November 2010 - The Chronicle

7201 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs, FL 33065

Coral Springs High School

INDEX

Volume XVIV Issue II

November 2010

News..................1-4 Opinion...............5-7 Feature..........8,9,12 Dimensions.....10,11 Entertainment 13-16 Sports.............17-20

Photos by Katie Jones Graphic by Allie Schutt

The official newspaper of the CSHS Colts

Hopeful BPA members compete for spots in States Anastasia Okonski Staff Writer

ON SAMPLE ROAD For the first time, SGA put on a haunted house for Homecoming Week that was meant to “scare your head off” Kasey Litchfield Sara Grignon Staff Writers The Student Government Association put on a haunted house for Homecoming Week for the first time at our school on Thurs., Oct. 28. The event was held in portable 944 and the price of admission was $1 for unlimited access.

The haunted house took three weeks to prepare. It was made up of five different scenes that were meant to “scare your head off,” said Rachael Chirichello, senior, a member of SGA and one of the tour guides of the haunted house.

As the guests entered, they were greeted by a guide who then led them through the house. The house included a “classroom from Hell,” a graveyard, a coffin holding a body, and a hospital horror scene. The experience ended with a cirsuc of evil clowns chasing the visitors out of the house.

The members of SGA wanted to make the guests “as scared as possible,” Chirichello said. “You can still get scared no matter how many times you go in.”

Sarah Fuhrman, freshman, and her father donated props and decorations for the haunted house, such as skeletons, fog machines, tombstones, rusty chains, and stuffed dead bodies.

Continued on p. 15

Mayor’s Cup trophy in Colts’ possession Ashley Rynar Sports Editor

INSIDE THE CHRONICLE

After a year without the cup, the Colts were determined to get it back. Their goal was accomplished with a 28-21 win over rival J.P Taravella.

Taravella hosted the Mayor’s Cup at Coral Springs High on Fri., Nov. 12.

For Coral Springs fans it was a little awkward sitting on the visitors’ side of their own stadium, but that didn’t affect the attendance at the game.

“I think that’s the most fans I’ve seen at a game all year,” said wide receiver Donnie Ernst, senior. “It motivated us and made everyone play better, seeing all the fans coming to watch and cheer us on.”

The boys ended the first half with a

score tied at 14-14. The scoring alternated between the two teams until the fourth quarter. After a call against the Colts for roughing the punter, Taravella took the ball for a touchdown, making the score 2114 with a little over 10 minutes left in the quarter. touchdown did not deter the boys from reaching their goal.

“We didn’t let the score affect us,” said senior defensive end Shane Bluestein. “We knew we had to stay focused and never give up so that way we could get the trophy back to its home.”

The team then went on to score 14 unanswered points against the Trojans. The first touchdown occurred when quarter-

Continued on p. 17

NEWS Three months and 700

gallons of paint later, our school has a fresh new coat of Coltcolored paint. p.3

Pop quizzes are beneficial to students, recent studies show. p. 5

OPINION

Bryn-Alan TROPHY HUNGRY: Athletic Director Dianne Sanzari (left) and Principal Susan Leon-Leigh (right) celebrate the victory over the JP Taravella Trojans.

FEATURE Bree Soldo shows people they’re not alone through her Secrets Project. p. 8

The Business Professionals of America participated in the regional competition to qualify for states at Coral Springs High School on On Wed., Nov. 10.

The competitors were given either computer-oriented or paper based tests on a variety of topics, either ranging from Office Systems and Procedures to Advanced Spreadsheets, in 90 and 60 minute testing situations.

In May, BPA had 36 members participate at the national competition in Anaheim, California.

BPA members are hopeful that they will have another successful year in their tests.

“I think the competition went well. We were all very prepared and I hope we have many state qualifiers this year,” said Tina Mora, senior.

BPA competitions are broken down into four categories. “Administrative support” is for students who have strengths in keyboarding skills and interests in the legal aspects of business. Students who take Accounting and Economics participate in “Financial services,” students with interests in web design participate in “Information technology.” “Management/Marketing/ Human Services” encompasses several different aspects of the BPA curriculum.

BPA competitor Genaro Fernandez competed in “Banking and Finance” and “Financial Math Analysis”.

“I hope I am able to advance through the competition, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my soccer games,” Fernandez, junior, said.

The competitors will receive their test results in early December.

Those who placed in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their categories are eligible to attend the State conference competition (SLC) in Orlando, Florida.

Students who excel in their competitions at SLC progress to the National Leadership Conference (“Nationals.”)

On Homecoming Week. students went under the influence of hypnosis at the first hypnosis show our school has put on. p. 15

ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER

& DECEMBER

NOV

30

CALENDAR

Bria Carey Staff Writer

Decorate office/ golf carts

Student spreads her knowledge of breast cancer to the community through the creation of her new foundation

DEC PB & J

01 DEC

04

sandwiches

SAT test

DEC Field Day

08

DEC ACT test

11

DEC Dress for

14 Success

DEC

15

Johnston develops cancer research foundation

Winter sport pep-rally

A new cancer research foundation is in the works involving Chronicle staff member, Tara Johnston, junior. Its primary objective is to advocate the importance of improving the standard of cancer care through community outreach and clinical research.

Johnston has especially strong emotional ties to the cancer community and takes educating the public about cancer very seriously because of her own personal experiences.

“Ever since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I don’t want others to go through the same pain my family and I went through,” Johnston said.

According to Johnston, her

Katie Jones HARD AT WORK: Johnston plans upcoming events to benefit her growing foundation. mother was in perect health when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer during a regular check-up with her doctor. By the time it was detected, it was too late. Her mother was immediately diagnosed with stage five cancer, meaning it had already metastasized to the internal organs. She battled with cancer for three years before she

lost her life.

“This foundation is a way for me to cope with my mother’s death and give back to the cancer community,” Johnston said.

Johnston further explained that her mother’s battle and death with breast cancer really opened her eyes to her true purpose in life.

Johnston’s foundation, Rhon-

COLTS WORLD VIEW

by Alec Kaye

HAITI

An outbreak of cholera erupted in Haiti midOctober that, according to the Associated Press, has killed over 1,100 people and hospitalized more than 18,000. Caused primarily through poor sanitation, cholera evokes painless diarrhea and vomiting of clear fluid, which typically lead to dehydration. It has been confirmed by Florida health authorities that a woman in Miami had contracted the intestinal disease after her visit with relatives in Haiti. The woman has recovered. The health department said other suspected cases of cholera were under investigation.

da D. Johnston’s Young Adults Against Breast Cancer (YAABC), is a separate organization within the Cancer Research Network (CRN). She will be guided and mentored step by step through this process of starting a foundation by CRN’s officials. YAABC aims at educating the general public and conducting research for cancer patients, specifically breast cancer victims.

Johnston’s goal for YAABC is to see the overall number of cancer caused deaths drop significantly.

She really wants to emphasize the importance of getting examined for cancer regularly.

“I really want to plan a luncheon where I can have a doctor who specializes in breast cancer come and speak to women of all ages. I live by the saying ‘Early Detection is the best Protection,’ [because] I don’t think anyone is too young to begin learning about breast cancer,” Johnson said.

YAABC will have an informational kickoff dinner at a pending date in Decedber to introduce the foundation to the public.

For more information email rhondadjohnstonYAABC@gmail.

KOREA As of Nov. 23, North Korea fired at least 200 artillery shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeon, killing two South Korean soldiers and wounding 17. South Korea responded by firing howitzers and dispatching fighter jets. North Korea claimed last weekend that it has a new uranium enrichment facility at its capital, which American scientists presumed could be used to produce fuel or nuclear weapons. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stated the U.S. is “firmly committed” to South Korea’s defense and condemns the attack.

International physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research have trapped 38 anti-hydrogen atoms individually for about a tenth of a second as of Nov. 18. When antimatter comes in contact with matter, the two substances instantly destroy one another in a violent flash of light. The physicists produced a magnet field at the Geneva-based particle physics laboratory, which caused the antimatter to collect in the vacuum, rather than interacting with the walls of the container in past experiments.

They hope to find out why antimatter disappeared directly after the Big Bang.

SWITZERLAND

School goes through steps to beautify its appearance Alec Kaye Staff Writer The Physical Plant Operations Division (PPO) of the School Board of Broward County initiated the repainting of the school in mid-September as a periodic restoration of the facility. The estimated completion date was Nov 23.

The exterior walls of the school were inspected and restored by district-employed masons. Thereafter, painters used approximately 700 gallons of paint and sealer to protect the stucco, and to color the doors green and the facade blue.

With the liberties given by principal Susan Leon- Leigh, Assistant principal Bernard Bell decided on the Colt-spirited color scheme.

Funding for the restoration came from the district’s capital budget. The capital budget is produced predominately through local property taxes put aside strictly to fund capital projects, like this one, constructing, renovating and replacing school facilities and purchasing equipment.

PPO’s vision is to “provide the highest quality physical learning environment through maintenance excellence.”

Their hard work does not go unnoticed by the students.

“It helps out with the appearance of our school,” said Karl Berrios, junior, concerning the renovations, “and since our school is the oldest around, a paint job really helps.”

Kevin S. Jackson, South Area Maintenance Supervisor, stated that Broward schools are painted on a cycle somewhere between 7 to 10 years, “to ensure a healthy and safe learning environment for the students and staff.”

The priority of a school is ranked by the age of the facility, the time since it was last painted, and its current condition.

According to Rich Bedford, Paint Foreman, the districtapproved latex paint applied to the exterior walls helps provide a protective cover over the building. Jackson clarified the type of latex paint to be elastomeric – the highest quality of latex paints.

The water-resistant quality of the product helps prevent

moisture from penetrating the facility by contorting with the structure as temperatures rise and fall.

“Treat the facility with care and respect,” said Jackson to all students, “to prolong the life and effectiveness of the paint.”

Debate team takes it toward the end of the competition Kathryn Long Staff Writer Three members of the debate team, juniors Feyaad Allie, club president, Zak Bougrarne, and Alberto Durogene, senior attended the Twenty Seventh Annual Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament, at the University of Florida, from Fri, Oct. 29 through Sun, Oct. 31.

Preliminary rounds of the tournament occurred on Fri. and Sat. There were a total of six preliminary rounds. The final level of rounds, known as “break” rounds, occurred on Sun.

“The team did a great job at Blue Key,” said Justin Weaver, debate teacher. “I am really proud of them.”

Bouggarne and Durogene competed in the Policy event, in which, according to the National Forensic League website, “Debaters work in pairs (teams) to address the school year’s topic, either from the affirmative side (to propose a plan to solve a problem with the topic), or the negative side (to prove how the affirmative’s plan is flawed).”

The topic that the team debated at this tournament was “The United States federal

government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.”

Bouggarne and Durogene won three of their preliminary rounds. They did not break to the finals.

