The Legend Volume 19 Issue 2
November 2015
CreativeMinds
When STEM education does not focus on the recognition of the arts, the art students speak out on the importance of creativity. Pg. 10
News Racially Suspended pg 3 MYP Project Presentations pg 4
Features Behind the Scenes pg 6 School of Rock pg 7 Freedom of the Mind pg 10
Lifestyle To DIY For pg 13 Trader Joe’s pg 14 Black Friday pg 15
Opinions Part Two: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly pg 17 No Chill pg 18 Spotify pg 21
Sports
Cheering for Boys pg 22 College Football pg 23 Suncoast High School 1717 Avenue S Riviera Beach, Fl 33404
Editors
Contact Information Phone: 561-494-2651 Fax: 561-882-3443 Any opinions that are printed in “The Legend” are not necessarily the opinions of the adviser, administration, or the school district. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the editorial board.
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Staff Writers
Kristen Unico Kaylee Clemens Claudia Laukien Jordan Young Ameenah Rashid Yana Rankine Alexis August Traci Lowe
Co-Editor-in-Chief Co-Editor-in-Chief Design Editor Features Editor Lifestyle Editor News and Opinions Copy Editor Adviser
Charlie Burgess Mindjina Courage Asyjah Dudley Maria Fahmy Zanne Hanna Marisa Hart Monica Kramer Eda Kutsal Austin Lent
Alex Levine Jaylynn Lowery Blake Mello Alyssa Selimov Jimmie Smith Tina Supper Ariana Villanueva Simrun Waghray Dayalis Zamora
News3
shades of Disruption
Suspension and expulsion among students of color has become a growing epidemic in schools across the nation. Niya Kenny, a black Asyjah Dudley 18-year-old student Staff Writer
at Spring Valley High, South Carolina, was arrested for defending her fellow black female classmate who was dragged out her desk by a white male Deputy. Deputy Ben Fields, 34, as seen on the now viral video, reported to the class in Spring Valley High, to remove a disruptive student who Kenny and other classmates claimed was just on her(the student) cell phone. Deputy Fields, who was fired two days after the altercation can be seen flipping the student and dragging her to the front of the classroom. While others in the classroom remained silent, Kenny could be heard towards the end of the video yelling for the police to stop hurting her classmate, and shouting prayers as well. Although she was voicing her disdain for this situation, Kenny was arrested by Deputy Fields who stated: “Since you have so much to say, you are coming too.” Kenny was later charged with a misdemeanor, disturbing the school, and was later released from custody after posting $1,000 bail. As stated by the Sheriff of Richland County where Deputy Fields was employed. “Deputy Ben Fields did wrong this past Monday, so we’re taking responsibility for that.”, Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County said. Kenny could be facing time in jail for something that she could have been suspended, or expelled for instead of arrested. In current times, there has been as significant increase of African American and other students of color, namely girls ,being suspended or expelled , for absurd reasons, similar to the aforementioned story. A recent study by the Penn Graduate School of Education that studies race and equity and education, sought to discover the reasonings behind this increase. The experiment took place in 13 southern states, including Florida, and would
discover the statistics of all the children (K-12) expelled and suspended in each of the state’s districts. Location or where the student may live nationally could be a contributing factor to why more black students, male and female, are suspended and expelled more than white male and female students. The Penn Graduate School of Education results were that in 743 southern school districts (out of the 3,022 school districts analyzed), blacks were 50% or more of the
students suspended from public schools. With Florida schools suspending the greatest number of blacks:121,468. Tennessee schools expelled the highest number of Black students; 5,559. To put the statistics in a more local context, in Palm Beach County out of the total district suspension (27350) 49.6 percent of the students suspended were black. Among these statistics, more black girls were expelled or suspended in comparison to their white counterparts.
According to the 2011-12 Civil Rights Data Collection, a survey of education and civil right’s in public schools, in Philadelphia, 25 percent of black girls received out-ofschool- suspension, with only 2 percent of caucasian girls being suspended. Along with this, 33 percent of black girls encountered law enforcement, while only 2 percent of white girls encountered law enforcement. “ I just assumed black girls are more outgoing and get into trouble for no apparent reason,” Junior Alexina Langlois said. Black girls are often placed in schools that have zero tolerance discipline environments, with increased law and security enforcements available. In the case of Mikia Hutchings, a softspoken 12-year-old black student who along with her white friend wrote the word “hi”on a bathroom stall in her Georgia school, Mikia is facing penalties for vandalism. Although both she and her white friend played equal roles in this misdemeanor, her friend was let off easy due to her parents paying the school a restitution of $100, in order for her to be suspended for a few days. While the Hutchings family "disputed the role she was accused of playing in the vandalism and said it could not pay about $100 in restitution," according to The New York Times. Due to this, Hutchings was then ordered to a school disciplinary hearing and a uniformed officer from the local Sheriff’s Department gave her grandmother papers accusing Mikia of a trespassing misdemeanor, a possible future felony. In order to not be charged with these criminal charges, Mikia agreed to be put on probation for the summer and has to do 16 hours of community service. Various school districts, authorities, and communities are coming together to cease this discrimination to prevent further cases similar to those of Mikia and Niya. Photo by: Asyjah Dudley
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News4
Culture Clubs at Suncoast Clubs are open to all races and encourage everyone to join and increase knowledge of diversity. Jaylynn Lowery Staff Writer
Suncoast Asian Society
Black Student Union
Suncoast Asian society is for students who enjoy, “[…] celebrating Asian culture,” Nitai Patel said. Suncoast Asian Society celebrates the culture as well as spread awareness. They participate in activities such as a visit to the Vietnamese Cultural Center of South Florida, and Asian Trade, Food Fair and Cultural show. In the future, Suncoast Asian Society wishes to expand the club, with a consistent group of members, and more volunteering activities.
“The main goal of Black Student Union (BSU) is to make Suncoast student body aware of African American culture and important figures who helped shape our society today.” stated Senior Olla Mohammed. BSU strives to make spread awareness of the culture, the positive aspects of it as well. BSU tries to be hands-on in the community and make it better, members helping the youth at Bethune Elementary School. During meetings they discuss common issues found in the African American culture and find solutions.
Meetings: Friday during lunch in Room 3-118
Meetings: Every Thursday (excluding LTM days) in Dr. Briscoe’s Room from 12:20-12:45 P.M.
Latin Dance Society
Jewish Sudent Connection
Latin Dance Society is for many students from a variety of cultures to come together and learn about the Hispanic culture. Latin Dance Society focuses on “[…] dancing which is something that is very important to us because we get to express ourselves through dance.” Junior Rosemery Perez said. They also encourage anyone to come and join and learn the many dances from the Caribbean and South America. Meetings: Mondays and Wednesdays 3:00 to 4:30 P.M. and Thursdays during lunch in Mr. Harr’s room
Meetings: Every other Monday In Mr.Hanson’s room 3-110 Photo credit(s): blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/, wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions pixabay.com/en/, wikipedia.org/, pixabay.com/
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The goals of Jewish Student Connection (JSC) is to bring students together who want to learn and understand more about Judaism. They discuss Jewish holidays that are celebrated celebrated and foods eaten. By playing games such as, “Jewpardy,” and eating foods such a as candy apples JSC makes it easier to understand the Judaism religion, making it fun as well.
