The Lariat, March 2017

IN THIS ISSUE:

DECA students bring home awards after state convention NEWS, P. 6

BIG LEAGUES

FASHIONISTAS

CCHS senior athletes sign to colleges across the U.S. SPORTS FEATURES, P. 19

Fashion two class puts on the annual fashion show.

ENTERTAINMENT, P. 20 The newspaper of Cooper City High School | Issue 4, March 2017

QUE VIVA SIEMPRE

el sueño americano

How the American dream became very real for these immigrant students

BY NUHA ISLAM Staff Writer

“It’s been quite an adventure, here in the land of diabetes,” senior Chad Shillito said. “I do miss my old home quite a bit.”

Shillito, who moved here from South Africa in 2014, is just one of the many CCHS students who weren’t born in America. For those who pack up their lives and move across the world, CCHS offers a fresh start.

These are the stories of America’s immigrants, tales that cannot be told by statistics or paperwork these are people, coming from all corners of the globe, offering themselves up to the American dream.

“I consider myself lucky, because I grew up speaking English as my primary language,”

Shillito said. “I never had to adjust much linguistically.”

Not everyone’s transition has been so smooth.

Hailing from Colombia in 2014, Eric Castiblanco’s first year in America was one of the toughest times in his life.

“The first half [of the year] was awful, I couldn’t say anything,” Castiblanco said.

“Trying to communicate was the strangest thing. I would hear people making noise, but I had no idea what it meant.”

For a while, a small office on the second floor of the English wing was his sanctuary when the seemingly endless gibberish of American words became overwhelming. The office turnedEnglish-L anguage-Learning

(ELL) center is the activity hub for all internationally-transferred students to CCHS. Throughout the day, a steady stream of students pass through to vent to one another, to laugh, to study and destress.

Valeria Reyes is one of those who frequent the four walls of the ELL office. She is currently a senior at CCHS at age 15, having skipped two grades.

A native of Puerto Rico, she was introduced to the English language alongside Spanish, adding ease to her transition.

Though she was already familiar with the language, Reyes still found herself overwhelmed by cultural differences.

Continued on page 4.

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Table of CONTENTS

NEWS 4 | Keepin’ it Quick news blurbs 5 | JCC bomb threats 5 | BCPS immigration reform 6 | DECA states 6 | Color Run and FSA camps OPINIONS 8 | Personalization blues 8 | The importance of fine arts 9 | BCPS sex ed policy needs fixing 9 | Read the newspaper 10 | Politics in the classroom DOUBLETRUCK 12 | The Fate of Education 13 | The Fate of Education FEATURES 14 | Pipe it Up: Logan Piper 15 | Pipe it Up: Logan Piper 16 | Hitting all the Right Notes 17 | Hitting all the Right Notes 18 | This is fake news 19 | Athletic signing day ENTERTAINMENT 20 | CCHS hosts annual fashion show 21 | Restaurant reviews SPORTS 22 | Lacrosse and water polo

Letter from the editors

Looking back on this year’s previous four issues, we’ve come to find that passion has pervaded the 2016-2017 school year. It is evident in the determined expressions of our athletes who push themselves and strive for excellence in the striking Florida sun. It lives in the events that come from the very hearts of the students, who champion kindness and giving as proudly as academics and drive. It shines through in the heartfelt revelations of our interviewees, who express their opinions with such emotion that it bleeds through the pages. The students of Cooper City High School, speaking their minds and sharing their hearts, reject indifference. We, as their voice, are fortunate to cover that.

Speaking of things that we are fortunate to have…

We’d like to first extend a 43 ton truck of thank you cards to our wonderful advisor, Ms. Callaway. She has been instrumental in restructuring the Lariat, and we could not ask for a better person to stand with us through late deadlines, late articles and lots of coffee.

She’s never once doubted our ability to build something great out of what we have, and for that we are thankful.

We’d also like to sincerely thank our principal, Ms. Doll. She has been a pleasure to

work with and we hope to make her proud with how far we’ve come.

Furthermore, we’d like to thank Mr. Grozan, journalist extraordinaire. He’s been able to help us figure out the logistics of running an ethical paper, and we are all the better for having him.

We’d also like to thank Ms. Patterson and Mrs. Jones, both of whom have been an integral part of this paper’s process.

We’d also like to thank our amazing staff, who have come through on tight deadlines and really built a community to take pride in.

And now, as our readers embark on our second-to-last paper of this school year, we’d like to thank all of you. Your faith, support and enthusiasm have come second to none in our resurgence as a paper.

Thanks for keeping up with the dream.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH: FEEDING CHILDREN EVERYWHERE

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Advisor Cailyn Callaway Editor-in-Chief Karina Blodnieks Managing Editors Kendyl Counts (Print) Kyle Nelson (Online) Editors Lindsey Hannah, Skyler Jones-Boxwell Darian Sablon, Noah Castagna, Mark Brent Photographers Ben Milgram, Saige Griffin Business Manager Taylor Goldman Staff Writers Cassidy Nowosad, Christina Fluegel, Daniel Rakower, Nuha Islam, Sabrine Brismeur, Savannah Keyser, Sophia Wengier, Tamarah Wallace, Zachary Perrotta Sports Writers Brandon Bermudez, Ethan Muncan, Hannah Eubanks, Olivia Lewis Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CCHS or SBBC. Contact us at lariateic@gmail.com and ccallaway@coopercityhigh.net

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4 | news

When the American dream became real, continued

“When I first moved, at times I didn’t know how to express myself,” Reyes said. “It’s such a cultural shock, moving here. The inclusive communities where everyone knows each other are replaced with small, tight cliques.”

There are others, like Siqi Lian, who love American culture.

“Culture is such a funny thing, you hear so much about it, but when you live it, it’s totally different,” Siqi Lian said. “The only thing I don’t like are the hairstyles here. Everything else is great.

American girls, they are so pretty.”

Lian is native to China, but he moved here so he could get a better education. An aspiring businessman, Lian makes an effort to keep up with latest fashion trends. Clad in joggers covered with printed sharks, a black leather Michael Kors bag and a trendy hat, Lian has bright hopes for the future.

“I know starting over is hard, especially from such a different language,” Lian said. “That’s my biggest challenge.

Once I get over that, I’m invincible.”

Reyes, Lian and Castiblanco have long since found their place here in Cooper City, having been here for over four years.

They are veterans, sharing the tales of their transition, and carrying their struggles like

battle scars. All attribute their success to the wonderful teachers who helped guide them through growing pains.

Ms. Angelica Perez heads up the ESOL program here at CCHS, with the help of Mrs. Yoselyn Pichardo. They are all too familiar with the problems their students face, as they are immigrants themselves.

“I moved here after I married my husband,” Pichardo said. “I didn’t know a word of English, not even how to say water.

It’s frustrating, especially when you have a teacher who speaks too fast.”

In between classes, teaching and day to day life, Pichardo immersed herself in American culture. Over the years, she learned the street language and her English improved. Pichardo has since mastered the language and become fluent, but as one language became stronger, the other became weaker.

“Often I feel like I’ve lost control of my Spanish,” Pichardo said. “I have a hard time communicating because I’m thinking, talking and interacting so much in English.”

However, Spanish will always be a part of her life, in the way a native language is. As time progresses, Pichardo knows that she will forget more, but she is optimistic about the possibilities English

KEEPIN’ IT QUICK

brings to people.

“The best way to learn is not to focus on the words you don’t know, but on the ones you do know,” Pichardo said.

“Anyone trying to learn should talk to people in the real world.”

This is a lesson well known to newcomer Jose Matute. Originally from Honduras, he left the country seven months ago to escape political corruption.

“I love my country, but I know it’s unsafe,” Matute said. “I’d love to go back, maybe visit for a weekend.”

Until then, Matute has been busy adjusting to life here in Cooper City. Like Reyes, he’s been learning about English since he was in first grade. However, there are some things a textbook can never teach. Conversation can only truly be mastered through real life experiences, which he never had a chance to build at his old school: a small, hut-like structure with ten classmates.

“When I saw how big the campus was, I was amazed,” Matute said. “I like Florida because it’s really multi-cultural.

You can find people from any part of the world speaking any type of language.”

For these reasons, today’s immigrants play an active role in politics, paying attention to rhetoric used. In many

cases, immigrants seem to take more stringent stances on politics than native citizens do.

“That’s the reason we came here: for a better life. People even from my country come and violate the rules,” Matute said. “That actually gets me kind of mad because everyone here thinks we are all the same, [but] we all work hard.”

The U.S. is a country built on immigrants. They help create the hodgepodge that is American culture.

Nearly everything we’ve come to love about it is borrowed, from the apples brought over from Europe needed for apple pie to the Fourth of July fireworks created by the Tang dynasty.

“We mostly come here to study and our plan is to go back,” Castiblanco said. “But at the end we just get used to it here and we don’t want to go back. Here you can have really great things, a luxury phone, a nice car.”

Indeed, the halls of CCHS are nestled nicely in the land of diabetes, but much like the country at large, the student population here seems to be increasingly diversified.

News snippets to keep up with the Coop.

Read full articles at thelariatonline.com

Spring Spirit Week brings the Cowboy Pride home

ABOVE: Kimberly Slinkosky asks Andrew Hausdorf to the Sadie’s dance.

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Slinkosky

From March 13 through 17, Cooper City High students dressed up for Spring Spirit Week to celebrate the school and build anticipation for the Sadie Hawkins Dance taking place the following Saturday. While past Homecoming Spirit Weeks have focused around one theme, the Spring Spirit Week hosted a different theme each day. On Monday, students dressed in sportswear to start the week. Next was the traditional Twin Tuesday, where students had the opportunity to match with their friends. This was followed by Wacky Wednesday, a day in which students got creative, wearing whatever they defined as

“wacky.” The next day, students dressed like they’re from the past or the future for Time Travel Thursday. Finally, students wore green on Friday to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

“I created Spring Spirit Week because it mimics the happiness and livelihood that takes place during Homecoming week,” Class of 2018 President Jessica Less said. “It encourages school spirit and gives the students something to look forward to in the second semester.”

Original article by Sophia Wengier

Sadie Hawkins dance comes to CCHS

Cowboy wrestling takes on states

After building up hype with its Spring Spirit Week, SGA is ready to hold CCHS’ very first Sadie Hawkins dance, where girls were encouraged to ask guys to attend the dance rather than the other way around. The dance, which will be Great Gatsby-themed, is open to all grades and will be held in the cafeteria on March 18 from 7-11 PM. Under the theme, the cafeteria will be decked out in black and gold and attendees should dress in cocktail attire. All proceeds will go to the Class of 2018, which will be used to fund major events (such as Senior Breakfast and Grad

On Saturday March 4, Connor and Liam Jones headed up to Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee to take on states.

