The C.H.A.T. Pembroke Pines Charter High School

We the People of Charter

A High GPA: Advice From the Top of The Class Pg. 7

Jaguars Putting Their Way to a Perfect Season Pg. 11

Joke Threats Aren’t a Joke Pg. 17

Ainsley McCormick Editor -in-Chief Brittany Evelyn Managing Editors - Content & Layout Chatter Daily News Ariana Ortiz Web Managing Editor Ariana Ortiz - Content Maxine Martinez - Layout Business Managers Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisors Mr. P. Bayer Principal Caroline Kadir News Editor Paolo Barrera Student Life Editor Alan Mathew Technology Editor

Contents

The C.H.C. Staff

Jordan Alberti Sports Editor Florencia Azcurra and Emma Caulfield Features Editor Sofia Azcurra Entertainment Editor Rachel Rivera Lifestyle Editor

Student Life:

Sophia Cortez Voices Versus Violence Brianna Butler and Kiersten Warren Community Outreach Justin Dourvetakis- The CHAT Andres Alfonso - Web Photo Editors Justin Pierce Graphics Editor Content Staff: Austin Basso, Brianna Butler, Emma Caulfield, Sophia Cortes, Rebekah Jacob, Caroline Kadir, Maxine Martinez, Michael Muela, Arianna Ozuna, Aidan Ryan Layout Staff: Monica Lazada, Rebekah Jacob, Caroline Kadir, Lillian McCormick, Brittany Evelyn, Ainsley McCormick Photography Staff: Nicholas Amad, Aijah Harper, Aryiel Bryant, Maya Cabrera, Francesca Brito GRAPHIC STAFF: Rosa Gomez, Henry Severe, Jasmin Bleus, Taylor Causey, Matthew Morales, Carolina Othon CARTOONIST: Mariana Riano The C.H.A.T. is an official publication of the Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS). The content of our newspaper is not necessarily the opinions of our advisers and administration.

The C.H.A.T. staff welcomes any comments to the editors and/or staff.

The C.H.A.T is a publication of C.H.C (Charter High Communications) sponsored by the Communications & Technology Department of PPCHS. Pembroke Pines Charter High School 17189 Sheridan Street Pembroke Pines, FL 33331 Phone: 954-538-3700 Email: ppchsnewspaper@gmail.com Twitter: @ppchsnewspaper Instagram: @ppchsnewspaper The CHAT welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for poor taste, libel, and space. Drop off letters in room C113 or send an email to ppchsnewspaper@gmail.com

Word Warriors Take on Yale Constitution Day Brings Patriotism to Charter

Features: A High GPA: Advice From the Top of The Class High GPA Taking a Toll on Mental Health

News: India Takes a Progressive Step towards LGBT Rights Possible Hurricanes and their Current Activity

Entertainmen

Pg. 13

Student Life: Pg. 4 - 5

Sports:

Sports: Pg. 11

Lifestyle:

Jaguars Putting Their Way to a Perfect Season

“Miss America” Losing its Viewers…

Fast

Bowling Team Profiles

Paperless Classrooms

Entertainment:

Clubs:

The Nun Movie Review

Activism, Altruism, and Amnesty (International)

What’s New: 2K, Black Panther on Netflix, and PS4 Spiderman

Spelling in Another Language

Technology:

Vocies Versus Violence:

From 4G to 5G: Verizon Brings the Future

A Week Bringing Light to Dark Times

A Fruity Future: What’s next for Apple?

“The Parkland Poets”

4

Student Life CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Constitution Day Brings Patriotism To Charter Sofia Azcurra

entertainment

Y

ear after year, the tradition on Constitution Day continues to spark the most inner patriotism in the Jaguars. It's an exciting method that demonstrates how the Constitution unites the country, and it is a visual way to gather Charter students in teaching them about one of the country's most important documents. The annual day brought out the most spontaneous and creative side of students as the administrators and students encouraged the seniors to be their full prideful selves.

Puzzled underclassmen could be seen walking around the outgoing, dressed up seniors as they stood on the fountain or U-building steps reading from papers.

“Constitution Day is a day for the seniors to demonstrate their pride for America and show their understanding of the document and how the country was founded,” sums up senior Leanna Basanta, who read in the S building after first period. As for participants, only seniors who have Mr. Quigley or Mrs. Hyacinth for AP Government were given this opportunity. Students were given a certain time during different periods to recite. Whether a group was two or seven, dressed up or not, the students showed equal pride. “Seeing so many seniors show excitement to read parts of it was fun. I can't wait until I get to do it. They encouraged me,” stated freshman Isabella Rodriguez. While some groups only spoke once, others got lucky and spoke more than once that day.

Encouraging groups of friends were seen crowding around the speakers. Other stood in pure awe as they watched the seniors with booming megaphones announce the laws of the nation. “I watched all my seniors friends dress up and read proudly from the Constitution. It was really motivating,” stated junior Leo Acosta. Senior

Gabrielle Mateo could be seen running around the school fountain with a U.S. flag high up in the air as his friend, Riley Gonzalez, stood on the fountain’s ledge reading with her fist in the air. But this confident patriotism wasn't the only impressive quality seen that day. A number of students took this chance to truly express their praise towards the Constitution as they dressed up in full outfits representing nationally famous monuments. Duo Brandon Causing and Ariana Arvelo were dots of green and silver in a mixed sea of red white and blue. The seniors coordinated their outfits to each represent a monument.

Ariana stood out as Mount Rushmore with her elaborate headband and long flowy silver dress. But one could not avoid her glittering silver face covered in face paint.

“We coordinated our costumes. It took us like 6 hours spanned across two days to finish both of them,” Ariana commented. The first half of the day she could be seen mimicking the one and only Thomas Jefferson with her spot on costume of old fashioned brown boots and white hair. Brandon, on the other hand, was seen walking around campus with a long green drape and crown as he impersonated the Statue of Liberty.

His costume spoke dedication, but his personality spoke excitement and pride. While some were not as spontaneous, some could be seen as going as far as painting their faces and legs.

Demonstrating one's patriotism has become a popular tradition at PPCHS, as seniors gather together on Constitution Day to recite the sacred document in the United States of America: the Constitution.

Groups of students in red, white, and blue holding huge flags were spotted in between classes. Costume or no costume, American pride was evident in each and every jaguar when they proudly recited the document.

Editor

Leading a Crowd: Alexis Cid and Christina Velasquez show their patriotism at the center of the school.

Photo By: Andres Alfonso

Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty: Seniors at the River of Grass used a megaphone so all could hear.

The Sound of Patriotism: Band kids played their instruments to draw attention.

Photo By: Justin Dourvetakis

Photo By: Justin Dourvetakis

Word Warriors Take on Yale Pembroke

Pines Charter High is most well known as being an academic school, and among its pride and joy’s is the debate team. This team has consistently proven itself over the years to be extremely successful to both the students that take part and the school itself. To kick off the 2018/2019 school year, a select few talented young individuals from the Varsity Debate team, along with Ms. Schwab, traveled to Yale University in order to compete.

Anyone who enters Ms. Schwab’s classroom is met with a lively and electric atmosphere. The room seems to shine with the reflection of the countless trophies and awards that line the wall, and the air is full of dynamic and ever changing conversation. During the weeks and days leading up to the Yale tournament, everything seemed to be heightened as if it was feeding off of the students’ nerves and excitement. The tournament holds a lot of weight, considering the fact that it is one of the biggest and most prominent of the year. It has some of the best debaters and top tier judges. The topic for this year’s debate the question “In the United

Maxine Martinez Staff Writer

States, should reporters have the right to protect the identity of confidential sources?” and it provides debaters with a large body of information to explore and use for either side of the argument.

With September 14th, the day of their departure, nearing closer, every student

was preparing and practicing. Their prep consisted of searching for specific literature that validated both sides, cutting arguments, creating analysis, and discussing amongst themselves. During the tournament, competitors had the opportunity to socialize, meet new people, and discuss

Donated By: Ms. Schwab

between rounds.

The lucky students attending the tournament at Yale were of a handful of juniors, sophomore Mariana Colicchio, and one senior. For some, like Mariana, this competition was their first out of the local and state circuit. “There are over 169 competitors in the event I’m doing, and even more in the other ones,” she stated. In her case, the event she is taking part in is the Lincoln Douglas Debate, which is values-based and centers on ethical systems, as well as the making of frameworks for ethics. Other competitors on the team are not so new to the national circuit. “I’ve been competing on the debate team for 3 years now,” expressed junior Robert Hershey, “and I feel as though it serves as a great extracurricular activity for expanding your mind and ability to engage with people.” Events like the one at Yale are especially venturing out of your comfort zone and meeting new people from all across the country.

PPCHS’ debate team arrived home on September 16th, after an exhilarating yet anxious weekend. Although the team, unfortunately, did not win any awards, the experience at Yale is something they will always be able to take with them.

Student Life 5

Hands on Helping after the Hurricane

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Riley Gonzalez

Three thousand Puerto Ricans died as a

direct result of hurricane Maria and a lack of aid from the American federal government. Despite the government's lacking response, some decided to take matters into their own hands to provide help, including senior Gabriel Mateo, who went on a mission trip to the hurting island.

Over summer, Gabriel, along with the West Pines Community Church, spent a week in one of the island’s towns that was most severely devastated by the storm.

There wasn't much working power in the area, nor were there many available resources, but Gabriel showed that those things aren’t always necessary to lend a helping hand. His main job during the trip was running a daycare for 50-60 children whose parents were not around much. Gabriel cleaned, decorated, and set up the daycare, which was held in a room inside a church, to help the kids feel more welcome. As he puts it, “Showing love doesn't cost money.” and love is indeed something these children needed during the traumatic time. Gabriel mentioned that many of the kids lived in rough neighborhoods, with drug dealers and gunshots as common fears, so they were extremely grateful to

Special to The CHAT

have a safe place to spend the day.

The Puerto Rican children weren't the only ones who benefited from the trip though.

Gabriel and the other volunteers claim it was a truly life changing experience. Gabriel stated, “The trip really gave me a new perspective on how bad things were after the hurricane. It’s something that's hard to imagine until you see it right in front of you. It was also a really involved way for me to learn more about the Puerto Rican culture, which I’m thankful for. All of this has truly inspired me to keep helping people and spreading love.” Despite Gabriel’s radiant optimism about the trip, the truth is, it wasn't always easy.

During the trip, Gabriel shared a small barren room with 8 other boys, their only furniture being air mattresses and their suitcases. They were considered extremely lucky to have a working AC some nights, as many of the other rooms did not. Every day Gabriel, along with the other volunteers, woke up bright and early at 7 o’clock to take a bus to the daycare and begin looking after, entertaining, and protecting the kids. Even with these harsh conditions and rough neighborhoods, Gabriel grew accustomed to during his stay, he didn't have a

Donated By: Gabriel Mateo

Right Off the Bet

single complaint. “It really wasn’t too bad considering all the positive things we got to do. Plus, I’m the kind of guy who can fall asleep anywhere, so the housing wasn't a big issue to me,” stated Gabriel.

Outside of his daily routine of caring for the kids of Puerto Rico, Gabriel had some other unique opportunities to help out around the island. He explained, “There was an elderly lady who wanted help with painting her house. When I arrived I was surprised to see her home was simply one wall, and the other sides were covered by tarps. She was so grateful for my help, and I was grateful to be reminded that I shouldn’t take the things I have for granted.” Gabriel mentioned that the elderly woman he helped, along with the numerous kids, were all incredibly kind and accepting. “We were strangers and foreigners, but they were immediately willing to give us a chance at friendship. I think more people should be like that.” stated Gabriel.

Acceptance was a big theme throughout the trip. The volunteers truly formed close bonds with the kids, and Gabriel revealed that one child even came out to the volunteers as transgender and they helped to comfort him, make him feel accepted, and

“The trip really gave me a new perspective on how bad things were after the hurricane. It’s something that's hard to imagine until you see it right in front of you. It was also a really involved way for me to learn more about the Puerto Rican culture, which I’m thankful for. All of this has truly inspired me to keep helping people and spreading love.”

