something in it’s entirety and can look up analytical questions and Cartoon by VERONICA PAHOMOVA also create more isfind the answers instantly. Students are able to share home- sues. Students are now granted a myriad work with a click of a button and take a pic- of excuses, blaming their printer or their ture of a test and send it off to their friends. computer to get out of their class responThese technological mediums are threaten- sibilities. This is just one way where teching the education of every single student nology can be harmful rather than benefiand must be regulated within school and at cial outside of the classroom.

“If it’s helpful I’ll use it [technology], home.

Students are also using the Internet to not just to use technology for technology’s shortcut their way to the end of a homework sake. But I think it does have a lot of posassignment. They can simply search a ques- sibilities, but I always see it as an aid to tion in their textbooks and find the answer teaching as opposed to a substitute for with ease. Students are forced to choose teaching,” Van Rossum said Aside from distractions that technolbetween completing their work without the help of the Internet or using the it to their ogy has to offer, providing schools with technology can be very costly. Teachers advantage.

“Kids have a lot more of an advantage are provided with projectors and computwhen it comes to gathering information, ers, and almost every single faculty memwhether it’s legitimately or illegitimately,” ber has at least one of these devices. The history teacher Pete Van Rossum said. “And amount of money spent on technology it puts a lot more emphasis on them to make can be put into textbooks, athletics or oththe more ethical choice. Kids have a lot of in- er programs that have smaller budgets.

Technology can be beneficial to both formation and they have to be aware to use students and teachers if used in an ethiit responsibly.”

As much as technology can serve as an aid, cal manner, but usually, that is not the it can also serve as a distraction. At home, case. Students, as well as teachers, must students are spending much more time than begin to effectively and correctly use the they should on their assignments due to technological resources that are available electronic distractions. Social media serves to them, instead of using technology just as a large distraction for students. Students for the sake of using it.

There is no doubt that technology will waste time with Facebook and Twitter inbecome more and more prominent in our stead of doing their own work.

“Facebook and websites like that are really schools as the years go by. But there is no distracting when I do my homework. When guarantee that increasing the amount of I turn them off I become a lot more produc- technology used in schools is the most tive and I’m able to finish my work faster,” beneficial way to enhance the education of students. sophomore Ben Nourafshan said.

Teachers are also guilty of abusing tech-

Guy Ginsberg staff writer

Students don’t like lugging around textbooks all day. They’re often heavy, smelly and damaged. If only there was a way for students to access the wealth of information provided in their textbooks without the drawbacks...

Oh wait, there is.

Efficiency is important, especially in the classroom. It is more efficient for a student to carry all his books on one device instead of having to carry various different book to every class. The technological shift wouldn’t even be a huge change for students as we’re already using computers for basically everything outside of class: homework, projects, checking grades.

In 2010, Apple came out with their first generation iPad, a machine that is better than chunky old textbooks in every way.

The iPad is more comfortable in the hand.

Weighing in at 1.44 pounds, the iPad 4 makes holding my U.S. History textbook feel like I’m carrying a freshman football player. Also, for the average student, walking around the halls with an iPad in their hand looks a whole lot cooler than holding a torn up Physiology 1 textbook, and for teenagers, thats a big deal.

While it can be argued that an iPad would be more expensive than textbooks, on average, e-books cost 50 to 60 percent less per student than printed books. Then, over time, price of the device would pay for itself in the form of cheaper textbooks, and eliminate storage costs. Then, those old textbooks could be donated to schools that need them a lot more than us.

But money isn’t the only thing being saved.

By turning away from textbooks, we would be cutting down less trees and saving the environment. The added environmental friendliness would boost Beverly’s position as a leader in green efficiency.

With a textbook, whatever is printed is unchanged until the publisher releases a new edition. As our world continues to change at an increasing rate, much of our modern developments are overlooked in classroom curriculums due to the long lead times publishers need to write and print textbooks.

That is one of the biggest problems; we’re missing so much because we’re stuck in the past. The world around us is always developing, always changing and always improving how people connect. Without bringing these changes to our students directly, so much opportunity is lost.

Not only are they more comfortable, cheaper and environmentally friendly, but interactive e-books can even be a better way to teach than physical textbooks. In a test by Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, students in Riverside, California who learned from an online interactive Algebra I textbook scored 20 percent higher on standardized tests than those who used a regular textbook. So, if digital textbooks can create such a positive impact on students in Riverside, it could have the same impact for students at Beverly as well.

Technology can also make a teacher’s job much more simple. By easing the way students access their work, technology allows the teacher to focus less on procedural instruction and more on teaching the actual curriculum.

With an iPad, one can access the wealth of information provided on the internet, while adding more depth to what they are learning in class.

When given access to such a wonderful resource, students have the ability to broaden their intellectual horizons.

An argument against technology would be that it causes a distraction for the students, but with site-blocking technology, the school could eliminate the use of non-educational websites for student computers.

