prowl Coral Glades High School
the 2009, 2010 COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION CROWN WINNER
2010
NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION PACEMAKER WINNER
2700 Spor tsplex Drive Cor al Springs, Florida 33065
LAST DANCE
make VOLLEYBALL Boys it to district
FINISHES SEASON
Volume 7 Issue 7 May 2011
k ota
‘A Night in Hollywood’ prom ends in success, even with troubled speakers. PAGE 12
championship after successful season. PAGE 17
INSIDE
UNIQUE PROM
Best Buddies attend unforgettable ‘Friendship Ball’ for ESE students. NEWS, Page 2
OP/ED DEATH OF BIN LADEN
Two seniors take a side in the argument over whether America handled the attack on Osama bin Laden appropriately or not. Page 7
LIFE FLIPPING BACKPACKS
the faces of
Students explain the popular prank of flipping backpacks and why it is so enjoyable, while others complain about its annoyance. Page 14
SPORTS SUMMER TRAINING
Five seniors focus on athletic training throughout the summer in order to be in perfect condition for college, in which they have been recruited to play sports. Page 17
BACK FEATURE
WORDS WITH FRIENDS
Students and teachers with Smartphones shove Angry Birds aside, replacing it with a game similar to Scrabble that can be played amongst peers. Page 20
CENTERSPREAD
LEAVING THE NEST
Seniors plan their journey beyond high school, whether it be going into college, the military, or the workforce. Pages 10-11
A
celebration
photos by Niki Namazi
By Sarah Pruzansky
single red eye illuminates the stage as the spotlight shines on one girl, dressed in all red. There is a heartbeat and suddenly the color red lights up the stage and reveals over 80 musicians and dancers. KOTA has begun. Each year, the Coral Glades music program puts on a performance that incorporates color guard, band, and orchestra into a theater like performance available for anyone to see. This year’s theme for KOTA,
My Life, depicted the emotions a person experiences everyday through playing and movement.
Before setting up a rehearsal schedule, the programs staff and music director Mr. Craig Haukebo sat down and agreed they wanted to portray various emotions through music. This idea evolved into a story line that portrays someone’s life.
See FIFTH, page 2
Dinner honors top Outstanding seniors recognized academic students TOP TIER: Teachers and administration hand out awards to senior class
NADJAHIBBERT STAFF WRITER
With the 2010-2011 school year coming to a close, this years seniors begin to prepare for their next journey in life outside of high school. But before they put high school behind them, the seniors received one last chance to reminisce on their notable accomplishments at the senior award ceremony. Seniors in attendance dressed in formal attire with proud family members surrounding them for this special night to recognize academic achievement and extracurricular scholarships. Known teachers and special guests from
scholarship organizations across Broward County presented scholarship awards, special recognition awards, and graduation cords to each deserving senior on May 12. Countless numbers of different organizations awarded scholarships to students who displayed large amounts of community service involvement, scholastic excellence, club involvement, leadership skills, or athletic achievement. BRACE adviser Ellen Freling and guidance counselor Brooke Balva hosted the awards.
Throughout their four years in high school, seniors work hard in order to obtain an exceptionally high GPA. Fifty-seven of these students find reward in all of their hard work by being placed in the top 10 percent of their class. In honor of those students, there will be a dinner held on May 31. In previous years, a dinner had never been organized for the top seniors because the school was considered relatively new, but now those who worked hard will finally be recognized.
See AWARDS, page 4
See CELEBRATE, page 3
BROOKESAVAGE STAFF WRITER
2 MAY 2011
theprowl
NEWS
Trevor McKenzie senior
“I will continue to do community service until I die. It is really important to me.”
Best Buddies Ball
ESE students meet with others around the county to dance at alternate prom LAURENKLITZ NEWS EDITOR
DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY: Christina Gillespie poses with a new friend while eating dinner at the dance (top); Delourdes Remy raises her hands on the dance floor to ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry (right); Austin Outlaw shows off his yellow lei at the Hawaiian themed ball (left). photos by Niki Namazi
Each spring, high school students find alternative ways to get together in replacement of prom. This year, Best Buddies decided to shake things up and join with Best Buddies groups from across Broward County. Although the group had participated in prior years, there has never been such a large turnout from our school. The day after prom, Sunday, May 15, 25 of Coral Glades’ Best Buddies members gathered for the annual Friendship Ball. The Friendship Ball serves as an end of the year dance that all Best Buddies members are encouraged to attend. Any member can participate in the event at a cost of ten dollars per person. “It was my idea to join in with the Friendship Ball because it seemed like it would be a good opportunity for the Buddies to make new friends and have a fun night where they could be themselves with their friends,” junior and Best Buddies president Sara Sherman said. Every year, the Best Buddies of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties bring together all of the chapters for an end of the year dance. Located this year at the Crowne Plaza Sawgrass Mill Sunrise hotel, the event extends invitations to all Buddies in the program as well as their Peer Buddies. All attendees met at the Dr. Steven G. Paul Dog Park where a party bus awaited. Once everyone arrived and countless group pictures had been taken, the party departed towards the event of a lifetime. “We are very happy with the turnout and I believe the event was a big success, the county was able to get a lot of sponsors this year to make the night happen,” Sherman said. Best Buddies members, sponsors, and families came from the corners of Broward County to enjoy themselves and dance then night away in celebration. As a large county wide event, usually a local or national business or corporation sponsors the night. One of the major sponsors for the event who put in a lot of money time and effort was Audi. The Best Buddies organization of Broward and Dade counties also put a lot of time, money, and effort into the event to make it a success. “We plan our own events within our school for our members because very few of then are able to attend the events sponsored by Best Buddies,” Best Buddies adviser Patricia Weiss said. End of the year awards were given to outstanding chapters and chapter leaders who have gone above and beyond the duty to their members. As featured every year, there will be a slideshow of a compilation of photos from every chapter as well as a DJ, and plenty of food to last the whole night.
Fifth annual KOTA showcases dark emotional theme KOTA, from page 1
“Throughout each of our lives, music plays a constant role in shaping and enhancing the many emotions we experience as human beings. Whether it be loneliness, celebration, trepidation, or euphoria, KOTA: My Life portrays the many emotional ups and downs we all have in common,” band booster club president Susan Newman said. “I hope that each of these selections resonated with some emotional experience the audience has had in their own lives. In essence, My Life is really everyone’s life.” Not only were students responsible for memorizing their musical parts but they also had the opportunity to learn visual and dance movements at the same time. Scheduled rehearsals were held everyday of the week during the month leading up to the show. Individuals had the opportunity to sign up for certain pieces, while others were organized by classes, such as the advanced orchestra, who performed a rendition of the Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby.’ “I was in five pieces this year, so I pretty much had rehearsal every single day,” senior Michael Kassem said. “Even though KOTA requires so much time, the performance makes it worth every minute.” As a rigorous process with both its ups and downs, the performance showed that color guard, band, and orchestra seemed to be happy with the product.
“They have been very excited and their energy has carried the performance forward. The audience was able to see that in the show,” music director Craig Haukebo said. KOTA, conceived by former band director Ingrid Larragoity, is unlike any other performance because it includes color guard, band, and orchestra together. Every year the show has been a little bit different. This year, the theme seemed to be more intense and technical than last year’s Broadway theme. “It was interesting to watch the program grow,” senior Sydney Weinberg said. “Every KOTA I have been in has been so different, but I enjoyed being a part of all of them.” Performers wore white and various accent colors to symbolize the emotion portrayed in that piece. KOTA was very heavily advertised this year, leading to a total number of 743 tickets sold. Before the show, preview articles were written about the performance in publications such as the Coral Springs and Parkland City News and TeenLink. Due to funding, last year’s KOTA was held at J.P. Taravella High School. However, this year the organization was able to move their show back to the Coral Springs Center of the Arts, where 2009’s KOTA: Aqua was held. KOTA’s performance of My Life was well-received by audience members.
celebration: Junior Ashley Forlenza plays bass clarinet during a KOTA rehearsal for ‘Celebration,’ along with the rest of the symphonic band. The piece featured songs from Glee including ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, ‘Sweet Caroline’, and ‘Alone’. Forlenza also performed in “Bloodline” and “Unearthliness.” photo by Niki Namazi
theprowl
N E W S
DRIVING SIMULATOR
MAY 2011 3
DECA leaders learn business conduct, ethics ALANNADEGOL STAFF WRITER
PUT TO THE TEST: Head of security Mr. Brent Roberson tests out the virtual driving demonstration that was set up on Tuesday, May 17. Student Government organized the event and spent the day teaching the consequences of texting or drinking and driving. The car simulator had two settings, one to simulate drunk driving and another to simulate texting and driving. United International brought in the simulator and is sponsored by Allstate insurance and the local police department. To have people experience drunk driving, the participants were allowed to test out the controls without the drunk effects and then those manning the simulator turned on the virtual drunk controls giving the driver the experience of someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.081. photo by Amy Weiss
Top ten percent celebrates Seniors who graduated in the top ten percent of their class recognized with special dinner, catered by Prostart
“I asked Ms. Cloyd to speak on my behalf since I’ve had her for two years. She really is a great teacher “The idea surfaced last year. Some of us had worked on other campuses, and remembered coordinating and she always knows how to make class fun,” senior dinners for the students there,” administrator Ms. Lisa Elizabeth Yuen said. “Having her during the most Panazzo said. “We decided to bring it up with Mr. difficult times of high school was a blessing. Her class Ramirez and now it will be a continuing tradition here was enjoyable and, in a way, relaxing from the other classes I would consider much more arduous.” at Coral Glades.” Throughout all their hard work, the top ten percent Panazzo, business teacher Ms. Jillian Berg, and Brace advisor Ms. Ellen Freling held a general meeting really does deserve some recognition. A lot of them have worked hard in order to get into public, private, earlier in the year to plan out the night. The dinner will be held in the media center and and Ivy League universities. However, a good number is being catered by Prostart, the culinary club led by of students have chosen to remain in state for their education beyond high school. culinary teacher Chef Bob DeSabatino. Seniors Brett Rabinovich and The media center secretary, Ms. Judy Rochelle Alleyne will both be attending Berman, will be decorating the entire “We all worked the University of Florida in the fall. event. The collaborators plan to serve very hard to “I think I have always had an chicken, beef stroganoff with noodles, ambitious work ethic. My mom always vegetable salad, rolls, and dessert. earn that spot, talks about how she never has to tell However, the menu is still subject to and for us to me to do homework or study,” Alleyne change depending on availability of food and the overall ability of the Prostart be rewarded is said. “I have always just been on top of myself. And because I hold myself to that team to provide the large amount of food great,” standard, I believe all of that hard work for the event. Brett Rabinovich and self-determination has definitely “I like the idea of having a top 10 senior paid off.” percent dinner in my senior year. It’s just During graduation, the students another event that I know I’ll remember in the top ten percent will be seated for the rest of my life,” senior Brett together at the front of the graduating class. At one point Rabinovich said. Invitations have already been sent out inviting during the ceremony they will be asked to stand up to be dedicated seniors and their families. However, the dinner recognized by the audience, who will applaud them and will not only consist of a meal. Each student has been recognize all of their hard work. “It’s a great accomplishment and I’m so happy that asked to choose a teacher to speak on his or her behalf. The chosen teacher will talk about the student’s I could be a part of it. I think it’s a great way to honor ways, their extracurricular activities, where they plan everyone,” Rabinovich said. “We worked very hard to on attending college or what they are doing after high earn that spot, and for us to be rewarded is great.” The dinner for those who worked to remain in the school, and a special moment that the teacher has top ten percent will now become a tradition, and next experienced with the student. Anne Dilgen, north area director of the year more things may even be added once the staff finesuperintendents office, will also be there as a special tunes it. These determined students should be viewed as guest. This dinner will not only honor students, but also be a night of reminiscing and appreciation for teachers, examples, always setting new standards wherever they go throughout the rest of their lives. students and families.
