Stylus Magazine Indesign Template

Spring 2014
Cardinal Gibbons High School
Who Rocked
the Raffle?
insight
Big Sellers’ Secrets
magazine
Gibbons
Go Bragh
Dancer Steps Out
Frozen
for Life
CGHS students face cold
with warm hearts
Prom
Anxiety?
Insight staff preps
Staff Editorial
Prom
Anxiety?
No
Worries
Prom doesn’t have to be stressful. It is supposed
to be the most fun and memorable night of high
school. Being well prepared and organized in
advance will save you a lot of time and aggravation.
• Plan time to look for dresses.
The amazing Cardinal Gibbons High School Dance Team is: Kelly Fuller, Katie Constantini, Jessica Jones, Nicole
Meillarec, Milana Paolillo, Tara Moras, Molly Cappeller and Sheridan Miller.
• Make hair and make up appointments as soon as
possible.
Insight Magazine Staff from front to back: Tara Keimel,
Michael Meillaric, Alessia Ieraci and Marcela Cimarelli.
• Once you have found the perfect dress make sure
you top it off with the perfect shoes and accessories.
• Don’t forget to schedule your manicure and
pedicure!
• Schedule appointments early for custom tailoring
and alterations.
• If you are looking for that “golden glow” make
sure to hit the beach or tanning salon and get rid
of those tan lines.
Prom dates aren’t a necessity. It will be just as fun
with your friends. Take lots of pictures because
pictures last a lifetime. And don’t forget to have a
Great Gatsby time!
Insight Faculty Advisor:
Ms. Marlene Lang
Contributors:
Marissa Hanley, Drew Novak, Brooke Filaski, Claudia Stevens
Editors/Staff Writers:
Marcela Cimarelli, Alessia Ieraci, Tara Keimel, Michael Meillarec
©Insight Magazine
2014 All Rigths Reserved
www.martyfeldmansatprep.com
email: Martyprep@aol.com
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Boca Raton
954-346-9445
561-715-4006
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Profile
Content
Irish Dancer
To Step
Across The Pond
By Marcela Cimarelli
Shoes? Check. Wig? Check. Dress? Check. A flight
to the World Irish Step Championships in London?
Yes. Brittney Hayes, a junior at Gibbons, has finally
made it to Worlds after nine years of hard work.
Flashback to around third grade on Saint Patrick’s
Day: Brittney went to an Irish step performance.
She was fascinated with the coordinator’s daughter’s
performance and decided to go to an Irish dance
school. As she recalled the day, she giggled and
said, “The funny and ironic part is that the daughter
is now my instructor!” She said that her parents are
Irish, but one doesn’t have to be Irish to do the step
dance.
Who Rocked
the Raffle?
14
Frozen for Life
10
3
Staff Editorial
12 SAT Survival Guide
5
Irish Dancer Steps Out
15
6
Physics Afloat
16 Fiction by Marissa Hanley
9
Fish Fry Benefits Kids, Makes Lent Count
17
Movie Review: Frozen 10
CGHS on Cold March for LIfe
18
Silver Knights Rise at Gibbons
11 Dog Hunt: Fiction by Drew Novak
20
CGHS State Wrestling Champs
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Raffle Top Sellers Share Secrets
In Irish step dancing, the dancers’ arms are
pressed to their sides, backs upright, as they perform quick, sophisticated footwork. The dancers use
two shoes. Brittney explained, “Hard shoes are designed with fiberglass in which makes them sound
like tap shoes. Then there are soft shoes which are
similar to ballet shoes.”
The step dance for singles has four sects or a core
of the jig, horn pipe, reel, and slip. Then, Brittney
said, there are four different competitions: the feis,
which is a regular competition, the major, which
is a big competition, the oireachtas, which is a
regional competition, and the world competition,
which is held annually. The competition that Brittney has finally reached is in London on April 16. (No
worries Guidance, she already took the SAT!)
At the regional competition, Brittney completed
three rounds: hard shoes, soft shoes, and a recall
round, where those who have the highest scores
for the first two rounds, compete. She was nominated after being judged by nine different judges, and
placing in the top 13 in her age group of 16 years
old. She had one of the highest percentages.
It’s the
journey
that builds
us.
-Brittney
Hayes
Britnney Hayes, after placing
4th at an oireachtas dance
competition.
