November 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear readers,

Heading into this new school year, I am excited to join Cooper City High as the new Lariat adviser. After 10 years of teaching and a lifechanging pandemic, I now find myself in a community full of people who care for each other and are invested in the well being of those around them. I look forward to playing a small part in continuing to make CCHS the outstanding school that it is and bringing forth stories that are important and relevant to our community.

In the short time I have been here, I am blown away by the staff and students at Cooper City High and the amazing journalists on The Lariat staff. I am especially amazed by this year’s Editor in Chiefs. These girls pour their heart and soul into their work for The Lariat and it is evident in their work. They are passionate about their work and this issue would not be possible without them.

To Nikki, Emily, Orian, and Olivia- this issue is all yours.

Sincerely, Eileen Cruz

The Lariat Advisor 2022-2023

This back to school issue took the spin of a 70s theme with the thesis of ‘Back into the Groove.’

Meet the Editors

Print Editor-in-Chief, 11th Grade

Olivia Gil

Co-Online Editor-in-Chief, 12th Grade

Dear readers,

Orian Tzipora Harosh Co-Online Editor-in-Chief, 11th Grade

Welcome to the Lariat’s first issue of the 2022-2023 school year. We’re so excited to get back into the groove and are looking forward to reporting on CCHS’ latest news throughout the year. Our new staff and editorial board promises to work hard and deliver trustworthy, timely news while representing our student body.

For our first issue we have decided to take a fun spin on the back to school theme. We see this year as an opportunity to get back into the groove of not only the new school year but a year starting without the interruption of COVID-19. We’re so excited to see this year unfold and are looking forward to leading The Lariat throughout the year.

Sincerely, Emily Moreno, Nicole Nadler, Olivia Gil, & Orian Tzipora-Harosh

The Lariat Editors-in-Chief

Emily Moreno

Nicole Nadler Managing Editor, 12th Grade

How Much Do You Know About The

70’s? 70’s?

1. Who is the iconic singer known for his music genre hopping and shifting persona? a) David Bowie b) Elton John c) Paul McCartney d) Micheal Jackson

2. Who was “The Godfather” star of the 70’s? a) Jack Nicholson b) Robert De Niro c) Al Pacino d) Dustin Hoffman

3. What pant style was the most popular? a) Skinny jeans b) Mom jeans c) Plaid pants d) Bell Bottoms

4. What legendary singer died in the 70s? a) Micheal Jackson b) Elvis Presley c) Prince d) Diana Ross

5. What hairstyle was popular for men and women? a) Straight hair b)Roller curls c) Afro d) French braids

6. Who was the most known president of the time? a) Theodore Roosevelt b) John F. Kennedy c) Ronald Reagan d) Richard Nixon

7. The ______ was an iconic haircut during this period. a) Mullet b) Layers c) Bob d) Pixie cut

8. Families would rent out phones from phone companies because they weren’t allowed to buy them

a) True b) False 9. What is an “off-hook alarm?”

a) An alarm telling the customer that they have a phone call

b) A notification telling the customer that the phone has stopped working c) An alarm telling the customer that their phone has not been hung up d) An alarm informing the customer that the signal is busy.

10. What band broke up in the 70s? a) Pink Floyd b) The Beatles c) Aerosmith d) Queen

BY RACHEL MIZRAHI

You either have no interest in the 70’s or remembered the few memories your grandparents shared with you a couple of years ago. You have a basic understanding of this time period and might have watched a couple of episodes of ‘That 70’s Show.’ You have a strong interest in the 70’s and always know what to say when someone brings it up! 1. David bowie 2. Al Pacino

Bell bottoms

Elvis Presley

Afro

Richard Nixon

Mullet

True 9. An alarm telling the customer that their phone has not been hung up. 10. The Beatles

Colleen Hoover has taken over the spotlight this year with her popular reads that have gone viral. She carries a special talent for developing characters that are both extremely likable and despised. This appeals to ardent young adult fiction readers who desire to invest in a book’s characters in the same manner that viewers do with their favorite television shows.

While reading one of her best sellers, It Ends With Us, I felt connected to the novel since it covered real-life scenarios that young adults or teens, like myself, could relate to. Hoover writes from the main character’s perspective, this way the readers can really grasp the emotion that the characters are feeling and experiencing.

Her top selling books like It Ends with Us, Ugly Love, Verity, and many more, allow for a deeper perspective on relationships and finding love. Her books have gone viral on the social media app, TikTok, under the #BookTok algorithm.

“I absolutely love reading Colleen Hoover books,” freshman Taylor Alderman said. “I discovered her book, Ugly Love, on TikTok and ever since, I have read more like Confess and Hopeless this summer and would definitely recommend it to anyone that’s interested.”

The new movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, blew up becoming the biggest movie hit this summer. After more than a decade, it is obvious that the Minions are still relevant, even sparking a popular TikTok craze. At the box office, Minions: The Rise of Gru was a great hit and received positive reviews from members of the audience.

