The Muse Volume 14 Issue 5

the USE [

Volume 14wIssue 5wMarch 2017

]

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

Student activists champion fights for equality, awareness, and change. Page 19

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Volume 14 // Issue 5 // March 2017

Contents

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lthough we discourage writing about clichés or falling prey to the stereotypical high school behavior, it is a fact that senioritis is a plague disseminating throughout the Class of 2017. We have seen it firsthand in The Muse room, as deadlines became a requirement of the past and staffers struggled to finish page layouts quickly. But as journalists, we pride ourselves in getting the job done when needed. This issue of The Muse is a testament to our timeliness and that of our readers in times of need.

In a school year of surprises, whether those be the elimination of SRAs for AP Exams, the regulations under the new government, or the broken reality of “The Bachelor,” you made your voice heard when the time called for action. The power of volunteering, of protesting, and of many forms of activism thrive under the Dreyfoos arch. To pay tribute to standing up for what is right, our staffers wrote about activism on campus and in their communities (pg. 19). We hope seeing your classmates voice their beliefs leads many of you to fight for a cause.

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(Top left) Photo by Sydney Walsh, (Top middle) Photo

by Destiny Robinson, (Top right) Cartoon by Alia Payne, (Bottom right) Photo by Natalie Bergeron, (Bottom left) Photo by Lorenzo Romano, (Center top left) Photo by Sydney Walsh, (Center bottom left) Graphic by Danielle Cuestas, (Center right) Photo by Destiny Robinson

Corrections In Issue 4’s Staff Editorial, the cartoon lacked an attribution.

The cartoon is the work of visual senior Alia Payne.

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ABOUTUS

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

9 EDITORIALPOLICY

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

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

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STAFFEDITORIAL Our lives, ruled by the iPhone and internet, are devoid of focus

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e’re living longer and thinking shorter. We hold an unquenchable thirst for everything to be fast, everything to be handed to us, to see results instantly. The fastest computer used to be larger than the size of a classroom, its capabilities subpar to what we see in our modern world.

Today, accesibility to a fast computer has improved, with internet that has the ability to load pages as fast as the speed of light–any slower and we will complain. Our 21st century, 4G-LTE, constantly moving, breathing, changing world is filled with these items, allowing us to be connected with people all over the country and all across the world.

Twenty-five years ago, the thought of being able to video chat with family who lived on the other side of the planet, send a message to someone and have them receive it instantly, or to even possess the technology that grants us these luxuries, was never a possibility. We may now be used to this extreme interconnectedness, as it is a constant t h e m e and normal occurrence in our everyday lives, but the increasing normality in constant correspondence can have negative ramifications.

Because of the fast-paced lifestyle millennials live, we have become the master of the short-term result. From friends on Facebook and followers on Instagram to steps on a FitBit, we count things by the second. School systems now focus on test results of their students. The students focus only on the achievement of A’s.

Neither seem to care about the learning process that came behind either of these. It’s a social problem, or maybe a

mental problem, but it overall traces back to the quickness of our generation’s nature.

Today, we have so much information at our fingertips; many of us were never raised differently. It’s hard to imagine a world that does not involve reading the news from a 2.44 inch wide screen, instead of a physical newspaper or magazine. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton stated that the internet “could make it possible for every child with access to a computer to stretch a hand across a keyboard to reach every book ever written, every painting ever painted, every symphony ever composed.” Although this information is technically accurate, the internet, while a great resource, has been proven to contribute to the destruction of our cognitive abilities.

With a Wi-Fi connection, we can gather the latest news and updates worldwide almost instantly. Many of today’s high school students have never read a full Mark Twain novel or

Shakespeare play, as they opt to Sparknote the literature instead, to take the quick, easy way out.

This information-rich, screen-addicted world stifles a student’s imagination rather than stimulate it. Even through this, we are overwhelmed without the internet’s presence, many of us preferring photos to words, glamour to substance, the simplistic to the complicated. Are we reaching the demise of raw intelligence, or the demise of creativity?

At 10, we possessed the innate inventiveness to constitute games of fairy princesses hopping from tile square to tile square to avoid the “lava” that lay below. Where is that creativity today? Children who are bored play Candy Crush on their mother’s phones, and in car rides the license plate game has been replaced by TVs often attached to the backs of seats.

In a generation that lives as if there is no tomorrow, we must strive to be the exception. We are told as Americans that we live in our own little bubbles, but we must remember to stop, slow down, and engage in the world around us. We must create things that are outside of the screens that consume our attention. But most importantly, we must not let the quickness of our generation’s nature keep us from living a full life.

By The Muse Staff Contributor: Ruby Rosenthal

Cartoon by Alia Payne Opinion / themuseatdreyfoos.com 5

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REFUGEE BAN

INTELLIGENT OR INTOLERANT?

THE ISSUE: PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NEW IMMIGRATION BAN HAS CAUSED BACKLASH FROM THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE BAN TARGETS MUSLIMS AND REFUGEES. IS THIS BAN DISCRIMINATING AGAINST CERTAIN RELIGIONS OR IS IT THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT AMERICA’S BORDERS?

POINT

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ov. 13, 2015 was to be a night of dancing, drinking and above all else, good music. Hundreds of people had packed into The Bataclan theater in Paris for a performance by the popular rock band, Eagles of Death Metal. But nothing could prepare them for the harrowing ordeal that would follow.

During that night, 11 terrorists with ties to the Islamic State conducted a series of attacks across the city. By morning, the death toll had risen to 130, including 89 concertgoers. It was the largest terrorist operation to take place in Europe in over a decade, and it didn’t take long for controversy to spread.

How had the Islamic State infiltrated the cultural heart of the West?

The answer came this past September, when the Hungarian government confirmed public suspicions. Although many of the extremists were either French or Belgian nationals, many had posed as refugees in order to return from Syria, where they had received training, according to Hungarian newspaper Magyar Idok.

President Trump’s executive order regarding refugee entry into the United States reflects a deeply-rooted concern over national security and immigration policy: many

Americans are apprehensive of refugee immigration. Countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have already demonstrated the dangers of gambling security with the lives of their citizens.

A 2013 study from Stockholm University found that first-generation immigrants in Sweden have the highest offender rate in terms of crime. The apparent lawlessness in Calais, Harmanli, and other refugee centers seems to support this. Austria’s Minister of Interior Wolfgang Sobotka confirmed that the migrant criminal complaint rate had more than doubled between 2014 and 2016.

In Germany, police statistics indicate that migrants were largely overrepresented when it came to pick-pocketing, shoplifting, and robbery.

It is also important to note the provisions in the order that deal with travelers from six countries categorized as security threats.

These countries include Yemen, Syria, and Somalia. Although extremist sympathies can be considered a rarity among the refugee demographics of these countries, the same cannot be said for the foreigners they attract.

According to TIME, a series of attacks including the Normandy Church attack in July, the Brussels bombings in March, stabbings throughout 2016, and the Paris attacks in November 2015 all involved suspects who were residents of those countries. Further investigations revealed that many of the per-

petrators had traveled to the countries recognized as security threats, yet alarms were never raised.

Evidently, Europe and the United States must keep citizens under close scrutiny, accounting for their backgrounds. Trump’s executive order performs this much-needed standard to a degree of excellency that complements our national security in a powerful way. If an executive policy can guarantee the address of safety concerns brought up by the constituent base, then that’s what we must follow. There’s nothing wrong with people wanting to improve our security situation, but there is a problem in undermining it.

Yet, providing security doesn’t suggest we abandon our humanity. As a global force for good, the United States has a duty to those who are oppressed and those whose voices are never heard. This migrant crisis won’t heal itself; that job is up to us.

Those who were in attendance at The Bataclan the night of Nov. 13 know this far too well: from this point on, we must move forward. If that means scrapping failed policies and starting from scratch, then so be it. Any good government places its citizens above all else as it is obligated to instill the principles and values of the past and the reforms of the future. However dissonant our environment may seem at this moment, our nation–our home–must come first.

By Trace Podder

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Graphic by Kathryn Stenberg

COUNTERPOINT

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riday Jan. 27, 2017 was Holocaust Remembrance Day, intended to memorialize a tragic genocide that targeted an entire religious group. President Trump chose this day to pile onto his rapidly growing stack of executive orders by targeting an entire religious group currently trying to escape tragic persecution.

Trump’s order attempted to ban immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, claiming that the United States needs “extreme vetting” before it is safe to allow in refugees from these countries.

The first misconception here lies in the fact that the United States already has a thorough vetting process for refugees, which is probably why no Americans have ever been killed by Syrian refugees on American soil, according to The Atlantic writer Uri Friedman in his article “Where America’s Terrorists Actually Come From.”

Oftentimes, supporters of the ban paint refugees as violent criminals, seeking to enter our country with malicious agendas.

