(Volume 22) 2018 Issue 1 - The Legend

Suncoast Community High School

Volume 22 Issue 1|October 2018

Family The browns add a new member to the family pages 12-13

The Staff

Adviser Traci Lowe Editor-in-Chief Jahnaezha McFadden Managing Editor Meghan McGlone Business Manager Meghan McGlone News Editor Garfield Noel Lifestyle Editor Kaiden Buscemi Features Editor Anika McGetchin Opinion Editor Jahnaezha McFadden Sports Editor Garfield Noel Design Editor Kenjela Mullings Copy Editor Yashna Chowdhury Website Managers Zarin Ismail, Shivani Shah Social Media Manager Samantha Powers, Adrianna Estrada Staff Writers Diana Devine, Samirah Abellard, Jack Swank, Keelie Hanley, Bryanie Daza, Jessy Aramouni

About Us

“The Legend” is a news magazine produced entirely by Suncoast students from all grade levels.

We publish six issues per year, 3 each semester. 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.

Do You Have A Business?

Advertise with us! Stop by room 3-117 or check out our website for more information.

Stay Connected With Us!

Follow Us On Instagram: @shsthelegend Add Us On Snapchat: @shsthelegend Check Out Our Website: shsthelegend.com

CONT

News

PSYCHOLOGY FAIR 4

Opinion

A NEW AGE-SIAN 8

OUR CHANGING CLIMATE 5

Features

A SECOND CHANCE 12 AFTER SUNCOAST 15

JUST KNEEL 10

Lifestyle

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS 18 INSATIABLE 21

Sports IS IT REALLY FAIR? 22 HE SAID WHAT!? 23

TENTS

4 News

PSYCHOLOGY FAIR The fair is scheduled to take place in December.

Keelie Hanley Staff Writer

D

uring every meeting, ideas are being created and preparations are being made. This is the norm for the members of the Psychology Honor Society. Every one of these members are busy preparing for the Psychology Fair being held in the spring. Although this is not their only event of the year, it is something they can consider to be the largest.

“We had quite a turn out last year, getting out there, inviting people to psych fair really helps us reach the people who probably haven’t heard about it,” psychology teacher and club sponsor, Dennis Spencer said.

The basic groundwork for the fair is supervised and worked on primarily by the officers of the club. In order to make the fair as best as can be, the members look at the different fairs they have created in the past; they take into consideration what activities were the most popular and which activities can be cut or edited in a way that is more feasible and less time consuming. The officers delegate a section of psychology to different groups of members, and each group is assigned the task of researching various interactive activities that relate to their genre and would be fun and engaging to a large audience.

An example of popular fair activities include the displacement goggles, which distorts the perception of vision, and the magic berry, which switches the tastes buds’ perception of sweet and sour.

“The goggles and the magic berry were a huge hit that they plan to advertise more for this year. The fair is primarily used as a recruitment technique and a lot of work goes into it. They have to make the posters, get the materials,

practice with them, sometimes they do practice runs of them in the psych club meetings to make sure they all know what it is doing,” Spencer said.

Some of the work that goes into getting ready for the fair include having to set up the individual booths and having to schedule the volunteers to man the booths. This may seem to

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Spencer This student is attempting to accurately complete the maze while having distorted vision caused by the displacement googles, which is one of the fair’s most popular attractions.

be an easy task; however each booth takes much research and analysis.

This is because members have to fully understand what the booth is, and teach the participants the psychological schematics of what the activity is. The society wants students to know that the activities are not just cool tricks, but an aspect of psychology. They want them to learn the psychology behind the activity, which is what the fair is all about.

“When we are researching different things to do during the fair, we try to narrow down our search to what we think would be engaging for the participants, but at the same time, will leave the participant curious to learn the trick of the activity, the psychology behind it,” club president, Rileigh Hanley said.

Although the Psychology Fair is their largest event, it is not their only event.

Throughout the year guest speakers come to Suncoast from different parts of the states to speak about various aspects of psychology. In the last few years, the guest speakers were primarily from the Mental Health Association. They would come in and talk about stress, anxiety, depression and how to deal with these issues on a psychological level, which is a necessary topic to understand in a rigor driven school such as Suncoast. The speakers also discussed the important role psychology has in learning about the people around you and understanding the schematics of the world.

“I usually promote psychology as a course students should take, whether it be the AP course or the IB course, because I think it is one of those courses where students learn more about themselves than they do the curriculum sometimes, that they end up leaving with an understanding of different aspects of their behavior and why they behave the way they do, I don’t know many other courses that can say that,” Spencer said.

The Psychology Fair takes place in the first week of December. The meetings for the club take place every other Wednesday during lunch in Mr. Spencer’s room if students would like to participate in the events.

This is a sheep brain that had been disected by the club. Another sheep brain disection was open to all students at the cost of 10 dollars on Ocatober 24.

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Spencer

5 News

OUR CHANGING CLIMATE

Glaciers are melting, and we must acknowledge this issue.

Kaiden Buscemi Lifestyle Editor

T

he polar ice caps and glaciers around the world are melting rather quickly, and President Donald Trump continues to insist that the issue is the product of a hoax.

For years now, scientists have been studying the polar ice and determining whether or not the state of the world’s ice is detrimental or simply a part of the Earth’s natural cycle.

Over the years, many environmentalists have discovered that ancient glaciers existing for thousands of years are melting at alarmingly fast rates. Both politicians and environmentalists have pointed their fingers in many directions, putting the blame on others for mistakes that belong to the public as a whole.

Humans are consuming, producing and expelling the Earth’s resources in a constant rotation of both value and waste. There are many solutions that contribute to the conservation of the polar ice, but with far more threats. In 1910, as explained in “The Big Thaw”, an article written by Daniel Glick for National Geographic, President Taft created the Glacier National Park in Montana to help protect about 150 glaciers. Today there are less than 30 of those glaciers left, the rest have perished under the increase of trapped heat due to the increase of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels. As people continue to produce waste and to ignore the many alternatives to cleaner energy, the gases expelled accumulate within the atmosphere and trap the heat within the Earth.

Recently some of the oldest measured ice in existence WORK IN PROGRESS. Construction workers clear out the media center and begin building a workspace and café.

EXTREME LIBRARY MAKEOVER

has cracked, and its exposure to the heat has caused it to melt among the rest of the snow. The mass melting of ancient ice has already begun to cause dangerous changes within the environment. To President Trump, the pressures of climate change, the need for reform and heavier regulation over the expulsion of fossil fuels is far less important than international political affairs. Trump has ignored policies protecting the environment and continues to refute the incriminating evidence supporting the truth of climate change.

According to Snopes, Trump said, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Many students at Suncoast, however, realize the rising concerns for the melting of Earth’s ice and glaciers, and have began to take action.

Senior Katherine Abreu says, “I like the environment, I want to protect it. I do believe in climate change. Obviously it’s real. I know about how temperatures are starting to rise and things like that. It is supposed to happen gradually and instead it’s happening so fast. I think we need to find a way to reduce the carbon emissions from our cars.”

As long as science and politics continue to disagree, humans will continue to expel Earth’s natural resources and cause the melting of the polar ice caps. As the spread of awareness on the issue increases, however, people may be able to make a change and put an end to the unnatural melting of the glaciers.

THE VISION. A three-dimensional model on the library’s new design includes new furniture, televisions and cream-colored walls.

photo by Zarin Ismail photo courtesy of Amy Armbruster

The school has big plans for the media center.

Zarin Ismail Website Editor

T

he Suncoast High School media center closed in late May 2018, due to a renovation project funded by the school district, which began in July 2018.

The new media center will have a tech-savvy environment; individual conference rooms, with televisions to be used as projectors from your electronic devices. In addition, there will be mobile seating in the entrance with charging outlets for students to sit and use their phones while they charge. Chromebooks will be available for students to rent out and return when coming to the media center.

Media specialist, Amy Armbruster, wants to make the media center a comfortable learning space, so to pep up Chargers, there will be an indoor café open to students to enjoy coffee and treats while doing their work. There will

also be a workspace specifically for students to do projects.

