The chat newspaper september issue 2015 year 16 issue #1

Cheering in the new year with fall sports

Maria Bozo Editor-in-Chief Emily Deese - Layout Looghermine Claude - Content Matthew Fernandez - Video Managing Editors Chatter Daily News Taylor Horan Web Managing Editor Sarah Barrocas Business Manager Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisers

Mr. P. Bayer Principal

David Cha-Kim News Editor Hayley Hartwell Student Life Editor LJ Lemmers Technology Editor

Contents

The C.H.C. Staff

Melissa Pierce Entertainment Editor Matthew Deno Sports Editor Nick Rivera Features Editor Looghermine Claude Lifestyle Editor Cristine Alayon Clubs Editor

Student Life:

Lauren Cookley Community Outreach Sydney Silverberg - The CHAT Jonathan Harris - Web Photo Editors Matthew Perez Graphics Editor

CONTENT STAFF: Maria Acosta-Rubio, Cristine Alayon, Sarah Barrocas, Nadira Danticat, Mason Feldman, Cristina Feliciano, Matthew Hernandez, Alexa Infante, Abigail Johnson, Frank Mora, Amanda Peralta, Luaren Ramirez, Evan Samuels LAYOUT STAFF: Sofia Alfonso, Jose Bozo, Lauren Cookley, Madison Duke, Esteban Gangotena

New Teacher’s Q&A: Teachers’ first assignment Student Hacks: College application edition

Lifestyle:

PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF: Elizabeth Gamez, Eric Hernandez, Omar Loufti, Nicole Mercadal, Kristen Miles GRAPHIC STAFF: Nicole Hernandez, Natalie Laurent, Katie Perez CHAT VIDEO NEWS STAFF: Samuel Eliacin, Cristina Feliciano, Christopher Rundell, Genisis 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

PDQ: A bit overpriced, but worth a tender bite Back-to-school recipes

Technology: Back to school, back to the game shelves: new games of the 1st quarter Oculus rift: Technology’s next big thing

Pg

Spo

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Feature Donald Trump : Pg 16

orts

Sports:

Editorial on Josh Duggar : Pg 22

Features:

Fall Sports: Falling back into the game

Charter subjected to new subjects

Best of the best: Football profiles

“What are your school year resolutions?”

News:

Entertainment:

Bangkok bombings break the hearts of the Thai people

CHAT Editorial: Duggar’s dirty deeds downright deplorable

Top 10 people Donald has Trump(ed)

Secret life of an American entertainer

Clubs & Electives: The new year brings “The night of the Jag” Photography Club: “Calling All Photographers!!”

Teachers’ first assignm How long have you been teaching?

What brought you to Pines Charter?

What is one thing about yourself that your students don't know?

Mr. Garcia

Ms. Rogers

Ms. Velez

Ms. Hu

“I 've been teaching 7 years total. The “This is my 8th year teaching English.

“T his school year marks my 18th year “I have been teac last three years I taught at Pines Charter I had a great experience teaching at my forin education. have taught in Japan, Middle West Campus.

Charter has always had a prestigious reputation. The students are known to be high achievers.

I'm the strength and conditioning coach for the Varsity basketball team.”

Mrs. Zapater

mer school, but it was time for a change.

I wanted to work closer to my home and have my kids in the charter school system.

If I wasn’t a teacher, I would love to be a doula. Pregnancy and childbirth are fascinating to me. I acted as a doula for a friend of my mine and it was a life-changing experience.”

Mr. Pargus

Pembroke Pines Charter Schools’ commitment to excellence and family environment brought me to this school system 8 years ago. I was previously at the West Campus.

Something students may not know about me, is that my son just graduated this past spring from PPCHS.”

Mr. Schwartz

the United States.

I came to Charter b school, and I wanted again.

I am an Aquarius (this revealing my birthday purple as well as kettl

Mrs. Krawczyk

“I have been teaching for 11 years.

“T his is my first year teaching.

“I have been teaching for 3.5 years. “I’ve been teaching for 20 Years.

A silver Chrysler convertible, kidding!

Charter has a well-known reputation and My fiancée’s mother had a friend who gave Teaching at Pembroke Pines Charter has the location of the school was beneficial to me.

My biggest fear is heights and I don’t think many people know that.”

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my resume to somebody who gave my resume to Mrs. Battle who emailed me. I had no idea about this school. I am from Miami. I was hesitant to come to the interview, but my fiancée convinced me to.

I am an open book but some of them might not know that I was trained and certified to fight forest fires when I was a park ranger and I helped write a children’s book on fighting forest fires.”

been my passion for over a decade. This was an easy transition from Central Campus. The classroom has quickly become my comfort zone, a place for teaching, talking, sharing, and relating.

There are a few things students don’t know about me. I am a certified PADI diver, I own an insane number of T-shirts, I avoid people with bad manners, and I set my alarm clock to an odd number.

The opportunity to work with high-caliber students and teach an AP class.

I am originally from Detroit and worked for Cadillac and Saturn before moving to Florida.”

ment

The Sportiest Way to Signal Seniority Mr. Suid

usband

Senior Jerseys: Men’s size senior jerseys in black are at the office for sizing purposes only, as jerseys run extremely small. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg

ching for 13 years. I , Bahrain, Dubai and

because it is a good to teach high school

Senior Jerseys: Seniors were able to get their first glipse at the new maroon senior jerseys. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg

“T his is my first year teaching.

I am an alumni and loved the school and the staff when I was a student here.

I go to Publix at least 4 times a week because I always forget something.”

s is as close as I get to y ;-) and like the color le corn popcorn.”

Ms. Norton

Ms. Heising Senior Jerseys: Senior Brandon Beadleson and his friends anxiously await the arrival of their senior jerseys. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg

Looghermine Claude

It has been Charter tradition for years to reward seniors for their hard work over the past four years with the chance to separate from the pack by wearing senior jerseys.

Managing Editor - Content

“I have been teaching dance for four years, but new to teaching at a high school “This is my 8th year of teaching.

I came to Pines Charter because of my this year.

I am a Charter alumni so getting a call to come back to TEACH was amazing. I couldn’t pass it up.

Before I explored dance, I was a huge soccer player for eight years.”

children. I wanted them to be a part of this amazing school district.

I am also a part time travel agent.”

Emblazed with the graduating year on it, these jerseys have come to symbolize a bond between the graduating class as well as the beginning of the end for them.

Even though the class officers are keeping traditional football jerseys, they wanted to make their shirts different by changing the colors. Past classes have gone with black jerseys with white lettering, but this year, the officers wanted maroon shirts with white lettering. Additionally, this is the first year administration is allowing seniors to order their senior jerseys with a nickname printed on the back for an additional cost of $5.

“We didnt want to be like the rest of the class. Everyone does the same thing every year and we thought that was boring. Even traditions need to change sometimes because it gives a personality to each year that participates,” said Class of 2016 secretary Brianna Beach.

With this change, over 200 students lined up outside of Mrs. Torres’s office and at lunch to buy their shirts for either $40 or $45 for a nickname or name on the back with sizes ranging from S to XXXL up until September 11th.

The jersey purchases made money to give the seniors a more realistic print and money for prom for prom decorations. Seniors anxiously waiting to wear their jerseys on Fridays can expect them to come in sometime in October.

“The class officers are continuously preparing for prom as we go on through the year.

Every time we make a little money from any fundraiser, it goes to deposits or purchases that we can use to make senior year a little more special,” said Class of 2016 historian Giselle La Hoz. Next up for senior fundraisers are AP review books and Grad Bash deposits, so seniors should look out for upcoming announcements!

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Student Life

Student Hacks: College application edition

College Apps: College applications are definitley on every senior’s mind, but there are simple tips and tricks to make the process much smoother. Photo by: Jonathan Harris

S

Taylor Horan Managing Editor - Web

enior year is said to be the fun year, but it is also the year that includes the most responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is getting into college. Since PPCHS is a College Preparatory school, most students plan to attend a college or university once graduating from high school. There are more students applying than spaces in many university’s freshmen class. That is why it is so important to submit strong applications, so there is a better chance of getting an acceptance email rather than an email declining you admission. The C.H.A.T. has created four hacks that will help you submit the best college application and get you one step closer into attending your dream school.

Hack One: Create a Matrix of Deadlines and Due Dates There is a whole lot to juggle during senior year. Sure, students want to excel in their classes. Some seniors even work part-time. Also, there are football games to attend in the fall and so many memorable senior events in the spring. There is a lot to do and get done and not a lot of time. That is why it is important to keep track of deadlines. One way that is completely free is to keep a Senior Year Matrix. This matrix is a table that can be created through Excel or any other program that is a list of deadlines. Headings could include names of schools a student wishes to apply to, relative date the application opens/opened, exact date the application is due, number of recommendations needed, cost of application, and what supplement material is needed. It is very important to create this matrix as soon as the college list is narrowed down. It does not make sense to have a matrix of 15 potential schools and do all of the research for 15 schools when the student plans to apply to only 5 schools. This matrix can also be used in regards to applying for scholarships. This will ensure that you do not turn in anything too late.

Hack Two: Utilize Outside Help to Nail Your Admission Essays Majority of colleges require a personal statement or an essay to accompany an application for admission. Typically, the personal statement is a couple hundred words while the essay may have no maximum or be anywhere above 500 words. It is important to take time when writing these college essays. The admissions officer is only able to get to know a student through what is inputted in the application and the essay. There are not many places to show personality when entering standardized test scores and what classes a student is taking during senior year. The essay allows a student to really allow the admission officer to see who he or she is and what he or she will bring to that school if accepted. The essay is a place where students can really put the best version of themselves out there.

While a student should want personality to come out, it is also important not to text talk, such as abbreviations like LOL and BTW, to be in the essay. Have someone review the essay before it is submitted. People that could be asked to help include a friend that is strong in English, a parent, or even a former English teacher. Keep in mind that those who are reviewing the essay have their own life and responsibilities. Give reviewers at least one to two weeks to review the college essay.

If a student doesn’t feel comfortable asking for help, a student can also use Broward County Library’s Brainfuse Tutoring Program. This program is free for anyone who has a Broward County Library card. It is relatively easy to use and can be accessed from the Broward County Library homepage under Live Tutoring & Job Coaching. Students can create an account through the website and upload their essay onto the writing lab. Essays are typically submitted back within 24 hours. This is a great program to use if a student wants a quick and non-judgmental opinion on his or her writing.

Hack Three: Be Sure to Apply Early With senior year easily being one of, if not, the busiest years of high school, it is important to start college applications early. Many applications open during August and September. Some applications may even open as early as the summer before senior year begins. Be sure to subscribe for email updates from school that are of interest, so when the application opens, a student can receive an email notification. By knowing the application is open, students can begin to map out when they will write their essays and when they will begin to submit supplement materials to the colleges. One major reason to apply early is for school-specific scholarship consideration. Many schools issue merit-scholarships on first come, first serve basis. By applying early, students have a stronger chance of being awarded scholarships. Another benefit of applying early allows students to show these schools that they are serious. Schools will notice if the application is submitted the day before or the day after the application opens. Probably the best benefit of applying

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is that the application is out of the way! By applying early, colleges will be happy and students will be even happier. Senior Breanna Jomsky has already applied to two schools before her first week of senior year was completed. “I am applying now, because I feel like I will have more time since school is just starting. Later in the year, too many things will be going on,” she shared. Applying early will allow you to stress less.

Besides filling out the application early, it is important to get your supplement material sent way before the application deadline. One important supplement material is a transcript. To order a high school transcript, students can go on the PPCHS website (hs.pinescharter.net) and click the Transcripts tab. Be sure to print this form out at home, fill it out, and bring it to the guidance desk with the cash money. Majority of Florida schools accept online transcripts, which costs $2.00. Out-of-state schools and scholarships accept paper transcripts, which costs $5.00. It is very important to send transcripts early. Once a student submits his or her application, a student can send the transcript the next day. Transcripts can take a week or two to be sent to the college, so keep that in mind with deadlines.

Applying for college has turned out to be quite time consuming for senior Jana Ambre who has begun the process. “I wish I’d have known that there was so much information to fill out because it has turned out to be very time-consuming,” she shared. Start early to end early with very little stress.

Hack Four: Know the Terms of the App It is very important to know the terminology used in a college application. One area that students can get confused in is what kind of admission to apply for. There are three forms of freshman admission: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Early Decision is a binding decision. A binding decision is one where if one is accepted, the student must attend the college that accepted him or her and must withdraw applications to all other schools. Students applying Early Decision get their admission statuses first, so have to go through less waiting. Early Decision is great if you have a clear dream school and the school is within your financial range. Early Action is a non-binding decision. Since the decision is non-binding, students still have until a deadline to choose if they wish to attend or not and are able to see what other colleges accept them. Early Action shows a school that the student is very interested in attending, but is still keeping his or her options open.

