January/February 2021 by The Patriot Post

The Patriot Post

VOL. 24 ISSUE 3 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 AMERICAN HERITAGE PLANTATION

Pg 4 How to handle the criticisms of cultural appropriation Pg 11 Debunking vaccine myths

Pg 23Sports 23Sports recap

Fifty Shades of Ignorance Pg 14 A war on information shapes our generation and those who follow.

(Photos/Bella Ramirez)

Staff

Dear Heritage,

Over the past few months, new disputes regarding our first amendment and the spread of misinformation entered debate halls and dinner discussions. With acts of ignorance filling our screens and feeds, the first question asked is where does this start? This issue left The Patriot Post on a quest to answer the classic “chicken or egg” question as we pondered if misinformation or ignorance came first. We decided to tackle ignorance, as it covers the absence of information as well. In our coverage, we found the war on knowledge that ignorance places on our society as one of the most threatening villains of today. Ignorance does not just claim lives but also the one thing that brings us through tragedy: hope. So, in moving forward (because we always move forward) we ask you to each seek ways to tackle your own ignorance and never lose hope.

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The Patriot Post is an award-winning, student-produced hybrid publication that informs students about events, influences readers through editorials and entertains through features and reviews, all achieved through responsible reporting held to high journalistic standards. We strive to create content that adheres to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Any queries about our content can be directed to patriotpost@ahschool.com or to a staff member in room 25310. With new posts on our online newspaper almost every day, the content doesn’t stop at the last page of this magazine. Visit ipatriotpost.com for more information and subscribe for email notifications.

2 Welcome

Online Editor-in-Chief | | Kayla Rubenstein, 12

Features Editor | | Ellaheh Gohari, 9

Entertainment Editor | | Emily Anderson, 12 Social Media and Business Manager | | Kayla Rubenstein, 12

Adviser | | Diana Adams

The Patriot Post is featured as an online pdf on Issuu for free. American Heritage has 1,900 students and 141 faculty members.

American Heritage School 12200 W. Broward Blvd. Plantation, FL 33325 954-472-0022 ext. 3300 patriotpost@ahschool.com ipatriotpost.com

Do you have a response to a column or article that was published in the news magazine? We accept and encourage letters to the editor by students, faculty or parents in response to any opinion pieces. Physically hand the response in to room 25310 or email it to patriotpost@ahschool.com.

Editorial Policy

The Patriot Post limits opinion to opinion articles, columns and editorials. All editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff. Opinions detailed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of administration, faculty or the student body. At our own discretion, we will publish letters to the editor either in print or online at ipatriotpost.com. We reserve the right to edit these letters for grammar and layout restrictions and will not publish any content we deem libelous to any students, faculty or members of the community. (Design/Bella Ramirez) Issue 3

Table of Contents Page 4

Opinion

How to handle criticisms of cultural appropriation Why affirmative action is necessary Acknowledging America’s flaws isn’t unpatriotic Changing high school curriculum Why the “American Dream” is a lie

Page 8

News

Good news brief Literary fair Biden’s COVID-19 plan Roshni Mishra: Regeneron Science Talent Search

Page 11

Features

Debunking vaccine myths When they were us: Dr. Pedrone Everyone has a story: Allan Zhang Black History Month

Page 14

Cover Story

Fifty states of ignorance

Page 20

Entertainment

“The Adventures of Mister Perfect and Friends” Spotlight: Annabelle Shen Open mic night Songwriters of quarantine

Page 23

Sports

Spring baseball Wrestling review Winter sports recap

Interested in more? Check out our content at ipatriotpost.com MULTITUDE OF (SOCIAL) MEDIA With information streamlined and difficulty differentiating between fake and real news, America’s youth are faced with a choice to grow ignorant, misinformed or informed. According to Project Information Literacy, 89% of college-aged students get their news from social media. These platforms can serve as an echochamber for opinion and lead to polarization rather than pursuit of facts. (Photo/Bella Ramirez) Issue 3 (Design/Bella Ramirez)

Table of Contents 3

Opinion

How to handle criticisms of cultural appropriation

ultural appropriation is defined as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” Specific instances of cultural appropriation remain up to interpretation of the individual. However, regardless of the number of people bothered by a potential act of cultural appropriation, it should be seen as an opportunity for education instead of the initial blind frustration that comes with such an offense. According to GreenHeart, an activism organization focused on the promotion of cross-cultural education, “Appreciation is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. Appropriation on the other hand, is simply taking one

aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest.” Understanding this distinction allows for the respectful expansion and possible restoration of a culture that promotes collaboration instead of perpetuating harmful stereotypes out of ignorance.

Cultural Appropriation noun The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society. The token 280-character Twitter apology has become too common in the cases of celebrities committing culturallyinsensitive acts succeeding in salvaging their careers instead of genuinely apologizing. This lack of true education belittles minorities continuously hurt by

the fetishization of their culture. However, the role of educators can overcome damage done by the normalization of cultural appropriation on social media. “Part of the issue with cultural appropriation is the lack of understanding around the importance that an image or concept can carry within a specific culture,” wrote the The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in an article on cultural appropriation in the classroom. “While educators can impart knowledge in many areas, there is no replacement for someone’s lived experience. Having those voices be an integral part of the conversation provides valuable learning opportunities for students.” Forgiveness should not be expected and cannot be forced after an instance of cultural appropriation, but the most sincere apology lies in education and clear growth from past mistakes.

CULTURE, NOT A COSTUME: Initiated by Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS), an organization of Ohio University students, in 2011, the posters above contributed to an educational campaign centered on condemning culturally-insensitive Halloween costumes after several incidents of such on campus. The Ohio University students used media to promote more thoughtfulness about the connections between stereotypes and identity when confronting acts of cultural appropriation. (Photo/Ohio University)

4 Editorial

(Design/Kayla Giset) Issue 3

Affirmative Action is necessary Affirmative action equalizes POC and white people in college admissions Nithisha Makesh | Staff Writer pl246981@ahschool.com

ffirmative action (AA) refers to the policy that takes into account factors such as an individual’s race and religion when determining admission to colleges. This policy gives an extra push to previously discriminated or disadvantaged students. Specifically to college admissions, this means that minorities or students from underrepresented groups might possibly be admitted into colleges whether they have strong grades and test scores or not. “The admissions process isn’t just an academic meritocracy, and having perfect grades isn’t going to guarantee acceptance. White-Americans are guaranteed an advantage based on the color of their skin,” sophomore Noelle Crichton said. It’s possible that the AA policy reverses the efforts to make all races equal, as it allows individuals from underrepresented

groups to gain an advantage over white Americans. However, there remains a certain amount of white privilege that

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Diversity is a choice we make as a society and the reason AA exists is because of deep rooted systemic problems. -Noelle Crichton, 10

diversity and allows students to learn in a diverse environment. Schools and students can benefit from having more people of color admitted. This allows for students to interact more with other races and schools to take steps towards equality by admitting diverse students (Center for American Progress). “Black people have had literal laws (Jim Crow) to put them and every minority that has had their community oppressed at an educational disadvantage. AA is important since it [gives] these people who have had educational disadvantages a better chance at being at least close to the level that white people are and have always been in terms of education,” sophomore Amari Porter said.

impacts admissions into college as well, according to blogs.brown.edu. Besides the fact that AA assists people of color, AA also promotes

Affirmative Action in the United States in 1999

AFFIRMED: Florida, along with eight other states, banned AA in admissions at public universities and state positions in 1999. (Photo/The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal) (Graphic/Nithisha Makesh) Issue 3 (Design/Kayla Giset)

