The C.H.A.T. - April Issue 2018 - 2019, Pembroke Pines Charter High School

Student Passion Pays Off Teacher’s Book Profits Provide Scholarship

Read more about scholarships and saving money in our Features section, pages 8-11

The C.H.C. Staff 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

Entertainment

Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisors

Pg. 17

Mr. P. Bayer Principal Caroline Kadir News Editor Paolo Barrera Student Life Editor Alan Mathew Technology Editor Jordan Alberti Sports Editor Florencia Azcurra and Emma Caulfield Features Editor

Student Life:

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

44 4 for 4’s Juniors Get a Sneak Peek at College Life

Sofia Azcurra Entertainment Editor Sophia Cortes Lifestyle Editor Rachel Rivera 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, Kimani Dodd 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

Features:

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

Mr. Quigley -- inspiring teacher, author -- offers scholarship Some Obscure Scholarships you can Apply for

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

Sports:

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

Springing into the Spring Season Who Should Win NBA MVP?

Student Life: Pg. 4-7

Lifestyle:

Sports: Pgs. 18 - 19

News:

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

Hopping Into Easter Traditions

No Longer in the Dark about Black Holes

A Guide to Surviving the Fourth Quarter

Clubs:

A Cathedral’s Crisis

Technology:

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

Relay for Life Dreams of a Cure

Deepfakes: The Dangers of Disingenuous Data

Fashion Is Art

Troubled Times for Today’s Tech?

Entertainment: 400 Years of Perseverance for Black History

Billie Eilish’s Debut Album Review Good Things Coming to an End

4

Student Life CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Sofia Amoroso Puts on a Show on “World of Dance” Kiersten Warren

Everyone

has something they’re passionate about, whether that be something adventurous like hiking or something creative like scrapbooking. At Pines Charter, it’s not shocking to hear about the versatile extracurricular activities that many students participate in. Freshman Sofia Amoroso’s passion is dance, something she’s been doing for years. While adjusting to high school isn’t easy, dance has been there for her. Throughout all of the years of dancing, one of the biggest highlights of her dancing career was competing with her team on NBC’s World of Dance.

Being the only PPCHS student on the competitive team, Amoroso has found immense support from her fellow classmates and teachers themselves and numerous opportunities to spread the word about her team’s success on the show. Sofia competes in a team called the “Dancetown Divas:” a studio from Downtown Miami and Doral that dances to a wide range of genres, from ballroom to hip-hop. The bond that this group of 15 has is very strong, especially since they’ve been competing together for several years. Amoroso was motivated by other groups from her studio, like dancing group “The Untouchables.” She said, “It was such an exciting time for all of us. Our studio has sent several groups to World of Dance previously, and they inspired all of us to be on the show.” It’s well-known that competing on a show of this caliber takes hard work and determination, as the “Dancetown Divas” spent endless nights perfecting their routines even when they got to their hotel.

Once there, Sofia recalls the atmosphere on the World of Dance being friendly and inviting. She said, “Even though it’s a very competitive environment, we got along with the other groups well and everyone

Community Outreach

showed each other love and support. We continue to keep in touch even though we finished taping the shows.” Throughout her time on the show, the PPCHS freshman was lucky enough to meet big stars, like Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, and Neyo.

“Every single one was supportive of all of the teams and served as great mentors.”

With all of those celebrities, Amoroso found it hard not to be star struck. She says, “J. Lo is even more beautiful in person!”

The “Dancetown Divas” have been quite successful on the show thus far. The team has made it past what is called the Qualifiers, where all of the contestants have to pass with 85 points to make it to the next stage of competition, called the Duels. At this stage, the contestants with the highest points choose their opponent. Whoever wins the Duels will make it to the Cut, which is the next stage of competition that the “Dancetown Divas” will face. For each round, Sofia and her team competed with different styles of dance. Sofia said, “For the qualifiers we competed ballroom, for the duels we competed a paso[doble], and for the redemption we competed ballroom again.”

Competing on World of Dance has grown Sofia Amoroso as a dancer and competitor.

She’s been exposed to more opportunities and this has shaped her dancing career for years to come. Every time she steps on that stage, a new adventure awaits her and her friends, all while balancing school and being successful at Pines Charter. It’s no doubt that the “Dancetown Divas” will continue to be a success and make all of us proud. To continue to watch Sofia and her team in action, stay tuned for the next round, the Cut on NBC! Donated By: Sofia Amoroso

Salonee Singh: ‘A Voice for the Voiceless’ Rebekah Jacob

It’s no surprise that there’s talent stream-

ing through the halls of Charter High. For junior Salonee Singh, part of that talent cruised its way to a large publishing platform covering a multitude of topics from international news and politics to issues surrounding race and feminism. Written for teens and by teens, Affinity Magazine now holds a sacred spot for Singh as she is showcasing her journalistic efforts to be the voice of today’s generation.

It’s common knowledge that a job in journalism simultaneously requires extra precaution and attention to details. Tricky as can be, however, it is also a huge platform used to address significant issues that may be overlooked, misrepresented, or simply not given enough credit. At Affinity Magazine, Singh is effectively able to pursue these ideas through her writing. She said, “When it comes to international affairs, competing in Congressional debate has allowed me to expand my knowledge regarding a range of issues—which has led me to form my own opinions on controversial topics. Teen journalism fosters these opinions and allows writers to access platforms through which they can articulate their own views.” With her passion in social justice and politics, Singh was able to explore

Clubs Editor

these areas through Affinity Magazine. Additionally, Singh has always enjoyed writing - poetry to be specific. This was a major motivator for her to get involved in NEHS and create Charter’s Outloud, a club dedicated towards expressing yourself. “When I received the opportunity to pursue writing and global affairs together, I knew I had to take it,” Singh comments. Singh is always using her voice to make an impact in the world, not only in debate, but now as a staff writer for a credited magazine.

As her first article published, Salonee wrote about a sensitive, but very important issue to her: the portrayal of Indian Americans in Western media. Being the daughter of two Indian immigrants, her parents made the conscious effort to ensure that she was connected to her roots and heritage, despite growing up in America. Singh expressed, “As a child, my world was very influenced by my culture: Bollywood movies were my happy place, my mom’s curry was the best in the world, and Hindi was a beautiful secret-code language that only my cousins and I had access to. But as I grew up and from my naivety, I slowly realized that these weren’t the same notions that other people associated with India. Unintelligible accents, impoverished

Spring Breakers Take On Greece

slums, excessive dancing, and mathematical skills. This is the skewed understanding that people had of my country. And they weren’t to blame.” Whether its blockbuster Hollywood films or late night talk shows, it is evident that Indians are stereotyped in a myriad of ways, creating a sense of desensitization towards the issues that actually plague India, such as the Kashmir conflict.

It wasn’t until Singh noticed that this onesided portrayal ignited ignorance within some of her own peers that she realized the magnitude of stereotyping. Fellow peers, family, and friends are endlessly showering Singh with love and support and couldn’t be happier for their PPCHS world-changer.

Affinity Magazine, although frequently unnoticed, involves an extensive process of writing, editing, and publishing behind closed doors. Singh explains the process, “The process of publishing these articles is intricate yet efficient: every few weeks, I will showcase my newly-written article to the editor that manages the section under which I’m writing. After changes are finalized and sources are solidified, the piece gets uploaded to the site, where it can be accessed by anyone!” Articles that receive high traffic are additionally posted as one of the 3 featured articles that are seen right

when you enter Affinity Magazine’s website. Salonee is proud to say that her first article is currently one of the featured contents of the website.

Affinity Magazine has been quite an eventful adventure for Singh, as she’s been exposed to a plethora of new ideas and fascinating viewpoints. Her position is undoubtedly allowing her to advocate for social justice and create awareness about issues that are important to her. Singh said it best when she boldly expressed, “I hope to be a voice for the voiceless.”

Student Life 5

Fu’s Forty Four Wendy’s Four For Four’s

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Florencia & Sofia Azcurra

Co-Features Editor & Entertainment Editor

On a rainy Thursday at 4:44 in the after-

noon, 44 charter seniors made their way to the local Wendy’s on Pines and 172nd. The students made their way into the restaurant in groups at 4:00 and mingled while awaiting the specific moment in time they have been waiting months for. The students put their dollar bills together and collectively bought 44 4for4 meals. The best part? It fell on April 4th, on the 4th day of the week, during the 4th quarter of the seniors 4th year of high school. The brilliant mastermind behind this? None other than the iconic Hunter Fu. Senior Hunter Fu is most well-known for his notorious puns and outgoing personality, so it was no surprise when he proposed the idea to his friends. The real surprise was as to how perfectly everything seemed to fit. It was during his during junior year when Hunter, alongside his friends seniors Tyler Ingram, Christopher Prasad, and Cesar Ujueta went to Wendy’s and bought their first 4 for 4’s when the idea was born.

“It was just four of us getting 4 4for4’s, and I told my friends it’d be funny to gather 44 people and get 44 4for4’s,” said the senior.

It wasn’t until later that he dived into his idea and figured out that he could do it on April 4th at 4:44, since that Thursday was

a super test day. He simply thought of it as a joke, but realized how the idea developed into more 4s, once it came upon Hunter that it would occur during the 4th quarter on his 4th year of high school. “Partially, I didn’t want to go through with it because it fell on one of my friend’s birthdays, but I couldn’t pass this chance up,” he commented.

Simply announcing an idea like this isn’t the Fu way. The senior’s creative mind took it upon himself to make this an actual event and promoted it to ensure a strong attending. To raise anticipation and create hype, Hunter turned to his main social media platform, Twitter, and would remind his followers of the big day with tweets containing characters made up of never ending 4’s. To top it off, in the final week leading up to 44 4for4’s, Hunter made an official invitation to confirm that his event was in fact happening. The businessman in him told his friends on Snapchat that the first 40 people who screenshotted the invitation on his story would receive a free frosty.

This way, more people would spread the word. “This really got people going and encouraged them to participate in it. It was a smart move,” said senior Tyler Ingram.

He received the attention he wanted. Soon

enough, Fu had more than 44 people supporting his idea and promising to attend.

With the superabundance of people expected to attend, the senior became the leader and organized the event to ensure the event ran smoothly. Hunter gathered all 44 orders and contacted the manager to arrange a meeting. He met with the Wendy’s manager on both Monday and Wednesday to help prepare all of the orders, and make sure the employees knew how much food was going to be given out. “I thought it was really nice overall because of how friendly the atmosphere was,” said senior Juliana Alvarez. “I loved how Hunter asked the manager. It was very respectful and made everything more fun.” To ease off pressure off the employees, Hunter and a couple of friends put their heads together and made an organized list of all the orders. He gathered all the bills of money from all those who attended and checked off everyone who confirmed beforehand. He then replaced anyone that didn’t come with people who came after. Senior Krissana Abolafia came for a short while to help Hunter and his “team” sort the money and list the names. When everything was finalized, the students handed the employees the final draft of the list based on the people who

were currently present. At 4:44 pm, the students were ready with their phones as they recorded Hunter Fu ordering the 44 4for4’s and their excitement peaked as they had a moment when the receipt was handed to them. “The receipt was five feet [long], it was insane,” said senior Serena Somberg.

After eating their meals, the group took photos with each other, parents, and even employees. They filled the near empty restaurant with their laughter and eagerness.

Groups sitting at booths eating chicken BLT’s observed Hunter handing out food to his peers while bigger groups waiting for their food laughed at jokes and called to their friends across the room.

“I’m happy with how everything turned out. It was organized and well thought out which made everything less hectic. Seeing people I don’t normally see after school and having such a big group of friends together, especially when it’s hard to get everyone together was nice,” commented senior Sergio Bustamante. The sight was a happy one. Coming together for this was a fun and clever way for the seniors who had one giant farewell together as they “payed” their goodbyes to the last bits of high school, and a way for Hunter to leave an iconic legacy.

Students were all smiles after eat4 for 4’s.

Donated By: Christopher Prasad ing thei

Planners Hunter, Faizan, Cesar, and Christopher proudly showing off the receipt.

Photo By: Brittany Evelyn

Students posing for 4 for 4 day.

Donated By: Christopher Prasad

Juniors Get a Sneak Peek at College Life A

s each day passes by, freshmen secure their places in high school, sophomores await their challenging junior year ahead, juniors are to begin their journey to college, and seniors get closer to graduating.

On Tuesday, April 2nd, a cluster of those juniors visited various colleges and universities in Florida, solidifying their quest to figuring out which university is best suited for them.

Junior year comes with many challenges for students to face, from taking the SAT to starting to prepare for college. Since the college application process starts in the beginning of senior year, it's imperative for juniors to start buckling down and figuring out what they want their future to look like when for college. Junior Sonali Benni said, “As someone who doesn’t know what university I really want to go to, this trip was a chance for me to start weighing my options.” Administration offers this trip to juniors to make the application process slightly easier. This driven group of juniors toured many state universities, including: UCF, FSU, UF, USF, FGCU, and Stetson University. The tour granted students the opportunity to know what each university has to offer. Junior Madison Lopez said, “This trip was a really fun and an informative experience. I am glad our school has a field trip that gives us the opportunity to see some of the college campuses around Florida. After weighing out the pros and cons of each school, I think I’ve narrowed down my choices to three schools and it’s all thanks to this trip.” There is no doubt the trip was worth it becuase the juniors were not only obtaining important infor-

Caroline Kadir News Editor

mation, but they gained it in a fun-filled environment.

From an early age, it is instilled in children that college is an experience of a lifetime. It's where you learn to be independent in a new environment. Movies and TV shows have created an idealistic image of college. Junior Andera Marrero, expressed, “It was a great experience because you get to see these versatile schools. The pictures online don’t truly capture the beauty of the school. We grow up seeing what college looks like and what it's like in movies and on TV, but it is so different in person. Every campus gives you a different feeling and it helps you see what school feels right for you. Plus, the tour guides give you an inside look about information on the school that you wouldn’t find online.”

Every university radiates their own vibe, which caused everyone to have different top schools. Junior Arya Matange, stated, “I really enjoyed seeing all the campuses.

My absolute favorite university that we toured was UF. It was so pretty and I really enjoyed the environment in which the school creates.” The college trip definitely changed a few of the junior’s lives. Now that these juniors have toured the universities, they are one step closer to not only college, but their future.

With the college tour now over, some juniors can rest assured in deciding which college they will apply to. All in all, the tour helped guide the future attendees in making a life-changing decision when it comes to their future education.

Donated By: Daniel Dellostrologo

Donated By: Sofia Mendoza Donated By: Genesis millington

Donated By: Colton Langs

6

Student Life CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Senior Glance Ahead

Pick up prom tickets Grad Bash Senior diner ticket sales end

AICE Marine AS exam

Super testng day AP Gov. exam AP Environmental Science exam

AICE Marine AS exam Yearbook signing party

AICE Marine AL exam

AICE Marine AL exam Senior awards

College shirt day

AP English Literature exam

Super testing day

Senior final exams

Prom

Shirt throwing day AP Statistics exam

AICE English Literature exam

Senior Diner Graduation

Student Life 7

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Drama Acts Superior at States

Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

We’ve seen it in the River of Grass

during shows, we’ve watched the actors and felt the emotion, and now, for the first time ever, the PPCHS drama troupe 6153 has been able to share their talents with the entire state of Florida.

