The C.H.AT. November Issue 2018-19

Charter Gives Back PPCHS Clubs Collect Supplies for Hurricane Michael Victims Pg. 4

Volleyball, Cross Country, and Swim Make it Big! Pg. 9

KG4 Club and NHS Collect Cans for Harvest Drive Pg. 8

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

Contents

The C.H.C. Staff

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

Student Life:

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

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

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

Coffeehouse Brews Up a Show Senior’s Last Stand for Players and the Band

Features: How Art is Changing in the Social Media Age The Human Body: An Artistic Canvas

News: First Time Voters Take to the Polls Marching Towards a New Life

Features

Pg. 6 - 7

News: Pg. 14

Sports:

Sports: Pg. 9

Lifestyle:

PPCHS Cross Country Running for the Record Books

Tasty Thanksgiving Treats

Volleyball Spikes Their Way into the History Books

Thanksgiving Traditions Quote Board

Entertainment: Bohemian Rhapsody: The Killer Box Office Champion Only Love for The Hate U Give

Technology:

Clubs: PPCHS Sends Hurricane Michael Relief Poptarts POP over to Local Veterans Home

Voices Versus Violence:

Net Neutrality: A Debate far from Neutral

Generation Z and School Violence

Making Every Second Count: the Tantalizing World of Tiktok

Students’ Opinions on Recent Shootings

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Student Life CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Coffeehouse Brews Up a Show

Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor

Walking into a corner cafe in New York

or a small town in the middle of winter is what this year's Coffeehouse felt like.

The ambiance created by the students who attended was one of friendship and encouragement. Just like one of those cafes would, Coffeehouse had various miniature groups of people socializing and eating or drinking foods that were served. The stage though, proved to be better than any stage a hole-in-the-wall cafe could provide.

As the last bell of the day rang at two in the afternoon on the 30th of October, dozens of students hurriedly made their way from class to the popular drama room at the center of the M-building hallway. A growing line of nervous but excited attendees began to curl around the wall along the room where the 2018 Coffeehouse would soon take place.

The doors opened, the seats were filled, and the lights were dimmed. The stage was set up at the front of the room, ready to host different acts of talent. As students adjusted themselves, drama member senior Sofia Cano made her way to the front of the room and officially began this year's Coffeehouse. “It was a really calming atmosphere, and I had never sang in front of that many people that I knew before,” explains Cano. In the singer’s words, the environment felt “cozy and comforting” with all the support and made the feeling

of being on stage enjoyable. Cano’s act, a recreation of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, set an exciting mood amongst the audience and set the expectations high for the rest of the show.

The acts that followed didn't disappoint!

Students brought variety and uniqueness to the stage. From hearing different melodious songs to seeing impressive dance moves, the coffeehouse presented a fun, relaxed side of Charter that showcased

ivera

Lifestyle Editor

The most powerful hurricane to hit the

continental U.S. in over 50 years struck Florida's Panhandle as a Category 4 storm on October 10, 2018. Hurricane Michael left behind a path of damage and destruction when it made landfall last month. One that residents all across the state have been working together to rebuild. Overnight, Hurricane Michael went from a moderately strong storm into a much more powerful, dangerous, and scary one. The storm hit with winds of 155 mph, strong enough to ruin homes beyond repair, along with a storm surge of 9 to 14 feet in some areas. It swept away homes and cars, creating very dangerous situations for residents. “I have family in the area and we checked in after the storm to make sure all was good. Their neighborhood was in shambles but thankfully they were only without power for a few days,” says freshman Leyla Molina.

Michael is one of the most intense hurricanes to ever hit the United States, as measured by barometric pressure in the center of the storm.

The students of Pines Charter rallied together to help our northern neighbors.

All clubs at PPCHS, through our school's Inter-School Council, started collecting donations for the victims of Hurricane Michael. Due to the urgency of the situation, the clubs united together rather than conducting multiple efforts and got to work as soon as they could. PPCHS was contacted

by Dr. Melissa Sohn, the executive director of the Florida Association of Student Councils, who was forwarded a message from two high schools in the affected area, Mosley High School and Port St. Joe High School. Both schools compiled a list of goods of which they are in need. A donation box was set up in the PPCHS front of-

and share your talent and know that your voice is heard - it's great. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner,” continues Arvelo.

It wouldn't be a coffeehouse without coffee being available! Hot chocolate, fruits, and small breakfast foods were also provided to the 30 or so students who attended. The entire show was run by the drama teacher, Mrs. Abreu along with the help of her substitute, Ms. Chiventon.

While the spectators watched and performers put on a show, people mingled with one another and marveled at the talent on stage. They were able to help themselves to refreshments provided by the drama students, who were urged to attend.

“It was mandatory for all advanced drama kids to attend but not perform. I had a lot of fun even though I didn’t perform,” says senior Muriel Morales. “Being able to see talent from not just people in the arts department but from other ‘parts’ of school was neat.”

While not permanent, the Coffeehouse makes an appearance every year, and for a short two hours Charter hosts its own form of a cafe where students are able to experience artistic shows in a relaxed environment. The drama department, as always, didn't fail to impress with their many performers that night and demonstrated that talent lies within all parts of Charter.

Donated By: Megan Fraga

PPCHS Sends Hurricane Michael Relief R R achel

many talents. Senior Ariana Arvelo shared her voice with the crowd of students that night and sang “Sunflower” by Rex Orange County while her friend, Riley Gonzalez played the guitar. “I've been wanting to do coffeehouse since my freshman year, but I’d always been scared of auditioning,” said Arvelo. As many performers did that night, Arvelo mustered up the courage to get up on stage and sing, dance, and act. “It was so amazing, to sit in front of a crowd

fice for those who could make a contribution, such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, medicines, canned foods, and so much more. Each club divided the items on the list among themselves. For example, Rho Kappa volunteered to collect paper goods, and HOSA volunteered to assemble first aid, while every other club collected something different.

The donation drive was a very short, starting on October 29 and ending on November 1. Junior Emi Gonzalez states, “My sister lives in the area, and after hearing how bad it was, I knew I needed to help as much as I could and donate. I donated as soon as the drive was announced.” On Friday, November 2, PPCHS history teacher and SGA sponsor, Mr. Curry, drove several hours to the panhandle in a loaded Ford Transit 350 van filled with donations collected by our students. Senior Krissana Abolafia, who helped Mr. Curry finish loading the truck, said, “The truck was so full and jam packed that there was no room for anything else.”

Curry and his wife arrived around 1:00 PM [central time] at the updated location he had been sent to deliver the supplies to.

As reported by Mr. Curry, “After nearly 4 weeks since the storm has hit some of the neighborhoods look like the storm just hit the night before. I was, and am, extremely proud of how quickly students from different clubs came together to work for a unified purpose. Even though I have been through several hurricanes, including Andrew, I was in awe of the amount of assistance that part of Florida is surely going to need.” Even after almost a month, countless families, schools, and communities are still struggling and in need of help. PPCHS is hopeful that its efforts left a huge impact and deep appreciation from the people.

Donated By: Mr. Curry

Sophomores Take a Trip to the Happiest Place on Earth E C mma

aulfield

Co-Features Editor

A

larms were set for 3:30 am for the 200 sophomores who attended this year’s class of 2021 field trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Most students dread coming to school early, but November 9th was an exception.

While everybody on the bus was tired (as expected), they were definitely pumped. “I never like waking up, but for this trip I was more than willing to! I was so happy to be with my friends for the whole day at one of my favorite places: Disney World!” said sophomore Samantha Prieto. Everybody made countless memories and captured moments from numerous attractions such as Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, It’s a Small World, and so much more.

As the busses took off, most students used the four-hour ride as an opportunity to get some of their sleep back. The ride up to Orlando was so quiet that one could hear the engine of the bus roaring from underneath. A majority of the class spent their time napping, while others stayed awake to discuss a “game plan” for after the busses arrived at the park. “Amaya, one of my best friends, and I were one of the first to put our names down for the trip. We were pumped from the very beginning. We discussed going on rides such as Big Thunder Mountain and The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. We also decided to change things up and head to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Show which was a great way to take a breather from all the rides,” explained sophomore Zoe Mutombo. As the busses came to a stop at Magic Kingdom, students woke up from their naps and opened the Disney World applications on their cell phones to activate their tickets and book the two fast passes provided by the school. At around 9:30 am, sophomores began to flood the park. Many of them were eager to escape the long lines of their favorite attractions.

“My friends and I rushed to the park, we wanted to get on Space Mountain before the lines got too long. We also went on the Buzz Lightyear ride. Afterwards we grabbed a table at Casey’s Corner which was awesome and from there we hit a few more rides and watched some shows,” said

Donated By: Blake Rodriguez

sophomore Kevin Orbegoso.

Throughout the day, everybody split into groups of friends or pairs to enjoy a fun, lively day with each other. Making sure to hit as many rides possible to get the most out of the day, everybody was wiped by the time they boarded the busses at 6:00 pm.

Everybody who came had an incredible time, capturing memories and spending time with one another. A day like this could not have been done without class of 2021 sponsor Mrs. Altimore and the student council. “I think Magic Kingdom went really well. A lot of people had an amazing time and a lot of memories were made! I look forward to seeing what student council does, and I hope that the sophomore class is going to continue to outdo themselves every year!” said student council member Alyssa Infante.

As always, Pines Charter’s class of 2021 student council team put together an incredible trip for sophomores to enjoy. After having a magical time at the happiest place on earth, students eagerly await for the next class trip that may be even better than the last.

Student Life 5 CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Voices and Visitors Versus Violence: Third Annual Journalism Summit Alan Matthew

Rows of curious students, six experi-

enced panelists, one unusually glacial room. On November 14th, 2018, all these elements and more came together —with the help of two especially dedicated teachers— in the form of the third annual PPCHS Journalism Summit. A tradition at Charter, the summit is held every year for the sake of students who, across the school, participate in one form of journalism or another.