Armbruster hoped to make the new media center more personalized and intimate for the students by putting murals and paintings on the wall, along with a writing wall above the mobile seating area at the entrance. “You take markers and you literally just write on it,” Armbruster said. ”It’s magnetic so you can attach fliers to it, but I see it kind of as a fun place for students to express themselves.”

The media center will be closed for the rest of the first semester.

However, a temporary media center will be opened for all printing, studying and book checkouts in room 3-114 and room 3-106.

The media center is open from 3 pm to 5:30 pm after school. The renovated media center is expected to be open in January 2019.

6 News

IN THE LANE, PLEASE

Students in Bangladesh protest due to road regulations.

Yashna Chowdhury Copy Editor

O

n July 29, 2018, a bus driver in Bangladesh drove into a group of students on Airport Road, leading to two students being killed. The bus driver reportedly did not have a license to drive a bus, and ended up on a seven day remand. Mir Rezaul Alam, a Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional commissioner for traffic, told the media, “In Dhaka, inefficient and unskilled drivers are running the mass transport system, causing so many accidents. Many of the drivers do not have valid licenses.

Police also fail to enforce traffic laws strictly because of lack of manpower in [the] traffic division, recklessness of the drivers, and scattered movement of the pedestrians.”

Thousands of students began to protest on July 29 on the streets of Dhaka for the common reckless driving and road regulations. Days following the accident, the number of students increased as they demanded action for all the drivers not having a proper license and road safety. According to The Diplomat, “Students began stopping buses, police cars, and even the Minister of Commerce car, asking to see driving licenses and requesting that drivers follow and enforce traffic rules. Several videos were posted online of police and bus drivers failing to show legal driving licenses.”

The protest continued for days, students vandalized hundreds of vehicles and fought to create change in the regulations. At first, the government underestimated the students and thought the protest would end but they were more than wrong. Parents joined their kids to support them and make sure their children do not get injured during the violent protests. Bangladeshi students shared their opinions towards the protests in Bangladesh. Junior Sonaxey Khan said, “I totally support this action, more students should be involved because in Bangladesh many people are scared of the government and police, but if they face those fears they can make a change.”

Junior Ambreen Murad added, “I think something so big like the protesting in Bangladesh won’t slide or be overlooked, so a change is more than possible.”

While the students were stopping cars and encouraging drivers to follow traffic regulations, it resulted in drivers actually following orders from the many students. Cars were in separate lanes, they were following traffic lights and the speed limit was taken into consideration. The government has also initiated the Road Transport Act 2018 and was approved by The Cabinet Division on Aug. 6, 2018. photo source: bbc.co.uk

OLD LAW VS DRAFT LAW OFFENCES Driving without license Unregistered vehicles Unfit vehicles Body modification

PUNISHMENT UNDER OLD LAW Four months in jail or Tk 500 fine Three months in jail or Tk 2,000 fine Three months in jail or Tk 2,000 fine Two months in jail or Tk 5,000 fine

PUNISHMENT UNDER DRAFT LAW Six months in jail or Tk 25,000 fine Six months in jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both Six month in jail or Tk 25,000 fine or both Three months in jail or Tk 3 lakh fine or both

7 Opinions

A SHOT FOR CHANGE

School shootings must be prevented, despite the cost.

Kaiden Buscemi Lifestyle Editor

I

t was an average Friday afternoon on August 17. High school students across the Palm Beach County school district were busy after school as they began to get ready to go the first football game of the 2018 fall season.

The game would be held in Wellington at Palm Beach Central High School and began at 7 pm. The night was going well for students, and the air buzzed with excitement as both Dwyer and PBC players battled it out on the field. This peace and joy did not last long however. Around 9 pm, eight minutes before the game was about to end, shots rang out over the crowd.

Witnesses say that two men had gotten into a fight while in the school parking lot. Soon after, a gun was pulled, and the first shot was fired.

After hearing four gunshots, attendees of the game ran for their lives, and in a crazed mixture of both players and fans, the stadium’s inhabitants poured out into the lot, hurriedly scrambling to get to their cars, and find safety. The field left in a cluttered mess. Once police arrived on scene, and the chaos settled, it was confirmed that two victims, both male, had been shot, though neither of the two injuries were fatal. It was reported that one of the victims was purposely targeted, and both were taken to the hospital soon after. One of the victims had been admitted in stable condition, while the other admitted in critical condition. One of the victims was a father of one of the football players, however neither the shooters nor the victims were attendees of either high school. Police and school staff have deemed the shooting not to be a “school shooting,”, although it took place on school grounds. It was still a major threat however, to both the physical and mental stability of the students, and officials continue to offer counseling and solutions to prevent shootings such as these from reoccurring.

It is absolutely unacceptable that in this day and age we as Americans can no longer walk the streets of our cities without feeling a sense of danger. Our own schools, which should be sanctuaries for our children and ensured to keep them safe, seem to be less and less secure as the count of shootings increases. Today, the students of palm Beach County are suffering the consequences of a few heartless people, with or without motive to shoot others.

Because of the continuance of these acts of violence, Suncoast principal Karen Whetsell, along with other principles and the

district of Palm Beach County, has implemented new rules for those wishing to attend football games in an effort to continue the prevention of armed violence within schools.

Such rules include a change in the start of any further football games. The games will now begin at 6 pm instead of the usual 7 pm. This helps extend the amount of daylight that officials and supervisors have in order to keep a better watch of those attending the game. With the games starting earlier, families will be able to get home at more reasonable times. If any of the game’s attendees were to be caught in another situation much like the terror of August 17, the earlier time of the games will help to ensure the presence of broad daylight, heightening safety measures. Also, no one attending the games will be allowed to carry in backpacks, unless they are clear. As described by CNN, the rule of clear backpacks was also implemented in February after the school shooting in Parkland High School. Many of the students returning to Parkland disagree with these measures, saying that they find them an invasion of their privacy and irrelevant when it comes to the prevention of more shootings.

Many have begun to protest against these so-called intrusive rules.

Suncoast Senior Latasha Smith was one of the many Suncoast students who attended the game on August 17. Smith described just how scary that night was and the importance of keeping herself and her family safe.

“I honestly don’t agree with the time, I think the time is fine. It was I guess at that moment you just bought your ticket and walked in, so there was like no one really checking you for anything. So I think they just needed to be a lot stricter.” said Smith. Other rules, along with no bags and the timing of the games, require students to remove hoodies when entering the stadium as well, and must comply to the new rules. These changes comply very similarly to the rules used in NFL and NCAA games. Officials believe that these changes will help to both prevent future shootings, as well as make these unfortunate events easier to control. She, along with most students, simply want their schools to be kept safe, and through these rules, everyone will be able to enjoy extracurricular activities knowing that they are being protected, as a community and through the strength of the administration’s new policies.

8 Opinions

A NEW AGE-SIAN

Newly released films are including more diversity.

Shivani Shah Website Manager

R

ecently, there has been a rise in the number of films featuring actors of Asian backgrounds. Through new films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Asians are being represented on a bigger scale than ever before.

“Crazy Rich Asians” is the first film in 25 years to feature an all Asian cast. It is about a college professor named Rachel Chu (played by Constance Wu) and her boyfriend, Nick Young (played by Henry Golding). Nick invites Rachel to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore, where she finds out that he is insanely wealthy.

While in Singapore, Rachel struggles with Nick’s family, jealous women and fitting in with the elite community.

As soon as it was released, “Crazy Rich Asians” hit it off by topping the box office and earning a whopping $34 million in its opening week. In addition, this is the first romantic comedy since 2014 to top the box office.

Another recent film stars a female Asian lead. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is about a shy high school girl named Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor.

Once Lara’s secret love letters get sent out to her crushes, she has to fake a relationship with Peter Kavinsky (played

by Noah Centineo) to prevent her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh Sanderson (played

by Israel Broussard), from thinking that she likes him. Through the process of her fake relationship with Peter, Lara

finds out who her real true love is.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” received positive acclaim from teenage girls, who felt that they could actually connect with the lead character, Lara.

Before the release of these two movies, Asians have been misrepresented in the film industry. They were and still are usually cast as side characters that follow all of the typical Asian stereotypes: being nerdy, bad drivers, intelligent and struggling with speaking English.

Junior Kevin Yang described how things are finally changing for the better.

