Volume 86, Issue 13

highlights

Beverly Hills, Calif.

Beverly Hills High School

Volume 86, Issue Thirteen · April 26, 2013

Administration enforces drug, alcohol policy Mabel Kabani and Robert Katz News Editor, Co-Web Editor-in-Chief Recent issues with alcohol and drug consumption have forced Beverly’s administration to act on its alcohol and drug policy. Some members of the Associated Student Body (ASB) went on an overnight field trip to San Diego from April 8-10 and were discovered possessing and consuming alcohol and marijuana. Attention was drawn to the violation of school policy after several members uploaded photographs of the incident to multiple social media websites.

The district’s strict no-tolerance policy regarding illegal substances for minors has prompted an in-depth investigation of the event by administration as well as disciplinary action for all members involved.

As part of district policy, students held responsible for any substance abuse are subject to a series of disciplinary measures. The Student Responsibility Contract, signed and agreed to by all enrolled students at the beginning of each school year, details possible punishments as “suspension from school, notification of the Beverly Hills Police Department, a parent conference and possible initiation of expulsion procedures.” The district-wide policy lists suspension as the “minimum action” response to substance abuse and expulsion as the “maximum action.”

“The administration really needs to sort out its priorities,” an anonymous junior, who is not directly involved with the incident, said. “It doesn’t make logical sense to have the second offense to a dress code violation be a suspension worth five days, while drinking and smoking, which are both illegal activities,

are worth [for some students] three days of suspension.”

History teacher Malia Frutschy, however, agrees with the disciplinary actions taken, though she believes they fall short of the consequences the school could potentially impose.

“The consequences listed in the school’s policies seem harsh,” Frutschy said. “But since it is against the law for students to drink, the consequences in the school policies appear to be more severe than what ASB received.”

In the event that offending students are

However, Principal Carter Paysinger noted that no one-size-fits-all punishment exists for all cases of substance abuse, although no guilty students are treated leniently.

“Every circumstance is different,” Paysinger said. “It really depends on the situation and after we gather all of the facts, we make a determination and we move on from there, but there is no one answer to any of this. We have our policies and we have our boundaries, and within them we have to consider the circumstances. The bottom line is there

‘To refrain from unlawful use, possession or sale of drugs or alcohol on or off school grounds, when involved in any school activity or when on the way to or from home/school.’

—Beverly Hills High School Responsibility Contract

not expelled, they may be enrolled in the Choices Program, a counseling program offered by the Clare Foundation, which educates students on proper decisionmaking. Students would attend the course an hour a week for up to 10 weeks.

In addition to the other standard procedures, teachers are able to drop students’ grades up to 1 percent of each day they miss school. And in this specific case, some non-senior members will not be allowed to run for an ASB office in subsequent semesters.

is absolutely no tolerance for [consuming or possessing alcohol or drugs] and there are consequences for every single person that finds themselves in [that] position.”

Aside from the consequence a teenager would face for consuming alcohol or drugs on campus, there are also known links that exist between teenage alcohol and drug usage and major health risks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States,

with people aged 12 to 20 years drinking 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States. Alcohol is responsible for more than 4,700 annual deaths among minors, and in 2010 approximately 189,000 emergency room visits for alcohol-related injuries or conditions were made by persons under age 21.

In addition, the CDC reports that youths who drink alcohol are more likely to suffer from legal, social, academic and physical issues, along with disruption of normal growth and permanent changes in brain development.

“I would think that everyone would be careful in terms of drinking and being responsible, especially after the numerous assemblies we have had this year on the subject, specifically the ‘Every 15 Minutes’ demonstration,” an anonymous senior said. “If students don’t have enough common sense to not post pictures of themselves while they’re drunk, they could obviously have gotten themselves, and others, hurt.”

Moreover, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a study revealing that those who smoke marijuana heavily from adolescence onward showed a drop in IQ of about eight points between the ages of 13 and 38. Even after quitting smoking, adults who used cannabis during their teenage years showed impaired mental abilities.

To inform students of the risks of making poor choices, such as abusing substances, the administration has presented multiple assemblies. Most recently was an assembly headed by Judge Richard Stone, which reminded students of the dangers and negative consequences of consuming alcohol.

The long-term consequences for ASB members involved are still being discussed.

INSIDE Band plays at flash mob

Teens Curing Cancer to hold art show

page 5 page 7

Boys volleyball defeats Samo

page 12

2 news

April 26, 2013 Highlights

Charlie Award presented to senior recipients

Left to right: recipients of the Charlie Award as well as other students and teachers are able to indulge in fruits and deserts at a tea celebration in the English Resource Center on April 17; English teacher Barbara Bader presents the Charlie Award to close friends, Cordelia Perez and Isabella Rosenberg. MEG ALBERTS.

Marguerite Alberts Assistant Graphics Editor In front of friends, family and teachers, seniors Isabella Rosenberg and Cordelia Perez received the Charlie Award in the English Resource Center (ERC) at a tea celebration on Wednesday, April 17. Rosenberg and Perez have been friends for years and, despite their hesitation to submit, decided to enter the contest together. They submitted their portfolios within 15 minutes of each other.

“I am really happy that I got the chutzpah to submit it more than [I am proud of] any particular pieces,” Perez said. “I am more proud of the act [than winning].”

Perez has known about the Charlie Award

since her freshman year, when she first mistakenly tried to enter. At the time, she tried to enlist Rosenberg to submit her writing too.

“We were geared up for this three years ago and now our time came,” Perez said.

Rosenberg believes that she has found her passion in life. She is considering studying writing in college.

“It’s definitely something that I really love.

I’ll probably do it for the rest of my life,” Rosenberg said.

Both writers agree that the hardest part about submitting was picking and editing previously written works.

“As you go through you have to say to yourself, ‘This part is really critical and this part is really bad,’” Perez said.

The Charlie Award was created in honor of the late Georgianna “Charlie” Atol. Atol taught at Beverly from 1971 to 1976. After Atol died in a car accident in 1976, her family established this award in her memory.

Presently, a group of comprised of English teachers, including Dr. Steven Rubenstein, Katie Murray, Phil Chang, Kristin Burcham and Barbara Bader, work on a committee to select the winners. They look for writers who have a good command of language, use creative language, and write about themes that are significant. Submissions must be at least 20 pages long, but they can be prose or poetry.

Though the committee prefers portfolios with a mixture of works, they have previ-

ously awarded those whose work is only one type of writing.

Generally, approximately eight to 12 seniors submit their work. However, this year, only seven people entered their portfolios.

At the ceremony, Rubenstein explained that this year was unique because “the decision making process was very difficult.” The committee read many works that they found were very well written and met the criteria.

“The two of them [Rosenberg and Perez], we felt stood apart, because of their command of language. The freshness and believability of their themes were all exciting for us,” Rubenstein said.

Rosenberg and Perez will also be awarded at Senior Award Night.

Staff members comArt Reach prepares for pete at SCJEA write-off BH Festival of the Arts Max Stahl Staff Writer Five Highlights staff members participated in the state journalism write-off hosted by the Southern California Journalism Education Association (SCJEA) at CSU Long Beach on Saturday, April 13.

