January Issue

LightningStrike Taking Miami-Dade by Storm

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

February 4, 2014 • Issue 4 • Volume 16

Garnica comes home Arie Hariton opinion editor

JAVIER STORCH

Dan Sicorsky news editor Get ready to adjust your alarm clocks. School board member Dr. Martin Karp proposed later start times for schools, possibly as early as next year.

During a SGA meeting with Karp in December, students backed the idea of beginning the school day later. They argued that rising early after a long night of school work drains their school performance and leads to health problems.

While acknowledging the truth behind the students’ arguments, Karp discussed complications with bus schedules, sports practices and afterschool internships that could result from a shift in school hours.

Karp later responded to these suggestions with an op-ed to the Miami Herald on Dec. 25. “A more rested student body might yield very positive results for students and their schools,” Karp wrote.

A study published in the medical literature publication Elsevier in 2007 discussed the effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance.

“Learning abilities and subsequent academic performance are particularly dependent on sleep patterns and sleepiness levels,” the study informed.

Junior Gabriel Zisman recognizes the benefits of starting school later. “With later start times we wouldn’t be as tired in our morning classes, and we would do much better on our work,” Zisman said.

Principal Dawn Baglos worries over the impact of later start times on athletics and activities in a school where many students are involved in afterschool activities.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, schools allow some seniors to begin their days later, using online classes for the first hour of coursework that can be completed outside of school. Dismissal times remain the same, so extracurricular activities are not disrupted.

Letters to the Miami Herald from former Miami Palmetto Senior High Principal Howard Weiner and Miami doctor Wil Blechman supported Karp’s position. Weiner recounted images of “students in a zombie-like state [arriving] for their first class,” while Blechman discussed the

dangers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and safety issues resulting from sleep deprivation.

“I remember what a challenge it was to be coherent in first period,” Karp recalled of his high school days. “I’m in favor of doing something that’s educationally sound and would have the support of students, faculty and parents.”

Karp warned that if implemented, the later start times would at first only affect a few schools and students as part of a pilot program. He hopes to evaluate the success of the change with hopes of eventually involving more students.

Discussions are on hold as educational leaders examine Karp’s October proposal, with a memo reply due by the school board’s Feb. 12 meeting.

He’s baaaaack!

After a first semester absence, Assistant Principal Francisco Garnica is back, energized to keep Krop in order and in uniform. Garnica spent the first half of the school year at American High School undergoing an internship as principal.

Garnica says that he has learned from his experience, particularly mentioning delegating. Principal Dawn Baglos told the Lightning Strike that Garnica returned with various suggestions, but she did not offer specifics.

Baglos mentioned that in seeing how American runs, it reaffirmed much of what the administration does at Krop.

Garnica admits that there are still too many students out of uniform. Since his first day back on the job, he has been conducting uniform checks in classrooms.

Yet Garnica is not centering his attention on a specific goal.

“Everything that happens in front of me, I take on,” Garnica said. “I try to make sure everything’s in place as it should be.”

Assistant Principal Daniel Ponkey commented on Garnica’s return.

“It’s good to have the team back together,” he said.

“You can’t replace Garnica’s experience.”

“

MDCPS wins AP District of the Year Award RECOGNITION: School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho congratulates junior Daniel Guberek and his AP English Language and Composition teacher Jessica Fishbein for their accomplishments in the College Board’s Advanced Placement program.

Krop hosted a ceremony in honor of the district’s recognition as the top large district in the nation for improving participation and performance in AP classes.

CAN

ACHIEVE

PLATFORM FOR THEM TO

ACHIEVE. MDCPS SUPERINTENDENT

JAVIER STORCH

District of the

Year Facebook

STUDENTS

AND WE’RE GOING TO GIVE THEM ALL THE

Follow The Strike Online!

Digital Newspaper

ALL

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pages 10-11

ALBERTO CARVALHO

More Inside: • Should students get licenses? - page 5 • Highlights of Garnica’s return - page 9 • Think of stress as your friend - page 14

News Page 2

tops KROP’S

Seniors Brett Curtis and Jamie Odzer have been selected as finalists for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program.

The December winner for the Lightning Sportsmanship Award is Joseph Grobman, a player on the Boys’ Soccer team.

RubbleRouser, an app created by math teacher Debra Stein and her app design team, is a Best in State winner in the 2014 Verizon Innovative App Challenge.

Senior Jamie Odzer was awarded an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist medal for her independent research.

School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was selected as one of four national finalists for the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year Award.

The SECME math team earned first place at an advanced science and engineering competition.

Special Education teacher Manuel Quiroga and his students are recognized as having the largest recycling program in Miami-Dade County.

Compiled by Dan Sicorsky

Lightning Strike • January2008 2014 The LightningTheStrike • September

From local to global:

What’s going on around the world?

UNITED STATES: A series of polar vortexes struck the Midwest and Northeast, causing below zero temperatures throughout the month.

The extreme conditions caused school closures, power failures and increased suspicions of global cooling.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: While the U.S. dealt with polar vortexes, Australia felt temperatures well into the hundreds, and as high as 120°F. The sweltering heat afflicted much of the southern hemisphere during its summer season.

UKRAINE: Following the political crisis and violent uprisings in Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his administration on Jan 28th.

MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA: Pop star Justin Bieber was arrested early Jan. 23 for drag racing and other charges.

He was later released on bail that same day. Petitions have been submitted to the White House calling for Bieber’s deportation.

SOCHI, RUSSIA: When asked about homosexuality, Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov claimed there are no homosexuals in his city. His comment stems from the homophobic nature of Russia’s government, which banned the practice and even the discussion of homosexuality.

WASHINGTON, D.C: The Justice Department announced it will seek the death penalty in the trial of Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev.

sources: CNN.com MSNBC.com

Compiled by Mackenzie Duffy and Daniela Michanie

GOVERNMENT

Highlights from the State of the Union address President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address on Jan. 28, urging politicians to make 2014 “a year of action.” With civilians and members of Congress in attendance, the President reported on his plans regarding immigration, the environment, education and other relevant issues. The following are snippets from Obama’s talk: On Immigration “When people come here to fulfill their dreams -- to study, invent, and contribute to our culture -- they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So let’s get immigration reform done this year.”

On the Environment “When our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.”

On Education “It’s not enough to train today’s workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-

class education.”

On Gun Violence “Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day ... I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.”

On Women “It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode. This year, let’s all come together -Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street - to give every woman the opportunity she deserves.

Because I believe when women succeed, America succeeds.”

President Obama reminded viewers of his visions for the country that he hopes to accomplish with the help of Congress. “Americans want for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations,” Obama said. “America does not stand still – and neither will I.”

Press from the 2016 Prez This year we’re working on fundraising for our future class events! We have been selling snacks during seventh period and are currently working on planning another fundraiser before the end of this school year. On Feb. 15, we will be going to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for our class trip!

Apart from this, make sure to stay involved, come to our meetings in room 2254 every Friday and provide your input on ideas to keep our class growing and excelling!

Hannah Litwak

Compiled by Dan Sicorsky

JOB PAYMENT

Minimum wage increased to meet basic needs Mackenzie Duffy co-copy editor “Tonight, I ask more of America’s business leaders to follow John [Soranno’s] lead and do what you can to raise your employees’ wages,” President Barack Obama said during his State of the Union address. “To every mayor, governor and state legislator in America, I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on.”

While Congress stalls to respond to Obama’s calls for a higher minimum wage, some states already have higher minimums.

Florida is one of these states.

Minimum wage, the lowest wage permitted by law or special agreement, increases in Florida annually based upon a living wage formula created by MIT in 2004.

In 2014, an increase of 14 cents brought the minimum wage to $7.93. With an average work week consisting of 40 hours, this gives minimum wage work-

ers in Florida an annual salary of $16,494.

As a result, Florida’s minimum wage is 68 cents higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which is in effect in 30 states.

Students who work for minimum wage realized a change in their salary, but also in their schedules.

Junior Laura Katz, who works for Jewish Community Services, has not seen a change in her paycheck yet. Although her wage is higher, her hours were cut, result-

ing in no change in her paycheck.

“When minimum wage goes up, my hours go down,” she explained.

President Obama and others argue that this minimum wage is not enough to live on.

In Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 28, he promised to pay federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.

“If you cook our troops’ meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn’t have to live in poverty,”

Obama said.

Leaders of SeaTac, Washington, raised minimum wage to $15 an hour in late 2013. Those living off that wage will earn an annual salary of $31,200, twice as much as the Florida minimum wage.

These Washington politicians feel that these measures will promote economic activity and consumer spending.

In 2014 Obama hopes to insure that all people working can make a reasonable living off their earnings.

News Page 3

The Lightning Strike • January September 2014 2012

SOCIAL POLICY

War on Poverty continues 50 years later

Dylan Steele guest writer It was 50 years ago this month that President Lyndon B. Johnson, in his first State of the Union address, declared the War on Poverty.

He was a new president with a new agenda: eradicate poverty in the wealthiest country on earth.

As a nation, we had always been very good at fighting wars.

This, however, was the first war we declared not against a foreign entity, but against a problem within our borders. At the time, 19 percent of Americans lived in poverty, a rate that for a country as well off as the United States was inexcusable. The goal was to create a nation without poverty, to achieve what became known as the “Great Society.”

Over the next two years, Congress passed the Social Security Act of 1965, the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1964.

The centerpiece of the War on

Poverty, though, was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. It created the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), a federal administration with the sole purpose of reducing poverty in America.

The OEO encompassed and did a lot of things during its existence, and it was for the most part successful. The poverty rate in America reached an all-time low in 1973 at 11.1 percent, and then everything changed. As public sentiment moved away from Great Society programs, President Nixon attempted to impound funds to the office that same year. Although a federal judge stopped him from doing that, the OEO and War on Poverty programs as whole would be basically dismantled over the next two decades as conservative presidents held the White House for all but four years between 1969 and 1993.

In 1981, the functions of the OEO were moved from federal government control to the states, except for a small staff that con-

tinued as a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. As America went through a conservative resurgence in the 1980s and 90s, the deregulation and dismantling of Great Society programs culminated in 1996 with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. About the law, Bill Clinton said it “end[ed] welfare as we know it.” Creating more labororiented restrictions on who can receive assistance, the focus shifted from getting people out of poverty to getting people into jobs.