In the first matches, Connor lost but came back quickly in his third match.

With hard drops and close pins, the match was sent into overtime. Connor finished 2-2 at one of the most competitive levels of high school wrestling there is, ending as one of the top eight.

“I didn’t believe in myself through the darkest of times but it’s good to know you have coaches there who will push you past every obstacle possible,” Connor Jones

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Bash) throughout the 2017-2018 school year. The dance brought out the creativity in the CCHS student body, as many worked to leave a lasting impression with a memorable proposal.

“I came out to my car and [my date] and a couple of girls were recording.

[The proposal] had a football theme and it said ‘You just scored a date to Sadies’,” junior Michael Diliello recalled. “She was holding a football and it said ‘will you tackle Sadies with me.’ ” Original article by Cassidy Nowosad

said.

Entering states with a 39-8 season record, senior Liam Jones also made huge strides at states. With a good finishing record, Liam was able to prove that he could compete well on any stage.

“Qualifying my second time put a good ending to the long journey,” Liam Jones said. “It was all made possible by my coaches and teammates.”

Original article by Ethan Muncan

news | 5

Cooper City’s Jewish Community Center evacuates after two consecutive bomb threats

BY SABRINE BRISMEUR Staff Writer

Students attending David Posnack’s Jewish Day School in Davie dealt with a lockdown and evacuation after an unsubstantiated bomb threat was called in on Monday, February 27, officials said.

Liam Cohen, a student at the JCC, was at school when the incident occurred.

“I wasn’t afraid because I understood that the person threatening us wanted to instill fear in the Jewish community, and I did not want to give them what they wanted,” he said.

Less than ten minutes away from Cooper City High School, the Davie Jewish Community Center (JCC), which also serves as a K-12 college prep school, remained on lockdown before evacuating students. Younger students went to the Walgreens across the street, while older students waited in the parking lot of the

nearby Cathedral of Pentecost. Parents were asked to pick up students as soon as possible.

“We were praying when the fire alarm went off,” Cohen said. “The school evacuated us into the parking lot before moving us to the [Pentecost] church down the street.”

Officials declared the bomb threat a hoax just before 12 and allowed remaining students and faculty to return to the school. No explosives were found at the school.

CCHS harbors a sizable Jewish population of students who were affected by the incident.

“I volunteer at the JCC during the summer and work with the little kids at the camp,” CCHS junior Danielle Siso said. “I’m Jewish, so when I heard I was really freaked out. I have a lot of friends who go there regularly and it’s nerve-

wracking.”

Across the country, JCCs across 11 states received the messages as well, leaving the threat count at 31 in a single day.

“It’s honestly maddening to hear that a place that you used to go to school in was targeted,” junior Stav Sharoni said.

“I grew up in that JCC. I attended prekindergarten through elementary school with the people who still go to school there. The fact that they were in danger breaks my heart.”

Since January, a series of bomb threats have occurred in waves across the United States and Canada, numbering to over 100 as of February 27. The callers — some distorted, some automated — left messages that indicated there was an explosive in the building. Officials say no bombs of any kind were found at any of the 22 other targeted JCCs.

On Friday, the FBI arrested a suspect by the name of Juan Thompson in St. Louis, Missouri. He was charged with cyberstalking and threatening the institutions. Thompson is expected to appear in court on Monday, but it is unknown if he was the culprit behind the calls at the Davie JCC.

“They were targeted all because of their beliefs and the holidays they celebrate, which scares me so much because those are my beliefs too,” Sharoni added.

The following Tuesday morning, March 6, the Davie JCC received another bogus bomb threat. The school was once again evacuated for two hours, but police gave the all-clear before noon. There have been no arrests following this second incident.

BCPS unveils new immigration policy, naming themselves a “safe place” for undocumented students

BY NOAH CASTAGNA Online Editor

The Broward County Public School Board unanimously passed a resolution protecting immigrant students and their families earlier this month. The policy will turn Broward County public schools into safe zones for children of undocumented immigrants, (making Broward County the first school district in Florida to officialize safe zone policies through a resolution) and comes about in the wake of deportation fears under the Trump administration.

Under the new law, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents must have a warrant to enter schools or the locations of school-related activities.

Information probes regarding students

by ICE will be redirected to the school district attorney’s office.

The measure was proposed and championed by School Board member and former school teacher Robin Bartleman, who has previously sponsored programs such as PROMISE, where she worked with local law enforcement agencies to “Prevent Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Interventions, Support and Education.” In an interview with the Miami Herald, Bartleman offered sympathy for families affected:

“[Immigrant families] wanted to know that we had their backs, and now with this resolution we have their backs,” she said. “We weren’t afraid to stand up and say we’re going to protect our children.”

Bartleman was reportedly inspired to action by a high school senior abandoned in the United States after his parents were deported, and alongside the new resolution, the Broward School Board approved another new initiative: the “Safe Place Plan,” which would allow schools to work with volunteers and community organizations to prepare a plan of action in the case a child’s parents were deported and which would supplement teachers supplies to support affected students.

In response to the legislation’s approval, ICE released the following statement, detailing its discretion in enforcement regarding school zones and activities and implying that the new resolution is in actuality redundant:

“The ICE and CBP sensitive locations policies, which remain in effect, provide that enforcement actions at sensitive locations should generally be avoided, and require either prior approval from an appropriate supervisory official or exigent circumstances necessitating immediate action. DHS is committed to ensuring that people seeking to participate in activities or utilize services provided at any sensitive location are free to do so without fear or hesitation.’’

But the policy reflects a greater trend of resistance towards the current administration at both a state and county level; back in February, Florida representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz condemned Miami-Dade county

for not pushing back against Trump’s stance on sanctuary cities. The same day Bartleman’s resolution passed, Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam proposed a “safe zone” of the city’s own for undocumented immigrants. And Trump’s aggressive moves on immigration have emboldened more than just politicians.

“As a Latino I find the whole take on removing immigrants offensive and un-American,” junior Nicholas Gallardo said. “All children should always have the foundation of feeling safe and protected by not only their parents but by police and all US government.”

Overall the law has seen mixed responses from the community, with some praising what they feel to be the bold compassion behind the legislation and others calling for the board to put taxpayer dollars to use in other areas, such as improvement of schools.

“Resisting federal authority, obstructing law enforcement, selective endorsement of law and lawfulness, and refusing to cooperate with federal officials are not lessons I want taught to my children, and I certainly do not want to pay any taxes for that kind of indoctrination of our youth,” an anonymous Cooper City resident wrote to WLRN Miami.

The law has also seen adversity from those in support of Trump who have soured under the resistance to Trump administration policies at multiple levels

of government.

“I find that local authorities have the right to protest towards altering laws in ways that are appropriate and help to find a happy medium,” junior Christopher Perry said. “However, when laws are outright challenged in this way it tends to lead to unhealthy and toxic relationships and instills the idea that laws are more of a set of guidelines. Laws exists for a reason, and they should be obeyed.”

Though the resolution has seen opposition, the Miami-Dade school board has reviewed similar legislation which would allow the superintendent to review immigration policies and assess what steps can be taken to protect undocumented students. The MiamiDade proposal comes in the wake of a county court decision by Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch which ruled that a law (passed after President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding “sanctuary cities”) allowing the detaining of immigrants for the federal government was unconstitutional.

“Coming from a family of immigrants, [the new law] makes me happy and proud to be a resident of Broward County,” junior Kitana Rojas said. “If a child came to America for a better opportunity, then they should have that opportunity to receive an education as well as other things that escaped them in their home country.”

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6 | news

CCHS DECA takes on states

BY TAMARAH WALLACE Staff Writer

Photos by Scott Kleiman

On March 2nd, Cooper City High School DECA members who had qualified for the Florida DECA Career Development Conference ventured up to Orlando for a weekend of contest and statewide cooperation.

“The Career Development Conference was a great experience because I was able to interact with new people from all over the state as well as solidify my college major in business,” DECA states qualifier Talia Slann said.

DECA is a worldwide business program that endeavors to immerse students in the corporate environment and allows them to compete in events that reflect the diverse aspects of the discipline.

Topics can range from hypothetically starting a business to understanding the ins and outs of different industries such as food service or merchandising. Members can either test and complete a role play, construct a manual and present, or test, write a manual and present. Presentations and role plays are scored based on how well the judges understand and how much they want to invest in the idea.

“I took marketing because I love the class and the valuable things I get from it. I learn a lot about the real world and the actual business world,” state qualifier and sixth place winner Lauren Bouskilla said.

“My time in DECA pushed me to become an entrepreneur. Now, at age 17, I’m a business owner, which is cool because how often can a high school student say they own a legally registered business with the IRS?”

CCHS hosting Saturday FSA enrichment camps for students

Registration for second annual Color Run is open now

TOP: Seniors Landon Counts and Hunter Harrington received first place at the CDC conference.

BOTTOM: Junior Matt Plonskier received first place at the CDC conference.

BY SABRINE BRISMEUR Staff Writer

From March 18 to May 6, underclassmen taking the Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) in April have the opportunity to review testing strategies and practice the exam curriculum at upcoming Saturday camps put together by CCHS teachers.

The FSA camps will provide students the chance to refresh their reading, math and biology skills in order to score higher on the benchmark assessment.

The camps will take place on the second floor of the 3900 building for the next five Saturdays. Students should enter the building through the covered walkway closest to the childcare building, and take the easternmost staircase.

From 9:00 to 11:30 in the morning, a handful of teachers will

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The conference was not only competitive but also boasted a chance to develop friendships with DECA members from other schools. Students took trips to Disney Springs, where they were able to experience a plethora of restaurants and attractions such as Planet Hollywood and an interactive prehistoric restaurant experience called “T-Rex.” In addition to that, they attended an opening ceremony celebration and a Cooper City High group dinner.

“It was really fun and I enjoyed meeting like-minded people from around the state who have worked just as hard as I did to be there,” sixth place winner Emma Sheridan said. “It was great because we weren’t competitive with each other after the events took place; everyone was just super nice and inviting.”

To end the trip on a positive note, the closing ceremony consisted of an abundance of awards and recognitions for the students of Cooper City High School.

This year, the CCHS DECA chapter was accepted into the 800 Club, meaning that the school has sent over 800 members to the International Career Development Conference.

