The Muse Vol. 11 Issue 3 by The Muse at Dreyfoos

Volume 11 Issue 3 December 2013

Another

Arts School Possible new arts school may affect south county students, teachers and funding. Pages 19-21

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

STAFF EDITORIAL

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 4

Ho Ho Holidays

OP/ED

ON THE COVER

Being politically correct during the holidays isn’t as important as you think.

Illustration by Santiago Ramirez

Would another arts high school in the county change Dreyfoos’ demographics? There are a lot of unanswered questions.

NEWS

Winter Formal problems

Read about the controversy that surrounds the second annual Winter Formal.

FEATURES

Our school’s new student

It turns out the school is more diverse than we think. We now accept the animal kind.

ARTS

Artists show their talent

This year’s YoungArts nominees show what makes them and their art special.

SPORTS

Tuck manages basketball team

Read about the basketball team’s new and unique team manager.

WELLNESS

The pros of stress

Are finals causing you to stress out? It turns out that a little stress can actually be good.

37 For more Museworthy stories visit:

ENTERTAINMENT

Cynical holiday jams

Holiday songs are not always as merry as you think: read about the ones that put a damper on the season.

THEMUSEATDREYFOOS.COM Please recycle

The Muse

It’s time to reform the outdated system of affirmative action by MuseStaff

Holiday Political Correctness

When merit isn’t enough

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Editors-in-chiefs Jennifer Yoon (left) and Camille Sanches show their excitement for the upcoming holidays and pose with the CityPlace decorations.

he holiday season has finally begun and we can sit back while reading the third issue of The Muse while sipping on Nutella hot chocolate. We only had four weeks to complete this issue, but with stay after days, a sense of pride after the National Scholastic Press Association conference and a great deal of coffee, we finished on time. Unfortunately, we have entered one of the most stressful parts of the school year: first semester final exams. The days ahead of us are filled with tests, but it’s important to remember that winter break is right around the corner. To lessen the pain of endless hours of studying, we created a catchy Muse-themed song to the tune of “Jingle Bells.”

Skipping through the halls, Exams are on their way, Can’t wait to hit the malls, And sing carols all day. We worked all through the night, Now ready to show the school, The great stories we got to write, Here are some that rule! Arts index, Haley Lickstein, And taxidermy too. Don’t forget to read about What our cafeteria workers do. Hey! Read The Muse, read The Muse, We made it all for you, Oh! What fun it was to make, We hope you enjoy it too! g

reyfoos is well known for having politically and socially liberal students—that is until it interferes with their ability to get into college. Established in 1961, the phrase “affirmative action” was first created when President Kennedy introduced Executive Order 10925, which mandated that government contractors “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color or national origin.” for black and Hispanic students during the Since the Civil Rights admissions process. Movement, affirmative action has evolved. Initially, affirmative action in colleges The original purpose of this noble practice was established because very few minorities was to even the playing field for minorities and women were being accepted. Due to who had been virulently discriminated the extreme social, political and economic against. Now, affirmative action is instead barriers they faced, racial minorities and used as a scapegoat for middle class, white women had an extremely difficult time high school seniors who are bitter about the obtaining a high quality education. Now in rejection letter they received from the college 2013, many policymakers (and of their choice. angry high school students) Be it through ‘Now, affirmative are wondering if the system Supreme Court action is instead used is flawed. Racism still exists; cases or angry there is no doubt about it, but as a scapegoat for articles in the the status quo has changed. Wall Street middle class, white Schools have been fully Journal—rejected integrated for about 50 years high school seniors high school senior and women now represent the Suzy Weiss who are bitter about majority of college graduates. wrote “To (All) the rejection letter So what should be done? At the Colleges this point, any benefit given to they received from the That Rejected during the admission Me”—affirmative college of their choice.’ students process should be based on action has clearly socioeconomic status, not impacted the race. According to a study by Sean Reardon mindsets of college bound students. But the of Stanford University, the education gap fact is, they have a good reason to be upset. between rich and poor students is twice as According to a study by Thomas Espenshade large as the gap between black and white and Alexandria Radford of Princeton students. Race isn’t holding students back University, marking “African American” on anymore, finances are. Middle and lower class that college application is equivalent to a students aren’t able to achieve the same SAT boost of 310 points on your SATs. Though scores as their upper class counterparts. Even colleges aren’t legally allowed to establish if they are naturally brilliant and are capable quotas for the amount of minorities they of a 2400 on the SAT, if they can’t afford accept, there is clearly a frequent preference

tutoring or expensive summer college programs, they are out of luck. As a result of this “reverse discrimination” some minority students go to schools that are too challenging academically. The Atlantic calls this phenomenon “mismatch.” Richard Sander wrote, “Because of mismatch, racial preference policies often stigmatize minorities, reinforce pernicious stereotypes and undermine the self-confidence of beneficiaries.” In the Illustration by Santiago Ramirez end, all minorities are negatively affected by affirmative action—whether they need it to get into the college of their choice or not. Those that otherwise wouldn’t have been accepted to the school end up getting lower grades because they can’t keep up. Those that could have gotten into the school based solely on merit are discriminated against and their achievements are always second-guessed. But affirmative action doesn’t favor all minorities. The study by Mr. Espenshade and Ms. Radford also found that Asian students with perfect SAT scores had the same chance of getting into top private colleges as white students with 140 point lower scores and black students with 450 point lower scores. There is a significantly higher admissions requirement for Asian students than for any other ethnicity. The bottom line is that a student’s ability to get into college should be based on their achievements while taking into consideration the student’s personal circumstances. It is constantly said that in the United States everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, yet in the college admission system, this is not true. It’s time to stop labeling people and instead look at who they are as individuals. g

Contributor: Tess Saperstein

OP/ED

GPA boosts help students cheat their way to the top twenty by MichellyGonzalez

i, I’m Ms. Naranjo, like a masculine orange…you’ll get the joke later. Welcome to Elementary Spanish at Palm Beach State College. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. I dedicate my time to Ms. ‘Male Orange.’ Surrounded by people old enough to be my parents, we practice Michelly Gonzalez conjugating the Spanish verb “hablar” for more than an hour. My last name is Gonzalez and yet I’m conjugating verbs like a 10 year old. She then goes on to discuss masculine and feminine nouns. “Libro” is masculine. “Mesa” is feminine. Seems easy enough. Until a man in the corner shakes his head in confusion. “Is table a feminine noun because girls clean tables or make dinner that is put on a table? Is book a masculine noun because men are expected to be smarter than women?” the man said. The native Hispanics giggle to one another.

I just sit blankly wondering how he could be so dull and, more importantly, why I’m in this class in the first place. Whenever I think it’s about time to escape “Spanish for dummies” I remind myself of the .3 boost my GPA will have by the end of the semester. Dual enrollment has been abused in the last few years. Long gone are the days when we took dual enrollment classes to get credit for college or, dare I say, further our education. Now more than ever, students are opting to take easy dual enrollment classes just to boost their GPAs. And I’m one among this group. Why take a difficult course like AP Spanish in school when I can get the same credit for Elementary Spanish I and II at PBSC? I thought I cheated the system. I thought I was mastermind of the ranking game. Move over highly motivated and hardworking students, I’m going to conjugate my way to the top. Harvard, here I come. It wasn’t until I noticed everyone was cheating the system that I realized the problem at hand. At least I’m taking classes pertinent to my desired college major, unlike some

aspiring Political Science major who takes ‘Intro to Carpentry’ to land a spot in the top 10 of the class. At a school as rigorous as Dreyfoos, the difference between valedictorian and salutatorian is less than a decimal point apart. Although, I understand the stress associated with class ranking as well as your own personal GPA, that doesn’t mean students should take unnecessary classes to gain unfair advantages over their peers. Stop with the excuses. There is absolutely no reason why an aspiring engineer takes ‘Wine tasting for nondrinkers’ Monday nights. We go to Dreyfoos because of our passion for the arts as well as Dreyfoos’ nationally recognized academics. What’s the point of going to this school if you’re going to take an easier version of all the classes at PBSC? Class ranking is a stressful and archaic way to determine someone’s intelligence, but it’s something we all have to deal with. If you want to go to Dreyfoos, benefit from the rigorous and amazing classes we have to offer right here on campus. g

The problem with political correctness

Why we shouldn’t be so uptight about labels during the holidays by TessSaperstein

t’s the most wonderful time of the year—that is, as long as you are a white, Anglo-Saxon Christian. With the holidays just around the corner comes a new host of problems and I’m not just talking about how much you are supposed to spend on a gift for your boyfriend.

presents. (Here’s the answer: they don’t.) But if you are still concerned about being politically correct, here is a tip: If you have good intentions and are honestly curious about a culture different from your own, you’ll be fine. But, if you are starting sentences with the phrase “you people,” you should probably just stop talking.

Kwanzaa

First celebrated in 1966, Kwanzaa is the first specifically African Hanukkah American holiday. It There is an was established during unspoken rule the black nationalist that it’s morally movement of the ‘60s reprehensible with the goal of giving to wish your African Americans the latke-loving Illustration by Santiago Ramirez opportunity to reconnect friend a “Merry to their African heritage. Christmas.” Allow That being said, for the love of God, Allah me to debunk this myth. There is nothing and Vishnu, do not assume that your black wrong with saying “Merry Christmas” to friend celebrates Kwanzaa. Odds are that someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas. they celebrate Christmas and you’re being There is nothing wrong with offering them racist. Only about 1 to 5 percent of all African a gingerbread man and there is certainly Americans in the US celebrate Kwanzaa, so nothing wrong with asking whether or proceed with caution. But if you are interested not Jewish kids actually get eight days of

in the holiday, this year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, you can start asking “Harbari Gani?” and wish everyone a joyous Kwanzaa.

Christmas

Dec. 25 is the day that children (and most teenagers) look forward to all year long, so my only advice is to not ruin it for them. Don’t say that the over commercialization of Christmas has led to the degradation of our morals. I’m not saying you’re necessarily wrong. I’m saying that you should keep it to yourself. The people who want to go to church, sing the hymns and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” should be able to do so to their heart’s content. Those who rip open the wrapping paper as soon as they wake up on Christmas morning should also be allowed to do so. We all judge each other year round, so why not try to hold off on the insults until Dec. 26? I’m tired of all this politically correct nonsense. It shouldn’t be this difficult to send holiday cards. I suggest that we forget about the religions and ethnicities that divide us and instead focus on the one thing that unites us during the holidays—uncomfortable dinner conversations with distant relatives. g

Majoring in the Point by ErikRidd

THE ISSUE

Abuse of dual enrollment

Is majoring in the humanities worth the low pay?

Humanities:

hen it comes time to leave high school and go to college, every one of us has to decide our major. Here at Dreyfoos, it seems to be a natural and mandatory decision to major in the arts and humanities. In recent years, however the percentage of students majoring in humanities has dropped due to its lower economic earnings as a career. Despite this, majoring in the humanities is a decision that should seriously be considered as a potential college major. In the humanities, most careers net an average of $44,000, an amount that is not the best possible earnings, but that alone shouldn’t turn you away from majoring in this. This major can be even more beneficial than an economicallyprosperous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) one. The humanities offer specific skills, such as human interaction and innovative thinking that majoring in STEM doesn’t provide. Learning to communicate with people is beneficial in job hunting and for life in the workplace. Creative thinking allows us to think out of the box and create new ideas. According to the New York Times, majoring in the humanities provides skills that are applicable to numerous situations, rather than a few. Being able to think and communicate, and obtaining these soft skills opens a brighter future that focusing on a narrow STEM field of studies doesn’t always provide. According to Business Insider, more and more businesses and colleges are recognizing how important these skills are. “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing and nowhere is that more true than in these post-PC devices,” former and the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs said. Double majoring in the humanities as well as one of the STEM majors is more likely to land you a high-paying job than someone who majors solely in a STEM major, according to Business Insider. Majoring in the humanities also helps us emotionally as adults. Sometimes, having a job you love is more important than having a job that makes you rich. We all go to this school because we have a talent in the arts, and it makes sense that if we love art here we should continue it in the future. I’d rather be poor and living in a one room apartment than bored, rich and working in a cubicle. Future profits should be a factor in deciding whether or not to major in the humanities, but it shouldn’t stop you. It’s possible to make a large profit from the humanities, and it will benefit you as a person. g

Counterpoint

by StarrCourakos

hroughout high school, we practice our arts every day. However once reality sets in, studying the humanities in college isn’t as glamorous as it may seem. According to a report by The Huffington Post, nine out of the 13 lowest paying majors in college are in the humanities. This includes art, art history, theatre, social work, religious studies, theology, family and children studies, culinary arts, recreation and leisure studies and music. All of these relate to the arts studied at Dreyfoos, but do not pan out in the long run. In addition, there is a lack of humanities-centered jobs today. College Express, an organization that provides possible subjects to major in and their respective careers, lists only 12 possible jobs in the field of Art History, two of which also require an education degree and one a sales/marketing degree. In today’s society, the most Illustration by Charlie Krumholz available and highest-paying jobs lie in the computer and engineering fields. Business Insider lists the 15 highest paying majors in college. Among this list is petroleum engineering, actuarial mathematics, nuclear engineering and computer science. Every single major includes careers that have median mid-career salaries of near or over $100,000. None of the majors on this list fall under the humanities. According to the Wall Street Journal, 14 percent of students majored in the humanities less than 50 years ago and today that number has plummeted to only 7 percent. The fact is that the humanities are on the decline and it does not have much left to offer in terms of lifelong careers. Majors that lead to success are ones that show promise and are continuing to innovate like STEM subjects as previously described. Despite the decrease in potential careers in the humanities, it is indeed still an important part of a lot of people’s lives. This is why humanities and liberal arts based subjects should be part time, hobbies or even brought into a more concrete career. For example, communications skills could be implemented into a solid career such as an attorney or public relations officer, both of which are successful careers based on College Express. Also, other forms of art like visual arts, music, dance or theatre can be done on the side. There are many opportunities for artists to participate in these things, such as submitting artwork to local galleries or competitions and performing in local theatres and at events. All of these things provide creative outlets for an artist that could even result in money. However, to build an entire career on these things is impractical and very difficult. Although the arts is a large part of many Dreyfoos students’ lives, when it comes to college and building a career, setting a foundation in a successful job is a necessity. g

OP/ED

A killer sweet tooth for stress Commentary by MariaGrosso

here is optimism about freshmen that we perceive to be innocence. We scoff at their lack of Sparknotes expertise and their relaxed, meeting and test crammingfree lunches. There is a negative association between the proximity of college application deadlines and our perceived stress levels. The brief conversations I’ve had with Publix Maria Grosso cashiers almost lead with the invasive, “Where do you want to go to college?” These serve not just as reminders but as social pressures to reply with something reputable and worthy like Harvard to exude intelligence. Our daily sermons from AP teachers drill the claim that scoring fives on May’s exams will be beautiful additions to our resumes and may even earn us the impossible: college credit. All of these hints, conscious or not, serve as stress flags for our brains that can manifest themselves in odd and, at times, life threatening ways. A year ago, amidst the pressures of final exams, I spontaneously became a chocolate addict. Not in the way that some people enjoy

having chocolate birthday cake or how one Ferrero Rocher is never enough, but to the point where I was incorporating chocolate into every meal. For a whole month and a half, my regular diet was supplemented by chocolate in all of its varieties. I even went to a chocolate factory where they produced chocolate coated bacon. I was proud of my precaution to choose extra dark chocolate whenever possible because it’s heart-healthy. By the second month I had such sharp stomach pains my appetite dissolved. I remember my shame in having to admit the amount of chocolate I had consumed to the gastroenterologist. His diagnosis however, was troubling. I had a stress, not chocolate, induced ulcer. Although it was later revealed to me that the acidity of chocolate and the excess in which I was consuming it certainly did not help the situation, stress was the underlying cause of my stomach pain. We have a poor understanding of stress and the biology behind it. Common knowledge only provides that it’s bad for you, yet we readily understand and have lived through the vicious cycles of stress. The oversimplified truth is that our physical responses to stress range from constricted blood vessels and increased blood flow, to the wear of our stomach linings. In my case it was the latter.