DINNER, from page 1
Over 70 DECA students dressed in business attire attended the 5th annual “Ethical Decision Making in the Work Place and Society” seminar. The event took place on May 16 at the Heron Bay Marriott, housing students from all over South Florida for one day. “Parents, school administrators, and business partners believe that this seminar provides a springboard for the many choices students will have to make, and are totally committed to its success,” DECA advisor and business teacher Ms. Jillian Berg said. Students had to be seniors and nominated by a teacher in order to attend. All clubs were able to invite up to ten seniors to participate in the all day event. The DECA members who went spent an entire school day learning about a variety of ethical situations they may face in their life. At the conference, eight seniors were seated around a table listening to table leaders. These speakers gave the student participants their views on the moral ethics they should use when faced with dealing with other adults. “I thought it was a really great experience,” senior Adam Waters said. “It’s really important for young adults to be introduced to ethical decision-making because they are reaching the point in their lives when they are able to begin making their own decisions. I believe I’m more prepared now to tackle whatever problems arise in the future because I have gained the ability to consider all possible solutions and weigh the consequences.” The conference was led by Mr. Micheal Kridel, who has been conducting ethics conferences in Broward County for over 20 years. The lesson Kridel hoped to relay to students by holding the conference is that people can choose their actions, but they can’t choose their consequences. In the morning, the students listened to a BERG presentation by Kridel which introduced the concept of ethical decision-making and provided students with a step-by-step process through which ethical dilemmas could be tackled. Next, students were presented with a variety of ethical dilemmas. This gave the students the opportunity to apply what they had learned to real-life applications. One situation tasked students with deciding which of a number of patients in need of a heart transplant was most deserving. Another had students debate whether to tell a supervisor that employees were accepting bribes when job safety was at risk. By the end of the seminar, the students had gained the ability to use a decision-making process in order to solve a business dilemma. Table leaders presented specific real-life ethical dilemmas they had faced during their careers, and then asked the students to decide what action they should have taken. Each table then presented their decision to the whole delegation and the table leader revealed the actual action taken. “It helps the kids when going out in the real world and ethical dilemmas they may face,” Berg said. Senior Gregory Foster believes the ethics conference helped bring to life real situations that everyday businessmen face. “I liked the way they taught in groups and you learned about how ethics affected the workplace and the world,” Foster said. The conference, held every year, gives seniors an opportunity to learn and develop skills applicable to situation they will soon face in college and the workforce.
this year... > 55 members went to States > 16 members went on to Nationals > 3 members placed at Nationals > Raised $1500 at Battle of the Bands
NEWS
4 MAY 2011
Campus
theprowl
CALENDAR
Awards applaud seniors’ dedication
May 27
OUTSTANDING, from page 1
Seniors last day
May 31
Top 10% Dinner
Media Center @ 6 p. m.
June 1
Senior Cap & Gown
Herff Jones Gym 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
June 2
Graduation Practice
Faith Center 1p.m.
June 4
Graduation
Faith Center 1 p.m.
June 9
Last day of school
June 11
ACT Testing
8 a.m.-2 p.m.
June 13-17
Cheerleading Camp
Gym 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug 10
Freshman Boot Camp 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug 22
First day of School
Seniors involved in HOSA received $9000 in scholarships from the community blood centers for helping 1,300 patients. Repeated scholarship winners included Miles Cowans, Courtney Schatt, and Peter Mann. “The awards I won for my business accomplishments and my involvement in DECA really helped me win scholarships,” Mann said. He won around seven scholarship awards along with other recognition awards including the citizenship award, graduation from the academy finance award, and University of Florida scholarship recognition. “Winning the Citizenship Award meant a great deal to me. Mrs. [Jillian] Berg’s speech was beautiful; it meant a lot to know how my classmates and Mrs. Berg felt about me,” Mann said. The traditional distribution of silver cords and gold cords also took place at the award ceremony. Several seniors received silver cords for going above and beyond the required 40 service hours for graduation by gaining above 250. Senior Trevor McKenzie received the community service award for the highest service hours of the entire 2011 class with more than 1,420 recorded hours. Through his love for the medical field McKenzie earned most of his community service at medical centers like Coral Springs Medical Center and Daniel D. Cantor Senior Center. “I enjoyed working in the Emergency Room at Coral Springs Medical Center the most because I was able to help people that were suffering from all sorts of injuries,” McKenzie said. McKenzie plans to continue his involvement in community service even after high school. “I
CEREMONY: At Senior Awards, held May 12 in the Gymnasium, senior Rochelle Alleyne receives her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Scholarship. photo by Matthew Tanner will continue to do community service until I die. It is really important to me. Whether I am feeding the community, encouraging my friends and family, I will always be doing something that will make a difference,” McKenzie said. Gold cords were presented to numerous seniors for maintaining a 3.75 GPA or higher throughout high school. These cords will be worn at the graduation ceremony on June 4 along with other cords given to students who demonstrated exceptional involvement and leadership in school clubs and activities. With a 4.5 GPA, Courtney Schatt and Peter Mann won the Carl H. Grisham and Laura Estella Grisham scholarship. Co-valedictorians Adam Waters and Greg Foster were recognized with the Straight A’s Award for maintaining Straight A’s
each semester of high school. “It’s been difficult to maintain such high grades, but I am very internally motivated and I also have the support of family and friends who continuously help me stay focused and accomplish my goals,” Waters said. Waters also won four other awards including the Best All-Around Male award, which recognizes academic achievement, sports achievement, and leadership skills. “It’s nice to be recognized for more than academics,” Waters said. Following student recognition, teachers and guidance director Danny Tritto announced the top 10 ranking students of the 2011 class and the students who will be added to the senior hall of fame plaques in the main office.
5
theprowl
N E W S
MAY 2011 5
ways to be productive during summer by Molly Schulson
1.
Get a Job
Rigorous academic schedules and various extracurricular activities often leave little time to spare during the school year. If teenagers are conflicted about what to do with their new found free time, they should consider applying for a local job, whether it be at Yogurtland or the local bowling alley. A job helps students save up money for their future. The money can ultimately go towards paying off college loans, buying an apartment, or even paying car insurance. Jobs also build up skills and prepare teenagers to enter into the workforce after they graduate from high school. If teens have a particular career or major that they are interested in, they could also choose to shadow someone at their work or apply for an internship. Having temporary internships or shadowing jobs allows students to see if that job will be a good fit for a future career.
2.
Volunteer
During the admissions process, colleges seem to favor students who dedicate their time over the summer to an interesting activity that benefits other people. Volunteering for a special cause is one way to achieve this. Students can dedicate themselves to a personal project that interests them, such as animal protection or Cancer research. By getting the community involved and create a fundraiser, the project can reach great success. Another option is volunteering services to a sports or recreational camp for children. Kamp Kool in Coral Springs offers teens as young as 14 a job volunteering as counselor-
Senior wins award by helping senior citizens Of the 12 Coral Glades Silver Knight nominees, senior Adam Waters was the only school representative to receive an honorable mention. In the category of Speech, Waters began his service project last summer at the Northeast Focal Point center. Attending once or twice a week, Waters served as an instructor to seniors trying to improve their computer skills. Waters originally heard about the program from a family friend, who also acts as the director of the center. After realizing that no one else had signed up to help, Waters offered his services. His lessons on computers and technology included teaching seniors how to use the Internet, send E-mails, and buy products Online. On May 18, Waters was presented with his honorable mention at the Silver Knight ceremony. Waters says he is surprised but honored to be recognized along with the other prestigious service projects submitted. - Tori Hartstein
in-training and then after a certain number of years of experience, becomes a payable job. For those students who can’t seem to part from school over the summer, one Kamp Kool location is Coral Glades High.
3.
Stay Active
Students enjoy summer because it is a time to wind down from a hectic school year and just relax and have some fun. Even so, students should not use these three months as an excuse to get lazy. Instead of sitting on the couch 24 hours a day, students should stay physically active. Students need to put down the TV remote, turn off the computer, and go outside. Take a walk, go canoeing, or even climb some rocks. Anything is better than staying indoors. If a student feels selfconscience running around their neighborhood, they can run around their pool at least. At the beach, instead of tanning for hours on end, students should also dedicate some time to play beach volleyball with some friends or throw around a football, or take a swim in the ocean. Being active adds years to teens’ lives by burning calories, boosting energy levels, and stimulating the mind.
4.
Begin College Research
For juniors especially, summer break is the perfect time to start working on college applications. If anything else, the vacation can be spent travelling to different universities. Once students visit a college, they can determine if they want to apply to it or not. It is important to visit a
Dance classes hold 7th period assembly With a whole year’s worth of practice on the line, Ms. Deborah Kiger’s 4th and 7th period dance classes prepared to showcase their moves to the school in the gymnasium. Although this years dance show was much smaller than last years dance performance, there was a huge turn out. Students from all different grades attended the free performance. Overall, eight dances were performed by the students including different variations of hip-hop and swing. All of these styles were choreographed by the dancers themselves with the assistance of their teacher. The performers spent endless hours in class practicing for the May 20 showcase during 7th period. All in all they received a grand response from their audience who in the end of the performance joined them on the floor for the Chacha slide. - Niki Namazi
campus before making a decision on a college. Those preparing for college should get a head start at writing their personal essays and filling out the Common Application, too. The Common App is a college admission application that students can use to apply to over 400 universities in different countries, which is pretty useful. Juniors can also take advantage of a homework-free summer by studying for the SAT or ACT tests required for most college admittance. After summer, the first ACT date is in September, with the SAT following in October. Looking toward the future, taking an SAT course over the summer can be beneficial.
5.
Read a Book
Students should try to enjoy reading again. Remember in Elementary school when most of us pulled out a book to read for fun? Well, over the summer students should go to Barnes and Noble or even the library and pick out a handful of books that look interesting. Reading is not that bad, it can actually be enjoyable when students are not forced to read a lengthy book written in the seventeenth century that they have no interest in. Books provide students with a temporary escape from the hardships of everyday life. Students may also be interested in joining a book club, where a group of their friends plan on reading the same book at the same time, and then talking about it at the next “meeting.” You may have laughed at that, but it can be fun, especially if food is involved. Book clubs allow students to socialize, eat, and talk about their favorite books in an enjoyable environment.
Key club hosts movie night at SOS village Throughout the year, Key Club has hosted events to raise money for charity organizations such as Relay for Life and UNICEF. Between walks and student donations, the club has acquired toys, canned food, and money through various fundraisers. Students lead the club and have history teachers Mrs. Roxanne Brissett and Mrs. Staycee Lehrman as sponsors. To end the year, Key Club held a movie night on May 21 at the S.O.S. Children’s Village. S.O.S. is an organization that works to combine family life, friends, school, extracurricular activities, therapy, and life skills to children. It acts as a foster home to underprivileged kids. The village is located in Plantation, FL. The goal is to help kids overcome traumatic pasts of abuse and neglect so they can learn to become independent. The purpose of the event was to keep the children company. Key Club has hosted other events such as the S.O.S. Supply Drive to support this organization. - Marrissa Hullett
6 MAY 2011
OPINION
$6.2
theprowl
Staffers
YOUR VOICE l LETTERS It is crazy how so many students are not involved in any schools programs, such as band, orchestra, DECA, sports, or any of the other numerous ones. A sense of being a part of something bigger, accomplishing so much, and having lasting memories is what makes high school so great. You are stuck here for four years, so you might as well make them worth your time. Lauren Simms senior
Event Plea
The school would be better and more fun if we had more events and dances. These are things that all students can participate in and enjoy. It would bring our school together more. Kayla Vassel junior
Time to Grow Up
Everyday when we walk down the hallway we are immediately put in a bad mood because of the persistent yelling of our peers. We are in high school, it is time to grow up. You don’t need to yell, half of the people don’t even hear what you are saying anyway. Courtney Chiappelli & Meghan LeBoff juniors
Q
UOTABLES
“You are stuck here for four years, so you might as well make them worthwhile.”
- Lauren Simms, senior
Four weeks of school left
YONI MULLER ALEXIS MUNDY CIARA PEREZ PETRO SARAH PRUZANSKY GABRIELLE QUINTERO DIEANOUCHAKA REMY BROOKE SAVAGE MATTHEW SHEINBAUM ROHAN SHETTY GABRIELLE TACHER 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.
Program Importance
million dollars will be spent next school year if bill is passed mandating incoming freshman take at least one online course before graduation.
C A R TO O N I TORI HARTSTEIN
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 ELISA BAEZ TEMPLE BRAY RACHEL BRILL ASHLEY CAMPO CHRISTINA CHARAN CAMERON COOPER ALANNA DEGOL THOMAS GHEBREZGI BETHANY HERSHOWITZ NADJA HIBBERT BRIONNA HUERTAS MARISSA HULLETT BECCA MILLER
F E AT U R E D FA C T
theprowl
Just In Time
This year, the Broward Country School Board decided that students could exempt AP final exams. Throughout high school, I always wished this rule would pass. I find it redundant and cruel to force students to take an actual AP exam and a final exam (often an irrelevant practice AP test for a grade). Although I am happy that we got the exemptions this year and it takes some stress away from the end of senior year, I am upset that we never had this privilege before. Countless hours of studying and stressing could have been easily avoided. Matthew Watkins senior
Say Goodbye
Whatever will we do without THE Rohan? I figure that in 5 to 10 years we will be entertained by Mr. Nadkarni on a prime time cable news show. Sports writing will be too limiting for his spontaneous sense of humor and brilliant mind. Until then, we will bide our time, anxiously anticipating his glorious return to being our primary source of entertainment. Au revior, Rohan. Teresa Sutton math teacher
FINAL COMPLAINT l ROHAN NADKARNI
I
Waiting on the gate to change
t is another hot Coral Springs day. My Honda Fit remains hostage outside the student gate and no amount of air conditioning can stop the beads of sweat from running down my face. I admit to skipping class in the morning with a bogus excuse, but now I want to attend class and the school will not let me? Over the past couple of years, the situation in the student parking lot keeps becoming worse for student drivers. It started with having to deal with annoying drivers and the large number of speed bumps. But now, just entering and leaving the gate has become an arduous process that even the Navy SEALs who bumped Osama would have difficulty entering the lot during A lunch. Let us skip back to my fateful day waiting outside the student gate. I arrived at school at roughly 11:20 in the morning, just in time to make it to my post-lunch class. I called the school ahead of time to let them know the gate would need to be opened. As I pulled up to the lot, no member of the security team was manning the gate. I took the risk of going inside the office and throwing my weight around to get the gate open. After all, being a local celebrity at the school, I figured I had some pull. Also, I frequently play the ‘I’ll put you in the paper’ card for some favors. Luckily no one ends up reading my articles. Once inside the office, I spoke to Ms. Jaime Colgrove who could not reach anyone over the radio to help me out. Instead, I tried my luck with the head of security, Mr. Brent Roberson. My decision to speak to Roberson was not an easy one. Coming up to his office, I saw Roberson, Officer Bonasera, security guard Jose Escalante, and a student waiting inside the room. Knowing this would be a horrible opportunity to interrupt our head of security, I went inside anyway. I quickly explained my situation and Roberson agreed to open the gate within a couple minutes. I ran back outside to my car and headed outside to the gate. While time passed on and I was listening to music in my car, it eventually dawned on me that no one was coming. After waiting for nearly half an hour, I left school entirely to get some lunch.
