Anushka Lakum Portfolio 2016 by Jessica Samons

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

October 13, 2015

3009 Hamblin Way Wellington, FL 33414 561-267-6303 anushka.lakum@gmail.com

C.D. Greenspon Finance Committee Director New York Times Co. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Dear Ms. Greenspon,

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

3009 Hamblin Way Wellington, FL 33414 561-267-6303 anushka.lakum@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE To secure a challenging position with a financial organization that will lead to a long term career relationship in finance and marketing. EDUCATION  1. Completed one year at Elbridge Gale Elementary School  2. Graduation Date: June 4, 2009  3. Completed five years at Binks Forest Elementary School - Graduation Date: June 3, 2014 - 4.0 GPA  Completed one year at Bak Middle School of the Arts - 4.0 GPA; 4.25 HPA EXPERIENCE Portfolio Newspaper 2015-2016  Entertainment Editor. Design layouts, meet deadlines, edit pages, and help fellow staffers. RELEVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDIES Journalism I, Journalism II, Intro to Technology, Video Production I, Radio Production, Speech and Debate I, Electronic News Gathering, Adv. Creative Writing

As the Entertainment Editor of my middle school newspaper, I have mastered skills in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. I have conducted interviews, taken pictures, written and edited content in my section. My previous interactions with people would make me a perfect fit for your staff because I am capable of working well with others, while managing my own deadlines. My background in these areas would apply directly to the specific guidelines for your company. I am aware that your company works to meet clients’ exact needs. After producing a newspaper, I have first-hand experience with meeting the demands of the target audience. We have to consider that although it would be fairly easier to use only a handful of people throughout the six issues of the paper, our staff makes an effort to include a student inly once so that everyone has a chance to be seen in the final product. I am willing to make sacrifices to meet the overall expectations of the company, even if it means going out of my way to do so. I appreciate your considering me for an internship, but I feel that an interview would allow me to express my full potential personally. I have attached a thorough resume of my experience to further illustrate my qualifications. I look forward to hearing back from you. Respectfully yours, Anushka Lakum

HONORS, AWARDS, MEMBERSHIPS

ISSUE 1 - RESUME

ISSUE 1 - COVER LETTER

The unique approach The New York Times has applied to journalism and newswriting is something I’d personally like to experience. I appreciate the potential of the agency you run, and I would like to apply for an internship during this upcoming summer because I believe I can contribute to your success.

1. Speech and Debate Club, 2014-present, 6th place (Declamation) 2nd place (Public Forum) 4th place (Public Forum) 2. SECME Club, 2014-2015, Honorable Mention in Water Bottle Rocket Race 3. Academic Games Club, 2013-2015, Honorable Mentions in Equations tournament 4 Video Production Club, 2013-2014, Video among Top 5 5. Video Morning Announcements, 2013-2014, Hand-picked/chosen by BFES Media Specialist REFERENCES 1. Elizabeth Bornia, Speech and Debate Team Coach Alyssa Vaknin, Speech and Debate Team Coach 2. Benjamin Baxley, Arts Explorations Teacher 3. Patty Tatum, former 5th Grade Math Teacher, Elizabeth Dowling, 5th Grade Math Teacher, Lisa Gifford, 4th Grade Math, Science and Social Studies Teacher, Douglas Battle, 8th Grade U.S. History Teacher 4. Toni Calkins, Technology Teacher 5. Sharon Wedgeworth, Media Specialist

ANUSHKA LAKUM

FINAL SELF-ANALYTICAL ESSAY During the course of the 2015-2016 school year, I have learned many new things due to my being on the Portfolio newspaper staff as the Entertainment Editor. It has been a great experience for me, and since I enjoyed it so much, I will be coming back next year as CoEditor-in-Chief. I got started in the journalism field when I got accepted into the communication arts area of my school. I put the Intro to Journalism course as one of my electives. Later, I tried out for the newspaper staff, and I got in. And that was what sparked my interest in journalism. The course has provided many opportunities for learning. One thing I learned about was deadlines, as many times I was still editing copy or layouts when the bell rang. I learned to not procrastinate and try to get my work done before the deadline day. Some new abilities that I have acquired are that I now know how to maneuver a program called InDesign. On InDesign, the layout editors on the staff make their layouts/ pages that go into the final product of the actual issue. I also learned more about AP style (Associated Press style,) which clarifies how not to have grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure issues while writing articles. Teamwork is a big necessity to create our school newspaper. Without it, the staff wouldn’t be able to communicate about things like whose article is on what page, and who has to take pictures for what story assignment, and which person has to write a certain number of inches on someone else’s layout. This course was very valuable to take. In relation to the journalism field, I can design layouts and write copy to put into the newspaper. I can peer-edit articles and find mistakes that go against AP style rules. I have also learnt many things that apply to everyday life. I have learned about working together, sales and advertising, and the dedication needed to finish with a good end product. I can use these skills in the future, regardless of the type of job I take in the future. This class would benefit the most if I become a part of a newspaper staff or publication, but if I am a doctor, I can work with my team to come up with a cure for some disease. If I am a computer software engineer, there will be deadlines, and I will meet them on time or before. I have learned many things this year, and am proud to come back next year. I look forward to working with the incoming staffers.

Self-Analytical Essay - This is my selfevaluation of how I thought I did during the year.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Entertainment

Page 5

The Portfolio February 2016

‘Hello’- Adele returns with her first album in four years By Nikita Tanguturi, Business Manager fter waiting four years, most Adele fans are glad to hear that she is back with a new album, “25”. With hits like “Sweetest Devotion”, “Remedy” and of course, “Hello.” Adele’s “Hello” started at the top of Billboard’s top charts, keeping a steady ranking of ﬁrst place. As she sung of past lovers, the heartbreak she went through was reﬂected in an array of dynamics, from high to low. This was one of the things that made the album differ from other pop albums. Adele conveys her true feelings

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune

Showing change from past years, Adele faces new challenges, such as motherhood. Her feelings are expressed through her music.

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2’ hits theaters, ratings surge

By Maddy Rubin Co-Editor In Chief he Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2,” the major motion picture finale to Suzanne Collins best-selling trilogy, was released on Nov. 16, 2015. The movie has grossed in about $247 million worldwide. It opens showing Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence. It was engaging, but it gave no background as to where it was picking up from its predeccessor. “The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart 1” was a slow moving picture that set the stage for the “revolution” that would supposedly take full force in the follow up film. I found, however, that the action scenes did not necessarily begin right away in the final movie and took a bit too long to finally appear. Stars like Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mallark), Donald Sutherland (President Snow), and Julianne Moore (President Coyne) all brought the emotion of the book on to the big screen. The unique technology and camera angles also deserve high praise. This long-awaited end to the Hunger Games series trumped its predecessor only in overall quality. After reviewing “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2,” I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

through heartwarming lyrics and a dynamic voice. After listening and comparing “25” to her past two albums, “21” and “19”, Adele now focuses on unlocking the true potential of her voice and her feelings, with lyrics that tell stories through music. “There is something in your loving that tears down my walls,” she sings. Every song in the album contrastsfrom the others, from a slow R&B melody, like in “Remedy” to songs with instrumental backgrounds, like in “All I Ask”, and in “I Miss You.” This makes every song a diferent experience, which is what I feel goes underapreciated in pop music.

Winter chills bring chocolate cravings

Photo courtesy of ew.com

“Mockingjay: Part 2” grossed in about $279.4 million worldwide.

REFLECTION #1

SELF-ANALYTICAL ESSAY

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

With quite a few collaborators, which include Paul Epworth, Max Martin, Danger Mouse, and Bruno Mars Smeezintons squad among them, “25” reveals a delicate side of Adele as she faces a new set of challenges, such as motherhood and a pressing vocal chord operation. After selling more than 3.38 billion copies in its first week released in the United Kingdom, Adele’s “25’; has been a huge hit. Due to her voice and her lyrics, I give “25” five out of five stars.I recommend everyone, (even if you are not a hardcore Adele fan) to buy the album.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ one of best in franchise history

By Luke Stone Co-Editor-In-Chief fter a long 10 year wait, Star Wars fans across the world got to see the seventh installment of Lucasfilm’s famous series, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The movie takes place 30 years after the events of “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and was centered around three new protagonists. After being captured by the evil First Order, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) was being held captive on one of their ships until Finn (John Boyega), a stormtrooper who wants to flee, helps him get to the main hangar to escape. After taking a ship, the two attempt to escape to Jakku, where Poe must find a droid named BB-8. JJ Abrams, the director, did great with the film’s plot, even with the 30 year time gap. He added new characters to ease the transition between episodes, while keeping old characters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to keep their stories alive. Unfortunately, other old cast members had no reason for being there, like C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and Admiral Ackbar (Tim Rose). I give the film four and a half out of five stars because Abrams did a great job with the plot and characters, but dropped the ball with some old cast members who took away from the film.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Panera Bread By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor he cold arrived and so did the cravings for hot chocolate. I visited four places. I critiqued them on customer service, the hot chocolates’ taste, how clean the restaurant was, how hot or cold it was and the waiting time. I ﬁrst went to Dunkin’ Donuts. It was mostly clean besides the occasional dirty napkins on the ﬂoor. The service was poor. The barista failed to provide options for me like whipped cream. The hot chocolate, on the other hand, was exceptional. It was at the perfect temperature. The texture was smooth, not too thick. The waiting time was also very quick. Because of these critiques, I gave Dunkin’ Donuts 3.5 stars out of 5. The second place I visited was Starbucks. Due to a long line, the waiting time was slow. The customer service was really good as they were polite and took accurate notes of my order. The hot chocolate was at an adequate temperature. It had a creamy texture since the barista asked me if I wanted

Starbucks

Toojay’s Deli

cream. I rated Starbucks 4 out of 5 stars. Next, I went to Panera Bread. The customer service was unsatisfactory. The employee had a bored tone, not being helpful. The restaurant was very clean. The hot chocolate came with marshmallows which gave the taste a thicker texture. Although, the chocolate was too hot as it burnt my tongue. For the waiting time, it was incredibly quick. I gave Panera Bread 3 stars out 5. The last place I visited was TooJay’s Gourmet Deli. The customer service was exceedingly good. The waiters all had big smiles and took great notes. The hot chocolate was unfortunately burnt. The ﬂavor tasted more like coffee than it did hot chocolate. The waiting time was really good since all the employees went through every customer’s order fast. The restaurant was also very neat. I rated TooJay’s Gourmet Deli 3 stars. Overall, Starbucks sold the best hot Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service chocolate, scoring 4 out of 5 stars because of the best customer service, MOMS-CSM-MOVIE-REVIEWtaste, cleanness, and temperature. STAR-WARS-VII-1-MCT

My most significant piece of work this year was a layout. The layout was on page 5 of Issue 3. The purpose of this page was to make a visually appealing layout that captured readers’ attentions. It was very easy to make this layout, because my dummy layout was the plan drawn out for me. There were little to no changes made between the dummy and actual layouts. I learned that being prepared actually helped me and made it so much easier to translate from paper to computer. I particularly like that the center of interest is a group of photos near the middle, and I like how the layout is balanced with just the right amount of text.