Early Action applicants get their admission decision between the time-frame of Early Decision decisions and Regular Decision. Regular Decision is best for a safety school or a school that you are interested in attending, but is not a top choice. Students applying regular decision get their application decision last (collegeboard.com). Be aware that not all schools offer Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Read carefully when applying for schools.

Another strange terminology in the college application is the waiving of rights. When applying to schools, typically private institutions, letter of recommendations from guidance counselors and/or teachers are required. Many private school applications, including the Common App, ask if you wish to waive your right to view your recommendations.

Waiving your right shows colleges that your recommender is giving an honest evaluation of you. If you choose not to waive your rights, colleges may wonder your reasoning and the recommender may decline to recommend you. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), if you choose not to waive your rights, you will not be able to view your recommendations until, and if, the college accepts you and you enroll at that school (appsupport.commonapp.org).

If a student is applying to in-state schools, a student will want to claim Florida residency for in-state tuition. Claiming residency will allow a student to get a significant discount on tuition. To claim residency, a student will need documents of at least one parent that shows he or she has been a resident of the state of Florida for a certain period of time. Acceptable documents include a Florida Voter Registration number and a Florida Driver’s License number. These numbers must be of a parent and cannot be of a student as a student cannot claim residency as a minor.

There are many different parts to a college application and it is important for every part to be done with accuracy and care. For underclassmen, hopefully these hacks will give a little bit of insight about the college application process before senior year. Good luck to all the senior jags applying to colleges now! Hopefully, these hacks will create some ease in the college application process. early

Student Life

Freshmen see the future

Question: Where do you see yourself in four years, at the end of your high school experience?

Lukas Lemmers

“W

hen I graduate from high school, I want to go to FIU or somewhere in LA like UCLA.”

Eduardo Valdes

“A

fter I graduate from high school, I want to study economics and go to Florida International University.”

Alexander Sachs

Sebastian Nunez

Kylie Gutierrez

“I n four years, I hope to be at University “A fter high school, I hope to become “I want to study medicine after high of Miami majoring in medicine.” a professional soccer player. However, I school. I hope to get into UCLA after my hope to get into Florida State University.”

Chonnalin Sumonthee

Zachary Henry

senior year.”

Stephania Arango

“I hope to become a doctor when I grow “I ’m not sure what I want to become yet, “After high school, I want to become a up and go to Florida International Univerbut I hope to get into Florida State Univer- biologist and go to college at Boston Colsity.”

sity.”

lege.”

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Student Life

Seniors’ Sunrise Suc Hayley Hartwell

On the morning of August 19th, the Class of 2016 kept the Senior Sunrise tradition going. Before the sun had even rise the field to witness the majestic sunrise. As the sun rose and the heat began to set in, the students got breakfast provided by Student Life Editor

to the parking lot to commence the painting. Seniors had until 10:00am to paint their parking blocks that day. No two park Spots ranged from having nicknames to Japanese cherry blossoms. Every student is unique and has something to represent th A make-up day took place on August 28th, after school, for those students who couldn’t attend the original Senior Sunrise. S their spots. The band’s annual Disney field trip took place the same day as the original Senior Sunrise so, the band seniors to their spots. Although it was unbelievably hot, there were numerous seniors dedicated to making their space the best they co already begun and it is sure to be a great senior year!

Frances Acevedo

Lourdes Salem

“M y coworker gave me the idea to make the New York skyline, because New York University is my dream college and it is also my favorite city so, it made sense

“I decided to put my nickname, Loutus, and flowers because it is what best represents me.”

Nick Rivera

Steven Gomez

“I usually write a musical staff and put random notes that just look good together but I decided for my parking spot I should pick my favorite song or some-

“I decided to let my friends put their sports numbers on the back of my spot because I enjoy watching them all play and I didn’t know what else to do.”

to represent that on my space.”

thing meaningful. I came up with the idea to make the notes “The Graduation Song (Friends Forever)” and it corresponds to the lyrics “As we go on, we remember”.

On the back of the spot I put my favorite bands, Artic monkeys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and Nirvana, and my friends signed their names. I feel like it really encompasses senior year.”

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“I’v

“th

of

ccess

en, the seniors began filing onto y donations, and then continued king spots turned out the same. hemselves adorning their space.

Students had an hour to work on ook this opportunity to decorate ould. The senior festivities have

Joey Levy

“C hildish Gambino’s album STN MTN/Kauai is one of my favorite albums and ve always liked the album artwork. Plus it was easy enough to replicate.”

Nick Hernandez

“I wanted to show the comradery between my friends and me so they each put heir handprint on my spot. All the people who put handprints on my spot are a part

f the squad and we plan to have the best senior year possible.”

Student Life

Every Mile Makes a Memory Cristina Feliciano

To many students, summer vacation is the time of the year that is most anticipated. The Staff Writer

usual vacation spots may be Orlando or New York; however, there are a few of our very own Jags that went to exotic destinations. Senior Emely Sosa took a three week trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Sosa was recruited by the coaches of the Dominican Republic National U20 soccer team to play center-mid for her country. Two of the three weeks that she was there, Sosa was training for the upcoming games that would take place the last week of her stay.

Along with Sosa, there were two other girls who were international players—one from Arkansas and the other from Texas.

“Everyone is really passionate about playing for their country. The lively atmosphere was very motivating, and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life” Sosa said. “The best part of being there was when I scored the goal that tied the game to 2-2. And when I scored that goal, we advanced to the next round”.

Junior Victoria Max, took the vacation of a lifetime and went with her family and best friend to Europe. Max was literally counting down the days until school ended because she had booked her flight for the day following the last day of finals. On her 18 day itinerary, she had Spain, Italy, and France as her destinations.

Capri was Max’s favorite part of the trip. “My parents rented a boat so that we could tour around the island. The tour guide took us to the caves so that we could jump in the clear blue water, and take a swim” Max said. “[Life in Europe is] completely different than ours. Over there, the way they live their lives and the way they believe in things is different. It’s definitely a more laid-back lifestyle compared to a person who lives in New York”.

Senior Rebecca Pena, traveled to the other side of the globe to Singapore and Malaysia. Pena went for about a month and half to visit her father who has been working on a military base off the coast of Singapore since November of last year. Pena said that reconnecting with her father was “the highlight of the trip”. Aside from seeing her dad, Pena explained that her favorite site in Singapore was the Gardens by the bay in Marina Bay front Singapore. The Gardens were only ten minutes away from the resort that Pena was staying at, so she went as many times as her schedule would let her. As far as the culture is concerned, she shared that “contrary to popular belief, Singapore’s culture isn’t like that of China. In fact, it’s a lot more European because Singapore was under British rule before they became independent”. Pena was able to experience Singapore’s 50th year of independence and said it was “definitely a night to remember”.

“I really enjoyed a famous restaurant called Din Tai Fung. Those were some of the best dumplings that I’ve ever eaten in my life!” exclaimed Pena.

She later on spoke about how positive the people were and that the hospitality was amazing.

However, one thing that was quite odd for Pena was one of the laws that they enforce—gum chewing in Singapore is illegal. “They are a very clean country, so they consider sneaking gum into the country as smuggling. If you are ever planning a trip to Singapore, keep that in mind if you don’t want to end up incarcerated”.

Whether you spend your summer at Disney World or at the top of the Eiffel Tower, it’s clear that everyone has their own variation of a funfilled summer. So now it’s time to hit the books for another nine months until next summer. This couldn’t have been a better way to open up the school year of 2015-2016. Good luck on all your endeavors this year Jags!

Summer Travels: Senior Emely Sosa traveled to the Dominican Republic this summer. Photo by: Kristen Miles

Summer Travels: Senior Rebecca Pena traveled to the Singapore this summer. Photo by: Jonathan Harris

Summer Travels: Senior Victoria Max traveled to the Europe this summer. Photo by: Kristen Miles

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A Journey just Beginning Evan Samuels

O

Big Jags on ca

Staff Writer

n the first day of school, freshmen are forced right away to learn the environment of a new school. These underclassman on their first day gather around the fountain, chatting with their friends about how their summers were, laughing, and usually messing around. These freshmen don’t understand that they are about to begin a journey, a journey that will prepare them for the rest of their lives. A journey that begins right when they step foot on that high school and begin their freshman year.

“On the first day of high school I was extremely nervous, but by the end of the week I was comfortable and happy here. A memory that happened on the first day of school was how I was walking to my first period so scared. Then after all being so scared, I ended up loving my first period teacher. The periods after went by pretty fast. Then it was lunch, I was really scared of lunch because I did not want to be alone. In the end, all of my friends had lunch together, it turned out that high school is not that bad after all,” said ninth grader Samantha Pratts.

Being a freshman means new responsibility. Ninth graders know that going from middle school to high school that you will no longer be babied, underclassman will have to learn how to be responsible.

“Starting high school I was half excited half nervous. I thought it was pretty cool to meet all the new people from the different campuses in my grade. I liked meeting my teachers, and I loved how much more freedom there is in high school. I know that I will have to be much more responsible in my freshman year. On my first day of freshman year, I remember being so happy to meet new friends and teachers. A memory that I will have because of high school is how that first day of high school led me to make friends that I know will be my friends for the rest of my life”, says freshman Alex Mora.

Not only will freshman year prepare 9th graders for college, freshman year is going to prepare them for life. The freshmen will find out the tiring sleepless nights that comes from studying for a test. Then they will realize what the grade F feels like after studying for a test for a long time. Through high school freshmen will have fun times, but also bad times, and that is life. Underclassmen will figure out that high school is maybe not so bad after all.

Freshman Luke Pollack said, “I really like high school, I thought freshman year would be a lot worse. The only part of high school that is hard for me, is to wake up early. Other than that, high school is pretty good.”

Freshmen, your page has only just begun. You will have to continue down the path to see the journey that starts on page one and only you will tell yourself where the journey will end. Good luck freshman on your journey through not only high school but life.

Hayley Hartwell Student Life Editor

Making the transfer from a high school senior to a college freshman is a move that lets you experience the world on your own for the

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first time. The last time a college freshman experienced being the fresh meat on campus they were entering into the ominous new era known as high school, being merged together with too many new kids and experiencing the sensation of not having to tuck your shirt in and wear an ID around your neck at all times. When entering college you are on your own for the first time. Parents are not there to keep you on track, or cook your meals, or do your laundry.

Former CHAT member and sports editor Brett Alayon now attends the Florida State University and has been having the time of his life while also focusing on his studies.

“There is much more freedom in college, but that also comes with responsibility to get your work done and do other things you normally wouldn’t do like buying groceries or doing your laundry. Entering college you meet many different kinds of people, that have made my experience a memorable one so far,” stated Alayon.

Most students attend college to focus on their academics, but a select group of talented athletes take their abilities to the collegiate level.

Adapting to the rigorous classes and hectic practice and game schedule can be difficult especially in your first semester as a freshman. PPCHS graduate Rachelle Smith plays soc-

cer for the Uni of balancing th classes that has be able to keep a little harder to campus and on Another reside to attend the s underway whic game or finish found a new lo make all her ow but I knew that before I do som high school and Responsibility former Jags hav new schools. It in the spoils of

ampus

iversity of Florida and is currently undertaking the role he two worlds. “Since I can make my own schedule of s helped, but I have to work on my time management to up with practices as well as my school work. It becomes o study at times but we do have tutors to help us while on n the road,” said Smith. ent at the University of Florida, Gabriela Eyrich, decided school solely for the academics. The football season is ch leads to the decision of whether to head to the football h the paper whose deadline is approaching. Eyrich has ove for this sense of responsibility because she gets to wn decisions. “In high school I could push off a paper, t my parents would pressure me to finish my assignment mething I wanted to do, and that’s the difference between d college,” said Eyrich. y is a big factor when entering into college, but all these ve not let that overwhelm them in their first year in their t is important to take a break from studying and indulge the college experience!

Charter Subjected to New Subjects

LJ Lemmers

I

Technology Editor

nto the New Year has brought brand new subjects to the 2015-2016 Charter system. Many of the new classes introduced are mostly from the Cambridge program and the AP program. There are some returning classes that will taught by new teachers this year. In addition, classes such as Dance Techniques and Water Safety were offered to students. Some teachers have to adjust to the new classes they were assigned to as some of them have never taught that subject before.