Prolonged stress can result in conditions that can affect long term health such as cardiovascular wellness. My addiction to chocolate was not spontaneous at all. Stress also harbors many negative emotional effects; subconsciously I was seeking relief from stress through the positive endorphin release that came from eating chocolate. The obvious solution, learning to manage stress, is too broad and due to its seeming complexity would quickly become another thing on our to-do list right after “volunteering with the elderly” and “maintaining a quality Instagram.” However, a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin demonstrated that people who practiced perceiving stress as positive, instead of negative, showed an improvement in health, reported more restful sleep and lowered their chance of premature death. These results provide a solution suited to our jet-set lifestyles. By simply reminding ourselves and our peers for two minutes per day to stand up straight and let stress flow in a positive manner, we could avoid odd ailments and expensive addictions. Additionally, we might also improve our collective longevity such that, one day, we may be able to enjoy the rewards of all the arduous academic work we perform. g

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News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Students from Pahokee High School Early Learning Academy cheer on their classsmate as she shakes her tambourine and performs with Santa’s Jazz Band.

Fun in the

‘snow’

A.R.T.S club, Key Club and NHS unite to host the Title One Holiday Party by AmandaGoodman and TaylorRich hristmas is known to be the most wonderful time of the year, filled with holiday fun and high spirits. However, it’s not always that way for the less fortunate. On Dec. 3, A.R.T.S club hosted a holiday party through Title One, a program designed to help migrant workers’ children from ages 3 to 5 have a happy holiday. “These are migrant workers who pick produce and work on farms in the Belle Glade-Pahokee Area,” social studies teacher and A.R.T.S club sponsor Lea Jefferson said. “[The children] are coming from KEC Canal Point, Pahokee Elementary, Pioneer Park

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

A student from Kathryn E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School decorates her holiday cookies with vanilla icing, M&M’s and red sprinkles. Each student received pizza, two cookies and juice.

In this section: 10 11 12

Elementary and Pahokee High School Early Learning Academy.” Over the past four years, A.R.T.S club, along with help from Key Club and NHS, has successfully fulfilled underprivileged children’s wish lists and made their Christmas dreams come true. “We [started] off [the holiday party] by bringing [the children] in from the buses by having students dressed as elves bring them to ‘Santa’s Workshop’. That’s the media center,” communications senior and A.R.T.S club co-president Chelcee Pangerl said. “They then got seated and [did] coloring activities, arts and crafts and even decorated cookies.”

Communications students swept the field at the National Scholastic Press Association in Boston, Mass. Although no longer a Sadie Hawkins style dance, the winter formal still has had controversy over who ran the dance.

Get behind the scenes with the staff members who play the most pivotal role in providing the student body food day in and day out.

The hit of the holiday party for all the children was getting their gifts from Santa Claus. The gifts were all purchased and wrapped by A.R.T.S club members in advance. Vocal senior Stanford Purnell dressed up as Santa Claus for the third year, handing out gifts to children. “When I was a sophomore, Ms. Davis came up to me and said she needed someone to play the role of Santa Claus. She thought my character fit the position and so I agreed to it. I’ve been doing it ever since,” Purnell said. “The best part of it all is seeing the happy look on [the children’s] faces. It looks like they just saw a celebrity.” continued on page 8

NEWS

North Pole

Title One party

continued from page 7 After spending time with Santa and participating in holiday themed activities, everyone gathered to watch the entertainers. Vocal senior Crystal Cleare was in charge of the entertainment showcase. She had to make sure all of the acts ran smoothly and kept the children entertained. “To see the [children’s] faces’ light up, and see how thankful they are, is the best part of the party. They are all so thankful that our school can provide them with these gifts,” Cleare said. “[They] don’t have a lot and it’s great to know that we are able to provide this opportunity for them.” The entertainment was an important aspect of the holiday party. Performance groups such as the Hairy Details improv troupe and the Sugar Plum Fairy dancers have previously contributed to making the children’s Christmas dreams become reality, but individual performers have done so as well, such as theatre senior Micailah Lockhart. “For the past three years, I’ve sang with the [children] and made sure that they had a great time. It’s very important to let them sing on the microphone and dance along with me. It has to be very interactive,” Lockhart said. A vast majority of the children did not

speak English. With the apparent language barrier that this presented, keeping the children engaged was important. “We definitely have an interesting audience to entertain and keep engaged because a lot of the [children] don’t speak English,” theatre senior and A.R.T.S club copresident Cristofer Carriana said. “It has to be a more visual, interactive view.” In the past, there have been Photo by Elizabeth Lane Spanish and Creole translators Keyboard senior Cara Harbaugh dances with students from K.E.C/ Point Elementary School during a musical performance. Harbaugh present to make communication Canal performed a piano duet with fellow keyboard senior Ian Lao. easier. For the past two years, season and it’s rewarding to help the less visual senior Juan Granados has fortunate. served as head elf and Spanish translator. “The Title One party is the most rewarding “Some of the [children] have trouble understanding English so I [had] to voice [the thing we do; it’s life changing,” Ms. Jefferson said. “These children’s parents work really children] called [on],” Granados said. “The hard and don’t make a lot of money, so Title best part of [the party] definitely had to be One [was] the perfect opportunity for A.R.T.S working to put a smile on their faces.” club to fulfill the children’s wish lists at the After making the holiday party a success, gratitude of Dreyfoos students.” g students realized that it’s important to give back to the community during the holiday

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warms hearts Photos and story by Elizabeth Lane and Aubrey Levin

For more photos and videos, go to: THEMUSEATDREYFOOS.COM

n Dec. 3, the Media Center was transformed into the North Pole. Run by A.R.T.S club, with the help of Key Club and NHS officers, children from Pahokee Elementary, K.E.C /Canal Point Elementary, Pahokee Early Learning Academy, and Pioneer Park were thrown a holiday party they will never forget. Hours of preparation went into the event, from students buying presents off of a specific child’s wish list to putting the last string of lights on the tree. Many of the decorations were donated by the late head custodian Ted Orama’s family, who knew the event was one of his favorites. The children were exposed to the arts, as volunteers from all majors gave holiday-inspired performances. The highlight of the day, however, was the arrival of Santa, played by vocal senior Stanford Purnell. Santa sat between his favorite elf, visual senior Juan Granados, and Mrs. Claus, communications senior Melissa Marks, and handed out the children’s specific gifts. The children were elated and as they squealed their appreciation, they said their goodbyes, holding a place in the hearts of all of the volunteers. g

Dance senior Cassidy Spaedt dances to the Nutcracker’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” while the crowd of youngsters watches in awe. The performances included another dance piece to “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Santa Claus is coming to Town”, two songs sung by vocal senior Micailah Lockheart, a poem read by communications sophomore Gernise Gregoire and a performance by our school’s comedy group “Hairy Details.”

K.E.C. / Canal Point Elementary school student Leroy smiles with the holiday bear he got in his goodie bag. Members of ARTS Club, Key Club and NHS sponsored these children and provided their gifts— three gifts per child. Then, student volunteers of the same clubs wrapped all of the gifts and prepared them for Santa’s sleigh. Visual senior and A.R.T.S club officer Robert Langdon dresses as an elf and plays with the children at the holiday party. Being involved in this event required weeks of preparation and planning.

Daniella (left) and Jose (right), two students from Pioneer Park Elementary express their excitement to be at the holiday party. Within an hour of the children’s arrival, they had created holiday arts and crafts as well as decorated cookies. The fun-filled activities continued throughout their whole visit.

NEWS

Tinker rings a bell

the

S F E I BR

n of o i t c , lle a co ite-sizestories b rthy wo e t o n

Young Politicians of America chapter comes to Dreyfoos by AmandaGoodman

his year, communications junior Morgaan Jessell and math teacher Norman Adams decided Dreyfoos would benefit from starting a chapter of the Young Politicians of America, or YPA. YPA was founded in 1998, and has since recruited 14 to 22-year-old Americans, through a Service Chapter program. “[YPA] is a service-learning movement composed of young Americans working together to revive political discourse and awareness, by establishing nonpartisan civic clubs in high schools and colleges,” Jessell said. “We asked social studies teachers to nominate one male and one female student from any grade or major whom they believed would benefit from being a part of this organization.” Letters have been passed out to nominees. “I am really excited because we will be doing service projects that center around current public policies issues,” Jessell said. “In addition we have politicians and activists such as Congressman Ted Deutch and State Representative Mark Pafford who are excited to share their real-world experiences with Dreyfoos students.” g

‘I am really excited because we will be doing service projects that center around current public policies issues.’

-communications junior Morgaan Jessell

Pathfinder nominations 2013-2014 10

It was incredible meeting someone OSTON— Journalism students so historically significant,” White said. from The Marquee yearbook, The “She even gave me a shout-out in one Muse and “DSOA Today” joined 5,510 of her seminars.” other young journalists, advisers, White, however, was not the exhibitors and schools from across only one who walked away from the country at the annual National NSPA with a smile on her face. The Scholastic Press Association convention Muse received—for the fifth time—a on Nov. 14 in Pacemaker Award, Boston, Mass. the highest They selected national honor and attended awarded to student daily seminars on publications. It numerous topics, also placed 5th in from advanced the “Best of Show” Photoshop category, which had techniques and all Muse staffers column writing and editors, like and layout design, communications to video editing, junior and layout journalism laws editor Remi and ethics and Lederman, jumping trauma reporting. in joy. Some “When they students, like called us for fifth communications best in show junior Mackenzie it was like the White, even met Photo by Aubrey Levin world stopped,” Mary Beth Tinker, Mary Beth Tinker speaks to aspiring journalists about Lederman said. “I experiences with student rights in schools. Tinker most commonly her addressed communicatons junior Mackenzie White’s ran down the aisle past story on band senior Valerie Martin. known as the towards the editors plaintiff in the and I tripped over a 1969 Tinker vs. Des Moines Supreme bag and into [communications senior] Court case that ruled in favor of First Jennifer Yoon’s arms. I don’t think I Amendment rights for students. White have ever smiled harder; It was the got the chance to speak to Tinker about most rewarding moment of my life.” her stories. Communications junior Madeleine “[Tinker] was given a copy of my Fitzgerald’s eyes also lit up when she article and I explained to her the received an Honorable Mention for background of the story,” White said. NSPA’s News Story of the Year. “She loved that even though the story “It was incredible knowing that got pushed back, we still published it.” I was selected from thousands of Tinker was promoting her “Tinker applicants and that I was able to Tour,” in which she travels around the represent The Muse to the best of my abilities,” Fitzgerald said. “It was an country giving “real-life civics lessons honor.” g to schools and communities” through her own personal experiences and those of others.“ by ValeriaRivadeneira

Academic Excellence Charles Krumholz Art Isabella Pezzulo Business Erica Harreveld Communications Josie Russo

Community Involvement Keli Hodges Drama Talia Suskauer Foreign Language Heather Grace Forensics/Speech Tess Saperstein

History/Political Emily Greentree

Reach For Excellence Brooke Adams

Literature Tessa Bravata

Science Juan Granados

Mathematics Michael Dinh

Sports Jenna Meyers-Sinett

Music/Instrumental Ian Lao

Technical/Vocational Kaitlyn Bradway

Winter formal gets chilly Miscommunication between class councils leads to confusion over the dance by RowanBennetti

isunderstanding sparked between the junior and senior class councils when it was announced that the senior class council had removed the Sadie Hawkins concept when they took charge of the Dec. 6 Winter Formal which took place in the gym. Approximately 380 students attended the dance. The abrupt switch was made a few weeks ago, leaving students to question who was responsible for the change. “Junior class council was originally in charge,” digital media senior and class president Daniel Martin said. “Seniors took over. We were afraid the Sadie Hawkins theme deterred people from coming to the dance because there are more girls than guys at [Dreyfoos].” Since Winter Formal raises money for prom in April, the lack of attendance would affect funding, due to the major difference in the girl to guy ratio. “Last year’s attendance was 600 [students], but this year [with Sadie Hawkins] was going to be around 300 [students],” Martin said. “I am looking at it from a success perspective for prom.” However, communications junior and co-class

president Morgaan Jessell had a different side to the story, denying juniors were ever being involved with the dance in the first place. “Junior class council was never in charge of Winter Formal,” Jessell said. “It was a miscommunication between administration and our sponsor. We are elated senior class council is taking over so we have more time and energy to focus on prom.” Both parties seemed to have different opinions on who originally preceded over the planning of Winter Formal. However, social studies teacher and junior class sponsor Melissa Gifford brought a new argument to the table. “I was originally told juniors were in charge,” Ms. Gifford said. “I went to Mr. Miller and he said the juniors weren’t, parents were. When parents didn’t want it, seniors took over instead.” With Ms. Gifford’s explanation, it was evident that there was miscommunication between both class councils and their sponsors. “The juniors wanted Sadie Hawkins when we thought we were in charge of it. It was never the official concept,” Ms. Gifford said. g

Photo courtesy of Emily Greentree

Theatre seniors Alec Ruiz and McKenzie O’Connor dance together. Despite the confusion between the class councils, all students attended enjoyed each others company for some holiday-themed fun.