Reflection #1 - This reflection shows my most significant piece of work during the year, which was a layout.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Entertainment

The Portfolio October 2015

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 7

‘Maze Runner’ sequel meets expectations By Sreenidhi Nidamanur Sports Editor aze Runner: Scorch Trials,” sequel to the Maze Runner, came out Sept. 18. This sci-fi film, directed by Wes Ball, was based on the novel by James Dashner. This movie started up right where the last movie ended. Taking place in a dystopian setting, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Minho (Ki Hong Lee), and the other survivors were escorted to the World In Catastrophe Killzone Department, otherwise known as WCKD, where they are given bunk beds and food. After discovering that WCKD means trouble, they succeed in escaping to the outside world. They are in the Scorch; a place crawling with Cranks- eye-less zombies who can infect people with one little scratch. WCKD wants to find people who are immune to the Cranks like Thomas, Teresa, and the rest of their gang. Then, they drain a fluid out of them to cure people who became infected. Trying to find the Right Hand, an army who can help them fight against WCKD, the gang treks through miles and miles of sand. Deadline.com states that Fox’s Maze

Photo courtesy of prezi.com/deviantart Maze Runner: Scorch Trials released into theaters on Sept. 18. This sci-fi film, directed by Wes Ball, created $31.3 million after the opening weekend, just behind the first film.

Runner: The Scorch Trials kicked off in 21 international markets a week before it lands in theaters in North America where it is expected to open stronger than the first installment which opened to $32.5 million last year. This did not happen as Scorch Trials only got to $30.3 million in opening weekend. New actors such as Giancarlo Esposito, Rosa Salazar, Jacob Lofland, and many others made appearances in the cinema. Yet, all the actors were very experienced. Most of the young people under 25 acted in more than 10 movies. The older actors and actresses starred in more than 50 films. The best part, in my opinion, was when Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Aris, Frypan, and Winston running away from the Cranks. John Paesano was a great music director when it came to suspenseful music. The music kept the audience on the edge of their seats. This movie is PG-13 for some thematic elements, extended sequences of violence and action, substance use and language. ‘Scorch Trials’ earned a four out of five stars because of suspenseful scenes, but I had trouble following the story in some places. It had a wellthought plot, but was not stronger than its predecessor.

Video Music Awards: Students’opinions

Loved it

Hated it

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager

REFLECTION #2

The results were pretty spread out, with students being split between liking the VMA’s and not bothering to watch them, but in the end, more of the Bak population liked them.

I believe that page 7 of Issue 1 could still use work. This was my first time working on pages in an issue, and I had to design two pages on my own. This was also an issue where the staff decided to expand to a 16-page issue. Due to this I had only made a layout for the first page, and I think that is why the page turned out not so great. I had to come up with a new design on the spot. I think it could’ve been made better by adding more visually appealing aspects or maybe a small graphic. I learned that having a plan makes things easier in the long run. Looking back at the layout now, I do not see it as a particularly bad page, I just believe that it is not my best work.

Reflection #2 - In this reflection it shows the work I did this year that I thought still needs work.

REFLECTION #3 - PART 1

n a night full of Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj’s rivalry, Justin Bieber’s new song and Kanye West’s bid for president in 2020, the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards created a buzz. The annual MTV competition was for both artists and videos. One of the top winners was Taylor Swift, winning four awards for “Bad Blood” and “Blank Space”. The overall video of the year was also awarded to Swift, feauturing Grammy-nominated rapper Kendrick Lamar in “Bad Blood,” which was released as her new single this year.

REFLECTION 3 - PART 1 I am proud that I took this photo during the sixth grade communications showcase. It has two elements of good photo composition. It has repetition because the students are all facing the same way, and also the desk with all the equipment fills the frame. What attracts me to this picture is that it feels like the person looking at the picture is behind the scenes. IMG_2002

Reflection #3 - In this reflection I chose three of my best photos and analyzed them on photo composition.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

I am proud that I took this photo when George Perez came to our school. It has two elements of good photo composition. It has repetition because the students are all looking down at their drawings. It also shows emotion because the cartoonist is studying and critiquing the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work. I am attracted to this picture it shows how even famous people can interact with normal students. This photo was also printed in the newspaper. IMG_1454

Reflection #3 - In this reflection I chose three of my best photos and analyzed them on photo composition.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

REFLECTION #3 - PART 3

REFLECTION #3 - PART 2

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

I am proud that I took this photo while eighth grade theater majors were performing one-act plays. It shows two elements of good photo composition. It has filling the frame because the stage is captured in most of the photo, and it has repetition because all three actors sitting down are facing towards the other actor. What attracts me to this photo is that it is looking down on the actors from a birds-eye view. This photo was also printed in the newspaper. IMG_3538

Reflection #3 - In this reflection I chose three of my best photos and analyzed them on photo composition.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

REFLECTION #4 I did many things to help the staff and issues of the newspaper this year. I worked on layouts and articles endlessly until I got them approved. I helped my fellow staffers when they had questions on how something was supposed to be. Countless times during my lunch I worked through it in order to get my work approved and not hinder the rest of the staff. One time I even left two of my other academic classes so that I could take pictures for a specific event and interview people. I believe I have been a good asset this year’s staff and plan to be one for next year’s staff as well. REFLECTION #5

Another hardship I faced was having two pages during Issue 6. Usually when a particular category has two pages, a staffer without a page usually takes over one page. This issue, however, many people were absent for exams so I had to take over both pages. I learned that it wasn’t that hard to do both layouts because I was just translating the dummy layout to the computer. If this problem came up again I wouldn’t be bothered as much and would be calm throughout the process. I think I handled the situation well because the task wasn’t that hard after all.

Reflection #4 & Reflection #5- In Reflection #4, it shows how I was an asset to the staff. In Reflection #5, it shows the hardships I faced and how I dealt with them.

REFLECTION #6

REFLECTION #4

One hardship I faced this year was when I had to write an article about a renowned comic book artist who visited our school. He visited long after the deadline was over, so I had to rush while writing, interviewing, and taking photos with the article. I learned that not being stressed or feeling overwhelmed during the process helped as I could get the job done faster. If this problem arose again, I would’ve researched more about the artist before so that while interviewing, I could’ve asked follow-up questions. I feel I handled the situation well and got the assigned work done better than I had originally expected. In several areas of my evaluations, I ranked myself less than a 5. One area was selling ads. I could never sell ads as the people I went to were never interested or had already bought ads from another staffer or newspaper. I think I could get more customers if I vary the people I ask. Another area was spending time outside of class. I didn’t spend that much time outside of class, because I didn’t want to miss my odd-day lunches and classes. But this was a bad idea because sometimes I had to work right up until the second that the bell rang. A final area was going “Outside the Box.” Some of my story ideas from the beginning of the issue were in the newspaper, but that was because other staffers had them too. I think next year I should try to make up more original ideas to put in the paper.

Reflection #6- In Reflection #6, it shows the areas that I was less than the highest score (5) and why I put that. It also shows an example of an evaluation.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 4

The Portfolio October 2015

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Page 6

News

structure [than Bak],” she said. And it is the arts that appeal to Connelly. “What I like most are the students and their talents, and every time I visit a class I want to stay and take the class.” Connelly said. She appreciated that staff and students had been very friendly to her. “I love the diversity and I also feel like everyone has made me feel comfortable, and the students go out of their way to make me feel welcome.” she said. Though Connelly liked all the majors, she has one major she could relate to the most. “Communications because I taught debate for 12 years, and I think that debate offers a little bit of all the majors,” she said. Something that Connelly was looking forward to at Bak were all the student projects. “I am most excited to see the students’ products. Their broadcasts, artwork, productions, and performances,” she said. Even though it was the beginning of

Jamba Juice By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor ccording to healthyeating.org, fruit smoothies can be an easy way to nourish the body with essential nutrients. Therefore I picked the top three smoothie venues and judged them based on quality, smell, taste, texture, style, and service. The ﬁrst smoothie was from Jamba Juice, and it was a Strawberry Whirl. The store was fairly clean but there were some dirt specks visible on the ﬂoor. While I was ordering, the cashier was very unfriendly and even asked me, “You do know you’re going to have to

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

New Asst. Principal Misty Connelly talks to strings major Elizabeth Fenner as they discuss new changes at Bak. “I like that I am more mobile. I also like how I can get to know all the students,” she said.

a new year and a new school, she was looking forward to being a part of the Bak family. Connelly said, “I hope that I am a

support and I help the school grow, and I want to be part of the fabric that’s already here and maybe add a new color.

Hurricane Katrina: Life 10 years after the disaster

major said. The school district invested $50 thousand when they hired a thirdparty attorney, Eugene Pettis, former President of the Florida Bar, to investigate the transportation problems. Avossa authorized hiring Pettis “to come in and investigate how this happened, who is responsible, and what we need to do to ensure that we are not dealing with these issues in the future.”

Avossa called the transportation issues a “perfect storm” of errors with lack of bus drivers and computer glitches happening at the same time. The district had been hiring 10 new bus drivers each week to compensate for their errors. “Our drivers have stepped up,” Avossa said in an interview with School Bus Fleet. “They have delivered the kids to the best of their ability. Now it is time for the district to do what’s right for them.”

Anne Warren of Gulfport, Miss., right, prays with April Moore of Gulfport after the 10 Years, 10,000 reasons Hurricane Katrina remembrance service at Barksdale Pavillion in Jones Park in Gulfport on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. Moore, who said she lost everything in Katrina, was overcome by memories of the storm. (John Fizhugh/Biloxi Sun Herald/ TNS)

By Carlos Trivino Features Editor en years ago, rain relentlessly pummeled rooftops in the worst storm of the 21st century, Hurricane Katrina. Aug. 29 marked the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. “I don’t think it was all that bad here

ISSUE 1 - WRITING

Transportation Problems Continued from page 1

By Angela Yan News Editor n the ﬁrst day of school, some buses arrived at Bak so late that zero hour was extended to let students on the late buses receive their schedules. “I called [my parents] at 8:40 one time and said, ‘I’m at school,’ and they said, ‘Really? This late?’” Jean Luis Montesinos, seventh grade visual

Writing - In Issue I of the Portfolio Newspaper, I wrote a profile on my school’s newest assistant principal, and a caption for a photo my fellow staffer took.

Starbucks pay for that, right?” The flavors involved in the smoothie were banana, strawberry and mango, and it smelled like mostly strawberry and banana. The smoothie tasted too much like banana that I thought it should have been called a ‘Banana Whirl’ instead of a ‘Strawberry Whirl.’ The first sip was sweet, but as I swallowed it I tasted a bit of a citrus taste though there were supposedly no citrus fruits included. The texture was not too thick or too thin so it was smooth and just right. Overall, I give Jamba Juice two out of five stars. The next smoothie I got was from Starbucks, and it was an Orange Mango smoothie. The store was not clean, it

Smoothie King

actually had dirt all over and bits of paper and dust just lying around. As I ordered, the cashier was very friendly and cheerful. The flavors involved with the smoothie were mango, orange, and banana and it smelled like banana with a dash of mango. The first sip was also sweet, and a little tangy because of the orange flavor. This particular smoothie left a strong aftertaste. The texture was a little thick, and tasted like mangobanana. Overall, I give Starbucks three out of five stars. The last smoothie I got was from Smoothie King, and it was a Caribbean Way smoothie. The store was very clean; there were no dirt or dust specks

visible, and the lady periodically kept rinsing the blender and cleaning the counter. While ordering, the cashier was very friendly and explained the smoothie choices so that I could choose the smoothie I wanted. The flavors involved were strawberry, banana, and papaya, and the smoothie smelled like fresh strawberries. The first sip was sweet and fresh, and I felt very satisfied with the smoothie tasting like real fruit. The smoothie had a very smooth texture, and it actually tasted refreshing unlike the other two that tasted like crushed ice. Overall, I give Smoothie King a five out of five stars.

