The CHAT newspaper March/April 2015 year 15 issue #7 by FARAN FAGEN

Springing into Action:

Jags Take Districts Titles

Jake Dreilinger Editor-in-Chief Maria Bozo - Layout/Content Kyle Moss-Solomon - Video Managing Editors Chatter Daily News Taylor Horan Web Managing Editor Emily Deese Business Manager Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisers

Mr. P. Bayer Principal

Looghermine Claude News Editor Melissa Pierce Student Life Editor David Cha-Kim Technology Editor

Contents

The C.H.C. Staff

Shakayla Lee Entertainment Editor Brett Alayon Sports Editor Aalyiah Pasols Features Editor Nicholas Rivera Lifestyle Editor Hayley Hartwell Clubs Editor

Student Life:

Tyra Green By the Grade Editor Rebecca Gonzales - The CHAT Peter Dourvetakis - Web Photo Editors Matthew Perez Graphics Editor Carmen Pettersen Cartoonist CONTENT STAFF: Cristine Alayon, Josiah Celestine, Lauren Cookley, Matthew Deno, Sofia Gangotena, Camilo Grijalva, Hanan Hessin, LJ Lemmers, Amanda Peralta, Autumn Pough, Lauren Ramirez, Evan Samuels LAYOUT STAFF: Emily Deese, Tomas Eiletz, Esteban Gangotena, Jacob Morgenstern, Fernando Plata PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF: Ryan Corona, Jonathan Harris, Alexis MongeRodriguez, Aalyiah Pasols, Sydney Silverberg GRAPHIC STAFF: Katie Perez CHAT VIDEO NEWS STAFF: Samuel Eliacin, Matthew Fernandez, 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

Working after school: The double life of a PPCHS student Spain and Italy Trip: PPCHS makes history across the world

Lifestyle: The CHAT Editorials: Veganism healthier? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they soy Giraffas: Bringing Brazilian culture into Pines

Technology: The future is here: Samsung Galaxy s6 announced Spying on America: NSA spying on your day?

Spo

orts

Feature on the effects of music : Pg 16

Sports: Successful Charter Sports: Spring Sports Roundup Best of the best: Baseball profiles

News:

Feature on Spain & Italy: Pg 6

Features: The psychology of music: How music affects the brain Music while working: How music affects studying

Entertainment:

The CHAT Editorials: Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all need Jesus

#BlackOutDay: New trend takes PPCHS by storm

The CHAT Editorials: Islam: A misunderstood religion

Justin Beiber Roast: How would charter roast celebrities

Clubs & Electives:

Columns:

Foolish not to watch: Dramaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of Fools

Music is money: Not a free entity

Elective spotlight: The Charter Zoo

Music for free: Should reach your soul, not your pocket

The double lif

Students make the most of their Spring Break

Camilo

Staf

eenagers at PPCHS are more than just regular school students. Many school commitments. But this can be a serious challenge to most. Jugglin when the combination of parents demanding good grades and social lives tion still remains—why do many students get these jobs?

M ollie Bayer (‘15) Aaron Ferrer (‘17) “My job does not really get in the way of “At the moment, I have a part-time job at my school commitments and homework. I work at Subilicious in Coral Springs, and the hours I work are fitting to my schedule. I like to have the extra money in my possession for whenever I may need to spend it.”

Publix. I am only a sophomore, so it is not really a necessity for me to be saving up for college, but that doesn’t mean I just don’t do it. I still save up for college, I just don’t need to save all of the money I make. I can put some of it aside for savings and keep the rest as pocket money that I can use when I go out with friends or to buy things whenever I want.”

Spring Break: Jags could be seen spending their spring break by the ocean. Photo by: Alex Monge

Sofia Gangotena

Staff Writer

hen the bell rang for the end of the day, cheers and whoops were heard across the halls as students bid goodbye to their friends. They ran out of the halls, piled into their cars, and began their long-awaited spring break. Some spent 10 days exploring the wonders of Spain and Italy with their friends, visiting famous locations like the Vatican and eating gelato. Some relaxed, while others kept busy. “I think it’s better to keep busy over spring break and do different things every day,” said freshman Jordan Montero, who spent his time playing basketball and relaxing from the stress of school. "You get an opportunity to do things that you can't really do over one weekend." Students also spent their last few days at Ultra, the popular electronic dance music festival in Miami. Senior Justin Correa said it was his second year going to the festival, “It was much better this year. It wasn’t as crazy because security was really strict. It’s probably the best experience anyone can ever have,” he said. This is much different than the criticism of last year when attendees broke down a fence, trampling a 29-year-old woman under their feet (Miami Herald). This will be the last high school spring break for seniors. This may be the last time many groups of friends are together as they prepare for college. For example, senior Natalia Lugo went to Disney World with her friends and fellow seniors Jarie Colon, Suzette Reyes, and Daniela Gutierrez. “Disney was great, I felt like a little kid again.” As far as staying in touch with her friends after high school she said, “I think that no matter what, we’ll always be friends.” A few students spent the week-long break as just that: a break. They may have spent their time relaxing by the pool or catching up on their favorite shows on Netflix. “I think it wasn’t as good as winter break because as it gets closer to the end of the year, we’re more burned out, but it’s still a good time to relax,” said senior Raji Shareef. Some students did different things for the first time. Senior Christopher Montes went to the casino for the first time. “I didn’t have any money to bet but one of my friends made $120 from $20 and my other friend made $700 from $20.” Junior Alan Altenor faced his fears when he went to Universal and SeaWorld with his family over the Spring Break. With the hopes of breaking his fear of heights and rollercoasters, he rode Dr. Doom and Hulk rollercoaster that can be found in Islands of Adventure. "I hated it the entire time, honestly. I hate heights," he said. Whatever Jags spent their Spring Break doing, it was sure to be a well-deserved time to prepare for the stress that lies ahead as the end of the year gets closer. As the last quarter for the 2014-2015 school year begins, so does the worry for the perfect last semester grades. Students hopefully used their break as a way to recharge their energy. Seniors may have spent the time preparing for their last few months as high school students and their beginning moments as college students. Senior Emily Castellano said, "It feels so different from all of the other spring breaks because before I was so excited to get the year over with, but I know now that this is another step in leaving high school behind." And with that, students pile back into their desks, take out their homework, and dream of summer.

aving a job and going to school are both part of the extreme juggling act that is high the beam they hold, and their future on the other, they must keep a perfect balance that succ

FSA fiasco finds i

Josiah C

Staff W

n Wednesday, March 4th students were expecting to take the FSA writing test- the FSA is the electronic replacement for the FCAT writing which students have become accustomed to. However, the night before they were greeted with e-mails via Jupiter grades that said, “Please be advised that all computer-based FSA testing has been suspended throughout the Broward County School District for Wednesday, March 4th 2015. Pembroke Pines Charter High School will follow the decision of Broward and Dade Schools and will not administer the 10th grade writing exam tomorrow. We will resume the FSA computer-based testing once the State gives adequate assurances that computer-based testing is working properly. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.” The students each had different reactions to this turn of events. With the state changing the rules of the FSA test, juniors, who were supposed to take the test with sophomores, have been taken off the list completely, leaving only sophomores to take the test. “Since those who were supposed to be testing on Wednesday had their date postponed they have to take the test on a different date. Those who were scheduled for testing on Friday had to take the test anyway without our

fe of a Jaguar

Grijalva

Writer

y, especially the 12th grade students, have work- related lives outside of their ng high school and part time jobs at the same time is a tough act. Especially s demanding a lot of money comes into account. But one all important ques-

A manda Ryan (‘15) J“I onathan Zigler (‘15) “I work at Coldstone every summer inwork at Texas Roadhouse during the stead of during the school year. I have the job in order to have extra money that I can use whenever I need to. I enjoy working at Coldstone, the job I have is not that demanding and I enjoy serving people. I work during the summer so I have something to do, because I get bored during the long break. During the school year, I already have too much on my plate with homework and actually going to school, so I would not want to give myself extra work on top of that.”

school year, after school, and on the weekends. For me, it is really fun. I honestly like the people I work with. A lot of people that work at the restaurant with me I know from our school as well as people from other schools, so I have a good time with all of them. It is not just a boring job that I do to get money, although I do use the money for gas, textbooks for dual enrollment, and college. I know that I am going to need the money when I get to college, especially to help me pay the tuition fee, and I don’t know how much time I am going to have to work when I get there, so it’s better for me if I work now, when I know I have time.”

Charter’s Historians take it to states LJ Lemmers

Staff Writer

hree contestants were chosen to represent Charter in the 2014-2015 State History Fair Leadership and Legacy competition at Tallahassee Community College. Juniors Brianna Beach and Nicole Fairfoot won 1st place at county’s and were chosen to go to states. The same is with sophomore Elizabeth Garrison. She qualified as well and won 1st place in the performance division. “I’m really excited to go to States. It’s a great opportunity and I just want to make it a learning experience for years to come,” said junior Brianna Beach. Beach and Fairfoot won with their project on Sylvia Rae Rivera who was an American transgender activist in the 1970s. She was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance. They felt that covering Rivera would bring something new to History Fair that nobody has done before. They hope to surprise the judges with this topic. “I’m excited to go to States. We are concerned about what the judges will think because it’s a topic people haven’t seen before. However, this will be a good way to go to States and do a topic about Sylvia Rae Rivera that nobody has seen before,” said junior Nicole Fairfoot. Garrison stunned the judges with her glorious performance of Queen Elizabeth I. She had a monologue at the end of her reign and adequately caught her significant achievements and how she shaped the course of history. This will be the 3rd consecutive time Garrison will go to States. Using that experience to her advantage will be helpful to her success at States. Garrison has said that going to States this many times doesn’t make her as nervous as she used to be in middle school. “I get to meet other performers from other schools that share the same passion as me. I just want to go there and feel like I did my best by going the extra mile. It’s going to be really fun,” said sophomore Elizabeth Garrison. The hard work and effort from the three students earned them a position to go to States and have an opportunity to win it all. Brianna and Nicole will be going to Tallahassee with their website on Sylvia Rae Rivera. Garrison will be going with her amazing performance of Queen Elizabeth I. The competition will be held May 3-5, 2015. Good luck to Beach, Fairfoot, and Garrison who will be doing their very best to proudly represent Pembroke Pines Charter High School.

h school. As a student stands on their four-year tight rope, with their present on one side of cessfully takes them all the way to the end; a prosperous college career and, later, adulthood.

its way to PPCHS

Celestine

Writer

testing date being moved,’ sophomore Mark Rigg told the CHAT. On the other hand sophomore Owen Cockrell said, “I think it was a smart move by the school to move the testing date because there were some glitches within the system which could have been terrible if we actually did take it. It also gives students more time to prepare for the test whenever the postponed date for the test is, and get the best score possible, which will make the school look exceptional.” The FSA is a test created to challenge students in the form of critical thinking, and it is a new system that has been only recently introduced. With anything that’s new, it is expected to come with some shortcomings, especially since this test is computerized. In this case, the test came with some glitches that had to be fixed before students were able to test on it, which are being inspected by the state to ensure that nothing can go wrong while the students are testing. No matter what, the FSA is a test to provide a challenge for students, and it will be a great test for the students of PPCHS.

Photo donated by: Elizabeth Garrison

Student Life

PPCHS & EF make his

Aaliyah pasols

Features Editor

00 pumped students left MIA on Thursday, March 19th 2015 to travel to Madrid, Spain. They had been waiting for this moment since 2013, when the trip was an idea that had been newly thought of. Mrs. Cabeza had been working hard for almost two years to plan the trip that would give students the experience of a lifetime. As the students piled onto the planes, they realized that this trip would leave them with hundreds of stories, thousands of memories, and plenty of pictures. After an eight hour plane ride, the students arrived in Madrid, Spain in the wee hours of the morning. The students, despite feeling beat due to the five hour time difference, rushed into hotel Chamartin to drop off their luggage. The first day would be dedicated to walking around Puerta Del Sol, which is Madrid’s equivalent to Times Square. Students were given about three hours of free time in the area to find a bite to eat and shop around. After the free time was up, students completed a walking tour of Madrid and visited the Prado Museum where some of the most famous art work resides. The second day was no less eventful. A lot was completed on the second day as students got the opportunity to visit beautiful spots such as Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Oriente, and the Royal Palace. In the Royal Palace, photography was not allowed but the beautiful interior designs are sure to stay engraved in the student’s memories. They were able to see how the royal family lived back then and they were able to visit all of the gorgeous rooms in the huge palace. When given free time outside of the palace, students took pictures in front of the magnificent building and strolled around the gift shop and café. After leaving the palace, more free time was given to the students so they could enjoy a night in Madrid. Students shopped, ate and explored and then the seniors all met up for their senior night at a Tapas restaurant. There was music, wine and laughter as the seniors all talked and danced, enjoying their exclusive night out in Madrid. The third day, all of the students took the drive up to Toledo to tour the ancient city. They witnessed a real blacksmith creating swords that they would be able to purchase and other gold hand crafted items in the souvenir shop. Afterwards, a walking tour of Toledo was given by the talented EF Tour guides. They led the students over bridges, up hills, and through the beautiful cathedral of Toledo. After Toledo, the students backpacked back to the bus to enjoy the one-hour ride back to the hotel. The fourth day, the students packed up and got ready to pile onto the bus to head to their next destination: Barcelona. “On the way to Barcelona we stopped in Zaragoza. It was so pretty and we got to see the Basilica del Pilar and get lunch in the area,” said junior Catherine Paneque. On the fifth day, after getting settled in hotel Catalonia Atenas, the students were able to explore much of Barcelona. They hit many famous spots such as Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia, Montjuic Hill, Barrio Gotico, and Las Ramblas. Some students got to take part in excursions such as the paella lunch by the beach. At night, some of the students got to get together at a restaurant and watch the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game live. When Barcelona won, the restaurant erupted into cheers and drinks were clinked together amongst the viewers. On the sixth day, the students got to enjoy a free day in Barcelona. At the end of the day, many students were happily lugging around bags full of clothes and souvenirs from their free period. When the sun set in Barcelona, the students headed to the hotel to pack up their things. That night they boarded the night ferry to Rome, Italy. “The night ferry had tightly packed rooms and it rocked a lot but I still enjoyed it. The ship had a spa, a casino, and restaurants that I made use of so it was still a fun experience. My friends and I just explored the whole ship and stood on the deck, overlooking the mountains,” said senior Geovani Hoyos. After a night overseas, the students hit land at about 8 pm the next day. The next few hours included a quick stop to get dinner and then a pleasant ride up hill to the hotel in Palestrina, Italy. The last two days of the trip were spent in the gorgeous ancient city of Rome. All of the major tourist attractions and historic sites were visited such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain and more. On the first day in Rome, students were disappointed to find out that the Trevi Fountain was under construction and had no water in it. Regardless, students were still ecstatic to throw their coins into the fountain to seal their promise of returning to Italy. On the last night, free time was given in the lovely city and students got to stroll the ancient streets one last time. Performers and artists were lined on the streets and vendors sold unique goods at a low price. To the students’ dismay, the time came where all of the buses had to ride back to the hotel. “Ciao Roma!”, the students shouted from the buses. The trip had come to its close. One of the largest EF Tour trips ever had taken place over spring break with about 200 students flying overseas to two countries. This incredible trip was made possible because of Mrs. Cabeza, who worked so hard to provide these students with an amazing experience, and that will truly never fade from memory.

story across the world!

Student Life Photos by: Aaliyah Pasols

Not your average Freshman

Satisfy your Sweet Tooth LJ Lemmers Staff Writer

Its round, chunky, and once someone takes a bite out of it, they are left speechless by the goodness it leaves in their taste buds. The taste of that chewy sensation making every

Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

LJ Lemmers Staff Writer

T he opposition hits a high ball down the right outfield. If this ball bounces the Jags will lose the game and lose their chances of going to regionals. It’s coming down. Time almost

seems to stop for the players on the Jaguars team. Disappointment slowly creeping up on many people’s faces. The ball is about to drop down when a glove comes out of nowhere and catches the ball. Cheers come from the Jags bench and players run up to the little girl who catches the ball. Throwing her up in the air, her teams shout “Alexa! Alexa! Alexa! Alexa!” For most freshmen, spending their first year takes time to get used to things in high school. By doing that they keep a low profile, not joining too many clubs or just trying to keep as much attention away from them as possible. However, Alexa Infante is one girl at Charter who is doing the opposite of that. Already making a name for herself on the softball team and being an important figure in a club, Infante has started off to a good start in her first year of high school. Infante plays for the varsity softball team. Her father played baseball which inspired Infante into playing that sport as well. However, when she was six, she chose to switch to softball and now that has become the sport that she loves to play. Her position in the team is mainly 2nd base and outfield. When Infante isn’t out on the field, she loves to get a pen and paper and just write in her free time. Just like playing softball, she enjoyed writing at a young age. Whenever it is poems or short stories, Infante writes to her heart’s content. She also has a little sister that she enjoys to play softball with where she helps her improve on her game or just hanging out with each other like shopping at the mall or going to the movies. Being a freshman on the varsity team comes with many benefits. Infante will be able to improve on her skills that will help her become a better player in the following years. Infante says that she wants to become more agile and fit because speed is very important in softball. “I feel it is an amazing opportunity to make friends, develop my softball career, and get all this amazing experience with good players. I am learning new things every day and working hard to become a better player,” said Infante. Outside of softball, Infante is the 9th grade representative for Relay for Life. She feels that helping raise money for cancer patients is a good cause and is glad that she can help out with fundraising money for charity. She is interested in joining SGA and newspaper next year as well. She hopes to attend UM after she graduates or UCLA, her dream college, and major in family law to help kids. “I just want to try my hardest to help my team succeed and get them to States. I hope that we can strive to success like they have in previous years. It will be a good to get that same feeling that the upperclassmen have been through winning States,” said freshman Alexa Infante. Whenever it’s catching that crucial ball to make that important out or helping those in need at the cancer foundation society, Infante is already making an impact in high school. She will surely be a standing figure in the future years. She is surely not your average freshmen.

muscle in your body numb. Cookies with sugar sprinkled on top of it or icing with colored sprinkles, it’s the student’s choice of what type of cookie they want. Students looking for a good treat should go after school on that special Monday to buy one some of these delicious cookies. “This fundraiser is a great way for students to enjoy a delicious treat after school while supporting the freshmen class. I hope that a lot of students buy the cookies. Especially the freshmen, this is for them so I’m expecting a lot of freshmen to come out and support their class. The fundraising is for their field trips and prom come senior year. The cookies are really delicious and everyone should come out. ” said freshman class officer Ms. Portalatin. The Class of 2017 has sold cookies to fundraise for their class. The cookies were plain sugar or with icing on top. They were $1 for two cookies. A lot of freshmen were excited for this cookie sale. This sale has been going on every holiday since the winter break, and then Valentine’s Day and now the cookies were out on St.Patricks day. The cookie sale happened on March 17th. “I’m really excited for this cookie sale. I think I’m going to buy about five dollars’ worth of cookies. I like cookies and these should be really tasty. Also it benefits our class which makes it worth it even more,” said freshman Yannick Blackman. “I’m looking forward to this cookie sale. I enjoy sweets a lot. They are my favorite type of treat. Nothing makes me happier than eating some cookies. I’ll be getting the icing cookies because combining that with sugar cookies makes it one of the best desserts I have ever eaten,” said freshman Brandon Hedge. The cookies were given out in various locations. They were sold by the fountain or by the bus loops. Many freshmen eagerly bought many cookies on St. Patrick’s Day. They were only sold on that day so many made sure to stop by and get a pair. The cookies are for the Class of 2017 and were giving out sugar cookies or sugar cookies with icing on top.

Graphic by: Katie Perez

What I Accomplished? Evan Samuels Staff Writer

Sarah Barrocas

Amanda Cabus

Kyle Heim

Gabrielle Simon

“I accomplish my goal of getting on the “I accomplished to get straight A’s. It “T his year I achieved my goal of “This year I accomplished my goal of straight A’s. Every quarter I learned to getting straight A’s. This wasn’t easy but Junior Varsity baseball team. It was such a was a hard thing to do but with determiwork hard and do all the extra credit that is offered.”

by working hard in school every day anyone can do it.”

great feeling when I found out I made the team, after all my hard work.”

nation and encourage I was able to reach my goal.”

Andres Perez

Michael Perez

Gabriela DaSilva

Matthew Perez

“T his year I accomplished my goal of “I accomplished my goal of getting at “T his year I accomplished my goal of “T his year I had the opportunity of joinmaking pottery. I never thought I could, least B’s and C’s. I always did my homemaking new friends. I was nice to everying new clubs. This led me to new opportuuntil I put in the effort and something amazing came out of it.”

work and put in the extra effort when needed.”

one and the result was making new friends and memories in my freshman year.”

Alexa Infante

Frank Mora

Abigail Johnson

nities and difficult friendships.”

Manuel Estremera

“I realized that no matter what hap“I accomplished my goal of getting on “I joined the Book Club this year. I was “I accomplished my goal of public pens, it is so important to have confidence Junior Varsity basketball team. I did this able to make a lot of new friends doing speaking. I took the class debate and it in yourself. And that when it comes to school work it is always worth taking the extra mile to get the grade you want and deserve.”

by working out each and every day and I always put in 100 percent effort in all my games.”

