Inside this Issue...

Volume 86, Issue Seven · January 20, 2012Beverly Hills, Calif.

Alum Josh Trank directs the upcoming “Chronicle.”

Page 9

Girls’ soccer remains undefeated in Ocean League.

Page 12

highlightsBeverly Hills High School

DRUG STUDIESADD medication used to improve academ-ic performance

Prescription drug abuse among teenagers today is on the rise. According to a 2009 survey from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of teens have admitted to taking a prescription drug

without a doctor’s consent. The popularity of pre-scription drugs can also be seen at Beverly. In a sur-

vey conducted among 150 students at school, 69.9% of the students said that they use some type of pre-

scription drug.Excluding those who use prescription drugs for le-gitimate medical purposes, prescription drug use

is popular among teens because of their effect on human behavior. The three main categories

of prescription drugs are opiates (painkill-ers) such as Vicodin, central nervous sys-tem (CNS) depressants such as Xanax, and most popularly, stimulants that help

ADHD patients stay alert and focused, such as Adderall and Ritalin.

Some high school and college students abuse stimu-lants to help them stay alert while studying or doing homework. According to a study by the journal Ad-

diction, 25% of Americans enrolled at highly competi-tive universities had used Adderall as a study aid. For this reason, stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin and Strattera

are sometimes called “study drugs.” Students can easily obtain these drugs without a prescription of their own; all they must do is find a holder of the drug, such as an ADHD patient, or anyone else with a prescription. Admittedly, a pill purported to help students succeed in

school is vastly appealing. The idea of a super drug that can help ease the strain of schoolwork is a blessing to some stu-dents, especially to those under the stress of AP classes.

However, not all students at school who take a prescription drug do so for recreational use. Senior Evan Suber takes the stimulant Vyvanse to treat his ADHD, a condition which he has had since he was five. ADHD, or “Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder,” is a developmental disorder characterized by inattentiveness, over-activity and impulsivity.

Suber has been taking Vyvanse almost every day for two years to control his ADHD symptoms. For Suber, taking his prescription is a necessary part of his daily routine. [continued on page 6]

Sarit KashanianStaff Writer

*Contact your local con-gressman about SOPA/PIPA

Page 5

Dance Company mounts annual winter performance.

SASHA PARK

January 20, 2012newsHighlights2

Michelle BanayanStaff Writer

Julia WaldowCenterfold Editor

Quick Reads Historic Preservation Law passed

Robotics begins building season

ASB brings improvements to Formal

New JPA approved by City Council

On Jan. 7, members of MorTorq gathered in the EDC for the kickoff to the building season. The kickoff officially started at 10:30 a.m. and concluded well into the afternoon. A television announcement informed Robotics of the outline of the game.

One of the many members who gathered in anticipation of the season was senior Chloe Revery.

“We’re really excited for the season and hope to do well,” Revery said.

This year’s game is called “Rebound Rumble,” an essentially modified version of basketball in which each robot should shoot basketballs into a hoop. At the end of the game, the robot can balance on a teeter-totter for extra points.

For the six weeks leading up to the national competition, which will be held on March 17-20 in St. Louis, the team must design and build prototypes. Members are to work on the robot every day, including holidays, from this point forward.

Candice Hannani

Bless Bai

Soccer game to help raise money

Ryan Feinberg

On Saturday, Jan. 21, Beverly will be hosting Milken High School’s boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer teams for a charity event. The event will be held on Nickoll Field at 7 p.m. In addition to the soccer matches, the event will feature live entertainment, food booths and a silent auction. In case of rain, the silent auction and food sales will take place indoors.

All money made from sales at the event, in addition to donations from spectators, will be given wholly to the Concern Foundation. The Concern Foundation, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit organization that grants money to cancer researchers. The foundation has low administrative costs, allowing it to donate 95% of all donated money directly to researchers. The Concern Foundation has raised over $45 million so far.

Milken will also be collecting donations that will be forwarded to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, another nonprofit that is focused on curing MS, a disabling disease that affects the central nervous system.

The Beverly Hills City Council passed their first reading regarding the adoption of the Historic Preservation Ordinance on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The law will create a historic preservation program for buildings in Beverly Hills. Although it does not directly affect buildings owned by BHUSD, it does encourage the district to protect school buildings from demolition.

“A lot of that is going to depend on what action the school board takes to protect those buildings. If this ordinance had been on the books when they wanted to knock down the buildings of Beverly Vista, [a resident] could have had more of a say in the decision,” ordinance advocate Richard Waldow said.

According to Waldow, the Historic Preservation Ordinance will also appeal to private property owners by raising property values and attracting more people to the city.

The second and final reading for the ordinance will be held on Jan. 24.

The city received much criticism this year when its lack of a stronger preservation law nearly led to the demolition of a house designed by prominent architect Richard Neutra.

With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, ASB’s plans for Winter Formal are underway. The event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the world-famous Key Club on Sunset Blvd.

“We thought that [the Key Club] would be a good venue because it’s in a prime, well-known location in Los Angeles,” ASB junior treasurer Alexandra Aftalion said. “We think that it will attract lots of students and we have a great menu for the night.”

Tickets for Formal went on sale Monday, Jan. 9 and will continue to be sold up to the date of the event. Tickets for ASB cardholders are $30, while tickets for non-ASB cardholders are $40. Contrary to last year’s Winter Formal, this year’s ticket price includes appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks.

Additionally, unlike previous years, out-of-district students will be able to attend Formal with a Beverly student if they fill out paperwork available in House B. This enables Beverly students to take their boyfriends or girlfriends who do not attend Beverly to go to Formal.

