The
ADVENTURE Issue
Cypress Bay High School • 18600 Vista Park Blvd. • Weston, Fla. 33332 • Vol 17, Issue 1 • October 2017
By Rachel FRIEDMAN Managing Editor
With a width larger than the entire state of Florida, Hurricane Irma sustained wind speeds at a maximum of 180 miles per hour and was on track to hit South Florida as a Category 5 as of Sept. 7. Despite the hurricane weakening to eventually hit Weston on Sept. 9 as a Category 1, many students and teachers approached the natural disaster’s arrival in different ways. “I was terrified to stay home, but I’m glad I did. The European model kept showing that [the hurricane] was going to go west,” calculus teacher Arleen Lewis said. “I think [the European forecasts] have always been more accurate, so I was afraid that if I left my house to stay somewhere else, I would get hit.” While teachers like Ms. Lewis found the hurricane to be a scary experience, others like marine science teacher Jeannine Rendon were barely even fazed by the natural disaster. “I was actually in denial about how hard [Hurricane] Irma was going to hit, so I decided on staying in Florida,” Ms. Rendon said. “I also felt secure at home because our roof, structure and shutters were good. Even though the models showed that the hurricane would be a category four at one point, I wasn’t worried.” For students like sophomore Alex Greenberg, precautions for Hurricane Irma included house preparations and compiling supplies necessary in the event of a power outage. “My family put up shutters in advance and stocked up on tons of food and water,” Greenberg said. “We ended up not losing power, but I’m glad we prepared well because we had no damage at all.” Similar to Ms. Rendon, sophomore Sami Rheingold was in disbelief about the hurricane’s intensity. She said she did everything she could to make the experience less dull. “I got super bored during the hurricane and convinced my parents to let me sleep at my friend’s house. We mostly just spent our time studying and doing homework, but it was so nice to
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get out of my house,” Rheingold said. “I really tried to make fun out of the whole experience—at some points during the hurricane, I would walk outside just to see what was going on; it was super interesting to see how windy it was.” Despite having to sit through a 16hour car ride, junior Nicolas Pol said he enjoyed his time off for Hurricane Irma by exploring Atlanta with his family; while there, they toured the Coca-Cola Factory and the Civil Rights museum. “We basically turned this hurricane into a vacation,” Pol said. “The drive was really long, but it was worth it because I didn’t have to worry about losing power.” Unlike Pol, junior Amanda Saavedra’s experience in Atlanta was less of a vacation as she spent most of her time there keeping updated with the hurricane’s path. “My mom was stressing a lot so we didn’t do much besides go out to eat to get to know Atlanta a little; our time there was mainly just spent watching the news,” Saavedra said. “I went with a huge family so although we didn’t do much, having a lot of people there made it less boring.” In order to avoid mobbed airports and extensive lines, senior Hailey Yaffa evacuated to Chicago with her family by chartering a private plane. “It was really hard to find regular flights out of the public airport; flying this way was so much easier,” Yaffa said. “[My family and I] didn’t have to go through security or check our bags, and we only had to be at the airport for about 20 minutes before we were able to take off. We were able to evacuate much quicker than if we were to fly publicly.” Although students like Saavedra felt safer escaping Florida to avoid the effects of Hurricane Irma, Rheingold said she was glad her family decided to stay
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home. “ M y family didn’t feel the need to leave Florida because we felt safe in the house with our shutters and they didn’t want to spend the money to travel,” Rheingold said. “We also knew that gas and traffic would be a huge problem if we left.” Due to damages in infrastructure and power-outages, Broward County officials cancelled school for seven days. With this amount of time off, teachers like Ms. Rendon are struggling to get back on track with lesson plans and curriculum. She said the loss of time to teach has put a lot of pressure on her. “I know the week-long break was completely necessary because some students and schools in Broward County were really affected by the hurricane, but I wish we didn’t have so much time off,” she said. “I’m super behind and stressed out because of the break.” The length of the break not only caused delays in schoolwork and lectures, but also in school-related events like ticket sales for the homecoming dance. Student Government President Harrison Miller said although a lot of time was lost
to sell tickets and finalize homecoming preparations, he is optimistic that the event will be a success. “It takes a really long time to put homecoming together, but due to Hurricane Irma, we were only left with two weeks,” Miller said. “We’re really crunched for time, but we’re ready for the challenge and ready for a great homecoming; I know we can do it.” After seeing the aftermath of the hurricane, Ms. Lewis said she felt it was important for her and her family to assist in cleaning up their neighborhood. “I was stunned when I saw all of the debris after the hurricane passed— my neighborhood lost a lot of trees,” Ms. Lewis said. “My family and I really tried to help out the community after; we moved tree trunks out of our neighbors’ driveways and tried to clear the sidewalks.” Despite a few uprooted trees, Ms. Lewis said she felt lucky to have no damage. She said she was grateful that Weston did not have to suffer the same intensity of Hurricane Irma that other places did. “It was overall just so sad because The Keys and all of the islands had gotten hit so badly—they have the poorest economy and the least resources, so it was so devastating for this to happen to them,” she said. “Other than fences and trees falling, my family and I had no damage, and I feel so fortunate to be able to say that.”
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FEATURES SPORTS
Bilingual speakers gain advantageous worldly connections.
Bay alumni in NFL inspire current student athletes.
A&E
New band director gives performers a voice in their setlists.
OPINION
Freedom of speech does nothing to stop physical violence.
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OCTOBER 2017
Hurricane calls for school board action By Jessie Chaiet News Editor
As Hurricane Irma hit South Florida on Sept. 9 and 10, members of the Broward County School Board were in charge of restoring schools and getting everything back in order. Throughout the hurricane, the school board posted on social media and sent automated phone c a l l s, t e x t mess a g es and emails to update students and parents about when school would be resuming. “The district utilizes social media—Facebook and Twitter—on a regular basis to provide information and updates, so that was incorporated into our communications,” District 6 School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson said. “We used as many avenues as possible to get the information out to everyone.” Due to the hurricane, the school board cancelled school from Sept. 7 to Sept. 18. Two days were given before the hurricane to give students and parents time to prepare. After the hurricane, schools had to be checked to determine when they could resume. Broward Schools Chief of Staff Jeffrey Moquin was in charge of the administrative response to the hurricane. He said it was important to get schools running so that Broward County as a whole could get back to normal. “If students don’t have the ability to go to school, it has a tremendous impact on their parents and their ability to go to work,” Mr. Moquin said. “The school district is a very critical partner in terms of recovery after the school; I think that collectively we did a great job in minimizing the impact and the disruptions to the community as a whole.” Mrs. Levinson said an important part of reopening schools was making sure all schools had power. After the storm, about 70% of Broward County Public Schools did not have power, so the school board had to work with Florida Power and Light (FPL). “Basically, we couldn’t open the schools until we had power, so we really had to rely on [FPL],” Mrs. Levinson said. “If there had been more significant
damage, that would’ve been a factor, but because of the way the hurricane ended up impacting us, it was based solely on power.” Additionally, 29 Broward County Public Schools served as evacuation centers during the hurricane. These shelters had to be cleared before schools could reopen. “ F l o r i d a statute requires that the district provide its schools to the county, and it’s primarily the county’s r e s p o n sibility to advise us when t h e y w a n t to go a head a n d open u p
shelt e r s,” Mr. Moquin said. “We provided sort of a base staffing at each of the sites, but the county in conjunction with the American Red Cross managed the shelters during the storm and made the determination as to when they’re going to open shelters and how many they are going to open.” During the hurricane, Assistant Principal Kassandra Fried was in charge of communications with the school board. She received messages from the school board and conveyed them to department heads and other administrators at the Bay. “I think the communications were successful because we planned before we were even out of school,” Mrs. Fried said.
News Calendar General • • • •
PSAT Testing, Oct. 11 Town Hall Meeting, Oct. 24 ACT Testing, Oct. 28 Senior Cap and Gown Assembly, Oct. 30
Clubs • • • •
“Part of our preparation was to make sure we had everybody’s contact information and we created groups so that we were able to be in touch with everyone as much as possible, which was very important.” Before schools could open again, administrators had to check the campus to ensure that all buildings had power and there was no debris or damage. Assistant Principal Marianela Estripeaut said the custodial staff was very helpful in restoring the campus. “Our custodial staff was fabulous; they put in work orders right away,” Mrs. Estripeaut said. “Immediately, we got custodians to clean the ground, the debris, the branches, so that when [students] came in it looked like nothing had happened.” Because seven days of school were cancelled, the school calendar will be adjusted to compensate for the days off. The early release days on Oct. 19 and Dec. 22 will be made full days. In addition, second quarter will now begin on Oct. 30 and third quarter will now begin on Jan. 16. However, Advanced Placement (AP) English teacher Erica Machado said AP teachers will not be able to recover lost days that could have been used to prepare students for exams. “Even if Broward decided to tack on extra school days or we use the days that are already built in, the test is an international test that students are taking, so [AP teachers] technically lost a week of instruction that we won’t get back before the exam,” Mrs. Machado said. Mrs. Machado said she stayed updated throughout the storm by using her Twitter. The Broward Schools’ Twitter posted at least once a day about the current states of the schools. “[Twitter] was easy and seemed to be updated more frequently than the newscasters were reporting on the schools opening,” Mrs. Ma chado
an update they would tweet something, so I was always aware of what was happening,” Vigliarolo said. “Everyone is using social media, so it’s the best way for people to communicate.” Mrs. Estripeaut said she thought the Bay handled the hurricane well. She said she was impressed by the motivation of teachers to get back to work. “Our teachers are so wonderful that even though they were dealing with their own crises at home, they wanted to come into school even though school was closed so that they could start working on stuff to get ready for their students,” Mrs. Estripeaut said. “I can see that they were eager to come back because they were concerned about losing all of that time and all that curriculum.” Mrs. Fried believes that Hurricane Irma provided many valuable lessons for how to improve communications in the future if there were to be another hurricane. “This certainly was an experience that was new for us because this was a big storm and we were supposed to really get the brunt of it, but I think that it has prepared us for the next time,” Mrs. Fried said. “We have gotten through it and understand the importance of making sure we had communication down so we were able to get in touch with people. We were able to tweak things that didn’t work, so moving forward we’re even more prepared.” Mr. Moquin said he was extremely pleased with how the Broward County School Board prepared and recovered from Hurricane Irma. “I have worked with Broward County Public Schools now for over 20 years and I am always amazed at how well the school system comes together to do what’s in the best interest of the community, our students and our parents,” Mr. Moquin said. “I am always amazed at the amount of commitment and dedication that the employees have for the school system. I think how the school system responds to some of the most critical challenges, like a hurricane, is truly a testament to the people we have that work in the school system.”
said. Like Mrs. Machado, sophomore Valentina Vigliarolo said she often checked the Broward Schools’ Twitter account to see when school would resume. “Every time the board members had
EHS Meeting, Oct. 16 HOSA Meeting, Oct. 17 Key Club Meeting, Oct. 25 Best Buddies Social, Oct. 27
College Visits • • • • •
Tulane Univ., Oct. 13 Duke Univ., Oct. 16 New York Univ., Oct. 17 Vanderbilt Univ., Oct. 24 American Univ., Oct. 31
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Open House enlightens parents about classes BY CASEY MENTEN
ONLINE NEWS EDITOR
Parents were able to experience a taste of high school on Sept. 26 when the Bay held its annual Open House. On this night, more than 8,000 parents attended their children’s classes to learn more about the course along with the teachers who educate them. “Teachers, guidance counselors and administrators were all here to really give [parents] a day in the life of their student and show what Cypress Bay has to offer,” Assistant Principal Kassandra Fried said. “It’s important that they get to really see what’s taking place in those classes.” Parents were able to follow their child’s daily schedule and meet the teachers of each class. Teachers gave 10-minute overviews about the course they teach along with insight on the work students will be completing throughout the year. “I get to create a partnership not only between the students and teachers, but now between the parents as well,” Mrs. Fried said. “Once you bring the parents into the mix, they, too, understand what the expectations are for students.” To display the extracurriculars offered to students, numerous club and organization members gathered in the courtyard where they set up booths and handed out flyers to inform parents about club meetings and events. “We had a number of clubs and organizations out here as well to touch base with them and show them what our school has
to offer,” Mrs. Fried said. “We want parents to get a feel for the whole school and that includes the clubs here as well.” Junior and Yoga Club President Lillian Pakzad said she had a booth set up to help spread the word about her recently established club. She said she used Open House as a way to expose her club to a wider range of people in hopes that the parents will appreciate the club’s efforts and encourage their children to get involved. “It was important to me that we were able to promote [Yoga Club] and get the word out because it is a new club and both parents and students don’t really know it exists,” Pakzad said. “A lot of parents took information home to see if their children would be interested.” Barbara Gass, mother of freshman Skylar Gass, said it was important for her to meet the people who are teaching her daughter. She said it is helpful to know what her daughter is learning in school so that she is able to help. “I like to know exactly what my daughter is learning along with the teachers she is seeing everyday,” Gass said. “I am so happy with all of the classes and teachers my daughter has here at this school.” This night also gives parents the opportunity to tour the campus and view the different buildings at the Bay. Gass said that she was surprised at how extensive the school was and how hard it was to navigate. “When I was walking from class to class, it was difficult to find my way
PHOTO BY SAMMY KLOPMAN
MEET THE PARENTS: Members of the National Art Honor Society display their station at Open House on Sept. 26. They showcased their booth to inform parents about the honor society and to encourage them to urge their children to become members.
around,” Gass said. “I realized how big the school really was, but also how much the school has to offer.” Even though the event was postponed due to Hurricane Irma, Mrs. Fried said the Open House was a complete success. She said she was happy with the outcome and that the event is always a pleasure to hold.
“We are overjoyed with the turnout; this is our favorite night of the year because we really get to showcase the amazing school this is.” Fried said. “We appreciate our community so much because they are so involved; our Open Houses are always packed, so we really look forward to holding it.”
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OCTOBER 2017
BRACE adviser hosts college seminars The annual College Night acts as an informative seminar for students and their families.
BY JESSIE CHAIET news editor
In order to help students and parents understand the college admission process, Broward Advisors for Continuing Education (BRACE) Adviser Shari Bush held the annual College Night. Mrs. Bush hosted two College Nights: one for juniors and seniors on Sept. 27 and one for freshmen and sophomores on Oct. 3. “I hold College Night to educate all of our students about the application process,” Mrs. Bush said. “It’s so important for them to really know how that works. It’s my job and my pleasure to teach them.” More than 600 people filled the auditorium each night. Mrs. Bush said there were two College Nights so all the parents and students who wanted to attend would be able to. She had slightly different presentations each night to suit the students and parents attending. “The 11th and 12th graders are definitely closer to the process, so we were giving them some more current info and really getting them ready,” Mrs. Bush said. “For the ninth and 10th graders, it’s more of navigating their way through high school so that they’re in the best possible place to start the process a year or two from now.” Mrs. Bush said she was very pleased with the turnout each night because it is crucial for students and parents to learn
information about colleges. “[The auditorium] was a packed house, which is what we hoped for and expected,” Mrs. Bush said. “It makes me so happy that our students and their parents really want to engage and be a part of the process this early on.” At College Night, Mrs. Bush presented a PowerPoint in which she discussed the college application process, essays, scholarships, financial aid and Florida universities. “We covered everything. Because the process is so overwhelming and it’s changing every couple of years, it’s important that [students and parents] are updated and have the information,” Mrs. Bush said. “It’s important so that they understand how it works and they’re not overwhelmed by the process.” Junior Carolina Gomez said she attended College Night to stay informed about college news and applications. “Because I’m currently a junior in high school, near the end of the year I’m going to have to start thinking about where I want to go and what I want to do,” Gomez said. “It’s getting closer to senior year so there’s less time to think about it.” Ilene Herman, junior Dayna Herman’s mother, said it was helpful to attend College Night since the college admission process often changes. “The process is a lot different from when I applied many years ago and it’s a lot different from when my older daughter
PHOTO BY JESSIE CHAIET
CoLlegE knowledge: College Night took place in the auditorium on two separate dates, Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, depending on the grade of the student attending. Mrs. Bush informed students and their families of important facts about the college application process.
applied three years ago,” Mrs. Herman said. “I thought College Night was extremely informative; it was definitely a wake-up call.” Mrs. Herman said she has attended College Night in the past, but she wanted to receive more up-to-date information. “I was surprised at how much more difficult it is to get into Florida schools now,” Mrs. Herman said. “Colleges are more competitive nowadays.” Mrs. Bush said she wants parents and students to feel confident after College
Night knowing that there are many resources at the Bay. “I hope they feel good about knowing that they have somebody to guide them throughout this at every step of the way,” Mrs. Bush said. “Hopefully, what came across loud and clear is my passion for what I do and how available we are to help every student at whatever level or at whatever path they want to take.”
Colleges visit the Bay in order to aid students and allow them to interact with representatives. BY CARLI UDINE ONLINE Editor-in-chief
Throughout the months of September and October, the Bay will be hosting around 35-40 representatives from universities across the country to give students the opportunity to get information about the colleges they wish to attend. Each college visit will take place in the College and Career Center. Broward Advisors for Continuing Education (BRACE) adviser Shari Bush said the college visits are a great opportunity for students to be able to communicate directly with a college representative. “The college representatives are incredibly knowledgeable about their schools, and they provide valuable information to our students,” Mrs. Bush said. “This is also a perfect time for students to ask specific questions regarding the information they are interested in.” Throughout her years being involved in helping students find the right university for them, Mrs. Bush said she has formulated relationships with many schools and was able to get in touch with them so they would come to share information with the students at the Bay. Mrs. Bush said this is especially beneficial to the senior class as they are submitting their college applications. The college visits are scheduled mainly in September and October to ensure seniors have the opportunity to have all of their questions answered prior to submitting to their top schools. “The seniors get to meet the person who is reading their application.
GRAPHIC BY JESSIE CHAIET
That personal connection is a great opportunity for our students,” Mrs. Bush said. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to showcase our students and school as well so the representatives can see exactly how impressive we are and the high caliber of students that are applying to their universities.” Although the college visits are directed mainly towards the seniors, underclassmen are welcome to attend the visits as well. Mrs. Bush said the visits can be beneficial no matter how old a student is.
“It is never to early to educate yourself about the process,” Mrs. Bush said. “It is also a great opportunity for the underclassmen to hear what the seniors are asking so they can understand more of the process.” Senior Samantha Rosenberg said the college visits give her an opportunity to get more information about the college application process and the colleges she is hoping to get into. “There are so many specific and detailed steps throughout the process of applying to colleges; it can get very
confusing,” Rosenberg said. “Being able to hear from college representatives is very helpful. It’s so nice to hear what each college has to say about what they are looking for in each applicant.” Rosenberg said she is grateful that the Bay gives her the opportunity to communicate with college representatives. “I am so fortunate I attend a school where I get such great assistance in such an important time in my life,” she said. “There are not many schools who give their students the same resources and opportunities that our school offers.” Sophomore Josh Keller said even though he is nowhere near starting the college application process, these visits are useful to prepare for the future. “My mom was the main reason I was motivated to sign up to attend some of the college visits,” Keller said. “I was a little hesitant at first to attend because of my age, but now I am so happy I signed up because when the time comes, I will not have to stress about the process of applying to all the schools I want to attend.” Keller said attending a college visit motivates him to strive for better grades. “Listening to what the colleges are looking for allows me to change my study habits early enough to make a significant change,” Keller said. Rosenberg said the college visits get seniors excited for what is to come for them in the next year. “Senior year is such an exciting time,” Rosenberg said. “College visits really get the seniors excited to submit their applications and eventually hear back from the schools of their choice.”
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Clubs gain new members’ interest
students interested in joining the team. She hoped it would be good motivation for them to continue with the debate program. “I really wanted to encourage new members to join debate because the debate team is one large family who welcomes everyone willing to join,” Cidel said. “It’s such a fun activity, and you can travel the country, meet new people and learn new things through it.” Matthew Liebman, President of Habitat for Humanity, a new club established in 2017, stresses the importance of recruiting members not just for the service hours, but for the impact that having so many members would make on the community. “[Habitat for Humanity] is an organization where you’re directly impacting the community that you live in and you can work alongside the people who you’re helping, which is a very unique experience,” Liebman said.
by KATHERINE GIBSON OPINION COPY Editor
With the new school year in full swing, many clubs have been trying to recruit new members to join their organizations. Some of these clubs, such as Best Buddies, started their recruitment process before the school year even began. “We [Best Buddies] decided to run a booth at Freshmen Orientation and had the freshman sign up to be on our email list so they would know about all the new events that we have going on at the beginning of the year,” Best Buddies president Sara Schlussel said. “We really wanted to inform these new students about the club before they even walked on campus so they knew to look out for more information about Best Buddies.” The annual Freshmen Orientation event run by Student Government Association (SGA) took place on Aug. 7. Here, incoming freshmen were invited to attend information sessions about academics and learn about the different clubs that The Bay has to offer. Club officers like Schlussel felt having a booth at orientation was very beneficial in gaining new members. “Best Buddies looks forward to hosting a booth every year because it’s a great opportunity to introduce the amazing ways students can get involved in school outside of academics,” she said. However, Schussel believes that informing the freshmen of the importance of joining Best Buddies is equally as important as involving upperclassmen in the organization. She said many colleges know how important the organization is, and that this is a major factor that attracts new members to join the club. “It’s never too late to join,” Schlussel said. “We really want to get the message across to all students that there needs to be equality for students with disabilities and that those students should be given the same opportunities as other students at our school and other people in society.” Currently, Best Buddies has about eighty members and twenty buddies who participate in at least one meeting and one event per month. Schlussel hopes that through school-wide promotion, Best Buddies will be able to encourage students to attend the meetings and events. “Although we didn’t have a specific recruitment meeting, we put a lot of flyers and announcements on social media promoting the club and the biggest events we put on throughout the year,” Schlussel said. “A lot of the flyers we put up came directly from the national organization of Best Buddies, so we try to recruit students based on the credibility of our club.” Ariel Griffin, the Vice President of Membership for Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), agrees that advertising the club is important since it is nationally renowned by colleges. “I would encourage new members
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Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, a scientist or a lawyer, the skills learned in this club teach everyone to be a compassionate person and really care about the community... PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MATTHEW LIEBMAN
READY TO RECRUIT: (Clockwise from top) Juniors Erica Alejaldre and Andrea Ferreira speak to junior Jordan Ramdial about joining Habitat for Humanity. Students listen to a presentation by club officers discussing ways to earn service hours. Juniors Larissa Sallowicz, Carlos Pina and Rita Marques attend HOSA’s ice cream social to gain knowledge and an interest in joining the club. where the learned about the club’s main objectives and activities throughout the school year..
to join HOSA because it is a perfect fit for students interested in the medical field,” Griffin said. “Not only is it a well-known club, but being a member also allows students to learn more about medical professions and become more active within the health community.” On Aug. 29, HOSA held its first recruitment meeting, which was an annual ice cream social. Officers and past members of HOSA spoke to potential members about the benefits of joining the organization and how it will successfully prepare them to become future health professionals. “This was my first year planning the ice cream social, but I have attended it since freshman year, and it was one of the factors that influenced me to join the organization,” Griffin said. Griffin said the turnout of 150 students was not as large as previous years, but it was likely due to the fact that they advertised solely in the health science classes. “It was a smaller scale event than previousyears,butIlikeditthatwaybecause the officers were able to form a more
personal connection with the members through the icebreakers,” she said. The debate team had its novice recruitment meeting on Aug. 29, and team captain Jenee Cidel said she felt that having a small scale event just for new members was effective. There are approximately 200 students in debate, but the team held this meeting just for the forty new students who were interested in competing. Students were split up into three different rooms where they participated in a variety of activities with debate officers to discover which event they are best suited for competitions. “Coming to meetings is a way new members are able to learn the ways of debate which will prepare them for tournaments,” Cidel said. “We sent emails to all the members after the meeting encouraging them to continue on in debate; our goal was to give them a feel of what they will be doing if and when they join the team.” Cidel thought this method would be the best form of recruitment because it showed that the officers cared about the
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-junior Mathew Liebman On Sept. 5, Habitat for Humanity held its first general meeting where they informed members about all the events that are planned for the upcoming year. Over 200 potential new members came to the meeting, and Liebman said he credits the turnout to their sufficient promotion on social media. “We made sure that the announcements we put online were very appealing and I think that made people more likely to join. We also used word-ofmouth through all of the different social networking sites,” Liebman said. Liebman said he is very focused on attracting both upperclassmen and underclassmen to join the club as they are the future of the organization and the community. “Habitat for Humanity is really shaping the leaders of tomorrow; students in our club who are organizing the major events are gaining leadership skills that will help them in the real world,” he said. “Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, a scientist or a lawyer, the skills learned in this club teach everyone to be a compassionate person and really care about the community. I believe these are the most important aspects when looking for clubs to join.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Freshmen campaign for annual class elections By Lauren Pabian News Copy Editor
Candidates running for freshman class office began their campaigns on Sept. 19. Voting took place on Sept. 20 and Sept. 22 and the election’s results were announced later that day. Jake Miller won President, Marley Solomon won Vice President, Dylan Lessem won Treasurer and Alec Cao won Secretary. Solomon said she was eager to begin her campaign for vice president. She also said she is ecstatic that she won and will be given the opportunity to make a difference for her class. “I chose to run for freshman class vice president because I enjoy representing my peers in a leadership role,” Solomon said. “I have always wanted to become involved as a leader in my school and make a difference.” Candidates set up booths in the middle of the courtyard during all lunches on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 in order to give their peers an opportunity to speak to them and hear why they think they deserve to be elected. In addition, the candidates gave out small items like pencils and bracelets to boost their campaign. “My slogan was ‘It’s a piece to a perfect puzzle,’ so I set up my booth with a bunch of puzzle piece necklaces with a lightning bolt on them,” Solomon said. Solomon believes she has an advantage as she has previously held a leadership
position in National Junior Honor Society at Falcon Cove Middle School. “I believe I am best suited for this position as I am driven, spirited, friendly, confident and will go above and beyond to create the best possible environment and freshman year for my class,” Solomon said. “Additionally, I have held leadership positions in the past, which I believe could help me be successful because I can use my prior knowledge and experience.” Freshman Isabella Montano decided to run for freshman class president as she has always been passionate about student government and wanted to hold a leadership position freshman year. She said she is very upset that she did not win, but that she intends to try again in the future. “Going into freshman year, I wanted to jump right into the opportunity to have a leadership position and get as involved as possible,” Montano said. “I began participating in student government back in elementary school, but unfortunately did not participate in it during middle school as the program was very inactive. So, I was very excited to come to Cypress Bay where I knew there was a very active student government.” Montano wore a campaign shirt that said “Vote 4 Isa” and gave out neon necklaces, bracelets and pens to promote her campaign. She also used social media to help her connect better with her class. “I wanted to give out things that I
photos by Lauren pabian
Vote for me: (Counterclockwise from top right) Isabella Montano stands at her booth where she gives out bracelets and pens. Derek Bieber displays his handmade poster to those passing by. Dylan Lessem meets with voters in the courtyard during all lunches before the election.
knew people would want,” Montano said. “I made sure everything was appealing and had an obvious reminder on it to vote for me. I also used social media as a way to reach out to as many people as I could and tried to keep an active line of communication between the student body and me.” Lessem said he was eager to jump at
the opportunity to run for treasurer and is so excited that he won. He believes that being organized, responsible and having good relationships with students are the most important aspects to being successful in this position.
Town hall forum panelists discuss Venezuela crisis By Sophia Busto
At the Venezuela Community Forum meeting on Aug. 31, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz discussed the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela with the community. More than 300 individuals attended this meeting, which took place in the Bay’s auditorium. “Congresswoman Debbie WassermanSchultz gave us the opportunity to share opinions, experiences and speak out about the Venezuelan humanitarian, economic and political crisis at the Venezuelan Community Forum,” attendee Maria Antonietta Diaz said. “I am very thankful for that.”
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This town hall meeting was extremely necessary; we discussed all the things we can do to help our fellow Venezuelans that are suffering every day.
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-senior Karif Cohen
The panel that spoke at the meeting consisted of Mayor Ramon Muchacho of Chacao, Vice Mayor of Pembroke Pines Angelo Castillo, state representative Rick Stark, guest speaker Francisco Valencia and Wasserman-Schultz. They came together to speak about what the U.S. can do about the financial and political emergency in Venezuela. The county’s economic crisis has led to high food prices and a lack of basic goods, and many people blame the president, Nicolás Maduro.
Photo by Sophia busto
Venezuelan pride: Members of the panel stood for the National Anthem at the beginning of the Venezula Community Forum meeting, where over 300 people met to convey their thoughts and opinions about the current state of Venezeula. Those who attended discussed what can be done by the U.S. to help those in the country.
“Almost every day we hear a new horror story about those suffering; violence is continuing to erupt across the country,” Wasserman-Schultz said. “We really needed this event to be able to express all our different opinions and work together towards solutions.” Senior Karif Cohen said he was appreciative of this event as the speakers contributed and discussed possible future progress towards fixing Venezuela one step at a time. “This town hall meeting was extremely necessary; we discussed all the things we
can do to help our fellow Venezuelans that are suffering every day,” Cohen said. “Every day, Venezuelans are suffering with no democracy and it is extremely imperative at these times in crisis to be able to help; everyone pitched in amazing ideas.” The panel discussed whether or not U.S. financial assets should be in charge of the Venezuela’s oil. Despite the fact that doing so would take away from Maduro’s future income, Valencia, who runs a human rights organization in Venezuela, said this may be an ideal option because
many Venezuelans lack basic necessities. “I believe tighter sanctions will not make things worse than they are, given the fact that people are lacking medicine currently, so things cannot get much worse,” Valencia said. The panel also discussed whether or not military activity needs to remain an option. Valencia said there is no need for war, with respect to America. “The worst thing that can happen to us-- the Venezuelan people-- is not the sanctions or the military action, but for Maduro to stay in power,” Valencia said. “If there is not strong international action soon, Maduro will remain in power for a long time.” Wasserman-Schultz and Stark made calls to the Trump organization, eventually leading to the organization giving brief secured status to every Venezuelan who fled to the United States. “There was an extended temporary protected status issued to Venezuelans who have fled their native country,” Mrs. Wasserman Schultz said. “But for some, likely many, a temporary solution is not enough, which is why permanent residency under certain circumstances to Venezuelans who have fled is possible, too.” Sophomore Alejandro Benedetty believes there is strength in numbers and the tools needed to be effective are available for people to use. “Here in America, we have so many resources, and when we come together, we are strong,” Benedetty said. “Weston has the highest population of Venezuelans in the United States, so it is important that we work together to communicate as a whole about the current status of our country, and this event allowed us to do so.”
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Gifted center installs new amenities By jenna friedman pr manager
With a new school year comes new renovations to The Bay’s gifted center. Room 358, now known as “The Think Tank,” has transformed into a lounge where gifted students can do school work, mingle with friends and enjoy coffee. Gifted support teacher Jason Looky said he hopes students will now recognize the gifted center as a place where they are able to socialize and get assistance with any problems they may have. “We wanted to make [the gifted center] a more friendly place for students, and we want them to know that this is a place they can feel comfortable coming to if they have any issues they would like to ask about,” Mr. Looky said. “The biggest difference between ‘The Think Tank’ and the gifted center last year is that students can now perceive it as a place where they can not only get assistance, but they can also enjoy themselves.” The new style of the center is that of a lounge: there is a TV, a station to get refreshments and a table with chairs where students can do homework. Mr. Looky said students may utilize “The Think Tank” to do work during their study hall if they do not have access to computers or Internet. Mr. Looky also said that since the renovations have been made, there has been a drastic increase in visitors. While there were about 400 visitors in total last year, there were about 250 in
“I came to the gifted center once or twice last year, but there was never anybody hanging out in there,” Perkins said. “This year, however, there seems to always be a few gifted students there whenever I go.” Similar to Mr. Looky, gifted support teacher Cindy Hatton said she is passionate about helping the gifted students at the Bay succeed and get all the help they need. Mrs. Hatton said they monitor students’ grades, meet with students and make use of the Remind program to find tutors for students in need. “If we see that a student is struggling photo by jenna friedman academically, we bring them in and let coffee them know that we are here to support break: Gifted students visit “The Think Tank” during their lunch them in any way they need,” Mrs. Hatperiod in order to grab a cup of coffee and mingle. The students can relax, get ton said. “We are constantly sending out refreshments, watch some TV and converse with Mr. Looky and Mrs. Hatton. [Remind messages] so that students are the group will be successful in inspiring aware that we are here to support them.” the first week of the new school year. students. “We want to help out the students as Mrs. Hatton and Mr. Looky both “I think that Sole Thought has a lot of have the same goal in mind: to make the much as possible when it comes to doing work, so we provide some things that potential to become something big at our gifted center a social and stress-free enschool,” Perkins said. “It would be really vironment for gifted students. Overall, other places in the school don’t have,” Mr. Looky said. “On certain days of the cool to see celebrities speaking here and Mr. Looky said the new renovations and week, we have coffee, tea and hot choco- knowing that I played a part in bringatmosphere that “The Think Tank” prolate for the students; we want to provide ing them in. I think that students deserve vides has been successful in bringing in the opportunity to hear inspirational something a little bit special that makes students. speeches from people they recognize, so them want to come in and say hi.” “The gifted center allows students to I’m very passionate about making Sole The gifted support teachers are also come in and socialize with like-minded Thought successful.” putting together a group of gifted stukids that they may have had classes with Perkins is also a persistent visitor to dents to participate in an organization in the past,” Mr. Looky said. “It’s amaz“The Think Tank”; she said she often called Sole Thought, which is an aspiring to see such an increase in the amount stops in to do homework, print papers ing club that attempts to recruit celebriof visitors because we can see how the and get coffee in the mornings. She said environment now makes students more ties to come speak at The Bay. Sophothat she also recognized the increase in more Sydney Perkins, a co-leader of comfortable.” guests from last year. Sole Thought, said she is confident that
New faculty adapts to unfamiliar campus
BY LEXI FLECHNER ARTS & ENT. ONLINE EDITOR
This school year, the Bay has welcomed a total of 16 new administrators, teachers, guidance counselors and faculty personnel. Among them is guidance counselor Harmony Smart who previously worked at Taravella High School and New River Middle School. “Every school is different in its own way, and for Cypress, the biggest thing is the size,” Mrs. Smart said. “You learn so much when you go to another school because every one of them is run so differently.” Mrs. Smart said she is eager to bring ideas from her previous jobs as a guidance counselor to the Bay but first wants to learn how everything works. “When you come to a new school, you have to adapt to [its] systems before you start implementing your own opinions and systems,” Mrs. Smart said. Even though she used to work in administration and testing at the Bay, Jeanne Snyder new to teaching this year. Mrs. Snyder now teaches English 1 Honors. Working in the office helped me to communicate and interact with students,
and when I worked in testing, I was able to go into the classroom and direct classes,” Mrs. Snyder said. “Both [jobs] are lots of work, however, I feel like the classroom is more fulfilling as a person.” Mrs. Snyder has wanted to be a teacher since she started in the office and was finally offered the opportunity this year. “[Teaching] is something I’ve been working towards and I finally am here, so I’m excited and happy to get to be in a classroom,” she said. Senior Brianna Caicedo is a student of new Advanced International Certificate of Education Business teacher Jamez Williams. She said that Mr. Williams is becoming well acclimated to his new job and his students. “Mr. Williams gets along with all of the students and makes the class more alive with his presence,” Caicedo said. “He relates all of the information we learn to TV shows that most of us watch which makes the class more interesting.” Mr. Williams’ class is a part of the program, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). To comply with DECA standards, Mr. Williams has to take part in additional procedures to the course curriculum; including vocabulary quizzes, fundraising projects and
PHOTOS BY LEXI FLECHNER
competitions. “I think Mr. Williams is definitely adjusting well to the DECA curriculum,” Caicedo said. “He always integrates it into our course curriculum well.” Last year when math teacher Jessica Stillman went on maternity leave, Samantha Manus was her substitute for a quarter. Now, Mrs. Manus has her own class and teaches Algebra 2 Regular and Algebra 1 Regular. “I’m using a lot of Mrs. Stillman’s tips that she gave me,” Mrs. Manus said. “I
always print out notes for the students, make sure to go over homework first and communicate with my team a lot.” Though Mrs. Manus is new, she feels her students are working just as hard to succeed as with any other teacher. “I think the students are adjusting well to me even though they knew I was new,” Mrs. Manus said. “They all know my routines at this point and are always asking questions during class.”
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Homecoming evokes spirit throughout week BY RACHEL FRIEDMAN Managing editor
With preparations beginning as far back as summer, members of the Student Government Association (SGA) are ensuring this year’s annual Homecoming Week will be one to remember. The “opposites attract”-themed week is set to begin Oct. 2 with daily dress-up days, and will conclude on Oct. 7 with the “Fire and Ice”-themed annual Homecoming Dance at the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort.
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My goal is for everything to run smoothly and for the students to enjoy the new activities we have in store for them.
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- senior Anabelle Agosto In order to encourage student participation and increase school spirit, SGA President Harrison Miller composed a school-wide vote on the Homecoming theme. This is the first year the student body was able to contribute ideas to the theme. “After much input, [SGA] narrowed the ideas down to two and allowed the students to choose,” he said. “I actually
preferred the losing theme better, but I love both ideas and I know that no matter what we do, it’s going to be awesome because we have great class officers that work super hard.” Because of the week-long break in Broward County Public schools due to Hurricane Irma, ticket sales were pushed back a week. SGA Treasurer Barbara Ramirez said this break put a lot of pressure on the SGA officers since they were only left with two weeks to finalize Homecoming preparations. “The stress of organizing Homecoming has overcome the excitement at the moment because of the time-crunch we are facing,” Ramirez said. “Despite the fact that we lost a great amount of time, I believe we will still have a good turnout because we haven’t done anything like this for homecoming before and it’s a very dynamic idea.” In addition to the Homecoming Dance, the week includes an annual pep rally, which will occur on Oct. 6 during fourth period. Senior Anabelle Agosto is co-chair of this event; her duties include selecting hosts, devising a plan for Principal Scott Neely’s entrance and overseeing the activities, floats and performances. “I’m so happy I was chosen for this position; it has shown me a great deal of responsibility and has gotten me more involved in the school. My goal is for everything to run smoothly and for the students to enjoy the new activities we
graphic courtesy of STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
have in store for them,” Agosto said. “Every year, Neely’s entrance is such a huge and exciting deal, and I get to help come up with ideas for his entrance with a committee of other SGA members.” Sophomore Nadine Peck said she loves participating in the dress-up days with her friends and is excited for the dance as this is her first year attending. “I’m really looking forward to both the dance and the spirit days; it’s so fun to dress up with my friends and take pictures,” she said. “I also love Homecoming week because it’s so cool to see all of the floats at Pep Rally that the classes put together.” For weeks, SGA members have been promoting the dance through socialmedia blasts and announcements. Because of the continuous advertising,
Ramirez said she is hopeful of a good turnout. “I hope everyone loves every aspect we put in to the night,” Ramirez said. “I want the seniors to leave very happy that it was an amazing last Homecoming, and I want the underclassman to want to come next year because it was so great.” Although Miller admits being in charge of the Homecoming Dance entails extreme responsibility, he is excited to take on the challenge. “I’m responsible for all of the little details incorporated into the night. All of the little things people wouldn’t normally think of are the things I have to think of,” Miller said. “As president, I have to make sure to always have a plan A, B, C and D, but I’m super excited for everyone to see how my hard work pays off.”
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New clubs at the Bay
Paws Club aims to spread message of animal rescue throughout the community. By Jessie chaiet and amanda morgan news editor and layout editor
As an owner of four pets, junior Sami Haydu said she has always loved caring for animals. This has motivated her to start the Paws Club, a new club at the Bay that focuses on raising awareness for animal rescue. “I started Paws because I am super into animals and animal rescue and I know a lot of other people at Cypress are too,” Haydu said. “Being the owner of three dogs and a cat, animals have played a big role in my life, so it is really special for me to be able to share this passion with others.” Haydu said the Paws Club aims to spread the message of animal rescue throughout the community. Throughout the year, the Paws Club will participate in supply drives for animal rescues, fundraising projects and volunteering opportunities. “Many people know that it is good to rescue animals, but they don’t know how bad it is to directly purchase them,” Haydu said. “We work to educate as many people as possible while helping local animal rescues.”
The Paws Club had its first meeting on Sept. 28, and about 80 students attended. At the meeting, Haydu discussed goals and what membership entails. She said she informed her fellow students about the club through social media. “I chose [to promote the club through social media] because tons of students are involved this way, so it is an effective way to communicate,” Haydu said. “I was extremely happy with how the first meeting went. I had a personal goal for 40 people to attend the meeting, so to see this number nearly double was astonishing.” Junior Ashley Schienfeldt said she decided to join the Paws Club after hearing about it from Haydu. She said she is looking forward to community service projects and meeting new people through the club. “I decided to join because I love animals. This club is not a big club, so I feel that it would be easier to get more involved, and a plus is that it offers service hours,” Schienfeldt said. “I think this club is great and all animal lovers should join it.”
photo submitted by sami haydu
Ruff ruff: President Sami Haydu and treasurer Sabrina Lipkin promote Paws Club at Open House on Sept. 26. They passed out flyers and spoke to potential members about their club.
Haydu said she is excited about the future of the Paws Club and believes it can benefit the community significantly. “I think that with hard work, this club can accomplish major things. I have so many ideas for different projects the club can participate in, and I am so excited to
bring them to fruition,” Haydu said. “I think members will really enjoy Paws because many students at [the Bay] are really interested in animals and animal rescue, so to be able to be a part of a club that focuses on this should be a great experience.”
Yoga Club provides students with an opportunity to de-stress.
Taylor Teens is a club that works to benfit the community through service projects. Working in conjunction with the Jason Taylor Foundation (JTF), the new Taylor Teens club aims to help the underprivileged community by participating in service projects. Junior Devon Cohen decided to bring the club to the Bay after previously working with the JTF. “I think members will enjoy doing community service alongside a foundation started by a former football player,” Cohen said. The goal of Taylor Teens is to help the JTF expand. By helping the foundation expand, club members will be able to help underprivileged families in the community. “I think this club has the potential to help many people have a better and more privileged life,” treasurer of Taylor Teens Danielle Rudolph said. The first meeting will be on Oct. 12 where the officers will go over club goals and how members can get involved. “Hopefully, we can inspire many students to want to help with this foundation,” Rudolph said. “Members in this club will be able to spread awareness for people who are underprivileged.”
Cohen said she is excited for the future of Taylor Teens, especially the events that will benefit the community. “I am looking forward to seeing how the events we are planning turn out,” Cohen said. “We have put so much hard work into making these events great, and I really hope it pays off.” The club plans to work with the nonprofit organization Children’s Harbor throughout the school year. Cohen said they are organizing field day events and parties for the holidays. “Children’s Harbor is an amazing foundation and I am excited to be able to help them out,” Cohen said. Officers of Taylor Teens have been promoting the club through social media. Rudolph said she hopes students join because it will benefit the community. “I think members will enjoy this club because it will be a comfortable environment where people can help others and make a difference,” Rudolph said. “I am looking forward to seeing people’s lives change and to have other students realize that they can do a lot to help people who aren’t as fortunate as they are.”
In order to help students relax, junior Lilian Pakzad started the Yoga Club. At every meeting, members stretch and meditate to alleviate stress. “I started this club because I felt it was important for students to have a place to be able to relax and unwind,” Pakzad said. “I know my own friends are always talking about how stressed they are, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a yoga club at our school.” Yoga Club had its first general meeting on Oct. 3 where Pakzad handed out officer applications and discussed what the club will be doing. At future meetings, which will be every Tuesday, members will participate in yoga exercises. “I think members will enjoy the meetings because the environment is really fun and welcoming,” Pakzad said. “I know huge groups of friends who are deciding to come together, which is really nice to see because any activity can be made more enjoyable when you do it with your friend group.” At Open House, members of the Yoga Club set up a booth to inform parents about their goals with the club and
persuade them to get their children to join. “We thought this method would be more personal because we were able to talk to people one-on-one and really got to meet our potential members,” Pakzad said. Pakzad said meeting new people and creating a positive environment is one of the most important aspects of the Yoga Club. “The club is not only a place to get rid of things like stress and chronic pain, but you can also find a lot of friends,” Pakzad said. “We’re like a family you can confide in.” Throughout the year, Pakzad hopes the club can allow stressed students at the Bay to feel less overwhelmed. “Our goal is to reduce the stress of our hardworking peers and provide a more peaceful outlet with a more peaceful method; we also want to provide a support system for any given member,” Pakzad said. “I hope that [students] at our school see this club as beneficial and decide to continue coming.”
photo by alexis epstein
President Lilian Pakzad and Vice President Vicki Brandt share namaste:
information about Yoga Club with new members. Pakzad prepared a PowerPoint with information about the club and about the fundraising options. Members were voting whether they preferred to pay $10 for shirts or pay $10 and also fundraise in order to have enough money for shirts and yoga mats.
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In this issue’s recurring segment that explores current event topics affecting the nation, staffer Joseph Walsh speaks to students and teachers about the U.S. conflict with North Korea. What do you think about the situation in North Korea?
By Joseph WALSH
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea, has challenged American sovereignty by threatening the United States with nuclear power. On Sept. 3, North Korea tested what it claims to be a hydrogen bomb. The state is working towards miniaturizing hydrogen bombs to be mounted on missiles and launched at the United States. Junior Evan Manfrediz said he is afraid that a war between the U.S. and North Korea may be inevitable if relations continue to deteriorate. “I’m concerned about North Korea because of the possibility of the situation escalating into a war involving my home country,” Manfrediz said. “North Korea has the potential to bomb the west coast of the U.S., which could lead to millions of casualties.” Despite the threat of nuclear war with North Korea, Manfrediz believes the situation can be handled diplomatically. “If North Korea were to attack, it would be disastrous for them since there would be incredible backlash,” Manfrediz said. “I would assume that they would consider their options and not do anything they’d regret in the end.” Tensions between the two countries have been on the rise for years, but since the start of Trump’s presidency, relations between the U.S. and North Korea have
Maria Hernandez Junior
Cesar Fernandez Senior
“I think the situation in North Korea is terrible. I feel like no one has free speech there and people are brainwashed.”
“I think the nuclear threats are not a good thing for the whole world, not just North Korea. It’s putting other regions in danger, and it can mean major warfare.”
Emily Stringer Junior “We should all unite and try to establish peace with North Korea. World peace is important.”
Graphic by Jessie Chaiet
become more apparent. On Sept. 15, North Korea launched a missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean. In the weeks following this event, citizens of Hawaii and the Pacific territory of Guam have been preparing bunkers in the event of a nuclear detonation. “I am really worried for Americans on the Pacific coast,” junior Drue Shapiro said. “I hope the conflict can be resolved before a missile actually reaches the U.S.” Junior Jose Quinones said he thinks diplomacy is the only plausible way this crisis can be avoided. “I know that North Korea can’t risk the collapse of the entire country just to launch one missile,” Quinones said. “I
think it can be handled without bloodshed, but it would mostly be through cooperation from China as it’s the only ally North Korea has.” English teacher Leslie Rheingold said she hopes a peaceful solution is possible. “I hope it can be handled peacefully,” Mrs. Rheingold said. “I believe that will be the best way to handle it. Senior Christa Dalesandro said she worries that Trump is unqualified to handle this situation as it is so delicate. “With Trump’s track record thus far, I have little faith in his responsibility,” Dalesandro said. While people like Dalesandro are skeptical that the president will handle this situation responsibly, Mrs. Rheingold
said she still hopes that the president will do his part to maintain the peace. “I hope and pray that President Trump has smart, responsible people in charge of the situation,” she said. “If there was a war, it would mean so much destruction of human life.” Shapiro said that despite tensions with North Korea, she believes that the U.S. will eventually be able to reach a peaceful solution. “I know that government officials will be working tirelessly to protect the U.S.,” Shapiro said. “The most important thing for us to do as citizens is stay informed about the situation and stay united as Americans.”
