Volume 87 issue 2

highlights

September 27, 2013 Volume 87, Issue Two Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, Calif. beverlyhighlights.com

Cross-country runners train with former coach AUDREY PARK

Service Learning continues Peer Buddy System Audrey Park staff writer Service Learning and Special Education have teamed up for the third consecutive year to continue the Peer Buddies System this school year.

The peer buddies system is designed to create social interaction opportunities for the Special Education students. Students from Service Learning are paired up with Special Education students, and together, the students participate in various activities every Monday during period six.

“Two years ago, we started having the moderate to severe disability special education class at this school, which we had never had,” Service Learning Coordinator Michelle Halimi said. “The teacher of the class wanted to integrate the kids more into the regular campus life so she asked Service Learning if once a week we could lead programs with them.”

Service Learning and Special Education participate in activities such as limbo, freeze dance, soccer and arts and crafts. Participating in these activities helps the students become familiar with each other and develop friendships.

“Most of the students that worked with us last year would sign up and do after school buddies, where they would come out with us after school,” Special Education Instructor Elizabeth Schwab said. “We went to the movies and did a prom event where they [the students] all dressed up, got a limo and went to a special prom. Genuine friendships were formed from it.”

Service Learning Co-President Senior Leora Hakim believes that the Peer Buddies system helps students in both groups develop new relationships.

“The students from both Service Learning and Special Education become really attached to each other,” Hakim said. “It’s a real Continued on Page

Mabel Kabani editor-in-chief Jeffrey Fisher, former Beverly cross-country and track coach, has started coaching the HarvardWestlake middle school crosscountry team for the new fall season; howev∂er, this change in location has not prevented Fisher from training his previous Norman athletes. In order to continue offering his coaching services to his former runners, Fisher has created a new private training program. Runners, however, had to choose between being a part of the school’s cross-country team under new coach, Dwayne Washington, and quitting to train privately with Fisher; all the girls on the varsity team chose to quit the cross-country team, and instead join Fisher’s private group.

“We decided to train privately with Coach Fisher because we believe in training with a coach whom we can trust to build our

strengths and skills in a healthy way,” a former member of the cross-country team, who prefers to remain anonymous, said. “Training is not easy or convenient, but we believe that the choice with our best interests in mind was to train with Coach Fisher.”

“Runners had to choose between being a part of the school’s team and training with Fisher.”

Though some runners quit because they felt that Fisher could train them in a way that suited their personal running styles, others left the school’s cross-country team because they felt they weren’t “reaching their maximum potential” with the new coach nor were “getting the amount of attention needed to train on a varsity

For transport, teams rely on donations

level.”

According to a former junior runner, who requested to be kept anonymous, the small number of coaches also led to her decision to quit.

“There are only two coaches for a rather large team, and I felt I needed more attention than they could give in that situation to remain a successful runner,” she said. “[With Fisher coaching] he would have two old students from college come back to help, in addition to his friend Blaine and Coach Edelman. To train the sprinters there was Alexis, who will not be returning this year. So before, there were about four to five coaches daily to help out.”

Though the girls who quit the team all have different reasons for doing so, they all agree that quitting for the sake of “making a statement” is not something they considered when making their Continued on Page 11

Cohanim chases music passion

Courtesy of BRANDON COHANIM

Junior Brandon Cohanim visited nightclubs in Miami and Hollywood where he interviewed various artists for his site.

Robert Katz web editor-in-chief Awash in a sea of strobing colors and swaying bodies, junior Brandon Cohanim had just wrapped up his interview with Australian DJ and producer Hook N Sling. The DJ was about to open for house artist Nicky Romero at Create, a recently opened Hollywood nightclub, and the evening was only beginning.

Cohanim watched Hook N Sling’s set and returned with him to the green room. Suddenly, the night took on a whole new meaning.

Romero himself, Cohanim’s professed idol, stepped in, two friends at his side. Then, the unexpected happened, as rising DJ Avicii entered the room.

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“It was crazy,” Cohanim recalled. “Some of the biggest guys in the world were here and I just walked past them.”

Years earlier, Cohanim could not imagine having the connections he would make that night at Create, and was only just getting acquainted with the music that would become his life.

“When I was 13, I got into dance music,” Cohanim said. “I would hear it on the radio on Friday and Saturday nights, and I really liked it. I thought, ‘What is this?’ I kept listening every Friday to this DJ on KIIS 102.7, and I loved the music.”

He invested himself in electronic dance music, or EDM, learning and loving everything there was to know. Cohanim eventually earned a reputation

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among his friends as a dance aficionado, and became inspired to share his tastes with the world.

“People were asking me for my music,” Cohanim said, “so I decided I’d just put it on a website.”

He dubbed the blog Suprima Musique (suprimamusique.com), and started posting news and music fresh out of the world of electric dance music.

Cohanim described Suprima as “anyone’s destination for the latest in progressive house, electro house, tech house, and deep house, which are all sub-genres of EDM,” featuring artists such as David Guetta, Afrojack, Tiesto, Hardwell, Kaskade, Armin van Buuren and the aforementioned Avicii.

Continued on Page 10

Zoe Kenealy staff writer Because transportation funding has been cut this year, Beverly sports have been left only to rely on donation money for away games.

Girls tennis, for example, has been warned about risking the possibility of missing tournaments and extra games that are not a part of league.

“It is a shame because I’m a senior and I’d like to play as many matches as I can,” senior tennis player Paula Alexe said. “Because the season is shorter, we can take advantage of the matches we have coming up, and hopefully succeed at them.”

Some athletes believe in the ultimate success of their upcoming seasons and do not see the lack of money for travel as playing a major factor in the teams’ abilities to produce a winning season.

“We’ll do fine. I’m not worried about it,” tennis player Jenny Zatikan said. “Even though we would have liked to have the opportunity to compete against as many schools as possible, it makes sense for the girls on the team to not be required to pay travel costs once joining. It’s fair.”

At this point in time, there is no predicting if the teams will actually be able to raise enough money to play more than league games.

“Right now, it is assumed that enough money will be raised to play every game that teams have planned in their schedules,” Athletics Direc-

“There is no predicting if the teams will be able to raise enough money to play.” tor Jason Newman said. “We cannot say for sure which teams will bring in enough money in donations to play all possible games.”

Sports teams at Beverly have about 15 percent participation in terms of bringing in donations for travel costs. If that does not change, tournaments, and possibly even league games, face are threatened.

Although it was mandatory for players to pay a travel fee in previous years, it is no longer a requirement.

But with cut in funding, it seems as if the only way to play out full lineups would be for each and every athlete to contribute his or her donation.

spotlight

culture

Newly hired Robotics teacher Conny Santa Cruz is bringing a business-oriented perspective to the team. In addition, she plans to focus on the annual First Robotics Competition. page 10

DECA University

Fall Play Preview

Join the Club

Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) held a training conference, DECA University, for all student officers on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Stubhub Center in Carson, Calif. page 2

Patrick Barlow’s comedy “39 Steps,” was recently selected to be performed as this year’s fall play. “39 Steps” is an adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller of the same name. page 2

Are you looking for a way to get involved on campus? Beverly’s variety of clubs could have something for you. From music to sports to “Dr. Who,” many interests are catered to. page 5

Meet Ms. Santa Cruz

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

LOOKING FORWARD Highlights gathers the latest information on the community’s upcoming events

Teen Foundation BH hosts forum without coordinator Michelle Banayan news editor The Board of Education candidates for the current 2013-2014 school year — James Fabe, Howard Goldstein and Lisa Korbatov — will speak in a panel for the community’s youth during the fifth-annual Teen Foundation BH Board of Education Candidates Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the John Cherney Lecture Hall. Students who attend the forum will be able to ask the candidates questions regarding their concerns with the school board’s policies and future plans.

The Teen Foundation BH (formerly known as Teen BHEF) is a

youth organization modeled after the The Foundation BH (formerly known as the BHEF). However, due to changes within The Foundation BH, The Teen Foundation BH no longer has a designated adult coordinator and is left to plan this event using the effort of its members, grades seven to 12, and the aid of community volunteers such as former mayor Les Bronte and Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) President Franny Rennie.

Furthermore, the PTSA offered to sponsor the forum financially as it has in previous years, but The Teen Foundation BH declined, “for the purpose that it is a teen-run

organization coordinating teenoriented events and fundraising for other teen organizations, and wants to do the forum independently and stand on its own,” The Teen Foundation BH President Michelle Adams said.

“Now that we don’t have a specific coordinator, planning the forum [ourselves] provides an opportunity for us to demonstrate that we can stand on our two feet as young leaders in the community. This event isn’t necessarily us having to prove ourselves, but it’s more of an introduction for a new Teen Foundation BH which is ready to lead the Beverly Hills youth in any way possible,” she continued.

Adams will moderate the forum, beginning with six questions for the candidates that she and the rest of the members came up with during their monthly meetings.

“As a group, we discussed our opinions on the current school policies and its issues and we worked really hard to formulate questions that we think will spark great responses from the candidates,” Teen Foundation BH member Daniel Partiyelli said.

Afterward, the organization will open up the panel to the audience members, which will include oncampus clubs such as the Interact Club.

“This is a great chance for stu-

dents on campus to converse with upcoming school board members and learn about what is happening in their own academic environment,” Interact Club President Nicole Sayegh said, “and I’m happy to have members of the Interact Club show their interest in the local politics and support other teen organizations.”