Team ‘Star Wars’ or team ‘Star Trek’ Technology coordinator Edward Hornyak and band teacher Evan Rogovin reminisce would say it inspired the “Star Trek” films. ven when “Star Trek” was “The main argument is that ‘Star canceled in the ’60s due Wars’ is more famous,” Mr. Hornyak to poor ratings, technology said. “I like ‘Star Trek’ because they coordinator Edward Hornyak watched the reruns since the age talk about the progress of how the humans end up in space. There’s no of 12 and remains a fan. money in their future, so they live to In 1977, band teacher Evan better themselves.” Rogovin got in trouble for seeing Around the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars”, for the fourth time, when he should have been at “Star Wars” in 2015, the director of recent “Star Trek” movies, home having dinner. It was like J.J. Abrams, will release a highly nothing he had ever seen before. anticipated film, “Star Wars “We had never seen a movie Episode VII. ” It is clear that each like it. The effects, the characters, phenomenon will not be traveling into the costumes, the aliens and the a black hole soon with the committed droids,” Mr. Rogovin said. “It was fanbase that exists to this day. so unique and so iconic for its “I remember getting my ‘Star time.” Photo by Alexandra Lopez Wars’ bed sheets, pillowcases and Over the years, “Star Wars” Technology coordinator Edward Hornyak (left) and band teacher Evan Rogovin (right) having my room painted with ‘Star and “Star Trek” the canceled have collected memorabilia for both “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” over the years, such as a doll of James T. Kirk and Darth Vader. Sometimes they’re gifts from students. Wars’ characters by my sisters,” Mr. television show have become to take a situation in an episode and decide Rogovin said. “My students [give] me movie blockbusters and are two what the moral was, which proved to be ‘Star Wars’ things for birthdays and holidays entertainment franchises that can be seen challenging,” Mr. Hornyak said. and now it has snowballed and I have a everywhere. Although “Star Trek” is older, since the collection of unopened memorabilia that is “I took a ‘Star Trek’ course at the show aired a decade before “Star Wars” was growing to this day. My favorite is a Darth California University of Pennsylvania. You’d released in theaters, some “Star Wars” fans think it was easy but for example, you had Vader Mr. Potatohead.” g

by AlexandraLopez

NEWS

The admin project:

Becoming

Most students spend their years at Dreyfoos without realizing what it takes to maintain an entire school. Join me on my journey as I take on the roles of various administrators. be donated due to f you have ever wondered how hot a liability reasons. breakfast corndog must be before the “If you don’t like school district is legally allowed to serve it a product, come tell to students, the answer is 175 degrees. This me,” Ms. Shaffer is just one of the things I learned while often tells students. shadowing cafeteria manager Amy Shaffer. “I don’t want to keep Every morning, after turning on the ovens, ordering things warmers, steamers and most importantly the you don’t want to kitchen lights, Ms. Shaffer sits at her office eat.” While she fills with not one, but two cups of iced coffee in out food orders, the order to prepare for the long day ahead. She rest of the cafeteria looks at the calendar and sees what’s on staff works on the menu for the day. She signs on to her finishing breakfast computer and makes the daily food options and starting lunch. available on the electronic cafeteria registers. For example, after At 6 a.m., Ms. Shaffer works on filling out cafeteria staffer market orders, while the rest of the cafeteria Cindy Packard staff arrives between 7 and 8:30 a.m. arrives at 7 a.m. and The 28-page market order, which she parks the electric submits to the school food service every week, bike she rides to three weeks in advance, is made by studying work every day, she the reports of item sales, which lets her know changes into her the kinds of foods students prefer. cafeteria uniform “Yesterday for instance,” Ms. Shaffer and moves food Photo by Alexandra Lopez said. “We sold 64 iced teas, 39 waters and 111 from the warmers Head cook Cecilia Korley measures the temperature of breakfast corndogs in order to [cartons of ] juice.” to the lunch line. ensure they have been thoroughly cooked. Throughout the five years she’s worked Ms. Packard “No meat ever comes in raw for sanitation at the school, Ms. Shaffer gained an is one of the first reasons,” Ms. Shaffer said. “It has its understanding of which foods are popular people that students see when they come in advantages.” and which are not. to school. Her assignment in the cafeteria, Among those advantages is the “On chicken day, all the adults come down aside from washing dishes, is to serve meticulously detailed nutrition information [to buy cafeteria lunch],” Ms. Shaffer said. breakfast and lunch as students pour in to in the official cookbook, which features a “But when we make beef nachos we’ll be lucky the cafeteria. specific way of cooking every meal made in if we serve seven.” “When I started [working at Dreyfoos,] it the cafeteria. The cookbook helps ensure the One of the hardest parts of being cafeteria was strange seeing the different fashions and food is tasty and portions are well controlled. manager is making sure everyone is fed hair colors,” Ms. Packard said. “Now, I’m used Aside from the main meal that is cooked without too much left over, since no food can to it.” every day, the cafeteria offers daily vegetarian In the very back of the kitchen, options. next to the laundry room—yes, the “I really do try to incorporate everyone’s cafeteria has its own laundry room— beliefs,” Ms. Shaffer said. “There are salads, you can find an assignment board veggie burgers and subs. We’re working on where each cafeteria staffer has a getting gluten-free products.” specific chore. Ms. Shaffer, who has a business degree, Cafeteria staffer Cecilia Korley managed a financial group before coming to is the second in command to Ms. the school five years ago. Shaffer as well as the main cook. “Everyone has a vision of what a lunch lady “She’s kind of like the momma is,” Ms. Shaffer said, opposing the stereotype. bear around here,” Ms. Shaffer said. “She’s the most hardworking woman “If I didn’t work at this school I wouldn’t be doing this job; I love this atmosphere. I’ve ever met.” [Working at Dreyfoos] is like having my own Although there are a variety of Photo by Alexandra Lopez little restaurant. I have my own staff and ovens, pots, steamers and stoves, Cafeteria manager Amy Shaffer (left) and head cook Cecilia Korley customers.” g show communications senior Valeria Rivadeneira the dry storage most of the food has already been room, explaining how certain ingredients and condiments are stored. prepared in some form or another. by ValeriaRivadeneira

Features • Features • Features • Features • Features • Features • Features

Taxidermy comes alive Several students participate in the art of collecting dead animals by KaraiMcLean

nimal skulls are decoratively placed along a computer desk, fox pelts take the place of cushions on a bed and dead creatures floating in jars line the shelves. These furnishings can be found in the bedrooms of communications sophomore Rachel Glismann, digital junior Katya Nunez and communications junior Julianne “Mink” Ratcliff—all collectors of dead animals. “I went from being a vegetarian to collecting dead animals,” Glismann said. “I like collecting pelts, which is the skin and fur of an animal, and I like taxidermy. It’s like having a real-life stuffed animal.” Glismann was inspired by Tumblr where

Photo by Karai McLean

Julianne Ratcliff holds her coyote pelt on her lap as she sits in the taxidermy room. The room is used as a source of inspiration for visual students.

In this section:

14 15 17

The arch in front of the school has a more interesting story behind it than one would think. Its historical past is finally unveiled. This issue’s fun page has a restaurant review of the seasonal Green Market. Photos are also placed which show how Dreyfoos has transformed over the years. While the majority of students are busy celebrating Christmas, others are participating in less common religious activites.

there are blogs dedicated to organic and Photo by Karai McLean dead things. VIsual junior Katya Nunez “I collect anything organic that is not displays her bobcat skull, the first piece in her alive anymore,” Glismann said. “I’ve collection. Nunez uses the always been interested in weird various skulls and insects she has things.” collected for her Glismann enjoys going outside artwork. and finding new things. She has found different animals as well as many ways to keep organic things preserved. “I have a dead rat floating in a jar of alcohol at home,” Glismann said. “I just appreciate things that are obscure; I like things that freak people out.” Although people may find dead animals disturbing, Glismann finds beauty in dead things. There is even a sense of humor in collecting. “I saw this one taxidermy piece and it was a rat dressed up like Heisenberg from ‘Breaking Bad’,” Glismann said. “I thought that was really funny.” Nunez has been collecting deceased animals since her freshman year. When drawing the skeletal system became a challenge that she enjoyed, Nunez decided to collect for practice at home. “I have moths, butterflies, a bobcat skull and a muskrat skull,” Nunez said. “My first ‘official’ skull that I got was a muskrat.” Nunez’s skeletons have been a great reference and inspiration for her art pieces. “At Bak we used to draw skeletons,” Nunez said. “I realized I was good at it so I use [the skulls] for reference in my drawings and photography.” Many people may not understand the concept of taxidermy, but Nunez’s friends are accepting of her collecting. Photo by Karai McLean “My friends are pretty much as Communications sophomore Rachel Glismann displays her baby macabre as I, so it’s not a big deal to mouse fetus that is preserved in alcohol. them,” Nunez said. “Typically others just give me a funny look and then shrug of the continued on page 14 matter.”

FEATURES

History of the Dreyfoos arch Dreyfoos arch stands for nearly 100 years on Sapodilla Avenue by KayleighRubin

black and white photo pictured in the 1946 edition of The Royal Palm, the yearbook of Palm Beach High School, paints a familiar scene. Girls in poodle skirts and collared shirts congregate in front of their school under an arch on Sapodilla Avenue. On either side of the arch, carved figurines depict both the visual and performing arts. Though the popular style has transformed since the late ‘30s, the arch has remained the same. Since its construction in 1922, that arch has proudly stood outside the gates of what was originally Palm Beach High School and is now Dreyfoos School of the Arts. “This school was once Palm Beach High School and [also] on this campus was Palm Beach Community College, and the arch was there then,” communications teacher Ancil Deluz said. “So we have two educational institutions on this campus and I think the arch just represents that tradition of academic place and academic community.” The arch is not only a symbol of education, but a connection to history. When the arch was assembled in the ‘20s, America was experiencing a transition into the art deco

period. The art deco style is an eclectic form of design that combines traditional motifs with modern materials. The architect of the arch, William Manly King, who specialized in building schools, incorporated elements of the time into the arch’s design.

‘We can see the [art deco] period of design come through in the arch.’ - visual teacher Jade Henderson “The art deco period in architecture was characterized by their symmetrical design and an embrace of technological advances,” visual teacher Jade Henderson said. “We can see that period of design come through in the arch’s hard edged lines and symmetrical nature.” In the top right corner of the arch, a female figure sports a violin bow. In the top left corner, a male figure clutches paint brushes in his hand. Considering the arch was

created before the school instituted its magnet arts program, it appears somewhat prophetic that the arch pays such a tribute to the arts. “When you look at the tradition of education, you find that the arts and the sciences have always been a part of the whole institution,” Dr. Deluz said. “It wouldn’t surprise me that you would see representation of those factors at one of the premier locations for education in Palm Beach County.” For 91 years now, the arch has contributed to the school spirit. The sentiment was exemplified in a poem in the 1925 edition of The Royal Palm titled The Gates of Dawn. It was written by a previous English teacher, Ms. Helen Williamson. “Some day at the gates of the years to come you wait, While life shall yield her recompense in kind; As the deeds of your life are known at the final gate, The light of your heart must tell your fate at the end.” g

Taxidermy continued from page 13 When combining her interests in life sciences, animals and bones, Ratcliff discovered her love for collecting dead animals. Her inspiration from an encounter with road kill or even a passion for all things dead, but from a family member close to her. “I’ve been doing this for little under a year,” Ratcliff said. “My mother found a possum skull in the cemetery so growing up I always had this skull around the house and I just liked it. My grandmother found out that I liked skulls so she got me my first one which was a juvenile pig skull.” After Radcliff’s grandmother started the collection for her, Radcliff had to be innovative in figuring out where she would purchase more animals. “There are a bunch of sites dedicated to taxidermy,” Ratcliff said. “I get mine online.” Ratcliff follows a set of morals and codes that keep her educated about the animals that she keeps. Her collections of dead artifacts are truly memento moris,

reminders of the fragility of life that will result in death. “I’d rather have a road kill animal over an animal that has been killed solely for its fur,” Ratcliff said. “If I’m going to deal with something once alive then I’m going to learn as much about the practices and have good morals.” Visual arts teacher Jade Henderson is in charge of the nature lab in the visual building. The lab is dedicated to helping students visualize physical attributes of animals through the use of taxidermy. “The department started [collecting taxidermy] because of [former visual arts teacher Ryan Toth],” Mr. Henderson said. “He was bringing in his collection and using it for still life’s.” The taxidermy room is useful to many visual students looking for inspiration on an art piece. “It’s a place where kids can come in and have a visual reference,” Mr. Henderson said. “[Taxidermy] helps you see [the animals] from the inside out to get a fuller understanding.” g

A very merry Pinterest Christmas Some last minute gift ideas for everyone you forgot to shop for and tie the brown ribbon in a bow at the neck of the ornament to look like the antlers.

by MorgaanJessell

veryone has gone shopping at least once in the midst of the crazy holiday season and has forgetten to buy a gift for that special someone. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Thankfully, here are a few DIY gift ideas from Pinterest that are quick and inexpensive to make so that you may spread holiday cheer to the ones closest to you.

Chalkboard Coffee Mug

This gift is perfect for any of your coffee-loving friends and family members. All you need is one coffee mug (free of any designs or writings) in any size or color, chalk paint, a bucket, and your own personal touch. A can of chalkboard paint can be found in most hardward stores. Pour the chalk paint into a bucket deep enough to dip the coffee cup into. Be sure to apply at least two coats and to dry the paint in between each coats. Presentation is key so try tying a bag of their favorite coffee beans or candy with the mug.

Anthopologie Ring Dish

Photo by Pinterest

This ring dish which retails for $58 at Anthropologie can be recreated by you for a fraction of the cost. Your stylish friends and family will love having a safe place to keep their jewelry.

Chocolate Reindeer Ornament

There is no better way to dress a Christmas tree than with chocolate. This ornament is cute and simple to make. You will need a clear plastic ornament, a red pompom, googly-eyes, a piece of brown ribbon and chocolate M&M’s. Before you fill the ornament with the chocolate candies glue the red pom-pom on as the nose, the googly-eyes

Fans of Anthropologie, the women’s clothing, accesories and home decor store located in CityPlace, know that the store is on the pricier side. This DIY guide will show you how to recreate their well known animal ring dish. All you’ll need is a small white plate, white acryllic paint, a small animal figurine and craft glue. I reccomend using an animal with a tail or horns since your rings will be hung on those parts. First, paint the animal with the white paint. It will, at most, need 2-3 generous coats. After the paint has dried use the craft glue to adhere the freshly-painted critter to the center of the plate. Once the glue has dried, your friends will have a stylish dish to place all of the valuable jewelry they don’t want to lose. For extra detail, try painting just one feature on the animal a random color. g

eats: Market

H a sh t a g T B D

Good

ThrowBackDreyfoos takes us back in time

The Green

by PaulaGalvan

I 1918 by AlexandraLopez and AubreyLevin

2013

n this photo (left), courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, two unidentified female students pose in front of Palm Beach High School. It was the taken in 1908, the year the school opened. Palm Beach High School, now Building 2 of Dreyfoos, holds the legacy of being the oldest school in Palm Beach County, one year older than the county itself, founded in 1909. The photo (right), shows the current version of Building 2. After having been the location of Palm Beach High School and Twin Lakes High School, Dreyfoos School of the Arts has occupied the site since 1997. g

Photo by Karai McLean

Nunez’s bobcat skull from a side profile revelas more of the contours it has, along with a more detailed look at its teeth. All good details for her artwork.

For stories on fashion and popular culture, scan this QR code or go to: www.themuseatdreyfoos.com

never thought I would see the day when the fountain at the end of Clematis Street would be turned off. On Saturday mornings the City of West Palm Beach turns off the fountain and replaces it for something better: the Green Market. On a Saturday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., you will see the grassy area around the fountain covered in tents. Vendors will sell anything from fresh produce to bars of homemade soap. If you were looking for organic produce, then D & D Family Farms has tomatoes, lettuce, squash and carrots freshly picked. The Green Market is made even dreamier with one tent that everyone visits: For $5, you can walk around the Green Market carrying red velvet doughnuts complete with cream cheese dipping sauce. The seasonal event can found on Clematis Street until May 31. g

Photo by Jennifer Yoon

A popular choice at the Green Market includes red velvet doughnuts which are served to you warm with cream cheese dipping sauce.

