Spring Pep-Rally Photo Page Pages: 12-13
Prom-Posals Photo Page Pages: 14-15
Feature on Mayor Ortis Pages: 24-27
Joshua Alleman Editor-in-Chief Melissa Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Victoria Alvarez Assistant Editor-in-Chief Jake Dreilinger - Layout Kyle Moss-Solomon - Video Managing Editors Chatter Daily News Maria Bozo Web Managing Editor Business Manager Mr. R. Simon - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. R. Simon - Video Advisers
Mr. P. Bayer Principal Jake Dreilinger News Editor Chelsie Ramos Student Life Editor Anthony Kelleher Technology Editor
Contents
The C.H.C. Staff
Pag 14-
Pr Pos
Chelsi Chang Entertainment Editor Troy Bottom Sports Editor
4-15
Gabriela Garcia Features Editor
Student Life:
Looghermine Claude Lifestyle Editor Andrea Bellorin Clubs Editor Alexys Nowak Proof-reader
Behind the Scenes of SGA: New Officials Elected
Carli Stander Photo Editor Armando Urena Graphics Editor
Student Profiles: Alexander Rose and Deanna Alford
Carmen Pettersen Cartoonist CONTENT STAFF: Brett Alayon, Matthew Deno, Tyra Green, Shakayla Lee, Maribel Maignan, Aaliyah Pasols, Melissa Pierce, Lauren Ramirez, Nicholas Rivera Troy
LAYOUT STAFF: Bottom, Emily Deese, Morgenstern, Fernando Plata
Jacob
PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF: Peter Dourvetakis, Rebecca Gonzalez, Jonathan Harris, Alexis Monge-Rodriguez, Sydney Silverberg, Juan Tellez GRAPHIC STAFF: Matthew Perez, Daniel Vidal CHAT VIDEO NEWS STAFF: Christopher Fernandez, Matthew Fernandez, Andres Gonzalez, Genesis Vesco 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: chc.ppchs@gmail.com Twitter: @_theCHATter Instagram: @thechatnews 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 chc.ppchs@gmail.com
30-31
Lifestyle: The Doctors of Tomorrow: Students Find their Path Today The Women of Science: How Have They Impacted Us?
36-37
Technology: Backing up Your Hard Drive: Why you Should Talking Tech at the Library: New Technology Introduced
ages 4-15
Spring Pep Rally: Pages 12-13
Feature on Mayor Ortis: Pages 24-27
rom osals
38-47
Sports:
24-27
Features:
Charter’s Guide to Sports: Hockey and Basketball
Have Faith: Q&A With Mayor Ortis
The Great Eight: Top Tennis Team Players
Before Pembroke Pines: Growing Up to be Mayor Ortis
48-49
News:
32-35
Entertainment:
Ukraine: Under Wraps With Russia
Fame: The Name of the Game has Changed
The Weekend Review: Top Recent News Stories
Divergent: The Next Big Thing
28-29
Clubs & Electives:
50
Columns:
Cirque du Relay: We Love All 16 Hours of It
Chelsie Ramos: Standarized Test No More
Another Lap for Autism: PPCHS Hosts Another Walk
Chelsi Chang: Can You Pass the Test?
B I
Sofia Lalinde (‘15): SGA President “It is a great feeling to be able to be reelected as SGA President. Next year, I hope to go above and beyond for our school’s SGA and improve different areas of our leadership class to make the 2014-2015 school year phenomenal!”
Nina Abrishami (‘15): SGA Vice President “It feels awesome to become SGA VP, since I’ve been wanting this position for a long time and I really worked hard to get to where I am. My goals for next year are to have freshmen more involved in our school activities and to bring the school together as a whole.”
Camille Haynes (‘15): SGA Secretary “It was an amazing feeling when I found out that I won. I was so nervous before the results came out, but I was relieved when I got the results. I just really hope to be able to help everyone that I can, and guide anyone who needs my assistance.”
Annette Rotunno (‘15): SGA Treasurer “It feels amazing to be SGA Treasurer! I really wanted this position and to be a part of the school. I hope to be able to sell out Homecoming and also just increase SGA’s funding, in hopes of getting polo’s for the executive board.”
Nicole Scort (‘15): SGA Historian “SGA is my way of getting involved. I am a person that likes promoting and being behind the camera; I take pictures and I am in charge of keeping up with SGA social media. I hope to host more events that promote school spirit from our entire campus. I want to get students more excited about things in their own school.”
Emily Rangel (‘15): SGA Parliamentarian “I’ve never held a position in SGA so I saw this as a good chance for me to try out something new. I love being completely involved with school events such as Homecoming and Pep Rally. As the new Parliamentarian, I will make it a point to keep everyone up-to-date and keep all members under control during class.”
Alejandra Garcia (‘16): SGA Junior Senator
Demi Iglesias (‘17): SGA Sophomore Senator
Sofia Vargas (‘15): SGA Senior Senator “SGA is a really good chance to hang out with my friends and have fun while giving back to the school. I am Junior Senator so I know that I will be able to be a great Senior Senator. Next year will be my last year in the Charter system and I feel that being in SGA will make it all the more memorable.”
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“I saw running for Junior Senator as an opportunity to challenge myself and become more involved in the class. SGA is important to me not only because it represents family, but also because it has taught me life skills in which I feel that I lacked before.”
“I want to be the one to make sure that everyone in my class is enjoying their high school experience. Next year will be my first year in SGA in high school, but in middle school I loved being able to control school events and voice my opinion in student government.”
n the backg audible rustling cally, flurries of flutter by on the paint lingers in commands and r you, this may de office, but to oth senses that com of the PPCHS S ciation. You may up around the sc but there is mu prepping for sch conferences, SG the eye. Preparations SGA’s biggest ahead of time. S school, SGA cla they want the th days. Three wee classes vote on t ing it down from four. Once the ed, it’s up to SG They get busy m to spread the wo school spirit dur are encouraged t tumes on each da Twice a year, the school’s annu much that happe ers onto the field be perfect, SGA from what music will sit. Then, th the members of cafeteria to mak has been ironed until 7 pm gettin the school at 5 am is perfect. “Planning pep r I learned so mu how to deal wi
Behind the scenes: SGA
kground there is a faint but g and crackling. Periodif bright, tall walls of paper heir journey. The smell of the air, while voices yell responses at each other. To escribe a bustling business hers, these are the familiar me along with being a part Student Government Assoay see the banners hanging chool or attend the events, uch more to SGA. From hool activates to attending GA is more than what meets
for spirit week—one of events—begins months Starting the second week of asses pitch ideas for what hemes to be for each of the eks before spirit week, the the different ideas narrowom around twenty ideas to themes have been decidGA to promote the event. making banners and flyers word. In order to help raise ring the week, all members to go all out with their cosday. , SGA also gets ready for nual pep rallies. There is so pens before everyone gathd. In order for pep rally to A must decide everything c will play to where people the night before pep rally, SGA have a lock-in in the ke sure every little detail out. They stay afterschool ng ready, and arrive back at am to make sure everything
rally was literally amazing. uch. It helped me to learn ith pressure and obstacles
Looghermine Claude and Melissa Pierce Lifestyle Editor and Staff Writer
that come my way. It’s an honor to be able to do this in my first year because it gave me the chance to prove myself,” says sophomore SGA member Saman Govaria. If their lives are not already hectic, the members of SGA have to plan homecoming along with everything else. Months before the actual date, SGA comes up with ideas for the theme of the night. Once they have reduced their options to four themes, they send the potential theme list out to the students. After everyone has voted, SGA gets down to business preparing for the event. The club works on a budget and relies on their members’ creativity to find ways to make that year’s homecoming a success without breaking the bank. The morning of homecoming, SGA pulls together to make sure that all the decorations are set up in time. For the Jaguars that made the transition from charter middle to charter high, they remember their freshman orientation. Before anything is set in motion, SGA has to find a date convenient for both Central Campus and West Campus. After setting the date in stone, members have to create a PowerPoint for the incoming freshmen to introduce them to the basics of high school. They also have to get in contact with sports and clubs representatives so that they can have a booth at the fair and coordinate the event so that the kids from Central campus have time to each lunch in the cafeteria. One of the biggest responsibilities that comes along with preparing freshmen orientation is the tour groups. “This year, we’re going to have about twelve students with two tour guides. We feel that this 1:6 ratio will give the incoming freshmen the opportunity to be comfortable and ask any questions so their transition from middle school to high school is the best it can possibly be,” says sophomore SGA member Taylor Horan. Despite the popular belief that the Student Government Association here at
PPCHS focuses on school-wide events only, they venture off to different parts of the county in order to take their organization to the next level. About two to three times a year, the dedicated members of SGA pull on their neon vests and walk up and down Sheridan Street with trash claws in hand. They clean up the street and make sure that the area around our very own school is not victim to the consequences of littering. SGA teacher supervisor Mr. Velasquez picks up the trash bags as they become full and oversees the activity. Along with the hands-on work completed by the Student Government Association, the members also attend conferences for the betterment of the SGA organization. The Broward County Association of Student Council (BCASC) and the Florida Association of Student Council (FASC) are two conferences in which the members of SGA get to interact with other SGA members across the state. In BCASC, students participate in workshops hosted by other schools and exchange ideas with one another. This conference requires students to meet with a board and engage in debates concerning motions to pass within each SGA Club. They discuss current events and adopt projects much like that of the Homecoming Dress Drive at PPCHS. FASC is similar to that of BCASC; however, it is on a much grander scale. FASC is comprised of many different districts throughout the state of Florida in which PPCHS’ SGA is from District D6. Govaria says, “I am actually very excited for NASC (National Association of Student Councils) which is a three day national conference over the summer. The conference is in Orlando and I can’t wait to experience it for the first time. In general, after school meetings and conferences are really beneficial due to the fact that we meet new people from other schools who are active members of their own Student Government Associations. We learn how
to work with different types of people and get new ideas that we could possibly implement at our own school.” Bonding activities are another way in which Student Government Association members take their organization outside of the classroom walls. They form close ties with one another by fundraising outside of school. Their efforts outside of the classroom come back to benefit PPCHS by funding things such as the Powder Puff Games, Pep Rally, and Freshman Orientation. Student Government President and junior Sofia Lalinde states, “The bonding activities we do are extremely fun; every Thanksgiving we have a banquet and then an annual massive game of Manhunt. We are looking to do a grand scavenger hunt as well; SGA has an initiation were we go to the park and get to know each other more and welcome new members. Every summer we have a car wash in order to start fundraising for the next school year. As everyone gets to see each other in different environments, we are able to build relationships that you couldn’t build in a classroom setting. When we are in school, we are in work-mode because certain things need to get done. By everyone knowing each other as a friend and not just as a classmate, SGA can flow a lot smoother.” The SGA members are more than just participants in a classroom; they run their organization with the utmost professionalism. From school-wide events to leadership in the community, PPCHS’ Student Government Association is on another level. They are well-round themselves by diving into the organization and execution of school events; all the while, they meet outside of the classroom in order to form personal relationships and contribute more time to the betterment of the school. Don’t assume that SGA is just an event coordination or painting organization—they fuel the entire student body here at PPCHS.
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Student Life
Alumni: How h Michelle Ramos (’08) Florida International University (FIU)
Chelsi
Entertainm
Q: How did Charter A: Charter’s classes than those from othteachers did not babysit ble for our own grades crucial when it came to The junior and senior also very helpful and the papers I had to write freshman year.
prepare you for college? were more challenging er public schools. The us and held us responsiwhich was extremely my classes in college. research papers were prepared me for a lot for in my ENC classes my
Q: What advice would 2014? A: Enjoy your time in sight of what’s importtake advantage of every gives you to try out in many organizations as
you give to the class of
Q: What was the bigCharter to college? A: Adjusting to the size I had with attending is key.
gest
college, but don’t lose ant- your degree. Also opportunity your school your field and join as possible. transition
from
of FIU and the freedom classes. Self-discipline
Q: What do you miss about Charter? A: I’m happy I’m finally done with my schooling, but I do miss seeing the friends I grew up with every day since we’ve all taken very different paths in life and it’s not as easy as before to catch up.
Q&A with for Victoria Morin (’13) Broward College (BC)
6
Q: How did charter A: Charter prepared work load, definitely.
prepare you for college? me for college with the
Q: What advice would 2014? A: My advice to class always keep an open things. College is all
you give to the class of
Q: What school do/did A: Currently, I am enlege, but in the future I of state to California.
you go to? rolled at Broward Coldefinitely want to go out
Q: What was the bigCharter to college? A: My biggest trancollege is timing. I choosing my own more focused.
gest
Q: What do you miss A: I miss being able friends all the
about Charter? to be surrounded by my time in high school.
for 2014 would be to mind in trying new about new experiences.
transition
from
sition from Charter to feel more comfortable schedule and being way
Student Life
have you been?
i
Chang
ment
Editor
Melissa Valido (’06) Florida State University (FSU)
Q: How does it feel coming back to Charter after being gone for so long? And how much has changed for you? A: It feels different because I haven’t been here in over five years, but in the same light, it makes me remember what it was like to come to Charter. So, it hasn’t changed that much to make a total difference. Q: What advice do you class of 2014? A: As far as advice for the say try your hardest, go out day by day because there struggle and there will be you will appreciate. So, to those things.
have for the graduating
Q: How is Charter differated? A: I don’t think it’s difated, I think the same opyou [the graduating class to me, whether you take what’s different for ev-
ent from when you gradu-
graduating class, I would there and take everyday will be times that you’ll times of sheer joy where make sure to look forward
ferent from when I graduportunities are available to of 2014] that are available them serious or not is eryone.
Q: How do you think Charter prepared you for college? A: Charter prepared me so much just by giving me the opportunity to graduate a year early, you know, I early admitted my senior year and I had the resources to be able to do that with a location where the BC campus is right next door. That honestly was an awesome opportunity that really prepped me for college.
rmer students R andall Collins (’13) Florida (UCF)
University of Central
Q: How did charter A: Charter’s enforcements helped me do things in on time.
prepare you for college? ment on late assignwhat it takes to turn
Q: What advice would 2014? A: DO NOT get caught on the schooling during on the weekend. Do pass your classes and resources.
you give to the class of
Q: What was the biggest to college? A: The biggest tranbe having to gather instead of it being handed
transition from Charter
Q: What do you miss A: I miss the family Charter.
about Charter? of friends I created in
up in the freedom. Focus the week and have fun whatever it takes to take advantage of your
sition would probably formation by myself into me.
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Student Life Alexander Rose: A CEO in the making Looghermine Claude Lifestlye Editor
S
enior Alexander Rose is a leader. Not only does he show visible leadership as vice president of NHS and co-captain of the PPCHS Drumline, he is also a leader in his future college major: business. As a forward thinker, Alexander has created business plans and projects that have caught the eyes of different judges—including those choosing the Silver Knight recipients. Excelling in both the academic and the social world, Alexander is a very interesting person. Alexander’s career in band began in 6th grade when he joined West Campus’ band class with Mrs. Cole. Since he began playing the drums the year before, Alexander transitioned easily into percussion. He continued in band in high school, later joining drumline. For his hard work in band, Alexander has received many awards including the Musician of the Year Award. Now Alexander—along with co-captain Deanna Alford—head band. Throughout the year, Alexander has to manage and teach students through some of bands biggest events: football season and pep rally. “I think that the most memorable band event has to be the pep rallies. Everyone loves seeing us come out and perform, and it makes it worth spending the hours practicing. It’s a lot of fun to go out there and make everyone dance, it’s one of the best feelings ever,” says Rose. Not only does Alexander excel in band, he is also a leader in NHS. As Vice President of one of the most popular clubs in school, Alexander is in charge of finding events for the club to participate in. In the spirit of service, Alexander has found multiple outreach projects that NHS members have volunteered at including the upcoming Eggapalooza and the Pines Day Celebration. As a potential business major, Alexander is focused at shining at what he does. His hard work in and outside of school landed him acceptances into Cornell, UF, and the University of Virginia. Rose is the winner of the Create a Company Business Pitch Project and he’s also a Silver Knight nominee. Alexander was nominated in the Business category for his Soccer Park Recycling Business Plan. In his plan, Alexander explained how his program to clean up the parks would generate revenue for the city, as well as makes students community stakeholders. “Even if I got recognized or not, doing the service project was amazing. Being recognized was nice, but it’s only a bonus. I loved doing my project, and my interview was amazing. It went really well, and they thought it was a great business plan. Now I can only hope that I win,” says Rose. Alexander plans on continuing jazz band throughout college—no matter which one he chooses. He’s still deciding which school to go to, but no matter what school he chooses, Alexander will be majoring in Business. As a well-rounded student, it’s no surprise that Alexander has an Ivy League acceptance under his belt. His devoted participation to band and NHS as well as his commendable accomplishments in business make him prepared to face college life. No matter what school he decides to go to, Alexander will end up doing great things—and it might be as CEO of a Fortune 500 Company.
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Student Life Deanna Alford: Little Drummer Girl Nicholas Rivera Staff Writer
I
n the halls of Pembroke Pines Charter High School, it may be difficult to find someone who really stands out. Out of over 1,000 students, it can be surprising what hides behind the facade of smiling faces in the halls and what interesting things students have experienced. At the end of May, we will be saying goodbye to over 400 seniors, and among them will be Deanna Alford. Alford may be a familiar face around Pines Charter due to the fact that she tries to make herself known as someone that is easy to approach. With a friendly smile, she welcomes everyone and prides herself in being really open and honest with everyone she meets. As an avid participator at PPCHS, Deanna is involved in many school activities such as the National Honor Society Among these activities; however, one of her most major contributions to her school is her position of co-captain of the PPCHS drum line as well as snare drum. Alford made the best of her middle and high school years by participating in band. Joining in sixth grade, she began playing percussion with the middle school band. Her influences date back to when she was only three years old: the year when she began playing piano. Continuing on the path of percussion, when she entered high school, Alford joined the drum line only to become a co-captain by her senior year. “I’ve always been musical. What I really like about band is that you sort of are able to stick with the same people as you go along. I’ve known a lot of the people that I play with today since sixth grade. I see myself playing band for a long time and hopefully in college I will be able to do marching band and join the percussion line,” says Alford. Although band is and has been an important part of her high school career, Deanna has kept in mind her future. After she graduates, Alford has plans to go to the University of Florida in pursuit of a career in chemical engineering, which uses math, physics, and biology to solve problems for the use of chemicals. By taking a surplus of advanced math classes as well as chemistry and AP physics, she has done her best to prepare herself for the classes that she will have to take in her college years. “I knew that I wanted to be some type of engineer. I’ve always had an interest in doing something with math and I really liked chemistry so it made sense to take the path of a chemical engineer,” says Deanna. Until Deanna walks across the stage in May, she will stay focused on school and music. She continues to work hard to reach her goals of attending the University of Florida and becoming a chemical engineer. She also has plans on keeping music in her life both in college, by joining marching band, and out. Through it all, she manages to stay excited and ready for whatever comes next. One thing is for sure, when Alford leaves Charter, she will leave with a bang.
