Issue 4, Vol. 60

IN THIS ISSUE Learning Sports Lingo, pg. 22 Cavalier Culture, pg. 24

F E B 2 0 2 0 highlights

highlights | Issue 4, Volume 60 | Thomas Morcillo/highlights

450 Bird Road, Coral Gables, FL 33146

highlights

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

Alexandra Torres Estelle Erwich Alexander Sutton Ruben Escobar Grace Rodriguez Melissa Gonzalez Natalia Pallas Hanna Ebrahimi Oraida Rodriguez Kevin Monjarrez Sara Ebrahimi Arianna Peña Aya Hamza & Isabella Villarroel

staff writers Isabella Ahumada Camila Aitken Lisbeth Arrieta Barbara Borja Mercedes Debesa Dilan Denham Sharon Florez Alia Gamez Sandra Hanuschik Laura Hernandez Miguel Lemus Alma Martinez Jonathan Mesa

In this issue

Isabella Morales Thomas Morcillo Melanie Nunez Alexa Orozco Celine Perez Addys Plata Nataly Rabelo Marta Rodriguez Isabel Quintanilla Maya Shah Emma Vela Gregoire Winston Austin Yagoda

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

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Hanna Ebrahimi / highlights

Features 4 Embracing natural hair 6 Allison Russo rises to Tik Tok stardom

News 9 Limits imposed on SNAP benefits 10 Biggest headlines through the decade

Opinion 12 What was the meme of the decade?

15 Challenging the proposed school time

Sports

18 Gables’ best teams of the decade 20 Q&A with new tennis coach Benjamin Groff

The Scene 23 Laugh out loud at Just the Funny 26 Road to resolutions

Insight 28 The end of the 2010s

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winter recap

pictures

Barbara Borja / highlights

SCRIMMAGE SHOWDOWN: The boys wrestling team participated in a scrimmage match on Nov. 15.

Maya Shah/ highlights

TALENTED THESPIAN: Gables Players member Amelie Chaskes performs an original song at the annual Merry Players’ Potluck.

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HE SUN HAS FINALLY SET on the 2010s. As the times of Harambe memes and binging Wizards of Waverly Place comes to an end, the nostalgia has begun to seep its way into society. There seems to be pandemonium ensuing as many who grew up in the last decade feel as if their childhoods are over.

In the last months of 2019, Twitter and other social media platforms were filled with frantic posts reminiscing on the “best decade” and worrying about the responsibilities looming in 2020. But why do our lives have to be so controlled by the aspect of time?

As people grow up, certain expectations are usually set for them, most of the time related to what stage they are in life; graduate college by 22. Start a family before you’re 30.

Jonathan Mesa / highlights

TIME OUT: Students on the boys junior varsity basketball team huddle around their coach, Alfredo Gonzalez.

Laura Hernández / highlights

STRIKE A POSE: Gablettes Alessia Casas (back left), Chris Caceres (center), Melanie Zelaya and others perform at Fall Frolics.

from the editors Buy a house before 35. These time limits create anxiety and a sense of failure in those who feel they have not accomplished as much as they should have. In the end, the heavy emphasis on time makes us feel as if we are running out of it.

Ellen Degeneres, arguably one of the most influential women of the century, began her life as a paralegal and an oyster shucker before launching her career in stand up comedy. Degeneres is not the only example of this though. Walt Disney, Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, among others, all proved that it’s never too late to start something new.

Walking through the halls of Gables, one often hears the phrase “I don’t have time” or “It’s too late for that.” Our constant obsession with the time we have, or the time we don’t, often pushes us into a corner

and prohibits us from accomplishing things about which we are passionate. If you feel as though you are not in pursuit of your passion, never be afraid of starting over.

Ultimately, when we are reflecting back on our lives, we will remember all the chances we missed and all the opportunities we would have taken if it were not for our fear of falling behind in life. Instead of waiting for the right moment to do something,take things into your own hands and create your own narrative. When you feel yourself confined by the aspect of time, remember that the tortoise always wins the race.

Sincerely, Alexandra Torres and Estelle Erwich

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Embracing their roots

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Black women are becoming more confident in wearing their natural hair, fueling a wave of positivity on social media platforms

BY ALMA MARTINEZ AND SHARON FLOREZ, STAFF WRITERS

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UE TO AN EXTENSIVE HISTORY of racial discrimination and oppression, many black women have felt conditioned to alter their natural hair to conform to white beauty standards.

Westernized societal standards, that categorize beautiful hair as straight and long, similar to Caucasian hair have led many of these women to believe that their natural hair is unprofessional, and must be changed to be taken seriously in their workplaces, educational institutions and communities.

These beliefs have trickled down for many generations and have normalized the damaging processes done to chemically alter their curl patterns. Hair relaxers—a lotion or cream generally used by people with tighter curls to break down their hair strand and make it permanently straight—have become a staple in the black community despite their detrimental effects on both the hair strands and the scalp.

Black women have thus felt pressure to eliminate entire hairstyles from their normal routines—including certain braids and afros—

for fear of getting socially penalized for them.

Nonetheless, as a result of an increase in social media movements and the overall increase in the acceptance of black hair, women are beginning to leave these damaging processes behind, instead choosing to embrace and celebrate the hair they were born with. In doing so, history teacher Porsha Albury and students Savanna Tiffany and Rebecca Abraham share the obstacles they have encountered in coming to embrace their natural hair.

PORSHA ALBURY

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Raised in an African-American household, history teacher Porsha Albury inherited a passion for her culture that is reflected in her interest in learning and teaching about her family’s battles with segregation and racism.

In between spending several hours a week with her aunt and the exchange of oral tradition from her grandparents, Albury began to learn a lot about her culture and where she came from. Hair, often being at the forefront of their conversation, was a struggle which she

could personally relate to through the trials and tribulations she has faced in her journey to embrace her natural hair.

From birth, her mother always complimented her curl pattern, describing it as “high fashion,” she taught Albury how to twist and braid it in cornrows. As Albury reached elementary school, her mother began advising her to refrain from using otherwise damaging hair products to preserve the beauty in her natural curls.

“My mom was very fashionable, she styled my hair so many ways and convinced me that voluminous hair was too awesome for me to feel insecure,” Albury said.

The older she grew, the more she started to notice the hairstyles she had come to know and love were being viewed as “childlike” or “not appropriate” for wearing out in public.

For years, Albury avoided wearing braids given society’s perception of the hairstyle being too “ethnic” or not “appropriate” for award ceremonies, formal events and job interviews.Though she has never been personally penalized for wearing a certain hairstyle at work, Albury still felt pressure to style her hair a particular way in order to be taken seriously given that it is common for women to be deemed inferior

for

wearing their hair naturally.

“As I got older, I think my mom worried about how such styles would be perceived by mainstream America. There is a saying that when black hair is relaxed, white America is relaxed,” Albury said.

Looking for ways to express herself and show off her hair, Albury struggled to style her hair in a way that would maintain professionalism and keep the public happy.

It was through social media movements promoting natural hair that she was able to attain the confidence to welcome her curl pattern.

“I love seeing images of people like me. I love that a commercial with a black woman will now have a black woman with natural hair,” Albury said.

After years of experimenting with different products and methods, Albury has found what hair treatments and washing methods work best and which hairstyles make her feel most comfortable and confident. Given the copious amounts of effort she put into discovering what is best compatible with her hair, Albury serves as an inspiration and role-model for students and colleagues to wear their hair naturally regardless of the opinion of others.

sAVANNA tIFFAny For junior Savanna Tiffany, attending a predominantly white private school for most of her life significantly affected the way she viewed herself: a girl of a mixed background surrounded by peers that looked nothing like her. Given that she was exposed to both black and white cultures, she developed insecurities about her curly hair that have posed threats to her natural hair journey.

“In middle school, I got a keratin [treatments] for my hair because I knew my hair was really different,” Tiffany said.

For her entire life, Tiffany has watched her mother and sister style their hair with various straightening products, causing her to feel like an outsider for wishing to wear traditionally African hairstyles such as loose curls or braids.

“My mom doesn’t wear her hair naturally and neither does my sister, making me the only one who wears it natural,” Tiffany said.

“It makes me want to do it too.”

Tiffany’s struggles with her natural hair further stemmed from her modeling experiences as a child, when photographers and brand-directors alike would instruct her to flat-iron her hair to fit their conventional

standards of beauty. She noticed how none of her friends with straight, “effortless” hair would never receive any incessant criticism in regards to their physical

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p p e a r a n c e .

As a first-year member of the school’s award-winning dance team, the Gablettes, Tiffany has struggled in deciding how to wear her hair for performances. As one of the only girls with a natural curl pattern she has to consider the time it would take her to effectively meet the team’s standards for uniformity. If she decides to straighten her hair, it raises the concern that she cannot wash it for two-day performances and must keep her hair packed with hairspray. If not, she must be more careful with the way she styles it, as a strand of hair falling out of place can result in consequences.

“If I wear my hair natural for performances, I have to make sure there not fly-aways or curls popping out,” Tiffany said.

With the changing times, Tiffany appreciates how cultural expectations for women to wear their hair straight are beginning to change. Wearing the hair natural is now encouraged by influencers on the rise, like 2019’s Miss Universe, who was South African.

“There are many girls who love my skin tone and love my hair, so if they can see the beauty in it, so can I,” Tiffany said.

Rebecca Abraham Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk and coconut oil are no strangers to senior Rebecca Abraham as she embraces her short, tightlycoiled hair, that stands as a representation of her pride in her Nigerian ethnicity as well as her mother’s persistence to not use chemicals to relax her natural hair.

Given the influence of society’s standards of beauty on black women, Abraham’s aunts have not supported her decision to wear her hair naturally, as they have always favored smooth, relaxed hairstyles.

“There was pressure to relax my hair so that it would become more manageable,” Abraham said. “My aunts grew up during a time when black people weren’t showing their natural hair as much as they do now on television. It was routine for them to wear wigs and relax their hair.”

These ideas planted a seed in her mind since her childhood, resulting in her desire to change her appearance.When she was nine years old, on the day before picture day, she attempted to straighten her hair without her mother’s permission or a proper heat protectant, earning her hours of scrutiny from her mother about the perils of damaging her hair.

“I didn’t have a good reason for doing it. People would ask me why I wouldn’t put my hair down and I was stupid enough to

listen to their opinion,” Abraham said. “I wanted to please them, so I straightened it.”

Much of this influence further originated because of negative stigmas towards AfricanAmerican hair in pop culture and the media.

Her interpretation of what was “normal” was changed based on the hairstyles celebrities would promote, especially as she was already witnessing her relatives alter their hair.

Her current hair routine consists of putting gel and water in her hair.

Most days she co-washes, meaning that she skips shampoo, but conditions her hair, making it easier to manage.

Every two weeks, she washes it out and deep conditions it.

“Sometimes my hair is a battle, so I would describe my hair as resilient,” Abraham said. “My hair seems to defy gravity and can handle pulling and tugging from a comb to create hairstyles that some hair cannot.”

For Abraham, her hair is a representation of the struggles that black girls who are afraid of

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embracing their hair, as they are afraid of the consequences that come with looking different.

“You define you.

Although it seems like the world favors lighter skin, you were born to have darker skin and curly hair for a reason,” Abraham said. h

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Tik T k:

TEENAGE STARDOM

Due to the rise of the social media platform TikTok, sophomore Allison Russo gives insight on how she built a supporter base.

