The Muse Volume 14 Issue 3

the USE [

Volume 14wIssue 3wDecember 2016

]

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

THE NUMBERS

GAME pg. 19

1

Volume 14 // Issue 3 // December 2016

W

Contents

25

hen incandescent lights adorn the trunks of neighborhood palm trees, we know the holiday season has arrived. Unlike most celebrations, these for many students come with the bittersweet aftertaste of college admissions. December for seniors is the first month in the countdown to graduation; it is when the first acceptance and rejection letters appear as an update on student portals.

The inaugural wave of decisions arrives around the same time as our release of Issue 3 of The Muse, and to commemorate our four years of hard work, we’ve compiled much of the information that leads to those results in a detailed investigation of the growth of academic competition at Dreyfoos. You can find it on page 19 as “The Numbers Game.”

We also included light-hearted stories about memes and SNL to brighten your spirits. It is important to maintain a level of joy at this moment in the year.

Happy holidays!

&

Corrections In an October article on The Muse website titled “All That Jazz,” students Thomas Gallagher, Ariana Richter, and Austin Klewan were quoted as commenting on the subject of performing at Jazz Combos. Neither Gallagher nor Klewan made the comments attributed to them. The Muse regrets having published these erroneous quotes and apologizes to both students for the mistake.

A story about the death of teacher John Bauer in Issue 2 of The Muse was accompanied by two photographs which incorrectly label the four Bauer siblings: Connie Bauer (sister), John Bauer, Paul Bauer (brother), and Marian Bauer (sister). These photos were taken from the Facebook page belonging to his widow, Cheryl Bauer. It is the policy of The Muse to ask for consent as a professional courtesy before publishing such photos. That policy was not followed in this instance, and we apologize sincerely to Mrs. Bauer for the lack of professional courtesy and respect.

2 themuseatdreyfoos.com

14 35

5 29

12

19

(Top left) Photo by Lorenzo Romano, (Top middle) Photo by Julia Bonavita, (Top right) Cartoon by Alia Payne, (Bottom right) Photo by Julia Bonavita, (Center top left) Graphic by Chloe Girod, (Center bottom left) Photo illustration by Danielle Cuestas; Photo by Lorenzo Romano, (Center right) Photo courtesy of Gia Prizzi

ABOUTUS

The Muse is a national award-winning newsmagazine. The publication has won numerous awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) including a Pacemaker in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Muse has also won a Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) in 2011 and 2013. The Muse won a CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown award in 2015, which recognized the best print edition and website (themuseatdreyfoos.com) in the nation. The Muse is a finalist for the Hybrid Gold Crown in 2016. The Muse has also won The Palm Beach Post General Excellence - Newspaper Award in 2012, 2014, and 2016. This publication is completely funded and created by its staff, advertisers, and donors. Over 1,400 students and a multitude of subscribers receive copies of the magazine annually. All aspects of the magazine from the cover to the Exposure on the back page are written and designed by the students. There are 53 staffers, grades 10-12, from the communications department and some from other art areas, including cartoonists from the visual department, who make this publication possible. We would like to thank the School of the Arts Foundation for their continuous support. Your donations are greatly appreciated by this staff.

EDITORIALPOLICY

The Muse is a student publication produced by Journalism IV, V, and VI classes at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Opinion is limited to editorials and columns. We welcome and will print letters to the editors, which should be submitted to the Pressroom (1-102) or submitted to themuseatdreyfoos.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for grammar and space restrictions and will publish no letters that are libelous or defamatory to any staff, students, or members of the community. We also accept guest editorials, although we reserve the right to edit or to decline at our discretion.

Dreyfoos School of the Arts 501 South Sapodilla Avenue West Palm Beach, FL, 33401 themuseatdreyfoos.com 3

STAFFEDITORIAL T

Extra credit for sale allows students to pay their way to an A

he end of each quarter brings a sense of panic in students unlike any other. In the midst of the chaos, many teachers offer extra credit to students who would do anything to get their A. For some of these opportunities, no work or intellectual thought is required. Instead, a purchase like a ream of paper could be the difference between an A or a B. Under Palm Beach County School District rules, this form of grading should not be allowed because it’s not tied to the curriculum of the course. Yet, some teachers still participate in this form of extra credit.

“There needs to be an alternative way for students to still be granted the same opportunity of extra credit not tied to anything monetary,” Assistant Principal Corey Ferrera said.

“It needs to be given to every student; not just if you’re able to purchase something.”

Teachers should never find themselves in this position in the first place. It’s unaccept-

4 themuseatdreyfoos.com

able for a nation so wealthy to have classrooms without the most basic resources. The situation is so poor that teachers oftentimes have to resort to their personal paycheck just to keep the class running.

While a purchase for the teacher is a sign of support to the classroom, it’s not fair to many students. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, nearly 50 percent of Florida households are eligible for free and reduced lunch. With so many families struggling to provide food for themselves, asking for a donation to a classroom is an unreasonable expectation for these families to fulfill. Our whole system of public education is built in such a way to support those who need the most help, yet we still have classes that equate money to A’s.

The competition in high schools is ever increasing, especially at Dreyfoos where class rank and GPA mean everything to students.

To see a student who did not do as much

work and did not know the material, but was able to buy something for the classroom and squeak by into the same grade as a top student is infuriating. It’s a discouragement to hard work when students come to understand they could be saved by a last minute purchase for the classroom.

Extra credit should be a way for students to make up for shortcomings and prove to the teacher their real ability. That’s what it is intended to do in its most pure form.

However, it has devolved into nothing more than a fundraiser. Buying one’s way into getting an A doesn’t accomplish a teacher’s goal of helping their students, nor does it show their effort. Instead, it’s just a way for some teachers to make up for lack of funding.

By The Muse Staff Contributor: Riley O’Connor Cartoon by Alia Payne

Opinion / themuseatdreyfoos.com 5

THE RISE OF SECULARISM

A look into the decreasing influence of religion in the modern world

I

n our scientifically advanced and ever-growing technological world, churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship throughout the world are suffering from a very real problem: the growing trend of secularism. Secularism is defined as the altogether lack of a religion, as many people have stopped practicing the religions that their ancestors have been a part of for hundreds of years. This is a debate that has been occurring for some time, as many do not recognize this clear decrease of religious people throughout the world. According to the Pew Research Center, having no religious affiliation is the second largest religious category in about 48 percent of countries in the world, including the United States.

The basis of religion as we know it is said to have occurred around 900 BCE. This period is known as the Axial Age, a term coined by German philosopher Karl Jaspers. Jaspers called this time period “the spiritual foundations of humanity.”

Following the Axial Age comes the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, which can be classified as the peak of religion in the world. Important religious movements such as the Great Awakening, the Protestant Reformation, and the founding of Islam occur within these eight centuries. Bloody religious wars such as the Thirty Years War and the Crusades also occur within this time period. Finally comes the Modern Period: our current place in history. This is where secularism has started to rise.

6 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Opinion

With every generation, the rate of secularism grows. Of the 327 students who completed a sample survey by The Muse about religious trends within the Dreyfoos community, about 45 percent said that their parents are more religious than they are. This trend reflects the growing generation gap of religious people growing more secular.

Of the 85 percent surveyed who said they want children at some point in their lives, two-thirds said that they wouldn’t care which religion their children chose to follow. Theoretically, those children could choose to be secular with no consequences from their parents, even though 65 percent of those who took the survey considered themselves at least somewhat religious.

According to a Pew Research Center study “Secular Americans,” “[The increase of secularism] seems to be generational in nature, with new cohorts coming of age with lower levels of commitment to a religious tradition.” It can be inferred that this increase of nonreligious people may be traced back to the fact that we live in a world that increasingly focuses more on social advancements and science rather than on religion, traditions, and culture.

It is safe to say that the social advancements that have been made in the U.S. take a more liberal turn. After all, the Constitution promises that the American government will ensure a separation of church and state, so using excuses like God and the Bible does not defend some people who are

opposed to LGBTQ+ equality and who are pro-life.

From the Dreyfoos sample survey conducted, only 11 percent of students said their religion had huge impact on their political views. This means that those students feel that their religion strongly influences their stances on many issues being discussed in our country. Likewise, in a previous school-wide survey conducted by The Muse in Issue 2 of Volume 14, about 16 percent of the Dreyfoos community identified as Republican. Republicans tend to be more conservative while Democrats tend to be more liberal, based on the values of their respective parties. Therefore, conservative Republicans are known to be strongly involved in their own religions and usually letting their religion influence their political views.

According to the Pew Research Center study “Secular Americans,” “Democrats and independents are less likely than Republicans to identify with a particular religious tradition, and the gap has widened over the past two decades.” Altogether, it can be deducted that the numbers between the political survey conducted in the previous issue of The Muse and the sample survey regarding religious trends prove that religious values alone no longer hold up as valid excuses to many of the social issues being discussed today, which may add to the growing rates of secularism.

With the same survey, about 48 percent marked that religion is still extremely influential on the world. However, this number could be explained by the issues that arise revolving around religion on the world, which are mostly negative. For instance, hot topics regarding religion like ISIS, Neo-Nazi movements, and issues in the Gaza Strip in Israel may add more to the reason that secularism is on the rise. Religion is still influential, but most of the time, its impact is in an unfortu-

nate, negative way.

Meanwhile, science is also a big part of the reason for the increase of secularism. The scientific theories that have been proposed and that are taught in schools worldwide have struck down the previously accepted religious explanations for the certain phenomena. For instance, up until this century and the Supreme Court case of Kitzmiller v.

Dover Area School District in 2005, teachers could tell students in any American school that evolution was simply just a theory, and that creationism is a valid way to explain how life works.

Secularism is both a negative and positive thing. Traditions and culture are no longer a priority in the lives of many in a world that seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

It is a sad thing that some cultures are losing the foundations and religions in which they sprouted from. However, the scientific and technological advancements that are causing this increase in secularism are the positives, improving our world day by day. We now live in a generally post-religious era; the culturally strong aspects of our world are declining, along with the amount of people who label themselves as “very religious.” However, our overall development as a technological world has been exponentially increasing. Although it has not happened yet, it is safe to say that soon enough, those “very religious” people, no matter what their denomination, will be the worldwide minority.

By Noa Kroyter Graphics by Noa Kroyter Graphics information taken from a sample survey conducted by The Muse Bible icon, stroller icon, Christmas tree icon, and people icons adapted from thenounproject.com collection

Opinion / themuseatdreyfoos.com 7

RETHINK

CLASS RANK

Class rank at Dreyfoos has caused too many problems. For the good of everyone, it must go.

