BAITLINE - Coral Reef High School
Transcription
BAITLINE - Coral Reef High School
Coral Reef Sr. High School BAITLINE Get Ho ked http://crhs.dadeschools.net/ January 2014 Volume 15 Issue 4 Mama, I’m goin’ to college By: Anaija Lapix With the end of the first half of school quickly approaching, seniors are already receiving letters in the mail with their much anticipated acceptances. You could sense the anxiety from those who had applied early action or early decision or even to schools with rolling admissions. Florida International University and the University of Central Florida were among the schools where acceptances were granted almost every week. Student Government Vice President Ivan Melgar, in the engineering academy, has received his acceptance into FIU, but “My ultimate goal is UF [University of Florida].” His recent acceptance in Florida State University has given him hope that he can reach that goal. However, Florida International University is the school he can afford at the moment, but if he had his way, he would “love to go out of state to California.” Tuition plus room and board are definitely a factor when considering what college to go to. The route that most people plan on taking is to go to Florida International University for the first two years and then transfer out to a Florida 10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157 school such as University of Florida or Florida State University. However, most Florida schools are generally inexpensive to most students who my favorite. My top school is DePaul University in Indiana.” Therefore, it is safe to say that he yearns to travel out of state for his undergraduate career. Brianna Jones, in the legal academy, has stated that “My top three choices are NYU [New York University], Northwestern, and UChicago [University of Chicago].” Besides FIU, the university that has sent her admission is FAMU [Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University]. Jones does not necessarily have a choice to whether she goes out of state or instate, but rather that “[I] prefer to go to a good college with a journalism program,” seeing as that is what she wants to pursue. The New Year has been a tough season for those who applied early to their top schools and to those who applied to Florida State chose to go to college right after high school. University. Those seniors, along with the rest of Jose Araya, a member of the Coral Reef band, has the students, are eagerly waiting for the months recently been accepted into Stetson University of March and April to hear from other schools of which is located in Deland, Florida. Stetson importance. has been around since 1884, but only recently Along with the rest of the senior events has it gained more attention to people applying such as Senior Breakfast and Grad Bash, time due to its comfortable atmosphere and quality is flying by and soon the class of 2014 will be education. moving in to their dorm rooms and starting their Araya reveals that “No, [Stetson is] not lives. Coral Reef FBLA headed to Districts by:Carlos R. Gonzalez Coral Reef FBLA members got ready to go to district competition. There are four different types of competitions: prejudged, testing, skill, and performance. The prejudged competitions included competitions like digital video production, business presentation, business plan, and web site development. These reports, videos, and power points were turned into the district adviser on December 20th. T h e next type of competitions are performance events; which included events like emerging business issues, FBLA returning from Districts with their winnings. public and impromptu speaking, entrepreneurship, parliamentary procedures, and business ethics, among many others. All schools in the district meet at one school to compete. For the last few years South Dade High School has hosted these competitions, but this year Miami Dade College hosted them. So on Jauary 10th the FBLA members competing in this type of events went on a field trip to MDC Kendall Campus. At MDC Kendall Campus each competition was hosted in a different room and usually there are between 2 to 4 judges in each room. “This year we had a misunderstanding with the test dates, our officers, and members were so confused. The dates were changed about three times and they came two weeks earlier than usual. Performance events were January 10th, so our members that were competing in these type of events pretty much had to complete their presentations and reports in less than one week. We are hoping they still place so that they can be improved if they make it to the state level competitions,” said Business junior Julian Lafaurie. E a c h school in the district tested the FBLA members from their chapter which competed in the testing competitive events at their own school through online testing. These events include over 30 different categories ranging from introduction to communications and marketing to sports management and business math. Those competitions took place in rooms 302 and 308 on Wednesday January 15 during second period. Each room has about thirty computers which allow 90 students to take their test online at the same time. The last type of competitions were skill events which included events like word processing I and II, go to FBLA competition -page 11 What’s Inside Senior Activities Our time to enjoy high school - page 4 New Years A new year full of new resolutions, shows and activities - pages 6-7 Thespians Acting Troupe wins big at Districts - page 11 2 Opinions Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 The Truth behind the “N” word - is it ever acceptable? By: Nichelle Cobb The racial term “Nigger” has transformed into the go to word for young people when referring to each other. Many try to justify it by claiming they say “Nigga,” but in reality it’s just the slang version a word that has a racial connotation. African Americans were referred to this word in the slave times and during the civil rights movement when other races considered African Americans inferior to them. There has been a lot of controversy over the word in the media. Dolphin’s player Richie Incognito was suspended on a Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team. Johnathan Martin left the Dolphins on October 28th and claimed that he had been the victim of harassment and bullying by Richie Incognito. Among the evidence that surfaced was a voice mail in which Incognito called the biracial Martin a “half-[n-word]” and vowed to slap Martin’s mother. During the Fox interview, Incognito admitted to leaving that outraged voice mail. This incident has become a major controversy. Even though it was football players’ just playing around the history behind it makes the situation serious. “When I see that voice mail, when I see those words come up across the screen, I’m embarrassed by it,” Incognito told Fox news. “I’m not a racist. And to judge me by that one word is wrong. In no way, shape or form is it ever acceptable for me to use that word, even if it’s friend to friend on a voice mail,” Richie Incognito said. By seeing this whole situation play out in the media it is truly, an eye opening experience. The N-word is a racial word that reflects ignorance. Past leaders such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X fought so that African Americans wouldn’t be referred to by the derogatory term. In today’s music the N-word is thrown around carelessly throughout numerous songs. Rappers today have a major influence in teenager’s life today. Advocates of African-Americans’ innate right to use what many consider one of the most offensive words, want individuals to accept that there should be one set of rules for one racial group and another set of rules for another. This view is an updated version of the outdated and Un-American, “separate but equal Coral Reef Sr. High School BAITLINE 2013-2014 Staff Adviser Cheri MitchellSantiago Editor Jakeyla Augustin Principal Adrianne Leal Staff Writers