The Muse Volume 16 Issue 3

VOLUME XVI, ISSUE THREE, MARCH 2019 DREYFOOS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

STEERING CLEAR PAGE 26

LITERACY IN LIMBO

5 EMPTY AUDITIONS 15

STUDENT LOOKBOOK 23

ONE VOICE: LOS CABALLEROS DE DREYFOOS 39

THE FIGHT FROM THE RIGHT 47

SPORTS INDEX 56

STAFF

EDITORS IN CHIEF CHLOE GIROD JENNIFER JIA MANAGING EDITOR KATE MCNAMARA ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS REBECCA BOSS CARLEIGH DICKINSON LILLY RANDOLPH ASSISTANT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR SEBASTIAN FERNANDEZ

EDITORS STAFFERS DESIGN JOEL SOTO

ONLINE CONTENT ELIZABETH WHITE PRSICILA FERNANDEZ SOCIAL MEDIA ALI HUSSAIN COPY IZZY KJAERULFF MULTIMEDIA VALERIE BETTS PHOTO HALEY JOHNSTON SHELBY RABIN BUSINESS ALLY MCGIVNEY OPINION TOMMY MCCABE NEWS LILA GOLDSTEIN CULTURE ISABELLA RAMIREZ COVER HEATHER ROLLINS MADDY RUBIN ARTS SASHA MONACO FEATURES ANAMARIA NAVARRETE SPORTS TARYN REAGAN

DESIGN AMANDA COHEN LILY GUMBINNER MADISON LAROCQUE ONLINE CONTENT MARIEL SILPE

COPY EMMA GARRETT MULTIMEDIA MEGAN FENTON BRUCE WHITE PHOTO RACHEL JEUNE MORGAN NEINER SYDNEY WEBB BELLA WEISS BUSINESS DAVID YANES OPINION JAROM GORDON NEWS ASHER MOSS MARK SHTEYMAN CULTURE SAVANNAH RICHARDS SASHA SMITH COVER NIRMIT CHANDAN ARTS ADAM GOLDSTICK GEORGE WU FEATURES MICHAEL PINCUS ELENA SNYDER SPORTS JULES POPIEL

ADVISOR CARLY GATES

THEMUSEATDSOA Cover photo illustration by Haley Johnston and Shelby Rabin

Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin

MUSE MEMO

T

o say the least, the first three months of 2019 have been busy. But, we can confidently and proudly say that our staff are one of few who kept their New Year’s resolution after February.

We hope you have, too. One of our goals— spreading love within the staff— was admirably accomplished through a Valentine’s Day mixer, decorated with sparkly hearts and colorful friendship bracelets. Our other goal— providing quality, unique content to the student body— can be checked off as well.

In our approach to Spirit Week coverage, we hope you enjoyed the special edition poster, different from our usual issues. We also hope it reminds you about Dreyfoos’ exceptional school spirit. If you missed out on our Spirit Week content then definitely down-

load our app, The Muse at DSOA, to catch up on postings, and stick around for new content.

From investigative pieces to highlighting unheard voices, our staff’s devotion to improving content shines through. Even as senioritis has crept up, ourselves included, collaborating has allowed this issue to flourish. We have breathed life into older concepts, such as our student lookbook or car crashes on campus.

But as spring break is around the corner, don’t forget to relax, whether that means catching up on your sleep, taking a nice vacation, or even just going for a drive. We pass off the baton to our up-and-coming staff, hoping there aren’t too many speed bumps along the way. Beep, honk, vroom.

Blessings from,

&

CONTENTS OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL TOMMY MCCABE PAGE 4

NEWS

SINK OR SWIM JENNIFER JIA KATE MCNAMARA PAGE 8

CULTURE

CAFFEINE COMPULSION SASHA SMITH PAGE 17

COVER

STEERING CLEAR HEATHER ROLLINS MADDY RUBIN NIRMIT CHANDAN PAGE 26

ARTS

MIGRATING OUT OF THE CLASSROOM ADAM GOLDSTICK PAGE 33

FEATURES

FACULTY FRIENDSHIPS ANAMARIA NAVARRETE PAGE 42

SPORTS

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES JULES POPIEL LILLY RANDOLPH Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin

PAGE 49

22 2 IN FAVOR OF THIS STANDPOINT Poll results from the editors on The Muse staff

Graphic by Amanda Cohen

STAFF EDITORIAL

F

DISTRICT WEBSITE CENSORING POLICIES ARE RESTRICTING EDUCATION

lashback to middle school: Studying vocabulary cards on Quizlet actually meant playing Fireboy and Watergirl on Cool Math. Walking into the media center meant you were almost guaranteed to see students in the back corner on computers, competing for the championship title in Tank Trouble.

Before AP classes, college resumes, and SAT test prep, students had much more time to get away with these distractions. This is one of the School District of Palm Beach County’s (SDPBC) primary arguments: Much of the content on the internet only serves to distract students from what is actually important.

That being said, Policy 8.123 of the SDPBC “School Board Policies” states that the purpose of the “Technology Acceptable Use Policy for Students” is “to set forth terms and conditions as well as standards for the acceptable uses by students of Palm Beach County School District technology resources.”

Within Policy 8.123, the SDPBC defines its ability to censor content based on three categories: defamation, harm to minors, and obscenity. So, which of the three gives them the right to block reputable news sources such as this newsmagazine? The effects of current rules have reached the extent of limiting student knowledge. It is much more difficult to do research for an academic paper when every website you try to visit is blocked.

With these limitations already overextending, it is apparent many school districts could be blocking content for completely unjustifiable reasons. A study by the American Civil Liberties Union found that in 2011, web filters were routinely blocking access to groups such as

the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network; the Genders and Sexualities Alliance; and LGBTQ+ anti-bullying resources.

According to the National Coalition Against Censorship, “Censorship based on individual sensitivities and concerns restricts the world of knowledge available to students. And that world could get smaller and smaller.” This restriction of knowledge, regardless of reasoning, takes away the realism that the internet is capable of providing.

The NCAC also stated, “Based on personal views, some parents wish to eliminate material depicting violence, others object to references to sexuality, others to racially-laden speech or images. Some parents oppose having their children exposed to fiction that doesn’t have a happy ending, teach a moral lesson, or provide noble role models.”

This lack of exposure to real-world elements fails to prepare students for life after graduation, where they will have to make important decisions that will impact the rest of their lives.

There is no purpose in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on new laptops when the content is so heavily blocked that the computer serves no purpose other than to tell the date and time. Many students would rather do research using cellular data on their phones than on the highly “secured” school district servers.

The bottom line is that the SDPBC needs to reconsider their policies on website censoring. Students need access to certain blocked content on YouTube for classes. Students need blocked news sources to access important current events and timely information. And every once in a while, students need Fireboy and Watergirl to help get them through the week. CONTRIBUTOR: TOMMY MCCABE themuseatdreyfoos.com | OPINION

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert M. Pirsig

I

Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë

f you’re reading this, congratulations. You now find yourself in the ever-shrinking group of people who get information from printed sources or read much of anything.

According to the most recent survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Americans who read for pleasure on any given day has fallen by more than 30 percent since 2004, and most teenagers prefer to get their news from social media rather than standard longform.

As students continue to face greater challenges in their lives—college admissions, relationships, financial situations, etc.—the last thing we need is a shift away from reading and the individual pursuit of learning.

While Apple’s tiny, light-up rectangles continue their quest for world domination, we should be mindful not to forget the slightly bigger rectangles that are too often cast aside.

The rectangles of which I speak are books, which, unfortunately, do not light up (though e-books may be an exception). They do, however, fan the flames of knowledge until that fuel produces more light than any YouTube video, Netflix show, or Instagram post ever could. Literature can embed readers in new worlds and allow insight into their own.

Just as importantly, books are useful in learning essential skills not taught in modern schools: money management, social skills, cooking, and playing the accordion, for instance. Learning individually, or at least outside of school, can actually be more effective than learning in the classroom. Psychology Today makes it clear that the competitive environment of schools can detract from a student’s ability to learn, whereas knowledge gained from individual study is not subject to the same social scrutiny.

If that’s not enough, books also present an array of health benefits.

University of Sussex research indicates that reading can significantly reduce stress, more so than listening to music, going for a walk, or playing video games. Most high schoolers would agree that anything that reduces stress is a good thing.

One of the most common excuses for neglecting books comes in the form, “But I don’t have time to read!” This rationalization becomes even worse when one realizes that reading will actually generate more time to do other things (technically).

Round Ireland with a Fridge Tony Hawks

IN

THE DECLINE AND WHY

Team of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Martian Andy Weir

The Magicians Lev Grossman

A Brief History of Time Stephen Hawking

N

OF READING IT MATTERS

According to a study conducted at the Yale University School of Public Health, readers live two years longer on average by avoiding some of the cognitive decay associated with aging. This remains true regardless of income or education. That’s only one of the perks reading offers.

University of Maryland researchers found that reading boosts vocabulary and language abilities. A Harvard University study revealed that reading fiction increases empathy for others. A University of Toronto study concluded that books can add to a person’s creativity.

I’ll stop there because I’m running out of colleges to cite. The science is undeniable: Reading is one of the most beneficial activities out there.

With all the advantages that stem from reading, one would wonder why the practice is on the decline. There appears to be one major culprit in the downfall of leisure reading: television. Numerous research projects, including a major study conducted in the Netherlands over a span of half a century, concur that as the rates of TV viewing have gone up, reading rates have followed the opposite trend.

In recent years, with the advent of smartphones, traditional TV viewing is being gradually replaced by the likes of Netflix and YouTube, but the distractions of such media remain relevant to why we don’t read.

An extensive survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average 8–18 year old in the United States spends upward of seven and a half hours a day consuming entertainment media. While we make more time for online pursuits, our brains and bookshelves collect dust.

This is not to say that online media and entertainment cannot be useful. A great deal of learning material and artistic work has been made available through the wonders of the internet. A good meme every once and a while never hurt anyone. But, the vast majority of our time spent staring at screens seems to be unproductive at best and mind-numbing at worst.