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Student Life Troy Bottom and Gabriela Garcia Sports Editor and Features Editor
Grease i
O
n Thursday, August 10th and Friday, August 11th, PPCHS was no longer the home of the Jaguars, but instead the home of the Rydell Rangers. At 7 p.m. sharp, a sold-out crowd jumped back 55 years to the most iconic 50’s high school in history. The play had it all: the leather jackets, the greasy hair, and the gossiping Pink Ladies. After four hopelessly devoted months full of hard work, the Advanced Drama class was all set to put on their final show of the year and show exactly what the Rydell Raiders were made of. The play started with a burst of adrenaline as cast members dashed toward the stage and leaped from all over the theatre. From there the show took its course, featuring classic songs and scenes that countless generations are familiar with. The spectators were caught tapping their feet, shimmying their shoulders and singing along with senior Natasha Viloria, who played the sweet and innocent Sandy Dumbrowski. This brunette Sandy got to showcase her vocal talents in numbers like “Summer Nights” and “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee (reprise)”. “Well this year was my first and final year in advanced Drama and I was welcomed into an amazing family,” said Viloria. “I was so blessed to be cast as the role of Sandy and I had such an amazing time during this process.” A handful of new songs and scenes were introduced, which freshened up the play and gave it a whole different look from the original film. Perhaps one of the most unpredictable scenes starred senior Alden Diaz, who was able to provide the audience with a shot of the “moon” when he pulled down his drawers to reveal his rainbow-striped underpants. Alden Diaz starred as Roger, one of the five original Greasers. These witty and rebellious guys were led by Eli Radosovich, a junior cast as the one and only Danny Zuko. “It felt really good to get the role; I knew a lot of people wanted it so there was a lot of pressure on me to be good,” says Radosovich. “My favorite part of this entire experience was becoming like a family with my drama class. I truly love each and every one of them.” The love that Radosivich claims for his fellow cast mates proved itself true at the end of the show, after Tatiana Bustamante’s jaw-dropping solo of “There Are Worse Thing I Could Do”, and the entire company’s reprise version of “We Go Together”. The seniors had one last spotlight on stage for the annual senior sendoffs. All students came up individually with flowers in hand and stood under a spotlight with their picture projected for the audience to see. Mrs. Kidd then proceeded with a few words for each senior describing their unique qualities, strengths, and expressing her love for each one of the graduating students. For some students, this was the final chapter of a four year drama career and with that came a half hour of emotional senior sendoffs. “Senior send offs was probably the most emotional experience I’ve gone through this whole year,” says Viloria. “We were literally all in tears. I’m so sad to say goodbye to my drama family when I graduate but I know we are all going to go off and do amazing things.” Senior Sendoffs didn’t have just the seniors crying. “I’ll miss the seniors like I’d miss my siblings,” says Radosovich. “They’re that close to me and I really don’t want them to leave.” Words can’t capture these moments and the seniors’ final moment under that spotlight. After many months of practice and years of dedication to the program, their high school careers come to an end with a final bow.
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The Greasers and the Pink L
(From Left to Right) Nicholas Berardino, Raul Reyes, Alden Diaz, Eli Radosevich, and Anthony London performing “Grease Lightning”
Brittni Garcia and Eli Radosevich
Junior Eli Radosevich
is the word
Ladies
Student Life
Erica Camacho singing “Freddy My Love”
Kayla Gallego, Hannah Rector, Amanda Hernandez, Raul Reyes, and Nicole Gomez
Senior Natasha Viloria singing “Summer Nights” as Sandra Dee
Chelsi Chang, Natasha Viloria, Erica Camacho, and Tatiana Bustamante
Eli Radosevich singing his solo in “We Go Together”
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The Grease Cast performing “We Go Together”
The Grease Cast
Eli Radosevich, Nicholas Berardino, Anthony London, and Raul ‘RJ’ Reyes
Nicholas Berardino surrounded by Grease Cast
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Jaguars “sea” a magical show Victoria Alvarez and Hayley Hartwell Assistant Editor-in-Chief
ICharter n October 2013, the students of Pembroke Pines High School experienced their first Pep Rally
on the new football field. A huge success, the fall pep rally brought out more school spirit in the Jags than ever before. Months later, on Thursday, March 13th, 2014, the Student Government Association put together yet another successful Pep Rally: the spring 2014 Pep Rally. The second pep rally on the new field, the Spring Pep Rally brought together students of all grades to not only congratulate the spring athletic teams on their seasons and celebrate a good school year, but also to begin saying goodbye to the Class of 2014. The words “Sail Away Seniors,” were painted on a large blue banner, spread across a fence for the entire school to see. The nautical theme was expressed in not only banners like this one, but also in various decorations and SGA members’ outfit choices. Hung out on the fence of the bleachers were bright orange lifesavers, each one reading a different spring sport. Along with that, the SGA members were sporting sailor hats with each of their individual names written on the front in silver font. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., the Spring Pep Rally was expected to be one of excitement and fun. As the PPCHS students piled onto the field and into the bleachers, SGA readied themselves for an amazing, and memorable, morning. Once the students were settled in their seats, the announcers, seniors Alden Diaz and Andy Iglesias, made their big debut. Standing on top of the press box, Diaz and Iglesias introduced themselves and kicked off the Spring 2014 Pep Rally. Moments later, Diaz announced that junior RJ Reyes would be singing the National Anthem. Standing on top of the players’ bench on the field, Reyes belted the song from his voice, bringing smiles to everyone watching with his fun personality and strong voice. At the end of his song, Reyes surprised the crowd with a “promposal” to senior Amy Aitkens. “I’m going to have to ask this question kind of backwards since you’re the senior and I’m the junior, but Amy Aitkens, can I go to prom with you?” After Aitkens shyly nodded yes, the crowd cheered, and the events for the pep rally were finally kicked off. Standing at the center of the field, the sports teams waited to be announced with their fellow teammates. As each team was called out, they would walk to the center of the field, do a chant or dance to whatever song was playing, and would then walk off smiling and laughing with their fellow Jaguars. Some memorable moments from the athletic team announcements was when the JV basketball team did the “Nae Nae”, a popular dance that is viral across Youtube today. Another moment that really wowed the crowd was when freshman and JV soccer player Michayla Konen did multiple flips across the field as her team members cheered her on. After all of the teams were announced, the Book Club continued their tradition of running around the field in wacky and fun costumes. Two Varsity soccer players and seniors, Mya Goodman and Victoria Pineda, even joined in on the fun by running alongside the Book Club members and dancing with them. “I’ve always wanted to just run onto the field and dance with the Book Club during a Pep Rally. It was definitely something on my bucket list that I’m happy to cross off. Dancing with them and one of my close friends [Goodman] during the Pep Rally definitely made my senior year even better,” said Pineda. After the athletic teams and the Book Club members exited the field, the PPCHS Step Team took their moves to the track. Dressed in basketball jerseys, the Step Team performed using basketballs as props. After the
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Step Team finished their routine to various songs, the PPCHS Dance Team took to the field for their performance. A routine filled with exciting facial expressions and famous dance moves; the crowd was on their feet, giving the girls their full attention until the last moment of the routine. When the song ended and some of the girls jumped into splits, a large uproar raised from the crowd. “I really enjoyed watching the Dance Team preform. All of the girls dance so well and they really know how to get your attention when they’re dancing. From their song choice to their fun moves, the Dance Team was definitely a highlight of the Pep Rally,” said sophomore Emely Sosa. Taking the crowd by surprise, 2014 Dancing with the Staff winners senior Laura Smith and PPCHS science teacher Mrs. Chancellor strutted onto the field in their tall heels, ready to show the Jags a memorable dance routine. The song “Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé came from the speakers and soon enough, Smith and Chancellor were dancing in sync with one another. Loud screams and chants bolted from the crowd as they watched Mrs. Chancellor show off her best dance moves. “Mrs. Chancellor is one of my favorite teachers at Charter. She’s such a fun person and an amazing teacher. Watching her dance definitely made the pep rally memorable because it’s not every day that you get to see your teacher dance to a Beyoncé song,” said junior Andy Vizcaino. Junior Brandon Ortiz stepped out nervously onto the field to show his peers his rapping skills. He rapped about the pep rally, high school study day, and succeeding despite others putting him down. With a great reaction from the crowd, Ortiz walked off the field with confidence in his stride. After this performance, it was time for Pep Rally to come to a close. The PPCHS Marching Band lined up on the opposite side of the field and slowly walked toward the crowd while playing their instruments. Showing off their newest tricks, the Marching Band came to the front of the field and wowed the crowd when four of the members stood together and began to pile onto each other. Two of the members sat on the shoulders of another two members and played the drums while doing so. As the spring 2014 Pep Rally came to an end, the class of 2014 began to realize that this was their last high school pep rally ever. Walking past the “Sail Away Seniors” banner, many of the seniors began to reflect on high school and their future. “It’s crazy to think that this was my last high school pep rally. Being on the dance team, my experiences with Pep Rally have always been so much fun. I love dancing with my teammates and I love the feeling that I get when I hear the crowd cheer for us. Knowing that that’s now over is really a bittersweet feeling,” said senior Jada Hemming. Hemming wasn’t the only senior to let the thought of their last pep rally settle in. “It’s crazy to think that as this school year continues, I’m going to experience more and more ‘lasts’. My last Spirit Week, my last Homecoming, my last basketball season, and now my last Pep Rally. high school has really been an amazing experience, and with the more ‘lasts’ I encounter, the more ready I am to see what the future holds for me,” said senior Stephan Montes. As the seniors bid farewell to their last high school pep rally, the upcoming classes at Charter can sit back and anticipate more memorable pep rallies and other school activities in the years to come.
Jun
Nicole Batista, Erica Camacho, Karinna Rod
nior AJ
The PPCHS Water Polo Team
The PPCHS Jaguar Mascot
Reyes
odriguez,
(From left to right): Janique Tang-How, Jada Hemming, Deja Hodgson and Rebecca Rivero
Mrs. Chancelor and Laura Smith
Andres Machado and Nigel Royes
The PPCHS Tennis Team
Caroline Cabeza and Samantha Pernas
(From Left to right): Brandon Lowe, Deanna Alford, Alex Rose, Diana Alvarez, and Manuel Delgado
The PPCHS Tennis Team
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Jessica Kaminsky and Nathaniel Carvajal
Melissa Sullivan and Joseph LePore
Hunter Morales and Christian Alvarez
Stephan Montes and Courtney Zaher
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Natalia Cevallos and JP Dussan
Omar Noble and Aliyah Pasols
Josephine Laue and Christian O
Marcela Ruiz and Aar
Andres Machado and Elisa Castellano
Peter Buckley and Hayley Peters
Raymund Gaviola and Briyana Valls
Bridget Blount and Evan Ganthier
Andrew ‘Andy’ Iglesias and Francesca Levy
Twylyte Farrell and Juan Jimenez
Davin Miret and Catalina Villegas
Ocampo
ron
Jake Jacobs and Josie Bombardiere
15 Diaz
Joshua Alleman and Daniela Contreras
Astrid Rigau and Julien Pinon
Victoria Alvarez and Keith Frearson
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By The Grade 9
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Turntables, scratches, and beats—the life of Pablo Eyrich Melissa Pierce Staff Writer
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rom school events and small parties to events for the City of Pembroke Pines, freshman Pablo Eyrich carries the vibe with him wherever he goes. Eyrich is not the typical DJ; he started from the bottom and used his own funds and abilities to transform himself into a well-rounded, well-equipped master of music. At the age of eleven-years-old, Pablo opened up a set of turntables on Christmas morning. This particular set could only be plugged into a phone, so Eyrich lugged around his computer speakers along with his starter DJ equipment. However, this was just the beginning of his journey as a disc jockey. He used this first set of turntables to his advantage; Pablo began to charge a mere twenty dollars for every party he worked. Carefully and wisely, he saved every dollar, allowing him to purchase a set of turntables that could plug into the computer. Considering that Eyrich was without a laptop at the time, he completed the strenuous task of carrying around a forty-five pound desktop with him to events such as the opening game of the PCB season this year. Throughout all of this, he stuck to what he loved and continued to DJ. Pablo states, “I simply like loud music. I like the fact that I can be in control of what everyone hears. I am fascinated with everything from scratches to transitions.” On the following Christmas, Pablo Eyrich moved yet another step up on the ladder—he unwrapped a set of performance speakers. Up to a few months ago, Pablo still didn’t have his own laptop. Nevertheless, he was able to dip into the savings he had been accumulating for two years and buy a laptop. On top of this, he could upgrade his speakers and his turntables with the money he put aside for a rainy day. “I earned what I have. I worked the events I needed to and portioned out the money I made to buy the equipment necessary for me to better my career as a DJ. I just keep earning, saving, and buying to get as far as I can,” Eyrich stated. Stepping into the big leagues, Pablo went from charging a mere twenty dollars per party to leaving each event with a payment of $250. His gigs range from birthday parties, soccer and basketball games, to even the County Fair. Speaking of Eyrich’s career on a grander scale, he was contacted by a company in Coral Gables to DJ bigger and better events. Upon making the decision that this offer was too far, Pablo turned it down; however, hope was not lost because UZ Records contacted him shortly after. Pablo doesn’t just like listening to music; he likes producing as well. Using the software available to him, Eyrich sent his mixes to UZ Records and to his surprise, they actually bought one. Sophomore Nicole Fairfoot hired Pablo to DJ at her 16th birthday party-- she states, “Pablo is a phenomenal DJ. He knew how to keep everyone on the dance floor and consistently played good music. You can tell he is passionate about music; he was dancing behind the speakers and enjoying the music just as much as we were.” Pablo Eyrich is the prime example of something small evolving into something big. He took a set of turntables that plugged into his phone and turned his passion for a hobby into his own personal empire. Eyrich earned every penny needed to purchase his equipment and saved what he didn’t use for later on. He sees himself being a DJ on the side and focusing on the production of music in the future; all the while, he wishes to attend university in his pursuit to study medicine. Pablo has his career set up right in front of him, and his unrelenting work ethic will carry him even further.
Funding his talent: Eyrich uses his own funds earned with his talent to make his way to the top. Photo by: Alex Monge
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DJ talent: Eyrich uses his talent to perform at numerous events at both PPCHS and elsewhere. Photo by: Alex Monge
DJ equipment: Eyrich uses his DJ equipment to produce music and entertain people at every event. Photo by: Alex Monge
By The Grade 9
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Look Out Freshman: the SAT’s Getting Harder Matthew Deno
O
Staff Writer
n March 5th, creators of the SAT exam announced plans to toughen the test in the face of stagnant national scores. The new test is supposed to challenge students to provide more analysis, cite evidence, and even turn in their calculators before answering some math questions. First administered in 2016, this new version will affect current freshmen and all other students in grades below 9th. “Hopefully, this change serves as a good thing for students who are going to take it. I believe that it will motivate them to study even harder and get the highest score possible.” said freshman Victoria Cabrera. The SAT is a necessity for high school students who are seeking admission into college. Many, but not all, universities require SAT scores as part of the admissions process. According to USA Today, about 1.6 million students take the exam each year, and “only 43% of the high school class of 2013 scored high enough to succeed in college,” says College Board analysis. U.S. students have fallen behind many other developed nations in test results, causing concerns that the U.S. is inefficiently preparing young people for their lives after school. Included in the freshly overhauled SAT test is a more challenging essay assignment scored on the strength of analysis as well as writing, according to the College Board. However, the score for it will not be part of the final overall test result, but colleges can choose whether to consider it. As a result of this change, the top score for the new SAT will drop from 2400 to 1600. Test scoring also was changed as there will no longer be a point deduction for an incorrect answer. Points will only be added for correct answers. While the focus of the exam has been narrowed in areas such as math and vocabulary, what remains requires more demanding problem-solving. In analyzing reading passages in the exam, students must cite specific passages from excerpts of well-known writings to support answers, something not necessary in the current version. The new test will include science, history, or social studies source documents that students will be required to analyze or draw citations from to support answers. Cited works included in the SAT for students to evaluate will hopefully be more familiar than documents included in current SATs, the College Board said. The new version will draw from milestone documents such as the Declaration of Independence or the Bill of Rights, or crucial speeches such as the Gettysburg Address or Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream." “I’m glad to see that the passages that are going to be used in the new SAT are actually works that most students are familiar with. It will make it easier for students to understand the passage and analyze it better.” said freshman Malik Hardy. The vocabulary and math section is also going to get modified. Vocabulary included in the revised exam will be words more often used and words that also have more complex, multiple meanings. For the math portion, it will be narrowed down to three core areas: understanding how to use ratios, percentages and proportions, and linear equations under the heading "Heart of Algebra". Also, there will be a section devoted to more complex equations or functions related to calculus. These are the first SAT changes since 2005 when the essay portion was added and analogy questions were removed. There have been other notable changes to the test, such as in 1994 when antonym questions were removed and calculators were allowed for the first time. The test was first used in 1926.
Studying for the SAT and ACT: Many test preperation books are available to students looking to perform well on the SAT and the ACT. Photo by: Juan Tellez
Studying with friends: Many students find study groups helpful for doing better on the SAT. Photo by: Juan Tellez
Upcoming SAT: Freshmen need to begin preparing for the SAT, which will be getting harder by the time they take it their junior year. Photo by: Juan Tellez
Lunchtime study sessions: Many students spend hours upon hours studying for these big tests; some even spend their lunch hour studying. Photo by: Juan Tellez
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Triple threat in PPCHS Maribel Maignan Staff Writer
S ophomore Nalia Roba is a triple threat in the flesh. The bubbly soon to be sixteen year old was meant to be a star from the start. Nalia has spent years in academy’s discovering talents she never even knew existed, and it all started when Nalia took her very first steps. At the age of 4, Nalia’s mother enrolled her into a local dance academy, where she soon discovered one of her many talents: dancing. Nalia has always loved to dance, but as she got older she learned dancing wasn’t the only thing she was great at. Dancing will always be Nalia’s first love. There are many different types of dancing out in the world, but Nalia fell head over heels for ballet. The grace of ballet has taught Nalia the grace she has in real
After Nalia excelled in ballet she moved onto jazz and then tap. She even competed as a little girl in dance competitions with her local dance academy. “Nalia has this amazing grace to herself that everything she does looks perfect. She always gives her 100% no matter what she’s doing,” says sophomore and friend to Nalia, Maycee Smith. After dancing Nalia wanted to try something new. Then came the discovery of two new passions: singing and acting. At the Academy of Arts Nalia specialized in voice and musical theatre. She went through many limitations to test her voice and how great it can be. Nalia has always been a little shy when it comes to singing, but when she opens up she has the voice of an angel. As a little girl she would perform life.
