The Lariat, May 2019

THE

Past, Present and Future OF COOPER CITY HIGH SCHOOL

Issue V, May 2019

OLD NEWS BUT GOLD NEWS From April 10-13, The Lariat attended the FSPA state convention where we brought home over 60 awards, including these On-The-Spot awards: Team Newspaper Spread- Second Place Genna Nordling, Abbie Tuschman, Alexandra Sansone, Kayla Gates Module Design- First Place Genna Nordling Press Conference- Third Place Alexandra Sansone Poetry- Honorable Mention Abbie Tuschman 4

FSPA High School 1525 Garcia Road Orlando, FL 32839 www.revolutionnews.com

Power struggle

Acquiring an outlet at FSPA is a competition in its own Infographic created by Genna Nordling (above) and Team Newspaper Spread (right) made by Genna Nordling, Abbie Tuschman, Alexandra Sansone and Kayla Gates at the convention.

The 2019 FSPA State Convention is electrifying in more ways than one.

Contestants often face a major and unexpected challenge: acquiring the necessary electricity to power their equipment.

Technology is a vital aspect of almost every organization, whether it be creating a newspaper or producing a television broadcast. Many require a wide variety of equipment to function, from laptops to gimbals.

“I think that technology is incredibly necessary for our digital culture,” American Heritage The Spotlight yearbook adviser Ashley Hendrix said. “Not only to get the news out there faster, but to make it beautiful with graphic designs.”

The need for technology is further emphasized by the competitions offered at the convention. Participants spend a majority of the first day working on projects, which are all submitted before midnight. The use of equipment is often necessary for creating an Onthe-Spot publication or production.

However, with this requirement comes the need for power. With roughly 1,500 students attending the convention, acquiring an outlet in the limited convention space can pose a problem for many. The various devices utilized for competition also contribute to an evident outlet shortage.

With this in mind, participants have found a variety of ways to overcome these obstacles.

Through creative solutions, students and organizations can acquire all the electricity necessary to function during the competition.

For many, preparing for a long day of competition requires a plan of action.

The morning often begins with groups scouting out areas to set up. A sizeable work space and an array of outlets are often a necessity for any publication.

“I got here first thing in the morning so that I could save this spot,”

Creekside High School’s TV production program staffer Sarah Lower said. “We wanted the perfect place to work.”

Many students take advantage of the cafe located in the hotel’s lobby, which houses tables with multiple outlets. Smaller groups often crowd around the charging stations, hoping to keep their laptops functioning while they write or design.

With limited space in the central lobby, others turn to a more impractical solution. Organizations can be observed huddling in corners or hallways containing outlets as the competition to secure a power source commences.

A select few are prepared to maximize their limited resources. Power strips with multiple outlets have become an essential for many, allowing various devices to be charged simultaneously at one outlet.

However, with the stress of the upcoming competition, they are often forgotten.

“I really wish we would have remembered our extender,” J.W. Mitchell High School The Stampede yearbook staffer Jonah Freeman said.

“Right now, we are spread out across three different outlets trying to work.”

Portable chargers are also popular among participants, as time is often spent moving around the convention center. However, their charge is usually consumed quickly and ultimately leads to the need for an outlet.

“I’ve been running around all day, but I finally came back to charge my stuff,” West Shore Junior/Senior High School Arcadia yearbook staffer Bella Serrano said. “I don’t know what we’d do without an outlet.”

Despite the power struggle, competitors continued to work on their projects, writing stories and interviewing fellow attendees.

While acquiring a power outlet may have been a challenge, the mission only added to the convention’s electric atmosphere.

BY PETER PARKER

NEWS

All hands on deck

FSPA works to repair a short circuit in their judging process Photo by Cornelius Thotiana

ABOVE:

First-year yearbook adviser Hailee Yaeger walks to the Lime conference room to judge the submissions for the Opinion Column contest at her first FSPA convention.

It’s judgment day for student journalists.

After FSPA competitors have poured hours into their On-the-Spot submissions, the fate of their work is out of their hands. Once the results are announced, participants may find themselves questioning their ranking, but not necessarily those who judged their work. However, as Evaluations Coordinator Joe Humphrey explains, the process of deliberation is not as cut and dry as it may seem.

“The process [of judging and critiquing contest submissions] isn’t perfect,” Humphrey said. “There aren’t just one or two correct answers and it’s a subjective process by a human panel of judges. You’ve just gotta trust the process.”

For some, simply trusting the process is not as easy as Humphrey makes it out to be. And many participants have concerns about how their work is perceived once turned in.

“I know some people have the tendency to agree with whatever someone else is saying and go with the flow rather than interjecting their opinion,” Cooper City High School The Round Up yearbook staffer Anna Asburry said. “That’s something that makes me a bit nervous when I think about my work being reviewed.”

Asburry isn’t alone in her concern over the judgment of students’ work. First-year yearbook adviser Hailee Yaeger was assigned to judge the Opinion Column contest of the convention and is understandably nervous about her performance.

Her only knowledge on opinion writing being from her work on her high school’s paper seven years ago, she has doubts about the quality of her comments.

“I’m very opinionated so I feel like I could do it,” Yaeger said. “I feel like I have

been exposed to a lot of opinion articles, but I wrote more music reviews than anything else.”

In recent years, there has been an increase in digital submissions which allows more content to be judged off-site as FSPA has made an effort to outsource articles, sending them to professionals with expertise on the given submission category.

Despite this, the need for more judges was abundant before the start of the convention. FSPA President Brit Taylor has been frequenting the inboxes of FSPA-goers long before competition day with pleas for advisers to volunteer for judging slots.

“With a record number of attendees, we need everyone to show up for their slot,” Taylor said in an April 5 email to advisers. “While many of our contests are being judged online, there is still work to do, and the more timely help we get, the more of your Thursday night and Friday morning will be open.”

In a later email, Taylor sent advisers the judging schedule and a request for their further involvement in evaluating submissions.

“Even if you aren’t on the schedule yet, come and help out Friday morning,” Taylor said.

Humphrey spoke of the organization’s hope for a smoother judgment process in the years to come but emphasized that they are focusing on getting through this convention first.

“We will have several hundred contest entries judged between now and tomorrow night at dinner— I hope,” Humphrey said.

BY LARIE STYLINGTON

The shock of competition

Photo by Larie Stylington ABOVE: Students perfect their On-the-Spot entries while their

electronics are plugged into a power strip, a rare sight at FSPA.

BELOW: A group of competitors take shelter under a table to

have access to an outlet while working on their project.

Photo by Cornelius Thotiana

WHAT’S INSIDE: JUDGMENT DAY Exploring attendees’ thoughts on FSPA’s evaluation process

How FPSA contest deadlines prepare students for the journalism industry Forget testing the waters.

For one day every year, Florida journalism students plunge head-first into the stress-inducing, deadlineriddled and Wawa-filled world of FSPA. With contests ranging from caption writing to weather reports, students could be seen frantically speed-walking through the Wyndham Orlando Resort conference center from morning to midnight on this year’s competition day, Thursday, April 11.

For publication advisers who have experience in the journalism industry, the pressure of impending On-the-Spot deadlines reminded them of their own time in the field.

Zoila Garcia— the adviser of Felix Varela Senior High School’s yearbook, The Crotalus, and a former news director for CBS4— believes the competitions give students insight into the careers of professional journalists. “[When the students are] competing, they know the competition ends at a certain time and they have to have the finished product. It’s a great level of experience for them because this is really how the industry would be,” Garcia said.