BY ADDYS PLATA, STAFF WRITER

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EEMINGLY ATTAINABLE possibilities of stardom have enraptured millions of Generation Z’ers worldwide with the rise of the social media platform TikTok. The new application is widely used to make comedic, relatable videos, as well as artistic and creative content.

Within the school’s student body, sophomore Allison Russo has gained popularity on this app as a result of her creative humor and dancing expertise.

Russo’s road to TikTok fame began when her cousin introduced her to Musical.ly, a popular app acquired by the company Bytedance, that emerged into TikTok. Before the app’s name changed to TikTok, Russo had amassed 7,000 followers. Today, her profile boasts nearly 250,000 followers.

To build this following, Russo began utilizing popular sounds that were trending on the app at the moment, making interesting “story time” style videos and using hashtags such as “fyp,” “foryou” and “foryou page” to get her videos on the “For You” page—a part of the app where videos are recommended to viewers based on their recently watched videos and location. The page allows viewers to interact with short videos and allows creators to obtain more likes

and followers. By choreographing intricate dances and putting her own twist on favored trends, Russo’s creativity began to attract a following.

“For those with their sights on TikTok stardom, I recommend to share with your viewers any talents you have such as singing, dancing, playing a sport or cheering. Show them off because you will never know if it will go viral. Don’t be afraid to show your personality through your videos and to be yourself,” Russo said.

Through her experience with the Leonettes Dance Program at Ponce de Leon Middle School, as well as with her current competition team at the Dance Lab studio, Russo has learned to perform various genres of dance, including jazz, ballet, contemporary and hip-hop. She reflects the techniques she has mastered in her TikTok videos by performing moves like hip rolls. Her favorite sounds to use on the app include “Candy”

by Doja Cat and “Get Up” by Ciara.

Of recent, Russo’s most viewed video depicts her present self advising her younger self not to spend time with an older man because she would end up hospitalized. After surpassing eight million views, she uploaded another video explaining how the incident caused her to lose her vision

in her right eye, to which she received over 90,000 likes and 726,700 views.

“I started using this app because it was unbelievable how entertaining and compelling it could be, but I never imagined how much attention I would receive because of the little things like adding hashtags and my own style to dances,” Russo said.

Due to her newfound fame, Russo has been ridiculed and teased.

Some thought that her videos were not worth watching and she did not deserve the attention she was receiving.

“I have been bullied for making TikToks, people have called me ‘stupid’ and ‘cringey,’ have taunted me and left offensive comments on my posts, but my friends have supported me throughout all of it and have even made videos with me and included me in theirs,” Russo said.

Russo aspires to build her base and has begun her efforts on her YouTube channel, dubbed Allison Russo. She hopes to use her following to have an impact on her viewers and make them more aware of the world and how dangerous it can be using her own stories and experiences.

AS SEEN ON THE

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#FORYOUPAGE @allisonrussoo While the content on her TikTok account is an combination of creativity and comedy, sophomore Allison Russo frequently posts videos of herself dancing to popular sounds to showcase her artistic abilities. She typically receives 40-60k views on her videos performing dances to popular songs on the platform such as “Renegade” by K Camp and “Say So” by Doja Cat. In one of her most popular videos, Russo is dressed in formal attire as she pretends to strut a runway to the sound “Runway”

by Stunna Girl.

This video has nearly one million views and 200 thousand likes.

na Han Ebrahim i/highlights

@bubenbescobar

HALL TALK

The highlights staff records what students are talking about in the hallways at school in between periods.

Following his TikTok-inspired performance at the annual Mr. Coral Gables competition on Dec. 19, 2019, senior Ruben Escobar never would have foreseen the fame he would attain for performing a compilation of well-known TikTok dances.

As a video of his performance began circulating the platform, he quickly surpassed over 10 million views and 2.7 million likes. Less than two weeks later, the video of Escobar was uploaded on

the infamous viral video blog World Star.

Given that the video was posted by an acquaintance of Escobar’s he was initially shocked—and overwhelmed—upon seeing the video.

“I originally had the idea to film myself on stage but from stressing about the dance itself I completely forgot to,” Escobar said. “It was a pleasant surprise to receive all the support from my peers.” h

“Puffer jackets are just warm truth bags.”

“Boneless wings are wanna-be chicken nuggets.”

“If you sneeze and fart at the same time, does that mean your body is taking a screenshot?”

“If we covered the Earth with mint then we could solve global warming.”

“If you were a chemical would you be an acid or a base?”

“If I had a pig I would name it HAMlet.”

NEWS REVIEW

8 news CALENDAR FEBRUARY Bridge 4 Peace at Coral Gables Museum

13th

Valentine’s Day serenades

14th

Presidents Day, no school

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First day of Grad Bash

27th

CONGRATS Congratulations to Samantha Machin for becoming a Posse Scholar for Pomona College.

Congratulations to Mariam Aguilar, William Beardslee, and Eugene Francisco, for placing first in business ethics during the FBLA states 2020 qualifiers, as well as all other members for winning a total of 28 awards in their respective categories.

BY LISBETH ARRIETA, STAFF WRITER THE TRUMP ASOCIACIÓN IMPEACHMENT EMERGENCIA AYUCHO PROCESS FUNDRAISER The International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS) will host its annual Bridge 4 Peace (B4P) fundraiser on February 13, 2020, at the Coral Gables Museum.

IBHS will be teaming up with Asociación Emergencia Ayacucho, an organization geared towards serving orphans in Peru. The fundraising goal is around $12,000 to complete the rebuilding of the home with a capacity for 25 children.

“This cause allows students to put into affect all the principles of IB while enjoying the event.”

IB Counselor Nattacha Lezcano said.

President Donald Trump’s misconduct with a Ukrainian leader has led to the current impeachment.

The impeachment trial has officially moved to the Senate and officially begins during the week of Jan. 20th. Prior to this, the House of Representatives had adopted two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

“While I believe this impeachment trial is good for the country, I think it won’t make it as far since the majority of the Senate is republican,” junior Emma Bartelt said.

FRIDAYS FOR FUTURES CLIMATE CHANGE Fridays for Future is an international movement encouraging students to strike on Fridays in response to a lack of climate change action. Fridays for Future Miami plans weekly strikes every Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. in front of Miami Beach City Hall.

“From the times I got to participate in these events, I really felt like I was making a difference. It’s impressive how dedicated and passionate this group is.

I plan to attend and protest again in the near future.” sophomore Lauren Gregorio said.

Want to read more? Check out more great stories online!

Sweet as Fry

A local family owned restaurant is rising in popularity as a result of their fried foods.

Everglades restoration project Florida government decides to go forth with the Everglades restoration project, impacting the Micosukee Tribe.

Gables new music director

Gables alumni Krystal Espada takes on the role of the new music director

FOLLOW US ONLINE Read our online stories: www.cavsconnect.com/category/highlightssubmissions/ Instagram: @highlightscghs Twitter: @highlightscghs

Scan to visit our online content!

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New food stamp restrictions

news

Changing eligibility requirements will leave families without food stamp benefits, including those with free/reduced lunch.

BY ISABELLA AHUMADA, STAFF WRITER AND ALEXANDER SUTTON, COPY EDITOR

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THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT recently announced its plans to establish a new work requirement for families to receive food stamps, which will take effect in April. Announced on Dec. 4, the new executive order will require any family receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to have a job. SNAP provides aid to many families across the U.S. and helps combat hunger by allowing lower-income families to receive subsidized grocery store purchases, lessening the financial burden of buying food. However, under the new rule, families in which no one is employed will lose their SNAP assistance. Among the changes are eligibility requirements and efficiency changes to the process of reviewing applicants.

Three major changes will be made, childless adults without mental or physical disabilities won’t get food stamps for more than three months of the year. Adding to the requirement change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will input utility bills when calculating the applicants’ income when applying for food stamps. It will now be put up to the state to thoroughly examine the applicants when applying for food stamps as an attempt to efficiently examine every applicant.

Instituting this rule change is meant to save money, encourage productivity and close what the government views as “loopholes” to qualify for the program. SNAP participation also allows students who qualify to receive lunch at school for free or at a reduced price. Under the new rule, nearly 200,000 children in Florida who currently receive free or reduced lunch from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) would lose their subsidies and be required to pay for

school lunch. Recent government analyses predict that the SNAP changes could reduce the federal NSLP costs by about $90 million every year. The standards revoke SNAP access from households that possess more than $2,250 in assets or have an income higher than 130% of the federal poverty line.

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“FOR SOME STUDENTS, THEY AREN’T GETTING MUCH FOOD AT HOME, SO THEY DEPEND ON SCHOOL LUNCH FOR FOOD. IF THAT GETS TAKEN AWAY, THAT CAN AFFECT LEARNING, BEHAVIOR, AND HEALTH,” LACRETIA STRICKLAND, SCHOOL LUNCH MANAGER

“This is good, because our government has been over budget, and it’s the responsibility of a working-age adult to support himself,” senior Javier De la Regata said.

Those opposed to this new implementation believe that cutting such benefits would disadvantage citizens who need assistance most.

SNAP’s beneficiaries must frequently deal with food shortages and often have to ration their meals at the end of the month as income runs out.

“What’s the point? Free or reduced lunch is meant for your kids to have food if you have low income, so if you’re taking that away then who are you giving it to, ” senior Sarah Hernandez said.

In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, 71% of the student body is enrolled in the NSLP. At the school, 1,973 students, or 65% of the student body, are on free or reduced lunch status; it is likely that some of them will be affected by the new changes. Nationwide, nearly one million students will be affected by the new rule. However, the majority of these students would still be eligible for school lunch benefits; they would just have to reapply instead of receiving automatic benefits.

“Now I’ll have to go through more of a hassle, even more than what my family is currently going through,” senior Elias Benedich said.

A Feeding South Florida report recently found that 19.4% of the children in MiamiDade County go to bed hungry. Under the administration’s proposal, all of them would have to apply to the program again to continue to get their meals.

“For some students, they aren’t getting much food at home, so they depend on school lunch for food. If that gets taken away, that can affect learning, behavior, and health,” school lunch manager Lacretia Strickland said.

Ultimately, the changes to SNAP eligibility will ripple across South Florida and the nation.

Public school students everywhere will be affected, while the government will save significant funds — nearly everyone will be impacted in some way. h

STUDENTS SPEAK UP

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THE NEW RULE IS UNFAIR TO MANY PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED HELP FROM SNAP, AND TO STUDENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM. JEFFERSON RIZO, SOPHOMORE

Isabella Ahumada/highlights

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I THINK THE NEW REGULATION WOULD DO A GREAT JOB IN REMOVING FAMILIES WHO DON’T REALLY NEED THE HELP, BUT WILL STILL EXCLUDE [THOSE THAT DO].

MAHA ESSAKALI, JUNIOR

10 news

A DECADE IN

HEADLINES

BY ALIA GAMEZ, STAFF WRITER

The BP oil spill Named the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill occurred due to an explosion at the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. It killed 11 workers of the 126 on board and polluted the gulf with up to five million barrels worth of crude oil until it was capped on July 15, 3 months later. Because of the damage, on Sep. 19, this part of the Gulf is named effectively dead. The oil is still not completely gone, despite BP paying 14 billion dollars to clean it up, as well as 13 billion dollars in claims, advances and settlements towards the people it affected.