Opinion 5

Bringing life skills into the classroom

Emma Remudo| Staff Writer pl209912@ahschool.com hen you think of a typical high school schedule, a few classes may come to mind: math, science, English, history. Although not a part of these traditional courses, life skill classes play a vital role in preparing students for life beyond high school. Life skills classes are designed to prepare students for everyday life and provide them with skills like problem solving, cooking, filing taxes and other adult duties. A high school senior may enter the world believing he or she has a love of numbers, but may not have a solid foundation for finance or investment. While the core principles in math are vital for fulfilling a career in these areas, these skill sets are useless if students are unaware of how to properly apply them. A=ccording to a study conducted by the Fiji National University, “life skills training enhances critical thinking abilities, which further impacts living life actively, being responsible in the job and in future planning.” Beyond a career in finance, everyone will be forced to file taxes, read bank statements or create a savings plan at one point in their life. If a student comes from a family where

savings weren’t well-managed or where bad credit accumulated, the students might adopt these practices, unable to eventually create their own stable finances. Particularly in these cases, it should be up to the school to create a curriculum where all students have equal education to money management classes. A 2012 study reported that only 17% of teenagers felt confident in their ability to manage his or her money, yet 80% of high school teenagers reported an interest in learning more on financial matters. The mismatch in supply and demand of these classes keeps students from learning life skills that help “21st- century youngsters to achieve their goals, by strengthening their abilities to meet the needs and demands of the present society,” according to the same Fiji National University study. Whether joining the school newspaper or the robotics team, as students progress in their high school education, many of them begin to focus on areas they may want to pursue as a career. While it’s important to encourage these long term goals, the necessary life skills needed in order to be successful in them should not be ignored.

LEARNING LIFE SKILLS: This shows one of the life skills classes currently offerered at school through the pre-law track. Other skills taught in these classes could include communication skills, cooking, cleaning and time management. (Photo submitted/Serena Saul)

Growing from criticism isn’t unpatriotic

Kayla Rubenstein | Online Editor-In-Chief pl226461@ahschool.com istorically, America was built upon dissent. When colonists lost their voice, they revolted to make change. The patriots fought for their country, and through criticizing the system in place, the colonists were able to create the United States we know today. In modern times, however, a survey conducted by The Hill shows that 47% of Americans believe that criticizing America is unpatriotic. Yet, from a scientific standpoint, growth comes from addressing weaknesses. Charles Darwin introduced the concept of survival of the fittest. Under this theory, those with the strongest genes are the most apt not just to survive, but thrive. In the plant and animal kingdoms, the organisms that don’t adapt, die off; for countries, a similar process occurs.

6 Opinion

“Patriotism” loosely refers to devotion and support for one’s country. As such, a patriot would want what’s best for his country. What’s best for a country entails development. For example, America grew from a nation of farmers to a manufacturing leader, and subsequently experienced an economic boom, by adapting alongside technology during the Industrial Revolution. The most effective way to facilitate growth lies with addressing the faults within a country. There’s a difference between bashing a nation and looking for places to improve. Imagine you’re writing a major paper, and your teacher offers the chance for peer review. To notice any flaws, you ask your friend to look it over. If this friend agrees with everything you wrote, you’re either the next Virginia Woolf or, more likely, being done a disservice that will reflect in your grade. Had your friend

mentioned the grammar mistake, you could have fixed it, and your grade would have been higher. Conversely, if the friend completely railed against your paper and made all negative comments, you likely would have tuned them out. The same goes with criticizing a country. If one is simply wailing about the issues with the country, or being completely blind to the errors evident in the country (and no country is perfect), nothing will be achieved. Without criticism, and therefore growth, America will remain stagnant. As former president Theodore Roosevelt said, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

(Design/Jack Shechtman) Issue 3

The American dream, not the American reality Why the American Dream is unattainable

Ellaheh Gohari | Feature Editor pl236951@ahschool.com he American Dream is an idea loan debt, it is nearly impossible to work that has followed Americans a full-time minimum wage job and still since the country’s inception. live comfortably. Following Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration If one is unable to spare any money to put of Independence stating that “all men into savings, the American Dream becomes are created equal, that they are endowed less of a goal and more of a fantasy. More by their creator with certain unalienable than half of minimum wage workers have rights, that among these are life, liberty and two or more jobs, showing that they put in the pursuit of happiness,” the American the work, yet they are not accomplishing Dream has been cemented in our culture the American Dream because they simply ,according to journalist and author David don’t have enough money left to “better Kamp. After all, if everyone is equal, and their lives” after paying for all their other we all have the right to happiness, can’t expenses. Roughly 10% of workers making everyone, no matter their background, more than $100,000 a year live paycheck achieve greatness if only they put in to paycheck, suggesting that what was the effort? once considered a moderate or even large The quintessential American amount of money per year is no longer Dream states that hard work, not luck enough in a 21st century economy. or opportunity, is the key to success. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of the American Dream, one might discover that, in actuality, it is all a lie. In the past 25 years, inequality between rich and poor has grown. The middle class is shrinking at an alarming rate, meaning that the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer. According to Forbes, According to the Census Bureau of 2018. nearly 78% of American workers are At the same time, families in the top 1% living paycheck to paycheck. With rising housing prices, medical bills and student are making an average of more than $1.3

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Approximately 38.1 million Americans lived below the poverty line, less than $22,000 annually per family.

million annually, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute. With such a large divide, one that is only getting bigger with every passing year, the poor are practically trapped in the same economic class they were born into, no matter what they do. A study by the Harvard Business School found that the inequality between rich and poor in the U.S. is not sustainable for the economy, and the pandemic has only served to make the divide even worse. Even as debt continues to pile up for the lower and middle classes, the top 1% continue to make more money and leave the rest of the country behind. The American Dream is dead, with the majority of Americans more worried about paying their bills on time or supporting their families rather than striving for economic upward mobility that statistically will not be achieved. It’s time to stop putting our heads in the sand and believing in something that does not exist. Instead, the American economy must start becoming more accommodating of the growing lower class with financial support and increased minimum wage. Only then will the new American Dream be achieved.

(Graph/Wiki Commons ) Issue 3 (Design/Jack Shechtman)

Opinion 7

Good news brief

News

Eva Pierre-Antoine | Assistant Online Editor pl242581@ahschool.com

“Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical”

Rise in Voter Turnout

ue to the pandemic’s effect on theater, musical fans came together to create a new musical entirely on TikTok. A musical interpretation of Disney Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” the show that initially started as a joke, became a wildly collaborative event. Different people contributed different aspects of production, from songs to set designs. It culminated with a performance on Jan. 1, featuring “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star Tituss Burgess as Remy the Rat. According to todaytix, this musical succeeded in raising over $1.5 million for struggling actors.

Strides in Representation

cross the parties, over 159 million Americans, according to CNBC, voted in the 2020 presidential election. Counting over 100 million ballots alone during the early voting period, 2020 had the highest turnout rate, in terms of percentages, since the year 1900. This is a big jump from the 136.6 million votes cast in 2016 and is especially significant, as the U.S. currently ranks 30 out of the 35 most developed nations, according to Pew Research, for voter turnout.

ew forms of representation in the government: Senator Kamala Harris as the first woman, Black and Indian-American, to be vice president; Marilyn Strickland, Michelle Steel and Young Kim are the first KoreanAmerican women elected to the House of Representatives; Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones are the first openly gay Black men in the House of Representatives; Cynthia Lummis is the first woman to serve in the Senate from Wyoming; and Jon Ossoff is the first Jewish man and Raphael Warnock is the first Black man to be Georgia Senators.

