December Issue 2015

the

HOLIDAY

ISSUE

Vol. 15, No. 3 www.cbhscircuit.com

18600 Vista Park Blvd., Weston, Fla. 33332 Cypress Bay High

December 2015 (754) 323-0350

service

news

Spirit Week

Juniors Annie Perkins (left) and Jennifer Story on Page 3 Story on Page 2 PHOTO COURTESY OF YEARBOOK

aRTS & ENT.

Health

AP Art students in new Story on Page 38

Story on Page 14 PHOTO BY ALEXIS SOBEL

sports

friendship

Boys Soccer looks

forward to successful Story on Page 29

Story on Page 6 PHOTO COURTESY OF YEARBOOK

Experiences and passions garner appreciation my lungs.”

Throughout the holiday season, stu-

BY CAROLINA BOU ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

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grave accident.”

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uation. tant.”

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Continues on page 26

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DECEMBER 2015

SGA organizes annual Harvest Drive The Student Government Association (SGA) organized the fourth annual Harvest Drive on Nov. 12. The purpose of the Harvest Drive is to provide food for the holidays to families living in Weston who are in need. Junior Rebecca Schultz and sophomore Danielle Kraut, co-chairs of the project, spent two months planning the event.

“I signed up to challenge myself as well as help the community,” Shultz said. “I’ve always enjoyed going to homeless shelters to help the less fortunate, so I wanted to Members of SGA enlisted the help of other clubs at the Bay to help pack and distribute the food. Each club that participated in the drive was responsible for collecting one food item.

“It was a huge success,” Kraut said.

“We got the whole school and part of Falcon Cove Middle School involved to give 200 families food for the holidays.”

SGA had clubs sign up to get assigned an item. After that item was designated, the clubs collected for six weeks. SGA counted and stored each unit of food, making sure it met its goal of feeding more than last year’s 150 families.

“When we handed out the food, it made me feel absolutely amazing to see all the hard work SGA put in, which made it worth all the stress,” Shultz said. “I was

HELPING HANDS: Sophomores Danielle Kraut and Katherine Gibson organize community.

so proud of and thankful for all the people that helped out.”

Danielle Nascimento, SGA advisor, oversaw the planning of the Harvest Drive and assisted the students in communicating with other schools and the

Harvest Drive charity.

“After feeding 50 more families and giving each family food, I realized how big of a success the overall event was,” she said. “In the future, the only thing we can improve on is how early we start. No

matter how early we start, there is no such thing as too little time.”

The National Honor Society (NHS) collected 700 cans and 200 boxes of pancake mix in the resource center during lunch periods. Senior Rebecca Norman, NHS vice-president, said she thought the Harvest Drive directly affected families around South Florida in a positive way.

“The food the families will be receiving allows them to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families without worrying where the food will come from,” Norman said.

After the event, Kraut said she felt personally impacted by the volunteer work they had done, because it helped her see the different living situations people can go through.

“Knowing that I was a part of such a huge project made me feel so accomplished,” she said. “I knew that I was making a difference in someone else’s life.”

Kraut said she dedicated so much time to the event and feels personally connected to the cause. She is planning on helping out with the Harvest Drive in the future.

“Being the chair of the fundraising aspect of the Harvest Drive was extremely stressful,” she said. “However, it was equally as rewarding, and I can’t wait to be involved in this event next year.”

Interact Club gives back to struggling mothers Interact Club went to the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center in Pembroke Pines, on Saturday Nov. 21, to serve Thanksgiving lunch to mothers who are struggling with addiction, and their children. The Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center aims to aid families in leading a drug-free life.

“I’m honored to be a part of an organization that is focused on helping people and doing good in the world. Changing the world starts with each of us helping one person at a time,” said Corlette Deveaux, the chair of the Susan B. Anthony foundation.

Vice President Kiara Pomeroy said Interact Club’s responsibilities were concerned with arts and crafts with the kids, like making paper-plate turkeys. She said that one of the perks of the event was the one-on-one connection she had with the families.

“We helped with food, making crafts and hanging out with the kids,” Pomeroy said. “The thing with Interact is that we are a relatively small club, so we actually get to choose who we are going to help, and it feels a lot more personal.”

Senior Brittany Hakim said she enjoyed doing arts and crafts with the children and making them laugh.

“There were so many kids there, we set up so many arts and crafts for them, we made them bracelets, and it was nice seeing them so happy,” Hakim said.

Residential manager, Beth Abrams, lives with the mothers who are struggling with addiction and cares for them along with other volunteers. When the mothers enter the program, they are not allowed to see their children for 30 days so they can focus on their recovery. She said the purpose of events like this is to create a healthy reunion among the families.

“It gives the mothers and the kids a chance to bond with each other while the mothers are sober,” Mrs. Abrams said.

Mrs. Abrams said she loves living with the mothers and knowing she is making a difference in their lives.

“We take care of them and give them TURKEY TROT: a lot of structure so they can be successful once they re-enter the world,” said Abrams.

Junior Maddy Koslow said she participated in the luncheon for more reasons made a speech welcoming the mothers as well as their children, and told them that “It’s not really about services hours, volunteers will serve today them because it’s actually knowing you’re helping peo- they are special and deserve to be treated ple,” she said. “The event helps the moth- that way.

Corlette Deveaux is also a member ers because it makes them feel like somebody that they don’t know supports them, of the Rotary Club of Weston, which is and that they care about their well-being.” where Interact Club comes from. Interact Before dinner was served, Deveaux Club works closely with the Rotary Club

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ATHENA SALDANHA

of Weston to plan and execute service projects to help those in need.

“It’s all about showing and letting the mothers and children know that we support and care about them. If this display of support encourages one mother to change the course of her life, then it is all worth it,” Deveaux said.

News Calendar General

Club Meetings

Events

NEWS

DECEMBER 2015

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Homecoming generates school spirit

(Clockwise from top left) Senior Zach Kline cheers on his class from the stands. Junior Alex Kazdan dresses up as Bob Marley for dressing up as a tennis player on Wii Sports Wednesday. Junior Matt Ulino

Thursday. Band members perform in front of the student body at the pep rally.

BY OLIVIA OHAYON NEWS EDITOR

As students “plugged in” to a

“

One of my favorite parts of hosting was when I introduced the seniors at the beginning of pep rally and heard them go crazy. It sounded so cool from the stage. I really enjoyed being entrance and I will never forget this pep rally.

”

-senior Drew Marsh

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DECEMBER 2015

Getting WIRED at hoco

BY STEPHANIE STONE ONLINE NEWS EDITOR

Students got “Wired” on Nov. 7 at the annual homecoming dance hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. Seven hundred tended.

students.”

SGA brought this theme to

entertainment to carry the theme throughout the night.

“We created a huge list with SGA adviser Danielle Nasci- JUST DANCE: (Clockwise - from top left): Seniors Aly cause we know everyone likes

Orr and Edward Moreno are crowned homecoming queen - and king by the student body.

ity to her SGA students.

“Planning the dance required Wyman and Courtney Carlton take a break from dancing to be interviewed by CBTV. Sophomore Amit Drore twirls alumna Alexis Chung on the

they want and also accommowho attended the dance.” Perkins said. homecoming to a new loca- gram that each committee is in Beach Resort. Last year’s event

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF YEARBOOK

- said.

ed assistance.

“We all worked together to make homecoming look the

cess.”

bathrooms and enough room

also organized the homecoming looked great.”Junior Emma Sha-

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and how big the venue actually was.”

much more to him than just the recognition.

“Being voted by your entire

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and online.”

“It was really great to be sur-

about the dance. Students re-

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coming queen and king. night and that the new location to cast their vote during their rewas amazing. me that no one can get in your “Everyone said they had a because I had such an incredible set.”

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GSA hosts Transgender Day of Remembrance more about things that are going in the transgender community.”

She said the intent of asking Gender Sexuality Alliance students if they knew the true (GSA) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance event in the them, but to help them learn. courtyard on Nov. 20 to honor Junior Gen Hummel, who the lives lost to hatred, prejudice volunteered at the informational and violence. GSA members booth, said being aware that set up an informational table transgender people are people in which students were able to too, puts a face to a stigma. ask questions to learn about “There are transgender the transgender community. students here at the Bay, and Students were also able to a lot of people do not know participate in an anti-bullying that,” Hummel said. “You don’t campaign by posting supportive necessarily see the bullying as messages on a door to signify much, because we are blessed coming out. enough to go to a very liberal “We tried to encourage school that is okay with people people to do something about who are transgender and within this serious issue,” GSA the LGBT community.” president Megan Muralles said.

Hummel said it is important “By using blue and pink sticky for transgender people to know notes on the white door, which are the colors of the transgender

BY OLIVIA OHAYON NEWS EDITOR

“

a community that is coming If we can educate together and cares about an issue people so they that is facing not only our own will have a better country, but the whole world.”

Freshman Derek Sheinberg understanding was interested in participating in instead of just the anti-bullying campaign and made sure to stop by the GSA coming out with table during his lunch. misconceptions, “I think it is important to support any group of people regardless of sexuality or change. gender,” he said. “We are all supposed to be created equal, and a transgender person -junior Hazel deserves the same rights and Firestone respect as any other person.”

Muralles said when she that there are supportive people would ask people if they knew they can turn to in threatening what transgender meant, they situations. would often have an incorrect, “Even though most people at the Bay are supportive, if “We gave people the everyone were to understand opportunity to talk to transgender people, it would be transgender people that were easier for those who come out volunteering to learn about what to feel safe,” sophomore Hazel it means to be transgender,” Firestone said.

Muralles said. “The entire event After working with GSA for gave students an opportunity to multiple years, Muralles said grow more empathetic or to care she has seen many transgender

”

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA OHAYON

FORGET ME NOT: (Clockwise from top): GSA members set up a memorial to honor the lives lost to hatred. Senior Matias Alvial participated in the anti-bullying campaign by posting

students turn to the club to seek a place to feel safe. She said even though students are lucky to go to such a supportive school, transgender students still face bullying and rejections, most of the time at home.

“They are often made to feel unsafe and are scared to be who they are, because bullying is rampant in the United States and in the world,” she said.

While she thought the event was successful, Muralles said she and volunteers spoke about a severe and sensitive topic that most people are not exposed to.

“People often don’t care about things that do not affect

them,” she said. “It really upset me when I saw people who saw that something was going on and realized the severity of the issue and just continued walking.”

Like Muralles, Firestone said people could only understand what it means to be transgender through education.

“If we can educate people so they will have a better understanding instead of just coming out with misconceptions, Firestone said.

Muralles said not enough progress has been shown towards gender equality, because the media has not paid enough

attention to it.

“They aren’t given the opportunity to learn,” she said.

“TV shows, the media and school curriculum shun or shy away from the topic of transgender so we wanted to give people the platform to ask questions in an approachable environment.”

One way people are trying to affect change is through the hash tag movement, #translivesmatter by posting on Twitter.

“It is bringing light to the transgender people who are dying everyday and how their lives are relevant too,” Hummel said. “It is nice to see that people are trying to make a difference.”

Lightning Oscars generates excitement

BY CARLI UDINE

With the annual Lightning Oscars just right around the corner, the Student Government Association (SGA) is busy preparing for the award show that will take place in January 2016. The event will honor students who were nominated by their peers in each of the 20 categories.

“This event aims to please every student at this school. One of the hardest parts of being in charge of planning this event is appealing to everyone,” said Paige Gorodetzky, Lightning Oscars event chair. “We always try to add new categories. This year, we added New York Times bestseller. We feel this will get everyone in the school involved and broaden the event.”

With ideas for categories to come up with and meetings to hold, Gorodetzky and her team

Cali Kaufman

Paige Gorodetzky

COMMITTEE MEMBER

OSCARS EVENT CHAIR

“We are very excited to have already begun preparation. Personally, the excitement gets me motivated and makes me work harder.”

“This is my second year on the Lightning Oscars Committee, and I hope this year is a big success. We have a lot of great things planned and are excited.”

have to start preparing now in order to put on a successful event.

“I have been working hard outside of school for hours and hours. The Lightning Oscars Committee has planned to meet

a couple of days prior to the show to make sure everything is in place,” Gorodetzky said.

Sophomore Cali Kaufman is also in the Lightning Oscar Committee and plays a role in putting on the show.

Kaufman said.

Due to the positive reaction from the student body last year from Lightning Oscars, Kaufman said she is eager to maintain the reputation of the show and attract more students to attend this year.

Alexa Young “We are very excited to have already begun preparation.

COMMITTEE MEMBER “Lightning Oscars is a Personally, the excitement gets great event for our school me motivated and makes me work harder. I am so anxious to because it recognizes see the outcome of all the hours students who excell in many different areas from pay off,” Kaufman said.

SGA advisor, Danielle sports to entertainment.”

Nascimento, said she feels that being in charge of planning GRAPHIC BY ALEXIS SOBEL Lightning Oscars can be “Lightning Oscars is one of stressful at times.

“I see how hard all of my the biggest events put on by SGA every school year. It is important that we all stay organized in know when to give it their all,” order to ensure that everyone has she said. “I think they all realize a job that plays a role in putting that the school is relying on them to put on a great night.” on the ceremony,”

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DECEMBER 2015

Best Buddies hosts holiday potluck

BY STEPHANIE STONE ONLINE NEWS EDITOR

Members of Best Buddies and their families celebrated Thanksgiving at the annual Best Buddies Potluck Dinner on Nov. 20 in the cafeteria. Gathered together were 65 people who came to socialize and begin their holiday festivities.

“The Best Buddies Potluck Dinner gives members and buddies the opportunity to learn more about each other and develop their friendships,” vice president Gaby Eseverri said.

To honor the Thanksgiving tradition, members of Best Buddies created tables that were decorated with a Thanksgiving theme.

“We all get to gather around tables and feast on delicious food while enjoying each other’s company,” president Hannah Levinson said.

Since it was a potluck dinner, each member signed up to bring an appetizer, entree or dessert. They were encouraged to bring Thanksgiving themed foods, but were permitted to bring other dishes to share with the event participants.

“We received dishes from various cultures, like tequeños, latkes and even a homemade turkey,” Levinson said. “We made sure we had a wide variety of foods from each member and family.”

In addition to providing the food, members interacted with their buddies and learned about different family traditions.

“It was really good seeing the members and their families come together for an amazing event and spend time with

GIVING THANKS:

each other,” treasurer Amy Gallagher said. “The atmosphere was nice and friendly the whole time.”

Eseverri said Best Buddies holds this dinner annually and will continue to do so because of the special bonds made and the positive feedback from the members.

“It brings the Thanksgiving spirit to Best Buddies and is very fun,” Eseverri said. “The potluck always turns out very well.”

Gallagher said the Best Buddies Pot-

luck Dinner is her favorite event to attend each year and has been anticipating it since last year’s potluck dinner.

“It’s so fun to see everyone coming together, sharing a meal and talking,” Gallagher said. “I like being able to talk to so many people, and I love meeting the buddies’ families.”

Junior Emma Bartleman attended the potluck dinner to spend time with her buddy, Danya, and Danya’s family.

“I felt very happy to see everybody

getting to know each other and having a great time,” Bartleman said.

Levinson said she was proud there was such a large turnout, and provide the amount of people and families in attendance and that the members had a great time.

“It felt great seeing all of the families interact and spread the love of Best Budsuccess.”

DECEMBER 2015

NEWS

ELOP enrichment program gains interest

BY RACHEL FRIEDMAN

Estripeaut approached Ms. Suarez with the idea to begin the program in early Anatomy teacher Nori Suarez along September as Flanagan High School had with English teacher Shawn Maas, also initiated the program this year. have recently teamed up to enhance their involvement at the Bay. Together, enrichment out of this program and it the two shaped an Extended Learning should help to make them more wellOpportunities Program (ELOP) that rounded,” Mrs. Estripeaut said. “Cypress will begin on Jan. 4 to give students the isn’t just about academics, and ELOP is chance to participate in extracurricular the perfect opportunity to display that idea.”

The program consists of a variety of The goal of this program classes such as cake decorating, laboratory and make-up tutorials. The is to provide our students experiments classes are provided for the purpose and community with a of enrichment and learning, while still allowing students to have a reprieve from plethora of courses that academics. are non-academic and at their“Laboratory Madness will be a class an affordable cost. for hands on science explorations,” said Ana Riusech, instructor of the science class. “For example, we will be investigating a substance with unusual -Co-coordinator physical properties that you can shape Nori Suarez into a ball and then watch liquefy in the activities after school. palm of your hand.”

“The goal of this program is to The teachers that will be instructing provide our students and community with a plethora of courses that are non- expertise. Ms. Suarez said she recognized academic and at an affordable cost,” co- each of the instructors’ talents and placed coordinator Ms. Suarez said. them in classes based on their specialties.

Assistant principal Marianela Biology teacher Jessica Copertino

“

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E.L.O.P.

EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM LABORATORY CAKE & CUPCAKE LEAVE AN IMPRESSION: MADNESS DECORATING PRINTMAKING PROFICIENCY

This course will Obtain real life, teach some basic hands on experience buttercream piping while performing techniques used to decorate cakes and that will help you in cupcakes. It will also your future science create royal icing courses in a high school decorations to top cakes laboratory setting. and cupcakes.

INFORMATION COURTESY OF ELOP CATALOG

Create unique impressions using a variety of printmaking techniques: monotype, monoprint, collagraph, and relief print.

Students will learn the in the course.

GRAPHIC BY ALEXIS SOBEL

will be instructing the cake and cupcake- because I think that if they can have fun while doing science experiments, it Mrs. Copertino took Wilton cake- might spark an interest in science,” Mrs. decorating classes to improve her skills Riusech said. “There is no pressure about and learn different techniques that she taking a test; it is just hands on learning can share with the students. and fun.”

“I am extremely excited to be a part of Registration for the program began this program. I love biology, the subject on Oct. 29 and will be open through I teach, but I’m really looking forward to Dec. 18. Junior Jordyn Perkins said she sharing another one of my other passions is considering signing up for the classes with the students,” Mrs. Copertino said. because they offer a unique outlet to Each class offered through ELOP is socialize with her peers outside of the open to students of all grade levels and school environment. is not restricted to Cypress students.

However, classes such as the Laboratory been thinking about signing up for. I Madness class is exclusive for students in think it’s a great opportunity to make grades four through eight. new friends and spend time not worrying “I am looking forward to working with about school,” she said. “I think this new elementary and middle school students program will be extremely successful.”

Teacher and Employee of the Year praised for work winners are recognized for their excellent performance and work ESE Support Facilitator ethic.

Donna Mansolillo and Assistant Head of Facilities Supervi- and I know how much she does sor Blair Lynch were chosen as for the school. Her job is very deTeacher and Employee of the manding, and she does a really Year respectively by their fellow nice job handling her departcolleagues. They were recog- ment,” Mrs. Nascimento said. nized for their outstanding per- “As for Blair, him and his team do a great job making sure our formance on the job.

“My style of teaching works campus stays nice, considering it for me and my students, and is so large.”

Roderick Crawford, anothoverall it is a very positive expeer ESE Support Facilitator that rience,” Mrs. Mansolillo said.

Danielle Nascimento, SGA works with Mansolillo agrees advisor, said the nomination pro- that she goes above and beyond cess begins by teachers selecting to ensure the best for her stucertain individuals of their pref- dents. He says it is much more erence to run for Teacher/Em- enjoyable working with someployee of the Year. The teach- one who is kind, caring and dilier and employee with the most gent with their work.

“She’s someone I can go to votes are nominated and elections follow, in which staff can for help as well,” Mr. Crawford said. “Even though I’m not a stuvote on the pool of nominees.

“In a school as large as Cy- dent, she is always very knowlpress Bay, this is a prestigious edgeable.”

Craig McGee, Lead Building recognition,” Mrs. Nascimento said. “Being nominated and Operational Manager, said he elected is a great achievement enjoys working with Mr. Lynch because of his positive attitude for teachers.”

Mrs. Nascimento said the and personality.

BY LUCY CELENTANO

“

In a school as large as Cypress Bay, this is a prestigious recognition. Being nominated and elected is a great achievement for teachers.

”

-SGA advisor Danielle Nascimento

PHOTOS BY LUCY CELENTANO

HARD AT WORK: (Left) Assistant Head of Facilities Advisor, Blair Lynch, was awarded Employee of the Year. (Right) ESE Support Facilitator, Donna Mansolillo teaches her students a new lesson.

“I feel honored to share the pleased that he is working under my supervision,” McGee said.

Mrs. Nascimento said teachers and employees are not automatically awarded this honorable mention. Part of the election process is demonstrating appealing qualities that students and other teachers recognize, which is what eventually leads to their election.

“She is very patient with the

kids here and she goes beyond her way to make sure all the kids get what they need to make them better students in the classroom,” Mr. Crawford said.

Mrs. Mansolillo said she was happy when she found out she received the recognition because it she was not expecting it.

“I don’t know why I was chosen as the teacher of the year because special-education is not usually chosen, so that in it’s self

is a great honor,” Mrs. Mansolillo said.

Mr. Lynch said he was pleased to be given this award and was appreciative toward the people who nominated him.

“I guess people have noticed the way I work, and they feel that I do a good job,” Lynch said.

“Overall, I was humbled to be given this award.”

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DECEMBER 2015

NHS helps “PATCH” up community Gillman said the effects that these serly made her want to step up and help in as many ways as possible.

“This event made me expand my horizons on the different service projects I could possibly do,” Gillman said. “Not only was this event so special, but every volunteer who spent their time there was so nice, and seeing the progress of the community as a whole made me realize how much we’re growing.”

Blandon said she loves the popularity of the PATCH event and how members

BY FRANKI ROSENTHAL MULT. NEWS EDITOR

Members of the National Honor Society (NHS) volunteer their time monthly at the Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) community garden in Hollywood. The purpose of PATCH is to endorse healthy living for families who cannot afford organic products and to allow students at the Bay to give back to their community, educate themselves and cooperate with their peers.