Allie debated in the Lincoln Douglas event, which is a one-on-one debate that argues a value, where a value is defined as an ideal held by individuals, societies, governments, etc.

This event is said to “concern itself with what ought to be instead of what is,” ac-

cording to the National Forensic League.

In this case, he debated whether drug abuse should be treated as a matter of public health or criminal justice. Allie won five of his preliminary rounds and lost one, breaking to the top 32 level. In the end, he was named fourth best speaker out of 120.

“It was really exciting to be called up on stage and receive a plaque for my speech,” said Allie, of the entire event he said, “I was really proud of our team for doing well at a national tournament with a lot of competition.”

They plan on competing again next year.

Memorial held for beloved middle school teacher Joshua Seiler Staff Writer A Memorial Service for Andrew Kimmel, the 8th grade pre-quantum leap English teacher at Forest Glen Middle School, was held on Oct. 28 at 2 PM in the Forest Glen Middle School media center.

Kimmel, who passed away before the start of the school year, had been a teacher at FGMS since 2000 and was voted the school’s 2007-08 Teacher of the Year, as well as making it to the finals for the Broward School’s Teacher of the Year. He was nominated for many awards due to his influ-

ence on the thousands of students who passed through his English classes over the course of his 25 years of teaching.

Kimmel was known for his unorthodox approach to teaching, creating the website kimmelskorner.com and his own interactive powerpoint series, Doc Kimmel’s Writing Clinic, to aid students in preparing for the FCAT Writes. His teaching style was thought very effective, and a large number of studetns scored high on the FCAT. Known to his students as Mr. K, he often called himself Doc, Coach, or when he

NEWS BRIEFS

performed at FGMS events, Jake Blues.

The memorial began with FGMS Principal James McDermott providing opening remarks before switching to a musical tribute by the FGMS Wildcat Players.

The rest of the service included several tributes and eulogies by colleagues and former students, and an additional musical tribute

by Lisa Dossantos, the 6th grade social studies teacher, and Mindy Lofgren, the Chorus teacher.

The memorial also included the unveiling of Kimmel’s Korner, a commemorative wall inside the

media center where students can add notes and mementos to honor Kimmel. The memorial was organized by the middle school with help from former students of Kimmel at Coral Springs High School. “[I] met with some people from FGMS and chose the students to speak. I was also the one who came up with the idea for the Kimmel’s Korner wall,” said Arielle Hoffman, junior, who served as a student liaison for the memorial.

The memorial will be maintained by the media specialist of

Forest Glen Middle School, Carol Defroscia. There is no set end time for the memorial, although there have been statements to the effect that Kimmel’s Korner may be removed some time in the far future.

“The Kimmel’s Korner wall should be there for a very long time, until someone years and years from now takes it down,” Hoffman said.

Students can contact McDermott or Defroscia for additional information on the memorial by going to the FGMS website at www.broward.k12.fl.us/forestglenmid/.

Leadership serves community

Anatomy Students Learn First-Hand

Thanksgiving Baskets

Chorus singers go to competition

On Sat., Nov. 20 the Leadership class will be a clean-up of Deerfield Beach at 9 a.m.

In previous years, the Leadership class along with other student government organizations across Broward County would take a bus down to Deerfield Beach and spend the morning cleaning up. However, due to budget cuts schools have been forced with the decision of either not going or providing their own transportation. Our school decided to attend the beach clean-up as usual.

Other beach clean-ups conducted across Florida are very successful. During a recent event, hosted by the International Coastal Cleanup, over 1,700 volunteers came to help clean the Broward County beaches. They collected almost 4,500 pounds and 82,000 pieces of trash.

Leadership expected a successful turnout and a considerable amount of trash cleaned up by the end of the day, believing that any little piece of trash picked up would make a difference in keeping our environment safe.

Ms. Lisa Bell’s Dual Enrollment Anatomy and Anatomy Honors classes participated in a live video conference with Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 12.

75 students had the opportunity to view a live feed of a total knee replacement surgery on a 48 year-old-male patient.

The patient’s patella (knee cap), femoral (thigh) and tibial (lower leg) bones were cut to allow femoral, tibial and patellar components made of a high-density polyethylene and metals to be inserted to replace the damaged meniscus.

The operation was lead by Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Politi who answered the many questions the students had. The operation and video conference lasted for about 2 hours from incision to suture.

The video conference coincided with the material that Ms. Bell’s Dual Enrollment class is learning, the knee and ligaments in regard to the femur and other various leg bones.

Bell plans on scheduling another interactive surgery conference with her students in the near future.

Thanksgiving baskets were made for the approaching holiday. Each club in the school created a basket to provide a meal to families in need. The baskets were later entered into a contest. Baskets generally consisted of ingredients to prepare a full Thanksgiving meal, including canned fruits, vegetables, packaged potatoes, stuffing, and a turkey.

When baskets were completed they were judged by a group of administrators on Nov 22. Baskets were judged upon content and appearance. Judges had a rubric in which the winning basket was based on. The club of the winning basket received a pizza party.

After judging was over, baskets were delivered to families of students attending our school. Families were chosen off of a list of students who have free or reduced lunch. Baskets were also given to families who are known to be struggling with income. Student Government hopes to see every family with a Thanksgiving meal this year.

The club with the winning basket this year was the French club. This is their third year in a row taking the prize.

The All State music competition was held in our campus on Nov.9. All State is a contest where students from around Florida attend and perform before judges who evaluate them on their overall performance. 19 schools from our district attended this event.

Before a student could take part in the competition, they had to take a theory test, which tested the student on basic theoretical rules, such as, rhythm and key associations. Once they qualifed, they underwent a sight-reading test, which measured the capability of how much a student could recognize a variety of music notes. If the student successfully passed the previous tests, they were given six sheets of music that were to be learned before All State.

The ranked 75 best students out of all 19 schools were recognized with an honor to perform with world renowned composers and attend states in Tampa.

Jacob Newstreet, senior, has already been accepted, having been one of the 100 best sight singers. Others that competed included Nelson Ysabel, junior and some chick, senior

-Bria Carey, Staff Writer

-Jordan Cohen, Staff Writer

-Aneesa Allie, Staff Writer

-Ana Serpa, Staff Writer

Florida voters join the Tea Party Harley Mitchell Staff Writer The midterm elections are now over, which means no more political commercials, debates, and mudslinging for a while, at least until late 2011 when it starts all over again in the congressional and presidential elections. This time around, America has overwhelmingly picked Republicans to serve in Washington. It appears jobs and the economy were on peoples’ minds the most. Apparently, the majority was unhappy with the Democrats in Congress and felt the Republicans would do better. The Tea Party swayed many voters with their support for candidates who favored smaller government, and fiscal responsibility. The results released on Nov. 2 could affect our future tremendously.

Rick Scott, now our Governor-elect of Florida, ran on a platform of turning our state around. He promised to cut property taxes, balance the budget, cut spending, and create 700,000 jobs within the next seven years. Republican Marco Rubio, now our Senator-elect, is a CubanAmerican who favors the Tea Party. He promises fiscal responsibility, lowering taxes, cutting federal spending and repealing the current healthcare bill.

One item most people seem to dislike about the government is wasteful spending. An example of this is “Pork barrel spending,” also known as “earmarking.”

Through a legislative process, a senator obtains federal dollars for a special project for their home state. The money is then attached into a non-related bill, such as a defense-funding bill. Most senators have at some point “earmarked” money for the people back home for new bridges, parks, and libraries.

There is a movement, especially from the Tea Party to eliminate “earmarks” all together in an effort to curb federal spending. Rubio, along with several other senators, have taken a pledge to refrain from “earmarking.” The Tea Party and other voters will be watching.

Next year many seniors will be going to college and will have to make important career decisions based on the economy and marketability of the job they train for.

This midterm election has made one student realize that following the elections has made him more aware of the economic crisis and the effects on it now and the future. With the Republican candidates chosen, he was as thrilled as I was.

“I was extremely happy with the sweep of the Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections,” said junior Kyle Jacobs.

The Republicans, as opposed to the Democrats, tend to favor smaller government and lower taxes. Lowering taxes will put more money into the hands of the people, which may in turn lead to more spending and create more jobs.

“The Republicans have the right poli-

Lorenzo Mohammed cies to improve the economy and the government because the current Congress has spent too much money. By taxing people less, they have more money to spend which will help the economy,“ said Jacobs.

The current economic crisis should make all of us aware of politics and what’s happening in Washington. Become more

interested in elections so when you are finally of age to vote, you can help determine what goes in the government.

As an American citizen, if the one and only way to have a say in who’s helping run our state or cuntry is through voting, then you should take advantage of that.

Fear not, pop quizzes are here to help Kathryn Long Staff Writer

TheChronicle

There is nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get as a teacher tells you to clear your desk. Pop quizzes are one of the most common, and most hated, high school experiences. Recent research tells us that pop quizzes might actually be beneficial to students.

A recent article in Science Now, a science news site, stated, “Students who take quizzes seem to think up better ways of remembering information than students who simply study.” The article cited a recent experiment at Kent State University where students were given Swahili

words to learn, then divided into two groups where one group simply studied and the other took practice exams.

To learn information, students create mediators, which are clues that link words or ideas. The results of the experiment showed that students who had taken practice quizzes were better able to remember the mediators of the information to help them get the right answer. In fact, these students performed about three times better than those who had not had the extra quizzes.

Surprising students with pop quizzes is a common practice among teachers at our school. They are by no means a fun experience, pop quizzes induce fear, stress, and anxiety. It seems that there are both positives and

SAMANTHA SCHWAB, Editor-in-Chief SHAINA KONZNY, Managing and Entertainment Editor AMANDA CURRENT, News Editor JAMIE KLEIN, Opinion Editor SARAANA JAMRAJ, Feature Editor ALLIE SCHUTT, Dimensions and Graphics Editor ASHLEY RYNAR, Sports Editor LAUREN LEWKOWICZ, Sports Editor SARIKA BEHARRYSINGH, Copy Editor TARA JOHNSTON, Photo Captain and Business Manager SARA CASTANEDA, Photo Captain JON McEWAN, Advertising Designer CORY LAUB, Advisor

Aneesa Allie Austin Bergeron Jordan Butchen Bria Carey Jordan Cohen Reed Congdon Amanda Current Duffy Dufresne Sara Grignon Shahnawz Hardanian

negatives to the pop-quiz scenario. Although it may help students learn to study and remember, many teachers believe it is worth the added stress.

“You never know in life when curves are going to be thrown at you,” said Thomas Renzo, calculus teacher, who often challenges his students with pop quizzes.

Helpful to memory or not, pop quizzes often result in stress and anxiety. As high school students, we have all heard countless times about the detriment of excess stress. Clearly, there is a trade-off as to whether the increased benefits to one’s learning are worth the added stress associated with pop-quizzes. We have to live with them though, because they are worth it overall.

