June 2011 - The Chronicle

7201 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs, FL 33065

Coral Springs High School An insiders look on what went on backstage during Annie. p. 12

The official newspaper of the CSHS Colts

Photos by Sara Castaneda

Ana Serpa News Editor

The Florida Legislature recently passed the Merit Pay Bill, which called for a variation in teachers salaries based on students’ performance. Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill on Mar. 24 and it will be adopted in 2014.

The bill creates a statewide teacher evaluation and merit pay system for teachers hired after July of this year. It was passed with a 26-12 vote within the first two weeks of the current Florida Legislative session.

Much of the teacher evaluations are based on the FCAT, but since there are subjects that do not have a required standardized test, other tests must be created.

Advocates of the proposal say it will reward the top teachers in the state financially and will put them with students who are in need of their help.

Adversaries, which include teachers and the Florida Education Association, believe it will be too costly and an unfair evaluation. In addition to those views, the FEA sought to sue, with the argument that the proposal violates the teachers’ rights to collectively bargain salaries. Experienced teachers can maintain their current pay plans, which are based on seniority and advanced degrees, while new teachers are to be evaluated on the test-based system and can lose their jobs if poor performance is presented.

Valerie Arena, AP English Literature and Dual Enrollment World Religions teacher,

AP Literature and DE Religions teacher Valerie Area (below) attended the BTU’s teacher union protest on Apr. 14 carrying a sign handmade by student Bree Soldo, senior.

INSIDE THE CHRONICLE

a custom-built hideout near a Pakistani military academy.

The operation to attack bin Laden was months in the making and only a select few U.S. officials knew about it.

President Obama held five meetings to discuss the operation and weighed the possibility of bombing the site before deciding on the firefight.

A group of 40 Navy SEALs raided the compound with the help of CIA paramilitaries, and were in and out in less than 40 minutes. Bin Laden resisted arrest and was killed in the firefight. He was shot twice, in the chest and on the

Students get all-access pass to My Chemical Romance concert and meet lead singer, Gerard Way, page 17.

Miguel Tabora

Miguel Tabora, senior, passed away on Apr. 17, 2011 in a fatal car accident.

Miguel, referred to as ‘Muscle Man Miguel,’ was known for his charisma and comedic nature on the morning announcements and the Magazine Show.

Go to page 2 for coverage of the ceremony.

Proposed cuts to Bright Futures scholarship Continued on page 2

Reign of terror ends with shooting Bria Carey Staff Writer Osama bin Laden was shot and killed in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 1. Bin Laden was the leader of Al-Qaeda, a terrorist network intensely opposed to the United States, and the man considered most responsible for the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11. Efforts to capture Bin Laden have been going on for nearly a decade.

Bin Laden was thought to have been hiding in caves following the Sept. 11 attacks, but was finally tracked down in

news..................1-6 opinion...............7-9 dimensions........10,11 feature..........12-14 entertainment....15-17 sports.............18-20

Senior passes away in car accident

TEACHERS IN TURMOIL Arianna Morrell Ent. Editor

June 2011

INDEX

Volume XIX Issue V

left side of his head.

In addition to bin Laden, three other males killed during the raid. Bin Laden’s body was then buried at sea.

This has led to several debates over Obama’s actions. Some people were angered with the fact that Bin Laden wasn’t given a proper burial ceremony and buried on land. President Obama argued that he didn’t want followers of bin Laden to turn his burial site into a place of worship and that the burial at sea followed the Islamic beliefs of a quick burial.

President Obama announced the

Alec Kaye Managing Editor The Bright Futures scholarship program may face further cuts from the state legislature next fall as the number of qualified students increases, straining the budget.

Students who graduated by 2009 and earlier who earned Florida Academic Scholars awards had received full payment of their tuition and fees, while those who earned Florida Medallion Scholars had earned 75 percent of the scholarship.

Continued on page 5

Continued on page 2

BPA students recieve awards at national competition for their superior work, page 6.

Q & A with offensive lineman for Minnesota Vikings Steve Hutchinson about NFL Lockout, page 18.

Source: Florida College Access Network Graphic by Jon McEwan

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2 NEWS

JUNE 2011

JUNE -----

CALENDAR

04

SAT testing

05 Graduation

06 7th period exam

07

5th and 6th period exam

08

3rd and 4th period exam

09 1st and 2nd period exam Last day of school

11 ACT testing

NASA launches Endeavour, age of space shuttles ends Kasey Litchfield Staff writer The space shuttle Endeavour launched its 25th and final mission on Mon, May 16, at 8:56 AM from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the second-to- last space shuttle launch that NASA will conduct.

There were minor problems that were fixed before the launch, including a tile repair. The original date for the shuttle launch was May 1, but was delayed due to needed repairs on two heaters on one of the shuttle’s Auxiliary Power Units, which power hydraulics systems on the shuttle during its return to Earth.

The Endeavour will participate in a 16-day mission to the International Space Station to deliver a cosmic ray particle detector and to resupply the orbiting laboratory with backup hardware, including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts. This is the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

“It’s sad to think that there won’t be many more launches,” said Bidjeny Alcindor, junior.

On the shuttle is a $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which the crew of six will use to search for cosmic ray particles to probe

‘bin Laden’, cont.

killing of bin Laden Sun. May 1 in a televised address to the nation. He said, that the “death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al-Qaeda.”

Obama then participated in a wreath laying ceremony at ground zero to celebrate America’s victory. Addressing those who lost loved ones, “We have never forgotten your loss. Today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.”

Officials warned that in the aftermath of the attack Americans should be on alert for a reprisal from Al Qaeda. Since the killing of bin Laden there has been, according to Obama “no specific threats” to our country.

mysteries of dark matter, antimatter and other strange matter. They will install this technology in the Space Station in order to gather information on the cosmos.

The crew members for space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori. Kelly is the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona representative who was shot four months ago during a political function.

Due to budget issues, NASA’s Constellation program will be removed. This program includes replacing aging space shuttles. NASA will receive an additional $5.9 billion over five years, some of which will be used to extend the life of the International Space Station to 2020.

The final launch will take place in June with the shuttle Atlantis.

NASA’s plans for further space exploration include a controversial plan to keep space shuttles in working condition by using recycled shuttle parts, costing at least $10 billion during the next six years, with no guarantee that the rocket could be used again.

“I hope they [NASA] don’t stop going to space, but I don’t know if the recycled shuttle parts idea is the best plan,” said Tessa Willis, freshman.

‘Merit pay’, cont.

opposes and views the bill as dangerous.

“If teachers do not make decent wages they won’t be able to spend income and that will cause a domino effect.”

The domino effect is the alteration of the economic status of the state and the affect on the middle class due to the lack of spending by teachers.

The Broward Teachers Union responded with a protest held outside the BTU building on Apr.14 at 4 pm. Parents, teachers, and other members of the community were among those who attended.

BTU paraphernalia, picket signs, red and blue clickers, and red buttons were given out to the crowd. The buttons signified anger towards the bill.

One of the difficulties that BTU has in combating with what they feel in unfair legislation is the fact that Florida is a “write to work state” which means that Florida, unlike states like New York, does not require employees to join a union to work in a union related profession sich as teaching. Though this offer less stringent hiring opportunities and more flexibility in completing certain employment requirements, write to work states often have lower union enrollment and therefore less powerful unions which can result in weaker collective bargain expenses and the unions having less say in the way their proffesion is organized and gorverned.

Senior “Muscle Man” Miguel Tabora passes away, students mourn loss Sara Gringon Staff Writer Miguel Tabora, senior, was involved in a fatal car accident that resulted in his death on Sun., April 17.

The news of his death was shocking to his family, friends and the school.

Tabora was driving home from a birthday party and lost control of his car, according to his family.

In honor of his memory, students held a candle-lighting ceremony outside of All State Plaza on Sample Rd. and Rock Island Rd. on the night that the news was released.

Tabora was widely known as “Muscle Man Miguel” on the morning announcements next to his friend Chris Neil, junior, known as “Sweet Boy Stallion.”

Tabora liked to make music videos and public service announcements where he was almost always the main character, making sure that the audience was always laughing.

Aside from making entertaining videos, he was known to be a very good friend. Many have said that he was always there to brighten up a person’s mood and that he was always happy wherever he went. One of the many things he was memorable for were his hugs.

“Miguel was like a brother to ev-

eryone he knew,” said Vianca Gonzalez, junior. “He was always there if you needed someone to talk to, and he was always there to give you a good laugh and a big hug.”

It seems that everywhere Tabora went he was making people smile.

“He helped out on a lot of things and made me a more confident person; he definitely brought out the best in anyone he met,” said Pedro Mena, alumnus and friend of Tabora’s.

The school has donated money to the Tabora family to help pay for funeral expenses.

Jason Darrow, senior, collected donations from classrooms and matched the amount from his own money.

Senior Jordan Altenburg made tshirts to honor Tabora’s memory and sold them to students and friends outside of Coral Springs High who knew Tabora.

At the school’s CSHS Academy Awards held on Ap.21, put on by Leadership, all the profits went to Miguel’s family. The Academy Awards raised over $500.

The Spanish Honor Society sold gold stars to students for a dollar.

Students could write a short message on the stars and they are to be hung along the hallways and colt counter.

The golden stars raised up to 80 dollars.

Photo by Sara Grignon CANDLES FOR MIGUEL: Students and family members gather around senior Stephanie Steinhauser’s car at a candle lighting ceremony the night of Miguel Tabora’s death outside of the All State Plaza on the corner of Sample and Rock Island Road. Steinhauser made a collage with photos of Tabora and placed it on her windshield. “It was a comfort knowing that he’s in a better place,” Steinhauser said.

JUNE 2011

NEWS 3

Seven lady colts compete for the silver Aneesa Allie Staff Writer A group of seven senior girls comprised this year’s Miami Herald Silver Night Award nominees.

Nominees included seniors Chelsea Hamilton, Susan Lee, Courtney Librizzi, Sarah Moseley, Caitlin Raddatz, Kristin Vara and Pamela Weston.

The Silver Knight is a prestigious award sponsored by the Miami Herald that recognizes students for their excellence in academics, community service, and leadership.

Usually the nominees are a mix of both female and male candidates, but this year, only girls have been recognized for outstanding community service.

“It’s interesting that they’re all girls this year; they’re all wonderful,” said Silver Night Award sponsor Ann Goldwyn.

The program is open to any senior with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.2 in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Students can be nominated in one of fifteen categories.

Chelsea Hamilton was nominated in the Athletics category.

Hamilton is co-captain of the varsity cross country team and has been an active member of Pink Ladies all four years of her high school career. As the vice president, Hamilton carries on the clubs tradition of creating the luminaries, candles lit for each

Susan Lee Business

cancer patient, for Relay for Life, a main Pink Ladies even that raises money for cancer research.

Susan Lee, president of our school’s chapter of the Business Professionals of America, was nominated for the Silver Knight Award for Business. Lee is also the president of the Multicultural Club and was responsible for planning this year’s Multicultural Show, which took place on Mar. 11. This was Lee’s third year planning the show with assistance from club sponsor Rochelle Dalley.

Student Government President Courtney Librizzi was nominated for the General Scholarship award.