“We wanted to open the event up to more people because it’s too limited, school-wide,” junior ASB Commissioner

Nick Komlos said. “We wanted to give [them] this option in order to get the hype up and bring new faces to the event.”

According to Aftalion, ASB aspires to sell 600 tickets to Formal this year. An a d v e r t i s i n g c o m m i t t e e from ASB is in charge of getting the word out and making posters for Formal, but everyone in ASB contributes to planning the event.

“I want to go to Formal because it will be fun and exciting,” senior Michael Radnia said. “It will give me a sense of what prom will be like so I know what’s coming. Since this is my senior year, I want to participate in all of the events that are available.”

Like last year, Formal will have live entertainment on the dance floor. Epic 12 from Power 106 will be deejaying the event.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10 the City Council voted unanimously to approve a new Joint Powers Agreement (JPA).

This agreement states that the City of Beverly Hills will supply $9.75 million a year to the district for four years in support of the five BHUSD schools: El Rodeo, Hawthorne, Horace Mann, Beverly Vista and Beverly.

“I definitively believe that this is a win-win and always has been,” school board vice president Jacob Manaster said to council members during the meeting on Tuesday.

Not only will the money help the schools, but it will also give the school sites permission to let residents use its facilities and also hold municipal programs.

Other changes are also taking place because of the new law.

First, according to a statement released by the city, the funding of the recently-approved JPA is a 4.6 percent reduction from the current JPA, which gives the BHUSD $10.3 million a year.

The money that is cut from the JPA’s budget would have gone toward maintaining the fields and land of the five schools.

However, the school district already has that money without the JPA.

The logic behind the City Council’s decision was that since the school district already has the money for maintaining the land, there is no reason for giving additional money for through the JPA.

“The school board will have the same amount of money available to it [in the new JPA] as it does now,” history teacher Stewart Horowitz said.

“The agreement includes athletic fields, courts and equipment, theaters and auditoriums, the district’s five libraries, and the [Beverly] swimming pool for summer aquatics programs, janitorial services for city programs, exchange of cable TV programming between the city and the high school, and use of school facilities for emergency exercises,” the statement said.

Also, an additional $125,000 will be paid by the city annually for the expenses of the crossing guards.

“It is good that the city is spending time on helping our schools. Though the budget is lower for this upcoming JPA, as long as the school is improved, it’s alright,” sophomore Arielle Shalom said.

The new JPA will take effect on July 1, as the current one is set to expire on June 31.

“We hope that you party it up to celebrate the end of the semester,” Aftalion said. “This year’s Formal will be better and more entertaining than last year’s Formal. I’ve been to a party at the Key Club before and it was awesome. There was great food and entertainment.”

With a famous venue, live entertainment and lots of food, Winter Formal is an option for Beverly students aiming to enjoy themselves after a stressful week of finals.

Winter Formal will be held at the Key Club on Feb. 2. GINELLE WOLFE

SASHA PARK

Student Store Announcements:

Buy your Winter Formal tickets!

$30 with ASB card$40 regular price

Sign up for your AP exams. Prices will be going up January 27!

Application forms are available in all house offices. Go to the student store any day

during lunch to make your payment.

January 20, 2012 adsHighlights 3

Advertise with Highlights!

Highlights accepts quarter, half and full page ads.

Visit Beverlyhighlights.com or email us at beverlyhighlights@gmail.com for pricing and

upcoming issues.

Since its creation in the 15th century, golf’s reputation as a sport has been up in the air. Some people say that if you can eat a sandwich or have a deep conversation while playing a game, then it is not clas-sified as a sport. According to the highly reputable Urban Dictionary, “sport” is de-fined as “not cheerleading.” Therefore, by some mathematical property, golf is just as much of a sport as football or cricket.

Contrary to popular belief, golf is a lot harder to master than it looks. When Tiger wins (erm, won) huge tournaments with such ease, he makes the game look easy. But the truth is, he worked hard from the young age of two to master his skill. He is a great example of what golfers should look like. In-shape golfers play consis-tently better than out-of-shape ones.

While you don’t need to bench-press 250 unless you are competing in long drive contests, staying fit will make the game easier–and not only because the club will fit all the way around your stomach dur-ing a swing. Steep hills can be very hard to climb with 30 pounds of equipment on your back, even if you are in shape.

I agree that there are more interesting sports than golf to watch on television, but it is more fun to play than it appears. Golf takes more skill and concentration than luck, unlike other sports like competitive

gambling. And– all right I’m going to say it– practice makes perfect. According to the Oxford American Dictionary, the le-gitimate definition of a sport is “an activ-ity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertain-ment.” Golf fits into every one of these specifications and while it is not as physi-cally demanding as a sport like soccer, a single swing of the club uses muscles from all over the body to attain maximum con-trol and speed.

Golf at the high school level is very com-petitive, and it gets more and more in-tense as you move up the ranks. Also, golf is a sport that can be played and improved upon for an entire lifetime. Therefore, golfers can remain on the professional level longer than other athletes, such as basketball players, who are not able to play in the NBA past the age of 45.

Many of these basketball players actu-ally transition to golf, including Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. Since these two superstars dominated the NBA, it seems reasonable that they would be good at golf, right? Wrong. Charles Barkley has one of the nastiest swings known to man, and he is living proof that some all-star athletes can’t even master golf.

So, if players don’t think you are too cool to play, get out onto the course and participate in this difficult and beautiful sport.