“The work that I completed at the PATCH community garden really opened up my eyes to see how some people are literally struggling to have enough food on the table for their families,” junior Tara Timone said.

Timone said helping out in her community really made her realize some of the problems that other people face daily.

“My biggest, not nearly as devastating dilemma centers around passing AP United States History,” Timone said. “After spending a morning at the community garden I really do have a greater appreciation for the opportunities that I have.”

Senior Kendra Blandon, Assistant Director of NHS, said she enjoys the handson-appeal of the PATCH event. She likes how members are able to garden and see the instant impact from their work.

“Many of our events, like drives, are very helpful to the community, but they don’t allow our volunteers to see the great

work.

“Since organic foods cost much more than unhealthy, fatty foods, low-income

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

GREEN THUMB: (From left): Juniors Jacob Wilentz, Tara Timone and Sarah Gillman participated in the PATCH gardening event on Nov. 14 in Hollywood, Fla. The PATCH oraganization promotes healthy living for families who cannot afford organic products.

work they accomplish,” Blandon said. “At ers in my community who aren’t as forthe PATCH, volunteers are gardening and tunate as I am,” Gillman said. “It was an are able to see their work literally bloom amazing experience to help out with the PATCH community gardens and knowJunior Sarah Gillman said she under- ing that the time I spent there planting stands the importance of volunteering her fruits and vegetables was actually given time and striving to help others. to those who really needed it made it even “It is extremely important to help oth- more special.”

health for money,” Blandon said. “The PATCH garden is a great way for volunteers to see their progress and to give families organic food who ask for it.”

Junior Jacob Wilentz said he felt that the experience was very humbling and said he would love to volunteer there again.

“It was awesome to help plant food that would help to sustain hundreds of people,” Wilentz said. “The event changed my perspective on the community, and it would be an honor to volunteer there again and see impact of our previous efforts.”

Debate team competes in Chi-town tournament

BY MORGAN COMITE ARTS & ENT. PHOTO EDITOR

The debate team attended the Glenbrook Speech and Debate Tournament from Nov. 20- 23, hosted in Glenbrook, Ill. The Glenbrook tournament is one the largest competitions of the debate season;

Minnesota to Washington to New York; it was incredible.”

Wertanzl competed in the Oral Interpretation category and Dramatic Interpretation category. She placed fourth overall at the tournament in the Program Oral Interpretation category.

“I clearly did well, but there is always room for improvement,” Wertanzl

students from 230 other schools.

“

round, so I’m hoping to win a national tournament this year.”

The debate team has competed at this tournament for the past six years. Debate teacher Alyssa Fiebrantz said the team had notable successes and is growing as a whole.

“Every year we have multiple of hundreds of the top competitors at the tournament,” Ms. Fiebrantz said. “Our team performed very well, given there -junior Camila are some scenarios where we could use Tussie “ improvement. As the year goes on, I’m This tournament is an extremely sure our team will get better and stronger.” prestigious tournament with so many Seniors Ben Kaner and Eric Beilin students competing from across the country,” junior Sterling Wertanzl Public Forum against over 100 teams said. “I met so many people and lots of from 39 states. alumni and coaches from schools from “We started out strong, with a record

”

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY STERLING WERTANZL

THE WINDY CITY: The debate team toured Chicago after competing in the Glenbrook Speech and Debate Tournament on Nov. 20-23. This competition is one of the biggest debate tournaments, with more than 200 schools competing in it.

of 5-0, but lost the last preliminary round,” Kaner said. “It was a lot of fun, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete in Illinois.”

Junior Camila Tussie double broke in both her categories, Original Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking.

“I made it to quarters in my respective events, yet I wish I would have broken further. However, I am excited to compete in the Sunvitational tournament [in January] and try to place higher,” Tussie said.

Tussie said the entire competition experience was enjoyable because she was able to compete with her debate family, creating an unforgettable experience. the night before competing. It was so have faith that all of the work we put into preparing was going to pay off,” she said. having the time of our lives in the winter wonderland of Chicago.”

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EHS sends letters to veterans abroad

BY JESSIE CHAIET

During the month of November, English Honor Society (EHS) wrote letters to soldiers stationed overseas in honor of Veteran’s Day. “Even though EHS is an Honor Society, it is also a service oriented club,” Cecilia Fonseca, EHS advisor, said.

“What better way to pay back than to incorporate writing with the service of writing to the soldiers?”

All 41 EHS members had the opportunity to write the letters, and they received EHS points for doing so. Members had until Nov. 30 to turn the letters in to Ms. Fonseca.

Ms. Fonseca gave EHS members a template for their letters. The template allowed students to introduce themselves to the soldiers and talk about the holidays.

“I was worried they would feel awkward, so that’s the reason for the template,” Ms. Fonseca said.

Once the letters were completed, Ms. Fonseca gave the letters to JROTC teacher Sgt. Major Cruz to send to the soldiers.

“These letters are mostly for those soldiers who may not get that many letters from home,”

Ms. Fonseca said. “This lets them know someone cares enough to put pen to paper so I have asked the kids not to type the letters. I feel the handwriting is much more personable.”

Sgt. Major Cruz said he thinks it is great that EHS is writing letters because when he was in the military, receiving letters was one of his favorite parts of the day.

“Me as a soldier, I always appreciated whenever I received something from home,” Sgt. Major Cruz said. “You have mail call every day and it’s kind of sad when you don’t get mail. Mail is the most motivating thing a soldier receives on a daily basis.

All soldiers are looking for is that the country believes in them and understands what they’re trying to do.”

EHS president Megan Muralles said she has always loved writing letters, and writing personal letters to soldiers was a great experience.

“Writing letters is a really fun way to express yourself, and it creates a sense of unity and appreciation for the lives of others,” said Muralles, a senior. “Students are taking the time to reach out to strangers with no motive except for sheer goodness.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY MORGAN

Muralles said she tried to make her letter conversational and interesting to offer insight into her personality.

“I felt like I was having a conversation with someone,” she said. “It’s all about establishing a connection with someone you’ll never meet, but all that matters is this one instance of communication and knowing and appreciating the effect it has on both of us.”

EHS youth chair Cheyenne Desrosiers said she loved writing the letter to a soldier, because she

knew it could possibly bring joy to them.

“When I wrote the letter, I felt excited because a soldier somewhere was going to receive my letter and, hopefully, be happy about it,” Desrosiers said.

Desrosiers said she thinks soldiers get excited when they read the letters, like her brother, who was in the marines.

“My brother was in the Marines, and he used to tell me about how much he loved receiving mail; it was something he always looked forward to,”

Desrosiers said.

Muralles said it is extremely important to honor soldiers, because they risk their lives every day and are very brave.

“We often forget about those whose struggles we cannot see, so it’s important to remember and reach out,” Muralles said.

“It’s mostly a fun experience, when you get to interact with someone in another place, and there’s a unique moment shared between a letter writer and a receiver.”

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DECEMBER 2015

DECA Month raises club awareness

BY FERNANDO PADRON

Throughout the month of November, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) students participated in an international celebration, which serves to raise awareness of what DECA is all about.

“DECA month is an international event that raises awareness of what we are all about,” DECA advisor Danielle Nascimento said.

“The DECA organization always tries to show our appreciation as much as we can to all of our members,” Mrs. Nascimento said. “I know they are working hard to keep this organization going.”

Mrs. Nascimento said one way the members show appreciation for DECA is by throwing a donut party after members volunteered at the Helping Hand, an organization that helps families in need.

“All of the students pitch in and bring in what they can, we all love helping others in need,” said Director of Executive Council, Maria Jaramillo.

DECA student representatives went to city hall on Nov. 16, in order to get a proclamation allowing DECA Month to

PHOTO BY FERNANDO PARDON

DAILY DOUBLE: (From Left) Junior Bianca Musetti, sophomore Liliana Mejia and senior David Singh host a game of Jeopardy during all lunches. The game quizzed students on entrepreneurship to help them understand what DECA is.

ticed as a top contributor of DECA,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo said DECA has been doing many things to make fun activities for their group members. One activity is the DECA diamond scavenger hunt which November.

“To get attention we are trying to teachers hide DECA diamonds all around have a bunch of activities planned for the month of November to get the Bay no-

media with the hash tag #Decamonth. ly great way of getting our organization known all throughout school,” Jaramillo said.

In addition to the diamond scavenger hunt, DECA also planned a game of Jeopardy they had during all lunches where students were quizzed on entrepreneur-

ship questions.

“The purpose of this game was to get students to learn a couple of entrepreneurship type questions about DECA which would help students form an understanding on what DECA actually is,” DECA DECA month and DECA world wide.”

NHS members volunteer at Kakes for Kids run

BY RACHEL GREENBERG

Thirty members of National Honors Society (NHS) participated in the Kakes for Kids 5K run in Hollywood on Nov. cluding helping set up the run, registering runners, giving out water and cheering the runners along the path. The foundation raised almost $21,000, which will help provide birthday celebrations to orphans and foster-children in need.

“Not only did the upbeat, friendly environment and the view of the beach

dressing up as a superhero.

“The purpose of dressing up was to the kids,” Tannir said. “We are the only

birthday and show them that they are important.”

The event was a way to prove to the children that their birthdays are important and worth celebrating.

“I absolutely adore children, and it breaks my heart that there are so many kids who don’t believe they are worth anything,” Tannir said. “I participated in this run to let them know that people do amazing organization, Kakes 4 Kids, care for them.” made our volunteering experience all the Kakes 4 Kids was a more personal exmore worthwhile,” secretary of NHS Sophia Cohen said. she had the opportunity to participate in In addition to volunteering, students the run. were asked to dress up as super heroes to “I was motivated to participate beadd some creativity to the event. cause very kind-hearted people that are “I dressed up as Superman because I dear to me run the Kakes 4 Kids organization,” Cline said. “They help kids that D’Avi said. “He’s strong and powerful. I are underprivileged or fostered out of the think that having those qualities to look goodness of their heart, and this 5k is the only fundraiser for the entire year.”

Superman has.”

Junior Sophia Hrassnigg said she was Junior Shadia Tannir recognized the proud she had the experience of voluntrue meaning behind teering for Kakes 4 Kids.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NHS

SWEET VICTORY: (From left) Juniors Brian Bosem, Olivia Ohayon, Matthew Zuckerman, Dana Aponte and Gabriel Caballero volunteered at the Kakes for Kids 5k Run for NHS. The volunteers aided in setting up, registration, giving out water and cheering for the runners, all while dressed as superheroes.

“I thought it was for a good cause though I did not donate or run in the 5k, I and wanted to help out in any way that still contributed in any way that I could.”

I could,” Hrassnigg said. “I felt like even

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Classes compete in hallway contest

BY MARTINA VILLAMAYOR

for the amount of support she reTo coincide with this year’s homecoming theme of Game dedicated time after school to Zone, each class participated in ensuring the hallway was somethe annual hallway-decorating thing they could all be proud of.

“We worked together as one game subject. The sophomore class with its “Guitar Hero” proud of my class.” theme won the contest with the freshman coming in second teers had four hours to set up the place, seniors in third and ju- hallways. They also had a couple ish cleaning up anything that had “We had a lot to do and not judging.

“Originally we wanted our class president Jessica Bogtheme to be Mario, but we knew art said. “I wish more freshthe seniors were going to get it, men knew that it’s cool to parso then when the idea of guitar be afraid to show spirit. I know excited,” sophomore class presto win, especially freshman, so were so many brilliant ideas and I was shocked that the top two so many inputs, but unfortunate- winning classes were both unly, we had a limited time to actu- derclassmen.”

Senior class president Jusally put our ideas into work.”

The seniors chose “Mario tin Wyman said he intended for Bros”, the juniors chose “Poké- his hallway to bring all of Mario mon” and the freshmen chose Bros to life with objects popping out of the wall and stuff hang“Pac-Man”. ing from the ceiling by creating were some complications en- different sections of the hallway countered in the preparation pronal product was worth the stress.

“I just wanted the class to be more considering how great our course our goal was to win, but I wanted to win in a way that the class could come help and could feel pride and joy in their work.”

PHOTO BY AMANDA MASARO

WONDERWALLS: During Homecoming Week, students from each class decorated hallways to

plications during setup due to Junior Class Vice President came in fourth place, Mogola shortage of supplies, but be- Esteban Mogollon said although lon said the class stayed in good cause they were seniors who had he felt the judges weren’t able to prior experience, they were able fully understand his hallway, the work that was put in to complete it.

“We wouldn’t change anyJunior class president Max thing about the hallway and Morales said because his class “The process was tough,” - gollon said. “Pokémon was an last year, the junior class had a immense part of our generalot at stake. tion’s childhood, and we saw an “Our hallway was a 60-foot judges simply couldn’t connect opportunity to pay tribute and expanse of childhood art, but with our theme. Nonetheless we took it.” physics won out,” Morales said. were not worried about winning, just making a hallway our class would be proud of. That’s what literally tearing our hallway really counts at the end of the team, we can accomplish a lot.” down. It was tragic and not what day.”

Wyman said there were comAlthough the junior class

ESOL students solve county-wide issues bilingual/ESOL department, Victoria Saldala, was a followThe Broward Youth Policy up to the Rally to Tally Youth Summit held a Close Up Summit held in Tallahasse in May . At the rally, students learned about the state and which 30 ESOL students from the Bay attended. During the expo, students presented possible Agenda to present their proposals RAISE YOUR VOICE: to members of the Florida House and Senate. to both the general public and child abuse, abortion, teacher quality, testing in schools, teen Topics ranged from abortion citizenship, raise awareness of homelessness and mental health. to testing standards for ESOL “This Close Up program students. placed on education and create “You feel like you can make a talk to them and to be aware of Saldala said. an English speaker,” sophomore Students from different what they’re thinking,” junior Miguel Brinon said. schools collaborated to work Celeste Velazco said. “You also The expo, organized by on each issue, presenting ways feel that your issues and your Broward County director of the concerns are being

you the person you will be when you grow up,” Velazco said.

Velazco said teacher ratings and salaries should not be affected by standardized tests such as the Florida Standard Assessment (FSA), but instead, should be based on spontaneous

BY ALEJANDRO IRIZARRY

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRO IRIZARRY

heard by them.”

The proposal initiated by Velazco and sophomore Maria quality of teaching in the classroom by bolstering teacher “Teachers are the ones that teach you through your whole life, and they’re going to make

being taken into consideration as well.

“Their salaries and their ratings are being affected by their students’ performance,” Velazco said. “As a whole and as a team, we think this is unfair if a teacher is penalized if his or her foreign students can’t pass the standardized test.”

Velazco and Romero presented their teacher quality proposal to the entire conference, after which superintendent Robert Runcie spoke about how important their issue is to the future of education.

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DECEMBER 2015

SGA gives back to faculty and staff

BY JENNA RABINOVITCH A&E WEB EDITOR

Administration teamed up with the Student Government Association (SGA) to show appreciation for the teachers and staff on Nov. 24 by serving a Thanksgiving lunch during all four lunch periods. spent more than a month planning the event by making Thanksgiving themed decorations, organizing funds to pay for the food and ordering the meal. said. “Everyone I spoke to told me how much they loved everything. The Thanksgiving themed food was catered from a man named Roberto Perez and was absolutely delicious.”

SGA worked along-side the adminPHOTO BY FRANKI ROSENTHAL istration for more than two weeks to co- GOBBLE GOBBLE: Faculty and staff gather around for a Thanksgiving luncheon organized by SGA. (Clockwise from of SGA served food, set up the holiday decorations prior to the event and helped clean up following the meal.

“I’ve only heard positive feedback from all of the teachers,” SGA advisor Danielle Nascimento said. “I think it was nice that we could transform an ordinary drama classroom, into this warm and inviting lunch place, and the teach-

left) Mrs. Del Valle, Ms. Cousineau, Mrs. Estripeaut, Ms. Herron, Mr. Nagy and Mrs.Stillman converse while enjoying the Thanksgiving food.

how diligently the members of the class worked.

“SGA did an amazing job setting up the tables and decorations, and coming both before and after school to help out,”

sixth period. She said being surrounded by a large group of people was a nice change from eating in the staff lounge or her classroom “The food was absolutely delicious,” out to be at a great price, which was thing again if I could. The ambiance was amazing as well, and it allowed me to feel as well.” as if I was actually celebrating Thanksthe end.” giving with my friends instead of sitting been able to organize the event if it wasn’t Spanish teacher Paola Barrera attend- in a classroom just eating lunch.” for SGA. She was especially pleased with ed the Thanksgiving luncheon during SGA member Sydnie Winder, who

assisted with the luncheon, said it was a great experience to see all the teachers come together, and even more gratifying to know that all the teachers who participated appreciated SGA’s help.

“It was such a great turnout,” Winder said. “Almost all the teachers came and you could really see how much fun they were all having. It was so nice to be able to give back to the teachers for all they have given us, especially around Thanksgiving.”

PTSA helps students, parents deal with stress

BY LUCY CELENTANO

The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) brought in Dr. Jonathan Hoffman, of the Neuro-Behavioral Institute to give a presentation called “Taking the Anxiety Out of Homework, Tests and dia center. This presentation was directed toward students, parents and teachers on how anxiety can affect one’s life.

“One of the goals of my presentation was to encourage students and their parents to keep grades and test scores in perspective,” Dr. Hoffman said. “While grades and school are important, there are many other aspects of life that shouldn’t be short-changed.”

Freshman Cori Freidman said she thinks other students, like her, develop anxious feelings during the school year from nerves, pressure and overwhelming lives.

“Students have the tendency to be very nervous, because they know that if they do bad, their grade will be affected,” Freidman said.

After listening to Dr. Hoffman, Freidman said he believes it is important to recognize the buildup of these feelings may have detrimental consequences. In addition, Freidman said students need to learn to cope with these feelings while still achieving the greatness they strive for.

“After this meeting I now know that a lot of people get anxiety. Dealing with is it is different for everyone,” he said.

During his seminar, Dr. Hoffman said anxiety can be derived from many sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, teachers, parents, schools, colleges, businesses and one’s personal subconscious brain mechanisms.

“It is important for parents to not let

their own anxiety interfere with communicating and relating in a positive way with their sons or daughters. Parents need to remember that too much stress can be very damaging to a young person’s spirit,” Dr. Hoffman said.

Freshman Brooke Behar says when this pressure is present, students are under the impression that every single grade counts, and this may make them feel overwhelmed by their assignments.

“Kids get nervous because of the pressure they feel in that if they don’t do well, they won’t succeed in life,” sophomore Alexandra Saavedra said.

Dr. Hoffman said many parents have strong feelings about the way their students should or should not study. Since every student is different, this can either help or hurt the person at hand.

Rusel Caballero, mother of freshman Christina Caballero, feels as though it is her job to do the most she can to help her PHOTO BY LUCY CELENTANO daughter in school.

STRESS FREE ZONE: Dr. Hoffman counsels students in The Wave on how to succeed in school in a stress free way. He informs parents and students about

have large amounts of work every night, other important things in life aside from high school. she makes it a priority to have family time skills have to be a little bit different to suit whenever possible.

“I try to talk to them, have them take Senior Samek Tekie agrees that all While grades and school students have nerves at some time or an- are important, there are we can,” Caballero said.

As the mother of twin sophomores other and when these feelings built up are many other aspects of life and twin sixth graders, Dale Kotler said not released, the effects can be negative.

“Today, tests, quizzes and small as- that shouldn’t be shortshe realizes everybody has a different learning style. With her four children, she signments are held so highly towards kids changed. sees that different children have different and one grade can make or break someneeds, which transpires into the studying one,” Tekie said.

During the presentation, Dr. Hoff- -psychologist methods that work for them.

While her younger daughters may man said feelings of stress could lead to Dr. Hoffman need frequent breaks in order to avoid be- change in diet, exercise, mood, sleep and from getting too stressed out,” freshman ing overwhelmed, Kotler said her older overall health. He said it is crucial that a Brooke Behar said. “When I let out my sons often feel too overwhelmed when school stress, I score much higher in the him or her to relieve these emotions. taking breaks during study time. long run.”

“I go to the gym, go on runs, go on “Coping with anxiety can be different for each student and each one’s coping

“

”

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Photography Club hosts ‘Phun’ night

BY JULIANA STEPIEN

The Photo Club hosted its annual “Photo Phun Night” fundraiser on Nov. 18 in room 160 to raise money for art and photography supplies. More than 30 students and parents attended, and the club raised over $200. “’Photo Phun Night’ is a great fundraiser because the club can raise money for art and photography supplies while teaching specialized techniques Angelica Herrera said.

Since October, members of Photo Club have been preparing for “Photo Phun Night”.

“To prepare we have to choose which stations would be the most interesting and easiest for new members,” said Elizabeth Jenkins, photo club adviser.

During the event, there was a photo booth set up where people could decide between having a space or beach background.

“I thought the photo booth was a great idea. It seemed like everyone put a lot of effort into it,” said Judy Inhofe, mother of junior Erin Inhofe.

In addition to the photo booth, the club set up Photoshop tutorials, transfer images, darkroom photography and

mobile photography stations around the classroom to teach students.

“We decided which stations to set up because they were the most interesting and easiest activities for new members,”

“

I love to see people’s faces when they see the pictures they have created.

”

-senior Jesus Rojas club were at each station to demonstrate how each type of photography is used and to show participants how easily they can create their very own art.

“I love to see people’s faces when they see the pictures they SAY CHEESE: Pei Wei and Starbucks donated food for the night for everyone wonderfully and we are very to enjoy. Each Photo Club event, thankful for the generous donations from the restaurants,” restaurants in Weston; they Herrera said.

Ms. Jenkins said she is proud typically get four to six sponsors the event turned out very well. per event.