What they fail to recognize is that by definition, refugees are fleeing violence, malice, and corruption. That is why they wish

to immigrate. After unjustly being made victims of warfare, these refugees are purely seeking asylum, and have placed their faith in what is said to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, freedom and bravery lose their meaning after being overshadowed by intolerance and fear.

Following the string of terrorist attacks in Europe that were in the name of ISIS, proponents of the Muslim ban were concerned with the “infiltration of the Islamic State.” However, these same people rarely speculate about the infiltration of white supremacy every time there is a shooting or hate crime in the United States. Using the actions of terrorists in Europe to justify targeting refugees trying to enter the United States is irresponsible and illogical.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many European colonists immigrated to America, despite being born in a different part of the world, speaking different languages, and practicing different religions than the people who had lived here at the time.

Yet, they are glorified as the brave men and women that founded this great nation.

Everything about their immigration to America was illegal, and they did not even have the justification of seeking refuge from religious persecution. Our country was built by and for immigrants, and no politician should ever fail to remember that.

Additionally, a crucial fact is often lost in all of the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the issue of the refugees: they are human beings. There are real lives at stake here, real people with real families who are suffering more than any of us can comprehend, while the American government attempted to shut them out. With broad generalizations like Trump’s immigration ban, it can become easy to dehumanize “the other” and dismiss the fact that there are massive amounts of innocent individuals being turned away from a land of immigrants. When we acknowledge the fact that in supporting this ban we are actively making the choice to ruin individual lives, the heartbreaking truth of the matter becomes clear: this ban directly contradicts some of the most important American values. This kind of discrimination conflicts with everything that has made this country great. America has an obligation to live up to its title as the land of the free.

By Emma Baldinger

Opinion / themuseatdreyfoos.com 7

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BRIEFS

MONTHLY MEDITATION

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Left: Theatre senior Sarah Joseph sings Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” at the Black History Month Showcase. Photo by Destiny Robinson Top right: Dance junior Tatyana Faustin (L-R), vocal junior Bijou Aliza, theatre junior Amaylia Minters, band junior Kiarra Battle, dance junior Anieya Wilson, communications junior Lindsey DeBrosse, and theatre senior Nia Bourne bow at the show put on by the Black Student Union. Photo by Eliza Baker Bottom right: Theatre junior Jacquez Linder-Long (L-R), band junior Allen Cadet Civil, and vocal junior James Jean perform “Hold On.” Photo by Eliza Baker

ree dance classes for everyone are being offered by the Dreyfoos National Dance Honor Society once every month.

The society’s focus is to better the community by volunteering and creating events that benefit others through dance, health, and fitness.

On Feb. 24, local yoga teacher Cynthia Wohl taught a class for Dreyfoos students and parents after school. Officers of the club are anticipating a few more of these Keep Dreyfoos Fit classes before the school year ends, and they hope rising officers will continue these classes next year. Keep Dreyfoos Fit gives students the chance to strengthen muscles not being used in a typical workout, enjoy a free class with friends, and get their heart rate up in an enjoyable way.

By Emily Sweetz

RACCOON INVASION

DREYFOOS HOSTS

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thletic director Rob Long and Assistant Principal Leo Barrett uncovered a few unwanted guests in the gym during late February. They went into a small storage laundry room in the boys locker room and uncovered a mess.

“I thought maybe some kids went in and trashed it and threw stuff around, maybe crushed food and left things on the floor,” Mr. Barrett said.

Little did they know that different culprits were responsible. Later in the day, Mr. Barrett and a custodian went back to the room and saw something unexpected: a baby raccoon running across the floor.

Upon further inspection, Mr. Barrett found a full-grown raccoon in the room.

Once these raccoons were discovered, the School District of Palm Beach County was notified. The district used a pest control center, Beach Environmentals, to capture the raccoons.

“The guy came and removed the baby and took it up to Busch Wildlife,” Mr. Barrett said. “That raccoon had an excellent outcome. I worry about the animals having absolutely no water [in the laundry room].”

After the raccoons are captured, the district will launch a full investigation into how the raccoons were able to get into the school. The adult raccoon, however, has yet to be captured, and as of March 2, the amount of remaining raccoons is unknown. By Zoe Romano

LOCAL TOURNAMENT reyfoos hosted its first speech and debate tournament in four years: Palm Beach’s Catholic Forensic League’s (PBCFL) Grand Finals qualifier tournament on Saturday, Feb. 24. Eight Dreyfoos students qualified for the tournament: two in congressional debate, one in oral interpretation, two in extemporaneous speaking, one in original oratory, and one duo interpretation. Students from around the county came to compete in a range of speech and debate events such as public forum, humorous interpretation, and dramatic interpretation.

The competitors who qualify at this tournament go to the National Catholic Forensic League’s tournament held in Louisville, KY. over Memorial Day Weekend. In order to qualify for this tournament, one must place in the top six for his or her event.

By Zoe Romano News / themuseatdreyfoos.com 9

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Comm prompo Cavan courte

Communications senior Daniel Montoya promposes to visual senior Sophia Simmons on the roof of Building 1. Photo courtesy of Alex Huynh

As prom season approaches, the romantic tradition continues

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eading up to prom on April 22, Dreyfoos will witness an annual phenomenon: promposals. Each year, juniors and seniors meticulously plan and pour countless resources into asking one question.

Some students opt for the classic method of a sign reading “Prom?” along with flowers, while others go in a more extravagant route and coordinate an event with many people involved. In any way students decide to pop the question, the only thing that matters is whether the answer is yes or no. “[Piano senior Caroline Miller] had asked me to pick her up at the airport,” digital media junior Ethan Blanc said. “The timing worked out perfectly.”

Blanc was set to pick up his girlfriend Miller, who was coming back from New York on a school piano trip. He was waiting for her in the airport with a sign that read “Fly away with me to prom?” and a bouquet of flowers.

“I was really happy to see him and I thought he asked me in a cute way,” Miller

said. “I was surprised because I didn’t know it was coming. The plan was to just go out to eat [after he had picked me up].”

As opposed to a single person asking another, some students prefer to incorporate their major and friends in their endeavor.

Strings senior Mark Ligonde decided to ask band senior Gabriella Tummolo in the only way he knew: through music. Ligonde orchestrated a musical group to ask Tummolo during lunch.

“A friend of mine suggested the song to me. I really liked it and thought it would be good for the occasion,” Ligonde said.

“Thankfully, I knew enough people to actually make the thought come true, so I just asked a ton of music majors to help me out to make it happen. I [asked her that way] because she’s an amazing person, and I just wanted to do what I could to make this special and memorable for her.”

Promposals get more and more elaborate as students look for a way to one up each

other, making the competitive and creative nature of Dreyfoos become more apparent.

“I think that the Dreyfoos culture forces promposals to be more creative and specific, rather than extravagant to stand out because everybody here is different and everyone is also talented,” Ligonde said.

Promposals were not always such big events. Some teachers remember that promposals didn’t become a big phenomenon up until five or six years ago.

“There were a few kids that did an elaborate [promposal] with their friends helping out and that was a rarity. [I’d see] maybe one or two a year,” social studies teacher Javier Mora said. “I think everybody knows each other better than they do at other schools so they feel more comfortable if they were doing something big. People are more down to help because they’re so nice to each other [here].”

By Daniel Montoya

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Communications junior Skyler Buitrago promposes to his girlfriend, dance junior Allison Cavanagh, with the help of his friends. Photo courtesy of Skyler Buitrago

Dance junior Dylan Amsterdam promposes to his best friend since the age of nine, dance junior Madison McCue. Photo courtesy of Madison McCue

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Digital media junior Ethan Blanc surprises his girlfriend, piano senior Caroline Miller, with a promposal at the airport as she arrives in West Palm Beach. Photo courtesy of Ethan Blanc

Theatre senior Paul Payne displays the setup of a picnic as he promposes to his girlfriend, theatre junior Saskia Naidoo. Photo by Natalie Bergeron

News / themuseatdreyfoos.com 11

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Standing among accomplished scientists, piano senior Stefan Wan receives his tenth place award and $40,000 at the Science Talent Search Competition. Photo courtesy of Natalie Shteiman

THE SCIENCE OF WINNING B Piano senior Stefan Wan wins big with project aimed to reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Okeechobee

eginning in 1942, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Society for Science & the Public have searched for and selected the most talented high school seniors in science through the Science Talent Search (STS), a competition often referred to as the “junior Nobel Prize.” Piano senior Stefan Wan became the first public school student in Palm Beach County history to become an STS finalist. Thousands of applications are sent to STS, from which 300 semifinalists are selected. Those semifinalists are narrowed down to 40 finalists who compete for prizes up to $250,000. Wan placed tenth and was awarded $40,000 for his scientific accomplishments.

Society for Science and the Public calls the Science Talent Search (STS) “the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.” In the six-day STS conference at Washington D.C. Wan presented his research at the National Geographic Headquarters, was interviewed

by National Public Radio and Science News for Students, and visited D.C. area schools to share his passion for science. He met many prominent national leaders, including Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio. Wan was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the same day, Mar. 14, 2017, that he placed at STS. Senior Assistant Director of MIT Admissions Chris Peterson extended his personal congratulations to Wan on his award and admissions through email.

