(Volume 20) 2016 Issue 1 - The Legend

The Legend Volume 20 Issue 1

October 2016

INBETWEEN THE LINES

It is easy to emphasize accepting each other’s differences, but how far have we really come when issues, such as the bathroom bill, come into play?

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Editor-in-Chief Yana Rankine Managing Editor Ameenah Rashid Design Editor Austin Lent News Editor Marisa Hart Opinion Editor Alexis August Features Editor Dayalis Zamora Lifestyle Editor Monica Kramer Sports Editor Alex Levine Copy Editors Charlie Burgess Eda Kutsal Jacob Magnuson Business Editors Asyjah Dudley Maria Fahmy

News 2016 Election recap pg 4 Final days of FAU pg 5 Third party candidates pg 5 Cheating to succeed pg 6 Obstinate at the olympics pg 6 Features More than a label pg 7 Freshmen of the Suncoast staff pg 8 Humans of Suncoast pg 8 Your vote is your voice pg 9 Debate for one pg 9 Return of the ‘Hale’ storm pg 10 Senioritis is not the only virus at Suncoast pg 10 The new face of Suncoast pg 11 Transcending boundaries pg 12-13 Opinions A hate crime on the LGBTQ+ community pg 14 American desensitization pg 15 You are the critic pg 15 The Olympic sport of lying pg 16 They are just like us pg 16 The bathroom bill pg 17 Sexism in the olympics pg 17 Lifestyle To DIY for pg 18 Grilled Cheese Gallery pg 19 The vegan trend pg 19 Hoco? pg 20 Welcome back, Frank pg 20 Standardized testing meals pg 20 Sports Identity crisis pg 21 The more you row pg 22 Ichiro shocks the MLB pg 22 Fuel for athletes pg 23

Website Editor Simrun Waghray Staff Writers Patrick Brannen Kaiden Buscemi Mindjina Courage Conner Dickman Nick Diggs Anthony Inza Genesis Griffin Keelie Hanley Zanne Hanna Tianyang Ji Janetta Lam Jahnaezha McFadden Meghan McGlone Megan Mendoza Kenjela Mullings Samantha Powers Sarah Ruderman Sara Samadi Jimmie Smith RJ Smith Jack Swank Farzana Talukder Daniel Torrez-Ortiz Victoria Vera-Zafra Jamie Vergara Ariana Villanueva

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Suncoast High School 1717 Avenue S Riviera Beach, FL 33404 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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TABLE OF CONTENTS

September 2016 Issue 1 Adviser Traci Lowe

2016 ELECTION RECAP

NEWS

With the 2016 presidential election only weeks away, the two candidates are trying to get as much support as they can.

On Tuesday Nov. 8, voters will line up Marisa Hart News Editor to vote for who they wish to be the next President of the United States. Hillary Clinton, running for the Democratic party, and Donald Trump, running for the Republican party, have been trying to get as much support as they can in these finals days before the election.

According to the New York Times, both of the candidates have targeted Ohio and have visited, or had members of their campaign visit, in order to gain the support of the people who live in that state. Labor Day is said to mark the rush to gain support in the last two months before the election.

On August 31, Republican candidate Donald Trump took a trip to Mexico to talk with the President of Mexico, Peña Nieto. This action surprised many because of statements Trump has said about Mexico in the past, such as wishing to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

Trump and Nieto discussed Trump’s immigration policy, which has been known to flip flop. The meeting between them ended peacefully with Nieto holding his stance on refusing to pay for any wall between the two countries Clinton recently gained the support of Bernie Sanders, who also stated his opinion on Trump. According to the Boston Globe, Bernie Sanders said “I don’t know what world that billionaire lives in, but anyone who thinks wages in America are too high doesn’t live in the world photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

we live in,” and that “Hillary Clinton has made it clear that the minimum wage must be raised to a living wage.”

According to the CNN polls, Hillary Clinton is in the lead with the most supporters, beating Trump, Johnson, and Stein. Clinton holds 47 percent of the supporters while Donald Trump holds 37 percent. According to The New York Times, Clinton’s national polling average is 43 percent , while Trump’s national polling average is 40 percent . With the polling averages not being that far apart means that the candidates will do whatever they can to be able to pull away from the other.

Hillary Clinton has been able to raise more money than Donald Trump has, according to International Business Times. Clinton raised $143 million in August, while Trump raised $90 million. Money is not the main concern for Trump since he has been able to fund a large portion of his campaign out of his own pocket.

These have all been efforts for the two candidates to be able to gain a lead in the poll and to be able to have the most supporters when the election occurs. According to the Washington Post, the upcoming presidential debates will be on September 26th in New York, October 6 in Missouri, and on October 19 in Nevada. These debates will the be the last few chances that Trump and Clinton have to emphasis the policies they support and what they have planned for the presidency. photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Suncoast High School

News 4

FINAL DAYS OF FAU

FAU no longer offers dual enrollment on high school campuses.

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Conner Dickman has decided to no longer offer dual Staff Writer

out other colleges for help.

Palm Beach State College (PBSC) has become our new dual enrollment classes on high school enrollment provider. “We have an excellent relationship with campuses. FAU made this decision based on their own beliefs PBSC,” said Whetsell. Thanks to PBSC, Suncoast is able to and research. As Ms. Whetsell explained, “They want students continue offering dual enrollment classes. These classes are to experience a college class on a college campus.” vital to the Math, Science, and Enginnering (MSE) program, and Mr. Randal Oddi, a dual enrollment the Computer Science (CS) program; math teacher, viewed another side to without dual enrollment classes, “They believe that by taking away Suncoast students would no longer FAU’s decision: “Their studies have shown that dual enrollment students college classes on campus and be eligible to recieve the additional who are active on their campus are making students take them on their college credits that are provided by more likely to matriculate to the each dual enrollment class. university as full time students.” campus, they will have a greater PBSC is currently supporting us, As a university, they make a profit enrollment rate.” but they may not be in the future. As when students attend their school.

Ms. Whetsell stated, “We are looking Karen Whetsell toward other colleges that offer more Therefore, they want students to attend their school; as Randal Oddi varied coursework.” stated, “FAU’s goal is to attract At the moment, PBSC is definitely students to their university.”

Suncoast’s only option. In the future, however, Suncoast’s Students are allowed to take dual enrollment classes with administration may decide to change which college it chooses FAU, but they would have to be on FAU’s campus. Since the for its dual enrollment program. Based on Ms. Whetsell’s majority of high school students are not capable of traveling to previous statement, Suncoast’s administration is looking for a FAU during a normal school day, Suncoast was forced to seek college with a broader spectrum of courses. photo source: fau.edu

THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES

More Americans are turning to third parties this election year.

Charlie Burgess Copy Editor

Although in traditional presidential elections, the stage is dominated by the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, with the third-party candidates being nothing more than an afterthought. This year’s presidential election has been anything but traditional with both major party candidates being highly disliked, many are turning to third-party candidates. The main third party candidates are Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, representing the Libertarian Party and Dr. Jill Stein, representing the Green Party.

Together they gathered around 15 percent of the national polls’ votes, with Johnson getting around 8-13

percent of the vote and Stein getting around 2-4 percent of the vote. With most polls deviating between ± 4 percent depending on which polls you look at. Many anti-trump supporters of the Republican Party are looking to Johnson as a viable alternative to voting for Clinton. Similarly, some of Bernie Sanders’s supporters are voting for Dr. Stein instead of Clinton, as they believe Stein offers more of a progessive platform.

Although Bernie Sanders believes that while “They’re focusing on very, very important issues. But I think right now — what is it, three, four months before an election — you’re going to end up having a choice. Either Hillary Clinton is going to become president, or Donald Trump.”

photo source: wikimedia

photo source: wikimedia

News 5

Suncoast High School

OBSTINATE AT THE OLYMPICS Middle Eastern politics found their way into the 2016 Games.

Tianyang Ji The Israeli delegation faced a number of slights Staff Writer during the course of the Rio Olympic Games.

On the night of the opening ceremony, the Olympic Committee assigned the Lebanese team to ride the same bus as the Israeli team. However, when the Israeli team attempted to board the bus, the Lebanese delegation forcefully blocked the entrance.

According to a statement to the Associated Press, “The organizing committee saw the blunt behavior of the head of the Lebanese delegation and immediately arranged a different bus for us,” said Gili Lusting, head of the Israeli delegation.