Nadkarni is the sports editor for The Prowll. On multiple occasions, Nadkarni had trouble entering or leaving the student gate, and he would like to see the situation changed for future students.
Leaving the school can be a difficult task as well. After suffering a mild allergy attack in Ms. Paula Wagner’s Forensics class, my mom signed me out so I could rest at home. However, I had to leave via the student gate, a more treacherous path than the River Styx. With a pass in hand signed by Mrs. Dana Goldfarb from the front office, I thought the exit would be clean and quick. I made it to my car after the end of A lunch and drove up to the gate. Not only was the gate closed, but I could see another car waiting outside to enter. I barely managed to return to the campus to ask for assistance because the doors into the school are locked. Once inside, I found the man who usually heads the student gate in the morning, Mr. Quentin McJirt. I showed McJirt my pass and in the most polite way possible I pleaded him to open the gate. Unfortunately, McJirt was on break and he said they only open the gate once a day, at 12:30. This meant that even though my mother signed me out an hour earlier, I would not be able to leave the school. Everyone understands the school’s reasoning for the student parking lot gate policy. They need to keep the campus secure and make sure that students are not leaving and entering the school freely. However, there needs to be some remedy to the situation. Although in the second instance I was able to leave school in a timely manner, countless members of the student body have their own horror stories of waiting in the parking lot for an hour or more before being able to leave. My suggestion is to have one member of the security staff permanently placed at the student gate. Students with an I.D. should be allowed to enter the gate so they can rightfully attend class. People leaving school early with the corresponding paperwork (a signed, excused pass) should also be let out. Hopefully, no one else is left stranded in their car.
Even the Navy SEALs who bumped Osama would have difficulty entering the lot during A lunch.
OPINION
theprowl
MAY 2011 7
POINTCOUNTERPOINT GREG FOSTER
A DA M W AT E R S
Justice served in killing of Osama
W
hen naming the worst leaders in history, one can not help but mention Osama bin Laden. The man was responsible for thousands of deaths (including American citizens). He was also the leader of the most dangerous terrorist organization known to exist, Al Qaeda. When America was successful in bringing him to justice via death, the world became a better place. The families of those killed in the September 11 attacks can now sigh in relief knowing that the man responsible can no longer commit a similar crime against humanity. Some might argue that now that he is dead someone else will just step in and my response to that is simple: To defeat such an organization as Al Qaeda, you must cut off the head. Osama was the head, and this will send a message to rest of the terrorists out there that America will not stand for such tactics and that terrorist behavior will not be tolerated. This is not only a big step for America, but a big step for world peace. Plain and simple, Osama was a coward. He hid in a cave for some ten years knowing what he had done was wrong. America should be ecstatic; we have accomplished a major military objective. Ever since President Bush declared the war on terror in 2001, Osama bin Laden has been the main opposition. Now that he has been eliminated, it is time to celebrate his death and the people who brought it upon him. No sympathy should be felt for this man, and no one should question the tactics used in eliminating him as a threat. Killing him on the spot was not only the right thing to do, it was the only option that kept American troops out of harms way. If more Americans were to die because of this horrible man, he would have one final win before he died. He made it a mission to kill as many Americans as possible. Some say we should have brought him to trial, but bringing him to trial would put Americans at risk of future attacks. It is the same reason we did not bring the other 9/11 conspirators to New York City to be tried in an American court; it was too risky. This entire topic can be avoided when you look at the fact that Osama would not surrender. American troops continued to ask him to surrender and he refused. To protect themselves, it was the right thing to shoot him. That is justice. The man did not deserve to live after all of the horrible things he had done. We have the best army in the world, and they always do their job: protect America. Thank a soldier.
Time to reflect, not celebrate
MIDDLE EAST INSIGHT Osama bin Laden has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list since the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya where 23 people were killed with 4085 wounded. Do you believe the death of Osama bin Laden will make America safer?
4%
DON’T KNOW
78% YES
18%
NO
363 students polled
Bin Laden’s death sparked a record 12.4 million tweets per hour. polled students believe the Obama administration should release the photo of a dead bin Laden
186
35
polled students believe George W. Bush deserves credit for the killing of bin Laden source: Huffington Post, New York Times
A
s I watched the news cycle covering the killing of Osama bin Laden, I was struck by the general attitude of joy regarding bin Laden’s death; even the reporters could barely contain the smiles on their faces in announcing the news. The most chilling image I saw was of a drunken mob celebrating in the street. The Huffington Post reported that crowds in New York were singing “Hey, hey, goodbye.” I could not help but feel disgusted by this. Despite all of the suffering caused by bin Laden, his death is not something to celebrate. I recognize the significance of Osama bin Laden’s death. As the orchestrator of the September 11 attacks and the deaths of thousands of Americans, he was the man most deserving of punishment in the world. By celebrating his death, however, we are violating the moral foundations of our society. The purpose of the War on Terror is two-fold. In addition to protecting American citizens, the war is also an attempt to spread American ideals which include cultural understanding, democracy, and human rights. It is impossible for other people to take this goal seriously when they see American citizens degrading the message of peace by advocating violence and vengeance. The images of celebration are especially damaging to the United States’ relations with Middle Eastern countries, where the celebration could be misconstrued as one for triumphing over Islam instead of triumphing over a murderer. At a time when it is so important for the United States to have cordial relations with the evolving Middle Eastern nations, the joyous demonstrations for bin Laden’s death are moving this country in the wrong direction. These celebrations also create the wrong perceptions about the war. Although bin Laden’s death is an important step in bringing about the fall of Al Qaeda, the battle against terrorism is far from over. Already, Al Qaeda has pledged to exact vengeance and it is likely that they will attempt to follow through with this threat. By celebrating bin Laden’s death, the American people are undermining the work that must be done to bring about global peace and religious freedom. Rather than a reason for celebration, I firmly believe that we should use Osama bin Laden’s death to reflect. Now is the time to think back to the beginning of this war and remember why we are fighting. Now is the time to honor those who have given their lives to ensure that America can be safe. And now is the time to pledge ourselves to pursuing terrorism until it is annihilated, not just for our own safety, but for the safety of every person who has to live in fear.
T H E P R O W L O P I N I O N l EDITORIAL
I
Virtual education overshadows importance of teachers
n the state of Florida, teachers remain unvalued, unappreciated, and underpaid. Recently, the Senate passed a bill, known as HB 7197, which makes teachers even less important, since it promotes virtual schools and education. Virtual schools house on-line classes. They provide courses that students can take online without the assistance of an everyday teacher. Instead, students manage their own work schedule and only contact their teacher about twice a month, though it varies by the subject. Students participate in on-line discussions instead of the usual face-to-face discussions that occur in a classroom setting. Only about 200,000 Florida public school students take at least one class online currently. This may seem like a lot of active online users, but in actuality the number represents only about one percent of Florida’s 2.6 million public school students. Senate bill HB 7197 mandates that incoming freshmen must take at least one online course in order to graduate. It also allows charter schools to offer fulltime virtual instruction and expands the number of grades that FLVS (Florida Virtual School) offers. For example, kindergarten and first grade children can take full-time online classes if they wish, under the bill. This bill does not benefit public schools at all, though. In fact, money will be taken away from them since schools will not have to pay the salary of as many teachers because they, in essence, will be replaced by computer screens. The
state will also have to pay an additional $6.2 million next school year due to estimated increases in virtual school enrollment. Students who take online classes do not receive an optimal education. By forcing students to take part in virtual school, problems can arise. It is difficult for teachers to explain material over the phone. Some students need to have that visual of a teacher at the whiteboard, teaching a lesson. Some critics of the bill also show concern about students having access to computers. If every single high school freshman is required to take an online course, they will need to have a computer present. Many families do not have the luxury of owning a computer, so the situation can become sticky. Taking classes in a school or public library can be distracting and seems unfair. In addition, some students may not have the technological skills. Using the computer can be tricky, especially for the disabled. Not to mention, it is incredibly easy to “cheat” on work off an online class. The Internet is full of answers, and when a student takes a class on the computer, they have the Internet at their fingertips. Without a teacher peering over the shoulder, students can take advantage of the Internet during tests or assignments by looking up answers. Students will not learn the material if they simply copy and paste answers from the Web. Even if they pass the class, students won’t retain the
information. The state should not plan on these particular students passing their AP exams if they the class they took on-line was Advanced Placement. Republican Rick Scott supports the bill, and since it recently was passed by the Senate, it will most likely become a law. Even so, it does not seem right. Students should not have to take extra classes outside of school. Students have an abundance of extracurricular activities to balance with their schoolwork. Adding one more class to the schedule of a student already involved with sports, band, and religious school can be difficult. This added stress will make the student perform less well, negatively impacting their grades. Of course, there are some perks of online classes. For example, classes may be offered online that are unavailable in school, such as Latin. Students also take online classes to redo a class they did poorly in. Lastly, taking online classes, especially AP classes, can boost one’s GPA. Students who wish to take advantage of these perks can always sign up for a class or two online, but the point is clear: not every high school student should be mandated to take a class online. Taking classes online force the student to rely on their own time management skills and capability to learn material on their own in order to succeed. These students are not in college. Most of them still need teachers to guide them through the material in order to “get” it, and the state should not take this privilege away from them, even if it is for just one class.
8 MAY 2011
O P I N I O N
P O L I T I C A L S TA N D P O I N T l THOMAS GHEBREZGI
Credibility lost as politicians become celebs
S
arah Palin, Donald Trump, and Glen Beck. When one hears these names, the circus that is becoming the new face of American politics is the first thing that comes to mind. Kids are beginning to see our government as a big joke, and what does the government do in response? They let these absurd actions continue. The government’s respectability began to decline during the Clinton administration. After the sexual misconduct scandal involving Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers, Clinton’s credibility was seriously brought into question. Shows like Saturday Night Live began a series of skits mocking the absurdity of the situation and Clinton himself. While this may have been a totally innocent act, it began to chide at Clinton and put the President and the government in a ridiculous light. Fast forward to the inauguration of President George W. Bush and one can clearly view the sad state of our government’s image. With increasing coverage of governmental affairs, the rise of political satire, and of political talk shows, our government was starting to lose some of its dignity. But George Bush himself also severely hurt the government’s image. With his silly antics the government slowly descended into its current state. Now in present day, we have two people who have completely turned our system of government into the butt of many jokes: Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. Both reality TV show stars have led many to believe that anybody can run for office and also seek coverage for their campaigns through taking part in really stupid things. There is no single source as to how our government became such a joke, but several factors that have lead to this state of absurdity. First off, one has to consider the media’s role in this situation. While the media does an excellent job of broadcasting the errors made by any politician, the good that they have done often goes unnoticed. George Bush did many good things during his two terms in office. Under his administration America has increased aid to Africa from one to four billion dollars per year, also increasing trade with Africa and boosting the economy. Unfortunately, all we remember about Bush is the funny Texan accent Will Ferrell put on when impersonating him. The rise of political satire in the form of sketch comedy, political cartoons, or television programs also led to the
Ghebrezgi is a staff writer for The Prowl and member of JROTC. He feels that people do not take politics seriously anymore because the people who are trying to pass off as politicians only care about popularity.
government’s image. In the mid 2000’s, new programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report taking shots at the government. Saturday Night Live also began to shift its skits towards “topical/political humor.” While they cannot be held entirely accountable for what they say, they must be aware of their influence on the public. Americans begin to see these shows, and politics in general, no longer as serious topics but as tonights entertainment and that is wrong. It is not just political satire either. TV networks like MSNBC and FOX news started out as news stations with interesting point of views on current events. But now they have turned into bickering enemies constantly insulting and discrediting each other. These nonstop attack campaigns send conflicting messages and skew the truth. Because of this, it makes it seem like the government is flip-flopping on political issues, when the real cause is the poor, conflicting reports that these stations provide. While much of the burden of responsibility lies with the media, we must also look at the new breed of politicians coming in. Old fashion values and morals like integrity and honesty do not go as far today Sarah Palin shooting a moose with a rifle. When politicians intentionally do bad or dumb things to attract attention to themselves, the government starts really looking like a joke. Sarah Palin, after losing the Governor of Alaska seat and the 2008 vice presidential election, starred in her own reality TV show called Sarah Palin’s Alaska. The only logical reason for her to do so is so she can stay relevant in a world that is trying to forget about her and move on to more important issues. Through this process she degrades not only herself, but the American government that she and every other politician represents. All is not lost though. America is still regarded as the most powerful and influential nation in the world and despite these events, the country has done an excellent job of preserving its dignity. The purpose of this article is not to put down our government, but to point out its flaws in order to improve this great nation’s quality.