Digitizing the Literary Fair

(Graphics/Zoe Persaud)

Emily Anderson | Entertainment Editor pl238251@ahschool.com

OVID-19 has instigated many changes on campus. From social distancing to altered club plans, both faculty and students have had to adapt to some change. For the literary magazine staff, they understand the idea of adapting to change. As opposed to previous years, the staff had to work completely online, leading them to change their previous routines to ones that adapt to the pandemic. “The staff has adapted to COVID by mainly working entirely through Google applications,” Editor-in-Chief senior Jewel Kyaw said. Obviously, with change comes uncertainty. Due to the pandemic and safety precautions, club presidents and sponsors have to get creative, usually through virtual platforms. Because of COVID-19, administration prevented the occurrence of a live literary fair. In its

8 News

place, the staff will be creating a website to display students’ work. “We plan on putting all of the winners’ works on a website for them to view their writing,” Kyaw said. “The website will feature an author’s interview/bio along

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We are discussing the structure of the magazine and the possibility of it being a website rather than a physical magazine, Jewel Kyaw, 12

“I’m so excited to see the finished project,” Assistant Editor-in-Chief sophomore Nithisha Makesh said. “This is the first time we’re making a website instead of having a physical Literary Fair in the library, so I anticipate a lot of creativity.” Although the pandemic has affected the usual way the literary magazine staff designs their work, they continue to persevere. “The staff has come together quickly and adjusted to our new reality. Creating the literary fair and magazine when you can’t meet in person has been much, much harder, but this staff has met the challenge,” literary magazine adviser Ms. Diana Adams said.

with a video of them reading their work out loud.” Despite the changes due to the pandemic, the staff still remains excited to see their final product. (Design/Zoe Persaud) Issue 3

A COVID Call-to-Action Ellaheh Gohari | Features Editor pl236951@ahschool.com

ith President Joe Biden taking office in the middle of a pandemic, getting the coronavirus under control was one of the first items on his agenda. Inheriting a nonexistent vaccine distribution plan from the previous administration according to CNN, Biden started off his term formulating a new plan from scratch. His ultimate goal is to get cases down and vaccines in Americans’ arms, but it is not going to happen immediately. “We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it is going to take months to get it turned around,” Biden said, as he signed executive orders targeting coronavirus response. Promising to “listen to science” and “promote trust, transparency, common purpose and accountability in [the] government” according to a White House press release, the BidenHarris administration developed a 200 page downloadable national strategy, which can be found on the official White House website. The strategy is divided into seven key points: restoring trust with the American people, beginning a safe and effective vaccine campaign, stopping the spread of coronavirus through more mask-wearing,

testing and treatment, expanding the emergency relief fund, safely reopening schools and businesses, protecting the most vulnerable by improving racial equity and restoring American leadership. Biden has taken steps to accomplish these seven goals with a slew of executive orders, making his first week in office

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Issue 3 (Design/Zoe Persaud)

New COVID cases are falling nationally, but vaccines and herd immunity—when enough people are vaccinated that the virus can no longer spread from person to person anymore as there is no viable host—is the only surefire way to stop the spread completely.

historic for the number issued, 22. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that means

70% of the U.S. population needs to get vaccinated, so achieving herd immunity is an uphill battle. As the coronavirus continues to spread, Biden and his newly appointed pandemic advisers have begun holding weekly briefings. In one such briefing, they projected as many as 514,000 people could die from the virus by February. Even with these numbers, the future is not all grim. Biden plans to get 100 million vaccine doses administered within 100 days, something that was originally considered impossible by experts, but is now on track to being achieved. The president also announced that he bought 200 million extra doses, allowing more Americans to receive the potentially life-saving shot. With enough time, Biden promises his plan will lessen cases and eventually neutralize the threat of coronavirus once and for all.

MOVING FORWARD: President Biden signs an executive order as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on. Shattering records for the most executive orders issued in the first week, 22 in all, Biden targeted vaccine distribution, racial equity, the environment and Donald Trump’s controversial policies. (Photo/Wall Street Journal)

News 9

Roshni Mishra: Science Scholar Regeneron Science Talent Search includes senior Roshni Mishra in top 300 scholars across the nation Emma Remudo| Staff Writer pl209912@ahschool.com

enior Roshni Mishra originally had no interest in entering to be a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar, but when AP Biology teacher Mrs. Leya Joykutty presented Mishra with the opportunity, she decided to compete. “Mrs. Joykutty always pushes us to put ourselves out there and apply to competitions,” Mishra said. “At first AMAZING APPLICATIONS I was not going to apply because of the Mishra completed the application selectivity and time consuming process, with the help of Mrs. Leya but Mrs. Joykutty convinced me to. I’m Joykutty. The application required grateful she did.” everything from Mishra’s paper After conducting her project from and procedure to letters of June through December in 2018, Mishra recomendation and supplements. wrote her paper “Expression of anti(Photo/Roshni Mishra) neurodegeneration genes in mutant caenorhabditis elegans using CRISPRCas9 improves behavior associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.” Mishra then took a week to complete the application and submit it to the 80th Regeneron Science Talent Search. Mishra was chosen as one of the top 300 scholars out of the 1,760 applicants who submitted a work. As a reward, Mishra won $2,000 and the school received $2,000 to fund their STEM programs. Looking towards the future, Mishra hopes to continue her work in science research on a greater scale.

ANALYZING ALZHEIMERS Mishra’s experiment used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to edit the DNA of C. elegans. Editing the DNA allowed Mishra to overexpress proteins that were hypothesized to increase brain regulation in alzheimer’s brains. (Photo/Roshni Mishra)

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For me, the next step is taking this honor as motivation to continue researching in college and to extend my research one day to real patients. Roshni Mishra, 12

10 News

(Design/Eva Pierre-Antoine) Issue 3

Debunking Vaccine Myths Ellaheh Gohari| Features Editor pl236951@ahschool.com

Features

n response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, scientists across the globe began developing a vaccine. Two teams emerged victorious, and Pfizer and Moderna vaccines began distributing across America late last year, with other vaccines waiting to be approved. However, the speedy development of these vaccines, coupled with pre-existing conspiracy theories about vaccination, caused many people to distrust them. According to the L.A. Times, one in five frontline workers in a local hospital refused the vaccine, a skepticism that holds true in hospitals across the country. With the healthcare workers themselves wary about the COVID-19 vaccine, it is no wonder that conspiracy theories run rampant on social media, spreading misinformation and lies that have sparked distrust in the healthcare system. Here are three common myths about vaccination that you may see on the internet and the proof to debunk them.

Myth #1 Because the vaccine was created so quickly, it doesn’t work

hile the coronavirus vaccine was developed in less than a year, that does not mean it is less effective. “The speed was related completely to the breathtaking scientific advances that [have] been made over the last 10 or more years, where you can get the genetic sequence of the virus, then take that sequence and insert the appropriate gene into these very new and unbelievably efficient vaccine platforms,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor for the Biden administration, said in a video. Already having experience with coronaviruses in the past, scientists were able to take that knowledge and use it to develop a vaccine that was effective against the specific COVID-19 strain. Before a vaccine is allowed to circulate, it must complete vaccine trials, which is exactly what occurred. After the vaccines were shown to be helpful in trials, it was allowed to be distributed. Thus, speed does not play a role in the vaccine’s effectiveness, since it passed the necessary trials regardless of how fast it was developed.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI The hospital’s vaccination site is held in an outdoor tent. After prioritizing their frontline worker employees, the hospital is now vaccinating The vaccine has severe side effects that outweigh the benefits people over 65 who have more than two comorbidities, such as diabetes, cancer, accines, as with any medical operation, have the potential to trigger serious side heart conditions, obesity or kidney disease. effects or even death. However, as of January, there are no reported deaths directly (Photo/Shirin Shafazand) related to COVID-19 vaccination. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the most common side effects are slight pain or swelling on the vaccinated arm, as well as headache and tiredness. These mild side effects most often occur after the second dose and dissipate within a few days. The CDC also reported that less than 1% of the thus far 4 million people who received Moderna’s vaccine developed any adverse, or severe, side effects, with those who did already having a history of anaphylaxis. Because none of the vaccines approved in the USA contain a live virus, it is impossible to develop COVID-19 from the vaccine. Since an adverse reaction is rare and nobody has died from the vaccine, the risks are minimal.

