October Issue 2015 by Lightning Strike

LightningStrike Taking Miami-Dade by Storm

Dr. Michael M. Krop Sr. High • 1410 Countyline Road • Miami, Florida 33179

November 2 , 2015 • Issue 2 • Volume 18

Republicans and Democrats face-off in 2016 elections Through technology and social media in this modern age candidates are using new campaign tactics to reach a wider audience.

Nathaniel Manor, business manager Jacob Singer, managing editor Elections have always been an important part of American society, but this time around something is different. It seems that voters, speciﬁcally young voters, are more passionate and the candidates, more appealing.

Bernie Sanders Presidential candidate and self-proclaimed democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls, especially with the millennials. Since his announcement in April, Sanders has risen 19.5 percent in the polls. Younger voters are the main proponents of Sanders’ success. In a recent poll by The Economist, 44 percent of 18 - 29 year olds say they will vote for Sanders in the upcoming election. Senior Camilla Cano appreciates Sanders’ steadfastness in his beliefs. “He is very consistent with his views,” Cano said. “He has been for decades.” Cano values Sanders’ desire to help those in need. “Bernie understands that we need to implement more rights for LGBTQ people, immigrants and the working class, given that this country is made up of working class people,” Cano said. “It’s unfair that there are so

many people working day and night and still getting taxed heavier than the upper class.” His ﬁght for a tuition and debt free public college education along with his rejection of funding from big corporations and Super Political Action Committee (Super PAC) have attracted America’s youth. His social media campaign has sparked major involvement between Sanders and his supporters. Fan-made hashtags like #FeelTheBern and #BabesForBernie regularly trend on twitter and with a Facebook page with 2.3 million likes and an Instagram account with over 300,000 followers, Sanders’ online presence is certainly felt. “Everything Bernie says just seems to make sense to me,” Cano said.

Hilary Clinton Former First Lady, Secretary of State and current Democratic presidential front-runner Hilary Clinton has dominated the race even before her announcement to run. Sophomore Lara Soysal is an avid Clinton supporter. “Besides her ample political experience, Hilary Clinton portrays a passion and a drive to improve the social aspects in the country,” Soysal said. Soysal believes Clinton’s previous White house roles have proven her competency and

ability to lead. “Her driven attitude and ability to swoop up a crowd by reassuring them that her presidency will prove that America’s best days are yet to come is key to her popularity,” Soysal said. Clinton’s performance during the ﬁrst Democratic presidential debate improved her standing by 5.5 percent after a signiﬁcant decline in the late summer. Clinton has received criticism for some of her actions and lack of transparency, but with a strong lead over her democratic opponents, she is still poised to win the nomination.

Donald Trump

Social Media by the numbers

Dr. Ben Carson

: 4,339,216

Donald J. Trump

: 4,107,670

Hilary Clinton

: 1,642,767

Bernie Sanders

Billionaire real estate tycoon and television personality Donald Trump has surprised everyone with his rise to the top of the polls, and nobody knows what to expect from his campaign in the future either. When Trump entered the presidential race, few thought it was a serious bid, but as months pass, Trump’s status as a legitimate contender continues to grow. Junior Joseph Block supports Trump because he is unafraid of criticism. “We live in a world where people are too inﬂuenced by society,” Block said. “Trump doesn’t care what people think, he’s his own man and

► see more on page 3

: 1,808,195

Ben Carson

: 817K followers

Donald Trump

: 4.67M followers

Hilary Clinton

: 4.56M followers

Bernie Sanders

: 781K followers

SCHOLARSHIPS

Student overcomes adversity, gets $10,000 scholarship Mayan Derhy editor in chief Every year Nordstrom awards 80 high school students $10,000 scholarships to help them achieve their dreams of going to a four-year university. Among the recipients of this year’s scholarships is senior Elias Rosenfeld, who is one of over 60,000 students who applied. On Thursday, Oct. 8 representatives from Nordstrom barged into Rosenfeld’s class and presented him with the $10,000 check along with a brand-new MacBook laptop. Several of Rosenfeld’s friends and former principal Dawn Baglos came to support him in his accomplishment. “At ﬁrst I was just shocked,”

More inside:

Rosenfeld said. “And then I was so grateful and sort of in awe at how supportive the school was. You could notice that you have a strong support system at Krop.” What makes Rosenfeld stand out is not his laundry list of accomplishments, but rather the adversity he faced to achieve them. Rosenfeld had to move to the United States from Venezuela to escape the country’s problems, but his hardship did not end then. Rosenfeld lost his mother to cancer at the young age of 13, which left Rosenfeld and his older sister, who was 15 at the time, to fend for themselves and left them classiﬁed as undocumented immigrants as well. “It wasn’t just everything happening at once,” Rosenfeld said.

• AP: Advanced Placement or Ageless Prejudice? - page 6 • Trafton reluctant in leaving students mid-year - page 8 • Lightning welcomes new baseball coach - page 18

COURTESY OF CAMRYN SMOLER

NORDSTROM SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Nordstrom representative awarded Senior Elias Rosenfeld (left) the ten thousand dollar Nordstrom Scholarship in Aileen Danwolf’s fourth period class. He was in complete shock when he saw the news crew walk in to Danwolf’s class and was supported by his friends and faculty members.

“It came in stages, and of course everything that did happen was extremely rough, but you want to build upon the situation.” Knowing the struggle

The Importance of Gratitude pages 10 -11

undocumented immigrants face, especially without strong family support, Rosenfeld decided to dedicate his time to helping himself and others in similar situations

get into a good college and plan a better future for themselves. His sophomore year, Rosenfeld founded an organization called “The United Student Immigrants” whose sole mission is to assist undocumented students. Rosenfeld does this by helping these students with their applications, either for college or for scholarships. The foundation also has a strong lobbying presence with students and congressional members. “When you’re in a situation that isn’t normal or isn’t good, the ﬁrst thing you think of is that I don’t want to be in this situation when I’m an adult,” Rosenfeld said. “I want to be successful and I want to do good, and that is my biggest motivator.”

News Page 2

Important Dates to Look Out For Nov. 3: Undeclass Pictures: Make-ups Nov. 3: Dine for Krop Athletics at Olive Garden Nov. 7: SAT Testing Nov. 7: Miracle League Baseball Game Nov. 14: PTSA Kaplan Practice SAT Nov. 20: PTSA Dress Down Day

tops Compiled by Mikaela Mendez

KROP’S

Junior Nicolas Chmielewski received the Rhythym of Life award for the John Paul II Interfaith Film Festival.

Junior Ethan Curtis was named District Six Representative of the Florida Scholastic Press Association. Senior Youssra Yemmas is a finalist for the Questbridge Scholarship. Seniors Love Chery, Mikaela Mendez, Sara Eghtessadi, Youssra Yemmas and Naiya Campbell are finalist for the Posse Foundation Scholarship. Compiled by Mikaela Mendez

CORRECTION: On page 8 of the Strike issue published on Sep 28, Dr.Lewis was reported as a graduate of North Miami Beach Senior High School when in fact he graduated from Miami Central High School. The Strike acknowledges this error and apologizes to readers.

The Lightning • September TheStrike Lightning Strike • October2008 2015

From local to global: COLORADO, U.S. : A gold mine leaks 3 million gallons of acid water and heavy metals into Colorado And Utah rivers, turning the water a toxic yelloworange color. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees are working on removing the toxins from the rivers by depositing treatment ﬂuid.

SOUTH FLORIDA : Huge tides reach shores of the Keys, Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale over the past week flooding the surrounding regions.

CHINA, ASIA : China and the U.S. face friction between each other when a U.S. Navy warship came very close to an artificial island in Southern China. China claimed that the U.S. entered illegally and endangered China’s sovereignty.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA : A boat carrying 27 people on the coast of Tofino, a Canadian province, sunk last week. There were at least four fatalities and it was difficult for officials to locate the vessel.

What’s going on around the world? WASHINGTON D.C., U.S. : Last week, President Obama gave a speech regarding standardized testing and that it should only take 2 percent of “school time” to administer. He spoke about how testing took away too much time from students teachers and learning.

ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST : Nidal Saleh, an Israeli Arab para-glided over the Israeli-Syrian border into Syria, hist fate and intentions are still unknown however, investigation shows that he entered intentionally. sources: CNN Miami Herald

Compiled by Megan Orlanski

KROP TALKS

Student advocates diversity in Krop Talk Alan Imar co-online editor

Growing up in a community where she felt isolated for being an Iranian-American, Senior and PeaceJam cochair Sara Eghtessadi used the adversities she faced in the past for being “different,” to initiate a need for change through her Krop Talk. For far too long, diversity has been recognized as a barrier between students. Eghtessadi explains that diversity shouldn’t result in separation, but rather the ability of students across the diversity spectrum to unite as one. “We had the idea that we wanted to turn our 2700 students and over 200 staff members into a family,” Eghtessadi said. “No matter what our differences are, it is our diversity that is so powerful and capable of bringing us together.”

COURTESY OF SARA EGHTESSADI

EMBRACE OTHERS: Senior Sara Eghtessadi presented her Krop Talk about diversity on Oct. 14 to describe the advantages of living in a culturally diverse community. “Our diversity is so powerful and capable of bringing us together.” Eghtessadi said. Krop is composed of 41.41% African American, 34.47% Hispanic, 21.81% white and 2.30% Asian students.

Krop Talks started February of 2015. The inspiration came from TED talks, which sheds light on social issues and what can be done to find a solution. This program is headed by the Student Government Association’s

PeaceJam committee chaired by Eghtessadi and junior Mila Sicorsky. The talk mainly focused on the racial division and stereotypes associated with groups of people that separate the student body as a whole.

“Coming from a Mexican family is rough when people assume I got here because I swam across the Rio Grande and jumped the border,” sophomore Soﬁa Ivanoff said. “The fact of the matter is that not all of us are illegal immigrants, and it’s hurtful that people are so quick to jump to conclusions.” Students who attended the talk left with a new perspective that being different isn’t always a bad thing. Diversity is just one aspect of what makes us unique. According to Homefacts, the school is 41.41% African American, 34.47% Hispanic, 21.82% white and 2.30% Asian. “Going to a culturally diverse high school opened my eyes to the world around me,” sophomore Ryan Lang said. Krop Talks will continue to occur throughout the year. The next talk, on November 4, will be presented by senior Camilla Cano involving diversity in the sexuality spectrum.