News5
Middle Years Program P r o j e c t
The fourth year of the myp project has passed, along with new creative goals that have been met. Alyssa Selimov Now that the big Middle Years Program Staff Writer project is over, sophomores can finally relax
a little. These past six months have proven difficult to many students. With their initial goals met, four students, Sebastian Guzman, Danielle Clarence, Tori Morris, and Krystjana Dlutowski, share their projects. Sebastian Guzman focused on a personal goal for his MYP project, to improve his freediving skills. Only able to hold his breath for forty five seconds in July, Sebastian has come a long way with a new time of two minutes underwater with one breath. “I’m getting to four minutes,” he said. Freediving is based on going underwater with only one breath. While freediving, one can see many exotic fish, go spearfishing, and even crab hunting. All of these activities are difficult with just one breath. “On one breath it [is] hard,” Sebastian confirms. Despite the challenges of freediving along with another underwater activity, he has decided he will continue the self improvement. Another student, Danielle Clarence, designed her MYP project around changing societies standards. Her focus was on the standard of beauty in the media. Her goal: to battle the stereotype of beauty set by American media. After showing her viewers a documentary about beauty, including the
unrealistic standards photoshop has inflicted on the country, she believed she had made a difference. “Most of American beauty in media is photoshopped,” Danielle stated. Happy to make some sort of difference, Danielle will proudly continue contributing to the feminist movement. Krystjana Dlutowski’s approach towards the MYP project was based on her passion of helping others. She took a service trip to Belle Glade and spent her time building houses, painting houses, and feeding those in need. The project did not just help others in the community, Krystjana herself felt inspired by all of the work she and her friends did in Belle Glade. “It helped me reprioritize my life,” she said. Her project began as soon as summer started. Krystjana had to raise money and attend several meeting to go to Belle Glade with her group. In the end, it had all paid off. She plans to return to that city next year and do it all over again. Students in Suncoast have been able to set a goal for themselves to complete in such a short period of time. These goals include self improvement, improvement of the community, or both.
Six Pillars to Success With the addition of the Six Pillars, students will continue to improve on the pressing matters in FL. Eda Kutsal and Simrun Waghray Staff Writers According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Six Pillars is a plan to ensure prosperity and high-paying jobs for all of Florida’s residents in the next 20 years. Originally based on a plan written by the state of Florida, the Six Pillars has been broken down into individual plans for each county. The Six Pillars identifies the critical factors determining Florida’s future including: Talent Supply and Education, Innovation and Economic Development, Infrastructure and Growth Leadership, Business Climate and Competitiveness, Civic and Governance Systems, and Quality of Life and Quality Places. In a recent interview with Principal Linda Cartlidge, she explained how Suncoast is implementing the Six Pillars into our school and curriculum. “The Six Pillars really are a framework
of thinking about the work the students already do.” The whole idea of the Six Pillars actually ecompasses the message our school has been trying to convey for the past few years - to lead a legacy. The Six Pillars are meant to benefit students by motivating them to contribute to the success of Palm Beach County, Florida and the United States in the near future. They are not meant to add work to daily lives, they merely give people the opportunity to recognize how the work they are already doing is impacting society. Journalism Teacher, Stephanie Russo, commented on how the Six Pillars should be implemented into the curriculum at Suncoast. “I think it’s already implemented into our curriculum, I think that we just have to be cognizant of what it is. The Six Pillars represent things that our teachers are already teaching. [..] So, we
just need to make students aware of the areas that we need to improve the state of Florida and show that they can. They don’t have to wait until they become an adult per se, but they can start right now. “ The Six Pillars are here to help guide students towards a life of prosperity, as well as gear minds towards giving rather than taking. “The benefits of having a mindset around service is where we want all people to be. Because that’s when you feel good about yourself, is when you feel you’ve served,” said Principal Linda Cartlidge. According to Leadership Palm Beach County, the Six Pillars plan will take some hard work, but nonetheless the plan appears hopeful and promising.
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Humans of
Merna Beshara (12) What is your life motto? “My life motto is ‘work for a cause not for applause.’ It helps to motivate me in the long run. I do things for the long run which essentially helps those around me, and that helps me to my goals. It’s not others’ praise that gets me to my goal.”
Esaivy Pozo (12) Describe a time when you faced a challenge and overcame it. “I’ve always had stagefright. I still have stagefright. In middle school, I had so much stagefright that I’d stutter or have a spasm because of it. However, I’ve learned to control it because in some cases, like presenting in class or performing in the Heritage Assembly, I just have to do it.”
BEHIND
Suncoast
ics km c e e ch • stag p u ard set dbo n • u so hts test otlig p s • ition pos •
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Juniors Sarah Leitner and Eleanor Brodrick discuss the responsibilities of the stage crew leading up to the opening night of a production.
SCENES
This is opening night. Jordan Young It is 6:58 pm; there are Features Editor
only two minutes until showtime. The actors are trembling slightly, their faces hidden by the shadow of the tall curtain. A slight murmur hovers low in the air as they recite their lines one last time. Mrs. Nixdorf has just walked onto the stage to introduce the show; the pit is restless. The months of rehearsal have amounted to this one moment, this breath… “Queue the lights. It’s showtime.” For the faint at heart, acting may not seem like an ideal career choice, or even hobby choice for that matter, but have no fear; there are options separate from dancing under heated spotlights in front of five hundred people. The answer lies backstage, in the heart of the theater, where the unseen performers do their best work. The stage crew (or Techies for short) control everything about the show except the actors themselves. For some members of the stage crew, technical theater work was in their blood from the start and proved a golden entry point into the majestic world of theater. “My father did tech and acted in shows in high school, so it runs in the family,” Junior Sarah Leitner said. For others, a position backstage was their fate all along. “I actually first got involved in theater because I was an actress, then I found that
being a Techie was much more my style. My first year here I took Musical Theater with Mrs. Nixdorf, and she talked about the musical they were doing in the fall. I decided to come to a few tech rehearsals, and then I was hooked,” Junior Eleanor Brodrick said. Regardless of the path taken, all Techies assume a huge responsibility when they sign up to work on a show. Aside from general prop placement and set arrangement, Techies are tasked with actually building and designing the set for the show. Brodrick, the stage manager, handles all queues for lights, music, and stage directions, as well as keeps the general backstage mayhem to a minimum. Leitner works on the microphones, the soundboard and spotlights, and helps move the set inbetween scenes. The stress of technical work is ultimately justified in those two minutes before showtime. “The most rewarding part of being in tech is the final outcome. When the show is finally up and you can see that all the work wasn’t for nothing,” Leitner said. The curtain rises, and the spotlight illuminates a fraction of the stage. Everything is silent, the set is perfect, and the lead actor makes his way to stage right. This is the moment we have all been waiting for. photos by Jordan Young
Features7
Photo courtesy by: Madeline Murphy
School of
Rock
While we stay at home during the summer, Maddie Murphy travels the country with her band. T h e Dayalis Zamora c r o w d Staff Writer
w a s silent. She was dressed in a Halloween costume, a black cat, while the others behind her flaunted their instruments and homemade costumes. With a steady hand on the microphone, Madeline Murphy began to sing songs that would not be considered hip to today’s kids, but she belted out the notes nonetheless. As a cliché, band members in high school would have been considered by others anything but hardworking and determined, but Maddie Murphy is bringing those stereotypes to shame. She is a member of School of Rock house band, a program that focuses on gifting the opportunity of a career in music to everyone, beginning with children the ages of ten or eleven.
