highlights
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Volume 90, Issue 1 - September 9, 2016
Beverly Hills High School
Rotation of counselors raises concerns
Max Yera co-editor-in-chief
With the hiring of Greg Jackson, House B’s counselor for the 249 caseload has now rotated through four new hirees within the previous three years. “We are on our fourth counselor for the middle of the alphabet,” House A counselor and BHEA secretary Kate Marks said. “We had Ms. Reichhart, but she went on maternity leave and was replaced by Ms. Pelikhova until Ms. Reichhardt came back, which was her right to do, but then she moved in the middle of the year to Boston. After that, Stacey Carr was hired, but she did not get the counseling
job this year. Now we have Greg Jackson.” With a consistent rotation of new counselors, a primary concern is how college recommendation letters will appear for those upperclassmen who have only known their counselors for a few months. “By the time your college applications come around, your counselor doesn’t really know you, despite you needing that recommendation from them,” junior Benjamin Liker said. Though acknowledging the difficulty in developing an effective relationship with a new counselor year after year, head counselor
INSIDE this issue
Kristi Branim of House C insists that a student’s recommendation letter can be just as effective regardless of the establishment of a personal relationship. “I completely understand how students feel; however, I would like to reassure them that although they have had several counselors, there has been a lot of change in that particular assignment,” Branim said. “The current counselor for those current seniors can still write an excellent letter for them.” Branim cited the brag sheet, an online form in Naviance, as one reason for this claim. “We still have the brag sheet in
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place which asks specific questions for students to complete, and if students give their counselor detailed information, he or she can write a great letter, despite not knowing them personally that well yet,” Branim said. However, both Branim and Marks have insisted that, though difficult, it is important and possible for upperclassmen to build a relationship of sorts with their counselor. “For the students that have had multiple counselors, my advice would be to get to know who your counselor is, and I know that’s sometimes hard if you’re shy or
believe that your counselor doesn’t have that much impact on your high school career,” Marks said. One way to build a relationship of actual sustenance without having the benefit of time, Branim suggests, would be through direct in-person meetings. “[I would suggest that students] make an appointment and go and sit down to talk to the counselor and get to know them that way,” Branim said. “The turnover is stressful and the unknown of the new person, and the feeling that you don’t know them and they don’t know you could be solved that way.”
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SPORTS
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September 9, 2016
2 news
Highlights
Librarian looks forward to student involvement Lauren Hannani staff writer A few additions to the library are being welcomed this year, including new librarians, ideas and policies. With these new changes, new head librarian Daniel Bradford and library technician Janelle Balmaceda have optimistic goals for the future of the students’ study and learning place. Having been a professional librarian for 25 years, Bradford has a number of policies and rules that he has enforced in past libraries that he is transferring to this one. One of the policies he is changing regards cell phones. “You use your phone as your personal computer; students have work on it. So I understand when students are using their phone; most of the time it’s school related,” Bradford said. “This is also a place for students to relax from the stress of school, so a lot of students find it relaxing to listen to music or watch a video on their phone. This should be a place to decompress as well and get away from the hustle and bustle of the school.” Bradford has also relaxed the rule on talking in the library so students can feel comfortable communicating with their classmates. “You don’t have to be absolutely silent because we understand people do need to talk and work with groups and other stuff like that.
My main rule is that as long as you’re not bothering other people, you’re fine,” he said. Rules in the library are not the only things that Bradford is changing for now. He also hopes he can get more students involved in the betterment of the library so students can have all the resources they need. “We hope to involve more students in the library. For example, I want students to give us recommendations for services and for books that they want to see in the library, so really the services of the library will be built upon what the teachers and students here need,” Bradford said. “So this is going to be what they call a student-centered library.” Many students are looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity and contributing to the library. “I really like how [Mr. Bradford is getting more students involved in the library] because I think it’s great that the library can have a variety of books that appeal to all students, instead of books only for school,” junior Julia Marshall said. Balmaceda, who is wrapping her sixth year of library experience this year, is also fascinated by the large number of opportunities at the library that can be granted by simply asking a question.
Print Keith Stone and Max Yera editors-in-chief
Sam Bernstein, Benjamin Dahan, Lauren Hannani, Jason Harward staff writers
Jamie Kim news editor
Vivian Geilim opinion editor
Isaiah Freedman sports editor Eleanor Bogart-Stuart culture editor
Web Veronica Pahomova and Ben Shofet editors-in-chief
Head librarian Daniel Bradford discusses new activities in the library. Photo by: PRISCILLA HOPPER “There’s a lot more possibilities here. I feel like Mr. Bradford says, ‘I’m going to go ask Mr. Jackson,’ and then boom, it’s approved,” Balmaceda said. “That’s how it’s been like so far, so I feel like there’s a lot of room for growth here.” With a new school year to start fresh on, Bradford plans on continuing the library student advisory group, which represents the student body, to make sure all the students’ wishes regarding the li-
brary can be considered for the future of the library. Students can apply for the group by asking either Bradford or Balmaceda. “This is one of the few places on campus where students can go and access services, so it’s really important to have what students need here,” Bradford said. “And if students want other things, we’ll do our best to get them but we need to hear from all students.”