“The food turned out She said she considers the night a success.

“The turn out for ‘Photo Phun Night’ was great, and I was pictures they have taken. This very glad to see everyone having will take place in March. so much fun learning about photography,” Ms.Jenkins said.

The next Photo Club event is it’s photo expo, where the club members go to the Broward

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A STORY TO REMEMBER Freshman Rachel Silverman took initiative to bring awareness to a life-threatening disease.

BY ALEXIS SOBEL MULT. FEATURES EDITOR

Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, according to A Life Story Foundation. There is an estimated 450,000 people worldwide living with ALS. Most people with ALS only live signs of symptoms.

Unfortunately, this lifethreatening disease has affected more than 12,000 people in the United States and their families.

In order to help others, freshman Rachel Silverman, along with her sister Jennifer, wrote a children’s book to help educate children about the disease.

“My grandmother died of ALS before I was born, so I wanted to do something to raise awareness of the disease,” Silverman said.

Silverman said the book, “My Dad Has ALS,” was created to offer a unique perspective that is relatable for kids who have a family member with ALS. The story is told through the eyes of a 9-year-old boy, Ryan, as he watches his father progress through the stages of the disease.

“I thought about what would make Ryan relatable for children and adults,” the book’s illustrator Kim Holt said. “His character is approachable, friendly and has a spirit of hope. I wanted that to

“

I felt like this book could be a way to help people who are not dealing with it directly better understand the challenges of ALS.

”

-illustrator Kim Holt come across when people look at him.”

While looking for ideas for a community service project, Rachel and Jennifer thought of the idea to write an ALS children’s book, because they wanted to have an impact on other children going through the same experience. The 36page book was published by BookBaby and is available on Amazon for $12.50.

“They had an interest in doing something [for a community service project] related to ALS since our family has actively supported the cause for years, but they wanted to do more than just create a fundraising event,” their father Adam Silverman

said. “After some thought, they came up with the idea of a children’s book, which would serve as a valuable resource to the ALS community long after they were done with the project.”

Mr. Silverman said he was excited his daughters wanted to write a book to raise awareness of this life-threatening disease.

“I was thrilled when they wanted to write the book. Most people don’t really understand what Lou Gehrig’s Disease is, but there is an ongoing campaign

by ALS organizations to create awareness of the disease,” Mr. Silverman said. “One aspect that is often overlooked is educating kids about the disease. ALS patients often have children or grandchildren, and this is a much needed resource for them.”

Holt, along with the Silverman family, said she was impacted by the message portrayed in the book because it related to a situation in her life.

“When I got the call from the Silverman’s, I had a very dear friend who had just passed away from ALS that week,” she said.

“This project struck at my heart, and I knew that people did not fully understand how the disease was impacting my friend. I felt like this book could be a way to help people who are not dealing with it directly better understand the challenges of ALS.” Holt said she hopes that kids with similar experiences will use this book as a tool to cope with ALS and other diseases.

“Hopefully they will read it, look at the images and feel a sense of empathy on behalf of those who deal with this illness daily,” she said.

In recent years, ALS awareness has been promoted through the popular Ice Bucket Challenge that has gained worldwide support and participation.

“The biggest reason for increased awareness is when the ice bucket challenge went viral – you can’t organize or plan that kind of marketing campaign.

That was a once-in-a-lifetime event with a lasting effect,” Mr. Silverman said. “We just need to keep pushing awareness.

Awareness is what helps to promote fundraising to support much needed patient care and research.”

Silverman said “My Dad Has ALS” has not only had an impact on her, but she hopes it will be a great utility for others.

“To me, the book meant that I would be creating a long lasting legacy,” she said. “I am hopefully helping other kids and their families cope with a loved one who has ALS.”

READ IT AND WEEP: (Clockwise from top) Silverman and her sister Jennifer, who is in 7th grade, posing with copies of “My Dad Has ALS.” ALS was brought to Challenge” went viral in the summer of 2014. Since then, $115 million has been raised as a result of the awareness that the challenge brought. According to the ALS Association, 15 people are diagnosed with the disease every day. ALS is a disease that debilitates the nervous system, weakening the muscles and affecting bodily functions. The physical tolls of this condition are pictured through Ryan, as they persevere through the sickness.

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In this issue’s recurring segment that gives students an opportunity to learn more about the teachers they see every day, staff writer Sophie Schifter interviews English teacher, Margarete Marchetti. are dear to the heart.

What is your daily ritual?

I shower, get ready for school and then I have to have my coffee and read my comic strips from the SunSentinel. I particularly enjoy “Zits.”

If you weren’t a teacher what would your profession be?

I haven’t been a teacher all my life. I was a translator before teaching, so I guess I would still be a translator. I translated different business documents, manuals, reports, etc., mostly from English to Portuguese. I liked this freedom to work as a freelancer, but I did not like to work by myself and stare at a computer constantly.

What is addiction? dark chocolate.

your

everyday

What is your pet peeve?

Well I have quite a few, but especially when people use the word “clearly,” at the end of paragraphs.

It bothers me, because it is trite and often what has been said was not “clear” at all.

Do you have a book/TV show/ song/movie that has impacted you?

I don’t know if this show has impacted me, but for a while I was obsessed with “Lost,” and now I’m obsessed with “The Walking Dead.”

But a book that has impacted me is “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. Even though it’s about the Vietnam War, it’s not really about the Vietnam War. It’s about friendships and relationships that

What do you like to do in your free time?

Read. I have an eclectic taste in books. I’m about to start the book series Compendium 3 of “The Walking Dead” by Robert Kirman.

I’ve read from graphic novels to fantasy to more traditional novels.

Right now I’m reading “An Echo in the Bone” by Diana Gabaldon, which is book seven of the Outlander series.

What’s your favorite thing about being a teacher?

My favorite thing is the interaction I share with the students.

Why did you start teaching?

I’ve always liked teaching, but as I said I haven’t been a teacher all my life. I taught right out of college, and then did a bunch of different things like being a translator. I wanted something where I could interact with people. I wanted something

that would be kind of conducive to my kids’ schedules, so I started teaching.

What is your greatest strength?

I don’t give up easily.

If you could change one thing about the education system, what would it be?

I think the college admissions process needs to change. I don’t have a solution, but I think the stress level teenagers experience trying to gain admission is unsustainable.

What do you feel most passionate about?

A few different things, but I think I feel most passionate about my family. My family is the center of my life. My daughters are kind and driven young adults and my husband is my rock.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Very easy, teleportation.

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DECEMBER 2015

Military families reunite for holidays or pity for herself as she takes so much pride in being a military wife and mom.

“We never really forced our boys to As senior Matt Mize sat down at his Thanksgiving table surrounded by food go into the military, but they wanted to and family, he couldn’t help but think about the people he is thankful for, one children more or less view citizenship as of which being his brother Cesar, who is earned and that you need to contribute toward it, so they feel as though they need currently serving in the U.S. military.

For thousands of families across the to be contributing members to society,” country like Mize’s, people are forced Mrs. Hager said.

Not only does this commitment take a to celebrate the holidays without their family members who are in the military. toll on the military families, but it is also Fortunately for Mize, he said he rarely has very hard for the military members as to celebrate a holiday without his brother. well, English teacher Celeste Reyes said.

Mrs. Reyes is in the military herself.

“My brother, even with his schedule, She has a family, a home and a job that PHOTO SUBMITTED BY MATT MIZE family and I during the holidays,” he said. she often has to leave behind to serve the HOME SWEET HOME: Senior Matt Mize embraces his brother Cesar, who is Occasionally, Mize’s brother is unable country. Her shifts can range anywhere currently serving in the U.S. military and home to visit his family for the holidays. to come home and cannot make it to a between a few days to a year. When she is gone for a year, it is very hard for her, family gathering.

“If he were to not be here with my family and I on the holidays it would have whole year, and she has to explain to the a major impact emotionally for my family and I,” Matt said.

Matt said he and his brother are We never really forced very close, despite the physical distance between them and his brother’s busy our boys to go into the schedule. Even with these obstacles, Mize military, but they wanted and his brother make an effort to keep in to do it. They are both touch.

“I don’t get to see my brother other than the days he comes for the holidays. children more or less I know his schedule is very busy and I understand that, so it doesn’t really affect view citizenship as our relationship,” he said. “We talk a lot earned and that you need over the phone so we remain in contact to contribute toward it, so very often.”

Mize said his brother’s career choice they feel as though they of being in the military has had a big need to be contributing

BY AMANDA MORGAN

“

members to society.

”

decisions. Because of his brother, Mize said he also plans on being in the military.

“I am following in my brother’s footsteps because looking back to how -science teacher Ruth successful my brother is, even though he’s Hager worked very hard for it, it makes me want to be exactly like him,” he said. “I also sub her theories of teaching so that the sub can teach as if she was actually there, it will bring to the table, like paying for she said. my college and giving me major work As someone who serves in the military, experiences for when I leave the military.” she said she faces many challenges. Not Science teacher Ruth Hager said she only are there times where she is unable to also experienced the effect of having spend special occasions with her family, immediate family in the armed forces. but also when she is deployed. There Mrs. Hager’s two sons followed in are times where she does not even know the footsteps of their father, who was in when she will be home. While serving the the military. She said she has never had army is something that brings her much to celebrate without her boys, but while pride, it takes a toll on her emotionally her husband served, she unfortunately and physically every day. had to spend some holidays without him.

“I am sad that I am not doing my part Although Mrs. Hager does not enjoy as a mom, and that I am making them miss spending the holidays without a family out on having a mom around,” she said. member, she said she never felt any regret “I sometimes feel like while I am doing

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RUTH HAGER

FAMILY FIRST: Although Hager is without her sons for months on end, they always return home for the holiday season.

a service for my country, I am doing a disservice for my children and that gives me a very heavy feeling of guilt.”

Mrs. Reyes said she is very proud of the service she provides for her country despite missing out on the special holidays.

“While at base, they try to keep some

festivities in mind, they will make a cake, serve traditional dinners and will have decorations to keep it festive; however, we just continue with our work,” Mrs. Reyes said. “The holidays spent in the military are never the same as the ones spent at home.”

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Clubs use food as a fundraising method

BY ALEXIS SOBEL MULT. FEATURES EDITOR

Sophomore Lyla Barakat walks around school carrying cookie dough. These boxes have become the go-to fundraising method for many clubs.

Clubs at the Bay raise money by participating in food fundraisers. They require their

Lyla Barakat

Emanuel Millan

Sami Victores

MARINE SCIENCE SOCIETY

UNICEF

MU ALPHA THETA

“Contrary to how others “Selling the candy boxes quite entertaining and feel about this repetitive at school is a great way to educational. I am able funraiser, I am so far fundraise for clubs. I think to learn how to properly enjoying selling the food. all students love that they with snacks that can vary from Marine Science Society has communicate with others are able to buy various chocolate to gummy bears in decided to expand the food while incorporating business types of candy all of the order to raise money for their into my school days.” options.” time.” club.

“Contrary to how others feel about this repetitive fundraiser, I am so far enjoying selling the food,” Barakat said. “Instead of being unordinary, the Marine Science Society has decided to expand the food options and

cookie dough.”

The Cypress Bay chapter of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) resorts to food fundraisers to raise a majority of their funds. At the end of the school year, their money is donated to less fortunate kids in developing countries.

“At the beginning of the school year, we use the membership dues as a money foundation for the club, but later in the year

“Honestly, I don’t think any student truly enjoys fundraising,” she said. “However, it is a necessary evil.”

Barakat said always having her food box on her is convenient when she gets hungry throughout the day.

“I am very pleased that I am selling these snacks,” Barakat said. “They are new and innovative. Plus, if I ever get hungry during my classes, I always have something to eat.”

Sophomore Emanuel Millan said he enjoys selling his box of gummy bears for UNICEF, because he uses the opportunity to sell candy as a learning experience. it annoying to sell these candies,

we do bake sales, participate in chocolate fundraisers and sell candy,” treasurer Bernardo Neuman said. “I think that these food fundraisers appeal to the most people, because most people get hungry in school and they

“I feel honored to be apart of such a great organization that helps the underprivileged kids,” he said. “Being the treasurer helps me physically see the amount of money we get everyday from our members.

That makes the experience of the club.” being a board member even Neuman said although the better.” food fundraisers can be a hassle Mu Alpha Theta has two at times, the end result and annual fundraisers: candy boxes and poinsettias to raise money the club as a whole. for competitions.

educational,” he said. “I am able to learn how to properly GRAPHIC BY ALEXIS SOBEL communicate with others while “We sell candy each year, incorporating business into my because it’s an easy, hassle-free school days.” way to bring in a lot of money,” said Jessica Stillman, Mu Alpha attracts in the hallways due to Theta advisor. “Students can sell students purchasing his candy is the candy at school. There is no rewarding.

“Surprisingly, I receive a pickup or delivery of goods.”

Ms. Stillman said the money lot of business,” he said. “It raised from these fundraisers is seems that everyone is hungry during the school day, and I am trips throughout the year. All always stopped in the halls to do students in Mu Alpha Theta are business with other students.” expected to participate in both fundraisers.

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Where are they now?

Alumni Strike

Class of 2010

‘Teaching abroad would be the perfect post-grad plan’ Alumna Mafe Pazos had the opportunity to be a part of the English program in South Korea.

BY TARA BAGHERLEE FEATURES EDITOR

For alumna Mafe Pazos, 23, a love of Korean pop music and culture became a full-time reality.

Pazos is an English teacher for two elementary schools in the city of Daejeon, South Korea. Traveling with a government program titled English Program In Korea (EPIK), Pazos joined the mission public schools nine months ago.

She teaches a total of about 400 stuclass 40 minutes in length. Assisted by a native Korean co-teacher, Pazos said she is responsible for the English education while the co-teacher handles classroom management. teachers depending on the school and grade,” Pazos said. “It can get a bit confusing at times since they all have different styles and ideas, but I think it’s fun. I am learning a lot from each of them.”

Pazos said even though the schools she teaches at are located in more underdeveloped areas of the city and students sons, every day brings new, entertaining experiences for the kids.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MAFE PAZOS

CULTURE SHOCK: (Above) Pazos participates in a superhero themed team activity with her students at the summer English camp.(Left) Pazos is visiting Osaka, Japan on her summer vacation this past year.

“

More important is giving comfortable in their learning space.

”

-alumna Mafe Pazos “My schools are in poorer areas of the city, so my students don’t have the resources kids in the city center have,” she said. “Education in Korea is very tough and grueling. Given that my students’ English level is pretty low to intermediate, kids as young as kindergarteners go to school during the day and then must go to after school academies paid by their parents. Every class we devote some time to team activities and English games with the kids. They are so funny and get so excited when they win. It’s hilarious.” teach abroad when she was unsure about what to do after graduating from the University of Florida in 2014.

“I decided that I didn’t want to stress out over career planning and instead do something different,” she said. “Even though I really want to go to grad school, I didn’t feel ready to commit myself to more studying after 16 years of non-stop education. I thought teaching abroad would be the perfect post-grad plan. It gave me the opportunity to travel and earn money.”

Pazos said that although she was con-

nent, which is frustrating to work with.

“Being a teacher is hard work and there are days when students are rowdy or disrespectful,” she said. “Also, sometimes things are lost in translation, and teaching with another person can get a bit frustrating when communication is not the best.

Being considered a ‘foreigner’ sometimes gets exhausting.”

Pazos said she has experienced bouts afraid and to feel comfortable in their of culture shock before, especially during learning space.” the fall and winter months.

Pazos said she takes most pride in the “I’ve missed my family and friends,” learning that takes place outside of the she said. “I have missed familiar places English language with the kids.

“Being a foreign English teacher the fall season in the States. Communimeans that I am also a cultural bridge of cation is sometimes a struggle. Even asksorts,” she said. “Korea is an extremely ing for something basic back home can homogeneous country and is not the best take a long time here as I mime my way in terms of diversity. So to my kids, I am a through a conversation. Culture shock novelty. I try to teach them about my own is inevitable, but that said, it makes you culture, about things outside Korea, and I more adaptable as a person.” try to make them comfortable with nonAP Literature teacher Simone Waite Korean people. This is the main educa- considers Pazos to be one of the most tional work I do and it’s something I am committed, good-natured students she very proud of.” has ever had.

Although Pazos is happy with her “She has so many great qualities,” choice, she said sometimes the kids treat she said. “She’s very focused and dediher with a lack of respect and the lan- cated, and also very, very intelligent. She guage barrier can become very promi- is sweet and kind. She would do projects how happy she is that she made it.

“I never thought I would enjoy teaching kids as much as I do,” she said. “My role here is more than just helping kids ally care if my students memorize all the vocabulary words or are able to spell ‘February’ perfectly. More important is

in groups and she would just take care of them [her classmates]. She’s that kind of a person.”

Pazos’ contract ends in March, marking her return home to the United States.

She said although she will miss the experience, she is thankful for the personal growth it has provided for her.

“Though I love teaching these kids and I will miss being here so much – I ing to be a 15-hour sob fest – there are other things I want to try,” she said. “I have leveled up through this experience and I want to keep growing in different directions.”

Mrs. Waite said that the advice she would give for people who want to be in Pazos’ position is to chase every aspiration, no matter what the circumstances are.

“I think for Mafe it’s about following her passions and being dedicated and focused,” she said. “If she’s excited about ure out how to get it. That’s her personality. Find what makes you happy and passionate and follow that.”

Pazos said one of the most vital lessons she has learned concerns shift in perception of a different culture once immersed in it.

“I think I have grown so much from this experience,” she said. “It has made me aware of how culture works, of my own cultural limitations and biases and of how despite differences you can still connect with people even if you don’t come from the same place.”

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Q&A with a current student

PHOTO COURTESY OF HTTP://WWW.MIAMI.EDU/

University of Miami is a private research university located in Coral Gables, Fla. Lauren Goode, Cypress Bay Class of 2012, is a senior and is majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry.

She spoke to The Circuit’s Jolie Sonkin via email about her experiences there.

What is your favorite part about University of Miami?

My favorite part about UM is the relaxed atmosphere of the campus: sun tanmals and dining with teachers.

What is the campus atmosphere like?

Campus life is great. We are a small student body of about 10,000- 20,000 per class. Due to this, most students know, or

can at least recognize one another, which I loved studying medicine/health here. is comforting. Freshmen must live on The teachers are absolutely brilliant; they’ve had a lot of experience and pascommute), and then housing is available for upper class students. Most students with faculty members and learned so live on or near campus and are very in- much about different types of biology, volved with student organizations and ac- mathematics and chemistry. The courses tivities. We have a high support for our athletics team and push for the best fa- are always available for help when needcilities to be created on campus. Students ed. and teachers often interact with lunch or coffee, and students can be seen relaxing How is the research institution at around campus. Our campus provides this college? many free amenities, events and study Research in just about every academic breaks for students. ty is a private research school, and every How was studying in the medical professor has their own research study program at UM? What does this col- that they work on and have published. We lege offer in the medical program that receive generous endowments from our other colleges do not? benefactors in order to advance in cutting

edge technology and data. I personally do research at the medical school in the otolaryngology department (studying autism and cochlear implants).

How did University or Miami change you as a person?

I think that the University of Miami, and college in general, has made me a lot more open-minded. It’s very easy to feel like one’s own opinions are set in stone and correct when they come from a small town, or just aren’t exposed to various facets of life. Here, I have made friends from almost every continent of different ethnicities and ages. I’ve had my own personal growth and have seen many parts of Miami. I am happy that I am a bit more liberal in my mindset and receptive to change.

BRACE adviser visits colleges to aid students

BY EMILY CHAIET ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Traveling from Georgetown University to Johns Hopkins University to the University of Virginia, BRACE adviser Shari Bush visits different college campuses every year to bring information back to students at the Bay. “It’s a chance for me to really learn so much in a concentrated effort about a school,” Mrs. Bush said. “Often times

On her visits, Mrs. Bush receives a complete admissions overview of the school and a tour of the campus. She is often able to go into labs, see dorms, listen to professors and speak with students.

“You get to have a lot of interactions with students, not just academically hearing what makes them tick but socially too,” Mrs. Bush said. “It’s a complete saturation of the campus for the amount of time we’re there.”

Mrs. Bush takes a trip each year to

from the state or from a public school, so I’m always super honored when I’m invit- Last year, she traveled to Washington, ed and I always try to go.”

D.C. to visit Georgetown, George WashSince taking the job as BRACE advis- ington University, American University, the University of Maryland, Johns Hopmore than 20 schools including Columbia kins and UVA. University, Ohio State University and the “They call and they invite me, and it University of Chicago. She recently trav- always feels like a really nice honor,” she eled to Atlanta to visit Emory University said. “They invite me because they know and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). them really worthwhile.”

“I’ve loved all the schools I’ve seen, Besides traveling to other states, every because they are all different types of year Mrs. Bush takes a group of students schools and attract different kinds of students who have various personalities ty of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the Univerthink some of my favorite visits have been sity of North Florida and the University of Vanderbilt, I love seeing all the University South Florida. of California schools, I saw one of them a “The college tour really helped my college decision process because I got to me. I liked it a lot more than I thought I see what it was like to be on each of the would. I really like them all.” campuses and what each college has to

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SHARI BUSH

ALL-AMERICAN: BRACE adviser Shari Bush visits American University during ago, Mrs. Bush has visited more than 20 schools.

offer,” said junior Hannah Krohn, who attended the Florida college tour. “I learned everything I needed to know from each of the colleges. I also got to experience the feeling of the college while class was going on.”

Senior Brooke Soloway says that Mrs. Bush’s visits have aided in her college decision process.

“Obviously I don’t have the time to visit every school that I’m interested in, so the fact that Mrs. Bush travels the country and brings back so much information really helped me narrow down what colleges I wanted to apply to,” Soloway said.

