Issue 1, Vol. 61

highlights August 2020

IN THIS ISSUE THE PROBLEM WITH PRETTY PRIVILEGE Page 17

SPORTS RECRUITMENT DURING COVID-19 Page 20

THE COVID-19 CURVEBALL Issue 1, Volume 61 | Coral Gables SHS | 450 Bird Road, Coral Gables, FL 33146

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highlights editorial board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Adviser Business Manager Social Media Manager Content Editor Features News Opinion Sports The Scene Insight Online

Alexandra Torres Hanna Ebrahimi Aya Hamza Melissa Gonzalez Natalia Pallas Grace Rodriguez Marta Rodriguez Nataly Rabelo Alma Martinez Sharon Florez Sara Ebrahimi Arianna Peña Isabella Villarroel Isabella Morales & Gregoire Winston

staff writers Penelope Acevedo Camila Aitken Barbara Borja Alexander Brazda Daniela Calderon Cristel Cantarero María José Cestero Natalie Falls Alia Gamez Emilys Gil

Fernando Largaespada DeeAnne Montero Alexa Orozco Daniela Parra del Riego Addys Plata Olivia Rebull Alexandra Roa Marcela Rondon Rafael Sans Maya Shah Austin Yagoda

contributors

pg.24

Alexandra Roa / highlights

features 4 6

Meet the highlights Editorial Board

highlights is the official student-produced news magazine 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 on 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 by 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 the student staff members only. highlights welcomes reader feedback. All letters should be addressed to highlightscghs@gmail.com with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.” highlights reserves the right to publish any letter sent.

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Students impacted by the BLM movement

news 9 Coral Gables expands trolley system 11 Updates on the COVID-19 vaccine

opinion 12 14

Scan to see all of Issue 1’s contributors!

publication policy

In this issue

Colleges should lower tuition during COVID-19 Should Cancel Culture be cancelled?

sports 19 22

NBA donates millions to Black Lives Matter Mena Williams’ journey as a tap dancer

the scene 24 26

Aguacate Sanctuary: a haven for vegans Black-owned businesses in Miami

insight 28

School in the age of COVID-19

summer recap

Courtesy of Estelle Erwich

CAUSING CHANGE: Protesters fill the streets of Miami calling for change after the death of George Floyd.

Courtesy of Catherine Pasternac

SAFE CELEBRATIONS: Senior Catherine Pasternac waves at passing cars on her birthday drive-by celebration.

Courtesy of Sara Rabell

MASKED TRAVELS: Senior Sara Rabell and her family travel to North Carolina in the midst of the Coronavirus.

Alexandra Torres / highlights

SCHOOL SALES: The PTSA distributed and sold uniforms from Aug. 25 to 27 in front of the Le Jeune parking lot.

from the editors S

TUDENTS FRAMED IN LITTLE boxes stare out at the glow of the computer screen. It’s quiet — microphones are off and faces hold empty expressions as the mundane nature of our daily routines grows increasingly tiresome.

This new classroom environment seems to be a stark contrast of the packed hallways, constant mindless chatter and bright smiles, no matter how little sleep we got the night before.

Two years ago as I began my sophomore year of high school, I excitedly watched as my older sister embarked on all the adventures that senior year held. I patiently waited, managing to push through the intense workload that junior year brought, hoping that soon it would be me donning my senior crown on the first day of school and me publishing my final issues of highlights.

The time has come, however, and the hope and excitement that once filled me, motivating me to continue working, has quickly dissipated. A senior year filled with pep rallies, treat days and countless other activities that I jealously watched my sister participate in now seems nearly impossible. As I expressed these sentiments to my friends, I was told to not have such a pessimistic outlook on life and have a little hope. Although I view myself as more of a realist than a pessimist, I begrudgingly took their advice and attempted to not look so far ahead in the future. Despite the chances of a “normal” senior year being slim, the reality is that just as quickly as our lives changed for the worse, they can also change for the better.

As much as my perfectionism and disdain for change make me want to know the outcome of everything before it occurs, I

think I, like a lot of us, need to learn that no amount of meticulous planning can account for the unexpected changes that life brings.

Although I can’t sit here and pretend that the past few months have not been physically and mentally challenging and that I am not upset over having to start off my senior year at my cluttered desk with my microphone off, I can change the way I look at the next few months, no matter how different it may be. 2020 may have started off on the wrong foot, but for now, all I can do is put on a smile and hope that soon, I’ll be walking across a stage in my cap and gown.

Sincerely, Alexandra Torres, Editor-in-Chief pictures 3

MEET THE

BOARD

highlights introduces the 14 students that serve on the 2020-2021 editorial board, along with our adviser

Alexandra Torres Editor-in-Chief “Do you want to see a picture of my cat?”

Hanna Ebrahimi Managing Editor “Every Hanna begins with h.”

Melissa Gonzalez Adviser “Don’t drag your virtual desks either.”

Aya Hamza Copy Editor “I do it AP style.”

Isabella Villarroel Insight Editor “Sugar, spice and everything nice.”

Nataly Rabelo Features Editor “I guess this is my turn to be featured.”

Alma Martinez News Editor “A$AP like Rocky.”

Sharon Florez Opinion Editor “The only exvampire, birdcatching cat lover.”

Sara Ebrahimi Sports Editor “Future Miami Heat benchwarmer.”

Arianna Peña The Scene Editor “Bet you didn’t know I LOVE the 80s.”

Marta Rodriguez Content Editor “Sara, we have a problem.”

Isabella Morales Co-Online Editor “I’m just trying not to overthink this quote.”

Gregoire Winston Co-Online Editor “Greg, we have a checkpoint today!”

Natalia Pallas Business Manager “Makin’ money moves.”

Grace Rodriguez Social Media Manager “Stan LOONA and stream Feel Special.”

4 features

Painting with a purpose

Maria Sada’s passion for art gives her a creative outlet to express worldly issues and tell her own story

Scan below to see more of Maria Sada’s work

BY MAYA SHAH, STAFF WRITER

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ENIOR MARIA SADA USES HER emotions to fuel her artistic abilities to create compelling artwork with deeper meanings. As an artist using numerous mediums, Sada’s art ranges from charcoal to digital illustrations as she depicts glimpses of her reality.

Although the subject matter differs from piece to piece, Sada likes to create images that resonate with her experiences and current emotional state. She feels that this process is a therapeutic way to express personal feelings and perspectives. Art offers an outlet with total autonomy which is one reason she is so drawn to it.

“Many people only view art successfully when it is for marketing and not so much when someone is an independent artist,” Sada said. “But, you are Sada ia able to ar

express yourself in ways that are so personal and make connections that others may have also experienced.”

Sada’s influences stem from international cultures and social issues as well. When she was younger, she lived in Shanghai and Hong Kong which allowed her to be immersed in a lifestyle different from the one she leads in the US. Acknowledging that many philosophies and religious elements are often unaccredited in Western film, Sada highlights the hidden beauty of East Asian cultures for everyone to see. She draws her inspiration from the resonance of tradition in East Asian culture.

Many of her subjects are seen wearing traditional outfits like deels with delicate embroideries that accent the influence of tradition despite modern touches.

Social standards and injustices also heavily influence her work as uses her art to address such issues and spark a positive change. For Sada, it’s important that her art allows others who go through similar obstacles to feel some solace in their everyday toils and see their situations in a better light.

In her piece titled “An Apple,” she drew a colorful scene of a same-sex couple kissing with a snake around them to represent self conflicts between religious beliefs and sexual orientation.

“I think it’s important to include your daily realities in your artistic expressions,” Sada said.

Sada often uses struggles of femininity throughout history to inspire her art. Her AP Art portfolio reflects how only being viewed as a vessel for bearing

children can impact a woman’s demeanor.

One piece called “Dried Milk” portrays women as cattle to allude to the fact that often women feel like their bodies are not their own. “[“Dried Milk”] [is about] when the woman gives so much of her body and self that she shrivels from constantly being degraded of true worth,” Sada said.

Sada feels her bond with students at the school have made her more comfortable with herself and her expressions through art.

“Many times [Sada’s artwork] brings light to uncomfortable topics [...] they stir many emotions from pride to pity to disdain,” senior Carla Aragon said.

Aragon has noticed the correlation between Sada’s personal development and her progress in her art. When they first met, Aragon recalls usually only seeing her art in the form of sketches and is now proud of her friend’s finished pieces that speak volumes with both their depth and color schemes.

In hopes of truly pursuing her passion, Sada aspires to begin creating graphics and storylines for horror video games. As a video game creator, she would not have a creative limit and would be able to simulate environments where her art comes to life.

The idea of taking innocent things like dreams and then broadening them to a more sinister plotline is one theme she would like to explore in her games. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Witcher and Little Nightmares are some of the games that have helped inspire her art.

While Sada acknowledges that there are many pressures to designing art that will gain more attention, she hopes her personal growth will align with her artistic development as she enters adulthood. h

PERSONAL PORTRAITS: Maria Sada adds her own flair using grotesque features in her self portrait.

HOME TALK

The highlights staff records what students are talking about during virtual summer activities.

“They say senior year goes by fast, I didn’t think it would Zoom.”

“Shakespeare is like a British novela.”

“I can finally go to school without wearing pants and not get in trouble.”

“Pigeons are just small street chickens.”

“I’m so over this, I’m too cute to be wearing a mask.”

“Polygamy: the new normal.”

features 5

more tha an A COLOR Students of color open up about their experiences with racial discrimination and the Black Lives Matter movement

BY EMILYS GIL AND ADDYS PLATA, STAFF WRITERS

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ESPITE THE NATION’S foundational ideals of equality for all, the discriminatory treatment of Black people remains a persistent problem in society today.

Black people still face high accounts of racism as demonstrated by a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, in which 84% of Black Americans said racial discrimination is a major reason why they have a harder time getting ahead than White people. There continues to be different treatment between races that manifest themselves in just about every aspect of one’s daily life.

After Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman — a White in charge of neighborhood watch — in February 2012, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement flourished with the use of the hashtag on social media. Martin’s death was significant in showing the dangers of racial profiling.

In May 2020, a video filming George Floyd’s death while under restraint of White police officer, Derek Chauvin, went viral on various social media platforms. The video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for almost eight minutes while Floyd repeats the phrase “I can’t breathe.” This was only

the beginning in what would soon become a nation-wide roar for change. National protests met with police violence only escalated the issue, leading to international support and protests against the mistreatment of Black people and police brutality.

This large-scale issue has made its way into our communities, affecting our own students.

Seniors Christopher Valdes, Nathaly Feliz and Imgard Bonheaur share their personal experiences with racial discrimination, as well as how the BLM movement has empowered them to be agents of change for themselves and future generations.

Christopher Valdes For years, senior Christopher Valdes had seen the world through the eyes of a child, shielded from the reality that is racial discrimination. He had always felt that being Afro-Latino, instead of African American had kept him from experiencing harsh racism.

That is, until he got a job that exposed him to the front lines of the real world, where no one knew his story and all they saw was the color of his skin. From being called offensive slurs to being racially gaslighted — a term used when a victim is led to question their own sense of reality with regard to racism — Valdes has had a handful of incidents in which the people

Alexandra Torres/ highlights

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around him have made him feel humiliated and belittled in front of others solely based on the color of his skin.

Working as a Publix employee for over three years, Valdes has had to deal with being called derogatory terms by customers. The most recent incident was a few months ago while he was bagging a woman’s groceries during the end of his night shift. After placing her items back into the cart, Valdes made sure to tell her to “have a nice day” before walking away to punch out. The woman then proceeded to complain about Valdes’ service and racially targeted him in front of his manager, coworkers and other customers. “[The customer] probably didn’t even think it was a racist remark, [they] probably think it’s a normal thing to say,” Valdes said.