Oxford Dictionary update will leave you ‘hangry’ for more

By Jacob Schlessel Copy Editor xford Dictionary has added new words that are, let’s just say awesomesauce. Below you will ﬁnd some of the words and

ISSUE 1 - WRITING

in Florida because it did curve up into the Gulf,” Lisa Hanser, seventh grade civics teacher, said. “We were all lucky [in Florida] but it was truly horrible watching the effect it had on other states.” At its peak velocity hurricane Katrina reached wind speeds of almost 175

mph as a category five storm. It had a span of over 400 miles across and while the actual hurricane itself did not cause the most devastation, its aftermath did. During this time, thousands of people around the gulf coast of the United States, mainly in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, were displaced from their homes. Levees overflowed due to the heavy rains causing massive flooding in these areas. Experts estimated the damages surpassing $100 billion, making hurricane Katrina the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The total death toll of the major hurricane was approximately 1,833 casualties. While the storm brought loss and grief from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, there were somber ceremonies marking the day 10 years ago when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. “We had a million structures that were damaged, 250,000 homes were destroyed [and] 1,800 people were taken away from us,” Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu said in an interview with ABC news. “It was a big, big, massive deal that spanned the entire city. Everybody lost everything.”

Entertainment

Slurping sensation: A smoothie review

New school year brings new assistant principal, changes By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor fter the departure of Assistant Principal Amie Souder, Misty Connelly, teacher from Jupiter Middle, became the new assistant principal. Souder was promoted to principal at Everglades Elementary. “My goal is to be as supportive to students and teachers as I can be and continue the excellence that I have seen so far,” Connelly said. She was a speech and debate teacher for 12 years and thinks that it is a different experience from being an assistant principal. “I loved it because I learned something new every year along with my kids, and every year I got a new set of kids with talents and challenges,” Connelly said. Coming from another middle school where arts was not the drive of the program, Connelly was adjusting to a middle school where freedom of expression was evident. “Sometimes I feel like it’s perfect, because it feels like my personality, but sometimes it’s a challenge, because I’m coming from a school with a lot more

The Portfolio October 2015

phrases and their deﬁnitions. Awesomesauce: (adjective) extremely good; excellent. Bruh: (noun) a male friend (often used as a form of address). Rly: Abbreviation of really.

‘Nuff said: No more need to be said; the consequence or conclusion is clear. Pwn: (verb) utterly defeat an opponent or rival; completely get the better of.

Bae: (noun) a person’s boyfriend or girlfriend as used as a form of address. To see the full list of words, go to OxfordDictionaries.com. ‘Nuff said.

Writing - In Issue I, I also wrote a smoothie review on Palm Beach’s top 3 smoothie venues, while winning the Best Headline Award for the corresponding article..

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 6

The Portfolio October 2015

Entertainment

Slurping sensation: A smoothie review

The Portfolio October 2015

Smoothie King

Oxford Dictionary update will leave you ‘hangry’ for more

By Jacob Schlessel Copy Editor xford Dictionary has added new words that are, let’s just say awesomesauce. Below you will ﬁnd some of the words and

phrases and their deﬁnitions. Awesomesauce: (adjective) extremely good; excellent. Bruh: (noun) a male friend (often used as a form of address). Rly: Abbreviation of really.

‘Nuff said: No more need to be said; the consequence or conclusion is clear. Pwn: (verb) utterly defeat an opponent or rival; completely get the better of.

Page 7

Maze Runner: Scorch Trials released into theaters on Sept. 18. This sci-fi film, directed by Wes Ball, created $31.3 million after the opening weekend, just behind the first film.

Bae: (noun) a person’s boyfriend or girlfriend as used as a form of address. To see the full list of words, go to OxfordDictionaries.com. ‘Nuff said.

Video Music Awards: Students’opinions

Loved it

Hated it

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager

Issue 1 Layouts- Entertainment Page 6 For the layouts portion, I designed one spread consisting of two pages. for this issue. This is the first page, page 6.

ISSUE 1 - LAYOUTS

Loved the VMA’s- 15% Liked the VMA’s - 40% Hated the VMA’s - 12% Didn’t care about the VMA’s- 33% In a poll of 100 Bak students, divided between each grade, asked what they thought of the annual music awards, the results were as follows. The results were pretty spread out, with students being split between liking the VMA’s and not bothering to watch them, but in the end, more of the Bak population liked them.

Issue 1 Layouts- Entertainment Page 7 For the layouts portion, I designed one spread consisting of two pages. for this issue. This is the second page, page 7.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Entertainment

The Portfolio December 2015

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Technology

Page 5

Smart Helmet protects athletes

Comparing pumpkin spice lattes proves Panera best

Website Editor

hen the sweaters came out, so did America’s favorite seasonal drink, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I went to a few places and tried to find the best one. The first place I visited was Starbucks, which sold over 200 million of Pumpkin Spice Lattes every year during this season. Starbucks was one of the first stores to offer the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it did not hold up to my high expectations. When I walked in, there were coffee

beans and straw wrappers on the floor, but the service was good other than their side conversations about personal issues. I loved the red and green holiday cup, and the drink was a light caramel color. It smelled like nutmeg and other spices which was a good cover for the bland drink taste. There were not enough pumpkin flavors and the coffee overpowered the fall taste. I gave Starbucks two out of five stars. Dunkin Donuts was another favorite for the Pumpkin Spice Latte. They really overdid it with the sweetness, but the drink reminded me of fall with its

subtle hints of pumpkin ﬂavor. The drink needed more spice and it smelled terrible, like pumpkins that have sat out in the sun for too long. But, it tasted better than Starbuck’s, so I gave Dunkin Donuts three out of ﬁve stars. 7Eleven surprised me when I found out that they sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It smelled fantastic, just like pumpkin and spice. It was pretty clean for a gas station, but the drink was premade and I had to pour it in the cup myself. Other than that, it was not bad. There was a good mix of spices, but there was too much milk

Star Wars movies rated by Bak students

By Jacob Schlessel Copy Editor

Episode I: “The Phantom Menace”: 26 Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: 10 Overall, Episode I , “The Phantom Episode II: “Attack of the Clones”: 0 Menace,” came out on top with 26 ixty people were asked what Episode III: “Revenge of the Sith”: 6 votes. Episode V, “The Empire Strikes their favorite Star Wars movie Episode IV: “A New Hope”: 0 Back,” was a close second with 18 was. 20 students of each grade Episode V: “The Empire Strikes Back”: votes, and the Episode VI, “Return of were surveyed. Of the 60 people, 30 the Jedi,” came third with a total of 10 18 were girls and 30 were boys. votes.

ISSUE 2 - WRITING

‘The Martian’ movie exceeds expectations Taking place on Mars, astronaut Mark floating through space, and everyone Watney (Matt Damon) was trapped on was gripping the sides of their seats the red planet after a fierce sandstorm thinking, “Will he be saved or will he forced his crew to abort the mission – keep floating?” Deadline.com said that “The without him. Since it took close to four years to Martian”, which returned to the top of go from Mars to Earth, Watney’s crew international and domestic box office could not come back for him. His food in its fourth weekend, was within supplies were limited, and he had to shouting distance of $400 million worldwide with find a way to grow $385.66M. The 20th plants on a planet where nothing It had an amazing plot Century Fox picture’s foreign cume was grew. Fortunately, that had the audience $218.47 million and Watney was a domestic comes to NASA botanist, so on the edge of their $166.19 million. he was sure he can seats until the very This movie is PGcould up with a 13 for some strong way to grow food. end.” language, graphic Director Ridley Scott really proved that he was one images, and brief nudity. Overall, I give The Martian a four of the best sci-fi movie directors “The Martian.” (20th Century Fox) with this film. The digital technology and a half out of five stars because USA features were perfect, not too grand or even though it had an amazing plot MOMS CSM MOVIE REVIEW THE overdone, and the scenes were visually that had the audience on the edge of MARTIAN 1 MCT appealing, as Mars had never been their seats until the very end, it still recreated so realistically. The movie bore resemblance to previous movies By Anushka Lakum holds the audience’s interest because which had similar storylines. Entertainment Editor the action and focus is always on the he Martian,” a sci-fi movie, main character. came out Oct. 2. This film, One of the most suspenseful scenes directed by Ridley Scott, was was when Commander Lewis was based on the novel by Andy Weir. trying to catch Mark while he was

“

that made it taste odd. The sweetness was good for me, but might have been too much for other people. I gave 7Eleven three out of five stars. Panera Bread’s Pumpkin Spice Latte definitely was my favorite. The service was great, the store was clean, and the latte was flavorful. The coffee taste was well-defined, and it blended well with the other fall flavors. The golden color of the drink with spices that floated on top told me that it was fresh. There could have been more pumpkin flavor though. I gave Panera Bread four out of five stars.

sensors equipped in the football helmet. The helmet’s crown contained a flexible panel that squeezed upon impact, reducing the force of collisions. Meanwhile, the helmet can be fitted with sensors that send wireless alerts to handheld devices on the sidelines, telling coaches when a player had sustained an unusually forceful hit to the head. According to popsci.com, the helmet is available online and at football equipment stores, where it cost $1000. A mouth guard that measures acceleration is also included. The smart football helmet could definitely identify potential concussions better compared to just looking at an injury. And now players can be safer on the field.

The new smart football helmet with head-impact sensors tackles the challenge of high technology to reduce injury and improve the game. They helped to decrease the amount of recurring head injuries and Photo by bestcleats.com concussions.

2. Two tablespoons pure pumpkin puree 3. One tbls sugar 4. One-fourth teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

6. One-fourth cup hot espresso or strong brewed coffee 7. Sweetened whipped cream, for serving. Directions: Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a medium microwave safe bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole. Microwave until the milk is hot, one to two minutes. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds. Pour the espresso or coffee into a mug and add the foamed milk. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

Art by Angela Yan

Writing - On this page, I wrote a review on my own page about the movie, “The Martian.”

By Carlos Trivino Features Editor food’s actual taste consists of a fusion of the smell, touch, and texture all in a single sensation. Japanese scientist and professor Takuji Narumi used virtual reality technology to change the physical appearance of food to see how it affected eating habits. “Food hacking means brain hacking to me,” Narumi said in an interview with cnet.com. “How do we create new eating experiences by manipulating the senses in our brains? To make food taste different by changing humans instead of food, that’s the most interesting to me.” Started in 1994, VICE is a youth media company and digital content creation studio. A new series on VICE’s food channel “Munchies” called “Food Hacking” explored the possibilities of the technology. Swedish host Simon Klose used a pair of special virtual-reality goggles while holding an actual cookie in the ﬁrst episode of the series. Through the goggles, the researchers are ﬁrst able to make that cookie bigger or smaller. “Food that is virtually enlarged to be 50 percent bigger leads to 10 percent less consumption, while food that is

virtually shrunk to 30 percent its size makes people eat 15 percent more,” Narumi said. According to the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University a visual perception bias called the Delboeuf Illusion inﬂuences what portions are consumed depending on the size of the plate in which it is presented. Narumi has his own twist on this. It involves a large table with a built in display designed to change the size of the virtual plate depending on what food is placed on it. The ofﬁcial Munchies website stated that Food Hacking re-imagined how people cook and eat. Host Simon Klose explored food prepared by activists, techies, and even robots as he took a close look food disruptors who mapped out new boundaries of Japanese cuisine. Although the technology Narumi made is in its infancy, as wearing large bulky goggles in order to perceive a different food and smell may be impractical, large industries took interest in the future of the product. “When we displayed this at a computer graphics conference in the US,” Narumi said, “NASA approached us and said that they really wanted to try this. So in the future, this could also be used for space food.”