Hopefully, students will never lose the experience of hiding under the covers, clutching a flashlight and a dusty novel at 2 a.m. Hopefully, our generation will not throw away the expanses of human knowledge to watch “Friends” for a seventh time. Hopefully, future leaders will be unrelenting in the pursuit of truth and wisdom.

If we ensure that these hopes are realized, we will soon discover that the way to write ourselves a happier story is hidden in the pages of a book.

Your Money: The Missing Manual J.D. Roth

Shoe Dog Phil Knight

BY JAROM GORDON Graphics by Chloe Girod

Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain

Life of Pi Yann Martel

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April 6th – 7th Sat./Sun. 10am – 5pm FREE ADMISSION South Rosemary Avenue at Hibiscus Street in West Palm Beach in CityPlace

ArtFestival.com A Howard Alan Event (561) 746-6615

SINK

OR

SWIM

CHEATING, HACKING, SABOTAGE, AND MORE AFFECT ACADEMIC CULTURE

BY JENNIFER JIA AND KATE MCNAMARA

Graphic by Jennifer Jia

WHAT LENGT

S

HS WILL STUD

taring at endless lines of computer code, Dreyfoos senior Jeff Yorston successfully logged into his assistant principal’s student database in the fall of 2005. Within days, Yorston changed the grades of at least eight students at four Palm Beach County high schools.

Months later, an anonymous tip resulted in Yorston’s arrest and expulsion, seeming to conclude the hacking scandal that rocked Dreyfoos’ campus. But, this was only the beginning.

Fourteen years later, the stakes have never been higher: Acceptance rates at prestigious colleges have plummeted, fights for valedictorian titles have become relentless, and cheating is the norm. On the surface, Dreyfoos students are adapt at both the arts and academics, gaining admission to coveted Ivy League schools and showcasing their work in professional galleries. But behind the curtains and between the paint strokes, it is a little more than just hard work that keeps them afloat.

“The anxiety [among students] is through the roof. There is this perception that whatever you do is never enough. In the past, college was never [as] competitive as it is today,” social studies teacher Danielle Edwards said. “They compete against a faceless, nameless entity. It leads to a lot of aggravation that is dangerous.”

HOW CAN COMPETITIVENESS IMPACT SECURITY?

Comparative culture among students can lead to lack of concern for academic privacy. In order to gain more information about this issue countywide, The Muse reached out to The School Police Records Department in Palm Beach County. In October of 2017, an anonymous seventh grader at Boca Raton Community Middle School noticed that all of his Google Drive files were deleted and replaced with a singular Google Slide that was filled with profanity.

“The father of [the] student emailed school administration informing them that he believed that an unknown person hacked into his son’s account on [Oct. 18, 2017],” the School District of Palm Beach County incident report reads.

“He believes that the password scheme used

ENTS GO TO?

by the [SDPBC] is too weak, making it easy to hack students’ accounts.”

While this incident is the only one on file at the School Police Records Department, many instances are left unreported. In a schoolwide survey of 692 students, over 15 percent admitted to hacking into a classmate’s Student Information System account before the SDPBC required students to change their passwords this fall. Of those who confessed to hacking, 10 percent did so in order to compare their classmate’s grades to their own.

“I think it’s funny because it makes me think of when kids take a Scantron test and they’re looking at the other kids’ Scantron tests, not necessarily to cheat off the other Scantron, but to gauge where they are,” English teacher Carmen Gallardo said. “[Students] have to see the number to determine [their] self-worth or sense of success.”

Dreyfoos administrators and Student Reporting Director of the SDPBC, P.J. D’Aoust, have denied claims that the countywide password change mandate was implemented due to troubles with student hacking, but the impacts of the directive have made it much harder for students to do so.

“Administration and faculty have literally no idea about [hacking], and they don’t know how to handle it at all,” communications junior Alex Haddad said. “They can’t do anything about it because it can be done from the comfort of your own home on a regular computer.”

Haddad is a victim of student hacking. During his freshman year, he posted about cheating during a quiz on his Instagram page. An unidentified student later hacked into Haddad’s student email account and sent a confession to his teacher, along with a screenshot of the post. Although the incident did not go on Haddad’s permanent record, he received three weeks of detention after school.

“I feel like the motive to hacking could be self-consciousness because students want to see [the grades that] other students are getting, and they want to compare themselves to each other,” Haddad said. “I think that gets in their head a little bit, and they kind of just take it to a whole other level.”

YOU DON’T GET A REFERRAL, SO NOW IT’S 50-50. IF YOU DON’T CHEAT, THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO FAIL THE TEST. IF YOU DO CHEAT, YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF PASSING THE TEST … WHERE IS THE MOTIVATION NOT TO CHEAT? ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GEORGE MILLER Graphics by Jennifer Jia and Kate McNamara

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NEWS | themuseatdreyfoos.com

WHERE IS THE MOTIVATION FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY?

In order to stand a chance against other students, cheating throughout high school is considered customary. In a survey conducted by Rutgers University of 24,000 students at 70 high schools, 95 percent of students admitted to participating in some form of cheating, whether it was on a test, copying homework, or plagiarizing—and Dreyfoos students are no exception.

“One time, I followed the [school’s] integrity policy [for cheating] after a student had cheated on a homework assignment, and the parents attempted to sue the school district,” Ms. Edwards said. “When the girl filled out [the] Common Application, there was a question that asked if a student received disciplinary action. Under the integrity policy, you received a [disciplinary] referral. Her parents badgered guidance into saying that a referral for cheating wasn’t discipline.”

It worked.

Just over six years ago, the SDPBC subsequently made the decision that referrals could no longer be given out for cheating.

“You don’t get a referral, so now it’s 50-50,” Assistant Principal George Miller said. “If you don’t cheat, then you’re probably going to fail the test. If you do cheat, you have a chance of passing the test. If you get caught, you’re going to get a zero, which you would have gotten anyways for not cheating. Where is the motivation not to cheat?”

When a student cheats, they receive a zero on the assignment and the parents are notified, under compliance of district policy. The only exception to the standard disciplinary action occurs when the cheating transcends beyond an individual level. This would be the case if, for example, a student shared images of an exam online or if group message chats were formed to share answers.

“It would have to be a rare case [for them to] get referrals,” Assistant Principal Leo Barrett said. “But, let’s say somebody were to do something really bad. An example might be taking a picture of a test and sending it to their friends. Then, it really is a different misbehavior. It’s not just cheating. It’s much worse than that.”

HOW DO STUDENTS GET TO THE TOP?

To some, achieving a high class rank is worth sacrificing anything—even academic integrity. In a schoolwide survey conducted by The Muse two years ago, 57 percent of students wanted to keep the current class rank system. Now, the number has dropped to 28 percent.

“I don’t think [class rank is] something that we should have,” school counselor Mark Carson said. “It’s kind of archaic, to be honest with you.”

Mr. Carson’s opinion is becoming more mainstream, especially within higher institutions. In fact, according to the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, class rank is only considered the eighth most important factor in the admissions system, just below counselor recommendations.

“Colleges take [class rank] into context,” Mr. Carson said. “If you’re number 20 or 30 at this school, you could easily be number one [at] your homeschool. That’s why you could be number 30 [at Dreyfoos] and still get into an Ivy League school.”

Although the fierceness of the battle between the potential top 20 students can be overwhelming to some, there is also a substantial fraction of students who remain unengaged in the struggle.

There is “a group for everyone,” in the words of visual senior Ansley King.

“People are here for mostly one or the other. I think when you come to Dreyfoos, you know exactly what you want to do,” King said. “I feel like you’re either here for the amazing academics, or you are here to pursue your [art] area. There’s not really a middle ground, and if there is, it’s few and far between.”

The lack of a middle ground, as King describes, makes it difficult for some students to come to terms with their class rank. Some students perceive their class rank to be indicative of their intelligence, a mindset that has led nearly 60 percent of surveyed students to feel discouraged, inferior, and unhappy.

“I thought being valedictorian would mean a grand ending to high school,” strings senior Sahana Shravan said, who is ranked third in the Class of 2019. “But, I think it meant even more when I didn’t get it. I learned about the value of why we’re here and what learning should be like.” themuseatdreyfoos.com | NEWS

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There are a multitude of factors that could explain why some students perceive class rank to be unfair. First, some feel that certain majors have an advantage due to the courses available to them— specifically, 55 percent of students observed more AP opportunities within the visual department, and 59.3 percent of students do not feel satisfied with the number of AP and AICE opportunities available to them. Some feel that class rank should be calculated within each major, but others see online and dual enrollment courses as a more pressing issue.

“I think we should only have GPA [and class rank] based on classes you take in school,” vocal junior Jackie Kaskel said, “because people have prior commitments. They have family stuff and extracurricular activities, and they don’t have time to take so many classes outside of school.”

The plethora of problems surrounding the calculation of class rank has left some students demanding the elimination of the system. But as seen in other Florida schools, such as Trinity Preparatory School in Orlando, abolishing class rank may do little to address Dreyfoos’ competitive culture.

“I think it’s just a different kind of competitiveness,” Trinity Preparatory School senior Ryan Psik said. “People are still wildly obsessed with numbers, but since we don’t have an official metric, people like to focus on the other things, like how many community service hours you have [or] what organizations you work with. It’s really about the attitudes [of students], and abolishing one policy isn’t going to change anything.”

Additionally, the elimination of class rank is not currently possible, according to Frank Barbieri, Vice Chairman of the SDPBC School Board. Barbieri explained that because the Florida Automated System for Transferring Educational Records requires a class rank, “the [SDPBC] will not be able to get rid of the ranking system.” To repeal FASTER, the SDPBC would have to propose an amendment to Policy 8.01. “[The school board] would have to make that determination to do away with it,” Mr. Carson said. “I think that would have to [be a] ground movement from students and parents rather than faculty to get that done.”

HOW MUCH ARE STUDENTS WILLING TO RISK?

Students hack, cheat, lie, and plagiarize to get the grade, but some take it to an illegal— and potentially dangerous— extreme.