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“I THINK NEWS STORIES LIKE THE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN BEING FOUND NOT GUILTY OF MURDERING TRAVON MARTIN [HAVE] BEEN ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT RECENT SOCIAL CHANGES AND INSPIRE MOVEMENTS” KATYA GUTIERREZ , SENIOR

Osama Bin Laden killed by U.S forces Osama Bin Laden, the mind behind the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, was found in his hideout in Pakistan. The Navy Seals conducted the search, landing from two helicopters and culminating a 10-year search for the leader. Bin Laden was not the only one, as five others were found in the bunker (including his son) and were killed. After the raid was finished, then President Barack Obama announced on a live broadcast the news and soon, cheering crowds of people gathered around the Ground Zero site and Times Square in New York. It was found that the dead terrorist had planned to assassinate the president and lead more attacks on United States soil.

The Mass Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary

Tragedy struck on Dec. 14, when a 20-year-old gunman shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School, with 20 of those victims being students, another being the gunman’s mother, as well as five school staff members. At the White House, President Obama spoke to the nation honoring all the victims. The former president campaigned for new gun safety measures of expanded background checks, but was blocked by the Senate. The shooting has been recognized as the second most deadly shooting in the United States. A year after the shooting, the Newton Community, where the school was located, decided to tear down the building and build a new school in its place.

Trayvon Martin’s Shooter Declared Not Guilty by Jury George Zimmerman, the alleged shooter of Trayvon Martin, was found not guilty by a six woman jury. On the night of Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmermann shot Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old. The jury deliberated for 16 hours between three choices: find Zimmerman guilty of second degree murder, of manslaughter or not guilty. Zimmerman was acquitted on his claim of acting in self defense. This decision sparked controversy, along with a series of protests in Los Angeles, and partially inspired the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The BLM movement was one of the many consequences felt by the death of the teenager and the year long legal battle.

The Ebola Epidemic becomes a Global Health Crisis In the summer of 2014, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) declared Africa’s Ebola crisis a global health emergency. The great use of public transportation and travel contributed to the spread of the virus traveling from isolated regions of west Africa, and it was most prominent in three countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia to the U.S. where three cases were recorded that year, while in Africa the virus affected 20,000 and killed up to 7,900 victims. The epidemic led to a national lockdown in one of the affected regions, as well as a downfall in investment in those countries, a loss in healthcare workers, and caused setbacks for other diseases.

As the decade comes to an end, highlights is taking a look back in time at what made this decade memorable through the news that that has shaped our lives throughout the years as well as the ways have these news headlines impacted us.

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Same sex marriage legalized The fight for gay marriage legalization in the U.S. was completed in June 2015. Upon the end of the Obergefell v. Hodges case, the Supreme Court made the landmark decision in June, legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states. The decision was made on a 5-4 vote ending decades long legal battles. Celebrations rose across the U.S. and social media, as the hashtag #LoveWins increased in popularity.

U.S. presidential election President Donald Trump won against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in a nearly 50/50 projected race of the presidential elections. Though losing the popular vote, Trump ultimately triumphed as the electoral college system ended in his favor.

Trump had won over the former democratic stronghold or “blue wall” of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states which had been consistently democratic for about 30 years. Starting his campaign halfway through 2015, Trump had been projected to be very unlikely to secure the nomination. However, despite all the speculations, he won the elections.

The #MeToo movement Originally founded in 2006 to help survivors of sexual violence share their stories, the #MeToo Movement became a topic of discussion nationwide in 2017. It gained momentum after Ashley Judd, Emily Nestor, Lauren O’Connor and Rose McGowan came foward accusing Harvey Weinstein, an acclaimed Hollywood producer, of sexual assault. Originating from twitter, other women gained the courage and shared their stories of sexual assault using the hashtags #MeToo. The hashtag became a rallying cry for women all over the world, who translated it into their own languages and garnered support internationally. The movement brought about a greater level of awareness to the sexual harassment many women face in their workplaces.

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I’VE BECOME USED TO PEOPLE NOT HAVING REACTIONS TO THE NEWS THAT WOULD AFFECT THEM, SO I TRY TO REACT AND BE MORE AWARE OF IMPORTANT NEWS STORIES. SARAH HERNANDEZ, SENIOR Alia

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The Mass Shooting at Marjory Stoneman High School On Valentine’s day, the nation was shaken with the news that a gunman had killed 17 students in a Florida high school. The gunman was a former student at Marjory Stoneman highschool in Broward County. The shooting sparked what became part of a larger movement toward stricter gun control, led by the survivors of the massacre. Many took to social media to express their feelings towards the shocking event using hashtags such as #GunReformNow and keywords like Stoneman Douglas Fund trended on twitter.

In the time following the shooting, state legislatures have passed 69 gun control bills and measures as well as new school safety protocols.

Hong Kong Protests against Bill Passed According to organizers, over one million people attended a march protesting a proposed legislation in Hong Kong, which would allow the extradition of individuals, including foreign nationals, to mainland China to stand trial. Since then, the marches have continued, being hidden by censorship in an attempt to keep the information and awareness from traveling across the globe. Not only have the marches continued, but they have grown to the discussion of further democracy and examinations into alleged police brutality. Safety is a growing concern for residents of the city, because while it is safe for the most part, the protests have become more violent and disruptive.

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STAFF-ED: Time change

The School Board considers altering the school schedule to later times despite serious repercussions.

of ga

coach Alton Strachan said. “ Some kids live far away and have to take the bus home; they would be getting home around 8 or 9.”

A study done by researcher G. Dunster in Seattle, Washington in December 2018 showed that students in the Seattle School District had a 34 minute median increase in sleep and a 4.5% median increase in overall grades when the district delayed the school start time 55 minutes.

Although this may be true for those students, the poll 68 3 f first proposed model for the time changes does ed: to not delay the start time by a mere 55 minutes, but Ou by two hours. The second proposed model has an hour delay instead, which many students consider to be the better option, but fails to consider the disruption that the schedule adjustment would cause to its most devoted students and their parents regardless. Parents that have early work schedules and take their children to school would have of gables to find an alternative way to get them there; not everyone has the students prefer an privilege and flexibility to adjust 8:30 start time to the school board’s changes.

“It’s an inconvenience for of gables my mom because I wouldn’t students want to have a ride to school, so she would have to pay extra money keep the current to get me to school in public start times. transportation. The changes are just unnecessary,” junior Jada Garcia said.

Students that have the work as a requirement to help support their families would be affected if school ends later. This is a reality for many students of the “It’s school and could be the result of an increase in going to be d a r k absenteeism. Teachers who have children to pick when you let out; they’re going to be riding home up from school or have second jobs would also in the dark, so it becomes a safety issue anyway.” struggle to adjust, not to mention the change in For our Gablettes, who currently practice schedule that would also apply to night school. as late as 7 p.m., this would leave them with Although the school board’s major very little time left for academics, and most preoccupation is making sure students get enough importantly, their families. “As of right now, I sleep, multitudes of students are more concerned already don’t get to spend a lot of time with my with being at school earlier to leave earlier, family and with the time change it would be rather than later; it provides them the freedom to even worse,” junior Gablette Liza Lorenzo said. do what they need to for the rest of the day. As “I’d be waking up later to go to sleep even later.” much as the superintendent cares about the wellFor the school’s football team, this could being of the district’s students, everyone has mean them leaving school at 7:30 p.m, rather found a way to make the current system work. than 5:30 p.m. and if not, moving practices to Without the shift, parents and staff would not the morning, merely defeating the purpose of have to suffer any repercussions or drawbacks the time delay. “Getting kids home safely— and and the changed school times would not feed homework, it’s going to be tough,” football the never-ending traffic of South Florida. h

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and students making their way to school in the morning, in addition to the millions of people in Miami trying to get to their jobs, it would create a hectic and stressful start and end to the day.

Additionally, the time change would be disadvantageous for students who stay after school for sporting events. “For the students that stay after school for extracurricular activities, what time are those kids going to get home?” principal Adolfo students Costa said.

p ts en

T

HE MOST TALENTED AND hardworking students in our county will be the most heavily affected by the new adverse implementations. The school board claims a change in school times would greatly benefit students by giving them an opportunity to receive a healthy amount of sleep, as well as ensuring their safety by keeping them from being out in the dark during the early morning. Students packed with extracurricular activities that they are passionate about, such as sports, clubs or volunteering will inevitably struggle to find time to do it all.

Other than supposedly benefitting the student, a time change would also benefit the public school system by saving them large amounts of money. By changing school times, there would be a reduction of bus routes that “could save the district $3 million,” superintendent Alberto Carvalho said during a board meeting. However, for many students, this has raised concerns of whether or not this would be more beneficial for the school board than for the students themselves.

According to Carvalho, the change could mean that high schools may start as late as 9:30 a.m. and end as late as 4:30 p.m. While on the surface, this may be appealing for hundreds of exhausted and stressed high school students, the reality is that they would not be getting as much sleep as they expect.

The rush hour traffic would make many still have to wake up earlier than 8 a.m. for students who live far from their schools.

TomTom is a GPS navigation company that keeps track of traffic congestions in urban areas and records them on a traffic index. According to their index, Miami is the number six most traffic-congested city in the country. Most notably, congestion levels from 8-9 a.m. range from 31-57% in comparison to 6-7 a.m. being down to 2048%. The same is seen for the afternoon: congestion levels from 4-5 p.m. range from 45-66% in comparison to 2-3 p.m. being down to 32-50%. With all school staff

13

E-Verified against immigrants opinion

With the goal of combating immigration, a new bill would harm the Florida economy.

COMMENTARY BY AUSTIN YAGODA

F

L O R I D A’ S economy and the lives of foreign workers could soon be hit hard with just the click of a button. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has shown his intention to support the prevention of illegal immigration into the U.S. through a proposed bill that could prevent the hiring of undocumented migrants throughout the state.

DeSantis has proposed a new statewide law for 2020 that would require employers to use E-Verify, a web system that verifies the legality of all employees’ residency in the country.

The idea was brought up in previous years, but was replaced in 2019 by the idea of banning sanctuary cities.

By checking records from the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration, the program can identify who out of a group of employees is undocumented or ineligible for work, and delivers results in just 3 to 5 seconds. If the employer gets results that do not match up, they would then be able to see the marked employees citizenship status. If the employee is undocumented, then the employer would have the choice to call immigration or law enforcement. Put simply, it could

cross reference multiple government sources and determine whether or not it is legal for a specified person to work in the country.

Even if the proposed bill for E-Verify eventually passes, these practices have rarely been shown to actually be effective in the long term. The best example of this being the Mexican border wall which was quickly taken down with simple power tools.

“Smuggling gangs in Mexico have repeatedly sawed through new sections of President Trump’s border wall in recent months by using commercially available power tools, opening gaps large enough for people and drug loads to pass through, according to U.S. agents and officials with knowledge of the damage.” Nick Miroff of the Washington Post said. And while an app is different from a physical wall, it seems that there have always been ways to circumvent any methods put in place to stop any kind of immigration.

In any case, the pros of using E-Verify are simple, as it would be a way of finding individuals who have broken the law.