They represented our district at the state theater competition in Tampa from March 20 - 24. During this time, troupe 6153 performed and attended workshops, such as a dance workshops from one of the Broadway actors in Aladdin.

During district competition, which is held at Nova High School, the troupe performed for the district (district 13) and out of all the pieces, theirs was chosen to represent the district at the state competition. Troupe 6153 performed this piece at the opening ceremony, as they were the district rep. winners. The piece that won was “We Both Reach for the Gun” from the musical Chicago. The troupe performed this piece in front of all the districts and then again for the judges. Over the next few days, “all of [the troupe’s] pieces competed in front of a panel of judges and all did amazing,” according to senior Stepha-

nia Arango. The Jags earned superiors, which is the highest score that can be received.

When they weren’t performing, the students were able to spend the weekend showcasing their talent and learning techniques from others. They practiced how to act, sing, and dance at a state competition level. Arango said, “We had many opportunities to go to workshops taught by professionals. We got to go to workshops on singing, dancing, acting, directing, and more and at night we also got to go see shows.”

The students were able to meet other troupes and bond with students who share the same interests and passions as them. Senior Janiya Russell said, “[It] was really cool and I enjoyed my time there. Being a senior, it’s kind of bittersweet because I only got to experience that once, but I’m grateful for even getting the opportunity to go.”

In addition to the piece from Chicago, senior Lucas Vazquez choreographed a piece that won top honors, which means it was the judges favorite piece for the day. He choreographed his piece to the song “The Reynolds

Pamphlet” from Hamilton. “‘We Both Reach for the Gun’ performed in the opening ceremony in front of thousands of thespians across Florida and received a superior in our adjudication for the completion. My student choreography ‘The Reynolds Pamphlet’ competed and received the highest award at states. We also all got asked to attend an invite only workshop and all received a $1,000 scholarship to

a convention called ‘The Broadway Project’,” said Vazquez. The workshop they were invited to was a dance workshop, taught by a choreographer from New World School of Performing Arts.

The passion, time, and commitment dedicated to producing and executing pitch perfect pieces was worth it for troupe 6153. We wish them good luck in any of their upcoming performances and competitions.

Troupe 6153

at the states competition

with the former drama teacher

Ms. Abreu Donated By: Lucas Vazquez

Ms. Kidd

and current teacher

PPCHS Takes on Legally Blonde Ariana Ortiz & Rachel Rivera Managing Editor - Web & Voices Verses Violence

Shining lights, sparkling shoes, and a

sea of blonde sorority girls. Who’s that in the center? It’s Elle Woods! On Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12, the PPCHS drama department put on ‘Legally Blonde Jr: The Musical.’ The whole drama department got involved to create the best musical possible. The play was based on Legally Blonde, the novel that came out in 2001.

The plot follows a valley girl, Elle Woods, after getting her heart broken by a Harvard-bound lawyer, Warner Huntington.

Elle follows Warner all the way to Harvard Law to win his heart back and ends up finding herself in the process.

The opening scene was set at the Delta Nu Sorority house where all the sorority girls were getting excited because Elle would be getting proposed to. PPCHS drama created a beautiful set of the sorority scene with a bright pink brick with a purple “Delta Nu” sign. All the girls were dressed with pink frilly outfits to fit their role. The girls in the sorority dance crew danced and sang, “Omigod You Guys”, a song talking about how life-changing it would be for Elle to get engaged to Warner. Elle Woods, played

by Alessandra Souza, came out of the center of sorority girls in a bright pink sparkly tracksuit, ready for her big night. The girls even went to a stylist and had the perfect dress picked out for the big night. When Elle met Warner for her ‘proposal’, Warner, played by Senior Zachkary Jones, told Elle he would like to break up with her be-

cause she is not serious enough. Elle burst out screaming with rage that she lost her man. The crowd gasped as Warner strutted off stage leaving Elle in a mess of sorrow. Souza said, “As a senior, I was really happy getting the lead. Getting down all the singing, dancing, and characterization perfectly took me a while, but performing with my troupe one last time was all I could ask for. I’m so glad it could be such a fun musical that I personally love.” The sorority girls helped Elle perk up after her break up, but Elle decided she would follow Warner to Harvard Law, which would mean she needs an admission tape. For her tape Elle decide that she would need to be herself. Elle and the sorority girls sang a song that talked about Elle’s GPA and her ‘impressive accolades’ such as President of Delta Nu. Elle and the other sorority girls performed her admissions tape in front of the Harvard Admissions officials, played

by Justin Urriola, Robert Minott, and Jean-Thomas Mateesco. Junior Justin Urriola said, “I really enjoyed my part as the Harvard admissions official. The character was actually similar to my own personality so that part was really fun.” The Harvard officials granted Elle admission into Harvard and all the girls danced and screamed in celebration of her accomplishment. The audience even joined in on the celebration!

When Elle was finally in Harvard she found out Warner had a new girlfriend, Vivienne Kensington, played by Muriel

Morales. Elle and Vivienne had an epic feud over Warner’s love. After hearing that there would be a party, Vivienne invites Elle to come. She tells Elle that it was a costume party, even though it was not, to embarrass her in front of everyone. Elle came to the party in a black leotard and pink bunny ears. All the attendees of the part laughed in her face and Elle turned red with embarrassment. Warner even makes fun of Elle’s outfit and rejects her once again! Elle decides to turn her life around for the better. Alessandra delivered an amazing solo performance of a song that told a story of moving on and finding yourself. Elle took this time now to hit the books helped by her friend Emmet Forest played by Zachary Poore.

After being devastated that Warner did not want her back she visited the salon where she made a new friend, Paulette, played by Samantha Lipman. Elle and Paulette became best friends and Elle taught her how to get men in an iconic number, “Bend and Snap.” All the girls joined in for the number and encouraged Paulette to go for the UPS delivery man she liked, played by Nicholas Naylor. In the hilarious number, the girls showed Paulette how to do the bend and snap. Kye was dressed in small brown UPS shorts and a matching T-shirt.

As soon as Kyle walked on stage the crowd gasped and burst out into laughter.Then, when Kyle the UPS man came into the salon, Paulette bent and snapped Kyle in the

face! The crowd burst out with laughter as Kyle fell to the ground.

Warner, Elle, and Vivienne were together in criminal law class where they competed to win an internship with their professor, Professor Callahan, at his prestigious law firm. They were each chosen as Callahan’s interns, and Elle was finally starting to see her hard work pay off. Their first duty as interns was to help solve a murder case.

Elle showed true talent as a lawyer and solved the case! The whole crowd was so overjoyed for Elle in her success and cheered her on. Senior Angelina Graham says, “Prepping for Legally Blonde Jr was a lot of work for everyone involved, especially for our leads and choreographers.

Watching them put so much time and effort into the show was really inspiring and it resulted in a show that we were excited and happy with in the end. I’m so proud to have this as my last show at the school and although I won’t be continuing with theatre in college it’s still an experience I’m very grateful for.” As the musical came to an end, the cast came to center stage and took a bow. The crowd gave the cast a standing ovation for their outstanding performance!

As a whole, the show was a major success and one of the best musicals PPCHS has ever seen! Legally Blonde will definitely be remembered for years to come at PPCHS.

Drama students give one final bow Photo By: Brittany Evelyn

Alessandra, Zachkary, and Muriel

reciting lines.

Photo By: Brittany Evelyn

Julian Schenker,

forms a song.

left, per-

Photo By: Brittany Evelyn

8

Features

Why Managing Money Correctly is Important Caroline Kadir

A growing epidemic that society has yet

to realize is excessive spending, which is leading people into debt. As the issue of excessive spending continues to grow, it is imperative for today’s generation to learn how to manage money.

As students walk around the school grounds, jags can be seen wearing their Beats headphones or their Air pods.

Throughout the hallways jags proudly prance around sporting their brand-new kicks or their fancy designer bags. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing any of these things, the best way to manage money, especially as a high schooler, is to know how to prioritize it.

Primarily, many students waste their money on things that they don’t need but rather want. While this may be true for some students at PPCHS, sophomore Chrysteannah William said, “I manage money by just keeping it in my bank account. I make sure I track the transactions in my depositing book, along with always remembering how much I spent on the things I purchase.” The act of tracking and prioritizing one’s money is the start of a long-term commitment of managing funds. Managing money isn’t limited by age restrictions, therefore there is no reason to not start now.

Most jags are in agreement that looking for discounts, using coupons, or finding cheaper alternatives on products is just something that their parents do to save a penny. In actuality, doing these three things saves a significant amount of money. Junior Maritsa Jeanpierre said, “Managing money is very important because currently some students have jobs

News Editor

which require these students to become financially responsible. It’s important to manage your money now because it gives you great practice for the future where you will probably be dealing with bills, tax, and more. The benefits of managing your money is that you won’t blow it all off on materialistic things that you may not even need.” Making the most out of your money

in the future trying to resolve a money situation?”

Depositing money into your savings account regularly is another way to manage money better.

By doing so, there

Graphic By: Rosa Gomez leaves your bank account with more than it usually has in it. The “leftover” money can possibly be put into a savings account considering that emergencies do happen. What jags need to question is this: “Is it better to be prepared for a rainy day or struggle

will be a gradual accumulation of a large amount of money saved. This helps in establishing good financial habits. (The Balance) Freshman Steven Benni expressed, “I think it’s important to manage money now, because it sets up for a better lifestyle for

the future. Something I am currently looking into is investing money. It’s a better alternative than spending money on things I don’t really need. I think it’s a great way to learn about money and how it can grow. It’s important to set up good habits now so we continue them throughout adulthood. Maintaining these habits now will certainly be beneficial in the future.”

Far too often students spend their money without realizing that now is the time to prepare. Senior Gloris Sajan said, “Being that I am going to college in the fall, I need to start to manage my money better. That way I am prepared for what the world has in store for me.” Conclusively there are an innumerable amount of way to spend your money, but there is a difference between spending your money the wrong way and the right way.

It’s imperative for students to know that starting to learn how to manage money properly now will benefit them in the future. Practicing these new habits for managing money can only help students not hurt them, and using these methods in jag’s everyday lives will generate a normalcy years down the line.

Entrepreneur Sees Immediate Success with Unique Business Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

Among the jobs held by Charter students,

the most popular seem to be Publix, movie theatres, and Chick-fil-A. For many, going out and getting a minimum wage job with a weekly schedule makes sense, but for senior Chad Epps the most efficient way for him to make money was through starting his own business.

What Epps does is simply called a drop shipper. He describes it as “the middle man between supplier and consumer.” Basically, Epps lists products on online platforms for consumers to purchase. When a customer purchases something from an online platform, for example Amazon, Epps receives the payment and uses this money to purchase the item from a different supplier for cheaper. They will then ship it out to the original customer on Amazon. Epps is able to keep the profit for himself. This form of business is completely legitimate and legal, and many high end companies use this business model, known as the drop shipping business model. Currently, Epps is keeping what he sells a secret in order to prevent other people from copying his idea and creating competition.

This entrepreneur has been running his enterprise since mid-summer 2018, when he created his website to kick-off his new business. After doing some research about owning his own startup, he discovered drop shipping and decided to try it. The immediate success it received only pushed him to continue on this path as the business picked up. He said, “I started this because I’ve always had a passion (...) and a good history for selling stuff. I was always selling candy and stickers in [elementary] school, so it’s always been something I liked.” His calling for working in business fits well with his previous jobs where he worked as a

“You should be Co and as an employee at Gyroville. “I’ve never wanted to work a 9-5 job. I don’t your own boss. I like the idea of having to wake up every morning to go to a job just to get bossed want to be my own around by someone who’s bigger than you.

You should be your own boss. I want to be boss, work on my my own boss, work on my own terms, and work when I want to work.” This mindset own terms, and helped motivate him. Even his friends are aware of the time and effort he has put into business. “Chad has been growing his work when I want his business since last year and he’s come a long way. I am so proud of his accomplishto work.” ments and to see him doing something he is so passionate about,” said his girlfriend

and fellow senior Zaira Nunez. don’t just come easily to Epps.

Chad Epps HeCustomers reaches out through all aspects of sosalesman for the kitchen knife brand Cut-

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

cial media to promote his items to an audience he believes would be attracted to them. Epps lists products he is willing to sell on social media, where people see it and are convinced to purchase his product.

While his job may seem like it requires a lot of time and effort, Epps likes that he is able to make his work schedule. He said, “Sometimes I work 2 hours a day. Sometimes I’ll work 12 hours a day. It varies.”

For a senior who is preparing to finish his final semester of school, being able to work on his own schedule is a large advantage to having his own business.

If Epps had to give himself a title it would be “online entrepreneur.” He has already made his name known at Charter, as many of his friends are aware of the many feelers he has out for trying new business models and ideas. This student is making his way towards success in a way that he is able to understand what a customer wants, reach out to his auidence, and get a product sold while making a profit.

Features 9

Freshmen Want Freedom and Sophomores Want Salaries Alan Matthew

school is one of the most critical junctions in a teenager’s path to adulthood, ripe with stress, friends, relationships, responsibility, and more. One of the most pivotal high school experiences, however, is often overshadowed by a variety of other factors, yet it still remains extremely important in any young adult’s life: getting a job for the first time. Jobs always played, and still play, an enormous role in the lives of students, as it poses unique challenges and offers worthwhile rewards all at the same time.

As one might expect, it’s for freshmen and sophomores that jobs have the biggest impacts, and the earlier one gets a job, the larger the impact it has on one’s life. Balancing the hassles and anxieties of high school is an art; one that typically takes more than a year or two to properly refine.

Of course, freshmen with jobs are far and few in between. Entering high school presents a whole host of difficulties, and most people have no wish to complicate their lives right off the bat.

At the same time, the allure of a disposable income always draws underclassmen in by the bucket loads. To paraphrase freshmen Tobe Onoh, the money that jobs bring in give students, in a sense, a sort of independence, which can be new and empowering, as well as a source of pride.

Pocket change is nothing to scoff at either.

As the expression goes, money makes the world go round.

High school is an opportune time to learn some financial responsibility, after all. But to do that, there must be finances to learn

Teenage Investment: Upperclassman Version Austin Basso

technology editor

It’s a pretty hard to ignore fact that high

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

responsibility with. To achieve this, the natural step is acquiring a job. Resumes, references, and interviews can seem daunting at first, but the prospective benefits can easily eclipse any pre-job jitters. And as more and more students begin to seek a source of income, there lies an inherent worry of being left out.

But jobs are often closer to home than one expects- and they sometimes are right where one’s passions and goals coincide.

In the words of sophomore Madison Bambino, “I [work with young gymnasts] because gymnastics was a big part of my life.

I knew [when I got a job offer] that this was my chance to get back in the game and give little girls the same experience that I had.” However, as Bambino later elaborated, jobs are more than just sentimental in nature.

They provide teenagers a chance to make connections with people and to get pocket change, whether that goes to straight to their college fund or for a bit of fun. “Getting money from jobs in high school is a unique experience, but the freedom it gives teens definitely makes that experience a really amazing one. That first paycheck is always super special,” comments junior Christopher Cordero. Moreover, considering that that first paycheck is simply a stepping stone to future ones, that freedom, along with its intrinsic maturity, becomes all the sweeter.