- Gabriel Mateo

let him know that he is loved for who he is. When it came time for the volunteers and children to say their goodbyes on the last day of the trip, every kid broke down in tears. “It was really moving,” said Gabriel, “I knew some of the kids would be upset by our leaving, but I wasn't expecting all of them to cry. I started to tear up a little too.” Gabriel wasn't afraid to admit he truly had a soft spot for the people of Puerto Rico and the time they had shared.

In fact, he is often considered a very kind hearted kid by his peers at charter. For instance, Alessandra Souza, another senior who attends the West Pines Community Church said, “It's great seeing friends like Gabriel participate in something I'm also passionate about, especially because we're helping give back to the community. He is a really dedicated and friendly guy, so I’m glad he was there representing our church and school.”

Gabriel Mateo seems like your average charter kid: He’s an AP student, yearbook editor, and track runner, but outside of school he shows a true passion for helping others and goes above and beyond to get involved. He encourages everyone to donate and help in Puerto Rico’s recovery.

Donated By: Gabriel Mateo

Florencia Azcurra Features Editor

If there's anyone who can make some-

one laugh, shock someone with his incredible wit, or be completely unpredictable, it's the one and only Hunter Fu. Hunter is popularly known among the students of charter for his clever puns and cunning jokes, but the jokester takes his work far beyond just “talking the talk.” The PPCHS senior took his reputation one step further this week and made one of the most iconic bets in charter history.

Being the quick-witted thinker he is, Hunter uses his sharp tongue with no hesitation. On August 27th, the story that would be remembered by charter students and Hunter began. “On that fateful day, my friend Faizan pointed out the baseball on the window in the cafeteria,” says Hunter.

“He told me how it's been up there for such a long time, since our freshman year.” The pair looked and laughed it off. It was just a ball. Of course, Hunter, being the humorist he is, it was only instinctive for him to make a boring situation fun. Naturally, he challenged his Snapchat friends to a bet.

Hunter took a video, zooming in on the baseball that sat peacefully and unbothered, and said he “bet” he could take down the ball by the end of this year. Hunter received a reply back that same day by a not so unexpected person. “This was only supposed to be a joke until the arrogant and foolish Sinan told me he'd give me $10 if I got the baseball down,” says Hunter jokingly. Sinan Gavaria, a senior at the school and also a close friend of Hunter’s, is a person of pride, competition, and success.

“We made the bet as a joke at first and because it was a fun distraction from all the stress we had from college apps and senior year as a whole, it was cool to see where it would take us,” says Sinan. Between the two personalities, a bet like this is considerably expected but not ever actually carried out. “When I first mentioned the

ball I didn't think it would ever turn into something this far out,” says bet inspiration, senior Faizán Mohammad. “I'm glad I pointed it out because watching this bet progress was really intense and exciting.”

After thinking long and hard, Hunter liked the idea of such a proactive gamble and the two determined seniors shook hands and called it a deal.

Hunter went about his week completely unbothered and a tad unfocused from the bet he made only days before. “After the bet was made I didn't pay much attention to it or even the wager. Nor did I have an idea or plan of how I would attain the baseball,” says Hunter. “It was until Friday that Sinan started spreading the wager to others.” Govaria spread the story to anyone who would listen and brought more attention to the bet that Fu thought it would receive. “I talked about it a lot because it was really interesting to see what other people thought about the bet and to get the hype going,” says Sinan. The stakes were raised and the tension was high. Hunter now had

even more of a reason to prove everyone wrong.

The creative youngster began to brainstorm ideas to win his $10 and bragging rights. The only thing in his way: administration. “I didn't want to cause any trouble, but I wanted to see the bet through. Thus, after school one day, I confronted the ones to initiate my plan: Mr. Bayer and Coach Bruns.” Hunter had an advantage with Coach Bruns since the two have known have known each other for a while thanks to Fu’s participation on the track and XC distance team. Each connection got better, as the coach also closely knew Mr. Bayer.

After getting through the hard part (administration), Hunter’s plans were set in motion. All he had left to do was successfully take down the baseball.

The deadline for the bet was before school ended in 2019, but Hunter saw no reason in waiting that long to go through with the plan: “I was excited. There was a lot of anticipation.” Before the day he was planning on carrying out the event, Hunter

Great Catch: Fu tosses up the baseball that he fetched.

Photo By: Maya Cabrera

made sure to antagonize and make it very known that the bet was still very much on and that he had every intention of winning.

Everyone was now holding their breath.

On the day of September 7th, Hunter decided to go during homeroom to get the ball down and earn his money. He explains, “The plan we decided to go with was to try and get the baseball down with a dodgeball so I get ahold of the ball without having to damage a window.” Mr. Bayer and Coach Bruns accompanied Hunter to the gym where they grabbed a dodgeball for him to use. And so the throwing officially began.

“I threw the dodgeball a couple of times before it even got near to hitting the baseball so it took even longer for me to get a good aim,” says Hunter. With each throw getting better, and him filming himself on Snapchat for a big show, the dodgeball hit the baseball just right and it fell onto the cafeteria floor. The two adults and the amateur “baseball player” stared at it in disbelief. Hunter had done it: he had won the bet. “When I picked up the ball, I was surprised to find that it was foam. It wasn’t an actual baseball,” says Hunter. “After my success, I presented the ball to Sinan during fourth period. But before I did that I wrote my name and the year on the ball.”

While he was feeling victorious, Sinan was feeling somewhat remorseful. “I'm really happy for Hunter, and glad that the bet was made into a really fun thing,” says Sinan.

“I am feeling a little defeated since I never thought he would be able to get that ball down, but he deserves the $10!”

While very simplistic, the bet was one of excitement, suspense and eagerness. A short, sweet story about a victor and an accepting loser doesn't end there. The two persistent seniors, determined to keep their legacy going, decided on a second deal in which this time, Sinan would try to put the ball back in its original spot.

6

Features CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Jags: Which is More Important, GPA Or Test Scores?

Kiersten Warren Community Outreach

W

hen students hear the words GPA and test scores, they immediately think of one thing: college. Here at PPCHS, teachers and staff members are constantly preparing students for college. Two of the most important fundamentals to get into a good college is GPA and your SAT/ACT scores. The question is, which is more important to colleges?

First off, a GPA is divided into 3 categories, weighted, unweighted, and cumulative.

Holding student GPA and test scores to such a high standard is because Charter is a college preparatory high school. Colleges use weighted GPA to get a feel for the applicants high school course load and unweighted GPA is used as an indicator of grades as well as a comparison to other applicants. No matter which GPA is most important, test scores are also another indicator to colleges. The SAT and ACT are indicators of comprehension and math skills, as long as time management.

Nonetheless, hearing what others think could determine what students choose to focus on more. Freshman Isabella Vargas said, “Having a higher GPA is more important because it helps determine what college or high skilled school you get into.” The rank of importance in GPA depends on each student’s personal needs and preferences. Sophomore Kaavya Polavarapu said, “I think both of them are equally important to each other,

and they overlap in terms of importance.

In order to have the skills to get good test scores, you need to be able to comprehend well, which makes for a good GPA. You can’t have a bad GPA or test scores and get away with it.” Freshmen and sophomores alike have yet to take the SAT and ACT and have just started their high school careers, so they

still have a years to improve.

Since underclassmen have yet to take these tests, juniors and seniors views are more valuable. Also, the amount of classes they can take to boost their GPA is decreasing because they are closest to graduating. “In my opinion, high test scores are more important because it’s a higher indicator of comprehen-

Graphic By: Henry Severe

sion and skills,” said junior Sammy Martin. Since the seniors are going to college soon, we should hear their point of view.

Senior Sofia Ramirez Rivero said, “I feel that having a higher GPA matters to students because it reflects our hard work over the course of high school. Although we need test scores to get into most colleges, your GPA shows your academic drive for four years rather than a test score taken on one day.” Since GPA is divided into three important tiers, all of them show multiple things during a student’s high school career. Working to keep a GPA up is a fulltime job, and it takes many successful quarters to have a high one.

Regardless of which side is picked, both GPA and test scores will be an important contributing factor in students’ futures. At Pines Charter academics always come first, which ultimately benefits students in the long run. Behavioral and guidance specialist at pines charter, Ms. Velez says,” It depends on the overall student. Colleges don’t just look at test scores and GPA, they also look at community service, extracurricular, and overall character.” Nonetheless, the addition of high test scores plus a high GPA will make student’s futures even brighter than before, and this, jags, is something to remember every day when walking into the gates of PPCHS.

High GPA Taking a Toll on Mental Health Ariana Ortiz Managing Editor - Web

T

ests, homework, after school clubs, sports, maintaining a social life, and waking up before the sun rises are all parts of being a high school student. In the last decade, the societal pressure to go to college and earn a degree has been at it’s all time highest. While parents and teachers may have high hopes for their children, the pressure can be all too much for some teens. Striving for a high GPA and trying to get into dream universities requires a lot of time and commitment in a student’s four years of high school. Trying to keep up can be a major detriment to a student’s mental health.

Mental illness in teenagers has been on the rise for many years, and the epidemic has not been resolved. Being in high school and going through changes with family, friends, one’s own body is a lot to deal with at a young age, especially when one thing on top of the other becomes too much. The stress that comes with high school and preparing for college can ultimately lead teens into a downward spiral. Junior Valerie Samosky said, “Trying to keep up with my college level classes and be a normal teenager is so unbelievably hard, and no one understands unless they’re in the same position. It’s like if you don’t have a 5.0 GPA you’re never going to get into any university. I’m only 16. It shouldn’t be this hard.” University admissions requirements have raised their standard drastically, leaving teens to try and reach the requirements, sacrificing their own wellbeing. According to Athens Oracle, “A full 83 percent of students claim in a finding done by Stress In America that school was ‘a somewhat or significant source of stress.’” Stress has proven to be a factor in causing depression and anxiety (WebMD), a condition that 20% of Americans teens experience (suicide.org).

Support from friends and family when going through high school is extremely important for all teens pressured to strive for the highest GPA and SAT or ACT scores possible. Home is where students should be able to relax and detox from stress, so having family members that have their back is a must. Sophomore Julian Ortiz said, “School really is a lot of stress, but I’m thankful that my parents don’t put too much pressure on me to be the perfect student or having the highest GPA possible.”

It’s vital that students know the importance

of being the best they can be while keeping their own health a priority.

Playing sports, being involved in school clubs, and spending time with friends and family are all part of a balanced high school life. Freshman Leyla Molina said, “School has gotten the best of me before, and really was making me lose my mind. I know it's important to go to college, but I feel like everyone expects too much. I always make time to play soccer and hangout with my friends to make sure I enjoy my years in high school.” Today, colleges prioritize a student’s grade point average over all other aspects of their application. While getting a

“

Striving for a high GPA and trying to get into dream universities requires a lot of time and commitment

”

degree is important, a balanced lifestyle is essential for a student’s mental health.

While high school students do work endlessly and tirelessly for a high grade point average, and their stress is understandable, schools come from a place of excellence and success as well. High schools and colleges alike demand the best GPA from students to make them prepared and intelligent as possible for their future. “I think that what the schools do in asking for a certain GPA and putting a minimum one as to how low you can go is good. They’re not too demanding but do ask for work to be put in,” says senior Gurleen Cambow. Getting a high GPA is essential to be a good student. By the schools asking this of a student, it creates better expectations for students to not slack off.

Students, make sure to always remember that your own wellbeing is the priority.

Take some time to catch up on your favorite TV show or hangout with your friends.

GPAs are important, but even if you aren’t #1 in your class, you still have a bright future ahead and nothing is worth sacrificing mental health for.