Although the Irish dance may be compared to pageantry, Brittney cleared up that misinterpretation.
“I dance five days in a week, two hours daily. To
prepare for a competition, I have to eat right, condition with intense ab and leg workouts, and sometimes we have local events like the Florida Renaissance Festival, which means more hours dancing.”
When asked how she feels to be competing at the
World level, she simply said, “Nervous, because it’s
my first time. But it’s a huge honor to make it there.
I am just lucky to have a spot.”
Heading into her final months as a junior, Brittney
has started thinking about her plans for dance in
the future. “I want to continue to dance,” she explained. “There are colleges where they have clubs
for Irish dancing, so I have been looking into them.”
Brittney’s passion for dancing came out clearly in
the way she described it. “The aspects that I like
most about dancing are the dedication that I put
into it and the friendships that I have made. I’m
happy to see it pay off, finally. I am working hard
for a cause. After completing her sentence, Brittney thought for a moment and concluded by simply
stating what dancing has taught her: “It’s the journey that builds us.”
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Sports
Feature Story
Ready, Set, Row!
Mr. Herrmann’s class sets physics afloat
The boat race was a lot of fun,
By Marcela Cimarelli
Mr. Herrmann’s Physics students of all levels recenlty
competed in a cardboard boat race extravaganza.
The challenge: build a boat that can hold two
people, race in a large pool, and not sink.
Sounds easy? Wait, we forgot one key detail- the
boat can only be constructed out of cardboard and
packing tape.
especially to see how bouyancy and
the laws of physics work in real life.
- Nicole Somerstein
Most of Mr. Herrmann’s physics students worked on
their unique boats for nearly three weeks, though
there was a handful that worked right up to the last
minute.
Whether the student put in numerous hours or just
a few, it came down to the one nerve-wracking
race at the Hall of Fame pool where two students
rowed their arms off to the finish line. Junior Nicole
Somerstein said the cardboard boat race was a lot of
fun. “Especially,” she added, “to see how bouyancy
and the laws of physics work in real life.”
Above: Mr. Herrmann at the Cardboard Boat event, where his
physics students raced cardboard and plastic tape boats, demonstrating the laws of physics at work.
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Above: Junior physics students paddling with handmade cardboard
paddles.
Above: Katie Lanzon paddling away!
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Feature Story
Annual Fish Fry
Makes Lent Count
Kids benefit, get a
chance to catch
a dream
By Alessia Ieraci
The CGHS 3rd annual Fish Fry will
be begin serving up kindness on
March 28 at 6 p.m. when ticket
buyers can help send a child on a
fun fishing trip.
The yearly event benefits CatchA-Dream Foundation, a non-profit
associated with United Special
Sportsmen’s Alliance, known as
the USSA.
USSA is a national, charitable,
non-profit
foundation
that
provides hunting and fishing trips
to children who suffer from lifethreatening illnesses. All of the
money raised at the annual Fish
Fry is donated to the foundation.
The event is also a great way for
CGHS students to earn service
hours. Students are needed as
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food runners, servers, to help
set up, clean, break down, and
sell tickets. Mr. Tim Davis will
help arrange service if students
inquire. The Fish Fry launches on
March 28, a Friday during Lent,
making it a great place to observe
the season with a fish dinner.
“Most people give up something
for Lent. I believe in giving
something,” said Mr. Davis, who
started the annual event three
years ago. He accompanies
disabled children on their fishing
and hunting trips. “It is truly
a pleasure to be a part of and
with (everybody’s) support it can
continue to be a success year
after year.”
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10
for children 8 and under. With
the purchase of a ticket you may
choose to eat fresh Florida fish
Most people give up
something for Lent.
I believe in giving something.
- Mr. Tim Davis
or seafood pasta. There will be
a silent auction with items such
as local fishing and hunting trips,
a culinary night out, and buggy
tours by J & R Outfitters. Also,
50/50 raffle tickets will be sold for
$5 or 5 for $20.
Companies can become corporate
sponsors for $200. Sponsors
receive
two
tickets,
table
advertising, and advertising in
the slide show that will be played.
Any type of donation is a great
help, said Mr. Davis. “It can make
a child’s dream come true.”