Ultimately, high school is about experiences. At the end of the day, a job is an experience that dishes out experience- which only serves to benefit you down the line.

Staff Writer

Having a job as a teenager often presents

itself as a fun experience, however, it also a commitment. As the transition from teen to adult takes place, the want for a job can easily become a need. Jobs can help you pay for college, avoid boredom, realize your passion, and more. The upperclassman at PPCHS who are joining the employment world are mostly doing so as a way to save money for their future endeavors.

A job may seem like a daunting or boring task, but this does need to be the case.

Take for instance senior Isaak Andrade, who works at the YMCA Pines Aquatic center as a lifeguard and a swim instructor for people of all ages. He began to work there when he was only a sophomore in high school. He truly fell in love with being able to become a big role model to the younger kids that he works with and helping them in any possible way that he can.

He expressed that “the kids make it worth coming to work every day.” Through his job, Andrade has begun to see a future in aiding and serving his community, however, he does not intend to work as a lifeguard forever. Instead he has decided to set on a path towards becoming a firefighter.

For him, hosting kid’s events and being that safe place for them is enjoyable. Since sophomore year, he hasn’t been wasting his money on anything he sees and wants in that moment, but rather has saved it. He is managing his money so that when he goes to college, he can pay for all the costs that come with starting freshman year.

Filled with a similar passion, junior Sa-

Freshmen & Sophomores

Where Working is a Pleasure: Junior Dakota Parsons gets carts at Publix.

Donated by: Dakota Parsons

mantha Cruz works at a school called Appletree Montessori. Cruz did not go out looking for this position, but the position surely went searching for her. She received a text message saying that Appletree was interested in hiring her, and she jumped at the opportunity. When she first started working there, she set up a savings account so that she could manage her earnings. She commented, “I have the bank automatically put $20 every 2 weeks in my savings.”

With this method she will hopefully be able to save up enough money to buy an apartment, travel the world, and complete her bucket list.

Students at PPCHS know the best spots to hang out with friends, but these places also offer another solution to finding work.

Senior Joshua Willis worked at Regal Cinemas Westfork 13. He loved working there and he got lots of hours that helped him save money. He was always thoughtful of his paycheck and made sure not to spend it all on material things. He set up a method of putting 80% of the earnings from the paycheck into his saving account and the other 20% he used to go out hang out with friends For him it’s not just about saving enough money for college, but also having enough left over to buy his dream car, an Infiniti QX80.

These are just a few of the PPCHS upperclassmen who work. Although they each have different jobs and passions, the common tie between each of them is the attempt of saving up money to help in their future.

Juniors & Seniors

Hollister’s Best Brand Ambassador: Jada Hinds, second from right, with her Hollister coworkers.

Donated by: Jada Hinds

Students at Charter have various jobs, including Publix, stores at the mall, and working with kids!

The Shoe Fits: Samantha Cortez checks someone out at Shu Shop.

Donated by: Samantha Cortez

Just Keep Swimming: Andrade stands with kids at the YMCA waterpark.

Donated by: Isaak Andrade

10 Features

Mr. Quigley -- Inspiring Teacher, Author -- Offers Scholarship CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Rachel Rivera

Voices Versus Violence Editor

About a year ago, Pines Charter AP govern-

lot of students who want to go to college and if the scholarship happens to go to a kid who goes to college that’s great! I wanted to pursue my passion and I want to help kids pursue theirs, whatever that may be,” he said. The requirements to apply are almost just as simple: have a passion. Mr. Quigley stated that there are no academic requirement set for the scholarship, all you have to do is be a senior at this school and prove that you have a passion that you want to work towards.

He is encouraging teachers to buy and review his book to support his scholarship and help change a student’s life. AP government student Alex Mora said, “Mr. Quigley is one of those teachers that you can tell really enjoys teaching and cares about his students. I think taking 50% of his sales to create a scholarship for a student reflects his character. He is inspiring and encouraging towards his students and does all he can to make them better.” Many students have expressed their interest in applying including senior Jorge Mendoza. “I have been a part of drama all through high school and it has become my biggest passion. I think it’s really cool that this scholarship allows kids to prove their worth through their passions and not just grades and numbers like everything else.”

As seniors go through their last days of high school and handle all the stresses that come with graduating and entering the real world they hold on to the things they have learned and what inspired them to pursue their passion. While not every student has had Mr. Quigley as a teacher, many can agree that he is an extraordinary teacher who has a passion and wants to see students succeed. This scholarship shows his devotion to changing students’ lives.

ment and economics teacher Mr. Quigley announced that he had written a book. Titled Joy Bliss This, it tells the story of how he became a teacher, a journey he never planned to take and one that was filled with repeated failure from the start. At his lowest point, when he had fallen the farthest and needed the most help, his students were the ones who saved him. In that redemption, he found a way to make a positive impact on the world through teaching, and he learned the ultimate lesson -- that excellence is what we are here for.

Mr. Quigley admits that he was worried about the response he would receive. He wasn’t sure how his story and his truth would be heard by people, but says that a year later his life has been “moved forever by the kind words, the amazing pictures, the heartfelt stories, etc, so many of you have shared with me.”

Recently he announced that 50% of the proceeds from Joy Bliss This will go towards a scholarship that Charter seniors are invited to apply for. His motivation for starting his own scholarship was pretty simple. “The book is about my students, it's about what I learned, about myself by being a teacher in the classroom. Ultimately everything good that has happened to me whether it comes to teaching or being in school is because of my students. I wrote about them, I wrote about who they were, and how they helped me. I felt like if I was going to write about them and they did so much for me, the least I could do was try to help them by creating a scholarship to help them pursue their passions. I think it’s great that we have a Photo By: Andres Alfonso

“I felt like if I was going to write about [my students] and they did so much for me, the least I could do was try to help them by creating a scholarship to help them pursue their passions.”

Mr. Quigley

Photo By: Andres Alfonso

Saving Money and Securing Scholarships Florencia Azcurra

As a senior in high school, the scary

wave of college applications, financial aid and scholarships start to roll in almost as soon as the school year starts. The frightening load of work students have to put in to apply to college all come with the wide eye, jaw dropping shock of payments. The daunting task of even getting through the applications, filling out dozens of forms of information and finding out what tax returns are is hard enough. But the hundreds of dollars waiting at the end of the journey make it more dreadful than it already is.

So to ease the ugly wound of the hole in one’s bank account, students look for ways to save as much money possible in college.

Scholarships are by far the most accessible and the easiest way students can receive money and avoid debt. Applications in senior year are the beginning of what seems to be endless costs throughout a student’s school career. Those costs are essentially unavoidable for most, but college tuition, by far the most expensive cost a student will pay once in college, isn’t completely unavoidable. “Personally, I think they’re incredible. Scholarships like ones who allow kids to pursue their dreams without being held back because of financial situations allow us to dream in a way that wasn’t possible before,” said senior Ariana Arvelo. By beginning to adopt a scholarship application mindset, a student could potentially save more money than they may expect to save. “Scholarships are a great way to save money. They take

Co-Features Editor

away the burden off families and yourself of paying off thousands of dollars,” said sophomore Valentina Terry. But scholarships, like applications, take work too. To find the hidden golden scholarships and the easy ones which still contain valuable amounts of money, students need to search for them. Not hope for them. Scholarships are a numbers game and some have many

simple application that wouldn’t take hours to complete. While some offer a chunky sized amount of money, typically the more difficult ones, there are others that offer less. However, over time multiple of those smaller scholarships save a lot of money.

“I think even applying to the smallest of scholarships still makes a difference because money is money,” said junior Leon-

applicants, while others only have a few.

The key is to not become discouraged but to apply for as many as one can because the money secured isn’t always guaranteed.

Brushing off the concept of scholarships and the idea of receiving money to help pay off tuition would be turning away a chance of getting free money in return for a

ardo Acosta. Graphic By: Justin Pierce The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship is the most well-known scholarship fund in the state of Florida. The requirements are less restrictive than most other exclusive scholarships have. This particular one offers a 100% chance to pay off tuition, which is not very common in other schol-

arships. “I love the idea of scholarships.

The Bright Futures scholarship is honestly what is putting me through college,” says senior Sophia Francisco. “I’m extremely thankful that the state of Florida allows such an opportunity.” Doing well in school is the underlying in factor in essentially all of these scholarships because in order to take advantage of the money being offered, requirements must be met.

Most students go into debt after college in taking out loans. Whether it be the tuition, housing, or anything else that students can’t pay in their time in college, a majority of students go into major student debt and saving money becomes a struggle. According to CNBC, 70% of students take out loans. Scholarships are available at any time while you’re a student, so taking advantage of the millions of resources out there to obtain one is rather simple.

It is beyond disheartening when students can’t follow their dreams because it is too expensive, which is why saving money as a young senior going into college is important. So the foundation of saving it is built early and debt isn’t staring students right in the face the minute they step foot onto a university.

Overall, while applying for colleges it is just as important to apply for scholarships to avoid heavy student debt and the stress that shadows that for years to come. Guidance counselors can provide a list of scholarships that students can apply for, as well as our list in the Features section of The CHAT.

Some Obscure Scholarships You Can Apply For

Features 11

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

LGBTQ Scholarship For Senior High School Student - A $500.00 scholarship is available for a student involved with the LGBTQ community. To be eligible, certain requirements must be met, which can be found by searching for the scholarship online. In addition a 1,000 word or less scholarship must be submitted.

Applications are due on or before the 1st Thursday is August, 2019.

W

e’ve shown you how to save, spend, and savor your money, but now we are showing you how to make free money by applying to scholarships! Every single high schooler has to consider the financial situations when deciding their plans post-graduation, and with these easy to apply for scholarships, the worry of cost will hopefully diminish. The following are outside scholarships that can be applied for with just a simple essay and application.

1000 Dreams Scholarship Fund - High school women can apply for this $1,000 scholarship which can be applied to textbooks or to provide access to educational opportunities beyond tuition. The deadline is April 30, 2019, so hurry up and get this application turned in! There are supplemental questions that must be answered when applying, and these can be found on the website.

HIE Help Center Scholarship - The HIE Help center is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a student or group of students collaborating on a project to support those affected by hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, or another neonatal injury. Applicants must submit by July 31, 2019 an essay or creative project about your experience with birth injuries. This is a great scholarship for students intending to study medicine.

Duck Tape Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest - Are you someone who is artistically creative? Do you have an endless supply of duct tape around the house? If so, you can enter Duck Brand’s scholarship contest. To do so, create a prom outfit, a tux, dress, or both, using only duct tape. Take a photo on the big day and submit it online with a few extra details. The top winner receives a $10,000 scholarship. The deadline to enter is July 9, 2019.

Unigo’s Flavor of the Month Scholarship - Unigo offers another scholarship, but this time for $1,500. This application requires the applicant to submit an online response to the following question: “Summer and ice cream go hand-in-hand. In fact, July is National Ice Cream Month, and that’s the inspiration behind this award. We think people are very similar to ice cream; some are nutty, others a little exotic, while some are very comforting. If you were an ice cream flavor, which would you be and why?” (250 words or less) The deadline is July 31, 2019, and the winner will be announced on or by October 31, 2019.

Unigo’s $10K Scholarship - Unigo offers several scholarships through their website. They currently have an application open for the $10K scholarship. The prompt is, “Imagine a historical figure is brought back to life. Who is it? What’s their favorite mobile app?” (250 words or less).” The deadline for this scholarship is December 31, 2019, and the winner will be announced on or around March 31, 2020.

12 Clubs CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Relay for Life Dreams of a Cure Ariana Ortiz Managing Editor - Web

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arm lights illuminate the pitch black field as people circle the track and honor those whose lives have been taken by cancer. Each luminaria along the track represents a beautiful soul that deserves to be respected. Families and friends of those we have lost gathered around the luminaria of their loved one and took a moment to remember and cherish their life. The word ‘HOPE’ lit up the bleachers as people make their way around the track. The luminaria ceremony at Relay for Life is the most touching event of the night, and this year’s Relay was no different.

Relay for Life was held on April 5, 2019 at Walter C. Young Middle School. Hundreds of people came out to the event to support the fight against cancer. The theme of this year’s relay was ‘Once upon a Cure,’ so every team’s tent consisted of magical storybook decor. Team PPCHS built their very own ‘Kingdom of Hope’ campsite to raise money for the American Cancer Society. As soon as you approach the massive 30-foot tent, you are taken to a new magical land of royalty. A castlethemed sign that read “Pembroke Pines Charter High School Kingdom of Hope” was placed along the top of the tent with pops of color throughout. On either side of the tent were grey ‘brick’ pillars that resemble a real medieval castle. Each pillar had a rich purple satin banner, one that read ‘PPCH,’ and another that had a cancer awareness ribbon across the center. Underneath the tent were three tables, each with a different theme. The first table was purple with raffle baskets and giveaways for a few lucky winners. All of the items given away are donated by local businesses, and all the proceeds from the raffle tickets will go straight to American Cancer Society.

Team PPCHS also sold decadent Beauty and the Beast-themed cupcakes and a wide assortment of donated baked goods baked

by member Jayna Brunner and donated by parents. Team PPCHS had one of the best campsite on the grounds!

As the event kicked off, members of the city commissioners office, including Mayor Frank Ortis, said a few words commemorating what Relay for Life stands for and how important it is for our community to take time to raise money to help those in need and to remember those who we have

Photo By: Andres Alfonso

lost. After the kickoff, Relayers enjoyed a meal from the ‘Taste of Pines’ event. Local restaurants including Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Texas Roadhouse donated large amounts of food to create an all-youcan-eat buffet that was only $8. All the proceeds went towards the American Cancer Society. Sophomore Vincent Toranzo said “It is a great feeling to be able to raise money for cancer patients, as well as knowing that by relaying you’re helping the effort to make this world cancer-free.” Meanwhile, survivors registered under a Relay for Life team and their families enjoyed a free survivor dinner. Following their dinner, each survivor was recognized on stage and given a sash of honor. Anyone who has

Spread the Word to End the Word Maxine Martinez Business Manager Photo Donated By: Jasmine Perez

A

s individuals grow up, they fill their vocabulary with an extensive list of words to utilize in everyday life. However, one of PPCHS’ most prominent organization, Best Buddies, is working hard to rid Charter students of a certain word that has formed a negative connotation and ultimately holds damaging effects: retard(ed), or better referred to as the R-word.

Best Buddies is a globally recognized club whose central aim is to bring awareness to and create authentic friendships with people of intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Charter’s program is very active in its duties, and for many years now they have taken part in campaigning in asking people to pledge utilizing and saying the R-word. Typically, the remark was used by doctors in order to refer to people with IDD, but has ultimately transformed into an insult. Sophomore and historian of the club, Shannon Amor, commented, “We’re doing the campaign in order to raise awareness of the hurtful effects of the R-word and encourage people to stop using it.” To effectively do this, the club has been visiting homeroom classrooms and hanging posters all around the school.