Whether it’s learning how to create

an engaging news package in four hours or craft an opinion column in less than two, students are constantly battling the clock. The time crunch might cause anxiety, but it also teaches students how to better prepare for the next convention.

“Trying to get everything done [within] the time limit pushes you to … plan ahead,” John I. Leonard High School TV Production member and third-time FSPA participant Sebastian Munoz said.

The valuable lessons learned from the contest deadlines aren’t lost on the students. They recognize the high demands that journalists are expected to meet today, a realization especially important for those hoping to follow that career path in the future. “[We have] 10 hours to get an entire spread out when we normally have weeks,” American Heritage High School Spotlight yearbook staffer Erin Bryan said. “When I ... pursue journalism in the future, I need to be able to do layouts and editing very quickly on a very short timeline because that is the nature of journalism these days.

Everything is about speed and accessibility.

[FSPA] is preparing me for that world.”

Ad

BY WENDI DOLLE

CONVENTION SHOCK How hard deadlines develop the next generation of journalists

Photo by Cornelius Thotiana

In addition to these awards, general editor Arielle Kraus won the Emerging Young Journalist Award.

Congratulations to all of The Lariat staffers who won awards!

TABLE of CONTENTS page 4

opinion

news

Print Editor-in-Chief Genna Nordling

Online Editor-in-Chief Abbie Tuschman

Managing Editor

page 10

features entertainment sports page 19

page 21

page 23

ON the COVER

STAFF LIST:

The Lariat would like to thank Gabby Carbone and Alfredo Pichardo for supplying the pictures on the front cover. Since the theme of the final issue of The Lariat is “The past, present and future of CCHS,” we thought it would be appropriate to showcase the photos from each grade the Class of 2019 has been through. The pictures from the Crazy Feats event from freshman, sophomore and junior year represent the past, while the prom photo represents the present. As for the future, that’s for the graduates to decide.

Good luck on all of your future endeavors, Cowboys!

All graphics and images not credited to The Lariat staff comply with fair use standards.

Alexandra Sansone

Head Editors

Annabelle Rosa Elena Valdez

Sports Editors Olivia Lewis Hailey Brown

General Editors Joseph Sturgeon Arielle Kraus Sabrina Wong

Staff Writers

Emma Huerta Victoria Martin Sofia Mendez Karen Suros Ryan Merard Isabella Marcon Emma Franz Julia Safrin Sasheen Joseph

Sports Writers

Hannah Eubanks Kyleigh Sprigle Kayla Gates

Photographers

Cassie Hartmann Carly Cuoco Kayla Florenco Alexa Jaspan

Adviser

Fallan Patterson

4

NEWS

Cooper square Just across the street from CCHS, construction workers can occasionally be seen operating tools and machines, working to complete Cooper City's next major project, which is a boutique retail plaza.

According to H&M Development, the plaza will be named “Cooper Square.” It will come with 35 stores ranging from restaurants to banks and clothing stores. Some of the stores will feature drive-thrus to accommodate store pickup and delivery. Businesses that plan to be in this plaza have not officially completed negotiations with leasing terms, which is why specific names cannot be given out at the moment.

This project has been under the city’s consideration for about a year and a half now. With many commission meetings dating back to late 2017, decisions such as the official location of the shopping center took a lot of time and deliberation. Construction began during September of 2018 and official completion of the plaza is projected for anywhere from late 2019 to early 2020.

As for location, the developers took many factors into consideration when planning out this project.

While looking at the number of residential areas around and the schools nearby, it was hard to turn down Cooper City as the home of their next project.

With this plaza being located right across the street from CCHS and a block away from Pioneer Middle School, many stores in the plaza would most likely gain business from students who are looking for a nearby place to relax after school.

“Our retail plaza will have a strategic location with a solid customer base that will support a thriving retail market in a great established neighborhood like Cooper City,” Boulton Commercial Real Estate Sales

Director Marcela Parra said.

With its close proximity to CCHS, some students— specifically rising juniors and seniors— may look at this plaza as a potential location to park their car during the school day for free. However, administration encourages students not to leave their cars parked in the plaza during the school day as there is a very good chance their vehicles will be towed.

The foundations for all of the buildings have already been established; walls of concrete can be seen standing up on their own with roofs on top. The spaces for the stores are also being divided and a narrow lake is being added in the south area to add scenery to the plaza. The majority of the storefronts have been sold, with the remaining spaces waiting to be leased.

“Seeing that there is going to be a plaza right across the street from school is cool,” sophomore Marcus Henson said. “I usually walk home towards that way, so I hope that there are some good restaurants there so I could pick up some food on the way home every now and then.”

The short walking distance from the school will allow students to enjoy the plaza as a place to shop for items and hang out with friends after school.

Many students are excited for this plaza to be completed and are curious to see what kind of stores this plaza will have.

“It's nice to see that there is a plaza being built right next to the school,” sophomore Jay Dhawan said. “With this one being closer than the Stirling [Town Center], it will probably be packed with students, especially on early release days. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of stores they have, but I’m sure that it will have nice stores and restaurants to relax and hang [out] with friends after the long hours of school.”

BY RYAN MERARD

NEW SHOPPING CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN COOPER CITY

Photo by Kayla Florenco

Photo by Cassie Hartmann

NEWS

5

Gearing up for parking As the 2018-2019 school year comes to a close, students and faculty have already begun preparing for the months to come.

One of their biggest concerns is Cooper City High School’s parking policies, which became a center of attention earlier this year.

As per tradition, seniors are given priority when assigning spots. Decal sales take place during pre-planning for the school year for students with a specific grade point average (GPA). The requirement is lowered with each sale, in hopes of accommodating a majority of the class.

The remaining spots are distributed among the junior class. Due to limited availability, juniors are warned to not assume that there will be parking spaces avaible for them, as decals for seniors are the priority. GPA requirements for juniors begin at a 4.0 unweighted, and are lowered by tenths of a point, leaving students fighting for the few spots left over.

Dual enrollment students— who are dismissed from school early— like to take advantage of the ability to park on campus.

However, a student’s dual enrollment status does not guarentee a student a parking decal, making GPA the sole deciding factor.

The competition to obtain a parking spot was further exemplified this school year.

Students faced an additional setback when the grass lot off of Stirling Road was closed due to a security issue.

The adjustments to parking policies observed earlier this year received backlash from many juniors, as GPA requirements were stricter than they were for the seniors, since there were fewer spots. These rules left many questioning their eligibility, and caused confusion among students and parents alike.

“I think that parking is kind of confusing because the policies are pretty inconsistent,” junior Tayler Ford said. “The rules have changed a lot from last year, so it’s hard to know who is actually able to park.”

The frustration students faced was reflected throughout the community. With many unable to park on campus, some turned to alternatives that only caused more chaos.

Without a parking decal, some students have found new locations to park their cars off campus. This typically consists of the driveways of friends and relatives.

However, some solutions are not so ideal.

Unable to obtain a proper parking spot, some students have begun leaving their cars in the surrounding area. This includes curbs and swales that they are prohibited from utilizing.

A community Facebook page shed light on the issue. Residents voiced their frustrations with students parking on their property.

Some went so far as to involve the authorities when students ignored their requests.

“We have a major issue on the side of my house with kids parking there,” parent

Michelle Mary said. “I have asked them to stop parking there, but I’m just over it.”