Librizzi’s project was a bowling fundraiser for Abi’s Place a non-profit school for children with developmental disabilities, to raise money to purchase wheelchairs. A friend whose son attends Abi’s Place, introduced the idea to her. Librizzi raised $3,000, which was enough to buy two wheelchairs.

Chronicle staff writer Sarah Moseley was nominated in the Science category.

Moseley exhibits service, leadership, and humanitarian efforts with her mission trips down to Comayagua, Honduras. She was acquainted with the project through her mother’s involvement in Fig Tree Ministries, a church that sponsors the trip. Moseley started traveling to Honduras when she was 13 years old and has been there nine times since. Being fluent in Spanish, Mose-

Caitlin Raddatz Speech

Kristin Vara English

ley serves as a translator at the orphanage, where she interacts with the kids.

“I’ve made a lot of relationships through this. They’re like my family now,” Moseley said.

Caitlin Raddatz was nominated in the Speech category.

Raddatz is the president of Pink Ladies and was responsible for organizing the High Heel Walk, an event of about ten to 15 boys and girls who strap on high heels and walk around school asking for donations to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a breast cancer organization.

“When my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, I wanted to do anything and everything I could to make an impact on finding a cure,” Raddatz said.

The Chronicle staff member Kristin Vara, vice president of the English Honor Society, Delta Pi Sigma, and president of the literary magazine, was nominated for the English and Literature award.

After Vara worked in a preschool for four years, she became interested in promoting literature. Vara collected 700 gently used children’s books, which she donated to our school’s daycare and the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Pamela Weston was nominated in the Music category.

Noticing that the elementary school music programs were being cut due to budgets, Weston wanted to do something about it. She taught an afterschool music

Chelsea Hamilton Athletics

Sarah Moseley Science

Katie Jones

“It’s interesting that they’re all girls this year; they’re all wonderful. Maybe some boys will step up next year.”

-Ann Goldwyn, Silver Night Awards sponsor program at Hunt Elementary School. The program was six weeks long and consisted of fifteen students. Weston, by herself, taught the students the basics of music and how to play the recorder.

The Silver Knight Awards were held at the James L. Knight International Center at 7pm on May 18.

Courtney Librizzi and Caitlin Raddatz received a $2,000 reward, a Silver Knight trophy, and a medallion presented by American Airlines.

Courtney Librizzi General

Pamela Weston Music

NEWS BRIEFS Grad Night cancelled for next year

The graduating seniors from the class of 2011 will be the last class to attend Grad Nite at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.

As a tradition that started nearly 40 years ago, Grad Nite will come to an end because of too many Spring visitors in the Orlando theme park. As leisure travel has been steadily rising, it will become increasingly difficult for Disney to close the park early to allow senior visitors inside.

As compensation for the elimination of this event, Disney is planning to offer seniors a one-day, one-park ticket for $55 valid year-round.

Grad Bash, a senior night held at Orlando’s Universal park, will continue next year.

Leadership sponsor Melissa Goldstein is already planning next year’s trip to Grad Bash.

“I already booked the buses,” she said.

-Sam Schwab, Retiring Editor-in-Chief

NASA Explorer comes Colts attend national debate tournament to Colt family Our school has become a member of the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program, a nationwide program created by NASA to encourage higher learning and discovery.

Les Gold, NES advocate, came to talk to the teachers during their Wired Wednesday on Apr 20.

NES will provide opportunities for teachers to enhance their lessons with live launches, lithographs, and weekly videos covering various science topics.

Students will also be offered the opportunity to perform experiments and submit them to NASA, where a select few will be invited to a NASA center to present their experiment to NASA scientists and researchers.

Teachers can also enjoy trips to Kennedy Space Center for free, along with bus tours, workshops and special access to launch pads and other areas.

-Amanda Current, Editor-in-Chief

Jacob Newstreet, senior, and Feyaad Allie, junior, traveled to Washington D.C. with debate teacher, Mr. Weaver to compete in a national debate tournament in the division of the Lincoln Douglas Debate on May 26 through the 30.

The topic they debated on was “Resolved: The United States has a moral obligation to promote just governance in developing nations”. Both debaters prepared for both the negative and affirmative side of this debate.

Allie won four rounds and lost one. This allowed him to advance onto the Double Octos Elimination, with the top 32 competitors in the nation and he finished in that category. Newstreet won two rounds and lost three.

The two members qualified for this competition based on their performance at the state debate competition.

-Kasey Litchfield, Staff Writer

JUNE 2011

NEWS 4

5 NEWS

JUNE 2011

Superintendent retires after ‘some of the toughest times we’ve ever had’ Alec Kaye Managing Editor Superintendent Jim Notter announced his plan to retire as of Jun. 30-- three years before his contract ends.

His announcement was held unexpectedly at the end of a school board budget workshop on Mar. 29.

“It’s been a difficult decision,” Notter said at the workshop. “As your leader, I believe I need to make that decision at this point.

So we can take it off the plates, and lead this district through some of the toughest times we’ve ever had, if not the toughest times.”

He said that he would spend the rest of his life enjoying the family—his wife, children, and grandchildren—that had allowed him to devote his time to the District.

In a Channel 7 News interview on Mar. 30, Notter said, “I want to take my wife and grandkids and daughters and husbands and go on a cruise and enjoy life. I don’t want to be there with a bunch of medicine bottles.”

As superintendent, Notter possesses the power to speak before the Board on all matters concern-

ing the management and regulation of the schools, but not to vote, a power entrusted solely to the board members. He is the chief education officer who supervises the district and keeps the Board members up to date on what happens throughout it.

During Notter’s remaining three months, he promised to complete, as he had for the last four years, the required work for the District: the “budget process, essential policies, hurricane preparation training, and year end close out reports.”

The job of finding a replacement for Notter lies with the Board. If an adequate person is not appointed by Jun. 30, the Board will seek and appoint an Interim Superintendent to serve as a consultant to the District until one can fill the position permanently. Members agreed to search nationally for a successor.

BUDGET The district is facing an expected $100-160 million in budget cuts. Teacher merit pay and classsize rules are under discussion and could complicate the budget.

In order to assist the District in

‘Bright Futures’, cont. presently, recipients get a fixed-dollar amount-- $125 per credit hour for the top award, or about 76 percent of actual tuition and fees at state universities. FMS recipients get $94 per credit hour, or 57 percent of expenses.

The Florida Lottery primarily funds the program. Last year, the $338 million presented by the Lottery was not enough to cover the growing number of eligible students, so the legislature used $99 million in stimulus to supplement the difference.

State lawmakers now look to lower the program’s strain on the budget for coming years.

Cindy Woodring, BRACE Advisor, believes the program is too valuable to the state to be removed completely.

“I don’t know exactly what they are going to do … it’s mostly tentative,” said Woodring.

The Florida Senate proposed reducing the size of the scholarship by $147 million, or $1,000 per student. This would make the average coverage approximately 27 percent of tuition fees in the upcoming year, according to the Florida College Access Network.

A proposal from the Florida House of Representatives would raise the minimum qualification SAT score by 200 points. In 2010, FCAN supported the incremental increase in SAT/ACT scores required to qualify, believing students would “rise to meet those standards” when provided access to “rigorous coursework in high school” and “adequate notice to increases in standards.”

FCAN, promoters of college-readiness

up and drop off sites, and increasing deductibles on negotiated health, vision, and dental plans.

Further acts to resolve next year’s budget involved SB members pledging to make cuts first within district offices before school programs on Mar. 28.

James Notter, Superintendent

the budget process, the Community Budget Task Force was established, holding its first meeting on Mar. 22.

Notter opened the meeting explaining the primary purpose of the Task Force: maintain enhanced communication between District administrators, SB members, and the community at large.

Comprised of volunteer business and community members and parents, the Committee made recommendations on how the District can increase revenue and prioritize cost saving measures, according to their official website.

Recommendations included installing auto turn off lights in buildings, consolidating bus pick

for limited-income and underrepresented students, suggested that legislatures base the scholarship on the family incomes of recipients.

Under an example presented by FCAN, students with families making less than $20,000 a year would receive the current average of $2,500, while students with family incomes of more than $150,000 would get an average of $500.

The proposal could lower the cost of the program by more than $100 million.

Others, though, argue that income should not be a factor.

Zoey Smith, junior, believes the proposal does not take into consideration the amount of expenses a family may have.

“Families range in sizes, so it cannot be assumed that they will be okay,” Smith said. “It should be based on the student’s academic performance, not on their family’s status.”

For Spencer Young, junior, who considers his family income above average, the trip to college may still come with a struggle. With family presently in college, Young found himself searching for a job that would allow him to make ends meet, without relying on heavy loans.

“The need-base[d] proposal seems like a good plan, but ultimately, with the dramatic increases in tuition and drops in scholarships, what we’re going to need is more funding for education,” said Young.

On May 26, the high education conforming bill (SB 2150) required applicants for the Bright Futures program to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before they can receive any money.

CLOSE OUT REPORTS The SB agreed to personally conduct an interim evaluation of Notter prior to his scheduled August evaluation to provide him productive feedback before his leave.

The Board believed he deserves clear direction amid the highly critical report from the Grand Jury on Feb. 13, which criticized how the district has been run under his lead. Discussions over the process will be held Apr. 30.

Chairman Benjamin Williams considered some of the Grand Jury report conclusions to be “based on incomplete information” or asserted from “generalizations based on the acts of individuals within the organization.”

“However, this does not negate the overarching message of the Grand JuryReport or the District’s

intent to respond accordingly,” he said.

Steps have been taken to regain the public’s trust, which will include reducing the use of temporary certificates of occupancy to permit students into unfinished school facilities.

Certificates of occupancy certify a building’s compliance with building codes, indicating its suitability for occupancy.

TCOs are issued to allow early occupancy for a temporary period of time until the completion of minor constructions.

The report said the GJ “found that there is nothing temporary about TCOs in Broward…and some are issued with blatant safety issues unresolved at the schools.”

One of Notter’s final responsibilities before retiring will be to propose solutions to these longstanding problems.

SEARCH FOR A REPLACEMENT The board is looking for a temporary replacement for the position, who will serve from July 1 to Sept. 12. At the time of this printing, no internal applicants have applied for the position.

JUNE 2011

NEWS 6

BPA students compete and place at national convention Shahnawz Hardanian Staff Writer BPA members traveled to Washington D.C. during the week of May 2nd to participate in a national competition Out of the over 50 club members, 19 advanced to Nationals. These members qualified based on their previous performances in the state competition held in Feb. Students took part in a variety of competitions, including Web Design, Spreadsheet Analysis, Accounting, Economics, and Financial Analysis.

Arriving in Washington, D.C., BPA members participated in the opening ceremony in front of the Washington Monument. This included the introduction of the charter’s new representing officers and many motivational speeches. Select members were also awarded with scholarships, including the school’s BPA president Susan Lee, senior, who competed with the advanced accounting and financial analysis teams.

The competition took place on May 5th and lasted into the next day. During this time, the members either submitted their written papers on given topics, or delivered their presentation to a panel of judges. The judges were selected on their expertise in each subject; all judges had majored in their respective subjects.

“The experience was really great,” said first time BPA member Jessica Lee, junior. “I worked hard to get to [Nationals], so I enjoyed myself.”