CAASP scores improve for last year’s juniors Jason Harward staff writer In just a one-year turnaround, CAASPP scores increased, with math proficiency rising by 19 percent and English proficiency climbing 21 percent. Just two years ago, only 46 percent of students met state standards in math, and 65 percent in English. But, for many reasons, those numbers rose to 65 percent and 86 percent, respectively. Although the improvement has happened under principal Dave
Jackson’s watch, he is quick to pass the credit to the teachers, the PTSA and the students themselves. “It just wasn’t the math teachers and the English teachers, who actually administered the test,” Jackson said. “It was all of our teachers, because we are asking questions [in] a different way.” History teacher Dan Moroaica was very proud of the way the staff worked together to prepare the students for the CAASPP.
Highlights
“This was pretty much a team effort, where we were all working to have the students prepared. For example, in history, we wrote more questions in the style of multiple [correct] choices and multiple answers, incorporating more primary source readings,” Moroaica said. The PTSA also played a key role in the improvement by providing testing computers so that students could work in their own classrooms.
“It helped that we got more computers, because instead of taking the test with a hundred kids in a room, you were able to take it in your own classroom with 30 kids,”Jackson said. But Jackson does not want the improvement to stop here. “I’m going to challenge our 11th graders again to do even better because if we can improve in just a couple of areas, we can become one of the top ten school districts in the state,” Jackson said.
Priscilla Hopper, Rinesa Kabashi, Evan Minniti, AJ Wolken staff writers
Jamie Kim news ditor
Natasha Dardashti multimedia editor
Sophia Goldberg business manager Gaby Herbst adviser —
Our goal as a student-run publication is to provide reliable, accurate and fair content that informs and intrigues the Beverly Hills community by following the principles of ethical journalism and represents the student body. We will deliver a broad spectrum of coverage through a variety of mediums, including online and print. Highlights is a forum for public expression that is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Letters to the editor may be sent to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. Visit beverlyhighlights.com. Follow @bhhighlights on Instagram and Twitter.
A Thousand Words: First Varsity Football Game Opener
Junior Greg Carter lines up before the snap as he readies to face off against the Nordoff Rangers at last Friday’s football game on Sept. 2. Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM
September 9, 2016
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September 9, 2016
Performance Review Highlights
The state of the athletic program
Sam Bernstein staff writer Jason Harward staff writer The high school has had a historically good athletic program, and there are many bright spots in the current program. The football team has won 12 CIF section championships and produced multiple Super Bowl champions, including Spencer Paysinger and Caylin Hauptmann. The varsity boys basketball team is coming off a CIF semifinals appearance, and the boys and girls varsity tennis teams are coming off Ocean League championships. The red banner that hangs near the boys locker room is a testament to the program’s great athletes. However, if you measure success in winning games, many sports have stumbled in recent years. Eighty percent of the varsity clubs on campus that play for wins and losses finished last year with a sub .500 record, excluding boys basketball, baseball and boys tennis. Even with these record struggles, first year athletic director Kevin Brown believes things are looking up for the athletic program. “The philosophy is, we’ve got great people in Beverly Hills and great students, and I see a brighter future [for Beverly athletics],” Brown said. What is Success? To Brown, success is not measured in the winloss column, rather, it is measured in student participation and enriching the curriculum. “Our entire athletic department is directly connected to the mission and vision of the entire school, which is to develop well-rounded people and to create a positive experience for our students,” Brown said. “So to define success, and there are a lot of ways to define success, our athletic department wants there to be great experiences for our students.” Head football coach Steve Geanakos also believes that sports can be a great teacher. He believes that you get more than just sports experience, you get life lessons. “The whole point of playing sports is camaraderie of being on the team, working hard toward a common goal and learning how to win and lose properly. One team has to win and one team has to lose and we play for the fun of the sport,” Geanakos said. Brown also believes getting more people involved
in the athletic program, and raising school spirit, is another way that the department can be more successful. “I think you can always raise school spirit. It needs to be contagious and friends and families need to realize that if everyone shows pride in their school they’ll have a more fun experience. We just need to say positive and one by one keep encouraging people. I’ve got some ideas for this year, and I’ll meet with coaches and with ASB, and we’ll see what we can do to improve school spirit.” One way he plans to do this is by constantly promoting school events to groups on campus. “I just think we need to continually promote, reach out to the middle schools, you know, we’re offering free admission to the K-8 students [to attend the first game against Nordhoff] and it’s just something we need to improve on,” Brown said. Coaching Carousel For students, one problem facing the athletic department is coaching turnover. Although many certified teacher-coaches, such as lacrosse coach Kyle Kobe, have been coaching for many years, 4 out of 5 fall varsity sports programs must learn how to adapt to new coaches and coaching styles almost every year. “This year will be the third year in a row where the JV [baseball] team has had a new head coach. So, it will be hard for the players to adjust to the new style of playing each coach wants,” sophomore baseball player Jack Schmidt said. Kobe further explained that constant coaching turnover is not an ingredient for a successful program. “A stable coach will help a program simply because you know what you did the year before and you know what to build upon. When you’re brand new to a program, you may not know what materials the program has, you may not know what attempts have been made in the past to build a program, so having a coach who is able to be there year after year after year, that coach can have a vision, that coach can build a little bit more every year,” Kobe said. Unlike teacher-coaches, both assistant and head walk-on coaches in BHUSD make $11.04