Over the last five decades, dozens of legislative acts and vast swings in public sentiment have seen poverty in America fall and rise again. For the last several years, the poverty rate has floated at just over 15 percent, for the first time since the War on Poverty began. Programs like Head Start and Food Stamps still exist to try to alleviate the poverty problem in America, but today, 50 years after the war started, there is still no victory in sight.

CLASSES

Krop to welcome new AP program Arie Hariton opinion editor “The AP Capstone Program engages students with rigorous college-preparatory curricula and a critical, questioning approach to information. It offers students the opportunity to develop disciplined and scholarly research skills within a context of interdisciplinary learning and global awareness,” Phillip Ballinger, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Washington wrote in a College Board release.

The College Board will be adding two new Advanced Placement courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, next year.

Krop will be participating in

the new program, AP Capstone, composed of these two classes.

AP Capstone looks to build student capabilities to develop research skills and backgrounds in “21st century knowledge” including topics like climate change, immigration policy and artificial intelligence.

AP Seminar, an 11th grade course, will focus on inquiry skills through research, projects and writing. Like other AP courses, Advanced Placement Seminar leads to an end-of-year evaluation based on an exam, but now also a presentation and written project.

In AP Research, taken in 12th grade after Seminar, students will develop a written 4,5005,000 word research paper on a

project of their choice.

Students who complete these two courses with passing scores on any other four AP exams will graduate with a special AP Capstone Diploma. Those who do not pass four other AP exams graduate with an AP Capstone Certificate.

A teacher for the class has not yet been chosen, but whoever is chosen will undergo a course before the upcoming school year.

Administration is considering a 10th grade class to be taken before starting the rigorous program.

Columbia University, Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University and various other universities have expressed support for Capstone.

News Briefs New water fountains installed

ADDISON WEINREB

INNOVATION: A contractor installs a water fountain outside the cafeteria in late January. Before the recent additions, around 90 percent of the school’s existing water fountains were out of order. The majority are now fully functional.

Schoolwide Wi-Fi to be instituted in the coming months After months of anticipation, Wi-Fi will soon be in full effect. The needed retrofitting is almost finished, and the WiFi will go from only being available in the cafeteria, main office and the auditorium to every area of the school. When completed, all students and teachers will have access to the Wi-Fi with a login username and password. The existing school filters will still remain active on websites.

This evolution of technology will give students an additional way of learning in the classroom and another resource to do research and assignments. There is not an exact date that Wi-Fi will be effective but administration says it will be installed before the end of this school year.

They hope within the next few months.

-Christina Carucci

NJROTC’s future looks bright

COURTESY OF JACKLYN WEBB

ACHIEVEMENT: The NJROTC drill team gathers around their team trophies at the Varela High School Viper Drill meet. Not pictured is the team’s instructor, Captain Jacklyn Webb.

The weekend of Jan. 24, the NJROTC drill team brought home two trophies earned at the Varela High School Viper Drill meet. According to Captain Jacklyn Webb, the accomplishment was earned through many hours of practice and dedication.

“This is really an honor. These guys have been working very hard,” Webb said. “In fact, we just came in from practicing for the next meet.”

Krop’s unarmed Regulation Drill Team earned a First Place trophy, a first for the team in over nine years. The team outscored Flanagan High School, the reigning national champions, and multiple other schools.

“What is so spectacular is this was the first drill meet where Ensign Robinson, a second year cadet, was in charge of the team as Team Commander,” Webb said. “Excluding three senior cadets, all remaining drill team members were new to unarmed drill this year.”

The team also placed in total curl-ups which earned them a second trophy.

I cannot contain my excitement as to the direction our unit is heading,” Webb said. “The quality and dedication of these cadets will play a major role in the future cadet leadership of this unit.”

-Clarissa Buch

Editorial Page 4

Lightning Strike • January 2014 The LightningThe Strike • September 2008

ASSESSMENT

SAT is not fair measure of ability daniela michanie micaha

business editor

In late November I made the smart decision, or so my college counselor claimed, to sign up for the December SAT. After not earning my desired score, I now find myself once again pulling out the Princeton Review book and sitting down to memorize the geometric rules and five tips to a great essay.

The SAT is a four hour exam that in many cases determines the fate of college-bound students, myself included. Before taking the exam in December, I decided to purchase the Princeton Review to maximize my scores and familiarity with the exam. When I opened to the first few pages, authors Adam Robinson and John Katzman were refreshingly upfront in their introduction, which

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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 disk if possible. The editors reserve the right to reject, edit and condense letters. All letters should be turned in to room 2-233.

STORY POLICY Questions or comments about the fairness or accuracy of stories should be directed to Javier Storch, Editor in Chief, at jstorchthestrike@gmail.com.

As for racial bias, one need simply look into the history of the SAT. In 1923, Carl Brigham was asked to create an exam that would sort out intelligent soldiers from others.

According to the findings of this army IQ test, named the Army Alpha Test, Brigham published “A Study of American Intelligence,” a book in which he claimed that American education was declining because of “racial mixture,” otherwise known as integration. Later on, the President of Harvard College asked Brigham to modify his army test so it could be administered to Harvard’s applicants.

This test became the Scholastic Aptitude Test, widely known and taken today as the SAT. Although Brigham himself later denied the eugenic and outright racist nature of his book and exam, the SAT has not significantly changed.

What exactly does the SAT measure? Other than socio-economic standing and race, this widely used

the numbers

test measures little else. A number should not define who we are or what direction our lives will take.

The underlying message that the SAT promotes has remained the same since its establishment over 100 years ago: Intelligence is a biological construct that can be measured and is largely dependent on race or economic standing. As this year our nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s momentous speech, in which he addressed equality for all, not just for a certain race or economic class, the past decade saw the election of our first black president, and now more than ever lower class students apply for higher education, the prejudiced tendencies of the SAT is not the standard we should be holding our students to. American colleges who are so afraid to dissolve this nationally standardized test need to rethink the type of standards they are setting for students around the nation with this test’s biased nature.

By

IN MY OPINION

read “The test writers say the test measures ‘reasoning ability,’ but actually, all the SAT really measures is how well you take the SAT.” If that does not epitomize “teaching for the test,” I’m not sure what does.

But, thirty or so dollars for an SAT review book seemed like a small price to pay for the score that could possibly alter my future. While some students can afford to pay for expensive tutors or counselors who ensure higher scores, others can barely afford to pay for the test itself.

The College Board, who administers the SAT, has built a market that feeds on the needs of students who aim for a brighter future.

Charles Murray, a political scientist and Harvard graduate, credits his high SAT score to taking him from a small town in Iowa to the most prestigious university in the world. Yet he agrees that if you have the resources, you can buy the SAT; essentially, the higher the income, the higher the score.

SAT Averages by gender

male female

1513 1491

by school type

Public School Private School

1483 1670

by ethnicity

White Hispanic Black Asian

1579 1359 1272 1640

by family income <$20,000 $60k-$80k $200k+

1323 1503 1721

LETTERS

Holocaust presentation Longer gaps between interrupted state tests needed On January 27, 1945, 60,000 Jewish prisoners were liberated from the Auschwitz death camp by the emancipating Soviet forces. On January 28, 2014, roughly 15 out of 40 students were forced out of a Holocaust presentation by AP English teacher Michael Kelly.

Krop had the honor of hosting Jan Malecha, a speaker who traveled from Germany to the U.S. to visit multiple schools to speak about the Holocaust.

Hosted by Ellen Elias, who gave Malecha a warm welcome, Malecha was giving a meaningful presentation about Buchenwald concentration camp in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. That’s when Kelly stormed into the room and demanded that his third period AP Literature class get up and leave, even after he knew of the presentation that was an approved in-school field trip. In response to Kelly’s demand, Elias and the rest of the students stood in shock, but eventually gathered their belongings and complied with Kelly’s orders. The prioritizing one AP class over such an important presentation that meant a great deal to the students humiliated both the presenter and the school.

As I reflect on the circumstances of my own grandparents in the forties, and the forced removal of my peers in the past week, I solemnly say, never again.

Johana Wiznitzer President of Chai Club Grade 12

The United States is ranked 13 out of the top 20 countries in education. Why we aren’t ranked number one?

I think the answer lies in our state tests. The countries ranked higher than us have fewer state tests throughout the school year, and it looks like it’s working. The problem I see with how many tests we take per school year is that it only covers the material that we learned that year and not since we have been in school.

Students who take these tests study only for the test so when the day comes they can get a good grade. But the next day they forget everything believing that they won’t cross that material again.

Now, if we took a state test every two years. that would push kids to study and remember more of the material they have been learning throughout those two years. The way we create our tests and the time we give them could be affecting our education and improvement in our country.

Phillip Lara Grade 11

I am a feminist, and proud of it When someone says the word “Feminism,” what comes to mind? Is your first instinct to chuckle? Do you maybe associate the word with Nazis,

or some other genocidal group of people?

Feminism is a word based on equality and empowerment that comes with unjustified negative connotation. This negative connotation is the reason why Brandon Ramsay and I chose to start Krop’s Student Association for Gender Equality. Ramsay and I founded S.A.G.E to bring awareness to gender issues and promote activism throughout Krop’s student body.

Did you know that the average American teenager spends 31 hours every week watching television, 17 hours a week listening to music, and 10 hours a week online?

We are a population widely obsessed with social and mainstream media.

However, women only own 5.8 percent of all television stations and only 6 percent of radio stations.

In S.A.G.E’s first community event, these alarming statistics will be explained in the documentary, Miss Representation, which will be screened in the auditorium this February.

S.A.G.E is encouraging teachers to support our events by giving extra-credit. We are also offering community service hours for attendance.

In a society where change only happens through awareness, it’s important to have a lot of participation in the student body. S.A.G.E hopes to see you there!

Aurora Lazaro Grade 12

Opinion Page 5

The Lightning Strike • January 2014 TRANSPORTATION

Should students get driver’s licenses?

A Lightning Strike Pro-Con

YES michael behfar

spread editor

More than 30 percent of American 19-year-olds in 2010 did not have a driver’s license according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This is a statistical display of exactly how lazy our teens have gotten.

Still, teens say they don’t need a license. Sure, one doesn’t need a license, but nearly everything in our modern society is made easier with one.

