Issue 4, Vol. 58

highlights

CHANGING THE URBAN LANDSCAPE GREEN TRANSPORT

SETTING A STANDARD

BAND STANDS TALL

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PAGE 16

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New eco-friendly forms of transportation: Limebike, a bike rental company, and Freebee, a free shuttle service, emerge in Miami’s neighborhoods.

Issue 4, Volume 58

Jan. 2018

A proposed bill hopes to give Florida’s school districts the right to deviate from the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

highlights Copy Editor Jack Band takes his talents to the school’s JROTC program, marching and saluting his way through the rigors of cadet training.

Coral Gables SHS 450 Bird Road, Coral Gables, FL 33146

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sports

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The school offers three new educational programs that all students can take advantage of.

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As the spring sports season approaches, the Cavs look to carry their success into the new year.

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Syrian refugees and those interested in helping them meet monthly at the Syrian Supper Club.

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Continuing their hot streak, the boys varsity basketball team took care of business against Ferguson.

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the scene

Twenty students from the class of 2018 were announced as Seniors of Distinction on Jan. 8.

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Omni Park offers free facilities for locals involved in the skateboarding community.

The annual Bridge for Peace dinner supporting BLUE Missions Group is set to take place on Feb. 15.

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highlights scopes out three romantic locations for the perfect Valentine’s Day in Miami.

opinion 13

Methods by which community service hours are recorded do not accurately represent the work done.

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Greek life partying goes too far when students put themselves in harm’s way during hazings.

insight 28

CORRECTIONS In Issue 3, our December edition, highlights wrongly listed the freshman class trip to Magic Kingdom as an upcoming event in our News section.

Gentrification has risen due to an influx of wealth in underdeveloped regions. highlights explores the economic and cultural repercussions of this trend for the local communities, businesses and individuals affected.

FIND US ONLINE

advisory board

staff writers

Editor-in-Chief Leila Iskandarani Managing Editor Vanessa Vazquez Copy Editor Jack Band Business Manager Amanda Pallas Social Media Manager Audrey Weigel Adviser Melissa Gonzalez Features Sofia Viglucci News Angelle Garcia Opinion Benjamin Estrada Sports Dylan Carol The Scene Natalie Viglucci Insight Alejandra Orozco & Sutton Payne Online Karina Wu

Makayla Bell Tatiana Campos Daniel Cortes Dilan Denham Estelle Erwich Ruben Escobar Sophia Heilman Kevin Monjarrez Thomas Morcillo Savannah Payne Arianna Peña Alejandro Prida Mathilde Requier Cecilia Rodriguez Sara Saliamonas Alexander Sutton Alexandra Torres Mariam Vela Alfredo Wolfermann

contributors Cavaleon CavsConnect The Syrian Supper Club

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highlights @highlightscghs @highlightscghs

25 What’s your opinion? Send us an email with the subject line “Letter to the Editor” at highlightscghs@gmail.com.

We reserve the right to publish any letters sent to this email.

publication policy 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 in the National Scholastic Press Association Code of Ethics for scholastic journalists and advisers. According to Miami-Dade County School Policy, student media is not subject to prior-review by administration or district personnel and as such, all content is determined by, and reflects the views of, student staff members only. highlights welcomes reader feedback. All letters should be addressed to highlightscghs@gmail.com with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.” highlights reserves the right to publish any letters sent to this email.

4 features

South Florida meets Syria

The Syrian Supper Club showcases Middle Eastern culture to support refugee families

By Estelle Erwich, Staff Writer

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UESTS FILTER INTO THE Riviera Presbyterian Church, exchanging pleasantries as they clink glasses and socialize. Signs, written in both English and Arabic, are stapled onto the walls, baring the greeting: “All are welcome here.”

From the kitchen, rich aromas penetrate the air as women carrying trays of decadent food arrangements emerge, their skirts billowing as young children run between them, laughing and chattering in Arabic and broken English.

The event is a dinner hosted by the Syrian Supper Club, a nonprofit organization founded

by Michelle Fonte and Mona Awad. Fonte realized that there were many Syrian families that had recently relocated to Miami and were in great need. These families, many of which have been in the country for less than nine months, receive government assistance for around six months, and are then left to fend for themselves in a foreign city with limited transportation, often no employment opportunities and little to no grasp on the English language.

Partnering with Awad, a social worker with Arabic roots, Fonte launched the Syrian Supper Club, a series of dinner events which anyone can volunteer to host. Syrian immigrants are employed to cook, and the money raised by ticket sales and donations goes directly to supporting them and their families. For many, this cooking job is the only form of income.

Fonte and Awad also provide assistance to the families by finding them employment, helping them navigate public transportation and running support groups for the refugees, whose mental health has been severely damaged after living through traumatic events.

A Syrian Supper Club event can be hosted by anyone, though usually by a family member, a business, church or school. Interested parties contact Fonte and Awad via Facebook and set up a day, time and menu. The refugee workers

are then hired based on the number of guests attending the dinner. During the event, the workers cook a Syrian meal and Awad gives a speech about the refugees’ stories and the organization. Then, by way of a translator, the families answer questions that attendees may have and share their own experiences of life in war-torn Syria, immigration and assimilation to American life. After the dinner, guests can speak individually with the refugees to hear their stories, try to find ways to assist them or thank them for the meal.

On the night of the Riviera meeting, three women were employed to cook. They served an array of foods, including various salads, grape leaves filled with vegetables and spices, rice dishes and baked chicken, followed by freshly made baklava desserts.

As guests finished their meals, Awad spoke about some of the many problems that the refugees face. She explained that merely leaving Syria was the first of many steps— most families had to travel through multiple countries, stay in refugee camps, wait through tedious asylum processes and face the challenges of assimilation. According to Fonte, the most prevalent of these issues is income. Employers are hesitant to recruit a new immigrant who is not fluent in English or Spanish, and because of this, even highly educated or skilled refugees struggle to find places to work. For many families, the Supper Club is the only source of income, and the threat of eviction is constantly looming.

“This population of refugees faces different challenges than other groups do because they speak Arabic,” Fonte said. “So we created a program where people can go and tutor them in their homes. We also have support groups at the center— they’ve been through a lot of trauma.

We have found that it is an impediment to them getting on their feet here if they are not feeling

well, or motivated to get up and find jobs or go to work. It doesn’t matter if we have the best programs in the world, they have to be well enough to get up and be able to go to them.”

Regardless of these obstacles, the refugee families continuously overcome daily challenges to build their future. Though government assistance is limited, the adults still emphasize their gratitude for it and the rights and freedoms given to them in the United States. To them, issues that often hog newspaper headlines are trivial in comparison to the destroyed nation they left behind and the challenges they have since overcome.

“I think that because they have come from such a horrible situation, they aren’t as concerned [about politics] as we think. They feel safe here, they aren’t being bombed, so they aren’t concerned about the things we often are.

They’re busy trying to get settled in a new city,” Fonte said.

With Awad translating, the families were open to discussion with the dinner guests. One woman, Nameh Mansun, is originally from Damascus, but fled to Turkey and has been in the United States for ten months. She came with her husband and three children, leaving behind a close-knit family unit in Syria, as most of the refugees have. Mansun explained that her family realized it was too difficult to stay in Damascus after her husband was recruited for the army, and began the treacherous process of immigration. Since then, she and her husband have tried to find work while adjusting, but currently only have the Syrian Supper Club as their form of income. When asked what her biggest challenge was, the answer was simple.

“Finding work and learning the language,” Mansun said.

The main theme of the Supper Club is the great need for community outreach to aid the refugees. The Syrian community in Miami is

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Syrian Supper Club/contributor

HALL >> talk

BLOCK 1 BLOCK 2 “What would you do if you came home and found a microwaved hamster?”

“Last time I made brownies they were 11 years expired.”

“Not today, existential crisis”

“Yooo today I found a chicken wing in the business hall.”

“I’m giving my computer cellulite.”

“Are those my grandma’s socks?”

FLAVORS OF SYRIA:

The Supper Club offers a wide range of Middle Eastern specialties, such as baklava and tabouleh salad.

Estelle Erwich/highlights

not an expansive one, and mosques are not currently capable of providing sufficient assistance. Support for the refugees could range anywhere from offering to use a translation app to making job interviews simpler, offering English or financial tutoring, connecting tradesmen with local businesses where they can practice their crafts, donating a car to aid in transportation or hosting a supper club, helping the refugees assimilate and transition into a life of self-sufficiency.

Junior Sophie Sepehri has aided the community by dedicating her International Baccalaureate Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) project to help the refugees.

Her organization, By Teens for Teens, threw a Halloween event for teenage Syrian refugees to connect with one another and better understand American culture.

“Because many of them live so far away from each other, it’s very rare for them to have the chance to meet other children who are in the same situation… the holiday party served not only as a way for them to learn more about American holidays, but also as a way for them to feel less isolated,” Sepehri said.

Organizations such as By Teens for Teens and the Syrian Supper Club offer opportunities for the community to use its resources, even just time and community, to aid refugees.

“A great way to get involved is to go to these supper clubs,” Sepehri said. “It’s an eye-opening experience. You learn what really takes place in these countries firsthand, rather than from what you hear on the news.”

The Syrian Supper Club offers an upclose view of the refugee crisis and a way to make an impact on a global conflict. h

The highlights staff records what students are talking about in the hallways during passing between periods.

6 features

New programs assist students The school launched three new educational pathways in conjunction with partnerships

By Audrey Weigel, Staff Writer

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program prepares students for jobs in construction, helping them to decide on a specialization in the field.

The benefits include greater starting wages when entering the area.