News editor Mabel Kabani placed ninth in news, web editor-in-chief Robert Katz placed 14th in editorial and sports editor Arman Zadeh placed 11th in sports.

“I think [Highlights’ performance in the write-off] was a good reality check,” Highlights adviser Gaby Herbst, a member of the SCJEA board, said. “It’s a reminder that we can always improve on our work and should be striving to do better.”

Although some writers thought the results were disappointing, the Highlights staff members learned valuable lessons about journalism from their experiences at the competition.

“I learned that being an objective journalist is more difficult than it seems,” staff writer Zoe Kenealy, who participated in the news writing competition, said. “In my case, we were writing about gun control, and we had to make sure our opinions didn’t get into our articles, which is hard considering I have a strong view on the matter.”

Katz, who discovered weaknesses in his writing at the write-off, looks forward to competing next year with more refined skills.

“The competition helped me realize

that I’m still a mutt in journalism. It’s an isolated instance, but that I placed so low proves I have a lot of ground to cover before I can become the full-fledged, purebred journalist that I want to be for Highlights,” Katz said. “I’d like to test my canines on the competition again next year and see if I’ve gotten sharper. I want to show to myself and to my peers that I’ve got bite to match my bark.”

Two staff members were disappointed in how the competition was run. Katz’s group initially received the incorrect room number and, due to the delay, finished about 30 minutes behind schedule.

Staff writer Jessica Lu, less concerned with the administration of the write-off, felt that the readers scored the articles unfairly.

“The lead of my story was based off an anecdote that the speaker revealed to us,” Lu said. “However, because the judge was not in the room during the speech, he or she automatically assumed I made up the story and said she had to eliminate me right away.”

Kabani, Katz, Zadeh, Lu and Kenealy were the only members of the Highlights staff to go to the write-off.

“I’d like to see more participation from the Highlights students in future competitions,” Herbst said. “We’ve been winning a lot of great awards, which makes us feel relaxed. It would be great to have more students compete next year.”

All writers on Highlights who competed this year are juniors and are able to participate in the competition in the 2014 year.

National Art Honors Society displays its gallery of images, the theme of which is dreams. MEG ALBERTS.

Michelle Banayan Social Media Director The ArtReach Club is scheduled to host the Beverly Hills Festival of the Arts, a day filled with art displays from locals and students, arts and crafts vendors and food trucks, as well as an eighth grade display on Thursday, May 30 along Heath Avenue. “[Our plan is] to incorporate all art disciplines in a display that will exhibit the beautiful artwork of students in a fun and festive manner,” ArtReach President Sarah Peskin said.

According to Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator Deb Joseph, the club has been working closely with Beverly Arts on its project since January.

The National Arts Honors Society (NAHS) will be one of the groups in attendance, displaying artwork submitted by Beverly students. The group will promote its induction ceremony for its current gallery, which con-

sists of pieces from both eighth and 12th graders.

“A gallery with pieces from seniors and eighth graders is symbolic of the cycle of students who are graduating and the new students who are coming into the high school,” NAHS Secretary Sasha Park said. “I think promoting this gallery during the festival will really encourage a lot of incoming students to participate in the arts.”

However, artwork from other students on campus will be exhibited during the festival for those who wish to expose works aside from painting, such as clothing and jewelry.

“I am really excited to attend this festival, for I truly believe the arts are incredibly important,” junior Arielle Shalom said. “I can’t wait to see what the eighth graders made and also check out all the products from the clubs.”

Currently, ArtReach is starting to spread the word of this festival throughout the community.

news 3

April 26, 2013 Highlights

Minnesingers place first in San Diego competition “Every day in rehearsals, we would learn something new and improve our singing. But I think what we really focused on was singing as a group and listening to each other to create one voice,” Khalili said.

Pressman said that communication during the competition was an integral key to success.

“Lots of choirs sing with technical skill, but very few reach into the heart of the music and Above: Minnesingers perform Schubert’s “23rd Psalm” piece, shortly before winning their first place awards. Below: Minnesingers share that with an audiearned Gold and the Spirit Award at the World Strides Heritage Peformance. Courtesy of RICH HIRSCHINGER ence. We have a different attitude, posture, facial due to a high demand of breath support Brenda Mehdian expression(s) and sound for each of our and careful control. Other pieces included Staff Writer songs, and we talk a lot about wringing In a national choir competition, Min- “Music in My Mother’s House,” a nostal- every ounce of meaning out of the words,” nesingers placed Gold against nine other gic, folk-sounding ballad, and “Dance on Pressman said. state choirs in their competition in San My Heart,” a piece about three men wooPressman said that the goal for this Diego on Saturday, April 20. Minnesing- ing the same woman. Pressman chose competition was for the students to share ers not only won first place in the compe- these songs to musically challenge the music, have fun and do their best. tition, but they also won the Spirit Award. girls and expose them to different styles.

“We don’t go there to win, because then “The Schubert 23rd Psalm is one of the “This was an amazing experience and a you get all frantic and you screw up. We proud day for Minnesingers,” Minnesing- most beautiful pieces ever written. After go there to have an audience experience hearing it years ago, I decided that my ers President senior Bronte Khalili said. the music in a way that they will feel and The girls’ group sang a George Handel Master’s recital in Choral Music would be remember,” Pressman said. piece about a woman scolding her man for all about women’s choral music, mostly so With this year being Pressman’s last being an awful person. The girls also sang that I could conduct this piece,” Pressman at Beverly, the girls feel grateful to have “Psalm 23” by Franz Schubert which, ac- said. worked with him.

According to Khalili, the girls prepared cording to Choral Director Joel Pressman, “Mr. Pressman is an amazing teacher, was a very beautiful, but difficult, piece intensely for the competition. whom I have learned a lot from, and I am

sad that it is all ending,” Khalili said.

Minnesingers attended this festival the previous year, and, according to Pressman, received top scores and awards in all eligible categories.

“The girls came a long way this year. And I am most proud that, in addition to accomplishing a lot musically, they also won the festival’s Spirit Award, which goes to only one group out of the instrumental and choral groups. It is for the group who best represents their school and community, by being gracious, supportive of other groups, friendly,” Pressman said.

As for next year, the girls hope that through more hard work, they will gain further recognition and be able to share music with more people.

Annual dodgeball tournament promotes spirit Oliver Gallop Graphics Editor The Associated Student Body’s (ASB) annual dodgeball tournament is underway. This year, 27 teams are participating in the weekslong lunchtime extravaganza.

The first games took place on Monday, April 15, as Dodge a Wrench took on Insert Name Here, and David Downey Jr. fought it out against Service Learning. Dodge a Wrench won by default. In the day’s other match, David Downey Jr. defeated Service Learning.

Dodge a Wrench-er and junior Aaron Wolfe believes it is fun to support ASB’s events.

“Dodgeball is something that anyone can do, and it’s a fun break during lunch in between classes,” Wolfe said.

On Tuesday, April 16, there were three games. The ASBuddies played Dodgeball,

Wrastling played Zero Dark Thirsty and the Ballers played the Sophomores. After the dust settled on the front lawn, three winners emerged. Dodgeball, Wrastling and the Ballers were on to the next round.

