Issue 7, Vol. 55

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highlights 4 5 0 B i r d R o a d , C o r a l G a b l e s , F L 3 314 6

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Students call for Girls gender neutral flag football team formed bathrooms

By Angelika Menendez STAFF WRITER

“Using the bathroom would be a misdemeanor.

Something punishable by law. Using the bathroom that you feel you should use is punishable by law. We can’t In early April, the school’s Gables stand by that. It’s our job to make sure that the student Paradigm club, also known as the Gay Straight body here in our community feels safe. We have had a Alliance (GSA), wrote a petition to implement couple of people that have had issues with the bathrooms a gender-neutral bathroom at the school. GSA here at the school and at other places. So we want to President senior Camilo Bacca and members of make sure that they feel safe as well,” Bacca said. the GSA club presented the petition with over The idea is to take one of the male teacher bathrooms 400 signatures to Principal Adolfo Costa and on the second floor of the New Building and turn it into a the school’s administration last week and hope gender- neutral bathroom that anybody can use. to present it to the Miami-Dade County Public School Once GSA received the approval from Activities (M-DCPS) board before the end Director Ana Suarez to start of the school year. the petition, students and It’s our job to make sure that The goal of the petition is to faculty began to sign it. The the student body here in our create gender-neutral bathrooms goal was to get the whole community feels safe. at the school to be used by student body and as many not only transgender students, faculty members to sign the Camilo Bacca, but also by any students who petition as possible. But to be Senior feel more comfortable using a able to expedite the process, bathroom that is not gendered Bacca and members of GSA because they feel like they do not conform to the male or presented the petition to Costa and the administration female gender. with over 400 signatures. Costa and the administration “For the transgender students, they have expressed responded by telling Bacca and the GSA members that vividly that they would like these bathrooms. As GSA they would have to go directly to the M-DCPS board for president, I feel like it’s a responsibility to provide those approval. resources for students. It’s not a human right, but a basic “The school board is the one that dictates the use of human necessity because everybody needs to use the the facility and the designation of the facility. Right now bathroom and everyone, especially at the school, should the facility is designated to have boy bathrooms and girl be comfortable using the bathroom,” Bacca said. bathrooms and adult male bathrooms and adult female According to Bacca, the reason that the petition bathrooms for the teachers, so any change in that has to was first brought up was that a recent piece of Florida come from the school board. I don’t have the authority to legislation, called the ‘Gender Bathroom Bill,’ was go ahead and make any of those changes,” Costa said. approved that would require people to use the bathroom Bacca said he hopes that even if the school that corresponds to their biological gender. However, board turns down the petition, it will have sparked transgender people and people who do not identify conversation and created awareness about the benefits of with either gender feel that they do not belong in those implementing gender-neutral bathrooms. bathrooms. The legislation would make it illegal for “The student body not only wants it, but the student them to use the bathroom they feel they should use. body needs it,” Bacca said.

news

NEWS EDITOR

‘‘

Students

SPEAK UP

“[Gender neutral bathrooms] would make things easier and less complicated for the guys and girls who don’t feel comfortable going into an all girls bathroom.”

-Natasha Landsberg, freshman

Compiled by Vanessa Vazquez and Kasandra Scholz

“I feel like [gender neutral bathrooms] should be initiated and the administration should look into them... I just think it’s really cool.”

-Manny Diaz, senior

sports

Maggie Rivers/highlights

By Camila Lupi

The school’s 2016-17 spring sports season will include a new sport: girls flag football. Public schools across the district are beginning to incorporate girls flag football into their sports programs. This will become the school’s 19th sport and 27th sports team.

Athletic Director Louis Romero decided to start the sign up for the girls flag football team as a way to get more female student athletes at the school. He said he hopes to have 20-25 girls on the team.

“We are out of compliance with a state regulation that states that we need to have an equal number of female student athletes as male, and girls flag football will help us in that situation,” Romero said.

The federal regulation that mandates equal representation of both sexes in public schools is Title IX. Florida enacted the regulation in 1972 to ensure that male and female students had equal opportunities to participate in school activities. Along with ensuring equal representation of girls and boys in public schools, Title IX states that there should be no under representation of a gender in school sport teams. To make sure schools are in compliance with Title IX regulations, the ‘Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act’ was created in 1994. It mandates that schools show their records of the male to female ratio in sports.

The school currently has a total of 227 female and 277 male athletes. Additionally, the school has teams for both sexes, excluding football and wrestling, which has one team for both sexes. Romero said that the hope is for girl’s flag football to fill the difference between the number of female and male athletes, as well as the number of female and male sports teams.

The girls flag football team’s season will begin on March 9 and end on April 25 of 2016. The team will be competing against other schools that have also recently created flag football teams.

According to Romero, all public schools are “getting on board” with flag football at the same time. Meanwhile, private schools have already begun to implement girls flag football teams into their sports programs.

“It will be in its first year, its infancy, so the importance is for the girls who do participate to enjoy the process,” Romero said.

No teacher has stepped up to coach the team, so the school’s administration is currently looking for a head coach.

At the moment, no one is in consideration for the position.

Simultaneously, the school is trying to get the word out by putting up the announcement on CavsConnect to see how many girls would be interested in joining the team. The sign up for the team is scheduled to begin in May. Students who are interested should see Romero in his office.

IN FLORIDA...

10

number of female flag football varsity championships held

5538

number of female flag football participants number of schools that

192 Source: ESPN

competed in the sport in 2012 Maggie Rivers/highlights

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May 2015

a letter FROM THE EDITORS

Here are two truths and a lie about our time in highlights: We’ve learned to accept Nieves’s name change, we transformed Room F237 into an exclusive club complete with karaoke and disco ball, and we successfully achieved our goal of acquiring personalized quarter-zip sweaters.

Through the years of uncomfortable pool parties, ice cream flavor debates, unpredictable secret Santa exchanges, and late-afternoon “late nights,” we’ve made highlights our niche, chalkboard wall and all. Camila, your under the breath comments have not gone unnoticed (Maggie was sitting right behind you), just like Cyrus’s persistent high fives and mid-sentence interruptions.

Francis’s timeliness has been rivaled by section editors few and far between, and Laura’s undying devotion to covering the most “chuchi” restaurants in Miami will surely live on in future spreads. We think Insight set a new record for the number of drug and sex references under Raq’s guidance, and Octavio set the record for most unheard jokes (or so Francis says). Susana and Avery were never too far from the door— whether it was for quick getaways or speedy reporting— and Ali and Rachel’s “senior staff writer” status came with major perks, including first dibs at the low-fat black cherry frozen yogurt. Bianca, we hope you become as well acquainted with the homeless community in Lawrenceville as you have in Miami. And Stephan, we’re confident that your levelheadedness and wit will successfully lead the paper into the next leg of its journey. Much love highlights. Stay weird.

Brooke Donner EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Maggie Rivers MANAGING EDITOR

news

highlights May 2015

3

Bridge for Peace raises over $9,000

By Mia Tolpin STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of CavsConnect

Mia Tolpin/highlights

The school’s annual Bridge for Peace event took place on April 7 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Approximately 330 people attended the event, including students, parents and faculty.

Bridge for Peace is a fundraiser held by the International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS), which teams up with an individual cause or project. This year, IBHS chose to team up with junior Harleen Chawla, whose project involved raising funds for an orphanage in India. Chawla’s goal was to raise enough funds to build a water well for the girls living in the orphanage.

The orphanage is part of a trust called Kasturba Gandhi Nidhya Smarak that has 500 different locations throughout India. The orphanage Chawla chose to work with is called Belsonda Aashram. Chawla is going to oversee construction of the well this summer.

This year, instead of a 5K walk, Bridge for Peace was an international dinner. The dinner included food from across the globe, a fashion show, a dance performance by Gables Bhangra and a henna tattoo artist. Twenty students represented 20 different countries in the fashion show, including Cuba, France, Greece, India, Spain and many more.

Chawla’s goal at the start of the process was to raise at least $6,000, but, with the help of IBHS’s efforts, she surpassed that goal by almost $4,000.

“The remaining funds will go to a vegetable garden in the orphanage so that the girls can live a healthier lifestyle,” Chawla said.

A NIGHT OF INTERNATIONALITY: (Left) IBHS volunteers serve food from all around the world. (Right) Junior Maria-Victoria Paredes represents Greece in the fashion show.

PAMM hosts IB Senior Breakfast Quevedo starts

girls coding club

By Ali Band STAFF WRITER

By Susana Rudin STAFF WRITER

Rachel Ellis/highlights CELEBRATING SENIORITY: (Left) IB students wait to hear who will receive the coveted senior superlatives. (Right) Seniors Ines Merabet and Marianna Babboni enjoy the fieldtrip that they organized.

The annual International Baccalaureate (IB) Senior Breakfast took place on April 28 at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). This is an event that not only serves to honor the seniors for their hard work and effort, but also as a final fathering of seniors before testing and graduation.

Prior to the event, a survey was distributed to each IB senior with the possible venues and prices for the breakfast— including an on-campus breakfast for $10, a $5 fieldtrip to PAMM with lunch at Bayside, or a breakfast at a country club for $25. The option for the PAMM proved most popular. In contrast to last year’s breakfast, which was held in the school’s cafeteria for convenience and a reduced price, this year, students paid five dollars to attend the PAMM. “Finally having an official art museum in Miami is a great cultural improvement for the city and sharing that with the students hopefully offers a new audience to the museum and also makes the breakfast more a significant and memorable event for the seniors. I also think that because IB is a very international organization, the venue was very appropriate for

this event,” International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS) President senior Marianna Babboni said.

Buses departed from the school at 8:45 a.m. for the PAMM. Once at the museum, the seniors were divided into groups, assigned to a guide, and from 9:30-11:00 a.m., toured the museum.

Afterwards, everyone gathered on the steps outside of the PAMM where Babboni and senior Ines Merabet presented the IB senior class with the superlatives that each IB senior voted on prior to the event. Fourty-eight IB seniors were awarded superlatives ranging from ‘most likely to win a Nobel Prize’ to ‘biggest class clown’ and ‘most likely to aggravate Mr. Blackmon.’

Everyone then boarded the buses to depart to Bayside Market where the students and teachers ate lunch. Students had a choice to eat at any restaurant in the mall.

The event came to a close around 1:30 p.m. as the IB seniors, sashed with their superlatives, rode the bus back to school.

Sophomore Sofia Quevedo is in the process of creating the school’s very first “Girls Who Code” club. The name for the club has been made well-known in recent years because of a non profit organization with the same name. Big software companies such as AOL, Google and Microsoft sponsor the organization.

“The goal of the club is to raise awareness about the importance of understanding computers. Like it or not, technology is becoming a huge part of our society and for some reason there is this pre-conceived notion that it is something only guys should take part in. I want to show that coding is something that should not be limited to boys but instead, something that everyone can do,” Quevedo said.

According to the “Girls Who Code” website, 74 percent of girls express in interest in Math, Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) in middle school but when selecting college majors onlyabout 20 percent of those who choose Computer Science are girls. This gender-gap has recently been getting a lot of attention and initiatives have begun to bring awareness to the issue and close or at least lessen the gap. “[Although the club is still in preliminary stages,] the plan is to get a group of the schools girls, teach them some basic coding and then go to middle schools and have demonstration with robots or show them some basic coding,” Quevedo said.

Math teacher Yanitza Herrera has agreed to sponsor the club and Activities Director Ana Suarez has approved it. The only obstacle left is getting enough funding. The club has no requirements, except for being a girl.

“As long as someone is interested and committed to helping the club, they are more than welcome to join,” Quevedo said.

Senior Prom

Courtesy of Cavaleon WINTER WONDERLAND: (Left) Seniors Andy Moreira and Nicole Vilar stand side by side after being crowned Prom King and Queen at the end of the event. (Middle) Students on the dance floor strike a quick pose on their night of celebration at the J.W. Marriott. (Right) Senior Kristopher Pacheco-Azanon dances with his date, graduate Katerina Rivero.

news

highlights

December 2014 May 2015

4

Mega-mall approved Miami prepares for for construction rising sea levels

By Sabrina Fiske

By Savannah Payne

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of South Florida Business Journal DARE TO DREAM: Triple Five has made plans to create the country’s largest mall in America in North Miami, spanning over 200 acres and including shops and entertainment.

A new plan was proposed in late February to construct the largest American mall in Miami.