Every program has its own requirements in regards to grade point average (GPA) and grade level. The GPA requirement varies from 2.0 to 3.0, but each program has its own restrictions on which grade levels can participate. The Teaching Program focuses on incoming freshmen, C3 on sophomores and the Pre-Apprenticeship Program on juniors only.

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options and the ability to gain more experience and knowledge in the careers they are interested in pursuing. C3 is geared toward students who are interested in receiving their Associates in Arts (AA) while still attending high school. This allows students to participate in activities at the school and have a typical high school experience while being able to begin college level courses in high school.

The teaching program is designed for students who have a passion for teaching and are interested in pursuing a career in education. Lastly, the pre-apprenticeship

Sofia

HE SCHOOL HAS implemented three new programs this school year. While the programs are not academies, they work in conjunction with an academy at the school or an outside organization. The programs include Cavaliers Conquer College (C3), the Teaching Program and the Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

C3 and the Teaching Program were put in place when the school year started, but the pre-apprenticeship program is fairly new to the school, beginning this month.

The programs were introduced to give students

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teaching program

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I’m so happy that the program is new, because I get to learn how to do lesson plans like how they do in college, and having a teacher show you how to do them is much more helpful.

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-Keila Aguila, Sophomore

The Teaching Program is specifically geared toward students who are interested in becoming teachers, by giving them insight into the teaching profession. Students enrolled in the program watch teachers, but they also create lesson plans and learn the teaching standards for elementary, middle and high school. Students are encouraged to participate in the club Future Educators of America (FEA), a club focused on helping students nurture their interest in teaching.

The 4-year program is held in conjunction with MiamiDade College (MDC). By the time students in the program graduate, they will have a total of four to five college credits, including their EDF 10-05 — an introduction to

education class—and their substitute credit. Students who graduate from the program will only need 30 credit hours to complete their training.

This is not its own academy, but instead an elective course that students can choose to take within the Design, Education and Hospitality (DEH) academy; however, the class is not exclusively available to DEH students. There are only 24 students enrolled this year, but because this is the first year that the program has been offered at the school, that number is expected to grow. As demand grows for the program, more classes will be added.

Projects that the students have already completed include making show boxes to present their ideal future

classrooms, writing up stories and creating a children’s book.

During the holidays, the class brainstorms different ideas on what treats to give to teachers around the school. The treats are either homemade or bought, and is a gift to all teachers for the work they have put in for their students. They have already spoken to the Live Like Bella foundation, hoping to make quilts with personalized decorations and give them to kids with cancer with that they like.

“The academy has attracted students interested in the teaching profession, students that have known that interest and/or students that are certain that they want to be teachers,” lead teacher of the program Evelyn Torres said.

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has no school.

The benefit to the program is acceleration — students can get most of their core classes done. Even if they do not finish their AA, they finish high school with a jumpstart on their major. All the credits they earn roll over, even if they do not complete the degree.

“Students will not be evaluated as an incoming freshman, they’re being evaluated as a transfer student which opens a whole other world,” Assistant Principal Lazaro Hernandez said.

Grades earned in the program will be on student’s permanent academic record.

If some students choose to not take the program seriously, it could hurt their chances of attending a four year university.

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GPA requirement of a 3.0 and must be able to score “college ready” on the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT). Students are eligible to participate regardless of which academy they are in.

Though the program takes place at MDC, the classes that students take consist exclusively of high school students. There are some classes that the school does not offer on campus, and that is why students take those college courses at the MDC campus during last block.

The school discourages students from taking courses at MDC if they are already offered on campus. Because the MDC and MDCPS schedules do not always line up, students may have to attend their classes at MDC on days when MDCPS

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I would’ve done Cavaliers Conquer College, because it would have helped me save money and time when applying to college. Having my AA done would have been helpful.

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-Eric Jimenez, Senior

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pre-apprentinceship program

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The PreApprenticeship program allows students to get their teaching license and gain experience from respected professionals.

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C3 is a new educational program available to students at the school that helps motivated students received their AA from Miami-Dade College (MDC) while simultaneously attending high school. Participating students leave the school during last block and take a bus to MDC’s InterAmerican campus.

Students in C3 are allowed to participate in all school-related activities, but may not be able to because most teams and clubs meet at 2:30 p.m., and the bus does not return to the school until 4 p.m.

The program targets rising sophomores and students who take Dual Enrollment (DE) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, but is open to all grade levels. Students need to meet the minimum

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Cavaliers conquer college

-Daniel Castellon, Junior

The Pre-Apprenticeship program is a two-year construction program targeting current juniors, beginning this month. The school is one of four selected to offer this program, the others being Homestead Senior High, Miami Edison Senior High and Miami Carol Senior High school.

Students complete the program by passing an exam at the end of their senior year. It is available through funding received from different organizations, among them CareerSource South Florida.

It is competitive because it is designed for 25 students at most. The facilitator will be Teacher Ernie Padron, and the class will be offered during first period in room 3106. A lot of material taught in the

program will be gained from computer-based modules, with the assistance of Padron.

The 12 trades offered in the program are bricklaying, carpentry, heating and air-conditioning, drywall finishing, electricity, elevator construction, insulation, operating engineering, painting, pipe fitting, plumbing and expertise in sheet metal.

Students will not have to seek an internship, because they will be given one by program coordinators. To apply, interested students must complete an application and be at least 16 years old, as well as commit to the two year program beginning junior year, be able to work during the summer and a have a 2.0 GPA. Students who complete the program are

guaranteed a higher wage when entering a construction career, creating an incentive for them to begin in high school.

“Students will have assistance, because people from the industry will come and work with them,” Assistant Vice Principal Nestor Diaz said.

The program is similar to On the Job Training, which targets seniors who have completed most of their graduation requirements If there are too many scheduling conflicts and students need the space to recover missing credits, they have the option of not selecting their academy class.

Benefits for students will not only include work experience, but also a head start in their careers. h

8 news

Students visit Florida colleges As graduation draws closer for upperclassmen, they tour in-state schools

COLLEGE CURIOSITY:

The school’s juniors and seniors visited five colleges and universities in Tampa, Gainesville, Orlando, Tallahassee and St. Augustine.

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News Briefs

By Sophia Heilman, Staff Writer

Winter Olympics Preview

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HE 2018 WINTER Olympics are set to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea from Friday Feb. 9 through Sunday, Feb. 25. PyeongChang was chosen as the host city with a majority vote against Munich, Germany and Annecy, France.

Russian athletes will not be competing in the games due to the statesponsored use of performance- enhancing drugs, though athletes who prove they have not used performance-enhancing drugs will be allowed to compete.

Some well-known athletes who will be competing at the games are snowboarder Jamie Anderson, figure skater Nathan Chen and skier Gus Kenworthy. Matt Hamilton and Rebecca Hamilton, two popular Olympians, are expected to have success in curling.

These expectations were set when they

qualified in the mens and womens divisions and the mixed doubles team.

In addition to the classic sports, twelve new sports have been added to the Winter Olympics lineup. These include team figure skating, ski halfpipe and both ski and snowboard slopestyle.

“I’m excited for the 2018 Winter Olympics because I love watching the athletes progress from the trial games to the Olympic games,” junior Desiree Valqui said.

Two North Korean figure skaters qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics and are going to be allowed to enter South Korea via the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ); normally, crossing the DMZ is not permitted. The allowing of the North Korean athletes in the Olympics has been prohobited since 2010. h

Congratulations 1967 Cavalier football team recognized as “The Team of the Century” by the Florida Sports Hall of Fame Senior football players Sebastian Riella, Xavier Burns, Derrius Perryman and Te’cory Tutson played in the Dade vs. Broward All-Star game.

Seniors of Distinction

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ACH YEAR, TEACHERS nominate seniors who have gone above and beyond the classroom to further their academic success throughout high school for the title of “Senior of Distinction”.

Seniors who received two or more nominations from two or more teachers were then placed on a ballot that was sent to all teachers from which the 21 students were selected and voted

as “Seniors of Distinction”. The Seniors of Distinction this year are Virgil Alfred, Yanik Ariste, Juliana Balladares, Lior Colina, Brianna de la Osa, Marta D’Ocon, Yara Faour, Abigail Flores, Orestes Garcia, Alain Guerra, Valentina Gutierrez, Ewan Hennessy, Ashely Knapp, Alyssa Lamadriz, Katie Molina, Ximena Puig, Marissa Singer-Rosenberg, Cavan Wilson, Melanie Wu and highlights staff members

Leila Iskandarani and Savannah Payne.

“You really had to stand out both in academics and extracurriculars to be recognized for this award. Their qualifications for this honorable nomination stem from their dedication to school involvement, success in the classroom and their leadership qualities,” junior and senior of distinction organizer Thomas Harley said. h

Upcoming Events Jan. 24 IB Pinning Ceremony

Jan. 26 Senior Sundae

Feb. 2 Sophomore Class Trip

Feb. 15 Bridge 4 Peace

Feb. 21-24 Harvard Model Congress

Source: Cavsconnect

10 news

Bridge for Peace supports BLUE Missions The International Baccalaureate Honor Society supports clean water initiative at annual fundraiser

By Amanda Pallas, Staff Writer

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HIS YEAR, THE SCHOOL’S International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS) has chosen to support BLUE Mission Trips during its yearly fundraiser, Bridge for Peace (B4P), with a $12,000 goal.

The money will be used to improve water sanitation and plumbing in the Dominican Republic (D.R.).