The Lebanese delegation’s refusal to ride a bus with the Israeli athletes was acknowledged by both sides. Lebanon’s chief diplomatic representative, Haj Nicola, told the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar that “I then stood at the door of the bus to prevent the Israeli team from entering and some of them tried to go in and pick up a fight.”

The spat over the opening ceremony’s bus assignments was not the only affront the Israeli delegation faced in Rio. During the judo competition, Egyptian athlete Islam El Shehaby lost to the Israeli athlete Or Sasson. When Sasson attempted to shake hands as per the traditional judo show of respect, El Shehaby refused. The Egyptian left the match to a roaring of boos.

“I knew he would do it, so it wasn’t a

surprise for me,” Sasson said. “But I cannot say anything. This was his decision.”

According to NBC Olympics, El Shehaby was an ultraconservative and was encouraged by the Egyptian media to not even participate in the match. A spokesman from the International Olympic Committee, Mark Adams, called the situation “a shame.”

These incidents reflect that of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East that has been continuing for over one hundred years.

The details of the conflict are complex and span over a long time, but the important thing to know is that what happened in Rio is not the first time.

The events of the 1972 and 1936 Olympics are are not far from from memory.

The problem may be lost in the younger generation.

“I think it’s stupid,” said a Lebanese student here at Suncoast, who chose to be anonymous. “Because if you ask a Lebanese person why they hate Israelis, they wouldn’t be able to tell you why. Same with vice versa. I think it’s silly.”

Ancient intolerances still find themselves in today’s events of competition and sportsmanship.

photo source: Washington Post

Suncoast High School

News 6

HELPING ACROSS BORDERS

Suncoast students traveled far to extend their helping hands.

Janetta Lam Outreach programs have increasingly Staff Writer

grown in popularity for high school students as they begin to feel the desire to make a difference in the world and because of the extra boost they provide on college applications.

Outreach is any activity in which volunteers provide services to those who otherwise may not have access to them.

The central idea in outreach programs is that volunteers meet those in need. In Palm Beach County, there are a number of different outreach programs that promote the success and wellbeing of the community. For example, Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) members go to known places where homeless people often congregate and facilitate friendly conversation to complete an assessment and determine whether the people are eligible for assistance. Another program, Teen Outreach Program (TOP), focuses on reducing teen pregnancy, lowering the risk of suspension and promoting safety, health and education in adolescents and young adults using a teen club model.

Although the government places great emphasis and allots numerous resources to help those in need to have access to basic services, there is often a gap in the system and many people are left out. Through a number of different non-governmental organizations (often nonprofit), students have been given the opportunity to fill this gap and help the less fortunate. As one student gets involved in a program, that student raises awareness and further advances the progress of a particular program.

These types of programs have proven to be invaluable to both the people who benefit from the services provided and the volunteers. Alongside the benefit to those in need, outreach programs also serve as an educational tool for volunteers. Through an active presence in outreach programs, students are 1

offered an experience that cannot be obtained elsewhere and exposure to a world opposite their own that they are not regularly exposed to.

Summer is the perfect time for students, who are momentarily relieved of school, to commit their time and energy into providing services. This past summer, several students traveled great lengths, as far as India, in order to offer their hands to help.

Olivia Schmidt, an MSE junior, traveled to Bolivia along with nine other girls and spent eight days in a life center for boys rescued from abuse and abandonment.

In addition to this, she and her group visited different villages and put their efforts into programs for children on the streets to teach them to understand that, regardless of the situation they are in and if they are afraid, they are always loved and will never be alone. For Schmidt, the most memorable moment of her mission trip that made a strong lasting impact was her time visiting and getting to know single mothers and providing them with care packages.

MSE Senior, Gabrielle Lonsberry, along with a group of adults and nursing students from her church, traveled to Salem, India, on a medical mission trip.

For 12 days, the group taught seminars at local colleges and were involved in pediatric medical camps. Lonsberry functioned as an extra hand for the doctors, responsible for taking the vitals 2

3

of the children and setting up medical records. She also served as part of the consultation group with deciding on how to treat the kids. The reward she gained from her experience is that she feels she gave the kids with serious diseases and/or injuries hope that things will not always be the way they are and that they will get better. Bringing the focus back to the point that outreach programs expose people to new cultures and knowledge about a new world, during her time in India, she fell in love with the people and the country and her experience solidified her decision to major in biomedical engineering in college.

These two girls exemplify the concept of taking time out of their life to help the community. As MSE students, during the school year, their lives are revolved around calculus and physics; even with this strict schedule, they still have time for sports and weekly community outreach in the form of Urban Youth League.

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5

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photos (1-3) courtesy of Gabrielle Lonsberry; photos (4-6) courtesy of Olivia Schmidt

MORE THAN A LABEL

FEATURES

Three students from three countries with one thing in common: They were all living in America illegally.

Perhaps one of the most controversial and talked about issues right now is how to handle illegal immigrants

Ameenah Rashid in America. This subject may be so controversial because of the fact that it practically affects everyone. The Managing Editor United States of America was built on immigrants, so it is likely that you interact with immigrants every day- and yes, some of those people are living in America illegally, even at Suncoast. But just because they were once illegal, that does not mean that is all they are. Today, they are successful Suncoast seniors in the IB Program who are passionate about soccer, photos by Ameenah Rashid reading, and the arts.

Senior Nick Beltran was born in Colombia, but moved to America at the age of three when his mother decided that she wanted a better life for the two of them.

They came to America with two things: a Visa that would last for six months, and no intention of going back to their native country.

His mother later gained status as permanent residence, but getting there was not easy.

“She paid a Cuban man to get married with her, because Cubans are guaranteed asylum, so she could get her papers, and she could stay here with me. After we stayed here for ten years, we both got our citizenship.”

His mother and her new husband had a daughter as an “anchor baby,” but because the procession of these events went by so smoothly- and Beltran’s mother never told himhe did not even realize he had been an illegal immigrant and his little sister helped them gain citizenship until three years ago, when his mother finally told him.

Although he has only recently become aware that he was once living with the label “illegal,” it still has an impact on him.

“This is the United States of America, people are coming from all over the place to get better opportunities.

People who are against immigration are going against our original beliefs,” Beltran said.

photo source pinterest.com

Senior Clervenie Michel came to America in 2010, after living in Haiti for ten years.

“My family wanted me to further my education since my school was destroyed in the earthquake, and it wasn’t safe to stay in Haiti,” Michel said.

Michel and her mother came to America legally with a Temporary Protected Status Visa because they were coming from Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010, but after a year of living in America, their Visas expired.

Because they never renewed them, the two of them were illegally residing in America, which had a large impact on Michel, who was just eleven at the time.

“I had to go to school with literally no documents. It impacted me a lot because I had to adapt to this new environment and learn the language and was so used to things in Haiti, so when I saw how different everything is here, it was a lot to take in,” Michel said.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2016, that Michel and her mother finally became legal American citizens.

“I am now legal because during my sophomore year in high school, my mother realized that I needed to be a citizen to be able to go to college. It took a long time for all the paperwork but I finally became legal this summer,” Michel said. photo source dreamtime.com

When Senior Rosmery was five, she and her family left Cuba: on a boat.

“First we left Cuban borders for Mexico, but the boat broke a couple miles off of the coast of Mexico so we were stranded on an island for a few hours until another boat came to get us. Once we got to Mexico, we were there for a day until we crossed the border to Texas, and from there I flew to Fort Lauderdale five days after I left Cuba,” Perez said.

The reason for Perez’s arrival is somewhat similar to that of many immigrants, her mother wanted a better future for them. But her father was already living in America after previosuly coming to Florida illegally in a raft he build himself.

“My dad came with his family in two groups. His group wasn’t caught, but the other one was, and they were kept in prison for a period of time,” Perez said.

One question that many people ask illegal immigrants is why they had to come illegally instead of just waiting for a Visa.

“Cuba is a Communist country, and you’re not allowed to leave, except for work,` especially back then. So honestly the only way to come is you either make your own boat or you pay people to bring you,” Perez said.

Within a year after her trip, she and her whole family succesfully gained legal status as American Residents.

photo source mightyskins.com

Features 8

Suncoast High School

FRESHMEN OF THE SUNCOAST STAFF

As we begin the new 2016-2017 school year, we are not only meeting new students, but also new staff that have joined us.

