Where a Man Stands
-
Upload
beverlyhillsweekly -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
Transcript of Where a Man Stands
8/10/2019 Where a Man Stands
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/where-a-man-stands 1/3
Issue November 13, 2014 - November 19, 2014
briefs Bosse and Gold
file re-election papers Page 4
briefs Land to not seek re-election;
Prang has yet to resign Page 5
briefs Cole to serve sev
years in a Missouri prison Page
Where a Man StandsBeverly High Principal Carter Paysinger and formerBoard of Education member Steven Fenton on their
recently released memoir
8/10/2019 Where a Man Stands
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/where-a-man-stands 2/3
Page 8 Beverly Hills Weekly
coverstory
WHERE A MAN STANDS By Nancy Yeang
The subhead of the book, “the true story
of an unlikely leader and an unlikely
friendship,” what does that mean?
At the time that I was in Los Angeles it was
just called Los Angeles. Since I was a kid, it
Los Angeles.
As a student, coming from my neighbor-
hood into Beverly Hills was unlikely, but it
happened. Being a leader, not just attending
the school or coming to work at the school,but being a leader at Beverly High is consid-
ered to be unlikely.
races, different religions, different economic
share the same set of values, morals and eth-
stronger together than apart.
-
oped great relationships with many families in
the city. Steven and the Fentons were one of
the first families that I’ve established a great
relationship with.
But that friendship [and] the fact that it was
unlikely for me to attend school at Beverly
Hills, or even work here in Beverly Hills,lends to that subtitle.
Why did you want to write the book,
and why did you want to write the book
together?
STEVEN: The idea for the book came
from our agent, Lacy Lynch [who is a senior
literary agent and TV/Film representative at
Dupree/Miller & Associates.] They represent
a lot of people in the inspirational space [like
Tony Robbins, Maria Shriver, Joel Osteen,
think that’s why they responded so favorably
to our story.
[Lynch] asked me if I would be interested
-
thing they asked us if we would write thistogether.
really don’t have the time to do that.” I really
wasn’t interested in it at first but then thought
about it and agreed to do it.
Carter, when you first went to Beverly
High you said you had “one foot in the
door and one foot in the hood.” Was there
ever a moment in Beverly High when you
felt like you could be who you are?
of who I am.
In Beverly Hills, I had great friendships
when I was a student here. I didn’t try to pre-
I was in the neighborhood that I grew up in,
I felt that I had great relationships there and I
was being me there as well.
The only thing was that I just kept my two
worlds separate. I very rarely had my friends
from my neighborhood join me and come with
me to any functions in Beverly Hills and vice
versa.
Tell us about how the both of you met.
heard quite a bit about him from my brother
Gary who was a junior at the time. My brother
used to film all the football games and was a
member of the baseball team. He spoke very
[Fenton]. He was a School Board member and
I was a young teacher and coach. Frank and I
had a good, pleasant relationship
team and we had a number of kids that were
trying out. I noticed right away that he was thesmallest kid out there trying out.
STEVEN: I think I was about 5’ 1”, barely
100 pounds. I had just finished playing junior
varsity soccer and before that freshman foot-
ball.
most intense and determined kid out there
and he reminded me of myself, because when
I came to Beverly I was one of the smallest
kids trying out for the baseball team. I knew
I had to impress the coaches and everyone
around, and I wanted everyone to know that I
belonged on the baseball team. That’s exactly
what I saw in Steven. He just stood out to me
right away.
second baseman and I was a second baseman.
He could play and I felt
like I could play, but
because of our size and
not knowing anyone, I
thought it was impor-tant for me to really
show what I could do
and I got that same
feeling form watching
Steven.
Steven, did you make
a point to introduce
yourself so directly to
Carter since you’ve
heard about him
before?
STEVEN: I did. I
went up and introduced
myself to him right
away at the beginning
of tryouts.I had the great for-
as my coach all four
years that I was a base-
ball player at Beverly.
What about when the
both of you reunited?
STEVEN: Right out
of college, I started my
Agency. I led a very fast life in the entertain-
ment industry. The faster I ran the further
how destabilizing that was for me.
For many years in my 20s and into my 30s, Iwould go over to Beverly [High]. That was my
was around, I would lie down at my position
at second base. Looking for a sign, looking
for strength, trying to reconnect again to my
former life.
