The Eagle Eye - Volume 5, Number 1 - October 2019

Quarter One 2019 • Volume 5, Number 1

Design by Dara Rosen

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 5901 Pine Island Road Parkland, FL 33076

The Eagle Eye Quarter One 2019 • Volume 5, Number 1

Front Cover: Graphic by Darian Williams

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Contents Photo by Darian Williams

The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School or Broward County Public Schools. The publication is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. If you would like to advertise please call (754) 322-2150 or email MSDEagleEyeNews@gmail.com

Visit us at: eagleeye.news @HumansofMSD on Instagram @EagleEyeMSD on Twitter @EagleEyeMSD on Instagram @MSDEagleEye on TikTok

03 Letters to the Editor 04 MSD In Brief 07 Searching for Spaces Soaring to New Heights 08 09 Meet and Greet 11 Side Hustle 13 Trapped In Trauma

MSD student body shares their perspective on various issues

New developments occur at MSD

Lack of parking causes ongoing problems at MSD

Principal Michelle Kefford shares her plans for MSD

MSD welcomes new administration

Some teachers work second jobs to meet their financial needs

Graphic by Darian Williams

Editorial Board Dara Rosen Leni Steinhardt Zoe Gordon Brianna Fisher Editors-in-Chief

Ava Steil Katrina White Fallon Trachtman Ashley Ferrer Ryan Servaites Copy Editors

Nadia Murillo Jason Leavy Mackenzie Quinn Kaleela Rosenthal Assistant Editors

Darian Williams Brianna Jesionowski Photo Editors

Julia Noye Jenna Harris Sports Editors

Taylor Yon

Business Manager

Kacie Shatzkamer

Assistant Business Manager

Einav cohen Managing Editor

Staff Writers

Matthew Rosenthal Charlie Goodman Bryan Nguyen Anna Bayuk

Marisol Martinez Sam Grizelj Leah Ronkin Ivy Lam

Melissa Falkowski Adviser

MSD students and staff stuck in cycle of violence, traumatization and loss

14 Beyond the Binary 17 Seeing the world through our eyes TikTok Takeover 21 Documenting Despair 22 25 INSIDE THE IMPEACHMENT 26 Editorials 29 Let’s Get Physical Searching for Superstars 31 33 Welcome to the Show 35 Showing Spirit Transgender and non-binary students struggle with misgendering

MSD students share their experiences with discrimination

Social media app, TikTok, rises in popularity among students at MSD

Ian Witlen’s photography exhibit ‘Anguish in the Aftermath’ opens to public

The Impeachment Inquiry of President Trump stirs talk among MSD students

Free sanitary products should be provided in every female school restroom Gender-neutral bathrooms provide a safe space for those who do not identify as cisgender

Participation in traditional P.E. decreasing at MSD

Ryan Belk commits to Yale University to play football for the fall 2020 season Student athletes follow college recruitment process in hoped of playing collegiate sports Circus-themed Spirit Week creates enthusiasm for Homecoming Students and staff participate in Spirit Week from Oct. 7-11

Design by Dara Rosen

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pool Problems

Dear Editor, As a competitive swimmer and varsity water polo player, I believe we need a pool at MSD, at the very least, a pool in Parkland. All of the aquatic programs at MSD practice at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex, a first class institution, but it is a packed facility.

This is not a complaint about the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex.

However, it is a call to action to install a pool closer to school. The three big high schools in our northwest quadrant of Broward County share time at the Aquatic Complex: MSD, Coral Glades and J.P. Taravella. Other regional schools, like Coral Springs, travel 20 minutes to practice at Deerfield Beach High School’s pool, where they also share time with Monarch. The Deerfield pool is also a packed facility.

For MSD students who live in the northern edges of Heron Bay or pick up teammates, the commute to the pool can be as long as 30 minutes. Imagine arriving at school in time for class at 7:40, spending the day learning and eventually showing up to practice. By the time we’re done with a two hour practice, changing out of our swimsuits and drying off, we’re not home till close to 10 p.m. That’s all before we have to shower the chlorine off our bodies.

That’s just for evening practices; we play games at Deerfield Beach High School, Northeast High School and even as far away as Ft. Lauderdale’s or Nova’s pools. It would be nice to have home “pool” advantage. For those of us who join a sport that requires a pool, we have a seriously packed day.

Just imagine a pool at Pine Trails Park. I’ve looked at a satellite image of the park and compared it to some of the other pools we visit. There is a perfect spot in the north-east corner of the park.

It would be an investment, I understand that, but a pool at Pine Trails Park would benefit more than just the MSD swimming and water polo teams.

Parkland is a premier community, with premier schools, premier parks and more. We need a premier community pool. A pool would provide a year-round lifeguard and pool maintenance job; Parkland could profit from hosting local scuba classes.

We have students in the area who swim for competitive club swim teams, and Pine Trials Pool would bring our local athletes back home. I would be proud to swim at a Pine Trails Aquatic Center, and I would be even more proud to turn it into a packed facility.

Olivia Triggs, 11

Send us a letter Have something to say about school? Have something to say about a local, national or global issue? Have something to say about this issue of The Eagle Eye? We want to hear your opinions.

Email submissions to: msdeagleeyenews@gmail.com

Submissions must be between 100-250 words

Neutral Ground

Dear Editor, Every time a transgender student enters a sex-segregated bathroom, they face risk of bullying, rumors or even physical or sexual assualt.

The current MSD campus has three gender neutral bathrooms that students can access. One is in the clinic and the other two are in the media center. If the office or media center is closed, transgender students do not have access to a bathroom. If a trans student is in

the portables, the bathrooms are across campus, and the color coded bathroom passes can get them in trouble.

MSD has had multiple opportunities to instate new gender neutral bathrooms in places like the portables or the new building, but administration has chosen not to. Cisgender students have sixteen bathrooms across campus. We have three, and that depends on the time of day and if we have testing or not.

Caspen Becher, 11

Stop the (Pop) Quiz

Dear Editor, Teachers that give out pop quizzes to their students usually claim that it’s to remind them to read the textbook and study when told to do so. I’m gonna say it: pop quizzes are stupid.

Of course ,students should have good time management and learn the proper information earlier rather than later, but there are students that find it easier to study right before a test or just simply

cannot read the textbook one night because of personal problems, whether it’s work for other classes or issues at home. Those students’ grades should not suffer because they don’t study the way that teachers want them to. If a student isn’t studying at all, then just let them fail the test. It shouldn’t matter when students study, as long as they know the information on test day.

Kaitlyn Puller, 12

Students Expect More

Dear Editor, It’s really frustrating that our school has the resources, but refuses to accommodate the entire student population. We see this happen time and again–there are not nearly enough senior spots, the lunch lines are ridiculously long and the shortage of Homecoming tickets.

I understand there are around 3000 plus students at our school, but there is no reason I should spend 20 minutes in the lunch line, wait 15 in traffic at the light by school or have to park at Walmart and walk to the football games.

My boyfriend is the captain of the football team, and even he wasn’t able to

get a ticket for homecoming because they sold out so quickly. Homecoming wouldn’t even be possible without the football team!

I know so many other people that want to go, especially seniors that have never been, and it’s their last chance to, and I just don’t understand why tickets are $88 (most other schools in Broward average $65 and below), yet not even half of the school’s population is able to go.

Why does our school continue to exclude so much of the student body? I can only imagine prom.

Taylor Collins, 12

Gen Z, not Lay-Z

Dear Editor, Ever since I got into middle school, people, namely parents and adults, have always commented on how lazy my generation is. Now, I may be biased on this issue, but I have to disagree. Maybe we are a little addicted to the internet, but I think it has made us more worldly than our parents ever were at our age.

My friends and I have a world of information at our fingertips, and many of us take advantage of it, but can you really blame us if we sometimes just want to

watch Netflix? Maybe we don’t make the best decisions all the time, but we’re still kids. Kids are supposed to be dumb and make mistakes.

Did you know that in the 1930’s kids would swallow live goldfish just for the fun of it? I’m tired of being called the laziest generation just because we have electronics my parents didn’t have access to when they were our age. We are brilliant, brave and creative and we will prove them wrong.

Reese Lansman, 10

Under Unnecessary Pressure

Dear Editor, I believe that there is a lot of pressure on today’s students, especially at our school. We are all very competitive and are expected to always be perfect.

We are told that in order to go to college and have a good life we must always get straight A’s in all of the honors and AP classes we are taking. In addition to this, we must also participate in multiple extracurricular activities and volunteer projects.

This leads to a lot of stress and pressure. I feel that while some teachers in this school care about students are their well-being, others don’t care about students but just their grades and getting them through the class.

I feel that if students, parents and teachers work together, we can help students have more peace of mind while still doing well in school and having a successful life.

Nikita Nangia, 10

End the N-word

Dear Editor, The bigotry at this school never ceases to amaze me. I don’t think I can go a single day at this school without someone, who isn’t black, saying the n-word. It’s so jarring to see that people can’t see how offensive using it can be, but at the end of the day, what can you do? Every time I try to call someone out on it, I’m seen as the ‘angry black girl,’ but when I choose to ignore it, it almost always gets worse.

It honestly makes me so angry to an extent I can’t explain, but I always feel so powerless when I know I won’t be able to articulate how I feel. I wish people could see why it’s not okay, or maybe try to see things from the other side, rather than trying to excuse why there are no other words that can be used. Maybe someone will read this and have a huge epiphany. Until then, I guess I’ll just be the angry black girl.

Yasmin Gay, 10

Hoco Themes Weak Dear Editor, I think that we need to change the way we celebrate Homecoming week. Every year we do almost the same themes, like twin day or wacky day, and even though they’re fun, it’s getting old.

I’ve been seeing more and more people not dressing up, and most of the time when I ask them why, it’s because they don’t like the theme or because we did it last year.

Decorating the school more during the week could also help make it more fun, like having banners to take pictures in front of. Although we do some activities at lunch for the week, it’d be nice to have more things to do.

Taylor Stevens, 12

Gazebo, No Emo

Dear Editor, Have you ever thought about why the gazebo is called the Emo Gazebo?

‘Emo’ is an abbreviation for emotional. So everyone in the gazebo is emotional? That’s a stereotype.

Many times when people ask “Where do you eat lunch?” Some may answer “the Emo Gazebo.” And from experience, I can say that immediately people will go “oh” and walk away.

People judge those who eat in the gazebo.

Yes, we are nerds, and most may be gay. However, for all of us to be labeled as having depression or being emotional is rude. I believe we should rename the gazebo. I will leave the name up to others. But all I’m asking is for those of us who eat there to not be judged or hated for being there.

Many people even are SCARED to go in. I have even heard people say that if they go in they’re gay. Is being gay a bad thing? Going into a gazebo shouldn’t be stereotyped. No one should be judged for who they are.

Gabriela Bravo, 10

Letters to the Editor 03

New developments occur at MSD

MSD in brief

New Building on the horizon Broward County Schools starts construction on new building at MSD

which can trigger students with PTSD. The construction company and administration hold monthly meetings to talk about any concerns and discuss updates on the n Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, progress of the building. construction of a new building “We talk to [the construction started at Marjory Stoneman company] about certain dates and Douglas High School. It is designed to be times that we want to avoid very loud two stories, 45,000 square feet with 30 construction,” Kefford said. “There is a educational spaces, which include science lot of consideration and concern paid labs and regular classrooms. to ensure there is a strong separation There will be a patio on the ground between the construction area and any floor between the new building and interaction with our students and staff.” the 400 building. All of the rooms in The plan for the new building started the building will be equipped with new months before the actual construction of computers and laptop carts, something it. It had to go through a process known most current classrooms do not have. as a request for quotation (RFQ). The According to the official blueprints given administrators at MSD held a meeting on to Principal Michelle Kefford, the new July 16, 2019, to discuss details about the building has been numbered as 1500 by construction. the state of Florida.

“RFQ is a bid progress,” Assistant The building is expected to be finished Principal Jay Milmed said. “[the school]

by July 1, 2020, and once completed, the submits all of their bid proposals portables in Eagle Manor will be removed. downtown and a committee selects.”

Teachers in the portables have not been Students are already upset by the noise told which teachers will be in the new of the construction. However, no noise building or where they will move to once complaints have been formally made to Eagle Manor is removed. Administration administration. has not made those decisions yet.

“It’s frustrating that they work on it “We will look at who wants to go into during school hours because the noise the new building,” Kefford said. “We’ll can be very distracting and concerning at organize it probably in a way where times,” junior Arianne Mckiernan said. departments are together.”

Many teachers away from the Numerous concerns were brought construction do not have a strong opinion up throughout the planning process, on it; however, those with classrooms near including the loud construction noises the construction are disturbed by the

O

Building New Stories. Portal Construction Inc. started construction on the new building at MSD on Aug. 1, 2019. This will be the 1500 building, located between the 400 building and the 900 building. It is expected to be done by July 1, 2020. Photo by Darian Williams

noise.

“As the building is going on, I hope I’ll get used to [the sounds],” AP World History teacher Diane Wolk-Rogers said. “Although, I think there is certain [sounds] that they can do a better job of eliminating.”

The new building is still a work in progress and will be until the summer.

