Vol. 59 No. 04 www.bcomber.org TheBeachwood High SchoolBeachcomber 25100 Fairmount Boulevard Beachwood, Ohio April 4, 2018 Students and Staff Walk Out to End Gun Violence School safety issue strikes home with March 13 threat called to BMS; Beachwood students attend March 24 rally By Chad Baker don’t agree with current gun additional reporting laws.” junior Scott Newkirk by Beachcomber staff said. “It was really moving and Beachwood students will [hopefully] catch the at- from the high school and tention of the government,” middle school joined stu- junior Matthew Hardy said. dents across the country on The walkout lasted 17 min- Wednesday, March 14 in a utes to honor the 17 lives walkout to raise awareness lost. Students and staff who for victims of gun violence. attended were silent for 17 The walkout was motivated seconds, and 17 helium-filled in particular by the Marjory balloons were launched into Stoneman Douglas High the air. School shooting in Parkland, In spite of severe weather, Florida on Feb. 14, and by a large crowd gathered by the the proliferation of guns and stadium and remained until gun violence in the United the protest was over. States. Many expressed particular “It was a good way to get concern about the Feb. 14 in- our voices out and prove that cident in Parkland, Florida, students across the nation by the perpetrator’s access to guns, and by the way that it was handled by officials. Inside This Issue... Beachwood school offi- cials supported the walkout, which was incorporated into the daily schedule. C.J. Piro, Beachwood Police Officer and Director of Secu- rity for Beachwood Schools, and Assistant Principal Ryan Patti both supported the walkout, and expressed concern about the Parkland shooting. March for “It’s everyone’s worst night- Pg.2 Our Lives mare,” Piro said. “Police officers run drills ev- ery day to prepare for attacks like these for a reason,” As- sistant Principal Ryan Patti said. Many students and staff are concerned about the proliferation of guns. Freshman Rachel Cohen displays the sign she made for the March 14 walkout. Continued on Pg. 2 Photo by Carrington Peavy Beachwood’s StuCo Exec Board Elected For 2018-19 School Year Pg.4 Art Shows Junior Jing-Jing Shen, move forward as a school.” By Prerna Mukherjee who has been President of The Executive Board of- News Editor the Class of 2019 for the ficers focus on projects for Student Council’s Execu- past two years, hopes to ex- the school as a whole. tive Board elections were tend her work to the entire “The classes focus on held on Friday, Feb. 23. school as Executive Presi- community service and Junior Jing-Jing Shen dent. raising money for their was elected President, Shen would like to see prom,” Alexander said. “The along with Sydney Leikin as new community service Exec. Board usually works Executive Vice President, opportunities for students on bigger community ser- sophomore Lena Leland as and offer more activities at vice projects, and…[provid- Vice President, sophomore school dances. ing] more snacks at a dance One Bison Joelle Rosenthal as Sec- “Right now we have a or better decorations…” Campaign retary and freshman Amy lot of great ideas, but we Alexander explained that Pg.6 & Diversity Chen as Treasurer. haven’t put them all into to run for Student Council, Summit Student Council adviser place,” she said. students must attend in- Craig Alexander explained Shen added that her ex- formational meetings and that class officer elections perience as Class President collect signatures. Students will take place in late April, has prepared her for the running for class officers and class representative position of Executive Board must get fifty signatures elections will most likely President. from members of their take place in May. “I believe that I have a class, and students running Alexander added that drive and a passion for this for Executive Board must this year’s season has been – I really loved and was hon- get seventy-five signatures exciting. ored by the chance to rep- across 9th, 10th and 11th “A lot of people seem to resent my fellow students, graders. be interested in Student my friends, my classmates To run for Executive Board, Council, a lot of people [as Class President] …and I students may also run for Drama seem to be interested in think that when I bring [my class officer positions. Pg.9 Club’s Fame! making a difference at the previous experience] to the “Executive Board mem- high school and it seems to table as Executive Board bers can run for Exec. be a very diverse group,” he