I was in a very bad place in my life during
my mid 30s. Like so many nights in the past
I drove to Beverly [High]. I got out of my car
was open. I decided to walk through
graduated, [the football team and I
out in the football field [and] we we
into the locker room.
STEVEN: All of a sudden I start
the clicking and clacking of cleat
my head up
were two kid
ball uniform
towards me.
suddenly turnright to go int
locker room.
hallway that
the locker ro
just kind of
there, and I
guy walkin
me. [He] lo
he could hav
parent, but
he got to m
nized immed
he was.
appeared fro
[the kids]. Thright in front
turns out it
time of a foot
I put my arm
him and gave
felt like the
lifetime.
excited to see [Steven]. He was o
favorite. It was like we hadn’t lost to
like nothing had ever changed.
Carter, in the book you wrote, “T
would be times I would be judgedappearance and not the content o
character. Sometimes it would be
and easy to forget – like hearing t
of a car door locking as I walk by
sometimes it would be more diffic
shrug off.” Do you still feel the sa
and not just in Beverly Hills. I w
to feel that these types of issues a
issues, not my problem. I just hap
who I am.
You refer to what your mom told
“It’s not enough for you to be as
everybody else, you have to be be
them,” several times throughout t
that you could possibly be.” My mo
instilled that philosophy into our ent
be better than the person that you’r
ing against, regardless of what it’s f
it is you choose to do, you be the ab
at it.”
most of my younger life growing upSteven Fenton, Carter and Karen Paysinger, and Leeza Gibbons
“My parents really followed Martin Luther
King Jr. and that wasone of the things thatthey would preach:
“Be the best that youcould possibly be.” Mymom and dad instilledthat philosophy into
our entire family. It’snot good enough to be good. You have to be
better than the personthat you’re competingagainst, regardless of
what it’s for” – Beverly High
Principal Carter
Paysinger
8/10/2019 Where a Man Stands
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/where-a-man-stands 3/3
November 13-November 19, 2014 Pa
nd it just fed right into that culture.
e book you wrote, “We’re working
utts off because our work is
rtant. But what if Beverly isn’t the
school anymore? What if it’s turning
omething else altogether?” In what
did Beverly High change?
EVEN: During those days it was very
ult for people to get promoted from
n. I don’t think they put a premium on
nuity, hard work or loyalty.
turnover in leadership. Superintendents
coming and going, district office person-
oming and going, and then some of my
ors were leaving and that was really con-
Douglas – they were all retiring or seek-
her employment.
ese were guys that I looked up to when
a student here, and they were teachers.
[I came] back to work with them and
became my mentors. After a while, I’m
g these guys leave one at a time. Leaving
se of the change in the direction, the
e in leadership. I wasn’t sure what
strict’s goals were anymore. I thought,
e?”at’s when I paid more attention to what
oing on and I needed to look at all of my
ns at the time.
EVEN: There was very little continu-
ft in the school district. Experienced
e were not longer rewarded for sticking
-
everly.”
do you think that this was
ening?
osophy of doing away with the old and
starting new. I don’t think anyone wanted to
even start by trying to connect the old with the
new. For me, that was like trying to reinvent
and to just severe ties with the old and to start
brand new was probably not the best way to
go. I was a witness to all of it.
STEVEN: The school district was going
through an identity crisis for a very long time.
To put it in baseball terms, if you’re a hitter
and experiencing a slump, you’re probably
going to change your stance, your swing,
to end that slump. I think the school district
had tired so many different ways to end their
slump that the district didn’t know who it was
anymore. There was very little institutional
knowledge left.
Given the recent “Program Improvement”
developments, do you feel it’s on the right
track?
high schools, not only in our state, but in the
county.
STEVEN: This is the responsibility of the
Board of Education. As [Board member]
with the Board of Education.” Maybe there
-nation for the school boards.
Steven, you originally wanted to run form
the City Council, and then changed your
mind to run for the Board of Education
2007. Why?
STEVEN: My original goal was to run for
my dad’s seat on the city council. After doing
research on the district, I felt I could be more
impactful as a member of the school board. I
had a vision for how to get the district back
on track.
Carter, you wrote
that you dad said,
“But in California
some people will
smile at you and
pretend they like
you, and all along
they have a white
sheet in their
closet.” How did
you feel when the
people you thought
would supportyou in becoming a
principal didn’t?
disappointed during
Steven and I first
talked about this,
I told Steven that I
didn’t think it would
be easy. I thought
that there would be
some opposition to
me becoming the
principal. I didn’t
think Steven really
understood that, but
it turned out thatthe both of us didn’t
understand the depth
of the opposition.