The cons however, relate to the impact of immigration on the country’s economy. Many migrants, documented or not, find jobs in hard labor or minimum wage positions, which overall benefits the speed of infrastructure such as construction and farm production. If mass deportation were to occur, certain states such as Florida, Texas and California would all suffer as a result of a lack of workers in necessary positions. So while introducing

students speak up

“

IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE AND WORK HOW THEY WANT TO IF THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN HERE WITHOUT WORRY.

-Anaya Sosa, senior

“

E-Verify into workplaces could theoretically help crackdown on illegal immigration, its use would need to be kept in check in order to prevent a major economic crisis. The loss of these jobs could also tarnish the recent low unemployment rates in the country.

Many conservatives such as DeSantis believes that E-verify serves its purpose in preventing crime increases that result from immigration. This claim, however, has since been disproved by observational studies such as one from sociologist Robert Adelman at the University of Buffalo. In fact, Adelman performed studies in metropolitan areas such as New York and Miami that show native born citizens commit more crimes than migrants, whether they are documented or not. “It is not necessarily the immigrants that cause more crime,” sophomore Aaron Nogues said. “It’s just because many who come here are very poor, and are then attracted to things like gangs, which are made by native born citizens.

Besides economic consequences, many migrants support families both here and abroad and must work hard to keep them afloat. In addition, migrants may often come from countries that are deep in crisis, such as certain countries in South America with very unstable governments and general public unrest. People choose to leave these places because they can no longer make enough money to sustain themselves, and believe that there is opportunity for them in the U.S. On paper, DeSantis’ bill seems reasonable and effective, but would cause more harm than good to the country it’s supposed to protect. h

“

PASSING THIS BILL WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE THAT JUST CAME FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY TO SUSTAIN THEIR FAMILIES.

-Pierre Couto, junior

“

14

opinion

Two Views: Martyrs for their cause

As the decade comes to a close, two memes stand out as the most influential, but whose death was more impactful?

COMMENTARY BY JONATHAN MESA instant classics such as confused Mr. Krabs and Spongar the cave sponge. Their hard work paved the way for hundreds of memes to come. It was during this time where Harambe refined his people skills and developed his magnetic and charismatic personality. At their prime, though they had a falling out because Mitt had found his pile of bananas missing and blamed Harambe. Though they haven’t spoken to each other since, Harambe wrote about the situation to inform the masses. “...ooaoaaieiahahahoa eats banana OAOOOEOEOOEEII AOEIOAEIAOEIEO swings on tire swing AIEAOIAHAHA HAEHEHEHhahhehe bangs fists on chest heoaioaihehahehhahae hheHAHW EHEAHEAHEAHEAHAEHIO WHOEAIHOOEoaoao” Harambe said in his classic work “The Enigma of Man” This excerpt, taken from one of his most magnificent essays left his audience in tears and serves to offer us a small glimpse of his immeasurable genius. Harambe has truly surpassed the greats and has earned a spot among Plato, Aristotle and Joe from Family Guy as one of history’s most acclaimed minds.

Harambe, in his infinite wisdom, continued to surpass the bounds of meme culture with his understanding of abstract art. He was an art connoisseur and possessed a deep understanding of conveying feelings and messages through images rather than words. He used this skill to create memes that told a great story with just the strokes of the photoshop pen tool. Who could forget the greats such as Arthur the Ardvaark clenching his fist in frustration, his rage overflowing, and his wrath barely contained.

Harambe appealed to all our desires deep down to deliver a left hook to the antagonistic DWs in our lives. We would not have this meme if not for Harambe, and in time, us mere mortals began to show

“

our appreciation by making memes out of not only screenshots of old tv shows from our childhood, but Harambe himself.

Harambe contributed not only to the technological success of our species, but also to the cultural. 2010 marked the beginning of a new, potent meme culture, and in the time since it has evolved to surpass what people in 2010 could have dreamed possible. Harambe memes marked the beginning of a new human golden age. Before Harambe’s tragic [REDACTED] in 2016, memes generally made logical sense and followed the basic formula of setup setup setup punchline. However if one were to look at memes today someone from 2010 would be lost in the sea of absurdity that is late decade memes. The bridge for this, of course, was Harambe’s contribution of abstractist memes, and images like dat boi having no real meaning except for the meaning that the common masses give to it. Harambe’s real goal all along was to unite the people around the world, and give them a method to express themselves the way they always wanted to.

With his unfortunate death, the style he created has lost all form and sense, devolving into deep-fried and bass boosted amalgamations. Though it could be that the form memes have taken today is what he always wanted. If Harambe could see the path that humanity has taken, he would be proud to see that the human race has survived just fine without him. He would embrace the path that it has taken because they created it on their own.

This new era of memes was spawned from Harambe’s life and has evolved into something truly beautiful. His haters may say that he is no longer with us, but true Harambe fans know he will always be with us, the memes in our social media feeds a potent reminder of his irreplaceable legacy We have only his eternal being to thank for our progress as a civilization, and no amount of gratitude will ever be enough to properly thank him for his contributions to Earth. h

OOAOAAIEIAHAHAHAHOA (*EATS BANANA*) OAOOEOEOOEII AEIOEHAHAHHAHEHEHEAIIO OO (*BANGS FIST ON CHEST*) HOO OOEEAAHAH -An excerpt from Harambe’s classic work, “The Enigma of Men”.

“

G

ILGAMESH is recorded as history’s first great epic hero. However, ancient humans were fools to think that his story would serve as humanity’s most inspiring tale.

Fast forward to the modern era, where the Cincinnati Zoo housed a Western Lowland Gorilla, who was far more epic than any man ever could be. An eloquent philosopher and avid gamer, Harambe was revered for his ability to set his mind to any goal and then achieve it.

In 2016 though Harambe left his mark on the world by teaming up with former presidential candidate Mitt Romney to revolutionize human culture. To do this, Harambe and Mitt combined their forces to reach the American people’s hearts in the most efficient way possible.

This is when the next level of memes emerged. Gone was the simple formula of impact font over an image for a cheap giggle. The new generation of memes created embraced creativity by reusing old media for new memes.

Harambe and Mitt created

I

“

Spotlight, moonlight, uh [REDACTDED], why you trippin’?

Get your mood right Shawty look good in the moonlight,

T CAN EASILY BE INFERRED that the epitome of all great meme culture stems from none other than our vro and savior, Jasheh Onfroy. Also known by his pen name, XXXTentacion, short for unknown temptations, Onfroy became without a doubt, the single most influential figure in the modern decade specifically in the world of meme culture.

Remembered for his deep lyricism within masterpieces such as “Moonlight” and “Look at Me!”, he single handedly created a new genre of emotional music known as Sad Bart Simpsonism. He was a prodigy. The world is indebted to him for the contribution he made to society, through his music and influence on the development of memes.

With the historical context of the current decade, memes emerged online with the invention of the social networking website Facebook in early 2004. However, they did not become an explosively large phenomena until the early 2010s with the invention of rage comics and Pingu. As new meme formats where explored, old ones were quickly forgotten and memes started to lose all shape and form. Memes that lost all sense of formatting changed into an archaic field of nihilistic humor popularized by prank shows such as the Dobre Brothers who capitalize on this schema. A few examples to describe this archaic schema include: “The simp has fallen in love with the E-girl” or the infamous “Every female born after 1993 can’t cook.

All they know is [Redacted], charge they phone, be [Redacted], eat hot chips, and lie” meme. It was not until the quick rise of XXXtentacion in early 2016 that realism was brought back to the archaism of meme culture. XXXtentacion became a unifying figure, he brought the masses together, and cured my depression. Memes finally came back to life, regaining their reality.

“I do not think there is a single conceivable option other than Jahseh Onfroy’s work as an example for catalysing the reunification between logical humor and meme culture,” said physics teacher Roberto Del Valle. “Not only did his music move us with his deep lyricism,

Segment from “Moonlight” XXX Tentacion.

“

X X X

15

X X X

opinion

COMMENTARY BY DILAN DENHAM but the words he shared with us over Instagram live videos will never be forgotten.”

It is not entirely known to this date how XXXtentacion was able to capture an entire generation throughout the 2010s, however his effect on the general populous can not be undermined. He made one of the most endearing changes to the overall meme culture, as it lost a great sense of reality in early 2016 due to the hysteria caused by Harambe’s influence. The year of 2016 would be plagued by nonsensical nihilistic humor seen in popular trends such as deep fried memes and dobre brother videos.

It would only be through the grace of the most undoubtedly talented musician of the decade to bring humor back to its rightful origins.

“To me, he was much more than an icon, he was this sort of essence. He just captivated me. He made us weep, laugh, and everything in between. A real Will Smith type,” senior Aidan Tamargo said. “On the rough days and nights where I needed something to look up to, he was there smiling with me. He truly became the most influential person in not only my life, but the lives of our generation. In meme culture, he was all the hype, everything we could have wanted.”

When Forbes posted their unprejudiced list of the decades richest self-made American women in 2019, many were quick to point out how harshly they messed up. Not only did they fail to give XXXTentacion the number one spot for his incredible economic feats, but they falsely placed the rapper’s son Gekyume in second place behind Stormi Webster for most influential babies. However, XXXTentacion’s career as a catalyst for all things funny was unwavered.

Sadly, meme culture is facing another attack on its foundations as new social media website, TikTok, has funelled archaism back into meme culture. Currently, meme hubs such as Instagram and Reddit are resisting against the surge of “normie” content — a prevalent threat that could have the power to destroy what Jahseh Onfroy created. However, his embodiment of what he stood up for can never be forgotten.

Never before in our digital age has someone been able to change the face of a single generation.

Onfroy became the father of new age humor.

He made the masses laugh and will forever be remembered as the 2010s greatest meme.

Now, we look towards the second coming of the Jah— the one and only Gekyume Onfroy.

Comparing the greatness of Gekyume to his predecessor is like comparing the 2019 Honda Civic Type R to the 1999 Honda Civic two door hatchback.

The differences are outlandishly clear. Gekyume has overtaken his father’s groundbreaking social influence in the short time of a few years, reaching the likes of Will Smith and Moses. The young advocate for Girls Who Code has already prestiged twice on code.org, surpassing every other user in just two years. He now spends the majority of his time in the back seat of his mom’s Chevy Tahoe with the air on listening to his favorite music. He spends this time by setting online conference calls with world leaders such as Mitt Romney, the Dobre Brothers and even my personal favorite, Michelle Obama. While on the call, he single handedly manages some of the hardest world dilemmas imaginable.

Attention Gables!

To settle the debate once and for all, vote on who deserves the tite of meme of the decade using this QR code!

Just last fall, he reasoned out that getting the high ground in Fortnite, led to higher win to loss ratios.

Gekyume has become, like his father, the definition of positive social change. The world will forever be in their debt for the revolutionary changes they made to the comedic scene.

Gone are the days of normie viners, gone are the days of private posts appearing in your group chat and finally, gone are the days of Timothy Chalamet. We now wait patiently, for the bright future in meme culture to thrive and create new trends to fill our incessant souls. h

16

opinion

The problem with college admissions

As students face stress and high expectations, the college admissions process only worsens the school experience COMMENTARY BY ESTELLE ERWICH

A

TTENTIONgrabbing introductory sentence.

Hilarious, relatable anecdote.

Explanation of hardship or proof of ability to change the world. General humblebragging. Callback to original anecdote.