Cartoon By: Mariana Riano

Features 7

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

A High GPA: Advice From the Top of The Class Florencia Azcurra Features Editor

W

ake up early for AP classes, go to extracurricular after school, then stay up late doing homework. That’s what a normal school day looks like for seniors Sinan Govaria and Chonnalin Sumonthee, only a little more intense. The two seniors are some of a few others in this year’s graduating class who, these past four years, have maintained an extremely high grade point average, earning them a well-earned spot among the top five percent of the 2019 graduating class.

Both Govaria and Sumonthee have put an immense amount of effort and dedication into their school work, proving that creating a strong work ethic creates good results. “I just try to do the best I can, with studying for things and keeping up with assignments. I ask for help if I need it, and I definitely take a break if I need it, too,” says Sumonthee. As of now, Sumonthee holds spot number three in the senior class and is looking at a weighted GPA of 5.4, and Govaria holds spot number nineteen and has a weighted GPA of 5.3.

They each have a perfectly unweighted 4.0 GPA. In order to keep up with demands that school presents them with, they make rest just as much a priority as schoolwork. “Allowing myself a day to rest, relax, and do whatever I want is really important. If I get a grade that I’m not too happy with, I'd have my little nerdy mourning period for like a

day or two, but then I just put it behind me and keep moving forward,” said Sumonthee.

Resting, in their eyes, is essential and just as much equivalent to working hard.

Time management plays a major role in keeping a high academic profile. For Sumonthee and Govaria, an average school day is attending their 6 AP classes, attending extracurricular activities after school, and taking dual enrollment classes in the mix.

There’s hardly a day where they go home at two o’clock.

The pair, having rigorous AP classes, have to balance a full school schedule with their activities. Sumonthee’s secret to success is not focusing on her own class ranking, but rather focusing on her work and doing the best she can. “I don't worry about so much about the number. I just work hard, focus on my own progress and understanding,” she said. In her freshman and sophomore year, she was extremely concerned about her ranking and was constantly checking who was before her so she could work even harder to outdo that person. For some, that method of motivation is encouraging and keeps them on their toes, but for others it adds unnecessary stress. “I try not to worry about any of that and just focus on doing all I can to do well. I don't really check Virtual Counselor unless my friends tell me they've been updated. Ironically, I'm at the highest

rank I've ever been, despite not caring as much as I used to.” By keeping herself on a busy schedule, she finds herself to be more efficient and therefore produces the best outcomes which leads her to have the remarkable GPA she does now.

Govaria uses his class ranking as a way to keep himself going and to get a sense of drive. “Seeing my GPA increase pushes me to work harder and challenge myself. I am where I am now by taking hard classes and striving to get straight A’s,” said Govaria. The over-achieving senior makes sure to keep his grades up in order to receive higher points to score a higher GPA. Midway throughout his junior year, he noticed a drop in his GPA, and with that realization he worked to bring it up again by the second semester. With this mindset he managed to keep, and raise, the impressive GPA he has today.

The key to getting the best GPA possible for oneself is to never underestimate. While top of the class students recommend a good challenge is taking AP or AICE classes, since they offer more points, they also suggest not overworking yourself or comparing yourself to other. “Don't compare yourself to others. It's easy to get lost in all the stress and pressure, especially with senior year and applying for college. As long as you know you've done all you can on your end

Photos By: Nicholas Amad

I need advice!

to be successful, that's all that matters,” says Sumonthee. Success comes in different forms. For some, it might be that perfect 4.0 GPA, and for others making a 3.0 is a feat in itself. “For anyone wanting to increase their GPA, I’d tell them to keep organized for sure,” says Govaria. “When you don’t have a proper planner, not just for your classes, but for your life in general, visualizing and commuting to your tasks can be difficult.” Maintaining a high GPA takes incredible commitment and determination. The two diligent and studious seniors have demonstrated that hard work pays off, and while it may not get you to be number one in your class, it’ll get you a spot higher than before.

The nationwide system that calculates what a student’s ranking is or who the potential valedictorian of the graduating class will be is a relatively simple one.

The harder classes you take with the best grades possible, the higher your GPA and ranking go. Sumonthee and Govaria, some of Charter’s brightest students, never let the power of a number get in the way of how smart or successful they are. It instead made them work harder to raise their own standards and not work to anyone else’s – and with this mindset, one’s stance is sure to increase.

8

Clubs CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Key Club Holds The “Keys” To A Great Year Kiersten Warren

Community Outreach

H

ere at PPCHS, there is no shortage of clubs and activities. Key Club, one of the many service clubs offered at the school, is tackling a great agenda this year. Along with having a new sponsor, English 2 and Arabic teacher, Ms. Blanco, Key Club is looking to expand its membership yet again this school year. Key Club president and senior Falak Abbasakoor says, “My hopes for the rest of this year are to maintain general member involvement and conduct as much service as possible, while also winning as many awards as possible at our District Conference in Orlando.” Falak isn’t alone in trying to maintain these goals, as the entire Key Club board concurs as well.

An introductory meeting took place on Monday, September 17, as all aspiring Key Club members were invited to the library auditorium. Freshman Cassandra Ramos, an attendee at the meeting, said “I’m excited to join Key Club this year. As an incoming freshman, I don’t have many service hours right now, and because I’m striving for the silver cord for graduation, Key Club will definitely help me reach my goal.” In order to become a member of Key Club, applicants must earn at least eight hours by volunteering at multiple events sponsored by the club during the application window.

Sophomore Gabriel de Oliveira states, “At the meeting, Falak told us what we’re going to be doing throughout the year and had examples of what we possibly could accomplish. I’m excited to join the club because it’s a good way to help acquire more

volunteer hours.” The deadline to apply is Monday, October 8, jags!

Among Key Club’s most recognized events is the semiannual blood drive. As flyers promoting the drive went up around the school, interested donors were encouraged to participate. The 2018-2019 school year kicked off, with the first blood drive held on Friday, September 14, in the River of Grass auditorium. The blood drive is hosted in partnership with OneBlood, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to providing affordable and readily available blood to hospitals and patients.

According to Florida law, donors are required to be 16 years and older, and weigh at least 110 pounds. This didn’t discourage PPCHS students though. An eligible student can donate a pint of blood, or they can donate platelets, which helps cancer patients. Platelets take longer, but are often more rewarding knowing you are helping someone who is very ill. Nonetheless, giving a pint of blood is also honorable.

Key club board members arrived bright and early, as they were required to be at school by 6:50 a.m. They helped set up the tables and promoted the banner on their social media. As the sun began to rise, key club officers took pictures in front of the banner to symbolize the start of the drive.

The blood drive started early in the morning, as students streamed into the halls, Dunkin Donuts coffee in hand, and ended with the final bell at 2:00 p.m. With the stations set up and buses ready, students

Saving Lives: Senior Carson Farinella sits in the auditorium as he donates.

Photo By: Andres Alfonso

were able to donate blood throughout the day. One student who willingly donated blood, junior Natalia Joanes, said “It only hurts for a second, but it’s definitely worth it in the end: to be able to save lives with the fortunate health I am currently in. This is a great, easy, and impactful cause that I genuinely believe everyone should participate in.”

After donating, the students received a slice of pizza and were encouraged to wait a while before going back to class. In addition, donors were gifted decorative arm bands as a token of appreciation. Falak Abbasakoor says, “The Blood Drive was a

huge success! I think we did a really great job advertising, thanks to our advertisement chair, Ainsley McCormick. Not to mention, we had over 130 donors, which is one of the biggest numbers we’ve ever had.” In fact, there were so many donors that some had to wait all day to even get tested to be eligible to give blood.

All in all, although Key Club had a delayed start this year, it is surely to be a successful one. If the triumph at the Blood Drive and introductory meeting are any indicators of the year to come, the club is guaranteed to be in great hands. They truly hold the “keys” to a great year!

Photos By: Andy Alfonso

Activism, Altruism, and Amnesty (International) Alan Matthew

Geopolitical

crises, police brutality, capital punishment, gun violence, and unjust incarceration are only a few of the many problems that society deals with on a daily basis. Individually, each of these has the potential to overwhelm someone.

Together, however, they can bring society to its knees. That’s why, more than anything, these problems must be confronted, spoken about, and challenged. This is the mission of Amnesty International, a global movement of more than 7 million individuals in over 150 countries and territories. Students hope to introduce this mission to PPCHS this year in the form f a brand new club.

To be clear, Amnesty International as an organization isn’t simply indoctrinating themselves into Charter. Two of PPCHS’ own juniors, Swati Kumar and Angel Biju, decided to co-found the club after Swati took interest in the organization.

technology editor

“Angel and I were inspired to start this club at the school after getting in contact with local Amnesty groups,” Swati quotes. “We wanted to bring this club to PPCHS so we could elevate our school as a whole. We’re trying to bring awareness to students and supply them with relevant knowledge about important issues.” And these aren’t empty words or goals either. The Amnesty International club already has plans and projects in place for this coming year that would aid in their long term ideals.

For example, the club has already begun to setting dates for seminars, discussions, and movie screenings centered on ideas, such as human rights. Each individual activity may not be the most hard-hitting long term, but in the words of senior Gloris Sajan, “I think [they’ll] raise awareness about issues that need not to be ignored or disregarded.” These small scale events aren’t just available to club members. As a part of the international organization’s initiative to motivate and engage members, at least one competition is already in place. The project, titled ActivismX, gives students an opportunity to partner up and generate creative ways to spread awareness about human rights issues in a variety of mediums. Freshman Sarafina Josue helped capture the beauty of this when she said, “I think the best part about the club is that it perfectly utilizes free speech in a productive and important wayone where we all benefit.” Across the nation, five winning groups will be brought together to present their

ideas in a collaborative and rare workshop event.

Other non-competitive events are in the works as well and will take place in a broader range than just within each club. International Migrants Day, International’s Women’s Day, and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, will all be tackled by the club, whether in the form of tiny scrolls with the accounts of migrants written on them, an in school march led by female administrators, or even just pamphlet distributions to all social studies teachers to read to their classes.

It should be acknowledged, though, that Amnesty International stays open to ideas and new plans as well.

The club is still working to plant its roots within Charter. The PPCHS chapter has no great desire to be like every other Amnesty International club across the country. Flexibility seems to be a strength for Amnesty International, and student input is where that flexibility comes in. Being a new club, many officer positions are still empty within Amnesty International. Vying for such a position is not only worthwhile, it’s meaningful as well. The opportunity to plan events, put them in motion, and give a larger presence to the important issues is now available to those who were unable to find it before. And, while all of these positive and beneficial events actually take place, one can be secure in the knowledge that they’re doing their part to make

Photos By: Rebekah Jacob

some small change. As sophomore Madison Bambino puts it, “While I don’t think Amnesty International by itself is going to change the world, I do think that students, through the club, will be able to begin small changes of their own, which is very, very important in the process of building larger changes.”

In the end, Amnesty International is a new club with brand new energy founded on very old, but important, principles. It also serves as Charter’s latest foray into a world that seems to be drawing even more connected as the days pass. In the words of Mr. Pargas, Amnesty’s club sponsor, “Amnesty International isn’t here to change [everything] with one brilliant stroke of a pen or one terrific social media post. No, we’re here to raise awareness and take that first step.” That first step could mean anything, but Amnesty International helps make it more than just a possibility.

Clubs 9

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Charter Says Hello to Each Other All Week Long Emma Caulfield Co-Features Editor

Say Hello week was a movement de-

signed to encourage students to talk with one another, especially if they’re on their own. Start with Hello is part of Sandy Hook Promise, an initiative formed after the December 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut. Twenty students and six adults died that day, and parents or loved ones of the victims wanted things to change from that moment on. That is when Start with Hello became a movement that in the end starts with us. On September 21st, guest speaker Sherese James visited the River of Grass to deliver a message that opened up Pines Charter to what could be a whole new atmosphere. Saying hello and spiking up even the smallest conversation with someone can change their day or even their perspective on life in a positive way.