BOOKS MOVIES

“The trends kept popping up on my For You Page for the minions movie and I just told myself that I had to go see it. I ended up enjoying it, I’ve always loved any minion movie,” freshman Taylor Jimenez said. “It was so cute and exciting, I brought my friends which was fun.”

The TikTok trend consisted of usually teenage boys dressing up in business attire to the movie theaters. The trends also have people visiting IHop to try the new minion menu. These videos receive millions of views and generate millions of teens to follow this trend. The box office reported that the movie earned 417 million dollars globally.

The Minions are always able to convey their emotions, whether they are humorous, emotional, or obnoxious. The Minions communicate in a way that appeals to audiences since they don’t need to explain anything; people can just feel what the Minions are feeling. That is why these movies are so adored.

The biggest and trendiest show of this year, Stranger Things, had its fourth season come out, making fans go wild. Within minutes of its arrival, it broke the charts as being the most popular show on Netflix. The fourth season included two volumes, and that special add-in kept fans on their feet.

The Two in One Package The Two in One Package

CCHS’s Multicultural Club welcomes new co-sponsors

As CCHS continues to get students adjusted to the new year, there have been many new changes to the school. One change for the Multicultural Club is now having two new co-sponsors.

CCHS offers many clubs for students to join that fit something they are interested in. But in order for clubs to be continued, there needs to be sponsors. CCHS’s Multicultural Club offers students the opportunity to develop their understanding cultures and promote events and themes that advance cultural awareness. With this club being one of the larger clubs on campus, it is important that there are sponsors in order to supervise the club.

Bullard Holding

“I think this year we will have some adapting to do, but we will persevere,” co-sponsor Briana Bullard said.

All over social media, people expressed their love and connection to all the characters. Theories were thrown left and right by fans. The beloved show is definitely a summer highlight. In spite of being enjoyable, watching the show releases high amounts of dopamine when a viewer watches. When the newest episode of your favorite show is aired, pretty much the same thing takes place. The anticipation of a new season followed by its viewing is undoubtedly joyful.

The plot twist and action is what made this show so enjoyable. The long episodes were created to intensify the suspense while leaving an unpredictable cliffhanger at the end. The development of each character makes it amusing to viewers. And overall, the aesthetic and plot makes the show most fixating.

Due to the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things, pop singer, Kate Bush, broke records. The iconic scene with Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink and Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, featured the song, Running up that Hill, that was produced in 1985.

The song spiraled again in popularity this summer. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the singer has broken three world records as a result of her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” being used in the most recent season of the television show “Stranger Things.” Now that a song has been at number one for the longest amount of time, Bush retains the record.

The song is all over social media, and fans adore it. Stranger Things featured music like Metallica’s Master of Puppets song also topped the charts.

Tv shows the biggest hits

BY ASHLYN COHEN

Of the Issue:

the biggest hits

“Multicultural Club has been known for years here at Cooper, so it will always persevere.”

adapted to with the return to campus. With clubs being brought back, there were some restrictions that were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic when it came to having clubs holding activities for everyone in the school to participate in.

Aroshas

MusicWith change come some new challenges and adjusting to the circumstances that come with it. But with time, things will eventually go more smoothly and the club will continue to thrive.

“With new sponsors, there are always some adjustments and learning that will take place. Ms. Bullard and I communicate well with each other, therefore some of the stress is alleviated,” co-sponsor Melinda Holding said. “Our club’s president, Sophia Nesselroth, does a wonderful job keeping us informed. I don’t expect everything to be easy or smooth, but we seem to be handling it well thus far.”

Working with clubs is not always easy and there can be challenges along the way. But with proper communication and resources from in and out of school, the process of maintaining a club can become less stressful.

Multicultural Club is one of the bigger representatives for CCHS’s clubs. A lot of events and activities are run by the club. Students and staff can have some expectations when it comes to these events taking place. But, by having experienced staff running

The club’s previous sponsor, Kevin Fair, brought the club back on to campus after having a whole year of E-Learning and there were definitely some challenges that came along the way. But in the end, the club gained a lot of recognition from all the enjoyable events and activities they hosted.

“Changes are inevitable when new people are brought on, but nothing causes significant alterations to the daily running of the club,” Holding said. “The number of events or the running of events might be different this year, but Ms.Bullard and I are still going to do our best to uphold the integrity of the Multicultural Club.”

Some slight adjustments will be made to the way things will be running this year for Multicultural Club, to assist in making a pathway for which the club can follow. The goal is to bring events and activities for the club and school to enjoy and have a process that works best for the club.

“I hope Multicultural Club can be as big and popular as National Honor Society,” Bullard said. “I want all students to feel included and accepted here at Cooper.”

With Bullard and Holding’s commitment to the club, Multicultural Club is expected to succeed well into the future and continue to promote its ideals of diversity and acceptance to benefit the entire school.