Certiﬁed Public Accountant

Ingredients: 1. One cup milk

5. One-fourth tsp pure vanilla extract

Food Hacking: New technology changes eating habits

Jason Marc Altman

ISSUE 2 - WRITING

By Jordan Taylor

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor ntil just recently, the protocol for treating potential concussions had always been looking at the player’s head. But now a fresh wave of technology has been developed, hidden inside football helmets. They did much more than a visual inspection could ever do, they developed data that could help detect concussions in real time. Known as smart football helmets, these helmets were designed to measure the force of on-ﬁeld collisions and notify when a player may have had a possible concussion or when their health may be in danger. Riddell, an American company specializing in sports and football equipment, is the developer of the

Page 11

The Portfolio December 2015

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Writing - On this page I wrote a technology article about the new ‘smart’ football helmets.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 6

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Features

The Portfolio - December 2015

Entertainment

Trump continues to lead in polls

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, and Jeb Bush spar early in the GOP debate at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015. (Robert Gauthier/ Los Angeles Times/ TNS)

ISSUE 2 - WRITING

Douglas Battle, eighth grade social studies teacher said. Back in June 2015, before Donald Trump launched his campaign, former Florida governor John Ellis “Jeb” Bush was leading the polls with 23 percent of the vote, according to NBC News. Now, in their latest poll from Oct. 15, 2015, Bush was polling at eight percent. “[Based on the resources he has], Jeb Bush should be winning this primary. Before Trump entered,

everyone thought he would receive the nomination and now he is struggling,” Battle said. In fact, one candidate ahead of him was his protégé Senator Marco Rubio, Florida’s former Speaker of the House of Representatives while Bush was in office as governor. Currently, Rubio is polling at 13 percent, third best among Republican candidates. “Rubio is going to benefit a lot as the field starts to thin because he is a good,

Famous Trump Quotes

Democratic candidates go head to head in upcoming elections

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor Here are the top five funniest remarks that Trump has made while promoting his campaign. 1. “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest— and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure. It’s not your fault.” 2. (www.telegraph.co.uk) 3. “Well, yes, I’ve fired a lot of people. Generally I like other people to fire, because it’s always a lousy task.” (www.brainyquote.com) 4. “You know the funny thing is, I don’t get along with rich people. I get along with the middle class and the poor people better than I get along with the rich people.” (http://www.ibtimes.com) 5. “I don’t need anybody’s money. It’s nice. I don’t need anybody’s money. I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich.” (www.genius.com) 6. “I am very proud of my great performance tonight. I am not a debater, but I am a winner. If I am elected I will make this country a total winner - I will make America great again.”

Lily Gumbinner “Every day Americans need a Photo Editor champion. And I want to be that s current President Barack champion,” Clinton said according to Obama’s term comes to an the New York Times. “So I’m hitting end, democratic candidates the road to earn your vote — because Hillary Clinton, Lawrence Lessig, it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join Martin O’Malley, and Bernie Sanders me on this journey.” are looking to take his place in 2016. Current Vermont senator, Sanders, “I think that the elections are more announced his running for president exciting and close than last time, but on April 30, 2015. Sanders was named there are candidates that are worse a “Top 20 US Progressive,” according this year. You really have both sides of to “The New Statesman,” a magazine the spectrum,” based in the United Alex Robinson, Kingdom. eighth grade They could lead us to “In terms of Hillary, vocal major said. success or put us behind I respect her. I’ve According to known her. I like her. in our goals for our Polling Report, So I’m not running Clinton was in country.” to attack Hillary the lead with 64 Clinton. I’m running percent and Sanders was behind her to talk about the issues that impact the with 25 percent as of Oct. 18. working class of this country and the “They are going to lead our country middle class,” Sanders said according for four years. They could lead us to to the Hufﬁngton Post. success or put us behind in our goals Other candidates Lessig and O’Malley for our country,” Shannon Owens, decided to run after Clinton and communications teacher said. Sanders. Their polls are about one to Clinton, former Secretary of State, two percent who plan to vote for them. New York senator, and ﬁrst lady, Owens said, “This election has been announced her candidacy on April 12, a whole lot more exciting than it has 2015. Clinton also ran for president been in the past which is a good thing in 2008, but lost the primary election because more people will be part of to Barack Obama, according to the process. Ballotpedia.

By Jordan Taylor Website Editor

Star Wars movies rated by Bak students

By Jacob Schlessel Copy Editor

Episode I: “The Phantom Menace”: 26

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: 10

Episode II: “Attack of the Clones”: 0

ixty people were asked what their favorite Star Wars movie was. 20 students of each grade were surveyed. Of the 60 people, 30 were girls and 30 were boys.

Episode III: “Revenge of the Sith”: 6

Overall, Episode I , “The Phantom Menace,” came out on top with 26 votes. Episode V, “The Empire Strikes Back,” was a close second with 18 votes, and the Episode VI, “Return of the Jedi,” came third with a total of 10 votes.

Episode IV: “A New Hope”: 0 Episode V: “The Empire Strikes Back”: 18

‘The Martian’ movie exceeds expectations

Taking place on Mars, astronaut Mark floating through space, and everyone Watney (Matt Damon) was trapped on was gripping the sides of their seats the red planet after a fierce sandstorm thinking, “Will he be saved or will he forced his crew to abort the mission – keep floating?” Deadline.com said that “The without him. Since it took close to four years to Martian”, which returned to the top of go from Mars to Earth, Watney’s crew international and domestic box office could not come back for him. His food in its fourth weekend, was within supplies were limited, and he had to shouting distance of $400 million worldwide with find a way to grow $385.66M. The 20th plants on a planet where nothing It had an amazing plot Century Fox picture’s foreign cume was grew. Fortunately, that had the audience $218.47 million and Watney was a domestic comes to NASA botanist, so on the edge of their $166.19 million. he was sure he can seats until the very This movie is PGcould up with a 13 for some strong way to grow food. end.” language, graphic Director Ridley Scott really proved that he was one images, and brief nudity. Overall, I give The Martian a four “The Martian.” (20th Century Fox) of the best sci-fi movie directors and a half out of fi ve stars because with this fi lm. The digital technology USA features were perfect, not too grand or even though it had an amazing plot MOMS CSM MOVIE REVIEW THE overdone, and the scenes were visually that had the audience on the edge of MARTIAN 1 MCT appealing, as Mars had never been their seats until the very end, it still recreated so realistically. The movie bore resemblance to previous movies By Anushka Lakum holds the audience’s interest because which had similar storylines. Entertainment Editor the action and focus is always on the he Martian,” a sci-fi movie, main character. came out Oct. 2. This film, One of the most suspenseful scenes directed by Ridley Scott, was was when Commander Lewis was based on the novel by Andy Weir. trying to catch Mark while he was

“

Writing - In Issue 2, in additon to my two articles, I wrote a sidebar. It was on Donald Trump, a 2016 presidential candidate’s, funniest quotes.

Page 5

Comparing pumpkin spice lattes proves Panera best

solid Republican candidate. I think his senate voting record is going to hurt him a bit because he has missed key votes, but because he has new, fresh ideas and governmental experience will help him in the polls,” Battle said. So far, Trump and Bush have engaged in several arguments, most of them revolving around Bush’s brother, former President George W. Bush. The most recent of Trump’s attacks on Bush were about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg TV, “When you talk about George Bush, I mean, say what you want, the World Trade Center came down during his time.” W Bush perceived the quote as a suggestion that his brother was responsible for the attacks. Jeb Bush took to Twitter to criticize Trump’s remarks, saying, “How pathetic of Donald Trump to criticize the president for 9/11. We were attacked and my brother kept us safe.” Battle said that while Trump may be leading in the polls, he may not win enough primaries to secure his party’s presidential nomination at their national convention next July.

ISSUE 2 - LAYOUT

By Luke Stone Co-Editor-In-Chief ith still over one year until the 2016 presidential election, business mogul Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson were in the lead of the Republican presidential primary. “I would not say I am impressed with Trump’s numbers as much as I am surprised by the fact that his numbers have stayed this high for this long,”

The Portfolio December 2015

Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte By Madaleine Rubin Co-Editor In Chief With fall in full swing, CNBC News Channel projected the popular pumpkin spice latte drink to generate $361,000 from its buyers this year. However, many people have continually searched for a way to enjoy their favorite fall drink without the expense. This pumpkin spice latte recipe is perfect to make at home! Ingredients: 1. One cup milk 2. Two tablespoons pure pumpkin puree 3. One tbls sugar 4. One-fourth teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 5. One-fourth tsp pure vanilla extract 6. One-fourth cup hot espresso or strong brewed coffee 7. Sweetened whipped cream, for serving. Directions: Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a medium microwave safe bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole. Microwave until the milk is hot, one to two minutes. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds. Pour the espresso or coffee into a mug and add the foamed milk. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

Art by Angela Yan

Layout - In Issue 2, my page had 4 articles in it. There were minimal changes from the dummy layout to the final layout.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ISSUE 3 - WRITING

Dear Astra, Some of the teachers grade really hard. How will I get A’s or B’s if they are grading me so hard? I’m getting C’s and lower. Sincerely, Tyler Backus Dear Tyler Backus, If you know how hard the teachers grade, try and be aware of the kind of work they are expecting so that you can meet their standards. Allot special time just for their work so that you can complete it to the best of your ability. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Astra

Dear Editors, This edition of “The Portfolio” was absolutely fantastic. I found it entertaining and informative, with very few errors. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Jarom Gordon

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Nikita Tanguturi

Malik Saleh, a 14-year-old Syrian refugee who dropped out of school, sits with fellow refugee Mohanned Jneed, 35 who will mentor him through a Mercy Corps program in Marfraq, Jordan. (Hal Bernton/The Seattle Times/TNS)

Ask Astra

Dear Astra, My backpack is so heavy because I always carry at least one textbook. What should I do? Sincerely, Apple Pie

Dear Astra, How do I stay conﬁdent throughout the school year if a big test might be coming up? From, Ant dude

Dear Apple Pie, Try to make time every day to get to your locker! If you need to bring the textbook home, make sure you know that most of the textbooks are online, so you don’t have to bring the hard copy home and strain your back. Sincerely, Astra

Dear Ant dude, In order to stay conﬁdent, you have to prepare for the test so that you are sure you will succeed. When a big test is coming up, make a study guide if the teacher doesn’t give one out, and refer to it before the test. Sincerely, Astra

Dear Shaquisha27, Before you go on your trip, make a list of everything to do over break for school. Enjoy your vacation, take some school work with you, and when you get back, check off items completed on your list before school starts. Sincerely, Astra

Dear Editors, I am referring to the ﬁrst and second issue. Both were well written and the format was amazing. Awesome job! When I showed my mom the ﬁrst issue she asked me if I was sure this was my schools newspaper or if it was a professional one! Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Victoria Rosenthal

“The Portfolio” welcomes both letters to the Editor and Ask Astra submissions. If you are looking for advice, write your problem and deliver it to Ms. Samons’ room, 4-152, in the communications wing. If submitting under a pseudonym, make sure to print your real name on the top of the paper. The staff welcomes submissions from any grade and major, and at any time.