Using fire and water as a medium to pro-

been a caregiver of a loved one with cancer also received as sash. Together they made a lap around the track, being cheered on by the crowd for their successful fight. Relay for Life Club Sponsor Mrs. Hyacinth expressed, “My favorite part of Relay is always the ceremony when the survivors and caregivers get their sashes followed by the survivor/caregiver lap. It reminds me every year why I Relay!” Hundreds of emotions

mote their operation, their posters display the R-word on fire and student’s signatures on water droplets, which are meant to extinguish the heat or power the word holds. Freshman Evangeline Rajeev said, “I have become more aware of why it is offensive because I saw the buddies experience moments with them. It definitely emphasized the r-word as an offensive and poor word of choice. With the Best Buddies campaign, more people are being reminded of why we shouldn’t use the word in our daily life.”

Their posters advertise the concept “knowledge equals power” through the quote “spread the word to end the word.” Senior and 2018- 2019 club president, Sarah Rodriguez, expressed, “It’s such an important campaign because so many people use the R-word on a daily basis without realizing how belittling it can be to those who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.” Through this mindset, hopefully all students at Charter will join the pledge and eliminate the word from their vocabulary.

The extinguishing of the R-word is a global challenge and is up to PPCHS students to take part in the solution. “Best Buddies encourages students to reflect on themselves and how their language really affects others,” reflected junior and future 2019-2020 club president, Jena Manning.

Considering the capabilities and passion jags hold, it is not unreasonable to believe that soon, the use of the R-word will be abolished for good.

were flowing around through all the survivors and caregivers, but there was one they had in common: pride.

After the survivor lap, each team took a lap with their homemade team banner. Every team cheered as they made their lap for their accomplishments. Senior Relay Captain Elizabeth Bornmann said, “I’m really proud of our Relay team this year. We were able to raise over $11,000, and we were ranked the fourth highest team! The event was extremely successful and our campsite was amazing! This is my last year of relay, but it was one of the best.” Team PPCHS raised over $11,000 for the American Cancer Society that will go towards transporting patients to treatment centers across the

nation, hotels for patients who are receiving treatment away from home, wigs for patients undergoing chemo, and research for a cure.

In the most exciting event of the night, two PPCHS students donated their hair in the ‘Beautiful Lengths Hair Ceremony.’

Sophomore Gabrielle Oliveira and junior Rachel Rivera donated over 8 inches of their hair that will be used to make wigs for patients that are undergoing chemotherapy. While they both held on to their seats as they let go of their precious locks, they made a huge contribution to people who are fighting a long battle. A friend of Rivera, junior Valerie Samosky, said, “I was so nervous for Rachel, especially because she donated so much of her hair. Nevertheless, I am so proud of her for being brave and contributing to people who will appreciate it more than anything.” Even though participants may have been sad to let their hair go, it was amazing to see dozens of people support such an amazing cause.

As the night wound down, Relayers pitched their tents and got ready for the night. The festivities went on until almost 3 AM when, finally, Relayers watched ‘Enchanted’ on a huge projector. Others went into their tents to take a nap until around 7 AM when campsite deconstruction began.

Team PPCHS took down their castle and headed home for some much needed rest.

This year’s Relay for Life was a major success and Team PPCHS gave it their best efforts to raise as much as they could for the American Cancer Society. Those who are fighting cancer have a long battle ahead of them, and it is vital we give these fighters the opportunity to receive free transport, treatment, and rehabilitation programs so that their journey is as smooth as possible.

Relay for Life will forever be a reminder of those we have lost and those who have made it to the finish line.

What’s to Come at the Yearbook Signing Party The senior yearbook signing party is set to take place on April 30th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. This annual event will allow the seniors to pick up their yearbooks before anyone else can get their hands on them. In addition, a party will be held for the seniors to enjoy refreshments and sign each other’s yearbooks before the year comes to an end. This event is specially held as a designated time for seniors to sign their friend’s yearbooks. It is hosted by the Mr. Fagen and the yearbook class who have worked incredibly hard to make a memorable yearbook for each student who purchased one. Next year’s Editor-in-

chief Alyssa Miragliotta, said, “I think the best part about making the yearbook is the final reveal at the senior signing party. Seeing the seniors surprised faces makes all the work we have done all year worth it.

It is truly an amazing experience to have everybody gather around to enjoy the book we put so much effort into. The yearbook signing party holds so much meaning for our staff and is one of my favorite parts of year book.”

To read about the yearbook signing party, see our story in the senior issue which will be coming out in late May.

Photo By: Justin Dourvetakis

Visit the Cafe!

Clubs 13

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Sophia Cortes Voices Versus Violence

For Animation Nation, the middle of

April holds a long awaited distraction for the upcoming weeks of testing, an event where creativity and geekiness are praised (as they always are in the club), where fun activities are held, and where the members get a chance to express their love for a certain character through the art of cosplay.

Cosplay is, at its simplest terms, creating a costume centered on a certain movie, TV show, book, anime, manga, etc. Additionally, all throughout the months of March and April, Animation Nation held meetings centered on learning about and eventually creating your own cosplay. The club ends Cosplay Month with a celebration called Cosplay Cafe, in which its members bring their carefully crafted cosplays and wear them at the get-together after school.

“What I love most about Cosplay Cafe is that it’s a chance for the members to express their creativity,” says club parliamentarian Paige Gerson. Gerson continues, stating, “It’s just so much fun seeing everyone’s costumes and how they were able to get everything together!” Walking into the classroom where the event was held this year, some familiar faces were surely spotted, such as Marceline the Vampire Queen with a cookie in hand talking to an overestatic Pokemon trainer and a shy and sullen Allison fresh out of the Breakfast Club hanging out in a corner with Kiki, who had just come back from working at her delivery service. However, some were harder to recognize, such as a dragon maid, the actual personification of America laughing at something a cool-looking Plague Doctor in a leather jacket just said, all while Black Cat herself prowls around the room looking for someone to cast her bad luck magic on.

There was a feeling of happiness in the air, as everyone milled around, complementing each other’s cosplays and having the occasional karaoke battle. It was a break from the norm, where members can slip into a character they admire or relate to and forget (for just a couple of hours) the daily stress of high school life.

During the event, anyone who attended in cosplay additionally participated in a fashion runway, showcasing the hard work they put into creating their work of art while Lady Gaga sang, “Walk, walk, fashion baby,” in the background. “I thought the runway portion of the event was really cool,” said junior Adrian Luis.

“It was really fun to see how everyone showed off their costume, but my favorite one was Daphney’s Black Cat cosplay!

She was really excited about it and it came out looking great!” Luis continued. After the cosplayers showed off their costume, members participated in a contest which judged their cosplaying skills based on creativity, skill, and the amount of effort put into their costume. Three winners were chosen and given prizes of a large poster and an Animation Nation sticker.

Near the end of the event an interesting happening occurred. After drinking a sip of soda, the president of the club began to cough and choke, eventually falling to the ground “dead.” A murder mystery had begun. “I absolutely loved the surprise murder mystery,” said sophomore Emma Mengotti. “No one was expecting it! It was so cool to look around and find clues hidden around the classroom, and such a great way to end the day.” Mengotti expressed. The members searched around the classroom, looking into corners and interviewing other members, trying to find out who poisoned their beloved president.

Photos Donated By: Alexis Appio

After a series of trials and tribulations, and after someone had stolen the president’s right shoe and glasses, the members came across the culprit: the Pokemon trainer who felt jealous that the president had gotten a Pikachu before him. “I’m so happy with how the murder mystery turned out,” said Paige Gerson, who planned the activ-

ity. “The most important part of it all was to keep it a secret from the other members, and it worked successfully! Everyone really liked it and it turned out really good,” Gerson confessed. At the end of the event, while the ‘murderer” escaped, the president was “resurrected” with the help of the magic of Kiki and the cool Plague Doctor, and all was right in Animation Nation.

Showcasing SGA’s Super-Styled Ceremony

Photos Donated By: Kiersten Warren

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Clubs CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Showcasing How Fashion Is Art Ariana Ortiz Managing Editor - Web

Donated By: Carissa Kaminsky

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right white spotlights hit the River of Grass stage as models strutted down in elegant ensembles. The crowd cheered and hollered as each model graced the stage and struck their best pose. The PPCHS fashion club, now with over 100 members, is one of the most coveted programs at PPCHS. Their annual ‘Fashion is Art’ showcase took place on April 18, 2019 in the ROG theatre. The showcase was hosted by senior Malon Tanghow and Fashion Club Sponsor Ms. Chancellor. Ms. Chancellor opened the show by giving a brief history of the fashion club and introducing the club officers who would each have their own showcase during the show.

The first presentation of the night was

by Co-President Caitlyn Fraga. Inspired

by Alexander McQueen’s spray painting models show, Caitlyn had her models

dress in killer all-white outfits.

As each model stepped on stage, she smeared black paint on their bodies and outfits. Each model had a cutting edge avant-garde look with a serious pout on their face to match. After all her models had walked, Caitlyn walked down the stage as they covered her face and clothes in the paint.

Fraga expressed, “I always had a more unique style and fashion let-me-dress-and-act-howeverI-wanted feeling unapologetic about. Having a drive to want to expand the knowledge of fashion really set me far. I knew a lot of people at school that cared too much about how others viewed them that they would feel discouraged to want to be themselves. Fashion club was a way to make one feel confident while radiating that confidence & unique style onto the whole community.” The crowd was left speechless after the set. Next up was Fashion Club’s Top Model, Lindsey Litton. Lindsey’s show was called ‘Sky Full of Stars’, designed to capture each model’s energy and fierceness. She wanted to show how stars can shine in the darkest moments. All her models were dressed in sparkly overthe-top outfits and made their way into the crowd. The only light in the room was the bright white spotlight on the models, hitting each sparkle on them. After her models made their way down, she took her own walk down the runway in a beautiful bejeweled piece. Following Lindsey’s group was Treasurer Jessica Schwend’s display.

Her piece was themed around women empowerment and the woman’s role in the workplace. The set began with an elegant ballerina dancer in the center of the stage

dressed in all white. Her eight boss girl models walked out in colorful and stylish business attire. Freshman Nicole Llanes says, “My favorite set was Jessica’s. I felt empowered as I watched the show and I’m so happy that we have someone like her making a statement for women at our school.” The crowd went wild over the powerful moment that was created with each model serving their best business chic. After Jessica’s group was Fashion Club’s social media secretary Kenya Ryning. Kenya was inspired by her island roots to give her model the freedom to represent their country. She called them her ‘models of the Caribbean streets.’

The models were dressed in bright beautiful colors paired with denim and the flag of their country. Kenya’s group had a streetwear island vibe that captivated the audience and brought pride to the countries that were represented. Fashion Club secretary, Whitney Sylvester, took the audience back to the old days with her classic 50’s inspired set. It began with a lip-syncing performance from Shamyr Touze. Each model strutted their stuff down the stage with old school hairdos, pearls, and flowy floral clothing. Whitney then brought everyone to church with three models dressed as preachers lip-syncing a beautiful gospel song. Last but not least, the final model presentation was put on

by Co-President Jamie McGregor. Jamie called her models her ‘fallen angels.’ Each model was dressed in flowy free-spirited all-white clothing and wore gorgeous sparkly angel wings and halos. The crowd was awed by the graceful angels as they floated across the stage. Junior and Fallen Angel Bianca Molina confessed, “Jamie had an incredible vision for her set and I am honored that I got to be a part of that amazing moment.” The display ended with Jamie in a gorgeous all-white two-piece chiffon set

Robotic Reboot Comes to Charter

Donated By: Carissa Kaminsky

with huge angel wings. The audience gave the angels an enormous round of applause as Jamie walked down the stage in elegant strides. The last display of the night was from Fashion Club’s head of photography, Jesse Fraga. Jesse and her group of photographers put together a powerpoint that featured dazzling photographs of Fashion Club and some of the photographer’s own work.

The show rounded up with an officer walk in which each officer took their final sashay down the runway, all dressed in gorgeous gowns. The audience gave their final cheers to the officers who put the whole show together. All in all, the fashion showcase was, in fact, an amazing work of art.

The Fashion Club really highlighted the talents and beauty right within our halls at PPCHS, and have set tradition for Fashion Club to be a PPCHS staple.

Emma Caulfield Co-Features Editor

It is said that big things have small beginnings. A good example of that would be the Pembroke Pines Charter High School’s VEX Robotics club. This year, the club was formed under the watchful eye of the Engineering, Aeronautics, and Robotics club sponsor, Mrs. Estevez. The team competed in a total of two competitions this year. The first one took place in Fort Lauderdale, while the other one was in Naples. Competitions for Robotics are very exciting, but take a great deal of time to prepare. It is structured so that teams ranging from two to four people collaborate to build, code, and drive a robot in order to complete tasks such as scoring and flying balls into goals, hanging on bars, and balancing on balance beams. The game, along with the required set of tasks, changes annually. Both competitions were quite competitive and our VEX Robotics team, 50810A, powered

through, placing 8th place overall.

In time, the team hopes to grow and be publicized all over Charter. Our Robotics team that represents the school is better known as the “Steel Jags,” which is led by sophomores Theo Cockrell, Nathan Moses, Brandon Nahabetian, and freshman Joshua Rhoden. Building the team from scratch, everyone put their heads together to create a functional robot that was powered by a coder and three drivers. Team captain Brandon Nahabetian shares that taking charge was a challenge, but in the end, he had his priorities in order, those being to “drive the robot, as well as build and maximize its potential on the field and against the opposing team.” As mentioned, the club is just now beginning to be formed, and the current members are very open and welcoming to new members who have the ability to share ideas to make the robot and

the club as a whole better for Charter.

The four members of the Steel Jags all originated from the Charter West Campus Middle School, where the VEX Robotics club is a very big deal. All members were additionally a part of the middle school club and were able to gain the experience necessary and bring it over to the high school. With their intelligent mindsets and ambitious wills, the Pines Charter Robotics team is expected to do big things given time. There is always room for improvement, as Nahabetian hopes to “make more time to practice driving, as well as build a robot that is easier to maneuver so it is able to complete objectives as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

While the Robotics team has a competitive tone to it, the club is also meant to be a genuine learning experience for all, as well as to teach team building. With that being

said, sophomore Nathan Moses has big dreams for the future of the VEX Robotics, stating, “For the next season coming up, my ultimate goal and dream for 50810A is to go to states, succeed there, and get a ticket to Worlds.” “VEX Worlds” is the biggest competition of the year that takes place in a new nationwide location each year. Moses continues, expressing, “I want the club to grow larger and hopefully get some new faces in the room that are eager to learn more about robotics and engineering.” In order for team 50810A to reach these heights, new members are urged to join.

The Steel Jags plan to be successful in the mere future, but they are just getting started. As many individuals say, there’s no time like the present, and now is the time for a reboot.

Donated By: Brandon Nahabetian

Clubs 15

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

PPCHS Partakes in Poem in Your Pocket Day Maxine Martinez Business Manager

Donated By: Rebekah Jacob

Photo By: Andres Alfonso

On April 18, 2019, there was something

a little different in the halls at PPCHS. Every once in a while, one could grab a quick glimpse of bright colored paper and hear the words of poetry flutter down the corridors. Poetry is a form of art and expression that is, and has been, appreciated all around the world. However, some people believe that poetry is complex and difficult to understand, and as a result, they don’t even attempt to read it. PPCHS’ National English Honor Society (NEHS) is trying to minimize this way of thinking by taking part in “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” which is meant to increase people’s love for poetry and spread some joy.