Old fashion values and morals like integrity do not go as far as Sarah Palin shooting a moose with a rifle.
S E N I O R R E F L E C T I O N l BROOKE SAVAGE
Senior gives insight on school years to come
A
s graduation day comes closer, it seems almost impossible to not reminisce and look back at the previous years. The years have changed and the same goes for friendships and some friends have stayed the same all four years, while others just seemed to walk on by. A lot of seniors may complain and say that they cannot wait to leave high school, but when they go to university, they may find themselves actually missing it. Each of the four years carried a different memory, ones that can end up staying with the graduating class of 2011 forever. The first day of high school seems like it was yesterday. Being the youngest in a big school was frightening, but, of course, most freshmen tried to mask that fear to seem like they knew what they were doing. All of the seniors looked so much older and bigger. I could have sworn the T.A. in my first period class looked old enough to be a student teacher. She was actually 17, not 22. However, being in mostly honors classes, befriending sophomores was not that hard. It was nice having older friends to be able to answer questions and it made me feel like I was cooler. I wonder if I was as immature as all incoming freshmen seem to be. Sophomore year was a little bit easier. Being the absolute youngest in the school was no longer frightening with the arriving freshmen. However, being a sophomore felt like being in the middle. Freshmen worry about arriving to a new school and setting their GPA, juniors start taking the SATs, and seniors prepare for university. Sophomores just have to work on their grades and pass the FCAT. There was no real significance to being a sophomore except being able to call out the freshmen at pep rallies. When junior year arrived, stress came along with it. Most students begin to join clubs and take more challenging classes during this year in order to impress colleges. No one
Savage is a staff writer for The Prowl and a member of the WJAG recap. She sees high school as a positive experience that she will cherish forever. She feels that high school’s effect on students is undeniable.
ever explains how stressful junior year can be. Most students begin taking the SATs. Studying for it seems impossible, but it determines what the taker will become after high school. Life seriously hits hard in junior year. Although in a way it helps to prepare for the life decisions faced during senior year. It just seemed as though my mind was always running and always thinking about what I had to do. In order to survive, it was important to stay on top of everything. During senior year, a transformation into maturity becomes fully complete. During this crucial year, it seems as though students are forced to grow up. Senior year marks the year to map out life plans and to seriously think about the future. Acceptance letters to colleges start being printed out, living situations become arranged, and students start to save money. However, senioritis still takes its toll. Most seniors are ready to get out when really they should cherish every moment before they let them pass on by. High school has always been seen as the ‘best four years,’ while some may disagree with that, graduating students cannot deny the way they have changed. Looking back and although the decision remains unsure if these really were the best four years, they definitely carried memories along with them. It was always nice meeting new friends every year, but still never forgetting some of the old. As the story book unfolds for seniors, a new chapter will begin. However, anyone can always go back and reread the previous chapters in order to keep the memories alive.
fresh
LOOK
M
theprowl No longer the underdog
BY AMY WEISS
y first year in high school is now nearing to an end and whether it was decent or not, I will no longer be referred to as a freshman. The most amazing and glorious prospect of being a sophomore is simply that I will no longer be under the oppressive title of freshman. Oh and that William Xu is our president of course. The major difference between the first year of middle school and the first year of high school is the size of your backpack. In middle school, all Jansports seemed about to burst with brand new school equipment hanging down around your butt. The biggest thing I hold in my backpack now is my lunch and that I will no longer be a freshman. Finding myself reminiscent about certain moments from middle school, makes me realize all the strange things unable to be done in high school. Pretending to be late because my class had a strange and unique bell schedule, playing ninja in the courtyard with around fifteen kids and then being threatened with fake detention. Within one month of being here, successfully able to navigate the halls with a blindfold on was possible. Even naming the teachers rooms when passing was a simple task. Every year as we progress through school, teachers always tell you that no one is going to chase you down for missing homework and assignments you were given when you were absent. None of that was true. My teachers still tell me what is owed and give me what was not able to be done in class. That is not really prepping us for our future as previous teachers have claimed. In fact my former teachers actually left me totally unprepared for all the work to come in high school. Three more years of this and we are out in the unforgiving world of college. This school year sped by so fast; it is hard to fit all experiences and work in. In my short time here, I intend to triple my school spirit. Especially since no boo’s will be directed at me whenever the word freshman is said at pep rallies. Nor on class color day will I be given dirty looks when decked out in my brightest green tights and huge matching bow. My sophomore year my electives will no longer be ones forced to take. Thank god HOPE is over with and exercising in school or slideshows no one should ever see will never cross my mind ever again. Three years of Spanish are done and I can unsuccessfully say no habla español. One of the only reasons that Spanish was a part of my curriculum was because of the requirement for graduating and colleges. An unexpected benefit with being done with three years of Spanish is that I get to take a college math class as a sophomore. Of course, the Pre Calculus and Trigonometry at a college level is going to literally kill me, but at least my Spanish credits gave me enough to join. A certain friend of mine is taking three online classes over the summer in order to just get into the class. Also as a sophomore, I will never ever have to write one of these columns ever again. As glamorous and beautiful as I make my columns seem, it takes a whole lot of effort. Just thinking of ideas drives me insane. Half the time I procrastinate writing it (like for this one) and then end up struggling to make up enough strange and weird things to say to fill all 800 words required. Once this last newspaper is printed the thought of more stress over a new column idea completely vanishes. Although, no one ever does know how to spell sophomore correctly. I did not know there was such thing as a silent “o” in our language. Thankfully someone came up with spell check or those of you reading would be wondering what a “sofmore” was. Unfortunately, I will not have an excuse to do stupid things anymore. Whenever I collide into a garbage can or translate something such as “terminated at summer camp” in Spanish class someone just groans “freshman!” and continues on with their lives. No one dwells on the foolish things freshmen are constantly doing, they just expect it and see it as completely normal. Although, I find most of the time people tease me a lot more than usual once they discover my current freshman status. Next year comes time for payback. All my friends say that they would never make fun of incoming freshman, but everyone knows that is a complete lie. It is ridiculous when someone hates you because you are a freshman, even though just a year or two ago, they were in the same position as you are now. Of course a little teasing and taunting will be tolerable once I am the one doing it. Now that I am officially out of the title of freshman guess what seniors... you are.
theprowl
JAGWIRE
MAY 2011 9
PRINT JOURNALISM’S
SWAN SONG commentary by Rohan Nadkarni
As print journalism drowns, the foundations of newspaper still thrive through the Internet
W
hen I tell people I am studying journalism at college, the first look they give me is one of bewilderment, questioning why I am wasting my time with a dying industry. Although the journalism landscape changes rapidly from year to year, the foundations of how journalists behave will always remain the same, and the need for good journalism will always exist. Too often, the general public makes the assumption that ‘journalism’ is dying. In reality, the way we consume journalism is what is really changing. Print journalism, what Americans read in wood pulp everyday, has become obsolete. Most major newspapers, like the Tribune Company and the New York Times, have moved online. It is online where the ethics of real journalism must remain and real journalists must differentiate themselves from the horde of social media. In the last five years or so, social media has taken over the United States. Circulation of newspapers like the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune has dropped. People now consume information differently. Twenty-two percent of all time spent on the Internet is attributed to social networking. The rise of social media led people to believe in the demise of old journalistic practices. Even at the Florida Scholastic Press Association state convention, leaders preached about social media and the shift away from print media. They focused on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However, the future of journalism will always depend on ethical journalism and fleshed-out, factual stories. Former Sun-Sentinel columnist Ralph De La Cruz said it best. Journalism is not just storytelling, nor is it just a list of information, but in fact, journalism is a style of informed storytelling. Journalists must be able to gather facts and arrange these facts to create a narrative that engages and enriches the minds of readers. The problem with social media is that the narrative aspect of journalism is lost, and the speed of the Internet medium creates for many inaccuracies. Frequently, social media creates situations where journalists lose their foundation in ethical practices in order to be the first to break a story. During the Summer of 2010, before LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat, sports writers on Twitter would tweet about what their ‘sources’ said about LeBron’s ultimate destination. As a result, reports said LeBron would be heading to Chicago, then New York, then back to Cleveland, or maybe New Jersey. Although some reporters claimed Miami, most people could not help but feel as if Twitter had become an outlet for sportswriters to throw rumors against the wall to see what sticks. Another Twitter incident included Washington Post columnist Mike Wise. Wise purposely tweeted incorrect information on Twitter to see how fast it would catch on to other news corporations. Wise was ultimately suspended for his actions, but his experiment proved to be quite successful. Wise’s tweet was picked up by other news sites such as ESPN,
before the tweet was discovered to be a hoax. The speed of social media pushes journalists to take shortcuts and attempt to be the first at breaking any news. As a result, we lose accuracy. The emotion of news is also gone. The death of Osama can easily be tweeted, but what about the circumstances of his death? Commentary, analysis, and opinions? For all the things that give news its impact, we need print journalism, not social media. This is not about newspapers vs. the Internet. The Internet is the clear winner. Newspapers made the mistake years ago of offering the content you pay for in the paper free on the Internet. The point is, although the journalism industry may be changing to adapt to the digital world, the way journalists practice their craft should remain the same. Social media is not a detriment to the journalism industry, but it should be used as a supplement to print journalism. Journalists cannot rely on these fast forms of media to deliver the news the way it is meant to be delivered. News should be given to the public with facts, analysis, commentary, and involve the public at the same time the way newspapers do. The online newspaper can still offer everything we see in print journalism. When I tell people I want to write a column online, they immediately assume that writing online means creating a blog. However, the Internet is a legitimate space for the journalism we used to see in print. Rick Reilly, an award winning former columnist for Sports Illustrated, now writes for ESPN.com. Jason Whitlock, an award winning columnist for the Kansas City Star, now writes for foxsports.com. Bill Simmons, the twelfth most influential person in online sports according to the Sports Business Journal, wrote for ESPN.com and is now starting his own website, Grantland.com. For writers like Whitlock and Reilly, and even old veterans of the industry like Michael Wilbon (who made the online switch in the last year), their practices of journalism remain the same. Although we may be reading their columns on the computer instead of at the coffee table, the style of writing remains the same. Their ethics remain the same. Journalism is not declining. The free media of the United States will always be one of its strongest pillars of democracy. If a journalist is given full freedom to cover what is happening around them, they should take full advantage of that opportunity. Am I worried that I may not write for a newspaper when I graduate college? Of course. However, I refuse to adapt the way I approach journalism. Journalism will always be informed story telling. Restricting myself to 140 characters or one Facebook status is not responsible journalism. As we look to the future of journalism, I must disagree with those running FSPA. Although social media can be used productively, the ethics gleaned from real print journalism will always be the best way to report the news.