Augustin, Jakeyla Cobb, Nichelle Gonzalez, Carlos Harrell, Malcolm Heiden, Courtney Lapaix, Anaija Lapaix, Nicanor Lopes, Myrella Maguire, Megan Nunez, Shirley Perez, Samantha Polster, Sarah Reyes, Madeline Riera, Erica Rodriguez,Melissa rule.” In an interview rapper, Jay-Z told Oprah that his generation “took the power out of the word”. The idea that the derogatory word is powerless doesn’t justify the use of it. This word, which is one of many racial terms, will always have a negative racial meaning no matter who, what, how, and when it is used. Baitline strives to provide quality student-led publications to the student body providing the school community with an open forum of public expression. In the publications class, students will make all editorial decisions including, but not limited to: generating story ideas, writing copy, editing copy, laying out copy, taking photographs, and handling all aspects of running the business end of a school publication. Because of this, any comments or concerns should be addressed to the editorial staff. It should be understood that the newspaper is not a professional publication; therefore, students will make mistakes during the learning process. As a staff, we will make every effort to learn from these mistakes and continually improve the publication. While our primary goal is to inform and entertain the school community, we also strive to maintain high journalistic standards. All opinions expressed in the publications are the students’ or the individual sources, and not the staff’s as a whole, the advisor, or school officials. Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to room 305 or e-mailed to cmitchell@dadeschools.net. All letters submitted may be condensed or edited for grammar and spelling. Libelous material will not be printed. Information about submitting ads can be obtained by e-mailing cmitchell@dadeschools.net. Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net. News/Opinion The Dangers of Teenage Smoking deaths occur each year due to secondhand smoke. Smoking cigarettes is a Smoking Facts growing epidemic we have been More and more teenagers dealing with in the teenage years are smoking every day according with in our society for many generations. Smoking not only affects those who are smoking, it also affects everyone around them. Secondhand Smoke There are two different types of secondhand smoke that individuals can be subjected to: mainstream smoking and sidestream smoking. Mainstream smoking is the smoking where smoker themselves exhale. On the other hand, sidestream smoking is the smoke the floats off the end of a cigarette. to DoSomething.org and Lung. Being subjected to org. Every day that passes 3,900 secondhand smoke can increase the children under the age of 18 try a risk of receiving negative health cigarette, and 950 of them become effects. regular smokers, according to Some of the health risks DoSomething.org. people can endure include: 90 percent of people who respiration infections, asthma, smoke start before the age of 21 coughing, sore throats, sniffling, years old; however, what many do sneezing, cancer, and heart disease. not realize is that people who start Secondhand smoke can at a young age are more likely to be extremely detrimental to an become addicted to the intoxicating individual’s health. Over 50,000 substance. by: Jakeyla Augustin Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death, causing over 393,000 deaths per year according to lung.org. Most people who smoke cigarettes on average die 13 to 14 years prior to individuals who do not smoke. Not only is smoking bad for you, it also leads to the use of other intoxicating substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Before deciding to smoke, think about your health and where you want to go in your future. Drug Free Support Group Both parents and school organizations started supporting the venture towards a drug free youth from a young age. In the 5th grade many students are gathered in a class with the sole purpose of being educated about drugs and their negative 3 impact on society. The group D.A.R.E, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a group of officers who share their experience with the effects of drugs. As students get older and progress in their youth, the support groups for a drug free society slowly change. In middle school, students are introduced to DFYIT, Drugs Free Youth in Town. The club DFYIT is a group that helps the community while abstaining from the intoxicating substances we know as drugs. At Coral Reef Senior High School students are given the opportunity to join DFYIT, a club dedicated to better the community we call home. Although many sign up for DFYIT in the beginning of the year, the club is always looking for volunteers to help out with their numerous ventures out into the community. Avoiding peer pressure and abstaining from drugs can prove to be a daunting task for some students; however, there are always students who are willing to offer a helping hand in keeping you on the straight and narrow. Leaving their mark: students express themselves through ink and piercings By: Samantha Perez From elementary to high school, our simplicity tends to vastly change. Where in elementary we might beg our parents for a second ear piercing, in high school we now want tattoos and piercings more outrageous than just a second hole. Senior Kassandra Marin decided she wanted hip dermals about a year ago. After seeing it on the internet, she automatically knew she had to get it. Of course, getting a piercing like that comes with a lot of pain. Kassandra, who is avid about working out, was unable to do any type of exercise and was in pain for three weeks. Regardless of how much it hurt, she plans on getting more unique piercings. “It becomes addicting” she said. With a total of 13 piercings, one of Giovanna Orozco’s most unordinary piercings would have to be the snakebites on her tongue. When she realized how nice it looked, she made a spontaneous decision to get it. Orozco recalls the first day she got it and said that it didn’t hurt at all. “I take pain like a champ,” said Giovanna. Already having so many piercings, she doesn’t plan on getting anymore. Tyler Cockrum has two tattoos, one on his bicep and another on his calf. On his bicep he has a dead tree reflecting in the water with more life. On his calf he has a deep sea diver being attacked by an octopus. Seeing his step dad with so many tattoos influenced him to get the first one on his calf two years ago, his sophomore year. The tree on his bicep he got, only three weeks ago. Tyler states, “the tattoos didn’t hurt but it’s annoying”. He plans on getting his next tattoo on his rib cage of a pirate ship. Tattoos and piercings are creative ways in which we get to express ourselves and should be appreciated. Life in Color - World’s Largest Paint Party by: Shirley Nuñez The event known as the “World’s Largest Paint Party” was held on December 27, 2013 at the Sun Life Stadium. Although, it was a while ago many students remember it as the best event they’ve ever experienced. Winter break was one many will never forget. What could be better than music, confetti, and paint? “It was insane, I had so much fun! The DJ’s had great sets and the paint made it even crazier,” stated Ximena Corona, a junior in the Legal Academy. LIC included a mix of something everyone would enjoy, terrific DJ’s, awesome performers, and endless paint. Many legends such as Major Lazer, Steve Aoki, R3hab, Calvin Harris, Chuckie and others were present. Senior Logan Conklin said, “it was awesome, there was a lot of different DJ’s some big, some small.” The rain, cold, and paint created an unforgettable scene. Overall Life in Color is an event everyone should go to at least once in their life. Many said the paint burns and you lose some of your stuff, but it’s worth it in the end. According to Kurt Burgess “if I had to describe Life in Color in one word, it would have to be (wet).” 