prowl Coral Glades High School
2009, 2010 COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION CROWN WINNER
2010
NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION PACEMAKER WINNER
INSIDE
CAPS FOR CANCER
Junior collects bottle tops to benefit cancer patients, inspired by her mother’s survival. NEWS, Page 7
OP/ED BAD SCHOOL HABITS
Students’ unnecessary and disrespectful school behavior, such as cellphone usage during class time, needs to end. Page 10
LIFE PERU TRIP FOR NEEDY
Over spring break, junior Daniella Montero travels to Peru, not to vacation, but to volunteer alongside university doctors. Page 14
SPORTS MANAGERS ARE KEY
Usually overlooked, sport managers of teams ranging from football to swimming are vital to the success of the season. Page 21
BACK FEATURE
SUITING UP FOR COMBAT
Four ROTC seniors decide to enlist in the military forces after graduating high school instead of taking conventional route to college. Page 24
NOT SO
BRIGHT
FUTURES
Students no longer rely on Florida scholarship program. PAGE 6
RIVALRIES
Volume 7 Issue 6 April 2011
Competition against Trojans and Eagles enhances Jaguar sporting events. PAGE 23
STAYING
SAFE
Being aware of one’s surroundings can be vital in keeping out of harm’s way Assault Concerns By The Numbers
AMYWEISS STAFF WRITER
W
alking down the streets of Coral Springs, teenagers are not aware of the possible danger. The violent crime rate of the city is 56% less than the Florida average and 18% less than the national average, but according to a number of experts the most important way to be safe does not involve guns, explosives, tasers, or pepper spray; instead it is just to be aware. “It’s important to have awareness of the people around you. If anything looks suspicious, report it,” School Resource Officer Bonasera said. It is actually dangerous when someone walks around alone texting or daydreaming. While jamming out to music with ear buds in on high volume, teenagers may not realize they become targets by blocking any audible warning of a stranger sneaking up on them. “Awareness is extremely important. Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings, the common trends in crime, what they can do to avoid becoming a victim of a crime. Another word for awareness is education. Become educated in how to stay safe. Knowledge is power. Be smart,” Crime Prevention Officer Kerry Draddy said. Teenagers do common actions that they do not realize can put them into danger. Not having keys out and ready while going out to the parking lot or exercising alone even in daylight. When even awareness is not enough people can develop ways to defend themselves. “Self confidence with the knowledge of
60%
of sexual assaults are not reported
Sexual Assaults at Florida Universities 2007-2009
*The white bars represent the reported cases. The red bars represent the number of cases added if reported.
Total reported and unreported assault cases
Juniors Chris Talavera and Sarah Newman practice Tae Kwon Do for self defense. graphics by Raquel Garza
techniques and control,” Parks Tae Kwon Do Master Instructor Jong Yeo said. According to Master Yeo, avoiding panic is key to proper defense. “I’d like to emphasize that control is good. No panic, learn how to control oneself. Calm down, realize the situation and take action,” said Master Yeo who has been involved in martial arts training for 25 years. See PROFESSIONALS, page 13
AMYWEISS STAFF WRITER
GLADES BUCKET LIST
Michaela Palermo senior
Self defense is an important discipline that many people do not possess and may not be safe without. Master Yeo from Parks Tae Kwon Do came to Ms. Jennifer Redmond’s second and third period women studies classes on March 22 to teach the students special techniques in case they are ever confronted with an attack. “He taught us the most common
*Assaults typically reported to local police
Though least likely to report assaults, males make up about 10 percent of all victims. 150 male students/ 150 female students polled
42% YES
15% YES
male
8%
NO male
female
35% NO female
Do you feel safe walking alone in Coral Springs at night? Sources: U.S. Department of Education/ Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network
Tae Kwon Do studio teaches defense
CENTERSPREAD
Skydiving and meeting a celebrity are some of the many activities that students want to do before they die. Page 14
2700 Spor tsplex Drive Cor al Springs, Florida 33065
Browa rd Coll ege* Univer sity of Florid a Florid a Stat e Univ e r s ity Florid a Atla ntic U nivers ity Florid a Inte rnatio nal Un iUniver sity of Centra l Florid a
the
ways people would attack and how to use our arms and legs,” senior Sydney Mills said. Although the class is called “women’s studies”, males also participate. Junior David Ravdin attended this session. He said the lesson was primarily to kick male assailants where they are most vulnerable. “I don’t feel the need to use the techniques but it’s useful knowledge,” Ravdin said “We just learned about domestic violence.”
“A lot of them are seniors going to college,” Redmond said. “Defense is a serious issue when you go away to college.” She explained that one in five college students are raped on campus and that most colleges do not even follow through with a report on it. “Even though we’ve been talking about women and violence, we wanted to get something positive and give the students the power to prevent it,” Redmond said.
2 APRIL 2011
theprowl
NEWS
“Before, I was excited to work hard in order to gain rewards of going to college for free. I feel like my efforts were slightly worthless.”
Albertt Scalone senior
speech
Organizations helped
Sarah Stauffer art
“Right now I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Fine Arts. I plan on going into art therapy.”
>> >> >> >> >> >>
“I just hope my project was special enough to impact at least one child the same way I was impacted many years ago.”
$
$
$$
“The emphasis [on my project] is on working with your community on an ongoing basis to see what new needs come up and find ways to help.”
mathematics “It was nice to work [at my former summer camp] with the same ladies that helped mold me into the person I am today.”
Fifty-two years ago, John S. Knight, publisher of the Miami Herald, created the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards to honor high school students who have excelled in and out of school, and have contributed significantly to their community. Today, all public, private, and parochial schools in MiamiDade and Broward Counties have the opportunity to nominate 15 students each year in categories ranging from New Media to Business. Each year, sponsor Mrs. Roxanne Brissett chooses outstanding Jaguars with at least a 3.2 GPA to represent Coral Glades. “Silver Knight is an over 50-year-old institution committed to recognizing students who are leaders of the community with a strong sense of altruism,” Brissett said. “[This year’s group] are all good kids who are very intelligent. It is an honor to be nominated for this award.” - Maddie Flager
music
Key Club works with the SOS Children’s Village, a foster care site that supports children who have aged out of regular foster care. Due to privacy issues, the club used to only be able to send supplies, but this year management changed and Key Club treasurer Rochelle Alleyne visited the Village and planned a movie night with the kids. “I am really honored to be a part of this. I feel like this is a little bit of Key Club History that I am helping to change,” Alleyne said. “I am proud to represent my school in a category that’s extremely important to me. I will be attending Journalism school in the fall and I hope to continue to impact the community.”
young avjRecruiting musicians
Kelvin Medina, nominated for the music category, has studied viola for six to seven years. He believes that music is a gift and wants to share his love with children. “I directed a project at Margate Middle School called ‘Music Extravaganza,’” Medina said. We had an instrumental petting zoo that allowed them to play on donated string instruments.”
Kyle Shephard
Reaching Out
general scholarship
“I’ve excelled in this category by my leadership positions on many sports teams.”
Brett Rabinovich, Executive Producer of WJAG’s TV production program, reached out to Parkside Elementary School this year to help train future TV production members. “I wanted younger people to get a feel for what it was like. I brought a camera and a computer to Parkside and was able to teach kids ages 7-10 how to use a professional video camera and how to edit video clips,” Rabinovich said.
Greg Foster
awards
Kelvin Medina
social studies
Last year, DECA started a Battle of the Bands event, with 100% of the proceeds donated to Best Buddies. “I saw that the bands, students, and faculty had an amazing time, so why not continue the tradition,” DECA co-president Mann said.
SILVER KNIGHT
“I am certainly interested in pursuing a business career, possibly in the hospitality industry.”
Rochelle Alleyne
sports
The
business
$
Future generations
Kevin Greisel Battle of the Bands
“It was nice to be a part of a select group of students who were representing the school.”
Peter Mann
>> Judges select one Silver Knight and three Honorable Mentions for each category.
“I dealt had direct relationships with youth by working with kids ages 7 - 9 involved in the Coral Springs Flag Football Club.”
science
>> In 2010, the school had its two highest finishers in Silver Knight history. Alumni Jessica Leuchter and Samantha Rosier each took home an honorable mention for their respective categories of Mathematics and Journalism. Leuchter’s project involved mentoring students in math for two years; as a senior she was president of Mu Alpha Theta. Rosier was Editor-in-Chief for The Prowl and conducted a seat belt advocacy program for young students throughout the county.
“[I want to give] a special thanks to Mrs. Brissett and Mr. Ramirez for going out of their way to make the whole application process as stressfree as possible.”
Abandoned Pet Rescue SOS Children’s Village Micheal Brewer Charity Fundraiser Northeast Focal Point Senior Center Sunday in the Afternoon with Music Jewish Communiy Center of Coral Springs
Matthew Watkins
Making History
Recipients receive $2,000, a statue and a medallion presented by American Airlines. Honorable Mentions receive $500 and a plaque.
Adam Waters
“I used to be in band, and the volunteer ensembles seemed fun. I wanted to bring music to people and enrich their lives.”
Yoni Muller
english
Rohan Nadkarni journalism
Accomplishments
>> Yoni Muller - National Council of Teachers of English Award Winner >> Rohan Nadkarni - 2010 Sun-Sentinel Journalism Award - 1st Place Columnist >> Adam Waters - 4th Place in Novice States Debate Competition for Extemporous Speaking; 2nd Place in Novice Public Forum Debate at the Catholic Forensics League District Tournament >> Kelvin Medina - Principal violist of the Gold Coast Youth Orchestra >> Peter Mann - 1st place at DECA districts in Hotel & Lodging Management 5th place in International Business Plan at DECA states
Brett Rabinovich new media
“I was able to teach children ages 7-10 how to use a professional video camera, how to edit video clips and how they could perform a show of their own.”
theprowl
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NEWS
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ob-hunting becomes a priority for teens once they enter high school in their attempt to save money for the future. Coral Springs hires teens with a salary ranging from $10 to $55.
Leal
2
LAWN SERVICE Mowing the lawn can be a strenuous job, especially in the Florida heat, but the job is well worth the pay. Pay rates for teen lawn mowers start from around $10 and can include some generous tips.
1
CASHIER Every business has a cash register to collect revenue, which requires the job position of a cashier. Teens can easily learn how to use the cash register. The skills of counting money and dealing with consumers are useful for future jobs and life in general.
FOOD SERVICE Coral Springs is home to many flourishing food businesses. Teens are often hired at restaurants or other food joints. Being a waiter or busboy requires relentless attention and patience because the customer should always remain happy. “I feel that it’s my job to allow [the diners] to have a pleasurable experience, so I normally pay attention to their needs and see what I can do for them,” senior and busboy Andrew Trott said.
3
PUBLIX WORKER Publix super markets surround Coral Springs. Working for Publix, where “shopping is a pleasure,” can be an enjoyable experience for the worker as well. Teens hired by Publix bag groceries, fetch shopping carts in the parking lot, and stock shelves. Starting at the age of 13, teens can work only on the weekends until they gain experience. Dealing with the shoppers can be difficult though, according to senior Brandon Rizzo, who has had his fair share of “stubborn” patrons while working.
APRIL 2011 3
5 4
BABYSITTER A great deal of patience and responsibility are key to taking on the job of a babysitter. Most parents require a babysitter at nighttime, so teens do not have to worry about their job interfering with school. The job can pay up to $20 an hour, depending on the hours and the amount of children the babysitter is watching. “I have five steady families that come to me when their kids need to be watched. I love the hard work, it shows me that one day I’ll be able handle my own kids,” sophomore Karina Waggoner said.
250 students surveyed
4 APRIL 2011
NEWS
theprowl
Professionals provide tips on being cautious STAY SAFE, from page 1
Also, in addition to classes offered by Tae Kwan Do studios like Master Yeo’s, the Coral Springs Police Department offers two classes for self-defense for women. “Knowledge is power. Get smart, stay smart. The city and police department offer several types of courses that might be of interest to high school teens,” Draddy said. Two are self defense classes for females: RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) 954-346-1227 and SAFE (Self Awareness Familiarization Education) 954-346-1232. Not many teenagers know how to defend themselves against the many different crimes committed. “It’s important to know little techniques just to know beforehand because you don’t have enough time to think during an attack,” Redmond said. Redmond thinks it is especially important for women to be aware. “There’s a different level of safety as a woman than a man. Women have to live their lives always being aware of surroundings.” Aside from personal safety, crimes against property can happen too. People need to secure their items both at home and at school. “First be responsible for your valuables, anything that is valuable to you,” security specialist Brent Roberson said. Just in January and February alone there have been 116 auto burglaries, 37 auto thefts, 78 residential burglary, 17 robberies, and 20 grand thefts in the city of Coral Springs, according to the city’s Police Department website. Meanwhile, back on campus, both Officer Bonasera and Roberson say that the school does everything it can for safety. “The way the school is designed, safety was pivotal,” Roberson said. Officer Bonasera agreed and said that the administration is prepared to handle many situations. “We have our moments of conflict,” Bonasera said. “We’ve had drugs, we’ve had weapons, we’ve had drug
SELF-DEFENSE: Master Yeo and his assistant demonstrate to Ms. Redmond’s third period women studies class how to properly defend themselves from an attacker that is behind them. photo by Niki Namazi dogs come into school.” Roberson pointed out that safety is not just a school issue. “There are many aspects that come into play when you come in school and when you leave school,” Roberson said. Outside of school, students have to be aware of the dangers of the media. “Kid have always fought, now it’s just a little different. The media has made things different,” Bonasera said. Cell phones, social networking, and instant
communication can allow teens to have conflicts. “A majority of problems come from cell phones,” Bonasera said. All types of technology allow for different sorts of dangers that teens would not have ordinarily been exposed to. “Facebook is creepy and allows people to look at your life,” junior Lavanya Krishnan said. “I think Facebook makes it more open to people finding where we live.” Roberson said that the internet exposure is dangerous and people can send inappropriate messages on their cell phones. “In the beginning it may be a one on one thing but can open doors for an unsafe situation,” Roberson said. An unsafe situation can be online sexual predators. Many online predators pretend to be someone younger and more appealing to lure a teen into trusting them. In total, 45 sexual offenders/predators are within a five mile radius of our school. “Sexual predators are smarter and more suave than teens. They’ve been at it longer,” Officer Draddy said. “The best advice I can give regarding this is to never give out personal info over the Internet. Once it’s out there, it stays there.” Predators can be convicted by reasons of either transmission of material harmful to minors by electronic equipment, computer pornography, kidnapping, false imprisonment, luring or enticing a child, sexual battery, and/or unlawful sexual activity with minors. “Even putting the city where you attend school makes it very easy for an offender to find out where you live, attend school, your phone number, and more,” Officer Draddy said. “Know where the nearest [predators] reside from your home or from the locations you tend to frequent.” Some students are taking the message to be safe seriously. Senior Sydney Mills said she would be afraid to walk around Coral Springs at night and always makes sure she has someone with her in case of an emergency. Mills has the right approach, but all teens should be aware when danger comes. Preparation is key.