F E AT
10 MAY 2011
COLLEGE
BOUND
After finishing their final year, seniors make post-high school plans including enrolling in college, enlisting in military to begin next step in their paths
ART INSTITUTE Fiorella Bellmunt Widlene Destime Jose-Tharlyn Georges Olivier Larose Ronald Lindsay, Jr. Robert Sanchez ATLANTIC TECHNICAL Christopher Bert William Carr Melody Esquilin Jeffrey Santiago BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY Chauncy Lump Courtney Weeks BROWARD COLLEGE Marisa Allen Angy Andre Daniel Arcos Dua Asrar Danielle Berendt Gina Bohoquez Ashawnti Brown Renzo Calonge Jonathan Camacho Katrina Carter Rodrigo Celis Brittany Chaney Eimar Chaves Peter Chicchetti Brooke Cobb Alexis Colon Nicolas Coppola Cristian Correa Patricia Correa Rachel Corsello Kai Crutcher Tatiana Cuellar Brandon Dass John Devereaux Taressa Dougherty Ally Dubreuil Omar Dumet Zachary Eguizabal Joel Estevez Austin Feichter Jenine Fields Danise Fogarty Rachel Forbes Ulises Fuentes Brandon Guidice Juan Gutierrez Brandon Haire Christopher Haire Shawn Haverly Patrick Henry Lauren Herbst Ruben Hernandez Ike Hershkovitz Christopher Irizarry Marissa James Maria Jenssen Alexander Johnson Adelphe Josil Clarissa Josuin Marissa Josuin
Danielle Kenyon Christopher Kidd Daniel Krasso Codi Lawrence Sara Linton Pedro Lopez Jason Lowe Wai Chung Duilio Mavarez Lintiya McCleary Savannah McCoy Tonian McLeish Kevin Mejia Mathew Miravite Dylan Mohabir Martin Monesar Alex Moo Moya-Gaye Morgan Kenneth Ng Nhat Nguyen Samantha Ospina Michaela Palermo Manuel Pena Carolina Perdomo Vanessa Perez Shantal Phillips Monica Persaud Kristina Pollari Victor Ponce Shaquille Prescott Amy Quirola Ana Reategui Natacha Rivera Michael Roberts Andres Robledo Lourdes Robledo Shannon Rodrigues Mohammed Saad Erica Sanchez Tyler Sanders-Nielsen Sabrina Santana Lawrence Scott, Jr. Shaon Shill Rodrigo Souza Jennifer Spencer Daquan Stallworth Brian Starling Jacob Stawicki Nikkia Sullivan Tshelle Taylor Erick Then Marissa Thomas Michael Tiexeira Tatiana Tulloch Anaily Vasconcelo Anamaria Vazquez Serg-Michel Veillard Scott Vieira Jorge Villamar Garaicoa Qian Wang Christopher Wardley Rebekah Wehniainen Tania Whitehill Amirah Williams David Wilson Jacques Zagury FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY Samuel Alba Crystal Alvarez Micheca Aristilde
Devin Baynes Riseana Benn Ornella Berard Stephanie Bernard Karriyma Bintu-Raqib Shannon Black Ariell Burrell Erin Butler Erica Dahdah Lennox Francis Sofia Garantiva Bryan Goldin Aimee Guralnick Shauna Healey Natalie Hosein Stevana Jacob Chelsea Joseph Daniel Kenyon Mohammed Khan Taylor Kroeger Maria Londono Hirsh Maniar Roderick Marcial Trisha McCutchen Danielle Meulens Jamal Miller Lauren Mosley Michael Munoz Brandon Olan Cheyenne O’Neil Hemali Patel Oscar Perez Jake Ramirez Brianna Rodriguez Jennifer Rojas Jerry Rusch Sarai Santiago Claudia Silva Santisteban Garrett Skirvin Chelsea Smith Gabrielle Tacher Samantha Taveras Natalia Tomaszewicz Andrew Trott Anastasia Turner Mishelle Vassell Shari Wilson FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY (FAMU) Ashley-Ann Alberga Lauren Boothe Stanley Joseph Antonette Roberts Anthony Sapp Miraya Vargas FLORIDA CAREER COLLEGE Tiffani Burfield FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Samantha Brazier Rosheda Burnett Brandon Burrowes Christian Caviedes Macarena Coloma
Ghowrab Guha Stanley Gustave Nicolas Hauser Carla Mendoza Nikolette Miller Sharmila Parasram Helen Pham Daniela Torres Cassandra Sampsell Justin Suarez Winnie Wong FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY Alisha Alinur Jessenia Astrada Clive Dennie Zaakir Eddinger Christian Espinosa Andrea Garcia Natalie Hailey Daniel Jones Erica Mofsen Timothy Murphy Justin Ravit Christina Sabella Ryan Thompson Nicole Tillman Nicholas Tricarico Brandon Weber FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY Alexis Evans-Morris FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE AT JACKSONVILLE Derek Greider Kelsey Stefan Brandon Texiera FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Milagros Aburto Haley Barnett Alan Benacquisto Tyra Brune Miles Cowans Tyharra Cozier Wenda Delice Holli-Ann Elliott Brynn Goldfarb Camila Guillen Valeria Hidalgo Alison Horowitz Jenni Hoy Kevin Lanzo Amanda Luzadder Caitlin Maclaren James Mason Corinne Morris MyLe Murphy Grecia Narvaez Laszlo Orosz Damaris Payen Zachary Popkin Alissandra Reed Erika Rios Josh Rutkowski Evan Swift
Matthew Tanner Adam Vicent Joseph Windham FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY Mikayla Ragovin James Soto-Diaz INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE Stephanie Holbrook
SANFORD BROWN Bianca Suarez SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA Jacqueline Juarez ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE Emily Sherwood
KEY COLLEGE Nicholas Felegy
ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY Oscar Casado Kareem Dawkins
LE CORDON BLEU CULINARY SCHOOL Crystal Serrano
WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Matthew Lamb
LYNN UNIVERSITY Kamari Reid
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA Cindy Appelbaum Monique Bianco Priscilla Cesar Nicole Dumbroff Gregory Farber Raquel Garza Chad Kaplan Michael Kassem Patrick Kowall Adrienne Lam Paula Llanos Dennis Matos Kyle Moran Stephie Pierre Gio Raymundo Samantha Rojas Daniel Sharvit Melissa Winter
LAKE SUMTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Christian Thornton NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF ARTS Katelynn Draper NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Keith Avidon Deandra Pollard Lenin Rincon, Jr. PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY Brigid Knight PALM BEACH ATLANTIC Sarah Stauffer PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE Ashley Aubourg Alysha Beyerlein Mohamed Dashoush Bryan Duque Michelle Kochlany Kristina Marcellino Brianna Payton Jessica Perez Anthony Sanchez Marxy Suarez Samuel Vargas RINGLING COLLEGE Nathalie Doria
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Rochelle Alleyne Elizabeth Dailey Ashley Dey Phuong Thao Dang Adam Gilbert Matthew Grey Ryan Herchan Eliza Kim Nykole McLeod Kelvin Medina Rebecca Miller Benjamin Neubauer Brett Rabinovich Katherine Rzeczycki Albertt Scalone Justin Schulman Kyle Shepard Lauren Simms
ROLLINS COLLEGE Jennifer Herman
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI Angaddeep Ahluwalia Daniel Bench
SANTE FE COLLEGE William Bevan Titus Jimpson
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA Nicholas Brana
MAY 2011 11
URES
TOP TEN The top ten seniors reveal their college of choice along with a quote that represents their outlook on life.
GREGORY FOSTER “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” -Gladiator
Carnegie Mellon University
ADAM WATERS
Rebecca Haney Brooke Mortensen Matthew Wiesner Zane Zeman UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Jada Dixie Bridgit Judson Sydney Mills Bryan Shapiro UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA Gemma Amico Kimberly Gnagi UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE Dwight Tudor UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA Jordyn Grinnell TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Myles Dean Leonardo Escobar, Jr. Ivan De La Espriella Akeen Fenton Jessica Friedman Emily Haney Chad Kuschel Julia Muchotrigo Francesco Schifano Nicholas Sofianos Kasey Soto Alexa Velazquez VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Shelby Aronson Anushkka Bissram Kichelle Burgher Danielle Flakes Alexandra Hadyar Kedjiny Joseph Harvey LaGuerre Shivanah Moertodjo Brooke Savage Alexander Schneider Justin Schulman Madison Wuest MILITARY Zachary Acosta (Navy) Michael Coley (Army) Jordan Edwards (Coast Guard) Milton Escobar (Marines) Ryan Gagnon (Marines) Spencer Goehrig (Army) Nicholas Guglielmo (Army) Michkayle Lawson (Marines) Matthew Leeds (Navy) Eric Leicht (Army) Eric Lugo
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” - Vince Lombardi
Shelby Miller Kariann Nguyen (Army) Kerly Quirama (Army) Willie Slaughter
Brown University
MATTHEW WATKINS “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” -Confucius
FIRE ACADEMY Steven Berger Alex Esteves
Vanderbilt University
OUT OF STATE
JONATHAN MULLER
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, IN
“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education. “ - Mark Twain
Kaitlyn O’Neil
BEREA COLLEGE, KY
Northwestern University
Sheniqua Austin
ROHAN NADKARNI
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, PA
“The truth fears no questions.” -Anonymous
Kevin Greisel
CHAFFEY COLLEGE, CA
PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY, NC
Nicole Espana
Jordan Cooper
COLLEGE OF COASTAL GEORGIA, GA
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NY
Amanda Kline
DEAN COLLEGE, MA
Desmond Elliott
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, GA
Jason Cheung
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, VA
Joshua Tennie
HUNTER COLLEGE, NY
Robyn Pennypacker STONYBROOK UNIVERSITY, NY
Sebastian Dinucci
TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE, SC
Shannon Fahy
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Isoke Young
Elizabeth Yuen
LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY, CA
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, IL
Deja Thomas
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY, NY
Asia Tait
NICHOLS COLLEGE, MA
Jean-Luc Abelard Cameron Cooper Patrick Jones Robert Roach Kashief Warren PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OR
Darren Phan
Adeola Adebiyi Matthew Khouri UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, KS
Oxny Destilus
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, KY
Danielle Baumgarten UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSSETTS, AMHERST
Sydney Weinberg
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MN
Ted Blaise
Northwestern University
COURTNEY SCHATT UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION, OH
Joseph Farina
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, NC
Lester Patterson
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURH, PA
David Moore
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, VA
Brittnie Bedasee
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, VA
Brandon Rizzo
YORK COLLEGE, NY
Sagirah Brown
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY, SC
Sanitago Zerda
OUT OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Fahranie Carre Univsersity of Montreal (Canada) Caroline Delgado Universidad de Especialidades Espirito Santo (Ecuador)
“Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.” -John Lennon Duke University
GILBERT FEIG
“Be nice to nerds, chances are you’ll be working for one.” -Bill Gates Columbia University
MATTHEW SHEINBAUM “I’m not lazy, I’m efficient.” University of Florida
PETER MANN “Always strive for greatness.” - Tamara Schoen
University of Miami
JIKKY THANKACHAN
“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” -Arnold H. Glasow University of Florida
12 MAY 2011
LIFE
865
theprowl
F E AT U R E D FA C T
million dollars spent making the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films
Q
UOTABLES
“
You can’t let a few blown speakers decide whether or not your night will be fun.”
G H I N T IN A ing pet brate k l r Wa d ca cele hool re ors sc the seni high m, rs of o r a p at ur ye fo
L
BY
ER , FLAG E I D MAD
ights, camera, action. This year, 440 students celebrated A Night in Hollywood prom at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure. Sponsored and put together by senior class officers and advisor Ms. Samantha Picone, the dance gave seniors one last hoorah before graduation. Upon entering the venue, attendees had the opportunity to walk down a red carpet and pose in front of the “Hollywood” Prom sign. After enjoying dinner catered by the hotel, the festivities began. However, about halfway into the dance, the DJ’s speakers blew out, causing the music to sound low and muffled. For some, this technical difficulty put a damper on the night as a whole. While some students left early, others kept dancing and did not let the quiet disturb their fun. “Prom was perfect, regardless of any minor technical difficulties,” senior Karriyma Bintu-Raqib said. “Being surrounded by fellow classmates and friends you’ve watched grow over the last years was what made the night special.” Later in the night, Bintu-Raqib was crowned Prom Queen, along with her boyfriend Kevin Greisel, chosen as Prom King. Other nominees included Ashley Day, Zane Zeman, Darren Pham, Nykole McLeod, Frankie Schifano and Kasey Soto. “Being named Queen next to my prince charming was the highlight of my night,” Bintu-Raqib said. Senior class president Brian Shapiro led the officers in planning the event, which has been in the works for the past two years. This year, senior class sold 100 dozen donuts each week, as well as continuing to sell t-shirts and hoodies and holding car washes. Senior dues, which were collected in the fall, also put a large amount of money into the class’ bank account. “Prom was a really fun process,” Shapiro said. “The four other officers and I picked out the decorations and set up on the day of prom. Our
IEF
-IN-CH
ITOR CO-ED
advisers were so helpful. They put so much time into make prom amazing.” The hall was decorated in red, yellow and white, with balloons, table center pieces and more all matching the Hollywood theme. “The decor could have been better in terms of decorations and table set up,” senior Katherine Rzeczycki said. “The chairs needed bows to make it look more ‘prom-ish.’” Regardless of any mishaps throughout the night, most seniors enjoyed celebrating this milestone high school event, as well as the preparations beforehand and continued celebrations after the dance ended at 11 p.m. “Getting ready and going with all my friends was a lot of fun,” senior Brynn Goldfarb said. “It was nice to see everyone dressed up. We all had a great time, but then the speakers broke so we left a little early. It’s okay though because all of my friends were eager to go to the after party.” Excluding the DJ difficulties, the night ran smoothly, giving the junior class officers in attendance an idea of how to plan for next year. “Overall, prom was great. You can’t let a few blown speakers decide whether or not your night will be fun,” senior Jerry Rusch said. Due to a surplus of money in the senior class account, and in an effort to make up for the technical difficulties at prom, the first ever “Senior Dance” will be held on Friday, May 27 from 7 to 9 pm in the cafeteria. Admission is free, which includes dinner and one raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for prizes such as MP3 players, mini-fridges, a Casio watch, and XBOX 360s.
