A R E N A F O D N THE E
Issue IV, June 2020
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2116 N Flamingo Rd, Pembroke Pines, FL, 33026 (954) 252-0091
GENNA NORDLING
PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ABBIE TUSCHMAN
ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ALEXANDRA SANSONE
ELENA VALDEZ
MANAGING EDITOR
HEAD EDITOR
SANDRA GARCIA
JULIA SAFRIN
JOSEPH STURGEON
HEAD EDITOR
KYLEIGH SPRIGLE
STAFF WRITER
Congratulations to our seniors! We will miss you!
EMMA FRANZ
STAFF WRITER
VICTORIA MARTIN
STAFF WRITER
STAFF WRITER
STAFF WRITER
LILLIE BIEGNER
STAFF WRITER
ETHAN SILVERMAN
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
TABLE of CONTENTS NEWS
FEATURES
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
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ON the COVER
4 Celebrating the Class of 2020 5 Back-to-school predictions
6 Saying goodbye to CCHS 8 Senior feature updates
10 Top 5 classics that need to be on Netflix
11 Sportswriters obituary
This issue of The Lariat is themed to cover the end of the Class of 2020’s senior year and the retirement of Prinicpal Wendy Doll. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, seniors and Principal Doll were unable to complete their final year at CCHS in person. The accomplisments made by both the senior class and Principal Doll during their time at CCHS will not be forgotten. The images on the front cover were taken by Sydney Katz and The Round Up staff.
Photo courtesy of The Round Up
STAFF LIST: Print Editor-in-Chief Genna Nordling Online Editor-in-Chief Abbie Tuschman Managing Editor Alexandra Sansone Head Editors Elena Valdez Joseph Sturgeon Arielle Kraus General Editors Isabella Marcon Emma Huerta Kayla Gates Staff Writers Victoria Martin Sofia Mendez Ryan Merard Emma Franz Julia Safrin Sasheen Joseph Chris Gomes Sandra Garcia Camila Fernandez Jaelyn Yeampierre Alyssa Khan Jennifer Florez Lillie Biegner Sports Writers Kyleigh Sprigle Photographers Anabella Garcia Makinzi Burgs Sydney Katz Angelique King Graphics Ethan Silverman Adviser Fallan Patterson
table of contents 3
CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020 Virtual events released to honor the graduating class The month of May is cancel it. I’m honestly really bummed usually seen as the last hurrah for the because I was excited to host it and just graduating senior class, with earlier celebrate graduating with everyone,” final exams, prom and graduation senior Amanda Arocha said. “But filling their last days of high school. even though I had to cancel, I just Although COVID-19 made have to remember that it isn’t the end many of these end-of-year events and that I’ll be able to celebrate and impossible, the CCHS administration spend time with everyone again.” released a schedule While some had their “THOUGH THE on April 30 with graduation parties virtual events to canceled, others had CURRENT SITUATION celebrate the Class to put trips they were IS DEVASTATING of 2020 throughout planning to take with FOR ALL CLASS OF May and June. their friends or family 2020 GRADUATES, With May on hold, in addition 1 being Academic to the cancellation THIS SHOULD NOT Signing Day, many Grad Bash. OVERSHADOW ALL OF of CCHS seniors took “I had plans the day THEIR WONDERFUL to social media to after graduation to announce their go on a Disney trip ACCOMPLISHMENTS” post-secondar y with my friends for -CLAUDIA JONES education and a week. We had been career plans. CLASS OF 2020 SPONSOR planning it for months T h e and it’s disappointing CCHS Class of 2020 created an to see it put on pause,” senior Carla Instagram page to design a post for Luna said. “But that’s how I view it, as each senior, which was made into a a temporary pause as the world deals senior slideshow for the school’s website. with COVID-19 and bigger issues are Among the events that at hand. As upset as I may be about our will be held virtually is Senior situation, I know it could be much worse Awards Night, which was previously and that it’s all for everyone’s well-being.” scheduled for May 13. All the events BCPS had previously stated listed lead up to a virtual graduation that they are working on additional plans commencement ceremony that all to recognize seniors. However, between Broward County high schools will have. a virtual graduation and picking up their According to a newly released diplomas during the first week of June, schedule, the CCHS Class of 2020 many seniors are trying very hard to will have their virtual graduation look at this unconventional graduation on Tuesday, June 16 at 4 p.m. Every the same way as a physical graduation. graduation will be broadcasted “Though the current situation live on BECON-TV and YouTube. is devastating for all Class of 2020 With the original graduation graduates, this should not overshadow being scheduled for Saturday, May all of their wonderful accomplishments,” 30, many seniors had to cancel their Class of 2020 sponsor Claudia Jones graduation plans, one of the most said. “Whether live or virtual, CCHS common being graduation parties. graduates should celebrate their “I was planning on having remarkable ability to adapt, which will a graduation party, but I had to no doubt help them face the challenges life presents. Best of luck, seniors!” 4 news