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Language Lovers by nyah hardmon
features copy editor
Junior Coral Chico navigates the world through five different perspectives, a different one for each language she speaks. She speaks Spanish, English, Portuguese and Italian, while also signing American Sign Language (ASL). Chico learned all these languages at a young age, so she said she was able to easily adapt to conversation. “It’s not very hard for me to switch between different dialects,” Chico said. “I know them all so well and I’m constantly hearing a little bit of each of them every day.” She learned three out of the five vernaculars she speaks during her time in foreign countries. Before coming to Weston, Chico lived in Brazil for three years where she worked on improving her Portuguese. According to Chico, English and Spanish are the easiest for her to speak because those are the languages she practices most often; however, while she said her pronunciation may not be perfect, she still prides herself in her achievements in the other dialects. “I’m currently taking ASL 3, so I’m very comfortable with signing now,” Chico said. “And, even though Italian is my hardest to speak, I’m still pretty fluent in reading and understanding it.”
bilingual bae: (Counterclockwise) Junior Coral Chico explores Italy with her family. One of the many languages Chico speaks is Italian. She said this enabled her cultural immersion into Europe to be a more meaningful experience. Chico returns to Brazil, where she lived for part of her childhood. After living in South America for three years, she became fluent in Portuguese; however, she said she prefers speaking mostly English and Spanish. Sophomore Ian Chang visits his hometown in Guatemala. He said growing up there enabled him to become versed in many languages, including Spanish.
photo submitted by coral chico
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A big bonus with knowing so many languages is that I’m not limited to which friends I can make because of barriers. I can spark up conversations with people from different parts of the world and it’s the best thing.
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-junior Coral Chico Sophomore Ian Chang was also surrounded by various languages at a young age and adjusted by learning a new vernacular. Born and raised in Guatemala, Chang grew up speaking Spanish at home and within his daily lifestyle. However, he attended a private French school, which introduced him to a new vocabulary and culture. “I started going to the French school at such a young age, so the French culture shock was hard at first,“ Chang said. “However, I eventually picked up the language like it was second nature.” Ac c or d i ng to Chang, his parents insisted on his attendance of the French school to widen his knowledge of new cultures and experiences. When Chang came to the United States, he said he had to undergo the process all over again as he learned English. “It was weird at first to speak Spanish at home and French at school,” Chang said. “Once I finally got used to that switch, I
photo submitted by coral chico
was met with the whole other challenge of learning a brand new language which was much harder to pick up.” Although Chang said adapting to the different vocalization was not an easy thing to do, he said he does not regret the opportunities he received to broaden his cultural understanding. He said he uses his acquired knowledge to excel in language programs like AICE French. “I may not have recognized it at the time, but being able to learn many languages at once was one of the best things that could have happened to me,” Chang said. “It’s a skill that I still use and work to improve on today.” For French teacher Sonia Ramirez, she said her ability to speak more than one dialect impacts her everyday life as well. The teacher speaks French, Spanish and English, continuously building on each accent as she delves deeper into not only
the foreign linguistics but also the culture that accompanies them. Ms. Ramirez said she believes that languages are a key vehicle to pass on l i fest yles from one generation to the next and finds value in learning, sharing and knowing more about other countries and their distinct dialects. “It is sometimes difficult to communicate efficiently among people speaking the same way as you because not everyone you run into will speak the same tongue you do,” Ms. Ramirez said. “I cannot imagine my life without the three languages that I use daily.” Chico agrees that her ability to understand different speeches continues to provide various unexpected benefits. According to Chico, her knowledge of different languages makes it so much easier to communicate with many
photo submitted by Ian Chang
different people. “A big bonus with knowing so many languages is that I’m not limited to which friends I can make because of barriers,” Chico said. “I can spark up conversations with people from different parts of the world and it’s the best thing.” Ms. Ramirez said she strongly advocates the acquisition of foreign culture; a passion that she said eventually pushed her into teaching both Spanish and French. She said she uses foreign vernaculars to help students compete with the rest of the world; according to Ms. Ramirez, progressing in new languages opens the door to new opportunities that build more equipped global citizens. “Learning and teaching new languages has taught me they are not made to stay only on the pages of books,” Ms. Ramirez said. “The more you learn to use a language, the more it comes alive.”
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OCTOBER 2017
In this issue’s recurring segment that gives students an opportunity to learn more about the teachers they see every day, staffer Jake Miller interviews AICE General Paper and English 1 Gifted teacher, Jeanne Kielbasa.
What inspired you to be a teacher, more specifically a teacher at the Bay? I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was six years old, but I took a few detours along the way. I was living in California, going to college to become a teacher, but at the time there were too many graduates in the teaching field and it was hard to find a job. As I was trying to figure out what to do, I heard of a broadcasting school. Several people mentioned I had a nice voice, so I checked out the school and registered. I finished the course and received my First Class license for broadcasting. I worked in radio for roughly 20 years, then I went back to college and got my
What would you say is your teaching degree and the rest is history. I watched Cypress being built, and I favorite TV show and/or movie of all time? Does it relate to your teaching just knew I wanted to teach here. on a daily basis? Oh, I have so many, I can’t really Who would you say had the pare it down to one, but I would have most impact on your life? I guess Mrs. Ward, my first grade to say the old 1960s film “To Kill a teacher, impacted me at the age of Mockingbird.” It is my favorite book of six, because she was the first reason all time, and for the time it was filmed, I wanted to teach. She reinforced in I think it is a good representation of the me the love of reading, and she taught novel. I teach the book in class and try me that I was not the only person to apply many of the themes that reside in the universe. I was the annoying in the book, in the classroom. student who wanted to answer all the questions, and she kindly let me What is one thing that annoys you know there were others in class that most about being a teacher? had something to say as well. Sometimes standardized testing doesn’t allow for enough time to teach Why did you decide to teach and get creative in the classroom. English? I have loved reading ever since I What would you consider to be picked up my first book and could benefits or perks of being a teacher decipher the words on my own. It at the Bay? thrills me to share literary pieces We are fortunate enough to teach with my students, and the best part is in our own individual styles without to hear their interpretations and ideas. having to read or follow a script. In
English, we also have some freedom to teach a little out of the box. If you could teach one other grade and/or subject what would it be and why? Tenth grade English because I really like the curriculum. There are several books in this curriculum I love to teach because of the relatability factor such as “Fahrenheit 451.” I am amazed at this book because it was written in the 1950s and when you read the book, you see we are actually living in that society today. ATMs, huge screen televisions, graphic novels, iPods, just to name a few, were all in the imagination of Ray Bradbury, who brought them to life in his novel. How he had the foresight to envision this world we are living in today is astonishing to me.
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Newcomers adapt to surroundings
BY ANNABELLE DANIELSROSENBERG
For freshman Alyssa Williams, transferring to the Bay after recently moving to the United States was an adjustment. After living in London, England for several years, she said entering an unknown territory far from her home was intimidating. However, Williams said she was lucky to find other students in her situation, enabling her to have a smoother transition into South Florida. “It was very difficult during the first two weeks to make friends, knowing no one at all,” Williams said. “But, I’ve met two other people who have lived abroad so they understand the process, which is nice.”
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There is tons of freedom while everyone does their own thing. Also, in class everyone stays quiet in respect to the teacher, which was not always the case in my previous school.
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-sophomore Rhys McDonald
Due to the abundance of clubs and activities the Bay has to offer, Williams said she felt engaged in the school quickly and had already begun to make friends with other students. “There are so many clubs here at Cypress and everyone is so nice,” Williams said. “Moving back into the country has been warm because as soon as I started school, kids were happy to get me interested in clubs which helped me feel welcome.” Through her background in dance, Williams said she has used her skills to help her become involved in the school community. After finding her niche in the school’s color guard team, she said she was lucky to find such a great group of friends with whom she instantly connected. “I joined color guard being that I am a dancer and I immediately made friends and felt welcome because it is like they are one big family,” Alyssa Williams said. Sophomore Rhys McDonald transferred to the Bay this year from Somerset Academy. Like Williams, he said he was able to easily make friends before the school year even began due to his spot on the Varsity football team.
Graphic by Sophie Gaer
“Being on the football team made it easy to transition,” McDonald said. “However, it was not that hard to do as Cypress has a great environment and everyone is so kind.” Compared to his old school, McDonald believes the Bay has much more to offer to its students. He said he was happy to see how much free reign the students were given in classes and around campus from teachers and faculty members. “There is tons of freedom while everyone does their own thing,” McDonald said. “Also, in class, everyone stays quiet in respect to the teacher, which was not always the case in my previous school.” With the Bay being known as one of the largest high schools, McDonald said he was nervous about navigating around the massive campus. “The size was a little intimidating at first and I could not find my classes all that well but, I eventually got the hang of things,” McDonald said. Like McDonald, sophomore Katie Krohn was looking for something new when switching over to a new school. “With my sister recently attending the Bay, I wanted nothing more than to make
the change,” Krohn said. For Krohn, adapting to a new campus was not too challenging. She said she was not nervous since she had already made so many meaningful connections with her fellow cheerleaders on the Junior Varsity football cheerleading squad. “It has been pretty easy adjusting so far, it helped that I knew a few people,” Krohn said. “I also continue to meet new people everyday and being on the cheer team has definitely helped me adjust.” Along with new students joining the Bay, many teachers are taking new positions as well, such as English teacher and Yearbook adviser Ashley Poitras. Like Krohn, Ms. Poitras said her transition into the Bay has been a breeze due to the welcoming environment. “Everyone at Cypress Bay is so kind and helpful,” Ms. Poitras said. “I have a great support staff and all the teachers I have met are encouraging and always willing to help. It’s fantastic.” Mrs. Poitras said her biggest aspiration with her new career is to pass on her love for literature to her students. “I am most looking forward to my students and I meeting our goals and being successful in everything we do,”
Ms. Poitras said. “I hope to prepare my students for their upcoming years here at the Bay and as they continue their education.” For Krohn, she said her teachers and courses are helping to prepare her for her future compared to the classes at her previous high school. She believes attending the Bay was a smart switch that will greatly benefit her in her future educational endeavors. “Even my classes are much more enjoyable as I am taking the classes I want to while receiving quality education,” Krohn said. After just a couple weeks of school, Krohn said she knew it was a smart decision to make the switch. She said she is excited for the rest of the year and hopes that she will be able to finish out her high school career at the Bay. “I am most looking forward to learning and actually going to school while having some fun, unlike I did last year,” Krohn said. “Cypress has so much to offer and I cannot wait to experience it all.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Mission group lends helping hands
BY SOPHIA HANDLEY
A typical summer for most high school students usually involves taking a break from all the work they put in during the school year, but sophomore Paola Diaz found herself still hard at work. She decided to participate in a mission trip to an impoverished neighborhood in Nicaragua with the Everglades Community Church. “I chose to participate in this mission trip because it was offered by my church and the advisers there told me how great of an opportunity it would be,” Diaz said. “I also knew I would be able to do it with people I am friends with and that I would have an amazing experience.” During her weeklong mission trip, she and her church group helped supply the families with bags of everyday needs such as shampoo, lights and matches. Not only did they lend food and supplies, but they also connected with the children whom they were helping. “We wanted the teens to interact with the children, not only provide for them,” church mission trip planner Mason Dorsey said. “The bonds that were developed between the teens and the kids really made the experience amazing.” While visiting the families, Diaz said the meaningful bonds she formed with the children were special to her, and the children were appreciative of her church group for everything they had done to help. “The main reason we went was to build relationships with the families in the neighborhood,” Diaz said. “The
photos submitted by paola diaz
Happy Helper: Sophomore Paola Diaz and fellow members of her mission group dedicated their time and effort to a Nicaraguan community, which they helped support during the summer-long project. The team impacted the townspeople by providing necessities such as shelter, clothing and food. According to Diaz, the experience not only provided a chance for her to help others in need, but she said her volunteer efforts also proved to be a worthwhile encounter.
kids have so much love in them and are grateful for everything they have even if it’s not as much as we do.” Diaz and her church group played games and activities with the children while also caring for them. She said she enjoyed connecting with families from a different type of community and loved brightening their day. “We played soccer with them, we painted their faces, we had a block party for them and all this brought so many smiles to their faces,” Diaz said. “They
just wanted to get to know all of us, although they appreciated the things we provided for them, what mattered most to kids was spending time and building friendships with us.” Diaz said her whole outlook on life had changed. When it was time for her and her church group to leave, she said she was upset that she had to leave her new friends. “The last day we were with them a lot of the kids were crying. When we had to say our goodbyes, they hugged us so hard
and chased our van when we took of,” said Diaz. “I was heartbroken when we had to leave. These kids showed us more love than I ever could have imagined.’’ Although the trip only lasted a week, Diaz said she gained so much experience from spending time with the children and providing for them throughout the week. “The experience was an once-in-alifetime opportunity,” Diaz said. “I am so fortunate to be able to give back to others in other countries who really need the support and help.”
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OCTOBER 2017
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Crazy for Crocs ic
ph
a Gr
features editor
Sneakers, flip-flops and sandals are everyday shoes to wear to school. But now, students are adding a splash of color to their wardrobe with the infamous colorful clogs known as Crocs. The 2007 fad is making its way back on store shelves and on students’ feet. With many colors to choose from and an assortment of different charms, or jibbitz, Crocs are increasing in popularity. White rubber clogs with Spongebob and Minion charms are a fashion essential for sophomore Beau Simon. Not only are they comfortable shoes, but he said they also give him an outlet to express his passions and interests. Simon, a Crocs owner for as long as he can remember, said he
I love how casual and easy-going they are. When I am in a hurry and need to grab a pair of shoes, I always get my Crocs.
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-freshman Lindsay Zifrony
loves Crocs because of their individuality and ease. “I like that Crocs are comfortable,” he said. “I have almost 20 jibbitz.”
“I think Crocs are kind of useless. They are not comfortable, your feet get gross and they are ugly.” -Senior Lance Kotler
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Simon is one of many students at the Bay bringing back this controversial footwear. Freshman Lindsay Zifrony is also a fan of the shoes’ style. After getting her first pair last March, she said Crocs have become her go-to shoes. “I love how casual and easy-going they are,” she said. “When I’m in a hurry and need to grab a pair of shoes, I always get my Crocs. Lacrosse player junior Lauren Nau says these colorful clogs are easy to dress up on game days. She said she even wears her lacrosse number,14, as a charm on her Crocs. “I love that I can wear cute socks with them and show them off,” she said. Nau said her orange and blue Crocs show off her college spirit. She said she wears her pair to represent her love for the University of Florida. Yet, not everyone is a fan of the footwear. For junior Guilherme Heise, Crocs are neither appealing nor comfortable. “They’re made out of rubber and have holes in them,” Heise said. “I just don’t understand the hype.” Even though some people do not want to add Crocs to their wardrobe, the many fans are not letting the Croc critics get in their way. Zifrony said she wears her Crocs for herself, not for anyone else. “When people mention something about my Crocs, I tell them I don’t care,” Zifrony said. “I continue to wear them anyway.”
by cassidy sheldon
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“I hate Crocs. I think that only little kids under the age of 10 should get a free pass to wear them.” -Freshman Gianna Ubiera
“My favorite jibbit would have to be the Luigi character from the Super Mario Bros. series.” - Junior Carlos Piña
“Crocs are comfortable and you can wear them anywhere. They are fashionable, but leave a bad tan line.” -Junior Charles Chang
“Crocs are a great invention and whoever made them is a genuis. They are comfortable but not pretty.” -Sophomore Sabrina Rovira
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OCTOBER 2017
THe things they carried FEATURING Julie gonzalez 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, Graphics Editor Sophie Gaer interviews sophomore Julie Gonzalez to discover the meaning behind five items.
poetry book Gonzalez carries a poem book in her bag. A few years ago, her best friend moved away and left Gonzalez a touching keepsake full of poems about the times they shared together. “I keep this poetry book with me at all times,” Gonzalez said. “It’s sort of a keepsake that resembles our friendship, which is very important to me.”
sketch book
Sophomore Julie Gonzalez carries a sketchbook with her everywhere she goes, and can never be found without it. Gonzalez said she likes to keep it handy for whenever inspiration strikes. Art is a passion of hers and she uses her sketchbook as an outlet for her creativity. “I always loved to draw, especially when I was young,” Gonzalez said. “I really like to doodle and draw things, like people and nature.”
Earbuds
Gonzalez always makes sure to keep her headphones in her backpack. Her music allows her to remain calm and get through the school day. Gonzalez said she finds that music is able to help her grow as an artist, while also soothing her nerves. “Music helps channel my creative side and get my inspiration going,” Gonzalez said.
Purple coin pouch Gonzalez said she enjoys vacationing with her family. Recently, she and her family traveled to Dubai to explore the country and visit family friends. While she was abroad, Gonzalez bought a small handmade coin purse that she now keeps in her bag. “I bought this coin purse from a little stand in Dubai,” Gonzalez said. “I miss my family friends, and it symbolizes the memories I made there.”
makeup
Gonzalez is a big makeup fan and keeps the essentials with her to use throughout the day. Her make-up bag staples include a highlighter duo and mascara to touch up and continue looking fresh during the school day. “Makeup has always been a big part of me and has been a passion of mine for as long as I remember,” Gonzalez said.
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Makeup has always been a big part of me and has been a passion of mine for as long as I remember.
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-sophomore Julie Gonzalez
OCTOBER 2017
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Where are they now?
Alumni Strike
Class of 2011
‘I can’t help but think how appreciative I am.’ Alumna Ariana Lipkin is working her dream job as a news producer at Spectrum News. by alexis epstein
news photo editor
Alumna Ariana Lipkin, who graduated from the Bay in 2011,never thought her dream of working for a major news station would come true. However, today she is the Spectrum News television broadcast producer in Austin, Texas. As a news producer, she is responsible for making sure the news gets on television in a quick and accurate manner. “I never gave up hope that I would someday accomplish my long-term goal of working for a news station in a major market,” Lipkin said. Her responsibilities include pitching, developing and creating original content. She also oversees the reporters, PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY alexis epstein verifying that they turn in their stories on time, edits videos, Newsworthy: Alumna Ariana Lipkin is producing news for the Spectrum News team. After guides the directors as to what to graduating from the Bay, she attended the University of Florida and then interned at many local put on screen, tells the anchors and nation-wide broadcasting stations to get to the position she has today. what to say and makes sure no one embarrasses themselves on television. “It’s a lot of responsibility because if something goes wrong in the show, it’s on me and I need to accept that,” Lipkin said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I could never have a normal-paced office job after this.” Lipkin said she was interested in the news field because she wanted to make an impact on other people’s lives and help them, even if it was only in a small way. “For me, bringing people the information they use to protect themselves is the perfect use of my talents,” Lipkin said. “In a world filled with an abundant amount of negativity, I wanted to bring some positivity to people’s lives, even if it’s just forced me to think outside the linger on the process really telling them what’s going on in direct a show. “I can’t help but think how box and learn where I needed helps you significantly improve, their community.” Participating in the Bay’s appreciative I am to Mr. Doster to improve,” Lipkin said. “[For] and now I can help a reporter to Television Production class and CBTV for teaching me some competitions, you have write content or a story in less (CBTV) helped to guide her these techniques,” Lipkin said. limited time and resources to than a day.” In her Advanced Placement in her decision to go into this “When I use them, I don’t even finish your project. You need to think about what I’m doing learn how to get the job done no (AP) Literature class at the Bay, industry. she learned how to analyze “When I took the TV because they come naturally to matter the obstacle.” Lipkin also interned with different types of writing, find Production class freshman year, me.” She also entered in every Broward Teen News where the meaning behind why a piece I fell in love with it, ” Lipkin said. “I wanted to learn more TV and news competition that she worked on a feature story of literature was written and about the ins and outs of live she was able to, as she said it for a whole quarter to ensure why it’s important. She credits production and decided that’s was a good way to test what perfection. This helped her by this skill to her teacher, Simone what I wanted to do after I she had been learning. Some of adding relevant experience on Waite. “The ability to analyze an the competitions were Florida her college resume and showed graduated.” The skills she learned over Scholastic Press Association that she was passionate and author’s motivations actually comes in handy in journalism,” her four years at the Bay have (FSPA), Skills USA, Student committed to her future career. “[This internship] gave me Lipkin said. “Everything that translated to the present day and Television Network (STN) and benefited her immensely. She an honorable mention for a the time to really focus on a goes on air has a story behind story and how to put it together,” it that we want to portray learned how to use a camera, student Emmy. “[These competitions] Lipkin said. “Being able to to viewers and this skill is edit videos, write stories and
significantly easier for me than other producers.” Mrs. Waite said that she is aware of Lipkin’s current career and remembers her as loving AP Literature. She said she predicted that Lipkin would go far in life, no matter what career path she chose to take. “She was always a good writer and was involved with TV Production and Newspaper,” Mrs. Waite said. “She was a top student with an ethical way of viewing the world and had a strong work ethic.” While attending the University of Florida (UF), Lipkin tried to take advantage of every opportunity she could, as she was always up for learning something new. Her big break came when she had the chance to intern for NBC News Miami Bureau, which produces the content for the “Today Show” and “NBC Nightly News” for the southeastern region of the United States. “Before I took that internship I was more focused on being a reporter,” Lipkin said. “My internship with NBC helped me realize that what I really enjoyed was producing.” After Lipkin graduated from UF, she worked at WCJB, the ABC affiliate in Gainesville, but said she wanted to challenge herself by finding a job outside of her home state of Florida. “I knew that it would be more difficult to find jobs outside of Florida because people in the state have loyalty to their natives, but I was ready to start a new chapter in my life,” Lipkin said. After applying and having a phone interview, Lipkin was hired by Spectrum News. She packed her bags and headed to Austin, Texas and started to work for them in May of 2016. “It was nerve-racking, moving away from the home that I’ve always known, but I was ready to leave Florida and start this amazing opportunity,” Lipkin said. Lipkin said that she feels she’s completed her goal of impacting people’s lives, as Spectrum just finished doing their wall-to-wall coverage on Hurricane Harvey. “I was lucky enough to go out and field produce during the storm. Everyone we ran into was just trying to do whatever they could to help others,” Lipkin said. “It was a really tough experience, but I’m grateful to have had it.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Adventure Time by josie clancy
sports mult. editor
For junior Nicolas Henriquez, being high above the ground has no bearing on him, even if he is bungee jumping off the side of a mountain in Queenstown, New Zealand. Students at the Bay spend a total of 180 days in school preparing for tests, completing homework and attending classes; therefore, when school is let out for vacation, students like Nicolas Henriquez use this time to do the extreme. “My brother and I had been looking forward to crazy and adventurous activities on the trip, and we had previously read that Queenstown was famous for bungee jumps,” Henriquez said. “We were so psyched and excited to jump, so being able to have the opportunity was amazing.”
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My brother and I had been looking forward to crazy and adventurous activities on the trip, and we had previously read that Queenstown was famous for bungee jumps. We were so psyched and excited to jump, so being able to have the opportunity was amazing.
Photo submitted By nicolas henriquez
Free falling: Junior Nicolas Henriquez bungee jumps off a mountain side in Queenstown, New Zealand during his summer break. The sport of bungee jumping can be done in many places all over the world, but it is most popular in New Zealand due to it being the birthplace of the activity.
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-junior Nicolas Henriquez
Initially, Henriquez said climbing a mountain at such a high elevation seemed intimidating, but he did not want to miss out on this unique chance. “Scaling the mountain obviously gave me butterflies in my stomach, but I wasn’t going to back down. I counted down from three, started running off the platform and took a leap of faith,” Henriquez said. “In that moment, I was airborne. I felt like nothing was holding me back, and I was free.” As a child, Henriquez said he was never one who took risks, but as he has gotten older, he now craves the adrenaline rush. “When I was younger, I was never a thrill seeker. I hated roller coasters and I never truly went out of my way to do things that got the blood pumping,” Henriquez said. “However, after this crazy experience, my perspective towards these types of activities has most certainly changed.” Junior Ramyar Daneshgar said he also seeks adventure and went on a private helicopter ride in Tampa, Fla. He believes this experience gave him a new perspective on the world around him. “You get a divergent outlook of earth, similar to how a bird perceives the land,” Daneshgar said. “It feels as if the time goes faster than usual.” Like Daneshgar, Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science and Biology teacher Laura Ashley has also had a history with adventurous pursuits. Mrs. Ashley said that she always had a desire to train dolphins and was able to live out this dream at a facility in Key Largo for seven years. “When I would go to aquariums as
a child, I would always have to see the dolphin show,” Mrs. Ashley said. “I was always jealous of the trainers and the interaction they had with the dolphins. The dolphins enjoyed the trainers and the trainers enjoyed the dolphins.” Mrs. Ashley said although there were many unforgettable moments as a dolphin trainer, one of her most memorable experiences was when Samantha, a dolphin she worked with for seven years, had a baby. “I was in the water a few hours after the baby was born and Samantha swam by me multiple times with the baby on my side,” Mrs. Ashley said. “This was very special because normally when people are in the water the mothers keep the baby away from them, so the fact that she brought her hour-old calf over to me shows the kind of bond that we had.” Between having the ability to work with dolphins every day and forming a deep friendship with the mammals, Mrs. Ashley said that being a dolphin trainer was her most adventurous career choice. “To know you get to work with these amazing, intelligent animals is the greatest feeling in the world,” Mrs. Ashley said. “The dolphin you work with becomes photo submitted by ramyar daneshgar more than an animal, they become your best friend, you understand each other. Flying over florida: Junior Ramyar Daneshgar looks over the Atlantic Being a dolphin trainer is definitely one of Ocean off the coast of Tampa while inside a helicopter. He said the overall expethe best life experiences I have ever had.” rience of the ride impacted how he views the natural world around him.
OCTOBER 2017
FEATURES
Q&A with a current student
of being a high school senior to a freshman at an out-of-state college? It was hard because at colleges like the University of Florida many students from Cypress go there already knowing lots of people ahead of time, while as in North Carolina, I knew absolutely no one; my roommate was random so ultimately I was by myself. However, I think this What made you want to attend the was an advantage because it forced me University of North Carolina? to jump out of my comfort zone and be One major factor was that it had one sociable because if not, I was going to be of the top ten business schools in the alone for all four years. country. It also offered an abundance of opportunities to study abroad, and the What made you want to apply out alumni network is said to be incredible. of state? I had a friend that attended UNC and she I really just wanted to step out of my said nothing but amazing things. comfort zone. I was tired of living in Florida, going to hang out at the same How did you adjust to the transition places and being surrounded by the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) is a public research institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Cypress Bay class of 2016 graduate Corina Mintzias is a sophomore at the university. She spoke to The Circuit’s Ellie Sachs about her experience there.
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information compiled from http://admissions.unc.edu
same people all the time. I essentially just wanted to be around new people that would inspire and challenge me and have the same level of drive as me. I wanted an experience that was going to be completely different from the experience I grew up with. What is your favorite part about UNC? My favorite part would definitely have to be the people here. I am going to be honest and say that I expected people to be a little bit more ‘redneck,’ but I have my absolute best friends here and could not be happier. I actually get to experience all four seasons, unlike in Florida, where it is summer all year long. I also am a part of some awesome organizations, and I feel that I am going to have such an amazing
future because of the school I chose. What is some advice you wish you had as a college freshman? I wish someone would have made it clear to me just how important it is to be open-minded in order to have the best experience possible, especially at an out-of-state school where you know absolutely nobody. Basically, during your first semester, say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, go to every social gathering, every interest meeting and every class you can possibly be interested in. If you don’t experience it then you will never be able to find yourself in the university.
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Vegans view lifestyle as increasingly accessible by rachel schonberger Editor-In-chief
Senior Sofy Ramirez’s Twitter biography seems simple: “v.” But the reason behind that letter is more complex than two slanted lines. Five months ago, Ramirez completely altered her diet, embracing a vegan lifestyle. Though she said she has always been interested in nutrition, Ramirez was only recently convinced by the positive effects of veganism. “I kept looking into the animals that are affected and how the environment is affected and even how people around the world are affected by animal agriculture,” Ramirez said. “I decided I just couldn’t contribute to it anymore.” Weston’s newer restaurants have expanded the pool of local vegan options. Healthy juice and bowl bar Raw Juce uses only vegan ingredients, except for honey, and nitrogen ice cream shop ChillN offers a vegan Coconut Milk alternative. Ramirez has not had problems finding food that matches her diet and said she has reaped many benefits. “My skin is clearer, I lost weight and I have so much more energy, but overall, I find myself a happier person,” Ramirez said. “I don’t feel like I’m hurting animals, the planet or my body anymore.” Although Ramirez brings her own lunch to school, if she ever forgot a meal, she would always have an option at the Bay Cafe. Along with a peach cup and a zucchini squash medley, she could eat
a vegan salad with beans or black beans over white rice. “Schools should be able to provide children with more nutritious lunches than chicken nuggets or burgers, and I believe that is made possible with more vegan meals,” Ramirez said. “Rice and beans, purely vegan salads, soups and even PB&J sandwiches are healthier. People think vegan meals are harder than they truly are.” However, senior Karla Zurita said the school still has a way to go in order to fully accommodate its vegan students. “ Cypress Bay could do a lot more to provide healthier and more environmentally-friendly options, which is what I’m trying to do as president of Ecology Club,” Zurita said. “I am trying to start a school garden to grow fruits and veggies and hopefully eventually incorporate them in lunches. I believe allowing students the option for healthier choices will show the school’s genuine care for the welfare of students.” With her design for the garden approved, Zurita is only waiting for more students to join Ecology Club and the cooperation of the City of Weston to expand the efforts and audience of her project. “I’m hoping that Cypress Bay and Weston begin to think more sustainably,” Zurita said. “We as a community have the resources to fund sustainable efforts, but there are not enough people to actually get things to happen. I’m hoping through this garden people will begin to think
graphic by Austin DUnne
more consciously about what they’re putting into their body.” One of Zurita’s main influences to shift her diet to veganism was her Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class last year. “I learned about the determinant effects animal agriculture has on the environment through methane and carbon dioxide emissions, thus encouraging me to go full on vegan,” Zurita said. “Eating organically-grown foods rather than foods grown in monoculture really does impact your health and our environment.” AP Environmental Science teacher and Ecology Club adviser Laura Ashley has been mentoring Zurita in her plans for a school garden. “The members are growing some
flowers and vegetables, and hopefully, if we get enough, they want to start doing a mini farmer’s market to promote fresh vegetables that we grow ourselves,” Ashley said. Though Zurita plans that the club will not start planting until December, in the meantime she said she hopes to promote veganism and a more environmentallyfriendly community. “I realized how easy and self-rewarding this lifestyle is. I started feeling so much better about myself, physically and mentally,” Zurita said. “Every time I choose to not consume animal products, I am resisting a system that oppresses and exploits through the division of classes, and in this case, it’s defenseless animals that do not consent to our consumption.”
Friends tighten bonds through travel by jenna friedman Pr manager
When sophomores Anna Wilentz and Sam Brodsky left for a teen tour to Ecuador and the Galapagos, they said they had no idea how greatly it would end up fortifying their bond as friends. Many students at the Bay travel, not only with their families, but also with their peers. For Wilentz, she said touring new locations with her closest friend has brought their companionship to a new level. “Having the experience of traveling made our friendship stronger, and we have become better friends,” Wilentz said. “It was like living with my best friend for a few days, and we learned a lot about each other.” After a lifetime of traveling with just her family, Wilentz said she loves the excitement of going on trips with her closest companion and seeing Ecuador and the Galapagos in a new light. “I prefer traveling with friends because I have traveled with my family my entire life, and going away with a friend allowed me to experience it with someone new,” Wilentz said. “Being with my best friend means that I’m guaranteed to have a good time, so traveling with her is amazing.” Like Wilentz, sophomore Grace Chrupcala has also vacationed with her close friends and said the trips tend to be more adventurous. She said she has an even better time on vacations when she goes with a larger group of her peers. “With friends, I have gone to New York City, Maine, Rhode Island and Orlando,” Chrupcala said. “We all have a lot of fun because traveling gives us new adventures to go on as a group of friends.” Chrupcala said she loves vacationing
photos submitted by Sam brodsky
Giving and gaining: Sophomores Sam Brodsky and Anna Wilentz spent the past summer traveling together on a teen tour to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands where they aided in a variety of community service projects and activities.
with family as well, but she does prefer going places with acquaintances instead because of the sense of freedom. “In my opinion, it’s so much better to travel with friends than to travel with family,” Chrupcala said. “I can say and do whatever I want in front of my friends and they won’t judge me. We are all really comfortable around each other.” Although Chrupcala said she prefers
a “friend-cation,” she said the adventures are an extreme test to her relationships. She said friends can become irritating after a weekend of rooming together and she begins to treat them more like her family members. “I love my friends, but when I was traveling with them, some of them could get annoying,” Chrupcala said. “Although I did get pretty annoyed with most of them,
I have no doubt that it strengthened the bond between us. Being able to live with each other was something we had never gone through before.” Like Chrupcala, senior Ben Rushing said he also prefers vacationing with peers rather than family. During his trips to Naples with friends, he said he was able to participate in activities he was truly interested in and had more memorable experiences. “When we went to Naples, we all got so much closer as a group from all of the time that we spent together,” Rushing said. “I think traveling with friends is more fun than traveling with family because I prefer to do the things that my friends like over what my parents like.” Advanced Placement Psychology teacher David Geller said he believes kids would prefer exploring new locations with acquaintances over family because they would feel they can express their personality in a different, more genuine way. “People feel less restrained when they’re with friends than when they’re with family,” Mr. Geller said. “There are changes in vocabulary, mannerisms and personality when people are with their friends.” While Mr. Geller said there may always be a part of people, children or adults that would want to vacation with friends over family, he said that family is always his first choice. “I think it would be quite sad if an adult has a choice and they choose friends over their family,” Mr. Geller said. “There is going to be a part of people who would think they would have more fun if they were with their friends, but to me, family always comes first.”
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New school year calls for excitement By Amanda Morgan Layout Editor
For freshman Xavier Rosario, the first day of school was filled with anticipation as he looked forward to new opportunities and experiences that this year would bring him. “Obviously, the thought of going back to school after a long and stress-free break was not my idea of excitement,” Rosario said. “Although I did feel more excited than I have in the past to go back to school, I like the idea of starting over in a new school.” Rosario said he knew that the transition from middle school to high school was going to be a big adjustment, but now that he is getting over the anxiety of going to a new and bigger school, he said he enjoys having so much freedom.
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Although I did feel more excited than I have in the past to go back to school, I like the idea of starting over in a new school.
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- freshman Xavier Rosario
graphic by amanda morgan
improve as an actor,” Turner said. “I also really hope this works out because I would love to get to know Mrs. Lutwin better. I think she is a really great teacher and can help me stay on task and become a better actor.”
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As president of Best Buddies, I’m super excited to start planning the annual events and to start recruiting members. I am also really excited to work with the new officer team and make this year even better than the last.
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-senior Sara Schlussel
However, Turner has decided not to limit herself to theater this year. She describes herself as very artistic
and said she also looks forward to continuing her passions in her art class this year. “I really hope I can put a lot of effort into art this year,” Turner said. “I am excited to learn new skills that will help me improve my paintings.” After moving from Baltimore, Maryland at the beginning of last school year, Turner said she did not have the easiest time adjusting to a new school with new people and a completely new atmosphere, but she said she plans on being more extroverted in and out of school. “I have not been the best at reaching out and meeting many new friends after I moved, and I am very excited to work on that this year,” Turner said. Not only are students looking forward to the upcoming year, but teachers are as well. New English teacher and yearbook adviser Ashley Poitras said she looks forward to being the best teacher she can be and bringing her passion for literature and creativity into the lives of her students. “I have worked on yearbooks in the
past and I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the Bay as we work to make this year’s yearbook an incredible one,” Ms. Poitras said.
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I feel like if I can get the opportunity to work as a lead cast member, it will obviously give me more experience in acting, which will overall help me improve as an actor.
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“The freedom that we get at Cypress Bay has definitely contributed to my excitement for the year,” Rosario said. “I feel so much more in control of my responsibilities and my future. It makes me much more motivated to work towards my goals.” Senior Sara Schlussel said she is excited to fulfill her new position as president of Best Buddies throughout the year. “As president of Best Buddies, I’m super excited to start planning the annual events and to start recruiting members,” Schlussel said. “I am also really excited to work with the new officer team and make this year even better than the last.” Sophomore Caitlin Turner saw the new school year as a new opportunity to improve on her acting career. “I am really looking forward to ‘Camp Rock’ here at Cypress Bay,” Turner said. “I have been taking singing lessons for a few years now so I am confident that this year I can get a lead role.” Turner has performed at the Bay before, but her roles were small. She is now in the audition process for American Musical Theater (AMT) 2’s production of “Camp Rock.” This coming year, she said she hopes to be featured in a more prominent role. “I feel like if I can get the opportunity to work as a lead cast member, it will obviously give me more experience in acting, which will overall help me
- sophomore Caitlin Turner
“We have a great group of students working on the yearbook and I am looking forward to seeing the final product come together.”
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FEATURES
OCTOBER 2017
OCTOBER 2017
FEATURES
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hat gt n i th erus G o r u nt rom f e v ad ove ost e is m .” m n e d ca “Th ve do meri Shmi A a I h y to anina n -V ior ma jun
“The m o have e st adventuro ver do ne wa us thing that and hik sg I ing up a mou oing to Oreg ntain.” on -Erick Mo freshm ron an
BY CASSIDY SHELDON FEATURES EDITOR
“I wen t to the during Domin ic hu Florida rricane Irm an Republic a right . Basic aft hurrica ally I w nes in ent thr er it hit one w ough t ee wo -Janeli s Rive k.” r a sopho more
Because of constantly moving throughout his childhood, World History teacher Ches Kanno has become an avid world traveller. Since his father was in the military, Mr. Kanno was always moving from place to place, which inspired him to pursue a life filled with constant adventures. In his experience, Mr. Kanno’s love for exploration encouraged him to quit his job and explore the globe. He said this took more courage than anything he has ever done, but the experiences he gained were worth the risk. “I left all of the securities of living in the United States, like my family, friends, community and career, behind. I ended up staying two years abroad,” Mr. Kanno said. “The first year I worked part time, but the second year I basically quit my job and backpacked the world. It was tough, but I am so glad I did it.” After backpacking across Asia, Africa and South America, Mr. Kanno said he has found these experiences beneficial for teaching students information and lessons in ways a textbook does not. He said understanding real countries and the people who live in them helps make the curriculum and facts more personal for himself and his students. “If you’re going to talk about all of these things that affected the societies that we live in, I think that it’s important to actually visit the places and see the living history,” Kanno said. “Traveling just makes everything more real. It makes it tangible.” Like Mr. Kanno, junior Elizabeth Gluck believes that traveling has opened her mind to a new perspective. While working on community service in Thailand, Gluck said she was able to give back to others while also learning about a new culture and lifestyle completely different from what she was used to in the United States. “Being able to experience a new way of living, try new foods, see new landmarks and get a taste of a new language is such an incredible experience,” Gluck said. “It’s so easy to get accustomed to the way of life in America and forget that it differs from literally everywhere in the world.” After seeing little children play with bags of cement while she was working on building houses in Thai-
land, Gluck said it surprised her how children who were given so little in life could find joy in random activities. “These four year olds were jumping off of bags for over an hour and looked like they were having the absolute best time. It’s crazy to see how simple things can make them so happy. Meanwhile, they don’t even have homes or are currently living in houses made of bamboo,” Gluck said. “In the United States, we take everything for granted and get upset over the silliest things. We need to realize we are pretty fortunate compared to other parts of the world and we shouldn’t take that for granted.” Senior Hailey Yaffa said she has also seen first-hand how fortunate her life is. After exploring through countries in Europe, Yaffa said her favorite part was learning about the different cultures and being able to compare them to her life back home. “Being able to experience and see a different culture like picking up on new languages and trying new foods was my favorite part about traveling abroad,” Yaffa said. “I’m so used to just being around people like me and it was so interesting to be able to see how other people live and their customs.” Like Yaffa, Mr. Kanno said he noticed that people live very differently in other parts of the world. He said he believes his experiences have enabled him to remain flexible in his beliefs and be tolerant of all people. “Traveling abroad forces you to learn to always keep an open mind. You realize that there is not just one way to do things and that people have very different narratives and different influences as to why they believe what they believe,” Mr. Kanno said. “It just makes you a more tolerant person. We have to be able to understand people who live in different parts of the world and that there are multiple different ways to living your life.” Mr. Kanno takes photographs and videos for his travel blog to make sure he remembers the specific details from his trips. While teaching his classes at the Bay, he said he uses his photos to show his students the current life situations in certain countries. “I have a million stories that are related to the places we talk about in class,” Mr. Kanno said. “It’s not just talking facts and figures; I always try and introduce them to the geography
and the cultures of the places we are learning about. I try to show them what it is like today and how similar these people are to us.” Although Yaffa also took many pictures to recap her summer trip, she said her favorite keepsake from her vacations abroad were the memories she made with her friends. Yaffa said traveling around Europe was the best way to relax from the stress of the school year and have a good time while still gaining a cultural experience. “My favorite part was just being able to travel around another country with my best friends,” Yaffa said. “We just had the best time together and it didn’t matter if we were in a boring or interesting place because we always had fun.” Gluck said she hopes to return to Thailand in the near future or to explore another country. “I loved working with the children in Thailand. I bonded with them extremely fast,” Gluck said. “They reminded me about how someone could be so happy and satisfied while having so little.” After a summer abroad in Thailand, Gluck said the cultural immersion was an invaluable experience which she urges more students to take advantage of while they have the opportunity to do so. “I would 100 percent recommend traveling abroad,” Gluck said. “The feelings you have and the experiences you make are nothing you could ever gain from looking at a picture or watching a video.”
ng I us thi ee o r u t ung ven st ad was go b o m “The ver done ia.” e olumb cancio have C n i ng on jumpi -Daniel R a m n fresh
life is an
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OCTOBER 2017
Freshmen adapt to new environment By jessica sobel
online features editor
Whether it is the concern of getting lost in the crowd, not making enough friends or underachieving in classes, the start of high school comes with many fears. For freshman Matthew Sloboda, his greatest fear was definitely the academic pressure associated with high school. “I was extremely nervous because everything I do academically throughout the next four years of my life will matter,” Sloboda said. “Whether it be an exam or just a simple quiz, prior to starting high school, I never had these expectations
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I am most looking forward to what everyone refers to as the high school experience and all the amazing times in the future.
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-freshman Matthew Sloboda
from my teachers, parents or peers.” Before the beginning of the school year, English I Gifted and AICE General Paper teacher Mrs. Jeannie Kielbasa said the incoming students would have various preconceived notions about their next four years. “Some feel high school is not nearly as intimidating or scary as they thought by what they might have been told by oth-
graphic by sophie gaer
ers,” Mrs. Kielbasa said. “Some who have not had to study extensively in the past now realize, oops, now we have to take notes and crack open that book.’” On the first day of school, Sloboda said he was anxious about not knowing whom to sit with in his classes and having to make new friends. However, he said he was quickly able to discover his new peer group. “I am generally a social person, so after the first week I did know who I was going to get closer to and who I was going to stay away from,” Sloboda said. “Now, I am not nervous about the social aspect at all and settling in did not take as long as I expected.” Like Sloboda, freshman Alexa Oster said she was afraid of performing well in
her rigorous courses and becoming overwhelmed with the extensive workload associated with them. “The difficulty in the classes and the worry that I will not be able to bring up my grades definitely does scare me,” Oster said. “We have already gotten a lot of work in the first week, so I wonder what it will be like for the rest of the year.” While having an older brother, Joey Sloboda, who graduated with the class of 2017, to guide him throughout the process was a weight off of Sloboda’s shoulders, he said he often felt burdened by teachers’ previous perceptions. “As much as I love having an older brother who had completed the entire Bay experience and walked me through what to avoid as well as what to get into, I am
also dreading it,” Sloboda said. “I know there are going to be teachers who see my last name and have a prior judgment of who I am going to be, rather than judging me on who I am.” Unlike Sloboda, not having any older siblings to guide Oster throughout this experience has been a major challenge for her. “I have seen all my friends having their older siblings telling them and answering their questions about the teachers and the workload,” Oster said. “I do not really have anyone to do that for me so I will just have to see it through and adjust by myself.” While Mrs. Kielbasa said it is important for students to keep up their grades, she said students should not let their academic fears take away time from extracurriculars and fun. “I try to let [students] know that this should be the beginning of a fun adventure and high school life is what you make it,” Mrs. Kielbasa said. “High school comes once, and yes, that grade point average is very important, but many try to take too many upper level courses, and they may not end up with the grades they want.” Although the start of high school came with many fears, Sloboda said he is looking forward for what the school year has to bring. “I am adjusting to [the Bay] extremely well and have not had a problem yet,” Sloboda said. “I am most looking forward to what everyone refers to as the high school experience and all the amazing times in the future.”
OCTOBER 2017
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REPRESENT Lightning alumni inspire student athletes to pursue their dreams.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY Nico Marley
BY JESSICA SOBEL
ONLINE FEATURES EDITOR
After showcasing their skills at the 2017 National Football League (NFL) Combine, three Lightning football alumni furthered their careers by making it to the NFL. Offensive guard Danny Isidora (University of Miami) was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, running back Matt Dayes (NC State) by the Cleveland Browns and linebacker Nico Marley (Tulane University) was signed by the Washington Redskins post-draft. Over the summer, these players continued to tackle their dreams of playing professionally while participating in their respective teams’ training camps and preseason games. “The Bay is home, so if I am considered to be representing it, it is awesome because that is the place that made me,” Marley said. “[The Bay] is where I started playing football and all of my coaches from there will have a forever and lasting impact on my football career and my life.” While Marley was at the Redskins’ training camp, he said the transition from college football to professional football definitely took him by surprise. He said the practices and the speed of the game were extremely different. “I did not go to a huge school, so everything at the NFL seemed to be much bigger and more organized,” M a rley said. “It was nice because at this level, our training rooms, locker rooms and all of the little things were always all taken care of for us.” Although Ma rley said he performed well in his preseason g a m e against the Baltimore Ravens with a sack in the third quarter, ma ny t a c kles and the second highest grade as a linebacker week one from P r o Football Focus (PFF) experts, he was still released from the Redskins at the final roster cut. “I think I did really well during preseason; everybody was proud of me and everybody was happy for me,” Marley said. “The president of the Redskins said
Photo submitted by Devin singer
SCORING BIG: (Clockwise) After playing for Tulane University, alum Nico Marley pursued his football career in the NFL. He was picked up by the Washington Redskins but was released in the final roster cut.
really nice things, but eventually they cut me, so I do not know what will happen next.” For senior and running back Devin Singer, playing in the NFL has always been a dream. After seeing the success of previous football players from the Bay through their hard work, he said he felt more encouraged about his chances. “I did not really [look up to these players] until I came to [the Bay] and found out that they worked out in the same weight room as me and trained on the same field as me,” Singer said. “Look what happened to them for grinding so hard; they made it to the NFL, so I know I have to grind hard too if I want to make it.” Singer said making it to the professional level would mean the world to him because of how special it would be for his mom. “Growing up, it was hard for my family with a single mom struggling to raise two kids on her own,” Singer said. “My mom and I have been through literally everything together and all [the difficult times] brought me pain, but also motivation so one day I can be successful enough for her to never have to worry about paying the bills again.” Like Singer, senior quarterback Marlon Serbin yearns to further his football career. He said seeing Marley, Isidora and Dayes accomplish their goals gives him the confidence to continue to accomplish his. “I know that I am going through the
same workouts, meetings and practices that they all went through, so it makes me realize that this could be me one day,” Serbin said. “ I definitely look up to them because they are all very self-motivated people who continuously strive for success.” While Serbin is not looking to play in the NFL like Marley and Singer, he said he hopes his hard work, dedication and skills will be enough to make it to the collegiate level. “If I made it to the collegiate level it would mean first and foremost that my parents do not have to pay my college tuition and that I would be getting a great education while simultaneously playing the sport I love for another four years,” Serbin said. “Therefore, I am doing my best to finish strong academically and I am treating every practice, game and workout as if it is my last.” Even though Marley was cut after the preseason, he said he remains optimistic about what will come in the future and aspires to get picked up and have the opportunity to be on a team this season. Marley, Isidora and Dayes finished their journey at the Bay, but their accomplishments and time spent here have left an everlasting impact on students, athletes and coaches. “I remain hopeful, but [the process] is still something that is not necessarily in my control, so while I am hopeful, I am not stressed,” Marley said. “Although [my time in the NFL] was brief, I was able to live a dream and prove myself right.”