Although the members of The Teen Foundation BH lost their adult coordinator, they are not allowing that to get in the way of planning future events. In addition to volunteering at local venues, the organization is scheduled to host its second annual Spring Fling Fundraiser next semester.

‘39 Steps’ chosen to be performed for annual fall play Audrey Park staff writer Patrick Barlow’s comedy, “39 Steps,” was recently selected to be performed as this year’s fall play.

“39 Steps” is an adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “The 39 Steps,” which is about a man, Richard Hannay, who attempts to solve the missing facts about the sabotage of the Air Defenses of England while hiding from a murder accusation.

Before Hannay goes on the run, a women tells him about the “39 steps.” However, she unexpectedly dies, forcing Hanney to hide in order to avoid a murder accusation. While hiding, Hanney needs to figure out the connection between the 39 steps the woman was talking about and the sabotage of the Air Defenses of England.

Performing Arts Director Herb Hall chose this play for its comical appeal and numerous roles.

“The hard thing for us always is to find a play that has many characters,” Hall said. “There’s a few over 20 [characters] and I wanted a play that was funny, had a big cast and was contemporary.”

The unique aspect of this play is that although there is a main

character, there is no lead. Instead, individual students take on numerous roles.

Senior Deven Martin, who plays a radio announcer, Mr. McGarrigle and Professor Jordan, seeks to deliver his characters to the “best of his ability while adding his own touch” to them.

“Because I play multiple roles, I intend on making it as hard as possible for the audience to recognize me in different situations,” Martin said. “On Broadway, the cast includes four actors who play a myriad of parts. We’re trying to mirror that, except with a full class. I think it’ll be an artistic challenge for sure and I can’t wait for the final product.”

Senior Katie Schindelheim, who plays the role of German spy Annabelle Schmidt, believes that although preparing for a comical play is a challenge, the rehearsals have been going well so far.

“In comedy there is a lot more than just reciting your lines. It involves making big choices and being really out there, willing to just make a fool out of yourself,” Schindelheim said. “[However], everyone is really enjoying themselves and we all can tell how great the show is going to be.”

All the cast members have been rehearsing for an average of two to three hours after school; these rehearsals started immediately after casting. The rehearsals are scheduled in chronological order based on the scene numbers to give attention to the details in each scene.

“Rather than rehearsing the entire play every day, we rehearse our scenes in parts so that we, the actors, can perfect our skills and performance of each selection,” senior Amanda Deutsch, who plays Pamela in the production, said. “Some of us have started to learn our lines a bit better so we can use our script less and focus more on the physicality of our characters.”

Deutsch, who initially joined the theatre program because of her love of entertaining people and storytelling, aims to deliver a comical act while taking the audience along her character’s adventure.

“39 Steps” is set to debut on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Hall aspires to create a “good production that will have the audience rolling on the floor laughing,” by focusing on perfecting the details through rehearsals.

From top to bottom: Seniors Nicolette Shamsian, Charlotte Sroyland, Roman Zaragosa and Anthonly Lofaso and junior Marc Rudy practice scenes from Act One of “39 Steps” during one of their daily after school rehearsals. MICHELLE BANAYAN

ASK THE CAST What is your favorite part of being part of the ‘39 Steps’ production?

I like that this play is mostly improv and is so funny. We’re kind of breaking away from [the plays] we’ve performed in the past two years.

-Andrew Rudy, junior

“39 Steps” is my first fall play at Beverly, so I’m excited to make new memories and just get closer with the cast.

-Shanna Benji, senior

I enjoy being able to see how far the cast can go with acting out all the jokes that are in this comedic script.

-Alan Wheeler, junior

I’m really looking forward to all of the quirky things the cast does as a whole and just having fun throughout the rehearsals.

-Shana Kheradyar, senior

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Interact Club to partner with local tutoring program Braden Bochner staff writer The Interact Community Service Club has established a partnership with the Beverly Hills Academic After School Tutoring Program (BHAASTP). Founded in 1976, the tutoring program, now led by independent contractor Adrienne Weise, helps students gain confidence both academically and socially.

Adam Heller, a member of the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, which sponsors the Interact Club, proposed the idea of combining the hard work and dedication of the service club with a community based tutoring program.

“There is an emotional piece to [tutoring] that can often [go unattended] in the classroom,” Weise said. “We have the power of making these connections and really helping a child. We lead as tutors with empathy and understanding, rather than immediate intervention,” Weise said.

The tutoring program, open to students from kindergarten through eighth grade, connects high school students with elementary school students at Beverly Vista and Horace Mann. This tutoring program is unique because of its one-oneone structure, which allows the tutors and tutees to develop a

closer relationship and connect on an emotional level.

“The kids kind of become our little brothers and sisters; they tell us about their days and their friends and whatever they’re dealing with at home or at school. It’s a really unique relationship,” senior and tutor Zoe Tran said.

Weise believes that the program’s “holistic approach” of going beyond the classroom and integrating an emotional aspect to tutoring can benefit a student tremendously. The unique social aspect of the program allows children to grow in many different areas of their lives.

With student partnerships at Horace Mann and Beverly Vista, Weise believes that the success of the program lies within the friendships formed between each tutor and student.

“It’s a process of a connection, trust and bond that develops.

These relationships go beyond the tutoring sessions. Often times, our tutors attend sports games and family functions because the child feels that the tutor plays such an important role in his or her life,” Weise said.

The Interact-BHAASTP partnership, which provides high school students the chance to enrich the lives of elementary schoolers, aligns with the values of the Interact Club, whose

members dedicate themselves to giving back to the community.

“As tutors, we are there to both broaden the child r e n ’ s academic pursuits while also being there for them as a fellow friend,” Interact President NiAn Interact Club member from Brentwood School works with her tuttee on math during one of cole Sayegh their periodic tutoring sessions at Beverly Vista. ADRIENNE WEISE s a i d .

“Whether at home or at school. It’s spe- gy. I know these kids who come that be [through] talking with cial to know that a child looks through our doors will benefit the children about their day, up to you and turns to you for so greatly from knowing these helping them to further thrive advice,” Tran said. leaders in their high school.” socially with their peers, brightSince this partnership is new, Given the success on both ening their day, [or] really just sides of this equation, Weise is its ultimate viability will deletting them know that we are excited to see where this col- pend on the proven strengths of there for them no matter what.” laboration will lead. both the Interact Club and the The program benefits the vol“These are dynamic students BHAASTP. The long-term efunteers as well, allowing them who are so interested in help- fects of the new relationships to mentor their students. ing kids and being positive role between these students and “It’s so rewarding to be able models and mentors, both aca- their tutors remains to be seen. to help the kids every week; not demically and socially,” Weise However, everyone involved is just with their schoolwork, but said. “I’m feeling great joy. I can hopeful that this will be a model with any issues they’re having feel their enthusiasm and ener- that will thrive and endure.

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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

DECA attends DECA University training conference Audrey Park staff writer Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) held a training conference, DECA University, for all student officers on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Stubhub Center in Carson, Calif. The training conference, which took place from 1:30-5:30 p.m., was designed to help officers develop skills to improve their chapter.

DECA prepares both high school and college students for careers in marketing, finances, hospitality and management.

Students learn skills in public speaking, teamwork and leadership. DECA groups from different schools are divided into groups called chapters.

“I think the conference went well; it was great getting to network with students from other schools and exchange ideas,” DECA President Olivia Koshy, a junior, said. “My first DECA University was last year, and it was really great because we came back with lots of new ideas to implement into our chapter. “ DECA co-director Charles Stansbury thought that the

conference was “great.” DECA state officers from Northern and Southern California hosted the conference. However, the conference was a gathering of Southern California schools.

“The conference was the kickoff event for the year,” Stansbury said. “The focus was on all schools doing everything they can to increase their membership numbers. There were some great strategies discussed and was a great learning experience for our officers who attended.”

Koshy hopes to implement all the new leadership skills and ideas she learned from the conference to help improve the team. Koshy first joined DECA because she had friends from other schools in DECA and also to have a boost on her college application. However, after two “amazing” years, DECA has become something more than “just another thing to add to her college transcript.”

“I’m really excited about our new officer team, as I have become extremely close to my DECA team over the past year,” Koshy said. “They all have shown great leadership and teamwork

skills and each of them have something unique to offer to help improve our chapter.”

As president, Koshy hopes to achieve all of DECA’s goals, such as increasing membership

“The conference was the kickoff event for the year.

There were some great strategies discussed and was a great learning experience for our officers who attended.” and planning more community service projects and outreach activities.

“Our chapter has a membership goal of increasing by 20 student members, and getting 20 professional members,” Koshy said. “We would like to have as many members as possible attend the International Conference which takes place in Atlanta this year.”

Stansbury strives not only to recruit more members from Beverly, but also to recruit

alumni and community partners. Aside from increasing membership, Stansbury aims to prepare students for upcoming competitions.

“The next goal is for our officers and advisers to do a great job preparing for the years upcoming competitions,” Stansbury said. “DECA can improve by increasing membership and having all students feel well prepared for the upcoming competitions.”

DECA Officer senior Evan Rennie seeks to see an increase in membership and hopes that the team can successfully pass all the preliminary events and make it to internationals.

“I am hoping, along with the other DECA officers, that we can increase our membership to around 60 kids this year as well as have a few successful fundraisers,” Rennie said.

