Clubs Cheer as Holidays Near
To read more about the clubs holiday activites see pgs. 12 - 15
Ainsley McCormick Editor -in-Chief Brittany Evelyn Managing Editors - Content & Layout Chatter Daily News Ariana Ortiz Web Managing Editor Ariana Ortiz - Content Maxine Martinez - Layout Business Managers Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisors Mr. P. Bayer Principal Caroline Kadir News Editor Paolo Barrera Student Life Editor Alan Mathew Technology Editor
Contents
The C.H.C. Staff
Jordan Alberti Sports Editor Florencia Azcurra and Emma Caulfield Features Editor Sofia Azcurra Entertainment Editor Rachel Rivera Lifestyle Editor
Student Life:
Sophia Cortes Voices Versus Violence Brianna Butler and Kiersten Warren Community Outreach Justin Dourvetakis- The CHAT Andres Alfonso - Web Photo Editors Justin Pierce Graphics Editor Content Staff: Austin Basso, Brianna Butler, Emma Caulfield, Sophia Cortes, Rebekah Jacob, Caroline Kadir, Maxine Martinez, Michael Muela, Arianna Ozuna, Aidan Ryan Layout Staff: Monica Lazada, Rebekah Jacob, Caroline Kadir, Lillian McCormick, Brittany Evelyn, Ainsley McCormick Photography Staff: Nicholas Amad, Aijah Harper, Aryiel Bryant, Maya Cabrera, Francesca Brito GRAPHIC STAFF: Rosa Gomez, Henry Severe, Jasmin Bleus, Taylor Causey, Matthew Morales, Carolina Othon
Rho Kappa Gifts a Lot of Happiness Nagi Wins “First Are You Smarter than a Teacher?” Event
Features: Jags Favorite Holiday Food
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
Gurleen Cambow’s Diwali Celebration
News: Remembering George H. W. Bush Code Black Drills Arrive at Charter
Entertainment
Pg. 14 - 15
Student Life: Pgs. 4-5
Sports:
Sports: Pgs. 8 - 10
Lifestyle:
Twin Jags Sign to Panthers Soccer Team
Ballin’ on a Budget this Holiday Season
December Sports Wrap-Up
Holiday Recipes for Everyone
Entertainment:
Clubs:
The Grinch Editorial Movie Review
Giving Back to “Angels” This Holiday Season
2019 Reels in New Entertainment
A Whimsical Winter Wonderland for Everybody
Technology:
Vocies Versus Violence:
Seasonal Stocking Stuffers
EDITORIAL - NRA: Don’t Silence the Life Savers
The New Ultimatum: Smash Bros. Franchise Grows
Can Scanning Social Media Stop School Shootings?
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Student Life CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Everyone Has a Story Kelsey St. Louis
Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor
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elsey likes to watch Full House and Friends. She knows how to perfectly form a joke and when to say it. She wants to pursue a career in the acting industry to live like the stars she loves watching on screen. All these little things are what make up the person that junior Kelsey St. Louis is. The stories, the humor, the random acts of kindness, and her spontaneous personality set Kelsey apart from the hundreds of faces in the student body. Everyone has their own story, and like her name suggests, Kelsey’s is a bright and cheerful one that without a doubt will motivate others to write their own story. Seven magnitude earthquakes are scary, but surviving them is even scarier. The catastrophe that left houses in rubble and close to 230,000 people dead in 2010, hit
close to home for Kelsey. The family she has in Haiti had their homes threatened and hearts broken after the disastrous earthquake hit. Being the attentive and thoughtful person she is, Kelsey decided to use the advantages she had living in the United States to help them in any way she could. In the only way she could. Beginning in 2010, the year the earthquake hit, St. Louis and her family began to send in anything they could offer to the people who needed it more than they did. “I’ve been sending care packages to Haiti for years now,” says St. Louis. “I fill it with clothes that I don’t wear anymore, canned goods, candy, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, hair accessories, diapers and baby wipes and a lot of other things to either family members in need or their neighbors.” Kelsey defines herself through her actions and words. She aspires to be kinder and more caring every day and does things that not only give her the satisfaction that she has helped people, but things that she knows will make the people around her smile a little more. “It has taught me to Image From: Reddit
pay attention to other’s needs,” said St. Louis. Sending the care packages every month for the past 8 years has taught Kesley to be an even better person than she was the day before. The saying “She’s a ray of sunshine” or “the room lights up when she walks in” can without a question be used to describe
“ She aspires to be kinder and more caring every day and does things that not only give her the satisfaction that she has helped people, but things that she knows will make the people around her smile a little more.
”
Kelsey. The friendly junior goes out of her way to make everyone feel welcomed and is always trying to create cheerful atmosphere for anyone she's with. “I would like to say I’m a nice person. Since I was little I’ve always made it my goal to be the nicest person in the room and to make sure everyone is included,” says St. Louis. “I even won an award for it in 8th grade.” Her outgoing and radiant personality has helped her learn new things and how to be
a better version of herself, which to Kelsey, is something she considers extremely important. Having such a lively and outgoing character, has inspired her to want to pursue a career in the acting industry. St. Louis spends her time idolizing her favorite actors and actresses in her favorite shows. The old spirit admires 90’s shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Family Matters and movies like Clueless. “I also would like to say I’m a bit old school. I enjoy the whole 90’s era: the fashion, the shows and movies, [and] the simplicity of it all.” Being on a stage and living the glamorous lifestyle suits Kelsey. She hopes to spread the smiles she has to offer through not only her character but through other stage characters as well! One story couldn't describe the person Kesley St. Louis is. The junior radiates positive energy like the sun radiates warmth. Her inner peacefulness and chase for a kinder world distinguish her warm characteristics and kind intentions. Kelsey had her own story, and it’s one filled with spreading the joy and happiness she had to offer.
Nagi Wins “First Are You Smarter than a Teacher?” With a round of applause and a buzz
in the air, SGA’s “Are You Smarter than a Teacher?” kicked off. On the student side, 12 students varying in grade level and expertise, were eager to get the game going. Senior Johnny Lynch said, “I was really excited to get up there and try my hand at the game. Even if I didn’t win or I got knocked out early, I would have been fine with it because of the experience itself.” On the teacher side, 5 teachers and Mr. Bayer assembled to take down the student team. To describe the rules of the game was pretty simple: a question was put on the projector in subjects ranging from math to history to science. Contestants would then get a short time to write their answer on their small white board before presenting it to the judge, junior Brianna Alvarez. If the question was correct, the team gained a point; however, if the player got the question wrong, they would get a strike. For the student team, each player was granted 2 strikes, and the teachers were each granted 4 points to even out the 12 student to 6 teacher ratio. SGA President Krissana Abolafia admitted, “The event shaped up to be really fun. From all the planning we put into the event, it ran very smoothly besides one very minor hiccup. I’m very
Jordan Alberti Sports Editor
proud of everyone involved in the event, whether that be participating, planning, or simply attending.” As the game began, the questions were fairly simple, asking about simple algebra or grammar, then moving to much tougher questions as the game continued. By the end of the game, there were two participants left: Bilal Nagi and Robert Hershey, dueling it out for the glory of being named champion. In the end, Bilal Nagi would prevail from the duel, being crowned as the inaugural champion of the “Are You Smarter than a Teacher”? event. Senior Ryan Gonzalez said, “The event was entertaining throughout and held my attention. I was playing along with the rest of the crowd also so it was really fun to be in the audience. I hope they keep the event going for the students next year.” All in all, the night was a success. From a great buildup to the event and promotion from SGA to a grueling duel to cap the night off with Nagi as champion, the event was successful. We will be looking forward to next year’s edition of “Are You Smarter than a Teacher?”
Tick Tock: Bilal Nagi and Mr. Bayer faced off during the game show. Donated By: Gianna Corea
Student Life 5
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Rho Kappa Gifts a Lot of Happiness Rebekah Jacob Clubs Editor
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riting customized letters to soldiers overseas while enjoying a lively and highspirited holiday party is exactly what drew in students from all grades to participate in Rho Khappa’s “Gift A Little Happiness” event. On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, one of PPCHS’ social studies honor society, Rho Kappa, hosted their second annual “Gift A Little Happiness” event after school, where students were given the opportunity to personally write short letters to soldiers stationed overseas as a heartwarming gift for the holidays. With about 30 students present and actively engaged, this event proved to be an equally enjoyable and successful experience for countless jags as well as Rho Kappa. Gift A Little Happiness didn’t just award students the chance to gather together as a body, but rather consecrate time to personalize sweet and encouraging letters to soldiers for the holiday season. With our country’s soldiers constantly risking their lives to serve millions of individuals around them, this was a rather reflective and uplifting time for PPCHS students. This event surely hit home for numerous jags, such as sophomore Evan Tobon. “It’s a very nice act to write letters to our hard-working soldiers. With my dad in the military, although he never deployed, has plenty of friends in other branches who have had to go out into battle. With this being said, I definitely know what it means to them to receive letters like these. I just hope it brings them joy and reminds them of the main goal: to make it back home safe,” Tobon said. Although many fail to realize the reality of the lives of soldiers among us, it’s safe to say that students at PPCHS recognize the hardships that our country’s soldiers have
Photos By: Rebekah Jacob
endured through this far, and have nothing but love and encouragement to share with them this holiday season. “Writing these letters are a good thing, as soldiers don’t really get to visit their family or even return home. Letter-writing is a traditional form of art and communication, and it’ll
surely bring the soldiers joy and comfort to their day,” senior Shirin Jacob said. With the holidays coming around the corner, soldiers are bound to have a hopeful and enjoyable time, even apart from their family, thanks to our selfless PPCHS students. This occasion, aside from handwriting
personalized letters to our diligent soldiers at work, was also simultaneously a fun-themed holiday party. The entire room was decked out with red and green Christmas lights, and topped off with a sparkling Christmas tree filled with various holidaythemed ornaments and other distinct decorations. And thanks to our committed Rho Kappa members and officers, a surplus of various holiday-themed delectable foods were donated, making the experience all the more festive and delicious. Ranging from red and green sugar cookies to donuts to hot chocolate, the entire experience truly felt like a holiday wonderland. To add the cherry on top of an already ideal occasion, Mr. Curry volunteered to play Christmas music as jags were eagerly writing their letters. Junior Ikenna Ezenwa says, “It’s a nice act of service to the soldiers in return for all their hard work and perseverance they sacrifice for millions of individuals around the country. With it being the holiday season, it’s a good and simple way to lift their spirits, as all of us are so thankful for their service.” PPCHS students and teachers alike are extremely grateful for our country’s soldiers, and Gift A Little Happiness was just one small opportunity for students to express their thankfulness this holiday season. Rho Kappa has yet again proved Gift A Little Happiness a major hit, and their efforts and hard work into organizing this occasion is not to be neglected. Countless students are so thankful for our country’s soldiers, and were fortunately allowed this opportunity to give back to them this holiday season and spread holiday cheer. With events such as these, the PPCHS body stands to make a difference to our community, one step at a time.
