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highlights 4 5 0 B i r d R o a d , C o r a l G a b l e s , F L 3 314 6
Issue 6,
M a r c h 2 014 ,
Vol. 54
Black history show steps it up By Mia Tolpin & Maggie Rivers
Etta James’s “At Last” by Miami Conservatory teacher Amy Ione, covers of Jimi Hendrix songs by Quantum Waves, a performance of Amy Winehouse’s “Stronger than Me” by senior Danessa Corton and her band and finally a rap by alumn Kraig Smith. “I felt kind of nervous because it was the Black History Show and I had to represent my people well,” said Williams. “I was proud to be teaching others who don’t know much about black culture.” The rest of the show was devoted to dance with pieces by SWA, Mckinnon, and senior Tiah Caldwell. “I did a liturgical dance, which is praise dancing; praise dance was first inspired by African Americans to express their spirituality and religion,” said Mckinnon, who danced to Tamela Mann’s “Take Me to the King.” “My culture is very importnt to me, and I’m very proud to be African American. So I was involved as much as possible to make sure the audience could learn all of the positive things African Americans have done and what they will continue to do.” SWA wrapped up the show with another one of thier iconic step routines along with their SWA sweethearts, or as they are officially known as, the Brothers of the SWA Steppers (BOSS). “I had a lot of fun performing at my very last Black History Show. It was fun showing the different eras that hip hop went through,” said SWA captain Winny Delcin.”I loved watching the crowd react to the different songs we stepped and danced to. It was definitely an experience I will never forget.”
UNDERLING & TSARITSA
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Feb. 21: In the midst of an inctricate combination of steps, a fierce stomp sends a performer’s chain flying into the audience. The moment is quickly overshadowed by the echo of more steps and the flurry of pink figures moving across the stage. Sistas with Attitude (SWA) is on stage at the annual Black History Show and they run this. Also running the show were masters of ceremony Erin Williams and Rada Mckinnon, who introduced each act by giving the audience some background information about its significance to black history. The school’s jazz band kicked off the show by playing music that defined some of the most prominent black cultural revolutions, such as the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance. Divaaz followed with their rendition of R&B favorites. Although most of the show was centered on song and dance, show curator Porsha Smith included acts that were more informational. Several students took on the character of celebrated black figures and shared excerpts from some of those figures’ best known works and speeches. “Some students may have never learned about African American greats like Jimi Hendrix; this show forces [students] to acknowledge them,” said Smith, who has organized the show for six consecutive years. Other acts included a dance by the Gablettes, a rendition of
Maggie Rivers/highlights
ws
POST UP: Sistas with Attitude members Winny Delcin, Amber Williams, Romys Duran, and Noemi Rodriguez take the stage at the Black History Show for a step routine that explored the beginnings of Hip Hop. Delcin and Williams started off the routine dressed as eldery women who were trying to prove to Erin Williams, acting as a youngster, that they still got it.
Arts for Learning: Canvas of opportunity By Jordan Payne
He got out and started doing graffiti and drawing other people just for fun and then he got known, and that’s the same story as mine,” said Hernandez, a former gang member himself, who hopes to attend art Seniors Damiya Evans and Cristina Paredes and juniors school if given the opportunity. Michael Hernandez, Laura Ordonez, Arliz Dezayas, and Cassius The experience isn’t limited to the studio or the history lessons Jackson participate in an Arts for Learning program and are either. The students get a taste of what it’s like to be a teacher, taking mentored by mixed media artist Yanira Collado at the Lewis the Little Cavaliers to the studio and teaching them how to draw. On Arts Studio in Coconut Grove every eighth period. Arts for top of that, they take field trips away from the studio, including a trip Learning (A4L) is a nonprofit organization that strives to link to Art Basel to witness what it takes to be a successful artist. student artists to the surrounding community. A4L provides “It’s a different environment at the studio because it’s more free. services for over 13,000 students in 100 schools around Miami-Dade It’s a different dynamic than the student-teacher relationship. It’s more County, targetting minority populations along with geared towards what we want to do,” said He got out [of jail] and started Paredes. low to moderate income families. doing graffiti and drawing Every even day since the beginning of the The students held an exhibition, a other people just for fun and school year, these six students have braved the 20 culmination of four months of work, then he got known, and that’s entitled “Is It Because I’m Not,” on Jan. minute walk under the Miami sun to the studio the same story as mine. A4L rents out at 101 Grand Avenue. There, they 30. There, they displayed approximately work with Collado until about 3:30 on sculptures, pieces each, ranging from paintings to Michael Hernandez, 20 cartoons, mixed-medias, paintings, 3-D and freesculptures. Their next exhibition will take junior style work, and collages. Collado, a professional place in May at the studio. artist, teaches them different artistic methods, “I’m going to keep living my dream shows them videos on different art subjects, and gives art history to be an artist and this is helping,” said Hernandez. lessons. The aspiring artists watch documentaries and learn about In exposing these students to the artistic world around them, A4L artistic legends, ranging from Michelangelo to John Lennon. One such strives not only to show the students what it takes to be an artist but artist is Michael Vasquez, whose story spoke to Hernandez. also to set up connections. By linking the students with a professional “He was like the same as me…He was a former gang member but and a studio, the students not only become better artists, but to become then he started tattooing. He was in jail and he started jail tattooing. better prepared to enter the race to become a successful artist.
Income levels represented by A4L
news
UNDERLING
71% low to moderate other
Demographic represention by A4L
‘‘
Maggie Rivers/highlights
57%
31%
Hispanic
10% 2%
Black White Asian/Indian Multiracial Source: Arts for Learning
PG. 15 Latin Burger and Taco makes its restaurant debut on Miracle Mile
the scene
PG. 10 Real news can get old, so we made up something more fun
features
news
PG. 4 Culinary program raises over $10,000 at annual culinary gala
29%
news
highlights March 2014
2
Stride 4 Senegal 5K raises over $16,000
By Eleonor Bauwens UNDERLING
Eleonor Bauwens/highlights
The first Stride 4 Senegal 5K race was held at Tropical Park on March 1 and raised over $16,000 to build a forage, a system that will go deep underground and that provide running water for the village of Thiabekaare in Senegal, Africa. “We take so much for granted, especially clean, running water, and to be able to give that gift to a whole village is incredible,” said senior Tia Plagata, one of the founders of the project. Sponsors of the event, including Key Point Academy, Plummer & Associates, Ortanique Restaurants, Road ID and Coach’s Corner, helped cover the $5,000 overhead costs of the race. The money raised will be sent directly to Keaton Scanlon (sister of Cole Scanlon, a founder of the project) who is living in Thiabekaare for a Global Citizen Year program. Keaton Scanlon will contact a company to build the forage in the village. Food and beverages at the 5K race were provided and donated by the International Baccalaureate Honor Society, National Honor Society, Future Educators of America, Gables Earth and French Club. The fastest male runner was sophomore Alexander Elortegui, who finished the race in 17 minutes and 26 seconds, and the fastest female runner was freshman Alexis Clay, who finished in 22 minutes and 57 seconds. Both won a $100 Visa gift card. Junior Allison Pena won an iPad Mini for raising over $1,500, the most amount of money raised by a single student. “Combining two of the things I love— running and service— was great. Hopefully next year we can get even more people out there,” said Elortegui.
RUNNING FOR A CAUSE: (Top Left) Runners and walkers line up at the starting line and wait for the signal to begin the 5K. (Top Right) Sophomores Abraham Elmir and Alexander Elortegui and junior Coby Sanchez finished the race third, first, and second respectively. (Bottom Left) Seniors Michael Hammond, Leidy Villa, Tia Plagata and Cole Scanlon stand at the finish line before runners begin to enter the stadium. (Bottom Right) Sophomore Isabel Izquierdo serves fruit at the end of race.
Carvalho awarded Common App crash By Camila Lupi UNDERLING
Going into his sixth year as Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho has been named the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year. The award was given to Carvalho on Feb. 13 at an event in Nashville, Tennessee. When the School Superintendents Association announced Carvalho as this year’s winner, he became the second superintendent from Florida to ever receive the award, the first being Superintendent Rudy Crew in 2008. The honor has opened the door for Carvalho to pursue a higher position in public office, but he has announced that he wants to continue to work for students in Miami-Dade County. “I love Miami-Dade and I am absolutely dedicated to this journey that we began five-and-ahalf years ago. What’s left to be done is much greater than what we’ve accomplished. The work is not done, nor am I,” said Carvalho to the Miami Herald. Upon receiving the award, Carvalho said that the award was a reflection of the hard work of the teachers, the school board and the rest of his staff and that it truly reflects the progress that the county’s schools have made since he took over in 2008.
Black History Show
By Danny Delgado UNDERLING
The Common Application is under some scrutiny after certain technical issues have caused many students to miss application deadlines. The surge of glitches occurred recently after a rollout of a new online version in August. The website’s lack of reliability has forced 46 colleges to extend their application deadlines. Some schools, including Tufts University, Princeton University, and Hampshire College, are moving on and allowing students to use Common App’s lesser known counterpart, The Universal College Application. The Universal College Application is a for-profit college admission application similar to the Common Application except that it is only accepted by 43 higher education institutions. The Common Application, on the other hand, is a non-for-profit membership organization used by over 500 different colleges and universities as a way for students to turn in their college applications safely and simply. The Common Application had to implement a 24/7 help-line to guide students through the new website. The severity of the technical issues ranged from not being able to copy and paste an essay from Microsoft Word to not knowing for days if an application had been completely sent.
Maggie Rivers/highlights UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: (Left) Senior Kevin Arita takes center stage as he plays the cello in the annual Black History Show. (Middle) Miami Conservatory teacher Amy Ione belts out the final note of “At Last” by Etta James. (Top Right) Seniors Winny Delcin and Erin Williams step to the beat during Sistas With Attitude’s performance with the Brothers of the SWA Steppers. (Bottom Right) Seniors Rada Mckinnon and Fatiah Caldwell dance to “Take Me to the King” in honor of African American heroes.
highlights March 2014
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Alumni fund new baseball locker room By Eleonor Bauwens UNDERLING
Courtesy of Julio Webel NEW DIGS: This 3-D rendering of the new baseball facilities, which will be built where the current guest dugout is, shows the spectator viewing area on the second floor and the offices, concession stand and locker room downstairs.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Freshman Jimmy Delaterga won an iPad from Algebra Nation for earning the most Karma Points in January. Women’s Ensemble earned straight superiors and Cavalier Singers earned split superiors at the Florida Vocal Association competition. Nine members of Troupe 476, the school’s acting team, will be competing at the state competition.