PREPARATION Each year, IBHS asks students who wish to fundraise for a cause to submit an application explaining their proposals. After selecting a cause, IBHS begins planning the event, which has been an international dinner in recent years but has previously been a fivekilometer race. The club fulfills the monetary goal by selling tickets for the event at $20 apiece. According IBHS President senior Yanik Ariste, the club usually sells around 600 tickets.

Each IBHS board member is in charge of specific committees which handles different aspects of the event.

There is a total of eight committees, each of which will be made up of IBHS club members. Ariste is in charge of overseeing all eight committees, completing specific tasks such as

proof reading the flyers before they are distributed, checking up on how much food the club has collected, arranging the extra credit opportunities, making sure that the committees are meeting often, organizing the club’s collections and ultimately making sure that everything B4P-related is running smoothly.

“I enjoy giving back to the community. B4P is a perfect opportunity for that. It’s fun and very well done every year,” senior Celina Montero said.

THE CAUSE BLUE Missions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world’s water and sanitation crisis, was introduced to IBHS by sophomore Julianna Bonavida. According to the IBHS sponsor, Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Lauren Noval, this year’s B4P will help BLUE Missions fundraise for latrines for rural communities in the D.R. The $12,000 goal should be enough to build a total of 30 latrines across three different towns.

“BLUE Missions really spoke to us because it fulfills a very basic need, clean water and access to sanitation, that unfortunately many rural communities in the D.R. [have] not [had] for ten

fLASHBACK

2015

“HEARING AND LEARNING ABOUT THE CAUSE REALLY OPENED MY MIND. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT BLUE MISSIONS WAS AND I AM GLAD THAT I WILL BE ATTENDING B4P THIS YEAR”.

CELINA MONTERO, SENIOR

years,” Ariste said.

Bonavida became involved with BLUE Missions in July, when she participated in a service trip with the organization to the D.R. After B4P, Bonavida will be going with BLUE Missions on another sanitation trip to build the latrines for the Dominican village.

“I wanted to show Gables students how lucky they are. It is also a super easy way to get involved with the local and global community,” Bonavida said.

According to Ariste, this project is about much more than the latrines themselves, it is instead about the impact the latrines will have for the next 20 years.

THE EVENT The B4P event will take place on February 15 at the Coral Gables Museum. IBHS has decided to continue the international dinner tradition for the past two years that includes a multicultural fashion show. Ariste explained that, because the cause changes each year, the club tries to vary the entertainment to make it more reflective of the cause itself. This year, IBHS plans to host a local band

CULTURED CAUSE: (Left): A student dressed in a Sari, a traditional Indian dress, participates in the international dinner’s fashion show. (Right): In the past, Bridge for Peace was a walkathon.

2014

Source: Cavsconnect

news 11 Montero, who has attended the event twice, says that it is a fun event that is well done each year. She enjoys immersing herself in the different cultures, as well as gathering together with teachers and students to support a worthy cause.

Many guests enjoy the food and the entertainment at the museum but most importantly keep the important cause in mind.

“I go to B4P because I think it’s a great cause that deserves to be supported by everyone,” senior Samantha Rodriguez said.

In past years, B4P has supported many different causes—a girl’s orphanage in India; Flying High for Haiti, a non-profit organization providing access to educational opportunities in Haiti; and forage for a small village in the African country of Senegal.

Starting in 2015, B4P transitioned into being an international dinner featuring food from a wide variety of countries and ethnicities, an international fashion show that allows students to dress up in the typical cultural dress in front of the school’s staff and community guests. In past years superintendent Alberto Carvahlo came to the dinner in support of the cause. Local artists and musicians; last year, while the event was occurring, a mural was spray painted with the Best Buddies and International Baccalaureate logo.

Whatever the event, B4P has always been a centripetal force in the school, bringing all grades and academies together for a worthy cause and fun occasion.

Even though B4P is sponsored and run by IBHS, all students regardless of academy or grade level are welcome to attend, enjoy dinner and music and donate to the cause. h

Missions group Donation Goal: $12,000 Event time and location: Coral Gables Museum, 6:30-8:30 P.M. Entrance price: $20, includes 10 food tickets Event date: February 15, 2018

Yearbooks for sale!

Buy now for $70 in room 9222 or online at yearbookordercenter.com

12 news

Miami’s green transportation solution

New transportation companies, Freebee and Limebike, join the Miami ride-sharing scene with unique sustainable initiatives

By Alfredo Wolfermann, Staff Writer

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IFFERENT FROM transportation services like Uber and Lyft a multitude of smaller but vastly unique transportation companies in Miami exist. Two such businesses are Freebee and Limelight.

Slowly gaining momentum in the city, their green initiatives set them apart.

Unlike common ride-sharing apps, Freebee, a Wynwood based company, is bringing new elements into the industry by providing free, electric transportation. Using electric golf cartlike vehicles, the company is a “going green” advocate, supporting the City of Miami’s Climate Action Plan and operating all of it vehicles on clean energy.

By featuring advertisements by a multitude of clients, local businesses and national brands, the company finances their customers’ rides. After downloading the app, users are

presented with a list of recommended places to be around Coral Gables, which can come in handy to tourists and locals alike. Upon ordering a Freebee users can track their car in real time until reaching their destination. The electric rides do come with limitations however. As of 2018 the company offers rides only in certain areas. This is only a minor setback though, seeing that the business has service areas in Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Brickell, Downtown, Wynwood, Edgewater, Midtown and the Design District with different — by area — but long hours of operation every day.

On a perhaps slower scale than that of Freebee, Limebike aims to eliminate citizen’s carbon footprints by utilizing bicycles and technology to create its own transportation network. Born from the desire to ensure that future generations will be able to live on a healthy planet,

Limebike offers users a bike-riding experience by allowing them to rent bikes and leave them anywhere to be rented by other riders.

LimeBikes service starts at one dollar for a thirty-minute rental, with student discounts available in and around college campuses and college towns. The app allows customers to view the location of nearby Limebikes with an estimated walking distance and then be able to unlock them and reach their next destination. The bicycles feature a front basket, a solar panel, and a smart lock. Unlike Miami’s CitiBike, Limebike does not have specific docking stations, allowing users to unmount anywhere, from the metrorail to the shopping mall to the subway. The company currently operates in areas in North Carolina, California and Florida, but plans to expand to new locations in 2018. h

highlights Do you enjoy writing? Do you like photography?

Do you enjoy working with layout design?

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

Priority deadline: February 16.

Find the application under News in the highlights tab on CavsConnect. Contact Melissa Gonzalez with any questions at Melissa_Gonzalez@dadeschools.net or in room 9220.

13 opinion

STAFF-ED: Community service

The current model of service hours is generally not effective at representing the real amount of work done HE WAY COMMUNITY service is logged is an inaccurate measure of a student’s involvement in their community. In place of money, students work for hours and gain more than the amount of time spent partaking in the service. Also, with just a form as proof, students can forge a signature and give themselves as many hours as needed. In turn, these exaggerated amounts of hours are documented and sent to colleges. The community service hours system has many issues, but there are possible, albeit expensive solutions.

With proper funding from the state or even fundraising, this issue could be solved through revising how we verify and record community service hours.

Community service is defined as unpaid work. Florida students are required to have at least 15 hours of community service for students to graduate while certain scholarships, such as Bright Futures, require at least 100 hours.

However, most only do the community service for extra credit. Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) has a very generalized idea of the service hour, which makes it very simple to accumulate hours. The problem with this is that participation is not the same thing as activity and are not necessarily impacting the community. Students could attend the event and stand around for an hour while other students work and receive the same amount of community service hours.

“I worked for my hours during my free time when I could be sleeping, but I am doing community service,” Sophomore Marcia Cabale said.

However, some students actually go through the trouble to earn the number of hours they receive while others just visit a supermarket and pick up some supplies.

Many teachers give hours for anything.

According to the Coral Reef Community Service contract, “Community Service is giving back to society. It is helping others. You are not PAID a salary for community service.”

This explains the fundamental idea behind community service, which is to get students involved in their communities to learn new skills and grow to be better people.

Service hours do not accurately

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depict the involvement of students in their communities. The solution is to lower the incentive on the number of hours available to students who donate items.

This will offer a temporary solution to the inflated amounts of community service hours being provided for donations without discouraging assisting the needy.

“By allowing students to fulfill grade and hour requirements [through material donations], the school is enforcing the ‘buying’ of success,” freshman Chloe Grant said.

It is important to remember that the original purpose of community service is to help students engage more in their communities because the state believes that they can benefit from the experience.

Service gives students insight into the life of the average worker, which in turn helps them learn and prepare them for the working world.

Despite these issues, schools continue to list them on high school transcripts.

Therefore, the state should stop focusing on giving students scholarships and grants based on a potentially distorted number of community service hours.

This only encourages students to continue faking and collecting hours that will be undeservingly rewarded.

With counselors being too busy to check each individual student’s hour log to verify activity, a solution would be to allocate one or more persons to specifically check and verify the validity of community service sheets. Students should also be required to bring in more proof such as a picture or video and even a handwritten letter from a credible source.

However, this would cost even more money to the school.

The majority of solutions require funding that could be obtained through government funding or fundraising from the school itself. But these funds, if obtained, might not be put into solving this issue unless it is seen as dire by the school board. Fundraising from the school or other organizations could help solve this additional issue because the money raised will be put directly into resolving the present issues of the service hours system. Furthermore, hiring people to specifically verify the authenticity of service hour sheets. h

By the numbers Out of 386 students surveyed:

88% 10%

Of students have performed some form of community service

Of students have received service hours through a club or organization

25%

68%

OF Students feel that they did not work hard for their service hours

Of students believe that they were given more hours than the actual amount they spent working

51% Benjamin Estrada/highlights

14 opinion

The pitfalls of Greek life

While a culture of partying contributes, Greek organizations are to blame for recent tragedies Commentary by Alejandro Prida, Staff Writer

O

N NOV. 7, Florida S t a t e University (FSU) suspended all activities for its sororities and fraternities indefinitely in the wake of a pledge’s death. Andrew Coffey, a 20-year-old Pi Kappa Phi pledge, was found dead on Nov. 3 after attending the “Big Brother Night” party, where pledges are introduced to their big brothers within the fraternities, the night before.