Nathan Ong and Mallika SenEditors-in-Chief

Candice HannaniNews Editor

Danny LichtOpinion Editor

Benjamin HannaniFeature Editor

Vincent Brock and Julia WaldowCenterfold Editors

Sayeh Mohammadi and Chandra O’ConnorArts & Style Editors

Austin Grant-DixonSpotlight Editor

Ryan FeinbergSports Editor

Sayeh MohammadiBusiness Manager

Oliver Gallop, Alex Menache,AJ Parry and Ginelle Wolfe

Staff Photographers

Bless Bai, Sasha Park and AJ ParryStaff Cartoonists

Lilia Abecassis, Michelle Banayan, Chanan Batra, Celine Hakimianpour, Mabel Kabani, Sarit Kashanian, Zoe Kenealy, Dami Kim,

Hae Lee, Brenda Mehdian, AJ Parry,Shannon Toobi and Arman Zadeh

Staff Writers

Gaby Herbst and Katie MurrayAdvisers

This newspaper is produced by theAdvanced Journalism class of

Beverly Hills High School241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

The Staff

I hope you all passed through the first challenge of the new year fairly easily and wrote the correct date on the paper with-out making a mistake. It is, in fact, 2012, not 2011. But most importantly, a new year means a new start, and what is a better way to start off the year than looking forward to what this year has in store for all of us? That is, however, if there is anything in store for all of us.

Exactly 336 days away from today, Dec. 21, 2012, is the date that the whole world, especial-ly the media, has been buzzing about for years now. There was even one of those now-trendy cataclysm movies dedicated to the whole idea around world ending in 2012. Some say it is, without a doubt, fiction. Some claim it to be a new movie genre, more of a documentary of what is go-ing to happen to us.

The Mayan calendar stops and marks the end of their 13th Baktum, which is also called Great Cycle of 1,872,000 on this date. They say that after every five cycles, there will be a catastrophe in which the old age will be destroyed and a new age will began.

2012 is the end of the fifth cycle and the Mayans are expecting a big change on earth

where their calendar marks the end. The Mayans were not the only ones who

claimed that the world was going to end in 2012.

The famous French apothecary, astrolo-ger and seer Nostradamus, who lived in the 1500s, mentioned that the world going to come to an end soon. He claimed that the earth will perish not only due to natural di-sasters, but also because of us: mankind.

What does this actually mean? Well, it can

mean few things. Some strange natural di-saster might sweep over earth and clean up the mess we created, or purple aliens might invade from another galaxy and take over our world, or we might simply just poof —disappear. The ridiculous possibilities are endless.

Looking at these “facts” from the predic-tions only makes it clear that the world is not going to end in 2012. We are living in

the 21st century with technology that im-proves continuously, and yet, we still don’t know a way to predict accurately and guar-antee what can happen tomorrow. So how likely is it for an ancient, outdated calendar from 500 B.C. to prove that the world ends on Dec. 21, 2012?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released news to clarify that no scientific evidence proves the reliability of the predictions. Accord-

ing to NASA, the Mayan calendar is just like any regular calendar on your kitchen wall that does not move for-ward beyond the last date of the year, Dec. 31. The calendar ended because the long period of 13 Baktums was finished.

NASA furthered their research on possible natural disasters that can have an immense impact on Earth, and concluded that no matter can destruct lives on Earth in 2012. Even if they may find something in the

future, it will nowhere be close to the year 2012. The cyber rumors and media industry only benefit from the world responding to one outrageous issue that may or may not even happen. Instead of worrying about what is going to happen, let’s all make the best out of every day without regrets. Still not sure of the end? We will just have to wait and see. However, I do not want to die, and I am hoping to see you all in 2013.

Golf is a sportJanuary 20, 2012opinion Highlights4

Oliver Gallop Staff Photographer

The end ain’t nigh

Listen up, you riffraff heart-racers

Dami Kim Staff Writer

2012 is not the end of the world

SASHA PARK

Instead of worrying about what is going to happen, let’s all make

the best out of every day without regrets.

Dance Company performs captivating show

DANNY LICHT

Hae LeeStaff Writer

January 20, 2012 arts&styleHighlights 5

On Wednesday Jan. 18, Beverly’s Dance Company performed twelve pieces in the K.L. Peters Auditorium in the first of four performances continuing through Jan. 21.

The show this year did not have a specific theme; individual pieces had titles such as “Insomnia,” “Going Out To Sea,” “Regrette Et L’Acceptation,” and “...Just Walk Away...” The music choice was equally diverse, with songs from Max Richter, Block Party, Bon Iver, Time for Three, Lykke Li and Christina Aguilera, among others.

Frances Goritsas, in her second year as Dance Company director, says that she would not make any changes about the Company even if she had the choice to do so.

The Company worked tirelessly for five months, from seventh period until 6 p.m. on weekdays and added weekend rehearsals, starting in November.

“I think Dance Company is a great and very special program that encourages the students to choreograph and perform at an advanced level,” Goritsas said.

According to Dance Company member Carly Stone, the Company has had its ups and downs but its members have developed a strong bond.

“I don’t think that there is any other group, club, [or] sport on campus that shares the friendship we have. Dance Company is such an experience in which we all shed blood, sweat, and many tears. I am so happy that I have gotten the chance to become so close with so many different people,” Stone said.

Like programs in the past, solos, duets, hip-hop, and ballet dances dominated the show, giving the audience a taste of many different forms of dance. Members of the audience appreciated the variety provided by the different styles of dance.

“I liked the fact that the majority of the dances were choreographed by the students themselves. It was impressive to see what the students were able to create,” senior Sarah Sarandos said.

Some students were happy with the absence of a theme as they felt it brought a sense of diversity to the show.