With an iPad, students and teachers can save their work more easily. Having the added bonus of being able to keep what you’ve been working on in one place for a large amount of time, you can expand and increase the level of work accomplished.

Beverly is planning to modernize the campus in the near future. According to the Beverly Hills High School’s website, “Over time, the campus developed into a hodge-podge of buildings that no longer facilitate education.

Today, the campus plan puts the automobile before students.”

It is fascinating that anybody would believe that a new campus is the most effective way to “facilitate education.” Perhaps a better way to “facilitate education” would be to focus on improving the way that the students connect to their information. What we need right now is to change the way our students acquire information and maximize the amount they do. A modern building would be nice, but how about we get some modern technology to go inside first?

Overall, a technologically integrated school is a better environment for learning and teaching. Technology is what’s keeping the world connected, and there is no worse way to alienate students then be keeping them away from technology. The whole point of education is to allow students the opportunity to broaden their access to future success, so what better way to do that than by keeping them connected? By giving students and teachers access to more information in a smaller amount of time, education becomes much more simple. It’s comfortable, cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and effective, so what’s stopping us.

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HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Jackson Fives, Guy’s Five Guys and Marty McFives Jackson Prince editor-in-chief Guy Ginsberg staff writer Marty Schnapp staff writer

I swear, this is going to become the “Stevan Ridley” column unless I drop him from my roster.

I was promised the best inside rusher on the Patriots. Instead, I watched on as Shane Vereen played three times more than my guy, and even scampered into the endzone. Blech.

I love the idea of Week One. Until Week One happens. Ultimately, it is a disastrous week, as virtual nobodies ignored in drafts suddenly burst onto the scene and highly-touted studs fall flat on their faces.

My best advice? Don’t give up on anyone that you’re uncomfortable giving up on. Believe it or not, I still think that Stevan

Ridley could score ten touchdowns this year.

I’ve enlisted a few recruits to assist me on my quest of leading you to fantasy glory. Here’s the modified Jackson Fives for Week Two, featuring staff writers Guy Ginsberg and Marty Schnapp.

Guy’s Five Guys QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Discount Double-check this out: Aaron Rodgers will destroy the New York Jets’ defense.

A-Rod’s sorry Week One performance is forgivable, as its sorry state came at the hands of a Legion of Boom that looked as solid as ever last Thursday.

For the remainder of the season, don’t expect Rodgers to be so silent. Wielding offensive weapons in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and with Eddie Lacy suiting up to take some pressure off of the quarterback, look to Rodgers for a sweet 300-yard, threetouchdown performance against an undermanned Jets secondary.

RB: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs Don’t be alarmed. You made the right pick. His paltry 19-yard

Week One performance wasn’t indicative of what Charles is going to do this year. Head coach Andy Reid admitted in an interview that giving Charles just 11 touches against the Titans Week One was “negligent” on his part.

Expect Charles to have a 25-touch game against the Broncos, as the Chiefs are going to need all they can get from their best player. He will shine again.

TE: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints The tight end position is brutal. And Jimmy Graham’s eightcatch, 82-yard show was a topfive stat-line amongst tight ends this week. But we’re not happy.

How could Brees not have found his power forward for a TD in their shootout against the Falcons? Don’t fret. He’ll be facing the Cleveland Browns next week.

The same Cleveland Browns that played the role of “Welcome Mat” against Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here comes a monster game from Jimmy Graham Crackers.

Marty McFives WR: Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars

Guys. It’s not happening. Long story short, he’ll fall short of his new expectations once Cecil Shorts III dons his football shorts again and Chad Henne forgets how to throw a football (which is going to happen). Hurns will have to fight Marqise Lee for the second wide receiver spot on Jacksonville’s starting squad. And I’d take Lee in a heartbeat. Touchdowns will go either to Shorts or to Lee, because there won’t be many from a lackluster Jaguars offense. He reminds me of 2012 Kevin Ogletree, who caught two touchdown passes for 114 yards during the season opener and remained relatively quiet for the rest of the year. Don’t buy in.

QB: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders Things that make me cry: the end of the movie Rudy and hearing about friends picking up Derek Carr from the waiver wire.

Carr is a choker. He’s a lesshandsome version of Tony Romo without Romo’s wide-ranging receiver options. Once the Jets show even a bit of defensive prowess (which they might), Carr’s flaws will be exposed. If you exclude

his two touchdown drives, he was 9-20 on pass completions and for a total of 37 yards.

Do not pick up Carr. He is worthless in a ten-team league.

RB: Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns Too many people are trying to cash in on Crowell’s two touchdowns, but we have to remember that Crowell isn’t the guy that the Browns want to play. If Ben Tate needed a break in Week One, Terrence West got the call. Crowell didn’t get a single carry until the third quarter, after Tate had left the game.