More than just an opportunity to learn and grow from interactions with professionals, this year’s summit also took on trying issues like gun violence, mental health, and the importance of journalism in today’s day and age, all with a special focus on the C.H.A.T.’s newest section: Voices Versus Violence. To understand the special focus on the section, however, one has to understand the history behind it.

Originally conceived shortly in the wake of MSD, Voices Versus Violence took on the myriad of stories that sprung up in the aftermath of the tragedy. Stories from nationwide marches to end gun violence to the public’s growing desensitivity towards school shootings have found their home within the section, and it continues to expand every day. However, due to the broad and complex nature of the section, covering its stories with the correct poise and judgement can be troublesome for even the most experienced writer; thankfully, the summit provided the perfect solution to this dilemma -- who better to pose journalistic questions to than actual, bona fide journalists? Interestingly enough, though, it wasn’t just journalists that found themselves on the panel at the summit.

The panel was comprised of one radio show host and yearbook representative for Herff-Jones, Bruce Silverman; an editor for the Palm Beach Post, Jim Coleman; a young adult author and college professor for creative writing, Marjetta Geerling; a former social worker for at-risk youth and current young adult author, Jill Mackenzie; a licensed mental health counselor and therapist, Rebecca Gorchoff; and a licensed clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Dara Bushman. Without a doubt, this diverse group does indeed come from a variety of separate professional backgrounds, but, if only for a day, they united under one

technology editor

important cause: to address pressing issues facing teens in challenging times.

And address those issues did they. Speaking collectively and individually, the group eloquently took complex topics and molded them into understandable and unique pieces of knowledge. Questions were posed by the audience of students, and answers were, in turn, given by those who felt that they had a word to speak on each subject. Perhaps one of the most interesting questions was about the nature of journalism itself and why people choose

one would be hard pressed to ignore that two sides of the journalistic coin, separated only by the years, were reflected in that room during the summit. Sophomore Henry Severe, speaking on the dynamic that was prevalent throughout the summit, said, “I feel that they [handled] each and every question well and, more importantly, were able to relate to us and the topics we write about in the newspaper.” Much of the summit was focused on imparting wisdom after all. And who better to receive wisdom from than someone who once stood in your

it, either as a profession or a class. Almost immediately after the question was first posed, Bruce Silverman addressed it. In his words, “When you’re sitting in a classroom, and you want to become a journalist, that’s an amazing thing, but a thing of great responsibility. You become the storyteller - you become a conduit between a story and the people - which is one of the most important professions we need to turn to today.” Silverman continued to speak on this, with Jim Coleman jumping in occasionally, while captivating his audience.

Silverman and Coleman, right at the beginning, showcased the true value of the summit and the ideas that had fueled it at every step. Because, in fact, the only significant difference between much of the panel and audience was experience. When looking at the students and the panel,

shoes? Doubts, anxiety, and worries about the future were all challenges they faced — and do admittedly continue to face— and their journey with them was yet another essential aspect of the summit.

When considering what it meant to be in high school, for example, Jill Mackenzie and Rebecca Gorchoff came together in a unique way. In Mackenzie’s words, “The inside of me never matched up with the outside. I was this high achieving student who was floundering on the inside.” Gorchoff followed this vein by saying, “High school was the hardest time of my life… and that was before social media. My best piece of advice on handing it, though, is to find your own happiness. Because of what the world expects us to be. We look for happiness outside of ourselves, but that isn’t always the best for

us.” Both of their takes on the high school experience revealed more than just how much of a struggle it actually is.

Unintentionally, both women, successful in their own fields, served as a testament to things to come. Essentially, by being there, by speaking to that common struggle, they proved that what might bring us down today —what might really drain our batteries— doesn’t necessarily cancel out the wonderful possibilities of things to come. That, paired with new information and advice on how to tackle everything from stories to certain struggles certainly changed a lot for at least some of the students attending. For junior Sophia Cortes, the editor for the Voices Versus Violence section, the summit was beneficial in more ways than one.

To her, “going to the summit, listening to the guest speakers, and understanding what they had to say really put this section -and what it’s about- into perspective. I don't remember who said it, but one of the speakers today said how writing stories... gives a voice for those who are voiceless. That's what this section, and being a journalist, is really all about.” Senior and Editor-InChief of the C.H.A.T. Ainsley McCormick further echoed the importance of the summit when she thanked her class for attending and listening to each unique speaker, while also describing what she took away: “to set my goals for the future and to not be afraid of all the ‘what ifs’ that will be up in the air - whether it be in regards to my career or acts of violence.”

Thanks to the summit and the collaborative efforts of those who attended, history, mistakes, and advice all came together to form a wealth of knowledge, knowledge each and every face in the audience benefitted from in a variety of different ways.

Beyond that, with everything from inspiration to heartfelt anecdotes, each and every panel member made use of their time, energy, and experience to help those who listened develop, grow, and evolve as writers, and maybe even as people. Each and every student walked away knowing that they left with at least a little more than they walked in with, which has been, and will continue to be, the goal of the summit.

Senior’s Last Stand for Players and the Band Jordan Alberti Sports Editor

Thursday night welcomed a different

kind of hype and excitement on the football field. The band began playing their instruments and the football players started to get ready to run onto the field for their last game of the season. The seniors, however, got ready for what would be their last time running onto the field as a Pines Charter Jaguar. November 1st was a momentous occasion for the Class of 2019 Charter seniors, as they would take the field for the last time. Seniors like William Manuel and Roman Benitez would be playing their last game, after being four year players here at Charter. The opponent for their last game was the Nova Titans. The atmosphere was primed for a great night of football and a great night for the band, the majorettes, and the cheerleaders to have their send offs on this fateful night as well. The pregame ceremony was touching for all in attendance. All the seniors walked side by side with their parents, some arm in arm, to be honored near midfield with a bouquet of flowers and a roll call from Mr. Curry’s booming voice one last time. Senior Justin Dourvetakis said, “I have only played football this season for Charter, but Senior Night was super cool. For the guys that have been here for 4 years, it must have been absolutely awesome.”

When the game began, the score did not go in Charter’s favor. However, the team, while fighting an uphill battle, was backed by the fans, band, and cheerleaders, some using extra motivation as it would be their last football game. By halftime, the score of the game was 45-6 but the Jags were still fighting and giving their best effort towards mounting some sort of comeback.

During halftime, the majorettes gave a great performance. Seniors Krissana Abolafia and Sofia Cano were performing in their last halftime show. “It was a surreal experience. To be performing for the last time in high school, and with my best friend [Sofia], it was just an overall awesome memory to make,” said Abolafia.

The show was a huge success for everyone involved: batons were flying, music was playing, and all eyes never left midfield.

Also on the field was the band, playing various tunes and having fun doing it. Senior Brandon Westerfield said, “It was really bittersweet to play at my final game. It has been a great four years at Charter and I am excited for the future. For now, I am going to continue my last year here at Charter and enjoy it with my friends.”

After the show, senior Jason Lozama motivated his team, giving them a pep talk before returning onto the field for the second half, the last half of high school football for Lozama. The players were energized and ready to get back into the action. The team would fight hard throughout the whole second half, working to secure a 51-6 score line, and even though the score doesn’t look close, their determination and resolve in the second half allowed them to keep the score a lot closer than it was in the first half and produce a positive result.

Senior Night capped a strong season for Charter football, majorettes, and the band.

Even though the football team didn’t make it to .500, they were able to win 2 games, showing significant improvement from a year ago. This team showed great resolve and will be looking forward to next year, looking to crush their goals and have fun while doing it.

Photos By: Andres Alfonso

Features

6

How Art is Changing in the Social Media Age CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Ainsley McCormick Editor-In-Chief

Art in today’s day and age has moved past just fawning over pieces and trying to analyze them, to finding the perfect piece of art that will fit ones Instagram feed.

W

hen the Museum of Ice Cream opened up in Miami, photos of the cherry swing or the sprinkle pool could be scattered along ones Instagram feed. When Art Basel is in town, PPCHS’ art students take a field trip down to Miami, returning with plenty of selfies and artistically planned photos to share on social media.

Art in today’s day and age has moved past just fawning over pieces and trying to analyze them, to finding the perfect piece of art that will fit ones Instagram feed. It’s “influenced art in all types of ways,” said sophomore Connor Phillips, whether it be through the creation, marketing, viewing, or “seeing which friend can get the most likes.”

In fact, social media seems to be encouraging more and more people to go see different works of art. Students flooded their timelines and feeds with pictures of the newly discovered Umbrella Sky Project.

The fixture, located in Coral Gables, features an array of colorful plastic umbrellas hung high above a strip mall with restaurants and shops. For teenagers today, simply going to enjoy this abstract work of art is not enough. The moment must be captured with photos that can then be posted online, almost as “proof” that they were there. However, this is a big part of how the word spreads. “My friend posted a photo of her with the umbrellas hanging behind her

and I was really curious about them. They are so colorful, and I thought it would be such a nice photo to take and post,” said freshman Alejandra Lamus. Once one person visits an art exhibit that catches peoples’ eyes, others follow suit, sometimes even just for the Instagram photo.

While some may be becoming famous off of their artistic ventures posted on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media networks, some artists begin their rise to fame through social media. Artists can use social media as a free platform to

begin to share their content, even setting up online shops without ever having to step away from their laptop. Masses of people following an artist's social media accounts serves as proof and validation that they are, in fact, an artist. Gaining momentum for one’s artwork this way avoids nerves that are associated with an artist struggling to make it big through gallery showings or other exhibits.