Eyeglasses for Haiti By Sydney Scanlon UNDERLING
Junior Caroline Bauwens collected over 600 pairs of glasses and cases for Haitians in need for her Community Action Service (CAS) project, a component of the International Baccalaureate program. Brigitte Hudicourt, a contact of Bauwens who lives in Haiti, told her how hard it is for Haitians to find and afford proper eye care. Bauwens has blurry vision and near-sightedness, and said she understands how hard it is to live with this impairment and wanted to help. “Everyone else always makes it about clothes or school supplies, but nobody ever thinks about how necessary glasses are,” said Bauwens. Originally she collected glasses and cases around her neighborhood and from family friends. She attempted to expand her collection by creating advertisements in newspapers and on Craigslist. But she still did not reach her goal of 300 pairs. When she enlisted the school for help, numerous teachers assisted her by offering students extra credit in exchange for a pair of glasses or a case. In just a few weeks, the school had donated over 500 pairs. Every Saturday for the last few weeks, Bauwens has been visiting her ophthalmologist where she calibrates the glasses in the back room using a lensometer. The lensometer measures whether the lenses are for those who are near-sighted, far-sighted or have astigmatism. Bauwens was able to combine most glasses with a matching case. Over the summer Bauwens will visit Haiti to deliver the glasses and cases. Bauwens and Hudicourt, an ophthalmologist, also plan to give free eye checkups to citizens.
History EOC option By Brooke Donner HAIR TWIRLER
This year, students who are not required to take the U.S. History End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment are being encouraged to take the exam in the spring. The EOC assessments, gradually introduced by the Florida Department of Education beginning in 2011, intend to measure the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards of students in specific courses. However, the U.S. History EOC guidelines do not prohibit students who are not currently enrolled in a United States History course from taking the exam. The school’s administration is encouraging 11th and 12th grade students in Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History and International Baccalaureate (IB) history classes to take the U.S. History EOC Assessment this spring. For many of these students, passing the assessment is the only requirement they are missing to qualify for the Scholar Designation Diploma, a new level of high school diploma higher than the 24-credit standard diploma. On Feb. 25, AP U.S. History and IB history students took a practice U.S. History EOC Assessment in the cafeteria. The students who scored high enough on the practice exam will be allowed to take the actual EOC Assessment this spring. “How well the school does on the test reflects on individual students, especially those applying to college, so they [the students] should want their school to be seen positively and take the test,” said Testing Chair Africa Andrews. Social studies teachers Porsha Smith and Daniel Blackmon are offering extra credit to their students who take and pass the exam. According to Andrews, the administration is also offering its own version of a reward: students who decide to take the test will be allowed to choose three things they would like, and then the members of the administration will vote to decide which one to grant the students.
The school’s baseball team will be starting the 2014-2015 school year with a new 30-by-50 foot facility, complete with locker rooms, a concession stand, office, meeting room, bathroom, and possibly a shower. The construction of the building is expected to take place this summer and cost between $170,000 and $225,000. There are also plans to renovate the playing field and batting cage, and to transform the current locker room into a weight room. “I feel lucky because the seniors this year won’t get to experience the locker rooms and I will. I want to thank the alumni for giving us the chance to get new locker rooms and for helping us out,” said junior Elih Marrero. The idea for the renovation project started at the alumni baseball challenge on Dec. 15, 2012 when alumni found the dugout in terrible condition. Mike Lowell, Alex Garcia, Woody Woodward, Eli Marrero, Juan Alvarez, Ronnie Yacoub, Mike Fiore, Harold Cole, Eddy Garcia, Ross Atkins and Phillip Wisser began planning for renovations. Lowell, Woodward, Marrero and Alvarez are all former Major League Baseball players. The alumni have raised and donated funds for the project and will be selling bricks for a brick walkway that will be built alongside the locker room. “This is an extremely exciting time for Cavalier baseball to create a new chapter for the program. The coaches, players, faculty and staff are fortunate to have such a strong alumni who are willing to give back to their alma mater. Having a top notch facility affords us the opportunity to provide everything we need to make the team the best it can be and keep us as one of the top baseball programs in the county,” said head baseball coach Phillip Wisser. Construction will start towards the end of May and is expected to be finished between September and October, in time for baseball’s next season.
upcoming events MARCH
19 20 21
BLOOD DRIVE, RIVIERA LOT SENIOR SUNDAE, BOTH LUNCHES
NO SCHOOL
APRIL
7 11 24
SENIOR PROM TICKETS ON SALE SENIOR PICNIC GABLETTE REVUE, 6:30 PM
news
highlights March 2014
4
Culinary Arts Gala serves up success By Jordan Payne UNDERLING
Jordan Payne/highlights SLICING AND DICING: (Top Left) Chef instructors Angel Vazquez and Mercy Vera accept a $10,000 check from the Coral Gables Community Foundation. (Top Right) Junior Antionette Avila welcomes diners to the Dome Restaurant. (Bottom) Advanced Culinary Arts students prepare the four course meal.
The fourth annual Culinary Arts Gala was hosted by the school’s Culinary Arts Program at the Dome Restaurant on Miracle Mile on Monday. With students and alumni hosting, serving, and cooking, the evening started at 6 p.m. with a green salad from the school’s organic garden, roasted beets, goat cheese, and candied pecans toasted in lemon dressing. Chorizo-stuffed sea scallops followed, served with edamame and roasted corn ceviche. The entrée was a combination of braised short ribs and grilled churrasco, served over crispy yucca mash, plantain mash, and sautéed seasonal vegetables. The chefs concluded with a trio of desserts: key lime pie, crème brulee, and tiramisu. Chef instructor Mercy Vera’s advanced students helped organize and plan the event. Vera chose who would host, serve, or cook. Executive Chef Nilton Castillo, the head chef at the Dome, developed the menu with Vera and helped with the cooking as well. Vera also invited some school alumni who currently attend San Ignacio College to help cook and serve at the Gala. Chef instructor Angel Vazquez and Vera raised about $2,500 from ticket sales, after overhead costs. Each ticket cost $65 and there were 50 diners in attendance. At the end of the evening, they received a $10,000 check from the Coral Gables Community Foundation, through its Tour of the Kitchen program. All of the food was donated by Doctors Hospital. The money raised will go towards equipment, food, and competition entry fees for the Culinary Arts Program at the school. For the Gala’s first two years, Vera and Vazquez held the event at the school in the courtyard in front of the New Building. Last year was the first year that the event was hosted at the Dome Restaurant, which is owned by Rachel Dominguez (a longtime friend of Vera’s) and is known for its environmentally-conscious, Latin infused food, and caviar bar. The plan for this year’s Culinary Arts Gala has been in action since last year, but the food preparation began last week.
opinion
highlights March 2014
OJT useful despite flaws Commentary by Javier Fernandez UNDERLING
This year, the school has given its seniors the chance to leave school early each day for a work program called On the Job Training (OJT). OJT encourages students to work by providing the incentive of being able to leave early for their jobs, and the program seems promising in its early stages. However, OJT has left open the opportunity to abuse the system and consequently puts the effectiveness of OJT into question. Despite its apparent flaws, though, the program should be supported, in the hopes that its primary goal to get students to work overcomes its apparent flaws. Requesting OJT is simple enough: a student fills out required forms, gets signatures from his or her parents and employers, and turns them in to the school for a quick approval. While it is not very difficult for the average student to forge signatures or blatantly lie about his or her employment status, this flaw is easy to mend through more strenuous approval processes, and thus the least of OJT’s issues. The major appeal of OJT is its permission for students to leave school early to work. Most kids, however, do not even have their work schedule structured around their departure from school, and this conflict creates controversy. Disregarding students with OJT who are not even employed, the fact that working students are also not headed straight to work seemingly challenges the purpose of OJT’s early dismissal opportunity. In reality, a student
with time to grab Chipotle and take a quick nap before going to work should not be viewed as an exploitation of the program, and the school should keep its focus on the bigger picture. When it comes down to it, students with jobs, even those who do not leave school straight to work, are still accomplishing what the OJT program wants students to do: they work. Additionally, seniors “legally” leaving early for work rather than potentially skipping class or underperforming cleans the halls and classrooms of the casual stroller and back-of-the-class sleeper. Seniors genuinely appreciate being relieved of a standard schedule with eight classes, and feel more encouraged to focus on their five or six classes while also keeping their jobs. When these considerations are put into perspective, the simplicity of the system makes sense, and while the ease with which one can bypass the system needs to be addressed, OJT’s intentions should remain the same. The school merely needs to make the system more difficult to trick with a more rigorous approval process, calls to work, and frequent updates on each student’s employment status. The concept behind OJT is not new. High schools across the country provide early dismissal internship and work opportunities, all with the same hopes of encouraging students to become involved in the work force. At our school, however, the system is in its first year, clearly with room for improvement. Unlike other opportunities that have been stripped from seniors, this is one that should stay, even if that means it takes a few years before the system is perfected.
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The employer should call regularly to see if the student [...] isn’t dropping their responsibilities.
-Mia Rathjens, senior
highlights
It’s a good experience for students to be able to have a job, gain a source of income, while enrolled in school.