79,000

EMAILS HAVE BEEN SENT WITH THE KEY WORDS “GRADES,” “CLASS RANK,” AND “VALEDICTORIAN.” According to the School District of Palm Beach County Office of Public Records Management

Graphic by Jennifer Jia

“I think there’s been such a growth in stimulants, not only those that are readily available like caffeine, but also the tremendous use in products like Adderall,” Ms. Edwards said.

Nearly 7 percent of Dreyfoos students reported that they have, at least once, abused Adderall or other psychostimulants without a medical prescription.

“A lot of people take it, [and] not necessarily just to focus,” an anonymous student said. “If you get two hours of sleep and then you go into your exam week, you have to do something, and caffeine doesn’t always work. You can get the pill.”

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in August of 2017 that drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants quadrupled from 0.1 to 0.4 percent over the past 16 years. But to a few, anything is worth the risk to succeed.

“There’s so much to do and and not enough time to do it. You just try to rush through and get the work done,” the anonymous student said. “I know some kids who take it in the morning or at night so that you don’t need to get as much sleep.”

WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO STUDENTS?

Although the struggle for scores has intensified over the years and 58.5 percent of students surveyed think Dreyfoos’ academic culture is unhealthy, some still believe that it is more important to focus on learning experiences than numerical satisfaction.

“I know 20 years from now, I’m not going to remember what rank I was,” King said. “I’m not going to remember the number 19; I’m going to remember how I was Captain of the bowling team. I’m going to remember my co-presidency for St. Baldrick’s and the event that I put on. I’m going to remember the moments of high school, not a number.”

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NEWS | themuseatdreyfoos.com

CLUBS INVOLVED IN THE MUSE’S MENTAL HEALTH AWARNESS WEEK

I

n January 2018, The Muse published an article entitled “Sick and Silent,” bearing the subheadline, “Mental illness affects … the Dreyfoos community, but few are speaking up.” Over the past year, several students and administrators have worked to change this, hoping their actions can spark a conversation about mental health and create a lasting positive environment. From the addition of a new mental health counselor to student activism campaigns, the community is working toward a future of healing, discussion, and awareness.

The road to collective recovery will not be easy, according to some. English teacher Theresa Beermann has witnessed a gradual decline in the mental health of students as priorities have shifted toward academic excellence.

Over the 26 years Ms. Beermann has been at Dreyfoos, she has seen the environment become more “stressful and competitive.”

“I think teachers need more training to identify and help [struggling] students,” Ms. Beermann said. “We did have some training, and there is a mental health course, but it’s a one-day course. Communication is needed between the administration and us teachers about what’s going on with individual students.”

However, since the School District of Palm Beach County’s Proposed 1 Mill Referendum of November 2018, our school has added a behavioral health counselor to our guidance team: Ms. Kim Neuparth. With a background in substance abuse addiction, Ms. Neuparth hopes she can help students deal with their issues in the healthiest way possible.

1

HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS

PRACTICE SAYING ‘STOP’ TO THE NEGATIVE, INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS, AND REPLACE THEM WITH POSITIVE MESSAGES.

3

GRATITUDE IS LINKED TO MENTAL HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND WELL-BEING. TAKE A LITTLE TIME EACH WEEK TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR. BE IN THE MOMENT, RATHER THAN WORRYING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK OR YESTERDAY. HELPING OTHERS AFFECTS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF. GIVE BACK TO OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CREATIVE WRITING LEAGUE BLACK STUDENT UNION STUDENTS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE JEWISH STUDENT UNION NATIONAL ENGLISH HONOR SOCIETY SGA GENDER/SEXUALITY ALLIANCE BOOK CLUB DREYFOOS DEMOCRATS A PROM TO REMEMBER BEST BUDDIES GLOCAL DREYFOOS SKATE CLUB DREYFOOS IN THE MOMENT

“Some of the most common problems I see here at Dreyfoos are depression, anxiety, and test-taking anxiety,” Ms. Neuparth said. “Within this school, I think they’re more present because of the competitiveness.”

Recognizing warning signs is key to improving mental health, Ms. Neuparth argues, and reaching out when a friend may be “isolating themselves,” or using humor to mask depressed thoughts is the first step toward healing.

“The best way [to contact me] is through email, and students can go through their school counselor and then be referred to me,” Ms. Neuparth said. “If it’s one of those situations where [a student is] feeling like they’re struggling and they need to see somebody right now, they can just come knock on my door.”

Efforts to improve schoolwide mental health are present within the student body as well, including The Muse’s efforts for a mental health awareness week. With a focus on encouraging a schoolwide conversation about mental illness and healing, several club representatives have come together to plan a week of activities.

“We are all concerned with making something meaningful that will continue to help students, not just [within] the one week of events,” communications junior Emily Elias said. “I want the student body to feel comfortable and safe within the community. We are creating something impactful that will help Dreyfoos students.”

BY LILA GOLDSTEIN

Photo courtesy of Rachel Fleischman Graphics by Lily Gumbinner

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4

Coping mechanisms courtesy of Renee E. Layman-Searles, LMHC

WE ALL STRUGGLE AT SOME POINT AND OPENING UP TO A TRUSTED FRIEND CAN HELP. VISIT A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR IF YOU NEED TO VISIT MS. NEUPARTH.

themuseatdreyfoos.com | NEWS

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E M P T Y T

AUDITIONS

hink back to your audition. Was the room bustling, or was it lacking energy? The communications department had about 40 fewer applicants than last year, and the dance department has seen a consistent decline in applicants over the last three years. However, the causes of this problem are more nuanced than one may believe. “[The amount of applicants] is not so low that I’m concerned about it,” Magnet Coordinator Patrick Marshall said. “I think word’s out there, that it’s difficult to get into Dreyfoos; I think a lot of students are finding out that [they] really have to put [themselves] through it. It’s a long audition process, and some students are not willing to go through that whole process.”

One explanation for the gradual decrease in applicants is that Dreyfoos continues to shift its focus from the arts to include more academic rigor, pushing away many students that have the intention to attend an arts-oriented school.

“They’re choosing to go to their home schools,” communications dean Angela Anyzeski said, “because they’re like, ‘I’m not going to be successful in what they expect me to do in academics, despite the fact that I love the arts and this is what I want to do.”

Additionally, the students—especially those in dance—who dedicate more time to their art than their academics sometimes seek out different methods for their schooling. Whether that is be online or through private schooling, the flexibility of alternate forms of schooling can be appealing.

“There’s a lot of private dance companies that are now popping up around the county,” Mr. Marshall said. “A lot of those students will choose [to go there] instead of coming to a traditional high school. And, a lot of them are choosing to do [homeschooling] with Florida Virtual School instead of [committing to] Dreyfoos.”

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NEWS | themuseatdreyfoos.com

A LACK OF APPLICANTS IN COMMUNICATIONS AND DANCE

If this trend continues, it may have a negative impact on certain departments. Dreyfoos is funded based on the number of students that attend the school. The fewer students there are, the fewer opportunities and resources will be available. Teachers and artists in residence are most directly impacted, and they have already seen a decrease in numbers.

“Our department has definitely taken a hit,” dance dean Heather Lescaille said. “We only have two [full-time] members here, not including our artists in residence. There were about five of us, but that was when there was more funding for that.”

Losing even more artists in residence could be detrimental to the functioning of the dance department. Artists in residence are key to being able to teach different techniques and inspire students.

“Our kids are working with guest artists from Alvin Ailey to New York City Ballet to American Ballet Theatre to Hubbard Street,” Mrs. Lescaille said, “We’re getting a lot of artists in; unfortunately, we’re having to work very hard to provide those opportunities.”

Despite this year’s slight decline, administration hasn’t lost hope. Mr. Marshall believes that with new arts programs at middle schools, including Wellington Landings and Palm Springs, applicants will naturally increase. Regardless of the numbers, Mr. Marshall says it’s important to maintain a reputation for a high standard during the admissions process.

“We market [Dreyfoos] as one of the top art schools in the United States,” Mr. Marshall said. “So, are we the hardest start school to get into? No, I don’t think so. If we start lowering our standards and just accepting [anyone], then we lose the drive there was.”

BY MARK SHTEYMAN AND ASHER MOSS Graphics by Chloe Girod

themuseatdreyfoos.com | NEWS

16

CAFFEINE COMPULSION

Dance sophomore Nicholas Lamaina taps his foot and clicks his pen as he quickly jots down notes in English class, only giving himself a break from writing to take a sip of his iced coffee.

Coffee has become an increasingly popular part of today’s culture and can be found in the hands of students roaming the halls.

The consumption of these drinks has turned into a dependency for some and a potential addiction for others.

HOW IT WORKS

C

offee addiction is when a person is physically and mentally dependent on caffeine in such a way that without it, that person would experience withdrawal symptoms. Although it may seem like an addiction, it is only considered a dependency because it only causes a “small rise in dopamine,” unlike a drug like methamphetamine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens (NIDA).

Dopamine is a chemical that is linked to movement and emotions, so an increase of dopamine can make one feel more alert.

IN A STUDY BY

HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING

CAFFEINE INTAKE CAN:

- lower blood pressure - add longevity - decrease weight gain associated with aging - lower the risk of degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and several types of cancers 17

CULTURE | themuseatdreyfoos.com

A

THE EFFECTS

fter drinking coffee, a person may feel both the positive and negative effects of caffeine within five minutes to 12 hours. Coffee can speed up the signals that travel between the brain and the body, giving the illusion that one can do things faster and more efficiently, as the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) has said. However, withdrawal effects can be detrimental to health.

Caffeine dependence can lead to withdrawal symptoms if it is not consumed within 24 hours after the last dose. The most common symptoms of withdrawal are headaches, nausea, and fatigue.

More serious effects can include irritability and depressed mood.

The ADF also mentions that many young people who drink a lot of caffeine are likely to “suffer from sleep problems and anxiety.”

Strings sophomore Anabella Paolucci said that when she started drinking coffee, she “used to get symptoms like anxiety.” But now that her body is “so used to it,” she would “probably just feel horrible” without her daily coffee.