Rennie initially joined DECA because, like Koshy, he believed that it would look good to have on his college application. However, through DECA, Rennie was able to discover his passions and how he wants to pursue them later on in his life. The

training conference helped him improve in public speaking and leadership, valuable qualities to have in business.

“This is actually only my second year in DECA but after going to two competitions I realized that I probably should have joined earlier,” Rennie said. “I have improved my presenting skills dramatically, learned so much about business and realized that I definitely want to go into business when I am older. Also it’s always fun to find something that you are good at so that just makes it even better for me.”

Even though DECA has already held some meetings and attended a training conference, Koshy encourages students to join.

“We’ve started meetings, but it’s not too late to get involved,” Koshy said. “Anyone who is interested can feel free to contact myself or any other DECA officers for more information about our program.“ DECA meets every Monday during lunch in room 274. There is a membership fee of $30 that can be paid at the student store.

The Foundation celebrates re- Dance Company structure of organization brings in outside coreographers The Foundation Beverly Hills commemorates the resignation of previous members and the rebranding of the formerly named Beverly Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) with a lively soirée at Hakkasan Beverly Hills.

According to The Foundation’s press release, even with it’s new name and logo, “The Foundation maintains the same core mission: to support five local public schools, as has been the tradition of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation from its inception.”

While The Foundation dedicated the celebrations of the evening to the recognizing the resigning of it’s former presi-

dent and chairman, Annette Saleh and Jonathan Prince, Hakkasan also takes advantage of giving the community a glimpse of its new venue before it opens its Beverly Hills location on North Beverly Drive.

The evening commenced with awards presented to Saleh by The Foundation’s current president, Ronit Stone, as an expression of thanks for Saleh’s past three years as BHEF President.

Afterward, the ceremonial honoring of the resigning chairman, Jonathan Prince, was announced by Todd Okum.

“I have always been one to find a way to increase the involvement of members of the community. When my son graduated from Beverly, I resigned from my position, and

gave other members of the community who were trying to find a way to be involved that didn’t have children a way to step up and connect with student education.”

For the remainder of the night, the crowd socialized and enjoying the reinvigoration of The Education Foundation.

“For those of us who knew BHEF [The Foundation] before the changing of the name, they know it is simply about rebranding and turning over a new leaf for the foundation in order to put pressure on the community to make it a priority to invest in their child’s education. If changing the name of our foundation is the way to do this, then I’m all for it,” Co-President of the PTSA, Franny Rennie said.

Continued from Page 1 friendship; they add us on Facebook, we talk in the hallways — it’s a lot of fun!”

Senior Alina Choi, who was a part of Special Education and the buddies system last year, accredits the program for helping her become more confident in socializing with her peers.

“The buddy system helped me get to know a lot of new people in all grade levels,” Choi said. “I feel like it helps people interact in their own [unique] ways [and socialize] with everyone that they feel comfortable talking to.”

Coordinators of both programs, Halimi and Schwab, believe that the system is a mutual relationship that benefits both

Service Learning and Special Education.

“I think my students have some of the biggest hearts. They’re so great and they really care about each other,” Schwab said. Being exposed to my students helps them [Service Learning] because it teaches them patience.”

Schwab believes that the program also provides her students with “great positive” social role models for her students.

The Service Learning students regard the buddies system as the “most impactful” ongoing system they participate in all year.

Halimi attributes the program for helping integrate and involve the Special Education students more in the social side of

Beverly.

“The Service Learning kids learn how important it is to have everyone be a part of their community,” Halimi said. “The Special Education kids are also making friends with the Regular Education kids. It’s a twofold.”

The peer buddies system made an impact on the attitude toward school of the Special Education students. It made school more “exciting.”

“Everyone in my classroom looks forward to peer buddies,” Schwab said. “They get so excited when its peer buddy day.”

Service Learning and Special Education strive to continue the program and create an environment where everyone feels accepted.

Audrey James-Anenih staff writer

Juliette Deutsch staff writer

The Dance Company program welcomed two new artistic directors, Dana Findley and Darcus Roman, to replace last year`s head director Francis Gorsitas.

Furthermore, the company is changing things by having outside choreographers choreographer and teach dances. This is the first year ever that any other instructors will be creating dances for the January preformance.

“We are currently learning a piece that is inspired by shadows and has more of a dark theme and another piece that has tango incorporated with it. The tango piece is a group dance that is choreographed by Erin Longhaffer,” sophomore Justin Friedman said. “The new choreographers are really bringing interesting ideas.”

Friedman also explained how the new instructors will choose which members will dance in

the pieces being developed.

“Last year, since we did not have any guest choreographers, we did not have to audition for individual pieces. However, this year, for each piece there will be a separate audition,” Friedman said.

The outside choreography is very exciting for members of the company and brings new challenging dance ideas as well.

“I am very excited about the new choreography and looking forward to challenging myself with these dances,” sophomore Scout Sklarew said.

Sklarew added that the new choreography will bring a new twist to the show.

“I think the upcoming show will be even better than the previous years, and people will really be impressed by the new techniques we are adding,” Sklarew said.

The dates for the show have not been decided, but will be chosen within the first three weeks of January 2014.

Key Dates PSAT Oct. 16 Normapalooza Oct. 24

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HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Join the Club After the Club Week rush, it can be difficult to choose which and what types of clubs to commit to. Because ASB gives the opportunity for anyone to apply to start a club, students can find a variety of interests represented by the clubs on campus. From art to community service to British television, diversity is acknowledged at Beverly.

Radio Airlift welcomes variety Jessica Lu spotlight editor

SHOWS TO CATCH MONDAY 9:00 p.m. Monday’s Muse: Alexandra Del Rosario shares her favorite music TUESDAY 9:00 p.m. Their Generation: Max Stahl and Michael Simozar play rock music of “yesteryear” WEDNESDAY 9:00 p.m. Post-Everything: Nicole Leibman explores nighttime tunes THURSDAY 8:00 p.m. 4th & 1: Arman Zadeh, Matthew Sater and Jackson Prince discuss sports in and out of Beverly

Since its re-launch last spring, Radio Airlift has been attracting up to 50 listeners a night, according to Host Hans Tercek. The station’s variety of student-hosted shows include sports, comedy and of course, music. Radio Airlift now exists as a club, open to adding new students.

“Anyone can join,” Host James Fast said. By signing up with any of the hosts, students immediately can contribute to the radio station.

“For those who are considering joining, know that we are incredibly approachable,” Fast said. “We need a student body who is excited about their radio station. We want this program to spread and for it to become a part of our school’s culture.”

Host Robert Katz described a member’s responsibility as not “entirely decided,” but open to a wide range of interests. For example, students interested in web and graphic design could create content for the site, radioairlift.org, and the station’s Tumblr page. Those more drawn to promotion could contribute to the advertising aspect by

researching student demand. Fast also expressed the need for more technical and production help.

“We encourage people to make at least a small, consistent commitment,” Katz said. “People who put in more work than other people are going to take on more responsibility. They’ll organically be more influential members.”

According to the site, the station highlights “Beverly’s eclectic personalities and perspectives.” That being said, its current DJs are open to adding additional hosts to the program and are currently working on finalizing a more open schedule. Most shows would run every two weeks, which creates more time slots for new shows and DJs. “If you’d like a show, pitch us the idea, make a promo and we’ll do our absolute best to fit in in our schedule,” Fast said.

Having one’s own show could translate into a heightened level of expression, because students on campus tune in every night.

“Quite frequently I’ll find myself listening to Radio Airlift to hear some of my fellow classmates,” senior Simonna Krichevsky said.

“I’m immediately reminded to

20 + shows

when I log into Facebook and see the hosts on my newsfeed.”

Tercek added that Radio Airlift also gets exposure worldwide.

“We’re run 24/7 and there’s almost always someone listening, whether [he or she] is in the country, or in Asia and Europe,” he said.

Whether the focus is graphics, technology, marketing, music or simply self-expression, students may find that Radio Airlift is the club that applies to their interests.

Record number of hits overall: 373

Record number of hits live: 55

24 Hours a day with someone listening 6 Continents that tune in

4 Number of days shows play

20+ hosts

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CLUBS GALORE

Sports editor Arman Zadeh and staff writer Zoe Kenealy sought to find clubs, new and returning, pertaining to a variety of interests and capturing the diveristy of interests of the student body. Graphics by Jessica Lu, statistics courtesy of club presidents.

Interact Club 109 active members 42 average meeting attendance 20+ events 947 activity hours

72 club day sign-ups

29 girls signed up

Students looking to give back to the community might be interested in joining the Interact Club. Interact is sponsored by the Beverly Hills Rotary Club. Last year Interact’s members completed over 947 hours of community service participating in a variety of events.

“Our main goal is to create a brighter future for generations to come,” President Nicole Sayegh said.

Meetings are expected to be Tuesdays at lunch in room 206.

First rule of fight club: appreciate Fight Club. The club, run by self-proclaimed despot David Prokopenko, hopes to teach students to appreciate fighting as an art by discussing Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting techniques, history and Brad Pitt.

“I take pride in being able to appreciate the arts, as they are, art forms,” Prokopenko said. “People today... don’t see the beauty and skill that goes into each fight.”

The group plans to change the negative connotation often associated with MMA. Students looking to join one of Beverly’s more unconventional clubs, take a gander at Fight Club. Meetings will be in room 300.

Fight Club

Dr. Who-verse The British Broadcast Corporation’s (BBC) influence has spread to Beverly, most recently apparent with the creation of the Dr. Who-verse club.