While the situation may be inconvenient for many, students do have a few options. Those who are unable to obtain a decal are permitted to park their cars at the Cooper City Sports Complex and walk the remaining distance to school.

Additionally, while students do have the ability to park at local residences, they must obtain consent from their owners. Students who leave their cars in areas where they aren’t permitted could face legal consequences.

In the past, parking at the Cooper City Church of God was an option for students during construction to the school campus.

However, since construction was completed, parking was moved back to campus.

Despite the little change to parking policies and the various issues accompanying them, students are encouraged to remain patient with the process. With time, administration hopes to address any problems that may present themselves in the coming years.

“Changes are still up for discussion as far as finalizing the parking for next year, but it should be relatively the same set up as last year,” 11th Grade Assistant Principal Robert Herzog said. “Make sure that your unweighted GPA is in order, your obligations are taken care of and you advocate for yourself.”

BY KAYLA GATES

6

NEWS

A new type of advanced class

AICE CAMBRIDGE CLASSES ARE BEING OFFERED AT CCHS

Students looking to pursue a rigorous academic path at CCHS will have some new options next year. In addition to the established Advanced Placement (AP) program, students will be able to take a new set of challenging classes.

The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program is defined by Cambridge as an international curriculum that focuses on broad and balanced study. The eight classes that will be available next year were chosen to complement AP classes already offered at CCHS. “We are excited for our students to have an opportunity to work with large international community learn across the globe through learning the same AICE Cambridge curriculum,” 12th Grade Assistant Principal Vera Perkovic said. “Our students will have additional options in having a well‐rounded and rigorous education.”

Like AP classes, AICE courses would add two quality points to a student’s weighted GPA and the college credits are accepted by Florida and select out-of-state universities.

In order to earn a Cambridge AICE diploma, students must successfully complete and pass the exams for seven AICE courses. The one AICE class required from all Cambridge students is Global Perspectives, which is considered to be the core of the entire program.

Other than the rigor of the courses, a potential scholarship serves as an additional incentive for obtaining a Cambridge AICE diploma.

If a student earns the AICE diploma and documents 100 service hours, they will receive the Florida Academic Scholars tuition scholarship, regardless of the student’s grade point average or standardized test scores.

This is an incentive that many who are interested in AICE classes are drawn to.

Most stressed and overwhelmed students would welcome not having to worry about getting a high enough SAT score.

“The AICE program is like a backup plan [for college money] because getting the diploma guarantees Bright Future Scholarships. This way it takes off some of the stress when applying for the scholarships,”

sophomore Mya Waldron said.

“Getting Bright Futures can relieve me of possible student debt in the future, which relieves my stress right now.”

Students who have previously taken AP courses may find slight variations in the exams for AICE courses, but they follow a similar format. For example, both exams tend to have a series of multiple choice questions followed by essay prompts.

One outlier is the exam for AICE General Paper, a course that will be offered at CCHS next year, which provides a list of prompts for the student to choose from. Then, the student must comprise a full essay with sources based on the one-sentence prompt.

Further consideration may be needed for students interested in participating in the AICE Cambridge program as there is a different procedure in place for those requiring accommodations.

Students will need to request approval for testing accommodations from

Cambridge in a similar manner for which they do from College Board and ACT, Assessment Specialist Melissa Megna said.

Additionally, due to the fact that AICE Cambridge is an international program, no makeup exams are provided for students who may have a conflicting AP exam.

Although the AICE classes may be formatted and taught slightly differently than other advanced academic courses at CCHS, they certainly have an appeal that may attract students.

Not to mention, the list of AICE courses provided at CCHS may be expanded in the future.

“A survey is will be sent out next year to students taking AICE Cambridge to see what additional classes they would like to have offered here at Cooper,” Perkovic said. “[This way] we will continue to offer additional Cambridge courses in the years to come as we continue to build the program.”

BY SASHEEN JOSEPH

NEWS

Sophomores taking over through fundraising CLASS OF 2021 OFFICERS ARE ALWAYS WORKING TO MAKE THEIR SENIOR YEAR AN ENJOYABLE ONE

Photo by Kayla Florenco

Coming into high school, many attempt to be involved in the student body by participating in extracurricular activities.

Although it’s usually free to join most of these groups, because student-based high school organizations such as clubs and class offices do not receive any financial assistance from the school, there has to be a method that would help raise money to complete goals.

The solution?

F u n d r a i s e r s .

Whether it’s by selling sweets, organizing school dances or receiving a percentage of revenue from a restaurant, these clubs and class officers have to hold numerous fundraisers throughout the school year to gain money to carry out their projects and events.

During this school year, the sophomore class has frequently been holding fundraisers in a variety of ways. The Class of 2021 officers have collaborated with restaurants such as Chipotle and Vita Italian Restaurant to raise money for their class as well as selling Valentine’s Day Crush grams on the holiday and Class of 2021 t-shirts throughout the year. They also attempted to put on a new dance at CCHS which would have been the Sadies Hawkins dance.

However, not enough tickets were sold to complete the process.

“I think doing these fundraisers [is] important,” Class of 2021 President Victoria Pera said. “If we raise money and build a strong base, we can be more flexible to fulfill what people want and ask us to do. We always think about

7

the future of our class.”

Throughout the year, the sophomore officers have been finding new ways to support their class members. Their progress made this year exceeded their own expectations. They plan to continue and improve on their use of fundraisers to further benefit their class in the future.

“As an officer team, I feel that we did so amazing this year because we have been working nonstop all year and started off this year strong with the highest class T-shirt sales apart from the seniors,” Class of 2021 Corresponding Secretary Summer Testa said. “There were very few times when we didn't have an ongoing fundraiser or were [not] promoting something, which is a huge accomplishment for us.”

The money gained from these fundraisers will mostly be used to fund the Class of 2021’s prom, senior breakfast and other events to let students celebrate their last year in high school.

Many students of the Class of 2021 have been taking notice of their officers’ efforts to make their school years more enjoyable.

“It’s like every few weeks the officers are holding a fundraiser to raise money for our class,” sophomore Michael Robania said. “It’s nice knowing that we are [managed] by people who really care about our future.

I already know that senior year is going to be great, just based on how hard [the class officers] are working.”

BY RYAN MERARD

8

NEWS

Prom told through photos

Photos courtesy of Alfredo Pichardo

OPINION 9

VS. Abolish

the FSA ALLOW STUDENTS TO BRUSH UP ON THEIR TESTING SKILLS, RATHER THAN FORCING THEM TO LEARN YET ANOTHER FORMAT Standardized testing, along with written assessments, is commonplace in the public school system. Regardless of the courses a student takes, individuals tend to begin standardized testing during their elementary school years and it doesn’t disappear until one has completed their education.

In the Sunshine State, students are required to take Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) exams for various subjects. In order to graduate high school, students are required to pass the 10th grade reading FSA, as well as the Algebra I EOC, the Geometry EOC and the Biology EOC, because EOC tests are worth 30 percent of a students grade.

Implemented in 2015, FSA exams replaced the FCAT 2.0 and focus primarily on English/Language Arts and Mathematics. The intent of these exams is to measure educational gains and progress.

The FSA has weight on high school academics, but how does it impact your future?

The FSA tends to measure a student’s knowledge in terms of the content they have learned.

However, colleges don’t require

students to be tested on the content they’ve learned, but on the skills they have acquired.