“Usually in movies, Asians are often cast as a side character and are heavily discriminated against. But for once, Asians are cast as the lead and are actually being respected. I’m happy that things are changing because now I can finally say that I’m proud to be Asian.”

These stereotypes are old now.

We live in a time where the general public knows and understands that Asians are much more than these ridiculous stereotypes. People actually appreciate the Asian culture now. They try to learn from it and even try to adopt parts of it into their everyday lives.

With the public’s view of the Asian population shifting, it only makes sense that our film industry follows the same shift. Besides the view of the public, filmmakers should also take into account the beliefs of our nation as a whole. The U.S. is a country long known around the

world and looked up to due to its diversity.

“Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” are bringing the Asian population front and center. They are breaking boundaries that have been present for years.

With both films receiving such amazing feedback, the Asian population has never felt prouder. Even the Asian population at our school was stunned by the positive feedback both films received.

Sophomore Christina Chen felt prouder than ever after the release of both movies.

“Since they [actors] look like me, I could identify with their values and experiences more easily. I am an American-born Chinese person so that can give me an identity crisis of sorts, because I feel different.” For once, Chen felt accepted. People were finally recognizing, accepting and appreciating the Asian community for once; after so many years.

“Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” are just the beginning. They are the start to a new era in filmmaking. An era in which directors realize the true value of the Asian population. These two films do not even completely represent the broad spectrum of the Asian population.

They only represent a tiny sliver of it; however, this is going to change. As the two movies continue to win the hearts of many, more film producers and directors will realize that Asian representation truly equals better creations.

MEET THE STARS Constance Wu “Crazy Rich Asians”

Henry Golding “Crazy Rich Asians”

Lana Condor “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” photo sources: Wikimedia Commons and Flickr

THREE DAY WEEKEND?

9 Opinions

In order for students to live balanced lives, schools need to be willing to make a change.

Kenjela S MullingsMDesign Editor F T W Th S

A

s the bell rings, students saunter their way to class with a day out of the week. Labor day fell on a Monday this year and nothing but their bags and lack of sleep hindering them many students felt it was a great way to study, relax, and start from moving ever-so swiftly. Waking up early to attend the week off fresh. “With the four day weeks it really has allowed school can be tiresome, and many times students yearn for me to spend more time on my academics and study topics I the opportunity to have an extra day to perfect their work and struggle with. I actually was able to get the full recommended remain stress-free. It is ironic how schools can enforce the idea eight hours of sleep opposed to my usual five hours. I woke up for students to provide balance in their lives, but they can not more energized and happy and wanting to do things during the balance out the day. The day off school schedule “I woke up more energized and happy and wanting to do gave me the to allow them opportunity to to fully attain things during the day. The day off gave me the opportunity hang out with that “balance.” to hang out with my friends. Since we are all to busy during my friends, Suncoast, for the week.” -Oluchi Nwankwo since we are all example, is to busy during known for its the week. rigorous programs which require students to complete a I could also spend more time practicing for games for the plethora of projects and assignments. Often projects from one upcoming week,” Junior Oluchi Nwankwo said. “So for me at class become intertwined with a project or assignment from least, a four day week meant that I have enough time to sleep, another class, resulting in the student being riddled with stress complete a large percentage of my homework and studying, and anxiety. Some may argue that the reason why students socialize with family and friends, while also enjoy time to myself are faced with these issues is due to their procrastination or that I don’t always get during a regular week. Basically, a four lack of self-motivation. While that may be true, one can see day week is a week that allowed me to participate in all the how the school schedule is a prime factor in both the inhibition activities that I want to or should be able to do that I can not of student self-improvement and the onset of procrastination. do in a regular week because I just don’t have enough time to A typical school week in Palm Beach County runs from do. I am also generally happier and more ready for school after Monday to Friday with Saturday and Sunday off. High school a three day weekend, because I feel that I have had enough students are encouraged to attend school every day to obtain time to do everything,” Junior Francesca Peuguerro Said. the “utmost education” while simultaneously following this fiveAs seen above, in order for students to be able to day-week schedule. Students should not have to be forced to manage heavy workload, along with extracurriculars and endure stress which could easily be caused by the unbalance others, schools need to be willing to make a change that of the school schedule. Instead, schools should follow a more can benefit their students and help promote independence, b a l a n c e d schedule to give students the opportunity to self-discipline, and balance. These four day schedules can effectively reflect on the week, catch up on help students prepare for the independence that will be assignments and maintain balance in their essential in college. Students forget that they social lives. Now, there are schools that have a profound impact on their education have implemented this schedule and in college, and without self-motivation seen major results in overall student and balance this may be hindered. performance. In fact, just 42 miles south of Suncoast lies a school located in Broward County that executes the four day schedule (with Friday being their day off). Pompano Beach High School has implemented this schedule for several years, giving their students an opportunity to provide balance and sustainability in their lives. According to a 2016 data chart on test score results, the US News stated that student passing rates for the AP exam at Suncoast was four percent less than that of Pompano Beach in 2016.

One could only imagine what it could be like now. While the implementation of four day weeks are not followed at Suncoast, there have been times when a holiday allowed students to be off drawing by: Kenjela Mullings

on average, an adolescent gets about

7HoursOF SLEEP A DAY

THAT is NEARLY 2 hOURS LESS THAN THE RECCOMENDED

9

Hours

10 Opinions

MORE BITTER THAN TARTE Tarte’s racist shade range controversy.

Anika McGetchin Features Editor arlier this year, Tarte Cosmetics released their highly anticipated Shape Tape Foundation. However, after the 15 shades were released, it became clear that Tarte could did not care about their darker skinned customers. The shade ranges were appalling, featuring only four or five shades for people of color, compared to around 11 or 12 for lighter skinned customers. Following the release of the shade ranges, many online fans expressed their disappointment in Tarte’s lack of consideration.

“The product is biased towards only white people or people with lighter skin tones,” Oluchi Nwankwo, a junior, remarked. “Making people of color feel left out when buying makeup and that their only target is white people when it comes to selling their product when that simply isn’t the truth.”

Tarte responded to this controversy by saying that there were plans in the works to launch 10 new shades for darker skin tones. Tarte claimed that this had already been planned and was not in response to any backlash.

Whether it was an attempt to appease their customers or not, this measure did not work, and many people became further incensed at Tarte’s hasty explanation that it would take

E

time to get the full range perfected.

“I feel like there are much more inclusive brands out there,” Ethan Blattcave, senior, said.

“Fenty by Rihanna is a great example. At school we are exposed to a lot of cultures. The real world is represented here really well, and I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

On their Instagram story, Tarte responded to the controversy stating, “The final shade range that we launched was definitely not a full representation of all of you. . . We wanted to get the product out as fast as possible, and we made the decision to move forward before all the shades were ready to go. We know there is no excuse & we take full responsibility for launching this way.”

Tarte is just one example of a huge problem in the makeup industry. Too often, darker skinned people are treated as an afterthought, with a few darker shade ranges tacked onto the end of an otherwise extremely pale shade range. People of color come in a huge variety of skin tones and can not be expected to find a good shade match if they only have three or four options. Segregation was outlawed in 1964. It should have no place in 2018, even in makeup.

JUST KNEEL The uproar over Colin Kaepernick’s new sponsor, Nike.

Jahnaezha McFadden Editor-in-Chief

O

n of Sep. 4, 2018 football player Colin Kaepernick was featured in Nike’s new campaign, “Dream Crazy,” in celebration of their 30 year anniversary.

For the campaign, Kaepernick’s face is displayed with the quote “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” across the middle. The quote represents Kaepernick’s reflection this past year after being shunned by the National Football League for exercising his First Amendment right to protest during the national anthem.

Nike’s decision to make Kaepernick the face of their new campaign has sparked major uproar around the nation because some feel his actions are inappropriate while others believe that Kaepernick was well within his rights.

After Nike’s announcement, some people decided to destroy their Nike apparel and shoes. NFL fan Sean Clancy tweeted, “First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country. I chose country. Then @ Nike forces me to choose between my

favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive?” and proceeded to burn his sneakers.

This overreaction by those who own Nike apparel is pointless, because they already purchased the products, so the only person they are hurting is themselves.

“By them burning up their shoes and things, they are only costing themselves money,” senior Yanique Spencer said.