Recently approved for construction by the state of Florida (Florida Governor Rick Scott and the four-member Cabinet) and by Miami-Dade County commissioners, the new mega-mall, the American Dream Miami, will span 200-acres at the intersection of Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 75 near Miami Lakes.

The company that proposed the mall, Triple Five, is also the owner of Minnesota’s Mall of America, currently the largest mall in the United States. The company had to negotiate with the county and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) to get the 200-acres of land that the mall needs. Triple Five plans to contribute $7 million to compensate M-DCPS for giving up the land that they previously owned, which was going to be used in case a new school was needed, and will pay an additional $11 million to the state and other private owners to own the rest of the land.

“It is our intent that this project – American Dream Miami – will exceed our other world famous projects in all respects,” Triple Five said in a statement to the Miami Herald.

The over four million square foot mall will include a Legoland, sea lion showcase, artificial ski slope, miniature golf course, water park, skating rink, submarines, various indoor gardens, and several hotels and condominiums. In addition, the mega-mall will house a shopping center, which will include many popular chain stores.

Triple Five will employ 25,000 people to construct the mall, and plans to create permanent job opportunities once the mall is created. In total, the construction job will cost over $4 billion.

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Due to rising sea levels, Miami Beach city officials have proposed a plan to raise certain parts of Miami Beach. Some residents live as low as four feet above sea level and are in constant danger of flooding. These changes will help protect residents and businesses in the affected areas.

The project is planned to be completed in two phases. The first phase of construction will raise West Avenue one and a half to two feet from 5th Street to 8th Street and from Lincoln Road to 17th Street and is expected to be completed in August. These streets contain some of the lowest ­lying points on Miami Beach and are in need of the most attention. The area between 8th Street and Lincoln Road would be raised on a later date in a second phase.

Additional construction to raise the 12 blocks will include higher sidewalks, more drainage systems and steps to sidewalks to prevent flooding in the shops and houses along these streets. These changes would prevent runoff water from draining onto the properties on the effected streets.The city’s engineer, Bruce Mowry, estimated that the first phase will cost $15 million.

Miami­-Dade County was recorded to have the second most amount of residents living less than four feet above sea level in the U.S.. In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that by 2100 the water levels in Miami will rise more than three feet, and since 1880, the average global sea level has increased by eight inches.

“What we’re trying to do now is get a consensus from the community that we want to move forward with everything else on that street so that we don’t have to come back later and tear it up again,” Public Works director Eric Carpenter said to the West Avenue Neighborhood Association.

The West Avenue Neighborhood Association represents the community that will be affected by this new construction. The group has met with officials to discuss the plans for the project. Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine told the West Avenue Neighborhood Association that he believes that these projects need to be started and completed as soon as possible while most residents believe that these decisions should be more thought out. Agreement that work is needed for the rising sea levels was unanimous, but residents want more details about the effects and outcomes before any construction starts.

“I think that [the rising sea level] is a problem that could’ve been prevented because it’s all about humans and how we’ve affected the planet. There is nothing to do at this point besides to better prepare for the future. I think [the proposal to raise certain streets in Miami Beach] is a great idea. It’s very intuitive,” junior Cathryn Cordes said.

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M-DCPS removes tests Camila Lupi NEWS EDITOR

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On April 23, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that he will be eliminating the majority of end-of-course (EOC) exams for elementary, middle and high school students.

After a new state law was passed that gave school districts flexibility in administering their EOC exams, Carvalho and M-DCPS decided to make this change.

“Out of the 300 state-required, district-developed, end-of-course assessments, we are eliminating all but 10,” Carvalho said at a meeting at Oak Grove Elementary School.

All EOC exams for elementary school have been eliminated. Four exams will be administered to students in grades six through eight, instead of the previously planned 77 tests. High school students will be taking six exams instead of 186.

Carvalho also announced that of the EOC exams that will be administered, none of the results will count toward evaluating students and teachers.

“We will not use the results of these assessments, these district-developed, end-ofcourse assessments to drive decisions on student promotion retention, graduation or teacher evaluation,” Carvalho said.

CGHS joins Twitter

By Mia Tolpin STAFF WRITER

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Principal Adolfo Costa and Vice Principal Lazaro Hernandez began an official Twitter account for the school in March. The account, @coralgablesSHS, will be used to give the school more exposure and a larger social presence.

The account is currently being run by both Costa and Hernandez, but they hope to pass down responsibility to a teacher and, eventually, students.

“I think it’s a very progressive move made by the administration in an attempt to connect more with the students. [It] sounds like if they use it often and properly it could be a really efficient way of relaying information to students,” junior Bruno Falconi said.

The account will try to update followers at least once a week by showcasing different aspects of the school and trying to get information out to the general public about events and news concerning the school.

“Great things are happening at Gables and we want people to know,” Hernandez said.

According to Costa, the difference between this account and the CavsConnect Twitter account is that administrators will have a say in what is tweeted rather than it being up to the students.

“I think the Twitter accounts have the same purpose of getting the school’s students involved but I’ve already noted how CavsConnect and the schools Twitter have been able to feed off of each other and retweet some of our messages,” junior Sabrina Ochoa said.

highlights May 2015

5

Sprayregen awards student poets and photographers

By Olivia Field STAFF WRITER

To promote photography and poetry writing, the Sprayregen Family Foundation Inc. hosted a school-wide competition for students. Titled “Search for Creativity,” the contest asked students to compose a piece taking inspiration from the statement: “How I consider the world is unique to who I am.”

Last Thursday, the foundation awarded three participants in each grade in the categories of photography and poetry.

The foundation, established in 2007 by Gerald Sprayregen, chose three schools from Miami-Dade County to participate in the competition. Students who wished to submit a work filled out the provided applications and either submitted a poem of any length or a photograph with a descriptive label. Sophomore Abigail Wagner submitted a piece for the photography portion from her recent trip to New York City during winter break.

“I submitted a shot of a music store window and you can see the reflection of the city in it. The photo is a bit confusing,

but I actually ended up winning first place,” Wagner said.

With the help of the foundation’s representative Laura Dibello, the winners from each section, including Wagner, received a prize and a signed copy of Sprayregen’s book titled “The Unlikely Poet.”

In the poetry section, first place received an iPad Air, second place received an iPad Mini, and third place received an iPod. Photography winners were awarded with a Sony camera for first place, a Nikon camera for second place, and a Canon one-shot camera for third place.

During the hour-long ceremony, Sprayregen dedicated most of the time to discussing his journey with photography and writing, as well as answering student questions.

In his speech he said that it is important for students to realize their dreams and passions, and work hard to make them a reality.

“The simple truth is that the longer you stay in school and the higher the education you receive, the more likely it is that you will be able to create your own destiny,” Sprayregen said.

Buy extra graduation tickets from the PTSA! $10 per ticket Up to 3 extra tickets per senior Wednesdays during lunch In the auditorium Cash only

POEMS AND PICTURES: Sophomore Nichole Calle poses with Gerald Sprayregen after receiving her second place award for a photograph she submitted to the foundation.

Congrats Seniors Andy Moreira and Nicole Vilar were named prom King and Queen at prom on April 25.

The school’s Women’s Ensemble received “Excellent” ratings at the Florida Vocal Association State Music Performance Assessment.

95 students received awards at the school’s annual Awards Ceremony on April 28.

The CAF&DM academy won 59 awards at the Florida Scholastic Press Association convention in Orlando on April 24-25.

Seniors Allyssa Dobkins, Teague Scanlon, Valerie Montesino, and Juliana Robles each received a $10,000 scholarship from the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

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opinion

highlights May 2015

6

School trust counselor position should be reintroduced

STAFF

Editorial

The school does not have an official trust counselor position. Principal Adolfo Costa, after dividing the school into six academies, eliminated the position and distributed part of the responsibility to each of the school’s certified counselors. While this system is not necessarily problematic, the administration should consider hiring a full-time trust counselor, mainly because students are less likely to confide in a counselor who they think puts other responsibilities ahead of trust counseling.

Though the position no longer exists, the trust counselor role is—officially—still present in the school. Each counselor is expected to simultaneously fulfill the responsibilities of a full-time counselor while being responsible for the trust issues aspect of a portion of the student body. According to Costa, this is so that “students have more of an opportunity to open up to somebody who actually knows who they are,” because students are expected to confide in the counselor assigned to their academy.

This isn’t a bad idea. It makes sense to build deeper relationships between students and counselors through assigning smaller groups to several counselors, as opposed to having a single faculty member responsible for trust counseling for approximately 3,400 students. The unforeseen—not unpredictable—obstacle of this system is that because trust counseling is not the only responsibility of these counselors, students may not consider them the equivalent of someone whose sole job is trust counseling.

For the sake of efficiency, Costa compromised by dividing trust counselor responsibilities and giving them to counselors that already had positions in the school. Trust counseling is only one of many duties expected of school counselors. Although counselors enter their positions knowing that, according to Costa, “trust and crisis—the health and well-being of students—is our number one priority,” those other responsibilities nevertheless tend to interfere.

Academy counselors, for instance, must juggle academic counseling, class scheduling, deadlines and other duties with trust counseling.

The counselors themselves probably don’t choose to focus on things other than trust counseling. Students’ perception plays a large part in counselors’ balance of responsibilities. Knowing a counselor’s official position— something other than “trust counselor”—and associating that

position with academics or other duties, a student isn’t very likely to approach a counselor with a personal issue if he or she thinks that counselor is busy with other tasks. This may not be the case, either; perhaps a student simply doesn’t know his or her academy counselor very well, or doesn’t know that general or academy counselors can perform the same duties as a full-time trust counselor.

Counselors actually try to avoid this by hosting assemblies and organizing class visits where they explain to students how their role extends into trust counseling.

Unfortunately, whatever amount of effort is put into this simply isn’t enough, because students still don’t know.

Counselors aren’t paid extra for trust counseling duties, another indication that trust counseling isn’t prioritized as much as it should be.

The school should return to the former counseling system by hiring one or a few full-time trust counselors with a single responsibility: trust counseling. If “student health and wellbeing” is the top priority, then an official trust counselor is the better option, even if the student-counselor ratio is larger and the new trust counselor has to handle more students than current counselors. The renovation of the old trust counselor system, though it was done with good intentions, was a step backwards. When students’ personal issues are urgent, they cannot afford to wait for help.

Effects of abstinence policy directly detrimental to students Commentary by Danny Delgado STAFF WRITER

In the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, students are required to have a Community, Action, Service (CAS) project to be granted their IB diploma. CAS projects range from building a garden in a park, to walking for cancer awareness, to producing a play. This year a group of seniors decided to make condoms accessible to all Coral Gables Senior High students to promote safe sex and sex education. Despite their efforts they encountered many difficulties due to some restrictions placed by the district’s formal abstinence policy, even though the school administration and nurses were in favor. Regardless of whether or not the group of seniors was able to bring their CAS idea to fruition, it still raises a very important question about the effectiveness of the district’s abstinence policy, and whether or not it would be better suited if they, instead, promoted safe sex.

Rates in Miami for HIV and STDs are on the rise from their already high numbers, according to the Center for Disease Control. This is especially worrisome because people under age 25 account

highlights ADVISORY BOARD: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

COPY EDITOR

Brooke Donner

Maria Ovalle

Maggie Rivers

Cyrus Zeledon

ADVISER

Melissa Gonzalez

SECTION EDITORS: NEWS

OPINION

INSIGHT

FEATURES

SPORTS

THE SCENE

Camila Lupi

Raquel Braun Francis Pérez

Stephan Chamberlin

Bianca Mangravite Laura Acosta

Staff Writers:

Ali Band, Eleonor Bauwens, Avery Budin, Octavio Castro, Daniel Delgado, Rachel Ellis, Olivia Field, Sabrina Fiske, Amanda-Victoria Gonzalez, Leila Iskandarani, Maya Iskandarani, Joey Lancaster, Angelika Menendez, Jordan Payne, Savannah Payne, Susana Rudin, Araceli Sanchez, Sydney Scanlon, Kasandra Scholz, Mia Tolpin, Vanessa Vazquez, Natalie Viglucci, Sofia Viglucci

Contributors: Julian Acosta, Cavaleon, CavsConnect, Evelyn Garcia, Skylar Lingenfelser, Gabriel Marino, South Florida Business Journal highlights is the official student-produced newspaper at Coral Gables Senior High School published and produced by highlights staff members. highlights has been established as a designated public forum for student journalists to educate and inform their readers of issues of concern to their audience and dissemination of news and ideas to the entire school community.