The house band, located in Palm Beach, practices once a week on Fridays and plays covers of twentieth century songs in gigs several times a month. Sophomore Maddie Murphy said, “We normally do gigs and rehearse, but the gigs we play mean a lot to us. We’ve played at Graceland and Fright Nights, and one year, we got the opportunity to play at SunFest.” For Maddie, the dream to practice music came from a young age. “Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a love for singing, whether it was in talent shows or in the shower, and School of Rock house band really gave me that outlet where I could show everyone how much I love doing what I do.” Those who excel have the opportunity to perform across the country in legendary concert halls, and
Maddie was one of these students. Given the title of the 2015 Allstars Tour, the band visited several locations across America, staying in major cities such as Chicago and Atlanta, and performing at famous venues. “We went to Atlanta, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, Savannah, and more recently, over the past year, we’ve been to Nashville and Memphis. The great thing about tour is that, not only do we get to play at really cool places, but School of Rock is a nation wide thing. Each School of Rock is required to have their house band, which some kids call a show team, depending on where you live, but this year, we got to meet so many amazing kids from different schools.” Music has quickly become a part of who Maddie is. She carries her heart on her
sleeve and bears her soul to those who listen to the enchanting music, and as she moves around on stage, she gains more confidence -- confidence that leaks into her everyday life. “Music has contributed to who I am as a person, a lot, actually. Houseband, specifically, has given me the opportunity to find out more about myself and make life-long friends. I’ve experimented with different kinds of music my whole life. I think it has really helped me become who I am today just by being able to express to others what music means to me.” When asked if she would ever make a career out of it one day, Madeline said, “You never know. I definitely love playing music; it just gives me a thrill and I love playing it for people. And it’s just a magical feeling that I’d love to continue feeling. ”
November2015
Features8
The Tech Game Photo courtesy: en.wikipedia.org
Photo courtesy: pixabay.com
Among the challenging programs that Suncoast offers, IIT is the most overlooked program. every new Maria Fahmy With Staff Writer Freshman class, there is
one question that they all ask: “What program are you in?” Before asking, most students already have a perception of each program that is not entirely true. MSE is wrongly portrayed as the program for the most intelligent math students. IB is stereotypically for all the writers, CS is for programmers, and lastly IIT is for students who do not want to take four years of a foreign language. IIT may be thought of as the easiest program at Suncoast, but in fact it is a lot more than just an effortless program. The Innovative Interactive Technology program has three options: photography, drafting, and game and simulation. What many students do not realize is that some of the IIT students chose this program to help them in future jobs.
“I chose to be in the IIT program because I am actually very interested in photography and the art side of things and I think I want to do something in the photography field once I’m older,” sophomore IIT student, Gemma Shoupp said. Many Suncoast students assume that if it is not a higher math class or an AP class, then it is not hard, when in reality any class could be stressful or difficult. IIT students are in fact AP scholars with high GPAs. Often times, students do not consider the fact that IIT is second to IB in regards to the number of applicants at Suncoast, according to Assistant Principal Jana Hartley. Dr. Hamilton, the former IIT coordinator said, “I think that the students that are in other programs who
say negative things about IIT are either trying to make themselves feel better, or they are just speaking out of pure ignorance because they don’t know what the program is like and I would encourage them to find out before they speak.” People always forget that stereotypes might not be entirely true, for example as Sophomore IIT student Bryan Naranjo said, “Stereotypically, IIT students are seen as the students that take the easy way out of Suncoast, when in reality we are into drafting and photography while as CS students are into computer science. It’s just a career path rather than a way of difficulty.” IIT is for people who enjoy art and creativity, for photographers and engineers, for hard working students who want to learn more about the technology and their skills to help them in the future.
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Halfway There... Some enjoy hobbies of basketball and football, but Rena Montero craves the thrill of performing. Contestant on the Ariana Villanueva hit TV series The Staff Writer
Voice and songwriter herself Rena Montero, dedicates her pastimes to her passion for singing and performing. Making it through preliminary rounds of The Voice is just the beginning for her. Though Montero hasn’t heard back from the TV producers, it didn’t stop her from chasing the dream of becoming a successful singer. “Being on The Voice was scary. I remember my hands were shaky and my palms were sweaty. I was anxious but I believed in myself.” Rena told us. “But I know I gave it my all and in the end, it’s a learning experience.” Rena said that as a child her mother put her in classical singing lessons, and
sometimes she would write verses in her journal. Later as a preteen, her friends and family influenced her into joining the musical group “Young Singers Of the Palm Beaches.” “It’s always enjoyable being in the group with my friends, but also it’s very good practice for your voice. I have learned a lot on performing and how to display my voice from our coaches.” When asked what kind of music she would like to make, the junior said Soulful Pop. Montero told us that sometimes she books performances that are out of town, but when this occurs, she always prioritizes her assignments and gets them done ahead of time. The singer also told us that she is in the works of writing her own songs to
potentially feature on her own self made album. She said, “it’s hard to balance school work and my passion, but I manage to do so.” Although the life of a performer is glamorous and exciting… that school comes first and is priority. “My biggest inspiration is my mom, not that she is a singer or anything, but she pushes me to follow my dreams and reach my goals,” Rena said. Though her mom is her biggest inspiration, she too is motivated herself. “You have to be really motivated and you can’t give up… like I won’t stop until I make it!” Rena laughed.
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Features10
Freedomof theMIND
When it comes to creative expression, students explain the importance of appreciating the arts. Paint on your clothes, Kristen Unico Co-Editor-in-Chief charcoal all over, and
pastels smudged on your fingertips. Add the final details. Take a step back. It is done. Your art piece is finally done. The creative process for visual art pieces can vary from long hours to even a span of months. It is a process that requires a combination of commitment and imagination, a process that rarely gets recognition and appreciation. “A lot of people don’t realize how much hard work is put into art pieces. The skill it takes is undermined,” Senior Sri Ravipati, president of National Art Honor Society, said. Although the arts are at times perceived as less valuable due to the strong focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM, education the art students agree to disagree. “Art is the rawest expression of the mind that we can have if you know what you’re doing. Art is what you visualize; it’s what you think, and you just put it out onto paper. It’s the most pure form of expressing yourself. Art still forces you to think, and it’s something you really have to build your skills on to become better,” Senior Katie Dominguez said. “In other classes, you’re taught skills to become better at that subject. I think you can always teach and learn skills, even in art, but what you can’t teach is creativity, and I think creativity is equally important alongside STEM classes, ” Senior Abtahi Tishad added. Inspiration for the art students’ work often comes from the works of other artists, such as the notable graffiti artist Banksy, and the famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Other times, interests spark inspiration, and the artists create what catches their eye. Motivation to create leads to action, but when the hard work behind the finished art pieces does not get recognized due to the strong focus on STEM education, wanting to create art can be discouraging. “When you go to a school that’s so STEM driven, you feel different as an art student, and almost alienated because you don’t get recognized. But at the same time you feel special because of your ability to create and that motivates you to keep going as an artist. I’m motivated to work harder so we, as art students, can get our message across for how important the arts are as a whole,” Senior Lutaban Jania said. The art students have found their passion in the arts and have found art class and art club as exciting
November2015
opportunities to work productively and creatively. Some of the art students hope to continue their passions in the arts and take the career path of art as animators, architects, and even tattoo artists. But in the near future, National Art Honor Society hopes to put the spotlight on the arts during their winter project: a school mural. “The mural is the biggest step that the art students are going to make as art students in a STEM based school. It’s a project that will include a lot of artists from the National Art Honor Society. It’s going to make a statement because it expresses and represents who we are and what we do in this school as artists,” Sri Ravipati said. The art students hope to shed light on the importance of the arts, especially at school through art club, but at times, their ideas are not conveyed. “A lot of the time, when people want us art students to do an art piece, they just ask for our artistic technique and skill instead of an artist’s creative mind and input. In those senses, our creativity as artists is restricted,” Sri Ravipati added. Despite its lack of recognition, the arts’ ability to leave a permanent imprint is inevitable, and as Senior Katie Dominguez notes, “Art no matter what will always have relevance.”