4 Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 Seniors Countdown to Graduation: Senior Events By: Erica Riera The 2013-2014 school year has officially reached the halfway mark. Despite the recent weather, spring is quickly approaching which means many exciting things for Coral Reef seniors. Among these is the legendary Senior Breakfast, taking place on March 4th, at the Rusty Pelican. Every year, the survivors of this event return with a plethora of stories of how the hired hypnotist made students do things they were completely unaware of. If you aren’t a fan of being unconscious, the food and music will still satisfy any one in the mood for a fun time. Another quickly approaching event is Grad Bash. Not only is this your chance to miss an entire day of school to go to Orlando’s Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. It is also student’s chances to get to go on rides, and enjoy a live concert while bonding with friends. In previous years, Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull, was known to make appearances. Ne-Yo is scheduled for the date of April 11, when Coral Reef students will be there. Also, be sure to take advantage of the most recent additions to the parks which include the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride and Transformers: The Ride – 3D before catching a glimpse of construction for the Diagon Alley expansion in the Wizarding World of Harry that those planning to attend begin preparations early while dress and tuxedo shops are fully stocked in anticipation of the big event. Keep in mind any potential friends you may want to go with and figure out a clever way to get that special someone to say “YES!” In order to participate in any of these events, seniors must ensure that all obligations have been paid off (including any still haunting you from the dark days of middle school) and also confirm that all 75 hours of community service have been earned and documented. See the treasurer or your guidance counselor if you have any issues. With so much to participate in, students should try to get as involved as possible, especially as the school year draws to a close. Whether it’s unleashing your competitive Potter. side by playing a spring sport, Finally, the senior event to end all senior or earning more community service hours events, the big kahuna of senior events, the senior through your favorite club, all students should event that is four years in the making: PROM. be participating in everything this school has to Many people consider this to be the offer. culmination of their lives as seniors, a night spent partying with friends. It is encouraged Senioritis: it is a real disease suffered by many increased sleeping time, no regard for rules, and no care for the school system in general. The general consensus of seniors seem to be that school is simply a daycare or more aptly put, a place to stay so we cannot wreak havoc on the city of Miami during daylight hours. Makayla Cribbs, a senior in the Legal and Public Services Academy says that, “You either chose to have it or you don’t, but it’s not a good thing to have.” Senioritis can determine your attitude for the year and to Cribbs it means, “[that] I don’t care anymore, I’m getting out of here.” However, you do not have to necessarily be a senior to know what senioritis is or experience its symptoms. A junior in the business academy, Lucia Mason says that, “It prevents kids from Many seniors can be seen chilling instead of working as the year approaches wanting to do work in class an end and they dream of summer and college. starting their senior year,” which is the most basic explanation of their senior year might not be a rumor the phenomenon. She also goes on to say after all. Senioritis seems to be a that she does want to graduate already serious epidemic that lurks in the mind and replied that, “Onset symptoms of kids and grows stronger as senior of Senioritis [start] coming in during year progresses. The symptoms of this freshmen year.” bug include laziness, extreme hunger, Fortunately, there are some who are By: Anaija Lapaix The age old rumor of a disease that consumes the whole of students in unaware of the deadly ailment such as Aaron Dykxhoorn, a freshman in engineering. He was completely unaware of such an occurrence and after I explained it to him, he believed that, “It’s normal and okay, but you should mentally prepare for college and check that kind of stuff [mid-year reports].” He further went on to clarify that everyone slacks every once in a while, but they should know when to tone it down. Wise words from a guppy of the Reef. Seniors should know that while they might need a break, they shouldn’t just give up on school completely. Mrs. Martin, the academy counselor for legal students and freshmen in I.B., has expressed that Senioritis is obviously “detrimental”. “In terms of college applications and acceptances that you may have received, please know that mid-year and final reports are still a major factor and can adversely affect final admissions into college,” is the sensible advice from Mrs. Martin that all students should heed, whether a senior or a freshmen. Senioritis is a controversy all around the school, but when it boils down to it, everyone should be careful. Of course, after winter break things begin to come into perspective for seniors and the fact that they are leaving in a few short months on hieghtens the feeling. Juniors K15S my Class Ring Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 5 Believe it or not Junior Ring Orders have already been taken, and the Class of 2015 is anxiously awaiting the beloved Ring Ceremony. With thousands of ways to customize a class ring it is almost impossible for two rings to be the exact same. Many students were shocked with the amount of money their classmates were willing to spend. Having options like 14k gold, and 10k gold instantly increased the price of the rings. While some are purchasing the most basic ring possible, others seem to be spending as much as they possibly can. Nicole Picon a junior in the Business Academy said, “I was so shocked to hear the boy next to me spent $2100 on his ring.” Others were shocked that the cheapest ring they had heard of (other than the factory special) was $359 plus tax. “The tax was equivalent to half a ring payment of mine. Everyone seemed to forget the tax, yet it became one of the expensive parts,” said Aubrey Hoffman a junior in the VPA Academy. Junior Rings are a big tradition in high school, and many people are anxious to see the outcome of their rings. These next few months will consist of many people anxiously awaiting the final product. Some girls are already preparing for the big day as they begin to set hair appointments and go dress shopping. The Junior Ring Ceremony is Class of 2015 first “official” step in becoming upperclassmen. It is a bitter sweet realization because it’s one of the last few memories made during the junior year, and after that it’s the quickest and the most stressful year. One of the many essential parts of applying to college... Standardized Testing by: Shirley Nunez The dreaded Scholastic Aptitude Test has arrived! Students who signed up during the month of December will be up and ready, early morning in January. Exhaustion, nervousness, and stress all combine on this one day, to take the one test that can affect your road to success. Many students believe SAT is ridiculous, Sofia Ramirez a junior stated, “The SAT is tormenting because a simple test determines what college you’re going to and that is just so stressful and depressing.” Not only do students have to deal with their grades, extracurricular activities, and excessive work, they also have to find time to study for the test. The SAT isn’t meant to cause stress, but in case it does there are methods to prepare in advance. Junior Lisley Cardosa stated that “The SAT isn’t overwhelming if you pace yourself.” Get familiar with the time restraints, pace yourself accordingly to the