Poem in Your Pocket Day, celebrated in

the month of April, is also labeled National Poetry month. All around the nation, different schools and poetry lovers do their fair share of celebrating by selecting a poem, carrying it around with them, and sharing it with others in both their real life as well as online with the hashtag #pocketpoem. Here at Charter, NEHS members have been passing around poems that are placed on colorful paper and tied into a roll with decorative yarn. Senior Gloris Sajan confessed, “What I love most about Poem in Your Pocket Day is that it reminds students (such as myself) the authentic power and depth that poetry holds which many commonly disregard.” Members in the organization passed out these pocket-

sized literary pieces to students in hallways and those walking into classes. NEHS co-president and junior Swati Kumar expressed how this occasion undoubtedly brought bundles of joy to everybody involved, stating, “It’s great to be on the receiving end of these beautiful words, but it’s even greater to be the one watching people read the poems and knowing that these tiny scrolls can make such a huge impact on a person!”

This idea is especially true when you think about how subjective these poems are.

People interpret different ideas in different ways, and poetry is typically a very abstract form of expression. This is unquestionably one of the most unique things about this day. People who receive a poem can very easily adapt it and compare its complex ideas conveyed to their own lives. Junior

Three, Two, One, LAUNCH!

Reyna Wakeland stated, “Poetry constantly reminds me of the different perspectives of countless ideas and how it could be interpreted differently from one to the other.”

Although poems range from cheerful and comedic to somber and mellow, as sophomore Fallan Katz commented, “Depending on where a person’s thoughts are at the time of reading or listening to something can really impact the effects the words have on them.” One poem can surely not only affect, but move a person differently than it would someone else.

Poem in your Pocket Day is a cherished and welcomed tradition at PPCHS. The mission of NEHS to spread appreciation for poetry was truly a success, and many went home on the 18th with a new outlook on poetry and the powerful effects they carry.

Rebekah Jacob Clubs Editor

Donated By: Justin Pierce

T

here’s no doubt that PPCHS is filled with superstars that shine not solely in academics, but in a wide variety of clubs as well. Our very own Engineering Club is a prime example of this, as they represented PPCHS on a national level in the Team America Rocketry Contest on Saturday,

April 13, 2019 at Homestead’s Local Airport. This small group of young, hardworking, and inspired engineers strive to grow as individuals, and this competition allowed them to do so effectively.

The goal of this project was to create a rocket that could reach a set altitude of 261 meters and carry 3 eggs while weighing less than 650 grams, and securing the eggs to the ground safely within 48 seconds. The process of planning, designing, and finalizing the rocket was quite extensive, but members persevered to complete it by March. Club member Daniel Hemmerde expressed, “Throughout the process of building the rocket, I was rather excited because I’d never done anything like it even though I’d always wanted to. We’d often stay for hours after school, trying to perfect its design and physically put it together in the hopes that we’d manage to win the competition.” The club successfully finalized their designs halfway through November and were ready to order the parts to begin working on it in the

month of December. Unfortunately, due to delayed deliveries of the rocket parts and testing throughout December, members were delayed in the crafting process. However, this didn’t halt jags from pressing forward and reaching the deadline.

Due to the time crunch, members decided to 3D print the majority of the rocket with the club’s very own 3D printer. “We decided this was the most optimal solution given our limited time because it can allow us to print very complex shapes overnight, allowing us to join it to the rocket the very next day,” Borras-Quintero expressed.

Members started to finish their code in February and uploaded it to a small onboard computer called Arduino. Its chief purpose is to analyze the altitude the rocket is at and deploy the parachutes while in descent at a determined altitude that students can calculate in order to reach the ground right on time. By March, all systems were set for launch until club members realized the code wasn’t working as they had planned to. “We had to go to an apartment complex in Miami with a relatively tall elevator that would allow us to check if it’s reading the altitude properly and deploy the parachute when told. After proceeding up and down

the elevator more than 20 times (and getting weird looks from people when we didn’t get off on a floor), we were able to fix the code, and it was finally ready for launch,” Borras-Quintero confessed. Although quite the prolonged process, members unfailingly kept their head up high till the day of competition.

On the day of the launch, the rocket was placed on the launch pad, ready for takeoff. Members counted down from 10, hit the launch button, and the rocket soared straight up at a rapid speed of 250 m/s.

When it was coming back down, however, it was unable to deploy its parachutes and crashed right under 40 seconds of flight time. Vice President of the club Leo Acosta confessed, “After the launch, we received insightful feedback that we will definitely use to even better our rockets in the future!”

Engineering Club has truly made a mark at PPCHS and definitely put the club on the map. It is evident that PPCHS isn’t simply educating jags for college, but rather modeling students into being the future leaders of tomorrow.

Art Teacher Featured at Broward Art Guild P

PCHS AP Photography and Studio Art Teacher Ms. Vasquez scores high with her very own artwork prominently displayed at the Broward Art Guild.

Featuring 2 of her own pieces at the musuem, PPCHS is proud of our art enthusiast.

Here’s more from Ms. Vasquez: “My artwork is generally abstractions from nature. I typically take a lot of photographs to the studio and figure out certain colors and designs that inspire me. Essentially, my artwork is not directly realistic from the piece[s] I was inspired by, but rather a well-combined mix of everything. I like to combine things of nature such as plants, as well as natural elements like water to make it all flow together naturally. I recently got involved with the Broward Art Guild to reach an oppurtunity with the Broward Arts community.”

“It’s very exciting and fun to share what I do with the community and see what other people are creating now. I think just to be out and talking about what people appreciate is a cool way to communicate and make connections with people you don’t usually connect with.”

Donated By: Ms. Vasquez

16 Sports

Springing into the Spring Season CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Emma Caulfield Co-Features Editor

Many athletes say that they would rath-

er play a game than never play in a game at all. The Pines Charter Jaguars football team will be playing in the spring season beginning April 17th when the first official practice begins. There is only one season game along with a scrimmage scheduled for April 24th. While it is a short season, the boys are ready to make every play count. The upcoming game is scheduled for May 16th, 2019 at Ronald Reagan High School.

The grind hasn’t stopped for the football team, as the team has recently concluded their seven on seven season that they’ve played in for the last few months. The last day was April 7th at Cardinal Gibbons High School where they played three games, one against Cardinal Gibbons and twice against Monarch. Unfortunately, the Jaguars lost the three games but plan to kick off their season with a scrimmage that takes place on April 24th from 7pm-9pm.

Sophomore Jeremy Jacobs said, “I’m actually going to be one of the quarterbacks for the 2019-2020 season, so this spring sea-

son will basically see what I can do. I’ve got two games and I will take advantage of every play until the end.” Just like Jacobs, everyone will certainly put their best foot forward to make the best of this spring season.

The fall season is approaching fast, so the team must think quicker and work harder too with their practices now going until 6:30 p.m. and requiring pads. The season is coming sooner than they might think and it is important to make every play count and practice count. Practices are every day from weight room, to pads, and even conditioning. Junior Joshua Evans said, “We are just getting started with this spring season. We all work hard every chance we can and most of us hit the weight room on a daily basis. The spring season is obviously short, but it still matters.” It is only one game and a scrimmage, but that one game and one scrimmage will allow the coaching staff and even the players to make notes on what the team needs to work on going into the summer training.

With the seniors now graduated and off the roster, the team is forced to regroup and

even recruit new players to fill many gaps.

The captains, juniors Joshua Evans, Dakota Parsons, Ahmari Avin, and Matthew Cilli, are all assigned kids on the team who they are in charge of in regards to turning in grades and ensuring they show up for practice. That is another way that the Jaguars are preparing for this spring season. Sophomore Masen Marcellus said, “The seniors hung their cleats up for their Charter careers, so now we all have to get together and figure out what is best moving forward. We have a few new players and even old ones coming back, and this season will definitely be a good time to see what they got.” Their first and only

game is roughly a month away, giving everybody several real practices to get prepared.

The official spring practices begin April 17th, which is less than a month before game time and a week before the first scrimmage. The Pines Charter Football Team is ready to give it their all and will always be ready to kick off the season, no matter how many times they get to take the field on game day.

Donated By: Dakota Parsons

Lacrosse Turnaround: From Dead Last to Title Contenders A B “It is a family, lacrosse isn’t like any

other sport. To the team, it’s more of a way of life,” junior Julio Cejas stated. The PPCHS lacrosse team’s last game was in Miami against La Salle. Charter went 5-6 and was looking to be .500 for the season, a goal that they were able to accomplish this season, as they went 6-6 for the season. They also tied the school record for the most wins in a single season. The team was ecstatic that they got to tie the school record and proud to be a part of something so big.

Junior Jan Smith is not just a member of the lacrosse team, he’s a team captain.

Apart from holding the title of team captain, he’s the leading scorer with 25 goals this year. When it comes to districts, Jan is ranked top 10 in goals scored this year. He commented that “It is great to see all my hard work being paid off.” As he is top 10 in district, it has applied a lot of pressure on him, as the team has come to rely on him. Other teams have kept him on their radar, so this applies even more pressure to how he plays.

Jan thought that the team did really well this year. Before they broke the season record, the team had a combined a total of 3 wins for the past 3 years. He also commented that the team chemistry has grown significantly. Jan commented “It has helped our play also, as we really turned a corner late in this year.” As the season progressed,

ustin

asso

Staff Writer

the team began to resemble a family more and more. They soon became more than just a team, they became brothers.

Junior Alejandro Rivera commented that their coach did an amazing job on preparing the team for the season. The coach did a really good job getting them into shape and ready for the season. He made them practice every day to help them get them better.

Senior Seth Arboleda has been on the team for 2 years now, and has held the position of captain since last season. He commented “It's such a rush of so many different emotions. I am happy and grateful that I have made it this far but can’t help but feel sad because it is ending.” Arboleda still remembers the first time that he ever picked up a stick and now he’ll remember the last time putting it down.

Even though the season is over for the team and the seniors will be leaving, they are going to keep practicing and preparing for next season. Eight of the team’s players that will be playing travel lacrosse during the summer and some are planning to play in a summer league, hoping to stay in shape and improve for next season. Jan Smith stated, “The team has grown so much and I really believe we can make a run to districts next year.” The team believes that they will continue their success next year and get an even better record than this year.

Donated By: Lacrosse Team

Donated By: Lacrosse Team

What did you think of Tiger’s comeback, and his journey to get back to the top?

“Tiger Woods has gone through a lot of ups and downs throughout his life and career. Most people who experienced what he has would never make it to where he is today. Being able to watch a player with so much passion for the game is what gives the sport life. If this is it for Tiger, he definitely ended his career with a bang, but if not, we’ll definitely be able to watch more wins along the way.” – Spencer Hautrive (12)

“It’s pretty inspiring. I’m glad he won.” – Daniel Nicolae (10) “He practiced and practiced and decided that he would need to find a way to put out the others.” – Stephen Murnane (10) “He let the people who were at this stage for the first time get in their head, and rode that out to become victorious.” – Joey San Angelo (9)

Sports 17

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Who Should Win NBA MVP? Jordan Alberti

Paolo Barrera

Sports Editor

Student life Editor

Giannis Antetokounmpo

James Harden

27.7 PPG. 12.5 REB, & 5.9 AST is what you are going to get from Giannis Antetokounmpo almost every single night. He is shooting 57% from the field and holds a 30.9 PER, which measures a player’s positive accomplishments while penalizing negatives, creating a total rating. At 30.9 PER, Giannis is having the 12th best season ever posted, trailing the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Steph Curry, who are the only players in front of him as they have all posted multiple higher PER seasons.

The other horse in the race, James Harden, holds a 30.57 PER, leaving him behind Giannis. However, Harden does average 8.4 points more per game (36.1 PPG) and 1.6 more assists (7.5 APG). A big difference that they display in their stat line is that Harden averages 37 minutes per game while Giannis only averages 32.8, a 4 minute difference, which can go a long way in the NBA world. Giannis leads the Bucks into the Playoffs as the 1st seed in the East and the best record in the league at 60-22.

The Bucks are the only team in the league that reached 60 wins.

Giannis’ versatility on both ends of the court is likely where Harden will come up short. Giannis is a versatile defender that can switch onto all 5 positions and be a formidable defender. Harden, on the other hand, is seen as a liability on defense.

The NBA Most Valuable Player award has an unofficially official recipe: improvement, unstoppable-ness, historical impact, and winning. James Harden has improved so much from last season that he has already entered some people’s “Best Player of this Generation” conversation. The lefty’s game has become so unstoppable that many color commentators would argue that his play style is “cheating.” James Harden is the only player to get 2,800 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds in a season while scoring 30+ points against every single team in the NBA. As for winning, James Harden has played 78 games out of 82 total games. Therefore his 36 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game are the reason why his team is a top 5 team in the entire NBA. Compared to his MVP season last year, Harden is averaging more points, more rebounds, a higher free throw percentage, and a higher 3 point percentage. If a player

Harden only totaled a 1.1 +/- on defense while Giannis totaled a 5.0 +/- which describes how they performed against their opponents while on defense. Giannis will likely be a candidate to win both MVP and DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) while Harden won’t be even close to the Top 50 candidates for DPOY. Overall, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a better basketball player than James Harden.

The Greek Freak excels at all areas of the game, besides 3 point shooting, while Harden is a limited defender but a wizard scorer. If the award were going to the best scorer in the league, it would go to James Harden hands down, however, the award is for the Most Valuable Player, and in the 2018-2019 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the Most Valuable Player and he should win the MVP this year.

plays better than his most recent MVP season, shouldn’t he be MVP again?

Kobe once said that someone is unstoppable when the opposing team knows exactly what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it but they can’t do a single thing to stop it. Proof of James Harden’s unstoppable-ness: James Harden once scored 304 points straight, without a single one being assisted on. That means that James Harden dribbled down the court at least 152 times and scored without receiving a single pass. According to Kobe’s formula, Harden is ridiculously unstoppable.

Harden cannot be stopped on the court and in his history making season. Of all the statistics he’s recorded and all the records he’s shattered, the one accomplishment that stands out is bolded, underlined, and put in all caps: the only human beings to ever average at least 30 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in an entire 82 game season are James Harden and Michael Jordan. The Michael Jordan. James Harden’s 2018-2019 season is the only season that is even remotely close to Michael Jordan’s MVP 1988 season.

James Harden and his Houston Rockets are rock solid assassins in a western conference that’s as competitive as the college application process. No matter how far the Rockets go, James Harden is more than qualified to win the MVP. With his stats, his season, and his performances he should come in as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in MVP voting.

Graphic By: Matthew Morales

Softball Continues to Make Strides towards Another Title Michael Muela Staff Writer

After winning the 2018 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Softball Championship last year, the PPCHS softball team has been on a roll in defending their title. The Jags were 12-1-1 heading into April.

The Jaguars opened April with a dominant 15-0 shutout victory over Blanche Ely on the 1st. Their next game was played Thursday against University in the Kissimmee Klassic, which they lost 6-2. On Friday, they played in the Kissimmee Klassic against East Ridge and Gainesville, winning both games. On Saturday, they shutout Academy at the Lakes 8-0. As of now, the Jags are 16-2-1.