Samantha Powers Amanda Del Ponte has been a counselor for two years, but her dedication and Staff Writer

drive to help students with their personal conflicts and problems makes it seem like it has been much longer.

“I think each student is different, so each of you have unique problems. Each person’s problems are handled in a different way, so we try to give you the same information conveyed in a different way, but for more personal problems we give you guys the space to handle it the way you want to,” Del Ponte said.

The opportunity of having school counselors on campus provides students with tools and resources that they may be unable to access on their own. Additionally, the added confidentiality of the counselors allows students to talk with

WEBER

them about anything they need to, academically- related or not, because all guidance counselors are trained to handle an array of topics.

“It does depend on the laws in each state, but it also depends on how the student wants to handle the situation. If a student came to me with that information, I would ask her what she wants to do, and how she wants to handle the situation,” Del Ponte expressed.

Many student grow up having an idea of what they want to be when they grow up. While this plan may change for some of them, it did not for Ms. Roxann Weber.

“I always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was little. I even used to play school with all my friends,” Weber said.

For some teachers, their passion for teaching started with a specific childhood experience.

Other teachers simply do not care for their

DEL PONTE

Photos by Samantha Powers

jobs and are just teaching to collect a paycheck. That is not what teaching is about for Ms. Weber, who has always viewed teaching as a new opportunity to learn- not just for the students, but for her as well.

“I’ve taught at all different places and I have taught many types of students. So, it has been quite varied, and so this is just another opportunity to teach in an area that I have not taught in yet.”

HUMANS OF SUNCOAST

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For my Personal Project, I wrote a book about a girl named Jenny who attends a spy academy and goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

She discovers a little bit about herself, her friends and her enemies. My favorite part about writing the book was coming up with new ideas on what my main character should do, but this was also the most difficult. I enjoy writing a lot, and it was a really fun experience for me.”

Riya Maria (10)

Claudia Cabral (11) photos by: Austin Lent

I visited the Azores Islands which are the islands in the Atlantic Ocean that belong to Portugal, where my whole family is from. We had only gone when we were younger so this time it was diiferent, since we’re older we can appreciate the beautiful sightseeing more. We also visited another island which is St. Maria where one of my dad’s friends showed us around, and it was really cool, and it’s actually very beautiful, underappreciated I would say.”

Suncoast High School

Features 9

YOUR

VOTE

Ariana Villanueva Staff Writer

IS YOUR

VOICE

Seniors are preparing to vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Jake Knorr Donald Trump “I support Trump because he will make our nation the most safe and secure. In addition, he promises to restore American values. Also, I support his immigration policy.”

Pierre Ghobrial Donald Trump “The main reason I am voting for Trump is for cultural purposes. He stands for most of the conservative values that I support.”

Isabella Kaiser Hillary Clinton “I’m voting for Clinton because first off, I am a democrat it is the traditional thing to vote for my party. Secondly, I do not appreciate the sexist things Trump says. I feel Clinton would help support women’s issues.”

Alec Sunshine Hillary Clinton “I believe every vote counts, and I surely do not want Trump to win. I support many of Clinton’s stances such as her pro-choice stance.”

photos by Ariana Villanueva

A DEBATE FOR ONE

Contradictory statements plague 2016’s presidential platforms.

Jacob Magnuson Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have, over the course of their political careers, been notably inconsistent in the presentation of their principles. Their speeches in 2016’s race, when juxtaposed with Staff Writer

statements they have made on hot-button issues in past interviews and conferences, have left constituents confused and unable to confidently acknowledge shared tenets. Whether this behavior is considered to be on-demand pandering to the views of distinct audiences to rack up advocacy or as adaptation and compromise with the views of their opponents and hesitant supporters, disparity in policy is a bright red flag for circumspect citizens. Take a look at some of the candidates’ most notable changes of heart.

Abortion:

“I am pro-choice in every respect.” “[Abortion] has to have some form of punishment.”

Same-sex Marriage:

“I do not support same-sex marriage. I support civil partnerships and contractual relationships.”

“I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law.”

Minimum Wage: Immigration:

“The minimum wage has to go up. People are -- at least $10, but it has to go up.”

“The [minimum] wage is too high; we’re not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say this, but we’re going to have to leave it the way it is.” photo source: harboarts.com

“We’ve got to do several things and I am, as you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants.”

“We need comprehensive immigration reform with a path to full and equal citizenship. I’ll close immigration detention centers, and help more eligible people become naturalized.”

Suncoast High School

Features 10

RETURN OF THE ‘HALE’ STORM

After a retirement lasting only one year, David Hale came back to a full-time position as an English teacher at Suncoast.

New teachers are easily identifiable as those Austin Lent walking through the halls from one room Design Editor

to the next with their mobile classrooms.

Floaters have to adjust to a new school, unless this is not their first time around.

Forty-two years of teaching ushered David Hale into retirement with Suncoast’s graduating class of 2015. One school year later, those same 42 years brought him back to the fulfilling career of an English teacher.

“I don’t think I can live without teaching. The constant daily activity and involvement with people is fun,” Hale said.

When administration asked him to come back, the job was intended to be a temporary position for this year only, but things quickly changed.

“I thought ‘Well a year. Okay. I’ll do a year.’ Then it turns out it’s a permanent position,” Hale said. “So I’m looking at a future of a slow death at Suncoast, and I kind of like it.”

For a veteran teacher, coming back to a familiar job might seem simple, but Hale’s upcoming experiences will surely be different from his past. Although he taught mainly seniors during his latter years at Suncoast, his schedule this year significantly diverges from those in his past as he has both MYP English 1 and AP English Language courses.

“I haven’t taught ninth graders in decades, literally, but they’re interesting. They’re enthusiastic, and they have enough energy to circle the Earth in two seconds,” Hale said. “They

bring something very different than the seniors. Sometimes seniors are a little jaded.”

While other teachers may have relaxed and enjoyed vacation time after retirement, Hale pursued a different course of action, which included even more teaching.

“I actually came back to the college first because I teach at Palm Beach State College, and I taught at Benjamin Middle School as a substitute. I also did a lot of tutoring, so I was constantly teaching last year,” Hale said.

This prevented him from removing himself completely from the teaching routine.

“The teachers were so nice at Benjamin, and the students were so enthusiastic. Having that constantly in my mind as I substituted, I saw how much I really cared about [teaching] and how much I liked it,” Hale said.

Hale is looking forward to an exciting year teaching and many more to come. As for his freshman students, Hale only has four words of advice: “Listen to the teacher.” photo by Austin Lent

SENIORITIS IS NOT THE ONLY VIRUS AT SUNCOAST

Zika continues to spread rapidly, even to a local Charger.

The thermometer strikes 100 Jamie Vergara degrees, chills take over the body, and Staff Writer

fatigue of the joints occurs, and these symptoms create the thought of “what if I have Zika?”

Suncoast High School currently has a student with a father who experienced the Zika virus.

After spending two weeks in a tropical area, Senior Hannah Blandon’s father contracted Zika on what was supposed to be a summer vacation. “My dad had a fever, rash and joint pain in addition to feeling sick on his flight home from the Dominican Republic,” Blandon said. “He had Zika for about two weeks. On his first day he did not want to visit the hospital but we consistently told him to go to Palms West!” There is no cure or vaccine to eliminate the disease, but symptoms can be relieved. Resting and rehydration can have an impact. Sleep is important for the body to recover. Blandon stated, “My dad was on bed rest for two weeks and slept a lot.

For victims such as Blandon’s father, he was able to cope with the disease. “It didn’t really impact my family because

Zika is similar to having a cold,” Blandon stated. However, for pregnant women, Zika can cause damage to the brain of the fetus to potentially lead to a collapsion of the skull. As of August 26, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported federal funds have been discontinued for the research of Zika. The Florida Republican, David Jolly, responded furiously to the House floor.

Jolly brought a jar with 100 mosquitos inside of it and threatened to open the jar if no considerations for the virus was going to be taken into account.

He was fighting for the safety of Florida and stated, “The fact that candidates are going to spend money on commercials about Zika instead of responding together in a bipartisan, bicameral way in a divided government to a public health crisis -- Americans understand that we are wasting time.” The University of South Florida located in Tampa has been breeding mosquitos to conduct more research on the virus.