Pancake Breakfast Proves to be a Perfect Brunch Ainsley McCormick
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Editor-In-Chief
s the smell of fresh buttermilk pancakes wafted through the cafeteria, students from Charter, and other Broward county schools alike, shuffled into the PPCHS Key Club’s annual pancake breakfast – a fun filled event that lasted from 11 AM – 3 PM. It featured all you can eat pancakes, activities, and teacher pieing. Before the event even began, kids were lined up outside of the doors to the cafeteria anticipating a brunch full of pancakes, bagels, donuts, hot chocolate, and more. With an entrance fee of $5, students were allowed to stuff down as many pancakes they could stomach and as much fun as they could handle. “Pancake Breakfast is the most important event PPCHS Key Club hosts every year, the entire community and Division 24B of Key Club come together to discuss last month and upcoming months service projects along with eating a ridiculous amount of pancakes to help end neonatal tetanus disease,” said Key Club’s President Falak Abbasakoor. The board members of Key Club, as well as parent volunteers, arrived at the cafeteria to set up for the event as early as 8:30 AM with decorations and pancake mix in hand. For the next two and a half hours they worked hard to transform the cafeteria into a wintry-cafe. Located near Senior Square was a photo booth with a homemade paper Christmas tree and a stack of holiday wrapped boxes. Throughout the day, attendees would stop by for a photoop with the club’s historian, Megan Fraga. A table was positioned to the right, where unlimited hot chocolate was being served. It was kept warm in a crockpot, and was available to anyone who wanted a warm cup of chocolate deliciousness to compliment their pancakes. “The hot chocolate was my favorite because it was made in the crock pot, and I could have as much as I wanted. I love any chocolate flavored drink,” said freshman Alexandra Brown. This table was set up at the end of the line where the pancakes were being served. Three long cafeteria tables were aligned together and were topped with pancakes, Einstein’s bagels, Dunkin Donuts’ donuts, apple and orange juice, syrup, chocolate chips, and more. The line became so long
that it was wrapped around the cafeteria as if it were the lunch line! Speaking of lunch line, at the far end of the cafeteria, where the lunch line usually wraps around was the area where teachers were taking pies to the face. Teachers arrived with ponchos and goggles as they prepared to be slammed in the face with shaving cream pies. Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Maye were the two crowd favorites, as some even paid as much as $10 to pie them five times. However, not all of the shaving cream ended up on the teachers, as the pieing proved to be much harder than it seemed. Mr. Maye was decked out in a full poncho, although this didn’t really help when it came down to it. Some seniors, like John Lynch, even got the chance to sit down in the pieing chair, as the roles were reversed, and get pied by teachers! “It was funny that Mr. Maye was the one doing [the pieing]. He, Leslie [Cordero] and Megan [Fraga] both slammed me straight in the face and it got all over me. The trash bag didn't do much help and it took a lot of cleaning to get all the shaving cream out of my hair, my eyes, and my clothes,” he said. Having students in the hot seat was a twist that changed from previous years and ended up getting more students involved. “It was fun and productive, the pancakes were good, I hung out with my friends, and I got to pie Mr. Maye twice,” said senior Spencer Nick. Next to the pie area was a table set up for face painting, which the younger kids loved! Senior Samantha Delgado was the artist behind the paint, skillfully designing everything from batman masks to Christmas trees. The high schoolers waited to go after the younger kids, but it was apparent that they were just as excited to get their face painted as well. Whether they were pieing someone or getting their face painted, students took full advantage of the opportunity to eat as many pancakes as they wanted -- some even returning for fourth and fifth servings. Whether it be plain or piled high with whipped cream, each attendee enjoyed pancakes a la carte. Each table was decorated with a festive tablecloth, as well as pine trees and fake poinsettias. HOSA had a designated table in which attendees could guess the number of bottle caps in a can as
Hit Hard: Senior Leslie Cordero pies Mr. Maye right in the face. Photo By: Megan Fraga
Photo By: Megan Fraga
a cute activity. “The HOSA booth was cool. I’m upset I didn’t guess the number of caps correctly though. It was still fun even though I lost,” said sophomore Connor Phillips, who also enjoyed four played of pancakes. Throughout the day, everyone enjoyed the breakfast served, as well as the activities taking place. Overall, it was a festive start to the holidays that raised almost $900 for UNICEF and provided kids with pancakes until they could handle no more!
Photo By: Megan Fraga
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Features CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
The Difference of Two Holiday Celebrations A ‘Lit’ Diwali Celebration for Cambow Sofia Azcurra
entertainment
Since senior Gurleen Cambow was born, celebrating the festival lights, most famously known as Diwali, has always been something to look forward to. The festive holiday is associated with the god of prosperity and symbolizes victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. “It's a really important holiday, especially considering the message behind why Sikh’s celebrate it,” she stated. The high-spirited holiday, celebrated by those who practice Hinduism and Sikhism, doesn’t stop at celebrating the win of good over evil. To recognize the light, candles are usually lit and put around one’s house at night. “It acts as a metaphor to rid the darkness,” explained Cambow. More importantly Cambow’s family attends their temple at night to light more candles and pray into the night. However, the night doesn’t end there. They close off their time at the temple with fireworks before making their way back inside to begin the family festivities in their traditional clothing. Most commonly feasted on in Cambow’s Sikh temple is langar, food at the Gurudwara (the temple Gurleen attends), along with roti, a type of bread, rice, curries/lentils, and jalebi or gulab jamun, a sweet treat. “While my family doesn’t do any traditions, I think spreading Diwali’s message is important because these kind of holidays, on spreading the positivity of good, is hard to come by,” said Cambow. Aside
Editor
from the message, the diverse food and aesthetic of lights is something that leaves itself open for everyone to try out. “The best part of our temple, Guruwara, is that it’s welcome to everyone. As Sikh’s we are always proud and even show people the process on how everything works,” explained Cambow. The togetherness of the holiday is what makes it so unique. Most importantly it reminds us all, Sikh or not, that light always triumphs darkness.
The Menorah Shines Bright for Hannukah It is evident around the halls of PPCHS that the holiday season is in full swing. Decorations have been hung around classrooms, the holiday playlist has begun to echo through the buildings, and the joy that the season brings is apparent on the faces of students around campus. Of course, the holiday season brings various cultures together through their celebrations. One of them is Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that started on December 2nd and ends December 10th. The holiday commemorates a large-scale rebellion, led by Judah, which drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem. After the rebellion ended, Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple and light a menorah. The branches of the well-known menorah represent knowledge and creation, and are supposed to burn every night throughout the holiday. Senior Julia Stern celebrates Hanukkah and loves every minute of it. In fact, the best part about the holiday seems to be the senior’s beloved celebrations and family time. “My favorite part of Hanukkah is the last day because it's normally the day where I get the biggest gift and it’s always nice to end another year and celebrate with my family.” The peak of her holiday is the many long-standing traditions with her family. “One of our biggest traditions is a huge dinner my mom and grandma make on the first night, and, as we eat, we also reminisce on previous Hanukkah's.” Julia
is proud to be a Jewish student at PPCHS, and feels comfortable here knowing that other students share her sentiments. The thing to be taken away from Julia’s message is simple: always be proud of your own culture and religion.
Features 7
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Jags Favorite Holiday Food
Caroline Kadir News Editor
“My family goes all out for the holiday season. I love coming home to the aroma of sweets that fill the air. During the holiday season we bake more frequently than normal. We bake snowball & oatmeal raisin cookies, pecan pies, and most importantly gingerbread. There is nothing better than a sweet Christmas.” - Junior Riley Rosendall
“During the holidays, specifically for Christmas, my family makes an abundant amount of delicious tamales. Along with the tamales, I also eat cornbread on Christmas. For as long as I can remember I have always had these foods during the holiday season, you could even say it’s tradition in my family.” - Junior Maria Vargas
“For Christmas my family typically eats food like ham, but one thing that we always have around Christmas time is coquito. Coquito is a drink made up of sweet ingredients like coconut milk, condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla. It’s extremely tasty!” Junior Tatiana Sosa
“For Christmas I eat pork, chicken, rice, potatoes, and monkey bread. Basically I eat the classics!” -Sophomore Abraham Nunez
“The holiday season is seriously the sweetest season. I bake a ton of sweets like cookies, cakes, and the most delightful banana nut bread. Also my family makes a great ham for the holidays.” -Senior Denise Dookeran
“Almost every Christmas Eve my family and I go to an Italian restaurant, but if we don’t do that my mom will make her homemade lasagna. Every Christmas morning I wake up to my dad making BLT sandwiches.” - Senior Megan Bush
“I am going to be visiting my grandparents house in Miami and make gingerbread houses with them.” Carlos Carrillo
“Most importantly, I plan to hang with family and friends. Being on break, relaxing, watching Netflix, and being with my family during Christmas Time: definitely the most important things for me during the holidays.” Warren Frederick
“My family makes a feast for Christmas. We have pork, ham, carrot cake, gingerbread cookies and that’s just to name a few.” Freshman Sergio Marrero
“Every Christmas we normally eat: ham, corn, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, fresh cranberry sauce, scalloped potatoes, and for dessert we eat homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream.” - Freshman Kacie Slavick
“I’m going to my aunt’s house on Christmas Eve to celebrate Noche Buena. We’re going to have a big dinner like we always do with all of our family.” Justin Gonzalez
“I’m going to do a little mini Christmas on Saturday with my sister and mom in Orlando, and then celebrating with my sister on Christmas day with video games and food!” Angela Apolaro-Sudol
“I will be seeing my aunts and my uncles in Naples for Christmas and spending most of the break there. This year is going to be more relaxed since we usually go to New York for Christmas, but this year we won’t be going. It’ll be a fun change to stay in Florida for Christmas.” Christopher James
“I’m enjoying my time with my family celebrating Christmas with friends. We’re doing a lot of white elephant gift exchanges where my sister, who comes home every Christmas, reads a poem and after every line we pass down the gifts and by the time the poem is finished, everyone gets a gift.” Sage Andrews
“I am planning to enjoy some quality time with my family on the road. We’re planning to drive up to Tennessee for a family outing.” Arvin Saji
“I am going to New York City to see family that havent seen in almost ten years and we were gonna have a really big dinner with the whole family. We are gonna make fun memories.” Gabriel Alonzo
Sports
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CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Eleven Super Stars Commit on Signing Day Eliza Gonzalez S
tar softball pitcher Eliza Gonzalez will be attending Lander University in the fall of 2019 to play on their team. “The weather up there in South Carolina is so pretty and the school is gorgeous.” Happy to be attending college, Eliza faces the bitter sweet truth that she will be leaving her friends on the softball team. As she has grown up playing ball with these girls, leaving them means that she is leaving family. Softball even presented her with the opportunity to meet her best Katelyn De Leon, resulting in their 8 year friendship. She commented that leaving De Leon is basically like leaving a sister. “Hopefully we leave with hope instead of heartbreak,” she said.
Katelynn De Leon S
tar catcher Katelynn De Leon will be attending Troy University in Troy, Alabama. De Leon fell in love with the school, citing that the coaches and players made her feel very at home. She said, “First and foremost, I would like to thank God. My parents, brother, and grandparents have pushed me every day to help me improve my game since I started playing ball.” De Leon also is thankful for her coaches who have prepared her for the college level and her friends, who have played ball with her through her whole life and cheered her on the whole time.
Zaira Nunez Z
aira Nunez is one of fastest players on the softball team and makes outstanding plays on the diamond. When National Signing Day finally arrived, Nunez decided to remain local, and signed with Broward College. When picking a college to attend, Zaira had to determine what was best for her, as well as her family. “At first, I had two D-1 offers from South Carolina and Daytona Beach. I turned them down because at the end of the day, they weren’t giving me enough money. When Broward offered me a full ride, I just figured it’s closer to home, it’ll save a lot of money, and then I could just transfer after my two years.” Nunez is excited to attend BC and get to work on the softball field in the fall
Isaak Andrade F
or Isaak Andrade’s next step in life, he will be attending South Virginia University on a lacrosse scholarship. After meeting the players and visiting the campus, Andrade decided SVU was the school for him and he is excited to get to work. “The school provides some of the best lacrosse on the east coast,” he said. Not only does SVU provide Andrade a place to continue playing lacrosse, but their excellent EMT and Medic program helped attract Andrade to the school, as he hopes to continue his firefighting career. He thanked his coaches, his family, and his friends for all being there to support him and cheering him on.
Malerie Busha
On National Signing Day, star outfielder Malerie Busha chose Northwest Florida as the school she would attend for the next 4 years. “I am going to miss Pines Charter so much. I love playing softball here, it’s a great atmosphere and I love my teammates. My favorite softball memory is probably winning States last year with my girls.” When Malerie first heard about NFU and visited their campus, it was love at first sight. “I love it. I’m really happy with the decision that I made to commit to Northwest Florida, and I’m really excited for the upcoming season, and my first college season.
Photos Donate
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Sports 9
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Angelina Pascual A
ngelina Pascual’s arm is like cannon, as she constantly strikes out batters with her nasty changeups and devastating curveballs. Pascual just recently signed with Quinnipiac University, and couldn’t be happier about going to college. “I love my school. I was told by a coach I know to imagine I wasn’t playing softball and ask myself if I would still attend without athletics. As soon as I saw the beautiful campus and mountains surrounding it, I knew Quinnipiac was the school for me.” With her future in sight, she won’t be forgetting all the people who helped her become the great player she is: her father and two pitching coaches, Coach Hillary and Coach Jim. Angelina will graduate from PPCHS in May 2019. In the fall, she will attend Quinnipiac University.
Isabella Devesa S
ince she was eight years old, Isabella Devesa has had a passion for softball running deep through her veins. However, before her love for softball began, she dipped her foot in the waters of other sports. “I started off playing different sports, but from growing watching my sister play I decided to give it a try and I’ve been playing ever since” says Devesa. Now in her senior year, Isabella has committed to Elon University in Elon, North Carolina to play D1 softball. Devesa says “It was all thanks to my coaches, family, and closest friends who have all been so supportive and helpful through it all.”
Maxwell Romero Jr. S
tar catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. officially signed himself with Vanderbilt University on National Signing Day after being committed to the prestigious Nashville school for over a year. “I have to thank God for the place he has put me in, my family for going everywhere with me, to games and tournaments all around the country. I have to thank my dad especially, sacrificing his time and effort to help me perfect my craft, both fielding and hitting.” After hitting .333 in his junior year, with 4 HR’s, Romero looks to follow up the stellar season with an even stronger senior season, and hopefully a state title before heading off to Vanderbilt.