ASB Senior Representative Michael Yosef is content on how dodgeball has been going so far. “[Dodgeball] has been running smoothly and games have been exciting,” Yosef said.

“My goal is to have a big crowd on the front lawn.”

On Monday, April 22, Lean Cuisine challenged #ChrisChristie, the Fnehs played Life Alert Unchained, and the Guy and the Girls took on the Ohva Vousnikes. Those moving on to the next round were Life Alert Unchained, and the Guy and the Girls. The game on Wednesday, April 24 was cancelled due to rain.

Senior Samuel Berman throws a dodgeball at the opposing team, while senior Ryan Shoushani watches from afar.

OLIVER GALLOP

Creative design manager aids in yearbook design Jessica Saadian Staff Writer Creative designing consultant Rick Brooks visited the yearbook staff in order to aid the class in creating next year’s front cover layout through discussions and sketches on Tuesday, April 16.

While students were split into groups by grade to come up with and suggest front cover layout ideas, Brooks sketched their ideas to life.

Brooks has been in the creative designing and publishing field since 1986 and is now the Northeast creative design manager for Jostens. Brooks has won numerous awards, including the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold Key and the Pennsylvania School Press Association (PSPA) Keystone Award for service and student

journalism.

Jostens sales representative Michael Conlon, who helps with all aspects of the yearbook, asked Brooks to help several high school yearbook staffs in Los Angeles to make sketches for their layouts.

Yearbook adviser Malia Frutschy believes that the best consultants are those who create a strong vision for the book.

“Rick is fantastic and I try to [give] my kids the opportunity to meet with many consultants throughout the year,” Frutschy said.

Senior Brittney Bracht believes that Brooks is beneficial to the class and does an excellent job helping inspire students.

“Our class has a number of very creative people and when we put our ideas together, he was able to take them and develop a beautiful design,” Bracht said.

According to Bracht, the seniors’ front

cover layout has something to do with Sherlock Holmes.

Other details about the sketches cannot be revealed at this time.

The sample sketches for theyearbook’s front cover layout have not been finalized, but yearbook members plan on working with other consultants during yearbook camp.

Creative designing consultant Rick Brooks helps the yearbook staff in designing the cover page for next year’s edition. JESSICA SAADIAN

4 opinion

April 26, 2013 Highlights

EDITORIAL

In time of flux, ASB should seek new direction Leanna Clegg spoke at a school-wide assembly on Tuesday, April 9, to ask what we students “consider lethal.” Guns?

Knives? Alcohol? She discussed, by using a personal example, the power of our choices: had one person been less pushy, had one person put his foot down, had one person spoken up, her son Hunter, who died in a reckless driving incident, might have lived past the eighth grade. Shaken, we left this assembly with a better understanding that our actions shape us far more than our intentions do; our actions affect more than just ourselves.

The Associated Student Body (ASB) missed the assembly. The group was in San Diego, where some members volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, others with the Ronald McDonald House; they sacrificed three school days to work selflessly for those less fortunate. And for this, of course, we commend them. During their spare time on the trip, however, some members of ASB made some awful choices: they drank alcohol, smoked marijuana and posted photographs of these activities on various social-media websites. The administration took quick and effective action by punishing the offenders with suspension, potential enrollment in choices-related instruction for up to 10 weeks and potential grade reductions of up to 1 percent per class per day of suspension. In addition, some of the offenders may not be allowed to run for election next semester.

These acts of irresponsibility and squandered trust loom across the campus.

The shame of these events — the image that some of our representatives have projected to their greater community — pushes the concept of ASB, a leadership organization, to a state of existential crisis: what is its purpose, and who should lead it?

As we reflect on these recent events, we wonder both whether ASB has been working as effectively as it can and whether we the student body has elected the right individuals for the job. We hope that ASB in its time of stress takes a fresh look at what

it does well and what it could do better, and we offer some suggestions.

The class goes by two names, Associated Student Body and Leadership, and we suggest that it exist as both. It should, of course, continue to do the excellent job it does of maintaining a traditional American high-school experience outside the curriculum. The Homecoming event, which included a student D.J. and a cohesive Cirque du Beverly theme, for example, serves as an excellent example of the organization’s ability to provide innovative, engaging activities. Its posters, too, which celebrate the victories of our school’s teams, show its support for the school’s various activities. In addition, however, we suggest that it, as the Associated Student

would like to see all of them live as true leaders whose examples we strive to follow.

In essence, ASB should adopt, announce and uphold a well defined, well publicized purpose. Doing so will help it rise above its current reputation and help it reaffirm its position as a vital component of our school.

But to become a better organization, to rebuild itself as a respectable, purposeful student government, ASB should look at what we believe to be the root of its problem: ASB needs truly democratic elections.

In their current form, the elections are anything but: candidates campaign with popularity and coercion, but only because its candidates have no responsibilities off which they can campaign; they cannot set goals when they have no well known

‘We hope that ASB in its time of stress takes a fresh look at what it does well and what it could do better.’

Body, work to reform school policy and voice student concerns — e.g., dress code, late arrival, pupil-free-day dates — as a liaison between the student body and the administration and School Board. By helping students love their school, school spirit will flourish.

As Leadership its members should act as moral leaders, teaching through positive example. Judge Richard Stone spoke to the student body at another assembly, on Friday, April 19. He urged students to not cower in fear but stand up and whistleblow when friends seek to drink or smoke or text and drive. To be “that guy” is far less difficult than to watch a friend harm himself or — worse — others, and to carry the burden of inaction. ASB members, as some already do, should lead, or continue to lead, following Judge Stone’s model.

No one expects them to be perfect, but we

responsibilities. At the root of the problem is ASB’s lack of defined purpose; candidates cannot run on platforms when they do not have clearly defined responsibilities that are transparently available on an ASB website.

Moreover, along with its new mission statement, we urge ASB to share with its constituents the details of its leadership positions. After all, we do not know what an ASB Treasurer or Commissioner or even President really does. We recommend instating presidential speeches (which clearly state concrete goals, in contrast with what is posted on the library wall each selection) at a pre-election assembly. We offer them prime page space in this paper that would be dedicated to supplementing the democratizing of elections. With such procedures, the student body will better be able to elect leaders who lead not because “it looks good for college” but because they

have true passion for bettering the school community. When the student body has the ability to elect leaders who share their ideas for the school’s direction, frustration over some of ASB’s members’ actions will subside. Together we can build a better ASB and, in turn, a better school.

In summary, as the infinitely terrible memory of Hunter Clegg’s death has helped the student body make better choices, the current circumstances of some of ASB’s former members, however unfortunate, can be co-opted to push reform. As we remind ourselves that nobody is perfect, we must learn from all our cumulative mistakes to become better human beings.

With carefully planned strategies, a new, stronger ASB can emerge from its current state. And as we urge current ASB members to push for reform, we must remember their really excellent contributions to building a strong sense of Norman identity. For this they have earned our deep appreciation.

If ASB learns from some of its members’ mistakes, if it strives to become resolute and democratized, its poor choices will, in some beautifully twisted way, make our good school a better one.