While social media can help artists become well known, it also throws up the chance that artwork can be stolen. Through

Graphic By: Henry Severe

Fun in Film and Photography Paolo Barrera Student life Editor

Steve Jobs once said that the people

that change the world are the ones that are crazy enough to think that they can. It’s no surprise that Charter breeds game changers and influencers, but it’s in the art department that some students are grabbing their opportunities in hopes of “putting a dent in the universe”. Senior Giovanna Acosta has created a universe of her own with the pictures, videos, and multimedia designs that have evolved with her talent.

Art, in this day and age, comes in almost every form imaginable: art installations with thousands of humans, dissected insects, tie dyed body parts, and homemade movie posters. Giovanna started dipping her toes into the world of multimedia art with photo shop. “My first attempt [at starting my art career] would probably be starting my Instagram account and realizing that you could manipulate your photos to basically anything,” says the senior. “So I started playing around with photo shop and eventually started getting good at it.” Since her first experimentations with photo shop, she’s seen her style and repertoire grow.

Her first photography and photo shop Instagram page featured an expressionless face that took sharp turns with her style.

She had cybernetic eye edits, creepy shadows manipulated in the photos, and pictures with blurred doppelgangers. Giovanna truly had a world of her own creation, and today it’s a universe that has evolved along with her.

Today, her relationship with photography and art has become less of a passionate past time, but more of an integral part of her being. “I like that my art doesn’t have just one side, it goes along with my personality of constantly changing views and interests [that] I take in every now and then,” confesses Giovanna. “My art completely mirrors whatever emotion or interest I take up at the moment I create, and it helps me put into pictures what I’m feeling rather than saying it [out loud].” That fusion between identity and creativity is hard to find, and icons like Steve Jobs are an example of Giovanna’s ability to translate words and feelings into pictures and colors. Charter doesn’t have photography and art listed

as a world language, but its artists like Giovanna that can truly speak the universal language of creativity.

This language speaks to minds and hearts, but can it speak to more concrete things in reality? In an attempt to bring her art to the masses and speak to the everyday netizen, the senior recently created her own website. A whole website dedicated to her work, curated for art lovers, and meant for anyone with an internet connection and a mind. “So the main page is just to give you an eye-catching image that I feel perfectly emulates that you're to experience as you browse my website,” explains the artist. The main page is, in fact, a grainy edit of a polished, pink candy heart that’s perched on the lips of the photographer herself. From there, there’s an “about” page that explains the reason behind the whole project. “Then you go to my photos that are divided into categories of people and other shoots, to give you a sense of my openness to take a variety of pictures,” Giovanna concludes. There’s also a video and blog page that’s attached, just to link any visitor to the artist’s other endeavors.

Her website is a testament to her passion and an audition for the higher ups, but at the end of the day: her art is an expression for her ambition. “A dream of mine is to see my art in a museum one day, even if it’s in the most remote corner where no one goes, it would be an honor regardless,” admits the senior. In pursuing the dream, Giovanna has sharpened her skills and has eyed other trades to take up. “It would be cool to do photoshoots with magazines one day or even make logos for people,” says Giovanna. “I’m also interested in graphic design and mixing it with my photography.”

People speak and converse with others every day, but not everyone can become an English teacher. Inventors dedicate their lives to innovation, but not everyone can “put a dent in the universe” the way people like Steve Jobs can. Every day, people try to draw and speak and invent their way into leaving their mark on the world, but not everyone can do it the way senior Giovanna Acosta can. Donated By: Giovanna Acosta

screenshots and re-posts, someone’s piece of work can be taken without their knowledge and without any credit, simply by the click of a button. For example, photographer and senior Megan Fraga has had her photos stolen and used for posters and an album cover without the singer ever providing Megan with credit for taking the photos. They said, “If someone uses or posts my work without my consent, especially if it’s to promote their self or their brand, I think that’s just morally wrong. I think, specifically, when it comes to models, just like how I would tag the model in the photo, the model should tag the photographer.” Especially with social media in today’s climate, giving credit to the artists is super important. With just a few clicks their handle or name can be published and their credit can be given. While social media does give people an easy chance to steal someone’s artwork, it also gives people an easy way to credit those for their work.

While the world of retweets and likes is constantly consuming more of our dayto-day life, it isn’t necessarily hindering people's experience of art. Thanks to social media, more people are exposed to new and different types of art. The casual scroll of a thumb down a phone screen opens the mind to art experiences that otherwise may not have been available.

The Human Body: An Artistic Canvas

Features 7

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Sofia Azcurra

T

aking on the challenge of art is something Natalie Alegría was presented with when she discovered its small wonders freshman year. Four years of painting has led her to fall in love with the form itself and pursue something out of the norm and quite unique: body painting. This isn't a common form of art, but the senior has made it her goal to showcase the beauty behind rare art and make it her forte.

It was freshman year that Alegría began incorporating simple face makeup into her routine that later turned into different forms of abstract makeup. “I got into painting bodies my freshman year by watching the show skin wars,” she said. She started off by painting her face down to her neck and collarbones and taking on a theme with every work she did on herself. “People began complimenting my work and saying how crazy cool it looked,” she commented.

Alegría usually looks for acrylic paintings online or gathers a few reference pictures to help her begin the process and infuse different ideas. She likes to think of the body as an alternative portrait or canvas.

Body art isn’t just a contemporary way of painting. Alegría believes body art is not appreciated enough and what makes it so special is how the person becomes the art and the artwork has to morph to each person's body. “You take something different and make it unique,” she said. While some may not be open to having colorful and foreign products on one’s skin, surprisingly, Alegría has had quite a few people show interest in becoming her canvas. “It’s insanely cool and makes you feel unique.

The amount of time she puts into this form of art makes somebody want to do it more,” stated senior Lindsey Litton, who’s been painted by Alegría. Students who’ve also been painted by the aspiring painter include senior Malerie Busha and alumnus Grasy Gomez.

With such talent also comes ability to promote yourself outside of school. The artist began an Instagram page separate from her

entertainment

Editor

private account to solely promote her ideas to people with the same interests. “Social media, in essence, has helped me express myself and spread my work faster.” She plans to incorporate her artwork page into her personal page to get more notice from interested people as it has more followers. Natalie commented how the best feeling is seeing people’s reactions when they react to what she does. Social media has helped the senior attain new ideas and create her own sense of uniqueness to her art. The motivated artist is hoping to enter the Miami Convention for body art. “I really love painting on bodies as weird as it sounds, but it allows me to be freer,” she exclaimed.

Although not a typical painter, Alegría has a burning passion for the distinct art.

Everyone has different ways of expressing emotion, and the idea of transforming someone's physique has captured Alegria’s eye. She saw this as an opportunity to challenge her artistic abilities and has begun to leave her mark as an artist, and not just with paint.

Donated By: Natalie Alegria

Designing on a Digital Canvas Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor

The world of art is limitless as always

proven by the numerous quiet artists of Charter. It holds no boundaries as to how people, young and old, wish to apply their creative skill. With the mix of technology and innovative artistic minds, a new form of art has surfaced and become increasingly popular. Senior Silvia Garcia has transformed the mouse of a computer into her own paintbrush and the screen of her laptop into her own canvas through the complex craft that is digital art.

Seven years ago, Silvia stumbled into the world of art, both digitally and non-digitally. The aspiring artist once was at a point in her life where art, her now peace of mind, was a foreign area. It wasn't until she was greatly inspired that she gradually became the artist she is today. “My best friend, Victoria Baylac, is essentially the reason I started art,” says Garcia. “She does cartoon and animated-looking creatures and characters, they're always so colorful.”

The beauty Baylac brought to her work influenced Garcia's own work and stirred the inner artist within her that has been hidden for years because, as it turns out, she did in fact have a knack for everything art.

Silvia was ten years old is when she first began taking her artwork seriously.

Though she wasn't a typical art student when young, she slowly became immersed with everything art and began her artistic journey. “I used to study dog, cat, horse, and bird breeds when I was younger because I wanted to become a veterinarian,” says Garcia. “The physical characteristics and personalities of the different breeds inspired me to draw these beautiful creatures.” Cartoon shows like Steven Universe and We Bare Bears also helped her create her own characters, each having its own story that she could tell through her comics. “Superhero movies and comic

Photo By: Aijah Harper

books are my biggest inspi- Donated By: ration for what I do with my art. I love recreating my favorite characters and making it my own.”

While Silvia actively practices both types of art, her focus has stayed mainly on digital art. She started digital art at the same time in her life she became interested in

Silvia Garcia general art, but felt a stron-

ger pulling and deeper interest to creating on a computer. “I got into digital art because a lot of the artists that I watched at the time mostly drew on their computer or tablet,” explains Garcia. Digital art didn't come naturally to Silvia, but with time, it became enjoyable and then

turned into something more than a hobby but rather as a part of who she is. “Most of the techniques and styles I learned were from YouTube videos and experimenting with whatever materials I had around me.” She used the resources around her to push herself to become better than she ever imagined she could be. The senior never took an art class in high school, except ninth grade, but did take a few in her time throughout middle school. She uses free programs on her computer to complete her digital art and save unfinished ones. Although she didn't participate in art classes, her natural talent proved to be exceptional enough for her to be her own teacher.

In the years she's been doing her art, Silvia has never exhausted herself of her talents. In fact, it's encouraged her to make an Instagram account to post her works and showcase her various colors. “I don't want my account to become popular, but I do want to grab attention from people who need a little color and positivity to brighten their day,” says Garcia. She wishes to hopefully make connections with other artists and share ideas. The senior believes that social media, in today's day and age, is important for an artist to be a part of. “It definitely wouldn't be easily viewed and people wouldn't be able to connect with others around the world who share the same interests and styles.” Social media definitely helps connect a lot of artists and for Silvia, it's helped her freely express her art with the world.

Diving into the world of art has expanded Silvia's art skills, but also her social skills.