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Frozen on the March for Life
Fourteen Cardinal Gibbons
High School students and
chaperones were among the
thousands who thronged
Washington D.C. in January
in the annual March for Life.
The group faced bitter cold
temps of 10 below zero for
the purpose of showing how
much they value human life.
The 14 Chiefs returned
weary but enthused to
balmy Ft. Lauderdale.
Among them was
Claudia Stevens, who
shared with INSIGHT her
experiences
and motivations.
The Only Thing To Consider
Student Fiction
Cover Story
Thousands upon thousands of
people walked both in front of and
behind me and my group, and we
loved it. It was a beautiful sight to
see all those people from all around
the nation, even from Canada and
Russia, come together and stand up
for those who don’t have a voice.
Walking up Capitol Hill, I was
stopped and asked to be
interviewed for why I was there
in the excruciatingly cold weather
in Washington D.C., away from
the warm Florida breeze. My main
response went something like this:
“The weather is just part of D.C.
and on behalf of many people
out here today, I can say that
A reflection by Claudia Stevens
“We are here to focus
The cold wind swept through the D.C.
Mall as the march began. A huge mob
of people marched for those who
cannot speak up for themselves. We
held our signs and chanted to those
who have the power to rewrite the
laws that presume when life begins.
not on the weather
but on the cause.”
the reason for our marching, to
end legalized abortion. The people,
or fetuses, whatever you want to
call them, shouldn’t be just killed
for convenience of oneself. That just
doesn’t seem like a sufficient enough
answer to be able to kill someone.”
I felt like each person, no matter
how different physically, mentally,
and spiritually knew that when we all
walked together and poured out our
concerns for the unborn we were all
somehow one. We were connected
to the same thing that linked each
one of us to the reason for being
there, no matter how cold or how
much snow we had to trek through.
There were people who passed out
signs and stickers for us to hold and
wear as we all marched.
As we continued our march, I felt
it, the Holy Spirit encompassing us
and opening our hearts to those who
need our love and prayers the most:
the children unborn and unable to
ever see God’s Earth. It is sad to
think of those unborn who are not
going to be, for they don’t get to
experience life as we do. Please say
a small prayer when you can; even
that will make a big difference.
Dog Hunt
By Drew Novak
So cold. And so dark. I have no idea how I
managed to sleep. So cold.
It’s difficult to remember how I got out here,
everything is still fuzzy in my memories.
However I do have a small bag that I slept
on, and upon rummaging through it I found
breakfast. A frozen, cracked biscuit I thought
to be a feast.
It was extremely dark, and I had nothing to
do save shiver on the ground and wait for
the sun to pour its rays over the ground. It
felt like forever, and I thought my shivering
would cause an earthquake.
Finally, I decided that I would be able to
find my way home. I remember now, what I
was doing the day before. My father sent me
out to find our dog. He escaped, most likely
in search of food we couldn’t provide him.
I couldn’t find him, but by then it was too
dark for me to find my way back home, and
I slept.
But here I am now, trudging over frozen
ground, headed toward my home. It was
going to snow tonight, I thought to myself.
Better get home quickly. Unfortunately I
had no idea how far away I was from home,
but was sure of my direction. Eventually
I approached the Vine, a river as wide as
a castle (or so I thought), and longer than
anything I knew. Great.
The only good thing about winter, I thought
grumpily, was rivers are frozen, along with
everything else. But normally crossing
the frozen river was suicide, even in the
deepest winter. The Vine, when thawed, is a
thundering force of nature, with waters that
could turn a boat into driftwood in a second
of thoughtlessness.
But I was a boy thinking myself a man, and
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a mere river couldn’t pose a challenge to
the invincible force I was. So I tentatively
stepped onto the ice, pressing for weak
points, searching for where ice is thickest.
Most people never get to experience this,
and for those who never do, here’s what I
have to say about frozen rivers: it’s cold.
There are no trees to deaden the wind,
and out there, the shrieking winds are not
deterred in the least by my precious fur
jacket and leather leggings. It’s almost as if
the wind and river work together, to make
the most deadly combination possible. The
wind tempts you to go as fast as possible, to
escape the howling cold, and the river waits
for a mistake. A deadly, cold mistake.
But not me. I didn’t make a mistake, I
survived. After an endless amount of time
spent looking through slotted eyes to fend
off the cold, searching frantically for a solid
patch of ice to step on.