Nalia Roba: Sophmore nalia Roba found her skills in ballet after wanting to dry something new outside of dancing. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg
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friends at the competitions and functions the academy held. “Nalia is great because she expresses herself fearlessly, and the way she sings with her voice communicates with people in ways that regular language can’t. She’s never afraid to show people who she really is and her light shines so bright that she makes even the saddest of all smile,” says sophomore Alejandra Valladeres, another friend. At the Academy of Arts, Nalia was introduced to her one true love, acting. “Acting is wonderful. When playing a character, it’s like you can just disappear. With acting you become your character, you feel their emotions, their thoughts, what they go through. It’s another life you get to live, fictional or not,” says Roba. As her first deciwith her
sion, Nalia plans on becoming an actress when she grows up, but if it doesn’t happen she plans on becoming a veterinarian as her second choice. Nalia was born a star and for years she has kept her talent hidden from everyone except her friends and family, until now. The singing, dancing, acting extraordinaire has opened herself up to the world and is now waiting for her one shot to live out her dreams one day as an actress. Excelling in singing and dancing will surely come in handy with any acting job she chooses. In 10 years we will sure to be seeing Nalia on the big screen, or even Broadway singing and dancing her heart out, amazing all of everyone.
Ballet Slippers: Roba has had her slippers ever since she started ballet. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg
Ray Dass rewards the top 30 Lauren Ramirez Staff Writer
At the beginning of March, thirty PPCHS sophomores were surprised to find a mysterious email in their inbox. Upon opening the email, they found that they were a part of a select group of students that received the highest scores on their PSAT. Their reward: an amazing opportunity to participate in a PSAT/ National Merit preparation program on a full scholarship valued at more than $1500. With hard work, and the help of Ray Dass, these students have the potential to reach the high scores required for National Merit recognition. The meeting for this program was held on March 5th in the library teen room at 7:00 p.m. Ray Dass talked to students and their parents in order to provide them with more information on the program. At the meeting, Dass explained that he would be having a PSAT preparation class at PPCHS in order to help these students increase their scores to National Merit standards. He gave the parents and students the opportunity to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the opportunity presented to them. “The meeting was very insightful, after I received all the information I signed up for the program right then and there. This is a great opportunity for everyone invited.
Not only do we receive free preparation for tests, we also have a better chance of obtaining a score worthy of National Merit recognition” stated sophomore Taylor Horan. This is a rigorous program requiring students to attend four hour long classes on Mondays and Wednesdays every week as well as testing on Saturdays. Students are expected to attend all sessions, complete homework assignments, and show commitment to the program. This program is proven to bring students PSAT scores up more than 60 points. “After working hard in preparation in order to obtain a high PSAT score, I was delighted to find out I qualified for this program. My hard work paid off and I am able participate in a PSAT preparation class free of charge in hopes to get an even higher score when I take the PSAT again next October” says sophomore Jessica Nelson. Only 30 students out of over 400 eligible sophomores received high enough scores to take part in this program. Their scores represent their knowledge and preparation for the PSAT and each and every student is capable of obtaining National Merit recognition. Congratulations to all students asked to participate in this program, this opportunity is not one to be looked upon lightly.
Curriculum: The curriculum for this preperation course includes vocabulary aimed at raising students’ scores. Photo by: Juan Tellez
Saving Money: Thanks to their great PSAT scores, students who qualified for this preperation course get the whole thing for free. Photo by: Juan Tellez Preparation Pays Off: Sophomore Jessica Nelson got her spot in the program thanks to hard work and preperation. Photo by: Juan Tellez
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By The Grade 11
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Road to College began on SATurday Jake Dreilinger Managing Editor - Layout News Editor
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or many juniors, their first time taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT for short, came Saturday, March 8th. Anxiety filled the minds of all those taking the SAT for weeks and weeks prior, and those days of nonstop preparation paid off for many. The SAT consists of ten sections total, one essay, one ten minute writing multiple choice section, and eight other sections that can vary between reading, math, and writing. PPCHS was one of the proctor schools for the SAT, so many PPCHS students took the exam at the school. At 7:30 am, the area outside D-building was jam packed with students waiting to take the exam that will determine if they will get into a good college or not. The SAT is a unique test. The total amount of points one person can get is a 2400, 800 points in each category. For every question that is answered correctly, a point is added to their score. But for every question answered wrong, one fourth of a point is subtracted from their score. The test itself is three hours and forty-five minutes long, with five minute breaks every two sections. The test begins with the essay and ends with the ten minute multiple choice writing section. Everything in between is random for each test taker. Junior Thomas Hood took the SAT this Saturday at PPCHS. “I thought that this test was very long and boring,” said Hood. “Overall I think I did very well. I thought that it was pretty easy.” The SAT is no easy test and it takes weeks to prepare for it. Students should brush up on their vocabulary and basic math skills. What makes the SAT unique is that it’s not like any test that students take in high school; it’s not a test to test a person’s knowledge. Instead, it’s a test to see how well a person can take a test. To brush up on their
Crucial SAT Scores: Now that the SAT’s have been taken, students await the scores that could determine their future college. Photo By: Peter Dourvetakis
test taking skills, juniors have been taking practice tests and going to tutors. All juniors took the PSAT, and even though it is only half of the SAT, it is still good practice for what to expect on the SAT. “The SAT went better than I thought,” said junior Jonathon Zigler. “I thought that it wasn’t that hard. This was my first time taking the SAT. I hope I did well, but I don’t have my scores yet, so I don’t know how I did.” According to an email sent out by collegeboard.com, the SAT results will not be out until March 27th. If a test taker registered to get the results through the mail, it will arrive in April. After each section’s score is added up, the final score is the one that juniors will give to colleges their senior year. This test will determine whether a college will accept someone or not. If a student did not do as well as they hoped too, they will be able to take the test again in May or June. Whichever test a student does the best on is the test that they can send to colleges without the colleges knowing about the scores of the other tests. For many juniors, their first taste of college came Saturday, March 8th when they anxiously took the test knowing that their future was at stake. The importance of this test cannot be stressed enough. Each student who took the test Saturday realized this as they walked into the doors of D-building, sat down at their desk, and took that long test. SAT Day: The anxious wait for the SAT’s ended for many students on Saturday, March 8th. Photo By: Peter Dourvetakis
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By The Grade 11 16
Take a walk in the stilettos of Sofia Donatelli Lauren Ramirez
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Staff Writer
n September 9, 2012 a PPCHS sophomore started her fashion blog “stylishlyinlove” under the pen name Sofia Do-
ions she styles and models herself. When she was younger, Emily and her sister would play dress up together, and one day she realized that she had a knack for fashion. Since then, she has always been sure to keep up with the latest trends and loves picking out clothes and putting
was one of five bloggers to be named the favorite of Lucky Magazine editors, and was featured under the “cutest outfit” category two times for her styles. Not only does Castellano show off her style to others, she also gives fashion advice based off the photos she uploads.
ers on my blog is truly a dream come true. I’ve always loved working with fashion but I had no idea how far it could take me. This is such an incredible experience that I am truly grateful for,” says Castellano. To check out her blog, visit stylishlyinlove. blogspot.com.
“Mixing patterns seems so daring and out of the comfort zone, but it doesn't have to be that scary. It's simpler when both differing pattern pieces are the same color scheme,” she wrote after uploading a photo featuring a striped sweater and patterned skirt. “Having the opportunity to work with Lucky magazine and have so many follow-
Whether she is being Emily Castellano at home or the fabulous Sofia Donatelli on her blog, she is the epitome of glamour and style. Emily Castellano is sure to make it big someday, so keep a look out for her name in fashion magazines across the nation.
Leaving a Mark: Emily Castellano has made a name for herslef under her pen name Sofia Donatelli on her fashion blog. Donated By: Emily Castellano
natelli. At the time, she had no idea what was in store for her in the world of fashion. Now a junior, Emily Castellano continues to update her blog, adding to it regularly. But she now has many more accomplishments under her designer belt. Castellano, or Donatelli as she is known in the blogosphere, has been featured in Lucky magazine several times for the outfits and fash-
together outfits. When Castellano heard about fashion gurus becoming famous through blogs, she immediately learned how to get started in the blogging world. Now instead of just designing outfits, she could model them and post the photos on her blog. As the once small webpage grew increasingly popular, the editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine took notice. Castellano
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By The Grade 12
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Greek Life: More than just the movies Nicolette Sponer
When I came to the University of Florida, the rumors were that it was Go Greek or Go Home: either join a sorority/fraternity
Charter Alumni
When it comes to academics, many think that Greeks spend too much time partying and not enough time studying. However, at the or be bored and have no friends. I had seen all the movies- Legally University of Florida and most other colleges, one is required to Blonde, the House Bunny, Monster’s University- and had my mind maintain a minimum GPA to remain in good standings with his/her dead set against rushing a sorority. Who needed 200 fake friends respective fraternity/sorority. The policy for UF is that each chapter whose only interests were Lilly Pulitzer and getting their MRS De- must uphold a previous semester chapter GPA of at least 2.85 for gree? Certainly not me. I carried out my summer semester with this both active and new members (studentinvolvement.ufl.edu). The point of view until one of the very last days. The registration for average GPA for all of UF Fall 2013 was 3.29 while the all Greek fall rush was coming to a close and my mom urged me to consider GPA was 3.31. I know that if I’m having a difficult time with a subsigning up. I figured that I could go through the process and, if I ject, need advice on what classes to take next semester, or just need didn’t like it, not commit or drop out. During rush, I was told I was some guidance, there are older sisters who have been in my place going to “find my home away from home” and “meet sisters that and are more than willing to help. I personally came to college to will be in my wedding”. I rolled my eyes and doubted I could find get an education and pursue my dream of going to medical schoola place where I could truly be myself. Then I stepped foot in Delta I have learned that just about everyone in Greek life has the same Zeta. The sister rushing me hadn’t even asked me what my major academic ambitions. was before I knew that I was going to pledge DZ. And on Bid Day, Coming to college raises the new topic of finances that can be a I ran home. Delta Zeta has become my Gainesville home, for it is bit overwhelming. You have to pay for dorms, meal plans, textfilled with sisters that will literally drop everything they’re doing if books, tuition; worry about applying for loans, scholarships, FAFI need them, will bring me sweets when I bomb an exam, will stay SA, Bright Futures. Now add paying for sorority/fraternity dues to in and watch Netflix with me instead of going to a social. They’ve that list. I urge those who are thinking about not rushing because of seen me at my worst and haven’t ran away yet: I call that a success. the money to put that thought aside. You will always be able to pay I’ll admit I didn’t know what I was getting into when I rushed off loans, get scholarships, or work out a payment system. You will a sorority. I thought I could pop in for meals, attend social func- not, however, be able to get back memories you lost, friends you didn’t make, experiences you didn’t have betions, and call it a cause you didn’t want to spend the extra monday. I was shocked ey to go Greek. Yes, being in a sorority costs to learn that going money, but being a part of something so truly Greek requires so wonderful is a once in a lifetime opportunity. much more inYou can join a free club in college, sure. But volvement than there is something magical about being a part that. Not only does of an organization that has over 200 years of Delta Zeta have history and rituals that you won’t find at your two philanthropy College Club Fair. events a year (one As my first year of being in a sorority draws per semester) that to a close, I think of how greatly rushing has benefit programs affected me. I love my Big more than anyfor the speech and thing, can be seen wearing Jack Rogers and hearing, but we Vineyard Vines, can’t wait to spoil my Little participate in othSorority Life: Nicolette Sponer has been enjoying her time at next year, and wear my letters every chance er fraternity and Delta Zeta with her new sisters. Donated By: Nicolette Sponer I get. But I have also become more outgoing sorority philanand social, have obtained a leadership posithropies as well. Last year alone, Delta Zeta Clay Classic brought in an astounding tion within my sorority, am volunteering with UF Health Shands $21,225.82 for The Painted Turtle Camp. And that’s just one so- Hospital, and have maintained a great GPA (sisters make the best rority; the amount of money raised for other philanthropic causes study buddies). Greek life is not for everyone- but before you stereotype it, learn the facts: we’re more than what the movies portray. across the nation by Greeks is unfathomably amazing.
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Top Model: M Tyra
Between applying to colleges and juggl a way to put a smile on people’s face. Outgoi Staff
that’s exactly the mark she leaves on everyo eling on a, wearing amazing garments is a d runway is reality. On March 8th and March 9 few hand selected models chosen to strut dow Arts and Crafts Festival at the shops of Pemb Cubas is no stranger to walking on runway 13 and immediately fell in love with the react nitely seeing people smiling and enjoy whate tion in her family, and is the reason she bega eling because my grandmother use to have m money so she decided to put me and my cous ing gigs,” said Cubas. Along with modeling M
Modeling: Marilisa Cubas and her fellow models pose f creative dresses. Dress By: Steven Sylvester Photo By
table personality, Mrs. Kidd directed her to of four models selected. Artist Steven Sylves medium of clay, wire and other materials. The fashion show airing right in the middle The first step on the catwalk and the crowd e in one of Sylvester’s unique creations, Mar piece that was bedazzled in pink rhinestones pagne glasses and gold bags attached, repre tion artwork. “The show was a success and also a amazin loved the reactions from the little kids callin wanted pictures and were complimenting me many students who walk the campus of PPC can brighten up the world.
Marilisa Cubas
Green
Writer
ling senior year, Marilisa Cubas always finds ing and sweet is what her friends call her, and one who meets her. For any young girl, moddream but for charter’s very own, this dream 9th, 2014, senior Marilisa Cubas was one of a wn the catwalk at Art of Fashion: 16th annual broke Gardens. ys. She first stepped on a runway at age 12 or tion from the crowd, “my favorite part is defiever it is I am modeling.” Modeling is a tradin the hobby in the first place. “I started modmy uncles model and act and they made major sin in it and ever since then I’ve doing modelMarilisa has starred in commercials when she was younger. Her bright smile and big personality could be seen in Sketcher shoe ads, Toby Ice Cream promotions and even on the Nickelodeon network. Drama teacher, Mrs.Kidd remembered the beautiful personality from previous years when Marilisa was in her drama class, “I had Marilisa as a student for two years, if I had to describe her in one word I for the camera in their would say she’s charis: Juan Rafael Prieto matic,” said Mrs. Kidd. Noting Cubas’s unforgetdesigner Steven Sylvester, Marilisa was one ster created a series of ladies art dress using a
of the arts festival earned a lot of eager eyes. erupted in awe and cheered with joy. Dressed rilisa modeled a pink and yellow clay body s. The bottom of the dress had plastic chamsenting Sylvester’s style of creating abstrac-
g experience,” exclaimed Marilisa Cubas. “I ng me a princess or a fairy. So many people e and the art work.” Marilisa is just one of the HS who have hidden talents and hobbies that
By The Grade 12 16
Glitz and the glam without seeing double Andrea Bellorin
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Clubs & Electives Editor
air and makeup ready, it’s a night you’ve been ready for ever me telling the other person their name and notify them that they since entering high school. Hours later, after trying on countless have the same dress,” says anonymous. “They have to figure it out, dresses, your decision is made. Imagine walking into your senior it’s not my job. I just post anonymously. I’ve been getting a lot of prom and spotting your dress on someone else besides you. Af- dresses lately and it gets me excited.” In the near future, the account creator’s goal is to make ter seeing double once too many times during last year’s prom, a PPCHS student decided it was time for some dress picking evolu- a website out of it and then reach out to other schools in the area. By doing so tion. This anonymous creator made she would set everything possible for high school up a website senior girls. Their biggest fear has along with been put down: the repetition of the social their prom dress. Through the twitter media and account, @_stolemylook, PPCHS make money PROM 2014 post’s photos of prom by selling addresses already bought, along with vertisement the designer name and style number. on the web Social networks such as site. Because Instagram and Twitter have proved the account to make life much easier in almost worked so every aspect. Through this sort of well at Charmedia, all sorts of news and upter this year, dates can be shared with many to there are view. With the PPCHS PROM 2014 high hopes twitter account, all of those girls atto make it tending prom can view the dresses happen and already taken. Preventing a dress to expand. repetition at prom is something that The webis quite feared by most girls. site would “I actually sent in my dress to the acfeature tabs count already. I think it’s a good idea for various as long as it stays anonymous. I think schools such it’s helpful so girls know what t wear as Charter, and how to pick their dress and comWest Bropare it to others that have already ward, Archbeen sent,” said Fabiola Moleiro. Seeing Double: Thanks to the anonymous account of a PPCHS student, girls at PPCHS bishop Mc This twitter account crecan determine what dresses are already taken for prom. Photo By: Jaun Tellez Carthy, etc. ator, who remains anonymous, was Here, stueager to share her brilliant idea with her graduating class. Around December of 2013, the account was dents from all these schools can visit their school tab and view the created and when the new year came around, more and more dress- dresses already bought by their classmates. They will know what es began to be sent in. Anxious for prom to come, girls just couldn’t not to buy to not “steal their look” and see double at prom. Who knew such a simple and common idea could save wait to buy their prom dress. “My biggest fear as a girl is to have the same dress as someone so many from so much stress and anxiety. When it comes to prom else. I would do the favor to every other girl and make an account dresses, high school girls don’t play around. To view the already so that won’t happen. There have been problems already with two picked and bought dresses, visit the twitter account @_stolemylook girls getting the same dress. I ask each girl individually if they mind and make sure to not see double and make sure to spread the word.
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Preparing for lift-off: Growing up to be Mayor Ortis Looghermine Claude Lifestlye Editor
T he road to becoming the mayor of a city with 154,019 people has no guidelines or instruction manuals. There is no set path for someone to follow. For Mayor Ortis, the road led him on twists and turns that would eventually lead to 18
years of being the mayor or Pembroke Pines. But the mayor’s road begins far away from government leadership, and far away from South Florida. Mayor Ortis started out on a path that, if followed, would have led him far away from the city of Pembroke Pines and his position as mayor. Mayor Ortis grew up 1,216 miles away from Pembroke Pines in Utica, New York. His house was not only a home for his mother, his father, and his two older sisters, but also his aunts, uncles, and his grandfather. Even though the Ortis’ never had a lot of money and his family was on welfare for 11 years, the mayor’s mother always found a way to get food on the table for everybody. Faced with the economic problems at home, Ortis was never really interested in school work as a child, having a better time playing stickball with his friends in the street. It took one teacher to change his view on education. Ortis’ aviation teacher, Mr. Altamati, told him that “If you don’t straighten out, you’re going to end up someplace where your friends are, and you don’t want to go there.” These words stuck with Ortis and helped him get on track in school. “When he just grabbed me and said that to me, that’s just what got me,” says Ortis. “Somebody is always going to do that. They’re going to come to you and say ‘you should do this’. And the way they do this will resonate with you.” Ortis attended high school at Utica Free Academy where he took place in the aviation part of the school. As Ortis already liked mechanics, he enjoyed his time at the school. Not only did he participate in the aviation program, Ortis also played football for the high school. As time passed by, Ortis began to become more serious about his schoolwork. Ortis was able to get a partial scholarship to go to the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, and there he had the chance to work with Mr. Altamati from his high school. For the three years that Ortis spent at the college, he had to work four jobs in order to pay for his education--without any other financial aid or loans. Nevertheless, Ortis’ grades were still high. After he graduated from college, Ortis went back to Utica Free Academy and taught there for one year, taking over Mr.