NEWS
theprowl
Program offers alternative for earning credits
SHAKESPEARE
LAURENKLITZ NEWS EDITOR
WHEREFORE ART THOU: Sophomores Johnny Centeno and Gage Puyear put a twist on Shakespeare’s most famous plays in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). They performed the play at night in the cafeteria from April 13-14. To perform a comedic and modernized version of Shakespeare, seven males took on various roles, including those of females, throughout the night and went through each one of Shakespeare’s plays. photo by Erum Kidwai
Project PAUSE begins
Health seminar teaches teens the value of abstinence CHRISTINACHARAN STAFF WRITER
Project PAUSE (Prevent, Achieve, Understand, Succeed, Educate) is a program designed to teach kids about sex education. The program was made for students to learn about STD’s, teen pregnancies, AIDS, and HIV viruses. This program will teach students about the myths of STD contraction and prevention. Students will also learn about teen pregnancy prevention and how to avoid getting pregnant through abstinence. “After meeting with the educators from project PAUSE I know that this program will be a major success and I look forward to the positive reaction for our school,” health teacher Mrs. Anne Weinrib said. The program started in health classes on April 18 and will continue until May 20. The
program will be taught to at least 3-5 other middle and high schools in Broward County. “Project PAUSE is interesting because the instructor knows how to relate to students very well,” freshman Rachel Ramdeen said. “He helps the class understand by using terms we would know.” Students taking part in the classes will also learn about refusal skills as well as discussions on self-esteem and peer pressure. The instructor of the class helps students relax and learn how to be open in sex education. The instructors also use an acronym, LGBTQ, to encourage students to be open about their sexual preference. The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The purpose is to let students know that it is acceptable to be of a different sexual orientation than the normal in an unbiased environment.
Broward County Public Schools recently implemented a program for students who may be behind in credits or have not been able to achieve their highest potential in an ordinary high school setting. The Alternative Educational programs created for students at least 16 years old was established one year ago. Students can participate in the Be Right Back or BRB program at any Alternative Secondary Schools or at one of the Off Campus Learning Centers. A variety of instructional programs offered to participating students commonly include credit recovery, computer instruction, traditional classroom teaching, flexible scheduling, and share-time. Junior Kirsten Coleman has been taking rigorous class schedules for her past three years and finds it unfair that people can see school as too hard and take the “easy way out.” “I think that students should not have the ability to drop out of school to catch up with their credits when it is completely possible to take online classes or night school to be able to catch up,” Coleman said. The goal of the county does not lie in giving students a simpler way to do things instead they provide them with the tools they need to graduate and to become successful adult citizens. After going through the program, students can earn a standard high school diploma. “I think it’s a good idea because some students don’t know how important high school really is until later on. It gives them a second chance,” senior Bryan Shapiro said. BRB bases its rules on the knowledge that all students cannot possibly be the same and their style should be adjustable to that of the students. This is contrary to forcing these students to conform to uncomfortable teaching styles. Admission processes are voluntary. Flexible class times include a morning and afternoon schedule depending on the student. Small classes make the environment more of a one-on-one experience to benefit the student. “If I have to stay in school and go through the normal four year high school experience no matter how frustrating it is, I don’t understand why other people can pick their schedules and have so much more flexibility,” Coleman said. Students who take on alternative schooling do not always see this as the easy way out. Struggles come with the program and homework still stresses students out along with having to find some type of transportation to the learning center. For most, having a job can also be a pressure that accompanies taking part in the BRB Program. Because these students dropped-out, they often have jobs to fill the normal school hours. Prevention officers see placing students in the right environment, depending on their skills, as the crucial factor that would ultimately determine whether the teenagers proceed through the program to earn a high school diploma.
APRIL 2011 5
Campus
CALENDAR
April 28-May 1 Florida Scholastic Press Association State Convention Journalism Trip - Orlando
May 2-13
Advanced Placement Exams
May 2 Environmental Science, Chemistry, Psychology May 3 Computer Science A, Spanish Language, Art History May 4 Calculus AB, Calculus BC May 5 English Literature & Composition May 6 United States History European History May 9 Biology, Music Theory Physics May 10 U.S. Government Comparative Government May 11 English Language & Composition, Statistics May 12 World History May 13 Human Geography, Spanish Literature
May 11
Marine Science Snorkeling Trip
May 13 HOSA: Blood Drive Mini-Gym All Day
May 14 Prom
Westin Bonaventure Time:
May 16
SAC Meeting
Media Center 2:50 p.m.
DECA Ethics Conference Time: Location: TBA
May 16-17 Kaleidoscope of the Arts
An evening of music, dance, and art. The show includes music performed by the band and the orchestra and performances by the color guard. Coral Springs Center for the Arts 7 p.m.
May 16-20 Math End of Course Exams
For students taking Algebra 1B, Algebra 1, Algebra Honors or any ninth grader in Geometry or higher
May 20
Straight A Breakfast
Media Center @ 9 a.m.
May 23-27 Geometry End of Course Field Test
For any student in geometry or geometry honors
May 24-27 Senior Exams Tuesday Period 7 Wednesday Period 6, 5 Thursday Period 1, 4 Friday Period 3, 2
May 26
Athletic Banquet
Time: Location:
mention The Prowl Get a discount on prom corsages Events
May 30
Memorial Day No School
6 APRIL 2011
NEWS
theprowl
Students lose $33 million in scholarships With over $100 million cut from federal funds, students must raise their SAT verbal scores to 1300 along with volunteer hours to 100 in order to qualify for Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship. MOLLYSCHULSON MANAGING EDITOR
University of Florida’s President Bernie Machen announced in February that a 30 percent increase in tuition rates should be expected next year in order to make up for state budget cuts on education. As tuition rates steadily rise, Florida’s Bright Future scholarship program has received major cuts, including a loss of $33.8 million. This was part of recent federal budget cuts that totalled over $100 million. Students should plan on receiving less scholarship money from Bright Futures. Junior Daniella Montero, who plans on taking advantage of the scholarship, worries about her future. “This really is not right. The government is supposed to help students and each year they should be increasing, not cutting, funds,” Montero said. Montero believes cutting scholarships funds will make the college experience less enjoyable for students, since they will be focused on their financial struggles instead of their education and college life. “It’s not fair that just because I was born a few years later I don’t receive the benefits that my older sister, for example, was given,” Montero said. The Florida Legislature created the Bright Futures scholarship program in 1997 to reward students for their academic successes and to keep them in state. Initially, the program cost about $70 million, but in thirteen years the amount increased sixfold. Bright Futures provides funding for students to attend post-secondary education in Florida. Originally, the scholarship had two awards; one paid for 100 percent of a student’s tuition while the other paid for 75 percent. Now, students do not receive all of their promised money. A
new system gives students money per credit hour. To make up for the significant loss of funds, lawmakers have considered narrowing down scholarship recipients to only families in financial need. About one-third of Bright Futures recipients have family incomes of less that $20,000 a year, according to the Florida College Access Network. “It is messed up. Tuition is becoming more expensive and the money I get for scholarships is going down,” senior Albertt Scalone said. “It makes no sense.” About 28 percent of tuition and fees would be covered, on average, by the scholarship under the proposed changes. This is a significant decrease compared to the average 2006 scholarship that covered 73 percent of tuition and fees. One proposed plan by the Florida College Access Network would only give students $500 if their families made more than $150,000, compared to the $2500 that students from less-affluent families would receive. A number of students depend on the merit-based scholarship because their parents’ combined salaries disqualify them from obtaining financial-based scholarships. “Before, I was excited to work hard in order to gain rewards of going to college for free. I feel like my efforts were slightly worthless,” Scalone said. Bright Futures currently serves 181,000 Florida students. In order to be eligible for the 2010 scholarship, students had to earn a combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 970. Last year, the Florida Lottery, which funds the scholarship program, could not cover the cost because so many students qualified. Lawmakers believe that the high number of eligible students is due to the fact that the requirements are too low. Ninety-eight percent of students at the University of Florida qualified for the scholarship. “By raising the SAT score, less kids will be going to
Family income level of Bright Futures recipients $40,001-60,000
$150,000+ less than $20,000
$60,001-80,000 $80,001-10,000 $100,001-150,000
$150,000+
source: The Gainsville Sun, graphic by Rebecca Miller
college. Some people, like me, may be bad test takers but straight ‘A’ students. I don’t think it is fair,” senior Ashley Dey said. A new draft to the budget has changed the qualification standards. The qualifying score of 970 has risen to 980. By 2014, students must receive at least a 1050. Students now need to obtain a 1300 on their SAT to qualify for the highest tier of the scholarship. The amount of community service hours needed also increased to 100 hours. “I support them raising the SAT scores. This will ensure that the people getting the scholarship actually deserve it,” senior Kyle Shepard said. The highest tier of the scholarship provides students with approximately $3750, but this number could decrease by $850 next year. For some students, every dollar counts. “It is really dumb that they are cutting funds. This country is dependent on the students of today,” senior Daniel Sharvit said. “If we have smart kids who need financial aid and can’t get it from their school work, then we have no future.”
theprowl
N E W S
CAPABLE
OF CARING Inspired by her mother’s battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, junior Ashley Forlenza begins schoolwide collection of caps to benefit patients
“It’s not hard. Some people run 500 miles to give back but I can’t do that. This is the simplest thing I can do Typically, not many teenagers think about how they to give back,” Forlenza said. Caps for Care began with people wanting to be able can make a difference. Most do service hours only for graduation requirements or scholarships. Junior Ashley to recycle the bottle caps as well as just the bottle. Caps for Forlenza, though, has a goal. She wants to impact society Care founder, Kerri Brophy, researched ways she could recycle these bottle caps and discovered an internet hoax and help others in need. For the past few years Forlenza has been giving back about the caps being collected for Cancer and Leukemia. Many people were constantly donating to each other. to society to help people with cancer by participating in Caps for Care, a service project in which people collect As those people donated to other people, these other people donated to other people. No one really bottle caps and exchange them for money go the donation, instead it was just a cycle to donate to cancer research. going nowhere. Once Brophy saw this, she Her participation in Caps for Care “Beginning leaped to action and decided to create Caps is inspired by her mother’s battle with a project for Care to help find the cure while helping Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. of any sort the environment. “I was really little so I wasn’t old All the proceeds go towards people enough to understand how serious it was. It and seeing it who cannot afford chemotherapy, radiation was scary because she used to have all these through instills therapy, and hematopoietic stem cell iodine marks all over her, her hair was gone, she was sick all the time, and she had scars on confidence and transplantation. It pays for medicine and hospitals. Caps for Care donates some of the her chest from her mediport,” Forlenza said. pride,” money to the American Cancer Society who “I remember when she got a call saying gives the money to cancer patients so they they couldn’t find any more cancer cells and Margaret Forlenza are able to take care of their family as well as she was cured. We were all crying together mother pay for Cancer treatments. The organizations as a family.” Caps for Care donates the proceeds to include Her mother’s friend would collect bottle caps so Forlenza decided to do it too. Forlenza’s Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, family has a container on their kitchen counter where they Shands Hospital, and The Victory Junction Gang. “I am very proud that Ashley is willing to begin a collect bottle caps and they always make sure to check any bottle before they place it in the recycling bin. Her project that will raise not only money but also awareness of the little ways we can all help that don’t even financially mother’s work place also collects them.