STAFF Katie Jones Alec Kaye Kasey Litchfield Kathryn Long Daniel Lopez Daniela Lozano Sonya Majewski Harley Mitchell Lorenzo Mohammed Cindy Morataya Arianna Morrell

Sarah Moseley Anastasia Okonski Elisa Press Brittany Salopek Daniel Schutt Joshua Seiler Ana Serpa 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 754-322-0600. 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.

STAFF EDITORIAL

THE CHRONICLE

Change is necessary when health is concerned It is healthy to accept yourself, but only when you are healthy.

In a recent study by Reuters Health, a leading provider of medical and healthcare news, 2,056 obese people with a body mass index of 30 and above in Dallas County, Texas were given nine illustrations depicting various body sizes to look at. When asked which portrayed their ideal body image, 165 people, about 8%, chose the illustration that was about the same or bigger than their own body size.

It is good that those 165 are happy with the way they are.

Accepting obesity reduces the prevalence of extreme weight loss techniques and depression, but the one drawback

of acceptance is indifference to change, which in this case could be deadly.

Obesity-associated diseases are the top killers in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity contributes to the risk of developing coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, some types of cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon), hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and gynecological problems.

The chance of someone contracting these diseases are increased if he or she is physically inactive, smokes cigarettes, and/or has a family history of premature heart disease.

Obesity also poses an expense issue.

The CDC Vital Signs report, titled “State-Specific Obesity Prevalence Among Adults – United States, 2009,” concludes that people who are obese incurred $1,429 per person in extra medical costs compared to people of normal weight, and that the nation’s total medical costs of obesity were $147 billion in 2008.

Unfortunately more and more Americans are falling victim to this condition, with nine states reaching an obesity rate of 30 percent or higher in 2009, compared to 2000 when no state had an obesity rate higher than 30 percent.

Methods to avoid or overcome obesity include daily

physical exercise and eating healthy. Simple activities like a walk in the park or swimming can improve your health.

By exercising for at least thirty minutes a day, you can burn excess fat while supplying your brain with more oxygen, which can improve your mood.

Maintaining a balanced diet, consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, can give you more energy and keep you healthy. It is also important to drink plenty of water in order to detoxify your body.

Before accepting a body weight that could be dangerous to your health, it is important to review the consequences and make changes if necessary.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Send Letters to the Editors to room 803, or email them to eicthechronicle@gmail.com

First of all I would like to congratulate you on your excellent job on our first Chronicle issue this year, I must say it was the best one I have ever read and I can honestly say I’ve read every issue in the past two years.

What I liked most about this issue was that all the topics were very catchy and the photos were phenomenal, none of it was dull and unenjoyable. Sometimes you read an article and you wonder “What did I just read?,” or some are just too boring to get through the first two sentences, but this issue was the complete opposite; everything was perfect. Also, the photos couldn’t get any better, especially the cover, it automatically drives the readers attention.

I have definitely seen major improvement from last years issues, this school years Chronicle has a bit more spark and is much more eye catching and interesting.

I’m really hoping that the rest of the issues are going to be just as amazing as this one, and I’m sure they will.

Carolina Ambrosini SOPHOMORE

I really enjoyed reading “Sticks, stones, Formspring.” It really opened my eyes to how teenagers of our century treat each other. Writing an article about Formspring truly exposed how bad the website really is. Everything throughout the article is well thought out and researched.

This article really would inform readers and users of Formspring to understand what they put themselves through. Maybe we can all finally realize posting hurtful comments and receiving them wont help us feel happier in life.

Hali Jordan SOPHOMORE

I really enjoyed reading the article, “Anti-Islam prejudice undermines American values.” I basically have the same outlook on everything in the article, from the racist views to the part about our own famous Muslim celebrities. To finally read it in the newspaper really gave me hope that people would start changing their attitudes towards Muslims. I really liked the part where Saraana mentioned that “We have Muslim classmates, friends, and neighbors Yet, recently, we have let nineteen radicals sour us to 1.5 billion moderates and progressives.” This really opened my eyes and gives me hope that

it would have the same effect on others too.

Even though I’m not Muslim, I can surely feel for them. This article moved me and I believe that it will move others, too. Saraana made a good point mentioning one of our rights under the constitution: freedom of religion, which a lot of people fail to notice when looking at this topic.

Muslims should have equal rights just as everyone else in this country and Saraana did an excellent job with conveying this message.

I’m happy she wrote it because it shows that other people see the issues and want to do something about it.

Savita Ramkalawan SOPHOMORE

I would like you commend you on the, “So much for Friday night lights” article. I really liked it because all this time I was wondering why our football games were pushed to Thursday nights. This clarified my confusion, because now I know that it is because there were a low number of district-employed referees and that we have to share our football field with other schools. Due to good reporting, I have come to gain a better understanding of this situation.

Malcolm Chicoye SENIOR

Compared to last year, the staff has improved and I have a feeling that the paper is only going to get better every issue. The picture used for the front page is going to be perfect and it grabs the reader’s attention. My favorite article was, “Anti-Islam prejudice undermines American values” because everything mentioned was so true.

Honestly, while reading this article my heart started to race. It was important to address this issue in school since we have so many different races and religions.

Carmen Lino SOPHOMORE

This past issue was shown to be very informative and interesting.

Students around school have been seen discussing articles while others have been seen secretly catching a glimpse of the paper during class. I enjoyed this issue because every article appealed to me. Keep up the good work!

Megan Kearney SOPHOMORE

I really like how the newspaper started to investigate worldwide information. I think it’s a good that you’re attempting to inform our school. This could help students anticipate what global interactions are like.

Jennifer Predvil FRESHMAN

ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WRITER AND ALL LETTERS ARE SUBJECT TO EDITING FOR SPACE AND CONTENT.

PERSPECTIVE

matters.

Jamie Klein Opinion Editor

Helping the Homeless Every day, we come into contact with all types of people. Oftentimes, we will see a homeless person on the street. Here we face a choice: to help those suffering or to move on.

It is our civic duty to help improve the lives of others. Whenever I see a homeless person I only need to look in their eyes to see that they need help. After handing off my change, I’ve never received anything less then wholehearted gratitude.

We must love one another, because in the end, it is the deeds we have done that will give us complacency.

For three consecutive years, Florida’s Broward County has risen to number one for hate crimes against the homeless. In Apr. 2010, Governor Charlie Crist passed a hate crime bill following a series of attacks by three Broward teens who beat homeless men for sport. One man, while sleeping, was beaten to death. Another beating that was caught by a security camera, captured the nation’s attention.

If inflicting pain upon others has become a source of entertainment for teens in my city, then I can say that I am disturbed.

Another reason that I always take notice of the poor is because I am a strong believer of the maxim “What goes around comes around.” If the “what comes around” throws me a winning streak in the Florida-lotto then that would be great, but it would be equally rewarding if my winnings saved a life or inspired someone to reach out to a homeless shelter.

The Homeless Voice is an organization that gives homeless people newspapers to distribute throughout Broward County. These newspapers cover issues relating to the homeless and during the distribution they collect money. Many of my friends overlook their circumstances because of their uniform. It is important to remember that these employees are recruited from the homeless community and, while they may be decently clothed, these people are still at the bottom of the totem pole, trying to earn a dime while baking under the hot Florida sun.

The next time you see person less fortunate than you, remember that although you may not be able turn them from rags to riches, you might be able to give them the first meal they’ve had in days.

Edited by Kathryn Long

FACE-OFF BYO responsibility

As teenagers continually seek independence, they forget responsilibites that follow Shaina Konzny Entertainment Editor According to Jean-Paul Sartre, an early 20th century existentialist, individuals are responsible for the decisions they make and the actions they pursue.

This includes being held accountable for underage alcohol consumption.

As of 1984, with the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, all 50 states were required to legislate and enforce the age of 21 years as a minimum for purchasing and publicly possessing alcohol.

High school students, as they are under the legal age, should not be consuming alcohol. Some of the time, teenagers disregard the law and do so anyway. Some of the time, parents are unaware of this unruly behavior.

National surveys, such as the Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) survey conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA) in April of 2005, show that many high school teens report getting alcohol from their own home without parental consent. Of the 701 teenagers, aged 13 to 18, surveyed, two out of three teens say it is easy to get alcohol from their homes without parents knowing.

It seems that young adults are making decisions in the absence of

their parents’ consent.

Teenagers seek responsibility independent of their parents without considering the consequences that follow. They assume that emulating adults will not negatively affect them – but sometimes, it does.

If they are mature enough to act as adults, they are mature enough to edure the responsibilities of adults; if they are responsible enough to consume alcoholic beverages without regard to the law, they are responsible enough to suffer the repercussions.

In a situation like this, underage individuals cannot simply hand-off any inevitable legal responsibilities, which often come with being an adult, to their parents.

It is easy for teenagers to completely rely on their parents, especially when they have run into trouble. It is also easy for teenagers to allow their parents to be held responsible for their own poor decisions, specifically when they know their poor decisions have negative impacts.

It is easy, but it is not okay. Parents should not have to suffer the consequences that come with their children’s “adult-like” decisions.

Adolescents willing to make adult decisions should be held responsible for disregarding something they are completely aware of, such as a law.

There is no valid reason for these adolescents to ignore the responsibility of being an adult, especially when they choose to act as adults do.

Parents who allow their kids to act as adults, should be responsible for their actions Saraana Jamraj Feature Editor There is a scene in Mean Girls in which an overly permissive mother offers her over-privileged and underage daughter alcohol. She reasons that teens will drink anyway, and she would rather have the kids do it at home.

Mirroring the lifestyles portrayed in Mean Girls and shows like the O.C. and 90210, too often parents enable their children’s destructive behavior.

At a recent high school Homecoming after-party in Palm Beach County, hundreds of minors engaged in illegal alcohol consumption. Surprisingly, the parents of the host, and the owners of the house, were home for the entire duration of the night. They claimed they were unaware of the hundreds of drunken teens, many of whom were passed out or vomitting.

Their excuse? They had stayed in their room because their son asked them to.

Their behavior exhibits ignorance and neglect, not only of their parental duties, but also of their responsibilities as American citizens.

The freedom of choice is characteristic of all humans.

By no means are students forced to drink; they choose to

drink, and should be held responsible for their decisions. By all means, they should be suspended from school if they drink at school-related functions; and their privileges should be taken away. But it is important to remember that they are not the only ones who make the wrong choices; some parents use their freedom of choice to allow, and even encourage, underage drinking. They overlook the parties and brush the drinking off as normal teenage behavior.

In the Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) poll on teen drinking, 33% of girls said their own parents have given them alcohol, and 25% of parents with kids between the ages 12 and 20, admit to allowing their children to drink. 40% of teenagers report that they have easily obtained alcohol from their friends’ parents.