There are two new courses offered through the English Department. Ms. Schwab is teaching AICE Global Perspective A level and Ms. Phelps is teaching AICE English Language AS. Global Perspective teaches about thinking critical on a wide variety of global issues to see the point of view of more than one person. In AICE English Language, learners will be able to study English language and use its modern communication. They will be able to develop and analyze material, gain more knowledge in order to improve their writing skills.

AICE Spanish Language AS is the only new classed offered through the Foreign Language Department. In AICE Spanish, students will study a series of work from Spanish literature. Students will have to understand these texts and looking at what the author is trying to convey in his/her message of their work. Works such as novels, plays, poems, and play.

“I love the AICE program. It’s challenging, the communication level is amazing, and everybody participates and brings new themes, and ideas into the class from their own experiences. I think that non speakers will be more comfortable in this class than in AP. It’s more welcoming for them than the AP class,” said AICE Spanish teacher Ms.Ciafre.

The Science department has gotten three new classes this year, the most new classes to any department. Ms. Rago is teaching AP Environmental, a returning course, for the first time this year, Mr. Lavoro is teaching AICE Psychology, and Mr. Kapela is teaching AICE Marine Science 2 AL. AP Environmental is a course that explores the relationships of the natural world, identify environmental problems (natural and human), study the risks of the problem, and finding solutions to avoid them. AICE Psychology compared to AP has to be deal with more writing and reading. They research a total of psychology. The AICE exam for Psychology has no multiple choice. It is all critical thinking questions unlike the AP exam which is all multiple choice.

“AP Environmental is my favorite subject. It teaches students about real life situations and how to apply that into their own lives. The class isn’t all about natural sciences and involves social sciences like demography, politics, and different cultural beliefs,” said Ms. Rago, the AP Environmental teacher.

AICE Marine Science A Level is a higher level than AS. In AS, students learn about the sea and its ecosystems, while A Level focuses on human activities that depend on the sea and have an impact on it. This class is great for students who want to study Marine Biology or Environmental Science or to follow in shipping, fisheries, tourism, or aquaculture.

“The AICE Marine A level is challenging to teach as it’s a set of new material spread over a large curriculum. It prepares kids for specific requirements for the Cambridge exam. We have to prepare for this test as it is unquestionably unique,” said AICE Marine science teacher Mr. Kapela.

Moving into the Social Studies section, AP Government will be taught by Mrs. Hyacinth and AICE Sociology AS

by Ms. Portalatin. AICE Sociology was previously taught by Mr. Schneider. Hyacinth has taught Government before and is teaching it again. AP Government teaches the conflicting and interesting and powers of the president and how Congress struggled to get a national budget in America (apstudent.collegeboard.org). Students will study civil liberties and civil rights, political culture and socialization, citizen participation and influence, political institutions and policy making that make the U.S government. AICE Sociology is a returning course. It is a class discussion based class. Students will see society through different perspectives and see the how and why this happened. The study of sociology increase awareness of world problems and focusing on the importance of these issues through analyzing the context.

“I’m excited for this new challenge. It’s a lot of fun having class discussions with my students about society. Seeing why this happen and going deeper into the topic so everyone has a clear understanding about what is going,” said AICE Sociology teacher Ms. Portalatin.

Also joining the academic class additions, there are two non-academic electives: Dance techniques and Water Safety.

In Dance Techniques, taught by Ms. Norton, teaches students about the basics of dancing. Students will learn a variety of dances and the history of dances. In Water Safety, it’s mainly a lifeguard class where kids will learn become lifeguards and after they become certified, the city can hire them. The class is taught by Ms. Schmidt. She teaches students swimming skills, dry land practices, fitness training for swimming, and they also learn swimming distances.

The New Year has brought many great subjects to the school. AICE Global Perspective and AICE English Language will help students improve their writing skills. New science classes like, AP Environmental and AICE Marine will help teach about the natural world and study marine life. Overall, taking any of these new classes will introduce students to a new challenge that will help them in their outside life.

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Features

“What are your school year resolutio Freshman Natalie Alegria

Freshman Falak Abbasakoor

Junior Madison Lear

Sophomore Elizabeth Gamez

“T his year I really want to study hard “My school year resolution is to come “T his year, I’m on the Pep Rally com“This year I am really motivated to and get good grades. I’ve heard that freshhome and do my homework right away bemittee in SGA so I really want to increase raise my GPA to where I would like it to man year can make or break your high school career, so I really want to start off well.”

cause I have a lot of difficult classes. I also want to attempt to go to sleep a bit earlier.”

Senior Stephanie Castillo

Junior Sarah Andrews

our school spirit. I also want to get freshmen more involved in school activities like Homecoming and Snow Ball.”

be and to join our school’s soccer team for the first time.”

Sophomore Paris Reid

Sophomore Eric Cumbereatch

“What new b

“T his year, I’m definitely more com“I recently became an aunt. My niece “I got my permit in December, so I’m “I just applied to flight school. I have mitted to theater. My experience at the a year and three months before I get my was born in November 2013. She’s my beginning to drive and become more inBoston university summer theater institute this past summer created a pathway for my artistic abilities.”

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first niece so she’s interesting and fun to be around. She makes everyone smile, so she makes me happy.”

dependent. I’ll probably get a car after my sister gets a car for Christmas.”

license. My dad is an ex pilot and he flew in the Vietnam War so I want to follow in his footsteps.”

Features

ons?”

Coach Bruns

Senior Oscar Pons

Junior Nico Raimont

Sophomore Matthew Levy

“M y school year resolution is to work “My school year resolution is to raise “I want to stop procrastinating and start “Well I obviously want to get good closely with all of our sports teams to enmy SAT score a bit this time around and taking action. I am going to partake in anygrades, but I’m a member of the soccer sure even more success than last year.”

take my ACT for the first time. I also want to try out for baseball.”

thing I can and be happy. High school is just too short to be hung up on nonsense.”

team so I really want us to advance more than we did last year.”

beginnings do you have in your life?”

Junior Christopher Rodriguez

Freshman Julian Patino

Sophomore Omar Palmer

Sophomore Ibiene Longjohn

“I just joined Latin dance so I’m going “I recently went to Peru and I went “This is the first year that I’m not playto work hard all year to improve my skills gliding and I played soccer. In this, I have ing football because I’m focusing on my “I’m a professional dancer, so I get paid so that can work up to being captain later found a love for traveling. It is definitely to go perform in different places. My ulon in my high school career.”

a new beginning for me, as I now have an interest in something I didn’t before.”

grades. It’s definitely an adjustment but hopefully I’ll be able to can make a comeback later on.”

timate goal would be to change the way dancing in perceived. This year I definitely want to work on this.”

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Pep It Up With Pe

Students Tutor for the Better Looghermine Claude

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Managing Editor - Content

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harter students are always going out of their way to help their community. Over the years, students have implemented programs to improve the environment and stop bullying. Going right along with the history of service in the school is the new ESE tutoring program. By connecting excelling high school students with ESE students, the program hoped to provide personal, quality mentorship in the subjects that ESE students need the most help in.

The ESE tutoring program is headed by Mrs. Ostendorf and Mrs. Masiello from the ESE department started last year. However, this year they are opening their doors to new tutors and students. In order to attract new students, the club had a general information meeting on Tuesday, September 1, afterschool in the ESE room (U121). At the meeting Mrs. Ostendorf, Mrs. Masiello, President Grecia Valencia, and Vice President Giselle La Hoz talked to around 30 students about the role they would be playing as members of the club and their responsibilities. If students were going to be members of the club, they had to commit to tutoring their assigned student for the subject and the days of the week they picked beforehand.

“People should join the club because the want to and they fell like this is something they want to be a part of. The club helps to build a relationship because it’s mutualism. The club is beneficial and rewarding to both tutor and student,” says president Grecia Valencia.

They also spoke about how the students would be building a connection with who they were tutoring. The tutors would be given one student for each subject that they tutored, which would allow them to form a connection. The connection would allow the tutor to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of who they were tutoring enabling them to better help the student succeed. Past tutors of ESE kids like Valencia, La Hoz, senior Matthew Perez, and junior Tobe Osakwe, spoke about how life-changing it was to hang around kids they didn’t notice before in the hallways and be able to connect with them on a personal level.

“I started tutoring last year and it was an amazing experience. It’s different than any other tutoring that high school students could participate in. Students don’t get paid but they make a visible impact in the community by helping out students others look over. I think that’s the best part” said junior Tobe Osakwe.

If more students are looking to join a club that is bound to make an impact for years, they are not too late. There will be another meeting for the club on September 8th and forms are due on September 9th. Students skilled in all different subjects are welcome to join and are invited to become a part of a new type of club in the school.

Pep Squad: Junior Lillian Perez hopes to bring more school spirit to PPCHS with her new club. Photo by: Nicole Hernandez

here’s a minute on any strength left, they Finals. Freshman Yanni back for the Jaguars. Th 11 individual Jag playe Hearing those chants, t score that goal making making those chants we “We hope to bring mo find a mascot that can g and pep rallies. We hav cot will improve the sp Ms. Portalatin.

Pep’s Squad purpose on the Jags. The cheerl Pep’s Squad purpose is This is the very first yea meeting was held Septe a part of Pep Squad. A approve of them. The c and I hope to get a lot of teams who don’t get a l Aguiar, Vice President The Pep Squad is also l for a mascot who is ene Squad will pick atleast the games, there will be going to pep rallies and Applicants to students w “I think this club is grea great for the members a football games. I hope w President of Pep Squad Meetings for the club filled with students wh amazing experience. St our school.

Calling All Photog Cristine Alayon

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ESE Tutoring: Senior Grecia Valencia and Ms. Ostendorf team up to make a positive change in the lives of many ESE Jags. Photo by: Kristen Miles

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Clubs Editor

s you probably know, and you probably have, one of the most popular networks is the app Instagram. This app allows you to post photos to share with friends, family, and even people all around the world. Here at Pembroke Pines Charter, there will be a brand new Photography club starting up for all students interested in photography to join. The club will be run by co-presidents Jana Anbre and Kaela Wyche.

For all the students who are Instagram users, the page relating to the club is called @ humansofcharter, which is run and founded by Wyche. She started this page to kick off the club and make a social media page to go along with it for students to see. She goes around campus and snaps photos of students usually followed by a quote from the student. The photos are generally snapshots of the student in action or a casual photo of them smiling.

Quote responses include Q & A’s, humor, and information on student events. The main reason for this page is to promote and get the club out there. Also it is to view different student’s perspectives on topics and also to hear some interesting life stories.

“The purpose for the Photography club is to teach people about pictures. It is going to be a lot of fun throughout the year and we wish many students to come out and join,” said Wyche. “The Instagram page is public, so I advise you take a look at it!”

The first meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10, right after school in Mr. Quigley’s room U29A. The leader students of the club run it throughout the whole year and it is sponsored by Mr. Quigley. “I am super excited to announce this clubs beginning,” said Anbre. “Once the year kicks off we will start with frequent meetings and then begin to do fun activities.” The club is very open and anyone can join. All that is needed is a phone, but if you have a professional camera that would be greatly welcomed as well. So Instagram users, be the first to join the club and get out your phone to follow @humansofcharter!

ep Squad LJ Lemmers Technology Editor

n the clock. The Jags soccer team is tied 2-2. With barely desperately try to find that last push to win the District ick Blackman makes a clean slide tackle getting the ball here’s thirty seconds left on the clock. Out of nowhere all ers, hear “LET’S GO JAGS! LET’S GO JAGS!” the Jags were able to get that last amount of strength to g 3-2 and receiving their District Finals title. The ones ere of none other than PPCHS’ own Pep Squad. ore school spirit to the school. Another goal of ours is to go to most of the games for our school. Not just football ve no mascot for the school and I think that having a maspirit of other students in our school,” said club sponsor

for the school is to go to all the sports games to cheer leaders for the school only go to the football games, but for every sports team to have their very own supporters. ar that Pep Squad has joined the school. An informational ember 2nd for members to join the club. “I’m excited be As the Vice President, I have to help with the ideas and club is great way to get students involved in school spirit f club members joining this year. It would be great for the lot of fans to have a supporting crowd,’ said junior Alexa of Pep Squad. looking for a mascot to join the club. The club is looking ergetic and can really bring out the spirit in the crowd. Pep 2 or 3 mascots for the club. If one mascot can’t come to e a backup to fill in for the missing one. They will only be d most of the sports games except swimming and tennis. who wanted to tryout were due September 2nd. at. Our school isn’t known for school spirit. Pep Squad is and the students to get the life in our pep rallies and in the we can have a successful year,” said junior Lillian Perez, d. b will be held on every Wednesday. Being in Pep Squad ho want to bring school spirit into the school will be an tudents who join this club will be doing a great deed for

graphers!!