SARAHPRUZANSKY STAFF WRITER
Band starts KOTA rehearsals
Senior Send-Off supports charities
Preparations have begun for the Coral Glades High School Music Association’s fifth annual Kaleidoscope of the Arts, or KOTA. The theme for this year’s performance will be “My Life.” To be performed on Monday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 17, the show will be held at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts at 7 pm both nights. The pieces include “Shivers,” “Bloodline,” “Euphoria,” “Tantrum,” “Pandemonium,” and many more. KOTA consists of the band, orchestra, color guard, and percussion performing separately, as well as collaberating on some of the pieces. Nothing short of exhilarating, KOTA supplies audiences with a rush of emotions, covering both ends of the emotions spectrum, and everything in between. Rigorous rehearsals begin on Monday, April 18, and take place every day after school until opening night. Pieces are also practiced during music classes during the school day. - Gabe Grossman
Student Government will be holding the annual Senior Send-Off Party on April 29 in the gym. This event honors the departing senior class and shows them how much the school appreciates them. Three options available for payment are handing in three cans of food for the food drive, two dollars, or a dollar and one can. The money collected from this event will be going to multiple charities including March for the Hungry and a medical research charity. When walking through the door, only the seniors receive special crowns. This event will be hosted by Darren Phan and Leo Escobar. A few games being featured are balloon pop and blanket chariot which involve various students from each class competing against each other. When the assembly ends, the seniors leave their crowns behind on their seats. Then all underclassmen shift over and juniors put on the crowns. All other classes follow the suit and sit in the next class up seats. - Amy Weiss
APRIL 2011 7 EACH CAP COUNTS: Junior Ashley Forlenza organizes and counts the bottle caps collected throughout the school day by teachers and students. She gave individual teachers bags to collect caps during class. Every time she collects 1000 caps, she sends them to the Caps for Care organization who in turn provide her with money to donate to her favorite charity: the American Cancer Society. The money goes toward cancer research and treatment. photo by Molly Schulson
impact us, but help a cause and the environment,” Margaret Forlenza, Ashley’s mother, said. “I think that beginning a project of any sort and seeing it through instills confidence and pride. She feels empowered by her ability to make a change.” Recently National Honor Society, has been taking part of this charity work offering service hours for donating bottle tabs on soda cans and will be starting to do bottle caps soon as well.
LOOK BACK: Junior Ashley Forlenza and her brother James pose with their mother as she battled with cancer in 1998. photo courtsey of Ashley Forlenza
May elections to determine class officers Several students have taken on the challenge of campaigning for important leadership roles in this years class elections. Officer positions require all candidates to have a 2.5 unweighted GPA, satisfactory conduct grades, and a petition containing several signatures. For the senior class of 2011-2012, junior Eric Xu will run unopposed for senior class president along with junior Michelle Futo who will run for senior class vice-president also unopposed. The senior class next year will also have a second vice president who acts as a back-up for vice president. Juniors Daniella Gual and Corey Chain will campaign for that position. This year the class elections received more applicants than expected. Five students will campaign for junior class vice president position along with two who will campaign for president. Freshman William Xu will run for the sophomore class president position against freshman Jamie Raff. Campaign work will begin in the week of May 2 for the candidates including the showing of candidate speeches on May 3 and May 4 in each science class. Voting will last for three days starting on May 4. - Nadja Hibbert
8 APRIL 2011
OPINION
85
theprowl ALANNA BROWDY, Co-Editor-in-Chief MADDIE FLAGER, Co-Editor-in-Chief MOLLY SCHULSON, Managing Editor LAUREN KLITZ, News Editor MATTHEW TANNER, Opinions Editor TORI HARTSTEIN, Life Editor ROHAN NADKARNI, Sports Editor JORDYN GRINNELL, Features Editor JENNIFER HOY, Layout Editor KAITLYN O’NEIL, Business Manager NIKI NAMAZI, Photography Editor GABRIEL GROSSMAN, Copy Editor JONATHAN GORDON, Adviser
F E AT U R E D FA C T
Percent of students admit to texting on a regular basis during class based on a survey of 200 students.
YOUR VOICE l LETTERS Coral Glades students really lack school spirit, especially in sporting events. If there was a way to increase the amount of school spirit, our school would be the best in the county. Kevin Greisel senior
Longer Breaks Needed
I think that the school needs to give more time to get to class, because most people do not have time without running between classes. Daniel Jaramillo freshman
Clean Up
Our school needs to make some changes like adding some artwork, making the cafeteria nicer, and having cleaner water fountains around campus. Greg Mason junior
Common Courtesy
I dread waiting for most of the lunch period in a skipperfilled line in order to eventually make it to the front just to find that simple condiments, milk, or sometimes even the meals themselves have run out. Watching the person who cut you earlier in the line walking to their seat with extra condiments makes me very angry. Karriyma Bintu-Raqib senior
Crowded Pathways
I do not like how the walls in the front are blocked off. A lot of students sit there and when they are blocked off they have nowhere to go and others areas get more crowded. Sandra Lee junior
Locked Out
Unfair Late Policy
The late policy should be handled differently in the mornings. It is unfair to make students miss most of their first hour because they walked to class thirty seconds late. Sam Rojas senior
“It is unfair to make students miss most of their first hour because they were 30 seconds late.”
- Sam Rojas, senior
I could never do this in person
NEW FOUND CONFIDENCE is dressed n ready 4 prom
Jane, will u go 2 prom w/ me???... :* :) :D
REBECCA MILLER TRISHA MCCUTCHEN BRIANNA PEYTON CIARA PEREZ PETRO SARAH PRUZANSKY GABRIELLE QUINTERO DIEANOUCHAKA REMY BROOKE SAVAGE MATTHEW SHEINBAUM ROHAN SHETTY ASIA TAIT AMY WEISS SAMI WORTMAN
The Prowl welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for poor taste, libel, and space. These changes will not affect their meaning. Opinions expressed in the paper are those of the individual writers or the staff and do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty, student body, adviser or advertisers. The Prowl is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Advertising which promotes illegal products under Florida law, includes false statements or is written in bad taste will not be accepted. The Prowl is an open forum for student expression. The Prowl is a 2009 CSPA Crown Award Winner and 2010 NSPA Pacemaker Winner. The opinions of The Prowl do not reflect that of Broward County School District.
Lack of Spirit
UOTABLES
C A R T O O N I G A B R I E L L E TA C H E R
Staffers
TEMPLE BRAY RACHEL BRILL ASHLEY CAMPO CHRISTINA CHARAN CAMERON COOPER ALANNA DEGOL ALEXIS MUNDY NAOMI FIZOUATY THOMAS GHEBREZGI BETHANY HERSHOWITZ NADJA HIBBERT BRIONNA HUERTAS MARISSA HULLETT
Q
theprowl
I do not like how you cannot go to your car during school to put things away. We should not have to ask permission when the gates are closed. It should not be a problem. Nobody is going to ram through the gate. Emily Haney senior
S O C I A L T R E N D l K A I T LY N O ’NE I L
Crash diets not necessary for dress shopping
M
ost people know Prom as the night that girls have been dreaming of since they could walk. Girls dress in brilliant gowns they imagined ever since they were little. But now that night has finally arrived, and these same little girls have grown far beyond playing pretend in their mother’s closets because now, looks mean everything. People come in all shapes and sizes; tall, short, fat, thin and so on. The same thing can be said for prom dresses, no two styles being exactly the same. Yet girls say the same things every year, “I have to go on a diet to fit in my prom dress.” No, girls can still look beautiful without going on a diet. The dream dress exists out there, and it will fit without having to change shape or size. Everyone looks different in the clothes that they wear and with good reason. Clothes add to personality and squeezing into a dress two sizes too small changes that appearance. Avoid doing the diet for the dress and find something that fits comfortably and looks good without having to change. To go on a diet and become healthier can be great, but there are a lot of risks with picking up a random diet without talking to a professional first or starting to take diet pills. A diet needs to be thought out beforehand in order to stay healthy. After that, looking better becomes a part of the reward, not the goal. It seems that when most people talk about going on a diet in order to fit into an article of clothing, they plan to go on a crash diet. A crash diet means to drastically cut back on calorie intake and may include additional intense exercise that the body is not accustomed to. Crash diets can have both short and long term effects on the body. Mood swings can be a common effect of crash dieting; add prom into that equation and the mix will just turn out lousy. No one wants to be subject to a mood swing whiplash. Dizziness and lack of energy can be considered another common effect. Cranky, tired, and dizzy are three factors that will take away from the perfect prom night and create a disaster. They can also cause serious nutrient deficiencies, such as a lack of potassium and sodium, which control muscle and nerve function. Also, as a result of the lacking calories, the
O’Neil is Business Manager for The Prowl, a member of debate, and a senior. She believes that everyone should enjoy prom and feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter their dress size.
body starts to break down muscles in order to have enough energy for vital organs to function. Other health defects could include the chance of developing osteoporosis because calcium leaches out of the bones and into the body without calcium intake. The longer that the diet continues, the more severe the risks can become. Fitting into that dress no longer seems as important. It is not to say that finding the perfect dress will be easy, but it will certainly be better than attempting starvation. It may take hours in various dressing rooms looking in the mirror only to see a reflection looking back that is mortifying. Eventually, though, the right dress will be stumbled upon and the reflection looking back from that dressing room mirror will be an elegantly beautiful vision right out of those little-girl dreams. Different shopping boutiques also have different things in other styles, so look for dresses in places other than the department stores. Some stores now even keep a database of customers, as well as their schools, to make sure no two people have the same dress at prom. Dresses look different on everyone, and have different designs for a reason. Dresses appropriate for prom can vary. Try picking out something different and try it on, because it always looks different on than it does on the rack. That dress on the rack that just looks like a train wreck could look amazing, but the opposite could also be true. Short dresses can look long on a short person, and short dresses on tall girls could be too short. As for the fear of unwanted curves showing, dresses that have the right waste line or that are cut the right way can make them disappear without starvation. Finding the perfect dress can be hard work, but in the end the results will be worth it. There will only ever be one senior prom and it should be perfect in every way. This includes the prom dress, and finding one that fits will be much more satisfying than working to fit the dress.
It is not to say that finding the perfect dress will be easy, but it will certainly be better than attempting starvation.
theprowl
O P I N I O N
Libya Update
Colleges take profiles into consideration
Last issue, The Prowl reported on the uprising in the Middle East. A month later, conflict persists in the region.
Chapter 4: Uprising Unsettle
d, Chaos Continues: April 201
1
101
Thoughts on Libya
“From a historian’s perspective, it is exciting to see people fighting against their dictator. It is also upsetting because many people are dying. I am happy to see the United States President Obama began an air and sea campaign over Libya in order to protect the innocent civilians living there. Supposedly this does not include the 48 civilians who were killed by cruise missiles and air strikes fired by the U.S. and European forces in the middle of March. Not to mention the 150 other people who were severely injured. This does not make sense. Fighting fire with fire is not the answer. Yet, even this is beside the point. The U.S. should not become involved in Libya’s turmoil, especially when their domestic problems, such as a crumbling education system are such prominent issues. Citizens should be aware that America is $14 trillion in debt, and this number increases by $4 billion each day. Instead of wasting money on missiles, battleships, and other war material, we should take our military resources out of Libya and stop spending money that we do not have. Thankfully, the U.S. has refused to send ground troops into Libya. For now, troops are only blasting missiles from the air and sea. It has also been reported by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that American commitment will begin to “ramp down.” Who knows how long it will take to remove all military resources? The United States
APRIL 2011 9
BROOKE SAVAGE
for
by Molly Schulson
helping out, but I hope the United States does not over extend themselves,” - Mr. Daniel Alonso TV Production Teacher
should never have sent them at all. The U.S. tends to involve itself in other countries’ business. Perhaps the real reason that America is so involved in Libya’s turmoil is because they have the largest oil reserves in Africa. Even though only a small percentage of U.S. oil imports come from Libya, it is a different story for America’s European counterparts. Europe receives over 85 percent of Libya’s crude oil exports. With as much as a quarter of Libya’s oil production shut down, America’s allies are being heavily impacted. So, in response to the oil crisis, President Obama decided to wage war. It may not be war in the technical sense, because only Congress can declare war and no troops have set foot in Libya, but it seems like it. The United Nations also approved a resolution that allowed the U.S. to conduct a military intervention in Libya. After approval, an American military offensive attacked Libya’s air defense. A no-fly zone was also imposed by the U.N., which is an act of war under their constitution.
The United States needs to speed up the removal of military resources so that they can focus on more important domestic issues, such as education or the economy.
F
acebook has always been known as a social networking site that allows users to create profiles and stay connected. Every day, people post things that have to do with their lives. They can upload pictures, create statuses, and contact their friends. However, some people take this too far. By posting inappropriate content, people, especially college-bound teens, fail to realize who actually could be looking at their profile. Students beware, because according to a Kaplan survey of college admissions officers, more than 80 percent of colleges check Facebook profiles before recruiting new students. Luckily, Facebook has settings that allow users to keep their profiles private. They can limit how much of their profiles can be seen, but keep in mind that other factors should be put into consideration. Just because one user has their profile private, it does not mean that their friends do. In other words, pictures of a crazy Friday night can be posted all over their Facebook and colleges can easily find them, especially if the photo turns out to be “tagged”. Even posts on other walls can be found. In the end, the privacy settings do not even matter. There are no secrets on Facebook. Although some people may believe that colleges checking Facebook should be considered an invasion of privacy, the responsibility should ultimately reside with the students. Anything posted on the Internet can last forever, and people need to realize that. People need to learn how to filter what they say or do, rather than posting whatever comes to mind. Not everyone needs to see how much fun a student had on any given Friday night. No one really cares, so posting pictures remains pointless. However, colleges checking Facebook can actually be beneficial to some students. Facebook can be a great way for colleges to get to know a student instead of just knowing them by their GPA or SAT scores. This gives the student a chance to really shine and prove themselves. They can now show the colleges that they should be accepted because their profile demonstrates the ideal student. Many Florida universities have their own profiles on Facebook. Students can “like” their profile and learn more about the school and admissions. This also can give the university a chance to take a peek at a student’s profile. In all honesty, it really should not matter whether colleges check students’ profiles or not. People should value their profiles in order to represent a positive view on themselves. Some teens may not care now, but their online personality can end up being crucial when they become adults and begin networking. Even if the profile has been set as private, do not blame the universities for looking at some pictures or statuses that were not thought out before they were posted. The responsibility lies with the user to restrict the content posted on their Facebook.