VIRTUAL EVENTS - May 1: CCHS Academic Signing Day - May 6: Outstanding Senior Leader - May 13: Brian Piccolo Awards - May 18: Stars on the Parade Event - May 19: Cappies - May 20: “Light up the Fields” for Seniors - May 22: JROTC Cadet of the Year - May 26: BCAA South Division Scholar Athlete - May 27: CCHS Top 10% Outstanding Student Scholar Recognition - May 28: Silver Night Awards - Week of June 1: Cap and Gown Distribution, Collection of all Items Due - Week of June 8: Diploma Pick Up - June 16: Virtual Graduation *For more information, visit the CCHS website. BY SASHEEN JOSEPH
PREDICTING THE FUTURE CCHS staff and students predictions for the 2020-21 school year
The coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world, leaving the future of almost everything uncertain. School has now shifted to strictly online, and Broward County Public Schools has yet to release a plan for next school year. CCHS students and faculty are unsure of what their school year will look like next year, but they do have many predictions.
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I feel like the new norm will be masks for everyone, temperature checks [at] the front gate as we enter campus and a limited number of students gathered in any location. We may even have some students not attend school, but have the option of attending ‘online’ class. I believe that teachers will return to school, but also have the option of possibly working from home.
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I don’t think we will have smaller class sizes next year. In order for us to have smaller class sizes, we would need either more teachers or less students, but I don’t think this will occur. There might be the possibility of having to take some of our classes online. In an extreme scenario, we might even have [to] split the student body in half and have both halves attend school every other day. Until there is a vaccine for the virus, I don’t think school will look like the way it was. SAMANTHA SIGAL JUNIOR
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MATH TEACHER
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I think that classes next year will be online [and] in person. So, some students go in some days for lecture and [others] are assigned [other] days for a lecture. Then, [students] have to go and do homework separate, but not all students will be on campus at the same time. BRIAN BECKER
My thought is that schedules will need to be flexible to allow for social distancing. Perhaps the school board will look at what classes can be completed online and which need to be face-to-face, and allow students to only come to school for those classes. We all need to get back to where we were. I miss my students.
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MISOGI ABE
DEBORAH COVARD
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCTION INSTRUCTOR
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SOPHOMORE
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I think that we will have smaller class sizes and I feel like they will do something different with the lunches so there [aren’t] as many kids at once. I feel like the most effective way would be to go back to school next year, but still practice social distancing. ALLISON GROSS
Reporting by Arielle Kraus Photo by The Lariat Photography
FRESHMAN
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SAYING GOODB The Class of 2020’s thoughts on senior year being cut short
When it comes to the last year of high school, seniors are recognized through celebration. After three years of hard work, seniors are rewarded with events such as prom, Grad Bash and, of course, graduation. However, with the coronavirus spreading rapidly, schools across the globe have closed in hopes of preventing the virus from infecting others. CCHS seniors had various reactions and thoughts about being a senior during the time of the coronavirus outbreak.
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[Canceling events] makes me feel sad because I’ve been looking forward to senior year and events and it’s been significantly cut short by corona. I was looking forward to Grad Bash and prom the most, and the fact that both [got] canceled is very disheartening.
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I feel like my whole senior year is being canceled. I was super upset about everything. I play lacrosse and won’t even get to have my senior night. I’m most looking forward to prom and I know it might [not] come.