Dr. Who-verse is a club in which students watch their favorite BBC shows, play trivia and even hold debates over chosen network shows.

“We watch Doctor Who, the Spin Off Torchwood and Sarah Jane, Sherlock Holmes and Supernatural,” President Sami DeMello said. “We also listen to trock, time lord rock, or Doctor Who music.”

The club meets Thursday at lunch in room S304.

Art Club gives students a canvas to express themselves visually. The club, founded and run by senior Sasha Park, focuses on tackling art projects with the Special Ed class. Since last year, Park and club members have teamed up with the class to make tie-dyed t-shirts, Thanksgiving cards and painted birdhouses.

“Volunteering to do community service can be very rewarding,” Park said. “It’s also an opportunity to meet new friends.”

Students can sign up with Park or go to room 262.

Art club

POLICE BOX

7 revived seasons 11 doctors

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HIGHLIGHTS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

How to Get Into College Colleges seek in-depth activities Marguerite Alberts graphics editor With the current college application season underway, counselors, teachers and students are working to ensure that essays, recommendations and all other requirements are in order. However, there is more to the college application than simply academics. To attract the attention of many of the colleges around the country, students need to know what colleges are looking for besides grade point average (GPA) and test scores.

Though every college is different and has their own set of standards for applicants to meet, according to college counselors, there are generally four main factors that all colleges look for besides grades, standardized tests and classes: extracurriculars, the essay, letters of recommendation and diversity.

“They are going to have a lot of applicants who have great transcripts and are very attractive academically, so then they go to look at the other pieces,” College Counselor Susan Chamberlain said.

Extracurriculars show that a student isn’t just doing their best to maintain grades, but that they spend their time in many different ways, showing that they invest

their time in other activities both outside and inside school. For some students who might not have a high GPA, extracurriculars are vital.

“Colleges are most interested in seeing real passion and interest from a student, no matter what the activity is,” local college guidance consultant and former Beverly AP English teacher Alexandra Rhodes said.

Colleges are not interested in a well-rounded student; they don’t want applicants who have a small participation level in a large number of extracurriculars. Instead, they prefer students who are deeply invested in a few programs that they are excited about.

“They [the colleges] are looking for a well-rounded freshman class, so they want to accept students with different passions — some sports kids, some drama kids, some ASB kids, some business kids, some who love community service,” Rhodes said. “Then the college will take all the passionate kids in different areas and make a great freshman class at college.”

Senior Evan Rennie has been preparing for the college application process since his freshman year largely by participating in

various school activities.

“I realized early on that my grades were not going to be enough to get me into the colleges I wanted so I turned to extracurriculars,” Rennie said.

According to a New York Times article from Aug. 15, 2013 about college acceptance rates for 2013, “applicant pools are growing larger” and “colleges are also becoming more selective.” Students have to make themselves stand out from the rest of the applicants.

“I have to set myself apart with all the stuff I do outside of school,” Rennie said.

Another important part of the college application that colleges take into consideration is the essay. While naming extracurriculars shows that students are active in their communities, the essay topics give students an opportunity to prove how they were active.

Rhodes emphasized that it is important that, in the personal statement, students speak using their own voice, be themselves and “write from the heart.”

“They are really looking for your authentic voice in that essay,” Chamberlain said. “You kind of come to life as a real person to them, aside from all of these num-

College Visits in October

bers.”

While a student does not have a lot of control in regards to their letters of recommendation, they can affect which teacher writes about them and what they want to say by being upstanding members of society. The counselor’s letter works to make everything come together by speaking about the applicant and further confirming how they behave and what they are passionate about.

“They are looking for those to get a sense overall from a teacher’s view of you in an academic classroom, how you approach projects, how well you work with other kids, that kind of thing,” Chamberlain said.

Diversity ties a student’s application together. Besides simply being diverse because of an ethnic background and culture, the extracurriculars a student takes part in, the essay he or she writes and what an applicant’s teachers and counselor says about them, shows colleges that they are diverse in more ways than one.

While grades are the most important factor in a decision, colleges may change their decisions based on the other parts of the application.

Monday

Tuesday 1

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CA Lutheran U. 11:00 AM Rm 273

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Eugene Lang 8:00 AM Rm 273

Barnard College 1:00 PM Rm 273

Point Loma Nazarene U. 9:00 AM Rm 273

Brandeis 8:00AM Rm 273 Chapman 9:00 AM Rm 273

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St. John’s (NY) 8:00 AM Rm 292 Swathmore College 8:00 AM Rm 273 Skidmore College 11:00 AM Rm 273 Northwestern 8:00 AM Rm 273 U. of Wisconsin, Mad. 12:30 PM Rm 273

22 U. of Vermont

Wednesday 2

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Miami Ohio 8:00AM Rm 273 Yale University 9:00 AM Rm 273 U. of South Carolina 11:15 AM Rm273 Savannah Col. of Art 9:00 AM Rm 273 Indiana U. 10:15 AM Rm 273 Sarah Lawrence 2:00 PM Rm 273

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Pomona College 8:0 AM Rm 273 U. of Redlands 10:00 AM Rm 273

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Miami Ohio 8:00AM Rm 273 Yale University 9:00 AM Rm 273 U. of South Carolina 11:15 AM Rm273

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Trinity University 9:00AM Rm 273 Tulane University 12:15 AM Rm 273

10 Boston University

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8:00 AM Rm 273 Arizona State U. 9:0 AM Rm 273 Ithaca College 12:15 PM Rm 273 U. of Washington 9:00 AM Rm 273 Hofstra 11:15 AM Rm 273

24 Carnegie Mellon

10:15 AM Rm 273 CSUN 1:00 PM Rm 273

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Vassar College 8:00AM Rm 273 Connecticut College 10:00 AM Rm 273

8:00 AM Rm 273 USC 12:15 PM Rm 273

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Timeline for Seniors October · Take the SAT, ACT or Subject Tests · Continue researching schools and narrow down your list · Complete Early Decision and Early Action applications · Look for financial aid and scholarship opportunities · Seek feedback on your essays

November · Register for the December SAT, ACT or Subject Tests · Submit Early Decision and Early Action applications · Continue researching financial aid and scholarships

December & January · Finish your applications ­· Make sure you’ve taken all the necessary exams · Confirm that your teachers have sent in their recommendation letters · Send your midyear grades to colleges · Submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Aid) · Keep track of scholarship deadlines · Continue to look for scholarships and financial aid

April 30

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Occidental College 11:30 AM Rm 273

· Keep a list of your acceptances, rejection and waitlists · If waitlisted, learn more about the school’s waitlist policy · If needed, visit or revisit schools to which you’re accepted · Prepare for the early May deadline by choosing a school

Students can sign up either through Naviance or by visiting House A. Juniors and seniors can attend.

The College Admissions Process from Four Different Perspectives Community College Brenda Mehdian staff writer As a freshman, Walter Harris* was opposed to going to a community college because he wanted to have the experience of moving out of his comfort zone, meeting new people and becoming independent.

When Harris entered high school, he intended to go straight to a four-year university. He studied every night, completed all his homework, participated in school clubs and organizations and rarely missed class.

“During my sophomore and junior years, I was taking honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes and I was really giving it my all,” Harris said.

However, as time progressed, Harris’s priorities changed and he began to lose interest in his studies.

“By the end of my junior year, I realized that I would not be able to get into a four-year college straight out of high

school with my grades. After this realization, I started to care less about my schoolwork. I now have a relatively easier schedule,” Harris said.

Harris is planning to attend Santa Monica College (SMC) when he graduates in May, since he knows many of the students who will be attending the college and has seen the high transfer rates of SMC students into four-year universities.

Although Harris is not sure what he wants to study, he does know that he would like to transfer into the University of California system after his two years at community college.

“I feel like once I enter college, I will get a better sense of what area I want to work in,” Harris said.

Harris does not see the point of wasting his time and energy in studying for the SAT or ACT tests, since his goal is to go to a community college. Harris’s unweighted grade-point average is 3.13.

Athletics Barbara Hampter*, had no idea that she would be a Division 1 volleyball player walking into high school. She thought her main focus was going to be her academics.

“Originally, I was just planning on having fun and playing a sport during high school, but now volleyball has become a lifestyle for me. I practice three hours a day during the week no matter what, and two hours a day on the weekends,” Hampter said.

Hampter led Team USA in the Maccabi games this past summer, and has helped bring home a silver medal. According to Hampter, the experience of being captain of Team USA not only improved her leadership abilities, but also enhanced her volleyball skills.

Hampter has received several fullride scholarship offers to Division 1 schools across the country. Among the offers, she is currently debating be-

tween American University and Georgia Southern University and will be committing to one or the other within the next few weeks.

“My grades definitely do not help the scholarships I have received. I am constantly busy with practices and workouts so I am not able to put in the right amount of time to study,” Hampter said.

Hampter began talking to colleges when they became interested in her height and raw talent.

“Once you email back and forth with college coaches, you are able to then build a relationship with those coaches and start discussing official visits and scholarships,” Hampter said.

Hampter plans to apply under a communications/media/film major and has been focusing on classes such as psychology and English.

Academics Throughout high school, Mary Haywood* has remained focused on her academics and school work so she can put her best foot forward when applying to colleges.

“I have a busy schedule, but my workload has always been manageable and rarely takes me a lot of time. I always find that homework is easy and fast to do, but studying for tests is the most time-consuming,” Haywood said.