Maegan Calandra S
tar shortstop Maegan Calandra signed with Appalachian State University on National Signing Day this year. “The atmosphere and community surrounding App State really pulled me in. Everyone up there supports you and offers their help with whatever you need. I can’t wait to go up there and be a part of that community,” said the shortstop. Through the countless hours of fielding, hitting, and training, physically and mentally, Calandra helped lead the Jaguars to a state title last year and secured her scholarship with Appalachian State as well. Recently, App State won the Sun Belt Conference championship and Calandra of course was glued to her TV watching it. “It was super cool to watch them win the title. Hopefully, they can keep it up for the next 4 years. I’m just so blessed and excited to go up there
By Players
10 Sports
Twin Jags Staying in the Jungle CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Austin Basso Staff Writer
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mong the multitude of athletes signing on November 14th, sisters Trinity and Charity O’Neal signed to play at FIU together. Having played soccer since they were 4 years old, they have always loved the game of soccer and the styles of play involved in the sport. While they are twins, they explore two different worlds. Charity plays as a forward, looking to create goals while her sister plays in the back as a defender, looking to stop opposing players from scoring goals. Over the years, Trinity has visited the school very often with it being local. When she made her first visit to the school sophomore year, O’ Neal was determined to make it to FIU, academically and athletically. Over the past 14 years, her passion and love for soccer have driven her to where she is now, but what sold her on FIU was the academics along with the chance to play soccer as well. She has heard nothing but good things about FIU over the years in high school. “I am really excited to attend FIU after my last year here at Charter. Gaining knowledge on and off the pitch will be essential to helping shape into a successful woman in this world,” she said. Through training from her parents and coaches, Trinity was able to refine her craft over the years. Her motivation for playing hard every game is unique. “My dad always told me how my big brother would be watching the game, so I had to give my 100% because he is one of my biggest inspirations.” Senior Chelsee Umbarita is one of Trinity’s best friends. “Both Trinity and Charity are great leaders. Their chemistry on and off the field is astounding and their work ethic is even better. I can’t wait to see the
impact they make on the team at FIU and I know for a fact they are going to fit very well there [at FIU],” said Umbarita. “These twins are a strong fighting force and will continue to fight till the end. They will give everything they have, in the classroom and on the field, to being the best they can be and helping FIU win and themselves as well.” Charity is super excited to be playing college soccer at FIU. “I know that once I step onto campus, I am going to have to battle for a spot and I am prepared for that. The coaches will get my 100% every day and so will my professors. I am determined to excel on and off the pitch.” Charity had a special thanks for her coaches, who not only helped her perfect her craft, but also aided her in the recruitment process. Charity’s best friend, Adriana Sapp, had some kind words about both sisters. “I’ve watched the two play soccer for a long time. I have been watching them before they were playing here at Charter or on a travel team. The chemistry they have developed with any teammates they play with is astounding and I know they will do everything in their power to succeed at FIU. I’m looking forward to attending their games.” The three had talked about the future before. The twins had mentioned FIU multiple times, and when Sapp heard the news about both O’Neal twins going to FIU, she was ecstatic and she knew that it was going to be a great fit. As for Charity and Trinity in the present, they are beginning their senior year of soccer here at Charter, gearing up to lead the Jaguars far in the playoffs and hopefully leave Charter as state champions.
Donated By: Charity O’Neal
Sports Wrap Up: Soccer, Basketball Austin Basso & Michael Muela Staff Writers
Boys’ soccer has come out the gates
scorching after beating Coconut Creek 6-1, moving their record to 5-1 on the year. They have scored 23 goals so far this season and have an average of about 4 goals per game. After tying against Coconut Creek, Stranahan High, the Jaguars next opponent, will be looking to get their first win of the year while Charter looks to move to 6-1 on the year. The girls’ soccer team put away Coconut Creek in a shutout on Tuesday, December 4, 2018. They scored 8 goals just in that game, tying for the 2nd most goals that they have scored in a single game this season. Their most scored goals [12] remains in the game against Hallandale. The girls have scored a total of 33 goals this year, averaging 5 goals per game. Their record is 4-1-1. After losing the first game and tying the second game, they are on a four game winning streak. They will look to ride the 4 game winning streak with important games coming up soon. Basketball: The boys’ basketball season just tipped off, with the Jags standing at
1-2. In the opener, they beat Fort Lauderdale by a score of 63-58 in a close affair. Charter outscored them in the first quarter by 2 points and 3 points in the third quarter, which proved to be pivotal to the end result. They then played Boyd Anderson in another close affair, losing 52-46. Charter outscored them in the first two quarters by a total of 8 points. Charter went cold in the second half as they scored a total of 17 points and Boyd Anderson scored a total of 31 points in the second half. Girls Basketball is underway. In the first game that they played, they lost against Plantation High. Charter was outscored in every quarter except the second, when they outscored Plantation by 1 point. The girls knew that they had to bounce back from the loss and win their first home game. They played Monarch at home, beating them by 3 points. They played Stranahan High School on the road and lost 56-30. On Monday, they played Pompano Beach at home, showing Pompano whose house it was, crushing them 60-29. It was a close
game until the third quarter, when Charter started making every shot and scored 25 points in just one quarter. Their record is 2-2, but they are undefeated at home.
Photo By: PhotoYou4Life
Photo By: PhotoYou4Life
Photo By: Andres Alfonso
Lifestyle 11
Holiday Recipes for Everyone
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Maxine Martinez Business Manager
The holiday season is in full swing! Along with the joyous and exciting season, comes plenty of opportunities to eat some great food. Despite the end of November, the festivities are far from over. Here are some fun and easy dishes that will fulfill all your holiday needs! This first recipe is the perfect treat for a holiday morning or a late night snack!
Cinnabons
Directions: 1.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. 2.After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. 3.Roll dough into a 16x21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 4.Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
Ingredients •1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) •2 eggs, room temperature •1/3 cup margarine, melted •4 1/2 cups bread flour •1 teaspoon salt •1/2 cup white sugar •2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast •1 cup brown sugar, packet •2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon •1/3 cup butter, softened •1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened •1/4 cup butter, softened •1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar •1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ballin’ on a Budget this Holiday Season Kiersten Warren Community Outreach
As students put up their holiday decor just
in time for the chilly breeze to hit South Florida, we all realize that the holidays aren’t that far off. With it now being officially the holiday season, the words “Secret Santa” and “Elephant Gift Exchange” come to mind. Although holiday joy is hitting us, it can also empty our wallets quickly. “The month of December kind of automatically means ‘expensive’ for most of us,” says senior Sofia Ramirez. “You have to buy gifts and food for parties and more stuff. It's just a lot.” Luckily, there are some local places that will leave you with some leftover money to spend. Located in Westfork Plaza, there are multiple stores that sell items for a bargain. Ross and TJ Maxx, near Publix and Regal Cinemas, sell things from designer clothing to decor for cheaper prices. “I love Ross and TJ Maxx, in fact, I get most of my spirit week outfits from there if I don’t already have them. You can get simple things there that aren’t over 20 dollars. Sometimes, you just need a quick shirt for an event and chances are that they have it,” says sophomore Chrysteannah Williams. These stores also sell accessories, purses, and cosmetics. Stores like TJ Maxx and Ross make it easy to find versatile gifts for friends. Among Ross and TJ Maxx in Westfork Plaza, another popular storefront dominates its competition. Five Below, a new
store that opened last year, sells many cute items for 5 dollars or less. The store’s slogan, “Let go and have fun,” completely describes what their products include. From coloring books to room decor, the store sells items for everyone’s taste. “I love Five Below, I get my gifts from there for Secret Santa. They have everything. Blankets, hats, watches, candy, phone accessories, sports items, and even more! It's also for a really great price, so I recommend getting that last minute gift from there,” says freshman Isabella Rodriguez. Stores like Five Below make it easier to spread holiday joy this season. A few miles down the road is the superstore Target. It’s a perfect place to get your favorite holiday gifts, especially in the one dollar section. In that area lies a bundle of cute and trendy holiday crafts and presents. Junior Kylie Casanova says, “At Target there are really cute things for cheap. They sell lights for your room, socks, mugs, more decor, candy, calendars, art, and holiday souvenirs. I get my lights for my room there, and they sell all kinds of colors. I know the holidays can mean expensive things, but not if you shop there for gifts instead of impersonalized gifts like gift cards.” It’s no wonder why Target is a popular store to get holiday tidbits! Even though most friends know what to get for each other, here is a friendly list of suggested items to make people smile this holiday season:
For female jags: • Lights • Makeup • Candles • Perfume • Jewelry • Nail Polish • Purses • Phone Case • Sunglasses Graphic By: Carlina Othon
For male jags: • Cologne • Lanyard • Speakers • Headphones • Socks • Slides • Belt • Watch • Bracelets
This next recipe is easy, quick, and festive!
Cornflake Wreath
Directions Ask your child to line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper. Although no oven is involved, you will need a place to shape your cornflake wreaths. Your helper can now help you to weigh the butter and mini marshmallows into a microwavable mixing bowl. Turn your back for a moment to snaffle a few marshmallows while your child is occupied! It’s time for you to take over and put the microwavable bowl into the microwave. Melt the butter and marshmallows on a high heat. Stir the mixture in 10-15 second intervals. The mixture tends to puff up once melted. Carefully transfer the bowl from the microwave and give it a good stir to be sure that the butter and marshmallows are combined. Use a cocktail stick or spoon to add a tiny dollop of green food coloring to the mixture. You won’t need much! Give it a good mix.
I find it easier to leave the mixture a minute or two to firm up. This also means that it will have time to cool down before your child sticks their hands in. Use a tablespoon to scoop up the mixture and place onto the baking paper. Use your fingers to shape them into wreaths. You may find it easier to put a little vegetable/ sunflower oil or butter on your fingertips as this will help avoid a sticky mess! We actually found it only took a few minutes to shape the wreaths using this method and no big clean-up was required! Now you can stick the Skittles or sprinkles straight onto your wreaths in a decorative manner. If you find that the ‘berries’ won’t stay put, then use the optional melted white Ingredients 12g butter 45g mini marshmallows (preferably white) 45g cornflakes Green gel food colouring Red Skittles/sweets or large red sprinkles for the berries. 10g white chocolate, melted (optional)
What’s Trending? Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief
Recently, South Florida faced its first
cold front of the holiday season. Kids were bundled up in all ways possible, from being wrapped up in blankets to wearing the craziest super fuzzy socks. In fact, fuzzy socks have been very popular among students. They can be found at stores like Forever 21 and Walmart, but the most popular store may very well be Target, as they sell a variety of socks for cheap. Ranging from $2 to $5, these fuzzy socks feature an assortment of red and green stripes, snowflakes, and Christmas trees. In addition to these super fuzzy socks, fuzzy jackets have been popular. Sherpa super-soft jackets are being sold in almost every store and in every color. Students have been seen wearing the jackets, embroidered with their favorite college’s logo or simply in their favorite color. Whether they are a quarter zip pullover or a full zip jacket, these also make for a great gift idea. Gifting a Sherpa jacket with initials sewn onto it will surely have the receiver fawning over their personalized present. “Anything monogrammed is super cute and is always in style, so since these jackets are trending they’re be super cute with the person’s initials on them,” said freshman Trini Rojas. If you’re not wearing your hair down to keep your shoulders warm, tie it up with a scrunchie, which is circling back around from when they were popular in the 80’s. “Velvet scrunchies can be worn in girl’s hair and on their wrists as bracelets,” said junior Bianca Molina. Scrunchies are usually sold in packs of three to five, so a variety of colors and patterns can be purchased. In addition, Starbucks and other coffee shops have been becoming increasingly popular as study spots for students. Instead of studying from their home, students have
been getting together to “have a warm drink and work on school work,” said senior Alexander Benitez. The seasonal holiday drinks at Starbucks allow students to enjoy a peppermint drink while staying inside the warm cafe. Overall, a majority of the things trending at the moment are due to the fact that students are trying to stay as warm as possible this holiday season. Hop on these trends to follow the most popular things right now!
12 Clubs CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Students Become Santa for Kids in Need Sofia Azcurra
entertainment
With Christmas right around the corner,
it's easy to forget how fortunate some are. However, clubs here at Charter serve as a small bell, with their consistent advertising on charity events, such as Operation Christmas Child. New Kids on The Block is a relatively new club that is determined to bring the light of this festive holiday to the less privileged. The anticipated drive began on November 12 and ended on November 19. While short, the drive proved successful, as dozens of boxes poured in from charter. Several boxes were handed out to all homeroom classes, each asking for supplies suited for children of different ages and varied genders. “My homeroom didn’t donate much, but I donated some stuff for a girl of any age, like small toiletries,” said senior Serena Somberg. Once the collecting period had ended, the red and green boxes were then counted so the winning homeroom could receive a breakfast party, as promised. Posters and announcements were made throughout the week, encouraging students to donate to the less fortunate for the upcoming holiday, including those teachers who went the extra mile and offered extra credit. The staff was not excluded, as an email was sent to them to participate and give as well.