“I liked the no theme application because every piece was different and fresh, yet still cohesive,” freshman Asaf Bar-Tal said.

AP Posse, a hip-hop group within the Company, performed a piece called “Waiter!” which depicted a scene of different kinds of people at a bar. This piece was choreographed by Beverly alumnus Julian Recio and Dance Company member Simone Kochav. The piece featured music by Linkin Park, Robin Thicke, Vittorio Monti, and Esco Williams.

The main change from last year’s show is that there is only one AP Posse piece. This came as a shock to many, because AP Posse was one of the favorite parts of the show in the previous years.

“I was a little disappointed to see only one piece of AP Posse. The show itself seemed a little shorter than the performances in the previous years but I still enjoyed it a lot,” senior Sho Emerson said.

The Company has improved its acts and amazed the audience all the way through “Bows,” the concluding dance piece.

Paloma Bloch, Nina Bral, Adriana Buonocore, Alex Carlson, Savannah Forno, Samantha Galen, Talia Gergely, Simone Kochav, Waverly Laksman, Lucy Licht, Anthony Lofaso, Ariella Maman, Sydney Nav-

id, Teeah Pandy, Shay Saver, Carly Stone

The Company

Mia Bronson, Sophia Estrada, Chanel Namigohar, Isabella Perez

Apprentices:

Style Profile: Milan Walls

The Digital Darkroom: evolution of photography Ginelle Wolfe

Staff Writer

The Annenberg Space for Photography opened The Digital Darkroom exhibit on Dec. 17. Consisting of a variety of photo-graphs by seventeen different photogra-phers such as Brooke Shaden, Christopher Schneberger, and Jerry Uelsmann. Each artist contributed two to six pieces, result-ing in a collection of eighty images. Unlike similar photography exhibits, “The Digital Darkroom” displays both digital and print photography. Viewers can enjoy this rare opportunity to see an exhibit dedicated to the evolution of photography.

“Photography is one of the most acces-sible and personal forms of art. We see the creation of the Annenberg Space for Pho-tography as a service to the community where visitors can see the world through a different lens and leave feeling motivated to make positive change,” Wallis Annen-

Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer

Sophomore Milan Walls is recognized all around campus for her laidback and urban fashion sense.

Walls constantly moved between Australia and London which greatly influenced her way of dressing. While she picked up the easygoing Sydney “beach girl” way of dressing, she also caught the London bug for high end fashion designers.

“Living in Australia with one of my best friends Mali Koopman, we learned how to dress our best. She’s a big influence in the way I dress. We’ve always had similar tastes in style and when I’m in the States I always think about what she would say when I buy some-thing,” Walls said.

Walls’ favorite stores are Free People, Zara and All Saints.

“Free People has a beachy, indie look and I would match any of their clothes with [some-thing from] All Saints to achieve my usual Australian-casual style that people know me for,” Walls explained.

When out with friends, Walls transforms her style from everyday school wear to vogue chic. Walls sometimes pairs an extravagant, white fur coat with one of her many dresses when out in town.ZOE KENEALY

Photos courtesy of THE ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

berg, president and CEO of The Annenberg Foundation said.

Upon walking into the Annenberg Space for Photography, visitors will see photo-graphs matted all around the room. After going through the maze of photos, visitors will find themselves in the 3-D section, where the artwork comes to life.

The museum’s architecture is inspired by the inner workings of a camera and its lens. Within a square building, a camera lens-like circular digital gallery is positioned in the center. Toward the back of the building is a photography reading room and work-shop. Here, people can share their ideas and endlessly explore different topics.

In the reading room, there are books about different photographs, many of which can be seen at the exhibit itself. These books give visitors an opportunity to read and learn more about the photographs in the exhibit.

The museum also contains a 3-D section where visitors can see a film in a special screening room. The film contains interviews with different artists who discuss the significance of 3-D tech-nology. Visitors can wear a pair of special glasses while walking through the exhibit and can view pic-tures in 3-D.

The Annenberg Space for Photography is a museum that features a different exhibit approximately ev-ery seven months. Along with the photographs, its exhibits also feature the social messages behind each photo. In addition, the Annenberg shows a film about photography every 30 minutes.

This museum is an amazing place to visit and see beautiful exhibits such as Beauty Culture, which displayed the media’s mu-

tilated form of beauty, The Digital Dark-room, which takes us step by step through the evolution of digital photography, and the upcoming “Who Shot Rock and Roll,” which focuses on the men behind the cam-

“My fur coat is something that I feel rep-resents me well. It shows that I’m not afraid to step out of the box when choosing what to wear, but at the same time I keep my sense of fashion. It’s definitely one of my favorite piec-es,” Walls said.

Walls occasionally models for clothing lines like Tyla Rae that dress her in their best. Be-ing around designers is a big part of her life and it’s something that keeps Walls informed on what’s “in” with fashion. Walls makes sure to keep designers that she has worked with in mind when putting together her outfits.

“I modeled for Tyla Rae accessories and that’s why recently I’ve been incorporating many of the Tyla Rae jewelry pieces into my going out wear,” Walls pointed out.

Many students on campus recognize Walls’ trendsetting fashion sense and admire her for her out-of-the-box style.

“Milan is one of the best dressed girls at this school. I see her all the time and she literally looks like a Tumblr girl with her trendsetting outfits that look like she so easily threw on,” junior Kylie Blaine said.

Walls has a style that gets her noticed by both people at school and designers on the set of photoshoots. She fits the best of both worlds into her outfits, incorporating chill, Australian-casual wear into her chic London wardrobe.

era during the decades of Rock and Roll. The Annenberg is located adjacent to the Century City mall. The Digital Darkroom is open until May 28, Wed-Fri: 11a.m.- 6p.m. Sat: 11a.m.-7:30p.m. Sun: 11a.m.-6p.m.