BY ALIA SALIM

Photos by Shira

Meet the Newest Group of Cowboys

Meet the Newest Group of Cowboys

These freshman officers were selected to ensure quality leadership, guidance and planning for the new freshman class. These student officers have a mission to provide a year full of gratification and, of course, make it the most memorable high school experience for their student class.

Grace Lerner was elected class president due to her strong personality. She is also known for her creativity, leadership and camaraderie which won her the majority vote for class president of class of ‘26.

“In my position I help think and plan fundraisers for the class of 2026,” Lerner said. “[I] plan events, create flyers, paint posters and make sure that the freshman class has an amazing year.”

With homecoming week right around the corner, president Lerner has been contributing to make sure that everyone has a good time.

As for any new events or any potential events for the freshman, Lerner expressed that there are many different fundraisers soon to come.

Luckily, with Lerner’s fellow officers, they all work with one another. Each member brings in their own unique ideas to produce a great result.

“All the positions work together to ensure that the freshman class has the best year,” Lerner said.

Just like the president, the vice president, Parker Aversa, carries a lot of the responsibility as well.

“For the vice president position, I have to go to all the IOC (Inter-Organization Council) meetings,” Aversa said. “Then I have to plan events and stuff to sell to get money for the freshman class.”

Aversa expresses his excitement for new upcoming events that are soon to come.

“I’m so lucky to have good people to be officers with, so it is really easy,” Aversa said. “We all get along so well.”

Hanna Turner is the class treasurer and she deals with a lot of the financial responsibilities.

“I sign off on fundraisers and help with money,” Turner said. “But at this time I haven’t had to do much.”

There are a lot of things that as an

officer, you can look forward to including planning events, making friendships and creating great experiences for the school.

“For me, I am excited to get to meet new people that I may not have known before,” Turner said.

Alisha Abraham represents her class as the secretary. She deals with the documentation and filing.

“As the class secretary, I am responsible for keeping track of the minutes from class meetings and keeping the activity files up to date,” Abraham said.

Along with the other officers, Abraham has a goal in mind to ensure that the freshman class has a great year.

“I am looking forward to getting involved with school events and fundraisers,” Abraham said. “As well as doing activities for the freshman class to get involved and endure.”

Class historian, Sophia Ruiz, does a lot of the “behind the scenes” work for the freshman class.

If you follow the 2026 class Instagram, all the posts are done by Ruiz herself. Updating students to keep them posted on events is what she does best.

“My position as freshman historian is to take care of the social media and news aspect of the class so everyone can stay informed and up-to-date,” Ruiz said.

Since Ruiz has the ins and outs of the SGA (Student Government Association) when it comes to new upcoming events she shares it with the rest of the class through social media.

“One of the most obvious upcoming events that we [the class officers] along with SGA have planned is homecoming,” Ruiz said. “Anything after that though is kept top secret and won’t usually be revealed until a closer date.”

Many of the freshman officers at CCHS put forth a lot of effort for their class. So far, they have been doing a great job and they will continue throughout the year to make sure that the class of 2026 will have an enjoyable and unforgettable year.

BY ASHLYN COHEN

READ MORE AT: thelariatonline.com

MOTS: how do students feel about overcrowding at school?

This up and running school year, there have been a lot of new students in every grade. With so many students needing to get to class on time, the hallways and stairwells become heavily crowded.

In addition to rushing through the hallways, there was a decrease in the bell period switching time. Instead of ten minutes it is now seven. This contributes to the hassle and crowdedness that students face while walking in the hallways and stairwells. Here’s what CCHS students think about it.

BY ORIAN TZIPORA HAROSH

“Teachers always get mad when we come tardy to class,” freshman Chloe Golden said. “They shouldn’t mark us late since it takes so long to get through the halls.”

Keith

“It

“People don’t walk in the right direction up the stairs,” junior Meg Walmsley said. “I get stuck in the stairwell on the way to class and then I get marked late.”

“There are so many new students this year,” sophomore Max

said.

takes me so long to get to class, especially when I have to go from the third floor of one building to the other.”

“It’s a constant traffic jam,” junior Mikey Ruiz said. “There are so many people in the hallways and stairwell its super crowded.”

“There are so many students at school this year, especially seniors,” junior Anthony Scholl said. “It sucks because since the seniors took up all the spots in the junior lot so now we can’t park.”

Grace Lerner,Presiden

Alisha Abraham, Secreta

introducing the 2026 freshman class officers

Glowco After Hours

Krazy Kickball, Powder Puff and Crazy Feats

As summer turns to fall and the 20222023 school year rolls into the month of October, a six day event lays heavy on the minds of students- Homecoming Week. From dress up days to after school activities, students are faced with many fun filled decisions to choose from.

Organized by CCHS’ Student Government Association (SGA) and following a selected theme, this week is an annual celebration leading up to the homecoming dance. Inspired by outer space, this year’s theme is “Glowco.”

Kicking off the festivities on Monday, October 10, students shuffled into school sporting their best sleepwear. From oversized onesies to satin sets, the first day of homecoming week was a cozy one, given the day’s theme of ‘space jammies.’