-Ariel Triana, junior
Gun violence reality check Commentary by Joey Lancaster UNDERLING
You may have heard of the 7 year old boy in Maryland who became notorious for eating a Poptart into the shape of a gun in school and was promply suspended for it. This could be justified as a reaction to the recent outbreak of gun-related tragedies, but what phases me, though, is that school administrators continue to punish children for harmless weapon play assuming it will lead to acts of violence when, in reality, it will not. At least we have people like Florida State Representative Dennis Baxley and National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer to bring a little common sense to the table. Baxley was the catalyst for the Poptart Bill, a necessary proposal to offer protection to children who play with imaginary guns at school, including those “brandishing a partially consumed pastry or other food” that resembles the shape of a weapon. Administrators should ask themselves whether weapon play will lead to violent character traits. Violent people typically display warning signs that include cruelty to animals, extreme isolation, rejection and a feeling of being persecuted and misunderstood. Pretend weapon play for kids brings the opposite. It’s social, cooperative and a part of developing morality. Instead of punishing these kids for exploring human nature, the real job of these administrators should be to help kids cope with their emotions and conflicts. We can’t reform the world by censoring children’s play. War play is an age-old part of childhood, and weapons are featured in countless stories— whether it’s children’s stories like “Snow White” or an ageless handbook like the Bible. Blaming children’s play distracts people from the real issues of societal treatment of mental illness and gun control among others and if we want a more peaceful, safe and just world, we must work on that ourselves, as adults, in the real world. Both advocating common sense in the classroom, Hammer and Baxley agree that “this bill is about children, and stopping children from being traumatized when adults lack good common sense or the capacity to make rational judgments. Zero tolerance should not mean zero common sense. Unfortunately, it seems to.”
Killing the Cuban embargo Commentary by Danny Delgado UNDERLING
ADVISORY BOARD: EL PADRINO
Nicolas Rivero
FRE$H PRINCE Orso Raymo
LA GRAN PAPA Cryus Zdonk
TSARITSA
Maggie Rivers
PARTY POOPER
Melissa Gonzalez
SECTION EDITORS: HAIR TWIRLER
DALE PAPITZZ
PURP
CHIPOTLE PRINCESS
DA BES
SUPREME BAGEL
Brooke Donner
Raquel Braun Fuhrancis Pérez
Stephan Chamberlin
Yaremy Fuentes Laura Acosta
Underlings: Ali Band, Eleonor Bauwens, Avery Budin, Anthony Concia, Danny Delgado, Rachel Ellis, Javier Fernandez, Olivia Field, Maya Iskandarani, Joey Lancaster, Camila Lupi, Bianca Mangravite, Haley Manning, Angelika Menendez, Maria Ovalle, Jordan Payne, Susana Rudin, Araceli Sanchez, Sydney Scanlon, Mia Tolpin Contributors: Taria Dabby, Julio Webel highlights is the official student-produced newspaper at Coral Gables Senior High School published and produced by highlights staff members. highlights has been established as a designated public forum for student journalists to educate and inform their readers of issues of concern to their audience and dissemination of news and ideas to the entire school community. As the producer of a scholastic publication, highlights subscribes to the responsibilities set forth in the National Scholastic Press Association Code of Ethics for scholastic journalists and advisers. According to Miami-Dade County Public School policy, student media is not subject to priorreview by administration or district personnel and as such, all content is determined by, and reflects the views of student staff members only. highlights welcomes reader feedback. All letters should be addressed to melissa_gonzalez@dadeschools.net
Press Affiliations: Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, NSPA Hall of Fame, Florida Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll
5
Over 50 years ago the United States launched one of its most useless and counterproductive foreign policies, the embargo against Cuba, more commonly referred to in Cuba (and Miami) as “el bloqueo.” It has led to the stagnation of Cuba’s economy and perpetuated the long standing hatred between both countries’ governments. Recently, following President Obama’s “outrageous” hand shake with Cuban president Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela’s memorial, the topic has risen from the basement of United States foreign policy with many people calling for an end to this seemingly endless embargo. An Atlantic Council poll reveals that six out of 10 Americans favor normalizing relations with Cuba. The belief that restricting U.S. citizens from traveling freely and spending money in Cuba will help foster a pro-democracy environment in Cuba is counter-productive because totalitarian governments thrive under isolation, where the people are kept in the dark about what is happening past their borders. This allegation is especially hypocritical when it’s legal to visit and do business in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Somalia, among many other much more hostile countries, and countries that are run by far more repressive governments. The Cuban government has made significant progress in creating a capitalistic economy under Raul Castro, allowing small private ownership and independent expenditures. This includes the right to sell and buy homes, create small restaurants and even use your private car for a taxi business. They have also extended many more rights to their citizens such as the ability to travel more freely out of Cuba. Although it is still illegal to publicly organize in protest, people in Cuba are much more willing to speak out against the regime and some of the economic policies. Comedy clubs and small local theaters that come alive during the night commonly have satirical shows and monologues that poke fun at certain things Cubans deal with, such as the low quality of the food provided by the government or the constant battle between small businesses and the feared government inspector. For the U.S. to really make a statement when it comes to capitalism around the world, they should reward these types of changes by actively encouraging American companies to invest on the island to make it the world renowned tourist attraction it
has the potential to be. This will create jobs, produce income, and strengthen Cuba’s economy, which has been heavily damaged by the embargo. Of course tourism by itself isn’t going to solve all the problems in Cuba. The Cuban government must enact reforms beyond those it has already been implementing. Raul Castro has proposed a law to permit large-scale foreign investment across Cuba, even in the agricultural sector. When the law passes, Canadian, Latin American and European investors will be there, but not the U.S. What keeps politicians from speaking out on this issue is purely political strategic reasoning. There is no longer any reason to stubbornly stand by Cold War-era diplomacy and maintain our embargo against Cuba.
by the numbers 5th
Rank of Cuba as a Latin American market for U.S. farm exports
250
Million dollars estimated in potential Cuban exports if embargo is eliminated
63 Percent of Floridians in favor of normalizing relations with Cuba Compiled by Daniel Delgado
Source: Atlantic Council
opinion
highlights
6
March 2014
History EOC loophole rewards foul play STAFF
Editorial
The latest topic of controversy among the school’s juniors and seniors is the opportunity to take the United States History End of Course Assessment (EOC). Despite not having first taken the class, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) History students are being encouraged to sit for the exam after meeting a certain score on a practice test. Allowing a particular group of promising students to take the EOC is a crafty way of improving the school’s grade; by manipulating the loophole that allows any student to take the test, the school can artificially inflate its test scores. While you can’t blame the school for trying, in the interest of fairness, ensuring the validity of the exam, and not wasting students’ time with another unnecessary test, the state of Florida ought to close this loophole. On an individual level, taking the EOC without the
course has more than a few advantages. History teachers are incentivizing students in their AP and IB U.S. History classes by providing varying amounts of extra credit to anyone who scores high enough on the EOC. Passing the EOC also fulfills the final requirement for IB students to qualify for the Diploma for Scholars. Any IB upperclassman who is doubtful as to whether or not they will be able to exit the IB program and graduate on time can fulfill the mandatory American History component of graduation that IB students are exempt from without having to attend night school or take an online class. Meanwhile, students who are not offered the opportunity to take the exam are still obligated to take the class over the course of an entire year before they can take the EOC and receive this same credit. Administering the EOC to IB and AP students is intended to raise the number of high test scores from the school. Producing better test scores means a higher overall grade for the school, which in turn means a better school reputation and increased funding from the district. The school itself should not be blamed for acting in its own self-interest by taking advantage of this loophole; nevertheless, the system
should not be structured to encourage manipulation, because not every public school in the district has capable students in a program like IB that can be used as a resource to boost funding. The state uses test scores to distribute funding in the interest of simplicity. Such a large bureaucracy can’t know all the individual needs of its schools, but it does have testing data for all of them as a result of standardizing achievement exams like the EOC. This system runs the risk of being arbitrary, especially when there are loopholes like this one which allow students to sit for a test that tries to judge how much they learned in a class they never took. The already questionable validity of the state’s distribution method is endangered by the existence of this loophole. The solution to this problem is simple: close the loophole. No other EOC allows students who have not taken the class to take the test. The purpose of standardized testing is to give everyone an equal opportunity to pass; testing loopholes do just the opposite. Schools, like students, should be graded fairly, and they can’t be if they are allowed to manipulate the system.
A Floridian felon’s right to vote
In Florida, ex-felons are stripped of their right to vote once they are released from prison. Should we allow or deny them this basic civil right? Commentary by Sydney Scanlon
Commentary by Stephan Chamberlin
UNDERLING
DALE PAPITZZ
Deny
Most people aren’t very familiar with the legal practice of felony disenfranchisement. It might seem like a big word, but its definition is pretty simple. It means that people who commit felonies are denied their right to vote, for the rest of their lives in a few states, including Florida. In March of 2011, Governor Rick Scott overturned reforms which made it easier for felons to regain their right to vote after they’ve been released from prison. Essentially what this does is make every felon who has served out their sentence, parole, and probation a voiceless member of their community and of the nation. The purpose of the criminal justice system, both here in Florida and the United States, is to deter people from committing crimes in the first place, to punish those who have broken the law, and finally, to turn criminals into reformed citizens. The goal here is to turn people from deviants into upstanding figures, who are presumably involved in their community. What the law does right now is communicate the message that felons can never again be the same people they were; that they can never repay their debt to society. A new report by the Florida Parole Commission, which was discretely kept from the public, shows that about 33 percent of felons ended back up in prison. This number dropped to 11 percent among felons who had their civil rights restored. This kind of lifelong punishment is more than just counterproductive; it’s unethical. The supposed purpose of the disenfranchisement law in Florida is to keep those people who have acted immorally away from the polls. It may seem like a noble cause until you find out why the law was originally passed. The Florida Constitution’s provision that excluded felons from voting was adopted in 1868 with the intent to discriminate against black voters. In Florida, as in most of the South, legislatures controlled by wealthy white congressmen were looking for every way to exclude the black vote. We adopted the law alongside Mississippi and Virginia with the same purpose: keeping anyone who wouldn’t vote in favor of the standing majority away from the voting booth. Even today, the law continues to be racially discriminatory. Last month in the Washington Post, an article appeared which discussed the disparity in how the felony voting laws disproportionately affect African Americans. Florida is by far the largest state on the map; like a malignant growth on the otherwise smaller and less affected nation. It overwhelmingly demonstrates that over seven percent of adult black males could not vote because they had been convicted of a felony. What’s almost funny is that the governor pretends that there’s a practical way for felons to get their suffrage back. It entails filling out a lengthy application and submitting it to the Florida Clemency Executive Board, comprised of four members: Governor Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, and Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, who is on the board for reasons unbeknownst to just about everyone. The only way to get your voting rights back if you’re a felon is to go through these four people who hear cases entirely at their discretion. To make matters even worse, according to the Florida Rules of Executive Clemency, “The Governor has the unfettered discretion to deny clemency at any time, for any reason.” You read right. The very person who denied felons their right to vote has complete control over if they get it back.