As the building comes closer to the end of construction, more details will be discussed between administrators and staff. Story by Brianna Jesionowski

From The Ground Up. The 1500 building will be two stories tall, with 30 educational spaces.

Photo by Brianna Jesionowski

Remembering Steve Manoj

MSD mourns the loss of sophomore Steve Manoj

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teve Manoj radiated positivity to everyone he knew. Born in India, Steve immigrated to the United States alongside his mother when she married his stepfather in 2009. Steve began his sophomore year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this August, taking an intensive course load filled with honors and AP classes. His teachers saw him as shy, sweet and diligent, after only two weeks into the school year. They took note of Steve’s kind and task-oriented persona.

One of Steve’s greatest interests in school was mathematics; he had plans to join the Math Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, under the supervision of math teacher Michael Powell. Powell taught him in Geometry Honors as a freshman and, by special request, in Algebra II Honors as a sophomore. Although described by nature as a quiet student, Steve’s bond with Powell over the years grew, due to their

04 News • MSD in Brief

shared passion for math and basketball.

The two would converse mainly about the basketball teams that they favored along with playing the sport.

“My main memory of him–when he completely [crushed] me in class–was when we did a game of HORSE... Because he was really quiet, I honestly didn’t think he’d be any good, and then he made every single shot and completely destroyed me in about 5 minutes,” Powell said. “He’s incredibly friendly… He was one of my firm handshake guys, always happy to see you, and always happy to be in class.”

Steve’s friend, Diago Ortiz, explained that last year during their Finance and Business Technology class, Steve was reliable. During a group project, Steve stayed on top of his responsibilities and demonstrated his talents as a team player. Ortiz also mentioned that Steve participated in athletics and spent much of his time playing for the Coral Springs recreational basketball team. Steve and his brother, junior Austin Mathew, practiced basketball daily to prepare Steve

for the MSD Basketball team tryouts; he had his eyes set on making the junior varsity basketball team this year and helping the team win Districts so that next year he would make it onto the varsity team.

Steve had a bright personality; his friends recollected the jokes that made the people around him laugh.

His energy emitted optimism, as he always tried to be the best version of himself.

“He always felt like positive energy. He was very optimistic, you know, it was hard to see him upset. It was very rare to see a frown on his face,” Ortiz said.

When he was not in school or playing on the courts, Steve spent his downtime gaming on his Xbox alongside his brother and munching on his favorite snack, M&Ms. The two would stray from Xbox often to watch their favorite show, an anime, “Naruto,” together.

Steve’s positive energy and uplifting character traits will be missed by many.

Story by Einav Cohen

In Loving Memory. Sophomore Steve Manoj poses for his 2019 yearbook photo. Manoj’s friends remember him as an avid basketball player with a bright personality and a love for Xbox. His teachers remember him as a taskoriented and friendly student. Photo courtesy of

Aerie yearbook

Design by Dara Rosen and Ava Steil

Meet the Mascot

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ith the start of the 2019-2020 school year, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School acquired a new addition to the Eagle family: a mascot. The Tony the Eagle costume was donated to MSD by Amazing Mascots.

Kelly Frank, the president of Amazing Mascots and the woman behind the donation, is childhood friends with Student Services Secretary Debra Wanamaker.

“I grew up in Sunrise, Florida and my next-door neighbor growing up, Debbie Wanamaker, is an employee at the school, and her two children attend. They’re like extended family to me, and when the tragedy happened, I felt terrible. I didn’t know what to do or how to help,” Frank said. “I decided to do what I could, and since I’m in the mascot making business, I wanted to gift the school a new costume.

Being a mascot has brought me so much joy, I wanted to give the students a chance to perform in a professional style mascot suit and have some fun.”

Frank was a professional mascot performer before getting into the mascot making business. While in high school, Frank learned how to make costumes with the help of her family friend and her

MSD receives mascot costume donation; SGA searches for student to become ‘Tony the Eagle’

home economics teacher. It escalated from there, going from an in-school business run with her best friend to a major company in Chicago.

“We got an awesome new costume, and we hope everyone will love interacting with it at all of our school events. SGA is reviving Rowdy Eagles. I am trying to lead this effort by ensuring we have students to support our athletes at every home game,” Student Government Association School Spirit Committee Head Max Wolfman said.

“We have a lot of plans for school spirit.

We encourage everyone to participate in ‘Eagle Pride Fridays,’ where you simply wear MSD apparel. We plan to have lunchtime spirit theme activities on some Fridays and increase overall school spirit on campus.”

Tony the Eagle made his first appearance at the 2019 annual Pig Bowl game against Coral Springs High School.

Senior Jacob Bigelman wore the mascot costume for this game, but will not be the permanent mascot.

The official mascot has not yet been chosen. Whoever is selected to wear the costume will remain anonymous until the Introducing Tony. Senior Jacob Bigelman wears the new school mascot, Tony the Eagle, at the end of the school year when SGA will host annual Pig Bowl game at Cumber Stadium on Sept. 20, 2019. The Eagles won 41-19 against a big reveal. Story by Matthew Rosenthal Coral Springs High School. Photo by Ariana Perez

Trouble with tardies

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or the 2019-2020 school year, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School implemented a new tardy policy to limit the chaos of late-comers in the morning.

Tardy students now have to come through the front gate starting at 7:40 a.m. and have their ID scanned. This updated process enables administration to keep track of all student tardies, preventing students from walking onto campus late without a pass, rather than students just walking onto campus and going straight to class without a pass.

In the morning when students come in before 8 a.m., they get a tardy pass at the front office and then are sent to class.

After 8 a.m., administration checks if a parent has called in for any of the tardy students and then will change the tardy from unexcused to excused. The students whose parents do not call in remain with an unexcused tardy in Pinnacle.

“It’s pretty much to help control the tardies and the flow, so that the teachers know when they get to the classroom that they did stop at the gate and that security has seen that they have their ID,” Student Services Secretary Debra Wanamaker said.

The first and second tardies are warnings, the third, fourth and fifth are detentions; the sixth and seventh result in internal suspension for habitual tardiness.

When a student accumulates an eighth tardy, they get external suspension for habitual defiance.

“We’re just trying to have more kids come to school on time because it upsets the learning environment and distracts teachers and kids,” Social Studies Academic Coach Jeffery Wasserman said.

“We just want to make sure that the kids are getting the education they deserve.”

Administration has three tardy carts for the three entrances onto campus, which are named after Harry Potter characters per math coach and behavioral specialist Anna Koltunova’s request. The carts print out a pass with the student’s name and picture, and then the student goes straight to class.

“The new tardy policy helps me get to class quicker if I’m running late because I can just grab a pass and go to class instead of waiting in annoying long lines to get passes printed in student affairs,” junior Capri Lica said.

Mondays and Fridays are the days most tardies are issued, likely as a result of the nearing weekend. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays have a lower amount of tardies issued. While Mondays can have around 100 tardies each, days in the middle of the week can have as low as 25. According to the MSD administration, the average number of tardies is typically between 25 and 40 a day.

“I’m a big fan of it [the new policy] because I’m helping lead it,” Wasserman said. “I think we’re seeing results.

Sometimes you see kids running [towards their classrooms] because they

beat by the bell 50%

Data collected by administration shows decline in tardies

MSD administration implements new policy to reduce student tardies

Fashionably Late. Students come late to school and have to line up to get tardy passes before heading to class in the morning. The new tardy policy requires students to get a pass to class, if they are not in class by 7:40 a.m. Photo by Darian Williams

understand that they got to go to class.”

Under the new policy, administration handles the discipline for students who are tardy during first period and fifth period, eliminating the need for teachers to issue detentions and further consequences during those two periods, which also happen to be the periods with the most tardies. Teachers issue consequences for students who are tardy during the other six periods, writing detentions and referrals as needed.

Most teachers support the new policy.

Per the teacher contract, the faculty at each school can implement a proactive behavior plan. Tardy policies fall under

unexcused tardies have been cut in half since the implementation of the new policy

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unexcused tardies a day since the new tardy policy has been in place

that plan. However, teachers originally voted on a stricter policy that did not allow for warnings before the first tardy would be issued. The current policy was presented to the staff by Kefford as an alternative, which the staff approved through an official vote in August.

“I think it’s excellent, especially first and fifth period. I’ve noticed that kids are getting to class a lot more on time this year compared to last year,” social studies teacher Dennis Kosobucki said.

The new tardy policy has been making the mornings smoother for office staff and students alike. Story by Taylor Yon

696

tardies on burgundy days in the first quarter of the school year

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tardies on silver days in the first quarter of the school year

News • MSD in Brief 05

Design by Taylor Yon

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Design by Brianna Jesionowski

Lack of parking causes ongoing problems for both students and staff at MSD

Searching for spots

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he construction of a new building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has created a parking problem for students and teachers alike.

Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, it was often common to see teachers park in the grassy field by the portables and 900 building. This was especially true for teachers who worked in that part of the school. However, when construction began on the new building in August 2019, those areas were no longer accessible to teachers. Now those teachers have to park in either the South Lot/Bus Loop, the East Lot in the front of the school or the designated staff spots in the North Lot/ Senior Lot. This displacement of faculty and staff led to a ripple effect. The loss of faculty spots in the construction areas required the school to designate more yellow staff spots for faculty in the Senior Lot; therefore, taking away spots that could have been sold to seniors. Additionally, the Senior Lot is a less desirable parking area for teachers, which has caused the South Lot to fill up earlier as teachers vie for more convenient spots.

“I live in Pembroke Pines. It’s no longer an issue of being here on time; it’s an issue being here at 7 a.m. in the morning, in order to find a decent parking place for me, which means my day starts earlier,” TV production teacher Eric Garner said. “A surprising amount of my life has been altered because of it.”

Because the faculty need more places to park, seniors are now out of space.

The Senior Lot parking only fits 400 spots compared to the 760 students in the senior class. With the teachers now parking in the Senior Lot, there were 350 available spots for students to purchase and out of those 350, only 67 were sold as personalized spots.

“Of course, students were upset because there were many people that wanted to buy a personalized spot, which I certainly understand. But of course, there’s only so many spots available...

Many people are going to be disappointed, unfortunately, no matter what, because there just aren’t enough spots to meet the demand,” Assistant Principal Daniel Most said.

Seniors could purchase their senior spots through the Broward e-store, an online web portal for school payments.

Senior personalized spots were supposed to be available for purchase at midnight on Aug. 1. However, due to an unforeseen glitch in the system, the website would not process any payments. It took a total of 45 minutes for the system to go back on. The 67 personalized senior spots sold out in 6 minutes, a record for the school.

“I immediately went to the e-store at around 11:55 p.m. and waited and just kept refreshing until the passes were online,” senior Alex Du said. “The whole website was simply loading too slow. I know it wasn’t caused by wifi from where I was from, because the wifi there was extremely fast. I think there was just too many people on the website at once, and it wouldn’t load fast enough for me. I kept

Need My Space Seniors park in the senior lot before school starts and walk towards the 800 building entrance to school. Photo by Darian Williams

typing my info in, and it wouldn’t log in until a minute later.”

Both students and parents complained about the glitch. Many emailed and called MSD, blaming this glitch as the reason that they did not get a spot. Some restarted their computer, looked away for a couple of minutes, simply fell asleep or went to bed due to the time that the spots went on sale.

“They knew seniors were going to be trying to get it, so they should have been prepared for the traffic,” Du said.

The MSD administration sent out a parent link to parents of all MSD seniors via email and a phone call in order to clear up any misconceptions about the situation. The MSD administration has no control over the e-store, which is managed by Broward County Public Schools.

On the following day, Aug. 2, regular senior parking spots went online for purchase at midnight and also sold out in 6 minutes. This too was met with complaints and complications.

“While we certainly understood that people were upset, there were some people that wanted us to start all over again. And we said, that’s not necessarily fair, either,” Most said. “So while there were pros and cons to all of the different solutions we considered, because at the end of the day, the glitch did affect everybody equally.”

Any senior who did not receive a parking decal for either a regular parking space or a personalized parking space were told that they would have to either park at North Community Park, take the bus or find other ways of getting to school.

Students were able to request to be put on the waiting list. Initially, there were 85 seniors on the waiting list. As of Oct.

“

d, te in o p p a is d e b to g in Many people are go e r e th e s u a c e b t, a h w ter unfortunately, no mat d. n a m e d e th t e e m to ots just aren’t enough sp

10, 2019, there were still 35 seniors on the waiting list for Senior Lot decals.

Du was not able to purchase a spot, but went on the waiting list. He purchased a decal for North Community Park, where he parked for first four weeks of school.

Du ultimately made it off of the waiting list.

“When I had to park in the junior lot [North Community Park], I had to wake up at least 15 minutes earlier for a good spot, or 10 minutes later, if I walked a longer distance,” Du said. “It made my commute around 15-20 minutes longer in the morning and afternoon, due to traffic in the lot, and a 10-minute walk to the lot itself.”

Additionally, juniors who participate in dual enrollment anticipated that they would be able to park in the Senior Lot as well, which had been the practice for the last few years, but after all the spots sold out, that was no longer possible.