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There has been ongoing talk about Colin Kaepernick’s absence from the NFL ever since the 2017 offseason, and many people believe it is a result of him being blackballed due to his political activism that included kneeling during the National Anthem. Although his protests were widely met with criticism and even hate, it is nothing but a guess to say that Kap is being blackballed. The simple matter of fact is that we have no idea what amount of money Kaepernick is asking for from any team, and it is possible that it is well above his worth, as he has not performed up to the standards of a starting NFL QB in years. Many will point to all of the current quarterbacks in the NFL who are being paid substantial contracts while still playing with consistent mediocrity. The headline of this list is Mike Glennon, quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Through four weeks, Glennon has an awful 8:4 turnover to touchdown ratio, and he will likely end up with a salary of $16,000,000 this season. It is hard to argue that Glennon is any better than Kaepernick — he’s likely a much worse player — but the thought process behind opting with a guy like Glennon over Kaepernick makes sense for an NFL franchise looking for a shortterm starter. The Bears moved up in the 2017 NFL Draft to take QB Mitchell Trubisky at #2 overall, making it obvious that Glennon’s role as the starting QB would be transient. Chicago has gone through with that presumptive plan, as Trubisky started his first game in week 5. So, it made sense for Chicago to sign Glennon in the offseason, as his mediocrity moved the spotlight away from the Bears, setting Trubisky up for an easy transition into the NFL. It likely isn’t in the best interest of a rebuilding team like Chicago to risk losing ticket sales for an inconsistent talent, and that is exactly what the team would be doing by signing Kaepernick. With that being said, there is certainly an argument for Kaepernick’s spot on an NFL roster, but since it isn’t an easy one to make, it is unfair to assume that teams are just not signing him because they believe he deserves punishment for his political activism. Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about NFL players caused the matter of protests to become even more prevalent, as they led to by far the highest number of National Anthem protests yet in week 3. Owners across the NFL voiced their support for their players, so maybe we are seeing a cultural turnaround that will lead to the end of Kap’s allegedly politically-driven absence from the NFL. Only time will tell, but, as a fan of creative and exciting football, it would love for a team to sign Kaepernick and somehow incorporate him into its offense without making him a starting QB, a role that he has not played well in quite some time. A QB-needy team experiment has always been something to look forward to. And Kaepernick’s unique skill set makes him a great chess piece to plug into the two-quarterback system in the NFL. Whether or not Kaepernick gets signed, the NFL and its fans will continue to feel the effects of his protest.
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Dwyane Wade signing with the Cavs will bring excitement to the league On Sept. 26 the National Basketball Association (NBA) world was shaken up when Dwyane Wade decided to join his former teammate LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2017-2018 season. The ex-Chicago Bull signed a one year $2.3 million contract with Cleveland -- an abysmal amount compared to his $23.5 million/year contract last year in Chicago. Although Wade and James’ chemistry is considered one of the best in the NBA with two championships and four NBA Finals appearances, Wade definitely should have considered returning to the Miami Heat. Wade’s legacy is still
Bottom Line: Dwyane Wade’s decision to join the Cavliers could turn out to be a monumental moment in NBA history. glorified in Miami, although some fans have resented him ever since he left to Chicago, many still had hope that he would come to Miami this offseason. Amidst the disapproval Wade was met with, it is worth commending Wade for making a personal decision without being influenced by others. Part of his decision-making was influenced by the opportunity to win another championship while playing alongside one of his best friends. If Wade and LeBron were able to win it all again, but this time in a different city, it would truly be one of the greatest highlights in NBA history. Both players are already going to be Hall of Famers, but this would truly elevate their legacies. Not only are there mixed feelings in South Florida, but fans of the Chicago
Bulls aren’t exactly ecstatic either. Wade was a huge asset to the Bulls’ success, and now that he’s leaving, the Bulls need to consider recruiting a top-tier player as soon as possible to help the team in the upcoming season. Some of the Bulls’ fans are outraged by Wade’s decision, and in some cases, rightfully so, saying Wade is “selfish” for re-joining James on the Cavaliers. These angered fans need to cut him some slack because Wade is only trying to benefit his basketball career, not the fans. Now that Wade and James are on the same team again, the Golden State Warriors have a serious rival, and it should definitely be an interesting season. In the past season, the Warriors seemed like they were unstoppable, almost to the point of being unfair, but after Wade’s recent team transfer, there should finally be a fair matchup for the Warriors. If any other player besides Wade signed with the Cavs, it wouldn’t have been as controversial or talked about as much in the media. For example, if Udonis Haslem, another past Miami teammate, joined James on the Cavs, then the media and everyone else wouldn’t have perceived this as that big of a change. However, for Wade’s scenario, the two of them together is such an amazing display of skill and teamwork that it should propel the team’s success significantly. Current Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Wade and James’ former coach as well, has mentioned that Wade made the right decision to further pursue his basketball career. Although the controversy of Wade joining James on the Cavs is highly debated on the topics of loyalty and selfishness, Wade made the right decision for his career, and fans cannot wait to see what he has in store of the upcoming season.
FACE OFF YES The NBA season is underway, and it feels like a long time coming after an offseason full of huge headlines, capturing the attention of basketball fans around the world. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have been labeled as “super teams” for quite a while now, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets are considered by many to be joining the ranks of the reigning conference champions. This offseason, Cleveland traded away its All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a collection of players that makes the Cavs arguably the deepest team the league has ever seen. Point guard Isaiah Thomas was the key piece that Cleveland received in the trade, and there is a lot of excitement around the league as everyone is looking forward to see him and LeBron James play together. The Timberwolves, Rockets and Thunder also made huge acquisitions this offseason. Minnesota acquired Jimmy Butler, Houston acquired Chris Paul and Oklahoma City acquired Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in a crazy offseason. While many fans believe “super teams” are ruining the league, others are interested to see how the concentrated pools of talent pan out. However each individual feels about the phenomenon, “super teams” have brought more attention to the NBA than ever before, and the fans are going to be able to see so much talent on one court that it is hard to argue with its upside. -Drew Siskind
OCTOBER 2017
College football conferences have balanced out amid the SEC’s fall Just several years ago, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was the obvious powerhouse conference in college football. However, it is time for fans of the conference to realize the ugly truth: the SEC is no longer dominant. From 2006 to 2012, the SEC was able to boast the fact that it won seven straight national championships. Programs such as Alabama, Florida and Louisiana State University (LSU) were considered to be in the elite group of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Even after the national championship streak ended, the SEC would consistently have the most teams ranked, whether it was Georgia, Auburn, or Texas A&M, just to name a few. Those days are long gone. Today’s reality is that there is one beast of the SEC in the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the rest of the teams are nothing special. Alabama has won the last three SEC championship games by an average of 27 points. The Eastern Division of the conference has not shown any signs of competitiveness, as it has not won the SEC championship since 2008 when Florida defeated Alabama. The SEC could possibly still be the best conference, but a couple years ago, it was basically a fact. It is now up for interpretation as to which conference is the best. Even though Alabama continues to be the most dominant program in the nation, the other big-time programs in the SEC have completely fallen off. LSU separated with its national championship-winning coach Les Miles after its second four-loss season in three years. Florida is consistent in the fact that it always has had a great defense and zero offense since Urban Meyer left in 2010. Georgia lost five games in its first season after losing head coach, Mark Richt, to Miami and even though they are strong so far this season, they are yet to face a real challenge.
Are “super teams” good for the NBA?
The decline of the SEC is shown in their record against the other power five conferences. From 2006 to 2015, the SEC had a winning record every year against those conferences. In 2016, this streak ended with the SEC going 11-14 in that category, and it is off to a bad start this year with a 5-6 record.
Bottom Line: The SEC has lost its title as the powerhouse conference in college football. While the SEC has been on the decline for several years now, a few other conferences are doing the exact opposite. The other conferences in the discussion for the best conference are the Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Big Ten has two of the top programs in the nation in Ohio State and Michigan—if it weren’t for the two playing each other in the last game of the season, the Big Ten would have had two teams in the playoff last year. As for the ACC, Clemson is keeping the conference strong with last year’s national championship. Florida State University came into this season with very high hopes, but a season-ending injury to Deondre Francois and losses to Alabama and North Carolina State have the Seminoles catching up. Miami is yet to lose, even though they took a long break because of Hurricane Irma. Lamar Jackson appears to be as talented and explosive as last year for Louisville. Alabama is still the most prestigious program in the nation, but aside from the Crimson Tide, the SEC is nowhere near its status from just two or three years ago as the top conference.
NO The idea of a “super team” in the NBA has only been around since 2016, when eight-time All-Star Kevin Durant, signed with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were coming off the greatest season in NBA history, and the Durant move started a league-wide arms race for talent. While it is great that teams are trying to accumulate as much talent as possible, it is the ramifications of these so called “super teams” that are destroying the NBA. Logically, as teams acquire talented players, it means other teams lose talented players. This leads to a much wider talent gap across the league, causing teams to realize that their chances of achieving success in the near future is actually pretty minimal. As a result, those mediocre teams at the bottom of the NBA start to lose on purpose, which is called “tanking.” Tanking has been a detrimental factor for the league, causing fans around the world to turn off their TVs instead of tuning in to a game featuring two talentless teams. Commissioner Adam Silver quickly took notice, trying to eliminate tanking from the league in an effort to boost ratings. One anti-tanking policy recently passed by the NBA punishes the terrible teams for losing, whether they tank or not, but some teams are losing because all the good players join other teams to form new “super teams.” “Super teams” punish the rest of the teams on the court with their talent and off the court with these ridiculous policies by the NBA. -Zach Cohen
SPORTS
OCTOBER 2017
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Girls golf team swings into action By Gabby Sonkin
Arts & Ent. Copy Editor
The girls golf team is currently holding a record of 2-1. The team’s first two matches were both against Stoneman Douglas High School, and the most recent match was against American Heritage. Senior Gabrielle Soares said she is pleased with the team and the effort each of them has placed into each match. “I am very proud of my performance during my first match because I made sure to use the skills that I have perfected over the summer,” Soares said. “The rest of my team also showed the same amount of commitment and dedication during their matches.” Soares said it is great to see the new team come together and try to find ways to motivate each other. “Two of our top players graduated last year, which has been a struggle for me and the rest of the girls,” Soares said. “However, I think the number of new girls we have will eventually lead to a great future for Cypress Bay Golf.”
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I think the number of new girls we have will eventually lead to a great future for Cypress Bay golf.
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-senior Gabrielle Soares Due to Hurricane Irma, the team had to cancel three matches and is unaware as to when they will be rescheduled.
Photo by DYLAN SREBNICK
dRIVING TOWARD SUCCESS: (From left) juniors Maria Colella, Emma Ludwig, Jolie Sonkin, sophomore Cassandra Oliver and senior Gabi Soares pose at the Weston Hills Country Club aganist North Broward Prep.
“It has been a struggle to practice as a team due to the weather this year,” Soares said. “We try to practice as a team, but our coach allows us to work on our own most of the time to prepare for future events.” Even though the team only played American Heritage once so far this season, Soares said the players are always thinking about ways they can improve as this team is their biggest competition. “Last year, our toughest competition was American Heritage,” Soares said. “They have always had a great team, but since some of our best players have graduated, we need to bring the same strength
as last year if we want to win.” Philosophy teacher Michael Stember, the team’s new coach, said he is excited for an outstanding season and is hopeful for much success. “Even though it is early in the season, these girls are showing me they are dedicated to the game,” Coach Stember said. Before joining the Bay’s golf program, Coach Stember coached for eight years at Plantation High School. With all of his dedication to the game, he was able to achieve a two handicap. “It has become more difficult to play golf on my own because I have two young
children,” Coach Stember said. “However, I am very grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity to work with these girls.” In order to prepare for future games, Coach Stember said consistency and focus are two areas that need some improvement. “I always try to help players relax, feel comfortable with their skill set and maximize potential,” Coach Stember said. “These preparations are the best way for my players to do their best.” Like Soares, Junior Emma Ludwig is hopeful for a great season and believes the new team will be successful. “This is my third year on the golf team and I learned one of the most important skills is teamwork,” Ludwig said. “It is important we find our strengths and weaknesses as a team and ways we can help each other to always improve.” Having to adjust to the new coach, Ludwig said she believes this year will entail a more intense and serious environment. “Coach Stember is very determined to stay organized and manage the team in a new way,” Ludwig said. “We have more players on this team, which also requires more rules.” Ludwig said it is important that the girls find ways to limit their nerves to make it easier for the team before matches. “Most of the girls, including me, get nervous before each match, so it is important to have a good time and always try and enjoy ourselves,” Ludwig said.
Boys football off to a winning start at home Online Sports editor
The lightning football team opened up its 2017 campaign with three consecutive home victories, in which the team won two of its games undoubtedly by over 20 points. The team then went on to drop two straight games against Plantation and Miramar High School, to bring its record to 3-2 entering October. “We have been performing pretty well,” senior quarterback Marlin Serbin said. “We just need to clean up the little things.” The Lightning’s offense, led by Serbin, has averaged 24 points a game throughout the first half of the season, in which the defense has kept them on the field while only allowing an average of 7 points per game against its first three opponents. “The offense has been pretty successful so far this season, but we still need to clean a few things up”, Serbin said. The Lightning began its season with a number of goals in mind, which include earning a playoff birth and committing everyday to be great student athletes. “To achieve our goals for the season we must be consistent with our attendance and have the discipline to improve the little things,” Head Coach Mark Guandolo said.
Guandolo has been leading the Lightning’s football program for the last 11 seasons and has been head coaching for the last 35 years. “It has been a phenomenal experience coaching at the Bay,” Guandolo said. “We’ve had a wonderful group of young
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The team has a lot of depth including various players that can contribute to our success throughout the season.
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By Brian Kessler
-senior Keaton Hunt men who’ve came through our program.” The team’s roster consists of 65 players, mostly juniors or seniors. The roster is made up of many returning players who’ve improved their skills enough in junior varsity to join varsity. “The team has a lot of depth including various players that can contribute to our success throughout the season,” senior quarterback Keaton Hunt said. Although the Lightning’s game against Pembroke Pines Charter was postponed due to Hurricane Irma, the team’s schedule still consists of eleven games, includ-
photo by Jolie sonkin
GOING THE EXTRA YARD: (From left) seniors Darius Andrade, Diego Vallina,Samuel Oshodi, Greg May, junior Ezekiel Wooten, Justice Johnson, seniors Michael Williams,Rolando Garcia, Andrew Boorom lineup for 1st down on the 35 yard-line.
ing seven district games. “District games are very important and are must win to go to the playoffs and beyond,” senior middle linebacker Will Masaro said. “Regular matchups are taken serious too, but when our chance to go far is at stake, we play harder.” The Lightning’s district record is currently 0-2 following back-to-back losses against its first district opponents, Plantation and Miramar high school. However, The Lightning still has five district matchups remaining, in which the team will look to improve its overall and district record. “Practices before district matchups are
a little more intense than the ones before regular matchups,” Masaro said. Throughout the season, the Lightning holds practice three times a week, and its games will usually land on a Friday. The team also watches game film on Saturdays after every game to point out and improve mistakes. “Our team’s work ethic has been very good throughout summer training and practice,” Guandolo said. “We demand a lot from our players.” The Lightning will look to bounce back with a victory over its rival Western High School and improve its record to 4-2 (1-2 district) on October 6th at home.
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OCTOBER 2017
PE class prepares seniors for college by Cassidy sheldon features editor
While most students at the Bay are heading to their third period, senior Ashley Newman makes her way to the gym. Newman, along with other seniors, are a part of the newly offered elective, Physical Education (PE) honors. Differing from regular PE classes, these students participate in exercise activities both on and off school grounds. “I felt the need that teenagers needed to do something different,” PE Honors Coach Kimberly Love said. “Traditional PE is not for everybody.” Coach Love takes her classes to multiple locations such as the YMCA, the Ultimate Sports Institute (USI) and Yoga Factory. Newman said she likes trying the different gyms so she can discover what she enjoys the most and apply it toward her future fitness endeavors. “The different gyms will show me new techniques and ways to workout on my own,” Newman said. “So far, I liked going to USI and training with a personal trainer who was motivational and passionate about working out.” Not only is the class educational for the students, but Newman said she is also able to incorporate more activities into her daily routine. Since she was focused on submitting college applications and completing classwork this year, Newman said she was afraid she would not have enough time to focus on her physical health; however, she said this class has enabled her to workout and still do her homework.
“I love going to the gym, but with all the school work and college [applications] I knew I would have this year, I didn’t know if I would have enough time,” Newman said. “PE honors allows me to have a good workout and still have plenty of time for other things.” Like Newman, senior Alexa Zuckerman said she loves having the ability to fit in a workout into her hectic schedule. She believes that being finished with her exercise for the day is one less chore to worry about. “Being done with school at 10:50 a.m. and heading over to the gym to finish around 12:30 p.m. gives me a lot more time to have a social life and focus more on school,” Zuckerman said. As a second year PE Honors student, Zuckerman said this class has enhanced her fitness goals and allowed her to
commit to staying active. Rather than dedicating time to homework and an extra class during school, she is able to accomplish her workout without sacrificing her grades. “Being able to have time to go to the gym without stressing about making time for it has really helped me focus on being more fit,” Zuckerman said. “It is much harder to be motivated when you are giving up something else in order to go to the gym.” While Coach Love said exercise is physically beneficial, she said she believes this class helps students mentally as well. She said having the students take about an hour from their normal school schedule to dedicate to themselves and their health alleviates school-related anxiety. “I think after a month or two of this class, the students realize working out
Graphic by Austin Dunne
de-stresses them,” Coach Love said. “It is more for their ability to concentrate, to do homework and school work than the actual physical benefit. This is really the mental component of the class.” Coach Love said she hopes her class inspires students to work out on their own once they graduate high school. She said her primary goal is to teach students to not be afraid of creating their own exercises and to know how to use equipment independently. “The class was designed mostly for seniors to try and get them to work out on their own at a gym without feeling intimidated,” Coach Love said. “So, when they go off to college they can use the beautiful facility that they have available to them with the right technique.”
Girls volleyball team spikes competition
currently holding a winning record, Coach Pablos said the team can get better. “There is always room for improvement,” Coach Pablos said. “I think the mental aspect of competing is what we need most improvement on. Again, we are young, and that will take some time.”
By Josie clancy
SPORTS MULT. EDITOR
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photo by sammy klopman
STRIKE A POSE: The girls volleyball team celebrates Senior Night on Oct. 2 before the team’s home game against Westminster Academy. (Clockwise from top left) Valeria Estrada, Kelly Rosario, Chandler Martin, Valeria Palacios, Colleen Siebold, Andrea Vallenilla, Alex Santory, Nikole Barraez, Abby Holt, Marcella Proenca, Corina Palacios, Daniela Bengoa, Maria Jaregui, Cecilia Robert and Sara Fernandez contributed to the win in three sets later that night.
said. “We have been more dedicated than ever at getting better in the gym during practice, rather than on the court during games.” In his first year as the varsity volleyball coach, Coach Ore Pablos has led the team to several victories, despite having most of their first string of players graduate the year prior.
“The season has gone as expected. We graduated most of our starting lineup last year,” Coach Pablos said. “Our starting lineup has a freshman outside, three freshmen defenders and a sophomore setter, which makes us an extremely young team. I am very happy with their success so far.” Although the volleyball team is
I think the way that we have been practicing this year has really played a large part in our success. We have been more dedicated than ever at getting better in the gym during practice, rather than on the court during games.
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The girls varsity volleyball team is currently holding a record of 10-4 (as of Sept. 29) after winning six games following the week long break due to Hurricane Irma. Despite missing four games as a result of the storm, senior Valeria Palacios said the season is off to a great start. “So far, I think the season is going really well; we started a little down, but we are getting better every day and that’s what’s important,” Palacios said. “As far as my personal performance, I’m happy with it and excited to keep getting better along with the rest of the team.” As the season has progressed, the varsity volleyball team’s record has improved, with three out of their four wins being in the three most recent games. Palacios said the players’ devotion to the team has played a large role in their victorious season. “The strongest aspect of our team is teamwork and passion,” she said. “Volleyball is a game that cannot be played [individually], and the only way to be successful is to work as a team. Also, the passion needed to dedicate so many hours into practices and games is crucial.” Junior Sara Fernandez said she is also impressed with the determined and hard working mentality of this year’s varsity team, and sees that the hours the team has put into practicing are paying off. “I think the way that we have been practicing this year has really played a large part in our success,” Fernandez
-junior Sara Fernandez The team is preparing for their final game of the regular season on Oct. 9 when the team faces Monarch High. The last time the team played Monarch was in Oct. 2015 when the Lightning won in three sets.
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OCTOBER 2017
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Cheer team implements conditioning By annabelle Danielsrosenberg
As of the new school year, being a part of the Cypress Bay Cheer program goes beyond pom-poms and chants. The cheerleaders’ practices now entail an hour-long conditioning session led by football trainer Mark Guandolo Jr. “We start with a motivational talk followed by warm ups, and then our coach clearly demonstrates the exercises,” sophomore Alexa Stafman said. The cheerleaders train in the Bay’s weight room in attempts to build muscle and improve endurance. “I have never actually used weights before, so it is cool to become stronger in a new way and have this challenge,” Stafman said. Not only are the cheerleaders improving their physical strength, but they are also focusing on themselves. “Coach [Guandolo Jr.] encourages us by talking about what we are trying to accomplish and why we are doing the exercises,” Stafman said. “It is neat that instead of just cheering we can also focus on ourselves while growing together as
a team.” As a coach for the cheerleaders, Guandolo Jr.’s main objective is to help them reach the place they want to be at in life. “I try to get [the cheerleaders] to think about their heaven, their goals and things that they want to achieve,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I want them to proceed training with these goals in mind.” Coach Guandolo Jr. said his main intention of these training sessions is to push the cheerleaders to better themselves both mentally and physically. “[Training] is going to help condition their bodies to handle stress better, to compete at a higher level and most importantly prevent injury,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I am working on their souls and spirits on a regular basis while talking about what kind of character they want to embody and what kind of women they want to become.” Coach Guandolo Jr. said he trains the cheerleaders the same as he does the football players. “We are all human beings; we all have dreams and aspirations, and my job as a coach is to help people get there, despite their gender or level they are at,” he said. Senior Taylor Lessem said
Photo by jenna friedman
Be aggressive: Juniors Katelyn Malone (left) and Sofi Chifari partake in the hour-long training session with leg exercises. The purpose of the new program is to build muscle, improve endurance and help the cheerleaders mentally. The sessions are led by football trainer Mark Guandolo Jr.
she is appreciative of this addition to the cheerleading program and finds it beneficial in the way that it will allow the team to bond while building strength. “I really like the coach and training as a whole,” she said. “I think it is important that we have this training as we can all continue to improve, and I also think it will benefit the future varsity team to be closer and be stronger
cheerleaders overall.” With conditioning practices multiple times a week, the girls are continuing to push themselves and learn from Coach Guandolo Jr. “It has brought our team closer together and given us more positive attitudes,” Lessem said. “The training is hard, but it really helps us and keeps us focused on making our team the best it
can be.” By the end of the season, Coach Guandolo Jr. hopes to have made a significant impact on the girls’ daily lives. “I hope that they are more knowledgeable about exercise, health and nutrition,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I also hope that they are much more focused and are able to become better leaders.”
Boys basketball expects improvement BY ZACH COHEN
Almost seven months ago, the Cypress Bay varsity basketball team lost to the Deerfield Beach Bucks by a score of 4440 in the regional quarterfinals, thus ending their ultimate goal of reaching the state championship three weeks later in Lakeland, Florida. Despite last season’s early ending, Head Coach Jason Looky said he is optimistic the team can improve this upcoming season. “I never say we’re satisfied, but we definitely grew as a team,” Coach Looky said. “I think we’re going to try and build on our accomplishments from last year.” The Bay’s basketball team has never reached states, and Coach Looky knows the team will have to dedicate themselves to improvements defensively if they want to earn that coveted trip to Lakeland. “We need to improve our defensive intensity and focus on details,” Coach Looky said. “If we do that, then we’ll be in every game and it will give us a chance reach our ultimate goal.” Senior center John Truske
PHOTO BY ZACH COHEN
shoot for success: The boys basketball team huddles during a timeout of a game against Piper High School. After an early ending to the season in last year’s regional quarterfinals, the players said they have what it takes to make it further in the playoffs this season.
is entering his second and final year on the varsity team, but after last season’s struggles, which includes a 12-0 lead against Deerfield Beach in the regional quarterfinals, Truske agrees the team’s defense has to improve. “We need to make a big leap defensively and just eliminate some of the mental errors that hurt us at the end of games last year,” Truske said. Junior guard Tyler Krivitzkin also thinks the team can make it
to states, but he knows it will not happen overnight. “We’re talented enough to go to Lakeland, but we have to put in the time and effort to do so,” Krivitzkin said. Krivitzkin has been a starter since his freshman year, but Coach Looky expects more from him, not just as a basketball player “I need [Krivitzkin] to lead the team; when things aren’t going right, you have to have a
leader on the floor, and I need him to take over that role,” Coach Looky said. While Coach Looky stressed that this year’s starting rotation is up in the air, he also has certain expectations for Truske and his 6’3”, 230-pound body. “[Truske] has got to be a physical presence when he is on the court,” Coach Looky said. “He has a nice, big frame that he can use to move people around in the post position.”
While Truske is one of the biggest players on the team, Coach Looky still considers the team to be relatively small compared to other district teams. To compensate for this height disadvantage, Coach Looky plans to employ a five-out offense, a scheme typically used by a guard-oriented team. “If everybody is doing their jobs, they’ll all be able to handle the ball, put the ball on the floor and drive it; they’ll be able to share,” Coach Looky said. “It’s a free flowing offense.” Despite the shift in offensive strategy, Coach Looky still has the same yearly expectations for his players. “Every single one of [the players] needs to get better-that’s why this is a program,” Coach Looky said. “You start as a 9th grader, and the expectations are that every year in the program you need to get better.” Time will tell if the basketball team’s goal of a trip to Lakeland in March is a realistic possibility or just another far-fetched dream; the team will be practicing almost daily until their first game against Nova High at home on Nov. 30.
OCTOBER 2017
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ATHLETES TO WATCH RICHARD LEON What is/was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? My biggest challenge in life thus far has been dealing with an ongoing illness my mom has had, and having to step up with my responsibilities in life. I overcame this with time as I adjusted to having a lot more work to do around the house and balancing it with schoolwork as I am in junior year. What is the best advice you were ever given? The best advice I’ve ever been given has been that the smallest gesture is more grand than the biggest intention. This spoke to me because I feel in order to be successful, you must follow through with what you say, so you should mean what you say and say what you mean. What is your biggest achievement in your lacrosse career? My biggest achievement in my lacrosse career has been 15 ground balls in one game and that same season earning the most improved player award in my sophomore year. What is your motivation and work ethic when playing lacrosse? My motivation for playing my best in lacrosse is making my girlfriend and my family proud. This shows in my work ethic because I show up to every practice and put in what I want to get out for the games. -Ben Eiglarsh Class of 2020 Height: 6’1’’
GOAL: TO GO UNDEFEATED
GOAL: STAY UNDEFEATED HEIGHT: 5’7” HEIGHT: 6’2 TEAM: BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE POSITION: MIDDLE BLOCKER CLASS OF 2019 TEAM: VARSITY VOLLEYBALL CLASS OF 2018
LAUREN NAU When did you start playing lacrosse? I started playing lacrosse freshman year. I had played soccer but ended up stopping because of school. My first time ever picking up a [lacrosse] stick was around December of my freshman year. What has been your favorite moment in lacrosse? My favorite moments in lacrosse are any moments we share as a team. We have a bond between all of the girls. Win or lose, we always have a good time. It is an excellent feeling to be part of such a great group. How often do you train for lacrosse? Besides playing for Cypress Bay, I have played for Storm and Madskillz lacrosse. Right now, I am not playing travel because of my officer position in Student Government Association; however, I still go to the walls to practice stick skills about four times a week and the gym almost every day. Do you plan on playing lacrosse in college? If offered the chance, I would love to play in college. I’m sure everyone on my team would love to play college as well. What motivates you to play lacrosse? Not only do my coaches and teammates motivate me, but I love the sport. It’s a lot of fun and I create amazing memories through it. -Sam Bialczak
GOAL: WIN DISTRICTS HEIGHT: 5’4” TEAM: GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSe CLASS OF 2019
FALL SEASON STATISTICS Boys Varsity Football Cooper City
W 24-17
Plantation
L 34-22
Coral Springs Mirmiar
W 29-6 L 35-0
Boys Varsity Golf
West Broward
W 182-211
South Plantation
W 178-288
South Broward
W 178-238
West Broward
W 167-207
Girls Varsity Volleyball West Broward
W 3-2
Chaminade-Madonna
W 3-2
South Plantation
W 3-0
Piper
Westministe Acadamy
W 3-0 W 3-0
Girls Varsity Golf Stonemen Douglas
W 180-207
North Broward
W 171-247
American Heritage American Hertiage
L 359-303 L 187-168
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band
By LUCY CELENTANO ARTS & ENT. EDITOR
This past summer brought about many changes for The Sound of Thunder, Cypress Bay’s marching band. Members welcomed Michael Scott, the new Head Band Director to the Lightning family. Before making his recent switch to the Bay, Mr. Scott was a band director at South Broward High School. Mr. Scott said after time at various other schools, he recognized the great opportunity Cypress Bay presented and wanted to seize the chance to be part of such an incredible organization. “Spending time at other schools, I was able to see that I wanted to be a part of a well-developed community that had a lot of potential and room to grow,” Mr. Scott said. “I felt like at this point in my career, Cypress [Bay] was my best option for this.” Mr. Scott said the Bay’s band is already such a great success and he has not felt obligated to make any drastic changes thus far. The small alterations he has made at this point are all what he calls “bonus ideas” because the fundamentals were well-established long before he began his new job. “I think change is a big word because whenever you are changing something, you must be careful how and where you make these modifications,” Mr. Scott said. “ There are so many things about the band program that are already so good, so I do not have to make things entirely different, which has allowed a smoother transition for everyone.” Senior and drumline captain Jae Xiong said Mr. Scott is not only encouraging, but he is also upbeat, which is effective in terms of motivating band members to challenge their limits and strive for greatness. “[Mr. Scott] has the ability to actually push us to work better as a whole, which I think is working very well considering that overall we have been able to achieve new things like competition routines as one cohesive unit,” Xiong said. “I think this year has been a great experience for band.”
This year, Mr. Scott added to the band’s setlist to prevent the student body from hearing the same f e w songs
repeatedly at events like pep rallies and games. The particular songs many students are familiar with are now being used less frequently. Mr. Scott said he wanted to add a new dimension to these so-called “Cypress Bay classics.” “Of course, I wanted to make [band] a little more fun, so by adding some songs and changing some songs, we try to spice up the stands a bit,” Mr. Scott said. “I allowed the students to pick what
songs they wanted, like the ones they hear on the radio every day, and then I put it into a little mix so they can really enjoy themselves while performing.” Another modification of which band members have felt the ramifications is the changing of rehearsal times. Last year, rehearsals were held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. This year, students are released earlier during the week, giving them more time for other activities. “Shifting our practice schedule one hour earlier has been amazing for everyone, granted we have time to complete our homework, study and sleep a little bit,” Xiong said. Recently, band members have turned to means of advertising in hopes of attracting new members. Mr. Scott said he recognizes that the band has decreased by about 75 students in the past four years and he has high aspirations of regaining these lost members. “If you look at the band about four or five years ago, there were about 200 people in the program, so it is my goal to get the band back to that size,” Mr. Scott said. “Right now, we’re probably marching about 120 people. Compared to other schools, this is still big, but if we advertise, I know we could really get our numbers up a lot.” Junior and color guard member Maia Cabian said the main incentive for enticing these new members to join is the hope of being able to compete in a larger division by the end of this school year. Once marching count reaches a certain number of individuals, the team is able to move to a new division in the competition field. “By the end of this year, we would really like to be able to compete in larger divisions,” Cabian said. “The more members we have marching, the better for us and our competition success.” photo by jolie sonkin
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Fitness inspiration convolutes teen health mentality
While perusing Instagram after school, on the way home, nothing out of the ordinary appears in my feed. Within minutes, @Fullyrawkristina, @gluten_freeeats and @healthfoodguide have successfully managed to spam Instagram’s popular page with an abundance of “healthy” tricks, tips and advice. While “fitspiration” on social media may be beneficial for some, the fact that Instagram-famous restaurants, bloggers and activists have overtaken the health community with faulty information needs to be stopped immediately. In the year 2017, it was recorded that almost three million people in the United States suffer from Celiac Disease or a severe allergy to gluten. With the influx of dieting fads and popular influential social media buffs, those who are looking for an easy way to lose weight have adopted this way of eating, thus diminishing the importance of those who actually suffer from Celiac disease. What many people fail to comprehend is the notion that gluten free is not always better. With convoluted ideas being portrayed through various social media platforms, many may receive faulty information regarding the nutrition of common gluten-free foods. In comparison, a standard-sized gluten-free cupcake contains 275 calories, along with 30 grams of sugar and 40 carbohydrates, whereas a regular cupcake, one that contains gluten, has 175 calories, 26 sugars and 32 carbohydrates. For those who suffer from Celiac disease, allergy-safe recipes and restaurants can prove helpful and beneficial, but for those who do not have a gluten intolerance, the excess prominence of this dietary trend is promoting a deceivingly unhealthy alternative to a regular diet that was once moderately acceptable for the average diet. In addition to the gluten-free fad, many individuals turn to veganism and vegetarianism as a means of “healthy eating.” The vegetarian and vegan lifestyles can prove beneficial for one’s overall health, providing for clearer skin, smoother internal processes and disease prevention when followed correctly. Unfortunately, more times than not, vegetarian alternatives are loaded with excess sugar, carbohydrates and fillers to compensate for the lack of animal-derived ingredients. On average, drinks like Naked bottled fruit smoothies can have anywhere from 30-70 grams of sugar and 200-500 calories per bottle. While these choices may seem rather appealing, but the misleading foods and beverages are actually doing a great disservice to those looking to improve upon their diets. The solution is simple. Without the persuasive Instagram posts capturing the perfect snapshot of meals and snacks adhering to trendy dietary fads, naive young people would not be as easily swayed to jump on the bandwagon of these restrictive diets. Adding to the problem, restaurant review sites, which allow users to share their experience at a restaurant, create an unrealistic picture of what a healthy meal looks like. Social media’s negative influence is contributing adversely to the health crisis in America, and this issue needs to be immediately controlled.
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Celebrity feuds ignite controversies By Jessie Chaiet News Editor
After years of friendship, in 2014 “Bad Blood” was shed between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. What began as a friendly relationship erupted into a feud on social media for the public to witness. After a trio of dancers left Swift’s tour for Perry’s, Swift responded by writing “Bad Blood,” a diss track about Perry. Swift and Perry’s social media posts and songs about each other throughout the years have made the persistent nature of this conflict apparent. While this celebrity feud was playing out, freshman Hanna Stockel was on her phone, reading articles about the fight and following the celebrities’ posts on social media. “I find celebrity feuds really interesting, especially if they’re a celebrity I like and support,” Stockel said. “The Taylor Swift and Katy Perry one caught my eye because they are both such famous singers, so I wanted to know why they were fighting.”
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I think that instead of bringing each other down, they should focus on their own careers. They can be using their platforms as celebrities for much more important things, like women’s rights and charity. Although their feud can be entertaining, raising awareness for these things would actually be beneficial.
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-freshman Hanna Stockel
Like Stockel, many students at the Bay follow celebrity feuds and read about them on social media. Sophomore Isabella Schutte said that she often sees news about celebrities fighting while on Snapchat and Instagram. On Snapchat, the “Discover” page has digital content for many publications, such as Cosmopolitan and People Magazine. “I don’t have to search up anything, it will just come up to me,” Schutte said. “People like to hear about feuds. I think [celebrities] do it for attention.” Schutte said she thinks the media overdramatizes celebrity news, especially when it comes to feuds. “I think they’re over-exaggerated because we don’t know what’s going on in their personal life,” Schutte said. “People get just a small situation and blow it up
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into some big deal for money.” Similar to Schutte, senior Katerina Petruzzelli also reads about celebrity disputes on social media, especially on Twitter. Petruzzelli said she often sides with one of the celebrities involved. “If I like a celebrity more, even if they’re wrong, I’ll probably take their side,” Petruzzelli said. “I think these feuds catch people’s attention, so that’s why the media covers them.” Petruzzelli said a fight that stands out to her is Swift and Kanye West. This feud began in 2009 at MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), when West interrupted Swift’s VMA acceptance speech for Best Female Video, declaring Beyonce should’ve won the award. The conflict seemed to be resolved until 2016, when West included a profane lyric in his song “Famous” about Swift. Swift objected to this lyric; however, West claimed Swift gave him permission to include it. Kim Kardashian West later posted a video to her Snapchat story of a call between Swift and West in which Swift did approve the lyric. “I think [Swift] handled everything normally until she said that thing about [West] not calling her but there was actually evidence about the calls,” Petruzzelli said.
Albums • “Beautiful Trauma” by P!nk, Oct. 13 • “When Was The Last Time” by Darius Rucker, Oct. 20 • “Beach House 3” by Ty Dolla $ign, Oct. 27 • “Ojalá” by Lost Horizons, Nov. 3
Like Schutte, junior Abigail Eades believes that the media often exaggerates celebrity gossip. “I think they blow it out of proportion just to get people to be more interested in the story,” Eades said. “[Feuds] are popular and that’s what people really like to hear.” Although celebrity news is not covered in her class, Advanced International Certificate (AICE) Media Studies teacher Tina Stoklosa educates her students about digital media. Mrs. Stoklosa said that studies have shown that Generation Z, which includes current high schoolers, prefers to read interactive digital media. Mrs. Stoklosa said this means that the media covers stories that will lead to more views online. “News organizations have to make a profit therefore they tend to report stories that they think will garner the most profit,” Mrs. Stoklosa said. “They don’t blow things out of proportion but cover things that will give them more clicks. The only way the media will get to the point where they focus more on news is if we fund them.” Stockel said that she sometimes sees celebrity fights playing out on TV. For example, Stockel watched the VMAs in 2015, when a feud erupted between Miley
Movies • “Happy Death Day,” Oct. 13 • “Geostorm,” Oct. 20 • “Thank You for Your Service,” Oct. 27 • “Amityville: The Awakening,” Oct. 28 • “A Bad Moms Christmas,” Nov. 1
Cyrus and Nicki Minaj. Days before the VMAs, Minaj tweeted that she was upset that “Anaconda” was not nominated for the Best Video Award because of racism and sexism. In an interview, Cyrus said that it was wrong of Minaj to pit nominees against each other. At the award show, while accepting an award for Best Hip Hop Video, Minaj called out Cyrus with a single line: “Miley, what’s good?” However, the two artists have resolved this conflict. “I was really surprised to see them suddenly start a fight on national TV,” Stockel said. “I’m happy to know that they ended the feud because I like both of their music.” Stockel said the drama created by celebrity conflicts is unnecessary and can detract from the professional careers of celebrities. “I think that instead of bringing each other down, they should focus on their own careers,” Stockel said. “They can be using their platforms as celebrities for much more important things, like women’s rights and charity. Although their feud can be entertaining, raising awareness for these things would actually be beneficial.”
Coming to Netflix • “The Meyerowitz Stories,” Oct. 13 • “Midhunter: Season 1,” Oct. 13 • “West Coast Customs: Season 6,” Oct. 15 • “Meet the Robinsons,” Oct. 23 • “Stranger Things: Season 2,” Oct. 27
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Makeup artist formulates business
By Ellie Sachs
Senior Sarah Leavitt has been passionate about makeup since she entered middle school. For the past two years, she has taken her beauty career to the next level by offering makeup services for special occasions and events. Leavitt said she started taking the form of art more seriously in February of her sophomore year when she created a personal Instagram account under the username @sel.mua (Sarah Elizabeth Leavitt, makeup artist). “I had always wanted to create an Instagram account for makeup, but I never felt I was good enough at it to make one and was scared about other people’s judgments,” Leavitt said. “Then one day I did this one eye shadow look on myself that I was extremely proud of and just so content with that I overcame my fears and insecurities, and that’s when @sel.mua was born.” As Leavitt gained confidence in her techniques and began posting more consistently on her account, she started to gain more followers. This increase in social media exposure eventually led to people asking her to do their makeup for certain events, like prom. At this point, Leavitt’s career began to takeoff. “I was very surprised at first when people offered to pay me to do their makeup because when I first started, I never even thought of that as an option, but now being able to be paid for doing something that I have such a huge passion for is the best feeling in the world,” Leavitt said. The rising makeup artist has done looks for over 30 girls now and for many occasions. Senior Alexa Zuckerman went to Leavitt in need of a professional look for a prom after party.
“I chose Sarah to do my makeup over a salon because I saw her pictures on Instagram and thought her work was amazing,” Zuckerman said. “I would highly recommend her to anyone because she does an incredible job at a very reasonable price.”
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I was very surprised at first when people offered to pay me to do their makeup because when I first started, I never even thought of that as an option, but now being able to be paid for doing something that I have such a huge passion for is the best feeling in the world.
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-senior Sarah Leavitt Leavitt said she received tremendous support from her family towards her passion for makeup, especially from her mother, Krista Leavitt. “I am very proud of her for pursuing her interests in the world of beauty because it is something that I have always enjoyed, so sharing that bond is really wonderful,” Mrs. Leavitt said. “I support her career by taking her to Ulta and supplying her with the equipment that she needs in order to create new makeup looks, and I definitely would be okay with her continuing makeup as a career in the
Photo Submitted By sarah leavitt
she Came, she saw, she contoured: (Left) senior Sarah Leavitt turns her passion into a business by doing makeup for special occasions. Senior Camila Martinez is getting her makeup done for her senior pictures. Leavitt has done makeup for over 30 girls and promotes her business by posting videos and photos on social media.
future.” The young makeup artist continues to expand her future in the industry by creating Youtube videos in which she uploads tutorials on specific looks and discusses other beauty-related topics. “Once, I got the technology I needed to make videos, I immediately started filming and uploading,” Leavitt said. “I enjoy making videos for YouTube because it provides me with a bigger platform to reach people who wish to learn more about makeup and beauty tips and tricks that I can share.”
She said the best part overall about her passion is noticing the boost of confidence in her clients after she enhances their features. “My absolute favorite part about doing other people’s makeup is that my clients are all already so naturally beautiful, but after enhancing their facial features a little bit the smile that lights up on their face is just priceless and really makes my love for makeup grow even stronger,” Leavitt said.
Coldplay presents enchanting show BY CHLOE WAIN
Coldplay performed an energetic and extravagant show that will be remembered for a lifetime on Aug. 28, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour headlined shows in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Germany. Coldplay consists of four band members: lead singer Chris Martin, lead Guitarist John Buckland, drummer Will Champion, and bass guitarist Guy Berryman. Before the show, wristbands were given out at no charge for use later by the audience. Each audience member was able to contribute to Coldplay’s performance in lighting up the arena by wearing these wristbands, which brought the message that Coldplay was promoting throughout the show, how different people can come together as one. Throughout the show, the band members were able to create personal connections with the audience through the use of their music and words by singing and speaking powerful words. Colorful lights allowed the band to successfully create a positive vibe by lighting up the stadium with flourishing colors. By speaking between songs and
Photo by Chloe wain
A sky full of lights: Coldplay lights up the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Aug. 28 on their Head Full of Dreams Tour. The show used colorful lights to engage the crowd during each song. The tour performed 124 total shows internationally.
showing famous speeches of activists like Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela, they were able to create moving messages, such as loving one another, with the audience throughout the show. The show began with video footage of devoted fans from different countries holding Coldplay signs while they played their opening song, “A Head Full of Dreams.” Exciting and intriguing, this introduction encouraged fans to take part in singing along to the first song, after which their album was named. Coldplay incorporated old successful hits in the beginning of the concert such as “Viva La Vida,” “The Scientist” and “Clocks.” Even though these are older
songs, the concert’s overall theme was maintained with the use of flashing lights and fluorescent colors. Throughout the show, Martin spoke about his views on how people can come together and change the world, no matter who they are or where they are from. These messages seemed to impact the audience in a way that was extremely powerful. Instead of standing in one place to speak to the audience, he walked around and spoke powerful, moving words, and was able to show Coldplay’s genuine intentions. During the show, Coldplay moved to different stages to be more interactive with the audience. They moved to the
circular stage on the left of the stadium later on in the show to perform more touching songs, such as “Don’t Panic” and “In My Place.” The normal stage was meant for more feel-good songs such as “Hymn for the Weekend” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” Towards the end of the concert, Coldplay performed a new song named “Houston #1,” dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Harvey after the Houston concert was canceled. This showed the audience how compassionate and caring this band really is. To finish off the concert, Coldplay played a song, “Up&Up,” from their new album. The audience sang along and swayed to the final song of the night, which was the perfect ending to a wonderful performance. Coldplay brought the audience into another universe with their moving words and the good energy that radiated throughout the concert hall. With the fireworks and colors, Coldplay brought a very engauging show. Coldplay members were able to compare their songs to social issues, which made this not only a concert, but an inspiring movement. The crowd seemed to react positively to the speeches and choices of songs, which brought an intense reaction of singing along. Coldplay spoke with the audience throughout the show, and made the show something to remember for years to come.
OCTOBER 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Theatergoers pay extreme prices BY RACHEL FRIEDMAN Managing Editor
As Broadway shows like “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen” continue to accumulate popularity, ticket prices are being augmented and tickets are selling out within minutes, according to Forbes. With this price gouging on tickets, students like junior Jason Rosenberg, who label themselves as avid Broadway fans, say they are determined to get their hands on a pair. “I asked my parents for ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ tickets as my birthday present and got them an entire year in advance,” Rosenberg said. “I would say I definitely go to extreme measures to get these tickets sometimes, but Broadway is so worth it.”
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[Broadway shows] come with a feeling you get that you can’t describe and you can’t make up,
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-junior Lizzie Gluck Rosenberg’s interest in Broadway shows sparked from his devotion to theater. He has been performing in local plays since elementary school and has been a member of the Bay’s drama club since his freshman year. “I’ve been interested in Broadway shows basically my whole life,” he said. “They’re just so perfectly put together. The production as a whole is always so
amazing to see; it’s the little details like the lights and sounds that make everything so incredible overall.” Similar to Rosenberg, junior Lizzie Gluck’s interest in Broadway shows began at a young age. “[Broadway shows] come with a feeling you get that you can’t describe and you can’t make up,” Gluck said. “I became interested in them basically around the time I learned how to walk. My sister has always been a huge theater person, so I grew into that with her as I got older.” In attempts to avoid paying full-price for a ticket, Gluck and her family often enter show lotteries, which requires arriving at the venue around 6 a.m. and putting in $10-$50, depending on the show, for a chance to win front-row seats. “My family and I usually have to buy tickets months in advance when we want to see a certain show, and when the day comes, my sister and I will go really early to try and win the lottery for better seats,” she said. “We have to wait at the front of the theater in a really long line, but once we won front-row center tickets to ‘In the Heights.’” For psychology teacher David Geller, the music in Broadway shows is what inspired his love for these productions. He said he immediately began to love them after seeing his first one as part of a field trip for his English class in seventh grade. “I was blown away by ‘Grease,’ and that’s when my interest began,” Mr. Geller said. “I’m not one to stand in line for hours to get tickets for a show, but I’ve taken days off to see them and have sometimes paid excessive amounts of money.
Photo Submitted By Jason Rosenberg
Drama Queens: Junior and avid theater fan Jason Rosenberg takes a trip to New York City to see the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2017, “Dear Evan Hansen.” Although he said it was difficult to get tickets he said seeing the show was completely worth it.
It’s worth it; they’re just such a feel-good experience.” As Broadway theaters are only located in New York, purchasing tickets requires planning a trip to New York as well. Senior Heather Ruggiero plans on missing school to see “Dear Evan Hansen” in October. “The tickets are crazy expensive,” Ruggiero said. “If getting tickets means missing the end of a week of school, I’m definitely going to do it. I’ve wanted to see this show for so long now, so I’m really looking forward to this long weekend
in New York.” Similar to Ruggiero, Gluck has missed a Friday of school to leave for New York to see “Hamilton.” “I usually don’t like missing school and being behind in my work, but when I missed school to see ‘Hamilton,’ it was completely worth it. “I was able to make up all of my homework quickly and see one of my favorite shows ever.”