Jessica Lee competed in the economic section of the competition, along with her partner Tuyet Le, senior.

Once all students presented their work on Thurs. and Fri., the judges determined who would advance to the finals, which were held on Sat., May 7th. The judges evaluated the work based on presentation, accuracy, professionalism, and the overall flow.

For those who made it to finals, the results were given later that. Three-year BPA mem-

ber Rebecca Horowitz, junior, received third place in the nation for her PowerPoint presentation out of over a hundred competitors.

“I felt really proud of myself,” said Horowitz. “It was a huge honor to win.”

Presidential Pose: BPA tours around Washington DC, seeing every memorial and The White House.

Petusevsky organizes tennis tournament, raises money to fight cancer Alec Kaye Managing Editor Jason Petusevsky, junior, organized and held a tennis tournament on May 21 at the Coral Springs Tennis Center to raise donations for the American Cancer Society. The event brought in over $500.

Inspiration to setup the event came from when his father’s best friend Jeff Marks passed away from lung cancer in 2008 at the age of 44. Friends and family were shocked when he was initially diagnosed since he never smoked cigarettes.

“It really made me think about the seriousness of cancer,”

said Petusevsky. “So I wanted to find a way to help fight it.”

Petusevsky researched how he could arrange his own fundraiser, and attempted a few projects until he managed to coordinate one that he felt was a success.

The “toughest challenge” he said he faced was selecting the optimum weekend to schedule his event. Being open to the public, the event did not guarantee to bring in players, so Petusevksy had to ensure there was a sufficient number of participants--especially, since the event was going to be catered by Chipotle.

Held as a round-robin tournament, the participants did not required any experience in tennis as each team had to

verse every other team in turn regardless of rank.

“By running a round-robin, no one gets knocked out,” said Petusevsky. “The point was to raise money and have fun.”

Petusevsky called the event a success, having attracted a number of fellow Colts and alumni Arjun Anand and Alon Torres.

“It was awesome, well-run and and a great experience.

Even though it’s a competitive sport every was laughing and having a good time, and the best part was that it was all for a good cause,” said alumnus Anand.

A similar student-conducted project includes senior Courtney Librizzi’s bowling fundraiser for Abi’s Place.

JUNE 2011

Long Story Short With

Kathryn Long

Opinion Editor Should College be the Main Goal of Eduation?

With graduation just around the corner, many students have their sights set on the future. Seniors are headed off to the next phase of their lives and underclassmen are approaching the decision point as to what’s next for them.

For decades, the American education system has focused on increasing the number of students it sends to college, but this goal makes little to no sense.

With this push, more students enter college than before, but they don’t finish. Only 56 percent of students who enroll in a four-year college earn a bachelor’s degree. There are many factors that contribute to this. One is cost; the average college graduate holds $24,000 in debt. The College Board shows that tuition at Florida state schools tends to be around $5,000 a year, that’s without almost $9,000 in room and board and who knows how much in other costs. Anyone interested in an out-of-state private school is probably going to be looking at a price tag closer to $50,000 per year.

College dropouts may not be in debt for the full degree, but there are still the loans for the years they did make it through. Think about it, in the end, they have only a high school diploma plus a few thousand dollars owed; they would be a lot better off if they never started university in the first place.

Price isn’t the only drop-out inducing factor. According to the director of the Koehler Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas Christian University, more than half of first-year college students are underprepared for college-level work.

Here’s where the problem spirals politically out of control. People hear this fact and start screaming about how horrible our public school system is. No one ever seems to consider the other option: college just isn’t the best choice for everyone.

My grandfather served in World War II. When he returned he took advantage of the GI Bill, which would pay for him to get a college degree or a technical certification. He was from a rural community in Pennsylvania, and his uncorrected vision had prevented him from being very confident in reading; he chose the technical route. He became an electrician and for years he was the example of the American dream and work ethic. No one could beat him in quality of work or integrity. He’s been retired for longer than I can remember, but he still knows his trade inside and out.

The world needs more people like him.

The European schooling system, which, incidentally is often compared to the US system just to show us how far behind we are falling, has two tracks, a technical and a college-preparatory one. There was a time where our schools were more like this; where we had programs where students could learn a trade, but those days are fading farther and farther behind. Most of us remember that, just two years ago, our school had a HOSA program.

Maybe it’s time our law-makers learned a little about education. Schools cannot be run like factories, our products and inputs are not equal. Some students are scholars, others are businessmen, or artists, or engineers. Some will prefer a career where they sit at a desk; others would rather be outdoors, working with their hands. Education should be about giving students the tools to finding the career that fits them, not determining what that career should be.

OPINION 7

Celebrating the Death of a Killer: Justified or Immoral Lorenzo Mohammed Dimensions Editor The principle of mourning a death is a natural occurrence.

Throughout all cultures, all religions, everyone has succumbed to mourning the death of a lost one.

Since the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death, many Americans have been celebrating the occasion. Since the attack, on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, they have been waiting for justice to be served. Does the death of this Al Queda leader, a person who has been responsible for many deaths, make it okay to celebrate the loss of a human life?

“Love your enemies” said Mathew 5:43 in The New Testament. I feel as though people shouldn’t be enjoying the death a human being so much. Yes, this man was responsible for the deaths of many American lives, but do not bask in the murder of a murderer, for is a celebration of human death not a horror in and of itself?

“Adding hate to hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars,” said Martin Luther King Jr. Those who are adding to the hate in the world are no better than those who they feel justified in hating.

When I heard the news of the death of such a notorious outlaw I was glad, not for the fact that he was dead but for the fact that many innocent families who lost family members due to his actions could finally find some justice. Witnessing people write slogans such as “Osama Bin LaDead” made me feel ashamed.

The insensitive behaviors continued to spread. Since the death was a person detested by the entire nation, it became patriotic to celebrate this death. Even those who opposed didn’t open up for fear that they would be seen as a supporter of a terrorist.

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy,” said Jessica Dovey, a Penn State graduate who stirred discussion when she followed this with a misquote of Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonetheless, the sentiment resonated with many due to the belief that most humans share; that no death should be celebrated, even one of an enemy, because that only brings out the inhumanity within us, creating more hate to go around.

It saddens me to see that such a great number of people intentionally go around rejoicing, for what is a result of violence and death.

Lorenzo Mohammed

Summer Assignments Ruin the Idea of Summer Shahnawz Hardanian

Staff Writer When summer finally comes around, the only things on any student’s mind are catching up on some much needed sleep, getting in some prime sun time, and for the first time all year, using zero brain cells.

But, alas, this fantasy is cut short for many when teachers decide to slap a heavy load of summer assignments onto their vacation, replacing the care-free summer afternoons of relaxation with long gloomy days of reading complex books and writing multi-page analyses.

Schools have been implementing the practice of summer vacation for over a hundred years. It is a time for students to take a much-earned period of enjoyment to do what they want to do. Summer assignments only add stress and aggravation to the break, something that vacation is supposed to alleviate.

The main classes that hand out summer assignments are Advanced

Placement courses. The philosophy the teachers of these classes subscribe to is that the assignments are necessary, since the curriculum is so demanding and requires extra work on the part of the student, since they are eligible to receive college credit for the class. But exactly how beneficial are these assignments?

Most students, myself included, chose to wait until the last minute to complete this work and just open our books the night before the first day of school. We end up rushing to write numerous essays, pull up the Sparknotes for the books we were supposed to read, or just copy the assignment from a friend in the class.

“I remember last summer I had to scramble to get everything together during the last week [of vacation],” said Veronica Orr, junior. “I think that I would’ve understood the material better if the teacher would’ve just assigned the work to us during the year.”

With this practice, any benediction that was supposed to be achieved is

lost, and the assignment simply becomes the busy work that so many dread and regard with little interest.

In fact, according to a study of 175 students, conducted by Duke University, there was a little to no correlation between students having been assigned summer assignments and future test scores in the class.

Nancy Kalish, who co-authored “The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It,” counters the common belief that without summer work, students will not be able to retain learned information over the break. Kalish points out, though, that if students do in fact lose previously taught information during summer, the concept most likely was not taught well in the first place.

Summer serves to reward hardworking students for enduring the almost ten months of the school season. Yet, how can a student possibly enjoy this well-deserved vacation time when it is now turning into an extension of the school year?

8 OPINION

JUNE 2011

STAFF EDITORIAL

PERSPECTIVE matters.

THE CHRONICLE

Merit pay bill creates unfair process in teacher salaries

TheChronicle

Gov. Rick Scott signed a merit pay bill (SB 736) on Mar. 24 that will base a teacher’s salary on the performance of their students.

For months teachers have resented the bill, due to the unnecessary complications and possible penalizations that may arise.

Their reasoning is well founded when considering the obvious flaws presented in the bill.

SB 736 is underdeveloped and vague.

There is no uniform system enumerated in the bill that measures teacher performance across the state. Instead, lawmakers are depending on each district’s school superintendent to develop an evaluation procedure.

Regardless of how the performance of teachers will be measured, it is likely that extraneous variables, other than teacher ability, will unfairly influence the measure of success.

If the system measures a teacher’s success based on high scores among students on standardized tests, merit pay would favor the teachers in wealthy neighborhoods that typically house more skillful students.

If teachers will be rewarded based on improvement in test scores alone, then the teachers whose students are already scoring high will be penalized because no change in scores would be visible.

In actuality, there is no completely objective way to measure the success of a teacher, but according to state legislators, more standardized tests are the answer.

According to the language of the bill, state education commissioners are responsible for defining a “learning growth” in FCAT and new endof-course exams, while more tests must be put in place to measure the performance of students in elective courses, such as art and music.

Not only will there be more tests, but those already in existence will

with

be subject to higher standards. The Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, to be fully implemented with the beginning of the 2013-14 school year, will call for more difficult tests in order to improve “college and career readiness.”

The pressure put on teachers to reach these new standards will force them to generate a curriculum that

of dollars in new testing equipment, will add up and could eventually lead to the elimination of school programs and the laying off of more teachers.

Furthermore, good teachers are good teachers not due to some external monetary incentive, but because they have an internal motivation to inform and educate their pupils.

Typically teachers teach the way they do because, in their own opinion, the method they use is the best way to convey information and integrate it into their students’ minds.

The only case of merit pay meeting with success was when the Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools, Michelle Rhee, implemented this reform in her district.

Rhee was credited with raising test scores in lowperforming public schools in the nation’s capitol through this policy.

Unfortunately, recent Lorenzo Mohammed investigations have challenged the validity of these focuses solely on achieving high-test test scores. scores, rather than on the information An article in USA Today revealed and preparation necessary for col- that the majority of schools in D.C. lege. This backwards-teaching style had an unusually high number of eraonly harms the already poor educa- sures on standardized tests in readtion system present in Florida. ing and math, which may be indicaBased on Florida lawmaker’s plans tive of the district fudging student to cut public school spending by bil- responses. lions of dollars this spring, some The bottom line is that merit pay did Floridians have become increasingly not improve the quality of education in concerned that there is not enough schools, and in fact may have encourmoney in the budget to fund top-per- aged cheating among school officials. forming teachers.