NIGHT OF FAME: Heading inside, seniors MyLe Murphy and Ryan Quintero prepare for prom at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, ready to enjoy the last major event before graduation.
photo by Niki Namazi
Senior Jerry Rusch
&
theprowl
LIFE
MAY 2011 13
FLIPPED ZIPPED ALANNABROWDY CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
OTHER POPULAR PRANKS
In 7th period AP Music Theory, the 16 students find themselves holding onto their possessions. Eyes become shifty and every student is on their own against a force that is out of their control. Sophomore Alan Greisel gains this certain power each day before 7th period and releases it on the innocent members of this class. His pockets are overflowing with zip ties, and he is ready to attack. ‘kick me’ “Zip ties are so awesome because signs they are so hard to break free,” sophomore Alan Greisel said. “People padlocking usually don’t realize their bag has been backpacks zip tied until they try to move it.” A zip tie is a type of fastener, tying shoelaces which is commonly used for binding to desk electronic cables together. In its most popular form, a zip tie consists of sturdy Nylon tape with an integrated gear rack, number of students who have and on one end a ratchet within a small had their backpacks flipped open case. Once the pointed tip of the zip tie has been pulled through the case, it is prevented from being pulled back; the number of students who have have never loop can only be pulled tighter. flipped and zipped backpacks heard of flipping “Pretty much as soon as it’s on the backbacks backpack, it’s impossible to get off unless OVER you have a pair of scissors,” Greisel said. Students today have found another use for zip ties other than its traditional use. Anything from backpacks to belt have NOT loops have been zip tied to chairs and flipped someone’s lockers. In most cases, the one who backback number of backpacks have flipped inflicts the prank finds it more amusing someone’s that sophomore Zach 387 than the victim does. backback students Rodriguez claims to “I hate when people use zip polled have flipped ties,” junior Cassandra Au said. “I always have to keep my eye on my things because there is a good chance it infographic by Raquel Garza is going to get tampered with.” Menacing usage of zip ties are not the only
AS A MATTER OF
FACT
186 139 20
6%
41%
53%
MULL I T OVE R with Yoni Muller
Looking forward, always reflecting, never forgetting It looks like yet another year is coming to a close and for over 550 kids, including myself, graduation is right around the corner. So, because I cannot make a speech at graduation (friendship terminated, Watkins), I will gloriously exploit this already unpopular column to give the speech I would have at graduation, so that the whole school can enjoy – or suffer. And, because this is via newspaper and not at a ceremony, you will all get to hear the unfiltered version, the kind that is full of naughty words… boob. I came here four years ago as a tiny freshman with no idea of what was going on around me. I was excited, curious, and, to be perfectly honest, a little scared – a condition not helped by the Mrs. Boyer/Mr. Beauchamp drama which you are more than welcome to ask her about. Even still, I was excited to learn new things and make new friends. And I did. Thanks to school and clubs like band, I had more friends than I ever had in my life, with a whopping total of one friend. At the same time, I started learning all sorts of new and interesting things about math, music, and English (I miss you, Mrs. Behrens). Four years later, I am still tiny and I have no clue of what is happening in my life, but I am no longer a freshman. I am a senior,
which means that I will not be here next year. Instead, I will be moving on to college, where sub-zero temperatures, difficult classes, and the color purple will follow me around, and my only comfort will be deep-dish pizza. This means that I will be a serious victim to the Freshman Fifteen, but it also means that I will not return to high school ever again. Coral Glades was a stepping stone, just as it is for everyone else, whether the next step is college, the military, or workforce. Since we cannot stay in high school and we cannot take Glades with us, it is important that we all take the lessons we have learned here and carry them with us wherever we go. I have learned so much in my four years here that I do not even know where to begin. I have learned that hard work always goes rewarded and that you can do whatever you want to, as long as you are determined enough to go for it. My high school years were spent in numerous clubs I was a part of, as well as many that I am technically not a real member of, such as TV production and this very newspaper. However, I have managed to work with both groups and do what I am passionate about because I went out there and I took it. When that did not work, I had George Washington and his twin brother, George Washington, help me out a little. Joining clubs on a whim and taking part in them became my style, and this suited me better than any activity I was coerced into being involved with. Coral Glades has taught me to never judge a book by its cover, that teachers can be your friends too, and that life is like a box of chocolates. But the most important lesson I have learned was that you have to find your own style. There are so many opportunities out there. None of them will ever be served to you on a silver platter, but they are all ripe for the picking if you can go out there and grab what you want. When I was a freshman, a girl taught me everything there
Taking pranking to a new level, students get creative with backpacks, zip ties, and bike locks
way prankers find ways to have fun. Flipping backpacks have increased in popularity. “I like to flip backpacks because it’s full of enjoyment. Also, watching the person’s reaction is funny,” junior Josh Kahn said. “I started doing it in 8th grade. Someone did it to me and I thought it was funny, so I did it to my friend.” The steps of flipping a backpack starts with taking another persons bag while they are not looking. Then, when the bag has successfully been taken, the person removes the contents of the main pouch carefully, being sure to keep everything in the same order as it was found. This person than flips the backpack inside out and puts the contents of the backpack back into the now inverted backpack. The final step is zipping it up and putting it back where it was taken from. “I find it hilarious because it’s happening to the other person and not yourself,” Kahn said. “Last year I flipped someone’s bag and tied it to their desk. When the kid came back into the classroom he was so shocked. Then when he went to grab his bag, the desk flipped over.” While the flipper may find it funny, the person who’s bag this is happening to may not find it as hysterical. “I think flipping bags is annoying because you never know if the person who did it to you took anything from your bag,” junior Cesar Barrabi said. These two pesky art forms sometimes join forces to create a ‘flipped and zipped’ combination. When this happens, the victim has a lot of trouble releasing their bag from the imprisonment. “It is just a huge nuisance,” Au said. As long as students enjoy it though, flipping and zip tying backpacks is here to stay. “There is just nothing like the reaction of the person to brighten up my day,” Greisel said. For now, Greisel’s 7th period classmates will have to stick it out for the rest of the year. But what is in store for his 7th period class next year? Let them be forewarned.
is to know about women. Needless to say I failed her course, but that did not stop me from hitting on women creepily until I finally found someone who saw the creepiness for what it was – extremely charming, and maybe just a little bit sexy. We will never get another chance to re-do a moment of our lives, so we must learn from every moment and make the best out of them. Four years have taught me things such as picking and choosing your battles, that most people are fundamentally good if you give them a chance, and that you can learn something from anyone. I am grateful for my classes and the opportunities I have gained. I am most grateful, though, for the people I have met. My classmates are the most interesting people in the world and those that allowed me to become their friends are some of the greatest people I know. My teachers have taught me lessons both inside and outside of the classroom that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and they are the greatest role models any teenager can ask for. And so, with my fourth and final year coming to a close, I want to say thank you. Thank you to all of my teachers, those who maintained professional relationships and those who actually became friends of mine. Thank you to our amazing administration for providing me with opportunities and making my time here as pleasant as possible. And thank you to my classmates, those of you I have talked to once and those of you I talk to every day. You are the best colleagues a person can have and I will remember you all. Now, there is no looking backwards, only forward at what the future holds. A lucrative career in investments, a mid-life crisis, or moving to Thailand. Any number of uncertain things may happen, but one thing is certain: this page in our lives is over. Congratulations to the Class of 2011, and as Barry Manilow sang best, it looks like we made it.
14 MAY 2011
LIFE
theprowl
Students join professional marching band for summer
Four music program members depart for three-month excursion marching for professional band, traveling around the nation by charter bus TORIHARTSTEIN LIFE EDITOR
During half-time of a school football game, marching band and color guard storm the field, energizing the crowd with their enthralling musical performances. With only three months in their competitive season, certain individuals crave the thrill and pleasure they receive from performing during the off-season. For seniors Bridgit Judson and Jerry Rusch, and sisters Olivia and Natalie Burley, this summer will serve as an opportunity to continue learning and performing in their respective fields of marching band and color guard. Drum Corps International, commonly referred to as D.C.I., provides an environment for individuals, ages 15-21, passionate about music and performance to improve in their skill and gain experience. The Burley’s, Judson, and Rusch all had to complete an auditioning process before being accepted into the program. Auditions involved travelling to Brandenton, Florida where they spent several weekends taking part in sectionals, visual blocks, and conditioning from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in accordance to a strict practice schedule. “A drum corp is basically just a professional marching band that tours around the country all summer on a bus,” sophomore and color guard member Natalie Burley said. “We sleep on gym floors and when we’re on the road we sleep in the buses.” After trying out in November, all four students were accepted into The Boston Crusaders, which is one of nearly 20 groups that exist within the D.C.I. program. Consisting of an estimated 150 participants, the Crusaders include brass line, percussion, and color guard. May 28 will mark the beginning of their experience with D.C.I. as they venture to New Hampshire to tour and compete until August 15. During this time, they will learn an entire
C.O.P. Tech, Inc. Air Conditioning Repairs
754-366-3959
marching show based on the theme, Les Miserables, which they will perform competitively in as many as 30 states. The competitions will start off small as the group learns the show and will lead up to the final championship. “We travel from state to state depending on where the next show site is and we practice every day to get ready for the competitions while developing the show concept,” Judson said. After being selected as next year’s color guard captain, sophomore Natalie Burley plans to utilize her time with the Boston Crusaders to observe how others lead a team, while enjoying the experience with older sister and junior mellophone player Olivia Burley. “When I asked my parents they weren’t very thrilled, but since my sister and I are going to be together they were a little happier with the idea,” Natalie Burley said. “Being 16, I am one of the youngest in the corps which is a little intimidating, but I plan on having a very good summer full of experience.” Olivia Burley, who first heard about the program in her freshman year, shares similar expectations. “I cannot wait to be a part of such a huge family,” Burley said. “I’ve never done anything to this magnitude before and it’s exhilarating.” Arriving one week after the others, Rusch will begin practice as one of nearly nine snare drummers. His placement will be one off-center, meaning that although this is his first time marching with The Crusaders, his ability has earned him a prestigious position as next-in line to the lead drummer. “Being that this is my rookie year, I don’t know what to expect,” Rusch said. “My main priorities are my overall understanding of music and to push my mind and body to the brink.” As the only individual of the four to have previously
participated in The Crusaders, Judson looks forward to her second experience. “I’m excited to have fellow teammates travel with me this summer,” Judson said.
STEPPING UP INTENSITY: At one of the required camps, senior Jerry Rusch plays the snare while marching new drill. photo courtesy of Jerry Rusch
LIFE
theprowl
MOVIE REVIEW
MAY 2011 15
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
Jack Sparrow returns to the big screen for the fourth installment of the block-buster franchise, On Stranger Tides; new characters, action, and laughs add up to a great start for a new summer at the box office MATTHEWTANNER OP/ED EDITOR
Since 2003, what was once merely a childish ride at Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom has become one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. The first of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Curse of the Black Pearl, is by far the most critically praised, while the first two sequels were found to be boring by critics and audiences alike. The boredom of moviegoers did not stop either sequel from contributing greatly to the series’ multi-billion dollar total box office revenue. The 2011 follow-up to At World’s End, PiDirector: rates of the Caribbean: Rob Marshall On Stranger Tides, had extreme hype surroundStarring: ing it, and the box office Johnny Depp, numbers have proven Penélope Cruz, that no critique of the Geoffrey Rush, summer blockbuster will stop people from paying Ian McShane to see Johnny Depp reRating: PG-13 prise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Run-time: 128 min. On Stranger Tides picks up right after the events of third film as Jack Sparrow is in trouble for stealing the map, giving the location of the Fountain of Youth, from his enemy Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush). The King of England puts Barbosa and Sparrow in charge of a quest to beat the Spanish to the Fountain, but Sparrow escapes and encounters an ex-girlfriend Angelica (Penélope Cruz), daughter of the evil Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who forces sparrow to guide him to the Fountain. Barbosa and his men then have no choice but to chase Sparrow and Blackbeard in order to get to the Fountain. Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series can now rejoice: On Stranger Tides is the second-best installment in the franchise, topped only by the original which is too authentic for Disney to ever exceed. Those who are looking for a quality, straight-forward storyline should stay away from the mass confusion that was penned by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, writers of the entire series. Any short synopsis of On Stranger Tides cannot possibly cover every aspect of the story, as these writers always feel the need to complicate any simple events by adding in any idea they can think of. Previous unnecessary arcs thrown in to the series include Calypso and a giant whirlpool. Some new ingenious concepts consist of the requirement of mermaid tears to make the Fountain of Youth work and Blackbeard’s unexplained possession of a
Jack Sparrow voodoo doll (which did give some comedic relief, but still did not make sense). Like the previous three films, On Stranger Tides is visually incredible, with its masterful set and costume design, as well as audibly perfected, supplied by a score from the great Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight, Inception) and realistic sounds effects. Being aesthetically pleasing helps the film be more enjoyable for highly critical viewers, but that may be the only aspect that those may find satisfaction in. Critics and moviegoers alike need to realize that summer movies are made to entertain audiences with special effects and action. Every year between the months of May and August, all of the big blockbuster films come out and destroy at the box office while they are bashed by movie critics for being horrid and ridiculous. Whatever opinion someone has on any Pirates film, they cannot doubt that the performances of the great Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush are superb. On Stranger Tides delivers exactly what should have been expected by fans of the series and proves to be a fulfilling start to the 2011 summer movie craze. Other summer movies such as Green Lantern (June 17) and Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22) will receive the same hatred from critics while Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans sit back and watch the money fall into their laps. Whether everyone likes it or not, On Stranger Tides has already set the year’s opening weekend record with 90 million dollars at the box office and will only continue to succeed. A fifth installment of Pirates has already been written and will go in to production as soon as Johnny Depp agrees to begin filming. Jack Sparrow is a great, enjoyable character and has become a staple to American film. He will be sailing the seas for years to come and continue pirating as many ships and wallets as he can, only to be stopped by Disney or Johnny Depp.
H - Don’t bother you have HH- Ifextra cash HHH - Go for it HHHH - Definitely worth it
HHHHH - Do not miss it
VIDEO GAME REVIEW MATTHEWTANNER OP/ED EDITOR
Video games are widely appreciated mainly for their graphics and action. Over the past two decades, there have been extremely large strides in the development of video games. Rockstar’s latest installment L.A. Noire takes yet another step forward in the graphics aspect, but falls back in its action. Development company Rockstar Games, best known for its Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and Red Dead franchises, began
HHHH BOTTOM LINE: Rockstar Games shifts focus from boundless gameplay to strong storyline and delivers.