Matthew Hernandez

“I

achieved my goal of being more independent and I learned that I have several more responsibilities. I got good grades by working harder and studying harder.”

what I love to do which is reading. It has been a lot of fun this year with Book Club.”

Errol Spence

helped me so much. Everyone that has a chance should take debate. It is a good skill to have for the outside world.”

Nicholas Perez

“I accomplished my goal of getting good “As a freshman this year I made many grades this year. I was able to successfully new connections with different people. get A’s and B’s this quarter. Also I was able to make some new friends and memories.”

These powerful connections helped me make it through the year with laughs and good times.”

Let the First Kick off Begin Evan Samuels

There are many sporting events charter already holds including the Snowbowl, March Madness, and the Jag Cup. The newest addition to the games is definitely sparking some Staff Writer

conversation, and without a doubt is a fan favorite. It was kickball and it will be sponsored by the sophomores. With an extra four weeks to prepare, the sophomore class made sure the first ever Charter kickball tournament will be a success and start off what will definitely be a long-time Jag tradition on the right foot. “Hopefully, everything goes well and a lot of students will have an awesome time both playing and watching,” said Class of 2017 president CJ Cruz. Sophomore Julian Barcelo said, “even though I didn’t participate in the event, it was awesome to watch everyone having a good time. I can’t wait to participate next year.” The number of players per team were 9-10 students with the entry fee of $3 per person. Signups were located in the cafeteria during A and B lunch and in Mrs. Hyacinth’s room. The last day to register for a team was on March 6th and there was no limit to the number of teams. Winners received bragging rights as PPCHS’ best kickball players. The money raised went to the sophomore class. The sophomore class had decided on running the event because they wanted to create a fun opportunity to compete and raise money for the school. After the tournament there will be pizza for one dollar and water too. The ‘Kittens’ or the first winners of the kickball tournament were pretty happy, celebrating after winning the first kickball tournament in charter history. On the win freshman Zeyad Ghali said “this was an awesome win, but more important this was an amazing event. Everyone I knew that participated in the event had a great time. I know I had a great time, I hope Charter keeps the event for next year because I know the ‘Kittens’ will try to keep their reign as the best kickball players in charter.” This was the first kickball tournament Charter has hosted, and it looks like there will be many more to come. This was a great opportunity for sophomores to raise money for their class, and play a competitive game of kickball. Students came together to take on the best kickball players charter has to offer. The first Kick off was a hit!

Kickball: Hosted the Kickball torun cess. Photo by Pet

Sophomores take up Dual Enrollment Josiah Celestine

Dual-Enrollment: Sophmores are now going into the unknown Dual-Enrollment. Photo by Aaliyah Pasols

Staff Writer

any students have to focus on high school solely, and this is already a hard enou to deal with on a daily basis. But for a select few students that have a burning passion as impressive as they possibly can for colleges they have the option of doing extra class are college level. To do these college level courses, students must take up dual enrollm Dual enrollment is a program that allows high school students (usually sophomo seniors) to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation. Colle through dual enrollment can be simultaneously applied toward high school and colleg can be transferred to other colleges or universities. To be eligible for dual enrollment students must first take an online test called the PER Education Readiness Test) to determine if they are ready for the college level courses dual enrollment can be taken on a high school campus, college campus (in the case of the BC campus) or approved locations. The first year a student is able to do dual enrollment is their sophomore year, but t to do it until they graduate if they want to. To the students at PPCHS participating in courses is a great way to get ahead of other high school students in the race to find the Sophomore Demi Iglesias said, “When I signed up for dual enrollment I wasn’t sure but I know that whatever happens will only help me for college. I signed up for an En I can’t wait to get started.” Dual enrollment allows students to transition from high school to college easily. Stude of what college is like without being completely overwhelmed with a whole new enviro ascertain how their high school classes compare to college courses and how college from high school teachers. Dual enrollment also provides high school students with courses so they have the opportunity to explore different fields before declaring a maj also offer a chance for students who do not qualify to take AP or IB classes to dem rigorous course load on their transcripts. Finally, one of the biggest benefits of dual e it allows students to accumulate credits prior to entering college so they will be able college early or on time (ecampustours.com). “Dual enrollment is a great way to be noticed by colleges,” sophomore Nadira Dantica “When you’re in dual enrollment classes that helps your GPA go up as much as it can, w decided to take up dual enrollment, and even try and do it my junior and senior year.” No matter what’s the reason for a student participating in dual enrollment, it is a noticed as an exceptional student who wants to excel as much as they possibly can in they want to. Students at PPCHS, espicicially the sophomores who are new to the pr impress their peers, teachers, and even themselves once they commit to dual enrollmen benefit them.

d by the Class of 2017, nament was a huge sucter Dourvetakis

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Mock to the Final Amanda Peralta

Staff Writer

s a sophomore things slowly start changing, changes are made in preparation of drastic upcoming adaptations sophomores will need to make in the next two years. As a sophomore A.P. (Advanced Placement) and AICE classes become available which better prepare somebody for the rigorous college level classes they are eventually going to take. As a sophomore, being stuck in the middle is difficult; they are not the youngest in high school nor are they the oldest. Many sophomores take advantage of the new opportunities they get that they did not have as a freshman and start taking college level classes their second year of high school. Not only do A.P. and AICE classes better prepare you for college they also help raise your GPA (grade point average) depending on the grade you get in the class. The score you get on the final exam determines whether or not you will get a college credit for the class. Taking these rigorous courses throughout the last three years of high school can help someone get into their dream college. A.P. and AICE classes have a curriculum plan that is approved by professors in universities as how challenging the course should be. Both A.P. classes and AICE classes are year long courses that have a final exam in May. The scores of the final exam go from one to five; one being the worst, five being the best. You need at least a three on the exam for the class to count towards a college credit anything lower than that will only allow the class to count towards your high school GPA. Getting a college credit for the class means you are exempted from taking that class in college. When asking sophomores for their opinions on being able to take college level classes the majority agreed that it was a good opportunity and should be taken advantage of. Wynton White said “I think taking the class helps you prepare a lot for the test, but it is a long hard process. I am taking A.P. Spanish and A.P. World History, and I would take the A.P. exam even if it was optional because I think it is a great opportunity.” Valerie Arenas seemed to agree with him saying “I am taking A.P. Spanish and even though the A.P. test takes a lot of preparation I like the college readiness it gives you.” Sophomores are not the only ones allowed to take A.P. and AICE classes, juniors and seniors are highly recommended that they should take these classes. Since juniors and seniors are closer to college than sophomores they need the more preparation that these courses offer, but still the courses are optional because they might not be for everyone.

Mock Exams: Students use these mock exams to help them prepare for the AP or Aice exam. Photo by Jonathan Harris

FSA Writing LJ Lemmers

Staff Writer

ophomores in Pines Charter will be taking the FSA writing for the first time ever this year. With the new test come many changes compared to the previous FCAT 2.0 Writing that all students in Florida have been taking since elementary school and middle school. “When I heard about the test being on the computer, I was a little disappointed. I think having the test taken on paper and pencil would be easier because it would save more time,” said sophomore Christina Hartenhoff. FSA Writing biggest change is having the test taken on the computer. Moving away from the traditional writing on paper with a pencil, FSA gives students a computer to type their essay. They have a variety of tools that help them with their essays. Going into the test, students can change the font size and font to their liking. However, students must know that once a selection is picked they will not be able to change it back. A color contrast option is also available ranging from: black on white, blue, light blue, or magenta, yellow text on blue or white text on black. Sophomores will be able to zoom in and out with the new testing. Also they will be given tools like the highlighter to highlight any key information in the passages. “I hope the prompt I am given is easy to write about. Writing isn’t my strong point but if I focus and pace myself I should be fine with my work,” said sophomore Alex Schoen. When taking the FSA, students will either get an informative essay or an argumentative essay. Both tests will have passages that sophomores must use to answer the question of their given prompt. Informative essays are used to inform the readers of the topic in the essay. In an argumentative essay sophomores must investigate the topic and use sources to explain their reasoning for what they are arguing about. “I like this new FSA writing method. Now we have some passages to help us write our essay which makes things easier. Unlike in middle school and elementary school where we were just given a prompt and had to write expository or narrative. I wished though that it could have been on paper instead of the computer,” said sophomore Chanoan Sumonthee. The test is out of four points. Examiners will check in two categories Purpose, Focus, and Organization: the response is fully sustained and consistently focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has a clear claim

and effective organizational structure creating coherence and completeness. Evidence and Elaboration: the response provides thorough and convincing support, citing evidence for the writer’s claim that includes the effective use of sources, facts, and details. If students get a score of two or lower than they will get Conventions of Standard English which they check for an adequate command of basic conventions. “I was really happy to hear that the FSA Writing was postponed. I didn’t really want to take it at this time since it was short notice. I hope more issues happen so it gets postponed even more,” said sophomore Chris Alegria. Some teachers feel that the FSA is better than FCAT 2.0. They feel it comes with more beneficial support that will help students succeed at college. Giving them more critical thinking skills that will aid in the future. “I think that the FSA writing is teaching kids to referring back to the test. In the past students didn’t have to go back to sources with the FCAT. College is all about citing sources and going back to the test which FCAT did not do. I am glad with the benefits FSA offers compared to the FCAT,” said English teacher Mrs.Cabeza. The FSA Writing was taken either in the downstairs U building or downstairs C building. Sessions will be 90 minutes. Students tested at 7:15 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. Sophomores were supposed to take it on the first week of March but due to several issues with the computers, the test was postponed till further notice. Students who had testing on Friday, March 6th were able to test. Students who had to take the test Wednesday, March 4th were rescheduled to March 12th, Thursday. “I was worried it was going to be harder than the FCAT. However, it was completely opposite. It was really easy and the sources made it easier to write my essay,” said sophomore Daniela Suarez. With FSA becoming the new standard test for students all across Florida, it is going to take some adjustments before schools will be able to understand the new rules. FSA does show promising features such as using sources to help with students essays compared to the FCAT which did not. Helping students prepare for college in a better way than FCAT has done for several years. FSA will surely have a promising future that will make students smarter and better prepared for college.

Finding your Dream College Evan Samuels Staff Writer

very junior has a dream college. It may be a university like Yale, Harvard, Florida State, or even Florida International University but one thing is for certain, it is important to find it. Students must find the college that fits, and be comfortable, that it is the college they want to go to. It may take a lot of time to find the perfect school, but once it is found, it will be one of the greatest accomplishments of a student’s life. Visiting your dream college is a great opportunity to get a feel of the university. After getting a feel for the campus eleventh graders will be able to determine if the school is a right fit for them. They will be able to tour the school, and be able to speak with the administrators about all the school has to offer. Juniors will get firsthand knowledge on what they have to do to get into the college of their choice. This is the juniors’ chance to see the social aspects, the different academics offered, and the location of the university. All of this will help determine to see if this is the college of your dream. “As a child, the University of Maryland was the college I wanted to go to; over Spring Break my friends and I will be able to tour the school. I have worked hard throughout my high school days to get into this school. I cannot wait to see if this is the college I want to go to”, says Junior Jared Clarke. Sometimes it’s the first college that a student must see catches their attention and sometimes it’s the last college. Juniors the best advice is to explore the many different options, and to thoroughly think out what college is the best fit for you. Juniors will soon be in the hot seat in making a decision that will be the guide to their future. Visiting different colleges opens a student’s eyes and makes the decision even easier. Choosing a college that is the right fit is a very hard task. There are many factors to consider, and it will take a lot of time to research each university. Juniors need to make sure that they feel the campus is comfortable for them because they will be spending the next four years there. To get into the college of choice, it will take hard work, hours of studying, and devotion. Every year getting into college is getting harder and more competitive, so juniors should know already the amount of work they must endure if they want to get into the college of their dreams. “I’ve been working hard through-out my high school career, and have put in endless hours into studying to try to get into the University of Florida,” says junior Priscilla Cabus. Juniors will be able to get a feel of the campus to decide if this is the college they want to spend four years of their life in. Eleventh graders need to be thoughtful of all the different choices of colleges, make sure they pick their best fit, and to enjoy the journey college will take them on. Good luck to all juniors on picking the college of their future.

Dream College: People viewing a college Photo By: Alex Monge

Photo By: Alex Monge

Mama Jag leaves on break Camilo Grijalva & Josiah Celestine Staff Writers

Mama Jag: Mrs. Torres holding her baby.

Photo By: Ryan Corona

ecently, PPCHS has had to temporarily part ways with its very own Mrs. Shannon Torres. The AP U.S. History (APUSH) teacher for juniors has recently given birth to a baby girl, Madison Grace Torres, and therefore has gone on maternity leave for the next 10 to 12 weeks. Mr. Davis, a new teacher at PPCHS, will fill her role until it is time for Mrs. Torres to return to her position as a leader for sophomores and for her junior students at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. According to babycenter.com, maternity leave, sometimes called paternity leave, in the case of fathers who can also take it, or family leave, is a temporary time of absence from work given to women that are expecting children soon or are new mothers and is usually granted soon before childbirth. In the United States, it is uncommon for maternity leave to be a paid leave, despite this being the case in most other countries. Most of the time, mothers and/or fathers use a combination of short-term disability leave, sick leave, vacation days, personal days, and unpaid family leave during this break. Maternity leave is usually given in order to support the mother’s full recovery from childbirth and facilitating a stronger mother-child bond. “Although Mrs. Torres is one of my favorite teachers, I am happy to see her take maternity leave,” said junior Noel Garcia. “I mean that in a way that I, personally, support maternity leave. It gives a mother valuable time to connect with her child. She also does not have to worry about the stress of her job as she takes care of her child. On behalf of all of her students, we wish Mrs. Torres a happy maternity leave and congratulations on her baby girl!” Mrs. Torres is a teacher looked up to by teachers and students alike, which made it hard for her to leave for an extended period of time. “Of course I’m saddened that I won’t be able to see my students for almost 3 months and help them to prepare for their dreaded final exams, EOC’s and other important tests at the end of the year, but I believe that they are in good hands with the interim sub, Mr. Davis,” Mrs. Torres said. When Mrs. Torres is ready to come back to work at charter again it will be a crazy time of the year for her to try and get back in the swing of things. Since Mrs. Torres is an AP teacher some of her students will be taking the APUSH exam in May, which gives her about a month to try and prepare her students as much as she can for the dreaded exam. “I have confidence that my students will be prepared for when I come back and we go straight into preparing for the AP exam,” Mrs. Torres said. Even though Mrs. Torres, a great teacher and leader at PPCHS will be out until April, everybody here at PPCHS is happy for her and the new addition to her family. We hope the best for Mrs. Torres and can’t wait for her return back to PPCHS.

Prom: Memories that last a lifetime

Prom: Memories

Shakayla Lee Entertainment Editor

W hether it be slipping on that beaded gown and preparing your hair and makeup or buttoning up a tailored tux and lacing up fancy leather shoes, there is no doubt that Prom

has the ability to make anyone in preparation and attendance feel like royalty. After putting in months of planning and hours of getting dolled up, after all is said and done seniors are ready for their close ups. The fact of the matter is, Prom is the one event that almost all high school students spend four long years waiting for. Frankly, it is the pinnacle of all high school events. As time progresses, whether you are in your 20’s, 40’s and beyond the one high school experience that anyone can always date back to is their senior prom. Although there is speculation of whether putting in the time, effort, and funds is worth the outcome, beyond any question the answer is undeniably- yes. Being able to feel like a Prince and Princess for the night, creating memories that will last a lifetime, and having a great time overshadows any “negatives” that could possible drive any person not to go. Making it to prom is an indication that you have made it to the end of your high school career, congratulations! Students who have worked tirelessly throughout high school are almost home free, and beyond ready to graduate and embark on their journey into the real. But first, there’s prom. Prom is one of the seminal events of a teen’s high school career and the last big hurrah before graduation. What better way to celebrate all the time and effort put into high school than to get dolled up and have an amazing time? The limousine rides, the red-carpet entrance with paparazzi, hair and makeup beauty stations, a dance floor, delicious food, and attendants to make the guests feel special are elements that every high school student looks forward to and definitely deserves. “Prom is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s a celebration of all your accomplishments, and hardships during senior year. It’s the ideal time and place to let loose and have fun. If you miss out on prom you’re definitely going to look back along the line and regret not going. You’re going to see all your senior class enjoying each other’s company for the last and final time then its graduation time and then you’re officially done. My mom always tell me how she wishes she would’ve went to her prom. And is constantly asking me if she could come to mine,” said senior Indikah Chong. Despite popular belief, attending senior prom does not have to be an event that completely breaks your personal bank. There are countless ways available to prep for prom on a budget and still look like a million bucks on the big day. From example the option of renting a dress or a tux is out there, or even paying them off in installments. The fact of the matter is prom doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you are planning on bringing a date, talk to the person beforehand so one person doesn’t feel pressure in having to pay for everything. Not only that, but there is always the option to fundraise to alleviate the burden from your parents. “I have been saving my money since the beginning of senior year for prom so that I don’t have to ask my parents for the full expense. I paid half of my prom ticket and I’m saving to pay for part of my dress. It’s nice to know that I’m not going to ask my parents for the full amount flat out,” said senior Alyssa Rogers. Inevitably, prom is a night that forces you to come to the realization that that the senior year is coming to a close and gives you an opportunity to share a night of lifelong memories with friends that you may not see later in life. Prom is an event that is worth it. I say this because it is a night to remember with friends that you have made through the many years of high school. It is a night that everyone should enjoy because it might be the last time they see each other, and it is important to make the best of it. It is an experience filled with joy, fun and dancing that everyone should participate in. There is no doubt that Prom is the perfect end page to a long high school chapter. Students will be given the opportunity to let loose and enjoy their time to celebrate the conclusion of high school, which is long overdue. Although the expense may a concern when considering attending, there are ways to work around it and embrace the issue head on. Beyond any question, senior prom is a crucial high school event that all seniors should take advantage of.

Prom: The Class of 2014 has a blast at their long awaited senior prom. Photo by: Johnathan Harris

Tyra

O ne universal event that happens every year across the United States of America, in big c of Prom dates back to the 1800’s and mirrored the debutante’s balls for the well-off people.

By the Gr

changed. Girls stress themselves out looking for the perfect dress only to find a couple othe frying their strands of hair for just a couple of hours. Prom is slowly becoming unpopular a Prom is just another expensive tab to add on to the senior budget. Senior year is said to b debunked when seniors put into perspective all of the debts of senior year. College applicat must be paid as a senior. But by far the most costly event is prom itself. “I chose Grad bash I’m not a party animal at all so I’m using the money that I’m saving by not going to prom a According to huffingtonpost.com the average cost of prom is $500. At the end of adding u items, prom can add up to more than a car note. Money used just to dress up for a couple of tons of money on a gown and a tuxedo, but the spending doesn’t stop there. Along with the noted that the overpriced stigma that is associated with Prom is causing “thousands of youn Most people claim that prom is about the memories made and the experience of it. Howe short amount of time are slim. Crazy amounts of money are spent for just four hours. Prom has an important tradition here in the United States of America but like most thing prom gets more and more heighten each year. Promposals or a more juvenile version of a m “I’ve been looking forward to prom since my freshman year but now I’m not. It’s just too berries and rose petals and it’s becoming superficial. Everyone already knows when they are norm that adds pressure to teenagers,” said Senior Camille Haynes. Girls may expect to be picked up in a silver carriage, lose a glass slipper on the way and h go to prom with me? However these days the battle of the best ask is in full gear. Social M platform to advertise or boast about their promposal which almost always is followed by a the whole experience. What use to be an American tradition is now becoming more of a preference for students of time Prom is. They are taking the money that could be used and using it for plane ticket experience it could be and has made it a dreadful situation. Finally, students are realizing w

The Weight of

Sofia Ga

W ith prom right around the corner, girls start to feel the pressure of looking good for the biggest party of their high school career. The pressure to look good equates to fitting

Staff W

into the perfect dress. At PPCHS the pressure is very strong and very real. Senior girls are spending hours working out at the gym and obsessing over what they eat for lunch, if they even eat at all. While the determination to get fit makes sense, how much is too much? With the goal of making an impression at prom, girls get an idea in their heads that the only way to get results is to starve themselves and work themselves out to exhaustion. With the image of a perfect body vivid in their heads, girls feel the pressures of looking perfect so they can look back at pictures of the best night in their lives and smile. Because looking good is the most important thing in the world, right? “I definitely feel that there is a certain pressure for not only women, but men, to look good for prom because everyone expects it to be the best of their lives. Not everyone can match up to that pressure and do their best to look great that night,” said Senior Alyssa Rogers. There is a serious problem if one night determines a soon-to-be college girl’s well-being. The society we live is the kind where the only pictures we see in prom catalogs are with stick-thin girls. Even though it’s common knowledge that they’re photoshopped, the thought still remains. I need to look like this. Girls face a lot of pressure to be perfect. We need to be pretty, skinny, and a million of other qualities because otherwise, we aren’t noticed. What better place to prove that we fit all of those qualities than on prom night? Someone who will remain anonymous admits to skipping meals sometimes to prepare for prom. If she ate too much one day, she would spend one or two days skipping meals to make up for it or work a lot more than usual. “I can control it, if I’m starving, I’ll eat. It’s

lost in translation

Prom Preparations

Promposals: Senior Lawrence Nelson asks senior Suzette Reyes to be his date at their Senior Prom. Photo by: Alex Monge

Green

rade

Editor

cities and even small towns, is the senior event of Prom. According to historians the tradition Big corset dresses and 12 piece suits, fast forward hundreds of years later and not much has er girls wearing the same one. They run around aimlessly putting on pounds of makeup and and more students are skipping out on what used to be a “lifetime experience.” be the most relaxing year out of all four years of high school, however that myth is quickly tions, transcripts, grad bash, cap and gowns, and senior dinner are just some of the dues that over prom because to me it seems more fun and it’s more expensive and I can’t afford both. and using it to go to Spain,” said senior Tyler Gatewood. up the “one-of-the-kind dress,” the “perfect” shoes, makeup and hair and the miscellaneous hours can be put to use some other way. In efforts to keep up with the trends, students spend eir attire, students rent limousines and hotels to complete the night. Huffingtonpost.com has ng women and men to not attend prom because they cannot afford it.” ever prom last for a total of 4 whopping hours. The memories that can be made during that

gs society has turned prom into a competition. The expectation of how you will be asked to marriage proposal without the long commitment is becoming a popular trend. much stress. I scroll down my timeline on Twitter and all I see is chocolate covered strawe going to be asked and by who so it’s not a surprise. Prom is just becoming another societal

have their prince charming find it and return it and then asked the simple question: will you Media sites like Twitter and Instagram add fuel to the promposal fire by giving students the a “yes.” The social anxiety of having the best ask simply takes the romantic element out of

s today. Some seniors are not blind to how costly, how superficial and how much of a waste ts to travel or spending it in ways. Society has stripped prom out of the fun and easy-going what prom really is—a waste of time.