For those who placed, the adventure isn’t over. All students who placed in the top five for manual and the top six for testing at the state level have been invited to attend the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California in April. There, they will compete with students from around the country as well as Canada.

BY LINDSEY HANNAH Print Editor review their respective topics with a small class of twenty or less.

The camps go over ELA/ Reading, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Biology, though some Saturdays are split between reading and math sessions, rotating between 45 minute sessions.

Interested students should completely fill out the “Academic Enrichment Camp” flier handed out to ninth, tenth and specified eleventh graders, and return them to their English or math teachers.

Members of the National English Honor Society will be in attendance on English days to assist campers with one-on-one practice and review. Those students involved in the Mu Alpha Theta will be present on math days to help as well.

The American Cancer Society is hosting its second annual Relay for Life Color Run at Cooper City High School on Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 am. Tickets cost $25 and all of the proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society by the Student Government Association’s Relay for Life team. Last year over 200 people participated and more than $4,000 was raised and contributed. Registration is open up to the date of the race. The run is five kilometers, which equals a little over three miles.

The Cooper City High School SGA will be volunteering their time and efforts to help the American Cancer Society run the event.

“It was an amazing experience,” SGA President Carolina Chiari said.

“Seeing our hard work turn into an amazing project was truly rewarding and I can’t wait to see the great turnout this year.”

TOP: The SGA flyer for the Color Run. Photos courtesy of SGA

8 | opinion

PERSONALIZATION BLUES

How personalization could be altered to minimize procrastination

BY TAMARAH WALLACE Staff Writer

ALL: Students from Mr. Scarlatelli’s seventh period personalization work on homework, text or nap.

Photos by Saige Griffin

Personalization is clearly a fan-favorite here at CCHS, and while the hourand-thirty-minute period affords students a welldeserved break from the trials and tribulations of school life and allows for more time to manage jam-packed schedules, some aspects haven’t delivered.

However, in evaluating distinct disadvantages that result from this newly-adopted system, we as students can ultimately improve its function.

“Some pros [of personalization] are that I can take a break and relax, but the cons are that I sometimes don’t do my homework and just nap instead,” sophomore Alina Pereyra said.

From talkative peers to unforeseen distractions, personalization is undoubtedly somewhat inefficient. And its most pressing issue, procrastination, is threatening to harm the integrity of the period.

“Sometimes it gets loud and I can’t really concentrate,” junior Abby Robles said. “When I don’t have any work, I’m just sitting there because the class period is so long.”

Teenagers are not usually known for their diligence and many lack the focus necessary for

reserved contemplation and completion of the schoolwork they need to finish within a specialized amount of time.

Without the time management skills necessary to utilize personalization effectively, it sometimes devolves into a social hour.

“Trying to study in personalization is like trying to read a book in the car during a road trip,” junior Challet Jeong said. “Initially, you start off with the mindset that ‘I’m going to be productive and finish this book while I’m in this car for the next 4 hours.’ And then you actually start reading the book and in comes the headaches and distractions. Next thing [you] know, you fall into the epitome of distractions: sleep. Just like that car ride, personalization is just as equally difficult to stay focused.”

While these alternative activities are technically allowed, they can sometimes distract others from studying - but this is a flaw that simply needs to be fixed.

“As I was handing out the Principal’s Honor Roll certificates in the personalization classes, I took an informal poll,” Principal Wendy Doll said. “The overwhelming response was yes - the benefits of a personalization period

outweigh the drawbacks. But it is still a work in progress as we continually strive for the best practice to benefit all students.”

One potential solution is providing students with the means to mitigate their procrastination. By informing them of proven ways to organize their newfound time, such as utilizing a planner, timing themselves or awarding their progress with small incentives, their productivity could be boosted substantially. However, this idea is not only for teachers to enforce but also for students to engage in. As stewards of their own success, students have the ability to experiment with different methods of time organization and figure out a procedure that works for them.

“For my personalization period, I want to have a list of reminders set to go off so when I walk in, I know exactly what I need to do,” junior Talia Slann said.

Personalization at Cooper City High School is often categorized as one of the best policies the School Board of Broward County has ever implemented. However, if students develop the skills necessary to exploit this asset, it will be even more conducive to success.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FINE ARTS CREDIT Examining the benefits of taking and sticking with a fine arts elective

BY KENDYL COUNTS Managing Editor, Print

After all these years, paint by numbers and plastic recorders might seem better for nostalgic reminiscence than actual use, but Kindergarten isn’t the only place where students should be encouraged to color outside of the lines. Though by high school most students can draw more than just stick figures with triangle dresses, performing and fine arts classes remain to be an imperative supplement to any educational career.

While simply listening to Mozart isn’t going to help students pass their tests, exposure to the arts nourishes cognitive development and promotes focus, participation, and higher scores among students. According to the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), “students consistently involved in orchestra or band during their middle and high school years performed better in math at grade 12 and were more than twice as likely to perform at the highest levels in math as their peers who were not involved in music.” This doesn’t necessarily

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mean that taking one year of guitar class as a senior will boost a student’s test scores, but students who are motivated to get the graduation requirement out of the way early on might end up enjoying their new hobby and continuing on with subsequent classes, improving their academic performance over time.

Performing and fine arts classes place students in environments that cultivate collaborative skills, empathy and cultural awareness. It’s significantly easier to make friends in classes that stimulate creativity and encourage cooperation; there’s a difference between running lines for the upcoming play and plotting lines on a sloppily-drawn graph. Whatever performing or fine arts class they decide to take, students become instantly surrounded by others who share their potential interests.

For many, creative classes are almost therapeutic - after all, a pottery class with friends after a long week is an instant mood booster. Performing and fine arts

classes can sometimes be thought of as oases of expression; painting or playing an instrument can be cathartic when nothing else has gone right that day. When academics get stressful, performing and fine arts classes are a great way to ease off the gas and enjoy life a bit more.

“Band has provided me with a group of friends that I can trust and go to for advice,” sophomore David Lee said. “It’s like having a family - they’re always going to have your back.”

Taking on a performing or fine arts class may seem intimidating to students who tend to be shy, but many CCHS students credit these courses for their development of a sense of self-confidence. Performing arts such as debate and theater endow students with invaluable public-speaking experience, and both performing and fine arts courses allow students to perform and create with a sense of pride.

“Debate has changed my life, let alone bolstered my confidence,” junior Bruce

Glasserman said. “It taught me to use a voice that I didn’t know I had in a time when I really needed to discover who I was.”

It may seem unfair to force students to take a performing or fine arts course with a graduation requirement when their natural talents or abilities may not align with that skill set. After all, not everybody can tell the difference between primary and secondary colors or a half note and a quarter note. Still, CCHS offers a slew of courses that qualify, so whether it’s photography or Introduction to Information Technology, there’s something for everybody.

High school is meant to be a period of growth and exploration, when students can uncover talents and passions before they are pursued and perfected in college, in careers, or as life-long hobbies. Performing and fine arts classes are meaningful facets of a well-rounded education, enabling students to try new things to find what suits them, even if they wouldn’t normally think to put it on their schedule.

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS:

Read the

NEWSPAPER The Lariat column aimed at proposing opinions so unpopular, it’s basically social suicide

BY DARIAN SABLON Online Editor

Nowadays, it seems like no one reads the newspaper. With world news just a click away thanks to the internet, smartphones and laptops, it seems in a way counterproductive to wait for the slower alternative.

Things often happen at a breakneck speed, so we need a medium that can keep up and the newspaper can be too slow for some. So why bother with newspapers at all?

Newspapers are not only the foundation of modern press, but they are still a viable source of information for millions of Americans. They are the one thing keeping us from the ‘get the headline now, facts later’ craze that has become a growing problem with the new digital age.

From the first newspaper printed in the United States during the late 1600s to the widely read papers of the late 1900s, they were the primary place people turned to for information about current events. They have been at the center of uncovering political corruption and public health issues, and they ensure that the public isn’t being deceived or slighted. The newspaper has and is a powerful force in making sure that the beliefs we hold dear, such as equal rights and true democracy, are upheld. They are the wall that prevents those in power from being abusive and out of control. Without the newspaper, who knows where we would be now? The platforms from which we get our news today would not have been possible if newspapers hadn’t set the groundwork for how journalists should be: intent on informing their readers of the world around them and ultimately, making the world a better place.

With such historical importance to the modern day, it’s no wonder that 51% of people who read the news, according to Nielsen Scarborough’s 2015 Newspaper Penetration Report, do it through print only. And although overall readership has begun to decline, a large portion of Americans still read the newspaper, with the majority of them being 50 years or older.

Reading the newspaper is a way to curve against the ‘story now, facts later’ trend that is overtaking the media thanks to the speed of the internet and other faster means.

In the race for relevance, news organizations must compete for viewership and the only way to do that is by getting the story out there, no matter what the truth may actually be.

This hostile environment has been created due to our need for things to happen quickly, but the newspapers are just trying to stay in business. Yet the print newspaper serves as a way to go against this new age of journalism, giving reporters slightly more time to get the facts straight. This isn’t to say that print isn’t completely free of getting things wrong. In fact, before the internet, newspapers would often also be victims of misinformation. However, there was still the chance to make sure things were right - there was breathing room. Now there isn’t.

This needs to change. We must realize the importance of the print newspaper to not only the integrity of journalism but also to secure our societal ideals. It is through this medium that we are able to uncover the truth about our world and try to make it a better place. So read the newspaper - it’s worth a shot.

opinion | 9

BIRDS, BEES & silence Why the BCPS sexual education policy still needs some tweaking

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS Editor-in-Chief

Pressured by public opinion and scientific data, the School Board of Broward County conducted a complete overhaul on their formerly outdated family life and human sexuality programs in May of 2014. While this resulted in a more comprehensive policy for the 20142015 school year, it is becoming increasingly obvious that these measures, while necessary, require more work on the county’s implementation before they can have their full desired effect. Cooper City High School, and perhaps even Broward County, needs to change the medium by which students learn about sexual health, switching from physical education to the latter segment of science classes in order to streamline the curriculum.

Prior to 2014, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) had an abstinence-only approach to sex education, largely due to the lack of state legislation regulating the curriculum. The new BCPS handbook reads that this comprehensive program “provides students with knowledge about abstinence, human development, contraception, STI and HIV/AIDS prevention, healthy relationships and responsible decision making.” This restructuring was made possible by a BCPS partnership with Planned Parenthood, who pushed the county in the direction of the National Sexuality Education Standards, a curriculum outline published by various national health organizations. The policy can be found on the BCPS website, policy number 5315.