Parents, too, should be held accountable for their own poor choices. Alarming cases such as these bring about the old chicken-or-egg debate. Is it the parents or the children responsible for the unhealthy habits? We often find that it is a dysfunctional cycle- the children enjoy the luxuries of adulthood, drinking and partying, and the parents facilitate the recklessness, failing to take on the adult responsibilities of parenthood.

Becoming a parent is a lifechanging decision; most parents believe they are responsible for their children’s lives for their entire lives. The law only holds them responsible until the age of 18, and they should at least fulfill that duty. If they do not, including allowing their children to drink, they should be held fully responsible.

Dress for Success, you’ll impress Students should take Dress for Success days seriously, as they are opportunities to prepare for the working world Arianna Morrell Staff Writer When you finally score that dream job interview and decide to walk in with cut-off jeans and a washed out t-shirt, tell me how it goes. It’s understandable to wear casual clothes like basketball shorts or your favorite pair of ripped and stained jeans in your house. But in job interviews, all fashion boundaries end. these situations are used to sift out the shimmering applicants,

from the dull unprepared ones. In order to have a successful interview, one must not only act the part, but look the part as well.

Luckily, CSHS holds Dress for Success Day, which is on the second Tues. of every month. It was created for the purpose of supplying students with a basic idea of how to dress for an interview and for future careers. As a result, a large amount of the student body have taken their futures by the steering wheels and guided them in the proper direction. It is open to the student body, but for certain classes like Journalism 1 and Accounting, students are required to participate in it for a grade.

Those who take part in this activity realize that throwing on a classy blazer and a crisp button down shirt can instill a sense of professionalism. Students

who have yet to participate in this activity have been missing out on the chance to prepare for their future careers.

Even though Dress for Success is a monthly occurrence it should still be taken seriously. This means that ruling out casual clothing is imperative. After all, first impressions are created in the first 7 seconds. 7% of a first impression is based on what is said, 38% is how you say it, and 55% of it is developed from nonverbal cues.

In simpler terms, first impressions are mainly based off of appearances, which is the main factor in interviews.

If your teacher requires you to dress for success, or if you are a part of Business Professionals of America (BPA), take the initiative and be sure to dress accordingly.

OUR LIPS ARE

sealed

Sam Schwab Editor-in-chief

Sometimes people need to be shown that they are not alone.

This was the idea that started the Secrets Project.

The project, created by senior Bree Soldo, is an ongoing community effort to send a single journal across the nation to be written in by the individuals who receive it.

The journal entries, considered “outlets” by Soldo, are composed of life experiences, personal secrets, positive messages, popular quotes, and intriguing ideas. So far, 35 people in 32 different states have written in the journal since Dec. 2009.

It works like this: someone who signed up for the journal receives it in the mail and is allotted one week to write his or her entry. When the week is up, he or she calls Soldo for the next address and sends it accordingly.

The Secrets Project was intended by Soldo “to show people we all go through the same kinds of things,” she said.

A secret jou rnal, started by senior Bree Soldo, makes its way aro und the country , and finds its wa y back to our scho ol, 35 secrets, and 32 states later .

Soldo explained that having someone to talk to isn’t always an option, so sometimes we have to resort to writing.

As of this writing, the journal resides in Coral Springs High.

“People thought it was going to get lost,” said senior Cindy Rojas, Soldo’s close friend.

The book is being passed among students who share an interest in Soldo’s efforts.

Soldo got the idea from Tumblr user Lexi Mire, 18, who shipped a camera to 24 people residing in different states.

When Soldo found out about Mire’s project, she was motivated to start something monumental herself. The only difference was the medium. “[The journal] gives them space to tell their stories,” Soldo said. “They shouldn’t have to be limited if they’re spilling their guts.”

The journal is not comprised of just empty pages; there is a pocket in the back for any items someone would want to share. Some of the objects in the pocket include mixed CDs, dried flowers, and a favor from someone’s first college party.

The inspiration to allow people to express themselves stems from her past home-life.

“Growing up, I always was one in a family of six, so if anyone knows what it feels like to be lost in the shuffle, it’s me,” she said.

After the book is circulated around our school, Soldo plans to send it to northern Florida, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Delaware, and a growing list of locations.

“Once it’s filled, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over,” Soldo said.

Anyone interested in receiving the book should contact Bree Soldo via email at Breenicole5@gmail.com

Gay teens’ suicides bring attention to bullying Caitlyn Tate Staff Writer In the month of Sept. 2010, six boys, ranging in age from 13 to 19, took their lives due to constant bullying they endured in relation to their homosexuality.

This cluster of suicides began with Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, 18. Shortly after, Justin Aaberg, 15, Billy Lucas, 15, Asher Brown, 13, and Seth Walsh, 13, all died by their own hands.

The most recent suicide was that of Raymond Chase, a 19-year old student at Johnson and Wales University.

Clementi was in his first semester at Rutgers University, and though he was gay, he was not yet out to his family or peers. It

was reported that Dhraun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate, and fellow Rutgers student Molly Wei, both 18, were responsible for transmitting an image of Clementi having sex on Sept. 19 and also attempting to post a live webcast of a second sexual encounter involving Clementi on Sept. 21, the day before his suicide.

Both Ravi and Wei have been charged with invading Clementi’s privacy and transmitting sexual images without consent, a third-degree felony with a maximum prison sentence of five years.

In light of the actions of teens such as Clementi, activists are seizing the opportunity to speak out more than ever against target bullying. Target bullying is a form of

bullying in which the perpetrator targets a specific type of person.

Celebrities have gotten involved as well.

The Trevor Project, a 24 hour suicide prevention hotline for gay and questioning youth, recently released a video entitled “It Gets Better (The Trevor Project)” featuring celebrities such as Kristin Cavallari, Anne Hathaway, Ian Somerhalder, and Jenny McCarthy urging the youth of America to call The Trevor Project if they are ever contemplating suicide and telling them that they are not alone.

The school is also taking action to prevent students from feeling like they have nowhere to turn.

Catherine Demchenko, our school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) advisor, believes that this outbreak of bullying is a tragedy.

“Students should respect everybody, no matter what their sexual orientation, gender, religion, or race,” Demchenko said.

In an effort to make sure students in our school don’t feel ostracized like so many LGBT youth, Demchenko has made an effort this year to turn GSA into a “safe haven”.

“GSA is here for students to have a place to be themselves and not be judged for it,” she said.

Demchenko also urges anyone who is feeling isolated to join GSA, saying “No one should have to feel alone.”

com.

Some students find sites such as Facebook and Twitter too public, in that all of their friends can and will see anything they post. In the realms of Facebook, one’s account is linked with his or her friends’ account, making all activity public to some. This limits the writer to publicizing only what would be considered socially or morally acceptable by his or her friends and family.

In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 93 percent of teens, ages 12-17, use the Internet, and of the 93 percent, 63 percent of those teens report surfing the web at least once a day. Although most of these teens use Facebook more than blogging sites, those who do blog are often avid writers.

Senior Daniela Lopez has found blogging to be a big part of her life.

“Writing in blogs is such a fun outlet

that allows me to share my thoughts in a different way than Facebook or Twitter. These websites also allow me to see those who have the same ideas as well as conflicting ideas as I,” Lopez said.

Others use visual blogging as a creative outlet.

Almunus Jordan Staniscia, class of 2010, shared his passion for expression.

“Blogging for me was a way to get my opinion out about topics I love to the world,” he said.

Staniscia finds social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter as sites only “for people you know” and that it can be “too limiting.”

In his blogging efforts, Staniscia hopes to attract an audience interested in mass media.

“If you are interested in how the television show was made just as much as watching it, you’re my audience,” he said.

Staniscia’s blog ran for a solid month, and in that time he claims to have some high and low points. Since getting more involved on campus at the Florida State University, he hasn’t had much time to continue blogging.

Many students agree with Staniscia’s statement that blogging is far more personal than Facebook or Twitter, but does blogging diminish journalistic integrity?

Today, journalists, when writing, are required to abide by certain guidelines.

The facts that a journalist convey must be true with research to support the article. One can now post on his or her blog a false report that could spread like wildfire through the media.

Any students interested in creating a blog and joining this revolutionary bandwagon amongst the youth can visit sites such as wordpress.com, livejournal.com and blogspot.com.

Blogging creates new outlet for students

Some students choose blogging over other typical social networking sites in order to avertly express themselves Jordan Cohen Staff Writer In the socio-technological world of Facebook and Twitter, students are found caught up in the trend of expressing themselves through the medium of the Internet. Lately, with evidence from the Pew Research Center, an American think tank organization that provides information on issues, attitude and trends shaping the United States and the world, there has been an increase in students averting their attention from Facebook to emerging websites such as blogger. com, WordPress.com and LiveJournal.

Angelo Silva: Recent graduate directs marching band Alec Kaye Staff Writer

Feyaad Allie Contributing Writer

Katie Jones THE BAND MAN: Alum Angelo Silva prepares band for state competition become a musical performer. Dawson provided Silva with a stable learning environment, the necessities and tools to achieve greatness, and the social connections crucial to becoming known in the world of music. “[Dawson] knows people, who know people, who now know me because of him,” said Silva in regard to Dawson’s help.

Desiring every opportunity to perform, Silva looked into participating in a drum and bugle corps under Drum Corps International – referred to as “Marching Music’s Major League.” Through a strenuous audition process in 2006, Silva was admitted into the Magic Drum and Bugle Corps, an organization based in Florida. It opened a world to him that demanded physical endurance, as well as musical precision. Obsessed with DCI, he auditioned and was admitted into the longest existing drum and bugle corps; established in 1934 as The Holy Name Cadets.

Silva marched two years with the organization as a world-class performing euphoniumist. The corps was ranked fifth in ’08 and third in ‘09.

Silva stated after his experience with the Cadets’ expert staff that they “prompted [him] to become a music instructor that also deals with marching.”

Silva is now employed by Dawson to work as the Marching Colts’ Head Drill Instructor.

He organizes the rehearsals, teaching students proper marching and musical technique. Silva wishes to enable students the opportunity to perform at a competitive level against other school marching bands.

Silva is also a full-time student at Broward College and a part-time employee at Ritter’s Frozen Custard.

He is applying to the College of Music at the University of South Florida in hopes of majoring in musical education.

championships, but lost 1-4.

The Recreational League forms new teams every year for different age groups.

The first year, the player tries-out to showcase their skills, and after that year they are chosen based on comments from their previous coach. Teams usually consist of about 15 players.

Playing for the Recreational League has taught Vargas a lot about soccer, and has also given him the opportunity to meet new and interesting people.

During his first year, he befriended Stefano Visca, the coach’s son, who was on the same team. Vargas also met a professional soccer player who played for Peru during his second year of playing with the Recreational League. Unfortunately he doesn’t remember his name,

but recalls that encounter as a very memorable moment.

After playing the game of soccer for as long as he has, Vargas feels that the toughest area for him as goalie is making sure the other team doesn’t score.