Mayor Frank Ortis (1994)
Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis
Altamati’s position when Altamati moved on to another job. After that year, he got a call from Eastern Airlines saying that they wanted to interview him. Ortis got the job, moved to New York, and spent 23 years working for Eastern Airlines. Of all the jobs that he’s had before becoming mayor, Mayor Ortis says that his favorite one was working for Eastern Airlines. While working under Eastern Airlines, Ortis worked on aircrafts. He would fly with a ferry crew on an airplane to where a broken down airplane was--wherever it was in the world. After arriving, Ortis and his crew would stay and fix the airplane, and fly the, now repaired, plane back. “My favorite memory has to be when my family went on an airplane that I fixed, and it got there. It makes you feel good that you’ve fixed something that’s huge like a 747. When that thing is fixed and it takes off and flies, it’s pretty memorable,” says Ortis. In 1977, Ortis moved down to Pembroke Pines, “because of the weather”. He had some friends who moved down here with Eastern Airlines, and over time, Ortis and his friends would come down, look around at neighborhoods and then go back north to work. Finally, he bought a house and moved here permanently. Almost 20 years after he moved to Pembroke Pines, Ortis was persuaded by peers and colleagues to run for the Pembroke Pines City Commission. Even though it was his first venture into politics, Ortis was already involved in the union and had been raising money for different campaigns. Two years later, Ortis became the Vice Mayor of the city, and then in 2004, he became Mayor Ortis. Mayor Ortis may have completed his road to being the mayor, but he is now traveling on the path of working as one. The mayor is in meetings and conferences discussing not only the future of Pines Charter, but the future of the whole city. From Washington D.C. to Spain, Mayor Ortis has traveled all over looking to improve this city and be the best mayor that he can be.
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Aaliyah Pasols, Mayor O
Have faith: Q&A with Mayor Ortis Looghermine Claude Lifestlye Editor
Q: What is your favorite part about the Charter system? A: Starting a system that we knew nothing about. It was a challenge. Governor Bush had the mindset about charter schools for choice, and when we reached out to the superintendent of schools, that was our entry into the charter school system. Q: What is your favorite memory about the Charter school system? A: Seeing the Charter starters graduate, and reading to the students. When I like to read to students, I do it in a manner where I open the book up and then I like to have the students read to me. I think that’s great.
Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis
Q: What would you say sets Pembroke Pines Charter apart from other schools? A: Well, we’re A+. Best improved charter school system in the state. Municipally owned and operated, so we’re constrained by our finances, and we can’t use any taxes so we’re not a traditional public school. Yet the school board takes money from us for administration, and we have a problem with that. Because of our record, we shouldn’t have to take that money aside. All the money should be following the students. Q: Where do you see the Charter schools in ten years? A: I hope that they’re blossoming. I hope they’re blossoming because we have 5,600 students now, and we have almost 11,000 waiting to get in. We have several lottery systems, so obviously were doing something right. When the constitutional amendment passed for class size adjustments, we didn’t hesitate. We built more classrooms. So our classrooms now follow the constitutional amendment. Q: What is your take on the SOS program? A: We started the SOS program to save our school through our own coalition. We’re stuck in a financial burden, and we’re trying to get out of that. We’ve been trying to get the parents to donate because in a Charter system you can’t pay for education, you can’t go against the state mandate for that. So now were getting donations. The Save Our Schools program has been actually phenomenal. Whatever it is, we’re raising a lot of money. Now we’ve got some avenue where FIU is leaving us to partner up with Broward College at a different campus in Miramar, and now we have some space where we can bring in more middle school students, maybe 300 more, and that will give us a little more funding as well. With that, we’re going to get all those teachers who made sacrifices to take a pay cut and get them back to where they should be paid. Q :
Ortis, Gaby Garcia and Looghermine Claude
What meetings will be taking place in the future to discuss the future of the school? A: We continue to talk to legislature, that’s where we are now. There’s a state statue about municipally operated schools and we want the legislature to look at that. That’s what sets us apart from other charter schools—we’re municipally run and operated. I’m the chair of the board, the commissioners are the board, and out city manager is our superintendent. That sets us apart from all the other schools. We actually run it. We have five principles who run the schools, and we have great teachers, so we’re a story to be told. We have blue ribbon accreditation, we’re always getting awards. The Secretary of Education just doesn’t visit everybody. Q: If you had one thing to tell Charter students who are afraid of the future of the school, what would it be? A: Have faith. We’re going to get there. We’re going to do everything we can to get the legislature to fund all of education. They continue to take money away from education and that’s wrong. Education should be paramount and everyone involved in the legislature should think so. Q: For students looking for advice from the mayor, what would your advice be? A: Continue your education. A few weeks ago I was in the White House with the President, and he spoke to us for an hour. He talked to us about education. He had a meeting with Korea, and they were looking at going to the fourth grade and really initiating more education components in the fourth grade because that’s where they feel it starts. Korean students are hungry for education. They leave Korea to come to the United States for more education. So I’m telling everybody in high school, college, you have to continue your education. This is a hugely competitive world and that’s what we have to look forward at: students continuing their education, because if you don’t, you may not have a job.
Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis
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Features
Serving it up the Mayor’s way Gabriela Garcia
O
Features Editor
n the corner of Taft and Hiatus, stands one of Pembroke Pines’ hidden gems. The Mayor’s Café is a bagel shop co-owned by the mayor himself and a good friend of his. After years of being a frequent visitor to the Bagel Bar West, the mayor was grieved to find out that this terrific location would close its doors in June of 2011. The Bagel Bar West had been a famous breakfast and brunch scene, as well as the city’s main source of breakfast foods. Shortly after being closed, the café went under ownership of another party; however, that venture ended shortly and the café was vacant once again. The mayor and his good friend Lewis Nadel decided to take action and bought the place out. After months of expensive renovations later, the Mayor’s Café was created; every citizen in Cooper City and the Pembroke Pines area has been more than overjoyed to have their bagel fix restored. The shop reopened in April 2012 and has been an incredible hit ever since. Although the mayor and Nadel both continue to live family lives and work their full-time day jobs, they manage to find the time to find the time to manage and own the café. The word around town and the incredible reviews are proof of what seems to be a job well done; any resident of Pembroke Pines knows where they can enjoy the most important meal of the day. On the weekends, you can find Nadel and the mayor himself greeting their customers as they buy their brunch. Occasionally, the dynamic duo will make an appearance on the weekdays to make sure everything is running smoothly. Make sure to stop by any day, from 6:30 am-3:00 pm to pick up a plate of eggs, a bagel or any kind of sandwich!
All Photos by: Peter Dourvetakis
2006 Received the Cities of Excellence Mayor of the Year Award
1998 Elected as Vice Mayor of Pembroke Pines
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1996 Elected to the Pembroke Pines City Commission
2004 Elected as Mayor of Pembroke Pines
Features
More from the Mayor Aaliyah Pasols Staff Writer
1. What is your fondest memory? “Getting married probably. When I got elected as mayor, we got engaged on the same night. I bought a ring and six months prior to me getting elected, I said to myself, ‘If I get elected I’m going to ask her to marry me.’ And we had all of the TV cameras and all of the people standing around, and I asked her to marry me.”
2. Where have you traveled to? “Oh, I have been all over this world. I was the chair of the Broward County College so because of that I was able to go to Spain to visit sister universities… And because of my being an elected official, I was able to see a lot of the world, and I’m very grateful.”
3. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not hustling around the office? “Well I like to play golf. And I bought the restaurant so that also takes up a lot of time, but when I’m not busy I enjoy golfing. And I like to fish. I have a little boat so whenever I get a chance I just like to go out in my lake and fish and relax.”
Favorite type of music: Jazz Favorite food: (Surprisingly not bagels!) Italian food
M
ayor Ortis has summed up a great amount of experience and wisdom throughout his years in office, and it shines in the accomplishments that he has completed throughout the years. Not only has Ortis won many awards and honors, but he serves or has served on various boards and committees. Some of these are: the Board of the Broward and Florida League of Cities; the new Chair of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) Committee on Jobs, Education and the Workforce; the USCM Vice Chair for Sports and Recreation, Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports; the USCM Advisory Board; on the Broward County Workforce One Development Board; on the Board of the United Way of Broward County and many more. “The Florida League of Cities has a committee and they pick those that they think are best for that award. I was so honored and proud that they picked me,” Ortis said about winning the Cities of Excellence Mayor of the year Award in 2006. Mayor Ortis, reelected in 2012, still has many years ahead of him to work on helping the future of Pembroke Pines be a bright one. In upcoming years he hopes to try to improve the city as much as he can. Since Pembroke Pines is a quickly growing city, Mayor Ortis hopes to expand by “revamping the streetscape” of Eastern Pines. Pembroke Pines has grown from the small population it once was at 45,000 people. Now with about 160,000 people living in Pembroke Pines, broadening the horizons is a must. And of course the future of our own school, Pines Charter, has been a hot topic of debate lately. No worries, Mayor Ortis has plans for us Jaguars too: “We want to continue to improve as we can. We’re an A+ school so maybe someday we will expand. Who knows?”
2009-2010 Appointed to chair the Broward League of Cities Economic Committee 2008 Reelected for second mayoral term
2012 Elected unopposed to a third term as Mayor 2010-2011 Appointed to Vice Chair of the Broward League of Cities
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Clubs&Electives
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Cirque du Relay: We love all 16 hours of it Anthony Kelleher
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Technology Editor
fter extensive preparation and excitement, Relay for Life has finally had the event that they have been waiting for since the beginning of the school year, Pembroke Pines Relay for Life. People from all over South Florida come to this enjoyable and charitable event. Every year Relay for Life has a theme that makes each year’s event special. In honor of the Pembroke Pines Relay for Life being 16 years old, this year’s theme was “Sweet 16”. All the teams each had a specific “Sweet 16” theme. Team PPCHS had a circus theme while others had themes such as Paris, Luau, Mardi Gras etc. Team PPCHS was at the top by being the number one fundraising team in the city this year raising a whopping $11,600. In addition, Relay for Life Pembroke Pines is the number 18 Relay for Life event in the state of Florida. The event began at 5pm where students and staff flocked to the camp site to start setting up the circus tent of “Cirque Du Relay”. The tent was filled with stripes of red and white and tall rose red curtains making it look like a real circus tent. Clown cupcakes, popcorn, raffle baskets, and other circus delights were on top of two bright red tables under the tent ready to make a sale for charity. At 6:30 pm, some members of the team went to the Survivor Dinner that honors those that have survived cancer and those who were caregivers to their survivors. The dinner was filled with mouthwatering food from places like Whole Foods and Wendy’s. A few moments later at 8 pm is where all the fun begins, the Opening Ceremony. The co-chairmen of Pembroke Pines Relay for Life, Jules Meyer and Kristi Krueger, made their opening remarks. Then, the Pembroke Pines Relay for Life Committee members were thanked which includes PPCHS’ very own students, Victoria Alvarez and Carli Stander, who are co Youth Engagement Chairs. Then there was the presenting of the teams and their respective team captains. Also, individuals were recognized for raising large amounts of money which included PPCHS team member Victoria Alvarez who raised $2500 in honor of her brother and survivor Nicholas Alvarez, who was a survivor for Team PPCHS. After that, it was time for the Survivor Lap, which is the first lap around the track to honor those people who have kicked cancer to the curb. The survivors were called based on how many years they have been a survivor. Team PPCHS was cheering on for our very own survivors that include team sponsor Mrs. Torres and sophomore Pilar Sanchez. The second lap was the caregiver lap for those who helped their survivors beat the battle of cancer. The third lap was the Team Banner lap where all the Pembroke Pines Relay for Life teams come together with their banners to walk around the track with their entire team singing the Relay chant “Relay we love it all 16 hours of it”. At around 10 pm, the event gets a little more emotional with the Luminaria Ceremony. Luminarias are white paper bags with a candle that one can decorate in honor of someone or in memory of someone. Track lights are shut down and candles are lit for the ceremony. This is usually a time of reflection and not a lot of talking is going on. This is the true time where Team PPCHS bonds together in the fight for the cure for cancer. The Luminaria Ceremony shows the true reason why the team members relay. It is a time when all the team members bond and come together to remember their loved ones or to honor their survivors. As 11 pm approaches, wristbands for students staying the night arrive and the general public starts to leave because after 11pm and the event closes off to only the Relay teams. After 11pm, there were many events such as the Relay selfie, Relay Olympics, scavenger hunt etc. When 1 am hit, it was the event everyone had been waiting for all year, the Miss Relay Pageant. Sponsored by the PR Pageant Coaches Team, one guy is chosen from each team to dress as females to raise money for the cause. There is an introduction portion, dance portion, interview portion, and the dance off portion. After that, each “gal” walks around the track for two laps and whoever gets the most money wins half the money for their team and the other half goes to the American Cancer Society. Senior Justin Martinez aka Justini Martini was Team PPCHS’ Miss Relay contestant this year. Wearing a skimpy black dress and spiky and sparkly 6 inch pumps, Justini Martini worked her stuff and danced on the stage like there was no tomorrow. While walking on the track, Justini’s fundraising bag had a little malfunction and decided to improvise with what her momma gave her. Although she didn’t win, Justini Martini produced many laughs and smiles. “It was a lot of fun competing in the Miss Relay Pageant. It got me a little out of my comfort zone, but I knew it was for a great cause so I did the best job to my ability. I had a little stage fright in the beginning but I got used to it when I was on stage,” says senior Justin Martinez. The winner of the Miss Relay Pageant was a PPCHS student Raul (RJ) Reyes going as Sandra from Team Lakeside. After the Miss Relay Pageant, there was the PJ Dance Party in the Walter C. Young Gym. Also throughout the night, there were theme laps around the track such as the PJ Lap, stuffed animal lap, crazy hat lap etc to keep everyone awake and energized. In addition there was a pie eating contest where PPCHS student Eli Radosevich took home the gold by winning first place. The event began to calm down after the pie eating contest and team bonding occured. At 4:30 am, lights shut off and students went to their tents and catched some Zzz’s before having to wake up in a few hours. When students were awoken to take down their tents, they had a light breakfast before packing up their cars and heading home for some more much-needed sleep. The event comes to an end with a Closing Ceremony followed by a team banner Lap of Hope. “The Relay Event went better than any year before. Raising over $11,500, we were the number one team in the city and it was the first time we had gotten such a big number. The team worked extremely hard to raise money for the event and also in preparing the campsite. In my opinion, our campsite was one of the nicest and everything we sold seems to be a hit! Since it was my last year at PPCHS, it was bittersweet, but I know that next year our team will do better,” says senior and Team Captain Fabiola Moleiro. After extensive hours of preparation, hard work, and selling, the PPCHS Relay for Life Team finally saw what all their hard work and effort created for this event and how it helped find a cure.
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Relay captains: Senior Fabiola Moleiro, PPCHS teacher Mrs. Torres and junior Lauryn Oddy led the PPCHS team to success.
Hoping for a better future: The money raised at Relay for Life will go toward finding a cure for cancer.
Team Walk: PPCHS seniors Annette Marin, Jessi Rowe, Justin Martinez and Fabiola Moleiro proudly hold the Team PPCHS banner.
Survivor Lap: Pembroke Pines cancer survivors, including junior Pilar Sanchez, take their first lap together to kick off the event. Photos by: Carli Stander
Clubs&Electives
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Another lap for Autism at PPCHS Tyra Green Staff Writer
Red, green, yellow and blue cut-out puzzle pieces decorated the gates of the football stadium on Saturday morning, March 8th, 2014. The words “Autism Speaks” aligned the fence and as the track opened at 8am, PPCHS’s second walk for Autism began. The puzzle piece symbol, created in 1963 by a national Autism organization, represents the children who have Autism complexity of fitting into society. The disorder affects 1 and 88 children and is a deep and emotional cause that hits home for the PPCHS. Senior and SGA member Samantha Pernas felt like it was her duty to help spread awareness for Autism and help raise money for the cause. “I have two cousins with Autism so I wanted to help do something that helped children like them,” said Pernas. With the approval of administration
and the help of the Student Government students, Pernas planned an eventful fundraiser for Autism. The walk was opened to all charter campuses and even other Broward County schools. In the end the proceeds were donated to the Autism Speaks Foundation. Autism Speaks is an autism advocacy organization in the US that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities. Tickets were sold throughout school a week before the event for just $2. “My goal was to raise $300 to donate to the Autism Speaks organization. We fell short $16 but I’m still very thankful and happy that we can raise even just a little money for Autism,” said Pernas. Senior Arturo Cortes woke up early to attend the walk and showed his undivided attention and support for the cause by wearing a blue t-shirt with the words “I support Autism,
Walk for Autism 2014.” Not only did Arturo rep a shirt with inspiring words but he was also one of many Autism walk attendees who wore the puzzle ribbon. According to Autism-society.org the puzzle pattern reflects mystery and complexity and diversity, “The brightness of the ribbon signals hope — hope that through increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention and appropriate treatments, people with autism will lead fuller, more complete lives.” Throughout the morning more and more supporters showed up and began their march around the track for Autism. Food and drinks were also sold, and all proceeds were also donated to the research organization. “I bought three tickets for this walk. I support the cause of Autism 100%. I love seeing our school so involved with Autism. I missed the first walk during school, but I
made sure I wasn’t going to miss this one,” said Junior Camille Haynes. With loud tunes playing over the speakers illuminating the stadium, hula hoop competitions, sack races and jump rope matches united the atmosphere of the walk. “I hope the support for Autism doesn’t stop here. I’m a senior now but I hope SGA will continue to host this Autism walk for many more years to come,” said Autism Walk coordinator Samantha Pernas. A $2 ticket to walk around a track may seem insignificant but every little deed doesn’t go unnoticed. The donations and support of everyone brings the fight to figure out what causes Autism a little closer. PPCHS joins the hundreds of other families that work hard to contribute to a wonderful foundation like Autism Speaks.
A walk in the stadium: PPCHS supports Autism by holding a Walk for Autism on March 8th, 2014. Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis
Exercising knowledge in the Math Bowl Jake Dreilinger
A group of excited students paraded into Mrs. Guzman’s classroom after school
Thursday, March 13th. Coming off of a terrific pep rally, these students were gearing up for another event, but this was no ordinary event. This was an event that required specific academic skills that would not only test a person’s knowledge, but also their ability to think rapidly. The event is not commonly known to the students at PPCHS. This was the first ever Math Bowl hosted by Mu Alpha Theta. Eight teams of three entered Mrs. Guzman’s classroom at 10:30 am. Each team had to pay ten dollars to participate. After a waiting period of about fifteen minutes, Mu Alpha Theta vice president junior Arvind Iyengar went over the rules to the Math Bowl. The competition would be in bracket style, with four rounds total. Two teams faced each other and the winner moved on.