an hour. The average walk-on public high school volleyball coach in Los Angeles makes $44,000 a year, according to indeed.com, a salary tracker. The average public high school tennis coach in Los Angeles makes $41,153 a year (indeed.com). Superintendent Steve Kessler gave an explanation as to why the athletic department is paying their coaches little over the hourly minimum wage. “When you have walk-on coaches, these are people that are not credentialed in teaching, like we
used to have 20 percent of our kids, even 25 percent at one point, that used to be on permits, and many of those individuals did athletics, but they also did ASB, arts, theatre, they did drama, they did everything,” Kessler said. “And that was a wonderful thing because many of those, who came in on permits, they wanted to be given the chance to learn in this wonderful district. They are highly motivated. Not only did it help our athletics, but it helped all throughout the high school. So the idea that we’ve
“Our basketball team won CIF a year ago. That’s unbelievable.” are. We were trained how to teach youth, and to interact with youth. Many times these are people who are prolific at those sports, and they want to coach it. When that happens, you get, instead of being employed by the district and having benefits, and a retirement system and all of that, you’re basically coming and going. All districts, not just ours, go through the same plight,” Kessler said. Brown reiterated the same point about walk-on coaches, while also pointing to certified teachercoaches as symbols of coaching stability in in Norman athletic programs. “If you look at Beverly Hills High School, we have a lot of veteran coaches who have been here for many, many years, and that’s because they’re certificated teacher-coaches. So, first and foremost, they are teachers here who also have a passion and a desire to coach,” Brown said. Passing on Permits According to Superintendent Kessler, many believe that one of the reasons behind the faltering athletic records is the banning of out of district permits. However, Kessler does not believe this, stating that it’s just not true. “I’ve heard for a long time that because we don’t have permits, that’s why we’re not winning. Yes, we
-Steve Kessler
gone down and that we’re terrible just because we don’t give permits, I don’t really buy into that.” Kessler also cites varsity basketball’s recent success, notably the team’s 2015 CIF championship as reason for his claim. “Look at our basketball team,” Kessler said. “Our basketball team won CIF a year ago. That’s unbelievable.” Though Brown is not opposed to bringing permits back from an athletic standpoint, he believes that his job is to build a department with the current student body as set by the district. “The permit discussion is something all stakeholders need to come together and revisit, and make a school district decision on: ‘Do we feel that we need to have permits or not?’” Brown said. “I think when you talk about permits and athletics, I think that that was in the past, so right now you do your best with who we have, and instead of talking about permits, we want to build our programs with the students we have.” Varsity boys basketball coach Jarvis Turner also believes permits are not to blame. Rather, he believes the overall decline in enrollment and in sports participation, which isn’t only due to permits, is to blame. “The fact that you don’t have the numbers that we
used to have impacts the athletic department more than anything. We used to have a permit program which allowed kids from out of the district to participate here at Beverly. We don’t have that either anymore. Of course, that’s not beneficial as well.” However, aside from basketball, other sports, notably football, have suffered in recent years. Geanakos suggests that the athletic department could assist the team by modernizing the team’s field. “I guess there are ways they can help, like be supportive, such as taking care of the referees and the fields and all those kind of things. We are at the end of our lifetime on our field. We need a new field and that is something they can help,” Geanakos said. Nevertheless, Kessler again does not point to permits as the main problem with the low athletic records. Kessler has observed that in recent seasons, a large number of students have been discouraged to play by the concussion stats published by the NFL. “In affluent communities across the United States of America, football programs are going downhill, and here’s why: when the NFL came out with the news of concussions, and other things affecting health, people move into Beverly Hills for their brains, not their brawn,” Kessler said. “If you’re talking about concussions, what are you affecting? Your brains. Many parents look at the football situation, and it’s unfortunate because I do support our coaches and our football program, I think they do teach you the right way to tackle, the right way to block, they are very well-schooled to prevent those type of injuries, which is why, thank God, we have not had a serious injury in football. I do believe one of the reasons we have not been as successful is that the concussion issue in affluent school districts around the nation. They just don’t have enough people that are willing to play football.” Where to go from here The football team showed progression in their 32-6 loss against Nordhoff. The Normans got a pick six on their first play of the game, and it was a close game, as they were only down by a point at the half. The girls tennis team beat LACES on Sept. 1. The basketball team has 6 players returning from their California top 10 squad, and plans on adding