“My [project], made from biochar and layered double hydroxides, absorbs phosphate so it’s not in the water,” Wan said. “I was interested because [Lake] Okeechobee is in a very bad condition right now because of pollutants.

The Everglades [has become] very bad over the past century. This past summer, St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Bay were devastated by the toxic algae blooms. Phosphorus in water has become such a big problem that the Everglades

I WAS INTERESTED BECAUSE [LAKE] OKEECHOBEE IS IN A VERY BAD CONDITION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF POLLUTANTS. Foundation released a $10 million prize for any person who could develop technology to remove phosphorous from water and recycle it as fertilizer, so this got me into the topic.”

Wan’s project covers, essentially, runoff from agriculture that dumps excess phosphate into open water, such as Lake Okeechobee.

These excess nutrients cause eutrophication with high plant growth and low oxygen, damaging aquatic ecosystems. Wan’s project created a chemical compound that can remove this excess phosphate from open water, helping to restore these habitats.

“Preferably, [my chemical compound]

wouldn’t be used to dump in lakes. It’s best used near dairy farms, where most of the phosphate comes from,” Wan said. “They’re all required to have a stormwater detention pond that collects the runoff from their farms. I’d have my trench with my [biochar compound] and the water from the stormwater detention pond would flow through the trench [and] then be discharged as clean water.”

Wan has also been published in a research paper covering the same topic. In 2016, Wan placed second at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Environmental Engineering category. His current project is a continuation of his project from 2016. Wan is currently in the process of attempting to qualify to ISEF in 2017.

“I think [Wan] perhaps has an innate interest in science. When he was little he asked a lot of questions about his observation of the nature like why tree leaves are green and trunks are not,” Wan’s father, Yongshan Wan said.

“We talk about [eutrophication] a lot at our dinner table, a problem in Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades in general. His AP chemistry class and lab experiments triggered his interest in water quality. What really propelled him to tackle the eutrophication problem was a local news about the Everglades Foundation’s grand prize for any scientists to develop a technology to remove phosphorous from water supply and recycle it back to the land.”

By Jack Yan

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scienreceives 0,000 ompetalie

Artwork courtesy of Daniel Rabinowitz

SOUND&COLOR Blending music and paint together, theatre junior Daniel Rabinowitz creates art through a phenomenon called synesthesia

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t arts schools, students tend to rely on specific senses in order to create their art. Dreyfoos is known for having diverse students who take on a plethora of concentrations in their majors. Each of these is associated with a certain sense. For example, visual majors utilize sight, music majors hearing, and dance majors touch. However, there are a few people who are able to use multiple senses at once, and even experience them involuntarily mixed together. These people have a neurological phenomenon called synesthesia.

“A lot of people who don’t have [synesthesia] still understand the concept. So when we say we have a ‘sharp tongue,’ we add a tactile association to a word which doesn’t exist, so we all have that association on some level. [However], when we test synesthetes vs the rest of the population, what differs is that they are consistent in their associations,” social studies teacher Danielle Edwards said.

Synesthesia is the process in which an individual experiences stimulation of one sensory experience, and a different cognitive pathway is also stimulated. For example, some people with synesthesia see colors, and as a result, hear sounds associated with them. If someone has color letter associated synesthesia, subjects such as algebra can be hard because of the different variables and letters. Often, this can be distracting, because words can pop out in different colors, but for theatre junior Daniel Rabinowitz, synesthesia is not as inhibiting a condition.

“I associate sound and music with specific colors,” Rabinowitz said. “I figured every single person lived life this way, so when it was brought to my attention that that wasn’t the case, I was caught a little off guard. I’ve just recently become more aware of it, but it isn’t something I think about every day. It’s very second nature.”

Synesthesia is not a common condition for most people to be born with or develop.

According to the American Psychological Association, experts estimate that about one in every 300 people have some form of Synesthesia. What exactly causes it has not yet been determined, but there are a few possible reasons for why someone may be born with it.

DID YOU KNOW That the word “synesthesia” comes from the Greek words syn (together) and aithesis (perception).

Together it means joined perception. “[Some believe that it’s caused by] excess wiring in the brain, and things are connected where they shouldn’t be. It makes you have feedback when that shouldn’t be connected, but it seems to be more of an anomaly than a debilitating condition for most people because they do grow accustomed to it,” Ms. Edwards said.

In addition to the effects of everyday sensations, many individuals find that they can use this condition to aid them in creating art.

Upon discovering that he experienced music and sounds differently than others, Rabinowitz wanted to convey the senses he undergoes everyday through a series of paintings.

“I am by no means a visual artist; however, my sister Rachel and brother Nic were both visual majors at Dreyfoos and had remaining

tools laying around the house from past projects. I was listening to cast recordings from Broadway musicals and couldn’t describe what they made me feel, so I created them with paint,” Rabinowitz said. “After posting about how therapeutic it was for me on social media, a few friends privately approached me and told me [synesthesia] was something I should look into.”

Those who do not have synesthesia may confuse the condition with a disease. Some believe that those who have it suffer from confusing their senses with one another, and that it apprehends the way they learn or experience life. It is difficult to comprehend how those who have it can focus on one sense while others are also being activated. However, Rabinowitz views having synesthesia as an advantage, as it is something he has spent his life becoming accustomed to.

“It doesn’t distract me at all because it has become so second nature that I never even acknowledged it until recently,” Rabinowitz said. “[When I first did], I wanted a positive and creative outlet to throw my feelings into, and that’s when I started painting. I did five in total, [and I think] I finally captured the essence of [synesthesia]. Addressing this aspect of my creativity has been the most helpful thing, and it helped me tap into a medium I wasn’t previously comfortable in.”

Rabinowitz views his condition as an outlet for creative expression and does not let it hinder his artistic abilities.

“I just love the idea of art and creativity in general. We often work in acting with the idea of removing a sense like sight to allow your other senses to heighten,” Rabinowitz said. “Awareness is so important and it’s just more of a blending of those senses for me.

They feel close together.”

By Lexi Marcellino Arts / themuseatdreyfoos.com 13

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REVIVING OURROADS Students paint the intersection between Fern and Tamarind into a tropical paradise

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ibrant hues and abstract designs on streets and buildings are popping up or being preserved across the world. These murals send a message with their bright or dark shades, evoking emotions coming from within the city. Street art creates a unique culture and brings arts to the lives of everyone, even those in West Palm Beach.

PLANNING

In December 2016, the city of West Palm Beach met with magnet coordinator Patrick Marshall and visual dean Lacey Van Reeth to invite Dreyfoos students to create a design to put at the intersection of Fern Street and Tamarind Avenue in Downtown West Palm Beach. The idea for this project came from Street Plans, a company that had won a grant they had applied for through the Knight Foundation. They selected West Palm Beach as a partner city to host a Tactical Urbanism Workshop and to implement a pilot project.

“The inception of the idea came from watching the hundreds of Dreyfoos students crossing the intersection on school mornings,” Heather Tribou, member of the Development Services Department of city council, said. “The idea developed as different departments of city staff, administration, art in public places, engineering and planning, all came together and discussed the importance of the intersection and who uses it. Basically, it is a key intersection at the Tri-Rail station that hundreds of teenagers use on a daily basis to attend one of the top 10 schools in the state.”

PREPARATION

Visual and digital media teachers selected 26 students from both departments based on who they knew were reliable and accountable. From there, the students split into six groups, and each group was tasked with creating a prospective design for the intersection.

Two months after the assignment, the city council selected Team Sunset’s design. Its group was comprised of visual juniors Ania Johnson, Jessica Onyx Raia, sophomore Megan Tachev, and digital media freshman Dani Walters. The team based its design around what they enjoy most about the city, using palm trees and silhouettes of people. It took the artists two meetings to create the design on Adobe Photoshop.

“I was surprised, to say the least, when I was chosen for an opportunity that was visually-oriented. I don’t think it will be too terrible of a challenge with such a large group [of members with] different years of ar-

tistic experience, but it will definitely be interesting for myself,” Walters said. “I have learned a lot [from my teammates] on resume formatting, working with others that are more experienced, and having the knowledge to look for compositional things in my own work.”

PURSUANCE

On Feb. 14, students involved in the project sat through a tactical urbanism workshop provided by the city of West Palm Beach which spoke on issues that could arise when creating art in public spaces. Examples of possible issues included dealing with

people in the space, getting permission to paint by the land owner, obtaining materials, and covering costs.

“Almost all of our materials are either donated or bought by the art teachers themselves with their own money,” visual senior Maya Drummond said. “It is really unfortunate, but the only major fundraising opportunity we have is the yearly art auction. All of our other funds come from outside donations.”