Allow
Eleven states including Florida prevent ex-felons from voting due to their previous convictions and criminal histories. Although allowing criminals to participate in elections may increase voter turnout, these aren’t the type of people we want voting. Let’s make something abundantly clear: voting is not a right. Having the privilege of electing our nation’s leaders comes as a result of being a functioning member of society. Citizens are granted the ability to vote because they work, pay taxes and are generally contribute to the good of the community. A felon is stripped of these rights for the opposite reason. Committing a felony communicates a message to the government and to fellow members of the community that they don’t care enough about their neighbors to chip in as a member; but this goes beyond just not caring. We do not allow children to vote, own a gun, or serve on a jury because they are untrustworthy. The same goes for anyone who is incapable of following our nation’s laws. By making the conscious decision to commit a crime, felons prove that they are delinquents, unable to follow the laws we agree on as a civilized society. There seems to be a naïvety when discussing what a felony really is, and what that says about the person that commits them. These people aren’t your run of the mill, small time drug dealers or crack addicts. These kind of people commit crimes that earn them a jail cell for at least a year, typically for more than two years. The implication is that felons are being punished when they’re sent to prison. They have done something wrong and are now paying the price for their lack of judgment and inability to follow the rules. Felons have some of their civil rights stripped from them, such as the right to bear arms. The purpose of the justice system is to punish and deter; and giving felons the right to vote does not achieve that goal. There should be no pampering of people who have broken the law. Some say that not allowing felons to vote is racist; one in 13 African Americans were deprived of the right to vote in the 2012 elections because they were felons. But whether a felon should vote is not a question of race but rather a question of responsibility. Voting rights are distributed uniformly, and by the same token they are taken away from felons uniformly. Everyone is granted the right to vote until they botch their chance. This is not a judgment based on the color of anyone’s skin but on what their actions reveal about their character. It is true that the current voting laws disproportionately affect black and Hispanic voters, but fact is that the prison population is disproportionately filled with black and Hispanic criminals. This isn’t a policy that discriminates racially. This is a policy which takes away the privilege of voting from people who have demonstrated themselves incapable of wielding it, no matter what their race, color, gender, or ethnicity. Over 145 years ago, Florida banned felons from voting. In an attempt to allow total reformation of felons, an ex-convict has the power to reclaim the right to vote. By filling out an application that is then reviewed by some of Florida’s most prominent political leaders, any dedicated outlaw may set their rights back. When a felon votes they are not just voting for the political leaders. They are directly voting for the rules and laws. If a felon does not respect the laws they should not have a say in them.
TWO VIEWS
5.8 MILLION That is
ONE in every FOURTY
citizens Source: Sentencing Project, Florida Parole Commission & Department of Corrections
felons cannot vote 6 m. 5 m. 4 m. 3 m. 2 m. 1 m.
Reoffense rate for those whose suffrage was reinstated in Florida from 2009-2010
11% VS
33%
‘76 ’96 ‘10
Current state-wide reoffense rate
Maggie Rivers/highlights
2.5% of adult citizens cannot vote because they are felons
insight
highlights March 2014
7
[HIGH]SCHOOL FROM THE TRUE EFFECT OF DRUGS ON STUDENT LIFE TO THEIR PREVALENCE AMONG THE STUDENT BODY, highlights TAKES AN HONEST LOOKAT TEEN DRUG USE.
insight
highlights March 2014
8
ACCEPTANCE OF DRUG USE REACHES NEW HIGH By Camila Lupi UNDERLING
As the negativity surrounding teen drug use has mostly been put to rest, more and more kids are beginning to feel comfortable with openly using drugs recreationally and regularly. Drug use among high school students has become more socially acceptable in recent years and even those students labeled “the good kids” have come to terms with the fact that plenty of their peers do drugs. “I don’t really judge people based on if they do drugs or not because it has become so common for all different types of people to use drugs for all kinds of reasons. I’ve never done drugs myself, but I am friends with people who have and it doesn’t bother me at all,” said junior Gabriela Urban. The lack of any real stigma among teens about drug use allows kids to feel more relaxed when it comes to being open, not only about using drugs, but about experimentation with drugs. Alcohol and marijuana are the two most typical and widespread drugs among teens, but many forms of stimulants and psychedelics are more commonly talked about today. According to senior Nana Trujillo, a lot of the more recent discussions about drugs are about MDMA, most commonly known as “molly”, psychedelic mushrooms, also called “shrooms”, acid, and even cocaine. These drugs, referred to as “party drugs”, have always been used by teens, but it wasn’t until recently that they were able to talk about them more openly without feeling like they were being judged. “Most of the recent drug talk among my friends and peers revolves more around other drugs besides weed and alcohol because now a days people feel more comfortable talking to each other about them,” said junior Bradley Lee. As a result of teens becoming more comfortable and accepting of drugs and discussions about them, those in authority, such as parents and
GABLES SPEAKS UP ABOUT DRUGS:
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It makes me work harder in school. I like doing my homework when I’m high. I work for like four hours. It’s fun.
We started tripping ten minutes in and I swear to god, I saw, in a bush, a new color. It’s the best memory of my life. The color was like a blue, but it wasn’t really blue. I’ve never seen the color again. When I took shrooms I thought I was going to die. I saw the new color and I started shaking and my vision was getting blurred. I collapsed and I thought that was the last day I was going to live.
“
“
I was once really into alcohol, sometimes forcefully chugging down old, chunky and sour wine just to get drunk by myself at home. It never really affected my life too much, as I never drank in lieu of fulfilling my responsibilities, and I was always really in control and responsible while drinking. But I was a bit addicted to alcohol.
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There are times where I question weather or not if I never smoked weed and got involved using drugs I would be in a better place in my life, but than I realize that where I am is incredible. Grades are good, I’m going to college, I have a job, and I’m learning more and more about myself through my beautiful mushrooms trips!
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It messed up my brain- Dont do it-It’s not worth it in the long run.
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I went through a long period of drug use when I was suicidally depressed as a young teenager. As I proceeded in life enduring difficult situations, I became more aware of my surroundings and speciffically the effect that drugs had on me- limiting my options. I shroom spiritually, no longer smoke marijuana because of how it limits my capacity of becoming more enlightened, and alcohol nor pills are ever an option.
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teachers, have become more aware that drugs are now a much more openly conventional pastime for students than they have been in the past. While these authority figures are mindful of the fact that their children or students may be either using drugs or around people who do, many of them, especially teachers, try to ignore that reality. “Other adults are afraid of getting involved and I think that they feel like if they step in they will have to commit to do more. They’re afraid and they would rather turn a blind eye to the kid rather than help them not do drugs,” said biology teacher Eric Molina. However, some parents have become so accustomed to the reality of teen drug use that they see no reason to put so much effort into stopping it. According to many students, parents acknowledge that their children and those around them may be using drugs and therefore try to implement certain limits as to ensure the safety of their child. “I think that parents should trust that they have set the right example for their children and should therefore trust that they will make the right decisions,” said junior Marianna Babboni. Miami is such a diverse city that it is not surprising for its community to be more accepting towards drug use than others. Especially amongst teenagers and high school students in Miami, there is very little judgment when it comes to diversity and being different. It is therefore not surprising that terms such as “druggie” and “stoner” have lost most of its pejorative tone amidst teens living in Miami. “Drugs [among teens] in Miami are much more acceptable than in Italy, where I’m from, where if you smoke weed you are seen as having connections to the Mafia,” said senior Francesco Sautto.
“
insight
highlights March 2014
40% HAVE
72% OF
STUDENTS HAVE TRIED DRUGS
COME TO SCHOOL INTOXICATED AND/OR BROUGHT DRUGS TO SCHOOL
Ea ch pil lr epr esen psycilobin ts
nitrous
mushrooms
peyote
alcohol
THAT DRUG USE HAS NOT AFFECTED THEM MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY LONG-TERM
t of *Ou
steroids codeine/ promethazine
ayahuasca
MDMA
18
s ent tud s 2
heroin/opium ketamine
research chemicals
nicotine DMT
56% SAY
10 studen ts
marijuana
9
meth
adderall/ritalin LSD
cocaine
Compiled by Raquel Braun with internet poll
THE TRUE EFFECT OF TEEN DRUG USE
By Javier Fernandez UNDERLING
For most teenagers, drug consumption is recreational, and just another experimental phase in adolescent growth. Drugs like marijuana and alcohol, the ones labeled primarily as “gateways,” usually have minimal permanent side effects at first use. Teens often claim to grow from initial, often positive experiences, and become encouraged to try more and experiment further. On the other end, those with negative experiences upon first use often have their perception of drugs forever altered, to a point that they are discouraged to consume drugs at all for extended periods of time. “One’s first experience with drugs or alcohol is a significant experience, in that it is the moment in which that individual can form his or her own opinion as opposed to reciting those told to them by others,” said junior Fabio Ochoa. At casual and infrequent rates of use, the physical effects of drugs are less meaningful than one might think. Despite the arguments of anti-drug campaigns, clinical studies on the use of certain drugs for medicinal use suggest that certain drugs, upon initial use and at moderate dosages, seldom have any lasting physical or mental effects, and even have the potential to reduce the negative side effects of some mental health issues or trauma. According to Psychology Today, for example, a recent clinical study suggests that ecstasy “may help patients with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” It goes on to describe other research that proposes that “ketamine may help patients with treatment-resistant depression.” Drugs seldom mean more than an entertaining experience for people our age at the recreational level. While we often hear about the misunderstood delinquents who are sent to rehab, many young adults function perfectly well despite numerous encounters with recreational drugs. “A lot of my friends party every weekend and are really good students. They do better in class than I do,” said senior Abram Lacayo.