The CDC recommended applying insect repellant when going outside and wearing long sleeves with long pants. In addition to the CDC suggestions, knowing your location, destination and community surroundings will also help prevent to contraction of the Zika virus.

photo by Ariana Villanueva

Suncoast High School

Features 11

THE NEW FACE OF SUNCOAST

It is not an easy task replacing a legend like Dr. Cartlidge, but the new principal, Mrs. Karen Whetsell, is up for the challenge.

It is ten minutes before the morning bell and outside stands the new principal greeting the students with a big smile.

Just before the end of last school year, Mrs. Karen Whetsell took over command after the retirement of long time principal of eight years; Dr. Cartlidge.

Mrs. Whetsell first began her college days as a Business and Marketing major; hoping to become a buyer for a department store. During her time there, she also took education classes for the Humanities requirement. This was the beginning of her journey and ultimately paved the way for her new love of education.

“I was hooked. Here I found a place where I could use my intellect and creativity for the greater good of society. I changed my major and set on a course to graduate in three years,” Whetsell said.

In her final year of college, Whetsell earned a substitute teaching position and then went on to have her first official classroom just before her 21 birthday. In such a short time, she quickly moved up the ranks, becoming assistant principal and later principal at 31 years old.

Mrs. Whetsell has been the principal of four other schools which have each improved under her leadership. For instance, at Boynton Beach High School, Whetsell worked closely with teachers and staff to develop tutoring programs and academic support for the students. These programs led the school to an increased graduation by 16 percent and also

Sara Samadi Staff Writer

its first “A” rating in school history.

After leaving her mark at previous schools, Mrs. Whetsell has begun a new chapter at Suncoast.

“My favorite thing about being at Suncoast is the opportunity to listen, learn and lead the most academically powerful school in the District. It’s also the hardest! We are, after all, the Chargers! I consider it an honor and a challenge every day to lead the most intelligent faculty, staff and students in the District,” Whetsell said.

Mrs. Whetsell’s journey to Suncoast was definitely full of opportunities and new experiences along the way.

She is ready to lead the Chargers to bigger and better things. Mrs. Whetsell plans to find a balance for everything she aspires to do in the future, and to continue the greatness of Suncoast. She is now ready to leave a new legacy.

After only a few weeks into the new school year, she has had such a great impact and some would say she is bleeding green and gold.

Photo source: Palm Beach Post

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of transgender people stated they have atttempted suicide, compared to the 1.6 percent of the general population.

25%

of transgender people lost a job due to not fitting the gender norms of the workplace.

63%

of transgenders have experienced serious discrimmination, such as school bullying, homelessness, or sexual assault.

57%

of transgender people have faced serious family rejection and of those, 51 percent have attempted suicide. *according to Injustice at Every Turn

TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES

Yana Rankine Editor-in-Chief

Dichotomy might work for classifying animals, but not gender identities.

Short hair. Loose hoodie. Straight jeans.

Everything that could possibly hint towards femininity was not noticeable, until the dreaded five letter word slipped out of someone’s mouth: “Lilli.”

Slumping over, and sighing as they reluctantly respond, lacking the energy to correct him this time. Their friend knows how much it discomforts them, yet they continue to call them ‘Lilli’ because it is more convenient to them. Luckily they were patient with their peer, even though that friend did not realize how the old name sent a pang through their stomach.

Change is a part of growing up, whether it refers to an attitude towards a new topic, a daily routine, or, in this case, a new name.

After all, they did begin to express it during their last year at the ‘Coast. Once known around campus as the shy, sheepish girl named ‘Lilli,’ they are more confident with their new identity. A new name: Danny.

Cis-, (or someone who identifies with the same gender assigned at birth), or transgender people are what comes to mind to most when discussing different genders, and they are the polar opposites. Until they meet Senior Danny Riso (pictured below), who just so happens to, as quietly as their personality suggests, rest right outside the lines.

“There was never really a feeling of ‘oh, I’m not a girl anymore.’ I sort of realized other people felt they had a gender, and I never really have [had that feeling]. I sort of came across it when a movie came out, or a book, when it was talking about transgender rights, and I [thought] ‘how does being transgender work, how do you know if you’re one gender or another, and if it lines up with your assigned gender’ and from there I did some research and figured that most people have a feeling of gender that corresponds to their gender, and I don’t have any feeling, which corresponds to my identity, agender,” Riso said.

Lilli was their past, but that doesn’t mean that identifying as male was Danny’s future.

Instead they identify as agender, neither male or female, lacking a gender entirely.

With that, rather than going by ‘her’ or ‘his,’ Riso identifies with the pronoun “they, them or their.” Luckily, the motto “new year, new me” worked in their favor, given the opportunity of a fresh introduction to their teachers this year. However, new challenges arises when old habits creep up again: reintroduction to old friends.

“I have one friend and he still calls me that [Lilli, and says] ‘I met you as Lilli, so I’m going to keep calling you that.’ I tell him it bothers me when he does, but he doesn’t change his mind,” Riso said.

Although most of their friends refer to Riso by their true name, they can’t help but cringe at their old name. It’s not who they are anymore. Exposing themselves to LGBT films, such as Blue is the Warmest Color, along with researching how gender identity works, let alone the multitude of gender identities that are known to exist, catalyzed their discovery of their true identity, and the happiness that followed as they came to terms with it. With that being said, frustration is an understatement when all of that is crushed once years of confusion are brought back when they are mislabeled for a “she,” or when, in Riso’s case, that five letter word slips from someone’s mouth.

“I introduce myself as Danny, and it sort of depends on how much energy I have on a given day, like if someone uses ‘she’ pronouns as default, depending on how much energy I have, I’ll correct them and say ‘actually I use ‘they’ and that’s grammatically correct and it’s been for awhile because I’m agender.’ I’m not hiding but it’s not like I’m trudging through screaming ‘I’m agender,’ Riso said.

Fortunately for Riso, they have not experienced bullying from peers around campus, and has LGBT-friendly teachers who allow them to be open to their newfound identity.The acceptance doesn’t stop there. Their support system transcends their home as well.

photo by Yana Rankine

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Suncoast High School

photo by: Yana Rankine

Features 12

Suncoast High School “They [My parents] were actually surprisingly nonchalant about it. I hadn’t really expected them to know much about transgender and LGBT issues in general because it’s not in their circle of interests.

We were just hanging out one day and I said ‘hey mom and dad, I think that I might not actually be a girl.’ They shrugged and said ‘okay.’”

Their coming-out story is a success, but many transgender and gender nonconforming youths face a much different reality. According to a February 2011 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), 57 percent of transgender or gender non-conforming persons stated they “have experienced some level of family rejection.” Thus, this is a special case, as Riso experienced nothing but acceptance around campus.

“In my case, I’ve never really had to face discrimination or people being mean to me about it. It’s probably more inconvenient than anything else because coming out often requires a vocabulary lesson.”

Still, there is always more work to be done.

Issues concerning transgender rights are beginning to arise across the nation. More recently, North Carolina’s bathroom bill against transgender people set the LGBT community back after all the tribulations they have already strived to overcome. Although Riso has not faced as much transphobia as other LGBT teens may have, they still agree that there is some miscommunication concerning what gender identity actually means.

“It’s not because of any hormone problem.

Gender identity is different from seuxal identity and are not correlated at all.”

Features 13

What you see is not always what you feel.

Imagine looking in the mirror and not seeing ‘real you’ you feel inside. It is almost like a disconnect from reality. It is hard to understand the feeling of belonging to another gender when many have not experienced it, which is why it is so important to listen, not criticize.

photo by: Yana Rankine

IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY...

Reporting all homophobic and transphobia harrassment is imperative. Stop the hate and speak up.

Suicide Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Trans Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860

Report harrassment incidents to guidance counselors or admitinistration.

Counseling GLBT National Youth:

Notify a trusted adult, or faculty member on campus.

1-800-246-7743

Tell a trusted friend or parent.

HOTLINES

IN PERSON

OPINIONS

ANOTHER HATE CRIME ON THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

The Orlando attacks are a hate crime, not an act of terrorism.

photo source: Flickr

On June 12, 2016, Florida resident Omar Mateen entered Orlando nightclub, Pulse, with an assault rifle and a pistol and murdered 49 LGBT club goers. Having pledged his allegiance to ISIS just minutes before the fatal massacre, the American media scrambled to title the shooting the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.

Headlines memorialized the slaughter of innocent, mostly Hispanic, people as a terrorist attack, but did not mention what one person’s actions had in store for the LGBT community (LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transexual).