STAFF Julia Waldow Editor-in-Chief

Danny Licht Sous-Chief

Mabel Kabani News Editor

Candice Hannani Feature Editor

Dami Kim Culture Editor

Arman Zadeh Sports Editor

Oliver Gallop Graphics Editor

Marguerite Alberts Assistant Graphics Editor

Pasha Farmanara and Robert Katz Chief Web Editors

Government fails to protect youth Marguerite Alberts Assistant Graphics Editor Over the last year there have been 13 mass shootings, discounting the Boston Bombing last week, according to CBS News. In over half of the cases, the weapons used were purchased legally. Despite the ridiculously large number of massacres over the past year and the fact that 86 percent of Americans advocated for stricter gun control, a law that would have expanded background checks on people buying guns went down in defeat, six votes short of the 60 needed in the Senate.

The United States government is meant to be a democratcy in theory: a government for the people, by the people, protecting the people.

And yet, despite the popular opinion, the government has failed to meet the nation’s needs. Instead, the government protects the businesses selling the guns rather than the people that need to be saved.

Now the questions that we must ask are how and why did this happen? Was the slaughter of 20 innocent children in Connecticut and of many others preceding December 14, 2012, truly in vain?

Since 2003, there have been a total of 34 shootings at schools across the country.

Poignant, this huge number tells us that something must be done. School should be a safe environment where students can learn without needing to be paranoid.

An armed gunman entering Beverly is a major concern for our school’s community because of its expansive size and many

ways to enter the campus.

While the Beverly Hills Unified School District has looked to previous school massacres such as the one in Newtown as a reason to tighten security and further protect the Beverly Hills community, the federal government has failed to do its part. Children are the country’s legacy. Although the general public should be the government’s top priority, the government should especially look to assure the safety of its schools.

Some argue that tighter gun control wouldn’t stop those who wish to hurt others and commit murder.

They argue that the situation would mimic that of drug regulation. Yes, similar to drugs, those who AUDREY PARK truly want guns will find some way to obtain them.

But shouldn’t it be as hard as possible for them to do so? Tightening control over the market for weapons would not only be a step in the right direction, but a necessary one. It is imperative that everything and anything possible to stop these horrific tragedies is done.

Michelle Banayan Social Media Director

Audrey Park, Sasha Park and AJ Parry Cartoonists

Ryan Feinberg, Celine Hakimianpour, Benjamin Hannani, Zoe Kenealy, Jessica Lu, Brenda Mehdian, Alex Menache, Kevin Park, Jessica Saadian and Max Stahl Staff Writers

Gaby Herbst and Katie Murray Advisers -

The mission of Highlights is to inform and entertain the community of Beverly Hills in an accurate, objective, timely and well-designed manner.

-

This newspaper is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

-

Send letters to the editor to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com.

Feedback is appreciated.

-

The journalism program is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF. Ads are not endorsed by BHUSD. -

Highlights follows California Ed Code 48907, 48950 @bhhighlights on Twitter and Instagram -

beverlyhighlights.com

feature 5

April 26, 2013 Highlights

Junior helps rescue victims from dangers Candice Hannani Feature Editor “Am I going to survive? Will I make it through?” the bruised, bleeding woman asks junior Gianmarco Denis as he helps her out of a collapsed vehicle. He holds her hand reassuringly and responds, “Miss, miss, you’re going to survive. Just relax and hold my hand and you’ll be fine.”

She thanks him numerous times as he and several other firefighters on the scene get her into an ambulance.

True to his word, Denis finds the woman in good condition the next week at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital. To him, her call was the “best call I ever had” so far, because he helped save a life that wasn’t guaranteed to continue.

Denis is part of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Program, which is designed for aspiring firefighters between the ages of 15 and 21. The program includes a training academy, which is six consecutive weeks long and prepares students for the realities of being a firefighter. Once a student graduates from the academy, as Denis has, he or she will be eligible to respond to real fire and medical emergencies.

“When we go to a fire scene, I have the job of the engineer: I stay at the hydrant and am in charge of providing water to the firefighters. In a medical call, I’m in charge of taking blood pressure. When there is a traffic accident, I control traffic and am in charge of traffic safety,” Denis

said. “If something is really bad in a traffic accident, we won’t have protocol. I may have to extricate the victim out of the vehicle.”

According to Denis, most calls are medical-related. In fact, he claims that fire emergencies are rare, which he attributes to the strict enforcement of fire codes and the effort of firefighters to promote prevention of such situations.

“When we don’t have calls, we go out and check businesses to make sure they are enforcing fire codes. We go out to schools and big events and hold public gatherings to educate people about fire emergencies and medical problems. We like to go to the little kids because we want them to see us in our masks so they don’t run away from us in an emergency situation, so they understand that we’re not the bad guys,” Denis said.

Currently, Denis is taking a course about paramedics. Once he turns 18, he will go through three more years of training, which includes classes about fire science, general engineering and terrorism, in order to become a paid firefighter.

Denis, along with paid firefighters, works 48 hours a week, often in 48-hour shifts. He is required to exercise for three hours each day in order to stay fit for his job.

One of the best attributes of his job, he claims, is being able to work only eight days a month and being able to create his own schedule. Occasionally, Denis may have to miss a day of school to fulfill his

Junior Gianmarco Denis fills out paperwork for a rescue victim at the ER. Courtesy of GIANMARCO DENIS

duties as a firefighter, but being a student remains his first priority.

On the other hand, one of the hardest parts of Denis’ job is getting calls about children in danger and gas explosions.

Denis stresses the importance of knowing about carbon monoxide poisoning.

“There are so many deaths of families because of carbon monoxide. It’s hard to detect because there’s no smell and you can’t see it. It’s a silent killer,” Denis said.

Denis claims that the opportunity to save lives and contribute to the better of the community inspired him to become a firefighter.

“I’m able to help people out of situations that they wouldn’t be able to escape otherwise,” Denis said.

Firefighting is Denis’ passion, and he hopes to work in the field for the rest of his life, saving lives and helping the community become a safer place.

Band participates in “Shop Local” flash mob

The band performs “Be There” as professional dancers and city officials join in on the fun. Courtesy of TOMMY MARCUS

Robert Katz Co-Web Editor-in-Chief Trumpets blared and drumsticks swung gleefully as the symphonic band dazzled the city’s citizens and tourists alike in a flash mob on Friday, April 19. At midday, city officials and professional dancers joined the band in an unannounced, choreographed performance of The Pointer Sisters’ Motown piece “Be There” on the corner of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.

The event was conceived, arranged and recorded by Beverly Hills’ Chamber of Commerce in the hopes of sparking not only momentary intrigue among residents and visitors, but the potential for an online “viral” video. The clip, enticing Beverly Hills’ residents to shop locally, is intended to win enough support and interest to spread throughout California.

Once the Chamber had approached Beverly with the concept, as Music Dept. Direc-

tor Bill Bradbury detailed, the band worked hand in hand with the city to produce the mob.

“We talked about it, because it was kind of a process,” Bradbury said. “[We decided] how many students would be involved, how it would work, what we were going to play.