As the producer of a scholastic publication, highlights subscribes to the responsibilities set forth in the National Scholastic Press Association Code of Ethics for scholastic journalists and advisers.

According to Miami-Dade County Public School policy, student media is not subject to prior-review by administration or district personnel and as such, all content is determined by, and reflects the views of, student staff members only. highlights welcomes reader feedback. All letters should be addressed to melissa_gonzalez@dadeschools.net Press Affiliations: Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, NSPA Hall of Fame, Florida Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll

for 56 percent of all cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in Miami-Dade. This is something that seniors Bliss Aruj, Felipe Ferrerira and Camilo Bacca are passionate about, and they tried their best to create an environment where sex is talked about openly and maturely. Sex education is lacking in our public schools and there needs to be a change in policy, locally, statewide and perhaps nationally. Abstinence is a dismissive way of addressing the problem; not talking about an issue does not make it disappear.

The school district should allow schools to decide what is the best policy to have regarding this matter instead of handing down a blanket policy to all schools. Administrators know what’s best for their students and must be allowed to act on these sorts of issues.

“I am extremely disappointed in our politicians and administrators whose duty it is to protect us and are naively pushing abstinence as a means of protecting us from infectious and deadly diseases, a method that has clearly not worked in the past. We need better education and practical options.

Teenager will have sex,” Aruj said.

Ultimately this is a matter of principle. It is a shame that policy and bureaucratic ties impede progress in our school environments.

Florida legislature aims to protect students by arming school faculty Commentary by Maya Iskandarani STAFF WRITER

A bill has gained momentum in Florida that would “allow a school superintendent... to appoint public school staffers to carry concealed weapons” in public schools, according to the Sun Sentinel. To think that legalizing even controlled gun possession in public schools will reduce the number of school shootings is somewhat absurd; to think that passing a second accompanying bill to decriminalize carrying arms in a school zone will bring that goal closer is insane. This legislation, though it appeals to conservative Floridians, must not pass in the Florida Congress; it will, if anything, make schools less safe.

The logic against this legislation should seem obvious: if guns are the problem, then more guns will make the problem worse. Patrolling public schools with concealed weapons will spread fear in that community, compelling parents and other residents to adopt the local paranoia and buy firearms themselves. This makes it easy for someone who wishes to harm that community to find a gun. The fact that the guns are concealed by trusted school faculty does not obscure them being there in the first place. The knowledge that guns are being used, not the knowledge of who is carrying them, is what encourages

Opposable THUMBS

concerned parents and private citizens to arm themselves.

While making guns more common does not increase the number of radicals in a community, it does not make the community safer. Though this seems comforting, it is outbalanced by the next obvious danger of making guns commonplace: accidents. The more guns there are, the more likely gun-related accidents are to occur. There is no use in attempting to protect students from shootings if the students become more likely to come home to gun violence, both intentional and unintentional.

Part of the second bill would tax sales of guns and ammunition for a fund that would finance “safety measures.”

This is an attempt to compensate for worry about making guns commonplace: the money spent on “making our schools safer” with guns would be spent on “safety measures” that would make our schools even more safe—with more guns.

All this is based on a passed bill that allows gun possession in Florida universities—a bill that enjoys very little public popularity, despite its enthusiasm in Congress. Yet the new bill is burning through Congress and has produced gun-toting legislative offspring.

More guns means more guns, not less guns. Florida ought to recognize this before it spreads the hysteria of mass shootings by having school staff carry firearms. Stricter criteria and thorough background checks for weapon permits would do it.

Obama’s Anger Translator Crash Course Videos “Can he please tell my teachers I’m drowning in work?”

-Sabrina Fiske, Staff Writer

“I watch them to study, but I only listen to the jokes.”

-Laura Acosta, The Scene Editor

School Wi-fi Down

Music in the morning

Broken A/C Days

“It’s not like I had to study for APs anyway.”

-Vanessa Vazquez, Staff Writer

“I’d rather listen to country than do classwork.”

-Kasandra Scholz, Staff Writer

“It’s times like these when the fourth floor swimming pool should exist.”

-Angelika Menendez, Staff Writer

highlights

7

May 2015

World’s largest mall comes to Miami

The developers of Mall of America are currently seeking approval to build a 200 acre shopping center in Northwest Miami-Dade County. Can the proposed 50,000 jobs outweigh the congestion and construction drawbacks?

Commentary by Danny Delgado

Commentary by Avery Budin

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

YES

The construction of the largest of mall in America is soon to be underway and is clearly unnecessary because of the abundance of outlet malls, boutiques, and city shopping locales throughout the city. The “American Dream Miami” project will be the largest private investment in Miami-Dade history and is likely to cause major road congestion and environmental issues, as well as competition with its close neighboring malls in Aventura and Sawgrass Mills.

“A new mall isn’t necessary, Miami has plenty of tourist attractions and places to spend money. I think the city would find greater benefits in supporting private projects that work to develop more efficient transportation or education for Miami-Dade locals,” senior Guillaume Lecocq said.

As if the city of Miami did not already lack wildlife areas, using such a large piece of property for industrial construction will only further urbanize the natural landscape.

The developer of the project, Eskandar Ghermezian, warned city officials that if they ‘created problems for him’ he would reconsider building in the Miami area, so all concerns for water and sewer taps and pollution regulations have been put on the back-burner. The mayor even acknowledged that most of the traffic should build on main highways, including I-75 and the Turnpike.

“The traffic and increase of air pollutants and daily expense of energy is a huge environmental concern,” biology teacher Eric Molina said.

Not only will property owners in the area suffer from the noise of construction, but after the mall is built, other malls may lose revenue and customers to the new mall, and with the long list of permits the project will need to be carried out, the building of the new complex is bound to take an extensive amount of time. The construction alone will interfere with shoppers’ accessibility to small businesses and will cause the cost of rent to skyrocket, possibly forcing smaller shops to either relocate or close altogether.

Because all malls are so incredibly unique, and there can never be enough Walgreens and Targets, it is only rational to spend $4 billion to add another. While the new arena will provide approximately 25,000 jobs, the county doesn’t need another mall. The jobs that are being created are being misplaced in addition to being low-pay. There are other efforts, like improving Miami’s infrastructure and green public spaces, that the county could be facilitating.

NO

The nation’s largest mall might be coming to Miami if its construction plan is approved; it will be called “American Dream.” Many see this as quite ridiculous and may take a sarcastic approach to this problem, but doing so undermines the many benefits that can come with building such a large world attraction. It will be twice the size of Mall of America and feature an indoor ski slope and submarine rides. It is important that this idea isn’t shut down so quickly as it may provide a shot of adrenaline to the stagnantly developing suburban area of Miami.

This project is estimated to create around 25,000 local jobs in construction plus the jobs that will be created by the mall after it is built. This is a substantial amount of sustainable jobs that can lead to further employment and development of the region. All this in addition to attracting a substantial amount of commerce. The tourism industry would also be a large benefactor of this mall, as it will surely attract tourists.

The owner of Minnesota’s Mall of America backs the construction of this mall. It is proposed to be built in the land at the intersection of Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 75 near Miami Lakes. It will not use tax-payer money and can provide a historic boom in the city’s economy, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. It will be more than enough to become Miami-Dade’s largest private-sector payroll.

The argument that construction will damage the land is futile in the sense that construction will take place either way, whether in the shape of residential homes, offices, or this proposed mall.

The question is whether or not this is a better option, and with the current proposals, it certainly seems to be. Its economic potential for the citizens, business owners, and county as a whole far outweigh the benefits of any other proposed project so far. It is in the best interest of the suburban development of Miami Lakes to build this mall.

Some are concerned about the traffic that such construction might create. Traffic, however, is a common price to pay for development and is something common in urban cities. Cities like New York deal with this all the time yet are international powerhouses in the global market.

While it is easy to laugh at the enormity and extravagant nature of this proposal, it is more important to keep inquiring and studying its economic effects on our county. It has the potential to become a large job-provider, as well as entertainment center for Miamians and tourists.

TWO VIEWS

Corporations unjustly lobby Rick Scott: the great against GMO food labelling and righteous climate D TE C change crusader REDA Commentary by Stephan Chamberlin OPINION EDITOR

Rick Scott is a conqueror. He’s more than just a governor; more than a Republican, more than a climate change denier, more than a controversial politician whose time in office has been fraught with scandal and intrigue: this is a man who takes what he wants.

Among the things on his wish list are the censorship of most state government agencies: Scott in his infinite wisdom has decided that agencies like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection shouldn’t be able to say the words “climate change” or “global warming.”

We must all recognize that our good governor’s decisions are never ours to question, and if the great and powerful Scott deems those words unfit, we should all follow his lead, and pay no mind to the inconvenient truth behind the curtain.

Our Leader’s tale is simple enough. One year into His term, His administration adopted an unofficial, unspoken policy that banned the words-that-shall-not-be-spoken. The words simply started disappearing from government communications in a subtle, Orwellian, oligarchic, but majestic sort of way. Moreover, in official public statements, the words were censored and never made it into the final drafts.

I think I speak for most Floridians when I say that I’m glad the words are gone. Now that they’re not being mentioned we can all rest easy knowing that Scott is safeguarding us all. As we all know, of course, climate change will simply turn into a non-issue if we simply stop talking about it. Florida’s risk of damage from sea level rise, which with porous bedrock, a population crowded around the coast, and frequent occurrences of tropical storms, actually goes down the less it’s mentioned. Why bother preparing for a problem when we can just solve it by turning the other way?

Floridians and all their expensive coastline real estate will be just fine. Scott the Great and Powerful and his novel solution of censorship have spared us from having to deal with the problem for the time being.

But can we always count on our governor to keep us safe from having to say “climate change?” The employees working under him in the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of Agriculture will be here long after Scott leaves office. They are truly the ones we have to fear. The government workers slowly but surely are going to start bringing back the words, and even worse, making actual preparations for a future where climate change will be taken into consideration. This is the true impending doom. It’s time for all of us to wake up, stop ignoring the problem, and start doing something about it.

Commentary by Susana Rudin STAFF WRITER

As Americans, we are accustomed to information being easily accessible and not sheltered, hidden or intentionally misguiding. Recently the public has been more and more involved in making it mandatory that genetically modified organisms (GMO) are labeled. A GMO is a manmade organism made by mixing genes from different, yet related species. Being that these GMOs are unnatural and manmade there are several concerns about the side effects and health risks of consuming these foods. A 2012 poll found that 91 percent of American consumers wanted GMOs labeled. Whether a person wants to or does not want to eat GMOs is his or her decision, but the fact that the food is a GMO should be explicitly stated on the label.

In 2012, Kraft and Kellogg’s, two multibillion dollar food companies, paid millions to lobby against GMO labeling in the state of California. The companies and several supporters of non-labeling argue that the public has a negative stigma surrounding GMOs that would hurt business and sales.

The concerns that big businesses are so afraid the public will have are that, first, these unrelated genes being mixed to create GMOs can turn into a long list of unpredictable side effects and that these genetically modified crops are “herbicide tolerant,” meaning they can resist the most deadly of weed killers. Other apprehensions include the fact that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require any safety studies and even goes as far as to allow companies to put GMOs on the market without notifying the agency. Another frightening thought is the fact that biotech companies, such as Monsanto, have previously told the public that chemicals such as DDT and Agent Orange were safe, which the public now knows not to be true.

GMOs are not just risky for humans but also for animals and the environment. The GMO crops require a lot of herbicide, which can harm birds, insects, marine ecosystems, and more.

GMOs offer minimal consumer benefits when compared to the detrimental environmental and ecological impact they have.

The problem really lies in the flawed idea that businesses should be allowed to keep the American people in the dark and lie by omission for the sake of profits. Consumers have the right to know how their food was grown.

The environmental and health impacts that the scientific community have exposed clearly demonstrate a need for labelling the genetically modified foods. This problem is more than a relatively shallow matter of preference. This is a matter both of ethics and public safety, and its time legislation was introduced that reflected that fact.

by the numbers 60

15

Number of countries where there are significant restrictions on GMO sales

Factor by which use of herbicides has increased since the introduction of GMOs

Percent of Americans that think GMOs should be labeled

Number of countries that produce 90 percent of GMOs

91

Susana Rudin/highlights

5

1

Number of bills in legislation that are anti-labeling

1.4

Millions of people who have signed pro-GMO labeling petitions Source: The Washington Post

opinion

highlights May 2015

As the year comes to an end, the highlights staff reflects on their high school experience and offers words of wisdom about scaling the school ladder. Seniors, juniors and sophomores alike have the advice you need and will want to succeed. Read with careful inspection and make their words your survival guide in the years to come. High school is an expedition, it pays to be prepared.