Lasting physical and mental effects begin to arise with the overuse of drugs, as they become more of an outlet and necessity for teenagers than a form of leisure. Chemical imbalances occur at regular use, as drugs such as ecstasy and other amphetamines increase neurotoxicity in the brain, according to PubMed. Similarly, narcotic abuse affects mental health, as those who frequently desire these drugs often suffer from depression but still feel a need for more, “despite negative consequences,” according to WebMD. At a broader level, the initial experimentation with drugs can eventually open doors to an entirely changed world and lifestyle, and not one for the better. Just as there are students who function perfectly well despite drug experiences, there are those with severe clinical issues worsened by an addiction to drugs as an escape, that seem just as healthy as anyone else. Those teenagers prove that the ability to succumb to horrifying temptations and spiraling addictions is just as likely as the ability to lead a healthy lifestyle despite drug use. When experimentation becomes addiction, drug use becomes much more problematic for students our age. The anecdotal evidence that drugs won’t necessarily ruin your life does not mean that abusing them doesn’t sometimes lead to the exact horrors that the television commercials and anti-drug campaigns warn children to stay away from. Being able to prevent individuals in society from reaching this point can be difficult, making it unlikely that recreational drugs can become legal any time soon, despite their potential for therapeutic benefits or economic gains. Despite the slim odds, it is more important for society to grasp the full spectrum of drugs’ potential impact and not just their negative connotations. If American society gained an awareness, understanding, and respect for both the negative and positive potential these substances have, it would be able to move forward more informed than ever.
features
highlights March 2014
APRIL FOOLS:
10
If you’re upset that our April Fool’s issue is coming out in mid-March, close the paper, take a breath, and try developing a sense of humor before reading this section again on April 1.
Janitor discovers auditorium roof is, in fact, a UFO By Ali Band UNDERLING
On March 7, a spectacular discovery shocked school administration. After careful inspection of the auditorium roof, it came to the attention of administrators that as we glance at the air conditioning system, engulfed in its circled dish, we are laying our eyes on the site of a purported UFO crash from more than 60 years ago. Maintenance worker Rufus Gonzalez, in an unexpected encounter, uncovered this mysterious innovation. Gonzalez, a dedicated employee with a sense for disorder,
was getting ready to close up the school when he spotted something peculiar in the corner, something resembling a pile of glistening crystals. He looked up and saw the same particles falling from the ceiling where a coin-shaped disk had appeared. Gonzalez gave his cousin, Richard Corvis Ph.D, a call at Los Alamos National Laboratory to ask about this odd finding. Investigation began as Corvis climbed up into the rafters and discovered a control panel on the inside of the circular monster. The panel had been completely destroyed. He took samples of the crystals and within a week, Gonzalez received an alarmed phone call from him.
Ali Band & Remy Fuentes/highlights NOT EVEN PHOTOSHOPPED: It took a small leakage of green goop coming from the auditorium roof for our faculty to discover that what we have assumed was a bizarre air conditioner for the past 50 years was actually a crashed UFO.
GOLF CART CATASTROPHE Coral Gables Senior high school suffered a traumatic eight hours after its vital security fleet of golf carts was damaged, leaving administrators with no other option but to attempt to maintain order on foot.
By Javier Fernandez UNDERLING
What began as a seemingly normal day for students at the school turned into something more like a day at the zoo after the events of March 6. As tension in the air built, it took less than one block of the school day for the news to break out through rumor-filled text messages and gossiping teachers: the school’s most instrumental component to its daily functioning, its golf carts, had broken down. Never before in the school’s history had it gone a day without its golf carts, and while the cause of their malfunction has yet to be identified, the school knows the tragic results all too well. By the first lunch bell, the atmosphere had completely transformed. Students knew what a school without working golf carts meant: free reign to commit any and every form of misconduct possible. They jumped off of the third floor, terrorized hallways with used toilet paper and tipped over vending machines, all with the notion that no administrator could stop or reach them in time without their crucial law enforcement vehicles. They were absolutely correct. After years of relying on golf carts for quick transportation and easy chases, administrators were helpless, falling flat on their faces left and right as they attempted to chase down delinquents.
“The kid...He was just too fast,” said Principal Harry Hoover. Students were seen blitzing by security and jumping over fences to escape campus, instilling fear into the city of Coral Gables and forcing the Coral Gables Police Department to get involved. The golf carts sat broken and helpless as the chaos ensued. Only the bravest of faculty had halfsuccessful attempts at tackling escapees, and by the end of the school day little was left of a campus that once boasted a civilized community of educated students. “Never in my life had I witnessed anything like it. It was an embarrassment to our school and community, and it reminded all of us why funds need to be allocated to take care of our golf carts each year. A kid defecated on my foot!” said Dean of Students Leo Nero. No teacher or student could anticipate how vital the school’s golf carts were to maintaining the school’s safety and functioning. Weeks later, still recovering from the effects of Cartpocalypse, we are still working to restore the property damage and emotional toll of perhaps the most shameful day in our school’s history. The school has learned now to always have backup golf carts stored away, in the event that anything nearly as bad should occur ever again.
Anthony Concia/highlights
GOLF CART DOWN: Chaos reigned as the school’s golf cart fleet, its vital tool for dispensing justice throughout campus, was out of service. Students terrorized the security staff and the broken down carts with toilet paper when they realized that the iron fist of school security had been loosened for the day.
In-depth analysis of the shards and control panel provided evidence of material that was unknown to our world. The investigation led to the discovery of a timer in the control panel and Corvis detected increasing radiation. “There is an inverse relationship: as the clock ticks closer to zero, the radiation that is detected increases proportionally,” said Corvis. Our kind has not witnessed anything of this sort before and Corvis stated that these mechanics represented something that humans are incapable of achieving. At this point it was a matter of whether or not he would reveal the truth of his discovery. Evidently, the school auditorium ceiling has sustained this mother ship since its descent from the skies and kept it off the public radar. There were no known witnesses of the crash and after the scientific investigation that was conducted there was no incentive to publicize it. However, with the constant inquiry by the students as to why the roof resembles a UFO, school officials have decided it is best to come clean. Administrators considered removing the wreck from the roof, but decided against it since the UFO has become a cherished relic of the school. Further, teachers have urged the administration to keep it for educational purposes. The science department has been exploring the possibility of conducting a study into the mechanics of the ship and repowering the engine. “It is a fantastic opportunity for our students to explore a world that has excluded people of younger generations. By organizing the correct procedure and taking the proper measures, we can have students up in the sky within a few months!” said Science Department Chair Raymond Leno. The opportunity for student field trips to outer space in the near future is looking promising. Student applications to participate in this new space program can be found in the science hall.
Entire senior class expelled By Nicolas Rivero EL PADRINO
In an unprecedented decision made last Tuesday, the school administration expelled the entire senior class. The move came after administrators noticed a pattern of misbehavior among seniors throughout their three and a half years on campus. “I was doing my daily golf cart tour of the hallways,” said Principal Harry Hoover, “when I saw a student blatantly wearing a t-shirt instead of a polo. I pulled him aside to ask him what year he was in, and sure enough, he was a senior. That’s when we decided to act.” The expulsion of all 700 students in the Class of 2014 has raised some eyebrows, but the administration has stood by its decision. “We know there are a few good kids out there that will be affected, but we feel that as a whole, this class is really just a cesspool of depravity and sin. This just seemed like the obvious choice,” said Hoover. “By punishing the entire class, we can make sure we nail those students who have been acting out. Besides, they’ve all probably done something to deserve this,” added Dean of Students Leo Nero. “That’s justice.” This move is the latest in a series of collective punishments levied against the senior class, including the failed attempt to force each and every senior to stand in a corner and think about what a handful of their classmates had done (before it was discovered that the school has fewer than 700 corners), the ban on sweatpants, treat days, and laughter in general, and randomly locking the gate between the gym and the auditorium, which Hoover confirmed is done “just to mess with the seniors.” The future of the Class of 2015 seems dim since administration is cracking down early so they do not have to deal with more shenanigans. Already under intense scrutiny and threatened with the elimination of Grad Bash and other extracurricular activities because of the misbehavior of the senior class, many are questioning whether juniors will still be able to graduate next year. “The real victim here is the junior class,” said psychology teacher Nelson Scott, speaking at length to each of his eight Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate psychology classes before a quiz they were frantically trying to study for. “As I understand it, they won’t go to the trouble of giving out diplomas next year after what happened with this year’s seniors.” “I just can’t believe this years seniors managed to screw things up for us this badly. It’s actually astounding,” said junior Samantha Bigglesbee. The now-former seniors have had mixed reactions to the news that they have been kicked out of school with fewer than 12 weeks remaining in the year. “I’m a little upset that everything I’ve worked for all these years has been for nothing. But I get it. A few bad apples can ruin the bunch. You have to destroy the bunch just in case,” said senior Joshua Frumplebottom. “On the bright side, this gives me a lot more time to dedicate to the true project of the second semester of senior year, which is perfecting my tan so that when I go to college I can arrive as the coolest person on campus,” added senior Lorraine Doogley. Administrators have hinted that it may still be possible for seniors to graduate from the school, so long as they are willing to pass the American History End-of-Course exam. No one is expected to take advantage of the offer.
1980 1920
1940
1970
March 2014
1980
11
The evolution of eyebrows
1940 1920s
By Susana Rudin UNDERLING
Super thin
1940 1950
1990
1930s
1960
1960
As insignificant as two patches of hair might possibly seem, eyebrows have a huge impact on facial appearance. The eyes are the windows to the face and the brows are the frames. Eyebrows accentuate the eyes and compliment the contours of the cheek. Different brows can completely change a face. Throughout history, we see each decade create a whole new take on eyebrows. The 1920s were a time of needle thin eyebrows due to the need to make emotion come through on silent films as cinematic technology advanced and audio was added to film, people began to opt for fuller and more natural looking eyebrows.