HHH BOTTOM LINE: Great familiar characters, a big budget, and a decent story gives summer moviegoers exactly what they need.
L.A. Noire
production on a murder-mystery game set in 1940s Los Angeles in 2004. The game was pushed back several times, finally set for release this May. Production took much longer than expected due to the advanced technology and precise details used to create the perfect visuals. Rockstar used real actors in the games, transforming their faces and body movements into video game characters using over 30 special cameras, covering every possible angle. L.A. Noire is the first game to use this MotionScan technology, and it pays off. The visuals in L.A. Noire earned it a spot at the Tribeca Film Festival, making it the first video game to make such an achievement. The game begins giving a background story of the Los Angeles crime scene in the 1940s. While the introduction and other story clips throughout the game may be lengthy, they grasp the attention of the player and give the feel of watching classic crime movies such as Goodfellas and Casino. Once gameplay begins, the player takes the role of Cole Phelps, a young police officer aspiring to climb the rankings in Los Angeles. After several missions, Phelps becomes a detective
and the action, though not much, begins. The player’s job is to investigate murders by finding evidence, interviewing witnesses, and using Phelps’ “intuition” to decide whether people are telling or hiding the truth. Many cases involve a foot or car chase of a person of interest and end in an arrest or unavoidable shooting. Other objectives in the game include responding to crime heard over the police radio, which usually deliver the most action possible. Otherwise, the player must investigate crimes which, while many may find enticing and captivating, others may find boring. L.A. Noire is a very entertaining game for Rockstar fans who completed missions in previous games, rather than driving around and hitting civilians in Grand Theft Auto. Though most people did the latter, L.A. Noire could still be exciting and new to players who appreciate visuals and a strong storyline. While the majority of games are not worth their full price, L.A. Noire puts a new twist on crime games and gives players more to think about, rather than just action. If the game proves to be successful, Rockstar will have another hit series on its hands.
16 MAY 2011
SPORTS BRIEFS
Football tackles Hollywood Hills There is a group of men on campus waiting to make some noise and show everybody what they are about. May 26 at Lockhart stadium starting at 7 p.m. will be the spring football game against Hollywood Hills High School. A spring game is a showcase to see what the team will have to look forward to come next year losing the previous years seniors. With a whole new coaching staff and a new identity for the team itself as players, Head Coach Jeff Mathis is challenging the entire school to support the team by wearing all black on Thursday. Jaguars have been going through a series of conditioning since late January and were eager to fully suit up in equipment the first week of May. - Cameron Cooper
Cross-Country trains during summer break Practicing over summer helps the cross country runners prepare before regular season conditioning. Because the cross country season starts as soon as school reopens, coach Kathleen Ciccarone has the team conditioning throughout vacation. Practice runs for 12 weeks and lasts for about two hours, two days out of the week. The runners work on abs, distance, and do some weight training. Everyday there is a different exercise while keeping running as the main focus. For members who are interested but can not make it because they have plans to go out of town, the coach tries to give them a training program to try to keep up with. Students interesting in joining the cross country team are still eligible to participate. A meeting will be held sometime in May to make students more aware of the program. - Alexis Mundy & Asia Tait
Track sends prolific runner to state competition Seven of 15 members of the Coral Glades Track and Field team qualified for regionals. Senior Santiago Zerda, though, stood out the most with his performance. Zerda became the region champion in the mile with a time of 4:17 and second place in the two mile with a time of 9:36. On May 7 the Track and Field 4A State Championships took place in Winter Park, Florida. Zerda placed third with a best time in the mile running a 4:14, only 5 seconds behind a Florida record this year. Zerda also ran the 2 mile placing sixth with a time of 9:30. Doing the best he could against some of the best runners in the whole country, Zerda is satisfied with his performance. Though this year is over the Jaguars are looking to repeat next year, make even more accomplishments as a team and put Coral Glades on the map for athletics. - Cameron Cooper
theprowl “I thought we had a great season this year. I will always remember when my volleyball team went to the district championship.” Doug Levinson, junior and member of volleyball team
MOMENTOUS F
by Matthew Sheinbaum
rom jubilant to bewildered, this year’s athletes experienced a wide range of emotions. These emotions were matched by a range of outstanding moments, from shock to nostalgia to joy, sports created a year’s worth of memories.
Perhaps the most emotional of these moments came on November 12 when the varsity football team took on Western High School’s football team in head coach Andrew Aronofsky’s last game after announcing he would be stepping down. Even with the Wildcats at 10-10 after the first half, the Jaguars would go on to lose the home game 17-41. However, the loss did not stop the team from appreciating its coach. The night was highlighted by senior Kashief Warren making a heart-felt speech over the speakers from the press box. Warren explained, as only a tenured athlete could, how much he loved his team and coaches. When it came time for the boys to return their jerseys to the school, an emotional Aronofsky gave each of his seniors hugs. In attendance at the game was the highly decorated Coral Glades cheerleading team. In addition to motivating the team and fans at the football games, the cheer team entered in seven competitions over the course of the year, achieving first place in four of them. On February 5, 2011, the team travelled to Orlando to compete in the state competition. After their final routine, excitement quickly turned to heartbreak. Scoring a 72.5, the cheering Jaguars came in second place to Wekiva High School’s cheerleading team, which scored a 73.2. Although disappointed with the close loss, the Jaguars were excited to be recognized as one of the top two programs in the state of Florida. The team came excruciatingly close to a state championship, finishing in an unforgettable fashion. “It was bittersweet the way it ended, but I was so proud of the girls. They came in first place in my eyes,” said head coach Melissa Prochilo. If the end to the cheer season was disappointing, there are few words to describe the feeling experienced by members of the Varsity baseball team at the end of its season. Favored in the district quarterfinal game on April 25, 2011, the Jaguars faced Deerfield Beach High school. In the bottom of the final inning, down 4-1, the Jaguars rallied to score a run with two outs and had senior Derek Greider on base with senior shortstop Oliver Christensen at the plate. Christensen sent a pitch over the center-field fence to tie the game at 4-4 and complete the comeback. After the shot, the opposing coach approached the umpire and told him that the runner, Greider, had not touched home plate. The umpire agreed and Greider was called out, ending the game at 4-2 as a win for Deerfield and ending the Jaguars’ season. Principal Michael J. Ramirez argued with the umpires on the field, who were eventually escorted away by police. The team watched in shock as their season
“
Coach ‘A’ was very emotional when he hugged every senior that night. We all cried as we hugged him, but we made sure we played hard for him.
”
Kashief Warren, senior
LOOK BACK (counter-clockwise from top right): Sophomore Anthony Mazza passes the ball before being tackled; Coach Tariq Quaiyim gives a pep talk to his team; senior Santiago Zerda runs the mile; freshman Bianca Garcia and sophomore Erin Cowan cheer during states; senior Derek Grieder warms-up before a home baseball game. photos by Alanna Degol, Merideth Haney ended in controversy. The end to the Varsity baseball team’s season contrasts sharply with the uplifting finish for the track team. Like Aronofsky, the head coach of the track team, Brandon Covington, announced before the last meet that he would be leaving the team for Oklahoma State University. At the district meet, Covington’s men and women represented the school with success; seven members of the team qualified for the regional meet. One runner, senior Santiago Zerda, went on to qualify for states and placed in two categories: the mile and two mile. In the mile (1600 meters), Zerda came in third in the state with a time of 4:14.51, his
fastest time of this year. In the two mile (3200 meters), he ran a 9:30.38, taking sixth place in the state competition. Both races took place on May 7. Psychologists agree that more vivid memories are crafted when adrenaline is running and emotions are high. As a rule, sports will always elicit emotion and adrenaline and will, therefore, create more vivid memories. The sports seasons of the 2010-2011 school year truly held that to be true, as the athletes and fans that partook in the sports will remember those moments for quite some time. Whether it be an erased home run or a coach calling his last play, the memories of the moments will live on.
theprowl
SPORTS
Volleyball swings into second ALANNADEGOL STAFF WRITER
HOW MAY I SERVE YOU?: At a first round district game against Monarch High School at Monarch, junior Matt Carnrike serves. The school beat Monarch to advance to district finals, where they lost. photo by Alanna Degol tournaments. Even with a second place finish in hand, the team did not achieve their ultimate goal. “Our goal was to win districts,” Foster said. “We thought we had the talent to win.” Much of the team’s talent base will not be returning next season. Leaving the team will be some top performers such as Foster, Kyle Shepard, Zachary Acosta, and Matthew Watkins. The team will still face the tough task of defeating Douglas, who won the district championship the past three seasons. “It’s depressing because the seniors were like my brothers,” Levinson said. “I’m sad to see them go.” Levinson, poised to be a captain next year, still feels like the team holds a chance to return to the district championship. “I think the leadership is there, but we will definitely need to find new talent to replace what we lost,” Levinson said. As for Sterling, despite not reaching her ultimate goal, she proved to be a much more than adequate volleyball coach, defeating any stereotypes about the being the only female coach of a boys varsity team. In the last four years, Sterling is the only coach to hold the position for more than one season, and she also achieved the most success with this year’s second place district finish. As for this year’s seniors, they will have to live with the disappointment of another loss to Douglas. “I think I could have played a better game,” Foster said. “We wanted to see what we could do, but we did not reach our goal.”
Cheerleading team holds tryouts After a 90-plus girls try out for current district champion cheer team, coaches prepare the squad to defend title RACHELBRILL&REBECCAMILLER STAFF WRITER
Ninety girls filed into the gym on April 30 to try out for the cheerleading team, the most girls to ever try out in the school’s cheer history. With all the surrounding talent, having to choose the 57 open spots became overwhelming. “I was really excited for try-outs. I put a lot of effort into practicing and preparing for them. I thought I was going to make it but I didn’t and it was disappointing,” sophomore Brittany Koecher said. Koecher cheered on the Junior Varsity team last year and hoped to be cheering throughout the rest of her high school career. However, there were many who stood out from the throng, some even being underclassmen, such as freshman Taylor Bilecki and sophomore Deanna Castranova, who were immediately chosen to be on the team. “I feel extremely honored to be on the varsity team again, I feel at home with the girls. It’s one big family, we all support each other,” Bilecki said. Having younger girls on the team gives the coaches a better opportunity to mold the girls and make them better
Senior stars train for the next level AMYWEISS STAFF WRITER
Boys volleyball falters to Stoneman Douglas in district championship, earns second place
For the fourth year in a row, the boys’ varsity volleyball team qualified for the district tournament. This year’s tournament was a final chance for senior players to capture a district championship. The team looked poised to complete the job, heading into the tournament as the second seed with a 14-3 record. Two of the three losses came against Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Unfortunately, in her second year as the head coach of the volleyball team, Lisa Sterling only moved one step closer toward capturing a district championship. After losing in the first round last year, this year’s volleyball team made it to the district championship, falling to Stoneman Douglas High school’s team in three sets. “We played hard and we could have played better,” senior Greg Foster said. “But we made some stupid mistakes and that cost us the game.” The team faced Douglas for the third time during the district championship. In the first two games, Douglas won in three sets each time. However, all matches were close, until the very end of districts, when it appeared the team began to unravel. The team game was very close in the first two sets, holding leads and scoring into at least the high teens. In the third set, the match began well when the team jumped out to an early 4-1 lead over the Eagles. After a Douglas time out, the eventual district champion pulled away from the Jaguars. “I had to watch my seniors struggle and play their last points away,” Sterling said. Years of frustration against Douglas reached a boiling point for many of the players in the final set. “[We were] a little unfocused in our last game, and we let them get into our heads,” Foster said. Not all was lost for the team. Despite falling to Douglas for the fifth time in two years, the team did avenge last year’s first round district loss to Monarch High. Last year, playing at Coral Glades, the school fell to Monarch despite a strong team playing with a home court advantage. This year, the school beat the Knights at Monarch. “It felt great because we did to them what they did to us,” junior and third year varsity player Douglas Levinson said. Levinson set for the team during the last two district
MAY 2011 17
cheerleaders. Girls who join the team as freshmen have an opportunity to work on their skills for four years. The amount of vigorous work put into cheering seems to go by unnoticed, but to the 97 hopeful girls who had competed to be a part of next year’s team, the hard work seemed well worth it. Parting with four seniors from her competition team, Coach Melissa Kruweszki found herself both looking forward to the next year’s team and having to make up for the missing talent. “Luckily this year we have had a lot of great talent to fill the spots,” Kruweszki said. “When the seniors leave here it is always an adjustment both personally and for the whole team.” Along with adjusting to fellow cheer members, the cheer team must also adjust to new coaches. Former JV coach Kruweszki will take place as Varsity head coach while English teacher Mrs. Lisa Plass will take over Kruweszki’s job. “I am very excited to coach because it reminds me of my days as a swim instructor, it’s great to be back among a group of athletic and positive girls,” Plass said.