The leader of the workshop, Anthony Garcia, tackled the more practical aspects of the process such as the application of paint. After the first portion of the workshop, Garcia took

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Street lights at Fern and Tamarind shine on the street painting at night as traffic drives by. The city of West Palm Beach collaborted with the visual arts department to aid in the intitive of revamping downtown West Palm Beach.

Photo courtesy of Maxwell Zengage

students outside of the student parking lot for a more hands-on learning experience.

They tested some of the materials such as thermoplastics, acrylic, tempera, and different spray paints on a small portion of the road.

“The City of West Palm Beach emphasized the amount of time that we have to paint the intersection greatly so all of the groups created designs that could be painted in the two-day time frame,” visual sophomore Luke Han said. “I felt pretty relaxed with the time limitations because I know all of the people in the project work very efficiently, and we had many tools, such as stencils and rollers.”

On the sunny, windy weekend of

March 4 and 5, the teams worked together to create Team Sunset’s design using these materials and more to paint over newly laid asphalt at the intersection. On March 5, a “public art” festival was open for the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food trucks Crayzlicious, The Scoop Coop, and Bea’s Heavenly wings were parked, serving food to parents, artists, and bystanders, while they listened to music played by DJ “Josh Supreme Events.”

PAYOFF

Dreyfoos doesn’t have a focus on street art, so having the experience to collaborate with the Art in Public Spaces division of city council can be very beneficial to the

group’s learning and exposure to different volumes of art.

“What appealed to me about the process was the kids had to go about their proposals as if a professional artist was going about their own,” Ms. Van Reeth said.

“They saw what the requirements for the proposal were, got together, worked in a team, figured out a design, and then formally put together a proposal, made sure they had all the requirements, and then submitted it. The real world application element, to me, was the most beneficial part.”

By Emily Sweetz

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ARTSINDEX FEB.15

FEB

Communications senior Megan Horan speaks at Seeds Open Mic Night on Feb. 15. Seeds literary magazine will be sold on March 31, which is also the day of the Communications Showcase. The Speech and Debate Team held a tournament at Dreyfoos on Feb. 25, attracting participants from all over the county. Members of the team also attended the 43rd annual Harvard Forensics Tournament from Feb. 17 to 20. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Band junior plays in a co department Feb. 23, Ma 15. Student the Musical March 14. P Robinson

MA

APRIL12

Visual stude finishing the participatin students cam intersection courtesy of

Vocal sophomores Lillian Heran (L-R), Diana Parra, junior Victoria Giol, and sophomore Marina Kabellar rehearse for the Chorus Pops Concert on April 12 at Meyer Hall, featuring a modernistic twist on songs. Students also performed at the Music Performance Assessments (MPA) for the Florida Vocal Association on March 3 to 5. Photo by Haley Johnston

FEB.17

Strings junior Daniel Hardwick plays the cello.

The strings department held their first concert of the semester in the Black Box Theater on Feb. 17, featuring pieces including Little Suite, Op. 1 from “Praeludium Intermezzo,” Elegy from “A Download Suite,” Intermezzo Sinfonico from “Cavalleria Rusticana,” and Serenade for String Orchestra. Photo by Natalie Bergeron

FEB MA

Theatre senio spring play “ March 5 in derstudy per offered a cha to perform o states from M

by Natalie

FEB.24 Piano senior Aalisha Jaisinghani plays at a concert.The piano department had their biennial New York City trip for juniors and seniors Feb. 17-20. Piano students also had a concert on Feb. 24.

Photo by Natalie Bergeron

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APRIL 29

Digital seniors Sarah Sherman (left) and Seanna Harris are working on selecting and finishing their pieces for the Dreyfoos Visual Arts and Digital Media Senior Exhibition, which will be held at the Armory Arts Center on April 29- May 5. Photo by Sydney Walsh

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FEB.23 Band junior Yoel Lugones plays in a concert. The band department held concerts on Feb. 23, March 14, and March 15. Students also participated in the Musical Luncheon, held on March 14. Photo by Destiny Robinson

APRIL 28-30

Guest teacher Jere James (left) works with a freshman class. The dance department brought in several guest artists in February and March.

Dancers in all grades have been receiving master classes and getting the chance to work with professionals. The Spring Dance Concert will take place from April 28-30, and will allow dancers to showcase work from both guests and the Dreyfoos dance department faculty.

Photo by Sydney Walsh

MARCH 4-5 Visual students have been working steadily towards finishing their work for end of semester juries, as well as participating in showcasing those pieces. On March 4-5, students came together to create a new mural on the the intersection of Fern Street and Tamarind Avenue. Photo courtesy of Max Zengage

FEB. 24 – MARCH 5

Theatre senior Donnie O’Connor performed in the spring play “Moon Over Buffalo” from Feb. 24 to March 5 in Meyer Hall. Featuring their first understudy performance on March 2, this performance offered a chance for students with understudy roles to perform on stage. Students also competed at ITS states from March 15 through 19 in Tampa. Photo

by Natalie Bergeron

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MARCHING

FORWARD As activism across America rises due to the current political climate, students make an impact on their communities, one step, one voice, and one day at a time. The Muse investigates the growing role of activism throughout the Dreyfoos population. Photo by Sydney Walsh

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Photo courtesy of Sydney Walsh

Photo courtesy of Caroline Miller

Photo courtesy of Bailey Triggs

Photo courtesy of Olivia Payson Photo courtesy of Sage Albert

Photo by Sydney Walsh

Photo courtesy of Shelley Kaleita

Photo courtesy of Julia Horneck

Photo courtesy of Melanie Margolese

Since the presidential inauguration, Dreyfoos students have participated in various protests and marches, locally and nationally.

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Photo by Sydney Walsh

January 20, 2017: Donald Trump is sworn in as president of the United States.

January 21, 2017: Millions of Americans participate in women’s marches across the country, supporting gender equality.

January 22, 2017: A new wave of activism begins.

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rom protests to political campaigns, Dreyfoos students have become engaged in diverse forms of activism. As issues like gender equality, racial discrimination, and access to affordable healthcare come to the forefront of the political stage, Americans, and students, are inspired to get involved.

“Our students are very involved, very vocal, and very passionate. They are willing to give to a cause and voice their opinion, whether it be in support of or [against] something,” Principal Dr. Susan Atherley said.

“You can fight and believe in something passionately, but you need to do it with integrity. That’s what I want kids to do.”

Protests are the most public display of discontent in the form of activism. Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people marching in support of a cause makes headlines. In a survey of 746 Dreyfoos students, three out of every ten students report having participated in a protest or march.

“I think protesting is the most efficient way to strive and create change because when you are actively protesting against something, it makes a statement. The presence of the protest makes a statement that boycotting or other forms of activism could never do,” communications junior Ariel Gordon, who participated in the Women’s March on Washington, said.

Thirty-two percent of Dreyfoos students surveyed agree that protesting is the most effective form of activism, while 31 percent believe that there are better forms of activism than protests or that protests are counterpro-

ductive. Communications senior Shelley Kaleita has been involved in political activism during the most recent election cycle, volunteering for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

IT IS NOT THE 1960S, OR THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, BUT THERE IS STILL CHANGE TO BE MADE. WE HAVE TO KEEP MARCHING FORWARD. - COMMUNICATIONS JUNIOR ARIEL GORDON “I do not think the protests are the most effective ways for political activism,” Kaleita said. “I believe that protests are a great way to bring attention to the issue and show that people are united to fight for a greater cause, but ultimately, if you want to tackle the issue at hand, that starts with working on campaigns and meeting with local and state elected officials.”

Activism is not limited to protests with catchy chants and poster slogans. It can be on the individual basis, which is what foreign language teacher and Political Society sponsor Tom Ruth advocates for.

“I think, short of running for office, the most effective activism is directly volunteering. If access to women’s reproductive choice is your cause, volunteer for Planned Parenthood. If you say ‘I am going to make a stand,’

get involved with an organization,” Mr. Ruth said. “I am proud of all Dreyfoos students who use their First Amendment, no matter their beliefs, but I’ll take volunteering any day over making signs and parading down the street.”

Students almost unanimously agree that activism for social issues is important, 93 percent supporting activism, but people are not always willing or able to engage in activism, especially students. Less than half of students have participated in any form of activism, and this manifests along political lines. Fifty-three percent of self-identified Democrats have engaged in activism, while that number rests at 28 percent for self-identified Republicans.

“People should do what they believe is right to do. If I think it is right to speak against or for something, I have the right to do that,” Dr. Atherley said. “You must follow your dreams and your passions, and fight for what you believe in. The beautiful thing about this country is that we have freedoms and get to speak our piece.”

Thirty-eight percent of surveyed students would like to become involved in activism but have not in the past. Meanwhile, 15 percent have not participated in activism, nor do they wish to. More people have not participated in any form of activism than have been to a protes.

“It’s an individual’s choice whether to [engage in activism] by supporting something you believe in. A lot of people, not only kids, just don’t go out and march and say they are for something,” Dr. Atherley said.