Haywood’s top choices for college include the University of Chicago, the University of California at Berkeley and Oxford University. However, Haywood is not exactly sure what she wants to major in. For her, the major varies based on the school.

“At the University of Chicago, there is a ‘Laws, Letters and Society’ major I’d be interested in because it combines lots of subjects I like. Oxford offers ‘Philosophy, Politics and Economics,’ courses

which also have lots of different appealing factors. Otherwise, I’d probably attend the business school at whichever college I go to,” Haywood said.

Over the summer, Haywood interned at City Hall and at a senior-citizen center. She worked in the Human Resources Department of City Hall in which she carried out some menial tasks but was also able to speak at city meetings and met with city council members.

“I think my summer internship really showed a willingness to explore a field that interested me and that I was willing to put in effort to contribute to the community,” Haywood said.

Haywood has not been focusing on any specific subjects throughout high school but has been able to maintain an unweighted 3.98 grade-point average, as well as having scored 2360 on her SAT.

Arts Ben Lenard* has participated in a variety of school performances throughout his high school career. However, according to Lenard, college had never been a topic of concern during his earlier high-school years.

“I didn’t know that I would be applying to art schools, in fact didn’t really think about college,” Lenard said. “If I could go back and do it better, I would have worked harder in my academics.”

Throughout high school, Lenard took classes in the performing arts, learning about theater, dance and music. As Lenard began to think about college, he narrowed his top choices down to Julliard and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Julliard is one of the most renown art schools in the country, and to know that I got into a such a competitive and highly acclaimed school would be incredible,” Lenard said.

Over the summer, Lenard participated in acting classes to keep his skills sharp, read books, watched movies to research acting techniques and went out on auditions.

According to Lenard, a student applying as an acting major has to go through a different application process. ActorApplicants need to get letters of recommendation, even if the school does not necessarily require them, and students have to audition. The application is also due in March, while most other types of applications are due in November.

Lenard’s goal career-wise includes becoming a successful actor.

“Acting is the only job that I love to do and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else,” Lenard said.

Lenard scored a 26 on his ACT and has a 3.4 unweighted grade point average.

*All names have been replaced with pseudonyms.

8

HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

THE FORUM

a debate within the Highlights staff

Letter to the Editor Thank you for letting me respond to the current debate posted in this week’s Forum regarding driving off campus.

I am a mother of six students currently at BHHS, which means I am the designated chauffeur.

Four of my daughters will be privileged to drive this coming month, and all are well above a 3.0 grade average. Beverly Hills is a small community with most homes close to campus, so being able to drive home during lunch or after school should be acceptable to school rules and regulations. I am proud that my daughters have learned to drive and welcome the short route between school and home as daily practice to better understand the distractions of operating a car.

My seniors do not have 7th period, which means they sometimes have no school after 1:00pm and can study during those afternoon hours. Shouldn’t they be able to drive home early? I am sure most parents with seniors feel the same way as I. If we can vote, I vote yes on letting my students drive off campus and will readily sign my permission.

Regards, Debra DeSage

Beverly balances student freedom, safety Robert Katz web editor-in-chief Half a year since Newtown, Conn., made headlines, school security remains a heated topic for Americans. Administrations across the nation continue to deal to varying degrees with escalating fears of intrusions. Lawmakers have proposed drastic solutions, including California Republican Rep. Tim Donnelly’s proposal to arm school teachers and California Republican Rep. Kristin Olsen’s pitch to install “panic” buttons in schools.

While increased interest in protecting students ought to lead to safer school environments, we should consider, as the benefiting party, how new laws and practices can affect our liberty on campus. As Beverly students, we also should recognize that our school offers us quite a degree of freedom relative to other campuses.

Though we are loath to admit it, Beverly places trust in its community and in its students, as security on our open campus is more restricted than restrictive. While security usually stops about 30 peo-

ple entering the campus (usually tourists or people taking a shortcut to Century City) per day, I have never felt threatened by outsiders to the school. As well, transients occasionally venture onto campus to loiter, but I rarely hear of any significant stories of students being harassed by outsiders.

Considering the school’s current security and recent decisions to upgrade school protection, students have quite a bit of leeway on campus, especially compared with other schools. Quite famously, the Los Angeles Unified School District has employed metal detectors at some of its campuses since a student accidentally shot two peers 20 years ago. While many conclusions can be drawn regarding the tragedy itself, it is merely interesting to note the discrepancy between a district with daily random weapon checks and a neighboring district where gun violence is uncommon. We’re fortunate that our school’s past does not force the administration to strip us of a right to privacy.

As the preceding writer in this series pointed out, the school’s policy restricting students from

setting foot off-campus does seem to be an unnecessary impediment.

However, there isn’t much anyone can do about it; our lunch period counts among the number of state-mandated hours in a school day. The constraint on our schedules, though inconvenient, is out of Beverly’s hands.

Because we can’t have every liberty we want on campus, freedom as it relates to high school is a matter of relativity. Students will (probably) never again be completely free to hover on and off campus as they please, but our boundaries look pretty flexible, considering that schools can constrict their students more, whether out of necessity or proactivity.

While the media usually takes creative liberties when presenting school strictness, the reality at Beverly is quite moderate. It is remarkable and likely fortunate that, although the aftermath of the events in Connecticut has prompted Beverly to take steps toward stricter and more insulating security, the administration has left our attractive campus (currently) unmarred by fences and our current freedoms unscarred by fear.

How much freedom does the school allow us? Over the next several issues, members of the Highlights staff will contend with this question. As the discussion develops, different writers will bring up different aspects of the overarching question, elaborating upon and refuting arguments brought up in previous articles.

Last issue, editor-in-chief Mabel Kabani argued that upperclassmen deserve the right to eat lunch off-campus.

The debate continues with a rebuttal by web editor-in-chief Robert Katz.

This article is the second of the series. Next week, spotlight editor Jessica Lu will continue the debate. If you feel you have something meaningful to contribute to the discussion, don’t hesitate to send a letter to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com

Athletics not a threat to academic performance Jackson Prince staff writer Each year, numerous difficult choices face an incoming freshman.

Honors or regular English? Wake up for first period or sleep in until second?

Bring a lunch or brave the cafeteria lines? And perhaps the most challenging decision presents itself to the former AYSO midfielder, Little League second baseman and Pop Warner running back: to play sports or not to play sports? (With apologies to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, rumored to have been a decent high-school point guard.) The decision of whether a student should participate in sports is one that may affect one’s entire high-school experience. While some schools focus much of their attention on their athletic programs, Beverly High has traditionally spread its resources among its many extracurricular areas.

With the athletic program limited, in that the permit policy was revoked, most incoming Norman athletes may not be at the elite level which leads to college scholarship offers.

“We don’t have scholarships to give out. It’s great if a kid is excellent in their respective sport, but one can’t rely solely on sports to get into their desired college,” girls’ athletic director Vonzie Paysinger said.

Although Norman athletes might proudly display their Varsity letters on each college application, they should not depend exclusively on their athletic ability for acceptance

into the college of their choice. Our student-athletes must succeed in the classroom, as well as on the field, which creates a time conflict between athletics and academics.

Because they are forced to efficiently manage their time in order to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, are student-athletes more successful than their non-athlete peers? Or, do the significant hours required to participate in a sport take away from the time necessary for academic excellence?

A 2012 study for the Journal of Sports Administration and Supervision

by Professor Angela Lumpkin (University of Kansas) and Dean Judy Favor (Baker University) reported that high-school athletes had higher grades and test scores than non-athletes. This concluded that, at the very least, being an athlete didn’t detract from academics. LA Times reporter Eric Sondheimer cited a 2012 LAUSD study of 35,000 students, in which it was determined that athletes average GPAs of 0.550.74 points higher than non-athletes.

The key to academic and athletic success for many participants in sports is balance. Former Beverly runner Josh Galen feels that the balance he found in high school has helped him at the University of Southern California.

“Being a student-athlete is diffi-

cult and requires the work ethic in practice to be [additionally] applied to other areas of one’s high-school career,” Galen said.

Paysinger similarly appreciates the ethical importance of student athletics.

“These kids are learning how to work for something. If the discipline that they have on the field can be applied to their homework, it’s a major bonus,” Paysinger said.

Current UC Berkeley student-athlete Sydney Gray identifies the advantages of participating in a sport,

as opposed to being a non-athlete.

“Norman student-athletes have been exposed to the time management skills which are required in order to succeed in college, while the average student lacks these key abilities,” Gray said.

And yet, this is not so simple a question, which is why Hamlet spent so many years posing it. (By the way, he went with honors, period two and a sack lunch.) Those familiar with the academic-athletic dynamic, like head counselor Diane

Hale, see the other side of the argument.

“Some students thrive when they are extremely involved and multitask successfully. Others may have difficulty excelling academically while engaging in tireless hours of outside activity,” Hale said.

A 2005 Online Journal of Sport Psychology study by Dr. Gregory Wilson (University of Evansville) and Dr. Mary Pritchard (Boise State University) revealed that many college student-athletes suffered from anxiety due to lack of time for studying. In order to avoid this pressure, counselor Celeste McDonald suggests that Norman student-athletes reach out for help.

“Students need to find support from their teachers, coaches and counselors if they are feeling too stretched out,” McDonald said.