James informs the student body of the three simple steps to get the movement going, “First step is to see someone alone – not just someone sitting by himself or herself once or twice, but someone who is chronically disconnected, second step is to reach out and help – take the first steps (literally toward the person), and of course step three, start with hello – the perfect word to spark a conversation.” These steps seem simple; however, many students are not willing to go through with them. How-

ever, James gives a statistic that “8 out of 10 students that take the first steps towards someone does not regret it or made a new friend from it” and that right there is the beauty of the whole movement.

In order to kick off the movement, students were informed of the different activities that will be taking place throughout the week of September 27th to September 31st.

From Hey Day to No One Eats Alone Day, students all over charter were participating in the events and were actually benefiting from them. Sophomore Sabrina Avellino said, “I think the Say Hello week was really heartwarming, just seeing students actually opening up to others was really good for the school. It was also nice to see everybody was having fun with the movement.”

You should not wait until it is too late or until people are asking themselves “what could I have done differently?” This movement is to push students to act now and to continue to talk to everybody throughout the year. It sounds so simple, but it can literally change lives. “I think this program is awesome… students are actually trying to spark conversations and making new friends. I believe if this continues throughout the years that the environment at Charter can have a more positive vibe to it in a sense where more students will have

the push to get involved,” said junior Grant Sinclair, who actively participated in the Start with Hello activities at school. Just the act of making sure nobody is sitting alone at lunch or that people around you know your name is enough to change everybody’s outlook on life in a positive way.

Throughout the week, different activities were hosted by the Student Government Association. On Thursday during lunch, kids could be seen passing out Mentos with special messages on them, such as “Share headphones” or “Give someone a huge.”

Students were encouraged to share these with somebody new as a way to make new friends who could have previously been alone. In addition, a life-size paper tree was hung in the USpeak zone where students could post sticky notes of positive messages for Say Hello Week. Students were more outgoing and open to meeting new people during the week, which is one of the goals.

Pines Charters participation in the Starting with Hello movement was incredible, and throughout the year students all around campus will continue to connect with one another. In

three simple steps, the atmosphere of a whole school can change as well as lives of many students, and that is what makes Start with Hello such a great program to take part in. Charter encourages everybody to get involved in it.

Photos By: Nico Amad

Share a Hug: Students hug it out on Say Hello Week.

Photo By: Nico Amad

Student, Staff Stars of the Spanish Spelling Bee

Donated By: Mrs. Ferrer

Donated By: Mrs. Ferrer A Competition Filled with Spanish: At the Spanish Spelling Bee, students and teachers were challenged with spelling words in Spanish. Senior Chonnalin Sumonthee and teacher Ms. Moses won the competiton.

Photos By: Andres alfonso

10 Faces of Charter CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Sports 11

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Jaguars Putting Their Way to a Perfect Season Michael Muela Staff Writer

Golf is a game of the mind. It de-

mands laser focus, unshakeable nerve and the ability to isolate all other distractions. This is the winning mentality of the PPCHS Golf Team.

Pines Charter has shot out of the gates to an extraordinary start at 4-0, surpassing many people’s expectations. Even though they are undefeated, the team is very low key. They keep their methods simple, they work in silence, and grind to get where they want to be. Each week, Mr. Schwartz, the team’s head coach, selects the top 6 golfers from the week, based on score, and put them in the lineup for matches.

How did the Jaguars obtain these first four victories? They defeated Mater Academy in their first match on August 28th at Don Shula’s Senator Course in Miami Lakes by a score of 164-226. The best score belonged to sophomore Logan Danoff, who shot a 39. “After several months of practice, it was great to finally begin the season.” said Logan. They began the year at a 1-0 start. Two days later, on August 30th, they narrowly defeated Cypress Bay in their second match, 184189 at Pembroke Lakes Country Club. It was a close call, but the Jags got the job done. Now, they were 2-0.

In their third match, the Jaguars would face Nova a week later on September 6th, 2018. Emilio Garcia, the only middle schooler on the team, reviewed himself on his performance. “I shot 49.” PPCHS defeated Nova, 186-256. Sophomore Jose Esteras, who didn’t play in the match, could only say one word after hearing the match results – “Wow.” Charter was now 3-0 to tee off the new season. Their next match would take place on Wednesday,

September 12th against Everglades High at Country Club of Miami. The Jags starting roster was very strong. It included Daniel Nicolae, Jose Esteras, Logan Danoff, Emilio Garcia, and Justin Schwartz.

A win was in the foreseeable future for the Jaguars. As the final pairing concluded playing the 9th hole, the scores were tallied, and resulted in another victory for PPCHS. They were now off to an absolutely mind-boggling 4-0 start. Freshman Joey San Angelo gave his take on how being on the golf team plays a huge role in his life.

“I feel that I have been a part of something that gives me an escape from homework and school work and other distractions.”

He can’t wait to play in his next match.

“We played well as a team,” said Mr. Schwartz, the team head coach. “We are looking to improve our scores in the coming weeks.” Pines Charter’s next three matches are against Mater Academy, Everglades, and Cooper City. All of these matches are at Pembroke Lakes Country Club.

Senior Ethan Cayouette spoke his thoughts on the golf team’s incredible start.

“They’re elite.” When asked how well he believes the team has done up to this point, he stated, “They’re great from the fantastic start.” Great is the right description at 4-0.

“I think the golf team can keep up their momentum to drive their ongoing success,” said junior Samantha Martin, reviewing what the golf team has been able to accomplish this season. “Dang, there’s only 6 matches left? I think they can win them.” Pines Charter’s remaining fleet of opponents are Mater Academy, Everglades, Coral Glades, Cypress Bay, and Cooper City.

Peter Bayer is the principal at PPCHS.

He gave a few words on what his goals are for this season. “My hope for every team and every season is that our students get opportunity to develop their abilities and build lasting friendships,” he said. “I hope that our student athletes learn to win with grace and lose with dignity!” Right now, the Jaguars are doing everything other than losing.

The Jags have played incredibly well this year, thanks to great play on the course from the athletes, as well as the assistance of great coaching. They will look to continue their string of dominance and add another victory to list. PPCHS faces Mater Academy in a rematch from back in late August for their 5th match of the season on Monday, September 17th.

As it turns out, the Jaguars would defeat Mater Academy on September 17th by a score of 170-257. The lowest score belonged to Jose Esteras, who shot a 40.

The Jags are now 5-0, and still unbeaten.

Their next match was originally supposed to take place against Everglades High on Thursday, September 20th, but the match was postponed. Their next match is now on Thursday, September 27th against Coral Glades High School.

All Photos Donated by: Megan Fraga

Stuart Nethersole Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

Not

everyone can admit they have a passion for a sport watched by few, let alone play, but for Stuart Nethersole, this is something that he boasts proudly. The sophomore is a standout performer on the PPCHS Bowling team, scoring around a 150 (average is 100 for average bowlers) during tryouts.

He joined last year, the first year that the team came about, after becoming aware of his love for bowling in the spring of 2017.

He joined a league with his sisters, playing once a week for 12 weeks. In these three months, Nethersole fell more and more in

love with the game every day.

As for his skills, they didn’t come from solely practicing, Nethersole also learned from the pros. “I watched all the other professional bowlers in the bowling alley.

I was trying to learn how to hook with a house ball.” While he was watching the professionals, they also began to notice him. “One of the pro bowlers saw me and took me under his wing and bought me my first bowling ball. After that, every week at least one pro bowler would come up to me and help me to hook, or curve, the ball right.” Nethersole saw how the other bowl-

ers wanted to help him learn and began to pick up on their skills, helping him grow as a player.

With the current season in effect, Nethersole, as well as the rest of his teammates, practice Monday and usually have a game on either Tuesday or Thursday. However, this isn’t enough for him. In addition to the school’s schedule, he also practices once a week on his own time.

The bowlers’ skills are only improving each day. His love for the game will carry him and the team throughout the rest of their season.

Stephanie Gonzalez Austin Basso

S

ophomore Stephanie Gonzalez earned her place among Charter’s starting bowlers because of her experience on the lanes.

When Stephanie was younger, her and her family and friends would go bowling just for fun, jumpstarting her bowling career. “I love bowling because of how much fun I have. With it being such a change of pace from softball, it is a new challenge for me,” she said.

Through Stephanie’s brief tenure here at Charter, she has already had some memo-

Staff Writer

rable moments. “When we faced Archbishop McCarthy that was the most fun I have ever had at a match. They only had 2 bowlers for that particular match, so we knew that we had the upper hand, and as we settled down a little, we just had fun with the game and let the stress of the usual matches go away.” As it is her second year on the bowling team, Gonzalez knows what it takes to be on the team and what it means to be part of something bigger. Learning to balance school, bowling, and softball has

also proved to be a challenge for Gonzalez. “My schedule is kind of jam packed.

We have practice until around 5 o’clock, and then I have to do my homework, and find a way to get softball in there because I have to continue training for softball in the spring.” Though Stephanie is still working to perfect her daily balancing act, she is getting there slowly but surely. Good luck to Stephanie and the rest of the team for the remainder of the season!

Chad Epps Ainsley McCormick

As the ball rolls smoothly down the nar-

row lane, Chad Epps can almost see the strike he is about to make. He knows what is to come… the final bowl of the final frame that will lead his team to victory. As the ball hits the middle of the first pin dead center, the pins begin to collide with each other in a series of chaotic bounces, leaving one single pin at the back right corner of the lane. That’s it. The team lost by one pin.

For many a memory like this may bring feelings of shame or embarrassment, but for

Editor-In-Chief

senior Chad Epps, the memory only pushes him to become a better bowler each day.

“Yeah, of course I was upset in losing that game, and the agony of the loss stuck with me, but at the end of the day it only pushes me to be better,” he said. As a junior, Epps joined the team and immediately made an impact, and is still steadily improving and taking his game to the next level. Epps has the “focus of a person working on a very important task,” according to his teammate and senior, Tarek Abuchaibe.

Epps doesn’t see himself as a superstar

Photos by: Andres Alfonso

on the team, but rather someone who can teach others ways to improve their skills.

At the beginning of the bowling season, which runs from about the beginning of September to the end of October, Epps took the time to explain all the different rules of bowling and how to play a game correctly. He said, “It makes me feel good to see the younger players learning from me. I feel like an older brother.”

The team still has a full season ahead of them, and with Epps being the strong leader he is, they sure are rolling towards a great record.

12 Lifestyle CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

“Miss America” Losing its Viewers… Fast Kiersten Warren

T

Paperless Classrooms Sophia Cortes

Staff Writer

he Miss America competition, founded 97 years ago in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has always been a coveted race for lucky women aged 17 to 25. It started as a “bathing beauty revue” and has turned into an American tradition held every year. On January 1, 2018, Gretchen Carlson, former FOX news anchor and Miss America 1989 was elected chairwoman of the board of directors for the Miss America organization. Recently, however, the swimsuit and evening gown portion of the event has been taken out and replaced with onstage interviews, to de-emphasize appearance and focus more on intelligence.

Rebranded “Miss America 2.0” there is sure to be disagreements over the cuts in the competition. “I think taking the swimsuit competition out was a good move for girls watching this, because it shows that it’s not all about looks,” says freshman Amanda Pagan. Consequently, this also led to 1 million less spectators and the worry that viewer ratings will continue to plummet in years to come.

As if this weren’t enough, the popular competition has also lost thousands of dollars in scholarship money for the top five contestants. Former Miss America, Cara Mund, brought forth allegations of bullying to the chairwoman, Gretchen Carlson. As a result, Carlson blames Mund for the loss of $75,000 in scholarship money.

Nonetheless, the loss of viewers and money could be from a variety of things. Sophomore

Voices Versus Violence

Jessica Adan said, “It’s kind of sad that Miss America is starting to fade away and lose viewers, especially since this pageant is an American tradition.” Other PPCHS students agree with Adan’s statement.

“Miss America is such an iconic competition and the fact that taking out the physical appearance part of the competition led to less viewers is sad, frankly,” said junior Madison Lopez. In fact, ratings have been falling for the past few years.