After the campaign dropped, some people also began to boycott Nike, but the boycott has actually had the opposite effect than intended. According to the New York Post, they have been selling more merchandise, and stock prices are at an all time high according to CBS News. The Nike boycott has only benefited the business rather than hurt it.

People are protesting Kaepernick’s endorsement because they disagree with him kneeling during the anthem.

They see kneeling as disrespectful to all the veterans that fought for our rights, but what they fail to realize is that vets

fought to protect his right to protest.

Kaepernick is not trying to disrespect vets in any way, he is protesting the police brutality of black, unarmed men across this nation, and the majority of vets, black and white, support his right to protest peacefully. “It is frustrating to see how many times people have had to explain why he is kneeling, and yet, no one is listening,” senior Rose Termidor said.

Students are taught everyday in America that they have the right to protest and should fight against injustice, but when a prominent figure does just that, he is shamed for his behavior. We have a variety of clubs and events that allow students to express themselves freely, so if high school students are able to understand the idea of free expression, why is it so hard some adults across this nation?

Art by Claire King

THE Success DARK SIDE OF STARDOM is not a one-way ticket to happiness.

Zarin Ismail Website Editor

O

n average, 44,965 people take their own lives every year.

Their stories go unheard and end up becoming a statistic. However, when it comes to public figures, it is not the burden of being apart of a number, but the burden of being ridiculed for doing such an act in the first place.

Celebrities like Swedish musician Avicii, American fashion designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain took their own lives in the early half of 2018. These three notable people were known for prospering in their respective businesses, and their legacy is used to this day to question why they would take their own life when it seemed perfect.

Suicidal tendencies stem from feelings of depression, but the causes of depression are much more complex than people may realize. Generally, depression stems from a lack of selffulfillment and, therefore, a lack of self-worth. Self-fulfillment and selfworth are important emotional needs that every human being strives to meet. On the other hand, every person has their own material desires as well, tangible items that could make them “happier.” While every person has material desires they want, like a good income or fame and influence, those

do not necessarily fulfill every person’s emotional needs. Depression stems from emotional needs that are not being met, and, unfortunately, being very wealthy and famous is not enough to alleviate those emotional struggles. After all, celebrities are human, and just like how every person has a certain way to feel that they are up to par with their peers, they do too.

These kinds of conflicts between material desires and emotional needs are not celebrity-exclusive. Every person, in every field and age group, can start to feel unhappy with where they are in life. For students in high school, material desires like perfect grades, perfect beauty and popularity overwhelm their minds to a common and saddening point of dissatisfaction.

“As a student, I feel insecure when I get bad grades in my AP classes and feel unsatisfied when I study my hardest and get B’s while others may not study at all and get A’s,” sophomore Sreenidhi Nidamanur said.

These are only some of the many desires a student may have, but no matter what these desires specifically are, they come down to feeling “good enough.”

People believe that celebrities

Statistics from National Alliance on Mental Illness

have it all, but students, who are struggling to reach their peak, have the same dissatisfaction as them.

“We go to one of the best schools in the country so everyone is more competitive,” sophomore, Mark Reed* said. “The pressure is high and we all want to go to the best universities, so we want to be number one in the school.”

As much as people wish there were an easy solution, there is really no one-size-fits-all answer to depression.

However, talking to others about how you feel is an extremely important first step. Some people with depression, even the celebrities that have been tragically lost, do not share their feelings because they think no one will understand. As long as someone is human, they will have the same doubts and insecurities as you, or they can connect and understand yours based on their own experiences.

It is important not to shut yourself away from your peers and instead look to trusting other people and hear their advice.

Talking through your feelings is essential to understanding why you may feel depressed.

*name changed to hide identity

12 Features

A SECOND CHANCE Mr and Mrs Brown’s path to adoption.

Jahnaezha McFadden Editor-in-Chief

fter looking through several photo albums, she had A undoubtedly decided who would be the best parents to raise her child.

“Honestly after losing Sebastian, it was more along the lines of healthy, that’s all we cared about. I am not the type of person who cares about color, sex, gender, or any of “I want them!” that stuff. We just wanted a healthy baby,” T. Brown said.

The pictures of their wedding and hobbies, from hiking Despite not having a preference for gender, the to watching Dallas Cowboys games, reflected their loving Browns were happy that the baby was a girl. Having personalities. The life displayed in the Shutterfly book lost Sebastian a year prior, the emotions were still raw. offered her daughter the life she could not provide, and His death took a tremendous toll on them. The Browns Tiffany Brown being Dallas Cowboys fan sealed the deal. missed two weeks of work and they are still majorly The days following the selection, the Browns felt a range affected by his passing. A major help to them was J. of emotions: excitement for what was to come, happiness Brown’s parents coming down after they heard T. Brown for getting the opportunity to adopt, and nervousness had went into premature labor and staying throughout to take on the challenges associated with parenthood. the whole process. Having a girl took off the pressure After the death of their first son, Sebastian Brown, off the baby having to live up to Sebastian’s memory. last year and multiple attempts at conceiving, the “Once we found out we were having a girl, it was sort Browns realized adoption was the best option for them. of a relief, because now that boy doesn’t have to live “It was made very clear that my husband and I weren’t up to Sebastian, even though he was around for a short going to be able to have children time. He doesn’t have to fight with and we always wanted to be that ghost. Samantha can be parents, so adoption was the “Once we found out we were herself and basically give me all option that we had went with. It having a girl, it was sort of a relief, of my gray hair,” J. Brown said. was kind of crazy because Mr. On Sept 28 2018 at 9:17 a.m, Brown and I wasn’t certain that because now that boy doesn’t Samantha Renee Brown was born. we wanted to adopt yet. It was have to live up to Sebastian even After the tragedy the previous year, one of those things where we though he was around for a short the adoption offered the Browns still hadn’t gotten over the death and Samantha a second chance. of our son, so it all kind of just time; he doesn’t have to fight with Samantha gained amazing fell into our laps,” T. Brown said. that ghost.” parents and a loving home, and Unlike most cases, the the Browns got what they always Brown’s adoption process only wanted, to become parents.

J. Brown “It’s been awesome to have took about a year. After making the decision to adopt, the her home, tiring, but awesome.

Browns met with an attorney She is the sweetest in the recommended by T. Brown’s world. She makes little noises cousin. The attorney emphasized how many kids that are really endearing. I kind of feel like a giant dork, needed loving homes and the Browns would be a but I don’t really care cause she’s my daughter and perfect fit to adopt. Soon after the Shutterfly book was I will do whatever to keep her happy,” J. Brown said. created, the Browns were chosen as potential parents.

Having Samantha home has been a breath of fresh air “She [the attorney] was telling us how she had a whole for the Browns and nothing could be better. At the moment bunch of babies she needed to get adopted. We went in on they are just enjoying life with their new bundle of joy. a Friday; the following Tuesday we were chosen by the birth “Everything has been exactly as expected, except mother, so it was very quick. Once she chose us, we were in she sleeps more than I thought she would. She is this. We have friends who started about the same time we going to cry more so knock on wood,” J. Brown laughs. did and they’re just getting started in making their photo Finally being able to hold Samantha in their arms book to show potential mothers, so it is a long process, was a moment that goes beyond words can possibly but for us it wasn’t and we’re lucky,” T. Brown laughed. explain. They were overwhelmed with happiness “I remember she [the attorney] said there was this and relief from finally being able to take her home. person, and this person, and she gave backstories on “It was surreal because there was so many months of both people and she [the attorney] kind of slow rolled it waiting. It is different when you have a pregnancy and and said... but she chose you. We both tried to play it cool, having an adoption because no matter how much contact but we grabbed each other like she could see us on the you have, you still have a separation. It’s surreal, it’s phone and tried to act cool and calm. I don’t know why awesome, and it was weird because she was finally in my we tried to act cool and calm because she couldn’t see arms and I was like okay, this is it. The lawyer handed her us, but we got off the phone and we cried,” J. Brown said. to me and I just stared at her because she was honestly Throughout the search for a child, the Browns were open the most beautiful thing I had ever seen,” J. Brown said. to all genders and races. Their primary concern was that the child was healthy after dealing with the death of Sebastian.

The Browns emphasized that no matter what gender or race the baby was, they would be tremendously loved by them.