Freshman Lillian McCormick recalls what this season has meant for her. “This season has been so much fun for me.

We’ve been working so hard to try to go back to back at states and I believe we can.” Junior Ariana Carreno flashes upon how this season has played out. “The season has been almost like a replay of last year. We’re more than capable of winning states again,” she said. “Everyone’s been pulling their own weight, and we’re working as a team.”

The Jags’ next game was on April 12th against Park Vista, which they lost 1-0. After that, they played their home stretch of

games, winning two of three. In their next games, they’ll be facing one of their toughest rivals - American Heritage – April 24 at 6:30 – and then Cooper City April 25.

Sophomore Stephanie Gonzalez commented that this year hasn’t always been great. “The season has been good to me and my team but unfortunately we have had a series of events that hasn’t helped our team,” she said. “For example Isabella Devesa hurt her knee and Karley Borges hurt her ankle. Even though we have had those downs we are always up as a team.”

Senior Angelina Pascual said that the even though the team has been on fire, there’s always room to improve. “I do believe that I can help with the team’s success. Eliza and I have been switching every game pitching wise and I think that is really helping keep our arms fresh. I have been on the team since my 8th grade year and I have seen this team and myself grow over the years and I’m excited to see what happens this year in postseason!”

PPCHS has been on a roll this year, defending their State Championship with dominance. The Jags are streaking into the postseason with momentum, and they’ll look to ride that momentum all the way to States for back-to-back championships.

Donated By: Eliza GonMaegan Calandra

zalez and

18 Technology CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

EDITORIAL: Benefits of Canvas Emma Caulfield Co-Features Editor

As of recently, Pines Charter has begun

to utilize the Canvas Student application.

With time, it’s believed that it may knock Jupiter Grades off its throne. Canvas is, by far, the superior program for facilitating academics online. The application provides a plethora of features that make teaching easier for instructors from any background.

Canvas is free for teachers and is designed for teachers from grades K-12. Its accessibility and convenience are why school districts all over the world are adopting the Canvas application in their schools. These are some of many reasons why so many schools around the globe, including our very own Pembroke Pines Charter School, are adopting the Canvas application.

Canvas is more than just a company or website. Canvas is an educational revolution. It will change the way education is structured all around the world, for generations to come. It’s a rapidly growing com-

pany with an industry-pushing platform, 1,100+ talented employees, and millions of passionate students and teachers. Canvas was founded in 2008 and launched in 2011. With more than ten years of experience in the industry, it’s no wonder why Canvas is taking the education industry by storm. The company has definitely proven itself as a superior platform for schools all around the country in order to facilitate courses, teachers, and students. Canvas is used by more than 3,000 universities, school districts, and institutions around the world. That population of users of the program is only growing as Canvas expands its popularity within the education industry.

Canvas is clearly a system that is spreading quickly, with Pembroke Pines Charter High School as one of its users. The program has a lot of different abilities. Right now, many students have to download more than one app (i.e. Google classroom)

because Jupiter Grades does not have it all.

But Canvas does, and our school is using it for much more than grades. Personally, Canvas seems like a really useful and great system to use once you have adjusted to it.

Because I have been using it all year in a few of my classes, I have come to realize how simple it is to use it. Charter has also begun to use Canvas as a poll for voting. In recent SGA elections, the school has turned to Canvas and opened a special folder on Canvas meant for voting. This is the first year I am using Canvas, and because I have been on Canvas and had the chances to adjust to it, I was able to participate in school elections for SGA as well as the voting for homecoming court.

The only current issue seems to be that some students are having difficulty using the platform on their computers. That can be problematic, especially if there are handouts that need to be printed out on Canvas. Once integration is complete

next year, though, the system should be accessible in every way, if only with a little troubleshooting on the side. Overall, I used to think Canvas was just a knockoff of Jupiter Grades. But it actually has its own style and purposes. I like it and it is a very simple app to maneuver.

Photo By: Aijah Harper

Deepfakes: The Dangers of Disingenuous Data F A lorencia

The fun, harmless face swap Snapchat

filter is used by millions for entertainment and innocent laughs and giggles. At the snap of a button and glimpse of a face, it can switch two strangers’ faces to best fit the partner. However, those innocent filters have a much darker cousin: deep fakes.

Deep fakes are problems that spread all too quickly, quietly disrupting political campaigns, wrongly accusing people of shameful acts and impacting the technological community in more bad ways than good.

Deep fakes are fake videos or audio recordings that have been altered to look like the real (original) piece that it is copying. Essentially, anyone can download the software needed to make a deep fake – and creating one may be easier than you think.

This type of technology holds tremendous power to trick, fool, and convince virtually anyone, as the software is accessible to anyone who wishes to download it. “I think deep fakes should be made harder to get from the public. They have the potential to be really dangerous for anyone who’s looking for trouble,” says sophomore Maria Herne.

Restrictions set to prevent deep fakes from causing issues are nearly impossible to come by. This is worrisome, considering it is very difficult to pinpoint if a recording is

zcurra

Co-Features Editor

a fabricated or if it is a true one.

Remember Snapchat? That face swapping is amateur compared to the face swapping that deep fakes are capable of. Face swapping has always been a part of the cinematic universe. It's been used for years in movies and shows, but it needed the work of skilled editors and experts that spent literal hours swapping or altering faces in order to create a realistic, convincing face swap.

This doesn't mean that anyone can create a deep fake video of Donald Trump giving a false State of the Union address. “Deep fakes can obviously be used for good and maybe some form of practice for students into technology to play around with,” says junior Danielle Porres. “But I think our government should give more attention to this, since technology nowadays can get really out of hand, especially if it can mess with political issues." This type of technology

is still difficult to perfect and use, as it requires powerful devices and data. Not to mention the actual techniques that need to be mastered in order to create a believable deep fake. “This is a perfect example of why technology needs to be more controlled,” says freshman Isabella Rodriguez.

“This could become an even greater problem that could hurt the public.” In simple terms, anyone with pictures of two different people, and the correct software can create a decent deep fake without any fancy Graphic By: Justin pierce video editing skills.

The main issue with this technology is that essentially everyone's faces are already online, so creating them is easier than getting ahold of a picture. So taking a similar shot of Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver and using this software to switch their faces can easily be done by someone willing to understand the software and determined to produce something convinc-

ing. But for someone looking to sabotage a political race to ruin an opponent, deep fakes can potentially lead to mayhem. Millions of photos are available of all types of representatives and important government officials to the public, so if this technology fell into the wrong hands, it has a lot more power than a fake video should have.

“These things are masking reality and in my opinion technology like this should have never even been made,” says senior Shayne Tyrell. “Since an entire software can't be taken away, something should be made to find them out.” Deep fakes can go as far as meddling in international relations, which could quite literally lead to international diplomatic issues. This goes for everyone, from celebrities to average, everyday people as well. The leak of a fake recording or false audio could ruin the life of someone who has, in fact, nothing to do with the deep fake.

Deep fakes have come after innocent individuals, have spread fake news, and have hurt the credibility of video footage forever. Luckily, we live in a society where people know better than to immediately trust the questionable things that technology offers, but unfortunately, enough people do believe deep fakes, which can cause serious issues.

EDITORIAL: Troubled Times for Today’s Tech?

Paolo Barrera

Student life Editor

It’s crazy to think that the human race

has arguably passed the “Dawn of the Age of Technology” and has been spending the last half a century sending robots to Mars and manufacturing hearts out of 3D printers. The world is arguably skyrocketing into an era of innovation, invention, and advancement. Need proof? Consumers are actually living in a society so advanced and so unforeseen that there is a growing category of products that are fresh, new, and completely useless.

Take the new Apple AirPods 2, for example. The AirPods themselves are not useless items. In fact, they are high quality Bluetooth earphones that work seamlessly with your iPhone. What makes the AirPods 2 effectively obsolete, is that there is subjectively nothing different between the first AirPods and the AirPods 2. Apple claims that the AirPods 2 has “more talk time, voice-activated Siri access... and a new wireless charging case”. What does that mean? It means the only change your eye can catch is a thicker looking case, while your ear may notice a couple more minutes of phone call time. YouTube icon

Casey Neistat even asked on his Twitter: “if you have a perfectly good pair of AirPods, is there any reason to buy AirPods 2? ([I] don't care about wireless charging and like the rest of the world: [I’'ll] never use Siri).” On the Apple website, the AirPods 2 is $199 —$40 more than the first generation AirPods. With that being said, consumers who already have AirPods would be paying $40 dollars for a product that only has a wider case than the product they already own. If you have perfectly working Bluetooth earphones or headphones, then the AirPods 2 is a waste of $200 when there are better and cheaper options. Junior Victor Navarro says, “I’ve been using the [Apple] earphones that came with iPhone since the day I got it and they work perfectly fine. I’ve seen the people lose their $150 AirPods and [I just] don’t think it’s worth it.” As the saying goes, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Some of the newest products being launched challenge the idea that some things should not be invented at all. Take the Verdera voice-lighted mirror, for example. It is a voice activated, Amazon Alexa controlled, stereo infused bathroom mirror.

Sure it is very luxurious and technically advanced, but what’s the point of a voice activated light on a mirror when there’s a bathroom light and a regular mirror? The Amazon Alexa and the ingrained stereo speakers may be “useful” during showers, but is the occasional Michael Jackson dance tribute in the shower worth it? “I don’t really see the need for all [the features infused] in a mirror,” laughs sophomore Michael Mancao. “It’s just a bathroom mirror.” In the realm of voice activated items, the Verdera voice-lighted mirror is joined by the DUX voice-assisted bed. The Swedish company DUX created and launched a “luxury bed” that is as voice controlled as the Verdera voice lighted mirror. The catch is that the bed itself has no mechanism that can be controlled: there is no SleepNumber hardness or softness scale, no moving parts, and no disability accessible feature.

The DUX voice assisted bed is literally a bed that one can connect their Alexa or Siri to. There are speakers built in to the sides of the headboard that make talking to Alexa or Siri easier, but your Amazon Alexa or iPhone is still as accessible to your voice as the bed. “My dad bought an Amazon Al-

exa just to own one, and we barely even use it,” admits senior Thalia Garcia, “It feels as useless to me as this [DUX voiceassisted] bed!”

These inventions and products are almost laughably useless to the everyday consumer. There are too many alternatives, substitutes, and flat-out logical reasons not to buy these inventions. “I always try to look for a cheaper, better option when it comes to big [technology] purchases,” says freshman Isabella Rodriguez. To make matters worse, these products were given the opportunity to give a full presentation of their capabilities at the world renowned, annual CES conference. CES products are supposed to be world class technologies that the world has never seen, not a voice assisted luxury mirror light. Is the world becoming so advanced that the list of good ideas is running thin? That question begs for an answer, but the world of technology begs for better products.

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Rebekah Jacob & rachel Rivera

Brittany Evelyn

Clubs Editor & Voices versus Violence

Stranger Things Season 3

One of Netflix’s biggest sci-fi hit is officially making its comeback of the longawaited Season 3 on July 4, 2019 - Independence Day in the USA. Although it’s been a long time coming, the release in summer 2019 should be worth the wait. The release also ties in with the show’s initial ‘mall teaser,’ first hinting at a summer release in the first place. In September 2018, director and executive producer Shawn Levy stated during the Emmys that “cinematically, it’s our biggest season yet,” according to Radio Times, which might explain the extra time and wait needed to film Season 3. The first full official trailer of Season 3 was set to unveiled on March 20, 2019, and all the characters were set to make a comeback this upcoming season, with the exception of Sean Astin’s Bob. Although the release of the season is still a couple months away, hopefully the Season 3 trailer on March 20 will tide fans over until then.

Netflix teases a new Beyonce documentary: Netflix revealed its new project on April 7, 2019, called Homecoming that is rumored to document Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella performance. The documentary will drop on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. While Netflix has not specifically said Homecoming

Managing Editor

is about Beyonce, the singer has a fashion collection called "Homecoming," and the items feature Greek letters.

She also launched a scholarship program last year called the Homecoming Scholars Award Program, leading fans to believe that the documentary is about her.

The Grammy-award-winning singer made history at Coachella last year as the first woman of color to headline the annual festival.

Coachella: The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual music festival held over two weekends in Indio California. The festival is held over two weekends starting on April 12–14, 2019 and again the following week on April 19–21, 2019. The three-day festival consists of multiple musical performing on several stages throughout the day and festival-goers are able to ride rides, eat, and lounge on the open grass area with friends, both new and old. Ariana Grande closed out weekend one, making history as the youngest headliner at 25 years old. Her set was jam-packed with surprises including an *NSYNC reunion, who came out to sing Ariana’s hit song "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" which is a rework of the boy band’s popular song "It Makes Me Ill.”

The thriller Us began shaking the tables

long before its premiere on March 22, 2019. Preceded by director Jordan Peele’s successful film Get Out, Us was highly anticipated and expected to be extremely successful. From the carefully crafted and dimly lit scenes to the flashbacks between the past and present, Us kept viewers attentive and on the edge of their seat.

Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson, played by actress Lupita Nyong’o, returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child.

Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, she begins to notice certain signs and grow increasingly wary that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four strangers appear at the house, forcing the family to fight for survival. The family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them. The movie bounces between their fight to escape from the attackers and Adelaide’s memories of a traumatic childhood experience.

Peele takes the time to break down his film in The Empire Film Podcast. “This movie’s about maybe the monster is you.

It’s about us kind of looking at ourselves as individuals and as a group. The protagonist in a movie is the surrogate for the au-

Graphic By: Henry Severe

Billie Eilish’s Debut Album Review

dience. So it felt like, at the end of the day, I wasn’t doing my core theme any justice if I wasn’t revealing that we have been the bad guy in this movie. We’ve been following the villain.” Peele is also sure to add that he uses “villain” lightly, as Us raises questions around what differentiates good from evil and the ways in which we perceive otherness.

Peele’s take on psychological thrillers may be a game changer for the genre. With his debut film Get Out and now Us, horror fanatics are interested to see what he brings to the future of film. After the release of Get Out, Peele said “I have four other social thrillers that I want to unveil in the next decade…The best and scariest monsters in the world are human beings and what we are capable of especially when we get together. I’ve been working on these premises about these different social demons, these innately human monsters that are woven into the fabric of how we think and how we interact, and each one of my movies is going to be about a different one of these social demons.” With Peele taking on a subverted style of horror, one in which a darkness lies under the idyllic and beautiful, the genre is sure to face changes in the future.

Graphic By: Carolina Othon

Brianna Butler

B

illie Eilish’s debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, has been an international sensation. The 17 year old was able to debut at number one on Billboard 200, skyrocketing to the top shortly after the album’s release. She managed to sell the second largest amount of albums in all of 2019, only bested by Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next. Her recent work is comprised of 14 different tracks, mixing electrical beats with themes like adolescence and love.

The intro is called “!!!!!!!,” and is only 13 seconds long. In this short piece, part of a conversation seems to be captured before Eilish is begins laughing. This brings a sense of realness of the artist. She introduces the album as if her listeners were personal friends, adding to the intimacy and casualness for the rest of the track list.