I think the major-
ity of the people that
didn’t speak on my
behalf were quietly
supportive. I hav some great relationships in
the city of Beverly Hills with many families
and I think that the support had been there all
along.
It’s much easier, especially with issues that
are controversial, to stay neutral, and you
can stay neut
by not sayi
anything. I thi
that that was t
case. I think th
it was safeter
people to su
port me silen
than to decl
one way or t
other.
The book endwith Steven’s
marriage to
Leeza Gibbo
and Carter’s
achievements
as Beverly
High Princip
and his daily
routine.
What’s next
for the both o
you?
S T E V E N
I’m looking f
ward to servi
my commun
again in tfuture.
I’m driven
continue to wo
as hard as I c
to make sure th
Beverly [Hig
is one of the best high schools in the countr
Also, and I talk about it in the book, m
faith is what helps keep me going. Fami
friends and faith is what I live by.
The book is available on amazon.com andbarnesandnoble.com. Heaven is for Real producer
T.D. Jakes recently acquired film rights to the
memoir.
Steven and Carter will hold a book signing at Porta
Via on Wednesday, November 19 from 5:30 pm to
7:30 pm
k and Snowden release jointeo statement on internalestigation results
ment on November 4 on internal investiga-
esults after the producer was mistakenly
ed in August.
w of the events surrounding Mr. Belk’s
and identified areas that could and should
been handled differently,” Snowden said.
wanted by the FBI and LAPD for a series
nk robberies that took place in the course
er two years.k was in the area of the bank robbery and
misidentified by a witness.
he second subject in the bank was not
ved in the robbery,” according to a state-
te customer whose actions were misinter-
d by the witness.”
undational principles of good basic police
both at the field officer level and the
r must follow up on all leads, verify facts,
and seek to apprehend the guilty while attempt-
ing to exonerate the innocent.”The BHPD acknowledged that they did not
provide a phone call for Belk while he was
detained, and the five-hour period that Belk
was held in custody could have been shortened
if the police department had reviewed video
evidence earlier.
officers have a really tough job to do and I get
the basis for why I was initially stopped,” Belk
to address the issues that followed though from
that stop.”
Belk will produce a training video based on
lessons learned from his experience and make
it available for free to any law enforcement
agency. He will make himself available for
describe the perspectives of an innocent man…
to help further sensitize law enforcement to the
impacts that their actions can have.”
Belk has also raise more awareness for the
records for innocent people, and seek admin-
istrative and legislative changes. He has also
the Description” which will build awareness
and assistance to individuals who are wrong-
fully detained or arrested.
Neuromuscular Disease
Foundation to honor Bendetson
and Sharf The Neuromuscular Disease Foundation
honoring Heidi
B e n d e t s o n
and Stacy
Sharf with the
A d v o c a t e ’ s
Award tonight
at The Beverly
Hills Hotel.
Bendetson
is a board
member at
Beit T’shuvah,
which is a
r e s i d e n t i a lt r e a t m e n t
center and
s y n a g o g u e .
There, she
brought vol-
unteer design-
ers together
to change the
residents’ dor-
mitories into
inviting living
spaces where
they can feel
respected and cared for while healing
Sharf is active with Beit T’shuva DProject and Volunteers of America
Butterfly Village. Both organizations
vate and decorate housing units for h
less female veterans and their childre
for people in recovery.
Bendetson and Sharf founded the
Jewish Genetic Disease Prevention Pr
to screen for specific genetic dise
Over 300 people have been screened s
The goal of LA Jewish Genetic Di
Prevention Project is to provide low
screenings to all Jews of child-bearin
to inform them on their carrier status.
The nonprofit organization, NDF,
founded in 2006 to raise HIBM awar
and help fund for neuromuscular dis
including HIBM, research and treatm
HIBM is a rare genetic disorder that c
the muscle to waste and get .weaker.
The black and white formal attire
will begin at 7:00 p.m. with cocktail
the dinner and program will begin at
pm.
Visit www.ndf-hbm.org/gala to pur
tickets.
--Briefs compiled by Nancy Yeang
Stacy Sharf
Heidi Bendetson
arrests on pa