“When people scored on me, I felt terrible,” said Vargas. The best part of playing soccer for Vargas is how good it feels when a goal is blocked.

Vargas recommends soccer for young players because it “takes a lot of practice,” he said.

To this day, Vargas continues to play soccer for the Recreational League.

William Vargas: soccer star Duffy Dufresne Staff Writer William Vargas, senior, has been playing soccer for 9 years. He plays for the Recreational League of Coral Springs, and has been doing so since he was eight.

When Vargas moved to Florida from New Jersey when he was seven years old, he began to get involved in the sport.

At first he didn’t like the idea of playing soccer, as he had no experience. But his father insisted that Vargas play a sport, so he joined a soccer team.

The coaches told Vargas he’d be good at the game because he was tall for his age, and he took a position as goal tender. He slowly began to like the game. In his first year, his team even made it to the

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

On November 2, 2010 Mr. Roy Gold became the new mayor of Coral Springs. Scott Brook completed his term as mayor and could not run again due to his term limit. He has been serving Coral Springs as mayor beginning in 2006. Mr. Brook has truly enjoyed his time as mayor and is very pleased with his accomplishments while in office. Mr. Brook stated, “I will miss being Mayor and I still plan to be active [in] the community.”

Former Mayor Brook is going to be involved in issues dealing with teens.

He intends to host the PNA Project Leadership in February and the Make a Difference Academy in April.

Mayor Roy Gold has many ideas for his term. He encourages all teens to take part in the Coral Springs Experience where students can learn about our city and receive service hours.

To learn more about this visit www.

CSexperience.org. Mayor Gold is excited for the annual Teen Political Forum that will be held on January 27, 2011. He is hoping that all teens will attend this program because it allows students to directly interact with the government and school board leaders. This is a unique and interesting opportunity to learn about our city.

Mayor Gold additionally encourages all students to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 14, 2011.

Mayor Gold has set several goals that he wants to accomplish during his time in office. One of his main goals is to enhance the city’s strategic plan and the overall business planning process. He says that transparency, accountability, and communication are essential for achieving success.

Mayor Gold advises all students to get involved and volunteer with the City of Coral Springs. He is looking forward to hearing your ideas and interacting with you to make out community the best that it can be.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Mayor’s Messenger

From the graduating class of ’09, Angelo Silva continues to return to our campus, not as a student, but as an educator helping to teach current band members. During the duration of his high school years, Silva had achieved numerous awards for his abilities in musical performance and reached the highest student-held leadership position in the school’s marching band. Silva’s fascination in the art and theory of music later compelled him to find a career in musical education.

As a child, Silva’s first interest in music developed from his extensive collection of video games. He would play hours upon end NES Nostalgia, running through the same obstacles repeatedly in order to listen to the soundtrack.

“I associated video games with their music,” said Silva.

It was not until Silva entered high school that he found an interest in being a part of the music. Freshman year, he was accepted into the Symphonic Band – the upper-level ensemble at our school – and continued performing in it throughout his high school career. He managed to excel on the tuba, the trombone, and the euphonium, all of which are related in the low brass family. Persistently practicing, he took two solos to the state level his senior year, achieving a Superior rating on the euphonium and an Excellent on the trombone.

Silva credits Brett M. Dawson, band director, for inspiring him to

PROBLEM

THE

Coral Springs

WITH RAISING THE

STEAKS Kathryn Long Staff Writer

U

pton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle may have inspired the first truly radical call for change in the American food industry, but by no means was this motion the last. Since then there have been countless books, movies, websites, and various other media devoted to concerns over the preparation and the health value of food produced in this country.

The Jungle led to a cry for regulation in the meat packing industry after many Americans were disgusted to find out the truth about what went on in the factories. The novel depicted things such as a man being boiled into lard or the slaughter, packaging, and sale of sick livestock animals. Following the publication of the novel, various legal actions were taken concerning the food industry, including the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the creation of the Food and Drug Administration.

Although there have been improvements since the introduction of these laws, concerns over our food supply continue still today. Many people fear the chemical additives, pesticides, and fertilizers that are present in a lot of the food products on the shelves at your typical American supermarket. This has resulted in the growth of trends such as vegetarianism, veganism, and the rise of the organic food industry.

A 2008 study by Vegetarian Times magazine found that approximately 3.2 percent of American adults, about 7.3 million people, are vegetarian. Of these, approximately 1 million are vegans, meaning that they consume no animal products at all, including those that do not require the slaughter of animals such as eggs or dairy products.

People choose a vegetarian diet for various reasons. Some feel that it is a more health conscious choice; others believe that the treatment of animals raised for slaughter is excessively cruel.

Clearly, meat products require the slaughter of livestock, but many people feel that the treatment of these animals pre-slaughter is inhumane. Today, the romantic image of the family farm with a red barn and cows in the pasture is largely a myth. Much of our meat comes from “factory farms,” where livestock animals are packed closely together, given little or no room to move, and are never permitted to experience the outside air -- very unlike the traditional pastures.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, most animals on these factory farms are crated in cages too small for them to even turn around.

When the time comes for slaughter, mammals are stunned by methods considered as cruel as the actual slaughtering, such as metal rods thrust into the brain via a “pistol” device or electrical shock, inducing a seizure. This sounds bad enough, but quite often the stunning does not even work properly, the animals can feel the pain of slaughter. Birds are hung upside down, paralyzed by shock, while their throats are cut and they are drowned in hot water-all while conscious.

Another complaint about the meat industry is the chemicals added to the food. In fact, ractopamine, a drug used as a feed additive, is banned in 160 countries is still used in the United States. About 45 percent of pigs as well as many cattle and turkeys are injected with this drug, which makes the animals more muscular and increases revenues for the industry.

Pesticides are another chemical fear. A Harvard study found that Organophosphate insecticides, which are pesticides widely used in the United States, may be a contributing factor to the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

As of current regulations, antibiotics, pesticides, genetically modified ingredients, hormones and other chemicals are allowed in US agriculture.

During an average trip to the supermarket, one may see various products with a wide variety of labels including things like “organic” or “hormone free,” but many of these labels, and the meanings behind them, are vague and misleading. The United States Department of Agriculture has defined three levels of organic levels. “100% Organic” means that an item can only contain organic ingredients, which means that no antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation, or synthetic pesticides or fertilizers can be used. “Organic” means a product contains 95 percent organic ingredients, and “Made with Organic Ingredients” means that at least 70 percent of ingredients are organic.

These standards are less stringent than those of many foreign countries.

The “going green” movement is also an influence for some vegetarians. The factory farms responsible for our meat generate large amounts of manure, which pollutes the soil, water and air. In fact, confined farm animals in the United states produce approximately three times the waste of people. Production of meat and animal products also consumes the planet’s natural resources such as water, fuel, or grain. About half of the global grain crop is fed to farm animals. This means that about half of the grain grown in the planet is used to create a number of steaks that can be found in the meat department of your typical supermarket. With over a billion starving people, it seems strange to use food to grow food.

Just like in the days of The Jungle, media that reveals to America the truth of its food industry is the impetus for change. Although legal change is often slow, many individuals are adopting new food trends, such as organic foods or vegetarian lifestyles, trying to avoid the chemicals put into our food, help the environment, and, possibly most fervently, protest the animal cruelty of today’s factory farms.

Stud

Sarika Beh Copy Edito

Every day at school ria grows busy with hun ing tummies. It’s so sim on the menu, meat. Wh chicken sandwich or ev dents think twice about cafeteria supplies veget due to the fact that no o “Up until a few we Only one boy ate it every one else wanted it so it waste to make if no one Still, the cafeteria m tuna, egg, or cheese me ers and even salads of b vegan lifestyle.

Is ve

Brittany Sa Staff Writer

From vegan aisles in on stop signs, avoiding m But is it just a fad, or is it Statistics show that selves vegetarians, inclu nettiere, Brad Pitt, and S adults alike look up to t side of going vegetarian.

Animal rights organ Ethical Treatment of An animals safe in their o farms, in the clothing in

12

THE

MEAT OF THE ISSUE Alec Kaye Staff Writer

dents going green

harrysingh or

l, before or after fifth period, the cafetengry teens seeking to satisfy their growlmple to order the most prominent choice hether it be a hamburger, chicken strips, ven meat filled salads, it’s rare that stut what they eat; it’s just a quick fix. The tarian options but some have been cut one was interested in them. eeks ago we offered a vegetarian patty. y day last year, but once he graduated no was discontinued; the extra food was a ate it,” a cafeteria worker said. makes an effort to offer foods such as eals for vegetarian and pescetarian eatbeans and seeds for those who follow a

Current pescetarian Brooke Rink, sophomore, made the decision to gradually stop eating meat after watching a video on animal cruelty in her freshman health class. Pescetarianism is the practice of a diet that includes seafood but excludes other animals. While Rink admits that it is hard to accommodate to her diet, she aspires to be a full vegan someday.

“I took baby steps. I started off by eliminating red meat from my diet and only eating organic poultry. Then I stopped eating meat all together, except for fish,” Rink said.

After attending her uncle’s wedding in Vermont 6 years ago, Bayley Studley, junior, found herself in the presence of a pig roast. The site horrified her, and ever since, she has been dedicated to staying away from red meat.

“I cried the entire night and starved myself for the rest of the evening. After this I joined [Forest Glen Middle School’s] Save What’s Left Club… for the future, I plan on keeping my tradition of eating no red meat,” Studley said.

Although being dedicated to having a certain diet may prove difficult at times, it can be a healthy alternative and aid in diminishing animal cruelty.

egetarianism a fad?

alopek r

n the supermarket to stickers plastered meat is as trendy as the latest iPhone. t opening a new horizon for Americans? t 10 million Americans consider themuding Carrie Underwood, Hayden PaSteve-O. When children, teenagers, and these people, they see the lavish, fresh . nizations such as PETA (People for the nimals) dedicate their time to keeping own environments and not on factory ndustry, in laboratories, or in the enter-

tainment industry. PETA uses advertising to make vegetarianism seem fun and has quickly become a household name, using everything from contests to campaigns featuring nude celebrities like Khloe Kardashian who would “rather go naked than wear fur” to gain support. Scouts swarm events like the Vans Warped Tour with petitions to save baby elephants or mistreated chickens.

Whether or not vegetarianism is a trend, the outlook for vegetarians in every form is fairly good. There is a lower risk of heart disease and cancer in a vegetarian person, and energy tends to be more plentiful in their bodies. Meat is typically infused and enhanced with hormones that are injected into the animal, and some meats also contain chemicals to help them last longer. This can clog arteries and even make some people sick. So if vegetarianism is a fad, hopefully it will outlast bellbottoms and side-ponytails.