Coach Jill Smitherman stated in an interview that BCPS has commissioned the Memorial Healthcare System to conduct a series of lectures with the students in Health Opportunities and Physical Education (HOPE). The curriculum aligns sufficiently with the BCPS guidelines, but there’s a major flaw in the plan.

Despite an up-to-date curriculum, the specific BCPS policy fails to outline the method by which schools are supposed to implement sex education. As a result, many schools are disseminating the information through the HOPE course. While this class is a graduation requirement for Broward County students, many opt out of taking the class in-person, instead pursuing the online route. The online version skims over the various sexual health topics, and because the curriculum is regulated by Florida Virtual School, it falls short of the exact BCPS sexual education guidelines.

The evidence on the side of comprehensive sex education is abundant. Planned Parenthood writes that “more than 100 studies have demonstrated that students who are equipped with medically accurate information are more likely to remain abstinent. They are also more likely

to use protection when they do become sexually active, helping to prevent teen pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.”

The BCPS policy itself states that its goal is to provide “all students from kindergarten through twelfth grade with comprehensive sexual health education,” but if not all students are learning the same curriculum, nor are they receiving the lectures every educational year, how are students supposed to reap these benefits?

Unfortunately, they’re probably not. Broward County remains a national leader in STI and AIDS infections, primarily in the younger populations.

Broward County has the second highest STI transmission rate in Florida, with roughly 6,000 transmissions a year.

-The New Times

There is a silver lining, however. If BCPS adds a clause in its policy to switch the medium of education from HOPE to science, they can hopefully see the benefits of a comprehensive sexual health education in coming years.

Most science courses have some sort of end-ofyear examination, leaving these classes with more flexible curriculum from May to June. This window would certainly be enough time to teach sex education. And because science classes are generally separated by grade, teachers can tailor their curriculum to be age appropriate, which the BCPS policy urges. It’s quite obvious that a freshman and a senior need different information on sexual health, and this is more possible through science classes than through HOPE. This would also allow for a more continuous curriculum, as all students are enrolled in a science course for at least three years, and most students are enrolled for four. This makes it a prime medium by which CCHS can teach its students about sexual health.

The need for sexual education is obvious, and BCPS caught on to the call two years ago. But even though the policy makes necessary reforms, it needs more specificity to ensure that all students are receiving appropriate sexual health education.

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10 | opinions

Changing the world, one classroom at a time

How a balanced, uncensored classroom discussion about politics can open the door to a better future

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS Editor-in-Chief

There is no question that the recent election cycle was tumultuous. In the wake of this nationwide divide, many teachers on campus took it upon themselves to educate their students on current events that related to their curricular subjects. However, with such sensitive topics as President Trump’s sexual assault accusations, many teachers are rightfully retracting from the discourse in the name of emotional safety.

But therein lies the issue: by placing fear of controversy above the pursuit of informed citizenship, the education system fails the very students it seeks to improve.

“I don’t feel like there’s enough talk about politics in the classroom,” senior Jeremy Brower said. “School should be a place to discuss current events, yet it doesn’t seem to occur.”

Indeed, there is a lively debate going on in the academic community about whether or not the classroom is the place for politicization, as can be found in the University of Chicago’s letter to incoming freshmen, which states that the University refuses to invoke a “fear of censorship.”

In a lot of high school classrooms, however, the discourse is lacking. While many social studies classes effectively synthesize curriculum and “real world,” there seems to be a lack of current events in everyday classroom discussion.

“In class during past elections, part of our conversations reflected current events,” freshman English teacher Melissa Cabrera said. “This time, there’s barely any talk. I think the silence comes from the fear of possibly and accidentally offending someone.”

But part of the job of engaging critically with the structures that surround society is breaking social taboos, because oftentimes, the things that are skirted around about are the very things that are most important.

“I think the classroom is a good place to have political discussion,” environmental science teacher Michael Mauntler said. “I think it helps people appreciate each other’s perspectives and hopefully creates a more open-minded society.”

One main question arises in the quest to educate students on hot-button issues: without having these debates in an educated, controlled environment, where are students supposed to get their information?

The American Trends panel reports that 61% of millennials get their news from Facebook or other social media outlets, a startling statistic in the age of fake news, which the Columbia Journalism Review found could be strongly tied to news

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ABOVE: Students from Mrs. Jones’ class listen to instructions before working.

Photos by Sabrine Brismeur

on Facebook. What is most concerning, though, is that the current classroom culture seems to do nothing about this.

While education is, ideally, in the pursuit of knowledge, many educators fail to deliver by leaving hard-hitting debate at the door.

“I believe that discussing politics in class helps keep the students informed about what is going on in their nation and around the world, letting them know of the different policies and rights they are entitled to,” freshman Carla Luna said. “It gives students a chance to view different perspectives on major topics like gun control, immigration, women’s health, and discrimination. I feel as if I’m not very informed about these topics.”

Democracy thrives on informed citizenship, but the fact of the matter is that many citizens are not going out of their way to become more informed. The American Press Institute found that less than half (45%) of millennials regularly followed five or more “hard” news topics. So when many news outlets fail to entice readers, many classrooms fail to fill the knowledge gaps.

While the Broward County School Board policy does prohibit teachers from presenting biased political information, it is allowed to discuss politics if the correct avenues are taken.

But the school board also states that “in order for teaching and learning to take place, a safe and secure school environment is essential,” meaning that these discussions must remain calm and nonthreatening.

“Emotional safety is paramount to education,” Debate Coach Wendy Schauben

said. “If a student doesn’t find a classroom a safe place to become an informed citizen then they will not endeavor to be one. I think the only time to have a real, informed conversation about politics is after the safe space has been established and students have had the time to do proper and unbiased research.”

Due to the fact that teachers are not allowed to present biased information, many teachers around CCHS are putting in the work to ensure the classroom environment remains educational, not polarized.

“I for one do not encourage a discussion of either the students’ nor my personal political beliefs,” World History teacher Peggy Wilfong said. “I am fine if they wish to discuss policy, laws, ideas, issues, etc., but I have found over time that one’s personal preferences should remain just that - personal.”

While much of the criticism is valid, the point still stands: classrooms can change the world.

One way to prevent malevolent cultural practices, as theorized in Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is by transforming education into a critical platform to address issues. When we use the classroom as a place to teach students that, while normative, things like racism are wrong, we begin to elicit the formation of young thinkers.

Part of the conversation has to happen in an accessible place, which for many students is the classroom. Many critics of this idea believe that imposing ethics on students in an educational setting

is akin to cultural brainwashing, but there are ways to avoid structures that don a bias.

And while the School Board of Broward County does prohibit teachers from sharing political views (both for their protection and for the inquisition of their students), by simply facilitating safe, healthy, and open discussion, many teachers can provide an environment that not only breeds free thinkers, but gives them a place to act as political theorists.

“The classroom is the place for political discourse because we as teachers need to model the right for everyone to have free speech,” English teacher Shannon Brandt-Asciolla said. “[But] at the end of this debate, the teacher should most definitely make sure that the students understand that with free speech comes consequences, so whatever they choose to voice should be taken with care.”

Discussion is imperative to an informed electorate and, more importantly, an informed populace. Many teachers are rightfully scared that their communities can grow hostile and toxic with the introduction of sensitive topics; however, by keeping to a critical yet conscious environment, students will be able to effectively formulate political, ethical and social norms that best fit their beliefs.

“Discussing politics in the classroom fosters an environment that breeds real world policy change,” junior Jared Ally said. “The solution to our political endeavors begins with a classroom discussion.”

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12 | doubletruck

THE FATE OF EDUCATION CCHS responds to the controversial confirmation of Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS Editor-in-Chief

Around twelve P.M. on Tuesday, February 7, the news broke that Betsy DeVos would serve as the next Secretary of Education.

Extending the admittedly controversial election, DeVos’ confirmation has been met with heavy pushback.

“I feel that [confirming] an individual with a closed mind in regards to education shows our regression and a lack of faith in our public school system,” senior Star Fassler said.

In a policy guide by the Public Broadcasting Service, journalist Joshua Barajas is quick to point to DeVos’ seeming lack of qualification for the job. Having never served in a public school, critics are fast to claim she’s only been hired due to her large campaign contributions to President Trump.

But the largest controversy has by far been her stance on charter schools, which many educators, parents and students fear will privatize the public education system. If federal funding goes to charter schools (which generally have lower accountability standards), many professionals feel it will divert funds from American public schools.

“I think she’s going to be very bad for our public schools,” senior Alec Shears said. “She supports for-profit private schools, so I don’t think she cares about students’ educations, just money. I think school and money should be separate.”

For educators, this fear is very real.

“The confirmation of DeVos solidifies the idea that presently in our country any government seat is available to the highest bidder regardless of the detriment it may cause to its citizens,” English teacher Natalie Flaten said.

The dissent was so strong, in fact, that DeVos has become the first cabinet nominee in American history to require a Vice Presidential tie-breaker. Settling at a 50-50 final count (with senators mostly voting along party lines), Pence made his first act as President of the Senate

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to confirm his nominee for Secretary of Education.

But one viable question comes to the forefront for many terrified teachers: how much power does the Secretary of Education hold over Cooper City’s public schools?

“Just the idea that not every student will have the opportunity - the same opportunity that I have to flourish at school - makes me very upset.”

Taylor Rutherford, 12

Many knowledgeable parties are pointing out that, while the Secretary of Education does have power in advising the President and pushing legislation, DeVos’ stance is largely decentralized. The administration hopes to give power back to the states, so there is potential that DeVos’ impact will be minimal.

“Each state’s Department of Education really affects funding for schools,” AP Government teacher Maria Rodriguez said. “So I think [the power] is more ideological.”

Despite the controversy, many people have rallied in favor of the new cabinet member. Supporters say her outsider position may have a greater impact on the education system.

“America is [behind] in reading and math,” junior Andreas Hinsche said.

“And we’ve had all these experienced people running education, so maybe they’re doing something wrong.”

Continued on next page...

doubletruck | 13

DEVOS BY THE NUMBERS

ACCORDING TO A @LARIATCCHS TWITTER POLL WITH 54 RESPONDANTS:

NO RESPONDANTS

SAID THEY

AGREED WITH THE POLICIES DEVOS HAS DISCUSSED SO FAR.

81% OF RESPONDANTS SAID THEY

DISAGREED WITH THE POLICIES DEVOS HAS DISCUSSED SO FAR.