Caffeinated drinks have also been proven to have many antioxidants that help lower the risk of degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and several types of cancers, as reported by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

R

egardless of caffeine’s effects, many students have developed a dependency on coffee to start their day off with a boost of energy. Lamaina said he can “go awhile without drinking coffee,” but he still finds it difficult to stay away.

“My day revolves around the cup of coffee I have in the morning,” Anabella Paolucci said. “My brain functions better when I drink coffee, so when I don’t have it, I’m miserable.”

Family influence and the availability of caffeine at home has led some students to follow in their parents’ footsteps, consuming caffeine to the point where it becomes routine in their own lives.

“I started drinking coffee because my parents would,” strings senior Valentina Paolucci said. “I would start having some of theirs and then I eventually just started drinking my own a lot.”

Others start consuming caffeine because of school and outside extracurriculars. Having to get homework done every night and fit in practices and rehearsals for dance makes Lamaina “so tired” that he drinks coffee to “keep [himself] awake.” For Valentina Paolucci, balancing school and her major drives her caffeine compulsion.

“I can’t go to school or focus on anything,” Valentina Paolucci said. “I can’t practice violin if I dont have at least two cups of coffee, [and] I feel like I can’t socialize well if I don’t have coffee.”

While Valentina Paolucci believes that coffee can be “bad because you’re relying on something to function,” her sister Anabella believes that coffee without the added creams and sugars can actually be “kind of healthy for you.”

Like Lamaina and the Paolucci sisters, many students’ days revolve around their morning cup of coffee. Consuming caffeine has become a trend among students, but the dependency is real for those who rely on it daily. With the possible withdrawal and positive effects, it has become difficult for many to resist the caffeine compulsion.

BY SASHA SMITH

Graphic by Chloe Girod Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin themuseatdreyfoos.com | CULTURE

18

A

ll theatre sophomore Sarah Grant had when she filmed her first YouTube video was an iPhone 7 camera, an improvised tripod compiled of items around her room, an LED strip, and a free trial of Final Cut editing software. Since then, Grant has gained over 2,000 subscribers, with her most popular video topping 24,000 views.

Like Grant, many students have joined the vlogging craze and are using YouTube as a platform for creative expression. Communications freshman Kaja Andric uses vlogging as a way to document her and her friends’ experiences in school.

“During my eighth grade year, in anticipation of glorious high school years, I kept saying I would vlog our way through it,” Andric said.

“My friends were thinking I was joking, but when I got a camera that summer, I stuck to my original idea. [It’s] funny how a joke turned into a reality.”

Andric’s main vlogging series is called “Life Through My Eyes,” where she films videos of her day from her perspective. She never appears in her own videos in hopes that on the last day of senior year, if she is still vlogging, she will reveal herself to her viewers.

Communications sophomore Lucy Steigenga takes a different approach to her videos. Facing her camera, she talks directly to her viewers. Steigenga describes herself as “very myself ” on camera and tries

to have her personality apparent in her videos.

“I’m a spontaneous, fun person, so I try my best to have my videos reflect that aspect of me,” Steigenga said. “The ideas for my videos honestly just come to me. When I think of something, I decide whether or not it would be fun and entertaining, and I try my best to make it happen. I try to be as creative as possible when coming up with ideas.”

Andric creates YouTube videos as a “break” from her school work, and doesn’t feel “any pressure” from vlogging and being a student simultaneously. Grant, however, sometimes struggles to keep up her weekly posting schedule and focus on her assignments.

“It is very difficult to balance school and make videos; it is the most difficult part of having a YouTube channel as a student,” Grant said. “It’s something I have to struggle with no matter what. I’m learning, although I try my best to put school first but sometimes can find myself trying to do the opposite.

I’m trying to work out a more organized schedule, though, so it’s easier for me.”

Photos courtesy of Kaja Andric, Milan Tangirala, Sarah Grant, and Lucy Steigenga

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CULTURE | themuseatdreyfoos.com

STUDENT YOUTUBERS

VARIOUS VLOGGERS USE YOUTUBE AS A PLATFORM OF EXPRESSION

While Grant’s greatest challenge when she started her channel was being both a YouTuber and student, Steigenga was nervous about how her peers would react to her videos and was afraid of being made fun of. Grant has one piece of advice for students who want to start a YouTube channel: “Just go for it.”

“If you do have the freedom to start one, you should just do it,” Grant said. “If you enjoy making videos and want to start a channel, don’t let other people’s opinions stop you, because at the end of the day, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

BY ISABELLA RAMIREZ

GROWTH ANALYTICS: @MILANTANGIRALA DIGITAL MEDIA SOPHOMORE MILAN TANGIRALA “It’s important to me to get my work out there, and it’s been working. I’ve seen huge growth in my channel over the past year and it will only get better,” Tangirala said. “I want to reach out to as many people as possible.”

themuseatdreyfoos.com | CULTURE

20

A GUIDE TO

STARTING YOUR OWN BRAND WITH VALERIE BETTS

BE FINANCIALLY SMART

DEVELOP A SKILL THAT IS WIDELY DESIRED

“I provide videography and photography services for clients.

This can mean anything from business promotion to wedding videos to live events. People desire this type of content because they want to help their own businesses look professional, or they want something to document sentimental events that they can look back on.”

(A WEBSITE AND LOTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA) “I have a website www.valeriebetts.com that has all the content I’ve created and a way to contact me for people who are interested. I also have a Facebook and Instagram, where I regularly post updates in order to increase my following and show people my work.”

COME UP WITH A CATCHY NAME “I used my nickname (Val) and combined it with the suffix of videography and photography to create Valography. This way people know what services I provide and they remember the name.”

21

BUILD AN INTERNET PRESENCE

CULTURE | themuseatdreyfoos.com

“I have to establish that I am a serious creator and am able to charge certain amounts even though I’m younger than most professionals. Knowing your worth and saving up the money you recieve will help you invest in growing as a creator. Any money you make from jobs should go to living necessities and then towards furthering your business. Avoid splurging on unnecessary items and instead on increasing the quality and pay of your services.”

BE DEDICATED AND CONSISTENT

“Unless you spend an ample amount of your time on furthering your business, no one will take you seriously. Things that may seem excessive are completely necessary, such as passing out Valography stickers to everyone at school or posting every single day on social media. If you really want to build your brand and make this your career, you must put in the work.”

Graphics by Madison LaRocque

HAND CUT PERFECTION

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Expires: 12/31/19 © 2019 BurgerFi International, LLC.

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L O O KB O O K

@michael.kleban

@lollcolt

@eaengh

T REND I NG .

Photo illustrations by Bella Weiss

STEERING CLEAR

BY NIRMIT CHANDAN AND MADDY RUBIN

PUTTING THE

BRAKES ON

RECKLESS

STUDENT

DRIVING

B

olted doors, code red drills, and fire alarms all constitute typical school safety. However, one area of campus prone to more danger than within the school’s physical walls is frequently overlooked: the student parking lot.

Around 290 students currently hold a parking permit. Most mornings, all approximate 235 parking spaces are occupied by the ring of the first bell. And yet in a survey of 768 students, 40 percent say they feel the student parking lot is unsafe.

The numbers add up: At least 13 percent of surveyed students say they have been involved in a car crash while driving, 4 percent of which occurred on campus. Countless others have reported knowledge of a crash on school grounds. Some, like theatre senior Michael Golden, have even created Facebook posts on class pages addressing price-tagged damage to their cars, begging the perpetrators to step up and face the problem head-on. While this issue may be broad, its two defining attributes are clear: It is not newly occurring, and it is predominantly—ironically—studentdriven.

27

COVER | themuseatdreyfoos.com

PULLING OVER THE PROBLEM The fine print of the School District of Palm Beach County parking permit explicitly states that the school district is not held liable for any private vehicle damage that occurs on school property.

Thus, even though the aftermath of a student parking lot crash is overseen by School Resource Officer James O’Sullivan, much of the financial proceedings concerning the price of vehicle damage are dealt with privately among parents of involved students. “[When a crash occurs], people notify me,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “It has to be the same day so that I can conduct an investigation, and this way we can fill out everything, and I can examine the vehicles. If [damage is] below a threshold of money, the parents can agree to work it out amongst themselves. Otherwise, insurance companies will be involved.”

While surveying the campus from his lunchtime post near the bleachers, Officer O’Sullivan explained that by “fill out everything,” he was referencing a specific form students have the

opportunity to file when their vehicles are damaged on school grounds.

Officer O’Sullivan says around three of these forms, known as optional accident reports, were filed during the entire 2017-2018 school year. He also estimates that, from his own recollection, 11 crashes occurred. Twenty-eight students responded that they have been in a car crash on campus in The Muse’s school-wide survey.

The differing numbers beg the question: Are accident reports an accurate measure of the number of crashes occurring on campus?

The short answer, according to Officer O’Sullivan, is no.

“Many times, parents will agree to work it out among themselves,” Officer O’Sullivan said, “due to [the cost of an insurance] deductible [and] the cost of damage, for financial reasons.”

In other words, because the filing of an accident report notifies insurance companies of crashes, the looming cost of an insurance deductible often deters families from completing them.

Because an accident report is the only physical record of a crash that occurs on campus, the fewer that are filed, the smaller the problem appears to be. In reality, the issue is far more severe than it seems—only 7 percent of surveyed students even notified school police officers of their crash. While each parking lot situation is different, Assistant Principal Leo Barrett and Officer O’Sullivan both agree that there is a unanimous crux to every crash: distracted driving.

Visual junior Amanda Cohen described feeling little surprise when she was called out of her first period class to address damage to her car—she could tell the driver who hit her was “a little distracted, because they didn’t make a wide enough turn to park.”

Pinpointing a specific solution to such a broad-based problem is difficult, especially with so many facets to consider. In discussing the issue, students have called into question parking lot etiquette, vanishing lines separating one space from another, the overall layout of the student lot, and more.

“Whenever I’m trying to park, I can’t really see the lines because they’re so faded,” parking permit holder and digital media junior Alexis Effenberger said. “Also, everybody is so aggressive when they’re pulling out of their spots—it’s just a whole nightmare.”