T H E P R O W L O P I N I O N l EDITORIAL
D
Adults discriminating based on age display ignorance
iscrimination exists in forms other than racism or sexism, which are most commonly experienced. A less severe, yet equally demeaning and prevalent form of prejudice is categorized as ‘ageism’. It is the discrimination against people on the basis of age. Accused of poor hearing, driving skills, and thought processing, the elderly inarguably receive a vast majority of age prejudice. In movies such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the grandmother believes she is still in Greece during the war and often wanders into the neighbor’s lawn, unable to grasp reality. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the entire American Pie movie series focuses on a group of teenage boys preoccupied with sex, drinking, and impulsive behaviors. Media portrayals of certain age groups often play out in accordance to expected actions and stereotypes. If one were to base their opinions solely on the less than accurate portrayals of such age groups as in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and American Pie, their assumptions would be most likely be that the elderly are senile, and the young are immature. While these beliefs may ring true for some individuals in the age categories of young and old, they certainly cannot be applied to an entire age population. Those who believe the age stereotypes fail to recognize those capable of proving them wrong. Female competitor, Shawn Johnson, for example, became an Olympic gold medal gymnast at the age of 17.
Even within ageism, the elderly seemed to be favored since they often receive more recognition as victims of age discrimination. One definition of ageism goes so far as to say that it is solely the “prejudicial stereotyping of older people.” While that may be true, it fails to acknowledge an entire population enduring the same amount of discrimination. Teenagers seem to be looked down upon by almost anyone with seniority over them. The reason may be that those who have already experienced their teenage years typically reflect on mistakes they may have made or naïve beliefs they possessed as a teen and assume that all teenagers will make those same mistakes, with the same mindset. Because they have since grown beyond their teenage years, they may view teens with a “been there, done that” attitude. Similar to a person reflecting on themselves and wondering what they were thinking when wearing a certain outfit or behaving in a certain way, people seem to focus on the embarrassments of their teenage years and believe that all teenagers will behave in such a way. Others may allow “one bad apple to spoil the bunch.” Nineteen-year-old Alexa Neiers, from television reality show, Pretty Wild, has recently been put on probation for burglary and spent additional time in jail on heroin charges. If one assumed that Neiers’ age and actions were related, they would be generalizing an entire age group based on one person.
During spring break, the junior class officers experienced such prejudice. In search of a prom location for the following year, the officers began touring hotels with class advisor, Ms. Niti Chhabra. When Chhabra was able to accompany the officers, the entire group was treated with respect. However, when Chhabra was unable to attend, the officers were approached with a more hesitant attitude. Upon arriving at the hotel’s security gate, the officers politely provided their names, the school they represented, and the fact that they had made an appointment to view the hotel. Immediately, the security guard seemed more than hesitant about allowing their entrance. It was obvious that she doubted that the officers actually made an appointment. As they continued on, the security guard called the hotel management referring to the officers as “kids” who “claimed” to have made an appointment. The entire situation ended with the guard rudely ordering them to make a U-turn off the property. One must question if the situation would have unraveled the same way had an adult been present. Essentially, age does not determine a person’s character. Much like any other form of prejudice, an individual cannot be judged by general stereotypes. Any person, of any age, should be given the chance they rightfully deserve in having people take the time to know them instead of forming a premature, and often inaccurate opinion.
10 APRIL 2011
O P I N I O N
BEHAVIORIAL CONCERN l SAMI WORTMAN
Frequent school texting distracting
T
his instant, thousands of students nationwide are sliding their fingers beneath a desk and running them across their phone’s keyboard while anxiously glancing up to check if their teacher spotted them. More often than not, the activity remains unnoticed, concealing their phone in the flap of a backpack, wedged between their legs and in sweatshirt pockets. These “texters” are either focused on pressing the send button or receiving a reply, but by doing so they lose a valuable item: their education. By texting, students miss important notes and valuable classroom dialogues. When a teacher asks the “texter” a question, the response is usually “huh,” “What is the question again?” or “I do not know.” If the student is not consumed by texting, he or she could have answered and the class discussion would move on seamlessly. Unfortunately, the short break in the lecture, the time spent repeating the questioning, and then reprimanding the kid for texting turns into time wasted. For example, Billy Joe, a pupil in a teacher’s class is typing away underneath his desk, never breaking eye contact, he assumes his texting is left unnoticed. The teacher sees right through his act, and interrupts their exciting long winded lecture. The teacher has had enough of the constant texting and goes on a 15 minute rant of why texting in school is harmful to Billy Joe’s education. Billy knows texting in class is wrong and disrespectful but it takes the teacher to confiscate his phone and yell for him to grasp this concept. Even though schools have numerous rules and consequences regarding students texting during class, it happens frequently. According to Pew Internet & American Life Project’s findings, 43 percent of all teenagers that take their phones to school say they text in class at least once a day or more. A startling 58 percent of cellphone-owning teenagers who attend schools that ban cellphones have sent a text message during class. Teens who text in class disturb their peers, the “non-texters,” and cause their learning experience to be disrupted. The countless and unique sounds distract the class when a student receives a text. In a recent English class, a student received a text and forgot to put his phone on vibrate or silent. The ring tone for his incoming text featured a hilarious jingle, “bowchicka-wow-wow,” and resulted in the class erupting with laughter. The comic relief disturbed the overall classroom atmosphere and triggered a five minute tangent on the
most uproarious ringtones. Another recent survey conducted by textPlus found that 17 percent of the kids who text in class said they did so “constantly” and more than half say they text friends who are sitting in the same class; 22 percent said they have texted answers to classmates struggling to answer a teacher’s question. Perhaps if they are not texting, they would be able to answer the teacher’s question by themselves. Schools employ these rules because texting in class has proven to be a significant distraction and a major component in lowering a student’s GPA. Students are not only receiving texts from their friends. Parents have caught the “texting epidemic” and are texting students in school almost as much as their friends are. Parents are assuming the role of a double agent they are the same people who pretend to scoff at texting in school when talking to teachers and their peers, but remind their kids to respond quickly if they text them. The “epidemic” is never going to be “cured” if parents are one of the biggest advocates and proponents to texting in school. The fault of texting almost falls entirely upon the students who commit this “crime.” However, it is time to acknowledge that students are not the only component of the problem. Teachers and administration officials should question why students feel the desire to text and turn their attention away from the lesson. Attending a class where a teacher drones on about how Archimedes worked rigorously to approximate pi almost forces a student to text their classmate about how they want to “bang their head on a desk” if the teacher goes on a second longer . Even though learning about pi is tedious for most, the subject could easily be transformed into an exciting lesson, eliminating a student’s desire to text. Teachers need to throw back a five hour energy shot and cater to the fleeting attention span of high school kids. School officials will find that select teachers have scarcely any problems with pupils texting, simply because they interact while teaching and the frequent texter decides this class is more interesting than sending another message. Here lies one answer: employ teachers who engage with students, call on everybody, and have discussions rather than lectures. Texting in school prevails over all of the rigid attempts of school officials and is becoming the norm, like footie pajamas in the 1980s. If schools do not take the necessary action to expel texting from school, the epidemic will spread.
Teens who text in class disturb their peers...and cause their learning experience to be disrupted.
70%
text to socialize
68% text out of boredom
25% feel that texting interferes with studies
200 students surveyed graphic by Matthew Tanner
31%
text for important communication
30%
have teachers who prohibit texting
15% do not text at all in school
WHY DO YOU TEXT DURING SCHOOL?
fresh
LOOK
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theprowl Driver’s permit a step to freedom
BY AMY WEISS
ith the benefit of a driver’s license, teens are given the freedom to go on adventures. Coral Square Mall is just a short drive away, lateness to school can be avoided (since you do not have to wait for your older sister to find her keys, again.) They can go buy presents for family without making an excuse for ditching them somewhere. Thirty minutes of driving to Deerfield Beach is more enjoyable without worrying about seeing parents in a bathing suit. Meatball subs from Subway seem more delicious without having to walk eight-tenths of a mile each way. Unless my destination is in a reasonable walking distance, I have to be dependent on people that can drive. Most of the times those people that are applicable to transport me are either busy or plainly do not want to. When staying after school for Spanish tutoring or deadline week, instead of standing around and waiting for a ride to come, an immediate escape is made when a car is waiting in the student parking lot. Just getting in and getting out of the student parking lot is an entirely confusing and strange experience every day. If you are someone who likes getting to school early so you can copy all seven pages of Mrs. Wagner’s biology notes or cram for Mrs. Fennell’s ten question math quizzes, then you know that the more time the better. Although I force my sister, Leah, to get to school at 7 am when the gates are supposed to be open, we find ourselves waiting in the car for at least eight more minutes jamming out to Justin Bieber or various Glee songs. Even though this seems like absolute craziness, I cannot wait to be the one yelling out the window at the person eventually opening the gates, instead of Leah. It will always be a mystery to me why certain people decide to park as far away from the entrance to the school when at least 20 other spots are available much closer. I would snag the spot closest to the door. Just leaving school on a normal day at any desired time (aside from the pedestrians that block your way out) beats waiting around for 40 minutes for an always late bus to arrive and drive halfway around Coral Springs and back before getting to a stop. All this and more comes to the free and wild life of an independent movie-going, presentbuying, beach-visiting, without-parents driver. Everywhere and every day I am taunted by all these desires due to a May birthday. This leaves me with my friends literally driving circles around me for months. Being among the youngest in the freshman class also makes me among the last to get my learners permit, which of course, leaves me dying to obtain one. Now the time has come to find and dig out the Official Florida Driver’s Handbook my mom brought home for me to check out months ago. Flipping through the pages once, I immediately became enraged and filled with disappointment at the lack of color or pictures in it. Quite a few of the signs have nothing relevant to do with South Florida. I have never once seen a deer crossing in the middle of Coral Springs. Maybe if signs had a giant gator warning on them it could relate more to us. After years of everyone else being able to take the test online, when it comes to my turn the state changes the law, forcing me to go to the DMV. Assuming that I actually pass the test and receive my permit, it is time to decide who will be the one to teach me to drive without grounding me and making me cry. The funniest thing about learning how to drive is seeing your parents really stepping up to the plate. The one that will freak out and scream less curse words than the other automatically assumes the position as the teacher. That is unless both parents are just too frightened by the fact of their son/daughter driving that they completely just ignore the task and hire a professional instructor. Unfortunate for me, I have already first handedly had to see the experience of both my sister and brother learning to drive with each parent. Plenty of warnings were yelled that the car was going to hit the curb. Neither of them instructed too badly, but at least my mom did not make anyone cry. It is easy to guess which one I am going to pick. Nothing is comparable to the freedom that comes to a teen when an absolutely horrendous picture of yourself is printed and laminated on your very own permit. The souvenir of such a great accomplishment should be more flattering, but the only thing I have to work on now is passing the test on the first try.