ACTIVITIES

MDC annual book fair brings excitement Dzidula Boney copy editor You’re strolling through a designated street and searching through varied entertainment titles, listening to slam poets and musicians. You ﬁnd the perfect book as you wander from booth to booth. The inclusive atmosphere makes you feel relaxed and calm and you go home with a smile on your face, looking forward to the next day. The good news, you can have this reaction at the 32nd Miami International Book Fair. The Miami International Book Fair is an event that attracts nearly 200,000 people each year. Established in 1984, this event

is an eight-day literary party that starts Nov. 15 and ends on Nov. 22, and includes a street fair from Nov. 20. What started out as the uniﬁed attempt to increase literary tourism is now an affair so massive and successful that is has become the model for other fairs across the country. Located on Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami, the fair unites readers, poets and authors alike for literary entertainment. Featuring everything from comics to serious novels, there is literally something for everyone. The fair includes a “Children’s Alley” where children can read, meet authors and even take home a free book, so all ages are entertained. Other events

include the popular Evenings With... series, which features readings by well-known authors for six consecutive days. Past participants include Nobel Prize Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners. This year, the authors participating include Patti Smith, Jane Smiley and Robert B. Reich. For those who are not so literary inclined, “Arts @ the Fair” and “The Swamp” is the perfect solution. The Swamp, located at the southeast corner of NE 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue, showcases Florida writers, ﬁlm, art and dance. There is even a kitchen for the food enthusiasts. Ticket sales and admission details can be found on the Miami International Book Fair website.

Book Fair Weekday Schedule NOV. 15: Kick-off Party NOV. 16: An Evening with Robert B. Reich

NOV. 17: World’s Smallest

Poetry Reading: An O, Miami Party

NOV. 18: A Little Swamp Romance

NOV. 19: Miami Against Humanity with The New Tropic

NOV. 20: It’s All Greek Heroes to Me!

News Page 3

The TheLightning LightningStrike Strike• •September October 2015 2012 GLOBAL WARMING

Volkswagen’s deceipt detrimental to environment

Mila Sicorsky feature editor On Sep. 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused world-renowned car company Volkswagen of cheating on pollutant emissions tests. Investigators raised accusations after growing suspicious of data revealing the company’s production levels. Human actions are the primary cause for oxygen-lacking dead zones the size of Oregon. Usually these harmful activities are smallscale, like littering, but it is rare when widespread scandals take course. According to Forbe’s list of World’s Most Valuable Brands, the multi-billion dollar company Volkswagen ranks #67 and operates in 31 countries. The accusations triggered disbelief in both large environmental organizations and Volkswagen customers, many of whom have been loyal to the company for years.

“I don’t respect how one of the top car companies has ruined its high reputation in the automobile industry,” junior Andres Sabo said. “I think it’ll bring down the German economy since it depends so much on this business.” Volkswagen installed software that detects emissions tests into 11 million cars. Once the software senses the exam, the vehicles function in ‘test mode’, producing the legal amount of pollutants released into the air. However, once cars are on the road, far from the EPA, they produce more nitrogen oxide emissions--ten to 40 times the legal number of 70 milligrams per mile. In an age where skeptics doubt climate change, even with rising tides right under their feet, the Volkswagen scandal continues to make headlines. After the EPA threatened to slap Volkswagen with hefty ﬁnes of $37,500, Volkswagen could no longer hide. The company now faces U.S. Department of Justice

criminal investigations, and Martin Winterkorn, its CEO, quit in late September. “If my car was affected, it would irritate me,” senior Taylor Wells, who drives a Volksgwagen Jetta YEAR, said. “I like to think of myself as an environmentalfriendly person so this bothers me.” Among these customers stand drivers new to the automobile industry, one with both hidden and exposed corporate scandals. “If I would’ve known, I probably would’ve chosen a different car,” Ennovi Villamizar, who drives a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle, said. Hopefully this will serve as an eye-opener for people unaware to impacts their actions have on the environment. “We as humans are running more environmental campaigns and trying to be more environmentally-friendly,” 2014 Volkswagen Passat owner senior Mateo Torroija said. “This isn’t helping at all.”

the GOP nomination. Carson’s intelligence and achievements have made him an appealing candidate. The fact that he is not a career politician has played to his favor as a breath of fresh air from the usual crowd. “He’s really likeable,” senior Veronika Bondarenko said. “People are tired of the same old politicians, and Carson offers an appealing alternative.” Bondarenko believes that both Carson and the Republican Party in general are undeserving of their rap. “The GOP is misunderstood,” Bondarenko said. “Everybody thinks they’re backwards and value the wrong things, but really we just want what’s best for the country.”

While Carson is a Republican, one of his main points is indexing minimum wage to inflation, a rather liberal and progressive policy. Another, less liberal, point is his staunch opposition to illegal immigration. Carson has propelled to the top of the polls and he should put up a strong fight for the nomination if the race continues this way. The young vote plays an important part in the political process, and Bondarenko wants students to know how vital it is that they get involved. “We grow up in a generation where we have a lot of power to change things,” Bondarenko said. “I think it’s really sad to waste their opportunity to voice their opinions and make a difference.”

‘ELECTION’ from front page Like Sanders, Trump also rejects funding from big companies and Super PACs. “Trump funds his own campaign, which provides a necessary transparency,” Block said. “Because of this, if you vote Trump, you aren’t also unknowingly voting for a big company like Walmart.” Donald Trump has already exceeded expectations that political pundits had for his campaign and there is no reason to suspect a decline.

Ben Carson Former Neurosurgeon and bestselling author Ben Carson has made waves in the Republican presidential race, trailing only Donald Trump for

NEWS BRIEFS PTSA funds new water fountain

MIKAELA MENDEZ/ LIGHTNING STRIKE

WATER FOUNTAIN: The water foutain in the history hall was upgraded to have a new sector for students who bring reusible bottles. As of Oct. 27, Krop has helped eliminate waste from 1,577 disposable plastic bottles.

On October 8th, the new and reformed water fountain was installed at Krop in the social studies wing. The fountain allows students to refill their reusable water bottles with filtered water instead of wasting plastic bottles. The PTSA proposed the idea to Mr. Ponkey which he was enthusiastic about. He sat down the Zone Mechanic team as they planned and installed the new fountain in a short period of time. The strategic placement of the fountain in a high traffic area of the school allows for more student use. This is the first step in the transition from normal water fountains to the upgraded ones. The fountain keeps a count of how many water bottles it fills, making it a symbol of efficiency and progress. By the end of the school year the PTSA plans on installing an additional fountain in a not yet known location.

-Gal Mintz

New program provides affordable college assistance Applying to college is like a road map.It’s probably upside down and you’re in the car alone with no one to lead you through the crossroads and the short cuts. However, you can get a new GPS, known as the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, designed to guide students through the ins and outs of the college application process. The Coalition is a tool for underclassmen where more than 80 public and private colleges ranging from Wellesley College to Harvard University have signed up to help students get into the college of their dreams. The Coalition improves the college application process by encouraging students from all backgrounds to explore their college options earlier in high school. Registration for students, parents, teachers and counselors has already begun. However, students will only be able to use resources like a virtual “locker” to store their essays, poems and other creative works beginning April 16th. Students can seek advice from college admissions experts and advisers relating to what classes they should take, how to maximize their time in highschool and where to start when it comes to college applications. The Coalition is aligned with pre-existing programs like Common App, an application for undergraduate students that is accepted by over 400 independent colleges. By tying these programs together, students will be able to gain more access to scholarships and readiness when it comes time to apply to college.

-Megan Orlanski

Annual college fair includes new universities The college fair filled the gymnasium with students and their parents scouting and inspecting the colleges on Oct. 26. CAP advisor Mr. Roddy gathered 130 colleges and universities and also multiple guest speakers that talked about student loans and financial opportunities. “The college fair was awesome,” Mr. Roddy said. “I saw a lot of students and their parents talking to college representatives.” Representatives gave brochures and business cards for two hours straight. They tried to leave a good impression on students. The fair ended with a flood of students exiting the gymnasium with their plastic bags full of college material. Some students stopped to buy food on the way out. “It was a great experience,” sophomore Javier Diaz said. “I got to see all the colleges I was interested in.”

-Kevin Bauernfeind

Editorial Page 4

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

POLITICS

¿Reconcilación o terrorismo? Peace or terrorism? EN MI OPINIÓN

micaha laura gantiva-mesa

guest writer

Las fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) es el grupo terrorista más poderoso en Colombia. Este grupo se ha dedicado por los últimos 51 años a arruinar las vidas de los colombianos. Este año han surgido varios diálogos entre el gobierno colombiano y las FARC, en los cuales se está tratando de llegar a un acuerdo en que las dos partes estén conformes y se pueda obtener la paz después de tantos años de violencia y abuso. Entre septiembre y octubre las FARC no realizaron ataques ni acosos contra la Fuerza Pública, parece que el proceso de paz ya no tiene reversa. Siento que nota el progreso que han hecho y estoy muy orgullosa de que mi país esté poniendo tanto esfuerzo para acabar con una de las peores situaciones que más lo afectan. Colombia es el país que tiene más desplazados como resultado de esta guerra no declarada entre el gobierno y las FARC, los campesinos que viven de su trabajo son los que sufren más ya que ellos son los que siempre están huyendo de las FARC, de grupos paramilitares. También hay muchos campesinos que se quedan sin sus tierras y no tienen donde vivir o que comer entonces van a la ciudad pero allá no hay trabajo para ellos y se convierten en refugiados y muchos acuden a la delincuencia debido a la necesidad y desesperación. La gente vive con terror, no saben qué hacer. Ahora que se está tratando de solucio-

nar esta situación es un poco mejor ya que se está llegando a un acuerdo pero por los últimos años han sufrido de una manera que muchos no pueden imaginar. En realidad estas personas no están viviendo sino que sobreviviendo como pueden, son vulnerables a toda la violencia y maltrato de este grupo guerrillero. Esta guerra no se siente en la ciudad pero si se siente en el campo y es algo que necesita parar, como el Papa Francisco dijo, “No tenemos derecho a permitirnos otro fracaso más en este camino de paz y reconciliación”. La guerra no produce una paz perdurable. Estos diálogos para obtener la paz son una ventaja grande para Colombia ya que si se logra, se impulsaría la economía, habría incrementación de trabajos, la agricultura volvería a ser una parte importante de la economía del país y muchos factores que ahora son un problema, podrían desparecer o al menos mejorar con este tratado.

surrounded by violence, crime and drugs. The people of Colombia live in terror without any clue on what to do regarding the present situation. There are negotiations in place now however nothing can reverse the damage that has been dealt to Colombia in the past years. The Colombian people are hardly living, they are merely surviving, for they are vulnerable to all the violence from FARC. Pope Francis once said, “We cannot allow any other failure in this process of peace and reconciliation”. The war will not permit peace to come, only negotiations can do so.