The aftermath of the shooting included both police officers nonaffiliated with the LGBT community and club goers working in unison to rescue as many victims as possible, pulling them out of the club and utilizing, as stated by the New York Times, “police vehicles pressed into service as makeshift ambulances to rush people to hospitals.” At that moment, with the rush of adrenaline and in a period of undeniable shock, there was no discrimination between two differing groups of people, but there was a mutual agreement to work together.

However, the blow to the LGBT community and the shooting’s victims were not what the media highlighted, instead featuring articles and interviews on what this attack, deemed a terrorist attack, would mean for the United States’ safety on the terrorism front.

American media was particularly focused on airing screen time and saving their word count for the terrorist’s name and his life story, and most reliable news sites did not recognize the victims of the attacks, the people who simply desired to enjoy a night out with friends at the popular “Latin Flavor” night.

Though some liberal news sites raised awareness towards this cause, such as Buzzfeed and Jennifer Lopez and Lin Manuel Miranda’s tribute on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, overall, the shooting had suddenly become a pivotal political issue, with presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Hillary

Dayalis Zamora Feature Editor

photo source: Flickr

Clinton commenting on the attack, and had somewhere along the way forgotten that the real problem was the discrimination on the LGBT community.

American society seems to have lost the crucial point that the LGBT community deserves the recognition of being a legitimate movement to increase awareness of its oppression in seemingly modern 2016. The American media spent so long romanticizing the Orlando attacks as an act of lone-wolf terrorism and discussing what it would mean for the United States that the American people had forgotten that this was first and foremost a hate crime on the LGBT way of life.

There are even some telltale signs that depict the shooter Omar Mateen as a struggling gay person, and that he had frequented the Pulse club before the attack. According to USA TODAY, “Mateen might have been an Islamic radical, a selfloathing gay person and a mentally unhinged abuser. But that doesn’t make the rampage any less an attack on an LGBT space.

ISIL connections or not, for the LGBT community, this is a hate crime.”

It is true that perhaps the media and authorities were quick to write off the attack as terrorism due to the shooter having pledged allegiance to the radicalist group minutes before he opened fire on the innocent club-goers, but the fact of the matter is that Mateen did not choose an open area, such as the one chosen in the Paris Attacks, but a closed location, one that was the safe haven for much of the Orlando LGBT community.

As soon as Mateen opened fire, he destroyed that safe haven for all of Orlando.

It is stated best the way USA TODAY said it. “We argue so much about gun policy and the label ‘Islamic radical’ that we risk overshadowing the voices of the victims and their loved ones.

More than ever, they need us to lend our ears. Acknowledge their pain. Understand their unique position as the intended targets of this attack.”

Suncoast High School

Opinions 15

AMERICAN DESENSITIZATION

Desensitization to the war in Syria can affect the entire world.

Megan Mendoza While 500,000 Syrians have been killed and 11 million have been forced Staff Writer

out of their homes, Americans are busy watching “Stranger Things” on Netflix and watching Drake and Rihanna’s relationship unfold. This is known as desensitization.

Since the 1900s, Americans have cared less about violence around the world. In 2011, protests sparked a civil war in Syria.

As the violence increased, Syrian lives were affected everyday.

As more countries become involved in the war, coverage of the events get broadcast on social media more frequently.

Through modern technology, people have the world at their fingertips, exposing them to events that occur across the globe.

This constant exposure can have a psychological effect on people; they eventually view drastic events as “just another news story.” According to the American Psychological Association, repeatedly seeing violence in media may become enjoyable to

children, which would eventually affect their behavior.

“We don’t understand the severity of people who can’t even walk outside their own homes without being scared for their own safety,” Junior Binathi Vuppuluri said. Families are afraid to risk their family’s lives due to the constant attacks in their country.

Although desensitization may not seem important at the moment, it can become a long-term issue. Over time, people would not feel triggered by the spread of war, allowing violent attacks to occur more often. People also may not feel affected by the war because it does not affect their loved ones.

In retrospect, desensitization is an issue that negatively affects people around the world, especially in countries such as Syria. Putting an end to the issue could help educate people on serious world problems, which could stop war and violence, making the world a better place. photo source: www.nytimes.com

YOU ARE THE CRITIC

Should we accept critics’opinions as fact?

Jimmie Smith The summer blockbusters were quite Staff Writer interesting, and whether tapping into our

nostalgia, our intellect or our wallets it seems that dedicated fans and critics try to swing the opinion of a single moviegoer. It is absolutely insane how easy it is to see a movie as a statement on human culture or as trying to be a boxoffice blockbuster hit. With the internet being the source of this strife, it is no wonder that people do not understand one of the sacred rules of an argument: it is just an opinion.

One of the summer blockbuster films that was getting a lot of flack is Warner Bros. and DC’s Suicide Squad. Before the movie hit the theaters, Rotten Tomatoes, an aggregative rating site that is owned by Warner Bros. by 30 percent stake, gave a score of 26 percent “rotten” rating. This enraged the DC fans, some even going so far as to proclaim that the reason why the movie received the low score was due to the Marvel fans giving troll reviews, like two out of tens or one out of tens, and critics not understanding “the experience” of this movie.

The Shallows is considered to be one of the most overlooked films of this summer; it did not have any progression in CGI effects, the ability to bait the Oscars or box office, or any bad press (unlike Ghostbusters 2016’s propaganda). The trailer made the movie look like a cheesy teen movie, but it surprised

those that gave it a chance. The movie provided a balance between the character perspective and the found footage genre with GoPro footage. The movie was honestly refreshing to see, in contrast to the usual comic book flicks. Though the critics gave the movie mixed reviews, it was great to see the movie take the perspective of human survival rather than being another ferocious man-eating shark movie.

It is laughable to see how people defend their films on the Internet as they hold little to no credibility in their statements.

This whole controversy is just another way to separate us and make us look like imbeciles. Critics, though skewed, present their scores based on the plot, effects, and most importantly the expression of the film and how it relates to the current culture in politics to entertainment. If you want an honest review about a movie, you should experience it yourself with some friends. It is great to have a voice to express how you feel about anything, but when it comes to listening to others (especially on the internet), consider whether the commentator is saying fact or crap. If you liked amovie, more power to you; if you disagreed, at least explain why you did not like it, instead of expressing vulgar and immature language with an abundance of interjection and ignorance.

Opinions 16

Suncoast High School

THE OLYMPIC SPORT OF LYING

Even if the Summer Olympics have ended, the drama has not.

This August of 2016 started the Meghan McGlone Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil, Staff Writer which fueled the passion and competitive spirit of over 200 countries in the world. The United States had much to celebrate, with Simone Biles of women’s gymnastics winning four gold medals, Michael Phelps of men’s swimming winning five gold medals, and even a Suncoast graduate, Tony McQuay, bringing home gold for track and field. However, with celebration comes drinking, and four intoxicated American swimmers got themselves into a mess.

Ryan Lochte and three other swimmers were allegedly caught in a gas station bathroom by Brazilian security guards after vandalizing a sign, mirror, and soap dispenser. Lochte later told Billy Bush on the Today Show that Rio police pointed a gun to his head and they were robbed of their wallets. However, the mirror and soap dispenser were both unbroken, and the swimmers were blatantly showing their “stolen” wallets in an airport.

Lochte himself admitted to Matt Lauer that the stolen wallets and the gun being pointed at his head were exaggerations. And after countless interviews with Lochte and many reports, this is as close to the truth as we have: Rio security guards caught the four swimmers just as Lochte had pulled off a sign from the bathroom wall. Security guards asked them to pay up and “pointed a gun in [their] general direction,” said Lochte in an interview with Matt Lauer. The swimmers gave

the police around $50 for damages and went about their night.

The day after Lochte’s encounter with the guards, he filed a police report for the fake robbery and told Billy Bush he had been robbed, which started the firestorm. On the other hand, the Brazilian security guards should be held accountable as well. To draw a gun when no one’s life is being threatened is extremely uncalled for, and the security guards themselves even inflated the damages done to the bathroom.

According to USA Today, the soap dispenser and mirror which were “broken” by the swimmers were completely intact when the reporters went to check out the scene.

All of this chaos could have been avoided if everybody told the truth, but Lochte wanted to exaggerate how tough he was during times of danger, and the guards wanted to exaggerate how terribly the Americans had treated them. All the same, a huge section of the blame should go to the media. In the beginning of the story, everyone felt sympathetic for the American swimmers who had been robbed and threatened. But as new information unfolded, Lochte immediately began to receive backlash from the public, because he had used his “white privilege” to make a developing country look terrible. Did the media ever doubt the police after that?