The SAT, originally referred to as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, was first administered in 1926 and has since been used to determine a student’s ability to succeed in college.

The exam is generally administered in a student’s junior year of high school and may be administered up until the beginning of senior year.

Ultimately, colleges and universities look at these test scores in order to determine which students qualify to attend their school and whether admitted students are deserving of scholarships. Of course, all institutions take a look at a student’s entire application which provides a look at their grades and extracurricular involvement, yet, the SAT is seen as an aptitude test that measures a student’s ability to think or problem solve.

The Preliminary SAT or the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a test that students generally take in their freshman and sophomore year. Not only is it a means of practicing the skills required for the SAT, but it is also

a way to acquire scholarship money should you score high enough.

Students and teachers spend hours upon hours reviewing for FSA exams and EOCs that will ultimately be viewed as yet another final exam grade. Writing camps and algebra reviews are set up in order to ensure that students will be capable of passing their exams. But, what if students were able to shift their focus to a test of greater worth?

Taking the PSAT, for example, would allow students the ability to not only review for the SAT but potentially work toward gaining scholarship money. If teachers were to spend more time on SAT prep rather than on FSA prep, it would be probable that students would do significantly better on the SAT than in previous years.

Teachers could have their students acquire an SAT prep book and have them complete certain sections of practice exams for homework. This would ensure that students were working on strengthening their understanding of the test while also completing work for the course itself.

Students also have the ability to link their PSAT and SAT

scores to their Khan Academy account for extra practice. Khan Academy produces mock SAT questions based on the questions students missed on the exam, giving them the ability to review the content they are weak on.

The SAT is also one of the most frustrating parts of the college process. Without proper guidance, many high schoolers feel that they lack a firm understanding of how to take the test. The SAT is not necessarily a measure of how intelligent you are, but a measure of how well you take a certain type of test.

If students are presented with the opportunity to spend more time learning about the way the SAT works, they are more likely to succeed when they have to take the test.

Replacing the FSA with the PSAT would benefit students in the sense that it removes yet another testing format from the minds of students and allows teachers to reenforce a particularly important manner of testing that may determine the future of a student.

BY ANNABELLE ROSA

10

OPINION

Creative classes GIVE THE KIDS WHAT THEY WANT

An imperative part of the high school course selection process is choosing the electives that students will take in addition to their required core classes. Electives are an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge and take classes that they are interested in.

However, many schools do not offer a wide variety of electives, or at least don’t have many interesting classes to take at a higher difficulty. Creative classes that schools actually offer are usually neglected for additional honors or Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

Simply put, schools should have more opportunities for students to take creative classes that interest them at a higher level.

In a highly competitive and educationfocused school, students are often very concerned about their class rank, GPA and amount of AP or other high difficulty classes they are taking. These students are sacrificing classes that they have a genuine interest in for classes that will boost their GPA. Fostering an environment where students obsess over GPA and class rank is unacceptable and has an extremely negative impact on the mental health of the student body. According to Psychology Today, students who are rated and ranked are more likely to think in a shallower way and lose interest in learning. They are also more likely to regard their classmates as competition or obstacles in their highway to success rather than their peers and allies. This creates a toxic school environment where kids only care about getting good grades.

But, there is still hope for schools to combat this issue. Rather than getting rid of grades and class ranks— after all, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone— schools can offer more high-level creative electives.

This is not a cry for an easy A in an AP class, but rather an argument for the addition of more challenging and fun electives that will actually engage students and make school a less toxic environment.

Adding more interesting or fun AP level classes will not only hinder the competitive

nature of AP students, but also it will give more opportunities for students to take classes at a college level. If schools offered more highlevel classes in areas such as greek mythology, creative writing, animation, culinary arts or astronomy, then students who are already interested in those areas of study will be more inclined to take those classes, even if they aren’t an AP level student. This gives students an opportunity to take more rigorous classes and possibly earn college credit when they would otherwise have no means of doing so.

Adding more advanced electives is easier said than done. Interest may be low for the classes that the school is actually able to offer, or the school may not have the staff to teach the course properly.

Many schools also don’t participate in programs such as the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) that offers over 55 classes. If schools don’t offer classes from programs like this and only have AP classes, then there aren’t as many choices for interesting classes.

Some schools create their own AP classes, and while this would solve the problem of boring highlevel classes, it isn’t a viable option for other schools.

If a high school finds that they can’t introduce new AICE or AP classes, or even create their own, then they should encourage their students to take dual enrollment or online classes. Dual enrollment and online courses through organizations such as Florida Virtual School (FLVS) allow students to take classes that would normally not be offered in school.

This is a good option for top students to take classes that interest them, but there is usually a limit to how many online classes a student can take. Also, this doesn’t give the lower level students the same opportunity that adding creative classes in school would have because dual enrollment classes require a certain GPA and online classes are taken in addition to classes in school.

If possible, schools should definitely consider adding new high-level creative classes, whether it be by offering AICE classes or creating their own.

BY GENNA NORDLING

OPINIONS 11

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Why you should c

12

CENTERSPREAD

CCHS alumni speak about the schools they attend “Being the diverse school that it is, UNF gives students the opportunity to branch out to so many different people and provide them with an environment where they feel safe, happy and at home.”

“Going to FSU is an amazing choice, the environment is lively and welcoming to all types of people. The campus is absolutely gorgeous during every season— yes we get seasons in Tallahassee— but football season is by far the best. The courses are challenging but in all of the right ways to push students toward success. Go Noles!”

-AMY BECKER CCHS CLASS OF 2018 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA

-ISABELLA TOCCI CCHS CLASS OF 2018 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

“UF is ranked as the eighth best public university in the country which is a huge accomplishment and many of our colleges are ranked as some of the best in the nation with incredible resources and connections.

The city of Gainesville bleeds blue and orange, so there is a great sense of school spirit and family in this area. It’s the typical college town where you have great experiences and opportunities right down the street from you.”

“There’s nothing quite like UCF and the tours don’t do it justice. Along with the modernized campus, the experience of being a UCF student is one like no other.

Football and basketball games are the best you’ll find; between the fans and the game itself, it is a time you’ll never forget.”

-GABRIELA GARCIA

-ASHTON BOSSE

CCHS CLASS OF 2018

CCHS CLASS OF 2018

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

“Someone should go to my college based on our history and tradition. We also have some of the best schools, like the medical school, in the nation as well as highly touted Division 1 sports.”

-PAUL BACHER CCHS CLASS OF 2018

“Arizona State has one of the most beautiful campuses.

I love walking through campus to class, it makes me [so happy] that I can go to college in such a pretty place. One of the coolest features on campus is a mountain and the football stadium is right on it. ASU is also really diverse. I didn’t know anyone going and I made so many new friends.”

-JACOB WOLK CCHS CLASS OF 2018 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

come to my school

CENTERSPREAD 13

d and why current students should go there, too

“One of the many things I love about Northwestern is that it offers a really unique combination of rigorous, tailored academics and vibrant, spirited student life. If you love a good challenge- the quarter system, Chicago winters and playing other Big Ten schools during football season included- Northwestern is a wonderful place to be.”

-KENDYL COUNTS

“UChicago definitely has a unique intellectual vibe across its campus community. Students here love learning for the sake of learning.