“She makes little noises that are really endearing. I kind of feel like a giant dork.”

J. Brown

First family photo

J. Brown holding Samantha for the first time

Samantha’s first selfie

14 Features

TEACHING THE TEACH

Meet the first three new members of our Charger family.

Shivani Shah Website Manager

ANTHONY KOPP

M

eet Anthony Kopp, who teaches Drawing, International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Arts and Advanced Placement (AP) 2D Studio. A lover of art history and comic book art, Kopp is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.

“I’ve spent 2.5 years on active duty and then another 3.5 years in the Ohio National Guard.” Originally planning to become a medical illustrator, he decided to become a teacher after forgetting his assignment one day. “[My] instructor asked me to lead the class critique of everyone else’s work as a form of punishment for not bringing mine. Being in front of the group and helping them talk about and discover things in their own work was fascinating, and I fell in love with the idea of being able to do that all the time.”

MUNA CHIESA

S

ay “hola” to Muna Chiesa from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has been teaching Spanish for a total of 28 years now and currently teaches Middle Years Programme (MYP) Spanish I and MYP Spanish 2. Teaching has always been in her blood, with her father being a professor and her siblings being teachers as well. She also loves to read, travel and spend time with her family, especially her two pugs. “I love everything about Suncoast, but what I love the most is the students. They want to learn, are kind, motivated, respectful and it is a pleasure to teach them. I also love my World Language Department colleagues. I can go on and on.”

HUNTER TABLOFF

M

eet Hunter Tabloff, who teaches MYP Chemistry, Algebra 2, and MYP Geometry. In addition to grading papers, Tabloff enjoys playing with his dogs and learning new things. He also loves “the motivation of the students [at Suncoast] and their desire to do well.” He feels that “it’s rare to be around so many young adults who are so driven.” Tabloff became a teacher after being contacted by his former high school chemistry teacher. “[He] asked if I’d be interested [in] teaching. It’s funny how high school teachers can be influential in your life after you’ve graduated, huh? That’s why I became a high school teacher -- to make an impact.”

photos by: Website Manager Shivani Shah

15 Features

AFTER SUNCOAST

Suncoast Alumni shared their journey after high school.

Yashna Chowdhury Copy Editor

Several years later, after graduating from Suncoast High School, Suncoast alumni Rowshan Chowdhury and Lana St. Hilaire shared their journeys from out of high school to now. They both were able to pursue their goals and passions and found Suncoast to be a huge help towards college and in their careers.

Suncoast High School photo courtesy of Rowshan Chowdhury

R

Rowshan Chowdhury

Class of 2009

ana St. Hilaire graduated from Suncoast in 1995 and received her IB diploma. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Florida, where she had a double major in Sociology and Criminology and had a minor in French.

While Hilaire attended the University of Florida, she had a job.

“At the University of Florida, I was a help desk assistant for the division of housing. I was also head of student housing for Southern Scholarship Foundation, so as a result of that I did not have to pay for housing,” explained Hilaire.

Hilaire felt that she received great preparation from Suncoast, once she got to college. Not only that, her high performance in high school provided her with advantages that other students may not have gotten. “I didn’t pay a single penny while at the University of Florida, I went there on a full scholarship and honestly they were paying me to go to school,” Hilaire said.

After university, she worked for about a year and half as reentry counselor working for Division of Juvenile Justice and afterwards she worked as a school counselor and got her masters in school counseling at Florida Atlantic University.

Later on, she went back to school and got another masters in Educational Literature. “Until a month ago, I worked as a district administrator for the School District of Palm Beach County. I am taking about a couple of years off, the goal is to go back and get my PhD from the University of Florida,” said Hilaire.

Currently, she in the process of getting her applications ready to apply for the University of Florida, and while she does this, she is doing a part-time business while she is not working. “I want to have more time at home and not have to sacrifice the time while I’m pursuing a degree,” Lana explained. Hilaire’s daughter also is a Suncoast alumni and has another daughter currently in the IB program.

Hilaire gave advice to the current students at Suncoast. “To the students, I would say take advantage of every opportunity, like the ACT and SAT prep classes, go on a college tour if possible and really take studying seriously because it really does pay off.

If you work hard now, you don’t have to work as hard later in terms of finances,” Hilaire stated.

Suncoast High School

photo courtesy of Lana Hilarie

Lana St. Hilaire

Class of 1995

photo source: http://lamp.cse.fau.edu

owshan Chowdhury graduated from Suncoast in 2009 in the IB program. He received his IB Diploma and attended the University of Florida, completing his undergraduate studies in Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry. While he was there, Chowdhury volunteered at an undergraduate research lab in the Food Science Human Nutrition Department. “The lab specialized in three areas of expertise, one was a pediatric HIV positive adolescent population, an experimental animal model and pediatric intractable epilepsy population,”Chowdhury explained. Due to his experience in the research lab, he wanted to pursue further post-training.

He decided to go to pharmacy school, applied and got into the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy. Chowdhury never thought he would take this career path after high school.

“Since I grew up around people who weren’t planning on becoming doctors or lawyers, I ultimately felt that I was going to go through the same path they were,” Chowdhury said.

After pharmacy school, he applied to several fellowship programs and was interviewed by a pharmaceutical industry fellowship within clinical operations and development at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research Translational Clinical Oncology Unit and received the offer for the fellowship.

Since his office is based in Cambridge, he moved to Boston where he enjoys the winter weather. Chowdhury currently runs three early phase oncology studies of his own. Chowdhury explained, “...most of my responsibilities as a Fellow is being involved in the design, execution, maintenance and close out of a early phase oncology clinical trials, which present unique challenges compared to general medicines.”

In the future, Rowshan hopes to find full-time employment within the Cambridge area to continue running oncology studies.

Chowdhury added, “Honestly, nothing has been more difficult than high school. After undergraduate, pharmacy school and even this fellowship program was definitely challenging but I never felt the difficulty and the challenges could compare to high school. The day I feel like that, I know that high school prepared me well.”

L

16 Features

MAKEUP FOR THE MASSES

Suncoast student, Shoobie Leonard, expresses herself with makeup.

Meghan McGlone Managing/Business Editor

S

he wakes at 4:50am each day to complete the same process, beginning with primer and moisturizer. The next step is her eyebrows, and after that her eyeshadow and foundation. The final steps include concealer and setting powder, and then topping it off with highlight and setting spray. This entire procedure takes her around a half hour, but Shoobie Leonard has always taken pride in her makeup skills.

A senior at Suncoast, Leonard began experimenting with makeup in the beginning of her sophomore year, and since then, she has improved enough to begin affiliating herself with other makeup artists, or MUAs. She is entirely self taught as well, gaining her skills and inspiration from YouTube tutorials and other MUAs on Instagram.

“My main inspiration was MUAs online like Jackie Aina, Tina Halada, Alissa Ashley, Rihanna, and Ella Rie,” Leonard explained. “They broke so many boundaries, and I was able to see how important the art of makeup is.”

Once Leonard was more comfortable with makeup, she began to push out of her comfort zone with bold colors and crazier looks. She has used bright colors, such as pink, gold, blue and others to create unique and stylish looks, and she has looked at celebrities like Cardi B and Rihanna for further inspiration with both confidence and makeup.

“The interesting thing was the ability to transform your face just with a brush and some colors. That’s amazing to me because I love seeing how creative I can get with my palettes,” Leonard said.

Even if makeup is a passion for her, it is not a flawless or drama-free industry. There is racism and sexism behind the layers of concealer and colors. One issue that Leonard has faced is certain brands of makeup not selling foundation or concealer that matches her dark skin; however, there are brands that are praised for selling a variety of shades for all skin types, including Fenty.

“Many companies include all the lighter shades in their initial release and when they get the backlash from people of color that they don’t see their shade, they extend it.

The foundation originally should’ve been inclusive, it should not have to be extended,” Leonard said.

Additionally, many men tend to

equate makeup with a negative connotation. They expect women to wear makeup solely to impress them and then complain that women look like clowns when they wear too much makeup. The idea that one should “take her swimming on the first date” insinuates that a girl can hide all of her ugly features with makeup, and she is essentially posing as someone who she really is not. These harmful comments can be detrimental to women who struggle with their insecurities.