Photography Club: Seniors Jana Ambre and Kaela Wyche come together form a new Photography Club at PPCHS. Photo by: Elizabeth Gamez

The New Year Brings “Night of the Jag”

Cristina Feliciano & Amanda Peralta Staff Writers

N ight of the Jag is almost here! At the end of last school year, the student body voted for the homecoming theme which was between a Night in the City, Night of the Jaguar, and Beyond the Sea. The votes came in and Night of the Jaguar was announced the winner. Student Government Association (SGA) has already began putting up posters announcing the much anticipated dance on Saturday, October 10th. Along with the dance, October 9th will be the exciting homecoming football game. However, this year things will be a little different.

SGA advisor, Mr. Curry, will be making shout-outs at the homecoming game for any students who choose to purchase them. The dance will be held at the same location as last year which is the Bonaventure Resort and Spa located in Weston. All members of SGA are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming events that they have planned. SGA’s corresponding secretary, Victoria Max, explained that “all events regarding Homecoming were pushed up this year by 2 to 3 weeks.” Because of that, making deadlines for homecoming becomes more crucial. The decor committee is currently deciding how the ballroom will be set up according to the theme. As far as spirit week is concerned, the themes have been decided for each day. However, SGA members are withholding that information until they are allowed to release it to the student body. Fortunately, Max was able to give a little bit of insight regarding Pep Rally. “This fall will be our first Pep Rally in 2 years. We definitely have some things in the works that can’t be discussed, but hopefully Pep Rally will be a success,” said Max. The inspiration of The Night of the Jaguar came from The Chinese New Year. Cherry blossoms, lanterns, spectacular calligraphy, and a photo booth should all be expected for the big night. The price to attend homecoming is $85 for each ticket plus a separate pre-sale of homecoming t-shirts during mid- September. More information regarding homecoming shirts will be sent through Jupiter Grades as well as email.

SGA President, Saman Govaria said “SGA will be revealing a video soon to promote ticket sales and in the video will be the unveiling of the themes.” Homecoming tickets will be sold every Tuesday and Thursday in the cafeteria during both lunches. SGA hopes to sell about 350 tickets, but “the more the merrier” in the bright words of SGA staff. The dress code for homecoming is semi-formal and all students are welcomed to attend, including freshmen.

SGA Junior Senator, Emilio Montanez, is a part of the spirit week committee this year. He explained that “this year, SGA will be showcasing their very first spirit stick.”

He continued by explaining that the spirit stick is an award for the best dressed school club. In other words, which ever school club has the most amount of members who dress the best for a certain day during Spirit Week, that club will get a point for the corresponding day. The club with the most amount of points at the end of the week will be awarded the spirit stick. To tally up the points, members of all clubs will have to get their picture taken after school each day so that SGA can decided who has the most spirit. All members apart of the spirit week committee are brainstorming ideas of how the spirit stick is going to look. Montanez said, “for sure our school colors will be on it.”

Students can purchase tickets during lunches A and B along with the T-shirts for the homecoming dance. Tickets will be sold from September 8th through October 8th. Cash and checks can be made out to PPCHS. Additional information will be sent to all students the date approaches. Jaguars, get ready for a big night and an unforgettable time!

All Homecoming 2014 photos by: Jonathan Harris

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Joey Valentin

Javon Eaton

ransferring from Archbishop McCarthy at the start of last year, Joey Valentin has made his mark on the PPCHS varsity football team. As it is only his second season with the Jags, he has already proven himself to be one of the best players to take the field. As a running back or line backer he plans to put his all into this team to make it a year to remember for the school.

“I hope to win a lot of games and get this team back on track where it belongs. We have a lot of potential as a whole if we build our chemistry and stay healthy throughout the season,” stated Valentin.

Thirteen years ago at the young age of four, Valentin began playing for optimist teams including Weston and West Pines under his dad’s influence. He has learned a lot from his numerous coaches and his dad to get him to where he is now. He is a strong player who sees the game well, which helps him make the smart plays. In his first year with the Jaguars, Valentin ran for seven touchdowns and he hopes to surpass that number in the 2015 season.

Although football is Joey’s passion, he dedicates his time to preparing for what comes next, college. Valentin hopes to attend the University of Central Florida or University of Miami studying sports medicine this coming year.

s many know, football is a rough sport. It takes strength, courage, and determination to play the game of football. Banging pads and willing to risk yourself for the love of the game is the way the PPCHS football team rolls. Starting running back and linebacker, Javon Eaton, has been playing this game his whole life. As a 5th grader, Eaton first began playing for a WPPO Optimist team and ever since, he can’t get enough of the game. “The thing that makes me fall in love with football is the exciting times when you hear the crowd cheering for you, it’s a great feeling,” said Eaton.

This is Javon’s 3rd year in high school and his 3rd year of playing Varsity. His first varsity game was in 9th grade during the spring season. Being so talented, Eaton made the PPCHS varsity football team as a freshmen and has been working ever since to become a better player. “My favorite thing about playing at charter is the offense,” says Eaton. “The offense is explosive and I love playing with my teammates that I have known for years.”

This season the Jags have seemed to improve their game over the year. The #1 goal for Javon and the team is to execute all of their plays and win games to make it to the district championship. “My main goal is to stay healthy and help my team out as much as possible,” said Eaton. With Javon’s help throughout the season, it is sure that the Jags will reach the championship like they’ve always wanted to.

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Jake Bottom

Albert Ramos

he opposition hikes the ball to their quarterback. He’s looking for an open pass to his teammate. The Jags football team defense is preventing him from passing. All of sudden a player from the Jags team tackles the quarterback hard onto the ground.

The Jag defender who tackled the quarterback looks down on his opponent showing who the boss of the field is.

Senior Jake Bottom is the center defensive tackle for the Pines Charter Jags football team. As the defensive tackle, Bottom’s job is to sack the quarterback. He will surely make many key defensive plays this season to prevent the opposition from scoring.

Bottom has been playing football his whole life. Since he was a freshman, he has been on the varsity team. Training hard every day, Bottom wants to make sure that his team does well this year. When asked what his goal was for this year, Bottom made it clear with two words- to win.

“My goal and the team's goal is just to win every game. We are going to take it one step at a time, learn from our mistakes, and improve on them so we can become better. I think that we improve our offensive line, we can be really good this year,” said Bottom.

Bottom has said that one thing he can improve on would be pass blocking to help support his team. As PPCHS football legend Troy Bottom’s brother, Jake Bottom has big shoes to fill as he leaves a legacy here in Charter.

he determination to win is a key trait that all Charter athletes possess. For senior running back and corner back on the varsity football team Albert Ramos, he takes those words to a whole new level. Ever since he first put on a helmet in the 6th grade thanks to his mother’s encouragement, Ramos has dreamed of being on the big stage.

He has very high expectations for the team this year as they have a lot of young talent that is very promising.

“This team has the potential to do some very surprising things this year. No one is really expecting us to do well so we all have a chip on our shoulders,” said Ramos.

When he joined the varsity squad as a sophomore, his coaches were immediately impressed with his elite speed. He has been one of the main playmakers, on offense and defense, for the past three years, but knows that he needs to have an increased role now that he is a senior. Ramos is going to take it one game at a time as he is hoping to improve on his back pedal. Optimistically, Ramos believes that he will be able to walk on at FSU or FIU. If he continues to be determined, he will reach that goal in no time.

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Sports

Falling B

NCAAF/NFL 2015 Preview

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Football

ne of the biggest fall sports that most students are excite out a doubt has to be football. The thrill on those Friday nights up to our football field with the bright lights out, and the ar concession stand food. Many were very enlightened to see our an entertaining game against the Doral Firebirds in their first h The Firebirds were up 14-13 at halftime and then was suspen lightning and thunder in the area. Sophomore, Ezekiel Alexand wide receiver and defensive end, says he is encouraged for the because the team is looking to improve, “I think our team ha side.” Good luck to the football team this season!

Graphic by: Natalie Laurent

Mason Feldman Staff Writer

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he 2015 National College Athletic Association of Football (NCAAF) promises to bring excitement around the nation as the best college football athletes compete for a National Championship. The SEC made an amazing run of seven straight National Championships; however, that long standing run was broken in 2013 when Auburn University was defeated by Florida State University. Now in only two years, the power conference has switched from the SEC to the Big-12. This year, the Big-12 has three of the top four spots in the preseason poll while the SEC has the other spot.

The Miami Hurricanes struggled to win last year as their record was only 6-7 and a horrific 3-5 recorded in the ACC. However, this year’s Quarterback, Brad Kaaya, has risen from last year. Kaaya promises to be very outspoken and step up to be a true leader to his team. Kaaya struggled on the road last year going 1-4 and hopes to turn it around. At home the Canes were 5-2. In this season the Canes will have an easier road travel schedule, but a more challenging and difficult home schedule. Games at home will be against the teams from Nebraska, Virginia, and Clemson. The Canes easier road games include FAU, Duke, and Pittsburgh.

Junior Myles Ruiz stated, “I think the Canes will do pretty good this season, and they’ll do better than they did last year and their uniforms look cool.”

Huddle up! It’s that time of year again, the National Football League season is upon us and ready to get started in full force. This year the quality of competition is sky high with new anxious quarterbacks like Jameis Winston who will play on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marcus Mariota who will play on the Tennessee Titans. There are other quarterbacks who will need to step up their games including Miami Dolphins’ Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and San Diego Chargers’ Quarterback Philip Rivers. Tannehill and Rivers fell short last year on their bids for a playoff spot. This season will be a little different as there will also be games on Saturdays.

This off-season, the Dolphins had a lot of key additions including draft picks Devante Parker, out of the University of Louisville, and speedster Jay Ajayi from Boise State. Parker was scouted as one of the best Wide Receivers in the NFL Draft. Other important additions to the Dolphins roster include Wide Receiver Kenny Stills which happened via trade. Free agent Quarterback Josh Freeman was also signed to the team. Even though the Dolphins added all these players, the biggest acquisition to the team was defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh’s is 6’ 4” and weighs 307 pounds and his power and size will be very important to the team’s defense. Suh has been named to the Pro Bowl for the last three years and has been unstoppable with his defense. The total talent package is definitely there for the Dolphins to make a playoff run, but they have to perform and remain focused on the games.

The Dolphins have a large fan base to support them with positive energy. When asked how the Dolphins will be this year, Junior Anthony Mayorga replied, “They haven’t gotten to their full glory in the past, but this year I feel pretty good about how they will perform.” Go Fins!

The big news from the NFL is that Tom Brady’s suspension has been nullified and he is eligible to play on Week 1. The NFL has decided to appeal the ruling and should only have to wait a short time to find out Brady’s fate. Now is the time for the Miami Dolphins to step up their game even more with Brady being reinstated.

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Photo by: Er

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Golf

he golf team’s season has commenced, their first practice son was September 1st. Last year, the team had an astounding p as they made regionals, but couldn’t make it to States. The team endure long hours of practice from now until their first game of against South Plantation high School on September 15th. There returning seniors one of them being the captain of the team, N ramento. Along with all of that, Mr. Suid who is a new math te school, will be taking over as the head coach of the team. We w team the best of luck in this upcoming season!

Photo by: Peter

Sports

Back Into the Game

Premier League Full of Surprises

Matthew Hernandez Staff Writer

ed for withof showing roma of the team put up home game. nded due to der, who is a new season as major up-

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he runners are sprinting back into the season as they prepare themselves for the long and challenging season. They didn’t waste time getting back to work as they had practice after the first day of school and had many practices over the summer. The team had their first race of the school year on September 3rd at Tradewins Park, and one of the girls came in first place. Junior, Ana Colicchio, who is a current member of cross country said,” I believe that we will get far, and especially our varsity runners who are doing amazing. Our goal as a team is to make it to states and to just try as hard as we can to win. It’ll be a lot of hard work, and will be challenging but it will all be worth it in the end.” We will hope for the best for the cross country team as they have a tough season ahead!

Hernandez

e of the seaperformance m is going to f the season e are several Nicolas Saceacher at the wish the golf

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Cross Country

Dourvetakis

Graphic by: Natalie Laurent

Photo by: Alex Monge

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Volleyball

LJ Lemmers

he volleyball season is back in action as the varsity and JV teams have had numerous practices since the school year launched. They are preparing for what will be a long and hard fought season. The girls are coming off of a relatively good year and they’d like to be as good if not better this year. The varsity team had their first game on August 25th against Cardinal Gibbons. The team had their first home game of the season on September 3rd against Flanagan, and it was a great battled that resulted in win in 5 sets. Good Luck to the JV and varsity volleyball teams!