Sri Ravipati
Katie Dominguez
Katie Dominguez
photos by Kristen Unico
Abtahi Tishad
Sri Ravipati
November2015
Lifestyle12
Another Day, Another DIY How to celebrate the holidays? Food! Ameenah Rashid Lifestyle Editor
New Music November
These are the newest albums from your favorite pop artists for the month of November. Zanne Hanna Staff Writer Album: Delirium Artist: Ellie Goulding Release Date: November 6
1. Mayflower Munch Mix
Photo by: Wikipedia
Including her hit single, “Love Me Like You Do” and newest single “On My Mind,” Goulding’s third studio album progresses further into the pop realm while still advancing in the technicality of her electronically-styled tracks. The album consists of 23 songs including “Outside,” a collaboration with Calvin Harris. Delirium showcases Goulding’s ability to combine ballad-worthy lyrics with fastpaced melodies and instrumentation. Album: Purpose Artist: Justin Bieber Release Date: November 13
Ingredients: Candy corn, craisins, pretzel sticks, m&ms. and corn chex 2. Pumpkin pretzels Photo by: Wikipedia
It has been three years since Justin Bieber’s latest full-length studio album, Believe, was released in 2012. Now, Justin Bieber returns to the music scene with his album, Purpose, featuring his lastest singles, “What Do You Mean,” and “Sorry.” The album demonstrates Bieber’s evolutionary and blended style of pop, hip-hop, and EDM. It contains nineteen new songs including the Skrillex hit, “Where Are U Now.” Album: Made in the A.M. Artist: One Direction Release Date: November 13
Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, pretzels, white chocolate, green and orange food coloring 3. Caramel apple bar
Photo by: Wikipedia
Made in the A.M. is One Direction’s fifth full length studio album, but their first without exband member Zayn Malik. With hits including the popular sing-along, “Drag Me Down,” and the simple ballad, “Infinity,” Made in the A.M. highlights the band’s sharp vocal style. Songs like “Perfect” and “End of the Day” strategically balance the vocal sections as a group with individual solo verses from the each band member. Album: 25 Artist: Adele Release Date: November 20
Ingredients: Apple slices, caramel, and toppings of your choice photos courtesy of pinterest.com
Photo by: Wikipedia
Adele returns with her third studio album, 25, after a four year break from recording. Her newest hit single, “Hello” has already broken records on Vevo. She effortlessly demonstrates her raw talent with simple song structure and complex melodic lines for her vocals. The album represents a “revival” from her last album as Adele claims to have discovered more of herself after 21.
Source: www.freestockphotos.biz
To DIYfor
Thanksgiving Edition
Thanksgiving is about reflecting on what we have and how lucky we are to have it. And what better way is there to celebrate this than with friends, family, and funky table decorations? Claudia Laukien If you are planning a big family/friends dinner, you may want to add some decorations to your table. Design Editor They can give you the more celebratory and fun mood that you want. This issue, I am reviewing someone else’s DIY. I will be adding instructions on how to make this funky little fall tree, but the credit goes to Paul Lowe. Please visit http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/ for more information on his work. Materials: -green wire -brown floral tape -orange nail polish -scissors
Caution: -This is a messy project. Put scrap paper under your tree to catch any dripping nail polish. -The cut ends of the wire are sharp!
Step 1: Cut several pieces of wire. Fold and twist them to achieve small loops no bigger than 1/4 inch. See image one to the right. Step 2: Apply the nail polish to the loops. This may take a little effort, but it is possible. See image two to the right. Step 3: Twist the wire pieces together to form a tree. Weave in some extra wire to make the trunk stronger. Step 4: Wrap the brown floral tape around the trunk and branches as far as possible.
Tips: - If the nail polish is not staying suspended, your loops are probably too big. Twist them to make them smaller and try again. - Wrap extra wire around the trunk to make it stronger.
Image 1
Image 2
What I should have done differently: - Made more roots, and made the roots less even. - Used a few different shades of red and orange nail polish. Fall leaves aren’t all the same color after all. - Added more leaves. This tree was easy to make, and I highly recommend trying it! Make a few with your friends or family and line them down the center of your dining table. Or, put them on your windowsills and bookshelves. They are a cute and creative way to give your house a nice, homey feeling during the Thanksgiving holiday. If you can, check out Paul Lowe’s website, http://www.sweetpaulmag. There a ton of great recipes and other DIY projects you can try.
Photo by Claudia Laukien
That is it for this issue! See you next time!
Happy
Thanksgiving! November2015
Lifestyle14
Why People Love
Photo source: wikimedia.com
With affordable and healthy choices, Trader Joe’s stands out among other popular supermarkets. People love Trader Joe’s because it is constantly and readily adapting to what consumers Monica Kramer and Austin Lent want, while coming up with creative and innovative ideas. Here are the reasons: Staff Writers
1
Hawaiian Theme
The company’s effort to create a unique shopping environment is seen by the Hawaiian theme throughout the store. From the worker’s shirts to the designs of products, every aspect matches the theme. Trader Joe’s incorporates hibiscus flower designs on walls and products and shelves made of Hawaiian-inspired wood. The Hawaiian design relaxes shoppers by making them feel like they are on vacation. The theme invites customers into the store and creates ainteresting shopping experience.
2
Unique Products
Trader Joe’s attracts customers through its many one-of-a-kind products that are only found at these stores. The supermarket offers items that combine customer favorites and low prices. Trader Joe’s makes its own food products. They offer many healthy and favorable choices for consumers with affordable prices. Items such as different flavors of cookie butter are only found at Trader Joe’s. Similarly, products from foreign countries, such as Spain, are available for purchase. To find these ideal customer products, people must visit Trader Joe’s.