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BENJAMIN FARQUHAR
MARLEY PATTERSON
SENIOR
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I’m sad I can’t see my friends face-to-face for a couple of weeks due to the coronavirus since this is our last year all together before we all go off to college. The one event I’ve been looking forward to since elementary [school] was prom.
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PORIA HONG SENIOR
Photo by Sydney Katz
SENIOR
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I feel like a major experience was taken away. [Senior year] is supposed to be something everyone experiences, so for it to be missing is unfair. I was really looking forward to those last moments with my friends. Without those, it’s like there was never a goodbye.
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ROBERT HIDALGO
SENIOR
Reporting by Isabella Marcon
BYE TO CCHS
THE LEGACY OF PRINCIPAL WENDY DOLL After being the principal of CCHS for over twenty years, Principal Wendy Doll has announced her retirement. Doll has led CCHS with grace and has impacted the lives of many staff members and students during her time at CCHS. The goal of CCHS is to strive for a “tradition of excellence.” This phrase is often heard from Doll at assemblies, awards nights and other important events. It is something that Doll has emphasized and carried out while leading CCHS, and something that alumni will often remember for years to come. “I will be forever grateful for the leadership and the passion Ms. Doll demonstrated throughout my time at CCHS,” Class of 2019 alumnus David Lee said. “She clearly worked hard to carry on the ‘tradition of excellence’ that Cooper City High School is known for. She taught me the importance of ‘loving what you do’ and the value of hard work.” For a few individuals, Doll has served not only as their boss, but also as their high school principal. English teacher and CCHS alumna Hailee Yaeger had the privilege of being
both a student and a teacher educators during their time at CCHS. under Doll’s leadership. The school will be very different for “There’s a lot of history there. It’s weird both teachers and students without Doll. to think about “[Ms. Doll] “[MS. DOLL] CLEARLY WORKED hired me on the Cooper City High HARD TO CARRY ON THE without Ms. Doll,” spot. I’ll always Yaeger said. “She’s ‘TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE’ be grateful,” all I’ve ever known. science teacher THAT COOPER CITY HIGH It’s crazy to think Jason Scarlatelli SCHOOL IS KNOWN FOR. SHE said. “You can’t that I went from TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE deny she’s been student to teacher because she was OF ‘LOVING WHAT YOU DO’ dedicated to this my principal AND THE VALUE OF HARD school – she’s when I attended.” put in so many WORK.” D o l l hours because d e d i c a t e d involved -DAVID LEE she’s countless in everything. It CLASS OF 2019 ALUMNUS hours to was her tenure C C H S . that modernized On the weekends, she could the school. She oversaw all the often be found at school construction [of] the two new buildings working. She supported (3900 and 3400) and the cafeteria.” her students in their many As principal of CCHS, Wendy activities and often attended Doll has created a school community student events including like no other. She has ensured that band competitions, each CCHS student has a memorable, sports games, drama exciting and meaningful high school p r o d u c t i o n s , experience. She has collaborated dances and more. with her faculty to create a school “From my environment where students and staff experiences that feel welcome and safe. Doll has watched I did have with CCHS grow and changed it for the better. [Ms. Doll], she “[Ms. Doll has] definitely left a was friendly and legacy,” Yaeger said. “She is a true Cooper always supportive City Cowboy through and through.” of each club,” senior Hana Amireh said. For many teachers, BY THE LARIAT Doll has been the only EDITORIAL BOARD principal they have worked with at CCHS. Photo courtesy of The Round Up She was there to hire them and watch them grow as
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Where are they now?
UPDATES ON THE GRADUATING PAST FEATURE SUBJECTS ENRIQUE POVEDA ORIGINAL FEATURE BY ELENA VALDEZ
DYLAN ZACCA ORIGINAL FEATURE BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE Since being featured in the August 2018 print issue of The Lariat, Dylan Zacca has continued to excel in beach volleyball. He has continued playing for the U17 US national team and has big plans for the future. “The plans for volleyball are to pursue the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour,” Zacca said. “Hopefully I will get to represent the US on international tours.” Zacca early admitted his senior year and was accepted to many colleges. He eventually decided to attend the honors college at Florida International University (FIU). He is going to major in nursing and later go to graduate school for physical therapy.
BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE
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Since being featured in The Lariat online, senior Enrique Poveda has continued his pursuit in music composition by finishing his symphony, Symphony no. 4 in B flat major ‘Tempest,’ and is now beginning other composition projects. “I’m currently working on a demo synthesizer pop track with a producer,” Poveda said. “I can’t give away too much about it, but it’s going well.” Beginning this summer, Poveda plans to study music production at Broward College (BC) and has the post-secondary goal of making a hit song in the U.S. one day. The young composer certainly has big plans.
BY SASHEEN JOSEPH
NATHAN BERNER ORIGINAL FEATURE BY JULIA WENGIER Following his feature in the November 2017 print issue of The Lariat, senior Nathan Berner has continued to pursue his love for academics, venturing into new topics since his last feature. Beginning in the summer, Berner will be attending the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Florida. Although he’ll be moving on to brand new learning experiences in college, he remains appreciative of his time at CCHS among his teachers and peers. In fact, he predicts he’ll encounter some of his CCHS friends at UF as well. “I really appreciate and will miss all the teachers. I had some teachers for several years, which was really nice,” Berner said. “Of course, I will miss a lot of my friends but I’ll see a lot of them there [at UF].”
BY EMMA HUERTA
AMELIA WESLEY
GRANT GOLIN
ORIGINAL FEATURE BY ABBIE TUSCHMAN
ORIGINAL FEATURE BY ABBIE TUSCHMAN After being featured in the November 2018 print issue of The Lariat, senior Grant Golin has continued to closely work with U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Looking to get more insight into what it’s like to work in Congress, Golin has even started to intern for Wasserman Schultz. Golin plans to major in political science at Florida State University (FSU), where he aims to pursue his goals of working in Congress and, eventually, the White House. “My goals after high school are to help with campaigns on the local, state and federal levels,” Golin said. “Majoring in political science at FSU will provide me with great opportunities to get [more] engaged. After college, I still plan on running for political office and my ultimate goal is to become President.”
BY RYAN MERARD
REESE ABRAHAMOFF ORIGINAL FEATURE BY ANNABELLE ROSA Since his feature in the December 2017 print issue of The Lariat, senior Reese Abrahamoff has continued taking the world of theatre by storm. Abrahamoff will be attending the University of Central Florida (UCF) to study musical theatre, one of his passions. He is grateful for the people he has met and the lessons he has learned at CCHS, but is looking forward to chasing his dream and making it a reality. Since his previous feature, Abrahamoff has also had the honor of winning two Cappie awards in 2020, one with his troupe for marketing and publicity and another for lead actor in a musical. This was a proud moment for Abrahamoff and his peers in Troupe 0784 as this is the first CCHS Cappie win in four years. “Cooper City High School has never been known for our theatre program,” Abrahamoff said. “I’ve been working for four years to win a Cappie for our program, so being able to be a part of multiple awards this season had to be the highlight of my school year.”
BY ALEXANDRA SANSONE
Since she was last featured in The Lariat online, CCHS senior Amelia Wesley has not stopped on her journey for change. Joining the LGBTQ+ Club, founding the Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA) Club, fighting for the labor movement and being accepted into Smith College to study Anthropology– is there anything Wesley can’t do? Passionate for bettering her community and those around her, Wesley is not one to back down from a fight. She has the goal of working for labor unions across the country and plans to fight for democratic workplaces with fair wages and conditions for workers. “Recently, I’ve been super proud that I’ve been able to become involved in the labor movement since I want to go into labor organizing after I graduate college,” said Wesley. Driven by a fire inside her, Wesley’s name will remain. A force to be reckoned with, she will not rest until she’s turned the tides.
BY LILLIE BIEGNER
TOP 5 CLASSICS THAT NEED TO BE ON NETFLIX More than ever, boredom is hitting as the time spent in quarantine goes on. Netflix and other streaming services have been dropping new movies and television shows, but there are some classics that also need to be added and people are waiting to see.