Dear Editors, I love your newest newspaper. It inspires me to become a journalist. I love the way each story is conveyed, grabbing the reader’s attention. Some day I hope I can be part of the staff! Sincerely, Ben Shainman

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor

Writing - On this page, I wrote an opinion column on why America should let Syrians into their borders.

he annual sixth grade communications showcase was back with this year’s “Inside Bak” theme. Students performed live radio dramas, read poetry, and gave speeches. “Everyone will see what the sixth graders have done, and we’ll have our own turn to shine,” Diksha Gupta, sixth grade communications major, said. The students had only a portion of time to practice with their teacher, and after that they would have to practice by themselves. “During our nine week time, [the students] were able to create and

practice their events,” Alyssa Vaknin, they were practicing and rehearsing their pieces. speech and debate teacher, said. “I learned about performing in front Teachers helped students prepare for their performances and perfect of a large audience,” Manocchio said. Everyone had their own opinion of the skills needed. “My teacher gave me tips and the showcase, including teachers. “The showcase was explained what the very entertaining, and performance was I am proud of all the mainly about,” “People get to see students who worked Soﬁa Manocchio, sixth grade what we’ve learned, hard to show their communications and we’re very talented talent,” Vaknin said. major, said. Sixth graders in the Parents and other and make things fun for showcase were “pretty majors’ students the audience,” conﬁdent” about their performances. who watched Gupta said, “I the showcase got to have an inside look into think we did well because we’re all communications majors and this is communication arts. Students learned a lot of things while why we got into Bak.”

my school better, but also what can I do to make the community feel like students appreciate it.” Ray said. SGA was not going to stop at giving back and is now starting a second fundraiser for orphans who are “forgotten every year after Christmas,” according to Campbell. “It seems like people only care about these orphans one time a year, and after that they are forgotten,” Fiore said. SGA’s main goal was “to help”, Ray said. Ray said, “If we do not give to the people who are in need, who else will? Our school community is just as important as the community around us.”

The Student Government Association sold candy canes to pay for students at U.B. Kinsey to have better resources to learn. Sharon Campbell said, “You don’t always get to help someone in need. This is a perfect chance to do so.”

Daphne Scroggins

SGA candy canes

Continued from page 1 By Ervin Williams Technology Editor

“Of course, we did not have the money sitting around to just give them, so we had to ﬁnd some way to make money, so we decided on candy canes, which followed the season,” Deborah Fiore, SGA sponsor said. SGA, does not only strive to “provide the school with resources to make it better”, but also feels that “giving back is even more of a responsibility,” Ray said. “When I think about giving back, I am not just thinking, how can I make

High school choice programs Dear Astra, I am going on a holiday trip over winter break and I am going to be having a lot of fun. But I will need to keep studying for school. Can you give me any tips on what I should do over break? Thank you, Shaquisha27

Letters to the Editor

Students present poetry, speeches, graphics in sixth grade communications showcase

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager efugees. One of the most debated topics in the past year. As the Syrian civil war continues, the global community has started to take notice. The United States is in no condition to take in refugees. After all, the two major factors that are included are social acceptance and money, in a nation where we have neither. If we look back at the end of 2015, refugees sought asylum mostly in Europe. According to Bloomsberg Business, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s approval rating dropped to the lowest in almost four years in a monthly poll that suggested voters’ welcome for hundreds of thousands of refugees is exhausted. In an article by CNN, they stated that “More than half the nation’s governors -- 27 states -- say they oppose letting Syrian refugees into their states.” This is also due to the imminent threat of terrorism that comes with letting in foreign asylum seekers without knowing their ties to terrorist groups like ISIS. . In a poll published online by Daily Caller, it showed that at least thirteen percent of refugees had somewhat positive views of ISIS, (Islamist State of Iraq and Syria) the terrorist group behind recent attacks such as the one in France. Until we can properly conduct background checks on refugees, they should not be allowed to enter the United States.

Continued from page 1 By Lily Gumbinner Photo Editor The mission of the Ofﬁce of K-12 School Choice was to support quality public and private educational choice programs by providing information and assistance to promote successful outcomes for students, families, institutions and communities, according to the Florida Department of Education.

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Photo by Ervin Williams

“Our goal has been to regionalize affect a student in many ways. “It is best to visit the schools and the high-school and middle-school programs, so that no matter where take tours. Some parents will miss the deadline and you live, you are then you wouldn’t near a program,” Peter Licata, Director Read, do research, and be able to choose the right school,” of Choice and Glaze said. Career Options said, don’t take anything When choosing according to the Sun for granted.” a high school, it is Sentinel. Students could earn industry necessary that the application was ﬁlled certiﬁcations that lead to high skill, high out correctly and on time. Especially wage, and high demand occupations, if the school required an audition, according to the Choice program. like Dreyfoos School of the Arts or Choosing the right program could Boynton Beach High School.

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“Art schools have a different deadline which is in early December because of the auditions. All other choice programs deadline is in late January,” Glaze said. Taking a tour and visiting the school was another way to get more information on the schools and get a better idea of the programs that they offered. Glaze said, “We are very fortunate in Palm Beach County to have choice programs. Just make sure to turn in your applications on time, visit the school, understand and meet the requirements.

Transportation Crisis Timeline

At the beginning of the school year, the School District of Palm Beach County struggled with the most signiﬁcant transportation issues in the district’s history. Three months later, the district has seen improvements, but they say, “Efforts continue to improve upon our recent levels.”

On the ﬁrst day of school, 40 percent of buses arrived late, according to The Sun Sentinel. Some students reported that their stops were skipped altogether.

Less than one month after the problems on the ﬁrst day of school, Dr. Robert Avossa hired an independent ﬁrm to conduct a third party investigation.

The district announced the course of action they took to solve the problems, including reassigning employees from other departments to help in transportation, changing the starting and ending times at four middle schools, and hiring 75 bus drivers.

11-18-2015

News

The Portfolio February 2016

11-2-2015

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor any things are going on in Syria. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria group, otherwise known as ISIS, has been terrorizing the people there. Syrian refugees should be allowed into the United States. America has to try to help in any way that we can, as Germany has let in more than 800,000 refugees, and if the U.S. has only let in over a thousand, there’s a problem. As part of the United Nations, we as a whole should work together to help evacuate refugees and giving them a safe place to live. Humanitarianism is a very simple concept to follow. An article written by America’s Commissioner for National Interests states that some of our national interests are discouraging massive human rights violations in foreign countries, which we are failing to do. The opposing side may say that a terrorist could pose as a refugee. But, not all Syrians are terrorists. In San Bernardino, the main shooter was born in the U.S. and worked for the county. The refugees should not be blamed if the terrorist is a native. That is our problem, not theirs. On the security issue, a media release indicated that the American SAFE Act would strengthen the screening process by including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. It is our responsibility as a human community, not national communities, to care for those who are most in need. In this case, it is the refugees.

Con: Refugees create national security risk

8-17-2015

“H

Page 4

ISSUE 3 - WRITING

Pro: Syrian Refugees will benefit America

Page 3

The Portfolio February 2016

9-4-2015

Opinion

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

The district released the reports from law ﬁrm Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm, P.A. and the report from the Council of Great City Schools. As of Nov. 18, 2015, the district had an on-time performance of 95 percent.

Writing - On this page I wrote an article about the sixth grade communications showcase.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 5

The Portfolio February 2016

Page 6

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2’ hits theaters, ratings surge

Winter chills bring chocolate cravings

ISSUE 3 - LAYOUT

Photo courtesy of ew.com

“Mockingjay: Part 2” grossed in about $279.4 million worldwide.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ one of best in franchise history

Dunkin’ Donuts

Starbucks

Toojay’s Deli

Layout- In Issue 3, I had one page as it was the standard 12-page issue. This is page 5.

Tijuana Flats

Taco Bell

Chipotle

Moe’s

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor reviewed four taco restaurants based on cleanliness, customer service, taste, value, and cost. When I walked into Tijuana Flats, I was greeted by a friendly cashier who was knowledgeable about the excessive and confusing menu. At $3.30, it was the most expensive taco I reviewed. The taco had a good blend of ingredients and a unique taste, but it was so big that it was hard to keep it from falling apart. I gave Tijuana Flats three out of ﬁve

stars because of the helpful staff and price value. The next restaurant was Taco Bell. The restaurant was fairly clean, and I ordered a Crunchy Taco, which did not have much ﬂavor. The only ingredients were ground beef, lettuce, and cheese. The menu had a lot of variety and was easy to understand. The service was somewhat slow. The cashier was not paying attention to my order, either. At $1.19 per taco, Taco Bell was the cheapest place I visited. It also had the smallest taco I tried. I gave Taco Bell two and a half out of

ﬁve stars because it had a great menu, but poor service. Chipotle had the best customer service out of the four restaurants I visited. The cashier explained the menu to me with excitement. The food was even better. The ingredients were fresh, however there was a mediocre variety of toppings. The taco did not fall apart easily and had a lot of ﬂavor. The simple menu made ordering easy, and the food was out in no time. The taco was priced at $2.75 per taco. I gave Chipotle four and a half out

of five stars, deeming it the best taco I reviewed; the taco was delicious and the service was excellent. The final taco I tasted was from Moe’s Southwest Grill. The restaurant’s appearance was clean, and there was friendly customer service. I ordered a ground beef taco with a hard shell, which cost $2.99 per taco. While the overall taste of the taco was okay and the ingredients were fresh, the shell fell apart almost immediately. I gave Moe’s Southwestern Grill three and a half out of five stars; it had creative menu items but bland taste.

Oscar predictions give insight about winners The Oscars: By the Numbers 2- Number of Oscars’ director Steven

ISSUE 4 - LAYOUT

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune

Showing change from past years, Adele faces new challenges, such as motherhood. Her feelings are expressed through her music.

Entertainment

Crunch, the truth behind the shell

The Portfolio March 2016

Spielberg has purchased and returned back to the Academy. 5- Previous acting winners renominated this year. 10- Out of 11 of Warner Bros nominations were given to “Mad Max.” 11- Number of nominations for both “The Turning Point” and “The Color Purple” without a single win. 12- Number of nominations “The Revenant” got, making it the film with the most number of nominations this year. 13- People who are part of the EGOT club, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition. 14- Record number of wins for a single film, held by both “All About Eve” and “Titanic”. 15- How long the first Oscars were in minutes. 20- How many hours it takes to make a statuette. 23- Films who only got a single nomination. 25- The age of the youngest person to get four acting nominations (Jennifer Lawrence.) 26- Number of nominations FOX Studios got. 59- Walt Disney’s record-setting number of nominations. 87- Age of the oldest nominee for the best original score award (Ennio Morricone.) 88- Years since the first Oscars were held in 1928.

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager tarting out as a 15 minute ceremony with only 13 categories, the Oscars has now evolved into of the most watched television awards show. With plenty of categories, and even more nominees, it is a huge event for the film industry. Arguably one of the most major categories, I think that the 2016 best picture should go to “The Martian.” Getting a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “pretty sunny and often funny” and “destined to be a sci-fi classic”, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. With five final nominees, I think that the best actor in a lead role should be Eddie Remayne, for his work in “The Danish Girl.” Being cast as a transgender woman, he received a lot of praise, and the film itself was a success, receiving four Oscar nominations in various categories. As for best actress, I think that the chances for all of them are pretty equal, but due to all of the Hunger Games popularity, Jennifer Lawrence stands out a little bit. Another frontrunner in my opinion would be Charlotte Rampling for her performance in “45 years.” I think that the winner for the music category. will be either “Writings on the Wall”, from Spectre, or “Earned it”, from “50 Shades of Grey”. Both those songs debuted on Billboard top charts. Overall, the 88th Oscars are one worth watching, with the air date set as Sunday, Feb. 28.