3
Friendly Environment
4
Setting Trends
Trader Joe’s employees create a very warm and welcoming environment. Customers at Trader Joe’s are just as excited to be there as the employees. The company is known for taking very good care of their workers, including paid time off and high salaries, providing them with an inviting workplace. This makes employees happy leading to more pleasant customer experiences. The worst experience one can have at Trader Joe’s is finding out that a favorite product is not in stock. Trader Joe’s is considered by many to be an innovator in the grocery business. At first glance, the stores’ small sizes may seem unconventional, but they have proven to be very beneficial for the company. Now, other businesses are shrinking the sizes of their stores because of Trader Joe’s success. The company, also, sets trends through its original product designs and names. Many stores try to mimic the most popular products, such as Triple Ginger Snaps. Thus, Trader Joe’s is always one step ahead of its competition.
Trader Joe’s Must Haves Photo source (flowers): wikimedia.com
Cookie Butter
Peanut Butter Cups
Price: $3.69
Price: $4.29
One of Trader Joe’s most popular products, Cookie Butter is a creamy and rich spread made from Belgian cookies mixed with gingerbread flavoring and lightly caramelized.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are made with real peanuts and decadent dark chocolate. The peanut butter cups are a great deal as each cup is about 12¢.
Photo source: flickr.com
Photo source: flickr.com
Trader Joe’s Locations in Palm Beach County November2015
Wellington: 2877 South State Road 7 Palm Beach Gardens: 2560 PGA Boulevard Boca Raton: 855 S Federal Highway
Lifestyle15
B
ack Friday: Survival Guide Photo courtesy: https://commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shopping_cart_ icon.svg
Photo courtesy: http://c2.staticflickr. com/4/3828/10866048103_89ca6e3fdd_b.jpg
The day is November 26th, 2015. The time is 11:59 p.m. If you want the best tips, here it is. Jimmie Smith Well, it is almost that time of year again. Staff Writer Black Friday: the holiday that is celebrated by
corporations. The consumers become furious barbarians and the employees have their scanners and price check charts ready. Here are some helpful tips on how to survive the apocalypse until 9 am. 1. Planning is the smartest way to avoid any distractions and swipe the best deals. Also it is best to carry the Black Friday Ads to plan what items to buy. 2. It is best to know what you are getting for your friends and family. 3. Keeping a positive attitude will help the employees and reduces the problems t they will have to face. 4. Avoid the heavily populated areas with their retailers, and instead go to lesser-known retailers with a smaller population. Yes, there will be chaos. but it is controlled chaos. 5. If you want even want an even better deal, keep those Black Friday coupons, as they are a hidden gateway to Price Match. Price Match is when you compare a retailer’s price to a competitor’s. If the competitor’s price is lower than the retailer’s, then the retailer will match their price with the competitors’. That way the retailer would not lose any
customers. 6. Most retailers have doorbuster deals, these are helpful for those who do not mind coming in early. 7. Have a good night rest, it is best to set an alarm to wake up early. Black Friday is usually the best time for snagging clothes, appliances, and personal gifts at an inexpensive price. Even if it breaks the tradition of Thanksgiving, try the “Pre-Black Friday Sales.” Black Friday has evolved since its humble beginnings in the 2000s, from the hectic trend of the Tickle Me Elmos to the latest gadgets like the GoPro Camera and Apple Watch.
“Black Friday was ... the period when stores traditionally began to claim a profit for the year, with black ink used to mark profits by accountants, versus red ink for losses.” Brian Sozzi Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2015/11/06/many-black-friday-deals-here-already/
All Day Breakfast at McDonald’s
All day breakfast is being brought to all McDonald’s in the United States. Charlie Burgess Staff Writer
How happy is Suncoast about all breakfast at McDonalds? Suncoast Feeling About All Day Breakfast at McDonald’s Out of 40 randomly selected students
McDonald’s finally started selling all day breakfast on October 06, 2015, an idea first introduced in 2007 on Twitter. This is the first time that breakfast will be sold past 10:30, but the all day breakfast menu is limited. The all day breakfast menu varies city to city with each responding to what the customers want on their menu. Currently, most cities have hotcakes, hash browns, oatmeal, and parfaits as core menu choices with the breakfast sandwich options being different at most locations. This customer based idea is being implemented to try to act as a catalyst in turning
the company around. Overall most customers seemed pleased that was the idea was implemented, but still are waiting for the menu to be changed to what their cities want. The all day breakfast menu that your McDonalds will have, depends on the state in which you live. The majority of southern states have the biscuit menu, with the exception of Florida. While most other states have the mcmuffin menu. If you are not pleased with the menu that your McDonalds has, McDonalds encourages you to tell them what you want .
Happy Indifferent FINALLY
November2015
PA R T T W O : T H E D E M O C R AT S
The Good The Bad The Ugly
Palm Beach County was out Yana Rankine of reach of the protests- that News and was until the shooting of Corey Opinion Editor Jones in Palm Beach Garden in October. The Black Lives Matter Movement is sweeping across the nation, for the purpose of promoting the racial equality of black people in the social justice system. However, some still lack the understanding of the movement’s basis. Everyone either has their opinion about it, or cringes in discomfort at the topic of it. Regardless if you side with the movement or not, we can all agree the police brutality towards black people is the debated topic, but does it exist. Yes, we see it in the news from Ferguson, and Baltimore, yet the most unsettling feeling to me is the reality that Palm Beach isn’t safe from this. According to their recent investigative report of police brutality of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department, they stated “97% of fatal shootings [are] cleared [in Palm Beach County].” Coincidence? I think not. Corey Jones was an African- American male waiting on a tow-truck for his disabled vehicle. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Office Nouman Raja, who is doing undercover surveillance in the area, approaches Jones’ disabled SUV. Raja is in plain clothes - jeans, a T-shirt and a baseball cap - and driving an unmarked white van. There is a “confrontation,” according to police, between the officer and Jones.” Many argued that Jones was fired at because he was carrying a weapon. Ironically, those same people fail to acknowledge that Jones was legally licensed to carry that weapon and, not once did he shoot it the night of the attack. With that said, I want to stress that I do not think all police officers are bad, nor are the officers employed at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s department are all unreasonable. Unfortunately, with police brutalities receiving more media attention, the few bad seeds are spoiling the reputation for the rest. However, just because the general cohort of policer officers fairly do their job, does not mean we should ignore those who do not. Expecting black people to settle for injustice will only exacerbate their unequal treatment. This is not just a “black issue,” either, it is a national one. No one should stay silent in this fight, regardless of the race. The silence of the black community surrounding the constant injustice they face should not result in people feeling more at ease they should be grateful that people are fighting for social equality in our justice system. To be frank, those who have ignored the harsh realities and dismissed the movement as “immoral and barbaric,” just know that yes, it is 2015, and yes, racial inequality and social injustice still exists, and if you have not acknowledged that by now, you are part of the problem.
November2015
photo by wordpress.com
#blacklivesmatter
The Democratic Party: You know their names, not their stories. One thing that Sanders is sure to emphasize in his campaigns is the difference between he and Hillary Clinton. In 2004, Clinton voted for the Iraq war and believed in the “sacred bond that is the marriage between a man and a woman,” while Sanders has remained unwavering in his views on these same issues. Although Bernie Sanders was not a household name in 2004, he is now considered to be “intimately involved with issues that affect the lives of everyday Americans,” which, combined with his apparent passion and lack of typical politician-ness, only increases his appeal to the middle class. Sanders- and his rebellious strategy- is increasing in popularity because of his strong, steadfast beliefs. Not unlike Donald Trump, Sanders is viewed by supporters as a refreshing persona compared to the continuously “empty promises” that typical politicians spew.