Myth #2

Myth #3 Since everyone else is getting the vaccine, I don’t have to

I (Design/Eva Pierre-Antoine) Issue 3

n order to stop the spread of coronavirus once and for all, herd immunity is required. Herd immunity is when enough people in a population are vaccinated that it does not spread from person to person anymore since there is no viable host. According to the CDC, 70% of the U.S. population, or more than 200 million people, must get the vaccine to achieve herd immunity. At present time, there have not been any trials done for minors, so scientists do not know how our immune systems will react to the vaccine. However, trials are starting for minors ages 12-18, meaning that soon we will likely have the answer. If we want to leave COVID-19 for the history books, everyone who can get vaccinated should.

Features 11

Dr.

When they were us:

Jonathan Pedrone Nithisha Makesh | Staff Writer pl246981@ahschool.com

really excel at anything. Academically, I didn’t really get serious until I went to college, and there I really put forth effort P American Government teacher and did fairly well,” he said. Dr. Jonathan Pedrone grew Although Dr. Pedrone claims he wasn’t up in rural Chambersburg, serious about school until college, history Pennsylvania Since it was a small town, was always his best subject. In college, he grew up with the same people from he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in his kindergarten class. After his family Biblical Studies at Trinity International made the move to Florida when he was University and later went to Liberty a junior in high school, he graduated Theological Seminary to gain a Master’s from Dade Christian High School. Degree in Arts in Religion and Divinity. During high school, Dr. Pedrone “My greatest motivators are probably participated in numerous extracurricular my parents. They have always encouraged activities, such as soccer, tennis and me and challenged me to be the best I drama club. can be. Even as an adult, “I really loved I still work hard to make playing tennis them proud, and their because of the support has really made a individual aspect huge difference in my life,” of the game. All the he said. pressure was on me,” After college, he worked he said. at a church as a Youth Dr. Jonathan Pedrone Since he felt Pastor for around 10 years comfortable in while also teaching courses front of crowds, Dr. Pedrone also joined on the side. While he had aspirations to the drama club, where he performed in work in a church, he also had an interest in several productions. He claims teaching education. In 2009, he went into teaching gives him the same excitement he felt when full time and attended graduate school to performing because he is in front of a crowd. earn a Doctorate Degree in Education at While competing against Heritage’s Liberty University. soccer team in high school, the campus Today he works as an adjunct professor, impressed him. teaching Humanities and Religion at “I remember coming to campus and Davis College, Broward College and Palm being impressed. The field (at that time it Beach Atlantic University. He continues was grass), and it was much nicer than our to participate in sports like he used to in home field. So Heritage was always a school high school by running the A1A Halfthat I was aware of and always thought highly Marathon annually with his wife. This of. I applied to Heritage in 2012,” he said. February will be his ninth half-marathon. “I was a very average student, and I didn’t

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I remember coming to campus and being impressed by the campus

12 Features

GOING FOR GRAD: After graduating from Dade Christian School, Dr. Pedrone aimed to work at a church, but he also realized he wanted to teach, which was why he attended graduate school. (Photo submitted/Dr. Jonathan Pedrone)

(Design/Emma Remudo) Issue 3

Everyone Has a Story: Allan Zhang SMILES AND SHIELDS: Junior Allan Zhang pairs his disposable mask with a face shield in the pavilion behind the 4500 building. He describes himself as outgoing and recently tried to change his mentality on work. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

Bella Ramirez | Editor-in-Chief pl237961@ahschool.com

or this issue’s EHAS, I decided to randomly select a student in person. One click on the random number generator and “2” became the magic number. So, I walked to the second table under the second pavilion by the tennis courts and asked junior Allan Zhang if he would be comfortable with an interview for The Patriot Post. Zhang made room at his lunch table so I’d have a place to sit for the interview and laughed about how he felt he was recognizable to the student body since he was the only student on campus who wears a face shield. Besides standing out in fashion this year, Zhang found himself shifting his perspective on responsibility after dealing with a difficult course load. “AP Physics, holy cow, I can’t describe how hard it was for me,” Zhang said. “But then, as I kept pushing on the way, it suddenly clicked in my mind. Now, I’m on the way to improving.”

Issue 3 (Design/Emma Remudo)

University of Colorado Boulder found that the transition to online or concurrent learning significantly decreased student motivation to work in college. As a precollege school, Heritage students like Zhang were not immune to the drop in motivation. “I found out that my lack of willingness, my ineptitude of doing things, has caused me a lot of stress lately,” Zhang said. To combat his shrinking motivation, he reminds himself of the benefits of completing work and tries to use those to compare their importance against distractions. Regarding his views on moving fighting against fatigue, Zhang admits he didn’t always share his current perspective on life. “If I did, I never realized it until now,” he said. Besides academics, Zhang finds himself in the band room playing saxophone as a music scholarship student. He hopes to pursue engineering in the future and possibly minor in music.

“When I was younger, I used to take things apart all the time and figure out how they worked,” Zhang said. As a music scholarship student, Zhang hasn’t had room in his schedule to complete the pre-engineering track. This is actually his first year taking an engineering course. “I just wish it wasn’t during COVID,” Zhang said. “I would’ve gotten more handson experience--the real experience.” Although Zhang is disappointed with the diminished energy in his band class from concurrent learning and the minimal hands-on projects in engineering this year, he remains optimistic for the future. “I really hope I get to see things go back to normal in my senior year,” Zhang said.

SEMI TRANSPARENT ORGANIC SHAPE/ OTHER PHOTO IF THERE IS ONE

Features 13

Cover Story

Fifty Shades of Ignorance

In the age of (mis)information, our generation and those who follow must face the impacts of ignorance and where it originates Nithisha Makesh | Staff Writer pl246981@ahschool.com

Bella Ramirez | Editor-in-Chief pl237961@ahschool.com

Kayla Rubenstein | Online Editor-in-Chief pl226461@ahschool.com

t the start of the 20th century, we shifted into the Information Age. This period marked the start of computerization and quick spread of information. As the cliche goes, with great power comes great responsibility; our new ease of spreading messages online brought a newfound battle of misinformation and ignoring facts in general. Now, America and the world face the danger of falling for the bliss of ignorance and inaction.