“If students’ grades are suffering because they SASHA PARK are spending too much time on outside activities, they can be hurting their chances of being strong candidates to the colleges of their choice.”

A former Norman athlete himself, Paysinger takes a sensible view.

“If a student-athlete doesn’t have balance and focuses all his attention toward participating in college sports, we lose focus academically, which hurts us in the long run,” Paysinger said.

But what of the initial question?

Does participating in sports cre-

ate time-management skills or the dreaded time suck?

Sports can be incredibly beneficial to one’s high school experience, as well as success in college. Not only do time-management skills aid students in their ability to handle the pressures of a Norman workload; the lessons learned during practices and games, involving leadership, teamwork, efficiency and even patience, are applicable toward the student-athletes’ résumés when being considered by their ideal colleges. The effect of sports on one’s experience in high school is usually positive, as athletics produces memorable moments, creates lasting friendships, teaches vital life lessons and, yes, assists students in their academic endeavors. Studentathletes have less time than the average student to finish school work, meaning that they must work with greater efficiency. The practice that student-athletes receive in regards to time-management and discipline will be to their advantage upon entering college. In other words, it is a time-management tool, not a timesucking vacuum.

Gray has her own view of how universities view participation in sports.

“Colleges recognize the difficulty of balancing academics and sports and therefore prefer student-athletes, or other students heavily involved in an extracurricular activity,” Gray said.

However, after all is said and done and written, incoming Norman athletes, the metaphorical (and literal) ball is in your court.

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HIGHLIGHTS COMMENT SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Affirmative action fails to achieve intended purpose This country’s private universities’ application process accounts for As seniors immerse not only gender and race, but also themselves in college for GPA, standardized test scores, application season, extracurricular activities, letters this is a closer look into of recommendation and alumni racial breakdowns of affiliations. Many from Beverly’s the universities that are the most class of 2013 attended Chapman attractive to the class of 2013, and University, University of Southern what they mean for this year’s apCalifornia, Boston University and plicants.

Pepperdine University. Admissions Admissions officers in the UCs officers at these colleges evaluate all and CSUs only identify their thouaspects of the prospective students’ sands of applicants by their ID applications, allowing racial backnumber, standardized test scores grounds to play a part.

(SAT, ACT) and GPA. These uniThough the subject matter is conversities do not ask for gender, race, troversial, affirmative action is no extracurricular activities or letters longer able to fairly reflect the miof recommendation. This is an efnorities in the state of California, fort to eradicate affirmative action due to the depth of inter­racial diand base admissions solely on acavides. Affirmative action no longer demics. (Affirmative action is the allows the ethnic groups who need encouragement of increased repreit most to utilize its benefits during sentation of women and minority­ the college admissions process.. groups, most often identified with The question at hand is whether college admissions and job applicaor not affirmative action addresses tions.)

Audrey James-Anenih staff writer

these interracial divides. Although African A ­ mericans are supposed to receive the benefits of affirmative action, many studies show that a majority of the African­Americans represented in America’s most elite colleges and universities are often immigrants or the children of immigrants hailing from the Caribbean Islands or Africa. The U.S. Census indicates that the African immigrants are the most highly educated group in the country, and achieve higher levels of income and education than black Americans, the descendants of slaves who have resided in the country for generations and endured segregation.

In recent years, Harvard University has had an increase in the number of black immigrants enrolled. An estimated two thirds of all students come from the Caribbean or Africa. Inside Higher Ed Magazine cited a study published in the Sociology of Education which

found that selective colleges enroll 2.4 percent of American-born black high school graduates, but 9.2 percent of immigrant blacks. Another study cited by Inside Higher Ed published in the American Journal of Education, found that 27 percent of black students at selective colleges are first- or second-generation immigrants. However, this group makes up only 13 percent of all black people between the ages of 18 and 19 in the United States, leaving little doubt that immigrant blacks are overrepresented in elite academic institutions.

Asian­ Americans do not receive any advantage in the realm college of admissions, because they are already highly represented on college campuses nationwide.

However, there are distinct class divides among this ethnic group that are not represented. For example, those with Southeast Asian origins tend to be lower income and less

Is there any reason to study French?

Danny Licht editor-in-chief Why study French?

For students of the language, this question is inescapable.

Friends, family and internal monologues alike demand to know: “Why not learn a practical language? Why not Spanish or Chinese?” These questions are not easy to answer.

Other academic subjects long ago adopted simple, and often simplistic, ways to explain themselves. We learn English, for example, because communication is key. We learn history because it repeats (or, if not, at least rhymes). We learn algebra because, like English, it’s used daily. The French language’s raison d’être is more abstract, and maybe more personal. All students of French should, at some point, find it for themselves.

For me, the answer is French

culture, which is really wonderful. Sure, we can read Sartre’s “No Exit” instead of “Huis clos,” and we can watch “The Four-Hundred Blows” instead of “Les quatrecent coups,” but something, some je ne sais quoi, is lost in translation. When we read or see or hear translated works, the translator stands in the way between the artist and us; translators offer their own interpretations because translation isn’t a science but an art. Last year The New Yorker dissected, in 1,500 words, a four-word sentence from Camus’s “L’Étranger” (“The Stranger”) — “Aujourd’hui, maman est morte” — thereby treating it as a work of art in itself. For me (and perhaps the followers of the Marquis de Sade) that type of critique is often fascinating.

Another, more common reason, however, is simpler: we students of French are Francophiles. We like croissants and café au lait.

We romanticize Paris and its belle époque. We’ve seen the films of François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard and imagined them as realities. We’ve read the dark poetry of Verlaine and found beauty in his tragedy. We’ve heard the carnal music of Serge Gainsbourg and felt deviant. We’ve championed the bons mots of Voltaire, the fight for liberté, égalité, fraternité and the hostility toward le Roi-Soleil. In conversation, we’ve used French words even when they’re not exactly mots justes, because, well, je ne sais pas. To outsiders, it might seem strange, but France is where we find our joie de vivre. And, to me, ça va.

In addition to those explanations, French just sounds good. The guttural Rs, the swooping “wah”s, the buttery liaisons. After learning some basic rules of French pronunciation, I recommend that non-francophones try reading

some French poetry, as I did during freshman year. I often read aloud “Il Pleure dans mon coeur,” a poem by Verlaine, even though I could hardly understand a word of it. Now that I do understand the poem, it’s fairly easy to memorize, and so I can — and do — spread joy via the beautiful sounds of elongated French (and lovesickness, too).

For students of French, it’s important to understand that not everyone will understand. Some may read this essay and neglect it entirely, and maybe they should. After all, the language offers no tangible rewards. Instead, it provides only intellectual awards. We can publish articles such as these and hope to change our friends’ and family’s opinions of the language (“Chinese is so much more practical”) but, alas, we probably won’t. Fortunately, though, we know a phrase to help us cope with such adversity: c’est la vie.

educated than their Southern and Eastern Asian counterparts. Thus, a Vietnamese­-American college applicant and a Japanese­ -American college applicant shouldn’t be subject to the same affirmative action policy.

“The current state of the law suggests that an affirmative action program will survive strict scrutiny if it is tied to the original purpose of such programs: remedying proven, not speculative, past or present discrimination. Conversely, racial diversity, while a laudable goal, will have to be achieved by means other [sic] affirmative action,” according to the American Bar Association.

In order for affirmative action to be applied effectively, as stated by the ABA, the current state of law needs to be overhauled by college admissions officers and should be tied to the purpose of improving the circumstances of disadvantaged ethnicities.

Highlights Mabel Kabani and Danny Licht editors-in-chief

Michelle Banayan news editor

Max Stahl

comment editor

Dami Kim

culture editor

Jessica Lu

spotlight editor

Arman Zadeh sports editor

Marguerite Alberts graphics editor

Robert Katz and Dani Klemes web editors-in-chief

Braden Bochner, Juliette Deutsch, Audrey James-Anenih, Zoe Kenealy, Eunice Kim, Brenda Mehdian, Audrey Park and Jackson Prince staff writers

Sasha Park cartoonist

Gaby Herbst adviser

EDITORIAL

Violence should provoke call for change On Sept. 16 Aaron Alexis, concealing an 870 Remington 12-gauge shotgun, passed the security check at the Washington Navy Yard. Alexis, a former member of the Navy reserve, gunned down 12 men and women before a 30-minute shootout with the Washington, D.C., police resulted in his death.

When news of the tragedy reached the editorial board, we were horrified. But we weren’t surprised.

The Huffington Post cites 20 mass shootings in America since President Obama’s inauguration. Scrolling down the list is numbing. Fort Hood, Texas; Tuscon, Ariz.; Aurora, Colo.; Newtown, Conn.; Santa Monica, Calif.; and now Washington, D.C. (There was also a recent shooting in Chicago, Ill., although, thankfully, no one was killed.) As mass killings become more and more common, the editorial board has noticed a trend toward apathy among

ourselves and our peers. Fairly soon, we predict, what happened at the navy yard will be just another shooting. And that’s not OK. Like the shooting at Fort Hood, Monday’s shooting is of particular concern, because it suggests that our military bases are not secure enough to prevent all potential acts of violence, as they should be. Even still, Alexis’ mass murder wasn’t especially shocking or especially tragic, relative to similar atrocities. The shadow of Newtown continues to loom over our collective conscience, and, in comparison, nothing can seem quite as tragic. Of course, nothing has been, at least in recent memory.