COMIC

Translation:

The infamous terrorist group, the armed revolutionary forces of Colombia, also known as FARC is the most powerful of its kind in Colombia. For the past 51 years, FARC has dedicated itself towards destroying the lives and homes of Colombians. In the past year there have been conferences between the Colombian government and FARC, with the government hoping to reach a solid negotiation that will ensure peace and safety of the nation. After so many years of violence it seems that within the past two months, there has been progress and there may ﬁnally be a peaceful end to this conﬂict. All of the steps taken to resolve this situation are tremendous steps and I am nothing but

THE LIGHTNING STRIKE An NSPA All-American publication Winner of George H. Gallup Award NSPA Pacemaker Finalist An FSPA All-Florida publication Like us on Facebook Visit us online at www.lightningstrikenews.com

MAYAN DERHY, Editor-in-Chief JACOB SINGER, Managing Editor MIKAELA MENDEZ News Editor MICHAEL KATZ Opinion Editor NICOLAS CHMIELEWSKI Spread Editor MILA SICORSKY Feature Editor SOPHIE MUCHNICK Entertainment Editor SHOSHANA SOMMER Lifestyle Editor JUANA ARGIRO Comic Artist SUN COAST PRINTER Printer

proud of my country’s government for working so hard to end one of the worst situations which affects Colombia. Colombia is the country which has the highest number of people leaving their hometowns due to guerilla invasion. The very same group of people that leave their hometowns due to the violence, migrate to the cities seeking work and a home. These farmers are unable to provide for themselves and their families due to the lack of job openings and overpopulation in the cities. In the end, they wound up living in the slums

ETHAN CURTIS Sports Editor DZIDULA BONEY Copy Editor CORBIN BOILES Co-Online Editor ALAN IMAR Co-Online Editor NATHANIEL MANOR Business Manager MEGAN ORLANSKI Online Photo Editor MARY K. SULLIVAN Adviser

STAFF WRITERS KEVIN BAUERNFEIND, NAELA FOREAU, SEBASTIAN KUZAK, GAL MINTZ, ALEJANDRO PRESCHEL AD POLICY

The Lightning Strike solicits advertising but reserves the right to reject any material deemed libelous, disruptive, obscene or otherwise inappropriate.

EDITORIAL POLICY The Lightning Strike is the student newspaper of Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School: 1410 Countyline Road, Miami, FL 33179; (305) 652-6808 Ext. 238. Opinions expressed in the editorial section do not reﬂect the viewpoints or ofﬁcial policies of the school. The Lightning Strike welcomes readers’ opinions on all topics. However, we will NOT print anonymous letters. Please keep letters under 150 words and saved to a computer if possible. The editor reserves the right to reject, edit and condense letters. All letters should be turned in to Room 2-233.

COURTESY OF LIKEM BONEY

LETTERS Electives deserve more importance Can you imagine having to carry your sketchbook, running shoes and sheet music to school every day? No, you’re not a magnet student who is running late for football practice you are a multifaceted student. In France, physical education, art and music classes are mandatory electives. French students take those electives, along with others that they choose later in their careers as students, from kindergarten to graduation day. Every trimester is focused on a different aspect in each elective. For example, during your first trimester you might be learning about volleyball in your P.E. class, Picasso in art and percussion instruments in music. The following trimester, you might do some gymnastics, learn how to draw 3-D shapes and play some Middle Age instruments. Having such electives was a smart choice for France, because one might fall in love with a sport or learn basic knowledge on art that everyone should know.

I believe one of the reasons that young American kids and teenagers demonstrate such high rates of obesity comes as a result of the lack of knowledge on how to stay active. One year of P.E. is clearly not enough to make an impact, especially since some of us are so busy after school that running the mile might be the most exercise we have done in four years. Also, receiving general knowledge and educating students about the arts is extremely important. No one wants to walk into their college’s lobby and see a painting of a girl with a weird smile and ask, “Who made this? One of your students?” just to find out it’s the Mona Lisa. Nevertheless, you never know what you like until you try it. So get out of your comfort zone, educate yourself, and you might just be surprised by what you discover about yourself. And even if you end up not liking something, you are still a smarter, more educated person than you were before. It’s a win-win! Johanna Mouyal Grade 11

Opinion

The Lightning Strike • October 2015 RELATIONSHIPS

PDA: Publicly Disgusting Affairs IN MY OPINION mayan derhy

editor-in-chief

Young love- how real it is. A girl catching her lover’s gaze across the science hallway and running lustfully into his embrace. Her heart speeding as they meet in a passionate kiss, his hands running down her back. Every morning we are greeted by inappropriate sightings of young couples reenacting Oscar-worthy love scenes throughout the school halls. As they publicly display their affection, it almost seems as if we are invading their personal space. I find it ironic that we have a uniform policy to keep our school PG-13 and yet we have Rated R couples

Every

morning we are greeted by inappropriate sightings of young couples reenacting Oscar-worthy love scenes throughout the school halls.” playing tonsil hockey in every staircase and hallway. Rushing to class in under five minutes is a thing of the past. Why show up on time when you can devour your significant other’s face in front of your friends and peers? There’s no better way to show off your new relationship than to publicly engage in what we would otherwise call “bedroom activities.” In this age of mass media, the need to publicize and share intimate moments is understandable, but there is a limit to how much of our private lives we display for the world to see - especially in school. So let’s face it- the teenage thirst is real. But that’s why the school sells Power-Ade. And if you’re one of those whose thirst requires more than a bottle of Power-Ade, please take a trip to the Gatorade fountain on the third floor, and stay there.

Page 5

SOCIETY

Your political correctness offends me IN MY OPINION dzidula boney

copy editor

Political correctness. It sneaks into our words, resides on our clothes and dances around our minds. The phrase originated in a 1970s comic strip and these small, lethal words can determine the difference between judgment or praise, a sneer or a smile. Recently, the politically correct movement has gone too far. Many people don’t fully understand the word and just throw it around whenever they disagree with another. People pick apart other’s words to find faults. We supposedly live in a “free speech zone,” yet the moment someone says anything dislikeable, they are deemed politically incorrect and are criticized and bashed. Although we need to control what we say, a cutoff line is still necessary. People are becoming increasingly afraid of what they say, think or

write. No one wants to seem homophobic, racist or anti-feminist and no one wants to appear too harsh or too judgmental. I once saw a College Humor video on political correctness in my newsfeed. Intrigued by the caption, I clicked play.

half a minute later they had become a mob. Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Larry the Cable Guy have had to apologize not only to college students, but to audience members in general, because of how sensitive the reaction was to their jokes. It is odd

We supposedly live in

a free speech zone, yet the moment someone says anything dislikeable, they are deemed politically incorrect and are criticized and bashed.” The video was set on a college campus café, full of PC maniacs and portrayed a comedy stand-up scenario. Before the comedian completed his first sentence, the audience jumped down his throat, and

because comedians are here for comic relief, not to guard every word and joke that comes out of their mouth. With so much diversity in the world, there is always going to be someone to offend

because they have “a family member who dated or was friends with a so-and-so back in the day.” The idea of being considerate is one to, well, consider. Yet there are some undeniable times when a person, comedian or civilian, can go a bit too far. True, every other word does not need to be a racial, sexual or cultural slur. Carlos Mencia and Andrew Dice Clay are perfect examples. Most of their comedy seems to come from a place of meanness and hold no actual humorous value. With over 600,000 distinct words in the English language, there are better words to describe, well, anyone. While the idea of being considerate is commendable, it is important to know when to stop. The way people are change around simple words makes George Orwell’s 1984 seem like a joke. Our country prides itself on protecting our right to the freedom of speech… but now it is protected only if everyone finds the speech agreeable.

PSYCHOLOGY

Violence dehumanized, people desensitized IN MY OPINION michael katz

opinion editor

It’s fifth period, and my phone goes off. It could be a WhatsApp message from one of those despicable group chats, or Facebook preserving my friendships by reminding me it’s my best friend’s birthday. But it’s not. It’s a CNN alert telling me that nine students just lost their lives to another school shooting. I wish I could sympathize, I wish I could cry, but I felt nothing - the emotion was imprisoned behind the screen of my phone. We live in a world where kids play video games that give bonus points for headshots, the same video games that the army uses to train its soldiers for battle - a world where a news alert about a school shooting is reduced to nothing more than a vibration in your pocket, and where each day it becomes harder to tell the difference between a button and a trigger. In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, a former Predator drone operator for the U.S. Army said, ‘[Operating a drone] is a lot like playing

a video game. But playing the same video game for four years straight on the same level.’ And, of course, the fact that he was killing real people - who were, too often, innocent bystanders. We no longer care about our children spending hours playing Modern Warfare or how 90 percent of movies today depict violence in some form. In fact, we’ve grown so used to it, we even like it. “Violent movies serve as social models,” AP Psychology

teacher Dr. Michael Fass said. “By exposing kids to them, we give them the idea that violence is okay, or that the world is more violent than it truly is. What scares me the most, however, is the number of young kids that are playing video games with no filter without anyone discussing the ramifications with them.” As always, there are going to be people that disagree - or in this case, those who are too desensitized to see it. Recent studies show drops

MEDIA VIOLENCE

in youth crime rates from 19942010, yet note that violent stimuli such as video games causes kids to become desensitized to violent acts. That being said, it doesn’t take a PhD to know that if more people are becoming desensitized to violence, less people will care enough to stop it. If we keep heading in this direction, movie theater shootings will be just as common as shooting in movies themselves - and nobody’s going to lift a finger.

BY THE NUMBERS:

89%

Number of violent acts witnessed

75%

Number of murders witnessed

of video games depict violence

of violent scenes show no punishment

66%

of TV programs contain some physical violence

by the time you turn 18:

200,000

by the time you turn 18:

40,000

Number of hours kids spend watching TV each week:

SOURCES: psychiatrictimes.com, parentstv.org, jacksonkatz.com

Editorial Page 6

The Lightning Strike • OctoberPage 20155

EDUCATION

AP: Advanced Placement or Ageless Prejudice? IN MY OPINION naela foreau

staff writer

As of 2014, over 40% of our student body was African American, yet only 10% of our Advanced Placement classes are comprised of African American students. Over 60 years after the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in public schools, a racial divide is still seen among classrooms today. While our school can prove integration by its general enrollment, you couldn’t tell by just walking into one of the AP classrooms. Although I was offered the opportunity, the pressures of achieving while properly representing my race were too heavy a burden. I faced situations where my abilities were questioned. After starting AP World my freshman year, I felt like a fish out of water and I began to doubt myself, so I dropped the class. The challenges minority students face within the school system is proof that America has yet to completely eradicate racism. The effects of Jim Crow laws and racist ideology are still be-

ing felt in 2015 by minority students in pursuit of higher education. However, one the many factors that attribute to this discrepancy is economic disadvantage. According to a 2014 Census Bureau Report, the difference in annual income between black and white families is $23,672. This inequity makes it hard for them to gain access to re-sources such as gifted testing, eventually making it even harder for these students to fulfill prerequisites for higher-level programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB). Growing up in a poor neighborhood, AP English Language and Composition teacher, Dr. Elton Lewis often depended on the kindness of his friends’ parents to help him pay for school necessities. “I had to make a dollar out of 15 cents,” Lewis said. “Other students had resources I didn’t have access to but I didn’t make excuses. My family always told me that if you’re poor and black you have to be 10 times better than the next person.” Lewis believes there should be a larger effort to diversify AP classrooms. “I think is egregious that there is not one black male in any of my AP classes. If the

administration needed a black male for athletics they would find one right away,” he said. AP World and European History teacher Mary Lee notices the disparity between minority and white students in her classroom, as well. “In an AP Euro class with 50 kids, there are only five minorities,” Lee said. “Combined, there are about 2 percent of minorities in all of my AP classes.” According to Lee, one quality those minority students share

however, is the drive to be successful and to ‘rise above that stereotype.’ I can only imagine how many capable students are too reluctant, too fearful to deal with such a hostile and isolating environment. Whether said or perceived, legal or not, discrimination does happen. Too many times a minority student’s capability is questioned and undermined, their academic achievement attributed to everything but their effort,

like the program’s necessity to ‘fill quotas.’ When talking about diversity, people tend to get so caught up in the politics, they lose sight of the fact that they are dealing with the education and opportunities longed by humans - humans who bleed red regardless of their skin color or race. Schools may have been integrated in the 1970’s but AP classrooms have yet to show it. Now is the time for things to change.