J A G W I R E
theprowl
APRIL 2011 11
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Merit Pay State government policy in teacher pay, now based on student test scores, undermines quality teacher performance by Alanna Browdy - commentary
Not all teachers can just teach for the love of teaching. Though this is a huge hat do Florida Governor Rick Scott and recent front-page news Charlie Sheen have in common? The first thought that comes to component of it, incentive comes in money necessary to live. Florida’s graduation mind is their individualistic spins on hairstyle choice. But when rate rose from 60.2 percent in 1998 to 78.6 percent in 2008-09. This significant taking a second observation at the two mad men of this decade, increase proves the quality of teaching staff in this state, but the current pay does not they both share a particular attraction to the article “da.” Sheen do any justice to these numbers. As educated intellects begin feeling the economic downfall of merit pay it uses said article in front of the word “winning” to describe his clear put-together, organized life. His in-house rehabilitation caretakers can vouch for that one. Scott, would not be surprising if they moved on to greater pastures. Once this occurs, on the other hand, uses the article in a differently spelled way and in front of the educators become the lowest of the low as far as qualifications. Scott’s merit pay phrase merit pay. This policy truly is a painful “de”-merit on all of the hard work will ultimately lead to education being in the hands of teachers who have just the necessary amount of requirements fulfilled and do not care; they just teachers in the state of Florida have put into education. need any money they can get. Governor Rick Scott was sworn into office this past January By basing the pay on standardized test performance, class and since then he has made the merit pay bill a priority. As the first “With this bill in curriculum will change dramatically. Because teachers are going to legislation sent to the Republican governor since he took office, it is effect, Scott has be paid based on how their students do on the tests such as the FCAT, similar to legislation his predecessor, Charlie Crist, vetoed last year proved his lack most will be inclined to base their curriculum solely on preparation. after statewide protests, including one at this school. of care toward It is understandable to do some preparation for the standardized This bill states that Florida educators pay will rely heavily exam, but the amount of time should be limited. Advanced Placement on student testing and the successes and failures of it. Eventually, education and teachers, for example, especially need such crucial time to ready their a grading system to reward top schools and sanction those that fall the honest work students for these college level courses. The same applies for honors short could be put into place. put into it.” and regular courses. They need just as much time to sufficiently and The legislation will establish a statewide teacher evaluation and completely cover the curriculum in their specific subject. merit pay system in 2014 and do away with tenure for new teachers This affects the students for two reasons. First, they will probably hired after July 1 this year. It also chips away at teachers’ due process and collective bargaining rights. New teachers who cannot get tenure will face the never use any of the information that the FCAT has pointlessly provided for them. prospect of being terminated without cause at the end of each school year even if Second, the students are being robbed of their right to learn the material that they go they get top ratings. School officials will not even be required to let them know why to school for every single day to learn. Curriculum changes affect the teachers even more. Now, they are unable to do they are being let go. With this bill in effect, Scott has proved his lack of care toward education and the the job that they signed up for. The job they so carefully have organized for, the job honest work put into it. Throughout schooling, a student will have that one teacher that they want to teach for the success of their students. SB 736 has only one reason for existence, to show how much the government who went the extra mile and inspired them. Throughout those same years, though, the same student will have a teacher who gave them nothing but grief and was just of Florida can diminish the quality and respect of educators. This piece of legislation terrible. The student will remember the first, and loathe the former. To the student, is a slap in the face to all teachers who have put their time and effort into education they were not the same. SB 736 makes sure that all teachers are. No phenomenal of students. ‘Da’ more winnings Scott tries to pursue, the closer education is to teacher will be rewarded for changing a student’s life, instead they will be ignored experiencing a total free fall. Maybe Governor Scott is willing to take a risk with education, but this is not just his risk... it is ours. and given a paycheck based on a score on a piece of paper.
[TIM WINBURN] History Teacher “I think it’s a poorly drawn-up system that didn’t take into account a lot of the variables in education. I also think it will have a negative effect on teacher morale and chase many good teachers out of the career field.”
coming to a school near you in
] 4 1 [20
[Jennie Boyer] Social Studies Teacher “I’m for it and I’m against it. It’s really about how it’s laid out. I think people should be rewarded for hard work, but it is not always done fairly.”
[Patricia Zeran] Math Teacher “The merit pay system that the state is providing is in equitable. You cannot rate teachers and students like you can guidance counselors. We already have a merit pay system like the boards and district highly distinguished teach program.”
I
12 APRIL 2011
F E AT
BEFORE DIE WANT TO...
I
by Alanna Browdy, co-editor-in-chief
T
oo wrapped up in living ‘the life,’ teens fail to make themselves aware of the inevitable things.
country, learning at least one other language fluently, seeing her grand kids get married, and visiting the Seven Wonders of the World. “It’s all mainly stuff that I can tell my grand kids and be like ‘Yeah, that happened,’” Burley said. Death, being at the top of the list, is not a cause for depression until Her main goal, though, is to live in Italy, preferably Venice. If she does not the unfortunate event occurs, rather, it is a cause to figure out how to spend these last precious days. Seniors, especially, with only a month left of high school, will study abroad during college, Burley wants to go at the latest in her mid-20s. “This world is a beautiful one and I’m lucky to be on it,” Burley said. “You be embarking on new journeys. With their new acquirement of an age that makes almost everything legal and new found freedom to do just about whatever they only have one lifetime so why not live it up and accomplish what you truly and want, these 18-year-olds must decide on what they wish to do before it becomes deeply want?” When 200 students were asked what they wanted to do before they died, the too late to do so. Most teens already have their bucket list ready to go and in action. “I decided to make a bucket list my junior year of high school,” senior Jacob number one response was that they wanted to go skydiving. “I am definitely going to go sky diving,” senior Nick Felegy said. “I have Stawicki said. “They are pretty much things that I think would be cool to do, or wanted to do it since I was young and that date when I can look down, barely see things that reach out to other people.” Stawicki puts his list into two categories. One category is of things that he the ground, and just jump is approaching so quickly.” Felegy was inspired by his dad to do the frightening task. His dad went sees as “usual” such as getting a tattoo and leaving the country. The other category skydiving on his 18th birthday and has done it three other times since then. Felegy includes activities he considers “deeper.” “I want to help change somebody’s life in a positive way and I’d like to one hopes to get the same thrill and sense of achievement out of it that his father did. “I can’t even begin to imagine the excitement and heartday work for Army Veterans,” Stawicki said. “I’d also like to pounding ecstasy that will come out of it,” Felegy said. “I’m volunteer myself to as many organizations as possible.” going to remember the experience for the rest of my life.” The senior crossed off leaving the country a couple of In addition to sky diving, most students want to meet a weeks ago when he went on a trip to Mexico. He admits that famous person or become famous. Music artists such as Lil’ what he has on his list only expands and gets better with time. Wayne, Drake, and Andre 3000 are at the top of the celebrity list. “I’d like to think of each thing on my list as a kind of “Before I die I want to go skydiving,” sophomore Brittany Memento Mori, which is a Latin phrase meaning ‘Be mindful Koecer said. “But I swore to my parents that I’m going to a of Death,’” Stawicki said. “The things on my bucket list are Drake concert because I really want to meet him before I die.” reminders that because I never know when my life will be Travelling the world is also a popular choice on bucket lists. taken away, I should live each day to the fullest.” Though junior Romina Leon is visiting England this summer, Junior Cleyling Lassalle made a list of things she wants this trip does not come anywhere close to the completion of her to do before she died in seventh grade. number one goal: to travel the world before she dies. “There are so many things I want to do and if I wrote “Before I entered sophomore year, I went to Ecuador and them down they seemed more tangible,” Lassalle said. “Now visited its coastal areas and thought they were beautiful,” Leon I can physically cross something off.” said. “The water was this teal color I have never seen. I never Things on her list includes driving to the west, growing Olivia Burley junior wanted to get out of it, let alone leave the continent.” a garden, travelling throughout Europe by train, going scuba Leon wants to go to Asia and Europe and plans on taking diving, riding in a helicopter, swimming with dolphins, and these trips throughout college. She also wants to be constantly travelling throughout being a vegetarian for a certain amount of time. “Our lives are just beginning but our generation has to make the best of our her entire life, even at old age. “It all interests me a lot,” Leon said. “I want to know how other people live time,” Lassalle said. “By exploring we can find ourselves and learn more.” Lassalle also has an additional list with best friend and junior Gabby Vick. no matter what their circumstances are. That way, I can increase my knowledge of The list is specific to things they would like to do and accomplish throughout their other cultures around the world.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center senior year. “I remember realizing I want to set some goals for my life that aren’t the for Statistics, 72% of deaths in the state of Florida are of teenagers aged 15 – 19. normal ‘get married, have kids, have jobs, live like a cookie cutter kid’ kind of The statistic is scary, but most teenagers who stay safe have plenty of years until goals,” junior Olivia Burley said. “I want to wake up and say, ‘Today is the day I their time to pass comes. By making a bucket list now, thoughts and future plans become organized and stay at the front of the teen mind guaranteeing a life filled go to some hippie peace rally or ride a bull.’ Among her list includes travelling to all of the continents, living in a foreign with new experiences.
“YOU ONLY
HAVE ONE
LIFETIME SO WHY NOT
LIVE IT UP.
“
I
t may seem depressing to think about death, but subconsciously everyone comes up with a list of things they want to do before they meet their doom and “kick the bucket.” Some of these things may be dangerous, but who cares, everyone is bound to pass on. graphics by Jenni Hoy
1
2
SKYDIVING Believe it or not, there are some people who find plain-old amusement jumping out of a plane.
3
JUMPING OFF A BRIDGE/BUILDING BUNGEE JUMPING While some people are afraid of heights, others like to jump of tall objects for the fun of it.
SWIMMING WITH SHARK Thanks to Shark Week, swimming with the star of Jaws has become people’s number two on the bucket list even though there is a good chance that you could end up loosing a limb.
APRIL 2011 13
URES
Yesca Angel freshman
Before I die, I want to... Treat everyone I know or have met with kindness. That way when I go everyone will now me for the nice things I’ve done and maybe it’ll be returned to me in my afterlife.
Jonathan Comacho senior
LAST MEAL
There won’t be a famous painting of your last meal, but when you are dead Jenny Craig won’t be counting your calories.
sushi hamburger
10% french fries
Compiled by Rebecca Miller
“If my last meal was lunch, I would have a large sandwich with lettuce, sliced tomato, peppered ham, muenster and provolone cheese, small shrimp, some olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, fresh oregano, ketchup, cilantro, and mayo all between two large slices of Cuban bread. And a large glass of Sprite.”
Dario Coral junior
other
6% 6%
21%
14% 14%
fried chicken
17% 12%
steak
pizza 250 students polled
spaghetti
“If my last meal was breakfast, I would start off with ackee and saltfish along side (soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside) fried dumplings with sweet banana fritters. Then you start on the fried cheese from Nicaragua with special tortillas and black seasoned beans. Top it all off with pineapples, strawberries, and raspberries with grapefruit juice.” Alethea White junior
“My last dinner would consist of a savory steak that’s grilled well-done, and all the flavors will spill into the air watering the mouths they pass. Also gratin potatoes baked with its cheesy goodness. Last but not least, fresh cut broccoli steamed to perfection, topped with butter that melts away and salt to add some flavor. My drink of choice would be a tall glass of Mountain Dew filled with ice cubes that keeps it cool and tasty.”
Jordan Cooper senior
5
4
TRAVEL TO ANOTHER COUNTRY Because the grass is always greener on the other side.
Before I die, I want to... See my first love again, that way I can finally know what went wrong and how she really felt about me.
CLIMB A MOUNTAIN Even as the oxygen begins to thin, the thrill of making to the top of a mountain is worth the lung damage.
6 7
MEET A CELEBRITY Like Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton.
LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Without first mastering their own language people start learning a second one. Rosetta Stone sales have gone through the roof.
Rachael Silcox junior
Before I die, I want to... Go skydiving with my best friend; we’ve talked about doing it since the sixth grade and we plan on doing it once we’re both eighteen. It’s right around the corner so I’m excited.
Josh Tennie senior
Before I die, I want to... Go to Puerto Rico to see all the pretty Spanish people. And the food... cause it be jammin’.
8
GO WHITE WATER RAFTING Going over sharp rocks with an inflatable raft, sure, there is absolutely nothing that could go wrong there. 320 students polled
14 APRIL 2011
LIFE
theprowl
85,031
F E AT U R E D FA C T records sold during the first week of Rise Against’s sixth album release.
Q“
UOTABLES
Your Highness was the most ridiculous movie I have ever seen. Nothing redeemable. I was forced to see it.”
. S . O . S N A G N I
R E W S AN
part to Peru as ls e v a tr o r Monte r Daniella io n ju , a ic an doctors mer ic r A e in m k A a r e r fo slator spring b ct as a tran nding her a e p to s f ip o ings was tr d e a Inste coolest th i e z a th of a servic m f a o N ver rocky “One by Niki at truck ride o
s Once ere on a ree little kid mountains. when we w e th s f n o o o where th ti rt a a n r e f st h o fo t p e u k u c o th u t d tr ls an the team se unity in held on to 3,000 hil . r d e n hool, the id v a ts, comm o sc sa n p e u te e d ro a u d th te e in st jump oral d vacc ” Mon e C s, e lp v e li h st For most a s. y p ir e se e a th re th e nds ere dis y we , the ride of ever exte in a wh dangerous ow real the st y e h o c in e b n a z o g le li a a tt n li ry re service n e re a e v d en It made m owever, e goes chil y heart wh es differ.” Springs. H e comes along who uch our liv “It broke m er shirt to take home m w to Peru, o h d r n n nio eo r anoth yes a xt mission e e fo n y e m ir m while, som ond the status quo. Ju l e e d th e fe ask On to attend, could bey is eager en the rare to his little brother. I ro iv te g above and n . o s id a M sa w ich tero ontero et a wh de a team l also tery,” Mon Daniella M ro also m getting wa team wil vel alongsi te a n tr o e e M to th th , y re it along vere from opportun While the pt to bring elp d from a se volunteers m re e e d n tt n ff a a re d su il rs o h h c to w to h ist of doc young boy atologists iami to ass rm M e f d o . y y it it re e rs there who one h deform Unive e children g facial e how any . n th m ru ri e d l P sp t re , a r e a e th th v im o in L m painfu while “It bo her time operation suffer fro s. ate, n n u a e rt e v v fo li Dedicating a h to n ve less just in conditio y might ha tor can help the pretty medics sk “I’m y in povert ish transla o n e break to a b h p T S le t. tt a a li th s cted a fe like lping li e y h is rl a h will a e f s n o a e t d Montero a w st se the re ctors an uld co fident o o n d w o c n a c ry e ri e rg su d some . for Am said the . able to fin id r necessary d e e e sa b v e rv ro n se e e te h b o n w o als can hand volunteers $6,000,” M t, Montero ore of money m t n u o in m a At one poin a fireman who had those xt visit,” This er able to for our ne tor to th rd a e o sl g ff n e o a a T th tr f d . o a as id. out dere e trip ed consi rance, but Montero sa d for th ving in impoverish a with insu am is li c volunteere g ri te y e in il m e id m h A a fa T ed in young h a it r w isit fo d n e they work en. io helm quest uled to rev om le they erty. Overw ise money sched tt v li o er p m w e m o pregnant w h m su e , extr this azing ied to ra ed Peru e the team tr “It was am id. “It made me see lm , th e y h th in a rw e p v in m sy Peru. O ro sa nd aga a te to n n o r o e M fo rg ” , g a su in had 012. e to send pathy and just ask spring of 2 uch I had.” visited som m sy m just how m a . te h 0 0 it e 2 w th 1 nd d$ Montero a n towns in donations, they raise rty stricke e v o d p te a st c o lo of the m site school ding an off Peru, inclu
MULL I T OVE R with Yoni Muller
Successful performance on AP exams depends equally on studying, relaxing Another month has come and gone and May is just around the corner. For the vast majority of the population, that means Cinco de Mayo (happy early birthday, Mr. Ramirez!) and Margaritaville. For the rest of the population, meaning us students, May does not carry those same good vibrations; it carries AP exams. That’s right, the thing that teachers have been scaring you about for the entire year has finally arrived, and there is no avoiding it, kind of like an awkward conversation with Mark Weiner (sorry bud). However, just because you have to face the exams, does not mean you have to suffer through them. AP exams can be beaten, and nothing feels better than doing so and getting that five in the mail in July.