The official cause of death was alcohol poisoning; Coffey’s blood alcohol level at the time of the autopsy was 0.447. Another incident, the death of Matthew Ellis, a Pi Kappa Psi pledge at Texas State University (TSU) who was found unresponsive the morning after a fraternity event, led TSU to suspend Greek life activities indefinitely on Nov. 15.

These tragedies are just two of a sizeable number of fraternity-related deaths in recent years. Students at Louisiana State University (LSU), University of Michigan at Ann

Arbor (U-M-Ann Arbor) and Indiana University (IU) have been seriously injured or killed in similar ways to those at FSU and TSU. Both U-M-Ann Arbor and IU placed self-imposed restrictions on Greek life activities, with fraternity and sorority presidents voting to suspend such activities until the end of the fall semester.

These bans will not prevent students from partying and drinking, but the issue has never been with partying and drinking. Hazings are responsible for the deaths at FSU, TSU and LSU, along with at least one student every year since 1959 in the United States and Canada, according to Hank Nuwer, an investigative journalist specializing in these kinds of incidents.

Initiation rituals serve as a test for new pledges to a fraternity or sorority, and are held in high esteem by members beacuse of their perceived importance in the process of becoming a brother. These initiation rituals involve forcing pledges to perform humiliating, degrading or dangerous acts, most commonly consuming copious, often unsafe amounts of alcohol in short periods of time, making alcohol poisoning the

DID YOU KNOW?

In the last decade, 40 U.S. university students have died from hazing activities.

Source: The Economist

leading cause of hazing deaths.

This explains Coffey’s blood alcohol level being five times the legal driving limit at the time of his death, something other Pi Kappa Phi members at FSU failed to take responsibility for at a grand jury hearing late in December of last year. Furthermore, members were spotted sharing laughs and joking with each other prior to testifying, a clear indication of the insincerity sensed by the grand jury.

In its report the jury stated that “many of the witnesses’ testimony appeared rehearsed, as if they were speaking off a ‘script.’ They presented many of the same answers as each other, and volunteered much self-serving information without being asked.”

Greek organizations have long histories and are a staple of the American college experience for hundreds of thousands of students. Many universities rave about the camaraderie they create among members and the lasting impact that partaking in Greek life can have. Sadly, among some fraternity members the brotherhood seems to be lost, and some traditions, like hazings, that are commonplace in fraternities

Quick facts There has been

one

at least

hazing death per year in

North America since

1959 .

Benjamin Estrada/highlights

48%

of U.S. high school students admit to participating in hazing activities.

One in four

students have been subject to hazing as teenagers.

Compiled by Alejandro Prida

Source: Health Research Funding, LA Times, North American Interfraternity Conference

Benjamin Estrada/highlights

opinion 15

Daniel Cortes/highlights

and sororities are in desperate need of reform.

Rather than protecting institutions which have no stake in their wellbeing, students should look after one another.

Blindly following the steps of those who came before them and preserving twisted customs does the opposite, putting their so-called brothers in harm’s way. The ability of students at U-MAnn Arbor and IU to acknowledge the recklessness of their peers’ behavior is

a good sign of self-awareness, a quality the overwhelming majority of Greek organizations seem to be lacking in.

While the sanctions placed by universities on Greek organizations are surely a step in the right direction, that none of the fraternity members involved in the deaths of Coffey and Ellis have been indicted is worrying to say the least.

Being a member of a group, no matter how prestigious or historic, should not shield them from rightful punishment.

These kinds of incidents are disturbingly uncommon at American universities, and parents have long yearned for serious action to be taken against those responsible for their children’s deaths.

Therefore, while it may seem harsh to do away with Greek life entirely, by doing so, FSU President John Thrasher, along with presidents at TSU and LSU, is sending a message these parents have been waiting to hear for a long time. h

opposable thumbs Oprah 2020 “A TV star running the country, what can go wrong?”

-Alejandro Prida, Staff Writer

Valentine’s day date “What’s the big deal? It’s February 14th.”

-Benjamin Estrada, Opinion Editor

Hawaii’s False nuclear missle alert “For a moment I thought that North Korea was actually getting its act together.”

-Alexander Sutton, Staff Writer

16 opinion

TWO VIEWS: Common vs. Specialized st

Senate Bill 966 offers school districts the opportunity to a own standards, but is uniformity they key to good educatio Commentary by Dilan Denham, Staff Writer

N NOVEMBER, Florida State Senator Dennis Baxley proposed a bill that would rewrite Florida’s educational standards for K-12 public school students by changing the minimum baseline core content standards. The bill would allow individual school districts to develop their own educational standards, though doing so is unjustified.

Firstly, allowing districts to create their own educational standards would create a disparity between subject offerings in schools across the state, which, depending on a student’s district, could limit the range of classes he or she has access to.

Secondly, allowing districts to create their own educational standards could cause a disparity in quality of public education to develop. The current system ensures a consistent quality of education across the state, giving each child an equal opportunity to education.

If educational standards differed across districts, students in poorer areas would be at an even greater disadvantage compared to those in wealthy areas.

Although the bill includes a provision requiring district standards to be equal or greater in rigor to Florida’s current educational standards— the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSS)— the word “rigor” is left undefined, creating a dangerous hole in what could be deemed as “rigorous.”

There are further complications that would arise with different educational standards across the state. Incoming classes at Florida’s public universities would be too varied in skillset, and would have to determine how to consider standardized tests, which are sure to differ among districts should the bill pass. Overall, education is put at risk by these changes.

“There are benefits in letting schools customize their own curriculum… but

I

Yes

when schools are allowed to run their own [curriculums] it can affect the quality of education,” sophomore Aidan Tamargo said.

None of this is to justify Florida’s current standards, which do not seem popular—according to a poll by CNS News, 60 percent of teachers believe that Florida state standards fail to teach students what they need to learn to prepare them for life after graduating. However, delegating the development of educational standards to individual school districts is not the solution to this. Bettering Florida’s K-12 public education system does not equate to eliminating state educational standards; rather, Florida should adjust its benchmarks according to student, teacher and administrator feedback, as well as model itself after other, more successful states.

Consider Massachusetts, which is widely regarded as the best state for public education. Massachusetts was able to better its public school system by increasing funding for districts with large numbers of low-income students, as well as increasing the amount of state funding for education. These reforms paid off— according to The Atlantic, Massachusetts public school “students’ math and reading scores rank No. 1 nationally,” and the state “even performs toward the top on international education indices.” Florida, on the other hand, was ranked No. 46 in a report by the National Education Association, and No. 46 by U.S. News & World Report.

To improve its K-12 public education system, Florida should implement reforms like these, rather than allow districts to develop their own standards, inevitably paving the way for further inequality within the system.

It is no secret that Florida’s K-12 public education system is broken.

However, fixing it does not start with allowing districts to develop their own standards. The state should work to develop standards that give every student an equal and fair education. h

By the numbers Florida originally adopted Common Core standards in

2010 .

Florida currently has

67

school districts.

69 percent

of U.S. school principals believe that common core standards lead to improved learning among students.

42

50

of U.S. states have adopted common core standards.

Compiled by Dilan Denham and Kevin Monjarrez

opinion 17

d standards

to adopt their cation?

ar nj

z re

ig ghl /h i

hts

Ke vi n

M o

students speak up

“

I THINK THE BILL INTRODUCES COMPETITION BETWEEN DISTRICTS, WHICH CREATES A BETTER PRODUCT.

Ke vi n

M o

-Rodney Michel, Sophomore

ar nj

z re

ig ghl /h i

hts

“

“

“WHEN YOU ABANDON UNIFORMITY, YOU LOSE THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE THE KNOWLEDGE OF A STUDENT.

-Cesar Bernal, Junior

“

Source: Harvard Center for Education Policy Research, National Education Assocaiation

Commentary by Kevin Monjarrez, Staff Writer

F

LORIDA’S COMMON CORE and Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) were both introduced with the goal of leveling the playing field for students and maximizing their learning potential.

In actuality, they did the opposite— implementing standards focused on minima and instilling mediocrity in students. As a response to the shortcomings of the state standards, state Senator Dennis Baxley filed Senate Bill (SB) 966, which hopes to finally deliver on the original promises the NGSSS made by granting school districts the authority to adopt their own standards.

The main criticism against Common Core and NGSSS is that these bureaucratic takeovers of education subject large groups of people to what essentially is an inefficient educational experiment.

Common Core, for example, forces students into a nationwide experiment to discover whether one set of educational standards work. A more decentralized system, on the other hand, offers the opportunity to study the effectiveness of a multitude of different approaches at once, greatly increasing the chance for a scholastic breakthrough. National and statewide experiments hinder this academic innovation, as school districts must strictly adhere to their state standards.

SB 966 remedies these problems by putting educational standards in the hands of individual school districts. Assuming a reasonable sum of school districts branch off from the NGSSS, the bill creates direct competition between districts, promoting innovation and successes in some school districts that others can emulate. “[Senate Bill 966] sounds like a step in the right direction,” Dual Enrollment American Government teacher James Dunn said. “I think the ultimate solution will come through a more decentralized system.”