According to the New York Post, “The Nielsen Company said 4.34 million people watched the annual ceremony on ABC S u n d a y, down 19 percent from the 5.35 million viewers last Graphic By: Carolina Othon year.” This has been the pageant’s lowest ratings since 2009, when Miss America was aired on TLC with only 3 million people watching. “I hope Miss America gains its viewers back because it would be a shame if it would go away. Miss America isn’t just a competition, it's a sisterhood for every Miss America winner past and future,” said senior Stephanie Gomez. To these contestants, Miss America is about a sisterhood in which its members value self-esteem and service.

Although Miss America has lost its audience over the years, what the competition stands for -- style, service, scholarship, success – won’t be lost in the minds of those who remember the valued competition.

When you think of classrooms, usually

classes because it would cost less on our images of worksheets, huge textbooks, pa- part, considering how much paper, printpers and pencils appear in your mind. No ers, and ink cost.” Skye voiced. “Not to matter what you imagine, one thing stays the mention, it makes it much easier to keep same. Paper. Paper is one of the most impor- track of and manage, and the overall use tant things, not only in the classrooms, but of electronics would mean classrooms in school as a whole. Whether it be in the wouldn't need much equipment.” form of books, tests, assignments, or official Many people have also pointed out how forms, paper plays an integral role in school paperless classrooms can have a great imlife. It is hard to imagine being in a class- pact on the environment, as using less paper would help preserve trees. “I think it’s room without it.

100% amazing that classrooms are becomDespite the ing paperless,” voiced dependency we junior Katherine Burhave on paper, kett, “not only does there are some it help save the Earth, downsides to students won’t have using it. First to carry around a huge off, some may textbook whenever argue that it is they need it.” much easier to While there seem lose assignments to be a lot of obvious when they are benefits for going papaper based. perless in classrooms, Second of all, and many are supportan excess of paing the movement, per is extremely there are others who harmful to the believe going comenvironment, pletely paperless might and besides ofPhoto By: Aijah Harper not be the best idea fice buildings, for students. Those in schools are also opposition, have raised that problem that known to be where paper is most used. Howshould students be given iPads or tablets ever, over the past decade, with the rise in in replace of pen and paper, they might feel electronics sweeping the globe, it seems as if tempted to go off task on the electronics. society have begun to veer away from paper.

Others believe going from paper to iPad Textbooks are now becoming lighter than air would have a negative effect on the way - MacBook Air that is - by being accessible students learn.

Sophomore Alexis Appio online. Teachers have been implementing online quizzes and tests by using websites voices her opinion: “most of the informasuch as Jupiter Grades, and now, thanks to tion that people can store in their brain is sites like TurnItIn, turning in assignments is mainly from writing it down, so if we reas easy as clicking a button. But what does move this basic necessity, it could damage this mean for the future of paper use in class- our society’s way of learning.” es? In twenty years will physical textbooks Whichever way you look at it, paperless cease to exist? And are fully paperless class- classrooms are becoming more common, rooms the right direction to go regarding and as technology advances, paper usage classroom efficiency and reducing schools’ has, in turn, started to decrease. Whether or carbon footprint? These are just some of the not this is a good thing is all up to interpretation. Paperless classrooms could help the questions being raised by people. environment and improve school efficienSome, like senior Skye Anderson believe cy, but it could also have a negative impact paperless classrooms will be a large advan- on students based on learning styles. tage for schools. “I like the idea of paperless

Is Gen-Z becoming “Gen-V”?

Alan Matthew technology editor

Ascending smoke, columns of chemi-

cals, and light up cigarettes bring forth a brand new age. Electronic cigarettes bring up detached imagery of struggling smokers and addiction alternatives, neither of which is relevant to the average high schooler, much less a Charter high schooler. No, the list of problems high school brings include tests, lack of sleep, and occasionally drama, but electronic cigarettes are definitely not on that list. At least, not yet. Despite the lack of attention towards the “e-cigarette,” a much more common word may perk the ears just a little bit more: vaping.

Vapes, vaporizers, hookah pens, or ehookahs; all of these fall under the term e-cigarette, and all of these are becoming much bigger problems than they were just a decade ago. Vaping, especially, is becoming more and more commonplace, along with the negative side effects that sometimes come along with it. After all, a lot of vape products contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive. As freshman Austin Mathew put it, “Sometimes, people say they’re just vaping water or some vaguely cool sounding flavors, but it doesn’t seem like something you keep doing just because. To me, if someone is consistently vaping but always has an excuse, they’re either already addicted or close to being addicted.” And on some level, it makes sense too. Students don’t always know what they’re getting into when they begin vaping, but statistics, from sources like drugabuse.gov, show that vaping, as a whole, is steadily on the rise within the

adolescent population, despite the fact that many teenagers within that demographic don’t realize the risks.

At the same time, however, it should be acknowledged that vaping isn’t as serious as it is sometimes made out to be. For example, reports by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine do show that much of the bias against vaping is unfounded. There is no strong evidence to connect vaping to liver cancer, lung cancer, or heart disease for example.

In the words of senior Huntar Fu, though, “Videos I’ve seen show how vaping might be better than smoking, but in the end, it doesn’t seem worth trying.” Lack of data does not prove safety, after all. Research into vaping is only just taking off in many areas, but lack of concrete proof against

every possible side effect shouldn’t encourage anyone to take part into something they don’t fully understand the science behind.

Sophomore Grace Rodriguez echoed this idea when she said, “Just because you can’t prove that something has the potential to kill you doesn’t mean that you should just ignore people’s advice and vape anyway.”

Another vaping related danger to consider is the gateway effect. Vaping can still be a gateway to smoking, even if it’s not as dangerous itself. Because, of course, just because vaping doesn’t carry the same health risks as tobacco consumption, that doesn’t mean it’s not as much of a risk. Let’s put it another way. If item A has the potential to severely risk your health and item B has the potential to lead someone to item A,

Graphic By: Justin pierce

isn’t item B, in an indirect way, at least as dangerous as item A? More than just that, though, vaping and the products that go hand in hand with it have the potential to be harmful to one group of people in particular: teenagers.

When it comes down to it, vape products are constantly being redesigned to hide and use in places, from the classroom to the park. Vape pens can be shaped like literal pens, pencils, or even USBs. This covert composition also makes controlling ecigarette use on campus much harder than it would be otherwise. Even worse, vapes are being specifically targeted towards students through flavors and advertising. Junior Douglas Chin put it best when he said, “Vapes come in flavors like peppermint, candy, chocolate, and coffee. I don’t think those were designed for people who are just trying to quit smoking. If that wasn’t enough, I see ads for vapes every other day when I’m watching shows, which bothers me to no end.”

When it comes down to it, vaping just has too many variables tied to it to fully trust. Its capacity to impair a growing teenager’s physiology isn’t something to take lightly either. In this new age students find themselves in, it seems that replacing the commonplace addictions of the past, like smoking, with new present day addictions, like vaping, is something to very carefully watch out for. It only seems prudent to watch out for a product that’s being shoved into students’ faces so often, even without any strong science to vouch for it.

Entertainment 13

Is Sierra Burgess Really A Loser?

Rebekah Jacob

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

The Nun Movie Review Arianna Ozuna

Clubs Editor

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, Netflix’s latest

teen flick, uses stereotypical high school characters to create a cliché romance story that many know and love. It demonstrates how a mistaken identity can result in an unexpected romance.

The female lead, Sierra Burgess, played

by Shannon Purser, is an intelligent and unpopular teenage girl who doesn’t exactly fit the typical “high-school” standard of physical beauty. However, her personality, full of charm and humor, seems to give her the upper hand in winning over sweet jock Jamey (Noah Centineo). Only it’s not who he thinks it is…

Jamey strikes up a text message conversation with Sierra under the belief that she is the popular and beautiful head cheerleader, Veronica (Kristine Froseth). Lonely but excited, Sierra couldn’t help but text back.

The two were soon swapping animal pictures and flirting over text message. However, as their relationship formed through text quickly began to escalate, Veronica was dumped by her boyfriend for not being “smart enough.” Sierra was also asked

by Jamey to follow with FaceTime calls and even, to her despair, a date. Desperate to keep the relationship going, Sierra proposed a plan to Veronica: she would tutor her and help her study, in an effort to win her boyfriend over again, if Veronica did something for her in return. Sierra asked Veronica to go on a date with Jamey in her place.

With the plan in full effect, the two girls

soon became best friends, spending more and more time together after school. All the while Jamey believed he was in love with and talking to Veronica and not Sierra. Eventually, Sierra catches Jamey kissing Veronica! Feeling betrayed and filled with rage, Sierra leaked a photo of Veronica and her ex-boyfriend kissing in the car during a football game for the entire school to see, including insanely cute jock Jamey.

Both Veronica and Jamey, as well as Sierra’s best friend Dan (RJ Cyler), were upset and refused to talk to Sierra. They left her heartbroken and regretful for her revengeful actions. Junior Laura Montano says, “I really didn’t like Sierra Burgess’ character. She was very problematic, but I guess that’s how it was inevitably supposed to go in the movie. I believe that they should've addressed that her behavior should not have been as easily forgiven as it was.”

After an explanation from Veronica, Jamey eventually came around and asked Sierra to homecoming. Once at the dance, Veronica and Sierra hugged it out. This modern take the rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in high school has viewers abundant with opinions and thoughts on the movie. “I personally thought the movie was cute. I had watched previews beforehand and heard some pretty controversial comments from social media platforms such as Twitter. Although numerous individuals agreed that Sierra Burgess didn’t deserve a happy ending, I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was very heartwarming and deserving,” quotes senior Emily Martinez. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser captures love at a young age and puts in motion a cliché and unexpected story about the obstacles faced when dating as a teenager and how one unintentional turn in life leads to another unexpected twist.

Graphic From: PopSugar

What’s New: Entertainment Recap Paolo Barrera

Student life Editor

2K- Every year there’s a fresh season of

professional basketball, brought to fans and ballers by the NBA. With the start of every new season, there’s been a new NBA 2k video game since 1999. A new game means a new set of new possibilities for the 2K team and for fans around the world. Today, the possibilities for the newest 2K game has reached an all-time high, as NBA 2K19 was released on September 10 for the world to play. It includes new basketball game modes, like the improved MyTeam mode and the new story behind MyCareer. NBA players and celebrities have endorsed the game, but the thrill and fun of the video game is for the players to enjoy!

Spiderman- The new Spiderman game has spent 3 years in development and countless hours in the minds of comic lovers. It was released exclusively for PS4 on September 7th, and the hype remains strong as ever.

Xbox users are comically buying PS4’s to

play the game and experience the excitement of putting on the mask of the webbed warrior. Classic villains and iconic allies aid the protagonist in a unique story that takes players across the entire city of New York. Though it’s a single player game, the thrill of web slinging through the Big Apple is for all Spiderman lovers!

Black Panther on Netflix- Back before Avenger’s Infinity War held the world’s attention between a gauntlet’s fingertips, Black Panther was shaking ox office and filling movie theaters. T’Challa became a celebrated and beloved character in the Marvel Universe with a full length film under his name, and now it’s on Netflix for all to see over and over. Catch the king of Wakanda in binge worthy fashion next to the likes of Thor Ragnarok and Avenger’s Age of Ultron. The Marvel movie should be enough to satisfy fans that eagerly wait for Captain Marvel to hit theaters.

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

Staff Writer

The Nun, the latest release in the mys-

tery/thriller film realm, tells the story of a demonic spirit residing in an old church.

After learning of a young nun who took her life, the Vatican sends a priest and a young religious novice, who has yet to take her vows to become a nun, to investigate what went wrong.

The trailer for the film received a considerable amount of attention and was even taken down by YouTube because it was deemed too scary for audiences.

However, when the movie hit box offices on September 6th, it did not impress. The movie has received a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.8/10 on IMDb. Despite the sour reviews, the Nun was able to earn a whopping $53.5 million on opening weekend, topping all opening numbers from The Conjuring franchise. Just as the others before it -The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Annabelle, and Annabelle: Creation - The Nun is based off a true story. “The Nun movie itself wasn’t too scary, but knowing it is a true story really creeps me out” said junior Emi Gonzalez. The story of the nun is said to be based off of events that happened in Europe in 1952. All of the movies in The Conjuring franchise are stories told by spook chasers Ed and Lorraine Warren, who search for thrills and creepy tales for

a living.