Junior year stress Commentary by Daniel Delgado STAFF WRITER

First things first, you’re finally an upperclassmen. You now somewhat know your way around the school, and you are a solid second-in-line to fix any schedule errors that you might have at the beginning of the school year. Congrats. Yeah, life as an upperclassman can be quite glamorous, just don’t let it get to your head; junior year can be seen as the proverbial meat and potatoes of your high school career. It’s the year that you’ll all have to buckle down and do the work handed down to you by teachers, counselors, parents and everyone else that you have to listen to. Sleep will become something that all of you will treasure, as your sleeping habits will be slowly but surely be destroyed as you are consumed by responsibilities and deadlines.

All this surely seems intimidating, but in reality it’s just a matter of trying to acclimate yourself to your school schedule and staying organized. I’ve never been one to write things down and keep a calendar, or agenda, or anything like that, but I would have really liked to have had that habit coming into junior year. The work that you’ll be given, whether its Internal Assessments, research papers, Document Based Questions, Extended Essay deadlines, Prescribed Titles or any club requirements, is really not that intellectually challenging, it’s simply a matter of managing time, and being able to cope with doing tedious work at times. If you’re able to stay organized, keep record of what has to be done on a weekly basis and plan ahead, then you should be able to stay on track.

Of course these things don’t always go the way you want them to. Sure, you may plan to make it a habit to get all your homework done as soon as you get home, but if you don’t follow through past the first quarter it won’t matter much. The motivation that I had to come back to is that it doesn’t last forever, and that senior year is just around the corner.

Junior year is also a good year to start making a college list and start visiting some of them. Do research on college and start thinking about where you’re interested in applying.

With that being said, study and take the SAT and/or ACT early; popular options are the November, December, and January exams. Get it out of the way the first time (and don’t go into it blind) and then you can focus on improving your score on any of the sections you feel are your weak points. Again, this seems like a lot, and it’s a lot more work than you’re all used to, but it’s simply a matter of staying on top of your assignments, staying organized and not leaving things for the last minute.

One thing is for sure, and I hope it offers you guys some sort of comfort, you’re not alone.

Numerous times I found myself at 3 a.m. working on my Internal Assessment, only to check my Snapchat and find that half of the IB class was doing the same thing. Posting their own stories and struggles and truly creating a sense of community and solidarity among everyone.

Just try and go with the flow and take these challenges with a positive attitude. Nothing is the end of the world, except for the end of the world. Good luck.

4.0 GPA How-To: If you are struggling to get an A in every class in every quarter, then maybe this is the type of eye-opening information you need. Sometimes the minimum amount of effort goes further than you think.

First quarter

Second quarter

2.5 B

3.5 A

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

2.5 B

3.5 A

Final Grade

STAFF WRITER

It’s sophomore year: you are not a freshman anymore, yet you are not an upperclassman; you know the hallways of the school like the back of your hand, yet you have to walk them for three more years. When it comes to your four-year journey of high school, 10th grade is the year you find your place in the school, and stick there.

The fundamental change present during sophomore year is how much more integrated you will be in the school and its community. No longer are you last on the seniority list, the butt of the freshman joke and the recipient of echoing boos at pep rallies. Instead, you will be more or less accepted by the upperclassmen, and may even take part in the all too familiar mockery.

You are also one step closer to parking in the Senior Square, as you should have your permit or license by the end of 10th grade. Whether you or a friend is the ride after school, it is definitely a step up from having to wait for a parent pick up.

After spending the past school year getting to know the entire freshmen class, you tend to find out who your closer companions are during 10th grade, while also widening your social circle through mutual friends, sports and clubs. On top of that, you will most likely befriend more upperclassmen than the amount who knew you existed last year.

When it comes to the sophomore year workload, it is pretty bearable. You may be taking Advanced Placement courses for the first time, or even a Dual Enrollment class. These subjects do prove to be more challenging than regular or honors courses, as the content is more complicated and a final test is usually employed at the end of the year. Even so, only having a few advanced classes does not place an impending doom on your social or sleep schedule.

This lack of academic pressure that comes along with 10th grade gives you a chunk of free time to pursue something you actually enjoy, inside or out of school. Whether you end up joining Catharsis or band or a competitive cycling team is up to you, but you do have the time to do something or find something you are passionate about. Commiting to whatever this activity may be can help you get further involved in your community and the school, as well as giving you a worthwhile place to spend your time.

Ultimately, sophomore year goes by unbelievably quickly, so make sure you enjoy the fact that you have free time, a good group of friends, and the ability to immerse yourself in the school’s spirit and activities.

Olivia Field/highlights

-Alexandra Andrade, Sophomore

A wiser senior pace Commentary by Maggie Rivers MANAGING EDITOR

I know you’ve heard the same thing about the senior year workload before: you’re going to have the most demanding classes you’ve had in high school, on top of your extracurriculars and college applications. That’s all expected.

What I didn’t expect, however, was how hard “senioritis” was going to hit me.

Back in my second semester of junior year I swore I understood the seniors’ plight.

But mistaking my exhaustion from junior year’s marathon for senioritis was naïve.

With all my obligations throughout senior year stretching me thin, it was impossible to be able to care about all the things I did as a junior. Things I had enjoyed became routines I had to fulfill. I constantly found myself having to choose between doing two equally important things and hoping the one I neglected could be turned in at a later time with minimal penalty.

Because of this, make sure you only involve yourself in extracurriculars you honestly care about. Don’t stick with a club that demands too much of your time and emotional energy if your heart’s not in it, because you’ll do a terrible job. Besides, by only committing your time to activities you are truly invested in, you’re allowing yourself a much better opportunity to create meaningful experiences for yourself within that club or activity. Those experiences (aside from adding to your overall senior year experience) will become good fodder for your college essays, and you’ll be able to write about them easily and genuinely.

On top of that, I would research some scholarships during the summer. The scholarships most worth the time investment (i.e. those scholarships that offer tens of thousands of dollars) are almost exclusively due from October to December. Get them done before you start to really buckle down on doing your college applications. Scholarships offered during the second semester usually only offer about $500 or so and are not really worth it. Local scholarships, however, are generally generous and available after most college applications are due.

Most importantly, enjoy Miami and your friends. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Miami for the longest time, but my realization that I’ll be living in the Northeast next year has sparked a yearning for the water and Florida outdoors that I’ve never had before. Plan day trips and adventures with your friends. With all of the things school and college are demanding from you this year, the time you spend with your friends will be really valuable. While time spent alone at home can be relaxing too, I found it really easy to feel guilty about not working on things with impending deadlines. (Mind you, there is always an impending deadline.) Plans with friends, however, were distracting enough for me not to feel guilty.

Really, just take your senior year easy. You’ve already spent the rest of high school setting yourself up for this; now you just have to follow through.

4.0 A

“

I really enjoyed sophomore year because I have become way more comfortable with the school.

“

“

from the

Commentary by Olivia Field

“

>>Way Out Words

Sophomore breeze

8

Senior year was overwhelming, but worth it.

Olivia Field/highlights

-Daisy Vazquez, Senior

insight

highlights May 2015

MIRROR IMAGE Amongst a millennial crowd known for being technologically dependent and self absorbed, it has become increasingly less difficult to present an image that may not be representative of one’s true self. highlights addresses self perception and self-deprecating trends, whether they are for humor or attention, and how they further divide one’s true self from one’s projected self.

Raquel Braun/highlights

9

insight

highlights May 2015

I think I’m a people pleaser, which can be good and can be bad. I love to help people out, especially close friends. I think my best feature is that I can be outgoing and personable in most situations.

Cassandra Gil, junior

Lauren junior

10

Cassie is the type of person that you can count on at any time of the day. She’s the most giving person I’ve met.

Anything anyone needs, she’s glad to do it and will never let you down.

Even though she hates it, I would definitely have to say that her best feature is her laugh. It just sucks you in and makes you want Kerzner, to laugh with her.

Her loyalty is probably her best trait as a friend. Her worst trait is probably how hyper she is all the time. This can be good, but sometimes she needs to learn to sit down and chill.

I think I am energetic and spunky and I am kind of loud and I don’t like that but I can’t help it.

Aliana Leyva-Gonzalez, senior

Gaby Depardon, senior

She’s really smart and witty and always coming up with new ideas and things to do. Sometimes I think she doesn’t believe in herself as much as she should.

People don’t know the real her because she is afraid to let people in sometimes.

I think sometimes I’m annoying to other people.

I’m very isolated, but also helpful, energetic, and loving.

I don’t like how at times I’m not as nice as I would like to be.

Richely Lopez, junior

Claudia Perez, senior

He is really fun to be around. He makes the atmosphere very light and uplifting. He doesn’t get mad very often, but something that I think nobody knows about Oreo is that when he does get mad, it gets really bad.

I think I’m a pretty chill person who doesn’t get mad easily. I don’t like that I’m really lazy and slow.

It gets in the way of things.

Eugenio “Oreo” Arce, junior Compiled by Eleonor Bauwens and Sydney Scanlon

Felix Zabala, junior

highlights May 2015

11

The effect of social media on self perception Commentary by Eleonor Bauwens STAFF WRITER

We all have an ideal self, the best version of us. As teenagers we feel the pressures of growing up, fitting in, and being successful. Before social media, the pressure to be the best was limited to our perception of ourselves in comparison to those who we interacted with face-to-face. We look and think of ourselves differently than how others do and our perception of ourselves is affected by our self-esteem, life experiences, social abilities, etc. In 2013, Dove, a popular beauty company, filmed a video where different people were asked to describe themselves for someone to sketch them; they were followed by another person who was asked to describe them to the same artist. Every self-description was negative and critical, which contrasted with observations of the people who followed, which were positive and kind. The portraits resulting from the second description were more accurate than the ones coming from people’s self-description. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and telling ourselves that we are not good enough or pretty enough. We lower ourselves in comparison to others and fail to see who we really are and what we really look like.

Today, social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter have offered a look into the world of celebrities and socialites. Social media has given us a window into the glamorous lives of teenagers living abnormally luxurious lives. Thus, our lives seem so simple and boring compared to theirs and our perception of ourselves becomes even more distorted.

“Social media is a way that we can show ourselves to the world in the way that we want to be seen, rather than the typical awkward first impression. A lot of people today meet each

other on the internet. social media gives us the opportunity to choose what we put out and portray ourselves in a better light,” junior Erica Alonso said.

Social media allows people to pick and choose what they post to effectively remove what they do not like about themselves, and simply post who they would like to be or edit themselves to look a certain way. They are able to manipulate how people think of them.

“Celebrities and socialites post a lot of pictures about their life, they create a standard that we look up to and try to achieve. However, it is impossible to achieve because they are born into those lives, they are born with money and they born living that lifestyle. Because this standard is impossible to be, we feel bad about ourselves and think we are not good enough.

That leads to low self-esteem, eating disorders and unhealthy relationships. For example, a lot of girls will see Kim Kardashian looking a certain way and living the perfect life so they will change how they look and act so they can be more like her. They think of themselves in a different way because they want to achieve that unrealistic standard, they are trying to reach a goal that is impossible to achieve,” senior Zoe Redmond said.

The power of social media has given us an easy way to become two people. Our appearances end up changing in reality and on the screen. The difference between the two highlights the difference between our self-perception and the world’s perception of us.

“Social media allows us to emphasize certain aspects of ourselves depending on what we choose to post. Social media is very influential; whatever you post is perceived in a different way. Social media has become less personal because people are constantly trying to impress and please others for likes or simply to look cool. It seems that today a lot of people base their appearance on social media, and their personality online is different than in real life,” junior Julia Benitan said.

Self perception is often skewed, especially in the aesthetic of contemporary society. Although the “Dove Real Beauty” and #loveyourself campaigns (as well as others), have established environments conducive to fighting negative self perception, it is still evident that people, especially grade school students, tend to maintain negative perceptions of themselves; this is not only in regard to their physical appearance, but their personalities as well. highlights interviewed pairs of close friends, essentially mimicking the Dove Real Beauty campaign, and asked them to describe themselves and each other, illustrating the obvious disparity between self perception and public recognition.

A divided sense of self becomes detrimental Commentary by Sydney Scanlon

them to figure out their interests.