“To be honest, women do not wear makeup for men, we wear it because it is a beautiful amazing art, and it’s a talent,” Leonard commented. “... the preconceived image that women have to fit into a certain box or category is so inaccurate.”

Men also face backlash for using makeup. Makeup is typically associated with women and girls, and men who wear makeup are labeled as “gay” or “trans”.

“In the MUA industry men are usually looked down on and people leave remarks such as “makeup is for girls”; that is not true at all. Makeup is for anybody no matter your gender, race, sexual orientation or age,” Leonard added.

Although MUAs face criticism and hate, this has not stopped Leonard. Her creativity and her ability to think outside of the box has made her stand out from other MUAs, and most importantly, she is not afraid to do new things.

“I think what pushes me to do flashy colors and different things is that I really don’t care what people think, because regardless if you’re doing something

“If I try to fit into other people’s standards I’d be just like everyone else, and I don’t want to be like everyone else.”

Shoobie Leonard normal or if you’re doing something different people will judge. If I try to fit into other people’s standards I’d be just like everyone else, and I don’t want to be like everyone else.”

Leonard has begun to turn her passion into a side job, having done makeup for the 2018 Prom Season and several other events.

She has an Instagram page (@slaybyshoobie) and a Snapchat (@shoobie_dimples) that she uses to post her makeup looks and tutorials.

With these accounts, she has been able to reach out to students from Suncoast and other schools, as well as anyone else who wishes to be inspired by self-made MUAs. She plans to keep makeup as a hobby and a side job while she pursues her career in medicine or business.

photo

17 Features

THE GRIND NEVER STOPS Students tackle balancing school and a job.

Diana Devine Staff Writer

I

For some students, having a job is t is finally the day you have been strictly for the benefits. For Juniors waiting for, and all of your hard work Brooke Barbieri and Megan Brooks, is about to pay off. You are getting who both work at ice cream shops, your first paycheck; an experience getting to work in food service many people never forget. Whether allows for major benefits. According it is preparing food, bussing tables to Brooks, “I get a discount on or restocking aisle four, juggling ice cream whenever I want, and a part-time job along with school occasionally I’m able to get some can be tough but rewarding. pretty big tips from the satisfied For students, the struggle of balancing the rigor of academics “Any student should get a job if customers.” For Barbieri, having a job allows her to save up for a along with the responsibility of they have the opportunity. It’s car and her insurance. She said, having a job is challenging. Having “My parents won’t allow me to get a part-time job, though, can be challenging, but it really makes a car until I have enough money beneficial to students in terms you feel more mature, like an for insurance, and having a job of finance and having a sense adult.” is an easy way to make money as of purpose. It gives students quick as possible.” Working partexperience and responsibility that Chris Castillo time allows Barbieri to learn the is present in the work environment responsibilities of an adult, such and gives them the satisfaction as saving money and budgeting. of doing service for others.

She also uses the money that Many students who apply for a she earns to save for college. job do so with awareness of the Chris Castillo, a junior who worked stress that comes with balancing as a Chipotle prep chef advised school and work. Junior Luke that, “...any student should get a Hutchinson stated that working for job if they have the opportunity. It’s Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf, challenging, but it really makes you “...takes time out of the weekend feel more mature, like an adult.” It and homework, but [he] still finds a keeps Suncoast students on track way to cope with it all.” He explained for success and adulthood. Junior, that having a job teaches him good Barbara Castro-Schell, who works time management skills, which are photo source: flickr.com at Panera Bread said that, “It makes very useful for dealing with the workload in the International Baccalaureate like a lot to handle, as it would me learn the active life of a working program that he is in at school. for any teenager, but quickly helped adult.” This prepares students for what Makayla Marshall, a junior IB me learn new studying techniques it may be like to have a job in college.

Although having a part-time job as a student, works two part-time jobs and coping mechanisms useful for the and still allows time for school work. challenging academic culture.” Marshall student may seem like a challenge, these “I work at Publix and Chipotle. While said that the best time to do her school students have proven its many benefits. it definitely is a challenge, I enjoy work is, “...during breaks and off hours,” It provides a sense of responsibility being able to help others” she which also helps her to procrastinate and skills that can be used for both said. “In the beginning it seemed less and finish her work more efficiently. school and the workplace in the future.

photo source: wikipedia.com

photo source: flickr.com

photo source: wikipedia.com

18 LIfestyle

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Top three desinations to travel during spring break.

Keelie Hanley Staff Writer

S

pring Break is one of the things that students always look forward to every year. It is the time of year that they are able to let loose and relax. Many students along with their families will take this time to journey to a different part of the world in order to experience new lifestyles and cultures. People often have a desire to travel outside of their own country in order to let their sense of adventure take over and experience their excitement waking up; life is too short to live the same day twice.The top three places that many people have claimed to be their favorite place to have visited are England, Iceland and Italy; each of these places are in consideration to be school trips taking place during this time.

There is no shortage of things one can do in England, one of the most popular tourist attractions being the city of London. For students who have never been to London, it is a great introduction into a different country. The city offers no language barrier and London is different enough from the United States that the student would experience things such as money conversion and exploring the subway systems. One can experience

photo source wikiphotos

Big Ben is one of the iconic structures in London that people around the world flock to see

the cultural aspects of London, such as taking high tea while on the river Thames or exploring the history of the royals within Westminster Abbey. Students are also able to visit the places cited in history books, such as the Tower of London and Kensington Palace.

“Samuel Johnson once said, ‘the one who grows tired of London grows tired of life.’ There is always something to do.

It is a vibrant, awesome city, with a rich history and culture. It is a great place for students to visit, it is really close to Oxford and Cambridge and Paris is just across the English Channel,” History of the Americas teacher, David Traill said.

Iceland is one of the most ironically named countries in the world, as it is a very lush and green place. One of the crowd favorites is the National Museum of Iceland, which displays the culture and heritage of the country, with artifacts dating back to the first Viking settlers.

The Old Town district allows visitors to see the traditional architecture and their historic government building.

Lake Tjörnin is a beautiful lake that surrounds the town. It is home to 50 different species of birds, some species

photo source flickr

that are only indigenous to Iceland.

“The topography was unreal, unlike any other place that I’ve been to in my life. When people visit Iceland, they get a sense that the world is a little bit smaller, in the sense that everyone is human beings and they find a way to cope with it,” Traill said.

The Renaissance is one of the major contributions to history that Italy is known for, making Italy an artist’s paradise. The Vatican is one of the two independent states in Italy that are home to many beautiful and famous artworks in the world; the most well known being the Sistine Chapel. It is composed of grand and complex architecture, coupled with Michelangelo’s artwork on the ceilings that depict the book of Genesis. It is one of the biggest artistic masterpieces in the world that will leave students breathless.

“You could lay down on the floor and stare at it for hours and still see something new every time you look at it. It was absolutely gorgeous,” senior Rileigh Hanley said.

If anybody is searching for the perfect place to relax and explore over the Spring Break, then these places are definitely where you should be.

This is a fishing town in Iceland called Siglufjörður. It is a good example of the topography to be found in the country.

In the Sistine Chapel, the art of Michelangelo covers surface of every wall . This is a key tourist and religious cite.

photo source wikiphotos

s

19 Lifestyle

YOUR LIPS ARE CHAPPED!

Learn how to protect your lips with the right chapstick.

Bryanie Daza Staff Writer

C

ancer can affect any part of the body, but not many people are aware that cancer can also affect the lips. Lip cancer can appear anywhere on the upper or lower skin of the lips. Although lip cancer is rare, it occurs most often on the lower lip. The skin on our lips is very thin, making it more prone to sun damage, cold, heat and wind. Our lips contain a profuse amount of a protein called collagen. Exposure from the sun drains the collagen in the lips, making the skin thinner. The symptoms of lip cancer include a sore, lesion, blister,

ulcer, or lump on the mouth that will not go away, a red or white patch on the lips, bleeding or pain on the lips and swelling of the jaw. If you notice these symptoms, speak to your doctor about them. To prevent lip cancer from occuring, it is recommended to wear chapstick with at least a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15.

For the best protection use a SPF of 30.