These teens are missing out on being able to drive to birthday parties, jobs, restaurants and stores without waiting for anyone else.

Self-reliance exists on an entirely

NO

abigail duffy micaha

photo editor

With great power comes great responsibility.

When a driver gets behind the wheel of their one-ton vehicle, they are stoppable only by extreme opposition, like a tree or cement barricade. The driver not only controls a powerful machine, but wields the responsibility to operate the car safely.

Today, getting a driver’s license has become a symbol of pseudo-maturity and signifies a transition into adulthood. Teenagers think that they are enti-

different level when one no longer has to spend time waiting in a parking lot for someone to take them home.

Furthermore, one cannot always depend on others as chauffeurs. I’ve seen it personally where someone tires of asking for rides and feels like a burden. They often elect to stay home as a result.

This time spent missing social events could better be spent on studying for a learner’s or driver’s license test. With 52 weekends in a year and two months of summer vacation, time is irrefutably available.

Then there are the teens who reason that they don’t need a license because their parents cannot afford the insurance cost. These teens are putting off the inevitable and should consider getting a learner’s license to use as an ID, as well as drive their parents around for practice without

being added to the insurance policy.

Not only is relying on others whenever a ride is needed selfish and sometimes inconvenient, those who use this as a reason have never felt the satisfaction of driving themselves to meet up with friends or the maturity of driving to something such as a job interview or formal event. Not to mention the fact that employers prefer the employee who can get themselves to work on time.

The counter argument for getting a license early is the huge responsibility taken on and at such a young age.

A driver is expected to drive carefully, within very precise parameters, and with great care for those around them.

Driving is dangerous and the most crash-prone driver is the 16-year-old.

Even though 16-year-olds are more likely to have an accident because they are so inexperienced, the

earlier one drives, the more experience is accumulated making a better driver. Besides, one grows more fearful with age, making it harder to learn.

After two years, I have yet to have an accident. I believe that everyone has the physical capacity to drive a car.

If one can make the life decision to drop out of high school or get a job at 16, then they have the ability to drive. The government set the driving age to 16 for a reason.

I can think of no scenario where the acquisition of a learner’s license needs to be postponed.

For the reasons stated above, it is in the best interest of everyone, of parents and friends, to get a learner’s license at the age of 15, and if beneficial, a driver’s license one year later.

tled to the license but fail to see that driving is a privilege that must be earned through trust

According to Geico’s statistics on teen driving, one in five teenagers will be involved in an accident within their first year behind the wheel.

Even scarier is the fact a 16-year-old driver is 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash than an adult driver, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

As a new adult, I understand and accept the responsibility of possessing a license and driving a car. I also know that I am accountable for my actions behind the wheel.

Now that I am 18, my parents cannot take the fall for my possible accidents and errors in the driver’s seat.

In recent years, NPR, The Washington Post, USA Today

and CNBC have reported on an increasing trend of teens holding off on getting their licenses.

The reluctance to drive is due to alternative transportation, rising insurance and gas prices, and stricter driving laws. CNBC called teenage drivers an “endangered species” because of the nation-wide decrease of licensed teenagers.

I am not too proud to ask my parents for a ride, nor do I mind being the passenger in a friend’s car. I am actually soothed by being driven.

Ultimately, I do not feel like a lesser person because I do not drive a car. Waiting to get my driver’s license until I was an adult seemed like the better alternative to being another negative statistic.

“

As a new adult, I understand and accept the responsibility of possessing a license and driving a car. I also know that I am accountable for my actions behind the wheel. and practice.

I turned 18 on Jan. 2, 2014, and I do not have a driver’s license.

At the tender age of 16, the average teenager may not understand their responsibility as licensed drivers. The driver must protect the passengers’ and must be mindful of other motorists and pedestrians as well.

EDUCATION

Sex ed has to be part of school curriculum IN MY OPINION

mayan derhy micaha

staff writer

We all think about it.

Maybe it’s because of a TV show or a movie we watched. Maybe because of a book we read. Point is, sex is on our minds; we can’t help it.

Teens in high school are curious about a lot of things and learn about many of them in school. There’s a class for biology and another for world history. Why is sex any different?

Sadly, many parents won’t even acknowledge the topic of sex with their kids other than to say,

“Don’t do it,” or “Use protection if you do.” If we don’t learn about safe sex in school and the possible consequences at home, where can we ask about the thing we’re most curious about?

I don’t think that people realize how important health education is in today’s society. In the U.S., more than three million teen girls have a sexually transmitted disease. That’s at least one in four. We need an organized and mandatory class that teaches us about these diseases and how to prevent them.

In Florida, students aren’t required to take a class in health education, but even if taught, the instructor is required to stress abstinence but not anything about con-

traception or condoms.

Florida’s policy of stressing abstinence over protection and safe sex is denial.

Let’s face it: our generation has sex at a much younger age than the generations before us. If our society is changing, why isn’t our teaching system?

Teens need a safe place to ask questions that they are not comfortable asking in other places, and a class dedicated to health and sex education could solve that problem. We don’t need years or even months to learn about health education, but students do need some sort of required program that covers how to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A health education program

could be incorporated into our required physical education class.

The relatively new HIP (health information project) program covers almost all of the things teens need to know, including how to prevent diseases, what a healthy relationship is, and the use of contraception. Although this is a great step forward, it isn’t a mandatory course, and so not all students go through it.

We need to buckle down and realize that sex is not a topic to ignore. Several studies show that abstinence-only programs are ineffective and only lower teens’ confidence in a condom’s ability.

Abstinence-only education results in ignorance, not innocence.

What’s the

Matter?

Topic of the Month

What do you think about when you hear the word “feminism?”

“I think strong, independent leaders. A mother can be a father too. My mother raised two kids and a grandson by herself.

Pablo Gonzalez, 12

“All women aren’t equal. People still think women should be housewives.”

Crystal Zapata, 12

“I think feminism is women basically saying ‘power to the women!,” but some women are already better off than men.

Zachary Scarlett, 11

“I think that feminism is correct. I think that everybody should be treated equally because men and women were created equal.

Max Stein, 10 Compiled by Arie Hariton

Editorial Page 6

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

SHOPPING

Aventura needs books, not wings IN MY OPINION mackenzie duffy micaha

co-copy editor

For those still mourning the loss of the sole bookstore in Aventura, it is time to rejoice.

The former Loehmann’s plaza has opened a new place where we can study, get school books and buy Starbucks.

Wait, I was dreaming.

Instead, they opened up a chain sportsbar themed restaurant, called Buffalo Wild Wings.

As a frequent shopper of Barnes and Noble and avid

By

the numbers E-Books increase from 14% to 22% of book sales

book reader, I am furious. Do we need another restaurant selling high-calorie food? NO. We need a bookstore.

The Aventura Barnes and Noble was a high volume store, but it was closed on Dec. 31, 2012 due to complications with the lease. There is speculation that another location will open in Gulfstream, but no one has confirmed and construction has not begun.

Although this new establishment might be a good place to watch Heat games, there are lots of restaurants exactly like it.

What we don’t have are lots of bookstores.

Paperback sales went down from 32% to 30%

Last time I checked, no one has been longing for a sports bar. But they have thrown their hands up in the air, crying in need of a place to study and buy test prep books.

Although the city of Aventura is rebuilding their library that was demolished by hurricane Wilma in 2005, students and citizens of the city are still without a place to browse real live books.

With the impending closure of Loehmann’s, which is next to the former Border’s location (another fallen bookstore), Aventura and its realtors have another opportunity to give its citizens the gift of books.

BWW stock has increased 81% in the past year Source: publishingunleashed.com

SOCIAL ISSUES

People do not understand feminism IN MY OPINION talya gebara micaha

staff writer

When I first took on the label “Feminist” openly, it was scary to be proud or assertive of my beliefs and convictions as a feminist.

Especially when even close friends would respond with presumptions I was gay, or when male friends would ask the disturbing question, “That means I can hit you now?”

Looking back, these responses really only justified my passion for these issues in the first place.

Today, domestic violence is the number one cause of injury to women. One in four American women will experience domestic violence and in their lifetime, and one in five will be raped. And yet, I am still asked to “define rape” to people who would rather bash the movement that gave women the right to vote, brought violence against women to light and gave women options outside of housework and victim. They say feminists of today are too extreme, won’t shut up, and ask “aren’t women equal now anyway?”

The stereotype of a feminist is an angry, man hating lesbian, shouting at the air about imaginary inequalities. But less than 25 percent of office holders in the United States are women, men dominate the most esteemed fields by huge margins and there is still an average 77 cents to a man’s dollar wage

disparity. Economically these inequalities are not imaginary.

Socially the disparities between genders are just as prevalent. But because of our culture, where sexist beliefs and behaviors are normalized, they much harder to see and combat.

Last year, when hackers leaked the cover up of the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl by members of the Steubenville high school football team to social media, the case created major controversy in the media and online. While there was a large outcry about the injustices committed against the girl, there was also an onslaught of comments saying the unconscious victim deserved it. In the end, media reportage of the case chose to sympathize with the rapists, who were charged one year in Juvenile detention. A CNN reporter had stated, “It was incredibly difficult… to watch what happened as these two young men that had such promising futures...literally watch as they believed their lives fell apart.”

This drew attention to what is referred to as “Rape culture”, the concept that prevalent attitudes in society trivialize, or even excuse sexual assault and harassment.

Rape culture can be pointed out in many parts of society. Like the belief that many women will falsely accuse men of rape, when the reality is, false rape claims fall between 2-8% and 97% of rapists never face incarceration for their crimes.

It is more likely that a man will be sexually assaulted in his life-

time than accused of a false rape.

The internet has been a major tool in circulating information that pushed new waves of feminism into the mainstream and has also proved how hostile the reaction to feminist ideas and critiques can be.

When Anita Sarkeesian, the author of “Feminist Frequency,” a video blog dedicated to examining tropes about women in popular culture, launched a kickstarter to fund the project Tropes vs. Women in Video Games where she would analyze common sexist themes in video games. She became the target of a harassment campaign.

She was sent numerous rape and death threats, hackers attempted to distribute her personal information and even an online game called “Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian” was created in which users could punch a picture of her in the face until it became bruised and bloody. All before the project even came into production.