Some articles pointed out that the police have not released all the footage that night, and they are keeping most information confidential. These are serious reasons to question the security guards’ story, too. In the end, one should always check their facts before spreading rumors.

THEY ARE JUST LIKE US Criminals are human beings and must be treated as such.

photo source: pinterest.com

of former inmates said finding work after being released was difficult or nearly impossible.

of the respondents were unemployed or underemployed five years after being released from prison.

indefinitely and is available to anyone with access to them.” A criminal record can be held against someone in court, when they are applying for jobs, and when they try to vote. Felon voting laws disenfranchise 5.85 million Americans with criminal records according to data collected by The Sentencing Project. Even if someone committed a crime decades ago, their actions will never be erased or forgotten.

Michael Hugh Mirsky, just an every day man and former Verison technician from New Jersey who pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, is unable to secure a job because of his criminal record. He stated, “How can I pay child support if I can’t get a job?” His home is under foreclosure, his church will not allow him to serve as an usher, and he is thousands of dollars behind in child support.

Even low paying jobs such as those in fast food restaurants do background checks, so finding employment is nearly impossible for Hugh.

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citizens equal rights are powerful. Yet, they can easily be weakened by a single piece of paper. This abating “piece of paper” is the document that labels someone a convicted criminal. The title “criminal” can take away someone’s ability to vote, secure housing, and obtain employment.

Intolerance for criminals runs deep in the hearts of Americans, so many turn a blind eye as felons are treated as second class citizens. We can not expect past offenders to become stellar human beings in our society if we do nothing to promote their success.

No one is without fault. It is unjust that past mistakes can be used against former criminals for the remainder of their lives. A senior at Suncoast may soon experience how old records can have negative impacts on someone’s future.

This student received several disciplinary infractions in his Freshmen year, and fears that he could be denied entry into his dream college, despite his current outstanding academics.

According to The Huffington Post, “All criminal information stays on [record]

IN A SURVEY DONE BY THE ELLA BAKER CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS,

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Mindjina Courage The United States’ laws that promise Staff Writer

Suncoast High School

THE BATHROOM BILL

Opinions 17

The bathroom bill is impractical and transphobic.

“The bathroom bill,” as it is commonly Alexis August Opinions Editor known, was signed into

law in North Carolina as the “Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.” This law mandates that students at North Carolina state schools use the bathroom that matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

Legislators have been trying to get laws like this passed in states across the country for all public restrooms, claiming they want to ensure the privacy and safety of people in public bathrooms.

I have so many questions about this bill: How is this going to be enforced? Are there going to be bouncers at every public restroom? How would you know the sex someone was assigned at birth? Are we going to have to carry our birth certificates around?

What about the mothers that have to take their sons into the bathroom with them? I am assuming they are an exception to this law, right?

Obviously this bill is aimed at transgender people as they are the only people that may have different gender identities than the ones they were assigned at birth and are likely the only people trying to use the bathroom of a different gender than the one on their birth certificate. I see this bill as blatantly transphobic. It is also in response to the passing of non-discrimination ordinances (NDOs), in other states, which are a series of acts to prevent discrimination based

on gender or gender identity in public places. Ironically, while America is kown for equality, we are the 0nes passing these types of discriminatory bills, our neighbors in Canada are trying to pass legislation against the discrimination of someone based on their gender identity and gender expression.

Supporters of these types of bills believe that they are protecting people from the creepy men that would try to dress up as women to sneak into the ladies’ room and rape them, which, according to them, would be the obvious result if we allowed people to use the restroom of their choice. I can see where they might pull this idea from, but my question for them is: how many rapes have occurred from men dressing up as women and going into the women’s bathroom? In fact, states that have NDOs, which allow people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with, report that their cases of sexual assaults have not increased since they were put in place. In the past 35 years that these NDOs have been enacted, there has been one case, in the whole world, of someone abusing an NDO to sexually assault someone in a bathroom. Just to put that in perspective, every two minutes someone in America is sexually assaulted.

America is supposed to have equality for all. We are nowhere near that, however, we could start by being tolerant.

SEXISM IN THE OLYMPICS Female Olympians have lost their cred by sexist coverage.

It is quiet. Under water, the young

Farzana Talukder athlete is unable to hear anything.

Staff Writer She rises; a deafening roar fills her

ears as she pulls herself out of the water. The athlete pulls off her goggles in awe, looking around and viewing the somber expression on her opponents’ faces. She hears the commentators praising her, and hundreds of reporters rush up to her as she leaves the Olympic pool. She has won gold.

The female athlete is out for celebration. Her husband calls her into the house to view the news, featuring herself and her husband. Across the screen is the quote, “There’s the Man Responsible for Turning His Wife into an Entirely New Swimmer.”

The Olympics gains commentary from many public figures, with different opinions. As public figures express their opinions, they end up influencing all their viewers to believe them as well. This cycle, along with internalized sexism, discredits the talent of all the talented athletes participating in the competition when the opinion is expressed.

Katinka Hosszu, nicknamed the Iron Lady, is a 27 year old athlete from Hungary, a three time Olympic champion, a five time long course world champion, and a victim to sexist comments. Moreso than her numerous achievements,

the media is focused on the fact that her coach is also her husband. Shane Tusup has been her coach for four years.

Coaches are intended to guide their athlete; they are not the athlete. NBC commentator Dan Hicks believes otherwise. Hicks refers to Hozzsu’s husband as “the man responsible” for her win.

Hosszu won a gold medal and broke two world records, yet Tusup is credited as if he was the one who swam. Absolutely ridiculous.

She is not the only female athlete who gets discredited for her wins. Corey Cogdell, a 30 year old Olympic trapshooter, just so happens to be married to Mitch Unrein, the lineman for the Chicago Bears. Despite being awarded bronze medals for her sport, the Chicago Tribune decided to make an article about Cogdell with the headline, “Corey Cogdell, wife of Bears’ Lineman Mitch Unrein, wins bronze in Rio.” Why put her name in the title if the article is going to be about her husband? The article neglects to provide true commentary on her performance and continues to constantly mention Unrein as if he is more important.

Not that he is not important, but the headline implies the topic is Cogdell, not her husband. If the Chicago Tribune wanted to talk about Mitch Unrein’s relationship with Cogdell, they could have made a separate article.

Thankfully, many people have taken note of the sexist coverage and have replied with encouraging comments disputing the commentary toward the female athletes.

photo source: huffingtonpost.com

LIFESTYLE

To DIY for

To decorate our boring lockers, here are two fun DIYs. Simrun Waghray As the school year begins, students quickly and sloppily fill up their lockers with back-breaking Website Editor textbooks and excessively large binders. Pens and pencils end up hidden behind folders and most

decorations end up crumpled. To make lockers more neat, personal, and pleasing to the eye, here are some fun back to school DIYs. These DIYs are from: http://sundaesins.blogspot.ch and http://themamasgirls.com.

Photo Magnets Supplies: •

Foam board

•

Personal photos

•

Magnet strips

•

Scissors/blade

•

Glue

Directions: 1.

Print out personal and aesthetically pleasing photos.

2. Glue the photos to the foam board.

3. Cut the individual photos attached to the foam board.

4. Attach the magnets to the back of each foam board piece.

Put up the magnets in your locker to give it a personal touch!

Pen Holder Supplies: •

Any metal tin

•

Magnet strips

•

Spray paint

•

Glue

Directions: 1.

Empty the metal tin.

2. Glue the magnets to the back of the metal tin.

3. Spray paint the tin your favorite color.

4. Once the tin dries, put pens and pencils inside.

Put up the pen holder in your locker to organize your writing utensils! photos by: Simrun Waghray

Suncoast High School

Lifestyle 19

GRILLED CHEESE GALLERY

The GCG is reinventing everyone’s favorite cheese sandwich.

There are few things in Eda Kutsal life more heartwarmingly Copy Editor satisfying than a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. A timeless favorite no matter young or old, it is hard to imagine that something so perfect could be improved further; however, lo and behold, it has been.

Located in West Palm Beach’s Northwood Village District, The Grilled Cheese Gallery has taken the city by storm with its countless spins on this age old classic. The small but quaint eatery has made it its mission to turn the grilled cheese into a modern masterpiece.