Losing Weight

angotena

Writer

not healthy, I know that, but it makes me feel better about how badly I was eating earlier,” she said. And she’s not alone. Prom season can trigger a lot of different emotions in a young girl, one being the obsession of being thin. These experiences can lead to a much worse future. Anorexia is most common in ages 12-25, according to Hopkins Medicine. And it doesn’t have to stop there. While the symptoms of anorexia may stop after treatment, the feelings and emotions may still haunt you. Senior Juliana Newman said, “After prom, then what? You look for another event to diet for and you want to look good all the time.” Thankfully, not every girl is going through extremes to look good for prom. Senior Christina Yeh doesn’t succumb to the pressures of losing weight just for prom. “I think its fine if you want to lose one or two pounds, but to go through extreme measures and going to the gym and overworking yourself --I don’t think girls should go through that.” “I say that it’s foolish to starve yourself because you’re hurting yourself. When you actually get to prom, you’re not going to have the energy to enjoy yourself. What you look like is not going to matter later,” said Senior Symone Cyrus. Girls need to understand that the “perfect body” doesn’t have an exact definition –or, at least, it shouldn’t. The image of a perfect body that pops up in your head should be your own, because that’s good enough. Prom may last only for a few hours, but the repercussions of the preparation may last for a lifetime. Basically, before you decide to skip lunch to look good, realize that this can affect you a lot more than you think. So eat that burger with a big smile on your face, and ignore anyone who tells you anything different. You’re perfect just the way you are.

Prom Preparations: An Instagram feed can be found at @PPCHS_PROM2015 in order to prevent girls from purchasing the same dress as someome else. Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez

Lauren Cookley

The day that every girl has dreamed of her entire life is finally near. Prom can be a stressful event to prepare for, but is truly unforgettable and memorable. Girls will start Staff Writer

preparing for prom months before the actual day. Boys’ preparations start ahead of time as well with figuring out the perfect prom proposal. There are many things that need to be taken care of before the actual day comes. Girls need to pick out their dress, find jewelry and many other accessories to match with the dress, find the right shoes, pick a hairstyle, and even decide what makeup to use. While boys need to pick out the perfect suit and tie along with the matching corsage to complete the the entire prom apparel. In finding the right dress there are endless options to choose from , so it’s best to start looking for your dress a few months in advance so you have plenty of time to find the perfect one for you. The important thing is to find a dress that makes you feel great. Normally you want to pick out what type of style fits you whether it’s edgy, vintage, or modern. Once you’ve got the dress, it’s time to add the details that will make your outfit look complete. Pick out accessories that can accent the style of your dress without being overpowering. This will add a nice touch to complete the dress. “I have picked out my dress after a few months of looking. It took me a while to find the perfect dress and shopping at many different stores, but I’m glad I started preparing for prom early” said Nina Abrishami. After finding the dress and matching accessories, the next step is to find the right shoes. Your shoes should match your dress and are a big part of the overall look. Bringing your dress to the shoe store is a great idea so you can try them on together to make sure they work. Break in your heels before the big day. Wear them around the house to scuff the soles up a bit. This will make your shoes more comfortable and less likely to slip when you’re walking around on the night of prom. Many girls opt to have their hair done in a salon on the morning of prom, but it’s also a popular choice to do your own prom hair. There are hundreds of great tutorials online that offer advice on how to create beautiful styles for any hair type. There are many different hairstyles to choose from as well including the braided up do and loose waves or tight curls. Picking out and determining how you want your makeup to look is the last step in preparation. There are many makeup tutorials online as well to help find ideas for how to do your makeup in a way that matches the rest of your style. This is one night to go out all with sparkles and color, while others like a toned down, classic look. Try different looks and colors with your makeup until you settle on a look that makes you feel awesome and looks good with your dress. Although girls have many things to prepare for, the guys also have many things to prepare for too. They must pick out the perfect tuxedo and even pick out the matching corsage. Senior Christian Pujols said “I have been looking forward to prom for a while. I can’t wait to find out the theme of prom this year. It will truly be a night to remember.” All in all, prom preparations are very exciting and if you choose to start to prepare early for prom it will all go smoothly. Prom will be a memorable and unforgettable night for the senior class of 2015.

Psychology of the Sound of Music Nicholas Rivera Lifestyle Editor

he one language that is spoken around the world is the language of music. Music is what can connect us to a person we love, an event we want to remember, or a special place in someone’s life. Everyone yearns to find that one song that strikes a chord and sends chills down their body. Everyone wants to hear that song that can make them feel better in every situation. For everyone, this song is different. The reason is because everyone’s brain is different. The psychology behind music is often overlooked. However, the truth is that it is the whole reason that describes why people like some songs more than others. The brain has many neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that help produce and regulate moods and various bodily functions (neurogistics.com). These neurotransmitters are being constantly released in the brain to help keep the heart beating, tell people when they are hungry or thirsty, or remember what they did yesterday. Dopamine is among one of the better known neurotransmitters. This neurotransmitter is what is directly related to music. Other than controlling movement, dopamine regulates mood. It is what makes everyday things seem pleasurable (thebrain.mcgill.ca). The neurotransmitter is triggered when eating an amazing meal, when taking certain drugs, and when listening to music. When certain chords progressions or beats are processed by the brain, dopamine will be released to tell the body that it likes the song (shutterstock.com). This is why certain songs make tasks easier, such as cleaning or working out. “Music relieves the things that are on my mind. It’s something that I know I can do. It’s like ‘I can play this and it makes me feel special,’ and at the same time it’s really relaxing. It makes me think,” said junior Vanessa Osorio. For students, high school can be a very stressful. At any given location, a student can be seen with headphones on. Many students use music to help cope with the stress of AP classes, extracurricular activities, and family life. According to CNN, a recent study done by Dr. Daniel Levitin published in the Trends in Cognitive Sciences journal tested the effects of music on anxiety. The test took people with anxiety and had the participants either take an anti-anxiety drug or listen to music. The conclusion showed that those who

listened to music actually had less anxiety afterwards than those who took the anti-anxiety drugs. While this is the result of only one test, it could mean a breakthrough for the treatment of anxiety patients. Levitin also said that music can be linked to the immunity of some germs and bacteria (CNN). “Music feels like an escape. I’m in a different place and it’s my world and nobody can mess with me. It really does have a relaxing sensation. Not only is it the harmonies and melodies, but it’s also the lyrics and everything surrounding it that gives that effect. Whenever there is something going on, there is always a song that I can relate to that helps me get through the moment,” said junior Sabrina Ferrero. Along with being able to seemingly regulate emotions, music has also been known to help with intelligence. This is especially true for classical music. In the early 1990s, a test was performed that was the cause of a series of experiments following it. In the experiment, a group of students were given either a piece by Mozart, a relaxation tape, or 10 minutes of silence before performing an IQ test. The results showed that students who had listened to Mozart before the test had a temporary increase in IQ points, about 9 points on average. This became known Graphic by: Katie Perez as the Mozart effect (lrs.ed.uiuc.edu). When listening to music constantly over a period of time, not only Mozart, listening to music allows the brain to process things like pitch and timing easier. “I started off with piano, then moved to guitar, saxophone, and now I play clarinet. I love music. I began loving it in middle school. I usually listen to classical music. The best aspect of music for me is being able to play because it give you the feeling that you can actually do something and it makes me happy when I play it,” said senior Munna Mylavarapu. The power that music has is great enough to fill a room, make people sway, and even alter moods. So while the idea of music’s power may not be in the minds of everyone, music is still constantly affecting everyone’s brains in positive ways. For tens of thousands of years, music has been used by civilizations for the same reason it is used all this time later; music soothes the soul. Thousands of years into the future, society will continue to use music. As Curtis Mayfield said, “keep on keeping on.”

Charter’s next level musicians Melissa Pierce & Lauren Ramirez Student Life Editor & Staff Writer

ost students can be spotted after 2:00 pm with their sports teams, in an afterschool to raise money so we can go on tour this summer across the east coast- from Florida to club, or socializing with their peers. However, a select few students spend this time still New Jersey.” in school—music school that is. Freshman Nicolas Raimont, senior Gabrielle Hoffman, Freshmen Nicolas Raimont and Gabrielle Simon are both in the performance program. In and freshman Gabrielle Simon are among these few this program, students rehearse songs on a weekly basis who choose to attend the School of Rock after hours. to perform at the end of each season. At the end of this Here, they receive lessons on their musical instruments particular season, Raimont will be in the Beatles show. of choice and are offered performance opportunities. Raimont and Simon also help out with the Rock 101 stuStudents at the School of Rock are taught not only how dents, previously mentioned by Hoffman, helping them to perform, but also how to set up the sound systems, learn how to sing into a microphone and such. monitors, and lights. “School of Rock is different from other performance Gaby Hoffman has been attending School of Rock schools because everyone’s lives are intertwined”, said since October of her freshman year here at Pines CharRaimont. Simon, who sings and plays bass, said, “I am ter, and she considers bass her main instrument despite able to express myself through music at School of Rock starting off on the guitar and also being more than caas well as meet great people and learn new things.” pable of playing keys and the drums. Hoffman plans on This passionate trio is getting a lot of practice doing auditioning for the National School of Rock, and would what they love, and that makes all the difference. Gabribe going on a musical tour as a result of her acceptance. elle Simon and Nicolas Raimont can agree with HoffHoffman said, “Because I’ve been there so long and I man when she said, “I don’t even remember what I did School of Rock: A few PPCHS students attend the get so involved, I also help the Rock 101 students, who before I joined school of rock. Since high school started School of Rock after school to learn how to play instruments and be a part of a band. Many student here share the same love are beginners; I have my own show, and I’m part of the they’ve been there for me. They’re a family- I know it of music. Photo by: Jonathan Harris house band. The house band is the elite; you have to sounds cheesy but all of my friends are the people from audition to get in. We are currently holding a fundraiser school of rock.”

How music affects studying Hayley Hartwell Clubs and Electives Editor

tudents all have different methods to studying for their classes; some may read over the material, others will look at examples and prior work, and particular students can pass exams without even studying at all. Studying can be a difficult task though; it is hard to concentrate with technology surrounding us, wondering if there are any new texts to answer between now and the last two minutes they have checked their phone. To distract from the outside world and absorb the words being read some students listen to music while studying or doing homework. Depending on the student, it could be a distraction or a helpful aid. Not only does it depend on the student, but it also depends on the type of music being played and the volume at which it is being played whether it has a more positive or negative affect. According to studentimpulse.com, a study performed by Smith and Morris (1977) had three groups: simulative, sedative, and no music. They had the test subjects select their preferred genre of music and then they had to count a set of numbers backwards. The results showed that the participants listening to their preferred genre preformed the worst while subjects in the no music group preformed best. These results came to show that listening to no music could be the most helpful choice. On the other hand, Stanford University School of Medicine came to the conclusion that while listening to classical music there are areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory that are engaged. “Peak brain activity occurred during a short period of silence between musical movements - when seemingly nothing was happening,” according to med.stanford.edu. Classical music with no words allows the brain to think freely without having to focus on the words being spoken. “When there are words in the music I tend to write the lyrics down on my homework thinking it is my work and it is a distraction while trying to read. As a result, I listen to classical music because it helps me concentrate and get my work done faster,” stated Lourdes Salem (’16). In some classes throughout Charter there is music playing throughout the duration of class. In Mrs. Chancelor’s Marine Science classes she will have Pandora radio playing on a low level throughout the length of the classes. On test days there will be a classic radio station, while on lighter workload days there will be a more upbeat radio station. The volume is low enough as to not distract the students but it also helps calm the students and lets them concentrate on what is being presented to them. Juniors Taylor Ramsay and Bridgette Knight stated, “I appreciate all types of music except country and cannot study or do homework if music is not playing in the background.” Both of these girls have maintained respectable grades all throughout high school and give credit to music for helping them concentrate. In a recent study done at the University of Wales there was a study that showed that students who had no music or a steady state of speech, a word repeating, had a much higher test average than the students who had constant music or a variety of words while taking a test. With lower test average students there was a wide range of test scores which concluded that it depends on the person who is being tested. Music can affect studying in a positive or negative way. Dependent on the volume, type of music, and the person music can be helpful in achieving better grades and retaining information. Find out if in which way it affects you!

Studying with Music: Many students find that studying while listening to music can help them retain information better. Photo by: Alex Monge

Photo by: Alex Monge

Photo by: Ryan Corona

Features

Elaborate On a Time W

Freshman Lindsey Adams

Freshman Adriana Silva

“Music has a way of speaking to people. The right song heard at just the right time can do wonders. After a particularly difficult day at school, I was feeling stressed out and anxious and really needed to calm down and relax. Unlike my usual choice of upbeat and fast music, I chose a softer song to listen to. It was “Sleep Baby Sleep” by Broods. There is just something about that song that is moving to me. I love the melody and the lyrics are powerful also. It did the trick and I was in better spirits after listening. Music has always helped me and always will. “

“Music made a huge impact on my life when I was really depressed about not making the grades in school to receive an award. After I listened to the song "Hall Of Fame" by The Script and Will.i.am, I learned that it just takes hard work and the thought of believing you can do something to accomplish your goals. After listening to song more than a hundred times I was able to get my grades up to where I wanted to be.”

Senior Raven Veitch

Junior Chayenne Howard

“Am I Wrong? By Nico & Vinz is a song that has helped me. The song tells you that in your life you don’t really need to worry about what other people do and you need to take chances. Throughout school, knowing this has helped me because I work and I go to school. At first, my mom told me that I couldn’t do it but I took a chance and it worked out fine.”

“Music has helped me relax and de-stress myself. Whenever I get down, I just put on music and relax myself. When I moved away from my old school in North Carolina, music was my remedy. I would listen to Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil, Tonight Alive, and We are The In Crowd. These bands helped me relax and de-stress myself. Whenever I got down, I would listen to these bands and know I would be okay and make it till tomorrow.”

Sophomore A

“Growing up, music had jus nice rhythm. As I got older I could not live without. M middle school and high scho sad, or when I would want there to calm me down. My take chorus this year and tha made. It is a confidence boo

Sophomore J

“Music has helped me every do my homework and it help to is ZOMBiES by Palm Tre

When Music Helped You

Alexa Gonzales

t been a thing with words and r, music became a thing that usic has been a large part of ool for me. When I would be to be alone, music would be love for music inspired me to at was the best decision I have st that I really needed.”

Jamie Nunez

y day. I listen to music when I ps me focus. One song I listen ees Flatbush.”

Features

Junior Ally Asaro

Sophomore El Garrison

“Music has been especially helpful to me in terms of giving seemingly forgettable moments significance. Recently, my family and I went to New York. It was nighttime and we were driving back to the house we were staying at. The drive was breathtakingly beautiful and the skyscrapers were lit up in their full glory. I knew this would just be a faded memory one day but then a Journey song, Separate Ways, started playing on the radio. That was so fitting for the situation that I now know I’ll never forget it.”

“Going into middle school I really didn’t know anybody, but joining band allowed me not only to meet new people but to express myself in a new and exciting way. The memories of playing Beatles music in the band room or enjoying time with friends still bring a smile to my face.”

Freshman Kaleb Saunders

Freshman Jonathan Poulin

“Meek Mill lived a rough life. He shows his life through his music to make me understand how he felt which motivates me to try better in life. Listening to his music inspires me.”

“Music keeps me going. I think music helps me a lot during school. It helps not only through classes but homeroom and everything. I love music. I like all music, any genre. I listen to a lot of Drake. I listen to Drake before a test and it calms me down and I do great on the test.”

The Charter Zoo Maria Bozo & Lauren Cookley

Managing Editor - Layout & Content and Advertisement manager

r. Kapela’s classroom is one of the most unique classrooms at Charter. When one steps into the room, one immediately sees cages and tanks spread all around the perimeter of the room. In these cages and tanks is a variety of animals, ranging from fish to even a parrot. The Zoology course offered at PPCHS will prove to be a distinctive and interesting class for any Jaguar who takes interest. Zoology is the study of the animal kingdom. Mr. Kapela starts the year going over basic zoological principles and different sciences used in zoology. It’s a large, encompassing branch of science so most students aren’t aware of all of the different areas of it. In the class, students begin with basic animals, like sponges, and gradually move their way up to primates. The class includes many dissections, which range from the earthworm all the way up to larger vertebrates like sharks and pregnant rats, which are representative of pregnant mammals that allow students to study fetal development. This year, for the first time in Charter history, Mr. Kapela will dissect a fetal horse, which is the size of a medium sized dog. Most dissections are very hands on; students work in pairs, which allows for all students to be very involved. The class consists of seniors, although it appears on juniors’ course cards. Because of the high demand for the class, seniors are usually the only people who take it, since seniors have first pick on classes. Interesting activities Mr. Kapela has for his students include going into the wetlands that are located behind the Southwest Regional Library parking lot, which is convenient since it’s located on campus. Students actually step into the water in suits, which protect the students’ clothing (unless they were to fall, of course). Students collect specimens and identify different forms of wildlife. “I like how Mr. Kapela is very friendly and such a hands-on teacher. He shows us a lot of things on the overhead, but he also teaches us through dissections. I like the dissections because it provides a close encounter with the animal and it allows us to study the anatomy. Perry is a little bird and she’s so sweet. She always flies to me so I think I’m her favorite,” said senior Jessica Flores. The animals in the class include a parrot, fish, turtles, ball python, a bearded dragon, two dogs, and a guinea pig. The parrot flies around the room, and the two dogs can often be seen around campus. The parrot and the guinea pig receive the most attention from the students, as Mr. Kapela allows them to spend time with the animals during any free time. The animals begin to form relationships with the students, and vice versa, and the animals often wind up picking their favorite students, which is interesting to see. Most of the animals other than the bird and the guinea pig are donated. Mr. Kapela usually receives them from students who are unable to take care of them anymore. Last year, Mr. Kapela received a female hedgehog and then a student took the hedgehog home over winter break because he already had a male hedgehog. The student put them in the same cage together and in a couple months, there were baby hedgehogs at PPCHS. The hedgehog is no longer at Charter because all animals have to be classroom-friendly. This means that the animals have to go two days without care because of the weekend. If an animal needs daily care, Mr. Kapela can’t keep it in the class. Last year, there was a 3 feet long electric eel, but there was a power outage during Thanksgiving break. Because there was no filtering in the tank for a long period of time, Mr. Kapela found it deceased when he returned from break. “The guinea pig is really gentle and he’s kind of skittish but he lets us take him out of the cage and stuff. When Mr. Kapela was gone I took care of him and I gave him water and food to make sure he was okay,” said senior Jennifer Maranchello. Almost every year, Mr. Kapela receives a litter of foster kittens. The idea is that the Zoology classes take care of them until they are old enough to go home, which is when students find homes for them. The kittens stay in the class, and if they need to be taken home because their health is marginal or need extra attention, Mr. Kapela takes them home. But once they don’t need to be bottle fed, students are allowed to take them home as a litter because if they are split up, it causes too much anxiety for the kittens. Mr. Kapela has been doing this with his students since 2005 after Hurricane Wilma hit. Without a doubt, Mr. Kapela’s zoology class is unlike any other course offered at PPCHS. Between the activities at the wetlands, the class animals, and the dissections, Zoology provides a unique experience for all of the Jaguars who take it.