Ameenah Rashid Lifestyle Editor
THE GOOD
Sanders’ views, while they appeal to many young people, are too far left to gain the support of Republicans, and don’t appeal to most Americans, including moderate Democrats. Sanders is known for his rebellious standpoint, which may be entertaining, but can also be unsettling. Finally, Sanders is not as tough on gun control as his Democratic counterparts may be. In 1993, he voted against the Brady Act, which mandated background checks and a waiting period for gun purchases. In 2005, Sanders voted for an NRA- backed bill. Political commentators have called him a “gun nut” and he has received praise from conservatives on his gun policies.
THE BAD
According to CNN, “a candidate’s age can be the symbol for voters’ desire for a fresher (younger) voice or a wiser (older) leader.” Although his voice is described as “fresh,” and “energetic,” it is hard to forget the fact that Sanders, at 74, would be the oldest United States president in history if he was elected.
THE UGLY
YOUR VOTES ARE IN
56%
44%
SANDERS
CLINTON
*Data collected by conducting a survey out of a total of 50 students
photo by wordpress.com
BERNIE SANDERS
Opinions17
vs.
HILLARY CLINTON Clinton would be making history by becoming the first female president Yana Rankine THE GOOD if elected, which would be a huge step for the representation of women in our News and Opinions government. With her election, America would surely be written in the books and be able to stand sideEditor by-side with other world powers who currently have a female leader, such as Germany, Bangladesh and
Trinidad and Tobago. Being a the first female president is a great push for the minority vote alone, but Clinton refrains from using that as a campaign strategy. According to Huffington Post, in discussing the clear gender difference between her and her constituents, she simply replied “I'm running because I have a lifetime of experience in getting results and fighting for people‌ I know what it takes to get things done." Her campaign is not centrally focused on how her gender makes her a better candidate for the presidency, instead, she focuses her campaign on helping low-socioeconomic families, and promotes feministic ideals, such as equal pay for men and women.
THE BAD come across Sanders,
Although Clinton proposed many policies appealing to the general lower- and middle-class populations, her persona does not appeal to them. Often in her speeches and interactions with the public, she holds a very polish appearance, which, of course, is encouraged for professionality; however to the extent she does it, it makes her as cold. Easily this can be a downside when in comparison to Democratic Candidate Bearnie in which his personality appeals more the same audience. The email scandal. Most know of it, little know all about it, regardless, we all know that this scandal defamed Clinton’s reputation of being trustworthy [in essence, t h e email scandal was about Clinton using her personal email in handling highly confidential information regarding Benghazi during her time as Secretary of State]. Yes, she partook in a press conference to clarify her motives behind the email in the scandal, however, regardless of how many times she engages in these conferences, her runningmates, such as Donald Trump, utilizes this flaw in the Clinton campaign to deter voters from giving her a vote. Regardless of all she tries, the email scandal has branded her as unreliable.
THE UGLY
photo by cnn.com
Opinions18
N O C H IL L
In an age where people can download movies with the touch of a button, everything seems easily accessible. Kaylee Clemens Co Editor-in-Chief With this great privilege, comes the need for precaution to ensure that you are not too accessible. This cyberbaby generation has progressed past terms like “going steady” to an era of “Netflix and Chill.” So, if you are looking to Chill, here are some rules to keep it safe:
1.
Protect yourself.
2.
Respect yourself.
3.
Make them leave their phone at the door.
4.
Whether you think Netflix and Chill is about watching Orange is the New Black or pulling those infamous movie theater moves in the comfort of your own couch, you need to protect yourself. Make sure to wait for the popcorn to cool before you try to eat it, and just because there is a talking part of your action movie does not mean you have to channel your inner Marvin Gaye.
There may come a time when you find the difference between your idea of chilling and your babe’s idea of chilling is as different as Spongebob and Squidward. If that is the case, do not give in to pressure. Stand by your morals, and if hottie does not respect that, it may be time to stop favoriting their tweets.
If you were in a movie theater, it would be annoying. Just because you and Bae are chilling at home, does not mean they can waste your time texting through the show. If they cannot look up from their phone when spending time with you, tell them to hit the road; they might as well be DMing you from someone else’s house.
Do not just Hit the Quan, hit the books. Your significant other may come Before Anything Else, but do not forget about Moe. I am not talking about Burritos, I am talking about Money Over Everything. Bae may be hot now, but if they are a scrub, do not count on them to bring you far. Hit the books.
5.
Get that title. If your Netflix and Chill partner is not ready to put you in their Instagram bio, stop trying to keep that Snapchat streak alive. You deserve to be something more than just somebody’s Boo Thing. Put them on an ultimatum. It does not matter how out of date Facebook is, until that relationship status changes, tell them to go chill with someone else.
November2015
Opinons19
Debate Away Your Fears Public speaking is one of the most common fears among students. You just have to get over it. You’re perfect. Straight A’s with a 4.0 GPA, Eda Kutsal nothing could stop you. Nothing... until you Staff Writer
overhear your teacher talking about some project you were positive you could wing until the words “present in front of the class” were spewed from her lips. Hear that? It’s your grade going down the drain. Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. A social anxiety disorder that plagues every three in five people, a.k.a. 74% of the human population. Fortunately, I am part of the 26% of the population that is not affected by this disorder. All thanks to our debate teacher, Traci Lowe, and her speech and debate class. So, if you happen to be one of the many that are cursed with said glossophobia, I have your antidote and it is debate. Remember that saying you told your friend when they did not want to get on the rollercoaster because they were afraid of heights? “You have to face your fears! Come on, it will be fun!” Yes, that one. As cliche and overused as it is, it must be said. You cannot overcome your fear of public speaking without actually speaking in public. Believe it or not, most kids in debate were absolutely petrified at public speaking at first, but you learn to love it.
photo by: commons.wikimedia.com
Debate allows you to hone and develop your speaking skills. Sure you suck at in now, but would you rather be bad at it now when you can fix it, or lose a job in the future because you could not give a presentation without turning into a stuttering mess. According to the Wall Street Journal, state and national debate award winners have a 22% to 30% higher acceptance rate at a top tier college than any average student and even without winning any awards, debate students still have a 4% higher acceptance rate. So sure, you’re afraid and you stumble over all your words and your hands are sweaty. Really sweaty. But you will get over it, trust me. You will practice and practice and before you know it, you will crave public speaking, and your words will come out so smoothly everyone in the room will swoon. Although you will probably still be sweaty, I can’t fix that. So, take a shot in the dark and try out debate, you may be surprised with where you end up. It’s two weeks later and you present your project, sweaty hands and all. You end with a final “Thank You” and catch your breath. Hear that? It’s the sound of your whole class cheering. photo source: wikimedia.com
Is There Time to Shop Online?