Lip products containing SPF are specifically made to not only protect the skin on your lips from sun damage, but also moisturize and repair the skin on your lips. Not all lip products contain sunscreen to protect your lips, in fact

some lip products put your lips at risk. The shiny gloss of some lip products attract sunlight and UV radiation, causing the skin on your lips to be more susceptible to sun damage.

One of the best chapsticks to protect your lips is Nivea, which is recommended by a junior, Sai Shrestha, who said “It works really well and makes your lips feel soft.”

The best chapsticks that contain SPF: • • • • • • •

Aquaphor Lip Repair & Protect: SPF 30; broad spectrum, provides both UVA and UVB protection. It is made with shea butter, castor seed oil and vitamin E. Contains fragrance, dye and is paraben free.

Alba Botanica Lip Care: SPF 25; it is hypoallergenic and is made with 100 percent vegetarian ingredients, with no animal testing.

Carmex Cherry Lip Balm: SPF 15; it relieves dry, chapped lips with cocoa butter and is made with petrolatum for long-lasting hydration.

ChapStick Sun Defense: SPF 25; it is made with aloe and vitamin E. It locks in moisture for soft, hydrated and healthy lips.

Coola Liplux Sport: SPF 30; it is broad spectrum with both UVA and UVB protection. It is formulated with more than 70 percent certified organic ingredients and is made with moisturizing raspberry and avocado fruit butters, it also contains vitamins and antioxidants.

Nivea A Kiss of Recovery Medicated Lip Care: SPF 15; it is broad spectrum with UVA and UVB protection. Protects and repairs lips, it is made with omega oils and shea butter.

Yes to Pomegranate Naturally Smooth Lip Balm: SPF 15; it is broad spectrum, provides UVA and UVB protection. Made with aloe, cocoa and shea butter, it is 99 percent natural with paraben, petroleum and it is cruelty-free. https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-lip-balms-with-spf/

20 Lifestyle

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

Artists may release music but their work still remains underappreciated.

Samirah Abellard Staff Writer

O

xford Dictionary defines the word underrated as the “underestimate[d] ...extent, value or importance of (someone or something).” Truly, the word underrated can mean many things. There is a world of artists that not many people know about today, and it seems as if this group of people have become even larger. It is almost as if they are kept as a secret from the public eye. These artists may have a following or a fanbase, but they are labeled as underrated because they have not been given mass exposure. Other artists such as Frank Ocean or Ella Mai may have had songs that charted Billboard’s top 100, but their other songs have not had a significant impact on the public, so they continue to remain underappreciated.

Many of these artists are given the title ‘underrated’ because they often go unrecognized by the music industry.

Countless artists remain in the dark because they are often supporting themselves without the help of major music labels. These major labels have the money and the teams to boost these artists into the public eye, but without these two things artists may remain hidden from the media. Pakala stated, “I think so many artists are unknown because they may not have had a hit single at first or many people do not talk about them.”

Others are underrated because they may receive a lack of promotion by their labels.

For example, Leona Lewis had her five seconds of fame after winning the British version of the X Factor, and she even had a chart topping hit with her song “Bleeding Love.” Unfortunately Lewis has not had a

chart topper in years because of the lack of promotion she received after her debut.

In their article “5 Alternative R&B Artists To Look Out For In 2017”, published on Jan. 9, 2017, Forbes magazine included a list of artists that the public should look forward to hearing. One of these artists included Kali Uchis. Uchis is a Colombian artist who uses her Latin roots to create songs that her young fans can relate to.

Her debut album “Isolation”was released this year and it included artists such as Tyler the Creator, Jorja Smith and Juanes.

On her song “After The Storm,” she talked about having to face your problems yourself and being your own hero, because no one is going to save you except yourself.

H.E.R. is an Rythym and Blues artist and although the acronym stands for “Having Everything Revealed”, her identity remains a total mystery, which makes her all the more appealing. In her song “Focus,” she sings about feeling alone even when she is with her lover and longs for him to give her attention.

Ella Mai is a South West London singer who got her start off of social media and has released music since 2016.

Her song “Boo’d Up” peaked at number one on Billboard’s R&B chart. In her song “Naked” she sings about wanting to love someone to love her for herself and finding someone to see behind her flaws. Although Mai is a British born singer, her music seems to receive more praise in the U.S than in the U.K. Jessie Reyez is a Canadian born R&B/ Soul singer, who is known by her fans for having raw and squeaky vocals.

Her single “Figures” charted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 58 in 2017. In this song she sang about feeling embarrassed for loving someone who did not love her the same in return. Her album “Kiddo” was released on April 21, 2017.

Daniel Caesar is a 23 year old Canadian singer who gained a mass following after the release of his two EPs. His genre includes: Contemporary R&B, Soul music and Neo soul. He has previously worked with Kali Uchis and Jessie Reyez. In his collaboration with H.E.R. on his song “The Best Part,” he sang about his love being the thing that he most desires, and “if life were a movie” his love would be the best part of it.

Nathan John Feuerstein, whose stage name is NF, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He is not known by the mass media, but he released an extended play in 2014 and it had a breakthrough on the Billboard charts.

He released his song “Why” on June 18, 2018, and in this song he questioned his life and his new found fame.

These artists are only a handful of those who remain unknown by the general public. However, their fanbases have grown because they create music that their fans belileve they can relate to.

These fans have found meaning in the songs that these artists produce, and they believe that more people should get into these music genres because it will be something that they will not regret.

NEW ALBUMS DROP New albums are fighting for relevance.

Jack Swank Staff Writer

W

hether you are listening to music on the bus, running on the track or relaxing at home, music is a major part of a student’s life. Recently, a lot of albums have been released in the attempt to take home a prize at the Video Music Awards.

An album that has been receiving a lot of traction lately has been Ariana Grande’s “Sweetener.” This album has been teased among fans as early as of April 19, 2018. Although there was a lot of hype about the new album, the reviews have been mixed.

Some reviewers have said that some of the songs have similar sounds to them and the songs they liked were very short. Despite the slight controversy, “Sweetener” has reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of Sept. 1, 2018.

Rapper Travis Scott’s album “Astroworld” has flourished at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart for two weeks. Popular songs on the album are “Sicko Mode” and “Stargazing,” both charting high as of Sept. 1, 2018. Travis’ coming to success is in question, due to his relationship with the soon to be billionaire Kylie Jenner. Some artists like Nicki Minaj speculate that due to being associated with the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Scott has received major

21 Lifestyle

press, which launched his career. A great example of this would be Kylie’s best friend, Jordyn Woods. Woods has not done much to become famous or significantly different, aside from being best friends with Kylie.

The same sort of lense can be applied to Scott.

“Queen” is the fourth studio album from the famous female rapper Nicki Minaj. The album’s name could come from Queens, New York, where she was raised, or the fact that she calls herself the “Queen of Rap”. Her album has been riding the coattails of “Astroworld,” being one place behind it on the Billboard 200 chart for the weeks of Aug. 25, 2018 and Sept. 1, 2018. The quality of the overall album was lowered by songs that would have been better cut out of the album. Her song “Barbie Dreams” has been making headlines, but mostly because of the major amount of name dropping. It seemed like a good business move on her part because there have been reactions from the people being name dropped, which circulates more attention to the overall album.

If you are looking for new music to spice up your playlist look no further. All of these albums have reached the tops of the charts, which is an achievement in itself. photo source: billboard.com

INSATIABLE Netflix series is receiving major backlash for fat shaming.

Jack Swank Staff Writer

B

ody shaming is something that occurs in the society we live in today. Nobody should feel ashamed of the body they are in, and should not judge others for it either. In the Netflix show “Insatiable,” body shaming is a theme of the series, but it is there to reflect the current nasty values of society, not to fat shame.

“Insatiable” is about a high school student named Patty Bladell, nicknamed “Fatty Patty” by students at her school.

Her high school experience was horrible.

She was being fat shamed and took her emotions out by binge eating and watching movies with her friend Nonnie Thompson everyday. One day, however, after being rejected by her crush, she sadly tried to eat a candy bar outside a convenience store until being confronted by a homeless man. When the man mocked Patty about her weight, she punched him in the face, and then he punched her in the jaw, which resulted in her jaw being wired shut.