Food: Service: Prices: Overall Experience:

FEATURES

Booty had me like

FEATURES

Class master

One girl’s struggle to restock Pirate’s Booty at Costco

Van Reeth works for degree

methods of the great minds of Mahatma ohn Calvin has spoken. His divine power Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and of predestination has been placed upon decided that I must implore Costco to my shoulders. My righteous path has been restock their shelves. I knew what I must chiseled out for me. I do: shove my fists down their throats and have been enlightened only release once my mouth was filled with by the wise scriptures a large mass of the 100-calorie snack. of an eternal duty, and And so I wrote a personal column about from here on out, I the Booty. I told them I love the Booty. I will preserve the sale told them I live for the Booty. I told them of Pirate’s Booty at my very survival was a product of the Costco. Booty. And once I was done journaling Rewind to Sept. my tormented feelings, I posted to Twitter explaining to all of my fans and followers Claudia Zamora 12, at 4:32 p.m.—the very instant I forever that I had in fact written 600+ words documented via personal column the depicting how my life had turned from a strife and grief that Costco Wholesale Pirate’s Booty cutie to a damsel in distress. had imprinted on my juvenile soul. Never Less than an hour later, Pirate’s Booty have I ever tweeted me experienced a ‘I told them I love the saying they would loss so great reevaluate their Booty. I told them I as the day I supply at my live for the Booty. I perused the local wholesale told them my very chip aisle retailer. Now, at my local survival was a product I’m not saying I Costco. The am responsible of the Booty.’ issue wasn’t for the following necessarily events, but I am what I found waiting for me. Rather, my saying that the following events would not primary concern was in what I didn’t find have occurred if I hadn’t decided to defy waiting for me—my plus-sized bag of the norms of social snackification. Pirate’s Booty white cheddar corn puffs. Essentially, since I composed and Yes, I became dependent on the fluffy posted my Tweet, Pirate’s Booty has nature of the snack to nurture my desires, resumed its place on the shelves of my and yes, without the constant reminder of Costco Wholesale and has redefined a place the savory security they provided, I lost my in the deep, deep depths of my achy-breaky sanity. heart. I began experiencing culinary As a highly ranked historical figure and withdrawals. I felt excessive fear and political activist of my age, my success has anxiety. Irritability and an inability to cope yet to fully hit me. Rather than becoming became my daily struggles. I turned to fame obsessed, I will use a bag of the Cape Cod potato chips to fill the abyss that corn puffs as a cushion to protect myself is my stomach. from getting slapped in the face by the I subscribed to Wikipedia to learn the overwhelming swarm of pop-arazzi. g

by SydneyMcAuliffe

by ClaudiaZamora

n the classroom she is known as sass master, an intellectual and art connoisseur. However, this multifaceted teacher has a passion that transcends the classroom. Visual arts teacher, Lacey Van Reeth, has been working on getting a masters in arts education. “The past two and Lacey Van Reeth a half years I have been working on getting a degree from the University of Florida’s low residency program,” Ms. Van Reeth said. “75 percent of my time outside the classroom is spent working for my degree.” Van Reeth made both a costly and efficient choice in order to further her educational career. By pursuing this degree, she is taking advantage of a worthwhile opportunity. “What appealed to me was that I wanted to go to graduate school but cost was an issue and I didn’t want to leave my job,” Ms. Van Reeth said. Though one would think juggling both her teaching career at Dreyfoos and obtaining a degree would be enough to keep Van Reeth busy, she has found the drive to obtain yet another qualification. “I’m not only earning a masters but also a state of Florida teacher certification,” Ms. Van Reeth said. “To get my certification, I had to take a series of classes where I learned how to write lesson plans and assessment work.” Throughout this whole process, Van Reeth has learned valuable lessons that have been assimilated into her own lesson plans. “I find that the realities of an education level above high school require paying attention to deadlines,” Ms. Van Reeth said. “ I try to prepare my students by emphasizing accountability.” g

The nation’s celebrations

A look into other students’ religious festivities

by PaulaGalvan and KateNouhan

or most students, the holidays are a time when they can celebrate being with their families and remember that there’s more to Christmas or Hanukkah than just presents. These select individuals in Dreyfoos represent the minority religions that are often underrepresented.

Hinduism

Even though this religion is predominantly practiced halfway across the globe, in South Florida, strings junior Aagam Vakil is Hindu. “The superior god Wiccan is Brahma,” Vakil said. “A lot of people don’t accept “He has different us because they associate us with forms of himself [that] demon worship,” communications represent things. Each senior Sierra Blair said. “It’s really god has something heartbreaking because that’s Graphic by Morgaan Jessell and usually you pray really not what we are about.” to them to ask them for their Regardless of how they are viewed, support.” Wiccans are nature worshippers and have There are one or two times in the many beliefs dedicated to energy and the Hindu calendar where entire families can universe. come together to celebrate their religion. “We have belief in one energy that has “The biggest holiday is Devali,” Vakil masculine and feminine form,” Blair said. said. “This year it was in October. It is a “They choose you to come in any form you festival of lights, like a celebration of the believe in.” New Year to come. It’s a time for the whole Wiccans don’t believe in heaven or hell: family to reunite.” they believe in a place called Summerland, Even though Vakil isn’t Christian, where souls rest in between cycles of during the holiday season he still reincarnation. celebrates Christmas. “We’re all about peace, harmony and “My whole family celebrates Christmas being mindful in everything you do,” Blair because we like to exchange gifts,” Vakil said. Wiccans celebrate several holidays said. “It’s a time for the whole family to from solstices to harvests. Blair, previously celebrate.” being a Christian, spends her holiday Islam season celebrating winter. “We don’t exactly have holiday “Yule is coming up, and it’s basically traditions but we have two celebrations a the Winter Equinox,” Blair said. “It’s our year called ‘Eid,’” band junior Esahm Malik version of Christmas.” g

Student Shortlist by NatashaLeonard

How old were you when you realized Santa wasn’t real?

said. “One is after the lunar Islamic month of Ramadan and the other is 2 months and 10 days after the first Eid and it’s meant to be the day of pilgrimage when Muslims go to Hajj.” The Ramadan involves lots of family time, buying new clothes, exchanging gifts and visiting friends and family. “Its significance is that the first is a celebration of the ending of our fast in the month of Ramadan and the second Eid is to celebrate the Prophet Abraham’s sacrifice,” Malik said. Malik spends his holiday season celebrating Christmas.

“[I] told my sister ‘You don’t love me because you don’t get me what I want’ and she got upset because she had bought me the Light Bright [I wanted]. In the heat of the moment she told me Santa wasn’t real...and Dominique Stoney communications junior then I cried. ”

Where does the fox live? The campus fox is welcomed by BennettMorgan

his school year, a new and unique student has joined the DSOA student body. This student is a gray fox more commonly referred to as the Dreyfoos Fox. Every so often, the fox is spotted in the fencedoff area outside the cafeteria and Building Photo by Elizabeth Lane The Dreyfoos fox is caught on 7. However, camera wandering around by controversy has the media center. erupted over the fox’s acceptance into the school without having to audition. “Why is it unfair? Because the people in this school [worked] so hard to get in, and work so hard to stay here…it makes them feel disrespected by the administration,” theatre sophomore Cory Gawlikowski said. “It is not fair for a student to get such an advantage just for [being a different species.] It gets free lunch and didn’t even fill out the form.” However, some students respect the Dreyfoos Fox for it’s nonconformist and antiestablishment ideals. “I think that it is the right of the fox to be able to reclaim it’s natural habitat that has been torn away from him [for] generations by our tyrannous ancestors,” digital media sophomore Bennett Ragan said. Oddly enough, the Dreyfoos Fox does not seem too concerned with the controversy, but instead remains focused on what seems to be a “Go-Green” mission. By staying after school late at night to eat leftover food scraps, the Dreyfoos Fox sets an example for how other students can help keep campus a bit cleaner. It looks like the Dreyfoos Fox may be sticking around for a while. There is a lot of fox hype, but no imminent interviews with it have been scheduled, leaving the question unanswered: What does the fox say? g

“There were several people in my life who told me Santa wasn’t real, but I figured Santa had just stopped visiting them.” Isabella Pezzulo visual senior

Arrigo_AutoShow_4104_830mt 8/28/13 11:16 AM Page 1

COVER STORY

the clone wars Proposition of a south county arts high school could threaten Dreyfoos

For The

Lowest Price & Biggest Selection You Gotta Go Arrigo! Jim Arrigo

John Arrigo

Owner & President

Vice President & General Manager

76% no Would you want another arts school in the area?

24% Yes

87% no If there is another art school, should it be zoned

13% Yes

75% Threat

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13% Yes

Would you 76% thousands of man power and millions 76% consider anotherby EstherMendoza arts noat this of dollars to create what we have t its humble beginnings, Dreyfoos was 78% no school,” Mr. West said. “The cost for the school a threat A anto experiment. Shrouded in mystery, If there yesis district would be monumental.” it gradually fueled by the students’ If there was another Dreyfoos or a grew,25% Do you believe another Would you Various factors play into the schools another creative spirit and the teachers’ drive to benefit? benefit art school closer to art school would art school, want another give the arts a name in a relatively academic creation. Not only would the new school arts teachers, would also have your home,need would you but it23% 24% of should it county. Now almost 25 years later, it seems arts school diminishinthe number toattend undergo various renovations to the as if it is time for history to repeat itself in Yes it? Yes at 22% the area? students be zoned campus, such as building an additional the most unlikely of places: Boynton Beach dance studio. Dreyfoos is able to thrive dreyfoos? no Community High School. Earlier this year, the district school board proposed the creation of another arts school in Palm Beach County, choosing Boynton Beach Community High School as its host. As it stands now, most of the discussions are speculative since there are more ‘what ifs’ than actual answers. One of the main obstacles the district faces is the five to 18 million in funds required to build the school. For social studies teacher Thomas West, the cost the district faces at the beginning are small compared to what will follow. “It’s taken almost 20 years, tens of

and expand due to its various benefits and endowments, which poses the question as to whether Dreyfoos would ultimately have to share with the new arts school. According to a Muse survey, 81 percent of the students surveyed believe that Dreyfoos will lose its outside revenue. However Executive Director of the School of the Arts Foundation Patricia Broxson believes that will be very unlikely. “I think we have a very dedicated group of supporters in Palm Beach County. The parents are supportive, we have foundations throughout the nation that continued on page 20

Would you consider another arts school a threat to Dreyfoos or a benefit?

13% Yes

75% Threat

If ther 25% benefit art sc

your ho 19

continued from page 19 are supportive of our organization and we have community members that support us and the support is given on the success of our program and how highly regarded it is,” Ms. Broxson said. “I don’t think funding would change I think a new school would have to go out in the community and develop their own group of funders.” However, Dreyfoos’ funding is not a set in stone. According to author and Dreyfoos benefactor James Patterson, in order for Dreyfoos to maintain its funding it will have to gain more of a presence in the county. “Dreyfoos has to do a better job at making the community more aware of how incredible the school is and how smart and talented these students are,” Mr. Patterson said. “If you are worried about funding, the only way we can lock in the benefactors is to promote Dreyfoos’s incredible standing and the talent here on campus.” Yet, funding isn’t the only problems that the new school would face. There is also the question of where the students would come from. As of now, Boynton Beach High School already has one of the lowest student populations in the county. To remedy this fact, the School Board has proposed adding the program as a magnet. This would allow current students to remain at the school while allowing students who would like to go there the option of applying. However, if this new magnet is zoned, it could pose a problem to the perspective Dreyfoos students from the Boynton Beach area. This school year there are 249 Dreyfoos students that live in the Boynton Beach area or south of it. According to a Muse survey, 87 percent of students would not want the school district to zone the school, and only 24 percent would actually go to that school if it was closer to their home. Magnet coordinator Patrick Marshall feels similar to many of the students. “I don’t think it should be zoned,” Mr. Marshall said. “We are unique because of the students who

75% Threat

13% Yes 76% no

75% Threat

87% no If there is 76% another no

75% Threat

by TaylorRich

How would a new art school affect Dreyfoos?

Dreyfoos or a benefit?

76% no you Would

75% Threat

Do you believe another art school would diminish the number of students at dreyfoos?

13% “It wouldYes affect [the

school] because it would take away a lot of students from Dreyfoos. It’s a bad idea because Dreyfoos should be a one of a kind school, not one of two art high schools in Palm Beach County.”

78% yes

22% no

“It would be possible for Dreyfoos to lose its exclusive charm as the only arts school in Palm Beach County, but it would also be cool to possibly collaborate with the other school, especially within the music department. A little friendly competition never hurts.”

are talented and get thrown into the lottery. There are plenty of talented kids for both schools.” However, there are others who are not so optimistic about the prospects of another arts high school, such as digital media teacher Peter Stodolak. “I think it’s going to be very difficult to replicate Dreyfoos. [The new school] is going to dilute programs,” Mr. Stodolak said. “It sounds like somebody thought this with good intentions, but hasn’t thought it through. [Dreyfoos] has a good foundation built up over decades. It can’t be built overnight.” Whether Dreyfoos or the new school at Boynton Beach Community High School, arts funding in the county have suffered from a

Do you believe another arts school would affect Dreyfoos’ benefactor donations and the foundation?

76% no

If there was another 25% Elizabeth Priegues benefit art school closer tokeyboard junior 23% your home, would you Yes attend it?

Donald O’Connor theatre freshman

78% yes

Do you believe another art school would diminish the number of students at

Camille Malkasian strings sophomore

81% yes

19% no

76% no 23% Yes

81% yes 78% yes

Do you believe another arts wouldanother Do school you believe affect artDreyfoos’ school would benefactor donations 19% diminish the number of and the foundation? no 22% students at dreyfoos? no

lack of funding and attention. For people like Mr. Patterson, the more exposure the arts get, the better the quality will be. “Cut backs in arts programs across the country are unfortunate, since art is the foundation and ignition to some of the world’s greatest discoveries,” Mr. Patterson said. “The arts are magical and take us away from reality. The students at Dreyfoos are incredibly talented and we must promote our image more than what we’re doing now.” Although it may not reach the level of prestige Dreyfoos has in the foreseeable future, one thing that is expected is that Dreyfoos will serve as a basis for the new school. If the project does begin to develop, dance teacher Rhonda Johnson believes that

Dreyfoos will step up and help shape the new school. “It will offer more wonderful opportunities to students in the district. [The new school] should consult with Dreyfoos. We will offer them assistance to hire staff. This new school could become a feeder to Dreyfoos,” Ms. Johnson said. “Arts should be offered to all students, not just coveted here.” g

? ???????????????????????????????? ?? ?? ??????????????????????????? ??????????? ? ????? ????????????????????????????? ? ??????????????? ? ?????????????????? ? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ???????????? ? ????????????????? ? ?????????? ?????

...would you be 78% yes

22%

“It would take away the status we have as the only arts school in our county. It could also take money and students away from Dreyfoos.”

13% Yes

consider another arts If there was another 25% a threat to Do you believe another to Dreyfoos benefit art school closerschool art school wouldwas another If there or a 25% 23% your home, would you of closer to art school benefitthe number Yesbenefit? diminish attend it? students at would 22%you your home, dreyfoos? attend no it?

you arts Would you t towant another art school, was another or aarts school 25% in If there 24% art closershould to it 13% efit? the benefit Yesschool area? your be zoned23% Yes home, would you Yes attend it?

