March-April Issue 2012

Page 1

THE

lightningstr ke Taking Miami-Dade by Storm

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

April 04, 2012 • Issue 6 • Volume 14

JUSTICE

Sharon Sabbagh managing editor About 2,700 students charge through Krop’s hallways on any given day. But one student will never push through those halls again. The tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s death may eventually fade from the front pages of newspapers, but his memory remains forever in the hearts of those who knew him best. On Feb. 26, an unarmed Trayvon was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida while serving out a ten-day suspension at the time. The Florida Grand Jury will meet Apr. 10 for the first time to discuss the details of the case. The week of Trayvon’s passing, his parents contacted Principal Dawn Baglos and requested privacy regarding the matter. From the moment the news broke, Baglos was hounded by the media for information regarding Trayvon. She received daily emails pressing her for information that could only be gleaned from school records. Because Trayvon was a minor, his records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). All requests for information that Baglos received were forwarded to Miami-Dade County’s chief communications officer, John Schuster. “I am not a jury,” Baglos said. “Whether or not he was suspended doesn’t change the fact that he is a 17-year-old kid, a high schooler who was still growing.” Eventually the records were subpoenaed and released to the public. Although teachers were instructed not ►turn to “Rememberance” on page 2

Remembrance

krop’s moments of

MIRTHA FUNCIA

JAVIER STORCH

JAVIER STORCH

Top photo: Krop students and parents gather in the school courtyard to participate in a candle light ceremony. Bottom Left: Students plant a tree in honor of Trayvon’s memory. Bottom Right: Photos of Trayvon were put on display along with a bouquet of flowers, a candle from the candle light ceremony and a chain with a cross. Students wrote encouraging words to Trayvon and his family on a slip of paper which was then adjoined into a chain during lunch.

INTEGRITY

Teachers take a stand against cheating

Sharon Sabbagh managing editor

“Cheaters, cheaters, cheaters,” were the three words Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB teacher Virginia Olwell used to address her third period class the morning of March 22. The three AP Calculus AB classes taught by Debra Stein, Maria Marino and Olwell were caught sharing answers on an exam that was given to all three classes at different times. Marino’s class took the test first and allegedly gave information from the exam to the other two classes. Since the test was a released AP exam, students

INDEX: OPINION 4-5

could find the test online and were thought to have looked the answers up on their phones. Assistant Principal Francisco Garnica spoke to the three classes separately, reprimanding them on their work ethic and behavior. “Is this how you want to be known?” Garnica asked Olwell’s class, “People without integrity, moral or character?” Garnica promised that if any class is suspected of cheating again, he will ensure that every student in the class receives an “F.” This is not the first case of widespread cheating among students. Two years ago, AP Biology classes were caught buying exams online and texting each other

ENTERTAINMENT 7-8

answers. AP Biology teacher Gary Feilich had to reformat his tests. “If the exams are online or sold on E-bay, anyone can find them, and there is little I can do,” Feilich said. “The intensity of [AP] classes is so great, the need to succeed overwhelms honesty.” Although cheating is not limited to AP students, a survey by The Lightning Strike reports that 43 percent of those who admitted to cheating have an un-weighted GPA of 3.5-4.0. Ellen Elias teaches AP Human Geography, AP Microeconomics and AP Government. She believes that cheating is more prominent in AP courses in comparison to nonAP classes.

FEATURE 12-13

“It has become a new culture where cheating is socially acceptable,” Elias said. To combat cheating in her classroom Elias has multiple forms of her exams and makes sure no two classes receive the same questions. AP English teacher Jessica Fishbein suspected cheating in her classroom when there was a discrepancy between student scores and performance. Students who did not regularly get “A’s” began getting close to perfect scores. When they were retested, many were not able to duplicate the same results. “The only person I blame is myself for not going to the lengths to make sure cheating doesn’t

SCIENCE & HEALTH 15-16

occur,” Fishbein said. Social Studies teacher Mary Lee has also confronted students cheating in her AP European History class. “We [teachers] are going based on an honor system and when you violate that trust we take it personally,” Lee said. “We put our heart and soul into this. Our livelihood is to ensure that you all succeed, and then you cheat?” Those caught cheating in Lee’s class had to serve two days of indoor suspension. Teachers also have the right to issue an automatic “F” in conduct to students caught cheating. In some cases students may also face removal from the AP program.

SPORTS 17-18

APRILFOOLS 19-20


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