This is the formula my mind seems to currently be trained to write in, as I leave the months-long supplementary purgatory that is the college application process. It is the formula for success as seen on CollegeVine and PrepScholar, accompanied by stories hailing from previous applicants who ensure that if you write just one more essay, score one more point, achieve one more hour of community service, you too can be admitted to the college of your dreams.

This acceptance does not stand alone, of course - it entails the feelings of validation and achievement that the college admissions process has come to represent.

Yet as these attitudes increase, and students apply to growing amounts of universities, the facts remain: college acceptance rates are plummeting, the admissions process is a deeply subjective and random system, and the idea that university acceptance will lead to success and validation is a farce, one which only leads to stress, unrealistic expectations, and a misconstrued sense of the purpose of our education.

The reality is that college admissions rates are plummeting, due both to their selectivity and an ever-growing applicant pool. According to a report by Ivy Coach

Statistics, this is especially prevalent for those looking to apply to an Ivy League university or other upper-tier college. Between 2007 and 2018, Cornell University saw a 17 percent decline in applicants, the University of Pennsylvania saw an 11 percent decline, and Harvard University dropped four percent, leaving them

Did you know?

19.9 million students attended colleges and universities in 2019.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics at an infinitesimal 5.9 percent acceptance rate.

This increasingly small chance at admission has created a manic culture among applicants, transforming into an often four-year-long race between classmates to create the profiles which will result in acceptance letters. This panic does not only apply to the three percent of 18-yearolds who seek acceptance to these schools, but to the greater population as a whole. Even for students who might previously only apply to one or two in-state schools, the increased competition among students vying for admittance leads many to feel the need to apply to many more universities than they actually deem necessary.

The competitive aspect also bleeds into the mind of the student who wishes to stay in-state, as some universities become labelled and known as being “better” or “worse” than others. The

increasing pressure placed on students to attend elite colleges can often lead to those who choose to remain close to home and attend community college to feel inadequate or that their life path is less legitimate than others. Whether a student aspires towards a community college, state university or an Ivy League institution, the pressure - in the form of hordes of competitors, dwindling acceptance rates, increased levels of stress, high expectations and a desire to feel achievement - is on.

This pressure, which leads students to endure four years of nights spent doing homework, countless hours spent in sports and clubs and nail-biting minutes sat at standardized testing desks, stems from the sense of importance that the educational system has placed upon attending a reputable university. The desire to attend a high ranking school is not only rooted in dreams of grandeur and success, but also in the raw statistics of an increasingly competitive time. Studies have found that as careers in the past decade have evolved, employers no longer view job applicants through the simple dichotomy of college educated or not college educated.

According to economics professor and researcher Caroline Huxby, a degree is no longer a guarantee of securing a job, with differing levels of occupational opportunity and success available to college graduates based on the prestige of the university they attended, with an advantage to those with a name brand degree.

Students are willing to pay the price to ensure this, one which the educational system has taught them comes in the form of a gruelling high school and college experience, a prestigious degree and most likely, one hundred thousand dollars in student debt. And while it is fair to say that a desire for success which could entail

opposable thumbs Cats

World War 3

HP laserjet 2035

“It was a sensual experience.”

“Road trip to Iran with the homies? say less”

“Name a better printer I dare you”

-Sara Ebrahimi, Staff Writer

-Jonathan Mesa, Staff Writer

-Kevin Monjarrez, Opinion Editor

17

opinion such extremes is self-inflicted, it is equally valid to recognize the role which our current educational, and college admissions system plays in influencing us towards these goals.

The importance, exclusivity, and prestige of which these institutions brag, coupled with a growing emphasis on the ‘necessity’ of attending college and a generation of type-A overachievers, has enshrined college acceptance as something it should not be.

Instead of marking the beginning of a new chapter, it now must be an end to that of one’s highschool years, indicative of the worth of a student’s previous efforts and overall intelligence. As Alia Wong, reporter for the Atlantic, writes, the current stigmas regarding the importance of college acceptance is “...Convincing [students] that attending a prestigious school is paramount. And critics say that mania has even spread into and shaped American culture, often distorting kids’ (and parents’) values, perpetuating economic inequality, and perverting the role of higher education in society as a whole.”

Some argue that college acceptances are not unhealthy to students’ morale or mental health, as they are an accurate reflection of the time and effort devoted to success in high school and beyond. Students should suck it up, accepting however acceptances and denials play into their self-confidence, as they are receiving a result that is indicative of what their work deserves. Yet while students wait upon envelopes and emails to find out if their dedication, work ethic, and energy has paid off, the actual process behind college admissions is much less wholesome, holistic or fair - in fact, it is extremely subjective, and much of it is up to chance.

Watching the Bloomberg produced Youtube video entitled “College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room,” is like watching a college applicant’s worst nightmare unfold.

The 2013 video details the application decision process for students wishing to attend Amherst College, a prominent liberal arts college in Massachusetts. In the video, the school’s admissions officers deliberate over which students to accept and which to waitlist, spending minutes on each profile and making choices out of their own subjective judgement. When speaking on the flaws of the subjectivity of the process, Dean of Admissions Tom Parker admits, “there are times, honestly, where I don’t know why I put my hand up or fail to put my hand up… I’m kind of going with my gut here.”

Unfortunately, for many students, their years of hard work and sleepless nights, will come down to some faceless deliberator’s gut feeling, their mood that day or their own assumptions and predispositions towards different types of students. So

while this admissions process is touted as and believed to be a rite of passage of those who are, by any judgement, great, it is in reality unreliable and susceptible to personal bias, snap decision making, or even, in the case of the Varsity Blues scandal, wads of cash. The stress and expectations which students nationwide are subjected to is one dependent on an unreliable, five minute review.

This dependence on college admissions for a sense of success or self worth is significantly harming students as well, leading to increased rates of stress, depression, and other health issues. With mounting pressure and intense expectations - from others and oneself - students submit themselves to a process of evaluation which often leads them to feeling inadequate or less than.

Our generation is increasingly vocal about feeling lost, depressed, and scared — perhaps this is because before our educational system encourages us to be people, they encourage us to be machines that evolve from perfect applicant, to perfect student, to perfect worker. We begin to equate our self-worth to a 4.0 scale or a number of check marks on a to-do list.

But beyond this, the self-centered attitude which is required to succeed in this intense process is changing our values as a whole. As we play to win in a system that requires us to be competitive and inherently egotistical, it is shown that our generation is losing its sense of compassion and community-based prioritization of others. The Making Caring Common Project is a set of research studies done by the Harvard Graduate School of Education which report on the content of the current generation’s moral values, as well as that which influence it. The study found that 60 percent of youth surveyed valued achievement over caring for others, with a larger percent of students valuing achievement even over their general happiness. This has been influenced by strong generational trends, as students were three times more likely to agree than disagree with the statement that their parents were more concerned about them getting good grades than with them being a caring community member. The pressure to succeed, oftentimes culminating in chasing college acceptance, is not only debilitating students with stress, but interfering in their values and sense of self.

The current exclusivity and overinflated sense of prestige built into the college admissions process is disrupting the lives of students, as well as interfering in the overall goals of our educational system. h

Kevin’s Korner Build your own Korner!:

(Your title) COMMENTARY BY (YOUR NAME) For generations, (noun; plural) have (verb; past tense) our society. My solution? (noun; plural). No longer will we endure the (adjective) (noun; plural), we will be free. Why do I seek to (verb) the (place)?

It’s simple: it all started when I met (name).

When (pronoun) introduced me to the (adjective) (noun), I instantly (verb; past tense) my (noun; plural). After (pronoun) (verb; past tense) me for the second time, I (verb; past tense) (pronoun). Now we had a plan to (verb) the (occuapation; plural). To combat the (noun), who would only ever tell us “You can’t (verb) thats too (adjective)!” We had to stay on top of the game. Having covered our (noun; plural) we now moved on to phase two of the (adjective) plan. We began constructing the (invention). This (invention) would (verb) all of (noun), making (place) a utopia.

Speaking of (Favorite item of cutlery), how (adjective) is it? It has so many uses, such as (verb) or (verb) or even (verb)! In my utopia, the only way to eat food will be using (favorite cutlery). Goodbye (inferior cutlery), there is a new (authority position) in town. Good luck eating (food) with a (favorite cutlery) idiot, (food) sucks anyway.

After we rid the (place) of (noun; plural), we will move onto our next quest: (noun).

We must restructure, and it starts with (noun; plural). (Teacher) will be installed as the head of (place) government, with a strict policy of (verb ending in -ing) (group). Finally (fictional oppressed group) will rise to the top of the hierarchy, with (favorite cutlery; plural) in hand. Mad Libs are hard to write. h

18 sports

THE BEST OF THE

20 10 CAV EDITION

S Courtesy of The Cavaleon

19

sports

As the decade comes to an end, highlights reflects on the school’s top athletic accomplishments throughout the 2010s

BY MARTA RODRIGUEZ, STAFF WRITER

2010

Following a difficult season, the 2010 tennis team made it to districts and earned the opportunity to play at the United States Tennis Association. Also, for the first time since 1990, the boys varsity basketball team made it back to districts, making this one of their most important seasons in decades, playing at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC).

2011

For the second consecutive year, the boys basketball team repeated the GMAC championships as the first team to ever repeat the GMAC titles—one of the biggest titles a high school basketball team can get. Additionally, in 2011, the girls soccer team made it to regionals with a team filled with a majority of first year players.

2012

In 2012, the girls cross country team made it to states placing fourth overall. Additionally, the girls golf team made it to the districts, placing second and fourth overall. For the first time in several years, the girls golf team made it further than the guys and all the way to districts. Also, the boys soccer team finished as district champions.

2013

In 2013, the boys golf team made it to regionals with a record score of 12 points, which they had not accomplished in over 10 years. While the previous golf teams at the school had been unsuccessful, it took new players and a different atmosphere for these athletes to bond together.

2014

Creating a cherishable moment for the student body, the football team made it to regionals and beat the school’s longtime rival Christopher Columbus High School. Although it was a tough game, the team still achieved its goal and earned pride and bragging rights for the entire school. Moreover, the first Cavalier bowling team was created.

2015

Clutching a girls GMAC first place trophy and a boys GMAC third place trophy, the swim team dove headfirst into its season in 2015. The team successfully achieved its goal of placing at competitions in an eventful season.

Also, the girls softball team won the district championships.

2016

In the year of the 45th anniversary of the founding of the girls volleyball team, the varsity girls soccer team made it to the semi-finals and won 4-3. The waterpolo team won a district title, and the girls softball team won the district championship for the second consecutive year in 2016.

2017

After a difficult few seasons of being unable to connect as a team, the boy’s basketball team worked hard to succeed and were able to make it to the semi-finals. Also in 2017, the Gablettes placed first at the National Dance Association national competition.

This was also the year International Studies Preparatory Academy (ISPA) students were allowed to play for the school’s teams.

2018

In 2018, the school’s female and male JROTC Raider teams qualified for States as both teams competed in Tropical Park. They competed fiercely to earn a spot in States, earning second place overall.

Different races such as the 50-yard tire flip and first aid , determined who would get a spot at states.