Wahlberg and Ferrell ‘Daddy’s Home’:compete for father role

Courtesy of www.dealflicks.com

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg face off for role of father in the ﬁlm “Daddy’s Home,” which grossed about $234 million.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor otion picture, “Daddy’s Home,” hit theaters on Christmas Day 2015, and was directed by Sean Anders. The movie grossed $212.7 million. The movie began with Megan (Scarlett Estevezone), one of the children, presenting drawings to her stepfather Brad (Will Ferrell) that showed how apart he was from the family. As the pictures progressed, it was clear how Megan and her brother, Dylan (Owen Wilder Vaccaro) ﬁnally considered Brad as family. Throughout the story, the ex-husband,

Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), returns to his family after finding out his ex-wife (Linda Cardellini) remarried and tried to take back his family. “Daddy’s Home” was rated PG-13 for mature humor, suggestive content and language. It had a good plot and was funny. Although, the few effects that were added into the movie were surreal, and made the scene unrealistic. One scene where the stepfather, Brad, tries out Dusty’s motorcycle to “show him up” was one of many scenes where the two characters try to outdone another. In the scene, Brad did not know how to control it, leading to him crashing into the house. The special effects made the crash scene seem unreal. However, actors such as Hannibal Buress, Bobby Cannavale and John Cena brought comedy to the big screen. One specific scene in the movie was where Dylan, told Brad and Dusty how some kids at school were bullying him. At a father/daughter dance, they soon realize that their son’s tormentors were girls, yet they had taught Dylan how to fight his bullies. The director also did a great job with keeping the audience engaged all through the duration of the film; either by cracking jokes or creating a surprise twist. “Daddy’s Home” definitely kept the viewers laughing. I gave “Daddy’s Home” four out of five stars since it gave an entertaining plot, and talented actors, but minor parts throughout the film were unrealistic.

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March 2016 * Volume 19 * Issue 4 * Bak Middle School of the Arts * 1725 Echo Lake Drive * West Palm Beach, Florida 33407

Artist George Perez returns to Bak for a second time

Photo by Anushka Lakum

Renowned comic book artist George Perez visits Michelle Sherman’s sixth grade visual arts class. “One of the most gratifying encouragements is students embracing their talents,” Perez said.

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor amous comic book writer and illustrator, George Perez, returned to Bak on Feb. 23. His visit was organized

by the MSOA Foundation. “[Perez] is able to teach storytelling, character analysis, and creative writing, which are skills that will transfer into just many careers the world has to offer,” Susy Diaz, executive

director of the Foundation, said. Perez and his wife, Phoenicia Flynn, both interacted with many students. “I taught a masterclass in the morning to visual and communications students, and my wife taught three dance classes

this time. It was great,” Perez said. He has worked on countless comics, including “The Avengers,” “The New Teen Titans,” “Crisis on Inﬁnite Earths,” and “Wonder Woman.” Perez has inspired many people and shaped their views on comics. “I’m fascinated to see how quickly he brings a character to life and I have found myself paying more attention to artists’ names, in order to identify their work from their artistic style,” Diaz said. During the masterclass, Perez shared his process for creating characters and telling stories. “First he was just drawing quick sketches of characters that he made up, but then he started showing us how we can make a whole story from just a few ideas you can bounce off each other,” Manasi Patel, seventh grade communications major said. When people meet Perez, Diaz said, it “quickly turned into an adventure.” “He is incredibly kind, multitalented and a storyteller in every sense of the word. It’s hard not to get drawn in by his charisma,” Diaz said. People think of art in different ways, but this artist has his own twist. Perez said, “I like to think that being able to pursue a passion keeps the art alive for the next generation.”

Crocs, chokers make 2015 fashion flops list

Model Sherman Turtine wears clothing women don’t like on men, like baseball caps for all occasions, pants slung so low they reveal underwear and velcro sandals with socks. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Contra Costa Times/MCT

Eighth grade visual trip Continued on page 4

Photo by Ervin Williams

The Save the Arts Gala started with ﬁnger food and conversations, along with a showcase of live art. The drawings included painting, charcoal drawings, and portraits.

Theater in City Place, West Palm Beach, the goal was to raise money for the arts as well as to show a glimpse of the students in their art area. “Arts are languages that all people speak cutting across racial, cultural, social educational, and economic barriers and enhancing cultural appreciation and awareness,” Diaz said.

The MSOA Foundation put time and effort into making the gala a “night to remember” Retten said. “Diaz said, “All the money we raise [during the gala] will go straight to the school to pay for new materials the majors could use to continue their curriculum.”

Writing - On this page, I wrote an article about a famous cartoon artist who visited our school and I took the picture.

ISSUE 4 - WRITING

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor

showcase of the visual arts, the Save the Arts Gala, hosted by the MSOA Foundation, raised money to support the arts at Bak MSOA. “We were aiming to raise around $60,000 dollars net gain, and I deﬁnitely believed that we can reach that goal,” Suzy Diaz, Executive Director of the MSOA foundation said. Throughout the evening, there were select visual arts majors who drew or painted their art, while the guests mingled and observed the young artists. “It was an amazing experience for me, and I loved the fact that they liked what I drew,” Michael Retten, seventh grade visual arts major said. The gala then continued with a “star-studded performance by the Bak vocal majors,” Eric Camacho, one of the coordinators of the gala said. “[The Bak girls’ chorale] sang wonderfully, and I believe the audience saw what it was like to be a vocal major and sing on a stage,” Camacho said. Held at the Harriet Hummel

In an article written by Leigh Weingus on the Huffington Post website, wearing athletic clothes but not working out in them was called “Athleisure”, and many students, especially girls, wore athletic attire to school last year. These items were meant to be used while being athletic, not for everyday use. Nike’s apparel revenue jumped 10 percent in a recent quarter compared to the same period in 2013, while Under Armour’s apparel net revenue was also up 26 percent. Lulu Lemon’s net revenue was up 10 percent during their most recent quarter. Besides the fact that these fashion flops were not the best option to wear out, students feel that fashion let them express who they were. Sherry said, “Fashion has impacted my attitude because I feel more confident wearing clothing that is ‘in style.’” “I didn’t like the store Levi’s because most of their clothes were not very trendy or nice looking,” Voorhees said.

Box office flops fail to please Music gone wrong: unsuccessful

Eighth grade Save the Arts Gala raises money to fund schools visual trip By Ervin Williams expands students’ Technology Editor tarting the night with a bit outlooks on art of ﬁnger-food, drinks, and a By Angela Yan News Editor ighth grade visual arts majors embarked on the second annual trip to the Tampa Bay Area from Jan. 21-23. The purpose of the trip was to explore historical and unique art forms. “The visual trip showed me that art is a very universal form, and that it expresses feelings,” Tiffany Lumley, eighth grade visual major said. “It showed what was happening during the time art was made.” On the ﬁrst day, the group visited the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. The museum included handmade statuettes. “I’ve never seen such a wide collection of miniatures,” Lumley said. According to the Ringling Museum’s website, John and Mable, a married couple, gave the museum to Florida after their deaths.

By Jordan Taylor Website Editor n 2015, many fashion styles became flops. Crocs, athletic wear worn daily and animal tails and ears were some fashion no-no’s that should not return in 2016. “The flops in 2015 that I did not like were chokers, animal tails and ears, and fake, long nails, (like nexgen and acrylics)” Maya Voorhees, seventh grade communications major, said. According to refinery29.com, trends were not supposed to last forever, and getting a kick out of clothes before they go out of style was a good enough reason to buy it. “I try to wear things that other people are wearing because their styles are trending and I like to wear trendy clothes,” Abby Sherry, seventh grade communications major, said. Certain outfits should not have been worn to middle school. Students had their own opinions on clothing in 2015, as well as stores that were trending.

hroughout 2015, numerous movies have been produced. A number of them won awards. But some movies did not fare as well. “Jem and the Holograms,” for example, came out on Oct. 22, 2015. The producers spent $5 million, and they did not get any proﬁt, but rather lost $3.69 million, according to www.

Photo courtesy of freefuninaustin.com

“Jem and the Holograms,” lost $3.69 million because the movie came out decades after its TV show predecessor.

forbes.com. “The film is a non-starter that is unlikely to attract the intended target audience,” Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter, said. “Pan,” came out on Oct. 8, 2015. Since this was a more anticipated film, the production costs and losses were larger. The movie cost about $190,000 to make, and made $40.5 million in the theaters, but that did not make up for the $150 million lost, according to www.independent.co.uk. “There is enough going on in Pan to fill several movies, most of which you’ve already seen and perhaps enjoyed under other titles,” A.O. Scott of the New York Times, said. “Jupiter Ascending,” came out on Feb. 6, 2015. Its budget was $175 million, but it could only recover $19 million. “An instant candidate for the so-badit’s-sort-of-great hall of fame, the flick is totally bonkers,” Lou Lumenick of the New York Post, said about “Jupiter Ascending.” These movies were just a portion of the movie flops of 2015. Hopefully, 2016 will bring better films.

pieces throughout last year

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager

You used to play on my cell phone, late night till you went out of style.” 2015 was a year full of music, both the good, and the bad. One of 2015’s most widely anticipated albums, Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” started out as number one on the iTunes charts, and dropped to 37 in less than a week. The album made about 116 thousand dollars, less than half off what her last album, “MDNA” made. Music critics from Uncut said, “Rebel Heart almost gets the balance right, but at 19 tracks, most in the industrial party-pop style of cheeseball producers

Diplo and Avicii, there’s simply too much going on.” Featuring top artists such as Selena Gomez, there were high expectations for Zedd’s third album, True Colors. The album itself was a flop, starting at seventh and then dropping to 77 within a week. However, “I Want You to Know” (featuring Selena Gomez) stayed on the iTunes chart for over three months, rising and dropping, finally exiting at 95. A critic for The Rolling Stone said, “Zedd’s colors are often hard to tell apart.” Though many albums released don’t get their fair shine in the spotlight, some stood out as flops of 2015.

Writing - On this page I wrote an article about the worst movies of 2015.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Technology

The Portfolio April 2016

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Entertainment

Page 11

existence that is not bound by the conﬁnes of physics.”

Google self-driving car crashes into bus New drone races increase in popularity By Madaleine Rubin Co-Editor In Chief irtual reality headsets secured on tightly, controllers in hand, and drones whizzing by every second. The sport of drone racing utilizes all of these high technology elements to provide gamers with a blast from the future, rather than the past. According to myfirstdrone.com, drone racing is a sport where drone pilots strive to build fast and agile multi-rotors to fly around a set course as fast as possible. Drone racing is most commonly done using First Person View (FPV) systems. These systems allow drone pilots to fly their drones through three-dimensional courses at high speeds. FPV systems utilize

Photo courtesy cbsnews.com

ISSUE 5 - WRITING

On Valentine’s Day, a Lexus version of the Google self-driving car crashes into a bus near Mountain View, California. It was caused by a misunderstanding between the drivers, and some thought this was new for Google cars.