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For every correct answer, that team would get two points. For every wrong answer, that team would lose a point. Each team would have just twenty seconds to answer the question that was asked by the judges on a portable marker board. Whoever lifted up the board first with the correct response got the points. After ten questions, the round was over and the points would be tallied up. “The Math Bowl is more of a way to promote math than anything else, really,” said Iyengar. “I made the questions for the event. It took me a couple weeks to do so.” Mu Alpha Theta has had a big year. The club started up again in the middle of the school year when Iyengar and senior Aditya Iyer approached Mrs. Guzman about restarting the club. In just a few months, the club went from just a few members to thirty members. The Math Bowl was a way for Mu Alpha Theta to learn about what to
do for next year. the questions that were asked.” “I think this event went very well for its This year’s Math Bowl was a huge sucfirst year,” said club sponsor Mrs. Guzman. cess. Not only did they reach their goals, “We learned a lot about how we are going but they also found a fun way to integrate to run Math Bowl next year. Having eight math to PPCHS. As this year’s Math Bowl teams was our goal and we achieved it.” comes to a close, excitement towards the Throughout the event, many had the opnext Math Bowl is only growing. portunity to flex their math skills and show how truly talented they are in math, but in the end there can only be one winner. After surviving four rounds of intense mathematical knowledge, the team consisting of Kelsey Farenhem, Caroline Cabeza, and Sai Balusu were crowned as the first ever Math Bowl champions. They were each awarded with a ten dollar gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. “I am very happy that we won,” said Math Bowl: The Mu Alpha Theta club here at PPCHS held team captain junior Farenhem. “Being a successful Math Bowl, where students were able to show off in AP Calculus really helped me betheir mathematical skills. Photo donated by: Math Club cause I already had knowledge of all
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The Doctors of Tomorrow finding their path today Mollie Bayer: If you had to name one of your favorite activities, what would it be? Would it be watch-
ing TV, playing sports, or going shopping? How about watching surgeries? With a love for medicine, junior Mollie Bayer loves to shadow surgeons and watch surgeries. Bayer always loved her science classes including AP Bio, which caused her to look closely at a future in the medical field. This love for the sciences drives Mollie to her future, as a doctor and as a woman. Mollie turned her passion into a club by co-founding Jag.Dot. Through the club, students are able to hear from different speakers in medical fields, as well as take trips to visit different hospitals and doctors to shadow them and learn about their work. The club is now helping out a mental health hospital in Haiti by raising funds from a Walk-a-thon and other events. “I wanted to make the club to help out Charter students who were thinking about entering the medical field, but didn’t know where to go. A lot of kids don’t have the means to go out and hear from people in the fields or see their work in real time. Many don’t even know where to go to shadow a doctor, so with Jag.Dot they’ll have the chance to do that,” says Bayer. “As we move on in the club, students will have the change to meet different professionals and shadow them to get a feel for what they do and the profession.” Mollie looks up to people that paved the road for the future like primatologist Jane Goodall and designer Coco Chanel. She finds Goodall’s work with chimpanzees amazing and inspiring, while she admires Chanel’s help in changing the way society looked at women and the way they dress. With inspiration from some of the world’s greatest women, Mollie gives these words to her peers: “I would want to tell all future female doctors ‘you can do it.’ The classes might be hard, but you have to try you’re hardest. Some might say that you’re not smart enough or that you can’t make it because you’re a girl, but those are lies. You are good enough and you have the means to succeed, you just have to power through the negativity,” Bayer says. If Mollie looked into a crystal ball, she’d hope to find that in the future she was happy, finished with medical school, and had earned her doctorate. With hopes to end up working with prosthetics, Mollie has some big dreams. Before she walks on state to get her degree; however, Mollie has some work to do. She’s looking at in-state schools like FSU and UCF and out-ofstate schools, if they’ll offer her scholarships. With a drive to succeed, Mollie is ready to enter the world of medicine. She is hoping to make it in prosthetics and creating a change in the world through her work. Through the Jag. Dot speakers, Mollie is learning how to navigate through the medical field and preparing herself to accomplish big things in the future.
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Looghermine Claude
Deepthi Gangaram: Junior Deepthi Gangaram is on her way to fulfilling her childhood dreams.
Lifestlye Editor
Photo by: Rebecca Gonzales
Photo by: Sydney Silverberg
Photo by: Jonathan Harris
Photo by: Rebecca Gonzales
Photo by: Sydney Silverberg
When she was a little girl, Deepthi wanted a stethoscope so that she could play doctor. Unlike most kids her age, she loves going to checkups at the doctor’s office and seeing all the tools used by her pediatrician. Now she’s looking at becoming a pediatric doctor or surgeon. “I always loved going to the doctor and getting physicals when I was younger,” says Gangaram. “I was interested in how the doctor treated the little kids and helped them get better, which is what initially inspired me to want to enter the medical field.” Deepthi’s involvement in Jag.Dot started when she had a conversation with Mollie Bayer about shadowing and visiting doctors. After pitching the idea to Mr. Bayer, the girls got approval to start the club. They starts recruiting kids from their AP Bio class to join the club, and now they are up to --- members. Later on this year, the club will be hosting a CPR workshop for it’s members, as well as visiting all of the AP Bio classes again to see if they can try to get new members. “My favorite speaker was a guy who I believe is really inspiring. He dropped out of school, and then later on decided to reinvent himself and get back into school. Now he’s out of medical school and works with prosthetics. I thought the story he told was so amazing and different. Not only did he tell the story, he also brought with him a 19 year-old amputee who has a prosthetic limb. With the prosthetic, the teen is now able to do all the things that regular kids do and I find that incredible,” says Gangaram. Deepthi sees many lab coats and stethoscopes in her future. In ten years, Deepthi hopes to be a pediatric associates finished with her doctorates degree. She’s got her sights set high looking at the University of Miami or Johns Hopkins University for medical school. With a plan set in place for future, Deepthi says these words to girl looking to enter the medical field: “Make sure it’s really what you want to do. Many people enter the medical field because of the money or something else, but they don’t realize how much goes into the field. Not only do you need to know science and math, but also you need to be interactive with the patients, and people don’t know that. Deepthi is prepared to work hard to accomplish her dreams. With her dedication to the Jag.Dot club as well as her challenging classes, Deepthi has set the bar high for herself. She also has the words of her favorite female role models behind her.
Women of Science
David Cha-Kim Staff Writer
Lise Meitner Lise Meitner, born in 1878, as an Austrian-born physicist who specialized in radioactivity and nuclear
physics, she was part of the team who discovered nuclear fission, which is the splitting of atoms and atomic particles. Similar to Rosalind Franklin, Meitner was a key example of a woman who wasn’t properly credited for her work and had her scientific achievements overlooked by society. Her male colleague and partner, Otto Hahn, was the only one who was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. Being Jewish, Meitner was affected by World World II and was forced to abandon her home and some of her scientific work in Germany and move to Sweden where she continued and advanced her studies. Although Meitner and Hahn’s work has contributed to atomic weapons coming into existence, Lise never intended for nuclear fission to be used for harmful or violent purposes. Lise is known to be one of the most brilliant minds in history. (NobelPrize.Org)
Marie Curie Marie Skłodowska-Curie was undoubtedly the most influential female figure in the history of science.
Of French descent and born in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, Curie became the first woman to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize, the first woman to win it two different fields, the only woman to win the award in more than one science, and the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. Curie specialized in both physics and chemistry and won the Nobel Peace Prize for both, but she is known around the world for her exemplary work with radioactivity. Her discoveries with radioactivity have forever changed the world and it was her understanding of it that allowed scientists to begin studying atomic structures and using radiation to attack cancer. Her overexposure to radioactive elements is thought to be the reason to a fairly early death at age 66 in 1934. (NobelPrize.org)
Rosalind Franklin Rosalind Franklin, a biophysicist and x-ray crystallographer born in Notting Hill, London in 1920 was one
of the key contributors to our understanding of DNA, RNA, and other molecular structures and their roles in genetics and biology. Franklin serves as a key example for women who accomplished great things but weren’t appropriately recognized until later due to her gender. If it weren’t for the x-ray images of DNA provided by Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick wouldn’t have been unable to come to their conclusions on the structure of DNA. Franklin wasn’t properly credited in their published work until after her death. Watson and Crick went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in 1962, however, Rosalind Franklin had already passed away four years prior at the age of 33, who, like her fellow female scientist Marie Curie, most likely suffered an early death due to an overexposure of radiation. (NobelPrize.org)
Photo by: Matthew Perez
Rachel Carson Born in Springdale, Pennsylvania in 1907, Rachel Carson was one of the most influential American wom-
en ever. A marine biologist and conservationist, she is most well known for her literature which helped the advancement of the worldwide environmental movement. Her 1962 book, Silent Spring, made the world aware of the harm that pesticides were inflicting on our environment and our health. She and a group of scientists realized that they were not only harming mosquitoes and fire ants, but also harming plants, animals, and could even cause potential health problems for people. Carson passed away at age 56 from breast cancer and she never lived to see the influence that her book had on the world. (eiu.edu)
Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock, an American cytogeneticist born in Hartford, Connecticut was known for her wide understanding and discoveries in genetic science. She had been working with cytogenetics, the study of inheritance in relation to the structure and function of chromosomes (dictionary.com), and her theory of genetic transposition throughout the entire 1940’s, but it wasn’t until several years later that she was taken seriously by the rest of the scientific community and recognized for her work. She used corn to show how organisms could willingly turn genes on or off when convenient and was one of the major contributors to our modern understanding of genetics and traits. McClintock won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. (eiu.edu)
Jane Goodall Jane Goodall, born in London, United Kingdom is a British primatologist and ethologist and is widely considered to be the world’s top expert on chimpanzees and other apes. With her years and years of studies with primates, Goodall has opened our eyes to our evolutionary roots and has shown us that they too, can think, have emotions, and are very similar to humans. She completely changed the way we as people view ourselves and made it clear that animals and people aren’t as different as thought before. For her scientific achievements, she was granted the title of United Nations Messenger of Peace. Goodall has also become a public voice speaking out against the mistreatment of primates and is the head of several organizations to find care and homes for the many apes in need. (biography. com)
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Divergent: the next big th Lauren Ramirez Staff Writer
F rom The Hunger Games to Twilight, moviegoers seem to always be looking for the next big hit. Following the popular trend of a strong female lead, the upcoming movie Divergent based on the popular novel by author Veron-
ica Roth is said to take box offices by storm its opening week. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the early indicators are predicting around $65,000,000 first weekend profits for Divergent, putting the upcoming film on the same playing field as the Twilight series. Shailene Woodley, the leading actress in the highly anticipated film, will join the rarified ranks of highly scrutinized young-adult heroines that already includes Emma Watson, Kristen Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence. According to mtv.com, Woodley said, “She was kind enough — I asked her how she felt about starring in a popular film like the Hunger Games, or in my case Divergent, she said ‘You'd be a fool not to take it. Just, like, live your life and have fun.' Yeah, hearing that from her was really grounding and sort of made the decision so much easier because I do respect her and her choices”, in reference to the popular Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence. Woodley has had previous acting experience starring in the hit ABC Family TV show The Secret Life of the American Teenager and co-starring alongside George Clooney in the 2011 film The Descendants, but taking on a role like this is a first for the rising new actress. An article on the pop-culture gossip website vulture.com announces the beginning of “The Shailene Woodley Era”, calling her a trend expected to become wildly popular and ultimately die down again into the graveyard of has- been stars. “I think Shailene Woodley has the potential to be the next Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Watson”, says sophomore Sasha Sarran, “Not only is she starring in Divergent, I also heard she is going to be in the movie The Fault in Our Stars (based on the bestselling novel by John Green) which seems to be really popular with teens now.” ‘Divergent’ makes its debut on March 21, 2014. If the popularity of the novel counts towards anything, success is certain for the upcoming film. Divergent projected book sales are on target to hit the sale numbers of “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games”, standards most authors and publishers can only dream of reaching. Expectations are high both for the film and rising new star Shailene Woodley, the film is sure not to disappoint.
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No Oscars for DiCaprio?
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Hayley Hartwell Staff Writer
F rom Titanic to Romeo and Juliet to The Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo Dicaprio has
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made an impact on the film viewing society, so why can’t he win an Oscar? This past Academy Awards show, or the Oscars, DiCaprio was a double nominee for his work on The Wolf of Wall Street and The Great Gatsby, but was beaten again, this time by first time Oscar nominee Matthew McConaughey for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. In my opinion, Leonardo Dicaprio should have taken home an Oscar for any one of his star performances. He has been nominated five times including his first nomination coming in 1994 for Best Supporting Actor in What’s Eating Gilberts Grape. Although the films he has been a part of as a lead role have won, it has been the director that took home the award not the actors. The role that made Leonardo DiCaprio famous was Jack Dawson in Titanic. He didn’t happen to receive a nomination for this movie which appalled most fans of the movie. “When I saw the Titanic for the first time it was such a great movie, that I was shocked that DiCaprio wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar. It’s so surprising that he has never won an Oscar when most people thought this would be his year to win, since he has two nominations,” said Houda Baajour (’16). Some great actors have not been recognized by winning numerous awards, but they still remain as crowd pleasers in every film they take part in. Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise are some of the actors that have never won an Oscar. Hopefully, they can come out with new movies that will put them in the running again. Leonardo DiCaprio is an overall great guy, he does charity work supporting 19 charities. Some of the charities that he constantly donates to are Reef Check Foundation, Feeding America and SOS Children’s Villages. While filming his movie Blood Diamond he took a trip to Maputo, Mozambique working with 24 orphaned children part of the charity SOS Children’s Villages. Along with supporting the Reef Check Foundation DiCaprio is the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors. Someone who participates in so much charity work and is still an outstanding actor truly deserves to take home an Oscar. Winning an Oscar is an extraordinary achievement in any filmmaking career. The group that votes on the win-
ners is called “The Academy”, there is over 6,000 filmmaking professionals associated with this group. To be in the running to win an Oscar your film must meet these requirements from Entertainment.howstuffworks.com: It must be more than 40 minutes long. It has to have a public premiere, must have been in a movie theater, during the appropriate calendar year, it must have premiered in 35mm or 70mm film format or in 24-frame, progressive scan digital format, and lastly it must have played in an L.A. County theater, for paid admission, for seven consecutive days, beginning in the appropriate calendar year. With five choices in each category, PricewaterhouseCoopers then tallies the votes in secrecy down to the winner and is revealed on the big night. With DiCaprio meeting all these requirements, it’s a must that DiCaprio takes home an Oscar for one of his upcoming movies, because he truly deserves the honor.
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Entertainment
Fame: The name of the ga Shakayla Lee Staff Writer
T he definition of being a celebrity, or living in the limelight, in previous generations was once more concrete. Being famous generally resulted from being a singer, actor, or politician few rare cases of spontaneous popularity, like the Kardashians. However, in 2014 popularity went from strictly Hollywood to mostly internet. Countless opportunities lie within the de
the average person an outlet to put themselves out there to be heard, seen, and known. Whether it be through make-up tutorials, a perfectly composed picture on Instagram, or even a we Vine that made millions laugh- the public now has the chance to wear the gold star of internet fandom On Instagram, it is commonly known that the best lighting, outfit, and pose is all to attain one thing- likes. The art of liking, reblogging, and favoriting have become a virtual gold m users, and an aspect to the internet that teens yearn for. With one double tap, it’s as if one has reassured the individual that their post was worth the liker’s affirmation. With a beginner likes, those who hit the thousands are considered “Instamous”. Confirmed by the infamous blue check by their name, this “certification” shows the world that you are in fact someone sense, famous. Who would have thought that with the flick of a finger and a noteworthy post, an ordinary person can be put on a pedestal among real celebrities that have worked their ladder? Among the millions of well-known faces and names that have graced Instagrams feeds this year, India Love Westbrooks, otherwise known as India Love, has made it big throug starting at the age of fourteen India started posting a few pictures on Tumblr, a blog-like social media outlet, and instagram, and jumping to 2014 she has become a modeling sensation. tal Westbrooks used social media to gain fans nationwide, and has even gained connections with stars like, rapper, Tyga and even Chris Brown. Signed to the modeling agencies Sore Westbrooks has a few posts and loving fans to thank for her bright future ahead. “Really, fame is your name being a household name, not your "@name". It makes ugly people think their pretty, and now it’s so much easier to be famous. You don't even have to be any to be known,” stated junior Leon Morgon. Viral sensations can happen overnight, whether intended or not. Through mediums such as Twitters video application, ‘Vine’, and even the old age site: ‘Youtube’, millions of people pictures and have set their comical posts into action. Vine however, launched in January 2013 and has become the threshold for the true meaning of ones “fifteen minutes of fame”, With one tap, the videos created on smartphones and tablets record, and clips -that cannot be imported, edited, or deleted- are made. Believe it or not, the small window of time given to opened a huge door of opportunity for those who go above and beyond the standard clip. The select group who have jumped onto Vine's success has landed in life changing situations talk shows, working with brands on advertisements, and even picking up jobs at comedy writing gigs” (mashable.com). Following in the steps of twitter and instagram, Vine has even e of Viners to be “Vine Verified”, giving those able to achieve its highest accolade- the reappearing and ever popular blue check. In a slightly different realm, Youtube has been the outlet to create stars for years. From King Russell, better known as ‘It’sKingsleyB****’, or Jenna Mourey, a.k.a Jenna Marbles sensations have accumulated a net worth of over $2.5 million dollars from the success of their channels (celebritynetworth.com). Even one of the most well-known pop singers in the w benefited from the social media outlet. Commonly known as YouTube’s first superstar, by posting videos Bieber got his big break - contrary to a stars typical fight for fame. Despite social media’s surprisingly positive outlook and effect on the growing popularity of online fame, the controversial subject draws on much debate. The question of if those wh get paid for posting a rant on the Internet have acquired enough fame to earn their spot among Hollywood elites spurs the question: Does being famous even really make you famous a As the debate continues, junior Abigail Forbes speaks volumes for many when taking a negative stance on the issue stating, “Fame doesn't really have a true meaning anymore, since now. All you have to do is just do something outrageous that people will find interesting for a couple seconds and... That’s it”. Reflecting on social media’s impact she went on to say, part in fame evolving and becoming more superficial due to the fact that we idolize people who are entertaining, not necessarily talented. In my eyes, the only benefit is that people ha although there has been an undeniable decrease in the quality of the entertainment business”. The time has come when the Internet has given fame a new meaning, and in a sudden change of events fans nationwide have become the superstars we seek. In the eyes of millions na watching the lives of “celebrities” on TV just doesn't seem to be enough. As teens seem to be turning off their flat screens nationwide, and running to their phones brightly lit with ap Youtube, Vine, Instagram, and Twitter, it is clear that the name and game of what it takes to be famous has changed.