Due to her jaw being wired shut, she had to go on a liquid diet and lost a lot of weight People everywhere saw her as “beautiful,” and that is why she lost it. She was being treated totally differently just because she was a different size. She had this deep desire to get revenge on those who made her life horrible. While trying to get revenge she also participated in pageants, winning a mother-daughter pageant and many others. Her journey for revenge is hectic and nobody knows how far she will go.

Overall, “Insatiable” is a great story that addresses body shaming through a comedic and satirical lens. Addressing body shaming is not the only thing the show introduces; “Insatiable” also addresses topics like the LGBTQ+ community, faith in religion and much more. If you, as a student, have experienced any type of bullying or loss of self worth please talk to a school counselor. photo source: netflix.com

22 Sports

IS IT REALLY FAIR?

Critics have questioned whether trans athletes should be allowed on the field.

Samirah Abellard Staff Writer

R

ace, sex, age, amateur or professional all have once divided the world of sports, but now the topic of discussion is the discrimination that transgender athletes face when they wish to compete in a certain playing area. The word transgender means that someone does not believe their personal identity corresponds to their sex assigned to them at birth and it should not be used loosely.

Trans athletes may have gained the rights to compete in their desired sports areas, but people have questioned whether or not they should be allowed to play due to their so called unfair advantages over cisgender athletes (those who identify with the sex assigned to them at birth).

Those who believe trans women athletes do have an advantage, say so because testosterone is a natural hormone that gives one a push of power and stamina.

Testosterone may give men a push of strength, but it does not necessarily give them an advantage over another. Others claim that the issue is beyond the case of unfair advantages. They claim that this issue is one that concerns human rights. Junior Oluchi Nwankwo, a member of the girls bowling team stated that “I feel as though transgender athletes should be treated under the gender they identify with.” She also commented, “Why should trans athletes be turned away just because they do not identify with the body they were born in?”

After a trans athlete begins their transition, they often take hormones to reduce the levels of testosterone that their bodies produce, and not many people know that taking these hormones may decrease

an athlete’s muscle mass. According to Upworthy, the point in the article was made by quoting from human genetics professor, Eric Vilain, “...research suggests that androgen deprivation and cross sex hormone treatment in male-to-female transsexuals reduces muscle mass.” After undergoing hormone treatment, the levels of testosterone in trans female athlete’s bodies would be reduced so really no advantage is created because of this.

Furthermore, major sports leagues and divisions have taken action by mandating new regulations that will make it harder for

for now. Another athlete who was found to have elevated levels of testosterone in her body, is Caster Semenya. Semenya is a transsexual athlete, who was ineligible to compete because of her levels of testosterone, but it was later ruled that transsexual athletes would also have to undergo hormone replacement therapy to regulate their levels of testosterone.

“I think that [transgender athletes] can compete as long as the testosterone levels are pretty much the same,” Physical Education teacher, Molly McCann stated.

One trans woman, Joanna Harper, stated that testosterone levels in trans women should be regulated because she believed they do give a slight advantage. According to the article on NewNowNext, Harper stated that after going through hormone training, transgender athletes still continue to be bigger and stronger than cisgender athletes. McCann stated that it “...[would] be unfair if the transgender women would have too much testosterone.” Harper stated, “Whatever physical advantages transgender women have—and they certainly exist—they are not nearly as large as the sociological disadvantages.”

The male body will always have the fundamental features that a male body is composed of as well as the female body. These athletes cannot just be reformatted to perform in the set ways that sports leagues see fit. Trans athletes may have come a long way to gain rights to compete in sports, but society needs to put aside their traditional ideals to create

trans-athletes to compete. For example, the Olympics is expected to issue a regulation that will split the permitted levels of testosterone in half, but many have questioned what this will mean for future events. Using testosterone levels as eligibility will also make it harder for athletes who are cis-gender. For example, athlete Dutee Chand, has a condition that elevates the levels of testosterone in her body. Due to her condition, she was disqualified from competing in the a more egalitarian atmosphere for them.

Olympics, but after this ruling was overruled she is eligible to compete in future events

23 Sports

LIFE OF A STUDENT ATHLETE Balancing your time correctly.

Jessy Aramouni Staff Writter

ll student athletes can relate to having priorities A and debating what is more important to them. They all have assignments and tests due, but also games or

Instagram. If you limit that you will be able to get your work done.”

These two athletes understood the real sport was balancing these two jobs of maintaining their grades and excelling in their meets that happen to fall on the same day. Each student sport. Teachers have also understood as well that the students has his or her own way of thriving in both situations. have the responsibility to do those tasks and the teachers Junior Alicia Coleman has participated in track since middle become reasonable when tests come up or assignments are due. school, she continued to develop a way to balanced her grades Junior Jeral Chang a cross country runner, dive swimmer, and be a top ranked track star. She admitted that it had made volleyball player, and former wrestling player, in the International school more of a challenge than usual, but Baccalaureate (IB) program loved to get it was not impossible. She officially started involved in extracurricular activities but was ” First off, cut all International Baccalaureate (IB) program this quite careless when it came to school work. year and had to make sacrifices in order to distractions like texting, “To be honest, I just don’t do my homework. maintain a high grade point average (GPA). calling on the phone, I leave it for the next day. I study later on and Coleman shared, “ As a cross country runner then you know I get what I get on my tests.” my practices are three hours long. Right being on Snapchat and Chang was someone who made sports his Instagram. If you limit main priority. He believed sports were more when I get home I eat then it’s pretty much crunch time. I go straight to my room to finish that you will be able to important to him than completing his school all my homework and look over my notes.” work. School work ended up being completed get your work done.” the mornings it was due. These actions Junior Aaron Adams a running back in football had been on the team since his freshman year.

Aaron Adams affected his grades in school because of not As a student in the Computer Science (CS) balancing his time wisely with both activities. program, he was definitely busy maintaining his grades in tact Overall, for all the student athletes struggling in school, with his challenging classes. He understood he had no time to it is important to dedicate time for both physical and waste when he got home from practice and games to be on his mental activities. Social media also is an important factor phone. He prioritized his school work over being on social media. to remember to put on the side while doing homework Adams stated, “ It’s pretty hard. First off, cut all distractions and studying. As one grows improving those skills, like texting, calling on the phone, being on Snapchat and the outcome in the field and academy will prosper.

HE SAID WHAT?!

Students cursing on the field is becoming a problem.

Adrianna Estrada Social Media Manager

T

he adrenaline rush a player gets while they are so close to making yet another point for their team is something unforgettable. With every step closer, you start to get nervous, not wanting to let your team down. Your face starts to gets closer to the ground. Suddenly, the student is heard shouting, “Hey! What the hell!” No one stopped to think about what he had said. It was almost as if he had never said it at all.

Cursing on the baseball field is something that has been happening for a while now, especially with players in the Baseball Major Leagues. Students curse all the time in the field, but it is a very common phenomenon to see that some parents are overly involved in their child’s sport especially during games.

Overly involved parents have always caused a bit of a problem, they tend to argue with the referees or pointlessly shout about errors the opponent team has made. Angel Cruz, a sophomore on

the varsity baseball team said, “There’s always that one parent that curses on the field, as we grow older we kinda just picked that up naturally.” There has been several cases of parents

photo source: wikimedia.com Parents yelling at a game.

being inappropriate while watching their child play, that schools have to stop the parents from coming to the games. Overly involved parents have been depicted in movies, showing that the students themselves do not curse just for the fun of it, but because they pick up on their

parents actions.

Many parents who get enraged by faults in the game are frowned upon by other parents attending. In some cases, students get embarrassed by their own parents. Some students are forced to play sports that their parents enjoy, not the students themselves. This is a big reason why so many parents curse on the field, and why students athletes pick up on those actions.

If parents thought more about their actions, less students would be cursing on the field. Parents who are overly involved do not realize that what they are doing is a bad thing. Parents are so concentrated on their child winning the game, that they forget about the huge impact they have on their children. For now though, cursing on the field is something that is inevitable while students play on the field, especially when a student gets hurt while playing.

Supporting students for over 35 years Boca Raton

561-241-1610 Wellington

Coral Springs

954-510-0600

561-333-8882 24

Palm Beach Gardens

561-626-2662

Weston

954-510-0600

www.ScoreAtTheTop.com

october 2017