There are films, books, web sites and many other media sources that stress the inhuman methods of slaughter houses -- how people should choose healthier food choices due to the unsanitary processes the products go through in the meat packing industry. Knowing the processes is beneficial; knowing what exactly was put in the meats is crucial.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture defined a food additive in their article Additives in Meat and Poultry Products as “any substance used to provide a technical effect in foods.”

Before any substance can be added to food, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially evaluates them for safety. Thereafter, FSIS may apply even stricter standards.

Additives are never given permanent approval.

“FDA and FSIS continually review the safety of approved additives, based on the best scientific knowledge,” wrote FSIS in their article. “To determine if approvals should be modified or withdrawn.”

The additives nitrate and nitrite are naturally occurring compounds that are used in cured meats and canned meat products ranging from bacon to luncheon meats, described Applegate Farms’ FAQ What are Nitrates and Nitrites? In the MSN nutrition article 12 Food Additives to Avoid, Christine Gerbstadt, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, informed readers these additives are used by the food industry to preserve color and flavor products.

Although they prevent the growth of bacteria, consuming nitrates and nitrites has been linked to various types of cancer in the stomach of mice, but remain inconclusive regarding their potential to cause cancer in humans.

“This would be the top of my list of additives to cut from my diet,” wrote Gerbstadt. “Under certain high-temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, [nitrite] transforms into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer [in mice].”

Consumed nitrites may combine with the hemoglobin of blood cells, constricting the oxygen-carrying capacity of one’s blood. Drinking plenty of purified water and avoiding foods that contain these additives will lessen the toxicity.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) is primarily used, according to the Hazardous Substances Data Base, as an antioxidant to delay the breakdown of food flavors and as a preservative to increase shelf life. Since 1947, BHA has been added to fat-containing foods (meats, sweets, beer, baked goods, etc.) for its antioxidant properties; properties so universal they are even used in cosmetics that contain fats and oils.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology examined the health aspects of BHA for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and concluded that BHA was safe at permitted levels. High levels of BHA in the diets of laboratory animals caused tumors in the forestomach of rats, mice and hamsters, and liver tumors in fish. The tests did not establish that such problems could exist in humans.

There is no substitute for organic food, even if the additive is not man-made. In the eyes of the FDA, “Food ingredients are subject to the same strict safety standards regardless of whether they are naturally or artificially derived.”

Y GOT HEART?

Organ donation attracts student involvement Michael Trotman Staff Writer Last summer junior Feyaad Allie showed that he had heart.

Allie spent part of his summer raising money for the non- profit Organ Donor Awareness Foundation (ODAF) headquartered in Coral Springs. Neal Bira, founder of the organization, created ODAF to give back to those who had given the gift of life and provide for families in need of life saving organ transplants. His goal, as stated on the site is to increase organ donor awareness and to raise money for awareness.

More than 100,000 people in America

are in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. Every 11 minutes another name is added to the national waiting list of people who need transplants to survive.

Bira suffered from a heart attack that left him in need of a new heart. He was able to survive from a heart donated by an organ donor who had passed away. From that point on Bira knew he had to give back to the community. He created the Organ Donor Awareness Foundation to make others aware of the actions of organ donors.

Allie helps to get the word out for this life-saving organization. The recent fund-

raising activity that Allie volunteered in was a local horse show event sponsored by the Organ Donor Awareness Foundation, the very first put on by the organization.

The event helped to gather donations for the foundation, whose goal is to help the families of organ donors so that they can push through various obstacles in their time of need.

Even though about 95% Americans support the concept of organ donation, few actually know the essential steps needed to become a donor. Organ donation is a voluntary process in which individuals may offer to donate one or more of their organs

either when they pass away or while they are still living.

Allie discussed why he decided to get involved in ODAF. “I couldn’t think of a better way to help people who passed away and saved lives, than to help the families who still remain,” he said.

ODAF also provides a scholarship program for the children of organ donors who otherwise would not have been able to pursue their dreams and go to college.

More information about Bira’s organization can be found online at www.OrganDonorHero.org.

SORRY, CHARLIE

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME

OUR TOWN: “Life goes on,” says the Stage Manager to a silenced audience, “the mountains are chipped away a little more. Mounds of dirt fall, millions of gallons flow through the mill, and people continue on living.” It only takes one look at the denizens of Grover’s Corners to see how deep a meaning those words take.

Our Town is a three-act Pulitzer Prizewinning play by Thornton Wilder set in the fictional hamlet of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The play, narrated by a Stage Manager in the 1930s, gives the audience a look into the lives of the residents of the small town in the early 1900s.

As neighbors George (Karl Berrios) and Emily (Arielle Hoffman) grow up together, they discover both love and societal pressures that are instantly recognizable and relatable.

Heading the production was the Stage Manager (Marcus Levine). He appeared fully comfortable in his role, maintaining an engagement with the audience while creating an impression of Grover’s

RUNNER UP

REVIEWS A contributing Cappies review by Michael Kemerer of Plantation High

Corners. Berrios and Hoffman had great chemistry, allowing for mostly believable interactions between characters. Mrs. Webb (Melissa Day) and Mrs. Gibbs (Anastasia Okonski) held their roles quite well, with some particularly excellent pantomimes in their matriarchal roles.

On the whole, the cast successfully met the challenge of having to adapt to multiple changes in both time and mood. Moreover, the ensemble handled the slightly old-fashioned script with adequate understanding, allowing for a tangible small town feel. Professor Willard (Jordan Cohen) came in early as a humorous pedantic foil to a decently serious first act. The third act in particular really shined, with deadpan spirits of deceased characters contrasting powerfully with the emotional living. Some lines were rushed or lost, but for the most part the show went smoothly.

Although some lines came out wooden, most actors showed an investment in their character and made them very believable.

The set consisted of chairs, tables,

ladders, a screen as a backdrop, and two doorways attached to a student-built fly system. Featuring few props, this “bare bones” feel was intended by the author and enforced by set designer Shan Rustam to force the audience to use their imagination. An array of choral and floor microphones provided maximum sound coverage, allowing almost every line to be projected through the speakers.

The themes of this show are the values that can be found in even the most mundane circumstances and the existential question of how we should spend our lives. The actors expressed these themes with gusto and moderate success. Going away from this show, the idea emerges that it is not just “their town” that deals with these issues. No, it is everybody in the civilized world. It is Washington, D.C., it is Seattle, it is Miami, and it is our own towns that must find their way through this world. If these thoughts are not burdensome to you, but rather intriguing, Our Town is a highly recommendable show.

MORNING GLORY

Director Roger Michell brings another career-oriented character to the big screen, one we can all relate to Kristin Vara

Staff Writer Rachel McAdams shows her versatility in Morning Glory as Becky Fuller, a witty and smart yet bumbling workaholic who, after being laid off as a producer at Good Morning, New Jersey!, a local morning program, lands a job at Daybreak, a national show on its last leg. Fuller is burdened with the task of resurrecting the low budgeted, low respected, second-rate morning show.

Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) teams up with Golden Globe winner Harrison Ford’s Mike Pomeroy, as two dueling anchors, who absolutely loathe each other.

After previous anchor Paul McVee (Ty

UPCOMING MOVIE RELEASES Release dates: (from left to right) Dec. 17, Dec. 22.

Graphics courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Burrell) is fired for being a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen, respected and semi-retired news anchor, Pomeroy is given an ultimatum that leads to his being placed on the dying show by a loop-hole in his contract. He does everything in his power to show contempt for his situation, leaving Peck to report every non-news story they are given.

Om-air bickering leads to higher ratings for Daybreak, with viewers enjoying the barbs tossed between Peck and Pomeroy.

Meanwhile, Fuller proves to be a worthy adversary, fighting relentlessly to get the cast to work together, her career and the continuance of the show depending on it.

McAdams’ peppy personality soon becomes a charming attribute to her character, as her determined attitude breaks through and her leadership skills really being to flourish.

In other hands of other actresses the role of Beck Fuller would have remained

annoying, due to the incessant energy of the character itself, but McAdams does an amazing job at going from scattered-brain workaholic to passionate leader. McAdams is effortlessly likeable, showcasing her as a truly versatile actress.

Morning Glory is a fun, feel-good movie that will serve as a nice pick me up for any bad day. With an award winning cast and a script by screenwriter Aline Brosh (The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses), you can’t go wrong. McAdams, Keaton, and Ford do a great job at maintaining the comedy while also portraying the seriousness of some of the situtaions.

Morning Glory is an inside look at all the hard work that goes into reporting news and keeping viewers satisfied, while showcasing the un-glorified aspect of a position in a popular field.

TRON LEGACY

BEST IN SHOW

Little Fockers

CURRENTLY

READING

If I had a penny for every time my teacher has assured me that the classic literature we were about to read was amazing and a great read, I’d be a rich girl. And if I were to receive another penny for each time I was sadly disappointed and bored by the book’s content, I might be just as rich twice over.

How lucky we are to be given a piece of literature that maintains the basic storyline and classic style as its original, while adding a new level of modern fascination and twisted fun.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (and Jane Austen) is pure genius. There have been countless feeble attempts by various authors to make classic literature appeal to the teen reader, but always come up with silly, if not offensive spins involving some form of vampire or werewolf. Hardly creative.

This novel is nothing like the standards before it. The changes fit in quite nicely with the original works, with little changes to the original storyline, just added dimensions.

Although I personally loved the original Pride and Prejudice and didn’t need a new form to persuade me, it certainly does entertain lovers of both Jane Austen and fantastic violence.

The writing is exquisite. There is no noticeable difference between Austen and Grahame-Smith as he adds to her original story.

This novel really does appeal to all audiences, with the exception of perhaps a few Austen purists who refuse to take her flawless work in any form but the original. There is plenty of romance and passion for the ladies and a delightful amount of violence and zombie killing mayhem for the men.

And if you happen to love both, as I do, it’s the perfect balance.

This fun, witty twist on the universal classic is a great way to get the general idea of the beloved story, while finding something fun and new to compliment it.

REVIEWS

CONAN’S BACK

After an ephemeral goodbye, Conan returns to late-night television with a bang Lorenzo Mohammed Staff Writer

Photo/teamcoco.com

Conan O’Brien is finally back. After leaving The Tonight Show he has made his way onto television once again with his new late night talk show Conan.

The show premiered Monday Nov. 8. Attempting to get another job and failing at every attempt, O’Brien was pushed to the edge-the edge of a bridge over the L.A river that isand before jumping, his guardian angel, Larry King, appeared and suggested to O’Brien, “ basic cable.” This leads to O’Brien fulfilling his long time dream of being on basic cable.

O’Brien’s two previous late night talk shows, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Tonight Show, appeared on the network NBC. Now Conan is on TBS, which is a cable network that Conan has never experienced.

The show began with the usual monologue but even though this was his third premiere, O’Brien seemed nervous. He appeared jittery and the normal comfortable attitude appeared a little stiff.