The next song is “bad guy”, which uses a mixture of heavy bass and repeated snapping fingers in the background to maintain a beat. Eilish demonstrates her vocal range in this track, altering from a higher pitch to low as the music progresses. “This was one of my favorite songs in the album,” states junior Samantha Cruz. “I really enjoyed the instrumental and how she was able to make it using unconventional sounds. The lyrics are also really fun, and the twist at the end only adds to how wonderful this song is to listen to.” The playful and upbeat lyrics suggest that she is teasing her lover

Staff Writer

throughout.

“Xanny” deals with the subject of recreational drug use. It is extremely calming compared to the rest of the album. Her voice seems to warp at certain times, due to auto tune, becoming more robotic as a result. The lyrics describe a subject being alone at a party and not wanting to interact with everyone else present. There are certain lines with acapella littered throughout the song, helping to establish a dreamlike feeling.

The track afterwards begins with the noise of a sword being brandished, its echo later on morphing into the beat. In “you should see me in a crown,” Eilish’s voice is darker than the previous tracks, as she creates suspense with staggered beats and repeated pauses in the music. One of the silences is interrupted with an auto tuned voice, shouting before it fades into the next verse.

This track demonstrates confidence and power, as well as the demand to be heard by others.

One of the most popular songs in the album is “bury a friend”. The song is from the perspective of a monster under her bed.

As the music progresses, Eilish realizes that she was the monster all along, only increasing the suspense and dark atmosphere.

Her voice is manipulated in multitudes of different ways, and certain pauses are cut off by the sound of a scream. The end of each lyric has a deep echo to it. “I’ve heard

this song being used in multitudes of videos,” states sophomore Valentina Terry. “It just proves that Billie Eilish is definitely one of the more unique modern artists, and this song seems to prove everything she’s known for. What I love most about her is how she alters her voice depending on the overall mood she wants to create.” Her distorted vocals and heavy electronic beats make “bury a friend” a masterpiece, being both original and able to set a tone.

Overall, Billie Eilish’s debut diverges from the current genre of music to create something new. With voice distortion and unique sound effects, each song is original and unpredictable. She leaves her listeners wanting more, and everyone is excited to see what direction she will follow in the future.

Graphic By: Rosa Comez

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Lifestyle CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Spring into May Horoscopes B B rianna

utler

Staff Writer

Aries (March 21 – May 20): The month of May is a time for this sign to shine. They are encouraged to move on from people, habits, and situations that no longer help them. This month is a time of clarity and realization as well, and many will take this time to self-reflect. Their goals will also become a priority, and with the right mindset, May will be a time of achievement.

Libra (September 24 – October 23): Recently Libras have been making many profound discoveries about relationships.

The month of May is a time to focus on partnerships. They may find themselves becoming clingy as a result of this, which is not a problem. This sign is encouraged to find a way to spend quality time with close friends, family, and other relationships.

Taurus (May 21 – May 20): This month may have an emotional beginning for Taurus. They must learn to find a healthy way to release their negative emotions. New opportunities await this sign as May progresses. Endings always lead to more beginnings, and closure is never completely permanent for this month.

Scorpio (October 24 – November 22): For Scorpios, May should be a time where organization is prioritized. Whether it would be making to-do lists or cleaning out their desks, a tidy place is the perfect way to get this sign is the correct mindset. They may find this month to be relaxing compared the adventures March had to offer.

Gemini (May 21 – June 21): For the month of May, this is a prime time to pursue both romantic and platonic relationships. Geminis also have difficulties with starting but never completing personal projects. However, at this time, productivity rises and these signs may find themselves working on multitudes of new ideas.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21): For this sign, May is a time to allow their confidence to flow. A Sagittarius will be feeling extra bold and creative, and this month is the time to let their true abilities flourish. It is also a month for getting rid of unhealthy relationships and finding new friendships that are bound to last a lifetime.

Cancer (June 22 – July 22): For Cancer, May is a time to reap what they sow and finally gain benefits from their hard work.

At this time, it is most recommended to take time to strategize as well as align their emotions with their ambitions. Their schedules may be busy as well, and they must learn to prioritize their needs as they go through each week.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 20): During the month of May, it is a time for this sign to become more open and flexible with other people’s situations and opinions.

This sign is heavily associated with being more judgmental than most, and this is an opportunity to understand other people on an emotional level.

Leo (July 23 – August 23): For Leos, May can be used to clarify their passions and become more in tune with their emotions.

They can release their inner artist and are more creative than usual during this period of time. It is also a time of responsibilities, and they should not be surprised to see themselves rising in a workplace or moving up a position.

Virgo (August 24 – September 23): As the month begins, Virgos may start off feeling anxious or as if they were put in a stressful situation. It is recommended of this sign to become more in tune with their emotions, and find outlets in order to lessen their extreme moods. Virgos may also feel a sudden connection to their past, and are recommended to find a time to revisit unclosed ties.

Aquarius (January 21 – February 18): For Aquarius, this month may bring a change of perspective in a new subject. People under this sign may also find themselves becoming more motivated and organized than usual, even taking the time to complete domestic activities like folding laundry or cleaning their basement.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20): During May, this sign will find themselves embracing a more forward mindset. Whether it would be updating their wardrobe or calculating their budget, this sign is sure to find themselves becoming open to changes and productivity. It is also a time to allow emotions to flow freely, and Pisces may need to spend time alone to deal with certain situations.

Hopping Into Easter Traditions Sophia Cortes and Arianna Ozuna entertainment editor and

As winter’s last cold clutches finally start to fade away spring comes hopping in, bringing with it budding flowers, longer sunshine filled days, and colorful little eggs filled with yummy chocolate bunnies.

With the season’s biggest holiday, Easter, taking place in April (peak spring time) many people eagerly await the chocolate and Marshmallow Peep filled holiday as a way to indulge once again in their inner child, and maybe a little chocolate as well.

“To be honest I’ve always loved Easter,” says sophomore Sophia Mendoza. “Not only because of the candy and chocolate that go along with it, the day itself has always seemed so pure and pleasant, it’s just so nice to be around friends and having a good time.” Sophia spends the ever so often sun filled day with her family and friends. “Every year we go to church with my grandparents in the morning,” she explains, “Afterwards we go home and invite a bunch of friends and relatives to our house for a big celebration!” While for some Easter is a time for many families to come together to celebrate a religious holiday, for others it is simply a time to

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

Staff Writer

have fun finding treasures of hidden candy with family and friends. “We don’t do that much on Easter,” says junior Samantha Martin, “it’s just more of a time to be with my family and have fun! My parents usually put together little baskets for my sister and me, and before my sister left for college we would always have little Easter egg hunts and end the day with my mom’s special homemade dinner of either chicken cutlets or spaghetti and meatballs.” A tasty way to end a very sweet day!

Freshman Dhaniell Leemook says that for Easter she usually goes to church with her family and then has a gigantic Jamaican dinner. “For traditions, Jamaicans have this thing called Easter Bun and we would eat it with cheese.” Some teenagers believe the most exciting part of celebrating the holiday is that you get to spend it stuffing your face with an assortment of delicious foods! She also said, “To me, Easter means being together with family and appreciating the sacrifices Jesus made for us.” Senior Mayah Giordany spends her Easter in a similar way, saying that her and her family “usually eat breakfast together, and we take the smaller children in my family to go egg hunting. Once I won a prize at an Easter festival and won a ton of candy!”

Easter’s ability to bring families together through, worship, food, and fun is simply heartwarming. Whether it be from running through tickling grass to find the next egg, chomping on thick chocolate bunny ears, or holding hands at the dinner table in silent prayer, everyone can find the warm feeling of togetherness on Easter day.

Toys and Tales of Today: Reinventions of the Past Paolo Barrera

Student life Editor

Companies and corporations have been using the strong feeling of sentimentality and wistfulness to attract customers for ages. Production companies and media companies have been the primary users of these two ingredients, but lately they’ve teamed up to quadruple the memories and flashbacks that are being pumped into toy stores and apps around the world. The year 2019, specifically, is looking out to be a year that is overflowing with nostalgia and reminiscing for the Millennials and, surprisingly, some Generation Z kids.

The best example is a toy that came out in 2007 with its own show, video game, and series of toys: Bakugan. In 2007, the toy was launched with a show on Cartoon Network called Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

The main character was a teenager named Dan Kuso and his personal Bakugan character was a dragon named Drago. Each Bakugan had a power level measured in G’s and support cards that activated both the toy (in real life) and the Bakugan characters (in the show). Today, the show is called Bakugan Battle Planet and the main character is a young Dan Kouzo.

His personal “Bakugan Fighter” is named Dragonoid and together they fight with power levels measured in B’s and tiny metal hexagons instead of support cards.

“I’m lucky to be old enough to vividly remember the Bakugan from 2007, and it is a completely different thing compared to [the toy] today,” admits junior Sebastian Arango. Cartoon Network basically reinvented the Bakugan series from a completely new system of play to new character names. They did all this in the name of nostalgia and the hope of continued profits from the teenagers who were children when the show started.

On the other side of the fence, Disney has mapped out a year of releases that have completely transformed childhood classics like Dumbo and Aladdin. For Dumbo, many kids remember Dumbo as the shy, animated elephant that was motherless and shunned in a circus of other animals. He was a symbol of childhood strength versus oppression and bullying.

The Dumbo today is a Tim Burton di-

Graphic By: Justin Pierce

rected, live action elephant with blue eyes and human caretakers. In the 2019 film, Dumbo is a flying sensation that shines his light of sunshine on the dark secrets of his surroundings. Tim Burton’s Dumbo shares only the name and the big floppy ears of the elephant that became famous in 1941.

Audience members may include more than just Millennials and Generation Z kids, but the act of refurbishing, reinventing, and reintroducing familiar characters is still the same. “I grew up watching all the Disney movies, like Dumbo, with my siblings on VHS,” said senior Nicolaus Sarbello. “So the new one is definitely something familiar to me.”

Across social media platforms and school classrooms, the memories from these older times are discussed and told. Stories from one’s first Yu-Gi-Oh battle are exchanged for tales about one’s first Tamagotchi pet.

The trade of anecdotes and narratives that took place is an old “era” is what fuels the fire of nostalgia that these media companies are trying to take advantage of. “I think it’s kind of cool to see a lot of [shows and characters] from a decade ago come back for the younger kids to enjoy,” said freshman Isabella Rodriguez.

It isn’t to say that the sight of these iconic names and characters is a bad thing. Companies and corporations may be making money off of flashbacks, but audience members get rich in experience and memories. Box office sales and gross toy profits are important statistics, but the joy of sharing stories across generations is a priceless feeling that cannot be counted.

Survival Guide to 4th Quarter Kiersten Warren Community Outreach

Congratulations! You’ve finally made it to 4th quarter; also known by seniors as the beginning of the end. While it can be stressful, PPCHS students also see it as the most fun filled marking period. With the seniors leaving in just a few weeks, and step up day, among other festivities, looming over the rest of us, it is sure to pass in the blink of an eye. Here are some tips that will ensure a successful and fun 4th quarter.

1.Don’t procrastinate - Although it seems like May is awhile away, the time will fly by.

Don’t leave that homework and exam review until the last minute! Many AP and AICE students will receive exam reviews, which are often packed with material from the beginning of the year. Get it done early and you won’t regret it!

2.Form study groups and make arrangements for afterschool review sessions - With the testing season creeping closer and closer, teachers may begin to hold afterschool review and extra help sessions. Even if teachers don’t have them, take the initiative to gather a study group to review everything together. This way, if one student doesn’t know the answer, the others will!

3.Stay motivated and positive - Keep pushing through until the very last day, it’s not the end yet! Ask any senior, they’re living proof that if you work to your highest potential in high school, you will reach your goals! All of the hard work from the year will pay off in the long run. Also, stay positive throughout these last nine weeks; know your limits.

Those all-nighters spent studying and doing assignments will be worth it!

4.Get enough sleep - As students, we all know it can be very tempting to stay up for that late Facetime call or to binge watch your favorite Netflix show until 1am. However, this is not a healthy habit, as we all rise early in the morning to get to class by 7:15. Waking up late or tired will disrupt your routine, since you’re already starting off your day bad.

For your wellbeing, go to sleep at a reasonable time to get those full 8 hours.

5.Stay organized - Make a list of what you need to accomplish every night and finish it, whether it’s studying for an exam or a Khan Academy assignment. Having tasks written down increase the likelihood of you completing them. Crossing that item off the list always feels good once it’s out of the way. This is key, especially if you have multiple exams or due dates coming up. Whether that’s using your planner or the notes section on your phone, keep it up!

6.Reward yourself and have fun - Even though this quarter can be stressful with testing, make sure to reward yourself with a night out with friends or an extra scoop of ice cream.

Fourth quarter is a time to celebrate your academic success from the year and start the path to a relaxing summer. Treat yourself, you definitely deserve it!

A Cathedral’s Devastating Crisis

News 21

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Alan Matthew & Emma Caulfield technology editor

One of the most well-known mon-

uments in France, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was victim to an abrupt and unforgiving blaze on April 15th.

The Cathedral, a stunning monument to history and Western culture, was originally built over 850 years ago.

The construction took place over the course of about 200 years beginning in 1163. Today, the fire has scarred the Cathedral, which many consider to be the heart of Paris and a symbol of the city; however, it has left more in its wake than ashes and charred architecture. The physical aftermath of what occurred has to be considered too. The Cathedral was in the process of being restored, and the fire was most likely caused by restoration workers.

In truth, more of the cathedral still stands than was burned. According to preliminary reports out of France, the iconic towers still stand. Furthermore, despite the intensity of the blaze and the 12 hour battle that was fought to save the irreplaceable monolith of French identity, no casualties were sustained and many of the priceless historic artifacts and treasures usually housed inside were not on-site at the time (USAToday).

Of course that doesn’t nearly begin to ease the pain of the fire and the wound it has left on France. As senior William Manuel expressed, the Notre Dame is famous not only for its age but for its significance to the world, a fact reflected in the millions of visitors it hosted every year. There exists a genuine concern that rebuild-

ing will never capture what was lost on that smoke-covered Monday. Much of the initial reactions to the tragedy echo this sentiment. Freshman Aliya Khan commented, “A lot of people, including myself have not seen it, and now will not because of its destruction.” And it’s extremely easy to get caught up in this mentality.

& Co-Features Editor

The damage that was dealt to the cathedral was far from inconsequential, and many in France and all around the world were grieving what they consider to be a hopeless calamity. Sophomore Zoe Mutombo expressed, “Hundreds of years’ worth of French history [were] destroyed,” and any attempt at rebuilding simply “won’t look

Graphic By: Taylor Causey

Unfortunate Uber Tragedy Occurs Kiersten Warren Community Outreach

A

fter a long week of school, every PPCHS student finds the need to relax for the weekend, whether that means taking multiple naps, or going out with friends.

No matter what the case, never forget the importance of safety. Unfortunately, every student got a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of safety after the tragedy that occurred this past month when University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson mistook the wrong car for her Uber rideshare.