Our faculty are world-class leaders in their fields, but often are very accessible to students. Being a student here is definitely challenging, but deeply rewarding. If you’re in the market for an intellectually rich college experience and connect with our nerdy culture, perhaps [UChicago] is a good fit for you.”

“At Williams, I benefit from the full attention of some of the best professors in the country and an open curriculum that allows me to take the classes I’m interested in. At Williams, students aren’t just nameless and distant statistics– the president will respond to your email, the deans have your phone number and the custodians know what you’re doing this summer.

Williams’ campus is absolutely gorgeous, nestled in the purple Berkshire Valley mountains and surrounded by nature that students take advantage of recreationally.”

-SABRINE BRISMEUR

-CHRISTIAN PORRAS

CCHS CLASS OF 2018

CCHS CLASS OF 2016

WILLIAMS COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

“With its location in New York City, Columbia University allows for the opportunity to take advantage of the city, both academically and socially. Many classes actually require you to leave the ‘Columbia bubble’ and have a new experience. Columbia is unique in that students are able to feel as if they are on a college campus, despite its location in a metropolitan area.”

CCHS CLASS OF 2018 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

-BAILEY KRAUS CCHS CLASS OF 2018 COLUMBIA

“I love how Tulane does not put me in a box. Academically, not only are students doing great research projects, but everyone is very collaborative. I also love how focused Tulane is on making an impact on the surrounding community, incorporating community service work into their classes. I think everyone should consider Tulane because the school has so many different facets so students interested in a wide range of disciplines will be able to find their place.”

-MELANIE SMITH CCHS CLASS OF 2017 TULANE UNIVERSITY

“UVA cultivates people who love living life in a way that makes them happy and fulfilled, with hard work, honor, and integrity at the center of it all. UVA institutionalized living, learning, and loving in a way that’s incredibly unique, and all the people who experience it are better off for it.”

-CALEB NEALE CCHS CLASS OF 2018 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

“USMMA students spend a year at sea going to nearly every continent and traveling to places you wouldn’t normally go. In my opinion, having the opportunity to see the world, obtain hands-on experience and be given a world-class education was too much for me to pass up. Not to mention, since USMMA is a federal service academy, tuition is relatively free.”

-KYLE NELSON CCHS CLASS OF 2018 UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY

14

FEATURES

Where are they now, and where are they going?

UPDATES ON THE GRADUATING PAST FEATURE SUBJECTS

Emre Taskin Original Feature by Chris Will

Lara, Selin and Alin Gurdikyan Original Feature by Casey Chapter Hailing from Turkey, the Gurdikyan triplets—Lara, Selin and Alin—were published digitally in The Lariat in November of 2017. Shortly after transferring to CCHS, the triplets joined the school’s girls’ volleyball teams— Alin and Selin played varsity, and Lara played junior varsity.

Since then, the three sisters have fully embraced the school’s spirit and immersed themselves in CCHS culture. To start off the 2018-19 school year, the triplets started Culinary Club, teaching fellow students how to cook certain local and international cuisines.

“I [have] always enjoyed making and eating food, but when I moved here I saw lots of people eating from restaurants [that have] never cooked before,” Lara Gurdikyan said. “That’s why my sisters and I decided to create this club to show people how to cook, and show them what they can do.”

None of the three have yet committed to any colleges yet but all of them are eager to further their academic and extracurricular paths— maybe even play collegiate volleyball or join a post-secondary culinary club.

BY JOSEPH STURGEON

Since being featured in the back to school issue of The Lariat in August of this year, Taskin has continued to balance both his academic and athletic career. He spent this past year as captain of the CCHS varsity boys’ soccer team and looks back fondly at his “fun and good” four years of high school.

“To wear the captain armband is an honor, but it requires discipline and hard work,” Taskin said. “In the end, high school soccer was fun.”

He has yet to commit to a university, but looks forward to playing soccer at the collegiate level once he does so. Taskin also plans to work towards receiving a spot on the Turkish national team. “[The] Turkish national team is everything for me,” Taskin said. “Playing for my country [would be] the best thing in the world... I would make my parents proud and that’s something I aspire to do.”

BY ALEXANDRA SANSONE

Aiden Adams Original Feature by Tamarah Wallace Following his digitally published feature in November of 2017, DECA President Aiden Adams has continued to flourish in the field of business.

Adams qualified for the Florida DECA state competition once again this school year. He went on to compete at the international level for the fourth consecutive year, finishing in the top 10 for his category.

Adams also participated in the Virtual Enterprise International Business Plan Competition in New York City, where he placed 16th in the nation.

Adams will be attending the University of Pennsylvania following graduation, and plans to further his education in medicine and business. He hopes to pursue a career as a physician, but is unsure of how his interests will change in the future.

“I have developed a passion for science, which has inspired my career path choice,” Adams said. “However, I also have a passion for business from my years in DECA.”

BY KAYLA GATES

FEATURES 15

Hannah Ferguson

Alex Porras

Original Feature by Julia Wengier

Original Feature by Sabrina Wong Since being published digitally in September of 2018, Ferguson has continued to use her strong ambition to be successful in SGA and in academics. She was elected as the SGA president last school year, which kept her schedule busy at all times. Now, Ferguson awaits the college life she will soon be exploring.

“Leaving SGA, I know that my underclassman officers are going to do amazing and, to be honest, I wish I could stay longer,” Ferguson said. “Yet at the same time, as I look forward to the next set of years, I can’t express my excitement to finally close this chapter.”

Ferguson was recognized as a Class of 2019 top 10 percent outstanding student scholar. As a result of her academic abilities, she will be attending Florida State University (FSU) on a merit-based scholarship for the honors program.

At FSU, Ferguson will be majoring in marketing and plans on continuing her love for student government by joining the university’s SGA. In addition, she wants to continue her journey in lacrosse by participating in club lacrosse there.

“It’s a really bittersweet feeling when I think about leaving behind all my high school memories,” Ferguson said. “But, the rest of my life waits for me at the other end of that graduation stage, and nothing could be more enticing than that.”

BY SABRINA WONG

Reece Suarez

Original Feature by Abbie Tuschman When The Lariat digitally published a feature on senior Reece Suarez in October of 2018, he was involved in a production of “Hairspray” at the Broward Center of Performing Arts. Now, seven months later, it’s more than apparent that Suarez has kept himself busy following his passion for theater.

Earlier this spring, Suarez played the role of Pugsley Addams in “The Addams Family” at the Pembroke Pines Theatre of Performing Arts (PPTOPA). The show featured an almost all-adult cast and, after a nearly three-monthlong rehearsal period, went on for four weeks. “[‘The Addams Family’] consumed my life for a few months,” Suarez said.

Suarez also recently played Ryan Evans in the CCHS Thespians’ production of “High School Musical.” Though Suarez had previously been in the same musical, he hadn’t been able to play his dream role of Sharpay’s brother.

This summer, Suarez will be participating in Lovewell— a high school theater workshop in which attendees write an entire show in three weeks. He will also be performing in “Chicago” at the Broward Center for Performing Arts.

By the end of 2019, Suarez hopes to move to New York in hopes of pursuing musical theater and acting.

“I’m going to miss all of my thespian friends, but I’m excited and looking forward to the future,” Suarez said.

BY ABBIE TUSCHMAN

In the September 2017 issue of The Lariat, Porras brought insight on how her involvement in both the CCHS color guard program and The Round Up have influenced her life. After serving as one of the co-captains of the color guard team for two years and one of the yearbook editorsin-chief her senior year, Porras will be using her experiences to help guide her way throughout the next four years of her life.