Mixtapes serve as creative outlet By: Hannah Lassner
Ramer said starting out as a new artist was nerve-wracking, but her friend, junior Jesse Mendes, inspired her to record her first song in a real studio in early July. “I saw potential in [Ramer] from the
Sophomore Spencer Levine records and uploads his music to SoundCloud because it is a popular platform for upcoming artists. SoundCloud is an online audio distribution service which allows users to listen to, save and upload music, is increasingly popular among young music artists at the Bay. “The idea came from a friend last summer who has made mixtapes in the past,” Levine said. “It just seemed like a fun thing to do, so I got interested in creating my own.”
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Music helps me think differently, and when I listen to other artists’ music, it inspires me.
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-junior Samantha Ramer
I want to grow with my music in the sense that I get to eventually learn and understand the lessons I sing about.
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-junior Samantha Ramer Levine and sophomore Ike Grapin have produced music together and plan on collaborating more in the near future. Grapin said his goal is to increase the amount of plays on his music. “We really hope that our two songs, both named ‘Ploob Oobl,’ can inspire people to speak freely on subjects that really matter to them,” Grapin said.
Junior Samantha Ramer said writing music keeps her entertained and helps her to express her feelings. “Music helps me think differently, and when I listen to other artists’ music, it inspires me either musically, lyrically or personally if they are conveying a strong message,” Ramer said. Ramer said getting noticed on
SoundCloud can be a struggle for upcoming artists since so many new individuals are trying to do the same thing, but this challenge does not deter her. “I don’t really make my music for others,” Ramer said. “I make it for myself. I just make music that I can listen to and enjoy.”
lyrics she showed me and I thought it would be a good idea to record them,” Mendes said. “She seemed like she would enjoy being in the studio and her song could be relatable to lots of people.” Ramer said making music has been a dream ever since she was young and now she is happy she has the opportunity to pursue her aspirations and share her work with SoundCloud listeners. “I want to grow with my music in the sense that I get to eventually learn and understand the lessons I sing about,” Ramer said. “Writing music is an outlet for me to communicate without talking.”
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Kendrick captivates fans at final show by lexi flechner
online Arts & Ent. Editor
Kendrick Lamar’s showstopping, energy-filled “DAMN Tour” came to its end at his last show in Miami. The concert took place at the American Airlines Arena on Sept. 2. Rappers DRAM and YG served as Lamar’s opening acts for show. DRAM began with his soothing vocals, playing his most popular songs. He began promptly at 7:30 p.m., when the concert was scheduled to begin. Much of the audience was not present for his set because of this unexpected promptness. His performance as a whole was moderately boring, especially for some fans who did not know the songs played. Yet, DRAM finished his set strong with his best hit, “Broccoli,” which had many fans on their feet. YG brought more rap than DRAM, perfectly setting the tone for Kendrick’s show. He also played his biggest hits. YG was much more entertaining than DRAM because the songs he played were more upbeat. After YG performed, a huge tapestry reading, “The DAMN Tour,” hung across the stage to introduce Kendrick. This prop hid all backstage work and simultaneously served as a good photo opportunity. The show started with a video themed around Kendrick’s nickname, KungFu Kenny. The visual showed Kendrick
Photo by lexi flechner
electrified: On Sept. 2, rapper Kendrick Lamar played the last show of his “DAMN Tour” at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Lamar played a setlist of old and new hits to appeal to his audience.
becoming the character and fighting his enemies. The film was broken into parts that were shown throughout the whole show. The film was exciting and transitioned sections of the show well. After the video, smoke filled the stage and Kendrick emerged from a hole in the floor. He opened with “DNA” from his most recent album. This song was extremely exciting and high energy. Kendrick played a mix of old and new
songs, making sure to thank the audience members who had been there from his start for their support. This made the show more intimate. He played “m.A.A.d City”, “Swimming Pools” and many of his other older songs. These songs were nostalgic and exciting because Kendrick reminded the audience of where he started out. Kendrick seemed genuinely grateful for his fans which was touching. During each song the floor lights
on the stage were a different color and sometimes moved to the beat of the song. The screen featured aesthetically pleasing videos that went with the tone of each song. The screen also tilted parallel to the floor and lowered down a couple of times, making the stage seem like a small box at time. Kendrick performed in a small stage in the middle of the floor seating. This stage rose up in the air and brought Kendrick even closer to the fans. These effects were extremely entertaining. He played several slower songs, including “Feel” and “Love,” which brought a sweet tone to the concert and began the swaying of phone flashlights across the arena. The arena was loud with fans screams as Kendrick played some of his chart toppers. When Lamar played “Humble”, his number one song on the iTunes charts, the audience rapped the entire song without his interjection. Kendrick appeared humbled by the volume in the arena as he looked into the crowd during their rendition of the song, then rapping the song along with the crowd along, making the concert more interactive. The concert was nonstop action. Kendrick performed for the audience and was always captivating. He brought intense energy to arena that made the concert ultimately memorable. Fans erupted into chants of “Kendrick, Kendrick, Kendrick,” as Lamar returned for an encore. Kendrick returned to the stage to play “God” and ended the concert with fire erupting from the floor in pillars of light.
Fairy tale twist exposes Impressive milkshakes modern social issues make trendy debut “Beast” By Sabrina Blandon
“Beast” by Brie Spangler is a twist on a modern tale. The story follows Dylan, a sophomore in high school, who is nicknamed “the Beast” because of his massive size and the amount of hair he has for someone his age. After many years in school feeling like an outsider, he feels it is finally his year for a fresh start. Dylan finds himself in a group for self-harmers, where he meets Jamie, a funny and smart girl who speaks her mind. Although Dylan isn’t particularly fond of this friend group, Jamie starts to rub off on him. Many weeks pass by, and Jamie and Dylan begin to grow closer. Spangler’s story is exquisitely written with themes of young love, self-identity and social awareness. “Beast” is a young adult novel with lessons that every high school student should be aware of. Not only does the novel have inspiring themes, but it also contains protagonists with diverse
personalities. This brilliant book has a simple beginning and transforms into something more charming and complex, while still entertaining. Every page in this appealing novel is ravishingly handwritten and crafted with care as each word takes its readers further into the story. Spangler’s portrayals of Dylan and Jamie are written perfectly in the sense of teenagers. Dylan is an awkward boy who wants desperately to fit in and Jamie, a girl who wants to be noticed by someone. Spangler wrote about imperfections and mistakes that teenagers make and turned it into a gorgeous story about two teenagers with differences as they learn more about each other and how there is more than what meets the eye. “Beast” is a mustread with enticing characters and an amazing plot. Much like its fairytale counterpart, this novel shares the same lessons and themes. Inspired by the classic “Beauty and the Beast,” Spangler receives high praise in retelling the classic tale. Spangler’s viewpoints leave a mark on her audience as they learn the struggles of adolescents who embrace themselves for who they truly are.
out with impressive displays. Because of this, they are more pricy than the average milkshake, simply because they are far from average. The nutella and tres leches flavors are priced at $16, while cookies and cream is priced at $18. However, the cost is well worth it for the amount of By Rachel Alexander food customers receive. The new restaurant Bocas House has Along with the intense desserts at brought mouthwatering milkshakes and Bocas House, the entrees are heavenly. delicious Peruvian food to Weston Town The menu offers a little something Center for local customers to enjoy. This in every food group, from premium unique restaurant attracts customers cut steaks to seafood platters. Trío de with its extraordinary Corvina, a Peruvian creations. With locations lemony seafood dish, all across Florida, Bocas is a customer favorite House finally led the trend according to the menu. of colossal food and dessert In addition to the proportions to Weston. atmosphere, milkshakes Bocas House’s vibrant and food, the speedy atmosphere is just one way service is another great the restaurant attracts its asset of the restaurant. customers. The modern Although long waits decor provides a homey in line for a table is feeling inside the restaurant a frequent issue, the and the bright colors staff does its best to get cultivate a trendy overall everyone seated as soon vibe with modernist wood as possible. Reservations photo by rachel alexander can also be made ahead tiles hanging throughout the restaurant. of time to prevent chaos at the front door. The three massive milkshake creations Overall, Bocas House is an outstandoffered include tres leches, nutella and ing new addition to the Weston restaurant cookies and cream, all of which are made scene. From the friendly atmosphere to from scratch with fresh high-quality the unique menu, the Peruvian hotspot is ingredients. Toppings, such as scoops an exceptional choice when choosing the of ice cream, brownies, chocolate shots, next place to dine. waffle cones and syrup, are provided. The outstanding creations are well thought-
Bocas House
OCTOBER 2017
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Young artists share work with cultural council GABBY SONKIN
ARTS & ENT. COPY EDITOR
The Arts Council of Greater Weston (ACGW) gives student artists a chance to showcase their pieces. This organization that includes about a dozen volunteers dedicated to presenting entertainment throughout the city. Sophomore Michelle Duque said she wished she had known about this council prior to last year. “I was amazed to find out all that this organization has to offer and I wish more students at the Bay knew about the amazing opportunities they can receive,” Duque said. Duque competed in an event her freshman year called the Student Artist Showcase, in which she submitted a self-portrait. This event was created by Cypress Bay art teacher Bizzy Jenkins twelve years ago because she wanted her students to present their work to the general public.
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I wanted students to be able to see what other students in neighboring schools were doing as well as share with the community how the arts impact students at all levels.
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-art teacher Bizzy Jenkins “I was surprised my teacher picked me to submit my self-portrait for one of the events,” Duque said. “This gave me more confidence to present my work to others and submit them to the council in the future” Mrs. Jenkins said she was motivated to start this project when she noticed
PHOTOs SUBMITTED by joy rodenberg
art around the world: (Clockwise from left) artist Michelle Duque showcases her artwork. Artists from Countries from all around the world came to display all of their cultural art pieces. The Arts Council of Greater Weston, composed of 10 people, judged the competitions at the art show. Not only was art displayed at these competitons, but many countries also showed off their exotic cuisine.
there were no events solely based on students’ work being publicized. “I wanted students to be able to see what other students in neighboring schools were doing as well as share with the community how the arts impact students at all levels, ” she said. Additionally, Mrs. Jenkins said during the time she created the Student Artist Showcase, the Bay began supporting ACGW by attending and hosting events. “I believe the Arts Council provides a much-needed facet to our community and they host many events in all the art forms people are interested in,” Mrs. Jen-
kins said. “I am glad to see our school is helping to provide volunteers for many of the events, and the clubs provide booths and activities for the festivals.” Duque said after winning second place for her self-portrait she became even more excited to continue to pursue her passion. “I hope to learn more about ACGW and what it has to offer,” Duque said. “I never really noticed this last year, but every day it makes me happy to find new pieces of artwork hanging in the library that other students made for the events.” Joy Rodenberg, the public relations
manager for ACGW, said she has high hopes of helping more people learn about what these societies are trying to provide. “I am personally delighted Weston is kicking off the 2017-18 arts and culture season with such a wide variety of events from so many local organizations,” Rodenberg said. “There are offerings for every demographic and will continue to grow during the year.” Every year, ACGW works to bring high quality events to increase the quality of life for residents living in this community.
“Girls Trip” promotes message of true friendship “Girls trip”
hayley princz
features photo editor
Reeling in a total of $31,201,920 in the box office during its opening weekend, “Girl’s Trip” has been successful since its start. Because the movie began with the college backstory of main characters Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jade Pinkett-Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish), an easy-to-follow plot was established, which was maintained
throughout the remainder of the film. The college sorority sisters had grown apart over the years and Ryan, who was supposedly living the dream lifestyle, invited the girls to join her in New Orleans as an attempt to rekindle their dying friendship. As the girls worked to fix their splintering relationship, entertaining drama builds distrust between the girls. Sasha, a famous blogger known for destroying celebrities’ reputations, receives a photo snapped of Ryan’s husband, Stewart, cheating on her. After approaching Ryan about the pressing matter, Ryan and her friends work together to deal with the situation. With the help of her friends, Ryan eventually ends her relationship with Stewart in pursuit of her own happiness. This affects the movie in a positive
way because it reinforces that an individual’s happiness comes first. “Girl’s Trip” seamlessly ties in comedy throughout the film, having some scenes so intensely inappropriate, yet meticulously placed, that the film was cohesive and easy to keep up with. Other scenes entertain comedic aspects that can happen real life, such as a single mother trying to relate to a friend with no children and ending up mothering the friend instead. “Girl’s Trip” also promotes the idea of adults being carefree and having fun, allowing for a humorous, light tone behind the drama. The film highlights the importance of self worth, the insignificance of relationships and the strength of friendship.
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iPhone upgrades help create better product BY KARLA SOBERON
Apple’s latest additions to the iPhone family have shown what the company is capable of designing and executing. The iPhone 8 and iPhone X are redesigned, elegant and sophisticated pieces of modern cell phone technology new on the smartphone market. The iPhone 8 was released on Sept. 22 and has been available for preorder since its announcement on Sept. 15. The new iPhone is made from the “most durable glass ever used on a smartphone” according to the Apple website, and it is waterproof, differentiating it from other smartphones on the market. Also, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have “one of the smartest and powerful chips ever in a phone,” which makes it 70 percent faster than the other previous iPhone models. Other new and intriguing features include innovative lock and unlock technology, as well as wireless charging due to the glass back. Both of these improvements from the last iPhone prove convenient and wellsuited for this newly released Apple product.
The phone is available for purchase in two sizes: the regular (4.7 inches) and the “plus” size (5.5 inches). The plus size comes with more camera features than the regular size, such as “Portrait Mode” and “Optical Zoom.” These features are entertaining to use and also provide for a much higher quality photo. It comes in three new redesigned finishes: space gray, silver, and rose gold, which give the phone a sleek and technologically advanced appearance. This iPhone’s software system includes iOS 11, the most updated processing system from Apple. The iPhone X is unlike any other phone given that it is a brand new concept for Apple. The preorder for the iPhone X will be on Oct. 27, and the phone will be officially released on Nov. 3. The iPhone X is made fully of screen from the top to the bottom and lacks a home button. Now, instead of Touch ID, Apple introduced Face ID because of the facial recognition sensors embedded in the phone screen. Both the front facing camera and the back camera are brand new with features like the lighting settings and “Selfie Mode,” which makes taking pictures more compelling to play with than today. Like the iPhone 8, the iPhone X is also made of durable glass, is
Rap album lacks originality in sound album, it can become quite boring to try to interpret the lyrics and to understand how the artist came up with ideas for the songs. Repetition is made apparent in each song. Whether it is the tone X’s songs BY Robbie solomon embody, the lyrics or just the all-around Up-and-coming rapper Xxxtentacion, mood, every song contains some repeated otherwise referred to as “X,” dropped element. When it comes to the commendable his new album, “17,” on Aug. 25. The soundtrack includes 11 songs and is 21 things in the album, other than the fact minutes in duration. In terms of variation that X pours all of his feelings into his songs, the background instrumentals in songs, “17” highlight the is extremely upbeat rhythm lackluster. The of the majority very small of his songs. duration of this The rhythm is album shows that enhanced with the overall themes the background of all songs are m u s i c . similar and that Whether it is there is not much a guitar or an substance in X’s electronically songs. produced In “The sound, the E x p l a n a t i o n,” artist draws the which is the first listeners into song in the album, the music. X expands upon Overall, it “17,” discussing his inner thoughts. courtesy of massappeal.com does not seem like there was a While artists of all types of genres express their opinions on things such as lot of work that went into the production equality, X is one of few that actually of “17.” Due to this fact, the album is opens up and dives into his own struggles. mediocre and doesn’t reach the high While the artist does an amazing standard to which a popular album should job with expressing his true emotions, be held. the album still does have flaws, such as repetition, detracting from the overall vibe of the album. While listening to this
water and dust resistant and has new which is frustrating, but the phone’s wireless charging. The iPhone X only features and quality make up for this comes in two finishes: black and gray. single disappointment. In comparison to other models that have at least three colors to choose from, the iPhone X offers only two,
Horror movie remake pleases new audience BY NYAH HARDMON FEATURES COPY EDITOR
“It,” the latest edition of Stephen King’s chilling classic, brings a refreshingly modern twist to the traditional story. The remake manages to not only successfully provide thrilling scenes throughout the duration of the film, but also to weave in a heartfelt coming-ofage tale between the jump-scares. “It” follows an underdog group of seven outcasts as they attempt to uncover the eerie disappearances of children in their fictional Maine town. Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), the unspoken leader of the self-proclaimed ‘Losers,’ convinces his friends to aid him in uncovering the truth behind the mysterious vanishings. Together, the friends team up to take down the supernatural clown named Pennywise, who is referred to as ‘It’. It doesn’t take long for the friends to notice that the demonic being thrives off of stealing children and feeding on their fear. As the group tracks down Pennywise, their greatest fears are used against them in haunting scenes that showcase the material that make up nightmares. Through chilling cinematography, the adolescents’ brains are picked apart until their deepest fears are brought to life through eerily realistic apparitions. These horrors coupled with the menacing on-screen presence of Pennywise the
clown, cause for unsettling moments. However, while the horror aspects of the film are executed successfully, there’s surprisingly another level to the story. Beyond the scares and thrills lies an unexpected sincere tale of teens on the edge of adulthood and the perils that accompany growing up like first loves and the challenge of sticking together. The enigmatic cast of youngsters includes “Stranger Thing’s” Finn Wolfhard, who provides consistent comedic relief through sometimes-raunchy teenage humor, and fresh face Sophia Lillis whose sole femininity in the group of boys does not go unnoticed. The horror flick manages to not only provide haunting thrills, but also tugs on heartstrings with its charismatic cast. “It” is not an average scary movie. The revamped movie dances across genres; forming a menacing, haunting narrative.
OCTOBER 2017
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Adventures in the cinema
The Circuit’s staff reviews classic action and adventure movies. “The Goonies” “National Treasure” BY casey menten
BY Jenna friedman
“The Goonies” follows a group of neighborhood friends as they embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find lost treasure. This movie rightfully became a hit when it was released in 1985 due to its comedic dialogue and action-packed, captivating scenes. The young ages of the actors and their suburban lifestyles portray the main characters as ordinary people, finding adventure in the most mundane aspects of life. “The Goonies” is also filled with iconic one-liners and funny sayings, such as “Hey, you Guys” and “Kids suck,” that are still being used over 30 years later. The plot follows that of a typical pirate’s booty hunt, but the small, intriguing twists keep this film from being cliché. These unexpected twists ironically make children the leaders and cast the parents as oblivious background characters. This helps establish a unique style by giving all the lead roles to young actors and actresses, contrary to most popular movies. This particularly popularizes the movie with a younger crowd, drawing in viewers of all ages and appealing to an ageless sense of humor. With witty characters of varying personalities, the plot is not only thick with adventure but with relatability, as they turn their residential foreclosures into an opportunity to explore the unknown and uncover hidden treasures. Overall, these quirky aspects make “The Goonies” so memorable and different from the average film.
“National Treasure” is an adventurous and thrilling movie that seamlessly incorporates history, action and humour. The main character, Ben Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), is on the hunt to find a treasure that his family has searched for over the course of many generations. As a child, he was told that it was his family’s duty to guard this treasure; however, none of his ancestors have been able to discover it. He uncovers clue after clue, and he often goes to drastic measures, such as stealing the Declaration of Independence, in order to locate the riches for which he is searching. Eventually, Gates manages to avoid the FBI, stay one step ahead of his former search partner, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) and uncover the hidden treasure. “National Treasure” is not only humourous and action-packed, but it also includes thrills; it creates a sense of uncertainty about whether or not Gates will find the secret treasure without being caught. This movie is full of dramatic scenes that allow an emotional connection to be made with the frustration that Gates has about searching for this treasure. The ending of the movie is upbeat and joyous when Gates and his team finally discover the riches in a tomb under a church. This film incorporates multiple, breathtaking chase scenes, where Gates struggles to run from anything that stands in the way of him and the treasure. These scenes created an anxious and mysterious feeling, for Gates comes extremely close to getting caught on multiple occasions. “National Treasure” is a climactic, adventure-filled movie capable of building anticipation and excitement throughout the entire duration of the film.
“Pirates of the Carribean”
“Star Wars”
BY karla Soberon
BY casey menten
In the first installment of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “The Curse of Black Pearl” sets the bar high for the rest of the films. Main character, Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) is a tenacious governor’s daughter who has her heart set on William Turner (Orlando Bloom), an altruistic, audacious pirate and blacksmith. In a turn of events, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a ludicrous pirate who no one can take seriously, arrives at Port Royale in search of vengeance for his lost ship, the Black Pearl, which was stolen by the vicious Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). All of the characters show elements of humor or seriousness, which helps build the movie. The film features computer generated imaging and multiple special effects that enhance the quality of the movie in several aspects. Even though it is an action movie, there is a lot of humor embedded in it, which makes the movie more enjoyable to watch and keeps the plot interesting. Considering the amount of action and adventure movies already in the industry, the film speaks for itself and proves its place as a pirate-filled, action-packed comedy movie.
The blockbuster space series “Star Wars” launched its franchise with the hit movie, “Episode IV: A New Hope,” which marked the start of a new era. The first movie was a complete success. With innovative special effects and a creative storyline, “Star Wars” rightfully became a pop culture icon. Director George Lucas was one of the first directors to release a space-themed movie, which revolutionized the action movie industry. The countless films following the first release have continued to inspire generations with exciting space battles and captivating characters. As technology has advanced, the special effects included in the movies have become exceedingly realistic, making the movie that much more enjoyable to watch. The most recent addition, “Rogue One: A Star Wars,” took an intriguing perspective on the “Star Wars” tale, offering a new storyline that gives further insight of the main plot line of the first movie. The new band of misfit characters were just as lovable as the original characters appearing in earlier films. With 10 movies over a span of 40 years, “Star Wars” will continues to produce exciting content with adventures in a galaxy far, far away.
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“Indiana Jones”
“Jurassic Park”
BY Rachel Silverman
by Annabelle Daniels-rOsenberg
“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the first Indiana Jones movie directed by Steven Spielberg, is a disappointing rendition of an adventurous, action-packed movie. The 1981 film takes place in a South American jungle where archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is on the quest for a gold statue. The adrenaline junkie is able to retrieve the golden figure, but sets off a death trap in the process. After intense action, Jones makes it out alive with the statue in hand. Following his battle with death, a museum collector inquiring about The Ark of the Covenant contacts Jones. The Ark is an artifact that supposedly has supernatural properties. Jones embarks on a quest in multiple countries to find it, but he encounters several obstacles along the way. The slow development of the plot ruins the film for anyone who enjoys action-packed movies. However, thanks to great acting skills, the film is saved from the deathly slow progression. Unfortunately, the film lacks humor and has more of a serious vibe, which does not help at all in terms of the lack of urgency in developing the plot. Overall, the classic movie is definitely worth a watch for die-hard adventure fans, but the unfortunate slow feel of the film detracts from the storyline itself.
“Jurassic Park” brings extinct dinosaurs back to life in a thrilling, out-of-the-ordinary film directed by Steven Spielberg. This captivating movie brings together suspenseful drama and emotion. When a new theme park showing goes awry, cloning scientists realize humans and dinosaurs were not meant to roam the Earth at the same time. Watching the struggle of humans and these ancient creatures evolve is exciting and entertaining. This film is especially unique as dinosaurs come to life in a realistic form. When the movie first premiered 24 years ago, the special effects may have been new and breathtaking; however, nowadays these attributes are outdated and noticeably artificial. What is most compelling is the scientific imagination in this classic. The science, as well as the advanced thought process behind the idea of bringing to life an actual Jurassic world, is creative. In addition to the film, well-known conductor John Williams orchestrated an original soundtrack specifically for the movie. The symphonic music not only carries the story along but also heightens the action and intensity in certain scenes throughout the film. The adventurous film is well-thought-out and portrayed in a very life-like manner. Steven Spielberg’s movie-making talent is displayed from beginning to end.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 2017
Instagram feeds creative ambitions
By Estela Suarez
Instagram is a social platform where over 700 million users share their pictures and ideas. Through new updates, Instagram has made it possible for users to live stream, use different filters on their pictures and post moving pictures called Boomerangs. Junior Camila Brooks said she has found inspiration in the most mundane aspects of life. Brooks said when she travels or does something out of the ordinary she likes to utilize these opportunities to take creative photos to post. “Everyday things like nature, food and fashion inspire me to take new pictures,” Brooks said. Brooks credits seeing other people’s cool or new posts as one of her motivations to update her own feed. “I love photography and whenever I find something unique or cool, I decide to share it on Instagram,” Brooks said. “Seeing cool or new things on my Instagram feed inspires me to take more pictures and motivates me to update my feed.” When senior Mina Kim first joined Instagram, she solely used it to stay in contact and share her pictures with family and friends. Since then, Kim said she has revolutionized her posting style to be more outgoing and free-spirited. Like Brooks, Kim uses her Instagram feed to express her passions. “At first I just posted pictures on Instagram to share with my family and friends, but now I really enjoy posting
more about what I like, which are fashion and makeup,” Kim said. A new fad that has quickly grown in the Instagram community is the idea of having a feed that follows a theme. “It is good to be consistent with your uploads,” Kim said. “At first, it is confusing what to make your theme on Instagram, but as you post more content it will gradually form.” Kim said establishing a theme can also make posting easier. “Take good quality photos and try out making your own theme for your Instagram,” Brooks said. “You will get more followers if people are clear on what your account is about and what kind of posts you put on your feed. Pick a few themes and stick to them, and your Instagram will thank you.” Users can also download apps to help them with all the aspects of posting a picture. There are apps like Planoly, UNUM and VSCOcam that not only help users edit their photos but also help them plan out when they should post a picture and how that picture will look once it’s posted next to their other pictures. “I use two apps called UNUM and VSCO. VSCO is a great app to edit your pictures by adding filters or adjusting the brightness, contrast, etc. UNUM is an app that allows you to post pictures as if you were going to upload them and manage a nice feed. You can see beforehand how your feed would look before actually posting the picture,” Kim said. Kim is not the only user who has taken advantage of these apps. Brooks has also found the apps that have helped her the
Photo submitted by mina kim
strut your Senior Mina Kim’s Instagram page, @mminakimm, stuff: showcases pictures of herself and her friends in her personal aesthetic. Kim uses editing apps like VSCO and UNUM to perfect her pictures before posting them on her page.
most when it comes to posting. “I use VSCOcam to match my aesthetic. I like to switch up the content of my posts but also make sure that they are aesthetically pleasing,” Brooks said. “VSCOcam helps to match up the colors and shades of all my posts to create a cool aesthetic on my feed.”
Brooks said she goes with their gut when it comes to posting and how she feels it will affect her feed. “My posts are pretty spontaneous, but I do find myself posting most when I travel,” Brooks said. “Whenever I find an artsy or trendy place that I feel is Instagram worthy, I post it.”
The music in your ears
“The Music in Your Ears” delves into the music tastes of students at the Bay. Staffer Sophia Handley interviewed two students who enjoy listening to different types of music.
courtesy of genius.com
“Up There” by Post Malone “This is my favorite song because it has a really nice beat to it that can put anyone in a good mood in a snap.” -sophomore Ellie
Castelles
“Dig Your Roots” by Florida Georgia Line
“I listen to country music because it makes me happy and lightens my mood when I’m low.” -junior Tyler Nejaime
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OCTOBER 2017
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THE CIRCUIT
Rally violates constitutional rights After news circulated about the potential removal of Confederate icon General Robert E. Lee’s statue from the renamed Emancipation Park, violence erupted in the college town of Charlottesville. On Aug. 12, hundreds of white nationalists and their supporters gathered for a “Unite the Right” rally in efforts of protesting the potential removal. The National Policy Institute, an organization headed by white supremacist leader Richard Spencer, organized these protests. When the protestors were met by counter-demonstrators, clashes broke out between the two groups resulting in three deaths and more than 35 injuries. Police deemed the rally as an unlawful gathering, and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was forced to declare a state of emergency. There has been much controversy about whether or not this rally is protected under the clauses in the First Amendment. Although the First Amendment ensures freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, these rights should not protect hateful acts that lead to violence. Throughout American history, many clauses in the Constitution have been stretched, including the First Amendment. Its elasticity has led to numerous controversial Supreme Court cases, violent rallies and tragic deaths. According to Ken White from the Los Angeles Times, “There is no general First Amendment exception allowing the government to punish ‘hate speech’ that denigrates people based on their identity.” In other words, people are free to express anything they want, but when these expres-
Flash of brilliance
YES As we are living in an incredibly ever-changing society, technology is becoming more and more advanced by the day, yet, we still find ourselves avoiding the innovations and taking college tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) with a paper and pencil. Creating online versions of the SAT and ACT would significantly help students and faculty for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, cheating would drastically decline with digital testing. With tests like the ACT, it is quite simple to cheat as every student has the same form with nothing to block his or her answers. If we took these tests online, the question order would automatically be shuffled, as it is with other online tests like End of Course exams, to eliminate cheating. Also, students would get their results in a much quicker time as the computer can grade the tests immediately following submission. From an environmental standpoint, placing standardized tests online would be a significant advantage as we would no longer have to waste the countless packets of paper that each SAT and ACT requires. As a majority of assignments are now shifting online as time progresses, it only makes sense to also allow one of the most important tests for a student in high school to be shifted online as well. -Sam Bialczak
sions turn into violence, it is no longer deemed acceptable. The night before the rally, hundreds of white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia campus while carrying burning torches. These protestors consisted of neo-Nazis, members of the Ku Klux Klan, and other white-supremacist groups. These groups were carrying flags with swastikas and other racist logos on them, and were chanting Nazi slogans
illustration by casey menten
such as blood and soil.” Although these groups represent unpleasant ideas, under the First Amendment, they have the right and protection to voice their opinions. However, when this “peaceful” protest enticed white nationalist James Alex Fields Jr. to plow his car into a crowd of counter-protesters resulting in the death of thirty-two-year-old Heather Heyer and the injury of 35 others, the First Amendment does not prevail. When Richard
Should standardized tests like the SAT and ACT be taken online?
ILLUSTRATION BY sophie gaer
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Wilson Preston’s verbal altercation with a black man led him to shoot his pistol into a crowd, the First Amendment does not prevail. When Deandre Harris was kicked, punched and viciously beaten with metal poles by white supremacists merely because of the color of his skin, the First Amendment does not prevail. Following this event, the National Policy Institute contacted other universities like the University of Florida and Texas A&M University to request to speak on the college campuses. Both of these universities initially considered allowing the speakers to present, but when they discovered the potential violent outcomes of this encounter, they respectfully declined. When the universities declined his request, Spencer said, “They are worried there will be violence associated with this. You cannot suppress free speech on that basis.” However, as stated by University of Florida President W. Kent Fuchs, “The First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others.” The “Unite the Right” rally shows how racism is still prevalent in our country. Despite the countless actions taken to prevent this hatred, people will still continue to express these persecuting views. Regardless of how loathsome these opinions are, the First Amendment prohibits Congress from “abridging the freedom of speech,” and thus allows people to say whatever they want. However, when these spoken views turn to violence, this will— but should never—be protected by any constitutional right.
NO With continuous technological advancements, many educational systems are transferring their standardized testing methods from paper to computer; however, the disadvantages of being tested on computers can be extremely detrimental to students’ scores and future. A major reason standardized college tests should not be provided digitally is because of the confusion that comes with utilizing unfamiliar tools and applications. For a student who may not be tech-savvy, these computer testing programs can cause an increase of anxiety levels, which will have a direct negative effect on his or her scores. If the tester is not familiar with the technology, it may also slow down the student’s pace, which will also contribute to a lower score. There is also a possibility that the computer can malfunction in the middle of the test, whereas taking such an important test on paper has no risk of glitching, shutting off or running out of battery. In addition, students can use the computer as a way to cheat on their tests; the screen is a lot bigger and easier for students to see answers. For students who actually spend months studying for tests like the SAT and ACT, it is extremely unfair when a student can get all of the answers. With standardized college testing having such a defining effect on a student’s future, testing on computers produces many unnecessary problems that a diligent student shouldn’t have to deal with during such a stressful time. -Ben Eiglarsh
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OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
Media delegitimizes potential danger Throughout the duration of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, many news mediums have covered the paths and consequences of these storms. However, with the amount and range of varying news reported on the storms, some individuals start to doubt the true intensity of these natural disasters and fail to believe the storms will directly impact them, until they actually do. Failure to take the news stations legitimately sparks from factors like the fact that a storm could change its path at any given time, which it often does, and that news reporters report live from locations that are being hit directly by the storms and are taking initiative by seeking safety. According to Sopan Debs, a writer for the New York Times, the long tradition of newscasters standing in the midst of a storm is a direct threat to their safety, but Debs goes on to describe how it is necessary for news reporters to put their own lives at risk to illustrate the intensity of the storm so that people take the precautions seriously. Not taking the news seriously has become prevalent throughout the years and as social media expands; with many opinions out on the Web, no one is sure who to believe and who has valid information. This can be a danger as people do not take necessary actions to properly prepare for such a disaster. According to Fox News, Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, found it necessary to inform the residents of Florida about how serious the hurricane actually was in case there were people who were skepti-
cal about evacuating and efficiently preparing for Irma. Scott made sure to appear on the news frequently throughout the duration of Hurricane Irma to discuss what safety measures to take. In his interview with Fox News, Scott urged all individuals who are in mandatory evacuation zones to be responsible and flee to safer areas. However, many were unwilling to evacuate their homes because of the inconvenience that leaving entails. People often also fail to evacuate in such a timely manner due to the fact that the storms change direction and intensity very easily. According to the National Hurricane Center, storms as intense as Irma have the ability to alter their direction in a matter of hours. Exaggerations in reporting the news can also lead people in the wrong direction regarding the intensity of a storm. Many times individuals find it difficult to believe that storms can have impacts as detrimental as they are described on the news. With this mindset, they do not properly prepare to take on a detrimental storm. News media utilizes words like “catastrophic” and “deadly” to characterize storms. Psychological studies have determined that although these characterizations do scare people that are expected to be impacted by a storm, they can also work reversely and result in individuals ignoring the threats to their safety. illustration by sophie gaer As an increasing number of natural disasters impact the world, people will need order to protect not only themselves and the future natural disasters will grow to change their outlooks on ways of inter- their loved ones, but also planet Earth. larger in scale and possibly destroy the preting the potency of these disasters in Without doing this, it is possible that in world as we know it.
Letters to the Editor Both gates should be opened in the parking lot after school to prevent traffic jams Starting high school in a place with over 4,500 students, I knew that the traffic in the parking lot was going to be hectic, but to my surprise, it is much worse than I expected. After a long day of school, it is extremely frustrating for the day to be extended because my sister and I are stuck behind a long line of cars. The worst part is that there is only one gate open for all the students to exit through. This problem could easily be resolved if the second gate was opened everyday. It is open on some days, and on these days I always get home significantly faster. As a passenger I get frustrated from being stuck, so I can only imagine how the drivers must feel. Also, when the second gate is opened, we feel much safer when we are leaving because it prevents cars from lining up bumper to bumper. When there are two gates open, there are less people turning into the lines, which leads to less traffic jam and less accidents. Therefore, it is only logical for the second gate to be opened on all school days in order to prevent accidents and reduce the amount of time it takes for students to get home. - Andrew Sobel, freshman The Bay should have a swimming pool so the water polo team can have home games Last year I joined the Bay’s water polo team and I have been enjoying it very much. However, I was very disappointed when I found out that we
would have no home games due to the fact that our team lacks a pool. Football players have their own school field, the band members have their own band room, baseball players have their own field and tennis players have their own courts, so I do not understand why swimmers and water polo players cannot have their own pool. I believe the school should build a nearby pool for the swimmers and water polo players because it not only allows us to practice on campus, but would also bring much more support to the games. Because our games are never at home and are usually at distant locations, the water polo team lacks a supportive fan base at all of our games. With the implementation of a pool near or on campus, I think the amount of people coming to watch our games would significantly increase. Water polo has become my passion and I hope the school can help me pursue it by building us a pool on campus. - Carlos Piña, junior
There should be more chairs and tables put in the cafeteria
other students to borrow their chairs. My friends and I would really appreciate it if the number of chairs would increase. Sitting outside is also difficult because of the limited amount of benches available. It would be really helpful to add more places to sit. -Ben Sachs, senior
Students should be able to have a say in choosing their homecoming class theme I always love Homecoming Week because I get so excited to dress up and see the hallways, but I’m a little disappointed this year. The hallways were cool, but I didn’t like the senior theme. I was so excited to go all out for my last year, but we ended up with “East coast versus West coast” as our theme, which I found really upsetting. The hallway was done nicely, but it’s a hard theme to address on tshirts. Our senior t-shirts this year don’t even have anything to do with the theme, which was a let-down. I wish we could’ve picked a better theme that would translate better to all aspects of homecoming and not just the hallway, and I wish we were able to voice our opinions when choosing the class themes. I know the dress up days were voted on by the student body, but we had no say in the class themes, and I really wish we did. -Anya Hames, senior
There are not enough tables and chairs in the cafeteria. With so many students and so few tables and chairs, it’s nearly impossible to find a place to sit at lunch everyday. It can sometimes take up to 10 minutes for my friends and I to find a place to eat, which is really unfair since lunches were shortened last year to only 30 minutes. The number of students outweighs the number of chairs by a lot, The PSAT should be an optional so I think staff at our school should really test for underclassmen consider adding more. It’s frustrating Around the beginning of the school to have to waste so much time of lunch walking around the cafeteria and asking year, underclassmen receive the dreaded
letter advising them that the PSAT is on Oct. 11 and that they are required to take a test they are unprepared for. PSATs serve as a window for merit scholarships or for colleges to take an initial interest in you. Most students don’t take the PSAT seriously enough to achieve a high score, but others do; it would be more reasonable if students had an option to take the test or not. Some students stress out because they know they’ll have this score documented on Virtual Counselor and in their college applications in the future. Because of this, they want to be able to attain a high score, but they don’t know where or how to study. If the school wants all the underclassmen to take this standardized test, it should at least offer a course or something to help underclassmen understand what it is they’re taking, how to prepare for it and the importance of it. -Valentina Caggia, 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 Eileen Manella. The author will have the final say in phrasing 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 will be confirmed prior to the publication. Any material deemed libelous, obscene, disruptive or unlawful to minors will not be published.
OCTOBER 2017
OPINION
THE CIRCUIT
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Hurricane highlights inequality between Overseas impacts of natural disasters Weston and surrounding neighborhoods displays United States’ failure to help Surviving Hurricane Irma was certainly an emotional adventure. While the belief that the hurricane was headed straight towards Weston as a Category 5 storm warranted anxiety in the community, it ended up that we were spared from the brunt of the damage. A few power blips, some palm trees beheaded and a lot of unnecessary chaos was all the damage that Irma left behind for the citizens of Weston. However, while we were here complaining about how our cell phone service was slower than usual and how we couldn’t maintain our Snapchat streaks, the majority of people impacted by Irma were left reeling over their crumbled houses and crumbled lives. Even citizens of the other cities in our school district were left without basic necessities to carry out their everyday lives. We were able to see the unexpected week off from school as time to catch up on college applications and spend time with friends, but for the people in the Keys or even people in high rises on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, the mere idea of going back to life as normal right after the storm is laughable. Weston truly is a bubble. A beautiful bubble with lush landscaping, friendly neighbors and high achieving schools, but being surrounded with this much privilege makes it hard to remember that most other places in the world do not have the luxuries that we have. The hurricane passing through Weston was a reminder that as a community, we should be thankful for the resources we have and attention we are given, but to not neglect the people and cities around us who could greatly benefit from us sharing our resources. Instead of complaining about how
Publix still doesn’t have free-range chicken in stock, we can focus our efforts on sharing the food we do have with those who don’t have access to any chicken at all. Instead of droning on and on about the inconvenience of waiting in line for twenty minutes to get gas, we should be thankful that we have even have cars. And instead of just going back to our everyday lives pretending that Irma didn’t even happen, we should dedicate time to help those on the Caribbean islands and even in our own state get their lives back to normal too. Sure, we could just close the shutters of our bubble and forget about those who are suffering in other places, but that would be ignoring the fact that with so much privilege comes just as much
Bottom Line: Citizens of Weston live in a bubble and need to realize how much privilege they are given. They must choose to actively share their blessings with those who have a less fortunate situation in life. responsibility to serve others. For every little disturbance we face in day-to-day life, we must remember those people who do not have the same luck and blessings, and simply be grateful that we have the opportunity to live where we do.
There is no denying the destructive path Hurricane Irma has left behind in many of the Caribbean Islands and parts of the Southern United States. Reaching 185 mile-per-hour winds, the hurricane, which was the strongest ever observed in the Atlantic since hurricane Wilma twelve years ago, battered an estimated 1.2 million people on the Caribbean islands. Additionally, Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, the US Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos were hit the hardest, with up to 99% of structures at least partly damaged. And yet, most Americans, including the nation’s most powerful leaders, are blind to the catastrophic effects just a few hundred miles south of the southernmost point of the United States. The communication during and after Hurricane Irma worked extremely well, the state of Florida efficiently informed citizens on whether to evacuate and coordinated Hurricane relief efforts within the state. However, the islands in the Caribbean had very different results after the devastating storm. Reports of looting and arson that have only served to increase the islands’ isolation became rampant, and locals waiting for food and help from the United States this week were forced to fend for themselves. Not only did the United States federal government fail to provide sufficient humanitarian aid for these helpless citizens, but also the media was equally responsible for being unproductive. A Change.org petition was created, calling out CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox News for their evident lack of coverage of the unincorporated United States territories in the islands, which are the homes of more than 100,000 Americans. Although the United States has
provided some assistance to residents in the Virgin Islands, St. Martin, Antigua and the Dominican Republic, airlifting more than 1,800 US citizens to safety, the lack of aid and support to the Caribbean after Irma has served to be a disgrace in the eyes of the global community. As the most dominant country in the world, it is one of the United States’ duties to look out for countries in need, especially those that are considered the United States’ own territories. Yes, it was wrong for President Trump to fail to make a single comment about the disaster that happened in Puerto Rico
Bottom Line: The nation needs to make assisting nations hit by Irma a responsibility. after Hurricane Maria. Yes, it is wrong for the United States’ overpowered media to provide insufficient commentary regarding the tragedies. But, to make up for these wrongdoings, progress must be made on the global stage, as well as what is talked about in the media. This means that the United States federal government must consistently grant aid to those suffering in order to set an example for the rest of the world and assist the struggling citizens in their designated Caribbean countries. As for the media, news outlets like CNN and Fox has to first inform their viewers the details on how catastrophic the situation in the islands actually is, and then explain to viewers how they should help. Individuals residing in the Caribbean cannot overcome the effects of Hurricane Irma and Maria alone. For the sake of humanity, we must communicate, do and act more.
Bottom Line: With institutionalized definitions of beauty visible in the media, it is important to place emphasis on the intellectual aspects of beauty over appearances.
Outdated pageants set unrealistic standards for women of all ages Seven judges sit before 51 20-somethings in bikinis and heels, calculating each woman’s score. In the preliminary competition stage of the Miss America pageant on Sept. 7, 51 women were subject to the traditional bathingsuit portion. Miss Louisiana won the 87-year-old contest this time, though Miss North Dakota took home the gold after the final competition. Based on exterior beauty and 20-second answers, Cara Mund earned the title of Miss America 2018. While these almost century-old traditions persist, students on social media promote an entirely different type of beauty. While school organizations like HOPE (Helping Overcome Problems Efficiently) Sunshine Club and GSA (Gen-
ders and Sexualities Alliance) advocate for the acceptance and beauty of all people, these television pageants promote the absolute antithesis. How are students supposed to feel secure in their bodies when these widely-known institutions are telling them otherwise? The answer is that these pageants are completely outdated. When Miss America was first founded, women were scored based on their body measurements, the smaller the better. Now, with social media influencers like Ashley Graham and even Kylie Jenner changing stereotypes of beauty, the thin model fantasy is irrelevant. So why does the televised Miss America pageant still attract 5.6 million viewers? The organization itself has re-
cently valued its question portion over the exterior beauty contests. With 20 seconds to respond to a question ranging from Russian involvement in the 2016 election to physical education in elementary schools, the contestants are judged quickly on their answers. One of this year’s competition’s most publicized video clips on social media was Miss Texas’s answer to a question about President Trump’s reaction to the Charlottesville attacks. In order to move the pageant’s reputation of valuing looks over brains, the questions have become more controversial and more political over time. However, Miss America 2016 won the entire competition with an answer about deflategate, while other women were asked about Planned Parenthood and the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization also prides itself on being the primary provider of scholarships for women, claiming to have awarded $45 million to contestants annually. This fact that the main source of scholarship money for an entire gender is based
on a beauty competition is entirely what is wrong with the pageant’s continued popularity. It is great that this organization is willing to provide women with the capital essential to promote education, but these women are being rewarded simply because of how they look in ballgowns and how well they can answer questions under time pressure. The students at the Bay searching for scholarship opportunities should be able to find ways to be awarded upon merit, personality and achievements without the realization that the most reliant scholarship provider is a contest based on exterior looks. Though the pageant has tried to mask itself with this politically correct facade, its basis still lies in the blatant objectification of women. It is most important now for local organizations to emphasize the strength of inner-beauty and the meaninglessness of ancient institutions like Miss America.
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OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
Trip to Russia opens eyes to culture
By Lucy Celentano Arts & Ent. Editor
As I embarked on the cruise ship which left from Copenhagen, Denmark, one thought remained constant in my fast-moving mind: Russia. Three days into the cruise, I would be visiting St. Petersburg, the second largest city, in the largest country in the world. The idea of a foreign country like Russia automatically reminds me of the intimidating Vladimir Putin and the aggressive persona all Russians supposedly embody. The day I stepped foot into the country I had been envisioning in my mind for months, I was shocked to discover my expectations were not entirely inaccurate. With a very restrictive tourism policy, individuals are not permitted to enter the country unless they have a certified tourism visa or a prearranged private tour guide who has legal access to bring people with them into the country. Due to this policy, my family and I were required to find a reputable private guide to bring us to the country’s must-see hotspots for the limited time of the two days we planned to stay in St. Petersburg. Yekaterina, a tall, thin, blonde-haired woman who fit the Russian stereotype perfectly, would be the selected individual responsible for escorting my family during the duration of our stay. When my family and I disembarked the ship, we recognized that the tourism policy being strict was an immense understatement. Each member of my family took a turn being examined by a Russian National Guard Border Control Officer with a passport and tour ticket validation in hand. Intimidation, fear and confusion consumed my body as I was stared at by the perfectly manicured woman in a flawless uniform sitting behind the glass, inspecting me and my legal documentation. Finally, being cleared, we proceeded to meet Yekaterina outside the terminal for the commencement of one of the most intriguing days of my life. Our first stop on the tour would be at the famous Hermitage Museum, which encompasses five different locations including the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Hermitage Theatre. I visited the Old Hermitage, which is home to famous works of Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and several other famous
Never russian home: Junior Lucy Celentano toured the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. On her summer tour of the Baltic capitals, Celentano discovered the history and tradition behind Russian art and architecture. In the Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Winter Palace, she and her family walked through halls filled with Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and Renoir paintings. In learning the cultural differences between Russia and the United States, Celentano said she was particularly intrigued by differences in values and the more analytical treatment of the nation’s much longer history.
artists. While admiring these legendary pieces of art, I subconsciously leaned against the wall. Within seconds, an older woman approached me from nowhere to chastise me for touching the wall. This embarassing experience helped bring my attention to the harsh reality that some Russians do, in fact, live up to the aggressive, unreasonable stereotype that I pictured in my mind since the day I realized I would be visiting Russia. Another fascinating discovery I made, after spending time in St. Petersburg, was the fact that based on what Yekaterina told me, the great majority of Russians are actually quite fond of Putin. As an American teenager who can be ignorant and impressionable at times, I have caught on to the ideas others have instilled in my brain that Putin is unsuitable for the role of President. From the ordeal during the 2016 election, to the harsh attitude he
seems to personify, my bias was always against this presidential leader. After utilizing a two hour car ride on the way to and from Katherine the Great’s summer palace, I realized that many Russians do, in fact, love their ruler. What stuck with me the most was the fact that Yekaterina claimed, “after a long time of communism and republics in our history, we are glad to have someone of capable of making a change.” Furthermore, in the extensive history lessons my family and I received over the course of two days, something I was made aware of was the fact that the Russian school system is very different from that in the United States. For children ages six to 15, schooling is compulsory across the country. After age 15, students have the choice to continue on to vocational “university study” or “non-university study” until they reach the age of 17 or
18. From the manner in which our guide Yekaterina spoke of the school system, it was easy to infer that school after the age of 15 is not automatically expected, as college is in for most children living in the United States. While Russian children receive less schooling compared to American students, the literacy rate in the country is relatively high, proving that the education system, while vastly different, is highly effective. Overall, my experience in this country was eye-opening. After spending years envisioning this distant place, I am finally able to say that I am cognizant of many more foreign concepts including political beliefs, education and the different personalities of individuals across the world.
OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
THE CIRCUIT
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Tattoo connects relatives skin-deep
BY Remi Schwartz Business Manager
Tattoos, ink, art: three different thoughts I had racing through my mind while considering getting a tattoo. Oftentimes, tattoos are the product of an impromptu and rebellious decision on a wild night; however, I associate the word “tattoo” with “forever.” This “forever” form of art is not easily removable and can be very regrettable. The opposite was true for me-- in my case, getting a tattoo was the best decision of my life. For about two years, getting a tattoo was a constant debate I would have with myself. The artistic statement it illustrates and the reason behind it persuaded me to follow through, but I had eventually come to the conclusion that the pain overrides all of the pros I could list. Knowing that a needle will be punctured in and out of my skin repeatedly made me lose sight of the reason I wanted a tattoo in the first place. However, my mental debate subconsciously continued until I became set on getting one. I discussed this wish with my parents to ensure I’d have their approval, and while they fully supported me, they also adamantly reminded me that getting a tattoo is a permanent decision. After thorough thinking, I decided that permanence was fine with me because I truly loved my design and the sole reason I wanted one in the first place: for my grandma. From the time I was born, music has been an immense part of my life. My grandma taught me how to play piano and how to sing. Since she got me into mu-
in my soul: Junior Remi Music’s Schwartz celebrates her connection with her grandmother by getting a tattoo on her hip. Because of their mutual affinity for music, singing and piano, Schwartz said she thought it would be fit to have a piece of that connection, and a piece of her grandmother, permanently on her body. Though she said she has received some slack for her decision, she said the meaning of the tattoo outweighs any judgments or harsh comments thrown her way.
sic, theatre and chorus, these have always been an important part of my life. Which she definitely did inspire me to follow my passion. A few years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with stage four uterine cancer, which made her incapable of doing what she loves most: singing and enjoying the art of music. It was so difficult to watch someone so close to me be unable to do what she loves because of how weak she became, and I decided that the best way to express my emotions about this would be through a tattoo. Each day is an endless battle for my grandma physically and emotionally as she fights for her life. In the end, I knew the pain of getting a tattoo wouldn’t and shouldn’t bother me; my grandma’s pain was permanent,
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. The Circuit is a free publication available to approximately 4,700 students and 300 faculty and staff members of Cypress Bay High School. The publication prints 3,500 copies six times per year. 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. TO CONTACT US: CALL (754) 323- 0350, ext. 3277 eileen.manella@browardschools.com OR VISIT cbhscircuit.com
but mine would last 30 minutes. This past summer, I got a treble clef tattooed on my left rib to represent both my grandma and our shared passion for music. Coping with cancer is an unimaginably tiresome experience that never gets easier, but for me, having a part of my grandma with me permanently in the form of my tattoo has helped significantly. My dad volunteered to take me to the tattoo parlor, and at first, the pain wasn’t intolerable; however, when the artist started to fill in the top of the music note, the jabbing needle filling in the spaces was the most painful sensation I’ve ever felt. To relieve such pain, all I had to do was remember my reason behind it; if my
grandma could endure immense pain, I can too. Since that day, I’ve dealt with opposing views and nasty comments against my tattoo, even from my closest friends, but this criticism comes with any physical change. With any appearances, people are quick to judge so having something permanent, I wasn’t surprised over the judgment. I quickly learned to tune out what others think because if it makes me happy and able to be with my Grandma, that is all that truly matters. I am so thankful to know she will be with me through every show and every hardship in my life, and to know she will have a permanent place on my skin and in my heart.
HYBRID EDITORS
STAFF WRITERS
Editor-in-Chief: Rachel Schonberger
Opinion Copy Editor: Katherine Gibson
Managing Editor: Rachel Friedman
News Copy Editor: Lauren Pabian
News Editor: Jessie Chaiet
Features Copy Editor: Nyah Hardmon
Features Editor: Cassidy Sheldon
Arts & Ent. Copy Editor: Gabby Sonkin
Arts & Ent. Editor: Lucy Celentano
Sports Copy Editor: Eli Fuhrman
Sports Editor: Drew Siskind
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Layout Editors: Amanda Morgan
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OCTOBER 2017
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NEWS
OCTOBER 2017
Homecoming evokes spirit throughout week BY RACHEL FRIEDMAN Managing editor
With preparations beginning as far back as summer, members of the Student Government Association (SGA) are ensuring this year’s annual Homecoming Week will be one to remember. The “opposites attract”-themed week is set to begin Oct. 2 with daily dress-up days, and will conclude on Oct. 7 with the “Fire and Ice”-themed annual Homecoming Dance at the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort.
“
My goal is for everything to run smoothly and for the students to enjoy the new activities we have in store for them.
“
- senior Anabelle Agosto In order to encourage student participation and increase school spirit, SGA President Harrison Miller composed a school-wide vote on the Homecoming theme. This is the first year the student body was able to contribute ideas to the theme. “After much input, [SGA] narrowed the ideas down to two and allowed the students to choose,” he said. “I actually
preferred the losing theme better, but I love both ideas and I know that no matter what we do, it’s going to be awesome because we have great class officers that work super hard.” Because of the week-long break in Broward County Public schools due to Hurricane Irma, ticket sales were pushed back a week. SGA Treasurer Barbara Ramirez said this break put a lot of pressure on the SGA officers since they were only left with two weeks to finalize Homecoming preparations. “The stress of organizing Homecoming has overcome the excitement at the moment because of the time-crunch we are facing,” Ramirez said. “Despite the fact that we lost a great amount of time, I believe we will still have a good turnout because we haven’t done anything like this for homecoming before and it’s a very dynamic idea.” In addition to the Homecoming Dance, the week includes an annual pep rally, which will occur on Oct. 6 during fourth period. Senior Anabelle Agosto is co-chair of this event; her duties include selecting hosts, devising a plan for Principal Scott Neely’s entrance and overseeing the activities, floats and performances. “I’m so happy I was chosen for this position; it has shown me a great deal of responsibility and has gotten me more involved in the school. My goal is for everything to run smoothly and for the students to enjoy the new activities we
graphic courtesy of STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
have in store for them,” Agosto said. “Every year, Neely’s entrance is such a huge and exciting deal, and I get to help come up with ideas for his entrance with a committee of other SGA members.” Sophomore Nadine Peck said she loves participating in the dress-up days with her friends and is excited for the dance as this is her first year attending. “I’m really looking forward to both the dance and the spirit days; it’s so fun to dress up with my friends and take pictures,” she said. “I also love Homecoming week because it’s so cool to see all of the floats at Pep Rally that the classes put together.” For weeks, SGA members have been promoting the dance through socialmedia blasts and announcements. Because of the continuous advertising,
Ramirez said she is hopeful of a good turnout. “I hope everyone loves every aspect we put in to the night,” Ramirez said. “I want the seniors to leave very happy that it was an amazing last Homecoming, and I want the underclassman to want to come next year because it was so great.” Although Miller admits being in charge of the Homecoming Dance entails extreme responsibility, he is excited to take on the challenge. “I’m responsible for all of the little details incorporated into the night. All of the little things people wouldn’t normally think of are the things I have to think of,” Miller said. “As president, I have to make sure to always have a plan A, B, C and D, but I’m super excited for everyone to see how my hard work pays off.”
NEWS
OCTOBER 2017
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New clubs at the Bay
Paws Club aims to spread message of animal rescue throughout the community. By Jessie chaiet and amanda morgan news editor and layout editor
As an owner of four pets, junior Sami Haydu said she has always loved caring for animals. This has motivated her to start the Paws Club, a new club at the Bay that focuses on raising awareness for animal rescue. “I started Paws because I am super into animals and animal rescue and I know a lot of other people at Cypress are too,” Haydu said. “Being the owner of three dogs and a cat, animals have played a big role in my life, so it is really special for me to be able to share this passion with others.” Haydu said the Paws Club aims to spread the message of animal rescue throughout the community. Throughout the year, the Paws Club will participate in supply drives for animal rescues, fundraising projects and volunteering opportunities. “Many people know that it is good to rescue animals, but they don’t know how bad it is to directly purchase them,” Haydu said. “We work to educate as many people as possible while helping local animal rescues.”
The Paws Club had its first meeting on Sept. 28, and about 80 students attended. At the meeting, Haydu discussed goals and what membership entails. She said she informed her fellow students about the club through social media. “I chose [to promote the club through social media] because tons of students are involved this way, so it is an effective way to communicate,” Haydu said. “I was extremely happy with how the first meeting went. I had a personal goal for 40 people to attend the meeting, so to see this number nearly double was astonishing.” Junior Ashley Schienfeldt said she decided to join the Paws Club after hearing about it from Haydu. She said she is looking forward to community service projects and meeting new people through the club. “I decided to join because I love animals. This club is not a big club, so I feel that it would be easier to get more involved, and a plus is that it offers service hours,” Schienfeldt said. “I think this club is great and all animal lovers should join it.”
photo submitted by sami haydu
Ruff ruff: President Sami Haydu and treasurer Sabrina Lipkin promote Paws Club at Open House on Sept. 26. They passed out flyers and spoke to potential members about their club.
Haydu said she is excited about the future of the Paws Club and believes it can benefit the community significantly. “I think that with hard work, this club can accomplish major things. I have so many ideas for different projects the club can participate in, and I am so excited to
bring them to fruition,” Haydu said. “I think members will really enjoy Paws because many students at [the Bay] are really interested in animals and animal rescue, so to be able to be a part of a club that focuses on this should be a great experience.”
Yoga Club provides students with an opportunity to de-stress.
Taylor Teens is a club that works to benfit the community through service projects. Working in conjunction with the Jason Taylor Foundation (JTF), the new Taylor Teens club aims to help the underprivileged community by participating in service projects. Junior Devon Cohen decided to bring the club to the Bay after previously working with the JTF. “I think members will enjoy doing community service alongside a foundation started by a former football player,” Cohen said. The goal of Taylor Teens is to help the JTF expand. By helping the foundation expand, club members will be able to help underprivileged families in the community. “I think this club has the potential to help many people have a better and more privileged life,” treasurer of Taylor Teens Danielle Rudolph said. The first meeting will be on Oct. 12 where the officers will go over club goals and how members can get involved. “Hopefully, we can inspire many students to want to help with this foundation,” Rudolph said. “Members in this club will be able to spread awareness for people who are underprivileged.”
Cohen said she is excited for the future of Taylor Teens, especially the events that will benefit the community. “I am looking forward to seeing how the events we are planning turn out,” Cohen said. “We have put so much hard work into making these events great, and I really hope it pays off.” The club plans to work with the nonprofit organization Children’s Harbor throughout the school year. Cohen said they are organizing field day events and parties for the holidays. “Children’s Harbor is an amazing foundation and I am excited to be able to help them out,” Cohen said. Officers of Taylor Teens have been promoting the club through social media. Rudolph said she hopes students join because it will benefit the community. “I think members will enjoy this club because it will be a comfortable environment where people can help others and make a difference,” Rudolph said. “I am looking forward to seeing people’s lives change and to have other students realize that they can do a lot to help people who aren’t as fortunate as they are.”
In order to help students relax, junior Lilian Pakzad started the Yoga Club. At every meeting, members stretch and meditate to alleviate stress. “I started this club because I felt it was important for students to have a place to be able to relax and unwind,” Pakzad said. “I know my own friends are always talking about how stressed they are, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a yoga club at our school.” Yoga Club had its first general meeting on Oct. 3 where Pakzad handed out officer applications and discussed what the club will be doing. At future meetings, which will be every Tuesday, members will participate in yoga exercises. “I think members will enjoy the meetings because the environment is really fun and welcoming,” Pakzad said. “I know huge groups of friends who are deciding to come together, which is really nice to see because any activity can be made more enjoyable when you do it with your friend group.” At Open House, members of the Yoga Club set up a booth to inform parents about their goals with the club and
persuade them to get their children to join. “We thought this method would be more personal because we were able to talk to people one-on-one and really got to meet our potential members,” Pakzad said. Pakzad said meeting new people and creating a positive environment is one of the most important aspects of the Yoga Club. “The club is not only a place to get rid of things like stress and chronic pain, but you can also find a lot of friends,” Pakzad said. “We’re like a family you can confide in.” Throughout the year, Pakzad hopes the club can allow stressed students at the Bay to feel less overwhelmed. “Our goal is to reduce the stress of our hardworking peers and provide a more peaceful outlet with a more peaceful method; we also want to provide a support system for any given member,” Pakzad said. “I hope that [students] at our school see this club as beneficial and decide to continue coming.”
photo by alexis epstein
President Lilian Pakzad and Vice President Vicki Brandt share namaste:
information about Yoga Club with new members. Pakzad prepared a PowerPoint with information about the club and about the fundraising options. Members were voting whether they preferred to pay $10 for shirts or pay $10 and also fundraise in order to have enough money for shirts and yoga mats.
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OCTOBER 2017
In this issue’s recurring segment that explores current event topics affecting the nation, staffer Joseph Walsh speaks to students and teachers about the U.S. conflict with North Korea. What do you think about the situation in North Korea?
By Joseph WALSH
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea, has challenged American sovereignty by threatening the United States with nuclear power. On Sept. 3, North Korea tested what it claims to be a hydrogen bomb. The state is working towards miniaturizing hydrogen bombs to be mounted on missiles and launched at the United States. Junior Evan Manfrediz said he is afraid that a war between the U.S. and North Korea may be inevitable if relations continue to deteriorate. “I’m concerned about North Korea because of the possibility of the situation escalating into a war involving my home country,” Manfrediz said. “North Korea has the potential to bomb the west coast of the U.S., which could lead to millions of casualties.” Despite the threat of nuclear war with North Korea, Manfrediz believes the situation can be handled diplomatically. “If North Korea were to attack, it would be disastrous for them since there would be incredible backlash,” Manfrediz said. “I would assume that they would consider their options and not do anything they’d regret in the end.” Tensions between the two countries have been on the rise for years, but since the start of Trump’s presidency, relations between the U.S. and North Korea have
Maria Hernandez Junior
Cesar Fernandez Senior
“I think the situation in North Korea is terrible. I feel like no one has free speech there and people are brainwashed.”
“I think the nuclear threats are not a good thing for the whole world, not just North Korea. It’s putting other regions in danger, and it can mean major warfare.”
Emily Stringer Junior “We should all unite and try to establish peace with North Korea. World peace is important.”
Graphic by Jessie Chaiet
become more apparent. On Sept. 15, North Korea launched a missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean. In the weeks following this event, citizens of Hawaii and the Pacific territory of Guam have been preparing bunkers in the event of a nuclear detonation. “I am really worried for Americans on the Pacific coast,” junior Drue Shapiro said. “I hope the conflict can be resolved before a missile actually reaches the U.S.” Junior Jose Quinones said he thinks diplomacy is the only plausible way this crisis can be avoided. “I know that North Korea can’t risk the collapse of the entire country just to launch one missile,” Quinones said. “I
think it can be handled without bloodshed, but it would mostly be through cooperation from China as it’s the only ally North Korea has.” English teacher Leslie Rheingold said she hopes a peaceful solution is possible. “I hope it can be handled peacefully,” Mrs. Rheingold said. “I believe that will be the best way to handle it. Senior Christa Dalesandro said she worries that Trump is unqualified to handle this situation as it is so delicate. “With Trump’s track record thus far, I have little faith in his responsibility,” Dalesandro said. While people like Dalesandro are skeptical that the president will handle this situation responsibly, Mrs. Rheingold
said she still hopes that the president will do his part to maintain the peace. “I hope and pray that President Trump has smart, responsible people in charge of the situation,” she said. “If there was a war, it would mean so much destruction of human life.” Shapiro said that despite tensions with North Korea, she believes that the U.S. will eventually be able to reach a peaceful solution. “I know that government officials will be working tirelessly to protect the U.S.,” Shapiro said. “The most important thing for us to do as citizens is stay informed about the situation and stay united as Americans.”
OCTOBER 2017
FEATURES
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THE CIRCUIT
Language Lovers by nyah hardmon
features copy editor
Junior Coral Chico navigates the world through five different perspectives, a different one for each language she speaks. She speaks Spanish, English, Portuguese and Italian, while also signing American Sign Language (ASL). Chico learned all these languages at a young age, so she said she was able to easily adapt to conversation. “It’s not very hard for me to switch between different dialects,” Chico said. “I know them all so well and I’m constantly hearing a little bit of each of them every day.” She learned three out of the five vernaculars she speaks during her time in foreign countries. Before coming to Weston, Chico lived in Brazil for three years where she worked on improving her Portuguese. According to Chico, English and Spanish are the easiest for her to speak because those are the languages she practices most often; however, while she said her pronunciation may not be perfect, she still prides herself in her achievements in the other dialects. “I’m currently taking ASL 3, so I’m very comfortable with signing now,” Chico said. “And, even though Italian is my hardest to speak, I’m still pretty fluent in reading and understanding it.”
bilingual bae: (Counterclockwise) Junior Coral Chico explores Italy with her family. One of the many languages Chico speaks is Italian. She said this enabled her cultural immersion into Europe to be a more meaningful experience. Chico returns to Brazil, where she lived for part of her childhood. After living in South America for three years, she became fluent in Portuguese; however, she said she prefers speaking mostly English and Spanish. Sophomore Ian Chang visits his hometown in Guatemala. He said growing up there enabled him to become versed in many languages, including Spanish.
photo submitted by coral chico
“
A big bonus with knowing so many languages is that I’m not limited to which friends I can make because of barriers. I can spark up conversations with people from different parts of the world and it’s the best thing.
“
-junior Coral Chico Sophomore Ian Chang was also surrounded by various languages at a young age and adjusted by learning a new vernacular. Born and raised in Guatemala, Chang grew up speaking Spanish at home and within his daily lifestyle. However, he attended a private French school, which introduced him to a new vocabulary and culture. “I started going to the French school at such a young age, so the French culture shock was hard at first,“ Chang said. “However, I eventually picked up the language like it was second nature.” Ac c or d i ng to Chang, his parents insisted on his attendance of the French school to widen his knowledge of new cultures and experiences. When Chang came to the United States, he said he had to undergo the process all over again as he learned English. “It was weird at first to speak Spanish at home and French at school,” Chang said. “Once I finally got used to that switch, I
photo submitted by coral chico
was met with the whole other challenge of learning a brand new language which was much harder to pick up.” Although Chang said adapting to the different vocalization was not an easy thing to do, he said he does not regret the opportunities he received to broaden his cultural understanding. He said he uses his acquired knowledge to excel in language programs like AICE French. “I may not have recognized it at the time, but being able to learn many languages at once was one of the best things that could have happened to me,” Chang said. “It’s a skill that I still use and work to improve on today.” For French teacher Sonia Ramirez, she said her ability to speak more than one dialect impacts her everyday life as well. The teacher speaks French, Spanish and English, continuously building on each accent as she delves deeper into not only
the foreign linguistics but also the culture that accompanies them. Ms. Ramirez said she believes that languages are a key vehicle to pass on l i fest yles from one generation to the next and finds value in learning, sharing and knowing more about other countries and their distinct dialects. “It is sometimes difficult to communicate efficiently among people speaking the same way as you because not everyone you run into will speak the same tongue you do,” Ms. Ramirez said. “I cannot imagine my life without the three languages that I use daily.” Chico agrees that her ability to understand different speeches continues to provide various unexpected benefits. According to Chico, her knowledge of different languages makes it so much easier to communicate with many
photo submitted by Ian Chang
different people. “A big bonus with knowing so many languages is that I’m not limited to which friends I can make because of barriers,” Chico said. “I can spark up conversations with people from different parts of the world and it’s the best thing.” Ms. Ramirez said she strongly advocates the acquisition of foreign culture; a passion that she said eventually pushed her into teaching both Spanish and French. She said she uses foreign vernaculars to help students compete with the rest of the world; according to Ms. Ramirez, progressing in new languages opens the door to new opportunities that build more equipped global citizens. “Learning and teaching new languages has taught me they are not made to stay only on the pages of books,” Ms. Ramirez said. “The more you learn to use a language, the more it comes alive.”
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OCTOBER 2017
In this issue’s recurring segment that gives students an opportunity to learn more about the teachers they see every day, staffer Jake Miller interviews AICE General Paper and English 1 Gifted teacher, Jeanne Kielbasa.
What inspired you to be a teacher, more specifically a teacher at the Bay? I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was six years old, but I took a few detours along the way. I was living in California, going to college to become a teacher, but at the time there were too many graduates in the teaching field and it was hard to find a job. As I was trying to figure out what to do, I heard of a broadcasting school. Several people mentioned I had a nice voice, so I checked out the school and registered. I finished the course and received my First Class license for broadcasting. I worked in radio for roughly 20 years, then I went back to college and got my
What would you say is your teaching degree and the rest is history. I watched Cypress being built, and I favorite TV show and/or movie of all time? Does it relate to your teaching just knew I wanted to teach here. on a daily basis? Oh, I have so many, I can’t really Who would you say had the pare it down to one, but I would have most impact on your life? I guess Mrs. Ward, my first grade to say the old 1960s film “To Kill a teacher, impacted me at the age of Mockingbird.” It is my favorite book of six, because she was the first reason all time, and for the time it was filmed, I wanted to teach. She reinforced in I think it is a good representation of the me the love of reading, and she taught novel. I teach the book in class and try me that I was not the only person to apply many of the themes that reside in the universe. I was the annoying in the book, in the classroom. student who wanted to answer all the questions, and she kindly let me What is one thing that annoys you know there were others in class that most about being a teacher? had something to say as well. Sometimes standardized testing doesn’t allow for enough time to teach Why did you decide to teach and get creative in the classroom. English? I have loved reading ever since I What would you consider to be picked up my first book and could benefits or perks of being a teacher decipher the words on my own. It at the Bay? thrills me to share literary pieces We are fortunate enough to teach with my students, and the best part is in our own individual styles without to hear their interpretations and ideas. having to read or follow a script. In
English, we also have some freedom to teach a little out of the box. If you could teach one other grade and/or subject what would it be and why? Tenth grade English because I really like the curriculum. There are several books in this curriculum I love to teach because of the relatability factor such as “Fahrenheit 451.” I am amazed at this book because it was written in the 1950s and when you read the book, you see we are actually living in that society today. ATMs, huge screen televisions, graphic novels, iPods, just to name a few, were all in the imagination of Ray Bradbury, who brought them to life in his novel. How he had the foresight to envision this world we are living in today is astonishing to me.
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Newcomers adapt to surroundings
BY ANNABELLE DANIELSROSENBERG
For freshman Alyssa Williams, transferring to the Bay after recently moving to the United States was an adjustment. After living in London, England for several years, she said entering an unknown territory far from her home was intimidating. However, Williams said she was lucky to find other students in her situation, enabling her to have a smoother transition into South Florida. “It was very difficult during the first two weeks to make friends, knowing no one at all,” Williams said. “But, I’ve met two other people who have lived abroad so they understand the process, which is nice.”
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There is tons of freedom while everyone does their own thing. Also, in class everyone stays quiet in respect to the teacher, which was not always the case in my previous school.
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-sophomore Rhys McDonald
Due to the abundance of clubs and activities the Bay has to offer, Williams said she felt engaged in the school quickly and had already begun to make friends with other students. “There are so many clubs here at Cypress and everyone is so nice,” Williams said. “Moving back into the country has been warm because as soon as I started school, kids were happy to get me interested in clubs which helped me feel welcome.” Through her background in dance, Williams said she has used her skills to help her become involved in the school community. After finding her niche in the school’s color guard team, she said she was lucky to find such a great group of friends with whom she instantly connected. “I joined color guard being that I am a dancer and I immediately made friends and felt welcome because it is like they are one big family,” Alyssa Williams said. Sophomore Rhys McDonald transferred to the Bay this year from Somerset Academy. Like Williams, he said he was able to easily make friends before the school year even began due to his spot on the Varsity football team.
Graphic by Sophie Gaer
“Being on the football team made it easy to transition,” McDonald said. “However, it was not that hard to do as Cypress has a great environment and everyone is so kind.” Compared to his old school, McDonald believes the Bay has much more to offer to its students. He said he was happy to see how much free reign the students were given in classes and around campus from teachers and faculty members. “There is tons of freedom while everyone does their own thing,” McDonald said. “Also, in class, everyone stays quiet in respect to the teacher, which was not always the case in my previous school.” With the Bay being known as one of the largest high schools, McDonald said he was nervous about navigating around the massive campus. “The size was a little intimidating at first and I could not find my classes all that well but, I eventually got the hang of things,” McDonald said. Like McDonald, sophomore Katie Krohn was looking for something new when switching over to a new school. “With my sister recently attending the Bay, I wanted nothing more than to make
the change,” Krohn said. For Krohn, adapting to a new campus was not too challenging. She said she was not nervous since she had already made so many meaningful connections with her fellow cheerleaders on the Junior Varsity football cheerleading squad. “It has been pretty easy adjusting so far, it helped that I knew a few people,” Krohn said. “I also continue to meet new people everyday and being on the cheer team has definitely helped me adjust.” Along with new students joining the Bay, many teachers are taking new positions as well, such as English teacher and Yearbook adviser Ashley Poitras. Like Krohn, Ms. Poitras said her transition into the Bay has been a breeze due to the welcoming environment. “Everyone at Cypress Bay is so kind and helpful,” Ms. Poitras said. “I have a great support staff and all the teachers I have met are encouraging and always willing to help. It’s fantastic.” Mrs. Poitras said her biggest aspiration with her new career is to pass on her love for literature to her students. “I am most looking forward to my students and I meeting our goals and being successful in everything we do,”
Ms. Poitras said. “I hope to prepare my students for their upcoming years here at the Bay and as they continue their education.” For Krohn, she said her teachers and courses are helping to prepare her for her future compared to the classes at her previous high school. She believes attending the Bay was a smart switch that will greatly benefit her in her future educational endeavors. “Even my classes are much more enjoyable as I am taking the classes I want to while receiving quality education,” Krohn said. After just a couple weeks of school, Krohn said she knew it was a smart decision to make the switch. She said she is excited for the rest of the year and hopes that she will be able to finish out her high school career at the Bay. “I am most looking forward to learning and actually going to school while having some fun, unlike I did last year,” Krohn said. “Cypress has so much to offer and I cannot wait to experience it all.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Mission group lends helping hands
BY SOPHIA HANDLEY
A typical summer for most high school students usually involves taking a break from all the work they put in during the school year, but sophomore Paola Diaz found herself still hard at work. She decided to participate in a mission trip to an impoverished neighborhood in Nicaragua with the Everglades Community Church. “I chose to participate in this mission trip because it was offered by my church and the advisers there told me how great of an opportunity it would be,” Diaz said. “I also knew I would be able to do it with people I am friends with and that I would have an amazing experience.” During her weeklong mission trip, she and her church group helped supply the families with bags of everyday needs such as shampoo, lights and matches. Not only did they lend food and supplies, but they also connected with the children whom they were helping. “We wanted the teens to interact with the children, not only provide for them,” church mission trip planner Mason Dorsey said. “The bonds that were developed between the teens and the kids really made the experience amazing.” While visiting the families, Diaz said the meaningful bonds she formed with the children were special to her, and the children were appreciative of her church group for everything they had done to help. “The main reason we went was to build relationships with the families in the neighborhood,” Diaz said. “The
photos submitted by paola diaz
Happy Helper: Sophomore Paola Diaz and fellow members of her mission group dedicated their time and effort to a Nicaraguan community, which they helped support during the summer-long project. The team impacted the townspeople by providing necessities such as shelter, clothing and food. According to Diaz, the experience not only provided a chance for her to help others in need, but she said her volunteer efforts also proved to be a worthwhile encounter.
kids have so much love in them and are grateful for everything they have even if it’s not as much as we do.” Diaz and her church group played games and activities with the children while also caring for them. She said she enjoyed connecting with families from a different type of community and loved brightening their day. “We played soccer with them, we painted their faces, we had a block party for them and all this brought so many smiles to their faces,” Diaz said. “They
just wanted to get to know all of us, although they appreciated the things we provided for them, what mattered most to kids was spending time and building friendships with us.” Diaz said her whole outlook on life had changed. When it was time for her and her church group to leave, she said she was upset that she had to leave her new friends. “The last day we were with them a lot of the kids were crying. When we had to say our goodbyes, they hugged us so hard
and chased our van when we took of,” said Diaz. “I was heartbroken when we had to leave. These kids showed us more love than I ever could have imagined.’’ Although the trip only lasted a week, Diaz said she gained so much experience from spending time with the children and providing for them throughout the week. “The experience was an once-in-alifetime opportunity,” Diaz said. “I am so fortunate to be able to give back to others in other countries who really need the support and help.”
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OCTOBER 2017
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Crazy for Crocs ic
ph
a Gr
features editor
Sneakers, flip-flops and sandals are everyday shoes to wear to school. But now, students are adding a splash of color to their wardrobe with the infamous colorful clogs known as Crocs. The 2007 fad is making its way back on store shelves and on students’ feet. With many colors to choose from and an assortment of different charms, or jibbitz, Crocs are increasing in popularity. White rubber clogs with Spongebob and Minion charms are a fashion essential for sophomore Beau Simon. Not only are they comfortable shoes, but he said they also give him an outlet to express his passions and interests. Simon, a Crocs owner for as long as he can remember, said he
I love how casual and easy-going they are. When I am in a hurry and need to grab a pair of shoes, I always get my Crocs.
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-freshman Lindsay Zifrony
loves Crocs because of their individuality and ease. “I like that Crocs are comfortable,” he said. “I have almost 20 jibbitz.”
“I think Crocs are kind of useless. They are not comfortable, your feet get gross and they are ugly.” -Senior Lance Kotler
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Simon is one of many students at the Bay bringing back this controversial footwear. Freshman Lindsay Zifrony is also a fan of the shoes’ style. After getting her first pair last March, she said Crocs have become her go-to shoes. “I love how casual and easy-going they are,” she said. “When I’m in a hurry and need to grab a pair of shoes, I always get my Crocs. Lacrosse player junior Lauren Nau says these colorful clogs are easy to dress up on game days. She said she even wears her lacrosse number,14, as a charm on her Crocs. “I love that I can wear cute socks with them and show them off,” she said. Nau said her orange and blue Crocs show off her college spirit. She said she wears her pair to represent her love for the University of Florida. Yet, not everyone is a fan of the footwear. For junior Guilherme Heise, Crocs are neither appealing nor comfortable. “They’re made out of rubber and have holes in them,” Heise said. “I just don’t understand the hype.” Even though some people do not want to add Crocs to their wardrobe, the many fans are not letting the Croc critics get in their way. Zifrony said she wears her Crocs for herself, not for anyone else. “When people mention something about my Crocs, I tell them I don’t care,” Zifrony said. “I continue to wear them anyway.”
by cassidy sheldon
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“I hate Crocs. I think that only little kids under the age of 10 should get a free pass to wear them.” -Freshman Gianna Ubiera
“My favorite jibbit would have to be the Luigi character from the Super Mario Bros. series.” - Junior Carlos Piña
“Crocs are comfortable and you can wear them anywhere. They are fashionable, but leave a bad tan line.” -Junior Charles Chang
“Crocs are a great invention and whoever made them is a genuis. They are comfortable but not pretty.” -Sophomore Sabrina Rovira
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OCTOBER 2017
THe things they carried FEATURING Julie gonzalez 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, Graphics Editor Sophie Gaer interviews sophomore Julie Gonzalez to discover the meaning behind five items.
poetry book Gonzalez carries a poem book in her bag. A few years ago, her best friend moved away and left Gonzalez a touching keepsake full of poems about the times they shared together. “I keep this poetry book with me at all times,” Gonzalez said. “It’s sort of a keepsake that resembles our friendship, which is very important to me.”
sketch book
Sophomore Julie Gonzalez carries a sketchbook with her everywhere she goes, and can never be found without it. Gonzalez said she likes to keep it handy for whenever inspiration strikes. Art is a passion of hers and she uses her sketchbook as an outlet for her creativity. “I always loved to draw, especially when I was young,” Gonzalez said. “I really like to doodle and draw things, like people and nature.”
Earbuds
Gonzalez always makes sure to keep her headphones in her backpack. Her music allows her to remain calm and get through the school day. Gonzalez said she finds that music is able to help her grow as an artist, while also soothing her nerves. “Music helps channel my creative side and get my inspiration going,” Gonzalez said.
Purple coin pouch Gonzalez said she enjoys vacationing with her family. Recently, she and her family traveled to Dubai to explore the country and visit family friends. While she was abroad, Gonzalez bought a small handmade coin purse that she now keeps in her bag. “I bought this coin purse from a little stand in Dubai,” Gonzalez said. “I miss my family friends, and it symbolizes the memories I made there.”
makeup
Gonzalez is a big makeup fan and keeps the essentials with her to use throughout the day. Her make-up bag staples include a highlighter duo and mascara to touch up and continue looking fresh during the school day. “Makeup has always been a big part of me and has been a passion of mine for as long as I remember,” Gonzalez said.
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Makeup has always been a big part of me and has been a passion of mine for as long as I remember.
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-sophomore Julie Gonzalez
OCTOBER 2017
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Where are they now?
Alumni Strike
Class of 2011
‘I can’t help but think how appreciative I am.’ Alumna Ariana Lipkin is working her dream job as a news producer at Spectrum News. by alexis epstein
news photo editor
Alumna Ariana Lipkin, who graduated from the Bay in 2011,never thought her dream of working for a major news station would come true. However, today she is the Spectrum News television broadcast producer in Austin, Texas. As a news producer, she is responsible for making sure the news gets on television in a quick and accurate manner. “I never gave up hope that I would someday accomplish my long-term goal of working for a news station in a major market,” Lipkin said. Her responsibilities include pitching, developing and creating original content. She also oversees the reporters, PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY alexis epstein verifying that they turn in their stories on time, edits videos, Newsworthy: Alumna Ariana Lipkin is producing news for the Spectrum News team. After guides the directors as to what to graduating from the Bay, she attended the University of Florida and then interned at many local put on screen, tells the anchors and nation-wide broadcasting stations to get to the position she has today. what to say and makes sure no one embarrasses themselves on television. “It’s a lot of responsibility because if something goes wrong in the show, it’s on me and I need to accept that,” Lipkin said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I could never have a normal-paced office job after this.” Lipkin said she was interested in the news field because she wanted to make an impact on other people’s lives and help them, even if it was only in a small way. “For me, bringing people the information they use to protect themselves is the perfect use of my talents,” Lipkin said. “In a world filled with an abundant amount of negativity, I wanted to bring some positivity to people’s lives, even if it’s just forced me to think outside the linger on the process really telling them what’s going on in direct a show. “I can’t help but think how box and learn where I needed helps you significantly improve, their community.” Participating in the Bay’s appreciative I am to Mr. Doster to improve,” Lipkin said. “[For] and now I can help a reporter to Television Production class and CBTV for teaching me some competitions, you have write content or a story in less (CBTV) helped to guide her these techniques,” Lipkin said. limited time and resources to than a day.” In her Advanced Placement in her decision to go into this “When I use them, I don’t even finish your project. You need to think about what I’m doing learn how to get the job done no (AP) Literature class at the Bay, industry. she learned how to analyze “When I took the TV because they come naturally to matter the obstacle.” Lipkin also interned with different types of writing, find Production class freshman year, me.” She also entered in every Broward Teen News where the meaning behind why a piece I fell in love with it, ” Lipkin said. “I wanted to learn more TV and news competition that she worked on a feature story of literature was written and about the ins and outs of live she was able to, as she said it for a whole quarter to ensure why it’s important. She credits production and decided that’s was a good way to test what perfection. This helped her by this skill to her teacher, Simone what I wanted to do after I she had been learning. Some of adding relevant experience on Waite. “The ability to analyze an the competitions were Florida her college resume and showed graduated.” The skills she learned over Scholastic Press Association that she was passionate and author’s motivations actually comes in handy in journalism,” her four years at the Bay have (FSPA), Skills USA, Student committed to her future career. “[This internship] gave me Lipkin said. “Everything that translated to the present day and Television Network (STN) and benefited her immensely. She an honorable mention for a the time to really focus on a goes on air has a story behind story and how to put it together,” it that we want to portray learned how to use a camera, student Emmy. “[These competitions] Lipkin said. “Being able to to viewers and this skill is edit videos, write stories and
significantly easier for me than other producers.” Mrs. Waite said that she is aware of Lipkin’s current career and remembers her as loving AP Literature. She said she predicted that Lipkin would go far in life, no matter what career path she chose to take. “She was always a good writer and was involved with TV Production and Newspaper,” Mrs. Waite said. “She was a top student with an ethical way of viewing the world and had a strong work ethic.” While attending the University of Florida (UF), Lipkin tried to take advantage of every opportunity she could, as she was always up for learning something new. Her big break came when she had the chance to intern for NBC News Miami Bureau, which produces the content for the “Today Show” and “NBC Nightly News” for the southeastern region of the United States. “Before I took that internship I was more focused on being a reporter,” Lipkin said. “My internship with NBC helped me realize that what I really enjoyed was producing.” After Lipkin graduated from UF, she worked at WCJB, the ABC affiliate in Gainesville, but said she wanted to challenge herself by finding a job outside of her home state of Florida. “I knew that it would be more difficult to find jobs outside of Florida because people in the state have loyalty to their natives, but I was ready to start a new chapter in my life,” Lipkin said. After applying and having a phone interview, Lipkin was hired by Spectrum News. She packed her bags and headed to Austin, Texas and started to work for them in May of 2016. “It was nerve-racking, moving away from the home that I’ve always known, but I was ready to leave Florida and start this amazing opportunity,” Lipkin said. Lipkin said that she feels she’s completed her goal of impacting people’s lives, as Spectrum just finished doing their wall-to-wall coverage on Hurricane Harvey. “I was lucky enough to go out and field produce during the storm. Everyone we ran into was just trying to do whatever they could to help others,” Lipkin said. “It was a really tough experience, but I’m grateful to have had it.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Hurricane calls for school board action By Jessie Chaiet News Editor
As Hurricane Irma hit South Florida on Sept. 9 and 10, members of the Broward County School Board were in charge of restoring schools and getting everything back in order. Throughout the hurricane, the school board posted on social media and sent automated phone c a l l s, t e x t mess a g es and emails to update students and parents about when school would be resuming. “The district utilizes social media—Facebook and Twitter—on a regular basis to provide information and updates, so that was incorporated into our communications,” District 6 School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson said. “We used as many avenues as possible to get the information out to everyone.” Due to the hurricane, the school board cancelled school from Sept. 7 to Sept. 18. Two days were given before the hurricane to give students and parents time to prepare. After the hurricane, schools had to be checked to determine when they could resume. Broward Schools Chief of Staff Jeffrey Moquin was in charge of the administrative response to the hurricane. He said it was important to get schools running so that Broward County as a whole could get back to normal. “If students don’t have the ability to go to school, it has a tremendous impact on their parents and their ability to go to work,” Mr. Moquin said. “The school district is a very critical partner in terms of recovery after the school; I think that collectively we did a great job in minimizing the impact and the disruptions to the community as a whole.” Mrs. Levinson said an important part of reopening schools was making sure all schools had power. After the storm, about 70% of Broward County Public Schools did not have power, so the school board had to work with Florida Power and Light (FPL). “Basically, we couldn’t open the schools until we had power, so we really had to rely on [FPL],” Mrs. Levinson said. “If there had been more significant
damage, that would’ve been a factor, but because of the way the hurricane ended up impacting us, it was based solely on power.” Additionally, 29 Broward County Public Schools served as evacuation centers during the hurricane. These shelters had to be cleared before schools could reopen. “ F l o r i d a statute requires that the district provide its schools to the county, and it’s primarily the county’s r e s p o n sibility to advise us when t h e y w a n t to go a head a n d open u p
shelt e r s,” Mr. Moquin said. “We provided sort of a base staffing at each of the sites, but the county in conjunction with the American Red Cross managed the shelters during the storm and made the determination as to when they’re going to open shelters and how many they are going to open.” During the hurricane, Assistant Principal Kassandra Fried was in charge of communications with the school board. She received messages from the school board and conveyed them to department heads and other administrators at the Bay. “I think the communications were successful because we planned before we were even out of school,” Mrs. Fried said.
News Calendar General • • • •
PSAT Testing, Oct. 11 Town Hall Meeting, Oct. 24 ACT Testing, Oct. 28 Senior Cap and Gown Assembly, Oct. 30
Clubs • • • •
“Part of our preparation was to make sure we had everybody’s contact information and we created groups so that we were able to be in touch with everyone as much as possible, which was very important.” Before schools could open again, administrators had to check the campus to ensure that all buildings had power and there was no debris or damage. Assistant Principal Marianela Estripeaut said the custodial staff was very helpful in restoring the campus. “Our custodial staff was fabulous; they put in work orders right away,” Mrs. Estripeaut said. “Immediately, we got custodians to clean the ground, the debris, the branches, so that when [students] came in it looked like nothing had happened.” Because seven days of school were cancelled, the school calendar will be adjusted to compensate for the days off. The early release days on Oct. 19 and Dec. 22 will be made full days. In addition, second quarter will now begin on Oct. 30 and third quarter will now begin on Jan. 16. However, Advanced Placement (AP) English teacher Erica Machado said AP teachers will not be able to recover lost days that could have been used to prepare students for exams. “Even if Broward decided to tack on extra school days or we use the days that are already built in, the test is an international test that students are taking, so [AP teachers] technically lost a week of instruction that we won’t get back before the exam,” Mrs. Machado said. Mrs. Machado said she stayed updated throughout the storm by using her Twitter. The Broward Schools’ Twitter posted at least once a day about the current states of the schools. “[Twitter] was easy and seemed to be updated more frequently than the newscasters were reporting on the schools opening,” Mrs. Ma chado
an update they would tweet something, so I was always aware of what was happening,” Vigliarolo said. “Everyone is using social media, so it’s the best way for people to communicate.” Mrs. Estripeaut said she thought the Bay handled the hurricane well. She said she was impressed by the motivation of teachers to get back to work. “Our teachers are so wonderful that even though they were dealing with their own crises at home, they wanted to come into school even though school was closed so that they could start working on stuff to get ready for their students,” Mrs. Estripeaut said. “I can see that they were eager to come back because they were concerned about losing all of that time and all that curriculum.” Mrs. Fried believes that Hurricane Irma provided many valuable lessons for how to improve communications in the future if there were to be another hurricane. “This certainly was an experience that was new for us because this was a big storm and we were supposed to really get the brunt of it, but I think that it has prepared us for the next time,” Mrs. Fried said. “We have gotten through it and understand the importance of making sure we had communication down so we were able to get in touch with people. We were able to tweak things that didn’t work, so moving forward we’re even more prepared.” Mr. Moquin said he was extremely pleased with how the Broward County School Board prepared and recovered from Hurricane Irma. “I have worked with Broward County Public Schools now for over 20 years and I am always amazed at how well the school system comes together to do what’s in the best interest of the community, our students and our parents,” Mr. Moquin said. “I am always amazed at the amount of commitment and dedication that the employees have for the school system. I think how the school system responds to some of the most critical challenges, like a hurricane, is truly a testament to the people we have that work in the school system.”
said. Like Mrs. Machado, sophomore Valentina Vigliarolo said she often checked the Broward Schools’ Twitter account to see when school would resume. “Every time the board members had
EHS Meeting, Oct. 16 HOSA Meeting, Oct. 17 Key Club Meeting, Oct. 25 Best Buddies Social, Oct. 27
College Visits • • • • •
Tulane Univ., Oct. 13 Duke Univ., Oct. 16 New York Univ., Oct. 17 Vanderbilt Univ., Oct. 24 American Univ., Oct. 31
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OCTOBER 2017
Adventure Time by josie clancy
sports mult. editor
For junior Nicolas Henriquez, being high above the ground has no bearing on him, even if he is bungee jumping off the side of a mountain in Queenstown, New Zealand. Students at the Bay spend a total of 180 days in school preparing for tests, completing homework and attending classes; therefore, when school is let out for vacation, students like Nicolas Henriquez use this time to do the extreme. “My brother and I had been looking forward to crazy and adventurous activities on the trip, and we had previously read that Queenstown was famous for bungee jumps,” Henriquez said. “We were so psyched and excited to jump, so being able to have the opportunity was amazing.”
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My brother and I had been looking forward to crazy and adventurous activities on the trip, and we had previously read that Queenstown was famous for bungee jumps. We were so psyched and excited to jump, so being able to have the opportunity was amazing.
Photo submitted By nicolas henriquez
Free falling: Junior Nicolas Henriquez bungee jumps off a mountain side in Queenstown, New Zealand during his summer break. The sport of bungee jumping can be done in many places all over the world, but it is most popular in New Zealand due to it being the birthplace of the activity.
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-junior Nicolas Henriquez
Initially, Henriquez said climbing a mountain at such a high elevation seemed intimidating, but he did not want to miss out on this unique chance. “Scaling the mountain obviously gave me butterflies in my stomach, but I wasn’t going to back down. I counted down from three, started running off the platform and took a leap of faith,” Henriquez said. “In that moment, I was airborne. I felt like nothing was holding me back, and I was free.” As a child, Henriquez said he was never one who took risks, but as he has gotten older, he now craves the adrenaline rush. “When I was younger, I was never a thrill seeker. I hated roller coasters and I never truly went out of my way to do things that got the blood pumping,” Henriquez said. “However, after this crazy experience, my perspective towards these types of activities has most certainly changed.” Junior Ramyar Daneshgar said he also seeks adventure and went on a private helicopter ride in Tampa, Fla. He believes this experience gave him a new perspective on the world around him. “You get a divergent outlook of earth, similar to how a bird perceives the land,” Daneshgar said. “It feels as if the time goes faster than usual.” Like Daneshgar, Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science and Biology teacher Laura Ashley has also had a history with adventurous pursuits. Mrs. Ashley said that she always had a desire to train dolphins and was able to live out this dream at a facility in Key Largo for seven years. “When I would go to aquariums as
a child, I would always have to see the dolphin show,” Mrs. Ashley said. “I was always jealous of the trainers and the interaction they had with the dolphins. The dolphins enjoyed the trainers and the trainers enjoyed the dolphins.” Mrs. Ashley said although there were many unforgettable moments as a dolphin trainer, one of her most memorable experiences was when Samantha, a dolphin she worked with for seven years, had a baby. “I was in the water a few hours after the baby was born and Samantha swam by me multiple times with the baby on my side,” Mrs. Ashley said. “This was very special because normally when people are in the water the mothers keep the baby away from them, so the fact that she brought her hour-old calf over to me shows the kind of bond that we had.” Between having the ability to work with dolphins every day and forming a deep friendship with the mammals, Mrs. Ashley said that being a dolphin trainer was her most adventurous career choice. “To know you get to work with these amazing, intelligent animals is the greatest feeling in the world,” Mrs. Ashley said. “The dolphin you work with becomes photo submitted by ramyar daneshgar more than an animal, they become your best friend, you understand each other. Flying over florida: Junior Ramyar Daneshgar looks over the Atlantic Being a dolphin trainer is definitely one of Ocean off the coast of Tampa while inside a helicopter. He said the overall expethe best life experiences I have ever had.” rience of the ride impacted how he views the natural world around him.
OCTOBER 2017
FEATURES
Q&A with a current student
of being a high school senior to a freshman at an out-of-state college? It was hard because at colleges like the University of Florida many students from Cypress go there already knowing lots of people ahead of time, while as in North Carolina, I knew absolutely no one; my roommate was random so ultimately I was by myself. However, I think this What made you want to attend the was an advantage because it forced me University of North Carolina? to jump out of my comfort zone and be One major factor was that it had one sociable because if not, I was going to be of the top ten business schools in the alone for all four years. country. It also offered an abundance of opportunities to study abroad, and the What made you want to apply out alumni network is said to be incredible. of state? I had a friend that attended UNC and she I really just wanted to step out of my said nothing but amazing things. comfort zone. I was tired of living in Florida, going to hang out at the same How did you adjust to the transition places and being surrounded by the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) is a public research institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Cypress Bay class of 2016 graduate Corina Mintzias is a sophomore at the university. She spoke to The Circuit’s Ellie Sachs about her experience there.