He was taken aback by how confidently the woman had insulted him, but knew it was best to not react because it could affect his employment status. When reflecting on the incident, he always tried not to let it get to him, but is often unsuccessful.

“As a Black person, you think you’ve braced yourself for every possible racist comment, but you haven’t. Every time you get insulted or called a slur, it just knocks you down all over again,” Valdes said.

Strangers are not

the only ones who have been blatantly racist towards him. Valdes recounts the numerous times when acquaintances have tried to dissipate the intensity and reality of discrimination issues or the times when peers have stereotyped him due to his race.

“I’ve had [friends] tell me that I don’t act Black,” Valdes said.

This was when he realized that even those who were aware of his ethnicity as an AfroLatino, only saw him for his race and the stereotype behind it. “[It] doesn’t matter if you are AfricanAmerican or a Black Latino, people will always find a way to stereotype you because of your skin color. It’s like my story, who I am, [it] doesn’t even matter when all people see is my color,” Valdes said.

Valdes fully supports BLM and is proud to be living through an important time for reform. He hopes that as the movement progressively grows, people will unite in granting equal rights and opportunities to everyone regardless of race.

“I believe that it’s a very relevant issue in today’s society. Recently, we have caused change, but there is still so much more that can be done. It seems like people treated [BLM] as a trend. This is an ongoing problem that we’ve had to deal with for years and we can’t stop now,” Valdes said.“It’s a reminder that people seem to overlook the injustices happening in the United States.”

Imgard Bonheur As one of the few Black students in the school’s International Baccalaureate program, Haitian and Puerto Rican senior Imgard Bonheur is often treated as a representative of the entire Black community as her classmates refer to her when they have any questions about the race.

Since she first entered public school, Bonheur has been held accountable to AfricanAmerican stereotypes. In kindergarten, a student mimicked her Spanish and claimed that, because she was Black, she should not be familiar with the language. In other instances, people have assumed that she enjoys certain foods and listens to certain music.

“I definitely do think Black children are seen differently. They’re seen as misfits, thugs and trouble makers from the get-go.

They are seen as less than children, [instead] individuals destined for incarceration and it is definitely a sad reality,” Bonheur said. “Unless you prove otherwise by being a success story or working hard towards being better than living in the hood or living on welfare, that’s the only thing people will see you as.”

Now entering her senior year at the school, Bonheur says the environment is inclusive although she has gotten comments that have made her uncomfortable in the

past. Nonetheless, Bonheur has felt pressure to dress a certain way and act a certain way to avoid being perceived as less than.

People often praise her for her high-standing academics and claim she is “white-washed” which she feels undermines the beauty of her race and challenges the confidence Black people have in themselves as they work towards attaining success.

“Growing up my mom never explicitly gave me the race conversation, but the lessons she would teach me were that I should never let anyone degrade me in any way or make my worth seem less than it is and to stand up for myself and [my values],” Bonheur said. “I do not think my mom ever brought up color and for that, I thank her, because I grew up with the notion that color is strictly just color, it has nothing to do with who you are as a person.”

For Bonheur, the BLM movement reinstates the urgency of the country’s need for reform. She hopes that people, regardless of race, will be more cognizant of their tendencies or words that may offend those that do

not look like them so that future generations do not have to be taught how to deal with racism.

“When I hear BLM I think wow, over 400 years and we are still back at square one.

The lack of progress with Black lives in my opinion is just ridiculous, but then I realize t h a t not everyone understands the movement, not everyone is openminded or willing to understand,” Bonheur said. “It is a matter of human rights, not a political game.”

NAthaly Feliz Growing up as an Afro-Latina, senior Nathaly Feliz has struggled to be accepted by both the Hispanic and Black communities. As she gets older, she is beginning to understand the role her skin color has on how others treat her.

When Feliz was eight years old, she fell victim to racial discrimination for the first time while with her stepfather. They were at a car dealership when they were told to wait for an associate of their “kind.” Before this incident, she had never been warned about racism. Instead, her parents taught her to be respectful of others and informed her that sometimes t h e re w e re g o in g to b e peo p l e wh o d i d n o t like her by their own prejudices.

“My mom is from the coast of Nicaragua where, for the most part, everyone has darker skin and speaks broken English. Growing up, that’s the way we’d speak in my household,” Feliz said. “It was only when I began attending school that I began to feel the adversity set against me by my own teachers as they would mimic the way I spoke and call it trash talk.”

Although Feliz has been treated

respectfully by all the teachers and staff at the school, she nonetheless feels pressured to present herself differently in order to be granted the respect she knows she deserves.

“I [feel like I] have to act or speak in a certain way depending on where I am in order to portray myself as more professional,” Feliz said. “It is sad that I feel like that sometimes, because the truth of the matter is that the person I am behind the act is way more interesting and unique... it should not be like this, I am different. I am an Afro-Latina.”

To Feliz, the BLM movement has created change but not drastically enough.

She believes that in order to induce real change, the police should be trained better and background checks should be run before

purchasing a gun. In the past she has been told she is “doing too much” by posting about the movement but to her, there’s not enough being done.

“BLM is not just a phrase, it is a movement. Hearing it feels so powerful. It is a whole community standing up for what is right,” Feliz said. “There is this misconception of people believing that the movement is to make one race more superior but it is not.

The point is to raise awareness to the Black community b e i n g treated as t h o u g h they are l e s s e r than.” h

features 7

highlights

NEWS

BRIEFS

BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER PTSA SELLS UNIFORM FOR ONLINE LEARNING

MIAMI PORT LOSES 30 MILLION

IMMIGRATION FEES INCREASE

BETWEEN JULY 31 AND AUG. 27 the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will be selling school polos and spirit shirts on their website. Despite the school year resuming virtually, students are encouraged to attend online classes in school uniform. Uniforms are available for pickup between Aug. 24-27 where PTSA members will issue the uniforms in a contactless delivery. “We have had almost 100 orders placed so far,” PTSA President Kristina Jackson said. “Uniform sales really do support the school, because we raise money to put up programs that are really being supported by outside funding.” h

THIS PAST YEAR, PORTMIAMI has lost $30 million in revenue sales and investments. Shortly after the city of Miami invested $700 million into a project that included five new cruise terminals and two new headquarters for cruise ship companies, construction had to stop due to COVID-19 Additionally, ships are also no longer able to dock and sail from Miami ports. Companies such as Carnival Corporation, Mediterranean Shipping Company Cruise, Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to repay Miami-Dade County $5.8 billion over the upcoming 20 to 62 years. h

FOLLOWING A RECENT reassessment, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services increased immigration fees. The 20% increase in additional fees now covers immigration benefit requests and limiting the amount of beneficiaries for certain forms. The reassessment also removes select fee exemptions, changes requirements for fee waivers, adds a $50 fee for each asylum application and removes the proposal to transfer money from ICE. “A lot of people already have a hard time with the current system and the fees will just make it harder,” junior Victoria Benedetti said. h

FOLLOW US ONLINE MY EXPERIENCE WITH COVID Alexandra Torres shares her story and advice for how to approach the pandemic’s side effects

UPCOMING DATES

31 7 30

AUGUST, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER, SENIOR CROWN CONTEST VOTING

Instagram: @highlightscghs Twitter: @highlightscghs Facebook: highlights cghs

Scan to visit our online content!

FLORIDA PRIMARIES GUIDE A guide on each of Miami-Dade’s congressional district candidates

MAKING MASKS Alumnus Karelia opens beaded mask

BEADS Arauz business

ARTISTIC WORLD OF MARIA SADA A gallery of Sada’s conscious art and the meaning and inspirations behind them

8 news

SEPTEMBER, REASSESSMENT OF LOCAL COVID-19 CONDITIONS

CONGRATS For the third year in a row, the Miami-Dade County Public School District is A-rated.

The Coral Gables Senior High PTSA recieved a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award, as well as a Safety award by the Florida PTA Association.

Coral Gables trolley system expansion New trolley system plan improves accessibility to public transportation by expanding hours and local routes

BY PENELOPE ACEVEDO, STAFF WRITER

C

ORAL GABLES CITY officials are requesting two grants to be used to expand the already existing trolley system.

The city is requesting $130,450 over the next three years to fund the first project, which will offer Saturday trolley service.

A second application, requesting $170,299 per year for three years—which would be matched by Coral Gables for $340,598 annually—would add two more hours of operation to the trolley system at night. If the grants are approved, Coral Gables will begin this expansion at the start of 2021.

According to Miami Today, the overall plan—proposed by Coral Gables Vice Mayor Vince Lago last year with the idea of expanding the trolleys’ hours of operation—covers several key issues which address limitations of the current trolley system. These include, but are not limited to, increasing access to jobs and recreation, connecting commuters to other transportation facilities, reducing transportation costs and allowing residents and visitors access to businesses without having to rely on automobiles. Many people already rely on public transportation, with the growth of Coral Gables’ downtown, public transportation has become even more desirable for residents. “[It] is important because the trolley could be used by many people who don’t own a vehicle and in a way solves their [transportation] problems,” senior Maria Victoria Rojas said.

Expanding the trolley system would also provide more access to those who live in the suburbs in Coral Gables, as well as

those looking for transportation between different hours of the day, particularly in the evenings when many residents come home from work or students finish extracurricular activities, when the trolley is not available.

The residents who have farther jobs and longer work hours will be able to come home at night using public transportation.

DID YOU KNOW?

The new trolley system will also connect with the Bus Express Rapid Transit and the Douglas Road Metrorail Station.

Source: MiamiDade.gov

“As someone who lives with just their mother it allows [my] single parent to worry less about how [she is] going to be able to take [me] to school’’ junior Alexis Hernandez said.

According to Lago’s application, approximately 1.2 million passengers ride the Coral Gables trolley annually and currently serves about 1,200 passengers a day. The goal is to have an average of 2,500 citizens using the trolley on Saturdays with this new expansion of hours and days. If more people use the trolley system rather than their vehicle then there should be less automobiles on the road during the weekends. With fewer residents using their own vehicles and taking the trolley to work and school instead, this

should result in more open lanes for cars and less people on the road at the same time.

This would greatly reduce weekend traffic, which is one of the main goals of the grant.

The new trolley hours would be from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Officials hope that with additional trolleys, there will be less traffic for passengers in the Central Business District, which includes 19 blocks of Coral Gables, including Miracle Mile. Along with reducing traffic, the extended trolley system would connect with the Bus Express Rapid Transit and the Douglas Road Metrorail Station, a popular station that serves roughly over one million residents a year.

By extending their current route to connect with other regions of Miami, the trolley will allow for commuters living in areas other than Coral Gables to take advantage of their transportation. By doing this, the trolley will no longer be limited to people only living in the Gables. The new routes would also significantly cut out the use of automobiles due to the increased range and accessibility of the trolley.

Residents would also have the ability to use public transportation to get to and from their homes, workplace or anywhere else they would like to use recreationally.

Commuters will also be able to get around town seemlessly, as they would not have to rely on several different bus routes “We need to make sure that people have the ability to go from point A to point B and transportation has been a real weakness in Miami-Dade County,” Lago said. h

by the numbers

2,500

1.2 mil

civilians are expected to use the trolley on Saturdays

people use the Coral Gables trolley annually

Alma Martinez/highlights

$130,450 is needed to fund the first project Source: Miami Today News

news 9

Companies letting go of their roots

Corporations are changing with the times, revamping old symbols and names based on previous racist caricatures

BY ALIA GAMEZ, STAFF WRITER

Alma Martinez/highlights

T

HE BLACK LIVES MATTER movement’s presence on social media has brewed a lot of media attraction, resulting in loyal corporate customers demanding change from companies with controversial pasts. This demand has amlA led -rto aM corporations admitting their racist zen and /problematic history, leaving them to evaluate the faces of their brand for the future.