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor oogle’s self-driving cars have been driving on the road since 2009. However, these cars have been in 17 crashes, and this was the ﬁrst time the Google car was the cause. On Feb. 14, a Google Lexus selfdriving car was about to drive around some sandbags on the road in Mountain View, California. Both the car and test-driver assumed that the bus in the next lane would slow down to let them pass. The bus driver thought that the car would stay put until the bus passed. Both driver and car assumed incorrectly, and the vehicles collided. It was a minor crash, and there were no injuries. According to engadget. com, the Lexus hit the side of the bus at 2 mph, while the bus was going 15

virtual reality googles, which display a real-time video feed from an onboard camera. The ofﬁcial Drone Racing League, otherwise known as the DRL, hosts drone races at locations around the world where top pilots ﬂy high-speed drones in an arena. A DRL race is scored based on a combination of completion time and checkpoints drone pilots must successfully maneuver their aircraft through. In a typical drone racing season, there are six races around the world where pilots earn points. The pilots with the most points qualify for the World Championship race. For more information on this futuristic pastime, visit fpvracing.tv.

mph. The car’s front fender, wheel and sensor were damaged in the process. After the crash, people were afraid that the Google software could make the same mistake again and incorrectly predict a human driver’s actions. But in a statement, Google said that it made changes to its software to “try to avoid future accidents like this.” According to google.com, self-driving cars were not actually a new invention. The steering wheels and pedals were just removed, and sensors were added to detect objects in all directions. In a blog, Chris Urmson, the head of Google’s self-driving car program, said that in most crashes, the car was not at fault, and it was just humans at fault. Photo courtesy of New York Times Urmson said, “The clear theme is human error and inattention. We’ll take Flying high in the air at a speed equally as high, this particular drone whizzes past checkpoints in an arena. The tiny, agile style of the all this as a signal that we’re starting to multi-rotor allowed for it to reach such high velocities. compare with human drivers.”

Writing - On this page, I wrote an article about the Google self-driving car and how one crashed into a bus.

Graphic by Ashley Kulberg

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor hree hundred hours of video footage are uploaded on YouTube every minute. That translates to 172,800 hours every day. Many teenagers would consider YouTube an instrumental part of their daily lives. “I like YouTubers that can make me laugh when I’m having a bad day,” Berta Pavaci, seventh grade communications major, said. The company has rapidly gained momentum since its launch in 2005,

Scooping up flavor:

ISSUE 5 - LAYOUT AND COPY

translucent, tinted visor for the user to see. The company described this headset as “the most advanced holographic computer the world has ever seen.” Although the controller is designed to be the user’s hands, the product allows for a Bluetooth connection to pair it with a “clicker” which is a thumb sized device made for scrolling and selecting. The lens will also support a Wi-Fi connection, as well as an app that allows others to see what the user is currently seeing in the headset. Microsoft has announced that it will be putting a developer version of the product for sale on March 30 starting at $3,000. The battery life on the HoloLens is set to be ﬁve and a half hours for light use and two and a half under heavy use. It will also be compatible with Xbox controllers. Another feature that is currently being researched and possibly implemented is what the company is calling “Holoportation”. This feature allows the user to see another HoloLens user in a skype like manner but with the added bonus that the other person is projected as a full “Star Wars like” hologram. Microsoft has yet to reveal information on the general availability of the product to the public, but it is expected that it will be a while until the company ﬁnishes tweaking the headset and pricing for the HoloLens drops.

Page 5

Popular YouTubers pique students’ interest

Microsoft looks to future, unveils HoloLens

By Carlos Trivino Features Editor ince the announcement of the Oculus Rift back in 2012, many companies began to implement and develop their own virtual-reality headsets to compete in the newly formed market. The HoloLens itself is built in the form of a large pair of sunglasses with an additional headband for putting it on properly. Like other products, its purpose is to indulge the user in a virtual surrounding, giving the impression of being in the game. However, Microsoft made the headband to not actually use virtualreality, instead the product uses augmented reality by projecting the “holograms” onto the HoloLens’ visor. This makes the viewer experience the holograms as if they were in the same room as them. Microsoft stated the product as “bringing holograms to life in your environment where you can interact with digital content in relation to your real world, just as you do with physical objects.” Powered by Windows 10, the HoloLens works by using two cameras for video recording and depth sensing, four microphones, and a Photo courtesy of arstechnica.com variety of environment understanding Inventor Alex Kipman was behind Microsoft’s Kinect system. Now, he components such as an accelerometer is leading the companies’ new augmented reality rig. Kipman said in an capable of measuring the speed of the interview with Fast Company magazine, “Software is the only art form in user. Images are projected onto the

The Portfolio April 2016

Photo by Jordan Taylor

Out of four places, the Carvel brand ranks as the best ice cream with four and a half stars. Carvel has employed over a thousand people and it was founded in 1929 by Tom Carvel.

By Jordan Taylor Website Editor n the 1700’s, ice cream was introduced in America. According to icecream.com, this delicious frozen treat is still one of the most popular selling desserts. I went to four ice cream locations around the West Palm Beach area and rated them on their ﬂavor, texture, price, and customer service. Cold Stone Creamery is an ice cream chain that is located around the country. When I walked in, the overwhelmingly wonderful smell of sweetness and cream came over me. The service was

professional YouTubers. According to stageoﬂife.com, 49 percent of teens have uploaded a video to YouTube. “The best thing is helping people and making them happy,” Zoe ‘Zoella’ Sugg said in an interview with dailymail.com. No matter how many future accounts are created, YouTube plans to continue improving their services. Wojcicki, said, “The great thing about the Internet is you can launch a product, and within just a few hours, people will tell you what they think about it.”

and currently has 800 million visitors every month, according to socialbakers. com. “Someone who’s not afraid to tell jokes [is a good YouTuber],” Aidan Dunn, seventh grade theater major, said. Teens, especially, spend more time watching YouTube than any other age group, with an average of 40 minute sessions, according to YouTube. “When YouTubers make advanced videos with lots of graphics, I’m more likely to watch other videos they made,” Pavaci said.

Forty one point six percent of YouTube users in the United States regularly watch videos by their favorite YouTubers, according to statista.com. PewDiePie currently holds the record for most subscribers, with over 43 million. “If you’re a content creator, you’re going to look for two things,” Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO, said in an interview with recode.net. “You’re going to look for promotion and distribution, and you’re going to look for revenue. We have both of those.” Many teens aspire to become

Carvel wins against other ice cream competitiors

Inspiring ski jumper moves viewers

good, but they only had one employee that helped customers. The ice cream itself was very rich, with a smooth consistency. The flavor was strong, but not too overpowering. The price was not too high for the amount I received, about $4, so I gave Cold Stone a 4 out of 5 stars. Haagen-Dazs is also a very popular chain of restaurants. The service was okay, but the ice cream was extremely expensive, about $6, for the tiny scoop that was given to me. The flavors were very good, but it had a gritty consistency. The location was clean and they had a wide variety of flavors to chose from. I gave Haagen-Dazs a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Kobosko Kreamery has one location in Wellington, Florida. When I walked in, the place was clean and the service was okay. No one greeted me at the door and they did not seem very happy while I was ordering. The ice cream was very smooth, but it tasted artificial and unnatural. It was reasonably priced, about $3.50, for the amount I received. I gave Kobosko Kreamery a 2 out of 5 stars. Carvel has been around since 1934, and has been rated very highly by other customers, so I had pretty high expectations, and I was pleased with the taste and texture of the ice cream. It had a lot of flavor and was rich and creamy. The total price was reasonable for two scoops of ice cream; it costed about $6. The only negative comment was that the cashier was not very friendly. I gave Carvel a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor eleased on March 28, “Eddie the Eagle” grossed $15.2 million. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, this PG-13 film was based on a true story. Starting off as a kid, young Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) gave an insight of his huge dream of being part of the Olympics ever since he was a child. This inspiring story gave a moral lesson on never giving up and to always dream big. I felt that the overall film was exceptional with great music that caught the perfect moment in a scene like when Eddie got accepted into the winter Olympics. The music made it very moving and it made the audience cheer for Eddie as well. The film also had an amazing plotline since it took the viewer through each obstacle with the characters. This film gave viewers many suspenseful scenes. One of these scenes is when Eddie is trying out the 70 meter takeoff ramp for the first time. Eddie was very inexperienced, the audience was praying for a good outcome. Eddie is a very nerd-like, sweet dreamer with a strong passion. With lots of help from his friend and coach, Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), he was able to make it in his journey to compete in ski jumping in the winter Olympics. Actors such as Jackman and Egerton along with Tim McInnerny and Jo Hartley helped contribute into the heart-wrenching plot of the film by

adding dramatic and emotional scenes. I gave “Eddie the Eagle” ﬁve out of ﬁve stars because of its great acting, inspirational message, amazing music and perfect plot-line.

Photo courtesy of calgaryherald.com

Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) competes for the 90 meter jump for ski jumping in the winter Olympics, which was his all-time dream as a child.

Layout - In Issue 5, I had only one page. This is page 5.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Page 6

The Portfolio May 2016

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Arts & Academics

Entertainment

Family-run doughnut shops better than larger chains By Luke Stone Co-Editor-In-Chief ccording to Smithsonian Magazine, the ring-shaped doughnut was invented in 1847 aboard a lime trading ship by Hanson Gregory, after modifying his mother Elizabeth’s recipe. Since then, the recipe has been replicated and refined by large companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Entenmann’s. However, many smaller, family run vendors have also opened around the country, offering fresher doughnuts. In order to determine which doughnut was better, I went to three stores, “Dunkin’ Donuts,” “Publix,” and “Jupiter Donut Factory,” bought doughnuts and judged them on taste, texture, and size. The experience at Dunkin’ Donuts was mediocre. I ordered a glazed doughnut to keep things simple. The doughnut was better than I had expected. Although it was clearly jacked with preservatives, it still had a sweet flavor. However, the doughnut did not have that same feel that most fresh doughnuts have. I give Dunkin’ Donuts three and a half stars out of five stars.

Retiring teachers, staff say goodbye to Bak By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor his spring, Lisa Hanser, Benjamin Baxley, Janet Karvonen, and Robert Bauer will retire from Bak, leaving behind past experiences and memories. “My favorite part [of teaching] is just seeing the excitement on students’ faces when they get what a culture is really about,” Janet Karvonen, sixth grade world history teacher, said. Some of the retiring staff have worked at Bak since it opened, almost 19 years ago, and most have been teaching for years before that. “In 1997, I saw an article in the

newspaper about the school,” Lisa Hanser, seventh grade civics teacher, said. “I was so excited and applied right away.” Before settling in their current positions, the staff held some other titles and taught different subjects. “I began as a college teacher that taught how to teach children’s theater,” Benjamin Baxley, sixth grade arts exploration teacher, said. “And that’s what I’ve been doing at Bak for 12 years.” No matter why they plan to leave, the staff has simple advice for the teachers taking their place. “[My advice is] make sure that the arts

Photo by Luke Stone

At Publix, I ordered a chocolate frosted doughnut that were sweet and tasted relatively fresh. They had a great texture—not too chewy and hard, but not too soft. However, there was still one aspect that was a bit disappointing. The frosting

did not have a good consistency. It was far too runny and liquid for my liking. But it was still a flavorful and delicious frosting, had a good taste, so it earns a four out of five stars. The final place I went to was Jupiter Donut. The doughnuts were easily

the freshest, best tasting doughnuts compared to Dunkin’ Donuts and Publix. They were sweet, flavorful, and had the perfect texture. Because of its fresh, sweet, and exotic doughnuts, I give Jupiter Donut Factory five out of five stars.

ISSUE 6 - WRITING

product was poorly executed. Also, the movies relation to Snow White did not make sense. The narrator at the beginning states that the movie was set “the time before Snow White,” but at the end shows Snow White and her kingdom. It also shows that the queen whom Snow White destroyed, is still alive even though she had died in the original movie. The costuming was amazing, as was the makeup, but sometimes did not ﬁt the mood of the scene. Even if it more than less likely took hours to do on set, such as Freya’s war makeup, it did not help convey the message. Even though the movie was rated PG-13, there was a few scenes that would not be considered appropriate, such as the scene in the hot tub after a battle, for a 13-year-old watching this

movie with their friends. The plot, even though it had a few holes, was very well thought out, but some lines did not make sense. For example, the scene between Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sarah (Jessica Chastain) in the cottage after they meet again was confusing, and Eric’s lines were hard to follow. The movie vaguely reminded me of “Frozen”, but with a different ending. Freya (Emily Blunt) a mirror of Elsa, putting two sisters against each other for love, and confusing plot twists all gave the entire movie a more childish, “Frozen” like vibe. Overall, I would rate the movie a two and a half out of ﬁve stars, due to some shortcomings throughout the ﬁlm, but I would go see it if you liked “Frozen”, and have never seen Snow White.