DO YOU FEEL THAT THE STUDENT PARKING LOT IS UNSAFE?

While accident reports make crashes appear far and few between, there’s one type of parking lot predicament they completely forego accounting for, and Golden has dealt with it one too many times.

“The first time, I walked out of school and I saw that there was a huge dent in the back of my car, and I was like, ‘Oh, that can’t be my car. My car doesn’t have any damage on it,’” Golden said, “and then I looked at the license plate. The second time, I didn’t see it at first, and I drove home ... I parked my car, and my dad came out and [said], ‘What’s on the side of your car?’ My front bumper and where the doors are was just shoved in.”

I SAW THAT THERE WAS A HUGE DENT IN THE BACK OF MY CAR, AND I WAS LIKE, ‘OH, THAT CAN’T BE MY CAR. MY CAR DOESN’T HAVE ANY DAMAGE ON IT.’ AND THEN I LOOKED AT THE LICENSE PLATE. MICHAEL GOLDEN

Golden spent practically $1,200 of his own savings repairing damage to his car. He approached Officer O’Sullivan after both incidents and examined camera footage. His post on his class’ Facebook page left the comments section filled with remarks such as the following: “Most DSOA kids do not know how to park, let alone drive” and “the parking lot is waaaay too overcrowded.”

And yet, no one came forward—both times.

Currently, there are two cameras that pan across the student parking lot located on the perimeters of both Building 7 and 9.

The nonstop moving footage is “not a perfect system,” according to Mr. Barrett, and is productive “two out of five times,” as per Officer O’Sullivan’s memory. Eighty-eight percent of surveyed students who reported experiencing damage to their cars by an unknown perpetrator also said school police were unsuccessful in identifying the culprit.

Golden says he’s seen two or three crashes occur just this year.

Effenberger reports witnessing one in the afternoon that caused a supposed “line of traffic.” Whether directly involved or not, the general student consensus is clear: crashes are a common cause of parking lot complications.

40%

AGREE Photo illustrations by Haley Johnston and Shelby Rabin themuseatdreyfoos.com | COVER

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Photo illustrations by Haley Johnston and Shelby Rabin

RULES OF THE ROAD

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Florida is second in the country for careless driving resulting in death. The state is ranked the 20th worst for teen drivers and 41st for states with the worst driving laws, where first is the state with the best driving laws.

Student opinions are in conjunction with the statistics: 86 percent think that it is easy to obtain a driver’s license in Florida.

“I didn’t think [the road test] was hard at all,” Cohen said. “In terms of getting my permit, I only took a 4-hour course, but I know a lot of kids take a [Florida Virtual School] class.”

FLVS offers a drivers education course for students, but Florida is one of only 20 states that does not require drivers education for novice drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Moreover, many students feel that the test to acquire a driver license does not provide a comprehensive filter.

“The test is pretty easy, so I don’t think it’s so hard to obtain a license,” Effenberger said. “It should be a little harder so that they can actually sift through the good drivers and the bad drivers.”

Florida’s history with reform for driving regulations has not been extremely successful. When Florida implemented a written test for a short period of time in 2015, about three out of every five test-takers failed, according to records from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Due to an evident lack of knowledge among drivers in the state, alternative options (other than going straight to the DMV for the road test) have emerged. Within the county, there are currently numerous third parties that provide driving classes, as well as the Florida driver license test itself. These third-party driving schools have been certified by the state and provide driving lessons to students. Senese felt she had a positive experience with thirdparty company I Drive Safely, as “the classes were very concise, 29

COVER | themuseatdreyfoos.com

and it didn’t take more than four hours to complete.” 14 percent of surveyed students obtained their licenses through various thirdparty driving agencies.

“We are in four states, and we’ve been in Florida since 2010,” said Frank Cantor, owner of the third-party driving school and license provider Cantor Driving School. “We’ve taught, in all the states, over 50,000 students, and I’d say in Florida we probably teach 2,000 to 3,000 kids per year.”

While many third-party owners strive to ensure their driving schools remain reputable, Cantor believes that there are some who take advantage of the system.

“There are some third parties that call themselves [a DMV], and I’m not going to say names, but that’s not necessarily true,” Cantor said. “They never mention the fact that after you pass the test with them, you still have to go to the DMV to get processed.”

On top of schools like the Cantor Driving School, the Safety Council of Palm Beach is a nonprofit organization that collaborates with the School District of Palm Beach County to provide drivers education courses in an estimated six schools to Palm Beach County students. They also teach around five after-school classes, and have taught close to 200,000 students since their inception, according to Executive Director Toni Burrows. But because drivers education is not mandatory in the United States, some schools in Palm Beach County—including Dreyfoos—do not provide the course. “[Drivers education has] never been offered here, and there’s a simple reason: We don’t have an elective program outside of the arts,” Mr. Barrett said. “We just can’t do it because we don’t have the type of curriculum.”

REPAIRING THE DAMAGE

Many believe that there needs to be significant changes in order to better prevent teen crashes, both inside and outside of the student parking lot. Most importantly, they believe that schoolwide action must be taken, from both students and administration.

“I think students, more than anything else, need to start paying attention to the road around them,” Senese said. “I know I have almost gotten into an accident because of my phone, and it is not something I’d like to continue. Teens definitely need to change their behavior.”

Some students feel the school has a responsibility to encourage safer driving habits among students. Golden believes it’s “on the school” to implement consequences for students who crash into other students, especially when they do not own up to the incident right away.

“It shouldn’t be difficult to be punished for something that bad that costs so much money to fix,” Golden said. “It’s also on the district and the way we allocate our funds, but I think if we put a little more money into security, there’d be a lot fewer problems.”

Mr. Barrett has stated that it is “absolutely possible” for students to have their parking permits revoked. He believes that making these consequences public knowledge is necessary to increase the amount of accident reports and the administration of consequences.

“I’d be really happy if The Muse pushes the idea of safe habits for student drivers, be it on our campus or outside on the streets,” Mr. Barrett said. “Every time we can prevent any accident, we may prevent an injury, and that’s all for the better.”

Another possible solution may be repainting the aforementioned fading parking lot lines that distinguish one space from another. These solutions require funding from higher authorities, but they could potentially increase the safety of the school parking lot.

In order to prevent larger crashes outside the student lot and promote safe driving everywhere, some have suggested reforming Florida’s driving regulations. One idea is to make drivers education mandatory to increase the amount of knowledge and training that students receive.

“In some states, behind-the-wheel driving time outside of the classroom—or at least online drivers ed—is mandatory,” Cantor said. He believes that bringing this mandatory requirement to Florida would have many positive effects, and Burrows shares those beliefs. Empirical evidence backs up their case.

In a landmark study from Dekalb County, Georgia, high schoolers who received the maximum training scored higher than the minimum training and control groups on an on‐road performance test. This illustrates that increased training from instructors can effectively reduce the amount of crashes that occur. A legal approach may prove beneficial as well.

“National laws have a lot to do with teen driving accidents,” Senese said. “In terms of national legislation, more needs to be done in order to prevent these teen fatalities and more so than that, just any accident.”

T I P S FROM:

STUDENT DRIVERS

“

AT A LEFT TURN, A GREEN ARROW AND A SOLID GREEN LIGHT MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS. MICHAEL GOLDEN

“

NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRUST YOURSELF, DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE. AMANDA COHEN

“

ALWAYS LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER BEFORE MERGING LANES; DON’T JUST RELY ON YOUR MIRRORS. FINNLEY SENESE

themuseatdreyfoos.com | COVER

30

COMMON CRASH SPO THE STUDENT PARKING LOT IS KNOWN FOR FREQUENT CAR ACCIDENTS

BY HEATHER ROLLINS

3

2 1 Photo by Adam Goldstick Graphics by Heather Rollins

OTS 4

1

The night of an after-school event, strings senior Leonelly Guerra was hit by another car while pulling out of her parking spot. “It was another car that was going too fast,” Guerra said. “They were trying to stop, and they hit my back bumper.” Because the other car had slammed on the brakes, the damage to Guerra’s bumper was minor, and she was able to pop the metal back out.

2

Theatre junior Cross Ayala was parked, chatting with dance junior Madison Jones, when his vehicle jerked forward unexpectedly. “When the initial crash happened, I was in disbelief,” Ayala said. “I quickly made sure Maddy was okay.” Ayala’s car suffered a large dent to the bumper, which had just been replaced two weeks before. “To replace my bumper again would be over $300, so [the dent] has remained there ever since, unfortunately,” Ayala said.

3

As she was leaving school, the back of communications senior Anne Bestland’s car was hit by another student leaving the lot. “I immediately got out to see if there was any damage, and so did the other person [who hit me],” Bestland said. “The person who had parked directly behind me had backed up into my car.” Bestland’s car suffered a few scratches, since the other car was not moving very fast.

4

Communications senior Rebecca Nir’s vehicle was the victim of a hit-and-run scenario in the parking lot.

“All I know is I came to school with a perfect car and left with paint chipped to the base of the car,” Nir said. The school was unable to provide camera footage to Nir when she asked for it, so the culprit was never discovered. “I was disappointed, because how could someone hit a car and not confess?” Nir said.

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ARTS | themuseatdreyfoos.com

MIGRATING OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

VISUAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA STUDENTS TOOK TO FERN STREET TO REPAINT THE INTERSECTION

T

he bright hues of the visual and digital media departments splashed onto the intersection of Fern Street and Tamarind Avenue in the form of a sprawling mural design, a project spearheaded by five visual and digital media students.

The City of West Palm Beach partnered with the visual and digital departments to repaint the street and invited the public to participate during an event on Feb. 16 and 17.

“For so many people to come and see this art piece that is also interactive and a connection between Tri-Rail, the school, CityPlace, and Clematis, is community-binding in a way,” digital media junior Sophia Dawson said.

According to the City of West Palm Beach’s commission agenda, the project’s goal was to improve the pedestrian experience and “reinforce connections to the city’s downtown area [as a] visual reminder [for] motorists to slow down.”