A

Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach

HOMEWORK HELP FOR TEENS

Sponsored by the West Palm Beach Library Foundation

411 Clematis Street West Palm Beach, FL 33401

fter three grueling years, I can definitively say what I’ve thought since freshman year: the class ranking system at Dreyfoos is terrible.

A poll conducted by The Muse found that 43 percent of Dreyfoos believe that class rank should be eliminated. People assume that class rank complainers are just frustrated about their ranking, but that isn’t true. For example, I think class rank is useless, and I have the most to benefit: I’m ranked first in the senior class. In the past four years, I have taken far too many classes and pushed myself beyond the limit. The pressure to compete is unbearable and caused by a broken system that simply shouldn’t exist.

If Dreyfoos really cares about creating a healthy atmosphere, it should remove rank because rankings create problematic competition. A ranking system inherently pits students against each other; in order for one to succeed, others must fail. Students keep schedules secret and load up on dual enrollment classes. Helping peers only hurts the helper, and this zero-sum game can destroy friendships.

This system also

punishes students who want to learn and instead rewards students who can run the numbers, destroying learning and creating unnecessary stress. Instead of choosing classes that are interesting, students choose classes that start with “AP.” Fears of increasing competition to get into college have only stoked this class rank madness. In order to race through the rankings, students invent new tricks to cut corners, sacrificing learning in the process. Why take a hard class in school when you can just take it on Florida Virtual School and resubmit everything until you have an A? Or, why take a difficult course at all when you can “learn” how to use Microsoft Word through dual enrollment and get the same boost to your HPA? We double dip in AP and dual enrollment classes to maximize credit and minimize learning. We beg for grade bumps at the end of the quarter and worry about getting the stray B. Instead of focusing on the

learning, we focus on the grade because only one of them ends up on our transcript.

“I think class rank is the impetus for kids cheating and taking shortcuts,” math teacher Olive Bryan said. “The emphasis is on getting a good grade rather than learning the material and learning it well.”

At the very core, a school is supposed to be an institution where everyone learns. It’s not a centrifuge to separate good students from bad students. Class rank is antithetical not only to the goal of learning, but the very basis of education.

“I think it would be a good thing to remove,” school counselor Mark Carson said.

“It would put people at ease and make people do what’s important to them and not what’s important to just being ranked.”

Dreyfoos should abolish class rank. If we did, we wouldn’t be alone. The Washington Post notes that high schools across the country are leaving class rank behind. They found the same problems that are happening here.

If we can be one of the first to implement Marzano, we shouldn’t be among the last to get rid of class rank.

By Michael Wang Cartoon by Kathryn Stenberg

SCORE0128

ACCREDITED BY THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & SCHOOLS

Tutoring • SAT/ACT Prep Courses for Credit • College Counseling Boca Raton

561-241-1610

Coral Springs

954-510-0600

Palm Beach Gardens

561-626-2662

Wellington

561-333-8882

Weston

954-510-0600

www.ScoreAtTheTop.com 8 themuseatdreyfoos.com

99

T

THE ALLIANCE

he Gender and Sexuality Alliance’s visual junior and GSA member Keith Mc(GSA) mission is to make every stu- Manus said. “It’s incredible, especially for dent feel like they have a place at gender neutral people, or people who don’t Dreyfoos. With its climbing numbers, GSA, feel comfortable going to the gendered bathmade up of about 225 members, hopes to rooms, or feel unsafe using them. It’s somecontinue creating increasingly safer and more thing I don’t have to worry about anymore.” comfortable environments for LGBTQ+ Other projects that the club is working (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuon include the creal, Transgender, Queer, [GSA IS ABOUT] REPRE- ation of LGBTQ+ and others) students.

SENTATION, SHOWING inclusive sex-ed “GSA is the Gender and history curTHE STUDENT BODY THAT riculums, a queer and Sexuality Alliance, so that’s kind of a new WE ARE HERE AND WE’RE art show, a square spin on the old GSA ALIVE. for the GSA at the concept, which is the Lake Worth Street Gay Straight Alliance, Painting Festi-VISUAL JUNIOR KEITH val, and a famiand what that’s supposed to do for us on MCMANUS ly-friendly drag campus is provide a pageant. space for queer students and their allies to “The officers in GSA have been workcongregate,” communications senior and ing non-stop since the end of last school GSA co-president Matt Nadel said. “[It is] a year in order to make sure everyone feels place for students who oftentimes don’t feel safe and comfortable at school,” digital safe anywhere on campus to feel safe [and] media sophomore and GSA historian Kaylike they belong. A space where they can talk la Klavins said. “Whether that be through about their issues, celebrate their identities, the new gender neutral bathrooms or and feel no need to apologize for them.” events on visibility days, we want DreyThe Muse conducted a school wide survey of 1150 students, about four percent of the school’s student population identifies as genderqueer, an identity outside of the traditional gender binary. Many students at Dreyfoos also identify as LGBTQ+, which sparked GSA’s initiative to start school-wide education projects, like establishing gender neutral bathrooms. “[GSA] has achieved the gender neutral bathrooms, which is something I could’ve never really seen coming, in all honesty,” 10 themuseatdreyfoos.com / News

foos to be a welcoming home for everyone.”

According to case studies conducted by GSA Network, a LGBTQ+ racial and gender justice organization, including LGBTQ+ material in lessons created a safer, more supportive environment, along with more perception of the different genders and sexualities.

“I had the pleasure of having a teacher [who went out of their way to include LGBTQ+ material] and I felt so included,” Nadel said. “For the first time in the classroom, I felt that my identity mattered and was important. I didn’t realize that I always felt like teachers weren’t talking about it for some reason. I felt very affirmed, and I felt looked out for. I think all students on campus are entitled to feel that way.”

The projects, such as inclusive curriculums, require collective collaboration between GSA, the student body, and school faculty members. GSA depends on administration and staff involvement to succeed and achieve its highest potential.

“What makes the club successful is the leadership board, which is separate from the club,” school counselor and GSA co-sponsor Georgia Mounce said. “The leadership board discusses any issues, concerns, or what we

can do with the club, and then come bring it to me. I, in turn, help bring it to administration.”

Although GSA has a large outreach throughout Dreyfoos, there are many things that still need to be done to continue helping the LGBTQ+ community feel more comfortable and included in the classroom. One way this is being done is through the implementation of posters inside classrooms around the school, letting students explicitly know where they can find a safe space.

“I remember talking about Sappho in class, but when I tried to talk about Sappho’s [sexuality], I was actually shut down,” communications junior and GSA co-president Emily Pacenti said. “I was very confident talking in my class about Sappho and the role of sexuality in ancient Greece. The teacher seemed very uncomfortable by it and rushed me along. Their discomfort made me uncomfortable and unconfident, so I had to sit down and stop talking even though [sexuality] is a part of history.”

To GSA members and its supporters, it is more than a club—it is a community intent on making Dreyfoos’ environment as safe, friendly, and aware as possible. “[GSA is about] representation, showing the student body that we are here and we’re alive, that this isn’t such a faraway thing, that it’s not something that you just hear about,” McManus said. “[It’s about showing people] that we actually are present, and not an uncommon part of the population.

[It’s about] exploring people’s sexualities and genders, helping them come to see what they identify as and what they’re comfortable in, and a lot about learning about what the world is like.”

A MOMENT WITH MATT

GSA co-president Matthew Nadel shares how his involvement as a member of GLSEN National Student Council has impacted him.

How are goals, obstacles, and opportunities of LGBTQ+ movement different in schools than in other environments?

The primary difference is that in schools, organizations like GLSEN are not only working to guarantee people their rights, but to change hearts and minds and foster attitudes of acceptance and respect that follow children into their adult lives. I think the challenge with work in schools is sometimes children don’t understand these issues and don’t understand their gravity, and I think that offers GLSEN a unique opportunity to enlighten children and introduce these important ideas to them.

What do you believe is the future for the LGBTQ+ movement?

First and foremost, I think that the future of the LGBTQ+ community is bright; I don’t mean just community growing in size but also in strength.

That’s because members of our community are outspoken and because our loved one who are allies are stepping up to the plate and spreading messages of love, acceptance, and universal respect. I have confidence that in our future LGBTQ+ issues will no longer be politicized and will no longer be considered add-ons or privileges. LGBTQ+ rights are basic human rights and whether it involves restroom use, marriage, or our teachers acknowledging our pronouns, I know that in our not so distant future our basic human rights will be honored and upheld.

By Carleigh Dickinson

Left: Students signed a poster that GSA made to show students that Dreyfoos supports the LGBTQ+. Photo by Haley Johnston Top right: Girls hold hands to represent the Gender Sexual alliance during a club meeting.

Photo by Haley Johnston Middle right: GLSEN provides posters to hang in the halls and in classrooms to ensure students feel safe. Photo by Marianna Kaimakliotis Right: Communications senior Matthew Nadel stands with others at the GLSEN respect awards in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Matthew Nadel

11

BRIEFS

FIXING THE FRAMEWORK

T

QUESTBRIDGE PROVIDES ALTERNATIVES

E

very year the non-profit program QuestBridge offers thousands of high school seniors across the country an opportunity to connect with top colleges and universities and receive scholarships to attend them.

Marketed to high-achieving students with financial need, QuestBridge in 2016 received 14,491 applicants and only 5,338 were selected as finalists.

The class of 2017 at Dreyfoos had three QuestBridge finalists: dance senior Mia Caceres-Nielsen, communications senior Isaac Ochoa, and a band senior.

These finalists have the opportunity to participate in the QuestBridge college match process which allows finalists to rank 12 of QuestBridge’s 38 partner colleges. If the finalist is matched with one of their 12 colleges, they generally receive a binding acceptance and a full four year scholarship to that college.

“QuestBridge provides a great program and really acts as counselors and encouragement,” Caceres-Nielsen said.

“The process encouraged me to apply to several high-tier schools. I would not have done that without QuestBridge.” By Jack Yan 12 themuseatdreyfoos.com / News

Grandparents congregate in the gym before visiting their grandchildren’s arts classes. Each grandparent received a free copy of Issue 2 of The Muse. Photo by Natalie Bergeron Dean of students Ronda Johnson speaks to a delegation of Chinese principals with the help of a translator. Visitors wished to learn about different education systems.