More importantly, the club let the students know where the boxes were going to be delivered, as to give them more perspective on why they should donate. Although not specific, the boxes that could be carrying someone’s happiness, are being distributed to countries such as Ukraine, Rwanda, Philippines, and Peru. “It is important for our school community to come together for a greater cause. Sometimes we lose sight of what's important and forget that there are others that may not be as fortunate as we are. This even reminds everyone of that and helps get everyone in the spirit of giving for the holiday season. Sometimes it’s not about receiving but giving is just as important,” commented New Kids on The
Editor
Block sponsor Mrs. Perez. The club offers chances for students at charter to feel inclusive, participate in such events, and give back. This year Mr. Fagen’s homeroom class came in first place for Operation Christmas Child with fourteen boxes donated. The students all brought in items, from coloring books to toothpaste, in order to fill up as many boxes as they could. Operation Christmas Child has been and is being directed by several programs, but this is also not Charter’s first time participating in this event. Since 1993, the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child, was started as one of the organization’s projects to reach kids worldwide in
Photos By: Andres Alfonso
Recite Night Roars with Jaguar Poetry
passing on holiday cheer and love to needy children. It doesn’t matter what program the operation comes from, as long as the message of passing festive positivity and giving what one can to those who are unable to receive necessities is accomplished. Operation Christmas Child has always been a well-thought out and successful occasion here at Charter. New Kids on The Block has acquired all the boxes and assured that the donations were more than expected. Unfortunate kids receiving the colorful, holiday themed packaged boxes are sure to have a little more hope this upcoming holiday season.
Boxes Galore: Boxes were overflowing with items such as stuffed animals and school supplies. Photos By: Andres Alfonso
Paolo Barrera
Student life Editor
Everyone in the room held their breath
and hung on the edge of their seat. Eyes were busy in admiration and ears were enamored with the desire for more. Like the biggest roller coaster at an amusement park, students and staff headed straight for the debate room after classes ended on Friday, November 30, for the main event of the week held by NEHS: Recite Night. Participants anxiously walked through their classes on Friday, flipping through their poems and its actions in their heads. Thirty students were set to recite a poem. Performers 1 through 30 were nervous when they walked into Ms. Schwab’s room, as their time to present was getting closer before their very eyes. However, it wasn’t an aura of suspense and anxiety that hit spectators when they walked into the room. Instead, it was the feeling of admiration and awe. The debate room was darkened to the likes of a planetarium or the low-light look of a movie theater. A single spotlight shone a purple stream of light in the corner of the room where a microphone stand stood patiently. Hanging above the mic were paper candles that swayed on the strings that dangled them from the ceiling. Everyone who walked into the room were in admiration of the transformation that NEHS pulled off, and they were filled with appreciation for the magic in the room. Once NEHS President Swati Kumar performed Robert Frost’s “Mowing,” everyone in the room was enraptured with the beauty of spoken art. “I personally think this year’s Recite Night was a success. Although there are always things we hope to work on and improve for every year, I must say, our participants and all their outstanding performances were the highlight of the show,” explains Swati. “I personally thought the decorations were also super cute this year
with the added star lights and tea light bags,” Swati adds. First-time performers, such as sophomore Chrysteannah Williams, took in the sights and sounds of this new experience. In admiring the scenery, these new reciters used the opportunity to take part in Recite Night as a means to express themselves. “As a first time performer, it was really fun and exhilarating. It was kind of nerve-racking to see your name on the board, [but] I had a lot of fun,” says Chrysteannah. Seeing first-time performers, like Williams, and returning reciters present with a fresh sense of energy and confidence helped to calm the nerves of those waiting anxiously to present. From the eyes of the audience, every bold face that walked up to the mic to speak was less of a student and more of an artist. “I was impressed and fascinated by the people that went up to recite a poem,” confesses senior Gurleen Cambow. “I don’t know how I could ever do what they did.” Fans and friends, like Gurleen, were littered in the audience during Recite Night in hopes to support their peers while being entertained. It was because of these excited students that every performer received cheers and applause that echoed throughout the entire room. Recite Night was a uniquely joyful experience for everyone present in the room that day, performers and spectators alike. Once the last presenter recited her poem, a newfound feeling of satisfaction creeped in. The anxiety of having to perform and the suspense of watching friends recite were finally gone. The school week assuredly ended along with NEHS’ 2018 annual Recite Night. There’s a long way to go before poetry receives the spotlight at the Poetry Slam in February, but the beauty of spoken words lives daily within the students.
Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
Clubs 13
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
A Whimsical Winter Wonderland For Everybody
“I think the party turned out great. Overall, all the buddies had a lot of fun dancing and playing. It was awesome to see everyone interacting with one another, and it was truly an amazing experience to be a part of.” Maria Caballero
Imagine walking into a room filled with
glistening snowflakes, twinkling blue and yellow Christmas lights, a DJ playing cheerful music, a massive fun photo booth, and students from each grade filling every corner. On Saturday, December 1, 2018, Best Buddies hosted their fourth annual Winter Wonderland party in the school cafeteria from 6 PM to 9 PM. The occasion truly exhibited the hard work and dedication of the members of the club, and it was a phenomenal party for both the jags and their buddies. Best Buddies is a non-profit international organization dedicated to establishing a distinctive volunteer movement that generates opportunities for personal friendships, along with teaching job leadership skills to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With that being said, the buddies in the title “Best Buddies” do indeed have some kind of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Throughout the school year, Best Buddies organizes countless events in which involves their buddies, but their annual Winter Wonderland party grants them the chance hang out with their buddies in a more casual and fun setting. An invitation was extended out to other Best Buddies organizations in Pembroke Pines as well as PPCHS’ fellow buddies from the Schott Center. There were numerous friendly faces as well as new buddies who attended the party. Alumni Hadley Rosendall (former Best Buddies president) shared that she comes back every year for the Winter Wonderland party out of pure passion. “It’s just so funny to me. When I graduated high school, never in a million years did I believe I was going to be back in the school cafeteria. I used to partake in these events all the time, and I guess now you can say it has become a passion of mine. It’s amazing to see the growth of the club from when I graduated. The
Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
Winter Wonderland party just gets even bigger and better every year. The party truly brings more awareness for the special needs of the community through a nontraditional school setting, granting students the chance to see that the buddies are normal people too. It also allows for both
projecting falling snowflakes on the walls. The food committee made sure there was plenty of food available with having an abundance of options. They served cheesy thin-crusted pizza and delicious pasta as the main course, with soft garlic bread and sweet cupcakes and cookies as a de-
Donated By: Yearbook
parties to make friends and develop friendships, which is why I love coming back!” Rosendall expresses. It is apparent that the Winter Wonderland party is more than just a simple party, but an opportunity to develop life-long and genuine relationships with individuals all around the community. As previously stated, the members of Best Buddies exhibited a great amount of time and effort into planning and preparing for the party. The event consisted of 3 main committees: decorations, activities, and food. One of the many responsibilities that the decoration committee held was making it seem like it was snowing from fluffy white clouds in the middle of the dance floor by
lectable side. There was even a snow cone machine near the dance floor, where they successfully handed out some much-needed slushy snow cones. The activities committee were essentially responsible for the countless interactive games such as snowman toss, where students had to aim and throw marshmallows and miniscule jingle bells into crimson red cups specifically placed on crème ramps. Ring toss was yet another successful game, where glow sticks were manipulated into circles, and students had to once again aim and throw the gleaming circles on orange cones. This game was essentially repeated into different versions, such as jingle toss and bean
Donated By: Yearbook
bag toss. Not only did the party provide enjoyable games, but also some creative arts and crafts activities for the buddies who tend to be more reserved. Junior Sonali Benni states, “I joined Best Buddies last year and one of the biggest events we conduct is our Winter Wonderland party. This year I decided to join the activities committee, where we came up with some cool games and crafts for the buddies. I’m so happy it turned out really well. Everyone had fun dancing, participating in games, and building gingerbreads.” There was definitely never a dull moment at the party, as someone always had something new and fun to do at every given moment. Buddies and students were brimming with excitement and ready to party as soon as they walked into the cafeteria. Sophomore Maria Caballero comments, “I think the party turned out great. Overall, all the buddies had a lot of fun dancing and playing. It was awesome to see everyone interacting with one another, and it was truly an amazing experience to be a part of.” The Winter Wonderland party has now become a school favorite, and has many students and buddies alike looking forward to next year’s party. Best Buddies’ club sponsor Mrs. Santiago expresses, “Winter Wonderland has been my favorite event of the school year since we could have students from both our school, surrounding schools, and the community join together for food, drinks, and a good time.” The Winter Wonderland party has now become a tradition at PPCHS, and an exciting occasion for countless students, buddies, and teachers as well. The Winter Wonderland party sincerely felt like students were in an actual winter wonderland. It truly gave jags the authentic holiday spirit. Best Buddies threw an outstanding party all while spreading awareness for a special community.
Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
14 Clubs
Making Spirits Bright With Talent CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Ariana Ortiz
Managing Editor - Web
A Caroling Holy Night: Rhythms Club opens up the second half of the show gracefully performing “O Holy Night.” Donated By: Ainsley Mccormick
W
inter magic fills the room as parents, teachers, friends, and family pack into the River of Grass Theatre for the PPCHS Drama Department’s, or Troupe 6153, annual Winter Fantasy on December 6, 2018. The audience was filled with excitement and anticipation before the curtains were even drawn. No longer was the audience in the River of Grass theatre, but instead a fantastic wonderland of holiday spirit and incredible talent. Before revealing the winter backdrop and colorful lights, the show opened with a video from Stage Manager Eliza Gonzales, showing a behind the scenes looks of the backstage area before the show. The perfect mood was set for an amazing night. The PPCHS Drama Depart has been working tirelessly to make this year›s Winter Fantasy the best it could be. This year the students were doing something extra special: Instagram takeovers! The whole week leading up to the show, drama students logged into the PPCHS Drama Instagram (@troupe6153) to show a behind the scenes look into preparing for the show. They even included photos from a surprise visit from former PPCHS Drama Director, Mrs. Kidd, who started the tradition of Winter Fantasy at PPCHS. The troupe livestreamed the entire show from beginning to end for those who weren’t
able to get tickets to the sold out show! The first performance of the night was entitled “Story of My Life” by the Intermediate Drama class. Each performer was a different fairytale character from the iconic movie “Shrek,” featuring favorites like Pinocchio and the three little pigs. Sophomore Ryan Rasmussen said, “My part in the show is the guard from ‘Story of my Life’ from Shrek. I had so much fun practicing for the piece and the pressure was on since we were the opening act. Being able to show off talent and to work as a group with other people to create a great performance is so cool and an amazing feeling.” The crowd was left in tears from the hilarious performance and ready to see what the rest of the show had to offer. Next up was a Christmas themed dance from Dance classes 1 & 2. The performance took a new take on Christmas with hip-hop beats and trendy dance moves. Then, Advanced Drama took on “Welcome to the 60’s” from the classic movie “Hairspray.” Students channeled their inner Tracy Tumbland to take the audience to the 60’s with their funky dance moves and colorful wardrobe. Junior Amanda LaFleur said, “The Hairspray performance was so much fun that type of music just makes you want to get up and dance. The energy in the room was just contagious, but my favorite part of the show was when we all got off stage and just realized how amazing we did. We all were jumping up and down realizing all of hard work had paid off, and I just felt so happy that we were able to perform the way we did.” After being zapped back to the 60’s, the audience enjoyed some
comic relief from Shelbi Munoz and Natalya McCleod with their “Medical Pain Scale” skit. The audience then got a glimpse into the pain of societal pressure through Tanya Rundells solo performance to a recording empowering girls to love themselves. Academic Village Middle School Donated By: Ainsley Mccormick Drama then took the stage to perwas wowed with his amazing vocal ability. form “This is Me” from the film The Great- Concluding the first half of the show was est Showman. Smiles and joy radiated off a Dance Mix from Dance 3 Honors. After these students given the opportunity to per- that, the audience enjoyed a slideshow of form at a high school level and the audi- art from our very own PPCHS students. ence was thrilled to hear their voices. Opening the second half of the show was Intro to Dance then busted a move to a the Rhythms Club with their perfectly harremix of “Black and Gold.” Having only monized rendition of “O Holy Night” folbeen in dance for a few months, Intro to lowed by a medley of monologues from Dance did an amazing job entertaining the Advanced Drama students ranging from audience. Freshman Kristen Brown gave comedic to dramatic taking the audience a glimpse into what it’s like performing. on an emotional rollercoaster. Next up, “I had so much fun performing in Winter Zachary Jones and Jorge Mendoza took Fantasy and it’s something I never thought the stage with a musical piece mixed with I would do but I was up for the challenge. some comedic effect. The audience was We put so much time and effort into per- amazed with their vocals and lumberjack fecting ‘Black and Gold’ and I’m so hap- acting. py with how it came out.” After two jaw The show closed off with a musical numdropping scenes from Drama one and Act- ber from Advanced Drama entitled ‘Chiing one entitled “The Frog that Went to cago.’ The audience was all smiles while Heaven” and “Good Morning Baltimore” the Advanced Drama students gave their was senior Zachary Poore’s solo musical very best vocals and dance moves. As the called “Run Away with Me.” Zachary is a curtains closed the audience filled the room hardcore drama student and has worked on with applause and cheers as Winter Fantahis piece for quite some time. “For my solo sy came to a fantastic end. piece, I really loved being able to perform at Winter Fantasy! Throughout first semester, I’ve worked extremely hard on that piece, both vocally and all the acting behind it, and I’m extremely thankful to Mrs. Abreu and Ms. Chiverton for giving me the opportunity to perform it.” The audience