In conjunction with recent atIn an interview with the Sun-Sen- tempts by the Florida legislature to tinel, Mark Pudlow, spokesman for disarm the public sector (and teachthe Florida Education Association, re- ers in particular) through the elimiferred to the creation of standardized nation of collective bargaining, the tests as a “terribly unfunded man- merit pay program proposed by SB date” for Florida school districts, be- 736 is an attempt by the legislature cause of the extra standardized test- to manipulate the teachers of Florida ing that will be required as a result. in order to meet federal standards.

The costs associated with impleIf Florida lawmakers want higher menting merit pay, from increased scores, they should be working with salaries for some teachers to millions our teachers, rather than against them.

Jamie Klein

Bully Showdown Students can pick on each other for unknown reasons, but it is commonly caused by uncontrollable hormones or immaturity. But fear not, the behavior can be hindered through the personal injuries given to both the victim and the engager alone. In an Australian YouTube video that went viral, the instigator himself feels the brunt of his actions proving to the world that anyone is susceptible to physical harm when meddling with fire.

According to www.foxnews.com seventh-grader Ritchard Gale began shoving and punching tenth grader Casey Heynes at Chifley College in St. Mary’s North.

Then, the larger Heynes decided to body slam Gale and walk away. The video isn’t hard to watch as Gale lays a few knuckle sandwiches in Heynes’ face, but the discomfort really begins when Heynes grabs Gale and body slams him against the cement with a piercing noise as Gale’s body hits the ground. The viewer is left bewildered by whether to support the victim in his retaliation.

The video became an Internet sensation and Heynes received commendation for his decision to stand up for himself. Internet viewers have nicknamed Heynes “the Punisher” while calling Gale “The Rat”. According to www.Facebok.com, a page for “Casey Heynes- Public Figure” has also provoked 98,000 people to like it.

Through this video kids everywhere should realize that if you throw the first punch -then expect to get something back harder. This is instinctive, and especially likely in such a hormonal and insecure age group.

While the boys don’t deserve the fame they are being showered with from uploading this video, I doubt it’s the kind of fame the boys and their families had hoped for in their futures anyway. I would consider the new fame around the world to be more of a punishment.

Although violence shouldn’t be encouraged when dealing with issues, it is warranted when your own life is in danger; Heynes realized it was time to release the monster within in his smack down. The video should be used as a valuable source for bullies to realize that their retribution might very well be around the corner. Gale’s punishment for antagonizing the quiet Heynes,was far too harsh, but absolutely necessary to fend him off.

Sometimes we find out that an inconspicuous boy has been watching too much professional wrestling on television after we have pulled them into the wrestling ring.

RETIRING EDITORS

AMANDA CURRENT, Editor-in-Chief ALEC KAYE, Managing and Copy Editor ANA SERPA, News Editor KATHRYN LONG, Opinion Editor DUFFY DUFRESNE, Feature Editor LORENZO MOHAMMED, Dimensions Editor ARIANNA MORRELL, Entertainment Editor DANIEL LOPEZ, Sports Editor REED CONGDON, Sports Editor JON McEWAN, Graphics Editor and Advertising Designer BROOKE RINK, Photo Captain CORY LAUB, Advisor

Samantha Schwab, Shaina Konzny, Jamie Klein, Saraana Jamraj, Allie Schutt, Ashley Rynar, Lauren Lewkowicz, Sarika Beharrysingh, Sarita Castaneda, Tara Johnston Aneesa Allie Jordan Butchen Bria Carey Jordan Cohen Sara Grignon Shahnawz Hardanian Katie Jones

STAFF

Kasey Litchfield Daniela Lozano Sonya Majewski Harley Mitchell Cindy Morataya Sarah Moseley Anastasia Okonski

Elisa Press Brittany Salopek Daniel Schutt Joshua Seiler Caitlyn Tate Michael Trotman Kristin Vara

The Chronicle is a member of Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA). Editorial opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Coral Springs High School or Broward County Public Schools The Chronicle is written and published by the journalism students at Coral Springs High School. Advertising is available by calling 754-3220600. We accept all letters to the editor in room 803. All letters are subject to editing for space and content. The School Board of Broward County, Florida, prohibits any policy or procedure which results in discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, marital status, race, religion or sexual orientation. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination and/or harrasment complaint may call the Executive Director, Benefits & EEO Compliance at (754) 321-2150 or Teletype Machine TTY (754) 321-2158. Individuals with disabilities requesting accomodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may call Equal Educational Opportunities (EEO) at (754) 321-2150 or Teletype Machine TTY (754) 321-2158.

OPINION 9

JUNE 2011

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT

Judging Celebrities

?

Celebrities: To be mocked or pitied?

People should not laugh about a celebrity’s problem because it may be a serious issue for them Saraana Jamraj Retiring Feature Editor Celebrities have always been subject to public scrutiny. Perhaps this is well deserved because their choice of lifestyle is what puts them in the spotlight.

Nevertheless, people should follow a common doctrine of decency, not stoop to unconstructively mock another person, merely for one’s own amusement.

People seem to have no middle ground when it comes to their views of celebrities- either they are blindly following and idolizing them, or harshly scrutinizing and mocking them. Perhaps we should work our views from the extremes to moderation, and realize this obsession- whether it be love or hatred towards complete strangers is unhealthy.

Charlie Sheen has been the subject of mockery because of his bizarre rollercoaster ride with addiction and his neurotic tendencies; he has produced confusion in the minds of many viewers. He is constantly up and down; dealing with brief stints in rehab and then impulsively and boldly claiming he has won his battle with addiction without professional help.

In his rants, Sheen speaks almost incoherently, claiming to have “tiger-blood” and to be “winning.” As a result, Sheen has been the butt of countless jokes, oneliners, and spoofs. On the surface

this may seem to be harmless and in good fun; but this attention we are giving him- negative or positive- is destructive. It facilitates his behavior, because it shows that either people love him, or love laughing at him. In this case, people should stop giving Charlie Sheen the two common forms of celebrity attention. He clearly loves the polarizing effect he is having on the public, and perhaps this love/hate attention only solidifies his convictions that he has “tiger-blood,” that he is superior to others.

The argument here is not that Charlie Sheen’s feelings should be spared, but that people should not laugh about what could be a very serious problem, according to Dr. Drew Pinsky, acclaimed M.D., and other professionals. They believe that Sheen has a serious problem, which is supported by his behavior. He could be suffering from extreme withdrawal after stopping his frequent drug use of cocaine suddenly or even bi-polar disorder. While Sheen, along with those who dismiss his behavior as obnoxious, has dismissed these theories with a laugh, he often exhibits signs of it. Between his bizarre interviews and endless stream of tweets, he clearly shows the symptoms that include unrealistic beliefs about his personal abilities, rapid speaking, racing thoughts, and manic behavior.

If Sheen is indeed suffering from a mental disorder, it is not funny.

No matter how big of a jerk people perceive him to be, his problems are neither amusing nor deserved.

Fame and fortune looks exceptional on the outside, but on the inside, there’s nothing but tiger blood.

Every move a celebrity makes is constantly up for criticism. Once a person agrees to be in the spotlight they become a puppet and must endure all of the criticism they are dealt, both positive and negative.

Actors, such as Charlie Sheen, have been surrounded increasingly by negative scrutiny. His rants have become the source of public jokes and the new fad among millions of viewers. It is heavy media waves like these that hit celebrities and send them spiraling out of control.

Let us look back at 2007, when a younger version of Hollywood’s most infamous bad girl, Lindsay Lohan, first began her dance with the dark side. With two DUIs. Lohan could have straightened her act out if she took the hint. A few visits to rehab and an alcoholmonitoring bracelet later, and Lohan is one hot mess with more attention focused on her personal life than her acting career. If she would have just learned from previous mistakes, Lohan could have washed her hands clean by doing a few more popular movies. Now, she is in over her head to the point that fans ask themselves, “Is she just doing it for the attention?”

The phrase “actions speak

louder than words” is very applicable to this particular topic.

Putting yourself in the public eye gets you attention; it is as simple as that.

So negatively putting yourself in the public eye is going to reward you with negative attention. It is brought on by the person himself or herself.

Sheen’s rants have earned him a ticket to a nationwide tour entitled “Charlie Sheen’s: Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option.”

So now, not only is he being an idiot, but also he’s making money for it, and it is our fault for feeding into it and buying tickets.

Some disagree with this, and think that the subject is darkly corrupted by the fame and all its hardships, and that the celebrity may have psychological deficiencies. For some stars like Nicole Richie and Britney Spears, it is possible to snap yourself out of the negative media cloud. For others, it’s not that easy.

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz was once subject to scrutiny following to his hospital admittance due to attempting suicide by overdose. After going to the hospital, Wentz joined the “Half Of Us” suicide prevention campaign, released award-winning albums, and settled down to have a family.

As far as publicity goes, there are two sides to take: whether it is deserved or frowned upon. It is our job as the public to share our opinions and insight on the lives of celebrities, because after all, that is what they are here for, right?

agency’s Internet Policy Statement.

Though the primary use of these sites is for copyright infringement, the FCC contended that it is their prerogative, not Comcast’s, to decide whether a website is acceptable for access or not.

Comcast appealed this decision and the case went to the Supreme Court. The Court nullified the FCC order, calling the authority of the FCC to regulate Internet management into question.

In reaction to this competition for authority, the FCC revised their open Internet rules, determining six principles of net neutrality to ensure that the Internet remains free and open for all users.

This Supreme Court case juxtaposes two possible outcomes of America’s pending choice over who will control the Internet: one,

to hand the reins of the Internet over to major service providers; the other to place control firmly in the hands of the government.

In the years to come, the issue of control over the Internet will move farther into the public arena, and Net Neutrality may very well become a major policy point for political candidates.

The Internet is this generation’s great, last frontier, the Wild West of the twenty-first century.

Just as the West was eventually tamed by the U.S. Rangers, so too must the free and open arena of the Internet be brought under some form of control. The question that the American people must face is who we trust to maintain liberal, reasonable access to the Internet: corporate interests or the government we elect.

If a celebrity portrays himself negatively in the public eye then he is going to recieve a bad response Brittany Salopek Staff Writer

“Celebrities shouldn’t be given any special treatment.

Their reputation shouldn’t alter how they are treated.”

CHRIS BLANCO, SOPHOMORE

“Celebrities should be pitied because every aspect of their life is watched and we look for their flaws.”

SYDNEY SIBNER, SENIOR

“Celebrities should be mocked because they’re in the spotlight. They aren’t martyrs, they’re celebrities.”

CHRIS WILLIAMS, SOPHOMORE

“Celebrities should be pitied because they don’t know any better. This is the only way they know how to act.”

TORI SCIANDRA, JUNIOR

Net neutrality: the Wild West of the twenty-first century

Marcus Levine Contributing Writer Since its conception in the 1960s amongst United States military bases and university campuses, the Internet has evolved into a powerful tool for productivity, interaction, and collaboration.

Despite this resource’s usefulness for the advancement of the human condition, there are some interests that seek to limit the Internet. The war against these interests is known as Net Neutrality, one of the most pressing underground political conflicts in the world today.

The implications of Net Neutrality are not limited to quibbles over the ownership of the Internet, but call into question who the people of the world trust to police the Internet.