2015 Debate Showcase Cristine Alayon

Debate. When you hear the word you may think of two sides of a problem arguing back and forth, but there’s much more to it. Debate isn’t a class where you go up and speak Staff Writer

to get by with an “A” or a class where all you do is argue about issues. Debate allows you to open up and have a say on anything, it makes you look at things in a different perspective than others. You may think ‘I’m never going to take that class, I’m awful at public speaking.’ But it’s not about that, debate doesn’t take talent or a special skill of any sort. It’s about learning new things and taking that knowledge into the power of words. Soon enough, the words lead to sentences, then the sentences transform into speeches. And now, you’re a natural... you are a debater. Debate teachers Mrs. Drumm and Mrs. Schwab had prepared their debate students for the annual Debate showcase, which was held on March 10th. The categories of the showcase were Original Oratory, Team Debate (Public Forum), and News Broadcast. The students selected were voted by each Debate I class. At 6:30, the event started. First was the Original Oratory from Mrs. Drumm’s class with Toni Martin (‘18) and Ashley Clements (‘18). From Mrs. Schwab’s class, it was Chinealo Chukwuelue (‘16) and Marissa Farinella (‘17). An Original Oratory is about a 7 minute speech that explains a problem and eventually comes to a solution. The winner of the category was Ashley Clements with her speech titled “Danny, She’s a Girl.” Next up was Team Debate. In Team Debate, there are two sides to a law: affirmative and negative. The two sides must give a speech and then question each other to support their side. The topic was “Resolved: This House believes that our Founding Fathers would be horrified.” Debate participants were Mrs. Drumm’s students Marquis Alexis (‘18) and Jessie Cabrera (‘16) versus Mrs. Schwab’s students Ishan Chowdhury (‘18) and Wynton White (‘17). In result, the affirmative side won in the Team Debate. The final category of the night was the News Broadcast. Together, two students performed a live newscast on a topic of their choice and explained it in a 3-4 minute segment. Many participants were in this section from both classes and the winners were Ahmad Hamid (‘18) and Jonathan Wallace (‘15) with their newscast “Age Limits.” Junior participant, Bridgette Knight said, “I was very nervous to begin, but in result my partner and I did great. It was a night I’ll always remember!” The Showcase was hosted by Stephen Litton (‘15) and Corey Villard (‘15). Judges for the showcase were past debaters from Mrs. Schwab’s class and Charter alumni. Since the News Broadcast was a favorable category due to the humor, the audience voted by texting to a voting number. Sophomore Alexis de Leon said “The showcase was very entertaining and the competition was excellent. Overall it was great to watch.” This year’s showcase was full of entertainment and great debaters. “It’s not about who won and lost,” said Mrs. Schwab. “Public speaking is not so easy and everyone did a phenomenal job since it takes a lot to get up and debate in front of an audience. It is about the experience for the students and in the end, everyone is a winner.” Congratulations to all the participants of the showcase. Overall, debate is more than public speaking, it teaches you to use your knowledge and put it into words. Legend speaker, Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

National Honor Society inducts new members Jake Dreilinger

For weeks students have been gathering their volunteer letters, asking teachers for letters of recommendation, and filling out an application in hopes of entering one of

Editor-in-Chief

PPCHS’s most prestigious clubs. It is a small club that spends time volunteering with local organizations and fundraising for great causes. It’s a club based on honor, integrity, and pride, and those lucky enough to get the chance to apply are at the top of their grade. On March 17th, 69 students were chosen to be inducted into the National Honor Society. Weeks prior to the induction ceremony, students received letters stating that they were chosen to apply for a spot in the club. These students had to have a good GPA, 40 volunteer hours, and two leadership positions, either in the classroom or with other clubs. This is to ensure that the best candidates get to join the NHS. About a week before March 17th, those whose applications were accepted received an invitation to attend the induction ceremony. The day of the ceremony, NHS volunteers spent two hours after school setting up the decorations and putting together the programs for the inductees and their guests. Volunteers were asked to return to school by 6:00 p.m. to help set up drinks and snacks, and help with final preparations. By 7:00, the River of Grass was filled to the brink and the ceremony was ready to begin. “I think the night went really smoothly!” said NHS president Christina Yeh. “It was definitely a super exciting night not only for the inductees, but for parents and the existing members as well. We inducted over 60 new members and we had refreshments afterwards that everyone got to enjoy. Overall, it was a great night, and the officers and I are incredibly happy to welcome the new NHS members!”

The night started with the host, Yeh, saying a few words before turning the microphone over to Mr. Bayer, who congratulated the new inductees and talked about the prestige of the club. They also explained what it means to be in the club and how they represent PPCHS. The mic was then handed back to Yeh, who then went on to explain the four main purposes of the club: “To create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.” At the end of the ceremony, Yeh and NHS vice president Samantha Espinal read the names of the 69 new inductees as they walked across the stage. With the NHS certificate in hand, the new members were looking forward to continue on the legacy the NHS has had at PPCHS. After the ceremony, inductees and guests were treated to a variety of drinks, cookies, and cake. “I think the ceremony itself demonstrated efficiency that accurately represented our NHS,” said NHS traveling Secretary Noah Levy. “All inductees were pleased from what I understand.” This wasn’t the only major thing the NHS has done recently. On Saturday April 4th, NHS volunteered at the annual Eggapalooza, an Easter celebration that features many family-fun activities, like an Easter Egg Hunt. This was an easy way for members to earn a few hours, if needed. As the year is winding down, though, less volunteering opportunities are arising. With the recent end-of-the-year activities, NHS has been busy as of late. As a generation of NHS members are graduating, a new generation pops up to take their place. Congrats to all those who were inducted into the National Honor Society!

Clubs

Foolish to Not Watch Josiah Celestine & LJ Lemmers Staff Writers

PPCHS Drama: Many of the students and staff of PPCHS came out to watch drama’s perfect performance of Fools. Donated by: Ryan Corona

PCHS’s Drama department performed Fools by Neil Simon Thursday, April 9th and Friday, April 10th. The play was a comedy this year and had the audience doubled over from last year. Fools is a comic fable set in the small village of Kulyenchikov during the late 19th century. The story starts about Leon Steponovich Tolchinsky, a schoolteacher who takes a new job educating Sophia, the daughter of Doctor Zubritsky and his wife, Lenya. Leon figures out that there is a curse on the village making everyone in the village stupid. However, problems occur when Leon falls in love with his pupil. The main cast of Fools is: Leon-Eli Radosovich, Snetsky-Kevin Sage, Magistrate- Mike Marrero, Slovitch- Daniel Kan, Mishkin- Ryan Corona, Yencha- Hayley O’Brien, Dr. Zubritsky- Nick Berradino, Lenya-Danielle Fallin, Sophia- Franchesca Gonzalez, Gorkin and Gregor- Matias De La Flor. The lead of the play, Eli Radosevich said, “The drama class has put a lot of hard work into this play, and I think it will go well, and us actors will just be having fun doing what we love on stage. It’s going to be hard to top the Grease production that the school put on last year, but I think that this play will be very successful.” Charter usually puts on many drama performances throughout the school year, and a traditional production is the winter fantasy showcase, but plays and musicals vary from year to year. In previous years Charter has done the well-known musical Grease and now this year the drama department is putting up Fools. The bulk of the play has already been thought up by the play’s creator, but the Charter students have to put their own twist on the story by adding lines, and actions that they thought would help the play to be as entertaining as possible.

The drama teacher, Mrs. Kidd, told the CHAT, “This is the first time this play has been done at Charter but I have high expectations for the play. The advanced drama class has been the ones that have set up the play, both on and off the stage. They will be the ones working backstage to keep the play running smoothly, and they’ll be performing as well. This will be a great play and I hope to see everybody who has bought a ticket leave with a smile on their face.” On the day of each performance, senior Eli Radosevich, was really into his character as it was the last production for him in high school. Junior Matias de La Flor kept the crowd laughing with his lines that were keeping the audience entertained. One actor from the play, Daniel Kan said after Thursday’s performance, “I think the show went very well, and we have to give credit to the students working behind the scenes for keeping the play running so smoothly. I think that Friday’s play will be as good as Thursday’s but since it’s the seniors’ last performance they might go all out and make it their best show ever.” The Fools play turned out to be very successful. Throughout the whole show, the actors were able to brighten up the audience by making them laugh with their lines. All of the hard work put in by the Drama class made those two special nights memories to never forget. Congratulations to the Drama class for putting on a wonderful performance of Fools.

PPCHS Students show their skill C G &J C amilo

rijalva

osiah

elestine

Staff Writers

P PCHS is a very diverse school filled with students will different kinds of talents. From swimming stars to painting prodigies, the halls are filled with students that excel in extracurricular activities.

The time has now come for a select group of these students to show the public, along with the rest of the school, what they are capable of. From Tuesday, April 28 to Wednesday, April 29, from six to eight p.m., the South West Regional Library will be hosting the fifteenth annual PPCHS Art Show. Sophomore AP Art/Drawing student Mary Gaviola said, “I am excited for the art show this year because it will be nice for others to be able to see the art that I have been working on the entire year. I put a lot of effort into the art I make, so it will be great for me to be able to see people admire what I can do. Even though it is a requirement for art students to go and participate in the show, I can’t wait to go and take part. It will surely be a great event.” The art show consists of artwork created by students enrolled in Drawing & Painting and Photography & Ceramics classes. Each student in the classes was invited to display, in their opinions, the best work they have created this year. Students in the Advanced Placement art classes have individual displays where they can each show a minimum of ten pieces of their own art. The Show will be open for class visits on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29. Students will be able to come to the library with their class and see the beautiful artwork that their fellow schoolmates are capable of making. The exhibit is also open for parents to come and admire the artwork of their children. Of course, in the eyes of the parents, their children are the best artists in the world. Former and future art student Esther Omole (’17) said, “I was in art last year, but this year I decided not to take the course. Next year I’m going back into the art class and will participate in the art show. In my experience the show is a fun experience, and it’s great to see everybody’s hard work over the year. A really great part of the show is that fact that some people come to buy art. Even though they don’t come to spend thousands or millions of dollars, it’s still great to experience an art show like a real high-end professional exhibit.” The Art Show at PPCHS is an annual event where kids are able to showcase their talent and ability involving their creative imaginations. The show allows the students to gain exposure in the Pembroke Pines community, and allows parents to sneak a peek into one of their students classes and see how they are doing. It is a great tradition that will continue to occur at PPCHS for years to come.

Student Artists: PPCHS students are putting their works on disploy at the art show. Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

Key Club Profiles

Clubs

Ithen students every school class, there are students that stand out above all of the others. These are that put all of their blood, sweat, and tears into school work and extracurricu-

lar activities. These committed Jags are the light that shines in the tunnel of PPCHS. One of these special students is Senior Kelsey Farenhem. Kelsey Farenhem is currently the President of the PPCHS Key Club, but this position did not come easily for her. She joined the Key Club organization in Middle School as part of the Builder’s Club branch, and has been trying to get a leading position in the club since. From there she continued on into high school and held her first position for the club in sophomore year, when she was Fundraising Committee Chair. Then the following year as a junior, Farenhem took up the Treasurer role. “I hope to have inspired others to do service,” said Farenhem. “Since I am graduating this year and moving up north to attend the University of Pennsylvania, which I am so excited about, it would be a comfort to know that students at PPCHS still want to make a difference in our school and community. I also hope that they know this is possible, as a group students can make a big difference.” As a member of Key Club, Farenhem leads various service projects all around the community. These activities range from fundraising for local and international charities, to events at a local foster home, making crafts with patients at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, hosting our school's blood drives, and a lot more. Kelsey Farenhem is certainly one of the greats in the line of PPCHS Jags. She is a committed student and a great leader for Key Club. She wishes to have been able to leave a great legacy behind for the school and have inspired many other students to follow in her footsteps.

S enior Kayla Clements has been doing big things this year in Key Club. As the club’s treasurer, she holds the responsibility of managing club accounts and designating funds

for club projects. The club is currently preparing for their district convention in Orlando, Florida, so Clements is working hard to make sure everything regarding the convention runs smoothly. “I love being able to contribute to Key Club and make a difference in the community. I ran for treasurer because I know how important fundraising is and I wanted to make sure the money we raised is used to help those in need”, said Clements. Clements has always considered herself an altruistic person, so Key Club is the perfect organization for her. Key Club’s purpose is to give teens the opportunity to provide hours of service to their homes, schools, and communities- and Clements understands this purpose firsthand. Key Club gives equal opportunity for all students to improve on their leadership development and empathy for those in need. Students are given the chance to feel that they are making a difference in someone’s life. Kayla is the perfect example of a Key Club member who exemplifies the clubs purpose.

N icolas Azcerate is someone that many people look up to. Through his charismatic personality and desire to help others, people often look up to him. Nicolas has been in-

volved in Key Club since he started high school here at PPCHS. Key Club is a club that helps students earn service hours through helping the community. It helps others develop leadership and teaches them responsibility. “Key Club is a great way to do service opportunities, help others, and develop leadership. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to give back. When I get to U.F. (University of Florida) I will join “Circle K” which the collegiate level of Key Club.” – Nicolas Azcerate Key Club is something very important and that has meant a lot to Nicolas, he has learned so much about himself and the community through this club. He hopes to leave it in good hands when he goes off to U.F. and we wish him nothing but the best!

PPCHS Jags take their ta

Photo by: Faran Fagen

alents to the big leagues

Photo by: Faran Fagen

Sports

Baseball team has eye on states; softball looks Jake Dreilinger Editor-in-Chief

ith a history of success, the PPCHS softb the Jags have played in three state title games a champs, the Jags came out strong and now have notable wins against Western and Cooper City, t Jags play with a passion matched by almost no o extra push to beat out a throw, the Jags are alway of the Jags journey to reclaiming the title of cham

Softball

Baseball

fter last year’s heartbreaking Regional Finals lost to Mater Academy, the baseball Jags are looking to build on that success and kick it up a notch. With most of the team returning this year, the Jags are looking to make it all the way to States. Some impressive wins for the 11-4-1 Jags include Belen and Somerset, two ranked teams in Broward and Miami-Dade County. Recently the Jags participated in a tournament during spring break against some great teams from across the nation. They went 2-1-1 in the tournament; their only loss (2-0) came in the Championship game against Olympia, the number 1 ranked team in the nation. The Jags are looking good this season, and they are moving one step closer to reaching their goal of a state title.

Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

ust like the boys’ water polo team, the girl success, the girls came into districts as determin the state quarterfinal game before losing to the d a score of 21-2. With that win, the girls moved o gave the girls their second straight district champ in mind, get farther than where they finished last

Girl’ Water Polo

Boys’ Water Polo

ome sport teams at charter built up a solid program and maintained it for years to come. The boys’ water polo team has always had success. Last year’s team had a great postseason run, only losing by one point in the regional finals game. On Tuesday April 7th, the Jags hosted and competed in the district tournament. They breezed by Flanagan in the first game 10-2, and the Jags goalie, junior Ryan Corona, even scored a goal. Later in the day, the Jags won the district championship by beating a previously undefeated team, South Broward, 11-8. The Jags look to capitalize on their district championship win by making it out of regionals.

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez

Donated by: Bella Bobadilla

he boys’ volleyball team has had their fair inant team at charter started falling apart as some record with impressive wins against South Brow most teams do, the Jags rebounded from the los show that they belong, senior Shafeek Glover, ju of those who have stepped up when the team need with an above .500 record.

Boys’ Volleyball

Flag Football

he flag football team has stepped it up this year. With the addition of new athletes and the leadership of the veteran players, the Jags are having a successful season so far. A 6-2 record with wins against West Broward, Western, and Cooper City highlights the success of the team. This is a major improvement from the two win season last year. Led by scoring leaders Adriana Robles and Ashlyn Correa and quarterback Cristine Alayon, the Jags are as hot as ever and are gearing up for a lengthy post-season run. With one goal in mind, States, the Jags are playing with a new found intensity and a desire to do what previous teams could not. They are looking to win it all.

Sports

for a repeat

Greatness Awaits in 2015 MLB Season

ball team has high expectations for themselves. In the last three years, and winning two of them, including one last year. As the defending e an impressive 17-6 record heading into districts. The Jags have had the latter they beat twice. Fueled by junior pitcher Claire Blount, the other. Whether it’s cheering each other on in the dugout, or giving that ys pumped and ready to go. Districts begin next week, and it is the start mpions.

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez

ls also have a history of success. Also looking to build on last year’s ed as ever. Last year was a record season for the Jags, who made it to defending champs. In their first game, the Jags beat Cooper City with on to play South Broward, which they won in a close game 6-4. This pionship. As they are gearing up for regionals, the girls have one goal t year.

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

Matthew Deno

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez

share of struggles this year. A team that had the potential to be a dome key players left the team. Despite this, the Jags stay afloat with a 5-8 ward, Chaminade, Hollywood Hills, Miramar, and Flanagan. Just like ss of players as others stepped up in their place. Taking the chance to unior Oscar Pons, and sophomore Melosen Moreau are just examples ded it most. With a few games left in the season, the Jags look to finish

Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

Staff Writer

ptimism is in the air during this time of year, the time of MLB Opening Day, as each team has an equal chance of winning the World Series. But that won’t last very long, and the best clubs will soon begin to separate themselves as favorites to stand tall at the end of the season. It seems so distant now, but before you know it, people be talking about this season’s breakout players, playoffs and MVPs. The Washington Nationals are at the top of the list, having made the biggest offseason acquisition after a 96-win season. The team signed starting pitcher Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract, giving them a potentially dominant rotation and making them the overwhelming favorites in the National League East. The Boston Red Sox made the biggest moves in the American League, handing out the two biggest contracts to position players. Following a last-place finish in the AL East, the Red Sox gave two five-year contracts worth a combined $183 million to shortstop Hanley Ramirez and third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves were the two most active teams in terms of making trades this offseason, and they appear to be headed in two different directions. Atlanta sent San Diego a few of their best players in multiple deals, with the Padres acquiring closer Craig Kimbrel and outfielders Melvin Upton (formerly known as B.J. Upton) and Justin Upton. Atlanta also traded away Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden in another deal, while the Padres added Matt Kemp and James Shields. It’s been 15 years since the New York Mets finished with a better record than their crosstown rivals, but that could be the case in 2015 with the Mets improving and the Yankees set to possibly miss the playoffs for a third straight year. Both Chicago teams are poised to have better years, and they are among the top four favorites in

their respective leagues. “This season is setting up to be a really exciting one as there are a bunch of teams that are expected to compete for the playoffs, and as we know, anything can happen in the playoffs. Hopefully, this season lives up to all the hype it’s been getting,” said sophomore Jack Esquinazi. As for the Miami Marlins, they are about to embark on a journey that they hope ends in a third World Series championship for the franchise. After a much-improved season last year, optimism is running high in Miami’s locker room and for good reason. The team has kept the core together and has added several necessary pieces. On paper, the Marlins are a contender for the first time in years. Barring injuries or a drop in production from key players, the Marlins should be contending for the majority of the year. However, as Miami learned last season with Stanton, everything can change in the blink of an eye. “I’m really looking forward to the start of this season as the Marlins, my favorite team, are looking really promising to make a push for the playoffs. They have added a lot of quality pieces to mesh together with the existing ones which I think can take them to the next level,” said junior Brandon English. Baseball fans, shake off those cobwebs and snap out of any sluggishness, because baseball is returning. Yes, for about 97 percent of baseball fans, this season is going to end in heartbreak. That doesn’t matter. Let’s turn it around and embrace it, because before everyone know sit, it’ll be gone again. This year, resolve to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of the season. Renew a love of baseball by strapping on and experiencing the wild ride that is Major League Baseball.