Book Review: Virtuosity Jerika De Armas Book Club Member
V irtuosity by Jessica Martinez is one of the most phenomenal and inspiring books that I have ever read. I was able to glimpse into Carmen’s life, through her perspective, as a young professional violinist who strives to win the upcoming Guarneri competition while coping with stress pills. As the competition becomes fierce and almost unbeatable for Carmen, her stress levels become vital and she is later influenced into overdosing. Overdosing on pills, even if they are considered harmless, is a serious issue that promotes chemical imbalance of the body. Carmen experienced nausea when she qualified to perform in one of her violinist acts that would determine her entry in the
semifinals; fortunately she was able to perform sive vomiting) by using her pent-up anger to h For Carmen it was difficult to quit taking ant because she felt that she hadn’t practiced enou good enough to be in the semifinals in the co grew even more worried as she attended practic competitors and noticed how serious they appe and how they played better than her. I liked how Carmen finally had the courage to her life once she realized she was the puppet be by strings. My favorite part in the entire book w oping romance between Carmen and her comp Even though they are competing against one an and Jeremy tried to act like normal teenagers
Cartoon by: Carmen Pettersen
Oscars 2014: Pizza, pictures, and popular prizes Nicholas Rivera Staff Writer
O n Sunday, March 2nd, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 86th Academy Awards. In her second time around, however, she made it her goal to change it up. With stunts that astonished unplanned, yet memorable moments, DeGeneres was able to make this one of the most watched Oscars since 2000 with 43.7 million viewers (ChicagoTribune.com), when Billy Crysta
To begin the show, Ellen prepared a monologue. The monologue included laughs, heart-felt moments, and a quick look as to what was to come later. The monologue was the perfect w become to be a night of surprises. A while into the show, in an attempt to be a great host, DeGeneres decided that she wanted to feed her audience. She surprised the crowd by orderi from Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria. Both the audience at home and in the theater alike were surprised but none were as startled as the delivery man Edgar Martirosyan, who is the own from being broadcasted to over 40 million people, Martirosyan also received a generous tip one thousand dollars and lip balm, after DeGeneres passed around Pharrell Williams’ hat collect tips. The HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm which came from Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) was sold out online shortly after the show and has since been so it was re-stocked (VanityFair.com). “I thought the pizza delivery was funny. I didn’t really believe that she was going through with it but then she brought out the delivery guy. I was surprised at the small about of boxe but it was still a generous thing to do nonetheless,” says sophomore Arielle Cuevas. The record breaker of the night, however, was the now world famous “selfie” taken by Bradley Cooper which is now known as the most retweeted picture ever with over 3 million retw million likes (@TheEllenShow) as of March 11th. It quickly surpassed the previous record holder by President Barack Obama after his re-election in 2012. The picture included many fam host DeGeneres, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep, as well as an unfamiliar face, brother of Lupita Nyong’o 20 year old Peter Nyong’o. Peter who went as Lupita’s date to the show the talk of the internet after he “photo-bombed” the most retweeted selfie. Lupita’s brother not only was able to participate in the star-packed selfie but also seemed to be on a mission t many other stars as he could including Benedict Cumberbatch and John Travolta. “I love Ellen DeGeneres and she is awesome. In my opinion, she put on a really great show that is worthy of commending. I really thought the selfie was cool even though it was only a It was nice to see all of the stars genuinely smiling and the people like Jared Leto made me laugh when they did all that they could to get in the picture. I wish I had been a part of it, m nifer Lawrence,” says Junior Isadora Zuidema. The 86th Academy Awards had many unusual feats that made it one of the most watched Oscars in 14 years. The show began with a deep monologue and entertained throughout the nig world record with the most retweeted selfie. Next year’s Oscars will have a lot to live up to.
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Entertainment
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build up on their friendship/romance—they ultimately proved that it is possible to maintain a stable friendship with your rival. To be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing in the book, it was just too enrapturing. All in all, I would rate this book four out of five stars. The novel was very enthralling and suspenseful as I hoped for Carmen to reshape her life the way she wants to live it instead of someone else controlling her. I would definitely recommend this book to all who love reading teen fiction and to those who believe in redemption and second chances.
hose watching to some l hosted. y to set up what would ng three boxes of pizza r of the Pizzeria. Aside from the Grammy’s to d out nearly each time for such a big theater,
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Technology
16
How to back-up your hard drive and why you should David Cha-Kim Staff Writer
Recovery: After backing up your hard drive you can get your files back if you lose the files on your computer. Photo by: Jonathan Harris
So much of daily life relies on and is based around the use of computers. Today,
computers are a bigger part of our lives than ever before as we communicate, shop, work, and play using them. They have replaced encyclopedias, the radio, and even the mailman. They have become journals for writing, albums for photos, and have even become digital canvases for art. But even with these advances in modern technology, computers make mistakes, contract viruses, and they and your precious files can become lost or corrupted. All Windows, Macintosh, and Linux users who value the content on their computer should take the few minutes that it takes to back up their hard drives and protect all of the important information and files found on their computers. What exactly is a hard drive? The hard drive is the component of the computer that stores data. Everything that has the
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capability to store data (including but not limited to computers, tablets, smartphones, cell phones, etc.) has and needs a hard drive that stores its operating system, software, programs and user information. There are internal hard drives located within the computer/device and optional external devices located on the outside that are sold separately. What is a hard drive backup? Backing up your hard drive is plain and simply making an electronic copy of the data on your computer and storing that copy in a safe place in case the original is lost. Why should I backup my hard drive? Backing up your drive should be one of the main priorities for all personal computer users. The entire process can easily be done in a matter of minutes and you won’t ever have to be concerned about losing anything on your computer that you find important. Internal hard drives are always exposed to risks like contracting viruses
from the internet, harmful and malicious software, power surges, etc. and backing your data up protects the copy of the data from all of these dangers. If you backup your data regularly, even if something happens to the original, you will still be able to recover most of it. How and where do I backup my hard drive? There are several methods of going about backing up your hard drive and the majority of them are relatively simple, free and can easily be done by anyone. Even the most technologically inept people can do it in a matter of minutes and it will save you from the headaches that could come from the loss of your files. One of the more popular and practical ways of backing up is the use of online storage services like Google Drive, iCloud, and SkyDrive. Most of these services are free and make your data easy to access from different devices all over the world while also keeping them secure. The other main option would be to purchase an external drive to store your data. You could even purchase a flash drive USB with a high enough memory capacity
to carry a respective amount of data. As of the actual transformation to the external hard drive or USB, there are several programs like Apple’s Time Machine that are built into computers that provide the user with an easy method to safely transfer their data. What can I backup and what should I backup? What you choose to back up is entirely your choice. Some people only select a few things that they feel are exceptionally important to carry over while others just copy the entire hard drive disk. However, you aren’t limited to what you can copy. You can back-up pretty much any sort of data that is stored on your computer. This includes all sorts of files, documents, presentations, spreadsheets, music, videos, games, applications, phone contacts, eBooks, etc. Anything that is stored on your computer as data can be stored in the backup copy and your only restriction is how much you can store based on how much space your service is providing or how much space the external drive you purchased is capable of storing.
Hard drive: Backing up your hard drive is crucial to protecting your files. Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez
Technology
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Talking Tech @ the Library Maria Bozo Managing Editor - Web
T
een Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and is targeted at teens, their parents, educators and other adults. The purpose of Teen Tech Week is to ensure that teens are skilled and principled users of digital media. Teen Tech Week will be held March 9-15, 2014 and will be celebrated with a theme of "DIY @ your library." Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' non-print resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library. “I am very excited for library tech week. I am hoping to incorporate the tech week into a book club meeting. Technology surrounds us in the 21st century and it’s great
3D Printing: Students are excited to start creating amazing things with the new 3D printer at the library.Photo by: Jonathan Harris
March 6-13 - Alvin Sherman Library at Nova Southeastern University (during library hours) Teen Photo Exhibit featuring works from students of Nova Southeastern University’s School of Digital Arts. March 6 - Northwest Regional Library (4 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Apps Class for iPad. (Class is limited to 6 participants). March 6, 13, 20, 27 - North Regional/Broward College E-Reader Open House.
March 20 - Northwest Regional Library (4 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Zinio only for IOS devices (Class is limited to 6 participants). “I didn’t know much about Teen Tech Week but now that I have more informa-
New Technology: This monitor with games is giving students a whole new form of entertainment at the library. Photo by: Jonathan Harris
Graphic by: Matthew Perez
for the library to offer us such innovative technology such as 3D printing,” says sophomore Taylor Horan. Upcoming Teen Tech Week Events at Broward County Library are as follows: March 4 – Lauder Lakes Library (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Teen Tech Tuesday: Learn the basics of music conversion and manipulation and how to DJ. March 1, 6, 13 - Imperial Point Library (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.) Digital Downloads. Learn how to download books, magazines, music and movies. Attendees must have basic operating knowledge of their devices.
to 5:30 p.m.) Celebrating technology for teens at our library: A texting competition. March 12 - Northwest Regional Library (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.) Teen Computer Jewelry Program, grades 6-12.
March 7 - Galt Ocean Mile Reading Center (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.) Digital Photography: Using the Picasa Digital Photo Software. March 8 -North Regional/Broward College Library (12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.) DIY (Do it yourself) @Your Library. March 10 - Northwest Regional Library (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)Teen Flipagram Contest, grades 6-12. March 10 - Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library (5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) Learn to be a DJ with the Virtual DJ LE Beamz Edition and the Beamz by Flo Unit. March 11 - Hollywood Library (3:30 p.m.
March 12 - Main Library (4:30 to 5:30 p.m.) Do It Yourself @ Your Library. March 13 - Alvin Sherman Library at Nova Southeastern University (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) Teen Photography Workshop, ages 13-18. Call 965-262-5477 to register. March 13, 27 - Northwest Regional Library (4 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Download free eBooks. March 15 - Tamarac Library (2 to 3 p.m.) Wii Games, Snacks & Fun for ages 11-17. March 10 - Pompano Beach Library (6:30 to 7:30 p.m.) Magazines for Your Tablet/ PC Using Zinio.
tion on it, I think I will make sure I attend,” said sophomore Saman Govaria. Teen Tech Week is a great way for students to be exposed to new technology in a new way. PPCHS encourages its students to participate in the events and looks forward to the return of Teen Tech Week year after year. In past years, the events have been nothing short of a success. This year, nothing less is expected. Make sure to clear a space in your schedule for this year’s Teen Tech Week.
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Sports could use some spare change Troy Bottom
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Sports Editor
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ust imagine Michael Jordan, running down a shimmering wood court and get floated a soccer ball in which he snatches from the heavens and slams it down through a worn peach basket. Some exciting stuff huh? Nothing like scoring a literal basket and getting a few splinters in the process. There’s a reason basketball players can dribble down a court and there’s a reason field goal posts are placed at the end line instead of right smack dab in the end zone. I’m sure Charles Darwin would agree Evolution is not just fascinating, but a necessity. If the four major sports all depend on fan interaction, why would you promote the sport with dull three hour games? If you say tradition, then why not strip NFL players of their helmets and slap some leather gear on their heads like the old days and call it a day. Tradition is important to remember in the sense that everything and everyone should recognize their roots and where they came from. But that being said, without change we can never improve and adapt to what this generations expects and wants from their sports. The first change that has already been adopted by the MLB is the implantation of instant replay and challenges. In my mind this is a clear no brainer, and is rule that Major League Baseball should’ve issued much sooner. In a nutshell, managers are given one challenge a game to question a call made by an umpire. The first challenge called occurred a few weeks ago by Cubs manager Rick Renteria in a spring training game and ultimately was ruled unsuccessful. The crowd was static, buzzing about the call through the 2 minutes and 31 seconds that it took to review the call. With this new format, the game of baseball now enters the 21st century and has welcomed the use of technology into the sport founded in old torn up sandlots decades ago. Over the past couple years, fans have been livid over calls made by umpires that couldn’t be changed, even though video evidence showed clear cut evidence that the umpire was wrong. We are too advanced of a society to allow human error to tarnish the multi-million dollar industry of the MLB and more importantly to erase the efforts of the hundreds of hard working players who sacrifice so much to win. Look you can keep your tradition and sing take me out to the ball game but when something is obviously is wrong and needs fixing, fix it. I’m glad the MLB took this step but I still think it should have come sooner, along with many others including Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga… The next major discussion is on the gridiron and pertains to the current extra point system. The practically automatic extra point kicked from the 2 ½ yard line after every touchdown has raised some questions about its place in the game. According to SI.com,
the kick is good 99.7 % of the time, which means, according to Discovery.com, you actually have a .2% higher chance of being struck by lightning than an NFL kicker missing and PAT. It’s the most boring part of football, and has become a time where fans use the restrooms or get a snack before the real action resumes. Many proposals have been made such as pushing it back to the 42 yard line, which requires so skill and actual effort. These guys are paid millions of dollars to kick a ball, the least they can do is actually attempt a kick that we know presents a challenge and not one that the neighborhood 10 year old can make. Old timers such as Marty Schottenheimer have openly rejected the proposal, simply because it strays from tradition; coming from the man who first opposed challenges yet called dozens in his career as a head coach. Like our mothers used to tell us when trying to convince us to try something new, yes it may be strange at first, but you have to try something new. With the most fans in the United States, the NFL depends on fans more than ever and with this new rule change can create another element to the game that will have spectators clammy handed and on the edge of their seats. The final change that has already been made is the head contact in both hockey and football. The once prideful and toothless hard hitting football and hockey players have now been silenced by recent efforts to significantly minimize head to head contact. No more targeting for the head, no more players face down motionless and hopefully no more life threatening consequences. After millions of dollars in medical research studying concussions and the long term effect on the brain, doctors have concluded that Lou Gehrig’s disease is a product of constant blows to the head. When it comes to this rule change, it is not for fan excitement but in fact actually takes away from it. More importantly it is about the safety of our nation’s premiere athletes and an effort that will hopefully have more professional superstars living into their 70’s and 80’s healthy, instead of in declining health in their early 40’s. Targeting is the term used to describe the act of intentionally going for another players head, which is now cause for ejection in addition to further suspension. This was a must for both leagues if we wanted to continue to see the world’s top athletes preform at the grand stage, but more importantly save lives. I’m not asking for a complete restructure of a sport, but a subtle change can add a twist and add more excitement to the game. Look at how far we have come from the foundation of our great sports and how beneficial these alterations have become. If they make the game better or save athletes lives, change is not just an option but a must.
Trenton Saunders
Graphic by: Armando Urena Photo by: Peter Dourevtakis
Photo
Alexys
Proof
The life of a student athlete is exhausting to say the least. Daily practices for both school and club sports and endless amounts of homework and studying take a toll on a person. Ho a collegiate student athlete. He brought the Varsity football team to playoffs for the first time in school history and left breaking records in long jump and long jump. However, in a cas
Saunders was never forgotten for all of his accomplishments on and off the field. Now, Sauder’s parents have taken a step to honor their son in the shoes of other student athletes today. criteria that must be met including a 2.0 GPA, 40 documented hours of community service and two letters of recommendation. The letters of recommendation must be from a teache you and your behavior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School.” It must not be more than 500 words and must be typed. The final requirement is that you must have plans on stu While the requirements may seem specific, they are based on the attributes of Trenton Saunders. The candidates for the scholarship must represent both him and his accom money they raise from the “Powder Puff Games” on April 2nd, 2013. This is an event in which girls play flag football while they guys cheer them on. It brings an entertaini “Not only was Trenton a great wide receiver for our team, but he was an overall great person. He was always smiling and being social with everyone. He didn’t cause pr Bruns, who coached Saunders at PPCHS. For more information on the scholarship, you may talk to Mrs. Peacock. All eligible student athletes are encouraged to apply. Not only will you be gaining money toward
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New rules are not the way to go Jake Dreilinger
Managing Editor - Layout News Editor
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grew up in an age where what the referee says goes. In baseball, if the umpire says the pitch was a strike, it was a strike. You could argue all you want, but the umpire will not change the call. In basketball, if the referee calls a foul, it’s a foul. They won’t change the call. The word of the referee was what the game went by. And what the referee went by was the rules of the sport. When I was young, the rules worked and brought sports into the age it’s in now. They have worked in the past and they will work now. Changing the rules changes the game completely. It’s like those in charge are trying to suck the fun out of playing any sport. None of the changes that are being presented are necessary. Some are just pointless. For example, the NFL is trying to move the extra to the 20 yard line to make the extra point that much harder. If a team scores, they should be allowed to get an easy extra point, and, when a team needs two extra points to be in the game, it should be easy for that team to get it. It adds to the drama, to the suspense that only the end of a close game can present. Moving the extra point to the 20 yard line takes away that much deserved seventh point. To prove that this is not just a rumor, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has implanted this change of rule into all the pre-season games to see how well it can be integrated into play. Goodell also proposed a few more “little changes” in the rules of the NFL. Players will now receive penalties for dunking the ball over the goalpost, like how 49er’s tight end Vernon Davis and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham celebrate a touchdown. This penalty change sucks away some of the fun that comes with celebrating a touchdown. But that will not stop players from still doing it. Graham tweeted out on Twitter, “I guess I’ll have to lead the NFL in penalties next year!” The NFL is not the only team that has implemented major changes in gameplay. The MLB has introduced a new rule that will change how the game will be played. Before, reviews could only be used to determine if a home-run was indeed a home-run. But now, if a manager believes that the call the umpire makes is wrong, he can challenge it with the only challenge he has. But if he is wrong, he loses the challenge. The fact that baseball, the sport that is the embodiment of the principle of what the umpire says goes, now has the ability to reverse the calls of the umpire. Nearly four years ago, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game when he was robbed by a terrible call made by the first base umpire. It was a throw from first baseman Miguel Cabrera to Galarraga, who was covering first base for Cabrera. Replays clearly show that the runner was out at first and Galarraga would have joined an elite club of perfect game
pitchers. But, what the umpire says goes. This isn’t the first time the umpire made a bad call and it would not be the last. Eventually, everyone got over it. Some may even argue that Galarraga got more fame as the pitcher who was robbed of a perfect game, all because the umpire made a bad call. That situation worked out then, and without the use of instant replays, situations like that will continue to work in the future. In college football, a major rule change that was being proposed was the rule stating that the offense cannot snap the ball ten seconds after the ball is dead. This is supposed to give the defense enough time to substitute players without getting a penalty for too many players on the field. This rule change would completely change the way a certain part of the game is played. This takes away a fast paced offense who snaps the ball quickly to surprise the defense. It also takes away the fast paced offense at the end of the game when a team needs to score before time runs out. This rule brings nothing but harm to the game and the fans. Another important rule change added to both hockey and football. It is an automatic ejection if a defensive player aims for another players head. This rule is designed to lower the amount of concussions and other head related injuries. The penalty, though, is too harsh. Accidental hits to the head could be viewed as aiming for the head and results in an ejection. Games could completely change momentum with the ejection of a star player. It completely throws the game off and harms the team who the penalty is against. These hits rarely occur, but from time to time a player gets hit in the head, which stipulates discussions for a safety rule. But just because a player gets hits hard does not mean that he won’t get back up. Rules like this completely affect the game, whether it’s beneficial or not, and should not be implemented into the rules of sports. The offseason talks of bringing in new rules into sports should not be integrated into the rules of the games. The rules that stand have worked before and will continue working in the future. There is no need to change what already works. I’m not saying that rules aren’t necessary and that some rules are not the most logical rules in the book, but no rules like the one proposed needs to be placed within the sports world. I’m all for the integration of rules that fix current controversial rules, but not rules that suck the fun out of watching and playing any sport.
s’ legacy lives on
donated by:
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FoxMar Photography
Photo donated by: Yearbook Staff
Nowak
Photo by: Alex Monge
f-Reader
owever, the athletes at PPCHS have exemplified that it can in fact be done. Alumnus Trenton Saunders was one example of someone who was well on their way to a successful future as se of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Saunders passed away in a car accident on August 26th, 2013. A classmate, teammate, student and son were lost on this tragic day, but They have created the “Trenton Saunders” scholarship that is available to Varsity football or track players, since those are the sports Trenton participated in. This $1,500 scholarship has er and a coach. There is also an essay that must be written according to the following prompt: “Describe how the characteristics of empathy, integrity and citizenship are reflected in udying sports medicine or engineering. mplishments. The applications are due on April 11th to Mrs. Peacock’s room and will be reviewed by a panel. In order to fund the scholarship, PPCHS is donating part of the ing way to raise money for SOS while also supporting the Trenton Saunders scholarship. roblems in the classroom and he got his job done on the field. I’m glad that he is being honored in a way that allows student athletes to pursue their dreams,” said Coach
ds your college education, but you will be representing a person who gave PPCHS something to brag about.