We got to play one of the band’s favorite tunes, ‘Be There,’ as they were asking for a tune that would, in some kind of way, identify Beverly Hills and this was from ‘Beverly Hills Cop II.’” The performing group of symphonic band members met on Tuesday, April 16 to hone their own dance segment.

“The choreographer that worked with us thought that our students were very responsive and receptive,” Bradbury said.

“He came to school and put together some choreographed moves with the music for the break in the song that just features the band. [The group] did really well and the choreographer was very impressed with

[the band’s] work.”

Drum Major Matthew Yamodim was highly satisfied by the band’s fulfillment of the city’s vision.

“It went exactly as planned,” Yamodim said. “The audience loved the band and the other dancers thought it was amazing that the band was there. Everything flowed well and worked.”

Assistant Drum Major Jotham Sadan took note of the quality of the band’s performance.

“I don’t think the band has ever sounded better than it did yesterday,” Sadan said.

“The sound was balanced, we hit all of our notes and the entire band was really into it.”

The Chamber of Commerce compensated the Music Dept. with a donation to the band’s ASB (Associated Student Body) fund, establishing a favorable partnership between the city and band.

“I look at it as a collaborative benefit,”

Bradbury said. “[The city council] enjoys having the band play. As much as they would be able to donate or convey some sort of compensation for the band, because we have travel expenses and stuff like that, that it’s always nice to help each other out.

I hope we can do many of these kinds of things.”

The band and city will ultimately be evaluated based on the performance’s popularity when the clip is released online by the Chamber of Commerce.

Photos from the event can be found online on www.beverlyhighlights.com, or by scanning this QR code:

6 feature

April 26, 2013 Highlights MARGUERITE ALBERTS

Rights of homosexuals may change after case Mabel Kabani News Editor Supreme Court justices will announce their decision in June of 2013 regarding a fiercely debated controversy: same-sex marriage. The result will not only affect those who wish to finally marry their partners, but also teens who are struggling with their sexual orientation in high schools all across the country.

“I’m not sure about the specific statistics, but one of the most common issues that teenagers have is a struggle with their own identity and trying to discover who they really are,” Teen Line member junior Justin Kim said. “There are a lot of barriers between them and who they want to be and what other people want them to be.”

Kim believes that the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage can help confused teens everywhere by giving them the confidence they need to stand up for who they are.

Though the Supreme Court is likely to rule in favor of same-sex marriage or simply uphold the law that Prop 8 is illegal in California, justices hinted that there would be no prospect of instigating a 50-state solution to the issue on March 26, when the court listened to the case, according to NBC. “No matter what the Supreme Court decides, we are going to be in a stronger place in July than we were before,” Evan Wolfsan, president of Freedom to Marry,

said on The Huffington Post.

The court is also discussing the possible overturning of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which states that marriage is “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife,” as this act could possibly clash with the Fourteenth Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause.

Restricting gay marriage became considered unconstitutional when, “we as a culture determined that sexual orientation is a characteristic of individuals that they can’t control,” Attorney Theodore Olson, a strong and well known opponent of Prop 8, said.

Senior Adina Babaian believes that there are no cons, only personal and legal benefits to permitting gay marriage.

“There are over 1,000 legal benefits that married couples have,” Babaian said. “This includes financial benefits (i.e.

Social Security) and also the right to stay with your partner at his or her bedside if your partner is hospitalized.”

Babaian went on to say that a man was recently arrested in Missouri for refusing to leave his sick partner of five years’ bedside.

“I don’t see any cons in allowing human beings their rights,” she said.

Like Babaian, junior Parmis Sahrapima believes that allowing gay marriage can cause a greater social equality, but she also believes that legalizing gay marriage will have some negative impacts on society.

“I believe that marriage is a way of expressing commitment to a loved one, and therefore, if two people want to show their love and commitment toward one another, it should not be matter of what gender they are,” Sahrapima said. “However…I do not support gay avocation, as in advocating to people that gayness should be explored and experienced at least one in life.”

In terms of how members of the LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender) community are being treated on campus, Babaian, from personal experience, believes that a majority of her peers are either accepting of her sexual orientation, or have the decency to “keep their opinions to themselves.”

“As many people may know, I am openly gay and have many friends and members of my family that belong to the LGBT community…this has made the issue very important to me,” Babaian said. “I feel our school is an incredibly safe place for anyone in the LGBT community. It is not necessarily perfect. Slurs are still used.

But I’ve never felt threatened.”

Math and science teacher Marla Weiss feels that it is imperative that students understand they have “a safe place to go” every day.

“There is still resistance, intolerance, fear. We had bullying on this campus, so I think kids are concerned,” Weiss said.

Weiss, sponsor of the former Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at the school, believes that a primary reason the group

no longer exists this year is because many kids who would join lack confidence in either their sexual orientation or in the purpose of the club.

“I don’t think that it is necessarily considered negative that we don’t have a group,” Weiss said. “It has to be student driven...you just have to have that one or two students that really want to make something happen. When that happens, it works, and general acceptance everywhere grows.”

Not only are teens and adults around the country awaiting for the Supreme Court results in June, but a federal appeals court in San Francisco listened to arguments on Wednesday, April 17 over the plausible “gay conversion therapy” for minors in California. Banning this would be an infringement on freedom of speech, but allowing this to continue could prove dangerous to youngsters. The bill was passed in 2012 and was intended to go into effect at the start of the 2013 year, but the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has put the bill on hold and is questioning its constitutionality, according to ABC news. Similar bills have been introduced in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

As of now, nine of the 50 states have legalized same-sex marriage, and if its legalization does not occur nationwide, it will again be redistributed under state control. As of now, 14 nations have allowed and legalized gay marriage, France being the most recent to do so.

Loss of student interest in joining GSA club Robert Katz Co-Web Editor-in-Chief As social and political conflict over gay rights continues to shake the world, Beverly’s Gay-Straight Alliance embodies the victories and defeats have marked the path to sexual equality and acceptance.

The club, which has spent years working toward creating a safer and more supportive school environment for all sexual orientations has spent the school year on hiatus.

As per any other year, however, the club began healthily. Club Vice President Cordelia Perez noted the GSA’s promising renewal, which quickly faded into apathy.

“The GSA began the year with some success,” Perez said. “We were meeting regularly and had high hopes for increased membership. In spite of demonstrated interest, few people actually came to club meetings and there came a point when those participating were solely officers.

We collectively decided that although we

wished to continue to exist as a resource it did not make sense to pay the school’s club fee and meet weekly.”

In the eyes of club sponsor Marla Weiss, the club did not gather sufficient traction to become active enough for the year.

“There hasn’t been any initiation by any students this year,” Weiss said, “so I’m not sure that there have been any problems as much as students stepping up to start the club again. It has to be student driven.”

The GSA remains a somewhat active presence within Beverly.

“The club is very informal,” Perez said.

“We meet and talk and interact with leaders of Santa Monica High School’s GSA.” Yet to club members, the necessity of a true GSA is just as strong as ever, as member Parmis Sahrapima noted the importance of the GSA in integrating homosexual students into Beverly’s student community.