Mu Alpha Theta Scavenger Hunt
Donated By: Yearbook
Clubs 15
Giving Back to “Angels” This Holiday Season CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Rebekah Jacob Clubs Editor
From brightening smiles to enhancing
lives, PPCHS’ Rho Kappa society has done their part to bring hope to the less privileged kids in Broward County this holiday season. Rho Kappa teamed up with The Salvation Army to hold an “Angel Tree,” where individuals in the community had an opportunity to give back to our disadvantaged “angels” in the area and make their Christmas merrier. Rho Kappa kicked off the winter month with a bang; a busy yet surely rewarding day for both PPCHS students and volunteers from the community alike. On Saturday, December 1, 2018, Rho Kappa members gathered at the Angel Christmas Tree located adjacent to the Food Court at Pembroke Lakes mall to assemble their designated table, ready to make a difference one step at a time. There were 4 sessions throughout the day, where Rho Kappa volunteers stepped in and out to help for a couple hours at a time: 10 AM Angel Tree Packed: The tree is flooded with less privelged angels in the area. Donated By: Rebekah Jacob
- 1 PM, 1 PM - 4 PM, 4 PM - 7 PM, and 7 PM - 9 PM. A maximum of 4 members were present at each session, and tried to grab people’s attention as they walked by to participate in this enjoyable occasion for the holiday season. Each participant chose an “angel” from the tree that included descriptions and represented kids in Broward County who were in need, and ultimately proceeded to shop for their selected recipient. “The entire event was really sweet and definitely made me, as well as the other volunteers with me, really happy whenever someone stopped and adopted an angel, just knowing now that kid will receive a gift for the holidays,” expresses junior and Rho Kappa member Camila Cabrera. Rho Kappa volunteers strived to engage with people and demonstrated the significance and impact one gift can leave this holiday season. The event was different but moving nonetheless, which was a common attraction that drew members in to participate and be just a glimpse of a kid’s Christmas story this year. Sophomore Angelina Alonzo attended the 1 PM - 4 PM session, and explains further, saying, “I participated because I love volunteering in any way I can for charities and helping children in need. It’s an amazing cause because we’re helping unfortunate children in the Broward County area receive gifts on Christmas Day, and I think it’s a good way to properly represent Rho Kappa as a club as well.” This occasion definitely did not only make a difference for the kids in need in Broward County, but was equally fulfilling and eye-opening for PPCHS students as well. As Rho Kappa proudly represented PPCHS in taking part with the Angel Tree event, countless hearts are bound to be warmed and cheered this holiday time. The idea behind the event surely attracted jags to give back for the holidays and
make a kid’s Christmas just a little brighter. “A huge goal of mine as I entered my presidency this year was to get Rho Kappa more involved with community service, and Angel Tree was the perfect opportunity to do just that. Although many parents cannot afford to buy their kids Christmas gifts, our organization were able to provide presents for underprivileged children in Broward County. Holiday season has always been my favorite time of the year, so I wanted members of the club to spread the Christmas spirit while also giving back to the community,” expresses senior and president of Rho Kappa Asha Clarke. As participants shopped for gifts, it was certain that their money would not go to waste. In fact, the Salvation Army visited the mall twice on Saturday to pick up any gifts that were returned back to the table by the hospitable contributors, packaged by Rho Kappa volunteers, and ready to be shipped to the less fortunate to make their holidays all the more special. Vice president senior Elana Gabriel said, “I chose to participate because it was fairly similar to a project my church always does around the holiday time. We would fill up shoeboxes with various Christmas gifts, and missionaries would bring it to children who reside in third world countries so the kids would have something for Christmas if their families were unable to provide something themselves. Sometimes, even the missionaries would bring back photos of the children receiving their gifts, and it’s so heartwarming to see the children cherish the presents. So as soon as Rho Kappa mentioned the Salvation Army Angel Tree, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.” Luckily, Rho Kappa saw this opportunity as, not only to simply give back to the community, but as a chance to brighten lives and revolutionize the meaning of Christmas
Waiting for Volunteers: Rho Kappa members wait for volunteers to donate to children in Broward County. Donated By: Rebekah Jacob
for hundreds of the less privileged. Rho Kappa has gone far above and beyond to be sure that they can somehow give back for the upcoming holidays and transform this Christmas season for numerous less fortunate kids in our very own community. From radiating faces of joy to illuminating lives, the Angel Tree is bound to bring nothing but hope and a sense of revival for hundreds of children this holiday season.
Angel Tree Sign: The Angel Tree sign is hung in front of the main table. Donated By: Rebekah Jacob
PPCHS Holds Annual Science Day Maxine Martinez Business Manager Exploding Pumpkins: SHS members help blow up pumpkins for Elementary students. Donated By: Yearbook
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PCHS students traveling back in time can surely attest to the fact that their 5th grade year was one for the books, all thanks to Science Honor Society. The event, referred to as “Science Day,” has been occurring annually as part of Charter’s curriculum for 5th grade elementary students, giving them the opportunity to learn more about science all while expanding their love and excitement for the subject. This year, Science Day took place on Fri-
Shark Dissections: SHS members demonstrate shark dissections to Elementary students Donated By: Yearbook
day, November 16, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Members of the Science Honor Society worked both diligently and purposefully to prepare various stations designed to educate and entertain the animated 5th graders. Activities included shark dissections, electric plates, invisible glass, oozing Timmie, physics and companies (which created a rainbow fire), swamp monster germs (whicmakes the bacteria on your hands glow), and much more. Junior Joseph Nazario explained, “We collaborate with the lower levels of schools and conduct science experiments with them. This way they can learn about the different kinds of sciences: biology, chemistry and physics. We demonstrate them through these experiments, they write a hypothesis about it, and wind up learning something new.” At the end of the school day, participants completed a wide range of activities that can be used to help them throughout their science career. Each of the fun-filled and enlightening experiments were aimed at captivating the young students and teaching them something different. “In my station, we are creating a circuit and using an indicator solution. What essentially happens is that the solution goes onto a sheet of paper, and when the electricity touches the solution, it turns it pink,” expressed sophomore Romina Torchia. Another experiment the students took part in was called “boo bubbles.” “When dry ice sublimates, it turns into a gas, specifically carbon dioxide. Once we put that in water, the combination of water vapor and carbon dioxide create these dry ice bubbles. They are heavier than normal bubbles, so you can hold and manipulate them,” explains freshman
Rian Freeman. With Science Day in full effect, the students earned a chance to take part in these hands-on activities in a safe and friendly environment. The event, although intended to school 5th graders, also proved to be greatly significant for the members of the organization as well. Countless participants expressed that they were excited to take part in the experiments and have the opportunity to teach the younger generation. “We have worked very hard to pull Science Day off and we hope that the 5th graders enjoyed themselves. Ultimately, we want to keep this tradition going even after I am gone and the new officers come in,” says senior and Science Honor Society president Nika Ambre. The organization’s dedication, and persistence to provide an impactful yet enjoyable Science Day for the young children, has not been overlooked. As the 5th grade students strolled back to their school bus, exhausted yet inspired from the day, it was apparent that Science Honor Society had yet again succeeded far beyond their goals and expectations. It would be no surprise to see that Science Day, after all its years of influence and triumph, will continue to be part of the Charter curriculum for years to come.
Donated By: Yearbook
Igniting Fire: SHS volunteers demonstrate fire on PPCHS’ nonflammable tables. Donated By: Yearbook
Donated By: Yearbook
16 Entertainment CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
The Grinch Editorial Movie Review Burn the Stage Movie Review Sophia Cortes
Sofia Azcurra
Voices Versus Violence
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he holiday season is here and whether you’re a Grinch or a Who, there is always a new holiday movie waiting in a theaters near you. This year’s holiday movie extravaganza featured the revamped and reanimated version of the classic Dr. Seuss tale of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Unfortunately, unless you’re the parent of a five year old or you, yourself, are a five year old, Illumination’s The Grinch adds on to the list of very few hits and many misses that the animation company has of their versions of the beloved Dr. Seuss stories. What is most appealing about the Grinch’s story, at least to older audiences, is that despite how much people claim they love the holidays, there is always a little bit of Grinch in all of us. Maybe people celebrating Christmas in November is annoying to you or maybe school work (especially the countless Winter Break packets) gets in the way of feeling that seasonal cheer. Regardless of what it is, people tend to project even the smallest amount of themselves into the Grinch, which is why it’s mildly disappointing to walk into the theatre expecting even a slightly Jim Carrey-level of Grinch and walking out with an “of-
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ten sickeningly sweet film” (Empire) that makes its multiple good moral themes feel as if they had overstayed their welcome. That is not to say that the movie as a whole was terrible. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance of the Grinch adds a delightful new tone to the character and Danny Elfman delivers, yet again, another great soundtrack in collaboration with rapper Tyler the Creator’s reimagined “You’re A Mean One” and his new song, “I Am The Grinch.” Directors Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier strove to create a sweet and colorful film perfect for children, and they have achieved their goal quite clearly by churning in $66 million on the opening weekend and “took in an additional $12.7 million from 23 overseas markets, according to Universal.” (The New York Times) Parents of adolescents everywhere have given their certified five out of five candy canes for the newest addition to the Illumination Dr. Seuss movies, but unless you have little Whos running around demanding to see the movie, you might just want to be a bit of a Grinch this year and sit this one out.
“Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance of the Grinch adds a delightful new tone to the character...”
Graphic By: Justin Pierce
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he first kpop group to chart number one on Billboard and to sell out an American stadium have taken the world by storm. They have managed to capture more hearts, but this time BTS hit theaters with their poetic and intimate documentary that was only shown for a couple days in select cities and days. The movie captures the raw emotion and family connection the band has and dives into the stressful world of the large group. The movie also captures how their fandom, regardless of how the internet tries to discredit their dedication, remains united with the group. Aside from owning the global music charts, Korea's most successful group has now officially conquered the big screen with their record-breaking sales in the box office, acummulating 1.4 million worldwide admissions, which breaks the record for the highest-grossing event cinema concert production, previously set in 2014 by One Direction: Where We Are, which totaled 1.2 million admissions. With 1 million of those tickets selling out weeks in advance, the dedicated fans were already walking into the theater knowing what to expect. Before hitting cinemas, the movie was a YouTube Red show, but was later made into a movie to bring more fans into the life of the extremely personal BTS. “You have to pay for YouTube Red so seeing it with people who love them as equally as I do was thrilling. We all cried, cheered and sang together,” revealed junior Danielle Porres. The dedicated fans showed up in merchandise, passed out small photo cards to other fans, and some even went as far as bringing the famous BTS light stick to the theater, the ARMY Bomb. Although targeted to those who aren't familiar with BTS, millions of fans worldwide attended the movie. However, the most surprising part of the record film is how it was not advertised but in fact, the fandom found out of the production by mistake by an unknown fan in Korea. “Burn the Stage fits into the social-media era of cross-platform fandom and its attachment to long-form stories.”(Polygon) The movie shows the group’s emotion between the lyrics of their music, like the band’s consistent message towards their fans. The film captures the group’s ability to not linger on the difficulties they encounter, but accept them and embrace how they grow from them. “Liking this group isn’t a teenage obsession. They truly show us a message
Editor
that western artists fail too. They embrace themselves and their fans and shows us a side western artists would never. It makes the connection more personal and trustful like that,” said sophomore Janell Penichet. Focusing more on the personal and backstage aspect, the movie does fail in reaching the musical climax it seems like it's going to reach. The little screen time of their performances, however, doesn't faze the fans. The main difference between Burn the Stage and several other artist documentaries is the raw brotherly bond BTS reveals to the fans. They have faith and trust to tell them things that certain artists would hold back. They show how they confide in one another and reveal the relation they have with each other in a serious work relationship. “The respect and praise they hold for each other, the fans admire so much,” commented senior Mikki Clarke. What makes BTS stand out is their constant message to the fans to always be happy and their mindset of looking out for each other’s happiness. The movie became more personal with their authentic affection towards each other; a unique portrayal of male affection. Although some scenes were taken from the previous YouTube Red series, never before scenes and interviews were added. It showed their raw thoughts on their success and the music industry as a whole. Leader of the group, Kim Namjoon, displays his emotion through both Korean and English, as he is the only one in the group that is fluent in both languages. The movie speaks to all individuals worldwide and breaks down language barriers as BTS’ affectionate and dedicated personalities are put on display. Going behind the complicated life of a kpop group has never been done before, but Burn The Stage captures the foreign concept and artistic side of the kpop industry and beautifully showed that BTS is more than just a group with music, but a loyal group whose devotion to each other and the fans is as unique as their music is.