Photo by Sydney Walsh

GRANDPARENTS VISIT DREYFOOS

D

reyfoos held its seventh annual Grandparent’s Day on Nov. 22. Each year almost 150 grandparents attend in order to get an indepth look at what their grandchildren do at Dreyfoos. This year, their day began at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast held in the gym. While they ate, the Millennium Quartet composed of strings juniors Matthew Hakkarainen, Dillon McCormick, Elisabeth Shreiber, and Cameron Williams performed. After their performance,

Principal Dr. Susan Atherley and School of the Arts Foundation president Kris Lidinsky spoke to the grandparents about Dreyfoos’ curriculum.

Later, the grandparents were split into tour groups according to their grandchild’s major. These tour groups were shown classes in their respective departments. After the hour-long tour finished, the groups went to Meyer Hall to watch a portion of a dance concert and a performance by the jazz band. By Zoe Romano

CHINESE PRINCIPALS COME TO LEARN

T

wenty-three Chinese principals from South China Normal University’s (SCNU) Educational Program visited Dreyfoos on Friday, Nov. 4. The delegates visited almost a dozen other schools in Florida through a program run by Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

The twenty-three principals came to the United States to see how American schools function in order to adopt different ways to run their own primary and secondary schools in China. Dreyfoos was chosen as one of the schools for the

visit because of the unique learning atmosphere Dreyfoos’ arts programs offer. The delegates visited several arts and academic classes in order to observe the variety of learning facets that Dreyfoos entails. Some Dreyfoos students translated presentations for the Chinese delegation.

“This experience helped me learn about Chinese schools’ culture and how they function,” piano sophomore Andrew Wu, who helped translate for the delegation, said.

By Zoe Romano

his past election brought out a sense of anxiety among the citizens of the United States. Uncertainty was felt on a national level, yet the true impact for Floridians comes with the influence of local elections. Palm Beach County held a vote in 2016 over whether or not to enact a sales tax increase of one percent, intended to fund infrastructure improvements. On Nov. 8, Palm Beach County voters passed the referendum, making it a law.

The surplus in revenue is to be allocated into the county’s budget for the next 10 years. Half of the funds are to be used towards the development of the county’s infrastructure needs. The other half will focus solely upon the improvement of Palm Beach County’s schools, including Dreyfoos.

“The superintendent has put out a list for every school to look at. We know all the projects that they foresee getting handled here because of that extra income through the one percent sales tax,” Assistant Principal Leo Barrett said.

Currently, Dreyfoos is fraught with an assortment of infrastructural degradation. The school was reopened in 1997 after having undergone remodelling and minor repairs designed to make the campus more appealing. Although the school might look presentable from the outside in its current state, some of its inner workings are still considered questionable. Given the fact that some of the buildings are over 100 years old, the possibility of infrastructural failure is very real.

“We have had some structural issues like outside walls crumbling in Building 1.

Building 7 is not that old, but that also has some crumbling concrete on the outside.

Sidewalks have cracks sometimes, [and] they can become dangerous until they’re redone,” Mr. Barrett said.

As a possible solution to the current infrastructure problem, the referendum was introduced and passed. Palm Beach County School board member Erica Whitfield was put in charge of implementing the referendum at Dreyfoos and the rest of district four.

“The focus of the referendum is to deal with the over $800 million deficit of maintenance that we have experienced since the 2008 recession. In addition to our infrastructure needs, we will be working on security

and technology for our schools,” Ms. Whitfield said.

Dreyfoos in particular is expected to receive $18.6 million for its facilities. The specific areas of focus include, but are not limited to: exterior doors and exterior finishes, perimeter fencing, classroom furniture, sound systems, roof repairs, lighting, and air conditioning. Another $570,000 will be spent updating current classroom technology such as computers, projectors, and speakers.

A new referendum accepted by Palm Beach County is intended to provide funds towards Dreyfoos’ infrastructure spending As far as prioritizing individual problems is concerned, the district is primarily focused on the most immediate needs, such as those that affect student health and safety. Next is the desire to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, an effort designed to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities through the ADA of 1990.

By Trace Podder

Graphics by Marianna Kaimakliotis

Information provided by SDPBC board member Erica Whitfield

13

ANOTHER YEAR OF PRISM TRADITIONS The Muse takes a look at the concert’s evolution for the past 27 years as 2016 comes to an end

T

he auditorium was filled with an audience of friends, family, and strangers as the lights slowly dimmed to the cue of the first instrument. The public came together to see the annual performance of Dreyfoos’ Prism concert on Nov. 30 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. twenty-seven years later, Prism is still a Dreyfoos tradition and continues to improve each year.

“The music department head and orchestra leader [of Dreyfoos] many years ago went to Florida State University, and there they had a Prism concert, and that’s where the idea started,” foreign language teacher Barbara Smith said.

The name Prism came from the perception of the light spectrum, and began in 1989 while Dreyfoos was located on the campus of what is now Bak Middle School of the Arts.

“At the old school, we did not have an auditorium, but we did have a gymnatorium, and for the Prism concert, every time a new act would come on, different colors would come out,” Sra. Smith said.

Prism has evolved greatly over the past years; the biggest change occurring after the 2010 concert. Best-selling author James Patterson and his wife, Susan Patterson, along with Howard Green, a representative of the School of the Arts Foundation, attended the performance that was held in Meyer Hall. After watching the performance, Mr. Patterson and his wife felt as though the concert would benefit at a larger venue, leading to the support and funding of Prism at the Kravis Center in the years to follow.

“I have to say that I’m beyond grateful to have had and to continue to have James Patterson help out with this concert because the department wouldn’t have been given such a great opportunity if it wasn’t for him,” vo-

14 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Arts

cal junior Dylan Melville said.

Since then, the music department has integrated more students and instruments into the concert, along with added sectionals and variations of well-known Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holiday-themed songs performed by the students.

“I was able to play in a woodwind quintet with four other freshmen, playing a piece called ‘Christmas Medley,’ and then I had the opportunity to play with the symphonic band, playing a piece called ‘Nightmare Before Christmas,’” band freshman Sydney Kahle said.

Prism pieces require weeks of preparation, beginning with auditions. Each year, auditions for Prism are held for students to perform their piece in front of music teachers who will then decide on whether or not the student or group of students will perform in the concert.

“I auditioned with the woodwind quintet and it was definitely nerve-racking, but the process of the audition was rather quick,” Kahle said.

For the past month, it wasn’t unusual to see students practicing during lunch rehearsals and outside of school. Additionally, students received Student Related Absences (SRAs) so they could practice at the Kravis Center.

“For rehearsal, we started practicing before the auditions around the end of October, getting the songs down for about two weeks,” Melville said. “After the two weeks of class rehearsal, we started with the orchestra after school, eventually leading to rehearsal at Kravis during the week of the concert.”

The final preparation for the students took place on Nov. 28 at the Kravis Center, where the students were able to run through each of their pieces and watching others practice.

“In the beginning of the SRA, we watched all the other groups perform, but after lunch we were stationed in our assigned rooms,” Kahle said. “It was a long day, but it made me excited for the performance.”

The dress rehearsal occurred on the Wednesday of the concert and was held at 10 a.m. for Dreyfoos students, as well as for several other schools before the actual performance later that night.

“It’s always appreciated to have a dress rehearsal and to do a dry run of the concert with familiar faces in the audience before having the pressure of this show being the biggest musical performance of the year,” Melville said.

At 6 p.m. that night, the empty seats of the Kravis Center began to fill in and the line of those waiting to enter grew.

“It was my first time seeing Prism, and it was nothing short of amazing.,” Ellen Kahle, parent of band freshman Sydney Kahle, said. “The hard work and dedication that the students and teachers displayed to their art area was evident in every aspect of the performance. There was nothing but pride in being part of such a spectacular school.” The performance of the students participating in Prism was a success. The expectations of the annual concert were also met, if not exceeded for both performers and spectators.

“I thought it was great seeing something that huge being performed by a few hundred kids in the music department at a high school,” Melville said. “I really liked the whole performance from start to finish, and I had so much fun being on stage and showcasing what we do in the music department.”

By Jordan Johnson Photos by Natalie Bergeron

Vocal junior Bijou Aliza (left) and vocal senior Mary Macy perform their individual segments of “Hey, Santa” as the girls choir waits to sing its portion.

Vocal senior Mary Macy performs her solo piece during the song “Hey, Santa.”

Vocal teacher Kent Taylor conducts orchestra students for “Deck the Halls.”

Band junior Chloe Tordi (L-R), senior Austin Klewan, senior Mateo Azanza, sophomore Dylan Thompson, senior Thomas Gallagher, and sophomore Nicholas Cavaliere perform “Santa Baby.”

Band freshman Alexi Hunholz plays the marimba.

Cartoon by Kathryn Stenberg Piano senior Tiffany Hart plays the piano as the girls choir performs “Hey, Santa” with moves choreographed by vocal senior Mary Macy.

Vocal sophomores Abigail Jordan, Naomi Cohen, Ethan Mills, Giovanna Pignotti, John Michaelis, Laura Santamaria, and Danielle Gellen sing “Text Me Merry Christmas.”

Arts / themuseatdreyfoos.com 15

ARTS

Dance

P

eter Stark, associate artistic director of Boston Ballet II and Laurie Jones, principal of Patel Conservatory Youth Ballet taught master classes from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. Stark and Jones will also choreograph a piece for the upcoming Spring Dance Concert in March. In addition, George Mason University and University of Florida will teach master classes throughout December.

Vocal

V

ocal students have been hard at work preparing for the chorus concert on Dec. 15.

The vocal department took a trip to Disney World in Orlando to perform at the annual Candlelight Ceremony.

Twenty select vocal students will perform at All-State, an annual event performed at the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) Professional Development Conference in Tampa from Jan. 11-14.

Band, Strings, and Piano

Visual & Digital

W

ith the December deadline approaching, students are preparing their submissions for the Scholastic Art and Writing awards. In addition, students are working on building their portfolio in the hopes of receiving a scholarship from the Florida State Fair’s competition.

In a workshop with Haerst Grant, students are learning the Intaglio process and receiving the chance to learn about the process of printmaking using green print or non harmful chemicals. With these new methods and growing portfolios Art Honor Society is preparing for a show in December.