The most important thing is to come in prepared. When I go to the mall to hit on girls, I prepare by practicing my creepy face in the mirror and putting on suspenders. Likewise, when I go in to take an AP exam, I prepare by studying the week before. I also cry before I enter the room, but mostly I study. Barnes and Noble (no “s” people) has a great collection of review books for almost any subject. The material in these review books covers all of the essentials to your course and offers a great refresher to help you remember everything you have learned over the past year. The real help lies in the practice tests. Every book tends to come with at least two practice tests which help you control your timing, fine-tune your test-taking strategies, predict your score on the exam, and make you feel smart when you cheat by looking at the answer key. I would like to pause here and give a shout-out to all those who I had promised one to before I continue. To Steven Avalon, Artie Gallina, Jacob Schrull’s mom, and Maddie and Harry Flager’s parents, hello. And we are moving on. Another great way to prepare for the exam is to study with people. Everyone loves doing things with a group, or so I have been told by people with enough friends to be part of a group. For people less socially awkward than me, group study sessions may be a great tool in mastering the AP exam. By working together you really
junior Tara Levy
CHILD CARE: Junior Daniella Montero helps doctors with ge neral checkups of all of school c hildren a the t the school L eoncio P rado in Lima, Pe spent a to ru. Montero tal of five days assisting medics. photos courtesy Daniella of Montero
“It made me realize how real they were, and how much our lives differ.” junior Daniella Montero
A VIEW OF PERU: Montero travels in a bus with fellow volunteers around Lima, Peru during her service trip.
help one another quickly learn unknown or forgotten information. Perhaps the most important thing you can do, though, is listen to Frankie and relax. Stress is a huge inhibitor for test performance, and high anxiety alone could cause you to do poorly on a test – or wet yourself during a college interview. Therefore, the night before the exam, do not study. Do not look at material or even think about the test. Instead, put on some music (might I recommend Michael Bublé), enjoy a Swedish massage, and go to sleep early. You will thank me for it. Keep in mind, at the end of the day, this is only an AP exam. You are not getting executed if you perform poorly, and you are not going to win a Nobel Prize in Literature for a 5 in AP English Language. Performance on an AP exam will not affect your admission decision for college. It is not indicative of your intelligence. This is a single test that determines whether you get college credit or not. Some colleges do not even give credit. Instead they let you skip beginner classes and take harder ones, which is really just a terrible incentive to do well in the first place. So please, do not get your knickers in a knot. There is nothing to worry about with these exams, and there is no reason you cannot do well. Just study, practice, work with students, and relax. And, if all else fails, cheat. God knows it helped me.
L I F E
theprowl
BOOK REVIEW
APRIL 2011 15
Bossypants Tina Fey
Saturday Night Live Alum, Mean Girls writer Tina Fey publishes first autobiographical work infusing comedic talents with personal story of struggle to be taken serious as female entertainer TORIHARTSTEIN LIFE EDITOR
Today’s female celebrities are often recognized less for any actual talent and more for their physical appeal. However, among the Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian’s of the world lies Tina Fey. Famous for her quotable teen classic, Mean Girls, and spot on impression of former vice president candidate Sarah Palin, Fey has emerged as a female idol in the comedic world. After signing a book deal in 2008, Fey’s quirky take on a memoir styled book, titled Bossypants, has been long awaited by fans, and it certainly does not disappoint. Setting the tone, the back cover includes a humorous twist on what would typically provide a book’s praise. One such blurb reads “Totally worth it.”-Trees. Fey’s skillful use of the classic fake Mark Twain quote must also be acknowledged. Just by skimming the cover one can gain a sense of the book’s light-hearted nature and find it difficult not to be drawn in by Fey’s likeable form of comedic writing. Fey categorizes Bossypants into three general topics: early life, boss life, and motherhood. In her re-telling of life before fame, Fey describes herself as an average, awkward girl, on the verge of becoming an “achievement-oriented, obedient, drug-free, virgin adult.” An entire chapter is dedicated to her father, Don Fey, as she credits his tough yet loving fathering style for her development into a strong woman. Though Fey takes a more serious route with the tone of this chapter, the reader is able to see more of a sentimental side that may not always be present. However, Fey returns to her amusing self-deprecating style of writing as she goes on to discuss her not-so existent young dating life and lesbian best friends. Throughout these chapters, Fey is able to take what may have been an ordinary story and turn it into laughable recollections. With this ability, Fey’s comedic talent shines. As the topics progress from dorky young Fey to successful boss of 200-plus employees, Fey begins with her involvement in improv troupes such as Second City,
which is famous for housing actors that would later become Saturday Night Live cast members. From the mention of her nerve-wracking interview with SNL head producer, Lorne Michaels, to the formation of her self-created television hit, 30 Rock, Fey offers a hilariously worded recount of the major events that led to her becoming the ‘bossypants.’ Acting as somewhat of an underlying theme throughout the book, Fey commonly addresses the issue of a minimal number of women present among the comedy world. In magazine interviews, Fey has said she considers herself to be a feminist, which can easily be noticed as she offers half-joking, half-serious advice for how to be taken seriously as a woman in the workplace. Tips include never crying while at work, and never eating diet food in a meeting. Though Fey utilizes the same style of jokes, it is evident that she feels passionately about the lack of women in comedy. She repeatedly stresses the joke that comedy is the only place in which white women would be considered a minority. The fact that success for women was so limited in this field only makes Fey more admirable for her work as SNL’s first female head writer, among her other projects including 30 Rock and Mean Girls. Each chapter is similar to hearing a story told by a friend. It is obvious that Fey does not have to try hard to make Bossypants entertaining. Even underneath the perfectly sarcastic comments, Fey possesses a natural ability to write, keeping the reader’s attention throughout the book. The fact that she is able to make fun of herself so easily and avoid displaying a sense of superiority (though she has earned the right to do so) bodes well and makes her seem more human. Addressing the subject of motherhood, Fey covers the typical hopes any parent has for their child, but with a comical spin. She goes on to debate the thought of having another child, and ironically so, since she has recently
confirmed her current pregnancy. The funniest part of the book comes when Fey responds to three anonymous Internet criticisms of her. In response to being called “ugly, pear-shaped,” and an “overrated troll,” Fey writes “to say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.” The only downfall may be the fact that the ending comes far too soon and almost unexpectedly. Overall, Bossypants appeals to all ages with its humor and endearing nature. Fey succeeds in providing laughs, while leaving readers wishing she could be their best friend.
HHH BOTTOM LINE: Fey’s comedic talent transfers well into writing, but ends too soon.
LIFE
16 APRIL 2011
CD REVIEW
theprowl
Endgame Rise Against
Despite meaningful lyrics about global issues, punk band Rise Against fails to impact listeners with repetitive songs, loud band accompaniment on sixth album SAMANTHAWORTMAN STAFF WRITER
Rise Against, Chicago’s punk band, returns to the forefront on the music scene with an eye opening, non-stop set of punk songs in their sixth album, Endgame. The album features 12 new songs, all focusing on the world’s problems. Rise Against’s lyrics are full of impact and rough, all drawing on the significant issues in the world such as the BP oil spill and the poverty stricken lower class in America. The band’s passion to use music as a gateway to pointing out problems is about the only thing that makes them special. Rise Against makes a significant effort to enter the political arena while still making millions. Appeal to Reason, Rise Against’s previous album received much acclaim and praise, bringing them into epic punk fame by selling 64,700 copies in its first week of release and debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. While Appeal to Reason is a grand success for the band, Endgame did not live up to all the hype
HH BOTTOM LINE: Sixth album poor quality against previous punk-style works.
and the band failed to bring all of their components together. If only a handful of their songs were about disastrous world events, they would have impact, but hearing about it song after song makes the lyrics stale. Halfway through listening to the album, I realized I had enough of the ranting and wanted to see if Rise Against had any other dimensions, like a slow rocker or pure vocal songs. They failed miserably. In fact, toward the middle of every song on the album, all of the songs seem to sound the same. They are indistinguishable. “Broken Mirrors,” tells the tragic tale of how the American people are unable to face who they truly are by seeing themselves in the mirror. The lyrics hint that people break the mirrors because they do not like what they see or are too scared of seeing who they have become. Even with their politically charged lyrics, they fall under the category of just-some-other punk band. The vocals and lyrics alone are not good enough to carry the songs in this album. The lack of talent shown on the guitar and drums makes listening to their music strenuous and miserable. Tim Mcllarth’s coarse voice and over-the-top dramatic flair of punk melodies, makes the lyrics difficult to understand for those hard of hearing or just teenagers that listen to music way too loud. A considerable amount of attention is required to catch only a couple of phrases because the bashing of the drums drowns out the vocals. If someone wanted to know the songs were politically influenced, they would have to Google the song and take time to read the lyrics. Many of the songs take on the feel of sappy poetry and the band sounds like they are crying out in disparity. The combination of tones leaves the band sounding as if they were
the echoes of a whiny teenage garage band that is frantic to make it in the industry. The lyrics of “Disparity by Design” rings true by pointing out a universal flaw that as children we are told “these playing fields are level,” or “we all have a chance,” when in reality this does not happen. The lyrics go on to say that children believe they can be anything they want but as children grow older it is all about “On who you know, or where you came from. Whose daughter are you? Whose fortunate son?” “Help is on the Way,” the second track in the album, was inspired by lead vocalist Tim Mcllarth’s trips to New Orleans. In Louisiana, Mcllarth witnessed the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill. The chorus features a straggly Mcllarth screaming, “Help is on the way (They said, they said),” directing the listeners attention to the ill-equipped responses of FEMA and BP during the catastrophes. The constant never-ending bashing and banging sounds of the drums and the loud electric guitar riffs create noise instead of music. Several songs in this album sound as though the band is trying to use heavy acoustics to appeal to the targeted “punk” audience. They fail to do so, and the result sounds like a tonedeaf child slamming spatulas on stainless steel pots and pans, which is not appealing. Perhaps they should exercise the policy of “just shut up and play.” After struggling to hear the lyrics and growing wearisome, I had enough. If they were not so eager to make a racket on the drums, guitars and screaming, the album might have had a chance at being somewhat decent. Endgame is acceptable for hard core liberal punk lovers, but the majority of music lovers should definitely avoid the album.
theprowl
L I F E
APRIL 2011 17
MOVIE REVIEW
Royal madness
Medieval spoof offers all-star cast bombs at box office
F
images from Universal Studios
The Performers James Franco
Fabious Follows up 2010’s 127 Hours with a much different film, but almost the same amount of unnecessary gore.
BY MATTHEW TANNER OP/ED EDITOR
ollowing the overwhelming success of his 2008 film Pineapple Express, director David Gordon Green teamed up with his previous star Danny McBride to develop the hit-HBO series Eastbound & Down. McBride and Eastbound co-writer Ben Best began developing a story for a new medieval comedy film following the wrap of the first season of the show. The two did not ever write a true screenplay for the film, titled Your Highness, and an outline of the story was used as the foundation for completely improvised dialogue. Seeing the potential in the new McBride comedy, Green signed on to direct and the two worked on recruiting top actors to make the project more enticing. James Franco (Best Actor nominee, 127 Hours) was the first to be pulled in, as he worked with both McBride and Green on Pineapple Express. Then came eventual Best Actress winner Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and rising star Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer). The project began filming in late 2009 and expectations were set high for the $50 million comedy. Set in a fictional medieval kingdom, Prince Fabious (Franco) returns from a journey with his new girlfriend, Belladonna (Deschanel), and hopes to marry her shortly after. During the wedding, Belladonna is kidnapped by egocentric magician Leezar (Justin Theroux, Tropic Thunder writer) who brings her back to his home with plans to make her his wife. Fabious sets out on a quest with his knights
and lazy, unmotivated brother, Prince Thadeous (McBride). The two brothers encounter many obstacles throughout their journey, but find help from warrior Isabel (Portman), on her mission to avenge her father’s death. The comedic style of Your Highness can be appreciated by those who enjoy McBride’s other work, as the dialogue could easily have been taken out of Eastbound & Down and repeated with (intentionally) terrible accents. Otherwise, moviegoers will likely find the movie to be vulgar and ridiculous. The purpose of this movie is not to be the next Best Picture nominee, but to spoof films like Lord of the Rings. As expected, the performances of Portman and Franco are top-notch, while McBride plays his usual character. Any unknown actress could have filled Deschanel’s role, as she did not have much screen time throughout the film. Though early reviews praised Your Highness and called it a satisfying follow-up to Pineapple Express, box office numbers are saying otherwise and critics are calling it both juvenile and offensive. Your Highness is a must-see for fans of Eastbound & Down, as it will have such viewers continually laughing and enjoying the movie from start to finish. Others should not waste their money, as they will leave the theater impressed by nothing other than the surprisingly complex visual effects. Though Your Highness ends on a high note (and a possible hint at a sequel), only an incredible positive change in box office revenue will allow a second film to be produced.