“Our plan this year was that day one was going to be senior personalized, day two was going to be a senior general and then day three was going to be the junior dual enrollment. On our website when we originally posted it, that’s what we anticipated,” Most said. “However, the demand was far exceeded. We thought there might be some spaces left over for juniors, but unfortunately, they sold out too quickly.”

Compounding the parking issues, there is construction currently happening at North Community Park, as the city turns two of the grass fields into turf fields.

The construction equipment is taking up the parking area closest to the school, forcing students to park farther away. The overflow of seniors now parking there

”

and the combination of sophomores and juniors parking there as well, has led to the perception that there are not enough spaces at North Community Park. Because of this, juniors are turning to parking in the Walmart parking lot or parking in sub-communities near MSD and walking to school.

“I have heard stories of students parking at Walmart and walking and students parking in the neighborhoods and walking. You know, that’s not something the school condones, because we want to make sure that everybody is safe,” Most said. “But of course, we also don’t have the authority to enforce parking off of our school campus, so we can’t control that. But I would certainly never encourage any students to go ahead and do anything that might potentially be unsafe.”

The City of Coral Springs is still selling spaces for students at North Community Park, as they have not sold out.

Going forward both faculty and student body alike hope for a solution to this parking problem. Teachers on the faculty council are working with administration to find solutions for faculty parking.

The school has asked the BCPS Facilities Task Force to consider adding more spots in the South Lot, and Principal Michelle Kefford has asked the construction company to look into adding additional spaces near or around where the new building is being constructed.

More teacher spaces would in turn mean more spots for seniors and would lead to a more convenient parking process for everyone involved. Story by Leni Steinhart

News • Parking Situation 07

“

ever n ld u o w I ; e iv t a r o b a It’s all coll ge n a h c a e t a t ic d d n a want to come in of all n io t a r e p o o c e h t t u being made witho . n io is c e d e h t in d e lv the people invo

”

Soaring to New Heights

Keeping in Touch. Principal Michelle Kefford records her weekly ParentLink phone call. These calls help to keep MSD families up to date on school activities.

Photo by Joyce Han

T

he beginning of the 2019-2020 school year has brought several changes for both the students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In addition to new classes, teachers, and students, the pupils at MSD are also welcoming their new principal, Michelle Kefford.

Before taking on the role of MSD principal, Kefford held the same title at Charles W. Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines for nine years. During the 2018-2019 school year, she won the State of Florida’s Principal of the Year award.

In addition to her previous experience as a principal, Kefford taught at MSD in the science department as a biology teacher for six years. As she furthered her educational career, Kefford stayed within the boundaries of the Broward County School System.

“I had a lot of great examples at MSD and a lot of great mentors,” Kefford said. “I feel like it laid the foundation and shaped the person I am today.”

Kefford visited MSD at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, when she was invited by MSD’s acting principal, Ty Thompson, to revisit the school. Before beginning her term at MSD, Kefford was excited to see how her old teaching grounds had changed since she was away.

“Thompson and I spent the day going over some of the different things with the school; the different programs and things that are going on. I cannot wait to get to meet with everyone and interact with everyone,” Kefford said in an interview

08 News • New Principal

with the Eagle Eye in May 2019. “As a principal, I can be very involved and the students are my favorite part of the job. I cannot wait to get to know the students very well and help celebrate their successes and walk with them on this journey.”

Despite the mixed emotions following the announcement that Kefford would be replacing Thompson as the MSD principal, some teachers have come to embrace the change.

“I think that she is going to be a great addition [to MSD] because she is ready to start getting to work,” science teacher Caitlin Hanley said. “She’s a very clear, glass person, making sure people see and know what’s going on at school.”

Now that she is officially leading the school’s administration, Kefford is ready to begin helping the school make progress.

The first act Kefford made as principal was to implement a new school-wide tardy policy. (For more information read Trouble with Tardies on page 5.)

“I think the tardy policy is a really good thing,” English teacher Sarah Lerner said. “It holds students more accountable, especially my fifth period seniors. I don’t like teaching to myself, and the policy gets them to class faster.”

One initiative Kefford started is Kefford’s Kitchen, a once-a-month lunchtime get together between her and ten select students.

“I thought that would give me a good opportunity to connect with the students,” Kefford said. “I’m really excited

Principal Michelle Kefford shares her plans for MSD during the 2019-2020 school year

about having the opportunity to eat with my kids. Honestly, that’s the best part of this job; it’s why we [educators] do what we do.”

The emotional health of both students and staff has become a priority at MSD since the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. With the arrival of the Wellness Center and its subsequent counselors, the topic of mental health has become more open for discussion. Kefford hopes to continue this trend during her new position as principal. Not only does she plan to address the emotional requirements of her students, but Kefford also hopes that they come to see her as someone they can turn to.

“Just being able to listen to their needs and being able to deploy the resources, wherever they’re necessary, whatever they may be,” Kefford said. “It’s determining what each student needs on an individual basis and providing those resources, whether it be academic, whether it’s social or emotional.”

When it comes to the staff at MSD, Kefford plans to get to know them on a more personal level. In addition to Kefford’s Kitchen, principal Kefford started Mid-Week Muffins with Michelle.

While Kefford’s Kitchen is aimed towards students, Mid-Week Muffins with Michelle is focused on teachers, as an opportunity for them to voice any concerns they may have.

“The teachers will have the opportunity to come in and speak with me once a month and speak to me freely,”

Kefford said. “But they can also come to me anytime. Relationships are very, very important to me.”

Being there for the student body is not all there is to being a principal. Principals have to worry about graduation rates, test scores, and accumulating school accolades.

“We already have the foundations for excellence; we have excellence,” Kefford said. “What we have to do is, we have to just make sure we are very strategic about how we are doing our curriculum [and] very strategic about how the learning opportunities we are providing to our kids are formatted. The rest will take care of itself.”

While the new tardy policy has been implemented since the first day of the new school year, more changes have yet to be made. Kefford has been taking her time and examining every process already in place at MSD in order to determine what needs to be altered.

“Right now we’re just in the process where we’re making small adjustments to things,” Kefford said. “It’s all collaborative; I would never want to come in and dictate a change being made without the cooperation of all the people involved in the decision.”

Despite almost 20 years of educational experience under her belt, Kefford’s term as principal at MSD is still in its infancy.

As the school year continues, so will her efforts to help improve the standards of education and emotional well-being at MSD. Story by Ava Steil

Design by Ava Steil and Nadia Murillo

Meet and greet Tariq Qaiyim

Daniel Most

Position at MSD:

Position at MSD:

Position at MSD:

10th Grade Assistant Principal

11th Grade Assistant Principal

Job Responsibilities:

Job Responsibilities:

Job Responsibilities:

Academics/Discipline, Response to Intervention, Science, Facilities, Transportation

Academics/Discipline, Language Arts/Reading, Dual Enrollment, Literacy, PTSO/Volunteers

Academics/Discipline, Mathematics, World Languages, ESOL, PASL, SAC/SAF/SIP

Years Working in BCPS:

Years Working in BCPS:

Years Working in BCPS:

16

16

18

Q

one goal for this school year is to “reallyMy number get to know the freshman class and other students. ”

D

Position at MSD: 12th Grade Assistant Principal

Job Responsibilities: Academics/Discipline, Social Studies, Extended Learning,Mentorship/Recovery Programs, Partners in Education 25

Ivette Figueroa

9th Grade Assistant Principal

aiyim doesn’t consider coming to work to be his job, because his job is a part of who he is.

He hopes that what he has done so far has helped MSD. On a day-to-day basis, Qaiyim assures that the freshmen and all of the other students are given the highest quality education possible, and that means communicating with parents, students and staff to make sure that happens.

Years Working in BCPS:

MSD welcomes new administration with the start of the 2019-2020 school year

M

ost feels that his job is important because he came from a family of educators. He thinks that receiving the opportunity to work with young people and help them prepare for life after high school, whether that’s college, workforce, military, etc is crucial. He thinks it is the most important job because before anybody can become a doctor, lawyer, police officer, firefighter, etc., they have to graduate from high school.

to make sure that our students “Iwhowantneedto continue extra help are getting all the resources they need to achieve and grow. ” Sandra Davis

avis wakes up knowing that she is going to work, and she feels that it is more of a lifestyle than a job. Additionally, her and her fellow administration are constantly trying to figure out what opportunities and support they can provide to the students. This allows students to discover their passions, strengths and weaknesses, so they can work on them while they still have a support system at MSD. One of the cool things about her job is that every day is different. Her favorite part of the day is when she’s in classes observing the students.

one goal this year, professionally, “ Myis tonumber really support the staff and students in any way I can; that’s my job. ”

Daniel Lechtman Position at MSD: Job Responsibilities: Master Schedule, Guidance, Fine Arts, P.E./ Health/JROTC

Years Working in BCPS:

L

echtman feels that his job is important because he is helping students. Lechtman taught at MSD for 10 years, and last year, he was reassigned here as an administrator from Lyons Creek Middle School. Although, the district decided to place Lechtman at MSD, he is happy to be back. On a dayto-day basis, Lechtman handles guidance situations with parents, observes teachers during classroom walk-throughs and deals with any situations that require administrative intervention.

to bring the school back to what I “ [I hope]remember it as, as a teacher. ”

Job Responsibilities: Security, ESE/CTE, Athletics, Activities Years Working in BCPS: 25

I want [the PASL] program to grow to be “successful, and I want those kids to soar.

M

Jay Milmed

”

ilmed’s job is important to him because he likes to see the overall picture of education. When he used to teach, he felt that he could do a lot more if he was outside of his four walls of a classroom, so 16 years ago, he became an administrator.

He feels that he has really been able to evoke the changes in school by being outside and doing more with the overall school climate rather than just his students. Milmed came to MSD because he followed Principal Kefford from Charles W. Flanagan High School. He is over activities and athletics and deals with ESE, however, his routine changes day to day.

bringing smiles back to “I hope to accomplish everyone’s faces. ”

Jeffrey Wasserman

Anna koltunova

Assistant Principal

15

Position at MSD: Assistant Principal

F

igueroa loves her job and working at MSD. She has been working in education for 30 years, and she wouldn’t want to work anywhere else other than in a school. She loves working with students and their parents. She feels that you have to create an atmosphere that makes you feel good and want to go to work. When she first started working in education, she would love waking up in the morning and going to work, and to this day, she still feels the same way.

Position at MSD:

Position at MSD:

Behavioral Specialist & Mathematics Curriculum Specialist

Academic Specialist & Assistant Athletic Director

Job Responsibilities:

Social Studies, Tardies

Student Behavior & Discipline, Mathematics Support, School Website & Communications

Years Working in BCPS:

Years Working in BCPS: 4 oltunova’s job is important to her because both of her parents are teachers. When her family moved from Ukraine when she was younger, they were able to succeed and have a good life, due to her parents’ education. She wants to show other students that they can change their circumstances through education.

K

work with the [math] teachers “ I andhopewethatcanI canall share a similar idea as to what we can take to our students to help them grow.

”

Job Responsibilities:

1

W

asserman’s job is important to him because he feels he is making a difference by helping kids who want to succeed.

Wasserman came to MSD because it was a great opportunity. He was raised in Coral Springs and graduated from J.P. Taravella High School. He used to live in Titusville and worked at Boca Raton High School for the past two years. He wants to bring happiness, positivity and energy back to MSD.

for this school year] is for all of you “ [My goal[students] to have an amazing year. ” News • New Administration Team

09

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Side hustle

Design by Brianna Fisher

Some teachers work second jobs to meet their financial needs Second Job Sensation. Fireworks explode in a display set up by the pyrotechnical company that English teacher Aaron Avis works for. Photo courtesy of Aaron Avis

Hard at Work. English teacher Aaron Avis sets up the fireworks for a Miami Dolphin’s halftime show.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Avis

Ice Ice Baby. AP Environmental Science teacher Tammy Orilio gives tours of wildlife and geology in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Tammy Orilio

C

amp counselor, financial advisor, tour guide—these are just some of the extra jobs that teachers have picked up, in order to support themselves and their families.

Ranging from finance to baking, teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have combined their interests and talents to make their standard of living more comfortable.

Due to low teacher pay in Florida, teachers have been trying to find other ways to make money.

According to the National Education Association’s annual report of average teacher salaries, Florida fell from 45th to 46th in the nation in 2019. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor, 1 in 5 teachers in the United States work a second job.

On top of responding to students and planning lessons throughout the day, some teachers juggle the stress of having to go to another job directly from school.

Other teachers have picked up seasonal jobs, splitting their time between school and summer work.

“Most teachers, especially young ones, need a second job,” math teacher James Gard said. “College education is grotesquely expensive, and there are still loans that are terribly high. While the pay is okay to start, it is extremely difficult to get big pay jumps and move up.”

Instead of staying within the education field, Gard has been doing people’s taxes for the past 30 years. With over 125 clients, including 15 corporations, Gard spends his after school hours calculating taxes and filling out paperwork.

“I got into it because my entire family does math and taxes; my grandfather has

“

been doing taxes since he got out of World War II, and my father has been in finance all of his life,” Gard said. “It’s certainly a lot of extra money, but in my case the extra money I make goes towards my son and his education, as well as traveling.”