Student Would you Shortlist consider another arts school a threat to

go here. I’d hate for students to leave. When the students get here, they find it’s a really special place to go to school.” Yet, all the uncertainties surrounding the project allow room for flexibility. Dr. Atherley believes that there are many ways the school district could go through with the project. “It may come down to, if you live in this area you will go to this school,” Dr. Atherley said. “We might not provide transportation because it is expensive to put kids on Tri-Rail, but if you provide your own transportation they may say you can go. These are the conversations that have to take place.” Discussions are also centered on whether or not the new school should make auditions part of their admissions process. Many argue that the audition process and its rigorous standards have a large part in the success and prestige of Dreyfoos, such as band junior Michael Guinaugh. “The audition process probably won’t be as rigorous as ours because this school has been around for a long time,” Guinaugh said. “We’ve had time to build our reputation which is why the auditions are hard. A new school doesn’t have a reputation so they won’t have as high of a standard.” Even if auditions will be included in the admissions process, nothing takes away from the fact that Dreyfoos has to turn away a great number of potentially talented students. Although, according to the Muse survey 75 percent of the students believe the new school is a threat to Dreyfoos, it could be a silver lining for students who do not get accepted. I am not affiliated with the new school in the works, but I root for its success,” Mr. Patterson said. “There are so many students that aren’t admitted to Dreyfoos that have a tremendous about of talent. The lottery shouldn’t be such a large part of the equation. There are so many students who

Alaina Rahaim theatre senior

“A new arts school in our county would create opportunities for students that don’t go to Dreyfoos to experience the interesting things we do and learn here. It’d allow more students to experience the arts.”

? ??? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ????? ??? ??? ? ? ? ?? ?????????? ??? ?? ? ???? ? ??? ? ? ???????????????? ? ??? ???

? ??? ? ?? ? ??? ? ? ? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ??? ? ? ??? ? ???? ? ? ? ?? ?? ??? ? ?? ? ? ? ???? ? ???? ??? ?? ??????????????? ? ??? ???? ? ?

13% Yes

“Dreyfoos’ reputation would go down with a new arts high school. It would create competition between the schools and while it would be a good opportunity for more students to experience what we’re offered at Dreyfoos, it’d make our school less exclusive.”

Do you believe another arts school would affect Dreyfoos’ benefactor donations

81% yes

19%

???? ? ? ???? ? ?? ??????? ???????

If there is another art school, should it be zoned

If there is another art school, should it 13% Yes be zoned Jordan McCrary communications junior

COVER STORY

? ?

87% no

24% Yes

87% no

Where... Would you 13% want another Yes arts school in the area?

Would you consider another arts school a threat to Dreyfoos or a benefit?

76% no

If there is another art school, should it be zoned

? ?

??? ? ? ???? ? ?? ??????? ?????????? ?

? ? ? ?

no ? ????????????STORY ? ??????COVER ? ? ? ? ?? ? ??????????? ? ?? ??Would ? ??????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? you ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? want ? another???????????????????????? ??? arts school? in ???????24% ? ???????????Yes ? the ? ?area? ? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ???? ? ? ?????????????????????????? ??????????? ?????

ARTS

Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts • Arts BOARD CERTIFIED

Experiencing the arts Passport to the Arts encourages students to attend school performances

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Affordable care from our family to yours.

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Dance senior Cassidy Spaedt performs a comtemporary dance solo for the Passport to the Arts LTM performance. On Thursday Dec. 5, the Dance Department collaborated to bring a two-act show for the students during their first hour on the LTM day.

by MackenzieWhite reyfoos has always been known as a tight-knit community in which students are supportive of each other. Recently there has been an addition to this encouraging atmosphere with the introduction of the Passport to the Arts initiative. The goal of these passports is to get students more involved in every art major. A few years ago, social studies teacher Lea Jefferson and visual dean Jennifer Gifford travelled to California where they attended a conference and learned to integrate art into academic lesson plans in order to help students understand and relate to instances in history better. This inspired them to write a lesson plan together mixing African-American history and performance art. “Art transcends race,” Ms. Jefferson said. “Once you see, and get a chance to experience a classmate’s art area, you get

Theatre junior Yossi Sachi expresses his talent through a monologue that he performed about an overly obssessed lover at the Dec. 5 LTM Passport to the Arts performance.

a better appreciation for them as human beings.” This core idea of combining the arts continued into the beginning of last year when Principal Susan Atherley created the “cloud system,” which had teachers sign up for different committees or clouds. The arts integration cloud slowly devised how they would broaden the arts in each meeting. Language dean Linda Kass came up with the idea of giving students the passports. “The purpose of the passports is for the students to familiarize themselves with other art forms here at Dreyfoos,” Ms. Kass said. “This way you are really encourage to support other students.” The teachers in the arts integration cloud built off the passport idea by stamping the passport for each performance a student attends, offering City Place lunch to underclassmen who attend four art

performances outside of their major and Rita’s Ice to seniors that reach the same goal. “It really gives us a chance to explore our classmate’s other majors which I think is great because it takes us out of our comfort zone,” visual junior Olivia Stefanovic said. With the passports having been distributed earlier this year, students have had many opportunities to make use of their passports to the arts including showings of “Lend me a Tenor,” the Philharmonic and the Fall Dance Concert. “The goal is to encourage all of the students to see art areas other than their own,” Ms. Hanniford said. “We all become more profound artists when we see what’s out there in the arts world and don’t segregate ourselves into our own small worlds.” g

ARTS

Arts Index

ARTS

A guide to what’s going on in the art area classes

by ArtsStaff

Band

ike those in the other music departments, band students spent the second quarter of the school year preparing for the Prism Concert on Dec. 17. This year, students were given more freedom of collaboration and were encouraged to play a wider variety of pieces. “I’m playing in various ensembles ranging from philharmonic orchestra to percussion ensemble to marimba suet to Klezmer band,” band sophomore Charles Comiter said. “I will be acting as a percussionist and accordion player.” Some band students also participated in the Philharmonic concert on Nov. 25. This concert featured a concerto for violin and two flutes, which was performed by band seniors Sarah Barden and Jorge Ramos and strings junior Taisuke Yasuda. “We’re playing a piece called ‘Brandenburg Concerto No. 4’ by Bach. We worked on it over the summer and during school leading up to the concert,” Barden said. “It’s a smaller orchestra that plays with us—less players so that you can hear the soloists more.” g

Photo by Dana Miller

On Nov. 25, the band department held the Philharmonic Concert in Meyer Hall featuring a concerto for violin and two flutes performed by band seniors Sarah Barden and Jorge Ramos and strings junior Taisuke Yasuda.

Photo by Dana Miller

Digital Media sophomore Kanae Perez drills a hole through a palm frond where she plans to hang upside down with a red string for her Sculpture 1 class.

Vocal

fter recently being accepted to the All State Choir, vocal majors have began to start on literature for the department’s holiday concert in Meyer Hall on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. “Rather than feature the classic secular songs of our time we are singing the religious music of both Christianity and Judaism,” vocal sophomore Joshua Johnson said. After the music department’s annual prism concert, the vocal department will be going on a trip to Orlando before winter break. g

Digital Media

igital media juniors and seniors went on a trip to New York to browse colleges and galleries. In their absence, the remaining students began preparations for their juries and submissions for contests like the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Florida State Fair. “I’m working on a short film to submit to the Scholastics competition,” digital media junior Christopher Oh said. Some of the other students worked on the posters for the fall dance concert. g

Theatre

Keyboard

tarting in early December, keyboard majors will perform the jury pieces they were assigned at the beginning of the year. A select few keyboard majors are also working on holiday music for the upcoming Prism concert scheduled for Dec. 17. This year the department brought back its mentoring program where juniors and seniors help the freshmen and sophomores with technique and musical expression. “The mentoring program is not so much about perfecting phrases and slurs in a piece, but more about creating a cohesive family in the keyboard department,” keyboard sophomore Thomas Wiskoff said. g

Visual

he visual department held a miniature art show on Nov. 15 in the visual gallery. Every piece in the show was required to be 4 x 6 inches or smaller, featuring all mediums of work, including paintings and sculptures. The pieces were up for auction to raise money for the art honor society. “It was really great because a lot of people used different mediums, for example they sewed into their work. [Some students] even framed them,” visual sophomore Jailine Cano said. Colleges from all over the nation are visiting the Visual Department, with over nineteen visitors since Sept. 10. Representatives talk about their school and provide portfolio reviews. “We’re able to gain different perspectives on our artworks from artists themselves,” visual sophomore Calil Arguedas-Russell said. “[We learn] how to further develop our artwork. g

ith the amazing production of “Lend Me a Tenor” still fresh on everyone’s mind, the only question students have is whether the Theatre Department’s next big production, “Legally Blonde,” will be just as hilarious and well produced. Auditions for “Legally Blonde” began Nov. 18. “I already know it’s going to be an amazing show,” theatre junior Charly Hamann said. “Auditions have been super challenging and a boatload of fun, which I think is only a preview of what’s to come.” It’s been decided that Olivia Dei Cicchi will play Elle Woods, Sarah Hardwick will play Margot, Ally Rosenblum will play Serena, Chelsea Jean-Michel will play Pilar, and Drew Lederman will play Kate. g

Strings

rism usually opens up with Dreyfoos’ Philharmonic movement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. To have a different start for this year’s annual winter concert, the philharmonic will perform “It’s the Most Wonderful Time” hoping to immediately capture the audience’s attention. Dreyfoos’ String Orchestra will also be performing “Veni Veni,” a rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This concert will also feature a duet by strings freshmen Sophia Perez and Dana Esposito Harps. “I’ve never seen the prism concert [before], so I’m really excited [and a bit nervous] to be in it,” Perez said. g

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Theatre seniors Antonio Chicco (bottom) and Michael Pisani perform an act from “Lend Me a Tenor” during Passport to the Arts. Theatre majors gave the student body an inside look at the process of putting on a production.

Communications

he deadline for submissions to Seeds is approaching. Submissions are due Dec. 21. From Nov. 14 to Nov. 17, students from Marquee, The Muse and DSOA Today traveled to Boston, Mass. for the National Scholastic Press Association High School Journalism Convention. Students attended various seminars, workshops and classes to improve their journalism skills. The Muse received a Pacemaker award and placed fifth in Best in Show. Marquee is a Pacemaker finalist and individual winners will be announced next year. Several students who attended were individually recognized for their journalistic achievements. “We made great contacts and got really good information on how to make DSOA Today a good show,” communications teacher Anyerson Hernandez said. g

Dance

he dance department’s hard work paid off after the fall concert debuted on Nov. 21 and continued until Nov. 24. “It went really well and it had a nice outcome,” dance sophomore Laura Guley said. “There was a nice combination of different styles and pieces so it wasn’t the same the whole time. There was a lot of variety.” During the LTM on Dec. 5, the dance department presented the fall concert to the school. Half of the school saw the first act of the show while the other half saw the second act. The performance consisted of contemporary and modern pieces. In addition, the performance featured classical ballet dances from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s iconic “Swan Lake.” g

ARTS

The meaning of YoungArts by JadeLenkersdorf

tudents all over the nation compete in YoungArts. Some win up to $10,000 in scholarships and a few students get to attend workshops with prominent artists. Since 1881, over 17,000 artists have been recognized and more than $150 million dollars in scholarship opportunities have been awarded. The YoungArts foundation holds the competition yearly for cinematic arts, dance, design arts, jazz, music, photography, theatre, visual arts, voice and writing. Artists who apply to YoungArts must submit portfolios and audition by the beginning of fall. Some students prepare their audition for months, while others prefer to submit on the last night. “I was very stressed about entering,” visual senior and merit winner Theresa Ryan said. “I made over nine different pieces this year in the first two to three months of school and was only able to use one from over the summer.”

The application process is online and students who apply pay a $35 fee. Artists can apply for more than one field and the competition is open to artists 15 to 18 years old or in grades 10 through 12. YoungArts received near 10,000 applications for 2013, and 160 finalists were chosen after 700 were picked as National winners. Winners were notified by email at the end of November. “I feel very accomplished [to win],” vocal junior and finalist Virginia Mims said. “I know that I want to do this as a career and it gives me hope that it could really happen.” Winners get the opportunity to attend YoungArts programs for master classes with celebrated artists as well as workshops and performances. Merit winners receive a recommendation and an invitation to attend regional programs. Honorable mention artists receive a $250 award, a letter and an invitation to attend workshops and programs. “I’m just so grateful to be a part of the program,” Mims said. “I’m really excited and

glad that my hard work is paying off.” Finalist winners receive an invitation to YoungArts Week in January for final judging to decide a designation level. Gold level winners win $10,000 and Silver $5,000. Level 1 winners receive $3,000, level 2 $1,500 and level 3 $1,000 dollars. “I am automatically invited back to have an interview for the Presidential Scholarship, which gives me an opportunity to go to Washington and sing for [President] Obama,” theatre junior and finalist Olivia Deicicchi said. The finalists go to Miami to view performances, exhibitions and attend workshops with renowned artists, teachers and mentors. Once there they are able to meet other students who share their same dreams and talents. “I’m so excited to see what they have in store, to find out who my mentor is and to perform on the stage,” Deicicchi said. “It’s going to be so much fun.” g

This year’s YoungArts finalists are visual seniors (from left to right) Allan Doyle, Isabella Pezzulo and Luis Zepeda and vocal junior Virginia Mims. Photos by Elizabeth Lane

Playing a new kind of Prism by TiffanyAbreu

violinist tightens and tunes his instrument, plucking the strings. A pianist bumps elbows with a flutist as they set the stage. A clarinetist assembles her instrument nearby. These are preparations for the annual Prism performance--except that this year, changes were made before the curtain rose. Prism is taking place in the Kravis Center, as it did for the first time last year. “Now that we have such a large venue and stage, and we’ve had a go around once, this time we will really use the space to the fullest ability that we can.” vocal junior Drew Tanabe said. “The hardest thing for us to do last year was accommodate to a new space.” Last year, a few ensembles walked into the audience to perform. While it was an amazing

show, it was a difficult arrangement. “We have to decide on how to coordinate all the performances in the different areas of the Kravis,” strings senior Alice Zhou said. “Some groups are large, with more than 80 people, and other groups can be just two people. Each performance has to flow directly into the next, with little break in between.” Most of the organization was done by the performance’s stage manager, strings senior Justin Velasquez. “It’s [my] job to make this concert spectacular by making it run smoothly and professionally,” Velasquez said. “In order to pull off a show this big, we have to work out logistics such as equipment transportation, and how long rehearsals are.” With the winter holidays around

the corner, most of the songs of past performances were holiday themed. This tradition was broken this year. “It will be much more grandiose in scale and diversity,” band sophomore Charles Comiter said. “The range of music is from Klezmer to traditional holiday to Arabic.” After weeks of anticipation, the Prism performers have seen the payoff. Their concert was sold out, and everyone is excited to see their work. “It was a little difficult, but that made it interesting,” strings sophomore Camille Malkasian said. “The majors all came together.” g

Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports

Photo courtesy of Haley Lickstein

Communications junior Haley Lickstein performs a split leap during a gymnastics practice with Palm Beach Gymnastics. Lickstein did gymnastics until eighth grade when she hurt her knee.