“I think people want to be accepted; that’s why they try and fit into stereotypes because it gives them a group to be in,” senior Gaby Diaz said.

In a world hyper-aware of perception with the new-found invention Imagine stereotypes as shells that people try to fit into. As we grow, we obtain new shells and unprecedented popularity of social media, a person’s true personality that fit our new shapes better. Initially, the shell allows people to stretch and grow to fit into and observed personality are no longer clearly distinguishable. Humans, its shape and size, but eventually, the time comes when people must change to new and larger being naturally impressionable, are allowing an intersection of their real shells. Without change, the shell will inhibit growth. People attach labels to themselves for and ideal selves, and it may become impossible to distinguish between the comfort, such as “I am too restless for relationships,” or “I am awkward.” If the person changes two. Because many people today construct a self that they wish to present or never fully encompasses the stereotype but allows the perception to remain, he or she limits to the public, whether through social media or direct interaction, one’s true self and projected him or herself. Once ideas of a person form, things that reinforce the ideas will be remembered self become one to the public eye. Actions and projections are the only way to judge people; and other things that counteract the idea, ignored. Thus, it is possible that outdated labels stop thoughts and intentions cannot reflect the true self. It is important for one to recognize the people from reaching their full potential. differences between his or her public and private selves.

In an interview with Experience Life magazine, co-founder of the International Society With people’s lifestyles being a much more publicized ordeal, identity stems from social for Neuro-Semantics, Michael Hall, said that because the connection between our frontal lobe interactions more than predisposed personality. How we are perceived by others, how we and higher brain sends messages to the rest of our body to act on, if you believe something perceive ourselves, and how we wish to be perceived would ideally be the same or quite similar. to be true, your body will act accordingly. For example, if you believe that you are unable to But because these perceptions are often very different, identities become divided, potentially remember names, “a command to the nervous system will inhibit your efforts at remembering resulting in an identity crisis, an idea coined and studied by Leon Festinger in his cognitive names.” dissonance theory, which states that mental unrest results from two conflicting thoughts.

Stereotyping and profiling people into predetermined slots hurts the individual but works The question of why people alter their identity to fit in with those around them may be a in favor of advertisers. Big corporations rely on group consumers to create ads that broadcast lot simpler than defining identity. Social Darwinism claims that humans are animals with a to a large, yet specific, demographic of people. Simultaneously, people place themselves in genetic predisposition to reproduce. Our behaviors are shaped by what we either consciously or stereotypes and shape their personalities around them. subconsciously conceive as accepted. In an attempt to fit in, people will change themselves to “The media preys on the vulnerability of human beings and seeds their minds with fit the correct molds, defined by Darwin’s Social Being Theory, which states that an aspect of stereotypes and advertisements, it is brainwashing to make money,” sophomore Julian Elortegui social interaction is the desire to belong. said.

All throughout people’s lives, but especially through adolescence, we are trying to find It is important to be aware of how you see yourself and how others see you in order ourselves. By playing into stereotypical roles such as ‘hippie,’ ‘preppy,’ ‘jock,’ or ‘nerd,’ high to maintain a clear understanding of ourselves and to avoid internal conflict and cognitive schoolers often attempt to fit into different groups or ideas and change their personalities around dissonance.

STAFF WRITER

Potty mouths

May 2015

/h

FEATURES EDITOR AND STAFF WRITERS

ad o

an

g el lD e i Dan

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Eddie Briones, senior

er

an

i/h

igh light s

Bianca Mangravite: What is the most distinct thing that has ever happened to you in a bathroom.

Megan Lee: Well, I don’t mean to brag, or anything like that, but I saw a whole bunch of poop on the wall, and it was splattered! Splattered. That’s the worst thing that has happened to me, because it was kind of really scary.

BM: Was it? What did you think happened?

ML: I feel like they just totally missed the toilet.

BM: Alright, okay, what advice do you have to give people for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

ML: I heard that you can eat something that will… oh! Dress up! Dress up just like them. Dress up just like them, and put their blood on you. I saw it in Zombieland.

BM: What do you want to say to the world?

ML: I would say that I would definitely recommend people get interviewed when they’re in a bathroom.

It’s more fun to go to the bathroom. It is. It is.

Lei

an sk la I

d

Tatiana Guzman, freshman Bianca Mangravite: What advice do you have to give for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

Tatiana Guzman: Hahahaha… I don’t know. Okay.

Advice for the zombie apocalypse. Water. Get water, but then make sure that there’s bathrooms. Have weapons, that’s for sure. And stay in a house that’s completely locked.

BM: What if the zombie could break into the house?

TG: Lock yourself in the bathroom with food.

BM: Lock yourself in the bathroom? Why is it that you’re being very specific with the bathroom?

TG: Because I need to pee really, really badly.

BM: Ah, that is correct. What do you do when there is no toilet paper? Full disclosure.

TG: If there’s nobody in the bathroom, I use a sock or something. Clothing. Whatever you can get.

BM: What is true happiness?

TG: Right now, for me, it would be peeing. Finishing this interview.

You are sitting in your sixth period, gulping down the final drops of the two liters of water that you finished off the first half of class. The satisfaction you get from the water distracts you from your now urgent need to pee. It soon hits you.You bounce your foot up and down, sweating as you glance around the room and notice that everything is reminding you of your increasingly uncontrollable bladder. Your hand shoots up in the air as you ask your teacher. You rush out of the room, walking like a stiff penguin as you try to move quickly while not peeing in your pants. You smell the unpleasant stench of the bathroom from yards away, which suddenly seems welcoming as your need to squeeze the lemon reaches a peak.You take steps towards the bathroom, ready to rush to the nearest toilet, but someone quickly asks you to do an interview inside. You agree, but only because you need to get rid of them.You run inside, only to find someone else, dressed in a blazer, seated behind a game show table. You dismiss the sight, refusing to let anything come between you and the toilet. But then, this wannabe game show host pulls you aside and asks you to participate in an interview. You vigorously shake your head, fearing that you would soon stain your pants, but they just won’t give it up! You finally agree, nearly coming to tears as your strength wavers. During the interview, the need to pee consumes your mind— it’s all that you think about!

When you can finally go, you lunge for the closest toilet, stumbling into the stall and crying out in satisfaction as you finally let everything go.

*Disclaimer* highlights did not force the students to agree to be interviewed.

Daniel Delgado: Where is Waldo?

Eddie Briones: In the illuminati triangle, because he’s secretly a part of it.

DD: What advice do you have to give for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

EB: Make sure you have a group of friends, some weapons and go to the highest place you can find.

DD: What would you do there?

EB: If they do actually climb stairs, you can jump off with a parachute. You’re probably going to die anyways.

DD: What is true happiness?

EB: When you’re able to be with that special someone that you know you’re never going to get.

DD: So true happiness doesn’t exist?

EB: Hmm… I never thought of that. Umm you could just go to the midnight launch for a new video game.

igh ligh ts

Meagan Lee, sophomore

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Leila

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By Bianca Mangravite, Leila Iskanderani and Daniel Delgado

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features

highlights

lg De l e i Dan

Henry Figueredo, sophomore Daniel Delgado: What advice do you have to give for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

Henry Figueredo: Don’t set them on fire.

DD: Why not?

HF: Because what would that do? Then they’d just be chasing you ON FIRE! But its ok, I’m not afraid of zombies.

DD: What do you do when there is no toilet paper left?

HF: I don’t know. What is my situation?

DD: You’re sitting on the toilet, taking a poop, with no toilet paper. In school.

HF: I use notebook paper. Or you waddle to the next stall.

DD: Do you pull your pants up before doing that?

HF: No. Just waddle.

DD: What is true happiness?

HF: When you let go of a really big poop and it doesn’t splash.

Courtesy of Skylar Lingenfelser

Laura Acosta/highlights BETWEEN THE STALLS: highlights took to the toilets to find interesting and enlightened answers to irrelevent questions from unsuspecting bathroom-goers. Sophomore features editor Bianca Mangravite poses as a representational view point of her in-bathroom interview sessions.

highlights

Bridging over to gap year

By Sofia Viglucci STAFF WRITER

After four grinding years of high school, it can seem almost frightening to venture into another four years of schooling. Determined to take a revitalizing detour, seniors China Opland and Stefanie Zeledon have opted for a gap year between high school and college. They said that they plan to explore the world before heading back to a classroom environment and pursuing their undergraduate degrees.

Sofia Viglucci/highlights MIND THE GAP: Senior Stephanie Zeledon is traveling to Central America and Europe.

Cinco steps for Cinco de Mayo

By Vanessa Vazquez STAFF WRITERS

Every year Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with festivals, music and ethnic foods. It is meant to celebrate the defeat of the French in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico on May 5, 1862. The holiday is recognized every year to celebrate Mexico’s culture, especially its cuisine.

On the day of the celebration it’s customary to see festivals and parades with native music played by mariachis celebrating Mexico’s culture and heritage. The holiday is mostly celebrated in the state of Puebla, Mexico where traditions include military parades and recreations of the original battle. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with Mexican folk dancing, parades, parties and mariachi music.

Traditional foods are commonly prepared for festivities on Cinco de Mayo. Typical Mexican dishes include enchiladas, burritos, salsas and various desserts. highlights has prepared an authentic Mexican dish: spicy chicken enchiladas and shows how to make it in five simple steps.

Vanessa Vazquez/highlights CINCO DE SPICY: highlights prepares an authentic Mexican dish to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Step 1: Chop onion, chilies, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Lightly cook two chicken breasts in oil on mediumhigh heat in a nonstick skillet for about three minutes.

Step 2: Toss in the onion, salt and pepper, and dried oregano leaves into the chicken mixture.

Mix for about four minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Spotlight:

SWA welcomes a brother

China Opland Senior China Opland plans on exploring India, Nepal, Indonesia and California, a long-time dream, during her gap year.

“I feel I need to experience more about the extremities of the world, along with the different cultures and countries, before I can have a better understanding of what I want to contribute personally to the world to make it a better, more sustainable, and compassionate place,” Opland said.

Opland’s plan is mostly environmental: working with sustainable eco villages, collaborating with orphanages, embarking in yoga teacher training and meditation courses, being involved with farming, and working with animals. As for living arrangements, Opland plans to live simply, residing in huts and small rooms, and occasionally living out of her backpack.

“I can’t begin to imagine the adventure and raw life I will experience in Asia, but I’m certain that it will be a spiritual, enlightening journey,” Opland said. “If I could imbue to anyone a feeling, it is the existence of eminent, infinite possibility. To live life for you and for others, and through your heart.”

Stefanie Zeledon Senior Stefanie Zeledon also plans to embark on her own adventure before re-entering school.

During her excursion, she plans to visit as many countries as possible, starting off volunteering in Central America, then heading to Europe. She added that she will end her year in Australia, possibly taking an internship and gaining work experience.

Housing arrangements will be casual and, at times, spontaneous.

Since she plans to volunteer in the first few months for an organization, she will reside in the housing provided. After, she said that she will have to rely on couch-surfing, which is an app that allows one to choose a host to stay with for free.

Zeledon said she is well-supported by family in her decision to step away from the comfort of her home life and into the dizzying and boundless world that encompasses us all.

“Of course, I’ll be nervous once the plane lands because it will be the first time I’m away from anyone or anything that has been familiar to me for so long. But overall I trust myself, and I’m sure I’ll meet other travelers who feel the same way,” Zeledon said.

Step 3: While the mixture cools spread a quarter cup of enchilada sauce onto the baking dish (make sure there is nonstick spray on the dish).

Ingredients: - 2 boneless chicken breasts - 1/2 an onion - 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves - 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup of sour cream - 2 tablespoons of chopped green chilies - 4 flour tortillas - 1/2 cup of lettuce - 1/2 cup of tomato - oil - nonstick spray

Step 4: Sprinkle cheese into the chicken mixture, with cream and chilies. Spoon the mix into each of the four tortillas. Roll them up, put in a dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Step 5: When cooked, sprinkle of cheese. Bake enchiladas for five minutes to melt the cheese.

Add lettuce and tomato to finish your spicy chicken enchiladas.

13

Angelika Menendez/highlights

GAPING SMILES: Senior China Opland poses in excitement for her upcoming gap year.

May 2015

STEPPING INTO SWA: Freshman Emilio Gutierrez performs one of the three steps he learned at tryouts for the school’s all female step team.