COURTESY OF MEGAN ORLANSKY

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Gateway drugs drag students in dark directions IN MY OPINION corbin boiles

co-online editor

We live in a frightening world. The Middle East is in turmoil. School shootings are on the rise. Reality stars are running for president. What frightens me most, however, is an issue pertaining to many students – substance abuse.

who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use harder drugs such as cocaine in the future, making it quite a popular gateway drug – a drug that, while may not be addictive, paves the way for harder substances. These hard drugs have detrimental effects on your mental health. Drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine cause intense pleasure upon use, but it is that pleasure that makes them so deadly – it hijacks the

Drugs like cocaine and

methamphetamine cause intense pleasure upon use, but it is that pleasure that makes them so deadly” According to a 2014 study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 35 percent of teens admit to marijuana use, which is linked to problems such as memory loss, psychosis and depression. The scariest part, though, is what this drug can make you do. A study from Columbia University says that students

part of the brain that controls pleasure, making you want more of the drug to get that same feeling. This lowers the amount of pleasure you can receive, which can result in depression. But it isn’t just marijuana. With the rise of drugs such as Adderall, students are being introduced to a new substance

to abuse – prescription drugs. The NIH study says that teens use drugs like Adderall to help them study, thus under the impression that they aren’t harmful. But this is wrong – oh so wrong. This class of drugs kills, with a study in 2011 showing that 8.55 percent of teen drug users die from prescription drug overdoses. These are not just “study drugs” – these are addictive, controlled substances that, taken jokingly, can kill you. But students today have the power to end this epidemic. The rise of social media has opened a platform for teens everywhere to express their views, share their opinions and encourage others to do the same. We can now face the issue that others shied away from - we now have the power to bring about the end of substance abuse. The facts are there – marijuana and Adderall have found their way into society, and they’re not leaving anytime soon, but if students unite to address this problem, there’s nothing we can’t do – we can be the generation that closes the gate.

99.9%

of cocaine users began by ﬁrst using gateway drugs

Number of times teens that use marijuana are to use cocaine than those who don’t

$7,000,000,000 total annual cost of drug related losses in the nation

2,500

kids abuse prescription drugs for the ﬁrst time each day

sources: drugfreeworld.org, drugabuse.org

Feature Page 8

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

RETIREMENT

afton reluctant in leaving students mid-year Mila Sicorsky feature editor Besides the usual haunted houses, vampire sightings and werewolf howls, Halloween will be especially spooky this year for Krop students. After being denied a seven month extension to ﬁnish off the year with his students, chemistry teacher Dr. John Trafton will be retiring on October 30. “I wish I could’ve spent the entire year with Dr. Trafton,” sophomore Eli Navarro said, who has him for Honors Chemistry. “There’s really no other teacher like him.” However disappointing Trafton’s early-year retirement is for students, it gives them an opportunity to look back at their times in his class and their overall “Trafton Experience,” as Junior Chloe Nisset calls it. The minute the class begins Trafton’s room transforms into a game show. After he assigns his students problems from concepts he taught during the day, students race to the front of the classroom, possibly even trampling over each other, all for a nod from Trafton and a mark on his clipboard denoting extra credit. Like all other game shows, this concept, known as “bonus points,” is equally fun to participate in and watch. “The Trafton Experience is a good one,” Nisset, who was in his class sophomore year, said. “When I was in his class, I was generally happy because

of the playful atmosphere.” Besides the overall energetic vibe Trafton’s class gives off, it had its iconic moments and artifacts students will remember with fondness and amusement. Among these is “the chair”— the place where students see their exam scores. Never one to stick with the ordinary and hand back graded tests, Trafton did it his own way—sitting on his black, rolling chair and calling students up individually, followed by a hush that falls over his class. All of Trafton’s students, whether current or alumni, can agree that the process of seeing your test is both anxious and fun, especially when acing an exam. “The best moment is when he stands up and yells your name followed by your test score,” sophomore Devin Pryor said. “It makes you feel really good about yourself.” Junior Sarah Blake says the moments that follow acing a test are better than the grade itself. Besides Trafton sharing your score with the class, seeing your name on his whiteboard, where the collection of As from all his classes is listed, is definitely a plus. “I got an 100 on a test and took a selfie with him,” Blake said. “It’s an honor to get on the board!” Additionally, students that have had Trafton for first period can attest to his fierce patriotism, demonstrated by how serious he gets about the daily Pledge of Allegiance. People

Trafton’s top quotes “Tain’t hahd!” “I have AIDS...hearing aids!”

MILA SICORSKY / THE LIGHTNING STRIKE

SAYING GOODBYE: Chemistry teacher Dr. John Trafton teaches stoichiometry to his Honors Chemistry students. Trafton will be retiring on October 30 after being denied a seven month extension.

that enter his class will witness an array of soldiers, disguised as students, in position. He demands students to face the flag and, in the case they look to another side, he’ll tell them to respect the flag—or else. But there is always one student, slightly not facing the flag, who is glared at by Trafton and demanded to respect the flag. Whether they are future Einsteins, chemistry lovers or ones that struggle with science, students reach consensus that few classes are as memorable as Trafton’s. “Trafton’s teaching style is different and gets kids engaged,” Blake said. “He’s what gives Honors and AP Chemistry their name in Krop.” Just as his students adjust to

his unique teaching style, Trafton and his crazy ways will disappear from the school, leaving just his legacy. “I think it’s sad that other students won’t be able to experience his passion for bonus points and obsession with lab safety,” senior Yuval Mor said. Dr. Blucher Menelas will replace him as the new AP and Honors Chemistry teacher. Menelas taught Honors Chemistry at South Dade High School for three years before getting a PhD in Environmental Chemistry in Purdue University. After retirement, Trafton, with a smile, says he will do everything he wants to. “I’m being banished to Key Biscayne,” he said. “How bad can that be?”

“When you’re old you hate two things: pictures and mirrors.”

“Work hard, and I’ll show you my boat.”

“Cahbon!”

FACULTY

New debate teacher to shift focus elsewhere Ethan Curtis sports editor When Krop speech and debate alumni graduated last year, they hoped for a rebirth in the program. The current debate team may have it this year with the arrival of coach Eric Jeraci. In 2013 and 2015 Jeraci coached two National Champions in dramatic and humorous interpretation events. He has moved throughout the state coaching in Palm Beach County, Broward County and now in Miami-Dade County. At University School, Jeraci built a middle school speech and debate program from scratch, recruiting over 150 students. With only 50 students on the team last year, Jeraci looks to increase this number. “My goal is to rebuild the speech and debate team since that

is an area we are lacking in right now,” he said. Jeraci coaches his students in an untraditional way by sending them out into the hallways and spreading them throughout different corners of the classroom so every student can practice their scripts. Even though Jeraci emphasizes speech events, he still focuses on traditional events such as public forum. This year, two debate pairs advanced to elimination rounds in public forum debate, two on two debate, at the ﬁrst national tournament. “Focusing on the trophy isn’t always the best approach,” Jeraci said. “Instead, we should focus on the passion when performing.” Jeraci goes to local tournaments almost every weekend as well as state and national competitions to give the team the best chance at winning there is.

“Traftonium – it’s pretty hot!”

“Cover your hole!”

MIKAELA MENDEZ/ THE LIGHTNING STRIKE

COMMITMENT: Eric Jeraci holds a meeting for members of the Speech and Debate Club. Jeraci began working in Krop in order to lead the program to success.

“Through continued hard work and practice, I believe we can achieve great things,” he said. As much as speech and debate consists of individual performances, the team needs to come togeth-

er for one common goal which Jeraci believes he can achieve. “We need to learn to be united as a team and be ready to face any challenges as they approach,” Jeraci said.

“What’s the mattah with you?!”

Compiled by Nathaniel Manor

Feature Page 9

The Lightning Strike • October 2015 COMMUNITY SERVICE

Schlaen, Korner help those in need through service projects Sophie Muchnick entertainment editor

Two students stand out in their commitment to helping our community. Junior Jessica Schlaen and Senior Maxime Korner have found creative ways to help those in need. Brushing our teeth is important. We’ve been taught since preschool to brush and ﬂoss everyday. Unfortunately, many Floridians can’t afford the simple items, like a toothbrush, toothpaste or ﬂoss. Schlaen started her own community service project called “Sparkly Smile” to help those with limited options. “I always see problems like under-privileged kids not getting the right dental care,” she said. “To me, it’s so important to make sure that everyone gets the care they need and knows the importance of strong teeth and good hygiene.” Schlaen started this project after

watching orthodontists Dr. Brilliant and Rothenberg do their work. She learned the ins-and-outs of working in a real office. She learned to make retainers and put on braces, but most importantly learned that keeping your mouth clean is more than just oral health. The mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body, so it’s so important to keep it clean. Schlaen is collecting toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss and offers up to five hours of community service. She plans to donate half of the toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss materials to children in Immokalee, the second poorest city in Florida. The other half will go to a group of fifty elementary school children in Highland Oaks Elementary. Schlaen will also be teaching the children about dental hygiene and its importance. So far, Schlaen has collected 300 plus and is collecting these materials until the end of October. The donation box is in Ms. Russell’s office.

Breathe in and relax. Senior Maxime Korner understands that this can be difﬁcult for intellectually-challenged children, so she is doing yoga program called ‘yogME’ with them to help them unwind. “I’m amazed to see how much they are able to improve,” Korner

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA SCHLAEN

DONATION: Junior Jessica Schlaen gathers donation materials. Schlaen started ‘Sparkly Smile’ and collects toothbrushes, toothpaste and toothbrushes to donate.