Advocates of Net Neutrality

base their stance on the contention that all human beings should be guaranteed access to the Internet.

As one of the most powerful tools for collaboration in the history of the human race, access to the Internet should not be controlled by a single or small group of individuals.

The primary official organization responsible for guaranteeing Net Neutrality is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but the authority of this branch of the Federal government is slowly being undermined by Supreme Court lawsuits, in particular a recent case in 2007, Comcast v. FCC. This case arose when Comcast decided to block the use of certain peer-to-peer file transfer sites on their Broadband network.

The FCC investigated and found that Comcast had violated the

“I think we should treat celebrities like any other person. Pity and mock them when necessary.”

WILLIAM HOUSE, FRESHMAN

“Both pitied and mocked because some of them deserve to be pitied like Britney Spears, and some deserve to be mocked like Charlie Sheen... winning.”

JENNA HOROWITZ, JUNIOR

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12FEATURE

JUNE 2011

Photo by Sara Castaneda

nes

Amanda Current Editor-in-Chief It is well known that any theatrical production takes an enormous amount of time and effort. But each performance has two diverse sides: the visible show and the part that people rarely think about, what goes on behind the scenes.

Techies, as they call themselves, are responsible for everything- from working the lights and sound to creating the entire set.

Seniors Shan Rustam and Marcus Levine and freshman Robert D’Aquila are the three in charge.

Levine started working tech in 2009 and started getting really into it a year later. He has been heavily involved since then.

This is D’Aquila’s first year working tech, but he is known to be one of the most reliable techies. He started by working the spotlight in the drama’s fall production, Our Town. Rustam has been working with tech since his freshman year and has been working closely with Levine for most of that time.

In the most recent production, Annie, Rustam controlled the lights and D’Aquila managed the soundboards under the supervision of Levine, who is also the director of the show.

As the stage manager, senior Kyle Edwards was in charge of organizing and keeping track of everything.

“I’m the adhesive to the show. I bring it all together,” Edwards said.

Edwards works closely with the tech team to make sure that the production goes smoothly. They use clearcoms (head sets) to communicate with each other so that Edwards can “call” the show and the tech team can make sure each cue goes off when it’s supposed to.

Acting in a play requires daily rehearsals until about 6 pm, along with weekend all-day rehearsals.

The whole process for the tech team starts when they go through the script and loom for light and sound cues. They

Sara Castaneda

ACTING OUT: Junior Rachel Ledbetter (left) and seniors Jordan Cohen (middle) and Melissa Day (right) perform the famous musical number “Easy Street.”

ce Behind the S

Sara Castaneda

TECHIES: Seniors Shan Rustam (left) and Marcus Levine (right) adjust the backdrop scenery that was rented for Annie.

decide which set pieces need to be made and finally begin designing and building the set.

“I don’t like delegating, because when I do, nothing gets done the way I want,” Rustam said.

As the production draws closer to completion, they begin to work on lighting design and seeing how they want the stage to look. They then rehearse using their designs and see what should be changed. This all goes on long after the actors leave rehearsal each day.

“We’re here when the actors aren’t,” D’Aquila said.

A few days before Annie, the techies stayed in the auditorium til 11:30 with plans to stay through the night, but were told to leave by the janitorial staff.

Each production differs depending on the level of imagination required. Seussical, last year’s musical, left room for creativity. They could have lights in any color they wanted, for example.

Rustam has found that controlling the lights in non-musical plays is easier because there’s less going on. “Musicals are more exciting. A lot more can go wrong... It keeps you on your toes,” he said.

Along with the work they do in each school production, Rustam, Levine, and D’Aquila are also employed by different organizations to work the light and sound in our auditorium. There are already nine events scheduled for the month of April.

Having that amount of responsibility gets to be quite stressful for all the techies and crew. Whenever this happens, Rustam copes by “coming and sitting in the booth, putting on some music and relaxing. Then coming back and dealing with the other people.”

Despite the importance of talented actors and dedicated instructors, the whole process would amount to nothing if there weren’t a good tech and stage team in place.

“If it weren’t for these guys, we’d have nothing. We would just be people walking around without a purpose,” said Alvis Tran, senior.

Student cast shows professional promise Brittany Salopek Staff Writer On Apr. l7, Thespians opened this year’s musical, Annie, based on the Harold Gray comic Little Orphan Annie. Thespians put on the performance that ran through Thursday night to Sat. Apr. 9, produced by Laurel Holland, and directed by Marcus Levine.

Annie is a classic, telling the story of and orphan who is granted the chance to live with a family over the holiday season. The lead role was played by sophomore Sarah Fuhrman, while supporting roles such as Daddy Warbucks and Grace Farrell were played by Jacob Newstreet and Kristin Vara, respectively.

I attended the play on opening night; it was easy to tell that the actors were excited to finally perform. In the opening scene set in the orphanage the orphans (played by Ermith Etienne, Lauren Rossi, Mayling Fossi, Haley Adams, Kadale Lubin And Christine Canals) began the play with a jubilant attitude. Throughout the play, the orphans made the crowd laugh with their witty antics and wise-cracking statements.

The acting as a whole was great for a group of high school kids. I was specifically impressed

by Melissa Day, who played the part of orphanage caretaker Miss Hannigan. Day was very believable as the character, especially since she maintained an accent the entire duration of the play.

The relationship between Annie and Warbucks was well-defined, and they worked together.

The character that caught everyone’s eye was most definitely the real life dog-star that was used to portray Sandy, the stray Annie finds running away from the dog catchers. The real star’s name is Zoey, and is actually Day’s dog.

The music was created by the volunteers of the Colt band and lights were controlled by Shan Rustam alongside Robert D’Aquila on sound. Everything from a technical point of view was precise.

The costumes were also very well detailed, and fit the characters personalitites very well. Props such as the orphanage beds, and the furniture in Warbuck’s home fit well with the indoor decorarting scheme. The costumes and props were both rented from Costume World.

Summarily, I was very entertained by the play and thought that the actors did a wonderful job. The Colt theatre is currently planning their end of the year banquet which will be held in the auditorium.

jUNE 2011

FEATURE13

Hamilton follows his dreams of rock stardom

Cindy Morataya

STRUNG OUT: Alumnus David Hamilton plays “What Are You Waiting for” with his band, Marvlec, at Coral Springs’ Relay for Life.

May. In 2010 Marvlec released three original pieces on iTunes.

In 2011 the band added a new guitar member, Gustavo Lombana, and continued to write and record music.

So far, the band seems to be climbing their way to the top with over a thousand supporting fans on Facebook, and the honor of winning competitions from the Coral Springs Battle of the Bands and the Next Big Thing Tour.

Marvlec has designed merchandise, including t-shirts and stickers, that they sell on their website at www.marvlec.com.

The band is playing more shows and having press kits put together to send out to record labels and agencies. They plan on touring and releasing an album sometime in the near future.

Apart from booking gigs for the band, Hamilton spends his free time hanging out with his friends and writing philosophy. His personal life experiences and philosophical perspective helped him to write songs like “Pack and Run” and “Good Luck,” to name a few.

“This is what I want to do with my life and inspire others in the process,” Hamilton said.

Maharaj embraces her cultural identity Guard during her freshSaraana Jamraj man year; this passion Retiring Feature Editor for dance spanned Born in Fort Lauderdale, and growing both realms of her up in Margate and Coral Springs, Alyssa identity. She began Maharaj spent her childhood a long way to learn Indian from her roots in Trinidad and India; but dance when she with the influence of her family, they have was four years become an important part of her life. old, from her Since she was a little girl, Maharaj has dance teacher spent every summer in Trinidad, the isAmbika. She pracland where her parents were born. She ticed, and gained recalls her vacations being filled with expertise in Classicountless lessons and stories. cal and Bollywood “My mother, my grandma, and my style dancing. Her mama would teach me about [Hindudetermination paid ism]. I remember I had to take part in off, and throughout weddings in the family, and fast, because I the course of her was the youngest girl on my mother’s side dance career, she of the family.” has performed in Maharaj has embraced both aspects over 15 shows, of her culture- where she is from and including the where she lives. Like many American South Asian teenagers, she is an avid car enthuShow, and siast, shops at Hollister and Amerthe Indoican Eagle, loves her dog (Simba), Carribbean and expresses herself through shows in blogging. She was also in Color Photo Courtesy Alyssa Maharaj

South Florida.

Unfortunately, Maharaj broke her foot at the end of freshman year, during an accident at home. Since then, she was unable to continue performing and attending dance class. She hopes and intends to resume her dance career soon.

Until then, Maharaj continues to play an active role in her community. She joined the Shiva Mandir Youth Group, at the temple where she has danced at shows as well. She often volunteers in the various events, which include the Winter Wonderland, as well as religious events, such as the Divali show. In Nov. of 2010, she was able to take part in the show, performing a partnered dance number in the fashion show.

In the future, Maharaj hopes to attend Nova Southeastern University, and later pursue a career in orthondistry. Along with pursuing her professional aspirations, she wants to travel to India

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

Feyaad Allie Contributing Writer As the school year ends, Mayor Gold would like to congratulate those who are graduating and wish them all the best in the future. There are many opportunities to volunteer throughout the summer and Mayor Gold encourages all students to pursue these.

One service opportunity that Mayor Gold recommends all residents to participate in is the food drive to benefit The Pantry of Broward. The City of Coral Springs will be collecting nonperishable items such as peanut butter, jelly, tuna, pasta, oatmeal and cereal until Jun. 15. The Pantry of Broward is a non-profit organization that supplies food to low income and grandparents raising their grandchildren in Broward County. City Hall, Coral Springs Gymnasium, and City Hall in the Mall are the locations where food will be collected.

Mayor Gold would like to inform everyone that with the start of summer comes hurricane season. He is encouraging everyone to be prepared and stay informed. He recommends tuning into CityRadio 1670 AM for up-to-date emergency information. CityTV 25 on Advanced Cable or Channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse also will broadcast emergency information. For more useful information on hurricane preparation, please visit www.CoralSprings.org/hurricane.

On Fourth of July Mayor Gold invites all students to the Independence Day celebration at Mullins Park. A grand fireworks display is set to begin at 9 p.m. Residents are invited to join the occasion at 6 p.m. as there will be delicious food and exciting entertainment for all to enjoy. The event is free, but there is a $3 parking fee. Personal fireworks are not allowed in the park.

As always, if you would like to meet with Mayor Gold to discuss any City issues, feel free to visit with him during his office hours. To view the scheduled monthly hours, please visit www.CoralSprings.org/events. If you haven’t already become a friend of the city on Facebook, please do so at www.Facebook.com/CoralSprings. If there is anything else that Mayor Gold can help you with, feel free to e-mail him at rgold@ coralsprings.org. Lastly, Mayor Gold hopes that all students have a safe and enjoyable summer vacation. And best of luck to all seniors graduating.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Mayor’s Messenger

Cindy Morataya Staff Writer Most of us spend our teenage years debating on what we want to pursue after high school. For 24-year-old David William Hamilton that wasn’t the case.

Hamilton always wanted to lead the life of a musician and become a successful rock star. At the early age of 10, he received his first guitar.

“I was in love with it ever since,” he said.