Graphic By: Justin Pierce
Crimes of Grindelwald: Twice Fantastic Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor
The iconic Harry Potter series ended
more than seven years ago, but the story of the boy who lived has been kept alive through the Fantastic Beasts movie series, and most recently, a second movie, The Crimes of Grindelwald has been added to the never ending collection of movies in the Harry Potter cinematic universe. The spin-off series has struggled to find secure footing in the box-office and among both wizarding world fans and non-wizarding world fans. The extremely successful Harry Potter movies left behind a legacy that the Crimes of Grindelwald has proven the spin off series won’t live up to. Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, continued as the lead role in the second movie of the Fantastic Beasts series. Newt, and his alliances, Tina, Lina, Jacob and Queenie, work to defeat Grindelwald. The storyline and plot of the two hour film start off steady and eased the audience into the narrative of Grindelwald wanting to take over and wipe out all “no mag’s” (non-wizards). “I liked the cast a lot and how they all worked well with each other. Their acting was no doubt, excellent and you could see that they became the characters which in my opinion made feeling like a wizard more real to the audience,” says sophomore Valentina Terry. While fighting with Grindelwald, they find
critical family connections that are important to his defeat. The climax of the story though, remained within the most important character, Credence, the obscurus, who since the first Fantastic Beasts movie has had major character development. The movie beautifully intertwined the finding of Grindelwald and his hunt for the obscurus to the plotline, by focusing on the two different sides of the fight. The typical antagonist/protagonist theme was present in the movement of the storyline, but had its own unique twist: instead of one character, it was groups. This concept brings a sense of unity and teamwork that has been a constant theme in the entire wizarding world cinematic universe. The Crimes of Grindelwald not only excelled in character development but also incorporated the idea of “magical creatures,” which is where the series started. While not the main focus, it was still kept as an important part of the movie, as it majorly helped Newt and his alliances in the future downfall of Grindelwald. The effort to make the film as magical as possible did not go unnoticed. Following the big box office hit, Fantastic Beasts was very lacking in a main focus. The movie integrated a lot of side stories with each character, and although each side story always connected with the backstory of another character, it could have poten-
tially confused the audience and according to several students, it in fact did. “I’m not much of a Harry Potter fan, but I am aware of what happens in each movie and I felt like there were some inconsistencies in the movie that didn’t collaborate well with the Harry Potter universe,” says senior Hunter Fu. Compared to the first movie, the pacing and contextualization was a lot faster and there’s a bunch of different plot twists that
make it hard to follow. The movie in its entirety was extremely well produced and had a soundtrack that the Harry Potter universe is well known for. While the messy storylines and multiple journeys leave pressure and anticipation for a good or bad movie review following the Crimes of Grindelwald, the loaded motion picture leaves space for a more relaxed, easier to take in film for the
Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus
Entertainment 17 CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
A Must-Listen-To Holiday Playlist Emma Caulfield Co-Features Editor
“My favorite holiday song would have to be “Jingle Bells” because it is a Christmas classic that everybody knows. When Christmas season begins, “Jingle Bells” is one of those songs that will always be a hit. December is my favorite month because it gets kind of cold and its Christmas season. I love starting off such an amazing time of the year with an upbeat classic that gets everybody singing along.” - Alex Colucci (10th) “I love “Let it Snow” because the song reminds me of my extended family in Connecticut. Whenever my family and I visit them during the holidays it always snows down there and this song plays in my house all the time. Singing and dancing to “Let it Snow” with my family has always been one of my favorite ways to make memories with my family. Not to mention it is a Christmas classic so everybody has heard of it.” -Steven Cover (9th) “My favorite Christmas song is “Baby it’s Cold Outside” because when I think of Christmas this song always pops in my head. My favorite family moments and conversations usually happen when this song is playing. Not only that but it’s a great duet song too.” -Delvin Pascual (11th)
“I really like “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas” because it shows that feeling you get when people start to put up their Christmas decorations and I just love that feeling so much because Christmas is my favorite holiday. When I listen to this song it’s like I can see all the decorations all across the area.” -Angela Cisneros (10th) “My favorite holiday song is “All I Want for Christmas Is You” because the first person I ever fell in love with sang me that song on Christmas and to this day he still sings it. And he’s never left my side since. He has made every Christmas since then a happier and happier Christmas for me. And no matter what I can always count on him to make Christmas a holiday I’ll never forget.” -Madison Persan (11th)
Graphic By: Matthew Morales
“Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson is my favorite holiday song. I love how upbeat it is and I’ve always liked love songs so this song is basically perfect for me. It’s really upbeat and it’s obviously about Christmas and it’s a love song so it’s all three in one!” -Gianna Correa (12th) “My favorite holiday song is “Feels like Christmas” by Panic! At the Disco, since it reminds me of cold winters and the happiness around getting presents on Christmas, even though I don’t celebrate it. The song is also upbeat and happy, rather than the slower, and more famous holiday songs, making it more enjoyable to listen to. With the song coming from my favorite band, it makes it more special to me. The meaning of the song also contributes to it being my favorite. It’s about how life changes and just becomes happier around the holidays, expressing it in a way that’s hard to convey by words.” -Aliya Khan (9th) “My favorite holiday song is “Feliz Navidad” because in my house it makes my family and I all want to come all together and sing along to the Christmas jingle. I’ve always loved the beat throughout that song because it’s so upbeat and happy and Christmas is obviously a happy time of the year.” -Ethan Cayouette (12th)
Remembering the Spectacular Stan Lee 2019 Reels in New Entertainment Paolo Barrera
Arianna Ozuna
Student life Editor
The
box rimmed glasses and slicked back gray hair of the legendary Stan Lee passed away on November 12, 2018. He lived to see his legacy cemented as his creations took every inhabitable country by storm. The Marvel Universe owes its entire existence to Stan Lee, but millions of Americans owe their childhood and their smiles to him as well. Stan Lee, born Stanley Martin Lieber, grew up in the Bronx and didn’t have a start on his long career until his 40’s. However, the Marvel Man spent his teenage years living and working during the “Golden Age of Comics.” “It was cool to find out that Stan Lee started out working with Jack Kirby (the creator of Captain America and Black Panther),” said senior Thalia Garcia. At 16, he worked with the creators of Captain America at a company called Timely Comics, the grandmother company of Marvel Comics. It was in 1941, that the pseudonym “Stan Lee” was created when Lieber wrote a text piece in the back of a Captain America comic. Stan’s claim to changing American history was with his creation of the Fantastic Four in November of 1961. In an interview, he claimed that he aimed to give America its first team of relatable, real, and familial heroes. The Fantastic Four rivaled DC’s Justice League, and it became a hit. By 1962, Stan helped create what would be arguably the most recognizable superhero to ever be created: Spiderman. He created new characters for the next few decades until he evolved into TV production for his creations. Next thing he knew, it was the early 2000’s and some of the most iconic superhero movies hit Hollywood: the original Spiderman series, the first X-Men movies, and the first Hulk movie. As the 2000’s neared its first two decades, Stan’s square rimmed shades found themselves in almost every Marvel
Staff Writer
movie that has ever been created in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As an Easter Egg and a producer, Stan Lee made completely obliterated box office records with his Marvel movies by 2018. Besides box office success and evolutionary innovation, Stan showed the world just how impactful stories are. He created characters that people could relate to and admire so that everyday Americans had someone to look up to. Take Peter Parker for example: an awkward, nerdy kid who has the weight of the world on his shoulders because of the unique circumstances he was given. Every teenager in America from 1962 to now could relate to the anxiety and social awkwardness of Peter Parker. “I think [Peter Parker] helped make the image of the nerdy high schooler kind of cool,” said junior Sebastian Arango. Stan drew up fiction that entertained in a way that impacted the lives of everyone who read it, especially since he snuck in some political relatedness in his stories. Stan Lee’s passing stings everyone who has ever seen or read his work in the past five decades. His legacy will remain as the driving force behind comics’ revival into the 21st century, and his New York accent will be immortalized in his countless cinematic cameos. Stanley Lieber, the bright teenager from Brooklyn, New York, will always be remembered for growing up to be Stan Lee: the bright star in the entertainment universe.
Graphic By: Justin Pierce
• 5 years ago, one of the most iconic Disney animated films was released, breaking records left and right as children sang the same phrase: let it go! Frozen 2 is making its way into theatres on November 22, 2019, just in time for the holiday season. Get ready for a new set of catchy songs, crystallized animation, and the hope that, just this once, Florida snows. • The Lion King is a film that touched the hearts of people of all ages, discussing love, vengeance, forgiveness, and what it means to be true to yourself. Roaring its way back into theatres, a “liveaction” adaptation will be released on July 19, 2019. The cast alone is enough to have people ready to throw their money into the box office, with voices such as: Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Eric Andre, and much more. The trailer alone has racked up 47 million views only six days after its release, as anticipation grows in the hearts of adults who remember the original film fondly. • Pika, pika! a live action film exploring the Pokémon universe with Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu sounds like a fever dream. At least that’s how the main character Tim, played by Justice Smith, feels when he’s encountered by the popular mascot and taken on a mission to find out where his missing father is. Detective Pikachu will be released from its poke ball and into theaters on May 10, 2019. • Hollywood’s favorite superheroes were met with doom as they drifted off into dust, their final moments leaving the audience gaping at the scene. Until
Thanos is put to rest, the remaining heroes will seek their revenge in the last Avengers movie. While the final movie is yet to receive an official title, the release day is set to be May 3, 2019. This section of the Marvel Comic Universe will finally have some closure, leaving fans excited. • The boys are back! One of the most famous boy groups of all time, the Backstreet Boys, is set to release an album titled DNA. The diverse album will contain features from artists such as Charli XCX and J Balvin. Soon after their 10th studio album is released, their world tour will begin, where they’ll perform like it’s still the 90’s. • After her huge success with her hit single, New Rules, Dua Lipa announced that she will be releasing an album next year. The exact date hasn’t been announced yet, but the album is said to be about heartbreak and manipulation, although ironically enough, the contrasting upbeat music is enough to get people up and dancing. As the young pop singer is making her way to the spotlight, her fans are eager to stream her next new hit. • Every Indie-alternative kid is tossing their beanies up in excitement, as the lead singer of Vampire Weekend, Ezra Koenig, announced that he will be releasing an album, Mitsubishi Macchiato, next year. “Conversation”, “Big Blue”, and “Flower Moon” are just a few titles said to be on the album. Some tracks are leading in a jazz-centric direction, but overall will have a bright and warm vibe.
Graphic By: Rosa Gomez
18 News CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
California’s Current and Calamitous Crisis Alan Matthew
An almost insurmountable threat to life,
safety, and the environment: that’s what California’s towns, cities, and people are currently up against. Wildfires are painfully common to the Californian experience, but the regular rates of these devastating wildfires don’t make any of them any more bearable. This year, and this past season especially, has gone on record to prove exactly that point; regrettably, the pain of these fires makes themselves known in more ways than one across the board, even as other The Mendocino Complex fire, for instance, is a prime example of just how horrifying the situation has become for the people of California. According to the New York Times, the fires spans over 300,000 acres, and is the largest ever recorded in California, which only speaks to the scene firefighters are facing all around the state. In the words of sophomore Grace Rodriguez, “One of the worst things about the fires is the [sheer] scope of the situation. You hear about one disastrous fire, but
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there are at least three more like it burning at the exact same time.” Worse yet, even beyond environmental damage, the cost in human lives is continues to increase as many of the fires rage on. In the most recent reports, close to 90 people have been confirmed as dead, while almost half a thousand still remain unaccounted for (CNN). While these statistics are beginning to gradually get better, such as the fact that over half a thousand were actually recovered in the past week, the road to recovery is still a ways off. As senior Shirin Jacob puts it, “If I had to find a bright side, it’s that more and more people are being found every day, but with so many missing, it’s genuinely difficult to remain positive about the situation.” Nevertheless, as far away as any sort of positivity currently seems, the situation is gradually improving. The biggest improvement, at least in the limiting of damage, is how much of the fires are beginning to grow more controlled by California firefighters. Cal Fire, or the
Code Black Drills Arrive at Charter Rachel Rivera
O
Lifestyle Editor
n Tuesday, November 20th Pines Charter students and staff underwent the first code black drill of the year. A code black drill, although rare, is a very necessary to practice in the event of a “phoned in” bomb threat. In the actual event, a systematic search of the entire school will be conducted to determine whether or not the threat is viable. Once the threat is assessed, a decision will be made as to whether or not an evacuation is necessary. Although it was only a drill, all protocol was followed by teachers and students. During the end of the second period, the announcement for the code black drill was heard and students began to file out of the buildings. Sophomore Matthew Gordon said, “I didn’t hear about it because I was in the bathroom at the time so I was super confused, but luckily I caught up with my class and everything was good.” Each student had to bring their book bag and evacuate immediately using the fire drill evacuation routes. Once the class reported to their evacuation site they awaited further instructions from the administration or other designated personnel at the evacuation site. Freshman Leyla Molina discussed her thoughts about the drill. “Even though I knew it was just a drill it was still scary to go through, we have never had one before that I remember and just the thought of one day it not being a drill is so scary.” Electrical signals may trigger explosive
devices, so any student caught using a cell telephone must have it confiscated immediately. All students were instructed to turn off their electronic devices, making the drill feel a lot more real creating a nervous feeling school-wide. “I was super confused when I found out about the drill just because I know it’s not normal for us to do. I know it was for precaution, but it did bring up some scary ‘what if’ incidents in my head,” says Junior Isabella Munoz. Students and staff stood outside in their assigned areas for almost 15 minutes before an all clear was called and they were able to return back to their regular day. Senior Alex Mora also agrees with the precaution, saying, “I’m glad we had a drill for a code black because we are so focused on code reds, and it’s better to be prepared for other codes just to be safe.” Once the code black was finished the students and teachers felt that it was a necessary thing to do in order for our school to be prepared in the event of a real threat. With drills like these, it is hoped that Charter will be prepared in the case of an actual safety scare.