many more from last season’s successful 13-2 JV team. Brown sees that there is budding potential. He looks at an athletic department that is building programs by focusing on the now. “I can tell you, in my three years here, and now my first year as athletic director, I see an athletic department that is growing and building now. We’re in the moment. You know, we’re not thinking about the past and some of the teams in the 80s or 90s, we’re talking about being in the precious present, and we’re building and developing programs,” Brown said. For many programs, there seems to be excitement in the air. The girls volleyball team, under new coach Miranda LeBrun, is already showing signs of improvement. Brown has taken notice of the girls volleyball team and their improvements, and he praised all her good work in the program. “Our new [girls volleyball] coach, Miranda LeBrun, who is doing a fine job now, is a walk-on,” Brown said. “And she has a strong desire to build the program here. She’s giving back to the kids and she’s making a difference; that’s where her mindset is.” The boys lacrosse program has also begun to improve, and Brown praised it as something the athletic department can be proud of. “I think [the lacrosse team] is a great example [of a growing program]. We want all of our programs to continually build, and in order to improve; it’s not just one person. It’s not just a coach, it’s not just a couple players, I think it’s from top down…[Coach Kyle] Kobe is doing a very good job of building the programs, the students are learning more about lacrosse and having a good experience and, as a result, more people come out. It takes a group effort to build a program,” Brown said. The various faculty members who commented all shared one common trait: optimism. Our athletic staff shares a vision of a bright future for athletics. Students do too. The crowd at last Friday’s football game was buzzing, with many comments from students about a revitalized team on the field. For the Norman Nation, it seems like the general consensus is that the potential is as bright as the football field’s stadium lights.
September 9, 2016
6 culture
Highlights
and Narcos brings the blow Isaiah Friedman sports editor
This Show is for ‘U’ Jason Harward staff writer
“Narcos” beautifully chronicles the all-out, brutal and bloody clash between the Medellin drug cartel and U.S. and Colombian law enforcement. The main character, Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura), is a full-fledged villain whose deep devotion to his family contrasts starkly with his ruthlessness as the cartel’s undisputed and feared leader. The show is narrated in first person by U.S. law enforcement officer Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook), who worked with the Colombian government to bring down Escobar. Murphy is the show’s hero as his main goal is capturing Escobar, who commits horrifying acts of terrorism right under the nose of the government. Throughout the series, Murphy is infuriated that he must play by the rules while Escobar simply ignores them. Even though Murphy as the narrator always remains calm, Murphy the character has rage that can rival that of Escobar’s. Holbrook, deep southern accent and all, portrays Murphy’s stretches of calm and anger superbly. With every step Murphy and sly co-detective Javier Pena (Pedro Pascal) take, they get closer to Escobar, but he always slips away. The attractiveness of “Narcos” is that it sometimes has the viewer twistedly rooting for Escobar to escape certain situations, just by witnessing his humane affection and care he displays toward his wife and kids. Escobar’s fluctuation between murderer and caring family-man is a testament to Moura’s fantastic performance. His portrayal of Pablo as a calculating and ruthless man who will kill innocent people in the same way someone brushes off a fly is mesmerizing. As “Narcos” begins season two Sept. 2, Murphy and Pena are still hot on Escobar’s tail, but, based on the real-life story of this thriller, Escobar will inevitably meet his downfall. How he does so is up to the show’s braintrust.
“Last Chance U” may be football-centric, but it’s a drama that anyone can get behind. The Netflix original documentary covers the football program at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), a team which features a melting pot of players with academic and character struggles. These players, who hope to transfer to Division 1 schools and make a name for themselves in the NFL, are in a constant battle between their past struggles and their future hopes. Many members of the Beverly football team have watched and enjoyed the series, emotionally investing heavily in players such as John Franklin III and DJ Law. Junior Jeremiah Klapper especially identified with EMCC quarterback Wyatt Roberts, who now plays at Mississippi State University. “My favorite player was Wyatt Roberts. He didn’t go into the season as the favored starter but worked his way to the top,” Klapper said. “We also both play the same position so I liked to watch him play and he was well liked among teammates.” Junior Pasha Quiraishi, a right tackle on the football team, identifies with Ronald Ollie. “People were always saying he’s lazy and has no work ethic, but he proved them wrong,” Quiraishi said. It’s impossible not to go along with the roller coaster that was EMCC’s season. The emotion, drama and humor is so well documented. One of the best characters is Brittany Wagner, who has the incredible challenge of making sure that the players go to class (and have a pencil). Her relationship with the players is very funny and dysfunctional, but it’s apparent that she works hard to make a difference in their lives. Check out “Last Chance U” on Netflix for a ride you will never forget.