“When working with permanent projects outside, it’s so much different from working in a gallery setting,” visual senior Gillian Dickinson said. “A big part of this project is making it cohesive with the Florida environment, so when your art is out there, exposed to the elements, there’s a lot of things to take into account in terms of how it’s going to hold up and survive.”

The design itself, titled “Migration,” depicts a vibrant Florida reef with a school of fish representing our own school and the distinct paths pedestrians take.

In the students’ proposal to the city, they wrote, “The

ocean environment and fish rely on each other in order to create a successful ecosystem, just as the intersection and pedestrians rely on one another to create an enjoyable and lively city.”

Yet for the students, the biggest challenges were presented in migrating from the classroom to the real world.

The intersection was first painted by Dreyfoos students in 2015, and according to the students, the fact that the sun would quickly fade the design was not accounted for. This year’s design incorporates a darker color scheme, which will allow the pigments to last longer.

Upscaling from the size of a notebook to the size of an intersection provided additional obstacles.

“I haven’t had to deal with scaling up before, but I expect that it will be a challenge,” visual senior Isabelle Stratton said. “You are working from a picture that you can see all at once, and you’re scaling it to a size where you can’t even see the whole thing.”

Furthermore, the design reflects the culture of the school and the city while also supporting local art students. Each student can take this unique opportunity back into the classroom having developed as a leader and an artist.

“It gives them more of a grip on civic responsibility,” visual dean Lacey Van Reeth said. “They’re giving back to a community that’s bigger than them. It involves an art form that they love, but it’s more than just making art. It’s something that they don’t get to have in their portfolio all the time and is ephemeral.”

BY ADAM GOLDSTICK

Photo by Adam Goldstick Graphic by Chloe Girod

themuseatdreyfoos.com | ARTS

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YOUR FUTURE IS DEFINITELY WORTH PLANNING FOR

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Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. CFP Board owns the CFP® marks in the United States. 18-BRAAF-0015 TA 9/18

N

IN THE

DEBATING

ine destinations. Five global tournaments. Approximately 60 hours of debating. Communications senior Michael Bole’s year.

Bole was one of 12 high school students in the nation to be chosen for the 2018-2019 USA Debate Team. As the first national representative from Florida, his participation on the team is unparalleled in the history of Dreyfoos. Beyond being on the team, Bole excels in his area of debate; his work is the culmination of years of development, diligence, and drive in his art form. His ingenuity in debate has taken him around the world in 60 speeches.

“In the debate format that the national team competes in, the best teams are well informed of the state of global affairs and use global examples throughout their speeches,” Bole said. “USA Debate has challenged me to work to that level.”

As the captain of the Dreyfoos Speech and Debate Team, Bole has kept his momentum for debate alive in order to strengthen his skill set for an opportunity such as this one. From hosting debate meetings during lunch and mentoring teammates, to attending local tournaments on the weekends, Bole’s high school career had built up to the moment he received his acceptance call.

“I always tried staying very positive in hopes that Michael would make the USA Debate Team,” Bole’s mom Noralba Bole said. “When he told me the good news, I was ecstatic and gave him the biggest hug.”

Though Bole applied to be a member in order to research bills and write speeches, his responsibilities on the team go far beyond that. The moment Bole was accepted on the team, his life became a balancing act between his academic and debate-related responsibilities. While his peers have spent most of the year learning academic material in classrooms, Bole has spent hours on international flights completing assignments.

“The most difficult part of being on the USA Debate Team is keeping up with my schoolwork,” Bole said. “In the month of November, I think I was at school for a total of four days, which means a lot of my schoolwork piled up over time. Fortunately, my teachers were able to work with me and my schedule to get everything I needed to.”

Unlike most students, Bole’s responsibilities extend past schoolwork. Before attending each tournament, Bole and his teammates are expected to brainstorm, outline, and practice speeches for

USA

“weeks on average.” Even after revising speeches in practice rounds, Bole and his team members are “constantly looking over material” to strengthen their work. Despite living across state borders, the team has managed to formulate friendships that go beyond their membership on the team.

“Michael is one of the most genuine, supportive, and funny people I have ever met,” USA Debate Team member Anh Cao said. “Being on a team with him was so much fun. Not only is he an insanely skilled debater, he made sure our team didn’t get too bogged down with stress. He also is incredibly sacrificing; he spent all day during prelims prepping our team for finals. Michael’s speech in that round speaks to his talent and poise under pressure.”

Before the end of the debate circuit, the team will travel to California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, Croatia, Germany, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. The significant amount of traveling was an adjustment for Bole, who watched YouTube videos about how to adjust to jet lag, as well as asked experienced travelers for tips in order to acclimate to the changes. However, jet lag and time-zone changes were not the only adjustments that proved to be difficult for Bole and his family.

“I sometimes miss our conversations and time together at home,” Noralba Bole said. “It’s weird sometimes coming home when he’s not here. Fortunately, I always know that he’s doing something meaningful and important.”

Bole’s close ties to his parents “made the goodbyes difficult” each time he has had to leave for tournaments. In Bole’s words, his parents are “true advocates” for his success. Bole endures the difficult goodbyes before each tournament in order to leave a global imprint with his art form. With each round, he has a more developed understanding of the world he lives in, which has molded him into a more globally-comprehensive student, debater, and worldly citizen.

“Before joining debate, I considered myself someone that lacked knowledge of the world around me,” Bole said. “I found politics and global affairs confusing, but now they excite me more than most other things. I’ve fallen in love with learning something new at every tournament and taking what I have learned in the classroom overseas. Because of debate, I consider myself as much more of a knowledgeable, global citizen, who sees the world much differently than before.”

BY SASHA MONACO

Photo by Haley Johnston Graphic by Sasha Monaco and Chloe Girod

ONE VOICE: LOS CABALLEROS DE DREYFOOS

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n 1948, four men put their voices into one, in a way never heard before. The Four Freshmen may have inspired generations of musicians to harmonize in new ways over 70 years ago, but their spirits live on in four Dreyfoos seniors.

The vocal jazz quartet, Los Caballeros de Dreyfoos, had its beginnings at Bak Middle School of the Arts over five years ago. In a practice room before school, vocal seniors Ethan Mills, Giovanni Pignotti, Christian Michaelis, and Tristan Butler sang “Hello Mary Lou,” a barbershop tune, for the first time. But the group today is a far cry from what it started out as.

“Musically, [Los Caballeros de Dreyfoos] are a night and day 39

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difference,” Michaelis said, comparing the quartet to its beginning.

“We’ve learned so much more music theory; we’ve come far just being able to play our own parts on instruments, just learning music.

After singing together for six years … we really do sound almost like one voice.”

Influences from the musical “The Music Man” to jazz icon Johnny Hartman have inspired the quartet to evolve throughout their time together. But none had a more lasting impact on them than the Four Freshmen, a group Mills discovered on vinyl at his grandmother’s house in his freshman year. “[The Four Freshmen] are our biggest inspiration to sing,” Mills

HEAR THE VOCAL JAZZ QUARTET PERFORM!

said. “I think that if more people would know about [them], there’d be more people interested. Without that group, we wouldn’t be doing this.”

Though the four boys began their quartet singing barbershop-style songs, their various influences have led them to pursue jazz music and vocals accompanied by instruments, just as the Four Freshmen did.

“I think the barbershop [music] will always have a place in our hearts,” Pignotti said. “And we can always pull it out. We can say, ‘Let’s sing barbershop,’ and everybody will like it because it’s not something you hear all the time. But the jazz, for now, is our main thing.”

Since its inception, Los Caballeros de Dreyfoos have performed gigs on campus and throughout the community. They performed at Dreyfoos’ 2018 Pep Rally, sang at Center Stage to Dreyfoos’ benefactors, and have helped those living at a MorseLife assisted living center relive the music of the 1960s. In all of these and countless other stories told through their music, their path to the stage was bordered by supporters.

“I get calls and emails, occasionally, of someone looking for a group or a soloist to perform,” vocal teacher Kent Taylor said. “I like to spread that wealth around and let different people do [them], but with [Los Caballeros de Dreyfoos], because they’re very reliable and they already have a list of songs they can do, I’ve sent them to several of those little gigs to perform.”

Beyond the gigs they do in their communities, Los Caballeros are poised to perform on a national scale. After Mills requested sheet music from the Four Freshmen Society (FFS) and sent a video of the quartet performing, David Bentley, Treasurer of the Freshmen Music Foundation, awarded a grant to pay for Los Caballeros’ trip to Denver, Colorado to perform at the Four Freshmen Convention in 2019.

“I was stunned that a 17-year-old would want to learn a Freshmen chart,” Bentley said. “I was immensely happy that such an occasion occurred. Having young people learn the harmony of the Freshmen is the main purpose of the Freshmen Foundation.”

On days leading up to their performances, the quartet is faced with many of the same challenges as any other group getting ready for the big gig. But how they have powered through the struggles has brought them closer over their shared love of music.

“We’ve gotten tighter [since the beginning],” Butler said. “We used to fight a lot in freshman year, and now we’re like brothers. We just spent more and more time together. We talk and we have fun while we sing; we go to everybody’s house[s], we watch movies, and after that, we rehearse.

It’s just fun.”

Since their start in a Bak practice room, not only has the quartet become more musically sophisticated and mature, but it has also managed to influence others.

“While we’re practicing, we have moments like, ‘Wow, that really sounded good,’” Michaelis said. “But then when you can take that out into the community and perform for people, and make others feel that same sense of unity and beauty … that’s what really makes it meaningful—being able to create a positive experience for someone else.”

Though the future of Los Caballeros de Dreyfoos after graduation is difficult to predict, the quartet members express that the energy they have put into singing and performing vocal jazz and the experiences they have gained will never be lost, even as they move onto the rest of their lives.

“I feel like singing is possibly one of the most organic ways to express yourself,” Mills said. “You don’t need anything to do it. You can have everything taken away from you, and you can still do what we do. It’s just such an amazing thing.”

BY GEORGE WU

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While some think of the ideal best friends as Spongebob and Patrick or Stewie and Bryan, Dreyfoos students see friendships in the familiar faces at school. Teachers have built long-lasting friendships in their time working together, with many memories to share.