The Nun herself has made appearances in other thrillers and, while her face may be scary, the special effects of the film are nowhere near 2018 standards. Senior Alex Mora said “I was really excited for this movie and it was pretty good but not what I expected.” Blood and gore aside, the graphics of the film seemed very artificial, limiting the fear factor of the movie. While the film is considered a thriller, it does feature quite a lot of jump scares to catch the audience off guard. Freshman Isabella Rodriguez said “I personally didn’t find The Nun that scary. I really had more hopes for the movie.” People who enjoy watching thrillers and scary movies generally want to be scared as they watch, and in that right, this movie, as statistics show, is not up to the new wave of standards. Besides the jump scares, the producers relied on blood and gore to impress the audience. Sophomore Matthew Gordon said “The movie was ok, but not my favorite.” There were a few moments, however that may not satisfy a viewer's hunger for a scare.

While the concept of The Nun was a hit and the trailer sparked excitement in scary movie lovers, the execution was not on par with the rest of its kind. If you’re looking to get scared, there may be a better option to get your scary movie fix.

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

Man of Steel Leaving DC? Caroline Kadir

I

News Editor

t’s a bird, it’s a plane, and superman is no longer in the sky anymore. Many people know Henry Cavill as the actor who plays superman in three DC movies; Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Man of Steel. On Wednesday, September 12th, 2018 it was reported that Henry Cavill would be leaving DC, which caused an uproar from DC fans all around.

Henry Cavill, age 35, was born on May 5, 1983 in Saint Helier, Jersey as Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill. Before Cavill got his big break as Superman, he starred in many movies and TV shows, such as Stardust, Sand Castle, The Tudors, and Immortals. From a very young age, Cavill had been interested in acting and by age of 19 he had scored his first role in The Count of Monte Cristo as Albert Mondego. As time went on Cavill got small roles, preparing him for his career defining role in the DC franchise. Sophomore Eric Baptiste states, “Superman is an iconic superhero and Cavill does a good job playing the role, but it could be cool seeing else play the role.”

Superman, otherwise known as Clark Kent, is a fictional character in which he is the last of his race and is disguised as a regular human on Earth. Clark Kent transforms from a regular human to a strong, powerful, and righteous hero. “I will be truly upset if Cavill is no longer superman, it would be hard for anyone else to live up to the role and fill his shoes. Cavill does a great job acting as both Clark Kent and Superman,” states junior Nicole Munar. Cavill leaving will a have immense impact on the DC franchise, as proven by the outcry of the dedicated fans.

Amid all the rumors, Cavill responded by posting a video to Instagram, in which he took a video of himself holding up a superman action figure and then putting it back down, while intense music was playing in the background. The actor’s silence

on the matter led fans to assume this video had a deeper meaning, and revealed his departure. Freshmen Sergio Marrero states, “Cavill posting that Instagram video didn’t help clarify whether he was truly leaving DC or not.” Fanatics of D.C. began to believe that Cavill’s holding up the action figure and then putting it back down represented the end of his role as Superman. Warner Bros. released a statement on the situation: “While no decisions have been made regarding upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had a great respect and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged.” Senior Gurleen Cambow expressed, “I believe that once an actor plays a role, they should always play that same character. It makes movies and television feel a little bit more real.” Soon after Warner Bros. released their statement, Cavill’s manager tweeted “Be peaceful, the cape is still in the closet,” providing fans with the smallest sliver of hope.

DC fans have Justice League Part 2 to look forward to, in which Cavill plays his role as Superman, alongside Wonder Woman and Batman. The movie is expected to be released on June 14th, 2019. “There is a right and a wrong in the universe and that distinction is not hard to make-Superman,” (Elliot S Maggin). Judging by the reaction from DC fans, the possibility of Henry Cavill leaving so abruptly turns down a whole new generation of fans of Superman.

Graphic By: henry Severe

14 Technology

A Fruity Future: What’s next for Apple?

Paolo Barrera

The elephant in the room must be hungry,

because it’s munching on a heaping serving of apples! Pun aside, the elephant in the room is pretty hard to avoid: a lot of people are diehard Apple fans, therefore any piece of writing coming from an iPhone user may have a tiny bit of bias. But it should be noted that if something looks promising and game changing, wouldn’t there be some hype from every fandom, Android and iOS users alike?

Needless to say, Apple has unveiled enough to have every senior citizen and senior in high school fighting for fruit.

The biggest development that the company has under their belt is actually not an “i” named product. Instead, it’s a 2.8 million square feet building that has been worked on since 2006. Dubbed the “Apple Park,” this project has been in the works since Steve Jobs was around to propose the building plans to Cupertino City Hall. The campus, where employees work, and the visitor’s center have already opened in 2017, but it’s today, in 2018, that the beauty of the building has been shown off. During Apple’s September Keynote presentation, they dedicated three minutes to exhibiting the somewhat minimalist design. There are gigantic panes of glass that follow the circular shape of the campus and a massive cafeteria filled with greyscale flooring and wooden benches and tables. The presentation also made a point to show how glass doors and office walls are now notched with grey bars to prevent employees walking into clear walls. It was a funny, yet concerning issue that arose during 2017, but it has been fixed since then. “I laughed with all my friends when I saw the headlines about [Apple employees] running into clear planes of glass,” said freshman Harman Cambow. The gorgeously designed

Student life Editor

Steve Jobs Theater was also given some of the spotlight, with a beautiful shot of the exterior. “The design of the [campus] looked insane (in a good way),” said junior Sebastian Arango. By 2018, the campus plans to be fully operational on all levels, fully sustainable, and fully equipped to handle the new wave of products heading out.

These new products were given the rest of the spotlight after the first three minutes dedicated to showing off Apple Park. The Keynote Presentation flipped to different pictures and different speakers, in which different members of the Apple team looked to impress a crowd of iPhones and MacBook’s.

CEO Tim Cook gave a monologue with a quick refresher on the mission statement at Apple: to make every product personal. He remarked how the 2 billionth iOS device was soon to be sold, and the crowd responded with an early cheer. Without breaking a sweat, the first updated Apple product was

already introduced: the Apple Watch Series 4. It was noted how Apple Watch was built on the idea of staying connected, staying fit, and staying healthy. The new curved screen helps with a new system of combining all three of those concepts together. Customizing watch faces is now more than just putting a background picture of a dog behind the hands of a clock. Now, you can have a clock that tells the time for 5 different time zones or a watch face that monitors your heart rate and your ECG rate while you run. “I saw the news on Twitter and [the Apple Watch S4] actually looks cooler than the model I have now,” laughs senior Thalia Garcia. The new S4 chip that runs the Apple Watch has boosted interface performance, communicative capabilities, and overall stronger functionality.

But right at the apex of the presentation was the product being dubbed as “the most advanced phone” that Apple has “ever cre-

Graphic By: Carolina Othon

From 4G to 5G: Verizon Brings the Future

ated”: the iPhone Xs. A new formulation of glass and a revamped finish of steel had Tim Cook calling it “the most durable” and “the most beautiful” device that Apple has concocted. A new “Super Retina” display is what designers are calling the enhanced screen because of its massive 2.8 million pixel resolution. The biggest iPhone in stores right now is the iPhone 8+, yet the presentation showed that even the new iPhone Xs has 0.3 more inches of resolution! That’s only the base model, whereas the plus sized model (iPhone Xs Max) has 3.3 million pixels in its 6.5 inch display.

More screen space and more definition means more things to see and do in the new iPhone. Especially with the new Apple chip (that’s only 7 nanometers long) and new speakers, the newest iPhone will truly be an entirely new experience for anyone with their hands on it. “I saw the new iPhone and wondered how they’d be able to top it next year,” commented sophomore Daniel Barte. Though the new iPhone is only available for pre-order, the first few models are meant to be shipped by September 21.

Will the review match the hype when it is released? Smartphone users from all walks of devices have their own predictions, but the hype for these new tech toys is undeniable.

At the end of the presentation, journalists and audience members exited the Steve Jobs Theater with a sense of satisfaction that is similar to that of the munching elephant. Only time will tell if Apple can deliver on their claims, and only consumers can approve the hype once they get a taste of the new tech. Needless to say, there is still much to be desired and much to hope for in the wake of the company’s big announcements.

Sofia Azcurra

entertainment

If you thought you knew fast, then you're

in for a surprise. As of October first, one of the most prestigious and competitive mobile networks is releasing the next step in technological evolution: 5G home internet service.

The new network is set to serve as 4G did previously, but much faster.

5G is the evolution of the wireless 4G LTE technology that most people use on their phones today. However, the intricate network will be able to be used outside of mobile devices and the speed is like no other.

“It's really cool how technology just keeps getting faster, and hopefully this means we can use our computers offline,” stated junior Leo Acosta. Now don't get confused, not all networks will be offering this high-end internet service. In Verizon's case, wireless 5G technology is replacing the typical home internet service. “As the world becomes faster, it’s only essential that our networks do too.

Our home service speed, should be the same as our phone speed,” explained sophomore Gaby Velasquez. 5G wireless internet data will be “delivered to homes by "small cells" — essentially mini cell towers — as opposed

Editor

to the current wired infrastructure.” (Business Insider). The intrigued customers of the new service "should expect typical network speeds around 300 Mbps and, depending on location, peak speeds of nearly 1 Gbps, with no data caps.”

Breaking it down, one gbps converts to 1,000 mbps, which lets someone download a 1 GB file in eight seconds, which is insanely fast. The 300 mbps speeds that customers believe is fast, only allows them 1 GB file in 28 seconds.

To assure faith in their service, the company offered it free for the first three months, after which the service will cost $50 a month for Verizon customers and $70 a month for those who are not customers. “As expensive as it looks now, eventually everyone will be using this. It's insane how they made it so fast. Nowadays, everyone wants faster and that's exactly what Verizon did,” commented freshman Marlon Mendioroz. The four lucky cities mentioned before, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Houston, will have first access to the network. For customers outside those four initial cities, they will

The Prime Time for Amazon

receive early access to Verizon's 5G home internet service when it becomes available.

Making sure to promote everywhere and get as many customers, Verizon said it would offer free installation of routers and router upgrades that would support its 5G Home service if accessed early. As well as getting YouTube's TV service free for the first three months, after which it'll cost users $40 a month. Customers will also get a free Apple TV 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra.

“Verizon seems really confident in this new network. Considering my family uses Version for everything, I look forward to seeing if it's as fast as they say,” said senior Sophia Francisco.

The company doesn't want their technological advancement to be proven wrong and if all goes right and planned, they'll be the first provider to accomplish the fastest service yet. Aside from good marketing and technology advances, Versions 5G home service is set to impress even those with the most impatient minds.

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

Maxine Martinez Business Manager

In

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

2017, Amazon announced plans to build a second headquarters. While the first one remains in Seattle, the location of ‘HQ2’ remains unknown. Beginning with 238 proposals across the United States, as well as one Canadian city, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has narrowed his selection down to 20 locations for further examination. Among these places is Miami, giving Florida a chance in the running.

Amazon has set up a certain number of requirements for their second location.

Each candidate on the list must be close to a major airport, have the ability to attract tech talent, and an area that with more than 1 million people. The company has also decided to look into each place’s surrounding metro areas, their labor force, and possible access to mass transit. Be-

cause of these high standards, Amazon has decided to make the second headquarters include 50,000 new jobs with the promise of an investment of 50 million dollars for the 8 million square foot office. There are downfalls if state officials are too focused on catching the CEO’s attention. Tax cuts for the company may come out of money spent for education. In order to succeed with as few potential problems as possible, areas are required to still spend time on other economic developments, mainly expanding local businesses.