2019

In the last year of the decade, the school’s softball team was able to achieve its first ever trip to state competitions. The Cavs achieved a 6-2 win in a Region 4-9A final at Coral Reef High School, which pushed the team to qualify to move on to the state final four for the first time in the school’s history. h

20 sports

Gables’ newest coach makes a racket

As the spring tennis season rises, highlights interviews the team’s new tennis coach, Benjamin Groff

BY GREGOIRE WINSTON, STAFF WRITER Why did you decide to take the role of coach?

Groff: I just happen to be friends with other sports coaches and

What are some of the techniques that you want to implement as coach?

Groff: Luckily, most of the players already come with alot of

the tennis team needed they needed somebody. There are my colleagues that are coaches here, have great leadership skills and they’re just very positive people. And we’re here for the kids and [I like how] they go out on a limb for their kids all the time and spend extra hours making sure that the kids have what they need.

experience they have their own personal coaches. And to be honest with you, right now I’m just a matter of in the in the position of putting the team together and having them work as a unit.

Let’s see how we do against the other schools.

What are your experiences as a player in the past?

Groff: I have been playing tennis since I was in high school, and I played

What do you want in a player?

Groff: It is more about the effort than the talent. It is sort of

intramural tennis in college. I took lessons when I was in college. Of course, I didn’t start as a young child, but I tried to make up for that as a teenager. I’m certified to teach tennis and I’ve taught young kids tennis and adults alike, for some 20 years ago now. So I’ve been playing tennis for over 40 years.

What do you like about tennis?

Groff: Tennis is a lifelong sport that teaches you patience and tenacity.

It is a beautiful game. If I love the style and and the strokes.

you watch it, you’ll understand the, grace behind the footwork

How did you prepare for this year of the year?

Groff: We are

How do you plan to improve the team?

Groff: It is too early to tell. I have to see what I have.

But I am working with and I am getting to know the players. I have been talking to them individually and picking their brains to see what’s worked in the past, what they recommend. Maybe we do a little more of particular things this year, so that there is stakeholders in the team and they are not just waiting for me to tell them what to do.

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Where do you want to be at the end of the season?

Groff: I hope

Thoma

in the process of preparing our first matches on Feb.12.

We are going to have a couple mandatory practices at the Biltmore coming up starting next week and the following week. And as of now, we have over 10 players, both five or more boys and five or more girls. The school has a rich history in in our tennis program, and I hope to build on that prior success. And just get the players out there and have a good time and hopefully win some matches.

like being an artist, really, if they have the heart of Rafael Nadal, and the work ethic of Simona Halep, that is all I can ask for.

to be given the chance to continue coaching.

Let’s see how this first year goes. I am so new at it, it is too early to tell what will happen but I am hoping for the best but I can not do without the kids. I just want to do everything I can do to make sure that they reach their p o t e n t i a l . h

21

sports

Lady Cavs make their shot at a success

The varsity girls basketball team defeated the Miami Beach HiTides in a tense match

BY BARBARA BORJA, STAFF WRITER

R

EADY TO DEFEAT THE MIAMI not allowed to nior Isabella HIGH HOPES: Se beach Hi-Tides for the second time this play for the rest t a slam dunk. season, the Lady Cavaliers basketball of the game, successfully carries ou team headed onto the court determined to win. as it seemed Due to a previous loss against the Cavs on Dec. 6, she had an the Hi-Tides came onto the school’s property, with injury to her motivation to put in maximum effort. The game ankle or even began at 5 p.m. on Jan. 10, with a rush of energy her ACL. filling the gym as the players warmed up. The team Nevertheless, prepared as they would for any of their games, the game this time with a motivational ritual produced c o n t i n u e d , by their team captain Kaitlyn “Kacey” Cruzata. with the “[It was designed] to get the girls hyped, H i - T i d e s so we could instantly start the game exited b r i n g i n g and [ready to] do our very best,” Cruzata said. m o r e The starting five players brought their passion and strength and power aggression than to the court, scoring before. Running up 20 points in the first and down the court, five minutes of the the remaining two quarters secured the OUR STATS REALLY game, with only win for the girls’ basketball team. By DO SAY THAT WE’VE five points scored the final buzzer, the Cavaliers IMPROVED A LOT AND had by the Miami Beach scored 62 points Hi-Tides. Although against the H i YOU CAN HONESTLY they still took the allowing FEEL THE DIFFERENCE, Tides, lead, the Cavaliers only 24 NOT ONLY BECAUSE lost control of their opposing points advantage, as the to be scored on them.

OF TALENT, IT’S Hi-Tides were able The team’s new season’s JUST THAT WE ARE to gain up on the statistics show solid improvement, COMMUNICATING school, advancing previously averaging 5 wins to 5 losses, six additional while now acquiring 9 wins and 3 losses, MORE. points, ending the placing them in second place for districtKACEY CRUZATA, first quarter 22level qualification, behind Miami Senior SENIOR 11. Coach Lisa High School.

Nanninga later “We were missing a few key encouraged the girls to try harder than they did in people, so we were a little uncertain; people the first quarter in a quick during a quick break. were filling in some new roles so I was able It was soon time for the second quarter in which to see them step into those and improve the players were able to bring back their initial the outcome of the game,” Nanninga said. energy, improving their such as crossover dribbles, To many of the players on the team, a effective passing and overall greater teamwork. great bond with each other is the secret to At the start of the third quarter, only two playing as well as they have this season. minutes in, Hi-Tides player number 21 attempted “Our stats really do say that we’ve to steal the ball away from senior Isabella Pinera, improved a lot and you can honestly feel the number 22, when they accidentally clashed into difference, not only because of talent, it’s just each other, causing the Miami Beach player to fall that we are communicating more,” Cruzata on her right ankle. A foul was instantly called as said. “We are bonding more as a team and the player remained on the floor unable to stand. we are working together as a team, on Her coach and teammates stood over her as the and off the court which makes us a athletic trainer rushed to help her up. She was better team in the end.” h

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Pinera

22 sports

ELEARNING-THE-LINGOL

Evaluating the student body’s knowledge about sports terminology, highlights tests students on popular terms

BY SANDRA HANUSHCIK, STAFF WRITER

A

S UNIQUE TERMINOLOGY that changes with each generation, sports slang provides insight into the world of a modern day athlete. Sports slang is spread throughout teams and countries when used during games or practices. However, although popular among sports fanatics and the

players themselves, these terms are sometimes unknown by non-athletes. Because these words usually cannot be commonly used in everyday life, they cannot be easily learned by those who are unfamiliar with athletic lingo. Through their jargon, athletes share their thoughts and ideas with their teammates and coaches.

#1:Diamond:

From slang for different locations to terms for specific actions, sports terminology covers how athletes interpret different aspects of their sports through their vocabulary. In an attempt to gage the student body’s athletic knowledge, highlights took to the halls to question students on athletic slang. h

#2:Airball:

Definition: The four bases of the baseball infield.

Student guesses: “Starting position in a diamond form.”

“When the team sings Rihanna to distract the opponent.”

“The shape that people line up in.”

“One of the positions that the players stand in.”

“When someone proposes at a football game.”

Definition: A basketball shot that misses the net.

Student guesses: “When the ball stays in the air for a long time.”

“When you shoot a basketball,but you don’t hit the rim of the net.”

“When you are bad at playing basketball.”

“Something the Miami Heat are very good at.”

“When the ball is in the air.”

#3:Wet:

#4:Hail-Mary:

Definition: A basketball term for a smooth shot.

Student guesses: “When you pee yourself during a game.”

“When you are so good you are drippin’. ” “When you are really sweaty during a game.”

“When your water spills all over you.”

“A really good shot during a basketball game.”

#5:Lettuce:

Definition: A last minute football pass with a low chance of success Student guesses: “The throw invented by Aaron Rodgers.”

“When you yolo it.”

“When you praise the other team, so they let you win.”

“When the Tupac song plays during the game.” ”When you pray before a game to win.”

#6:Blitz:

Definition: When a lacrosse player wears his hair long and it

Definition: A defensive attack in football where several

flows out of the back of his helmet.

defensive players rush the passer.

Student guesses: “When the player gets hungry for a snack and eats the grass” “When your run so fast that your foot chops some of the grass and it looks like lettuce.”

“A vegetable?”

Student guesses: “When a player sweats so much that they sparkle.”

“To go fast.

“Is it like a rhombus?”

“When you make points without tackling someone.”

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

23 the scene

Scripted comedy has no place at Just the Funny improv club where the best jokes come from the actor’s noggin

BY RUBEN ESCOBAR, BUSINESS MANAGER schedules. With the completion of each level — there are five in total — the student will receive a certificate of completion on the night of their final student performance. Aside from the five levels of adult improv classes, the roster of courses offered includes sketch writing, musical improv, Shakesperean improv and hip hop among others.

“As a thespian, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing off-script comedy being performed in a professional setting,” senior Arianna Zerquera said. “It was exciting to see a student performance followed by their certificate of completion and the joy they felt after their first successful performance. Simply priceless,” Zequera said.

In registering for a class, students are granted free access to all shows put on at the theater with the exception of special events. In addition, students are added to a private Facebook group where they can reach out to other resources for help and discuss with other current or past students of the JTF Theater & Training Center.

In providing classes and throwing shows together, JTF situates itself along the traffic on Coral Way. Now, with the Festival and Night Pass, patrons can enjoy multiple shows and avoid the lines. From ‘wherefore art thous’ to raunchy humor, JTF has been the site of comedic growth, entertaining training and the proud tears of graduation for years. h

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watch, tickets can be bought on the website for a lower price than the box office offers.

“I came to the theater with all the family who were in town for the holidays,” audience member Shari Wald said. “[My family and I were] impressed by the quick-witted comedy and how they all played off each other.”

JTF has given itself the title of ‘Miami’s Home for Improv and Sketch Comedy’ on its main website. Shows, however, are not the only activities taking place within JTF. This performing arts theater doubles as Miami’s leading and most comprehensive improv comedy and sketch writing school in South Florida according to Improv Resource Center.

Classes are structured similar to that of a typical high school course with a syllabus, credits, separation in levels of ability and many resources included in the package.

This school caters to teens, adults, kids as well as speakers of other languages. Registering for a class normally costs a non-refundable $275 for seven weeks of lessons, mentoring and a student-produced performance as a final assessment. Classes meet one time a week on the second floor of the building and are taught by experienced mentors. The duration of each class is about two-and-a-half hours starting around 7:30 p.m. on weeknights excluding Wednesday and Friday, with exceptions for intensive classes, which run on specialized

We av

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ESTLED AMONG THE SMALL businesses along Coral Way with just a yellow sign to claim its presence, Just the Funny (JTF) comedy club gives a platform to the comedians of South Florida to test their humor and theatrical ability.

However, there is much more than the black and yellow signs suggest.

Due to its relatively discreet appearance, the club does not get very packed apart from its usual audience members and the actors themselves. The theater is equipped with three stages— the main stage theater, the largest with a capacity of over ninety audience members, a smaller black box theater known as the Peacock Room and a cabaret-style lounge for more intimate performances called the Spotlight.

Each of these stages is used for separate shows that sometimes go on at the same time, allowing for variety in the audience’s experience.

Shows are put on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at eight p.m. Options for what to watch include student-produced shows, stand-up comedy, live improv from the main cast and sketch comedy. The list and schedule of shows can be found on JTF’s main website.