Natalie Portman
Isabel The Oscar winner proves that she does not need Darren Aronofsky’s help to deliver a great performance.
Danny McBride
Thadeous While playing a fictionalized version of himself, McBride provides nearly every funny moment in the movie.
Zooey Deschanel
Belladonna Yes Man’s star is far underused in her near cameo role, but initiates the storyline driving the entire plot forward.
HHH
BOTTOM LINE: Though it may not appeal to a wide audience outside of Danny McBride fans, Your Highness will likely soon become a classic comedy among high school and college students.
Make sure to read The Rohan Report on page 21
18 APRIL 2011
theprowl
APRIL 2011 19
theprowl
SPORTS
“Practices give us time to refine and focus on our flaws and the way we are playing in a game. Then, in the game we execute what we learned.” Samantha Wortman, junior and flag football quarterback
BRIEFS
School to host Athletic Awards For the first time in the school’s history, a formal awards banquet will be held to honor athletes, coaches, and sports teams from the 2010-2011 school year. The event is not a fundraiser, but instead an opportunity to honor members of the sports program. The banquet will be held on May 24, and is the idea of principal Michael Ramirez. It will be run by administrator Tariq Qaiyim, athletic director Steven Beauchamp, and assistant athletic director Tim Winburn. Unlike past banquets, where sports teams held individual parties, this event brings all athletic teams together at once. Awards scheduled to be given out include Male and Female athlete of the year, sports team of the year, and coach of the year. - Cameron Cooper
Baseball heads toward districts The baseball team is poised to make a district run after what was, at times, a tumultuous season. The team survived a six game losing streak and overcame mistakes that plagued the team early in the year. In season games against rivals, the school fell short of expectations. The season series with JP Taravella was a split. The school won 5-3, but also suffered an 11-1 loss. Stoneman Douglas proved to be a tougher opponent, with the Eagles sweeping the season series with wins of 6-1 and 6-4. The team will play Deerfield Beach and Coral Springs High Schools during the district tournament, and will need to win both to move on and reach their goals of a district championship and berth at regionals. The tournament begins the week of April 24, and the school will enter as the third seed. - Nadja Hibbert
Football set to play in Spring Every year, the football team participates in a spring football game to help prepare for next season. This year’s game brings added intrigue due to the coaching debut of Jeff Mathis. Mathis has been conducting football practices at the school for nearly two months, with players working out in preparation for the 2011-2012 school year. The game will be the very first one Mathis coaches on the Jaguars sidelines, albeit the game is only an exhibition. The spring game is planned for May 26, with a scheduled start of 7 p.m. at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. The team is also faced with new competition, as next year they move into a new district. The new district, consisting of Blanche Ely, Boyd Anderson, Coconut Creek, Monarch, and Northeast High Schools, sent four of those five teams to the playoffs last season. - Cameron Cooper
STEPPING DOWN LOOKING FORWARD
C
ROHANNADKARNI SPORTS EDITOR
oral Glades athletics has always been a hotbed for debate. However, for the past few years, the program has grown more competitive and is taken much more seriously by rival schools. Unfortunately, three prominent figures of the athletics program have decided to step down from their position to pursue other opportunities. Athletic Director Steven Beauchamp, Varsity Cheer Head Coach Melissa Prochilio, and Varsity Basketball Head Coach Tariq Qaiyim will all vacate their positions at the end of this school year. “I knew at the end of last year this would be it,” Now former Athletic Director Steven Beauchamp said. “I am pursuing my masters in public administration at Walden University and with that time commitment being Athletic Director is just too much.” Beauchamp became the full time AD in PROCHILIO January 2008, taking over for Mike Leeds. In just three years of time, Beauchamp delivered four district championships, two each in golf and cheerleading. He will still teach his classes of government and economics at the school. He would also like to continue to be involved in the athletics department in terms of training or offering guidance. Many athletes worked closely with Beauchamp. “Losing him will be a huge loss to the athletics program for which he has done a lot to improve,” senior Greg Foster said. “He strengthened my interest in sports and helped give an opportunity in something I love.” “I would like to thank him for his commitment to athletics,” Principal Michael Ramirez said. “He really built a strong foundation for our program.” The school has not announced a replacement, and a formal search will be conducted. Current Assistant AD Timothy Winburn entered his name for the position. As for Beauchamp, he sees the department only moving up. “I wish we had gotten some more wins in a few sports, but overall, we moved out of the red [economically], met the needs of teams, and the department is much healthier than when I first got the job,” Beauchamp said. This year, the cheerleading team had the most successful run in the school’s sports history, finishing 2nd at states by less than a point. But next year, the team will be without head coach Melissa Prochilio, who will take the same job at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. “I’m going to Douglas because of my kids,” Prochilio said. “One of my daughters graduated from there, my son plays football there, and my other daughter cheers for them.”
Prochilio coached at the school for seven years. Along with this year’s second place finish at states, the cheer team took home two district championships. “I’m really going to miss her,” senior Emily Haney said. Prochilio coached Haney since seventh grade. “Coach P could always get everything together, no matter how crazy things seemed,” Haney said. The school has yet to announce a replacement for Prochilio, who may have upset some students when they found out she was leaving for rival Stoneman Douglas. “For me, it made sense because that’s where all my family is,” Prochilio said. “But I do not want the teams to be rivals. We do not compete against each other [in cheerleading], so I would like to make Douglas and Glades sister teams.” But for Coach P, with the tantalizing finish at states, the end of her tenure will be bittersweet. “This was my first ever coaching stint,” Prochilio said. “I am very thankful for the opportunity I received, and I love how cheerleading is a big deal here and how the program was always taken seriously.” A coach of basketball since the first year of the school’s existence, head coach Tariq Qaiyim is the most recognizable figure of the school’s athletics program. Qaiyim coached JV during the school’s first year, and was the head coach of Varsity basketball the past seven seasons. “I am stepping down for a variety of reasons,” Qaiyim, affectionately known as Coach Q or just Q, said. “My family and my job as an administrator are requiring a lot more time.” For Q, the job came down to choosing between sports and his relatively new job as an administrator. By pursuing administration, Qaiyim more or less ends his chances of earning a job as a coach at a higher level such as college. Qaiyim first announced his decision to his senior players and then the rest of the team. Head JV coach Peterson Phillips was named interim head coach of the varsity team. Over his years as coach, Qaiyim oversaw the development of standout players such as alumni Bryce Johnson, Austin Cytryn, and senior Kyle Shepard. “I’m upset that I can’t be there for the kids still on the team during their senior season,” Qaiyim said. “But I hope I set the path for tradition, and that I helped build the program while I was the coach.” The door is now open for new blood to energize the athletics department at the school. The school is expected to announce replacements for the departing figures in the coming weeks. Coach Q had the last word on how to describe the school’s new direction, “Sometimes change is Tariq Qaiyim good.”
20 APRIL 2011
SPORTS
theprowl
Flag football rebounds from tough start ALEXISMUNDY STAFF WRITER
As the tough season nears an end, the varsity flag football team looks to finish the year strong. Coach Brent Roberson and his players are working hard in practices toward improving plays and increasing team chemistry. “Practices give us time to refine and focus on our game time flaws. Then we take what we learned at practice and execute it in the game,” varsity co-captain and quarterback Sami Wortman said. The junior varsity team is currently working on their understanding of the game and strengthening the skills of its players to see who will be ready for the varsity team next year. “We prepare for games by practicing everyday. Defense and offense play against each other as if we were the opposing team and do not know each other,” sophomore and junior varsity wide receiver Gabrielle Reid said. Junior varsity coach Peterson Phillips prepares his team for next year by having them practice diverse plays and improving their game. “Junior varsity has a different set of plays from varsity, which helps the players get ready for varsity and allows them to experience a SIZING THEM UP: Junior Chelsie Kazanjian and Senior Esoki Young play defense in a diverse set of game time plays,” Phillips said. recent varsity flag football game against North Broward Preparatory High School at the After winning their season opener, Sportsplex. Kazanjian plays both offense and defense. photo by Amy Weiss the junior varsity team has vast room for improvement as it finds itself in the midst of a Kazanjian and Kourtni Moore and sophomore because it was so last minute and people had Carli Acquaviva to injuries all around the same to step up and play positions they have never six game losing streak. played before. They did the best they could The varsity team struggled early in time. “Having people who were hurt affected us with the limited amount of time they were the season, losing starting juniors Chelsie
given to practice,” varsity co-captain and wide receiver Chelsie Kazanjian said. Since losing their first six games of the season, the varsity team has won two straight against Coral Springs Charter and North Broward Preparatory. “We did not start out as the strongest team, but with our hard work ethic and dedication we have slowly worked ourselves towards a winning streak,” sophomore wide receiver and kicker Nicole Edie said. Three games remain in the season and the team hopes to complete the year with a long winning streak. This season will also be the final one for Varsity head coach Brent Roberson, who told his team at the beginning of this year he will be giving up his coaching duties at the end of the year. Roberson coached the team all but one year while flag football has existed, and he enjoyed a fairly successful run. Although this season has been particularly tough for the team, dealing with multiple injuries to key players, Roberson believes that other factors are more important in determining play. “It comes down to pride,” Roberson said. “Taking the field with a great deal of pride helps anyone play better.” Roberson now looks toward the future flag football as well as the other sports played at school. “Once our school builds the tradition and pride of schools like Stoneman Douglas and Taravella, our teams will perform better,” Roberson said.
SPORTS
theprowl
APRIL 2011 21
Standouts on the Sidelines
Cafe
the
ROHAN REPORT
For sports teams around the school, students volunteer their time as team managers, taking responsibility to help ensure that teams function smoothly during practice and games
“We work together to make sure that before any game, the boys have all the medical equipment they may need and are Sitting on the sidelines, senior Stephanie Holbrook hydrated enough to perform to their best ability.” Through their service, these managers help not only watches in anticipation as the boys’ volleyball team scores again, inching closer to 25 points. As team manager, the the football players but also the coaches and the trainer. At outcome of the game holds just as much importance to her as times they work alongside the adults or follow strict orders to ensure that all the proper equipment can be available but it does to the players. From announcing games, to charging the field at half being at every game gives the managers the right to call time and distributing water, team managers continuously themselves some of the team’s biggest fans. “We are so important to the team because along with support athletes and provide extra help when scheduling running out to give the boys water at the time outs, we are conflicts and daily practices make sports a hectic business. “It takes commitment, I have to be at every game to their biggest supporters. At every game we are there cheering help set up and also go to practices to help run drills with the them on and keeping the feelings positive from the start of boys,” senior and boys’ volleyball manager the game to the final second,” Perez said. For the managers, benefits come in Stephanie Holbrook said. the forms of relationships and friendships For every sport, the “Along with that may not have been formed without responsibilities of the running out to the connection of sports to bring them manager differ because of together. the way the various teams give the boys As the manager of softball, sophomore practice or the environments water at the Brandon Guerra accepts the challenging of their games. Where HOLBROOK time outs, we tasks like lugging equipment and being on swim meets require constant attention and organization, a football game has the are their biggest call everyday of the week, knowing that it would pay off for him and the team in the advantage of having all players in a more supporters,” end. confined area with a common goal. “For softball, the team manager does Swim team manager and senior Daniel Christine Perez many things that can be conflicting so I Bench sees his job as critical to the working sophomore have to be dedicated. I’m softball manager order of the team and the ability of all of the because I not only get service hours but it also allows me to swimmers to stay on task at meets. “My job requires the ability to coordinate people to make new friends,” Guerra said. Overall the job requires a lot of attention and focus swim the events that they are participating in and make sure because Guerra is responsible for carrying some of the no one misses their event,” Bench said. Being manager of the swim team requires organization gear and helping out at practices by setting up the pitching skills and the ability to work under stress or pressure during machine. Also, he faces the task of getting the game balls scheduling conflicts. At meets, Bench’s job requires keeping and keeping track of them while occasionally having to track of all 30 swimmers and their individual events and announce the games. Team managers like Guerra must dedicate themselves relays which can be a chaotic task. Bench also competes in his own races and has to worry about his own times as well. and their time to a sport they may not be a part of or have any Football has its own challenges that must be conquered knowledge about. According to Bench, if there were not team and requires multiple managers to keep everything steady. managers, more stress would be put on coaches who already Three to four managers must be present at games and dedicate themselves to the achievement of their players. The job offers more than just another extracurricular. practices in order to keep the athletes hydrated and safe Service hours give the managers the opportunity to achieve while they run drills or take on an opponent. “As one of four team managers for football, I have a their requirements for graduation while also giving back to lot of responsibilities,” sophomore Christine Perez said. the school in an exciting way.