Thrill
Strange has never felt so good Evan Minniti staff writer
What if the worlds of King, Carpenter and Spielberg met and had a 1980’s teen horror baby? The Duffer Brothers have set out with Netflix to find the answer! However, the retro 1980’s aesthetics are actually the least interesting thing about the show. “Stranger Things” takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, in 1983, when four young social outcasts find solace in Dungeons and Dragons, and each other’s company. One of these boys, Will Buyers (Noah Schnapp), vanishes and a mysterious quiet girl with a shaved head named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) shows up out of the blue. The boys worry about where Will has gone and slowly realize that Eleven has superpowers. Sinister government agents flood the town searching for Eleven, who promises to reconnect them with Will, and the boys decide to ally with Eleven. Will’s mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) and older brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have differing ways of dealing with Will’s absence. However, Joyce slowly starts to realize disturbing paranormal events are occurring in their house. Meanwhile, the town’s sheriff, Jim (David Harbour), a troubled alcoholic, sets out to discover what is behind these disturbances in Hawkins. The success of the series is grounded in the performances, especially those of Ryder, Harbour and Brown. Ryder sympathetically captures the mania of a mother who has lost their child. Harbour’s obsessive but caring ways and his fantastic narrative arch make him a fan-favorite. With few notable exceptions, child acting is generally awful. The child cast all deliver moving performances. Overall “Stranger Things” is one of Netflix’s best shows. It stands up there with “Narcos” and “House of Cards” in quality, and I would much rather have shows like this than another season of “Fuller House”.
Safe and sound: the protectors of our campus Ben Dahan staff writer Safety and security have become an ever increasing issue in today’s schools. The guys with the black shirts and white golf carts are dedicated to keeping students safe, but they also do much more. “What we’re really trying to do is to keep the campus as safe as possible without making it a jail,” Principal David Jackson said. The security personnel do not carry firearms, mace, handcuffs or metal detecting wands. Instead, they are equipped with nothing but their eyes, wits, radios, training and imposing stature. Using only these tools, they patrol the campus, control traffic and parking, regulate visitors and try to contain students during school hours on a campus of about 1,500 students and 25 acres. According to Jackson, the exact operations and methods of security are kept secret and changed often as to not make themselves “vulnerable.” The security staff consists of five veterans and one new hire, as well as a night watchman. They are aided by the four school administrators, who will often pause their administrative duties to help out. The administrators are always on call and respond rapidly when there is an issue on campus. “Anytime there’s any issue, we all have radios that we sleep with. We just sort of get to where we need to
be,” Jackson said. The Beverly Hills Police Department also has a quick response time when it comes to potential problems at the school. Jackson recalls an incident that happened over the summer that involved a neighbor calling in someone trying to parachute into
within five minutes I had half the fire department and either 10 or 12 officers and three or four traffic officers,” Jackson said. “But we caught the balloon.” Coordination with the department is handled by Chris Anderson, the head of security at BHUSD, and Officer Lindsey Dia-
gram open to the public that texts police alerts to your phone. “We are really blessed in that anytime I needed a police officer and I called the watch commander, we got a motor officer in less than a minute,” Jackson said. Gino Garcia, the head of maintenance for the school district, is currently in the process of substituting the current analog radios now carried by the school staff with new digital ones, further improving the district’s communication internally and with the police department. “Safety, we’re really playing that up, it’s a big issue now, so we’re trying to make sure we can get as much as we can with what we have,” Garcia said. In case of an emergency, the security The trademark security cart is parked near the bungalows as guards take staff has a vital role to to their feet to patrol the campus. Photo by: BEN DAHAN play independent of the school campus. The perpetra- mond, the new school district liai- first responders. tor turned out to be balloons from son officer taking over for Officer “They help us clear the buildsomebody’s graduation. Neverthe- Jesse Perez, the previous liaison. ing, make sure everybody’s safe, less the call garnered the police’s Jackson is in contact with the make sure there is no blockage in attention and they responded rap- police on a daily basis and has a di- the emergency plan...God forbid, idly and appropriately. rect line to the watch commander. earthquake, evacuation, lockdown, “I would say, within two min- Much of the staff at Beverly, in- they are all involved to make sure utes we had two police officers and cluding Jackson, have Nixle, a pro- the school is as safe as possible,”
Jackson said. Some members of the security staff also occasionally give rides to students who are incapable of getting around campus, but Anderson stresses that they are not a shuttle service. Security is also responsible for keeping students on campus during school hours. But Jackson maintains, “they really are not so much to keep kids on campus, they’re to keep people who don’t belong here off campus.” While doing the best they can, they have been instructed not to use physical force to stop students who are trying to leave. “My feeling is that we try to keep you on campus the best we can, but if you are trying to miss out on an education, shame on you because you are the one losing,” Jackson said. According to Jackson, some parents still question the security of the campus. These parents are concerned by the absence of armed security as well as the fact that the campus is not completely enclosed. “So, we do have parents who would like it to be more secure. We have parents who’d like it to have an armed guard walking next to their child at all times. But that’s not reality, here in this life,” Jackson said. “We answer it the best way we can.”