By Angelika Menendez STAFF WRITERS

The auditorium swells with cheers as the school’s all female step team, Sisters with Attitude (SWA), take on the stage and stomp while yelling out their chants. The typical SWA member is a “sassy and classy” girl however; freshman Emilio Gutierrez became the first “brother with attitude” to be initiated into SWA. “It is intimidating being the first boy in SWA, because people tend to be bullies, but I just choose to ignore them and do what makes me happy,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez originally tried out for the team in the fall, but did not make the team. SWA members and sponsor Portia Smith told him to try out again in the spring. Smith said that he has a lot of attitude and really gets into his dancing.

“I know I was nervous [during the tryouts] and I could have done better with my attitude, because I had a serious face on due to the nerves,” Gutierrez said.

Although Gutierrez has never stepped before in his life, he researched about stepping and SWA and decided that he wanted to try out when he found out that no previous experience was needed. Gutierrez said that he finds the choreography to be very interesting and is excited to show that males can also step and do not have to be afraid of what other people think about it.

“I’m short, but I don’t care because I’m filled with attitude and stand tall. I know that I can be the best I can be despite my size,” Gutierrez said.

In the past, Gutierrez said he faced multiple experiences with bullies due to his sass. He said that he believes people will make comments in the future about him being on SWA, but he thinks it is best to have confidence and ignore them.

During his time on SWA, Gutierrez said that he wants to show everyone that males can join any programs of their choice at the school without worrying about what other people have to say. Along with this, Gutierrez believes that since he is a boy he will draw attention to himself because he has just as much attitude as the other members.

The new “brother with attitude” claims that his inspiration comes from Beyonce, since she gives him inspiration to go out onto the stage and perform. He said that he relates to the song “Flawless” because it shows that even though everybody has flaws, they should embrace them. Although he said he is not flawless, he still tells himself that he is, giving him confidence.

Smith said that Gutierrez may have his own solo or a different sequence. Since step is seen as a fraternity and sorority team, Gutierrez is bringing the brotherhood to SWA. Smith said that she is hoping it will branch off into a boy and a girl group, and it would be nice to have a sisterhood and brotherhood. As for the name, new ideas are being tossed around, such as SWA and Co., and, if not, a new name will be chosen. “[Emilio] is definitely a sweetheart and puts in a lot of effort. He has loved SWA since the beginning and already has that dedication,” Smith said.

Along with being on SWA, Gutierrez is a member of the school’s drama club, Gables Players, and the school’s improvisation troupe, Fun Addicts. Gutierrez credits his drama class for helping him learn to not care and to get over his stage fright. He said that it helped him become more comfortable with performing onstage for a crowd.

features

highlights May 2015

14

Passing testing time Students react to highlights

By Sabrina Fiske STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Gabriel Marino

As the year draws to a close, the bombardment of testing begins. Whether you are taking Advanced Placement exams, End of Course exams, International Baccalaureate exams, Florida Standard Assessments, or being displaced due to testing, at one point or another the plague that strikes us all will strike you. Boredom after testing or while others test is a common problem students face during this dreaded season, and with the help of these few activities to pass the time, you could use this time with some activities to unwind instead of doing nothing.

1. Bringing back classic games like Tanks, in which multiple opponents play against each other in a bitter war of shooting, can help pass the time, whether you are playing alone with the computer or along with friends. Other Internet games, along with Tanks, can be found online at Mathisfun.com. Making a competition out of fun internet games like this can help relieve stress during the testing season.

2. Make a bracelet out of some old T-shirt fabric. Create a keychain for somebody out of some old trinkets hidden at the bottom of your book bag. As elementary as it may seem, small do it yourself projects can help pass time and create keepsakes for you or somebody else.

3. In the second grade, M.A.S.H. was the most popular game to play, helping seven year-olds determine how they would spend the rest of their lives, either in a mansion, apartment, shack or house. Why not bring it back? Or if you want to try a new game, try Drawing Destruction, where each opponent tries to draw something bigger than the other to destroy the last object.

4. Have a class competition. Divide into groups and play trivia games online.

You could play it safe and do trivia related to the class you are in. With websites likes sporkle.com and freekigames.com that host the weirdest compilation of quizzes, the game should promise to be entertaining.

HALL >> talk The highlights staff records what students are talking about in the hallways while passing between periods.

highlights interviewed students on what they thought about the school’s newspaper. Students responded with all sorts of answers, ranging from constructive criticism to thoughtful praise regarding highlight’s articles and sections

“[I think they’re] high middle class caucasians who live in Coral Gables.”

- Freshman Ewan Hennessy “I think they’re very socially concerned.”

- Junior Navid Fernandez

“I’ve heard they have really dark humor and they’re really, really sarcastic. And they’re kind of snarky. And a little intimidating. When you walk in it’s kind of scary.”

-Sophmore Gunnet Moihden “I like how they incorporate everyone in there like Jamari and his HBO thing. Like when a team wins a game they recognize. The school barely recognizes things, so highlights recognizes everybody and makes us feel equal.”

- Junior Romys Duran “I don’t know. I’m more into like the sharpie one, not the gel ones.”

- Junior Daniel Andrade

Compiled by Vanessa Vazquez

BLOCK 1

• “This is a scene from Party Monster and it’s you.”

• “We are going to have to figure out what to do with the hipster.”

• “Yo, carbon fiber is so cool.”

BLOCK 2

• “I want to immerse myself in hippie culture, so I am going to let my hair grow long.”

• “Boom whatcha say...wait, no.

What did you say?”

• “I’m not afraid of clowns, but if there • “I passed out and was not making coherent thoughts, but that’s was a clown running at me with an because of lack of blood.” axe, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Providing free pickup and delivery from Ocean Reef to Aventura

Supports the Coral Gables High School Cavaliers!

2341 LeJeune Road Coral Gables, FL 33134 305.446.6458

Bring in this ad by January 2016 for $10 FREE DRY CLEANING (excludes alterations and leather)

sports

highlights May 2015

15

Unnecessary bill possibly replaces FHSAA >> Speak up!

Commentary by Francis Pérez

How do students feel about the FHSAA possibly being replaced with the new bill?

“

“

It’s bad because there won’t be any competition if they [student athletes] all go to a better school.

-Nichole Calle, sophomore

“

After 95 years, a proposed bill seeks to replace the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and its regulations on transferring student athletes. This new bill states that athletes will be able to continue studying in their respective zoned school, however they may transfer to other schools within the district for any of the sports teams. Though this may mean that students who are part of a not-so-experienced team have the opportunity to play on a better team (talent permitting), it still opens doors for coaches to lose their jobs due to a lack of athletes, and will take away the school’s spirit if all its athletes go away to ‘better’ teams.

The new bill still considers recruitment a violation.

The motive for a student to want to transfer over to another school’s sports team should be completely personal, in other words, the student should not be influenced by a school official or coach. However, there is no doubt that this occurs under the table, and the new bill only makes it easier for coaches to secretly recruit.

But let’s consider we are in a perfect place where everyone actually follows the rules: if this new bill goes into effect, public schools will risk losing all of their athletes to private and charter schools that have more funding for better facilities and coaches. This will leave the poorly-funded schools with little-to-no athletes.

And if there are no athletes, why have a coach?

On another note, the majority of school spirit comes from the school’s sports teams. Everyone paints their faces and wears their alma mater’s colors to support their fellow students who are taking on the rivals, whether it is on the field, the court, or in the auditorium. However, with the school’s athletes leaving to other schools, there is no point in having pep rallies, colorful outfits, or spirit, because I do not remember the last time we cheered on the ‘mathletes’ at a pep rally.

On the bright side, the new bill also states that the FHSAA will become a “representative democracy,” in which the association will be composed of 16 members. The number of members will be proportionally representative of public, private, and home-schooled cooperatives as well as student athletes’ parents. So, we could at least count on having some decisions made with someone who is on our side.

“

SPORTS EDITOR

It’s a great idea to let students play for other school’s sports teams although school spirit would definitely decrease.

-Jimena Sanchez-Roselly, sophomore

Compiled by Francis Pérez

Faculty looks back on high school sports

By Rachel Ellis STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Lazaro Hernandez Courtesy of Cavaleon FLASHBACK: (Top) Assistant Principal Lazaro Hernandez treds water and looks out for other players in the water in preparation to make a shot. (Bottom) Assistant Principal Joseph Evans (number 10), kneels side by side with his team mates.

Several school administrators were varsity athletes when they were in high school.

Athletic Director Louis Romero attended Miami Coral Park Senior High, where he was a defensive back for their varsity football team. Romero played on the team from 1986-88, after attending Christopher Columbus High School his freshman year. Clark Eakes coached the team, and although the team never won any major titles, Romero claimed to have had an overall positive experience on the team.

“I fell in love with the sport when I was quite young, and I still love it. It took me a while to figure out the rules of high school because I used to be a problem child, but I finally figured it out as a senior and football definitely implemented the behaviors that I needed in order to grow as an individual,” Romero said.

Assistant Principal Joseph Evans attended Coral Gables Senior High and played the position of point and shooting guard on the basketball team from 1990-92. He stood at 5 ft. 8 inches, which made him one of the shortest players on the team.

“I really feel that basketball prepared me to endure any situation I have run into and will run into in life. We trained so hard on that team and we’re taught to never quit. I’ve always taken that mentality with me through life, and it has kept me physically and mentally prepared,” Evans said.

The team was coached by Bill Sullivan and Isaac Coats, and won districts in 1990.

“The sport of basketball was much different back then. It wasn’t just winning and losing, it was 100 percent just for school pride. Now these kids get all these medals to put on paper, and back in the day it was all about school pride. There was a real sense of pride in everything that you did for the school and there were less entities available,” Evans said.

Assistant Principal Lazaro Hernandez played on the Miami Senior High water polo team from 1992-94 as the whole set and hole D. His job was to distribute the ball to the other players, and as the hole D he worked as the running defender.

“Water polo is such a great sport. I even ended up coaching it at Southwest Senior High for a while. The practices were and remain to be extremely tough. It’s one of those sports where you just never stop and have the chance to catch your breath,” Hernandez said.

Tim Tornillo, who still coaches water polo at Miami High today, coached Hernandez’s team.

The sport was sanctioned as a club sport across Miami-Dade County, and as a result the team completed the season at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC).

“I’ll never forget when I made that illegal move at the end of my senior year season. I gave the Miami Beach goalie, who was talking smack to me, a donut from half court. Even though it wasn’t a fair game play, I still lit him up,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said that the sport has evolved and used to be a lot more physical, focusing more on speed and finesse.

Body building harms outweigh benefits Commentary by Octavio Castro STAFF WRITER

Working out the facts

Body builders aged 50-65 who eat a high-protein diet were 75 percent more likely to die over the next 18 years.

10 out of 31 individuals who experienced a torn aorta from heavy lifting, died.

Source: bodybuilding.com & livestrong.com

Francis Pérez/highlights

Body building can be an exhilarating and satisfying job and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

However, the desire for the ultimate body and fitness can lead to the use of supplements like steroids and an unhealthy obsession, causing long-term strain and unhealthy consequences.

Through body building, a person gains health benefits that can help in old age. Body building changes the composition of the body, making it stronger and leaner, and muscle mass increases. This not only helps with short-term health, but it is beneficial years later when people begin to lose muscle mass and strength as they age. This is usually attributed to sarcopenia, the natural decline in muscle, but can be prevented or minimized through body building. Furthermore, resistance training through body building leads to increased bone mineral density. This is beneficial to people of old age whose bones become weaker due to the development of osteoporosis, a medical condition in which the bones become brittle, and other bone conditions.

Despite these health benefits, natural body building (without use of steroids and growth-enhancing drugs) still places significant and unhealthy stress on the body, which outweigh the benefits. Body builders often develop overuse injuries. Body building puts significant stress on joints and can lead to loss of

cartilage and arthritis. Natural body building can be a risk to cardiac health because of the intensity of the sport. According to a study published in “Cardiology” in 2006, heavy lifting can increase the risk of tearing your aorta, the large valve through which blood exits the heart. Furthermore, 10 out of 31 individuals who experienced a torn aorta from heavy lifting died.

Natural body building has health problems as well, but most professional body builders and those who strive for a desired body image require the use of steroids and other growthenhancing drugs. Though usage of steroids is bad in itself, many body builders are faced with the risk of steroid abuse. This can lead to aesthetically unpleasing or undesired consequences, such as breast development in men and acne. There are other consequences that are life threatening, such as heart attacks and liver cancer. Most are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some are permanent, such as voice deepening in females.