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One of the most notable national sprees of activism came during the Civil Rights Era in a fight for racial equality.

Throughout the coming decades, activists protested American involvement in wars and against LGBTQ+ discrimination. From Selma to Stonewall, activism has been an integral component of American history, but millennials have never seen such forceful movements.

In recent years, the Black Lives Matter group rose to prominence, and according to TIME magazine, there was a national push to support abortion rights following legislative efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.

As Alia Wong of The Atlantic explains, these new movements, especially in light of political turmoil, have caused a renaissance in student activism.

“There has been a real powerful sense among a lot of student activists that the future they were promised has been taken away from them,” Angus Johnston, a professor at the City University of New York who specializes in student activism, told The Atlantic. “One of the things that ties [student movements] all together is a sense that the future doesn’t look as rosy as it might have a few years ago.”

While some students choose to get involved through protests and petitions, activism can be done on a whole different level. Students have taken the initiative to get involved by working through clubs and organizations to create a collective effort that advances a cause they believe in. Per the survey, the most popular form of activism by students is volunteering for an organization.

“Student-run clubs fighting for a cause are important because they grab the attention of students who can make a change,” Gordon said. “When a cause is fought for by students, it almost gets other students engaged in the same cause, as well. Without having an organized club at our school that advocates for a cause, there are limited ways for the student body to be aware.”

Whether it is Dreyfoos’ A Prom to Remember, which puts on a prom for teens with pediatric cancer; the Dreyfoos chapter of Best Buddies, which works to improve the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD); or the Art for Alzheimer’s Club, which puts on an art show dedicated to 22

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raising funds for Alzheimer’s Disease; organizations operated by students are actively working to advance diverse causes and increase awareness. Girls Learn International, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and dozens of other clubs are testaments to Dreyfoos students’ activist tendencies.

“It’s different when you’re a student because the things you want are different, and our generation is very much politically inclined,” Kaleita said. “Most people don’t stand by anymore. They stand up for what they believe in and think is the right cause. So being a student and part of that generation, I think there is more freedom and opportunity when it comes to political activism.”

The Dreyfoos theatre department has dedicated their art to the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS organization.

They collect money at every show for Broadway Cares, and they hold an annual improv benefit show, where theme suggestions and specific lines are auctioned off to be used in the show.

“Artists tend to focus on themselves in their art, and it is very important to give and help others to prevent becoming the ‘diva’ stereotype,” theatre junior Madeleine Stillman said. “I started Send-A-Sonnet, where on Valentine’s Day students delivered Shakespeare Sonnet performances to classrooms to raise money for the cause. Helping a cause in need is rewarding in a million ways, and you find that in helping others, you help yourself.”

As America continues to evolve over the coming four years, the next force of change will be the millennial generation.

In varied capacities, Dreyfoos students have already begun their efforts to support causes and initiatives they believe in.

“I think what is interesting as a student is that I haven’t necessarily lived through some of the historical moments that people like my mom have experienced,” Gordon said. “I see the world as one shaped by [President] Obama’s legacy, but also as someone who understands that our current system is flawed. Activism is essential. It is not the 1960s, or the Civil Rights Era, but there is still change to be made. We have to keep marching forward.”

By Alex Gordon Contributors: Emma Baldinger, Carly Schwamm Graphic by Chloe Krammel, shapes adapted from thenounproject.com

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HIGHLIGHTS

Visual junior Hannah Bremer-Solomon practices her swings at a tennis practice at the Haverhill Tennis Club.

Photo by Morgan Scott

TRACK&FIELD TENNIS

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he sound of the pistol marked the start of the track and field season this spring. The team, consisting of over 80 members, had their first meet at William T. Dwyer High School on March 1. During the team’s second meet at Dwyer, on March 8, dance junior Victoria Volpe ran a 6:19 mile, strings sophomore Alan Le ran 1:01 in the 400 meter, and communications sophomore Carleigh Dickinson threw the discus 74’ 11”, breaking the school record for girls discus.

The team’s next meets are on March 30 at The King’s Academy and April 6 at Lake Worth Community High School. “[The season] is going well so far, but this year it is taking a little longer to settle back into proper form,” visual sophomore Njari Anderson said. “Overall, [my goals] are to make it to regionals, because our boys relay team missed regionals by a hair last year.”

By Carleigh Dickinson

T

ennis balls pound against the court, creating a rhythmic sound as tennis rackets swing through the air.

This year, the tennis team is coached by math teacher Matthew Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan brings experience as the previous golf coach. The team currently has a 3-8 record after beating Royal Palm Beach High school twice and Seminole Ridge Community High School once. Their upcoming games are against Atlantic Community High School on March 30 and Oxbridge Academy on April 3.

“Tennis is going really well for me,” digital media freshman Alexis Effenberger said. “This is my first season playing at Dreyfoos, and I really love it. The people on the team are amazing, and I have so much fun playing tennis with them.”

By Carleigh Dickinson

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AIDENNELSON Visual freshman Aiden Nelson impresses coaches and track team during the 2017 season

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Visual freshman Aiden Nelson practices at Forest Hill High School for an upcoming track and field meet. Photo by Natalie Bergeron

imeliness and dedication cross country and track.” are only two of the many Nelson didn’t begin as one traits visual freshman of the top runners on the team.

Aiden Nelson has displayed on Earlier in the year, Nelson the track and field team this started off as the seventh runseason. Nelson participates in ner on the cross country team, the 800 meter relay, 400 me- but he eventually advanced to ter, and 800 meter events. His the top two. passion for running began in “I think he has a strong work eighth grade when he started ethic and he has a lot of drive,” running around the neighbor- track coach and math teacher hood with his dad.

Craig Adams said. “It helps “I was [the juniors sort of raised and seniors] by HE IMPRESSES into athletseeing someTHE REST OF THE one who is ics since my father is a TEAM AND THE younger. [It runner and them] COACHES... AND makes my mother want to comis a swim- PUSHES HIMSELF pete at their mer,” Nel- EVERY PRACTICE level and be son said. “It as physically just felt right -THEATRE JUNIOR capable as they to stay acMADISON are. It makes tive and get have to BURMEISTER them fit, and over try and fight the years it harder. He’s a has become more serious, so I freshman, so he can only grow thought a sport like track was in the next four years.” good for that.”

Nelson has improved his On the team this year, Nel- overall speed and stamison has been pushed by his na by lasting through many fellow teammates such as vi- tough workouts. Earlier in sual junior Jin Deng. Working the school year, he participatwith Deng individually along ed in cross country, which has the way has helped Nelson helped him through the track enhance his performance. Ex- season. ercises they participate in to“Since cross country, he’s not gether include running up and only maintained his endurance down the bleachers, weighted but he has been able to speed up leg workouts, short distance his pace and really push himruns with weighted sleds, laps self,” theatre junior Madison around the field, and running Burmeister said. “He impresses with free weights. the rest of the team and the “As a freshman, he has coaches in the way he takes shown some great personal re- running seriously and pushes cords and a lot of potential to himself every practice and race be a great runner,” Deng said. to become a better runner. He “He has been able to keep up brings energy, positivity, and with the top competition in drive in the whole team, which this school along with great I am incredibly thankful for work ethic, leading to contin- each and every day.” uous improvement through By Shane McVan

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BONDINGFOR BOYSBASKETBALL A

fter ending the season with an 11-10 record and placing third in the East Coast Conference tournament, the boys basketball team has already started preparing for the next season, For the first time, they will be attending a sleep-away basketball camp in Daytona.

“The season ended great. We placed third in the conference, which is a really big step up from last year,” strings junior Amare Davis said. “We came last in the conference last year, and [this year] we went all the way up to third.

The team is looking good. We made a lot of progress this year, and we’re going to be good next year.”

The division win got the team a banner for the gym, but the boys still strive to do better. This year, the team will be attending a summer camp at Embry-Riddle University from June 19-23, to hopefully sharpen up their skills. “[The camp] is pretty cool, and it’s pretty cheap. I’ve heard a bunch of good things,” boys basketball coach and social studies teacher Jeffrey Stohr said.

“Hopefully, it will make them better because usually when you come away from basketball camp you’re pretty fired up. You want to play more, and the key to getting better at any sport is playing in the offseason.”

The sleepaway camp is also popular among local high school basketball teams. Most of these teams use the camp as a way to enhance teamwork and maintain fundamental skills over the summer break.

“The camp is meant to be a way for the team to improve performance and chemistry,” visual junior Matthew George said. “We will be spending an entire week working on our skills and competing against other teams in order to bring the best results out of the oncoming season.”

The basketball team will spend the summer in Daytona to work on their strength and endurance in preparation for the upcoming 2017-18 season

The boys basketball team huddles up with basketball coach and social studies teacher Jeffrey Stohr. The team played game at Boca Christian School during the regular season. Photo by Natalie Bergeron

During the camp, the boys will work on the fundamentals of basketball, including ball handling and shooting. There will also be an All-Star game, slam dunk, and three point contests. Games on the main court will be filmed so they can be re-watched and analyzed.