Signing day, the first step of a high school athlete to become a college star. This day is truly only the beginning of a long, arduous process of becoming a college athlete. In order to prepare, dedicated senior players will begin more intense training over summer so they can be in the absolute best shape for college. “This summer to get ready for college, I’m going to do a lot of long runs, 10 miles, and just stay in shape,” senior and track and cross country runner Santiago Zerda said. These players have the chance to perfect any problems they have faced at school during this previous season. The competition level at the NCAA greatly increases over the level in high school, and in order to even make it professionally, athletes must remain in top shape. “I will be doing weight training and speed training to improve my overall performance on the field,” senior and football player Brandon Haire said. Staying in shape is important in order to keep a hold of the competitive edge these students have already worked hard to obtain. “When you’re not in shape you can’t perform how you want to,” senior and football player Patrick Jones said. Workouts are especially chosen for the type of sport and personal improvement that is need. Usually a player’s coach assigns them specific training exercises. “I have to do ball handling training, vertical jump training, weight lifting, and shooting drills,” senior and basketball LAMB player Matt Lamb said. Although athletes all need to work out, different sports call for different methods of training. “My workout ranges from doing just consistent runs to interval workouts, which is the repetition of laps around the track at a certain speed,” Holbrook said. Players make sure they are able to uphold the various sports scholarships they obtained. Lamb has a basketball scholarship at Webber International University and Holbrook has a full volleyball scholarship to Indian River State College. If an athlete fails to live up to their value, their scholarship can be revoked. In the case of many athletes, such as Lamb and Holbrook, losing a sports scholarship would take away the primary reason for attending that school in the first place. “I want to be in good shape for my team so I can play as well as they expect me to. The other girls will be more well rounded as players,” senior and volleyball player Stephanie Holbrook said. Some students do not have as much time and need to cram in as many workouts between the start of their sport season as possible. Certain seasons begin to prepare months ahead of other college while others begin late into the season. “As a team, we move in July 25 and then we start practicing together until school starts,” Holbrook said. Benefits occur with working out not only for their playing at college. Athletes also have other competitions to have stamina for and their training prepares them for both. “I am actually going to compete in the National Junior Colombian Games, so all of the training helps prepare me,” Zerda said. Various landscapes are applicable for any athlete to work out in. Some prefer to train at home while others may enjoy going to gyms or even parks. “I work out at 24 hour fitness in Sunrise and the Coral Springs Gym,” Lamb said. Workouts are heavily motivated by specific goals that players set for themselves. Whether the goals are for ability to play or in order to obtain a certain position the results are the same. “I want to try to become a starter at Webber my freshman year,” Lamb said. Greisel has the same goal in mind. “I’m going to train really hard because the head coach told me I had a chance to start. I want to put forth the most effort,” Greisel said. The physicality of Greisel’s sport has led him to increase his weight as well. Since his signing day, Greisel has combined his workouts with a diet designed to maximize his weight gain. This includes frequent consumption of protein bars. These athletes will leave and create voids for new stars to take their place. From there, these new athletes will begin getting ready for their own signing day.
18
MAY 2011
SPORTS
theprowl
theprowl
The
S P O R T S
& DAMAGE DONE
PEN
The
MAY 2011
The Final
Rohan Report BY ROHAN NADKARNI
From the award-winning columnist who brought you douche bag and teachers eating competitively, comes a full page filled with laughs, tears, and why butt slaps are okay
N
obody wants to see Rohan anymore, they want The Report. That’s right, subdued Rohan is crawling back into his sweatpants and tear-stained hoodie, and I’m bringing back the Rohan Report. I am talking about the column from last year, the one that put Mrs. Sandra Behrens on blast for being a boss, the one that called out the baseball players for changing in the parking lot, and the one that was actually funny. This month, I will try to refrain from preaching, nostalgia, ‘reflectiveness’, and sappy messages that are better served for annoying T.V. shows like Glee. (Forget you Glee, I’m back.) Few people truly understand how much this column really means to me, but before we get into that, I think I owe every loyal reader an apology. I’m sorry, but my columns were mostly boring this year. My column career turned into Allen Iverson on the Pistons or Donald Trump trying another Celebrity Apprentice. It just went downhill. For some reason, the humor and originality left, and instead I decided to write about topics such as cricket, love, and myself announcing. I am lucky to have not been deported to Canada, or wherever it is they send over the hill stars like Nelly Furtado. Seriously, I can just imagine a poor Furtado surrounded by other retreads like Eddie Murphy and the cast of Will & Grace screaming, “But I wrote ‘Promiscuous Girl!’” Let’s just forget about this year’s letdowns, and instead remember a time when people used to read this column as opposed to using it as ammunition during paper ball fights. Let’s take it back to the old days. People still find me crazy for loving sports so much. Friends and family will always try to tell me that ‘it’s just a game’ while I lay in the fetal position crying after a Dolphins loss. But many great moments of my life relate directly back to sports. First things first though, sports give you an opportunity to do some things generally unaccepted in
society. I myself will admit first hand to being a serial butt slapper during my time on the volleyball team. Somebody got subbed out? I patted them on the butt. Somebody prepared to sit down? I patted them on the butt. Somebody was in front of me in the drink line? I patted them on the butt. In fact, I can tell you right now Matt Watkins’ is a little bony while Greg Foster’s has a little more meat but you can still tell he works out. Unfortunately, one regret I hold is that I never received medical tape before any of our volleyball games. One of the perks for student athletes is the access to trainer Eric Boyer, the tape genie. Because I sat on the end of the bench and the only muscle that needed tape was my mouth, I never took advantage. For the rest of my life I will always wonder if opponents could be psyched out by a taped up ear or an eyepatch. Before everyone goes off on my chubby physique and unassuming look, they should recognize my athletic achievements. I used to play on the same recreational basketball team as Andres Robledo. A couple years ago I beat Kyle Shepard on one-onone and I refuse to rematch him to keep my undefeated record. Also, sometimes on weekends I run with Matt Sheinbaum, but that usually means he runs while I wheeze and pray for death as he laps me. Aside from my adventures as an ‘athlete’, I also experienced some great times as a fan. But I did actually attend games and cheer on some of my best friends. That Kyle Shepard kid? (who is this year’s Prowler for making it into every single issue) I will never forget his And-1 basket against Martin County in a district game during sophomore year. A Martin County player fouled Kyle, and as Kyle fell backwards toward the ground, he threw up a prayer that was answered by the basketball gods. Shepard’s dad screamed so loud you could still hear him in the scene of paranoia. And speaking of Shepard’s dad, Mike Shepard wins this year Ray Allen’s Mom award for most intense parent fan. Not only could Shepard be seen at every basketball
and volleyball game, he could be heard. Whether it was pounding on the bleachers or screaming to the heavens, Mike Shepard commanded the respect of other fans and really dialed up the intensity. Mr. Shepard is also responsible for the first time in my life when I was actually scared of a fan that was rooting for the same team as me, during volleyball districts when he unleashed a death glare (normally only found in Mr. Gordon) after a poor call from the referees. With this being my last column, and my demand for a full page, I need to fill the rest of this space to justify the gaudy picture of me walking away from an explosion. I feel like this would be an appropriate time to offer an epilogue of sorts. I am leaving the mothership to attend the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications (what’s next, clowns?) at Northwestern University. I owe thanks to many people who helped me along the way. To my mom, who was always my biggest fan. To Mr. Ramirez, who cut many jokes from my column but still gave me great leeway in expressing my opinion. You can expect to see his name in the first column I ever write professionally. Also, thanks to Mr. Gordon, who gave me a chance after meeting me on a fluke during a debate field trip my freshman year. Mr. Gordon fought for my column, and gave me great freedom to write about whatever I wanted. I could easily miss Gordon’s personal jabs or frequent criticisms of my use of passive verbs the most, but instead I will miss his passion for journalism. I hold him responsible for the great success of this paper in the past, present and in the future. As for me, my quest to remain famous takes me to northern Illinois, where the pizza is deep dish and girls wear such heavy sweaters so you cannot guess their weight within 40 pounds. May all of your dreams come true. I’ll see you in Evanston.
Rohan Nadkarni
19
20
F E AT U R E
MAY 2011
WO R D S 5
1
1
2
theprowl
1
Looking for another way to pass time during the day, students and teachers use their phones to play a version of Scrabble to engage in healthy competition
Y
ROHANNADKARNI SPORTS EDITOR
ou have the last five letters of the game, R-P-O-L-W, and your friend is beating you by 30 points, sound familiar? Words with Friends, the latest iPhone/Android application to take over the school, creates intense moments of competition, such as the one above, amongst the studentry and the faculty. In fact, when looking around one of your classrooms, you can often see someone on their phone, rubbing their forehead, staring at a familiar screen of golden yellow tiles. “I saw everyone with their phones out playing the same game,” senior Scott Vieira said. “I was like ‘oh, Words with Friends?, I guess I’ll play’.” Students do not make up the only players for the game, faculty members such as English teacher Tamara Schoen, TV Production teacher Dan Alonso, and even Guidance Director Danny Tritto have been known to partake in the word brawl. “My students are always playing it and asked me to play. I have only been playing for about two weeks,” Schoen said. For those not familiar with the game, Words With Friends, or WWF, plays like the game of Scrabble. Players try to form words with a set of a certain number of letters they are allotted each round. But instead of a vernacular face off between two human opponents, competitors play on separate phones. Players can also boost their point value with double and triple letter and word scores. Opponents take turns playing words down on the board, building off of each other to create a crossword salad worthy of the next edition of Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. The popularity of the game created some memorable matches. Prowl Staff Writer Matt Sheinbaum earned a reputation from his matches with Schoen and Tritto. Sheinbaum had the pleasure of defeating his English teacher. “Matt Sheinbaum humiliated me,” Schoen said. “Matt is a god at this game.” Schoen recommended Tritto, one of the more skilled players in the faculty, take on Sheinbaum. “I had a 40 point lead, but Sheinbaum beat me on his last word by playing ‘Flutist,’” Tritto said. “I beat him in the rematch, and now we have a third game that is currently on going.” Students often times involve themselves in a staggering amount of games simultaneously. Players have anywhere from 5-20 games ongoing at the same time. Some people may not be sure when to stop. “The game finally cut me off,” Mr. Alonso said. “I was in the middle of 21 games and tried to start another but I was not allowed to.” Along with most forms of competition, many players carry the hubris of believing they are the best at what they do.
DL
148
TL 343 students polled
W TW D
DL TL W TW D
3
“I mean I do not think I am the best, but I could play with pretty much anybody in the school,” Vieira said. Occasionally, students will even begin to yell and scream when their opponent plays a ridiculous word using three vowels in a row. “I get pretty into it, at times I can lose my temper,” senior Steven Berger said. “I’m not trying to say I’m the best, but I haven’t had a real challenge yet.” Students alone do not believe they can conquer any opponent. “Game on,” Mr. Tritto said. “I think I can take on just about any challenger.” Words with Friends became popular nationwide before sweeping over the school. In 2009, the readers of Wired.com voted Words With Friends as their favorite iPhone application. Originally just an app for Apple, in February 2011, game publisher Zynga launched the game for Android phones, allowing for ‘cross-platform’ multiplayer games. Over 10 million people have downloaded the application. “I would look around and everyone in my class would have their phone out,” Vieira said. “It was pretty popular so a couple weeks ago I decided to try out the game myself. I do not even play on a phone, but on my iTouch.” More than just timepass, the game even factored itself into the friendly rivalry between Social Studies teacher Ryan Newman and English teacher Veronica Cloyd. Newman went as far to tweet about his lead in the game over Cloyd. “Words with Friends is a better way to waste your time than most apps,” Newman said. “But I really joined just to beat Cloyd.” Newman finds that the intellectual aspect of the game serves its players more than other common applications. “Words with Friends actually makes you use your mind,” Newman said. “It’s definitely more engaging than Angry Birds.” For now, teachers and students continue to play nearly every day, engaged in a slew of games. “I play every day, but never for hours or anything like that,” Tritto said. Guidance directors with busy jobs and seniors ready to graduate both seem to enjoy the game for the same amount of time. “I try to play every day,” Berger said. “There are some games where I do not respond for a few days though.” Although many apps flame out after a few months of popularity, such as Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, Words with Friends could potentially have the lasting power of its inspiration, Scrabble. “The attraction to the game really is I guess how much fun you can have with such a simple concept. Also, its ridiculously addicting,” Berger said. Words with Friends’ popularity has made it an exciting app for people of all ages. Now, what word can you make with R-P-O-L-W? Your move.
L W DL T G W TW D I R A O T N E M N number of students E R E who play at least G I five WWF games T at a time L DL T N W L TW D B DL T I G W TW D L T TEL E DL M P T O C W TW D L T DL U O W D TW T D E A M R O L C DL T W R TW D 1
1
2
1
2
1
94
1
3
2
3
2
1
1
1
39
number of students who play ‘Words with Friends’
number of students who play ‘Words with Friends’ with teachers
5
2
2
1
5
1
1
2
1
2
1
5
1
2
1
3
1
2
1
1
4
graphic design by raquel garza
1
4
3
1
“I just find it very enjoyable and somewhat educational because you learn new words everyday. The competition is always nice, too,” MATT GREY senior
“I don’t mind playing Words with Friends with students because it fosters literacy. But when they beat me, I feel depressed,” VERONICA CLOYD English teacher
“Words with Friends is challenging and addicting. It is so much fun to compete against your friends and it is an easy way to pass the time,” JENNY ROJAS senior