Photo by: Alex Monge

Technology Editor

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t has only been three weeks into the Premier League and it has already been full of surprise events. Many soccer fans across the world are stunned with the current rankings in the league. Top teams who usually start of good have started off worse than expected.

Currently in the top three are Manchester City, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City.

Man City has had a great start to the season. They have won all four of their games, even beating last year’s winner, Chelsea, 3-0. Crystal Palace, in second, has won three games and lost one. Third place Leicester City has won two and lost two.

“I’m really proud of Manchester City right now. They are the only team so far in the league who have played great, consistent soccer. As a City fan, I feel that this is our year. We are off to a good start and I hope that we can win it all,” said junior Juan Ardila.

Last year's league winner, Chelsea, is in 12th place and has two losses and a draw.

Chelsea still has most of their main squad from last year, including their key players Eden Hazard, Oscar, John Terry, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. However, Chelsea have struggled to win any games this season.

“I’m surprised that Chelsea is not doing good. I’m a Chelsea fan and I’m disappointed that they aren’t playing well. I hope we can turn it around soon and get to the top three for the Champions League next year," said junior Josiah Celestine.

Other teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool have not been doing so well either. United, in fifth place, has yet to retain a winning form compared to games in their history. With the most titles ever in the Premier League in the past two years, United has struggled to place top four in the league. Coach Van Gaal has spent big money to improve the squad. However, they are in fifth place with two wins, one draw, and one lost. All games they have played were tight games with United getting lucky on most occasions. Arsenal and Liverpool have the same record as United.

Just like United, they are struggling to find proper form and their games have been too close for comfort.

“The league has been surprising this year. A lot of teams you would expect to be doing well this year are not doing well. Crystal Palace and Leicester City are in the top while Chelsea isn’t. They are playing really bad. Looks like it’s going to be a good season,” said junior Camilo Grijalva.

The league doesn’t end until May 15th, so anything can happen. Teams currently on the top could drop down or a surprise underdog could make it to the top three. That’s what makes soccer so exciting. The unexpected happens. Until May, anybody has a chance of winning the title.

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Albums of the Summer: Reviews T

O n June 1, 2015 the pop culture icon form Fair. On this same day, 65-year-old Jenner

Currents by Tame Impala’s

ame Impala’s Currents is debatably their best album and this is the result of their new sound. The band is known for being a psychedelic rock band with elements of electronic music and distortion of melodies. However, this record infused the usual psych-rock with the widely unexpected genres of soul, disco, and funk due to lead singer, Kevin Parker’s, love for The Bee Gees. “I thought it was really different, but good different,” said junior Jonathan Herbert about the band’s new musical style. The album opens with “Let it Happen”, a 7 minute track that incorporates the use of a synthesizer and describes the process of simply letting nature take its course. The album ends with “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” which recounts the band’s fears and insecurities about how fans will react to their experimentation with music. This record diverges from the band’s typical “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” sound and that is what makes it so special.

Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd I

n less than a year, The Weeknd has transformed himself from a mysterious indie artist to a household name. Being in popular songs like “Love Me Harder” and being the singer of mega-hit “Earned It” has thrusted the Canadian singer to superstardom and his style has evolved as a result. Much like Currents, this record takes listeners on a musical journey they have never been on before with the artist. “Can’t Feel My Face” is probably the best example of this, using progressions similar to Michael Jackson and a groovy bass line. “Prisoners” features a long-awaited collaboration between The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey, another beloved singer. A personal favorite among listeners is “Tell Your Friends”. The Kanye West-produced track features a sample of Soul Dog’s “Can’t Stop Loving You.” Junior Ana Tholenaar said “I really enjoyed Kanye’s production of the song. The music video was so creative!” Although most aren’t huge fans of his hair, his vocal talent in undeniable and this album truly showcases that. If you find yourself listening to BBTM on repeat, you can catch him on December 19th at the American Airlines Arena with Halsey, which brings us to the next review.

A

III by JoJo

lthough not an actual album, the comeback of pop artist, JoJo, is definitely worth mentioning. Her “tringle” (the release of three singles at the same time), is a victorious release for the singer, as she was stuck in a 6 year legal battle with her record label. Now signed to Atlantic records, Jojo has a lot to say and she does it beautifully. The three tracks are entitled “Save My Soul”, “When Love Hurts”, and “Say Love”, all of which are about love, or lack thereof. “Save My Soul” is a pop and electronic ballad that depicts a relationship that has met its end, but there is something that always brings the two people back. “When Love Hurts” is a dance track and the lead single that is written about a relationship that has its cons, but the pros always end up outweighing them. The tringle’s last track is “Say Love” a song about a couple that has one partner who loves the other more than the other partner.

It is pretty evident that JoJo has been through some tough times in her last relationship, and she gets on a personal level with listeners that makes the songs relatable.

BADLANDS by Halsey

W ith a voice and style parallel to Banks and Lorde, Halsey is well on her way to becoming your new fave. The New Jersey native wrote the album to describe her

feelings of loneliness and isolation while writing it. The self-claimed “angry feminist record” infuses indie pop and slight electronic elements. “Castle” serves as the album’s introductory track and incorporates haunting samples of a choir. “Colors” is a pop ballad supposedly written about the 1975 front man, Matty Healy, and includes melancholy lyrics like “You were red, and you liked me because I was blue. But you touched me, and suddenly I was a lilac sky. Then you decided purple just wasn’t for you.” (www.genius.com) The deluxe version of the album includes 5 more songs than the original. One of the aforementioned songs, “Strange Love”, is the only hiphop inspired track, depicting a relationship that is hidden from the general public.

Tracks like “Ghost”, her most popular single and “Control” are also worth looking into. The periwinkle-haired singer is well on her way to gaining fame amongst teenagers and adults alike.

20

She Is

Graphics by: Katie Perez

followers in just four hours; earning a place Obama (celebuzz.com).

Caitlyn’s debut show I Am Cait premiered o Up With the Kardashians spin-off showcases Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West hig announcing her new identity.

“I love watching Keeping Up With the Karda in to. It’s so awesome that she is getting her said senior Alexandra Sao. Kim Kardashian writes on her Instagram:“T situations, or simply to help make the world a the first episode and comes to visit Caitlyn fo In an interview with Vanity Fair, Kris main done.” Kris explains to E! Magazine that her wearing women’s clothes while they were liv dress as a woman when he was traveling alon Caitlyn utilizes her new status as a role mo old transgender boy who, despite acceptance words to Prescott’s family and attended a b Jenner in hopes of helping other parents and “I think it’s so great that Caitlyn is finally a media can make it hard for famous people to junior Sevval Erchin.

For her girls› night shown in the second epis to learn more about them and hear about thei has been very different from many who have s to be very revealing for Caitlyn, who discove In one of Caitlyn’s first major appearances, she talks about what the transgender commu respect,”, as NBC reported. “If you want to c it,” she said. “But for the thousands of kids o

s Cait- and proud Lauren Cookley & Lauren Ramirez

Concerts of the summer Graphics by: Matthew Perez

Community Outreach & Staff Writer

merly known as Bruce Jenner was featured on the cover of the celebrity publication Vanity started a twitter page under a new identity: Caitlyn Jenner. She gained over one million e in the Guinness Book of World Records, breaking the record formerly held by President

J Cole

Lana Del Rey

on E! on Sunday, July 26th, and from the very start it was destined to be a hit. The Keeping how Jenner and her family are dealing with her transition. The first episode: featuring Kylie ghlights how Jenner’s daughters were supporting her through the difficult first few days after

ashians, so when I Am Cait premiered I was excited about having another great show to tune own show after everything she had to go through and after making her transition public,”

Tonight we share a part of the journey we have been on in hopes of helping others in similar a less judgmental place. Let›s work together to be kind.” She shows her support throughout or the first time with husband, Kanye West. ntains that their relationship ended abruptly when her former husband «just decided, ‹I›m r divorce was “the most passive aggressive thing I’ve ever experienced.” Kris did see Bruce ving together. Both of them had made an agreement with each other that Bruce would only ne and away from the family’s house. odel for transgendered youth when she visits the family of Kyler Cade Prescott, a 14 year e by his family and closest friends, took his own life. Caitlyn provided comfort and positive balloon releasing ceremony in his honor. Prescott’s mother shared her family’s story with kids as they make their way through the challenges of being transgender. able to reveal her true self. I’ve never really watched the Kardashians, but I know that the delve into controversial matters, so I’m glad she was so widely accepted by everyone” said

sode, Caitlyn invited a few influential women from the transgender and LGBT communities ir experiences. Given her status, her wealth, and her fame, Caitlyn shows that her transition struggled greatly since beginning their own journeys. This episode is emotional, and seemed ered so much more about the transgender community than she ever knew. she took the stage at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles to a standing ovation. In this speech unity really needs. Caitlyn says “Trans people deserve something vital: they deserve your call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.”

W orldwide sensation J Cole performed Singer, Lana Del Rey performed at the in West Palm Beach, Florida on August Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm 18, 2015 at Coral Sky Amphitheatre. He was in the process of concluding his nationwide tour “Forrest Hills”. Sophomore Cassandra Cortez went to the concert. She stated that her and a couple friends had seats for the concert yet they stood the whole time and that the performance was outside. “I love nature and the outdoors so I surely prefer concerts outside” said Cassandra. Cortez explained, “If I had to choose between sitting or standing I would choose sitting because it gives me a more relaxed experience”.

Beach, Florida on Tuesday June 16, 2015.

This Concert in West Palm was to be the conclusion of her tour in North America called “Endless Summer”. Senior Giselle La Hoz attended the concert. She said the concert was outdoors and that her and her friends had seats but were basically standing the whole time. She simply said, “I prefer standing at concerts; sometimes you get seats because you’re far away. I also prefer indoor concerts because most of the concerts I’ve been to have been indoors.”

Sam Smith

Ariana Grande

O ne of the booming concerts over the O ne of the most up and coming stars in summer in South Florida was performed the music industry performed at the BB&T

Graphic by: Katie Perez

by the one and only, Sam Smith. He has become a famous pop star, and as one could imagine his concert was jam packed.

The event took place on July 20, 2015 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and started at 8 PM. Senior Kailee Needham, who attended the concert with her two friends Kelseah Pierre and Joimishael Martin, who are also seniors, said it was a great indoor event and that they had seats, but stood most of the time. “I prefer indoor concerts, because they can do cool things with the lights, and there is AC. I also prefer standing better because you get a better view of the performer.”

Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on July 18, 2015. Ariana Grande, the hometown girl from Boca Raton, performed for the local fans here in South Florida. She was performing as part of her tour all over North America and Europe named “The Honeymoon Tour”. Freshman Alex Mora was in attendance at her performance. He said that he and his girlfriend had seats during the concert but stood the whole time and the performance was indoors.

“The arena is usually a packed house, so I definitely enjoy standing during a concert rather than sitting so I can get a better view of the musician” stated Alex; “Indoor concerts are better hands down. The effects and technology are usually ten times better and being outside is typically not as comfortable as being inside”.

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Entertainment The CHAT Editorial: Duggar’s dirty deeds drowright deplorable Sarah Barrocas & Alexa Infante

As a political activist and former car salesman, Josh Duggar is also known as the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar on their popular reality TV Staff Writers

show “19 Kids & Counting”. Although he is known for being a TV personality, he is infamous for his multiple accusations of inappropriately touching four of his sisters and a babysitter at the ages of 14 and 15.

The scandal first began around March 2002, when Jim Bob first admitted to police authorities in a 33 page report that “he (Josh) fondled … several victims while they were sleeping in the family›s home, and that similar incidents happened four to five times,” (www.usatoday.com). Later in May, this caused Jim Bob to lose the primary bid for the Republican Seat as senator in Arkansas.

In March of 2003, nine months after the first incidents, Jim Bob and Michelle were informed that two more incidents had occurred.

Sophomore Ishan Chowdhury stated, “The actions of Josh Duggar has created a negative reflection on men in general. It is important that women know that not all men are like this, and we realize that his actions are wrong.”

After all of these incidents, Josh’s father finally acknowledged his problem and agreed to get him help. As a result, Josh Duggar went through a Christian counseling program from March 17 to July 17, where he «did manual labor and had counseling,» according to the 2006 police report. It›s unclear whether the counseling program was with a certified counselor, and Jim Bob Duggar told police he cannot recall the name of the facility (www.usatoday.com).