The once reserved girl who quietly agreed to draw for others now uses art to voice her emotions and start conversations. She has transformed her imagination into a visual form and has shown that art is completely capable through a computer too.

8

Clubs CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Napping For a Better Day Caroline Kadir News Editor

Imagine dreaming, feeling amity, or hav-

ing a place to unwind during a draining school day. From Drama Club to French Club, jags at PPCHS are now rousing at the new club on school grounds. As of October 24, 2018, PPCHS’ first Nap Club was made official and held an informational meeting that resulted in an unexpected outcome.

Homeroom clubs are typically on the smaller scale when it comes to its members in comparison to after-school clubs.

The Nap Club definitely defied this odd at their informational meeting with about 30 people gathered; it soon became clear that Nap Club wasn’t a traditional homeroom club. Nap Club allows the opportunity for students who are feeling tired and need a quick nap to do so, but this club does more than just provide a chance to sleep. They also hold monthly movie showings with appetizing food and drinks included. As stated from the club’s informational PowerPoint, it was formed in honor of Mr. Troha, a respected PPCHS teacher who passed away recently. He cultivated the idea and club many years ago, and because of his students, it is now prolonging full force.

Senior Gloris Sajan states, “I think it’s amazing that students made this an actual

club in memory of Mr. Troha, and I know many students will use this chance to be a part of a club.” Countless jags grabbed this opportunity and joined the club as a way to not only be involved with the school, but to also take a break from classes and the tedious work that follows with it. As junior Samantha Cruz expresses, “I joined Nap Club for the simple fact that it gives me an hour of rest from a busy school week. I rarely ever have time to take naps due to after-school activities and school itself. This club gives me the time to rest and relax.”

It’s evident that jags are taking advantage of this new club and enjoying it thoroughly in midst of a stressful week.

It is well aware that Nap Club has been the talk of the school and has grabbed numerous jags’ attention. Various students have opposing views on this new homeroom club. Sophomore Ethan Correa expresses, “I don’t know how I feel about Nap Club because I honestly believe that in any homeroom you can take a nap and relax, but maybe it’s a good idea to have a separate place to do so in a quiet environment.” Meanwhile, freshman Steven Benni states, “I think it’s a cool club to be a part of, especially being a freshman who is still

getting used to high school. It’s definitely a great way to get acclimated with clubs in general.” Although many students have disparate viewpoints on the club, there is no doubt that this club is on everyone’s mind and has caught the students’ attention greatly.

Nap Club is more than just another homeroom club. It’s a club which understands that sometimes students just need a break from their busy school day. Nap Club grants students a safe (and most importantly) a quiet place to do so.

Lining Up: Kids wait to sign up for the Nap Club.

Donated By: Aramis Santos

Poptarts POP Over to Harvest Drive Local Veterans Home Brings Sofia Azcurra

Rebekah Jacob

entertainment

Clubs Editor Trick or Treat: Junior Coral Scotland passes out candy.

Donated By: Mrs. Saye

As many would say, a trip to the Veter-

ans Home is never wasted. Fortunately, this happens to stand true and faithful for the PPCHS’ club known as the “Poptarts”.

The poptarts took a trip to the Florida Department Veterans Home on Halloween, October 31st, to pay a special surprise to local veterans. This group, run by our very own principal Mr. Bayer, had quite the eyeopening experience at the home, leaving a distinct mark on the residents and clubs members with many memories to reminisce on.

Around 9 A.M., Principal Bayer, along with Ms. Saye and a select group of juniors, left for the Veterans Home. “It was more so where veterans could have kids to talk to, tell their stories, and have these interactions that they may not be having so often,” explains junior Maegan Teeling.

As they went to trick-or-treat, the members were able to exchange candy with the veterans and have a one-on-one experience with them. Teeling and the other students had a rather special encounter with one of the veterans in particular. Teeling goes into depth, quoting, “There was one man named Henry who was the longest resident there [he had been there for 14 years]. He actually showed us his room and his shadow box and other memorabilia, and it was just a really special experience. He was very kind, alongside the other veterans, and the entire experience was just wonderful,” recalls Teeling. Students and administrators alike were given the opportunity to converse with the veterans and hear inspiring

stories of their lives and experiences from the war.

Being present at the home definitely brought something new and extraordinary to the table, and inspired students in attendance through the veteran’s stories and the advice they gave to the students.

Junior Coral Scotland, club member and participant, expressed her perspective at the home, stating, “The trip to the Veterans Home was a very eye-opening experience that the effects of war are still present. The Vietnam and Korean Wars weren’t that long ago, and we really have to be thankful for the people who fought for our freedom.” This definitely shifts to a rather different and remarkable angle of the home, and has been encouraging students all around the school to look into these opportunities more and the impact they leave with the veterans, and vice versa.

To say this trip to the Veterans Home wasn’t a success is an understatement.

With students and administrators seeking out to accompany the veterans and hear their stories, this visit definitely impacted the students and veterans alike. It’s surely important to note that these eye-opening and noteworthy experiences were created solely due to students reaching out in their communities, and creating memories with other individuals. The veterans’ previous life experiences and determination to fight for their country and continue to build lifelong relationships with not only students, but everyone around them, is never something to doubt.

All Smiles: Mrs. Saye takes a selfie with a senior.

Donated By: Mrs. Saye

From brightening smiles to illuminating

lives, donating to the less privileged always brings hope within children and their families. The Kevin Garcia Foundation and National Honor Society have teamed up to undergo Charter’s annual Harvest Drive by helping the community one step at a time.

As clubs that have the power to bring better opportunities to lesser communities, NHS and KG4 have enforced the drive endlessly throughout the school. “We sent out and put the flyers up a week before the drive began to remind students to bring items in,” stated senior Katie Ramirez, officer of NHS. Once the boxes were placed in each classroom, the journey to encouraging students to bring in canned goods began.

The drive lasted from October 22nd to November 7th and allowed individuals to bring in items such as stuffing, juices, canned vegetables and fruits, instant rice, and canned soups and beans to their homeroom classes. Although there were only certain specified foods students were allowed to bring in, the option of bringing a better holiday is what encouraged those to donate. “The Harvest Drive provides needy families an opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner,” said KG4 sponsor Mr. Garcia. All food donated was taken to Centro Materno Daycare, a daycare in Hialeah that helps impoverished immigrant families by providing them with low cost care for their children. The families’

Packing the Van: Students pose after packing the van full of canned goods.

Donated By: KG4 Club

Editor

current economic situation is not the best, considering most of them just arrived from Cuba. “I think it was a great opportunity for people to donate something small and help a family big-time,” confessed sophomore Valentina Terry who donated four cans to her homeroom. Another facility that benefited from Charter’s drive was Southwest Focal Point Community Center.

After the results from last year’s Harvest Drive proved that Charter indeed has the motivation to light up a less fortunate families’ hearts, National Honor Society and KG4 used their influence as prestigious clubs to pull it off again this year. To say it wasn’t a success is an understatement. “So many people donated, and it was a better turnout, especially since teachers offered extra credit,” said Faizan Mohammed, the President of NHS. The rush to have the most cans was also driven by the fact that the homeroom with the most donated food received a breakfast party. Students were especially encouraged this year, as they saw the turnout of last year’s party. “It’s a good way to encourage students to donate more,” said junior Megan Bush who donated three cans to her homeroom.

Charter’s endless support in assisting the less fortunate is never something to doubt.

With the determined minds of the school, this Harvest Drive proved more than effective and most definitely helped families in need receive at least one meal for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Sports 9

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

PPCHS Cross Country Running for the Record Books Michael Muela Staff Writer

The PPCHS Cross Country Team has

been unstoppable this season. They’ve reached peak performance and efficiency, getting to the regional tournament. The team has made a huge jump from last season, including harder training, as well as acquiring more students and runners to join the team, in order to help benefit the team, and make the team as strong as they can be. They displayed their hard work and toughness each day out on the track.

Vince Charles is in his junior year at PPCHS, and he was really excited for this season. “I expected this season to be better than last year since it’s my second time around. I know I improved because my time has gotten a lot faster from last year, but it’s only natural if you keep working at it.” Vince has strengthened and developed into one of the fastest runners on the team.

Sophomore Alejandro Hurtado wasn’t informed of the cross country team and their talent before this year but that changed after their performance this season. He said, “I began hearing about them this year, week after week, about their great performance and the talent that they have on the team.”

Daniel Valderrama recapped the PPCHS cross country team’s season. “We did pretty well for the amount of time we had to practice.” The freshman had much more to say about his preparations for his first year on the team. “In the offseason, during the summer, I would train and go to the park with my friends.” Before each race, Valderrama eats healthy, drinks a lot of water, and stretches. He wants to train even more in order to increase his mileage for next season.

Volleyball Spikes Their Way into the History Books Michael Muela

Austin Basso

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

T

his year was a record-breaking season for the PPCHS Volleyball Team. They broke their team record for wins in a single season, and also made the trip to the Regional Semifinals for the first time in school history. The Jags started the year at a blazing hot 8-0 before losing their first game at St. John Paul II Academy back on September 8th. They went on a threegame losing streak after the St. John Paul II Academy matchup, losing to West Broward and Western, before finally getting back in the win column by defeating Everglades on September 14th.

Junior Carolina Gomez was a right side hitter for the beginning of the season but then switched to an outside hitter. She really expected for the team to go far this year because at the beginning of the season the whole team bonded and felt like a family. The whole team had their mindsets clear that they would make it far together and not give up. Gomez said, “I think we all played really good as a team, and we worked together to accomplish the best we can. We made history together and wouldn't have been able to do it without each other.” One of her most memorable seasons was this year because the team made history and it was the last year that she got to play with her senior friends who are leaving next year. She met her upperclassmen friends when she was on the JV team in 8th grade. Gomez won’t forget the memories that she had with them.