Anti-vaxxers and science Even before the pandemic, questions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines arose. Primarily, those against vaccines, known as anti-vaxxers, feared vaccines led to autism, despite multiple studies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proving otherwise. Now, in the middle of the pandemic, a new, widespread vaccine has entered the global spotlight. Developed in less than one year, the COVID vaccine has understandably sparked concern. One positive to this widespread CONTROVERSY The apprehension behind the Corona Virus vaccines, which keeps people from taking them, could harm oth- event includes the availability of reputable resources beyond the ers. Those who refuse to take vaccines could catch that disease, CDC providing insight. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the #2 researchmaking them a threat to those who have not been exposed to oriented medical school in the country, breaks down the virus in that illness. (Photo/Bella Ramirez) their online article “COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know.” Organized in a question-and-answer format, the article highlights the popular concerns and misconceptions about the pandemic, including links to learn more about specific aspects. In general, the scientific facts surrounding COVID have become political weapons. The tool that has been proven in New Zealand to allow us to return to normal, masks, has become a statement. Despite the political ping-ponging the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) experienced, the organizations provide current statistics and safety measures to follow. “Science doesn’t give you a viewpoint; it gives you the facts,” AP Environmental Science teacher Mr. Osmel Rodriguez said. “What you often hear on TV or in the radio, from your friends, family and the media is an opinion, which doesn’t have to be backed by real facts.” To learn straight from the scientific source, Mr. Rodriguez explains that scientific journals like Popular Science and Science Magazine are the most reliable sources. However, students can utilize school databases and change the lexile score to make IGNORANCE AS A VIRTUE “Americans have reached a point where the content more readable. Beyond these, the CDC and WHO ignorance, especially of anything related to public policy, is an actual vir- remain reliable sources of information to learn about COVID-19. tue. To reject the advice of experts is to assert autonomy, a way for Americans to insulate their increasingly fragile egos from ever being told they’re wrong about anything,” Tom Nichols, author of the book “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters,” said. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

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Education distorting perspectives Schools have always served as a place of learning and transmitting ideas. However, within the walls of what should be a safe space has become a selective environment that favors certain ways of thinking over others in a manner that may harm others. Think about the great American writers you likely covered in English classes. Odds are the majority of them were white men, such as Ernest Hemingway and Nathaniel Hawthorne. While these works have their own merit, there’s so much more to literature, and beyond, than the canon. Tackling this problem begins at roots much deeper than the curriculum; rather, it comes with reanalyzing what society as a whole views as “normal.” In the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s magazine Ed., Senior Lecturer Pamela Mason explains how mainstream texts represent the “depth and breadth of our national common experience.” However, the idea of “common” has since evolved from middle class, white, cisgender people to a more diverse population. Rather than over-emphasizing Shakespeare or Mark Twain, curriculum can incorporate texts like Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achilles,” a queer look at “The Illiad” and Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing,” depicting the impact of slavery beyond a solely American perspective. By focusing primarily on work that highlights a white, straight, male narrative, a whole host of perspectives gets diluted and contribute to an environment that leaves little breathing room for diversity. “It’s really important that students are able to see themselves in literature,” AP English Literature and Composition teacher Mrs. Ashley Hendricks said. “By diversifying the canon, you make it possible to hear the voices that have often been silenced by history.”

QANON An extreme right wing organization of people who believe that “Satan-worshipping pedophiles,” or Democrats, such as politicians and journalists, purposefully aim to bring down former president Donald Trump. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

CHOICES If people are presented with only two options of fake news and ignorance, then they should create a third which allows them to fight ignorance while consuming news from trusted sources. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

Misinformation crisis Late 2020, The New York Times named misinformation a “crisis” and compared it to a disease of the web and mind. With social media AI catered to our personal taste, it’s easy to fall into an echo chamber of information. An echo chamber reinforces a person’s own opinions and rejuvenates confirmation bias. This creates a back-and-forth of trapped rhetoric that only further polarizes our community. As we are fed misinformation in this echo chamber, even the factual pieces we consume give us a slanted perspective on the world: a lie of omission of sorts. The absence of balanced information creates an unwitting ignorance. Although you may work fully submerged in platforms of information that proudly disseminate media, without getting both sides, you aren’t truly informed. To combat the distribution of misinformation, Mrs. Pamela Holifield, Director of Educational Technology, shares resources with teachers for identifying the difference between information. “The challenge, I think, is social media, because it’s easy for something to look like a source that’s not a source,” High School Principal Mrs. Elise Blum said. “You have to be actively engaged in your consumption of information.”

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EMOTIONS The effect of America’s collective ignorance can cause a feeling of neglect towards groups targeted by it, such as America’s youths who might remain limited by their lack of analysis skills. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

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Despite the resources provided for students and faculty alike, for resources to be effective, readers must engage critically with content. Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at Harvard Kennedy School Thomas E. Patterson stated in The Journalist’s Resource that some journalists may feel encouraged to spread false claims in order to appeal to an audience, thus, proving that in some situations, even America’s news outlets cannot be trusted, regardless of their title of “guardians of the truth.” According to Real Simple, to assess the validity of the information from an online news source, people can look into the about page on the site, as well as verify the writer of the article, so that others do not get confused by satirical websites such as The Onion. Many sources have taken it upon themselves to fact-check health myths, political claims and rumors from social media, through dedicated fact-checkers. PunditFact MediaWise Teen-Fact Checking Network PolitiFact TAKE A STAND People can rely on themselves to research about the world. It’s in their hands to decide where they gain their information, from what source and how they use that information. Staying educated is important today. (Photo/ Bella Ramirez)

Racism exists even if it is done unconsciously Although explicit acts of racism are easily identifiable with the prevalence of the Proud Boys and KKK in the media, implicit bias can make non-malicious individuals commit microaggressions. Microaggressions are everyday phrases or acts that work to insult or further marginalize minority groups. These can even take place in the classroom; for example if: peers refuse to learn or continue to mispronounce a specific name; peers turn to students of a specific ethnicity or group, assuming they can represent their entire community; peers assume the gender of students; or teachers have students engage with required reading where the protagonists are always white. Glassdoor found that in 2019, 61% of U.S. employees experienced workplace discrimination. Some of this came from seemingly minor phrases disguised as compliments. A common microaggression is commenting on how a person talks. Even relaying how a person is “articulate” can be seen as a microaggression, as there is an underlying tone and expectation that the person speaking would not be articulate. Asking where a person “actually” is from can be viewed as a microaggression as well. Rather than being a kind way to get to know more about a person, it actually draws a toxic line between American identity and looks. “The wrong here is that the question presupposes that being a person of color is inconsistent with being American,” Dr. Ashley Lauren Pennington said to Business Insider.

CONTINUE TO LEARN The students of America should actively research current issues and topics important to modern-day society in order to stay informed. Per The Atlantic, even if their schools do not offer many resources, students should research independently in order to develop skills that would benefit them in the future. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

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Another microaggression is commenting on a person’s natural hair. For years, anti-black hair has created headlines: “Google Search Calls Natural Hair Unprofessional” and “The U.S. Supreme Court Decided to Ignore Black Hair” are just the tip of the iceberg. Discussing looks and presentation of minority groups can be taken as belittling, even if the comments are compliments. To work against this, evaluating internalized implicit bias through tests such as Harvard’s implicit bias test (implicit.harvard. edu/implicit/takeatest.html) can lead to the start of awareness. Identifying the problem is step one to making a difference.

Opening our eyes These examples are only the surface of the impact invisible ignorance in our community has. When students are sometimes taught to change their hair, style or even the way they talk in order to cater to society’s ideas of “professional,” there’s innate proof of ignorance. Being aware of the issue is just step one to change. “In order to change one’s perspective, you have to be open to learning,” Black Student Union senior Tai Precilla said. “For people not a part of a minority group, they have to be willing to learn about what we face.” So, look at everything with a fine tooth comb. Everyone has a certain level of ignorance. Rather than turning away from uncomfortable topics, to go forward we must continue to question our sources, learn from mistakes and think critically.