To prevent overusage of steroids and strain on the body, positive body image has to be implemented more into our society. Self-shame and low self-esteem leads people to desire a perfect body, but if people are led to feel more comfortable with themselves, they will have less tendencies to overwork their bodies. Furthermore, there should be less glorification of professional body builders, as this leads to less experienced body builders to using steroids or overworking themselves to meet the standards set by the professionals.

sports

highlights May 2015

16

College athletes shoud get more benefits Commentary by Cyrus Zeledon from an agent, and other policies concerning professional COPY EDITOR

When I think about the NCAA not allowing college teams to pay their football and basketball players money (on top of their scholarships), it reminds me of the antiquated thought against equal pay among the sexes. And although a judge ordered payment of college athletes (starting in 2016), the NCAA is still enforcing the free labor of student-athletes despite the ruling, with only 65 teams allowed to give some money to athletes on top of their scholarships.

In its bylaws, the NCAA has an “amateurism clause” which does not allow student-athletes to have contracts with professional teams, salary for participating in athletics, benefits

teams and student-athletes. The “amateurism clause” goes as far as denying a student-athlete the right to receive some money for appearing in a video game or on television since it violates the clause and antitrust laws—NCAA teams cannot get together and agree on how much they can pay their athletes.

Last summer, however, a judge ruled that the NCAA’s policy of excluding student-athlete payments violated antitrust laws after a college athlete sued the NCAA for using a basketball player from Northwestern that resembled him, from jersey number to physical appearance, in a video game. Nevertheless, the ruling prohibited the NCAA from allowing athletes to receive benefits and it also capped payments to athletes at $5,000 a year and would require the college to hold the money in a trust fund until the student-athlete leaves the school.

Besides the judge’s ruling and the Northwestern case,

allowing student-athletes to unionize, college athletes are still at a disadvantage since they are not allowed to negotiate working conditions. For instance, a football player can receive a maximum $5,000 a year for appearing on national television, but cannot negotiate his medical expenses, hours he has to work and amount of pay per hour. On the other hand, the athlete’s coach would receive full benefits, pay, and health coverage as a full-time employee of the college, not to mention that the median pay for a coach is $267,800. And as if that was not bad, even game officials are paid from $1,000 to $2,500 per game, plus travel and food expenses and sometimes health coverage.

Instead of hoodwinking the breadwinners of its organization, the NCAA should give full benefits and salary that matches the athlete’s prowess on top of his or her athletic scholarship. It only makes sense to pay athletes, considering that they are worth millions of dollars to their institution.

Students seek military service

By Maria Ovalle BUSINESS MANAGER

Fall sports tryouts contacts To participate in a sport, student athletes are required to pay a $30 insurance fee and complete a full physical form.

Interested athletes must see Athletic Director Louis Romero in the Attendance Office.

Most fall sports begin practice during the summer, so if you are interested in trying out, contact the respective coach listed below or Romero:

Bowling

Stephen Campagna

Football

Roger Pollard

Volleyball

Swimming

Cross Country Gablettes

Cheerleading

MARCHING OFF: Seniors Anthony Amador and Jorge Amaya confidently and honorably march as they train to join the Army.

Zach Banks: kart driver

CAVALIER

By Rachel Ellis STAFF WRITER

Junior Zachary Banks’s love for the sport of racecar and kart driving began when he was walking though The Home Depot with his father when he was two years old.

“I really wanted to play with the car and was fascinated with it from the very beginning. I immediately felt drawn to racing and knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Banks said.

Banks started racing in 2012, has won two state championships, and is currently ranked eighth in the nation.

“I regularly practice at the Homestead speedway every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. At practice, we discuss the mechanical tuning of the car, run around six races in the morning, consisting of 12 laps each, and in the afternoon we have three more sessions, which average around 24 laps each,” Banks said.

The kart and car racing is tough on the lungs due to the high speeds and pressure inside the car, making running the main and most crucial form of exercise to stay in racing shape.

“Each tenth of a second matters on the track. The sport is highly competitive and requires you to focus on racing and nothing else. But, that’s what I like about it most. It really is impossible to think about anything unrelated to racing while you’re out there; its very stress relieving,” Banks said.

Banks hopes to pursue a career in NASCAR racing by the summer of 2016 and to attend school in North Carolina, where the NASCAR headquarters are located.

TBA-See Romero Tracy Watkins Kelli Fraga Scott Nelson TBA-See Romero Mercy Monzon

STAT BOX

Softball

@ CGHS

APR 14 Ferguson

vs 1-10 W

APR 16 Braddock

vs 2-12 W

APR 23 Palmetto

vs 9-5 L

@ CGHS

@ CGHS

@ CGHS

Cavaliers Cavaliers Cavaliers

Baseball

APR 10 Southwest

vs 6-7 W

Cavaliers

APR 15

vs 2-3 W

Cavaliers

APR 21 Cavaliers

vs 6-0 W

Braddock

APR 23 Cavaliers

vs 1-6 L

@ CGHS

Hialeah @ CGHS

@ Braddock

ON YOUR MARKS: Junior Zach Banks waits at the starting line before the race and makes sure the car is ready to go.

vs Cavaliers 11-10 L

APR 2 Florida Christian

@ Braddock

Courtesy of Julian Acosta

Golf

Maria Ovalle/highlights

Among the school’s senior Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) students, some are considering joining the armed services in the near future. Seniors Jorge Amaya and Anthony Amador both plan on joining the Army and continuing their higher education after high school.

Amaya said that being part of the JROTC program in school has taught him a lot, and is how he gained interest in later joining the Army. He said it has taught him the importance of discipline and has given him a role model, Major Vidal Chavez, to look up to. After high school, he would like to join the West Point Academy in New York or go to the reserves in Texas for a year, and then come back to pursue his education at an in state college.

“A lot of the marching that we do around here is some of the basic stuff that you have to learn when joining these branches and that just gives you a boost from everyone else,” Amaya said.

Amaya’s father supports his decision since he also served his country, Honduras. On the other hand, his mother was worried at first, but now both fully support

his decision. Amaya chose his Military Occupational Specialty to be a medical laboratory specialist, in which he would have to go to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for about a year to earn his Associate’s degree.

After finishing his schooling, he wants to be an officer.

Amador said he looks forward to joining the Army because it gives him the opportunity to study for free while doing something he enjoys. The past seniors that have graduated to enlist in the services have been examples and role models to Amador in giving him the perspective of that future. About a month after high school, he will go to do his basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia, then travel to North Carolina for his AIT for about a year, and then he will return to attend college. “[JROTC has] influenced me in a lot of ways.

Many people when they graduate don’t contain certain information they need for the ‘real world’ and whether that be disciplinary skills or leadership skills, which I have acquired here, that for sure prepared me for what’s to come,” Amador said.

Such skills have allowed Amador to become a supervisor at his first job in just a few months. Amador’s parents both support his decision because he said they trust Amador knows what he is doing.

Columbus

Boys’ Volleyball

MAR 31 Cavaliers @ La Salle

vs La 3-1 W

Salle

APR 1 Cavaliers

vs Coral 3-0 W

APR 13 Cavaliers

vs 1-4 L

APR 15 Cavaliers

vs

@ Coral Park

@ Ransom

Park

Ransom

Florida Christian

@ Florida Christian 2-3 L

highlights May 2015

Vallejo: hardcore in parkour

De La Vega reflects on volleyball

By Ali Band

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Courtesy of Evelyn Garcia FLIPPING AROUND: (Top) Vallejo practices a stunt called a layout backflip in his backyard. (Bottom) He also practices many stunts around the city and practices a trick called the Webster over a ledge at Ocean bank.

CONGRATULATIONS! Juniors Gaitana Jaramillo and Lauren Kerzner, and senior Francis Pérez placed second in badminton’s girls’ doubles and girls’ singles division at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC), respectively.

The school’s softball team won the district championship, placing them first in the district.

Sophomores Kristina Fernandez and Sophia Quevedo recieved second place at the states championship in tennis girls’ doubles.

Gablette Revue

STAFF WRITER

The Lady Cavs volleyball team is currently searching for a new coach after the announcement of head coach Monica De La Vega’s leaving. De La Vega is a substitute at the school and is looking for a full time job. She was an assistant coach for the 2011­ -12 season and head coach for the past three seasons. The school’s athletic department has not yet found a replacement for her.

“I feel awful and don’t really want to leave the girls. You become close to them and being a role model to them is the most rewarding feeling,” De La Vega said.

De La Vega herself played girls volleyball all four years at Gables and graduated in 2006. Although she was offered scholarships to play in college, she turned them down. “[Not playing volleyball in college] was the biggest regret of my life, so that would be my advice to my girls,” De La Vega said.

In the coming years De La Vega said she hopes to see Senior Day continue. Senior Day is a day when all the seniors start in the game. Afterwards there is a party thrown for them and they recieve gifts.

“This last season was rough. I wish things would have gone differently because it was a great group of girls. But one of my senior starters got hurt and we had a death that impacted all of my players,” De La Vega said.

Junior Taylor Fay was a captain of the girls junior varsity volleyball team her sophomore year and a member of the varsity team this season. Fay said she enjoyed getting pumped before a game. It was tradition for the team to sit in the locker room and play games, start chants, and get hyped.

“I’m kind of sad that she’s leaving. It will definitely be a change. I am used to her coaching. I like her coaching style, and as a coach I think she connects with the players on a more personal level. I’ll miss that,” Fay said.

If no replacement is found before the 2015­-16 season De La Vega will possibly continue coaching the girls’ volleyball team for one more year.

“

I think we will have to adjust [to her leaving]. We will have to build a new chemistry and learn how the new coaches work and adjust to that. Over half of varsity was seniors, which means we will be moving a lot of junior varsity up, so I guess they will be having to adjust anyway. We just have to work together.

Savannah Payne/highlights

Senior soccer players Claire Shillington, Nelly Segarra and Pedro Gimenez-Zapiola recieved All-Dade First Team.

By Savannah Payne

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mental and physical. It is a discipline of training one’s body and mind to find the fastest and most efficient path STAFF WRITER between two points in any environment. The underpinning For many, choosing a sport to pursue throughout high philosophy of both disciplines and very artistic movements school is difficult if they have not yet played an organized is that instead of one’s surroundings being viewed as an sport before or are unsure what they will enjoy. However, obstacle course, they are essentially a playground. freshman Wilson Vallejo has identified the sports that he “I discovered Parkour on the Internet and immediately has been able to excel in and enjoy wholeheartedly: free became interested in it. I started off in the streets, jumping running and parkour. off of walls and roofs, and just [Flips are] a dynamic and Vallejo began free running explored until I found a gym in energetic movement that makes the Doral area that specialized in at the age of 13 when he was you feel so free. looking for a sport that he this discipline,” Vallejo said. enjoyed. Free running is a Vallejo has continued the Wilson Vallejo, new discipline that involves sport since he found a place to creating a unique path through practice it. He said he enjoys it freshman surroundings, such as benches, because it is constructive to both walls, railings, stairs, buildings, etc. It can involve physical and mental fitness. The flips remain his favorite performing vaults, balancing on railings, climbing up motion. walls, flipping off objects, twisting, swinging, sliding “I love it because it makes me feel like I can overcome and any other type of movement. Vallejo later discovered barriers that other people cannot. It’s a dynamic and parkour online. Parkour is a method of physical training energetic movement that makes you feel so free,” Vallejo that develops one’s ability to overcome obstacles—both said.

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-Taylor Fay, junior

Francis Pérez/highlights DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY: (Left) Members of Gablettes & Co. dance team perform to The Hanging Tree at the school’s auditorium on April 30. (Top middle) Senior Gablettes Claudia Perez, Allyssa Dobkins, Nina Llado, Nicole Villar, Sofia Sanz De Acedo, and Carolina Cabello reveal which college they will be attending by wearing a t-shirt of their respective college.

(Bottom middle) The Gablettes perform the dance that recieved first place at NDA national competition. (Right) Sanz De Acedo finishes off the choreography by jumping on Villar’s back.

the scene

highlights May 2015

Free Art Friday finds Miami

By Savannah Payne STAFF WRITER

Savannah Payne/highlights

Free Art Friday is a public scavenger hunt for anyone interested in finding free art around Miami. Credited to the Flickr user “My Dog Sighs” in 2006, Free Art Friday is a movement in which artists hide their art around the city for the public to search for and take home for free.

Taking place in Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Serbia, England and other cities around the United States, Free Art Friday has recently made its way to Miami.