“I believe that the Gay Straight Alliance is a healthy way of allowing those who are

gay to feel integrated into society and to know that there are straight people out there who will not use homosexuality against them,” Sahrapima said.

The school community, Weiss found, has not yet reached the standards of respect the Alliance strives for.

“I think there are more kids that are more accepting, but at the same time, you still hear the same epithets in the hallways that you’ve always heard,” Weiss said.

As a haunting detail, Perez mentioned that GSA members last year took a vow of silence for the internationally-held Day of Silence (April 19), on which anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual) bullying is acknowledged. The day turned ironic when observant students were verbally harassed.

The mystery lingers on as to why the club failed to launch, especially in a year where California’s Proposition 8, which labeled gay marriage as not only disagreeable to some, but also illegal to

all, faces possible dissolution.

Weiss believes that students with the potential to support the GSA may feel uncomfortable taking part in the club.

“We have a lot of kids who lack confidence in either their sexual orientation [or their connection to the group],” Weiss said. “Either a parent or a sibling or a friend might be gay and they might not have the confidence to be ‘out’ even as an ally and to start something like that up.”

Above all, Weiss resolved that the status of the Gay-Straight Alliance, from year to year, depends on the willingness of students to participate.

“I don’t think that it is necessarily considered to be a negative that we don’t have a group,” Weiss said. “It is easy to say that it’s negative. Every year, some of the kids are more active than other years and you wonder why. You just have to have that one or two students that really want to make something happen. When that happens, it works.”

April 26, 2013 Highlights

culture 7

Students embrace Spanish culture at Celebremos Celine Hakimianpour Staff Writer Celebremos, the annual Spanish festivity, celebrates students’ participation in learning the Latin language and culture.

The event was held on Thursday, April 18 in the student Cafeteria.

The origins of Celebremos began after an assembly held many years ago discussing and appreciating the diversity of students on campus. Due to conflicts in scheduling, the event turned into an after-school event, now called Celebremos.

Celebremos had to be altered in order to create a more intimate and manageable event for the students. Only students in levels 5/6, 7/8 and AP Spanish are allowed to participate in the event.

“I felt very special to be able to attend this event, and sing with my class as well.

I look forward to Celebremos every year because of the family vibe it rubs off,” junior Daniella Ashoori said.

Spanish teacher Susan Schneider was the key figure involved in preparing Celebremos. Baja Fresh sponsored the occasion. Entrance required a student I.D. and a $2.00 fee.

Spanish teachers awarded class-nominated students who demonstrated a keen interest for learning Spanish. There were

also student performances in which students showed their passion for Spanish with song and dance.

“Celebremos is a positive, fun and spirited way for students to participate outside of the classroom and to feel like they are a part of something larger than just a single foreign language class,” Schneider said. “Students have a chance to acknowledge and support each other through the award ceremony that recognizes a student from each class who most exemplifies a sense of spirit and enthusiasm in learning Spanish.”

Spanish teachers awarded class-nominated students who demonstrated a keen interest for learning Spanish. Students also performed dances and songs for the event.

“We are grateful for the support of the students, many of whom have been preparing performances and bringing beautiful decorations, as well as the support from the Foreign Language Dept. Chair Madame Carlson, the administrators, the maintenance staff, the audio-visual tech support, and especially to our wonderful PTSA, for their fantastic help, without which we would be unable to celebrate,” Schneider said.

Schneider plans to have the event at 5:00 p.m. next year to allow many of the

PTSA members Franny Rennie, Cindy Dubin and Soroya Maman help hand out Spanish dishes for students ARMAN ZADEH during Celebremos.

athletes to attend after practice or games.

The ceremony next year will also contain an element of surprise as the winners of each class will not be notified until the actual event. Also, there will be winners of dance and song competitions in which performers will receive special awards.

The Spanish students who participated in Celebremos this year felt that it helped them appreciate the Spanish culture and created a deeper understanding of the Latin world.

Interested in seeing the rest of festival pictures at Celebremos?

More pictures from Celebremos can be accessed by scanning the above QR code.

Another page turned Teens Curing Cancer festival marks its plans to host art show Book 18th annual celebration Jessica Lu Staff Writer

Teens Curing Cancer is creating and displaying artwork in the Our Art Against Cancer Gallery to promote awareness of pediatric cancer and raise funds for its research.

“Many [children] are not as fortunate as us,” President Yaniv Sadka said. “They must deal with the struggle of daunting medical bills, and worse, the thought or reality of losing a loved one. We believe that through the invention of a cure, all future struggles associated with cancer would not exist.”

The gallery opens May 5 and will include feature artworks from Beverly students as well as professional artists, including Guy Long.

“It’ll be a good opportunity to show that people in the community care about curing cancer,” member Ethan Kunin said.

“The gallery adds a visual element to it.”

Each piece of artwork will be auctioned off, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to pediatric cancer research.

“Most people don’t know that less than one percent of every dollar raised for cancer research goes to pediatric cancer research, yet pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in American children under the age of 15,” Sadka said.

Sadka also mentioned that the gallery’s theme incorporated the Teens Curing Cancer’s slogan, “Fear Nothing.”

“We left the theme up to interpretation for the artists because we wish to see each artist’s creativity shine,” Sadka said.

All are invited to attend, as the gallery will be open to the public. It will be open from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Manny Silverman Art Gallery, located on Almont and Melrose. There will be a suggested entrance donation of $5.

From top to bottom. A six-year-old child looks through recycled books on the children’s rack. Participants gather in front of USC stage and enjoy local musicians’ performance.

DAMI KIM

Dami Kim Culture Editor

Teens Curing Cancer founder and president Yaniv Sadka contemplates which artwork to display in the art JESSICA LU gallery.

For 18 years, more than 150,000 book lovers of all ages have celebrated the largest book festival in the country: The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. This celebration of books has brought together the people who create books with the readers who love them, and ultimately blended itself into more of a cultural event. The event was held on USC’s campus on April 20-21.

With the option of parking at the USC parking structure for a $10 fee, this free public event encompassed more than 400 celebrity authors and chefs, local musicians and political experts who presented

panel discussions and cooking demonstrations to inform the audience. Tickets with a service charge to these conventions had to be reserved online beforehand.

Well-known children’s author Lemony Snicket, author of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” drew attention among the teenagers who had read his books in their younger years. Target, one of the sponsors of the event, provided the Target’s Children Stage to show free musical acts as well as a meet and greet with children’s characters Scooby-Doo and Curious George.

“Even with the hot weather, I dress in this costume and wear a mascot to see the smiles on those kids’ faces,” Curious George, whose performer wished to remain anonymous, said. “It’s not just about reading at the book festival, but enjoying the experience of being among the crowd that shares the same interests as you.”

The Festival of Books opened with the USC marching band performing along the streets of the campus. The event also included nearly 300 exhibitor booths representing booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations, and food trucks. The participants were able to directly ask the authors questions about the books and form intimate discussion sessions.

“This is my first time coming [to the book festival] although my family attends almost every year,” junior Ariella Maman said. “My family is a Trojan [family] and we take pride in events like this that not only benefit readers but also [USC].”