19% OF RESPONDANTS

SAID THEY

WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

CCHS responds to the controversial confirmation of Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, continued

In many ways, this support echoes the “outsider” paradigm found so often in Trump’s campaign.

“The Trump administration is radically reforming America,” Hinsche said.

But amidst the support, there is no question that many students and teachers are concerned.

Senior Taylor Rutherford, who supported Trump during the election, says that his choice of DeVos was a mistake.

“I’m pretty unsure of her simply because she doesn’t support public schools,”

Rutherford said. “Instead of supporting public schools - which accommodate all students regardless of income, religion or disability - she supports creating for-profit charter schools.”

Rutherford went on to say that the potential for inequality upsets her.

“Just the idea that not every student will have the opportunity - the same opportunity that I have to flourish at school - makes me very upset,” she said.

Senior and Trump supporter Gaby Sanchez faces a similar dilemma, noting that many of Trump’s cabinet picks

failed to deliver.

“In light of DeVos’ recent confirmation, my disappointment has only deepened further,” Sanchez said. “Taking funding from the already underfunded public education system to benefit a small minority goes against, in my opinion, American values.”

Regardless of the demographic, students across the school seem to feel that the Senate made the wrong choice.

“As someone who has had no experience in the public education system, I think she will be disconnected with the

current state of education,” sophomore Isaac Chiu said.

Sophomore Aiden Adams agrees, citing DeVos’ privatization as the major cause of his concern.

“There is no doubt public schools have their issues, but eroding our public education system, the backbone of our nation’s future, is taking a big risk,” he said.

As for now, Cooper City High School remains suspended in a state of dismay.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FREE LUNCH

BY DARIAN SABLON Online Editor

It’s the same routine: waking up on a Monday morning, and like always, getting ready for school. Take a shower, get dressed, make sure you have your things, brush your teeth - except this time, there’s no breakfast on the table. No eggs, cereal or even some toast. The same thing happens at home. The hunger hits, just like it does everyday. Despite a hardworking family, it’s just not enough to make ends meet.

Another day goes by with inconsistent meals and wishing that things were different.

That’s the reality for about 13 million kids, as stated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who often times depend on free and reduced school lunches as their only meal of the day, since their families are too financially

strained to provide enough. Here in Broward County, about a surprising 61% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch in 2015. In certain schools, the percentages are much higher. These students are the people who need all the help they can get when talking about financial assistance. They can’t afford the luxuries that most people can, so free and reduced lunch really is something that they can depend on.

The topic of whether free and reduced lunch should stay or go has taken center stage after the nomination of new Secretary of Education Betsy Devos.

Criticized by both political parties for not having experience working in a public school system, she has received heavy backlash for her position on free and

reduced lunch. The situation was made worse when she made comments about free and reduced lunch that outraged many educators and welfare advocates.

Now, it is true that free and reduced lunch is a major program that requires a lot of funding - $11.6 billion in 2012 according to the USDA - that could go to other vital programs. Also, no policy is set in stone as of yet. However, the optimal time to voice our opinions is when it’s still in consideration. Free and reduced lunch is a system that gives free lunch to those who need it the most. It’s something too important to take away from our public education.

One of the biggest reformers of education during the nineteenth century, Horace Mann, once said that “education

then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the condition of men.” Modern public education is meant to embody that, to give everyone an equal opportunity to learn about a variety of topics. Yet, how can that be true if the source of food for many students is taken away?

Despite the fact that, as of now there have not been any major movements to affect free and reduced lunch, it needs to be considered what will happen if we do.

Should the U.S. public education to take such a blow? This requires taking a hard look at this, for the sake of students around the nation.

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14 | features

PIPE IT UP

Cowboy Football good luck charm? SGA Vice President?

Champion golfer? Senior Logan Piper does it all.

BY KENDYL COUNTS Managing Editor, Print

TOP/RIGHT: Piper wears his spirit gear in the courtyard.

Photos by Sabrine Brismeur NEXT PAGE LEFT: Piper and Heather Carpenter at the recent SGA leadership conference, where they won 3rd in school spirit.

Photo courtesy of SGA

Four years ago, Cooper City High School senior Logan Piper didn’t have much to fear. A thrill-seeker at heart with a remarkably open mind, he had conquered roller coasters and broken bones, algebra tests and the open sky. No challenge was unapproachable to Piper, yet despite his daring, there was one fear that he had yet to face: high school.

Piper saw high school as a venture into the unknown, and before stepping onto the CCHS campus for the first time as a student back in 2013, he did not know

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what to expect. Contrary to his initial reservations, high school quickly began to unfold favorably. Piper’s interest in science flourished in his ninth grade biology class, and though he was studying hard to achieve his exemplary grades, he still found time to play sports on the weekends. This idyllic situation transformed, however, when Piper damaged his knee one afternoon playing football with his cousins. Always rather injury prone, Piper’s five broken bone incidents had never stopped him before, but this case was unlike the others.

It required surgery, and there was no guarantee that his knee would ever be the same as it once was.

“I was afraid to do anything after because I had to have surgery, and after that I couldn’t really participate in things anymore,” Piper said. “I try to get my knee back to where it was, but it’s not the same.

I don’t trust it - I just don’t want to go through that again.”

Disrupting every facet of his life, the injury caused Piper to miss a lot of

school and give up playing soccer, one of his favorite hobbies. Realizing that there were certain things that he couldn’t do anymore, he found his friendships shifting.

To cope with the immense changes he was facing, Piper began to focus on golf, a more accommodating sport. During his time playing golf for CCHS, Piper’s exemplary leadership transformed the team, and the boys advanced to regionals each year.

Noticing that every other sport had a senior night, Piper took it upon himself to bring the tradition to his fellow golfers this past season.

“I played golf in middle school and I wasn’t the best, but it was fun,” Piper said. “I got a lot better when I hurt my knee and after that, I stuck with the team all four years.”

It comes as no surprise that Piper received the Kid of Character award for Cooperation in Elementary School. Describing himself as a “people person,” Piper is selflessly motivated by his passion for helping others. This principle

often serves as his inspiration for Student Government Association projects, which he, as vice president, organizes with the needs and interests of the student body at heart.

“This past year Heather Carpenter and I tried to start the homecoming game pre-party,” Piper said. “Everybody wanted to do something before the football game and I felt like it was necessary. It was a big struggle because it was new and nobody really knew what it was.”

Though the project’s initiation was not exactly effortless, attendees to the homecoming pre-party enjoyed visiting the vendor and game booths and getting their faces painted in CCHS colors. Satisfied with the ultimate product of his hard work, Piper is proud to leave behind a new tradition for future cowboys to maintain.

“I like to see kids appreciating their time here and not worrying about things too much,” Piper said. “That’s all kids do here - worry about things that I don’t really think matter that much. I’m one for

enjoying life how it is.”

True to this belief, Piper feels at home in the student section of the bleachers, decked out in Cooper City colors and laughing with friends over the deafening shouts of the crowd.

“Everyone sees [Piper] as a happy and exciting person to be around,” CCHS Senior Heather Carpenter said. “He’s all about getting the crowd hyped.”

His catchphrase, “pipe it up,” demonstrates his love of creating buzz for events, something that he has accomplished with his taste in accessories.

After three years of tying a bandana around his forehead for every game, his habit has become something of a trademark, and eventually, a lucky charm.

“I’m kind of like the school spirit guy,” Piper said. “I started wearing a bandana to every game in ninth grade, and then everybody said that if I didn’t wear it we were going to lose.”

His enthusiasm for school spirit, however, persists long after the Friday night lights blink out. Constantly attending conferences and conventions for SGA, Piper is well aware of the value that participating in school functions holds. Citing a fact that he learned at a recent conference, Piper attributes his inclusive attitude to the fact that students are less likely to drop out of high school when they are involved in one or more school activities.

“Being vice president of SGA, I try to encourage kids to get involved,” Piper said. “I know that involvement in high

school activities is important for your life and your mental well-being.”

In addition to his student government responsibilities, Piper is an active member of National Honor Society.

The benevolence of the organization caught his attention as a sophomore, and he joined as a junior with an excitement to participate in its many community service and outreach projects. After the Cooper City High School chapter became president of the Broward County Honor Society last year, Piper and his friend Chad Shillito volunteered to be representatives, obligating them to facilitate projects and run county-wide meetings.

Despite his slew of extracurricular commitments, Piper carefully carves out a decent portion of his schedule to focus on academics. Blaming his lack of a defined

career path on his perpetual indecisiveness, Piper is caught between his love of science and his deep-rooted fascination with engineering. His childhood affinities evolved from roller coasters and legos to building and design, and after serving a summer internship at Bergeron Construction Company, he has begun to genuinely consider engineering as a career possibility.

“Engineering just means solving a problem somewhere,” Piper said. “I solve problems anyways, by helping people. If I can combine those things into one job, that would be amazing.”

As much as Piper enjoys befriending and assisting everyone he meets, he isn’t necessarily as social as many perceive him to be. Constantly smiling and bantering with classmates, he’s the last

“That’s why I do it.

It’s all about helping people - that’s my favorite thing.”

Logan Piper, 12

features | 15

person that anybody would expect to be lacking a best friend.

“I’m friends with so many people that I don’t have too many close friends,” Piper said. “I don’t do a lot of things with one person. Some people can’t really deal with that, but for me - I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want to be friends with everybody.”

Piper has found that his family more than compensates for this lack of close companionship. Proving that his love of adventure must be genetic, it was Piper’s uncle who began teaching him how to fly a plane when he was only ten years old. In fact, the Pipers do everything from traveling to Alaska to going water skiing together, creating a bond that he believes more people should strive for.

“I love conversing with my brother at school because he always stays positive and sees the bright side of things,” sister Maddie Piper said. “My brother brings out the best in me and I’m going to miss him when he leaves for college.”

As for which college he’ll be attending, Piper is still unsure. Admittedly an extremely indecisive person, Piper finds it difficult enough to choose between big and small, let alone between two equally worthy colleges. Regardless of where he ends up, however, it’s certain that he’ll make plenty of friends and people to help when he gets there.

“That’s why I do it,” Piper said. “It’s all about helping people - that’s my favorite thing.”

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16 | features

JULIANNE LEE: HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES A current flutist and aspiring pediatrician, Sound of Pride Drum Major Julianne Lee conducts herself with poise and passion

BY LINDSEY HANNAH Print Editor

Standing atop a platform nearly 15 feet tall, senior Julianne Lee is on top of the world. A hush falls over the stands as she raises her arms, signaling the army of musicians before her to begin to play in perfect harmony, like hundreds of artists sharing one canvas to produce a single masterpiece. She is the head drum major of the Sound of Pride, an achievement which stands as the culmination of over a decade of dedication to her music.