In addition to freeing school districts from the state standards, SB 966 also aims to make improvements in science classes, stating that controversial topics must be taught in a fair and balanced manner.

While this change was directed at the evolution versus the creationist theory debate, it also cements all educational institutions, not just universities, as a place to explore controversial ideas by eliminating teaching biases. The change also encourages civil discussion and critical thinking, however the initiation of such discussion is still dependent on the teacher.

Although SB 966 seems to resolve most of the issues school districts face, it does leave some issues unresolved. The current educational standards fixate on overly rigorous minimum requirements, which undeniably set students back. The constant barrage of arduous hurdles forces students to pass by stuffing their shortterm memory with facts they will soon forget. While these students manage to limp through topics on a pacing guide, they struggle in future classes and tests.

According to The National Report Card, 75 percent of seniors are not college ready, and the majority of them fail their math and reading readiness exams. While SB 966 seems to offer freedom from the standards that contribute to this failure, it states that school districts must adopt standards “equivalent to or more rigorous than the Next Generation Sunshine State standards, or courses offered in the International Baccalaureate program.”

Worth noting is that rigor is undefined in the bill; however, if it continues to be measured by drowning students in facts at an unreasonable pace, then Florida students may still have to endure the wrath of the NGSSS. SB 966 is not a perfect bill, but it is a good and necessary start towards improved education. Continued efforts such as these can push Florida, which is currently ranked 29th overall in the country, to the top. Florida is frequently mocked as a place to escape from, but with improvements such as SB 966, it has the capability to be seen as a destination. h

no

18 opinion

Scandals’ silver lining

Fighting America’s sexual violence epidemic is going to require more than social media Commentary by Mariam Vela, Staff Writer

students speak up Ma ria m

I

encouraged to voice their stories.

But the solution does not just end in simply raising awareness and dubbing sexual harassment in the workplace as solely a women’s issue. On the night of the Golden Globes, the men attending wore black attire as a symbol of support for women facing sexual abuse. Some even wore Time’s Up pins, showcasing that they stand in firm solidarity with the defense fund started by attorney Roberta Kaplan and over 300 Hollywood women to provide legal representation for those who have experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault in more low-wage industries. However, when those same men took the stage and gave their acceptance speeches, not a single one even remotely mentioned the symbols they so heavily flaunted on the red carpet. In fact, none of them spoke about anything having to do with sexual violence at all.

Perhaps they assumed sticking a pin on their lapel, wearing a black tuxedo they wear every year anyways and calling it a demonstration of “support” sufficed– it did not. This placed the duty of speaking out about these issues on the women, who for the most part, dedicated almost the entirety of their speeches and interview time to the movement and even brought notable women’s rights activists like senior director of “Girls for Gender Equality” Tarana Burke as their dates to the event.

The awards show reflected the power of the campaigns that have emerged and efforts that have been made to combat sexual violence within the entertainment realm, but it also highlighted some of its key pitfalls. That is, the burden of fighting sexual violence continues to fall upon women. Although we are headed in the right direction and finally confronting a secret that has loomed in the shadows of Hollywood and continues to plague women in all lines of work everywhere, the only way to spin these painful scandals into a historic means for change, is if everyone joins in on the conversation too. h

h ig la/ Ve

s ght hli

“

MEN CAN BE VICTIMS TOO AND THEY NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT [SEXUAL HARASSMENT]...

JUST AS MUCH AS WOMEN ARE.

“

-Andrea Inzurieta, Junior

M ar ia

N THE PAST several months, multiple sex scandals surrounding some of Hollywood’s most elite members have run rampant in the media, finally launching a long overdue discussion on sexual violence– both inside and outside of the entertainment industry. Almost immediately following the outbreak of accusations against movie producer and executive Harvey Weinstein, a series of social media movements like #MeToo arose as an effort to send a message of solidarity and support to other victims across the nation. Although they are actively opening up the dialogue on an issue as dire and omnipresent as sexual abuse, it is surely going to take a lot more than a few hashtag campaigns and cheap publicity stunts to even come close to finding a solution.

The New York Times first broke the story on Weinstein on Oct. 5, detailing decades of sexual assault allegations from dozens of women, among them actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd. The Weinstein scandal undeniably opened the floodgate for even more accusations of sexual misconduct against other high-profile men, including Academy Awardwinning actor Kevin Spacey and coanchor of the Today Show, Matt Lauer.

Many of these men, like the ones aforementioned, have been fired from their respective positions and practically crucified in the court of public opinion, swinging the pendulum of power in favor of the victims.

According to Scott Berkowitz, president of the anti-sexual violence group Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), ever since the first Weinstein stories came out, the number of people who have used the telephone or online hotline has spiked and is on its way to a record high. Now, victims everywhere who were once pressured into silence, are actually being

m

la Ve

/h i

s ight g hl

“

IT’S SAD THAT IT TOOK THIS LONG FOR PEOPLE TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN HOLLYWOOD.

-Julius Telleria, Junior

“

G.I. Jack marches with JROTC

sports 19

highlights Copy Editor Jack Band suits up and becomes the school’s newest cadet

By Savannah Payne, Staff Writer

D

ESPITE BEING INTIMIDATED by straight faces and silent marching, highlights Copy Editor Jack Band tagged along on one of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ (JROTC) practices. As he approached the field, some of the athletes were practicing a male armed exhibition- an event consisting of a group of males

and “squad” for groups of six. When the event has rifles, it is “armed,” and when the rifles are thrown in the air and spun, it is an “exhibition.”

Next up in JROTC’s showcasestyle practice, the last before their weekend drill meet, was the female unarmed platoon. Band decided to give it a go. Since the platoon’s formations

turn to the right, the right side was faced with an intense force. Band heel-toeheel-toed his right and left step marches like there was no tomorrow.

The performance was within a box, designated by four yellow cones the team uses to practice. The squad marched around the box with precision and stern faces. Band seemed to blend

Savannah Payne /highlights

spinning rifles in the air. Band decided to sit out and watch that particular performance, mesmerized by their incredible skill. He decided to soak in the experience first and leave the riflespinning for later.

“We are a family and are always motivating each other to be better,” senior Command Sergeant Major Rose Lopez said.

As he observed the performance, Band got a lesson in JROTC jargon.

The event groups are based on gender, size and presence and use of rifles. The term “platoon” is used for groups of 13,

were already set in place for their competition, Band found a new spot on the side and followed along to the calls.

For the duration of the event, his form looked like JROTC perfection. Band was in his element.

Although shouting back in gibberish, Band caught on to the commands being called like a veteran JROTC member.

He blended into the group perfectly with his sharp movements and strong stances. When the squad leader called for a “squad halt,” his body froze with inspiring intensity, and when she called for a “right face,” a 90-degree full-body

SERIOUS STARES: Band joins squad members for a uniform inspection.

into the formations as they rotated and glided smoothly across the square area.

When the event practice ended, the squad seemed to realize that Band was not, in fact, on the team. Band was off, with his hands still in perfect fists.

“Jack was able to almost perfect the movements…yet, of course, he stumbled here and there,” Lopez said.

During uniform inspection, though completely out of uniform and a bit fidgety, Band received perfect marks.

With a salute to the lieutenants and other members, Band had left his mark on the JROTC team. h

20 sports

Spring Sports preview

As Cavalier athletics heads towards the spring season, coaches and players alike are gearing up for success

By Dylan Carol & Cecilia Rodriguez, Sports Editor & Staff Writer

Boys Water Polo

A

Softball

S THE WATER POLO TEAM AWAITS THE START of the season, the players have started hitting the weight room and doing dry land conditioning. After last year’s third place finish at districts, the team hopes to get even further in the coming season and play at the highest possible level.

“The players have been waiting for the water polo season to start ever since swim season started, since for many players, swim season is just conditioning for water polo,” head coach Gerry Couzo said.

The team has been working toward fixing some of the flaws exhibited last year in order to achieve loftier goals, honing skills such as ball handling and finishing. With the passion and determination, the team feels they showed last year and the improvements made in the offseason, they will be able to compete with the top teams in a very tough district with water polo heavyweights such as Ransom Everglades and Belen, which have both won state championships in previous seasons.

“Many consider our district the toughest in the state and we will strive to do our best and be competitive with the top teams and as a veteran I will attempt to lead the team to success,” junior Jason Houser said.

The softball team, back-to-back-to-back district champions, has been practicing and lifting weights all fall in preparation for their first game. The Cavs have dominated their district, with their toughest Cecilia Rodriguez/highlights competition coming from outside the district- the FANTASTIC Palmetto Panthers. Last year, the team FIELDING: made it to regional finals and the players (From left) hope to go to states this year as well as win Senior the three independent tournaments they will Gabrielle participate in. Coach Natalie De La Vega Cutie and says she cannot wait for the season to start sophomore and for the girls to start competing for a chance to go to states.

Sydney Pell “We have a couple new players who are field ground going to make us stronger,” de la Vega said. balls.

Baseball

Tennis

The school’s baseball team has been training all year long and has been playing in fall ball to prepare for their upcoming season. There are some pre-season games scheduled in February right before their season actually Cecilia Rodriguez/highlights begins as well. The team has hopes to perform better than last year, AMAZING when they made it to regional finals. To ARM: maintain the high level of play displayed Senior Alain in previous years, the team will continue to rigorously prepare and focus on the task at Guerra follows through after hand. They face some difficult teams such as Columbus and Miami Beach, but the team throwing a expects to overcome these challenges and fastball in make it to states. practice.