By the month of October, the Jaguars had obtained an astonishing record of 13-4, one of the best starts in school history. The Jags would unfortunately lose their first game of October to Cypress Bay. The Jags would

Photos By: Lillian McCormick

win 5 of their last 7 games to close out the regular season at 18-6, officially making this season the best season in the history of PPCHS Volleyball.

Senior Alondra Cabello played middle blocker the whole season. She expected for the team to make it to states because the whole team had a strong mentality and passion and worked hard for it. She commented “ I think I did play well enough this season for coming in rusty after not playing for about a year but obviously there were some things I needed to fix and work on.” She believes that she is going to need to mentally prepare for college and volleyball at the same time. She isn't sure which college she wants to go to for volleyball but she has an eye on Florida Southern College. As for her favorite year at Charter, this season took the cake for her. She said, “This season was truly awesome. I loved the bond I had with my team, and I truly see each and every single girl as a sister of mine for life. I am so excited to see what my fellow seniors go on to do as well as the underclassmen next season.”

PPCHS qualified for the 2018 FHSAA State Championship Tournament. The Jags won their first tournament game on October 24th against Miami Beach to advance to the Regional Semifinals. However, PPCHS would lose in the Regional Semifinals to West Broward, thus ending their historic season. This season will go down not just PPCHS Volleyball history, but all of PPCHS history. The Jaguars will be back, looking to repeat their record-breaking season, only next year hoping to walk out with the gold.

Thanks to some impressive coaching

by Ms. Maycock, as well as great performances from the runners, the PPCHS cross country team made the 2018-19 season a season to remember. Senior Ethan Cayouette said, “The coaching and progress the team made this year is really significant for them going forward. I am excited for them to progress even more next year.”

They fell just short of reaching the state tournament, but they had a great year nonetheless. They will hope to carry their momentum from this season to next year, and hopefully go all the way to states, and win the big one.

Photos Donated By: Cross Country

Swim Team Strokes their Way to Regionals Austin Basso Staff Writer

T

he Charter swim team went to regionals on Saturday November 3, 2018 at Florida Gulf Coast University in Naples, Florida. With the event starting at 8:30 AM and continuing throughout the day, their coach knew it was important to have his team on a tight schedule. Coach Rose Lockie had everyone awake by 6 and eating a nutritious breakfast by 6:30. The team was out of their hotel and at the pool at 7:30, warming up for the events of the day.

One of those events was the 100 yard backstroke, and that is the event senior Guiliana Peres competed in. Peres finished 6th out of 8 in her heat and 21st out of 24 in the region. Peres went into the event knowing that the best swimmers in the region would be showing up and geared herself up to face that task. “I could have trained harder, pushed myself more, but I gave it my best during the race and that is all I can ask of myself.

Coach Lockie pushed the whole team all year long to get ready for regionals.

Practices were long and grueling, pushing each and every swimmer to their limits, pushing them to get better. From dives to focus, Coach Lockie had the team excelling in every aspect, working with them to perfect what they may have been lacking in. Perfecting dives allowed the swimmers to get off to good starts, focusing on their strokes down the pool, and hitting the wall, turning with precision to cut time off their laps. This is essential in an event like the breastroke and freestyle.

Sophomore Mackenzie Ahearn did the 100 yard breaststroke and placed 8th overall. She commented “The girl’s team did pretty good. I was happy with how much effort we put in and how we competed.”

She was also happy that she did her best and that all of her training payed off.

Freshman Anthony Fernandez did the 100 freestyle and got 22nd overall. He commented that “There was hundreds of other swimmers and hundreds of parents and coaches. For me, I got a little bit nervous since in my swim, I was the youngest one.”

Photos Donated By: Swim Team

Overall, the team was cheering for everyone so he was happy that they were cheering for him and it made him not as nervous.

He also said that he did his best but could have improved things like breathing, and distance-per stroke.

Senior Martin Berti did the 200 medley relay and their team finished 8th in the relay. He also did the 100 backstroke individual event and he got 7th. Berti felt that he gave his all but he didn’t feel like he turned in his best performance, saying, “ The atmosphere was amazing, everyone was happy and cheering everyone else on, it made me want to push harder and go faster.”

Overall, the boy’s team finished 5th overall in the regionals and the girls finished 3rd overall.

The season is not over for the swim team however. They have three swimmers who turned in such good performances at regionals that they advanced to the state championships in Stuart, Florida. One of the swimmers is junior Rafael Rodriguez.

He thinks that it is going to great because he is going to have support from the team.

His goal is to medal in one of the two events that he is in. He is in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle. He commented “I am kind of nervous because all the swimmers who make it to states really good so it is not going to be easy to out swim them.” Rafael is no stranger to the state championship as this will be his third appearance at the event. We wish the swim team luck at states and for the team as a whole, their season was very impressive and they made Charter very proud.

10 Technology CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Net Neutrality: A Debate far from Neutral Maxine Martinez Business Manager

I

t has been less than a year since the topic of net neutrality went viral across the United States. For weeks it was all anyone could talk about, and even the halls of PPCHS could not escape the discussion.

However, like many debates fueled by the people, conversation quickly turned to the next pressing issue, leaving many in confusion. Fast forward many months and an important question arises: what happened to net neutrality and where does it stand in America now?

Simply put, net neutrality enforces an idea of equality across the internet.

Sophomore Natalie Gonzales expresses that “I support net neutrality because it allows consumers access to any network or website without it being slowed down by your internet provider.” This practice was established under Obama’s Presidential reign, but on June 1st, 2018 new rules repealing the net neutrality protections were established. For many students at Charter, and people across the U.S, this was not what they were hoping would happen. “I personally don’t think it’s fair to block or favor certain websites over another. The internet is such a wide platform utilized in

this age, and I already know a lot of people who are disappointed with it,” commented Emily Alan, a junior. The new rules put internet users at a risk of potentially paying more in order to access certain servers.

A l o ng with this, although net neutrality will not make big companies like Netflix disappear, but many worry that it will affect future companies and those trying to grow and expand.

Many states have been debating the federal

Making Every Second Count: Tiktok Brianna Butler Staff Writer

O

ne of the most prominent features of social media is the quick-paced nature that it holds. Over the past few months, something new has been able to exponentially rise in popularity: TikTok. This app revolves around short videos, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, where creators have the liberty to do a variety of different things, such as dancing, lip-syncing, performing tricks, or even facing the arduous challenge of incorporating mini-skits into the short amount of time given, while music or other audio plays in the background. Each video has the logo of a ‘b’ in the shape of a musical note, making everything from that source easily recognizable.

Its large growth is primarily because of how it has merged with a similar app known as Musical.ly, as well as an intense marketing campaign. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns both apps, appeals to the teenagers by placing forms of advertisement through YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and other forms of social media. This has led to TikTok gaining a massive following. “I think TikTok is pretty entertaining,” states senior Timothy Ortiz. “In my opinion, I feel like it became primarily popular due to the funny compilations that arose on Youtube because of it.” This app has been able to transcend the boundaries and become popular on many other sites and forms of social media. It trends in a multitude of different places, which aids in its rising following. Not only is TikTok featured through ads, but many people repost and spread these videos.

This is one of the largest reasons why it appeals to a large percentage of the youth group. A large amount of people choose to migrate due to the attention it receives on other places.

“I think TikTok is a fun app that allows you to channel your imagination.

It’s very entertaining and addictive, so it’s not that hard to understand why it became popular so quickly,” expresses junior Samantha Cruz. “Tiktok has found a way to allow people to express themselves, and what better way that through music? It’s a common ground for all of the different types of people.”

Tiktok has allowed many people to form connections, whether it would be through sharing certain ones for entertainment or being a content creator. It presents a very light hearted atmosphere, with videos created to amuse and engage the audience.

Sophomore Riley Lannon has both created TikTok videos and met a variety of people on the site. “It encourages people to go beyond what you would normally do for views. It’s also an app where people can express themselves freely, which is why I think it became so popular. My favorite part of this app is the community because of many other people that share similar views as I do.” TikTok seems to be welcome to everyone, and there is a type of category for anybody to find videos that match up to their humor.

With its rising popularity comes potential rivals. At the top of the list is Facebook, and its plan to launch a standalone app called Lasso. The purpose of this new app is the exact same, except they are hoping to make videos longer due to contracts secured with many major music labels. “It’s crazy how people are already trying to copy TikTok,” begins freshman Nicholas Chavez. “While I do think it’s clever that Facebook wants to create a similar app, I highly doubt the success it would carry. Tiktok has already become popular on several different platforms, and most of them appeal to a younger audience than Facebook does. It’s hard to replace something popular with an app that has the same functions.” While it is unknown how Lasso will do, it is still worth mentioning as one of Tiktok’s first competitors.

Tiktok has managed to increase in levels of popularity and attract all types of people, forming a diverse community where many different personalities come together for a platform dedicated to entertainment. It has become one of the most popular apps, even though it has not been around for a very long time. The attention seems to be ongoing and there is a strong chance TikTok will continue to be popular, despite Facebook’s upcoming rival. The best way to describe how great this success is to quote one of the app’s trendiest songs at the moment: “Hit or miss, I guess they [TikTok] never miss, huh?”

government on its stance. California in particular is taking major actions against the repeal of net neutrality. The state is imposing strict net neutrality l a w s .

S o m e who opp o s e California’s new stance argue that the bill directly g o e s against the constitution, w h i c h emphasizes the idea that states do not regulate interstate commerce, the federal government does. However, freshman Emily Abella, commented saying “The law regulates that companies cannot block

or use new plans to get rid of content or degrade network performances at higher rates.” Despite California performing possible illegal actions, their inclusion of the bill will most likely sway certain states to support the practice, considering it holds a lot of weight when it comes to what the national conversation is. California is one of three states, including Oregon and Washington, that has passed regulations, but California is most definitely the most forceful with their bill. Students at PPCHS, such as senior Damani Jackson, have continued to show their support. “We should have freedom on the internet. Without net neutrality internet service providers will be able to make endless money.”