Lee didn’t enter the world of music when she entered high school; she has had an instrument at her fingertips since she was five years old. However, it didn’t start off naturally. As a highly athletic girl, Lee preferred basketball, golf, dance, tennis and swim team over her piano lessons.

“I didn’t really like [music] that much, but my mom told me to continue to do it,” Lee said. “Eventually I added [the] flute and other instruments and I ended up loving it, and now it’s become such a big part of my everyday life. I really do thank my parents for pushing me.”

Over the years, Lee has tried her hand at the cello, violin and guitar, but none have stuck with her like the flute.

One of the reasons Lee describes it as her favorite is that it enables her to express herself.

Lee joined her middle school’s band in sixth grade. As she became more immersed in music, Lee began to drop

her other activities to make more time to practice her instruments.

“I just started leaving each sport one by one until it ended up just being dance and music,” Lee said. “When I joined marching band I had to commit so much that I didn’t even have time to go to dance lessons anymore, so I just jumped into band and here I am today with music.”

Lee partakes in an array of musical extracurriculars, including the Florida Youth Orchestra, the Sound of Pride, Florida All-County Band and Orchestra and multiple ensembles. Out of all of these, however, marching band is by far the most prominent activity in her life. Between practice, football games, competitions, parades and not to mention school work and other extracurricular activities, time management is one of the most critical skills Lee possesses. In fact, Lee counts it as one of many valuable lessons she has learned from playing music, alongside patience, discipline and mastering her anxiety.

“I would definitely say performing in front of large audiences is the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome,” Lee said.

“I was definitely not a natural at that. I would beg my teacher to stop putting me in performances because I was so nervous and scared that I would mess up. But in the end you learn that it’s ok to make a mistake on a stage, you just keep going and you perform.”

LEFT: Lee conducting at a fall football game in full uniform.

Photo courtesy of Julianne Lee

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features | 17

TOP: A portrait of Lee playing her flute by the band room.

Photo by Karina Blodnieks BOTTOM: Lee conducting at a fall football game.

Photo courtesy of Julianne Lee

As she continued down a musical path, Lee saw herself shedding her fears of performing. But it was her desire to become drum major that was the key motivator for Lee to come of out her shell.

“She never really got out and talked to people a lot, but she really wanted the drum major position so she was sort of forced to talk to people and become friends with everybody,” CoFlute Captain Zoe Alfonso said. “She’s always been very friendly, she was just kind of reserved. Now she’s very out there, somebody that everyone looks up to and wants to talk to and be around.”

She has been a drum major for two years, and this year she was promoted to head drum major. The prestigious position, however, is far from ceremonial; it comes with a long list of critical responsibilities. “ I feel like it’s my duty to [...] conduct, that’s probably the most basic thing,” Lee said. “The most important thing is to be an example, somebody you wanted when you went through the entire process. I feel that my role is to control the attitude of rehearsal, the pace of it, and of course be a representative of the Sound of Pride, which I’m humbled and honored to be.”

Lee’s successful management of the role has earned her the respect of her fellow band members as well as the commendation of the Sound of Pride’s director, John Wilkerson.

“What the drum majors were given this year to conduct was remarkable,” Mr. Wilkerson said. “For them to pull that off, and for her to lead the drum majors in rehearsals and get them to understand the conducting, is a feat in itself that most drum majors couldn’t achieve.”

Though her childhood sports may have lost their appeal in middle

school, band is still far from Lee’s only extracurricular activity. Throughout her high school career, Lee has done everything from Spanish club and NHS to lacrosse and volunteering at her church.

While Lee’s dedication to her extracurriculars is enough on its own to give her a stellar resume, she puts just as much effort into the other major aspect of her life: school. Lee’s classes are rigorous, consisting almost entirely of AP and honors level courses. She has even had a taste of college by dual enrolling for a semester. Regardless of her after-school activities, academics have always come first.

As a senior, Lee is looking

“The most important thing is to be an example, somebody you wanted when you went through the entire process.”

Julianne Lee, 12 forward to starting college next year.

She’s applied to a number of universities, including New York University, Emory, Rutgers and a few Florida schools, and has already been accepted to many of them.

Regardless of where she ends up, however, Lee hopes that music will still be in her

life, possibly playing in her university’s own marching band. Despite her love of it, however, Lee does not intend to study for a career in music. Rather, she aspires to become a pediatrician.

“I’ve had relatives that were really close and young when they passed

away,” Lee said. “I feel like when someone dies earlier than they’re supposed to, when they haven’t had the chance to fully experience life, I think that hurt me the most. I would be grateful to take any part in saving a life that could develop into something so much greater once they’ve had a chance to live.”

Though her life is likely to take a path that diverges from music, Lee hopes that one day she might share her love of music with her own children.

“I think it’s a good path to take,” Lee said. “Of course if they don’t want to pursue it in the future that’s fine, it’s their choice. I would definitely want them to have the disciplining experience that I had with music.”

Though her view while conducting may seem like the top of the world, the sky’s the limit for what Lee can achieve. No matter where life takes her or what challenges are set before her, Lee knows that music has been, and will continue to be, instrumental to her success.

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18 | features

THIS IS FAKE NEWS President Trump’s relationship with the media, gone sour.

BY SABRINE BRISMEUR Staff Writer

Chewing gum furiously and launching conference podiums at reporters, Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of press secretary Sean Spicer parodied the relationship between the new administration and the press. Yet despite the laughter of Saturday Night Live’s audience, the real-life toxicity holds immense repercussions for the American public.

“Even with the current backand-forth conflict with the current administration, the media represents the check which is so central to the ideals of America,” senior Jesse Klauber said. “The media still serves the purpose upon which it was founded, and it is undoubtedly a viable and central part of our nation and society.”

President Trump’s relationship with American media has been tense at best since he began campaigning, and his distaste for journalists exploded during the first week of his presidency in the wake of several controversial Executive Orders, press releases, and comments. His platform has been accused of providing often disproven falsehoods -- ones that the media is quick to point out, criticize, and occasionally harp on.

Two of Cooper City High School’s journalism organizations, the Lariat and Cowboy Television Broadcast (CTV), cover events in politics regularly, and many student journalists have been shocked by the aggressive clash between the two.

“At this point, it’s a while past the election, but the media is talking about Trump almost constantly,” broadcast journalist Lexi Delgado said. “But it makes sense. People are fighting back [against controversial White House actions] and the press is covering that.”

The Trump administration’s dislike of the press is obvious, from considering moving journalists from a White House press room to rejecting requests to have a press pool follow him around the White House as President-Elect.

At his first CIA meeting, Trump said that he was in a “running war with the media,” and that journalists were “among the most dishonest human beings on earth” after a clash concerning inauguration crowd size.

At a rally last year, Trump said he would like to “open up” libel laws in order to make it easier to sue publications which wrote “purposely negative and horrible and false articles.”

English teacher Fallan Patterson, a former writer for the South Florida newspaper the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald, expressed reservations concerning any silencing of the press coming from any

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party.

“The media is the watchdog of the government and as such, have a difficult and thankless job,” she said. “If politicians are happy with the media’s job, then reporters aren’t doing their job correctly.”

The shots at news organizations from Trump’s administration, however, grew increasingly worrying and less amusing (“Well, I say the US offered us an alternative election!”) as the first week of Trump’s presidency went by, with Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, sending a subtle threat to the media during an interview with the New York Times.

“The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while,” he said, adding, “The media here is the opposition party.”

writing the information establish their own beliefs as factual.”

The manner in which the administration has treated mainstream media, though popular with the right, has created a distrust of reputable news sources.

Truthfully, no publication is without bias, even if they just publish hard news.

High school papers are often one of the few exceptions. Though their publications don’t generally expect any lawsuits from the President of the United States, articles in many schools go through intensive prior review in order to reduce bias as much as possible. In a school of several hundred kids or more, maintaining a balance of opinion is essential. Whether the reason is to avoid upsetting students or angering parents, prior review seems to

“If politicians are happy with the media [...], then reporters aren’t doing their job correctly.”

Fallan Patterson, teacher

Suddenly, alternative facts weren’t so funny.

Coming from a top advisor to Trump, such an attack on the media is dangerous - especially considering that the current administration denounces reports that portray Trump in a negative light, regardless of whether they are true or not (Trump recently tweeted that any “negative” polls about him were “fake news,” suggesting that any opposition to him must be false).

Trump’s war on American mainstream media has contributed to a paradigm shift within his right-wing supporters, who are not represented in mainstream media as much as their liberal counterparts. It makes sense that Republicans are frustrated with the inordinate amount of liberal bias in the media and want to see “straight news stories” with no author opinion included.

“Just like Republicans have a large economic presence, Democrats tend to have a large media presence,” Klauber said.

“It used to be that being objective was an expected, major part of journalism. But in the last few decades, people who are

work.

Broadcast student journalist Jacob Wolk, who is particularly active in the political sphere of CTV, commented that despite student journalists not being the target of the administration, it remains concerning.

“The actions of the current administration are very alarming to all types of journalists,” Wolk said. “It’s one thing to engage in open and respectful debate about policy, but the way Trump [and the administration] has handled this has crossed the line. To attack specific journalists and news organizations creates a scary scenario for us.”

On both sides, the administration’s ongoing war with the media encourages citizens to block out any valuable information coming from reputable yet biased news sources and look to publications that only publish what they want to see, leading to an increase in the consumption of “fake news.” As a result, a culture of ignorance is bred. Trump’s encouragement to reject the media is therefore uniquely dangerous.

“As journalists, it is our job to

report the facts, no matter the implications,” added Wolk. “It’s our duty to allow the public to be informed.”

Before anything else, the media’s job has always been present to fact check and gather various perspectives. Journalists are the watchdogs for the people, investigating scandals and questioning any controversial actions from the government.

The media should never “keep its mouth shut” because it is a vital public service that has the ability to keep politicians and others in check - regardless of their party affiliation.

Regaining public trust is a near impossible task, considering that household name, reputable conservative publications are few and far between.

Rightly so, the right is sick and tired of mainstream journalists allowing their own values to seep into news stories, without conceding their own beliefs and giving the straight facts. Mistakes from mainstream news sources - such as CNN’s coverage of unverified documents and Time’s mistaken reporting about a removed bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. - have only aided in pitting the administration and the press against each other.