time limit. Get a sufficient amount of sleep the night before, eat a healthy breakfast. Don’t forget to study by taking online SAT preps. Taking the test multiple times will also help you get adjusted and you may improve. Some colleges give you the opportunity to send in your best score and even superscore by combining three of your scores. Be prepared on the day of the exam with your admissions ticket, two no. 2 pencils and a soft eraser, a scientific or graphing calculator with extra batteries, and most importantly some snacks and drinks. If you haven’t registered for the SAT yet, many opportunities are still available. To take the test during March you have to register by Feb 7, during May the deadline is April 4, and to take the test in June the deadline is May 9th. 6 Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 Here’s to New Years Resolutions So, how do you ensure that you will accomplish your goals by the time 2015 rolls by: Erica Riera and Malcolm Harrell With the New Year in full swing, people all across the country have begun to work towards their goals for 2014. The infamous tradition of setting a resolution for yourself has become cause for some distress for those that find it difficult to stay away from chocolates, keep their rooms clean, start homework early, or any of the other promises that are not being kept. the point of saying you will get something done when you know it isn’t exactly possible? Sure, it may give you something to work for over the long-term, but if you plan on finding a wild unicorn and keeping it in your house you will just be setting yourself up for disappointment. Let’s be honest, your mom would never let you keep it anyway. 3.Be as specific as possible. If you want to lose weight, give yourself a number. If you want to stop procrastinating, give yourself a time limit on those YouTube videos you watch after school. This will make it much easier to look at your goals in a monthly or weekly fashion and it will allow you to take things step by step. 4.Give yourself control. around? First, you must discover Don’t set goals like “get into what it is you wish to accomplish. college.” That is something that is Use the following tips to help guide really out of your hands. Instead, you. say “I will apply to X amount of 1.Don’t overwhelm schools this month.” Give yourself yourself. Focus on one goal at a encouragement to take the initiative. time, even if you may have more 5.Change your Attitude and in mind. You have 365 days to your Behavior. The way you act complete them and by giving and present yourself definitely has yourself some limits, you will be a huge effect on the way you live. able to accomplish more over time. Changing your routine can bring 2.Set realistic goals. What’s different results. Anthony Robbins New Year, New Shows by: Malcom Harrell As we all know, the New Year comes with new attitudes and resolutions for a better and brighter life, but on a lighter note it is known for mid season premieres for television shows. From reality TV shows to comedic sitcoms and the award season the month of January has a lot to offer to televiewers. “I can’t wait for all of the new shows to start, I’m sick and tired of re runs,” VPA senior, Rachel Sherman said. Here are some of the air dates for upcoming dramas, comedies, and the best ABC Family.com returning series in the month of January. •“The Haves and the Have Nots” (OWN)- Season Jan. 1 2 of the intense drama created by Tyler Perry. • "Dance Moms" (Lifetime)- Season 4 of the It tells the story of how the rich and powerful popular reality TV show featuring Abby Miller, interact with their hired help. MTV young dancers, and their mothers. Jan. 2 Jan. 13 • "Community" (NBC)- Season 5 of the comedy • "The Fosters" (ABC Family)- The #1 ranked series about a man trying to get a law degree at a cable TV show about a multi-racial family of community college. foster kids. Jan. 6 •“Switched at Birth” (ABC Family)- Winter • “Teen Wolf” (MTV)- Season 4 of the Premiere of the drama series about two teenage supernatural drama featuring Scott McCall and girls who were switched at birth Lydia Martin. Jan. 15 Jan. 7 • "American Idol" (Fox)- Season 13 of the hit • "Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)- The second show with new judges: Harry Connick Jr., half of the fourth season popular series gets fans Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban. closer to understanding the mystery behind “A.” Whatever your preference, there’s a new •“Ravenswood” (ABC Family)- The second show out there for you. half of season one of the drama series centered around five teenager connected by a fatal curse. LifeTime said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get the same results.” 6.Self-Monitoring. Monitor yourself and make sure you don’t give in into your old ways. 7.Build a Support Group. Make sure those around you are aware of your new goal and willing to support it entirely. Those people are essential because they will hold you accountable when you’re in the wrong. It will also be in your favor to find someone with a similar goal so they can run that race with you. 8.Reward yourself. If you see that you are making progress within your goal, recognize it with a treat to yourself. Just be careful and make sure your reward does not conflict with your resolution. 9.Write it on Paper. Once you have decided on our resolutions write them down and they will become more real to you. Post this paper on a mirror or something else you look at every day to reassure that you are aiming towards your resolution all the time. 10.Theme the Year. Develop a theme that you want your year to be about. Find a word or phrase that will motivate you to achieve your goal. Use his theme to drive your goals into a central idea and stick with it Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 Students take advantage of a two week winter vacation. The most wonderful time of the year: Winter Break! Students look forward to this two week school hiatus since the first day of school. The countdown starts right after Thanksgiving, resulting in a lack of drive, with a frenzy over the upcoming Holiday. With only a few days left until Winter Break, students get very anxious. Some have very exciting plans, while others plan to simply relax and sleep in all day. Senior Aaron Sparber from the wrestling team said that he stayed in Miami, but went to practice all day, every day. “This Winter Break, I’m most looking forward to sleeping in every day the week we don’t have practice.” For Christmas, Sparber has plans to go to his family’s house in Jupiter. The big dinner him and his family has is his favorite part of Christmas. He by: Megan Maguire also enjoys traveling to the Keys during the break, and staying up with his family to take advantage of the few short days he has to relax. Senior Jasmine Robinson had a very eventful Winter break this year. “I got two tattoos,” Robinson said. On Christmas morning, Jasmine usually goes to her mom’s house. They exchanged and opened gifts with each other and celebrated the day. Christmas night, she went to her boyfriend’s house where she enjoyed a big dinner with him and his family. Erica Timmons, senior, had plans to travel to Norway, where she visited some of her very close family friends. “I like hanging out at a lot of local spots with my friends. It was very cold so I spent a lot of time on indoor activities too!” said Timmons. Timmons celebrated Christmas by going to her dad’s house in the morning with her mom and step dad. “We exchanged presents and had brunch together… It’s probably my favorite Christmas tradition because it’s a nice way for us to all get together as a family.” No matter how Cudas spent their Winter Break, students can agree that it is one of the best times of the year. Taking a break from all the chaos of the school year is very refreshing. Every student cherishes every moment of the two short weeks, because before we know it, January 2014 is here and we are all