When it is more common to attack marginalized people’s anger, than it is to understand the true injustices that people face every day, there is still a problem within society. It is of help to no one to continue to perpetuate ideologies that contributes to a sexist world.

That’s why feminism exactly as it is so important to me.

Because instead of ignoring the microaggressions of everyday life that contribute to larger issues like rape culture. I am able to recognize the pillars of structures like these and instead of internalizing them, shape myself and the activism I do around fighting them.

FASHION

Don’t use fashion to glorify destructive behaviors IN MY OPINION lina zuluaga micaha

feature editor

Whether you get your shirts from Target, Old Navy or Urban Outfitters, we dress to make a statement.

As a graphic t - s h i r t enthusiast, I buy shirts that are witty, clever or appealing.

I’ll wear my “I’d challenge you to a duel of wits, but it seems you are unarmed!” shirt to display my affinity for Shakespeare. It’s only mildly offensive to the person reading it and ultimately gets a chuckle or two.

But since the controversial “Heroin Chic” surfaced during the late 1990s, a trend which glamorized the appearance of heroin users through m o d e l s w i t h sunken eyes and protruding hipbones the industry has since then continued to romanticize destructive ideas. These ideas influence consumers, especially the young, to embrace these trends.

The Heroin Chic trend became so popularized that President Clinton addressed the nation in 1999 and bluntly told the i n d u s t r y, “You do not need to glamorize addiction to sell clothes.”

Despite o u t c r y f r o m p u b l i c figures to dissuade the endorsement of harmful behavior, stores continue to sell these ideas. Urban Outfitters released a shirt patterned with the word “depression.”

As a result, the public responded with a twitter hashtag earlier this month that read: #DepressionIsntAFashionStatement and this isn’t the first time the store has done this. In recent years Urban Outfitters sold shirts that said “EAT LESS,” “MISERY LOVES ALCOHOL” and “VOTE FOR VODKA.” Several people also criticized Abercrombie for displaying over sexualized images of young children, bordering on porn.

T h e fashion industry too often defines trends in popular culture, t h u s affecting w h a t we emulate as a society. But we can do our part by not

endorsing these messages and wearing clothes that promote healthy choices, not damaging ones.

Images from: huffingtonpost.com wordpress.com intentblog.com metro.us

Entertainment

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

Christina Carucci co-copy editor

AMERICAN IDOL American Idol was the first show in America that selected the winner through a public vote.

Since airing its first season in 2002, it has gained a large audience, making it the number one ranked show in U.S. Television ratings for eight consecutive years, paving the way for The X Factor and The Voice.

Each week has a musical theme, and the contestants compete for America’s votes. The themes range from R&B, to Rock to British music.

Unlike The Voice and The X Factor USA, the judges do not mentor a group of contestants but rather have one person who mentors.

“I watched the first few seasons of the show when Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken competed,” senior Siling Li said. “It’s cool to see that a show [American Idol] can help artists be so successful.”

Other Ameri-

can Idol alumni include Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert.

The show is currently airing its 13th season with judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. and you can watch every Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

X FACTOR Music producer Simon Cowell, left the American Idol judging panel in 2010 to pursue the American version of his already successful UK show, The X Factor.

A panel of four judges select and judge the contestants during the auditions and mentor them throughout the season.

What sets this show apart from others is that groups and contestants as young as 13years- old can audition, which draws a large teen audience.

The X Factor also takes solo artists and forms new MCT

groups. Because of this, the show has produced top artists like One Direction, Fifth Harmony and Emblem 3.

“There are a lot of contestants around my age, so it makes the show fun and relatable to watch,” senior Yina Cabrera said. “It’s also entertaining because Simon Cowell as a judge brings great personality to the show.”

The X Factor plans to return to Fox in the Fall of 2014 for its fourth season.

their chair around, the contestant chooses who he/she wants as their mentor.

This sets The Voice apart because the contestants are judged solely on their voices and not their appearances.

Each contestant is mentored by a judge and the show invites guest mentors each week.

“I love watching The Voice because the judges are so funny,” senior Jenny Momplaisir said. “I really love watching Adam Levine and I always listen to Maroon 5.”

The Voice alumni include Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery and Tessanne Chin and will return to NBC on February 24 for its sixth season with judges Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Shakira and Usher.

THE VOICE The Voice brought a new approach to singing shows when they created the “Blind Auditions.” The contestants sing while the judges have their back toward them. If a judge likes the contestant’s voice, the judge pushes a button that turns their chair around. The contestant then becomes part of that judge’s team. If more than one judge turn

Arctic Monkeys’ AM: a ‘cool’ new album Lina Zuluaga feature editor Desire is the driving force behind the Arctic Monkeys’ latest album “AM,” it defines a new style for the indie rock quartet. AM explores themes of love, sex, drugs and the meaning of human connection. The coalescing of various musical styles coupled with playful, serious and downright honest lyrics makes AM easily the best album the Arctic Monkeys have produced.

Rolling Stone is calling it “reinvention.” The band shifts dramatically from their 2006 Grunge inspired look based on an English smalltown vibe to sleek greased hair, leather jackets and a redefining sound reminiscent of a 1950s Danny Zuko.

The opener “Do I wanna Know?” sets the tone with

an easy beat, including handclaps and a brilliant riff that transitions into a song questioning the advantages of instant gratification over blissful denial. Lead vocalist Alex Turner sings about unrequited love (or lust) and ultimately decides that either way, the truth is all consuming as he tells his lover that he is “too busy being yours to fall for somebody new.”

In “Arabella,” Turner wields colorful surrealist images about the perfect girl when he says that “her lips are like the galaxy’s edge/ And her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place.”

AM continues the presence and style of the heavy, dark rock first introduced in 2009’s Humbug. With pickme ups like “R U Mine?” and slower melodies such as “Mad Sounds,” the band has achieved an almost perfect

AM ALBUM COVER

balance. Additionally, the stylistic integration of R&B and Jazz make the complex sound all the more impressive and enjoyable.

Overall, whether it’s singing in the shower, pumping up for a major study session, or hanging out with friends, AM is a fantastic collection

and definitely worth purchasing at any near-by Target for under $10. Additionally, if you like the album you can see the band at the Fillmore on January 30th; although sold out within the hour, tickets can be purchased from well known resellers such as stubhub.com.

OS.

BR WARNER PICTURES

Javier Storch editor-in-chief A man falls in love with his operating system- what sounds like a satiric comedy is the concept of director Spike Jonze’s self-labeled “love story” Her. Taking place in a slightly futuristic Los Angeles, the film tells the story of Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix), an intriguing man who writes other people’s personal letters for a living. Having separated from his wife, Theodore becomes interested in an operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), which is capable of artificial intelligence, with whom he later falls in love.

Written by Spike Jonze, Her is by far the most original film of this year’s awards season.

As usual of Jonze’s work, most notably Being John Malkovich, the film provides a refreshing narrative, defying the conventions of both romance and science fiction genres.

Jonze’s newest work is not a motion picture but rather a motion painting, rich in both meaning and beauty.

Dutch cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema creates visuals with extraordinary uses of color and lighting, helping add warmth to this unconventional love story.

Even with a concept focused on technology, Her is a film that’s more human than most.

Phoenix’s naturalistic performance as Theodore makes this a film that’s hard not to relate to.

To those who are satisfied with what usually floods the box office: go see something else. To those who yearn for more: Her is a must-see movie.

MOVIE REVIEW

American Idol, X Factor and her The Voice: What is the difference?

Page 7

Feature Page 8

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

GUEST SPEAKER

Speaker shares new insight on concentration camps Abigail Duffy photo editor Jan Malecha’s light blue eyes scan the crowd of 40 seniors in the media center as he addresses them in his thick German accent.

Dozens of grainy black and white photographs are sprawled over two tables and the projector is illuminated with a quote by Stéphane Hessel, a concentration camp survivor.

The title of Malecha’s presentation is simply, “Seeing, Understanding, Reflecting.”

These three words are exactly what Malecha encourages students to do as he speaks about Buchenwald, one of Germany’s earliest concentration camps that imprisoned 250,000 political opponents, criminals, Jews, homosexuals and disabled people between 1937 and 1945.

Malecha, a historian from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial in Weimar, Germany, is in the United States on a five-month tour to educate 5,000 students about the camp and its history. Social studies teacher, Ellen Elias, invited Malecha to present to an audience of 40 selected seniors.

Malecha offered a unique perspective on the Holocaust to an audience that has heard just about everything on the subject.

As a young German man highly educated about Buchenwald and the war itself, his knowledge was refreshing to students who

What helps the most?

HANDS ON APPROACH

“When teachers give projects we can actually see the material and what we’ve been working on in action, so it helps a lot.”

- Yael Levy, 9th grade

GOOD NOTES

ABIGAIL DUFFY

SHARING FROM EXPERIENCE: Jan Malecha shares his factual take on the Holocaust to several students.

already knew of the sadness and despair. His workshop was more about factual understanding than emotion.

He believes that the Holocaust is something that needs to be talked about freely to understand and reflect, which drives Malecha to educate students on the subject.

To keep the energy and participation high, Malecha instructed students to get into groups of four to analyze the photos. A group member had to explain what they believed was depicted and the information that Malecha shared with each group.

Malecha further explained the photos that included dozens of male prisoners sharing beds

in the barracks, the slogan at Buchenwald’s entrance and a bear at the zoo that Buchenwald’s officers visited at their leisure.

“Usually you doze off during presentations,” senior Jennifer Leizerovich said. “But [both] he and the subject matter were captivating.”

When the group broke for lunch, Malecha sat and talked with Leizerovich and her group about the new uniform enforcement, Elias’ water bottle policy and driving in the United States. He established a connection with his audience that kept them engrossed throughout the workshop.

Malecha then distributed relics found on digs around

Buchenwald for the students to hold and more importantly, feel.

Students slipped on a recovered ring and held a primitive spoon that prisoners made to individualize themselves and remind them of the humanity that was stolen from them.

Throughout the workshop, Malecha focused on the lack of humanity shown to the victims of World War II and the Holocaust.

He reminded students that they “are responsible for their own choices.” He treated the dark period in history as an event that people needed to learn from and take responsibility for.

“My job is to tell you their stories,” Malecha said.