-it On-hgJune 17th, Quaker Oats, the parent ih company of Aunt Jemima, announced that they sthgil will rebrand the company after revelations of their racist origins. Debuting in the 19th century, the minstrel song “Old Aunt Jemima” inspired company founder Chris Rutt to have Aunt Jemima—a slave caricature—pose as the company’s symbol. The character Aunt Jemima is meant to resemble a Happy Mammy—a fantasy made up that nursing maids loved and were happy to care for white children as slaves—which embodies the racial inferiority displayed during slavery and the Jim Crow era.

At the 1893 World’s Fair, R.T. Davis Milling Co., the owners of the company hired Nancy Green, a former slave, and used her as as Aunt Jemima in a marketing ploy. Green would then continue to be a housekeeper until her death, gaining little profit from her act.

Many different women would play as Aunt Jemima over the next 121 years, including Anna Harrington. In 2014, Harrington’s family sued Aunt Jemima, claiming that the company had exploited both Harrington and Green by never giving credit for their contributions to the pancake mix brand. To bring change to the brand and let go of any past racist ties, Quaker Oats decided to reinvent their trademark.

“Lady Antebellum” “Eskimo Pies” “Master Bedroom” 10 news

“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” Kristin Kroepfl, Vice-President of Quaker Foods North America said to NBC News. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of

“

“I’M HAPPY NOW THAT THE SUBJECT IS GETTING THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES, ESPECIALLY AS PEOPLE BECOME MORE AWARE OF RACIST PASTS.” BRITNEY WILSON, JUNIOR brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”

Another company making changes to their brand is Walt Disney. In a statement on the DisneyParks Blog, the company announced a reimagination of the popular Splash Mountain Ride located at Walt Disney World, in Florida and the Disneyland Park in California. The attraction will be modified to portray the Disney movie “The Princess

and the Frog,” elevating the experience with a more inclusive concept. The ride’s former theme was criticised for its connection to the 1946 Disney movie “Song of the South”—a controversial film that portrays Johnny, a white city boy, moving to his grandmother’s plantation. Johnny then befriends Uncle Remus, an old Black man working on the plantation, who enchants Johnny with many life lessons taught by animated characters.

Criticism towards the movie stems from two factors. First, the movie does not depict whether or not it was set before or after the American Civil War. The obscurity of the time of the movie raises problems because if it were pre-war, the film would send a message that slaves enjoyed forced labor.

Second, the most prominent advice Uncle Remus gives Johnny is to not run away from his problems. This lesson alludes to slaves escaping their masters and running away from their plantations. Disney retired the movie since its 40th anniversary in 1986, with the last remaining artifact being Splash Mountain.

“Even though I think the responses are a little late, I am happy now that the subject is getting the attention it deserves, especially as people become more aware of racist pasts,” junior Britney Wilson said.

As globally recognized corporations begin to take notice of their own offensive symbols and trademarks, they are also taking the necessary steps in ensuring their company reflects the common values of their consumers.

Though racist caricatures are still prevalent, consumers may find comfort in the fact that their favorite brands are working to change that. h

1

Now called “Lady A”

2

Plans to change brand name

3

Now called “Primary Bedroom”

Source: National Public Radio

Source: New York Times

Source: Good Morning America

COVID-19 vaccine updates

With the virus’s continued impact, highlights has compiled information regarding a possible life-changing vaccine

BY AUSTIN YAGODA, STAFF WRITER

UPDATES •

• •

The Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow has supposedly created the first COVID-19 vaccine and it is being given to a small number of people.

The vaccine has not gone mainstream yet due to the lack of large scale testing. Source: Sciencemag.org Currently, there are over 165 COVID-19 vaccines being developed around the world, with 31 currently being tested on humans. Source: New York Times

WHAT TO EXPECT •

There are currently many teams in the final stages of large scale testing, waiting for results and to be approved for public use. However, due to the amount of variables and unknowns, a fully effective vaccine is still months if not years away.

Large pharmaceutical companies often have had a reputation for putting big price tags onto life saving medications. However, the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act was enacted on March 27th by Congress, in order to keep the price of a vaccine manageable. Source: US Department of Treasury

CONTROVERSIES • •

Organizations such as 1 Day Sooner dedicate themselves to human testing. This is unpopular with many bioethical concerns, as people are opposed to willingly spreading the virus and adding needless risk to those around them.

Despite vaccines already receiving government funding, many institutions are asking for more money which would cause an increase in vaccination prices, and would directly hurt taxpayers. h Source: National Public Radio

Phase 1:

21 vaccines testing safety and dosage

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Phase 3:

vaccines in large-scale efficacy tests

ma Al

Phase 2:

rtinez/highlights

There are currently more than 135 vaccines being developed around the world.

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13 vaccines in expanded safety trial

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Approval:

2 vaccines approved for early or limited use

Source: New York Times

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STAFF- ED: An overpriced virtual disaster The price tag for tuition remains the same for several colleges and universities despite virtual learning

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MAGINE HAVING A FRONT row seat to a Drake concert. Bass is booming, lights are flashing. Now imagine viewing that same performance on a 13-inch laptop screen. That in-person experience cannot be reenacted through a recording, let alone should it cost the same.

Similarly, remote learning strips away those face-to-face interactions between students and teachers as well as those hands-on engaging experiences, yet several universities have not taken this into account as demonstrated by their reluctance to reduce the cost of tuition.

From Yale and Tufts to the University of Texas and the University of California Irvine, these schools are just a few of the many that have announced that they will keep tuition prices the same. With little validity to their reasoning behind this, tuition is being kept at the same level, although the online delivery lessens the quality of education. Room and board, for the most part, are being refunded to some extent, but amenities such as gyms stay on some students’ tabs as they study from home.

“There is no longer any use of the campus or “college experience” and in my opinion it is not right to continue charging so much in tuition to keep the students home,” senior Gabriella Freyre said.

Online classes are less interactive and limit students from countless opportunities. Libraries, computer

schools and $10,000 for private, per student.

Moreover, $10,000 goes towards instruction for full time students at a public school and approximately double for private ones. These significant costs could drastically change tuition prices if they were deducted, yet they are not. There is no excuse as to why colleges are charging the same or in some cases even higher tuition prices.

Yale has made headlines for buying

DID YOU KNOW?

69% of parents and 55% of students say Coronavirus has impacted their ability to pay college.

Source: Nitro College

large portions of Zoom stock, in addition to leaving tuition costs unchanged. With the increased need for students to use Zoom, the value of Zoom shares will certainly rise and Yale’s investment will substantially increase.

Therefore, they are indirectly profiting from providing online courses while keeping tuition the same.

While funding is a significant factor, school tuition also stays high due to the costly nature of paying staff members along with providing financial need packages.

Fortunately, Congress recently passed into law the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which will help aid colleges across the nation amid the pandemic. This act has specifically given Florida institutions, both private and public, $12.6 billion. This sum will certainly help in funding for technological transition from the traditional classroom setting as well as the implementation of new COVID-19 friendly regulations for the future.

Approximately $6.3 billion will go towards students in several ways, one being emergency aid grants, which could help lower technological costs for students, especially those in lower-income households. While this is undeniably a step in the right direction, more effort is warranted to ensure that students are guaranteed the same level of learning prepandemic.

States that cannot or are unwilling to pass legislation to financially assist colleges and students, most definitely should decrease the tuition taking into account how much they actually save by providing only online education. This way schools can then

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labs and other research facilities will not be accessible to students for the most part.

Some universities’ alternatives to this are online databases, such as virtual libraries, however they do not compare to in-person libraries making this resource insufficient for a standard education.

According to the Delta Cost Project, the amount of tuition that goes towards the maintenance of classrooms as well as other facilities average around $5,000 for public

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Some claim lowering the cost of tuition may not be feasible for public schools that primarily rely on government funding and typically have artificially lower tuition rates for in-state students.

“Big state schools already have virtual classes because of space, but the smaller schools like liberal arts schools may not have that capacity… but they may have the financial means to accommodate,” CAP Advisor Khushnuma Driver said.

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redistribute the money they do not spend from the tuition back to students towards internet and hotspots, virtual meet-ups and virtual internships as well as safety measures for COVID-19.

Colleges spend significantly less money when students are not there. It would only make sense that they pass these savings on to the students or invest in necessary modifications that will raise the caliber of education students pay for and deserve. h

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Societal and financial aspects of life are doomed to evolve to fit a newly created lifestyle as a result of COVID-19

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COMMENTARY BY NATALIA PALLAS, BUSINESS MANAGER

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UARANTINE has isolated many people from everyday activities and interactions. This has led to a loss of sociality, economic stability and most dishearteningly, the loss of loved ones.

While several long to return back to normal, would that be in society’s best interest?

Simply put, no. It would only be reasonable to take this occurrence as an important lesson to rebuild and move forward as a nation.

Despite efforts from the government to combat the effects of COVID-19, many continue to struggle financially to provide food for themselves as well as keep a roof over their head.

Humanity has to do what it can to prevent another outbreak that could instigate the downfall of the economy and of human life.

Hugs and kisses— a way to greet others or display affection— must now be avoided completely. According to a PubMed, a study held in the University of South Wales showed that of the 26 students examined, they would have touched their face around 23 times in an hour. Forty-four percent of these touches were in areas towards the mouth, nose or eyes where COVID-19 is more susceptible to being transmitted. Experts, for the most part, advise to refrain from touching others, even after the pandemic ends.

“We don’t need to shake hands. We’ve got to break that custom. [It] is really one of the major ways that you can transmit a respiratory illness,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

To revisit old habits like shaking hands would only be unsafe to society. Althought human interaction is needed for mental health, as a nation, it should be understood to be more

considerate as this affects others too.

Along these same lines, it is crucial to be more cautious; everyone should continue to practice social distancing and simple hygiene.

According to Health It Analytics, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin concluded that “every day, a city delayed in implementing social distancing measures after the appearance of a first case [an] added 2.4 days to the length of an outbreak.” This demonstrates that these methods are beneficial in slowing the spread of this virus. While it is tempting to revert back to normal, it would only be effective if society as a whole would

DID YOU KNOW?

There is a 40% greater risk of getting COVID-19 if social distancing is implemented a day later than others who distanced since Day 1.

Source: Center for Disease Control

continue to follow, some if not all, of these health regulations moving forward. This would be the only logical way for people to continue day-to-day routines without creating even more damage to the public.

“While life has been affected greatly, the future is unclear,” senior Pierre Couto said.

“On one hand, I believe the world as a whole can overcome this pandemic, but on the other, I am unsure if people will be able to make significant sacrifices to benefit the world as a whole.”

There were several underlying issues such as global warming and healthcare before the pandemic emerged and these issues have been heightened ever since. Not everyone has the luxury to afford standard healthcare and this

has become much more acute during this pandemic. According to Families USA, their study reveals how from February to May, approximately 5.4 million workers have lost their insurance coverage, as a result of being let go from work. This number continues to increase and affects many who are uninsured, as they can be left with hefty bills for COVID-19 related appointments.

With this in mind, many have speculated how insurance could change for future years and for the better. STAT news recorded predictions from health policy experts, some being that “the pandemic could help bring about an end to the American tradition of tying health insurance to employment status. It could prompt a reckoning about why Black people and other historically marginalized populations have long suffered so disproportionately — not just from COVID-19.”

While there are seemingly countless negative consequences due to the pandemic, this crisis has fortunately created more conversation surrounding the significant issues affecting everyday life. Providing predictions and ideas in reform, such as for healthcare is a step in the right direction in improving problems many face now for the future.

Similarly, staying at home has led to less carbon emissions and has shown the importance of technology and how going forward, this could lead to permanent changes for the workforce. This pandemic has taught people to adapt to drastic changes and it makes little sense to regress knowing that society has the ability to confront these problems and modify their behavior accordingly.