Opinion 7
September 9, 2016
Highlights
Competition for points takes away team spirit Keith Stone co-editor-in-cheif Players shove and jostle each other, digging in for that last sprint down the field before the coach blows the whistle. As they get closer, the girl on the left shoves her way past and slots the ball neatly in the top right corner. Instead of shouting “Goal,” she runs up to the team manager and yells, “That’s three points, write it down!” The girls soccer team has been using a points system to increase competitiveness for the last few years and this year has increased the importance of this system. Before, the points given for wins in tournaments, fast mile times and various other activities would just encourage hard work and increased amounts of effort from most of the girls. This year however, with points supposedly being used to determine one’s place on the varsity or junior varsity team, this system has evolved into an unhealthy distraction that takes away from the basic experience of high school soccer. Competition among high school athletes competing for spots is as old and storied as it is healthy. While some people most likely see this point system as just an extension of a tried-and-true policy, there is one key difference. Every single point accumulated and every change in rankings is placed on paper and posted for all to see. There is no problem with coaches ranking players internally and then assigning them to teams,
Editorial Students can rely on one person to keep them consistently updated on their college prospects and classes. Unfortunately, students in House B, have not had that luxury. Those students have consistently had a different guidance counselor after each year and are beginning to fear the effects this will have on their counselor’s letter of recommendation. However, this is not as big of an issue as many students have amounted it to be. These students have had a different counselor every high school year. As freshmen they grew to know Bridget Reichhart, as sophomores they chatted with Julia Pelikhova as juniors they strategized with Stacey Carr and as seniors they are gearing up to ask Greg Jackson for counselor recommendation letters. Even though these students have only known Greg Jackson for a few months, principal David Jackson is sure that the students are at no disadvantage in comparison to the students of other counselors. Seniors who are worried assume that almost all colleges ask the counselors to specify how long they have known the student. Principal Jackson, however, stated that guidance counselors are not going to say, “I’ve known [this student]for
but issues begin to arise when every player knows just how highly they’re ranked and who is ranked higher and lower than she is. Players who are on the bottom of the list may either be motivated to work and try harder, or they may suffer from a lack of self confidence on the field that affects them more and more every time they see their low ranking. On the other hand, students who are highly ranked may feel that they no longer need to put in extra effort to further distinguish themselves, as they are already strong players. They may also feel a sense of superiority over their lower-ranked teammates and friends. That sense is definitely capable of destroying camaraderie and breeding resentment that leads to a team that loses far more than it wins. A fractured team made up of a group of bitter athletes is not going to smoothly play together because they simply won’t know how. After months of conditioning and relying solely on their own skill and on being better than their teammates, many of these girls will find it difficult to begin the selfless play that a team sport like soccer demands. While a point system may be exactly what this team needs to climb up the rankings and possibly win a championship or more games, a public forum is not the place for these rankings to be displayed. This sport, at this level, should be all about bonding through exercise, not winning at the cost of friendships and team spirit. four years,” and so students will not have a clear discrepancy. In the eyes of threatened students, this significant difference in duration somewhat discredits the counselor letter. However, principal Jackson informed that the true validity of a letter lies within the arrangement of facts and statements that can only be written if a student and their parents create a thorough enough brag sheet for the counselor. “We know when we review applications when it says, ‘Oh, she was a really nice girl, she came to school on time every day and she was very pleasant’ that that’s a generic letter. Our counselors should not be writing those, and neither should Mr. Jackson,” Principal Jackson said. The truth of the matter is that most students who have had a steady counselor only meet with them maybe once a year, according to Principal Jackson. A student’s relationship with their counselor depends on how great of a bond the student chooses to solidify. “There are a lot of kids in other high schools that are in similar situations and the colleges understand what is going on. I have never written a bad letter for a student. I would never say anything negative. But at the end of the day, I don’t get a kid into college, a student gets themselves into college,” counselor Jackson said.
Girls soccer conditioning wraps up practice at Roxbury Park with a Norman cheeer.
Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM
The evolution of first days Vivian Geilim opinion editor When I was in the eighth grade, I would fantasize about roaming the halls of the massive and foreign Beverly High that I would occasionally pass on my way to Century City. High school wasn’t just about school and learning, I would think. It was a place to grow up, to learn and experience the older life; it was simply the next phase, the big jump that would transition me from a naive little blonde girl, to a mature woman. I was ready to ascend from the pits of middle school to the real deal. From out of the dugout and into the ball game. I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. I planned on being punctual, perky and more-than-ready for the big day. It was the first morning of freshman year. I ran to my closet, ripped my jean jacket from my hanger; I slipped on my shorts and laughed. I was never able to wear shorts in middle school, but no one was stopping me now! I loaded my face with makeup, ironed my hair and ran to wake my mom up. I shot texts to my buddies and squirmed in the car seat. I was able to calmly exit the car concealing my excitement and made my way up to Mr. Hiatt’s first period Honors English class, greeting my friends as they flooded the room. I couldn’t believe this was my life now; that the freshmen that I looked up to were at second base, and I was stepping up to bat. I couldn’t believe that I had four more years of this ahead of me. So high school isn’t so great.