‘The Jungle Book’ allows viewers to experience jungle life By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor irected by Jon Favreau, Disney’s animation “The Jungle Book” hit theaters on April 15, 2016. The ﬁlm grossed $103 million during its opening weekend. The movie was based on the classic tales written by Rudyard Kipling, and starts out with a shot of Mowgli, (Neel Sethi), a “man-cub” running through the jungle. Mowgli was found in a cave when he was an infant, and taken in by the wolves. The movie is about Mowgli’s journey through the jungle with his friends

Baloo, the bear (voiced by Bill Murray), and Bagheera, the panther (voiced by Ben Kingsley). One of the best parts of the movie is when Mowgli helped a baby elephant get out of a ditch. When Mowgli lived with the wolves, the pack leader didn’t approve of Mowgli’s “tricks,” because whatever he did was not the wolves’ way to do it. Mowgli gets the elephant out using his tricks, and that was a turning point in the movie, as his tricks were now being accepted. In the past, many other directors had remade Kipling’s books as well. For example, in Walt Disney’s 1967 version,

the animals looked very cartoonish and childlike. In this movie, however, even though it was an animation, the animals looked and spoke realistically. This was thanks to the new computer generated imagery (CGI) technology. In the movie, there were many musical scenes in which characters sprung up in song. There were three songs called “Trust in Me.” “The Bare Necessities,” and “I Wan’na Be Like You.” “The Jungle Book,” was a wonderful movie, with just enough musical moments, bright colors, and happy Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service tones to make it an amazing film. I rate The Jungle Book. (Walt Disney it a five out of five stars. Studios)

Writing - On this page, I wrote a movie review on my page. The movie was “The Jungle Book.”

Photos by Ashley Kulberg

there are many great opportunities there,” Hanser said. Baxley has had past experience in the performing arts and teaching theater, and would like to work in that industry after he retires. “Twenty years ago, I had a young man and woman in a play,” Baxley said. “They started a theater called Dramaworks, and I’ll be working there.” While working in theater at Bak, Baxley had many memorable experiences. “We were doing a show called ‘A Day in Hollywood, A Night in Ukraine,’ and the students who performed were so amazing that I forgot they were just 14 years old,” Baxley said. “That was one of the most amazing feelings I ever had.” Karvonen was one of the original teachers on the Bak campus. When she started teaching, she was involved in the arts. “What I loved about the original school was that every teacher was in the arts, so they could relate to the students. I was a dancer, speciﬁcally ballet,” Karvonen said. Bauer, too, had former arts experience. He had taught at Bak for 15 years. “[When I retire] I’ll probably get back to painting and making artwork,” Bauer said. With this school year coming to an end, new teachers and staff will take their places in the 2016-17 school year.

Student directed one act plays wow audience ONE ACT PLAYS PERFORMED Juvie By Jerome McDonough Directed by Nicholas Santana Rabbit By David Foxton Directed by Rose Pascal Cagebirds By David Campton Directed by Shaina Franks Red Carnations By Glen Hughes Directed by Joseph Zibura

ISSUE 6 - WRITING

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager tarring Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron as the Queen, “The Huntsman: Winters War,” came out April 22, but this movie did not quite meet its expectation. Receiving a sixteen percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and opening to $7.3 million, it fell way behind Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” I felt that the movie did not meet the expectations set for it, or its $115 million budget. The graphics were okay, and seemed cheesy at a few scenes such as when the goblins attacked the Huntsman and Sara (Jessica Chastain) the concept behind those scenes were great because the attacks ﬁt in well with the plot of the movie, but the ﬁnal

Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

come ﬁrst and remember to enjoy the kids,” Robert Bauer, assistant principal, said. Hanser earned her degree for middle school curriculum in Charlottesville, Virginia. She later moved to West Palm Beach and taught at Conniston Middle School. “When I taught at Conniston, all types of different incidents occurred,” Hanser said. “At Bak, nothing like that ever happened.” Like most retiring teachers, Hanser has ideas of what she would like to do after leaving Bak. “It would be nice to do volunteer work at Animal Care and Control,

Jupiter Donut Factory makes their doughnuts fresh every day at each of their ﬁve locations in Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Stuart, Boynton Beach, and Royal Palm Beach. They offer a variety of specialty doughnuts, including ones with red velvet, chocolate, and blueberry cake batter.

‘The Huntsman’ puts new spin on Snow White outcome

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War.” (Universal Pictures)

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Blind Date By Samara Siskind Directed by Juliana Pinto Three Guys and a Brenda By Adam Bock Directed by Marina Bertuzzelli The DMV By Nick Zagone Directed by Isabella Kaimakliotis Sure Thing from All in the Timing By Davis Ives Directed by Janelle Puckering and Dalia Rabinowitz

By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor he lights came up, and the crowd hushed as the actors became visible. Three girls dressed like men were seated in the middle of the stage, making jokes to pass the time. The play was “Three Guys and a Brenda.” “I think [Three Guys and a Brenda] was the best because it had a lot of humor and emotion and showed how the character were feeling,” Kate Ramirez, seventh grade visual major, said. Eighth grade theater students performed in eight one act plays through the month of April, from “Juvie” to “Rabbit.” “I think we all did really well with a lot of energy and I think the plays turned out great,” Miriam Colvin, eighth grade theater major, said. Although the plays were directed by both students and teachers, actors had a certain standard that they needed to reach. “There was a rubric that had skills to master, and the students had to learn those skills through their rehearsals and performances,” Sandra Tepper, theater teacher, said. Some students thought that the plays had room for improvement. “The ‘Juvie’ play could be improved

Photo by Anushka Lakum

Holding a clipboard, Sierra Miller acts like she is in a hurry. Miller, along with Katherine Cordova, Juliana Pinto, and Caroline Valenzuela, performed in the one-act play called “Three Guys and a Brenda.” It was about how a man who wanted to take out his crush to dinner.

the most because I think that the actors could go deeper into their parts,” Emma Ratchford, seventh grade band major, said. Because the plays were directed by students, cast members got a different experience. “[Students] learn to work collaboratively, and they are able to problem solve. It teaches them a new level of respect for each other,” Tepper said. Aside from being just plays, the

dramas had overall messages hidden between the lines. “I think ‘Rabbit’ gave the impression that you never know what the future holds,” Colvin said. Many students enjoyed the one act plays that were performed for them. “The actors portrayed their roles really well,” Ratchford said. As the actors said their last lines, the lights dimmed and the cast held hands and bowed. The audience got up to give performers a standing ovation.

Writing - On this page I wrote an article about the theater one-act plays that were going on in our school. I also wrote the copy in the sidebar.

ANUSHKA LAKUM

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

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The Portfolio May 2016

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Entertainment

Cracker Barrel brand proves flavor

Photo by Lily Gumbinner

Out of the three macaroni and cheese brands, Cracker Barrel was the best. Cracker Barrel is a chain restaurant and country store that founded in 1969.

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor hen life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Beyoncé did this and made millions of dollars in the process. “Lemonade” was Beyoncé’s second “visual album,” meaning that every song had a music video to go with it. Most of the tracks insinuated that Beyoncé believed her husband, Jay Z, was cheating on her. Some of these

ISSUE 6 - LAYOUT

Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

Layout - In Issue 6, I had two pages due to the staff ’s decision to go to a 16-page layout. This was the first page.

it two out of five stars. The final brand was Cracker Barrel. At first, I was not so sure about this brand because it had liquid cheese, where Kraft and Horizon had powder cheese. But, my opinions changed quickly. The smell of the warm liquid cheese and hot noodles created a wonderful smell, even better than Kraft. With my first bite, the flavors melted in my mouth and the texture was perfect. It was super cheesy and melty, and perfectly creamy, something that was lacking in the other two brands. The only downfall was the calorie count. It was much higher than the other two, and the ingredient list was very long. But overall, I gave Cracker Barrel Mac and Cheese a score of four and a half out of five stars.

suggestive lyrics have gone viral, such as “Becky with the good hair” in “Sorry,” one of her bestselling songs on the album. Beyoncé’s songs were ﬁlled with ambitious statements, proving her value over her supposedly cheating spouse. The album also sent feminist and self-image messages. The album debuted after an HBO documentary special, which got almost one million views.

Behind the looming theme of a cheating husband, the album highlights the emotional grief of black women. Beyoncé sings and raps about her ethnicity with pride. Sadness, anger, and paranoia are all key elements of “Lemonade.” The final track on the album, “Formation,” tied all of these emotions together. Due to “Lemonade’s” positive messages with deep undertones, I gave it four point five out of five stars.

Beyoncé attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Met Gala in New York on Monday, May 2, 2016. (Doug Peters/PA Wire/Zuma Press/ TNS)

Summer movies set to release By Anushka Lakum Entertainment Editor

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Set to release on June 3, 2016. Dave Green will direct it, and most are expecting this ﬁlm to reach more than $500 million at the global box ofﬁce.

The BFG

ISSUE 6 - LAYOUT

flavor that melted in my mouth. It could have been a bit creamier though, it was a little bit dry. It also had ingredients that I had never heard of, so it was not all natural. I gave Kraft an overall score of four out of five stars. The next brand that I tried out was Horizon Organic Mac. I immediately did not find it appetizing when I smelled it. It smelled bland and not cheesy at all. When I took a bite, it tasted exactly how it smelled. Horizon had pretty much no flavor at all. Its texture was similar to Kraft, not too bad but a little dry. I did love the fact that Horizon was all organic though. The ingredient list was very small and everything was natural. I was surprised to see that Kraft did have a lower calorie count compared to Horizon. Overall, I gave

Beyoncé’s album, ‘Lemonade’ insinuates cheating husband

Photo by Luke Stone

‘The Huntsman’ puts new spin on Snow White outcome

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War.” (Universal Pictures)

By Lily Gumbinner Photo Editor here is no doubt about macaroni and cheese is one of America’s most popular and satisfying dishes. Macaroni and cheese originated in Italy, estimated sometime around the late thirteenth century. I picked three brand name boxed macaroni and cheese and rated them based on smell, taste, texture, style, and nutritional value. The first brand of macaroni and cheese that I tried was Kraft. Kraft was founded in 1937, and one of the leading macaroni and cheese brands. When I first cooked Kraft, my entire house was filled with a wonderful cheesy aroma. My mouth was already watering. It had a nice, rich, cheesy

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The Portfolio May 2016

Finding Dory

Expected release on June 17, 2016. Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane will direct, and because of the popularity of “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory” is sure to have the same outcome. On July 1, “The BFG” will be in theaters. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this movie is based on the classic book by Roald Dahl.

Ice Age 5

Giorgi Chkhikvadze Contact: gpiano84@gmail.com

To be released on July 1, 2016, “Tarzan” is directed by David Yates. According to denofgeek. us, some think the date maybe changed as it runs on the same day as Spielberg’s movie.

The Legend of Tarzan

“Ice Age 5” expected release is July 15, and is directed by Michael Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu. The last two “Ice Age” movies have grossed more than $850 million in the worldwide.

Layout - In Issue 6, I had two pages due to the staff ’s decision to go to a 16-page layout. This was the second page.