Polar opposites from teaching, English teacher Aaron Avis works for a pyrotechnical company, putting on firework shows for sports teams like the Miami Marlins and Miami Dolphins.

Avis is in charge of building the shows, replacing the fireworks and making sure that everything is safe.

“Me and my friends have been into fireworks for years, so it was kind of cool to be able to do it professionally,” Avis said. “It worked out perfectly because I was going to college, and I just had the time, and also a lot of shows were at night or during the weekends. It’s perfect now because I have to be at the stadiums so early, but we really aren’t doing anything, so I usually just bring my papers to grade, and I can get both jobs done. These two jobs work perfectly together; I feel lucky that it worked out.”

Taking advantage of her summers off, AP Environmental Science teacher Tammy Orilio travels to Alaska in the warmer summer months. After a visit in 2012, Orilio knew that she wanted to spend more time exploring the state’s landscape and environment. In 2013, Orilio applied for a job at Kenai Fjords National Park as a tour guide on a ship that takes visitors out for the day to different glaciers and islands.

“I am a first mate and second-incommand on the ship, so it is basically just me and the captain,” Orilio said.

“We are basically giving our passengers

eed a n , s e n o g n u o y y ll ia c Most teachers, espe is it , t r a t s o t y a k o is y he pa t e il h W . .. b jo d n o c e s e up. v o m d n a s p m ju y a p get o t lt u c fi if d ly e m e r t x e

information about the wildlife and geology and all of the cool stuff we see.”

Speech and Debate teacher Jacob Abraham also has a summer job. Ever since the year before he started college, Abraham has worked at speech and debate camps, starting as a camp librarian and advancing to a curriculum director.

Abraham teaches middle and high school students skills and tips in order to succeed in debate competitions.

“The nice part about teaching is that you do get a summer, but if you don’t make enough teaching during the year, you can find some sort of education-based employment which is awesome,” Abraham said. “A lot of the kids who work those camps are college students, so that’s their summer job. Most of the adults though are professional high school speech and debate coaches. If they want any sort of disposable income, or if they don’t make enough during the school year, they can take those kinds of jobs to make ends meet.”

English teacher Coral Bachen is a consultant at Lindamood Bell Learning Processes, a learning center for students who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia or other kinds of learning disabilities. Bachen has students that range from 4 to 44-years-old, helping them with fluent reading, decoding and comprehension skills.

“I started because I needed to get some experience with students, especially

because I was about to graduate and become a teacher,” Bachen said. “Even though having the second income really helps, I just stayed because I really enjoy it. I went from being a sub-clinician to a consultant, and I keep coming back because I like seeing the kids there. The second income in the summer really helps.”

Also utilizing her professional talents outside of school, Culinary Arts teacher Ashley Kurth started a business as a chef consultant and owner of a pastry corporation. Kurth bakes pastries for special parties and events, as well as hosts private cooking lessons at clients’ houses.

“I’ve always done my pastry [business] on the side because that was my background coming from the industry,” Kurth said. “When I started teaching, I had lots more people ask me to come to their house to do cooking lessons. It bloomed from that to me transforming into a pampered chef, which is an adult style cooking show where you can sell a lot of the equipment that I happen to use a lot at my house.”

Whether teachers work second jobs for the purpose of money or pleasure, an increasing number of teachers are taking on extra responsibilities with the hopes of bettering their lives. No matter the occupation, teachers are able to participate in their hobbies while creating a second source of income. Story by Brianna Fisher

”

Feature • Teacher’s Second Jobs 11

MSD students and staff stuck in cycle of violence, traumatization and loss

Trapped in

Trauma S weaty hands trembling. Knives of chest pain piercing between ribs.

Breath growing shallower and quicker with each breath inhaled and shakier with each exhale. Heart rate tripping over itself. Eyes glazing over as vision turns inside. Instead of seeing surroundings, seeing only distressing snapshots of the past. Instead of focusing on any sound, hearing only running dialogue of anxious thoughts. This is what retraumatization feels like, and this is the daily reality for many at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who deal with PTSD and anxiety.

Reliving the Memories

According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of Sept. 3, 2019, there have been 289 mass shootings in the United States.

Two hundred eighty-nine headlines that have stolen the spotlight on phones and televisions; 289 communities forever changed. The repeated incidents of mass shootings has caused some in the MSD community to relive their trauma.

According to the Soldiers Project, “Retraumatization is the emotional and physical state that someone with PTSD tries to avoid because it feels like the event is happening again. It could be brought on by similar surroundings, information taken in by any of the senses (hearing, seeing, etc.), dynamics (loss of power, control, or safety), or situations.”

The yearly celebration of the Fourth of July is one of the common situations where gun violence victims experience retraumatization. Individuals suffering from PTSD can be triggered by the sounds of fireworks.

Trigger Warning

MSD students and staff members report that monthly code red drills are frequent instances of retraumatization for them.

“Code red drills [bother me] more than fire drills just because I was in the actual room that normally set off the fire alarm,” Culinary Arts teacher Ashley Kurth said.

“The code red drill definitely [affects

“

me]—it’s a tingling feeling on the back of my neck and a slow kind of coldness that creeps over my head; sometimes your mind fogs and wipes out and you gotta just stop, take a moment, breathe and just reground yourself.”

Based on a survey of 280 juniors and seniors at MSD, 46% said the code red drills continue to affect their mental health. This survey represents solely the opinions of students who were present at school on Feb. 14, 2018.

“The fire drills and code red drills still impact me to this day because they remind me of that day and traumatize me,” senior Maha Anwar said.

At times, police presence on and near campus can also be retraumatizing.

According to the same survey of 280 MSD juniors and seniors, 58% said they feel nervous when there is a large police presence around them. This feeling of uneasiness occurs because students experienced a similar presence of police on Feb. 14, 2018.

“The first day back [to school after Feb. 14, 2018, when the police officers were at MSD] it made me feel pretty great; it was nice to feel supported, especially by people who are supposed to protect us, but now it honestly just makes me a little nervous,” senior Haley Shepard said.

News trucks parked around the perimeter of campus have also been known to make students feel unsettled on their way to school. The number of news trucks that are constantly around MSD and the helicopters that fly over campus and Pine Trails Park at every MSD related event have further traumatized the MSD community.

As recorded by the same survey of 280 juniors and seniors at MSD, 80% become wary or unnerved when news trucks or helicopters are present around MSD. These feelings of retraumatization occur because of the news stations that have followed members of the MSD community around since the shooting. “[When news trucks and helicopters are at MSD], I get angry, especially when it’s just a random Channel 7 news truck

you l o o h c s is th t a r e h c a te Unfortunately, being a nah n a H h it w r e rd a h s a w ids... It k g in s lo to d e s u t e g have to et e w s r e p u s a s a w e h S onally... rs e p o s r e h w e n k I e s becau rybody. e v e r fo t s e b e th d te n kid that always wa 12 Feature • Trauma, Violence and Loss

parked under the overpass,” Shepard said.

“Like what are you even here for? You got your story; now leave us alone.”

Retraumatization does not only occur in instances close to home. Seeing or hearing accounts of different shootings in the news or on social media can be just as triggering as code drills. For survivors of gun violence, feelings of anger, sadness and anxiousness can be quickly brought back to the surface when seeing reports of new gun violence acts. Based on the same survey of 280 MSD juniors and seniors, 59% said they feel retraumatized when they see news involving a shooting.

“For people with post-traumatic stress disorder, the past can return at any moment. In response to triggering circumstances or events, which usually involve some type of sensory or emotional stimulation, they may relive or remember the traumas that affected their lives so deeply, with varying shades of intensity,” according to an article by Bright Quest Treatment Center, a psychiatric center to treat complex mental health disorders.

“While a wide range of occurrences can affect PTSD sufferers, there are some triggers that provoke especially strong reactions, powerful enough to make it seem as if the terrible events are happening all over again.”

Publicity of similar occurrences of one’s own trauma often times brings back memories or feelings that were felt at the time of the event. “[When seeing news of a shooting] it kinda brings me back to the day. I get a little sad, reflective, and I feel for the people who are going through it,” creative writing teacher Stacey Lippel said. “It just sort of takes me back to exactly how I felt; it kind of makes me feel helpless.”

[sophomore Steve Manoj’s death] hit me even harder, just because there wasn’t a lot of chaos around it,” math teacher Michael Powell said.

Everyone handles tragedies differently and, in turn, copes and heals in various ways.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, MSD alumna Hannah Bonta and her mother were killed in an act of domestic violence. The loss of yet another MSD alumni has reopened wounds for those who knew and taught Bonta during her time as a student at MSD. “Unfortunately, being a teacher at this school you have to get used to losing kids... It was harder with Hannah because I knew her so personally... She was a super sweet kid that always wanted the best for everybody,” history teacher Ernest Rosperski said.

Coping with Trauma

Healing from a traumatizing experience can be impossible without the right resources. Organizations like The Rebels Project and The Trauma Therapist Project make sure survivors have those resources. These organizations work towards helping people heal and cope with their trauma symptoms.

“Peer support is really important, having people who know, who really get it, knowing where to go when you need professional help is really important also,” Executive Director of The Rebels Project Heather Martin said. “It takes time, but you need to learn your own red flags, like when it is a time you need to seek help, when is a time you are triggered.

Sometimes we minimize it like ‘oh it’s been two years, why am I still feeling this way? I don’t want to talk about it.’ But you need to be cognizant of those red flags and what that looks like for each individual person.”

Grieving and Growing The local organization Eagles’ Haven When facing the loss of friends, family or community members, it can be difficult is another resource that is available for members of the community. Anyone is to focus on personal healing. welcome to attend Eagles’ Haven for a “When you’re dealing with multiple variety of different healing classes, such as losses or even one important loss, the yoga, cooking, art and kick boxing. most important thing is to get help and “Talk to someone, the most important support and to go through the process with people who they trust. And grieving thing is to talk to someone you trust, is a very natural thing,” Program Director hopefully, a professional as well. But there is something so incredibly healing about of Eagles’ Haven Julie Gordon said.

After the shooting at MSD, many were joining a support group,” Gordon said. focused on personal growth, but with the “There’s a difference between grieving and complex grief or trauma, so it’s recent losses of additional MSD students important to work with a professional as and alumni, some had to either put their healing from one trauma on hold to grieve well.”

If you or someone you know is having and cope with additional losses or struggle a hard time coping with trauma, reach out to handle both traumas simultaneously. to one of these organizations or a trusted “I was one of the teachers in the adult. Story by Dara Rosen; additional 1200 building, and I lost students in all that chaos a couple of years ago and reporting by Ivy Lam

Design and graphic by Dara Rosen

Feature • Trauma, Violence and Loss 13

Beyond The

Binary I

Terms to know

n the English language, pronouns are used to refer to a person based on their gender. Generally, women are addressed with “she” and “her” pronouns, while men are addressed with “he” and “him” pronouns. For many, this is where knowledge of pronouns begins and ends: something only to be thought of in an English classroom.

For transgender and non-binary students, however, pronouns carry much more weight. Non-binary students, who do not identify as male or female, often feel most comfortable with the neutral pronouns of “they” and “them.” These pronouns once were used to refer to plural nouns, but have grown to become a singular, gender-neutral pronoun. The Merriam Webster dictionary recently updated the definition of the word “they” to refer to a “single person whose gender identity is non-binary.”

Pronouns have gained a spotlight in recent years. Several celebrities have come out as non-binary, such as Ezra Miller and Sam Smith, bringing increased visibility to these identities.

In LGBTQ+ circles, many icebreakers begin by introducing oneself with a name and preferred pronouns. Thirtyeight colleges and universities, including Harvard, Case Western Reserve University and the University of Arizona allow students to indicate preferred pronouns on course rosters.

Pronouns have also gained a seat in many social media bios. This trend, which seems to have largely originated with the social media site Tumblr, but has spread to other social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram, is followed by transgender and cisgender people alike.

Politicians and celebrities alike have joined in on this trend. Presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren and Julian Castro have listed pronouns in their

transgender

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

cisgender

A term used by some to describe people who are not transgender.

“Cis-” is a Latin prefix meaning “on the same side as.”

non-binary

Used by some people who experience their gender identity as falling outside the categories of man and woman.

14 Feature • Pronoun Usage

Twitter bios.

Cisgender people, like these candidates, list their pronouns with the hope of normalizing the practice, allowing transgender and non-binary people to list pronouns without additional scrutiny.

“I think everyone should put their pronouns in their bio,” sophomore Avery* said. “It’s not only normalizing, but it also makes things a lot easier. When your profile picture is not your face, I can’t really guess your gender.”

Some have also begun the practice of signing personal or work emails with pronouns. Kezia Gilyard, the LGBTQ+ Youth Coordinator for Broward County Public Schools, identifies as non-binary and signs their emails with their name and pronouns. The signature refers to them as “Mx. Kezia Gilyard, M.Ed.” (Mx. is a gender-neutral variant of Ms. and Mr.), and includes that their pronouns are “They, Them, Theirs.” They also include a link to an article explaining what they/ them pronouns are and how they are used.