Bottom right: Communications seniors Michael Wang (L-R), Jack Yan, digital media junior Josh Meredith, communications seniors Matt Nadel, Jake Perl, Kayla Gallagher, freshman Mara Vaknin, and senior Anjelica Abraham pose with their awards at the Patriot Games tournament at George Mason University on Dec. 4. Photo courtesy of Kayla Gallagher Top left: Communications junior Danielle Cuestas (right) buys t-shirts from strings sophomore Miajoy Daorerk at the Art Sale on Freshman Hill on Nov. 10.

Top Right: Vocal and music students perform in the media center for Jefferson’s Jolly Jubilee on Dec. 7.

Top middle: Dance seniors Sasha Lazarus and Darius Hickman perform at the Fall Dance Concert from Nov. 18-Nov. 20.

Bottom Left: On Grandparents Day, theatre teacher Edward Blanchette shows his workshop off to the visting grandparents.

16 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Arts

A

Theatre

T

he theatre department wrapped up their show “The Addams Family” on Nov. 6. As the end of the semester creeps near, students are beginning to prepare for their juries or Senior Reps. The theatre department also presented a Semester Showcase on Nov. 10,12, and 13 in the Brandt Black Box Theater.

On Nov. 19, Dreyfoos’ International Thespian Society competed at a district competition, sending five students in each category to compete. They brought back 12 Critic’s Choice Awards, 36 Superior ratings, 9 Excellent ratings, a Senior Scholarship and Technical District Rep.

Communications

C

ommunications students are beginning to prep for Emory, a national Speech and Debate competition taking place in late January.

Seeds Literary Arts Magazine hosted its first Open Mic Night of the year on Dec. 13 at Harold’s Coffee Lounge, a night marked with poetry, music, and excess caffeine.

Film students are also perfecting their work to submit to Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Palm Beach Film Awards.

jazz concert took place on Nov. 21, and a string orchestra concert took place on Dec. 7.

Additionally, a chamber winds recital on Dec. 8, and the Jazz Combos concert took place on Dec. 12.

Select music students will play at All-State from Jan. 11-14, in which the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) gathers 21 different ensembles to rehearse and perform as part of the annual FMEA Professional Development Conference in Tampa.

Piano students are already beginning to rehearse for the second piano event of the year, Piano Recital Klavier 1, on Jan 26.

INDEX Arts / themuseatdreyfoos.com 17

HOW ART CORRELATES 9A TO INTELLIGENCE

THE

T

he imaginative pursuit of artists have been influenced with the drive creators’ possess to incorporate art with intelligence. Simply put, whether it be pencil on paper, aesthetic movements, or notes to sound, artists have combined intelligence with the arts in numerous facets.

Among various mediums, the art of communications has widely been associated with academic merit.

Neurologist Judy Willis reports from her book “Mind, Brain, Education” that writing, an opportunity for the creative expression of personal thoughts, will cause the brain to release dopamine, known for increasing motivation and perseverance for learning.

Contemporary thinkers in communication are influencers of the modern world— changing the world’s perception on effective verbal and nonverbal interaction. To do this, communication artists are constantly educating themselves in ways of delivering content through an electronic screen, audio speaker, or simple paper.

Through studies by neuroscientists Skoe and Kraus published in the Journal of Neuroscience in 2012, the brain activity of musicians is well above average, allowing individuals to process information more rapidly along with distinguishing pitch variation in speech.

“I would say that [academics] has a big impact on my artistic expression,” strings sophomore Leah Winters said.

“For example, when I learn about history, I learn about the time period in which the [music] piece was written, so I can play it as intended by the composer. My knowledge of science helps me understand the mechanics of my instrument, so that I can manipulate the sound and make it resonate more.

This can be said for almost any subject and any art form.”

With emotional expression and connection to the music, musicians must be able to incorporate sentiment and passion to the tunes by educating themselves on the origin and back18 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Arts

D

F

3 as academics Studies reinforce the Dreyfoos mission statement: arts are as important ground of the music. Through scientific re- creators are able to apply current issues disearch and development, intelligence can be rectly to finished products with the aid of considered to be derived from music. intelligence.

Intuitive in nature, visual creators are often Dancing is more than an effective means expressing their motives and passion through of physical flexibility and synchronization, their artwork. Often, visual artists are able to as they are constantly applying academics identify an issue in sociwith routines. A Stanford ety and morph it into a MY KNOWLEDGE OF study in the New England distinct creation of their of Medicine in SCIENCE HELPS ME Journal own.

2010 found that dancing UNDERSTAND THE increases cognitive acuity “I don’t think my artwork is directly inMECHANICS OF MY or the ability to distinguish right and wrong, while sifluenced by my [acaINSTRUMENT. multaneously presenting demics] because artists options to eradicate situcan base their artwork - STRINGS SOPHOMORE ational problems. Effects on life and personal experiences,” visual senior LEAH WINTERS from dancing are vastly similar to the effects of edWilliam Hernandez said. “[For my art], I make things that are in- ucation and intelligence.

With the bustle in writing scripts, perspired by my life. Academics can play a role, but I don’t think it is the major [source] of forming scenes, memorizing, and building props, theatre creators are constantly interinspiration for artwork.”

Either a sculptor, painter, or digital model twining academics with their actions. Among one of the most visible connections between theatrical arts and academics is emotional intelligence. This form of intelligence is the ability to accurately perceive, evaluate, and express human emotions.

Researchers from the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform explain that emotional intelligence is known to promote self-awareness, mood management, empathy, and motivation. With theatrical artists communicating through both eyes and ears, creators of this field must be knowledgeable of human emotions.

By Jennifer Jia

GAME

Academic competition at Dreyfoos goes to the next level

H

ours of studying. Weeks of sleepless nights. Months of dual enrollment. Years of dedication. All are part of an extreme academic competition that has unfolded within Dreyfoos classrooms in a race to the top of the class. It’s a numbers game, and students must play to win.

“At the high school level now in Palm Beach County, there is increased pressure on students because more students are applying to more schools which causes them to feel pressured,” school counselor Olga Middleton said.

“Early decision and early action have doubled. This year, the University of Florida announced that it would take 2,000 less students.

Students now feel pressured to apply to more schools in fear that they won’t get in, even if they have the right credentials.”

Dreyfoos is characterized as a competitive arts school where students constantly feel pressured to be at the top, but lately, the environment has bred a culture that prioritizes ranks, scores, and numbers over the original reason students chose to attend the school - their passion for the arts.

Involvement in important art events such as YoungArts, Prism, musicals, dance concerts, and debate tournaments result in an environment that is competitive. In a survey of 623 sophomores, juniors, and seniors, 51 percent said that they cared more about their academics than their arts.

“There is a strong academic culture at Dreyfoos. Dreyfoos started out as an arts school, but academics have become just as much of a priority,” Principal Dr. Susan Atherley said. “Students have a passion for arts and academics.”

Graphics by Jennifer Jia and Daniela Esquenazi

Cover / themuseatdreyfoos.com 19

20 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Cover

85%

63% 58%

MYSELF

53%

PARENTS

WHERE DOES 34% ACADEMIC PRESSURE COME 14% 15% FROM?

students admit to compromising morality to achieve the target grade. Sixty-six percent of students have told someone else specific information on a test they haven’t taken yet and 56 percent of students have allowed someone to take answers from their test.

“Cheating is what students have resorted to. Cheating includes taking whole papers from the internet, copying entire assignments, and taking out phones during tests,” Ms. Bryan said.

“Students have had parents sign up for their classes at PBSC and the parents take the classes for the students.”

TEACHERS

dition. Our competitiveness can also be attributed to our unspoken competition with Suncoast,” visual junior Gabrielle Foursa said. “We started to want academic excellence over our art excellence. The competition gets worse every year.”

Although class rank is only one aspect colleges look at, many students value their place in this system. Students take classes only to boost their HPA (weighted grade point average) and class rank. Dreyfoos has also been increasing the amount of AP and AICE classes offered to accommodate the increasing academic rigor and competition in the school. In past years, no AICE classes were offered, but two AICE classes are now offered. Out of 38 AP classes, Dreyfoos offers 19 AP courses.

“Students want a boost for higher rankings. They feel they have to take more AP and dual enrollment courses to compete,” Dr. Atherley said. “Dreyfoos is now offering AICE courses to help students boost the HPAs of freshmen and sophomore students. Other schools are offering high level courses, and we are too.”

The standardization of intellect and other facets of academic and extracurricular life have allowed for the domination of numbers in schools. Some

DREYFOOS CULTURE

Increased academic competition and the uncertainty of the future has served as the foundation of the issue of pressure on students. The pressure of where students go to college, what scores they have, and what their futures look like contributes to increased stress.

“The competitiveness, the lack of clarity about where things are going [economically] have all created a sense of real stress,” Victor Schwartz of the Jed Foundation said in an article from Time Magazine. “Ten years ago, the most prominent thing kids talked about was feeling depressed. And now, anxiety has overtaken that in the last couple of years.”

The pressure that Dreyfoos students feel comes from a variety of sources.

When asked where the source of this academic pressure came from, students often picked more than one facet of their lives where this occurred. Eighty-four percent of students said they put this pressure on themselves, 63 percent of students felt academic pressure from their parents, 58 percent felt academic pressure from their teachers, and 53 percent of students attributed their academic pressure to Dreyfoos culture.

“I know that [Dreyfoos students] have enough drive to initially go out and au-

FRIENDS

Graphic by Chloe Krammel, shapes adapted from thenounproject.com

Ms. Bryan said. “As students watch upperclassmen get into good colleges, they have decided that they need to do the same. They’re going to have to do whatever it takes.”

Being towards the top of the class is important to students. Almost one-fourth of students say they care about class rank a lot, or even consider it their top priority. Vocal junior Mounika Vattigunta will have taken 11 AP classes by the end of the year, two dual enrollment courses, and she is currently ranked third in her class.

“At first, being competitive was just about college, but now it’s about getting the most out of a high school education.

I liked learning about different things and having a lot of knowledge is something that is important and that no one can take away,” Vattigunta said. “I actually hate class rank, because it is unfair that so many people can take easy dual enrollment classes and beat the kids that are taking rigorous AP classes.”

Many students take classes for the sole purpose of impressing colleges, rather than choosing courses that interest them.

Of the 22 percent of students who have dual enrolled, over half of them said that they dual enrolled in an easy course to boost their class rank.

“It’s the culture of the school. Kids in other schools are competitive, but they don’t feel the need to outdo each other in the same way to be at the top of the class,” Ms. Bryan said. “Everything about this school is competitive. Students think the grades are more important than actually learning. Kids are just loading up and taking classes they have no interest in.