1. “THE PARENT TRAP” (2000s) The movie to start off this list is “The Parent Trap,” which was made in 1998. The concept of the movie is great– twins separated because their parents separated. It has the typical twin switcheroo that everyone loves. Lindsay Lohan was the perfect actress to cast for this role. She was able to switch between two very different characters throughout the movie flawlessly. She was very energetic and cheery, bringing a fun mood to the movie. This movie was definitely ahead of the game with the other movies from its time. It’s the perfect family movie and deserves its place on Netflix.
2. “ANNIE”
The movie “Annie” is about an orphan who holds her head highly throughout all the hardships in her ‘hard-knock life.’ The 1982 remake of the Broadway musical and the 2014 movie are both fun, colorful and heartwarming, with lots of singing and dancing to enjoy. The remake accurately summed up all the important parts of the original. Both are wonderfully cast, with Aileen Quinn perfectly playing the lead role in the first movie and Jamie Foxx bringing the humor to the second movie. These movies are great family movies for all to watch.
3. “THE WIZARD OF OZ”
“The Wizard of Oz” is an absolute classic. A tornado rips through Kansas sending Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, to the magical land of Oz. They follow the famous Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. On the way, they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley) and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who are all in need of something from the wizard. This movie was made in 1939 and even 80 years after its release, fans are still remembering and loving it. The scenes are magical and beautiful, creating the perfect fantasy world for viewers to enjoy. The whole cast and everyone working on the set helped to make the movie believable; the sets, costumes, lights, music and choreography all pull the movie together.
4. “MRS. DOUBTFIRE”
This movie is a hidden gem. It’s well known amongst middle-aged people but is a movie the whole family can enjoy. It’s one of those movies that seem to get better over time. The story is about a divorced man who disguised himself as his ex-wife’s housekeeper in order to see his children. Actress Sally Field and the late Robin Williams brought this movie to life. It captures the struggles of going through a divorce with hilarious humor throughout the movie. All the feelings are guaranteed because the mix of comedy and drama is wonderfully portrayed by the cast.
5. “THE KARATE KID” (1984)
Around mid-October, Netflix released the 2010 Karate Kid movie starring Jaden Smith. What many don’t know is that this movie was a remake of the original movie, which was released in 1984. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moves to California with his mother Lucille (Randee Heller) but ends up becoming the target of a group of bullies who study karate. Daniel meets Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita), who is a repairman who happens to be a martial arts master. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing and prepares him to take on the bullies. This movie offers viewers a take on the story of overcoming hardships while displaying the magic of karate.
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All photos comply with fair use standards.
BY ALYSSA KHAN
THE END OF THE GAME AN OBITUARY FOR SPORTSWRITERS 1914 - 2020
Sportswriters, 106, passed away in April 2020 due to the coronavirus. Born in 1914, sportswriters gave their lives to provide fans with the best coverage possible. They had humble beginnings. Sports writing has been around for hundreds of years. Even Benjamin Franklin wrote about swimming before sportswriters were respected. It was not until 1914 that the job of a sports editor was considered an actual job. They started out by just having a small section in newspapers. Then, sports started to become more popular, especially team sports. Sports coverage began to grow and reach more people and they started using different platforms. Radio gave commentary while the games were happening and televisions allowed people to watch sports games without leaving the home. For many years, sportswriters have inspired and informed the public. They provided sports coverage, stats, opinions, predictions and more to the community. They were at their peak, reaching millions all over the world. They covered many sports at all different levels. They were popular, with publications and channels devoted to just sports.
That was until the coronavirus came. The major leagues canceled all the games, colleges canceled seasons and sportswriters could not even turn to cover high school sports. The other parts of newspapers were thriving with all the updates and the important information they were putting out. The sports sections had nothing. ESPN started showing Disney movies instead of broadcasting live sports. Those sports writers lost everything. The high school students who needed to write for a grade tried to hold on to whatever they had left. The NBA now shows old games from years ago. People try to write sports opinions but it is not the same. We lost the summer Olympics and there may be more loss coming. Not only did we lose the sports we like to watch but we are missing our favorite writers and broadcasters. Athletes are longing for their sports, while fans are experiencing grief and mourning the loss of sportswriters. The parks and bleachers are empty and so are the sports pages in the newspaper. After many years of work, sportswriters have reached the end of the game. They are expected to come back but their loss has had a significant impact.
BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE
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Johns Hopkins University ‘24