“We’ll be doing drills, going over different types of plays, learning how to rebound, shoot, defend, and basically everything that applies to basketball skills,” Davis said. “I expect it to help us all as a team and in our skills individually by helping us get better with our weaknesses.”

Aside from the camp, the boys intend to join a summer basketball league as well as practice with each other every other weekend.

“We are going to try and get them into some sort of summer league. There are leagues all around West Palm Beach we can play in, so they can get together and practice, and then play a game,” Mr. Stohr said. “The more you play together, the better you get.”

The camp will leave players with high hopes for the next basketball season, as they continue to work together and improve critical skills all year long.

“A team can be full of very skilled players,” George said. “But if those players aren’t focused on coming together to win for each other and as a team, the unit will not be successful.”

By Carleigh Dickinson

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Communications senior Riley O’Connor does a reverse layup during warm-ups. Photo by Sydney Walsh

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MOST

EMBARASSING MOMENTS Students describe times during which they embarassed themselves

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ou’re standing in front of the crowd, microphone in hand, all eyes on you.

Then, it happens. The laughter erupts as your knees buckle and heart begins to palpitate in your chest. As you look around the stage for the cause of the crowd’s laughter, everything clicks. You’re standing there, on the slick stage of Meyer Hall, in your underwear.

As art students, we have all experienced an embarrassing moment that could be compared to this classic nightmare.

“My most embarrasing moment was when my voice gave out and cracked on me during a quartet performance that I had,” vocal junior Samuel Point Du Jour said.

After hours of practice for his vocal performance, Du Jour knew the quartet — and his teacher — were counting on him to succeed.

However, when Du Jour opened his mouth to perform in front of his family and the entire vocal department, the angelic sounds he had been practicing did not swell into perfection.

“The worst part was that my whole family was there to watch me fail, along with a girl that I was with at the moment,” Du Jour said. “This was so embarrassing because it completely ruined my reputation, considering the fact that I was thought highly of [by my] teacher. She would have never expected something like that to happen.”

Du Jour is not alone in the red-faced remains of his embarrassment. Strings sophomore Leah Winters experienced a similar moment while participating in an orchestra performance.

“My most embarrassing moment was probably when I dropped my bow while playing during a concert,” Winters said. “It occurred during a fast section, and I guess I just wasn’t holding onto it well enough. The worst part was having to go stand up and get it. It was horrible because everyone was watching me.”

Du Jour and Winters may have had their

Graphic by Daniela Esquenazi

moment on stage, however, many other students have encountered embarrassments preparing for their performances as well. While developing a speech, communications sophomore Jake Kaywell encountered a humiliating moment of his own. “[My most embarrassing moment was] when all the work I did for a tournament got erased because I thought it was my junk file. I had to redo two weeks of work in two days,” Kaywell said. “The worst part was actually telling [communications dean Angela Anyzeski] that I had royally messed up. I felt nothing but shame.”

MY MOST EMBARRASING MOMENT WAS WHEN MY VOICE GAVE OUT AND CRACKED ON ME DURING A QUARTET PERFORMANCE THAT I HAD. -VOCAL JUNIOR SAMUEL POINT DU JOUR Digital media junior Olivia Monaco can identify with Kaywell’s unfortunate moment, however, her unfortunate instance does not involve a deleted file, rather the ruining of her class’ pictures.

“During my freshman year, I accidentally turned on the light in the film changing room, exposing light into the dark room and ruining everyone’s prints,” Monaco said.

“The worst part of it was that half my class had to scrap what they had been working on because of my rookie mistake. It was pretty embarrassing, considering everyone was upset [that] they had to start fresh in the dark room.”

These moments are well realized in a school filled with performing artists. Instead

of allowing these embarrassments to get the best of them, students turn unfortunate situations into a beneficial lesson. “[Instead of giving up], it made me want to try harder to extend my vocal range along with perfecting it,” Du Jour said. “I would not change this because I want to be able to use this as a lesson learned to make me strive to become a better singer [and] performer.”

Like Du Jour, Winters has chosen to have a positive outlook on her predicament, taking a more humorous approach to the situation.

“I probably wouldn’t change it because it was kind of funny,” Winters said.

Even though some students do not recall their humiliating instances with humor, they all agree that these embarrassments are not something they would wish away.

“Believe it or not, I wouldn’t change the outcome,” Kaywell said. “It taught me a valuable lesson that could have been much worse in the future. It occurred because I was careless. I have learned since then.”

Monaco has followed in her peers’ perspectives as well. While her moment of embarrassment was not ideal, she has used it as a motivating force to be a better and more observant artist.

“Moving forward, [this mistake] definitely made me more aware and cautious of working in the photo lab,” Monaco said. “Part of the development of an artist is learning from past experiences.”

Many times, the mistakes an artist makes becomes a blessing in disguise. These embarrassments have allowed these students to become more aware in their work and more understanding of the art in which they partake.

“The moral of the story is that through it all, you should be able to use your failures to encourage you to do better, rather than having them discourage you,” Du Jour said.

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SAGE STEPS UP

Digital media junior Sage Albert embodies the motto “Bald is Beautiful” through her various community service projects with St. Baldrick’s, the YMCA, and Go For Green

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o many, the essence of life is to help others. This is a moral that digital media junior Sage Albert holds true by being a part of the St. Baldrick’s club as a co-president for the second year in a row.

Albert is also an avid worker for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) as a volunteer and employee.

As the St. Baldrick’s club co-president, Albert plans events such as the head-shaving event held at school each year with the other officers. She also helps fundraise throughout the year for childhood cancer research.

“The money donated goes to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and is put toward the most effective cancer research facilities, which use it to find new treatments and hopefully one day a cure for children’s cancer,” Albert said.

Digital media junior Sofia Beira was elected co-president with Albert this past year after being approached by visual senior Dalton Taylor. Taylor asked the two if they would be willing to accept the job and responsibilities as co-presidents for the club.

“Together, we are responsible for making sure that we put on great events to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer, and to show the world that bald is beautiful,” Beira said.

Albert’s dedication to the club continued on Feb. 12, after she emerged from the crowd of students in the bleachers and walked to the center of the gym preparing to see what used to be the hair on her head now fall to the ground.

“When I shaved my head, it was a really empowering and emotional experience,” Albert said. “It just felt right and I was so overjoyed that I did it for my grandmother and all the kids who don’t have a choice.”

For Albert, the effect that cancer has had on her life enabled her to become part of the club, eventually becoming one of the leading roles for the organization at school.

“My grandmother died of breast cancer and when I went to the event my freshmen year, Jessica Kian shaved her head and I was so inspired by her that I decided that I would shave my head [the] next year,” Albert said.

“Throughout the entire process, the club was

very welcoming of me, and I wanted to become more involved.”

Throughout the process of planning and organizing events, the officers have the ability to continue to work diligently towards fundraising opportunities and spread their enthusiasm to others throughout the entirety of the school year.

“Sage is honestly one of the hardest working and kindest people I know. She puts so much effort into St. Baldrick’s, and I couldn’t do it without her,” Beira said.

Apart from her time spent working with the St. Baldrick’s organization, Albert puts in an extensive amount of time by working at YMCA. Beginning at the age of 12, Albert has since been working with the organization to enhance her everyday skills with the community.

SERVING OTHERS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES AND THE WORLD. “The YMCA is a leading nonprofit that serves communities through programs that nurture and enrich the lives of our youth, promote healthy living and teach social responsibility. I volunteer and work at the YMCA to help contribute to their mission of building a healthy spirit, mind and body for all,” Albert said. “I started volunteering at the YMCA by mistake; I signed up as a camper for summer camp but I was too old, so they put me with the younger kids as a leader in training.”

The program inspired Albert to become to begin the camp Go for Green with the help of her friend.

“Go for Green provides [children] with free swim lessons from certified instructors and volunteers during half of their pool time to teach them drowning prevention skills and help them grow as a swimmer,” Albert

said. “And this past summer, we taught over 100 children how to swim at the Peter Blum Family YMCA and the Devos Blum Family YMCA.” Within the past year, Go for Green was awarded a $12,000 grant from the Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank to continue growing the program.

“We expanded the program to teach children of all learning capacities, including children enrolled in the special needs programs,” Albert said. “Through this, they were able to learn not only how to run a lesson and work with children but also responsibility and leadership skills.”

As a club and an organization, each of the volunteers and employees are gracious in discovering more ways to further help the community and to aid those involved.

“Every time I go to the YMCA, I’m reminded of how much I’ve grown because of it. Not only have I learned leadership skills, but I’ve also made lifelong friends. We are there to support each other and learn from each other. Go for Green was also one of these ways and that’s just a start,” Albert said.

Go for Green has given numerous children over the past year the ability to receive help for learning how to confidently, safely, and independently swim.