ACTIVITIES

Students create clubs that reflect interests Sebastian Kuzak staff writer When people think of the new school year, new teachers, new courses and new friendships come to mind. However, fresh starts transform into fresh ideas--many of which develop in the form of clubs. Two clubs in particular stand out because of how out-ofthe-ordinary they are-- Photography Club and Tier Breaker. The Photography Club was created by seniors Max Levy and Jacob Shapiro with the purpose of uniting students interested in photography. They came up with the idea for the club last year in their AP photography class. “Max and I decided that all students should have the opportunity to enjoy photography,” Shapiro said. “We thought a club would be a great way to help those with interest enjoy photography.” The photography club was not created with the sole purpose of taking pictures. Levy, Shapiro and other officers in the club teach their craft to new photographers. One of the first techniques they taught was the use of a dark room for picture-taking. Film is light-sensitive, so to ensure that the pictures come out right they are taken in a dark room. Levy and Shapiro plan on doing community service through their club. They plan on visiting local middle schools like Highland Oaks Middle and teaching interested students about photo-taking techniques such as angles for taking

pictures and lighting techniques. “Last year on Take Your Child to Work Day, a group of middle schoolers came to our AP photography class and were taught about the darkroom and camera basics,” Levy said “Instantly Jake and I began discussing a way that we could teach younger students about photography.” The Photography Club is not the only new club at school. Tier Breakers was created for

the screen. The objective of the game is to smash the opposition off the screen, so directional inﬂuence is useful to avoid losing. When on offense, one technique used is to accelerate. Certain characters are quicker than others so that allows them to attack before the other player has a chance to defend themselves. Some players have competed in professional gaming competitions. Senior Denny Ben-

Max and I decided

that all students should have the opportunity to enjoy photography.” –JACOB SHAPIRO, senior people who love video games, in particular, Super Smash Bros. Members meet every Friday and play super smash bros on the Nintendo Wii U. Students in the club bring their Nintendo Wii Us to school so everyone can play. Participants compete against each other in either singles or doubles tournaments. Besides playing, members with more experience in video games teach those with less experience game techniques. The ﬁrst technique that members shared with each other was directional inﬂuence. This is a defen-

sive strategy that protects players by moving them to the corners of

oliel has competed in several competitions and is now club treasurer. “The club was created for us to have fun playing,” Benoliel said. “But it’s nice to teach those with less experience about the game.”

More experienced members demonstrate the techniques to newer players and then have them practice until they master them. If someone is struggling with a tactic, then those who teach attempt to show them similar but less effective techniques. Photography and video game playing are hobbies not associated with school. But these new clubs are so unique that they bring out-ofschool passions into the classroom.

said. “I just want to help them have fun.” Korner works with children ages two through six with special needs. They start with fun, upbeat music to warm up. After, they do revised yoga positions for about an hour, and then Korner does a guided relaxation with

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAXIME KORNER

ENJOYMENT: Senior Maxime Korner performs a tree pose with her kids. Korner founded ‘yogME’ where she helps intellectually-challenged kids unwind.

them. Parents can participate in the yoga classes with their children to enhance family time. Korner was inspired to begin this project after volunteering this summers to help with behavioral services for special needs children. She noticed how difﬁcult it was for them to focus. Since she had been doing yoga for four years, she thought this was the perfect way to help. Yoga for kids with special needs helps children learn to process information before they react. The breathing techniques help the kids improve their response time and give them some alternatives to reacting too quickly to a situation. Korner saw that after a couple of her classes, the children were able to handle longer periods of the same activity. “I had one child that didn’t even want to participate,” Korner said. “But after a few classes, his parents told me he was doing the yoga positions whenever he could.”

STAND OUT STUDENT LIFE

Seven—the kid who never ages Names are important. Especially when they’re as unique as Seven Fleurimond.

by Jacob Singer 1.5 percent of people in the U.S. are named James, but only .0005 percent of all people in the country are named Seven. Among this sliver of the population is Junior Seven Fleurimond. Fleurimond’s mother named him Seven Heaven Fleurimond because her favorite T.V. show is “Seventh Heaven,” but also because of the religious ties to the name. Seventh Heaven refers to the highest level of the afterlife, PHOTO COURTESY OF FOX-MAR which is associated with purity. FOOTBALL: Junior Seven Fleuri- She believes this will give her son mond sports his name on his jersey good luck throughout his life. that he wears in his football games. Students teased Fleurimond about his name when he was young, especially when he was seven years-old. “People would ask me my name, and when I told them, they would say, ‘Not your age. I asked you your name!’” Fleurimond said. Despite the teasing, Fleurimond has never felt insecure about his name. “I’ve never had real problems because of it,” he said. “Most reactions to my name have been positive.” As a wide receiver for the football team, Fleurimond has played a role in a successful season. One of his highlights is a 50 yard touchdown catch that helped the Lightning defeat the North Miami Beach Chargers. Even though the helmet covers his face, Fleurimond makes it easy for fans to identify him by wearing #7 on his jersey. Fleurimond hopes that his name will benefit him in the future. He wants to play professional football, but is confident he can achieve success in other fields because he believes companies will value his uniqueness. “Everyone wants to know a person that’s unique,” he said. “My name helps me be that person.”

Page 10

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

Page 11

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE ‘

The psychology of gratefulness

M a s lo w s rchy a of N r e i H e e ds

IN MY OPINION

“I’m thankful for music. It’s a huge creative outlet for me.” –Alexandra Prince, sophomore

I am thankful for the opportunity to work with kids, shape their future, give them wisdom, experience and get them ready for college and life.” –Daniel Ponkey, assistant principal

nicolas chmielewski

Gratitude should be a lifestyle IN MY OPINION michael katz

spread editor

opinion editor

Give every one of Krop’s 2,800 students 70,000 bagels and you still haven’t gotten to 200 million – the number of people globally unemployed. Attend a class assembly with 700 different students 140,000 times and you still wouldn’t have seen 100 million people – the number of people currently homeless. Do 65,000 homework assignments every day of school from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and you’d still fall short of 153 million – the number of kids that will have no family to spend Thanksgiving with this year. Maybe I can’t speak for us all, but I can say we all have shoes, some even with shoelaces. We all have some pretty fresh uniforms that we wish we had on when Ms. Clappier comes around to check them, and while we may not always have air conditioning, we all have the right to an education and to choose the life we want to live. We all have pencils, and we can use them to write anything we wish. We can speak our minds freely. Air is free, unless you buy Doritos. The Sun rises and sets every day. And even on Monday, Friday is only five days away. The sad part is that after a while, the small things - the shoes, the pencils, the freedom - become worthless. We stop appreciating them because we’re so used to having them. We stop valuing every breath because we’re so sure we’ll have more; we stop loving every day because we know we’ll have tomorrow. It’s not until your next breath is uncertain, until you might not have tomorrow, that most people start to cherish every shoelace they own, every song they hear and every word they speak. And it’s so utterly stupid, because by the time you learn to appreciate the small things, you have a life’s worth of small things to regret not appreciating. Gratitude is more than just an emotion. It’s a lifestyle. It allows you to see all of the blessings you have and truly be thankful for them, because we aren’t owed any of them - they are all gifts. “In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.” -Albert Clarke

Have you ever taken the time to sit down with someone and tell them how grateful you are for their friendship, generosity or compassion? Have you ever stopped to think about the things you are the most thankful for? Have you ever thought about how appreciating the smaller things in life can affect you? Endless studies have proven time and time again that realizing gratitude has a positive psychological effect on the human brain. Appreciation can lead to better life experiences, relationships and health. This is due to neurotransmitters, which are chemical signals that are released throughout the nerve system. In other words, neurotransmitters are used to tell one’s lungs to breathe or stomach to digest, as well as controlling moods, weight and awareness. Consequently, there are up to 100 neurotransmitters, all with different purposes and goals in the body. These include serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Dopamine, for instance, encourages us to start toward ambitions, aspirations and necessities, as well as giving us a surge of reinforcing pleasure when achieving them, increasing our self-esteem. Similarly, oxytocin creates affection, intimacy, trust and builds healthy relationships. Having oxytocin is an underlying fundamental in forming solid bonds and social interactions between one another. Studies from the American Psychological Association have established the explicit relation between gratitude and happiness. During 2003, American scientists Emmons and McCullough collectively held an experiment on two designated groups of young adults that were appointed to a daily journal. The ﬁrst group was demanded the recording of irritations and displeasures the participants have. The subjects in the second grouping were instructed to write about what they are grateful for. The study ascertained that those who wrote about their annoyances demonstrated disinterest, unsureness and apathy. On the contrary, those who had grateful diaries showed determination, enthusiasm and attentiveness. Other studies have concluded similar effects, which include the combined effects of gratitude and sleep quality on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Gratitude does not come easily to human beings, especially in modern times. In our consumerist, materialistic society, we tend to focus on what we lack rather than what we already have. The holidays are coming up, so what better time to be appreciative and celebratory of our surroundings?

My mother because she provides for me, she loves me and because she is just an amazing person.” –Ashlee Balom, sophomore

I am grateful for nature, its beauty and everything that it does for us.” –Katiana Bolton, junior

CREDITS TO JUANA ARGIRO

Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is one of the best known theories of motivation which displays the ﬁve primary ares of needs that cause human behavior and decision making. Appreciating the needs that are fulﬁlled in your life, knowing that many people are not as privileged, can lead to a happier life. I have amazing friends who are always there for me, whenever I need advice.” –Vania Mishkin, junior

Physiological Needs In theory, these are the most basic, important and physical needs because of their appeal to survival. They comprise of the necessities vital to life such as air, food, water and sleep.

Safety Needs The needs in the second tier consist of our security and safety. Security needs are important, but not as essential as the Psychological needs. Examples of security needs include a desire for health care, shelter, personal security and financial security.

Love Needs The third layer of human needs is interpersonal which includes the belonging, love and affection within family, friends and intimacy with others.

Esteem Needs The esteem requirements are very elaborate, since they include the fundamental aspirations that reflect on achievement, self-esteem, self-regard, social recognition and personal worth.

Self Actualization The highest, most complex level of the hierarchy of needs presents the desire to accomplish everything that one can in order to become the most that one can be. Once a person reaches this stage, they beome “self actualized,” a concept akin to “Nirvana” in Hinduism.