Actions against net neutrality have been taken, yet the debate and conversation is far from over.

The topic will come up in this year’s midterms, especially with young voters. As states such as California show their support, the topic of net neutrality will continue to resurface.

Graphic By: Matthew Morales

Trends - Societal Game Changers Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor

W

ith the reuse of fashion and creation of new slang, personal taste and question of style are concepts that are constantly reshaping to keep up with the latest trends.

Our cut and paste digital culture has sped up the pace where trends spread. But the difference between recycled trends and new ones is a blurry line. In today’s visual society sending a Snapchat or retweeting a post can determine whether the pants you’re wearing are cool enough to wear until the next pair comes along to tell you otherwise.

Most new trends typically tend to fall under the fashion category, and those are the ones that make the most considerable impact with the most obvious changes. Fashion trends have evolved quickly over the past 40 years. From the 80’s disco groove to the 2000’s denim turnaround, fashion eras have each had their own unique touches that individualize every style. But with the increase of technology, trends, especially fashion trends, seem to be losing the exclusivity these mass movements have had in the past. The recycling of clothes has become progressively popular today as people are becoming more interested in older styles. But why? Well it can be said that the fast paced society we live in today has created a burn out of, well, trends, although, that’s only half true. While yes, digital media and our eagerness to fit the posts or tweets we see have increased the pace of fashion eras, millennials today have also been putting their own twist to the trends they follow. After all, even if older styles resurface, new ones are the way we like to stand out.

The topic of social trends prompts the question of who starts them. There is no exact answer as to what “power” forces social trends, but most of our inspiration for them seems to originate from western interpretation of eastern culture. For example, like how the movie Crazy Rich Asians shows: a lot Eastern/Asian countries wear things or do things that seem out of the norm to us, yet they’re considered icons in most of the things they do. In America’s case, celebrities try to put their own spins on those things. Spontaneous, brave and even a little crazy outside of the mainstream, celebrities in the western spotlight are the real trend setters.

Eastern culture, for sure, influences most trends set here and even around the world, but essentially anyone can set trends.

They’re called the adaptors. The underground workers who are constantly looking for the next big thing are eager to try

out new things. By the time on trend is set in motion on Instagram and Snapchat, the adaptors are onto the next trend. This calls for the creation of their own movement. While social media can speed up the longevity of some trends, it can also help make trends more prominent and part of an even bigger movement than, say, a trend 50 years ago. New fashion styles, what social media apps to use, and even what decor to use can all be taken global with the help of social media, calling attention to the next potential phenomenon.

With this being said, most social trends, or any trend for the matter, take place with the younger demographics. The young people are the real game changers who without realizing it spread trends when sharing a photo on Instagram or copying an outfit they saw at Forever 21. Nowadays trends are quite literally impossible to find and set forth in motion without social media. We follow trends and make them an important thing because it’s how we interact with each other. People interact with one another based on the changes we see and then we mirror them.

Graphic By: Matthew Morales

Entertainment 11

Only Love for The Hate U Give

CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Alan Matthew

Every once in a while, a story comes

along that is truly worth telling. A story that encapsulates more than just contrived movie clichés. A story that touches upon a subject worth talking about, a story actually worth giving up precious time for; in this case, The Hate U Give is that story.

The two hour and thirteen minute movie, which was originally a critically acclaimed movie written by author Angie Thomas, follows the story of Starr Carter, a young African American teenage girl caught in between two drastically different cultures and lifestyles—but that’s where that run down cliché ends.

Starr, played by Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg, lives in a predominantly black neighborhood with a family that loves and fights for her future. There is absolutely nothing to pity about Starr’s mother’s dedication to give her daughter a brighter, more successful future. That’s also the same attitude the audience finds in Starr when she attends Williamson Prep, a predominantly white upper class school a ways away from Garden Heights, her home. Starr has absolutely no wish to be considered any less because of where she comes from; the drug pushing gang infamously tied to Garden Heights has no impact on her or the type of person she is at her core. Because of this, she doesn’t allow any of her friends at Williamson to know about where she lives, all to avoid any prejudicial assumptions.

“I think a large part about what makes

technology editor

this story beautiful —if confusing— is that Starr isn’t embarrassed by who she is,” comments sophomore Cristian Sarmiento thoughtfully. “She constantly and continuously embraces her culture and community, but she goes to great lengths in the beginning to avoid any conflict between who she is on the weekdays to who she might be on the weekends.” While this might seem convoluted to some, nothing could be simpler for Starr. In her eyes, nothing could be more normal than wearing two masks: one for the people at Williamson, including her boyfriend, and one for when she’s with family or the people within Garden Heights. Yet any moviegoer could see the problem presented by this scenario. The two masks that Starr wears contradict each other constantly. As senior Maney Wu remarks, “It seems like these two lives Starr leads just exist to oppose each other sometimes.” After all, how can Starr be someone who hides where she comes from by day and then embraces it by night?

“That inner conflict is what drives so much of the plot forward for Starr,” notices Swati Kumar, a junior. “The perfectly opposing lives she lives can’t coexist forever, and they don’t.” The most horrifying but influential scene comes far too soon into the movie: the death of Starr’s childhood friend, Khalil, right beside her, at the hands of a white officer who mistook something as trivial as a hairbrush in Khalil’s hand for a gun. Without delving too far into the far too real political background of this type

of death, the movie continues to focus on Starr, while never actually diminishing what happened to Khalil. The purpose of the movie isn’t to jar audiences with the cold harsh reality of Starr’s situation, although that may have come through anyhow.

No, the movie’s purpose is to explore the journey of a teenage girl in an impossibly catastrophic situation— a teenage girl who can no longer hide behind half identities and sacrifice her voice for her peace of mind. This idea is developed, evolved, and executed to near perfection in the film, and every character in the story plays the perfect role, never giving too little or too much. The cast, which boasts names like KJ Apa and Anthony Mackie, who for the record couldn’t be playing more different roles, allows the story to play out with perfect grace at every point. In the words of freshman Austin Mathew, “There’s almost so much happening that you almost lose track, but never too much to lose you and always just enough to captivate you.” No plot line ever feels completely unnecessary or included for pointless political points; rather, the handling of topics from white privilege to Black Lives Matter protests all

fit into the overall scheme of the narrative.

This myriad of complicated and politically charged topics never overshadows Starr as a character or takes the front seat of the storyline. In fact, every complexity can be felt only as a pulsing beat in the background of the narrative. While this metaphorical heartbeat sometimes becomes more prevalent throughout the course of the movie, The Hate U Give always stays true to its protagonist and her journey of navigating who she is and what’s she willing to fight for. While a touching and desperately needed piece of its time, The Hate U Give’s true beauty is its ability to weave a breathtaking story arc out of conflict, strife, and adversity, all while ensuring that that same conflict, strife, and adversity never mar the movie as a whole or the movie’s characters as individuals.

Graphic By: Jasmin Bleus

Watch The Last Rocket Takeoff Bohemian Rhapsody: The Killer Box Office Champion

Paolo Barrera

Student life Editor

The most famous trio of musical talents,

besides TLC and Alvin and the Chipmunks, is arguably the rap group Migos.

These three “amigos” have rocked the world with their catchy ad-libs and crowd shaking choruses. As of the past 2 years, the group members have experimented with song features and solo projects. Takeoff, who is the youngest and supposedly the most talented (according to members Quavo and Offset), spent comparatively less time in the public with his solo projects. Behind closed doors, he was actually working on his album The Last Rocket, which dropped on November 2nd.

After releasing the single “The Last Memory”, Takeoff generated hype for The Last Rocket amongst Migos fans, rap enthusiasts, and curious listeners. To their enjoyment, and to my surprise, The Last Rocket is an entertaining balance between the Migo-esque, highly repetitive club songs and slower paced, pop sounding songs that showcase his talents on another level.

Songs like “Vacation”, “Martian”, and “Soul Plane” are defined by the same trap beat that most hip hop songs use today.

But Takeoff sets these songs apart with his own bars and ad-libs. Using his own distinct voice to back up his tracks helps create this new image of non-Migos Takeoff: the young rapper with bars as clever and quick as his beats. The album itself is made to showcase this outline of Takeoff, but is also space themed. The cover art and the album name The Last Rocket help listeners understand that Takeoff, in a way, is taking them on a journey. “The title ‘The Last Rocket’ really reminded me of Travis Scott’s album ‘Astroworld’ and the cover art on [Metro Boomin’s album] ‘Not all Heroes Wear Capes’,” laughed sophomore Daniel Barte. The hip hop/trap songs especially exhibit this space theme as there are heavy influences of sci-fi synth and alienlaser-like melodies in the background.

The true hidden gems of the album are songs like “Infatuation”, “Casper”, and “Lead the Wave”. These songs are surprisingly built

around a light, pop-like melody that sits back like an R&B song, but also picks up a pace that convinces your feet to tap a little bit. Interestingly enough, there are no listed features in the entire album (as of right now), but the chorus for some of these hip hop hybrid songs are sung by voices that are noticeably not Takeoff. “I’m pretty sure I heard Quavo on one of the songs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was on the song but took his name out,” says junior Sebastian Arango. If, by chance, the rapper took up singing lessons and just brought his pitch up, then consider me impressed.

The biggest takeaways from the album: Takeoff’s newfound solo sound is great and the rapper’s talent is undeniable. No matter what the message or melody of the song, the artist never failed to deliver on his quick paced, smooth running, cleverly rhyming lines. That remarkable talent, in tandem with an astral direction of theme, is truly a work that you should listen to. In essence, the album is a free trial version of Travis Scott’s Astroworld, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Takeoff has arguably more lyrical acumen than Travis.