To participate in this event, people can check the local Free Art Friday Facebook page every Friday and look for clues from

participating artists as to where their original pieces are hidden around the city. These pieces of art can be found labeled with tags saying “take me!” or “free art!” as well as the artist’s email and information about Free Art Friday to help spread awareness about the movement.

Jose Esperanza helped start the Miami chapter of Free Art Fridays after speaking with the original artists of the movement through Facebook. He was inspired by the idea that there is no defined artistic style for individual artists in Miami, even though Miami is a known destination for art due to the presence of Art Basel and Wynwood.

Esperanza said he is hoping the weekly project will soon incorporate artists of all medias, including photographers and poets.

UP FOR GRABS: On Free Art Fridays, anyone is welcome to search for their own art piece to keep, and any local artists are welcome to hide their own work.

R House:

By Natalie Viglucci

Art and cuisine collide at local Wynwood restaurant

STAFF WRITER

Natalie VIglucci/highlights TASTY WITH A TWIST: R House’s outdoor seating area allows guests to enjoy a meal in a casual, artistic environment located in the midst of Wynwood.

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Approaching the building covered in colorful murals and faded posters, music can be heard booming through the walls, and so can the wild laughter and conversation among the guests. Walking into the R House, framed paintings and collages of all different textures and colors cover the walls in every direction, and blue wooden chairs tucked into glass tables full of food and chattering people fill the marble floors.

Located in the heart of Wynwood, R House is a fine dining establishment with top notch food and drinks including American, Mediterranean, Asian and Latin contemporary dishes, but it is also an art gallery with pieces from local artists available for purchase.

GABLES TUTORING

Rocco Carulli is the owner and head chef of the restaurant, which was opened in early 2014. Local yellowtail snapper ceviche, grilled free range chicken breast, and onion rings are only a handful of the elaborate meals prepared at the R House. With a one-of-akind, award winning menu, these foods would be difficult to find anywhere else.

“It’s artistic and it’s beautiful and those are the qualities that I respect and admire. The music is good, the food is great, the drinks are cold, and I enjoy it very much,” R House customer Mike Nato said.

In the back of the restaurant, glass doors lead to an outdoor patio with tables and chairs filled with guests talking and eating, and a DJ sits in the corner playing upbeat tracks.

Vibrant colors coat the walls, and light bulbs hanging from wires draped over the patio.

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highlights May 2015

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Serving up South Beach sandwiches

By Olivia Field STAFF WRITER

Olivia Filed/highlights

Only five feet wide from counter to kitchen, La Sandwicherie is easy to miss.

This 15-seater sandwich bar, nestled between an alley way and a tattoo parlor on 14th Street, is a staple eatery for Miami Beach locals.

Open 24/7, La Sandwicherie specializes in smoothies, juices, salads, and sandwiches. To make the most of the small space, a fast paced assembly line runs along the counter of the narrow interior, allowing workers to churn out meals in a matter of minutes.

Sandwiches start with a choice of French baguette, croissant, or wheat bread.

Customers can then select unique fillings (turkey, mozzarella, and salami being a few) or a signature combination, like the Tropical, filled with mozzarella, fresh vegetables and a mix of papaya, mango and pineapple. Sandwiches cost $5.60-$10.80 each, and toppings are free of charge.

“The Exotic [salad] and the Tropical Sandwich are very similar. I created that salad for myself… but whenever a customer saw me eating it, they asked for one themselves. [The Exotic and Tropical] are personal creations,” owner Olivier Farrat said.

Farrat trained for three years at a culinary school in his homeland of France.

After a few years, he decided that the bustling restaurant business was not for him.

Ultimately, this allowed Farrat to find his way to his present home in Miami Beach.

“At the time I was a chef in France, culinary school was not as fashionable as it is now. So, I ended up moving to Thailand to open up a diving center. When I was there, I realized I was not speaking English very well, so I moved here because the water is good for scuba diving,” Farrat said.

Only a block away from the beach, La Sandwicherie is the perfect place to pick up a fresh and filling meal for a day on the ocean, or just the perfect place to enjoy a delicious sandwich.

FRENCH FUSION: La Sandwicherie, a small Miami Beach shop located only a block away from the shore, serves up sandwiches, salads, and smoothies made to order.

My Ceviche, your way Toasted heats up

By Araceli Sanchez STAFF WRITER

Araceli Sanchez/highlights

Since its modest opening in South Beach in 2012, My Ceviche has progressed from a small take-out window to a popular eatery to get a quick and personalized bite to eat in Brickell and South Miami, with more locations coming soon.

The original location was only for take out and delivery, and did not offer any place to sit down to eat. Unlike the Miami Beach location, the Brickell and the South Miami outposts do offer a dinein option, as well as take out and delivery.

At My Ceviche, everything is personalized and made to order. The cevicheria offers five options for your meal: ceviche, tacos, burritos, salads and seasonal stone crabs. Ceviche options include the fish of the day, shrimp, octopus or any combination of the three for an extra fee. The “make your own ceviche” option serves the ceviche with

a side of lime-spiced popcorn, mixed greens, coconut jasmine rice, or cilantro quinoa.

For the burritos and tacos, Adobo-citrus chicken breast and raw tuna are available. When in season, stone crabs are served with either classic mustard or lime roasted jalapeño mayo.

Everything on the menu is prepared in-house daily and all the fish is freshly caught. Prices range from $7 for a salad to $10 for a simple ceviche bowl or burrito.

New locations are coming soon to Midtown, Coral Gables and the Miami International Airport. The owners said they are hoping to expand out of Florida and begin to move across the United States.

My Ceviche is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. all days of the week. At each of the four already active locations, customers will be provided with fresh, local and personalized ceviche bowls.

By Araceli Sanchez STAFF WRITER

With its vintage decor and brick walls, Toasted Bagelry and Deli has been providing a South Florida spin on a New York deli with its fresh, homemade bagels and unique sandwiches since 2013.

Toasted has become one of the newest places to get a quick and healthy breakfast or lunch in the Brickell and downtown area.

The difference between Toasted and other chain breakfast places is that all ingredients, including the muffins, bagels and cream cheese, are made fresh and in house.

Toasted is not just a bagel place– it also serves omelets, waffles, pancakes, salads, “overfilled” deli sandwiches, burgers, paninis, grilled sandwiches and other snacks. Everything on the menu pays homage to specific places in Miami.

The Little Havana Bagel, for example, is served with eggs, steak, grilled onions

and American cheese on a bagel of your choice. The Brickell Ave Sandwich includes prosciutto, salami, roasted peppers, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato. The menu also includes items like the Tamiami Taco Salad, the Wynwood Omelet and the Biscayne Chicken Sandwich.

When the owners first opened, they vowed to serve a breakfast bagel and a drink for under $10. The salads, “overstuffed” deli sandwiches and the paninis are a little pricier, about $10 by themselves without a drink.

The deli will soon be expanding its business by opening up a restaurant in Coral Gables, next to the Chipotle off of 37th Street. This new location should bring more popularity and attention to the business as well as offer an independently owned bagel restaurant to Coral Gables. Toasted is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., all days of the week, where you can get a fresh and homemade New York style bagel with a Miami twist.

the scene

highlights May 2015

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Miami Summer Essentials As the school year comes to a close, summer months are just around the corner, providing the perfect opportunity to explore the city and take advantage of everything Miami and Florida has to offer. For seniors leaving home next year, these places are ideal for summer activities and road trips.

Cultural eateries of Gables

By Leila Iskandarani

“Everything is homemade, fresh… I was a chef in France for 17 years. I make the same things [now as I did then],” owner Thomas The irony of visiting Miami lays in the city’s Chiche said. culinary experience— nobody ever comes to Miami Le Petit Café is best known for its impeccable looking for “Miamian” food. The authentic, multicrepes and croissants. They range from the cultural restaurants that reside in Miami are what “Nordique Crepe,” featuring salmon and cream, to the complete the ultimate edible experience. highlights “Oeufs Benedicts au Jambon Aves,” a plain croissant has narrowed down the search for the most bonafide topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. cultural foods in Coral Gables.

Baklava & Coffee 345 Caffé Italiano Right next to Le Petit Café is perhaps one of the best This small Italian café is best known for its enticing Turkish restaurants in Miami: Baklava & Coffee. While gelato, including authentic Italian flavors ranging from the café’s menu features foods from countries other than “Stracciatella” to “Bacio.” The restaurant’s broad menu Turkey more often than not, the authentic Turkish foods also includes traditional French foods, like crepes and that the restaurant does offer makes up for it. croissants. Anyone coming to 345 Caffé Italiano should Baklava & Coffee serves over 20 different varieties not leave without trying a scoop of the Nutella gelato. of the classic pistachio-based Turkish sweet, baklava.

The only disadvantage to this otherwise matchless café Other Turkish delectables offered by the restaurant is its location, which is at 259 Miracle Mile. Do not include Turkish delights and thick Turkish coffee. The expect to find parking here, especially at busy times of pistachio-filled baklava is definitely a must-try. the day.

The only unfavorable feature of Baklava & Coffee is Le Petit Café its poor variety of authentic Turkish foods. However, all Located at 92 Miracle Mile, this humble little café the offerings are high-quality, and the Turkish foods they seems to have come straight from France. do offer are worth the trip.

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STAFF WRITER

CREPE CAFE: Baklava & Coffee’s diverse menu features a wide range of delicious crepes, including the Nutella and Strawberry crepe.

A fresh look at Miami’s beaches

By Kasandra Scholz

Though slightly more prone to tourism, Virginia Key Beach has more secluded areas where patrons can spend the day. Located on Virginia Key, it has many out-of-the-way spots, and is good for hiking and As summer draws near, people from all biking. It is also pet-friendly, and well known for its over the globe begin to flock into Miami, drawn natural clay deposits. by its unique culture, night life, and, above all, its “It’s a nice area, and the clay by the water is cool, picturesque beaches. This influx of tourists can be especially because most areas don’t have that,” junior difficult to deal with, as it causes overcrowding Julia Vasquez said. and takes up most of the city’s valuable beach Homestead Bayfront Park offers an almost space. However, locals can easily beat out the completely tourist-free beach experience, featuring a crowd with the advantage of inside information small lagoon and beach access where patrons can relax about Miami’s best beach spots. by the waves. Although a bit farther than the other beach One such spot is Fossil Reef. Located in spots, this area is renowned for its fishing spots and Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, down at the end docks. of the beach, this little-known area is perfect for For those who are not afraid to brave the crowds, snorkeling and wading through the mangroves Bill Baggs (positioned on the south end of Key Biscayne) at low tide to see all sorts of sea life. Accessible is popular on the weekends for its lighthouse access and by both bike and foot trails, Fossil Reef is a other tourist attractions, but is also an appealing area picturesque place to get acquainted with the where weekday beachgoers can set up camp for the day vibrant ecology of South Florida and spend a day with minimal tourist interference. in the sun and surf.

STAFF WRITER

Kasandra Scholz/highlights

Camping across Florida

By Amanda Victoria Gonzalez

City beach, is well known for its white sands and emerald green waters. Here, you can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba Summer is the perfect time to venture diving, kayaking and canoeing. Those who away from the city and get into the spirit of stay can relax on the beach, with a nearby camping, and going on adventures is easier campground for RVers and tent campers. St. than you may think. Florida is home to a Andrews is very scenic with natural sand dunes variety of different kinds of camp sites to visit and landscape, wildlife to observe, and walking during your time off. trails. Admission is only $8 per vehicle.

Ocala National Forest, located in Silver Finally, Okeechobee’s Kampgrounds of Springs, has dozens of campgrounds and offers America (KOA) site is located two hours away full-service to primitive walk-in tent camping from Miami and offers amenities such as three throughout the forest, plus a few cabins for pools, a hot tub, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. It also large and small groups. Here, you can enjoy a features its own nine-hole golf course, as well as large spring that flows with 80 million gallons four tennis courts. Entertainment and dinner are of crystal clear water a day. There is also a wide offered at Okeechobee KOA’s own restaurant, range of recreational activities you could do with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. while here, such as fishing and horseback riding.

The campsite offers tent and RV space, as well The cost is approximately $21 a night. as cabins.

St. Andrews State Park, located by Panama

Kasandra Scholz/highlights

STAFF WRITER

BEAT THE HEAT: Bill Bags’ picturesque beach is the perfect spot to spend a day in the sea (right) or by the lighthouse (left).