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Is online shopping really as efficient as it seems or going to the store a more productive way to shop? Marisa Hart These days shopping is both an activity and Staff Writer a necessity; whether it is shopping for food,
clothing, or home appliances, it is something people do almost everyday. The two main forms of shopping are going to the store or online on sites such as Amazon. Both both have their pros and cons. So which one is more efficient: shopping in stores or shopping online? With the pleasure of never having to take off your pajamas and getting to stay home, online shopping would be considered ideal to many. Online shopping is seen as a more efficient way of shopping because the prices are typically cheaper than the prices in store and there is no need to leave the house when the item is being delivered instead.Without having to go to the store there is no need to have to deal with long checkout lines. Also unlike in stores, there are rarely times when something is out of stock online and sometimes there is a larger variety of products available only online. Considering all the perks and hassles of online shopping and going to the store, ultimately shopping in stores is more efficient than online.Though it can be a burden having to deal with long lines, it will always be faster than having to wait two to three business days. Plus there are many necessities that you can only buy in stores, such as perishable groceries. Even though
the prices may be higher than prices online, you do not have to deal with pesky shipping fees, which make the cheap online prices almost equivalent to those in store. Online stores do have reviews available for finding out the quality of the product, but these reviews can not always be reliable. Being at the store allows you to try out the product for yourself in order to make sure it is not faulty before buying it. Though having the item shipped out and delivered seems easier there is a risk that the product could become damaged while it is being transported to you. Then you have to deal with the annoyance of shipping the product back and waiting for another one to be sent to replace it. Though online shopping has many appeals, it does not match up the benefits of going out the store to shop, online shopping is beneficial for anything you do not need right away or something that is difficult to find in stores. Yet many times shopping is done for something that is needed right away or something that can not be shipped out, such as most types of food. Shopping in-store allows products to be right at hand almost all the time and there is no waiting for the product to be delivered.Therefore that makes going out to the store more efficient than shopping online.
November2015
Opinions20
Girls Who/*Code*/
Many feel that the male-dominated CS program is not for females, but they could not be more wrong. Mindjina Courage Staff Writer
thought it was really awesome how you could create a whole program out of nothing.” As technology continues to grow, the need for skilled people of both genders
Photo By: Mindjina Courage
The lack of gender diversity in Computer Science prompts many to believe negative assumptions about the girls in the program. “They should not be in the program because it’s only for boys,” “They are all nerdy,” and “They only entered the program to get into Suncoast” are all incorrect thoughts that reach the minds of uninformed students. Many assume that the CS program is not a place for women when in actuality, the program is a rigorous gender-neutral course. Unjustified opinions discourage girls from signing up for CS, but there are several reasons why a female should consider computer science for her four year high school journey. Despite the bland name of the program, CS is an interesting course where the students learn about different components of programing, how to code, and how to make a program run. Freshman Shayla Zamora stated, “A lot of girls aren’t aware of the CS program so they don’t really know how cool it is. I
in the computer field will progressively increase. A female with a computer science degree has an even greater competitive edge because many work
places give females first priority in order to encourage gender diversity. Even though there are positive effects that come from being a girl in CS, it can sometimes be a scary experience when you’re a minority. Taylor Murphy stated, “I think when I first came to Suncoast I was really surprised that there weren’t that many girls in the class and going into sophomore year a bunch of girls dropped out of the program, so it was pretty intimidating, but I’m glad I didn’t switch out.” Girls should not be discouraged by this small complication because the benefits of being a girl in CS greatly outway the harms. Junior Tiffany Scott said, “My mom went to college in the computer science field and she was discriminated against. She was never treated fairly and people would say things like, ‘Why don’t you go into a field that’s meant for a girl?’ but in reality, this field is for women, too. Your gender doesn’t make a difference, anyone can learn it if they really want to.”
YOUR FUTURE
IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND Your future is within your grasp. Whether you know exactly what direction to take or need a little help getting on the right path, Palm Beach State College can help you reach your full potential.
YOUR PATHWAY TO SUCCESS
• Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees • On Campus and Online Classes • Honors College • Personalized Learning • Affordable Tuition • Over 130 Career Programs
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November2015
Enroll Today!
Opinions21
Sp
tify Steals
The Music Industry Photo by: Spotify Artists Services Team
Spotify allows music lovers to stream music for free, and the music industry cannot fight back. Zanne Hanna We live in a world composed almost entirely Staff Writer of cycles. One such business that values its
cyclical motion is the music industry. Here, a piece of music is created, registered, and used by businesses and broadcasters in return for royalties which are generated over a period of time and returned to the label for proper distribution amongst artists, writers, and producers. This success allows the artists to create more music, and the cycle repeats. However, while the music industry seems well put together and completely stable, a closer look proves its incredibly fragile state. The industry’s current struggle to compete against digital radio streaming websites has caused just as much destruction to the music industry as the Napster illegal downloading websites. The real problem is that music listeners are not buying albums, songs, or E.P.s anymore and instead use streaming websites like Spotify and Soundcloud. However, these websites do not provide beneficial royalties for artists, songwriters, and publishers that come from purchasing music. This is breaking the stable cycle of the music industry in which artists spend money to create music and sell it, and in return listeners pay for their music and enjoy their masterpieces. Instead, a new and vigorously unstable cycle is being nurtured by public listeners when they use these streaming websites that do not sufficiently fund musicians. Take Spotify as a prime example. Spotify allows listeners to listen to any track they want for free with limits to shuffling and advertisements, or with Premium, which consists of a monthly subscription and no advertisements or limits. According to the Spotify Artist Services Team, only 25 percent of users actually pay for Premium. Seventy percent of the total revenue is split among every right’s holder (the people who own whatever music they put on Spotify) ever based on popularity of their music. This is then further divided when the recording label of
the right’s holder decides to split the royalties amongst artists, songwriters, and publishers based on their contracts with the label. While the Spotify total revenue is not based on a fixed “per play” rate, a “per stream” payout is the unit of measurement for revenue. The 70 percent of Spotify’s monthly revenue, the ratio of the artist’s streams over the total streams, and the artist’s royalty rate all multiply out to create an average “per stream” payout of $0.006 to 0.0084, less than one whole cent. Most songs on Itunes cost either 99 cents or one dollar and 29 cents, which is clearly much more beneficial than a six thousandth cent payout. Spotify likes to tell their artists that payout from Premium users is higher than from advertisements. Well that seems great, except for the fact that only 25 percent of users actually pay for Premium. Hence, the domino effect of never getting paid enough for the amount of work invested in a song begins, and artists, popular and especially upcoming, are struggling to rise above it. Someone like Miley Cyrus, for example, can afford not making as much money from her free album on Soundcloud than from past albums on ITunes. Someone like James Bay, however, cannot afford losing money if he wants to advance his career. New artists are finding other ways to rise to fame like Vines, for example, and when they sign to an independent record label and are not as popular as say, Taylor Swift, they are forced to release music for free and don’t benefit from it. This creates an imbalanced, unstable cycle that combats against the cycle from which the music industry was born. We cannot simply ditch the music industry just because we’ve found an easier, cheaper way to access music. Did we not set ourselves up to explore music nationally and internationally through the purchasing of songs and albums? It is our utmost responsibility to keep the music industry alive and running,