“I think if HQ2 ends up being in Florida, it will have an exponential number of benefits towards the state’s economy,” said senior Matthew Cabrera. “This also opens up a lot of job opportunities for the lucky location. My guess is that the new headquarters will be somewhere on the east coast, so

Amazon can cover more space in between the two places. We’ll just have to wait and see the place the CEO finally decides on.”

Miami has some potential in the running.

While it is not number one on the list, due to the still in-progress transportation system, there are still benefits Amazon may gain. There happens to be a large amount of office-ready land available, affordable housing, and an abundance of universities.

Ultimately, while Florida is a potential competitor in the running, it is up to Amazon to decide which city HQ2 will end up being in. The company has followed a trend of releasing final statements before the start of holiday season, meaning the location of HQ2 could be revealed in a matter of weeks. With the large amount of time and research put in, Amazon is nearing a final decision.

Voices Versus Violence 15

A Week Bringing Light to Dark Times “The Parkland Poets” C K aroline

Paolo Barrera

S

adir

News Editor

Student life Editor

uicide is hard to talk about, think about, and hear about. It is a painful experience for everyone affected, and it is an impactful experience for everyone in the community.

Victims of suicide and suicidal thoughts are just everyday people: students, teachers, and strangers. In that sense, the topic of suicide rightfully creates a contagious feeling of deep rooted concern. Much like Pandora’s Box, there is a shining glimmer of hope amidst the frightening collection of demons out in the world. The world’s dash of hope is a week in September from the 9th to the 15th: National Suicide Prevention Week with World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th.

World Suicide Prevention Day is a response to what journalists have been calling “a new epidemic.” As a result of this “epidemic,” 800,000 people die by suicide every year. That makes 1 victim every 40 seconds. The rate is only increasing, in which suicide is the leading cause of death for Europeans aged 15-24. In a way, the rise in suicides can be attributed to illnesses like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, or anxiety. It is reported that depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in victims of suicide. But it must be noted that people with suicidal thoughts or tendencies are not to be treated like a patients with contagious diseases. In 25 countries around the world, suicide and self-harm are criminalized. In 20 of those countries, jail time is mandatory for those who attempt suicide. So like all human beings, they should be loved and taken care of, for their future and lives are on the line. “[Suicide Prevention Day] shows [people with suicidal thoughts] that people do care, and people do love them. It shows that person that they are needed and wanted,” said sophomore Angelina Alonzo. On September 10th, though, they should be held a little tighter and loved a little more as the

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Everyone has their own perception of

world celebrates the efforts being made to prevent suicide.

Celebrating amidst a growing trend of tragedy seems uncalled for, but a community that supports each other positively is nothing less than unstoppable. The global community of suicide prevention advocates blasted their social media platforms with facts and friendly sayings. “I saw a couple posts on my Twitter,” said senior Juliana Alvarez. “It was eye opening because I didn’t even know it was [on September 10th].”

Posters around campus remind students that the suicide prevention hotline (1800-2738255) is a l w a y s Graphic By: Matthew Morales nearby, no matter the date. Guidance Counselor Ms. Scott takes on a similar role, in which she is as dedicated to helping students as the leaders that are spearheading the worldwide movement for suicide prevention.

She admits that the event is very important to her, and she chose a Lord of the Rings quote said by the iconic Samwise Gamgee to explain it: “[We are holding onto] some good in the world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.” Honoring the week is vital to students, teachers, administrators, and everyone who is working to push suicide off its upwards trend.

But this National Suicide Prevention Week is also a manifestation of the efforts made to prevent suicide attempts and to rehabilitate survivors. In the spirit of those ideas, friends remain friends that their ears are always open and there are always resources out there. For those rehabbing, the week is a reminder that nothing comes easy, but a second chance at life is always worth the sweat and tears. Twitter and Instagram shared beautiful stories of these rehabbing victims. For example, one girl decided to take the name of every account that retweeted her tweet as a reason not to self-harm for a day. The global community of humans is a worldwide society of friends and family that care.

what normal is, which is why what may be normal to one may not be normal to another. On September 18, 2018 NBC 6 released a documentary that profiled MSD poets over the span of a couple of weeks preparing for the “Louder Than a Bomb” annual spoken-word poetry festival event. School shootings have, painfully, become the new norm for students and unfortunately this takes place on a daily basis in America. Marjory Stoneman Douglas students became aware to how normal school shootings were taking place after their world got turned upside down. From that day on, MSD students have advocated that change needs to take place, and it needs to take place now.

The MSD poets used this platform as a way “... to cope with their grief and trauma as well as honor their classmates who fell victim.” (NBC 6) The documentary is about 23 minutes long and it shares the stories of the MSD victims and how the shooting significantly altered their lives. It starts off by introducing the MSD poets and their teachers, and then it dramatically transitions to the 911 calls made by students at the school on the tragic day. At the end of the scene the phone calls cut off abruptly. The scene ending with such abruptness enhanced the intensity of the situation that students went through at that moment.

“It’s crazy to hear the student’s stories, who were at the school that day. [During] the 911 calls in the documentary, you can the uncertainty in their voices, not knowing if that would be their last phone call, while they quietly asked for help,” states Dakota Parsons. Later on in the documentary, the poets then proceeded in stating what they were doing before the shooting took place. The MSD students were just going about their day goofing off in the classroom and taking tests, just like every other high schooler across America. Horribly, the MSD students later on in the day weren’t like other high schoolers across America. In the documentary, the poets go on to express the chaos the fire alarm brought, due to the fact it was towards the end of the day and suddenly hearing gunshots being fired. Mrs. Lippel a teacher at Douglas states in the documentary “I was right there in the hall-

way with the shooter, shooting down the hallway and I was looking at the shooter.

I had two students who were actually in my creative writing class, who were shot in the hallway.” The students speak on how through their poetry they were able to cope with the grief. They realized that everyone's eyes in America were looking at them, and they felt as if they had to say something. This event allowed for the poets to have a platform to tell their stories through an art form.

In their poem there is a line in which the poets state “they don’t know if they are doing this right,” it’s essentially a reply to people who don’t believe they are coping with the whole ordeal in the correct way. The documentary goes into the questioning the poets went through after the shooting. They questioned themselves “if they were handling the situation the right way?” They answered that the way in which every person at the school was handling the situation was the correct way, and there was no one particular correct way. Sophomore Victoria Pellon expresses, “I believe the way in which the MSD poets coped with the tragedy was healthy. Through their poetry it allowed for them to express how they feel and share their stories, creating a comfortable atmosphere for each other.” The documentary ended with the poets of MSD making it through the preliminary rounds, semi finals, and team finals in April 2018. The documentary showed viewers that everyone handles situations differently and the way that the MSD poets coped was through an art. Senior Gloris Sajan states, “Honestly, I think is great that the students are coping with the tragedy through poetry. Words are power and power can be gained through words.” Rather than tell their stories and what changes they wanted to see, they expressed their stories and changes through descriptive and vivid poetry.

This documentary not only captured the stories of the MSD students, but captured the movement that came after the shooting. What was supposed to be day full of love turned out to be a day full of tragedy, but what will always be remembered is how MSD got right back up. With the help of poetry it gave students a coping mechanism through an art form.

800,000 people die by suicide every year.

That makes 1 victim every 40 seconds.

the suicide prevention hotline is

(1-800-273-8255)

The Hate You Give: The Novel Review Confronting political and societal issues

in this day and age is a bit complicated regarding all the controversy it's set to bring with it. Author Angie Thomas broke all barriers when she wrote her chilling novel, The Hate You Give. Instead of taking the basic standard view with a black teenager and her coming of age story through Black Lives Matter, Thomas captures a diverse perspective that invites the reader on a journey on one of the biggest hardships in growing up black in America.

While remaining hopeful and comedic, the book demonstrates a distinct view on the necessary weight that comes from the black community. “I didn't read the book, but I definitely heard about it, and it was so bold of someone to write a book like that,” states sophomore Derek Cortes. Sixteen

Graphic From: NBC6

Sofia Azcurra entertainment

year old Starr Carter, the protagonist of the book, lost two of her childhood friends to gun violence: one by a gang drive-by and one by a police officer. Experiencing these incidents first hand, Starr is forced to rethink her opinion on the social classes in society and how she stands racially in it. Starr Carter is mentally separated on what to think as she has two very distinct lives to live. During the day, Starr spends her weekdays at a private, majority-white school, where she explains that although she is the only black student, she fits in quite perfectly. Back at home, she lives with her father “Big Mav,” a former gangmember who wants to make their crimeridden neighborhood a better place, and her mother Lisa, who wants to move away in order to keep her family safe.

Throughout the book, Starr's present

Editor

determination evolves her young mind into gaining justice for her neighborhood while trying to remain civil about her opinion on the white community. Being a huge breakthrough, the book acquired a motion picture to depict and visually demonstrate Starr's hardships alongside the back community.

With just the trailer out, Amandla Stenberg, who plays Starr, delivers a groundbreaking performance with her stellar acting as she perfectly depicts the struggles of being a teenager and fighting for justice. She’s stuck between two worlds: her primarily black, low-income home and her primarily white, wealthy prep school peers. “The trailer was really inspirational, having watched it and not read the book, I’d like to read it now and watch the movie once it comes out,” stated senior Kaylin

Hernandez. Although the movie, coming out October 5th, is set to deliver the message through a more direct way, as in including sexual abuse, alcohol, and drugs, the message is just as crystal clear.

It remains consistent that the movie will stress the importance of black pride and the “dangers that being a person of color in an institutionally biased nation brings.” (The Guardian) Through and through, the movie and book bring a powerful message regarding one of the most controversial topics in society. It targets a young audience to make them aware of the ongoing problems in this nation regarding the separation of races. Unveiling true prejudices, Angie Thomas did not fail to educate her readers on one of the topics most people won’t even touch.

16 News CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

India Takes a Progressive Step towards LGBT Rights Brianna Butler Staff Writer

O

n September 6th, India’s Supreme Court was able to alter history for the country, overturning a decision made almost 160 years ago. It was unanimously decided upon to change Article 377, making the ban on homosexuality in the country unconstitutional. This law was made during the colonial period in India, with a sentence ranging from 10 years to a life sentence if broken. While the law was never prominent in persecutions, it was still a potential threat (New York Times).

This is direct proof that India is going through the tedious task of decolonization and breaking from its British roots.

“I’m glad to see progress is being made,” states freshman Nicholas Chavez. “It’s a long process to fully get rid of all pieces of colonial history, but India has made very important changes to its law system. The acceptance of homosexuality shows how

they won’t be tied down to old, historical beliefs and are more willing to embrace progressive ideals.” Through this change, India is presenting itself as a nation who is united and shows support towards those who call for change in the judicial system.

Each time a colonial-day rule is being altered, the country becomes more modern and independent. “This is a very positive thing,” says sophomore Liam Velazquez.

“Changes are finally being made on a global scale. India is growing and changing for the better, and a more optimistic outlook on homosexuality demonstrates their modernizing beliefs.”

Chief Justice Dipak Misra referred to the ban as, “irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary.” This decision was celebrated throughout India, with people dancing, kissing, and hugging on the steps

of Bangalore’s courthouse. This change has brought hope to many, showing how the overall acceptance of homosexuality has become more widely accepted (The Independent). “Homosexuality being allowed in India is absolutely wonderful,” begins senior Seth Arboleda. “It shows that we, internationally, are starting to move to an overall more tolerant society. I’m grateful for the fact that more countries have become open to gay rights, setting aside an individual’s beliefs to benefit society as a whole.” However, while this is a huge turning point for the LGBT community in India, there is still more to be done. Samesex marriage and adoption have yet to be spoken about, and they have the potential to lead to more court battles in the future.

While more countries have started to become more welcoming to the LGBT, there is still a call to action. “I think the world has begun to take a step in the right direc-

tion concerning the rights of this community,” states junior Mya Saint-Louis. “As generic as it may sound, love is love. This is a step in the right direction, but there is still much that needs to be done to make communities around the world safer for anyone attracted to the same sex.”