The Grilled Cheese Gallery menu offers an endless number of choices for its customers ranging from the classic homemade grilled cheese to a Japanese inspired ramen and kimchi filled sandwich fittingly deemed, The Japanese Mac Daddy. For those who would rather keep it safe, the menu includes much more tame sandwiches including the Southern Belle, a sandwich stuffed with

chicken, swiss and pepperjack, and organic lettuce. The restaurant also offers several different kinds of poutine, a dish of french fries topped with cheese and gravy, and delectable salads as well.

Although the dairy-free and glutenfree crowd may squirm at the thought of eating somewhere that celebrates the very existence of cheese and bread, they can rest easy knowing that even those with dietary restrictions can get in on all the grilled cheese goodness. The restaurant offers a choice of gluten-free bread and vegan cheese for anyone who may request a substitution.

Of course, nothing completes a meal without dessert and they certainly have not forgotten about that. Here, not only are the sandwiches given a modern twist, but so are the desserts. Featuring local soft serve ice cream, The Grilled Cheese Gallery churns out several different sky high cones (and cups) of ice cream sprinkled with all sorts of toppings.

One of their more whimsical creations

include the Saturday Morning Cartoons cone. The waffle cone is filled to the brim with vanilla ice cream and served with nostalgic cereals on top such as Cookie Crisp, Fruity Pebbles, and Cap’N Crunch.

For chocolate lovers, The Grilled Cheese Gallery also creates a cone called “All Black Everything” that features chocolate ice cream, chocolate sprinkles, hot fudge and a decadent brownie on top.

As the new school year rolls in, find solace at The Grilled Cheese Gallery to make every obstacle feel like a brie(eze).

photos by Eda Kutsal

THE VEGAN TREND

Becoming a vegan has become more of a trend rather than a healthy lifestyle as a result of celebrities and social media.

Becoming a vegan today no longer refers Monica Kramer Lifestyle Editor to a small group of individuals who have

cut out all animal products from their daily lives, including clothing and food. Today, veganism has become a trend rather than a lifestyle choice due to the influence of social media and celebrities.

In the past, individuals decided to become vegan because of the health and nutritional benefits or to promote the ethical treatment of animals and the protection of the environment.

Vegans do not consume or use any products that come from animals such as meat, dairy, soaps, leather, and cosmetics.

A typical vegan diet consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, and sources of protein such as beans, tofu, and quinoa.

fresh fruit. Whole Foods offers a variety of vegan options.

photo by: Monica Kramer

The growing number of vegans in the United States demonstrates this revolutionary trend. More and more people are making a change in their lives as a result of celebrities and other influential individuals being vegan themselves. Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Sia have greatly influenced individuals’ decision to become vegans.

Food stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s cater most of their foods towards vegans, which facilitates the trend. There are even social media pages, on Instagram and Twitter for example, devoted to food that contribute to the attractiveness of going vegan.

Vegan restaurants have become more apparent in many cities around the United States. In Florida, restaurants such as The Bee, Field of Greens, and Raw Juice have recently opened and cater towards vegan customers. Los Angeles is another city that has greatly impacted the vegan trend. Due to the fact that many celebrities and people involved in social media live in California, there are a great amount of vegan restaurants that cater to all tastes; Los Angeles has over 100 vegan restaurants comprised of Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, and Italian cuisines.

The growing popularity of becoming a vegan is a result of a new trend created by celebrities. Social media has also contributed to the rise of new vegan restaurants in cities around the United States.

Lifestyle 20

Suncoast High School

HOCO?

Creativity is the key.

Jahnaezha McFadden Homecoming is here for some Staff Writer

schools and gone for others in Palm Beach County, and that means you should have asked out your crush, (if not, you can do it next year).

You might pretend like it is not a big deal when it comes to the proposal, but we all know the truth. Coming up with creative ideas is not simple, so here are a few to help you out.

Mixing food with a proposal is always a great idea. Every girl got to eat and including a cute and “cheesy” gesture just puts this proposal over the top. You can never go wrong with food but pizza seems like the right choice. photo courtesy of www.pintrest.com

If she is more of the sporty type, including her favorite sport can help push her towards a yes. Including puns and jokes within your proposal just makes it more fun and interesting. If she goes to homecoming with you, you can do your “touchdown” dance. photo courtesy of www.sharingshine.com

Everywhere you looked, it was another teenager on their phone catching new Pokemon’s or complaining about not having enough Pokeballs. Since there has been such renewed love for Pokemon I though this hoco proposal would be great.

Plus this can help your realtionship “evolve” into the next level. photo courtesy of www.pintrest.com

WELCOME BACK, FRANK OCEAN

He actually listened to the people.

Zanne Hanna After four years of absence, R&B Staff Writer

artist and Grammyaward winner Frank Ocean returned to the music scene on August 19 with his visual album Endless, and on August 20 with his second studio album, Blonde, already hitting No.1 on the album charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Blonde is a concept album that features innovative collaborations with artist like Kendrick Lamar and James Blake, all tied together with two themes: the nostalgia of youth and Ocean’s romantic life.

Thus, the cohesiveness of each track invites the audience to listen from beginning to end multiple times, and with seventeen tracks, each time through feels like the first.

The album itself redefines what it means to be an R&B artist. Nina Corcoran, writer for the awardwinning music blog. Consequence of Sound explains that the album is “minimalist avant-garde R&B” in that the lyrical ideas seem simple

but are actually quite reflective and progressive, and that the music doesn’t follow the typical R&B instrumentation of synthesizers and heavy bass. Corcoran explains that “Ocean isn’t here for radio play.”

With influences like Stevie Wonder, every part of Ocean’s tracks is strategically placed, from the only single of the album, “Nikes,” to the self-reflective and hopeful closing track, “Future Free.” Ocean breaks free of the norms of popular music, and not just because of his inventive and intricate tracks. Blonde was not distributed through his previous record label, Def Jam Recordings, a branch of Universal Music Group, which further influences the battle between music labels and their enemies: streaming websites like Spotify or Apple Music.

Ultimately, Ocean’s album lives up to its long-awaited hype, combining music from the past with that of the future, setting a new standard and potential for R&B.

MORNING MEALS Eat breakfast before taking tests.

S u n c o a s t Daniel Torrez Community High Staff Writer School is famous (or infamous) for its standardized tests and somewhat laborious schoolwork in general. The majority of students who are actually focused on doing their best on crucial tests (ACT, SAT, PERT, etc.) only focus on studying strenuously beforehand and maybe, but most likely not, get a full eight hours of sleep. What almost all these students overlook is the importance of the meals you eat the morning of these major tests.

Jessica Delrossi, a Junior at Suncoast, said “studying and sleeping are definitely more important than food when it comes to an important test. I usually just eat an apple on test day.” What Delrossi does not realize

is that having a hearty, full breakfast impacts our brains and helps us use more supplements and vitamins from food to aid us in getting a higher grade on these essential standardized tests. When Delrossi or any student sticks to eating processed foods or something small on test day, their brain lacks the important fats, water, and glucose that is necessary to use our brain to the fullest extent when trying to remember certain easily-forgotten subjects that we need during this test. Your brain uses 20 percent of all glucose, 35 percent of all vitamins and minerals, 40 percent of all water, and a staggering 50 percent of fats in our bodies. Therefore, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

SPORTS

IDENTITY CRISIS

Gay athletes can find difficulty balancing success and identity.

In 2013 Alex Levine Sports Editor something rare

happened in sports. It was not a great game or a heart pounding play; it came off the field. Two months before the NFL draft, Missouri defensive end Michael Sam publicly came out as gay, heading into the draft as the only openly gay football player ever to vie for a carrier in the NFL. While Michael Sam rose to national prominence following his coming out, he was a household name in Missouri and much of the South by that time. Sam, following Missouri’s transition from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), notched 11.5 quarterback sacks and 19 tackles for losses in his senior career. In nonfootball jargon, Sam led the SEC — the almost universally recognized toughest conference in all of college football, which has accounted for nine of the past 13 college football national championships — in sacks and tackles for losses.

At the end of his senior year at Missouri, Michael Sam was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Named as a first team All-American and first team All-SEC player, Sam stood alongside the likes of New York Giant’s star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel as he entered the NFL Draft.

After a poor performance in the Draft Columbine, Michael Sam was still estimated to notch a third or fourth round pick, following concerns that he might be too small to play defensive end in the NFL. Though, on Draft Day, Michael Sam had to wait. It was not until the third and final day of the Draft that Sam was drafted, as the 249th pick in the seventh and final round.