On top of that, Crowell got to touch the ball only five times for a total of 32 yards. Compared with West’s 16 carries for 100 yards, Crowell is putting up numbers reminiscent of an ordinary thirdstring running back (or touchdown vulture) who had few nice opportunities.

As of right now, even with Tate out for a few weeks, he is not worth a spot on your roster. West is the guy to have here, if you are looking for consistency.

To read more, check out www.beverlyhighlights.com

Water polo unfamiliar with new coaching approach Marty Schnapp, staff writer Boys varsity water polo is adjusting to this season’s new coaching staff and game techniques.

During the 2013 season, the boys water polo program changed coaching staff twice. The current coaches, head coach Ahmad Hosseini and assistant coach Miguel Puente, have methods different from those of previous years.

“We have a new coach, so he’s focusing on tactics and different kinds of zones we’re playing on defense, so it’s changing our way of playing but we’re getting used to it,” senior Michael Nassirzadeh said.

Puente wants the players to recognize that they are only as strong as their weakest link, so they must each try their best and play as a unit.

“Our practice techniques start off with the whole team working together. We’re going to try to

lead off team players doing individual plays on their own and teach them to play together as a whole rather than individual players,” Puente said.

Puente knows that the team has lots of talent and even more potential, but he also realizes that there is a lot of room for improvement. In practice, the coaches are stressing the importance of certain fundamental aspects of the game.

“From what I see, Beverly Hills High School has a very fast team, a quick counter team. I think what they lack is a lot of setting up. I think most of their players are a little confused on where to go, what their role in the game is, as a team player,” Puente said.

However, some players feel that the new coaching methods are not working well for them. Varsity junior Kyle Mehrian thinks that during the two previous years, practices were more organized.

“The [new] practices are also very bad because we are relearning things from freshman year,” Mehrian said.

Varsity junior Daniel Choi doubts Hosseini’s coaching ability and prefers the methods of the two previous coaches.

“Our [old] coaches ditched us.

For example, Bowie and Art, and now we have a new coach. His name is Ahmad. I think that he can’t coach. I think he has no sense of what to do,” Choi said.

The coaches first want the boys to be humbler, which will hopefully rub off on the other team members and ultimately help their performance in the pool.

Puente recalls the most important piece of advice for his players this season.

“Do not downgrade anyone just because you think you’re faster, better, or have more experience than them,” Puente said, “You’re a team, not an individual player.”

Normans lose 41-7 Templeton Jackson Prince, co-editor-in-chief

The Normans fell to Templeton High School, 41-7, at home on Friday night, mainly attributed to Templeton’s “no-huddle offense” and a lack of familiarity to “game speed,” according to head coach Charlie Stansbury.

Though the stat-line shows a respectable margin between the teams, the numbers tell a different story: the Normans have grown as a team since last year.

Beverly had not held a lead in over 40 quarters of football until the Templeton matchup. A goalline touchdown by fullback Roshad Thomas, set up by a 14-play, 87-yard drive highlighted by running back Sebastian Torres’s 47

yards on five carries, put the Normans up 7-0. They held the lead until the 6:20 mark in the second quarter.

Stansbury noted that the run game was a factor in Friday’s success, noting the “inexperienced” offensive line.

“To come out the first game and run like that, that was great for us,” he said. “We’d like to obviously see [that success] transfer to more points on the board. The one thing we’ve got to do a little bit better in the run game is to get those second-level blocks so we can spring those guys. Those 10-yard runs can turn into 18-, 20-yard runs.”

Torres anchored the first half of the ground work, gaining 63 yards

on nine carries in the first two quarters alone. Running back Joe Kolko, whom wide receiver Niall Bauer described as being “unable to feel pain,” racked up 75 yards on 11 total carries.

Three personal fouls, as well as a few missed tackles and defensive miscues leading to gaps in the secondary, gave Templeton enough room to pull away from the Normans, especially after halftime.

By the middle of the fourth quarter, Kolko, Thomas and quarterback Michael Massie (who doubled as the starting cornerback) sat on the sidelines with injuries.

While a few coaches were overheard discussing Massie’s role on both sides of the ball, the senior

The offensive line gives the Normans the ability to utilize run-game. Massie takes direction from coach Stansbury. Photos by: SADIE HERSH “is the best guy we’ve got at quarterback and he’s the best guy we’ve got at cornerback,” according to Stansbury.

“When you get in some crucial situations, there are guys you want in there,” Stansbury said. “That’s something we as coaches have to work on, just knowing where and when to plug those guys in. Tonight we learned a lesson in that.

But at the same time, I don’t think [Massie] wants to come off the field.”

All three Normans are on track

to play at home against North Torrance on Friday, Sept. 12.

Stansbury was “excited” to see the attendance by the student body at the Normans’ first home contest.

“One of the things we all love about high school football is that no matter what your record is, no matter what your team looks like, the support for your kids and the effort that they put in is tremendous. To see [the support] is great and I hope we can keep it going for the rest of the year,” he said.