19201960 1970 1970
Needle thin to show emotion in the silent film era
2000
1990
1940
2000
1960s
Dark brows and light hair to pretend to be a gogo girl
The1980 shelves 1980of Trader Joe’s 1990
1990
305-798-1335
steve@field-law.com
2000 2000
102 East 49th Street, Hialeah, FL 33013
The power brow
1980
1990
1990s
Thin brows make a comeback; you can thank Kate Moss. Haley Manning/highlights
1970
By Haley Manning
With so many great items on the shelves, it is hard to choose the best and weirdest item that supermarket Trader Joe’s has in stock. However, after extensive isle searching for the craziest food item I could find there were four that specifically stood out to me that I just had to try. First on the list are Cookie Butter and Cookie and Cocoa Swirl spread, which are apparently the equivalent of Nutella in the Trader Joe’s world. The Cookie Butter is a spreadable Belgian cookie that is accented with swirls of caramel. You can buy the butter either smooth or crunchy. As the name would suggest, the Cookie and Cocoa Swirl combines the rapture of cookie butter with fudgy chocolate. No word can describe the taste of this heavenly spread. If you’re looking for a taste of the Caribbean, roasted coconut chips are the way to go. These chips contain fresh coconut shavings soaked in coconut juice, similar to as shredded coconut, but bigger and with a crunch. This item is good for a small snack, or to sprinkle on the tops of cakes and ice cream. For those of you that consider yourselves health nuts and can not go a morning without your cereal, the Mango Passion Granola Cereal is right for you. This cereal has the perfect balance between fruit and steel oats keeping you full and
1960
1980s
All natural because we were hippies
1970
1980
1980
1970s
Thick brows are back in
Stephen D. Field, P.A.
By the 1950s, strong and thick brows were the style. Audrey Hepburn was a hallmark for the eyebrows of the 1950s. With strong eyebrows and long lashes, Hepburn radiated the idea of feminism and beauty. Along came the 1970s and as hippies would have it, the natural look was back in. The 1970s advocated a natural and unkept look of eyebrows. Today thin eyebrows are typically viewed as tacky and ugly. We opt for a fuller look, seen by the idolizations of eyebrows like Lilly Collins and Cara Delevigne. Eyebrow grooming methods have also advanced. Waxing, threading, laser and plucking are all viable options today.
1950
1940s-50s
UNDERLING
highlights
2000
2000-now 2000
Full, strong and bold brows
2000
>> 1980 HALL TALK
highlights keeps an ear out all the time to catch the latest news and report it, but sometimes the things we hear are just too ridiculous not to mention. AISLES OF GOURMET AND ORGANIC: The free samples aren’t the only reason why Trader Joe’s is a chosen over generic grocery stores, their cookie butter, mini pecan pies and fresh produce add to the stores big hype.
1990
energized. This would be a great breakfast to eat religiously when exam season starts. But without a doubt the best product I came across were the Trader Joe’s Mini Pecan Pies. All you have to do is take these little bits of goodness out of their packages and put them in the oven for about 7-10 minutes and voila! The pies are the size of a babies fist which are the perfect size to be swallowed in one gulp. The crust is buttered and sprinkled with brown sugar, while the filling is full of pecans and melted sugar and butter.
>>
“She has a child with him, but they have a restraining order on each other.”
2000
>>
“Nine months before I was born I went to a party with my dad and left with my mom.”
>>
“I had to walk around with a tampon in my nose all day.”
>>
“If you could change your skin to any color, what would it be?”
features
highlights March 2014
12
Meet the Little Cavaliers By Bianca Mangravite UNDERLING
The mind of a child is strange. Even the most complicated questions can be answered easily, like it is the simplest thing imaginable. There are no filters or social pressures that influence their choices. As the nosy people that we are, highlights pounced on the innocent young members of the Little Cavaliers to pick at their insane brains.
Bianca Mangravite/highlights
Conor Hull Age: 5
Gabriella Manzano Age: 5
Zander Zaldiver Age: 5 Q:
Alex Costa Age: 5
Q:
What is the meaning of life?
A:
Hugs
Q:
What is love?
Q:
A:
What kind of animal do you want to be?
I forgot.
A:
A cat
A:
A blender
Q:
Why a cat?
Q:
Why?
Q:
What are you good at?
A:
So I can break it.
A:
Running. No, wait, rollerskating.
Q: A:
What are you most afraid of? Snakes
A: Q:
Q:
Why are you afraid of snakes?
A:
Because.
A:
Q:
Because why?
Q:
A:
Because.
A:
They have claws like swords. What is love? Hugging your mom. What’s the best part about being president? Telling people they can’t cross a red light.
Q: A: Q: A:
If you had a million dollars what would you buy?
Why would you break the blender?!
Q:
Why are you afraid of the dark?
It’d be funny!
A:
Because there are vampires in the room.
What’s the hardest part about being a kid?
Q:
Trying not to get put in time out.
A:
What is the best part about being the president? You get to tell people stuff.
Spotlight: Remy
Fuent es/hig
hlight
s
Angela Alfonso
Rachel Ellis/highlights
By Olivia Field UNDERLING
You can hardly avoid seeing one of the 3,500-plus students that attend the school out in public, but it is common to see one of seven students working the burrito assembly line at Chipotle Mexican grill. Located on Coral Way, this restaurant is home to a large group of the school’s upperclassmen that are cranking out burritos and bowls by the hundreds. The school’s lineage all started with senior Joseph Lopez and Tatiana Real, who have been working there since it opened last year in June. For Lopez, working at Chipotle is one thing, and eating there is another. “Maybe I’ve just been there a while and I get tired of the food, but I don’t think it’s a big deal,” said Lopez. The one thing he had to agree with is that going to work is ultimately enjoyable because he and his coworkers are like an extended family. Real, on the other hand, thinks of her managers as close friends rather than bosses. For Real, Chipotle is not just her job anymore, but a second home. The last of the standing Gables students consist of “Alnasim,” which is a mash up of seniors Wasim Kahlid, Albert Ramirez and junior Nadir Perez’s first names.
According to Perez, he and his two peers make up the ultimate starting line for constructing the Mexican dishes. “We have three things that we always carry with ourselves, kind of like the Chipotle code, which is a top performer, being empowered and high standards,” said Perez. The line at Chipotle always seems to be close to bursting out the door, which is partly because it is so popular, but the Gables students behind the counter said this is not the only reason for the delay. Both Perez and Kahlid are efficient workers, but they both end up being stalled by the customers, the majority of whom respond to the question “brown rice or white rice?” with “yeah.” They all said that having to repeat things to clueless customers or walk new -comers through the process is a negative aspect of working at the bustling space. Other than a few pet peeves and awkward customer encounters, the life at Chipotle for Gables students seems to be a happy and enjoyable one. All of the workers created bonds as they spent more time together, even though some consider their favorite food a “simple” guacamole and others create a top secret, jampacked “quesorito.”
TALENTED TEACHER: Virtual school administrator Angela Alfonso plays the accordion between classes at school to practice.
By Rachel Ellis UNDERLING
As you walk down the second floor of the new building, it is not uncommon to hear French or Spanish coming from inside a classroom, but then again it isn’t rare to hear the lovely tunes of the accordion either. Virtual School administrator and former trust counselor Angela Alfonso, commonly referred to as Alfie, is well known for her charismatic attitude and encouraging advice that she has given students at the school for the past 14 years. What many do not know about Alfonso is her passion for music, specifically the accordion. “Music is a part of me and I want to share it with others. It is really is easy to become the music instead of just being the person to play it,” said Alfonso. Her aunt began teaching her to play the accordion 40 years ago, and after deciding she wanted to pursue it further, she began taking lessons at the age of six. “My cousin could care less about the accordion. I thought the whole idea of playing such a powerful instrument from a young age was great,” said Alfonso. Alfonso claims that growing up in an Italian household and listening to the melodious sounds of the accordion on a daily basis encouraged her to pursue it.. She studied music education in college and taught chorus in Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 20 years. Currently, she performs at different events throughout the year, such as birthday parties and Bar Mitzvahs, and you can even find her playing her beloved instrument in a Virtual School classroom.
sports
highlights March 2014
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Should video games be considered a sport? Commentary by Fuhrancis Pérez
Commentary by Cryus Zdonk
DA BES
LA GRAN PAPA
Digital sport
A sport, in my definition, is an activity that requires a competitive nature and physical prowess, and on top of that an objective such as scoring a goal or earning a score from a judge. In the case of video gaming, there is nothing athletic about it. Video games are merely fabricated, computer-generated games that are created to entertain children and young adults. Games such as “Call of Duty” or “Battlefield,” which have multiplayer and “live” options, are nothing more than simulated versions of real life and have no purpose other than beating other players in a computer-generated scenario. “Winning” against someone else in a virtual world conveys nothing about the talent of the people competing. On the other hand, true sports like tennis or basketball demonstrate the talent of the athlete and leaves room for human error, whereas video games display the ability of a person to beat others in a simulated scenario. The human error makes sports appealing and at times heartbreaking, like when a referee makes a bad call or when a player gets injured and it shifts the momentum of the game; it gives the sport life. Though it is true that a video game does require a person to compete against another and involves some form of physical activity (i.e. hand movement on a controller), it is nothing more than a mental competition that requires some sort of skill. For instance, in the game of chess one must move the hands, compete against another, and think about game-winning moves. Remind of you something? If you call video gaming a sport, then, by definition, so is chess (more of a board game than anything else). In terms of the purity of a sport, it all depends on whether an athlete competes against their rival’s attempts to physically stop them. Yes, you could argue that some games (i.e. bowling and golf) are not sports. However, golf and bowling are still sports under my definition because there is some physical skill needed to get the golf balls into a hole in a minimum amount of shots and to knock down pins in a few strokes. Even dancing is more of a sport than video gaming because it involves a lot of physical stretching and has a competitive nature. So bring on the art and beauty that comes from the athleticism of real sports.