But we must remember that, though they were not children, 12 human beings died on Monday because a mentally unstable man had access to guns and, to what should have been, a secure naval yard.

And mentally unstable he was.

According to the New York Times, Alexis had suffered post-traumatic stress since 9/11 (he was in Manhattan at the time), had reported hearing voices, had exhibited “a pattern of misbehavior” (insubordination, disorderly conduct, absenteeism) while serving in the Navy reserves and had been arrested three times in three different states, twice for the unauthorized use of firearms.

Nonetheless, he managed to pass the background check conducted by a Virginia gun store and purchase a law-enforcement-style shotgun. It is worth mentioning that a state law outlawing the purchase of assault rifles by out-of-state buyers prevented Alexis from walking out of the store with an AR-15. It is also worth mentioning that that law did nothing to stop him from buying the 12-gauge shotgun he used to kill 12 innocent people.

We are becoming adults in a world

that’s growing increasingly dangerous, in a country that does far too little to regulate who can and can’t have guns. It would be easy to resign ourselves to the conviction that these mass murders are an inevitability. But they’re not. They don’t have to be, at least. We can — must — take action. We must shake off our creeping lethargy and confront the gun lobby that has stifled Congress’s recent efforts to increase gun control. The gun lobby is powerful, but its money and its rhetoric can only do so much. Write to your representative, organize, be anything but silent. (The editorial board has written a letter to Rep. Henry Waxman of California’s 33rd Congressional District.) There will always be hateful, vindictive and mentally unstable people in the world. Let’s make sure they never have the chance to wrap their finger around the trigger of a gun.

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

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

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CORRECTION

In the Sept. 9 issue on page 6, the caption under Cole Plante’s picture read that over 300 people attended his performance.

However, over 20,000 people were in attendance.

10

HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

SUPRIMA MUSIQUE Cohanim travels to night clubs, creates music website to follow his passion for dance music Continued from Page One Suprima quickly developed into a partnership once Cohanim discovered that a friend, Brentwood School junior Nathan Simantob, was knowledgeable of EDM. “I didn’t even know [Simantob] was into this stuff,” Cohanim said, “but he knew what he was talking about.”

Simantob, a classical violinist since early childhood, agreed that he is “deeply invested in music.”

Since Simantob joined Cohanim, three other writers, currently enrolled in universities, began posting daily news on Suprima Musique.

Faced with Suprima’s unexpected popularity among readers, Cohanim faced a question of content.

“I didn’t expect the site to grow so fast in such a short period of time,” he said. “Once I had a site going and I had a little fanbase I thought, ‘What could make Supri-

ma Musique different from other blogs?’”

He chose to publish exclusive interviews with EDM artists.

Cohanim began with figures in dance music such as Bob Sinclaire and the duo Dzeko and Torres, and acquired contacts a variety of clubs in Los Angeles.

As Cohanim’s portfolio expanded, he found it easier than ever to schedule interviews.

“When I contacted agents and managers to get interviews, I had something to show them,” Cohanim said. “I went up a caliber to bigger names.”

Besides being able to speak with artists such as Nicky Romero and Avicii, Cohanim has been approached by performers including the Lush and Simon and the Chainsmokers to share their music.

Cohanim is now working to expand Suprima Musique into a leading music publication.

Australian DJ Hook N Sling @ Create Night Club in Hollywood, CA.

Dutch DJ Niki Romero @ Create Night Club in Hollywood, CA.

Russian DJs Matisse & Sadko @ LIV Night Club in Miami, Fl. BRANDON COHANIM

“I want more people to work with me on [the site],” he said. “I want it to become the next Dancing Astronaut, which is the biggest dance music blog.”

Simantob shares Cohanim’s expectations and hopes to make a positive impact on future musicians.

“Our hope for the site is for it to become a staple for news and sharing in the music community,”

Simantob said, “and for it to ultimately generate some sort of revenue in order to give back to music programs that are in present danger in the LA area.”

As well, Cohanim believes he may be able to expand on his success with Suprima Musique after high school.

“I’ll probably do this in college because I want to meet more people,” Cohanim said. “If I want to go

into music for the business side of it, it’s good to network with [everyone].”

Although his foray into the music world only began recently, Cohanim is certain the future he hopes for awaits him.

“There’s so much I still need to learn,” Cohanim said. “I feel like [my goal] is there in front of me, and if I want it I can get it.”

Meet the Teachers

Conny Santa Cruz brings business perspectives to robotics

AUDREY PARK

“The reason why I decided to take this position is because it was about business.”

Jessica Lu spotlight editor Newly hired Robotics teacher Conny Santa Cruz sits at her desk, with a friendly smile and a story about business. She explained that her background was what

drew her to apply for the position.

“The reason why I decided to take this position is because it was about business,” Santa Cruz said. “Even though I don’t have a background in engineering, I do have the background in archi-

tecture. I put [business and architecture] together and I was like, this will be perfect.”

Santa Cruz previously taught these subjects at Agoura High School. Along with other credentials, she has a Master’s Degree in business administration with an emphasis in leadership and management.

“I’m excited to work with her, as she is very well-trained in her field,” Build President Michael Simozar said. “I’m sure she’s going to do great things for the team.”

Santa Cruz targeted organization and structure as main focuses for improvement.

“We need to place emphasis on the planning part, and [being] more efficient in terms of time management,” she explained.

Simozar said Santa Cruz’s team vision was clear after meeting with her with the other presidents.

“Ms. Santa Cruz is making the team much more like a business,” he said.

“She plans on structuring the team like a corporation, with a CEO-type character, presidents and several vice presidents.”

Santa Cruz’s current goal is familiarizing herself with the members first before carrying out “reorganization.”

“We are in the planning process,” she said. “It’s going to take some time to adjust and to reorganize the department so that we can come out with an overall vision as a group, instead of a new teacher coming in and imposing.”

She expressed positivity regarding the team and its potential.

“The strongest area in this team is synergy,” she said. “[The students] work as a team beautifully.”

Santa Cruz pinpoints recruitment as her short term goal.

“We need the human capital, in this case, the new students,” she said. “They need to be trained and to coordinate with the current students.”

She is handling the program’s finances and planning as it, literally, expands. Robotics will now have three rooms in which to meet, lecture and build. In the long term, Santa Cruz’s goals revolve around the First Robotics Competition (FRC), which starts in February.

“We need to make sure that we don’t have just one great year,” she said. “It has to be great every year.”

For all her students, she has one philosophy: “Be the best, regardless of if you’re going to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a plumber. Don’t shoot for 85, shoot for 150; chances are you’ll reach 125.”

11

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Games to

Watch

Football hosts San Marino The Normans host the 2-1 San Marino Titans, ranked 484 in California, this Friday, Sept. 27.

The team comes off a 13-6 loss to San Gabriel.

The Normans looks to improve upon their matchup with the Titans last year in which the team lost in a 45-0 blowout.

Last year, quarterback Zack Bialobos completed 10-20 passes for 85 yards with one interception. Bialobos will look to wide receiver Eli Sachs early and often to help the Normans put some points on the scoreboard.

X- Country to attend South Bay Cup Beverly’s cross-country team will compete in the South Bay Cup on Oct. 2. They will be pitted against several local high schools, including Mira Costa, Redondo Beach, Torrance and Santa Monica.

The course is in Columbia Park in, CA, and is made up of an array of terrains (80% grass, 15% trail, 5% concrete).

In 2011, Beverly failed to place in the top-ten teams of the tournament, as Mira Costa’s boys’ and girls’ varsity teams ranked first. Two years later, Beverly hopes to improve on their lackluster performance in 2011.

Arman Zadeh and Jackson Prince

Ex-Norman footballer takes ‘giant’ steps Jackson Prince staff writer For most Norman athletes, a professional career in their choice of sport is nothing more than a dream.

There is a point in time at which a student-athlete realizes that he or she won’t be the starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers or the next Kobe Bryant. However, there are those unique Beverly graduates who defy the pattern of the norm, those exceptional athletes who continue their athletic careers and find themselves playing alongside the pros. The latest exception is starting New York Giants weak-side linebacker Spencer Paysinger (class of 2006).

The former Norman was named the starting “Will” (a title used to indicate “weak-side linebacker”) at the beginning of the 2013 preseason, and managed to retain the position with diligence and professionalism.

“I knew I couldn’t mess up on the field because I didn’t want to make it easy for the coaches to pick [the other guy] instead of me [as the starter],” Paysinger said.

The Beverly graduate had started in five previous NFL games, but was considered to be a replacement for injured players. When the Giants announced that Paysinger was to start the season on the first-team defense, the ex-Norman shifted his focus to the task at hand.

“When I was named the starter for the opener, I was excited, but I knew that this was just the beginning of a long season. I knew I could tally upwards of 90 plays per game, so I had to get my body conditioned in order to accomplish such a feat,” he said.

From the announcement of Paysinger’s opening game status, it

was only a matter of weeks until his Sept. 8 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. The game was held in AT&T Stadium, where 80,000 Dallas natives were prepared to “boo” the Giants, including their weakside linebacker.

However, Paysinger didn’t let this discouragement from the fans factor into his play, as he tried to block out the wild environment surrounding him and simply prepare for the game.

“I was actually very calm when I walked out onto the field. When the team first ran out, I quickly found a seat on the bench and started going through the playbook in my mind,” Paysinger said.

During each game, the Beverly alum constantly calls plays, audibles and defensive switches. In fact, Paysinger can’t recall his first tackle in the game against the Cowboys.