I am thankful that I’m a Christian. I go to church every other Sunday and I pray for happiness.” –Bellande Doucet, freshman

Entertainment Page 12

TV SHOWS

Drug cartels taking over entertainment? Corbin Boiles Co-online editor With the end of Breaking Bad two years ago, there has been an outcry for more crime entertainment. This year has plopped food on that plate, with movies like Sicario, Escobar: Paradise Lost and shows like Narcos fulfilling that need, exploring the world of drug cartels. What attracts students to these films could be the genres they fall into. Sicario centers on Kate (Emily Blunt), an FBI agent who has to work with a mercenary (Benicio Del Toro) to take down a drug ring in Mexico. A straight thriller by acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), it pulls the audience in with a look at the intensity of drug rings and how they affect areas in Mexico. In Escobar: Paradise Lost, the focus falls on Nick (Josh Hutcherson), a young man thrust into the drug-filled world of Pablo Escobar (Del Toro again, almost demanding resurgence through these roles) after falling in love with his niece. Being a romantic thriller, it adds a human nature to the story that not many thrillers do. With the big appeal of Hutcherson, one of the leading stars of The Hun-

ger Games franchise, and Academy Award-winner Del Toro, it draws audiences that may want a peek at Escobar’s world without so much violence. On the television end, Netﬂix released the groundbreaking series Narcos, detailing the rise and attempted capture of Escobar (Wagner Moura, capturing the role both through appearance and talent). Through its 10-episode season, it allows students to gain a more in-depth view of the power Escobar had in Colombia and the environment of both fear

do reel in the audience through two hours of compelling acting and plot. A 10-episode season of Narcos, though, provides time to see the characters grow, and gives audiences a reason to care about the characters and more of a journey to follow. It also helps that Narcos airs on Netﬂix, the service that has swept students’ hearts with its many differnet shows including House of Cards and Daredevil. Through these different genres and mediums, students

This year has plopped food

on that plate, with movies like Sicario, Escobar: Paradise Lost and shows like Narcos fulﬁlling that need, exploring the world of drug cartels. and care he showed its citizens. The show also beneﬁts from being shot on location, giving the audience a true feel of the country under Escobar’s reign. Students may also be interested in the different mediums they have to choose from. While Sicario and Escobar: Paradise Lost may not be able to offer the amount of character development Narcos can provide, they

have enough content to satisfy their craving of crime. With the violent nature of Sicario, the human element in Escobar: Paradise Lost and the real-world perspective Narcos gives, not to mention the different choices of ﬁlm and T. V., it has become clear – the time of Walter White has passed. Drug cartels are the new Breaking Bad.

OPINION

Not so ‘reality’ tv shows The truth behind reality television

IN MY OPINION alejandro preschel

staff writer

I’ve always known reality TV to be scripted and fake, but I never disliked the genre until I found out that Pawn Stars, was of my favorite shows was a complete lie. Pawn Stars documents the daily events in the world famous “Gold and Silver Pawn Shop” in Las Vegas Nevada. The show records the supposed family business’s daily encounters with customers, who bring in a variety of rare, valuable items to pawn or sell. The show focuses on the bargains and hassles made by the shop staff and the customers. The show is entertaining and educational, because every episode is like a history lesson. What I loved most is its unpredictability. You never know what you’re gonna see. When I found out exactly how much of the show is fake, I couldn’t believe it. The place isn’t even a pawn shop, it’s more of a museum. You can’t

pawn, sell or buy items. Maybe if you’re lucky enough, the “Pawn Stars” t-shirt will be in stock. The next time you see something remotely interesting on a reality show, chances are, it’s fake. Take the show “Storage Wars” for example. The show auctions items kept

The next

time you see something remotely interesting on a reality show, chances are, it’s fake.” in foreclosed storage units. Professional buyers speculate through the door of a unit and decide what they want to buy, before they auction the items off for profit. Like “Pawn Stars” the most appealing part of the show is it’s unpredictability. Again, You never know what you’re gonna see hidden in the foreclosed stor-

age units. Turns out, in several instances items were planted inside the units to increase show views. An even better example is the Amish Mafia. Even the name sounds ridiculous. It’s an oxymoron. The two words have absolutely nothing to do with each other. The Amish are a group of traditional Christian church fellowships, while the mafia is an organized system of crime. The Amish aren’t capable of racketeering, loan-sharking, or even drug trafficking. They can’t even drive cars. How could they run from the cops? In a buggy? If any Amish person acted the way the members of the supposed “Amish Mafia” acts, they’d be banished from the Amish church. The show deliberately defies Amish pacifist beliefs was even denounced by the Amish community. “Amish Mafia” and shows like it represent what “reality television” has unfortunately become an amalgamation of staged scenes, scripted drama and outright lies.

The Lightning Strike • October 2015 MOVIES

Corbin’s Critique Corbin Boiles co-online editor

The Last Witch Hunter The Last Witch Hunter is a Halloween movie, first and foremost. If you’re not a huge fan of horror, you could go with your friend or significant other and have a good time. This is not to say that The Last Witch Hunter is a good movie. It’s not. We’re led through the movie by Kaulder (Vin Diesel, who looks like he’s having a great time), an immortal witch hunter who strives to rid the world of malicious witches. However, when evil forces strive to resurrect the powerful Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht), Kaulder must use the resources he has to bring her down That plot was almost as painful to write as it was to watch. Throughout the movie, the script faltered in areas it had to excel in the most. I sat through the film confused half the time, as random mentions of “dreamwalkers” and unnecessary off-screen deaths littered the screen. Random twists and turns drastically brought down the quality of the film, preventing me from enjoying it. However, the worst part of the film is its CGI (computer-generated imagery). While some shots throughout the movie looked decent (the film managed to produce a nice shot of the New York skyline, something many movies can’t seem to do), wideshots of the locations looked all too fake. This took me out of the film. You cannot enjoy a movie if you don’t believe what you’re seeing. On the bright side, many of the performances were quite good. Rose Leslie

shines as a young witch, working with the mediocre dialogue she’s given. She is a good foil to Vin Diesel, a producer on the ﬁlm, who maintains a guarded personality throughout the movie. Elijah Wood and Michael Caine were decent enough, with Caine taking advantage of the (rather brief) comedic lines. The biggest problem with The Last Witch Hunter is that

it doesn’t allow itself to be fun. Almost every shot we get of Kaulder is a brooding one, with his brief (really brief) moments of humor inappropriate. Sure, they need to prevent the resurrection of a crazy witch queen, but it never feels as though we’re on an adventure with these characters. It’s just the audience, the screen and Vin Diesel’s face – an angry one at that. The Last Witch Hunter has trouble ﬁtting in any other genre other than Halloween. With its brief moments of humor, CGI that is painful to watch and a story that never reels you in, this isn’t a regular drama or action ﬁlm. It’s a Halloween movie, and a bad one at that. RATING: 1.5/4

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

Entertainment Page 13

MOVIES

Foreign ﬁlms: a universal language Nico Chimielewski spread editor

Anderson, whose directing techniques can be evidently compared to.

Bicycle Thief – Italy 1948

There is an estimated 3.5 million movies in the world and with the expansion into foreign films there is always so much culture to be gained from. Below are some of the most celebrated and popular foreign films from the past century.

The Italian neorealist motion-picture presents the story of a man who seeks for a bike that is a fundamental element to his job. The tragic story produces relatable feelings and situations amongst helpless circumstances, working class and father-son relationship introduced throughout the film.

Ida – Poland 2013

Ida Lebenstein, a woman nearly about to take vows as a Catholic nun in 1962, discovers the obscure family’s secret that she’s a Jew. Having won the first academy award for Poland, the director and cinematographer have been praised for both its beauty and brilliance from around the world. The breathtaking imagery throughout the scenes alongside their ability to capture a character such wholeheartedly makes for a great film. The award-winning feature film can be found on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The secret in Their Eyes– Argentina 2009 As told through flashbacks, Benjamín Espósito, a

Man with a Movie Camera – Russia 1929

COURTESY OF LIKEM BONEY

retired investigator, decides to write a novel based on the unsolved 1974 rape and murder case with the help from another judiciary employee Irene Menéndez Hastings. The argentine film quickly gained popularity, and went on to win the academy award for best foreign film. A United States remake with the same title will premiere November 20th, staring Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The 400 Blows – France 1959

The movie details the confusing livelihood of a boy named Antoine Doinel who experiences the difficulties of adolescence while having reoccurring conflicting thoughts about school and his parents’ unfaithful marriage. The classic French New Wave film has been considered to be one of the most influential films for modern directors such as Wes

Chorus goes a capella High notes are not the only things our chorus magnet is hitting. On October 23, Dr. Gary Keating’s Starlight Magnet students will participate in the 2nd annual Betsy’s A Capella Festival workshop at the Adrian Arsht Center. Dr. Keating, University of Miami alumni, has been the choral teacher at Krop for 10 years. In that time, he has been looking for a way to better invest the money that his kids pay. Due to a lack of funding, each child is required to pay a total amount

of $160 dollars each year they participate the program. Many donate an additional $100 dollars as well. Instead of using the money for competition this year, Keating looked for something a little more worthwhile. Keating contacted the Arsht Center seeking an educational opportunity. Due to a recommendation from another school, he received a call back within 20 minutes that invited his students and himself to the a capella workshop. Keating is taking his Starlight singers and nine from his training course, provided that they have good grades and work hard.

Since 1948, 13 Italian ﬁlms won the Oscar for best foreign language ﬁlm.

The latest winner of the Best Foreign ﬁlm was Italy won its 13th Oscar in 2014 for “The Great Beauty”.

67 foreign ﬁlms have won Oscars with Best Foreign language ﬁlms.

Cinema Paridiso in Hollywood, Fl is a movie theater showing foreign ﬁlms.

U.S. box office for the top five foreign-language films has declined by 61% in the last seven years.

Compiled by Dzidula Boney and Kevin Baurenfeind

TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL AFFAIRS

Dzidula Boney Copy-editor

Popular Russian director, Dziga Vertov, experimented with a movie using the following guidelines presented as “an experimentation in the cinematic communication without the use of intertitles, without the help of a scenario, without the help of theater.” The disjointed story of the urban soviet cities proves that there is no need to have actors or explicit plots in a movie. The film demonstrates the quickly advancing, transforming world of the early 1900s within the eyes of a Russian citizen.

The fun of foreign ﬁlms

Video games then and now

“The last thing I want to do is take the ones who need to be in school,” Keating says. At the workshops, the singers will meet Pitch Perfect Director Jason Moore and Music Director of Pitch Perfect 1, The Sing-Off and The Voice Ben Bram as well as The Voice season eight contestant India Carney. After the workshop sessions, there will be a public concert at the Miami Beach Community Church on the 24th. The arrangement the magnet singers will perform is That’s Christmas to Me by Pentatonix, a well-known five member a capella group. Chorus magnet has also been offered to attend a Jazz workshop with Patti La Belle on Nov. 5, spring tickets to a workshop with Natalie Cole and to later hear her in concert. Keating not only wishes to attend these, but to also take his entire magnet to a professional Broadway show as well as the opera. “When I first showed my students opera, I could not believe how well they took to it. I took 30 students four times and they would always fight for tickets,” Keating remarked. With big plans and even bigger hopes, Keating strives to help his students soar and get the most out of their time in magnet.

Alan Imar Co-online editor A long, long time ago, before most people who will read this article were born, there existed the eight bit, 2-D graphics that started the video game revolution.

Unlocking Items vs. Purchasing Items

Video games now allow players to purchase addons, levels and characters instead of unlocking them. These games are known as “pay-towin games.” We have reached a point where games cannot be regarded as games anymore. Playing a game means that you have fun and are entertained. It doesn’t mean that you sit around and wait for the game to annoy you for so long that you decide to pay money to advance. Until only a few years ago, video games were about dedicating time and skill to pass the everlasting and impossible levels, but today, completing a game is about using money to buying extras. “When I ﬁrst started playing Clash of Clans in 2012, I had a lot of fun because I was able to compete with my friends and compare bases,” sophomore Netanel Kohen

said. “Today, it’s just a bunch of ten year olds using their parents money to get ahead.”