In a period where humanity mourns hundreds of thousands of losses, the only thing left is to learn and progress to better deal with crises of this type. h

opinion 13

TWO VIEWS: Should cancel culture be canc

As public figures are held accountable for their past actions by soc or not cancel culture actually brings more harm than good COMMENTARY BY CRISTEL CANTARERO, STAFF WRITER

YES H

ATE DOES NOT CANCEL OUT hate. Whether it is the Hype House or other social media influencers, cancel culture does not allow the opportunity to make mistakes.

Originally, the idea of cancel culture intended to shed light on serious issues that public figures were involved in. Now, the endless amount of backlash has evolved into a culture that lacks room for personal growth and causes people to develop serious mental health issues.

Psychology researchers for adolescent health, Mitch van Geel and Paul Vedder studied the relationship between peer victimization, cyber-bullying and suicide in adolescents. They found that cyberbullying had a stronger link to suicidal ideation than other forms of bullying, having a deeper effect on people’s mental health. Cancel culture multiplies this effect significantly because of the thousands of people that send death threats and humiliate others.

Taylor Swift was one of the first victims of cancel culture. In 2016, Kanye West’s provocative lyrics about Taylor Swift resulted in a public uproar. Her attempts to defend herself were a failure, as even Kim Kardashian went to the media and portrayed her as a liar. The hashtag “#TaylorSwiftisCanceled” trended on Twitter that same day and the results of the 2016 drama had lasting effects for years.

Swift received an excessive amount of hate, backlash and death threats for something that was later proven to be false.

The main purpose is to harass people for their mistakes instead of allowing them to change. For example, 33-year-old Youtuber Jenna Marbles recently announced she was leaving her largest platform due to all the hate she was receiving. She was canceled because of videos that resurfaced from 2011 and 2012, where she shamed women, impersonated Nicki Minaj by doing black face and sang along to a song that made fun of how Asians speak. In the Youtube

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video where she announced her break, she said she wanted to make sure she was not putting out content that could be offensive to anyone.

Marbles has apologized relentlessly and has even showed support for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

However, many people ignored the changes she has made as a person and continue to send her hateful messages about mistakes she has made in the past.

“When [celebrities] get canceled and their whole reputation is tarnished, it does take a negative toll on their mental health,” junior Ingrid Moises said. “If they want to do future projects they know no matter how good it turns out they will be hated on, no matter what.”

Further, when a public figure gets “canceled,” trolls attack all professional and personal endeavors. Any albums or projects released are undoubtably boycotted. People cannot show any kind of support for the artist or business or else they are considered part of the problem. The Internet hypocritically pushes the limits on what is acceptable and holds no remorse for its venomous actions, creating a false reality where people think they are justified in trying to serve justice to every problem in the world.

Cancel culture alters people’s freedom of speech. While allowing people to give their opinions on celebrities more freely, cancel culture also causes public figures to no longer be as open as they used to, out of fear of being “canceled.”

Former U.S. President Barack Obama even discussed the toxicity of cancel culture at the 2019 Obama Foundation Summit, stating that even the best people have flaws, not everyone always knows about issues going on and people participating in cancel culture won’t get far in life.

Ultimately, everyone has flaws, even the people who do the most good. Cancel culture makes public figures the face of brutal judgement for every image, every video and every podcast that they share, leading to detrimental effects on their mental and psychological well-being. h

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COMMENTARY BY ALEXA OROZCO, STAFF WRITER

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IT’S HYPOCRITICAL WHEN PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO “CANCEL” OTHERS WHEN THEY THEMSELVES AREN’T PERFECT.

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attention. Since the act of ‘canceling’ is directed towards public figures, then people will inevitably pay attention and learn about those sometimes taboo topics too. For example, in 2001, Jimmy Fallon did a blackface impersonation of an AfricanAmerican actor, Chris Rock, on Saturday Night Live.

Given the recent national call for the reform of Black rights, an act of carelessness resurfacing is enough to ‘cancel’ the individual and rightfully so. Mimicking other races, based on cultural bias and stereotypes, for the humor of it is unacceptable. If actions similar to these are never brought to light, the conversation would not be discussed and racist jokes like Fallon’s would continue to circulate online without discussion of the insensitivity.

“Continuing to support a person who does offensive things is not okay,” junior Kevin Pedraja said.

Cancel culture promotes the idea of “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it!”

This may lead others to the misconception that cancel culture interferes with an individual’s freedom of speech. Cancel culture in fact does the opposite. By bringing up past statements or posts by influencers or companies, it showcases the negativity that once surrounded these influencers. It offers a sense of transparency between the audience and the celebrity. It—at its core— gives the world an opportunity to see people for who they are. “[Celebrities] don’t realize that the things they do have an influence on everyone watching or reading, especially children,” senior Jada Garcia said. “Some famous people decide that they can just say something offensive in a video or tweet just because they have a higher social status.”

It is no surprise cancel culture is wrongly mistaken as cyberbullying because some people may not be given a second chance.

But more than enough times, the canceling is valid and people are deserving of it. People who claim they could not grow due to cancel culture, simply choose not to as it simply addresses harm that was done, so we can all do better in the near future. h

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YTH: CANCEL culture is unforgivingly ruining the lives of moguls and companies over their past actions.

This online boycott that originated as a trending hashtag on Twitter, places emphasis on ideas of justice, clarity and fairness. The movement’s intentions are sometimes deemed as “slander” towards influencers and big-name companies, yet the entire focus of the motion is to nurture a culture of accountability, where everyone is socially responsible for being aware of the implications of what they post More than anything, cancel culture shows people the truth as well as the motives behind a public figure’s actions. True colors are revealed, wigs are snatched and the internet breaks once again. Often, it is abuse of power, insensitivity and lack of mindfulness that are revealed, all giving reasons to why cancel culture is a positive facet for society.

Earlier this year, YouTuber Shane Dawson came face-to-face with this dilemma when fellow YouTuber Tatiana Westbrook accused him of plotting to “cancel” make-up artist and YouTuber James Charles and manipulating her to spread lies against him as well. Shane Dawson spread false accusations about James Charles being a sexual predator and as a result, Charles lost two million subcribers.

When a public figure like Dawson has the motive to harm the reputation of others, they misuse their power and influence for revenge.

Dawson’s inevitable “cancel” was only due to his malicious intent and by being exposed, the public can see him for who he truly is.

Public figures with god complexes live with no concern for how their words or actions affect others. The toxicity of Dawson’s intentions is why cancel culture does well for our society, making public figures truly think before they act, knowing that in the same way they became easily loved by many, they could just as easily lose it all. Many times in the past, public figures have said or done faulty things without facing any consequences. Cancel culture ensures everyone is treated equally, regardless of social status. “[Public figures] should see what they did was wrong and either try to improve it after apologizing or take what they did and learn from it,” junior Katerina Hernandez said.

Cancel culture also gets the ball rolling for important conversations that do not get much

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I AGREE WITH CANCEL CULTURE BECAUSE PEOPLE [SHOULD] UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT BELIEFS AND SOME THINGS ARE JUST BETTER UNSAID.

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Wilfredo Del Sol, Junior

opinion 15

Finding the middle ground

Politicization of everyday things has become widespread in America, but can people come to a political compromise?

COMMENTARY BY RAFAEL SANS, STAFF WRITER

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and Republicans reaches past resonating with voters who affiliate with their party.

Each group actively works to eliminate the ‘middle ground’ as they try to sway non-party affiliated voters to support their fundamental views. With such extreme sides that are being exposed to these centrist people, they are being forced to pick a side and are politically bullied into submission by extremists. These polar views are not allowing either side to come to a consensus on what views on specific issues would be socially beneficial for the American people. “[People] straight up attack and attack instead of hearing [the other side] out,” sophomore Lucia Chico said.

The nonstop political upheaval in the nation has left it in a state that neither side wants. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center determined to what degree Republicans and Democrats criticized each other based on a multitude of negative characteristics.

It showed that 42% of Democrats think that Republicans are more dishonest than other Americans.

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Similarly, concerning the same type of ethical criticism, 47% of Republicans claim that Democrats are more immoral than other Americans. These statistics are relatively balanced with both sides expressing comparatively a similar amount of criticism to the other partisan side.

“When I used to teach civics in middle school, I used to give them this questionnaire.

It was a basic thing. And it was like, ‘Am I a Democrat or a Republican?’,” Miller said.

“Nine times out of 10 what most people realized is that they were not one or the other, they were 60/40 of some combination, if not 50/50 but almost never was somebody 100% blindly in support with the views of a party.”

With this in mind, it is evident that anyone can support a combination of various political views. One can support a strong policy of law and order, yet may still accept the current state of climate change. There are various partisan groups that have emerged that are politically founded on a middle ground. Conservative democrats and liberal republicans are a prime example of individuals from a specific partisan group accepting and advocating for more centrist views. In congress, this group of individuals are known as the “Blue Dog Coalition,” who advocate for centrist policies in congress.

Here in the U.S., if voters base their views on those of more tolerant and centripetal groups, then there would be less heightened social clash throughout the nation and more educated and receptive political debate. h Sharon

S TENSIONS rise between Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. with little to no consideration for the opposite view, the country is being torn apart from the inside out. The American people need to close the nation’s political divide and open a middle ground so they can effectively settle matters of dispute.

When considering controversial headlines in mainstream media like gun-control, climate change and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Democrats and Republicans have been confined to two seemingly opposite stereotypes. Democrats are typically thought to be more liberal, advocating for radical change in America’s system and primarily reject the ideologies of Republicans who are thought to push to maintain the traditions that make up the constitutional system of America.

This causes major political conflict as many voters immediately disregard all candidates tied to their opposing party, regardless of the politicians’ individual views. Roughly only one in ten voters affiliated with the Republican Party since 2018 have leaned towards a Democratic candidate in an election, according to the Pew Research Center .

“I find that every time I even get into an argument about politics right now, it goes to one view: far left [or] far right,” social studies teacher Aaron Miller said.

This political chess match between Democrats

Graduating

Coughs

“I’ve learned nothing and regretted everything.”

- Gregoire Winston, Co-Online Editor

“We used to cough to hide our farts, but now we fart to hide our coughs.”

- Alexander Brazda, Staff Writer

Alt TikTok “Mi Pan Su Su Sum Su Su Su.” -Isabella Morales, Co-Online Editor

Pretty privilege preocupations

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but does it justify better treatment?

COMMENTARY BY DANI PARRA DEL RIEGO, STAFF WRITER counterparts, a fact that becomes evident when considering models in the beauty industry.

These traits are not random; research conducted by Dr. Huberta Jackson-Lowman of Florida A&M University concluded that these specific beauty standards are a result of Eurocentrism: a lens that views the world with only European perspectives and applies it to everyone.

Pretty privilege is not just damaging to those who are not considered attractive by Western standards, but also has adverse effects on those which it is meant to “help.” Those who do experience pretty privilege are in no way being complimented — rather, their appearances are unnecessarily sexualized.

The objectification of people who satisfy society’s beauty expectations often causes these individuals to feel like they are obligated to prove their intellectual abilities to be taken seriously.

“There’s times where I’ve walked into a Starbucks and the owner would give me a free upgrade or free drinks and wished me luck during my exams, something he probably would not have done had I not been deemed attractive to him,” senior Devon Rall-Taguchi said.

Popular media also plays a major role in what is considered attractive. A certain dissonance is created when people do not see themselves represented and even despite many entertainment companies’ initiatives to rift the divide, “diverse” Disney princesses like Moana and Tiana are created with Eurocentric beauty standards in mind. “[People who do not receive pretty privilege] tend to isolate themselves, even if they are not being isolated, they self-inflict the self isolation on themselves,” social science teacher Lauren Noval said.