Sports

The CHAT Editorial: The Devils Conquer the Madness Brett Alayon Sports Editor

As spring rolls around, college basketball fans have difficulty containing their excitement for the famous (or infamous) NCAA Basketball Tournament. More familiarly known as “March Madness,” this tournament filled with 68 teams not only has Cinderella teams, but big time disappointments. This year’s tournament had these two things and everything between, including a team that was 2 wins away from an undefeated season for the first time since 1991. Sorry Kentucky fans, your Wildcats did not survive the madness. “This is by far my favorite time of the year. In other sports, teams play a best-of-7 series to determine the winner. In college basketball, it’s one and done. The best team doesn’t always prevail which makes it so special to witness,” said senior Michael Ellenbogen. According to ESPN.com, over 11.5 million brackets were submitted online to ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. Unfortunately, there’s over 9 quintillion possibilities of filling out a bracket so the chances of a perfect bracket taken place is unlikely. Highly unlikely. As the opening rounds got underway on March 22 and all brackets were officially locked, the eagerness across the nation was eased. For a very short time, however. A 3 seed-Iowa State shockingly lost to a 14 seed-UAB. Yes, a team that won their conference tournament (Iowa State- Big 12) was defeated by a team that more than half the viewers didn’t know what their initials stood for. Just a few hours later, another 3 seed-Baylor fell to a 14 seed-Georgia State in dramatic fashion when the underdogs (Georgia State) nailed a game winning shot at the buzzer to send Baylor home. Dreams of any potential shot at a solid bracket were knocked down following two early loses by three seeds. Unsurprisingly, the madness continued. The second featured a big time matchup between the 7 seed-Wichita State Shockers and the 2 seed-Kansas Jayhawks in a war for the top dog in the state of Kansas. The tournament worked its magic on this game as the Shockers, the lower seed, prevailed. Another 7 seed vs. 2 seed matchup included a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Virginia Cavaliers, a team in which millions of submitted to have in the Elite Eight or better. As Magic Johnson would say, “Sparty On.” After 32 teams were eliminated in the first round and 16 teams were eliminate in the second round, just one perfect bracket remained on ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. As the Sweet 16 got underway, the last standing bracket was tormented once Ohio State was bounced by Arizona. “My bracket was ruined within the first two or three games. I entered a pool with a lot of my friends and none of us had any of the major upsets that took place early on. The madness never fails,” said senior Gabriel Lopez. The Kentucky Wildcats entered the Elite Eight with a record of 37-0 and they barely pushed pass ACC Champs in the Notre Dame fighting Irish with a score of 68-66. Once the dust settled, UK was joined by Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Duke. With such historic schools meeting in the Final, the stage could not have been set more ideally in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. Head Coach Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans were the only team in the Final Four that was not a 1 seed, which proved how unique of a team the Spartans were all season long. Their run at the national title came up haut short against Duke in the Semifinals with an embarrassing loss of 81-61. The high-rising undefeated Kentucky Wildcats were set up against Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin Badgers in the other Semifinal matchup. The “Cheeseheads” spoiled Kentucky’s perfect season with a 7164 victory to send the Badgers to their first title game since 1941. April 6th consisted of Opening Day in the Major Leagues; however, all eyes and ears were geared toward the late night Championship game between the legendary Coach K and his Duke Blue Devils and the Wisconsin Badgers. With countless lead changes and ties, the final hoorah between the last two teams could not above been more exhilarating for all college basketball fans to watch. With productive bench players, star player Jahil Okafor, and a few close calls towards the end going their way, the Blue Devils were the ones hoisting the 2015 National Championship Trophy at the end of regulation, just adding to Duke’s astounding resume for basketball. This is the thing: no one truly knows who will take it all year after year. You can sit at home and analyze your bracket and gain knowledge of all the statistics your brain can attain, but at the end of the day, the tournament ALWAYS finds a way to boggle our minds. That is exactly what fans expect to happen, but still can’t believe when it does in fact happen. Congrats to the Duke Blue Devils, who survived the madness in 2015.

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

Photo by: Sydney Silverberg

Sports

Lacrosse for Dummies Jake Dreilinger Editor-in-Chief

he Field: The lacrosse field is made up of two halves of about 55 yards in length. At the end of each side of the field are a circle and a goal in the middle. This circle is called a crease, and no offensive player is allowed in it. About 25 yards away from the goal is the top part of a “box”. That box extends to the hashes of a football field down to the end line. The sides of the boxes (the small pathway between the box and the sideline) are called the alleys. The midfield line acts as a barrier for the offense and defense. There must be at least three players on each side of the field at all times, and if an attackmen or defender crosses that line, they will be called offside. The only time an attackmen or defender can cross midfield is if a midfielder stays back to even out the sides. Positions: Each team has ten players on the field at one time: 1 goalie, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 attackmen. The goalie has a 40 inch stick with a wide head. The attackmen and most midfielders use a 40 inch stick with a narrower head. Defenders use a six foot pole with a narrow head. As the goal of the attackmen is to shoot, the goal of the defenders, or d-poles for short, is to stop the other team from scoring or generating an offense by any means necessary. Midfielders are the only position that can play both offense and defense, and are the only position that can cross the mid-field line. Gameplay: The game begins with the ball placed at the middle of the field. Two players proceed to the face-off and try to gain possession of the ball. Two additional midfielders are on the wings of the midfielder in the middle trying to help pick up the ground ball if necessary. The game then picks up with each team trying to score on their opponents. Players can pass the ball by throwing it with their sticks or by kicking it if it’s on the ground. When playing defense, players can use their stick to try to knock the ball out of the opposing player’s stick, or they can land a hit on an opponent if they are within five yards of the player. When the goalie makes a save or when the ball lands out of play, it is considered a turnover and the defense tries to clear the ball to the offense. Teams have 20 seconds to get the ball past midfield, and an additional 10 seconds to get the ball into a box about 25 yards away from the goal. Lacrosse is a game of speed and stick control. Substitutions: Substitutions can be made both during the game and during a timeout. If a substitution needs to be made while the game is going on, the player coming out needs to get to the team bench before the next player can come onto the field. If this is done incorrectly, this can lead to a “too many players on the field” penalty. When a substitution is made during a timeout or at the end of a quarter, players can enter the game without waiting. If a substitution is made after a goal is scored and before a face-off, players can run onto the field before an active player comes off the field. Offense: The goal of the offense is simple: score. The hard part is getting the ball past the defenders and goalie and into the net. Normally the offense will try to get past their man and take a shot, but are normally met by a defender sliding from his position to help on defense. This will cause the offensive player to pass the ball. When a player takes a shot and it misses wide or high and goes out of play, possession of the ball goes to whichever team was closest to the ball, which is normally the attackmen behind the goal. Penalties: While lacrosse can be very physical at times, there are things that can lead to penalties. When a player goes for a hit, their hands must be joined together on the stick, each facing a different direction. If the hands are apart, they will be flagged for cross-checking. Players also cannot use their sticks to hit a person in the head. On a ground ball, a player cannot push another player from behind. Also on ground balls, a player cannot clamp the ball with his stick and not move the stick. Players cannot trip with their sticks. There is no leading with the head, and there is no running to make a hit from farther than five yards out. On face-offs, only the midfield can move around the field until possession is called. If an attackman or defender leaves the box before possession is called, it’s a free clear for the other team. Gear: Sticks, helmets, elbow pads, chest pads, gloves, mouthpiece, and cup (optional). Photos by: Peter Dourvetakis

Sports

Baseball

Anthony Gomez

Brett Alayon

enior and Pines Charter Baseball veteran short-stop Anthony Gomez wants his concluding year with PCB to be meaningful and as heads into this season, he has very high expectations for his team: to win states. Taking up baseball at a tender age due to inspiration and influence from his stepdad, who played in college and minor-league, the sport has always been such a huge part of Gomez’s life. “I’ve been playing baseball ever since I was three of four,” said Anthony Gomez. I can’t really remember a time growing up when I wasn’t either playing or thinking about playing baseball.” A member of the Junior-Varsity Baseball team freshman year and a member of the Varsity team since his sophomore year, Gomez has always been one of the major players on the team, shining mostly as a short-stop but also having the ability to play other positions when he needs to. Originally a second-base in his youth, Gomez was required to switch to shortstop when he started his high school playing career because PCB needed someone with an arm like his to play the role. Gomez definitely plans to continue with baseball long after graduation; he has his mind set on playing baseball for the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) in Edinburg, Texas and even plans to eventually play in the MLB, wanting to play for either the St. Louis Cardinals or the Miami Marlins.

eing a pitcher in the game of baseball is by far one of the toughest positions. It takes courage, accuracy, and talent. Lots of talent. For senior Brett Alayon, pitching is a part of his life. When Alayon started at the age of 2, he fell in love with the game. But where does the love of the game come from? “When I started pitching at the age of 9, I absolutely loved the feeling of getting the job done under pressure,” said Alayon. Brett joined the Pines Charter baseball team his freshmen year on JV and since his sophomore year, he was accepted into varsity. Being only a sophomore and playing varsity, he knew he had to prove himself. And he did. When the team is struggling, Brett is that go-to pitcher who will get the job done. He throws blazing fastballs, and enjoys finishing the count with his significant curve ball. Brett is known for his accuracy and consistency on the mound as he continuously throws strikes and holds countless career strike-outs. When Brett steps on the mound, he is in the zone. He is in complete focus and determination to get the job done. For the past 4 years at Charter, his goal was and still is to get a ring. As a leader and team captain, Brett takes on a big responsibility on the mound. “The mound is like my home. My number one priority on the mound is to encourage and lead my teammates,” said Alayon. “I am going to miss playing here at Charter, but I am confident in the way the team is headed this season.” With Brett’s help on the mound, it is sure that the Jags will get that ring.

Trent Herzog

he determination to win is a key trait that all Charter athletes possess. For senior catcher on the varsity baseball team Trent Herzog, he takes those words to a whole new level. Ever since he first put on a glove when he was in t-ball thanks to his father’s encouragement, Herzog has dreamed of being on the big stage. Having the support of his family who live and breathe the game of baseball has helped him realize that he can make it too. “As a kid, he inspired me to be where I am today and I always looked to him for advice when I needed it,” said Herzog. When he joined the varsity squad as a sophomore, his coaches were immediately impressed with his impressive abilities and leadership skills. He has been a solid wall for pitchers behind the plate for the past two years and provided much needed stability in the middle of the lineup. However, he knows now that he needs to have an increased role if he wants the team to get past Districts, Regionals, and eventually States. Herzog is going to take it one game at a time as he is currently hitting .283 with 11 RBI’s and 1 homerun. Hopefully, it will be these impressive stats that will get a college to offer him a greatly desired scholarship. If he continues to be determined, he will reach that goal in no time.

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Anthony Nogueiras

hen playing any sport there will always be key players to look out for, and baseball is no exception. On the PPCHS varsity baseball team one of these key players to look out for is Anthony Nogueiras. Nogueiras has been playing baseball for charter for all four years of his high school, but has played the sport since he was only 3 years old. Nogueiras said, “My parents were the ones that nudged me to play and as soon as I started playing I fell in love with the sport. I’ve just been trying to get as good as possible and see if I can go pro.” Nogueiras prefers to play in the outfield, and is a great asset for the team. As of now he hasn’t committed to any colleges even though he is a senior but he is still thinking about where he would like to play in the future. “If I had a choice I would want to play out of state because those colleges are better than the ones in Florida when it comes to baseball in my opinion,” Nogueiras said. With such a great team to look out for this year, the Jags are expected to win the state championship, which is a personal goal for Nogueiras. Since this is his last year in high school, he would like to go out with a bang and help the jags win it all.

Sports

l’s Top 8

Daniel Rivero

Alex Monge

s he stands on the pitcher’s mound, Daniel Rivero nervously awaits to take the pitch that may decide the game. He takes in a deep breath and remembers all of the practice that he has gone through, all leading up to this moment. Rivero relaxes all of the muscles in his body, throws the perfect pitch, and strikes out the batter to end the game in a victory for PPCHS’ Baseball Team. Daniel Rivero, a junior at PPCHS, has been playing baseball for the varsity school team, as a pitcher, for two years now. He has been playing baseball in general for 11 years, since the age of five. As a 16-year-old student, Rivero has already committed to the University of Miami. “My dad is the reason I play baseball,” said Rivero. “When I was young, he wanted me to play since he did as well. I have been playing ever since then and over time my love for the sport grew bigger and bigger, now it’s my life. Getting into UM is an awesome feeling, there’s no other way to describe it. My dad works for the university so it’s also his dream to see me play for their baseball team.” Rivero has strong hopes for this season. After seeing how solid the pitching staff and hitting line are in the first few games of the season, he believes that this year the Jags have a strong chance to reach, and hopefully win, states.

ears of training mixed with natural athletic ability can create a great player. For senior second basemen Alex Monge, this is just the case. For the last 13 years, Monge has been working hard playing the sport he loves: baseball. As a young boy, Monge played a variety of sports, but didn’t find the one for him until he tried baseball. “I was really involved in many other sports, but at around 10-years-old I began to realize that I was most talented at baseball,” said Monge. “It seemed to come natural to me and I just had an obsession with being on the field.” Monge isn’t the only one in his family to play baseball; his dad and uncle both played in high school. His brother also plays baseball at West Point after playing four years with Charter. This influenced Monge to reach the same level and play ball next year at Barry University. “My goals are to get a batting average over .400 and get ready for my career at Barry University. As a team, we are all hungry to win states because we let it slip from our grasp last year in the regional finals,” said Monge, Monge is proof that with years of hard work, anything is possible. As a senior entering his fourth year on PCB, Monge hopes to lead his team farther than they went last year, hopefully winning the much sought after state championship.

Danny Rodriguez-Velez

Anthony Garcia

ommitted to Bethune Cookman College, Danny Rodriquez is all about power. He started playing the game of baseball at a young age, when his father introduced the game to him. Soon he fell in love with it, and it became a religion to him. He simply said “it’s in my blood because I’m Dominican.” He is committed to (BC) because they gave him a full baseball scholarship, and they have a program that he loves. Danny is best known for his home run power, and plays the position of first base. His greatest memory playing baseball for the high school team was when the Jags team won the district championship. “Even though we lost in regional finals, this year we are tougher and we can go even farther this year. We will use last year’s loss as a learning experience,” said the first baseman. His favorite baseball player is Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter played shortstop and is known for his charisma on and off the field. Danny admires Jeter’s attitude, the way he played the game, and how he left such a great legacy behind. Rodriguez is on his third and last year on the Varsity baseball team for the Jags. Danny is a hard working athlete, and will be a well-respected college player. He has put in endless hours to the game of baseball, and he is ready to work even harder for college. First, Danny is ready to take on his last ride, for Jags baseball.

alking to the middle of the infield, there’s only one thing for him to do. It’s coming down to this last pitch for the Jaguars to win the game. It’s do or die. Raising his right arm he throws the ball over 80 mph leaving the batter on the opposition stunned. It just takes two more throws like that to end the game. People in the stand get up and ask “Who is that?” Senior Brett Alayon stands up and shouts “That’s Anthony Garcia!” “Hopefully we can go just as far last year and make it even farther next year. I have full confidence in my team,” said senior Anthony Garcia. Anthony Garcia is a senior who has been playing baseball since he was in 7th grade. During his freshmen and sophomore year he played for the Pines Charter JV team, but after that he moved up to Varsity. Garcia doesn’t know yet if he will play professional baseball but is committed to FSU for academics. He found inspiration for the game he loves when his dad introduced him to baseball at a young age. As a pitcher of the team, it is Garcia’s job to make sure he throws a variety of pitches to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well. With his help on the field, the Jags are likely to make it to States and be champions.

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Sports

Girls’ T

Samantha Barea

Sophomore Samantha Barea has been playing tennis for more than six years, starting at the tender age of ten and since then evolving to become an extremely versatile and well-rounded

athlete on and off the court. Barea began playing rec tennis with Sunset Lakes in the fifth grade and grew much as a player and person in the four years following. She easily made the PPCHS team last year as a freshman and now, just over a year later, she has the #3 spot on the team, right behind seniors Karli Cash and Karla Mendez. Barea’s strengths on the court are her powerful serves and very consistent forehand, with her weaknesses/areas she wants to improve in are her footwork and fitness, so she can get to the ball quicker. Her professional role model in tennis is US national Serena Williams and although she doesn’t think she will end up going professional herself, she hopes to play tennis for the rest of her years at Charter and also in college for either one of her favorite schools: UF and UCF. With Cash and Mendez graduating at the end of the year, Barea will likely hold the #1 spot on Charter for the rest of her Jaguar tennis career. At districts this year, Barea won her singles 6-3, 6-2, and won her doubles 7-5, 6-4; at regionals Barea unfortunately lost her singles 6-1,6-2, but was able to be victorious with the doubles, winning an 11-9 tiebreaker after a 6-4, 2-6 draw. Barea hopes to come back strong with a bang next year and even hopefully make it to states. “It will really sad at first when the seniors graduate because they bring so much positive energy to the team and we’ll be losing some truly amazing players, but we’re going to try to keep doing our best to continue doing what we do and to carry on their legacy.”

Julie A

Whenever a sports program has an line, it is without a doubt a morale boo

Julie Ascunce has lead the girls’ tennis four years. With over a decade of experie a feel for the ins and outs of the sport. As team manager this past season, Ascu ular activities that occurred outside of te positive spirit and great responsibility n manager, but also the right to be a part o After a strong regular season, Ascunce a able to keep up their momentum by eas In the following round, Regionals, the e came to an end just a few weeks ago. “This season was like no other. Going in last as I will be attending the University Ascunce. “I cannot be more grateful for and coaches I’ve had over the past four

Karla Mendez

PCHS’ girl’s tennis team for the 2015 season has one of the strongest line ups the school has ever seen. Leading the pack of this elite group is sophomore Karla Mendez. Despite taking most of her classes online, she is still able to make up her school commitments after school with the Girl’s tennis team. She gets to school every day not only ready to achieve academically, but also on the tennis courts. “I first picked up a racket when I was eight years old, almost eight years ago,” said Mendez. “I started to play more seriously when I was 12 years old. I started playing for the school freshmen year, my first year. Ever since I started at eight, I have been hooked to the sport and haven’t been able to let it go.” Mendez had high hopes for this season, stating that the she wished to get farther than the team did last year, which was the first round of states, and hopefully even win states. At the age of 14, Karla Mendez was raked #30 in the state of Florida for the best girl’s tennis players. Over the course of the last two years, she has been able to grow profoundly as a tennis player and has reached rank #150 in the entire United States. Mendez, along with the rest of the tennis team, was able to make it to states, which were in Orlando. She won her first game 6-1 6-1 against a Junior, then played and beat a Senior 6-2 6-2 in the quarterfinal round. Unfortunately, she the draw was not kind to Mendez in the semifinal, as she was matched up against a Senior who had the best national ranking in the 18 year old age group of the United States Tennis Association. At this point, Mendez was defeated 6-3 6-1.

Boys’ T

Jason Hsieh

Dedication and perseverance in a sport can lead an individual to success. Jason Hsieh has grown over his 11 year career playing tennis and plans to continue his development. Starting in

kindergarten Hsieh’s mom enrolled her son in a sport she thought to be safe to pursue. He continued taking lessons, which would ultimately lead to competing. So far with his club team he has competed in three tournaments and has come out on top in one of them. On the high school team Hsieh has made his mark, currently on his way to the state tournament. Hsieh and Alex Martinek (’16) are the only two members on the team going to states, but the team as a whole won districts. Throughout his three years in high school Jason has made it to every regional tournament so far. “I’m so excited to be headed to states. This is going to be my first time competing there and I hope to win at least one round or possibly get a ring. I’ve been practicing more than usual so I can attain my goal,” stated Hsieh. As the high school team has only lost two matches, Jason plans on ending his junior season on a high note. Hsieh wants to continue his tennis career into college and hopefully compete for the University of Central Florida.

Derek Mackey

Derek Mackey has been playing tennis since he was just two years old. At first, it was just a hobby and something fun to do with his dad. Little did he know then that tennis would be a huge

part of his life now. Although Mackey just started playing tennis on the school team this year, he’s already been unstoppable. Mackey has only lost one game out of ten. “I played a lot when I was younger but just recently is when I started training hard and taking it more seriously. When I made it on the team, I was really ecstatic to see where it would take me and so far I’m doing very well,” said Mackey. The team that Mackey lost against was Fort Lauderdale high School, but he made it up by beating Everglades High where Mackey scored a golden set while his opponent scored nothing. Mackey believes he has played very good this season and played quite a lot for a newcomer. Mackey has only lost three games out of 10 during regular season and although he didn’t play at districts, he played at regionals where he lost 6-1, 6-0 to his opponent. “My opponent was a very good player and I think he deserved it and I just hope we have a better season next year,” says Mackey. Mackey plans on playing on the PPCHS tennis team for the rest of his high school. Although he’s only a sophomore, Mackey already knows that he wants to go to UM for college and major in academics. “It’s always fun playing tennis, I love the sport, but my favorite part about this season was probably spending time with the players, they’re all very good people. I made a lot of new friends and learned a lot from them and I’m very grateful for that,” said Mackey.

Alex M

n every school sport’s team, the relied upon to get the job done every ti it isn’t any different as that player is ju him into the sport when he was in elem something that he could really excel in conditioning, he has worked countless get in the perfect shape. “I really think that as a team, we did a g extremely thankful for making States. T season long and I know that we gave are This season, Martinek, the team’s No. 1, States in the doubles category with fellow fort, they unfortunately lost in the openi ing to get better over the summer so he year. After next year when his time in h believes that he will be able to pursue hi a Division 1 school. As for now, Martin court, one serve at a time.