January 20, 2012arts&styleHighlights8

January 20, 2012 featureHighlights 9Alumnus directs major studio release ‘Chronicle’

Mallika SenEditor-in-Chief

Students who watched this past weekend’s NFL postseason offering may have had their interest piqued by teasers for the upcoming movie “Chronicle.” The fact that alumnus Josh Trank, class of 2002, helmed the movie may heighten this interest futher.

Trank attended Horace Mann, Hawthorne and Beverly on a permit, as his mother, Pam Trank, is the site director at the City of Beverly Hills Roxbury Park preschool. She felt it was important for her son to attend this school due to its excellent television program.

He professes to have acquired all his technical and professional skills from four years on KBEV, under the tutelage of former teacher Dusty Stiles.

“I was in there seven days a week, editing, shooting, producing content…I felt like I just had a job in television for four years,” Trank said.

The Beverly graduate admits he passed out of school under “dubious circumstances,” with a GPA of approximately 1.5. He subsequently attended Brooks Institute for Photography for two semesters before dropping out, as he feels “school is not for me.”

Trank grew up in Los Angeles with little money and thus feels it is important for aspiring filmmakers to pursue their dreams, regardless of circumstance (and grades). He had to build his entire career, starting in the tape rooms of production houses, where he toiled for a few years after leaving Brooks.

He soon grew bored of “not doing anything creatively and took it upon [himself] to do simple, little fun exciting things” and filmed “Stabbing at Leia’s 22nd Birthday,” a video

that went viral on YouTube and procured him an agent at William Morris.

Editing, producing, and directing stints soon followed, including a web series based on Spike TV’s “The Kill Point” and “Big Fan,” a Sundance entry. The idea for “Chronicle” had been present in his mind for some time when he described the plot to old friend Max Landis, who produced a rough draft of the script in two weeks.

“[‘Chronicle’ is] a realistic take on a superhero origin story. [It] focuses on superpowers and how it would affect teenage life,” Trank said. “When we’re in high school we kind of daydream and find ourselves lost in wish fulfillment...I’ve always wanted to see a story like this that I’ve seen a million times before told from a very ordinary, stripped down perspective.”

20th Century Fox greenlighted the movie within six months of work and the crew immediately proceeded to South Africa to shoot the film. Trank directed the film, in addition to co-writing with Landis, who briefly attended Beverly.

“Chronicle” has catapulted Trank to the top of the shortlist for the upcoming “Fantastic Four” film. He is also in the process of adapting a graphic novel for Warner Bros.

“I’m equally as big of a comic book- and video game-obsessive fanatic. Anything that I grew up being into, my outlet is to see [it] in the context of a movie,” Trank said, describing his affinity for science fiction projects.

“Chronicle,” which focuses on three high school friends, opens in wide release on Feb. 3.

“My original hope and expectation was to make a really good movie…hopefully it’ll be a big hit and people will really like it…it’s nice to be successful,” Trank said.(Above) Alumnus Josh Trank directs actor Michael B. Jordan. (Below) Trank films from a different perpsective.

Photos courtesy of JOSH TRANK

January 20, 2012electionHighlights10

It’s that time again: Election Week. At the end of every semester, the student body receives a barrage of messages from the ASB candidates desperately hoping to win their election. So far, this election has been no different. Candidates were permitted to begin campaigning during lunch on Tuesday and wasted no time spreading the word. By the end of lunch, the library, as well as many other parts of the school, had been redecorated with candidates’ posters. Throughout the week, I, like the rest of the student body, weathered a steady assault of text messages and Facebook notifications begging me to vote for a particular candidate.

At first, the rush of messages and notifications made me feel special, until I opened them. My peers were reaching out to me simply for my vote, not because I was suddenly popular, a humbling rollercoaster for the ego. It only makes sense for students to be annoyed during election time and wonder: why the excessiveness?

At the same time, the former ASB freshman commissioner in me completely understands the candidates’ commotion. Having participated in an election myself, I am aware of just how crucial a victory

is. Indeed, once upon a time I was the one frantically sending out messages and promoting myself in the hallways. You may have just lost some respect for me, but consider this: imagine having to compete every semester for a seat in a class you thoroughly enjoy. Naturally, you would do everything in your power to return. By the same token, losing an election leaves candidates with the uncertainty that they may not be appointed as commissioners and essentially kicked out of their beloved class.

Aside from the thrill of competition and the consequences, elections are typically an indication of one’s popularity. Let’s face it: what teenager doesn’t like feeling popular? The concept may sound unethical, but the truth is that the candidate with the most friends usually wins, as does a politician with the most loyal constituents.

In most cases, students will vote for their friends or whomever they feel closest to. Candidates can send me messages all week long and approach me as though we have been best friends since preschool, but when I cast my ballot, I will vote for my buddies. In the end, voters are not swayed by the campaigning of election week, but by the relationships they have established with candidates in the months or years preceding the election.

Friends,Benjamin Hannani

Feature Editor

“As [student body] president I’m looking forward to improving school spirit and building on a strong first semester.”

Andrew Schwab

“As vice president this semes-ter my goal is to make Beverly as fun as possible and build on all of ASB’s past achievements.”

Steven Neman

“As student board member, I want to promote more events on the front lawn and help increase our school spirit.”

Lucy Licht

“I look forward to continuing my work as head row secretary this semester. My motto continues to always do a student body good.”