I shot up out of bed 10 minutes past six, already considering myself late. It was the first day of sophomore year and I needed to make a good impression on my teachers, so being late on the first day was out of the picture. I ran to the kitchen, flicked on the coffee machine and lethargically walked back to my bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. Boy, was I tired. I threw on the outfit I left laying out the night before and went back to the kitchen to grab my energizer. I waited outside for my carpool to pick me up and take me to the place that had drained my summer away.
“Two more years” I must have unknowingly hit snooze three times before hauling myself out of my cozy sanctuary. It was 6:30 a.m. and my friend was coming to pick me up in 15 minutes. I rubbed my eyes and took a look out the window. It was a nebulous morning and looked a little chilly. I went to my closet and pulled down the first sweatshirt I could find and accommodated it with a pair of soccer shorts. I
pinned my wavy hair in a ponytail and grabbed an apple from the kitchen. Making my way out of my house, I passed in front of a mirror. I looked like a boy. I walked outside at 6:50 while I flicked back half of a 5-Hour-Energy. Between my friend and me, the car ride was silent. She parked in Lot B and we made our way out carrying three textbooks and a backbreaking backpack. We looked at each other on the way to period 0 and I let out a sigh. “Alright,” I said reassuringly. “Only two more years.” Are we done yet? Still in the midst of my junior year, I cannot describe my first experience in the shoes of a senior. In my three years of first days, my excitement has noticeably faded. The evolvement of first days has stagnated to become a day of dread, not a day of excitement. Nonetheless, I do believe that “the first day” is more essential than given credit for and that it is ideally more important than one would think. In truth, “the first day” signifies the end of a year and the beginning of a new time. You can see that as a time to forgive, forget and continue on in the shoes of a more mature and changed person. It just depends on you. I look at the year ahead of me, knowing it’s going to be a rough one and am delighted by the fact that next year I will have my last first day. At least until my next freshman year.
September 9, 2016
8 sports
Highlights
New coaches bring new hope Steve Geanakos
Coach Geanakos consults his clipboard during practice. Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM
Isaiah Freedman sports editor Training shirt and sports cap on, sitting in his dimly lit office the day before his team’s first home game, Steve Geanakos is finally settling into his position as the new head football coach, but nothing about coaching is new to him. He has been teaching high school sports for the greater part of 15 years, each one with a smile on his face. Geanakos is blunt and straightforward regarding his thoughts,
but his passion and desire to see his kids succeed is hard to miss. Realizing he is not in the presence of blazing fast or hulking college kids, he has tweaked his coaching style in order to put his players in the best position to thrive. Many kids who arrive to play on the team are unsure of what position they should play, so Geanakos takes the time to try to solve each individual puzzle. Geanakos’ roots as a science teacher (he teaches physiology and environmental sci-
YuYu Myinttun
ence) are apparent as he uses the method of taking a player’s genetic code into account when trying to find them a position to play. “I have to take a player, train him and find out if he has some speed, some strength or some hand-eye coordination. Then I go ask, ‘How big is your mom? How big is your dad? Did they play sports?’ Now I have to find a position on our team based on his genetics, sports desire and abilities,’” Geanakos said. Geanakos, who has previously coached girls and boys in soccer, basketball, tennis and track, has designed offensive and defensive systems that limit his players’ stress while still producing successful plays. “[The systems] incorporate deceptions and quickness, but don’t necessarily require huge size and strength. Hopefully this system works with the clientele that we have,” Geanakos said, shrugging. Coming off a tough opening loss to Oak Park High School, Geanakos maintains that his kids put in their best effort, and that is one of his main messages to the team day in and day out. “The only thing [the players] can control is their effort. If they put in all their effort, that’s all I care about. Oak Park appeared to be a blowout, but our kids did not appear to make many mistakes and played their hearts out until the last play of the
game. How can you fault that?” Geanakos asked incredulously. Despite Geanakos striving for excellence from his players, there have been some unfortunate situations. Some kids, as he puts it, play for the wrong reasons; reasons that contradict the very core of what playing a sport at any level is about. He claims he had a player ask him if he could get a scholarship, and when Geanakos told the kid no, that player quit immediately. It baffles Geanakos to this day. “To me, if I physically could, I would play every sport that I have ever played at the highest level just for the fun of playing since I like to compete. It is weird for me to have a kid say that the only reason they would play was if they thought they could get a scholarship. It could be a product of our society, maybe how kids are raised today.” Coaching high school football is a tough proposition. Attention can scatter, and the talent is nothing like college football, where players with specific traits are recruited by coaches who have the resources to execute a vision for how they want their team makeup to look. Geanakos realizes that as a high school coach, he needs to adapt to the kids who come in, not the other way around. In truth, he would not have it any other way. “Coaching kids at the high school level is, to me, the best. I’ve had friends that go to college, then they have to start recruiting. That’s not
Stephen Fixary
coaching anymore,” he said. Geanakos is aware that the program he inherited has sported records of 2-8, 2-8, 1-10, 1-9 and 1-9 over the past five seasons. His only focus is to make sure his players keep improving and have an enjoyable time doing so. “These kids have been in a program that has been unsuccessful in recent years. Hopefully I can make their high school career fun and successful. That is the fun part about coaching, that you can make a difference,” Geanakos said. Ever since he dipped his foot into the coaching world, Geanakos realized how much his players need him and how much he needs his players. However, many new players still need on-field experience, and that is why Geanakos is here. “You cannot play without the kids. A lot of kids don’t have experience, but we’re gonna get them that experience. Maybe that experience is struggling to win games, but it’s experience nonetheless. Coaches learn from it, the kids move on from it and we move on,” Geanakos said. Although another tough season record-wise may be ahead, true success in Geanakos’ eyes is measured through a different prism. “The exciting part is making memories with these kids they will hopefully remember for the rest of their lives,” Geanakos said with the same smile he has worn throughout his 15 years of coaching.