“This summer, we had our first special needs kid pass his swim test after many weeks of practice, and it was then that I realized what I was doing really was changing people’s lives,” Albert said. “Now, this child has the ability to swim and has been given the freedom to interact with other kids. He is able to do the same things as [the other kids] could at the same level.”

The opportunity to serve the community has granted Albert with the ability to prosper her ways of learning as she interacts with her surroundings and the people in it.

“Serving others is one of the greatest ways to make a difference in people’s lives and the world,” Albert said. “Through volunteering and working with the YMCA and the various programs I’m involved in I’m able to do just that.”

By Jordan Johnson

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Digital media junior Sage Albert (bottom row, second from left) poses with other St. Balrick’s participants before shaving her head to raise awareness.

Photos courtesy of Sage Albert

Drowning prevention director Liz Schmidt (L-R), news anchor John Favole, and digital media junior Sage Albert pose after an interview about a grant she recived from the Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank.

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PURSUINGPASSION

Theatre senior Sarah Joseph considers beginning her musical career immediately after graduating high school

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assion is the driving force for many students in the creative atmosphere of Dreyfoos. While a small percentage of graduates pursue the arts after high school, it’s what students do with their passion that determines their futures. Through exploring different mediums of self expression, theatre senior Sarah Joseph has found her heart and preoccupation in music.

“I always describe it to my grandparents, who aren’t too thrilled that I’m not really planning on going to college next year, as not following the ducklings,” Joseph said. “It’s really scary but at the very least, I can say I followed my heart and I did everything I could.”

As an actress and dancer with a love for songwriting, Joseph has forged her own path at Dreyfoos by taking classes that a theatre major wouldn’t usually take into consideration, such as music theory and dance class.

“When I got into Berklee [College of Music], I was amazed,” Joseph said. “Right now, I don’t think I’m going to college directly after graduation. I’m going to see how much financial aid Berklee gives me and request a gap year and see how it goes. I’m trying to keep my options open.”

While college is an option for Joseph, what she is sure of is the pursuit of her music career. Abandoning traditional theatre vocal lessons and choosing to train with coach Betty Wright has allowed Joseph to better her abilities in her vocal technique and songwriting in a way theatre classes couldn’t.

“Sarah listens intently. She has her own thoughts, and she doesn’t mind sharing them,” Ms. Wright said. “What sets her apart is her timing. Every movement is so passionate.”

Because she grew up in a musical family, embracing her love for the arts was no difficult task. With her dad being a professional drummer, Joseph’s musical talents don’t stray far from the family.

“She was exposed to various genres of music and it’s all impacted what she [is] doing now,” Joseph’s father, Jonathan Joseph said. “ While new to the recording process, Joseph has spent the past few years establishing her identity as an artist and person. Much of her music is inspired by actual events in her life. Her music works to capture the truth, pain, and happiness of life.

“My upcoming album, ‘Kidasaru,’ is driven from an event that has taken place in my life,” Joseph said.

“Sometimes my lyrics take suggestion straight from my point of view, and sometimes I imagine how other’s points of view are on the things I’ve said or done to them. I am beyond excited to see my album completed someday.”

Photo by Destiny Robinson By Danelle Eugene

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M

THE BEEF ON EGANISM

any vegans have been in this situation. You’re sitting down at a restaurant and as your friends are looking over the menu, your eyes scout for the vegan-friendly logo. As you ask your waiter about your options, you’re subjected to weird and confused looks from the people at your table. “Wait...you’re vegan?”

It’s important to recognize that vegans join the movement for a multitude of reasons. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, “People choose to be vegan for health, environmental, and/or ethical reasons. Many vegans choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world.”

Vegans don’t eat any meat, fish, or poultry and don’t use any products that come from animals. A common vegan diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Like every community, vegans are subject to criticism.

“A lot of vegans get made fun of for being nosy or ‘telling other people how to live.’ It’s not fair because most vegans aren’t like that,” theatre sophomore Olivia Morley said.

Organizations like PETA are notorious for spreading gruesome “behind the scenes” videos of animal treatment within the food and animal experimentation industries. They promote these videos to raise awareness

Dreyfoos students shed light on the vegan lifestyle

about the perspective the non-vegan consumer often doesn’t see when buying or using products from such industries.

“I believe vegans get a bad reputation, especially online, because of how far some of them go to spread their message,” Morley said. “They’re passionate about their cause, but sometimes it isn’t taken in the right direction and can make people feel as if vegans are really ‘over the top.’”

DID YOU KNOW According to Vegan Life Magazine, veganism has grown by 350 percent in the last decade in the United Kingdom.

Aside from PETA, many of people have been aligning with the movement and pursuing a vegan lifestyle in order to develop and better their own self image. Becoming a vegan because you want to be “in on a trend”

can further distort what vegans actually stand for.

“There are two different types of veganism,” communications junior Gina Givens said. “The first type are people who become vegan because they know it’s the right thing to do for their health and for the planet. The second type are the people who post pictures of their fruit bowls on Instagram and just want to seem superior to other people. It’s annoying.”

With more and more restaurants offering vegan menus and vegan accommodations, veganism is getting more attention in the media. Through celebrities and conversation, it makes sense as to why people temporarily hop on the veganism bandwagon. People with big platforms, like Jay Z and Beyonce going on the 22 day vegan challenge or Ellen Degeneres posting on her “Going Vegan with Ellen” blog, call attention to the lifestyle.

“Veganism is spreading and the movement is gaining momentum. The vegan community is getting much larger than in years past,” theatre junior Sabrina Santana said.“If you don’t like vegans or veganism, that’s okay, but don’t jump to conclusions or put all vegans in the same category just because we may not eat the same as everyone else.”

By Dylan Priday

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Photo by Destiny Robinson

Photo by Destiny Robinson

Photo by Natalie Bergeron

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PALM SUGAR

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alm Sugar is an Asian restaurant with an array of dishes ranging from sushi to noodles, featuring other dishes from different countries in Southeast Asia. I was a bit reluctant about the $7-20 price range, but seeing as how all the other restaurants on Clematis were higher than $20, I gave in.

We spent about a little more than an hour there, but to be fair it took us a while to decide on what we wanted to eat because it all sounded so good, (and we might or might not have pretended to be Naruto while one of us ate Yaki-Udon noodles).

The wait time to actually get our meal was about 10 minutes, and the quality of the food was spectacular.

The restaurant itself was pretty simple. There were posters on the wall that didn’t really seem fitting, since they were all about sports, and the atomosphere was pretty dark and calm, which was bad on my part because I am very loud. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my experience at Palm Sugar, and I definitely will find myself returning.

By Daniela Esquenazi

THE CHICKPEA

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ating out as a vegan is always a struggle. My various queries concerning the presence of meat, eggs, or dairy never ceases to agitate the restaurant’s staff, especially at Chikpea. In knowing it was my first time eating there, the employee wasn’t very helpful in the choosing process. The menu itself was anything but underwhelming.

I placed my order at the counter moving down the line, piling on the goodness. They have beef and chicken as well as vegan options, so it’s meat-eater, vegetarian, and vegan friendly. I got their bowl con-

sisting of brown rice, baby spinach, coconut curry, falafel, and sesame tofu. The meal was a bit pricey, totalling to about $15. It was reasonable considering the amount I was getting.

The aesthetic of the whole shop was, in fact, quite pleasing. The stark white wall meshed so well with the surrounding succulents and wooden tables of the restaurant. I would definitely recommend The Chickpea to a friend, and to anyone who’s in search of a place with good food and a good time.

By Alexa Pope

SUBCULTURE COFFEE

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f you’re a Dreyfoos student, chances are you’ve heard of Subculture Coffee. Located just before the train tracks on Clematis street is a cozy coffee house with a connected bistro called the Annex.

With all of the photos and surrounding hype around the place, my expectations were fairly high.

I ordered a chocolate croissant and an iced mocha, going with the safest options I could think of. Considering the price, it wasn’t all that worthwhile.

Something I didn’t expect was reusable dishware and what seemed to be leftover furniture from restaurants next door. Everything was either reusable or recyclable which sent a subtle but clear

message. On top of every table, there were little jars with fresh flowers, which makes the atmosphere really pleasant.

Everyone is drinking coffee and working on something, whether it’s reading a book or writing a paper. It has an aura of motivation – definitely a place to come to after school to get homework done. The charm surrounding this place most likely doesn’t come from its food, but rather the aesthetic that it gives off. It’s the perfect after-school spot to hang out with friends.

By Chloe Girod

AVOCADO GRILL

T

ucked away at the end of Clematis Street and across from the Meyer Amphitheater is Avocado Grill, an eclectic restaurant that offers healthy and unique dishes.

The atmosphere is fun and comfortable; however, I don’t envision this place as a destination for students and their after school CityPlace binging.

Meals like two craft tacos are available for $13, but larger plates are more expensive. For example, the mussels and fries cost $27.