Students try to one-up each other.”

Compared to other schools, Dreyfoos students have a distinctive drive to be at the top in arts and academics. The unique competitive environment of Dreyfoos is one rooted in the school’s mission statement which says that students will receive an “arts-centered education, in concert with a strong academic program.”

“One of the things that makes Dreyfoos’ competitive nature unique is the nature of academics,” school counselor Mark Carson said. “I think being an arts magnet program gives an edge as far as competition goes and being competitive in the future.”

SIBLINGS

even more schools, a feat made easier by the Common Application.”

From year to year, the competitiveness has increased in the race to be at the top.

Math teacher Olive Bryan teaches the highest level math classes offered at Dreyfoos, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. In her time teaching at Dreyfoos, she has seen cheating and academic competition become more prevalent.

“Competitiveness has gotten worse,”

OTHER

The number of students who apply to prestigous schools in pursuit of selective programs has increased, therefore making it more difficult to be accepted into certain schools. Forbes Magazine’s Dan Edmonds wrote in a November 2015 article, “The most competitive schools are admitting a lower percentage of students every year, and students are applying to increasing numbers of colleges. Indeed, some students are applying to 30 or 40 or

Cover / themuseatdreyfoos.com 21

SHOOTING FOR RECRUITMENT

Cheating throughout high school to increase scores is not uncommon. Seventy-five percent of students said they have read online summaries as a substitute for reading an assigned book.

Students are prioritizing the grade over learning.

“Most students do cheat and it traces back to trying to be number one,” Ms. Bryan said. “Kids are just loading up and taking classes they have no interest in.”

The temptation for students to cheat is increasing in a society controlled by numbers. Students are balancing everything they think colleges want to make them seem perfect. In fear of rejection and uncertainty, students push themselves to extreme lengths. Piano junior Bernardo Hasbach will have taken 14 AP classes by the end of his junior year.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve done more than I probably would have without the nature of Dreyfoos’ academic culture,” Hasbach said. “I have pushed myself more than simply trying to finish high school, but instead doing it for colleges.

I’ve probably lost a lot of sleep and my sanity.”

Fifty percent of students consider themselves “extremely stressed,” and only 3 percent say they are “not at all stressed.” The average Dreyfoos student gets less than six hours of sleep per night; however, the recommended number of hours of sleep for adolescents is eight hours. Trying to balance the demanding workload, students sacrifice sleep and free time. Ninety-three percent of Dreyfoos students consider themselves stressed due to academic pressure. When the perfect credentials can still mean rejection from college, students struggle to overcome the fear of lower acceptance rates and imperfect numbers.

“I think our students are very aware of how competitive our school is and the whole collegiate race,” Assistant Principal Corey Ferrera said. “Every year it becomes harder to get into programs and students fear that they won’t get into the programs they want to, so it leads them to make poor decisions and sometimes to cheat.”

By Carly Schwamm Contributors: Alex Gordon and Emma Baldinger 22 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Cover

Students prepare for their athletic aspirations by contacting college coaches as part of the recruitment process

James Carter

Aaron Crawford

O

F

Dream School: Palm Beach Atlantic University

Dream School: Florida State University Dream School: University of Florida

lorida State University and the University of Florida are at the top of strings sophomore James Carter’s list of recruitment paths for golf. Carter has been playing golf for as long as he can remember and hopes to continue into college. To prepare himself for college scouts and coaches watching him play, Carter makes sure to get a lot of time in on the course by practicing almost everyday.

He was visited by multiple scouts over the summer from various colleges.

“I’m really making sure to put myself out there,” Carter said. “That way the scouts can see me and notice me and try to recruit me for their teams.”

utside of the seven-hour school day, visual junior Aaron Crawford practices basketball with the goal of being recruited by colleges. Crawford is currently looking into Palm Beach Atlantic University, which he hopes to attend after high school as part of their basketball team.

He knows the team’s coach and has been in contact with him for a while. He also has had the opportunity to practice with the team this year.

“I usually play basketball at least two to three hours everyday after school. I also go to college campuses to get exposure to travel basketball,” Crawford said. “Right now, my best option is Palm Beach Atlantic University. I have known the coach there for a few years now so I’ve been working to get on that team.”

Digital media senior Alison Munden sets up to serve the ball during a volleyball game. Photo by Natalie Bergeron

Alison Munden

S

ince the age of nine, digital media senior Alison Munden has been able to incorporate volleyball into her life as something more than a hobby. As she nears graduation, Munden is contacting volleyball coaches from various schools to watch her play, with her mind set on Carnegie Mellon University. After watching her play, Carnegie Mellon University’s coach reached out to Munden and offered her a position on the team. She hasn’t officially chosen the school yet, but is looking at it as her top choice.

“Carnegie Mellon is my top choice right now because they are a Division III team which is good because they are not as time demanding,” Munden said. “You can work on your academics and not worry about having to fall behind.”

By Lilly Randolph

Graphic by Marianna Kaimakliotis, shapes adapted from thenounproject.com

Visual junior Aaron Crawford warms up before a game by performing layups. Photo by Lorenzo Romano

Dream School: Carnegie Mellon

Strings sophomore James Carter practices his swing before a golf match. Photo courtesy of Christina Harbaugh

Sports / themuseatdreyfoos.com 23

HIGHLIGHTS

DENG,

JIN!

After many trials on the court, visual junior Jin Deng makes the Dreyfoos basketball team

T

Strings junior Amare Davis (L-R), visual junior Aaron Crawford, band senior Derrek Brown, and visual junior Jin Deng vie for a rebound in a game agasinst American Prepatory Academy in the Boca Raton Christian School Preseason Classic on Nov. 19 . Photo by Lorenzo Romano

Basketball

W

ith the loss of seniors from last year, the team made new additions to get the team back to form. The team played Saturday, Nov. 19 against Seacrest Country Day School in a tournament at Boca Christian high school and lost. On Nov. 19 they played against American Prep Academy and won 58-49.

On Nov. 21 they played Jupiter Christian and lost 84-71. The team played Highlands Christian and lost 69-37. On Dec. 1 they played North Broward Prep and lost 67-26. On Dec. 6 the basketball team faced Morningside Academy and won 62-57 in their first home game of the season.

“I have high expectations. I always have high expectations,” basketball coach and social studies teacher Jeffery Stohr said. “We have experience. [Everyone] played and between the juniors and the seniors they have played a lot of minutes last year. We’re not very big but we’re very quick.” By Shane McVan 24 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Sports

Boys and Girls Soccer

T

he girls and boys soccer teams started their seasons with losses against Wellington High School on Nov. 8.

“The season hasn’t been going as well as we’d planned”visual junior and boys team captain Carlos Rosales said. “We have hit certain bumps [and] we have lost practically all of our games. We know that we will train harder so that we can change how we’ve been playing by the end of the season.”

Along with upcoming matches, both teams have a lot to look forward to and are excited about the season to come. The girls team hopes to improve their record of 1-4 and the boys team hopes to build off their record of 0-6.

“I look forward to getting close with the team because we’re already so close and we still have so much time ahead of us,” strings senior and girls team captain Sarah King said. “I’m excited to see us grow as a team and improve on the field.” By Lilly Randolph

urning ambition into reality takes determination, self-discipline, dedication, and effort. This season, visual junior Jin Deng accomplished his goal of making the Dreyfoos basketball team after he was cut his freshman and sophomore year. With help from players on the team in the offseason to improve his game, Deng not only made the team but was able to secure a spot as a starter.

“Crucial improvements [I made] last year are my athleticism and fundamentals,” Deng said. “I struggled to keep up with the cardio workouts during previous years, but now I consider myself in shape and [I am] able to stay energetic after running the floor. By going through the same warm ups and drills that covers fundamentals, I have become a complete player.”

Success didn’t come easy for Deng. He practiced two to three hours per day. He trained with visual junior Aaron Crawford who helped him with weight training and skill development. They have been working together since freshman year with player development drills to improve shooting and ball handling.

“Deng and I played travel basketball together in ninth grade and trained all the way up to the tryouts,” Crawford said. “We would walk to First Baptist Church pretty much every day after school and on the weekends to either train or play pickup.

I started seeing [Deng] with more confidence after that. He’s one of the few people [on the Dreyfoos team] who put in actual work and takes basketball seriously. I think he could be one of the team’s best players.”

To get into shape, Deng joined the Dreyfoos cross country team this past year. He even attended a Palm Beach Atlantic University basketball summer camp where he became more comfortable on the court.

“Being on the track and cross country team has developed a habit in me that keeps me in shape,” Deng said. “Learning from

Visual junior Jin Deng scores a basket against Boca Christian High School. Deng tried to join the basketball team his freshman and sophomore years, and finally joined in his junior year.

Photo by Lorenzo Romano

trainers and game films made me a more mature player on the court. [I’ve gained] more confidence on the court that I’ve never had before, and I expect myself to utilize my confidence to be more useful in [the] game.”

Although deterred at first, Deng continued to find his way back to the court. Through countless drills, exercises, and encouragements from his teammates, Deng became the player that social studies teacher and basketball coach Jeffery Stohr had anticipated.

“He made himself a good player, and I couldn’t cut him this time. He’s learning how

to play in an organized system,” Mr. Stohr said. “He has a lot of heart and I think he will be a good player. I should’ve kept him last year.”

After two years of hard work, Deng’s efforts paid off.

“I knew that I needed to reach a new level as an athlete to compete in high school basketball,” Deng said. “I think we have a strong team and if we are willing to push our limits and work as a team, we’ll definitely have a good record for this season.”

By Shane McVan Sports / themuseatdreyfoos.com 25

NEW CLEATS

ON THE

FIELD

Dreyfoos recruits two soccer coaches to instruct athletes during the winter season

A

fter the departure of science dean and former girls soccer coach Stephen Anand and boys soccer coach Alonso Rodriguez, both Dreyfoos teams were left in the dark as to who would take over for this season. As practice dates in mid-October drew closer, the teams were finally notified of their new head coaches. Soccer coach Tony Villatoro would train the boys team during the new season, while soccer coach Claire Lawson would lead the girls team. “[Mr. Villatoro and Ms. Lawson] were really anxious to [coach]. They were passionate about coaching the teams and wanting the best for the kids,” Athletic Director Rob Long said. “Both of them have their own jobs, so for them to leave their jobs and come here to sacrifice some of their personal time, that kind of enthusiasm is impressive.”