DEFEAT IGNORANCE People can educate themselves on problems relating to race in order to overcome their lack of information on the subject. By reading books about racism, supporting groups who advocate for racial justice and listening to the problems others face, Americans have the ability to change the future, per Univeristy of Central Florida. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

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BLACK to the Future

100 years of Black entertainment history at a glance Emily Anderson | Entertainment Editor pl238251@ahschool.com

ith February upon us, we take this time to celebrate Black History Month. From the musicians to actors, we honor the people who paved the way for change. This month, we are reminded that we not only celebrate Black lives during February, but also every other month of the year. We recognize those who fought for representation they so desperately needed and continue to fight for change.

Hattie McDaniel won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Gone With the Wind,” making her the first African American to win an Oscar. In 1940, McDaniel, one of the biggest Black movie stars at the time, approached the producer of the movie with a stack of critic reviews of her character. In response to reading the positive reviews of her character, her producer submitted her nomination for the best supporting actress category.

The 1960’s encompassed a lot of monumental moments for Black entertainment history.In 1968, Diahann Carroll won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series for her sitcom “Julia.” Carroll became the first Black actress to star in her own TV series that didn’t portray her as a domestic worker. That same year, Gordon Parks became the first Black film director to make a Hollywood film.

1950s

1930s 1940s 1920s Lasting roughly from the In 1931, at the age of 21, 1910’s through the mid 1930’s, The Harlem Renaissance was known to have been the golden age of Black culture. The time period encompassed writing, art, music and dance. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Harlem Renaissance united diverse forms of art because it showed a “realistic presentation of what it meant to be Black in America.” Some major contributors to the Harlem Renaissance included W.E.B. Dubois, Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston and Louis Armstrong.

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ballerina Katherine Dunham and dance critic Mark Turbyfill opened one of the first Black ballet companies in the United States, “Ballet Negré.” The group performed Dunham’s own “Negro Rhapsody” at the Chicago Beaux Arts Ball. However, not long after their first show, the group disbanded. Two years later, Dunham opened her first dance school to encourage and teach young Black dancers about their African heritage.

1960s

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Rock ‘n’ roll was influenced by the Southern Black music genre called the blues, originating from Black soulful roots. Prominent African American musicians like Chuck Berry, Ike Turner and Little Richard not only developed the iconic rock ‘n’ roll sound, but also had a great impact on the progression of the sound of the music as a whole. For example, Chuck Berry helped define a place for Black Americans within society at the time.

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2010-Present During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, disco, a style of dance music known for its fast tempo, became popular. The origin of disco began in New York and spread to other major cities. Despite its popularity, the genre was not played on the radio until the mid 1970’s. Due to this, DJs played a crucial role in the popularization of disco. Popular Black disco artists during the time included Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and Diana Ross.

1970s

1980s Rap music

Through the introduction of social media and streaming platforms, audiences have been introduced to Black stories in more ways than one. From music albums to bingeworthy Netflix series, many industries have been pushing to expand their representation of individuals and promote diversity. Streaming platforms have played a key role in this because they tend to be more diverse than cable production companies. The introduction of dedicated watchlists have also aided in promoting diversity. For example, YouTube and Netflix have “Representation Matters’’ and “Celebrating Black Stories” collections. In fact, in an article written in Forbes Magazine, “among the top 300 most viewed programs in 2019, 92% have some presence of diversity.” Dedicated music streaming platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music have also grown in popularity. Much like television streaming platforms, music platforms promote diversity through browsing features and collections dedicated to underrepresented groups. For example, Apple Music includes playlists dedicated to Black History and Black LGBTQ+ artists.

and hip-hop originated in New York during the late 1970’s. However, the popularization of the genre did not occur until the 1980’s. The first hit rap song was “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979. While the song was successful, the rap genre did not consistently top the charts until Run D.M.C. released its debut album in 1983. The inspiration of a lot of rap and hip hop songs revolved around the Black experience within America. Rap continued to be a major part of Black culture and entertainment culture throughout the 1990’s to currently.

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1990s

During the 1990’s, the interest in Black sitcoms began to surge as more and more networks decided to air certain shows. For example, newer Networks like The WB and Fox wanted to grow their audience, leading them to push for more diverse shows to air. As more mainstream networks began to air sitcoms geared towards their Black audiences, networks aimed towards children did the same. For example, Nickelodeon shows like “All That” and “Kenan and Kel” grew to be very popular, while also displaying more diversity within the network.

2000s Much

like Black representation through sitcoms, the popularization of Black cartoons began during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. While there was a large number of cartoons that featured Black characters since the 1970’s, African Americans were never really shown as leads until fairly recently. Unlike sitcoms, many cartoons were aimed towards child audiences, allowing children to not only see themselves within the characters on their screens, but also view stories that represented them as well. Some memorable Black cartoons included “The Proud Family,” “The Boondocks” and “Little Bill.”

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Entertainment

Student film debuts online “The Adventures of Mister Perfect” features an all-student cast and crew Kayla Rubenstein | Online Editor-in-Chief pl226461@ahschool.com

or some, scribblings in a notebook remain thoughts jotted down. But for senior Bella Ramirez, these blurbs became the script to the student-run film “The Adventures of Mister Perfect and Friends.” Ramirez first began playing around with the character concepts in eighth grade, but decided to table the idea after realizing the magnitude of time and resources it would take to bring thoughts to reality. “[The movie] just sort of took a back burner. And I was like, oh, I’m not prepared. However, when MSD happened, it changed a lot for me. Life is really short,” Ramirez said. By Winter Break 2018, Ramirez finished the first draft of the script and spent the next six months casting, recruiting and rewriting the script. Ramirez finalized everything by June 2019, filming two weeks from the end of July going into August. During the pandemic, the crew worked on marketing and getting the word out, preparing for the premiere Jan. 4, 2021.

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I just decided; let’s do it.

Throughout the process, Ramirez learned how to manage herself and others. “I have to say the hardest part was kind of like being my own boss, because it was all student-produced,” Ramirez said. “I had so many other responsibilities, and things like texting over 30 people to make sure they’re getting their assignments in was hard on top of schoolwork

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and other projects and responsibilities. Keeping them accountable and then keeping myself accountable to release this and getting everything done was definitely really difficult.” Despite the challenge, Ramirez considers the familial environment one of the best parts of the project. “There are so many best parts, but I have to say my favorite is [that we became] like a family,” Ramirez said. “Before quarantine happened, when all the editing was getting done, we had a little party, and we had an ice skating event and a whole week of fun activities. Even after, we still check up on each other.” Ramirez acts in many roles, including director, producer, co-writer with senior John Eastep, co-editor and marketing manager. She also helped fund the movie, asking for donations instead of traditional gifts for her sixteenth birthday. “The Adventures of Mister Perfect and Friends” is more than a student production; it’s also a charity film, with proceeds going to Project Alive. “When I started working on the actual movie, the first thing that I w a s

thinking about was a synthesis superhero movie. I feel like it’s important to make it meta in the sense that if you’re watching it, you’re a superhero,” Ramirez said. “I’ve watched a million superhero movies. And I’m always sitting after like, ‘how can I be the hero, too?’ It was an important thing to do, making an immersive experience with the audience, where they become heroes by watching the movie.” The film board, Ramirez, Eastep, senior Irene Newman and alumni Jeremiah Bang and Brandon Woods, unanimously decided on donating any profits to Project Alive.

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It feels so good [to have the movie out]. I was really scared to release it just because it was so many years in the making, with all of our hard work and time and everything.

To watch the movie, check out tampaf.com.