“Because the survivors are no longer here.”

ILLNESS

Former student continues recovery from incurable disease Nick Aleman staff writer

After a long battle with a non-curable disease, former student Jazzmin Peluchette is on the road to recovery.

She was initially diagnosed with NMO (neuromyelitis optica), about seven months ago, a disease which attacks the optic nerves and spinal system, which can leave one blind and/ or paralyzed.

After nearly four months in Joe DiMaggio and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Peluchette returned home in October of 2013.

Jazzmin has almost completed her online classes to make up for her remaining high school credits and recently has been accepted by the University of Miami.

“Life’s been okay,” Peluchette said. “My sister has been coming down every weekend to be with me, and I’m starting to go out in public more which is good.”

Since returning home, Peluchette has received spinal therapy three times a week, in hopes of walking again.

“She still goes out and does all the stuff she used to do,” said friend and former classmate Brit-

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

tany Milo. “Her spirit is up, but she’s still adjusting.”

Wheelchair bound, Peluchette has regained almost 100% of her eye sight back and feels tingly sensations in her legs daily due to the success of the therapy.

“I feel when people touch my leg” Peluchette said. “I don’t feel the actual “touch”, but I know that someone is touching me and I can tell where on my leg it is.”

A former member of the Lightning volleyball team that made state semifinals her freshman year, Peluchette does an array of workouts from swimming to hand cycles to yoga in hope of returning to a normal life.

Her family has set up a donation page for Jazzmin in order to cover her medical expense, which has reached well over $200,000.

“There are many things that need to be paid, but we’re off to a great start,” Peluchette said.

As for what the future holds, Jazzmin has her expectations.

“I hope to be a wife, mother and successful business woman with lots of health.”

You can donate at www.

Giveforward.com/bestrongjazz.

“I wish teachers would have more organized notes and more detailed examples so that we can refer back to them when we study for tests because that’s what helps me the most.”

-Lorena Boushira, 11th grade

REASONABLE WORKLOAD

“Sometimes teachers should try to understand that we have other classes and lives outside of school. I’m not saying not to give work, but they should take our lives into consideration.

-Alex Tarlow, 10th grade

POSITIVITY

“ I think I learn so much better from teachers that have a happy class and make a positive atmospher because I come with a positive attitude.”

- Sophia Sultan, 11th grade

VISUAL AID

“When teachers use different things to teach like video it helps me a lot because when you actually see something, it changes your perspective and really sinks in.”

- Stephanie Serfaty, 10th grade

PATIENCE

“Patience is so important because sometimes I think teachers assume we understand and move on but we have to really go deep into material before we start something new.”

- Nataly Wittelss, 10th grade

COURTESY OF JAZZMIN PELUCHETTE

A WORK IN PROGRESS: Pictured above is senior, Jazzmin Peluchette in one of her therapy sessions that are pivotal to her recover

Compiled by Mayan Derhy

Feature Page 9

The Lightning Strike • January 2014 TALENT

ALBUM REVIEW

Dina Bendayan staff writer

Danielle Mackson entertainment editor

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That is the question we’re asked throughout our childhood and adolescent years. Most people have no clue what they want to do while in high school and change their decision often. However, juniors Daniel Khlioustov and Santiago Luna aren’t waiting to grow up to accomplish their goals.

Students usually plug in their headphones and tune out the world as they make their way through the crowded hallways. But Daniel Khlioustov jams out to his music and lets everyone else jam out with him. His heavy metal rock blasts from his headphones adding to the roar of the hallways.

Music impacted Khlioustov’s life because of the influence of his grandparents, mother and uncle who are musically talented. Rather than pursuing music, they took the more practical route and ended up in medical careers.

Khlioustov says he wants to break this “curse” and follow through with his music.

He is the lead guitarist of When Now Meets Then, a wellrecognized band. He is joined by Franko, Delber, Justin, Luca, and Andres. They all go to different schools varying from Broward College to local high schools. With over 1,000 likes on Facebook, and five songs out for the public, the band has flourished in just one year.

To promote their album, WNMT plays several shows throughout South Florida, their

Queen Bey has done it again and we had no idea it was coming.

Beyonce has surprised her fans countless times for the past 15 years since she has been on top of the music world. But she has never shocked us more than this.

Bey dropped a “visual album” containing 14 songs and 17 videos through iTunes with no warning.

The project, called Beyonce, is practically a celebration of her fame and what she has overcome, sending out the message that she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants.

But with over 800,000 copies sold, it is clear that Beyonce’s risky release has paid off. According to iTunes, the album was their fastest-selling domestically. It was also Beyonce’s best seller (breaking her own records) and makes it the highest sold by a female (beating Taylor Swift).

The vibe of the album is soul R&B, giving off its strongest touch when we hear the electro edge. Beyonce’s songs have meaning and heart as each one holds something significant and moving. Her song “Flawless” features a speech from a Nigerian feminist while “Blue” has a deep description of her daughter “Blue Ivy.” The album especially reaches out to the listeners in a way where one can get to know Beyonce on a personal level.

Aside from ballads

Students headstart music careers Beyonce album stays on top

COURTESY OF DANIEL KHLIOUSTOV

THE GUITARIST: Above, Daniel Khlioustov, lead guitarist of When Now Meets Then poses in a photoshoot for the band.

most recent at Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale.

Khlioustov says that in addition to more shows, WNMT fans can look forward to merchandise, new music, and hopefully, a summer tour.

On the other side of the musical spectrum is cello player and junior Santiago Luna. He always manages to make people laugh and is always in a good mood.

He greets everyone he knows as he walks through the hallway and that’s practically everyone.

He has a certain swagger that makes his perfectly sculpted curls bounce with every step.

Luna is a part of a string quartet at the Miami Music Project Honors Orchestra. The five play two concerts per month which can be formal or just a relaxed performance for the public.

But at the end of May the musicians will be going on an adventure across the pond to Paris,

France for a music festival.

“We will be representing the U.S in the prestigious music festival of Saint-Denise in Paris,” said Luna.

A string quartet is made up of two violinists, one violist, one cellist, and one bassist. Luna and his fellow musicians will be the only teens participating in the festival and are the only people from the United States that are attending.

Luna, who has played the cello for four years, is fascinated with the instrument.

“It’s a beautiful sound, and wonderful solo music is composed for the instrument,” said Luna.

Luna is also a composer and will be performing two of his compositions in France with his fellow instrumentalists.

Juniors Daniel Khlioustov and Santiago Luna broke the barrier of having to wait to grow up in order to pursue their goals.

ROLLINGSTONE.COM

ABIGAIL DUFFY

THE CELLIST: Above, Santiago Luna rehearses the cello before performing at the AP Disrtict Award reception.

about believing in your dreams and reaching your goals, it is the sex appeal in her music that makes this album so popular.

“Drunk In Love” involves a duet with her husband Jay-Z, released 10 years after “Crazy In Love,” which was also dedicated to him.

From the slow jam “Rocket” to the Frank Ocean duet “Superpower,” Beyonce hits the nasty high notes all throughout the album, adding some Beyonce-esque feel.

The way everyone involved with this album kept their mouth shut truly proves any conspiracy is possible. The album can be downloaded on iTunes for $15.99.

Top 10: The Best Of Garnica’s Return 1. Life choices

There’s no longer a need to decide which hat to wear early in the morning- he’ll take them all.

2. Direction

6. Homework help

He provides vital instruction during his impromptu visits to math classrooms as a guest teacher.

7. A helping hand

Constant reminders about where I should be in life and what I need to get there, namely in class and with a hallpass.

He is another large law-enforcing body in a school lacking in security personnel.

If you’ve reached a point where you don’t know who you are anymore, you can always find solace in the fact that to him, you are always “young man” or woman.

He leads the rehearsals for graduation. Without him, graduation would be a disastrous flurry of gown-clad students and parents pacing nervously without direction.

3. Identity crisis

8. Conductor

4. Meet & greet

9. Literal fashion police

5. Good mojo

10. “Good morning, put on your ID”

Introductions to Ms. Torano as well as free tours of and directions to the CSI room.

The good luck conjured up from rubbing his gleaming hairless dome.

He will ensure that his students are within dress code and looking spiffy.

His thunderous voice acts as a secondary alarm clock for students who stumble to school half asleep.

By Michael Behfar Photo by Mary K Sullivan

Numbe The Lightning Strike • January 2014

Page 10

College Board names MDCPS best large sch Javier Storch

Fascinated: Psychology teacher Michael Fass gives a speech to the attendees of the College Board award ceremony. An expermient based on perception was shown on the screen behind him.

Javier Storch

Breaking Buncher: AP Chemistry teacher David Buncher prepares a banana to be flash frozen in a vat of liquid nitrogen. The College Board film crew recorded the demonstration.

Abigail Duffy

Camera crew: Roadtrip Nation videographer Chelsea Walsh records Jessica Fishbein’s AP English Language class. Fishbein analyzed rhetorical strategies with her students.

College Board recognizes district’s AP achievement at award ceremony Clarissa Buch managing editor “How many times can we be number one in the county? Not enough!” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said to the crowd of District leaders, students, parents and College Board representatives on Wednesday Jan. 22.

The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) District Award ceremony, held at Krop, celebrated Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) as it was named AP District of the Year out of all large districts in the country.

MDCPS was selected based on for the Superintendent Millie Fornell increased involvement and improved said. “It speaks highly of what the performance in the AP kids in MDCPS are program. From 2010doing.”

2013, the District The ceremony If it can be done in included increased student opening participation and the Miami, the epicenter remarks from amount of AP students of Principal Dawn the Americas, earning a three or higher Baglos, a speech on at least one exam by there is no reason from AP US History five percent each year. why it can’t be done and Psychology In addition, minority teacher Michael Fass everywhere else.” and remarks from students who earned a three or higher increased -Alberto Carvalho District and College annually by six percent.

Board leaders. The “To me this is a program also included wonderful honor to be acknowledged reflections from senior Brett Curtis by the College Board,” Chief of Staff and junior Charity Waweru who

“

together have taken 18 AP courses.

“Miami-Dade’s data jumped off the page,” Barbara Cronan said of the College Board. “Miami-Dade increased enrollment from 17,000 to 27,000 students in just five years.”