Only seven players were drafted behind Sam. Picked by St. Louis, Sam was released by the Rams just months later before the season

photo by: www.independent.co.uk

even began, as the Ram’s favored undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks out of West Texas A&M over him.

Though consensus remains divided over Michael Sam’s situation, and even on the reasons for Sam being drafted in the first place, he has stated that he firmly believes his publicly coming out as gay affected his NFL career.

Difficulties getting major league chances are not limited to Sam, though. Seton Hall shooting guard Derrick Gordon, who became the first ever openly gay Division 1 basketball player in 2014, stated after he was unable to even get a single tryout with an NBA team that “I didn’t get a fair shot to show what I could do” and that “it was without a doubt because of the fact that I’m gay.”

Not only do many athletes have a difficult time dealing with their careers after coming out, it is rare for many to reveal their true feelings before graduating from college or even high school.

While examples such as Alejandro Graterol, who won the Washington State baseball championship with Skyline High School 18 months after coming out, pave the way for gay athletes to come out while they are still in high school, it is often difficult for gay athletes to even consider coming out before entering the pros. While here at Suncoast tolerance is shown to all student athletes no matter the sport, in many areas of the country anonymous gay athletes have written in horror of not only fellow athletes, but also their coaches using gay slurs, telling their players to act like men.

In a time where more athletes are publicly coming out as gay than ever before, many are still confronted with the barrier that reality can be.

photo by: americanfootballfilms.com

Back in the Game A look at the return of major sports.

This college football season gears up with an open field of playoff contenders, as preseason pollsters gave seven separate teams (Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, FSU, LSU, Ohio State, and Michigan) votes to be number one in the country. With a number of top players returning, including running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey, and quarterbacks DeShaun Watson and Baker Mayfield, the race for the Heisman is just as open of a book as that for the national championship.

As the Premier League season ramps up into full gear, fans look forward to a significantly strengthened league.

With TV sponsorship money inflating each team’s buying capacity, and a host of superstar coaches, the title is up for grabs. Along with big name coaches such as Pep Guardiola from German giants Bayern Munich and Antonio Conte, past coach of Italian champions Juventus and the Italian national team, teams all over the table have spent record sums to bring in top players for this season, including Manchester United’s purchase of Paul Pogba for over 120 million dollars.

The NFL season begins anew as all 32 teams look to challenge for the playoffs. The now Los Angeles Rams have returned to LA after more than 20 years in St. Louis as they look to strengthen their offense.

Following the retirement of Peyton Manning and the departure of Brock Osweiler, the Broncos have looked to strengthen their quarterback position as they fight to retain their Super Bowl winning form. Meanwhile, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are set to make another Super Bowl challenge.

photo by: www.hope.edu

Sports 22

THE MORE YOU ROW

Suncoast High School

The Palm Beach Crew Rowing Club is making waves.

When they are not doing homework or RJ Smith Staff Writer studying for a test, some Suncoast students are

working out at the Palm Beach Crew Rowing Club. While the club is not directly sponsored by Suncoast, many of the club’s members are Suncoast students.

The rowing club meets at Juno Beach Park and practices rowing on the Intercoastal six days a week. To keep in shape, rowing club members must do many land-based workouts in order to get better at rowing, including arm and core exercises.

Along with this, members use a rowing machine called an erg to improve their rowing technique.

When rowing club members are not practicing their own individual skills, they are competing with other rowing clubs in races known as regattas. In regattas, competitors row two kilometers over a number of different events, with each event having a specific number of members rowing. Individual regattas are a straightforward race in which each competitor races with two ores in a boat by themselves. When there are multiple people, things change, as each event is split into two categories.

The first category is known as “sweep” and involves each team using only one oar per person. This promotes teamwork and technique in order to win. The other category is called “skull,” which involves two oars per person. While teamwork is still needed to win in these races, overall speed plays a slightly more important role since synchronization between the right and left sides is much easier to control. Both the sweep and skull have two person, four person, and eight person events.

Suncoast junior and rowing club member Taylor Reed has been involved with the club since the beginning of this summer.

“Primarily we row,” Reed said, “We do like core workouts: situps, pushups, that kind of thing. We also do running and weightlifting too. Rowing primarily uses the quadriceps.” Reed participates in the rowing club because it is a great workout and looks good on college applications.

Next time you are looking for an exercise-filled hobby, think about joining the Palm Beach Crew Rowing Club. It will be an exciting new team-based sport that is sure to get you in shape. daily effort. Taylor Reed often practices with club members who attend other schools. photo source: palmbeachcrew.com

ICHIRO SHOCKS THE MLB

Japanese legend reaches 3,000 hits for the Miami Marlins.

Nick Diggs Staff Writer

On January 23, 2015, 42 year old baseball undergoing a rebranding as they became the Miami Marlins. legend Ichiro Suzuki was drafted to the Miami The two parties seemed destined to come together and they Marlins at the age of 41. However, Suzuki eventually would, as Ichiro would join the Miami lineup proved that age is but a number when, just 16 months later, courtesy of a $2 million dollar contract in January 2015. Suzuki the Japanese-born legend hit a triple to would find great success with the Marlins, stamp his ticket in the exclusive 3000 mostly playing an outfield position and even hits club. breaking Pete Rose’s record number of hits Suzuki came to the United States in with his 4,277th career base-hit. However, this 2001 when he was drafted into Major was only his 2,979th hit in the MLB, with 1278 League Baseball from his native Japan of those hits coming from his time playing in by the Seattle Mariners. He would rack Japan. Suzuki was not discouraged, continuing up a number of accolades during his on with his illustrious career, running up to the almost 11 years with the team, including day of his 3000th hit. That exclamation point the American League Rookie of the Year on his occupation would come as a triple against award in 2001, the Rawlings American the Colorado Rockies on August 7, 2016.

League Gold Glove every year from 2001 Even with these major accomplishments, to 2010, a spot on the American League Suzuki has remained on the team since and is All-Star team for 10 consecutive years, still a major player on the Miami Marlins roster. and even MVP of the MLB All-Star team So, while the Suncoast baseball team and their photo source: www.metrord.do back in 2006. own returning outfielder Justin Epstein may not In 2012, after a nearly 11 year commitment to Seattle, Ichiro begin their season until spring, the Miami Marlins and their split with the team for the first time to play for the New York most decorated veteran will continue to battle through the rest Yankees. Parallel to Ichiro’s transfer, the Florida Marlins were of the season.

Suncoast High School

FUEL FOR ATHLETES

Sports 23

How Suncoast athletes eat to keep their head in the game.

Whether you are new to athletics Kaiden Buscemi or an old time player, it is no doubt Staff Editor

that what you eat as an athlete greatly impacts your performance. Food fuels the body like gasoline fuels a car. Without food or water the body would quickly shut down. Suncoast offers a variety of sports, including swim and dive, football, baseball, golf, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, and basketball. What the athletes eat is key in keeping them all healthy and in shape.

If athletes only ate junk food, then their performance would decrease.

Junk food does not provide necessary nutrients that the body needs for rigorous activities. Athletes can enjoy chips and candies, but should eat them in moderation. Eating healthy should be adapted into an athlete’s lifestyle.

By eating food that is good for their bodies, athletes increase their strength photo source: wordpress.com and abilities.

Healthy foods include berries, apples, spinach, and bananas, according to the website Eatthis.com, providing plenty of options for food that is good to eat. Balance food with healthy

meats, like chicken and salmon. Foods without added sugars or chemicals are great choices. Webmd.com explains how healthy food gives the body vitamins and minerals, making it stronger and better able to fight off threats to the immune system. Also, drink lots of water. The suggested water serving is around 64 ounces a day.

Another important thing is that it is dangerous to eat too little. The average calorie intake per day is around 2,000. The body can withstand living without food for around three weeks, functioning without water for less than one. Our bodies, around 75 percent water, must remain hydrated, especially as athletes.

The time of day an athlete eats their meals is important too. According to Active.com, eating a good breakfast is important because it prepares you for the day, and the body won’t save extra calories from later meals. An athlete should eat a good dinner after a day’s workout in order to replenish expelled calories too.

So, if you are looking to be a successful athlete at Suncoast, make sure to eat right. Do not skip meals, balance out junk food with tons of fruits and veggies, and always stay hydrated!

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