President, it shows a lot of Board, lose, and then filter Student Council Exec Board President-Elect Jing-Jing Shen said. “It’ll be a very compet- potential, and I have a lot of addressed the student body at the presentation of candidates itive year, which is good.” great ideas as to how we can Continued on Pg. 3 on Friday, Feb. 23. Photo by Jemiah Richardson News THE BEACHCOMBER 2 GSA Presents on LGBT Culture, History and Experiences group that’s leading By Vivian Li this.” News Editor The GSA presenta- tions provide opportu- The Gender Sexual- nities to raise commu- ity Alliance (GSA) held nity awareness on LGBT a presentation about issues. LGBT history in the mil- “At this point, we just itary in English teacher need to know more,” Casey Matthews’ room Lerner said. “When you on Feb. 21. know better, you do bet- The presentation was ter, and so I think that given by freshman Em- these presentations ily Isaacson and sopho- will help us know more more Mirabelle Wooley about LGBT history and and was the second in hopefully if we entice an ongoing series of people to come [then] talks on LGBT history. other people will also According to Wooley, learn more.” the purpose of the pre- Lerner thinks that sentation was to shed Beachwood is getting light on the history of better around LGBT is- the LGBT community sues. as well as the struggles “People seem more that LGBT people went accepting, and we hear through. fewer slurs in the hall- “[We wanted to] edu- way and in public spaces cate people on a topic than we did five years that not a lot of them ago,” he said. know about,” Isaacson However, according to said. “Everybody was Isaacson, there is still involved in history. room for improvement. Even if they were in “I think that there are Sophomore Channah Creve, freshman Emily Isaacson and sophomore Mirabelle Wooley at the first presentation the background, even different groups at BHS Photo by Jacob Borison if they weren’t the fore- and some are a lot more most figure … they were tolerant than others,” slurs against gay people. off their chest, and no “I’ve seen them be- more about how to in- there.” she said. “There are the “They need to be ac- one will talk about it come more understand- teract with other people Each presentation activists, the people that cepting of people no outside of the room.” ing and accepting of in the world is a useful topic comes from stu- maybe don’t really care matter how difficult it “It’s very open to the themselves and oth- skill.” dents about subjects as much, and the people might be,” Wooley said. whole community,” Le- ers through what we’ve “There’s a lot of di- that they wanted to that still sometimes use “It’s really all about not rner said. “It’s a space done,” he said. versity in the world learn more about. offensive language in being demeaning and where you can talk about GSA can also help edu- and there’s no way you The first presenta- the hallways.” hurtful because of some- things that you don’t cate those outside of the know what it’s like tion, on Feb. 7, focused “I think that the stu- one’s sexuality.” feel like you can talk LGBT spectrum. to be all these differ- on Gay Culture in the dents here could make Wooley encourages about in other places. In “[GSA] isn’t just for ent types of people, so 1920s. themselves a little more students to come to GSA GSA, you know people people who are lesbian, sometimes you have to “It’s the students who aware of gender and sex- meetings. are going to listen to gay, bisexual or trans- listen to those people,” are [deciding what top- uality issues,” she added. “[GSA] gives a lot of in- you and respond to you gender themselves,” Le- he added. ics to cover],” physics Wooley thinks that in sight on LGBT struggles around these issues.” rner said. “It’s also for Another GSA presen- teacher Michael Lerner order for people to be and triumphs,” Wooley Lerner has seen GSA people who have friends tation, titled “Looking said. “It’s one of those more accepting, there said. “It’s also a great make a positive influ- or family who are LGBT, into the Closet”, took clubs where no adult needs to be fewer hate- outlet for people to just ence on the students in- and that’s basically ev- place on Wednesday, is leading this; it’s the ful things said, such as talk and get something volved. erybody…Knowing Mar. 7. Walkout continued from Pg. 1 “Gun control is an issue right now, and having strict- er policies would decrease the chance of school shoot- ings,” junior Ryan Jaffe said. “It should definitely be tougher to obtain assault rifles,” Piro said.