CHECK OUT THE FULL STORY HERE:

Graphics by Jennifer Jia Photo illustrations by Haley Johnston

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Photo illustration by Rachel Jeune

VOCAL FRESHMAN LILLY CRITCHETT TO PERFORM IN THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

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ocal freshman Lilly Critchett’s parents taught her to dream big, and when something big came along, she knew she had to go for it. Chosen as a finalist for the High School Honors Performance Series, an organization that connects young musicians with renowned conductors, Critchett was given the opportunity to sing at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, July 31–Aug. 5, 2019.

“My family has taught me to dream big and yet always be happy with what you have,” Critchett said. “I feel very blessed to have been given this chance and yet am humbled by it too.”

Critchett has been singing for most of her life, inspired by her godmother and encouraged by her family members before auditioning for Dreyfoos.

“My first memory of me singing was Christmastime when I was about 4 years old,” Critchett said. “My parents got a karaoke machine, and I wouldn’t stop playing with it and singing as loud as I could. From there on out, my parents realized that I liked to sing, and every time I had family over, I would stand there with the karaoke machine and perform for them.”

Throughout her childhood, Critchett participated in her church and school choirs along with local singing programs such as the Kravis Center’s Young Singers of the Palm Beaches.

“I don’t think singing has shaped [Lilly’s] life; it is her life,” Critchett’s father, John Critchett, said. “Lilly’s singing is a direct expression of her soul. It is sweet, pure, and true.”

In October 2018, the Honors Performance Series reached out to Critchett, requesting an audition tape for one of their two programs: Carnegie Hall in New York or the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

“I decided that if I was going to commit to this, I may as well try for the Sydney Opera House,” Lilly Critchett said. “I sent in my audition tapes, and about a month later, the results came out. I had passed the audition and was an official finalist, meaning that I was one of about 110 people going to Australia for the vocal program.”

The performance entails a week of rehearsals but also includes tours of the Blue Mountains and The Rocks historic district, as well as a cruise in Sydney Harbor.

“At first I couldn’t believe that I was chosen and couldn’t really grasp how big of an opportunity this is,” Lilly Critchett said. “I’m pretty sure I was in denial for the first few days, but as more emails came about preparing for the trip, I started to realize this was actually happening.”

Lilly Critchett is excited about being exposed to more talent, from the other finalists to the Performance Series’ acclaimed Honors conductors, such as Associate Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University Dr. Lynne Gackle, conductor of Critchett’s group, the 2019 High School Honors Choir.

LILLY’S SINGING IS A DIRECT EXPRESSION OF HER SOUL. IT IS SWEET, PURE, AND TRUE. JOHN CRITCHETT

“The experience of being with such a wide variety of talented musicians and educators, performing on a world renowned stage, promises to broaden her vision of life’s possibilities,” Mr. Critchett said.

While it is rare for students to pursue a professional career in their art beyond graduation, Lilly Critchett is considering it as a possibility after being provided with such a life-changing experience.

“I think this opportunity will open my mind to the possibilities that music presents in real life,” Lilly Critchett said.

“While I might not think singing is a career I would want to pursue, maybe that’ll change after Sydney.”

Critchett’s vocal coach Erika Locke is also hopeful of the chance for her to share her talents with the world.

“Ideally, she has the talent to pursue music as a career, and I would love to see her perform professionally,” Locke said.

“However, if that is not the path she chooses to take, I can say with confidence that she will always be involved with singing one way or another.”

Lilly Critchett’s life has been transformed by music. With the support of her family, her experiences continuously encourage growth.

“We have always felt Lilly has had special talents which would take her beyond any of our dreams or expectations,” Mr. Critchett said. “As parents, we have tried to direct, encourage, and support her to each new horizon. We’re never sure what to expect as she goes, but Lilly is secure knowing we’ll always be there for her. It’s kind of like when a baby starts to walk, and parents stand ready to catch their fall. Although in time, the steps, leaps, and bounds get bigger, the love to ease a fall is the same.”

Graphic by Kate McNamara

BY ELENA SNYDER

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hey blend in with everyone else. They stop at their lockers, greet friends, and complain to their parents about homework. However, one thing sets them apart from their peers at Dreyfoos and casts them as outliers: their political alignment.

Right-wing students exist at Dreyfoos, and they believe it’s time for their voices to be heard.

“I believe in a lot of things Republicans do, like [support] safer borders, a more open market, and less government in our lives,” visual freshman Ella Giner said.

Giner is open about her political identity, and with a group of other Republican students—all of whom are freshmen—she is working to establish a Dreyfoos Republicans club. She believes this is the first of many steps toward a more inclusive political environment on a primarily left-leaning campus.

“A lot of people here are very democratic, and a lot of the teachers are too,” Giner said. “No one really talks about the conservative population here at Dreyfoos.”

The group of students aiming for the creation of a Dreyfoos Republicans club see themselves as a minority. Giner partly attributes the lack of rightwing representation to teachers.

“A lot of the teachers like to push their messages onto the students,” Giner said. “In my geography class, our teacher kind of pushes his agenda on us and shuts down students who want to fight that.”

Strings freshman *Alice Jones, another member of the group, has had similar experiences, but feels more alienated by her peers.

“In my language arts class, we were doing interviews, and someone found out that I was—I guess people found out that I was not really against every single thing in the government,” *Jones said.

“This one kid called me a ‘racist sexist Trumpist.’ I don’t even know what that means.” *Jones wishes that students would open political discourse instead of resorting to insults and closedmindedness.

“Silencing it is never the right thing to do,” *Jones said. “You should always talk about it. But if all you’re going to get from talking about it is getting insulted, then it’s just that person’s way of saying, ‘I don’t want to hear it.’”

Amidst their organizing and planning for a Dreyfoos Republicans club, some right-wing students have taken to social media to share their ideas, with the creation of an Instagram account, @dreyfoosrepublicans. This caused a divide in the group.

“I don’t like to be affiliated with it because it’s just a bunch of dumb memes and bashing people,” Giner said.

“It’s not how I want us to be represented because

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*Names changed to protect identity I kind of feel like they’re ruining our image. I mean, we already have a hate account for that account.”

The account’s profile reads, “This is a safe space for DSOA’s most persecuted minority.” Posts include memes and graphics, an inaccurate Theodore Roosevelt quote, and a picture of the back of an automobile with bumper stickers such as one that says, “Liberalism is a mental disorder.”

“I told them not to post certain things,” *Jones said. “And [the account owners said,] ‘We’re going to post it anyway because it’s a good message.’ But people got mad at it.”

One message that the entire group believes in is that they deserve a more welcoming environment.

They recognize themselves as outliers from the rest of the student body.

“I think that we are a minority,” *Jones said.

“We’re not being, like, hunted down, but it’s not as welcoming as it is for other minorities. Like here, there’s a club for all the minorities. There’s a club for African-Americans, there’s an Asian club, there’s a gender club. There is a [...] Jewish club. But there’s not a Republican club. There’s little to no representation.”

At Club Rush, there was a table for Dreyfoos Democrats, but not one for students of the opposing party. Leaders from the Dreyfoos Democrats club are aware of the smaller group of Republican students and are in favor of opening conversations and bridging the partisan gap.

“I’ve only stumbled across or heard of a few people who have openly considered themselves a Republican,” Dreyfoos Democrats Co-President and band junior T Shusterman said. “Dreyfoos’ political environment could definitely improve by more frequently opening discussion between students.

Even though politics are hotly debated and are a more personal subject to many, it’s important to hear things from other perspectives.”

Both groups believe in paying equal attention to every political viewpoint. A club would provide a means of assembly for Republican students to exchange ideas.

Republican students, including Giner and *Jones, remain optimistic and persistent in their efforts toward starting a club. They find that part of that means being more open-minded themselves.

“I also try to look at the other side,” *Jones said.

“I know people who kind of put themselves in their own echo chamber, and they won’t listen to the other side.”

Although there are often stereotypes of extremism, right-wing students have expressed that there is a lot of gray area on the spectrum of their political beliefs.

“I think you should listen to everyone’s side,” *Jones said. “Everyone has a perspective that’s different.”

BY MICHAEL PINCUS

THE

THE

FIGHT FROM RIGHT

Photo illustration by Sydney Webb

REPUBLICAN STUDENTS WANT THEIR VOICES HEARD

BY MICHAEL PINCUS

SHOOTS,

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SHE SCORES

COMMUNICATIONS FRESHMAN SE’MAJ GRIFFIN BECOMES THE FIRST GIRL TO JOIN THE DREYFOOS BASKETBALL TEAM

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tepping onto the court, she tightens her ponytail, and members of the opposition do a double take.

Communications freshman Se’maj Griffin strides onto the court alongside her male teammates. Driven by a love for the sport, Griffin did not allow the lack of a girls’ basketball team stop her from pursuing her passion. After taking her shot and trying out for the boys’ team, she gave herself the rare opportunity to compete with and against male counterparts.

A rule by the Florida High School Athletic Association requires equal sporting opportunities for boys and girls, so Griffin’s endeavors had to be considered.

Dreyfoos girls’ volleyball balances out boys’ basketball to adhere to the mandate.

Some have shown similar interests, but this is the first time a girl has successfully joined the team.

Griffin went through the same paperwork and four-day tryouts as everyone else.

“She kiddingly asked about the girls’ basketball team, which of course I said we don’t have,” athletic director Rob Long said.

“She said she would just go out for the boys’ [team], and then she got serious about it. Her family member called me to express how serious she was.”

Before attending Dreyfoos, Griffin was involved in multiple basketball teams that provided her with the exposure that led to her success. She currently plays on a travel team called Ball 4 Lyfe (B4L), but she also played for Bak Middle School of the Arts. While at Bak, the girls’ team made it to the last round of playoffs.

“While playing for Bak and B4L, I was able to strengthen my ball handling and stamina,” Griffin said. “With B4L, I learned things like how to be a great defender and slide my feet. These experiences also helped me learn to love the game of basketball.”

This year, basketball coach and math teacher Matthew Vaughan took 14 out of roughly 20 students who tried out for the team. Out of these 14, three are freshmen. But because playing time is typically decided by seniority, Griffin and her

two freshmen teammates are mostly benched during games.