Samantha Josephson spent a long night out with friends the early morning of March 29. At 2 A.M., the 21 year old requested an Uber. However, another car came first, and she mistook the black Chevy Impala for her Uber. Her friends reported her missing after not hearing from her, and after an extensive search the police identified the man who took her as Nathaniel David Rowland.

They charged him for the murder and kidnapping of Josephson. Her body was found 14 hours later. Sophomore Fallon Katz said, “It is so tragic to hear what happened.

She just wanted to get home. No one deserves this just for getting into the wrong car.”

Freshman Antonella Ureta said, “It is good that the police found the man responsible for this horrible crime. Everyone should always be aware of their surroundings and make good decisions.” The police found blood in his truck, her cell phone, and his supplies to clean it up. Junior Kaiya Roberts says, “The murderer had so much proof when he was found, which is reassuring. If he hadn’t been caught, many would still be on edge.”

In the wake of Samantha’s devastating death, Uber is taking action. The popular rideshare company responded to the family saying, “We spoke with the Univer-

or feel the same as it did [before].”

To risk putting too fine of a point on it, many are grieving. Unsurprisingly, one of the largest communities faced with despair is the religious one.

Junior Sarah Morrell commented, “[The fire was] heartbreaking to me and many [Catholics] and Christians because it’s a symbolism of our faith and religion.” Morrell also noted the timing of the church’s hardship: Good Friday and Easter Sunday, two days paramount to Catholicism and Christianity, were just down the week. But all is not lost. Within twenty-four hours of the fire, 100 million euro were donated by France’s second richest man. The first richest then proceeded to donate 200 million euro. By Wednesday, 850 million euro have been pledged from sources near and far to the Notre Dame (NYTimes).

Without a doubt, the Notre Dame burning has been the worst thing to happen to it in a century, striking a blow to the France and the world simultaneously. Yet in every adversity exists an opportunity for strength and rebirth. With an outcry of international support, the promises of the French president, and the determination of a nation, brings a new chapter of growth and restoration that has begun in the Notre Dame’s illustrious history -- one to carefully watch. After all, no phoenix is expected to rise from the ashes, but they always do.

sity of South Carolina President and will be partnering with the university to raise awareness on college campuses nationwide about this incredibly important issue.” Uber also plans to start a “Check Your Ride” campaign on social media and will buy college newspaper ads to spread the word. Additionally, South Carolina legislation introduced a bill that would require ride-share drivers to have illuminated signs on their cars. Senior Sofia Ramirez said, “The good thing about this particular case is that it isn’t just people offering their thoughts and prayers. Actual action is taking place, and Uber is being responsible and proactive, along with the state itself.”

While Samantha’s death was tragic, it certainly isn’t going unnoticed, which a good sign in itself.

Although bad things do happen, we can all take precautions to reduce the risk of danger. At night, always be aware of your surroundings, and if possible, never be alone.

Being aware of your surroundings includes looking up from your phone, not blasting music in headphones to impede hearing, and paying attention to people around you.

While this may sound scary, avoid walking in dark places, like alleys, and make sure at least someone knows where you are/what you’re doing. When out with friends, use the buddy system. As sad as this seems, this is our reality. By using these safety tips, we all have a better chance of protecting ourselves.

All in all, the death of Samantha Josephson was devastating and will continue to impact both the drivers and customers of ride-share services. Her death is also a constant reminder to always be aware of your surroundings and stay safe, because you never know what will happen.

Graphic By: Matthew Morales

22 News

No Longer in the Dark about Black Holes Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

The first ever image of a black hole, an

astronomical phenomenon so dense that no light can escape it, was captured on Wednesday, April 10th. The image is of a black hole in a galaxy known as Messier 87, about 55 million light-years away from Earth. The image depicts a dark circle with a lopsided ring of orange light, or what looks like smoke, surrounding it. Black holes haven’t been discovered before due to the fact that their mass is so heavy that their gravitational forces absorb light particles; so they have been undetectable against the dark backdrop of space (Boston University).

The black hole, which is several billion times more massive than the sun, is unleashing a violent jet of energy some 5,000 light-years into space (New York Times).

Senior Alex Garber said, “I can’t believe how much bigger it is than the sun. How can we even measure something so big that’s so far away?” Black holes have remained a mystery for years -- always imagined but never seen -- until now. Sophomore Patrick Ryan said, “I hope this image will help us learn more about black holes because to be honest I don’t know that much about them.

I think they’re pretty scary sounding, but maybe we can learn a lot from them.”

More than 200 researchers from 20 countries worked on this project, led by Shep Doeleman, an astronomer at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Of those who worked on the project, forty were female, a fact that is making strides for women in the STEM field. (New York

Times). News of one female scientist, Katie Bouman, who worked on the project has circulated with some media sites claiming

wrote, “No one algorithm or person made this image. It required the amazing talent of a team of scientists from around the

Graphic By: Justin Pierce

that it was her sole work that produced the image of the black hole. This is not true, though, and Bouman even responded on a Facebook post on Thursday night. She

globe. [T]he spotlight should be on the team and no individual person. Focusing on one person like this helps no one, including me.” She was, however, a great

contributor. “Having a female get noticed for the production of the first black hole image really made females in the STEM community hopeful. Although it ended up not being her work alone, it’s still great for young girls and teenagers who like science to hear that girls were involved in something this significant,” said junior Bianca Molina.

To capture the image of the black hole the scientists set up radio observatories in eight spots around the globe and observed the galaxy on and off for 10 days in April 2017 by matching up the timing of the telescopes to the exact degree so that the radio frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum could be picked up. This data was then mapped into an image, a long process that eventually led to the image of the black hole that has gone so viral.

A telescope also monitored radio noise in our Milky Way galaxy, where 26,000 lightyears away there is another black hole with the mass of 4.1 million suns. “It’s so crazy how they were able to capture an image of a black hole since we basically can’t see it.

I hope one day I can do something as significant as these scientists did,” said freshman Kristin Ward.

With this advancement in science, there is only more to come related to the discoveries of black holes. These intergalactic phenomena push our understanding of the universe and are sure to continue to surprise us.

Madness with the Mueller Report Maxine Martinez Business Manager

T

he investigation of Trump’s possible collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election has been a topic of discussion in politics for over three years now. With the probe finally over, both the US public and government anxiously await for the content inside the Mueller report to be disclosed. Unfortunately, tensions have been on a steady rise as the Attorney General, William Barr, reads through the report and blacks out any confidential information.

In an attempt to ease nerves, Barr released a four page summary on March 24, 2019 outlining the main findings of the investigation. However, this only created more questions, considering the actual report is 300 pages long, and unlikely fully expressed in the few pages offered.

“I understand that Barr might have been overwhelmed with the public’s demand for information, but I almost feel like the summary is creating more confusion and

chaos than before,” commented sophomore Natalie Gonzalez. It has also become known that Mueller’s team never asked for a summary to be released in the first place.

However, the Muller team has provided Barr with summaries of the report. This has led to questions which ask why the Attorney General did not issue one of those statements instead of publishing his own.

Furthermore, Barr’s summary is not only raising critiques because of its length but also because of its content. The outline seems to paint President Trump as innocent. As a result, Donald Trump along with his fellow administrators and Republicans have begun to accuse Democrats of solely wanting to ruin his presidency. Trump has called the investigation a “complete and total exoneration” and has made it known that he plans on forming his own inspection against those who questioned his ties with Russia. Despite backlash, members of

Despite backlash, members of Mueller’s team continue to stand behind the content of the unreleased report and express with urgency that Barr is leaving out critical information.

Mueller’s team continue to stand behind the content of the unreleased report and express with urgency that Barr is leaving out critical information.

The issues with the Mueller report also come just as its time for the Justice Department to meet about its budget. As a result, William Barr found himself testifying before a Congressional committee. It was here that a series of question revolving around the report were answered. For instance, what is it exactly that Barr is redacting? Grand jury information, anything that would reveal intelligence sources and methods, information that could interfere with ongoing prosecution, and information that implicates the privacy of “peripheral (key) players.” Despite Barr’s reasons for the redaction, there is still worry that Barr will black out information that otherwise would make Trump appear guilty, especially since Barr was nominated by Trump.

Freshman Hansini Koppolu expressed that it’s reasonable for certain information to be kept private if it will harm our country.

In in regards to information about ongoing prosecution, however, “it should be withheld till it’s done, then it should be released.” At the end of the day people just want the most transparency possible from their government.

While most citizens only want to know that truth about what is happening, they should not look at the 4 page summary as if it has all the information. “Until the full report is out, we as U.S. citizens cannot make judgements or decisions,” stated junior Jessica Chang. If what Barr announced at the hearing is true, the public won’t have to wait much longer. He should be finished with his redactions within the next week, and the full 300 pages will be released announcing the findings of the investigation.

Cartoon By: Mariana Riano

News 23

Disastrous Homeland Security Departures

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Brianna Butler Staff Writer

On April 6th, Kirstjen Nielsen officially

announced that she would be leaving her position as secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Three days following this event, Deputy Secretary Claire Gray has also submitted a resignation. This has left many to wonder what will be the future for DHS. Replacing Nielsen is Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. Senior administration officials stated that the former secretary had no intentions of quitting prior to a meeting with President Trump. They had recommended her to step down from her position, and the departure shortly followed suit. “I find this situation rather concerning,” begins freshman Nicholas Chavez. “I’m not sure I can predict what’s going on, but I’m confident there will be a change in direction with the DHS from now on.” Trump has made many modifications within the agency in recent weeks due to his growing frustration with migrants crossing the U.S. southern border.

After firing Nielsen, he has clearly stated to want to pursue a “tougher direction” with his immigration policy (The Washington Post).

There has been a large depletion of members of the DHS recently. If Lee Cissna departs as well, the DHS will be without a permanent leader in most of its top jobs, including Secretary, Deputy Secretary, head of FEMA, head of ICE, head of USCIS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Secret Service. It is believed that this purge of officials is because the

President wishes to make multitudes of changes to laws as well as pursue things he could not have accomplished with the previous group of officials. “I never knew how many people had left the DHS. It’s really eye-opening to see the amount

as well as reinstating a version of the family separation policy of 2018. Training put out by the Trump administration encourages officers to question an asylum seeker’s credibility. They are also pushing for Customs and Border Protection officers

Graphic By: Taylor Causey of positions that are now empty,” states sophomore Valentina Terry. The new agenda that the White House wants to move forward with includes making it harder for asylum seekers to pass their initial screenings to avoid immediate deportation

to do the screening interviews rather than professional asylum officers from US Citizenship and Immigration Service.

“I’m curious to see when the Trump administration will begin to implement

their ideas. They seem to be willing to make people against these notions want to resign from Homeland Security,” states senior Leanna Basanta. As a result of these actions, fewer people are found credible enough to pass the screening.

Trump has also become an advocate of the family separation policy. Nielsen had refused to bring the law back; however, McAleenan, her temporary successor, does not have a negative opinion on the matter. Bringing this law back would be possible despite a court ruling stating the government deciding to separate parents and children is unconstitutional.

“I personally don’t agree with the tougher policies Donald Trump wants to implement. I’m glad news like this is being covered. We need to keep the public aware about what has been occurring,” says junior Samantha Cruz. The Trump administration wants to add “binary choice,” giving the government permission to ask parents to choose between detention or separation.

They were openly beginning to consider bringing this plan to reality during the fall, due to the number of families on USMexico border beginning to reach unusual levels (CNN).

Overall, there has been an abnormally large amount of resignations taking place within the DHS. With many leadership positions empty, the administration has plans on being able to implement a policy stricter than before. Despite the fact that nothing has been passed at the moment, the beginning ideas on what changes should be made is already becoming clear.

TRIGGER WARNING

For the Sake of the Survivors Alan Matthew technology editor

T

he children are our future. We’ve all heard these quintessential words at some point during our lives. After all, children become teenagers, and teenagers become adults. It’s along this path that experiences, lessons, and significant events, among other things, shape young adults as they come of age. But, oftentimes, in today’s changing America, this journey of development is littered with stresses and anxieties that are far removed from anything the generation before us is familiar with. These obstacles are different now and have evolved; they encompass an assortment of issues, but the most worrying by far comes in the form of gun violence —notably in the form of school shootings— and the effects said gun violence has on the mental health of America’s youth.

This issue came to a harrowing head in the wake of last year’s Parkland shooting, which devastated not only Floridian communities, but struck fear and grief in communities throughout the United States.

This past spring break, it once again came to the forefront of the minds of parents and children alike in the most crushing and overwhelming way possible: the suicides of two Parkland survivors —and in the space of a week. Freshman Austin Mathew says, “It’s heart wrenching, but it feels like the only thing we can do besides mourn is address what led her to suicide in the first place and then do whatever we can to try to prevent it from happening again.” The losses have shed further light on the dis-

tressing consequences of school shootings in the minds of many.

Last year, following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, Florida passed a bill that allocated $69 million for mental health initiatives to school districts around the state. However, much of the legislation that pushed for those funds never mentioned suicide prevention or PTSD at all.

The Miami Herald reports that this meant, on the surface level, only fifty of Florida’s sixty-seven counties even mentioned the risk of suicide in their plans to tackle any mental health crises in the months or year following the MSD tragedy. Of course, the complexity of the factors that pushes someone to take their own life is impossible to undersell and difficult to address.

But every effort to prevent such an occurrence has to be taken, and taken efficiently.

As sophomore Emily Danzinger put it, “[In] light of the recent suicides of two [of the] Parkland survivors, several questions have been raised as to whether concern over mental health has truly become a priority in our schools and our society.

It is very important to remember that even if one is not directly [a] witness to such a tragedy, the implications on mental health are just as serious.” To many, the prioritization of school and the accompanying work can often feel dominating in the time that follows a tragedy like Parkland — or Columbine or Santa Fe or Frederick Douglas.

This is only exacerbated when the pressure to readjust and go back to “normal”

afterwards seems unyielding. Please note, any conversation on these matters can vary in applicability throughout every individual case. But, a conversation still must be had. In senior Muriel Morales’ opinion, “[Those survivors] needed time to grieve just like any person does. No person is capable of keeping their emotions inside.

No person is supposed to keep their emotions inside. We’re not structured to be that way. We need time to grieve and hurt to release the pain inside. I don’t feel they got the chance to do that and they really should have.”

Ultimately, there is no one solution and there never will be. Acceptance of this fact is in no way admitting defeat; it is only an acceptance of reality in order to move forward more effectively.

Truly speaking, there won’t ever be a permanent fix to the problem of mental health as it relates to trauma, especially considering its nuance and ever changing nature. In the words of junior Robert Hershey, “While we just want the best for our friends or loved ones, and it hurts us to see them going through depression or suicidal thoughts, we need to remember that they are the victims, not us.”

As he continued to say, the work necessary “to remove the stigma around depression, teen suicide, and mental health as a whole,” while tackling those issues at the same time must not erase the situations of those fighting their battles on a more personal level. In the end, the pervasiveness

of these problems can only be impeded, or at least halted, through a collective effort with the most knowledgeable, the most experienced, and the most resolute leading the charge.

If you or anyone you know suffers from PTSD, mental health issues, or suicidal thoughts please do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK [8255]. Our guidance counselors, Mrs. Maycock and Mrs. Moses, are available throughout the day for anyone seeking help.

80-90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/ or medication.