Pretty privilege is inherently racist, ageist and bodyshaming and there is no denying that it is real. As society becomes more aware of prejudices, it is critical to recognize the existence of pretty privilege as well as the abuse that such underlying biases impose on the emotional and psychological health of people every day. h s Sharon Florez/ highlight

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I T H privilege b e i n g the main course in many conversations on societal faults, “pretty privilege”—or preferential treatment given to someone because of their attractiveness—tends to be the green beans at the back of the table; everyone knows it’s there, yet no one wants to go near it. In the battle for an equal society we must recognize the weight that biases, whether conscious or not, have on the way people view themselves in the context of society.

Before cutting into the issue of pretty privilege, having a thorough grasp of the concept is crucial. Also referred to as “lookism,” pretty privilege is the idea that looks create or prevent opportunities. The first citation of the term “lookism” was in the 1999 Washington Post magazine, where those who were being discriminated against based on physical appearance used the term to materialize the abstract oppression they were facing.

While people can make excuses and deny that they give preferential treatment to those considered traditionally attractive, the human brain is naturally wired to prefer partners who are more likely to pass on “desirable” traits to their offspring in hopes to have healthier children, according to research conducted by Dr. Joanna Wincenciak.

“There’s a double standard because although more opportunities are being given to physically diverse groups of people, those people are still being called ‘different’ or ‘diverse,’ alienating them further,” sophomore Samantha Morales said.

Since beauty standards are so subjective, pretty privilege is therefore more abstract than other types of privilege. While facial symmetry is seen as a beautiful trait throughout the world, Western beauty standards hold that light skin, small noses and large eyes are valued above their

Sharon's Shenanigans Karens Against the World COMMENTARY BY SHARON FLOREZ, OPINION EDITOR

Karens. Who will they plot against today? Before their well-deserved rise to stardom, I vaguely recognized them as the angry mothers with pixie cuts and choppy orange highlights asking to speak to the manager. With the dedicated help of the internet, they have become one of the most dangerous cliques we all mutually attempt to avoid.

Thanks to the Internet, I now know Karens to be Caucasian women with impulsive tendencies such as posting anti-vax propaganda on Facebook, yelling racial slurs at people of color and throwing tantrums when they are politely asked to wear a mask indoors — just to name a few. Hardly exhibiting human behavior, they have become the pests of our slowly decaying society in desperate need of being permanently shunned.

The internet, unlike me, has not given up on trolling Karens. A modern source of entertainment, the Karens have had their lives extensively invaded by Twitter users throughout the country. From being left with bad reviews at their workplaces to having their addresses exposed, the backlash has provided for an outburst of recordings of Karens in the wild peeing in stores and harassing minors for selling water without proper licensing.

After an exhaustive psychological evaluation of the collective Karen, I have concluded that the only cure to this soul sickness is a government funded in-depth educational course on the art of being considerate. If we could redirect their energy towards the efforts of the majority, we could have an army of Heathers and Sharons instead. In the least narcissistic, self-centered way possible, I humbly introduce Reddit community r/thankyousharon, with a family of 8,800 members dedicated to “the wholesome, opposite sister” of Karen. A community so large with the unwavering strength of thousands of empowered women sounds to me like the definition of Utopia.

So to all the Karens against the world, it is not too late to change the course of your life, to turn racist microaggressions into wholesome Boomer TikToks or to simply admit that sometimes, you might be wrong. h

opinion 17

To bubble or not to bubble

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BY ALEXANDER BRAZDA, STAFF WRITER

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FTER MONTHS OF INACTIVITY in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many professional sports teams have returned to the stadiums. However, games are far from normal, as the leagues have faced a multitude of challenges trying to finish their seasons. To ensure the safety of fans and all other parties invested in the sports, teams are continuing their seasons without fan attendance.

According to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, the NBA is thriving in its bubble — an isolation zone in Orlando that they cannot leave until the season ends—with zero confirmed coronavirus cases since the seasons resumed.

On the other hand, the MLB made the decision to not continue their season in a bubble, which is reflected in the dozens of cases their players contracted. Their decision to play in their home stadiums led to positive COVID-19 results in 26 MLB teams, including 18 players on the Miami Marlins and 102 total players as of mid-August.

“I do not think any system that deals with containing or contacting is perfect or completely effective. [The] MLB plan is relying on a system that relies on the individual to be selfless and think of others ahead of themselves,” head baseball coach Ernie Padron said.

Consequently, the quick outbreak of the virus has caused the league to have to further postpone their games. Although MLB players

were given the choice to play in a quarantine facility, many feared being away from their families for several weeks in one location with over 900 players would be ineffective.

Nonetheless, these leagues are also facing huge financial problems even after the restart

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I DO NOT THINK ANY SYSTEM THAT DEALS WITH CONTAINING OR CONTACTING IS PERFECT OR COMPLETELY EFFECTIVE. ERNIE PADRON, BASEBALL COACH of their seasons. According to ESPN, the NBA commissioner announced that the league earns approximately 40% of its revenue from ticket sales, a feat that is impossible now.

The lack of funding has also resulted in many team owners putting their teams up for sale, including the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Golden State Warriors are considering making a deal with Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking company, to raise $250 million to pay for team expenses.

Doing so would give them a huge advantage, preventing them from having to trade

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THE [NBA] PLAYOFFS WILL BE IMPACTED IN A BIG WAY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE MORE TEAMS WILL BE ABLE TO FOCUS AND WOULD BE LESS NERVOUS DUE TO THE FANS [NOT BEING THERE].

valuable players, like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. While according to FOX Business, the total MLB player compensation is expected to be about $1.5 billion, or nearly 37% of full-season salaries.

Moreover, stadium workers whose entire incomes come from working at the games are being impacted. According to The Nation, Miami Marlins stadium worker Jackie Walker worries about her future because after the shutdown of the MLB she lost her health insurance. Walker and the other 39,000 MLB stadium workers are outraged that they are receiving little to no help from the organization.

Playing games with no fans in attendance and in different stadiums is very different from what they are used to and has a large effect on the performance of athletes.

To accommodate for the loss of fans and crowd noise that makes a sports game special, the NBA has virtual fans and noises while the MLB has cardboard cutouts of fans.

According to CrownHoops, free throw and three-point shooting percentages in the NBA have risen in the bubble. Before, players were shooting 38.9% from the corner and that number has gone up to 42.8%. Evidently, the change in scenery and audience has had a positive effect on how well the players are performing.

Given that it will take time until fans can go to stadiums to watch their favorite players, the solutions to the financial issues in the leagues are still in question. h

I’M NOT SURPRISED THAT THERE WAS AN OUTBREAK [IN THE MLB] BECAUSE THE PLAYERS ARE CONSTANTLY NEAR EACH OTHER, INCLUDING WITH MOST PLAYERS NOT WEARING MASKS.

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NBA works towards racial equality

The NBA and NBA Foundation have dedicated to empower the black community with new $300 million fund

BY NATALIE FALLS, STAFF WRITER

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UE TO THE RECENT sociopolitical climate and the resurgence of racial tensions across the nation, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the NBA Board of Governors contributed $300 million in funds to establish a new foundation that works towards opening up opportunities for members of the Black community.

The topic of systemic racism has been brought to the forefront of American discourse as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has gained support and brought to light many of the injustices that people of color (POC) face in society. It has also shown many sports organizations the lack of educational, employment and management opportunities that POC face. Thus, many sports organizations have taken action against racial inequality through promoting empowerment, social justice and equality.

As a renowned sports organization with millions of fans, the NBA recognized that they could use their unique public platform as a way to bring about a change in the Black community and bridge the social and economic gaps that are widened by racial injustice.

Along with the fund, the organization has created the NBA Foundation as a way to navigate economic empowerment for Black communities through occupation opportunities and advance financial situations to better the principles of justice and equality are imprinted in the organization.

The main focus point for the NBA Foundation in terms of greater economic opportunities are employment through three pivotal stages: obtaining a first job, securing employment after high school or college and advancing that employment. The organization aims to provide skills in training, mentorship and education in career-readiness as a way to better equip Black men and women, ensuring that they feel confident in their respective professional fields.

The foundation will also work with a number of local and national organizations dedicated to employment and education, such as youth employment, internship programs, job shadows, STEM fields, mentorship networks, career placement programs and apprenticeships. In addition, it will provide funding to the historically Black colleges and universites that they have partnered with as a

way to extend their outreach and impact across all age demographics in the Black community.

“By focusing on the youth, the NBA opens more doors than ever for the Black community,” junior Alan Morffi said.

“Education and employment are the two main

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BY FOCUSING ON THE YOUTH, THE NBA OPENS MORE DOORS THAN EVER FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. ALAN MORFFI, JUNIOR factors of economic opportunities and if those factors are being instilled in young Black Americans, they might have better economic opportunities for years and generations to come.”

Aside from economic empowerment, the NBA Foundation strives to deepen the roots of the Black community within the organization by promoting social justice and racial equality. Numerous All-Stars — like Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving—have established a coalition in order to advocate for racial equality and diversity in the NBA. They have dragged the NBA foundation’s mission of Black empowerment onto the basketball court by boasting messages of justice on the backs of their jerseys saying “Education Reform,” “Black Lives Matter” and many more.

“Having a big platform as the NBA and WNBA is important to have a voice. As fans we look up to these athletes and having them speak up on what is happening around the world will teach fans to have a voice as well,” girl’s junior varsity basketball coach Katherin Mena said.

According to NBC News, these “missions have been front-and-center at the restart at Walt Disney World, where games are played on courts with “Black Lives Matter” painted on them and about 85% of players are choosing to have a social justice message on their jerseys for the remainder of the season.”

Ultimately, the NBA Foundation will work directly with all 30 teams, as each one will donate $1 million annually for 10 years in support of the cause. With this contribution and the foundation’s drive towards promoting e c o n o m i c empowerment in the Black community, the NBA hopes to create new educational and career f u r t h e r a n c e opportunities for Black individuals that will have a lasting impact for generations to come. h

Hanna Ebrahimi / highlights

sports 19

ATHLETIC ADJUSTMENTS

As the impacts of COVID-19 linger on the upcoming school year, student athletes discuss their plans for the future

BY FERNANDO LARGAESPADA, STAFF WRITER AND MARTA RODRIGUEZ, CONTENT EDITOR

A

CTIVE PLAYING TIME CAN make or break an athlete’s season, as well as their chances of playing professionally. Due to the social-distancing guidelines mandated by the state government following the coronavirus outbreak in

March, many of the school’s division-league prospects now face serious challenges attracting attention from college scouts.

The lack of play-time fosters a larger problem as recruiters are unable to monitor these athletes’ growth in technique,

endurance, physique and much more. Football safety Troy Frederick, soccer center Sabrina Bonavita and basketball small forward Ronald Fernandez provide insight into the struggles and successes they have faced in the past six months of their athletic journeys.

his sophomore year he began playing as a safety because the position showcases his defensive versatility and ability to take on leadership.

Despite the challenges the cancelation of fall sports has caused, Frederick works to make up for the lack of film he can provide scouts by posting game highlights on his social media platforms. Some schools he has been in contact with include Albright College and North Carolina Wesleyan College.

“Troy was our most improved athlete last year and we have high expectations for

him this year, as both a player and a leader,” head football coach Roger Pollard said.

Through his confidence and motivation to excel both academically and athletically, Frederick demonstrates zone coverage and is able to attack the ball in the air. Since the start of the pandemic, Frederick has only focused on improving through workouts and daily practice.

“Since we don’t know when the season is going to start, I’m going to stay focused and be improving more,” Frederick said.

TROY FREDERICK #26 From playing in the Pop Warner Youth League at the age of six to being a varsity safety on the school’s football team, senior Troy Frederick’s infatuation for football has been growing for over a decade. Hoping to get recruited for a Division-1 team, Frederick is concerned that the cancelation of fall sports will negatively influence his chances of earning an athletic scholarship.