As the boys and girls tennis season approaches, the players and coach David Weiner are gearing up and striving for a successful season. The team is heavily focused on beating two of their biggest competitors within their district, Dr. Michael M. Krop High School and Miami Beach Senior High. Last year, the boys’ team tied with Krop for second place in the district and hopes to build on that with four returning starters this season. The girls finished fourth in the district, but hope to return to their winning ways this season after a disappointing year.

Even though these two teams are incredibly tough to overcome, Weiner said he is eager to get started and find out whether the boys team is good enough to reach states while hoping for a more competitive performance out of the girls team.

Daniel Krulig also said that Krop and Miami Beach were the hardest teams to overcome last year. However, he said he is confident in the team and thinks that Weiner’s motivational skills make for a good team environment, which can ultimately lead to success against tough teams.

“This year, all we need is a little more belief and confidence,” Krulig said. “If we fix that this year, I think we have a good chance at the title.”

sports 21

Boys Volleyball

Track and Field

After a few shaky seasons and a new coaching hire, the boys volleyball team enters the new season looking to change the losing narrative that has plagued the group in previous years. There has not been stability in the program, with three different coaches in three years, but with the hire of head coach Enesha Shahkulieva, the Cavaliers hope that this will change.

“I just hope for some sense of consistency within the coaching tactics and style,” junior Patrick Ales said. “We are best at hitting, since most of the hitters were upperclassmen with experience, and they helped me develop as a setter as the season went on, by the end we were solid in that department.”

Things are looking up for the team this year as everybody is returning except for two graduating seniors from last season.

However, in order to put forth a better performance this season, the team must focus on improving their rotations, honing in on individual roles and perfectioning the fundamentals, which was an issue last season- a disappointing year that ended without an appearance in the playoffs.

“I will continually challenge athletes to do better and push their limits,” Shahkulieva said. “I will get athletes to believe in themselves and keep learning in a friendly environment.”

The girls and boys track teams both started practicing earlier this month. Both the teams managed to make it to regionals last year, but the runners want to go even further. The girls’ team finished fourth Cecilia Rodriguez /highlights in their district behind North Miami, Krop and SWIFT START: Lourdes while the boys placed fifth in (From left) Junior the district.

Sofia Gonzalez“The team could possibly make it to Landsing and states this year,” junior Sofia Gonzalez sophomore Landsing said. “It’s the goal we are all Laia Gonzalez working toward.”

Head coach Carl Springer is looking take off from to make the team something the program their starting can hang its hat on, and has a primary positions. goal of winning districts this year. h

MARK THE DATE: to support our athletic teams!

Boys Varsity

Varsity

1/25 1/25 Soccer

vs Hialeah High, Thurs. at 3:30 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High Girls Varsity

Wrestling

Quad Meet- Senior Night, Thurs. at 1:00 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High Boys Varsity

Boys Varsity

2/1

Basketball

vs. Braddock, Thurs. at 7:30 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High Girls Varsity

1/29 2/28 2/21 Basketball

vs. Coral Reef, Mon. at 7:30 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High

Baseball

vs. South Miami, Tues. at 3:30 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High

Softball

vs. Miami Beach, Wed. at 3:30 p.m at Coral Gables Senior High

22 sports

The problem with the playoff

After another season, college football is still searching for a consistent way to select its playoff teams Commentary by Jack Band, Copy Editor

for each school who’s football team participates in a postseason game

2026 Source: CNN, ESPN USA Today

the year when the contract between the NCAA and the College Football Playoff runs out

20

students speak up

ighlights

“

I BELIEVE THE SELECTION IS IN PART BASED ON FAN SIZE, WHICH IS NOT FAIR FOR THE COLLEGES THAT WORK VERY HARD [...] IT SHOULD BE BASED SOLELY ON PERFORMANCE. and /h

“

-Randy Hernandez, Sophomore

I FEEL LIKE THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN HAVING SUCH A SMALL GROUP RANK THE TEAMS.

“

“

ac kB a nd /highl i gh t s

an opportunity to play for the national championship and underrepresenting schools outside of the major conferences, such as the undefeated University of Central Florida.

Secondly, many continue to discuss the committee’s inability to successfully take factors like record and matchup difficulty into account when choosing the best teams. Some of these variables are given priority over others at different times throughout the whole process, which presents another grievance: the painfully inconsistent manner in which the committee selects the teams from top to bottom throughout the season.

This makes it is incredibly difficult for the committee to evaluate the quality of a team throughout the season, because there is never a real, established precedent.

While the NCAA continues to defend the selection committee, they have acknowledged that the system is not perfect. The association has even gone so far to state in the Selection Committee Protocol that, “in any ranking system, perfection or consensus is not possible.”

The association’s candor however, does not assist in the development of an alternative, a painful truth that has prevented a solution to the complaints of the college football world.

For now, one could only hope that the selection committee will employ a more consistent way of selecting the playoff teams without the confusion and controversy of previous years. h

Ja ck B

A

S THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) concludes the 2017-2018 college football season, fans and teams alike continue to debate the highly controversial ranking system used by college football.

The system selects 25 of the best collegiate football teams, ranks them in a descending order, sending the top four schools to the college football playoffs.

For years, fans of the sport have questioned the validity of the ranking system and have argued about its inability to integrate the multitude of variables that must be considered when ranking one team over another. This may be due to the fact that the system utilizes a formula that “is part science, part style and part dartboard hurling,” as described by The Ringer.

The rankings are determined by a selection committee that consists of 13 college football “experts,” a point many state as unjust. While the relatively small committee is tasked with selecting the best teams in the country and establishing an organized list that names the top four teams that get to play for the national championship, many believe the committee is too small to objectively do so.

Another argument against the playoff is the fact that there are only four teams selected, denying deserving teams

-Eliseo Riera-Gomez, Junior

by the numbers for each school that reaches the College Football Playoff semifinals

different people have sat on the selection committee since its inception Compiled by Jack Band

J

sports 23

Cavs rout Falcons

The boys varsity basketball team soars past Ferguson, 79-47

By Tatiana Campos, Staff Writer

G

LEAMING IN WHITE, THE boys varsity basketball team swaggered onto the court with hopes of continuing their winning streak.

The Cavs effortlessly accomplished their goal and demolished the Ferguson Falcons by a score of 79-47. The team– who had beat their longtime rival Miami High by a score of 65 to 51 the day before– locked in early on, at their first home conference game of the new year on Jan. 9. Returning to the season with a five-game winning streak, the Cavs look forward to continuing their success throughout the rest of the grueling basketball season.

“I think we are a good team. All the games we have lost were in overtime

by two points,” senior center Jason Abril said. “We had a lead by ten in each and every one of those games, so we can be way better than where we are right now.”

The second the ball was tipped it was clear that it was going to be a win for the Cavs. Senior forward Christian Brown gained possession of the ball and set the aggressive tone that was maintained throughout the game. Defensively, both teams were at each other’s throats, with a total of 10 team fouls including a rough technical. However, the Cavs moved the ball fluidly, allowing them to excel offensively at a level far superior than that of the Falcons.

Junior Manuel Torres led the team in the first half of the game and contributed a total of 11 points, shooting from all over the court.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, Torres had to sit out for the second half of the game due to ankle complications.

Entering halftime, the Cavs magnanimously led by a score of 43-16, the big lead fueling the packed crowd.

With halftime performances by the junior varsity Gablettes and the cheerleaders, as well as bounteous support from the girls varsity basketball team, the boys continued to show their determination and prowess on the

Tatiana Campos/highlights

BRILLIANT BALLERS:

(Top Right) Junior guard Nate Walker charges the hoop and completes a lay up; (Bottom Left) Senior guard Manuel Torres completes a hard pass evading the incoming defender.

court.

“The boys played really well and the ball movement was nice,” senior girls’ basketball point guard Kassandra Luis said. “[The Lady Cavs] support the boys because the boys support us, so we try to reciprocate that love they show for us.”

Considering the win was already secured by the second half of the game, the players experimented with more elaborate plays. Sophomore point gaurd Joshua Dawkins stood out with seven rebounds. Meanwhile, senior shooting guard Yohamid “Chino” Rodriguez cleverly shared the ball with four assists. The team’s pregame rituals paid off, as they demolished the Falcons in a comfortable 32-point win.

“For pre-game, everyone does their own thing. Personally, I pray before I leave the tunnel and before they call my name. It gets me in my game mentality,” Brown said.

The Cavs season is gaining momentum, and with playoffs looming in February the boys hope to continue their success. The team expects to keep their winning streak going in their upcoming home game against the Braddock Bulldogs at senior night on Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. h

24 the scene

Flying high at Omni

The FDT brings a multipurpose park to a once vacant lot

By Sara Saliamonas, Staff Writer

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One of Omni Park’s regulars, Sebastian LopezMadrigal, successfully ollies over a tall baracade situated between two vertical mini ramps.

and restaurant area.

Omni Park is also prominent in Miami’s skate scene. Omni has become a center for Miamians involved in the sport, because of Miami’s lack of skateboarding parks. The skate fixture was made possible by professional skateboarder Danny Fuenzalida, who moved to Miami ten years ago and has been actively involved in producing a larger local skate scene.

This skateboarding hub has also become a popular scene for many students at school.

“I enjoy the sense of encouragement and positivity in the practice and learning of skateboarding. Everyone has a great attitude and supports each other in learning new tricks,” junior Timothy Lamb said.

Omni Park has become a place where skateboarders can feel comfortable, no matter what skill level.

At any time of day there will always be a few skateboarders ready to meet new skaters and have fun.