“I feel very sad to be leaving behind these two vital parts of my life, and I am definitely going to miss the relationships I’ve built with the most incredible people along the way,” Porras said. “However, I am grateful to have ever been a part of it all, and I am happy to be taking all of the lessons and qualities I’ve gained from being a member of these groups.”

Porras will be continuing her color guard journey at Florida International University (FIU) next year, but only as an extracurricular activity. She is looking towards a major in journalism, communications and digital media.

Porras also plans on focusing more on herself and her happiness at FIU. “I hope to find time in college to discover myself a bit more and what my other interests may entail,” Porras said. “I would never want to let go of [color guard and yearbook] completely, but I also hope to think more about myself as I move forward through life.”

BY SABRINA WONG

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18

FEATURES

Implementing new interests

NEW CLUBS ENTER THE CCHS EXTRACURRICULAR SCENE

As with the usual high school experience, many activities fill up students’ schedules both during and after school. A huge part of this lifestyle can be attributed to extracurricular clubs, as students unite themselves into distinct groups honoring a common interest or service.

Clubs at CCHS vary, from honor societies and volunteer-service organizations to career-oriented groups. Some of the more popular and larger clubs on campus include Student Government Association (SGA), Key Club and National Honor Society (NHS).

All of these groups not only provide students with useful skills and lessons they can build upon in the future, but they also help these students build up their resumes and make their college applications stand out.

Thus, significant participation in these organizations is often sought after by students in order to gain such skills and increase their chances of admission to college. Generally, students attain such positions by appointment or elections. But for some CCHS students, they are gaining these roles in a more unique way: by creating an original club.

Two students currently in this process are sophomores Sarah Mumby and Keri Pollock, who are pitching their idea for a Marine Science Club.

“I wanted to create this club with Sarah, [my] co-president, because we are both interested in marine science and we wanted to start something that could give a handson learning experience,” Pollock said. “The purpose is to give students the opportunity to learn more about Earth’s oceans and marine life in and out of the classroom.”

The application process for starting a new club includes filling out a packet, indicating details like the club’s sponsor and intentions, as well as standard contact information.

Applicants must also get 20 signatures from peers who support their club proposal, and additional signatures from a counselor and an administrator to prove the students’ good academic and behavioral standings.

The club’s constitution and bylaws, which state all of the club’s details in one document, must also be submitted along with the other forms. All of the documents and rules for new clubs can be found on the CCHS SGA website.

Another club that has recently gone through this process is Kids at Heart, a hospital volunteering organization founded by sophomore Emma Avchen.

Although the application asks for simple details about the prospective club, Avchen describes the small obstacle she faced when constructing her application.

“When I thought of this idea, I was at softball practice, and the next day I went to Dr. Hozebin and she walked me through the whole [thing],” Avchen said. “[It] was very time

consuming because in your application you have to describe your club in about four lines, which was very difficult because I had so much to say.”

Despite this, Avchen soon submitted her application to the CCHS Interorganizational Council (IOC) and her idea was recently approved at the IOC meeting in February.

“Leading up to the approval meeting, I was more nervous than I’ve ever been,” Avchen said. “When it got approved I felt so relieved, excited and ready to get started.”

Not only does the rigorous club-initiation process include some paperwork and review by the IOC, but it also brings about the task of officer appointment. Often, this task may pose as a difficult one to founders as they do not wish to favor their close friends over acquaintances that may also be qualified.

“When choosing the officers, I was faced with a big issue because I wanted to pick all my best friends, but I knew I couldn’t pick based on how close I am with them,” Avchen said. “So I told a few people about my club and out of the people who said they wanted to be an officer, I picked the best fit for each position based on reliability, specific skills and the ways they interact with their classmates.”

Although both Marine Science Club and Kids at Heart have not been fully formed yet, one recent acceptance— History Club— has already had its first couple of meetings.

“I applied to Dr. Hozebin and [the club] was approved in the IOC meeting that took place in January,” sophomore and club founder Javokhirbek Anvarjonov said.

“Our sponsor is Ms. Thomas and we meet in room 3457. Our purpose is to explore topics in history that our members want to learn in a fun and interactive way, involving discussions and Kahoot! and Jeopardy games.”

By promoting the club via social media and contacting peers who might want to join, Anvarjonov was able to successfully gather lots of interested CCHS students at History Club’s first meeting.

“If you know your past, you know about your future. This is why I wanted to start the club,” Anvarjonov said. “Our first meeting went really well, we had 20 students show up.

My officers and I spread the word by telling our friends and posting about it on Snapchat.

We even created an Instagram account to showcase our meetings and upcoming events.”

Clubs at CCHS are what make the school unique and help encourage increased student participation in the community. The addition of new clubs such as Marine Science Club, Kids at Heart and History Club continue to broaden the interests of the student body and, in turn, create happier and more fully represented students.

BY EMMA HUERTA

FEATURES

19

The “mayor” of Cooper City High School SENIOR DAVID LEE’S PASSION FOR CCHS Driving down Stirling Road on a school morning, one might take a moment to peak out of their window. They may see a student speeding down the street on their slightly rusty, black and blue bicycle heading to CCHS. That student is none other than the one and only, David Lee. Lee is a senior, who is very involved with both academics and clubs at CCHS. He is a familiar face to most of the CCHS faculty and staff, as he is beloved by all who have had the great opportunity of encountering him. With all of his hard work and dedication to school, he is almost like the “mayor” of CCHS. As an extremely active student, Lee is the current president of Model United Nations (MUN), secretary of Key Club and parliamentarian of the National Honor Society (NHS).

He is also an active member of both the lacrosse team and DECA. “[As MUN President,] I help train people and prepare them for tournaments,” Lee said. “I set up tournaments and do the paperwork for that. I lead the Model United Nations club to be better and help them improve with each subsequent tournament. [For Key Club,] I do a lot of behind the scenes work.”

These clubs provide Lee with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills and discover new interests for himself.

“My best decision was joining a lot of clubs during sophomore year,” Lee said. “I think that pushed me to become the person who I am today and it forced me to get out of my comfort zone and be better than I was in the past.”

Lee currently challenges himself with a rigorous course load, consisting of AP Environmental Science, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP

Statistics, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics and accounting.

In addition to his CCHS classes, Lee also dual enrolls at Broward College, where he takes an international relations course.

The effort and time that Lee devotes to school does not go unnoticed. CCHS faculty and staff who have the opportunity to teach or interact with Lee truly appreciate all that he does.

“David’s willingness to go above and beyond to do whatever he can to make sure that everybody is able to participate in events [and] his ability to look out for the good of the club and for other people is far superior to anyone I have ever met,” MUN sponsor Steve Franzone said. “He is just awesome and goes above and beyond helping people out and making sure to be persistent about getting things done.”

The love that CCHS students and staff have for Lee is evident through one of Key Club’s fundraisers that was held for the first time this year. To raise money, Key Club decided to sell shirts with Lee’s picture and the saying “#Lee2020.” Many individuals in the CCHS student body purchased these shirts to not only show their support of the club, but also their support for Lee himself.

“I decided to make #Lee2020 shirts because I have never seen a student so well-loved by the entire school,” Key Club President and senior Gabby Carbone said.