Photo by: Clip Art
Photo by: Spotify Artists Services Team
November2015
Sports22
Cheering for
Boys
Sophomore Jabari McCarthy is the first male cheerleader at Suncoast High School in over 6 years. The music begins to blast through the speakers, girls in green and gold run through the gym, jumping with smiles on their faces, waving their pom poms in the air. In a few short moments they will be performing the routine that they had worked on for months. As they gather to do a stunt, one particular person catches everyone’s eyes. Jabari McCarthy, the first boy cheerleader at Suncoast in over 6 years is lifting the flyer high in the air. Guys being naturally stronger, able to jump higher, and lift heavier than girls, Jabari is a great asset to the team. His interest in cheering came from Youtube where he would watch videos of cheer competitions, striving to be on that mat, stunting and performing just like he does now. “I actually enjoy having Jabari on the team. He really brings a great energy to the team. He takes it so serious. It’s definitely in his soul and I’m glad to have him on the team. Men in general are naturally stronger than women. His jumps are way above the other cheerleaders and then as far as stunting, he’s stronger as far as lifting. So, yeah, he’s definetly helping out in that area,” said the coach, Ms. Napier. With the competition season just beginning, Jabari practices
Tina Supper Staff Writer
with another team competitively to learn more and strengthen his skills. He plans to try out and compete with a competitive team called Palm Beach Lightning in the following season. Just as Jabari cheers on the Suncoast teams, his family and friends cheer for his success and support him to full extent in this new endeavor. “My parents are excited because they like the fact that I’m putting myself out there for being the only boy on the team for right now so they’re pretty excited. And my friends really push me to stay on the team. Like there’s sometimes where you’re like oh you don’t know if you want to do it anymore and they’re like ‘no, stay on the team, stay on the team’,” McCarthy said. The other girls seem to also really enjoy having Jabari with them. They try hard to make sure he is a part of the team and support him through it all. It is something new and something different that they are not used to and it certainly makes the season more interesting. As the music dims and Jabari cartwheels off the mat, we all cheer for him and his success in standing up and doing what he loves to do, no matter what stereotypes are attached to it. Photo by: Tina Supper
Ball is Life On the court and on the field, Junior Austin Evans proves he is a versatile athlete. At 6’5, Junior Austin Evans is hard to miss Alexis August in the halls. Not only is he hard to miss in Copy Editor
missed a few games at the beginning of the season. “I have improved a lot from last season. This year I had 10 the halls, he is hard to miss on the field and or 11 touchdowns and I was second in the county for receiving on the court. Evans is a starting wide-receiver for the football yards,” Evans said. team and a shooting guard for the Since football is in the fall and basketball basketball team. is a winter sport, there is no conflict of When asked which sport he interest in playing both. planned to pursue in college, Evans “After football season is over, I go replied “tennis,” with a straight face. straight into basketball,” Evans said, “but Obviously this answer was a joke since the seasons are back to back I have as anyone who knows Evans can to find time to get my work done even if I attest to, he does not take anything have to spend less time with friends.” seriously. However, when it comes to Last year when Evans played the varsity sports he proves he is a serious threat basketball team went to districts. as an athlete. Evans said his parents encourage him “I consider myself equally good at to play both sports because it gives him both basketball and football and a for the win. Junior Austin Evans looks up to catch a pass in the game a wider selection in collge. Evans has not leader for both teams,” Evans said. received any scholarship offers yet, but he against the Boynton Beach Tigers. Evans transferred here sophomore is sure he will receive some attention from year from Dwyer High School, where he also played both sports. schools soon. “I came to Suncoast because it offered better educational “If I decide to play basketball in college I would like to go to opportunities even though I liked playing at Dwyer,” Evans said. Duke, but for football my dream school is Baylor,” Evans said, Last year he made the varsity football team despite having “I would be happy to go to UF and play either.”
November2015
Sports23 College football is well into the second season of the new playoff berth system. Here is what has happened so far: //:ptth -xolb .segami -acihc .piv.2og .swennwot -agilla/moc /tnetnoc/gro.rot /3v/stessa/smcnt -aa4612a9/2a/9/lairotide -8b89-ed11-99bb -aa4612a9/68230c4cc100 -8b89-ed11-99bb gpj.egami.68230c4cc100
College Football Alex Levine Staff Writer
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Florida: Up to this point, Florida has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Ranked as far back as 12 in a 14 team Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Gators were expected to only outperform Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Instead, victories over No. 2 Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Missouri boosted the Gators to 6-0 and a national ranking of eight, before a narrow loss to LSU brought them back to earth. A playoff position is still very attainable with the tough schedule that Florida still faces, although another loss will certainly leave them out of the running. Florida State: In a significantly worse conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Florida State has had an easy running so far. With Louisville and Georgia Tech being shadows of their last years selves, only Florida and Clemson posed real threats to an undefeated Florida State. Now though, with losses to Georgia Tech Clemson, and with a team that has floundered against easy opponents yearlong, it is almost impossible that Florida State will make it into the playoffs this year. It is even unlikely, given powerful Clemson, that they will even win the ACC. FAU: FAU is on track to repeat the successes of last year. It should not be hard for them to repeat their 3-9 2014 season, but at 2-7 so far, they might not be able to even achieve that. So far for FAU, unless they seriously start winning, they are out of even the slightest considerations of bowl entrance, and honestly, at this point - not worth talking about. Miami: Miami was playing relatively well at the start of the season, and they were bound to outperform last year’s 6-7 record that only narrowly brought them into bowl contention - until they lost to floundering South Carolina. With a 4-2 record in a much softened ACC, Miami should have easily been able to cruise into bowl contention. However, once they were destroyed 58-0 at home by Clemson in the worst loss in their history, and since fired their head coach, it is really now all up in the air. Their ability to deal with this will really determine what their season turns out to be. Across the Nation: The Pacific-12 (Pac-12) is full of surprises. USC and Oregon have had dismal seasons. Losses to Notre Dame and Stanford already knocked USC out of the playoffs and a home loss to lowly Washington punches USC out of the top-25. Losses to Michigan State and Pac-12 lightweight Washington State only compliment a 62 to 20 drubbing at home to Utah - the only undefeated team left in the Pac-12 which knocked them far out of the top-25. Utah came out of nowhere to lead the Pac-12 and hold the number four rank in the country, but then lost to USC, leaving no undefeated teams in the conference and making it unlikely a Pac-12 team could qualify for the playoffs. In the Big-12, Baylor triumphed over West Virginia, the only team that managed to beat them in the regular season last year, and the conference is shaping up in the same order that it did last year. Texas Tech, with a new, high powered offense nearly knocked off number two Texas Christian (TCU), while Oklahoma State, still undefeated, poses a hidden threat to winning the conference. In the SEC, Auburn - playing worse than their surprisingly poor performance last season - has achieved a 4-3 season with a number of highly ranked SEC opponents ahead. Although Notre Dame has played well so far, it remains to be seen whether they will repeat the four straight losses that dropped them from national title contenders to an 8-5 record. http://www4.pictures .zimbio.com/gi/Mike+Gillislee+Miami+Ohio+v+Florida+MhiqWRbunBCl.jpg