Shifting from a sleepy classroom setting filled with yawns and droopy eyes, to an energized atmosphere with the sounds of running, cheering and clapping bouncing from the walls; Monday’s after school activity was Krazy Kickball.

With a wake up call on Tuesday, students and staff were proudly displaying their class colors. The rainbow crowd left trails of feathers and tulle as they scrambled to pose by banners decorated with their class color and titles. Making ‘clash of the planets’ a colorful day.

“It was super fun to dress up this week, especially on Tuesday. Everyone was so colorful and in spirit,” junior Gabriella Tellez said.

In a sea of CCHS mascots stood amiable aliens ready for battle, or so the Wednesday’s theme suggested. The school saw extraterrestrial beings in green and ranchers in flannel boot scootin’ in the halls as they prepared to pose for their enemies on ‘cowboys vs aliens’ day. Reversing gender norms that night, CCHS’ girls flag football team hosted their powder puff game.

“It was a fun experience playing against my teammates and it got me really excited for the season in February,” sophomore wide receiver Coralie Chrisphonte said.

They say celebrity sightings are rare, but around every corner may be a secluded star; and on Thursday, they were shining bright. Photos were taken, autographs were asked for and impersonators made a lasting impression; as ‘starstruck’ day allowed for students to channel their inner celebrity.

On the final day of Homecoming Week, students and staff were asked to show their school spirit by wearing

red, black and white. Making Friday’s ‘home planet’ day see a sea of cowboy pride in preparation for the Homecoming game.

“It was really great to see everyone in red, black and white,” junior Daniella Tellez said. “It showed that we still have school spirit.”

HOMECOMING

With high spirits and painted faces, CCHS filled its football stadium bleachers to host the Homecoming game against the Panthers. After a night filled with cheers and boos, the game ended in an unfortunate loss of 0 - 47.

On Saturday night, CCHS opened its cafeteria doors to students ready to celebrate at the Homecoming dance. Decorated with white furniture pieces and filled with clouds from a fog machine, organizers set a white backdrop ready to be illuminated by the students’ glow in the dark accessories. Making the night students have been waiting for as colorful as it was lively.

BY OLIVIA GIL

CCHS’ homecoming theme of “glowco” came with three exciting afterschool events. Games of Krazy Kickball, Powder Puff and Crazy Feats were run by SGA and took place throughout homecoming week.

During these evening events, students wore their class color and showed off their school spirit. Freshmen dressed in yellow, sophomores in green, juniors in purple and seniors in pink. From a simple headband to a neon tutu, the players and the crowd went all out for every game.

The events of homecoming week kicked off with Krazy Kickball. There were three matches, each lasting twenty minutes. The first of the night was a game between freshmen and juniors, and the second was sophomores against seniors.

“Everyone was cheering for their grade and it was all really exciting,” sophomore Olivia Kwavnick said. “Even though we lost, I still think that the sophomores played the best.”

Monday wrapped up with a final match between the winners of games one and two. Juniors and seniors went head to head, and the seniors came out victorious, making it the second consecutive win for the class of 2023.

“The seniors are on top, they always will be,” senior and player Helen Tremble said.

On Wednesday, CCHS had its first PowderPuff game since 2013. Powderpuff is a football game, but with a twist… the cheerleaders and players switch places. The girls put on their flag football belts and headed to the field, while the guys grabbed their pom-poms and

shouted “let’s get rowdy!”

The night consisted of two games that were coached by players from CCHS’ football team. Game one was freshmen against sophomores, resulting in a tie score of 6-6. Game two was juniors versus seniors, and the juniors secured their win with a final score of 14-0.

“We talked so much smack throughout the week, I knew we had to win and we did,” junior Isabella Riollano said.

Throughout the entirety of the matches, the guys could be spotted cheering on the sidelines or on the field for halftime performances.

“I’m considering joining the cheer team,” senior Yahli Shalom said. “We had about a week of practice with all the moves and stuff and then there was a couple of actual cheerleaders who taught us some stunts and stuff, and so it comes out being the best halftime show of your life.”

Hoco after-school events ended on Thursday with Crazy Feats. The night consisted of a variety of competitive games between grades. Freshman Erick Petersen said his favorite part of the night was the hungry, hungry hippos game.

“I wished there were more freshmen, but besides that it was fun,” Petersen said.

The games of Crazy Feats were the last of the homecoming after-school events and ultimately determined the winners of the homecoming spirit stick trophy. Sophomores ended in last place with nine points, preceded by freshmen with 10 points. Second place went to juniors with 14 points, making seniors the winner with a total of 21 points.

CCHS’ 2022 homecoming week was an overall success with event participation that exceeded expectations. The juniors put up a good fight, but the class of 2023 seniors took home the gold with their spirit during glowco events.

BY LONDON DERNIS

Photos by Shira Aroshas & London Dernis

the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Weathering the Sto r m

Peace Week is a week full of in-school and afterschool activities run by Multicultural Club. This year like any other, CCHS hosted its annual Peace Week meant to promote peace and kindness around the school.