Mr. Villatoro and Ms. Lawson have plenty of soccer experience to bring to the table, as both have been playing from a young age. Mr. Villatoro was the assistant coach at Boynton Beach High School last year and also coaches a recreational team with the American Youth Soccer Organization. Ms. Lawson played soccer throughout middle and high school, and in college was part of the collegiate level at Waldorf University in Iowa as a defender. She still plays soccer recreationally in a Friday night co-ed league.

“It was always a dream of mine 26 themuseatdreyfoos.com

to come back and coach soccer after college,” Ms. Lawson said. “To be able to coach at Dreyfoos is even more incredible. To be surrounded by young artists and have the opportunity to coach and speak to their lives is quite literally a dream come true.”

Mr. Long said that, despite the late start, he wants the coaches to “get their feet on the ground” and build relationships with the kids.

Both teams started off the season with losing records, but have steadily learned more with each game.

Players on both teams have seen improvement from the previous season thanks to the new coaches. “[Ms. Lawson] has a lot of confidence, which is something that our team has really needed,” strings senior and girls team captain Sarah King said. “I think we are going to see more improvement than we’ve ever seen in one year. We usually stay at the same level all year, which is good, but we can be even better.”

Both coaches, along with Mr. Long, are committed to developing a strong soccer program that can be competitive at the 5A level, while still keeping arts as a main priority for the players. Mr. Long hopes to improve the home field conditions with new Bermuda grass and wants to have games held at Dreyfoos next season. Mr. Villatoro said that he wants to start a junior varsity team next year to have more players to develop for future years.

“Wins or losses wasn’t the expectation early because we started late.

I think our goal is to get organized and finish strong,” Mr. Long said.

“I want [the coaches] to think about progressing and getting better all the time, although there will be a couple stumbles along the way.”

By Daniel Montoya Top: Girls soccer coach Claire Lawson instructs her players as they go through their drills. Lawson brings years of experience to a promising Dreyfoos team.

Bottom:New boys soccer coach Tony Villatoro gives the boys soccer team directions on where to be. Villatoro is a veteran soccer player and coach. Photos by Enzo Romano Sports / themuseatdreyfoos.com 27

DANCING TO

SUPPORT FOR THE SHERIDANS The Dreyfoos community comes together to support the Sheridan family in a time of need

Social studies teacher Katie Sheridan and her husband Neil Sheridan smile with their kids, Kellen and Lucy at their nephew’s baptism.

“I wanted to help out Mrs. Sheridan not just because she’s a great teacher, but because she’s a great person,” social studies dean Thomas West said. “Her family deserves to have the Dreyfoos community help them out during this time.”

Photo courtesy of Katie Sheridan 28 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Features

we really wanted to help her out so we started posting about the GoFundMe on our social media accounts and the response was so great,” digital media junior Ava Campana said. “Dreyfoos is a community that really should be able to support anyone in need and I think this is just an example of the love that goes around here.”

After hearing about the amount of money that had been raised to help them, Mrs. Sheridan and her husband were overwhelmed by how fast and how many people helped out.

Over 221 people donated to the GoFundMe and over 100 donated in other ways.

“When I found out that that much money had been raised, both my husband I were blown away,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “It is absolutely amazing everyone has been this supportive, especially since this is only my first year in staff.”

Mrs. Sheridan and her family would like to thank everyone who has donated or

MONEY RAISED:

S

ince the doors to Dreyfoos opened 26 years ago, the school has had to deal with several losses and hardships. For some, the community, made up of teachers and student, has become a support system.

Social studies teacher Katie Sheridan entered that community this year when she came to be a teacher. Just a few months after the school year began her husband, Neil Sheridan, had been diagnosed with a rare Stage 4 cancer.

“I only told my third period class because it was emotional enough just to tell them,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “I don’t even know how it spread so fast, but it did, and it meant so much to me that so many people were contributing in so many different ways. Students would come up to me or email me and tell what they had been going through too and it really just helped me stay positive.”

Medical treatment of any kind can be extremely expensive, but the cost of having to fly across the country to get specific and rare treatments can be astronomical. Social studies teacher and friend of Mrs. Sheridan, Afton Taylor May, recognizes how challenging it would be to pay the expenses and try to raise two young children. Mrs. May decided she wanted to start a GoFundMe page in honor of Mrs. Sheridan along with social studies teacher Tom West, so the Dreyfoos community could help support.

“My sister also had cancer so I knew what it was like with expenses after watching her go through it,” Mrs. May said. “When I found out about Mrs. Sheridan I knew I wanted to do something to help her out so Mr. West and I decided to start the GoFundMe to get the whole school involved.”

After a month of fundraising, the $20,000 goal was surpassed and $22,350 was donated. However, it wasn’t just close friends who helped make this possible, students shared and posted the link on all different forms of social media to encourage people to help and raise awareness.

“The kids in my class collectively agreed

showed their support in other ways. As her family continues to deal with this difficult time The Muse would like to send its support and thank Mrs. Sheridan for her continued dedication to her students and teaching as she deals with this difficult time.

If you would like to donate to Mrs. Sheridan’s family, scan the QR code through Snapchat or access the link to the GoFundMe . https://www.gofundme. com/neil-katie-sheridan-medical-fund-2tqvf8c

“When I think about the amount of people who have either emailed me telling their story or by donating to my family, it definitely helps me stay positive,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “I can not thank everyone enough for how much they have done for me and my family and for the Dreyfoos community for helping with so much.”

By Morgan Scott

MIAMI

Dance junior Gia Prizzi joins a dance convention tour called Artist Simply Human

S

pinning, twirling, and gliding through the air to the rhythm of music. This is what dance junior Gia Prizzi finds herself doing not only in and out of school, but also on tour. Prizzi is a part of a special dance convention tour called Artist Simply Human (ASH).

She has been doing this since October and will continue until the tour ends in July 2017. However, she wasn’t able to automatically join this elite tour; she had to first go through the stressful audition process.

“We go through a week-long of classes while being judged. At the end of the week we find out if we made the team or not,” Prizzi said.

“I’m so grateful that I was chosen to tour with them this year. It gives me so much joy working with these amazing teachers and seeing how the kids look up to me in every city for help with the choreography.”

With the wisdom of dancing in a professional setting, Prizzi has had quite a few of great teachers this year. Her teachers were equipped with plenty of experience, and have had so many chances to show their talents and clearly couldn’t wait to share their knowledge with their students.

“We have some of the most incredible teachers that have professionally worked for music artists on tour or in companies,” Prizzi said.

“For example, Jojo Gomez was a background dancer for Justin Bieber, Becky G, and Cher Lloyd. He also was on ‘The Voice’, ‘X-Factor’, and ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Lisette Bustamante danced alongside Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Janet Jackson, Prince, Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez.”

All of these teachers contribute

to the bettering of these young dancers. However, the person who contributed the most is the director of the convention, Braham Logan Crane. He was able to find all of these teachers and actually start the convention. But, even though this opportunity came along, Prizzi had the option to take it or leave it.

“Every city teaches me something new and makes me realize that what I have is such a blessing. During tour, they help us with scholarships for dance programs and college auditions,” Prizzi said. “Once tour ends, we will still be in contact and they will still help us as professional dancers.”

This experience has given Prizzi an extra boost for her future in dance-if that path of life is what she chooses.

“It betters me for the future because with these 12 different connections, they can write us recommendations for job opportunities with actual auditions and also for colleges or companies we really want to attend,” Prizzi said. “I hope that one day I can be just like these teachers and get the opportunity to work with musical artists/travel the world learning so many new things that can continue to help me grow as a person.”

While traveling, Prizzi hopes to learn new things regarding dance, but for her this isn’t just a dream; she is already touring nine different cities with ASH this year and some of next year. Prizzi is taking it one step at a time in order to accomplish her goal of making it big.

“I can’t take anyone or anything for granted. If you work hard to achieve a dream, it can and will be accomplished,” Prizzi said.

By Elizabeth White

Top: Dance junior Gia Prizzi poses with her friends from her tour, Artist Simply Human (ASH). “I hope to have an amazing dance career in the future,” Prizzi said. “This tour helps me get one step closer to having my name out there.”

Prizzi assists at the ASH Convention, where she helped choreographers lead workshops. Dance junior Dylan Amsterdam also assists at these conventions.

Photos courtesy of Gia Prizzi Features / themuseatdreyfoos.com 29

DSOA EVOLUTIONS

Several students have undergone transformations through their time at Dreyfoos. Here are their stories.

HANNAH DUNN

F

Left: Fashioning her freshman year look, communications senior Hannah Dunn poses with her brother Chris Vickers. Photo courtesy of Hannah Dunn Currently confident with her style, Dunn expresses her personality in her favorite outfit while showing off a new tattoo. Photo by Sydney Walsh

EMMA MCAVOY

L

iving up to her major’s reputation, there wasn’t a club or person who was not connected to theatre senior Emma McAvoy as she tried joining several clubs and friend groups.

During this timeframe, close friendships are created and vivid memories are formed.

“My social life has changed drastically. Compared to freshman year, I’d say that I’m so much more focused on college than my social life. Because I am more involved with the theatre department, I need to take advantage of any remaining time I have to do applications, homework, and events for honor societies,” McAvoy said. “I spend a lot of time in the theatre department rehearsing after school, going to crew, and attending thespian events. So naturally, I spend a lot of time with theatre majors. Honestly, all of those things are

30 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Features

lashback to freshman year: a flower jumpsuit sways in the fall breeze, the wind plays with her colored hair. Flash forward to senior year: a little black dress and brunette locks sway as she walks with confidence. Communication senior Hannah Dunn’s style has matured with her as she progressed through high school.

“I changed my style a lot because at the beginning of each year, I would make an intentional decision on how I wanted to look and how I wanted to present myself for that particular school year,” Dunn said. “The funny thing is, I would often end up changing again in the middle of the school year. This is evident in how many times I dyed my hair over the past four years. I wish I could say that I put a lot of thought into every time I decided to change my

what count as my social life because I love what I do and I love working with so many committed, talented artists.”

Throughout the strenuous hours studying for AP Biology and preparing for upcoming shows, McAvoy has managed to forge relationships with a variety of the Dreyfoos population.

“I’ve always been more of a floater because I find all different kinds of people interesting,” McAvoy said. “I think it’s important to surround myself with different kinds of people because I have many different interests and I learn new things about others and about myself.”