Sports

Tennis

Ascunce

ichelle Vaca is a junior who has been playing tennis for as long as she can remember. She has played for the high school tennis team since freshman year. It all started in Colombia where she started to play tennis. Her dad would bring her to watch him play tennis and she always had a good time which got her into playing the sport at the age of seven. Vaca says that she gets inspiration from professional tennis player Rafael Nadal. After reading a book written by Nadal, Vaca was surprised by how serious he takes tennis. When he is on the court, Nadal is completely focused on the match and does not see what is around him. That attitude is what has made Nadal win 14 singles grand slams. This style of play is what Vaca tries to emulate and be the best tennis player she can be. “I would love to get more confidence and not get nervous in every match. I just want to be a better tennis player and hope to win States this year,” said junior Michelle Vaca. Vaca hopes to attend the University of Florida and play tennis in college. Vaca will be competing in the singles and hope to get her team a position in States. Vaca and her team beat Fort Lauderdale at Districts to go through Regionals. However, the girl’s tennis team was not able to go past the first round of Districts. They tried to plan their game accordingly but weren’t able to triumph over the opposing team. “This year we really wanted to go to states. We worked really hard all year. All of us put our hearts into our matches. Even though we didn’t make it to states this year, we had so much fun during the season and I’m going to miss the seniors a lot. We have become a family. I think I did great because I tried my hardest. I’m going to be practicing all year so that we can go to states next year,” said junior Michelle Vaca.

athlete that is willing to put it all on the oster for everyone. Senior tennis player program to much success over the past ence, Ascunce has been able to truly get

unce was in charge of all the extracurricennis matches on the court. The seniors’ not only earned her the right to be team of the top six on the team. and the rest of the girls’ tennis team was sily winning the District championship. entire team’s run at States unfortunately

nto the year, I knew that it would be my y of South Florida for academics,” said r all of the support from my teammates years.”

Karli Cash

he PPCHS girl’s tennis team has a star studded line-up, and leading the team is senior Karli Cash. Cash has been playing the sport since the age of 4, bud doesn’t have any significant reason for playing the sport, other than trying out various sports at a young age and deciding that tennis was one that she enjoyed and was the sport for her. Cash doesn’t have any athlete role models also, but to her she needs to focus on herself and improve as much as she can. “I’ve been playing for charter since I was a freshman, and I hope to make this my best season. I’m not looking to play in college or pro, but I’ll try to play for a club or team during and after college,” said Cash. Like most of the players on the team, Cash is expecting them to make it as far as states this year, and even hopefully win. Cash wants to win this year the most out of everybody on the tennis team though because this is her senior year, and she wants to finish her high school sports career with a bang. After the regular season finished the tennis team participated in districts, regionals, and states. However for Kash, she wasn’t able to play after districts due to an injury she picked up. Only one of the players from the tennis team went on to play as far as states, though but it was a great experience for each player to get as far as they did. For any high school athlete senior year is the most important one to stand out in and do the best during, and that is exactly what senior Karli Cash is planning to do. She’s an athlete to look out for this year in tennis, and won’t disappoint anybody watching her play her game.

Tennis

Chanoan Sumonthee

Sophomore Chanoan Sumonthee has only just started his PPCHS Tennis career this season but he has already made his way to the #3 spot of the team. Though being his first year with the

Martinek

Charter team, Sumonthee has been playing tennis for almost twelve years, starting at the young age of four. His parents insisted that he start a sport at a young age, and they chose tennis for him because of its low risk of injury and its well-roundedness. A dozen years later, Chanoan has grown to love the sport very much and has transformed into a very highly-skilled player. His major strengths on the court are his shot power and his consistent forehand while his weaknesses and areas he wants to improve in are his backhand’s strength and his serving. “More practice will help me improve. I took a three year break from tennis and I need practice to get back in rhythm and get back the consistency.” After his three-year break from tennis, Sumonthee plans to practice by playing more matches and tournaments. “More experience helps me improve” he says. After a grand success at districts with a 6-0 win against Coconut Creek in the semi-finals and yet another 6-0 win in the finals against Boyton Beach, Sumonthee met an unfortunate loss against Alonzo Mourning High School in Miami Beach, losing at a score of 6-3. He says despite his disappointment, he knows his loss can only ultimate lead to his improvement. Sumonthee plans to play tennis for the rest of his high school career but he says he doesn’t plan to extended his playing days past high school because he has other dreams and pursuits that he is looking forward to, but tennis will always remain a big part of his heart.

ere is always that one player who can be ime. For the Pines Charter tennis team, unior Alex Martinek. Once his dad got mentary school, Martinek new this was n. With his outstanding work ethic and hours trying to improve his game and

great job of winning Districts and I am The whole team worked to improve all e all this year,” said Martinek. , lead Charter to Regionals and he made w junior Jason Hsieh. After a valiant efing quarterfinal round. Martinek is hopcan help his team go even farther next high school comes to a close, Martinek is dream of playing tennis in college for nek is continuing to light up the tennis

Michelle Vaca

Andres Mendoza

ifelong dedication to a sport can build skill and the athletic drive it takes to succeed. For junior Andres Mendoza, tennis has been a big part of his life for seven years now. Although he played other sports, Mendoza has been playing tennis the most competitively. He was introduced to the sport by his dad, who played for his school when he was younger, also. “At first my dad kind of forced me into [tennis] when I was younger,” said Mendoza. “Then, as I went on and started to practice, I began to like it a lot and take it much more seriously.” Tennis, though, isn’t the only sport Mendoza plays. Soccer has also been a major part of his life. He uses what he learned playing soccer to help him succeed in tennis. “I still play soccer, but I find that tennis is less time consuming and suits me better with my school schedule,” said Mendoza. “I love both sports and soccer does help with staying fit for tennis.” Mendoza has many goals for his team this year. As a team, he wants to win districts and hopefully win states, as well. As a player, Mendoza wants to “get better as a player and train hard until districts”. As for college, Mendoza hasn’t put much thought into whether he will play in college, but if he does his school of choice would be the University of Miami. In Districts, the team won first place in Districts, which is the second time in history. Unfortunately, Mendoza and the Jags couldn’t advance past regionals and make this season truly historic. “Regionals didn’t go the way we had hoped for but next year we hope to improve and do better,” said Mendoza.

Sports

Volleybal T

Nick Tucci

typical volleyball player nowadays is tall and lanky; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the most talented players. For PPCHS’ very own boys’ varsity volleyball team, one of their best players and co-captain is one of their smaller players: Nick Tucci. The junior is currently in his third season on the volleyball as he began playing the sport as a freshman. As a setter and one of the captains, Tucci is essentially the leader on the court at all times. “In all sports, being close with your teammates is a great feeling. For some reason volleyball is at a different level because after every point we gather around into a mini huddle to encourage each other. This is by far my favorite part of high school and I enjoy being on that court day in and day out,” said Tucci. Tucci has played other sports in his life including baseball, but his love for volleyball really grew on him the more and more he was involved, thanks to his older brother. Tucci’s inspiration while he’s battling out there is simple: to win no matter what situation it is and to do his individual job to the best of his ability. The junior is truly expecting the team to be solid this year despite having many newcomers. With him leading the way as a setter: the sky is the limit.

Elijah Montas

he boys’ volleyball team might have their luck change this year, as new members join the team and the team gets a little more serious. With junior Elijah Montas as an asset to the team, the Jaguars have their sights on districts. In Montas’s sophomore year, his close friends Steven and Josh Gomez inspired him to take on the sport. Although last year the team had a more laidback atmosphere, this year Montas has grown a greater passion for the sport. Montas is a mainly a right hitter, their main goal is to block the best hitter on the opposing team and also to score. The team has tough competition in the district with top teams including Chaminade Madonna, South Broward, Flanagan, and Cypress Bay, but they stay hopeful and hardworking throughout the season. “States is a big goal to achieve but I think we do have a shot at winning the District title. We have improved a lot between last year and this year and we will take the season one step at a time,” stated Montas. Elijah has a grown a bond with the team that has been stronger than last year, which has added to the chemistry of the team and made them connect better on the court. Montas does not plan on pursuing volleyball in college, but will finish out his last two high school years with the Jags.

Jacob K

here was a time when seni in dribbling a ball and shooting i until he reached the age of eight t pick it up and spike it. For years K sidelines as they took part in the i to play, along with their encouragi it a try. He made his way to recr shores, later he started playing pri finally graduated to playing for th his freshman year. “I have been playing on the high man but I didn’t play sophomore y knowing that I will be leaving the confident that next year’s team is me feel good. And If I have the op I will,” said Kerbel. He explained that the game has in allowing him to “form bonds with mates”. The importance of teamw are also attributed to his participati does not plan on playing any sport attend- he does plan on making the season. He hopes that his team win to improve on their skills as a team

Sports

ll’s Top 5

Kerbel

ior Jacob Kerbel found a passion it in a basket, however it wasn’t that found he would much rather Kerbel watched his sisters on the intense sport which inspired him ing words that drove him to give reational volleyball at Pembroke ivately for Ohana Volleyball, and he PPCHS Volleyball team since

h school team since I was a freshyear. Now that it’s my senior year, team soon is really sad. But I’m going to be better, which makes pportunity to come back and help,

nfluenced him in many ways by h his coaches, trainers, and teamwork and quick decision making ion in the sport. Although Kerbel ts at FIU -the college he plans to e best of the remainder of his last ns districts this year and continues m.

Gibou Nije

very spring junior Gibou Nije trades in his maroon and white basketball uniform for a new set--a volleyball one. Nije who sports a PCB bookbag around school is much known for his contribution to the basketball team. However after the season of dribbling balls is over he adjusts his athleticism from shooting free throws and making lay ups to hitting spikes and blocking serves. “I chose volleyball out of all the sports out there because it helps me with my main sport which is basketball and it helps me a lot like jumping, reaction time and how fast I am on my feet,” said Nije. Not only a game but a sport that he’s fell in love with the junior says there is actually a thin line between volleyball and basketball, “Both games are actually very similar. Blocking passing and getting spikes which is similar to catching alley hoops.” The self-proclaimed nickname “The Hulk Smash” simply describes his style of play. Gibou’s hard work came full circle in a game against the Hollywood Hills Spartans, “I actually realized that I have a big impact on the team on Monday against Hollywood Hills. I did really well, I recorded nine kills and we beat them 3 sets to 0.” Something he will continue in the future Volleyball is in his eyes is a “competitive sport that shows you that you have no time to make errors.”

Danny Meltzer

aving the athletic ability to play a sport is good, but having the athletic ability to play multiple sports is phenomenal. Sometimes this athletic ability can help someone learn how to play an entirely new sport. Senior Danny Meltzer was a soccer player for most of his life. Last year, he decided to try out volleyball, but had to drop it because “it was too much with soccer and SAT classes.” As a senior in his final year at PPCHS, Meltzer has rejoined the volleyball team, hoping to add his athletic ability to the talented team. “I don’t have experience playing volleyball,” said Meltzer. “Sometimes I would play at the beach, but that is it.” In his first and final season on the team, Meltzer plays the position of libero, a player who specializes in defensive skills. He credits playing soccer as a preparation for playing this position. “It helps because I am used to the physical beating it takes to throw your body after a ball,” said Meltzer. “Also I am in great shape for volleyball.” As for his goals, Meltzer has two things in mind: making it to districts and keeping his position. It will take a lot of hard work and training, but Meltzer is always up for a challenge. He has the talent, he has the athletic ability, and he has the drive to succeed. All Meltzer needs to do now is make that desire into a reality.

Charter Roasts Sofia Gangotena Staff Writer

omedy Central has been known for many popular shows like South Park and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Since 2003, they’ve been known for their popular special: Celebrity Roasts. During these roasts, friends of the roastee and other celebrities gather together on TV to make fun of the roastee. Typically, they would make a joke about popular moments in the person’s life, like scandals and recent relationships. Former roasted celebs include Pamela Anderson, William Shatner, and James Franco. For example, at Franco’s roast, jokes were mostly surrounding his sexuality and physical image, like the fact that his eyes always look like they’re closed, and comedians like Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen made an appearance. Recently, pop sensation and former teen heartthrob Justin Bieber was added onto the list of roastees when he was roasted by some of comedy’s favorite faces on Comedy Central, like Kevin Hart and Hannibal Burress and famous faces like Martha Stewart and Shaquille O’Neal. The roast actually happened with his request. Jokes mostly centered on Bieber’s controversy over the last two years, like when he egged his neighbor’s house or bought a monkey from Germany, and his relationship with actress and singer Selena Gomez. Another scandal is when a video was released of Bieber urinating into a restaurant’s bucket that is used to clean the floors. At the end of the video, he yelled a comment about Bill Clinton. Even though it wasn’t mentioned in the roast, it was clearly a memorable scandal in the eyes of a lot of people. The jokes at the roast were a big hit

and gained a lot of laughs. For example, Chris D’Elia said, “I’m proud of you. You have it all. You literally are a guy who has it all --except for respect, love, friends, good parents, and a Grammy.” (Telegraph.uk). In the end, Justin Bieber took the time to apologize for his behavior for the past couple years. “I turned a lot of people off over the past few years, but I know I can still turn out good music and turn everything all around,” he said. “I’ve lost some of my best qualities. For that, I am sorry… I’m looking forward to being someone who you guys can all look at and be proud of.” (Us Weekly) Senior Jonny Selvin said, “I thought that the roast was really funny. My favorite part was when they made a joke about Justin Bieber’s monkey and how it had to be left at the Germany airport.” Snoop Dogg had made a joke about the monkey and said, “You bought a monkey! I mean, that monkey was more embarrassed than the one that started the Aids epidemic.” (Telegraph.uk) The roast was a big hit amongst the Charter students. Junior Stephen Lyons said, “I thought that the roast was really funny. It had good jokes and made me laugh.” Due to its success, the Chat decided to try its hand at roasting celebrities. We asked some of Charter’s funniest students and asked them to roast and make jokes about some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities.

Ibine Longjohn: “If Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande were having a contest on who can be the loudest and most annoying, Ariana Grande would win by far.”

Stacy Gabriel: “Iggy Azalea sounds like the paper Spongebob when she raps.”

Andrew Kelleher: “Christina Aguilera sounds like Miss Piggy when she sings and talks.”

Juan like h he’s

CJ Cruz: “The only thing bigger than Kanye West’s ego is his forehead.”

Timya Taylor: “Nicki Minaj’s lyrics are as real as her butt.”

Austin Lockett: “Kylie Jenner is so irrelevant, it’s so difficult to think of a joke about her.”

Todd M lor Sw the tim two we

Rocking with the finest ladies of our time Looghermine Claude News Editor

Graphic By: Matthew Perez

As Janie’s grandmother says in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, “De ****** woman is de mule uh de world,”. Black women were one of the last groups to gain full rights in the U.S.. They had to wait for both women and blacks to get their rights separately before they got the chance to speak up legally. Now, bombarded with beauty ads and campaigns that feature only white women and constantly criticized for their hair, voices, and dress, black women are facing another social challenge. Black Girls Rock! strives to empower girls to break through these barriers and to become whoever they choose, despite the messages that are being sent all around them. The organization believes that enriching black girls’ lives will not only change them, but also the talk about them. The award show highlights girls and women from all walks of life who embody what it means to be a “black girl who rocks”. They are actresses, singers, principals, and students who are role models for all black girls and who inspire others to push forward towards their dreams. Black Girls Rock! 2015 was filled with familiar and fresh faces who were being honored for amazing accomplishments. In between beautiful performances from some of the greatest black artists including Ciara with her ballad I Bet, Erykah Badu with a funky blend of Soldier and Master Teacher, and a soulful Pillars of Justice Medley from Faith Evans, Fantasia, and Lalah Hathaway, the show highlighted the accomplishments and stories of these women. The Change Agent Award went to Principal Nadia Lopez of Motts Hall Bridges Academy. Lopez runs the school in a rough neighborhood in New York, but she inspires her “scholars” to rise above their current status and aspire to be leaders and game changers. Lopez rose to national fame when one of her students spoke to Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton about how her words influenced him. The Living Legend Award went to Cicely Tyson, an Academy Award, Golden Globe nominated and a Tony Award winning actress. Erykah Badu won the Rockstar award for her career in music. Director Ava Duvernay won the Shot Caller Award. Duvernay transitioned from working as a publicist and making her own marketing agency to making films in 2008. She has made movies featuring African-Americans like I Will Follow, Middle of Nowhere, and the Academy-Award and Golden Globe winning biopic Selma. The Social Humanitarian Award went to Dr. Helen D. Gayle the CEO of CARE USA, a humanitarian aid organization that aims to end global poverty. The Star Power Award went to actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith starred on the TV sitcom A Different World and the movies The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Women. [talk about how moving the speeches were]

n Tellez: “Justin Bieber wants to act he’s older, but everyone knows that like 12.”

McBride: “On Valentine’s Day, Taywift probably gives her boyfriend at me a card that reads: Be Mine, for like eeks.”

Finest Ladies: Three celebrities of color Graphic By: Katie Perez

Entertainment

#BlackOutDay takes Social Media by storm Shakayla Lee Entertainment Editor

etween the 2014 and the 2015 year alone, the African American community has been in the midst of several trials and tribulations and have naturally taken to social media to express their frustration. From the police brutality protests, the apparent lack of representation in the media, the hardships of African Americans in the Trans and LGBT community, and a slew of other events, it can all add up to take a psychological toll on the idea of self-worth amongst the black community. However, on Friday March 6th, 2015 African Americans all over the world took back their power and exclaimed to the world through social media that in addition to all races and nationalities, black IS beautiful. Thus, “#BlackOutDay” was born. The participants uploaded photos of themselves and posted them to several social media sites including– Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook. The images inadvertently promoted diversity by illustrating people of different religions, ages, disabilities, sexual orientations, body images, and locations. However, the element that linked and ultimately united all of the participants were that they were all African Americans who were comfortable in their own skin. The concept of the day was created by Tumblr user T’von, also known as Y.R.N , who felt that “there was a lack of representation of African Americans on his [Tumblr] dashboard” except for the “usual celebrities” and felt that all black people deserved to have a chance to shine and display that they too are worthy of praise and admiration (fusion.net). With the help of his co-creator and fellow Tumblr user Nukirk, who created the BlackOut hashtag and promotional art, they both ignited a spark of self-love that burned worldwide. By the ‘BlackOut’ tag becoming one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter, with over 58,000 tweets by just noon, it is clear that Black History happens every day. The digital activism displayed by millions through their tireless participation in an activity as simple as taking a selfie only highlights the underlined importance of exclaiming all peoples beauty and rejecting negative stereotypes perpetuated by the media. In honor of the first BlackOut day, PPCHS poses the question “What impact do you feel the creation of #BlackOutDay has on the African American Community, and what is its importance?”

Aminah Olaniyan 11th

“B

lackOut is important to me because it's good for the self-esteem of black people, especially women, because of the idea out there that being dark is a bad thing. It shows that you can be dark skinned and still be beautiful”.

Brandon Clerg 9th

“I

Shaneal Morgan 11th

“P

think things like BlackOut are important because it articipating in BlackOut is basically symbolizreminds people that black is a beautiful color. Even though es embracing your power and your beauty as a black I missed it the first time, if they ever do it again I would do person, and especially embracing your culture which is it, just to support the movement”. extremely important in today's society”.

12th, Ariana Chang

10th, Sophia Fabien

12th, Daga Nyang

feel that the whole event and action has had a positive impact of the African American community because it shows that the people are willing to promote what they believe is right and justified. The importance is that it's banding a whole population together to emphasize what's wrong with society and how it can be fixed if everyone is willing to change”.

think the impact that one post had on an entire community was amazing. BlackOut day allowed black people of all shades to be looked at as beautiful, which is something that isn't common in today’s society. To me it was a reminder that even though the media doesn’t represent all people, everyone should feel beautiful regardless of their skin color”.

me Blackout is important because it was a day when we [the African American Community] were allowed to celebrate others and be celebrated ourselves. It's important because despite the fact that, in my opinion, we live extremely marginalized existences in this world, we still can come together and love each other as a community”.

“I

“To

Entertainment

Movie Reviews Looghermine Claude News Editor Graphics By: Carmen Pettersen

JMila upiter Ascending: Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones in the sci-fi flick, Jupiter Ascending. The movie fol-

Graphic By: Carmen Pettersen

lows Jones and her protector Caine (Channing Tatum) as they travel through the galaxy using Jones’s newfound sovereignty to protect the people of Earth. Along the way, Jones discovers herself and a world where she has power and influence. The biggest and most obvious problem with the movie is that it’s messy. The movie has a lot of backstory and side stories that it needs to get through to get into the more interesting parts of the movie, but getting through it was confusing and never explained much. Also, the story was told through so many points of view that in the beginning it was hard to see whose side of the story was being portrayed. Another problem is Jupiter Jones herself. Mila Kunis does a good job at acting, but Jones isn’t a great character to portray. She accepts the fact that alien races exist really quickly and accepts other massive changes in her life as if she only spilled water on her shirt. She’s also gullible to the point of ridicule. My biggest problem with her; however, is that she is unable to defend herself. Jones is constantly being saved by Caine and only makes minimal attempts at keeping herself alive. Throughout the movie, she never gains experience in this field and instead relies on well-placed bars and concrete slabs to keep her from falling to her death. Even though the execution may have been shoddy, I really like the idea for this movie. The idea of having rulers of the galaxies and alien races creating an unconventional way of having immortality is genius and definitely a good idea for a movie. I just which the movie was cleaner and that Jupiter Jones was a more complex character. Jupiter Ascending was a movie that lost itself on the way from the storyboard to the camera work. It’s because of this that I do not recommend seeing this in theatres.