devastating by TomasCabezas

edicated and gifted athletes dream of pursuing a career in their sport. Communications junior Haley Lickstein was both gifted in and dedicated to gymnastics, yet she was unable to pursue it professionally. At the age of 15, Lickstein tore her knee-cap due to two tumors, and the surgery to remove them forced her to quit gymnastics. “I didn’t know my plan to do gymnastics for the long term was going to change,” Lickstein said. Lickstein started gymnastics when she was 2 years old. She had abnormally flexible joints, so her parents introduced her to the sport. Throughout elementary school and most of

In this section:

28 29 30

Read about the valuable life experiences that can be taken away from sports. For the first time in school history the basketball team has something to play for. Read about one student’s relentless passion for basketball that earned him a unique position on the basketball team.

decision

Years of gymnastics come to an end after a medical scare

middle school, she competed in gymnastics. She even trained in Houston, Texas, with Bela Karolyi, former US Olympic gymnastics coach. “My last few years of competing were my highlight,” Lickstein said, “I tended to place in beam and floor every time in the year before I quit.” As an experienced gymnast, whenever Lickstein was injured her family and coach followed protocol. X-ray the injury, and while waiting for the results, Photo courtesy of Haley Lickstein work on conditioning. Lickstein Communications junior Haley Lickstein poses with famous U.S. and didn’t think much of the pain Romanian Olympic coach Béla Károlyi after attending his gymnastics at the time and was completely camp in seventh grade. unaware that it would change routine where I would slide to the floor and the course of her future. One roll into a split, and I would put the pressure day during practice, she couldn’t land her on my knee when I bent over, and I couldn’t regular routine or push through the sharp push through it, so I walked around the gym, pain in her right knee. and my knee dislocated.” “I’ve hurt my knee before and I got Lickstein’s tumors were benign and steroid injections into my knee (cortisone classified as non ossifying fibromas; tumors shots) so that I could still compete and the that do not attach to bone or tissue which pain wouldn’t hurt me,” Lickstein said. “For causes the bone to weaken to the point of a little bit, I thought my cortisone shots continued on page 28 being had worn off. I have a certain move in my

SPORTS

The assurance of endurance

Something worth playing for

apply in the classroom. “When you want to be somewhere and you love what you’re doing, you will go to whatever lengths it takes to succeed,” Suarez said. “Similarly, if you have a dream to go to a top college, you will spend hours on end to perfect your grades.” I’ve found that when someone is passionate about anything, they will dedicate their free time to it. Although they are only focusing on the sport during this time, they are ultimately learning much more than how to chase a ball. “When you’re told to run 10 laps, play a two hour game and then go home to three more hours of homework, you may very well feel like Superman once you are done; when you have to repeat this five days a week, it becomes routine,” said girls soccer player and communications junior Ditalia ‘Alana’ Grnja. “As something so complex becomes a part of your everyday life, you feel invincible once you get through the season; as if you can conquer anything.” g

“We all play each other once, whoever has the efore this season, the Dreyfoos best record out of that plays the team with basketball team had never played a the best record in South Division.” postseason game. This is not because A championship game would be the they have been unsuccessful; this perfect reward for the basketball team if they is because they were never eligible. continue to have the success that they have The team never participated in a been having. conference, therefore they could not “Last year [the team] had a great record participate in postseason play, even but after the regular season that was it,” Mr. with the outstanding season they had Burns said. “They didn’t get to prove whether last year. or not they were the best. I think this year This season is different, however, we’ll get a chance to prove we’re the best nonas Dreyfoos joins five other teams conference team.” in the new East Coast Conference The fact that a championship game is on created by Florida Atlantic University the line means the pressure is on for seniors, (FAU) High school athletic director who want to finish their last season on the Keith Feit. Wellington Christian team with a conference championship under and Community Christian will join their belt. Dreyfoos in the North Division, while “These are games that we’ve never had the FAU High School, David Posnack, opportunity to play before,” Levine said. “This and American Prep High School will is the first time that games matter. It’s our compete in the South Division. senior season for a lot of the starters and we “For the first time the team has won’t get this chance again.” a goal, something to work towards,” The new conference won’t just benefit the basketball player and communications players on the current Dreyfoos team, but senior Kevin Levine said. “Previous will also bring the competitive spirit back in seasons we have just played out former players as well. Photo by Elizabeth Lane games and there was nothing to look “Growing up playing basketball I played Strings sophomore Joshua Ewers shoots a lay-up during practice forward to at the end of the season. in a conference [and] you gain rivals,” said while being guarded by visual senior Colin Kroll (left) and band sophomore Tyren Woods. But this time, for the first time, we Mr. Stohr. “You want to beat them more than have games that really matter.” anybody. So any conference game gives you “There are three teams in our division, the Social studies teacher and boys basketball somebody to beat.” g North Division, with Wellington Christian coach Jeffrey Stohr talked with Mr. Feit at and Community Christian,” said Mr. Stohr. a game last year about the fact that neither were in a conference, and they both decided that they wanted this to change. “We were both saying that we would like to have a conference, and neither of us were in a conference, so he took the next six months and made a conference,” said Mr. Stohr. by JackReagan Mr. Feit finalized the conference just he five-man weave drill is run by five players, the same before the season started and the new East amount that are on the court during a game. This drill Coast Conference was born. enhances the speed, agility, and ball movement of the team. “It happened relatively fast,” said athletic “It takes five guys and they run down the court and director and math teacher Christopher Burns. they’re constantly passing, cutting, passing, cutting, “It was all done over e-mail.” shooting, getting rebounds, passing and cutting again,” With the basketball team off to another said basketball coach and social studies teacher Jeffrey great start this year, it is only fitting that the Stohr. “It’s very good teamwork.” team can do something that was not possible The first player, in the middle, passes it to the before, play in a championship game. player to either his right or his left. The player he “We can play for a trophy now,” said Mr. passed it to and the player from the other side streak Stohr. “You can say that you’re the conference across the court and either one receives a pass. The champion. It’s just nice to have a group to two players on the outside begin to run down the belong to because we hadn’t had one for court as they are doing this, receiving pass after years.” pass, moving in a zigzag formation. Once they The postseason will consist of a 1st place have moved down the entire court, the first player, game, in which the winner of each division who has been running behind the moving players, will play, a 3rd place game and a 5th place comes to the front of the formation to receive a Graphic by Kyle Bell game. bounce pass and shoots a lay-up. g

Students find more than exercise in after school sports by BariBossis

fter a club volleyball tryout in the seventh grade, I was placed on the practice team while all of my friends got the joy of participating in tournaments. The one thing that I had come to love was being ripped from my arms-- the same ones that evidently weren’t strong enough to earn me a spot on “the A Bari Bossis team.” From then on I stayed after practice for extra help with my coach and finally, I was asked to play in an upcoming tournament. This instance taught me that I can attain anything with endurance. People have their weaknesses. Whether it’s science, history or public speaking. But we also have our passions. Sometimes, our weaknesses and passions try to defeat us and it is our job to lift our heads up and say “no.” At 12 years old, I learned perseverance can bring you a long way.

From what I have learned, those who participate in sports after school are seriously deprived of sleep and time to study. Whether or not they succeed in their classes, the students choose to play a sport for a reason much stronger than the fact that it is good exercise. Team sports, specifically, offer an outlet for students that they are not able to find in the classroom, teach students about themselves and offer guidance in more places than the court or field. “Playing a sport teaches you so much about yourself,” girls soccer goalie and visual junior Rachel Rabinowitz said. “I have found myself successful in so many more areas of my life because of the leadership qualities that I’ve adapted while playing.” Personally, I have always struggled in my math classes. Volleyball has not only given me a relief from my stress, but taught me that my weaknesses have the ability to become some of my strongest assets with some time and patience. Girls volleyball player and digital media sophomore Valentina Suarez feels that sports teach students discipline that they can

Lickstein continued from page 27 fractured or even broken. In Lickstein’s case, the tumor caused a tear in her patella. The surgery consisted of having her quadriceps muscle cut and pulled over her knee-cap to prevent it from dislocating. the tumors were removed. “My friends came every day after school. They came to my house and checked on me and brought me ice cream,” Lickstein said, “They were all really supportive.” After recovering from the surgery, Lickstein took gymnastics lessons in order to keep up with her previous level, but realized that goal was impossible. Lickstein was forced to quit. “I believed that she would stop gymnastics as her skills were lowering in comparison to kids her age, and she has skills that were stronger in other passions,” Lickstein’s mother Lisa Lickstein said. However, Lickstein’s love for gymnastics was recognized even after she was forced to quit, having an award named after her. Every year during the Palm Beach gymnastics banquet, the coaches give out a Haley Lickstein award. “The Haley Lickstein award is given out to a gymnast who shows the most dedication, hard work and team

Joining a new conference gives Dreyfoos basketball high hopes by AdamNir

The Five-Man Weave

Coach Stohr explains a basketball drill

Photo courtesy of Haley Lickstein

Communications junior Haley Lickstein executes a dive roll during practice. Lickstein competed in gymnastics tournaments for seven years before injuring her knee.

leadership each year,” Lickstein said. Investing time and dedication to another hobby helped Lickstein get through the limitations the surgery left her with and filled the gap that was left with quitting gymnastics. After finding out about the communication arts program at Dreyfoos, she found something else that she was passionate about; speech and debate. “We found out about the Dreyfoos program from a family friend Sarah Baldinger,

who thought I would enjoy the program,” Haley Lickstein said. Lickstein learned hard work and perseverance from her experiences in gymnastics, and from those experiences Lickstein grew such a strong base for debate and leadership. “It’s because of the leadership opportunity that her team allowed her to have that she became invested in communications and debate,” Ms. Lickstein said. g

SPORTS

Everyday he’s hustlin’

Theatre senior Dondre Tuck earns an unexpected position on the basketball team by CharlesBonani

he boys basketball team practices every non-game day after school, and theatre senior Dondre Tuck can be seen practicing with the team every day. This would seem like an ordinary sight, except for the fact that Tuck is not actually a member of the basketball team. After trying out for the team and narrowly missing the final roster, Tuck was contacted by boys basketball coach and social studies teacher Jeffrey Stohr about being a member of the practice squad but, more importantly, being the team manager. “At first I was kind of reluctant about it but I gave it some thought and [decided]: ‘I might as well be a part of the team and be a part of the games,’ ” Tuck said. “I take it very seriously because I love the sport of basketball.” Tuck tried out for the basketball team as a sophomore and most recently as a senior, but was unfortunately cut from the team each year. He was never deterred, however, and his love and dedication for the game brought him back to tryouts each year. He has embraced the opportunity given to him by Mr. Stohr, and was honored to find out that Mr. Stohr was giving him a practice jersey to use during the team practices. “It shows that, even though I didn’t make the team, [Mr. Stohr] still thinks that I’m good enough to be able to practice, which says a lot about him and it says a lot about me,” Tuck said. “It’s awesome that I’m able to work with the team and still play with them at the same time.” Tuck embraces his role on the basketball team and considers himself the team’s biggest fan. He believes the level of energy and excitement that he brings to the team is paramount to their success. “Without me, I say the team’s not winning,” Tuck said. “I am a sideline cheerleader and I’m like the spirit of the team even though I’m not on it. Without me they are not going anywhere.” Tuck’s commitment and passion towards the basketball team dates back to last year’s homecoming game, the game he highlights as the one where he showed the most excitement for the team. “I’m not saying I’m the one who made them win but I was always on the sidelines cheering and keeping them going and pushing them,” Tuck said. While Tuck is heavily involved as the team’s biggest fan, he still has responsibilities

JAGUAR PROFILE

happy.” that come with being Theatre senior and boys the team manager. basketball player Jason “[Tuck’s] duties Smith shares Kwangwari’s as manager include enthusiasm about Tuck’s keeping time during positive attitude. practice [and also] “He’s always there for timing and scoring me,” Smith said. “If I make drills and little mini a shot he cheers. If anyone games,” Mr. Stohr makes a shot he’s there for said. “He does any them.” work that needs to Tuck undoubtedly puts be done. He’s very all of his effort into cheering excited about being the basketball team on to part of the team.” victory, but he also puts this While Mr. Stohr effort into his work as team highlights his physical manager and his play during contributions to the the team practices. He is team as manager, fully committed to his place some of the basketball on the team and believes players bring light Photo by Elizabeth Lane that this says a lot about to some of the other Dondre Tuck participates in after school practice him as a person. ways that he has as coach Jeffrey Stohr looks on. “It shows my character assisted the team. and it shows that even though I didn’t make “He’s more of [a] moral support for the the team it doesn’t mean I still can’t enjoy the team,” communications senior and cosport,” Tuck said. “It shows not to ever give captain Munashe Kwangwari said. “He’s up on what you love and to work hard for always happy, live [and] he’s always giving where you want to be.” g 110 percent. It’s great to have someone like Dondre on the court because he’s always

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Coach’s Corner: Thomas Ruth by MaxFields

occer is a sport that requires the player to be able to handle multiple tasks with balance and precision. This is also true for boys soccer coach and social studies teacher Tom Ruth in terms of coaching. “One thing that is unique to soccer is the level of interaction a coach has while the game is going on,” Mr. Ruth said. “The interactions allow me be able to make sure I add the direction to the kids when they need it.” Not only does Mr. Ruth have to handle and provide direction for the soccer players on the field during a game, but also when they are practicing. “When it is not [a] game, I need to take a much different approach in order to build on from what we have learned from last game, or a weak spot in our plan of attack,” Mr. Ruth said. “The main goal of practice, as a coach, is to break down each individual and try to work them into the bigger goal of working a cohesive team on the field for the next game.” This cohesiveness is achieved by how

Mr. Ruth takes advantage of every second he gets with his team. “When we get on that field I use every chance I get to mentor the kids, set up drills, or work on what we need to,” Mr. Ruth said. “I know that when I am done and they are on the field all I can do is offer my advice and hope they act on what I have taught in practice.” g Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Social studies teacher and soccer coach Tom Ruth (right) works with the team during a scrimmage between the team in a practice.

You are your own worst enemy

WELLNESS

According to Mayo Clinic, hypochondriasis is the most common form of a somatoform symptom and is a physiological disorder also known as “health phobia” or “health anxiety.” It is the excessive thought that one will become infected with a serious or life-threatening illness. While most people especially in the teen years do not suffer from this, it is known that mild cases appear as one fears getting sick. As most of us have experienced the “germaphobe” friend who yells at you for sneezing in your hand rather than your arm, it is common for most people to be scared of the thought of getting sick. While a small cold is not too much to be concerned of, the idea of being infected with a disease can lead some to experience what seems to be very real symptoms as they diagnosis themselves with a disease. A lesser and more common form of the relationship between your mind and body while being sick is the nocebo effect. This so-called "nocebo effect" also trades on the power of suggestion, duping you into thinking you're ill when you're perfectly fine. A classic example: reading about a tainted produce and immediately getting a stomachache. Or even after receiving a flu shot, as you think you feel achy and sweaty, both symptoms of

the flu, but in reality the virus is already dead when you are injected with the vaccine. While the thought of creating a fake illness in your head and experiencing symptoms through your body may not be all that appealing, the mind can also convince you that you have been cured from a sickness or disease without anything actually helping you. This is known as the placebo response. According to the New York Times, medical experiments have been done that include giving a patient a pill, co ntaining only sugar, and telling them that it will cure them. As most people will fall for this and automatically feel better and think they have miraculously recovered just because they believed that they would, it proves how powerful the mind can be. While most have the ability to convince themselves that they are sicker than they are in reality, it becomes a dangerous game as one’s body tries to heal itself and your mind pretends that you are not getting any better. It is important to know the real symptoms of a sickness or disease before declaring that you have it and remaining calm, as you read the expiration date on something you ate and immediately feel sick, it really could all be in your head. g

Pimples are not that simple by JessicaRalph

t’s huge, it’s nasty and it always seems to grow on the most inconvenient days. That little red bump that somehow grew on your previously flawless complexion over night seems to dictate how your day will go. It will surely be the only thing your peers notice, and will definitely turn your crush away. You might even be excluded from your friend group for the day and receive the worst message from your group dictator, “you can’t sit with us” in the most “Mean Girls” tone. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that 40 percent of teens and adolescents have experienced acne, and in terms of the general population, 40 to 50 million Americans have experienced breakouts. Yet as common as the pimple may be, few know why they get these inflamed bumps. Instead of increasing your face-scrubbing habits and spending obscene amounts of money on salicylic acidbased products, consider reevaluating your life habits. Aside from irritation and oils from the skin, the pimples on your face may be a warning symbol for an imbalance inside your body. Chinese doctors and other people within the medical field believe that acne is caused by something occurring in the body. Skinacea, a medical blog run by Chinese physicians, mapped out the human face, showing why acne appears in certain areas of the skin.