Game Disks vs. the Virtual Game

The idea that one could download games seamlessly onto their mobile device, would have been considered witchcraft 10 years ago. Today, you don’t need to go to the GameStop or BestBuy around the corner to buy the latest version of Fifa or 2K. You just log on to the PlayStation Store or the Microsoft Store and just click the download button and voila, it appears right onto your system. To get a game, you used to go to the store but today you can download it from the comfort of your living room couch. “I think it’s much easier to virtually download games,” junior Carlos Solis said. “Although, this way, you don’t get the whole feeling of waiting in line for a new game. Since their emergence, video games have evolved drastically. When they ﬁrst came out, you needed to unlock items but now you have the ability to purchase them. Even more so, you now have the ability to download video games instead of getting the disks.

Uncle Jake wants YOU to know that the Lightning Strike has entered the 21st Century! Visit LightningStrikeNews.com to check out the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online coverage of everything you want and need to know!

Here is a preview of the website! Visit daily for new content updated regularly!

Lifestyle Page 15

The Lightning Strike • October 2015 FESTIVALS

Halloween around the world Megan Orlanski staff writer

Every year children and adults parade the streets around the on Halloween. While we trick or treat people around the world celebrate the autumn festivities with their own traditions Dia de los Muertos- Mexico: Skulls are not only a symbol for Halloween in the U.S., they are commonly seen on the Day of the Dead, known as el Dia de los Muertos. On this day deceased ancestors are honored with food such as tamales, sweet bread, sugar skulls and drinks. These items are placed on an altar constructed by their family to show their respect. To celebrate the Day of the Dead, people decorate graves and their houses with paper streamers. Families also wear ﬂowers and paint their faces to

resemble skulls. Lanterns light up the sky, since they are thought to help guide the spirits. The Hungry Ghost FestivalChina: The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese celebration to honor the spirits of ancestors by providing them with sacriﬁce. Families spend the day preparing meals such as chicken, pork and cakes for the feast, and keep an empty chair is placed in respect for the spirits. At dusk family tablets, pieces of wood with spiritual inscriptions, incense and candles are put on a table with photos of the deceased. The Gaelic Pagan festival of Samhain in Ireland is on the same day as Halloween, and revolves around the worship of the gods and performing of divinations. This holiday and festival is centralized around the practice of

witchcraft, The festival is practiced in the beginning of winter since it is believed that divination at the end of the harvest is thought to bring good fortune. Gai Jatra Festival- Nepal: Celebrated in August, the Gai Jatra Festival honors the dead through the celebration of spirits through cows. Cows and people parade through the streets of Nepal wearing bright colors to mimic those of a Nepali holy man. It is traditional for families who lost a relative in the past year to participate in the parade leading a cow, a symbolic animal for the Hindu religion, thought to be holy and contain the spirit of a person who has passed away. From hungry ghosts to spiritual cows, nearly every culture has their own way of honring their ancestors.

FEATURE

When I was your age... Teacher edition

Teachers were once teenagers too. Growing up in a generation where Fetty Wap and iPhone 6’s in rose gold didn’t exist, they had to rely on artists like Marvin Gaye to get them through their days. Without advanced technology to communicate they had to rely on passing notes or having a real conversation. Teachers and staff member’s share person tidbits about life when they were our age. Rosanne Mishan: I had long curly hair and it’d take me three hours to straighten using beer cans. But once I stepped outside it’d get curly again with the humidity.

...

Regina Rosenfeild: No one in my very small high school in Ohio would dare miss a Friday night high school football game. There were no cell phones or other tech toys; texting didn’t exist and we actually talked to each other.

...

Lisa Berner: I had three jobs as a high school student. I was a sales person in a large department store, a cashier in a restaurant and I babysat on the weekends. However, it was all worth when I got to study abroad my senior year.

...

From upper left clockwise: Los dias de los Muertos, Gai Jatra Festival, Gaelic Pegan Festival, The Hungry Ghost Festival. Source Buzzfeed

Procrastinators guide to time management This article was assigned two weeks ago and due yesterday. Ironically, I have procrastinated on a time management guide, earning the name of the ultimate procrastinator. This is a guide for people who wait for the last minute, to ﬁnd out how to wait to the last minute. Be SMART.

S M A R T

Speciﬁc. Goals should be as speciﬁc as possible. The main reason procrastinators extend their goals is because the goals are broad and overwhelming. The more realistic the goal seems, the more attainable it will be. Write down your goal and deadline, that way it exists. Measure. From one procrastinator to another, this may be the hardest thing to do. Do not lie to yourself. Goals must be measured realistically as to how long they will take. Also, measuring progress while on completles the tast is important because after each small accomplishment that is noted one is motivated to keep on going. Attainable. This does not mean to lower your aim. Challenges should be as ambitious as possible, but reachable. By setting mini goals or mini deadlines, a challenging goal will just seem like a few small tasks Rewarding. After reaching a mini goal, reward yourself. One way to do this is to eat a snall peice of godiva chocolate after completing a tast. Besides for the immediate reward, you will look forward to achieving the next goal knowing there is a treat waiting. Timely. This word is daunting to a procrastinator. Being timely is simple in theory, just remove yourself from distractions. Try turning off the television or putting away your cell phone and computer. Compiled by Shoshana Sommer

Michael Kelly: I used to listen to Mick Jagger all the time, I loved his music.

...

Maria Martin: I listened to Endless Love, Lady, Celebration, Fame Whip It and Jessie’s Girl. I would dance to disco songs from the queen of disco, Donna Summer.

...

Compiled by Mikaela Mendez

Lifestyle Page 16

The Lightning Strike • October

PSYCHOLOGY

Over testing takes mental toll on students Nathaniel Manor business manager In one week, senior Lital Hartzy has over an hour of homework per class and a test in at least half of them. “I’m always stressed,” Hartzy said. “At some points, I don’t know how to deal with it.” Sleeping less than five hours on a typical school night, she attributes her lack of sleep and stress to school and everything that revolves around it, such as college applications and standardized testing. According to William Crane, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the City College of New York, over testing and overworking are the top causes of stress, along with a weakened immune system and increased headaches, stomachaches, muscle pains and fatigue in high school students. Teens are developing more and more school-related illnesses, as such, due to the increased workloads and stress

brought on by school. High school students work for nearly seven hours on a normal school day, plus an additional two to four hours of homework. Add it up and students work from 45 to 55 hours a week - more than most American adults. For teens aged 13-17, school ranks as the highest cause for stress. According to a recent AP-MTV study by psychologist Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University, today’s students suffer an average of 10 percent more stress than adults. Anxiety levels are naturally highest during adolescence, but increase because of school-stress. Many students have made an unhealthy habit of staying up later or waking up earlier to complete assignments and study for upcoming tests. According to the CDC, teens need nine to ten hours of sleep per night. The

The rise of Founded in 1942, Naot started as a small shoe factory that made simple work shoes and sandals. Although they have come a long way since their simple beginnings, they never lost sight of making superbly crafted footwear. The company’s international success story lead them to become Israel’s leading manufacturer and exporter of shoes. The Teva Noat sandals made their way from Israel to the States and now Krop. Known as “Moses shoes” because of its ancient appearance, the sandals are known for its style and comfort. Noat products came as a response to the compelling need for healthful, comfortable, and fashionable footwear. “I bought my Teva Naot sandals in Israel last summer and they’re honestly the comﬁest sandals I own,” said senior Eden Moskona. “I love to wear them to school with my fuzzy socks.”

Why do you love about NAOT? They remind me of a place I really love and they’re “also super comfortable,” senior Daniela Rojman said. They are literally the most comfortable pair of foot“wear that one can wear. Each and every time you put

them on, it's as if you're stepping on a cool cloud that slowly envelops your foot and hugs it with warmth and

“ They make me want to walk on water,” senior Alan

Lau said.

Compiled by Gal Mintz

fact of the matter is that more than 90 percent of teenagers fail to sleep more than five hours on a school night, according to a 2014 survey. A lack of sleep in teenagers is detrimental to their mental and physical health. An increased lack of sleep has a direct correlation with increased suicide rates and depression, obesity, and behavioral issues. It could also lead to chronic sleep apnea and insomnia in later years. In addition to

the overwhelming health effects caused by overworking

In the era of social media and shallowness, there have been many memorable contributions to society that would’ve been unthinkable without help from the “send” button. We can thank social media for its role in spreading awareness for underrated topics like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), but this in an ode to the social media phenomenon’s society would be better off forgetting. Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge (2015): The sadist who came up with this challenge clearly loves watching people suffer while they compete over Twitter for the “Narcissist of the Year Award.” Although several doctors advised against sucking air out of a shot glass, users of social media were quick to “do it for the vine” by permanently disﬁguring their faces. Fire Challenge (2014): Making a resurgence in 2015, this challenge originated on Youtube in

they’ve spent far over the suggested times finishing what needed to be done for their overworking and overtesting students is unhealthy and often times lead to an adverse impact on students. Teenagers have lives apart from school and it seems as if teachers are unwilling to allow students to flourish in other aspects through extracurriculars and sports. By giving the students an attitude of ‘This class takes presidency over activities’, teenagers are deterred from learning and statistically, do worse in school. Te e n a g e r s need their rest and time off from school-related work. The health consequences of overworking students are too vital to ignore. Bombarding students MEGAN ORLANSKI with ten-page eslevel per night.” says and four tests The majority of students can agree that in one day must stop. students, a set of guidelines were implemented by the Miami-Dade County Public School Board which states that high school students should not have to complete more than two hours of homework per day. The National Education Association (NEA), also provides us with a set of guidelines, which state, “A students should be assigned no more than 10 minutes of homework per grade

2014 and involved throwing alcohol on your body and setting yourself on ﬁre. Apparently, making Youtube’s weekly “Top Five” is all worth it, even if it comes with third-degree burns and arm-length medical bills. Salt and Ice Challenge (2012: This challenge tested how long a person can tolerate the pain caused by burning their skin with salt and ice. The genius chemists behind the challenge were obviously unaware of the consequences of burning your skin with ice brought down to a temperature of -17 C° with the help of salt. “Charlie Charlie” Challenge (2015): Admittedly one of the more creative challenges, the Mexicaninspired challenge included summoning a demon named “Charlie” by crossing two pencils and chanting his name three times. A movement of the top pencil suggested that you were in Charlie’s presence. At least this challenge gave users the opportunity to embarrass them-

selves without sending them to the hospital. Cinnamon Challenge (2012: Requiring only a vial of cinnamon and the level of a dog, the objective of this challenge is to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon in under 60 seconds without the aid of bevereges. Ignoring professional caution of lung-damage risks, over 100 breathless players phoned the American poison control centers in 2012 after partaking in the challenge. In all seriousness, these challenges go to show the extent at which teenagers will reach to go viral. The combination of peer-pressure, an underdeveloped adolescent brain, and a twitter retweet is a enough for this generation to start an epidemic of self-injury and humiliation. If we wouldn’t jump off a bridge after our friends, why do the same for a couple of Facebook likes?