TThehe Imitation Imitation Game: Game tells the story of Alan Turing, a computer scientist, mathe-

matician, and cryptanalyst who was hired by the British government to crack Enigma, the Germans’ cipher machine during World War II. Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, comes up with the idea to create a machine that will go through every single one of Enigma’s encryptions and break the Germans’ codes so that the Allies can use the information. The movie tells the story through flashbacks, which, in the beginning, is confusing as the movie switches back and forth too much to really grasp what is happening. The good part about the rapid switches is that the movie gets right into the plot; it wastes no time with details or backstories. As for great things in the movie: Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Cumberbatch does a fantastic job using all parts of him to portray emotions. You can tell when Turing is nervous when he stutters. You can feel his sadness when he mumbles. You can see his pain when his hands shake. Cumberbatch makes Turing turn from a condescending and impersonal genius to a fragile and heartbroken man. Keira Knightley also does a stunning job with her character, Joan Clarke. Throughout the movie, Clarke breaks gender roles and has amazing chemistry with all the characters, making her the ideal supporting character. The Imitation Game definitely deserves the 8 Oscar nominations and the win for Best Adapted Screenplay that it got this year. But don’t leave this movie for the Academy. The Imitation Game is a great movie for anyone looking for a poignant story about triumph in the midst of sorrow.

Graphic By: Carmen Pettersen

TThehe newest DUFF: teen comedy movie is The DUFF starring Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne,

Graphic By: Carmen Pettersen

and Robbie Amell. The movie chronicles Bianca’s (Whitman) journey of self-actualization after she figures out that she’s a DUFF, a Designated Ugly Fat Friend. According to the movie a DUFF is the friend who isn’t as good looking or “cool” as the others and therefore is more approachable to everyone else. One of my biggest concerns going into the movie was that it was going to be another “nerdy girl turned bombshell gets everything she wanted” movie. Thankfully, The DUFF doesn’t do that. Even though the movie seems to sway in that direction, it ends up being Bianca’s words and not her looks that give her a happily ever after. One of the best things about the movie that has nothing to do with the social commentary is the chemistry between Bianca and Wesley (Amell). Throughout the movie, their witty banter and corny jokes worked and felt like conversations between friends. However, the movie falls short in two main ways. One, The DUFF rides on a lot on stereotypes, both old and new. The movie uses the classic school qualification groups like jocks and nerds, but also uses newer stereotypes of teens saying that they’re too interested in their phones, even going so far as to have a fight that consists of unfriending each other on social media. The other problem is that the ending falls flat. In most feel good teen movies, at the end there is an inspiring speech to a crowd that’s made to make you change the way you think. The DUFF doesn’t do that. The “speech” is made to a character who doesn’t care and will never change, and the final scene isn’t as heartwarming as you’d want it to be. Overall, The DUFF is a good weekend movie to watch with some friends, but it’s nowhere close to being this decades Mean Girls.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Announced Nicholas Rivera Lifestyle Editor

here is Apple, there is Nokia, there is LG, and there is HTC. But the phone that students will be going crazy over in the next few months will be from none of the above. Samsung recently announced the release of two new Galaxy phones, the S6 and the S6 Edge and they have re-vamped their whole look. The new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are sure to be blowing minds and possibly holes in wallets. Consumers will be happy to know that the screen size from the S5 to the S6 stayed constant at 5.1 inches. However, that does not mean that the screen is exactly the same. The biggest difference is in the Galaxy S6 Edge, with its curved edges. The curve was introduced back in late 2014 with the Galaxy Note Edge, and is now moving to a new galaxy of phones. The edge is special due to the fact that it can be independent to the rest of the phone’s screen, using an independent software from the rest of the screen. Notifications will like up the edge rather than the whole phone and the edge will also be able to display time, missed messages, and weather among other features. The rest of the screen’s updates are primarily with software rather than size. The touch screen entails a super AMOLED display for sharp images. After years of complaining from customers, Samsung finally removed the plastic back of the previous Galaxy phones. It has been replaced with a hard gorilla glass back with metal framing. While this has opened the eyes of some iPhone users with thoughts of going Android, many are disappointed because the sacrifice made was the removable back. This means that the beloved removable and replaceable micro SD card is a thing of the past and users will have to purchase the phones with either 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB. Improvements have been made with the camera, which now sticks slightly out of the back of the phone. The phone features a 16 megapixel rear camera and a 5 mega-pixel front facing camera. “I’m worried about the glass back. I understand why they did it because it really does give the phone a more luxurious look. The reason I’m worried is because I think that a lot of people might end up breaking them. At least the plastic didn’t usually crack. Also, what happens if the edge on the S6 breaks? I feel like it would be hard to replace,” said junior Nickolas Hernandez. With its new back and over-all look, the Samsung phones have received a lot of comments on the resemblance to the latest iPhone 6. There is no arguing that the two phones have a very similar look. Both use the metal framing and have fairly similar colors. The two phones also have finger scanners, with the Samsung scanner updated for more accuracy. “I think it’s funny how Apple and Samsung seem to be copying each other. Samsung adapted the finger scanner after the iPhone 5S, then Apple came out with the huge phone, which started off on Android phones, and now Samsung is almost replicating the look of the iPhone,” said junior Lawrence Marable. While there is a lot of talk on whether the changes for the new Galaxy phones will be beneficial to Samsung or whether the phone will flop, there is still excitement building towards the release date. The price of the phones will be dependent on how much storage comes on the phone. The price of a 32 GB S6 Phone will likely be about $650 without a contract; an S6 Edge will be a little pricier with the 32 GB phone being estimated at $950 without a contract. The phones will be available for purchase in early April.

Galaxy Phone: Many studetns are excited about the release of the Samsung Galaxy s6. Photo By: Rebecca Gonzalez

Robot Helping You Attend Class Lauren Cookley Staff Writer

Robot Learning: Junior Weniland Filarti is using his computer to help him when he cannot be in class. Photo By: Rebecca Gonzalez

effrey Kaji, a freshman in high school, has taken technology to a new level. He attends class at Long Island School for the Gifted in South Huntington. He was told he would not be able to attend school for a week, after finding out that he needed to have his appendix removed. He was a diligent and dedicated student who did not want to miss any days of school. His mother, who works for a company that designs robots, had an idea to be able to have the robot help her son to virtually be in school. She asked her boss at work, an A+ technology and security solutions, if her son would be able to use one of the robots. “I was really thinking of my son’s benefit when asking my boss to borrow the robot, but also thought it would be a great opportunity to show how viable robots can be,” said Jeffrey’s mom. Kaji has only missed a day of school and has been virtually at school every other day. With this robot, it is a computer screen connected to two tall poles that has attached wheels at the bottom. The wheeled robot allows the user to be able to control the screen so they can interact with others in class and all around you even in the hallways. You can also move in any direction and as well as see what is around you. Jeffrey can sit at home on his computer and be able to control the device and communicate with teachers during the lesson just as if he was actually present in the class. Jeffery was able to continue to do his schoolwork and even get to socialize with friends. This device is a great tool for people who are handicapped or disabled and can give them all opportunities to be able to live normal lives and do everyday activities. As Jeffery’s mom states, “We were able to sit at dinner and talk about his day at school as if he was actually there” (dailymail.co.uk). “Students are really enjoying it,” Principal Roberta Trapper said to Daily Mail “The younger ones can’t understand how it’s happening and have a million questions, while the older students are getting a kick out of the robot and adapting quite well.” By having this robot, it helped Jeffery to be able to get all his school work done for the week. He would’ve never thought that he would be able to have a robot to help him with his class. It’s something that could change our society and could be a piece of technology that could be offered to different schools for the students to rent out.

NSA Spying on your Day? David Cha-Kim & Josiah Celestine Technology Editor & Staff Writer

NSA Spying: Mnay are worried about the fact that the NSA could be spying on us. Photo By: Jonathan Harris

Photo By: Jonathan Harris

“ essage sent,” is the notification that is visible on your computer screen, and you believe that what you have just said to the person you were talking to is confidential and only you two know about it. That’s where you’re wrong. In a government building somewhere there are hundreds of employees scanning your sent message for any form of threat to national security, but in doing so, aren’t they intruding on your privacy? The NSA (National Security Agency) is a United States intelligence agency that has been around since World War II, its original purpose being to decipher coded communications during the war throughout the 1950s. However, in the many decades since then, the NSA has grown to become one of the largest and most powerful intelligence organizations, in both number of personnel and economical funding/power (nsa.gov).And although the NSA’s primary focus is the protection of the American people from both foreign and domestic threats, many politicians, journalists from media organizations as significant as even CNN and TIME, and millions of everyday, average citizens in the US feel that its power is growing out of hand, even considering it a “violation of privacy”. The purpose and mission of the NSA has changed much from its role in WWII, going from having the sole task of deciphering communication code to now being responsible for the monitoring, collection, decoding, translation, and analysis of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence (covering data gathered from all over the world). The NSA also now has the task of protecting the U.S. government communications and information systems against network penetration and warfare (defending America from hackers outside of the country). The National Security Agency is one of the very few agencies that is permitted by the government the ability to carry out its tasks through clandestine means, meaning that it is allowed to use ‘bugging’ electronic systems, to use sabotage through software, and to secretly monitor people they view as a threat (nsa.gov). Though these abilities are made to be used for the benefit and protection of the American people, many fear this is not the case. On several recent occasions, the NSA has been the subject of many political and social controversies. In 2013, former NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed to the world the extent and detail of many of the NSA’s secret surveillance programs. The leaked documents informed the public that the NSA intercepts the communications of over a billion people across the globe and tracks the movement of several hundreds of millions of cell phone users. It was also revealed that the NSA has both created and maintained many security vulnerabilities in software, making the majority of the Internet susceptible to attacks from the NSA and other parties/agencies that know of the glitches. It was now known that the accusations of the NSA surveillance everyday innocent law-abiding citizens were true and that people who weren’t yet considered a threat to the safety of the country were also having their privacy invaded, resulting in a large amount of controversy (WashingtonPost). “The NSA has no right to spy on the people of America as much as they currently do,” said sophomore Jack Esquenazi. “I think that it violates the privacy of the people and they need to stop growing in power.” President Obama made a speech on January 17, 2014 where he defended the national security measures, including the NSA, and their intentions for keeping the country safe through surveillance. He said that it is difficult to determine where the line should be drawn between what is too much surveillance and how much is needed for national security because technology is ever changing and evolving, therefore, the laws cannot keep up with the rapid advancements (whitehouse.gov). While President Obama is correct in the fact that it is most likely impossible for legislation to keep up the ever-changing tech world (especially since laws in the U.S. take such large amounts of time to pass), perhaps the government should at least reconsider the regulations and extent of the abilities the NSA has. Sophomore Aspen Oudshoorn said, “I think that the NSA does have the right to spy on people because of the Patriot Act that was signed in 2001 to help secure people as much as possible from terrorist attacks. The problem is that this act is being abused by government officials to blackmail people into getting what they want.” Along with domestic controversies that arose from Snowden’s leaking of secret NSA information in 2013, the revelation of the NSA’s secrets to the world made the governments of foreign countries aware of the extent of the American NSA’s power, leading to the rise of international tension concerning this topic. President Obama recently released a statement on March 3 saying that he wants the Chinese government to stop copying the NSA’s surveillance plans if they ever want to continue doing business (engadget.com). It seems as though the NSA’s amount of power may be capable of causing an international chain of events, and perhaps if their amount of power is reduced in the near future, other countries will follow their example and also begin monitoring their peoples and foreign peoples to the extent that our NSA does. The worst case scenario is: several other powerful countries adopt similar security agencies and they also grow out of hand. The NSA is a very powerful organization that keeps growing in power every day. This comes with the good and the bad, however many people tend to focus only on the negative side of the spectra. Recently there have been many controversies surrounding the NSA, yet they still continue to become even bigger and even more powerful which upsets some citizens. But no matter how many negatives there are in this case, the people still need to remember what the main purpose of the NSA is, which is protecting the people of America.

Mexican Madness Nicholas Rivera & Autumn Pough Staff Writer

Nothing compares to the smell of a perfectly wrapped Mexican burrito. In the battle between the Mexican foods,

who prevails? Three of the most popular Mexican restaurants in South Florida are Chipotle, Lime, and Tijuana Flats. Chipotle is arguably the most talked about restaurant at Pines Charter, featuring a pick-it-yourself style of serving. Lime and Tijuana Flats are more similar in that the format of the restaurant is a sit and wait style. Charter students are known for their love of these places and while the items on each of these restaurants’ menus are similar, there are clear differences that may make one rise to the top for some people. P hotos B y : R yan C orona

“Chipotle is life and it has really good quality,” said junior Alejandro Pino.

“Tijuana flats has really good beef burritos,” said junior Gabriela Cordero.

Giraffas: Bringing Brazilian O

Taylor Horan

Managing Editor - Web

n North Hiatus road in the Pembroke Lakes Square shopping plaza sits a vibrant restaurant filled with good food and great times named Giraffas. Giraffas is a franchise Brazilian kitchen and grill with over 400 locations in Brazil and a handful of location in Florida. Pembroke Pines is one of the lucky cities to have its very own Giraffas. The interior of the restaurant can transform anyone’s mood. The color pallet is vibrant oranges and greens. These colors can send your mind into thinking you are no longer in Pines, but in the fabulous Brazil. The lighting is continuously strong with lighting fixtures hanging off the wall. You are greeted with a warm “Welcome to Giraffas” as soon as you step foot into the door and are offered a menu. If it is your first time, a crew member is happy to assist you in looking at the menu and placing an order. As you wait in line, there are large television screens that display the menu next to you in the line. There are also paper menus for those who prefer a tangible menu. There are many option on the Giraffas menu, but one thing that is the same no matter what is ordered is that the flavors are big, bold, and Brazilian. The most popular section of the menu is the From Our Grill section. The meals from this section are composed of a protein, sauce, and three sides. Every protein is seasoned with a traditional Brazilian seasoning blend. The chicken breast is served filet style. It has strong seasoning. Sauces come on the side of the meal, so everyone has the chance to taste it and put as little or as much as their hearts, and taste buds, desire. The best sauce is the Bahai Butter, which is composed of sriracha compound butter and coconut. For having sriracha, it is the perfect amount as there is a strong chile flavor but it is not overpowering. The calamity of coconut helps make the spice of sriacha mostly flavor and not heat. The Chimurchuri sauce has amazing flavor with strong notes of garlic and red chili, but there is a lot of olive oil for the seasoning. If you prefer a weter sauce, the Chimurchuri is a great sauce. If you want a more solid sauce, the Bahai Butter is the one for you. There are an ample amount of sides to choose from. Every From Our Grill order comes with three sides. The best side, without hesitation or question, is the seasoned fries. These seasoned fries are so good that you are going to choose them as side one, two, and perhaps even three. The fries are crisp and not oily at all. The fries are then seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and parsley. The rosemary is the most prominent flavor. It’s sharp, powerful, and tasty. The garlic is only a hint and the parsley is a milder, tad peppery flavor that enhances the fries. The fries are very well seasoned with the seasoning being visible and tasted with

every bite. also serves is composed is cold whic perature is n a couple dif Giraffas is time. From Giraffas is a everyone el

Is Veganism healthier? Tha

Amanda Peralta & Hanan Hess Staff Writer

“To me chipotle is the best because it has the most variety out of the three, and it tastes the best,” said junior Ileana Perez.

G raphic B y : C armen P eterson

eing vegan has been a controversial topic for a while now, whether it is truly healthy or not. Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, as well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals. Veganism is something that has become widely spread over the past couple of years. This new lifestyle has affected 16 million people of the 318.9 million people in the United States. But the real question is, is veganism healthy or not? Being a vegan has its pros and cons. Other than the being against the mistreatment of animals and having concern for the planet, some pros of being a vegan include lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, increasing self-control, and increasing antioxidant intake. But do the cons outweigh the pros? Going vegan is a major adjustment and can sometimes be even more complicated if you do not consume certain ingredients such as soy. “Complete plant proteins are found in soy products, so if you are trying to moderate your intake of soy, you have to learn how to put together complementary foods to form complete vegetarian proteins,” said vegan promoter Keller. “There is evidence to show vegan diets do not contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient. Vegans can get vitamin B12 from fortified foods (some brands of soy milk, fake meats, breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast) and from supplements. Vegan diets may be low in calcium and vitamin D although there are vegan sources of these nutrients,” said Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, nutrition advisor for The Vegetarian Resource Group (vrg.org). Vegans have to consciously make efforts to eat the right combinations and the right quantities of food to get the nutrients that they need to stay healthy. “People should think carefully before changing their diet drastically. There are ways to do it responsibly, carefully, and healthily and if it is done correctly it can be a really healthy way to live,” said English teacher Ms. Sunshine Phelps, who has been a vegan since she was a child. Being a vegan is not meant for everyone because it can change a person’s diet and mentality remarkably. Some people are not able to get a sufficient amount of nutrients in order to stay healthy by cutting a dramatic part of their diet out. According to Livestrong, Meat, particularly beef, and shellfish are rich sources of iron, and it is important for vegans to consume iron-rich foods as well. Iron deficiency can lead to fatigue and problems with brain function. Females need 18 milligrams of iron daily between the ages of 19 and 50, but the requirement jumps to 27 milligrams for pregnant wom-

en. Men white be care for that mea ple. Am diets, bu Control grams d example extra-fir um, suc milligra internat soy milk to get 2 Some so A July selves a most of to eat o events c their ow restricti “I thin sumptio Not onl exploita Reyneri Vegani concern that veg does no does hav

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These fries are available as traditional, which does not have seasoning. Giraffas quinoa salad. Quinoa is a gluten-free, protein-high grain. Giraffas’ quinoa salad d of “refreshing, chilled organic white and red quinoa” (giraffas.com). The salad ch a typical serving for quinoa is. The salad has good spice notes, but the temnot a strong suit. The From Our Grill section allows visitors to Giraffas to sample fferent flavors of Brazil in one meal. s for sure an up and coming restaurant that is only going to get popular over the warm interior to the bold food to the kind staff to everything in between, a restaurant that you want to check out and make your secret before it becomes lses’.

Giraffas: The new Brazilian restaurant that you can go with your friends. P hoto B y : A lex M onge

at’s what they soy

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n only need 8 milligrams daily. Breakfast cereals fortified with iron, soybeans, eans and spinach are good sources of iron for vegans. Some vegans who don’t r iron-rich vegetables may need a daily iron supplement. Livestrong also states at, fish, eggs and dairy products are common sources of protein for most peomericans who consume these foods typically get plenty of protein in their daily ut vegans need to turn to beans and nuts to get enough. The Centers for Disease l and Prevention recommends 46 grams per day for women 19 and older and 56 daily for men. Tofu, beans and nuts are rich sources of protein for vegans. For e, a cup of dry beans has about 16 grams of protein, and a 100-gram serving of rm tofu contains just under 10 grams. Vegans need to eat plant sources of calcich as dark leafy greens or fortified soy products, to get the recommended 1,000 ams per day. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, and adults need 600 tional units per day. Vegans need to either take a vitamin D supplement or drink k fortified with vitamin D. Most vegans need to take a vitamin B-12 supplement 2.4 micrograms per day since the vitamin is mainly found in animal products. oy milk and breakfast cereals are fortified with B-12. y 2012 Gallup poll reported that only 2 percent of Americans identified themas vegans. This means it is sometimes difficult to stick to a strict vegan diet since the country caters to those who eat animal products. It is often hard for vegans out since many restaurants don’t offer many vegan choices. Parties and family can also be difficult, though vegans can minimize this challenge by bringing wn meals if they know there will not be any choices that conform to their dietary ions. nk veganism is a good alternative compared to the typical animal-product conon diet because it is extremely beneficial for one’s health, and the environment. ly will your risk of obesity and heart disease be cut, deforestation and animal ation will decrease as well,” said 7-month vegetarian and sophomore Emily i. ism may lower cholesterol and blood pressure, but vegans also have nutritional ns that may not be as eminent as a non-vegan diet. Nutrition experts do not agree gan/vegetarian diets are healthier than diets that include animal products but that ot mean that veganism is an unhealthy, and unrealistic way to live. Being a vegan ve disadvantages and vegans must be aware of them to enjoy a nutritious diet.