“The album [The Last Rocket] was alright,” confesses senior Gurleen Cambow.

“I don’t really like the vibe, but I can listen to it.”

Altogether, the album is not to be considered a failure. If anything, the album is better than Migos’s Culture II album that came out last year. There was nothing groundbreaking or super innovative, but there was definitely an attractive and entertaining glimpse into what could be a superstar solo career for the man and his last rocket.

Photo By: Maya Cabrera

Florencia Azcurra Co-Features Editor

The saying “legends never die” is ap-

plied to many situations and many people.

One person, or group in this instance, who everyone can generally say did justice to that saying is Queen. This past weekend, the legendary group was celebrated through the box office hit called no other than, Bohemian Rhapsody. This giddily entertaining movie was its own thematic masterpiece, with its biopic focus on the lead singer's life, Freddie Mercury. Yet it still perfectly weaves the band mates into Mercury's story.

Rami Malek, the lead actor, disappeared into the flashy and fable life of Freddie Mercury for a lengthy run time of 2 hours and 13 minutes. The qualified actor excellently developed the chilling stage presence of Mercury. The role proved to be a difficult one to portray given that the rock star was a musician before his time and created the entire “diva” role before it was even a popular concept. “I was amazed at how the actor who played Freddie Mercury was able to portray him so well. He was very detailed and literally was able to shadow him,” says senior Briana Santiago.

Other cast members of the film brought to life their characters as well. It gave the die-hard fans reassurance that this movie brought justice to Queen's legacy and gave simple movie goers a story behind the name Queen. “I’ve liked queen for a long time,” says junior Iliana Rodriguez. The unique members of Queen set the expectations high since they had such particular personalities to embody, but in the words of Rodriguez, “The cast did amazing.” The many videos of live performances of Queen out there gave the viewers something to compare the film to, which set the bar even higher. A wrong detail or historical inaccuracy could give the film the bad review they weren't going for. But the four producers of the movie fabulously replicated and told the story unbelievably well. From the outfits victoriously transforming the characters, to Queen's biggest hits emotionally ripping

through the audience, Bohemian Rhapsody gave true insight to the Queen many have never seen.

The movie, named after the group's most unique hit, the six minute Bohemian Rhapsody, used a total of 22 songs from the span of the group's musical life. Some of their biggest, most famous hits, that charted high on U.S. and U.K. charts, like We Will Rock You, Somebody To Love, Killer Queen and We are the Champions made appearances.

Of course, the movie wouldn't be a worthy Queen movie without the soundtrack being music from their own albums. But the soundtrack was shaped into a perfect epitome for the life of Freddie and the legacy him and his band mates left behind. “I feel as this iconic time of music is not very known to this generation,” says sophomore Cristina Ramos. “This movie brings more attention to this musical era and the importance of Queen's music.” Throughout the course of the film, it was made more notable as time passed that this rock band redefined an entire genre of music all thanks to the bravery and creativity they had no doubt in using.

With expectations set high for this movie, the audience left the theatres impressed, blown away and emotional. The film didn’t end with the death of Freddie like many had expected. Instead, they finished off the remarkable movie with Live Aid, the biggest point of their career. The film was filled with high notes that made each flamboyant scene its own. One of the most misunderstood, yet historical rock groups of all musical history was brought to life again in just two hours. For the people who were never able to see an earth-shattering live performance, Bohemian Rhapsody encapsulates it.

Graphic By: Carolina Othon

12 Lifestyle CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Tasty Thanksgiving Treats

Ariana Ortiz

Managing Editor - Web

T

he holiday season is upon us and tasty treats are one of the best parts of the season. Fall is all about sweaters, dark colors, and cozying up with your loved ones. Celebrations are never complete without food! With the yummiest holiday just around the corner here are some easy recipes to ensure your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving meal is a hit.

This first recipe is not only fun to make but is delicious every time. This one does require some extra time in the kitchen but in the end is all worth it!

Of course you can never go wrong with a light holiday themed dessert after a big meal! This easy recipe gives you turkey cookies in under 20 minutes!

Sweet Potato Casserole

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place potatoes onto prepared baking sheet.

Place into oven and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool before peeling.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate or coat with nonstick spray.

4. To make the topping, combine cornflakes, pecans and brown sugar. Stir in butter until well combined; set aside.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

6. Add sweet potato mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cornflakes mixture around the outside of the dish, leaving room in the center.

7. Place into oven and bake until the topping is golden, about 20 minutes. Add marshmallows to the middle and bake until lightly golden on top, an additional 5 minutes.

8. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS: •3 pounds sweet potatoes •1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature •1/4 cup sugar •1/4 cup milk •1 large egg •1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract •1/4 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste

FOR THE TOPPING: •1 1/4 cup cornflakes cereal, crushed •1/3 cup pecans, chopped •1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed •1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted •1 cup miniature marshmallows

Unique Thanksgiving Traditions “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is probably getting to see all the family members that live pretty far, and I wouldn’t get to interact with them otherwise. That, and stuffing a giant turkey in an oven all day. It smells great!’

-Giovanni Vasquez, 11th Grade “I don’t exactly have a set tradition in my family, but almost every year I make pumpkin pie and green bean casserole with my mom! I love helping her out in the kitchen and making the food with her.

That’s the best thing about Thanksgiving in my opinion!”

-Emma Mengotti, 10th Grade

“Getting together with my family has to be my favorite tradition. I don’t see much of my on any other occasion but Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays, so it’s nice when I get to see them.”

-Caitlyn Cabrera, 10th Grade

“One of my family’s traditions is that we always wake up super early to make a big breakfast together while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Also, at every Thanksgiving we always put up the Christmas tree, it’s a lot of fun!”

-Julianna Gonzalez, 9th Grade

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies

DIRECTIONS: 1. Bake cookies as directed on roll or package. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

2. Spoon chocolate frosting into 1-quart freezer storage bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny bottom corner of bag. On each cookie, pipe frosting on outer edge of half of cookie. Arrange candy corn over frosting for feathers.

3. Pipe orange icing onto each cookie to resemble turkey face and feet. Use orange icing to attach baking bits to turkey face for eyes. Pipe black gel on baking bits for centers of eyes.

INGREDIENTS: •1/4 cup All-purpose flour •1 Candy-coated chocolate baking bits, miniature •1 Container Chocolate creamy ready to spread frosting •1 Decorating icing, orange •1 Roll of cookie dough •1 Bag of candy corn •Black decorating gel

What’s Trending Ainsley McCormick

“The food of course! I love making it with family and friends that come over.

Every year, there is always mashed potatoes flying around the kitchen, so it’s always funny.”

-Maria Paredes, 11th Grade

“Honestly, it has to be just being with my family at the table while we talk and laugh. Although it isn’t a unique tradition and is fairly simple, it’s still something that means a lot to me.”

-Antonella Lalinde, 12th Grade

“When I was younger we would make hand turkeys together every Thanksgiving. I would always paint the fingers rainbow colored and then hang it up on the wall, which sort of made it look like a weird peacock turkey. But it was still really fun to do!”

-Christian Laverde, 12th Grade

“Well, what my family does is that we sleep in really late, until 12 p.m., and when it’s time for dinner we invite everyone to our house to watch football and eat! It’s funny sometimes because we have a small house and we invite a lot of people over, so it’s always packed!”

-Jerry Obas, 9th Grade

Editor-In-Chief

A

s the weather begins to change, the items trending are not far behind. While pumpkin spice lattes have retired from their annual craze, Starbucks is now serving holidays drinks in red, winter-themed cups that are exciting students for the holiday season. “I knew my girlfriend would be so happy when she saw this cup, so I got her an extra drink when I ordered mine,” said senior Tyler Phillips.

Photos of the holiday cups with mistletoe and snowflakes flood students’ stories on Snapchat, and become an additional item in their hands in school. These could be the only snowflakes many Floridians will see this year, so enjoy the winter image while you can.

Denim seems to have jumped on the “trending train” and won’t be getting off any time soon. A few cold morning and nights have blown in, resulting in the reappearance of the denim jacket trend. From lightweight shirts to heavier dark-wash jackets that can be thrown over a tank top, denim jackets are beginning to pop up around town. “Denim jackets are just perfect for every occasion,” said junior Bianca Molina. “They go with pretty much everything and aren’t too baggy or heavy.”

They prove to be cute, comfortable, and easy to take on and off if the weather quickly switches up. If your jacket isn’t keeping you warm enough, feel free to purchase some fuzzy blankets to keep you warm. Target is a popular spot for finding the cutest, holiday themed blankets.

While you’re wrapped up in your fuzziest blanket and taking notes in class, be

sure to take out your colorful pens to keep notes with. Try color coding different topics when taking notes to ensure your notes (and mind) stay organized. If switching between colors is too much, students seem to enjoy color coding their classes. For example, English class has all blue folders and notebooks, while math has red. This makes it easier for kids to quickly grab each subjects’ items when they arrive to class.

From navy blue denim jackets to bright red Starbucks cups, different items signal the holidays and change in temperature beginning to pop up, whether it be in school or out of it.

Voices Versus Violence 13 CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Generation Z’s Take on School Violence in Today’s World Kiersten Warren Community Outreach

When generation Z was comprised of

young kids, most of our parents protected us from everything, anything, or anyone that had a bad effect on us. As we’ve grown up, we learned to protect ourselves from danger. Unfortunately, most of us still have to come face to face with the possibility of danger every day at the place where we’re supposed to feel safe: school. Recent school tragedies, like the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, have triggered action from gen Z about gun violence. That leaves most of us and adults surrounding us wondering what is it like to be a student and go to school every day?