On May 19, 2015, InTouch magazine published an article detailing claims that Josh Duggar sexually abused minors when he was a teenager. The Duggar›s acknowledge that four of the victims were their daughters, including younger sisters Jill and Jessa. As a result of all the mayhem, TLC decided to permanently cancel “19 Kids and Counting”. Most recently, Josh Duggar admitted to being «unfaithful to his wife» and was said to be a member of the Ashley Madison website, which is a website for men who intend to cheat on their wives. «I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the Internet and this has become a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife,» said Josh in a statement released on the Duggar Family website.

Josh released a statement on the family’s Facebook page stating that his actions were inexcusable. He apologized for deeply hurting his family and friends. His wife, Anna Duggar, forgave Josh for what she thought of as “past teenage mistakes.”

Two of the victims, his sisters Jessa and Jill, said they have every right to defend their brother and that the tabloids that called him a child molester or pedophile are over-exaggerated terms. Parents Michelle and Jim-Bob Duggar stated that their daughters are more traumatized from the impact that social media has had over these allegations rather than what happened to them 12 years ago. The Duggar’s released a statement on their website saying, “With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become...”

The allegations against Josh Duggar aroused a plethora of personal opinions and reactions throughout the nation. Few people supported the Duggar’s through this ‘hardship’ while the majority of others turned to resentment towards the family. Arkansas Governor and Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee posted a statement on his Facebook page acknowledging the fact that “those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sin in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive blood thirst.”

Sophomore Kristyn Alvarez (18) on the other hand posed a different response to this case. She stated, “I do not support the actions of Josh Duggar or his family. It is very alarming and concerning that a brother had the capability to molest his own blood. It is ironic to think that a man who advocates Christianity and practices strict morals committed very sinful acts. It just makes me wonder how involved his parents were during this time period.”

Josh Duggar has not been convicted with any actual charges; however, this still does not justify his disgraceful acts. Josh could have the potential of becoming a ‘big time criminal.’ Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will unlikely be faced with criminal charges even though they did fail to report the molestation incidents when they first occurred. Josh Duggar however will soon be charged for the possession of pornography. The only place the Duggar’s will receive official charges is not in a criminal court but in the court of public opinions.

The inexcusable actions of just one Duggar now has the whole family facing serious consequences.

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Graphics by: Natalie Laurent

23

Cancer Cells into Human Cells

Hitching a Ride robo Nick Rivera

“My love for humans will never fade.” Those were the words that were muttered by the lovable robot named HitchBot this summer. The robot’s purpose was simple: to find Features Editor

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

Hayley Hartwell

Scientists continue to make ground-breaking discoveries daily.

However, one of the biggest scientific mysteries is cancer. There Student Life Editor

have been preemptive tests developed to catch the cancer at an earlier stage which would help the doctors to use methods to remove the cancer. Never before have scientists been able to turn human cancer cells into normal cells, until now. According to National Post, aggressive lung, bladder, and breast cancer have turned back into benign cells by restoring the function which prevents them from multiplying excessively and forming dangerous growths.

Cell division allows the cells in the body to produce new cells and a very important step in that process would be to make the division stop at the end. That is the difference between cancer cells and human cells; cancer cells do not stop producing. “Mayo Clinic researchers found that the final step is regulated by biological processors called microRNAs. These instruct the cell to make a protein called PLEKHA7 which, in just the right amount, stops cell division” (qz.com). Injecting microRNAs allowed the correct amount of PLEKHA7 to be restored so the cells would stop division.

“I have known people who have serious forms of cancer and even had people I know die from this disease, so to be able to hear that there might be hope for a cure is great. Cancer has seemed to be one of the diseases that you could never cure or completely cure and now science is getting closer,” said Youssef Abougendia (’16).

There have been many different findings with possibilities to helping cure cancer.

Stanford University found a way to force leukemia cells to mature into an immune cell that would help clear other tumor cells. Cells were exposed to a certain transcription factor which resulted in the development of specialized macrophages that could possibly help the body fight off other forms of cancer since they were once identified as cancer cells.

“Hearing the progress they have made regarding Leukemia is incredible. Although I was able to battle this serious disease, these new findings give hope to patients battling this deadly cancer. Hopefully scientists are able to develop past the lab stage and it works on actual patients,” stated Pilar Sanchez (’16).

New developments and hope are produced every single day and although these cases are in the lab stage they represent hope for a cure or more effective way to end cancer. Scientists work tirelessly to win the fight and generate a cure! The progress being made is something that would not have been though of a couple years ago, a possibility of brighter cancer-free future is in view.

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rides to foreign places out of the kindness of a stranger’s hearts.

The bot comes from Canadian researchers in Ontario. Hitchbot resembled the size of a small child, with a body, a head, arms, and legs. Blue pool noodle arms and legs along with bright yellow gloves and boots to accompany it made the bot stand out on the side of the road as people’s curiosity caused them to explore it. The robot was able to speak and respond to human phrases and often told people where it wanted to go. Along with being able to speak, the robot took pictures during its journey and updated a twitter account as it travelled.

“I think the idea of Hitchbot is pretty awesome. Technology is moving in the right direction. This experiment is going to let people learn about how different people will treat hitchhikers and the possible risks of travelling,” said senior Kristen Grau.

Hitchbot began its journey in Canada, traveling across the country towards the Atlantic where it managed to reach countries in Europe like Germany before eventually making its way back to North America in Massachusetts. It was in the United States where the robot met its sad demise. For two weeks, the friendly hitchhiking robot visited the cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Popular Youtuber Jesse Wellens of the channels PrankVsPrank and BFvsGF was the last person to pick up Hitchbot, leaving it on a bench in Philadelphia. That night, vandals destroyed the robot, leaving it without a head or arms.

When the news of the destroyed robot got out, supporters of it spoke of their disappointment in Philadelphia and of America.

“That’s despicable, especially because a lot of money was probably put into it. But, I don’t think it necessarily represent our country. I’m sure there are vandals in Europe and the rest of the world too, but there was just one person that ruined our image. I find it scary that they don’t have an actual brain, yet they can think and talk,” said senior Giselle La Hoz. Despite being destroyed, Hitchbot’s story may be far from over. The creators of Hitchbot have been rumored to have plans of recreating the robot and starting its journey in Philadelphia, right where it left off. America may have a chance to redeem its reputation.

Graphic by: Matthe

Oculus Rift: Technology’s Nex Matthew Hernandez Staff Writer

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

As the race for glory in the world of virtual reality continues to ready to showcase what they believe will be the beginning piece to a

28th to August 31st, the Oculus Rift was available for demo in PA reports, the upcoming Oculus Rift will feature the new hand contro in Oculus Rift's success. People who have tried the Oculus Touch s forward and fluid to use. The upcoming Oculus Rift Consumer Versi an analog stick, two buttons, and a trigger. Oculus Touch will be able work on Windows 10 and Xbox One games. Many experts in the in changer. When it comes to the pricing for the upcoming consumer might need a total investment of $1,500, this is including the PC nee “I think that the Oculus Rift has the potential to become the bigges see a world in the next 5-10 where almost every household has one According to Palmer Luckey (co-founder of Oculus VR); “Virtual something that's truly mainstream.” He also added that it needs, “a fa ware, a pretty high-end PC. Whether or not they think it's great, or th just haven't even been able to make that judgment because they've ne Oculus Rift Consumer Version will also have two images projected stereoscopic 3D image world. In order to complete the experience; it the virtual reality tech to follow the user's movements. The Rift is als hand as well as already having built-in headphones for a complete v “They are making a lot of improvements to the Oculus Rift that I nology has certainly come a long way from being just an idea a few Now, Oculus VR has announced that it's working with Microsoft i the Xbox One to the soon-to-be-released Oculus Rift Consumer Vers between Oculus VR and Microsoft is shocking to say the least, kn “HoloLens”. However, HoloLens is NOT a VR-tech but an augme function and purposes. One plan that Microsoft already has is to im new partnership, many consumers are expecting major advancemen consumer version comes out. For now, all must wait and maintain h its’ billing.

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ew

Back to school, back to the game shelves: new games of the first quarter Nick Rivera Features Editor

The first week of school and the weeks following after bring big titles to the gaming world. Although students are in the process of getting adjusted to the

Graphics by: Matthew Perez

new semester, true gamers always find some time to delve into the life within their consoles. Here are the top games coming out during the first quarter of the school year.

• One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 (August 25th): History’s most popular manga series had its first game of the current generation of consoles released on the second day back to the school year. Covering all of the major arcs of the manga from 1999 to this year’s most recent chapters, players follow through the exhilarating story of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates in a simple, repetitive, yet addicting arcade-like hack-and-slash combat style with enhanced graphics for the PS4. PW3 is also available to PS3 and PSVita players. The third installment of the PW series brings a total of 37 characters and an entirely new mode, Dream Log, which follows a story completely separate from the canon series and allows players to pick any character of their choosing to play it through (kotaku.com).

“One Piece is by far my favorite anime series and I’m also a fan of the Dynasty Warriors series,” says senior Taj Ali. “When I found out there was going to be a crossover between the two for PS4 I was ecstatic.”

Perez

xt Big Thing

heat up, the minds behind the Oculus Rift are new technological revolution. Back on August X Prime in Seattle, Washington. According to ollers which is believed to be a key ingredient say that the hand-controller was pretty straight ion hand-controllers, “Oculus Touch” will have e to track the use of hand gestures and will also ndustry are calling this hand-controller a game version, the CEO of Oculus VR said the user eded for the console. st thing in technology since the iPhone. I could of these,” said junior Matthew Crenshaw. l reality is going to take a long time to become airly significant investment in computing hardhey think it's not good enough yet, many people ever tried VR’ (virtual reality). The forthcoming d through its lenses and will be able to create a t will also contain tracking systems in order for so believed to be light enough to be held by one virtual reality involvement.

I believe will strongly benefit users. The techw years ago,” said senior Lawrence Marable. in order to allow gamers to stream games from sion. The first announcement of the partnership nowing that Microsoft also has the upcoming ented-reality (AR) technology which differs in mprove the lenses for the Oculus Rift. With this nts in the quality of the Oculus Rift when the high hopes that this technology will live up to

• Madden 16 (August 25th): Also coming out the second day back to school, the most recent installment of the successful NFL sports game series is the most revolutionary since Madden 25 in 2013. Madden 16 brought many improvements to the series’ animations and passing, giving the game a much more realistic feel. EA also made the referees’ tendency to give penalties more accurate, made the quarterbacks’ artificial intelligence smarter, and even added an entire new mode, Draft Champions, allowing players to take interest in rising college stars (EA Sports).

• Destiny: The Taken King (September 15th): The Taken King is Destiny’s third expansion pack and marks the end of Year One of Destiny, which is arguably Bungie's most successful game second to the Halo franchise. The Taken King will be released exactly one year after Destiny itself was released and will bring players a new story, new playable maps, new game modes, and major gameplay improvements. The Taken King’s story focuses on Oryx, the father of Crota, while he commands a new race of enemies called the Taken to avenge the death of his son. Destiny players now have access to the Dreadnaught (Oryx’s ship), and will be able to play mission on the Mars moon Phobos, which was previously only available as a PvP (player vs. player) map (IGN.com).

• FIFA 16 (September 22nd): Among the top-selling game franchises of all time, and by far the best-selling sports game series of all time after releasing on Christmas of 1993, the FIFA series is sure to sell big once more this year and will aim to make up for the disappointment of many fans last year with 15. For the first time ever, FIFA will have female pros in the game with the addition of 12 female national teams. Other improvements EA has made include a new total of 78 stadiums (50 of which are based to scale on real life stadiums), a new Training Mode in Career Mode (which enables managers to train players to improve them without playing them in actual), along with other graphical and technical improvements to maximize the potential of the PS4 and Xbox One (EA Sports).

“FIFA 15 was a pretty big disappointment in all honesty,” says junior Chinedu Ezenwa. “I miss how fun FIFA was in 2012, 2013, and others before it, so I really hope EA can bring back their greatness.

• NBA 2K16 (September 29th): NBA 2K16 will be the seventeenth game of the series and will be sure to once again rack up the sales in the beginning of the fall gaming seasons. Last year’s NBA 2K15 revolutionized the gameplay of the series by adding a timing meter for shooting underneath the player with the ball, making the game more about precision rather than luck. MyCareer features a brand new story, and players can once more play season games, playoff games, summer league games, and can also play with teams from European leagues. Along with famous classic teams that have been featured in previous installments such as 1985 Celtics with Larry Bird or 1991 Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, 2K16 will be adding more than a dozen new classic teams including 2008 Boston Celtics with Ray Allen. The soundtrack for the game is being produced by DJ Mustard, DJ Khaled, DJ Premier (IGN).