right back in school again! What’s to come in 2014? By: Madeline Reyes 2013 has come and gone, leaving only memories of the year behind- both good and bad. This January not only brings with it a four instead of a three, but like most, the refreshing promise to many of a blank page to begin on. Weeks ago way back in ’13, many were already anticipating many events in the coming year; welcoming 2014 with open arms. Henceforth, I had just one simple question for Coral Reef Students: “What are you looking forward to most in 2014?” The most commonly thought answer would be for the end of school year in general. After winter break, the school year seems to speed up. The only major obstacle to get to summer would be exams. While for most seniors, the most important aspect would be college acceptance letters, senior events, most importantly, graduation. Senior Tristan Skeete collectively agreed with that idea by commenting that he’s most looking forward to, “graduating and starting over.” He then added, “As well as making money to be able to get an apartment.” Marcela Cruz, who as a sophomore is not particularly absorbed by the idea of graduating just yet, simply said she is anticipating, “summer.” Movies are all a buzz this year. Starting the year off with the Golden Globes, a prestigious award show recognizing extraordinary work in television and film of the year, left people wanting more this year from the highly renowned actors and actresses who dominated the theaters last year. Chabelly Valle and Vershona Dean, two freshman who were very enthusiastic about the topic shared that they were ready to, “dress up as Batman for the movie and for Mockingjay and Divergent to come out. And summer to sleep and read.” Junior Patrick Poll had three humble words to give on the topic which were, “to get swole.” Hopefully 2014 will also be a year full of unexpected pleasant surprises and will meet all the grand expectations set for it. 7 New Year Fun Facts by: Madeline Reyes After the fireworks are all gone and the confetti has fallen; it’s finally the beginning of a new year. However, not many people know many things about the holiday besides the dazzling lights and colors shining through the sky, the spectacles on television, and their own traditions they practice anticipating the arrival of midnight. Therefore, here are some interesting facts that hopefully you remember to impress people with at your next New Year’s shindig. 1.It is said that New Year’s began being celebrated 4,000 years ago. 2.The month of January is named after the Roman God Janus, who is said to have a face facing forward and another looking backward- which is something many people happen to associate with the start of a new year. 3.January first became the first day of the year in 46 B.C. (except in England). 4.The New York Times Square ball dropped first in 1907 due to a firework restriction that was put in place. 5.In 1942 and 1943, the Times Square ball was not dropped as a result of World War II. 6.In 2008, a new Times Square ball was introduced. Made out of Waterford Crystals and weighing over eleven thousand pounds. 7.In Australia, over a million people line the Sydney Harbor shoreline to view the fireworks as they count down to midnight. 8.“Auld Lang Syne,” the song that is traditionally sung in many places as soon as it becomes January first, like in Times Square, is roughly translated from the originally Scots language of the poem to “Days Long Ago.” 9.According to New Year’s Facts by the Numbers Infographic, about 45% of Americans make resolutions and about 75% of them only keep them for a week. (Hope that’s not you!) 10.Superstitions a.In certain cultures, they eat specific foods to ring in the New Year. •In Japan, long noodles are eaten in hopes of a long life. •In countries like Mexico and Greece, circular foods like grapes are consumed to represent the year “coming full circle.” 8 A & E Working teens of the past, future teachers Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 by: Melissa Rodriguez To have a job or not to have a job, that is the question. It is pretty clear that all of us ask ourselves that. Obviously, it is not mandatory to get a job, but for those of you that don’t have one, you are not alone. Some of our very own teachers felt the same way. Mrs. Kerr, an English teacher, did not have a job in high school because she was a part of her school dance team so she had no time left to spare. Mrs. Eden, another English teacher, did not have a job because her parents simply did not want her to have one. “School came first in my house,” said Mrs. Eden. Physics teacher, Mr. Jurado, said “I couldn’t get a job because I had a lot of chores in my house, so I didn’t have the time for one.” Back in the day, Mrs. Kirchner, an English Teacher at the school, spent her time working at a concession stand serving ice cream to the club members. “I loved working at the concession stand! I managed to always get a bit of ice cream every day that I worked. Sometimes, I would freeze the Reese’s peanut butter cups and swirl some ice cream over it. It wasn’t until one day that I somehow managed to get my finger caught under the soft serve ice cream handle. To this day, my finger nail still has the mark from the incident.” Mrs. Kirchner worked at that concession stand when she was in eighth grade until ninth grade, when she decided to work for the local Friendly’s franchise. Like at her previous job, she would always sneak some ice cream into her stomach before her shift was over. “Every day, I would get a spoon and put it by my five favorite flavors. When the manager wasn’t looking, I would take the spoons and eat a tiny bit of each of my favorites. I ate so much ice cream back then, I don’t know how I have the swanky figure that I do now,” said Mrs. Kirchner. Mr. Krause, a Macroeconomics and Government teacher also had a job throughout his high school years when he was living in New York. He worked as a custodian for McDonalds when he was only 14 years old. “It was an easy job and it paid well at the time.” He was also a custodian for his high school. “The school would ask me during the summer if I would like to help the custodians clean. They payed me ten dollars an hour but back then, the money was worth less so in reality, I wasn’t payed much.” In addition to being a custodian, Mr. Krause worked at a golf course retrieving balls for the golfers. Although some high school students have an easy time finding a job, Mrs. Ilhardt was amongst the few that had a rough time. Since she wanted to get a job at Super Wheels when she was 15 years old, she had to obtain special permission to work as young as she was. During her career at Super wheels, she worked the snack bar, was the hostess for big parties, and most importantly she was Super Wheels best floor guard. “Floor guards are the people that tell the skaters to slow down or move out of the way when they fall,” said Mrs. Ilhart. Unlike the previously mentioned teachers, Mr. Miller accomplished big things as a student employee. He worked at a sub shop called Subrageous for three years. Throughout those three years, he became the night manager and he was able to save his money to buy his first car. Along the way, he took the self-awarded title as, “the best Sandwich engineer.” English teacher, Mrs. Krieger, actually used her high school job experience to do some good in the world. She spent her time working with autistic children in the Victory school in North Miami Beach. They would use applied behavior therapy in order “to increase behaviors, maintain behaviors, generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another, and reduce interfering behaviors,” according to www.thevictoryschool.org. With humanitarians like Mrs. Krieger, the world would have much more potential to be a better place. When Mr. Cloutier, a chemistry teacher, was in high school, he worked in a pizza place serving pizza to the hungry customers. Aside from working with pizza, he was a stripper… a paint