Frederick had played in various positions throughout his career, most notably as a quarterback and defensive end. However, since

SABRINA BONAVITA #12 Growing up surrounded by soccer fanatics in an Italian household, soccer has been a major part of varsity center back Sabrina Bonavita’s life. Starting her athletic journey at four years old, Bonavita has played the sport passionately since she could run.

In the past two years, Bonavita has played for the United States Development Academy and National League, the top two high school level leagues in the nation. Since joining them, Bonavita’s level of commitment and seriousness towards soccer has grown abundantly.

Bonavita has attended several Soccer Elite Prosper camps, also known as ID camps.

These camps give aspiring college athletes a taste of what it is like to train with top college

coaches, meet scouts and make connections that can be used for their recruitment process.

“These were some of the top leagues nation-wide and it really opened my eyes [to] the talent that’s out there; the competitiveness and the seriousness that goes beyond the game of soccer,” Bonavita said.

Aside from Bonavita excelling in soccer, she maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA in the International Baccalaureate program at the school.

Since the pandemic has begun, her days have been fully dedicated to soccer.

Bonavita wakes up early to go to private soccer training, later in the afternoon she specifically does exercises to increase her

strength and condition her body. Additionally, she attends regular team practices.

“She’s a perfectionist so she works incredibly hard on anything she does and she will keep doing something until it’s perfect no matter how many tries it takes her,” sister and former teammate Juliana Bonavita said.

Thus far, Bonavita feels fortunate to being in positive contact with several top college coaches. While she cannot be officially scouted until her junior season, she will continue to focus on developing her skills.

“In the future I want to be able to look back and think that I did everything to be the best that I could be,” Bonavita said.

RONALD FERNANDEZ #21 With a lifelong dream of playing alongside athletes like Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard as a professional basketball player, senior varsity small forward Ronald Fernandez has dedicated his time to playing basketball. However, due to the current circumstances, Fernandez fears he will not have the opportunity to be watched by Division 1 recruiters in person.

Fernandez has had over 12 years of experience as a basketball player, including his nine years playing for the Boys and Girls Club, three years of experience on his middle

20 sports

school team, six years of time playing for the Coral Gables Red Raiders travel team and three years on the school’s basketball team.

Fernandez has earned several honors including hustle, defensive and Most Valuable Player awards.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, camps would be held so scouts can look at potential college players. Fernandez scored an average 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

Such camps have since been canceled due to social distancing restrictions, meaning many scouts will not be able to watch

Fernandez play in person. Nonetheless, Fernandez has already been able to be in contact with several coaches from schools like Barry University and Lynn University.

Although the pandemic has affected the amount of opportunities he has had to get noticed, Fernandez has taken the time to train every single day from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. doing different activities such as: ball handling, shooting, conditioning and weight training.

“My parents have always worked hard to give me what I have and I will work harder to return them that favor one day,”Fernandez said. h

TROY FREDERICK

SaBRINA BONAVITA

RONALD FERNANDEZ

50 TACKLES 3 TACKLES

NATIONAL LEAGUE & u.s. soccer development academy athlete

9 AVG PPG 5 AVG reb 5 AVG ast

TOUCHDOWN INTERCEPTION

#26

#12

Courtesy of U.S. Soccer Development Academy 2018-2019 Season

#21

Courtesy of Ronald Fernandez 2019-2020 Season

Courtesy of Sabrina Bonavita

ederick oy Fr Courtesy of Tr

Courtesy of Troy Frederick 2019-2020 Season

29 games played 21 Games started 70.0 S%

ndez

dEFLECTIONS

Ronald Fe Courtesy of rna

2 1

FOR LOSS

sports 21

Tap dancing to the beat

Senior Mena Williams uses her love for music composition and teamwork to pursue her passion for tap dancing

BY ISABELLA MORALES, CO-ONLINE EDITOR

T

HE SOUND OF TAP SHOES clapping against the wooden floor has been engraved in the mind of senior Mena Williams since she was three years old. From the day that her parents enrolled her into a tap dancing class, Williams has been mastering her technique and ability to count beats to uplift those who watch her performances.

Although Williams did not join her current tap team at Thomas Armour Youth Ballet (TAYB) until the age of 11, she has found a strong sense of community there.

From tapping at annual performances with her teammates to being motivated by her teachers and instructors, Williams’ devotion to the sport continuously increases.

“I have been a part of the TAYB Tap Team for so long that I could never imagine what would have happened if I never made the team so long ago. And when my sister made the team, I could not wait for her to see and do everything so we could enjoy tap dancing together,” Williams said.

Williams maintains a consistent routine to better her tap dancing abilities. Every Sunday for about three hours, the TAYB Tap Team goes through rigorous training, which entails doing wings, shuffles and pullbacks.

“We always start our practices with a warmup. If there is a performance coming up, we’ll make sure to rehearse for the show and practice our improvisation skills,” Williams said.

“

TAP DANCING IS SOMETHING THAT I TRULY LOVE TO DO AND I HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED IT AS A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF ME EXPRESSING MYSELF THROUGH ART. MENA WILLIAMS, SENIOR However, big performances require practice and dedication. Williams specifically tries to focus on memorizing certain dance routines. Watching her old performances on video and then attempting to redo techniques that are difficult to remember allows Williams to catch on to these skills that were once hard to do.

tips to tapping

1 1. Wear clothes that are comfortable and make sure your tap shoes are tied.

22 sports

2 2. Make sure to stretch for a few minutes before starting.

Although her teammates play a large part in helping Williams stay motivated, one of the main reasons she enjoys tap dancing is because she has a big passion for music. Her favorite types of music to dance to includes jazz and hip hop, as Williams hopes to pursue a career in music composition in the future.

“I think music helps me a lot when it comes to improvising because it is based mostly on rhythm. In turn, dancing has definitely helped me enjoy different genres of music,” Williams said.

Through her 14 years as a tap dancer, Williams has developed ambitions that inspire her to continue tap dancing with no hopes of stopping any time soon. Although she has faced difficulties along the way, such as her memorization, Williams is sure to always remind herself that by focusing her time on practice, she is well on her way to conquer these challenges and perfect her performance.

“Tap dancing is something that I truly love to do and I have always viewed it as a beautiful way of me expressing myself through art,” Williams said. “I just want to focus on enhancing my tap dancing techniques day by day. And for me, the sky’s the limit.” h

3

Courtesy of Mena Williams

3. Balance on the balls of your feet and start with easy combinations from inspiration.

Ventanitas of Miami

A big part of Miami culture providing quick snacks for the city, highlights explores two of these little windows. ˜ THE SCENE EDITOR AND MARCELA RONDON, STAFF WRITER

BY ARIANNA PENA,

Marcela Rondon / highlights

24 HOUR HIT : Mary’s Café provides snacks to ongoers 24 hours a day (it also serves as a coin laundry).

Arianna Peña / highlights

COLORFUL CAFE: La Esquina De La Fama gives customers an artistic backdrop as they order their food to go.

Mary’s Café

La Esquina De La Fama

HE SMELL OF FRESHLY BAKED PASTELITOS (PASTRIES) de guayaba and lavender detergent intertwine at Mary’s Café and Coin Laundry located on 2542 SW 27 Ave. Mary’s Café is a staple for many in the Coconut Grove and Coral Way area.

Founded in the early 1980s as a laundromat, the owner, Victor Sanchez, noticed that many young people preferred to wash their clothes at night, so he added a small ventanita (a small window where customers can order coffe and snacks) serving coffee. As the business became more popular, the location expanded and opened a small cafeteria with more seating options for customers.

At any time of day at Mary’s Café, you are sure to find at least one person seated outside on the chrome tables enjoying a flan with coffee. The dual location—where customers can purchase a meal while waiting for their laundry to be finished—is busy but homey, with a warm and welcoming feel. Both the laundromat and ventanita are open 24 hours, catering to early risers, viejitos, night owls and everyone in between.

“It is a great place. I swing by here in the morning before work and sometimes bring my kids in the afternoon, it’s cheap and good for a quick bite,” customer Gabriel Flores said.

They feature a wide assortment of dishes, ranging from sandwiches to deserts to smoothies. Some menu items include their house sandwich, “Mary’s Best,” which includes ham, salami, pepperoni and swiss cheese for only $6.50. Bakery items such as empanadas sold for $2 and buttery croissants, sold for $1.95. They also have specialty smoothies with mixed fruits that are all under $5.

While Mary’s Café is typically busy at all times of day, due to the coronavirus pandemic business has been slower.

The colorful vicinity of Little Havana is fueled by cortaditos — espressos with warm milk — and Cuban sandwiches. With tropical decor and authentic Cuban food, La Esquina De La Fama, or The Corner of Fame is the perfect place to get your midday pick-me-up.

Aptly named for housing the iconic Little Havana mural of wellknown Latin-American and American presidents, this ventanita and restaurant stands proudly at 1388 SW 8th Street.

La Esquina De La Fama, which is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., is attractive to both tourists and locals due to their affordable prices and colorful menu.

The ventanita offers a limited selection of menu items, including breakfast foods, grilled sandwiches, pastries and beverages. Most notably, they offer a special take on a Miami classic: the Cuban sandwich. The “Super Cuban Special,” filled with pork, ham, swiss cheese, cantimpalo sausage, roasted pepper, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and the special house sauce is sold for $11.

Their most popular non-alcoholic menu item is batidos — smoothies made with fresh fruit and milk — for just $3.50. These Cuban milkshakes come in a variety of flavors like mamey, chocolate, vanilla, pineapple and strawberry.

“It is really difficult for the employees and the owner [amid the pandemic] because normally during weekends [La Esquina De La Fama] is always filled with tourists and people and right now [the restaurant] is just slow and empty. We want everything to get better so we can continue to move forward,” employee Ilyanis Sosa said.

Currently, La Esquina De La Fama is operating at full capacity and has outdoor seating for its main restaurant. Customers can also place orders by calling 786-953-5019 or using Uber Eats. h

T

the scene 23

Find your zen at Aguacate

Explore a “sanctuary of love” that has a juice bar, petting zoo, yoga studio and farmers market all in the same place

BY ALEXANDRA ROA, STAFF WRITER

H

APPINESS IS A WAY OF LIFE at Aguacate Sanctuary of Love, or Aguacate, as the wellness retreat feeds your appetite and your desire to grow spiritually. Aguacate is a haven that aims to serve the well-being of people and connect the relationship between healthy food, body and mind.

Located on 12100 SW 43rd Street, Aguacate offers an abundance of options such as a vegan juice bar, natural foods, fresh market, animal sanctuary and holistic practices that cater towards a diverse audience.

The owners’ mission is to instill a sense of awareness and serenity in their customers from within to foster a generation that can learn to appreciate life for its simple pleasures.

The inspiration behind Aguacate is more than just healthy food.

“To be 100% in love with every part of you is really ultimately our goal, to be in love with every single one of us with ourselves,” founder and owner Daney Cabrera said.

In less than two years since they opened their doors, Aguacate has quickly become a popular spot among locals. Open from Tuesday through Sunday, their hours vary between 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. They take a vegan spin on many of Miami’s famous dishes, including veggie steak sandwiches for $12 and sloppy jackfruit sandwiches for $9.50.

“We incorporated the arepa, the steak sandwich and the pan con lechón to show that you do not have to give up flavor or your culture just because you want to be plant-

based or vegan,” Cabrera said, “It is so good for the environment, so great for your body, for your health, for the animals, for our planet, it’s a win win at every angle.”

Additionally, with a strong social media presence, Aguacate has acquired over 15,000 Instagram followers on their account @aguacate_sanctuaryoflove.

“I first saw Aguacate through Instagram because I follow a lot of vegan pages and after seeing all the pictures of the animals there and the food they offer I totally want to go visit,” senior Samantha Gazda said.