Mrs. Bush said all the information she

has gained through her visits has proven helpful in aiding in student’s college decision process.

“I think they’re very helpful for students because I learn a tremendous amount of information, and then I come back and I share it with our students,” Mrs. Bush said. “Then, when they sit and meet with me and they’re trying to decide the table and try to provide them the information so that they are able to see that school through me and the information I provide.”

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DECEMBER 2015

Teachers spend Thanksgiving in various ways ily, there are over 60 people at the table,” Mrs. Wuenker said.

“There are never leftovers. My mom would get up at 5 a.m. to put a huge turkey in the oven.”

BY JESSIE CHAIET

Every year, English teacher Leslie Rheingold goes around the dinner table with her family and shares what she is thankful for.

Whether it’s watching football, cooking dinner or just spending time with their families, teachers celebrate Thanksgiving in a variety of different ways.

“My entire family gets together for Thanksgiving,” Mrs. Rheingold said. “Being with my family is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.”

English teacher Rebecca Bueno said she goes to her mom’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving. She gets together with her family and bakes.

“I’m a crazy dessert person, so I love baking for Thanksgiving,” Ms. Bueno said. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the holiday.”

One of her Thanksgiving traditions is baking a dessert called pumpkin bars. She makes them with her family every year.

“It’s like pumpkin pie and coffee cake at the same time, and it’s delicious,” Ms. Bueno said. “I always look forward to baking and eating them.”

Unlike Ms. Bueno, Mrs. Rhiengold said she likes to leave the cooking up to her other family members for Thanksgiving.

Normally, her cousin cooks, but her cousin was unable to this year. So, she had Boston Market

“

We have so much that we tend to take for granted and Thanksgiving prompts us to slow down and give thanks.

”

-law studies teacher Wendy Wuenker

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY MORGAN

cater her Thanksgiving.

“I don’t cook, so my alternative was to have my Thanksgiving catered,” Mrs. Rheingold said. “My ideal Thanksgiving would be if I didn’t have to worry about cooking.”

Math teacher Ana Alonzo starts off her Thanksgiving every year by going to church. It is a tradition in her family.

“We like to go to church early in the morning, and then we just go home and cook,” Mrs. Alonzo said.

Alonzo spends Thanksgiv-

ing with her family. She said that they are the people who are the most important to her.

“My favorite part of Thanksgiving is sharing,” Mrs. Alonzo said. “I love it when my family gets together and shares everything.”

Law studies teacher Wendy Wuenker said she celebrates with her husband’s family and her kids. However, her kids are unable to make it to her Thanksgiving celebration this year.

“Traditionally, we celebrate Thanksgiving with our ‘Florida

family,’ which is my husband’s family since my family is in Chicago,” Mrs. Wuenker said.

“We host out of town guests at our home. However, this year will be a very small celebration as our children live in Chicago and California.”

Although she won’t be spending Thanksgiving with a big crowd this year, Mrs. Wuenker said she has a large holiday dinner when she is with her out of state family.

“When we go to Chicago for a holiday dinner with my fam-

Mrs. Wuenker said she thinks the most important part of celebrating Thanksgiving is giving thanks.

“I love preparing the night before while listening to my favorite music and all the wonderful smells of the holiday all day long, but the most important and favorite part of Thanksgiving is taking time to appreciate all of those things and people we are grateful for,” Mrs. Wuenker said.

“We have so much that we tend to take for granted and Thanksgiving prompts us to slow down and give thanks.”

DECEMBER 2015

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seen on campus

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LAPTOPS AND CASES

GRAPHIC BY AMANDA MASARO

(Top left to right): Senior Jonathan Wagner, junior Justin Liebman, senior Alejandro Lopez, sophomore Maya Berry and senior Ben Parlo.

(Bottom left to right): Seniors Ben Kaner and Jack Mutschler, freshman Kari Xia, sophomore Emilie Vargas, freshman Camila Ramos and sophomore Hannah Kang.

BY TARA BAGHERLEE FEATURES EDITOR

For senior Kendra Blandon, her laptop is more than just another electronic gadget.

Blandon began to bring her laptop to school every day at the beginning of her junior year when her course load became heavier. Since then, her laptop has accompanied her almost every day to school as an aid for note-taking and a tool for ef-

right then and there rather than going on their cellphones.”

Eric Rivera is an assistant manager at cent of their laptop customers are high school students and their laptops sell evenly across all brands; their main purgardless of price or make.

outright call that a distraction. The school Wi-Fi blocks certain things like Facebook, which is what I usually get distracted by at home.”

Psychology teacher David Geller allows laptops for educational purposes in his classroom. He said he permits usage amount of information fairly quickly,” of computers for note taking, because he teaches a college-level class and wishes to tinue that way as we progress. ComputBlandon is not alone. As tasks for - ers are there to help you do all your work school become more and more digital, lege-level themselves. students like her have toted laptops as a “You have to trust them and always Senior Emily Chen began to carry her daily accessory to student life. laptop every day for her AP Computer “Primarily, I bring it for my debate college professor would,” Mr. Geller said. Science class, but soon found it to be a work,” she said. “The event that I do re- “A professor would hope that when he or productive tool for her free period. quires me to constantly be reading articles from news sites. Also, I have pretty the night before.” sible. I have so many classes and so many to type my notes in class, especially for Mr. Geller said a laptop to supplement things to do, on top of college applicamy AP classes. It helps me stay more or- learning could also clarify material for tions,” Chen said. “Whenever I have a ganized.” students that may have been confused chance, I bring my laptop and use my Blandon has had her Apple Macbook when he mentioned the topic in his lec- time wisely instead of just sitting around Pro for more than four years. She said al- ture. and wishing I was home instead working. though laptops can provide a distraction, “It also gives them a chance to look the school Internet blocks most of the use it as soon as possible to get my things websites that would normally interrupt done.” said. “With a laptop, they can look it up Blandon said the increase of laptops

around school can be attributed to the overall technological progress society is making. ogy we now have,” she said. “Today it seems that everybody has a phone and everybody tends to have a computer. More people have just realized that instead of having a bulky backpack with different condense it all and bring a laptop.”

Chen said students are seeing laptops as a substitute for traditional school functheir own computers.

“The demand for the use of computers in class has grown,” she said. “Even much easier to do it on your own computer.”

Laptops not only serve as an instrusion. Blandon said this makes for an effective combination. cases,” she said. “Especially now, a lot of people put political stickers on their laptops, which I think is always really cool. yourself while still working.”

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THE THINGS THEY CARRIED FEATURING JANIA GOMEZ AND HER BACKPACK

“The Things They Carried” is a recurring segment that examines the personalities of individual students through the contents of their backpacks. This month, News Editor Oliva Ohayon interviews junior Jania Gomez to discover the meaning behind

Nintendo ds Gomez said she often has to take her mind off of the stress of school, and sometimes it comes in the form of playing video games. She said because she doesn’t have a phone right now, her Nintendo DS is the only other device that is small enough to carry in her backpack to school.

“I don’t pay attention in some classes that are unimportant so I play my DS. My math teacher tells me to stop playing, but I get A’s so he is cool with it.”

mythology book Gomez carries around a satirical book based off of mythology.

She said it is unlike anything she has read before and aside from aiding her own writing, the book as a premise for a project in AICE Media Studies.

“The mythology book is written in such a different style. I really enjoy mythology, and the satirical viewpoint of this book really prompted me to read it. Reading a book in this sense is something that you don’t see often.”

“

I love taking pictures of nature.

I mainly take pictures and then pair them with my writings. So my camera just aids my imagination and my creative writing.

-junior Jania Gomez

high-tech Camera

”

gay pride patch G om ez said she brings her camera to school to ensure that she is constantly photographing her life. Gomez hopes to become a scriptwriter one day and said that having a visual muse allows her to have a starting point for her writing.

“I randomly bring it to school sometimes, but mostly I use it for AICE Media Studies. I love Media Studies because I one day hope to pursue script writing, so I take photos and adapt them into scripts. I thought it was going to rain today, and I think the rain is a really pretty aesthetic; I love taking pictures of nature. I mainly take pictures and then pair them with my writings. So my camera just aids my imagination and my creative writing.”

Gomez displays a patch demonstrating her pride of her sexuality on her backpack. She said she is thankful to go to a school that is very liberal.

“I like putting my bi-pride out there. It’s really cool that we go to a school where I can do this. I remember living in places like Alabama and Gainesville when I started questioning my sexuality, and I knew that I shouldn’t have even questioned myself because in those places being bisexual is wrong. At the Bay it was a complete 180; I remember coming out and being accepted by mostly everyone. Being able to be my true self is very important to me.”

Eyeliner Gomez said she always carries an eyeliner pencil because it is versatile. She said just like her photography, her eyeliner allows her to improve upon her writing because she can spontaneously jot down any ideas that come to her regarding her writing. .

“I typically do not have paper, so I use my eyeliner to write on myself. I write anything from song lyrics and poetry to homework. Everyday I write OK on my wrist, to remind myself I am OK, and when I look at it I feel better. For the time being, I use eyeliner for that because I can’t afford a tattoo.”

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Catching the poetry bug

BY ALYSSA LEVIN FEATURES COPY EDITOR

Senior Madeleine Gensolin has been participating on the Bay’s spoken word poetry team, as well as in the literary club, since her junior year. She said she enjoys the opportunity to incorporate her own personal experiences into poems, allowing listeners to hear and The Bay offers more than 80 different clubs and activities for students to choose from. Some have taken an interest in poetry.

It gives them a chance to express themselves, whether it’s spoken or simply written.

“I think that people should understand how important it [spoken word poetry] truly is because this is something that people rarely hear of,” Gensolin said. “Some people don’t even know what it is, but it is so important, because it

“

My favorite part about participating is getting to see everyone else’s unique and different styles. You get to see a little bit of what’s going on with them. You understand sides to people that you don’t get to see when you interact with them.

”

-junior Alexis Cosio addresses so many important social issues, and it gives you a new perspective over so many different things that you would never even think of.”

English teacher Shawntee Herring has been involved with poetry since she was 14 years old, but has been a spoken word artist since her sophomore year

in college. Her idea to start a spoken word team came from Seth Levitt, a representative from former Miami Dolphin player Jason Taylor’s Foundation, Blue Apple poetry. Mr. Levitt wanted her help in promoting the art of spoken word to the young people of Cypress Bay. “There are many rewarding aspects of being a spoken word artist and member of the community,” Mrs. Herring said.

“For one, it is a community of an eclectic mix of individuals that share a common talent. It's a community that is so diverse; you can't help but learn from the people who participate in it.

Lastly, it is an art form that seeks to touch a person's mind, heart, and soul.”

Mrs. Herring said Mr. Levitt wanted the Bay to create a team for the competition called Florida Louder Than A Bomb (FLTAB). FLTAB is an 11-day festival celebrating the art of spoken word poetry, which is centered on several poetry teams from several schools competing in a poetry competition. of business was to bond as a group. We tried to meet with each other on and off campus in order to build community and trust among each other,” Mrs. Herring said. “The next step was to write, write, write. Spoken word poetry should be organic and is almost always based in truth, so the team members take their emotions, experiences and dreams and put them into a rhythmic presentation.”

Gensolin said her favorite part about participating on the team would be listening to all of the poems and getting to see all of the different styles of poetry.

“In Florida Louder Than a Bomb we have group poems, and I think it’s so cool how someone will bring in their four different styles with four different poets, making it into this fantastic group poem,” Gensolin said.

Mrs. Herring partnered with English teacher Joyce Siegel.

They wanted to start the team from the literary club, “Electric Ink”, which they had already

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY MORGAN

sponsored. Mrs. Siegel said that while Mrs. Herring is in charge of the spoken word team, she is aiding the team while she is away on maternity leave. The spoken word kids will attend meetings and share their poetry with the club.

“The club is a bigger umbrella for the spoken word, we meet and do all kinds of activities with poetry,” Mrs. Siegel said. “We share our poems, some recite their poems, some don’t want to perform them but will just read them, we compete with other schools and we do work with the Jason Taylor foundation. We are able to share with other schools on the big screen TV, it is just an

exciting experience.”

Junior Alexis Cosio found out about spoken word poetry freshmen year, because she had Mrs. Herring as a teacher. She said this motivated her to join the team and start writing.

“My favorite part about participating is getting to see everyone else’s unique and different styles,” Cosio said.

“You get to see a little bit of what’s going on with them. You understand sides to people that you don’t get to see when you interact with them.”

Gensolin said poetry provides people with perspectives different from one’s here in Weston. She said this city feels

like a bubble where no one really gets to hear about other people’s issues.

“We don’t think about abuse, the different issues in feminism; all of those things are all very popular subjects in spoken word and they are all addressed in different ways,” Gensolin said. “It just gives you a new perspective and that is something that a lot of people, especially in Weston, need.”

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BY JESSICA BERNSTEIN

Even though freshman Netta Borowitsh moved from her hometown of Haifa, Israel one year ago, she considers Weston to be her home.

“I love it here; I have made so many amazing friends and really love this school,” she said.

Borowitsh moved to the U.S. because of her dad’s job in managing architecture projects.

She said she was upset to leave her home, but as she became familiar with Weston, she was happy with the choice.

“All of my neighbors have been so kind and welcoming, I am probably more close with them than I was with my neighbors in Israel,” Borowitsh said.

Eden Borowitsh, Borowitsh’s mom, said Netta made an easy adjustment when moving from Israel to here.

“She really loves it here. The friends she has made are so sweet, and her teachers are really the best. She adores them,” Mrs. Borowitsh said. “She also has been doing very well in school.

For only learning English two years ago, she is doing a fabulous job,” Mrs. Borowitsh said.

Borowitsh said leaving all of her family was one of the hardest parts of moving because she has lived in Israel since she was born.

“I was devastated to leave my family, but especially my grandparents,” Borowitsh said. “I am very close with my grandma, she was probably the

BY FRANKI ROSENTHAL MULT. NEWS EDITOR

Between SAT and ACT preparation, maintaining a social life and keeping up her grade point average (GPA), junior Jenna Leval pushes herself to succeed and to achieve academic greatness.

With academic success comes stress to accomplish these goals. Like Leval, other students at the Bay are working to push themselves academically in order to reach their goals for the future.

“I have always felt inclined to do well in school,” Leval said. “Not studying or not caring about a class is just something that never has and never will cross my mind. I push myself so hard because I want to go to a great college, and I feel like preparation for that starts early.”

Leval said she feels like she stresses more than she needs to for tests, college and her future. way too much about school, but at the same time, I don’t stress more than anyone else my age, because we are all competing for the same thing,” Leval said.

“Not only does school stress me out, but college planning does as

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY NETTA BOROWITSH

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Borowitsh and sister visit their hometown Haifa, Israel. Haifa is a northern port city that contains about 300,000 people. Borowitsh moved to Weston one year ago but hopes to continue visiting Haifa.

most upset when I left.” adjusting to the Bay due to the difference in her school schedule. In Israel, they have a six-day school week instead of “It took me about four weeks to adjust to everything,” she said. a while I learned to love the

well. It scares me to think that any bad grade I receive could affect whether or not I get into the school I want.”

Similar to Leval, sophomore Billy North said he feels motivated to do well in school because he believes his future is riding on his personal academic success.

“I ultimately determine my future and where I end up, so the thought of college and doing well in school doesn’t scare me as much as it used to,” North said. “I used to stress a great amount about school, but I realized that as long as I do my best, everything will fall into place.”

AP Physics teacher John McCann believes the idea of class rankings puts students under more stress than they need in order to be the best.

“Students who are actually really good at a subject and should be enjoying it are more concerned about the grade instead of the learning experience,” Mr. McCann said.

“Students have unrealistic expectations and they feel like they need to compare themselves with other people in order to be successful.”

Mr. McCann believes that

school, my new friends and so much more.”

Borowitsh said her teachers have helped her adjust to life in Florida by offering her advice and answering any questions she had.

“All of my teachers have been so understanding,” Borowitsh said. “I honestly feel that I can talk to some of them as if they

were my family.”

Math teacher Lori Windloss said Borowitsh is a great student and has acclimated to the Bay quickly and positively.

“Netta is so kind, considerate and hardworking, and an overall happy person,” Mrs. Windloss said. “I think that is what made the adjustment so easy for her.”

Borowitsh said she is most

here in the states and to have the opportunity to gather with all of her friends at her temple, sing songs and celebrate. forward to it, because it has always been my favorite holiday,” she said. “I cannot wait to spend it with all of my new friends.”

ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKE MILLER

while stress can hurt a student, there still needs to be a small degree of stress in order for a student to move forward and grow.

“Students need to be challenged because school is not a free ride,” Mr. McCann said. “We, as teachers, need to challenge students or else their knowledge will all just slip away

to place too much stress on kids, but at the same time they have to realize how important school is and what their future holds.”

Unlike Leval, senior Edward Menin said he doesn’t stress himself out about school because he knows his capabilities and his limits.

“Stressing is an unhealthy

lifestyle,” Menin said. “I push myself to be the best that I can be, to perform my greatest on my knowledge on a subject. I don’t think stressing out in order to achieve success is worth it in the long run because in the end, we’ll all end up where we need to be.”

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Homecoming dilemmas create stress Similarly, sophomore Ellie Sachs said homecoming was too expensive and not worth the pressure. Not wanting to pay for

BY CASSIDY SHELDON

The excitement of going to homecoming filled the limo as junior D o m i n g o Alegria and his friends were on their way to the dance. However, they were unaware of their impending car crash that almost made them late for the dance.

“Our limo had shown up half an hour late,” Alegria said. “My friends and I were afraid we wouldn’t make it to the dance in time.”

Alegria said it wasn’t the time he was most stressed out about, but the other

decided not to attend the dance and hang out with friends instead.

“

The cost of the ticket alone is very expensive.

Along with buying a dress and paying for a bus the stress of it all didn’t seem worth the money.

place.

“Our limo had crashed into another car so we had to wait for the police to show up,” Alegria said. “Meanwhile, our with the people he crashed into.”

Despite the longer trip to get to the dance, Alegria said he had a memorable experience that he will never forget.

“I didn’t let the stressful events affect the rest of my night and I had a lot of fun with my friends,” he said.

Like Alegria, sophomore Aaron Lerner was also rushed for time on his way to the ‘Wired’ themed dance.

“Our limo showed up super late which

ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKE MILLER

”

-sophomore Ellie Sachs

“The cost of the ticket alone is very said she was stressed during the time time,” she said. leading to homecoming due to the Unlike Alegria and Lerner, sophomore expensive,” Sachs said. “Along with negative reactions about the homecoming Alexa Zuckerman’s pre-homecoming buying a dress and paying for a bus, theme from the student body. fears manifested in a different way. Eager the stress of it all didn’t seem worth the money.”

Lerner said even though there were and SGA received hate through twitter accounts,” Salbe said. after numerous attempts of trying on a few obstacles leading to the dance, the time spent with his friends made him Despite the initial concerns during dresses at stores and looking online. the planning process, Salbe said she was “In the end, it didn’t seem worth it to forget all of the prior anxiety.

“No matter what happened on the way pleased with the outcome of the dance worry about a dress and what to wear,” show in Fort Lauderdale,” Lerner said. and had a fun time herself.

Zuckerman said. “I decided to stay home to homecoming, like running late and Sophomore Alyssa Salbe, who was on “The theme, ‘Wired’, turned out great and hang out with my friends which was being stressed, my friends and I still had a the homecoming planning committee, and it seemed like everyone had a good equally as fun.” really great time,” Lerner said.

Staff, students continue working during holiday season

BY MORGAN COMITE ARTS AND ENT. PHOTO EDITOR

Instead of hanging out with family, cheer during the holiday break, senior Jennifer Ronderos will be doing just the opposite: working.

In addition to participating in the typical holiday traditions, some students and staff at the Bay will be working during the holiday season.

“I usually used to sit around at home during the break,” Ronderos said.

“Working during this time of the year gives me something to do and is also entertaining.”

Ronderos works as a gymnastics instructor for Coral Reef Gymnastics and Cheer. This is the second year in a row she will be working over break. She said that even though she has to take time away from her break, she is very excited to be working during this time of the year.

“My feelings for working during the holidays aren’t terrible. I worked it last year and I actually enjoyed it. I get to be with the kids and the spirit makes work so much better,” Ronderos said.

Ronderos said she is working because

she needs the money to buy her friends and family Christmas presents.

“It is more entertaining to work during the holidays because every child is automatically in a better mood since it is the holidays,” she said. “I also love to wear my Christmas socks around the gym.”

Spanish teacher Paola Barrera needed to grade more than 120 papers for her students during the Thanksgiving break.

She said she was overwhelmed and upset at the fact that she had to grade for 40 minutes a day in order for her students to get their papers back when they returned.

“I believe that everyone should have their holidays for themselves, but teaching is one of those jobs that happen inside and outside of the class. Those days that we have off just requires extra production,” Mrs. Barrera said.

Junior Tara Timone will be working at Calvin Klein this holiday season. She said she enjoys working, because she is able to make money for herself and bond with her fellow staff members.

“It is entertaining to work during the holidays because your coworkers bring foods, such as cakes and cookies, for you during your break. It is like you are

ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKE MILLER

having a little party in the back room,” Timone said.

Junior Domingo Alegria works at AMC Weston 8. Alegria said even though his manager decided to schedule his shift during Thanksgiving break without a pay raise, he still enjoys the positive atmosphere of his job. working during the holidays because it is the break and there is a feel good spirit everywhere,” Alegria said.

Alegria said he would rather take a break from working; however, he is not upset about not being able to stay home and relax.

“I wouldn’t say I am excited but I am by no means unhappy,” he said. “I would not personally like to spend my entire holiday break working, but I am happy to be making money.”

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Gaby Eseverri

SENIOR

I’m thankful for the school I go to and the friends I have

from pg 1

“Ever since I discovered CrossFit and working out, I’ve found something to look forward to every day rather than three years ago when I sat at home searching for a way to relieve stress.”