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information compiled from http://admissions.unc.edu
same people all the time. I essentially just wanted to be around new people that would inspire and challenge me and have the same level of drive as me. I wanted an experience that was going to be completely different from the experience I grew up with. What is your favorite part about UNC? My favorite part would definitely have to be the people here. I am going to be honest and say that I expected people to be a little bit more ‘redneck,’ but I have my absolute best friends here and could not be happier. I actually get to experience all four seasons, unlike in Florida, where it is summer all year long. I also am a part of some awesome organizations, and I feel that I am going to have such an amazing
future because of the school I chose. What is some advice you wish you had as a college freshman? I wish someone would have made it clear to me just how important it is to be open-minded in order to have the best experience possible, especially at an out-of-state school where you know absolutely nobody. Basically, during your first semester, say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, go to every social gathering, every interest meeting and every class you can possibly be interested in. If you don’t experience it then you will never be able to find yourself in the university.
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FEATURES
OCTOBER 2017
Vegans view lifestyle as increasingly accessible by rachel schonberger Editor-In-chief
Senior Sofy Ramirez’s Twitter biography seems simple: “v.” But the reason behind that letter is more complex than two slanted lines. Five months ago, Ramirez completely altered her diet, embracing a vegan lifestyle. Though she said she has always been interested in nutrition, Ramirez was only recently convinced by the positive effects of veganism. “I kept looking into the animals that are affected and how the environment is affected and even how people around the world are affected by animal agriculture,” Ramirez said. “I decided I just couldn’t contribute to it anymore.” Weston’s newer restaurants have expanded the pool of local vegan options. Healthy juice and bowl bar Raw Juce uses only vegan ingredients, except for honey, and nitrogen ice cream shop ChillN offers a vegan Coconut Milk alternative. Ramirez has not had problems finding food that matches her diet and said she has reaped many benefits. “My skin is clearer, I lost weight and I have so much more energy, but overall, I find myself a happier person,” Ramirez said. “I don’t feel like I’m hurting animals, the planet or my body anymore.” Although Ramirez brings her own lunch to school, if she ever forgot a meal, she would always have an option at the Bay Cafe. Along with a peach cup and a zucchini squash medley, she could eat
a vegan salad with beans or black beans over white rice. “Schools should be able to provide children with more nutritious lunches than chicken nuggets or burgers, and I believe that is made possible with more vegan meals,” Ramirez said. “Rice and beans, purely vegan salads, soups and even PB&J sandwiches are healthier. People think vegan meals are harder than they truly are.” However, senior Karla Zurita said the school still has a way to go in order to fully accommodate its vegan students. “ Cypress Bay could do a lot more to provide healthier and more environmentally-friendly options, which is what I’m trying to do as president of Ecology Club,” Zurita said. “I am trying to start a school garden to grow fruits and veggies and hopefully eventually incorporate them in lunches. I believe allowing students the option for healthier choices will show the school’s genuine care for the welfare of students.” With her design for the garden approved, Zurita is only waiting for more students to join Ecology Club and the cooperation of the City of Weston to expand the efforts and audience of her project. “I’m hoping that Cypress Bay and Weston begin to think more sustainably,” Zurita said. “We as a community have the resources to fund sustainable efforts, but there are not enough people to actually get things to happen. I’m hoping through this garden people will begin to think
graphic by Austin DUnne
more consciously about what they’re putting into their body.” One of Zurita’s main influences to shift her diet to veganism was her Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class last year. “I learned about the determinant effects animal agriculture has on the environment through methane and carbon dioxide emissions, thus encouraging me to go full on vegan,” Zurita said. “Eating organically-grown foods rather than foods grown in monoculture really does impact your health and our environment.” AP Environmental Science teacher and Ecology Club adviser Laura Ashley has been mentoring Zurita in her plans for a school garden. “The members are growing some
flowers and vegetables, and hopefully, if we get enough, they want to start doing a mini farmer’s market to promote fresh vegetables that we grow ourselves,” Ashley said. Though Zurita plans that the club will not start planting until December, in the meantime she said she hopes to promote veganism and a more environmentallyfriendly community. “I realized how easy and self-rewarding this lifestyle is. I started feeling so much better about myself, physically and mentally,” Zurita said. “Every time I choose to not consume animal products, I am resisting a system that oppresses and exploits through the division of classes, and in this case, it’s defenseless animals that do not consent to our consumption.”
Friends tighten bonds through travel by jenna friedman Pr manager
When sophomores Anna Wilentz and Sam Brodsky left for a teen tour to Ecuador and the Galapagos, they said they had no idea how greatly it would end up fortifying their bond as friends. Many students at the Bay travel, not only with their families, but also with their peers. For Wilentz, she said touring new locations with her closest friend has brought their companionship to a new level. “Having the experience of traveling made our friendship stronger, and we have become better friends,” Wilentz said. “It was like living with my best friend for a few days, and we learned a lot about each other.” After a lifetime of traveling with just her family, Wilentz said she loves the excitement of going on trips with her closest companion and seeing Ecuador and the Galapagos in a new light. “I prefer traveling with friends because I have traveled with my family my entire life, and going away with a friend allowed me to experience it with someone new,” Wilentz said. “Being with my best friend means that I’m guaranteed to have a good time, so traveling with her is amazing.” Like Wilentz, sophomore Grace Chrupcala has also vacationed with her close friends and said the trips tend to be more adventurous. She said she has an even better time on vacations when she goes with a larger group of her peers. “With friends, I have gone to New York City, Maine, Rhode Island and Orlando,” Chrupcala said. “We all have a lot of fun because traveling gives us new adventures to go on as a group of friends.” Chrupcala said she loves vacationing
photos submitted by Sam brodsky
Giving and gaining: Sophomores Sam Brodsky and Anna Wilentz spent the past summer traveling together on a teen tour to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands where they aided in a variety of community service projects and activities.
with family as well, but she does prefer going places with acquaintances instead because of the sense of freedom. “In my opinion, it’s so much better to travel with friends than to travel with family,” Chrupcala said. “I can say and do whatever I want in front of my friends and they won’t judge me. We are all really comfortable around each other.” Although Chrupcala said she prefers
a “friend-cation,” she said the adventures are an extreme test to her relationships. She said friends can become irritating after a weekend of rooming together and she begins to treat them more like her family members. “I love my friends, but when I was traveling with them, some of them could get annoying,” Chrupcala said. “Although I did get pretty annoyed with most of them,
I have no doubt that it strengthened the bond between us. Being able to live with each other was something we had never gone through before.” Like Chrupcala, senior Ben Rushing said he also prefers vacationing with peers rather than family. During his trips to Naples with friends, he said he was able to participate in activities he was truly interested in and had more memorable experiences. “When we went to Naples, we all got so much closer as a group from all of the time that we spent together,” Rushing said. “I think traveling with friends is more fun than traveling with family because I prefer to do the things that my friends like over what my parents like.” Advanced Placement Psychology teacher David Geller said he believes kids would prefer exploring new locations with acquaintances over family because they would feel they can express their personality in a different, more genuine way. “People feel less restrained when they’re with friends than when they’re with family,” Mr. Geller said. “There are changes in vocabulary, mannerisms and personality when people are with their friends.” While Mr. Geller said there may always be a part of people, children or adults that would want to vacation with friends over family, he said that family is always his first choice. “I think it would be quite sad if an adult has a choice and they choose friends over their family,” Mr. Geller said. “There is going to be a part of people who would think they would have more fun if they were with their friends, but to me, family always comes first.”
FEATURES
OCTOBER 2017
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New school year calls for excitement By Amanda Morgan Layout Editor
For freshman Xavier Rosario, the first day of school was filled with anticipation as he looked forward to new opportunities and experiences that this year would bring him. “Obviously, the thought of going back to school after a long and stress-free break was not my idea of excitement,” Rosario said. “Although I did feel more excited than I have in the past to go back to school, I like the idea of starting over in a new school.” Rosario said he knew that the transition from middle school to high school was going to be a big adjustment, but now that he is getting over the anxiety of going to a new and bigger school, he said he enjoys having so much freedom.
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Although I did feel more excited than I have in the past to go back to school, I like the idea of starting over in a new school.
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- freshman Xavier Rosario
graphic by amanda morgan
improve as an actor,” Turner said. “I also really hope this works out because I would love to get to know Mrs. Lutwin better. I think she is a really great teacher and can help me stay on task and become a better actor.”
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As president of Best Buddies, I’m super excited to start planning the annual events and to start recruiting members. I am also really excited to work with the new officer team and make this year even better than the last.
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-senior Sara Schlussel
However, Turner has decided not to limit herself to theater this year. She describes herself as very artistic
and said she also looks forward to continuing her passions in her art class this year. “I really hope I can put a lot of effort into art this year,” Turner said. “I am excited to learn new skills that will help me improve my paintings.” After moving from Baltimore, Maryland at the beginning of last school year, Turner said she did not have the easiest time adjusting to a new school with new people and a completely new atmosphere, but she said she plans on being more extroverted in and out of school. “I have not been the best at reaching out and meeting many new friends after I moved, and I am very excited to work on that this year,” Turner said. Not only are students looking forward to the upcoming year, but teachers are as well. New English teacher and yearbook adviser Ashley Poitras said she looks forward to being the best teacher she can be and bringing her passion for literature and creativity into the lives of her students. “I have worked on yearbooks in the
past and I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the Bay as we work to make this year’s yearbook an incredible one,” Ms. Poitras said.
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I feel like if I can get the opportunity to work as a lead cast member, it will obviously give me more experience in acting, which will overall help me improve as an actor.
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“The freedom that we get at Cypress Bay has definitely contributed to my excitement for the year,” Rosario said. “I feel so much more in control of my responsibilities and my future. It makes me much more motivated to work towards my goals.” Senior Sara Schlussel said she is excited to fulfill her new position as president of Best Buddies throughout the year. “As president of Best Buddies, I’m super excited to start planning the annual events and to start recruiting members,” Schlussel said. “I am also really excited to work with the new officer team and make this year even better than the last.” Sophomore Caitlin Turner saw the new school year as a new opportunity to improve on her acting career. “I am really looking forward to ‘Camp Rock’ here at Cypress Bay,” Turner said. “I have been taking singing lessons for a few years now so I am confident that this year I can get a lead role.” Turner has performed at the Bay before, but her roles were small. She is now in the audition process for American Musical Theater (AMT) 2’s production of “Camp Rock.” This coming year, she said she hopes to be featured in a more prominent role. “I feel like if I can get the opportunity to work as a lead cast member, it will obviously give me more experience in acting, which will overall help me
- sophomore Caitlin Turner
“We have a great group of students working on the yearbook and I am looking forward to seeing the final product come together.”
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FEATURES
OCTOBER 2017
Freshmen adapt to new environment By jessica sobel
online features editor
Whether it is the concern of getting lost in the crowd, not making enough friends or underachieving in classes, the start of high school comes with many fears. For freshman Matthew Sloboda, his greatest fear was definitely the academic pressure associated with high school. “I was extremely nervous because everything I do academically throughout the next four years of my life will matter,” Sloboda said. “Whether it be an exam or just a simple quiz, prior to starting high school, I never had these expectations
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I am most looking forward to what everyone refers to as the high school experience and all the amazing times in the future.
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-freshman Matthew Sloboda
from my teachers, parents or peers.” Before the beginning of the school year, English I Gifted and AICE General Paper teacher Mrs. Jeannie Kielbasa said the incoming students would have various preconceived notions about their next four years. “Some feel high school is not nearly as intimidating or scary as they thought by what they might have been told by oth-
graphic by sophie gaer
ers,” Mrs. Kielbasa said. “Some who have not had to study extensively in the past now realize, oops, now we have to take notes and crack open that book.’” On the first day of school, Sloboda said he was anxious about not knowing whom to sit with in his classes and having to make new friends. However, he said he was quickly able to discover his new peer group. “I am generally a social person, so after the first week I did know who I was going to get closer to and who I was going to stay away from,” Sloboda said. “Now, I am not nervous about the social aspect at all and settling in did not take as long as I expected.” Like Sloboda, freshman Alexa Oster said she was afraid of performing well in
her rigorous courses and becoming overwhelmed with the extensive workload associated with them. “The difficulty in the classes and the worry that I will not be able to bring up my grades definitely does scare me,” Oster said. “We have already gotten a lot of work in the first week, so I wonder what it will be like for the rest of the year.” While having an older brother, Joey Sloboda, who graduated with the class of 2017, to guide him throughout the process was a weight off of Sloboda’s shoulders, he said he often felt burdened by teachers’ previous perceptions. “As much as I love having an older brother who had completed the entire Bay experience and walked me through what to avoid as well as what to get into, I am
also dreading it,” Sloboda said. “I know there are going to be teachers who see my last name and have a prior judgment of who I am going to be, rather than judging me on who I am.” Unlike Sloboda, not having any older siblings to guide Oster throughout this experience has been a major challenge for her. “I have seen all my friends having their older siblings telling them and answering their questions about the teachers and the workload,” Oster said. “I do not really have anyone to do that for me so I will just have to see it through and adjust by myself.” While Mrs. Kielbasa said it is important for students to keep up their grades, she said students should not let their academic fears take away time from extracurriculars and fun. “I try to let [students] know that this should be the beginning of a fun adventure and high school life is what you make it,” Mrs. Kielbasa said. “High school comes once, and yes, that grade point average is very important, but many try to take too many upper level courses, and they may not end up with the grades they want.” Although the start of high school came with many fears, Sloboda said he is looking forward for what the school year has to bring. “I am adjusting to [the Bay] extremely well and have not had a problem yet,” Sloboda said. “I am most looking forward to what everyone refers to as the high school experience and all the amazing times in the future.”
OCTOBER 2017
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REPRESENT Lightning alumni inspire student athletes to pursue their dreams.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY Nico Marley
BY JESSICA SOBEL
ONLINE FEATURES EDITOR
After showcasing their skills at the 2017 National Football League (NFL) Combine, three Lightning football alumni furthered their careers by making it to the NFL. Offensive guard Danny Isidora (University of Miami) was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, running back Matt Dayes (NC State) by the Cleveland Browns and linebacker Nico Marley (Tulane University) was signed by the Washington Redskins post-draft. Over the summer, these players continued to tackle their dreams of playing professionally while participating in their respective teams’ training camps and preseason games. “The Bay is home, so if I am considered to be representing it, it is awesome because that is the place that made me,” Marley said. “[The Bay] is where I started playing football and all of my coaches from there will have a forever and lasting impact on my football career and my life.” While Marley was at the Redskins’ training camp, he said the transition from college football to professional football definitely took him by surprise. He said the practices and the speed of the game were extremely different. “I did not go to a huge school, so everything at the NFL seemed to be much bigger and more organized,” M a rley said. “It was nice because at this level, our training rooms, locker rooms and all of the little things were always all taken care of for us.” Although Ma rley said he performed well in his preseason g a m e against the Baltimore Ravens with a sack in the third quarter, ma ny t a c kles and the second highest grade as a linebacker week one from P r o Football Focus (PFF) experts, he was still released from the Redskins at the final roster cut. “I think I did really well during preseason; everybody was proud of me and everybody was happy for me,” Marley said. “The president of the Redskins said
Photo submitted by Devin singer
SCORING BIG: (Clockwise) After playing for Tulane University, alum Nico Marley pursued his football career in the NFL. He was picked up by the Washington Redskins but was released in the final roster cut.
really nice things, but eventually they cut me, so I do not know what will happen next.” For senior and running back Devin Singer, playing in the NFL has always been a dream. After seeing the success of previous football players from the Bay through their hard work, he said he felt more encouraged about his chances. “I did not really [look up to these players] until I came to [the Bay] and found out that they worked out in the same weight room as me and trained on the same field as me,” Singer said. “Look what happened to them for grinding so hard; they made it to the NFL, so I know I have to grind hard too if I want to make it.” Singer said making it to the professional level would mean the world to him because of how special it would be for his mom. “Growing up, it was hard for my family with a single mom struggling to raise two kids on her own,” Singer said. “My mom and I have been through literally everything together and all [the difficult times] brought me pain, but also motivation so one day I can be successful enough for her to never have to worry about paying the bills again.” Like Singer, senior quarterback Marlon Serbin yearns to further his football career. He said seeing Marley, Isidora and Dayes accomplish their goals gives him the confidence to continue to accomplish his. “I know that I am going through the
same workouts, meetings and practices that they all went through, so it makes me realize that this could be me one day,” Serbin said. “ I definitely look up to them because they are all very self-motivated people who continuously strive for success.” While Serbin is not looking to play in the NFL like Marley and Singer, he said he hopes his hard work, dedication and skills will be enough to make it to the collegiate level. “If I made it to the collegiate level it would mean first and foremost that my parents do not have to pay my college tuition and that I would be getting a great education while simultaneously playing the sport I love for another four years,” Serbin said. “Therefore, I am doing my best to finish strong academically and I am treating every practice, game and workout as if it is my last.” Even though Marley was cut after the preseason, he said he remains optimistic about what will come in the future and aspires to get picked up and have the opportunity to be on a team this season. Marley, Isidora and Dayes finished their journey at the Bay, but their accomplishments and time spent here have left an everlasting impact on students, athletes and coaches. “I remain hopeful, but [the process] is still something that is not necessarily in my control, so while I am hopeful, I am not stressed,” Marley said. “Although [my time in the NFL] was brief, I was able to live a dream and prove myself right.”
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There has been ongoing talk about Colin Kaepernick’s absence from the NFL ever since the 2017 offseason, and many people believe it is a result of him being blackballed due to his political activism that included kneeling during the National Anthem. Although his protests were widely met with criticism and even hate, it is nothing but a guess to say that Kap is being blackballed. The simple matter of fact is that we have no idea what amount of money Kaepernick is asking for from any team, and it is possible that it is well above his worth, as he has not performed up to the standards of a starting NFL QB in years. Many will point to all of the current quarterbacks in the NFL who are being paid substantial contracts while still playing with consistent mediocrity. The headline of this list is Mike Glennon, quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Through four weeks, Glennon has an awful 8:4 turnover to touchdown ratio, and he will likely end up with a salary of $16,000,000 this season. It is hard to argue that Glennon is any better than Kaepernick — he’s likely a much worse player — but the thought process behind opting with a guy like Glennon over Kaepernick makes sense for an NFL franchise looking for a shortterm starter. The Bears moved up in the 2017 NFL Draft to take QB Mitchell Trubisky at #2 overall, making it obvious that Glennon’s role as the starting QB would be transient. Chicago has gone through with that presumptive plan, as Trubisky started his first game in week 5. So, it made sense for Chicago to sign Glennon in the offseason, as his mediocrity moved the spotlight away from the Bears, setting Trubisky up for an easy transition into the NFL. It likely isn’t in the best interest of a rebuilding team like Chicago to risk losing ticket sales for an inconsistent talent, and that is exactly what the team would be doing by signing Kaepernick. With that being said, there is certainly an argument for Kaepernick’s spot on an NFL roster, but since it isn’t an easy one to make, it is unfair to assume that teams are just not signing him because they believe he deserves punishment for his political activism. Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about NFL players caused the matter of protests to become even more prevalent, as they led to by far the highest number of National Anthem protests yet in week 3. Owners across the NFL voiced their support for their players, so maybe we are seeing a cultural turnaround that will lead to the end of Kap’s allegedly politically-driven absence from the NFL. Only time will tell, but, as a fan of creative and exciting football, it would love for a team to sign Kaepernick and somehow incorporate him into its offense without making him a starting QB, a role that he has not played well in quite some time. A QB-needy team experiment has always been something to look forward to. And Kaepernick’s unique skill set makes him a great chess piece to plug into the two-quarterback system in the NFL. Whether or not Kaepernick gets signed, the NFL and its fans will continue to feel the effects of his protest.
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Dwyane Wade signing with the Cavs will bring excitement to the league On Sept. 26 the National Basketball Association (NBA) world was shaken up when Dwyane Wade decided to join his former teammate LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2017-2018 season. The ex-Chicago Bull signed a one year $2.3 million contract with Cleveland -- an abysmal amount compared to his $23.5 million/year contract last year in Chicago. Although Wade and James’ chemistry is considered one of the best in the NBA with two championships and four NBA Finals appearances, Wade definitely should have considered returning to the Miami Heat. Wade’s legacy is still
Bottom Line: Dwyane Wade’s decision to join the Cavliers could turn out to be a monumental moment in NBA history. glorified in Miami, although some fans have resented him ever since he left to Chicago, many still had hope that he would come to Miami this offseason. Amidst the disapproval Wade was met with, it is worth commending Wade for making a personal decision without being influenced by others. Part of his decision-making was influenced by the opportunity to win another championship while playing alongside one of his best friends. If Wade and LeBron were able to win it all again, but this time in a different city, it would truly be one of the greatest highlights in NBA history. Both players are already going to be Hall of Famers, but this would truly elevate their legacies. Not only are there mixed feelings in South Florida, but fans of the Chicago
Bulls aren’t exactly ecstatic either. Wade was a huge asset to the Bulls’ success, and now that he’s leaving, the Bulls need to consider recruiting a top-tier player as soon as possible to help the team in the upcoming season. Some of the Bulls’ fans are outraged by Wade’s decision, and in some cases, rightfully so, saying Wade is “selfish” for re-joining James on the Cavaliers. These angered fans need to cut him some slack because Wade is only trying to benefit his basketball career, not the fans. Now that Wade and James are on the same team again, the Golden State Warriors have a serious rival, and it should definitely be an interesting season. In the past season, the Warriors seemed like they were unstoppable, almost to the point of being unfair, but after Wade’s recent team transfer, there should finally be a fair matchup for the Warriors. If any other player besides Wade signed with the Cavs, it wouldn’t have been as controversial or talked about as much in the media. For example, if Udonis Haslem, another past Miami teammate, joined James on the Cavs, then the media and everyone else wouldn’t have perceived this as that big of a change. However, for Wade’s scenario, the two of them together is such an amazing display of skill and teamwork that it should propel the team’s success significantly. Current Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Wade and James’ former coach as well, has mentioned that Wade made the right decision to further pursue his basketball career. Although the controversy of Wade joining James on the Cavs is highly debated on the topics of loyalty and selfishness, Wade made the right decision for his career, and fans cannot wait to see what he has in store of the upcoming season.
FACE OFF YES The NBA season is underway, and it feels like a long time coming after an offseason full of huge headlines, capturing the attention of basketball fans around the world. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have been labeled as “super teams” for quite a while now, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets are considered by many to be joining the ranks of the reigning conference champions. This offseason, Cleveland traded away its All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a collection of players that makes the Cavs arguably the deepest team the league has ever seen. Point guard Isaiah Thomas was the key piece that Cleveland received in the trade, and there is a lot of excitement around the league as everyone is looking forward to see him and LeBron James play together. The Timberwolves, Rockets and Thunder also made huge acquisitions this offseason. Minnesota acquired Jimmy Butler, Houston acquired Chris Paul and Oklahoma City acquired Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in a crazy offseason. While many fans believe “super teams” are ruining the league, others are interested to see how the concentrated pools of talent pan out. However each individual feels about the phenomenon, “super teams” have brought more attention to the NBA than ever before, and the fans are going to be able to see so much talent on one court that it is hard to argue with its upside. -Drew Siskind
OCTOBER 2017
College football conferences have balanced out amid the SEC’s fall Just several years ago, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was the obvious powerhouse conference in college football. However, it is time for fans of the conference to realize the ugly truth: the SEC is no longer dominant. From 2006 to 2012, the SEC was able to boast the fact that it won seven straight national championships. Programs such as Alabama, Florida and Louisiana State University (LSU) were considered to be in the elite group of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Even after the national championship streak ended, the SEC would consistently have the most teams ranked, whether it was Georgia, Auburn, or Texas A&M, just to name a few. Those days are long gone. Today’s reality is that there is one beast of the SEC in the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the rest of the teams are nothing special. Alabama has won the last three SEC championship games by an average of 27 points. The Eastern Division of the conference has not shown any signs of competitiveness, as it has not won the SEC championship since 2008 when Florida defeated Alabama. The SEC could possibly still be the best conference, but a couple years ago, it was basically a fact. It is now up for interpretation as to which conference is the best. Even though Alabama continues to be the most dominant program in the nation, the other big-time programs in the SEC have completely fallen off. LSU separated with its national championship-winning coach Les Miles after its second four-loss season in three years. Florida is consistent in the fact that it always has had a great defense and zero offense since Urban Meyer left in 2010. Georgia lost five games in its first season after losing head coach, Mark Richt, to Miami and even though they are strong so far this season, they are yet to face a real challenge.
Are “super teams” good for the NBA?
The decline of the SEC is shown in their record against the other power five conferences. From 2006 to 2015, the SEC had a winning record every year against those conferences. In 2016, this streak ended with the SEC going 11-14 in that category, and it is off to a bad start this year with a 5-6 record.
Bottom Line: The SEC has lost its title as the powerhouse conference in college football. While the SEC has been on the decline for several years now, a few other conferences are doing the exact opposite. The other conferences in the discussion for the best conference are the Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Big Ten has two of the top programs in the nation in Ohio State and Michigan—if it weren’t for the two playing each other in the last game of the season, the Big Ten would have had two teams in the playoff last year. As for the ACC, Clemson is keeping the conference strong with last year’s national championship. Florida State University came into this season with very high hopes, but a season-ending injury to Deondre Francois and losses to Alabama and North Carolina State have the Seminoles catching up. Miami is yet to lose, even though they took a long break because of Hurricane Irma. Lamar Jackson appears to be as talented and explosive as last year for Louisville. Alabama is still the most prestigious program in the nation, but aside from the Crimson Tide, the SEC is nowhere near its status from just two or three years ago as the top conference.
NO The idea of a “super team” in the NBA has only been around since 2016, when eight-time All-Star Kevin Durant, signed with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were coming off the greatest season in NBA history, and the Durant move started a league-wide arms race for talent. While it is great that teams are trying to accumulate as much talent as possible, it is the ramifications of these so called “super teams” that are destroying the NBA. Logically, as teams acquire talented players, it means other teams lose talented players. This leads to a much wider talent gap across the league, causing teams to realize that their chances of achieving success in the near future is actually pretty minimal. As a result, those mediocre teams at the bottom of the NBA start to lose on purpose, which is called “tanking.” Tanking has been a detrimental factor for the league, causing fans around the world to turn off their TVs instead of tuning in to a game featuring two talentless teams. Commissioner Adam Silver quickly took notice, trying to eliminate tanking from the league in an effort to boost ratings. One anti-tanking policy recently passed by the NBA punishes the terrible teams for losing, whether they tank or not, but some teams are losing because all the good players join other teams to form new “super teams.” “Super teams” punish the rest of the teams on the court with their talent and off the court with these ridiculous policies by the NBA. -Zach Cohen
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Girls golf team swings into action By Gabby Sonkin
Arts & Ent. Copy Editor
The girls golf team is currently holding a record of 2-1. The team’s first two matches were both against Stoneman Douglas High School, and the most recent match was against American Heritage. Senior Gabrielle Soares said she is pleased with the team and the effort each of them has placed into each match. “I am very proud of my performance during my first match because I made sure to use the skills that I have perfected over the summer,” Soares said. “The rest of my team also showed the same amount of commitment and dedication during their matches.” Soares said it is great to see the new team come together and try to find ways to motivate each other. “Two of our top players graduated last year, which has been a struggle for me and the rest of the girls,” Soares said. “However, I think the number of new girls we have will eventually lead to a great future for Cypress Bay Golf.”
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I think the number of new girls we have will eventually lead to a great future for Cypress Bay golf.
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-senior Gabrielle Soares Due to Hurricane Irma, the team had to cancel three matches and is unaware as to when they will be rescheduled.
Photo by DYLAN SREBNICK
dRIVING TOWARD SUCCESS: (From left) juniors Maria Colella, Emma Ludwig, Jolie Sonkin, sophomore Cassandra Oliver and senior Gabi Soares pose at the Weston Hills Country Club aganist North Broward Prep.
“It has been a struggle to practice as a team due to the weather this year,” Soares said. “We try to practice as a team, but our coach allows us to work on our own most of the time to prepare for future events.” Even though the team only played American Heritage once so far this season, Soares said the players are always thinking about ways they can improve as this team is their biggest competition. “Last year, our toughest competition was American Heritage,” Soares said. “They have always had a great team, but since some of our best players have graduated, we need to bring the same strength
as last year if we want to win.” Philosophy teacher Michael Stember, the team’s new coach, said he is excited for an outstanding season and is hopeful for much success. “Even though it is early in the season, these girls are showing me they are dedicated to the game,” Coach Stember said. Before joining the Bay’s golf program, Coach Stember coached for eight years at Plantation High School. With all of his dedication to the game, he was able to achieve a two handicap. “It has become more difficult to play golf on my own because I have two young
children,” Coach Stember said. “However, I am very grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity to work with these girls.” In order to prepare for future games, Coach Stember said consistency and focus are two areas that need some improvement. “I always try to help players relax, feel comfortable with their skill set and maximize potential,” Coach Stember said. “These preparations are the best way for my players to do their best.” Like Soares, Junior Emma Ludwig is hopeful for a great season and believes the new team will be successful. “This is my third year on the golf team and I learned one of the most important skills is teamwork,” Ludwig said. “It is important we find our strengths and weaknesses as a team and ways we can help each other to always improve.” Having to adjust to the new coach, Ludwig said she believes this year will entail a more intense and serious environment. “Coach Stember is very determined to stay organized and manage the team in a new way,” Ludwig said. “We have more players on this team, which also requires more rules.” Ludwig said it is important that the girls find ways to limit their nerves to make it easier for the team before matches. “Most of the girls, including me, get nervous before each match, so it is important to have a good time and always try and enjoy ourselves,” Ludwig said.
Boys football off to a winning start at home Online Sports editor
The lightning football team opened up its 2017 campaign with three consecutive home victories, in which the team won two of its games undoubtedly by over 20 points. The team then went on to drop two straight games against Plantation and Miramar High School, to bring its record to 3-2 entering October. “We have been performing pretty well,” senior quarterback Marlin Serbin said. “We just need to clean up the little things.” The Lightning’s offense, led by Serbin, has averaged 24 points a game throughout the first half of the season, in which the defense has kept them on the field while only allowing an average of 7 points per game against its first three opponents. “The offense has been pretty successful so far this season, but we still need to clean a few things up”, Serbin said. The Lightning began its season with a number of goals in mind, which include earning a playoff birth and committing everyday to be great student athletes. “To achieve our goals for the season we must be consistent with our attendance and have the discipline to improve the little things,” Head Coach Mark Guandolo said.
Guandolo has been leading the Lightning’s football program for the last 11 seasons and has been head coaching for the last 35 years. “It has been a phenomenal experience coaching at the Bay,” Guandolo said. “We’ve had a wonderful group of young
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The team has a lot of depth including various players that can contribute to our success throughout the season.
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By Brian Kessler
-senior Keaton Hunt men who’ve came through our program.” The team’s roster consists of 65 players, mostly juniors or seniors. The roster is made up of many returning players who’ve improved their skills enough in junior varsity to join varsity. “The team has a lot of depth including various players that can contribute to our success throughout the season,” senior quarterback Keaton Hunt said. Although the Lightning’s game against Pembroke Pines Charter was postponed due to Hurricane Irma, the team’s schedule still consists of eleven games, includ-
photo by Jolie sonkin
GOING THE EXTRA YARD: (From left) seniors Darius Andrade, Diego Vallina,Samuel Oshodi, Greg May, junior Ezekiel Wooten, Justice Johnson, seniors Michael Williams,Rolando Garcia, Andrew Boorom lineup for 1st down on the 35 yard-line.
ing seven district games. “District games are very important and are must win to go to the playoffs and beyond,” senior middle linebacker Will Masaro said. “Regular matchups are taken serious too, but when our chance to go far is at stake, we play harder.” The Lightning’s district record is currently 0-2 following back-to-back losses against its first district opponents, Plantation and Miramar high school. However, The Lightning still has five district matchups remaining, in which the team will look to improve its overall and district record. “Practices before district matchups are
a little more intense than the ones before regular matchups,” Masaro said. Throughout the season, the Lightning holds practice three times a week, and its games will usually land on a Friday. The team also watches game film on Saturdays after every game to point out and improve mistakes. “Our team’s work ethic has been very good throughout summer training and practice,” Guandolo said. “We demand a lot from our players.” The Lightning will look to bounce back with a victory over its rival Western High School and improve its record to 4-2 (1-2 district) on October 6th at home.
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Open House enlightens parents about classes BY CASEY MENTEN
ONLINE NEWS EDITOR
Parents were able to experience a taste of high school on Sept. 26 when the Bay held its annual Open House. On this night, more than 8,000 parents attended their children’s classes to learn more about the course along with the teachers who educate them. “Teachers, guidance counselors and administrators were all here to really give [parents] a day in the life of their student and show what Cypress Bay has to offer,” Assistant Principal Kassandra Fried said. “It’s important that they get to really see what’s taking place in those classes.” Parents were able to follow their child’s daily schedule and meet the teachers of each class. Teachers gave 10-minute overviews about the course they teach along with insight on the work students will be completing throughout the year. “I get to create a partnership not only between the students and teachers, but now between the parents as well,” Mrs. Fried said. “Once you bring the parents into the mix, they, too, understand what the expectations are for students.” To display the extracurriculars offered to students, numerous club and organization members gathered in the courtyard where they set up booths and handed out flyers to inform parents about club meetings and events. “We had a number of clubs and organizations out here as well to touch base with them and show them what our school has
to offer,” Mrs. Fried said. “We want parents to get a feel for the whole school and that includes the clubs here as well.” Junior and Yoga Club President Lillian Pakzad said she had a booth set up to help spread the word about her recently established club. She said she used Open House as a way to expose her club to a wider range of people in hopes that the parents will appreciate the club’s efforts and encourage their children to get involved. “It was important to me that we were able to promote [Yoga Club] and get the word out because it is a new club and both parents and students don’t really know it exists,” Pakzad said. “A lot of parents took information home to see if their children would be interested.” Barbara Gass, mother of freshman Skylar Gass, said it was important for her to meet the people who are teaching her daughter. She said it is helpful to know what her daughter is learning in school so that she is able to help. “I like to know exactly what my daughter is learning along with the teachers she is seeing everyday,” Gass said. “I am so happy with all of the classes and teachers my daughter has here at this school.” This night also gives parents the opportunity to tour the campus and view the different buildings at the Bay. Gass said that she was surprised at how extensive the school was and how hard it was to navigate. “When I was walking from class to class, it was difficult to find my way
PHOTO BY SAMMY KLOPMAN
MEET THE PARENTS: Members of the National Art Honor Society display their station at Open House on Sept. 26. They showcased their booth to inform parents about the honor society and to encourage them to urge their children to become members.
around,” Gass said. “I realized how big the school really was, but also how much the school has to offer.” Even though the event was postponed due to Hurricane Irma, Mrs. Fried said the Open House was a complete success. She said she was happy with the outcome and that the event is always a pleasure to hold.
“We are overjoyed with the turnout; this is our favorite night of the year because we really get to showcase the amazing school this is.” Fried said. “We appreciate our community so much because they are so involved; our Open Houses are always packed, so we really look forward to holding it.”
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PE class prepares seniors for college by Cassidy sheldon features editor
While most students at the Bay are heading to their third period, senior Ashley Newman makes her way to the gym. Newman, along with other seniors, are a part of the newly offered elective, Physical Education (PE) honors. Differing from regular PE classes, these students participate in exercise activities both on and off school grounds. “I felt the need that teenagers needed to do something different,” PE Honors Coach Kimberly Love said. “Traditional PE is not for everybody.” Coach Love takes her classes to multiple locations such as the YMCA, the Ultimate Sports Institute (USI) and Yoga Factory. Newman said she likes trying the different gyms so she can discover what she enjoys the most and apply it toward her future fitness endeavors. “The different gyms will show me new techniques and ways to workout on my own,” Newman said. “So far, I liked going to USI and training with a personal trainer who was motivational and passionate about working out.” Not only is the class educational for the students, but Newman said she is also able to incorporate more activities into her daily routine. Since she was focused on submitting college applications and completing classwork this year, Newman said she was afraid she would not have enough time to focus on her physical health; however, she said this class has enabled her to workout and still do her homework.
“I love going to the gym, but with all the school work and college [applications] I knew I would have this year, I didn’t know if I would have enough time,” Newman said. “PE honors allows me to have a good workout and still have plenty of time for other things.” Like Newman, senior Alexa Zuckerman said she loves having the ability to fit in a workout into her hectic schedule. She believes that being finished with her exercise for the day is one less chore to worry about. “Being done with school at 10:50 a.m. and heading over to the gym to finish around 12:30 p.m. gives me a lot more time to have a social life and focus more on school,” Zuckerman said. As a second year PE Honors student, Zuckerman said this class has enhanced her fitness goals and allowed her to
commit to staying active. Rather than dedicating time to homework and an extra class during school, she is able to accomplish her workout without sacrificing her grades. “Being able to have time to go to the gym without stressing about making time for it has really helped me focus on being more fit,” Zuckerman said. “It is much harder to be motivated when you are giving up something else in order to go to the gym.” While Coach Love said exercise is physically beneficial, she said she believes this class helps students mentally as well. She said having the students take about an hour from their normal school schedule to dedicate to themselves and their health alleviates school-related anxiety. “I think after a month or two of this class, the students realize working out
Graphic by Austin Dunne
de-stresses them,” Coach Love said. “It is more for their ability to concentrate, to do homework and school work than the actual physical benefit. This is really the mental component of the class.” Coach Love said she hopes her class inspires students to work out on their own once they graduate high school. She said her primary goal is to teach students to not be afraid of creating their own exercises and to know how to use equipment independently. “The class was designed mostly for seniors to try and get them to work out on their own at a gym without feeling intimidated,” Coach Love said. “So, when they go off to college they can use the beautiful facility that they have available to them with the right technique.”
Girls volleyball team spikes competition
currently holding a winning record, Coach Pablos said the team can get better. “There is always room for improvement,” Coach Pablos said. “I think the mental aspect of competing is what we need most improvement on. Again, we are young, and that will take some time.”
By Josie clancy
SPORTS MULT. EDITOR
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photo by sammy klopman
STRIKE A POSE: The girls volleyball team celebrates Senior Night on Oct. 2 before the team’s home game against Westminster Academy. (Clockwise from top left) Valeria Estrada, Kelly Rosario, Chandler Martin, Valeria Palacios, Colleen Siebold, Andrea Vallenilla, Alex Santory, Nikole Barraez, Abby Holt, Marcella Proenca, Corina Palacios, Daniela Bengoa, Maria Jaregui, Cecilia Robert and Sara Fernandez contributed to the win in three sets later that night.
said. “We have been more dedicated than ever at getting better in the gym during practice, rather than on the court during games.” In his first year as the varsity volleyball coach, Coach Ore Pablos has led the team to several victories, despite having most of their first string of players graduate the year prior.
“The season has gone as expected. We graduated most of our starting lineup last year,” Coach Pablos said. “Our starting lineup has a freshman outside, three freshmen defenders and a sophomore setter, which makes us an extremely young team. I am very happy with their success so far.” Although the volleyball team is
I think the way that we have been practicing this year has really played a large part in our success. We have been more dedicated than ever at getting better in the gym during practice, rather than on the court during games.
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The girls varsity volleyball team is currently holding a record of 10-4 (as of Sept. 29) after winning six games following the week long break due to Hurricane Irma. Despite missing four games as a result of the storm, senior Valeria Palacios said the season is off to a great start. “So far, I think the season is going really well; we started a little down, but we are getting better every day and that’s what’s important,” Palacios said. “As far as my personal performance, I’m happy with it and excited to keep getting better along with the rest of the team.” As the season has progressed, the varsity volleyball team’s record has improved, with three out of their four wins being in the three most recent games. Palacios said the players’ devotion to the team has played a large role in their victorious season. “The strongest aspect of our team is teamwork and passion,” she said. “Volleyball is a game that cannot be played [individually], and the only way to be successful is to work as a team. Also, the passion needed to dedicate so many hours into practices and games is crucial.” Junior Sara Fernandez said she is also impressed with the determined and hard working mentality of this year’s varsity team, and sees that the hours the team has put into practicing are paying off. “I think the way that we have been practicing this year has really played a large part in our success,” Fernandez
-junior Sara Fernandez The team is preparing for their final game of the regular season on Oct. 9 when the team faces Monarch High. The last time the team played Monarch was in Oct. 2015 when the Lightning won in three sets.
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Cheer team implements conditioning By annabelle Danielsrosenberg
As of the new school year, being a part of the Cypress Bay Cheer program goes beyond pom-poms and chants. The cheerleaders’ practices now entail an hour-long conditioning session led by football trainer Mark Guandolo Jr. “We start with a motivational talk followed by warm ups, and then our coach clearly demonstrates the exercises,” sophomore Alexa Stafman said. The cheerleaders train in the Bay’s weight room in attempts to build muscle and improve endurance. “I have never actually used weights before, so it is cool to become stronger in a new way and have this challenge,” Stafman said. Not only are the cheerleaders improving their physical strength, but they are also focusing on themselves. “Coach [Guandolo Jr.] encourages us by talking about what we are trying to accomplish and why we are doing the exercises,” Stafman said. “It is neat that instead of just cheering we can also focus on ourselves while growing together as
a team.” As a coach for the cheerleaders, Guandolo Jr.’s main objective is to help them reach the place they want to be at in life. “I try to get [the cheerleaders] to think about their heaven, their goals and things that they want to achieve,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I want them to proceed training with these goals in mind.” Coach Guandolo Jr. said his main intention of these training sessions is to push the cheerleaders to better themselves both mentally and physically. “[Training] is going to help condition their bodies to handle stress better, to compete at a higher level and most importantly prevent injury,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I am working on their souls and spirits on a regular basis while talking about what kind of character they want to embody and what kind of women they want to become.” Coach Guandolo Jr. said he trains the cheerleaders the same as he does the football players. “We are all human beings; we all have dreams and aspirations, and my job as a coach is to help people get there, despite their gender or level they are at,” he said. Senior Taylor Lessem said
Photo by jenna friedman
Be aggressive: Juniors Katelyn Malone (left) and Sofi Chifari partake in the hour-long training session with leg exercises. The purpose of the new program is to build muscle, improve endurance and help the cheerleaders mentally. The sessions are led by football trainer Mark Guandolo Jr.
she is appreciative of this addition to the cheerleading program and finds it beneficial in the way that it will allow the team to bond while building strength. “I really like the coach and training as a whole,” she said. “I think it is important that we have this training as we can all continue to improve, and I also think it will benefit the future varsity team to be closer and be stronger
cheerleaders overall.” With conditioning practices multiple times a week, the girls are continuing to push themselves and learn from Coach Guandolo Jr. “It has brought our team closer together and given us more positive attitudes,” Lessem said. “The training is hard, but it really helps us and keeps us focused on making our team the best it
can be.” By the end of the season, Coach Guandolo Jr. hopes to have made a significant impact on the girls’ daily lives. “I hope that they are more knowledgeable about exercise, health and nutrition,” Guandolo Jr. said. “I also hope that they are much more focused and are able to become better leaders.”
Boys basketball expects improvement BY ZACH COHEN
Almost seven months ago, the Cypress Bay varsity basketball team lost to the Deerfield Beach Bucks by a score of 4440 in the regional quarterfinals, thus ending their ultimate goal of reaching the state championship three weeks later in Lakeland, Florida. Despite last season’s early ending, Head Coach Jason Looky said he is optimistic the team can improve this upcoming season. “I never say we’re satisfied, but we definitely grew as a team,” Coach Looky said. “I think we’re going to try and build on our accomplishments from last year.” The Bay’s basketball team has never reached states, and Coach Looky knows the team will have to dedicate themselves to improvements defensively if they want to earn that coveted trip to Lakeland. “We need to improve our defensive intensity and focus on details,” Coach Looky said. “If we do that, then we’ll be in every game and it will give us a chance reach our ultimate goal.” Senior center John Truske
PHOTO BY ZACH COHEN
shoot for success: The boys basketball team huddles during a timeout of a game against Piper High School. After an early ending to the season in last year’s regional quarterfinals, the players said they have what it takes to make it further in the playoffs this season.
is entering his second and final year on the varsity team, but after last season’s struggles, which includes a 12-0 lead against Deerfield Beach in the regional quarterfinals, Truske agrees the team’s defense has to improve. “We need to make a big leap defensively and just eliminate some of the mental errors that hurt us at the end of games last year,” Truske said. Junior guard Tyler Krivitzkin also thinks the team can make it
to states, but he knows it will not happen overnight. “We’re talented enough to go to Lakeland, but we have to put in the time and effort to do so,” Krivitzkin said. Krivitzkin has been a starter since his freshman year, but Coach Looky expects more from him, not just as a basketball player “I need [Krivitzkin] to lead the team; when things aren’t going right, you have to have a
leader on the floor, and I need him to take over that role,” Coach Looky said. While Coach Looky stressed that this year’s starting rotation is up in the air, he also has certain expectations for Truske and his 6’3”, 230-pound body. “[Truske] has got to be a physical presence when he is on the court,” Coach Looky said. “He has a nice, big frame that he can use to move people around in the post position.”
While Truske is one of the biggest players on the team, Coach Looky still considers the team to be relatively small compared to other district teams. To compensate for this height disadvantage, Coach Looky plans to employ a five-out offense, a scheme typically used by a guard-oriented team. “If everybody is doing their jobs, they’ll all be able to handle the ball, put the ball on the floor and drive it; they’ll be able to share,” Coach Looky said. “It’s a free flowing offense.” Despite the shift in offensive strategy, Coach Looky still has the same yearly expectations for his players. “Every single one of [the players] needs to get better-that’s why this is a program,” Coach Looky said. “You start as a 9th grader, and the expectations are that every year in the program you need to get better.” Time will tell if the basketball team’s goal of a trip to Lakeland in March is a realistic possibility or just another far-fetched dream; the team will be practicing almost daily until their first game against Nova High at home on Nov. 30.
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ATHLETES TO WATCH RICHARD LEON What is/was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? My biggest challenge in life thus far has been dealing with an ongoing illness my mom has had, and having to step up with my responsibilities in life. I overcame this with time as I adjusted to having a lot more work to do around the house and balancing it with schoolwork as I am in junior year. What is the best advice you were ever given? The best advice I’ve ever been given has been that the smallest gesture is more grand than the biggest intention. This spoke to me because I feel in order to be successful, you must follow through with what you say, so you should mean what you say and say what you mean. What is your biggest achievement in your lacrosse career? My biggest achievement in my lacrosse career has been 15 ground balls in one game and that same season earning the most improved player award in my sophomore year. What is your motivation and work ethic when playing lacrosse? My motivation for playing my best in lacrosse is making my girlfriend and my family proud. This shows in my work ethic because I show up to every practice and put in what I want to get out for the games. -Ben Eiglarsh Class of 2020 Height: 6’1’’
GOAL: TO GO UNDEFEATED
GOAL: STAY UNDEFEATED HEIGHT: 5’7” HEIGHT: 6’2 TEAM: BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE POSITION: MIDDLE BLOCKER CLASS OF 2019 TEAM: VARSITY VOLLEYBALL CLASS OF 2018
LAUREN NAU When did you start playing lacrosse? I started playing lacrosse freshman year. I had played soccer but ended up stopping because of school. My first time ever picking up a [lacrosse] stick was around December of my freshman year. What has been your favorite moment in lacrosse? My favorite moments in lacrosse are any moments we share as a team. We have a bond between all of the girls. Win or lose, we always have a good time. It is an excellent feeling to be part of such a great group. How often do you train for lacrosse? Besides playing for Cypress Bay, I have played for Storm and Madskillz lacrosse. Right now, I am not playing travel because of my officer position in Student Government Association; however, I still go to the walls to practice stick skills about four times a week and the gym almost every day. Do you plan on playing lacrosse in college? If offered the chance, I would love to play in college. I’m sure everyone on my team would love to play college as well. What motivates you to play lacrosse? Not only do my coaches and teammates motivate me, but I love the sport. It’s a lot of fun and I create amazing memories through it. -Sam Bialczak
GOAL: WIN DISTRICTS HEIGHT: 5’4” TEAM: GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSe CLASS OF 2019
FALL SEASON STATISTICS Boys Varsity Football Cooper City
W 24-17
Plantation
L 34-22
Coral Springs Mirmiar
W 29-6 L 35-0
Boys Varsity Golf
West Broward
W 182-211
South Plantation
W 178-288
South Broward
W 178-238
West Broward
W 167-207
Girls Varsity Volleyball West Broward
W 3-2
Chaminade-Madonna
W 3-2
South Plantation
W 3-0
Piper
Westministe Acadamy
W 3-0 W 3-0
Girls Varsity Golf Stonemen Douglas
W 180-207
North Broward
W 171-247
American Heritage American Hertiage
L 359-303 L 187-168
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Back to
band
By LUCY CELENTANO ARTS & ENT. EDITOR
This past summer brought about many changes for The Sound of Thunder, Cypress Bay’s marching band. Members welcomed Michael Scott, the new Head Band Director to the Lightning family. Before making his recent switch to the Bay, Mr. Scott was a band director at South Broward High School. Mr. Scott said after time at various other schools, he recognized the great opportunity Cypress Bay presented and wanted to seize the chance to be part of such an incredible organization. “Spending time at other schools, I was able to see that I wanted to be a part of a well-developed community that had a lot of potential and room to grow,” Mr. Scott said. “I felt like at this point in my career, Cypress [Bay] was my best option for this.” Mr. Scott said the Bay’s band is already such a great success and he has not felt obligated to make any drastic changes thus far. The small alterations he has made at this point are all what he calls “bonus ideas” because the fundamentals were well-established long before he began his new job. “I think change is a big word because whenever you are changing something, you must be careful how and where you make these modifications,” Mr. Scott said. “ There are so many things about the band program that are already so good, so I do not have to make things entirely different, which has allowed a smoother transition for everyone.” Senior and drumline captain Jae Xiong said Mr. Scott is not only encouraging, but he is also upbeat, which is effective in terms of motivating band members to challenge their limits and strive for greatness. “[Mr. Scott] has the ability to actually push us to work better as a whole, which I think is working very well considering that overall we have been able to achieve new things like competition routines as one cohesive unit,” Xiong said. “I think this year has been a great experience for band.”