Other than the skating area, the rest of Omni Park typically remains uncrowded. Locals walk their dogs and walk through the park occasionally but the most exciting time to go would be during one of the park’s many events. h

Sara Saliamonas/highlights

CATCHING AIR:

OVERING SEVEN ACRES of land and split across three blocks in Northern Downtown Miami off Biscayne Boulevard — an area known as the Omni area — Omni Park is located at 1234 North Miami Avenue. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The park is a temporary restoration of once-vacant land created by the Federal Department of Transportation and Miami-Dade County as an attempt to better the Omni community and offer an enjoyable space to relax. Anything from skateboarding obstacles to a mini forest can be found in the three blocks Omni Park covers.

In the western most sector lies a skate park area and a stage; in the east lies art installations sponsored by the Perez Art Museum of Miami (PAMM).

The center sector features seating areas and a mini forest.

Omni Park has partnered with PAMM and Skate Free, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting skateboarding among youth, to bring free events and sites to the park. The Park hosts monthly events like the Sunshine and Soul Art, music and soul food festivals, various pop-up shops and a monthly Magic City Bike Party with food, music, bike repairs and rentals on their live stage

Creativity snaps back

the scene 25

Dungeon Forward: a brand leaving a creative footprint in hat history

By Makayla Bell, Staff Writer

I

CUSTOM CAPS:

Makayla Bell/highlights

Bugsy (left) and Castro (right) pose in front of a display case topped with some of Dungeon Forward’s customized hats.

N THE PICTURESQUE ART district that is Wynwood rests a store where all sorts of creators can distribute their art to the public.

Wynwood Shop, located at 196 NW 24th St., houses a variety of goods made by local artists ranging from vintage clothing to handmade jewelry. Near the entrance is a tall who, that goes by the name Bugsy, standing proudly next to a collection of decorated hats belonging to the brand Dungeon Forward.

Although Dungeon Forward is currently strictly a headwear line, it originally began as a clothing line that included t-shirts, pants, and other pieces with the exception of hats according to David Castro, Bugsy’s business partner and creator of Dungeon Forward.

Castro said he realized the reason he did not wear hats was because there was not a brand in the business that only sold headwear. “[Headwear] was always an afterthought for a brand, so I felt like we had a place to challenge what headwear was,” Castro said.

Bugsy and Castro were introduced to each other in 2016 when Bugsy’s songwriting company, RadioRoyalty, and Castro’s Dungeon Forward collaborated on a project. Bugsy and Castro worked together to design and promote a hat, named the Crown, at South by Southwest, a well-known music festival in Texas. During the process, Bugsy and Castro realized they were meant to be partners and since then have been creating the innovative hats they call “crowns” as Vice President of Marketing and Sales and Founder and Head Designer, respectively.

“We definitely wanted each hat to be a conversation piece, that’s what we strive for. So, we design something as small as the Wynwood trucker hat. We call Wynwood the adult Disney World so we did it with the Disney font and we call [the hat] the Wisney World,” Bugsy said.

Each one of Dungeon Forward hats has its own backstory. The inspiration behind each hat ranges from simple ideas like the Wisney World to deeper meanings like the Koure, which features giraffe print along its sides. The Koure was named after and made to bring to light to one of the last areas in Africa that allows giraffes to roam freely.

Dungeon Forward focuses on making itself not just a source for a product, but an experience. Bugsy and Castro have chosen to make the hats collector’s items by creating a limited number of each design, keeping the conversation flowing between the brand and its customers. In turn, the brand continues to grow rapidly, with availability expanding to a number of local stores including Sneak Attack and Shoe Gallery. According to both Bugsy and Castro, the name Dungeon Forward is supposed to mean from nothing to something and represents what Bugsy and Castro do.

“I don’t think you can ever lose the hunger for something you’re passionate about. We’re not at a point where we’re just mass producing quick ideas to make money. We’re at the point where we are concerned about what we put out and we’re concerned about the creation and the creativity of the hat so it’s a one of a kind experience,” Bugsy said. h

26 the scene

Beloved Reader,

With Valentine’s steadily approaching, highlights staff writers Karina Wu and Alexandra Torres have searched near and far for love-inducing locations guaranteed to create that spark between you and your significant other.

S

TANDING BIG, BRIGHT and bold on the corner of 2nd street and Collins Avenue, Big Pink revives the classic American feel in South Beach with its homemade comfort food and retro atmosphere.

Founded by Myles Chefetz in 1996, the diner has been serving American style cuisine for the past two decades.

At the front of the building, a massive pig-tailed character printed on a sign greets customers with a grand smile while clutching a beach ball.

Inside, neon pink furniture adorns the room and the scent of nostalgia taunts your tastebuds as familiar home cooking aromas seep out from the kitchen.

Open from Sunday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., Big Pink offers a meal for every time of day. With a menu offering more than 200 items, including its famous “Big Pink TV Dinner,” which features a selection of all its daily specials, there is bound to be a meal fit for everyone’s taste. Ranging from breakfast dishes like hot malted waffles for $11.75 and corned beef hash for $14.75, to savory meals like baked mac and cheese for $12.25 and popcorn shrimp for $18.95, its round-the-clock menu offers huge portions, enough for any date to share.

Big Pink’s wide variety of comfort

foods have made it a spot to visit to unwind and relax and its glossy pink interior, vivacious staff and swanky atmosphere make this Miami hotspot stand out among the crowd.

“The dishes are classic…

My favorite is the baked mac and cheese. I also like the atmosphere and the fact that it’s so quirky with its pink decor and cars lined outside,” freshman Miguel de la O said.Chefetz has caught the attention of the national eye, having been nominated twice for the James Beard Foundation “Best Restaurateur” Award. Chefetz’s Myles Restaurant Group (MRG), a collection of all the restaurants he has established on South Beach, is a huge success. MRG includes some of the most popular eateries in Miami, including Big Pink and upscale steakhouse Prime 112, which has been ranked in the top ten highest-grossing restaurants in the United States for the past four years by Top 100 Independents.

With its signature bright pink Volkswagen Beetle delivery cars lined up next to the restaurant, Big Pink catches the eye of tourists and locals alike.

Alexandra Torres/highlights

Big Pink Diner

BIG PINK:

Customers sit at glass tables with pink hues that line the Big Pink Diner and enjoy their meals.

the scene 27

Palmetto Mini Golf HOLE-INONE: The Alex

hts andra Torres/highlig

Palmetto Mini Golf course is lined with lush greenery and flowing water.

With an 18-hole course and a stunning landscape composed of waterfalls, lagoons and a cave, the Palmetto Mini Golf Course is the ideal location to spend Valentine’s Day. This lush landscape is inspired by a multitude of iconic locations, including Hawaii and Jamaica, and time periods, like medieval Europe.

Admission fees range from $6.50 on Mondays through Thursdays, to $7.50 per ticket on Fridays through Sundays, and on holidays. Located at 9300 SW 152nd Street, the mini golf course is part of the Palmetto Golf Course, a more extensive course dedicated to regular golf.

Although quaint and small, the Palmetto Mini Golf Course has different holes

/ rres Alexandra To

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that range in difficulty—some straightforward, and others more challenging with obstacles. The course is neither too long nor too short, so couples can enjoy their time leisurely. Within the golf course, there is a sports grill with fresh lemonade, barbecue food on the grill and other classic meals such as burgers and fries, offering an inexpensive and appetizing alternative to a fancy restaurant.

The only downside to this venue is the lack of vegetation and exposure to the parking lot. This makes the course look uncared for, but the streams and waterfalls flowing throughout the course make up for the sparse greenery.

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Landmark Theatres After dining at the Big Pink, finish off the night with a movie at the Landmark Theatres. Located at Merrick Park, the theater provides high-end services, a variety of gourmet snacks and drinks—such as Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, edamame, homemade fruit slushies and even full meals like veggie burgers and flatbreads—and an array of movie genres.

“I like how it’s not as pricey as other movie theatres and the food is much better and more varied.” junior Natalia Torres said. “You can get restaurant-style food that most movie theatres don’t have, and it makes the experience so much better to have food you can actually enjoy.”

Offering everything from mainstream hits to indie flicks to avantgarde films, Landmark Theatres serves as the prime spot to cozy up and watch a rom-com or experience a heartsuspending thriller on Valentine’s Day. Founded in 1974, the awardwinning theatre has expanded across the nation, with locations in New York, California, and Washington D.C. It is part of Wagner/Cuban Companies, co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Admission cost is $11.50 for adults if bought ahead of time. At the theatre, tickets cost $12.50 for adults.

The classy, polished atmosphere and cushy reclinable chairs provide a lavish ending to any Valentine’s date. h

xan dra T orres/highlights

, e v o L s t h g i l high

28 insight

Alejandra Orozco / highlights

insight 29

the gentrification dichotomy

By Alexander Sutton

F

ROM THE HEART OF Wynwood, one can get a great view of the multi-million dollar high rise apartment buildings that tower over the colorful neighborhood walls adorned with vibrant pop art, courtesy of the the neighborhood’s street artists. The contrast created here is stark: the undeveloped areas populated by lower-income residents sit just blocks away from some of the most popular destinations in Miami.

Wynwood is not the only community where such striking juxtapositions can be found: places like this are scattered throughout the Greater Miami Area. As real estate prices go up the need for more developed areas arises, causing lower-income neighborhoods to be transformed.

This process is known as gentrification.

Gentrification is frequently promoted as positive for lower-income regions and living communities.