“I think I averaged one minute per game when I was a freshman,” basketball team Co-Captain and digital media junior Caleb Holzhauer said. “Now that she’s in the same place, she’s not going to play a lot no matter what. Usually, that group of freshmen comes in when we’ve already won or lost the game.”

Despite Griffin’s lack of time on the court, she is one of the most essential members of the team, according to her teammates. They describe her as one of the loudest and most supportive players on the bench. She’s quick to lead her team in cheers, lifting their spirits.

“Our team becomes pretty excited on the side,” Coach Vaughan said. “She’s the leader of that sometimes. Is it because she’s a girl? I don’t think so. She’s just spirited. She’s a great team player and is devoted to us getting wins and playing hard. She stays passionate now because she knows later that her time will come.”

Initially, seeing a girl on a traditionally boys’ basketball team was an adjustment returning players had to make. Such a significant change naturally proved to be a challenge, but it was one that the team quickly overcame.

“In the beginning there was some hostility because some of the boys wanted certain friends of theirs to make it and they didn’t, but now they’ve accepted Se’maj as their friend,” basketball team Co-Captain and vocal senior Jaylen Thompson said. “We’re all cool with each other.

We go out to eat sometimes and hang out often.”

The other 13 members ensure she feels welcome at all times and are now able to look past their differences. The friendships and bonds between everyone on the team seem unbreakable.

Coach Vaughan has made it his goal to treat all players the same way, hoping that they will follow his lead.

“One of the factors in this equal treatment is that I, as a coach, am fair to everyone,” Coach Vaughan said. “If I treat her differently, the kids might. If I treat her as an equal and am a good leader, the kids will follow suit. If we were a typical team

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with cliques, this might be different. But, we don’t do that.

We’re just a team.”

Although the team is widely accepting of Griffin, others question her contributions and have input when they see her representing the team. For most schools, seeing a girl walk alongside her teammates onto the court is a shock. Whether the comments are out of curiosity or negativity, Griffin doesn’t let them get in her head, and her teammates are quick to defend her.

“If we see that somebody’s talking about her, we’ll always defend her,” Thompson said. “First of all, it’s not right. We don’t like disrespect toward our teammates, and we’re not just going to ignore it. We’d do this for anyone. No matter who or what you are, we are all going to stand up for each other no matter what because we’re teammates, and that’s what we do.”

Even though she is a first-year player, Griffin is already contributing to the team in many ways and pushing boundaries. Coach Vaughan has declared the team to “no longer be the boys’ basketball team, but the Jaguars’ basketball team.” This is a monumental occasion that challenges the gender stereotypes often seen in athletics—even at Dreyfoos. “[Dreyfoos] got a taste of the incredible change that’s happening: breaking gender stereotypes,” strings junior Quinn Stolberg said. “Se’maj’s only option was the boys’ team, but she made the most out of it. [She] is pushing boundaries and breaking the glass ceiling, even at the high school level.”

Despite the initial hesitance to build relationships with one another, the team’s 13 boys and one girl have opened up to make lasting connections. When on the court, they are all the same: basketball players. Off the court, there is still nothing that separates them, as they come together as what Griffin would call “a second family.”

“Our team is like a family, like a community,” Griffin said.

“Coach [Vaughan] is also great. Everyone treats me as an equal, and I am always welcomed in that way. They’re all so supportive, and everyone continues to help each other out.”

[SHE] IS PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING, EVEN AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. QUINN STOLBERG Griffin’s future in the sport is filled with high expectations, but due due to her stature compared to her male opponents she plays point guard, which is typically played by the smallest person on the team. If Griffin plays basketball throughout her high school years, Coach Vaughan and her teammates predict her becoming one of the team’s strongest players.

“She has a disadvantage size-wise, physicality-wise, and speed-wise, but if she keeps training, and she gets older— more mature—and keeps playing with the boys, maybe she’ll find [more playing] time,” Coach Vaughan said. “She’ll be able to get in when the game’s outcome hasn’t been decided yet. I think that as a junior and senior, she’ll be a big-time player, but she’ll have to work her way out of her disadvantage.”

BY JULES POPIEL AND LILLY RANDOLPH

Photo illustrations and graphics by Shelby Rabin

Photo illustrations by Shelby Ravin

MAKING

Photo courtesy of Rachel Fleischman Graphic by Kate McNamara

STUDENTS DISCOVER SURFING AS AN ALTERNATE ESCAPE FROM DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

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or many, surfing is a gradual learning process or a hobby picked up as one gets older. But for strings junior Stella Moore, the activity was her life as soon as she could plant her feet on the surfboard.

“I started surfing as soon as I could walk,” Moore said.

“I mostly began because my parents surf a lot, so my dad started to teach me how.”

Even though Moore started young, every surfer has a different story of their beginnings. Other students have always had a desire to learn how to surf, but were at first reluctant to try. Friends of theatre senior Michael Golden pushed him into the sport, and since then, he hasn’t been able to stop.

“When I found out my friend knew how [to surf ], I asked her to teach me,” Golden said. “Ever since then, it has become a way of us hanging out. Every so often when the waves are good, she will text me, and we go out and have a good time.”

Surfing is also used to train students for other sports.

During their offseason, some athletes surf in order to get into shape and remain active. Pushing through the water, hopping onto the board, and balancing while riding the wave requires multiple muscle groups, allowing for a fullbody workout.

“I surf because it keeps me in great shape, physically and mentally,” digital media senior Natalie Rodriguez said.

“Surfing requires your entire body and is perfect for off-season conditioning. It keeps my core, arms, and back super strong.”

Not all surfers try to catch waves just to stay physically fit. The sport is also a great way to spend free time. Surfing releases adrenaline from exercise and increases dopamine levels, especially for those who enjoy the activity. This produces a feeling comparable to a runner’s high, but to surfers, it is even better.

[SURFING] KIND OF FEELS LIKE FLYING AND YOU JUST GET THIS AMAZING RUSH. STELLA MOORE

“The most alluring thing about surfing is the feeling you get when you catch a wave,” Moore said. “It kind of feels like flying and you just get this amazing rush.”

One of the main appeals of surfing is that it can be exactly what the athlete wants it to be. In many cases, sports are limited to areas with specific rules. Football has yard lines, and soccer has end lines, but surfing has no conforming measure. Athletes can create their own game and do not need a referee to tell them what to do.

“Surfing is for sure one of my favorite things to do because there are no rules,” Rodriguez said. “It’s super relaxing, and you’re able to just freestyle it. There’s no wrong way to surf; you just have fun with it.”

BY TARYN REAGAN

Photos courtesy of Dreyfoos in the Moment Photos by Shelby Rabin and Bella Weiss

SPORTS INDEX

GOLF

Theatre sophomore Emma Troast stands over a putt on the practice green at Dreyfoos’ home course, Okeeheelee Golf Course. The girls’ and boys’ teams each qualified for district tournaments and two players from each team advanced to regionals. With the boys led by coach and math teacher Matthew Vaughan and the girls by coach and guidance counselor Mark Carson, both hope to come back stronger next year.

CROSS COUNTRY

Band senior Grant Conley races to the finish line during a cross country meet.

Throughout the beginning of the year, the team competed in various meets against other schools. One student, band senior Sophie Allen, proceeded into regionals with the support of her team.

SWIM AND DIVE

Taking a deep breath strings junior Kyle Owens breaks the surface of the water with his arm, propelling himself forward. After the end of their regular season, members of the swim and dive team proceeded into districts and eventually states.

Communications sophomore Reese Branzell placed first in the state of Florida 2A for 100-yard and second for the 200-yards freestyle race. Visual freshman Rachael Lilienthal broke school records in the 500-yard race and placed 12th. Owens finished 17th for the 100 yard freestyle.

VOLLEYBALL

Visual junior Amanda Cohen reaches her arms upward to block the ball. The girls’ volleyball team had a tight season with a final record of 4-6. Volleyball coach and communications teacher Ruby Hernandez said, “The girls did a great job of coming together as a team and being flexible playing new positions.”

BOWLING

Communications junior Hunter Goodman swings his arm back while concentrating on knocking down bowling pins at the end of the lane. The teams had a successful season and both advanced to districts.

SOCCER

Band sophomore Nicolas Buitrago watches for boys’ soccer coach and foreign language teacher Thomas Ruth to signal, indicating the team to stop the exercise.

The boys ended their season with a record of 2-8-1. Their last game district game was at Forest Hill Community High School, which they won 1-0. Finishing with a 7-3-2 record, the girls’ soccer team advanced to districts. Losing in the first round to Seminole Ridge Community High School 3-1.

BY LILLY RANDOLPH AND TARYN REAGAN themuseatdreyfoos.com | SPORTS

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THE PARTING OF THE BUILDING THREE SEAS COMIC BY ADAM HEROLD

THE MUSE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR GENEROUS UNDERWRITERS: MR. & MRS. RALPH GUILD, MR. & MRS. ROBERT FESSLER, MR. & MRS. DON SILPE

EDITORIAL POLICY ABOUT US The Muse is a student publication produced by Journalism IV, V, and VI classes at A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Opinion is limited to editorials, columns, reviews, and two articles outside of the section with no more than one per section. We welcome and will print letters to the editors, which should be submitted to the Pressroom (1-102) or submitted to themusedsoa@gmail.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, student, or member of the community. We also accept guest editorials, although we reserve the right to edit or to decline at our discretion. To produce certain content, some sources request anonymity. To establish journalistic integrity, these names will remain anonymous, protecting the identities of the individuals quoted.

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The Muse is a national award-winning newmagazine. The publication has won numerous awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) including a Pacemaker in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2018. 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 and 2018, which recognized the best print edition and website (themuseatdreyfoos. com) in the nation. The Muse has also won the Palm Beach Post General Excellence—Newspaper Award in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. 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 anually. All aspects of the magazine are written and designed by the students. There are 48 staffers, grades 10–12, from the communication arts department and some from other art areas, including cartoonists from the visual department and photographers from the digital media 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.

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