The festival served as a reminder that admiration for books has not subsided, but rather grown over the past years.

With new authors and guest speakers, the festival will return to the USC campus around the same time next year.

8 culture

April 26, 2013 Highlights

Students reveal Coachella insights Pasha Farmanara, Alex Menache Co-Web Editor, Staff Writer Every April the most prominent topic that seems to be on anyone’s mind is the Coachella Music Festival: the three-day festival that takes place at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California.

There are many pros and cons to attending Coachella, some more relevant to students than others. One advantage is the price of the festival.

Students find the ticket price of $349 well worth the large number of performances.

“Being able to get front row seats to all these bands is an absolute steal,” senior Brian Charles said. “If you wanted to see all the same shows separately, it would be double, even triple the price.”

Each stage has about nine performances a day which comes to less than a total of 13 dollars per performance.

Unlike other festivals, Coachella also offers food and drinks at a relatively low price. A bottle of water costs $2.00 and the average lunch costs somewhere from $9-11. Compared to the Staples Center price of $4.00 for water, and around $8 for a burger from McDonalds.

As well as being relatively economical, students enjoy the convenience of having all these performances consecutively.

“Going to a concert is sometimes a hassle and you only see one act, but at Coachella the artists are all there for you to see,” Charles said.

There are always blocks of time where

favorite acts are not performing, giving concert-goers the opportunity to discover new bands.

Along with discovering new musical artists, attendees get to experience Coachella’s culture, which includes the food, clothes, people and energy.

“Everyone is so unique. I’ve never felt that kind of energy anywhere else,” senior Matthew Leib said.

Even though the Coachella buzz has come on stronger this year than ever, there are clear downsides to the event.

Since concerts are performed simultaneously throughout the day, deciding which bands to go see can be a challenge.

“My friends and I chose our top three bands we want to see and then planned our schedule accordingly,” senior Sarah Patterson said. “If we had bands that played at the same time we would either see half and half or separate and then meet up after.”

Since conflicting schedules may be an issue, it is important to plan beforehand, taking each participant’s interests into consideration.

Coachella goers were also unaware of the unexpected changes in weather.

“I had never experienced such extreme winds,” senior Dillan Watts said. “I honestly felt like I was in Egypt because I had to wear sunglasses and cover my mouth with a bandana.

In addition to the weather, safety can be a hazard. With almost 80,000 attendees and about 134 arrests during weekend one in 2012, there may be too many

What are your thoughts on students missing school for Coachella?

MAX STAHL, ALEX MENACHE and CELINE HAKIMIANPOUR

Of students have witnessed underage drinking.

I Am (Featuring

The more relaxed vibes on this track bring the listener back to older Cudi and his “I-am-who-I-am” mentality. Drug references are quite blatant. The beat makes this definitely one of the most fun tracks on the album.

2

Girls (Featuring $hort)

45% 100%

Of students believe that there should be an age limit for Coachella.

Of students have witnessed minors using marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, and others.

These numbers represent the 20 students surveyed that went to Coachella in 2013.

DAMI KIM

people to control. Although Coachella strictly prohibits outside food, beverages, drugs and alcohol, there are numerous ways in which these rules are bypassed.

“Most drug users at Coachella use the underwear or sunscreen bottle tactic for concealing drugs and alcohol,” senior

King Wizard Cudi delivers a robotic rap, questioning the authenticity of life as well as boasting, rapping, “What is hip hop without him?”

The beat is not too fastpaced but retains a sense of excitement. This track displays some of Cudi’s best production on the album.

Harrison Margolin said. “Most people managed to get away with it until the third day, at which point I saw numerous people being caught with drugs.”

Overall, those who attended Coachella find it to be a worthwhile experiences, even with the few downsides.

“As long as you keep your habits in line, I think it’s an opportunity for kids to learn a lesson and expereience self control...by enlarge it’s good.”

Romeo Carey

“I think they are irresponsible because we are at school for 180 days. [Students] need to be here.”

Malia Frutschy

“ I can’t even put my thoughts into words.

It is unacceptable and what is sad is that parents excuse kids as being sick and are not honest.”

Margo Bender

Solo Dolo Pt. II (Featuring Kendrick Lamar) A standout track on the album, “Solo Dolo Pt. II” illustrates Cudi’s spitting skills. Kendrick Lamar delivers an eery hook and a clever verse.

5 Brothers

(Featuring King Chip & A$AP Rocky)

“Indicud”

Too

Although this is a rather superficial song about groupies, party songs are not meant to be deep. “I see pretty girls everywhere I go,” Cudi chants.

3

Of students have taken part in these illegal activities.

Of students said Coachella was a good experience.

With Kid Cudi’s recent announcement of departing from Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, Cudi’s newest album “Indicud” may foretell his independent future.

What 1 Just King Chip)

85%

100%

4

Ryan Feinberg Staff Writer

80 %

Track by Track Review

The song contains logical features, since King Chip is a longtime affiliate and friend of Cudi. A$AP Rocky’s verse speaks more on his own “brothers,” the A$AP Mob. This track will likely be commercially successful considering A$AP Rocky’s recent buzz.

While the album is not Cudi’s best work, it does provide a new side of Cudder. He displays his production abilities while staying somewhat true to his sound.

Throughout his career, Cudi has seemed to struggle with finding a balance between rock and rap.

This album veers too far in a previous unseen direction; perhaps “tinny” is the world since the record employs metallic synths.

Still, the record is entertaining.

Overall, the album gets a final grade of a B.

Highlights is not affiliated with the artist nor does it encourage readers to purchase the album.

DAMI KIM

April 26, 2013 Highlights

9

10

April 26, 2013 Highlights

April 26, 2013 Highlights

sports 11

Boys tennis beats Santa Monica, clinches CIF Ben Hannani Staff Writer While the season may be winding down for the boys varsity tennis team, CIF playoffs are right around the corner.

The Normans, currently 7-2 and 4-0 in league play, are entering the postseason as a three seed. Senior leadership has guided the team to a first place ranking the Ocean League standings.

“I think so far we have lived right up to our expectations of ourselves, and are hoping we can do even better,” senior Matthew Dubin said.

According to Dubin, the team has risen to the occasion over the course of marquee games throughout the season. In fact, the team defeated Peninsula 13-5 earlier this season, the Normans’ first victory in 12 years against Peninsula.

However, Dubin conceded that the team has been unable to secure victories in “winnable” games as well.

“Although I am very proud of our 13-5 win against Peninsula because it was our first win against them in 12 years, I think our focus is so much more on winning league and winning CIF, that we can’t get too caught up with wins like these,” Dubin said.

The Normans followed up the Peninsula victory with a 11-7 win against Santa Monica on April 18. The win solidified the Normans’ hold on first place in league standings and moved the squad one step closer toward a CIF berth. Although Dubin admitted that the Santa Monica match was not one of the Normans’ best performances, the win definitely boosted the team’s confidence.

“I think this helps us in the future against Samo because we know we can beat them now which is something we haven’t done since freshman year,” Dubin said. “I think this helps us in the fu-

Ethan Kunin serves and returns the ball in a single’s match against Samo on April 18. DAMI KIM

ture against Samo because we know we can beat them now which is something we haven’t done since freshman year.”