“It may sound crazy, but I actually don’t remember my first tackle. I guess I’m too worried about getting the defense set up,” he said.

Paysinger ended the night with four combined tackles in a loss to the Cowboys. In his second game against the Denver Broncos, Paysinger recorded eight tackles. He added three more tackles against the Carolina Panthers in week three.

Paysinger has totaled 15 tackles (as well as an assisted tackle) and has started as the weak-side linebacker in all three games.

Each time the linebacker takes the field, he is reminded of his time at Beverly, where he led the Normans to an undefeated regular season in 2005, playing on both sides of the ball.

“When [the Normans] played, [our opponents] thought of us as spoiled rich kids who played football just to pass the time. We had

Paysinger enters the field alongside his quarterback, Eli Manning. PHOTO COURTESY OF VONZIE PAYSINGER

to beat them by 20 to 30 points per game for them to take us seriously,” Paysinger said.

Paysinger sees similarities between his high school and professional career, as he was forced to deal with being an unproven player on both levels.

“In the NFL, no one is quick to give respect to an unproven player (much like athletes from Beverly, who hadn’t proven their worth in the eyes of the other team). When you work full days, as well as study and master your assignments, you are able to perform at a higher level.

Players will come to respect you and the work ethic you bring into each game,” Paysinger said.

Though becoming a starting NFL linebacker isn’t commonplace at Beverly, this “giant” accomplishment by Beverly’s own Giant proves that one should never rule out the possibility of something - or someone - unexpected coming out of Beverly Hills High School.

The New York Giants look to get their first win of the season on Sept.

29 at 10 a.m. against the Kansas City Chiefs, in which Paysinger is expected to maintain his starting role.

Former cross-country coach starts running program Continued from Page 1 decision to leave the team.

“We did not quit the crosscountry team because we wanted to make a statement, because we ‘hate’ the current coaches or because we are disgusted with the program,” a junior athlete, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

According to another former junior runner, Fisher explicitly told the girls who quit that he “hates to see people quitting the Beverly team.”

“He also told me not to leave to prove a point, but do what I thought was best for me personally,” the cross-country runner said.

Though the girls who quit are content with their decision to join Fisher’s program, some of them are fearful for their future in regards to running.

“I was with Coach Fisher for three years, so I feel like he knows me and my potential better than the new coach and he could have helped me get into a college for running,” a senior, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “However, I don’t know how colleges will react to me leaving the school team during my last season due to

a change in faculty. That’s my biggest worry.”

Though this senior is worried about the future of her career in running, she feels that joining Fisher’s program will help her out in the “long run.”

“Fisher alters workouts to fit whomever he’s working with and pushes us to do our best, and ultimately that’s what is most important,” she said.

One of the junior girls agrees that college representatives may see quitting the team as a form of “inconsistency,” but she believes that “just as if someone joins a club team or gets a private coach, training outside the school will give [athletes] more time and attention.” According to her, “runners can also run at ‘all comers’ meets, which means anyone can run, but they’re still competitive.

If my times improve and I plan on running in college, the better my personal records will be [if I train with Fisher] and the higher the chances of me getting into college.”

Another major difference between being on the cross-country team and joining Fisher’s group is the price; according to the girls,

being privately trained, though helpful, also costs money. Though Fisher isn’t charging money for the first month of training, he will start charging money for training.

Though there is a variation in training tactics between Fisher and Washington, the girls acknowledge the fact that more hard work is needed in Fisher’s program to get high quality results.

Washington declined to comment regarding the situation, and Fisher did not respond to request for comment “Practices aren’t the same as they always have been. If anything they are more intense, because everyone there is 100 percent sure they want to be there,” a junior runner said.

The only senior runner in Fisher’s group adds that practice timings are somewhat inconvenient, for they take place from 5 to 8 p.m. five days per week; however, she agrees that the level of intensity for practice with Fisher is higher than that of Washington’s.

“I undoubtedly have respect for Coach Washington...but he doesn’t know us like Coach Fisher, who I have trained under for three years already. Also, [cross-

country] is not Washington’s main sport, and he’s been put into a position where he’s learning on the spot. I respect his willingness to step up and help the crosscountry team,” she said.

Though the girls are thoroughly satisfied with Fisher’s new private training, the rest of the crosscountry team is negatively affected by the girls’ decisions to quit.

“We have no girls varsity team anymore, and that’s really going to hurt the cross-country program,” senior Mike Redston said.

“This doesn’t necessarily affect me personally, because the boys still have a pretty good boys varsity team, but having the girls leave affects the atmosphere of practice.

Cross-country practice isn’t just about running and training, but there’s a social aspect to it that has been compromised since the girls left.”

Senior David Neiman agrees but understands why the girls left the team.

“The girls team was really amazing last year, but I feel like the level of morale has decreased in the girls team since their close friends have left for college. I think that also plays a part in them quitting,

because now they’re more concentrated on their individual performances rather than running as a team.”

However, a senior on the boys varsity team, who wished to remain anonymous, believes that complaining, no matter the situation, is what some runners will do, and that the girls decision to quit is just an excuse.

“People used to complain when Fisher was coach that his workouts were too time-consuming and intense, and now the girls are quitting because Washington’s workouts aren’t intense enough.

It’s annoying because people always need to have a reason to complain and be ungrateful,” he said.

Though some runners feel that Fisher’s program is beneficial, others believe it to have had a negative effect on the cross-country program. Regardless, a change has occurred within the crosscountry team. Without a girl’s varsity team, runners are speculating that the entire JV girls team will be moved up to varsity, as seven girls must be competing in the varsity category in order to race.

12

HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Freshman Gorbacheva competes at regional tennis tournaments, takes on varsity team

Gorbacheva sharpens her skills with members of the varstiy squad. Despite being the only freshman on this year’s team, Gorbacheva is included in all varsity activities. ARMAN ZADEH

Arman Zadeh sports editor The girls tennis team takes the courts. All move to their positions and begin play. At first glance, the team looks like any other varsity team, veteran high school players hardened with the experience of previous year’s triumphs and failures, returning in their final years of high school to perfect the skills they have spent years refining and fine-tuning. However, at a closer look, one member of this year’s girls varsity tennis team sticks out

from the rest.

Freshman Lola Gorbacheva will be one of the few members of the squad to have played at the varsity level in only her first year of high school. Though the varsity team is no stranger to freshmen, having had a number of first-year players join as freshmen in the past, Gorbacheva stands out from the crowd because of her extensive history with the sport.

Gorbacheva picked up tennis over nine years ago from her mother who also played when she

was young. Since then, Gorbacheva has participated in tournaments across California and even outside the state, and has ranked 30 in Southern California in her age class.

Gorbacheva moved to Beverly Hills from Russia at age three and, after settling, her mother had her participate in tennis clinics to learn how to play. What began as playing once a week at a clinic snowballed into private lessons, tournaments, and now, the high school varsity team.

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man from Santa Clarita.

Previously, Gorbacheva traveled to Las Vegas for the USTA Regional Tournament to participate in the girls’ 14 singles. Gorbacheva was defeated in the round of 32 by Julia Lilien, a nationally ranked player from Arizona.

Now that Gorbacheva has entered high school, she shifted some of her focus to the varsity team and its upcoming challenges.

“I enjoy the competition, the excitement of the game,” Gorbache-

va said. “I like to win.”

Gorbacheva will play singles for the Normans and has proven her eagerness to play with the team.

“She is an incredible asset to the team and always has a great attitude,” varsity teammate Charlotte Frank said. “She’s always excited to play against our opponents in matches.”

Gorbacheva next plays at Inglewood on Oct. 10. Gorbacheva’s next home match will be on Oct. 24 against Marborough.

Girls water polo enters the Boopocalypse Juliette Deutsch staff writer The girls water polo team has began the year with an unconventional arrangement for its members this season. The team has created its own exclusive club cleverly named Boopocalypse.The pre season club, named after the team`s head coach head coach Robert Bowie, was established to create prepared, skilled and physically strong varsity and JV teams before the season begins.

Boopocalypse was started by Coach Bowie, because he wanted us to be in the right physical and mental shape before the season,” Sophomore Melissa Roberts said.

“We did not have a successful season last year and he feels that this will really help us with being mentally and physically prepared,” Roberts said.

Last season ended with a loss of every game and that a change was needed.

“Our team has never had any kind of preseason practice before,” Team Captain Allie Kahn said. “This way, we will be in the ready shape for the season.” Kahn Said.

Learning how to correctly play the game and know all the rules is challenging for new members once they are already into the sea-

son. With Boopocalypse, the players will already know the basics and will be prepared for games before its too late.

“We want to make sure that everyone knows the rules of the game and, most importantly, how to play correctly. We are focusing on speed this year,” Kahn said.

Boopocalypse is required for all the new freshmen and new members of both the JV and varsity teams. As returning players focus on brushing up their technique, all new freshmen and team members must join Boopocalypse to learn the necessary skills to be an effective member of the team.

“Boopocalypse is really a great thing for the freshmen and new players not only to learn how to play the game, but to learn how to work as a team. This is also greatly help us when the season starts.

That way, we all know each others strengths and weaknessesand will be able to have good communication,” sophomore Maggie Curtis said.

Boopocalypse practices are held on Tuesday and Thursday nights in the Swim-Gym from 8:0010:00 PM. The team will continue Boopocalypse practices until the beginning of February when the official season starts.