Not a sport
Every day, there are committed gamers who help fight the idea that video games are not a sport. The definition of a sport is an activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. An amateur who plays video games will not have the amount of skill or practice that a professional would have, which covers the “requiring skill” part of the definition. And let’s not even argue about the fact that video gaming is nothing but competitive. While many may think that video gaming is not a sport because of its “simplicity,” it should be considered one since anyone can pick up a controller and play, just like anyone can pick up a basketball and shoot; however, both require practice and skill to be able to excel. The physical aspect of this sport comes into play when the athlete uses his skill to be able to make swift moves on the various keys and buttons involved in video gaming. Not everyone has the quick physical reaction needed to be able to successfully perform different actions on a video game. Precision, experience, and even luck also play significant roles. In a game of volleyball, it’s up to the player to decide whether to spike the ball or bump it over the net, like in a video game, it’s up to the player to decide which move to use or what key to hit. Also, similar to other sports, no game is alike. Different competitors go against each other in sponsored tournaments throughout the year to see who comes out on top. For instance, all around the world there are professional players constantly practicing their game of choice, leaving only small windows for things like chores, eating, and taking care of commitments. These athletes, just like in any other sport, have coaches, teammates, and contracts allowing them to make thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to Business Insider, Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, an American professional gamer, participated in 35 tournaments and Lee “Flash” Young Ho, a Korean professional gamer participated in 40 tournaments; they each won about $450,000. Danylo “Dendi” Ishutin, a Ukrainian professional gamer, won about $280,000.00 from participating in 23 tournaments. Although video gaming isn’t as prominent as all the other sports, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered one. It’s working its way up and adding more and more athletes and fans every year.
Fu hr anc
is Pérez/highlights
TWO VIEWS
Graduating Cavs sign with collegiate football By Rachel Ellis UNDERLING Fuhrancis Pérez/highlights Fuhrancis Pérez/highlights
Fuhrancis Pérez/highlights MOVING ON UP: (Top) Daniel Hernandez, Gregory Howell, and Antiwone Johnson stand with coach Roger Pollard to announce their college commitment. (Bottom left) Howell finalizes his papers with FAU and (bottom right) Johnson is interviewed after signing.
On Feb. 5, National Signing Day, three of the school’s varsity football players committed to their prospective colleges on full athletic scholarships. First team All-Dade wide receiver Antiwone Johnson and kicker Daniel Hernandez will be attending Glenville State in Glenville, West Virginia and First team All-Dade running back Gregory “Buddy” Howell will be attending Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida. Each player signed a binding National Letter of Intent for a college football team under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Although all NCAA sports have their own national signing day, college football’s version is by far the most widely followed by fans and sports media. The signing players were accompanied by their families on this ceremonious day. “It’s really an incredible accomplishment for these players. These boys have demonstrated excellence on and off the field, and are now ready for the next chapter in their lives,” said Varsity Football Coach Roger Pollard. The three seniors that have been recruited to play football at the college level have had immaculate seasons throughout their time at the school and have caught the attention of popular football institutions across the nation. This year specifically, Johnson was a special team standout who returned five kicks for touchdowns and accumulated 1,500 total yards by the end of the season. Howell led the team in rushing with 1,567 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season, and Hernandez made the 48-yard field goal at the second round of the Columbus game scoring a win and a spot in Cavalier football history. “Glenville State called and told me that I’m a good player and that I had to study hard and get the test scores that I needed early. It’s been very stressful keeping my grades up and playing football, but you just have to deal with it,” said Johnson. Each player was presented to the NCAA by Pollard, and each player signed an agreement that officially declared their acceptances to their schools. “If you work hard on the field and don’t ever stop, no one can turn you down. It’s that simple,” said Howell. The players will begin practice with their new team during the fall semester.
Dabby serves up a table tennis team CONGRATS By Jordan Payne UNDERLING
Taria Dabby/contributor
Junior Nicolas Dabby has been planning to start a table tennis team with his friends since the beginning of the school year, and it looks as if his plan is coming together. He is the captain of a team composed of his friends, and anybody with adequate table tennis skills that wants to try out. As of now, the team will meet every third Saturday at Dabby’s house, practicing and playing with each other and being ranked off of those scores. For two Saturdays they will practice and on the third they will have matches. Table tennis is not a very popular high school sport and Dabby’s team is not officially affiliated with the school. However, if other schools or teams are interested in competing, Dabby is open to organizing tournaments. Dabby, who has himself been playing for four years, decided to start a table tennis team to share his love of the underappreciated sport and because he noticed the lack of table tennis awareness at the school, despite the fact that it’s an Olympic sport. “I have a pretty good group of kids lined up for the team. I’m hoping that we’ll all get along and be able to enjoy practicing and playing each other,” said Dabby.
PADDLE IN HAND: Nicolas Dabby practices his table tennis skills at his home every third Saturday with his friends.
Chemistry teacher and Track and Field Assistant Coach David Lawrence was awarded the first ever Wink Barnette Award for being a longstanding member and contributor to the Florida Athletics Coaches Association. Gablettes JV Jazz and Kick both placed first place at the National Dance Alliance. Varsity Jazz and Kick placed sixth and second respectively.
sports
highlights March 2014
14
Baseball begins season with a winning streak By Angelika Menendez UNDERLING
STAT BOX
Co-ed Badminton FEB 27
Southwest
vs 8-2 L
Cavaliers
Cavaliers
vs 9-1 W
Reagan
Cavaliers
vs 7-3 W
Central
@ CGHS
MAR 4
@ Ronald Regan
MAR 11
@ Central
Boys’ Baseball MAR 1
Port St. Lucie @ CGHS
Cavaliers
MAR 5
@Southwest
MAR 11
Cavaliers
vs 8-1 L
vs Southwest 12-10 W
Cavaliers
@Columbus
vs 0-2 L
Columbus
Girls’ Softball FEB 21 FEB 27 MAR 4
South Ridge
vs 11-4 L
Cavaliers
Coral Park
vs 0-15 W
Cavaliers
Braddock
vs 7-13 w
Cavaliers
@ CGHS @ CGHS @ CGHS
March
HEY BATTER BATTER: (Top) Junior outfielder and pitcher Ryan Maya prepares for an at-bat. (Bottom) Junior catcher Elih Marrero keeps base runners honest.
Do the thing, win the points By Laura Acosta SUPREME BAGEL
I’d like to start by saying the following– I don’t understand sports, and I usually don’t attempt to. So here’s me trying to follow a sport I don’t really get: softball. From what I understand, softball is like baseball, but not baseball. According to some quick research, the ball isn’t even soft; it just seems to be yellow and bigger. Apparently one of the differences is an underhand pitch, but I have absolutely no idea what that means. I know what a pitch is, but in regular baseball I don’t really see how any of the pitches are different. It just looks like throwing. Oh, hold on, I just found out what an underhand pitch is, and it is definitely much cooler than the baseball pitch; it’s almost like a windmill. That probably causes some major joint damage.
The other difference is the number of innings– a softball game has seven, and a baseball game has nine, presumably because the softball players know when to move on with their lives. Also, is there a general term for baseball and softball? Because I feel like that could be very useful, seeing as they can be grouped together very easily. Apart from the whole ball-bat-run thing, baseball and softball both do what I like to call “I’m bored of standing here, I’m choosing to walk to the next base.” I honestly only know about it because of Wii Sports. Another weird softball/baseball thing: fly balls. I’m sorry but whoever was batting was probably really proud of themselves, so please don’t catch the ball in midair. It’s just rude. Basically, sports make no sense to me. I think I’ll stick to eating food and complaining about how I’ll never be fit.
Baseball loses Diamond Girls By Maria Ovalle UNDERLING
This year, the Diamond Girls, a club dedicated to supporting community events and school sports, is only supporting the softball team and not the baseball team. Although all the Diamond Girls individually support the baseball team, Head Baseball Coach Phillip Wisser decided to end the club’s affiliation with the team. The idea of the club is to provide moral support, push the softball players to do their best, and promote athleticism. At the beginning of the school year, they participate in community service events such as the Breast Cancer Walk, Kidney Walk, and the Alumni Game to develop the club for the spring softball season. During the softball season, the club does not physically aid the team but they plan activities such as distributing treats to the players on game to show their support. Five years ago, Wisser asked DePaola to be the advisor for a club to support the baseball team and she agreed to do it. However, right before this year’s baseball season, Wisser made
MARK THE DATE Girls’ & Boys’ Varsity
Angelika Menendez/highlights
CAVALIER
Angelika Menendez/highlights
The future looks bright for the Cavalier baseball team after starting the new season strongly with a record of seven wins, two losses, and a tie. The season began with a win over the Immaculata-La Salle Royals 1-0, launching a fourgame winning streak, with their biggest win coming against the Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks at the Marlins Stadium. “We’ve started off pretty strong and we’re definitely on the right track, but there’s still room for improvement,” said head baseball coach Phillip Wisser. After playing the Columbus Explorers for the first time this year and tying 6-6 the team went on to lose to the Port St. Lucie Jaguars 8-1. This was their first loss in the season and the team realized they needed to practice more and work harder. “We practice like the best so we can be the best,” said senior outfielder German Reyes. Before the season began every member of the Varsity team got a blonde mohawk. The team said it was so they could bond and become closer. Ever since the change of hairstyle the team has improved. Juniors Carlos Perez and Coco Montes came up with the idea, and once the team began to dye their hair, everyone realized that it was serious. “At first everyone said no but as the day came and everybody started doing it people saw this wasn’t a joke and ended up doing it,” said junior first baseman Antonio Eusebio. The record last season was 14-12, the team is on track to finish this season with a much stronger record. In addition to the improved record however, they said they have also become more united. “We got closer as a family and started playing better together,” said junior pitcher Jose Padron. The team won their game against the Southwest Eagles with a score of 1210, won against the Coral Park Rams with a score of 3-0, and lost second game against the Columbus Explorers with a score of 2-0. The season comes to a close April 11 when the Cavaliers play against the Hialeah High School Thoroughbreds.
the decision to end association with the club. DePaola said that she respects Wisser’s opinions and the reasons for his decision. “[The club] wasn’t doing all the things of its original establishment,” said Wisser. DePaola gave the Diamond Girls a choice to leave the club since its original purpose was to support the baseball team, but most of them decided to stay for the love of the game and to share their passion with others. She emphasizes the club’s female focussed support now that the club is only associated with softball. “It’s women supporting women. Girls supporting girls. Females supporting females,” said DePaola. Senior Diamond Girl Gema Baltodano said that it feels strange to give the softball players their treat and not the baseball players while Anthony Valdes, a junior on the varsity baseball team, said that the team misses the treats the club used to provide every morning. “Nonetheless we will always support the baseball team because they are a part of the school,” said senior Diamond Girl Jazmine Roman.
to support our athletic teams and cheer them on!