After the team’s win at Culver City on April 23, the team’s CIF hopes became

a reality when the Normans clinched a CIF postseason berth. The team won by a score of 15-3. The Normans may have collected some notable wins, but the victories have become secondary to the

team’s goal of advancing far in CIF playoffs.

“For a majority of the starters, it’s our last year and we want to win state,” senior Eric Busi said.

ASB Annual Dodgeball Tournament Results (As of 4/22/13)

OLIVER GALLOP

12 sports

April 26, 2013 Highlights

Boys track wins fourth consecutive league title Julia Waldow Editor-in-Chief Forget the saying, “The third time’s the charm.” The boys varsity track team clinched its fourth consecutive league title after winning the Samo/Morningside tri-meet at Morningside High School on April 18.

The seniors, who participated in their last league race of their high school careers, committed themselves to performing at the optimum level. Alex Rohani won the 100m and 200m events in 10.88 and 22.02 seconds, respectively. Chanan Batra won the 800m in 2:00.97, and Eli Flesch won the 3200m in 10:00.00.

“My strategy was to take it as easy as possible because I had to race Friday and Saturday too,” Batra said. “My personal record is in the 1:55s so two flat felt pretty easy and I was glad I could score some points for the team.”

In addition, sophomore Dominic Perlman won the 400m in 53.98 and freshman Lucas Brito won the long jump in 18-9 and placed second in the 200m in 23.73. Junior Aaron Karlin took second in the 1600m in 4:39.32, sophomore Harry Green took second in the 300m hurdles in 48.37 and freshman Stanley Wu placed third in the 300m in 50.61. Junior Aaron Wolfe placed third in the 3200m in

10:11.55.

Girls varsity lost to Samo but defeated Morningside, ultimately finishing third in league and holding a record of 2-2.

The girls clinched the first four spots in the 1600m gliding, with senior Sydney Segal winning first in 5:40.57, junior Da Eun Lee placing second in 5:43.57, sophomore Megan Moreh taking third in 5:56.05 and sophomore Tina Youabian taking fourth in 5:59.99.

“I told the girls to stay with the Samo and Morningside girls and outkick them at the end,” Segal said. “These dual meets are more for winning and not for [reaching a personal record].”

Runners from the team also snagged the first three spots in the 800m, as senior Lily Ting took first in 2:28.60, freshman Annabel Personeni took second in 2:29.68 and sophomore Amanda Christovich placed third in 2:31.32.

“I was glad to have won and gotten points for the team,” Personeni said. “In comparison to my best personal time in the 800m, I ran slowly at Morningside. However, I was proud that [we] won. It showed our devotion to Beverly.”

The girls also placed well in other events.

Sophomore Jaime Shirley won the 100m hurdles in 16.87, with freshman Amanda Block

finishing second in 18.39 and freshman Jane Rothstein snagging third in 20.03. Block also took third in the 300m hurdles in 58.91. Lee won the 3200m in 12:31.57, and Moreh took third in 12:56.28. Personeni won the 400m in 61.66, and Ting placed second in 63.58.

Freshman Sara Neiman took second in the high jump at 4-6 and third in the 100m in 13.34. Sophomore Leer Goldshmit took fourth in the long jump with a leap of 14-1, and freshman Elsa Woods took third in the shot put with a heave of 26-3 1/2.

The track team received additional honors at the Mt. SAC invitational at Mt. San Antonio College from April 19-20. Batra broke the school mile record in 4:15.68, and Rohani won the seeded 400 meter dash in 48.09. Block set a school record in the pole vault with 103. The girls varsity team of Personeni, Ting, Christovich and Segal ran the 4x800m relay invite, earning sixth place in 9:40.64, the third best time on Beverly’s All Time List.

Additionally, Beverly’s sprint medley relay team, composed of Batra, Rohani, Brito and freshman Raehaan Poonja, won the invitational section in 3:29.79, the third best time in the United States, thereby setting a new school record.

“My reaction upon winning the sprint medley was one of complete joy and relief because it

was our first win at a very big invite,” Rohani said. “We got second at Arcadia this year and last year and we came to Mt. SAC with the goal of winning. Winning an invite as big as this one is a huge achievement for our team.”

The track team feels that Coach Jeffrey Fisher plays an integral role in Beverly’s success.

“Coach has impacted every aspect of the team,” Batra said. “He prepares us at the beginning of the season for the long term, and though a league championship is nice, our goal is always to place in CIF and get CIF championships. So much of the credit should be going to how hard Coach Fisher works for us.”

Segal believes that Fisher has changed the team “physically, mentally and emotionally.”

“Coach Fisher is like God,” she said. “We are well prepared for any challenge because of him, and we have the confidence to compete with the best. He has made us not only top in the state and nation, but also our personal bests.”

The track team will face league preliminaries and finals and hopes to win a CIF championship and advance multiple players to run at the state level.

Fisher did not respond to requests for comment.

Volleyball continues succes, ties for first in league Arman Zadeh Sports Editor The boys volleyball team has had a successful season on the court, sporting a 6-2 overall record with only a single game left before CIF playoffs. The Normans are currently tied and in competition with league rival Samo for the first seed in Ocean League.

On April 23, the team hosted Culver City in one of its final league matches. The Normans defeated Culver in five sets, 3-2. The team honored its seniors Eli Lloyd, Jack Sternshein, Danny Dayan and Jacob Rost for its senior day.

Outside hitter Lucas Wohl led the team offensively with 20 kills. Middle hitter Ronan Massana contributed with a team high 14 blocks.Dayan, who normally plays outside hitter, was limited to libero as he was suffering from a shoulder injury. Despite being restricted to the non-hitting position, Dayan still contributed big to the team’s effort with 22 digs including a crucial diving save late in the fifth set.

The boys team took to the court on April 18, for a rematch against league nemesis Samo.

The tables were turned on the Normans despite defeating Samo 3-1 in their first meeting this season.

“We earned our win at their home but let our guard down when we needed to defend ours,” libero Amir Movassaghi said.

This season, captains Lloyd and Sternshein, along with head coach Von Wright, will lead the team back to CIF after being knocked out in the first round last year. Movassaghi and the team’s members are confident of their chances in the playoffs given the squad’s skill level.

“I have a feeling that our team will go far if not all the way in CIF. Our team is really solid this year and everyone plays an important part,” Movassaghi said. “We are all going to try our absolute best to make that a reality, if not for ourselves then for the seniors who have led us and made this season one of the best in Beverly volleyball.”

The team faced Samo for the third and final time on Thursday, April 25, but results were not available in time for press. The Normans next face Inglewood on April 30 in their final game of the regular season.

(Clockwise) Lloyd leads the team in their pregame rituals before facing Samo. Wohl waits as the team prepares for its next set. Wohl and Lloyd narrowly miss the block over Samo’s number four.

Wohl and Lloyd succesfully block an attempted kill by Samo’s number two. ARMAN ZADEH BEVERLY VS SAMO • APRIL 18 • 3-1 LOSS