However, despite this wave of increased usage of pronouns, life for non-binary and transgender students still proves difficult.

According to a study conducted

by GLSEN, roughly 3 in 4 transgender students reported feeling unsafe or harassed at school. These issues are echoed by individual students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I’m not entirely public with my identity,” Avery* said. “It’s just that there’s so much confusion around it, and I think a lot of people ridicule it just because they don’t understand. I’ve had classmates talk about how stupid it is, or make jokes about identifying as inanimate objects. It puts me in a really uncomfortable and embarrassing place, and it makes it much harder to come out

gender expression

External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics.

gender identity

A person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender.

misgender

When someone uses the wrong pronoun or term to refer to a person, such as calling a transgender boy “her” or a transgender girl “him.”

Transgender and non-binary students struggle with misgendering

when I’m worrying about whether or not I’ll even be taken seriously. I’ve never really told a teacher, out of the fear that I’d be treated as lesser for it.”

Broward County Public Schools currently has policies in place designed to protect trans and non-binary students from this kind of harassment. The BCPS Non-Discrimination Policy Statement 4001.1 states that “The School Board is committed to the provision of equal access... This policy is established to provide an environment free from discrimination and harassment based upon… gender expression, gender identity… sex or sexual orientation.” The language used is specifically chosen to include LGBTQ+ students. Despite this, transgender and non-binary students often experience backlash from both classmates and teachers.

Acceptance from teachers, in particular, is integral to transgender students feeling safe and supported in their learning environment. Transgender and non-binary youth are in a precarious position. Transgender youth have an extremely high suicide rate. According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 42% of non-binary youth, who fall under the umbrella of transgender youth, attempt suicide.

However, a different study by the same organization concluded that youth who transitioned into a supportive environment experienced better overall mental health and lower suicide rates.

Teachers often set the precedent for how students are treated by peers and thus can set the tone for whether or not an environment promotes acceptance of student identities. Pronoun usage can have a significant impact on whether or not a student feels accepted.

“When I first came out, I had this teacher who absolutely refused to call me

“

by they/them pronouns,” junior Caspen Becher said. “She’d frequently misgender me in front of other students, and call me by the wrong name. It was humiliating.”

Becher’s issues lie not only with teachers but with other students as well.

“I get a lot of looks whenever I go to the bathroom,” Becher said. “I’m called ‘it’ a lot. It’s very hard for me, feeling like I have to justify myself to everyone else for just existing. I just want to exist, and have people respect my identity as a baseline, but some kids, for whatever reason, just can’t.”

This issue is voiced by teachers as well.

“Unfortunately, I do see a lot of the non-binary students I come into contact with being sort of dismissed almost by a lot of people,” Jessica Marino, ESE support specialist and Gender-Sexuality Alliance sponsor. “Most of it is accidental misgendering—it takes time to get used to they/them pronouns—but sometimes, it isn’t unintentional. I’ve seen this a lot from students, mostly, but there have been one or two teachers who don’t take them seriously. Thankfully, most of the teachers at our school are very respectful and open-minded, but one bad apple can ruin the bunch.”

Ultimately, though, transgender and non-binary students are hopeful that things are getting better.

“You know, at the end of the day, it doesn’t hurt you to respect me. It doesn’t cost you anything to show a little bit of compassion for another person,” Avery* said. “I think that it’s just a matter of time before people realize that non-binary people are just that: people. We come in all different shapes and sizes and look all sorts of ways, but we’re all still people.”

Story by Anna Bayuk and Marisol Martinez *Names indicated have been changed to preserve the student’s privacy.

e, m r fo d r a h y r e v s ’ It I’m called ‘it’ a lot. ne else o y r e v e to lf e s y m fy justi feeling like I have to e v a h d n a t, is x e to t n st wa for just existing. I ju ut b , e n li e s a b a s a y t ti en people respect my id . ’t n a c t s ju , n o s a e r r e v some kids, for whate

Design by Dara Rosen;graphic by Darian Williams

Feature • Pronoun 15

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Seeing the world Through our eyes Feature • Discrimination 17

MSD students share their experiences with discrimination

MSD students share their personal experiences with discrimination

Seeing the World

Through Our Eyes W

hen grocery shopping, one does not expect to have a personal escort roaming around the store alongside them. However, this was a reality for senior Job Charles. Charles, who is African American, and his friends, a group of primarily minorities, were simply buying Gatorade when a store employee deemed them suspicious and began tracing their every step throughout the store.

The worker even took it upon herself to continue following them until they left the store to ensure they didn’t steal anything.

Discrimination is an umbrella term that accounts for a vast field of experiences. The word itself attributes to the unjust prejudice that remains in the world and affects people of all genders, races, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

Biased and unfair treatment of minorities has been prevalent in American society since the discovery of the New World, tracing back to the treatment of African Americans as slaves and the enforcement of segregation.

18 Feature • Discrimination

“Strikingly, more than half of blacks (53%) report that they have experienced unfair treatment in the past 30 days because of their race at places such as their work, in stores, at restaurants, while getting health care or in dealings with police,” the Kaiser Family Foundation said in a CNN survey in Pennsylvania. “Over a third of Hispanics (36%) report having these experiences recently, compared to 15% of whites.”

Individuals in the LGBTQ+ community are often victims of discrimination, due to intolerance of sexual identities and homophobia. Every day queer individuals struggle with facing ostracism, harassment and verbal or physical abuse from family, friends or strangers who do not agree with their lifestyle.

According to a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “34% of LGBTQ Americans say that they or a friend have been verbally harassed while using the restroom.”

Discrimination has a different connotation for each individual, as it is

tied to their experiences. The word may not have as heavy of an impact on those who are often the majority, when it comes to race, religious views or sexuality.

“To me, discrimination means being left out or excluded for something you can’t change about yourself, such as race or gender,” freshman Kylie Messmer said. “I haven’t really experienced discrimination, though.”

However, those who have experienced being discriminated against have stronger feelings towards the subject, as they have endured it first hand.

“To me, discrimination means that I’m stuck with negative stereotypes, which more often than not, only depicts a single perspective, rendering them untrue,” senior Adam Habona said.

Although commonly overlooked or simply ignored, many students face discrimination on a daily basis.

“Not only do most minority children experience discrimination, but they experience it in multiple contexts: in schools, in the community, with adults and with peers,” Dr. Lee M Pachter said

in a study in Vancouver by the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It’s kind of like the elephant in the corner of the room.

It’s there, but nobody really talks about it.”

Book Debacle

Senior Ricky Aldeus was looking for books at Barnes and Nobles when he had a brush with prejudice and cultural judgment. Aldeus was speaking with his friend, who is also Haitian, in Creole.

Nearby was a white woman on a phone call in the same aisle.

Upon hearing their conversation, she made direct eye contact with the two students as she scoffed into her phone asking why no one could speak English in America anymore. Aldeus did not let this prejudice affect him and simply laughed off the offensive comment.

“It caught me off guard because that was the first time that had happened to me. It’s already hard enough being an African American in America,” Aldeus said. “Discrimination still exists, and at this point, I don’t think it would ever disappear.”

Design by Ashley Ferrer; Photo illustration by Darian Williams

Culture Shock

Juniors Melodie Vo and Ethan Tong have had first-hand experiences with discrimination and facing stereotypical views. Vo is Vietnamese and Tong is Japanese and Indonesian. Both have been the subject of insensitive Asian jokes or have been incorrectly characterized based on their race.

“People often come up to me and ask if I’m Chinese or make fun of me for supposedly eating dogs,” Vo said. “When I tell them I’m not Chinese, they always daringly ask me if I’m sure.”

The generalization of Asians and the tendency to box them into certain roles has been embedded into society through outlets such as pop culture and is quite normalized nowadays.

“Once, I was resting my face on my hand during a lesson and my teacher yelled at me to wake up and open my eyes; yet, I was awake, and my eyes were open,” Tong said. “It was the first time I had been discriminated against by a teacher.”

Vo and Tong also mentioned the fact that they are discouraged to bring meals from their culture to school for lunch, as they have received complaints or have been teased for the smell and appearance of the dishes in the past.

“I avoid bringing my ethnic food to school, so I don’t have to deal with negative remarks from other students who don’t know what the food is,” Vo said.

Locker Room Leering

Junior Fabian Cazorla came out as gay

in the eighth grade and most of his female friends have been very supportive of him.

However, some of his male friends did not share the same level of understanding.

“My guy friends either did not care or began completely avoiding me,” Cazorla said, “I was really hurt, so when I entered high school, I did not bring it up and acted like it was nothing.”

Yet, during his freshman year, there was an instance where Cazorla was taunted in the boys’ locker room and had been told to go use the girls’ locker room instead.

“It was the first time I had experienced being discriminated against for my sexuality. I was more shocked than offended because of how close minded people can actually be,” Cazorla said.

Security Spectacle

Last year, senior Chantal Jimenez asked her substitute teacher if she could visit another teacher to finish some uncompleted work, just like she had done every other class period. The substitute was allowing other students to leave the class without asking any questions; however, the substitute interrogated Jimenez simply because she was black.

Jimenez took offense to the unnecessary interrogation and responded by stating that the questions were inappropriate and made her very uncomfortable. Not very fond of her response, the teacher threatened to withhold the pass if Jimenez did not apologize.

“

with in t fi ’t n o d I e k li l e e f It makes me t a h t l ir g e g a r e v a e like th k o lo ’t n o d I t a h t , y t an ic socie r e m A n a m a I h g u o ven th E . e e s o t s t n a w e n o every ican. r e m A r e h t o y n a s a l citizen, as equa

”

Taking the pass anyways, Jimenez left the classroom, which led to the substitute teacher following her outside and calling security.

“What bothered me the most about the entire experience was that I was expected to apologize in return for the pass, due to how ‘rude’ I responded,” Jimenez said.

field trip],” Ibrahim said.

These experiences have made Ibrahim self-conscious about her place as an ArabAmerican girl in society.

“It makes me feel like I don’t fit in with society, that I don’t look like the average girl that everyone wants to see,” Ibrahim said. “Even though I am an American citizen, as equal as any other American.”

Ibrahim’s hope for the future is that Social Outcast discrimination decreases so much that the Junior Ayah Ibrahim has had multiple encounters with discrimination word will lack the definition.

“I hope that the next generation of kids throughout her life as an Arab-American. do not have to worry about what I have to From offensive comments to looks of disgust, Ibrahim has constantly dealt with worry about everyday,” Ibrahim said.

Discrimination is not something this issue.

Ibrahim specifically recalls an incident that looks the same to everyone. Each experience differs from the others, but that occurred when she was on a middle it all sprouts from the same roots of school field trip. hatred and ignorance. Minorities of all “A boy once asked me if I wore that ages feel the effects of discrimination and ‘towel’ on my head like other Muslims, prejudice, especially the minority youth. and another asked me if I was going to bomb the bus that we were taking [for the Story by Ashley Ferrer

Dealing with Discrimination

Poll of 358 MSD students shows prevalence of discrimination

81+52+ V V 51%

of MSD students who have experienced discrimination

34% of MSD students

have experienced discrimination at school

Feature • Discrimination 19

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TIKTOK TAKEOVER

Social media app “TikTok” rises in popularity among students at MSD

night scrolling through TikTok and like 10-15 minutes making them,” Cazorla said.

“I have a notepad on my phone that I keep ideas on, if I ever think of one.” cross the nation, people of all Cazorla originally downloaded TikTok ages and demographics have as a lighthearted competition with found themselves absorbed his younger sister for followers. Both in the world of online trends Cazorla and his 9-year-old sister are ranging from comedy jokes to popular very competitive people, causing him to dances. Trends like these have created constantly strive for the best content that online celebrities, some whom walk the has the greatest chance of going viral. halls at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High “I started to make TikToks to go viral, School. but now I’m just making them with friends Many students remember when the and [about] things I think are funny or app Musical.ly was the newest social media original,” Cazorla said. craze, capturing the attention of young According to a survey of 352 MSD people across the nation. Lip-syncing students, 77% of students at MSD watch battles, dance challenges and comedy TikToks. The main reason that many skits circulated the internet, and by May students downloaded the app in the first 2017 there were over 200 million users place was to escape the stresses of teenage on the platform. Seven months later, the life and enter a world of mindless comedy. company ByteDance bought the rights to Many comedy videos that are originally the app and synced it to their existing app, posted on TikTok find their way to other known today as TikTok. forms of social media such as Instagram, Beginning in August 2018, users opened Twitter and Snapchat due to their the app to a new logo and name. The popularity. information and data that was previously “I genuinely find TikTok funny, so that’s synced up with Musical.ly remained why I enjoy scrolling through it,” senior present, encouraging many people to Jared Block said. “My favorite content is use TikTok to the same extent as they videos that follow popular trends.” previously had under Musical.ly.

Trends on TikTok have become the The “For You Page” is a section within main source of exposure for many songs. A the app where viral videos can be shared. trend on TikTok often follows one specific The more a user is featured, the more song which causes it to gain exposure and likely it is that their profile will gain popularity rapidly. For instance, the song followers and their video will be shared.