Wearily I fell onto the bank of the river, with
hardly enough feeling in my body to walk. I
was surprised to see that it was snowing, a
fine, light snow that was more of an irritation
than a hazard. I knew I was close to home,
though, because my family frequently takes
water from it during the warmer months.
So I was trudging through the accumulating
snow, which was creating a blanket of white
that on other days I would have enjoyed.
I can’t be far, I thought. It’s been a while
since my encounter with the Vine, and the
sun is beginning to burn behind the treetops.
I hurried on.
I knew I was home before I even saw the
house. That knowledge came loping towards
me, a big, shaggy, black northern dog so
favored in the area where I live.
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Walking into an SAT testing center is intimidating and stressful.
Fine tuning scores to get into that dream college can feel like a nightmare. Carrying the fragile hope of earning scholarships can drive a person
Before the exam
After the exam
crazy.
The question on most minds is: “How can I get amazing scores?”
The answer to that is: prepare, relax, and don’t give up.
Here are some tips that might help you do your best on the test.
On the day before the exam
On exam day
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Page Design by Drew Novak
Feature Story
Raffle Queen Begins Her Reign
By Tara Keimel
Mrs. Zamora’s freshman homeroom got lucky
this year to have school-wide top seller Kristen
Selbach among them.
Kristen brought in over $5,000, contributing
to the $8,000 total the class brought in.
The reigning Raffle Queen - and Spanish and
Religion teacher - said she was proud to have
such an awesome group of students. When
Kristen brought in the $5,000 worth of tickets,
the rest of the class helped fill in those 500
ticket books with names, addresses and
phone numbers.
An array of food was always present in Mrs.
Zamora’s classroom ranging from gummies
to macaroni and cheese, chocolate bars, to
soups and then some. She didn't use any
tactics on her students to rake in the extra
bucks, she said. The students sold as much as
they could, and that was good enough.
Mrs. Zamora was dubbed the Raffle Queen after her class
out-sold all others during the 2014 raffle at CGHS.
Mrs. Zamora was worried for a few days when
a sophomore class stepped up their game,
but they proved to be no match for Mrs.
Zamora’s freshmen. Any class that challenged
Mrs. Zamora surely couldn't have expected
this. Ms. Lang’s freshman Social Justice class
just so happened to be the victims. Her class
brought in a good share of their goal: $2,200.
On the school wide payoff day Ms. Lang will
be giving Mrs. Zamora’s class a Latin feast!
Big Raffle, Big Money
Top Raffle Sellers Share Secrets
By Michael Meillarec and Alesia Ieraci
Kristen Selbach:
Sold 517 raffle books
Brought in $5,170
Sold mostly to her family and alumni
Her parents and especially her grandfather made a huge donation
because his grandchildren are CGHS students. He loves watching
the school improve.
SECRET: FIND PEOPLE WHO LOVE
OUR SCHOOL AND WANT TO SEE IT
IMPROVE.
Maggie Macek:
Sold 75 raffle books
Brought in $750
Sold to her family, and really wanted to sell them!
SECRET: REALLY WANT TO SELL.
Robert Patterson:
Sold 50 raffle books.
Mom’s co-workers bought a lot, as well as family.
SECRET: ASK FOR HELP.
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Student Fiction
Movie Review
Frozen Flurries to the Top of the Box Office
Why Am I Still Considering?
By Marissa Hanley
I hate having these nightmares, Doc. But,
what can ya do? I wake up every morning
drenched in sweat, bone-tired. It’s been
going on since I was little . . .
Ever since I was four years old; it was a
Saturday. Like most four-year-olds, I had
woken up at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. TV
had nothing but infomercials, and of course
I was bored. So my mind began wandering
. . . Very slowly at first, but soon I was
wishing, hoping for someone to play with.
I started picturing them in the back of
my mind. I would sculpt out their shape,
the timbre of their voice. What began as
an innocent romp into imagination soon
became an obsession. Nearly every minute
of my time was devoted to creating her.
She was an old woman who looked exactly
like my grandma. Even their dresses
looked alike, down to the sackcloth blue
cornflowers.