stripper. “I used to work for my dad. He had me strip the paint off the walls in order for his employees to paint the building or house we were working on,” said Mr. Cloutier. With all the labor Mr.Cloutier put into his work, it’s a shame that his father paid him so little. Coincidently, students still receive very little for the work that they complete which leaves them with difficulties paying for school and personal expenses. not always easy, some applicants are turned down before they even get the chance to go in for an interview. Medical senior Lennard Grant was turned away by a rude Starbucks manager. “She hung the phone up on me after opportunities that allow them to become wellrounded individuals. When students do not have jobs it gives them more time to get involved in school sports and clubs. “The most challenging part of my first job was dealing with my negative co-workers and the way people talk to you in customer service,” said legal senior Brianna Jones. High school students in the work field are at times exploited in low paid and low-skilled jobs. These individuals are usually treated worse than regular employees by their boss. Positive Aspects of Teenagers Getting Parttime Jobs Although, there are negative aspects of getting a part-time job while in high school there are also positives as well. Medical senior Sami Majeed had an awesome experience when he worked at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt shop over the summer. “I did it over the summer because it was something to do, and it allowed me to buy new clothes and shoes,” said Majeed. By allowing students to obtain part-time jobs it gives them something to do other than getting into trouble. Being in the work force as a teenager teaches students valuable life lessons which include: money management, hard work, responsibility, and it also give students a taste of the real world. Having a job as a teenager can be the best experience of your life or the worst experience, but it is always good to keep a positive attitude and know your own personal limitations. Working teens balance school and work by: Jakeyla Augustin Teenagers who have part-time jobs are nothing new to American society. American teens get jobs for various reasons; whether it is to save more for a car, college or just to have spending money for their entertainment. How to Get a Job Many people have various techniques to getting their first job; however, the same general steps are usually taken. Before beginning a job hunt, it is imperative for students to be positive that they truly want to obtain a job. After deciding whether getting a job is personally right for a teenager, that should create a resume they shows all their credentials – including leadership positions and community service. Resumes are extremely important when it comes to getting a first job. They make the applicant competitive in the job market. Once the resumes are complete, applicants should begin applying for jobs and filling out job applications. If the company you have applied for does not call back within a reasonable amount of time of you submitting the application call them to see what is going on. When the interview is finally set up, teenage applicants need to prepare for the interview by knowing about the company and performing mock interviews. Getting the job interview does not insure that applicants will have a job, so dressing professionally is definitely a plus. During the process of searching for a job it is she put me on hold,” said Grant. Not all job searching experiences will be positive. Keeping a positive attitude is one of the most important aspects of trying to find a first job. Negative Aspects of Teenagers Getting Parttime Jobs As with anything in the world, there are both negative and positive aspects of getting a part-time job as a teenager. Some students do not know how to balance school and work at the same time so they begin to lag on their school work. Young students can begin to get lower grades in school, which can affect their future in a negative way. By getting part-time jobs as a teenager in high school students miss out on a lot of A & E Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 9 Dancing with Holiday Spirit By: Erika Horback The holidays around the corner, and The Coral Reef Dance Magnet prepared to put together a Holiday Dance show called “The Wish List.” The dancers put together a fun filled, holiday spirit show. In preparation for the show the dancers of all grades rehearsed two hours a day, every day that they had dance class at school. Some days the dancers would rehearse in the auditorium to get a feel for the stage. On the week of the show, the dancers stayed after school until 5:00 pm to get in extra practice that the dance teachers, Mrs. Santalo and Ms. Kristen Lui, felt was required to have the best performances possible. Alumni Ashley Ramsey, and Dani Salano put in many hours of choreography to put the show together. They choreographed dances based off the Holidays with a wide variety of themes, a different theme for each dance. The Coral Reef Cudettes showed their dances, which were the most prepared and advanced of the show. The dancers wore elaborate costumes provided by the Dance magnet’s Costume Closet, which is filled with costumes from previous years. The purpose of the show is to “allow dancers to show what we love to do to for our friends and family while raising money for the Dance Magnet so that more shows like this can happen,” says sophomore Emily Edwards. With all of the dedication and hours put in behind the scenes of the performance, the dancers of our school deserve of an applause. The Holiday Dance Show of 2013 was one to never forget. Behind the Scenes in CRTV I had the chance to interview the funny and charming Elijah Shama, an anchor on the School’s very own CRTV Live. Elijah told me how much work went into each production. The show is written and directed by the entire TV production class, each and everyone with a different job. The script is written only moments before the show airs, giving the students little time to prepare and rehearse, yet they still pull off a unique show every morning. The equipment room was filled with everything from cables to cameras, and is also where the well-known Pala-bro hat is kept. The class is mostly student run with minimal supervision. The class had a really relaxed atmosphere, people were scattered around the giant mac computers on which they edit their work and collaborate with each other to finish the job. There is more to CRTV t h e n what you see on the TV. There are three camera-men and an equipment manager on set at all times. Walking through the hallways, Elijah confesses, is uncomfortable considering he gets multiple awkward glances. “People look at me and stare as if they know who I am, but can’t remember where they’ve seen me.” Elijah further states. All in all, the whole cast and staff seem to love being in the studio getting their work done. “It’s gratifying and I love the opportunity I got to work on the show.” Elijah confesses. TEST PREPARATION: SAT, ACT, E. O. C., PERT Math: Algebra, Geometry, PreCalculus, Calculus AP and IB Calculus, Chemistry, Statistics, Physics TUTORING BY GEORGE 786-512-3030 individual or small groups CREDENTIALS 25 years of teaching experience Miami Dade College Instructor Specialist Degree in Math education MS Management Information Systems BS Industrial Engineering 10 The Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 A Baby Epidemic Around the Reef by: Megan Maguire If you’ve been walking around the school recently you probably noticed something odd. There is suddenly an influx of students walking around with babies. If you were wondering why the sudden baby boom, it’s because students are participating in a psychology project. Psychology students have been learning about development in children and adolescents. A part of learning this chapter is learning about how infants develop and how to be a good parent so they