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Back-to-school R

PDQ: A bit overpriced, but worth a tender bite

Lauren Cookley Community Outreach

Melissa Pierce Entertainment Editor

Not many fast food restaurants proclaim unwavering quality and consistent freshness; however, these were the ideas presented by the new PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality)

location by the intersection of Pines and Hiatus. Now, I’ll start off by saying that fast food— and by fast food I mean chicken tenders, french fries, milkshakes, etc.—can only be so fresh. In my PDQ experience, I had chicken tenders dipped in their honey mustard sauce, french fries, and a vanilla milkshake. The food was satisfying, with good flavor, and the chicken tenders were definitely made of real chicken. Despite this, I feel as though my small, over-seven-dollar meal was overpriced and overrated.

This fast food chain may be new to Pembroke Pines, but is was first opened in October of 2011 in Tampa, Florida (www.eatpdq.com); “Outback Steakhouse co-founder Bob Basham and MVP Holdings CEO Nick Reader are the two principal owners of PDQ. The partners spent more than two years developing the concept behind the brand and the quality of the food and establishments” (www.eatpdq.com). PDQ is well-known for their hand-breaded chicken tenders, delicious sandwiches, and delightful salads. These People Dedicated to Quality are genuinely hospitable, just as they claim.

The layout of this PDQ location is very modern, light, and open. The restaurant has an open view of the kitchen, and a sink in the corner of the general area by the bathrooms for customers to wash their hands without physically going into the restroom. The company is dedicated to freshness, and the design of their building does indeed reflect this—there are a lot of windows for letting in natural light and the pastel green and light blue color scheme conveys brightness at all times of day.

Despite good people and good marketing, I can’t say the same about my overall experience with the food. Don’t get me wrong, the food tasted good…it just wasn’t anything special.

Their array of sauces were intriguing and their honey mustard sauce was very good; the milkshake was definitely one of my favorites, but for the price I paid, I would rather go to Chick-fil-A. Many people on social media networks such as Twitter are pitting Chick-fil-A against PDQ, and quite frankly, I side with the former. I could get chicken that is just as fresh, milkshakes that are just as savory, and customer service that is just as memorable. I am not saying to dismiss PDQ—give it a try, see for yourself—but always remember that Chick-fil-A is just one plaza over.

Peanut Butter Banana Waffle-Wich Ingredients: 2 frozen multi-grain waffles, toasted 2 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter 1 small banana, cut lengthwise in half, then quartered 2 Tbsp. granola 1 tsp. strawberry jelly Instructions: 1.

Spread waffles with peanut butter.

2.

Fill with remaining ingredients to make sandwich.

Fast and easy breakfast to make only taking 10 minutes.

Graphic by: Katie Perez

Chicken Salad Rollup Ingredients: 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 3 medium green onions, chopped (3 tablespoons) ¼ cup chopped walnuts ½ cup creamy poppy seed dressing ½ cup cream cheese spread (from 8-ounce container) 2 flour tortillas (10 inches in diameter) 6 leaves Bibb lettuce ½ cup finely chopped strawberries Instructions: 1.

Mix chicken, onions and walnuts in food processor bowl. Cover and process by using quick on-and-off motions until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup of the poppy seed dressing; process only until mixed. Mix remaining dressing and the cream cheese spread in small bowl with spoon until smooth.

2.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over entire surface of tortillas. Remove white rib from lettuce leaves.

Press lettuce into cream cheese, tearing to fit and leaving top 2 inches of tortillas uncovered. Spread chicken mixture over lettuce. Sprinkle strawberries over chicken.

3.

Firmly roll up tortillas, beginning at bottom. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Trim ends of each roll. Cut rolls into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices.

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PDQ: PDQ is truly a place that have people who are dedicaated to quality of their food. Photo by: Sydney Silverberg

Graphic by: Katie Perez

Ingredients: 1 (15.25oz) box w Ingredients for cak an option. My box Red, Orange, Yello 1 recipe The BEST ½ (8oz) tub whipp Rainbow Sequins/ Ingredients: 1.

Prepare egg whites version vide the batter eve 2.

Using f yellow, green, blue 3.

Prepare 4.

Put eac corner to pipe with doesn’t spill out as 5.

Squeez ers in the order th Smooth each laye edges as possible.

6.

Once a degrees Fahrenhei perature forces the have time to spill o 7.

Prepare 8oz tub of whipped bag with a coupler 8.

Pipe th towards the middl

Recipes

NASA Plants a New Seed Amanda Peralta Staff Writer

I

Rainbow Cupcakes

white cake mix (I like Pillsbury) ke mix as stated on box (Use only egg whites if that is x said 1¼ cup water, ⅓ cup oil, 4 egg whites.) ow, Green, Blue, and Purple Food Coloring/Gel T Cream Cheese Frosting ped topping (Cool Whip) /Celebration Confetti/Rainbow Sprinkles

e cake mix according to directions on the box (do the n over whole eggs, if there are two options), then dienly into 6 bowls. food coloring or paste, mix these 6 colors: red, orange, e, and purple. e cupcake pan(s) with 18 paper liners. ch batter into a zip-top sandwich bag and cut off one h. It’s best if you cut one bag at a time, so the cake mix s you layer the batter. ze the colored batters, one at a time, into the paper linhe rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. er of batter with your finger, getting as close to the

t has been recently revealed that for the past few years that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) crew members aboard the International Space Station have been growing plants and vegetables for years in their “space garden”. Growing food in space and decreasing the amount of food that is needed to be taken to space is very important during long-duration missions. Growing plants and vegetables in space has many benefits such as not as many preservatives like on Earth that NASA. is still experimenting with. Now, NASA has ways of preserving their food in tin cans that prevents any of the food from going bad, but as space missions become more common and travel farther and farther from Earth it is increasingly important to have resources over on that side.

Growing food in space allows astronauts to leave Earth for long durations and completely explore the immensity of Earth. Currently, the food growing experiment has four major objectives: to find out if the produce grown in space can be consumed safely; what types of microorganisms might grow on the plants and what can be done to reduce the threat of microorganisms in the hardware prior to launch; what can be done to clean or sanitize the produce after it has been harvested; and how to optimize production compared to the resources required to grow it (nasa.gov).

Biology and Marine Science teacher Mrs. Chancelor said “For years humans and scientists have wanted to see vegetation on other planets for curiosity purposes. As an educator and scientist half of me wants to see this happen but the other half of me that relates to religion thinks we should leave this whole experiment alone for moral purposes.”

The most recent “crop” grown in space is a type of Japanese lettuce called Mizuna, which returned to Earth in April aboard space shuttle “Discovery”. Julie Robinson from the International Space Station said “this work shows the surprised results that investigators find when they take a well-understood experiment from Earth and reproduce it on the space station” (nasa.gov).

An important factor to this experiment is making sure the food is safe to eat and will not harm our people in space. This experiment is going to take many more months’ maybe even years but alongside with this project NASA hopes to have people traveling to space by the year 2018 for vacation like getaways; more information on that to come.

all the layers are finished, bake the cupcakes at 400 it for 11 to 13 minutes. Baking them at a higher teme cake to grow upwards and bake quicker, so it doesn’t over the top and get sunken in the middle. e The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting. Beat in half of an d topping with a handheld electrical mixer. Fit a piping r (no tip or band) and then fill the bag with the frosting. he frosting on top of each cupcake from the outside in le. Sprinkle with rainbow sequins.

Graphic by: Katie Perez

Graphic by: Nicole Mercadal

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The Weekend Review Melissa Pierce

Matthew Deno

Entertainment Editor

Sports Editor

Panda twins born in Smithsonian Zoo:

The third set of panda twins to ever be born in the United States was born to mother panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo on Saturday, August 22nd. Mei delivered one cub, and officials realized she was delivering another cub four hours later when she still sounded like she was in labor. Zoo officials are thrilled, as the last set of Giant Panda twins did not survive (www.washingtonpost.com).

Three Americans save lives on Paris-bound train:

As three American men, who were best friends since middle school, got on a train from Amsterdam to Paris, a gunman got on the same train. The three could not find their first-class seats, and ended up changing cars to the car the gunman was in purely by chance—they were looking for a stronger Wi-Fi connection. The shooter opened fire about half an hour through their journey, and the three men did not hesitate to tackle him. One of the American’s lost his thumb, which was later re-attached, and the three are being nationally honored (www.washingtonpost.com).

Cancer found in Jimmy Carter’s brain:

On August 20th, 90-year-old former president Jimmy Carter announced that he will be beginning radiation and drug therapy to combat the cancer that has spread to his brain. The cancer was originally in his liver and was said to be removed in an operation earlier this month. Despite bad news, Carter feels, “surprisingly at ease” (www.ajc. com).

Kentucky Clerk defies same-sex marriage order:

Americans are outraged at Kentucky clerk Kim Davis who said she “felt empowered by god’s authority” to disobey the Supreme Court’s decision to allow samesex marriage. Many want Davis to be removed from her position, but she is being allowed to continue issuing marriage licenses until the Court decides on her situation (www.nbcnews.com).

China lines tanks up at North Korean border:

Tanks were being sent to the China-North Korea border as tensions rise on the peninsula. Chinese social media displayed the tanks being transported to the border as part of a supposed upcoming military parade. Many believe this act was a message from China to North Korea warning them not to do anything irrational (www.thediplomat. com).

Pope Francis elicits forgiveness for women who had abortions:

On Tuesday, September 1st, Pope Francis changed up the rules once again as he announced that “priests around the world will be authorized to forgive the ‘sin of abortion’ when the church begins a ‘Year of Mercy’ this December” (www.cnn.com). Pope Francis sympathized with women who had to endure the painful experience of an abortion and shook the foundations of Catholicism in this way. This declaration is only valid during the Year of Mercy; experts in the Catholic canon law were confused and troubled by his decision. This is just one of many of Pope Francis’ efforts to gain back popularity for the Catholic Church in today’s modern and ever-changing world (www.cnn.com).

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Virginia Shooting further intensifies Gun D I

n the early hours of August 26th, a TV reporter and cameraman were shot to death during a live television interview on CBS Roanoke affiliate WDBJ-TV by a gunman who recorded himself carrying out the killings and posted the video on social media after fleeing the scene.

Twenty-four-year-old WDBJ7 reporter Alison Parker and 27-year-old cameraman Adam Ward were both killed as a result of the incident. Vicki Gardner was also shot; however, she had surgery and is in stable condition. Her husband Tim Gardner told ABC News that the suspect had tried to shoot her several more times, but his gun malfunctioned.

Gardner, the executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce, was being interviewed by Parker for a light segment on local tourism for News 7 Mornin'. “We’re seeing tourism,” Gardner told Parker, according to the Washington Post's recounting of the victims' final moments.

“We want the people who come here to say that was ...”

The first shot was fired, hitting Parker, while as many as 40,000 watched live on TV. After Parker began to run away and many more shots were fired, the TV station cut the feed and the broadcast returned to anchor Kimberly McBroom in the studio, who was unable to hide her horror and shock. In the following days, colleagues remembered Parker and Ward as full of promise, the kind of people who lit up the room with their energy and warmth. Both were in committed relationships, their partners not only worked at the same station, but watched from the control room on Wednesday morning as the people they were preparing to marry were killed.

“This whole thing is just really hard to fathom. I can’t believe that something like this could happen, especially on live TV. There has to be major change in our society if we want tragedies like this to stop happening,” said sophomore Kyle Frank.

Gun violence in America claims roughly 88 lives each day, according to data compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The shooting in Virginia would perhaps not have shocked the conscience of America had it fallen under the day-to-day gun violence that kills more than 32,000 per year. As Gabby Giffords, the former Congresswoman who was shot in the head in a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, put it, what was unprecedented was not the shooting itself, but that two young journalists were executed on live TV. In urban areas, the availability of firearms, mostly obtained illegally, has transformed gun violence into a plague. In Chicago, one of the deadliest examples, there have been 1,897 shooting victims this year, according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Among those victims in several shootings at the end of August was a 14-year-old girl who was struck while standing on a street corner.

“It seems like almost every day there is a major news story about some sort of shooting that has occurred. We’ve become so used to seeing it on the news that don’t even give much attention to them anymore,” said senior Anthony Pacini.