IDEA TO REALITY: Ramirez first began writing the script in eighth grade, drawing inspiration from the people around her for the characters. (Photo submitted/Bella Ramirez)

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FASOTM: Annabelle Shen Kayla Giset | Staff Writer pl237191@ahschool.com

ith a drive to create and her violin in-hand, sophomore Annabelle Shen uses music as an outlet to express her emotions and bring about light in times of darkness. “I started playing because my mother [took] my brother and me to violin classes. I started liking it more in sixth grade from solo and ensemble. I got a fine arts scholarship; that’s what is keeping me going these days.” Utilizing the many courses that Heritage has to offer, Shen finds that music helps her break up the stressful school day. Considering the rigorous honors classes that she takes every semester, instruments like the violin and piano are outlets that allow Annabelle to express herself.

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“I take some of the electives offered as well as some of the competitions or events within those classes, and I also did pit rehearsals for Oklahoma last year,” Shen said. “I would say getting into All-State Orchestra last year and this year would be the achievement I am most proud of.”

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I like that there are many electives that I can choose from. I take orchestra every year, but I took piano last year in addition to that and music theory this year.

With all the diverse arts classes that Heritage has to offer and the many instruments she knows how to play, Annabelle finds pleasure specifically with violin. She not only finds joy in performing for others, but also in the rush of competition, as it creates a sense of excitement that Shen cannot resist.

I like to practice even just for a bit on the weekends. It’s a good way to de-stress when I feel overwhelmed with studying. As well as an interest in biology, Annabelle has a love for helping the less fortunate through both the medical field and music; she believes that a musical note to the ear is just as influential as medicine to the human body. As the pandemic continues to loom over students across the country, mental health issues have been prevalent. This is why Shen uses her music practice time as a way to let loose and relax. To all the aspiring musicians out there, Annabelle feels that if one has a passion for anything at all, they shouldn’t stop at anything to achieve it. She believes hard work will always pay off. As Shen ventures into her final years of high school, she hopes to continue on her path with violin competitions, making memories and wonderful music along the way.

VIOLIN VIRTUOSO: Sophomore violinist Annabelle Shen kicks off the All-State Orchestra competition with a bang as she performs her first piece of the day. (Photo submitted/Annabelle Shen)

ALL STATE VICTORY: Shen (left) along with seven of her classmates compete in the Florida All-State. (Photo submitted/Annabelle Shen)

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An Open Mic night to remember Zoe Persaud| Assistant Editor pl238511@ahschool.com

dapting to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, National English Honor Society (NEHS) and Dead Poets Society (DPS) held their first Open Mic Night of the year. The event took place over Zoom Jan. 29 and allowed students to submit videos of poetry recitation, presentation of original works, musical performances and any other show of creative talent they chose to share. Besides the student exhibits, the clubs also provided opportunities to participate in The Shakespeare Monologue competition, involving dramatic renditions of monologues from the works of Shakespeare such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and Poetry Out Loud, involving recitation of notable poems to encourage public speaking and study of literature.

The rest of the night consisted of discussion of literary topics and exchange of project ideas and plans. Attendees shared books or poetry they enjoyed while others explained their current works in progress. “It was like a more intimate NEHS or DPS meeting. It was really enjoyable and not only fun if you enjoy just English or literature based stuff,” said DPS president senior Emily Anderson. “If anyone is interested in sharing their ideas on any topic or would like to merge their passions with literary art, DPS is always welcoming new members.”

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Songwriters of quarantine Bella Ramirez| Editor-in-Chief pl237961@ahschool.com

ith newfound time and space for artists in quarantine, some students used time to tap into their artistic side. Seniors Jacob Reese Thornton and Daniela Prieto specifically used their time for songwriting and music production. Thornton already had experience with professionally releasing music from a few singles in 2019 and his 2018 album “Different Times.” Over quarantine, he spent his time releasing “Traces” and “Ground Rush” professionally, as well as a few covers on YouTube to keep up with marketing. Although Thornton tried to use free time to continue working professionally, others, like Prieto, began experimenting with professional releases. After years of songwriting in private, Prieto decided at the start of quarantine to reach out to a music producer she met at the music festival, Havana 1957 during her freshman year. “I still had their contact information, thinking like they didn’t remember me

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at all, because that was like three years ago,” Prieto said. “I’m very grateful that I still communicate with him and like I’m able to go to the studio and all that stuff, like with all the precautions.” Prieto describes her time during quarantine as a great opportunity to grow more in her craft and even evolve through genres. At the start of quarantine, she tried out traditional Latin pop and released “Plantada.” Now, she feels more inspired by Soul and R&B with artists like JP Cooper and James Styles. Although she is still working with the people she produced “Plantada” with, Prieto also branched out by creating her first professional music video. After recording “Plantada,” she DM’d someone her mom knew who created music videos on Instagram. He ended up responding to her DM within the day and decided to help her create the video. “I’m really happy because it was like my first big, like, big accomplishment in what I love,” Prieto said. Issue 3 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

STILL STANDING: Senior Daniela Prieto’s works are filed under Spotify artist, “Dani Prieto.” “Plantatda her only released song with a music video, follows the story of someone being stood up. (Photo/Bella Ramirez)

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Sports

Storming the Diamond Sammy Rosenthal|Sports Editor pl218212@ahschool.com

fter the early stages of the Coronavirus cut their 10-0 2020 season short, the varsity baseball team plans to approach the upcoming

PITCHING HEAT: Senior Devin Futrell throws a powerful pitch against Vero Beach High School. Last season, the Patriots pitched a total of 79 strike outs. (Photo submitted by Devin Futrell)

campaign with a chip on their shoulder, prepared to avenge their unfinished business from a year ago. “Unfortunately, with Covid ending our season last year, the class of 2020 didn’t get a chance to get a ring,” senior LHP and Vanderbilt commit Devin Futrell said. “This year, my team and I are going to win a state championship for them. We lost a lot of key roles in our lineup, but the plan is to just take one day at a time and to focus on the state title.” Though the team had some notable pieces graduate, such as Enrique Bradfield and Jordan Carrion, the Florida Prep Baseball Report still has the Patriots ranked fourth overall heading into the year, citing the team’s pitching rotation as the main separator from the competition. “Since we don’t have the powerhouse we had last year,” senior 3B/RHP and FIU commit Juhlien Gonzalez said, “we are going to have to grind every game in and out. We, as a team, have a good chance at winning state this year. With the pitching staff that we have this year, we will be a very hard team to beat.”

The pitching core also features senior Kansas State commit, Justin Webster, junior Vanderbuilt commit Brandon Barriera and junior Virginia commit Evan Dobias. Behind the talented group, the Patriots expect to stay in contention for the state banner, but, as the team experienced a year prior, not without the challenges COVID-19 continues to present. “This pandemic has made everything in life a lot harder, but not much has slowed us down as a team,” Gonzalez said. “We get our work in every day, and that has never changed. We have stayed on top of this pandemic as much as possible as a team.” While a slightly different group may take the field under head coach Bruce Aven, the championship aspirations from a season ago have yet to fade as the Patriots set their sights on making up for lost time. “We [have lost] the majority of our starters, so the key to winning a state title is going to be playing small ball and building new chemistry,” Futrell said. “If we play as a team and pick each other up when [we’re] down, we are the most dominant team in the country, and I have no doubt about it.”