What’s it like knowing that there’s always a grave possibility of danger?

In a recent study done by the American Psychological Association, “School violence is one of the top things students are concerned about. 72% say that they are worried about school shootings. 56% say that the possibility of a school shooting causes them to experience stress.” School shootings have now caused schools to increase their security around their campuses, but our generation feels that we cannot rely on just the school to protect all of us, and that generic feeling of safety and comfort is not always there. For instance, some students at other schools are triggered by the sound of fire alarms and the thought of fire drills is too much to bare.

We’ve all noticed the new measures being taken this school year compared to the last. At our school, students think that we should protect ourselves, even with the new security system that is currently being installed into buildings. Freshman Malaika Henry says, “I feel like we should all have a backup plan to protect ourselves, even with the security guards and our code

“

Our generation feels that we cannot rely on just the school to protect all of us, and that generic feeling of safety and comfort is not always there.

”

red drills. Sometimes they aren’t the most practical.” Code red drills were recently implemented to practice what students and faculty should do if the inevitable ever happened, and this year, instead of just having them during homeroom or at the most convenient times of the day, PPCHS will conduct the drills at unpredictable times of the day to make it more practical.

Another topic concerning generation Z is the safety part of school and how students generally feel every day they strep through the big black gates of Pines Charter High.

Some students feel nothing - that it's just a normal day - and some feel emotions

that flood over their spirit. Sophomore Bradi Stewart commented, “Sometimes, especially last year, I felt a bit worried to come to school. To be honest, there’s never a guarantee of anything, and it's scary to know that you never know what could be happen in someone else’s life right in front of you.” Especially after the incident last school year at Stoneman Douglas most emotions consisted of anger, sadness, and nervousness. Adults and teens around the country wanted to do something about the environment that we shouldn’t have to deal with, and this is continuously communicated through marches, speeches, tours, and the leaders of “The March for Our Lives” movement that still makes the news.

All in all, one could say that the thought of any type of school violence is too much for us to bare. The fear, anger, and sadness are the first immediate

emotions that come to mind in this situation. Especially last year, most students were concerned with their safety and some found themselves conflicted on what they should be feeling. The environment at schools has changed for both students and faculty. However, we all hope that all of these unfortunate issues will be preventable, and the fact remains that generation Z could be the generation that changes it all.

Graphic By: Taylor Causey

What are Students’ Feelings about the Recent Gun Violence?

“There have been so many shootings recently. From California to Tallahassee, all the way across the United States. It’s so crazy how often we are seeing these tragedies on the news.”

- Freshman Angelina Cilli

“So I saw that the shooting in California was the deadliest since Parkland. High school kids and then college kids. Elementary kids have also died from gun violence.

I just wonder when kids will stop having to fear for their daily lives.”

- Sophomore Shannon Amor

“It’s crazy how when I wake up and see there was another shooting I barely even give it a second thought -- I’m so used to them happening. I’m like, ‘Well I’ll wait for more information to come out later,’ and go on with my day. It used to be that people would be grieving and sitting by the TV, but now we are just kind of used to shootings happening.”

- Freshman Lillian McCormick

“We see all these mass shootings happening, and it just makes me wonder where’s next. Like will it be a movie theatre or a mall or somewhere else? It’s super scary that I have to think about this when I go outside, and with a lot of us turning the voting age this year we really need to work to change that.”

- Senior Dominique McKoy

“After Parkland happened we worked so hard for change to occur, but as we can see things just aren’t changing quickly enough.

One shooting after another keeps happening, and we need something to change in the laws that help prevent this.”

- Sophomore Patrick Ryan

“I wish there was something more I could do to stop gun violence rather than just write to our politicians. Like I physically want to get people to stop killing others with guns.”

- Junior Dakota Parsons

“I woke up Wednesday morning and turned on the television to see police lights flashing on the TV. I opened up Twitter and saw that 12 people had been killed in a bar in California. It’s so sick that we have to wake up to this news so often,” - Junior Matthew Cilli

“When Parkland happened the school kind of went on pause. Things totally changes.

Security improved. Now with the shooting in Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, I’m wondering if new laws will be made or at least attempted to be passed to make purchasing a gun harder.”

- Senior John Lynch

14 News

The Era of Women in Politics CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES

Caroline Kadir News Editor

Cartoon By: Mariana Riano

tunity to prove themselves due to many The ambivalent emotion midterm elec-

men being extremely skeptical about wom-

tion resulted with 51 Republicans and 44

en having high roles and government.”

Democrats in the Senate along with 225

Many jaguars are in agreeance with Dello

Democrats and 197 Republicans in the

and have similar perspectives. Sophomore

House of Representatives. With 100 wom-

Vanessa Tojero said, “In my opinion, more

en now in congress, the midterm election

women in office allows more opportu-

results are not only very crucial to our

nity for other women to have their voices

country, November 6, 2018, will not only

heard. Electing women into government is

be marked as a significant election day but

the beginning of showing gender equality.”

also as the day where a major shift in the

It is evident that a lot females at PPCHS

government can be detected.

believe that the increase of women in the

Since the beginning of time men and

government is empowering.

women have had gender roles; however,

While there is no doubt that the increase

as the years progressed it can be seen

in women in government is revolutionary,

that both genders stuck to their roles. In

a question does come to mind -- “What

the 20th century, women commenced to

does this mean for the future?” Senior An-

politically change the status quo, which

drea Vidal said, “I believe that women will

resulted in the 19th amendment passing,

be the future of America. We have women

granting American women the opportu-

minorities that truly understand the strug-

nity to vote. In more recent years, women

gles of both being a woman in today’s age

are actively using their voices protesting

and going through minority struggles dai-

for women’s rights, emanating a numer-

ly. From the looks of it, the United States

ous amount of movements.

is heading in a new and great direction.”

Women today are no longer standing in

Currently it seems that everyone is join-

the background and are now taking over

ing along on the bandwagon in support

“a man’s world.” The recent midterm elec-

for women’s rights, but for junior Destiny

tion shows that women are now making

Clarke, it’s about women finally being rec-

their way into the political world, which

ognized as equals to men. Clarke states,

was previously had been male dominant.

“Today’s world is not the same as it used to

just a qualified as men.” Clearly times are

ment in the 21st century, and from this

Freshmen Francesca Dello said, “I like the

be. We are living in a new era. Women are

changing and, for many, they are changing

point on gender roles will never be the

fact that women are now more involved

finally getting more recognition for the ac-

for the better.

same.

with the government. Some might say that

complishments they have made throughout

The midterm elections foreshadow a new

there are women who are actually smarter

the century which just emphasizes women

era for women in the oncoming years. No-

than men. Women haven’t had the oppor-

are rising up, highlighting that women are

vember 6, 2018, was truly a defining mo-

First Time Voters Take to the Polls Brittany Evelyn Managing Editor

On Tuesday, October 30th, first time voters from PPCHS, West Broward, and Flanagan High School took to the polls to cast their votes in the 2018 midterm elections.

“What we know about voting is that the earlier you vote, the more likely you are to vote in the future. The more you are part of the process when you are young, the more likely you are to vote in the future as an adult,” said A.P. Government and Economics teacher Mr. Quigley. Organized by U.S. Government teachers, Mr. Quigley and Ms. Hyacinth, the event featured guest appearances by Mayor Ortis, Commissioner Castillo, and Commissioner Siple.

After attending an assembly in the River of Grass auditorium, in which guest speakers empowered students and ensured that their votes really do matter, everyone trekked across campus to the Southwest Regional Library, where the voting center was located. “After we joined the line, the volunteers took our IDs, scanned them, confirmed we were registered to vote, and then printed our ballots. When you go to fill out your ballot, there are partitions on either side, along with pens to use. It was like a maze in there,” senior Camila Peralta said. “Oh my gosh I started crying. I saw the ballot, and it finally set in that I was an adult.” After submitting all their ballots, the teens were cheered on in the voting room, as volunteers and other voters congratulated them on being first time voters.

Overwhelmed by emotion and pride in their country, the young voters were satisfied in simply knowing they did their civic duty and that their vote makes all the difference. “When we were in the program on

Tuesday, the message they spread made me importance of the day was not lost. “It felt realize that I could be one of the deciding weird at first because I couldn’t believe that votes. It was actually kind of both feelings; I was old enough to part take in something overwhelming and exciting. It was over- to important and significant. I thought I whelming to know that I was an adult that was too young and too immature to vote. I can make a change in this country, but they had researched everything that was on the explained the voting process so well that I ballot and I knew who and what I wanted was comfortto vote for. I able,” senior realized that I Leanna Bahad a right to santa said. say who should Knowing be representthat their ing me and my vote matopinions and ters and that that it was my they have the job to vote to power to efmake sure that fect change my voice was was enough heard.” for these Instilling the high school importance of seniors. performing For many ones civic duty first time in the mind of Jags First Time Voting: Seniors 18 or older took voters, this the next genthe midterms election to vote for the first time.

Photo By: Francesca Birito & Andres Alfonso experience eration has is one to be become the recherished sponsibility of and remembered as a milestone event for parents, teachers, and other adults. Hoping years to come. “I got really emotional be- to do just this, PPCHS has made the effort cause my grandparents came here not even to engrain the message in students’ minds knowing the language for a better life. It’s and help them become politically aware. especially crazy because my dad’s side of “Our motto at Charter is ‘College, Citizenthe family is from Nicaragua and they left ship, and Community”. We hear a lot about during the civil war and there’s another college - and that’s good - but we should civil war going on right now. It’s a privi- be creating good citizens and good memlege to be able to vote and have a voice,” bers of a community and good citizens said Peralta. and good members of a community vote. ] For senior Mariana Yordan Santiago the So we’re just proving our motto,” said Mr.