Cheeks:

Acne appearing on your cheeks is due to an inflammation in the stomach and gastrointestinal track. Try cutting back on sugar, fast food or other foods that cause irritation, such as seafood, which tends to carry bacteria in its digestion tract. Incorporate more gourds, such as squash and pumpkins, and green vegetables into your diet as these foods decrease redness and inflammation. Change pillowcases

Big Mac vs. Chick-fil-A sandwich by MichelleBirch ou are in the car and you see the yellow arches in the corner of your eye. Realizing you have not eaten since breakfast, you walk into your favorite fast-food place and wait for your meal. The smell of fries and grease sneak their way into your nose and...heaven. Take a Photo courtesy of Chick Fil A minute to bring yourself down from the clouds and check the nutritional facts on the burger you are about to stuff down. The Big Mac, an iconic American favorite, has captured the hearts of many in more than one way. This tasty burger is stacked with three buns, two patties, lettuce, cheese and a Photo courtesy of McDonalds signature sauce; this quick choice is 590 calories, which is approximately 28 percent of the suggested caloric intake per day. The burger has 34g of total fat and 8g of sugar. So if you must graze through the drive-thru and swipe a quick bite, opt for the healthier option, a Chick-Fil-A Signature Chicken Sandwich. Housed within two buns you will find one chicken breast and two pickles. This sandwich is 440 calories, has 18g of total fat and only 5g of sugar. The nutritional differences between these two foods may not be immediately noticeable, but the fat difference between them will eventually speak for themselves. Not only that, but no meal is ever complete without a side of fries, which can spike up the calorie count in a single crunch. g

Eat THIS

NOT THAT

Getting in your feelings Seasonal changes provoke depression

by RickyMorris hile seasons may make you feel different because of the change in temperature, there are other reasons why emotions change during transitional times of the year. According to the health education company Healthwise, studies have found that many people experience seasonal depression during certain times of the year. A lack of sunlight is believed to be one cause of seasonal depression. Sunlight gives the body vitamin D, and during the fall and winter months, there is a lack of sunlight due to seasonal weather changes. Hormones made in the brain cause attitude changes in people during certain times of the year. Scientists have found that the lack of vitamins due to seasonal transitions may reduce the amount of serotonin in the brain, which causes a form of depression. Symptoms of seasonal depression may include fatigue, a change in sleeping habits and weight gain. It has been found that seasonal depression is more common in young adults, specifically female. Doctors recommend taking certain precautions for people experiencing seasonal depression in order to make sure it does not reoccur. Exercising for at least thirty minutes a day, three times a week helps to carry out an ideal lifestyle. Exercising in sunlight is also recommended to increase your body’s vitamin D intake, even when it is cloudy outside. Keeping a well balanced diet and including necessary proteins and vitamins are also needed to increase energy and reduce seasonal-cause depression. g

Don’t mess with stress

Utilizing stress in a positive way

by MichelleBirch itting at your desk with a hot cup of coffee, you rub your tense shoulders and think about the multitude of assignments that you have to finish by morning. Stress plays a major role in the busy lives of teenagers, and despite popular belief, there are many positive and negative aspects to the “monster” we call stress. According to WebMD, our bodies are designed to react to stress; they allow us to become more productive and alert. The negative effects of stress include depression, anxiety and high blood pressure. Although we associate stress with negativity, it gives us the motivation and the drive to complete our daily dosage of frustrating assignments. Without feeling the pressure of a deadline or the possibility of failure many of us would not sit down, focus and produce work that is ‘A’ worthy. However, the way you handle your stress is important. Staying socially involved, having a balanced diet and regular sleep patterns are all ways to control the role that negative stress plays in your daily life. Even if you are overwhelmed with a bunch of assignments and obligations that cause your head to pound, you can change that negative stress into something that will push you just enough in a positive way. According to Mayo Clinic, exercising at least three times a week, following a healthy diet and being able to laugh through troubles, all help you find your “inner Zen.” When you peel back the layers of stress, it all comes down to portion control. You should know how much stress your body can handle before you begin banging your head on the desk, but also how much your body can handle so that you stay alert and productive throughout the school day. g

Graphic by Taylor Hendrickson and Michelle Birch

weekly and lightly clean your cell phone screen with rubbing alcohol to kill any bacteria that may be causing the breakout.

Forehead:

Trade in some of those carbonated drinks (yes, even the sparkling water) for a few bottles of water a day. Artificial drinks are full of chemicals that act as a poison to your blood. Water will flush out toxins in your blood stream that circulate throughout the body. Try to maintain a steady sleep schedule, with an adequate nine hours of sleep. Acne on your temples is usually due to a dysfunctional liver, stemming from alcohol consumption, which an adolescent liver is not able to filter. Small, below the skin pimples between eyebrows are often ingrown hairs, but if it is reoccurring acne, try to eat fewer foods with butter and cheese and increase mild exercise. Smoking also causes acne in this region, as it affects the lungs, and according to the Chinese philosophy, these two sub regions of the body are directly related.

WELLNESS

by DanaThomas e have all heard the expression “your mind can play tricks on you,” but what many are unaware of is just how accurate this statement can be. Most students have experienced the need for a day home from school, so they will come up with any excuse in order to convince their parents to let them stay home, most declaring they are “deadly ill” and therefore unable to attend. Showing no symptoms this usually results in being sent off to school, however you just may be able to convince your parents you really are sick as long as you can first convince yourself. Researchers have in recent years verified what many have preached for centuries: treat your body well, and your mind will thank you. But this healthy equation can be flipped on its head. Mental anguish, from being too stressed or emotional, can become so intense that these feelings can spill over into the physical realm, known as somatoform symptoms. These conditions, previously known as psychosomatic disorders, all revolve around symptoms created in the mind but experienced in the body—symptoms that can range in severity from a perceived deformity or phantom pain to actual illness or disability, such as blindness or paralysis.

Nose:

When suffering from hypothermia, the nose is the fist place on the body to freeze. This is due to the nose’s lack of circulation. If your nose is speckled in blackheads, try lightly massaging the sides of the nostrils to increase circulation. The blood will work in removing dirt and oils from within the capillaries and cleanse the skin. Avoid meats and adding extra salts to your food. Increase the amount of B vitamins you consume, such as fish, yogurt and lean meats, because vitamin B aids in circulation.

Jaw, Lips and Chin:

Acne around the lips is generally due to the consumption of oily foods or the use of chap sticks and strong toothpastes, which irritate the skin. If you still notice these breakouts after making these adjustments, try eating more fiber through fruits and vegetables, and massage the abdominal region in circular clockwise motions to aid in digestion. The chin (part of your t-zone, the area of the forehead, nose and chin) is prone to acne due to imbalance in hormones, often caused by stress. Eating before going to sleep can deposit oils onto the chin, which fester into pimples over night. Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, avocado and pistachios, which help balance hormones. g

ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment • Entertainment • Entertainment • Entertainment • Entertainment

2013 Ayear review in

It’s been a rollercoaster of good, bad and Miley Cyrus

by JarrodCarman

fter months of thorough analysis, we of the Entertainment section have come to the stark conclusion that this was the best 2013 of all time (note: we don’t know what happened in 2013 B.C.E.). In accordance with the holiday spirit of giving, we have provided the highlights of our study of the year in entertainment below.

Film

GOOD: Considering this year is the fiftieth anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, it’s only fitting that it featured some great films concerning civil rights. “Fruitvale Station” provided a jolt to the nervous system in its depiction of the unjust death of Oscar Grant while “42” turned the audience into a spectator to the meteoric rise of Jackie Robinson. This year also produced possible Best Picture contenders “The Butler” and “12 Years a Slave,” possibly the greatest film about slavery in America by British director Steve McQueen. He’s already fought Nazis, AIDS and adulthood, but this year Tom Hanks returned to the silver screen to fight Somali pirates and – oddly – the author of “Mary Poppins.” After the terrible “Larry Crowne” Tom Hanks nailed one of the most harrowing performances of the year in “Captain Phillips” and is expected to garner Oscar nominations

In this section:

36 37 38

Blockbuster closed its doors this year. Students share their fond memories and their tears. Sick of happiness in the season of giving? Check out our list of darker and edgier Christmas carols. Hip-hop is one of the most homophobic genres. Can it change, even if it tries? Even if it wants to?

for both “Phillips” and “Saving Mr. Banks.” “Banks” depicts how Walt Disney (Hanks) spent close to 20 years trying to convince the author of “Mary Poppins” to let him Photos by AMC, LABEL and Sony make a film based on Top: Aaron Paul (left) and Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad.” Middle: Kanye West’s her book. Yeezus, album of the year. Bottom: Barkhad Abdi (left), Tom Hanks and Barkhad BAD: Studios have Abdirahman in “Captain Philips.” also released the fourth season of “Arrested officially given up on Development” to mixed reviews, long after American audiences. They can now bathe in the series’ original 2006 finale. their tubs full of cash knowing that films like MTV’s “Teen Wolf” continued its run “The Smurfs 2,” a sequel no one asked for, flopped in the United States but still managed with more in-depth background stories and a long-awaited kiss between two of its main to churn a profit overseas. characters over summer. Alleged franchise-starters “The Lone Modern classics “Mad Men” and “The Ranger,” “White House Down” “Elysium” Walking Dead” are going strong, with and “After Earth” struggled to stay afloat “Mad Men” continuing its tradition of rich at the box office despite featuring stars like storylines and brilliant dialogue and “The Johnny Depp, Matt Damon and Will Smith. Walking Dead” holding audiences captive Considering none of these films garnered every Sunday with its tense action sequences. positive reviews, perhaps studios should try BAD: There hasn’t been a successful something new: making good films. In fact, at sitcom launch in the past year besides “The the time of publication, only two completely Millers” and “The Crazy Ones,” both of which, original films, “The Croods” and “Gravity,” despite mediocre reviews, are successful due were among the top ten film grosses to being scheduled after television’s biggest internationally. comedy, “The Big Bang Theory.” Television The most-watched television event in GOOD: The Second Golden Age of Television continues this year even as three of America, the Super Bowl, drew gasps when its best series came to a close. “Breaking Bad,” a blackout struck the stadium for nearly 30 minutes. Football lovers and commercialhailed by many as the best television series lovers were left shocked and bored. of all time, went out with a bang in October, Apparently the new motto for networks while popular comedies “30 Rock” and “The is “If it ain’t broke, make a spinoff and pray Office” wrapped up their storylines in their for the best.” AMC will launch spinoffs of series finales. both “The Walking Dead” and the dearly This year saw the rise of original Netflix departed “Breaking Bad.” Meanwhile, ABC series with fan-favorite “Orange is the watched spinoff “Once Upon a Time in New Black” becoming the centerpiece of Wonderland” flounder while CBS will summer television and introducing a new, make another spinoff of “NCIS” more efficient method of delivery. Netflix continued on page 35

Review

continued from page 34

Music

GOOD: 2013 proved to be a strong year for crossovers, with most successful album releases breaking genre traditions. Arguably the most talked about release of the year, Yeezus achieved what Kanye West does best: polarizing audiences. The album showcases his undeniable talent for mixing hip-hop with virtually every other genre. Many popular albums this year mixed techno with R&B. Lady Gaga released her most Gaga album to date, ARTPOP, featuring an innovative combination of genres for a sublime pop album. The always enigmatic and politically relevant M.I.A. released Matangi, her fourth album, which is the surprisingly pleasant musical equivalent of a broken iMac reciting Hindu prayers. Miley Cyrus vaulted herself into the center of the public spotlight with her infamous VMA performance and proved her worth with the release of Bangerz, the first post-Disney album. Daft Punk returned to the scene with Random Access Memories, a soulful techno album, techno producers Diplo, Zedd, Avicii and Major Lazer kept the public twerking at sweaty raves, and probably the strangest performer ever, Riff Raff, also found his way into the public eye.

crooned about consumer culture in “Royals.” Drake took the hip-hop genre to the Kleenex store with the release of his BAD: Azealia Banks’ penchant for talking sentimental Nothing Was the Same and gave trash on Twitter got her kicked off two tracks us the term “getting in your feelings,” while on Lady Gaga’s album and she blacklisted Mac Miller’s herself by continuously Watching postponing the release of her Movies with debut album. the Sound Off Big Sean’s, Tyga’s and French gave white Montana’s albums fell short people the of the expectations set before perfect hipthem. Lil Wayne further proved hop album of he has lost any remaining ability the summer. to rap with I Am Not a Human Kid Cudi Being II and Robin Thicke returned to proved that putting all your hip-hop after emphasis on one single does not his confusing guarantee a hit album in Blurred foray into the Lines. progressive Will.i.am, determined to Photo by MTV Daft Punk and Ron Burgundy (center, Will Ferrell) ride a stay relevant, quietly released rock world tandem bike through Amsterdam in a video from MTV with the #willpower. Yeah, we didn’t hear for their European Music Awards. critically about that one, either. Magna acclaimed Indicud and a comeback U.S. tour. Carta Holy Grail, while not a bad album, Justin Timberlake took the world by per se, was possibly Jay Z’s laziest effort, storm with the release of his two-part 20/20 with forgettable beats and unrelatable Experience. The southern hemisphere also lyrics. Luckily, King HOV’s flow and live had its time to shine when Australian rapper performances can save even the worst of hipIggy Azalea released the anthem of the hop tracks, marginally salvaging MCHG. g summer, “Work” and sixteen-year-old Lorde