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Connecticut Surv Brett Alayon Staff Writer
ne billion dollars. To receive this sort of money, one must fill out an absolute perfect NCAA basketball tournament bracket to the ESPN Tournament Challenge. With over eleven million brackets submitted to espn. com, someone is bound to achieve perfection, right? Wrong. According to espn.com, there are over nine quintillion ways to create an NCAA tournament bracket, making the odds of filling out a perfect bracket nearly impossible. The stage was set on March 18th as a couple of first round teams were looking to guarantee a spot in the official 64 slots. From there on out, essentially nothing could be predicted, unless you were the Connecticut Huskies. Before the second round of March Madness came a miraculous close, not one single bracket submitted to the tournament challenge remained picture-perfect. Two teams in Mercer and Dayton have plenty to do with this. In the strong Midwest region, the Duke Blue Devils took on the Mercer Bears in the second round of the tournament as freshman star Jabari Parker was seeking to make a run at title before he declares for the NBA draft in June. Mercer, a team from the relatively weak Atlantic Sun Conference was given no shot to beat the Blue Devils, according to the brackets submitted online. And that’s exactly how they wanted it to be. With a final score of 78-71, Duke had officially been eliminated and had “busted” millions of brackets across the globe. Mercer’s run ended in the following round to Tennessee, but the Bears proved just in that one game, how unpredictable the Madness can really be. About 99 percent of the brackets submitted to espn. com, more likely than not, could not name a single soul on the Dayton Flyers. As an 11-seed, Dayton took on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round as the Flyers escaped with a one-point victory to end senior guard Aaron Craft’s career as a Buckeye. Their Cinderella run wouldn’t end their as Dayton won yet another nail-biter against the Syracuse Orange, a team that began the season 24-0, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In their next matchup against the Stanford Cardinal, Dayton won in a much easier fashion to set up a date with the number one overall seed in the Florida Gators in the Elite Eight for the South Region. Both teams had so much to play for; however, Florida’s pure talent led them to a 62-52 win and a final four ticket for the first time since their Championship seasons in 2006 and 2007. In the East Region, Michigan State, as a four seed was the favorite to come out and do business with much experience in the frontcourt and backcourt and a veteran coach Tom Izzo. After taking down number one seed Virginia (ACC Champions) in the sweet sixteen, it set the stage for an Elite Eight game featuring an unlikely team in the Connecticut Huskies. With a final score of
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60-54 in one of the tournament’s best game to offer this year, UCONN went dancing to the final four, seeking their fourth title since 1999. The West Region came with few shocks as the top seeds went head-to-head in the Elite Eight as the Wisconsin Badgers win by the skin of their teeth against the Arizona Wildcats. The West Region featured Creighton, a team eliminated by Baylor in the 3rd round, which had by far the best player in all of college basketball, senior Doug McDermott who won the John R. Wooden Award for the men's player of the year. Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats has been criticized for years due to his apparent lack of coaching as many believe his success had resulted from the player’s raw talent on the court. Boy, did he silence those critics this time around. With his whole starting five consisting of only freshman, Calipari had a tough tournament ahead of him, but he was confident in his abilities and his players that they can win this thing. Kentucky had a number of improbable wins against Wichita State, a team who was a perfect 34-0 before falling to the Cats, Louisville, the reigning national champions, and Michigan, the reigning runner-ups which featured Big Ten player of the year Nick Stauskas. Now, the final four was officially set: Florida vs. UConn and Wisconsin vs. Kentucky in the Cowboys Stadium to take all the glory in front of the largest crowd for and NCAA basketball game ever at just under 80,000 in attendance. In the first game on April 5th, the Flroida Gators let Connecticut Huskies slip away early and were never able to fully regain ground as seniors Scottie Wilbekin and Patrick Young played their final game on that night. Head coach Billy Donovan and his team was ranked number for the last half of the season and was the mostpicked team to win it all before the tournament started, according to espn.com. Following this game, the Kentucky Wildcats took the floor, ready to battle senior star Frank Kaminsky and the Wisconsin Badgers. Under ten ticks to go, freshman Aaron Harrison of Kentucky hit a go-ahead three-pointer to once again lift the cats to yet another wild win. Harrison hit the game winning shot for Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four game. Two different teams, same goal: to hold that trophy on the eve of April 7th. The Connecticut Huskies got a comfortable lead early on; however, the Kentucky Wildcats clawed their way back. In the end, senior Shabazz Napier and the Huskies were too much for the young and inexperienced Wildcats. With a final score of 6054, the tournament was officially over and the Connecticut Huskies were on top. Very few had UConn coming out on top. Then again, very few had any games picked right. Until next year March Madness, you were great to college basketball fans, once again.
vives the Madness
Sports
Photo by: Peter Dourevtakis
Photo by: Alex Monge
Graphic by: Matthew Perez
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PPCHS’ declassified s Baske
Jake Dreil
All photos by: Alex Monge
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Managing Editor News Edit
ports survival guide: etball
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ouls: Fouls fall under four categories: personal, team, flagrant, and technical. A personal foul is the most common type of foul. A personal foul is anything from reach-ins to charges to contact on a shot. If the foul was committed during a shot, the person that was fouled gets to shoot twice. If the player is fouled and the player’s shot goes in, the player gets to shoot once. Each player is allowed six fouls before they are no longer able to play in the game. If a team foul is committed by the offense, it results in a turnover. If committed by the defense, the ball remains with the offensive, but they must pass it in from the out-of-bounds sideline area. If seven team fouls are given to one team in one quarter, the other team gets shoots free throws. A flagrant foul is given if there is any contact made by a player without going for the ball that is unnecessary. There are two forms of a flagrant foul that can be given by the refere. The first flagrant foul most commonly applies to if a player gets elbowed in the face accidently by the offensive player with the ball. This does not result in an ejection, but it does result in two foul shots and the ball. Flagrant two fouls are given if a player intentionally elbows another player in the face, or anything that extreme. This flagrant foul results in an automatic ejection from the game, along with two foul shots and the ball. Technical fouls are given by the referee when there is unsportsmanlike conduct.
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hooting: The ball can be shot a variety of ways. One of the most common ways to shoot the ball is the jump shot, where a player shoots the ball in between the three point arc and the paint, which is the colored region from under the basket to the foul line. A jump shot will get the team that scored two points. Another way to shoot the ball is the three point shot, which is any shot from beyond the three point arc. This includes shots from half court and full court. A three point shot gives three points. There is the option of performing a lay-up, which is where the player runs toward the basket, takes two steps, and bank the ball off of the backboard into the basket. The player can also dunk the ball, which is where the player runs to the basket and slams the ball into the basket. Both the lay-up and the dunk give two points.
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ameplay: Each team has five players on the court. At the start of the game, the centers, who are usually the tallest people on the court, stand at half court waiting for the referee to throw the ball in the air above the half court line. Once the ball is in air, the centers bat the ball back to their teammates. Every time a player moves, they must be dribbling the ball. Once they stop dribbling, the player can no longer move. This player now has only two options: pass or shoot the ball. The player can only start dribbling again if the ball gets knocked out of his hand by the defender or he passes the ball and gets the ball back from a teammate. If a player is fouled, he gets to shoot two free throws, which count as one point each. There are four quarters total, each at twelve minutes. Half time is after the first twenty-four minutes. Coaches can talk to their teams for fifteen minutes.
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ositions: There are five positions that players can play as. First is the point guard. The point guard is responsible for starting up plays and bringing the ball across the court. Point guards are usually the smallest guys on the court. Every team needs outside shooters that can hit some shots, so that’s where the shooting guards come in. Shooting guards usually stand around the three point arc and can make jump shots with ease. Next is the small forward. Small forward usually has athletic ability that lets them hit outside shots and shots from closer range. The opposite of the small forward is the power forward. Power forwards are big and bulky. They can hit close range shots and get rebounds with ease. The team’s inside scorer is the center. They are usually the tallest players on the court and can present a dominate force near the basket.
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ubstitutions: In basketball, there can only be five players on the court at one time. When a coach wants to send another player into the game to replace someone, they must either wait until there is a stoppage of play or call timeout. When a player is chosen to be substituted into the game, they must walk to the scorer’s table out-of-bounds at half court. Up to five players can be substituted into the game at one time. There are unlimited substitutions, but players who are fouled out or disqualified cannot be substituted back into the game.
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opularity: 4th in United States Playing Surface: A highly polished wooden surface 94 feet by 50 feet with baskets always 10 feet above the floor Players’ Equipment: Basketball shoes, optional elbow/ leg sleves, optional head bands, proper basketball clothes Duration of game: 4 twelve minute quaters with a 16-18 minute halftime at the end of the first half.
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oaching: A good coach knows how to win and knows how to get his team to win. Coaches are in charge of getting the team ready to play in games, and controlling their teams during games. Coaches make substitutions, call timeouts, and rally their team. Without a good coach, a team is destined to fail.
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rop of the puck: Each game and period is started with a faceoff, which is where a player from each team line up across from one another and swipe their sticks at the puck once the official drops it. Once a team gathers the puck after a faceoff, they are on offense. Faceoffs also take place after a puck goes out of play and after a penalty.
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opularity: 5th in United States Playing Surface: Ice Hockey Rink 200 feet by 85 feet with a corner radius of 28 feet Skaters Equipment: Helmet, shoulder pads, ice skates, gloves, shin guards, stick Goalie Equipment: Goalie mask, goalie stick, glove, ice skates, leg pads,blocker Duration of game: 3 twenty minute periods with 2 twenty minute intermissions
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ce Ice Baby: One of the most common reasons for stoppage of play is an icing call or when a goalie ices the puck. After a shot, once the goalie caresses the puck, he may either pass the puck to a teammate or decide to ice the puck. If he ices the puck, play will stop and a faceoff will take place in the closest of the five faceoff circles. Now when a team is taking shot after shot, a team can clear the puck out of their zone and send it across the entire rink. If it goes across the two blue lines shown below on the graphic, an icing call will be issued, and play will resume after a faceoff closest to where the player cleared the puck.
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round the boards: Skaters are allowed to actually grab the puck when it is in the air, but must set it down directly after catching it. A goal cannot be scored from the catch. A skater is also allowed to use their skates to kick the puck, and you will see this very often when a players stick breaks. Again a goal cannot be scored by a kick. The “boards” refer to the glass and walls all around the rink which the puck is often cleared and passed off of. Both teams’ reserves players sit behind the wall not covered by glass because often they jump into the game up and over the walls instead of switching into the game when play stops.
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ameplay: The game is played by two teams with 6 players on the ice for each team. The players on the ice include 2 defensemen, 1 left winger, 1 right winger, 1 center, and one goalie. The objective of the game is to score the most goals into a 72” wide and 48” high iron goal post with a net behind that is guarded by each team’s goalie. Players skate around the rink chasing a hard rubber puck. The puck is roughly the size of a baseball. The team with the most goals at the end of the 3 periods wins the game. If the teams are tied, they play an overtime period where the first team to score win the game. If that period is scoreless, the game will go to a shootout. This is where teams alternate taking a shot one on one with a skater and goalie. Whichever team gets the most goals in three shootout attempts is deemed the winner.
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o the Penalty Box: Penalties are very common in hockey and require a player to sit out of the game for a short amount of time. For a penalty to be called, the team that committed the penalty must regain possession of the puck, which will then be blown dead by the official who will then announce the penalty. High sticking, illegal cross check, boarding, interference, and intentionally hitting the puck out of play are all examples of a minor penalty which only require a player to sit out for two minutes. If a player is on the break away and tripped from behind, they are awarded a penalty shot and no power play will be awarded. Once a team is on a power play and scores a goal, the man in the penalty box is released and the teams resume play at even strength. Fighting is allowed in hockey but both players are required to sit out 5 minutes following the fight, in which a goal does not release them.
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oalllll: There are many penalties in hockey, mostly minor penalties which require a team to sit out a man for two minute. Fighting is considered a major penalty and a play must sit out for 5 minutes. Targeting, or aiming to hit another player in the head is reason for ejection and another player on your team must serve a five minute penalty in addition to the ejection. When a team has an extra player on the ice, they are on a power play and can score a power play goal. If a team has a man in the penalty box, and still scores a goal, it is a shorthanded goal. When a player is on either the far left or right of a goal and passes it to a teammate who quickly shoots it in for a goal, it is a one timer. The person who passes the puck to the person who scores the goal earns an assist. There can be two people awarded an assist if two passes are executed quickly before the goal is scored. There is also a deflection goal where the puck is shot and deflected off either a defender or teammate and into the goal. Self-goals are rare throughout the season and still count as a goal. Late in the game if a team is behind, teams may pull their goalie out of the game and send another skater out to attack. If the team that is down a man shoots and scores, it is called an open net goal. Finally the most common goal is an even-strength goal and is when it is normal 5 vs. 5 on the ice.
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sports survival guide: ckey
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The Gre Karli Cash (‘15) T
ennis is a long game of finesse and talent, and only a select few have the skills to succeed in this sport. Ever since she was four, junior Karli Cash has been playing tennis. Both of her parents played a little tennis, and eventually, Cash joined them. Pass forward a few years, and Cash is enjoying success on the PPCHS tennis team. “I started playing my freshman year,” said Cash. “We placed second at Districts that year. In my sophomore year, we also placed second at Districts. This year we are looking to place first in Districts and move on to regionals.” Tennis has two different levels of play: singles and doubles. As a member of the PPCHS tennis team, Cash plays both. With most of her success coming from singles play, she helps her team by competing with a partner in double play. Her partner is freshman Karla Mendez. “Singles is a little different than doubles,” said Cash. “There can be faster points. There are many things that you can’t do when you play singles. In doubles, there may be one person you do not want to hit the ball to, so you can hit it to their partner. You cannot do that in singles because it will be the same person throughout the match. Most of the time, they are the same.” For three years now, Cash has been elevating her team to success. The back-to-back appearances at Districts, the years of experience, and the drive to get better have shaped Cash into the phenomenal player she is today.
Karla Mendez (‘17) A
t the age of 8, Karla Mendez had the choice between dribbling a black and white ball down a field of picking up a ball and racket. With the influence of her family, her number one supporters, she chose the “indescribable” feeling of stepping onto the tennis court, racket in hand, and facing her opponent one on one. With no doubt in her mind, Karla devoted herself to seven years of hard work on the court and as a freshman she never knew that the game she didn’t take seriously wild have brought her this far. Acing the game of tennis seems to run in Karla’s family, as everyone as far back as her grandparents took hand in the sport. Ultimately, her grandfather who shares Karla’s passion for tennis, taught all of her family members to play acting as her primary motivator to carry on the family tradition. “I can never forget all the stories I have heard of my Aunt and Uncle mastering their tournaments. My aunt was the top players for the University of Puerto Rico, and I look up to them in all that I do,” exclaimed Mendez. One word to describe Mendez’s relationship with tennis is- passionate. Although she stands at 5’3 as freshman, she does not carry a lighter load. She plays at Kozlov tennis Academy, six hours a day, five times a week. And it doesn’t stop there, she also takes her completion head on every weekend in tournaments- all to become the best player she can be. “I hope to pass district, go on to regionals and hopefully states. I want to continue to build on being a solid player on the team and try to win every match I can. I love the game of tennis and hopefully it carries me to my dream collegePrinceton,” exclaimed Mendez.
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Michelle Vaca (‘16)
s a speeding ball is headed towards the perfectly strung racket Vaca swings her arm back and perfectly aims the ball so it speeds past her opponent for a point. Michelle Vaca is only a sophomore but has already made a huge impact on the tennis team. One time while in her home country of Colombia, Vaca’s dad took Michelle to the tennis club he was a part of. It was love at first swing and she has continued to stay with the sport ever since. “I have been playing tennis for about seven years now and I continue to love the sport even more every day. I love the feeling of hitting the ball and getting the perfect shot off my racket. I practice a lot so I can improve every game there is,” said Vaca. The sophomore finds her professional inspiration in Rafael Nadal; he has taken home many records and is constantly winning titles all over the world. Vaca is inspired because of how much of an amazing player he is. Dedication is going to get Vaca far in her tennis career; she practices almost every single day in order to accomplish her dream of making it to States with the school. Go out and support the tennis team and Michelle Vaca this year and they start their quest for a States ring.
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Samantha Barea (‘17)
ive years ago, freshman Samantha Barea found the sport of tennis. Now, she lives and breathes the sport every single day when she steps on the court. Her daily life is planned around practices and games that she plays in with both PPCHS and her club team, Sunset Lakes. While being a freshman on a team may be intimidating, Barea has found herself making an impact at PPCHS every game. With her hard work and dedication, she has been successful personally in their tennis matches throughout the season. This motive to work hard every time she steps foot on the court stems from watching her role model Serena Williams. “Serena Williams is definitely my number one inspiration because she is number one in the world right now. She could only have gotten so far by working hard every day and never giving up on her sport,” said Barea. “I think that one of my top qualities is my work ethic just like Serena and I hope that it gets me really far this year and in the future.” Barea hopes to win districts this year and continue all the way to get the State ring with the team. As for her plans after high school, playing collegiate tennis is definitely a dream she wants to achieve. If Barea is offered a scholarship to a college for tennis she would take it in a heartbeat. As Barea continues her path to success, she strives on the competition that she encounters every day. With her strong work ethic and willingness to give it her all, there is no doubt that Barea will excel not only in high school, but through whichever path she chooses in the future.