“He is the only kid who can walk down a hallway and receive highfives and cheers from all different grade levels and all very different individuals. He is the only kid who can win Unsung Hero at senior breakfast and have his name cheered by the entire senior class.”

With Lee’s devotion to education and clubs, he does not have a lot of free time on his hands.

Outside of school, Lee can

be found sleeping or watching something on Netflix. He can also be found riding his bike, which he refers to as his “pride and joy,” anywhere and everywhere, as he has yet to learn how to drive.

Lee’s drive to learn, however, will not end upon graduating from CCHS. He plans to complete post-secondary education, followed by seeking a career.

“My plans are to attend George Washington University, to major in International Relations and to pursue a career in the State Department or something to do with international relations,” Lee said.

Although leaving CCHS is going to be upsetting for Lee, and the students and faculty, there is no doubt that Lee will continue to succeed with his future endeavors.

“I am probably going to miss the people the most, the environment that CCHS has [and] all the friends that I have made throughout my four years here,” Lee said.

The mark Lee has made on the CCHS community will not be forgotten and students and staff will never forget the memories he made with them.

“I have seen David grow as an individual these past four years by becoming even more outgoing and confident in his abilities,” Carbone said. “He’s always been an amazing, funny, friendly and overall charismatic individual, but I’ve slowly seen him grow into the leader he is today these past four years at Cooper.”

BY ARIELLE KRAUS

Photo by Alexa Jaspan

20

ENTERTAINMENT

Making it count

TERRIFIC TIPS TO HELP YOU DO YOUR BEST ON FINALS

Finals are upon us. A year’s worth of class material condensed into one intense moment of truth. For the determined, it is a final opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned and raise the class average. For the unprepared, it is a mountain to be free-climbed with no safety ropes, no strategy and little hope of anything, but a tumble down the grading scale.

This list will provide tips to take you to the top of the mountain of finals success.

1.STUDY There is no substitute for hard work and when it comes to exams, there is no substitute for being prepared. Go over your notes and pay particular attention to areas the teacher devoted considerable time to. Be sure to spend time on chapters or lessons that were harder throughout the course.

Most importantly, develop a big picture as to how the chapters and the course fit together.

3. USE THE TEST TO TAKE THE TEST The tests are a window into the mind of the examiner. Pay attention to clues in the test that will help you in choosing the right answer.

With multiple choice questions, read each question thoroughly, and if there is uncertainty, rule out the obviously wrong answers first.

Then, look for things like grammar agreement and clues from other answers to pick the best response based upon your memory.

4. PLAN ON USING YOUR TIME WISELY After the memory dump, look through the exam and see if there are any sections that might be more time consuming, and then make a plan. Check to see if there are any questions that are worth more than others.

Split the available time up accordingly. Do not use all the available time on the first question or get too bogged down. Instead, implement a steady pace that takes into consideration the size of the exam and the weight of the 2. DO A MEMORY DUMP questions. During the exam, if a question Some classes require memorization of consumes too much time, wrap it up or use formulas and important material. For those your best guess and move on to other material. classes, plan on doing a memory dump.

When the test begins, write down all of the important information, formulas and terms that you might need right away while it is sharp in the mind before the stress and drain of the exam wear down and dull the memory.

Photo by Kayla Florenco

5. AVOID POST-EXAM NEGATIVE TALK Once the exam is over, it is over. There are no extra points for painstakingly recalling every hard question, every unsure detail and every answer that did not seem right.

Put it behind you and move on to the next exam. Do not stand in a crowd of people talking about the questions or their answers; it will only make you doubt yourself.

6. EAT, REST, STUDY Eat, rest and study is the “Eat, Pray, Love” of finals. Make sure to schedule time for meals during study periods and in between exams.

Plan on taking breaks throughout studying to clear the mind and to let the study material sink in. Make sure to have breakfast before morning exams so that you and the students around you will not be distracted by a growling, nervous stomach. This is the big push of studying at the end of the course. Stay disciplined and stay on course so that you can show what you learned.

BY ISABELLA MARCON

The End of all Nerdom ENTERTAINMENT 21

2019 BRINGS ABOUT THE END OF THREE OF THE LARGEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY FRANCHISES: “GAME OF THRONES,” “STAR WARS” AND “AVENGERS” One thing that defies age is a good narrative that can have multiple chapters. Couple this with a good marketing strategy and great players and you have yourself a viable franchise that can thrive in today’s digital age.

Over the past five decades, as the popularity of film and television shows began to increase, certain franchises began to be crowned the rulers of particular genres.

“Star Wars: A New Hope,” released in 1977, sparked the creation of an entire storyline that would transcend generational barriers and appeal to audiences of all ages. Two other films would follow in the initial trilogy, which would be followed up by the prequels (1999-2005) and a third trilogy that first hit theatres in 2015 with the movie, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The thing that George Lucas established so well was a narrative that allowed for multiple stories to unfold, while also tracing entire family trees.

Even once the franchise was passed on to Disney, there were several off shoots from the original story (i.e. “Rogue One” and “Solo”) that allowed further exploration.

This is great storytelling at its finest, and that is why “Star Wars” has been ranked as the number one science fiction franchise by Wonderwall.

In terms of fantasy, George R.R. Martin’s series “Game of Thrones” gained popularity and led to the production of the HBO series, which aired in 2011. Similar to the work of Tolkien, Martin’s world is woven with complex relations among seven kingdoms.

Unlike Lucas’ work, however, “Game of Thrones” stands out for, not only its complex narrative, but the screenwriting that goes with it. Viewers are able to fall in love with the characters throughout the series thus enabling them to enjoy this tale that seems to

focus on realism and brutality more than the lighthearted.

The good guys don’t always win, the bad guys aren’t always bad and love doesn’t conquer all. This is a story that is gory and brilliant for its raw nature. According to Business Insider, 17.4 billion people tuned in to watch the final season’s premiere. It is apparent the public cannot get enough.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) signified the beginning of the end for the Marvel franchise as they began to embark on their final endeavor into the realm of the Avengers. This franchise began in 2008, with the film “Iron Man” and has since continued to produce multiple films about individual characters and the actual team of avengers. The first Avengers film, “The Avengers,” was actually released in 2012.

The Avengers appeals to those that are fascinated by the exploration of super human traits and comradery. The final installment in the series, “Avengers: Endgame,” released on April 26.

The film made $2,188,698,638 worldwide as of May 5.

These franchises have not only gained acclaim, but they have also cultivated quite the following over the years. Each of them will come to a close in 2019 and many find that they are unprepared to say goodbye to the universes they know so well.

It is easy to fall in love with the familiar and these are worlds that we can so easily lose ourselves in.

The end of all nerdom is near, however, this leaves a power vacuum which requires a vacancy to be filled. While it is sad that beloved stories are coming to a close, it is important to remember this leaves room for the development of new ideas and narratives to gain acclaim as well.

BY ANNABELLE ROSA

All photos comply with fair use standards.

22

SPORTS

Challenging in more ways than one

WHY GYMNASTICS IS THE HARDEST SPORT Imagine stepping up to a runway, wearing a leotard and having your hands and feet covered in chalk. You’re 82 feet away from the vault table, preparing to run as fast as you can down the aisle. You get 3 feet away from the springboard and perform a roundoff onto it.

You touch the table and push off with your hands as forcefully as possible to propel your body into the air. While in the air, you perform a front handspring with a half-twist into a back tuck. Finally, you stick the landing, not falling or taking a step forward at all.