LAUREN KLITZ NEWS EDITOR
Dan Bench
Brandon Guerra
Christine Perez
BY ROHAN NADKARNI
Come together
Originally I wanted to write about ‘sports hate’ this month. After all, I myself very liberally throw around the word in reference to certain sports teams, like the New York Jets (Rex Ryan hold my feet) or all Varsity squads from Stoneman Douglas. However, once again sports taught me an invaluable lesson, this time about how ‘hate’ holds no place in my heart, even for sports. Last month I wrote about the Indian national past time of cricket, and the World Cup ended with India’s first victory in 28 years. In an interesting turn of events, on both school days India had tournament matches I fell seriously ill, forcing myself to avoid the joys of school and instead remain at home, couch-ridden in front of the television left to watch one of my favorite sporting events. On March 24th, India dispatched of threepeat (copyright Pat Riley) winner Australia, setting up a semifinal match between eternal rivals India and Pakistan. The use of the word rivals to describe India and Pakistan is an understatement. The two countries have fought four wars in the past 60 years, and live in the threat of nuclear warfare due to constant conflict over the rightful ownership of the land of Kashmir. Unless Israel and Palestine decide to suit up for a One Day International, India-Pakistan will always be arguably the most heated sports rivalry in the entire world. On Nov. 26, 2008, a few weeks before I vacationed in Mumbai myself, Pakistani terrorists organized 10 bombings and shootings around Mumbai over a span of three days, killing 164 and wounding another 308. Tensions between the countries was at an all-time high, but India responded meekly, not wanting to increase the nuclear threat in any way. In Franklin Foer’s How Soccer Explains the World, the journalist describes how globalization is not the process we think it is. Essentially, people will always fight for their own nation’s beliefs, and resist incorporating the views of others. The book uses examples of Croatian and Serbian as well as Catholic and Protestant soccer fans who fight and kill over games of soccer. The book says these people will never get along, and uses soccer as a metaphor to explain the radical cultural differences that still exist today. People at odds with each other will always be in conflict. I may not ever be the journalist Franklin Foer is, but after India defeated Pakistan in their semi final throw down, I have to disagree with him. The match was played in Punjab, an Indian state bordering Pakistan. Fans from both sides watched, in harmony, as the two teams put on an amazing display of cricket. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Gillani watched the match seated in a press box right next to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who personally invited Gillani to the match. The leaders of two nations, still very much at odds, sat together for eight hours not as opponents, but as sports fans. After the match, Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi very respectfully congratulated the Indian team, as well as the Indian nation, wishing them good luck in their final match. Little instances of sportsmanship like this should never be overlooked but commended. Will these two countries ever get along? The chances are slim, but on days where the Prime Ministers can be together for an entire day, Pakistani and Indian fans can cheer their teams on seated side by side, and Pakistani and Indian players can express respect for one another, maybe the hate can subside. Sports offer unity and can provide a common ground for people of all backgrounds, and can make even two warring countries polite for a day. Hate will never go away, but the opportunity to reduce conflict through sports exists. I myself am guilty of occasionally promoting hatred, but everyone can learn a lesson from India and Pakistan after March 30. In the words of my Comparative Government teacher Mr. Dan Alonso, “Life’s hard enough as it is, there’s no need to be hateful.”
SPORTS
22 APRIL 2011 EYE ON THE BALL
theprowl
Track and field sprints through districts ROHANNADKARNI SPORTS EDITOR
BATTER UP: Before an April home game against Blanche Ely High School, Junior Amber Beetz takes batting practice. Beetz held a .576 batting average through the team’s first ten games. photo by Alanna Degol
Softball finishes season fourth in the county MATTHEWSHEINBAUM STAFF WRITER
CHEYENNE O’NEILL
SARAH COLLINS
Once again, the school softball team hammered out a productive season, finishing fourth in the county with a 7-9 record. The regular season came to a close on April 14 with a 20-2 win against Blanche Ely High School at home. This year featured three outstanding juniors who have all been centerpieces for the team over the years. Along with lone senior Cheyenne O’Neill, juniors Sarah Collins, Jessica Osteen, and Amber Beetz constitute the core of the leadership for the team. “These three girls are very valuable. The team is a young team and we have to have some experience. They supply that experience,” Head Coach Jeffrey Poole said. Poole has been witness to the growth of the girls as players and leaders. He understands why they play such an important role in ensuring the team’s success. Collins, who started playing with the team as a freshman, has the third highest batting average in the county
and is considered the teams most valuable hitter, pitcher, and utility player, maintaining a batting average of .632 over the course of the 16 games and playing any position necessary. “My favorite position has always been outfield but since there are not many pitchers or 3rd basemen, I fill in those positions,” Collins said. Before injuring her knee and getting knocked out for the season, Osteen recorded a .667 batting average. Tied for first in the county, she also had two home runs. Beetz, like Collins started playing for the varsity team as a freshman. Her speed impressed Poole from the beginning, making her the perfect candidate to begin the line up as the lead off hitter. In addition to her offensive prowess where she has a batting average of .576 for the seventh highest in the county, Poole says that her defense is remarkable and she is “an exceptional shortstop.” The three girls are looking forward to challenging J.P. Taravella and Marjory Stoneman Douglas at districts.
Run, skip, and jump. Three simple moves to ordinary people, but not for the school’s track team. Through a season of ups and downs, the track team came through with a thrilling district championship. “Once they announced us in first place, the team ran onto the field and [we went] wild,” senior James Mason said. Last month, head coach Brandon Covington said that he expected his team to win the district title. Delivering on his expectation, the coach, who will be leaving for Oklahoma State University in the fall, brought home the first track district championship in school SHOT OUT OF A CANNON: history. At an April track meet at Aside from the team Monarch High School, winning the meet as a junior Hunter Zoblin takes whole, several Jaguars had part in the discus event. outstanding performances photo by Alanna DeGol that qualified them for the qualified for regionals in the regional tournament. In addition to the normal shotput and discus events. team members, a new star Cooper joined track for the pulled off an impressive feat first time this year. “I did not expect to at the district tournament. qualify for any Senior Kyle of the regional Shepard, a Var“I know we events with sity volleyball will pull off this being player, attended the victory my first year his first track for districts on the track meet of the year team,” Cooper specifically for because we said. “But the high jump. have been we were all Shepard matched working so surprised.” his expectations The track by taking first hard,” win comes at place in the high Brandon Duhaney an interesting jump, qualifying senior time in the himself for the program’s history. Coach regional competition. “I am not even on the Covington’s departure means track team this year but I the team had a ‘do or die’ was in the past,” Shepard mentality for this season, as said. “I did a few events many seniors will also not be at districts to help out the returning. With all of the transition team and was ecstatic when I won first place. My goal the team expects for next as a freshman was to go to year, a district championship regional’s for the high jump was the only way to reward but I never thought it would the work put in by the team happen after I gave up track throughout the year. “It takes a lot of for volleyball.” Senior Brandon commitment and dedication Duhaney placed first in to work outside in the heat,” said. “[Coach] the 200 meter, third in the Cooper 100 meter, and third in Covington works us hard. the 400 meter. Duhaney’s Even when you think performance qualified him [Covington] is not looking, for regional’s, where plans to he is watching you, we call him ‘The Predator.’” run only in the 200 meter. Now, the focus of the Before the tournament, Duhaney predicted the team turns to the regional tournament on Thursday, team’s victory. “I know we will pull April 28th. The regional meet off the victory for districts will be held at Coral Springs because we have been High School. For the seven working so hard,” Duhaney regional qualifiers, practices ramped up to prepare for one said in early April. Senior Cameron Cooper more meet.
SPORTS
theprowl
APRIL 2011 23
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24 APRIL 2010
TRUE
F E AT U R E
theprowl
“After high school, I plan to join the military. I want to push myself past the limit and see what kind of warrior I am. MARINE CORPS!”
AMERICAN
APPAREL Dressing up for the military showcases students planning to enter the armed forces after graduating high school instead of going directly to college
T
THOMASGHEBREZGI STAFF WRITER
wenty years from now, when you are flipping through your high school yearbook, you may remember certain classmates. They were your lab partners, your teammates, and your best friends. Now, these same people may be the people fighting for freedom. These students joined or are joining the military straight out of high school. They deserve our attention, especially after taking such a risk to preserve the rights of our country. Senior Cariann Nguyen is the Executive Officer for the Coral Glades Jaguar Battalion. Her position means that she is second in command of about 300 students (14 percent of the school). She enlisted in the United States Army on March 24, the day she turned 18. “I chose to join the Army because I knew it was where I belonged,” Nguyen said. “I had a sort of gut feeling about the decision.” Nguyen has applied to be an air traffic controller and signed a standard eight-year contract with the Army. She departs for basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on October 11. Afterwords, she plans to attend her career training school at senior Fort Rucker in Alabama to Milton Escobar learn how to become an air traffic controller. Her score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) gave her the option to choose her occupation in the Army. “I scored a 64 out of 100 and that allowed me to have more of a decision in choosing my M.O.S. [Military Occupational Specialty],” Nguyen said. Family also played a significant role in Nguyen’s decision to join the Army. Since her junior year in high school, Nguyen had been contemplating
“I’d rather die fighting for what I believe in,”
Unfit serveto
25%
of teens can serve
75% of teens are not
fit to serve in the armed forces
source: 2011 U.S. Pentagon Report
whether or not she should join some branch of the military. In the end, she had to choose between the Air Force and the Army and ended up choosing the latter. Her cousin is an Army reserve officer and explained to her the opportunities available in the Army. His input helped her make a decision. Some believe the Army to be an inefficient branch of the military because there are too many people and not enough jobs. Senior Milton Escobar is a strong advocate of this doctrine. “To use a metaphor, the Army will have three people writing a letter,” Escobar said. “One who will pick up a pen, one person who will take the cap off the pen, and one who will actually write the letter. In the Marine Corps they will have one person writing a letter.” Escobar signed up for the Marine Corps to be a small arms repair technician in late October. The two driving forces of his decision to join the military were his love and appreciation for the country and his admiration and respect for soldiers. “Since I was little I have looked up to soldiers. I respected them. Less than one percent of the country signs up for any branch of the military,” Escobar said. “When I signed the Marine Corps contract I basically surrendered my rights to fight and defend the rights of the American people.” After three months of basic training this coming fall and a one week in break, Escobar will return for a 12 week M.O.S. training program. He hopes to be posted in either California or Japan. Whether or not kids are old enough to make the decision to risk their lives for their countries has been one of the main objections to the registration of kids straight from high school. Yet, many of these kids have no fear of risking their lives, especially if it is for their country. “I am not afraid of dying in the military. I want to be put in situations that normal people are not put in,” Escobar said. “I’d rather die fighting for what I believe in rather than die in something like a car
SHANNON WRIGHT, junior
accident.” Unlike any other branch of the military, the Navy offers many opportunities to see the entire world with duty stations posted virtually everywhere. When senior Matthew Leeds signed up for the Navy, he knew his exact goals. After scoring a 68 on his ASVAB, he chose to become an intelligence analyst. Intelligence analysts decrypt foreign languages, recent bombing patterns, and computer codes in order to anticipate when and where the next attack will take place. Leeds will get the opportunity to see and experience a wide variety of cultures and places. Leeds’s parents had some concern about having such a dangerous job. “I told my father that this is what I wanted and he agreed, but I had to talk my mother into it,” Leeds said. “In the end I let her know that it was my decision.” The fact that his grandfather and cousin both served in the Navy impacted Leeds’ decision to sign with the Navy, though it was not his only factor. $80,000 dollars for college tuition will be awarded to Leeds at the end of four-year contract. Also, if he chooses to resign with the Navy, then he will be given a $21,000 dollar signing bonus. Geography teacher Michael Leeds is enthusiastic about his son’s decision. “I thought it was a great idea, joining the Navy,” Leeds said. “Now he has a great opportunity for a paid college, a job out of high school, and a strong focus for his future. In the end the positives outweigh the risks that come with the job.” Each of these people have different reasons for joining the military. Some do it out of admiration and respect, but the common thread between all of these people is their gut feeling that the military is where they belong. It is because of that certainty that these people deserve to be recognized and appreciated. They are our lab partners, teammates, and friends. They are the defenders of our country.
Teenagers too fat to fight Obesity, an increasingly major problem for young adults in America, has recently become a concern for retired military officials. The obesity problem may be affecting military registration. According to the Department of Defense health data, about 27 percent of young adults are medically ineligible for the military. In fact, 75 percent of young Americans between the ages of 17 to 24 do not qualify for the military because of failure to graduate from high school, criminal records or physical problems. Retired officials from the military point out that
trying to fight is very difficult for an out of shape or overweight individual. “I disagree with that,” junior and ROTC member Richie Friel said. “If you’re going to slow down the rest of the people you’re fighting with because of your weight, [putting] their lives at risk, then you should not be fighting.” Different branches of the military have their own policies, but they all measure strength, body fat, aerobic capacity, weight and height. Enlisted individuals also have to pass annual physical tests to ensure fitness.