For example, in the early 2000s, when Wynwood was still an unremarkable warehouse district, and the last place anyone would look to for art, the neighborhood received little interest from the rest of the city. Fast forward a couple of years, to when Wynwood gets a face lift after real estate investor and urban developer Tony Goldman bought up chunks of land and opened art galleries. In this way, Goldman was the driving force behind the the gentrification of Wynwood, and due to his buying property in the area and renovating it to artistic and cultural notability, he put Wynwood on the map.

Currently, there are plans to build condominiums, a hotel, high-end restaurants and retail franchises in the area.

With all of the improvement that Wynwood has seen through its gentrification, the negative aspects of these changes are not easy to discern. What is frequently not considered beyond the glamor, glimmer and gleam newly found in gentrified areas is what happened to all of the previous inhabitants of the community. It is easy to forget that, prior to the glory days of a turned-around community, there were low-income residents living in the area who had affordable housing and were forced to relocate after the influx of wealth drove rent prices too high.

“Gentrification is the modernization of an area with a disregard to the people who are already living there,” Assistant Director in the Office of Civic & Community Engagement at the University of Miami, Marisa Hightower, said. “In other words, taking a place like Coconut Grove or Wynwood, where it has perhaps been forgotten, and businesses and developers come in and start to put money into the area to increase its cost, and make it more enticing to people with more money to buy homes, to buy businesses, to bring in other businesses.”

The prospect of gentrification is taken seriously by many residents of non-affluent areas. One organization dedicated to rallying communities and raising awareness about gentrification is the Struggle for Miami’s Affordable Sustainable Housing (SMASH), led and founded by Adrian Madriz. His

30 insight

City Affordability Gap 1. Hong Kong 9.2

3. London

5.Miami definition of gentrification is particularly harsh. “[Gentrification] is the ethnic cleansing of a neighborhood by wealthy individuals or corporations, at the expense of low-income people, mostly people of color, removed from the neighborhood of their roots and origins,” Madriz said.

According to Madriz, a wealthy investor like Goldman might come in and invest money in a run-down building, renovating it and then raising the cost of rent. For the people living in that building, the rent increase can prove catastrophic: when rent goes up by $300 or $400 from one day to the next, it is almost impossible to continue living there, especially if they were relying on low rent costs. Once people leave, they often have difficulty finding another home they can afford.

The low-income residents like those Madriz describes are victims of Miami’s greater problem: lack of affordable housing. Gentrification is one factor contributing to this problem, and its effects are felt across South Florida. In a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, South Florida was ranked the metropolitan area with the single highest percentage of low-income residents unable to find affordable housing.

“Modest gains in household incomes are met with rising rents, shrinking the supply of affordable rental housing stock in an increasingly competitive market,” the report said.

The report draws attention to South Florida’s increasingly severe housing problems, specifically the lack of cheap housing for poorer renters. A large portion of affordable units is occupied by wealthier tenants, further restricting the low-income renters’ options.

Another report, conducted by Habitat for Humanity, ranks South Florida the area with the largest gap between wages and housing,

Alejandra Orozco / highlights

18.1

2. San Francisco 4. Toronto

Source: The Miami Herald

8.5 7.7

6.1

and names Broward County the most costburdened housing market in the nation.

These repercussions come as a byproduct of gentrification. A cost-burdened household is one that spends more than 30 percent of its income on housing. Severely cost-burdened households are ones that spend more than than 50 percent of their income on housing, and according to a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, nearly two out of every three renters in South Florida are severely costburdened.

Additionally, Miami’s geography plays a role in the high rents. Marcos Feldman, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Wynwood’s gentrification, explained how Miami’s unique geography exacerbates gentrification: Miami is very limited geographically, with the urban population on a thin strip of land that runs along the east coast. Since there is a restricted supply of viable space for urban development but high demand for land, real estate prices are driven up quickly.

Feldman believes the biggest driver of gentrification in Miami will soon be sea-level rise. Multiple studies, including reports by the Miami Herald, have pinned South Florida as the single most at-risk area in the U.S. for sea-level rise, and this issue plays into property values and the high costs of living in Miami.

“If [the] sea level continues to rise, which it probably will, that’s gonna threaten real estate values. No one’s going to want to buy an underwater property on Miami Beach. The combination of gentrification and sea level rise is a really bad proposition, because [poorer] people live in neighborhoods like Little Haiti,” Feldman said.

Little Haiti is at risk for a new type of gentrification termed ‘climate gentrification.’

Since Little Haiti’s land is higher above sea

Miami is one of the least affordable cities in the world.

In the graphic, the numbers represent the difference between median household income and median home price.

level than the rest of Miami, its property values are increasing as more investors buy up land that has a low risk of being flooded.

Consequently, Little Haiti is the next community on which anti-gentrification activists are focusing. Numerous investors and home flippers are zeroing in on Little Haiti, under the impression that the area could be Miami’s next Wynwood. Little Haiti was rated the single most rapidly developing neighborhood of 2017 by the real estate website Zillow, and Little Haiti home values have gone up 25 percent over the past two years and are predicted to rise 2.5 percent within the next year.

Concerns are rising that its cultural character will be changed as the inhabitants are pushed out in order to make room for the franchises opening at higher rates in the area. Already, the lowincome housing that caters to newer immigrants is being torn down and replaced by restaurants and commercial enterprises. Huge, mixed-use projects like the 15-acre development of Magic City, the plans of which are the brainchild of two real estate investors and CEOs, are becoming all the more common in Little Haiti.

And, though Little Haiti is the most oftcited example of an area ripe for gentrification, certain other communities in Miami have been pinned down as targets as well. Little Havana, for example, is currently a majority immigrant blue-collar neighborhood off of Eighth Street– more familiarly known as Calle Ocho. Little Havana is the vibrant heart of Cuban Miami, and a hub for a lot of the immigrants who shape Miami into the Latino community it is today. However, fears are increasing that gentrification may take a toll on Little Havana’s diversity, and kick out the residents that give it its distinctive flair. Little Havana becomes ever likelier to gentrify as its popularity increases, with more tourists visiting it each year for its

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cultural uniqueness. And although legislation that would have loosened regulations and sped up gentrification was abandoned in early 2017, development is still a threat, especially when so many parts of the area are undeveloped and available for renovation at low costs.

In addition to Little Havana, Coconut Grove has been of interest among developers.

Properties on Coconut Grove’s Grand Avenue have garnered increased attention as more of them are bought up and their prices increase.

Corporations such as the Terra Group, boasting more than $4 billion dollars in recent development, have been showing increased interest in properties along Grand Avenue, signaling that development could be on its way to the Grove, fostering hopes of revitalization and fears of gentrification.

As communities all throughout Miami see increased likelihoods of gentrification, measures are being taken to combat it. In Coconut Grove, for example, city commissioner-sponsored antigentrification discussions have been taking place since February 2017. In Little Haiti, community

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service groups like Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, or FANM, are scurrying to preserve what they believe is a quickly gentrifying community. The group works in Little Haiti to protect culture and protest the already rapid gentrification. FANM has proposed creating an official Little Haiti cultural district and placing curbs on developers through a sustainable growth plan. The goal of these measures: to bring investment and jobs to the neighborhood without booting out the local Haitian community which makes it so distinct.

Similar to FANM, Adrian Madriz’s efforts through SMASH concentrate on restructuring the way communities are set up economically.

In addition to developing affordable housing for displaced families, SMASH establishes community land trusts. Madriz explained that these organizations curb gentrification by electing a board of directors, which will make decisions about how pieces of land can be used and how much it will cost to live on them. They set limits on how much can be charged to live on the land, keeping the rent costs as low as possible. According to Madriz, community

“

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THERE ARE A BUNCH OF PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN BROKEN DOWN, THEY ARE TURNING INTO SKY RISES IN THE FUTURE AND THEY FORCE THEM [THE LOCALS] TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND SOME OF THEM DON’T WANT TO.

-Rebecca Abraham, Sophomore

1997 Population:

2.1 Million

Estimated median household income:

$30,000

Median home price:

$141,000

“

land trusts function as “a way for people in any community to own and control a piece of land forever.”

Tenants’ unions act as a feasible solution by advocating for residents and ensuring rent prices stay affordable. Unions such as these had lobbied the government successfully, establishing rent control policies to set a price cap on what could be charged for rent. But in 1977, rent cap policies were banned by the state legislature.

Miami is a unique place, with unique struggles, and its struggle with gentrification and lack of affordable housing is perhaps one of its biggest. The efforts of outspoken activist groups like FANM and SMASH have been met with varied success. As ordinary people strive to find places to live that have not been overpriced, the ultimate responsibility is left up to the residents of Miami. The people of Miami are faced with a choice: whether to organize, and protect our communities, or watch the culture—the very thing giving them appeal in the first place—fade away. h

“

[ONE OF MY FRIENDS] HAD TO LIVE WITH ME FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS er Sutton/highlights nd BECAUSE THEIR RENT Alexa PRICES WENT UP AND THEY HAD TO STAY WITH ME UNTIL THEY FOUND ANOTHER HOUSE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WASN’T EASY BECAUSE RENT PRICES WENT UP ALMOST EVERYWHERE.

“

-Evadene Alphonse, Junior

2017 Population:

2.5 Million

Estimated median household income:

Miami’s housing costs have risen more than the median household income, leading to an epidemic of cost-burdened and severely cost-burdened households.

$43,700

Median home price: $308,000

Sources: FRED Economic Data, FHDC, census.gov, Zillow Alejandra Orozco / highlights

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lightbox The Little Cavaliers had a yoga session in the hallway outside their classroom on Jan. 16.

The children learned and perfected poses such as the “lotus position,” in which they sat with their legs crossed and their heads tucked forward.