Miami-Dade County offers its 50,000 students 32 AP courses from AP Music Theory to AP Calculus BC in 51 schools. Krop leads the district with a 75 percent passing rate, with 1,270 students enrolled in 21 courses.

“If it [the improvement in the AP program] can be done in Miami, the epicenter of the Americas, there is no reason why it can’t be done everywhere else.” Carvalho said.

er One

Page 11

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

hool district nationwide for AP performance Javier Storch

Photography: College Board photographer Michael Bevans photographs students in Marta Funcia’s AP Photography class.

Javier Storch

Orchestra: Members of Bringle Cidel’s string quartet play in the library on Jan. 22.

Javier Storch

Meet & Greet: Superintendent Alberto Carvalho speaks to social studies teacher Ellen Elias in the auditorium before the College Board awards ceremony.

Video honors school, MDCPS for AP scores Javier Storch editor-in-chief Krop is no stranger to film crews outside the school’s gates. But on Jan. 21, 2014, a crew commissioned by the College Board was invited through the gates and into the school to document Krop’s outstanding performance in Advanced Placement (AP) testing.

Their video captures the story of Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) which was recently named the AP District of the Year (among large U.S. school districts).

For two days, I shadowed the production team that consisted of four filmmakers from Roadtrip Nation (a non-profit dedicated to education), four representatives from the College Board and a freelance photographer who has taken photographs

for Sports Illustrated and Forbes. In the process of serving as a guide, I was able see Krop through their eyes.

They filmed the first of six AP classes in Mirtha Funcia’s AP Studio Art class. Several crew members were impressed with the quality of the students’ photographs.

In AP Chemistry, David Buncher explained scientific concepts. He demonstrated liquid nitrogen’s effect on air as he fit multiple balloons into the bucket of nitrogen. Buncher later pulled out a banana, chemically freezing one half in the liquid and eating the other.

Principal Dawn Baglos accompanied the crew through the halls between filming. From these short walks, they acquired a sense of her influence on the school.

At one point, Baglos noticed that a locker was missing a zip tie. Immediately, she picked up her walkie-talkie and radioed for someone to put a zip tie on the spe-

cific locker number.

The crew noted how Baglos “does not miss a beat.” One asked, “Is the school always this clean?”

Later, Baglos said the school should always be as clean as it was the week of the College Board visit. However, she also said the custodial team is currently understaffed.

The crew recorded interviews with AP Psychology and AP U.S. History teacher Michael Fass, senior Brett Curtis, junior Charity Waweru. Principal Dawn Baglos and School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, as well as AP students and teachers from across the district, were also interviewed.

In Carvalho’s interview, he spoke about the significance of MDCPS’s achievement on the psyche of immigrant students. “[They are] often defined by headlines across our country that do not necessarily

proclaim their academic prowess,” he said.

Students, class changes, lunch, dismissal and the College Board award ceremony were also filmed and photographed.

At lunch, freelance photographer Gary Bogdon said that Krop was one of the most diverse schools he had seen in Miami.

Bogdon was exposed to other area schools though previous College Board shoots.

College Board representative Praveen Vajpeyi said that photographs and video recordings would be used for computer and mobile applications, printed materials and publications like the AP Report to the Nation.

The photographs will go into the company’s collection of about 30,000 images which are constantly refreshed.

The footage recorded will be edited into a video and presented at the 2014 AP Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

JOIN YOUR

Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014

Dine for Krop at Tutti Frutti on Biscayne 2:30-6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014

Kaplan practice ACT test at 8:30 a.m. $10 dollars for non-PTSA members.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014

Monthly PTSA meeting at 6 p.m. Living Rainbow will be performing!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Save the date! Lightning silent auction and wine tasting at Club Fate honoring the Silver Knight nominees and Ms. Michelle Russel.

Membership applications available in the Attendance Office

Lifestyle

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

Page 13

HAIRSTYLES

of Red hair, don’t care Advantages being grateful

Chloe Nisset guest writer

Freshman Tamar Yaniv laughs as she sits in class when her friend tells her he heard a rumor that “gingers have no souls.” Yaniv, being a ginger herself, hears these kind of stereotypes on a daily basis.

Yaniv is among all the rare gingers on school grounds and beyond. Only two percent of people in the world have naturally red hair. According to National Geographic, Yaniv and all other gingers are a part

of a “dying breed.” Redheads are even said to become extinct within the next 100 years by several genetic researchers.

“Being a ginger, I know I look quirky, but I never take those stereotypes to heart, especially since comments on my hair are usually positive ones,” Yaniv said.

Redheads normally endure a barrage of second glances simply because of their distinct hair color. They have even been discriminated against in history, primarily because in

ABIGAIL DUFFY

GINGER AND PROUD: lush red hair.

Freshman Tamar Yaniv playfully shows off her

the Bible Judas has red hair. In medieval times, people with red hair were said to have the markings of a witch. Even to this day, redheads are said to have fiery tempers and sharp tongues. But isn’t it about time the judgments are put to rest?

“Tamar is always energetic, even in the morning when it seems like everyone else is about to fall asleep, she never fails to socialize and bring everyone’s spirit up,” freshman Alberto Lopez said.

Most people who know Yaniv say her hair makes her who she is… an individual.

Whenever these negative judgments of redheads sprout, they do not do Yaniv any justice.

Freshman Joanna Babilon is another one is Yaniv’s friends who is opposed to stereotypical remarks made at gingers.

“I love Tamar. She is always so nice and funny, and I have never seen her any other way,” Babilon said.

So like the usual questions Yaniv gets regarding her red hair, her friend asks her in class if all givers have freckles. She laughs and replies “probably.”

The Greater Good Science Center, located at the University of California-Berkeley, has been testing and studying “the psychology, sociology and neuroscience of well-being.” The university concluded that being thankful has a multitude of health benefits.

1. It makes us happier.

In the book, “Gratitude Works!” Emmons discusses the advantages of owning a gratitude journal, working on writing expressive letters to those we feel are kind to us, and sharing the writing in person to express our thankfulness face to face.

MADDIE GARFINKLE

2. It makes our relationships stronger.

When we write down our grateful activities, it makes us feel happier. This in turn strengthens our relationships as we are happier people who argue less. Gratefulness also furthers our viewpoint of focusing on the negative to focusing on the more positive parts of life.

FARMERS MARKET

Green Market features a variety of local flavors

Dan Sicorsky news editor From mango-papaya hand lotion to baby bananas, the City of Aventura’s new Green Market has it all.

Vendors from all around Miami come to the outdoor market with their fruits, vegetables, baked goods and crafts to showcase and sell to the public.

Market Manager Jason Hershin brought the Green Market to town.

“Cities all around have green markets,” Hershin said.

“Aventura didn’t have one, and since this park wasn’t being used, the idea came to me to open a green market.”

The public response has been encouraging, according to Marly Hanshaw. “People really love coming here to buy products because they don’t have to go so far,” she said. Hanshaw sells handmade soy candles, handcrafted artisan soap and freshly made cosmetics at her table.

Like other vendors, Hanshaw loves being able to sell her products so close to home. “I live here, so I really

love it,” Hanshaw said. “The market is a great way for me to expose my products to the public.”

Sophomore Daniela Rojzman visited the Market the Sunday it opened. “I just couldn’t believe that something like this was so close to my house,” Rojzman said.

Hershin explained that he is willing to bring any sort of product to the market, just as long as the vendors will find a solid customer base.

As Aventura’s Green Market continues to grow and develop, vendors hope to see more customers “coming to spend a day in the sun,” as Hanshaw explained.

As one vendor put it, “The Market has something for everyone. You won’t know until you come to check it out.”

Aventura’s Green Market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Aventura’s Founder’s Park South at 3105 NE 190th Street, Aventura, FL 33180.

MADDIE GARFINKLE

3. It helps us get better grades.

In a study, people with more gratitude were shown to have a better academic standing. In a fight for who can obtain the top percentiles, highest test scores, and cut throat competition among students we should look for all forms of boosters to help us achieve our academic aspirations

MADDIE GARFINKLE

4. It helps us achieve our desires.

When we have a more grateful attitude, we achieve and do more things in a timely manner. Gratitude journals help us complete our goals as they set us up a proper timeline to accomplish them. With many of our new years resolutions being to accomplish what we seek, a gratitude journal is a perfect way to stay on top of your “things to do” for the year.

DANIEL GUBEREK

LOCAL FLAVORS: The

Green Market gives Aventura residents the opportunity to purchase and enjoy locally grown foods and handmade crafts.

MADDIE GARFINKLE

compiled by Elias Rosenfeld

Lifestyle Page 14

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t judge a person by their Facebook page Stephania Salvaria staff writer People are like books that we judge by their covers. But, today’s book has morphed into Facebook.

Each of your one thousand ‘friends’ scrolls through your Facebook pages. And just like the pages of a book, your story unwinds “People post things on their public media pages for the sole reason of being judged, in a favorable way obviously,” junior Talia Korn said.

Social media allows us to manipulate the way we are viewed by our peers. And we can organize most of our ‘friends’ into the general categories of

those who do and do not set up perfect online images. Facebook, along with other social media sites, acts as an opportunity to, literally or figuratively, put their best face forward.

Then there are those who attempt social media, but have miserably failed at it. You know, those friends of yours who opened their Facebook years ago, and have their parents fill in their page with tagged posts and photos. Of course, you can read through the ‘to be honest’ posts on their walls and make your own assumptions.

“Although we judge a person based on media posts, it’s not a fair judgment,” Junior Vanessa Tosta said. “Posts don’t generally tell you who the person is.”

We can’t know someone without direct interaction with

them. When we depend on carefully thought-out bios that tell us someone “loves dogs and the color purple,” we only know them by the fictions they create.

We must fill in the gaps between who they really are and who they would like to be.

“I think everyone is guilty of deriving an opinion from others social media posting” sophomore Victoria Reyes said.

Call it old-fashioned, but one is better off meeting someone in real life instead of Facebook stalking their family members.

Until one has picked up a book and read from beginning through end, one never reaches a conclusion. No one is as good or bad as their social media representation makes them out to be.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Miami: Not so glorious Talya Gebara staff writer

We live in one of the wealthiest cities in the world; it is in fact.

“Glamorous” Miami is the home of countless millionaires, celebrities, and is blessed with sunny warm weather almost all year round.