For the most part he was selftaught, but had a helping hand from his father, William Hamilton, who is also a musician.

Apart from his father, Hamilton is also inspired by classical music, progressive rock and people like Joe Satriani, and guitar players alike.

Hamilton considered himself to be a decent student and wellbehaved. One of his favorite teachers was former Coral Springs High printing teacher Mr. White. Oddly enough, Hamilton was not enrolled in any music related classes while attending our school. Nevertheless, he continues pursuing his lifelong dream to write, sing, and play music.

In 2009, Hamilton and his childhood friend, Scott Dotson, drummer, formed a band called Marvlec, meaning to marvel in music. Later, Hamilton and Dotson introduced a third band mate bass player Ben

14 FEATURE

JUNE 2011

Cheap ways Medical Spotlight: Progeria; the aging disease to enjoy your summer Tara Johnston and Katie Jones Photo Captain & Staff Writer Summer is something that most students look forward to. It is a time to relax, spend quality time with friends, have fun, and for most, not have to worry about an alarm clock for a whole ten weeks. There are many memorable, inexpensive activities that students can do that are fun and exciting.

If you enjoy the outdoors, try having a picnic with your close friends. Everyone could bring in a homemade dish, which would initially save time and money. It could be a potluck event. Grab a basket, a blanket, and a nice spot in the park on a sunny day, and you will be set. This gives you time to spend with your friends over a home cooked meal. Also, in relation to outdoor activities, plan a camping trip. Rather than spending money on a campsite, you could use one of your friend’s backyards.

All you need is a tent, some sleeping bags, and anything else that will help you have a good time.

“One weekend my friends and I were looking for something to do that was cheap. We wanted to have a sleepover but there was a lot of us,” said Natalie Hernandez, junior. “So I decided that we should just camp out in my backyard, and we ended up having a lot of fun.”

If you’d rather stay indoors, a movie, or reality television show marathon is a good way to catch up on this year’s hits and old television shows. You can have each friend bring a movie or a snack and sit in your PJs all day. Also, if you like to cook, you could make a list of things to cook, even once a week. At the end of the summer you will be a good cook and have eaten delicious food!

Another fun activity is thrift shopping.

There are many thrift stores in the area.

The old saying “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” is true when thrift shopping.

Things at thrift stores are inexpensive and can be lots of fun. Things you had as a child can also be found at thrift stores.

“Spending a lot of money all summer break isn’t reasonable. But if you space it out and spend less on more, you can really make summer cheap and fun,” said Stephanie Hey, junior.

Another inexpensive activity that kids can do over the summer is go to the beach.

The only thing that requires money will be the parking meter. You can bring a bunch of friends, food, and games, and have fun without spending money. It also gives you the opportunity to get a nice tan and spend a day with people you love as well.

The beach is known to be a very relaxing place, and on top of that it is completely free.

“The beach has so many great qualities about it- you can get a nice tan, spend a day in the sun and bring anyone you’d like to spend the day with. It’s definitely a cheap activity to do over the summer!” said Rachel Ledbetter, junior.

Thinking out of the box this summer will help to create many fun memories and can be done without spending much money.

Ans Serpa News Editor The Academy Award winning film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button showcased the stages of backward human-aging.

Benjamin, born as an elderly man, progressively rejuvenated into a fetus. Interestingly enough, there is a disorder where the opposite occurs. In Oct. 2002, the Progeria Research Foundation’s Genetic Consortium successfully isolated the gene that caused a rare disorder identified as progeria. Progeria is defined as a fatal genetic condition causing rapid aging in children. In Greek, the name is translated into “rapid aging”.

“Pro” as in rapid, and “geria” as in aging.

In April 2003, PRF announced that the mutation on the gene Lamin-A causes progeria. It affects all races and both sexes, cancelling out preventive measures. The affected child begins to display “elderly” characteristics between the ages of 18 to

24 months. Symptoms that occur rapidly throughout their life are wrinkles, loss of hair, short stature, and delayed or absent teeth.

To diagnose if a child has progeria, a specialist can closely observe the child’s external characteristics and apply various test and tools. Progeroid children also suffer from diabetes, therefore, if a child is being tested for progeria and insulin injections are rejected the child may be have the condition. Genetic testing can detect mutations; cardiac stress testing may reveal signs of atherosclerosis, a collection of fatty material along the arteries of the heart.

According to the Progeria Research Foundation, progeria is considered a “sporadic autosomal dominant” disorder which determines that if one child from a family is diagnosed with progeria, other children born in the same family have a higher chance of being affected.

Progeroid children live an average of 13 years, but can surpass their thirties.

Death is usually associated with heart attacks and strokes since progeria causes atherosclerosis.

PRF created and funds many programs in order to improve the life span of affected children. The Diagnostic Testing Program performs clinical evaluations and blood testing to detect the mutation. Biological materials researched are aimed at developing treatments and a cure in the The Cell and Tissue Bank. The Medical and Research Database supplies physicians and families with medical recommendations, such as cardiac care and nutrition. Clinical Drug Trials are also given by using the drug farnesyltransferase inhibitor, or FTI, that has shown improvement in the laboratory and in animal models.

Currently, medication testing on lab mice with progeria has been successful.

Duffy Dufresne Feature Editor There are days when we wake up get dressed and end up looking great, and there are days when we get up and all fashion sense goes out the window. Here’s a list of fashion mistakes that should be avoided when getting dressed in the morning.

Crocs. According to Crocshoesnews. com, Crocs were originally a clog-type shoe designed for boating created in 2002. After adding a strap and a few other modifications, crocs became popular for daily wear.

While it is undeniable that crocs are ergonomically healthy for your feet, with its foot-bed circulation stubs that stimulate blood flow, and holes on the surface of the shoe to give the foot breathing space and help eliminate bad odor, crocs are just unfortunately ugly. Crocs are great for relaxing at home, but shouldn’t be worn in public unless absolutely necessary; I mean, absolutely.

Uggs. Uggs are made from Australian merino sheepskin that keeps your feet cool in the winter and warm in the summer.

They were first commonly worn by surfers to keep their feet warm after surfing. It is

unknown where or how the boots got their name, but a popular theory is that they were named ‘Ugg’ short for ugly because the first versions of the boots were crudely made and very unattractive.

Today’s version of Ugg boots are equally unattractive and quite over worn.

They’ve lost their purpose when you live in South Florida and its 90 degrees outside.

Unless its wintertime, keep the Uggs in the closet.

Sagging. This trend originated in prisons because the clothing the inmates were given to wear was too big. They weren’t allowed to wear belts because of the potential suicide risk. The trend was then adopted by popular hip-hop artists and later became popular among teenagers.

Sagging has become a popular trend among today’s young men. Whether or not sagging can be consicered as simply an expression of style or not is highly debated.

Sophmore Carmen Lino feels that sagging can be an expression of style if done in moderation.

“Sagging is a style just like wearing sneakers with dresses, or chains on your belt loops. I think some guys can really

work it, but the problem is that some of them over do it. It’s okay to sag a little because it can make yur outfit look a lot better, but if you’re sagging so much that you have to grab your pants every five seconds so they don’t fall and I can see your boxers and your’e walking like a penguin, then I’d prefer you keep it on your waist,“ said Lino.

The fact of the matter is, sagging is distasteful and widely disliked. It’s unprofessional and in some cities in states such as Louisiana and Missouri, it’s even banned.

The bottom line: pull ‘em up!

Male Skinny Jeans. The modern jean has come a long way since its invention by Levi Strauss in 1873. Since then, new styles, colors and washes have become popular; especially the skinny jean.

Skinny jeans are a clothing item best left to women. Men’s skinny jeans look uncomfortable, and are often worn in ways that make guys look like they’re wearing their younger sister’s jeans instead of their own. Straight leg jeans worn at the waist are just as fashionable and a look a lot less uncomfortable.

Though fashion tends to be a personal matter, it is important to look your best and

Bad fashion trends of the 2010-2011 year

15 ENTERTAINMENT

jUNE 2011

BEST IN SHOW

RUNNER UP

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME

SORRY, CHARLIE

REVIEWS

CURRENTLY

Sara Castaneda

READING

Many have read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but how often do we go beyond the most widely acclaimed novel and search for other works by the same, obviously talented, writer?

When I picked up Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. Austen’s style is witty and refined, and tells an incredibly romantic and interesting story with genuinely real and insightful characters.

Northanger Abbey is much shorter than Austen’s more famous works, and it’s an easier read for any who have found Austen’s older writing style hard to understand.

The plot involves Catherine Morland and her pursuits for adventure like the ones she has read of in her beloved books. After traveling to Bath, England, she meets some captivating, yet shady characters. Most importantly, she becomes acquainted with the exciting and charismatic Mr. Tilney, a wealthy young man with a sarcastic wit and impressive knowledge of literature.

The main character’s fascination with Gothic romance novels helps fuel her wild imagination, leading her to trials that will test her newly formed connection with Tilney and his family. She must learn from the tragedies presented to her and discover what it means to truly live the life of one of the thrilling protagonists from her books.

The main character is relatable to most girls, especially those who find the lives of Austen’s characters far more interesting and desirable than their own.

Being Austen’s first finished work, the novel has a simpler plot line than more complicated works like Sense and Sensibility, which involves various plot and subplots. But the writing quality does not suffer due to its simplicity.

Although I have found Austen to be an easy author to read compared to her contemporaries, this novel would be a highly suggested way to start and get used to Austen’s way of writing before tackling larger novels of hers.

I would recommend any of Austen’s works without a second thought, but for those that wish to start small, Northanger Abbey is definitely one of

When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes to this album Harley Mitchell Staff Writer Returning from a self-imposed hiatus announced in Apr. of 2008, Yellowcard has released their seventh studio album, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, on Mar. 22 under Hopeless Records.

Almost any Yellowcard fan would question the sound of a band that has not released a studio album in four years. But they came back strong with what they are most famous for: a violin, memorable melodies, and creating imagery of love and hope in their lyrics.

The album starts off strong with “The Sound Of You And Me.” The song has a fast, overpowering drumbeat, rushed violin melodies, high-energy guitar riffs, and lead singer Ryan Key’s, calm vocals. It was a welcome back message to remind and reassure listeners it’s still the same Yellowcard sound from the past albums.

In “For You And Your Denial,” the next song on the track-list and the first single, the band brings back a sound similar

to Ocean Avenue, the 2003 album that launched their career in the pop-punk music business. As the album continues, we can hear what Yellowcard has been through over the 2-year break, through their lyrics.

Key writes with honesty, especially on a slow tempo song such as “Be The Young.”

Key sings, “This is endless and I know growing up has just begun.” These lyrics show that he has moved past the typical “heart-break of summer” he won’t get back, and has written more indispensable lyrics to prove the bands maturity of saying what you feel.

Songs such as “Hang You Up” and “Sing For Me,” come across as maybe too emotional and “bleeding heart,” but their single, “For You And Your Denial” makes up for it. The chorus is as catchy as “Ocean Avenue.” But this album is a fresh start and each member has grown over the two-year break.

Yellowcard is not a band that should change, because the pop-punk, summer jam, works for them. We need that one

Courtesy of Yellcardrock.com

band that talks about moving on from lost friendships, love, and hope, in a fast-paced manner.