Udi Manor

Cell: (305) 308-7052

english, hebrew, spanish, FrenCh, italian, gerMan, portUgUese and Many More All translations are backed up by an official notarized affidavit. We also provide interpretation services for depos & court hearings.

20225 N.E. 34th Court • SuitE 1417 • AvENturA, FL 33180 oFFiCE: (305) 936-8891 • ukmANor@bELLSouth.NEt

TO JOIN THE PTSA FILL OUT A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Applications can be found in the main ofﬁce or on kropseniorhigh.org in the PTSA tab.

Sports Page 18

tops

KROP’S SPORTS

Karl Jeanty received a Division I basketball scholarship to Brown University. The boys golf team qualified for the regional tournament as a whole. The girls Volleyball team won the District Championship. Junior Jason Girardi has received baseball interest letters from Division I schools and a scholarship from a small Divison II school. The school cross country team tied for third place at the district cross country meet. Spencer Tate placed second at the district cross country meet. Compiled by Ethan Curtis

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

ACCOMPLISHMENT

NJROTC drill team ﬁnishes ﬁrst in the Miami-Dade drill meet Kevin Bauernfeind staff writer

The NJROTC drill team made school history by winning first place overall at the Miami-Dade drill meet. The cadets practiced their routines almost every day for two hours in the school parking lot. “Our team felt confident in our ability to win,” Chief Petty Officer Wittayanukorn, sophomore, said. 40 cadets met at four a.m. in the NJROTC room to wait for the buses to take them to the drill meet. “The atmosphere before the meet was nerve-wracking.” Company Commander junior Kevin Acks said. The first year cadets in the hours before the meet went over their routines and told jokes to try to ease the pressure. The nine-hour drill meet had seven events showcasing the drill team’s knowledge and physical strength. Military personnel test the cadet’s knowledge by reciting the ranks of the Navy and make sure their uniforms are correct in personal inspection which was the team’s first event.

The next event is unarmed and armed regulation. Unarmed and armed regulation is when the drill team marches with or without wooden riﬂes. This event is followed by unarmed and armed exhibition. Here cadets stomp, clap and keep formation whereas in the armed exhibition cadets throw and spin wooden riﬂes.

The color guard, which is the final event, consists of a leading cadet holding an American flag, and another cadet holding the Florida state flag and two rifle men on their sides. They are judged on their marching and formation. The drill team came first in events such as armed and unarmed regulation, armed exhi-

bition, curl ups and academic team. These victories contributed to their historical ﬁrst place achievement. The drill team, after hearing of their victory, started to chant their marching songs. They not only brought home the trophy, they learned that hard work and putting in extra hours is the way to win.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NJROTC

CELEBRATION: The NJROTC drill team poses for a photo as they hold the school ﬂags with the ﬁrst place trophies from different events are in the front of the picture

CHAMPIONS

FEATURE

Lightning welcomes new baseball coach Ethan Curtis sports editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOX MAR

INSIDE THE HUDDLE: The girls volleyball team is inside the huddle planning out their strategy during the pregame of the district championship.

Girls volleyball team wins district championship Ethan Curtis sports editor The girls volleyball team won the district championship vs. Miami Beach High giving them their first district championship win in five years. In the first round of districts, the Lightning beat Hialeah Gardens three to zero as Hialeah Gardens hosted the District tournament The Lightning beat Beach High in three games, winning the first game 25 to 19. The second game went into extra points but Krop prevailed, win-

ning the game 29 to 27. The third game was a breeze for the lightning as they won 25-12 giving them the district championship win as they completed the sweep in straight sets. The team was able to stay perfect throughout the season and under the guidance of ﬁrst year head coach John Bluhm. He was also able to deliver the team a district title. When the team won their last title, they were under Julie Priester. This is the volleyball team’s ﬁrst perfect season as they cap off their run for districts as champions.

The Lightning baseball teamhas not had a winning season since 2010, but new baseball coach Bryan Medeiros thinks the team has the ability to go even farther. Medeiros lived in New Hampshire, where he coached summer league teams, little league teams and middle schools. He studied at Barry University for his undergraduate degree while getting experience as an assistant coach. A winning season may be hard to achieve because in the last nine years, there has been no consistancy with the coaches. “I understand the team’s struggle with different coaches,” Medeiros said. “They know I’m a new coach but understand what they need to do. How much heart and passion you play with in a game depends on who your coach is and how much you respect him. Junior Jason Girardi has played for the team since he was a freshman and has had a new head coach each year he’s played. But he has a different perception of Medeiros. “I like him a lot. We practice

hard every day and we have no excuse mentally,” Girardi said. “I think he can guide us far this year.” The baseball program has been without a junior varsity team in four years because not enough students signed up. This year, however, 35 kids signed on for fall baseball, which meant Medeiros can now open a JV team. Medeiros plans joints practices between the varsity and junior varsity teams in order for the JV players to develop. He rotates the two teams from the batting cage and on the field to ensure equal time for both teams to hit and field. “Some of the kids are still making throwing errors, so we need to go through the repetitions every day so their defense becomes solid,” Medeiros said. “Hitting is fine, but repetitions always makes a baseball player better.” Medeiros’ goals include a winning season, and beyond. They have not won a district championship since 2007, but that could change this school year. “Over the next five years or so, I want to build the Krop program into what it used to be, being one of the best in the district over a long period of time,” Medeiros said.

Sports

The Lightning Strike • October 2015

Page 19

DIETS

Wrestlers struggle to maintain diet Sebastian Kuzak staff writer People think of diets as months of eating healthier and exercising - but when it comes to wrestling, wrestlers often gain and lose weight abruptly Fluctuations in weight classes must occur quickly because of

the little time between matches. If wrestlers do not gain or lose enough weight, they end up at a disadvantage because they won’t ﬁt the desired weight class. High school wrestling breaks down into 14 weight classes, ranging from 106 to 270 pounds. Wrestlers can only wrestle with other competitors in their class,

and wrestler’s weight determines his class. For example, a wrestler in weight class 113 weighs more than 106 pounds but less than 113. Senior Alan Lau has wrestled since freshman year and is now the captain. Lau prefers to lose weight because it suits his abilities better. The lower classes re-

Wrestling BY THE NUMBERS 2350 Calories

2 Cups

THE AMOUNT OF CALORIES THAT A 140 POUND WRESTLER SHOULD INTAKE, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE WEIGHT

THE NUMBER OF CUPS OF WATER THAT A WRESTLER SHOULD DRINK FOR EVERY POUND LOST BEFORE WEIGH IN.

3 Pounds

55%-65%

THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF WEIGHT THAT WRESTLERS SHOULD LOSE EVERY WEEK ONLY IF THEY PLAN TO GO WITH LOSING WEIGHT, NOT GAINING.

THE PERCENTAGE OF CARBOHYDRATES THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR DIET IF YOU CHOOSE TO GAIN WEIGHT WHILE WRESTLING BECAUSE IT’S THE MAIN SOURCE

Source: The Wrestler’s Diet

Compiled by Ethan Curtis

quire more quickness than they do strength. “You want to lose as much weight as possible, so you have the physique of someone in class 132, but are actually in weight class 126,” Lau said. Diets for wrestling focus more on eating than on exercising. Changes in nutrition include drinking more water and eating more honey, which adds energy

and prefers to gain weight. These higher weight classes require more strength than they do agility. Wrestlers who attempt to gain weight increase their starch intake such as pasta and bread, as well as higher red meat consumption. “I enjoy moving up classes more,” Hage said. “It gives me the opportunity to eat more, and I love to eat.”

You want to lose as much

weight as possible, so you have the physique of someone in class 132, but are actually in weight class 126.” –ALAN LAU, senior to the body and is healthier than other sweets. A lower intake of red meat is also common. Wrestlers tend to eat more chicken and ﬁsh when they lose weight. Senior Giovani Hage has been on the team for four years

Most sports strategies focus on the ﬁeld production, but when it comes to wrestling, the biggest tactic happens off the ﬁeld. Dieting helps wrestlers achieve the ultimate goal, which is to win.

FEATURE

New swim coach starts off season strong Alejandro Preschel staff writer Krop athletes know competitive sports. Players strive to win no matter what, while coaches do their best to lead the team to victory. For a team to prosper, it must be organized and function effectively. Behind every great team is a great coach.

adjusts to them well. Coach Turnipseed’s arrival brought changes to the overall vibe of team with a more serious attitude towards training and practice. “The style of training is more difficult and practice is taken more seriously.” junior Lucas Nudel said. Luckily for the team, Turnipseed knows what he’s doing, having coached for nearly 20

What

I love most about swimming is working with kids and watching them grow. I love helping kids get through the pressure of beings both swimmers and students.” –JOHN TURNIPSEED, coach The Krop swim team has gone through substantial changes this year. Not only did they change locations from the Jewish Community Center to the Miramar Aquatic Center, but they introduced John Turnipseed, their new coach. Though having a new environment can throw some teams off their game, the team takes the changes positively and

years. Not only does he have experience as a coach, but he has been involved with swimming for most of his life. He was a swimmer in both high school and college. “He doesn’t just tell us what to swim, instead he teaches us how to swim,” Junior Vania Mishkin said. “He teaches us stroke technique in depth and

clarity.” Turnipseed sees the team’s youth as one of its challenges. “There are a lot of ninth and tenth graders,” Turnipseed said. “They have to get used to both high school and playing for a high school team.” Swimming takes time and dedication, but Turnipseed sees this as a tool to motivate the swimmers. “I like seeing kids that are

willing to get out there and give swimming a chance” Turnipseed said. “You’ve got to make a commitment to the sport and that means giving up social time and swimming out of school and even during the summer. Turnipseed has a passion for coaching and makes sure the team understands that. “He puts swimming over everything,” Mishkin said. “He

comes to practice every day with a smile on his face.” Turnipseed is there for struggling swimmers. He’s been in their shoes and knows the ins and outs of swimming. “What I love most about swimming is working with kids and watching them grow,” Turnipseed said. “I love helping kids get through the pressure of being both swimmers and students.”

Through the lens Page 20

The Lightning Strike • October

CLASS WARS: (top) Students give change to their class’s jar in hopes of being crowned the winning class. SENIOR DECOR: (bottom left) Seniors decorate their hallway for the Las Vegas homecoming theme. Their decorations were crowned the best. MONTE CARLO LIBRARY: (bottom right) The library door was decorated with casino themed art in the spirit of homecoming week.

ALAN IMAR / LIGHTRNING STRIKE