Now, Chavez works out at the Weston YMCA six days a week and said he is always trying to improve.

“I’ve gained a lot of body muscle and have reached records in lifting that I never thought I could,” Chavez said. “I never expected to deadlift over 400 pounds and

amazing Thanksgiving.”

what he had and what he could afford to buy.

“The families that we help in the Harvest Drive

the thought of me doing a simple thing as to giving three cans of food helps them so much,” he said.

“It’s crazy how in my house we have all those cans stacked up and they would die for one of those.”

World History teacher Shana Yuman said she is off, and I’m so grateful for that.” thankful for her family and career all year round, espe- cially during the holiday season. can Top Team, a mixed martial arts (MMA) academy and “The holidays are a time when people start to realSOPHOMORE ize what’s important, that they should really cherish and I’m thankful that I don’t live in the hood, out, but he also gets to see people achieve their personal value that,” she said. “It’s a good reminder to celebrate goals. family, friends and human understanding. We all appreit could be worse, but I’m in Weston. It has “I love my job more than anything else,” Chavez said. ciate the same kind of things and the rest of the year is beautiful schools, beautiful people, I love it “It’s a great job because I am able to see people improve kind of tense.” often. Also, my friends sometimes attend my classes and Mrs. Yuman said people should live in the hearing their compliments makes me incredibly happy.” present during the holiday season and stay Chavez is thankful that his job gave him work experi- happy.

FRESHMAN ence he never had before, also teaching him necessary life “Be aware of your present moment, limit I’m thankful for all my friends skills such as time management. expectations and increase appreciation for all “I take four APs at school, which can be hard to manthe things that make you -- and people you in Nashville. I miss them so much age sometimes,” he said. “This job has not only taught love -- happy,” she said. “The only constant me time management with work and my AP classes, but in life is change and no matter what is hapI’ve also gained work experience doing something I love. pening in the present moment, it’s going to pass and a new ‘present moment’ will exist.” really thankful for this job opportunity.”

Ever since her accident, Paz has become a more Senior Edward Moreno is a member of Student Government Association (SGA) and helped out in the Harvest “I ironically am much happier of a person now, Drive. This is his second year participating. because I realize how little the problems I “We don’t know it but there are a lot of families in thought I had were in the grand scheme of SOPHOMORE Weston that don’t have the life that we do,” he said. “It touches my heart that I can give back to people who don’t dent, I realized that life is too short and fragile I’m thankful for my family have enough for Thanksgiving.” to not take the most you can out of every opporbecause friends come and go, Moreno helped to put all the cans in the bags in the tunity.” but your family is always there auditorium, and even though he indirectly helped, he still Moreno said after going through a tough felt like he made an impact on the families who received time in life, it always gets better no matter how food. cliché it may seem.

“Seeing all those bags lined up scattered around the auditorium is touching,” Moreno said. “We built all those ter, and I know everybody says that but it does,” he said. bags with a variety of food and items, and all those bags “I’ve personally experienced it and it does get better and are going to be given to a family and I’m sure they had an sad because every day is a great day.”

Zachary Patronaggio

KYRA HILL

DAVID RAMIREZ

SOPHOMORE

Hands, my ability to hear, to walk, to be able to be strong, to give, to get, to be conscious

RAMIR GALLARDO

JUNIOR

I’m grateful for having family, friends, and a girlfriend that takes care of me

HAnnah Hunter

LAYOUT BY ERIN YOO

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Jordan Davis’s buzzer beater makes #SCTop10

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Bryant exits basketball, but legacy remains On Nov. 29, 2015, it was announced that the end of an era was approaching us. One of the greatest to ever step on a basketball court, Kobe Bryant, will retire following this season, and to this Bryant has taught the youth a few lessons not only about basketball, but also about loyalty. Kobe has had numerous opportunities to leave Los Angeles, and play for teams who had better records and were offering more money. In this day and age, loyalty is a trait that seems to be disappearing.

Even in high school sports, the top athletes all seem to migrate to the top preparatory or private schools in the area to get the most publicity.

That shows how devoted Kobe Bryant has been to improving the Los Angeles Lakers organization. He is the only player in NBA history to spend 20 seasons with the same team.

Being a former NBA MVP and 17-time all-star, obviously Bryant was offered contracts for some of the other top teams in the league, but he stuck with the Lakers for seasons as positive he won there, and seasons as poor as the 2014-2015 season, in which they

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY JAKE LONDOS

3..2..1..: . . . (Top left) Senior Jordan Davis carries the ball up the court in front of the Lightning Lunatics during a 70-69 victory over the Flanagan Falcons on Dec. 2. (Top right) Davis pulls up for a three-pointer with less than two seconds in the game to defeat Flanagan. (Bottom) Head Coach Jason Looky calls out a designed play to seniors Jordan Davis, Michael North, Jake Londos, Caio Texeira and freshman Tyler Krivitzkin during a timeout.

BY JAKE FUHRMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Lightning athletes are becoming regulars on Sports Center Top 10 plays. It began with Alex Montgomery making a one-handed catch in the state championship in 2012. Jake Levy then made an appearance on the countdown after scoring a between the legs penalty shot in a hockey game in 2013. The latest was seber nine after sinking a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat the Flanagan Falcons 70“I heard my name and I was like After trailing almost the entire game, Flanagan rallied back to take a twopoint lead with 4.7 ticks left on the clock.

Coach Jason Looky took a timeout, and drew up a play that would eventually aland throw up a prayer.

“I thought it came up short, but I’m Senior forward/center Brandon Caice-

ball, and let him work his magic.

“The designed play was to give the ball to Jordan on a running start, and for him to make a play, which he obviously to any sport I’ve ever been involved in,” did,” Caicedo said.

Londos said.

Michael North, a senior center, alAs the buzzer sounded and the Lightlowed the whole play to develop by set- ning Lunatics stormed the court, the chants “MVP, MVP, MVP!” echoed player at half court. around the arena.

“I was just thinking that I had to do “I love playing at home. It gives us a my job, and completely take out the kid guarding Jordan,” North said. “As soon put on a show for everyone who comes as I knocked the kid down, I knew Jor- out.” dan was going to have a chance to win Londos agreed that playing at home it for us.” truly helps the boys perform, and the other teams seem rattled by the Lunatics. played the role of the hero for the Light“Playing at home is a huge advantage, ning. Last season in the district champi- with hundreds of fans coming to watch every game,” Londos said. “We’re undeto beat rival Western. feated at home this year, so it obviously “It was a much better feeling than the makes a big impact.” game against Western just because of the For many of the players, Sports Center is a program that they watch daily, so they appreciated being featured.

Senior Jake Londos was one of the “It was so cool being able to make main reasons that the team was still in the game. Londos had 30 of the team’s 70 points on the night. He said that he would have never even dreamed of being a part

More than just his faithfulness, Bryant’s style of play is iconic, and players in the league today try and mimic the smooth attributes that they have watched in Kobe throughout his career. It is so common now a day to see a player hit a turnaround jumper, and then be compared to Kobe immediately.

Kobe is the player who resembles the transition phase from Michael Jordan to LeBron James. I’m not comparing the three talent wise, but in their primes, they all were the face of the sport. Kobe was the one who imitated Jordan, but without Kobe, the game today would be completely different. Over half of the current NBA players weren’t even alive when Jordan was still playing. Kobe was their idol.

Paul George, one of the best players in the sport today, was quoted saying, “Kobe was my Jordan.” It is no surprise that all around the league, Bryant has received nothing but respect from on an NBA court.

Talent is one thing, but to be as successful as Bryant, there has to be that desire, that competitive edge, that occasions whether it was dropping 81 points in one night, leading the USA basketball team to gold in the Olympics or winning the Finals MVP in 2009 or 2010.

There were points in his career where he was considered unstoppable, and even if he isn’t considered the best of all time, he will remain the biggest school will continue to shout “Kobe!” as they throw balls of paper into the garbage can.

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Boys soccer kicks off a new season

BY ELI FUHRMAN

After winning the state championship carried that momentum into this season.

of the Lightning, winning the state cham

FULL SPEED AHEAD:

The team has had success creating Larez scored for the Lightning.

said. much time to gain team chemistry. come apparent. said.

run.

Girls golf places fourth at state tournament

BY HANNAH GUTNER

year and repeating the same success with PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY TODD NELSON

HOLE IN ONE:

said.

“We were one shot away from third season.

Sports Calendar

Varsity Boys Soccer Coral Springs @ Cypress Bay Jan. 4 West Broward @ Cypress Bay Jan. 5 Cypress Bay @ Coral Glades Jan. 7

Varsity Boys Basketball Cypress Bay @ South Plantation Jan. 5 Cypress Bay @ Western Jan. 13 Cypress Bay @ Pines Charter Jan. 15

Varsity Girls Soccer Cypress Bay @ Plantation Dec. 17 Coral Springs @ Cypress Bay Jan. 4

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SPORTS

rather than working out with a trainer,” Hirsh said. “I like to be by myself at

BY CARLI UDINE

Social media stands as a medium for informing the masses of this generation.

People log onto their Instagram to view posts from accounts that sustain their interests.

Fitness Instagram accounts help to motivate students, like junior Samantha Bornstein, and help them arrive at their personal goals. because everyone would ask me what types of exercises I do,” Bornstein said.

“I decided to create a page so I would be able to post videos and photos of me working out. This way, many people are able to view my routines.”

By using social media to communicate with her followers, Bornstein has the ability to directly give out advice about her workout methods.

“Social media is an extremely useful source to get information from, and I love giving out tips about what I love to do,” she said. also provides her with a basis on what to do and keeps her focused. Bornstein started working out in the beginning of her sophomore year and she continued to because she loved seeing results.

“There was not really a reason I started working out,” Bornstein said. “I just got into a routine, and now that I have my Instagram page, I continue to motivate others.”

Although Bornstein is just getting

DECEMBER 2015

makes that possible.” trainer and employee at GNC [General Nutrition Corporation], said he feels as if “I notice that as the years go on, children and teens devote their lives to many different things. I see that many kids love working out, but they also love their social media pages,” Thompson said.

“

WORK IT OUT: Junior Samantha Bornstein does an abdominal work out at is up to almost 2000 followers.

athletes who have become famous from posting their workouts. Inspired by Mi- Hirsh said.

Hirsh said convenience is a must when Bornstein was able to create a page where it comes to going to the gym. People like she is able to communicate with and help Hirsh feel the need to be able to work out out her followers.

Other students, like sophomore Mack“I am always logged on my Instagram enzie Hirsh, follow these accounts to fur- account and it is very easy for me to keep ther their knowledge on how to stay in up with the activity of the famous acshape. counts, “ she said. counts. I think they are very helpful and counts further communication, they also convenient. The accounts that I follow are give workouts and tips to those who do able to communicate with their follow- not want a personal trainer. ers while teaching them how to live bet“It is easier for me learn how to workter. I think it is amazing how much social out on my phone following an account,

account mainly because everyone would ask me what type of exercises I do.

”

-junior Samantha Bornstein

Thompson said he has no problem with social media. In fact, he said he beway that can be understood completely.

It is evident that in this day, social media stands as a loud voice that educates future generations,” he said. “The newly aroused basis for helping many people out, and I

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Hockey team off to bumpy start

BY ELI FUHRMAN

The varsity hockey team has started

“We haven’t had many practices

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY DREW GEFFIN

ICE IN THEIR VEINS:

Boys swimming has success at state meet

BY DREW GEFFIN PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

For the sixth consecutive year, the Cypress Bay boys swim team returned to the state championship. On Nov. 13 the Lightning went head to head against the most elite swim teams around the state.

Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart, Fla. Senior Marco Guarente, an allAmerican, won state championship titles in two events this year: the 100-meter breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

“Winning states in two different events was very challenging,” Guarente said. “I trained really hard in both events, so it feels great to know that my hard work paid off.”

Guarente, along with juniors Eric Veit and Fernando Navarette, placed third and fourth in both a 200-meter and 400-meter free relay respectively.

“For the relays, we were in the top three, and we had a great chance of

out on top,” Navarette said.

Competitors had to practice almost every day to ensure that they could perform to the best of their ability, and come out on top when it came time for the big events.

“We trained six times a week: every day after school, two days in the morning and on Saturdays,” Guarente said.

“Swimming is not an easy sport because you can’t miss any practices, so you have to train every day as hard as you can and give the best effort.”

When the team got to the event, it was the members had worked so hard and put in the hours in the pool.

The assistant coach of the boys and girls swim team, Tori Warenik, said she

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TORI WARENIK

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

multiple events,” Warenik said.

“They had some really good she knew the team was going to do well.

Navarette said the competition at swimmers on that [Sarasota] team, and “We have some swimmers on this states was really hard and a high school they gave us a good race in many of the team that can really dominate, and it events we competed in,” Navarette said. didn’t shock me that they succeeded in time.

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DECEMBER 2015

Wrestling team prepares for season

BY SOFIA PLAZ

The time of the year has come for Varsity Wrestling Coach Allen Held and his team to hit the mats and begin

“

I feel like my team and I gave everything we had last year, and I am really proud of our accomplishments.

”

-junior Ignacio Fuertes

training once again. Last year the varsity with the second best record in Broward County. They expect to get better this year, and hope to participate in the state competition once again.

“I expect to send eight to 10 wrestlers to the State tournament,” Coach Allen Held said.

Last year, the wrestling team won third place in the Regional tournament, held in Kissimmee, Fla. in March. The wrestlers practiced constantly which helped them to win the county tournament and attend states. The team has been practicing weekly and during summer to achieve their goals for this season.

“I feel like my team and I gave everything we had last year, and I am really proud of our accomplishments,”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY IGNACIO FUERTES

HANDS IN: The varsity wrestling team huddle around and puts their hands together at a tournament during Thanksgiving weekend at Cardinal Gibbons High School.

junior Ignacio Fuertes said. “I know also that there’s always room to improve, and we can be even better this year.”

The team practices year round.

During the summer, it had tournaments in Disney and Virginia. Now that the school year has started, training is held Monday through Friday to prepare for the start of the season in November.

“The year round training helps us to keep our progress going and improve our overall team rather than individuals,” Fuertes said.

The Bay’s varsity wrestling program has won three district titles in school history, and this current team has won two titles. It is still eager to win more, and Coach Held said this year he and the team expect to be in better shape than last year.

“We have a very good team, we’re excited about the season, we expect to be the best team in Broward County this year,” Coach Held said.

The two most important tournaments for the team are the Regional and County competitions. The results from these

tournaments decide which teams move Busenbarrick said that he is very excited for this upcoming county tournament, because it is one of the most important competitions of the whole season.

“This upcoming county tournament will be full of energy, because it’s one of the biggest tournaments in the nation and will be a hard competition. It’s exciting to see how many people get so hyped up about wrestling,” Busenbarrick said.

Girls tennis approaches third consecutive title crucial part of the teams’ recent success, and she believes that team chemistry has played a huge role in the victories.

Cypress Bay High School: a school “Our team effort and support for each of great pride and many traditions. Over other has helped us become successful the past few years, a new tradition has over the past couple of years,” Disbergen arisen. The varsity girl’s tennis team said. has developed the tradition of constantly winning.

In 2013, a group of freshmen girls twin sister), Pierina Imparato, and Sibel made up the core of the team, and lost in Can are all returning from last year’s state-winning team. then, the girls have been on a mission, and Past experience has given the girls an the mission is almost complete. They have won back-to-back state championships “Our expectations for this year is in 2014 and 2015, and are the projected to win states for a third year in a row,” favorites to “three-peat” in 2016.

Disbergen said.

BY JAKE FUHRMAN SPORTS EDITOR

the original girls from the group in 2013, and she said that the team really has had a desire to win ever since they experienced defeat.

“We wanted to win so badly. We knew every match was going to count,”

and conviction that Disbergen has.

“This year I am really hoping for us to win another state championship. It would really be something if we could win for a third year in a row.”

High school tennis season does not start until the spring, so during the offseason, each team member trains on and that is exactly what we did.” their own.

Senior Shene Disbergen has been a “The team has been training

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SHENE DISBERGEN

GAME, SET, MATCH: girls varsity tennis team with the 2015 state championship trophy.

individually to prepare for this upcoming especially for the girls who have been on year,” Disbergen said. “We all train at the team from the get-go.

“We’ve been training hard, and I different academies, and when the season begins, we all come together and train as hope that we’ll have an amazing season,” a unit.”

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JV boys basketball tips off season win games,” Lewis said.

Sophomore guard James Klopman was also critical of how the team has played, emphasizing that they need to

“

”

-sophomore Luke Rubin

PHOTO BY DREW SISKIND

NOTHING BUT NET: Sophomore John Truske (center) sets up at the free throw line in a loss against Flanagan High School on Dec. 2 by a score of 46-44.

BY DREW SISKIND

against Piper, Nova and Westminster Academy, and has lost to McArthur and Nova.

Truske has been content with the team’s performance thus far, but he expects it to improve as time goes on.

“We’ve been solid, but we can

Noah Lewis has been a key contributor for the team; he scored 23 points in the win against Westminster Academy.

Although Lewis has the highest singlegame scoring total on the team so far, he expressed some self-criticism about how he has played.

“We need to be scoring at a more

“We can all shoot a lot better than we have been,” Klopman said, “That’s not just on the shooters, it’s my responsibility to spread the ball around and make sure all our guys are getting open looks.”

The team has endured many ups and downs so far, but sophomore guard Luke Rubin said the team always stays together and the players have each other’s backs.

“We’re a team; we win as a team, and we lose as a team,” Rubin said. “We’re all here with the same goal of winning games, nobody is ever singled out.”

With the team being only about a quarter of the way into the season, they still have high hopes.

The junior varsity basketball team’s season is well under way, and Coach Gabe Pean has led them to a 4-2 record.

Replicating the varsity team, the team kicked off their season on Nov. 17 with a win at West Broward.

Sophomore center John Truske led really just need to play better as a team, we put our mind to, as long as we go about the team, pulling down 19 rebounds in and I can see that our chemistry just includes me. The team is relying on me it the right way and believe in ourselves,” the game. as a guard to score the ball, and I need to Truske said. keeps getting stronger.”

Since then, the Lighting has won games Along with Truske, sophomore guard do whatever I can to help us

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What is your pre-game ritual?

My family is very into sports, and my parents wanted my brother, my sister and I to be active. They signed me up for soccer when I was seven, and I fell in love with the sport. I’ve been playing ever since.

My pre-game ritual is to listen to music. I like to pump myself up with rap or hip-hop. soccer?

soccer?

Yes, both my brother and sister used to play. My brother ended up quitting, while my sister played all throughout high school, but quit because she went away to Florida State University.

going to my dad’s games. He played for a club in Colombia called Country Club, and there were always people cheering him on. I like being cheered on and soccer is a very intense sport.

school? Where?

I don’t really have a diet, but I like eating pasta because it gets me energized and gets my muscles ready to go.

-Ben Eiglarsh

Yes, I play at Weston FC out of school. I have the best coaches and players, and it’s fun to have more than just one team.

-Jessica Russo

FALL SEASON STATISTICS Varsity Basketball

Boys Varsity Soccer Plantation

W

West Broward

W

Coral Glades

W

Western

W

South Plantation

T 1-1

Piper

W

Plantation

W

Coral Springs

1/4

West Broward

1/5

Coral Glades

1/7

Girls Varsity Soccer

Boys Varsity Hockey

Coral Glades

W

South Plantation

W

Flanagan

W

@Monarch

W

Westen

W

Piper

W

Hollywood Hills

12/11

@South Plantation

1/5

@Western

1/13

Girls Varsity Basketball

Miami Dade

L

Eastside

W

North Broward Prep

L

Coral Springs

T 2-2

Boca Raton

L

Eastside

W

North Broward Prep

L

Boca Raton

L

North Broward Prep

L

Coral Springs

W

Stoneman Douglas

12/14

North Broward Prep

1/4

South Plantation

W

Flanagan

L

Miami Dade

1/8

Piper

W

Western

W

North Broward Prep

1/11

Miami Dade

1/22

Apopka

W

Piper

L

@Taravella

12/15

@South Plantation

1/5

@Plantation

12/17

Cardinal Gibbons

1/7

*All information as of Dec. 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 2015

WWW.CBHSCIRCUIT.COM

35

THE CIRCUIT

Love of arts, sciences allows for medium of expression

BY SAMI HAYDU

Award should be more than a popularity contest

Senior Alana Barrett has had a passion for the arts since she was in preschool, and has used her talent to create a variety of artwork. Barrett said art has helped open her eyes to the world and make her a better person.

Barrett’s mother is an artist, and has worked as a fashion designer, college art professor and released a book about fashion design three years ago called “Designing Your Fashion Portfolio: From Concept to Presentation.” As a result, Barrett

Ah, it’s that time of the year againwhen we can look back at this year’s accomplishments (and downfalls), pretend that Florida’s 70 degree weather is “winter,” and hope that midterm week goes by quickly and smoothly. Most importantly, perhaps, is whom “TIME” magazine will elect as person of the year.

The award is supposed to be presented to “those who have—for good or

“From the time I was little, I can remember being exposed to a professional and educational environment for the arts,” Barrett said. “My mother used to bring me into work with her and I would sit in the back of her class and create art while she was teaching. It was so special, because I got to interact with many professional artists from a young age.”

Barrett started expressing her love for the arts when she began taking dance classes. When she was seven, she started playing the drums, and at the age of 10, she began playing the bass guitar.

“Whenever I try different forms of art like dance, music, art or writing, it makes me feel like I can escape reality and enter my own world,” Barrett said. “Art has

world in the past year,” whether it be Gandhi (1930) or Hitler (1938), However, shouldn’t this award praise someone who has furthered society as a whole, who has seems more like a glamorized popularity contest rather than a prestigious award.