This year, Mr. Scott added to the band’s setlist to prevent the student body from hearing the same f e w songs
repeatedly at events like pep rallies and games. The particular songs many students are familiar with are now being used less frequently. Mr. Scott said he wanted to add a new dimension to these so-called “Cypress Bay classics.” “Of course, I wanted to make [band] a little more fun, so by adding some songs and changing some songs, we try to spice up the stands a bit,” Mr. Scott said. “I allowed the students to pick what
songs they wanted, like the ones they hear on the radio every day, and then I put it into a little mix so they can really enjoy themselves while performing.” Another modification of which band members have felt the ramifications is the changing of rehearsal times. Last year, rehearsals were held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. This year, students are released earlier during the week, giving them more time for other activities. “Shifting our practice schedule one hour earlier has been amazing for everyone, granted we have time to complete our homework, study and sleep a little bit,” Xiong said. Recently, band members have turned to means of advertising in hopes of attracting new members. Mr. Scott said he recognizes that the band has decreased by about 75 students in the past four years and he has high aspirations of regaining these lost members. “If you look at the band about four or five years ago, there were about 200 people in the program, so it is my goal to get the band back to that size,” Mr. Scott said. “Right now, we’re probably marching about 120 people. Compared to other schools, this is still big, but if we advertise, I know we could really get our numbers up a lot.” Junior and color guard member Maia Cabian said the main incentive for enticing these new members to join is the hope of being able to compete in a larger division by the end of this school year. Once marching count reaches a certain number of individuals, the team is able to move to a new division in the competition field. “By the end of this year, we would really like to be able to compete in larger divisions,” Cabian said. “The more members we have marching, the better for us and our competition success.” photo by jolie sonkin
THE CIRCUIT
Fitness inspiration convolutes teen health mentality
While perusing Instagram after school, on the way home, nothing out of the ordinary appears in my feed. Within minutes, @Fullyrawkristina, @gluten_freeeats and @healthfoodguide have successfully managed to spam Instagram’s popular page with an abundance of “healthy” tricks, tips and advice. While “fitspiration” on social media may be beneficial for some, the fact that Instagram-famous restaurants, bloggers and activists have overtaken the health community with faulty information needs to be stopped immediately. In the year 2017, it was recorded that almost three million people in the United States suffer from Celiac Disease or a severe allergy to gluten. With the influx of dieting fads and popular influential social media buffs, those who are looking for an easy way to lose weight have adopted this way of eating, thus diminishing the importance of those who actually suffer from Celiac disease. What many people fail to comprehend is the notion that gluten free is not always better. With convoluted ideas being portrayed through various social media platforms, many may receive faulty information regarding the nutrition of common gluten-free foods. In comparison, a standard-sized gluten-free cupcake contains 275 calories, along with 30 grams of sugar and 40 carbohydrates, whereas a regular cupcake, one that contains gluten, has 175 calories, 26 sugars and 32 carbohydrates. For those who suffer from Celiac disease, allergy-safe recipes and restaurants can prove helpful and beneficial, but for those who do not have a gluten intolerance, the excess prominence of this dietary trend is promoting a deceivingly unhealthy alternative to a regular diet that was once moderately acceptable for the average diet. In addition to the gluten-free fad, many individuals turn to veganism and vegetarianism as a means of “healthy eating.” The vegetarian and vegan lifestyles can prove beneficial for one’s overall health, providing for clearer skin, smoother internal processes and disease prevention when followed correctly. Unfortunately, more times than not, vegetarian alternatives are loaded with excess sugar, carbohydrates and fillers to compensate for the lack of animal-derived ingredients. On average, drinks like Naked bottled fruit smoothies can have anywhere from 30-70 grams of sugar and 200-500 calories per bottle. While these choices may seem rather appealing, but the misleading foods and beverages are actually doing a great disservice to those looking to improve upon their diets. The solution is simple. Without the persuasive Instagram posts capturing the perfect snapshot of meals and snacks adhering to trendy dietary fads, naive young people would not be as easily swayed to jump on the bandwagon of these restrictive diets. Adding to the problem, restaurant review sites, which allow users to share their experience at a restaurant, create an unrealistic picture of what a healthy meal looks like. Social media’s negative influence is contributing adversely to the health crisis in America, and this issue needs to be immediately controlled.
OCTOBER 2017
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Celebrity feuds ignite controversies By Jessie Chaiet News Editor
After years of friendship, in 2014 “Bad Blood” was shed between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. What began as a friendly relationship erupted into a feud on social media for the public to witness. After a trio of dancers left Swift’s tour for Perry’s, Swift responded by writing “Bad Blood,” a diss track about Perry. Swift and Perry’s social media posts and songs about each other throughout the years have made the persistent nature of this conflict apparent. While this celebrity feud was playing out, freshman Hanna Stockel was on her phone, reading articles about the fight and following the celebrities’ posts on social media. “I find celebrity feuds really interesting, especially if they’re a celebrity I like and support,” Stockel said. “The Taylor Swift and Katy Perry one caught my eye because they are both such famous singers, so I wanted to know why they were fighting.”
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I think that instead of bringing each other down, they should focus on their own careers. They can be using their platforms as celebrities for much more important things, like women’s rights and charity. Although their feud can be entertaining, raising awareness for these things would actually be beneficial.
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-freshman Hanna Stockel
Like Stockel, many students at the Bay follow celebrity feuds and read about them on social media. Sophomore Isabella Schutte said that she often sees news about celebrities fighting while on Snapchat and Instagram. On Snapchat, the “Discover” page has digital content for many publications, such as Cosmopolitan and People Magazine. “I don’t have to search up anything, it will just come up to me,” Schutte said. “People like to hear about feuds. I think [celebrities] do it for attention.” Schutte said she thinks the media overdramatizes celebrity news, especially when it comes to feuds. “I think they’re over-exaggerated because we don’t know what’s going on in their personal life,” Schutte said. “People get just a small situation and blow it up
A&E calendar
Graphic By Sophie GAer
into some big deal for money.” Similar to Schutte, senior Katerina Petruzzelli also reads about celebrity disputes on social media, especially on Twitter. Petruzzelli said she often sides with one of the celebrities involved. “If I like a celebrity more, even if they’re wrong, I’ll probably take their side,” Petruzzelli said. “I think these feuds catch people’s attention, so that’s why the media covers them.” Petruzzelli said a fight that stands out to her is Swift and Kanye West. This feud began in 2009 at MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), when West interrupted Swift’s VMA acceptance speech for Best Female Video, declaring Beyonce should’ve won the award. The conflict seemed to be resolved until 2016, when West included a profane lyric in his song “Famous” about Swift. Swift objected to this lyric; however, West claimed Swift gave him permission to include it. Kim Kardashian West later posted a video to her Snapchat story of a call between Swift and West in which Swift did approve the lyric. “I think [Swift] handled everything normally until she said that thing about [West] not calling her but there was actually evidence about the calls,” Petruzzelli said.
Albums • “Beautiful Trauma” by P!nk, Oct. 13 • “When Was The Last Time” by Darius Rucker, Oct. 20 • “Beach House 3” by Ty Dolla $ign, Oct. 27 • “Ojalá” by Lost Horizons, Nov. 3
Like Schutte, junior Abigail Eades believes that the media often exaggerates celebrity gossip. “I think they blow it out of proportion just to get people to be more interested in the story,” Eades said. “[Feuds] are popular and that’s what people really like to hear.” Although celebrity news is not covered in her class, Advanced International Certificate (AICE) Media Studies teacher Tina Stoklosa educates her students about digital media. Mrs. Stoklosa said that studies have shown that Generation Z, which includes current high schoolers, prefers to read interactive digital media. Mrs. Stoklosa said this means that the media covers stories that will lead to more views online. “News organizations have to make a profit therefore they tend to report stories that they think will garner the most profit,” Mrs. Stoklosa said. “They don’t blow things out of proportion but cover things that will give them more clicks. The only way the media will get to the point where they focus more on news is if we fund them.” Stockel said that she sometimes sees celebrity fights playing out on TV. For example, Stockel watched the VMAs in 2015, when a feud erupted between Miley
Movies • “Happy Death Day,” Oct. 13 • “Geostorm,” Oct. 20 • “Thank You for Your Service,” Oct. 27 • “Amityville: The Awakening,” Oct. 28 • “A Bad Moms Christmas,” Nov. 1
Cyrus and Nicki Minaj. Days before the VMAs, Minaj tweeted that she was upset that “Anaconda” was not nominated for the Best Video Award because of racism and sexism. In an interview, Cyrus said that it was wrong of Minaj to pit nominees against each other. At the award show, while accepting an award for Best Hip Hop Video, Minaj called out Cyrus with a single line: “Miley, what’s good?” However, the two artists have resolved this conflict. “I was really surprised to see them suddenly start a fight on national TV,” Stockel said. “I’m happy to know that they ended the feud because I like both of their music.” Stockel said the drama created by celebrity conflicts is unnecessary and can detract from the professional careers of celebrities. “I think that instead of bringing each other down, they should focus on their own careers,” Stockel said. “They can be using their platforms as celebrities for much more important things, like women’s rights and charity. Although their feud can be entertaining, raising awareness for these things would actually be beneficial.”
Coming to Netflix • “The Meyerowitz Stories,” Oct. 13 • “Midhunter: Season 1,” Oct. 13 • “West Coast Customs: Season 6,” Oct. 15 • “Meet the Robinsons,” Oct. 23 • “Stranger Things: Season 2,” Oct. 27
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OCTOBER 2017
Makeup artist formulates business
By Ellie Sachs
Senior Sarah Leavitt has been passionate about makeup since she entered middle school. For the past two years, she has taken her beauty career to the next level by offering makeup services for special occasions and events. Leavitt said she started taking the form of art more seriously in February of her sophomore year when she created a personal Instagram account under the username @sel.mua (Sarah Elizabeth Leavitt, makeup artist). “I had always wanted to create an Instagram account for makeup, but I never felt I was good enough at it to make one and was scared about other people’s judgments,” Leavitt said. “Then one day I did this one eye shadow look on myself that I was extremely proud of and just so content with that I overcame my fears and insecurities, and that’s when @sel.mua was born.” As Leavitt gained confidence in her techniques and began posting more consistently on her account, she started to gain more followers. This increase in social media exposure eventually led to people asking her to do their makeup for certain events, like prom. At this point, Leavitt’s career began to takeoff. “I was very surprised at first when people offered to pay me to do their makeup because when I first started, I never even thought of that as an option, but now being able to be paid for doing something that I have such a huge passion for is the best feeling in the world,” Leavitt said. The rising makeup artist has done looks for over 30 girls now and for many occasions. Senior Alexa Zuckerman went to Leavitt in need of a professional look for a prom after party.
“I chose Sarah to do my makeup over a salon because I saw her pictures on Instagram and thought her work was amazing,” Zuckerman said. “I would highly recommend her to anyone because she does an incredible job at a very reasonable price.”
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I was very surprised at first when people offered to pay me to do their makeup because when I first started, I never even thought of that as an option, but now being able to be paid for doing something that I have such a huge passion for is the best feeling in the world.
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-senior Sarah Leavitt Leavitt said she received tremendous support from her family towards her passion for makeup, especially from her mother, Krista Leavitt. “I am very proud of her for pursuing her interests in the world of beauty because it is something that I have always enjoyed, so sharing that bond is really wonderful,” Mrs. Leavitt said. “I support her career by taking her to Ulta and supplying her with the equipment that she needs in order to create new makeup looks, and I definitely would be okay with her continuing makeup as a career in the
Photo Submitted By sarah leavitt
she Came, she saw, she contoured: (Left) senior Sarah Leavitt turns her passion into a business by doing makeup for special occasions. Senior Camila Martinez is getting her makeup done for her senior pictures. Leavitt has done makeup for over 30 girls and promotes her business by posting videos and photos on social media.
future.” The young makeup artist continues to expand her future in the industry by creating Youtube videos in which she uploads tutorials on specific looks and discusses other beauty-related topics. “Once, I got the technology I needed to make videos, I immediately started filming and uploading,” Leavitt said. “I enjoy making videos for YouTube because it provides me with a bigger platform to reach people who wish to learn more about makeup and beauty tips and tricks that I can share.”
She said the best part overall about her passion is noticing the boost of confidence in her clients after she enhances their features. “My absolute favorite part about doing other people’s makeup is that my clients are all already so naturally beautiful, but after enhancing their facial features a little bit the smile that lights up on their face is just priceless and really makes my love for makeup grow even stronger,” Leavitt said.
Coldplay presents enchanting show BY CHLOE WAIN
Coldplay performed an energetic and extravagant show that will be remembered for a lifetime on Aug. 28, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour headlined shows in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Germany. Coldplay consists of four band members: lead singer Chris Martin, lead Guitarist John Buckland, drummer Will Champion, and bass guitarist Guy Berryman. Before the show, wristbands were given out at no charge for use later by the audience. Each audience member was able to contribute to Coldplay’s performance in lighting up the arena by wearing these wristbands, which brought the message that Coldplay was promoting throughout the show, how different people can come together as one. Throughout the show, the band members were able to create personal connections with the audience through the use of their music and words by singing and speaking powerful words. Colorful lights allowed the band to successfully create a positive vibe by lighting up the stadium with flourishing colors. By speaking between songs and
Photo by Chloe wain
A sky full of lights: Coldplay lights up the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Aug. 28 on their Head Full of Dreams Tour. The show used colorful lights to engage the crowd during each song. The tour performed 124 total shows internationally.
showing famous speeches of activists like Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela, they were able to create moving messages, such as loving one another, with the audience throughout the show. The show began with video footage of devoted fans from different countries holding Coldplay signs while they played their opening song, “A Head Full of Dreams.” Exciting and intriguing, this introduction encouraged fans to take part in singing along to the first song, after which their album was named. Coldplay incorporated old successful hits in the beginning of the concert such as “Viva La Vida,” “The Scientist” and “Clocks.” Even though these are older
songs, the concert’s overall theme was maintained with the use of flashing lights and fluorescent colors. Throughout the show, Martin spoke about his views on how people can come together and change the world, no matter who they are or where they are from. These messages seemed to impact the audience in a way that was extremely powerful. Instead of standing in one place to speak to the audience, he walked around and spoke powerful, moving words, and was able to show Coldplay’s genuine intentions. During the show, Coldplay moved to different stages to be more interactive with the audience. They moved to the
circular stage on the left of the stadium later on in the show to perform more touching songs, such as “Don’t Panic” and “In My Place.” The normal stage was meant for more feel-good songs such as “Hymn for the Weekend” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” Towards the end of the concert, Coldplay performed a new song named “Houston #1,” dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Harvey after the Houston concert was canceled. This showed the audience how compassionate and caring this band really is. To finish off the concert, Coldplay played a song, “Up&Up,” from their new album. The audience sang along and swayed to the final song of the night, which was the perfect ending to a wonderful performance. Coldplay brought the audience into another universe with their moving words and the good energy that radiated throughout the concert hall. With the fireworks and colors, Coldplay brought a very engauging show. Coldplay members were able to compare their songs to social issues, which made this not only a concert, but an inspiring movement. The crowd seemed to react positively to the speeches and choices of songs, which brought an intense reaction of singing along. Coldplay spoke with the audience throughout the show, and made the show something to remember for years to come.
OCTOBER 2017
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Theatergoers pay extreme prices BY RACHEL FRIEDMAN Managing Editor
As Broadway shows like “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen” continue to accumulate popularity, ticket prices are being augmented and tickets are selling out within minutes, according to Forbes. With this price gouging on tickets, students like junior Jason Rosenberg, who label themselves as avid Broadway fans, say they are determined to get their hands on a pair. “I asked my parents for ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ tickets as my birthday present and got them an entire year in advance,” Rosenberg said. “I would say I definitely go to extreme measures to get these tickets sometimes, but Broadway is so worth it.”
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[Broadway shows] come with a feeling you get that you can’t describe and you can’t make up,
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-junior Lizzie Gluck Rosenberg’s interest in Broadway shows sparked from his devotion to theater. He has been performing in local plays since elementary school and has been a member of the Bay’s drama club since his freshman year. “I’ve been interested in Broadway shows basically my whole life,” he said. “They’re just so perfectly put together. The production as a whole is always so
amazing to see; it’s the little details like the lights and sounds that make everything so incredible overall.” Similar to Rosenberg, junior Lizzie Gluck’s interest in Broadway shows began at a young age. “[Broadway shows] come with a feeling you get that you can’t describe and you can’t make up,” Gluck said. “I became interested in them basically around the time I learned how to walk. My sister has always been a huge theater person, so I grew into that with her as I got older.” In attempts to avoid paying full-price for a ticket, Gluck and her family often enter show lotteries, which requires arriving at the venue around 6 a.m. and putting in $10-$50, depending on the show, for a chance to win front-row seats. “My family and I usually have to buy tickets months in advance when we want to see a certain show, and when the day comes, my sister and I will go really early to try and win the lottery for better seats,” she said. “We have to wait at the front of the theater in a really long line, but once we won front-row center tickets to ‘In the Heights.’” For psychology teacher David Geller, the music in Broadway shows is what inspired his love for these productions. He said he immediately began to love them after seeing his first one as part of a field trip for his English class in seventh grade. “I was blown away by ‘Grease,’ and that’s when my interest began,” Mr. Geller said. “I’m not one to stand in line for hours to get tickets for a show, but I’ve taken days off to see them and have sometimes paid excessive amounts of money.
Photo Submitted By Jason Rosenberg
Drama Queens: Junior and avid theater fan Jason Rosenberg takes a trip to New York City to see the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2017, “Dear Evan Hansen.” Although he said it was difficult to get tickets he said seeing the show was completely worth it.
It’s worth it; they’re just such a feel-good experience.” As Broadway theaters are only located in New York, purchasing tickets requires planning a trip to New York as well. Senior Heather Ruggiero plans on missing school to see “Dear Evan Hansen” in October. “The tickets are crazy expensive,” Ruggiero said. “If getting tickets means missing the end of a week of school, I’m definitely going to do it. I’ve wanted to see this show for so long now, so I’m really looking forward to this long weekend
in New York.” Similar to Ruggiero, Gluck has missed a Friday of school to leave for New York to see “Hamilton.” “I usually don’t like missing school and being behind in my work, but when I missed school to see ‘Hamilton,’ it was completely worth it. “I was able to make up all of my homework quickly and see one of my favorite shows ever.”
Mixtapes serve as creative outlet By: Hannah Lassner
Ramer said starting out as a new artist was nerve-wracking, but her friend, junior Jesse Mendes, inspired her to record her first song in a real studio in early July. “I saw potential in [Ramer] from the
Sophomore Spencer Levine records and uploads his music to SoundCloud because it is a popular platform for upcoming artists. SoundCloud is an online audio distribution service which allows users to listen to, save and upload music, is increasingly popular among young music artists at the Bay. “The idea came from a friend last summer who has made mixtapes in the past,” Levine said. “It just seemed like a fun thing to do, so I got interested in creating my own.”
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Music helps me think differently, and when I listen to other artists’ music, it inspires me.
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-junior Samantha Ramer
I want to grow with my music in the sense that I get to eventually learn and understand the lessons I sing about.
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-junior Samantha Ramer Levine and sophomore Ike Grapin have produced music together and plan on collaborating more in the near future. Grapin said his goal is to increase the amount of plays on his music. “We really hope that our two songs, both named ‘Ploob Oobl,’ can inspire people to speak freely on subjects that really matter to them,” Grapin said.
Junior Samantha Ramer said writing music keeps her entertained and helps her to express her feelings. “Music helps me think differently, and when I listen to other artists’ music, it inspires me either musically, lyrically or personally if they are conveying a strong message,” Ramer said. Ramer said getting noticed on
SoundCloud can be a struggle for upcoming artists since so many new individuals are trying to do the same thing, but this challenge does not deter her. “I don’t really make my music for others,” Ramer said. “I make it for myself. I just make music that I can listen to and enjoy.”
lyrics she showed me and I thought it would be a good idea to record them,” Mendes said. “She seemed like she would enjoy being in the studio and her song could be relatable to lots of people.” Ramer said making music has been a dream ever since she was young and now she is happy she has the opportunity to pursue her aspirations and share her work with SoundCloud listeners. “I want to grow with my music in the sense that I get to eventually learn and understand the lessons I sing about,” Ramer said. “Writing music is an outlet for me to communicate without talking.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Kendrick captivates fans at final show by lexi flechner
online Arts & Ent. Editor
Kendrick Lamar’s showstopping, energy-filled “DAMN Tour” came to its end at his last show in Miami. The concert took place at the American Airlines Arena on Sept. 2. Rappers DRAM and YG served as Lamar’s opening acts for show. DRAM began with his soothing vocals, playing his most popular songs. He began promptly at 7:30 p.m., when the concert was scheduled to begin. Much of the audience was not present for his set because of this unexpected promptness. His performance as a whole was moderately boring, especially for some fans who did not know the songs played. Yet, DRAM finished his set strong with his best hit, “Broccoli,” which had many fans on their feet. YG brought more rap than DRAM, perfectly setting the tone for Kendrick’s show. He also played his biggest hits. YG was much more entertaining than DRAM because the songs he played were more upbeat. After YG performed, a huge tapestry reading, “The DAMN Tour,” hung across the stage to introduce Kendrick. This prop hid all backstage work and simultaneously served as a good photo opportunity. The show started with a video themed around Kendrick’s nickname, KungFu Kenny. The visual showed Kendrick
Photo by lexi flechner
electrified: On Sept. 2, rapper Kendrick Lamar played the last show of his “DAMN Tour” at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Lamar played a setlist of old and new hits to appeal to his audience.
becoming the character and fighting his enemies. The film was broken into parts that were shown throughout the whole show. The film was exciting and transitioned sections of the show well. After the video, smoke filled the stage and Kendrick emerged from a hole in the floor. He opened with “DNA” from his most recent album. This song was extremely exciting and high energy. Kendrick played a mix of old and new
songs, making sure to thank the audience members who had been there from his start for their support. This made the show more intimate. He played “m.A.A.d City”, “Swimming Pools” and many of his other older songs. These songs were nostalgic and exciting because Kendrick reminded the audience of where he started out. Kendrick seemed genuinely grateful for his fans which was touching. During each song the floor lights
on the stage were a different color and sometimes moved to the beat of the song. The screen featured aesthetically pleasing videos that went with the tone of each song. The screen also tilted parallel to the floor and lowered down a couple of times, making the stage seem like a small box at time. Kendrick performed in a small stage in the middle of the floor seating. This stage rose up in the air and brought Kendrick even closer to the fans. These effects were extremely entertaining. He played several slower songs, including “Feel” and “Love,” which brought a sweet tone to the concert and began the swaying of phone flashlights across the arena. The arena was loud with fans screams as Kendrick played some of his chart toppers. When Lamar played “Humble”, his number one song on the iTunes charts, the audience rapped the entire song without his interjection. Kendrick appeared humbled by the volume in the arena as he looked into the crowd during their rendition of the song, then rapping the song along with the crowd along, making the concert more interactive. The concert was nonstop action. Kendrick performed for the audience and was always captivating. He brought intense energy to arena that made the concert ultimately memorable. Fans erupted into chants of “Kendrick, Kendrick, Kendrick,” as Lamar returned for an encore. Kendrick returned to the stage to play “God” and ended the concert with fire erupting from the floor in pillars of light.
Fairy tale twist exposes Impressive milkshakes modern social issues make trendy debut “Beast” By Sabrina Blandon
“Beast” by Brie Spangler is a twist on a modern tale. The story follows Dylan, a sophomore in high school, who is nicknamed “the Beast” because of his massive size and the amount of hair he has for someone his age. After many years in school feeling like an outsider, he feels it is finally his year for a fresh start. Dylan finds himself in a group for self-harmers, where he meets Jamie, a funny and smart girl who speaks her mind. Although Dylan isn’t particularly fond of this friend group, Jamie starts to rub off on him. Many weeks pass by, and Jamie and Dylan begin to grow closer. Spangler’s story is exquisitely written with themes of young love, self-identity and social awareness. “Beast” is a young adult novel with lessons that every high school student should be aware of. Not only does the novel have inspiring themes, but it also contains protagonists with diverse
personalities. This brilliant book has a simple beginning and transforms into something more charming and complex, while still entertaining. Every page in this appealing novel is ravishingly handwritten and crafted with care as each word takes its readers further into the story. Spangler’s portrayals of Dylan and Jamie are written perfectly in the sense of teenagers. Dylan is an awkward boy who wants desperately to fit in and Jamie, a girl who wants to be noticed by someone. Spangler wrote about imperfections and mistakes that teenagers make and turned it into a gorgeous story about two teenagers with differences as they learn more about each other and how there is more than what meets the eye. “Beast” is a mustread with enticing characters and an amazing plot. Much like its fairytale counterpart, this novel shares the same lessons and themes. Inspired by the classic “Beauty and the Beast,” Spangler receives high praise in retelling the classic tale. Spangler’s viewpoints leave a mark on her audience as they learn the struggles of adolescents who embrace themselves for who they truly are.
out with impressive displays. Because of this, they are more pricy than the average milkshake, simply because they are far from average. The nutella and tres leches flavors are priced at $16, while cookies and cream is priced at $18. However, the cost is well worth it for the amount of By Rachel Alexander food customers receive. The new restaurant Bocas House has Along with the intense desserts at brought mouthwatering milkshakes and Bocas House, the entrees are heavenly. delicious Peruvian food to Weston Town The menu offers a little something Center for local customers to enjoy. This in every food group, from premium unique restaurant attracts customers cut steaks to seafood platters. Trío de with its extraordinary Corvina, a Peruvian creations. With locations lemony seafood dish, all across Florida, Bocas is a customer favorite House finally led the trend according to the menu. of colossal food and dessert In addition to the proportions to Weston. atmosphere, milkshakes Bocas House’s vibrant and food, the speedy atmosphere is just one way service is another great the restaurant attracts its asset of the restaurant. customers. The modern Although long waits decor provides a homey in line for a table is feeling inside the restaurant a frequent issue, the and the bright colors staff does its best to get cultivate a trendy overall everyone seated as soon vibe with modernist wood as possible. Reservations photo by rachel alexander can also be made ahead tiles hanging throughout the restaurant. of time to prevent chaos at the front door. The three massive milkshake creations Overall, Bocas House is an outstandoffered include tres leches, nutella and ing new addition to the Weston restaurant cookies and cream, all of which are made scene. From the friendly atmosphere to from scratch with fresh high-quality the unique menu, the Peruvian hotspot is ingredients. Toppings, such as scoops an exceptional choice when choosing the of ice cream, brownies, chocolate shots, next place to dine. waffle cones and syrup, are provided. The outstanding creations are well thought-
Bocas House
OCTOBER 2017
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Young artists share work with cultural council GABBY SONKIN
ARTS & ENT. COPY EDITOR
The Arts Council of Greater Weston (ACGW) gives student artists a chance to showcase their pieces. This organization that includes about a dozen volunteers dedicated to presenting entertainment throughout the city. Sophomore Michelle Duque said she wished she had known about this council prior to last year. “I was amazed to find out all that this organization has to offer and I wish more students at the Bay knew about the amazing opportunities they can receive,” Duque said. Duque competed in an event her freshman year called the Student Artist Showcase, in which she submitted a self-portrait. This event was created by Cypress Bay art teacher Bizzy Jenkins twelve years ago because she wanted her students to present their work to the general public.
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I wanted students to be able to see what other students in neighboring schools were doing as well as share with the community how the arts impact students at all levels.
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-art teacher Bizzy Jenkins “I was surprised my teacher picked me to submit my self-portrait for one of the events,” Duque said. “This gave me more confidence to present my work to others and submit them to the council in the future” Mrs. Jenkins said she was motivated to start this project when she noticed
PHOTOs SUBMITTED by joy rodenberg
art around the world: (Clockwise from left) artist Michelle Duque showcases her artwork. Artists from Countries from all around the world came to display all of their cultural art pieces. The Arts Council of Greater Weston, composed of 10 people, judged the competitions at the art show. Not only was art displayed at these competitons, but many countries also showed off their exotic cuisine.
there were no events solely based on students’ work being publicized. “I wanted students to be able to see what other students in neighboring schools were doing as well as share with the community how the arts impact students at all levels, ” she said. Additionally, Mrs. Jenkins said during the time she created the Student Artist Showcase, the Bay began supporting ACGW by attending and hosting events. “I believe the Arts Council provides a much-needed facet to our community and they host many events in all the art forms people are interested in,” Mrs. Jen-
kins said. “I am glad to see our school is helping to provide volunteers for many of the events, and the clubs provide booths and activities for the festivals.” Duque said after winning second place for her self-portrait she became even more excited to continue to pursue her passion. “I hope to learn more about ACGW and what it has to offer,” Duque said. “I never really noticed this last year, but every day it makes me happy to find new pieces of artwork hanging in the library that other students made for the events.” Joy Rodenberg, the public relations
manager for ACGW, said she has high hopes of helping more people learn about what these societies are trying to provide. “I am personally delighted Weston is kicking off the 2017-18 arts and culture season with such a wide variety of events from so many local organizations,” Rodenberg said. “There are offerings for every demographic and will continue to grow during the year.” Every year, ACGW works to bring high quality events to increase the quality of life for residents living in this community.
“Girls Trip” promotes message of true friendship “Girls trip”
hayley princz
features photo editor
Reeling in a total of $31,201,920 in the box office during its opening weekend, “Girl’s Trip” has been successful since its start. Because the movie began with the college backstory of main characters Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jade Pinkett-Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish), an easy-to-follow plot was established, which was maintained
throughout the remainder of the film. The college sorority sisters had grown apart over the years and Ryan, who was supposedly living the dream lifestyle, invited the girls to join her in New Orleans as an attempt to rekindle their dying friendship. As the girls worked to fix their splintering relationship, entertaining drama builds distrust between the girls. Sasha, a famous blogger known for destroying celebrities’ reputations, receives a photo snapped of Ryan’s husband, Stewart, cheating on her. After approaching Ryan about the pressing matter, Ryan and her friends work together to deal with the situation. With the help of her friends, Ryan eventually ends her relationship with Stewart in pursuit of her own happiness. This affects the movie in a positive
way because it reinforces that an individual’s happiness comes first. “Girl’s Trip” seamlessly ties in comedy throughout the film, having some scenes so intensely inappropriate, yet meticulously placed, that the film was cohesive and easy to keep up with. Other scenes entertain comedic aspects that can happen real life, such as a single mother trying to relate to a friend with no children and ending up mothering the friend instead. “Girl’s Trip” also promotes the idea of adults being carefree and having fun, allowing for a humorous, light tone behind the drama. The film highlights the importance of self worth, the insignificance of relationships and the strength of friendship.
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OCTOBER 2017
BRACE adviser hosts college seminars The annual College Night acts as an informative seminar for students and their families.
BY JESSIE CHAIET news editor
In order to help students and parents understand the college admission process, Broward Advisors for Continuing Education (BRACE) Adviser Shari Bush held the annual College Night. Mrs. Bush hosted two College Nights: one for juniors and seniors on Sept. 27 and one for freshmen and sophomores on Oct. 3. “I hold College Night to educate all of our students about the application process,” Mrs. Bush said. “It’s so important for them to really know how that works. It’s my job and my pleasure to teach them.” More than 600 people filled the auditorium each night. Mrs. Bush said there were two College Nights so all the parents and students who wanted to attend would be able to. She had slightly different presentations each night to suit the students and parents attending. “The 11th and 12th graders are definitely closer to the process, so we were giving them some more current info and really getting them ready,” Mrs. Bush said. “For the ninth and 10th graders, it’s more of navigating their way through high school so that they’re in the best possible place to start the process a year or two from now.” Mrs. Bush said she was very pleased with the turnout each night because it is crucial for students and parents to learn
information about colleges. “[The auditorium] was a packed house, which is what we hoped for and expected,” Mrs. Bush said. “It makes me so happy that our students and their parents really want to engage and be a part of the process this early on.” At College Night, Mrs. Bush presented a PowerPoint in which she discussed the college application process, essays, scholarships, financial aid and Florida universities. “We covered everything. Because the process is so overwhelming and it’s changing every couple of years, it’s important that [students and parents] are updated and have the information,” Mrs. Bush said. “It’s important so that they understand how it works and they’re not overwhelmed by the process.” Junior Carolina Gomez said she attended College Night to stay informed about college news and applications. “Because I’m currently a junior in high school, near the end of the year I’m going to have to start thinking about where I want to go and what I want to do,” Gomez said. “It’s getting closer to senior year so there’s less time to think about it.” Ilene Herman, junior Dayna Herman’s mother, said it was helpful to attend College Night since the college admission process often changes. “The process is a lot different from when I applied many years ago and it’s a lot different from when my older daughter
PHOTO BY JESSIE CHAIET
CoLlegE knowledge: College Night took place in the auditorium on two separate dates, Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, depending on the grade of the student attending. Mrs. Bush informed students and their families of important facts about the college application process.
applied three years ago,” Mrs. Herman said. “I thought College Night was extremely informative; it was definitely a wake-up call.” Mrs. Herman said she has attended College Night in the past, but she wanted to receive more up-to-date information. “I was surprised at how much more difficult it is to get into Florida schools now,” Mrs. Herman said. “Colleges are more competitive nowadays.” Mrs. Bush said she wants parents and students to feel confident after College
Night knowing that there are many resources at the Bay. “I hope they feel good about knowing that they have somebody to guide them throughout this at every step of the way,” Mrs. Bush said. “Hopefully, what came across loud and clear is my passion for what I do and how available we are to help every student at whatever level or at whatever path they want to take.”
Colleges visit the Bay in order to aid students and allow them to interact with representatives. BY CARLI UDINE ONLINE Editor-in-chief
Throughout the months of September and October, the Bay will be hosting around 35-40 representatives from universities across the country to give students the opportunity to get information about the colleges they wish to attend. Each college visit will take place in the College and Career Center. Broward Advisors for Continuing Education (BRACE) adviser Shari Bush said the college visits are a great opportunity for students to be able to communicate directly with a college representative. “The college representatives are incredibly knowledgeable about their schools, and they provide valuable information to our students,” Mrs. Bush said. “This is also a perfect time for students to ask specific questions regarding the information they are interested in.” Throughout her years being involved in helping students find the right university for them, Mrs. Bush said she has formulated relationships with many schools and was able to get in touch with them so they would come to share information with the students at the Bay. Mrs. Bush said this is especially beneficial to the senior class as they are submitting their college applications. The college visits are scheduled mainly in September and October to ensure seniors have the opportunity to have all of their questions answered prior to submitting to their top schools. “The seniors get to meet the person who is reading their application.
GRAPHIC BY JESSIE CHAIET
That personal connection is a great opportunity for our students,” Mrs. Bush said. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to showcase our students and school as well so the representatives can see exactly how impressive we are and the high caliber of students that are applying to their universities.” Although the college visits are directed mainly towards the seniors, underclassmen are welcome to attend the visits as well. Mrs. Bush said the visits can be beneficial no matter how old a student is.
“It is never to early to educate yourself about the process,” Mrs. Bush said. “It is also a great opportunity for the underclassmen to hear what the seniors are asking so they can understand more of the process.” Senior Samantha Rosenberg said the college visits give her an opportunity to get more information about the college application process and the colleges she is hoping to get into. “There are so many specific and detailed steps throughout the process of applying to colleges; it can get very
confusing,” Rosenberg said. “Being able to hear from college representatives is very helpful. It’s so nice to hear what each college has to say about what they are looking for in each applicant.” Rosenberg said she is grateful that the Bay gives her the opportunity to communicate with college representatives. “I am so fortunate I attend a school where I get such great assistance in such an important time in my life,” she said. “There are not many schools who give their students the same resources and opportunities that our school offers.” Sophomore Josh Keller said even though he is nowhere near starting the college application process, these visits are useful to prepare for the future. “My mom was the main reason I was motivated to sign up to attend some of the college visits,” Keller said. “I was a little hesitant at first to attend because of my age, but now I am so happy I signed up because when the time comes, I will not have to stress about the process of applying to all the schools I want to attend.” Keller said attending a college visit motivates him to strive for better grades. “Listening to what the colleges are looking for allows me to change my study habits early enough to make a significant change,” Keller said. Rosenberg said the college visits get seniors excited for what is to come for them in the next year. “Senior year is such an exciting time,” Rosenberg said. “College visits really get the seniors excited to submit their applications and eventually hear back from the schools of their choice.”
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iPhone upgrades help create better product BY KARLA SOBERON
Apple’s latest additions to the iPhone family have shown what the company is capable of designing and executing. The iPhone 8 and iPhone X are redesigned, elegant and sophisticated pieces of modern cell phone technology new on the smartphone market. The iPhone 8 was released on Sept. 22 and has been available for preorder since its announcement on Sept. 15. The new iPhone is made from the “most durable glass ever used on a smartphone” according to the Apple website, and it is waterproof, differentiating it from other smartphones on the market. Also, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have “one of the smartest and powerful chips ever in a phone,” which makes it 70 percent faster than the other previous iPhone models. Other new and intriguing features include innovative lock and unlock technology, as well as wireless charging due to the glass back. Both of these improvements from the last iPhone prove convenient and wellsuited for this newly released Apple product.
The phone is available for purchase in two sizes: the regular (4.7 inches) and the “plus” size (5.5 inches). The plus size comes with more camera features than the regular size, such as “Portrait Mode” and “Optical Zoom.” These features are entertaining to use and also provide for a much higher quality photo. It comes in three new redesigned finishes: space gray, silver, and rose gold, which give the phone a sleek and technologically advanced appearance. This iPhone’s software system includes iOS 11, the most updated processing system from Apple. The iPhone X is unlike any other phone given that it is a brand new concept for Apple. The preorder for the iPhone X will be on Oct. 27, and the phone will be officially released on Nov. 3. The iPhone X is made fully of screen from the top to the bottom and lacks a home button. Now, instead of Touch ID, Apple introduced Face ID because of the facial recognition sensors embedded in the phone screen. Both the front facing camera and the back camera are brand new with features like the lighting settings and “Selfie Mode,” which makes taking pictures more compelling to play with than today. Like the iPhone 8, the iPhone X is also made of durable glass, is
Rap album lacks originality in sound album, it can become quite boring to try to interpret the lyrics and to understand how the artist came up with ideas for the songs. Repetition is made apparent in each song. Whether it is the tone X’s songs BY Robbie solomon embody, the lyrics or just the all-around Up-and-coming rapper Xxxtentacion, mood, every song contains some repeated otherwise referred to as “X,” dropped element. When it comes to the commendable his new album, “17,” on Aug. 25. The soundtrack includes 11 songs and is 21 things in the album, other than the fact minutes in duration. In terms of variation that X pours all of his feelings into his songs, the background instrumentals in songs, “17” highlight the is extremely upbeat rhythm lackluster. The of the majority very small of his songs. duration of this The rhythm is album shows that enhanced with the overall themes the background of all songs are m u s i c . similar and that Whether it is there is not much a guitar or an substance in X’s electronically songs. produced In “The sound, the E x p l a n a t i o n,” artist draws the which is the first listeners into song in the album, the music. X expands upon Overall, it “17,” discussing his inner thoughts. courtesy of massappeal.com does not seem like there was a While artists of all types of genres express their opinions on things such as lot of work that went into the production equality, X is one of few that actually of “17.” Due to this fact, the album is opens up and dives into his own struggles. mediocre and doesn’t reach the high While the artist does an amazing standard to which a popular album should job with expressing his true emotions, be held. the album still does have flaws, such as repetition, detracting from the overall vibe of the album. While listening to this
water and dust resistant and has new which is frustrating, but the phone’s wireless charging. The iPhone X only features and quality make up for this comes in two finishes: black and gray. single disappointment. In comparison to other models that have at least three colors to choose from, the iPhone X offers only two,
Horror movie remake pleases new audience BY NYAH HARDMON FEATURES COPY EDITOR
“It,” the latest edition of Stephen King’s chilling classic, brings a refreshingly modern twist to the traditional story. The remake manages to not only successfully provide thrilling scenes throughout the duration of the film, but also to weave in a heartfelt coming-ofage tale between the jump-scares. “It” follows an underdog group of seven outcasts as they attempt to uncover the eerie disappearances of children in their fictional Maine town. Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), the unspoken leader of the self-proclaimed ‘Losers,’ convinces his friends to aid him in uncovering the truth behind the mysterious vanishings. Together, the friends team up to take down the supernatural clown named Pennywise, who is referred to as ‘It’. It doesn’t take long for the friends to notice that the demonic being thrives off of stealing children and feeding on their fear. As the group tracks down Pennywise, their greatest fears are used against them in haunting scenes that showcase the material that make up nightmares. Through chilling cinematography, the adolescents’ brains are picked apart until their deepest fears are brought to life through eerily realistic apparitions. These horrors coupled with the menacing on-screen presence of Pennywise the
clown, cause for unsettling moments. However, while the horror aspects of the film are executed successfully, there’s surprisingly another level to the story. Beyond the scares and thrills lies an unexpected sincere tale of teens on the edge of adulthood and the perils that accompany growing up like first loves and the challenge of sticking together. The enigmatic cast of youngsters includes “Stranger Thing’s” Finn Wolfhard, who provides consistent comedic relief through sometimes-raunchy teenage humor, and fresh face Sophia Lillis whose sole femininity in the group of boys does not go unnoticed. The horror flick manages to not only provide haunting thrills, but also tugs on heartstrings with its charismatic cast. “It” is not an average scary movie. The revamped movie dances across genres; forming a menacing, haunting narrative.
OCTOBER 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Adventures in the cinema
The Circuit’s staff reviews classic action and adventure movies. “The Goonies” “National Treasure” BY casey menten
BY Jenna friedman
“The Goonies” follows a group of neighborhood friends as they embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find lost treasure. This movie rightfully became a hit when it was released in 1985 due to its comedic dialogue and action-packed, captivating scenes. The young ages of the actors and their suburban lifestyles portray the main characters as ordinary people, finding adventure in the most mundane aspects of life. “The Goonies” is also filled with iconic one-liners and funny sayings, such as “Hey, you Guys” and “Kids suck,” that are still being used over 30 years later. The plot follows that of a typical pirate’s booty hunt, but the small, intriguing twists keep this film from being cliché. These unexpected twists ironically make children the leaders and cast the parents as oblivious background characters. This helps establish a unique style by giving all the lead roles to young actors and actresses, contrary to most popular movies. This particularly popularizes the movie with a younger crowd, drawing in viewers of all ages and appealing to an ageless sense of humor. With witty characters of varying personalities, the plot is not only thick with adventure but with relatability, as they turn their residential foreclosures into an opportunity to explore the unknown and uncover hidden treasures. Overall, these quirky aspects make “The Goonies” so memorable and different from the average film.
“National Treasure” is an adventurous and thrilling movie that seamlessly incorporates history, action and humour. The main character, Ben Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), is on the hunt to find a treasure that his family has searched for over the course of many generations. As a child, he was told that it was his family’s duty to guard this treasure; however, none of his ancestors have been able to discover it. He uncovers clue after clue, and he often goes to drastic measures, such as stealing the Declaration of Independence, in order to locate the riches for which he is searching. Eventually, Gates manages to avoid the FBI, stay one step ahead of his former search partner, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) and uncover the hidden treasure. “National Treasure” is not only humourous and action-packed, but it also includes thrills; it creates a sense of uncertainty about whether or not Gates will find the secret treasure without being caught. This movie is full of dramatic scenes that allow an emotional connection to be made with the frustration that Gates has about searching for this treasure. The ending of the movie is upbeat and joyous when Gates and his team finally discover the riches in a tomb under a church. This film incorporates multiple, breathtaking chase scenes, where Gates struggles to run from anything that stands in the way of him and the treasure. These scenes created an anxious and mysterious feeling, for Gates comes extremely close to getting caught on multiple occasions. “National Treasure” is a climactic, adventure-filled movie capable of building anticipation and excitement throughout the entire duration of the film.
“Pirates of the Carribean”
“Star Wars”
BY karla Soberon
BY casey menten
In the first installment of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “The Curse of Black Pearl” sets the bar high for the rest of the films. Main character, Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) is a tenacious governor’s daughter who has her heart set on William Turner (Orlando Bloom), an altruistic, audacious pirate and blacksmith. In a turn of events, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a ludicrous pirate who no one can take seriously, arrives at Port Royale in search of vengeance for his lost ship, the Black Pearl, which was stolen by the vicious Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). All of the characters show elements of humor or seriousness, which helps build the movie. The film features computer generated imaging and multiple special effects that enhance the quality of the movie in several aspects. Even though it is an action movie, there is a lot of humor embedded in it, which makes the movie more enjoyable to watch and keeps the plot interesting. Considering the amount of action and adventure movies already in the industry, the film speaks for itself and proves its place as a pirate-filled, action-packed comedy movie.
The blockbuster space series “Star Wars” launched its franchise with the hit movie, “Episode IV: A New Hope,” which marked the start of a new era. The first movie was a complete success. With innovative special effects and a creative storyline, “Star Wars” rightfully became a pop culture icon. Director George Lucas was one of the first directors to release a space-themed movie, which revolutionized the action movie industry. The countless films following the first release have continued to inspire generations with exciting space battles and captivating characters. As technology has advanced, the special effects included in the movies have become exceedingly realistic, making the movie that much more enjoyable to watch. The most recent addition, “Rogue One: A Star Wars,” took an intriguing perspective on the “Star Wars” tale, offering a new storyline that gives further insight of the main plot line of the first movie. The new band of misfit characters were just as lovable as the original characters appearing in earlier films. With 10 movies over a span of 40 years, “Star Wars” will continues to produce exciting content with adventures in a galaxy far, far away.
online news editor
PR manager
online news editor
“Indiana Jones”
“Jurassic Park”
BY Rachel Silverman
by Annabelle Daniels-rOsenberg
“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the first Indiana Jones movie directed by Steven Spielberg, is a disappointing rendition of an adventurous, action-packed movie. The 1981 film takes place in a South American jungle where archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is on the quest for a gold statue. The adrenaline junkie is able to retrieve the golden figure, but sets off a death trap in the process. After intense action, Jones makes it out alive with the statue in hand. Following his battle with death, a museum collector inquiring about The Ark of the Covenant contacts Jones. The Ark is an artifact that supposedly has supernatural properties. Jones embarks on a quest in multiple countries to find it, but he encounters several obstacles along the way. The slow development of the plot ruins the film for anyone who enjoys action-packed movies. However, thanks to great acting skills, the film is saved from the deathly slow progression. Unfortunately, the film lacks humor and has more of a serious vibe, which does not help at all in terms of the lack of urgency in developing the plot. Overall, the classic movie is definitely worth a watch for die-hard adventure fans, but the unfortunate slow feel of the film detracts from the storyline itself.