Multicultural Club hosted a dress up week and afterschool events everyday.

the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

With powerful winds and an unforgiving storm surge, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a category four storm.

On September 26, Hurricane Ian was named an official hurricane,. leaving 20 inches of rain, debris, broken bridges and damaged buildings. The storm’s impact would come to rank among the worst in the nation’s history.

From houses and stores, to schools and neighborhoods, people were affected in all different ways. There have been various county wide damage and debris clean ups where people can volunteer and help struggling communities.

During the week of the hurricane, CCHS closed its campus for September 28 and 29 in accordance with Broward County Public Schools (BCPS). This was a decision based on the severity of the storm, and the news was announced to students on Tuesday.

“I was kind of relieved when I first heard about the hurricane canceling school,” sophomore Allison Macready said. “I knew I needed the extra time for school work but at the same time it really put things into perspective for me.”

Luckily, the CCHS custodial staff was able to clean and repair any damage from the hurricane to the school. They had the school ready for students’ return on Friday, September 30.

Though the hurricane didn’t cause any lasting damage to Cooper City, it affected many areas of Florida. Fort Myers Beach faced winds of up to 150mph and Florida’s southern coast had heavy flooding. As for central Florida, many had loss of power throughout the week and were left with minor damage.

“At first I was just happy to have a break from school but now I feel so lucky that we were able to go back so fast,” sophomore Ruby Lualhati said. “It’s crazy to think that there are still so many struggling communities.”

While students were buzzing from all the latest news, teachers were busy preparing for possible schedule updates. New lesson plans, homework submissions and falling behind, all had to be taken into consideration.

“The storm did affect my teaching plan but not as badly as I would’ve feared,” math teacher Benjamin Kalinsky said. “I did have to teach a lesson the same day that I reviewed for a test, but overall it was manageable.”

In light of Hurricane Ian, many students have been

interested in giving back to those in need.

National Honor Society (NHS) has started collecting relief donations in order to help local struggling communities.

“In response to Hurricane Ian, NHS has been collecting paper and plastic goods,” NHS president Matthew Fierstien said. “We will be delivering them to affected areas in order to respond to the current needs of families and response workers.”

Hurricane Ian was a powerful storm and although repairs and cleanups are ongoing, things continue to improve each day.

BY ABBY GOLDBERG

Chalk for Peace was scheduled for Monday and was held on Thursday afterschool due to some rain delays. Students from different clubs gathered around different areas of school to promote peace with chalk-drawn artwork. Motivating messages and fun peace-promoting drawings could be seen all around the school.

Wednesday afterschool consisted of tye dying shirts in the red awning, since Thursday’s dress up day was tye dye attire. Students brought in white shirts and participated in the activity with the instruction of multi-officers.

Originally on Thursday students to hang peaceful decorations afterschool co-sponsored by National Honor Society (NHS) in the courtyard but, the eventcancelled due to the rescheduling of Chalk for Peace.

During A and B lunches on Friday, students brought picnic blankets and sat in the courtyard with friends to have a peaceful picnic.

During eighth period on Friday, the annual Peace Pole ceremony took place. Leaders from all school clubs gathered with band and chorus in the courtyard to hear a speech from principal Vera Perkovic and Multicultural Clubs president Sophia Nesselroth.

BY ORIAN TZIPORA HAROSH

Peace Week Peace Week

“There was representation of Cooper City High School on a smaller scale being next to each other in the heart and peace sign,” Principal Vera Perkovic said. “It was a really beautiful sight.”

“Well I was just so proud of everything we were able to accomplish, from putting on the peace pole ceremony to having all of the fun spirit days. I felt it was a really meaningful experience,”Multicultural Club president Sophia Nesselroth said. “That’s not to say there weren’t a lot of obstacles, like the weather or trying to get participation, but I feel as though we all pushed through and it ended up being an amazing week.”

Dress up Days

“After a rocky start on Monday with Chalk for Peace being canceled, I’m so happy we were able to have Chalk for Peace yesterday. A lot of kids showed up and participated. I’m so excited to see our turn out for peace pole ceremony later today!”

Multicultural club co-sponsor Brianna Bullard

“I wore my pink Hawaiian shirt and had sunglasses to go with my outfit,” freshman Camila Busque said.

Photo Taken from Los Angeles Times

Photos by Shira Aroshas Times

class chaos: class chaos:

Students relocate after a teacher’s resignation Students relocate after a teacher’s resignation

Shortly after first quarter interims, Dr. Gina Sese’s departure was announced and her classes were distributed amongst other teachers. AICE Global Perspectives, AICE Marine Science, Marine Science and Biology 1 are the classes where several students received new teachers.

Following her resignation, the school was able to make changes to students’ schedules without much disruption and in a timely manner. Students were also sent home with a letter to inform parents of the change and ways to contact their new teacher.