Amongst this year’s contenders are: Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian West,

BIOLOGICAL BARRETT: (Above) Through her artwork, Barrett combines her passions for art and science by translating biological ideas into her work. In AP Studio Art Drawing she has the opportunity to do so. (left) Barrett has drawn many modular projects, which are pieces where the objective is to repeat an image.

Barrett wanted to parallel this to show the idea that microscopic patterns repeat themselves on a macro and universal scale.

senior Alana Barrett always been a stress release for me and it brings me so much joy.”

Barrett would like to study microbiology and art at MIT, Carnegie Mellon University or the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

“I’m fascinated by microbiology, and I have a true passion for the sciences. In college, I want to study microbiology and art, and combine my interests in both thetic studies with my art,” Barrett said.

“I really want to experiment with unconventional artistic mediums like cellular growth or chemical interactions to create ‘biological’ work.”

Barrett is involved in a variety of extracurriculars, where she has the opportunity to express her passions for art, music, and science. Barrett is the President of Science National Honor Society (SNHS) and a member of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS).

“Being the president of National Science Honor Society is a great accomplishment,” Barrett said. “ I really enjoy expressing my passion for the sciences with others who are also fascinated by science, and it is a great way to connect with my interests and be involved.”

Elizabeth Jenkins, one of Barrett’s art teachers, has known her for four years and said she is extremely dedicated to the arts.

“Alana has great initiative and thinks independently beyond the basic requirements of each project. She always strives to create a truly unique solution to each assignment,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “Alana is committed to always doing her personal

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ALANA BARRETT

for a grade. Her creativity and ideas are very advanced, yet she takes feedback well and will always push to improve.”

Even though Mrs. Jenkins knows Barrett wants to major in the sciences, she sees her continuing art throughout her life.

“It’s a part of her and you can see it when she has a unique idea and is able to bring it to fruition,” Mrs. Jenkins said.

“Alana is very versatile and adept at many media, and abstract designs are her forte.

She explores new and unusual media to portray subjects in a unique way.”

Barrett said being involved in the arts has had a huge impact on her life.

“My favorite thing about the arts is that it’s a platform for self expression. It is so important that people have venues through which they can share their experiences, stories, emotions, fears and thoughts,” Barrett said. “The arts provide a productive way for people to do so, and I think in many senses the arts have the ability to save people from being overcome by their own emotions.”

Barrett has participated in several

and to be serving the community at the same time,” Barrett said. “Community service is really important to me, and it feels so good to give back. It also makes me proud to know that my artwork is in public spaces where so many others can experience it.”

Although Barrett said the arts have had a mainly positive impact on her life, she has had some struggles with her other passion for science.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced in the arts is dealing with people who think that science and art are opposites. It is frustrating because many people are so polarized in how they view the arts and sciences, and they do not understand how much these two subjects overlap, and how well they can be merged together,” Barrett said.

Although Barrett says her journey has been tough she has received a lot of support from the teachers at The Bay. “For a while, most people thought I was strange for having ideas of mixing the two. However, this problem was solved from the excellent support and encouragement of the teachers here at CyBay campus as a whole. This year, Barrett press Bay, especially Mrs. Jenkins, Mr. helped paint a mural outside the baseball Boswell and Mrs. Sarajian,” Barrett said.

“Painting the murals made me feel incredibly proud. It is really an amazing thing to be able to do something I love

“TIME’s” criteria, seeing as he is constantly the front page of news; however, as a racist bigot, I don’t see any world in which he should receive this award. Kim K., I was sincerely impressed with your champagne butt photo last year, but I’m of the year, and I don’t know what you accomplished this year. Caitlyn Jenner is a better candidate, but still not the right one.

This is not because she’s transgender, no, that has absolutely nothing to do with it; her struggle this year should in no way be undermined. The issue lies with the fact that while she has done so much for the transgender movement, she was involved in a fatal car crash that killed a woman and wasn’t charged with manslaughter.

She hit two cars, one of which was pushed Even though they were faced with an overwhelming 59 candidates, “TIME” editors managed to make a solid choice: Angela Merkel. In 2005, she was appointthere’s no doubt that she used her power for good. She’s been a key player in managing Europe’s debt crisis and has been a part of the movement to welcome and foster peace in a time of political unrest.

Of course, Merkel isn’t the only one deserving of this praise, and she may not even be the best choice. Malala Yousafzai, an 18-year-old Pakistani activist who instead of having a big blowout for her 18th birthday opened a school in Syria for Lebanon refugees, is an inspiration to all. Black Lives Matter activists are more than deserving of this award, especially after the adversity they have to face on a daily basis. Misty Copeland became the black female principal ballerina, a role that sets her as a role model for young girls, especially those minorities who feel underrepresented The point is, being awarded person of the year should be a lot more than simply being the most popular person of the year.

It should be bestowed as a form of praise and honor instead of being regarded as a high school competition where the prettiest gal or guy wins. It’s time to rethink what this award should be representing and who should be receiving it.

36 THE CIRCUIT

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A mixed dating strategy, according to Dr. Gagnon, may be the most effective cludes using dating technology as well as being socially active in the real world.

“I recommend reputable dating websites to all my dating coaching clients, such as Match.com and eHarmony, in addition to more traditional ways of meeting people, such as being introduced by friends or meeting through volunteer work,” she said. “The reason is that it’s a good idea to meet people in several different ways, as that can increase the chances of meeting people we are compatible with and attracted to.”

Nonetheless, English teacher Tori Warenik, is wary of dating apps.

“I personally don’t use [dating apps] because I don’t want to run across the

Since 2008, apps such as Tinder, Match.com and Hitch have grown in relationships conveniently. However, the unconventional dating method is a source of mixed emotions for many students.

“Meeting someone through a dating app takes away the natural, unforced connections you make with someone,” junior Camille Morar said.

Junior Nathaniel Stoughton agrees with Morar’s negative view of the relatively new technology.

“I think dating apps are really degrading, because you’re dumping a bunch of stuff about yourself online and hoping someone else might like it,” he said. “My mom used Match.com twice, and it didn’t turn out well.”

Some, on the other hand, see dating apps as an advantage that allows people to be proactive in their search for a partner.

“If I’m in an unfamiliar place when I’m older with few social hubs to meet girls, I don’t see why I wouldn’t use a dat-

DECEMBER 2015

behind a device screen. [other] in your favorite bookstore or restaurant might have a deeper sentimental value than reading about her on her on-

no matter where it starts, whether it be Morales said. “It’s a new age with mod- on Tinder or by the burning tinders of a ern technology, why not take advantage of that?”

Dr. Chantal Marie Gagnon, Ph.D., a liHowever, Morales said some people censed psychotherapist and dating coach

smart and cautious approach to using dating apps.

“One of the problems with dating websites is that it can make it too easy and too quick to go through the steps needed to build a relationship,” she said. “For people who take the time to build their connection and relationship slowly and thoughtfully, I don’t think there is much difference between a relationship that started online and one that didn’t.”

feel more comfortable meeting people in enik said.

Although not everybody is comfortable with dating apps, many have welcomed it as they see it can foster healthy relationships.

“I have a lot of friends and family members who have used dating apps with great success, so clearly it’s a good option for some people,” Ms. Warenik said.

for basketball season Junior Julia Dwyer has been counting ball game of the season so that she can the crowd.

“When the band plays at the basketball games, it makes the gym have a lot everyone’s enthusiasm and cheering,” she said.

The Sound of Thunder, will be playing at home basketball games in order to create a to create a lively atmosphere for the players, fans and parents.

“We decided to start playing at the basketball games in addition to the football games because the school has done a lot for us. They’ve gotten us new equipment and a TV,” Dwyer said. “We wanted to do something more to show our appreciation.” his high school band created a spirited and vibrant gymnasium, so he wanted the “We like to put together a basketball

A&E calendar Concerts

band because it was something that I grew up having. I am from Indiana, and basketball is a really big sport there,” Mr. Jadvani said. “We always had basketball bands [in Indiana], so it was something I thought we could branch out to different areas of athletics and show some school spirit and support for the team.”

Mr. Jadvani said even though practice requires ensemble band members to work harder for the games, the energetic music the band produces makes the work pay off.

LOUD AND PROUD: “We get loud. We get rowdy. It just makes it a lot of fun,” he said. “Having a live band is always a bit better than having a DJ.” home games because it adds school spirit to the overall atmosphere of the gymnaCaicedo said having the band play is ben- sium. tor for the team and a distraction to the section, captain Devin Ramirez said the opposing team. environment created by the talented band “When the band is playing, it gets the members adds to the excitement of the team and I pumped up, which makes us basketball games. play much better,” he said. “It also ben“I think the band is great in the sense that it is awesome seeing our peers and the noise from the fans and the band, so it classmates displaying their talents in supwill make them nervous.” port of creating a winning atmosphere for Caicedo, along with his teammates, our school’s basketball team,” Ramirez likes the addition of the band to their said.

Movies

Albums

The Lightning Lunatics’ student section usually plays rap music throughout the course of the games, however the band provides an alternative change in music.

“The band gets the whole student section pumped up because we see how much passion they put into playing such great music that we can’t help but bump to it,” Ramirez said.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 2015

THE CIRCUIT

One Direction goes wrong direction Similar to One Direction’s future, “Made in the A.M.” is not clear-cut.

Some songs are the highest of peaks and others are the lowest of valleys, which tends to be confusing and disillusioning as to how to describe the album.

Although Malik’s bridges and sweet tones of his voice are missed dearly, the boys do a decent job of crafting arrangements that feel natural. The real question, however, lies in the sustainability of the group after this album release. Are fans, new and old alike, willing to experiment along with One Direction as they take on new sounds and upcoming individual

“Made in the A.M.”

BY TARA BAGHERLEE FEATURES EDITOR

One Direction has bared it all in the past year: losing the beloved Zayn Malik, gaining sour press from Louis Tomlinson and his now impending fatherhood and an announcement that shook the core of thousands of preteens. In March, they will be going on an “extended hiatus.”

The real test of these incidents came dio album, “Made in the A.M.,” on Nov. 13. The album is a gray area in the black and white shades, with some songs proving uninteresting, while others deliver surprising new dimensions to the group’s brand of pop.

The album does not shy away from musical emulation. Songs like “What A Feeling” reveal new sounds for One Direction, echoing the style of Fleetwood Mac with its airy feel and gripping chorus. The same can be said about “Temporary Fix,” which delivers rock-androll vibes that mirror the style of Kings of Leon. Whether this is interpreted as mimicry or admiration, one thing is certain: the music is killer.

Other must-listens on the album include “Wolves,” delivering an old-timey feel with tremendously catchy lyrics, and “Drag Me Down,” which was released as

to be a jam. “History,” “Olivia,” “Walking in the Wind” and “Perfect” all trail behind as songs that should be given a chance.

The most unique and polarizing song on the album is “End of the Day.” The song starts off subtle and sweet, then suddenly transformed by the chorus, turning the song into an upbeat, aggressive piece.

The song sounds like a marriage between two separate ones, inclined to produce adoration or disgust.

The album unfortunately delivers many songs that warrant skips. “Hey An-

gel” is one-note, the lyrics in “A.M.” are mediocre, “Love You Goodbye” drags on for too long and “I Want to Write You a gettable.

In the middle of the spectrum lies “If I Could Fly,” which is an admirable attempt at a ballad, accompanied by a serene piano instrumental and “Long Way song with sleepy lyrics. “Never Enough,” which features background vocals of tribal chants, is mildly interesting, but not memorable.

After a rough year and member deduction, One Direction releases new album that fails to meet long term fans’ high expectations and leaves them wanting more songs that resemble the old spirit of the band. projects? Or will they lose interest?

If anything is certain, it’s this: if lisand captivating melodies, it’s not “Made in the A.M.” A better place to look might be “FOUR,” the boys’ fourth studio album, released in a time of beautiful harmonies both within the songs and within the group. For now, this quartet has some patching up to do.

The circuiT recommends An ongoing feature that includes lesser known songs by popular artists and songs from up and coming artists. This month’s playlist was compiled by Ryder Kaplan.

“4Tspoon”

Yung Bans feat. PlayBoi Hip-Hop

Accompanied by Yung Bans, SoundCloud sensation Playboi Carti uses his trademark effortlessly rhyming the provocative lines that have elevated his career.

“Big Racks”

Young Thug feat. Lil Uzi Vert Trap

“Long As The Lord Say”

Curren$y Hip-Hop

Hip-hop old-timer Curren$y rides a

“WhatWasThat?”

BONES Alternative Hip Hop

“Suburbs”

“Bird Gang”

Indie rock group Mr. Little Jeans uses a combination of melancholy vocals and slow, dragged-out chords to create an extremely atmospheric and relaxed soundscape.

Gorillaz Rock

The Gorillaz beautifully orchestrate a complex, well-sequenced symphony reminiscent of hip-hop’s history, delivering with nontraditional sounds and quotable and punctual lines about his instruments on this beautiful, meaningful lifestyle along the way. track.

A simple, yet menacing piano melody and drum pattern bring out some of the hardest-hitting lyrics of the year from rap’s weirdest star Young Thug, with an infectious, captivating introduction lent from newbie Lil Uzi Vert.

Mr. Little Jeans Indie

“All Alone”

BONES does it again, uttering the harsh, dark raps, typical of him over a unique, alternative instrumental that feels fresh and cutting edge.

Lucki Ecks Alternative Hip-Hop

“Wesley Presley”

Future Trap

Atlanta bred super producer Metro Boomin provides a space-age melody and a shaky bassline for Future to rap his ever-popular catchy lyrics.

“Super Rich Kids”

Frank Ocean Feat. Earl Sweatshirt R&B

Superstar Frank Ocean’s elegantly smooth croons mesh very well with acclaimed lyricist Earl Sweatshirt’s like no one else can, with a laid back, poignant raps, all wrapped up in a watered-down, minimalistic beat backing simple, piano-based instrumental that lets both musicians show their talent. him.

Rising star Lucki Ecks delivers personal

38 THE CIRCUIT

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DECEMBER 2015

AP Art proves to be rigorous course

BY LETICIA ANTONINI

Thirty out of the 4700 students at the Bay face the daily challenge of coming up with complex, college level artwork when they decide to take an Advanced Placement (AP) art class. The Bay currently offers AP drawing, AP 2D studio art and AP 3D studio art.

“It’s a really hard class. Just because it’s art, it does not at all make it an easy A. You have to be really dedicated and live for the class basically,” said Bia Bauzys, an AP 2D studio art student.

Throughout the year, students are required to compose a portfolio with three sections: breadth, quality and concentration. Each section has about 12 pieces.

“A lot of students usually struggle with the concentration section because they need to come up with an idea that they can use to do 12 cohesive pieces on without being redundant,” AP art teacher, Elizabeth Jenkins, said.

With different tasks each day, students have the chance to apply the techniques they learn and get feedback on.

“When you’re in a class with a lot of really good artists it becomes a competitive

environment and if you can’t draw something good you feel bad about yourself and start doubting if you’re good enough,” senior Gabriela Ibarlucea said.

The breadth portion works with a broad range of ideas proposed by the teacher while the concentration is focused on each student, showing their visual voice and exploration. The quality section is a collection of wherein the teacher advices students on which pieces to choose.

“The breadth segment is very strict in its guidelines, and that restrains your options,” Bauzys said. “It is a lot more fun to work on the concentration since you are given the freedom to explore your own ideas and work with the theme of your choice.”

Similar to other college level courses, the class moves at a quick pace and requires students to come up with one piece week.

“It’s good that we have the daily hour in the studio to work on our pieces otherwise we would have a lot of work at home. Every minute in class is precious and for homework we

PHOTO BY LETICIA ANTONINI

ARTISTS AFTER HOURS: Students in AP Art stay after school to work on preparing their

pieces, but they are also required to research and gather works online that show the skill they are currently learning.

“AP art is just a tough class as a whole but doing everything on time is a big struggle since inspiration doesn’t follow a schedule,” Bauzys said. “The weekly research and ideas demand a lot of my time but

year, there was a 100 percent motivated and hungry for pass rate. College board bases success.”

Students, such as Campagna, the exam on the student’s portfolio, which is submitted in are taking the class in order to achieve success by being a rubric based on technique and motivated and driven towards a greater goal. originality.

“Since drawing is already “The greatest thing that students can take from the one of my hobbies I feel like class is the accomplishment this class is an outlet to draw of making the whole portfolio with freedom and discipline, it and mastering a lot of different helps me build my voice in art,”

our work,” AP drawing senior it all worth it.”

Danielle Campagna said.

The class has a history of the AP exam is based on pieces Not only do students have to success in the AP exam, with produced throughout the come up with their own original nearly all students passing. Last

Visit cbhscircuit. com for more.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 2015

THE CIRCUIT

Holidays in Harmony The Circuit’s staff reviews traditional and popular Christmas albums.

“Wrapped in Red”

BY KATHERINE GIBSON

“Wrapped In Red” by Kelly Clarkson is an album with spectacular vocals that encompasses the spirit of the holiday season. Released two years ago, it has understandably gone down in history as one of the best holiday albums of all time, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard Chart.

Although this album features traditional Christmas songs, such as “Blue Christmas” and “Silent Night,” Clarkson adds her own spin to these tracks. This includes interesting songs on her album, such as “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” which is not usually considered a Christmas song. She incorporates a myriad of high, powerful notes to slower songs that provide a unique feature to her

“Mistletoe”

BY JESSICA RUSSO

Christmas was “Bieberized” in 2011 when Justin Bieber came out with his holiday album, “Under the Mistletoe.” The upbeat album comes with the redone versions of Christmas classics such as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.”

Bieber also includes original holiday songs that are perfect for the season. Bieber redid Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” while others, such as “Silent Night” he stayed faithful to

more of the raw and jazzy side of Clarkson on this album, in addition to her bold pop vocals and instrumentals. With the combination of the sweet piano and sax playing in the background combined with Clarkson’s stellar voice, this album is one that will be played for many holidays to come.

with guest appearances, furthering its mass appeal.

There is a little something for everyone’s music taste as the pop star invited stars from the R&B (Usher), country (The Band Perry), and rap (Busta Rhymes) genres. When this album was released, Bieber’s true artistic capabilities were demonstrated and fans received a new, more mature version of the childhood favorite pop star. Thanks to the universal, genre-free appeal, “Under the Mistletoe” is a modern hit with songs including “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.” Mariah Carey even plays in on the redone version of her 1994 single “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which gives the album a unique feel. “Silent Night” is the best song on the album, because Bieber stayed true to the slow beat of the song. His voice hits the notes perfectly which gives this classic melody justice. The songs included in this album provide a modern feel to holiday classics and the album is perfect for ears of any age. “Under the Mistletoe” gives everyone a chance to get down to the now revamped classics and into the holiday spirit.

“Christmas”

“Merry Christmas”

musical capabilities, as shown in tracks such as, “Underneath the Tree” and “Run Rudolph Run.” A softer side of Clarkson is shown while she sings classics such as, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Clarkson is known for her loud songs, where she hits high notes and demonstrates what her voice is capable of. However, the slower tracks on the album were just as engaging and of-

BY CAMILA ZIADI ARTS & ENT. EDITOR

Michael Bublé: the ultimate Christmas crooner. It’s been four years since its release, and yet, his album “Christmas” is still as relevant as ever.

Bublé reworks classic songs, such as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Jingle Bells,” and adds his own unique pop/jazz mix to them, making them all the more interesting and jolly. Mariah Carey’s original “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is especially notable as Bublé’s swaps Carey’s fast paced melody into a slowed down, piano-based ballad, making it more emotional and poignant. In “Silent Night,” Bublé showcases the true capabilities of his voice and impresses as he delivers a beautiful song, backed by the calming sound of a children’s choir. Bublé’s unique twists are complemented by the surprising guest stars: the Puppini sisters, an English vocal trio, Shania Twain, and Thalia, a Mexican singer who sings “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad” with Bublé. Bublé is surprisingly good at singing this Spanish ballad with catchy lyrics that is a must-listen-to. Classic Bublé is evident in this album, as he is backed by his typical band and orchestra. Combining the retro with the modern, Bublé deliv-

BY WANDA MORA

Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album from 1994 provides a collection of soulful, seasonal pop songs, playful R&B jams, and choirbacked gospel ballads. No Christmas song can compare to Carey’s original piece “All I Want For Christmas is You.” This song captures an excellent combination of a romantic song with a mix of jolly holiday beats. Her other original song on the album is “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” This original is phenomenal, as it perfectly describes what Christmas is all about. This album also brings on the traditional Christmas classics in her rendition of “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.” She shows the angelic tone in her voice as she brings more heartfelt feelings towards Christmas in these songs. In her other covers, like “Joy to the World” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,” she brings a more upbeat style that represents the happiness experienced during Christmas. However, Carey’s combination of original works and covers could have been better. She has incredible potential to write more of her own work, instead of mostly rendering Christmas covers. Overall, this album serves its purpose of delivering festive holiday music that is perfect to bring “Joy to the World.”

“Christmas” is an engaging album, and a positive addition to any holiday event.