They have mastered their sound. For those who didn’t want the band to change, this album is another set of songs to add to your favorites, and will leave you wanting more than just ten tracks.

All Time Low concert put spirits at all time high A collaboration of pop-punk bands, including All Time Low, Yellowcard, and Hey Monday never seem to disappoint concert-goers.

Brittany Salopek Staff Writer On Mar. 31 pop-punk band All Time Low rolled into the Revolution, bringing along label mates Yellowcard, Hey Monday and The Summer Set in order to promote their upcoming album Dirty Work.

With a medley of such skilled artists with vast fan bases on the tour, the concert was much anticipated. Yellowcard was ready to get back in the groove, and their fans were ready for the return of such a uniquely pieced band.

The Summer Set opened up the tour with a good vibe. They played songs from their debut album, Love Like This, including “Chelsea” and “The Boys You Do (Get Back at You).”

Lead singer Brian Dales is quite the entertainer if you have time to observe his connection with the crowd, but each one of the band members play with a smile.

As far as Boynton Beach-based Hey Monday goes, their set list was a hot ticket.

UPCOMING MOVIE RELEASES Release dates: (from left to right) May 6; May 13.

Graphics courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Vocalist Cassadee Pope can belt out lyrics like nothing, and her voice is rich in tone.

Taking a spin on the mellow songs, the band put together a small acoustic mix of both new and older tracks. After performing “Candles,” which was recently covered on Glee, Pope added snippets from songs like “Arizona” and “Run Don’t Walk.” I have never been to a performance like that, but it was an interesting way to play most of the songs they have ever recorded.

Guitarist Mike Gentile’s brother, Chris Gentile took a break from his original band, Rumor Has It, to play bass for their hometown show.

The chanting began as the stage technicians began prepping for Yellowcard. The majority of Yellowcard’s set was based on their previous Album Ocean Avenue.

Yellowcard ended their set with the familiar hit “Ocean Avenue.”

Seeing Yellowcard perform was definitely one of the highlights of my life.

As the lights dimmed for the final set, anticipation kicked in. The entrance was obnoxiously long and drawn out, which made the crowd restless.

Finally, ATL emerged from backstage playing “Time Bomb,” from their upcoming album.

For anyone planning to see all time low live, I highly recommend it.

I have seen them five times, and they never dissapoint.

The members are down to earth, and you feel like you are a part of every joke that they tell.

Lead singer Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat are just like the boys next door. They are best friends, and it is easy to tell by their stage presence, jokes and funny stories from the night before.

A short cover of Katy Perry’s hit “Teenage Dream” initiated the acoustic portion of their set. Much like their covers of mainstream hits “Umbrella,” and “Alejandro,” Gaskarth did a great job as always.

Leaving with a guitar pick and a set list, I can say the night was everything I had expected. Afterwards, all of the bands were hanging out by their buses signing, and taking pictures with fans.

THOR

Everything Must Go

ENTERTAINMENT 16

JUNE 2011

SCHUTTUP GEEK OUT

&

Daniel Schutt Staff Writer TV these days is full of cop dramas and crude comedy cartoons, but one show has popped up that has really piqued the interest of geeks everywhere. The Big Bang Theory perfectly encapsulates the everyday life of geeks.

The main characters of the show are always playing role playing games or quoting pop culture, like most geeks out there do on a regular basis.

The Big Bang Theory follows the lives of four scientists who are constantly in awkward socially situations, which allows for nerds to relate to them. One of the main characters, Sheldon Cooper, is by far the geekiest of them all. His fascinations with superheroes as well as his incredible intelligence make him the ultimate nerd.

The main characters of The Big Bang Theory all have trouble meeting girls. Some, like Howard Wolowitz, are on a mission to do this and are always coming up with humorous schemes to do so, while Sheldon has no interest in them whatsoever and does nothing to be attractive in their eyes. Rajesh Koothrappali, another of the show’s characters, tries desperately to meet women but can only speak to them when he is intoxicated. Leonard Hofstater, the main character of the show, lives with Sheldon. He is probably the most normal of the group (still quite geeky though).

There are, of course, a few female characters in the show. The main female lead, Penny, is an aspiring actress who lives in the same building as Sheldon and Leonard. She is the love interest of Leonard in the show. Amy Farrah Fowler is Sheldon’s “friend who is a girl” (as he calls her). She is equally smart and equally strange.

The show premiered on Sept 24, 2007 and is currently in its 5th season. The show will be on for at least 3 more years.

Courtesy of CBS.com

17 ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Choice: Top 5 Summer Jamz 2011 JUNE 2011

Arianna Morrell Entertainment Editor

1. Summertime DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince When the last bell rings and cheers are echoed across the hall, put in your headphones, scroll to your summer jam play list and let this laid back throwback play. After all, it’s summer time and it’s “time to sit back and unwind!”

2. The Lazy Song Bruno Mars During the summer, days may come when you experience laziness and fatigue. When you feel like “lounging on the couch,” or kicking up your feet to “stare at the fan,” play this tune and relax.

3. Summer Nights Rascal Flatts A night out with your friends is a time for celebration! So if you’re “ready to rock” and have a good time with your pals, whether it’s at a barbeque, a bonfire, or a house party, blast this bold beat and “mark your piece of paradise!”

4. Look At Me Now Chris Brown If you’re one of the many who has scored a summer job then this song should be on repeat.

After a hard day of work, give yourself a pat on the back while this jam is playing. Nothing says fun more then groovin’ about getting green!

5. Home Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros If you stumble into summer love, play this bright ballad as you swoon over the thought of your beloved. This upbeat song is perfect for a day of daydreaming about your darling.

Three Cheers for My Chemical Romance Caitlyn Tate Staff Writer My Chemical Romance graced the stage on their soldout show at Revolution Live in Ft. Lauderdale as part of their World Contamination Tour on Tues. May, 17.

The band has been on tour since Sept. 19, 2010, supporting the release of their fourth album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.

Opening acts for the show included Missouri-native band The Architects and critically acclaimed Circa Survive.

The Architects and Circa Survive both gave an equally impressive performance. Though not well-known, The Architects quickly endeared themselves to the audience via their raw energy and fast-paced songs.

Circa Survive was a unique opening act because of they have a very prominent following of their own and demanded the crowd’s attention with their familiar and much-loved songs.

There wasn’t a feeling of itching anticipation for the main event to come on stage because both bands did a great job and kept the caudience entertained throughout

their performancce.

Danger Days is a concept album based on the lives of the “Fabulous Killjoys.” The Fabulous Killjoys are outlaws living in California in 2019, and are fighting against the Better Living Industries, a fictitious evil corporation. The songs off of the album revolve around the Killjoys endless struggle against Better Living Industries.

Beginning their show with the rock anthem “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” their set list included hit songs from the record such as “Sing,” “Summertime,” and “Planetary (Go!).”

Making sure to stay true to their older work, My Chemical Romance (MCR) also made sure to play songs from their older albums, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002), Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004), and The Black Parade (2006). This includes such past hits as “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” “Mama,” “Helena,” and “Vampires Will Never Hurt You.” My Chemical Romance’s energy was tangible from the moment they first started playing. Front man Gerard Way delivered every song with a natural ease and undeniable stage presence. He kept the audience thoroughly engaged and frequently encouraged them to sing along to every

song.

After their set, MCR came out for a highly demanded encore, in which they played “Bulletproof Heart.”

I am admitedly a big MCR fan and would have probably enjoyed the concert whether it had a lot of variety or a gret opening act or incredible energy, but I am happy to say that it had all of those things, more so than I had anticipated.

When the concert ended, I went backstage to meet Gerard Way with a couple of friends. I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly and personable he was. He was happy to take pictures with us and treated us like we were his regular friends.

His talent became even more impressive to me with the knowledge that Gerard is not only incredibly talented, but a genuinely great guy who I’d love to meet again and feel completely comfortable.

For those that missed this show-stopping event, MCR has signed on to play in the Honda Civic Tour 2011 at the Cruzan Ampitheatre in Palm Beach this December.

Without a doubt, if their next performance is anything like the one they just played, everyone will be finding their own chemical romance.

Winners Most likely to be seen at Chipotle: Danny Lopez, Nicole Marks Class clown: Ynal Al-ouri, Dianne Montes Beach Bum: Ty Morgan, Kendall McMann Broadway Bound: Jordan Cohen, Arielle Hoffman MVP: Sarah Moseley, Evan Lassiter Party Animal: Alex Keiley, Ashley Prizzi Bachelor & Bachelorette: Rob Janofsky, Alexis Wang Attached to the hip: Akeem Barthol, Cadijah Williams Best should-be couple: Gabby D’Angelo, Jeff Herrington Smarty-pants: Feyaad Allie, Susan Lee

Academy Awards

18 SPORTS

JUNE 2011

LOCKOUT Currently NFL players and employers have been out of contact under the Lockout conditions. Controversy stirs as the fate of the 2011-12 football season is up in the air. Similiarly, the NHL had a lockout during 2004-05, which cancelled what would have been the 88th season.

IN THE KNOW with

REED &D.LO Reed Congdon Danny Lopez Staff Writers

The National Football League has proven to be one of our nation’s most beloved sporting trademarks since its arrival in 1922. Every week starting in early Sept., fans traditionally devote their Sundays

to watching and cheering on their favorite NFL football teams. NFL Sundays have practically become national holidays, with millions of people around the country enjoying America’s most popular sport.

A twist took place on Mar. 16, when news spread that a lockout might take place during the NFL’s 2011-2012 season.

This means there’s a chance that there will be no NFL football this season, since the National Football League Players Association can’t come to an agreement with league owners about pay raises and other benefits. According to NFLLockout.com, a lockout is described as “an agreement by employers not to negotiate for, or do business with employees. Players are also locked out of entering practice or stadium

facilities and may not communicate with team officials.”

The disagreement in the NFL has been in action for quite some time over how to split the revenue from the NFL season, but now that the teams and their owners can’t agree, a lockout has become realistic, the NFL community is stunned. NFL players and owners currently split the revenue raised throughout the season about equally. While the athletes are fine with playing under this agreement, aside from a few added health benefits, the owners would like that the percentage of revenue that goes toward player salaries to be reduced by about a billion dollars collectively this season. They are also pushing to increase the number of games in the

season from 16 to 18, increasing the profit made, but also the risk of injury to the players’ bodies, similar to asking an employee to work longer hours for less money.

As of now, the status of the lockout is continuing to change every week.

Since both sides have taken the issue so far, with player speaking out such as Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, and owners refusing to give in, the issue may continue at a standstill for a while. Although advancements have been made such as a preseason schedule of the upcoming NFL season being released, and a draft being completed, there are no promises when it comes to the fate of this season. As frustrating as it is, the future of the NFL is still unknown.

Steve Hutchinson: one player’s view on the Lockout

Steve Hutchinson is currently an offensive guard for the Minnesota Vikings. Hutchinson graduated from Coral Springs High in 1996 and was named Homecoming King his senior year. He attended the University of Michigan and in 2007 he was named to FHSAA’s All-Century Team. The team consisted of the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida’s 100 year history of high school football. Hutchinson has been selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was named on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. He is married to his highschool sweetheart, Landyn, and they have a daughter Lily and son Luke.