We are one of the most culturally diverse in the nation, and one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world.

Tourists flock to Miami in countless numbers to indulge in the sunhine, luxury and glamoros lifestyle it entails.

South Florida’s nightlife and beautiful beaches attract a variety of people from college students on spring break to celebrities like Justin Beiber.

Despite the sunshine and stunning beaches, Miami was named the #1 most miserable city to live in the United States according to Forbes analysis of the 200 largest metro areas. West

Palm Beach holds the #4 slot, and Fort Lauderdale holds #7.

This analysis is determined by 10 factors including violent crime, unemployment rate, and political corruption.

While Miami life can be nice for those who live in million dollar mansions on the beach, for the life of an average family, Miami living is among the most stressful cities to tolerate.

Although Miami is one of the richest cities in the world, the median household income is $27,291, the third smallest among the 100 biggest cities.

The poverty rate is also the 5th highest at 32.4%, twice the rate of the average U.S poverty rate of 15.9%.

All these factors have contributed to Miami’s growing wealth gap and making it the second-highest city in the nation as far as income inequality.

Another one of Miami’s flaws is transportation.

Getting around South Florida without a car is near impossible.

However, if you do have a car, you have to face one of the most notorious realities of Miami life, the drivers.

It’s common knowledge that Miami’s drivers are among the most aggressive and impatient.

Miami also ranked first in automobile fatalities, first in pedestrian strikes and first in the obscenity-laced tirades against their fellow drivers.

The myth that South Florida is sunny year round is also inflated.

Miami reports more thunderstorms than any other city, without about 80 days a year on average having thunder reported.

The high temperatures and humidity slashes the likelihood of a good hair day, any day.

It’s hard to love Miami if you’re not a rich, 21 years old or over, Mr. 305 Dale or Lebon James.

For the rest of us average citizens, deprived of the luxuries of the rich, Miami is just a hot, stressful, expensive place to live.

Student

Innovators Performing magic tricks at hospitals Salomon Vainstein and Daniel Guberek Over the years I have been involved in a variety of community service projects, which have included tutoring fellow students in math and science.

Recently, I began another project with Daniel Guberek that involves visiting hospitals and performing magic for the children.

As of now, we have already appeared at Joe DiMaggio’s Children Hospital and performed for a group of kids for an hour. Our routine consists of various card tricks and prop magic, and throughout the show we received great reactions.

We are currently contacting other locations to schedule more performance dates.

Danny and I have been performing magic since we were five years old and it has been a large part of our lives.

To us, magic not only entertains, but generates a sense of curiosity and imagination. Through this project, we are able to not only share the talent and skills we have honed over the years, but also bring enjoyment to children who are currently undergoing a critical period in their lives.

The project is close to our hearts as magic has been our passion for years, and allows us to gain valuable experience while helping to better the lives of others.

ADVERTISEMENT

COURTESY OF SALOMON VAINSTEIN

ON THE JOB: Daniel Guberek and Salomon Vainstein performing magic tricks at a local hospital.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lifestyle

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

Page 15

PSYCHOLOGY

SUPPLEMENTS

Changing one’s mindset about Multivitamins prove to be insufficient stress can be beneficial Daniela Michanie staff writer If anyone knows anything about stress, it’s high school students. But according to recent studies, changing our perception of stress changes the way we experience it and how it affects us.

Krop’s AP Psychology teacher, Dr. Michael Fass, utilizes TED videos, educational talks given by innovative researchers and scientists. Fass recently played a talk given by health psychologist Kelly McGonigal who discussed how to make stress your friend.

“Can changing how you think about stress make you healthier? Here the science says yes,” McGonigal said.

We have spent too many years thinking of stress as our enemy, explained McGonigal.

She presented three studies that back up her claims on why we need to reprogram our brains to make stress healthy.

According to McGonigal, studies indicate that stress

is correlated to longevity, if we view stress as something positive. People who recorded high levels of stress and thought it was bad on their health had a 43% increased risk of death.

Conversely, the people that reported high stress but viewed it as something positive were among the least likely to die in comparison to other subjects in the study.

Research on the psychology of stress is not something new.

Other researchers have studied how we perceive stress and how it affects our cardiac system.

A study in the Oxford Journal found that “the perception that stress affects health is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.”

An additional study conducted by the National Library of Medicine also found that it is the perception of stress that is associated with coronary heart disease.

The pattern is clear: if we perceive stress as something negative, it will affect us negatively. If we think of stress as something that is preparing

us for a challenge, or a sign that our body is capable of overcoming this challenge, then that stress can have even greater health benefits than no stress at all.

This new development in psychology is vital information to students, who deal with stress on a day-to-day basis. If we can reprogram our thoughts and embrace stress as something good for us, the health benefits are substantial.

It is hard to completely change how we perceive stress.

However, there are studies that show at least one effective way to significantly reduce stress.

In a University of Buffalo study of 850 people demonstrated how helping others in that time period was an important factor in stress reduction.

“Each major stress event increased an individual’s risk of death by 30%. But, overall, this increase was erased for those who reported high rates of helping others, even if they additionally dealt with a lot of stress,” the study said.

Mackenzie Duffy co-copy editor A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medical School urges people to halt the use of vitamins and to question their effectiveness. The study revealed that a well- nourished person from a western population taking vitamins is not necessary, baring a vitamin deficiency, here is another catch: some supplements may actually be harmful to your health.

Supplements such as betaCarotene, vitamin E and high doses of vitamin A have been shown to deteriorate your health. BetaCarotene has become popular because of the hypothesis that it rejuvenates skin. However, taking the substance in pill form is not recommended.

It is suggested to ingest the substances naturally in foods like sweet potatoes and carrots over taking a pill.

“Here’s the low down,”

nutritionist, Dr. Joyce K. Julien said, “the best way to take in vitamins is through a balanced diet.”

While some supplements may be harmful, others are ineffective and offer no immediate benefit to those without a deficiency.

Antioxidants, folic acid, B vitamins and mineral supplements have been shown to be insufficient.

But where there is conflict, there is a solution. These substances can be found naturally in blueberries, salmon and dark leafy greens.

Although there have been conflicting studies stating that the vitamin D deficiency epidemic should be treated by taking vitamins, the new study urges people to stop the use, or limit the amount that are taken. Vitamin D synthesizes calcium, which makes bones stronger. Dairy products such as milk and cheese are rich in vitamin D and the substance can be absorbed through sunlight.

Sports Page 16

Lightning Strike • January2008 2014 The LightningThe Strike • September

WRESTLING

The Lone Wolf of Wrestling: Victoria Bentacourt, Krop’s only girl wrestler

Joshua Swerdlow staff writer Determination, strength and technique allow junior Victoria Bentacourt into the world of wrestling, a sport driven by physicality. Nationally, over 270,000 high school male wrestlers compete alongside fewer than 9,000 female participants. For Lightning wrestlers, that ratio is 16-to-1.

Bentacourt began her mixed martial arts career at six-yearsold in Aventura Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), where she eventually earned a seconddegree black belt. She gained experience in art forms like Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, judo and wrestling, which combines the finesse of karate and the power of kickboxing.

These art forms have remained an important part of Bentacourt’s life.

“It was nice to know she was involved in something she liked and that would give her discipline and structure,” Carolina Buitrago said, Bentacourt’s mother.

“She loved it and has not lost any

interest.”

When she chose wrestling, Bentacourt wanted to improve her skills and become a wellrounded fighter.

“I realized wrestling was my weakest style; therefore I wanted to get more experience,” Bentacourt said.

During her sixth and seventh grade years at Highland Oaks Middle School, Bentacourt helped manage the wrestling and went to all the events.

In eighth grade, Bentacourt joined as a wrestler but did not complete the season in order to prioritize her studies.

Bentacourt has been the only female on the high school wrestling team for the past two years. The segregation of boys’ and girls’ sports shows that girls are thought of as inferior in sports, but Bentacourt has not quit.

Confidences in her abilities do not allow Bentacourt to feel disconnected for being the only female.

“Honestly, since I’ve been in a male dominant sport for most of my life, [wrestling] doesn’t make me feel isolated

from the rest of the team,” she said.

Her mother fully supports Bentacourt, but is not enthused with her matches. According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy, wrestling is one of the two high school sports along with football that have the highest risk of injury for athletes. Buitrago, although

“Honestly,

since I’ve been in a male dominant sport for most of my life, [wrestling] doesn’t make me feel isolated from the rest of the team.

-Victoria Bentacourt confident in her daughter’s skill, is nervous watching Bentacourt perform.

“I feel afraid now because [competition] has gotten very competitive and all I can think is that she can get badly hurt easily,”Buitrago said, who is

a registered nurse. “I don’t doubt her skill at all and I know she will perform with excellence, the problem is the other competitors who don’t calculate their strength and technique, which increases the potential for injury.”

Since there are few girls participating in wrestling and almost none in Bentacourt’s weight class, she had to face a boy in the 132 pound class instead of her 126 pound class.

Although she lost, Bentacourt felt she had tried her hardest and did what she could in a difficult task. Reflection on her as a person has led her teammates to describe her as a person with a “big heart.”

Buitrago has kept in close contact with Bentacourt’s past instructors and the current wrestling coach, Kent Landon.

“They all have only great things to say about her,” Buitrago said. “They notice her passion, dedication, and the love she has for MMA and they all suggest that she should go professional because of her talent.”

COLLEGE

Florida State is the place to go Alec Eidelstein sports editor After winning the BCS championship over Auburn University on a last minute drive, Florida State University will be the place to go. But it won’t be easy to get in.

According to a recent study by two economists, Jared and David Pope, a major sports victory increases applications to universities by an average of 7-8 percent the following year. This is what is known as the “Flutie Effect,” named after a Boston College (BC) quarterback, Doug Flutie, who won the national championship on a last second Hail Mary against the University of Miami. In just two years, BC’s applications went up 30%.

After winning big games, schools receive major media attention, which mostly attracts out-of-state students, meaning more money for the university if the students were to attend.

This year, FSU raised standards for early admissions.