ENTERTAINMENT ENTERT AINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

R.I.P. Blockbuster Video by BriPosner

cents of over-buttered popcorn and spilled soda fill the air. Sounds of a recently released action movie float through the aisles. Your eyes fix on the new release section. An overly-perky associate approaches you and says, “Welcome to Blockbuster. Do you need help finding a movie?” Blockbuster was not only the home of the latest box office hits and classic thrillers, but it was also the place where childhood memories were created. Founder David Cook opened the first Blockbuster store in Dallas, Texas, in 1985 with the aspiration of spreading movies around the country. What started off as a family-run rental store quickly became a corporation spreading across the nation. After a 28-year run, the Blockbuster Corporation is in the process of shutting down all of its stores. In 2010, they filed for bankruptcy due to the rising popularity of Netflix. That started in 1997 and only mailed movies. Netflix experimented with online distribution in 2000. In 2008, movies and TV shows were available through the website. Blockbuster was still the reigning champion of movie rentals, but as more and more people began to subscribe to online viewing the sales of the once family-run corporation began to shrink. Blockbuster was only able to rent out certain movies—mainly classics— but Netflix

offered over 6,000 movies and TV show options. The flow of online subscribers skyrocketed. In 2012 there was a 69 percent user boost, which caused Blockbuster’s customer count to dwindle . With over 16 million users to date, Blockbuster Photo by Yahoo raised a white flag Blockbuster closed its last video store earlier this year ending 28 years of movie rentals. and began spreading the night,” Digital Media junior Kendra Martin word of its imminent shutdown. said. “I’ll miss going there with my friends.” Nov. 9 was the final day to rent movies Blockbuster was more than a movie rental from any remaining Blockbuster store. The store, it was the birthplace of our cinematic last in-store rental was “This is the End,” obsessions. Life-size character cutouts had checked out at 11 p.m. from a store in Hawaii. teens swooning over Edward Cullen and the The apocalyptic film was a fitting choice to Mad Hatter. Board games showing off the bring the memory making to a close. The hottest action movie would be picked up to be corporation is in the process of closing its played at every family game night. Collectible remaining 300 stores. figurines and plush dolls from classics and Even though the stores are shutting box-office hits were perfect holiday gifts down and Netflix is taking over, memories of for the silver screen-obsessed. Sneaking a Blockbuster will not be lost. package of movie-sized Nerds or Sweetarts “When I had sleepovers we would make a into your pile of rentals before your mom trip to Blockbuster to pick out a movie for the noticed was a move every sweet-toothed child night. It was always the hardest thing because learned to master. we all wanted different movies, so we would Blockbuster may be gone, but it will never end up renting all of them and staying up all be forgotten. g

R ckin’ ar und the TV set by ToriFernandez

any of us can easily say that we’ve grown up watching the same holiday movies. Some may even call it a tradition to turn on the 25 Days of Christmas marathon and lose themselves in classic movies. What is it about a movie that keeps the whole nation eager to see it every time the temperature dips below 50 degrees? Is there a formula based on how many snowflakes and elves it takes to make a holiday classic? After careful examination of the many films lucky enough to earn this title, here is a list of some of the traits that make a classic holiday movie.

A winter landscape scene

In all great holiday films, the directors feel the need to remind the audience that it’s winter. This is the reason why you will never see a classic holiday movie set in Florida. There is always a staple, landscape shot of white, snowy scenery, complete with snow-dusted Christmas trees and snowball fights. This

can be said about movies such as the “Harry Potter” series, which are not holiday movies, yet always seem to claim a spot in the 25 Days of Christmas marathon. Throw in a snowy owl and a Yule Ball, and you can say that the “Harry Potter” directors have cracked the code that ensures that you’ll be having a “magical” Christmas for years to come.

Spin-off a classic holiday song

Although they fail more often than not, spin-offs of classic stories or songs have the ability to become classics themselves. Anybody over the age of 8 will remember watching the “Frosty the Snowman” movie and crying when he melted into a puddle. But most major networks rely heavily on the old classics of “Rudolph” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Both movies, filmed in 1964 and 1969 respectively, have been the face of Christmas for the last 50 years. These classic stop-motion films bring the traditional Christmas songs and

stories to life and usually dominate, not just the 25 Days of Christmas marathon, but every channel on TV from the end of November to January.

Be as ridiculous as possible

Holiday movies can never be complete without their fair share of over-the-top, ridiculous, slapstick humor. If there aren’t people getting hit in the face by an unfortunate snowball, grandmothers being run over by reindeer or another form of absurd antics, the movie probably won’t be worthy enough to be deemed a classic. In Jim Carrey’s live-action version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Carrey exemplified the exaggerated and ludicrous humor that holiday movies seem to build on. In all honesty, movies such as “Elf,” starring Will Farrell, would normally be considered lacking in substance with subpar humor, but if you have the nerve to say that to anybody during the winter season, you’ll most likely get your head torn off. g

G away Santa Cynical songs for the happiest season by AubreyLevin

t’s the most wonderful time of the year. A time to decorate the tree, eat mounds of delicious yet fattening food and bundle up by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. For others, this festive season may bring with it feelings of hostility. The lingering credit card bills you’ll have to pay off, the bitter cold or your weight gain from that extra slice of grandma’s pumpkin pie. A few musicians feel the same way as these Grinches. With that being said, here are the best cynical holiday songs of all time.

Photo by Death Row Records

Nothing screams “tis the season to be jolly” more than a rap song, Snoop Dogg’s “Santa Claus goes Straight to the Ghetto.” With a lovely chorus explaining how old Saint Nick “has sprinkled the hood and now we ballin,” Snoop shows us a different spin on this winter holiday. However, he does praise his religion by saying “some stay to this day that Christmas ain’t nothing but another day. But, out of respect, I gotta give the lord his day.” This song is bound to get you in your holiday feels.

Photo by Asthmatic Kitty Records

ToriFERNANDEZ

Photo by Wikepedia

All throughout pharmacies and grocery stores, there are Hallmark cards exclaiming “Peace, Joy, and good health this new year” and the stereotypical “Happy holidays from our family to yours.” But have you ever wanted to tell off that annoying boss or that friend who has been getting on your last nerve? Why waste $3 on a card when you can gift them Sufjan Stevens “Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Eve? (Well, You Deserved It)” on iTunes? With lyrics such as “I’m writing poems about you and they aren’t very nice” and “Did I make you cry on Christmas day? Did I let you down like every other day?” you’re sure to get your point across. Holiday songs seem to be playing earlier and earlier every year. We all know a Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge. Instead of making them miserable, let Mat Musto’s “I Hate the Holidays” dance out of your speakers, enveloping them in a blanket of pessimism. They’ll feel at peace with lyrics such as “I’m tired of jingly bells, mass texts and candy canes and all the happy Christmas songs are driving me insane.” Us too, Mat. Us too. Kings of punk rock Blink 182 are at it again with the bitterly insulting “I Won’t be Coming Home for Christmas.” With a soft chorus of bells in the background, and a chorus of “It’s Christmas time again, it’s time to be nice to the people you can’t stand all year. I’m growing tired of all the Christmas Cheer. You people scare me, please stay away from my home,” you’ll find it difficult to restrain yourself from jumping up and rocking around the Christmas tree. g

The older you get, the less presents you’ll receive. This is a sad fact of growing up. Ever since I hit the age of 18, reliving my childhood with old Nickelodeon TV shows has become a sort of quarterlife crisis. Nothing puts me more into the holiday spirit for Christmas presents and Santa Claus (who still definitely exists) than “The Fairly Odd Parents’” ‘Christmas Everyday’ episode. Timmy Turner continues to live my dream by staying a kid forever and getting presents every day of the year. You go, Timmy Turner.

FelipeBOMENY

I don’t care if the Grinch tried to ruin Christmas. The Empire came pretty close to ruining it in the “Star Wars Holiday Special,” a collage of beloved ‘70s nerd culture found only on bootlegged VCR tapes. “The Star Wars Holiday Special” is sort of like a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” Christmas reunion special in that Ray J and Chewbacca make similar grunting noises, except that the Holiday Special also has starships and stuff. After all, I like my Xmas with X-Wings.

AubreyLEVIN

I’ve never celebrated Christmas. As a religious minority, I’m an outcast on Dec. 25, buried under pounds of Chinese food and DVD cases. My favorite TV show, “Friends,” exemplifies my feelings in the episode, ‘The One With the Holiday Armadillo.’ Ross Gellar, a fellow member of the Jewish community, struggles to teach his Christmas-obsessed son, Ben, about his true heritage. Instead of dressing up as Santa Claus, as Ben wanted, he gets the only costume in the store, an armadillo, as he learns about Hanukkah.

BriPOSNER

The holidays are usually celebrated with cheery songs and bright decorations, but my Christmas is spent curled up with my laptop, a steaming cup of cider and “A Very Supernatural Christmas.” The holiday themed episode of Supernatural is about an intoxicated Santa and gruesome sacrifices by two hungry Pagan gods. The Winchesters spend their holiday fighting the gods while flashbacks of their childhood Christmases keep the sentimental value in check. My Christmas veers from the traditional path of watching Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer with the family. I spend my time with a fast-paced show about killing demons.

ENTERTAINMENT

STAFF LIST

No more ‘no-homo’ in hip-hop and Queens. The genre embraced themes ou turn on your Spotify radio and start of masculinity, drug usage and economic jamming out to the new Eminem album hardship, which eventually merged, quite as you look at Supreme hats to buy with your ironically, into contemporary rap culture à la parents’ credit card. Your parents order you Rick Ross and company: expensive liqueurs, to take out the trash, so you rap along to Slim cars and clothes, all used as elements of Shady and, being the edgy, rebellious teen you larger-than-life personae and phallic bravado. are, call your parents “faggots.” Rap music, in its adrenaline-driven, drugWelcome to South Florida, a microcosm fuelled narratives perceives homosexuality as of rap music, where hip-hop and suburbia a sign of femininity and, in turn, inferiority. converge through teenage angst. It is a This may be traced back to the thuggish hodgepodge world of Frappuccinos, high-rise prison subculture in rap. The culture, with Nike socks and its institutionalized Sperry Tophomosexuality Siders. Here, a and prison rapes, peek at a South diffused into hipFloridian’s hop, along with iPod provides a garish tattoos (think glimpse into the Gucci Mane) and confused hipfictional drughop industry as peddling alter egos. a whole, with Blatant lesbian, gay, homophobia is still bisexual and a norm in rap music, transgender and it does not look Photo courtesy of thestashed.com like it is going away (LGBT) icons Eminem, pictured here with rapper Kendrick Lamar, came under fire Frank Ocean just yet. Earlier this for using homophobic slurs in “Rap God,” a track from MMLP2. and Lady Gaga month, Eminem juxtaposed with rappers shouting obscenities released the much-hyped MMLP2, a mediocre over Beats by Dre. showcase of recycled “edgy” shticks, such Homophobia in rap has long existed, with as Eminem’s murderer persona and tired cries of “no-homo” circulating since the ‘90s. homophobic slurs. The highly praised album Hip-hop developed as an urban phenomenon Wolf continued Tyler, the Creator’s status as in neighborhoods with a prominent Africana champion of prolific “faggot” usage, even American presence, such as Detroit, Compton though he downplayed the homophobic

by FelipeBomeny

connotations behind the word. “That’s just a word, you can take the power out of that word… it’s just another word,” the rapper said. From his interviews and public appearances, Tyler, the Creator does not come off as a homophobe, but merely as a mischievous artist reflective of an oftenignorant musical culture. As of 2013, however, the rap game has changed. The LGBT community has its own representatives within the industry. Musicians Azealia Banks, LE1F and Frank Ocean (who, despite being an R&B singer, is involved with hip-hop artists such Kanye West) are a handful of popular artists representing the LGBT presence in rap. Even non-LGBT rappers, such as West, Jay Z and A$AP Rocky have espoused their support for homosexuality. Macklemore topped the charts with “Same Love,” a track embracing the LGBT struggle. Hip-hop will continue to be hip-hop, but what defines rap music in the foreseeable future will depend on trends, and, most importantly, the personalities of the industry’s players. Right now, it appears as if the rap game is moving away from its inherent homophobia. Just as the world is abandoning medieval, Borat-esque perceptions of HIV/AIDS (and gays in general), so are most rappers— or so we can only hope. Homophobia in rap music is not only offensive at this point— it is lazy. g

Pop culture New Year’s resolutions by SamanthaRose

s 2013 comes to an end, it is time to reflect on how crazy the world of pop culture was this year. It is also a time for the entertainment industry to set some resolutions for the New Year and hopefully eradicate some of the most cringe-worthy trends. So pause your daily twerk session, turn off the front-facing camera and begin to evaluate the habits that pop culture has induced.

1. Werk not to twerk:

It may be difficult to suppress the overwhelming urge to twerk at inappropriate times, but refraining from busting the move will benefit your health and the eyes of others. Witnessing the attempts of hopeful twerkers was amusing at first, but it has become irritating and downright disturbing.

2. Reduce the daily selfie count:

We all know people who need to limit

the amount of selfies they take. The practice has become so common that The Oxford Dictionary named “selfie” the word of the year. The art of taking pictures of oneself is difficult and requires several tries to get right, but the selfie-crazed should work on limiting themselves to less than a hundred per hour.

3. Put the swag in the trash bag:

The word has been inescapable. It even became an adjective in the form of “swaggy.” Although the lyrics of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” are ridiculous and fun to quote ironically, we shouldn’t encourage the use of the word. Let’s go back to the time when “swagger,” which means to walk in a confident manner, was a perfectly acceptable word.

4. Accept that there are more than 10 musicians: There are over seven billion people in the world, and hundreds of thousands of those people make (or hope to make) their livings

off of their music. And yet, we can’t go half an hour without hearing the same song on the radio. Radio stations have the opportunity to expose listeners to new artists and broaden their genre spectrum. When we listen to the radio, we should be able to enjoy both popular artists as well as lesser-known musicians. We get it. We’ll never be royals.

5. Don’t offend for a profit:

Offensive lyrics, offensive jokes, offensive everything. Although it is impossible to stop offending people completely, celebrities can at least try not to make money off of it. Insult Miley Cyrus all you want, but she has a plan behind her questionable behavior. Despite the inflammatory nature of her VMA performance, her sales have spiked. However, celebrities should try to find more ethically sound ways to keep the money coming. And no, the “Just bein’ Miley” excuse doesn’t cut it. g

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About The Muse The Muse is a national award-winning newsmagazine. The publication has won numerous awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) including a Pacemaker in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012 and a Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and was recently awarded with a 2013 Pacemaker. In 2013, The Muse placed Fifth for the newsmagazine and Second for the website in Best of Show at NSPA . This publication is completely funded and created by its staff, advertisers and donors. Over 1,300 students and a multitude of subscribers receive copies of the magazine annually. All aspects of the magazine from the cover to the Exposure on the back page are written and designed by the students. There are 61 staffers, grades 10-12, from the communications department and some from other art areas, as well, including cartoonists from the visual department, who work during and after school to 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 everyone on this staff. Please visit our website at www.themuseatdreyfooos.com. g

EXPOSURE “Gone Fishing”

Ian Jones Visual senior by AlexandraLopez

ooking at an illustration like “Gone Fishing,” one would think the artist would have had some sort of inspiration. However, visual senior Ian Jones does not require that for his art. “I try to create things that are unique by making them as absurd as possible,” Jones said. The piece is one out of 10 for Jones’ concentration and is intended to be the last in the series. Jones is a senior; all 10 Micron pieces reflect the evolution of his work since coming to Dreyfoos. “[The art teachers here] have taught us to think in unexpected ways to produce work that has never been done before,” Jones said. Using a Micron pen, Jones outlined the piece before scanning it to Photoshop. After, he digitally added the color. “I was attempting to convey a narrative out of the context of a traditional illustration, similar to a book without words,” Jones said. g