Graphic By: Henry Severe
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has said that California’s deadliest wildfire remained 95% contained after rain assisted firefighters in their battle to bring some of the more dangerous portions of the fire to heel. Moreover, while the rain has brought challenges of its own to the dry, mudslide prone terrain, it’s become instrumental in giving firefighters the opportunity to clear large swaths of burning land and enable crews to expand their search zones. Interestingly enough, the fires themselves are bringing out more than just firefighters. As freshman Austin Mathew notices, “At one point a week ago, I saw that thousands and thousands of people across the country were coming together to start donation drives for the rebuilding process.” Echoing this idea of unity, junior Jessica Chang brought attention to volunteers who gave their time in ways beyond firefighting: “One of the most interesting parts about everything that’s been going on is the wide range of people who want to help. I’ve
seen everyone from celebrities to teachers help with things from donations to food lines for firefighters.” In any case, as desperate as the situation continues to be, it is not completely without hope. The tireless efforts of firefighters, volunteers, and search and rescue teams, among many others, truly capture the tenacity of the human spirit in even some of the most trying times; without a doubt, it’s this same relentless and almost superhuman tenacity that’s beginning to win the uphill battle that is California’s current crisis, which is at least one thing to be grateful for in the midst of everything that’s taken place in the past few weeks.
Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus
Mercury Retrograde: What Does it Mean for You? Brianna Butler Staff Writer
One of the most prominent aspects of
astrology is the Mercury Retrograde. This period of time occurs when the planet’s orbit slows down to the point where it appears to stop or spin backwards. The optical illusion is currently happening once again, serving as the third and final time before the end of 2018. In astrology, the planet Mercury rules communication, technology, and travel. It also plays a large role in formal agreements and contracts. These aspects are all greatly affected by when the planet goes into retrograde, and during that specific time they may appear to be out of order or seem to spin out of control. “In the past, I’ve never really paid much attention to these intervals where Mercury is in retrograde,” states junior Mya Saint-Louis. “I’ve never been one to believe in every single aspect of astrology, but I can now say that I now firmly believe in this one. I’ve had trouble with almost everything it has an effect on. My advice for this time is to make sure you’re effectively communicating. Many misunderstandings seem to happen during the retrograde, which means you have to be careful with your words.” When a planet is in retrograde, it is considered to be in a resting state. This means Mercury is not in complete control over these elements, leading to negative effects for all zodiac signs. The most prominently affected signs for this retrograde are Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, and Virgo. “I didn’t realize how much went into studying astrology,” states freshman Nicholas Chavez. “Planets seem to play a major role, and I find it really fascinating how they can affect certain aspects of life. I’m going to try to be more
Cartoon By: Mariana Riano
cautious during this time period and put more thought into my choices.” It is recommended to be open-minded and have self-restraint when it comes to social interactions. The Mercury retrograde also seems ruin any sort of logistics or plans being laid out during this time period. Sophomore Bradi Stewart is handling this time by paying a large amount of attention to decision making. ”You have to stay focused,” she begins. “Make sure to know what you want, and don’t let your emotions take over. Your future isn’t set in stone, so be prepared for any future possible changes.” One of the most important things to remember is that patience is key. This retrograde is associated with constant delays and pauses is many areas of life. This makes the biggest challenge finding a way to take it slow and deal with this astrological roadblock in a focused and cool-headed manner. “I’ve learned that the best way to deal with this retrograde is to be calm,” states senior Serena Somberg. “While things still do happen, everything becomes a lot easier in the long run if you’re approaching decisions in a logical manner. Don’t let the frustrations that come with the Mercury Retrograde take over.” She believes that remaining calm is the best plan of action, and nothing good will come from letting your emotions loose. Overall, the Mercury Retrograde is a time to be weary, especially with communicating and making major decisions. The best thing to do is approach everything with an unbiased perspective, and factor logic into decisions. The future is unknown, making the period of this retrograde a time to master flexibility and adjust to major changes.
News 19
Editorial: Environmental Issues in Florida, When Will They Be Fixed? CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Rebekah Jacob
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s the brisk chilly weather begins to hug over nearly all of the states in the country, Florida seems to be the odd one out. With temperatures dropping as low as 40 degrees in New York and even 35 degrees in Georgia (right above Florida!), the Sunshine State doesn’t seem to be budging in its typical 80 degree climate. Temperature, however, is only one of numerous highly debatable and controversial topics in the spectrum of environmental issues, and researchers aim to attack these dilemmas. Since August of this year, environmental matters worsened drastically due to the toxic algae blooms that have been contaminating waterways all across Florida, killing aquatic life and polluting the air. This aroused even more problems regarding businesses that depend on tourism and healthy fisheries and has resulted in an evergrowing demand for drinking water from Florida’s rapidly rising population. Senior Andrea Vidal expands more on the urgency of this issue, stating, “Environmental protection is a very big problem nowadays. There is an increase in more toxic life such as toxic algae blooms that’s killing sea life every day. I believe we need to create more of an understanding of what’s happening and protect what we already have.” Other long-term culprits, including poorly managed urban development and leaking septic tanks, are essentially just opening a can of worms and creating even more of a massive critical situation. To say our environment is constantly and significantly being abused and mistreated is an understatement. “I feel
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that due to pollution and chemicals, the environment is facing so many drastic changes. This is exactly why I feel that we can do something to help. I believe that such an influx of chemicals is really causing an environmental issue, and with action and determination it can change,” says sophomore Chrysteannah Williams. As students of PPCHS, we believe that our environment is only crumbling because of how we treat it, and only we, as individuals, can make a difference and start to handle our surroundings with care. Temperature in Florida, specifically South Florida, is a greatly disputable topic amongst countless individuals, and jags are already raving about it. The question, “Why is it still hot in December?” has many Floridians and PPCHS students alike disturbed and rather boggled by this concept. Freshman Valentina Meneses quotes, “I really don’t like how the weather is extremely hot down here. I seriously cannot even wear a pair of pants without overheating.” Although a multitude of people expect Floridians to be used to and unbothered by the heat, many South Florida individuals are simply not cut out for the continuous 80 degree weather. Although the idea of Florida being constantly overheated aggravates students, it’s simply more than the high 80’s temperature. Some jags are rather annoyed of the broad but highly critical idea of climate change and are evidently pushing for change on the daily. “Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the human race to date, yet
not enough actions to decrease the relentless effects are being taken by our government. In Florida, temperatures, and therefore sea levels, will only continue to rise. The hurricanes we experience in Florida will only worsen as the effects of climate change go on unchallenged,” expresses junior Reyna Wakeland. It is evident that sources such as the high concentration of exposed greenhouse gases and other harmful substances are leading to increased mean global air and ocean temperatures. These effects are only maltreating our environment and worsening the extent of environmental issues here in South Florida. As previously stated, however, students at PPCHS are determined to not only voice their concerns regarding environmental matters, but take action both in government and in our everyday communities to make a visible change. As political activist George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Graphic By: Taylor Causey
Remembering George H. W. Bush Aidan Ryan
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he magnificent and successful life of George Herbert Walker Bush is a story to be told. It is a story of man who made incredible achievements and was hugely successful. George H.W. Bush was a hardworking man. He was described by his peers as conscientious, dedicated, trustworthy, and one of the most loyal guys one could ever meet. Bush was a man who earned his respect in politics as a result of years of experience. He will be known as a man of many talents. His talent and versatility are what lead to him pursuing a multitude of careers, within and outside of politics. The legacy he left behind is an unforgettable one. But most importantly, George H. W. will be remembered for his integrity and dedication to serving the people. George Herbert Walker Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1924. His parents are Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush. Prescott Sheldon Bush was an American banker and politician. He worked as a Wall Street executive investment banker and he represented Connecticut in the United States Senate from 1952 to 1963. When George was a young boy, the family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut. His family was wealthy, but his parents raised their children to be modest, stressing the importance of public service and giving back to society. When Bush was a teenager, he left home to attend Phillips Academy Andover. Phillips Academy Andover was an exclusive boarding school in Massachusetts. At Andover, Bush was captain of the baseball and soccer teams, and the senior class president. He graduated on his eighteenth birthday in 1942. That same day, he enlisted in the United States Navy. George H. W. Bush was born into a family of prominent political figures. The Bush family is an American family that is leading in the fields of politics, sports, entertainment, and business. “I hear the Bush family name all the time on the news and in politics. Obviously, they’ve made a
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name for themselves within politics,” said senior William Manuel. Best known for its involvement in politics, the family has held various national and state offices spanning across four generations, including a U.S. Senator, Prescott Bush, a Governor, Jeb Bush, and two U.S. Presidents—one having also served as Vice President, George H. W. Bush, while the other was also a
Bush, a Republican, took office after a landslide victory over Democrat Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election. Bush helped the country navigate the end of the Cold War and a new era of U.S.–Soviet relations. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bush successfully pushed for the reunification of Germany. He also led an international coalition of countries which
Graphic By: Carolina Othon
Governor, George W. Bush. George H. W. Bush is best known for his 1989 to 1993 term as president of the United States. “George H. W. Bush will probably be remembered as one of the greatest presidents of all time. He was definitely one of my favorites,” says freshman Leo Graham. George H. W. Bush was inaugurated as the 41st President of the United States.
forced Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait in the Gulf War, and undertook a U.S. military invasion of Panama. Though it was not ratified until after his presidency, Bush signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which created a trilateral trade bloc consisting of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “We will definitely remember George H. W. Bush for all the work he did
in politics. He seemed like an honorable man,” said junior Matthew Wong. Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. As a Republican, he had previously been a U.S. Representative, Ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence. George H. W. Bush served in the Navy during World War II from 1942 until September 1945. When he became a pilot in July 1943, he was the youngest pilot in the Navy. He flew torpedo bombers in the Pacific theater and went on fiftyeight combat missions during the war. On September 2, 1944, while on a mission to bomb an enemy radio site, his plane was shot down by Japanese fire; Bush then bailed out over the ocean. He was rescued by a submarine a short time later and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism under fire. “George H. W. Bush seemed, to me, like one of those people that wasn’t satisfied by his service for his country. That wasn’t enough for him. So, he continued to serve his country and the people, through politics,” said sophomore Shannon Amor. His work, both in politics and in the military, is what got George H. W. Bush his recognition as a pivotal man in United States history. George H. W. Bush will surely be remembered as one of the most notable men to serve and represent his country through politics. From his high school days playing on his baseball and soccer teams to his presidency in 1989-1993, George H. W. Bush will not be forgotten.
20 Technology CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Seasonal Stocking Stuffers
Brittany Evelyn Managing Editor
Whether it be for your best friend, significant other, or loved one, filling a stocking can be a daunting task, but with this guide finding the perfect stocking stuffers will be a breeze.
Phone Cases
Boys and girls alike express themselves through various ways, including their decorative, or not so flashy, phone cases. From clear cases, showing off the Apple icon on the back of iPhones, to cases that second as wallets, to a selection from the rainbow list of colors, teenagers are sure to find a case that suits them. Switching out your phone case allows your personality to shine through. For objects that are always attached to us, simply acting as an extension of our fingers, it is important that a phone case be representative of us. Whether it be a protective case, or a stylish one, phone cases will make anyone happy this holiday season! Headphones For teenagers, the perfect gift small enough to fit in a stocking would be a brand new pair of headphones. With the introduction of AirPods, headphones have taken on a smaller, more compact and mobile form. Headphones prove to be a favorite among teenagers, as music has become such an integral part of today’s day and age.
Video Games
For anyone who loves to sit in front of a computer and play video games, whether it be a significant other, brother, or best friend, you can’t go wrong with these as stocking stuffers. With the release of new games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Red Dead Redemption 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Fallout 76 they are sure to go crazy over this gift. Video games are the perfect size to fit in anyone’s stocking.
Key Trackers
You might have been missing a key tracker all of your life, and not even realize it. What is it? Key trackers, like Tile, provide a stylish way to keep track of your keys. For people who are always on the go or seem to lose things easily, a key tracker makes for the perfect gift. These wireless devices can be synced to your phone then placed with your keys to track them. Tiles remain connected in distances up to 170 feet and have a loud alarm to alert owners. The Tile trackers are also waterproof, further increasing the product’s appeal and versatility.