As time went by and McAvoy matured, many of her friendships grew with her or fizzled out. After four years of classes and late nights, McAvoy is wrapping up her high school experience with new wisdom and lifelong friendships.

“I think as we grow and mature, our true colors come through,” McAvoy said. “It’s easier to see who is a loyal, genuine friend versus who wasn’t really a friend to begin with.”

hair, but the truth is I would just wake up one morning and decide I wanted to cut or dye my hair another color.”

With each shade of red, blonde, or brunette hair, Dunn did not leave every piece of her previous identity behind.

“I wear the same necklace and two rings every single day,” Dunn said.

“There is a lot of meaning behind them. I consider them a foundation for my style. I’m incomplete without them.”

Dunn’s “if it isn’t comfy, I’m not wearing it” style has formed through years of studying for her AP exams and weekends at debate tournaments. With the combination slowly settling, her style has done the same.

“The journey to find a style that fits me has been very interesting. I honestly think I’ve went through every style phase there is,” Dunn said. “I’m really happy I went through so many changes because it’s brought me to where I am today. I’m content with how I dress.”

MICHELLE SHANNON

W

hen theatre senior Michelle Shannon entered Dreyfoos her freshman year in a leotard, she never thought she would spend her upperclassman years running lines with the theatre department.

“After a few months of being a freshman, I felt that I disliked the dance department and thought I wasn’t going to enjoy my four years as a dance major,” Shannon said. “So, I auditioned for the theatre department to take my theatrical career more seriously.”

With Shannon’s change in majors, a world lacking ballet plies and overflowing in impromptu lessons took center stage. Shannon spent less of her time focusing on dancing and more of it on a well-rounded theatre education. Dance and theatre have been the driving forces in Shannon’s artistic change and her journey to find herself.

“I would have preferred to have stayed

in my previous major. But without my mistake, I wouldn’t have made the same friendships and memories, built the same relationships and connections, or be the same person that I am today,” Shannon said. “This experience has aided my maturity and perspectives in my life. This change has strengthened my passions as a performer. I am a dancer that can act and sing. That will always be a part of me no matter where I go or what path I choose.”

Shannon’s experience in two of Dreyfoos’ art departments allowed her to build her preferred artistic persona. She grew into new departments and experiences, using her art to aid her in this growth.

“I can say that I have grown tremendously as an artist in all aspects from the start of my freshman year throughout my entire four years,” Shannon said. “I have made connections, improved in my talents as well as created a love for various other art forms such as jazz music and visual art. Dreyfoos has simply heightened who I’ve always been, but more importantly, [it] has shaped me into who I want to be as a human being and an artist.”

Top: Performing a dance piece, theatre senior Michelle Shannon participates as a dance major her freshman year.

After changing her major from dance, Shannon became better acquainted with the stage in her role of Dreyfoos’ “Romeo and Juliet” in her junior year. Photos courtesy of Michelle Shannon

JEANPIERRE CUESTAS

A

s a community of artists, au-

Left: Quickly adapting to the social Dreyfoos atmosphere, theatre senior Emma McAvoy enjoys her freshman year. Photo courtesy of Emma McAvoy Rounding out her time at Dreyfoos, McAvoy presents her Senior Rep, her last jury as a theatre major. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Top: Before becoming a member of the boys soccer team, communications sophomore Dani Gerlach and visual senior Jean-Pierre Cuestas practice their soccer skills. Cuestas honed his skills more and more everyday. Photo courtesy of Jean-Pierre Cuestas Cuestas practices a shot during lunch. He is part of a state team at Wellington, Fla. Photo by Julia Bonavita

ditions and rejections are a familiar part of life. For visual senior Jean-Pierre Cuestas, tryouts for the boys soccer team at Dreyfoos are just another example of perseverance through failure.

“I tried out [for the soccer team] sophomore year, junior year, and made it on the team senior year,” Cuestas said. “[If I made the soccer team earlier] I would’ve improved much quicker and I would be smarter and better than I am now.”

Cuestas worked on his technique long before trying out for the boys soccer team at Dreyfoos.

Despite the difficulties Cuestas faced, his dream to play his favorite sport at a higher level than high school inspired him to continue reaching for his goals. Throughout

the three years of cuts he endured before making the team, Cuestas’ skill continued to improve with the hours of drills and practice he spent on the field.

“For one, I’m not a ‘one and done’ guy in general, especially not in my favorite sport,” Cuestas said. “I want to make it up in the higher leagues at some point in my life, and the only way to grow and see how it is to be up there is to fail ‘till you get what you want.”

Cuestas’ goal was achieved when he made the boys soccer team for his first time during the 2016-17 school year. With his dream realized and his dedication to the sport stronger than ever, Cuestas is able to recognize the evolution he underwent during his sports career at Dreyfoos. “[Soccer] helps me adapt to more difficult environments [and] learn trial and error strategies in the sport,” Cuestas said. “I grew and improved as a player for the past three years.”

By Alexis Pinchuk

Features / themuseatdreyfoos.com 31

THE HISTORY OF HUMBLE BEGINNINGS ecord scratch* *freeze frame* Yep, memes are like inside jokes that a huge

R

you read that headline correctly- The Muse is covering the history of memes. The term was originally coined by British author Richard Dawkins to explain the way culture spreads, the word “meme” has adopted a whole new meaning within the past decade, according to a website known as “Lifewire”.

Memes can be expressed as jokes or ideas through pictures, videos, GIFS, cartoons, people, words, phrases, or practically anything else. In even simpler terms, internet

amount of people, often followers of internet culture and media, are in on. The appeal of inside jokes is the sense of community they provide, internet memes can offer this same sense of comfort and community.

The early days of the first memes, for the most part, were simple. As people were first becoming familiar with cyberspace, websites like Youtube became more

developed, videos that were considered funny became memes, and within no time, videos of babies laughing and awkward news clips were spread like wildfire. Before we knew it, everyone and their mothers were sharing videos like “Charlie bit my finger” or “keyboard cat” on Facebook.Weird pictures of cats and dogs with a relatable joke formatted through a line of top and bottom text were the next “it” thing.

MEMES C

ontrary to the simplicity of the Dark Ages, from 2013 to the beginning of 2015, memes saw a surge in quality. Originally consisting of an unchanging format of the top line of text and the bottom line of text correlating with the photo in the middle. From Kermit the frog drinking Lipton Tea “but that’s none of my business”, to the viral “Why You Always Lying” video, this period was a brighter time in internet his-

A fresh serving of memes: Bone app the teeth THE RENAISSANCE

tory. Drake, a popular musician, gained a lot of recognition and became the subject of many memes with his music video Hotline Bling, which has one billion views on youtube. His music, which incorporates the theme of relationships and breakups also became a focus of the internet’s teasing. Other memes like Pepe the Frog and “Poot Lovato” spread like viruses, dominat-

ing every forum imaginable.

During the Dark Ages, many memes were based on a simple joke like bad spelling, whereas the ones in this period took more planning and had a lot more room for creativity. Elmo, raising his arms to the sky as a canvas of fire consumes his background, was also popularly used.

These memes were held to a slightly higher standard, because they now had to be relatable. As a large portion of internet creators grew up, their memes became more thought out and structured. Overall, memes at this time weren’t as likely to make today’s teenagers cringe as much as other time periods.

Images from Know Your Meme, Giphy, and the WYKC Network.

THEfter DARK AGES viral videos started to gain

A

notoriety, relatability became a big factor that shaped memes for a very long time. “Rage comics” originated on 4chan, an imageboard website in 2008, showcasing characters that represented specific feelings in comic strip fashion.

By being vague, these pictures became inclusive; anyone could “remix” or apply these pictures to their own jokes for the world to see and relate to. The more relatable the post was to the audience, the more attention it received. Such attention included being snatched harshly off the in32 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Lifestyle

ternet and slapped onto every product available for capitalist gains. For example, the “U Mad Bro?” was a t-shirt in every typical media and Hot Topic store. Other memes in this period that originated in 2012, such as the Harlem Shake video craze, Doge face, and grumpy cat, were also popular. The Doge face was based on a Shiba Inu that spoke poor English, which further stressed the level of quality pictures within this time had. Oklahoma resident Sweet Brown, better known as

the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That” lady, was victim to an autotuned remix by The Parody Factor on Youtube, and no one could stop singing it for weeks, perhaps even months. And poor, sweet Chloe, who was used as a reaction picture every time someone said something dumb online. For the most part, all the memes within the dark ages didn’t require much thought, and aren’t remembered fondly.

W

ithin the year of 2016, internet memes have evolved gradually.

Originally starting out as pictures or videos, memes have grown to include phrases and specific sentence structures. With the creation of this subgenre, people became able to apply memes to their everyday, unfulfilled, boring lives by seeing something funny and referencing a popular phrase to describe it. For example, the misspelling of bon appetit, or “just a little something

MODERN

to take the edge off.”

Social media websites like Tumblr and Twitter picked these memes off the side of the road, dusted them off, then put them on a path to stardom. These sites provided users with platforms to easily create and post them. In addition to popular phrases, purposely misspelled words and purposely bad drawings obtained relevance due to the sheer hilarity of their terrible

quality.

Memes serve as the backbone of internet culture, consisting of all types of media to spread jokes, opinions, information, popular culture, and much more.

They’ve evolved from simple, basic images to clever phrases and sentence structuring, truly coming a long way since their origin.

As the internet becomes more advanced and widespread, its very own inside jokes are guaranteed to become more creative and viral by the minute.

By Dylan Priday

Lifestyle / themuseatdreyfoos.com 33

THE ART OF

Teenagers coin a new term for the methodical approach to phasing someone out of your life via social media

T

he Snapchat streak that you worked on for so long is now gone. Thinking maybe it’s a glitch, you pull down the screen to refresh, and nothing changes. You send texts asking what happened, and they are read with no response.

You go on Twitter and Instagram to see that your supposed friend unfollowed and blocked you on all platforms and there’s not a single reason why—you’ve been ghosted.

Both on the giving or receiving end, ghosting is not fun—unless you thrive off others’ sadness, then it’s a thrilling experience. While it is a delicate balance, there are cardinal rules to know if you’re being ghosted, and how to ghost someone else.

To ghost someone, you have to be ruthless. Make sure your motives are clear. Ghosting someone for no reason is not in the ghosting rule book. If they haven’t been a good friend or if you just aren’t feeling it, unfriend or unfollow them on all social media to send a clear message. Deleting or blocking their contact works for extreme cases, and if they face you in person, then say you haven’t been getting their texts, but make sure to leave your read receipts on. The art of ghosting is tricky, and while it’s not something people should do regularly, sometimes there isn’t a better option.