Silencing, intimidating and threatening the media is unacceptable, and journalistic integrity should not stand for it. It only encourages divisions between the American public, and results in increasing demand for fake news. The media’s job is to report facts, expose falsehoods and question controversy -- when they cannot do their job, it is a disservice to the public.

American press, however, must work to earn public trust again, even if it will never be regained completely. Publications will always be biased in some manner, but the way news is structured can help remediate that. Perhaps mainstream media needs to take a page out of the handbooks and policies of American high schools, and actively clean and cut their work to ensure their news section is as balanced as possible.

As for professional journalists, they should hold the government accountable without an angle, ensure accuracy in news, invite an equal division of party speakers on broadcast programs, and above all else, not give the administration a reason to attack.

The American press should never be the “opposition party” - journalism exists to expose the truth for the benefit of the American people. Regardless, the press should be prepared for the president’s response, but in the same breath, Trump should expect controversy from the press when he makes controversial decisions. In the end, the press is for the people -- not the president.

sports features | 19

SEALING THE DEAL Four CCHS seniors sign to Florida colleges on National Signing Day

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS Editor-in-Chief

With a pen in hand and smiles on their faces, four CCHS seniors actualized their dreams and made it big on Wednesday, February 1.

Following suit on CCHS tradition, the sports signing ceremony honored the four seniors who have been recruited to play their respective sports at the collegiate level. Softball players Kara Lokeinsky, Dana DeFalco, and Kaitlyn Thompson and golfer Jedidiah Jhu all committed to Florida schools.

“Initially, I was very surprised [when I found out I had an offer],” Jhu said. “But I was thankful because of the opportunity they were willing to give me.”

Jhu will be playing golf for the Saint Thomas Bobcats come September. Coming out of his final high school golf season, Jhu has championed one local tournament and been the runner-up in three more, and his aspirations remain high.

“My aspirations for when I’m at Saint Thomas is to be the captain of the golf team for four years and to be an allAmerican in academics and athletics,” Jhu said.

Kaitlyn Thompson is signing to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach for softball, and she, too, has a goal of reaching all-American prestige.

“I want to do well academically at the school, and for softball I’d really love to be an all-American,” Thompson said.

Also celebrating in the limelight, senior Dana DeFalco signed to Broward College for softball. A long-time softball player, DeFalco has honed her skill to the college-level.

In fact, Broward College Softball Coach Jeff Roberts can recall the exact moment he decided to offer DeFalco a spot on their team.

“I went to a tournament to watch her play, and she didn’t know I was there,” Roberts said. “I was standing over by the fence and there was a ball that came that

Runningback Tyler Brown signs to St. Ambrose University

BY OLIVIA LEWIS Sports Writer

way. She almost ran through the fence to get to the ball.”

Aside from her excellent athleticism, DeFalco is also being recognized for her sportsmanship.

“She’s a great young lady, which is what we’re trying to bring into Broward,” Roberts said. “We want to change the philosophy at Broward and sign good people. She fits right into the mold that we want.”

Capping off a successful year for the CCHS softball team, senior Kara Lokeinsky signed to Florida Atlantic University.

“I’ve met all the girls and I’m close with the coaches, so it’s really exciting that I’ll be there,” Lokeinsky said.

Lokeinsky hopes to one day join the U.S.A. Team for softball, an honor not bequeathed onto many hopeful professional players.

This journey to high aspirations hasn’t been easy, however. Lokeinsky was injured her junior year, forcing her to take time off the team and regroup. Despite the delay, she says she has learned to expect anything that may be coming for her. Since then, she has only gotten better.

“We’re very proud of our daughter,” father Brian Lokeinsky said. “She has always done very well in school and she’s an awesome pitcher. She’s done nothing but give us things to be proud of.”

For all of the CCHS athletes that signed, one common thread was clear: Cooper City sports have made an impact on their development as athletes.

“Cooper City softball has shaped my softball career because of the way we’ve melded together as a team,” Thompson said.

“It’s cool how being in that environment helps you be successful in the sport.”

Even outside of softball, CCHS athletics is making a difference.

“This has definitely made me better, made me train harder and work smarter,” Jhu said.

At 2:00 on Friday, February 10, a Cooper City High School senior signed to his future college. A four year player on the CCHS football team, Tyler Brown, signed to become a collegiate athlete at St Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Family and friends swarmed the college and career readiness room, waiting for Brown to make it official. As Brown signed the paper, his teammates began to cheer and his family was overjoyed.

“It is an amazing experience, he has worked very hard for this,” Melissa Brown said. “This is the icing on the cake, and it is very exciting.”

Brown started his high school career on the junior varsity team and made his way up to the varsity team. Brown has always strived to be the best he could be, despite all the obstacles thrown in his way. During his junior year, Brown tore his labrum, but

continued to play for not only himself, but for the team.

“I think Tyler Brown is one of the best football players I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach in my fifteen plus [years of coaching],” Head Coach Brandon Walker said. “He is very dedicated to the game and he is a very tough kid. Tyler is definitely one of the best kids that I have coached and I’m excited for his future.”

Brown received the Offensive MVP award his junior and senior years in high school, and hopes to continue having those achievements in college.

“I hope to start as a freshman and be an All-American,” Brown said.

He will continue his football career as a prospected running back at St. Ambrose University. Brown’s dream is finally becoming a reality, and he has nothing but big things ahead of him.

Justin Croye signs to Lake Forest College

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS Editor-in-Chief

Cowboy wide receiver Justin Croye signed to Lake Forest College in February, becoming the second Cowboy football player to sign so far this year.

Lake Forest College, a Division Three school in Illinois, is giving Croye the opportunity to continue his four years on Cowboy football in the big leagues. As he reflects upon his time at CCHS, he has Cooper City to thank.

“I couldn’t have done it without the help of family, friends and staff members,” Croye said.

As far as his future is concerned, Croye is just excited to have the chance to

make it big.

“I hope to make the most of this special opportunity and succeed at the next level,” Croye said.

Having been a varsity player in both lacrosse and football, Croye has certainly made an impact on Cowboy sports. As his time at CCHS comes to a close, another chapter begins all the way across the country.

“Signing to play football at Lake Forest College has been the biggest and greatest decision of my life,” Croye said.

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20 | entertainment LEFT: Seniors Grehan Edmunds and Lucas Cusnir model for the prom section of the fashion show.

BOTTOM: Sophomore Cayla Sullivan models a dress made by the Fashion Academy students.

Photos by Sabrine Brismeur

CCHS hosts annual

FASHION SHOW

BY NUHA ISLAM Staff Writer

On February 23, Cooper City High School’s Level Two Fashion Marketing class was finally able to unveil months of hard work in the form of the annual fashion show. Culminating in a stunning display, along with a festive pre-party, the hard work CCHS Fashion Academy Students put into the event was clear.

“Fashion Two’s biggest task is always the show, it’s a big reason why people join our class in the first place,” advisor Linda Snider said. “Everyone loves to play a part in the creative process.”

This year’s theme was Fashion Has a Voice. Each of the categories of clothes corresponded with a different genre of music; pop was preppy, rock represented grunge/streetwear, indie/boho was swimwear and disco was prom wear.

The coordinator of this massive project was sophomore Gabriella Horenstein.

She oversaw all the practices, fittings, and financial negotiations since the start of the school year, often staying at the school until 6 P.M.

“I know I speak on behalf of everyone on the team when I say it was a challenge learning how to balance the fashion show

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and the rest of my life,” Horenstein said. “We had to learn to balance out our priorities.”

Fashion is a branch of CCHS DECA, a program that helps students explore career options. The other branches of DECA, Finance and Marketing, helped their sister subdivision by doing things like creating flyers and the display in front of the Fashion classroom.

Quickly, the impending success of the show was clear; in A lunch alone, 300 pre-tickets were sold.

On the day of, the auditorium was abuzz with Fashion Academy students preparing for the show. Set designers constructed the stage and the tech team checked sound.

As day turned to night, the building slowly filled up – first backstage, then up front. Behind the scenes, hairdressers and makeup artists shared the small space with models, the hosts and academy students.

The first audience members started trickling in around 6:30 P.M. To tide over antsy guests, Academy students offered homemade cookies and lemonade outside.

Lilia Flores, along with 11 family members, came to see her daughter Ashley Flores on stage. They brought balloons, flowers,and sign boards.

“We are [very] much excited to see her on stage,” Flores said. “I’m so proud of all of the work she’s put in.”

“A big part of the artistic process for me was getting inspired.”

Maurín Santos, 12

Up front in the VIP section, the family of Lior White waited eagerly for his collection.

“Who knows, one day we might doing this in New York,” brother Oren Ayalon said. “He put a lot of work into making his vision a reality, to see it on stage is just remarkable.”

The hosts Roy Hen, Taylor Goldman and Jordan

Lairson were introduced as Adam Levine, Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys, all hosts of The Voice at some point during the show.

After a short number from Kate Gualillo singing the rock anthem “Bad Reputation,” the grunge lineup started. Ryan Caldwell came out to sing “Count on Me,” introducing the business lineup.

Then, they returned back on stage before the pop collection to sing a duet.

During pop, the Littlest Cowboys came to make a surprise appearance. They modeled the clothing and a special, handmade design by Saeryn Jones made its debut. It wasn’t just daycare students who showed off their creations, however. The design team’s dresses got a special segment of their own, with each handmade garment taking its turn in the spotlight.

Next came the collections from CCHS students.

Maurín Santos’, titled Saints, was an artistically curated collection of jackets and bottoms, each with hand-drawn designs.

“I thrifted or borrowed most of the pieces from my friends,” Santos said. “A big part of the artistic process for me was

getting inspired.”

Lior White closed the show with the line Equipt Color/ Eye Play. Reminiscent of Yeezy Season, his line featured static models wearing solid colors, with simple designs. A giant projector screen was used to animate the custom designs, rolling grainy clips of models posing with poker faces.

“It was very fresh and unique, graphic and bold,” sophomore Alina Perayra said.

“I’ve already seen people walking around with Equipt Color hats around school.”

For next year, it’s unclear whether or not the hugely successful Fashion Show will be held. Fashion two classes are responsible for the show, but there is no fashion one class to step up and fill the gap next year.

Still, CCHS students, parents, and sponsors alike retain the hope that this tradition will continue somehow.