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X went viral, Many students at MSD have gained a due to a TikTok trend in which people following as a result of viral TikTok transformed into cowboys as the song content. Junior Fabian Cazorla has over continued. The popular trend ironically 31,600 followers on TikTok, with some launched Lil Nas X’s career as an artist. videos reaching over 7,000 likes.

Other students, such as junior Rachel “On average, I would say I spend about Kuperman, use the platform to share an hour in the morning and an hour at their talents. Kuperman posts clips of her

A

“

n a t u o b a d n e p s I y a On average, I would s lling o r c s t h ig n t a r u o h n and a g in n r o m e h t in r u o h em. I h t g in k a m s e t u in m 10-15 e k li d n a k o T ik T h g u thro n. o s a e id p e e k I t a h t hone p y m n o d a p e t o n a e hav drawings and films the progression of her art projects from start to finish. Many of her TikToks have gone viral, causing her to end up with over 1 million likes and around 50,000 followers.

“I mostly post videos of me going stepby-step through my drawings,” Kuperman said. “I make my own TikToks because they’re fun to make, and my goal is 100,000 followers.”

Although most students at MSD enjoy using TikTok, some feel that the hype surrounding the app is overrated and uncalled for.

“It’s a waste of time,” senior Regina Bellot said. “There are so many better things to do with your time than posting unfunny clips on an app.”

Out of the 352 students surveyed, 23% of students at MSD who dislike the app agree that it encourages people to spend a large amount of time scrolling through dull and brainless content.

“I don’t find lip-syncing to audio talent, and students spend so much unnecessary time on it trying to go viral,” senior Amy Luo said.

Additionally, TikTok is given credit for creating two new categories of people: e-boys/e-girls and VSCO girls. People in both categories make up a large part of the content circling around the app. E-boys/egirls are generally known as people who

wear dark or striped clothing, have a lot of chains, part their hair down the middle and tap their fingers against the side of their head while rolling their eyes. These e-boys and e-girls have grown in exposure and popularity tremendously after the launch of TikTok. VSCO girls receive their name from the digital editing app VSCO in which many social media users edit their photos.

These girls are stereotyped on the app as carrying Hydro Flask water bottles, using metal straws, wearing oversized T-shirts, wearing a lot of scrunchies and excessively reciting the phrases “and i oop” and “sksksksk.”

These characterizations dramatize the tendencies of people that students know in real life and create a comedic online presence for them.

“I’ve met real life VSCO girls, but e-boys are only online and don’t exist in the real world,” sophomore Ray Young said. “Either way, it’s funny to tease my friends who resemble some part of an e-boy or VSCO girl.”

TikTok characters, trends, dances and songs continue to be a focus and outlet for many students at MSD. As of now, TikTok appears to be here to stay with the majority of MSD students supporting its growth. Story by Katrina White; photo illustration by Darian WIlliams

”

Feature • Rise of TikTok 21

Documenting Despair Ian Witlen’s photography exhibit ‘Anguish in the Aftermath’opens to public

O

n Sept. 26, 2019, the Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts held an opening reception to celebrate the official launch of Ian Witlen’s photography exhibit titled “Anguish in the Aftermath.”

Witlen is an internationally published freelance photographer whose clients include, but are not limited to: TIME, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Red Bull and Rolling Stone. He was raised in Coral Springs, Florida and graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2001. For this reason, he felt very connected to the tragedy that occurred on Feb. 14, 2018, and set out to use his talents to bring something beneficial to the MSD community.

Witlen created this exhibit to allow individuals to learn from history in the hope that it will result in a more peaceful future. He originally began the project to simply document what each individual had gone through because he felt this

was an effective way to preserve their experiences and emotions. He found this important because as survivors’ emotions fade, a documentation of their original trauma has the ability to inspire others for years to come.

“I believe that we need to learn from history… If we don’t learn from it, our society can’t move forward and change for the better,” Witlen said. “I figured as a way of preserving what each person has gone through, I would take it upon myself to document.”

Witlen’s original goal for this project was to give individuals who felt they didn’t have any way to be heard, a voice to say whatever they desired. He noticed that almost instantly after the incident, journalists were asking survivors very specific questions and not allowing them to speak about topics they felt were important.

“There were so many being turned away who have a voice and wanted to speak and wanted to be heard, but nobody was listening,” Witlen said.

22 News • Anguish in the Aftermath Photography Exhibit

This is where Witlen’s idea flourished.

He decided to invite whoever was interested to come and tell their story and speak about anything they felt could be useful for others to hear. He began this process by sending emails to community members that he knew. By the following day, his schedule was completely full of people who were interested in being a part of his project.

Witlen felt the best way to go about the interviewing process was to be as discreet as possible to keep everyone involved safe. He met with survivors and family members of victims and posed two simple questions to them. The first question he asked them was to tell him as much or as little as they wanted about their personal experience on Feb. 14, 2018. The second question he asked was what they would like to see come from all of this. He wanted to keep the questions very open-ended so they could discuss whatever they desired.

Throughout this interviewing process, Witlen realized that he was uncovering an

entirely different side of individuals, a side that they had never publicly addressed in their past interviews.

“You have a teacher, for example, who you see as being very strong and angry and political on TV telling me about the form of survivor’s guilt they have,” Witlen said. “You see a very different side of people than you might expect from them.”

Witlen was very touched by the stories and feelings that people chose to share with him. He felt a strong sense of compassion towards his fellow community members. He shared that after certain interviews, he had to take week-long breaks to process everything he was being told.

“There were some interviews [that] I needed to take weeks off after,” Witlen said. “I cried probably for a day and a half after [certain interviews].”

Witlen prepared for the emotional challenges that would arise during the interviews by meeting with a PTSD specialist beforehand and learning how to handle

Design by Fallon Trachtman Standing with Pride. Photojournalist Ian Witlen stands in front of his “Anguish in the Aftermath” exhibit at the Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 26, moments before the opening ceremony begins. Photo courtesy of Chris Zuppa

Interactive Art. Headphones are distributed to attendees, so that they can take part in the audio portion of the multi element exhibit. Photo courtesy of Chris Zuppa

Captivated. The audience listens to photographer Ian Witlen’s inspiration behind his exhibit and his experience creating it. Photo courtesy of Chris Zuppa

“

o h w y a w a d e n r u t g bein There were so many to d e t n a w d n a k a e p s d to e t n a w d n a e ic o v a e hav way a s a d e r u g fi I . .. g in n liste s a w y d o b o n t u b , d r , be hea h g u o r h t e n o g s a h n perso h c a e t a h w g in v r e s of pre ent. m u c o d o t lf e s y m n o I would take it up

any troublesome situations that could potentially arise.

Witlen adopted this way of interviewing from a project that he worked on over ten years ago. This project consisted of meeting with Holocaust survivors and interviewing them about their experiences. Witlen had created a list of specific questions to ask these individuals and found that he was not getting the raw emotions and stories that he desired. For this reason, he made the questions for the “Anguish in the Aftermath” project much broader.

“I learned from that what I did wrong and what I can improve on, which is why I made it very open-ended,” Witlen said.

After completing this extensive process, he was left with 51 portraits of individuals during their interviews and 51 unique audio recordings of personal stories. He decided to showcase this exhibit at the Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts because they had allowed him to host his interviews at their location. Those

who visit the exhibit have the opportunity to view the portraits while listening to the individuals’ stories through headphones that are provided.

This exhibit opened to the public on Sept. 14 and the opening reception was held on Sept. 26. At the reception, Witlen spoke about his motivation behind the project and what he had gotten out of it.

Individuals who attended the event were welcome to walk through the exhibit and speak with Witlen throughout the evening.

Many of the guests were community members who were featured in the project, while others were simply interested in the artist behind the work.

Featured in the project, were students, teachers and those related to the victims of the shooting. MSD English teacher Darren Levine got involved with the project when he met Witlen and heard from some of his co-workers how beneficial they felt the interview had been for them.

”

Behind the Art. Julia Andrews, Executive Director of the Coral Springs Museum on Art, poses for a picture with photographer Ian Witlen on the night of the opening reception of “Anguish in the Aftermath.” Photo courtesy of

Chris Zuppa

“Ms. Schamis actually told me that she had sat for Ian’s project, and it felt really good to talk, and I hadn’t really talked until that point in the way that I maybe needed to,” Levine said. ‘It was really therapeutic... A weight really did lift off of me.”

Before attending the opening reception, Levine wanted to have a chance to experience the exhibit in solitude. There, he was able to understand the full impact of art.

“I went by myself because I wanted to go when not a lot of people were there to walk around and be able to focus… It was really powerful. I left there more sad than when I went, which I didn't like, but I understood it was necessary to experience because it’s art,” Levine said. “I went back for the artist reception, and it was really great to see a lot of the faces that were on the wall in person and all of us kind of coming together... It was nice to celebrate Ian and what he accomplished in capturing something that’s really powerful and that really needs to be spread throughout

not just the country, but the world.”

Students and staff from MSD also attended the event, finding it beneficial to their overall mental states. Junior Ava Steil was one of the students that was featured in the project. She felt that the interviewing process had both positive and negative effects on her.

“Telling my perspective of the events felt really good because it helped me accept that it was all real and allowed me to think about the events that I hadn’t taken the time to reflect on,” Steil said. “But I did feel a little bit down when I was done telling my story because that’s when it hit me that I wasn’t just telling a story, I was talking about events that really happened and negatively impacted countless individuals’ lives,” Steil said.

Witlen plans on continuing his endeavors and asks that if anyone feels this could be a beneficial experience for them that they contact him at info@ thecameraclicks.com. Story by Fallon Trachtman

News • Anguish in the Aftermath Photography Exhibits 23

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The impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump stirs talk among MSD students

Inside the impeachment f o s e l u R l a v o m Re

Times of turmoil

A timeline of President Trump’s controversial actions with Ukraine

July 25

SEPT 17

A phone call occurred between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with President Trump allegedly asking President Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden.

Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson told the intelligence committee about a whistleblower complaint that he had received in reference to the phone call.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced the impeachment

SEPT 24 inquiry of President Trump.

The summary of President Trump and President Zelensky’s

SEPT 25 phone call was made public by the White House.

SEPT 26 The official whistleblower complaint was made public.

OCT 15

President Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, must produce documents for the House Intelligence Committee regarding the phone call with the Ukrainian president.

U.S. Constitution establishes process of removing a president from office

1.

2.

3.

The sitting president does something that falls in line with Article II Section IV of the U.S. Constitution, committing “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

A member of the House of Representatives announces a formal impeachment inquiry.

The major standing committees of the House, including Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Ways and Means, Oversight and Judiciary, meet to investigate the president’s actions. Once their investigations are complete, the committees have the opportunity to submit evidence of wrongdoing.

4.

5.

If there is evidence of an impeachable offense, then the Judiciary Committee sends the impeachment charges to the House for a vote. If there is not enough evidence, the president stays in power.

If there is enough evidence, the House takes a vote on the articles of impeachment. If a simple majority (218 of 435 members) vote for impeachment, the articles move to the Senate for a vote. If the House votes not to impeach, the president stays in power.

6.

If the articles of impeachment move to the Senate, they take up official impeachment proceedings by taking a vote. If a simple majority (51 out of 100 members) vote for the articles, the Senate determines the rules for the impeachment trial. If the Senate votes against the impeachment articles, the president stays in power.

7.

8.

During the trial, the members of the Senate act as the “jury,” listening to the details of the crime and determining whether or not the president is guilty. The Senate appoints trial managers to present the case and act as prosecutors, while the president hires a legal defense team.

If two-thirds of the house vote to convict the president, he is removed from office, and the vice president becomes the sitting president. If not enough senators vote to convict the president, he remains in office.

Answering the inquiry Do you think President Trump should be impeached?

52+24+

24% No

3.8%

24%

I don’t have enough information

52% Yes

MSD students that identify as Republicans support impeachment with influence from the whistleblower complaint

Did the whistleblower complaint change your opinion?

46+15+39

15% Yes

44.7%

MSD students react to President Trump’s possible impeachment

39%

Maybe

46% No

MSD students that identify as Democrats support impeachment without influence from the whistleblower complaint

Shake on it. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, 2019, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Photo courtesy of Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Out of 358 MSD students polled, 159 are Democrat, 78 are Republican, 53 are Independent and 68 prefer not to answer

Politics • Impeachment 25

Free products.

PERIOD.

Editorial cartoon by Leah Ronkin

Free sanitary products should be provided in every female school restroom

L

et’s open up the conversation: period talk. Ladies, it is the time of the month we all despise, but it would be much simpler if we did not have to lug a sanitary product with us every time we had to use the restroom at school. Numerous issues will dissipate if pads and tampons are more accessible in school restrooms.

New York, California and Illinois are the only three states requiring school restrooms to be equipped with free menstrual products to students in grades six through twelve. In the rest of the country, however, millions of girls have to worry if they will have access to pads and tampons, instead of focusing on their education. Attainability of pads and tampons should be considered a necessity, not a luxury.

Although access to female sanitary products is a major obstacle in developing countries, a similar issue arises close to home. Even though the United States is a

developed country with localized access to an array of products at any convenience store, approximately 12.3% of Americans live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2017. Period poverty, or the lack of access to menstrual products due to financial limitations, is a real, heightening issue for low-income students all across America.