“In any situation when a teacher leaves, then we have to look at what’s in the best interest of our students and how we can put our teachers in a position to best service our students and that’s the reason we had to make those changes,” Guidance Director Ron Zicardi said.

Some of Sese’s classes will be instructed by substitute teacher Dr. Christopher Newton, a familiar face here at Cooper. For the time being, he will be taking over six Marine Science periods in her old classroom, room 4125. He places a strong emphasis on teamwork within the science department and gives credit to the department head, Kelly Agnew.

“The team is wonderful here, so the kids are not on a limb by themselves,” Newton said. “Every time I come in, the first person I see in the morning is the department. They are alongside me, every single day.”

On Monday, September 12, Sese’s fourth-period AICE Global Perspectives class was moved to Wendy Schauben’s classroom. The change was a direct move and caused Schauben’s fourth-period AICE General Paper class to be moved to Derria Smith’s class.

“I found out I’d have a new AICE Global Perspectives teacher about half an hour before I went into the class for the day, so it’s safe to say I was a little shocked,” junior Giovanna Dellaria

said.

Schauben was made aware of the change on September 9. She decided to start from day one with her new class and is working towards getting all her classes on the same page.

“I just hope all of the students are settling in nicely,” Schauben said.

Some of Schauben’s new students found it helpful that she started from the beginning.

“Honestly, I’m glad that it happened at the beginning of the school year rather than any other time; that way, we have a lot less to catch up on,” Dellaria said. “There are some different classroom rules that take some getting used to, but Ms. Schauben is nice and efficient about getting us up to speed.”

Sese’s seventh-period AICE Marine Science class was moved to Jason Scarlatelli’s period.

“The change itself isn’t very different but it feels more stressful because it’s an AICE class since we actually have to work towards an exam,” sophomore Angela Joseph said. “A lot of the other AICE Marine [Science] classes are ahead of our class and we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Joseph and her class had their grades transferred and are quickly getting back into the groove of the course.

“I really have to commend our students for the great attitude and understanding the situation and making the best of it,” Zicardi said.

With the effort put in by CCHS’ guidance, the science department and teachers, the effects of Sese’s departure are easier on students. Students are settling into their new schedules quickly, and the class changes are becoming seamless with each passing day.

BY LONDON DERNIS

The start of a new school year brings out many different feelings. For some, it’s excitement and eagerness, while for others it’s nerves and stress. Although some students may seem more confident then others, going back to school after the long summer break makes everyone feel a little anxious.

Wanting to stand out on resumes and applications often causes people to take on more than they can handle. Today’s competitive college selection process also tends to scare students into overworking themselves. Students are searching for service hours, officer positions, and good letters of recommendation from anywhere they can get them.

Going back to school, students find themselves constantly competing against peers. Whether it’s for new club officers, prestigious scholarships, or class ranking, a majority of students are competing and comparing all year long. A large percent of the student body is working toward the goal of college acceptance, but even those who aren’t are sure to strive for graduation cords, stoles, and medals.

Not only is the competition in high school nerve wracking, but there are also smaller hurdles that everyone faces, like distractions or procrastination tendencies. Procrastinating on deadlines or personal distractions may lead to grade deductions and/or a negative relationship with a teacher. Procrastinating can also lead to a large buildup of assignments which creates even more stress and it can seem impossible to stop the cycle and get back on top of completing the work.

Along with taking on stressful academic challenges, there’s also the entire aspect of creating and maintaining a social status for yourself in school. Keeping up with friends can be extremely difficult when class schedules don’t align. Putting too much effort into school could mean losing valuable friendships and a

healthy school life to social life balance.

Many students also take part in activities outside of school. Whether it’s a religious institution, athletic team, or other organization, many people belong to other groups outside of school that take time and effort. This is just another addition to the life of a busy high schooler.

On top of everything else, a student’s personal life and family life can severely impact their stress levels. Students may go through breakups, their parents getting a divorce or they lose a loved one. All of these things can turn a manageable schedule into an unmanageable one.

Staying active is another important task especially for teens. Lots of teens take on sports or other activities that allow them to exercise but balancing this with school can become emotionally exhausting. This can cause students to feel more anxious about things like getting all their schoolwork done or having enough time to prepare for tests.

Going back to school not only means having a new schedule, but of course new teachers to go with it. Most students must meet up to 7 or 8 new teachers a year, meaning a new workload, new grading system, new assignment types and new tests. Meeting their new teachers can make students anxious, as they now not only have to prepare for the subject of the course, but also how the teacher teaches.

When preparing to go back to school, students are reminded of all the stress that comes with it. The negative aspects can overwhelm students and cause them to feel anxious about school. However, there are solutions, and society is changing every day to accommodate for a better work/life balance.

BY ABBY GOLDBERG

Back to School: Anxiety about the new year

The Most Underrated Extra-Curricular:

College applications provide undue stress

The college application season is a dreaded time for seniors that crowds the entire first quarter with a bombarding amount of surplus work in addition to our course load and extra-curriculars. Ironically, it prevents seniors from excelling in the tasks these applications ask us to highlight.