After the beginning-of-the-show antics ended, the late night talk show began with the fully refurbished set with a beautiful ocean view along with a moon he could control remotely from his desk.

The first guest to the new set was the curator of a nutcracker museum who was chosen out of a group of irrelevant nominees. She confusingly paraded onto the set and just as quickly paraded off the set which had even O’Brien confused. The interview with Rogen seemed much like the others from The Tonight Show, like a funny conversation, and O’Brien seemed to be more comfortable.

The interview with actor Lea Michele, Rachel Berry from Glee seemed to drag on a bit but definitely kept the laughter going. Like Michele said, with his amazing hairstyle, how can we not be laughing? But following the interviews was the perfect way to end the premiere, playing along with Jack White and his musical group in a musical performance.

The audience started the second night with a “Conan” chant that reminded O’Brien of his angry childhood. O’Brien, or Coco, as Tom Hanks reminded him, seemed already to be comfortable by the second night of the show.

I definitely will continue watching this great show, which is on Monday through Thursday at 11pm on TBS.

Nightmare cont’d

SCHUTT UP GEEK OUT

&

Daniel Schutt Staff Writer

At midnight Nov. 23rd, 2004 the most amazing game of all time was released to the gaming community. This game was World of Warcraft (WoW). Blizzard Entertainment bases WoW on its Warcraft series. WoW has become one of the most popular role-playing games and has rePhoto/Tara Johnston cently reached over 12 million players worldwide. Since its release Blizzard has come out with 2 expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, and another, Cataclysm, coming Dec. 7, 2010.

In WoW players can choose to join one of two factions, Horde or Alliance. They enter the world of Azeroth as one of eight races (ten if you have the expansion The Burning Crusade installed and soon to be twelve when the expansion Cataclysm launches): Human, Night Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Draenei (Alliance) Orc, Undead, Troll, Tauren or Blood Elf (Horde), each with it’s own region of the world to their own where a player can explore, do quests and slay monsters.

The player gains special abilities and spells that are unique to their specific class, Druid, Warrior, Warlock, Mage, Rogue, Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, and Death Knight (if you have Wrath of the Lich King installed). The classes can choose to be two of three subclasses or specializations (spec). Depending on your spec you can play as a tank, damage class (dps), or healer. These classes are needed in dungeons, locations in the game where groups of players fight tougher creatures known as elites in order to obtain rare and valuable armor and weapons.

These dungeon groups are usually made up of 5 players. The tank grabs the attention of the group of monsters they’re fighting and makes sure that they don’t stop attacking him/her while the damage classes kill them. During the whole fight the healer makes sure that no one’s health drops too low. It all sounds kind of complicated but once you get the hang of it, it becomes very addicting. Blizzard rewards players constantly with achievements, gear, and gold, giving them a real sense of accomplishment.

This means that the more you play the more you love the game and the more money you’ll throw at Blizzard for their game. This strategy has made Blizzard Entertainment one of the most profitable video game companies in the world.

“We used to put on a haunted house every year for Halloween,” Fuhrman said. “We thought it would be a good idea to donate to the event since we had all these decorations.”

Fuhrman was also a tour guide in the house.

Among some of the more detailed parts of the house were the actors who played a vital part in making the house come to life. SGA recruited members of the Drama Department to act as various scary characters.

“My character was a small child looking for his mother, who also happened to eat people,” said Kyle Edwards, senior. “As the night progressed, the child grew up and just became a cannibal.”

Due to the large colume of customers, the house was occasionally shut down to allow for set repairs. The attraction finally closed around 8:30 pm.

“A lot of people showed up – more than expected – and we didn’t have enough security,” said Jessica Voss, junior, and person in charge of the haunted house.

Though the attraction had to be closed early, SGA raised $200, which Voss claimed it as a great success. Another house is planned for next year.

Beatles For Sale Harley Mitchell Staff Writer

On Nov. 15, Apple’s homepage teased the public with its banner that read: Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget.

At 10:00 a.m. on Tues., Nov. 16, Apple finally announced the release of the Beatles music on iTunes.

The Beatles are renowned and considered to be the greatest and most successful rock and roll band in history. They formed in Liverpool, England in 1957 and rose to fame between 1960 and 1970.

The trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and the Beatles’ music label Apple Corps Ltd., was resolved in 2007, but kept the Beatles from iTunes for that reason. At first, the group

decided not to make their music digitally available and instead sell them on CDs, tapes, and records only because they felt it cheapened the value of the albums. Now all thirteen original studio albums are available on iTunes to download. Single albums, double albums, and individual songs can also be purchased. Each album comes with lyrics and photos. With the digital boxed set, it includes the band’s entire catalog, mini-documentaries, and a video of the band’s first concert in the U.S. Minutes after this release, Abbey Road reached Number 21 on the iTunes charts. Behind that was the boxed set, which contains all thirteen albums, at Number 23, then Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at Number 27, and The White Album at Number 29.

Under the influence At Homecoming Week’s hypnotist show, students were hypnotized and performed unusual activities for the audience Aneesa Allie Staff Writer The school hosted its first hypnosis show on Oct. 26 in the auditorium. The show was led by Board Certified Master Hypnotist Jon Simon, who holds thirteen years of experience in the profession.

The night began with an introduction by Simon, who explained what hypnosis was.

“I’m not going to cast a spell over you, I’m just going to show simple instructions,” Simon said.

To bring the audience into a state of relaxation, Simon engaged them in warm-up exercises, including staring at a

gap between students’ fingers as they drew them together.

These exercises were tests to show who were good candidates for the process. Volunteers were then called onto the stage.

Everyone on stage as well as in the audience had to follow certain rules. Participants sat in a male-female order; they were not allowed to sit next to close friends or someone they were dating. They were also prohibited from chewing gum or having electronic devices turned on.

Audience members had to refrain from flashing pictures and speaking until participants were in a deep state of relaxation. Participants had to sit up without crossing body parts and close their eyes as soothing music played to transition them into a trancelike state.

A series of activities including a car scene followed.

Simon had participants reaching for their seat belts, swatting an imaginary fly and venting about an angry driver cutting them off. Participants started snapping out of the hypnotism and the number of them decreased. Events now

included a beauty pageant, a mock So You Think You Can Dance competition, million-dollar winning phone call, and America’s Got Talent singing contest. At this point the audience was allowed to make noise since the participants were deeply entranced.

“The more noise coming from the audience, the deeper hypnosis and the better you [the participants] feel,” Simon said.

The show ended just like it began, with soothing music and Simon’s calm voice bringing the participants out of their trance. He left them feeling like “they have been sleeping for five to six hours,” said Simon.

“It just feels really relaxing; you can’t hear anyone in the audience. It’s almost like you’re in control of your mind but not your body,” said junior Jessica Voss.

Although no profit was made due to payments for the hypnotist, Student Government plans on having another show in the future. one hundred students attended the show, with expectations that more will attend the next one.

Mayor’s Cup cont’d back Evan Lassiter, junior, connected with wide receiver Jeremy Brown, senior, tying the score 21-21.

With approximately 2 minutes left in the game running back Jared Joyner, junior, scored the final touchdown of the night, bringing the score to 28-21 and giving the Colts a Mayor’s Cup victory.

With this being the final game of the season it was also the final game of several players’ high school careers. The boys were thrilled to end the season with a win bringing their record to 5-5.

“It felt great, I couldn’t have wanted to end my high school career any other way,” said linebacker Stefano Visca, senior.

1

Final score: 28-2

in the know with

REED &D.LO Reed Congdon Danny Lopez Staff Writers

Where’s the respect?

Bryn-Alan BRING THAT BABY HOME: Stefano Visca, senior, and Assistant Coach Adam Havrilesky celebrate after winning Mayor’s cup.

Teacher’s daughter goes gold in Equestrian World Cup Sarah Moseley Staff Writer From Oct. 6 through Oct. 9, Lexi Muniz, 19, daughter of anatomy teacher Dr. Lori Muniz, competed and won a gold medal for the U.S. three-gaited team in the Equestrian World Cup. The games took place in Shelbyville, KY at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Amongst the countries competing were the USA, Germany, South Africa, Canada, and England, each with a three-gait and a five-gait team. The terms three-gaited and fivegaited refer to the way the horse moves.

Three-gaited signifies that the horse can walk, trot, and canter. Five-gaited signifies that the horse can walk, trot, canter, slow gait, and rack. A walk is the slowest gait, a trot is a two-beat gait that is faster than a walk, a canter is a swift three-beat gait that is faster than a trot, a slow pace is a lateral gait, and a rack is a faster lateral gait.

In the competition, each rider was given a random horse and two thirty-minute practices prior to the competition. The competition itself consisted of a rail work portion, in which riders show the horses around the arena and a pattern work component in which they ride the horse in a series of choreographed patterns and are judged on technique.

This was Muniz’s first time trying out for the World Cup team. She had competed in and won six national championships prior to the World Cup games and two out of the six times she had to use a random horse due to unfortunate circumstances. Upon discovering this, Ellen Beard, the coordinator of the Equestrian World Cup, encouraged Muniz to try out.

At the tryouts, the competitors were required to ride horses they had never been on before with only two minutes of practice prior to the railwork portion, five minutes of practice prior to the first part of the pat-

tern portion, and no practice prior to the second pattern portion. With her wealth of experience in this area, Muniz scored high and made the team.

“I felt overwhelming pride that she was representing her country,” Dr. Muniz said.

Muniz started competing with horses when she was only 5-years old, but according to her mother she had been riding “since she could sit up.” From a young age, Dr. Muniz shared her enthusiasm for horses with her daughter.

“I had a horse [Bratty] when I was 13-years old. When I moved to Florida from Massachusetts I brought the horse with me and taught her [Lexi] how to ride on him,” Dr. Muniz said.

Muniz attended Monarch High School but she currently attends the University of Florida as a sophomore studying in the field of veterinary science. She hopes to try out again for the 2012 Equestrian World Cup, which will take place in South Africa.

Cheerleaders bring out true spirit Ashley Rynar Sports Editor On Fri., Oct. 29, the cheerleaders had the honor of cheering alongside of the Spirit of Cheer Florida at the Homecoming game against Cardinal Gibbons. The Spirit of Cheer Florida is a co-ed special needs squad consisting of cheerleaders of all ages who participate in multiple competitions throughout the year.

Stacy Gomez-Downs, Coral Springs head coach, wanted her squad to reach out to the community this year and after meeting with Melissa Jablonski, head coach of the Spirit of Cheer Florida, over the summer they immediately came to the idea of having both squads participate at the Homecoming game together.

“The Coral Springs cheerleaders are phenomenal girls,” said Jablonski.

The Spirit of Cheer Florida arrived before the game and were paired up with either a varsity or junior varsity “buddy” who taught them a few cheers that they would participate in during the game.