The “tampon tax,” or sales tax on feminine products, is quite unfair since pads and tampons are considered a necessity, and women are the only ones who have to pay the price. In the long run, these taxes add up, furthering the idea of the “pink tax,” in which women pay more than men for gender-specific commodities. Fifteen states have already lifted the tampon tax, and the rest of the country should follow suit.

When females do not have convenient access to feminine hygiene, their period can become a distraction. This distraction can become even more harmful to young

sanitary stats

women in school, as it may result in them missing out on their education. According to the feminine hygiene company, Always, “nearly 1 in 5 girls in the U.S. have either left school early or missed school entirely because they did not have access to period products.”

Girls should not have to remember to pack pads and tampons in their backpacks, especially when they do not know the next time they will menstruate. When a menstruating girl forgets to pack these products, she is pressured to ask a friend, go to the nurse or leave school—perhaps causing her embarrassment.

However, relying on friends or nurses for feminine products is not the solution.

Asking friends can be unpredictable, and going to the nurse’s office multiple times a day, just for a pad or tampon, is highly unreasonable.

According to the FDA, band-aids, pads and tampons are listed as medical devices.

However, while band-aids are not expected

Data shows that sanitary products are not easily accessible to women around the world

11

States have

ended the tax on sanitary products Source: Teen Vogue

3 out of 50 states–New York, Illinois, and California–provide free sanitary products for 6th to 12th grade students.

26 Editorial • Free Sanitary Products

to be brought into class, feminine products are. Why are girls expected to bring in pads and tampons when their period is just as unpredictable as a paper cut?

Additionally, a tremendous amount of awkwardness arises over the natural cycle of a period. When girls go to the restroom during class to put on a pad or tampon, they either have to place their product discreetly in their pocket or jacket or bring their entire backpack with them. Accessible female hygiene is likely to reduce both distractions and embarrassment for students.

The stigma that surrounds periods must go. Through open discussion and education, pads and tampons should be considered commonplace school restrooms. With free sanitary products available to all females at school, the pressure to be prepared for a period will be reduced, embarrassment will be diminished and time in the classroom will be maximized. Editorial by Zoe Gordon

Florida New york Nevada connecticut illinois maryland massachusetts Minnesota new jersey pennsylvania rhode island

1 in 5

girls have left school early because they did not have access to period products Source: Alway, a feminine hygiene company

64+T 21+T 12+T 64%

21%

12%

of women have been unable to afford sanitary products in the previous year

of women cannot afford sanitary products on a monthly basis

of women below the poverty line cannot afford sanitary products

Source: Reuters

Source: Reuters

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

On average women spend

$225 annually on sanitary products

Source: USA Today

Neutral

Design by Zoe Gordon

Editorial cartoon by Leah Ronkin

keep it

Gender-neutral bathrooms provide a safe space for those who do not identify as cisgender

W

hether you are male or female, using a public restroom may appear to be a simple task. However, for those who identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming, deciding whether to use the male or female restroom is a living nightmare, proving to be not only stress-inducing, but also risky. To alleviate this issue, more gender-neutral bathrooms should be implemented throughout the country.

According to a survey of 27,715 transgender individuals by the National Center for Transgender Equality, a nonprofit organization aiming to increase the understanding and acceptance of transgender identities, at least 60% of 27,715 transgender individuals said that they tend to avoid public restrooms due to the fear of harmful confrontation. Twelve percent of this group had experienced verbal harassment, with 1% reporting they have been physically attacked and 1% reporting they have been sexually assaulted, while 9% said they had been denied access to a bathroom.

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Devin-Norelle, a gender fluid transgender writer and activist, discussed that both female and male restrooms pose a threat to those who may look or dress differently from the majority of society. As someone with a feminine-like hair bun in the back, but a full beard in the front, Devin-Norelle is often ridiculed and kicked out of public restrooms, regardless of which restroom they choose to use.

This is a form of discrimination. If 21st century progressive America is so concerned about inclusion and equality

in all facets of society, then why are transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals often left out of the picture?

Through attempting to discover their true identity, transgender individuals are unfairly thrust into a fear that no other gender faces. Due to fears of abuse and ridicule, many members of the transgender community avoid using public restrooms altogether.

Unfortunately, this can have dire consequences, as numerous transgender individuals have experienced dehydration, kidney infections, urinary tract infections or other kidney-related medical issues.

The transgender community should not be blamed for their bathroom issues.

Our cisgender-dominated society has decided who can use which bathroom, based on unfair bias against transgender individuals. In order to end this bias, education and communication between cisgender and transgender people is essential.

The most common opposition for the institution of gender-neutral bathrooms is that women and children would be unsafe in bathrooms with transgender or gender non-conforming individuals. This is completely false.

First off, the claim that transgender individuals are a danger to children and families is a completely illogical and unsupported excuse meant to segregate the LGBTQ+ community from the rest of society. This claim originates from prejudice against transgender people, not facts.

According to a 2018 study conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, state leaders, law enforcement and school officials who implemented genderneutral bathrooms in their state reported no increase in sexual assault cases.

Not only is there no factual evidence to support the claim that transgender individuals would harm those around

Bathroom Battleground

Many transgender students feel uncomfortable in schools

them, that claim is also an insult to the entire LGBTQ+ community.

In actuality, inclusive bathrooms make life simpler for families of all sizes.

These bathrooms make childcare a more practical task for both traditional and non-traditional families. For instance, with the implementation of genderneutral restrooms, single dads will be able to use the baby changing tables that are traditionally offered solely in female restrooms, instead of being forced to succumb to changing a baby in a car.

Gender neutral bathrooms would also reduce stress for parents of transgender children, as their children would be less likely to face harassment.

Many who are opposed to unisex restrooms are confused by what symbol would hang on the door. Often, cisgender individuals fear that people would not know if it is okay to use such a bathroom; however, there are easy solutions to help people understand that a bathroom is allinclusive. Such symbols include a picture of someone who is unisex, the transgender symbol, or a literal toilet. The point is,

“

r le p im s e f li e k a m s m Inclusive bathroo ms o o r h t a b e s e h T . s e iz for families of all s oth b r o f k s a t l a ic t c a r p re make childcare a mo nder e G . .. s ie il m a f l a n io it rad traditional and non-t ; d e t a c li p m o c o s s n io at should not make situ . o g o t e v a h u o y , o g when you have to

60+T 75+T 60%

of transgender Americans avoid public bathrooms

Source: Business Insider

figuring out which bathroom to use would be a simple task.

Even at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, there is a need for more gender-neutral bathrooms. Transgender and non-binary students at MSD only have access to only three gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, one in the nurse’s office and two in the media center. These bathrooms can be hard to access during the school day for some students. As a school policy, students have 5 minutes to go to the restroom and return to class, so for gender non-conforming students who have a class in the portables going to one of the two gender-bathrooms across campus can be unrealistic.

Although it may seem like it takes an Einstein to successfully implement unisex bathrooms, the solution is incredibly easy and would benefit both parties. After all, using a public restroom is a basic human right that everyone deserves to have access to without being ridiculed. Gender should not make restroom situations so complicated; when you have to go, you have to go. Editorial by Sam Grizelj

75%

over 1/2

”

of transgender students feel unsafe at school of transgender students in the U.S. were required to because of their use the bathroom of their legal sex rather than the identity one that they feel most comfortable using

Source: Gender Spectrum

Source: GLSEN

Editorial • Gender Neutral Restrooms 27

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Let’s Get Physical Pumping Iron. Junior Brian Joseph practices a seated leg extension in his weight training class.

Joseph chose to take weight training as his physical education credit, which is required to graduate, in lieu of a traditional P.E. class. “I take [weight training] to stay in shape,” Joseph said. Photo by Ariana Perez

Participation in traditional P.E. decreasing at MSD

I

f any Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students were to open their Virtual Counselor page and look at their course requirements, they would see a row labeled Physical Education. But what does this “education” look like in practice?

It seems as if much of the MSD student body believes that in–school physical education is unnecessary and any measure should be taken to avoid it. Based on a survey of 330 MSD students, 70% of students who have taken P.E. classes have done so through the non-traditional, online route.

Students can opt to take the same course given in school, this online course called Health Opportunities in Physical Education, can be taken students by students in place of traditional in-school P.E. Students in this course will complete physical activities and record their results while completing quick assignments about health and wellness.

For students who are not opting out, the online physical education course option has become increasingly sought after. It has even gotten to the point where it is expected for most students to complete the online course within their first year or second year of high school.

One would think physical education is not something that can translate to an online course; however, many students see it as an efficient way to complete the credit.

“This class was efficient because all I

had to do was wear a band to monitor my physical activity and did not have to sweat at an in-school P.E. class,” senior Tyler Hersch said.

Taking P.E. online enables students to complete their credits and have another period open to take a course more suitable to their interests. Along with physical activity comes sweat, body odor and discomfort that some students may be inclined to stray away from.

Another route some students have been able to take is playing two years of a sport in place of P.E. This option appeals to students whose GPA is above a 4.0, as taking traditional P.E., a non-honors course, would weigh down their average; for this reason, competitive students may now forgo physical education as a whole.

“I have been a member of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tennis team and have been since freshman year,” senior Josh Rosenthal said. “Since I played at least two years on the team, I was able to use this as my personal fitness and physical education credit.”

These alternative options to P.E. are very different than what has been available in the past. In fact, physical education was first introduced in the early to mid-nineteenth century, when it was realized that physical education and activity was necessary to health.

Over time, however, many loopholes have been exercised, just as they are today at MSD. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, over 30 states in the United States allow “waivers, exemptions or substitutions for physical education, which expanded waiver and

substitution policies that increase the possibility that students will opt out of physical education for non-medical reasons.”

Broward County Public Schools today follow the national trend: despite a clear understanding that P.E. is good for human health, loopholes are left open for students to elude the course. Opting out completely or completing HOPE online to avoid the physical engagement and traditional schooling that typical P.E. courses aim for.

Obesity is a national crisis which sees trends that mirror that of the decreased enrollment in P.E. This issue has been increasing not only recently, but as a trend for the last 100 years in America.

Simultaneously, the mandates for taking physical education have been eased and strategies for exemptions increased.

This suggests a potential correlation between the two factors; the increase in obesity in youth and the decline of physical education in schools. When students treat P.E. as unnecessary, they are subconsciously resenting the core idea that they need physical activity to sustain their health.

When students do not prioritize physical activity in their lives, they may face several psycho-physical consequences, including depression and lethargy. It should be noted that exercise is biologically proven to be peaceful and stimulating for the mind.

According to a TIME News article written by journalist Alexandra Sifferlin, “Exercise can… boost mood by triggering the release of feel-good hormones and

chemicals, like endorphins, which can improve brain health. A 2015 study [also] found that exercise may be able to prevent the onset of depressive symptoms.”

In the recent history at MSD, students have experienced tragedy, loss and corruption of innocence, while simultaneously battling stress and anxiety.

Exercise may very well be avenue to quell these demons.

“When I get super stressed, I like to go for long walks and sometimes even runs to just clear my mind. It’s really nice to not think about all of the life factors that make me anxious,” senior Dara Gottlieb said.

However, students do not always have the time to devote to exercise, if they are not provided it by their schools. This shows how much influence schools have over the mental and physical wellness of their students.

In essence, by allowing students to decide their own specialized P.E. plan, schools across the nation, just like MSD, may wind up neglecting the physical wellbeing of the same teens they promise to educate each day.

The right answer? No one seems to have one right now. Force P.E. on the whole school, the students will resent the school district. Leaving P.E. up to choice, the district may prevent students from not getting the physical activity needed to keep their mind and body healthy.

Therein lies the difficulty: do schools give their students the freedom to be unfit or do they assert that students have no choice but to be active? Story by Charlie Goodman

Sports • Prevalence of P.E. 29

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BULLDOGS Welcome belk Ryan Belk commits to Yale University to play football for the fall 2020 season

S

enior Ryan Belk officially announced his commitment to Yale University in the beginning of August for the fall football season in 2020. His journey in football began long before high school though, as he played flag football in Coral Springs when he was 9-years-old. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School football was his first experience playing tackle, and since his freshman year, Belk has played for the Eagles as both a tight end and defensive end.

“I wanted to play a sport in high school and decided on football because my best friend at the time was also playing. I thought it would be fun, and I would meet lots of people,” Belk said.

Although he received offers from Florida Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Lehigh University, and Brown University, Belk decided that Yale was the school for him after considering numerous factors that go into a college commitment, such as location and education.

“After visiting, I found that I really liked the coaches and the area that the campus is in,” Belk said. “While the dream would

be to go into the NFL, the great thing about Yale is that it sets you up academically for a career outside of football if necessary.”

One unique thing about Yale football is its historic rivalry against Harvard Crimson in an annual matchup that fans have regarded as “The Game” since 1875.

It’s the last game of each team’s season and with only 8 ties over the years, Yale leads the series 67-60.

“I obviously want to play as quickly as I can, but you never know as an incoming freshman,” Belk said. “It would definitely be a cool experience to be apart of ‘The Game.’ It’s the biggest game of the season, and the stadium is always packed at 60,000 people.”