Show ticket prices at the box office range from $5 to $15 depending on the theater in which the show is being performed. Tickets go on sale around sixty minutes before each show. For customers that already know what they want to

INGENIOUS IMPROV:

Four actors perform at one of Just the Funny’s weekly shows.

24

the scene

C AVA L I E R

Take a look at the most popular places to get food, according to Gables students

BY NATALY RABELO AND ISABEL QUINTILLA, STAFF WRITERS

A

S THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS signifying the end of another day waves of students begin to migrate outside of their classrooms. Some head for their cars, others for the buses lined up at the entrance and some to club meetings. While it may appear as if the crowd of cavaliers are ready to trek

back home, look a little closer and you will find packs of people walking just a block or two to grab a bite to eat.

It is certainly not uncommon to crave an after-school snack, and Coral Gables students definitely have an abundance of options when they are looking for some homework fuel.

Whether you are searching for a delicious sugary drink, a quick and healthy meal or a delightful baked pastry these are positively the place to go.

Serving students for years E-Bar, Havanna Harry’s and 7-Eleven are essential parts of the Cavalier culture.

EBAR

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In the proximity of less than a mile from the school, the EBar gives Gables’ students a place to study and hang out, a quick stop for coffee or snacks and a place to release their stress after the school day.

Open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, Nordstrom EBar has served as a go-to after school hangout for many. With its quiet ambience and variety of artisanal coffee, the bistro makes the perfect place for productivity. In every corner of the room, patrons focus on work. Many students choose to go to the EBar as a place where they can use their time wisely as there are no distractions from their everyday surroundings.

“This cafe is lifesaver after school. It provides a quiet place to stay where I can sit down, grab a bite to eat and catch up on assignments and homework until I get picked up,” junior Emma Bartelt said.

PERFECT PASTRIES:

(Bottom Left) Pastry cigars are lined up neatly in the display case of EBar.

Apart from serving as a convenience to students in their studies, the EBar has become part of the routine of many students who use it as a place to meet with friends and unwind after a long day on campus.

As they sit and converse about the happenings of their day, they can also grab a quick bite to eat, snack on a locally sourced pastry or even grab a refreshing drink, like the Mango Chill smoothie, crafted i n the

Gregoire Winston/ highlights

EBar’s kitchen.

EBar offers many small but filling options for food. For example, their delicious lemon chicken bowtie pasta salad will curb any cravings. Or if one is in the mood for some comfort food pick-up the four cheese Mac and Cheese, a warm and gooey take on a classic American dish.

Caffeine options remain their most sold items for most students as they drink coffee to re-energize their bodies and minds. Often times you will find students sipping on an Iced-Coffee or “Ice Storm” as it is referred to at EBar. These vary from classic Caramel Mocha “Storms” to more sugary drinks like the Strawberry Vanilla Ice “Storm.”

The cafe is no longer a simple food destination for most students at Gables, but rather a staple part of Gables culture in providing a comfortable place for students to be in both their necessary downtime and focused study.

SAVORY SANDWICHES: (Top Right) Medianoches, a classic cuban meal, are popular items at Havana Harry’s.

C U LT U R E C

the scene

HAVANA HARRY’S

UBAN FOOD IS A STAPLE PART of Miami culture. From salty and satisfying croquetas to warm and flaky pastelitos most would agree that these dishes make any Miami native smile. For 25 years Havana Harry’s has been serving Cuban, Latin American and Spanish cuisine to its customers and providing delicious finger-foods to students straight from their cafe.

Located at 4612 South Le Jeune Road, just a quick nine minute walk from the school, Havana Harry’s has become a staple part of the Cavalier diet.

Walking into Havana Harry’s the scent of classic cuban dishes, immediately delight the senses. Dishes like the Medianoche, a classic cuban sandwich, lay next to “pastelitos de guayaba” in the glass display case at the

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25

FTEN TIMES, THE MORNING rush to school can be hectic. It happens frequently that in the midst of running to school, one may forget to have breakfast, grab lunch or even pack a snack. However, there is a quick fix to these problems. Right down the street from the school campus, a 7-eleven waits to help any hungry student. Although this market may serve as a convenience store to most, to Gables students, it makes all the difference.

7-Eleven is a well-known spot among many of the students at the school. It serves as a place for quick fixings and a local hangout spot frequented often before and after school. A visit to the store is a staple in the day-to-day routine of some students. Many meet at the 7-eleven before or after school to pick up snacks for their daily activities, while others simply go there for the opportunity to congregate and catch up with

restuarants “ventanita.”

The restaurant has a unique twist on milkshakes, such as the popular Nutella “overdose” milkshake, a Nutella milkshake with a brownie and vanilla ice cream for $14.95.

“I highly recommend Havana Harry’s because the food is just so great. They also serve large portions at an affordable price,” freshman Victoria Krulig said.

Arianna Peña/ highlights

7 -ELEVEN their friends. Students hang around the front of the store, casually conversing with one another as they eat their snacks and enjoy their time outside school grounds. Whether it be during the early morning hours or late afternoons, many are thankful for the close proximity of the market to the school because it gives them an advantage in being able to grab a quick bite without having to sit down for a full meal.

Ranging from pizza and hot dogs to packaged, on-the-move snacks, 7-Eleven offers a variety of refreshments that are widely popular among t h e student body.

F o r generally f a i r Arianna Peña/ highlights

Despite the restaurant’s bustling scene, Gables students manage to make regular appearances. Being walking distance from the school Havana Harry’s offers itself as an ideal after-school lunch spot for students. Meals like Harry’s Chicken Sandwich with guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese ($8.25) and the croqueta baslet ($11.95) prove to be a favorite for many hungry students.

“Being able to have a Cuban restaurant so close to the school allows me to always embrace my own culture’s food” senior Chris Caceres said.

Havana Harry’s has been successful in elevating the status of Hispanic dishes and filling the appetites of students. Hispanic or not, the Cuban cuisine has made its mark on the Gables community.

pricing, students can pick up whatever is necessary to get them through their day.

Whether it be drinks ranging from cold sodas to hot coffee or a large assortment of practically all kinds of chips.

“I go to 7-eleven once or twice a week. It really saves me time whenever I’m in need of a last minute item I need for the school day. It’s a quick walk away and always has everything I need,” junior Kenyon Morelus said.

Open 24 hours a day, 7-Eleven serves an important role in the lives of many students.

Students are able to pay the market a quick visit for their daily fixings without spending large sums of money on a full meal. Although many may only view the stop-and-shop as a convenience store, students at Gables find it to be a hidden gem among the dozens of high-end restaurants in the vicinity. h

ICY DRINKS:

(Bottom Right) Slurpees are a fan favorite at 7-Eleven providing customers with a refreshing treat.

26

the scene

Find the best places to help you achieve your resoluton with mindfulness, excercise, and healthy eating

BY GREGOIRE WINSTON AND ALEXA OROZCO, STAFF WRITERS

A

S 2020 BEGINS, MANY WANT to start the year off with a clean slate. Many of the goals that people seek to achieve include practicing mindfulness, excercising and sticking to a healthy and satisfying diet. Following this map will ensure that all have a year filled with new and enriching

experiences that will improve one’s lifestyle.

These locales will help current habits evolve into healthier practices. highlights has explored three locations, a waterfront outdoor gym, a yoga studio inside a hotel and a trendy health-food cafe, that will promote positive resolution practices all year

round.

These places will help one be incorporate effective forms of exercise, relaxing yoga sessions and healthy eating all without breaking the budget. Soon, one will be looking foward to a year filled with completed New Year’s resolutions.

START OF 2020 POSITIVE POSES:

A patron at the Mayfair Hotel’s Yoga program poses in downward dog.

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hlights

IDDEN BEHIND PEACOCK PARK is the Mayfair Hotel. Classy, exclusive and peaceful, this complex in the heart of Coconut Grove, Mayfair represents the ideal escape from Miami’s sometimes chaotic environment. Imagined and later developed by the architect Kenneth Treister, Mayfair’s artistic flair is everywhere. Upon entering the hotel, the hand-carved mahogany principal doorway welcomes its clients to this creative yet elegant institution. Rich fountains, elaborate stairways and an abundantly covered palm tree terrace on

Mindfulness the rooftop ornaments this exceptional place.

Located at 3000 Florida Ave. in Coconut Grove, the hotel offers a new wave of complexes for all Miami citizens to savour.

“The overall ambiance is very nice and friendly, I get a homey feeling when I enter.

The staff is on point, and I feel fortunate to be able to practice yoga at this exceptional place,’’ senior Ayanna Smith said.

On Saturdays from 8-9 a.m, completley free yoga classes are held on the roof. Situated next to the majestic pool, free and open to all, this weekly class invites stressed Miami locals to unwind while overlooking Biscayne Bay. Enjoying a breath of fresh air is the ideal remedy after a hectic Miami workweek, and yoga at the Mayfair offers a chance to feel reinvigorated and energized. Managing everyday stress, which often takes a considerable toll on the human body, can be significantly reduced with a couple of yoga sessions.

“The Mayfair yoga sessions are a great way to relax your body, and have a good time with your friends while having an amazing view in front of you,” Sophomore Noa Neddam said.

“It is also a great way to relieve stress and clear your mind after a long week of work,” Neddam said.

Some of the most prevalent effects of practicing yoga include improved flexibility, open-mindedness, maintaining a balanced metabolism, protection from athletic injury and increase in muscle strength, among many others.

Yoga, in short, aids in the development and benefit of the entire human body, in comparison to other physical activities that work on specific body parts. Insomnia, sleeping disturbances and headaches disappear thanks to the incense aromas in the air, as well as the plethora of intricate yoga poses.

A major part of yoga is the practice of becoming more in-tune with your mind. Often times at the end of a session the instructor will have a short period of meditation. This mindfullness practice has been proven to improve focus and tranquility.

The Mayfair Yoga sessions, while implement many poses, techniques and attributes that provide an excellent opportunity for those seeking to complete their resolutions.

27

Healthy Eating

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Alexa Orozco/ hig hli gh

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IRED OF STARTING THE NEW year with the same old grocery list of resolutions you only intend on committing to for a week? Look no further, as a tasty and healthy solution awaits.

The heart of Brickell may host the resolution that you actually stick through this year. Indulge in cuisine that is eco-friendly, affordable, and

SATISFYING SMOOTHIES:

A sampling of drinks are laid out for customers at Dirt.

the scene

healthy. Only a Metro train ride away, Dirt restuarants provide a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options. The menu has more to offer than your usual go-to healthy restaurant.

Described as “positive and supportive” by a customer, Dirt has a very welcoming atmosphere that is sure to make your experience memorable. Every customer is always greeted with a smile and there is usually not a long waiting line. There is also a fridge filled with already made smoothies and juices, making it convenient for customers that are on the go.

The restaurant has an overall rustic but modern interior design.

Dirt’s first restaurant location opened in South Beach in 2015 and since then it has spread all around Miami with the goal of giving patrons healthy and affordable meals.

As for the items on the menu, it should be noted that Dirt has a creative way to make common healthy foods enticing for crowds with more particular or exclusive diets. Dirt definitely

caters to a lot of people’s different diets, which makes it easier for them to choose items more freely. Also, the variety of options on the menu helps spread new healthy foods to people who are trying to create a healthy eating habit.