Imagine how difficult this is to achieve.

Gymnastics is the hardest sport in collegiate athletics due to the strenuous exercise and strength needed to do well. In order to be a gymnast, you must have balance, rotation, spatial awareness, nine times body weight strength, proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. But if you want to be a successful gymnast, there are many other criteria an individual must meet.

Gymnastics is a sport that requires individuals to have flexibility, coordination, airawareness, fitness and speed.

It’s very difficult for a person’s body to maintain flexibility and strength at the same time because of the body’s automatic reflex of strengthening ligaments when muscles are strengthened.

“The thing that makes gymnastics the hardest sport is that you have to build up the mental strength to attempt new skills,” gymnast Tyler F l o w e r s said. “You have to d o this while knowing all the bad things that can happen.”

Gymnastics isn’t only physically challenging, it’s also mentally challenging.

Gymnasts have to trust their bodies when they’re hurling themselves up 20 feet in the air and catching a thin bar. They let themselves do some of the most dangerous body movements, knowing they could break any bone or tear any ligament with the slip of a hand.

“Gymnastics is so difficult because you have to be strong physically and mentally,” gymnast Mackenzie Sauer said. “You also have to have patience.”

Gymnasts also have to focus on being perfect. In gymnastics, points can be deducted for the simplest mistakes. There is a certain place every part of a gymnast’s body must be to properly perform a skill. For example, forgetting to point your feet in a performance can make the difference between winning an event and losing miserably.

Female gymnasts compete in four different types of events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Male gymnasts compete in six different types of events: high bar, parallel bars, still rings, vault, floor exercise and pommel horse. In the floor routine, men and women typically do three to five tumbling passes, w h i c h consist of flips a n d

twists.

Different tumbling skills include double-twisting double back done in a tucked or layout position, an Arabian double pike or double layout and a back three and a half twist.

One of the most proficient gymnasts on the floor routine is Simone Biles. She is the world allaround and floor champion, and she performs a double layout half twist, which was named the “Biles.”

Most gymnasts train like it’s their full-time job. Top gymnasts put in as many hours as an adult does at a desk job. Older elite gymnasts typically put in more than 30 hours a week of training time, and for Olympic-level competitors, they train even more. While younger gymnasts have three or four practices a week, most elite gymnasts receive homeschooling to accommodate their busy training schedules.

From the physical difficulty to the mental challenges to the incredibly busy schedule, it is apparent that gymnasts put in a lot of time and effort into perfecting their sport.

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

CCHS SPORTS Sports round-up WHICH WENT TO DISTRICTS?

SPORTS 23

SOFTBALL

FLAG FOOTBALL GIRLS’ SOCCER

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

SWIMMING

This year will mark year number four of the Lady Cowboys taking home the district title. This time two years ago, the Lady Cowboys were playing against the St. Thomas Raiders and lost in regional finals. This time last year, the Cowboys were celebrating their win over the Raiders and were focusing on the state title. While the Cowboys went down in the state semifinals, they are already preparing for their comeback. With the district win down, the Cowboys will be focusing on the regional win and those shiny state champion rings.

The Lady Cowboys went from 1-11, to making it to states two years in a row. The Cowboys have excelled through the years and continued their reign, winning districts for the third year in a row this year. At the beginning of each season, Head Coach Al Diliello marks the day of states on the calendar and circles it, allowing the girls to keep in mind what they are working toward. This has proven successful so far over the past couple years and keeps the Cowboys focused on the prize at all times.

For the fourth year in a row, the Cooper City Girls’ Volleyball team became district champions. The Lady Cowboys were knocked out in the first round of the regional quarterfinals but not without some standout players. Sophomore Devyn Moore and junior Katie Kaminski were superstars this season, according to Coach Jill Smitherman.

The Cooper City High School swimming team achieved many of their goals this year. In fact, they had seven swimmers make it all the way to states, with four of them placing in the top 10. Out of the seven swimmers, four of them were female. These swimmers included Kathleen Golding, Molly Golding, Mallory Schleicher and Kate Kaplan. The three boys were Tyler Flowers, Javier Roman and Robert Wilson. This was a big accomplishment for the swimming team, especially since every single swimmer placed. The Cowboys will continue to practice hard, eat right and mentally prepare for next season.

BY HAILEY BROWN

The Cooper City Cowboys Girls’ Soccer team made it all the way to district finals and won yet again this year, for the third time. This year, the team had two new coaches they had never met before. Yet, this did not change the outcome of a winning season. Overall this past season, the Lady Cowboys had 20 wins, two losses, zero ties and were ranked 21st out of the entire state. The Lady Cowboys won all eight of their regular season district games.

BY HANNAH EUBANKS

BY HANNAH EUBANKS

BY HAILEY BROWN

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

WRESTLING

TENNIS

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

TRACK AND FIELD

BOYS’ WATER POLO

Wrestling is one of the only sports at CCHS which is not based on a team, but on the individuals as the wrestlers move onto each round individually.

About half of the CCHS Wrestling team made it to districts. Out of the 11 that competed in districts five wrestlers, Aiden Yates, Elijah Neale, Julian Perez, Joseph Riestra and Sean Ceballos, made it to regionals. It has been many years since a wrestler made it to states.

Of those who made it to regionals, Riestra was the only one on the team to make it to states.

There are 16 players on the CCHS Tennis team, 8 girls and 8 boys. Only 10 of the players competed at districts, 5 girls and 5 boys. None of the boys moved past districts.

Both Ayleen Ramirez and Gabby Smashey won districts in singles. Gabby Smashey and Jasmine Maduel won districts in doubles. The girls’ team came in second at districts but lost to Marjory Stoneman Douglas in the regional tournament. Both of the girls participating in singles lost in regionals.

Gabby Smashey and Jasmine Maduel moved on to states, but lost in the quarterfinals.

Once again, the girls’ water polo team had a winning season, claiming victories over a majority of their opponents.

The team competed in a variety of competitions throughout the school year, including the Miami Country Day and Forza Stefano tournaments. Seniors Kristina Smith and Shaddi Abdala contributed to the team’s success, ranking third in Broward County. The team also qualified for districts, where they played Cypress Bay. However, the team lost by a close score of 8-3 in their second consecutive district championship game. Despite their efforts, the team has been unable to advance to regionals in the Girls’ Water Polo State Championship tournament.

After working hard all season, the Cooper City High School cross country team made it all the way to regionals this year. The Cowboys had to compete at the Broward County Championships in order to qualify for the region four championships. The boys’ varsity team was able to move onto regionals, along with one girl who would compete independently. Although the boys’ team finished with times between 20 and 25 minutes, it wasn’t high enough for them to place. Claire DeLacoste, the independent female runner, didn’t place either. Although they didn’t progress onto states, they were all proud of their performances. Many runners were able to set new records over the course of the season, and still hope to continue getting better next season.

For the second year in a row, Cooper City High School produced the top water polo team in Broward County. The boys’ varsity team, which was led by seniors Aaron Blanco and Justin Lopez, defeated a majority of their opponents throughout the school year.

After a nearly undefeated season, the team won their second consecutive district championship. The boys took on Cypress Bay for the title, and won by a score of 10-5.

The victory allowed them to progress in the 2019 Boys’ Water Polo State Championship tournament. However, the season came to an end after a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the first round of playoffs.

BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE

BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE

BY KAYLA GATES

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

BY KAYLA GATES

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