Florida State University Statistics (50% Range) 2012-2013

2013-2014 (EA)

SAT COMPOSITE

SUMMER: 1650-1890 FALL: 1730-1969

SUMMER: 1740-1920 FALL: 1800-1990

ACT COMPOSITE

SUMMER: 24-28 FALL: 26-30

SUMMER: 25-29 FALL: 27-31

SUMMER: 3.9-4.3 FALL: 3.9-4.7

SUMMER: 3.9-4.4 FALL: 4.0-4.7

GPA WEIGHTED

Compiled by Alec Eidelstein

No one who had under a 1650 SAT or a 24 ACT composite was admitted in the general application pool, and around 54 percent of students who got accepted had all A’s and B’s throughout high school.

“A couple of years ago when the University of Southern Florida came here for a college presentation not many people showed up,”

CAP advisor Robert Roddy said. “After making their way up in football, a lot more people started to show up to their presentations and showed more interest.”

FSU is ranked 4 th in 2014 football recruiting and Jameis Winston the quarterback/ Heisman winner, will return for at least one more year. The Seminoles will come in as the

number one team and is one of the favorites to repeat.

“Now that Florida State won the BCS championship, I’m definitely considering going to FSU next year, a good mixture of athletics and academics,” Shezad Maniar said. “All my friends who were accepted and I are looking forward tin visiting the Seminole country.”

Sportsmanship Player of the Month Joshua Swerdlow staff writer

The boys Lightning soccer season ended stronger with eight wins, three losses and five ties which led the team to districts. Not a bad finale.

Captain Joseph “Chino” Grobman, a junior, has played for the school since ninth grade, as well as for a club team in Boca Raton. A defense player, Grobman had four assists for the Lightning during the season and was recognized as the Sportsman Award winner for December.

Grobman’s teammates have noticed his skill and teamwork. “Chino is always involved in every play,” junior Juan Cotton said, another defensive player.

“Everywhere the ball goes, he goes.”

During a rival game against ATM, an opponent dropped to the floor with a calf cramp. The ball had gone out of bounds and Grobman took the initiative to run to the player. Instead of waiting for the athletic trainer reach the player, Grobman helped the opponent stretch his calf when he could have watched the event unfold.

Grobman says he would have wanted someone to help him if he were in the same situation. “The only thing I could think of is how I would feel if I were him,” Grobman said. “I helped out because giving support is the best thing to do when an injury occurs.”

Coach Tomas Gonzalez believes the Sportsmanship Award is well deserved.

“Joseph is a very dedicated and disciplined player,” Gonzalez said “He is the heart of the team.”

Sports The Lightning Strike • January 2014

Page 17

PROFILE

Sophomore superstar swimmer

Nicholas Aleman staff writer Standing at 6’5, it’s hard to miss sophomore Che Davis walking through the halls with his big smile and usual hoodie, most people wouldn’t believe he is one of the top swimmers in the region.

Davis, who qualified for states this year, started his swimming career only two years ago.

“My grandma saw me in the pool one day and wanted me to sign up,” Davis said.

“From there on it was all about swimming for me.”

After learning the basics about swimming at Victory Pool in North Miami for two months, Davis signed up to swim club for the FIU Neptunes, as well as swim for our school.

“He’s a lot more dedicated than the average swimmer,” said former head coach and current assistant coach Jackie Hernandez. “It shows in his swimming.”

Practicing six times a week, two hours a day, Davis has the right balance of maintaining his academics along with keeping

COURTESY OF CHE DAVIS

RACE TO THE FINISH: Sophomore Che Davis performs the butterfly stroke at a swim meet.

up with his swimming.

Being the best swimmer on the team and also excelling in the classroom could be difficult for most kids to handle, not for Che Davis.

“It’s all about time management,” Davis said.

“Being able to do all the stuff I do, managing my time the best that I can is a must.”

Joining the team during his freshman year, Davis left quite an impression not only with the coaches, but with his teammates

as well.

“A Beast,” fellow teammate Anthony Leon said describing Davis. “I thought he was a robot the first time I saw him, I couldn’t believe he was that fast in the water.”

Davis took the district by storm, qualifying for regionals and finishing second in the 50 meter butterfly in only his first year as a competitive swimmer.

He has won numerous club tournaments, most notably the Speedo Winter Championship,

a regional tournament where he is the two time defending champion in the 50 meter backstroke.

Davis entered this year with high hopes and got off to a great start while openly admitting he was out of shape.

“I went to Germany during the summer,” Davis said. “I got back and had to get back into my routine.”

Despite being out of shape, Davis got back on track and qualified for districts in the in

the 50 meter freestyle. There he would go on to win the match and do the same at regionals to qualify for states.

“I was so nervous for states,” Davis said. “Since I was one of the three sophomores there, I was little anxious.”

Davis finished in the top 20 for his event, quite an accomplishment for someone swimming competitively for two years.

“He’s humble,” Hernandez said. “For someone as good as him, it’s easy for the success to get to your head, but he’s not the bragging type.”

His expectations heading into next season are high, hoping to qualify for states for the second year in a row.

“He’s going to improve by next year,” Hernandez said.

“His times have dropped by a lot compared to earlier in the year, and that’s a testament to his dedication.”

For the future, Davis hopes to get a scholarship for swimming and study medicine to become a dermatologist.

“Maybe I might qualify for the Olympics,” Davis said. “But for now, I’m looking forward to next season.”

PREVIEW

Baseball team is back in business: The Lightning squad gains three new coaches to their staff after losing their head coach and three key players.

Nicholas Aleman staff writer Grab your peanuts, crackerjacks and hats because baseball season is here!

With a completely different coaching staff and a team full of young players filled with potential, a new era of Krop baseball has arrived.

The departure of eight year coach Jason Sullivan due to the birth of his son at the start of the season left a void at the coaching position. After an intensive search, former independent leaguer Joe Milbury takes over a team who has qualified for district playoffs for eight consecutive years.

Along with the addition of Milbury, the Lightning add former Miami Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen and Lightning baseball alum Eiron Sanchez as the assistant coaches. Olsen holds the Marlins franchise record for most strike outs in

a single season by a rookie pitcher, while Sanchez was a part of the team for the last four years.

Last year’s ball club qualified for district playoffs with a 9-12 record and had a down-to-the-wire finish against number one seed American high school in the first round.

Facing the heavily favored Patriots, the Lightning found themselves up 5-2 with two outs to go. American would go on to load the bases and score four unanswered runs on their way to winning the game and the district championship.

“It was a heartbreaking experience to have the team work so hard and fall short,” Sullivan said. “It’s tough.”

Outside our school, the expectations heading into this season are dim, but to senior captain Ian Santana, this team has a real shot if they stay focused.

“We need to eliminate all distractions and focus on baseball,” he said, “the best way

to silent the doubters, is to win.”

The loss of seniors Carlos Murillo and Moises Flores along with team captain junior Jake Norman leaves the team looking towards their depth for production.

“This year we have more depth at the pitching position,” starting pitcher Efraim Vainstein said. “We’re working on pitching mechanics to improve the release of the ball.”

“This year we have

more depth at the pitching position.

We’re working on pitching mechanics to improve the release of the ball.

-Efraim Vainstein With the emergence of juniors Vainstein and catcher Diego Rodriguez, the team has more depth than expected.

“We have a good group of seniors this year with Ian [Santana] and Dave [Gil] coming back,” Sullivan said.

“The teams’ work ethic on the field will show with this season results.”

While the team was looking for a replacement for Sullivan, the team, led by Santana, continued to practice four times a week with the approval of the administration.

“The work ethic of this team is something I’ve never seen before,” Milbury said. “These guys out here want to learn and they love the game they play.”

This season starts with a game against Country Day high school on Feb. 3, followed by games against Cooper City and Coral Springs Charter leading up to our first home game of the season on February 18 against Beach High.

“I’m looking forward to playing Hialeah Gardens,” Santana said. “They were district champions two years ago and ever since it’s been a

little rivalry.”

The game against Hialeah Gardens is on March 6, a home game, and our last home game is April 8 against Braddock high school, a team who beat us last year 17-7.

“They beat us pretty bad last year,” Gil said talking about the last home game. “We’re looking for revenge.”

Although the team is filled with talent and potential, one thing is clear: game attendance isn’t as good as it used to be.

“Give it a shot,” Milbury said talking about the attendance.

“Come out and watch quality baseball with a couple of friends, it’s a good place to hang out.”

The teams’ motto is “Hard work pays off when talent doesn’t work hard” and hard work is what this team is based on.

“We’re going to work as hard as possible to get these seniors that championship,” freshman Jason Girardi said. “We won’t quit until we get it.”

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

3

MONDAY

4

10

FEBRUARY

TUESDAY

12 First Home Baseball game Play Miami Beach @ 3:30

13

Early Release Senior Breakfast

Junior Class Ring Ceremony Auditorium 1:30p.m.- 2:20p.m.

Home 19 First 20 Tennis Matches

26

AZA

Miami Region BBYO AryehAZA@gmail.com Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center

14 Valentine’s Day

Play Ameican @ 2:00

27

Grad Bash Ticket Sales

ARYEH

Teacher Planning Day NO SCHOOL

21

Grad Bash Ticket Sales

25

FRIDAY

7

11

President’s Day NO SCHOOL

24

6

Choral Magnet-Voices in the Night Senior Breakfast Ticket Sales

18

Page 19

THURSDAY

Class Ring Payments- Lunch

PeaceJam- Mix It Up Day

17

5

WEDNESDAY

Calendar

First Home Softball game Play Miami High @ 3:30

28

Comics

Page 20

The Lightning Strike • January 2014

MICHAEL BEHFAR

MICHAEL BEHFAR

MICHAEL BEHFAR

ALL STYLES WELCOME

If you’re thinking about colleges, think about this: one of the most exhilarating, inspiring, and international colleges in the country is right here in South Florida. (Lynn students come from 87 countries and 45 states.)

To see Lynn for yourself, come to one of our Open House events or schedule a personalized visit when it’s more convenient. You’ll find all the details online.

If you’d like to speak to someone in admission, call 561-237-7545.

We’d love to talk to you!

Connect with us at

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

lynn.edu/social

25 majors including: Biology Communication and Emerging Media Criminal Justice Elementary Education Fashion and Retail International Business Management Psychology Sports Management

lynn.edu/visit

Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability and/or age in administration of its educational and admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and/or other schooladministered programs. Lynn University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lynn University.