Tech in the Times of 2018 Paolo Barrera
Student life Editor
The past year could be considered as a
marquee moment in the dawn of the new age of technology. The year brought folding phones, rolling TV’s, virtual reality, self-driving, Fortnite, and more. If the climax of technology is having society look like a sci-fi movie, then consider 2018 to be part of the rising action. The newest Tesla model hit the markets to be ordered in the middle of 2018, during the early summer. YouTubers and celebrities have been public fans of the Tesla Model S, but Elon Musk has committed to hook his celebrity friends up with the new model soon. “I can’t drive yet but the new Tesla [models] look super cool to drive,” said junior Victor Navarro. The Tesla Model 3 boasts the quickest acceleration for a tangible Tesla model in which the speedster goes from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. The 100% electric car uses two engines to drive this fast, but Musk boasts that it takes only a 30 minute charge to get the car to go 170 miles straight. Musk also boasts his signature autopilot mode, in which 12 sensors keep the car safe by processing information from 160 meters in every direction. What’s an autopilot-enabled car without a 15 inch touchscreen and the ability to start your car with your phone, right? Tesla’s 2018 model can infamously be updated with a couple downloads via Tesla’s “over-the-air software” updates. In 2018, modern driving became less about high class luxury and more about tech-savvy convenience. Moving from the garage to the living room shows another advancement in the 2018 techno-sphere. The LG Display team hasn’t dropped it on the market yet, but they have continued to show promise with what began as only a prototype of a roll able flat screen TV. As of 2018, the LG Display team has showed promise with their public showing of a 77 inch TV that is “so big you could use it as a blanket” (digitaltrends.com). The fact that the TV can be rolled up and bent without losing a speck of functionality makes the piece of tech a literal TV blanket. Keep in mind, the display is also capable of “Ultra HD” resolution with over 8 million pixels on the screen (3840x2160 dimensions). Like the Tesla, 2018 redefined technology as something that bends the possibilities of technology in unthinkable ways. Not only has driving around and watching TV become revolutionized in 2018, but ringing a doorbell has, too. The Nest Hello Video Doorbell launched and shipped its products in 2018 to find customers very satisfied. The product replaces traditional doorbells, right outside the front door to do its typical door ringing job and more. The wide angle camera provides 360 degree live footage to the homeowner’s smart devices 24/7. The nighttime capa-
bilities mean that nothing leaves or enters the house without being recorded. Though that sounds creepy, it’s 100% user friendly. “It’s cool especially now with there being a lot of crimes. I feel like this is a safe way to know who’s coming to your house,” says junior Kelsey St.Louis. The microphone and the facial recognition installed help homeowners use Nest Hello as an extension of themselves rather than a stalker robot. The last splash in the 2018 tech pool is the Oculus GO: the newest way to game in 2018. Its predecessor, the Oculus Rift, hit the world as the premier Virtual Reality platform. But in 2018, the Oculus GO revolutionized VR gaming, VR movie watching, and even VR music listening with its lack of any additional accessories or setups. “I’m mainly a PC gamer but the Oculus Go looks cool enough to buy,” admits senior Nicolaus Sarbello. There is no need for any cables or a monitor, just the Oculus GO. With it, you can watch movies in 3D or play games in literal 3D. Watching movies in 2018 isn’t lounging on a recliner, it’s wearing a headset that transports you into the next Avatar movie or into the newest zombie game. Technology in 2018 took existing everyday items and made them better. It even created some products that weren’t even believed to be possible. A new year is on the horizon, and it is safe to assume that there is a new wave of technology in the distance, too.
Graphic By: Henry Severe
The New Ultimatum: Smash Bros. Franchise Grows Michael Muela Staff Writer
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intendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise has already had a historic past. From Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii to Super Smash Flash on the school computers, gamers everywhere have fallen in love with the game’s characters. And just when everyone thought that the franchise couldn’t grow any larger, a new game is being released: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Earlier this year, Nintendo announced t h a t Super Smash Bros. Ultim a t e w i l l c o m e out for the Nintendo Switch on December 7 t h . There’s no better feeling in the world for gamers than to see the glowing red orb appear on their black T.V. screens and the reveal of the title of the game they’re about to experience Super Smash Bros. Junior James Colbert is very excited for the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. “I’m pretty excited as its looking like it’s going to be the best one in the series.” Colbert spoke about the new roster as well. “Instead of just adding new characters and forgetting about old problems, they looked towards many flawed characters on the roster and either gave deserved nerfs [or] buffs to make the game more balanced overall.” Emmanuel Roman can’t wait to get his hands on the new game. “My expectations are hoping that it will be better than the last game you got to play with 8 people, and I’m hoping that you can still play with 8 or more.” However, this sophomore has his doubts about the changes being made to the roster. “I’m hoping that they’ll be adding more DLC characters later on when the game gets old.” New characters are being added to the game, such as Daisy from the Super Mario series, and Ken from the Street Fighter series. Dark Samus and Incineroar will also be added the roster. When freshman Joey San Angelo heard about the release of Smash Bros. Ultimate, he couldn’t be more thrilled. “I expect big changes with all the new characters.” Many of the old characters will be returning to the game, including Mario, Luigi, and Bowser, but some characters will be
making their Smash Bros. debut in December, such as Bowser Jr. and Rosalina. Even students who don’t play Super Smash Bros. are excited for the release of this game. Even though senior Ethan Cayouette doesn’t play Super Smash Bros. at the moment, he is anticipating the new game’s arrival. “I’m expecting the game to do very well. It’s the same compared to all the other games, especially because they brought all the characters back into one game.” Cayouette is very anxious to play with all of his friends. Students all around at PPCHS are extremely excited for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s release. With Christmas right around the corner, families are buying trees and decorating their homes with the Christmas spirit. Pay lots of attention to any wrapped presents this year, for they could have a Nintendo Switch and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate under them.
Graphic By: Justin Pierce
NRA: Don’t Silence the Life Savers
Voices Versus Violence 21 CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Alan Matthew technology editor
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ost of the time, important problems, when contrasting viewpoints and biases are factored in, don’t get any closer to being solved. To many, this has been the case with America’s gun violence problem for quite some time. An inability to hear out reason and research, especially if for just the sake of party lines, has never brought about long term solutions to any problems; in the same way, refusing to acknowledge the other side of the argument, barring extreme cases, has definitely never created a united front against the nation’s most pressing concerns. For these reasons and more, the National Rifle Association’s latest public maneuver —an attempt to silence doctors who oppose the NRA— has met with backlash from an entirely new source: the medical community. Weeks ago, the Annals of Internal Medicine, a medical journal that has been acknowledged as one of the most influential specialty medical journals in the world, released a publication titled “Reducing Firearm Injuries and Deaths in the United States: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.” The piece was acknowledged as an editorial but was also coupled with a significant scientific research to avoid baseless arguments. The event that triggered the conflict between the Annals of Internal Medicine, along with a multitude of doctors and the NRA, was a tweet from Gun Advocacy Group’s Twitter page. The tweet called for doctors and physicians who supported be-
coming more involved with the problem of gun violence and at least discussing firearm safety with at-risk patients to “stay in their lane.” The online response was far from favorable. Doctors, physicians, and surgeons from across the nation took to social media to describe some of the harrowing experiences that convinced them to become involved with the issue. Gruesome and painfully real scenes were drawn upon in response. While no actual patient details were discussed, generalities and important pieces of information were now made available to the general public. Images of bloody scrubs and blood soaked OR’s made their way onto the web, along with what effectively became the slogan for this battle: #ThisIsOURLane. For many who first read into this story, the true scale of trauma from firearm related injuries was astonishing. And with this newfound depth came newfound realizations as well. If it was unacknowledged before, the fact that doctors and physicians are the ones with the most real world experience when
it comes to the physical violence guns bring about is now unavoidable. To ignore the input of such experience is, among other things, illogical and unfair. In the words of junior Joseph Nazario, “I believe it is unfair that the medical community is underrepresented for their opinions, even though [they] are the ones who [have] to fix the problems guns create for humans.” Because of ideas like this, Twitter users, by the hundreds, began to question what right the NRA had to deGraphic By: Rosa Gomez nounce what they did. After all, it does seem to be inherently wrong to shut down the opinions of a group that deals with the consequences of the very thing you unequivocally advocate for. Actual gun violence, after all, isn’t actually treated by gun lobbyists or the NRA but by doctors and physicians— the very people who deal with the life threatening injuries that the NRA indirectly allows for. Silencing their voices isn’t just morally dubious, it’s dangerous for any democracy and for any issue. Gun violence, and by extension gun control, shouldn’t be a battle to drown
out opposing ideas but a battle to consider the most informed, most viable ideas overall. And, as sophomore Mariana Colicchio puts it, “Doctors are the ones who, behind closed doors, have to see and deal with the raw, heart wrenching losses lack of gun control reaps; they are the ones with the most insight and least bias who can weigh in on the discussion. We need to deconstruct the idea [that only certain people can chime in on important issues] and reform our system without listening to these arbitrary rules that are built to keep us, the people, out.” Doctors are, after all, the ones who’ve dedicated their lives to the health of others, who’ve sworn oaths, who’ve spent years on end becoming experts in their fields, and still continue to do so. That’s not to say that each and every doctor’s opinion should be hailed as perfect or unarguable. The nuance to gun control is that there are shades of gray within every possible solution. It’s an entirely different type of problem, though, when anyone attempts to restrict the flow of good ideas preemptively. This counterintuitive mentality is both dangerous and divisive. Party affiliations aside, worthwhile ideas shouldn’t be ignored just because they come from the other side of the fence. The first step, as it’s always been, is to acknowledge the problem, but that would be entirely useless without a united and worthwhile effort being put into solving the actual problem.
Can Scanning Social Media Stop School Shootings? Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief
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ollowing the massacre at Parkland, several shootings have been prevented after people alerted police of threats that had been made online in regards to shootings or attacks. Certain companies have been created to scan social media accounts and identify threatening comments, photos, or reposts. With the influx of school shootings that have occurred recently, a system like this could prove to be beneficial for
“Certain
with two counts of second-degree terroristic threatening and one count of harassing communications. Actions that were done through social media were picked up by the lady, allowing her to prevent what could have been another mass murder. (cnn.com) Red flags can be picked up by online social media “checkers” such as Social Sentinel. This “social media threat alert service that costs less than $2 per student” picks
up certain phrases that can be harmful to students themselves or those around them (cbsnews.com). The company believes that this is not invading privacy, since it is only checking posts that students post publically. “It’s not infringing upon us at all. We publically post all these things, and its best if threats and such can be picked up immediately through checking social media,” said freshman Alexandra Brown.
companies have been created to scan social media accounts and identify threatening comments, photos, or reposts.
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schools to implement, as the innovation is yet another that can keep the world safer. However, some believe it imposes upon people’s privacy or misinterprets things that kids may jokingly say. “I don’t think [scanning social media] can stop school shootings, but I think it could help minimize it. It would help catch people posting suspicious activity and having accounts that are dangerous which I think could possibly lessen the amount of shootings that occur,” said senior William Gomez. Even just recently there have been many cases of people reporting others who they believe may be suspicious or could pose a threat for various reasons, such as inappropriate comments or photos. For example, a mom from New Jersey alerted local police after receiving racist comments from a man with a gun in his profile who lived in Kentucky. She alerted police, who found him leaving his driveway with a firearm, ammo, and a detailed plan to attack a local schools. He was arrested and charged
Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus
However, this system also has its faults, as it picks up things that students may say jokingly or even lyrics from songs, such as “I Gotta Kill You All” (cbsnews.com). False positives do sometimes get through and are harmless, and for this reason many students do not like the idea of their social media being checked by a system. “Most people don’t seriously mean it when they say they are going to kill someone. They just say it as a joke, and that’s just how they mess with each other. I think that scanning social media for threatening comments will pick up a lot of high schoolers who joke about things like that and they’ll be deemed dangerous when in reality it’s just them messing around,” said senior Falak Abbasakoor. While some may agree with Abbasakoor, others think that it can only help. “Yes, it does invade privacy, but if you aren’t doing anything wrong you shouldn’t really be worried about it,” said senior William Gomez. Some may believe that companies like Social Sentinel are making profit off of the fear, but having this extra checking system adds another layer of security. “I don’t think it would stop [shootings], but we would have a better chance at stopping them and threats,” said junior Hayley Meade. She believes it could be an invasion of privacy if not used correctly, “but if they only search key words, phrases, and sentences then no.” For now, Charter is not using a social media scanning platform to search through students’ social media accounts, but with the recent tragedies going on all around the country, this innovation could have benefits that save lives. Social Sentinel cannot yet show how effective their system is, but over time, similarly to how the man in Kentucky was stopped, scanning social media may be a way to prevent future tragedies being posted about online.