At Aguacate’s vegan restaurant, customers can start their day off with freshly squeezed juices and smoothies for as low as $7. They can enjoy a hearty avocado toast for $5.50 and an açai bowl that includes a rainbow of color and flavor for $10.25 off their breakfast menu.

When in the mood for a burger Aguacate offers three delicious options: the magic mushroom, protein and their signature, “the Aguacate.” Aguacate can also satisfy any burrito craving for $9.50. They are filled with cumin black beans, a vegan beef crumble, rice, pico de gallo, sunflower sourcream and guacamole all wrapped in a vegan tortilla with a side of plantain chips.

In addition, Aguacate also includes an animal sanctuary. There the customers are welcome to observe, feed and interact with geese, pigs, chickens, cows, bunnies, goats and a turtle for just $1. All of the animals in the sanctuary have been rescued from undesirable conditions. Last year, Aguacate saved two abused pigs from being slaughtered

and eaten at a family’s Christmas Eve dinner.

The animals are extremely gentle, well accustomed to human contact and enjoy receiving attention; especially when food is involved. However, if someone is afraid of animals, they may want to watch out for Lucy the goose who goes after her food a little too much.

Another part of the sanctuary is the holistic offerings. Some of these include: yoga, cooking, gardening, meditation, a book club and wellness classes. On weekdays, people can participate in a yoga session at 6:30 p.m., while on weekends morning classes start at 10 a.m. Every Saturday at 9 a.m. people can also enjoy a meditation class where the instructor teaches breathing exercises and ways to help decrease anxiety. Meditation has been proven to help people grow in many areas such as managing stress, improving empathy and memory.

Although it is not offered as frequently as the many other programs, a vegan cooking class—available once a month— is one of the most sought after classes to attend as the class teaches how to incorporate ethnically Latin flavors into simple, delicious vegan recipes.

“I had this vision of making a change for the community of something that is innovative and beneficial by keeping a clear understanding of what it really takes to be healthy. A lot of times we live in this world and are just so disconnected in thinking that natural medicine does not have the power that it does in our bodies so I wanted to create something to change that,” Cabrera said. h

Alexandra Roa / highlights

LENDING A HAND: The Super Bowl includes quinoa, avocado, a falafel and cilantro mayo is avaliable for $12.

24 the scene

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle on Miracle Mile provides a vast collection of items for those who are absorbing spirituality

BY OLIVIA REBULL, STAFF WRITER

B

RIGHT CRYSTALS AND THE smell of fresh sage will quickly calm your spirit as you enter the Golden Triangle in Coral Gables. Located at 2308 Galiano Street, the Golden Triangle offers the spiritual, zen practicing, jewelry enthusiasts a hub of all things serene. With the cultures of various Asian countries including India, Thailand and Tibet reflected in their products, they have a unique collection of crystals, handmade jewelry, silk clothing and much more.

When entering the store, there is an array of colorful dream catchers hung on a faux tree, all of which are made in Thailand and range from $8 to $15. To the right, there is a second faux tree covered with wind chimes in various shapes and sizes, retailing for as low as $15.

Some other popular items at the Golden Triangle are the aroma oils and quartz stones, which cost about $25 and $10 respectively.

When the store first opened in 1999, the selection of knick knacks was much smaller as they primarily sold furniture from Thailand made from a variety of hard and softwoods like bamboo. Bamboo products remain popular because it is the fastest growing plant and is highly sustainable.

The name of the store is inspired by the Golden Triangle, an area where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar happen to form

in the shape of a triangle. The store thus ties in the various cultures of these countries and more in a hope to promote international unity.

It has become a slice of paradise for owner Preeya Disyanan and other ethnic Asians who miss the diverse bazaar-like shops of their home countries.

In the center of the store there are stones, more than just stones you can find at the park— they are crystals, each with a unique story. The quartz items are known as a universal stone in many religions and practices, prized for its healing and protection abilities, as well as their ability to provide clarity. Another crystal featured in this unique boutique is hematite.

The quartz items are known to heal and clear any bad energy reminiscing.

“Quartz was recently added to the store and was recommended by a customer,” Disyanan said.

The Golden Triangle offers a vast selection of incense. From coconut to pumpkin, there is a scent that may fit a variety of people and the mood they are feeling. With incense, different scents and types can be used for different purposes, such as to bring wealth or love to one’s life. They offer multiple types of sage and Palo Santo, a wild tree native to Peru used for smudging. Smudging involves the burning of sacred herbs or resins.

“Incense is the most popular because

people are spiritual and they need just maybe one to put them in the mood to pray or meditate,” Disyanan said.

The Golden Triangle prides themselves on relaxing their customers and filling their inner zen. There are dozens of fountains that emit the sound of soft water trickling. The fountains featured in the Golden Triangle are mainly shaped like the Buddha, a religious symbol or used as a symbol used in many traditions to show peace and zen.

The stories behind each item typically captivate customers who are accustomed to shopping in consumerized stores in the mall.

One item with an interesting tale to tell is the Singing Bowl. This bowl is from Tibet and is perceived to remove any bad energy roaming in the atmosphere. The Singing Bowl was originally used to eat rice but is now used for clearing energy and comes in many different sizes.

Another main attraction in the store is its collection of tarot cards. The Golden Triangle only provides the cards but many use them on their own or take them to a specialist to be read. Disyanan remains very focused on her purpose to help others stay calm and says that she does not sell her items for other purposes that may be used to bring harm.

Disyanan welcomes all her customers to warm their hearts when visiting the boutique. h

Courtesey of The Golden Triangle

WHAT IS OFFERED AT THE STORE. Quartz & Stones, Ritual & Singing Bowls, Spiritual Jewelry, Meditation Kits, Self-Love Kits, Relaxation Kits, Incense, Aroma Oils, Tapestries, Bags, Scarves, Statues, Feng Shui Items, Music

the scene 25

Black-Owned Businesses to support now and later Explore some of Miami’s Black-owned small buisnesses, each providing a unique experience to its many customers

BY CAMILA AITKEN AND DANIELA CALDERON, STAFF WRITERS

S

OCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES and the fear of testing positive for Covid-19 has placed a major halt on small businesses’ ability to stay open. With many businesses at risk of permanent closure, it is imperative to support those struggling in the community.

Small businesses are what give a city their personality and for some people, they are necessary in their day-to-day lives.

More importantly though, Blackowned businesses and brands need support now more than ever. In recent months, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has highlighted the serious racial wealth gap within the United States and supporting small Black-owned establishments strengthens local economies and is a small step forward in closing the gap.

In choosing to spend money at smaller

mom-and-pop type Black-owned shops, people are not only strengthening their local economy, but supporting Black communities. Businesses like the World Famous House of Mac, which has locations in Overtown and North Miami Beach, Tree Hugger Soaps located in Hialeah and Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen which is located at Sunset Place in South Miami are all unique in their own way and truly worth visiting.

Courtesey of World Famous House of Mac

World Famous House of Mac Mac and cheese, chicken wings, pizza and burgers — dishes that make America’s mouth water. The name “World Famous” is not an understatement for Derrick Turton’s restaurant. Covered by media companies such as Forbes and Fox Business and invited onto ABC and the Rachel Ray show it is no wonder that this mac and cheese is world famous.

With their business hours varying from 12 p.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m.-2 a.m. on the weekends except for Sundays, it is the perfect place to go for late night snacks. They are located in Wynwood at 2055 NW 2nd Ave and North Miami Beach on 13521 Biscayne Blvd.

Prior to be becoming a chef Turton, also known as “Chef Teach,” attended culinary school in Miami but felt that the food and restuarant industry was not for him. So instead he began managing some big names in the music industry. He began working for people like Pitbull, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Young Joc and Bun B. Turton recalls cooking in the studio during his downtime as a way to calm

26 the scene

down, even though he did not actually enjoy working in a restuarant.

Then his client and close friend, Bun B, spoke up and pushed Turton to finally pursue his passion and talent. By 2014 Turton had opened his first business in Miami, a food truck called World Famous House of Mac. Despite the name, World Famous House of Mac serves more than just mac and cheese.

The menu includes sandwiches, burgers, chicken and waffles, pizza and desserts.

“Their food is always consistent and delicious! It is definitely my go-to place,” customer Alex Reyes said.

Dishes like the Lobster Mac and Cheese, a lobster tops a five cheese mac and cheese and baked in the oven until it comes out a golden brown, for $29 or the Jerk Mac and Cheese, five cheese mac and cheese is topped with jerk chicken, jerk Alfredo sauce and bread crumbs for a spicy and filling dish, for $14 is what sets Turtons diner apart from a run of the mill Kraft Mac and Cheese box.

If customers are in the mood for something

else, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles for $19 is a crowd favorite, as the dish is served with both caramel drizzle and maple syrup for a sweet and salty experience. Vegans can also enjoy a meal here. Aisha’s Vegan Mac and Cheese for $18 is made entirely with vegan cheeses and topped with panko bread crumbs.

With any entree order customers have the option of picking lemon garlic broccoli, french fries or sweet potato tots. Turton has also created custom drinks for patrons to try, like the Wild Berry Lemondae, Homemade Fruit Punch and Flop a combination of sweet tea and lemonade. To finish a meal pick from the array of desserts, like the lemon cake or New York Cheesecake, both for $6.

In the midst of the pandemic, they are open for carry out and delivery through both GrubHub and UberEats only and require a mask to be able to enter their locations. With 4.5 stars on yelp and hundreds of reviews, it is evident that not only their food is fantastic but their customer service as well.

Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen Located inside Yumbrella’s collective eatery, Chef Brian’s comfort kitchen is one of the most popular and loved vendors for customers. With Perfectly crispy, Golden fried wingettes, chicken and waffles and Chef Brian’s World Famous chicken sliders, this brand new eatery is sure to impress and satisfy.

The kitchen opened March 11th of this year but Yumbrella was quickly shut down ten days later due to CDC orders. Although the collective eatery had closed, Chef Brian’s comfort Kitchen was allowed to stay open since it was very close to an exit and picking up food was extremely safe. Being allowed to stay open along with the help of UberEats and its new promotion to support Black-owned businesses, Chef Brian Hill was able to stay in business during the pandemic. UberEats’ promotion includes having Black-owned restaurants’ delivery and 30% flat fees waived.

Hill first achieved notoriety by winning Top Chef’s first season in 2006. He has also been a personal chef for celebrities like Mariah Carey, for which he worked five days a week, Eddie Murphy and Mary J. Blige. Hill is completely self taught and has been perfecting his craft for 32 years.

“The fried chicken and waffles is some of the best comfort food I’ve ever had,” senior Isabella Castellanos said.

His world-renowned golden fried chicken and waffles for $18 are one of the most popular

things on his menu along with his golden fried chicken sliders for $13.

“I came here for the first time today and am really happy with what I ordered. The chicken and waffles from Chef Brian’s was super good and so was the Buffalo macaroni and cheese from Killer Melts,” customer Diego Fernandez said.

Through his various social media platforms, Hill often discusses the severe discrimination Black people face and advocates for change.

“I am discriminated against seven days a week, 365 days a year. Can you imagine that?

We’re not even angry. We are just tired of being tired,” Hill said.

Hill is very vocal about BLM and even has a Tik Tok account where he discusses his experience as a Black man and racism in America. Raising awareness for BLM through social media platforms has become very effective and Hill states it’s important to use your accounts to speak up for what is right.

“It is important to speak out about Black Lives Matter via your social media platforms,” Hill said.

You can find his Tik Tok account, @chefbrianscomfortkitchen and his Instagram account @chef_brian_hill_. Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen is available on UberEats, GrubHub and Yelp.

Yumbrella’s hours of operation are from

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sundays through Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Giving Chef Brian’s comfort kitchen a visit would be an excellent way to discover delicious comfort food in Miami.