The brevity of these applications is so great that they have engrossed a significant chunk of people’s schedules. Furthermore, they are all unique in their submission which only complicates this even further.

Between the Common App[lication], the Self Provided Academic Record for Knights (SPARK), the Self-reported Student Academic Record (SSAR), supplemental essay writing, personal statement essay writing, researching colleges, scholarship applications, and the other remaining specificities to submit to just one university is an incredibly arduous process that is frankly, not spoken about enough.

But before one even begins working on the Common App, a student must ask for letters of recommendation depending on the schools they wish to apply to. This is a precarious process that includes a Brag Sheet which is essentially a holistic accumulation of a student’s leadership positions, extracurriculars, grades, and/or an extenuating circumstance that has limited their abilities to reach their full potential.

For instance, the University of Central Florida (UCF) requires applicants to submit a SPARK form to self-report grades and GPA. However, Florida State University (FSU) and the University of Florida (UF) require the SSAR to report duplicate information. With multiple different platforms floating around this makes the process even more arduous.

There is also a section on the Common Application for seniors to input their current courses and grades as well as all self-reported courses throughout, which is also information that has been relayed on the SSAR and SPARK.

Financing is also a consideration that may limit the amount of schools students can apply to. Yes, there are fee waivers, but there is a big gap in the bracket of families that qualify for fee waivers and the families that undergo no fiscal burden that can easily afford to shell out hundreds of dollars on this process. Though there are some universities that cost nothing to apply to, such as Tulane University and Colby College, this is a select few, and most of which are incredibly competitive to get into.

Being that these schools have no fee to apply, this turns more heads leading to more applications and therefore more stringent medians and raises the bar for what these universities look for in an applicant. Tulane University, for example, has a mere 10% acceptance rate.

Not only is there an application fee that can cost up to 80 dollars for some schools, but there is also a fee to send your official SAT and ACT scores to these schools.

Students are told the common cliche when applying to college, “just be you,” but in “being you,” one must encapsulate parts of themself that they may have otherwise tried to hide. Some students may have “extenuating circumstances” that make them uncomfortable to share, such as having a learning disability, issues dealing with mental health, etc. This time elicits subjects that make students uncomfortable and having to hash them out with potential strangers is highly distressing.

With that being said, the college application process burdens students and their families in more ways than one. This process can trouble many whilst adding to the pressure of still being a full-time student.

BY NICOLE NADLER

Homecoming week at CCHS is filled with a variety of fun activities ranging from dressup days to games, such as powderpuff football. These events facilitate the participation of students in an effort to unite the school during this exciting week that happens once a school year.

The powderpuff football game has recently been brought to CCHS, allowing girls to play as football players and boys to cheer on the sidelines.

Powderpuff is, by definition, any traditionally male activity or sport that is being done or played by women.

This activity that is meant to serve as a fun game to unite our school during homecoming week is instead dividing the student body into two sides of a debate. The argument is over whether or not gender stereotypes are being threatened by allowing this game to take place at CCHS.

“I can see how the powderpuff game can be viewed as offensive to gender stereotyping to some people as it suggests that girls should not play a male game,” freshman Marcela Mosely said. “And it is weird that they have to create an entirely separate game to allow them to do so.”

Generally, football is considered to be a predominantly male sport as it is played by professionals and aired on TV yearly for fans to enjoy. Females are almost never seen participating in this aggressive sport and are placed on the sidelines as cheerleaders or viewers.

Powderpuff alters these stereotypical positions involved in traditional football and places the females on the field running into the endzone and places the males along the sidelines with pom poms in hand.

As some may see this as an offensive topic, others may view this as an exciting game to get the students involved in the school spirit.

Homecoming week is used to get the student body excited for the year to come. It’s filled with dress up days, activities, games, and events that students join.

The powderpuff football game is a fun game that allows students from all grades to participate.

It’s not intended to offend anyone and is simply an opportunity to get active while being social and cowboy spirited.

“It’s a fun way to get everyone excited for homecoming and it’s not at all intended to hurt or offend anyone.” junior Brady Dillon said.

Students enjoyed competing against one another, it allowed for great teamwork and class unity.

“I was so excited when we won,” junior Hailey Hausfeld said. “It was so exciting when the game was called and we won against the seniors, we were able to represent the junior class and it was honestly hilarious watching the guys try and cheer us on.”

The powderpuff football game is a light hearted high school homecoming game that is fully intended to bring the class together. People watching and participating enjoyed the chaos and excitement that the game had to offer.

BY ASHLYN COHEN & DEVIN ALDERMAN

Gender Stereotypes & PowderPuff

Is the game offensive to characteristics of femininity and masculinity?

With CCHS striking into the new year, many students have expressed their ideas to make CCHS enjoyable for all students. With these recommendations to the school, CCHS now has a wide diversity of extracurriculars that all students can take part in. One thing that has developed in the school is recognizing bowling as a new sport.