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Sports
eat Eight Sebastian Jimenez (‘14) S
enior Sebastian Jimenez first picked up a green tennis ball and tennis racket at the age of five years old. Thirteen years later and he's on his second year on the PPCHS tennis team. Jimenez is not an unfamiliar last name in charter history, Sebastian's sister played on the team when she was at PPCHS and she graduated in 2004. Jimenez credits the hobby to his family "My whole family plays, we've been playing together since I was born and they are the ones that got me into it. We all love to play.” Focused, aggressive and quick is all of the characteristics he brings to the game of tennis. After seeing one of his favorite players play, it was clear that the game of tennis is a passion “It was amazing seeing Rafael, he's so much bigger in person and he's Spanish like my mom. If there's anyone out there I would say I play just like him," said Jimenez. Stepping on to the green and white court is not just a simple match for him, when he steps to the baseline grasps the ball and lifts his racket, his mind clears and all of his worries and angers go away. For senior Sebastian Jimenez the game of Tennis means a lot more than just a simple pick-up game. “I love the intensity of the game and how competitive it is.” Jimenez who has dreams of going to FIU, will leave his legacy here at PPCHS, “I’m not going to play Tennis in college because it’s a lot of work at that level but it’ll always be a family sport in my household.”
Ralph Beriro (‘14) T
ennis is considered to be a difficult sport that is traditionally passed down from the parents onto their children. It is not a common sport, and requires a unique playing surface and court to practice on. But for senior Ralph Beriro, he saw this challenge as an opportunity, an opportunity to display his agility, power, and cat like reflexes. A young 5 year old Beriro succumbed to peer-pressure and began playing the sport after being convinced by his childhood friends. But as those friends disinterest in tennis grew with age, Beriro’s passion for the game only increased. The now 6 foot Beriro wears his Jaguar jersey proud as the #2 in the lineup for the boys Varsity team. Beriro has delivered win after win in his three years on the team, including a few impressive wins in the 2014 season. Despite the high school success, Beriro has concluded that he will not try and play at the collegiate level, and is deciding on either becoming a Hurricane or Gator. This season the Boys Tennis team has improved to an impressive 7-1 record, with partial credit due to the recent stellar play of Beriro. “Tennis has been such a huge part of my high school years and I really want to end my career with a run into districts,” said Beriro. “I know I will I have tough competition but I think I just need a little more practice to get there.” With the season winding down, the Jags are grateful Ralph is in a Charter uniform and not an opponent, because with his speed, quickness, and power in addition to his work ethic, Beriro presents a dual threat that can dominate any match.
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Jason Hsieh (‘16)
rom kindergarten, sophomore Jason Hsieh has played tennis competitively. Beginning with the suggestion to play the sport from his mother, Jason quickly grew to love the sport. As an athletic individual, Jason knew he wanted to do some form of exercise. Jason’s mother figured that playing tennis would keep him from getting severely injured compared to other really competitive sports such as football or basketball. From the start, he knew he would play tennis far into the future. Eleven years later, Jason still makes his way to the court weekly. Through the years, Jason has had many positive experiences in the sport. “My most memorable experience I think I’ve ever had was winning my first ever ranked match. I was only ten years old. That is definitely something I’ll never forget,” says Hsieh. Jason hopes to make more exciting memories. In the future, he has plans of continuing to play the sport that he loves. “I want to play for as long as I can because it’s something that I really love. It’s different because even though it’s more of a single man sport, you can get close to your teammates without having to be as dependent on them.” As of now, Jason is paying attention to the present and will continue to play for our high school team. A member of charter since elementary school, Jason’s school spirit will support our team for the years to come.
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Andres Mendoza (‘16)
n every sport’s team, there is always that one player who can be relied upon to get the job done every time. For the Pines Charter tennis team, it isn’t any different as that player is sophomore Andres Mendoza. Once his dad got him into the sport when he was eight, Mendoza new this was something that he could really excel in. Surrounded by a family of supporters who have a passion for the game, he worked countless hours trying to improve his game and get in the perfect shape. On the side, Mendoza trains at the Sunset Lakes Clubhouse with his dad. Mendoza is hoping that his training will pay off come the time for Districts. “I really think that as a team, we have a great chance of winning Districts and eventually making States. The whole team has been working to improve all season long and I know I have given my all as well.” said Mendoza. Making new friends along the way, Mendoza is hoping to get better with every game he plays. The part of his game that’s his best is definitely his serve, as he practices it every day until his arm starts to feel numb. After his years in high school come to a close, Mendoza believes that he will be able to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tennis player. Specifically, Mendoza is looking at the Universities of Florida and Miami due to their excellent tennis programs. As for now, Mendoza is continuing to light up the tennis court, one serve at a time.
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The Weekend Review Melissa Pierce Staff Writer
M issing Malaysia plane possibly disintegrated mid-air: A senior source of the many officials investigating the disappearance of the Ma-
laysian airliner with 239 people on board is now saying that there is a possibility that the flight disintegrated mid-flight. According to the Sun Sentinel, “Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in the early hours of Saturday, March 8th”. The Malaysian flight was confirmed over spring break to have crashed in the ocean near Australia and New Zealand. Since then five military planes have reportedly spotted multiple objects of various colors in the ocean.
C onsulate in China warns Americans following mass stabbing: A consulate in China from the United States has sent out a warning to all Amer-
icans to be careful and aware of their surroundings when travelling in the area due to a mass stabbing that recently took place. The Chinese police force is even calling the incident a terrorist attack. Senior Fizza Nagi says, “This event is surprising to me. I travel to Pakistan every two years or so and I have realized that it has actually gotten a lot safer. International travel has improved in terms of security so this warning is a throwback.”
W eston Graffiti taggers target vehicles, bus stops, and more: A group of vandals is being pursued by the Broward Sheriff’s Office after they
defaced public and private property in Weston. There have been seven reports of vandalism in the last four months but only one arrest has been made. Sophomore Leah Salciccioli states, “Vandalism is mostly destructive, but sometimes it is a way to express yourself. Damaging someone else’s property is never okay, but nobody sees or understands the vandalism that is not meant to be harmful.
The mudslide in Washington: O n Saturday March 22nd, a mudslide by the Stillaguamish River in Washington
State was provoked for an entire mile. At least 17 people were killed in the process and many homes were crushed. Experts think that river erosion may have been the cause. Who would think that mud could be the deciding factor in many peoples’ lives.
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Ukraine under wraps with Russia Anthony Kelleher Technology Editor
Ukraine is a country located in the Eastern part of Europe that has been
through a lot of turmoil lately. An area of Ukraine known as the Crimean Peninsula is dominantly filled with people of Russian descent. These people are petitioning to leave Ukraine and join Russia. The Russian government fully welcomes and supports this plan of action and has already implemented their military in Ukrainian territory, which is considered a breach of international law. The United States and the European Union do not support this alliance and are attempting everything in their power to prevent this from occurring and they are trying to keep diplomacy between all nations. In addition, the U.S. and European Union want all international law to be followed. This conflict has caused Russia to be put against the U.S., Ukraine, and the rest of the European Union according to ABC News. The conflict has started from a trade pact, according to CNN. The trade pact would have made political ties and fostered economic growth for Ukraine and the European Union. For a year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yanukovych insisted he was intent on signing a historical political and trade agreement with the European Union. But on November 21, he decided to suspend talks with the E.U. According to ABC News, Russia is not recognizing the new government of Ukraine and has sent troops to the Crimea region. In response, the United States have put sanctions against Russia, including
things like banning their visas and freezing assets. President Obama warned Russia about intruding in Ukrainian territory. “I think it is ridiculous that the Russians are going to pursue Ukraine. They should mind their own business in their own country. Ukraine should be its own independent nation. Ukraine needs reform, not Russians,” says sophomore Giselle La Hoz. Any actions taken in Ukraine must be approved by the Ukrainian government or else it can be considered as breaking international law The U.S. wants to implement $1 billion in aid and Europe put $15 billion in aid and financial aid has already been given before. Ukraine is currently struggling with debt and problems with energy. The U.S. and Europe are for an all Ukrainian government in the country. Ukraine is having both political and economic turmoil. The U.S. is trying to get involved by stopping Russia and their intentions. Currently, President Obama had a meeting with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and the US has had a history with Russia and Ukraine. He also stated that Secretary of State John Kerry is working with the Russian government, specifically Foreign Minister Lavrov, to try to reach a diplomatic solution with Russia. If Russia does not stop its intentions, there may be a cost that includes the international community and the U.S. for Russia violating international law. President Obama is confident that the international community will be on the side of the U.S. and Ukraine in the conflict against Russia. Obama also emphasized that their intentions for Ukraine is for the
people of Ukraine and to help Ukraine in positive way. (politics.suntimes.com) Yatsenyuk is encouraging Russia to com ply with international obligations, pu back the Russian military, and work thing out peacefully through dialogue withou weapons, guns, and tanks. Yatsenyuk fee that Ukraine is ready to have a discussio with Russia in attempt to work things ou and also thanks President Obama for th support and the financial support. Withi the next few days, Ukraine will be signin a political pact with the European Unio showing Russia that Ukraine is and will b a part of the European Union. Yatsenyu says that Ukraine will never surrender an always strive to maintain peace and stabi ity in his country. (politics.suntimes.com) To wrap things up, the U.S., Ukrain European Union and other internation allies are for Ukraine’s independence an are for the economic and political reform of Ukraine. Russia wants to prevent that b sending troops into the area. They all wan to be diplomatic with Russia and not hav to go through great lengths to get Russ to obey international law. Senior Briyan Valls says “I feel that this can be worke out peacefully and diplomatically, but will not be easy. Ukraine should have th right to operate as an independent countr and choose their own allies. In this cas they are for the western countries such a the European Union and the United State If Russia is really breaking internation law, there should be intervention to sto it,” As time goes along, the future of Ru sia and Ukraine will soon be known.
Helping will not help Nicholas Rivera
Shortly after the Olympics, Russia is still in a battle against the Ukraine to re-
gain control and influence over it. In the Ukraine, people have gathered to protest Russia and their government. Over 100 protesters have been killed and many more injured (usatoday.com) in the violence that has ensued in Ukraine and with the situation in the Ukraine progressively escalating to a high degree the question remains: what should the United States do? To understand what to do, we need to know what has happened so far. The crisis in the Ukraine began at the end of 2013. After former president Viktor Yanukovych made an agreement with Russia for 15 million dollars when he declined a political and trade deal with Europe, which had promised to provide benefits to Ukraine in the long run, citizens of the Ukraine peacefully took to the streets protesting. In a matter of a few weeks, these peaceful protests transformed into the violent outcry that we know of today (cnn.com). As a former Soviet State, Russia is trying to regain control of the Ukraine. It has since
Staff Writer
become a battle of economic and political influence from East and West Europe (online.wsj.com). I believe that there is not much that we can do that will benefit us or the Ukraine. If the United States intervenes in the Ukraine, we will further create a separation between the United States and Russia. As of late January, Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned against the United States intervening in the Ukraine (breitbart.com). Even though President Barack Obama has stated that he does not want Russia to interfere in the Ukraine (cnn.com); that will not do much of anything to help the situation. This is mainly because Russian president Putin refuses to accept requests from the United States. In a White House briefing on February 28, the president warned Putin that “there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.” Despite this, Putin had received permission from the Russian parliament to use force in the Ukraine (swamplandtime.com). Even with the threat of Russian military forces, Oleksandr Turchynov, who has taken the role of president in the Ukraine, has stated that
Ukraine will not fight back with an arm because it would “expose the eastern bo der and Ukraine would not be protected (theguardian.com). “I think it’s going to be interesting to se in the coming weeks what transpires from the build-up in the eastern border. Th Russians keep saying that they are ju doing military exercises and they are ju doing training operations and things of th nature, but it looks like it is an invasion an that is probably what is going to happen. that happens it could spark a whole diffe ent case of scenarios that could go dow It’s hard to see exactly what will occur a ter,” says senior Nikolai Hernandez. Even though President Obama is doin all that he can, it is not having as much o an effect as he had hoped. In the weeks t come, it is likely that the problems in th Ukraine will continue to escalate. While do agree that Russia should be punishe the unfortunate truth is that we have almo no way of helping without having a nega tive effect on the United States and poss bly the Ukraine.
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49
Standardized test no more Can you pass the test? Chelsie Ramos
Chelsi Chang
Student Life Editor
Entertainment Editor
Our entire educational career has always been centered on one thing, one
issue that has caused stress to both the students and the teachers- standardized testing. These standardized tests, which we take once a year, once a month, or once a week, have turned our education system into something that centers itself on students just passing an exam. Due to this, the basic meaning of going to school to learn and better yourself slowly began to fade away. Since first grade the majority of our generation has been taking standardized tests, thus teaching us the tricks on just how to pass a test. Throughout elementary school, teachers teach students the basis of what they need to know for the rest of their lives, yet they also began the process of teaching students how to prepare themselves to pass an exam and succeed in them. At this point, the downward spiral had begun and teachers began to teach students mainly for the major exams. Many believe that these tests help even the playing field for all, yet, in reality it really doesn’t. Instead, these tests are testing us students on how much we can recall all in one sitting, instead of the progress that we have made throughout the entire school year- which is what should really count. Tests such as the FCAT and even the SAT have pushed students to know how to be able to process information quickly and accurately, while staying within the time crunch. These things may help a student at the moment; however, there is no beneficial outcome of them in the future. When attending a job interview, after a person graduates college, they will not have to take a standardized test to get the job. Rather than an exam, they will be questioned on what they know and their knowledge on the particular career field that they are in. S o
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how do these tests even help us? Yes they might speed up our recall on a topic for the actual test, but after the exam passes, the majority of that information is quickly lost. This reason alone is one of the main downfalls for these types of exams. Standardized tests also do not truly teach a student the material. Instead, they just learn the basics of what is needed to get the A. In reality, a student learns best with the more hands on approach of learning, through tasks such as labs, real life situations, and even worksheets. The majority of the science courses offered in high school involve some sort of labs, using chemicals, physics, and biology. In my freshman year biology class, dissections were done to allow students to learn about the anatomy of organisms. While I did not personally wish to participate in the opening up of a frog or fetal pig, I did become more knowledgeable in the anatomy of the animals, which are similar to humans. These types of experiments allow for the students to become more engaged in the work that they are doing, and because of that learn more about the topic, than they would have if they had just taken a test with a diagram of the dissected frog. When students are given real life problems and situations, where they have to use what they learned in their math or government class to solve the problem, it gives them the chance to use the information that they have learned in a resourceful manner. This permits for the students to see how they might actually have to use this information in the future, while at work or in the day-to-day life. These things can be done through projects or worksheets, which gives students the chance to use their knowledge while putting it to work in a manner that they don’t feel like they are forced to memorize things such as formulas. Another great way for students to learn more in school, without the typical pen to paper test, is through class discussions, which give the students chances to think more analytically and to listen to the ideas of their peers. This gives people the chance develop even more thoughts and ideas on a topic that they might not have even seen in a certain light previously. And in the end of the day, that is what school is supposed to truly be about. Giving students the opportunity to think beyond them and to learn information, this will stick with them beyond an exam or semester. The simple idea of passing a test is something that has made going to school so mundane to most students. Students do not see the thrill and excitement that can come from learning and acquiring knowledge, since the idea that they have imprinted in their minds of school, is of a scantron and a 100 question test placed in front of them, with a pass or fail attitude behind it. Our education system has become one surrounded on the idea of getting an A for our school, instead of actually teaching the students the true meaning and pleasure that can come from actually knowing a subject.
It’s inevitable. We all hate it but it’s time we faced the facts. As annoying as
they are, they are necessary. Tests keep us motivated and push us to study, practice and believe it or not—learn! As we go through life, the tests never stop so complaining about them doesn’t make a difference, they are the only way we are able to assess if what is happening in school is sticking. As frustrating as they may be, they make a difference. They teach us what we learned and what we didn’t learn enough of. But we aren’t the only ones that benefit from tests, teachers are able to learn what they didn’t focus enough on and where their students may need a little more help for next year. Additionally, some of the things we learn in school can actually be helpful in life. So, if you take a test and get an A, then you know it’s something that you’re good at and something that if it comes up later in life there is a possibility that you’ll actually be able to do it. Under the right circumstance, tests give us a healthy stress. They give us the opportunity to strive towards a goal. It’s the equivalent of making it to districts with your team. Admit it, you work harder if there is a grade involved. It forces you to pay attention and actually learn—which is why we are all here. If a teacher tells you that an assignment will be graded for completion, you won’t work as hard as if you know your teacher will go through your assignment with a fine tooth comb. It’s the same concept. Tests in class prepare you for future and harder tests like the SAT, ACT, LSAT and eventually, for some, the BAR test. They don’t leave you alone, they will follow for the rest of your life. Tests help you work well under pressure, which in life, is unavoidable. There will be some deadline that you will need to have a portfolio or a contract in by a certain date and something will awry. So what do you do? You take advantage of your awesome nerves of steel that you gained from your long time years of test taking to make a quick and efficient decision. As corny as it sounds, it really could happen! If there were no tests in the world, then we wouldn’t know who is actually good at what. If there was no United States Medical Licensing Examination (which gives doctors the right to practice) then anyone could become a doctor. Anyone. The kid that sat in the back of the class, usually sleeping, texting or talking could be the man performing heart surgery on your mother or prescribing medication to your colicky baby. Tests divide people from the passionate and willing to learn to the complacent and lazy. They bring out the best in those who can handle it and highlight the worst in those who can’t. As much as a test is a test for you, it’s a test for your teacher as well. If everyone in Mr. Green’s biol-
ogy class is failing every test, then that doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong you, the student. It’s possible that Mr. Green needs to evaluate his teaching style. So don’t thing you’re the only one stressing every test and quiz. Teachers have a quota to attain and if it isn’t, their class is examined. We complain and hate tests, but really what is the alternative to tests? They are the only effective way, so far, to measure aptitude and intelligence. School itself is comprehensive. If you don’t understand one test, the odds of understanding anything else that your next classes expand upon will be slim. This is why tests are here, to not only test your knowledge of the material but to allow you to see where you are in accordance to your peers and where you should be. if you don’t do well on an assessment, it isn’t the time to blame the teacher and complain about how hard the material is, it’s the time to reflect on what you did wrong and, if you’re really persistent, review the material for the next time it comes up. Tests are here, essentially, so we don’t trip on the same rock twice. They allow us to gauge ourselves, and push us to— and sometimes, past—the limit. They force us to strive to do better, which in turn helps us learn. Schooling can only do so much tests and quizzes tell us if we are ready to apply the knowledge we have gained into real world experience. We may dread them and complain about them, but we all admit they have sometimes brought out the best study habits and a good kind of stress. At the end of our schooling, it will come down to the question: did you pass the test?