Politicians who oppose new restrictions on guns have been quick to point out that the law could not have stopped Vester Flanagan from shooting his former colleagues, their interviewee and himself in Virginia. Although the state does have a massive loophole in its gun laws, Flanagan bought his handgun legally after passing a background check. His mental instability became apparent after the killings, but he had no known history of psychiatric treatment. He had no record of criminal felonies and had no protective orders against him. With every incident though, the gun reform movement gets the chance to gain another grieving relative with enough public capital to speak for the families of the other 616 people, on average, who died that week.

Debate

Tropical Storm Erika Edges Pembroke Pines Evan Samuels & Sarah Barrocas Staff Writers

S

Graphic by: NIcole Mercadal

Graphic by: NIcole Mercadal

Graphic by: NIcole Mercadal

Graphic by: NIcole Mercadal

outh Florida residents quickly scurried to the nearest gas stations and supermarkets in preparation for the so called “Tropical Storm” Erika. Tropical Storm Erika was notorious for being a very indecisive storm with an inconsistent path. As most of South Florida knows, Erika just edged Pembroke Pines and parts of Florida by just a few inches. Many precautions for preparation were initiated for the storm, including many trips to supermarkets and gas stations.

Sophomore Matthew Perez said, “In preparation for the hurricane my family and I stocked up on water and food. Just in case my family also, put up shutters for my house.”

Pembroke Pines was not directly hit by the storm; however, we still received many frightening thunderstorms. Students anxiously tracked Erika in the hopes that they would already receive a day off just after the first week of school. Due to the destruction that Erika has now caused in the Caribbean, it’s actually South Florida's luck we didn’t have to experience half of these tragedies.

The cyclone first originated within the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday August, 25. The storm then hit Puerto Rico the following morning. Throughout the week the tropical storm moved throughout the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic on August 27th, the Bahamas on August 28th, and Cuba on August 29th.

Devastation and death rates affected many of the islands. At least 20 deaths were reported in the Caribbean. According to abcnews. com, “Rescue crews are continuing to search for more than 50 people still missing in Dominica after Tropical Storm Erika caused flooding and mudslides on the Caribbean island. The death toll in Dominica has risen to 20. Officials are working to evacuate roughly 1,000 people from the town of Petite-Savanne because of fears of new landslide.” In Puerto Rico, over 200,000 people lost power and millions of dollars in crops were lost due to damage. Mudslides blocked many roads in Haiti, even urging for an emergency evacuation in a local prison.

Meteorologists predicted that the course of Tropical Storm Erika would be moving up west and up the Florida Gulf Coast. On Friday, August 28th, Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for Florida. Reports, however, showed that the storm would weaken as it crossed Cuba. The remnants of Erika would then strengthen again as it crossed the United States. Erika was expected to remain a Tropical Storm, but it had the possibility of strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane, up to 75 mph winds, as it crossed Florida and into Georgia. Many were still unsure if the course of Erika would directly strike South Florida; however, some still continued to prepare safety precautions.

Sophomore Kyle Heim states, “I know my mom prepared for the storm by stocking up on food and batteries for our house. A few days before the storm was expected to hit she ran over to the gas station to fill up her tank last minute. Pembroke Pines was mayhem, filled with people trying to get whatever was left in stores for the storm”.

The latest reports showed that the Tropical Storm dissipated into a Tropical Depression as it moved over the mountains of Haiti. The course of the cyclone shifted to the left, affecting more of the East Coast of Florida, just missing Miami. Flood precautions were issued in Orlando, Gainesville, and Tallahassee. Up to 3-5 inches of rainfall were expected. U.S. Coast Guards warned Key West boaters and cargo ships to prepare for sustained gale-force winds. No serious damages or injuries were reported; however, a few inches of rainfall and minor flooding was reported in northern and Central Florida.

Another Hurricane is now in formation off the western coast of Africa, near the Cape Verde Islands. Now the second hurricane to form in the Atlantic Basin this year, Fred has sustained wind speeds up to 80 mph. A hurricane watch was in effect in the Cape Verde Islands. The last recorded hurricane to strike the island was in 1892. After hitting Cape Verde on August 31, Fred weakened into a tropical storm as it moved away from the island and into the Atlantic. Persistent rainfall and wind speeds are expected as Fred continues to Travel. Stay safe PPCHS and keep an eye on the news, it wouldn’t be called hurricane season if it didn't come with any hurricanes!

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News Top 10 People Donald has Trump(ed) Nadira Danticat Staff Writer

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hrust into the center of 24/7 media coverage since the beginning of summer, Donald Trump has become the bad boy of the Republican Party. His controversial stances on our country’s immigration policies and relations with China have made him the most talked about presidential candidate so far. The former owner of the Miss America Pageant and host of Celebrity Apprentice especially has a tendency to make comments about other candidates, reporters, celebrities, public figures, and pretty much anyone he does not deem fit without any remorse. “His campaign is really emphasizing a dark side of American politics,” says junior Shreeya Singh. However, Trump has always caused a stir with his interesting choice of words about other people. Here are the top 10 people Donald Trump has insulted: 10. Kristen Stewart- Following the 2012 cheating scandal between Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sands, Trump put in his two cents, tweeting that Stewart cheated on Pattinson “like a dog” and does not deserve a second chance because she will definitely do it again.

He also felt it was necessary to express that Pattinson can do much better.

9. Bill Maher- On the Tonight Show, Bill Maher quipped that he would offer Trump $5 million dollars to show proof that he is not the spawn of an orangutan. Trump provided the documentation and sued Maher for not receiving the multi-million dollar payment. The suit was subsequently withdrawn and never refiled.

8. Huffington Post- Donald Trump has never been a huge fan of the press and Huffington Press is no exception. He became angry when the website stated that they would cover his campaign under the Entertainment section rather than Politics. Huffington Post employee Ryan Grim dismissed Trump as a “clownshow” to which he retorted that “the only clown show is the Huffington Post pretending to be a legitimate news source.”

7. Other candidates- Like most candidates in this presidential race, Trump is not above insulting his competition. From accusing Rick Perry of “putting on glasses on so people will think he is smart” to calling Rand Paul “a spoiled brat without a properly functioning brain,” Trump has not held his tongue. Perhaps his most cruel insult was “I have better hair than he does” which was directed at GOP candidate, Marco Rubio.

6. Megyn Kelly-This August, the 2016 candidate participated in the highly anticipated Republican debate. Host Megyn Kelly asked him about some of the misogynistic and sexist comments he has made in the past, to which he replied that the questions were “ridiculous” and “off-base.” He later spoke with CNN’s Don Lemon and said she had “blood coming out of her whatever”.

5. John McCain- John McCain, senator and former presidential candidate, was shot in Vietnam in 1967 and held prisoner in the country for five years. He has since been praised for his courage in the terrifying situation. However, Trump stated that “he’s not a war hero.

He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” No apology has been issued.

4. Jorge Ramos- In his most recent viral news story, Donald Trump was heavily criticized for having Univision and Fusion reporter, Jorge Ramos, kicked out of his press conference in Iowa. Ramos began to question Trump on immigration when Trump told Ramos “You haven’t been called. Go back to Univision!” He was forcibly removed by a security guard moments later.

3. President Barack Obama- Donald Trump has been very vocal with his disdain for the 44th President of the United States. From the Ebola outbreak to the U.S. not beating Russia in the Winter Olympics, Trump has blamed many American woes on Obama and his “incompetence.” He even demanded Obama release his birth certificate in 2011, insinuating he was not born in this country. Obama later disclosed the document, confirming he was born in Hawaii.

2. Rosie O’ Donnell- Trump and O’Donnell have had an ongoing feud for nearly a decade. Since 2006, Trump has hurled low blows such as calling her a “disgusting person inside and out” and a “slob with an ugly face” in The Insider to calling her a “real loser” in People Magazine to the sweet (for him) “Rosie is crude, rude, obnoxious and dumb - other than that I like her very much!” from his infamous twitter account.

1. Mexican people- This one is definitely a no-brainer. Trump has stated that Mexico is not “sending their best” in reference to immigration to the US and went on to say that the Mexicans in this country are rapists, criminals, and drug dealers. A central topic in his campaign is his promise to build a wall separating Mexico and America, a wall that Mexico would be paying for.

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Graphic by: Matthew Perez

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

News Bangkok Bombings break the Hearts of the Thai People David Cha-Kim News Editor

O n August 17th, 2015 at approximately 6:55 PM Indochina time (ICT), a foreign man wearing a yellow t-shirt, shorts, and a black backpack with very evil intentions in his mind took a tuk-tuk taxi from Hua Lamphong and entered the popular tourist and Hindu attraction Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Pathum Wan

District, Bangkok, Thailand, unleashing the most lethal attack in Southeast Asia in recent decades, robbing many families the right to see their relatives ever again (CNN).

The surveillance footage of the attack showed the suspect in a yellow shirt leaving his backpack under a bench near the outer circumference of the shrine shortly prior to the deadly explosion. The Royal Thai Police (RTP) describe the weapon used as a bomb made from stuffing 3 kg of TNT into a pipe. The RTP also found an electronic circuit about thirty meters away from the scene which they suspect to have been used in the lethal bombing (CNN).

The direct explosion and the debris it scattered about almost immediately killed the twenty victims, which include six Thai, five Malaysians, five mainland Chinese, two Hong Kong (including one British national living in Hong Kong), one Singaporean, and one Indonesian.

Not too far from the bombing of Erawan Shrine, and about six hours before, there was a minor terroristic attempt which foreshadowed the deadly events the same evening. An explosive device (most likely a grenade) was thrown from a bridge near a boat at Sathon Pier in southern Bangkok. No casualties were caused by the aquatic explosion, but the sound of the explosion would unfortunately be heard again soon (CNN). Current Thai Prime Minister and former Royal Thai Army officer Prayuth Chano-cha calls the incident the “worst-ever attack” on his country, saying that not only do the terrorists aim to destroy lives, but also the Thai economy and tourism industry.

As devastating to the Thai people this attack would be if it stood alone, this was actually the third bombing in Thailand this year. In February, two bombs exploded on the Ratchaprasong Skywalk outside the nearby Siam Paragon shopping mall, injuring three people. In April, a car bomb exploded in Ko Samui, injuring seven people (BBC).

“My parents are from Bangkok and it’s crazy to hear about all the terrorism that it’s suffered throughout the year,” says junior Chanoan Sumonthee. “Even as someone who grew up here in the states, it's truly devastating to see my people go through this.”

These attacks are believed to be politically motivated, with attacks most likely targeting Thai economy and tourism, just as Prime Minister Chan-o-cha has said. The suspected organization responsible is the Grey Wolves organization, a Turkish nationalist and extremist group. The Thai government recently deported Uighur terrorist suspects back to China instead of allowing them to travel to Turkey for asylum, which is a possible motive of the attack on Erawan Shrine.

Chan-o-cha says one of the primary suspects is named Emrah Davutoglu, who is believed to be either a Turkish national or from a western part of China where the Uighur population is significantly large. His wife, named Wanna Suansan is a Thai-native, is also a suspect because her name was found on the lease of one of the apartments that the police found bomb making materials in (CBC.ca).

The Royal Thai Police have also arrested a Turkish national named Adem Karadag after fake Turkish passports and bomb making materials were found in his apartment.

After fingerprint test results in early September matched his with those on a bottle of suspect material found in the apartment, he admitted to providing Uyghurs with fake passports to go to Turkey, but for the most part has remained silent concerning questions about the two attacks on Bangkok in August (BBC).

Yet another man was arrested in September as he was attempting to illegally cross the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo, but the RTP are not yet sure of his involvement either. Though the police are sure to make progress with the two suspects in custody, Davutoglu, his Thai wife, and the man showed in a yellow shirt in the surveillance footage all remain at large.

“The biggest crime apart from the actual crime itself, is the lack of justice that victims often experience,” says junior Phillip Champagne. “The RTP seem to be well-organized and dedicated so I hope the terrorists are caught and receive the punishment they deserve for taking so many lives.”

Southeast Asia and the rest of the world will remember this act of terrorism for generations. Many Asian and European countries have issued travel warnings, including Hong Kong who issued a level four warning, forbidding the majority of its citizens from flying over the Southeast Asian region.

As the rest of the Grey Wolf suspects involved are still at large, the Royal Thai Police are continuing to work hard to bring justice to those who took the lives of twenty innocent people and to bring closure to their grieving families. Professional Thai artists have repaired the damage done to the Erawan Shrine, but the hearts of the Thai people won’t be repaired until their late family members and friends receive the justice they deserve.

Graphic by: Natalie Laurent

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