Courtesy of Chef Brian Hill

STACKED SNACK: This tower of fried chicken is just one of the many comfort foods offered by Chef Brian.

Tree-Hugging Soap Tree-hugger, noun—an environmental campaigner. Inspired by this definition, the founder of Tree Hugging Soap company Drew Darden, uses natural processes to create cruelty-free, vegan products that nourish the mind and soul.

The company sells items ranging from bars of soap to skin and hair care products all of which can be purchased individually, as bundles or as subscriptions. Most of their skincare products are made of shea butter from Ghana, yet they also use a variety of organic essential oils and clays. These essential oils are herbed in season and sourced locally in their products. The natural ingredients hydrate the skin and provide benefits that can aid those with mental or physical illnesses.

After downloading the app “Think Dirty” which informs the user about the products they are using and its ingredients, the founder realized that mass corporations label their merchandise as “natural” and “healthy” when in fact they contain dangerous chemicals, inspiring their interest for authentic

soap.

Some of the most popular items include: the soap bars sold from $7.50 to $10 complemented by ingredients such as activated charcoal, lemongrass, lavender and tumeric, their “soft, sensitive and powerful” Goddess Treasure Clay Mask is $25 and enriched with the world’s purest kaolin and bentonite clay as well as the moisturizing and vitamin rich iLuv Me Body Balm at $30 composed of essential oils and nutrients necessary for collagen production.

“We feed off of each other’s creativity and have fun making new products. We both have our strong points and compliment each other,” founder and co-owner Darden said.

Their team dynamic is what allows them to pull everything together, especially through difficult times like these. Since the beginning of the pandemic, their sales have declined significantly due to government regulations to prevent community spread.

The family-owned small business works hard to reflect their African roots in their wide

range of products. They advocate for social justice by being active on social media @treehuggingsoap with progressive posts that address inequality.

Before mass closures, Tree Hugging Soap was located in Upper Eastside Farmer’s Market at Legion Park. Their merchandise may be found in the Virtual Farmer’s Market website urbanoasisproject.org and remains active through their own website treehuggingsoap. com. h

Courtesy of Tree Hugging Soap

SWEET SMELLS: This box displays some products Tree Hugging Soap has to offer like essential oils, body balms and soaps.

the scene 27

Back to school: covid-19 edition

By MARIA JOSe CESTERO

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As the transition to online school progresses, students and teachers alike face struggles adapting to the virtual format insight

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decided to start off the upcoming school year virtually, expressing his belief that it was the only way to educate while keeping students and teachers safe. Though schools are initiating online, MDCPS is preparing for the arrival of students with safety guidelines and protocols already set up at school sites.

“We are ready to resume schooling,” Carvalho said on NBC News July 29. “Our teachers are ready, our principals are ready, our students are ready, I believe our parents are ready, unfortunately, our community is not.”

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“I FEEL THAT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF QUARANTINE I BECAME LESS SOCIAL WITH MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.” YELEINI GOMEZ, SOPHOMORE As the starting date of Aug. 31 rapidly approaches, MDCPS is attempting to resolve concerns and problems that came up at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. One of the biggest changes is the switch to a platform called My School Online (MSO), which is supposed to replicate the interaction, schedule and education that physical school has provided. MDCPS has also addressed the class time conflicts by returning schools to their daily or block schedule and confining teachers to class period times.

Additionally, they have moved start times for high school until 8:30 a.m. for Phase 1 to have more fluid times across grade levels.

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HOPEFULLY,...AS STUDENTS WE GET TO LEARN AND ENJOY SCHOOL AT FULL CAPACITY... AS IT WAS BEFORE THE VIRUS.

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I JOINED CROSS COUNTRY AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING SEASON BUT I KNOW THAT THE PRIORITY WILL ALWAYS BE TO STAY SAFE.

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Though MDCPS is taking great strides towards making distance learning equal to in-person learning, there are certain aspects of regular school that will be nearly impossible to replicate virtually.

Student interaction is among the most difficult feats to approach as schools look to start the new academic year. Sports, clubs and student bonding cannot take place physically. Apps such as FaceTime and Zoom have been extremely popular as ways to interact with friends or classmates safely, but there is only so much socializing students can do through a small screen.

For teachers, the challenge lies in ensuring students are completing an appropriate workload to properly grasp the curriculum while also being sympathetic to their students’ frustrations. The shift to distance learning has proven to be a challenge as teachers try to keep their students engaged and participating in the lesson from miles away.

“Since [school is] all online, [assignments] get all piled up at one point or another,” sophomore Matteo Rocha-Chaves said. “If you didn’t have a teacher on a certain day they would just assign things even though you wouldn’t really have them in physical school.”

Both sides of the online school equation have their fair share of individual woes, but they also share struggles in balancing work, online school and home life in general.

Distractions such as siblings and children can complicate the amount of time they dedicate to school in general. Bringing students’ and teachers’ main source of stress, school and work, into the household makes the environment more susceptible to distractions.

As the effects of online school could extend past digital learning, highlights considers the effects on students and teachers.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING BUT ONLINE SCHOOL ISN’T SO BAD.

-Rene Mena, junior insight

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TYPICAL SCHOOL DAY entails eating lunch with friends, walking around the halls and working on group projects. As COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise across the nation, students and teachers are being removed from their usual school environment and thrust into digital learning. For the 2020-2021 school year, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) has announced various plans to support families, students and teachers during these trying times. Even with this support, the school community continues to face a host of struggles adapting to digital learning.

When school closures began in March, converting to online learning seemed simple.

Students and teachers were to report to virtual classes for the few months remaining in the school year. Yet, what many realized was that distance learning has proven to be a challenge not only to the education system itself, but also to the mental and physical health of teachers and students.

According to a student survey conducted by highlights, 71% of students felt less sociable and 46.1% of students felt their mental health deteriorated, causing higher stress and anxiety levels among the student body.

“I feel that since the beginning of quarantine I became less social with my friends and family,” sophomore Yeleini Gomez said. “I didn’t feel like interacting with others. Even when I often tried to interact or do something else, I didn’t have the energy to.”

Seeing how online school was executed and the effects it had on their children, 49.6% of MDCPS parents voted on putting their children back in physical school for the upcoming year. However, as COVID-19 positivity rates averaged 12.67% (to reopen they must reach a minimum threshold of 10%), superintendent Alberto Carvahlo

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STUDENTS The radical switch to online learning has many students dreading a return to school. Many students do not have the high bandwidth or mental capacity that online courses are dependent upon, making digital learning a tenuous task. Students grew up in the physical school environment, learning hands-on with the teacher merely a few feet away from them, keeping the classroom attentive and focused. As the transition to online school continues, many struggle to adapt to learning directly from their homes.

In March, MDCPS tried to combat student struggles with technology by giving devices to all students, contracting reduced Internet rates and giving Wi-Fi hotspots to those in need. MDCPS will continue to provide these resources, however, students’ home lives can also be problematic because of siblings, home responsibilities, and the accessibility to other distractions that the teacher can’t control. This program ensures all students are ready to continue their education virtually, not just those with access to steady, working WiFi. Though MDCPS is taking great strides towards making distance learning equal to the schoolhouse model, the switch from one to the other will have effects on students that are out of MDCPS’s reach.

The online school system managed to digitize classes, but after school activities and stress relievers such as sports had to be canceled. Many of these activities were the students’ main ways to alleviate stress and anxiety build-up and their removal made getting through online school much harder.

In a recent poll conducted by the highlights staff, 73.4% of students admitted to feeling less productive since the start of

online learning and 68.1% admitted to procrastinating more.

Without stress relievers and fun activities to look forward to, students felt suffocated by school-related responsibilities, causing their overall productivity to diminish.

“I play for the school’s varsity volleyball team and our season was cut short because of COVID-19,” junior Diego Moran said. “So when it was all canceled, it definitely hurt the team.

Especially the seniors that were trying to complete their year strong.”

Digital learning also had a negative impact on students’ social abilities. A study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine showed that children that experienced enforced isolation were five times more likely to develop depression and post-traumatic stress. With students feeling lonelier as social distancing continues, rekindling old school friendships will prove difficult as time moves on.

Studying from home further challenged students’ time management skills greatly. By not having strict time restraints, students’ sleep schedules were affected, decreasing their performance in online school. A study conducted by the University of Utah and Dr. Kelly Baron, a clinical psychologist specialized in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, showed how stress and sleep are a bidirectional relationship. This means that in especially stressful situations, such as the online school workload, the human body is hypervigilant to what’s going on around it, not letting the brain go to sleep effectively.

“Since we didn’t really have a strict schedule, I would complete my assignments late at night and wake up around noon, so I didn’t really learn anything I was given,” sophomore Ella Allocco said.

teachers The goal for online learning is to help students get the best experience for their education while considering their mental and social environments. However, teachers also face major challenges as they hastily learn new programs, think of creative ways to digitally make their lessons exciting, juggle keeping the same level of academic excellence and take care of their life at home.

Many teachers have memorized their curriculums and teaching methods like the back of their hand so online learning is forcing them to have to adopt innovative ways to engage their students from their homes. In addition, once teachers were given their rosters in Mid-August they had just one week to train for their new online teaching platform and will not have access until the first day of school. The district hosted training sessions starting on Aug.19 but many are still unsure how they will be able to teach their students effectively or manage several communication platforms and if they will be able to smoothly transition back into the physical classroom once Phase 2 is reached. Some teachers need time adjusting to the new platform as their classes mostly require kinetic experiences. Classes like art, culinary and physical education are hands-on classes that almost completely require the presence of the students in the classroom in order to make them work. Others, such as Special Education (SPED) and ESOL teachers, work best with their students if they are face to face, providing lessons in real time for their students as a way to keep them focused.

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“It’s not organic to not have the kids present in front of you,” SPED Autism and Spectrum Disability teacher Ivette Feeney said. “Being able to show them physically or tactilely, explain something to them or have them see it in front of them is much different to doing it from a computer screen.”

Some teachers do not have a problem with transitioning to an online format, but instead have problems with the responsibilities and distractions at home preventing them from being actively available to their students. Teachers with children in the household have to watch over and take care of them 24/7, regardless of work responsibilities. This constant supervision makes focusing on work extremely difficult, especially when children in the house will also be attending online school and will need help adapting. Distractions like these are what makes some households an unsuitable place to teach and learn effectively.

“Teaching my classes and taking care of my two year old will continue to be a challenge,” science Department Chairperson Tanya Philips said. “Being a mommy and a professional at the same time is one of the hardest tasks that I have ever had to do.

[My son] has participated in practically every Zoom session, regardless if I was meeting with my students or my boss.”

Whether it is taking care of their household responsibilities, chores or thinking of creative ways to keep students engaged in their online lessons, teachers face a great amount of pressure h as online school continues to replace in-person schooling. h

by the numbers 71% 79.1%

of students have had less communication with their peers in quarantine

of students feel more distracted at home

47.2%

of students feel less creative during distance learning

81.5%

73.4% of students feel less productive at home

of students are or have been afraid for the health of themselves or their families

percentage of students

highlights surveyed 335 students in August 2020 regarding the effects of COVID-19 on their daily lives.

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Students and Number of Acquaintances who have contracted COVID-19

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number of contacts who have tested positive

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46.3%

of students feel that their mental health has deteriorated Compiled by Isabella Villarroel

Isabella Villarroel/ high

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Find us online Like our Facebook page: highlights Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @highlightscghs Read more at: cavsconnect.com/category/ highlights-submissions/ What is your opinion? Tell us your point of view on a topic published in highlights with an email titled “Letter to the Editor.� We reserve the right to publish any letters sent to this email.

Questions? Email us at highlightscghs@gmail.com

lightbox

Two protesters embrace on the streets of Miami during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 8. These protests were a part of the wave of people calling for change after the death of George Floyd on May 25.

Courtesy of Estelle Erwich