The recruitment process for Yale began after Belk attended the Eli Football Camp, where he was able to show off his talents in front of Yale coaches.

“Yale reached out to me on Twitter saying that I should go to the camp. At the time I already had offers from other schools, but after playing well in front of the Yale coaches, they gave me an offer,” Belk said. “Coach Short helped me gain exposure and make my decision.”

Short was also a great help throughout the entire recruitment process.

“Belk’s acceptance is a testament to the work he’s put in, his great test scores, and

everything he did to set himself up for a great education,” Short said.

The reactions from his parents were also ones of pride and elation when Belk came to the conclusion that Yale is his future home.

“Ryan has always had the ability to balance the important aspects of his life extremely well. His steady dedication to his family, friends, academics and football makes me incredibly proud of him,” his mother, Colleen Boyle, said. “Yale University recognizing the work Ryan has put into being both a top student and a top

athlete is exciting and very humbling. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

As a future Bulldog, Belk is grateful to accept the opportunity to play at an esteemed university and thankful for his family, team and coaches that have supported him throughout his high school career.

“My favorite thing is just competing with my brothers and the friendships I’ve made,” Belk said. “We’re all a family, and we will always have each other’s backs.”

Story by Jenna Harris; portrait by Darian Williams

Student athletes follow college recruitment process in hopes of playing collegiate sports

searching for superstars

S

tudent athletes are constantly examined by college coaches in preparation for their college athletic careers. Yet according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, only 6% of the 7,937,491 high school athletes in the United States will transition from high school sports to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Roughly 20 to 35 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students get recruited into college athletic programs each year.

Although there is no set way to start the recruiting process, a college coach can reach out to an athlete they saw in a high school tournament or pursue an athlete that attended their camp. The process varies based on the school, sport and athlete. In certain sports, Division I colleges cannot contact an athlete until Sept. 1 of their junior year.

However, student athletes can reach out to colleges on their own. Many athletes will start to email college coaches, during an athlete’s freshman or sophomore year of high school.

PARTICIPATION

The athletes can communicate their tournament schedules and request that coaches watch them in a showcase tournament.

Showcase tournaments, which are specifically designed for college exposure, attract college coaches from across the nation.

High school coaches communicate with the college coaches throughout the seasons. Generally, college coaches send out prospect sheets and ask for the top athletes in every class. One of the most important things the college coaches ask for, besides the athletic ability, are student grades. Colleges also ask for athletes’ positions and their extracurricular interests and hobbies.

“We try to do as much as we can to get them looked at,” varsity football coach George Leporte said. “During the spring we had probably three schools here everyday, [including] Brown, Cornell, Yale and UCF. We do seven-on-sevens, in the summertime, where its our offense versus somebody’s defense. There are always college coaches there.”

Athletes can visit schools any time

Division 1

• 179,200 student-athletes • 351 colleges and universities

ACADEMICS

2017 Graduation Success Rate: 87 %*

Median Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,629

Other Average Number of Teams per School: 19 Stats Average Percentage of Student Body

Participating in Sports: 4% Division I National Championships: 26

Source: National Collegiate Athletic Association

PARTICIPATION

during the recruiting process. It is common for athletes to have an official visit during their junior or senior year of high school.

Students can further their goals through the recruiting process by attending camps and clinics at the colleges that interest them. The athletes sign up on a college’s athletics website in order to attend the camp. After Sept. 1 of the athlete’s junior year, the coaches will then be able to contact the athletes more openly and directly.

“The recruiting process has been a big eye-opener to me,” junior Lauren Figas said. “I have experienced so much, and it is crazy to see how fast the process is going.

The whole thing is such an experience and has many ups and downs to it.”

The recruiting process can have an effect on athletes’ school work and social life. Even though games and practices can consume an athlete’s schedule, they are still expected to maintain their academic workload.

Colleges take academics into great consideration and want to see their athletes excel in both academics and

Division 2

• 121,900 student-athletes • 308 colleges and universities

ACADEMICS

2017 Academic Success Rate: 72%*

Median Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,485

Other Average Number of Teams per School: 16 Stats Average Percentage of Student Body

Participating in Sports: 9 percent Division II National Championships: 25

sports.

“I have to do a lot of makeup work because I miss a lot of school, but the teachers help out because they know it’s for college, and I’m not just going on vacation,” senior Samantha Diaz said. “I get my work done at the airport, on the plane or at night in a hotel room. It’s just about making time to get work done.”

Throughout the recruitment process, it is common for athletes to feel stressed and exhausted. If athletes want to maintain high grades and perfect their sport, they may have to sacrifice sleep and other after school activities.

“Oftentimes, I have to stay up really late to finish all my work because of how many practices I have,” senior Kayli Hendry said. “It ends up making me feel exhausted during school. It is very stressful, but it has pushed me to be more competitive and work harder.”

Although the recruitment process is increasingly competitive, many student athletes are still willing to sacrifice sleep, after school activities and weekends to get recruited into their top colleges. Story by Julia Noye

PARTICIPATION

Division 3

• 190,900 student-athletes • 443 colleges and universities

ACADEMICS

2017 Academic Success Rate: 87%*

Median Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,748

Other Average Number of Teams per School: 18 Stats Average Percentage of Student Body

Participating in Sports: 26 percent Division III National Championships: 28

*Graduation rate for student-athletes, including those who transfer from one school to another.

Sports • College Commitments 31

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Circus-themed Spirit Week creates enthusiasm for Homecoming

teachers reported to the cafeteria to show off their outfits in a friendly competition.

The victors of A lunch were English teachers Chelsea Briggs and Sarah Howell who wore homemade “Team English” rom Oct. 7 to Oct. 11, the halls of jerseys. Marine science teacher Michael Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Marino took home the B Lunch victor title School were filled with students for his basketball athlete outfit. participating in the annual Spirit “Well, considering I went to school Week. Every year, students have the here, I played basketball here, and then opportunity to dress out and show their I had the old school MSD tracksuit, and I school and class spirit.

Spirit Week is always the week directly wanted to go down memory lane,” Marino before Homecoming weekend, which this said. “So, I dressed up like the old version of Mr. Marino when he was about 16 or 17 year lands on Oct. 12. The theme of this years old. I had the greatest time; victory year’s Homecoming dance was circus, just tastes so sweet. I love it.” which has also influenced Spirit Week.

Tuesday continued the week with the “I think that the theme is very different and out there but also allows for annual Twin Day, where students and very creative decorating and design ideas,” staff matched with fellow MSD Eagles.

Co-Chair of School Spirit Madeline Dwyer VSCO girls and beloved Disney characters replaced students and staff as they said.

To start off the 2019-2020 Spirit Week coordinated with their friends. Teachers were proud to represent their support for on Monday, the student body and staff MSD in another outfit face off. A lunch split up in a mathletes versus athletes face off. The halls of MSD were filled with victory went to Principal Michelle Kefford, SGA adviser Danielle Driscoll, Behavior sports jerseys ranging from the Miami Specialist Anna Koltunova and Assistant Dolphins to the Panamanian Football Principal Sandi Davis for their rendition Federation. Those who chose to take the more academic route were dressed in plaid of the Spice Girls. Library Specialist Diana with large glasses to complete the scholar Haneski and her emotional support dog River also won for the B lunch look. competition.

“I thought it was fun,” freshman “I loved seeing all the teachers dressed Mya Ryan said. “Most people dressed as up together,” freshman Lily Tomek said. athletes, but it was still awesome to see “Everyone looked so cute in their twin everyone participate.” outfits.

At the start of A and B lunches,

F

Taking a break from Spirit Week, Yom Kippur fell on Wednesday, Oct. 9, this year.

Broward County Public Schools were given the day off to celebrate the Jewish day of atonement.

Spirit Week came back in full swing on Thursday with the school’s annual Wacky Tacky Day. Normally, this falls on Wednesday, but due to the Jewish holiday, it was migrated to Thursday, Oct. 10. Tiedyed shirts and neon flooded the halls of MSD. Fuzzy hats and tutus were also fun accessories utilized by both teachers and students. Science teacher Tammy Orilio took home the teacher’s victory for the day.

“Everyone really went all out for the wacky day,” sophomore Sidney Jenner said. “All the tie-dye and weird headbands were pretty funny to see.”

At the end of the Oct. 10 school day, a carnival was held in the main courtyard of MSD. Goats, chickens and bunnies were present to pet, and students were able to get traditional circus snacks such as cotton candy and popcorn. Teachers also gave their time and participated in a dunk tank booth, allowing their students to send them plummeting into the water below.

“It’s always good to get outside of the classroom with students, giving them an opportunity to dunk me if they can hit the target,” History teacher Devin Schaller said. “I loved it, it was a really great time.”

Friday, Oct. 11, showed the most prominent participation. With the end of

Spirit Week and the Homecoming game approaching, the student body divided their ranks and dressed in their class colors in this year’s Color War. The circus theme came full circle as each grade was given their own color and corresponding position in the circus. The freshman were concession stands, and they showed off their spirit by dressing in green.

Sophomores were the blue acrobats.

Juniors represented the fiery red spirit of the lions, and seniors got a chance to run the show as the ringleaders adorned in black.

Teachers also got a chance to show off their colors by wearing burgundy to show their school spirit.

“I’ve always liked seeing everyone in their class colors,” senior Alejandro Rodriquez said. “This year was especially fun because I’m a senior now, and all my friends dressed in black, so we got to take pictures and represent the class.”

During eighth period on Oct. 11, a pep rally was held in order to excite the student body for the upcoming Homecoming football game. The game was held at Cumber Stadium at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 against West Broward High School.

Spirit Week has given students a creative outlet and allowed them to showcase their MSD pride while preparing for the Homecoming dance at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale. Story by Ava Steil; photo by Joyce Han

News • Spirit Week 33

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Best of luck to the Eagle Regiment in the 2019 marching season!

The Leavy Family

Showing Spirit

Design by Dara Rosen

Students and staff at MSD participate in Spirit Week from Oct. 7-11

Mathletes vs. Athletes

Ballers. Seniors Julia Hoffberger and Josh Rosenthal participate in a lunch time activity, four square, during A lunch on Monday, Oct. 7.

Photo by Sam Grizelj

Dancing Queens. Seniors Jordan Hersch, Deuces. Seniors Julia Hoffberger and Grace Having a Ball. Junior Emma Davis participates Ireland Noelle and Caitlyn Coffee and junior Dechene dress up in jerseys for “mathletes vs. in a lunch time activity, four square, during A Emma Davis dance in the courtyard during athletes.” Photo by Sam Grizelj lunch on Monday, Oct. 7. Photo by Sam Grizelj lunch on Monday, Oct. 7. Photo by Sam Grizelj

Twin Day

Sweet Treats. Seniors Jillian Andreozzi, Alexandra Sullivan, Karen Villancio, Cat Tibbetts and Ariana Calamia dress as M&M’s for twin day on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Photo by Makayla

Jesionowski

Seeing Double. Students participate in a lunch Twinning is Winning. Juniors Tiana Cates, Ayla time activity, musical chairs, during A lunch Jaye, Lea Serrano, Marianna Gutierrez and during twin day on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Photo by Alexa Palen dress up as Toy Story aliens on Makayla Jesionwski Tuesday, Oct. 8. Photo by Makayla Jesionowski

Spice Girls. Assistant Principals Sandi Davis, Daniel Most, Coach Eilsa Williamson and Principal Michelle Kefford welcome students to school on Tuesday, Oct. 8 dressed as spices for twin day. Photo by Brianna Jesionowski

Wacky Tacky Day

So Wack. Seniors Chloe Galkin, Jordan Hersch and Bailee Paul dress in wacky clothes for wacky tacky day on Thursday, Oct. 10. Photo

by Sam Grizelj

Shinning Bright. Seniors Evan Kuperman, Harris Katz, Adam Hostig, Max Wolfman and Nick Joseph dress in neon colors for wacky tacky day on Thursday, Oct. 10. Photo by Sam

Grizelj

Out of This World. Seniors Annagrace Meyers and Monique Miquel take pictures during B lunch on wacky tacky day on Thursday, Oct. 10. Photo by Sam Grizelj

Music Madness. Students participate in a lunch time activity, musical chairs, during B lunch on wacky tacky day on Thursday, Oct. 10. Photo

by Makayla Jesionowski

Color Wars

Welcome 2 0ur Show. Seniors Elizabeth Rodriguez, Juliette Hoffiz, Nicole Wolfe and Sierra Damiani take pictures during A lunch while dressed in their class color, black. Photo

by Brianna Jesionwski

Flipping to the Top. Sophomores Eliana Epstein The Newest Act. Freshmen Haley Garcia Juniors Run Wild. Juniors Martina Rojas and and Ashley Pakhomov participate in color wars and Sophie Bigelman pose for a photo in the Isabella Fernandez-Stoll take pictures in the on Friday, Oct. 11 during B lunch. Photo by courtyard during B lunch on Friday, Oct. 11. courtyard during B lunch on Friday, Oct. 11.

Brianna Jesionwski

Photo by Brianna Jesionwski

Photo by Brianna Jesionwski

News • Spirit Week 35