Anton Saleh

and only friends,lend me your ears

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January 20, 2012Highlights 11winter spirit

1. Junior Talia Gergely performs in a self-choreo-graphed piece for Dance Company 2. Junior Nathan Bahk pins senior Julian Jackson as senior Dylan Lo-jac commentates in wrestling’s skit 3. Boys’ basketball demonstrates pre-game pump-up techniques 4. Var-sity cheer offers an excerpt from their award-winning routine 5. Sophomore Jazz Anderson lauds girls’ bas-ketball in a rap as senior Tiffany Yadegar rides around on a crutch 6. Sophomore Phin Bauer rips his shirt to demonstrate his masculinity as the boys’ soccer team gazes on. You must be wondering why senior Tyler Neman is wearing a suit. 7. Senior Celeste Bean is transformed into Celesbo, a menace to junior April Banayan in girls’ water polo’s skit.

Photos courtesy of ANNA KHANANASHVILI

Spirit assembly advertises winter sports teams

Arman ZadehStaff Writer

Benjamin HannaniFeature Editor

Beverly’s cheer team assembles at Nationals at NCA. Photo courtesy of MIKI MIHARA

Striker Ashley Aviram strides to make an offensive attack. OLIVER GALLOP

Boys’ soccer perseveres Girls’ basketball rhythm

Girls’ soccer undefeated in league play so far

Cheer competes at Nationals in Dallas, Texas

Chanan BatraStaff Writer

Shannon ToobiStaff Writer

January 20, 2012sportsHighlights12

Last week, girls’ varsity soccer played and defeated Morningside and Hawthorne 8-0 and 5-0, respectively.

Striker Ashley Aviram scored a combined four goals in the two games.

“We were a little messy in both games, but we pulled through when it counted,” Aviram said. “The forwards have been scoring in bunches lately, and our midfielders and defenders are doing a great job of holding teams scoreless.”

Other players who scored include forwards Tylor Fields, Dinah Pourbaba and Jessica Karpiak, as well as midfielders Tiffany Moore and Kaela Reisfelt.

The wins against Morningside and Hawthorne put Beverly’s league record at 2-0. Defender Ashley Geilim credits Beverly’s success to the depth of the team.

“Kaela [Reisfelt] really dominates the midfield and Ashley [Aviram] and Tylor [Fields] have been scoring a lot of goals for

us,” Geilim said. “Dinah [Pourbaba] and Lauren [Kurtz] are freshmen who have really stepped up and played well for us as well.”

Aviram currently has 16 goals this season, ten shy of Beverly’s single season record of 26. With seven games remaining, Aviram is confident she can break the school record.

“There are still seven games remaining so I feel like I have enough time to break the record,” Aviram said. “It’s not the biggest focus for me though. I just want to continue to help the team win.”

Players were certain that their game against Samo would not be an easy one. Prior to the game against Samo, Geilim stressed the importance of staying focused for the remainder of the season.

“Getting these two wins was nice, but now all of our focus is on Samo,” Geilim said. “We were pretty sloppy our last couple games, so we will definitely need to work on that.”

Beverly played Samo on Wednesday, Jan. 18 and were on the winning end of a 2-1 final score in double overtime.

Over the past week, the Normans have improved their record to 6-4-6, placing the team at third place in Ocean League, behind rivals Santa Monica and Hawthorne.

On Jan. 6, the team fell to Redondo Union in a non-league game, 2-1.

Midfielder Cole Offer scored a crucial goal late in the second half, tying the game 1-1. Redondo, though, scored the tie-breaking goal off a penalty kick in the 78th minute.

The team next faced Hawthorne, where they tied the game 2-2. Striker Nick Marmureanu scored both of Beverly’s goals. Striker Angel Jaramillo and defender Golan Korshidi led the team with nine steals each. Jaramillo and Offer each had one assist.

Jaramillo currently leads the team with 59 steals for the season.

The Normans next faced and defeated Morningside, with a score of 3-0.

Jaramillo, Marmureanu and striker Gefen Laredo all scored for Beverly, each with one goal. Defender Tyler Neman, midfielder Harry Georgiou and Jacob Price each contributed one assist.

Midfielder Phinneas Bauer believes that with the Normans suffering from multiple injuries, the team needs to stay more careful

on and off the field. “The team is very injury prone, whether

it’s a muscle pull or a bruised bone. We hope it won’t affect our team for much longer,” Bauer said.

Midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez, who suffered from a torn meniscus during the team’s first game on Nov. 22, will remain sidelined for the remainder of the season along with defender Josh Horowitz who was injured on Jan. 4 in the team’s game against Brentwood.

Horowitz underwent surgery last Thursday to heal a broken femur and displaced patella.

Offer recently suffered from a concussion but has recovered and is now clear to play after missing a few games.

Captain Elijah Lichtenberg believes the team will definitely suffer as a result of these injuries, but is confident in their ability to play through them.

“As long as we keep filling the gaps of players with other team members who can play those positions I believe that we will be just fine,” Lichtenberg said.

The team next faced rival Samo on Jan. 18. The match resulted in a tie of 2-2 in overtime.

Laredo and Jaramillo scored the team’s two goals. Lichtenberg and striker Caio Carvalho led the team with six steals each. Goalkeeper Adrian Spitz led with five goals.

For the second time in Beverly history, the cheer team qualified for Nationals in Dallas, Texas. The team originally qualified for Nationals last summer at the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) Cheer Camp at UCLA, when it won first place in both the champion chant and day routine. In order to prepare for the January competition, the team began learning their routine in October with intense nine hour weekend practices in the midst of balancing football season, in addition to extended practices during the week.