While there is this cruel satisfaction in letting someone go, on the receiving end it’s pretty terrible.

Most of the time it’s losing someone you really care about and thought was a great friend. Often, there are clear warning signs that will lead up to the disappearing act, like oneword text messages and responses, or an argument that doesn’t end with forgive and forget. If you consistently try and make plans with someone and they always use the same excuses, this is a big sign that

34 themuseatdreyfoos.com

you are being ghosted. If you feel like you’re about to be ghosted, the best thing to do is prepare for it.

Not everyone in your life is going to stick around, and that’s okay. Going through the normal stages of grief will help through this process.

When you first recognize that something is off, you might go through denial. You pace back and forth across the room having an argument with yourself if they could actually do that. The initial decision is that they could never, but soon you realize that they could, and they did.

After you’re done denying what has happened, it might turn into pure rage, especially after you see a photo of them with other friends.

You start subtweeting and posting rants on your Instagram account about how they are being shady. It feels good in the moment, but it will be something you lie awake at night regretting.

You eventually realize that there’s no reason to be angry; they might have a reasonable excuse. You have no clue what you did wrong, so you make apologies for something you didn’t actually do. They don’t respond, perfecting their art of ghosting. You’ve been rejected and now you face humiliation, thinking you put yourself out there, and you look like a fool.

Depression follows rejection.

There might be sad eating and ugly crying, but it’s our own way of cleansing. It leads us to accept the outcome, no matter how much we don’t like it, and move on. There will always be some confusion about what happened and some time spent being petty, but it’s a new part of your life that you grow from and experience, no matter which side you were on.

By Chloe Girod

Graphics by Chloe Girod Lifestyle / themuseatdreyfoos.com 35

10 P O T

1

THINGS THAT SHAPED 2016

Presidential Election The emails, the degradation, and the deplorables were just the beginning of one of the ugliest presidential campaigns this nation has ever seen. Businessman Donald Trump won a majority of the electoral votes (306-232), winning the presidency. The post-election reactions still drag on with protesters chanting “not my president.”

2 3

HAMILTON

NEW music

Rap and R&B music prevailed this year. Old favorites such as Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, and Adele stepped back into the scene, and artists such as Mac Miller came out with a new sound. Broadway musical “Hamilton” appealed to both rap and musical theatre fans, winning 11 Tony awards.

POKéMON GO!

4

This revolutionary app encouraged many to go outside. The game allows players to catch Pokémon by using their GPS location and pointing the camera toward the virtual ‘Pokémon’ to capture it. Though the game itself is innocent, people have been arrested, robbed, and even killed while playing the game.

chicago cubs’ victory The 2016 World Series was held from Oct. 26 to Nov 2. The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game 7, their first time winning the World Series in 108 years. The Cubs have been in a total of 11 World Series Game.

36 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Entertainment

5

rio summer olympics

6

The summer Olympic Games saw 121 medals for the United States: 46 gold, 37 silver, and 38 bronze. Aside from the sports, there was a lot of controversy concerning the water pollution, the Zika virus, and the financial instability of Rio. People protested the government spending the money on the Olympics rather than housing and education for the citizens.

celebrity deaths

David Bowie and Prince, along with many others, passed away in 2016.

Bowie not only influenced the realm of rock and roll, but his multiple personas have influenced teenage minds since the ‘70s. In Prince’s lifetime, he sold over 100 million records, won seven Grammys, and was introduced to the Rock Hall of Fame. Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movie series, passed away as well.

9

memes

7

The PSATs, Hurricane Matthew, Harambe, and the 2016 presidential election among many others have been the focus of this year’s memes, “Memes have become the center of pop culture,” visual freshman Sawyer Williams said.

“You can’t log into any social media without seeing a wall of memes. They’re so recognizable.

You could really say memes are a form of art.”

8

On June 23, the people of Britain voted for their country to leave the EU, the Europen Union is an organization composed of 28 European countries. One of the concerns is the effect on trade: Britain benefits from the deals they make with other EU countries and world powers.

viral dances

This year had many popular dance moves such as the whip/ nae nae, hit the folks, the running man, juju on that beat, (slide) drop, and the mannequin challenge. All of these short dances went viral on social media, making it easier for people to learn them.

10 Graphics by Danielle Cuestas and Daniela Esquenazi.

Photos by Natalie Bergeron and Lorenzo Romano

brexit

black lives matter Though created in 2012, the movement sparked in 2016 after multiple acts of police brutality against people of color such as Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Joseph Mann began popping up on social media all throughout the country. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter began to spread, raising awareness to these acts of violence.

By Daniela Esquenazi and Emily Sweetz Entertainment/ themuseatdreyfoos.com 37

Oct. 11, 1975: Saturday Night Live

premieres on NBC with an original cast featuring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, and John Belushi, among others.

on the Web www.themuseatdreyfoos.com

1985: Showrunner Dick Ebersol, who

joined the show in 1981, leaves after disagreements over the direction of the show, leading to the return of original showrunner Lorne Michaels, who remains the executive producer to this day. After the 1985-86 season, Michaels assembles a new cast of unknowns who catapult the show back to popularity, including Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz.

1992: Sinead O’Connor, in one of the

most surprising moments of the series, tears up a picture of Pope John Paul II while performing a song, amidst a Catholic Church child abuse scandal.

The move was met with major backlash from audiences.

THE LEGACY

LIVES ON The most famous late night sketch show continues its profound impact on comedy

L

ive from New York, it’s Saturday night! is a phrase many across the country have become so familiar with. Ever since those words were first uttered in October of 1975, they have continued to define an era of late-night comedy that has permeated through culture in the form of Saturday Night Live. No other show in history has unveiled to the public as many comedic celebrities, with countless actors and actresses like Chevy Chase, Will Ferrell, Kate Mckinnon, and Kristen Wiig developing successful careers after starring on SNL. The show itself is something of a phenomenon as no other sketch comedy series has lasted as long as this one. Over the course of the show’s life, there have been memorable moments that have helped define the show, as well as shape it into what it is today. By Cody Baez

All information from NBC, Rolling Stone, Business Insider, and TIME 38 themuseatdreyfoos.com / Entertainment

2001: After the September 11 terrorist attacks, Rudy Giuliani and New York City firefighters appear on the show to let America know they can “laugh again.” The attacks also resulted in the scaling back of political humor until later years.

Opinion Sports News Arts Investigative reporter Noah Cantor digs deep into the mystery behind Presidentelect Donald Trump’s glistening orange skin.

Visual junior and basketball foward Aaron Crawford endured a season-ending foot injury.

Read about how the team plans to adjust for the duration of the season.

In a companion piece to “The Alliance,” The Muse investigates whether transgender students feel comfortable using the school’s gender-neutral bathrooms.

Read a recap of the Vocal department’s annual holiday chorus concert, which will feature traditional choral hymns and popular holiday jingles.

2004: Ashlee Simpson is infamously

caught lip syncing during a performance after the wrong song starts playing. She dances for a few seconds and then walks off stage, creating the most infamous gaffe in SNL history.

Present: SNL has taken on a political mantra, offering commentary on presidential elections and other issues that influence the lives of people.

All official images by NBC

Follow The Muse on Twitter and Instagram @themuseatdsoa Also, like us on Facebook.

[

This is a QR code.

Scan it on Snapchat and it will take you directly to The Muse wesbite.

[

themuseatdreyfoos.com 39

You were named a division finalist in the MTNA (Music Teachers National Association). Can you tell me about your experience in the competition?

It’s a competition that I did through my violin teacher and DSOA artist-in -residence Huifang Chen. She signed me up for it and [I went] to Orlando, it’s at the University of Central Florida, and there’s a judge and five other contestants. You play for the judge, and then they decide the winner right there.

What piece did you decide to play?

I played the first movement of the Beethoven Spring Sonata for violin, then a piece called “Zigeunerweisen”, which translates to “Gypsy Airs” by Pablo Sarasate, then the “Mendelssohn” violin concerto, the first movement of Lalo Symphonie Espagnole for solo violin, and two movements of unaccompanied Bach.

Since you were named a division finalist, are there more rounds left in the competition?

This was the state round for Florida, and the next round is a division round for the southeast United States and then after that, if I win, is the national round.

How did you feel participating in such a fierce competition?

It was kind of stressful since we’re so far away. In Orlando I had to leave my usual accompanist behind and use an accompanist that the competition had on hand. The accompanist is a pianist, because most of the stuff I played is for violin and orchestra originally. Obviously, I can’t bring an orchestra with me, so there’s a reduction for piano that they play with me.

You only rehearse half an hour the day before the competition and I had an hour’s worth of music, so it was pretty tough. Also, the accompanist had never seen the music before, so it was 40

pretty touch and go because of the lack of time to prepare. Overall, it was pretty stressful, but I liked it.

Since you only had half an hour to prepare for an hour’s worth of music, did you have to sight-read most of it?

No, I’ve been working on some of this music for a year, and others for three or four months. I had to practice a lot, and work with Ms. Chen as well to perfect and polish the pieces.

Can you tell me about being concertmaster at the Greater Miami Youth Symphony (GMYS)?

Q&A

EXPOSURE Sahana Shravan

T

he Music Teachers National Association is an organization of music teachers promoting the advancement of music mastery through composing, teaching, and performing. Strings sophomore Sahana Shraven was named a division finalist in the MTNA’s Senior Performance Competition.

It’s at the University of Miami. My teacher is the conductor, so she told me about it when I started playing with her. I went, auditioned and I got concertmaster (leader of the orchestra). I’ve been playing with them since September and it’s been pretty cool.

I’m in an orchestra [at Dreyfoos] but it’s nice to be in one outside of school because I get to meet new people who are interested in the same thing I am.

What was it like placing at the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra?

I was in two of their competitions.

One was for Classical era pieces, where I played Vivaldi, and I played “Winter” from the Four Seasons concerto. For the other competition, a Romantic era division, I [again] played the first movement of Lalo.

I won the division for the Classical era, so I’m going to be playing with that orchestra in January, and I won $1000.

Are there any other competitions you’re interested in?

The GSYM orchestra has a concerto competition that I’m going to be entering, and the school concerto competition finals are happening soon and I’m currently a finalist. I really hope I win that one, and by the time this is published I’ll find out.

By Nicco Bravata

Photo by Lorenzo Romano