Miranda LeBrun
Coach LeBrun speaking to her team. Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM
Coach Myinttun overlooking her team. Photo by: PRISCILLA HOPPER
Coach Fixary oversees his players. Photo by: CISSY AMATO
Lauren Hannani staff writer
Ben Dahan staff writer
Jason Harward staff writer
With their first match last Tuesday, Aug. 30, the girls varsity tennis team is back on the courts with a new coach. YuYu Myinttun, who has been coaching for 12 years now, has new goals to further help the team grow and ultimately be successful for the year. She hopes that the team can develop a good connection with each other so they can be motivated to work hard. “Since this is an individual sport, it’s kind of hard to get players to work together and work toward the same goal,” Myinttun said. “My goal is to get the girls to start practicing every day as much as possible. For a lot of the athletes, once the tennis season is over, that’s it. And they come back when the season starts again,” Myinttun said. “A good team has players that play throughout the year, so my challenge is to get them to realize this is important, and if we want to win and go further as a team, we have to be able to practice throughout the year, not just during season time.” She hopes to encourage the girls to pick a second sport next season, preferably track, so they can maintain their fitness while playing tennis throughout the year as well. For Myinttun, consistently working hard is much more important than a winning record this season. “For me, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about being able to put out your best effort, and then come off feeling like, ‘Hey, I did a good job and I fought my way,’” Myinttun said. “I want them to go out there and feel like they did their best, win or loss. It doesn’t matter.”
The varsity water polo team is under the new leadership of coaching veteran and long-time athlete Stephen Fixary. “I’ve been coaching since I was 20. [It’s] something I’ve been good at, something I’ve stuck with,” Fixary said. He picks up the mantle of varsity from coach Ahmad Hosseini, who now only coaches the JV water polo team. Fixary coached many of his current water polo kids last year on the swim team. Now he coaches both sports, per the request of Wanda Szeremeta, last year’s athletic director. The team seems to get along with coach Fixary. According to junior Nick Forys on the varsity team, Fixary has a “good connection” with the players. “Everyone loves Coach Fixary,” Forys said. “He knows what he’s doing, he has experience in water polo. We have plays, we have plans, stuff like that. And he’s a fun guy to be around.” When he is not coaching, Fixary is a full-time father to his eight year-old son, Mason, who was diagnosed with Townes-Brocks Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. “He’s special needs: physically, mentally. He had open heart surgery when he was four days old. He has a very rare genetic mutation which caused his illness,” Fixary said. “But he’s as happy and as active as any other kid can be. I’m lucky to have him.” Fixary’s imprint on the water polo team, as well as the team’s skills and cohesion, will be evident in the coming season, with the squad’s next game on Friday, Sept. 16.
A nine-year volleyball coaching veteran, Miranda LeBrun brings experience and skill to a young and growing varsity squad. As the former assistant varsity coach at Pacific Palisades Charter High School, LeBrun sees Beverly as an opportunity to build a great program. “I love working with high school, and the opportunity [at Beverly] opened up when I was over at Palisades, and it seemed like a good opportunity to come out and see what I can show and teach and see what I can do with the program,” LeBrun said. Her coaching style is fast and fun, and she uses friendly competition to bring out the best in her girls. She is looking forward to turning what she sees as an already passionate team into a skilled one, too. “A lot of the girls want to learn and have a lot of passion for the sport,” LeBrun said. “And we’re really working on growing that passion into actual skill. We have a big group of girls, and they’re a fun group to work with.” A junior on the volleyball team, Emilia Kyriazis, has noticed the changes that LeBrun has brought to the program. “This year’s coaching is much more productive,” Kyriazis said. “All of Coach Miranda’s strategies and attitudes toward the game are constructive, and she gives a new energy and sense of hope to bring the program back to the success and respect it had a few years ago.” The girls varsity volleyball team’s next test will be an away game against Venice on Saturday, Sept. 10.