“We learned our routine in October and drilled it until we left in January” Cheer Captain Bridget Abajian said.

The team’s hard work paid off at Sharp, a cheer competition on Dec. 17, in which the results secured hopes of success at Nationals. Within the high school cheerleading division’s 15 competing teams, Beverly won the most points for their routine. Winning first in their division, best team overall, most spirited and number one stunt group brought confidence to team members, although they remained

anxious of what to expect at Nationals. “The competition helped get the kinks out

of our routine, but it ended up being nothing near as intense as Nationals,” Abajian said.

With two-a-day practices all week leading up to the team’s departure for Dallas on Friday, Jan. 6th, the team was ready to perform their routine on Saturday and Sunday. Beverly won 6th place in the nation out of 18 competing teams within their division.

“Being able to attend NCA nationals in Dallas this year was a huge privilege. The teams that beat us have been to Nationals for multiple consecutive years, and Beverly had not gone in about seven years, so it was a great accomplishment. We all proved to ourselves that we are better than we ever thought,” co-captain Kayla Countryman said.

Cheerleading coach Hila Davidi shared similar sentiments regarding the team’s victory.

“The cheerleaders have put so much effort into preparing for this competition. By placing 6th in the nation they broke the previous school record. It was my honor and pleasure to coach such a dedicated and skilled team.”

After starting the season with a dismal four game losing streak, the varsity girls’ basketball team has managed to find a rhythm. The team opened the new year with a 63-38 win at St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 4.

“The team has preformed better than before yet needs to get stronger in key areas that are giving the games away such as free throws and defense,” forward Dorsa Mehrannia said.

Free throws and defense would be the Normans’ weaknesses in their 60-42 loss against Morningside. The team’s defensive trap kept it within striking distance, but was ultimately not enough to prevent the loss.

“We’ve been working better as a team…We were not able to guard their posts [efficiently] near the basket which put us to a disadvantage,” guard Megan Yee said. “It seems a constant theme in our games is our low free throw percentage which can really determine the game. However, we competed well on the defensive end.”

The team subsequently redeemed itself with two consecutive victories. The squad thrashed Morningside in a 51-14 home win. Led by exceptional offensive play from Natasha Allen, the Normans scored at will. The easy defeat was followed up with a nail-biting 60-

58 home victory against Archer. While the team struggled to stop the opposition’s fast break, effective execution on the defensive end proved to be just enough.

“We played really hard,” Yee said. “Our momentum slowed towards the end but we kept up our winning score. We just kept up our determination to win.”

With less than a month remaining in the season, the Normans will have to step up their level of play if they hope to qualify for CIF. Despite their current third rank in Ocean League play, Mehrannia is confident the team will make the postseason. However, she believes the squad must improve to close the season and achieve their goals.

“I believe the team can still make it to CIF,” Mehrannia said. “We have to hustle and work through the toughness because it will pay off in the end.”

Overall, Mehrannia is happy with the team’s progress throughout the season.

“[We] have improved in our defense and knowing our assignments,” Mehrannia said. “We have also improved in becoming more comfortable on the court and transitioning better from offense to defense.”

Most recently, the team matched Samo, but unfortunately could not triumph. The final score was 69-48.

Main Ingredient(s):Dextroamphetamine

What it’s prescribed for: ADHD, narcolepsy, long missions

for U.S. Air Force pilots

Short-Term Side Effects: Restlessness, headache,

hyperthermia

Long-Term Side Effects: Stroke, sudden death in patients with heart conditions, psychosis, bipolar disorder, blood pressure

increase

Characteristics: Highly addictive, much stronger than most ADHD medications

6 7centerfoldHighlights January 20, 2012

ADDERALLMain Ingredient(s): Dextroamphetamine, Levoamphetamine

What it’s prescribed for: ADHD, narcolepsy

Short-Term Side Effects: Loss of appetite, abdominal pain, insomnia, mood swings

Long-Term Side Effects: Eating disorders, increased

blood pressure

Characteristics: Abuse is extremely common, most commonly used “study-

drug”

“To be honest I really wouldn’t recommend [study drugs],” Suber said. “You are better able to study for longer periods of time, but kids do not know how their bodies will react to the meds. No one should take any prescribed medication without actually [needing] it.”

Psychology teacher Dr. Wolfe offered his thoughts on the subject of prescription drug abuse.

“The use of prescription medications to change a person’s mood is an epidemic in our country,” Wolfe said. “The withdrawals from such substances are severe and include panic attacks, hyperventilation and sometimes convulsions. Just because the medication is prescribed does not mean it is safe.”

Wolfe believes that people abuse prescription drugs for multiple reasons.

“People take substances for a variety of reasons, including experimentation, social pressure and stress. Social pressure is a predominant reason for experimenting with substances,” Wolfe said.

Senior Alexandra Marvizi, on the other hand, believes that peer pressure is not the major reason for teen drug use.

“[Teens] take these drugs because they see them as problem solvers. They are not pressured [by their peers], but see positive results other people have had [with these drugs], and they try out [medications] for themselves,” Marvizi said. “They want to be successful and get good grades, so they resort to prescription drugs because they are afraid of failing.”

The question remains over how students can succeed in school or go through their day without abusing dangerous drugs. According to Marvizi, students must learn to effectively prioritize their schoolwork over other activities instead of relying on drugs like Adderall to help them study. Wolfe proposed another an answer to this dilemma.

“There are many natural ways to minimize stress, including plenty of sleep, good nutrition, exercise and meditation,” Wolfe said.