Q:

How is the NFL lockout affecting you personally?

A:

The lockout affects me personally because we don’t know if we will have jobs this year, and if we do, when will the season start?

Q:

Are there any restrictions on you as a player?

A:

The only restrictions for me is that I am not allowed to have any contact with anyone from our team’s staff or go into our facility to work out during the lockout. I can talk to other players, but not staff.

Q: Do you think the

players’ salaries are

sufficient enough to the duty of a football player?

A:

I think that if you look at our salaries compared to other professional sports leagues, as well as actors and actresses, you will see that we are towards the bottom of the average scale. For the amount of trauma our bodies take, I think that to say our salaries are justified is an understatement.

owners opted out of our current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Q:

How do you think this will affect fan support?

A: I’m sure that some of the fans are upset about all of this so far. If there are indeed games missed over the lockout, I’m sure there will be “a lot” more people mad.

We read that under the lockout certain Q: What do you think the outcome will be? Q: benefits will be taken away A: I think that there will be football this A: That is true. We were forced to start fall. We are just taking the scenic route to it.

Q: What will you be doing if there ends being no season?

A:

I will spend time with my family, but I don’t think it will come to a complete season-long work stoppage.

paying for our own health insurance as of March 4th. I don’t think that it is right that they took away health care, but I’m hoping that we can get reimbursed with the settlement.

Q:

What are you doing in the meantime while waiting for a decision on the lockout?

Staying in shape as I would be doing Q: Did players see this coming for a while? A: if there wasn’t a lockout, and spending time A: We knew that this was a very realistic with the family going on vacations. possibility as of June 2008. That is when our

Student & staff reactions: How will the Lockout affect you?

“The same thing happened to hockey a couple of years ago and it was horrible. But, I think this lockout will be worse.”

MATT DETIG, SOPHOMORE

“My weekends are going to be very boring and now I’ll be stuck watching less entertaining sports.”

DONNIE ERNST, SENIOR

“I think the lockout is stupid because the sport of football is bigger than money. But it doesn’t really affect me personally.”

ADAM LEVENSON, SENIOR

“I watch football, and my weekends will be boring without it. I think the players should stop whining and just play.”

JENNY RAPOSO, SPANISH TEACHER

JUNE 2011

SPORTS19

Retiring coach reaches 300th win

Jordan Butchen Staff Writer

After a successful coaching career spanning 20 years at Coral Springs High School, head baseball coach Frank Bumbales will be retiring at the end of this season. Bumbales will be stepping down as a result of the Deferred Retirement Option Program, which allows teachers to extend their retirement for one year when no other teacher has a similar job in the program.

On Mon., Apr. 4, in a game against Coconut Creek, his team went on to win 17-0, marking Bumbales’ 300th win. However, the most significant factor of the game was that his son, Cole Bumbales, pitched a no-hitter, which means he threw a complete

game of nine innings without giving up a hit.

Coach Bumbales felt that his son’s achievement was quite memorable.

“The event was very emotional. It felt great, the best feeling you could ever have,” said Bumbales.

Cole said that he also felt a sense of pride and accomplishment from his no-hitter.

“It was an honor having the opportunity to make my father and family proud,” Cole said.

One highlight of Bumbales’ career was when his team reached the regional finals last season.

He hoped to duplicate last season’s playoff run, and the boys made it all the way to regionals this year before the Colts lost to Park Vista, but

not before claiming the district title by defeating Deerfield Beach High in April, making the team district champs two years running.

Bumbales plans to retire after this season, but successfully closed out his last season as our school’s coach this year, coaching the baseball team to a winning record of 176, while also receiving the honor of the 300th win.

Even though Bumbales will be retiring, he still plans on being involved with the team as a co a c h . B a s e b a l l is Coach Bumbales’ pa s s i o n a n d h i s 300th win can forever b e a l a s t i n g reminder of his succe s s f u l c a re e r.

As of this time, no d e c i s i o n h a s been made regarding his replacement.

Boys water polo competes for states Michael Trotman Staff Writer

The boy’s water polo team competed at the state level for the first time in our school’s history.

The team reached new heights this season, winning a district championship and getting the opportunity to participate in the state competition.

The boys won the district championship match 7-6 against Douglas, which propelled the team to the state competition, a milestone never reached by a Coral Springs High water

polo team until now. The close nature of this match proved to make the victory even sweeter for the determined colts team.

“I was so excited to be on a team that just won districts,” said Ryan Webb, junior who has played on the team since his freshman year. “To be on a team that finally won districts was so rewarding,” said Webb.

Senior leadership was a major factor involved in the team’s success.

“I was determined to win districts in my final year of polo,” said captain

Ryan Wilkerson, senior. “I couldn’t let my team lose; it was my last chance to make a statement,” said Wilkerson.

Moshe Paul, senior, even spent some of his free time studying advanced water polo strategies that were key in preparing him and his team for this season.

“I was glad to see that all our hard work finally paid off,” said Paul. The strategy and fundamentals learned from his study of water polo tactics helped his team reach their goals for the first time.

Carlos Rivera, senior, was also grateful to make it to the state competition “It is an honor to be on a team that made it to states,” said Rivera.

The team’s historic run ended with a loss to Gulliver Preparatory School in the first round of state games.

Returning players expect to repeat their success from this season by returning to states next year.

“Next year is going to be a chance for us to defend our district title” said Jon McEwan, junior.

BRING IT HOME: Frank Bumbales wins his 300th baseball game.

Katie Jones

BY THE WAY...

Reed Congdon Sports Editor The varsity baseball team took the district title for the second year in a row after defeating long time rivals Stoneman Douglas (who went undefeated with 16-0 record before facing the Colts) earlier in the season and then crushing J.P. Taravella in districts in order to get to the district championship. The stands were loaded with Colts fans as the boys played at home against Deerfield Beach High in the finals on Apr. 28. Jonny Ortiz held strong against the Bucks on the pitching mound, and the boys were able to gain a victory of 2-0 in order to claim their title as district champs and advance to the regional tournament, just like they had done the year before. This is the first time in our school’s history that a team has won back to back district titles. The Colts lost to Park Vista in regionals.

5v5 soccer tournament

Sarah Moseley Staff Writer

The Pink Ponys scored their way to victory in the 5v5 soccer tournament, held by Leadership, on Wed. Mar 23.

Thirteen teams took part in the tournament, amongst them Sak Konnen, United, Barca Loco, Los Gringos, Los Galacticos, ROTC Garimbas, White Lions, KIT, FC United, Joga Bonito, Chelsea, Poker, and the Pink Ponys.

Each game was five minutes long. The tournament consisted of four rounds of games, in which the winning teams from each round would advance to the next. In the first round Sak Konnen, Barca Loco, Los Galacticos, the White Lions, and Chelsea defeated their opponents and moved onto the second round. Due to an uneven amount of teams, three of the teams including Poker, Joga Bonito, and the Pink Ponys passed through the first round without having to play.

“We came in as underdogs, and we left as glorified underdogs,” said Alex Deluca, senior, who played for Los Gringos.

As the winning teams advanced and the second round began, the teams were better matched against their opponents and each game was a close one. One of the most thrilling and surprising games of the second round

was Los Galacticos vs. the White Lions.

With Los Galacticos winning the tournament last year, much was expected from the reigning champions. But at the end of the long and hard fought game, the White Lions scored and came out victorious over the last year’s winners.

“It was a hard fought battle. Maybe we believed a little too much in ourselves for being defending champions last year,” said Genaro Fernandez, junior, who played for Los Galacticos.

As opposed to all the close games of the second round, the final game of this round stood out with a 3-0 result.

The Pink Ponys played their first game of the tournament against Chelsea and came out on top. With this shut out, the Pink Ponys introduced themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

“I think we’re going to do great, just like we started,” said Charles.

In the third round, only Sak Konnen, Barca Loco, the White Lions, and the Pink Ponys remained. Barca Loco won the first game against Sak Konnen with a score of 4-1.

The real battle was the game that followed with the Pink Ponys and the White Lions. Each team exhibited skill and aggression as they fought the entire five minutes without a score. The game then proceeded into penalty

kicks in which each of the players took shots on the opposing teams goalie.

In the end the Pink Ponys triumphed once again with four successful penalty shots as opposed to the White Lions’ two.

As the final game with Barca Loco and the Pink Ponys ensued, each team’s level of skill made it apparent that it would be a close game. Barca Loco’s forwards, Jake Russell and Jeffery Sedano, put consistent pressure on Williams, the Pink Ponys’ goalkeeper. The Pink Ponys fought back and despite their offensive play in the prior games, were patient and played defensively awaiting the right moment. With a sudden offensive burst the Pink Ponys scored with a 1-0 result.

“It was a great tournament and a great place for everyone to show their skills. I was motivated to do it this year because I tried out for the school team last year and didn’t make it. Now I really want to try out next year,” Williams said.

While for Williams this win was an encouragement for next year, each of the players for the Pink Ponys were equally excited to be the 5v5 tournament champions.

“It felt great. I’m so excited I can’t find the words,” said Lentz Volcy, “We worked for it and we won.”

20 SPORTS

JUNE 2011

Reed Congdon Danny Lopez Sports Editors By the time summer rolls around, most kids chose to use the three months they have off to relax and take a breather from the stress and worries that come with the school year. While it’s perfectly understandable to spend lazy days playing video games or sleeping the entire day, teens should also avoid becoming lazy by keeping their bodies moving and staying active in the summertime.

Summer is the perfect opportunity for kids to practice the sports they love and perfect their game by the time their school season starts in the fall. The girls volleyball team has already started conditioning and practicing everyday in hopes of earning a

district title in this upcoming season, which starts in Aug. Aside from daily practices, the volleyball program is offering camps and several training clinics over the summer. “Our team is also taking some of our practices out to Deerfield Beach, which is exciting since we get to play outside in the sun,� said junior and varsity volleyball player Jessica Voss.

The football team is also heading out to the field all summer long to run drills and revamp their game by the time of their first game which is expected to be at the end of Aug. or beginning of Sept. Spring football is in full force all summer and the summer football camp that our school offers runs from Jun. 20th

through Jul. 21 for anyone interested in shaping up before next season.

The sunny season is also an excellent occasion to learn how to play a new sport, or even make one up. Sand volleyball is a common favorite among beachgoers during the summertime. At any given time that the sun is up, the courts at our local beaches are usually filled with both experienced and amateur players engaged in heated matches.

Those who simply want to bask in the seasonal change, partake in the active enviroment.

Beach Tennis is also played with a volleyball net, and is the same idea as beach volleyball, but is played with a depressurized tennis ball and beach tennis rackets.

Ultimate Frisbee is another sport to

try out, which can pretty much be played anywhere where there is an open space to run around. It takes the concept of soccer, but replaces kicking a ball with throwing a Frisbee in order to score points.

Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) is also hitting shores all over the country as a popular activity among beach bums and is a great experience that involved using a paddle to maneuver through the ocean while keeping your balance on a paddleboard, similar to a surfboard.

Keeping your heart rate up by continuing a dynamic lifestyle will not only keep you fit and in shape, but it may help cope with the summer blues that come from the inability to resist the temptation of turning into a couch potato for these next few months.