Girls’ & Boys’ Varsity
Boys’ Varsity
Girls’ Varsity
18 18 20 20
Badminton
vs. Krop and Goleman
Tues. at 3:00 p.m. at Dr. Michael M. Krop High
Tennis
Baseball
Softball
Wed. at 2:00 p.m. at The Biltmore Hotel
Thurs. at 3:30 p.m. at Coral Gables Senior High
Thurs. at 3:30 p.m. at Coral Gables Senior High
vs. Varela
vs. Ferguson
vs. Southwest
the scene By Araceli Sanchez UNDERLING
March 2014
MIAMI SPICE: Flourescent fuschia photographs line the pink and orange walls of Latin Burger and Taco, inviting customers in for an enticing eating experience on the mile.
By Bianca Mangravite
Bianca Mangravite/highlights
UNDERLING
CLOTHES GALORE: The endless racks at Red White and Blue Thrift contain hordes of unclaimed treasures available for purchase at low prices, perfect for the avid thrifter.
15
Araceli Sanchez/highlights
Upon entering Latin Burger and Taco, the bright pink décor and photos of wellknown burger-eating celebrities hanging on the walls immediately capture customers’ attention. Classic rock and a slight breeze drifts through the building, which has an open, airy access to Miracle Mile. This new restaurant has a very modern ambiance, and offers unique food choices not found anywhere else in Miami. Since November of 2009, Latin Burger and Taco has existed as a series of food trucks around Miami, but in January they opened their first store front restaurant on Miracle Mile. The restaurant serves burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, as well as tacos
and burritos. They have also added to their menu quesadillas, milkshakes, and some sandwiches that are not available on their food trucks. The menu is written in chalk above the order counter, and includes dishes like the Latin Macho Burger and the Macho Taco. One of their unique specialty sandwiches is called the Burger Beast, which features a beef patty and pulled pork, topped with caramelized onions, cheese, pimiento mayo and served on a toasted bun. The restaurant also offers vegetarian and pescatarian options like the portobello mushroom sandwich (served with caramelized onions and cheese) and fish tacos with shredded cabbage and avocado. Latin Burger and Taco is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is located at 232 Miracle Mile.
highlights
Dior clutches, bagpipes, wedding dresses, and Swarovski lamps have one thing in common: they can be found at the Red White and Blue Thrift Store. On 901 E. 10th Ave. sitting beside three other thrift shops in the same strip mall, the Red White and Blue Thrift is home to vintage, designer, new, nearly new, antique and collectible goods. Once inside, you are immediately sucked into a shopping vortex, filled with housewives, hipsters and Hialeah abuelitas. Though the chaos, the merchandise is highly organized, marked by large signs hanging from the ceiling. Row after row of colorassembled clothing fill the warehouse.
Just about any kind of fashion from any time period is buried in the racks, from flannels to leather skirts. The best aspect for thrifters is the array of incredible high-end brands embedded between goods from Sears and JCPenny. A Giorgio Armani clutch for $4.95 sat nestled alongside a plastic Hello Kitty handbag for $6. Walkers, leather suitcases, couches, mirrors, movies and centerpieces lay scattered along the back wall. If you are looking for a cheap elopement, you can buy wedding dresses for $14.95. Floor-length black mourning dresses are conveniently hung adjacent to the wedding dresses with a full body coal mining protection suit close by. Whatever your odd, sartorial needs are, the Red White and Blue Thrift Store will not disappoint: it is a thrifter’s paradise.
YEARBOOKS ON SALE $80.00 Room 9222/F239
the scene
highlights March 2014
16
Miami museums on a budget By Camila Lupi
the first Tuesday of every month. Guests are able to participate in free gallery tours and observe art from Miami’s museums are often overlooked when it around the world. comes to entertaining and inexpensive ways to spend Frost Museum of Science an afternoon. Many of them offer free museum days on “Fabulous First Fridays” at the Patricia and which guests are able to explore diverse exhibitions Phillip Frost Museum of Science, known for and enjoy displays of historical and modern art without its huge dome-shaped planetarium, allows spending a penny. guests to experience a free planetarium show Bass Museum of Art on the 65-foot diameter projection screen Located on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, every month. The show immerses guests the Bass Museum of Art fuses the gap between in space, surrounded by the projected contemporary art and historical pieces. The museum stars and planets. Following the star houses the only mummy in Miami and paintings from show, visitors may attend a free telescopic the 14th and 15th centuries alongside more modern observing in the museum’s Observatory works. Free entrance is offered to children and adults from 8-10 p.m. on the last Sunday of every month from 2-4 p.m, when Pérez Art Museum Miami guests have the opportunity to see the art of various Formerly known as the Miami Art contemporary artists as well as to walk through the Museum, the Pérez Art Museum offers free permanent exhibitions. entrance on the second Saturday of every Lowe Art Museum month from 1-4 p.m. and on the first Thursday Renowned mostly for its Contemporary Glass of every month. Museum guests can participate in Gallery, the Lowe Art Museum, operated by the family-friendly tours of the modern art and gallery University of Miami, houses nine galleries with some of exhibitions. On Thursday nights, when the museum the most marvelous pieces of art in Miami. The museum stays open until 9 p.m., guests can attend talks, welcomes guests free of charge on “Donation Day,” performances, and movie screenings.
Laura Acosta/highlights
UNDERLING
ART AT ITS FINEST: At the Perez Art Museum Miami, guests can enjoy a free visit on the first Thursday of every month.
now showing:
Foreign and independent films hit miami theaters
By Sydney Scanlon
Gigolo”, an outrageous comedy with an almost unbelievable plot that recieved rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival. John Turturro, Heading into its fourth decade, the Miami director and lead actor, becomes a gigolo and Woody International Film Festival (MIFF) marks its Allen plays his pimp, playing at Regal South Beach 31st anniversary, showcasing the best films Cinema. of the year, with around 70,000 people The festival hosts an abundance of hands-on attending. MIFF 2014 features 92 films master classes, discussion panels and industry and 28 short films from 38 countries. programs with professionals, where anyone can go, Spanning from March 7-16, there is learn and interact with actors and directors. There an abundance of venues and even is also a mini-library built on the second floor of more movies to choose from. The Standard Spa, a hip Miami Beach hotel, where Films are being showcased at movie-goers can watch a variety of MIFF films from nine theaters. Most locations are on 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on the computers provided. Miami Beach, but movies will also be Over 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and shown at the Coral Gables Art Cinema industry professionals attend MIFF each year. and Paragon Grove. Distributors like HBO, Miramax and FOX Searchlight “To Kill a Man”, an intense thriller, feature films. But with its expansion it has not lost was a Sundance Film Festival selection and touch with its roots, in fact, it has been presenting will be playing at Paragon Grove. It follows much more local talent with an increased number of a man as he goes to murderous extremes to Miami filmmakers. protect his pride and honor. “Dom Hemingway” If you find yourself with a hankering to watch a is an English film starring Jude Law playing a movie, skip the cookie-cutter chick-flick and watch character that is recently out of prison and wants to some of the most artistic and awarded films in the receive some much needed cash from his ex-boss; it world. Movies come in a wide variety of languages, will be shown at the Coral Gables Art Cinema. genres and settings so you will definitely find a film Woody Allen and Sofia Vergara star in “Fading that is just right. UNDERLING
SYdney Scanlon/highlights IN THEATRES NEAR YOU: The Coral Gables Art Cinema, only a trolley ride away from school, is one of many film festival venues showing independent and foreign films around Miami.
Strutting into fashion week By Olivia Field
Another noteworthy element of the show is the annual competition for students enrolled in fashion programs, where future Miami Fashion Week (MFW) is known for its designers battle it out for scholarships and big entrance, and this year’s 16th annual event is the title International Student Designer of bringing a whole new fashion experience to the the Year. streets of Miami Beach. Since Miami is often “With Miami Fashion Week, you called the cruise capital of the world, the show’s are allowing students from Miami to first “Resort Collection” is planned for the be represented instead of just New runways on the week of May 15-18. York, or even California designers,” said “I am in a fashion class,” said freshman Design Education and Hospitality leader Jocelin Mora, “so I think it is awesome that I can Ayleen Monzon. experience high fashion close to my house.” The artists are not the only attraction Top designers showcasing their work will of MFW; events bring the atmosphere include Moschino, Vivienne Westwood, Stella beyond the runway. The pop-up boutique McCartney and Roberto Cavalli. In conjunction displays clothing and art work created by the with the show, designer superstar Diane Von fashion show participants and attract hundreds of Furstenberg is opening a shop in Coral Gables. celebrities and fashion-frenzied individuals from Taking a turn from past fashion shows, like around the world. 2012’s “Fashion City,” this year’s runways will be MFW tickets go on sale this month and the jam-packed with seasonal outfits. The MFW CEO prices start at 20 dollars for general admission, Beth Sobol proudly announced that 22 countries according to last year’s ticket lineup. With the low were involved in this fashion event in 2010. This prices, the events are worth the money, and will please year, the board is aiming to make it an even more fashion worshippers seeking the latest in haute couture. internationally recognized event.
Laura Acosta/highlights
UNDERLING
HOSTING IT ALL: The Miami Beach convention center, where Miami Fashion Week is held, hosts a wide variety of events, such as the Arte Americas art fair pictured above.