“That’s Christmas to Me”

BY CASSIDY SHELDON

“The Essential Now That’s What I Call Christmas”

BY RYDER KAPLAN

Holiday shopping madness has truly begun, there is Pentatonix is an eclectic quintet that no better gift than “The Essential Now That’s What I Call specializes in a cappella music. The band Christmas” CD. This collection of Christmas classics is released a holiday album, “That’s Christmas To Me,” on Oct. 21. Ever since its start in 2011, gic, spirited tunes like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” the group has become a worldwide sensation and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Released on Sept. 23, 2008, the aland won a Grammy for Best Arrangement in bum has a typical selection of holiday songs sure to warm 2015. The quintet has sold more than 1.1 million a winter heart, and is perfect background music for all the copies of its holiday album which is based off of usual wintertime family traditions. While this makes the its original holiday song, “That’s Christmas To Me,” which will undoubtedly become a classic. CD a timeless, essential gift for the Holidays, it’s predictability and boringness drag it down and Using just the sound of their voices, they mashup old holiday tunes and add their own unique twists. Together, they have created a the ultimate Christmas compilation album. “The Essential Now That’s What I Call Christmas” cheerful and joyous album that is perfect for the season. The Pentatonix take a song

break out into an upbeat, modern day song. Most songs on other Christmas albums are generally just remakes of their parent songs; however, when the Pentatonix revive the old tunes, they shake it up and still stay relevant to the holiday spirit. The group does a spectacular job on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and “Let It Go,” which includes a wonderful mix of background beats. The singing talent of the group in their rendition of a number one song from Disney’s “Frozen” is comparable to that of Idina Menzel’s, the original singer. Since this album exceeds the standard expectations of a capella music, it is evident that a lot of talent and hard work were put into the production of this album.

as “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” transition well into other cheerful jingles, such as “Holly Jolly Christmas,” and each song’s placement feels deliberate and calculated. It is a very well put-together playlist, and no song feels abrupt or out of order.As for the actual songs themselves, there is not much variety. There are surprises here: each song is a classic holiday cheer that has been heard time after time again. It would have been refreshing to hear some new music, or some sort of a modern rendition of these songs, that have now become trite. The greatest for this compilation, and it comes off as slightly boring because of this. Overall, “The Essential Now That’s What I Call Christmas” is a standard, run-of-the-mill playlist of classic Christmas cheers, a CD just as boring, yet integral, to the Holiday season as eggnog itself. It is nothing new

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DECEMBER 2015

Bieber’s album proves his ‘Purpose’ ebers” who have been fans since the beginning of the Canadian’s singing career, these two songs will stand out from the rest.

“Purpose”

Justin Bieber’s new album creates a mature feel, as well as a diverse combination of sounds.

BY STEFI MARKOWICZ ARTS & ENT. COPY EDITOR

Justin Bieber is back with his bold, brilliant and breathtaking fourth studio album. Released on Nov. 13, “Purpose” is pure melodic proof of Bieber’s complete transition from a teen pop singer to a mature, musically diverse artist.

Having released three equally remarkable singles, “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry,” prior to the album’s debut, it is no surprise that “Purpose” is Bieber’s best work to date. The melting pot of songs help all of ly between pop, EDM and R&B genres, further exemplifying Bieber’s new and unique style.

A fan-favorite track is “Love Yourself,” an acoustic hit that disguises a vengeful breakup song behind the strum of a subtle guitar and beautiful song lyrics, which were co-written by Ed Sheeran. Lines like “Cause if you like the way you look that much / Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself,” reveal a sassy and jocular side of Bieber.

The album features a handful of artists such as Big Sean, Travi$ Scott, Skrillex, Diplo and Nas, but the best duo track is undoubtedly “The Feeling,” featuring

“Trust” is Bieber’s prime rendition of an R&B song, as it slowly switches ing piano keys in the background. Other R&B tracks on the album include “Mark My Words” and “Company,” but they fail to engage the listener due to their monotonous beats.

With what appears to be the modern day version of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song,” Bieber’s “Children” is an upbeat song about making a difference in the

Halsey, an American singer-songwriter.

Halsey and Bieber’s incredible vocal talent, along with the unforgettable lyrics nitely evoke many uplifting feelings.

Bieber strips his music of EDM, R&B and pop in “Life Is Worth Living” as he shows off his vocal range to the rhythm of a piano. Lyrically, this track is the most

distinctive with lines such as “Relationship on a ski slope / Avalanche coming down slow / Do we have enough time to salvage this love? / Feels like a blizzard in April / Cause my heart, it’s just that cold.”

In “Been You” and “Get Used To It,” Bieber returns to his roots with a more playful and pop sound while still maintaining his rather mature vibe. For “beli-

due to the track’s electronic nature. Although the song may come off as somewhat stale in the introduction, the initial beat drop instantly shakes off any negative thoughts.

“Purpose” is well worth its $13.99, which comes with a total of 18 songs.

The two years prior to the release of this album may have been tough for Bieber, as he has been a constant subject of the news, but with the launch of “Purpose,” he has proved that his purpose in life is to keep making exceptional music for the “beliebers” that he deeply admires.

DECEMBER 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

41 WWW.CBHSCIRCUIT.COM THE CIRCUIT

GRAPHIC BY LARA FINAN

Rewinding the entertainment news of 2015

BY RACHEL SCHONBERGER

This past year has seen music releases, movie premieres and viral sensations that have brought attention to the entertainment and social media industries. At last, 2015 is coming to an end. The news of Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction, and the dress color controversy were only a few of the year’s top headlines.

“I think people are becoming more media-savvy with every year,” junior Chris Beytia said. “That’s why there are increasing numbers of viral hits, like Alex from Target and all of the Twitter and Instagram challenges.”

In March, the Internet was buzzing with controversy over the white-gold/ of the picture circulating social media, it was mentioned in more than 10 million tweets.

“I thought it was interesting how the dress sparked so many arguments,” Beytia said. “Everyone can perceive things differently, and that dress showed how even the smallest disagreement can really separate people.”

Although many trending topics were centered around the Internet this year, plenty of them concerned the music industry.

“When Zayn left One Direction, there

was a huge outpouring of emotions on Twitter,” freshman Danielle Filippelli said. “Personally, I think the band is better without him, but it still made a huge difference on the band’s music.”

Some of the biggest artists of the year, such as Halsey, Shawn Mendes and the Weeknd, had not been widely heard of until their hit singles and albums were released.

“I saw some people retweeting Halsey on Twitter, so I listened to some of her songs on iTunes,” sophomore Kayleigh Powers said. “It’s kind of mysterious and edgy, and I really like her sound.”

The music industry had an increase in songs that promoted certain types of dances such as the “whip” and the “nae nae.” However, some of the biggest songs of the year were still lyric-based, including Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” which broke the 24-hour viewing record for Vevo, a video hosting service which showcases music videos from major record labels.

“Since the video used a bunch of celebrities, it stayed entertaining the entire time. I kept wondering who would be next to pop up,” Powers said. “It just really expresses not only her song but the way technology has shaped us and how cool we can make videos look nowadays.” tured in one word: franchises. The year

saw continuations of multiple series including those centered around the Avengers, X-Men, and James Bond. “Mockingjay: Part 2” ended the nearly four-yearlong “The Hunger Games” franchise in November, bringing the story full circle.

Two other long-awaited franchise blockbusters, “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” were released this year. movie [Star Wars: The Force Awakens] after years is exciting,” sophomore Samy Victores said. “I can’t wait to see the new and unique characters incorporated with all the old ones.”

Victores has noticed that recent movies have seen an increase in people of colnouncements for the newest installment of the “Star Wars” series, three of the nine cast members were people of color.

“I could have guessed the increase in the casting of more people of color would happen because times are changing,” Victores said. “It makes me feel hopeful that movies will continue to cast more people representation they deserve.”

A similar trend of increase in the numvisible in the television industry as well, with shows such as “Empire,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and

“Black-Ish.” Multiple long-running television series including “Glee,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Two and a Half Men” also held the spotlight as they ended their reigns.

“I was really sad when ‘Parks and Recreation’ ended, but it had its time,” junior Blake Hanan said. “I don’t think there was much more they could have done with the story.”

Debate teacher Megan West has found herself to be a television fanatic, watching a wide variety of shows including “The Walking Dead,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “The Bachelor.”

“The biggest trend I’ve noticed is an emphasis on real world events. Even the most popular dramas are ripping their subplots from the headlines,” Mrs. West said. “This makes them more educational, relevant, and thought-provoking.”

Although Mrs. West is mainly a fan of ies and any other forms of entertainment.

“I think 2015 was a great year for television and movies,” she said. “The industry has been challenging audiences to think outside of the box about issues they face on a daily basis.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 2015

Social media proves time consuming

BY FRANKI ROSENTHAL MULT. NEWS EDITOR

Junior Maria Rodriguez is constantly swiping through social media apps, such as Instagram and Twitter, to update herself on the latest news.

Similar to Rodriguez, other students at the Bay are attached to their social media apps due to their easy access. Accordganization, Common Sense Media, teenagers spend close to nine hours per day on their social media apps and more than half visit their social media sites daily.

For students, these apps provide an outlet to worldly news and facilitate interactions with their peers.

“I do think that students are attached to their social media sites because it makes them feel connected and present,” Rodriguez said. “While I am guilty of the obsession with Twitter, I feel that students really isolate themselves from each other while spending so much time behind a screen.”

Although sophomore Nikki Perlwitz feels that social media is a great way for students to update themselves on upcoming events, she said social media sites can be very distracting.

“A main reason that people are so motivated to use these different social media apps is because they feel so inclined to share what they are doing and to see what others are doing,” Perlwitz said. “I don’t spend all of my time on them, but I honestly wish that I didn’t spend any time on them because of how distracting they can really be.”

Perlwitz said if she were to delete her

Unlike Perlwitz and Rodriguez, sophomore Aaron Lerner said social media apps, like Snapchat and Twitter, are a gateway to relieve stress.

“Most teens, like myself, have very stressful lives and social media is a great way for me to relax,” Lerner said. “I love communicating with my friends and family and social media is a great way for me to do that.”

Dr. Natalie Moser, psychology professor at Michigan State University, believes that staying connected and involved in social media 24/7 has several consequences that lead to peers losing connections with others.

“The likelihood of a negative peer interaction increases due to the sheer nature of increased connection through the use of social media,” Dr. Moser said. “Twenty years ago, the school day ended when the bell rang. Now the school day, and all that goes along with it, continues throughout the evening and into the night. Connecting on social media often means being less present in the moment.”

Dr. Moser said that due to social media, teenagers can’t help but make comparisons with themselves and others.

“Social comparison has potential for negative consequences,” Dr. Moser said.

compare themselves negatively based on what other people are posting on these apps.”

AICE and Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish teacher Ester Calderon said a student’s intent is to make him or herself seem different than who they are through the use of social media.

“Students feel the pressure of being perfect because of what they see on social her negatively. media, but in reality no one really is perfect,” Calderon said. “They try to impress and Twitter, but honestly, if I had to delete others through social media because they them, I don’t really think it would affect may be unhappy with themselves, so my daily life,” Perlwitz said. overall it’s a compilation of things, like

Headspace app convenient, successful HEADSPACE

BY COLE KAUFFMAN

Sit down in a comfortable chair, close the eyes, and feel the body rise and fall with deep inhalations.

Such instructions mirror what one would hear using Headspace. a Londonbased app and website that provides audibly guided and unguided meditation exercises to promote mental health and

head right.”

The app, which has been downloaded more than two million times, offers several different options for meditations. “Take 10” is a free 10-day program provided by the app that allows new users to experience beginner-level relaxation instruction in about 10 minutes. These are the most convenient exercises, because they are organized and guided ones that can be utilized anywhere.

Headspace Singles give brief tips on applying stress-relieving strategies to singular activities. These activities range

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY MORGAN

media can really do to someone.”

Mrs. Calderon does not have any social media apps because she feels that they are a distraction and a waste of time.

“I am in front of a computer [at school] from the minute I come in to the minute I leave,” Mrs. Calderon said. “Once I get worth it.”

Lerner said although he knows he is obsessed with his social media sites, he wishes that it did not consume his life as much as it does.

“The amount of time that I spend on social media really takes away from the

time that I should be spending doing my cation then I have to turn my phone off so I don’t get off task.”

In the end, Mrs. Calderon said stucial media sites and the addiction will only grow. the culture,” Mrs. Calderon said. “They [students] grow up with an obsession with technology and social media and it becomes an addiction, and unfortunately it’s getting worse.”

from how to mindfully eat chocolate, peacefully sleep, or levelheadedly avoid stress while commuting to work. Although Singles are fun and brief, their

from $6.24 to $12.95 per month depending on subscription time length. For those seeking to improve their mental health and general well being, Headspace would

them hard to use regularly.

After using the free 10-minute videos, the user can already see the virtue of meditation.

Each session, instructed by cofounder Andy P udd ic omb e, leaves the user feeling loosened and at ease.

The “Take 10” program is a simple tool that helps relieve stress, but after the 10 days are over, users must pay a subscription to be able to access all the programs that Headspace has to offer. Subscriptions range

to anyone experiencing stress.

Another upside to the subscription, other than being provided with the full Headspace collection, is that the company will match one’s purchase and donate a subscription to someone in need.

However, little detail is provided through the app on who actually receives the subscription or how they receive it.

One of the best things about Headspace is its modern, simplistic take on seemingly time-consuming meditation. make users feel like they are in a welcoming and peaceful space every time they one’s own “headspace,” this is the app to have.

DECEMBER 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

43 WWW.CBHSCIRCUIT.COM THE CIRCUIT

Whatsapp aids stress-free studying

BY RACHEL SHONBERGER

With the recent technological advancements in communication, there is an ample amount of ways for people to contact one another. The group messaging app, Whatsapp, has invented a new way for students to discuss concepts learned in class and to review for upcoming exams.

“I have a group chat with everyone in my AICE English class,” junior Gabriel Hernandez said. “It helps with going over documents we annotated and material we need to know for upcoming quizzes and tests.”

Whatsapp was released in 2009, originally intended for making a cost-free way of messaging internationally. However, since the application is free and allows up to 100 people in a group chat, Hernandez thinks it has made for an easier way to stay in contact with classmates.

“I used to just text one or two people on iMessage when I wasn’t sure about something school-related, but I feel like group messaging in Whatsapp is a much more effective way of keeping up with all button allows them to do so without worof the information,” Hernandez said.

“Sometimes during lunch I like to get sapp for four of her classes.

“If there’s material I don’t understand, a head start on whatever homework I have I always text in my group chats to see if so it takes up less time after school,” Grifanybody else can explain it to me,” Grifpeople taking the course asking what the of view on a single topic rather than just homework will be, I can get a quicker response.” one.”

On the other hand, sophomore HanInstead of students stopping in the halls to ask about assignments or home- nah Kang believes studying is more efwork in other classes, the clicking of a fective when done in person.

GRAPHIC BY BROOKE MILLER

“In my opinion, it’s a lot easier to understand and explain to people when you can express the concepts visibly and verbally instead of just by text,” Kang said.

English teacher Jeanne Kielbasa encourages her students to discuss topics from class.

“It’s one thing for students to discuss and write in their own styles,” Kielbasa said. “However, I don’t like the idea of students who study together having carbon copy answers.”

Junior Rachel Geller has a 35-person group chat with fellow Advanced Place“We use it to send voice recordings of explanations of different concepts that we learn,” Geller said. “I think it’s really helpful the night before the test to be able to ask any last minute questions about material that might have been confusing.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 2015

Popularity earned through social media

BY LEXI FLECHNER

In the growing age of social media, it is becoming easier to go viral. Many students at the Bay have gone viral and their tweets, videos or pictures have been seen by millions of people across the Internet.

“People are always using social media, and when they see something funny they want to share with someone else and it’s a chain,” sophomore Diego Homes said.

“Once one person retweets something, another person retweets it and it gets really popular and everyone sees it.”

Homes has gone viral several times, such as with a video of him showing how a futon, and posting his sister’s Acapella video. Acapella is a new app where the user can record him or herself in different shots and sing a song without a synthetic beat. not exciting to me when I get popular on exciting.”

Diego’s sister sophmore Andrea Homes was excited when the video he posted of her singing an a cappella version of “Partition” by Beyoncé went viral.

The video gained more than 500 retweets and 700 likes, while the other video postgained 14,000 retweets and 16,000 likes.

“I was kind of happy because Diego was already known and it was cool that I was sort of getting known, too,” she said.

Andrea said she only made the two videos because it was fun, then she sent the videos to her brother, and he posted

posted a photo on Twitter of a bathing suit from Victoria’s Secret that looked like matzah and wrote “VS getting into the Passover spirit with their new matzah bikini.” The tweet gained more than 400 retweets and was reposted by popular “relatable” twitter accounts.

“It was weird because I didn’t think that many people followed me for it to get big, but it was cool to see that people just laughed or related to my tweet,” Maroniene said.

Maroniene said she only posted the photo because she thought it was funny, but believes it’s easy for people to go viral on social media nowadays.

“If people relate, like, or laugh at your post then they’ll retweet and then someone else will retweet it and it’ a snowball effect that before you know it everyone will see your post,” Maroniene said.

During the summer senior Aryelle Berman’s boyfriend Tyler Zahn went viral on Twitter because of a picture posted of him at his job in Victoria’s Secret. Tons of different relatable accounts reposted the picture, each writing, “do I get you with a $75 purchase?”

“I think it went viral so quickly because of my boyfriends good looks and because it had to do with Victoria’s Secret which always gets really popular,” Berman said.

Berman did not mind the attention she got as a result of her boyfriend’s picture and thought it was a clever post.

GRAPHIC BY JORDYN MCGREW “I thought it was so funny and I was them to Twitter, making his name known, eos,” she said. “People know me from the really surprised at how quickly it went vibut not hers. video but don’t know my name or who I ral,” Berman said.

“I don’t think I’m Twitter famous, be- actually am.” cause I got famous because of the vidLast year, senior Giovana Maroniene

Film honors past series, provides entertainment to mass audience

Samsung Curved TV unexpectedly disappointing, not worth the purchase

pectations, keeping the legacy alive and thriving. Rocky plays a huge role in the development of Johnson’s character, and helps him through challenges he didn’t know he would have to face. For those Samsung “Creed” who remember what an amazing charCurved TV acter Rocky Balboa portrayed and the impact that he had on many, this movie will be nostalgic, exciting and almost too BY DANNY GONZALEZ

BY RYAN SOLOMON good to be true.

For years, companies have been usStarring Michael B. Johnson (Adonis Creed placed third in the Thanksgiving several different technologies, such Johnson) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky - Hunger Games: Mocking Jay” and Pix- as televisions with 3D viewing options, tered towards almost any audience bring- ar’s “Good Dinosaur,” selling $6.45 mil- as a way to entice buyers to the products. ing all sorts of emotions to lion on Nov. 25. It ‘s Now, Samsung is using yet another gimthe crowd. Overall, this acsurprising to see it mick with the new Samsung Curved 4K perform worse than a the entire time and is a great children’s movie with (UHD) TV. The Samsung Curved representation of the original a smaller audience, 4K UHD TV is SamRocky series. but understandable sung’s newest television Released on Nov. 25, the that such an elite franmovie centers on Johnson’s chise, like “The Hun- that comes equipped with boxing career and how he ger Games,” did sig- a fully curved display.

The Curved was released tracks down Balboa in his journey to become a profesThe movie was in sizes ranging from 40”sional boxer. It shows how written and direct- 78”, and prices ranging Johnson is encouraged to live ed by Ryan Coogler, from $899-$4,999.

The TV screen curved up to his father, Apollo Creed, formerly known for his work on “Fruitfor America. vale Station” back in debuted by Samsung back in 2013. This Rocky agrees to train 2013. Mirroring the display has been used on other products, such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. lo in him. While training, Balboa faces to “Creed” is hoped for and high expectation available on any TV currently on the something deadlier than anything he’ll tions will surely follow.

The connection seen between Bal- market.

The initial shock of watching TV on gets a shot at the championship belt, but boa and Johnson is both comedic and the true question remains as to whether heartwarming, bringing back the origi- a curved display wears off quickly. Samor not he will ever live up to his father’s nal emotions felt in the “Rocky” movies. sung claims that the curved screen will throw people into an immersive viewing legacy and become champion. the well-deserved prestige back into the experience. However, watching TV on curved display posses little to no differ“Rocky” series, and has surpassed all ex- “Rocky” series.

The TV picture is stunning. With the 4K UHD showing off the crispness and dramatic detail in television shows and movies, the viewing experience is enhanced.

The Curved also includes the Smart Hub, which offers hundreds of apps such right on the TV. This is a convenient addition to the TV, as users can now use their video-streaming subscriptions on their televisions.

The Curved also offers a 3D mode.

However, no noticeable changes were made to the viewing experience from S a m s u n g ’s original 3-D TV. This is disappointing, as Samsung has had multiple years to improve on this feature.

The stunning display and wide array of applications are the two biggest advantages on the Curved, but they are not unique to this model.

The Smart Hub and 4K UHD display can be found on non-curved Samless. This is the biggest blow to Samsung, as smart-consumers who recognize that the curved display is just a gimmick will chasing a non-curved TV. The Samsung Curved is not worth its premium price, and will not keep consumers interested.

DECEMBER 2015

OPINION

45 THE CIRCUIT

WWW.CBHSCIRCUIT.COM

Athletes do not supersede the law Celebrities, especially popular sports ly showing no remorse by taking actions such as making a joke of the violent inciThey can show up to a restaurant and eat dent he had with his girlfriend. In the poimmediately without reservations. They lice report, Hardy’s girlfriend had noted can get free items or services from vari- that Hardy violently threw her down on ous companies, and they have numerous of being a professional sports athlete, a role model for most people, also include some sort of leeway with the legal process?

Over the past few years, the issue of domestic violence has grown more substantially and is visible in the four major American sports of basketball, football, baseball and hockey. Greg Hardy, Ray Rice, Brandon Marshall and Aroldis Chapman are just a few of the high prothe law regarding domestic violence. All of these people, however, found some way to circumnavigate spending time behind bars on a sentencing from a trial.

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice came the closest, but he avoided legal trouble by going into a pretrial intervention program, and his aggravated assault charges were dropped and wiped from his record—as if nothing had ever happened. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy similarly avoided legal discipline, as he had his charges dismissed before a trial could even begin.

It’s important to note that both athletes were suspended by the NFL; however, Greg Hardy has already come back to play for the Dallas Cowboys, seeming-

he came out “guns blazing”—a clear reference to the incident. Ray Rice was suspended and released by his former team, but he is free to sign as a free agent.