While study drugs may seem attractive from the outset, students should take into account the risks of abusing drugs not intended for them. More importantly, taking prescribed drugs without a valid prescription is illegal, and teens should recognize that taking any kind of drug just once can lead to a cycle of irreversible consequences.

(ADD)icted to Success

RITALINMain Ingredient(s):

Methylphenidate

What it’s prescribed for: ADHD, narcolepsy

Short-Term Side Effects: insomnia, anxiety, dizziness,

fever

Long-Term Side Effects: Addiction

Characteristics: Commonly abused, abusers

become obedient and develop a need for activity

CONCERTAMain Ingredient(s):

Methylphenidate

What it’s prescribed for:ADHD, narcolepsy

Short-Term Side Effects:Headache, decreased appetite,

insomnia

Long-Term Side Effects:Addiction and/or dependence,

kidney damage, seizures

Characteristics: Extremely addictive, severe

withdrawal symptoms such as depression and sudden weight

gain may occur

STRATTERAMain Ingredient(s):

Atomoxetine

What it’s prescribed for: ADHD

Short Term Side Effects: Mild depression, dry mouth,

dizziness

Long Term Side Effects: Increased blood pressure,

psychosis, liver damage, sudden death in patients with pre-existing heart conditions

Characteristics: Less prone to abuse in

comparison to other drugs

VYVANSEMain Ingredient(s): Lisdexamphetamine

What it’s prescribed for: ADHD

Short-Term Side Effects: Dizziness, headache, insomnia,

anxiety

Long-Term Side Effects: Stroke, sudden death in

patients with pre-existing heart conditions, bipolar disorder,

seizures

Characteristics: Used predominantly in children

aged 6-12

DEXEDRINE

Information compiled from www.fcla.gov

Despite the unsavory side effects that come along with taking prescription drugs, students are still willing to use them if it will help them achieve better grades in school.

“I have a few friends [using prescription drugs] who had insomnia, staying up all night only to be exhausted during the day,” Suber said. “And when they took [tests], they did poorly because they were so tired and couldn’t focus.”

Suber agreed that although his medication was helpful for him in school, prescription drugs are not for everyone.

“The pill allows me to focus on what I am doing, lowers my energy level and slows down my thought processes,” Suber said. “[It] allows me to focus on my classwork, become interested in the conversations in class and do my homework and studying more efficiently. “

However, Suber does not take the medication every day because of the “de-appetizing” effect it has on him.

Growing trend in “study drugs” sweeps school“If I take the pill every day, I could lose

five pounds if I don’t force myself to eat. My neurologist says that there has yet to be a pill that allows you to maintain your appetite,” Suber said. “I’ve taken Concerta, but it caused depression for me, so I had to take anti-depressants like Wellbutrin.”

Additional side effects that Suber experiences from his medication are erratic shoulder tics and increased agitation. Common side effects of stimulant drugs are stomach pains, insomnia, headaches and anxiety.

Staff WriterSarit Kashanian

Lilia Abecassis

AJ PARRY

Do you think that there is enough awareness at school about the con-sequences of abusing prescription drugs?

ADHD has become an increasingly popular diagnosis of “hyperactive” or “distracted” students in America in recent years. Why do you think this has become a norm throughout the country? Paranoid parents? Poor diagnosis? Prescription drug companies?

What we really have to look at is that in some cases, ADHD is over-diagnosed. However, it’s a disorder both over-diagnosed in some communities, those with children in high

socio-economic areas, and under-diagnosed in others, those with children in lower socio-economic areas.

As high school students, we usually see the use of drugs used to deal with attention deficit and hyperactivity in relatively young people. In your experience, have you found that younger people possess certain characteristics of these disorders more than older people? If so, do children grow out of the typical characteristics

associated with ADHD?

Actually, by definition the symptoms have to develop before age five. There is only a small percentage of people that actually outgrow the disorder. It is not unusual to see more kids with the disorder than adolescents and adults. Many people with the disorder eventually

lose the “H” part, or the hyperactivity, but can still suffer from the impulsivity and inattention. If a college student were to present symptoms of ADHD for the first time, to make the diagnosis he or she must get historical information that shows they were

actually suffering since early years.

If attention deficit is as detrimental as it seems to be, are there any other alternatives to taking prescription drugs you would suggest? If so, what are they?

I don’t think that attention deficit treatment is a negative. There is pretty good evidence that those treated with stimulants have a decreased chance of developing drug abuse later in life than those with ADHD that do not get stimulant treatment. However, other treatments in addition to medication can be very helpful. Treating any disorder that is commonly found

with attention deficit, like learning disabilities, mood disorders, etc. actually needs treatment in addition to the standard treatment.

After being part of an incredibly successful reform in patient care and heading the psychiatry department at UCLA, do you think that prescribed drugs for Attention Deficit Disorders are harmful to a patient’s well being? Would you recommend using Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse or any other stimulants used for ADHD?

I don’t think that the medications are normally harmful. Of course the medications can be misused. All of those listed are stimulant medications where there is very good

evidence to show that they helped with the core symptoms of ADHD: impulsivity, decreased attention and hyperactivity. I would recommend for patients, their families and their doctors to make this specific decision about which one of those to choose, and that,

often times, is based on side effects or other coordinating disorders.

Sitting Down With Dr. David FeinbergPresident, UCLA Health System

Chief Executive Officer, UCLA Hospital System AssociateVice Chancellor, UCLA Health Sciences

Vincent Brock

[continued from page 1]

Have you taken attention deficit medication?

If so, what have you taken?

Have you been offered any of these drugs without a prescription?

Do you know anyone who abuses these drugs?

150 students were anonymously polled on campus on Nov. 29, 2011