“Jurassic Park” brings extinct dinosaurs back to life in a thrilling, out-of-the-ordinary film directed by Steven Spielberg. This captivating movie brings together suspenseful drama and emotion. When a new theme park showing goes awry, cloning scientists realize humans and dinosaurs were not meant to roam the Earth at the same time. Watching the struggle of humans and these ancient creatures evolve is exciting and entertaining. This film is especially unique as dinosaurs come to life in a realistic form. When the movie first premiered 24 years ago, the special effects may have been new and breathtaking; however, nowadays these attributes are outdated and noticeably artificial. What is most compelling is the scientific imagination in this classic. The science, as well as the advanced thought process behind the idea of bringing to life an actual Jurassic world, is creative. In addition to the film, well-known conductor John Williams orchestrated an original soundtrack specifically for the movie. The symphonic music not only carries the story along but also heightens the action and intensity in certain scenes throughout the film. The adventurous film is well-thought-out and portrayed in a very life-like manner. Steven Spielberg’s movie-making talent is displayed from beginning to end.
head photo editor
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 2017
Instagram feeds creative ambitions
By Estela Suarez
Instagram is a social platform where over 700 million users share their pictures and ideas. Through new updates, Instagram has made it possible for users to live stream, use different filters on their pictures and post moving pictures called Boomerangs. Junior Camila Brooks said she has found inspiration in the most mundane aspects of life. Brooks said when she travels or does something out of the ordinary she likes to utilize these opportunities to take creative photos to post. “Everyday things like nature, food and fashion inspire me to take new pictures,” Brooks said. Brooks credits seeing other people’s cool or new posts as one of her motivations to update her own feed. “I love photography and whenever I find something unique or cool, I decide to share it on Instagram,” Brooks said. “Seeing cool or new things on my Instagram feed inspires me to take more pictures and motivates me to update my feed.” When senior Mina Kim first joined Instagram, she solely used it to stay in contact and share her pictures with family and friends. Since then, Kim said she has revolutionized her posting style to be more outgoing and free-spirited. Like Brooks, Kim uses her Instagram feed to express her passions. “At first I just posted pictures on Instagram to share with my family and friends, but now I really enjoy posting
more about what I like, which are fashion and makeup,” Kim said. A new fad that has quickly grown in the Instagram community is the idea of having a feed that follows a theme. “It is good to be consistent with your uploads,” Kim said. “At first, it is confusing what to make your theme on Instagram, but as you post more content it will gradually form.” Kim said establishing a theme can also make posting easier. “Take good quality photos and try out making your own theme for your Instagram,” Brooks said. “You will get more followers if people are clear on what your account is about and what kind of posts you put on your feed. Pick a few themes and stick to them, and your Instagram will thank you.” Users can also download apps to help them with all the aspects of posting a picture. There are apps like Planoly, UNUM and VSCOcam that not only help users edit their photos but also help them plan out when they should post a picture and how that picture will look once it’s posted next to their other pictures. “I use two apps called UNUM and VSCO. VSCO is a great app to edit your pictures by adding filters or adjusting the brightness, contrast, etc. UNUM is an app that allows you to post pictures as if you were going to upload them and manage a nice feed. You can see beforehand how your feed would look before actually posting the picture,” Kim said. Kim is not the only user who has taken advantage of these apps. Brooks has also found the apps that have helped her the
Photo submitted by mina kim
strut your Senior Mina Kim’s Instagram page, @mminakimm, stuff: showcases pictures of herself and her friends in her personal aesthetic. Kim uses editing apps like VSCO and UNUM to perfect her pictures before posting them on her page.
most when it comes to posting. “I use VSCOcam to match my aesthetic. I like to switch up the content of my posts but also make sure that they are aesthetically pleasing,” Brooks said. “VSCOcam helps to match up the colors and shades of all my posts to create a cool aesthetic on my feed.”
Brooks said she goes with their gut when it comes to posting and how she feels it will affect her feed. “My posts are pretty spontaneous, but I do find myself posting most when I travel,” Brooks said. “Whenever I find an artsy or trendy place that I feel is Instagram worthy, I post it.”
The music in your ears
“The Music in Your Ears” delves into the music tastes of students at the Bay. Staffer Sophia Handley interviewed two students who enjoy listening to different types of music.
courtesy of genius.com
“Up There” by Post Malone “This is my favorite song because it has a really nice beat to it that can put anyone in a good mood in a snap.” -sophomore Ellie
Castelles
“Dig Your Roots” by Florida Georgia Line
“I listen to country music because it makes me happy and lightens my mood when I’m low.” -junior Tyler Nejaime
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THE CIRCUIT
Rally violates constitutional rights After news circulated about the potential removal of Confederate icon General Robert E. Lee’s statue from the renamed Emancipation Park, violence erupted in the college town of Charlottesville. On Aug. 12, hundreds of white nationalists and their supporters gathered for a “Unite the Right” rally in efforts of protesting the potential removal. The National Policy Institute, an organization headed by white supremacist leader Richard Spencer, organized these protests. When the protestors were met by counter-demonstrators, clashes broke out between the two groups resulting in three deaths and more than 35 injuries. Police deemed the rally as an unlawful gathering, and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was forced to declare a state of emergency. There has been much controversy about whether or not this rally is protected under the clauses in the First Amendment. Although the First Amendment ensures freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, these rights should not protect hateful acts that lead to violence. Throughout American history, many clauses in the Constitution have been stretched, including the First Amendment. Its elasticity has led to numerous controversial Supreme Court cases, violent rallies and tragic deaths. According to Ken White from the Los Angeles Times, “There is no general First Amendment exception allowing the government to punish ‘hate speech’ that denigrates people based on their identity.” In other words, people are free to express anything they want, but when these expres-
Flash of brilliance
YES As we are living in an incredibly ever-changing society, technology is becoming more and more advanced by the day, yet, we still find ourselves avoiding the innovations and taking college tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) with a paper and pencil. Creating online versions of the SAT and ACT would significantly help students and faculty for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, cheating would drastically decline with digital testing. With tests like the ACT, it is quite simple to cheat as every student has the same form with nothing to block his or her answers. If we took these tests online, the question order would automatically be shuffled, as it is with other online tests like End of Course exams, to eliminate cheating. Also, students would get their results in a much quicker time as the computer can grade the tests immediately following submission. From an environmental standpoint, placing standardized tests online would be a significant advantage as we would no longer have to waste the countless packets of paper that each SAT and ACT requires. As a majority of assignments are now shifting online as time progresses, it only makes sense to also allow one of the most important tests for a student in high school to be shifted online as well. -Sam Bialczak
sions turn into violence, it is no longer deemed acceptable. The night before the rally, hundreds of white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia campus while carrying burning torches. These protestors consisted of neo-Nazis, members of the Ku Klux Klan, and other white-supremacist groups. These groups were carrying flags with swastikas and other racist logos on them, and were chanting Nazi slogans
illustration by casey menten
such as blood and soil.” Although these groups represent unpleasant ideas, under the First Amendment, they have the right and protection to voice their opinions. However, when this “peaceful” protest enticed white nationalist James Alex Fields Jr. to plow his car into a crowd of counter-protesters resulting in the death of thirty-two-year-old Heather Heyer and the injury of 35 others, the First Amendment does not prevail. When Richard
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Wilson Preston’s verbal altercation with a black man led him to shoot his pistol into a crowd, the First Amendment does not prevail. When Deandre Harris was kicked, punched and viciously beaten with metal poles by white supremacists merely because of the color of his skin, the First Amendment does not prevail. Following this event, the National Policy Institute contacted other universities like the University of Florida and Texas A&M University to request to speak on the college campuses. Both of these universities initially considered allowing the speakers to present, but when they discovered the potential violent outcomes of this encounter, they respectfully declined. When the universities declined his request, Spencer said, “They are worried there will be violence associated with this. You cannot suppress free speech on that basis.” However, as stated by University of Florida President W. Kent Fuchs, “The First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others.” The “Unite the Right” rally shows how racism is still prevalent in our country. Despite the countless actions taken to prevent this hatred, people will still continue to express these persecuting views. Regardless of how loathsome these opinions are, the First Amendment prohibits Congress from “abridging the freedom of speech,” and thus allows people to say whatever they want. However, when these spoken views turn to violence, this will— but should never—be protected by any constitutional right.
NO With continuous technological advancements, many educational systems are transferring their standardized testing methods from paper to computer; however, the disadvantages of being tested on computers can be extremely detrimental to students’ scores and future. A major reason standardized college tests should not be provided digitally is because of the confusion that comes with utilizing unfamiliar tools and applications. For a student who may not be tech-savvy, these computer testing programs can cause an increase of anxiety levels, which will have a direct negative effect on his or her scores. If the tester is not familiar with the technology, it may also slow down the student’s pace, which will also contribute to a lower score. There is also a possibility that the computer can malfunction in the middle of the test, whereas taking such an important test on paper has no risk of glitching, shutting off or running out of battery. In addition, students can use the computer as a way to cheat on their tests; the screen is a lot bigger and easier for students to see answers. For students who actually spend months studying for tests like the SAT and ACT, it is extremely unfair when a student can get all of the answers. With standardized college testing having such a defining effect on a student’s future, testing on computers produces many unnecessary problems that a diligent student shouldn’t have to deal with during such a stressful time. -Ben Eiglarsh
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OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
Media delegitimizes potential danger Throughout the duration of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, many news mediums have covered the paths and consequences of these storms. However, with the amount and range of varying news reported on the storms, some individuals start to doubt the true intensity of these natural disasters and fail to believe the storms will directly impact them, until they actually do. Failure to take the news stations legitimately sparks from factors like the fact that a storm could change its path at any given time, which it often does, and that news reporters report live from locations that are being hit directly by the storms and are taking initiative by seeking safety. According to Sopan Debs, a writer for the New York Times, the long tradition of newscasters standing in the midst of a storm is a direct threat to their safety, but Debs goes on to describe how it is necessary for news reporters to put their own lives at risk to illustrate the intensity of the storm so that people take the precautions seriously. Not taking the news seriously has become prevalent throughout the years and as social media expands; with many opinions out on the Web, no one is sure who to believe and who has valid information. This can be a danger as people do not take necessary actions to properly prepare for such a disaster. According to Fox News, Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, found it necessary to inform the residents of Florida about how serious the hurricane actually was in case there were people who were skepti-
cal about evacuating and efficiently preparing for Irma. Scott made sure to appear on the news frequently throughout the duration of Hurricane Irma to discuss what safety measures to take. In his interview with Fox News, Scott urged all individuals who are in mandatory evacuation zones to be responsible and flee to safer areas. However, many were unwilling to evacuate their homes because of the inconvenience that leaving entails. People often also fail to evacuate in such a timely manner due to the fact that the storms change direction and intensity very easily. According to the National Hurricane Center, storms as intense as Irma have the ability to alter their direction in a matter of hours. Exaggerations in reporting the news can also lead people in the wrong direction regarding the intensity of a storm. Many times individuals find it difficult to believe that storms can have impacts as detrimental as they are described on the news. With this mindset, they do not properly prepare to take on a detrimental storm. News media utilizes words like “catastrophic” and “deadly” to characterize storms. Psychological studies have determined that although these characterizations do scare people that are expected to be impacted by a storm, they can also work reversely and result in individuals ignoring the threats to their safety. illustration by sophie gaer As an increasing number of natural disasters impact the world, people will need order to protect not only themselves and the future natural disasters will grow to change their outlooks on ways of inter- their loved ones, but also planet Earth. larger in scale and possibly destroy the preting the potency of these disasters in Without doing this, it is possible that in world as we know it.
Letters to the Editor Both gates should be opened in the parking lot after school to prevent traffic jams Starting high school in a place with over 4,500 students, I knew that the traffic in the parking lot was going to be hectic, but to my surprise, it is much worse than I expected. After a long day of school, it is extremely frustrating for the day to be extended because my sister and I are stuck behind a long line of cars. The worst part is that there is only one gate open for all the students to exit through. This problem could easily be resolved if the second gate was opened everyday. It is open on some days, and on these days I always get home significantly faster. As a passenger I get frustrated from being stuck, so I can only imagine how the drivers must feel. Also, when the second gate is opened, we feel much safer when we are leaving because it prevents cars from lining up bumper to bumper. When there are two gates open, there are less people turning into the lines, which leads to less traffic jam and less accidents. Therefore, it is only logical for the second gate to be opened on all school days in order to prevent accidents and reduce the amount of time it takes for students to get home. - Andrew Sobel, freshman The Bay should have a swimming pool so the water polo team can have home games Last year I joined the Bay’s water polo team and I have been enjoying it very much. However, I was very disappointed when I found out that we
would have no home games due to the fact that our team lacks a pool. Football players have their own school field, the band members have their own band room, baseball players have their own field and tennis players have their own courts, so I do not understand why swimmers and water polo players cannot have their own pool. I believe the school should build a nearby pool for the swimmers and water polo players because it not only allows us to practice on campus, but would also bring much more support to the games. Because our games are never at home and are usually at distant locations, the water polo team lacks a supportive fan base at all of our games. With the implementation of a pool near or on campus, I think the amount of people coming to watch our games would significantly increase. Water polo has become my passion and I hope the school can help me pursue it by building us a pool on campus. - Carlos Piña, junior
There should be more chairs and tables put in the cafeteria
other students to borrow their chairs. My friends and I would really appreciate it if the number of chairs would increase. Sitting outside is also difficult because of the limited amount of benches available. It would be really helpful to add more places to sit. -Ben Sachs, senior
Students should be able to have a say in choosing their homecoming class theme I always love Homecoming Week because I get so excited to dress up and see the hallways, but I’m a little disappointed this year. The hallways were cool, but I didn’t like the senior theme. I was so excited to go all out for my last year, but we ended up with “East coast versus West coast” as our theme, which I found really upsetting. The hallway was done nicely, but it’s a hard theme to address on tshirts. Our senior t-shirts this year don’t even have anything to do with the theme, which was a let-down. I wish we could’ve picked a better theme that would translate better to all aspects of homecoming and not just the hallway, and I wish we were able to voice our opinions when choosing the class themes. I know the dress up days were voted on by the student body, but we had no say in the class themes, and I really wish we did. -Anya Hames, senior
There are not enough tables and chairs in the cafeteria. With so many students and so few tables and chairs, it’s nearly impossible to find a place to sit at lunch everyday. It can sometimes take up to 10 minutes for my friends and I to find a place to eat, which is really unfair since lunches were shortened last year to only 30 minutes. The number of students outweighs the number of chairs by a lot, The PSAT should be an optional so I think staff at our school should really test for underclassmen consider adding more. It’s frustrating Around the beginning of the school to have to waste so much time of lunch walking around the cafeteria and asking year, underclassmen receive the dreaded
letter advising them that the PSAT is on Oct. 11 and that they are required to take a test they are unprepared for. PSATs serve as a window for merit scholarships or for colleges to take an initial interest in you. Most students don’t take the PSAT seriously enough to achieve a high score, but others do; it would be more reasonable if students had an option to take the test or not. Some students stress out because they know they’ll have this score documented on Virtual Counselor and in their college applications in the future. Because of this, they want to be able to attain a high score, but they don’t know where or how to study. If the school wants all the underclassmen to take this standardized test, it should at least offer a course or something to help underclassmen understand what it is they’re taking, how to prepare for it and the importance of it. -Valentina Caggia, 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 Eileen Manella. The author will have the final say in phrasing 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 will be confirmed prior to the publication. Any material deemed libelous, obscene, disruptive or unlawful to minors will not be published.
OCTOBER 2017
OPINION
THE CIRCUIT
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Hurricane highlights inequality between Overseas impacts of natural disasters Weston and surrounding neighborhoods displays United States’ failure to help Surviving Hurricane Irma was certainly an emotional adventure. While the belief that the hurricane was headed straight towards Weston as a Category 5 storm warranted anxiety in the community, it ended up that we were spared from the brunt of the damage. A few power blips, some palm trees beheaded and a lot of unnecessary chaos was all the damage that Irma left behind for the citizens of Weston. However, while we were here complaining about how our cell phone service was slower than usual and how we couldn’t maintain our Snapchat streaks, the majority of people impacted by Irma were left reeling over their crumbled houses and crumbled lives. Even citizens of the other cities in our school district were left without basic necessities to carry out their everyday lives. We were able to see the unexpected week off from school as time to catch up on college applications and spend time with friends, but for the people in the Keys or even people in high rises on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, the mere idea of going back to life as normal right after the storm is laughable. Weston truly is a bubble. A beautiful bubble with lush landscaping, friendly neighbors and high achieving schools, but being surrounded with this much privilege makes it hard to remember that most other places in the world do not have the luxuries that we have. The hurricane passing through Weston was a reminder that as a community, we should be thankful for the resources we have and attention we are given, but to not neglect the people and cities around us who could greatly benefit from us sharing our resources. Instead of complaining about how
Publix still doesn’t have free-range chicken in stock, we can focus our efforts on sharing the food we do have with those who don’t have access to any chicken at all. Instead of droning on and on about the inconvenience of waiting in line for twenty minutes to get gas, we should be thankful that we have even have cars. And instead of just going back to our everyday lives pretending that Irma didn’t even happen, we should dedicate time to help those on the Caribbean islands and even in our own state get their lives back to normal too. Sure, we could just close the shutters of our bubble and forget about those who are suffering in other places, but that would be ignoring the fact that with so much privilege comes just as much
Bottom Line: Citizens of Weston live in a bubble and need to realize how much privilege they are given. They must choose to actively share their blessings with those who have a less fortunate situation in life. responsibility to serve others. For every little disturbance we face in day-to-day life, we must remember those people who do not have the same luck and blessings, and simply be grateful that we have the opportunity to live where we do.
There is no denying the destructive path Hurricane Irma has left behind in many of the Caribbean Islands and parts of the Southern United States. Reaching 185 mile-per-hour winds, the hurricane, which was the strongest ever observed in the Atlantic since hurricane Wilma twelve years ago, battered an estimated 1.2 million people on the Caribbean islands. Additionally, Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, the US Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos were hit the hardest, with up to 99% of structures at least partly damaged. And yet, most Americans, including the nation’s most powerful leaders, are blind to the catastrophic effects just a few hundred miles south of the southernmost point of the United States. The communication during and after Hurricane Irma worked extremely well, the state of Florida efficiently informed citizens on whether to evacuate and coordinated Hurricane relief efforts within the state. However, the islands in the Caribbean had very different results after the devastating storm. Reports of looting and arson that have only served to increase the islands’ isolation became rampant, and locals waiting for food and help from the United States this week were forced to fend for themselves. Not only did the United States federal government fail to provide sufficient humanitarian aid for these helpless citizens, but also the media was equally responsible for being unproductive. A Change.org petition was created, calling out CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox News for their evident lack of coverage of the unincorporated United States territories in the islands, which are the homes of more than 100,000 Americans. Although the United States has
provided some assistance to residents in the Virgin Islands, St. Martin, Antigua and the Dominican Republic, airlifting more than 1,800 US citizens to safety, the lack of aid and support to the Caribbean after Irma has served to be a disgrace in the eyes of the global community. As the most dominant country in the world, it is one of the United States’ duties to look out for countries in need, especially those that are considered the United States’ own territories. Yes, it was wrong for President Trump to fail to make a single comment about the disaster that happened in Puerto Rico
Bottom Line: The nation needs to make assisting nations hit by Irma a responsibility. after Hurricane Maria. Yes, it is wrong for the United States’ overpowered media to provide insufficient commentary regarding the tragedies. But, to make up for these wrongdoings, progress must be made on the global stage, as well as what is talked about in the media. This means that the United States federal government must consistently grant aid to those suffering in order to set an example for the rest of the world and assist the struggling citizens in their designated Caribbean countries. As for the media, news outlets like CNN and Fox has to first inform their viewers the details on how catastrophic the situation in the islands actually is, and then explain to viewers how they should help. Individuals residing in the Caribbean cannot overcome the effects of Hurricane Irma and Maria alone. For the sake of humanity, we must communicate, do and act more.
Bottom Line: With institutionalized definitions of beauty visible in the media, it is important to place emphasis on the intellectual aspects of beauty over appearances.
Outdated pageants set unrealistic standards for women of all ages Seven judges sit before 51 20-somethings in bikinis and heels, calculating each woman’s score. In the preliminary competition stage of the Miss America pageant on Sept. 7, 51 women were subject to the traditional bathingsuit portion. Miss Louisiana won the 87-year-old contest this time, though Miss North Dakota took home the gold after the final competition. Based on exterior beauty and 20-second answers, Cara Mund earned the title of Miss America 2018. While these almost century-old traditions persist, students on social media promote an entirely different type of beauty. While school organizations like HOPE (Helping Overcome Problems Efficiently) Sunshine Club and GSA (Gen-
ders and Sexualities Alliance) advocate for the acceptance and beauty of all people, these television pageants promote the absolute antithesis. How are students supposed to feel secure in their bodies when these widely-known institutions are telling them otherwise? The answer is that these pageants are completely outdated. When Miss America was first founded, women were scored based on their body measurements, the smaller the better. Now, with social media influencers like Ashley Graham and even Kylie Jenner changing stereotypes of beauty, the thin model fantasy is irrelevant. So why does the televised Miss America pageant still attract 5.6 million viewers? The organization itself has re-
cently valued its question portion over the exterior beauty contests. With 20 seconds to respond to a question ranging from Russian involvement in the 2016 election to physical education in elementary schools, the contestants are judged quickly on their answers. One of this year’s competition’s most publicized video clips on social media was Miss Texas’s answer to a question about President Trump’s reaction to the Charlottesville attacks. In order to move the pageant’s reputation of valuing looks over brains, the questions have become more controversial and more political over time. However, Miss America 2016 won the entire competition with an answer about deflategate, while other women were asked about Planned Parenthood and the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization also prides itself on being the primary provider of scholarships for women, claiming to have awarded $45 million to contestants annually. This fact that the main source of scholarship money for an entire gender is based
on a beauty competition is entirely what is wrong with the pageant’s continued popularity. It is great that this organization is willing to provide women with the capital essential to promote education, but these women are being rewarded simply because of how they look in ballgowns and how well they can answer questions under time pressure. The students at the Bay searching for scholarship opportunities should be able to find ways to be awarded upon merit, personality and achievements without the realization that the most reliant scholarship provider is a contest based on exterior looks. Though the pageant has tried to mask itself with this politically correct facade, its basis still lies in the blatant objectification of women. It is most important now for local organizations to emphasize the strength of inner-beauty and the meaninglessness of ancient institutions like Miss America.
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OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
Trip to Russia opens eyes to culture
By Lucy Celentano Arts & Ent. Editor
As I embarked on the cruise ship which left from Copenhagen, Denmark, one thought remained constant in my fast-moving mind: Russia. Three days into the cruise, I would be visiting St. Petersburg, the second largest city, in the largest country in the world. The idea of a foreign country like Russia automatically reminds me of the intimidating Vladimir Putin and the aggressive persona all Russians supposedly embody. The day I stepped foot into the country I had been envisioning in my mind for months, I was shocked to discover my expectations were not entirely inaccurate. With a very restrictive tourism policy, individuals are not permitted to enter the country unless they have a certified tourism visa or a prearranged private tour guide who has legal access to bring people with them into the country. Due to this policy, my family and I were required to find a reputable private guide to bring us to the country’s must-see hotspots for the limited time of the two days we planned to stay in St. Petersburg. Yekaterina, a tall, thin, blonde-haired woman who fit the Russian stereotype perfectly, would be the selected individual responsible for escorting my family during the duration of our stay. When my family and I disembarked the ship, we recognized that the tourism policy being strict was an immense understatement. Each member of my family took a turn being examined by a Russian National Guard Border Control Officer with a passport and tour ticket validation in hand. Intimidation, fear and confusion consumed my body as I was stared at by the perfectly manicured woman in a flawless uniform sitting behind the glass, inspecting me and my legal documentation. Finally, being cleared, we proceeded to meet Yekaterina outside the terminal for the commencement of one of the most intriguing days of my life. Our first stop on the tour would be at the famous Hermitage Museum, which encompasses five different locations including the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Hermitage Theatre. I visited the Old Hermitage, which is home to famous works of Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and several other famous
Never russian home: Junior Lucy Celentano toured the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. On her summer tour of the Baltic capitals, Celentano discovered the history and tradition behind Russian art and architecture. In the Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Winter Palace, she and her family walked through halls filled with Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and Renoir paintings. In learning the cultural differences between Russia and the United States, Celentano said she was particularly intrigued by differences in values and the more analytical treatment of the nation’s much longer history.
artists. While admiring these legendary pieces of art, I subconsciously leaned against the wall. Within seconds, an older woman approached me from nowhere to chastise me for touching the wall. This embarassing experience helped bring my attention to the harsh reality that some Russians do, in fact, live up to the aggressive, unreasonable stereotype that I pictured in my mind since the day I realized I would be visiting Russia. Another fascinating discovery I made, after spending time in St. Petersburg, was the fact that based on what Yekaterina told me, the great majority of Russians are actually quite fond of Putin. As an American teenager who can be ignorant and impressionable at times, I have caught on to the ideas others have instilled in my brain that Putin is unsuitable for the role of President. From the ordeal during the 2016 election, to the harsh attitude he
seems to personify, my bias was always against this presidential leader. After utilizing a two hour car ride on the way to and from Katherine the Great’s summer palace, I realized that many Russians do, in fact, love their ruler. What stuck with me the most was the fact that Yekaterina claimed, “after a long time of communism and republics in our history, we are glad to have someone of capable of making a change.” Furthermore, in the extensive history lessons my family and I received over the course of two days, something I was made aware of was the fact that the Russian school system is very different from that in the United States. For children ages six to 15, schooling is compulsory across the country. After age 15, students have the choice to continue on to vocational “university study” or “non-university study” until they reach the age of 17 or
18. From the manner in which our guide Yekaterina spoke of the school system, it was easy to infer that school after the age of 15 is not automatically expected, as college is in for most children living in the United States. While Russian children receive less schooling compared to American students, the literacy rate in the country is relatively high, proving that the education system, while vastly different, is highly effective. Overall, my experience in this country was eye-opening. After spending years envisioning this distant place, I am finally able to say that I am cognizant of many more foreign concepts including political beliefs, education and the different personalities of individuals across the world.
OPINION
OCTOBER 2017
THE CIRCUIT
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Tattoo connects relatives skin-deep
BY Remi Schwartz Business Manager
Tattoos, ink, art: three different thoughts I had racing through my mind while considering getting a tattoo. Oftentimes, tattoos are the product of an impromptu and rebellious decision on a wild night; however, I associate the word “tattoo” with “forever.” This “forever” form of art is not easily removable and can be very regrettable. The opposite was true for me-- in my case, getting a tattoo was the best decision of my life. For about two years, getting a tattoo was a constant debate I would have with myself. The artistic statement it illustrates and the reason behind it persuaded me to follow through, but I had eventually come to the conclusion that the pain overrides all of the pros I could list. Knowing that a needle will be punctured in and out of my skin repeatedly made me lose sight of the reason I wanted a tattoo in the first place. However, my mental debate subconsciously continued until I became set on getting one. I discussed this wish with my parents to ensure I’d have their approval, and while they fully supported me, they also adamantly reminded me that getting a tattoo is a permanent decision. After thorough thinking, I decided that permanence was fine with me because I truly loved my design and the sole reason I wanted one in the first place: for my grandma. From the time I was born, music has been an immense part of my life. My grandma taught me how to play piano and how to sing. Since she got me into mu-
in my soul: Junior Remi Music’s Schwartz celebrates her connection with her grandmother by getting a tattoo on her hip. Because of their mutual affinity for music, singing and piano, Schwartz said she thought it would be fit to have a piece of that connection, and a piece of her grandmother, permanently on her body. Though she said she has received some slack for her decision, she said the meaning of the tattoo outweighs any judgments or harsh comments thrown her way.
sic, theatre and chorus, these have always been an important part of my life. Which she definitely did inspire me to follow my passion. A few years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with stage four uterine cancer, which made her incapable of doing what she loves most: singing and enjoying the art of music. It was so difficult to watch someone so close to me be unable to do what she loves because of how weak she became, and I decided that the best way to express my emotions about this would be through a tattoo. Each day is an endless battle for my grandma physically and emotionally as she fights for her life. In the end, I knew the pain of getting a tattoo wouldn’t and shouldn’t bother me; my grandma’s pain was permanent,
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. The Circuit is a free publication available to approximately 4,700 students and 300 faculty and staff members of Cypress Bay High School. The publication prints 3,500 copies six times per year. 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. TO CONTACT US: CALL (754) 323- 0350, ext. 3277 eileen.manella@browardschools.com OR VISIT cbhscircuit.com
but mine would last 30 minutes. This past summer, I got a treble clef tattooed on my left rib to represent both my grandma and our shared passion for music. Coping with cancer is an unimaginably tiresome experience that never gets easier, but for me, having a part of my grandma with me permanently in the form of my tattoo has helped significantly. My dad volunteered to take me to the tattoo parlor, and at first, the pain wasn’t intolerable; however, when the artist started to fill in the top of the music note, the jabbing needle filling in the spaces was the most painful sensation I’ve ever felt. To relieve such pain, all I had to do was remember my reason behind it; if my
grandma could endure immense pain, I can too. Since that day, I’ve dealt with opposing views and nasty comments against my tattoo, even from my closest friends, but this criticism comes with any physical change. With any appearances, people are quick to judge so having something permanent, I wasn’t surprised over the judgment. I quickly learned to tune out what others think because if it makes me happy and able to be with my Grandma, that is all that truly matters. I am so thankful to know she will be with me through every show and every hardship in my life, and to know she will have a permanent place on my skin and in my heart.
HYBRID EDITORS
STAFF WRITERS
Editor-in-Chief: Rachel Schonberger
Opinion Copy Editor: Katherine Gibson
Managing Editor: Rachel Friedman
News Copy Editor: Lauren Pabian
News Editor: Jessie Chaiet
Features Copy Editor: Nyah Hardmon
Features Editor: Cassidy Sheldon
Arts & Ent. Copy Editor: Gabby Sonkin
Arts & Ent. Editor: Lucy Celentano
Sports Copy Editor: Eli Fuhrman
Sports Editor: Drew Siskind
Head Photo Editor: Rachel Silverman
Layout Editors: Amanda Morgan
News Photo Editor: Alexis Epstein
PR Managers: Ben Eiglarsh, Jenna Friedman, Maddie Paskow
Features Photo Editor: Hayley Princz
Ad Manager/Designer : Evan Joseph Business Manager: Remi Schwartz Adviser: Eileen Manella
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Arts & Ent. Photo Editor: Jolie Sonkin Sports Photo Editor: Dylan Srebnick Graphics Editors: Sophie Gaer, Austin Dunne
ONLINE EDITION EDITORS Editor-in-Chief: Carli Udine
Managing Editor: Shanty Fierro
News Editor: Casey Menten
Head Multimedia Editor: Dahlia Cohn
Multimedia Features Editor: Shira Cohn
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Multimedia Sports Editor: Josie Clancy
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NEWS
OCTOBER 2017
Freshmen campaign for annual class elections By Lauren Pabian News Copy Editor
Candidates running for freshman class office began their campaigns on Sept. 19. Voting took place on Sept. 20 and Sept. 22 and the election’s results were announced later that day. Jake Miller won President, Marley Solomon won Vice President, Dylan Lessem won Treasurer and Alec Cao won Secretary. Solomon said she was eager to begin her campaign for vice president. She also said she is ecstatic that she won and will be given the opportunity to make a difference for her class. “I chose to run for freshman class vice president because I enjoy representing my peers in a leadership role,” Solomon said. “I have always wanted to become involved as a leader in my school and make a difference.” Candidates set up booths in the middle of the courtyard during all lunches on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 in order to give their peers an opportunity to speak to them and hear why they think they deserve to be elected. In addition, the candidates gave out small items like pencils and bracelets to boost their campaign. “My slogan was ‘It’s a piece to a perfect puzzle,’ so I set up my booth with a bunch of puzzle piece necklaces with a lightning bolt on them,” Solomon said. Solomon believes she has an advantage as she has previously held a leadership
position in National Junior Honor Society at Falcon Cove Middle School. “I believe I am best suited for this position as I am driven, spirited, friendly, confident and will go above and beyond to create the best possible environment and freshman year for my class,” Solomon said. “Additionally, I have held leadership positions in the past, which I believe could help me be successful because I can use my prior knowledge and experience.” Freshman Isabella Montano decided to run for freshman class president as she has always been passionate about student government and wanted to hold a leadership position freshman year. She said she is very upset that she did not win, but that she intends to try again in the future. “Going into freshman year, I wanted to jump right into the opportunity to have a leadership position and get as involved as possible,” Montano said. “I began participating in student government back in elementary school, but unfortunately did not participate in it during middle school as the program was very inactive. So, I was very excited to come to Cypress Bay where I knew there was a very active student government.” Montano wore a campaign shirt that said “Vote 4 Isa” and gave out neon necklaces, bracelets and pens to promote her campaign. She also used social media to help her connect better with her class. “I wanted to give out things that I
photos by Lauren pabian
Vote for me: (Counterclockwise from top right) Isabella Montano stands at her booth where she gives out bracelets and pens. Derek Bieber displays his handmade poster to those passing by. Dylan Lessem meets with voters in the courtyard during all lunches before the election.
knew people would want,” Montano said. “I made sure everything was appealing and had an obvious reminder on it to vote for me. I also used social media as a way to reach out to as many people as I could and tried to keep an active line of communication between the student body and me.” Lessem said he was eager to jump at
the opportunity to run for treasurer and is so excited that he won. He believes that being organized, responsible and having good relationships with students are the most important aspects to being successful in this position.
Town hall forum panelists discuss Venezuela crisis By Sophia Busto
At the Venezuela Community Forum meeting on Aug. 31, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz discussed the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela with the community. More than 300 individuals attended this meeting, which took place in the Bay’s auditorium. “Congresswoman Debbie WassermanSchultz gave us the opportunity to share opinions, experiences and speak out about the Venezuelan humanitarian, economic and political crisis at the Venezuelan Community Forum,” attendee Maria Antonietta Diaz said. “I am very thankful for that.”
“
This town hall meeting was extremely necessary; we discussed all the things we can do to help our fellow Venezuelans that are suffering every day.
“
-senior Karif Cohen
The panel that spoke at the meeting consisted of Mayor Ramon Muchacho of Chacao, Vice Mayor of Pembroke Pines Angelo Castillo, state representative Rick Stark, guest speaker Francisco Valencia and Wasserman-Schultz. They came together to speak about what the U.S. can do about the financial and political emergency in Venezuela. The county’s economic crisis has led to high food prices and a lack of basic goods, and many people blame the president, Nicolás Maduro.
Photo by Sophia busto
Venezuelan pride: Members of the panel stood for the National Anthem at the beginning of the Venezula Community Forum meeting, where over 300 people met to convey their thoughts and opinions about the current state of Venezeula. Those who attended discussed what can be done by the U.S. to help those in the country.
“Almost every day we hear a new horror story about those suffering; violence is continuing to erupt across the country,” Wasserman-Schultz said. “We really needed this event to be able to express all our different opinions and work together towards solutions.” Senior Karif Cohen said he was appreciative of this event as the speakers contributed and discussed possible future progress towards fixing Venezuela one step at a time. “This town hall meeting was extremely necessary; we discussed all the things we
can do to help our fellow Venezuelans that are suffering every day,” Cohen said. “Every day, Venezuelans are suffering with no democracy and it is extremely imperative at these times in crisis to be able to help; everyone pitched in amazing ideas.” The panel discussed whether or not U.S. financial assets should be in charge of the Venezuela’s oil. Despite the fact that doing so would take away from Maduro’s future income, Valencia, who runs a human rights organization in Venezuela, said this may be an ideal option because
many Venezuelans lack basic necessities. “I believe tighter sanctions will not make things worse than they are, given the fact that people are lacking medicine currently, so things cannot get much worse,” Valencia said. The panel also discussed whether or not military activity needs to remain an option. Valencia said there is no need for war, with respect to America. “The worst thing that can happen to us-- the Venezuelan people-- is not the sanctions or the military action, but for Maduro to stay in power,” Valencia said. “If there is not strong international action soon, Maduro will remain in power for a long time.” Wasserman-Schultz and Stark made calls to the Trump organization, eventually leading to the organization giving brief secured status to every Venezuelan who fled to the United States. “There was an extended temporary protected status issued to Venezuelans who have fled their native country,” Mrs. Wasserman Schultz said. “But for some, likely many, a temporary solution is not enough, which is why permanent residency under certain circumstances to Venezuelans who have fled is possible, too.” Sophomore Alejandro Benedetty believes there is strength in numbers and the tools needed to be effective are available for people to use. “Here in America, we have so many resources, and when we come together, we are strong,” Benedetty said. “Weston has the highest population of Venezuelans in the United States, so it is important that we work together to communicate as a whole about the current status of our country, and this event allowed us to do so.”
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Clubs gain new members’ interest
students interested in joining the team. She hoped it would be good motivation for them to continue with the debate program. “I really wanted to encourage new members to join debate because the debate team is one large family who welcomes everyone willing to join,” Cidel said. “It’s such a fun activity, and you can travel the country, meet new people and learn new things through it.” Matthew Liebman, President of Habitat for Humanity, a new club established in 2017, stresses the importance of recruiting members not just for the service hours, but for the impact that having so many members would make on the community. “[Habitat for Humanity] is an organization where you’re directly impacting the community that you live in and you can work alongside the people who you’re helping, which is a very unique experience,” Liebman said.
by KATHERINE GIBSON OPINION COPY Editor
With the new school year in full swing, many clubs have been trying to recruit new members to join their organizations. Some of these clubs, such as Best Buddies, started their recruitment process before the school year even began. “We [Best Buddies] decided to run a booth at Freshmen Orientation and had the freshman sign up to be on our email list so they would know about all the new events that we have going on at the beginning of the year,” Best Buddies president Sara Schlussel said. “We really wanted to inform these new students about the club before they even walked on campus so they knew to look out for more information about Best Buddies.” The annual Freshmen Orientation event run by Student Government Association (SGA) took place on Aug. 7. Here, incoming freshmen were invited to attend information sessions about academics and learn about the different clubs that The Bay has to offer. Club officers like Schlussel felt having a booth at orientation was very beneficial in gaining new members. “Best Buddies looks forward to hosting a booth every year because it’s a great opportunity to introduce the amazing ways students can get involved in school outside of academics,” she said. However, Schussel believes that informing the freshmen of the importance of joining Best Buddies is equally as important as involving upperclassmen in the organization. She said many colleges know how important the organization is, and that this is a major factor that attracts new members to join the club. “It’s never too late to join,” Schlussel said. “We really want to get the message across to all students that there needs to be equality for students with disabilities and that those students should be given the same opportunities as other students at our school and other people in society.” Currently, Best Buddies has about eighty members and twenty buddies who participate in at least one meeting and one event per month. Schlussel hopes that through school-wide promotion, Best Buddies will be able to encourage students to attend the meetings and events. “Although we didn’t have a specific recruitment meeting, we put a lot of flyers and announcements on social media promoting the club and the biggest events we put on throughout the year,” Schlussel said. “A lot of the flyers we put up came directly from the national organization of Best Buddies, so we try to recruit students based on the credibility of our club.” Ariel Griffin, the Vice President of Membership for Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), agrees that advertising the club is important since it is nationally renowned by colleges. “I would encourage new members
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Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, a scientist or a lawyer, the skills learned in this club teach everyone to be a compassionate person and really care about the community... PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MATTHEW LIEBMAN
READY TO RECRUIT: (Clockwise from top) Juniors Erica Alejaldre and Andrea Ferreira speak to junior Jordan Ramdial about joining Habitat for Humanity. Students listen to a presentation by club officers discussing ways to earn service hours. Juniors Larissa Sallowicz, Carlos Pina and Rita Marques attend HOSA’s ice cream social to gain knowledge and an interest in joining the club. where the learned about the club’s main objectives and activities throughout the school year..
to join HOSA because it is a perfect fit for students interested in the medical field,” Griffin said. “Not only is it a well-known club, but being a member also allows students to learn more about medical professions and become more active within the health community.” On Aug. 29, HOSA held its first recruitment meeting, which was an annual ice cream social. Officers and past members of HOSA spoke to potential members about the benefits of joining the organization and how it will successfully prepare them to become future health professionals. “This was my first year planning the ice cream social, but I have attended it since freshman year, and it was one of the factors that influenced me to join the organization,” Griffin said. Griffin said the turnout of 150 students was not as large as previous years, but it was likely due to the fact that they advertised solely in the health science classes. “It was a smaller scale event than previousyears,butIlikeditthatwaybecause the officers were able to form a more
personal connection with the members through the icebreakers,” she said. The debate team had its novice recruitment meeting on Aug. 29, and team captain Jenee Cidel said she felt that having a small scale event just for new members was effective. There are approximately 200 students in debate, but the team held this meeting just for the forty new students who were interested in competing. Students were split up into three different rooms where they participated in a variety of activities with debate officers to discover which event they are best suited for competitions. “Coming to meetings is a way new members are able to learn the ways of debate which will prepare them for tournaments,” Cidel said. “We sent emails to all the members after the meeting encouraging them to continue on in debate; our goal was to give them a feel of what they will be doing if and when they join the team.” Cidel thought this method would be the best form of recruitment because it showed that the officers cared about the
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-junior Mathew Liebman On Sept. 5, Habitat for Humanity held its first general meeting where they informed members about all the events that are planned for the upcoming year. Over 200 potential new members came to the meeting, and Liebman said he credits the turnout to their sufficient promotion on social media. “We made sure that the announcements we put online were very appealing and I think that made people more likely to join. We also used word-ofmouth through all of the different social networking sites,” Liebman said. Liebman said he is very focused on attracting both upperclassmen and underclassmen to join the club as they are the future of the organization and the community. “Habitat for Humanity is really shaping the leaders of tomorrow; students in our club who are organizing the major events are gaining leadership skills that will help them in the real world,” he said. “Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, a scientist or a lawyer, the skills learned in this club teach everyone to be a compassionate person and really care about the community. I believe these are the most important aspects when looking for clubs to join.”
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Gifted center installs new amenities By jenna friedman pr manager
With a new school year comes new renovations to The Bay’s gifted center. Room 358, now known as “The Think Tank,” has transformed into a lounge where gifted students can do school work, mingle with friends and enjoy coffee. Gifted support teacher Jason Looky said he hopes students will now recognize the gifted center as a place where they are able to socialize and get assistance with any problems they may have. “We wanted to make [the gifted center] a more friendly place for students, and we want them to know that this is a place they can feel comfortable coming to if they have any issues they would like to ask about,” Mr. Looky said. “The biggest difference between ‘The Think Tank’ and the gifted center last year is that students can now perceive it as a place where they can not only get assistance, but they can also enjoy themselves.” The new style of the center is that of a lounge: there is a TV, a station to get refreshments and a table with chairs where students can do homework. Mr. Looky said students may utilize “The Think Tank” to do work during their study hall if they do not have access to computers or Internet. Mr. Looky also said that since the renovations have been made, there has been a drastic increase in visitors. While there were about 400 visitors in total last year, there were about 250 in
“I came to the gifted center once or twice last year, but there was never anybody hanging out in there,” Perkins said. “This year, however, there seems to always be a few gifted students there whenever I go.” Similar to Mr. Looky, gifted support teacher Cindy Hatton said she is passionate about helping the gifted students at the Bay succeed and get all the help they need. Mrs. Hatton said they monitor students’ grades, meet with students and make use of the Remind program to find tutors for students in need. “If we see that a student is struggling photo by jenna friedman academically, we bring them in and let coffee them know that we are here to support break: Gifted students visit “The Think Tank” during their lunch them in any way they need,” Mrs. Hatperiod in order to grab a cup of coffee and mingle. The students can relax, get ton said. “We are constantly sending out refreshments, watch some TV and converse with Mr. Looky and Mrs. Hatton. [Remind messages] so that students are the group will be successful in inspiring aware that we are here to support them.” the first week of the new school year. students. “We want to help out the students as Mrs. Hatton and Mr. Looky both “I think that Sole Thought has a lot of have the same goal in mind: to make the much as possible when it comes to doing work, so we provide some things that potential to become something big at our gifted center a social and stress-free enschool,” Perkins said. “It would be really vironment for gifted students. Overall, other places in the school don’t have,” Mr. Looky said. “On certain days of the cool to see celebrities speaking here and Mr. Looky said the new renovations and week, we have coffee, tea and hot choco- knowing that I played a part in bringatmosphere that “The Think Tank” prolate for the students; we want to provide ing them in. I think that students deserve vides has been successful in bringing in the opportunity to hear inspirational something a little bit special that makes students. speeches from people they recognize, so them want to come in and say hi.” “The gifted center allows students to I’m very passionate about making Sole The gifted support teachers are also come in and socialize with like-minded Thought successful.” putting together a group of gifted stukids that they may have had classes with Perkins is also a persistent visitor to dents to participate in an organization in the past,” Mr. Looky said. “It’s amaz“The Think Tank”; she said she often called Sole Thought, which is an aspiring to see such an increase in the amount stops in to do homework, print papers ing club that attempts to recruit celebriof visitors because we can see how the and get coffee in the mornings. She said environment now makes students more ties to come speak at The Bay. Sophothat she also recognized the increase in more Sydney Perkins, a co-leader of comfortable.” guests from last year. Sole Thought, said she is confident that
New faculty adapts to unfamiliar campus
BY LEXI FLECHNER ARTS & ENT. ONLINE EDITOR
This school year, the Bay has welcomed a total of 16 new administrators, teachers, guidance counselors and faculty personnel. Among them is guidance counselor Harmony Smart who previously worked at Taravella High School and New River Middle School. “Every school is different in its own way, and for Cypress, the biggest thing is the size,” Mrs. Smart said. “You learn so much when you go to another school because every one of them is run so differently.” Mrs. Smart said she is eager to bring ideas from her previous jobs as a guidance counselor to the Bay but first wants to learn how everything works. “When you come to a new school, you have to adapt to [its] systems before you start implementing your own opinions and systems,” Mrs. Smart said. Even though she used to work in administration and testing at the Bay, Jeanne Snyder new to teaching this year. Mrs. Snyder now teaches English 1 Honors. Working in the office helped me to communicate and interact with students,
and when I worked in testing, I was able to go into the classroom and direct classes,” Mrs. Snyder said. “Both [jobs] are lots of work, however, I feel like the classroom is more fulfilling as a person.” Mrs. Snyder has wanted to be a teacher since she started in the office and was finally offered the opportunity this year. “[Teaching] is something I’ve been working towards and I finally am here, so I’m excited and happy to get to be in a classroom,” she said. Senior Brianna Caicedo is a student of new Advanced International Certificate of Education Business teacher Jamez Williams. She said that Mr. Williams is becoming well acclimated to his new job and his students. “Mr. Williams gets along with all of the students and makes the class more alive with his presence,” Caicedo said. “He relates all of the information we learn to TV shows that most of us watch which makes the class more interesting.” Mr. Williams’ class is a part of the program, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). To comply with DECA standards, Mr. Williams has to take part in additional procedures to the course curriculum; including vocabulary quizzes, fundraising projects and
PHOTOS BY LEXI FLECHNER
competitions. “I think Mr. Williams is definitely adjusting well to the DECA curriculum,” Caicedo said. “He always integrates it into our course curriculum well.” Last year when math teacher Jessica Stillman went on maternity leave, Samantha Manus was her substitute for a quarter. Now, Mrs. Manus has her own class and teaches Algebra 2 Regular and Algebra 1 Regular. “I’m using a lot of Mrs. Stillman’s tips that she gave me,” Mrs. Manus said. “I
always print out notes for the students, make sure to go over homework first and communicate with my team a lot.” Though Mrs. Manus is new, she feels her students are working just as hard to succeed as with any other teacher. “I think the students are adjusting well to me even though they knew I was new,” Mrs. Manus said. “They all know my routines at this point and are always asking questions during class.”