Some of the cheerleaders on the Spirit squad are high school students who are

Katie Jones GIVING BACK: Cheerleaders danced and cheered with a Spirit of Cheer Florida “buddy” at the Homecoming game on Oct. 29. not provided a chance to cheer at their own school football games, making this a once in a lifetime opportunity. According to Jablonski the cheerleaders are still talking about their experience at the game.

The squad was truly thrilled to be part of the game, which was shown in their en-

thusiasm while cheering.

“Cheering with [the Spirit of Cheer Florida] was a wonderful experience.

Their excitement and sweetness made all of us feel a great bond,” said junior Brianna Jimenez. “We hope this will happen more often.”

Junior Varsity athletes lack support and attendance at games that Varsity athletes receive When high school athletes begin playing a sport, they most likely share the same goal… to make it to the varsity level. Usually, this opportunity is exclusive to older, more experienced players, except for the occasional skilled underclassman. But age isn’t the only difference between the two levels; for a lot of sports programs, junior varsity and varsity may be treated very differently, as many athletes have come to discover.

While it isn’t a hard fact that every varsity team treats their junior varsity team with disrespect, especially at CSHS, it’s traditional that they are often overshadowed by varsity, whether it’s by access to equipment, or even fan support at their games. The junior varsity program also doesn’t include the district or regional tournaments that varsity teams participate in at the end of their season. This treatment isn’t a stab at junior varsity, and they shouldn’t take it personally, but it’s safe to say that this is, after all, an unfair sacrifice to give for the effort and dedication that JV athletes puts into their sport. There’s no reason for junior varsity to be disrespected, especially by their own varsity teammates.

“I don’t look down on the JV team, they’re going to be playing with me sometime, so I wouldn’t tear them down,” says Evan Lassiter, quarterback of the varsity football team.

While junior varsity players may not be as skilled as varsity ones, attitude plays a huge role in being an athlete. If a younger athlete has a good attitude and can prove themselves, there’s no reason they don’t have what it takes to be on varsity. Still, there re no promises.

“If you don’t say ‘how high’ when we say ‘jump’, you may not make varsity,” said Frank Bumbales, head coach of the varsity baseball team.

It’s traditional for junior varsity teams to be under the radar of most high school sports fans, but nobody seems to have a clear reason why. The ending goal to gain the recognition as a varsity level player serves as an incentive for junior varsity athletes so that they are motivated to step up their game, but until then, junior varsity should get the respect they deserve so that the athletic program here remains strong and united.

Dylan Ebel says eat, sleep, play baseball Ashley Rynar Lauren Lewkowicz Sports Editors

popularity, while others were more interested in winning.

“We’re in it to win it,” said Alex Sarria, junior. “Gotta go big or go home.”

Sarria and his team entered the tournament in hopes of winning rather than to shine socially. On the other hand, “Team Fancy” which consisted of juniors Joshua Groves, Daniel Lopez, Michael Higgins, Ryan Webb, and Zack Gojuangco; were more about the outfits and the popularity that would come out of participating. But surprisingly enough, they made it to the last four.

The last two teams to play were “In Bro We Trust,” and “Schingle Schlimers.” With much intensity and determination, the teams battled it out to determine who would be the winners and be crowned dodgeball champs.

“It was really intense when the last two teams were playing,” said Blaise Huntley, junior. “I was on the edge of my seat.”

With a team full of baseball pitchers, the “Schingle Schlimers” came out victorious. The team was made up of juniors Alan Sharkey, Lewis Brinson, Aaron Maller, Alexander Demicco, and Austin Nelson.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Courtesy of Dylan Ebel STEAL BASE: Ebel prepares to steal base during fall baseball season.

Following in his dad’s footsteps, junior Dylan Ebel eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. Ebel has been playing baseball for eight years. At the age of eight he began playing for Coral Springs American Little League and continued through age 13.

Since he was a freshman Ebel has been the third baseman/outfielder for the varsity baseball team. At the St. Augustine Fall Nationals Baseball Tournament this year, Ebel made a diving play, which saved the team in semi-finals.

Throughout his baseball career Ebel has had to overcome quite a few obstacles.

While playing for CSALL Ebel tore ligaments in his ankle, which caused him to be out for three months until he was fully healed. He also suffered from a fractured growth plate in his thumb, which caused him to be out for a month and a half.

Ebel hopes to continue playing baseball at the University of Tampa, which has a Division II team, and plans on pursuing a career as an athletic trainer. He is taking classes such as anatomy honors to better his knowledge for athletic training.

“I hope that taking these classes, trying hard in school and in baseball will help me reach my goal,” Ebel said.

Dodgeball tournament brings huge turnout Katie Jones Staff Writer

SPORTS BRIEFS

In an effort to raise money, Student Government held the annual dodgeball tournament on Oct. 27 during Spirit Week. Students were able to participate to play and sign up if they paid $2 for each player or $10 per team. The game was held at 5:30 pm in the gym on Wed. during homecoming week.

A total of thirty teams played in the tournament, all with different names and different strategies. “Team Fancy,” “Too Much Swag,” “ROTC freaks,” “Average Joes,” “Schingle Schlimers,” were-

some of the teams that participated.

The gym’s basketball court was split in half, enabling four teams to play at once and saving a lot of time in the tournament. Two teams played each other on each side, narrowing down the list of winners who would compete against each other.

With much enthusiasm and spirit, the teams played multiple games.

Some progressed while others were eliminated, removing them from the tournament. The teams had different strategies, but all seemed excited to be participating. Some were involving themselves in the tournament for the

Three golfers advance to regional tournament The boys golf team competed in their district tournament on Oct. 18-19 playing against local schools Coconut Creek, Coral Glades, Stoneman Douglas, Northeast, Plantation, and J.P. Taravella, Out of the seven teams in the tournament, the boys placed 4th, with a combined score of 383.

The top three scoring individuals from our school qualified to play at the regional finals held Oct. 25-26. Those who competed were senior Jacob Newstreet,

junior Jacob Mays and freshman Kyle Williams.

Williams was the only freshman from our school to make it to the regional tournament. He played the best round out of the three Colts competing, but the state tournament was just out of reach for the freshman. Williams was very impressed by the other schools.

“The competition was very intense and good.

I’m ready to come back next year and compete,” said Williams.

- Lauren Lewkowicz, Sports Editor

Baseball team named champions at St. Augustine Fall Nationals During the weekend of Oct. 15-18 the Varsity A baseball team participated in the St. Augustine Fall Nationals. The boys were named the champions; going 6-1 through the tournament and winning 6 games in just 3 days.

On Mon, Oct. 18 the boys competed in a semifinal game and forced the game into an extra inning. The Colts won the semifinal game 4-3, advancing to the final game later that day. After competing with teams from all over the nation the boys defeated

last year’s state champs, Trinity Christian, in the final game.

“They kept coming, and we kept beating them and sending them home one after another,” Coach Frank Bumbales said.

The boys sported pink uniforms throughout the tournament in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We thought it would be cool and unique to wear pink jerseys to the tournament for breast cancer awareness month,” said junior Ian Delamadrid.

- Ashley Rynar, Sports Editor

OPEN 7 DAYS CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

10% OFF WITH AD

WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING SENIORS FOR BEING CHOSEN TO PLAY ON THE NORTH BROWARD ALL-STAR FOOTBALL TEAM: Photos by Sara Castaneda

JEREMY BROWN

SHANE BLUESTEIN

STEFANO VISCA

UPCOMING SPORTING EVENTS EVENT

OPPONENT

DATE/TIME

LOCATION

Girls Soccer

Douglas

Nov. 30/ 4pm

Douglas

Boys Basketball

Boyd Anderson

Dec. 2/ 7:30pm

CSHS

Boys Soccer

Monarch

Dec. 2/ 7:30pm

CSHS

Girls Soccer

Coral Glades

Dec. 6/ 5pm

CSHS

Wrestling

St. Thomas Aquinas

Dec. 7/ 5pm

St. Thomas Aquinas

Boys Basketball

Coral Glades

Dec. 10/ 7:30pm

CSHS

Girls Soccer

Taravella

Dec. 13/ 4pm

Taravella

Girls Basketball

Taravella

Dec. 13/ 5pm

CSHS

Boys Soccer

Taravella

Dec. 13/ 6pm

CSHS

Boys Basketball

Douglas

Dec. 15/ 7:30pm

Boys Soccer

Coconut Creek

Dec. 16/ 7pm

Boys Soccer

Deerfield

Jan. 4/ 7pm

Douglas Coconut Creek Deerfield

T I ’ IN

20 SPORTS

K C I K

irls he g

T

s

er occ

team

The girls soccer team has been on the rise since the start of this season. In their few games so far, 14 played in total, yet have led in multiple victories already. Their first game was against Fort Lauderdale High School and they won with a 7-0 victory. A few days later they also defeated Flanagan High School with a 6-1 win. It is fair to say these girls initiated a powerful season.

Brantley Barr, the team’s head coach, commented on two new additions, Sara Trouillot and Thais Sueth. Although these new members haven’t played with our girls previously, they did meet each other outside of our school on travel teams.

“Most of us have played together before, so our chemistry flows on the field,” said Cassidy Neer, sophomore.

A big game our varsity team played was against Cardinal Gibbons and unfortunately was defeated with a 0-5 loss. This didn’t let their spirits down at the next home game against Deerfield with a successful 8-0 win. Barr was optimistic.

“I have a good feeling we can make it to districts successfully,” said Barr, who had complete hope that by January the team will

Score

Cardinal Gibbons

0-5

Deerfield beach

8-0

Monarch High

6-1

Boyd Anderson

8-0

J.P. Taravella

1-0

ell,

w ally

on

Cindy Morataya Staff Writer

Opponent

t of

ou outs

ut

pti xce

ge

oin is d

s.

me 5 ga

sh ith 3

w

be strong. Since Barr is attempting to create new formations thus creating new positions, it produces concern for him on how well they will play and how soon.

“We have to keep practicing and keep playing and we’ll get better,” Barr said. He continued to explain why he wanted new formations this year for the team. This year, the team lost a couple of seniors from last year’s team and gained a few in the process, he feels that there needed to be a new way of playing, a way that would guarantee more wins and have a better chance at progressing to different levels of competitions. The different types of girls on the team have different types of abilities and it is something that Barr wants to expose and surface. He believes if he gives the girls an opportunity to show their skills earlier in the season, they will benefit later. While they continue to compete in matches and practice after school, Barr and the girls hope to come to a conclusion on which girls should play what positions.

They will continue to challenge themselves to be ready for their district games in January and regional games that only consist of 3 matches.

la to rvel ed a T p ld r, he ing pum o i n t e t a, s , ge rsm round e o sa aB enn huddle avella.

J r ar m pe kee the tea t rival T ress l a a go ove, sa P e i f l , t e E f Le by Ab p to d UT: v. 18. tos u o O h o P ‘EM nN ING loss o T T 0 a 1SHU