Living with Social Media Crystal Reyes, LMHC

Special to the Chat

rystal Reyes is a Pines Charter Alum from the Class of 2005. She works as a mental health counselor and works with people of all ages to help them improve their lives. The CHAT welcomes Reyes and her articles on various mental health issues that are common with high school teenagers. Instagram. Facebook. Tumblr. Twitter. Vine. Snapchat. The list goes on. We are more connected to one another than ever before. Yet there is an undeniable sense of disconnection that exists each time we opt for an app instead of a voice call or better yet face-to-face communication. Do the benefits of social media outweigh the negatives? Depends on how you use it. My first encounter with social media was a little social networking site called Myspace. It was “cool” at the time because it allowed for lots of personalization. You could spend hours customizing your wallpaper, finding your favorite song to play whenever someone visited your page, and posting pictures. Of course you could connect with you friends by leaving comments on their page or sending messages, but it felt more like a tool for self-expression than anything else. Until it wasn’t. Somewhere along the way, our “headline” became a space where we could expose details about a break-up using a quote or song lyrics, and our “top ten” became a place where we could rank the importance of the people in our lives. Fast forward to my first year in college. Facebook is where it’s at---an exclusive site for college students. Until it wasn’t. Welcome status updates and newsfeeds and 1.39 billion people that currently have access to each other at any given second according to Techcrunch.com. Today, social media, in all of its many variations, allows us to share our entire world (and everyone else’s) via text, pictures and video. The speed and accessibility is addictive---literally. In a 2010 study led by the University of Maryland, researchers found approximately 4 in 5 students experienced symptoms of mental and physical distress including cravings, anxiety attacks and depression when forced to abstain from social media for 24 hours. Can you quit social media for 24 hours? If you’re thinking that social media is taking up a lot of your time, it probably is. The following are some tips to manage your use of social media and maintain a healthy relationship with the other “non-social media” parts of your life:

1ecstatic . Observe the thoughts and feelings that come up when you surf social media. Are you to receive a message from your old best friend who’s now living in a different time zone? Healthy. Are you anxious to check your feed every 5 minutes to see what your ex is up to? S/he’s such a jerk and doesn’t deserve to have fun! Not healthy.

2pictures? . Set limits to your usage. How many times can you scroll through the same Instagram When you’re at school be at school. When you’re at work be at work. Be present wherever you are. Use social media as needed, during breaks or at a specific time you know you’ll be free.

3have. Face your conflicts. Social media is not a place to have a productive argument. If you a problem, communicate directly and privately with the person involved. Words in a

message can easily be misconstrued. Use your voice, exchange body language. What you might consider offensive may be someone else’s idea of a funny joke. We can’t solely rely on text to convey the entire message.

Social Media: As technology becomes more integrated in our lives, it will be the source of everything. P hoto B y : S ydney S ilverberg

The CHAT Editorial: Islam - A m

Weekend Reviews Autumn Pough

Aaliyah pasols

Staff Writer

Features Editor

● U.S Ambassador attacked A man opposed to joint South Korean-U.S. military drills attacked the American ambassador in Seoul, slashing his face and arm as he was about to give a speech Thursday morning. North Korea quickly justified these actions by calling the stabbing a “knife attack of justice” and said it reflected “anti-U.S. sentiment” in South Korea. Mark Lippert, the U.S ambassador to South Korea was in stable condition after undergoing surgery and 80 stitches to his face. He will probably remain hospitalized for three to four days. The suspect is Kim Ki-Jong, a 55-year-old man with a history of unpredictable behavior. ● Lost city discovered Archaeologists searching for a lost city in the jungles of Honduras have discovered the urban remains of a vanished ancient civilization. The expedition was launched after aerial light detection scanning uncovered what appeared to be man-made structures below the rainforest. The expedition found earthworks, including an earthen pyramid as well as a collection of stone sculptures, thought to potentially have been burial offerings. “I found it really interesting that a city was lost and recovered. I didn’t believe that an entire civilization could be wiped out entirely”, said sophomore Casey McNamee. ● One of FBI’s most wanted terrorists captured in Somalia A Somali-American on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list has been captured. Liban Haji Mohamed was arrested as he traveled from an area controlled by terror group Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. The 29-year-old left the United States in July 2012 to join al Qaeda in Somalia. Mohamed is wanted by the FBI for allegedly providing material support to terrorists. The United States and Somalia do not have an extradition treaty in place. ● Marital Rape legal in India? In India, 94% of rapes are committed by perpetrators known to the victim, including those sexually assaulted by their husbands. The number of women sexually assaulted by their husbands is 40 times the number of women attacked by men they don’t know. Yet, marital rape is legal. The Criminal Law Act in India states: “Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape. Last month, an Indian woman who claimed she was brutally raped by her husband requested the court to acknowledge marital rape. But her pleas were dismissed because it was “an individual case.” ● Selma 50 years later Vera Booker is a witness to history in segregated Alabama. She participated in the Montgomery bus boycott when she was still a student, nursed civil rights protestors and ultimately played a key role in convicting the state trooper responsible for killing the young man whose death inspired the famous march from Selma to Montgomery. Booker was 29 years old on March 7, 1965 -the day that would become known as Bloody Sunday. She was a nurse at the black Good Samaritan Hospital, where she was called in early after reports of the attack by state troopers on peaceful protesters marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. “I cannot believe there is a witness that can attest to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and “Bloody Sunday” and is willing to shed clarity on what she remembers from those times”, said Sophomore Cheyenne Wakeland- Hart. ● Cycling the future? Clean, inexpensive and in many cases faster than road transport, cities that were once turned over to the motor vehicle are making more space for bicycles. London is one city that has struggled with its transport infrastructure. London is looking at the bicycle as a future transport solution rather than a recreational pastime. The city is currently poised to spend $1.4 billion on one of Europe’s most ambitious bicycle path infrastructure projects. Called the East-West Cycle Superhighway, the separated bicycle path would connect Acton in West London with Barking in the east, a journey of more than 18 miles. “I like the idea of super- highways for bikes and cyclists because there are many benefits to bikes. It helps prevent pollution, obesity, and accidents”, said Junior Amanda Arechavaleta.

hen the tragic event of 9/11 happened in the heart of America, thousands lost their lives. Others lost their fe of security. That is not the only change that occurred, however. In typical American fashion, many became preju towards Muslims and their religion. People deemed Islam a form of terrorism, and a person walking around w turban or hijab was instantly avoided on the sidewalk. The media played a large role in creating this wrongful pe tion of Islam. Often, the news mentions Muslims in reports of an act of terrorism. Or they portray them in a neg rather than peaceful light. However, if one does research, it’s evident that Islam is a pretty normal religion--minu extremists that decide to take matters into their own hands. Misconceptions about Islam mainly come from the media and the extremists that make the religion look like giant terrorist organization. The reason this happens is because Muslims divide people up in two ways: You are Dar al-Islam or Dar al-Harb (The House of Islam or the House of War). “Most faithful Muslims share one mis to bring the whole world into a system of governance marked by the religious-political authority and uniform Islam. Some Muslims seek to accomplish this through persuasion, while others employ tyranny” (WorldMag. Extremists use terrorism to try to complete their religion’s one mission: to convert everyone over to Islam. Other this misconception, the religion is a pretty peaceful one. “Most people believe my religion is barbaric which isn’t really true. To say Islam is barbaric is to say Christ and Judaism are barbaric because they are all more or less alike. People also think my religion is sexist, and I’d h break it to them but all the monotheistic faiths are sexist. Islam is singled out as sexist because women wear hijab what people don’t know is that it is actually a choice that the women of the religion make,” said senior Daga Ny Every group will have some people that end up showing their group in a negative light. This is unfortunately cially true when it comes to religion. Stereotypes will of course always continue to cloud the truth and cause p to believe that other people may behave a certain way. It’s all just ignorance that stems from untrue generaliza created by the quick outlet that is the media. Terrorist jokes on morning radio stations, bombings that occur i Middle East posted all over the news, and movies that refer to the enemy as Pakistan or another Middle East co All this adds together to form a huge discrimination towards not only Muslims, but people that “look” like Mus All Pakistanis aren’t Muslim and all Arabs aren’t Muslim. The discrimination towards these people and their rel is harsh and unnecessary and they deserve respect. No group of people should be held responsible for an even occurred due to a few members from their people. Not all Muslims hold this view of extreme dedication to thei gion through terrorism. “All religions should be respected. No one should discriminate a person in general, but you should especiall discriminate someone for what they believe in. Those are their beliefs and to judge them due to a misconceptio picked up is wrong,” said senior R.J. Reyes. Even though the media may get in the way and portray things in a certain, false way, we should look past the me lies and separate the truth from the rumors. In the distorted world of social media, everything can be prescribed ferent meaning that may be untrue. In the case of Islam, it is often written off as a terrorist group rather than a rel and it deserves so much more respect than that. It is part of the three most popular religions in the world, incl Judaism and Christianity, and it’s popular for a reason. Every person is allowed to follow whatever religion the and they should not be discriminated against because of it. Muslims deserve a wave and a hello rather than a glar a swift dart across to the other side of the street.

LGBT presence in the You

T he youth community re neurs. While there are simil

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

adults and children are grow for the movement of gay ri In January 2015, Florida Florida the 36th state to leg (gaymarriage.procon.org). ual activity between two pe discrimination or allowing Across the country and th to an accepting crowd at the to be able to help others and celebrities like Neal Patrick role models to young LGB are speaking up about their “Being gay doesn’t really ties 50 years ago gained civ support LGBT rights then t their role models,” said sen While it is still a difficult t to build up the courage to Students that are a part of t friends, by their parents. M and straight, can gather to d things better on a smaller s “Kids are now more comf coming out because they fe The journey of lesbians, g generation comes a new fo bright for the LGBT comm

misunderstood religion

The CHAT Editorial: Y’all need Jesus David Cha-Kim

eeling udiced with a ercepgative nus the

Technology Editor

Religion is defined as an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence often containing narratives,

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epresents the future of the country. Within it are future leaders, businessmen, and entrepreilarities to previous generations, this generation has one main difference: acceptance. Young owing up with less hate and it is sure to show when they grow older. This acceptance is key ights. made a huge step forward towards gay rights by allowing same-sex marriage. This made galize same-sex marriage, the 37th state being Alabama, which passed the law in February Florida also has laws protecting the LGBT members against hate crimes and allowing sexpeople of the same gender. Currently there are no laws protecting the gay community from same-sex couples to marry (glad.org). he world, celebrities are coming out to their fans. In early 2014, Ellen Page came out as gay he Human Rights Campaign’s time to THRIVE (dailymail.co.uk). She stated that she wanted nd was tired from hiding her sexuality from everyone. Page, along with other gay and lesbian k Harris, are a big deal for the LBGT community because some of these celebrities serve as BT members. At the same time, more celebrities who are not gay, such as Anne Hathaway, r support. The power of these celebrities among their fans is greater than even they think. y change someone as a person. It’s just a thing. It’s kind of like civil rights. Just like minoriivil rights, we are moving towards equality for LBGT. People look up to celebrities. If they their fans are more likely to support LGBT rights because they wouldn’t want to go against nior Sabrina Causing. thing for adolescents to come out to their family and friends, it is becoming easier for them speak the words that many of them have been holding back for months, sometimes years. the LGBT community are being widely accepted more and more by their teachers, by their Many high schools and colleges now offer a Gay Straight Alliance. Here, students, both gay do activities, discuss issues, or just make friends. Programs like GSA are what helps make scale. fortable with exploring their sexuality and who they are and they are more comfortable with eel safe and supported by a strong LGBT community,” said junior Nicole Fairfoot. gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals has been a long a difficult one, but with the new orm of innovation, intelligence, and most importantly, open-mindedness. The future looks munity with the help of supporters.

writings, symbols, and sacred histories. These are focused on the explanation of the origin of life and the universe. Religious views almost always correlate with a culture’s morality, ethics, laws, and ways of life and ever since what seems like from the very start of recorded history—and even from prehistoric times—belief in a higher power has been a dominating influence in many civilizations, societies, and other groups of peoples. Religion is the direct cause of many significant events, sometimes impacting the world in very positive ways and other times leaving a burning scar on the world that can still be seen today. As of today, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world (religioustolerance.org). Religion has been responsible for the spread of many cultures and even languages across the world, causing many people to adapt the ideals of others into their lives. Religion has connected people worldwide throughout history and is still connecting people today, adding much to the diversity and variety of today’s world. One of the major reasons of voyage in the exploration age was religious mission and the effects of it can still be seen today. Although most religions have a specific place of birth, people from all over the world practice religions that originated on the other side of the globe, forever creating a bond between different peoples. However, despite the many positive effects of religion, more in several cases in history, religion has also been severely misused, with leaders in organized religion using their role of power to levels of extreme corruption, often using the divine ideals of their religion for personal gain of wealth and more power. Religion has also been the primary cause for several wars, leading to disputes between peoples of different faiths and eventually conflicts of violence between them and has also been used as a justification for violence against people outside of wars. In places such as medieval England and Christian Rome, religion was by far the most important thing out of everyone’s life. Scientists, like Galileo, who lived in places during times when religion was so important were often persecuted for studying a concept that seemed to defy the Bible or other holy books and were accused of being heretics. Though religion was the absolute most important part of life in those early ages, progressively it seems as though year by year religion’s influence on the modern world is slowly diminishing, and even in nations like America, which was built on Christianity, has atheist, agnostic, and “no affiliation” demographics with very high percentages. As scientific studies are continue to advance, and concepts like evolution and the Big Bang theory—theories that explain with evidence many concepts that conflict with the Bible and ideas of other religions—are taught across universities and even to students in much younger years, religion in school has little to no role with the exception of schools focused on religion. “These concepts absolutely need to be taught in schools,” said science teacher Mrs. Hernandez-Davis. “Evolution is the basis and foundation of biology, there should be no controversy because there is no need to mix religion with science. People want to take what the Bible says about creation literally, but we can see evolution and natural selection happening right in front of our eyes. Isn’t it possible that God put all of the laws of the Universe into motion, so why not evolution too? “ Though many religious people oppose the teachings of concepts like this in public schools, most feel like that religion isn’t a good enough reason to not be teaching kids the science of the modern world. Even those in America who still believe in their religion, don’t make it as big part of a life as people did before, with very little religious people going to church or other houses of worship in comparison to earlier decades Today in the United States, nearly 25% of the population is either atheist, agnostic, or consider themselves to have no preference and less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church today in comparison to the more than 80% it was 50 years ago. 4000 churches close down every year and 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity annually (Huffington Post). “I feel that this has occurred because in today’s society identifying with a religion portrays a person in a primarily negative light because of current politics,” says sophomore and Christian Esther Omole. At the turn of the last century (1900), there was a ratio of 27 churches per 10,000 people, as compared to the close of this century (2000) where we have 11 churches per 10,000 people today (churchleadership.org). “I feel that this has occurred because in today’s society identifying with a religion portrays a person in a primarily negative light because of current politics,” says sophomore and Christian Esther Omole. Will religion continue to decline at such a steady pace? Will it eventually become an obsolete concept? Will science push the world in an entirely new direction? Or will religion prevail and still stay and important part of people’s lives as it always has?

Music is money—not a free entity

Music should reach your soul, not your pocket

Melissa Pierce

Looghermine Claude

Student Life Editor

News Editor

nce there is Internet access, there are a million different venues for any given user to choose from when it comes to listening to their favorite songs. Any and every type of music can be found for free and legal listening online. From Pandora Radio and Spotify to lyric and audio videos on YouTube, listeners can listen to virtually any genre at any moment. But what about profitable venues intended to purchase this very same music? Artists and musicians spend their valuable time and money producing and developing songs and collaborations to make public with the release of their albums. This is their job, and every person wants to get paid for the job that they perform. Imagine a construction worker who heads out to work on a city project in the wee hours of the morning every day for a total of six months. At the end of the project, the worker and his crew members are informed that they will not be getting paid for their hours of strenuous labor spent accomplishing their task. The finished product will just be eye candy for the general public to enjoy as they pass by without having to pay. Believe it or not, this situation very closely resembles the far too common act of owning music that one has not properly paid for. Artists are the construction workers, tirelessly working to release new music that the public will enjoy. Just like any other hard-earned individual in the world, they expect to financially benefit at the conclusion of their project. When people listen to this music without paying, artists end up losing in the end, just like the deserving construction workers who are cheated of their hard-earned money. Jon Sheldrick, writer for the Huffington post, said, “…I advocate a culture in which people actually want to spend money on music, because they understand the positive repercussions it has on the medium of recorded music, and the lives of the artists that produce it…After high school, I went to NYU, hoping to become a recording engineer. At the same time, I began to record my own music, in the hope of someday making a living from it. In an effort to get a grander perspective on the business I longed to enter, I got an internship at an indie record label. There I saw artists, with sizable fan-bases, question whether they could record another album. The demand was there, but the audience was not paying for the product they claimed to love so much” (www.huffingtonpost.com). Some famous artists went so far as to pull their music off of these free venues, and they had every right to do this. Among the artists who decided to let listeners know that they wanted profit for their product is Taylor Swift. After her she sold 1.3 million copies of her new album 1989, she pulled it off of Spotify entirely and with it she took all previously released music on the streaming service (www.rollingstone.com). In November of 2014, Rolling Stone Magazine reported, “Swift has ‘windowed’ her last few albums on Spotify, allowing the service to post the album a few months after their release dates, but she changed her policy this week. ‘I'm not willing to contribute my life's work to an experiment that I don't feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music,’ she told Yahoo. ‘And I just don't agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free.’” Besides doing the artist justice when paying for music, the concept of “you get what you pay for” can be applied. When listening to music off of non-profitable venues, quality may sometimes be in question when it comes to the consistency and frequency at which one listens to music one does not own. Music is meant to be enjoyed, and this can only be done when the quality of the music is at its absolute best. When music is paid for, and artists are properly compensated, it is a guarantee that what is paid for will be more than worth listening to, maybe even on replay. Paying for music should not even be considered a controversy. If someone wants something, they pay for it and that is a given. Songs tend to cost a little over a mere dollar on venues such as iTunes and Google Play. Music is, at the end of the day, a product in this world of consumerism; customers have to give a little to take a little. Artists are just like any other employed individual throughout this world, and they deserve to reap what they sow. The least one can do is properly reward a praised artist and benefit from quality music at the same time.

here is an unstated belief that the only way to be the truest and greatest fan of an artist is to throw all your money at them. To buy their albums, t-shirts, full-priced concert tickets, VIP passes, exclusive downloads, and other official purchases. The biggest of these is the album. To some, the truest test of a fan is whether or not they buy the music. But in the age of digital media, and the growing importance of the internet and online communities, is this still true? I don’t believe so. People should use free services like Pandora, Spotify, and iHeartRadio in place of buying physical or digital albums. Free music sites like Pandora, Spotify, and iHeartRadio are often blamed as the reasons why artists make no money. The real reason that musicians make no money is the music industry itself. Managers and executives take cuts of the pay, and by the time that profits from concerts and t-shirts trickle down to the creators, there is little left over. “The bad news for streaming music opponents—and the good news for artists—is that Spotify isn't the cause of any of these problems. On the contrary, their stated goal is to chip away at a couple of these unfortunate realities. The true cause of artists not making money is the music business itself. It is saturated. It is expensive. It is grueling. It is risky. Spotify's payout numbers are simply a symptom of this,” (businessinsider.com). Another point is that battling free music sites only makes artists more susceptible to getting their music stolen. Dedicated fanbases will do anything to get new music and those with financial constraints may do it illegally. “Withholding music from streaming services increases piracy. There’s no debating that. Unless you have the behemoth that is Taylor Swift’s (or Beyonce’s) major label enterprise, you’re not going to combat it. Having music on streaming services increases ticket sales. T-shirt sales. Paid experiences. Crowdfunding. And loyalty,” (digitalmusicnews.com). By supporting free streaming services, artists not only show their support to their fans, which helps in future album, concert, and t-shirt sales. Not only does Spotify and Pandora help artists get more profit, it also helps reach many who wouldn’t have 24/7 access to music otherwise. I see free music sites as libraries of music where those who aren’t able to pay for music are still able to be fans. Music shouldn’t seem like it’s reserved for the privileged who have hundreds of dollars to spend on their favorite artists merchandise. Making people always pay for music makes the music industry like that of museums. It becomes shielded off from the rest of the world and viewed as an entertainment source for the wealthy. But this is the exact opposite of what music if for. Artists make music to reach out to those who may share the same feelings or to help them through rough times. How are artists supposed to connect with those who need it most, if their audience doesn’t have access to the music? Music is too important to people as individuals to be kept lock and key. Other than Taylor Swift pulling her music from Spotify, the biggest response to free streaming services is Tidal, a music streaming service offering no free subscription plans. Owned by Jay-Z and backed, monetarily and emotionally, by artists like Alicia Keys, Daft Punk, J. Cole, and Madonna, Tidal advertises itself to be a service by artists for artists. The service claims to be how artists want music to be heard, which is after you’ve paid for it. To me Tidal’s standpoint on music misses the mark. I know it’s hard to make money as a musician. The music industry has their own form of trickle-down economics that reaches the artist last and makes it hard for anyone to stay in the business. But musicians aren’t supposed to be in it for the money. The reasons why songwriters and singers do what they do everyday for so little pay is because they are in love with music and creating it. Just like teachers and actors, musicians have a passion that trumps even the thought of having so little money. Tidal is creating a warped music industry with artists that are seeing dollar signs rather than song lyrics. How do you fix the problems in the music industry? I honestly don’t know. I don’t know how to ensure that musicians get paid but also keep music accessible to the masses. And it’s not an easy mountain to overcome. I only offer my critical view of the music industry. What I do know is this: music has to be for everyone. And right now, the best way for that to happen is to help free music streaming sites keep their doors open and gain the support of artists.