grow up to become good children. Teachers thought it proper for students to learn what it’s like to be a parent at this time. Psychology students participating in the baby project are required to carry a baby doll with them, not only at school, but in public and at home as well, for about a week. They can’t be caught abusing or without the doll at any time during the project or they will suffer the wrath of their teacher. Students get a taste of what it’s like to have a child. Sophomore, Sophia Arana was one of the few students who took on the challenge of caring for not only one baby, but two. She volunteered to have twins so she could earn extra credit in her class. “The most important thing I learned was to take the elevator, not the stairs, if you have a stroller,” said Arana. Arana constantly had to keep an eye on her baby in class because you never know if someone would take it from you when you weren’t looking. “One of the biggest challenges I faced throughout the project was trying to give both children equal attention. Because I had twins I had to care for both of them equally or it would be considered neglect.” Junior, Maryam Mahoud, learned how to be responsible for another life other than hers. She said, “The hardest part of the project was not forgetting about the baby and leaving it somewhere. The best part of the project is that I now know in the future that I will be even the slightest bit experienced, even if it’s not a real baby.” AP Psychology teacher, Natalie Sosa, hopes that with this project her students will learn the amount of responsibility it takes to be a parent and that having a baby is not as simple as society portrays it to be. Ms. Sosa also participated in this project when she was an AP Psychology student at Coral Reef. “I remember getting the firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a teen parent. I found that being a teen parent is difficult because you become victim of stereotype, and you often get misjudged in public,” Ms. Sosa said. School Lunch: No Alternative for Nutrition When many first enter Coral Reef, the food isn’t as unscrupulous as it is now. The food at first was not so bad; I would get a chicken wrap filled with lettuce, tomatoes and a side of ranch dressing. As the year progressed, the foodn decreased exponentially in quality and the amount given per serving. The chicken wrap eventually became two giant chicken tenders shoved in a cold tortilla with no dressing to go with it. Now, the pizzas are held together by barely melted mozzarella cheese and the dull ground beef served with a piece of bread to replace a bun that it should have gone with. Most students do not have time to pack lunch each and every day. Therefore, most of the student body is obligated to rely on the food provided by Coral Reef. Many high school students say that they don’t like the food. This is a major problem if students are not meeting their nutritional recommendation each day. Students require an adequate amount of nutrition to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle. As with any other age group teenagers need the proper nutrition to remain jubilant as long as possible. Snacking is always a healthy alternative to going to the vending machine between every class. Snacks such as fruits, vegetables and snacking bars are good to eat groups, each of which will be shown performing completely original p i e c e s e v e r y w e e k . The contestants work towards utilizing social media to earn points, cumulatively calculated for their “Genius Point Average” better known as G.P.A. Points may be earned by receiving “likes” on Facebook, using a Twitter hashtag in support of your favorite artist on the show, downloading one of the original songs, purchasing artist merchandise, or buying a ticket for the final show. Fans and supporters may purchase the contestant’s music (although any money spent is by: Jason Romero (guest writer) throughout the day. Instead of skipping meals, like many do, it is better to just snack throughout the day to keep you fuel going. Personally, I eat school lunch almost every day, mostly because if I don’t I will eventually starve and that will cause me to not have enough energy to function in class. I do not wish to have this mentality, but the quality of the meals does not appeal to me. These last couple of weeks I have been getting salad because it is the only food in the cafeteria that won’t give me a stomach ache after I eat it. As a developing male teenager, I need additional nutrients for my sprouting body. Cudas Take Over Miami Musical Genuis By: Erica Riera Coral Reef senior, Leia Schwartz, recently made her debut as a reality competition television show contestant on Sunday, January 19. Miami’s Musical Genius premiered at 4 p.m. on My Network TV, on channel 33. It gave us a glimpse into the life of a truly talented young artist. Schwarz is currently competing against four other artists/ completely optional and purely donation). Currently, the average amount of money spent on Leia’s live rendition of her song, “Believe, Dream, Inspire,” is $3.25 which puts her ahead of the game as the other contestants typically receive $1.00 for their pieces. Fans may also purchase a “TEAM LEIA” t-shirt for as low as $14.95 (available in a variety of colors). Watch Miami’s Musical Genius and show your Cuda pride. Reef FBLA competition (cont’d from pg. 1) spreadsheet applications, and desktop publishing. Each school in the district tested the FBLA members from their chapter who competed in skill competitive events at their own school. Students competing in word processing have to type, format, and edit a variety of business letters, reports, and memos. Those competitions took place in room 308 during 2nd period on Wednesday Jan. 15th. Finally, on Wednesday Jan. 22nd all members who competed in any type of event were eligible to go to South Dade for an awards ceremony. The ceremony awards the top 3 in the district with a trophy and a chance to advance to states. Some competitions give 4th and 5th place winners trophies or medals as well. Usually Coral Reef wins Christina Hernandez and Julian Lafaurie students. Last year there were schools that had significantly more than other schools in our district; last year we had over 30 students to go to other hotels because there was no rooms qualify for state competitions! We usually have available. States is between March 21st and more students qualify, but the magic of FBLA March 24th. seems to have died down, maybe it’s because Coral Reef also has two elected officers sitting school work takes so much time now. But when on the District Board for the upcoming year: people see how fun FBLA can be they say. “I want Business junior, Julian Lafaurie and IB juior, to join next year!” Probably one of the biggest Cristina Hernandez. reasons why people join FBLA is because they Julian Lafaurie will also be running for state hear stories from states and want to go the next vice-president. year. At states anyone who places 1st or 2nd gets to compete at nationals which are in Nashville District Winners: Accounting I Talia Lopez 4th TN this year! FBLA States is in Orlando, but not in the Accounting I Daniel Weiland 1st Rosen Centre, which held FBLA for over ten Banking and Financial Eduardo Paredes 1st years, but the Hilton Hotel. FBLA membership Banking and Financial Camilo Alvarez 1st in the state of Florida has been increasing over Banking and Financial Chaitanya Lokireddy 1st the past six years that the Rosen Centre become Business Calculations Adrian Peart 2nd too small to host an event for over three thousand Business Procedures Claudia Perez-Brito 4th Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 11 Client Service Wesley Franz 2nd Computer Application Joshua Ahamed 1st Cyber Security Edward Chang 2nd Desktop Publishing Erica Riera 1st Desktop Publishing Carolina Pulgarin 1st Entrepreneurship Jake Ceballo 1st Entrepreneurship Kshitij Kulkarni 1st Entrepreneurship Dan Nahon 1st Global Business