She had become so real to me, that when
she started talking to me, I just accepted
it. We could go on for hours, talking about
my childhood nonsense. Then one day she
was real. I could touch her, see her, feel
her… But no one else could. She was my
Nana, the ultimate imaginary friend. We
were closer than ever, especially when I
started school. I could come home, throw
myself into her arms and cry my problems
away. By the time I was ten, our bond was
irreversible. Or so I thought.
By Michael Meillarec
I started severing myself away from Nana
at around eleven. When I started at a new
middle school, I actually had the opportunity
to gain friends. The more people I met, the
further aside I shoved Nana. She was still
there of course, nagging at the back of my
mind. “Spend more time with me! I’m here
for you,” she yelled shrilly inside my brain.
By the time I was thirteen, she was gone
completely.
Then, the nightmares began. That shrew of
a woman starred un-abashedly in each one.
She began by standing out in the periphery,
just out of my line of sight. She soon began
hijacking my pleasant dreams too. And
every so often, she would move closer, and
closer, and closer, and closer. Last week was
the closest she had ever been, standing
behind me on the Eiffel Tower.
The sing-a-long film of
the year, “Frozen” shattered
box office records for
highest grossing Disney
film. At over $700 million
internationally, “Frozen” has
surpassed the Lion King and
Finding Nemo in just a few
months. Its soundtrack even
topped Beyoncé’s for most
downloaded album.
But why is it so popular?
Is it the engaging plot?
Is it the catchy musical
score? Is it the realistic
animation? It’s actually all of
these things and more.
Beyond the frozen fractals
and the spectacular songs,
“Frozen” is about a girl
learning to accept herself
for who she is no matter
what other people think
of her. In the end it
focuses on individuality,
trust, and family, which
diverges completely from
Disney’s usual themes of
falling in love and defeating
a poorly motivated evil
villain.
“Frozen” is quintessentially
Disney and yet completely
divergent from anything
they’ve done before. For
example, a princess falls in
love with a prince after two
verses of song and they get
engaged, which is exactly
what Disney always does.
But then another character
says, “You can’t marry a
man you’ve just met,” which
is boarder-line heresy in
Disney. This works out to
combine the basic elements
of a Disney princess movie
and of our modern culture
into something completely
new and original, while
retaining the basic concepts
that make Disney what it is.
And you tell me I brought this on myself? I
made a tulpa or something? B.S. That, that
thing is no tulpa. She’s much worse. All I can
say, Doc, is that I finally feel this profound
relief. So long as I stay awake, I could
be fine. Caffeine and energy drinks have
become my life so far. Like Nana always
told me, “Ya gotta stay alive, alert, awake
and enthusiastic!” Oh God . . . she isn’t
here is she? Don’t tell me she got out. The
articles said that was impossible! They say it
takes years of training! No, She’s still there
. . . still in my head, right? Right?
Oh . . . I wasn’t aware you hired a new
secretary. Kinda funny, you know, she looks
just like my Nana.
Ever write a poem or a story and post it on your blog, and nobody
sees it? Well don’t you fret, because Cardinal Gibbons actually has
an online writing forum called Muse. So if you have a piece of work
To be concluded
you’d like people to see, send it to Parker@cghsfl.org with “For Muse”
in the subject line.
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THE SILVER
KNIGHTS RISE
By Tara Keimel
Amanda Elizabeth Morris
Silver Knight Nominee:
Music and Dance
Project: Amanda collected brand new bikes and spare change. She collected
39 bikes, giving three to Ronald McDonald, 17 to kids in distress, and 19
to hope South Florida. She collected over $1,800 for the hope South Florida
little Christmas houses which provides affordable housing to homeless children and their families. All of this was done for underprivileged children
for Christmas.
Silver Knight Nominee: General Scholarship
Project: Marc organized a conservation project for the Boy Scouts of
America, funding, building, and installing Purple Martin bird houses for
the city of Coral Springs.
James Lee
Victoria Maldonado
Silver Knight Nominee: Business
Silver Knight Nominee: World Languages
Project: James organized the purchase and collection of items to make up care
Project: Victoria collected 1,000 T-shirts and donated them to people living
in favelas (extremely poor neighborhoods) in Brazil.
packages for sailors aboard the USS Leyte Gulf and for Marines in
Afghanistan.
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Marc Michael Vogel
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Congratulations to our
State Wrestling Champions!
From left: Ryan Thomas, Anthony Vazquez, Jamel Morris.
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