Dirt can guide those looking to eat healthier and try new things. Look at the Wild Caught Tuna Wrap, tuna with pickled onions, citrus marinated Napa cabbage and more topped with honey cashew dijon inside a spinach wrap, all for $14. Or taste the Bombay bowl, a Vegan bowl with butternut cashew cream on top of chickpeas, lentils, quinoa and curried cauliflower. For just $13.

Make sure to grab one of their smoothies, like the glow smoothie with mango, spinach, coconut and strawberry for only $9.

Dirt has been able to give their customers healthy and fresh food without breaking the bank. Not only does this diner promote a healthy lifestyle but it also emphasizes the fact that nutrition can also be delicious.

END OF 2020

Exercise

D

AVID T. KENNEDY PARK IS AN ideal environment for relaxing and exercising in Miami. Located off of South Bayshore drive, the park has all the necessary qualities to be considered a safe haven from the city’s chaos. Upon first glance, the slight marine aroma of Biscayne Bay complements an extensive array of vegetation, ranging from colossal palm trees to a bed of delicate mangroves. The sand volleyball courts to the south provide a prime sporting and exercise arena, and the dog park nearby allows residents and their furry companions to exercise together.

Open from sunrise until sunset, David Kennedy Park provides a breath of fresh air.

“I love the park,” local park user Lucia Zevola said. “I always come here to work out and relax, but also for meditation.”

Kennedy Park promotes all types of exercise.

For devoted athletes, routine regulars or casual sportspeople, the Coconut Grove establishment provides a place for anyone seeking physical activity. Stretching across 29 acres of land, the soft-impact jogging trail provides ideal running and jogging conditions. Knee injuries,

Gregoire Winston/ highlights

EARLY MORNING JOGS:

A visitor at Kennedy Park jogs along the bay.

arthritis a n d o t h e r muscle complications and pains are lessened by the presence of shredded rubber on the track.

Looping around the entirety of the park, the trail combines physical exercise with a picturesque view of the bay.

The variety of equipment offered at the park means that there are plenty of exercise routines to try. A possible workout routine could be completing laps around the park and then heading over to the park’s outdoor gym.

The open air gym presents the unique

opportunity to get exercise time in while breathing in fresh seaside air. With multiple calisthenic machines, including bicep and tricep machines, pull up bars and sit up stations, Kennedy Park offers a multitude of opportunities to exercise the body.

A combination of endurance running and core strength training is the ideal recipe for a successful cardio routine in the heart of the Grove.

In addition to that many patrons will use many free apps that provide various workouts to help their daily regimen. Apps like Zeamo, Runtastic and Johnson & Johnson 7 minute workout feature pre-programmed guided workouts that are specified to the users needs.

“I love the park. I’ve been coming here for years; it’s beautiful around sunset. The pier and exercising equipment is excellent quality...

If you want to get your exercises done,” local Carolina Munys said.

With a view on the crystal-clear blue water and an extensive grassy recreation area, it is clear that Miami natives have a perfect location to fulfill their exercise-related New Year’s resolutions. h

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insight

2 O O 2 1 O O 2

As the new decade begins, highlights looks back at the unforgettable events that set the tone for the 2010s.

by Isabella Morales, Staff Writer

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insight

H

ERE IT IS: THE YEAR 2020.

As this new decade dawns, going forward into the next 10 years gives us a chance to reflect on moments that defined the 2010s. Whether those memories bring feelings of joy or sorrow, they represent a time of rapid change, full of defining moments for most of us.

The personalities and lifestyles of Generation Z were intimately defined by the past decade as they depart from the years that hold their early childhood and teenage years, venturing into a decade of the unknown. Within the next 10 years, students will have graduated, become independent, launched their careers and potentially settled down with children of their own. Everything that was watched, read, heard, liked and shared over the past

10 years built the character of the generation infamous for its reliance on technological innovations for entertainment.

As ideas evolved and new ones emerged, those of Generation Z were the ones most aware of this, mainly because of the quick spread of current news, which explains why there was such a large influence on youth.

Whether it was political changes, social movements, technological and health advancements or shifts in pop culture, the past 10 years have been a whirlwind of events that have defined students’ lives thus far. The 2010s, being an utterly unpredictable decade filled with constant change, are unrepeatable years that have set the foundation for our generation.

With the 2020s dawning, it is

paramount to bear in mind the importance of continuing the momentum of that which has past. As new innovations in all fields continue to affect careers and lifestyles amongst all young generations in ways that cannot be predicted, it will greatly determine the outcome of this next decade since, as the saying goes, “The youth are the future, the future is the youth.”

These societal shifts are what have ushered in momentous progress, and sets the tone for the continued pushing of boundaries already apparent in the new decade’s earliest hours. As the younger generations continue to be influenced by experiences from the 2010s, what they take into this new age is what will build the foundation needed for a future of continued innovation.

students speak up Isa be lla

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ghts ighli

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Companies that sell e-cigarettes are not allowed to appeal themselves to teenagers... those devices affected us and there were cases reported of sicknesses caused by them.

- Keneth Lopez, junior

“

Social media put a lot of pressure on society, especially teen girls. There’s a certain image that it promotes... having a perfect body all while living a glamorous life.

- Alicia Gutierrez, sophomore

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“

“

The breakups of boy bands and the creation of new ones definitely caused lots of emotions among their fans, especially One Direction and the expansion of K-pop.

- Valerie Pacheco, freshman

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insight

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS Many social movements were started as a remedies to issues brought into the public eye.

The #MeToo movement brought together victims of sexual assault that were in search of a way to heal from their traumatic experiences and, more importantly, demand justice by speaking out.

As political extremism began to seep into American culture, groups on both the left and right had no problem advocating for their intense beliefs.

One example of this is the resurgence of neoNazis, who used social media to recruit and attract new members. In August 2017, Charlottesville, Virginia hosted the Unite the Right rally, led by white nationalists. At the event, counter-protester Heather Heyer died defending her civil rights.

In light of traumatic national events, nonprofit organizations like Sandy Hook Promise have started initiatives such as their “Start with Hello” campaign: aiming to stop violence in its footsteps and prevent ostracization by initiating friendly conversations among peers and reduce the occurrence of youth feeling isolated or alone.

Additionally, movements such as environmental activism brought together individuals in the fight for climate justice. The climate movement was especially impactful, articulating against issues our environment faces, such as climate change and sea-level rise.

“The Youth Climate Movement is empowering students to speak for their future. We don’t have the patience, the hope, nor the carelessness to sit, wait and dream for someone to make that change – we’ve decided that change is needed: it’s now or never. We now have a whole generation of change-makers and activists. Older generations have begun to realize who the real leaders are now,” junior activist Samantha Gazda said.

POLITICS Taking a mere glimpse into our current political climate, studies from the Pew Research Center names political polarization as a defining feature of the 2010s. The election of the 45th President, Donald J. Trump, caused two sides to form: those who passionately supported him and those who staunchly resisted his candidacy. Through protests, online movements and extremism on both sides of the political spectrum, Americans have become increasingly divided over the often controversial president, who has become the third in history to be impeached.

Domestically, political events changed centuries of pre-established norms. Same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide on June 26, 2015, after the United States Supreme Court overrode all state bans, where it then became legal in all 50 states, resulting from the case Obergefell v. Hodges. According to The Telegraph, only one-third of Generation Z identifies as heterosexual, making the

decision monumental for those identifying within the LGBTQIA+ community.

The debate over gun control also became a hot-button issue during this decade. Unfortunately, numerous shootings in schools and public places have been what catalyzed this discussion.

Shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, raising intense concerns regarding the safety of citizens while in public, especially the protection of students when in school. Though most schools have implemented new efforts to keep their students safer, the gun debate still rages, as some say that the only way t o protect the public is to restrict a c c e s s to firearms while others want to arm school personnel.

POP-CULTURE With the explosion of social media onto the cultural scene, new methods of communicating and sending messages, photos and videos via applications on a smartphone, shifted the ability to connect with others globally in a way never before experienced.

Platforms like Instagram and Twitter have played an influential role in promoting the cultural phenomena.

Most recently, TikTok, a video-sharing social networking service, gained 20

million new users per month from its launch in September 2016 to mid2018, according to Our World in Data.

Influencers across social media platforms spread new perspectives on an array of topics through sharing on popular applications including Facebook and Vine: a video-sharing service discontinued in 2017. Memes became a way for individuals to spread ideas, opinions and jokes using images, videos or text.

The globalization and acceptance of new forms of music, such as K-pop, took the industry by storm and helped bring new cultures, changing the field forever.

2010 2014 2 0 1 2 2011 2013 2015

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TECHNOLOGY Technological advancements revolutionized mainstream means of communication and media, uniquely shaping education and privacy measures.

The introduction of smart electronics, such as the iPhone and smartwatches, changed the daily routines of billions worldwide.

“The proliferation of cheap sensors that collect all sorts of data about our environment and its dissemination in real-time to interested parties and the availability of mass m e d i a allowed the data to be broadcast quickly were some of the most critical events in technology in the 2010s,” Mohamed Iskandarani, Professor in the Department of Ocean Sciences at the University of Miami, said.

3D printing has developed a new way to b r i n g about solutions to various problems.

One example is how it is now being used

to prepare a meal in an automated additive manner, which reimagines the way of ending world hunger. However, with more technology being introduced, the amount of privacy internet users had diminished, leading to fears over the government’s potential surveillance on people through listening devices and cameras. The generations born and bred during this of technology, living in a time where social media can unite large groups of people, but also keep eternal records of one’s past.

However, not all aspects of this technology is as worrisome, as new advancements have also created “In the 2020s, I’d like to see technological advancements pace by far exceed the ability to establish rules, regulations and guidelines that prevents the negative impacts,” Shahriar Negahdaripor, Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Miami, said.

insight

by the numbers highlights surveyed 340 students from December 2019 to January 2020 regarding hallmarks from the last decade.

2019

64.7% 35.3%

was students' favorite year of the decade.

69.4% of students believe more bad than good came from politics in the past year.

of students believe that enough social progress was made throughout the decade.

Instagram is the student body’s preferred social media platform.

HEALTH With discoveries like the harmful impacts of e-cigarettes, treatment for certain illnesses became less elusive, such as new methods for early-stage cancer detection. Advancements

DR

AK

E

was the most popular Spotify Artist of the Decade among students.

91.2% of students now watch significantly less television, replacing it with streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.

78.2% of students answered that techology from the decade significantly impacts how they communicate.

bring up a new way of medical imaging, becoming more deeply integrated into the medical Additionally, through the increase of use in social media, awareness of several illnesses skyrocketed, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which encouraged donations to the research of the disease.

An awareness of mental health and mental illnesses became emphasized as the number of reported mental health disorders in the United

States increased. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 7.7 million American youth aged 6-17 were diagnosed with a mental health disorder in 2016. Campaigns such as “the Power of Okay” promoted an understanding of the effects of having poor mental health and the importance it plays in the lives of children while advocating for better health care.

With a decreased stigma and more available treatments, the options for those struggling with mental illness has dramatically increased: still with a long way to go. h

2016 2017 2018 2020 2019

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lightbox

Junior Peter Kellogg celebrates with his teammates on the boys soccer team after the first goal was scored.

The final score of the game, which occurred on Nov. 25 against the Terra Wolves, was 3-0.

Barbara Borja / highlights