Arturo Almanza 1st Global Business Ivan Langesfeld 1st Global Business Zachary Pierce 1st Health Care Aisha Arias 2nd Hospitality Management Sevginaz Kiroglu 1st Hospitality Management Mariam Leon 1st Hospitality Management Valeria Velasco 1st Job Interview Yainely Castillo 1st Management Decision Making Michael Angrand 1st Management Decision Making Andrea Barreiro 1st Management Decision Making Jesus Mendez 1st Marketing Andres Perez 1st Marketing Christopher Radcliff 1st Public Speaking I Ivan Padilla 2nd Public Speaking II Aysha Habbaba 2nd Sports and Entertainment Management Juan Calle 1st Sports and Entertainment Management Michael Germi 1st Sports and Entertainment Management Mario Ego-Aguirre 1st Website Design Jeannette Bode 1st Website Design Claudia Enamorado 1st Public Service Announcement Nicole Martinez 1st Public Service Announcement Natalie Mesa 1st Public Service Announcement Alexi Hamilton 1st Thespians Troupe Number 57……44 Melina Hernandez won a Critics’ Choice for Costume Design Natalia Patiño won a Critics’ Choice for a solo musical performance, “Fly, Fly Away” from the musical “Catch me if you Can.” Emma Kervel won a Critics Choice for Student Directed Scene Nicole Garcia won a Critics Choice for Play Writing David Scherker won a Critics Choice for Play Writing The troupe also won three superiors for monologues, three Coral Reef Thespians performing “Revolting Children” from the play “Mitilda” superiors for duet scenes, by: Carlos R. Gonzalez Gabrielle Perez won a Critics’ two superiors for ensemble scenes, Choice for set design three superiors for solo musicals, a Congratulations to the Samantha Gonzalez won a Critics’ superior in makeup design. Coral Reef Senior High Visual and Choice for sound design Performing Arts Drama Magnet Javier Galarza, Lauren Horgan, All of the students in Students as they competed in the Celine Diaz, Gaby Fernandez Thespians had an amazing time District Thespian Festival. They and Rebecca Fallon won a Critics’ competing and doing what they won nine Critics Choice, twelve Choice for their original Pantomime love, performing. Superiors, and three excellents. “Touch” Mia Granade, president of Thespians said, “I am very blessed to be a part of this troupe, we always give our best performance and always end up successful.” She also wishes the troupe a wonderful year next year since she is a senior. Granade was in “Revolting Children” from the musical “Matilda.” She also performed a scene from the play “PillowMan” and “Which Witch.” Natalia Patiño, another senior in the Drama Magnet was ecstatic that she was able to perform three pieces for the first time. Patiño, as mentioned before performed a musical scene from “Catch Me if You Can,” and “The Ballad of Sara Berry” and a duet scene with Molly Manganelly in a scene from “Antigone Now”; this was a scene from their freshman year play, they both said, “It was like a full circle feeling when we brought it back our senior year, and showcase was the last time ever performing it.” They will be taking performances to states in the month of March. Break A Leg! 12 Sports Coral Reef Sr. High January 2014 Often overlooked wrestling works year round by: Anaija Lapaix and Jakeyla Augustin Often times other sports are overlooked by students who praise our football team. However, there are many dedicated sports that need recognition. Coral Reef Senior High School’s wrestling team has dedicated numerous hours of blood, sweat and tears to the game they know and love. Wrestling is a sport that requires a strong state of mind to work through the individual matches. Many wrestlers started at a young age due to figure heads that succeeded in the sport when they were younger. Sophomore, Jevontea Yarbrough, was inspired to join the sport because his uncle wrestled when he was in high school. “Wrestling is a sport that requires responsibility, and I believe it truly builds leadership skills because you compete individually,” said Yarbrough who began the headstrong game. Wrestling, which many overlook, is practically a yearlong sport. The committed athletes begin their season in September and end around February. These athletes who have managed to remain enthusiastic about the sport have practically dedicated their life to it. Junior, Marc Hughes said that “In order to succeed at the sport you must be willingly to work on and off the mats.” Each wrestler is assigned to a specific weight class, and must maintain that certain weight for fear of removal from that particular class. In order to achieve this most wrestlers tend to run every day, and keep a strict diet that will aid them in their journey to success. While at practice, the team works together by running, doing drill moves and practicing their wrestling moves on other members of their weight division. Crunch time is rapidly approaching for the Cuda boys; districts, regionals, and states are soon coming. Longtime member of the wrestling team such as heavy weight senior, Sterling Shippy got third at the GMAC’s January 16th and 17th, and is excited for districts the week of January 27th. “I am working hard in and out of practice so I can make it to states my final year,” said Shippy. He would also like to thank Coach Dominquez for his hard work and dedication to the team he loves. Boys Basketball team holds it’s own the season and for the final game. Their training included, “Drills, skill training, and endurance.” Basketball is a sport that requires great Peart elaborated on the endurance aspect endurance and has a tremendous amount of of their practice saying that it entitled, “Running, pressure put on the performers. It tests the sprinting, weight room, drills, and polymeric.” abilities of the players and forces them to work Next to football, basketball is a widely as a team. acknowledged sport here the Reef and Cuda This sport has Nation again takes the cake. We’ve had a a great emphasis on very successful season and the players really teamwork and you can appreciate the support that they get from fans definitely see the strong who attend the games.Basketball is the sport in bond among the team as Miami and at Coral Reef. It is a thing that keeps the practice, play, and hang this school going and everybody who is a part out outside of the court. of this organization of greatness truly deserve “In order to be everything that they get. successful, you must start Jordan Edwards is a senior who started doing what you hate to do at the game. He plays point guard and he also and stop doing what you found the game to be very emotional. He said it love to do,” said a senior was “emotional” and “awesome”, surely a game in legal, Zavier Peart. that he will remember forever. “I appreciate all These players of my family and friends coming out to support,” have a dedication to the says Edwards. game and rarely think David Bargamento drives down the court during a night game at Coral Reef. Along with the rest of the team, they of anything else besides practiced plays in order to prepare for this game. being the best and winning. “Perfect practice makes perfect,” is a quote They strive for excellence and are disappointed colleges can certainly put a damper on any frequently said by legal teacher Mrs. Cushnie, when they do not reach the levels that they set friendships, but these guys have, “Become a but is used by Zavier Peart to express his feelings for themselves. family along the way.” towards the game. He knows that if they work January 22, 2014 was their last home David Bargamento, a business senior, hard, they can play hard and get everything that game and is aptly referred to as Senior Night. recalled that practices helped out throughout they need. by: Anaija Lapaix and Jakeyla Augustin Thankfully the boys won against Southridge Senior High School with a score of 64 to 61, a fantastic way to end the season. Senior Night was described as an emotional time seeing as some of these young men would not be playing with their teammates in a school sanctioned game. Going to separate