Serving up Aces and Winners Sammy Rosenthal|Sports editor pl218212@ahschool.com

eading into the new season, the boys and girls varsity tennis teams hope to pick up right where they left off last year. “I plan to build on the chemistry we established last year through bus rides and team accomplishments,” senior Elliot Starkman said. “We have a lot of new players on the team, so it is important for them to be involved and to support their teammates.” While the distanced nature of tennis might limit the effects of the coronavirus on games themselves, the pandemic has influenced how much preparation for the season the Patriots have experienced. (Design/Joseph Richards) Issue 3

“Due to the pandemic, the team hasn’t been able to meet as much as we would like,” sophomore Natalie Block said. “Normally we host tryouts where we can all gather and discuss the upcoming season, but this year we had to improvise. We coordinated individual challenge matches through a group chat, and the girls reported the results to Coach Toby.” As the two teams move further into the year, both understand that staying together and remaining consistent will prove crucial to walking away with a state championship. “We have a lot of talent,” head coach Toby Croke said. “I think we have a team full of people that take their craft seriously. I think the appropriate word for this team is challenge. The challenge is to figure out the identity of the team and what doubles teams will work out the best.”

ACES ON DECK: Sophomore Natalie Block serves to start a point at the Orange Bowl International Cup. The Orange Bowl is a prestigious tournament that many current professionals had played at some point in their youth. (Photo submitted by Natalie Block)

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Wrestling against all odds Sammy Rosenthal | Sports Editor pl218212@ahschool.com

fter last season saw the varsity wrestling team produce only one state qualifier, the Patriots entered the 2021 season looking to make the next step, despite the pandemic presenting some challenges. “We still didn’t have a full team,” junior Nicholas Gutierrez (pictured right) said on the team’s expectations heading into the year, “but we were all excited about improving from last year and getting a season since it wasn’t guaranteed.” Following a first place overall finish at the Coral Springs Individual Bracket Tournament to wrap up the regular season, the Patriots tackled the District Tournament Wednesday, Feb. 15, and ended the day with two first place finishers in senior Josh Hartman and junior Jaeden Kinlock.

“I honestly expected nothing less than being a district champ from myself,” Kinlock said following the win. “I’m just going to keep working hard like I have been the whole season so that I can take that same attitude into regionals next weekend. We compete in probably the toughest region in the state, so I’m going to be treating every match as if it is the state championship.” At regionals, 10 Patriots participated in day one, but only Kinlock finished high enough to move on to the state tournament, ending regionals with a second place crown. For the second straight season, Kinlock competed in the state tournament March 5 and 6 in Kissimmee. “Being able to compete at a higher level with a chance to be recognized and ranked in

the state was an amazing opportunity,” Kinlock said. “[I’m] grateful for my coaches’ guidance and their support, along with my family’s.” Kinlock finished the tournament sixth overall and looks forward to improving for next season.

Soon after the group’s first virtual competition in December, Starkman decided to try out for an open call for the National Prep Rhythmic Group. Out of the 40 girls there, they picked 14, including her, asking her to go to Chicago for five days to do on-site training. She shined in this session, and two weeks later, they asked her to train full-time with them. Packing her bags, she left her three brothers and mom and moved to Chicago with her dad. This National Prep Rhythmic Group prepares future Olympic competitors for group rhythmic gymnastics. Currently, a group of girls ages 19-20, are preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, and the 11 girls who are currently in the national prep group will succeed them. Of these girls, the coaches will pick five for the main group, and the rest will be alternates. As far as balancing her gymnastics career and schoolwork, Starkman said it has been pretty easy so far. She has to wake up an hour early because of the time change and now ends school at 1:30 p.m. to start practice at 2 p.m. She has practice

Sunday-Friday, training an average of 3-3 1/2 hours daily. “[I]’ve always had to do that since I was 7 or 8. I always put first school then gymnastics. I would also try not to skip gymnastics and time manage school work. I am used to doing online school, but being in a different state and waking up an hour earlier, I definitely will have to get used to it,” Hana Starkman said. Her goals are to compete in the Olympics in the main group and make the sport rhythmic gymnastics more popular. She acknowledges that USA gymnastics is trying to include the group sport a lot more in competitions, but she hopes to make it even more popular. As the National Prep Rhythmic Group will train until the 2024 Summer Olympics, she assumes that she will do Florida Virtual School next year. Starkman hopes to attend college in Chicago, with her dream school being attending Northwestern.

NEW HARDWARE: Gutierrez shows off the Patriots’ first place prize from a regular season North Miami tournament. Despite success early on, an injury forced the junior wrestler to the sidelines mid-season. (Photo submitted by Nicholas Gutierrez)

Tumbling into the Olympics

Eva Pierre-Antoine | Online Asst. Editor pl242581@ahschool.com

unior Hana Starkman began her career of individual rhythmic gymnastics at age 5. By age 16, Starkman ranked top 28 in the country for her age group 12-16. As a freshman, however, she decided to stop her training because she did not want to dedicate time to practices of six days a week, three hours a day. Her love for rhythmic gymnastics could not be ignored, though; in September 2019, she was inspired by its growing popularity to get four of her friends, and a former Olympian as her coach, for rhythmic group competition. This group competed in early 2020, stopping due to COVID-19. (Photo submitted by Hana Starkman)

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One for the books Varsity girls basketball makes history with fourth consecutive title Sammy Rosenthal | Sports Editor pl218212@ahschool.com

fter claiming the state crown for the third season in a row during the 2019-2020 campaign, the varsity girls basketball team prepared for the new year in search of their fourth consecutive title. The Patriots postseason run began after a commanding 73-28 victory over Northeast to clinch the District 14 Class 5A Championship, which capped off an impressive 20-2 record from the Patriots heading into the playoffs. “It meant a lot,” Coach Greg Farias said after the District Championship win, “because it’s the sixth consecutive district championship and [we are] ready for another run in the playoffs.” The Patriots continued to ride their momentum and dominated in the following two playoff victories, handling Westwood 68-22 in the Regional Quarterfinals behind junior Sydney Shaw’s (number 23) 18 points and breezing past Okeechobee 57-27 in the Regional Semifinals with senior Tatyana Wyche’s 18 points and 12 boards. “The mindset to make sure we stay focused and take one game at a time,” Coach Farias said as the team headed into the Regional Final. “We can’t forget what got us here, believe in the system, process, defense, hard work and teamwork.” In the Regional Finals, the team also emerged with the 42-29 win over Miami Norland behind leading scorer junior Joey Delancy’s 11 points and a combined 10 points and 22 boards from Tatyana and Taliyah Wyche. In the ensuing State Semifinals game to clinch another State Finals appearance for Heritage, Shaw once again paced with 20 points, Tatyana Issue 3 (Design/Sammy Rosenthal)

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The new hardware places Heritage Wyche produced 14 points, Delancy chipped in with 10 points and the Patriots among elite company, as the team became forced 27 total turnovers to march past just the sixth program in FHSAA history to claim four straight state titles. Clearwater 66-29. “It honestly means everything to me,” “I think it’s a combination of everything,” senior point guard Daniella Taliyah Wyche (number 00) said. “It’s the Aronsky said in regards to what has perfect way to end out my high school career.” driven the team’s playoff success. “Coach is an absolute believer in preparation and I always feel we are the most prepared team (Photo/solo1photography) on the court lahtnesoR ymmaS because of his rotidE stropS | commitment and drive. Chemistry is a huge factor as well.” Just two days later, the Patriots took the court for the final time of the season Saturday, Feb. 26, versus Palm Bay for the rights to their fourth consecutive state crown. After a 17-17 first half left both teams in position to clinch the title, the Patriots eventually snuck away with the game in the final quarter, securing the 41-36 victory behind Taliyah Wyche’s 14 points and seven boards. “We’re four-time state champions after never winning,” Coach Farias said in a post-game interview with Sun Sentinel. “You’ve got to pinch me still. It’s an unbelievable feeling to make history the way we did.”

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