It is evident there is a dangerous trend going on here, and there are two ongoing cases that could potentially decide how future cases dealing with assault by sports stars are handled. Cincinnati Reds closing pitcher Aroldis Chapman was supposed to be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there was a holdup in the deal due to an alleged domestic violence charge that was previously unknown. It seems as if the situation is being handled correctly for now as the deal was held up and the case is being investigated, but only time will tell what will actually happen and if the correct course of action is taken.

Another current case that may be headed in a different direction is that of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.

He is not even 20 years old, and in the the third incident surfaced. Only after the time span of a week, he was caught on team found out that Okafor was involved was cited for speeding nearly 70 mph pend him for two games, and even that over the speed limit. The NBA has yet to discipline Okafor, and team management cent behavior.

Sports stars are headed down a dark failed to take any action until evidence of

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY MORGAN

treat these situations more seriously, but also sports stars shouldn’t be immune to punishment from the legal system. Giving your favorite athlete a free burger at a restaurant is ok, but acquitting him of a crime he committed is absolutely not.

Flash of brilliance

YES

Should teachers make homework optional?

NO

Students taking seven classes are overloaded with homework each night and come to school sleep deprived and stressed out. Homework should still be assigned, but students should be able to decide if they complete it or not. The homework assigned should be counted as extra credit. Making it extra credit would give students an incentive to do each assignment. When homework is optional but incentivized with extra credit, there is a higher likelihood that students will do it anyway in order to add extra points to their grades. Students are essentially responsible for their own education and time management.

Students should have the freedom to choose whether or not they do their homework and if it is necessary to complete for success in the class. Good achieve. If homework were optional students could successfully prioritize their daily tasks, create more time to study and understand material better.

-Marissa Babitz

Homework was created so that students could get more practice on the material taught in class. Students should not rely solely on the lesson in class in order to fully understand the class curriculum. Most of the time, there isn’t that much homework for students to do and it should be based off of previously dents were to manage their time better, they would not get so stressed. Without homework, students do not get enough practice and are more likely to have trouble in the course. Not only that, but also many teachers take homework as a grade so even if homework did become optional there is a high likelihood that students would opt for the extra grade and do it regardless. Further, homework often adds grades that help keep the overall grade in the class relative-

ILLUSTRATION BY WANDA MORA

Visit cbhscircuit. com to vote on this topic.

and also offers a better understanding of the material, ultimately resulting in a higher overall grade in the class. Homework should not be optional because it -Hannah Gutner

46

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OPINION

On Saturday Nov. 14 hundreds of volunteers, including myself, gathered inside the cafeteria of Conniston Middle School in West Palm Beach ready to package meals that were distributed to hungry children on Thanksgiving.

Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for helping people. I love seeing that my hard work is going to impact someone’s life in a positive way.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: (Clockwise from top): Sophomore Shanty Fierro uses a heat machine to seal the packaged food that was going to be delievered to the less fortunate

Helping the homeless as a group resulted in gratitude and perspective

I arrived at the school, fellow volunteers and leaders greeted us with hugs and warm smiles. We then attended the opening ceremony where we were thanked for donating our time for such a meaningful cause.

After the opening ceremony everyone received a shirt, got put into stations and was assigned a job. My job was to seal the packaged food by using a heating machine.

There was upbeat music playing and every once in a while a team member of mine would give us a little pep talk to not lose our energy. The atmosphere was nothing but smiles and positivity.

My team worked non-stop for two hours and once we were done we had packed 20 boxes of food that contained 40 meals each.

I was tremendously proud of my

Because of my love for community church had partnered up with JP Morgan Chase Co. to organize an event to help feed children in need.

I have visited many homeless shelters and have seen the conditions that these children are living in. There are usually many children in one room and most kids do not really get the privacy that they need as they mature.

Despite their less than perfect surroundings, these children always have smiles on their faces and an abundance of love to give.

As soon as my church members and

DECEMBER 2015

with JP Morgan Chase Co. to organize an event to help feed children in need.

The fundraiser fed 185,000 hungry children.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY SHANTY FIERRO

station and how hard each person worked people, who truly needed food, would be in order to get the meals to all of the receiving meals for Thanksgiving. children in need.

Having witnessed how the underprivtheir boxes and we gathered around the stage during the closing ceremony, anxious to hear how many people we were able to feed.

The grand total- 185,184 people!

Everyone was overjoyed, and some even got emotional at the amazing news.

Although many of us were tired, it was all worth it when we found out how many

actually talking to them made my experience so much more rewarding.

I love helping people in need all year round, but during the holiday season the urge to do something kind for others giving.

Letters to the Editor Junior year introduces a Hello! I am a junior this year and it has been how people say that junior year is.

People usually mention that 11th grade is the hardest because of the SAT's, ACT's, and it's the year that colleges focus more on, service hours, graduation requirements, and basically everything. Juniors are pressured so much that we lose the real sense of high school that is discovering what path we want to take when we get to college and to wonder through classes discovering new interests. Nowadays students are focused only on the competition and on getting 7 AP courses and straight A's without actually learning and allowing the information to sync into our brains. I am currently taking 2 AP courses and Honors classes and it is a lot of work besides extracurriculars and other activities outside from school and to be honest, my schedule is really tight.

I have friends that take 5 AP courses and they go to sleep everyday at 2 am everyday. We, as juniors, have to stop and think if this is making us any better because we are putting too much weight on top of ourselves just to "excel" among other students.

-Anabela Puyana, junior

I am really excited for the upcoming AB block schedule for the 2016-2017 school year. Taking APs with the seven period 50-minute bell schedule has been

very stressful over the past two and a half years. The schedule is going to allow me to es and for my more challenging courses I get so much extra learning time. Now that there will be a study hall it will seriously cut down on my homework time. Playing hockey and taking challenging courses has been tough due to the rigorous curriculum and fast paced teaching. At least now I will not have to worry about doing hours of homework and sports, because I can cut down the time during school. I really wish this schedule came when I was a freshman because it would have saved me a lot of stressful nights.

-Drew Krumper, junior

The school spent a crazy amount to give our school a modern library they call "The Wave" but yet I never see it open. At least once a week they post that neon pink paper that everyone hates that says "The Cyber Lounge Is Closed". Why? Who knows maybe it's for testing or upkeep or anything else but it doesn't need to be closed as much as it is or shouldn't at least.

I personally love the new changes made to the library such as the retro chairs that roll around or spin in crazy ways, and the squiggly line couches that have been added. I would like to be able to stay in the place that has cost us new books or new portables. Don't get me wrong if students need to take a test and no rooms are available by any means go ahead and use the cyber lounge, but for it to be closed

over once a week is a joke. I hope that this in their library as often as they want.

-Chris Lynch, sophomore

I’m a big fan of the newspaper and I’m always eager to read it when I see that a new issue has been posted. I think that it’s a great way for the student body to be well informed on topics happening around campus. However, I also think that sometimes the focus shouldn’t only be on school activities. It’s understandable that most of the articles should be about school events since it is a school newspaper but I also think that you should expand on it a little bit more and try to write about important topics happening outside of the Bay. This is a newspaper read by 4500 students and I believe that it’s important to give us a little dose of what’s happening in the world around us. It’s true that many teenagers will not go out of their way to read the world news on their own but if it’s placed in a big school newspaper like The Circuit then they’ll probably be a little bit more willing to read up on it.

I’m not saying that the newspaper has to revolve entirely around world news since it’s obvious that Cypress has a lot going on throughout the whole school year (and even in the summer like your last issue proved), but I think sprinkling in a few articles about important world topics such as the refugee crisis or the presidential election should also be essential.

-junior Nikita Jayan

While second quarter is so short, the school expects us to take midterms before the quarter even ends. I don’t know if I like this new system, because even after midterms I have to worry about grades for second quarter. It puts a lot of pressure on us due to the fact that I am trying to maintain a good grade for the second quarter, but I also have to worry about getting a good grade on the midterm. The system seems so silly because grade is turned in. If my grade changes for the worse after break, it will affect my midterm grade. Also, some classes like an AICE class has part one and two, so many people have to take part one earlier than planned. This puts a lot of stress on me and other students, because I have to prepare on a normal school week and don’t get the full two hours.

-Alysha Steinman, sophomore Letters to the editor are encouraged as part of The Circuit’s mission as a public forum. Submissions should not exceed 300 words; they should be dropped off in Room 360 or mailed to the school to the attention of adviser Andre Shannon. The of the letter, but letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, punctuation and grammar. Anonymous letters will not be printed and the writer’s identity Any material deemed libelous, obscene, disruptive or unlawful to minors will not be published.

OPINION

DECEMBER 2015

THE CIRCUIT

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College acceptance has become First amendment should allow for overpublicized across social media a true sense of free speech I can picture the scenario: the clock strikes 5 p.m., I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, my palms start to sweat and my nerves seem to engulf my stomach. Before checking my college decision fate, I immediately log onto every social media site at my disposal to see if my peers were accepted into their dream school. At the sight of dozens of posts and

made and one-by-one, students could get the personal reaction from the people who mean the most.

Now, it comes down to the click of a button and words on a screen. At least some schools, like the University of Pennsylvania, have made it somewhat eo. However, it is the simple words on a screen that either start with “Congratulawith “Accepted” or “Class of 2020,” I tions….” or “It is with regret that I write suddenly have the urge to be sick. to inform you…” that are life changing.

In today’s society where people of all ages are dialed up to the newest technology and software, eager with information ing accepted to the dream school, or the incredible euphoria of being accepted is publicize personal accomplishments, no matter the magnitude, has become the norm. Whether it would be a job promotion or a college acceptance, the auto- posting just moments after others shared matic broadcast of information to all 582 their fate. Shouldn’t there be a few min- utes to process the impact of such a major - decision? plauding compliments instead of genuine Bottom Line: modesty.

College admissions are two buzzAcceptances are words that are circling the mind of every publicized excessively. high school senior waiting on early December decisions or gearing up for regWhat happened to the line between ular decisions. What makes an already horrifyingly stressful process worse is the line encompassing the desire to authentiprospect of having to reveal the outcome cally communicate good fortunes to othto the whole world either by posting or ers and the competitive nature of man to omission. Why do we feel compelled to outshine one another has blurred into one share with “random followers” and when form, offering no positive reward to those is it okay to just process the results with who seek the pat on the back or to those family and close friends? who are informed of the recent triumph.

We are living in an age where every- It seems as though individual prowess is thing is so “public” and the college ac- measured in the amount of likes on a staceptance is posted before loved ones and tus. family are informed. Consequently, feelI believe we have lost sight of how ings are hurt, those that are left out are monumental this process really is and disappointed and jealousy ensues. Years should focus more on what the decision ago, the process involved thick enve- means, rather than how many people can lopes and prospective students standing comment on this post that will just be a in a well-worded letter. Phone calls were tweet.

States Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievthe freedom of speech of the citizens of America, but in this day and age there are more and more stories of people offended by others political views, morality, or any other opinion that doesn’t directly coinwhat others have to say has led to topics being banned on some college campuses and many hiding their political views in fear that they may offend someone or More and more on college campuses, there are beginning to be more bans on what can and cannot be said, based on the fact that it may offend someone and can lead to backlash. Although college is supposed to be a free place where ideas are to being immersed in such a diverse environment, these ideas will not be able to straints such as words being prohibited to say because it is deemed racist. Although this may offend someone, isn’t it in our constitution that freedom of speech is granted?

On Sept. 31, the University of Washington banned any “blanket” bans that instructors had put on students in their

to all American citizens, so who is the one to say what is okay and what may be considered racist? What is racist or offensive to one person is not necessarily offensive to another, so would some words be ruled out because one person

becomes an issue.

If some words and ideas were to be considered offensive, it would be assumed that Halloween would also be a thing of the past as there is much offense start allowing these things to be considered offensive and against the rules, we take away from our right to free speech.

Bottom Line: Free speech is censored too frequently and should not be restricted. that offend others, whether it’s words or just a subject of talk, everyone has their own set of values and beliefs. Just because one group or individual feels uncomfortable hearing that subject or word come up doesn’t mean it should be banned al-

from using words or phrases and pun-

ideas on college campuses, where young minds are just being introduced to these new ideas and forming their own opinions on topics.

of censorship takes away freedom of speech and destroys the idea that allows ing the professors permission to mold the language used, which takes away the stu-

talking about the things that make others uncomfortable. In this case, individuals can learn how to approach a touchy subject with respect instead of being told that is a forbidden subject.

Bottom Line: College athletes have the power to promote change by coming together as a collective team.

University of Missouri football team Big time collegiate football players and athletes don’t get paid for their services, but they have recently discovered that they have seized some power in collegiate ball team can start a trend in college sports where the players can stand up for what is necessary for their best interests on the campus. ball team went on strike in an effort to quential racial incidents on campus. Prior to the team going on strike, Wolfe an-

nounced that he was staying in his position. Even with the ongoing hunger strike of a student protestor and many more black and white students clamoring for the removal of Wolfe, he released a stateprevented Wolfe from keeping his job was the strike of the Missouri football team, which was supported by head football coach Gary Pinkel. With one team photo including the head coaching staff and the rest of the Missouri football team, the message was received and Wolfe had ultimately no choice but to resign.

Collegiate athlete’s power is not from

their ability to be paid, but they have the power to stop the main source of revenue and come together for a common goal. that goes to the university. trast to the restraints on athlete’s power made $83,718,587 in total revenue from that are outlined in the NCAA rulebook.

- Individual athletes still cannot make money off of their name or merchandise of the large number of schools that make and they are prohibited from receiving - compensation based off of their individlegiate athletics, and the majority of that ual performance. College football playmoney comes from college football and ers individually are still restricted, but as - a group they can facilitate change at their nue that collegiate sports bring in has re- university. sulted in many efforts for college football players to unionize. football team was instrumental in the resUniversity of Northwestern football ignation of a white president, at a historically white university, is revolutionary. In players that attempted to unionize and an era of college athletics where big time school boosters have had the majority of but the National Labor Relations Board the power, individual athletes can still come together and promote necessary decided to overturn the initial NLRB’s changes.

District 13 decision, and they ruled that athletes at private universities would not athletes may be a lost cause, but collegiate be able to unionize. athletes have the power to make a difference at their schools by coming together as a team.

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DECEMBER 2015

OPINION

THE CIRCUIT

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Foster children provide joy to home

As the holiday season quickly approaches, friends and family come together to spend time with one another and show how much they care and appreciate each other. Unfortunately some people do not have families to care for them no matter what time of year it is.

This became apparent to me last year when my family and I volunteered at a Thanksgiving party for foster children.

The looks of pure joy and gratefulness

brought confusion to me that we would be bringing children into our household and raising them as our own, only to have them leave at some point and continue on with their lives without us. Of course ized that by opening my home and family to foster children could bring change to their lives forever, no matter how long they would be staying with us.

On July 17, 2015 my mom was granted custody of the siblings Fabian, 5 and family and caused us to continue visiting Claudia, 2, after they had lived in a shelter the foster children at a shelter in Miami.

In the shelter the children had to share see how they would react to being placed everything from toys to bedrooms. Al- into a new home, but they were overjoyed though the living situation in the shelter to have their own room and toys that they was not ideal, it was most likely a better didn’t have to share with any other chilenvironment than the children were liv- dren. They were also excited to have a ing in before. backyard to run around in and fresh food The main purpose of the foster pro- whenever they wanted it. gram is to reunify the children with famIn the past four and a half months I ily members after being removed from have seen these two children thrive on the abuse, neglect and unsafe situations. daily safety, love, and attention our famMy family began going to the shelter ily gives them. While in general they are twice a month bringing along toys and snacks for the children. The ages of the children at the shelter range from newborn to 12 years of age. As time went on,

It brought confusion to me that we would be bringing children into our household and raising them as our own, only to have them leave at some point and continue on with their lives without us. our connection with the children grew leave them at the end of the day.

By Jan. 2015, we began forming a relationship with a pair of siblings that had been at the shelter since July 2014. My mother began reaching out to their case could get the children out of the shelter and into our home until the courts decidIn March of 2015, my mom began pursuing her foster license by taking courses and learning about the foster program.

At this time, the caseworker in Miami began the process for my mom to be considered for non-relative placement of the siblings.

When she asked me how I felt about her considering fostering, I had mixed emotions. Not because I didn’t want to give other children a safe and comfortable environment, but because of how big of an impact it would make on my life.

My siblings are 14 and 20, so it was going to be very different as well as a huge responsibility to have anyone below the age of 12 living in my house.

My main concern was what would happen in the future. Foster programs are not roads to adoption and the main goal

NO ONE LEFT BEHIND: (Top):

Having foster children in my home has been a life changing experience. It is not often that we come to appreciate how privileged we are to live in a safe environment with a loving and caring community. easy children to care for, the unexpected tantrums and outbursts remind me that they have been exposed to much more than any child should.

Overall, having foster children in my home has been a life changing experience. It is not often that we come to appreciate how privileged we are to live in a safe environment with a loving and caring community. Fostering children takes patience and hard work, but the smiles on their faces and the gratitude from them makes it all worth it. It is one of the best feelings in the world to experience making a difference in someone’s life and shaping the people these children will be when they are older. Participating in foster care has made me a more mature perit is to take care of children but more importantly, how rewarding it is.

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OPINION

DECEMBER 2015

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Diabetes brings new perspective

For most people, eating is a daily acthought. But for me eating takes carb callin through a sharp needle.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in January of my junior year.

For months prior I was tired, irritable and altogether not a very fun person to be around. Nobody knew what was wrong, myself included, and my mom was even convinced that I had depression. It wasn’t until I was sitting in Anatomy class, about to pass out, that I texted her and said “Mom, something is wrong. We need to not educated properly on what T1D really is.

Type 2 is the other type of diabetes and is an avoidable condition, level for healthy people is 70-120, and something that comes from eating unhealthy Despite the negative and being overweight for misconceptions, Type 1 an excessive amount of Diabetes (T1D) is a time. Most people ask me SUBMITTED BY JORDAN MCGREW the same questions as to managable disease with KEEP SMILING: Senior Jordan McGrew (above) was how I got sick: “did you the proper medication The rest was a traumatizing blur that haunts me to this day. I arrived at the pe-

and attention.

diagnosed with diabetes in January. She has learned how to cope through diabetes and has maintained a positive mindset.

mine was over 500. I was rushed to the hospital, hooked up to an IV full of insulin, the hormone I now lack, and forced to endure what felt like a thousand differ- for a blood sugar test every time I wanted to eat lunch or have a snack. I didn’t testing. want to be looked at differently for having It took four days for the hospital to re- to give myself a literal shot based on the lease me. On the days following that trip, amount of carbs I was eating. Shortly afI was too embarrassed and scared to go ter mustering up the courage to return to back to school. I didn’t want to be looked Cypress, I learned that a lot of people are

EDITORS

The Circuit is the student newspaper of Cypress Bay High School. The opinions expressed in the paper are not necessarily those of the adviser, administration, or advertisers. The publication of advertisements in The Circuit does not imply endorsement.

HYBRID EDITORS Opinion Copy Editor: Gillian D’Onofrio

Managing Editor: Evan Kessler

News Copy Editor: Cole Winton

News Editor: Olivia Ohayon

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Features Editor: Tara Bagherlee Arts & Ent. Editor: Camila Ziadi Sports Editor: Jake Fuhrman Layout Editor: Erin Yoo PR Manager: Samantha Shapiro

TO CONTACT US: CALL (754) 323- 0350, ext. 3075 cbhsthecircuit@gmail.com OR VISIT cbhscircuit.com

no. The reason I got sick was because my pancreas stopped producing beta cells, which are needed in the production of breaking down sugar. I was in no way living in an unhealthy way and was given this disease from a mix of genetics and stress.

The second misconception is that I can’t eat certain sugary foods, like cake,

Editor-in-Chief: Danielle Bush

The Circuit is a free publication available to 4,600 students and 292 staff members of Cypress Bay High School. The publication prints Ad Manager/Designer : Coleman Nelson 4,500 copies six times per year.

Business Manager: Amanda Grapin The Circuit has been recognized as a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown Winner, National Scholastic Press Association-All American publication and Florida Scholastic Press Association All-Florida publication.

“were you overweight or

Markowicz Sports Copy Editor: Evan Teich Photo Editor: Ignacia Araya Photo Editor: Amanda Masaro Photo Editor: Jake Lender Photo Editor: Morgan Comite Graphics Editors: Lara Finan & Jordyn McGrew

Adviser: Andre Shannon

ONLINE EDITION EDITORS Editor-in-Chief: Emily Chaiet

Sports Editor: Jeremy Jackson

Managing Editor: Carolina Bou

Multimedia Arts & Ent. Editor: Jennifer Galante

News Editor: Stephanie Stone Multimedia Editor: Ariela Cohn

Arts & Ent. Editor: Jenna Rabinovitch

Features Editor: Abby Morgan

Multimedia Sports Editor: Spencer Rheingold

Multimedia Features Editor: Alexis Sobel

Multimedia News Editor: Franki Rosenthal

GRAPHIC BY JORDAN MCGREW

candy, or cookies. This is absolutely untrue. The only thing a diabetic person can’t eat is poison, or cookies with poison in them. I had to adjust how much sugar I consume, but if I want to splurge of course I can. I just have to give myself a shot of insulin to compensate and maybe exercise a little to keep my blood sugar down.

It’s been almost a year since I’ve been diagnosed and learning how to cope is an ongoing process. On some days I will feel very upset about my condition, but I don’t let it get me down for long. What really matters is that I’m alive and able to manage my diabetes. I am happy to be surrounded by people that care about my disease and help me to take care of myself. I can only hope that in the future there is a cure for this disease, which affects about 9.8 percent of the American population.

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