India’s acceptance of homosexuality serves as an important foundation in the fight for LGBT rights going on both inside and outside the country. The Supreme Court’s decision on Section 377 is another step in breaking India from its colonial past, but there is still more to be done in the future.

Graphic By: Rosa Gomez

Editorial: Does Gender Affect Prejudice in Sporting Events?

Maxine Martinez Business Manager

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t is not uncommon for tennis players to have an intense back-and-forth match; however, during the 2018 U.S Open, it was less between the two competitors, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, and more between Williams and Carlos Ramos, the chair umpire. As the match came to a finish, Naomi Osaka was crowned the winner, but it became apparent that this tournament will be remembered for something other than Naomi Osaka’s win.

gone as far as the curse at the umpires, yet they have never been docked a game. It’s something that needs to be fixed because it was, in my opinion, unfair for Serena to be so harshly fined when other players have gotten away with worse than what she did.” More tension arises with the $4,000

Serena Williams got into quite a squabble with the chair umpire during the match, resulting in a broken tennis racket, a $17,000 fine, and a major controversy, the first of which arises due to Carlos Ramos’ dispute with Williams. It disclosed one of the most major and pressing issues currently in the tennis world, the double standard of men and women. “You see all the time men getting angry at referees or umpires without any consequences, but when a women gets upset she is punished,” commented sophomore Bradi Stewart. This debacle between the 23 time Grand Slam title holder and chair umpire seems to support this idea. Nevertheless, Osaka made history by becoming the first Japanese tennis player to win a Grand Slam. This moment was bittersweet for the young 20-yearold. She had beaten her childhood idol, yet the moment was cut short considering the drama that played out during the game.

Williams’ $17,000 fine can be broken down into three sub fines: $10,000 for “verbal abuse,” $4,000 for coaching, and $3,000 for breaking her racket. The “verbal abuse” fine comes after Serena Williams called Ramos a “thief” for taking away one of her points. The issues with these fines occur when you compare it to other players. “While I do feel that the situation could have been handled by all parties involved, I don’t think that Serena was in the wrong,” suggested freshman Samantha Lowe.” In the case of “verbal abuse” Sofia Mendoza, a junior and tennis player at PPCHS, commented by stating, “Male tennis player throws their racket all the time, and even top tennis players have

fine. Although Serena Williams’ coach did admit to coaching on the sidelines, it is not unknown that almost every coach, including Osaka’s, are guilty of doing so in professional tennis. Along with this, even though it is prohibited in a Grand Slam, it is very rarely called, especially in a major final.

The idea of sexism is one of the main things that is fueling all the controversy within the tennis match. A cartoon, cre-

ated by Mark Knight, is further enhancing this idea and adding racism to the mix. A cartoon has surfaced depicting Serena Williams with exaggerated features and portrays her throwing a tantrum, as if she was upset about not getting her way, rather than an issue of integrity. Meanwhile, that same

During the trophy ceremony the crowd began to boo. At the time Osaka was unsure if they were booing at her or just to show support towards Serena Williams. Nevertheless, it caused Osaka to apologize for winning, which is not usually expected during a time of success. Naomi stated that she knew that Williams wanted to win her 24th Grand Slam and that the crowd expected that too. With that in mind, Osaka told the crowd, “I’m sorry it had to end like this. I want to say thank you for watching the match.” Serena Williams noticed Osaka’s tears and that she seemed overwhelmed and comforted her.

During Serena’s speech she told the crowd to stop booing and that Osaka deserves her win. Although, both women seemed to be emotional during the ceremony, it is unfortunate that Naomi felt the need to apologize for her win, and that what otherwise would have been a time of happiness for the 20 year old, turned into moment of somberness. Serena did offer consolation to Naomi, which aided in helping Osaka feel relief, but still the moment seemed to be stained.

The US Open was a roller coaster of emotions, and from beginning to end nobody could have guessed what took place. Serena Williams did face a lot of adversity during the match and dealt with unfavorable circumGraphic By: Henry Severe stances, but so did Naomi Osaka. In the end, the game opened the eyes of those who cartoon also painted Naomi Osaka in a negative way. The image shows the umpire viewed it to the problems that are plagusaying, “Can you just let her win?” That ing the world of tennis. People should not woman is supposed to be Osaka, who is discount Naomi Osaka’s skills and her title Haitian and Japanese. In both cases of Wil- as the first Japanese tennis player to win a liams and Osaka the cartoon undermines Grand Slam but the same time they should their presence as two strong women, and not scrutinize women, like Serena William, for having a normal reaction to a negative turns them into stereotypes. situation.

Speaking of Naomi Osaka, the match also ignited a debate asking if the drama that occurred took away from Osaka’s win.

News 17

Joke Threats Aren’t a Joke

Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

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t isn’t a new trend for kids to joke around, but with the recent mass shooting that occurred at Parkland, these “jokes” are being taken more seriously -- and they’re resulting in repercussions that need to be taken note of. The topic of gun violence is not something to be taken lightly, and although it may seem like fun and games to many, the consequences are real.

modifies the way it’s run to make the place safer for students, faculty, and staff.

“Students learning and growing is our number one priority in school, but we can’t focus on that unless our students and faculty feel safe. I think students are becoming more aware of the things they say, and that there are consequences for their actions. We just want our school to be Just recently two teenagers in Broward a safe one,” said Mr. Bayer.

County have been charged with separate Students should be warned that now, more felonies after making what they picked out than ever, they need to be serious about to be a joke in regards to gun violence. One the danger of gun violence, whether it be made the comment in an Instagram group on social media, on school grounds, or chat and the other during a drill. anywhere else. Teachers should have their In response to these recent events, new eyes and ears open for any signs of a posStudent Resource Officer John Mulcahy sible thread and be ready to alert authorisaid, “Our theory is we prepare for the worst ties. Parents should always be conscious and hope for the best. Prior to me coming of a student’s feelings and emotions and be here, (Student Resource Officer) Scopa was aware if any possible red flags may appear. here by himself for the past five years, and According to theSunSentinel, “Authorities after the Stoneman Douglas unfortunate urge parents to speak with their children incident, they increased police presence at about the seriousness of such crimes and all the schools, not only in Pines but all of to caution them against making threats of this nature.” Students making jokes like, Florida.”

“Be ready for a lockdown,” and “I have It’s obvious that schools are taking a surprise for everyone tomorrow,” is not comments, such as these, more serious. Mr. something to be taken lightly (Sun SentiBayer released a Jupiter Ed message saying, nel). While students shouldn’t be making “This is an opportunity for us all to reflect jokes like this, it should also be reported on the appropriate and acceptable uses of if a weary comment is seen or heard. As humor and the potential consequences of off- always, it is better to be safe than sorry. handed comments in the wrong situations.”

It had been noted and appreciated that “Jokes” said for a laugh in class are no Charter has already begun to strengthen longer to be taken as just a joke, but rather their security through extra security guards, something that everyone is keeping their an updated security system, tougher rules eyes and ears open for. Students -- watch when entering campus, and more frequent what you say, for it can have dangerous uniform checks. With each event, the school repercussions.

Hurricanes Brittany Evelyn Managing Editor

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

National SAT Scandal Rachel Rivera

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Lifestyle Editor

fter working for months to prepare for the high stakes college entrance exam, students around the world all sat down to take the SAT. What most students didn’t know was that the test they took was allegedly a recycled test given by the College Board in October 2017. The test was reported to be floating around the internet for months, giving students easy access to the test and its answers. Although Jon Boeckenstedt, enrollment chief at DePaul University in Chicago says “It’s not unusual for them to reuse some questions” students claim the test was identical to the one available online. The test was supposedly given in Asia in October and in North America this August. Students from China and South Korea traveled to the U.S to retake the test after already taking it in their respective countries.

The College Board responded to these rumors, stating they “significantly increased our test security efforts and resources” and that they will take “quality control steps to ensure cheating hasn’t occurred, including a “comprehensive statistical analysis of certain test scores.” Many students feel the College Board’s vague responses to their concerns and their carelessness is unprofessional, considering the SAT is one of the most crucial aspects to college applications.

The Board ensures they will take appropriate actions of cancelling test scores and prohibiting students from taking another College Board assessment if they determine the student has gained an unfair advantage.

“Preparing for the SAT takes months of hard work if you want to get a high score, if I knew that the SAT I took was leaked and some of the students had all the answers while I spent months studying I’d want their fake scores invalidated along with other serious consequences, they didn’t earn them and they didn’t put in all the time that other kids did,” says senior Trinity O’neal. College Board continued to defend their organization by making it certain to students and parents that although individuals will always continue to challenge the system and find new ways to cheat, they will take the steps necessary steps to make sure that the SAT remains a valid, reliable tool for college admissions. Junior Carolina Gomez

Graphic By: Justin Pierce

weighs in on the situation,“I think the easiest way to avoid students getting the answers ahead of time is for the College Board to stop recycling their test. If there’s a new exam every time in every country no one will have an unfair advantage.” This scandal has not been the first the College Board has dealt with that has called into question the credibility of the exam. Junior Zachary Phillips states, “Since this is not the first one there is no guarantee that it won’t happen again.”A plot uncovered by federal investigators in 2011 revealed that students paid thousands of dollars to then 19-year-old college student Sam Eshaghoff to take the SAT for them. Following the 2011 fiasco, more than one dozen Chinese nationals were put under a federal investigation in 2015 for a Pittsburgh-based cheating offense. Students were accused of participating in a scheme in which they paid about $6,000 for others to take the college entrance exam for them.

To students who spend most of high school preparing for the test, this scandal brings questions surrounding College Boards method of recycling tests and if it will give others an unfair advantage. If they aren’t penalized, these students may be put at a higher advantage to be accepted into universities that others work years for. As the College Board continues to deal with this situation, students all around the world will continue prepare for their exams and remain hopeful that everyone is presented with a fair advantage in the future.

Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Helene

Tropical Depression Joyce Hurricane Isaac

Tropical cyclone Florence began to develop off the north coast of Africa on August 31st. The storm developed as wind speeds increased and it traveled along the Atlantic Ocean. By the time it was 485 miles southeast of North Carolina, the storm had become a category 5 hurricane. Wind speeds began to slow down as the storm neared closer and closer to land, finally reaching category 1. The category 1 hurricane touched down on land on Friday, September 14th, in North Carolina. By 5 pm the same day, Florence had been downgraded to a tropical storm. On Sunday, September 16th, at 5 a.m. it was declared a tropical depression, NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center said, with sustained winds of 30 mph.

(Weather.com)

After reports of a potential tropical cyclone forming off the north coast of Africa, Helene quickly turned into a tropical depression, then tropical storm. By Sunday, September 9th, winds had picked up to 75 mph, classifying Helene as a category 1 hurricane. The storm has made a sort of “C” shape, as it traveled outward in the Atlantic Ocean and up the coast of Africa, into Europe. The storm regressed to a tropical depression by the morning of Sunday, September 16th, lingering 405 miles north of The Azores. (Weather.com)

Developing about 285 miles south-southwest of The Azores, Tropical Depression Joyce is said to be of no immediate threat to nearby lands. The storm developed from a depression to a tropical storm on Thursday, September 13th. Over the course of three days, the storm formed a “U” shape in the Atlantic. With winds at 35 mph, gusts at 45 mph, and a pressure of 29.77 in., Joyce is predicted to remain in the Atlantic. As of Monday, September 17th, it remains a tropical depression with wind speeds of 35 mph. (Weather.com)

Tropical Depression Isaac began developing on the evening of Friday, September 7th, in the Atlantic Ocean. The depression strengthened to a tropical storm by Saturday, September 8th, with winds of 40 mph. By Sunday, September 9th, Isaac progressed to a category 1 hurricane. Travelling in an almost straight line between the islands of Martinique and Dominica, Isaac slowed down, with wind speeds in the 40s. As of Saturday, September 15th, Isaac remains a tropical depression 260 miles south of the Dominican Republic.

(Weather.com)

Graphic By: Henry Severe