The CCHS bowling team has started this year’s practices and tournaments. They practice every Monday from three to five o’clock after school and have tournaments on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same time located at SpareZ Bowling Alley.

“CCHS finally recognizing bowling is amazing because having a sport that’s fun to play is also fun to play professionally,” bowler Rachel Mansfield said. “Some benefits from joining the bowling team are that it’s all really good energy, no one feels left out and everyone gets a turn.”

The bowling team is open to all students and has an atmosphere that doesn’t exclude anyone and allows all students to participate and enjoy the sport.

“We will cheer you on even if you are doing bad,” Mansfield said. “It’s a really good atmosphere for you to hang out and have fun.”

Stereotypically, it is expected for students to already know how to play a sport when trying out for a team. With the school’s bowling team, even if some students don’t play as well as others, they can all learn from each other.

“I think it’s really cool because personally, I wasn’t aware of how many real bowlers we have,” math teacher and bowling coach John Browning said. “We have a couple of people that love it and do this on a regular basis. They are in leagues but now they get to do it for their school, and there are

scholarships involved.”

With CCHS’s development in diversity involving extracurriculars, it has become a lot easier for students to be a part of something that revolves around their interests and to get more involved with the school. By being a part of a sport in the school, students are able to receive educational benefits such as scholarships, as Browning stated.

“Unfortunately, because of the timing, we started over the summer. It’s the first year doing it so everything got thrown together really fast” Browning said. “I think a lot of kids missed tryouts and people are talking about it and they see how much fun the kids are having.”

At the end of last year, many students at CCHS spoke out about their ideas for extracurriculars and if they wanted to continue their ideas, most students had to start planning over the summer.

Being on campus was the quickest way to spread information because of the many resources

bowling to perfection

CCHS introduces the new bowling team

available for everyone, such as announcing it on the intercom or seeing the flyers that were placed around campus. Social media is typically used for all students to see, but some students on campus have restrictions when it comes to the use of social media.

“Whether we win districts or not, the kids are really having fun with this sport,” Browning said. “So I think next year the tryouts will be a lot bigger.”

With this being the first year of having a bowling team, there are a few things that need to be settled throughout the course of the year. But over time, things will be on course and soon, the CCHS bowling team will be on a roll.

BY ALIA SALIM

As the school year is quickly approaching and summer is coming to an end many students here at CCHS have started taking interest in the upcoming fall season sports. These include cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, volleyball and swimming.

Jenna Heywang has become a huge attribute to the girls’ volleyball team. She was one of 16 girls to make the varsity volleyball team here at CCHS; she currently stands at 6 feet and 2 inches, she plays middle and has been playing for six years.

“My favorite part about being a student athlete is that it helps me stay focused on my priorities and decisions,” Heywang said. “My life mostly consists of volleyball and school, because of this I don’t have the time or energy to make bad decisions or misbehave.”

Many students use sports or extracurriculars to better themselves and push themselves to be the best they can be in and out of school Heywang makes it a priority to be the best player she can be, from spending countless hours in the gym to practicing in the offseason.

“Being a student athlete makes me want to push myself to the best of my ability so I can impress my teachers, coaches,

parents, and teammates,” Heywang said. “I would love to play volleyball in college but as of right now I don’t have a dream school, I just want to play for a team that I love and respect.”

Like many athletes, Heywang has experienced many injuries and obstacles throughout her volleyball journey.

“In my experience playing volleyball I’ve overcome many injuries in my life mostly including ankle injuries,” Heywang said. “Since I’m so tall I’ve always struggled with my ankle strength. Luckily I’ve been building up strength in my muse which has minimized the amount of injuries I’ve had recently.”

In addition to school volleyball, Heywang also plays on a club team that has helped train her technically and mentally.

“I play for Boomers Volleyball Academy (BVA), and I love it there; I’m there about three times a week for training and it has become like a second home,” Heywang said. “Everyone treats each other like family, we all push ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Heywang finds inspiration in her teammates, coaches, and especially her family.

“Jenna was my big sister when I joined the team

freshman year, she made sure I felt included in the team and I just felt so welcomed,” sophomore Lauren Sereda said.

“Jenna is a great teammate because she brings good energy on and off the court. She helps you if she sees you’re doing something wrong and encourages you to keep trying and get better.”

The girls volleyball team has a tradition of varsity players pairing up with junior varsity (JV) players and welcoming them to the team. Through this tradition Jenna gained Sereda as a little sister in addition to her actual sister and teammate, junior Hayley Heywang.

“Jenna is my best friend, she supports me in everything I do and consistently encourages me to be a better person,” Hayley said. “She has an amazing energy that everyone can’t help but love. She encourages everyone around her and truly pushes herself and anyone around her to be the best person they can be.”

BY MALIA LAHEY

athlete of the issue:

athlete of the issue:

Jenna Heywang takes over the court

Photo courtesy of David Rosenfield

Photo by Malia Lahey