“We were not expecting the show to be so good,” JCP Salon representative Juliana Guzman said. “We were truly blown away and will be looking forward to sponsoring the show again.”

entertainment | 21

The social media-fueled craze “Cream” is worth the line One staff writer’s take on the newest trend

BY SOPHIA WENGIER Staff Writer

After making the trip to Weston, you come across your destination, and a large banner with the words “Grand Opening” catches your eye. A crowd of hungry customers stand in a line that goes out the door, anxiously waiting to find out what all the excitement is behind this seemingly small ice cream shop called Cream.

When I found myself in this line, I held the expectation that I would be waiting for a long while. However, it actually moved relatively quickly. I could tell employees had lots of experience with crowds and were dedicated to customer service, as I found myself being waited on before I even reached the counter.

Faced with a variety of choices for cookies, ice cream, and toppings that made it hard to choose (and even harder to not come back and try a new combination), I luckily made my mind up fast enough to order.

I was soon swept through the line, receiving my sandwich before I was even at the register, where I payed less than four dollars total. Digging into the treat almost as soon as it was placed in my hand, it became clear to me why I had been hearing so much about the shop.

With smooth ice cream perfectly sandwiched between two warm, soft cookies, every bite was good enough to make me decide that

ABOVE: An ice cream sandwich from Cream, Weston.

Photo by Karina Blodnieks the drive to Weston was all worth it.

With a fun and relaxed atmosphere and bright decorations all around the shop, the tables inside the restaurant proved to be a perfect place to sit and enjoy the dessert, especially since going outside would make the ice cream melt faster than one could take a second bite.

“Cream is like the

Chipotle of ice cream,” senior Isabella Volpe said.

“They provide you with a lot of variety and flavors so you’re really able to customize your dessert.”

Founded in 2010 by the Shamieh family, Cream is an ice cream sandwich restaurant chain, whose location in Weston opened recently. Through social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, it gained

popularity almost overnight and has attracted many high school students from Broward County.

“The food was unique and delicious,” junior Ashley Klement said. “The workers there are super nice and the overall atmosphere is pleasing. I would definitely go back if I had time to get over to Weston.”

The idea for Cream came from the founder’s childhood, as

they used to spend their days sandwiching ice cream between their mother’s fresh baked warm cookies in their kitchen. Cream now sells much more than the simple cookie ice cream sandwich. Their menu also offers treats such as the brownie or waffle sandwich, ice cream tacos, sundaes, and even drinks such as coffee and milkshakes.

Cream’s first location opened in Berkeley, California, and soon spread from there.

There are now 25 locations in California, 2 in Nevada, and 2 in Florida. A story on the wall of Cream in Weston tells the unique story of how the franchise was brought here; a DECA student from Cypress Bay High School, Armando Martinez, made it his project to bring Cream to Florida in the International Business Plan category. After calling up the president of Cream, Jim Ryan, this project became a reality. Cream now has a location in Weston and Aventura, but more are in the works in places such as Pembroke Pines.

“My experience at Cream was great,” Junior Molly Baumel said. “It would be a great idea to open more locations in Florida because it’s a very popular franchise and would benefit the community by making it easier for [people] to go. It’s delicious.”

Fort Lauderdale’s best hidden treasure How Tom Jenkins’ BBQ can change lives

BY KYLE NELSON Managing Editor, Online

Being 500 miles from the nearest state known for it’s BBQ, it’s hard for Floridians to find quality southern cooking. Luckily, Tom Jenkins barbecue produces authentic southern comfort food. Located on South Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, Tom Jenkins brings a southern vibe to sunny south Florida.

A hole in the wall restaurant situated right off the road, if customers aren’t looking for it they are going to miss it.

Giving a whole new meaning to homestyle cooking at a restaurant, Tom Jenkins does a great job of capturing a classic southern feel, from the counter-serve service

and log cabin build to the massive portions. To make themselves at home, customers sit on indoor picnic tables and really get to know their neighbor.

Classic foods like collard greens, mac n’ cheese, baked beans and cornbread are a perfect complement to any of the main entrees and are a must have for every customer.

While Tom Jenkins BBQ added a modern smoker to their repertoire, the food has retained the classic, wood smoked flavor.

The spare rib and chopped beef are definitely legendary, but the majority of customers will swear by everything on the menu.

“You really can’t go wrong,” customer Frankie Delcampo said. “Every time I come I get something new and I’m never disappointed.”

As far as their hours go, Tom Jenkins is open TuesdayThursday at 11am-8:30pm and Friday-Saturday at 11am-10pm.

They are closed for church on Sundays and for fishing on Mondays.

“Tom Jenkins is easily the best barbecue you can get around here,” junior Ethan Roberts said.

“The service is excellent and so is the atmosphere.”

Check out other reviews and our humor columns at

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22 | sports recaps

Lacrosse season in full swing

BY OLIVIA LEWIS Sports Writer

ABOVE: Junior Anthony Carmona gets ready to catch the ball in a recent game. Photos by Saige Griffin

The girls varsity lacrosse team won their first district title last year, and hope to win the same title again this year. So far, the girls team has won seven games and lost two. They are 5-0 for district games.

The Lady Cowboys’ first game took place against the West Broward Bobcats. The Bobcats and Cowboys have always had very close games, but the girls fought really hard and won the game 133. The next game was at Cooper City High School against the Flanagan Falcons. They dominated the entire game and were able to win 14-1.

“I think we are really improving as a team and we have a good rest of the season ahead of us,” Andreiu said. “Hopefully we make it as far as we did last year and win districts.”

The Cowboys’ first away game took place at Archbishop McCarthy High School. They were able to score twelve goals in the first half and then score ten more goals in the second half, making the final score 22-1.

The Cowboys pulled through on a series of games against the South Fork Bulldogs, Western Wildcats, University School Sharks, the Miami Palmetto Panthers and the Hollywood Hills Spartans, putting them in a good position for districts in April.

“I think we are going far this season, meaning if we play the way we have been playing, we will definitely do really well,” senior Cecilia Sosa said.

District playoffs will begin on April 3 through the 5. The girls look forward to the rest of the season and bringing home another trophy.

“I think that we are finally learning how to work together as a team, so having said that I think we will be able to continue our winning streak and to hopefully make it past districts,” junior Kasey Allen said.

The boys varsity lacrosse team has been doing very well this season, winning almost all of their games. The Cowboys have won five games and lost two, and they are 4-2 for district games.

The Cowboys played their first game of the season at home against Cypress Bay High School. After a hard fought game, Cypress Bay was able to pull through for the win. However, the Cowboys later beat the West Broward Bobcats and Flanagan Falcons.

“Everyone on the team is working their absolute hardest and it has really shown this season,” senior Brogan Ness said.

“We always come out with a strong, positive attitude and play to the best of our ability.

Just as we have done up until this point, we will continue to work hard and be successful for the rest of the season.”

Their first away game took place at Archbishop McCarthy High School against the Mavericks, but ultimately lost.

The biggest game of the season so far was against the Western Wildcats. The score was tight the entire game, each team fighting for the win. The time ran out and the score was 13-13, so the game went into overtime. The Cowboys won the faceoff and moved the ball around the attack. Freshman Kadin Schillo took a hard shot at the goal and scored, winning the game for the Cowboys.

“I think we are getting better and we have a good chance so far,” Schillo said.

Coming out of wins against Pembroke Pines Charter High School and the West Broward Bobcats, the Cowboy have been doing extremely well, and have improved since last year. The team and coaches hope to go to districts this year and bring home a trophy.

“I think the team is going to do well the rest of the season,” junior Ashton Bosse said. “I think we are very capable of going to districts if we play our best.

Water polo heads into districts with high hopes

BY HANNAH EUBANKS Sports Writer

The Cooper City Cowboys varsity water polo teams have made astonishing improvements and accomplishments in these past two months of training since their first match in early February.

The girls team has been eager to make a comeback after experiencing a devastating loss for their first home and district game of the season, against the Cypress Bay High School. It seemed as if this is what sparked a new fire in the team’s game.

“It really made us open our eyes as a team and how we need to improve,” starter Kristina Smith said. “We went into this game expecting to win, this loss brought us realization.”

As the next game approached, tensions were high because it was their second district game and they needed to redeem themselves. The game started off in the Cowboys’ favor, with a lead of five at halftime. Flanagan came back stronger, putting two goals. Flanagan’s efforts were strong, but they could not keep up, finishing off the game with a score of 8-4.

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Proving themselves once again, just a day later the Lady Cowboys did it again, bringing home the victory. This game really showed the girls what they were capable of with a little bit of hard work. It was a tight game down to the wire, when in the fourth quarter the Cowboys finally gained some headway, finishing off the game 9-6. As weeks passed, intensity and strength grew individually and as a team. By the time the Cowboys were faced with back to back full length games, hosting their own mini tournament, they were able to benefit from all players, including some who may have been considered “second string” at one time, allowing each player to feel the glory of scoring and being a part of the game.

“We’re really excited about this season,” captain Jordan Cook said. “We are hoping to keep our title as district champs and [are] setting our sights on regionals and hopefully even states.”

As for the boys, they were able to defeat Cypress Bay and win their first district game to kick off the season.

Winning this game has played a key role in

how the the team has had to develop and set the tone for the season. In an interesting turn of events, every single goal scored that very first night out was scored by underclassmen.

”I think this game helped our confidence but we still have a long journey of tough games,” sophomore Joaquin Guarisma said. “And we have to see where it takes us.”

Guarisma was absolutely right when he claimed them having a journey ahead. While the girls’ defeat made them stronger, the boys struggled to manage a steady record. On February 11, the boys participated in a local tournament at Miami Country Day High School. The Cowboys won one out of three games. Frustration and sadness filled the team.

“It was truly a rough showing for us but we can only get better from here on,” player Cameron Pritchett said.

But change was in the air - two weeks later, the Cowboys hosted their home tournament and changed the game for the better. Everyone got a chance to

play and show their skills. This is how their redemption to victory came, when everyone gave it their all while dead tired and after a full day of school. The Cowboys finally gained a lead in the last few minutes of their second game, winning 15-13.

The girls and boys teams both suffered invigorating losses, a tough battle on both ends, on March 7. The boys ended up going into double overtime and penalty shots after they had tied the game up with nine seconds left. Senior Jordan Cook managed to score three goals after severely injuring her fingers, showing her true strength. A nail-biter to the last second, it may have been a loss, but it showed major improvement and work ethic to come back when down and to stay strong.

Overall the season for water polo has gone well, exemplifying team growth and success. Improvements continue to happen and mistakes are learned from. As they gear up to celebrate senior night on Tuesday, the season will hopefully continue on as the girls and boys CCHS water polo teams head into districts.

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