I ordered the AG veggie pasta, consisting of pas-

ta, macerated tomatoes, baby kale, and confit mushrooms on a lemon romesco sauce. The meal itself only filled a medium-sized bowl but was filling.

I was really impressed with my food, as well as the service.

I recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys healthy food, or is looking for a new quality restaurant to try. Even though the prices are on the steeper side, you’re getting what you pay for by being in an unconventional, enjoyable restaurant.

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ZERO WASTE A “Zero Waste” lifestyle encourages people to reduce their garbage production to better environment

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verybody knows the popular saying reduce, reuse, and recycle. By doing this, we just might have a chance at helping out the planet we call home. However, simply recycling isn’t going to save the planet alone.

According to DoSomething, a global movement of 5.5 million people who want to make a positive change, Americans produce more than 200 million tons of garbage each year, and there is no solution in sight for overflowing landfills. A majority of that garbage can be composted or recycled and reused. The problem is that people don’t realize that a lot of the stuff they throw away can be used in more environmentally-friendly ways and not just left to the recycling professionals who will “take care of it.”

This is where zero waste living emerges out from the dark, a neglected category of healthy options of living. This lifestyle devotes itself to producing as little garbage as possible. To the devotees of zero waste, the expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is taken to a whole new level. Zero wasters refuse anything that is packaged with plastic to the best of their abilities. Though it seems hard, zero waste living is pretty easy to incorporate in our everyday lives.

The kitchen is a good place to start. A lot of the foods people buy come in some sort of plastic, glass, aluminum, or metal packaging.

“One thing that Dreyfoos students could a Youtuber, blogger, entrepreneur, and active do [to incorporate the zero waste lifestyle] advocate for zero waste living, is a good reis use reusable containers and reusable wa- source for those interested. She teaches that ter bottles,” science teacher Mrs. Hill said. one 16-ounce mason jar can become the “That’s one way that they can significantly trash can that will hold your garbage for a reduce their waste.” whole four years, how When shopping, to make your own take a reusable tote products at home, bag to an organic suand the benefits of permarket and buy in going no-waste. Her bulk. Grains and prowebsite, “Trash is for duce can be bought Tossers” provides endOne third of all through a dispenser less guides on how to and modified accord- food in the world adopt this lifestyle. ing to how much the is wasted, acBea Johnson, a person wants of it. Pa- cording to The spokesperson for the per towels can be re- Guardian, which is zero waste lifestyle placed with reusable and grand prize winequivalent to 1.6 rags, and food scraps ner of The Green can be composted for bn tonnes of food Awards, also has a soil or even to make waste every year. helpful blog, as well homemade products. as countless of Ted Ed Hygiene products Talks where she excan also be simplified. Hair, makeup, and plains the technicalities of zero waste living. cleaning products all contain chemicals that Not everyone can adopt zero waste to may not only be harmful to people, but in- its full, wonderful extent; and that is okay. creasingly widening the carbon footprint of Just by doing little things like using reusable the earth. Lush offers a lot of natural and bags and reducing the use of non-recyclables, environmental friendly products. They even you are helping out more than you think. actively encourage customers to partici- The earth is the only home we have, and we pate in their movement. Depending on the should put more care into the one who cares store, containers can be bought, filled, and for us the most. returned for store credit. Vinegar and baking By Daniela Esquenazi soda are good cleaners for not only teeth, but for everyday cleaning as well. Lauren Singer,

DID YOU KNOW

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NEW MOVIES, S Hollywood’s obsession with sequels and remakes has

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verything is a Sequel Now, And It’s Your Fault America.” This headline from the Huffington Post perfectly encapsulates the situation in Hollywood today. Each year, audiences are faced with one reality: studios continue to pump money into big budget films that are either sequels or remakes of existing films. Rather than focusing their efforts on original content to create new franchises, the industry wants to keep an existing series going on forever.

Whether it’s Disney’s plans to release a new “Star Wars” movie each year for the next five years, or their current undertaking of releasing sequels to multiple popular Pixar movies, quality stories based on original screenplays are found in low budget forms that don’t actually draw in big crowds.

This problem has created an atmosphere

Illustration by Sofia Grosso Graphic by Danielle Cuestas

in which sequels, remakes, and reboots have become the norm in a place that supposedly worships creativity.

Film students at Dreyfoos have voiced their concern over the future of the industry as this pattern has become more and more evident.

“As a student moving forward, I think there are new ideas to be explored and there is much more out there than just remaking old stories,” digital media junior Radley Docekal said. “Remaking movies is the easy way out to make money, which I think ruins the integrity of the film.”

According to The Atlantic, the large movie studios began embracing the idea of big budget blockbusters in the ‘70s, around the time that movies like “Star Wars” and “Jaws” were breaking box office records. Through the rest of the century, summer blockbusters became a part of popular culture. Films like “Jurassic Park” and “Titanic” made millions at the box office, with the latter becoming the highest grossing film of all time at 2.1 billion dollars worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

“From a money making standpoint, it is a tried and true approach,” communications teacher Christine Tieche said. “At the end of the day, the commerce side of Hollywood is going to win over the artistic side.”

But around the start of this past decade, the culture began to change. Box Office Mojo shows that after peaking in 2002 at 1.5 billion, the number of tickets sold in the United States has flattened and then declined in recent years to 1.3 billion for 2016.

In response to this decline, it seems that studios have begun throwing as much money as possible at these movies. According to IMDb, the top 10 most expensive movies of 2016 were all either a sequel, spinoff, or remake of an existing property. These movies accumulated a total of around 8.8 billion dollars worldwide, making up a large

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cr

S, SAME STORY

as

created an environment of unoriginality

portion of the total box office of the year.

“Films offer a form of escapism for audiences all over the world,” Ms. Tieche said.

“At some point, we become too comfortable with the same characters over and over again, and there needs to be new stories for us to get away from them.”

If there’s any indication that studios are motivated by the profit motive, this is it.

2016 only follows a trend seen in recent years, as according to Box Office Mojo, 39 of the 50 highest grossing movies of all time are sequels or remakes, and all 39 of these have been released since 2002. Though it seems like the studios are to blame, audiences are spending their money seeing these types of movies over others.

Docekal, who is enrolled in a film class here at Dreyfoos, believes that new ideas are crucial in keeping movies fresh for a new generation in the future. “[I believe] original stories are important because audiences don’t want to see the same thing over and over again,” Docekal said. “It’s new stories that are exciting and keep people coming to the movies.”

The movie industry seems to be lost. The constant pattern of sequel after sequel has grown tired for some, proving that Hollywood may be in need for something new and original.

By Cody Baez

DID YOU KNOW In 2017, there will be over 47 major sequels, remakes, and reboots released in theaters.

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DOES THE

BACHEL R REALLY HELP YOU FIND L VE? I This popular reality TV show chain promises its contestants that they will find true love, but is it a promise they can keep?

t’s the second to last rose ceremony. You feel the butterflies in your stomach, twisting your hair anxiously as you stare at the television screen. The final three girls are waiting to see if the man of their dreams will choose any of them as his soulmate. It takes everything in you to hold yourself back from leaping toward the television to scream at him to pick your favorite. The host, Chris Harrison, tells the man he has to make a decision. After what feels like an eternity, the man looks up, smiles, and confidently asks his beau to accept one of the two final roses. Relief floods through you as your favorite is safe for one more week. You believe with

Graphics by Noa Kroyter Information from Huffington Post and The Daily Beast

your whole heart that she is the perfect woman for the bachelor. But is it really truly love?

“I don’t think these TV shows actually help you find love. It’s just very good entertainment. I enjoy it, but the producers’ true visions do not surround love.

It should not be the example for love in our lives,” theatre junior Evan Kwon said.

According to ABC, the contestants on this TV show chain are “ready and eager to begin their search for true love.” On “The Bachelor” a man who fits this description is given a pool of women whom he has never met before.

The group lives in the same house week after week as the man takes each of his admirers on one-on-one dates, group dates, and vacations all around the world in an attempt to know each one of them better. At the end of each week, there is a rose ceremony that eliminates a few of the girls who couldn’t quite make the proper connection with the contestant.

As the weeks pass on and the girls are narrowed down, it usually becomes evident as to whom the man is most attracted. Each season ends the couple supposedly living happily ever after.

“I don’t think this TV show helps people find love. It’s clearly contrived; there’s nothing genuine about it. People probably go on the show to find a job in Hollywood, not true love,” English teacher Heather Rose said.

Meanwhile, “The Bachelorette” is the same concept as “The Bachelor,” except there are a pool of male contestants competing to win the heart of a single girl. In “Bachelor in Paradise,” a group of single men and women who are all past contestants on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” all “travel to a secluded place in Mexico [...] to explore new relationships and see if summer flings will turn into something more -- or if their

hearts will be shattered yet again,” according to ABC. Among the countless couples that have come together through these TV shows, as of 2016, there was about a 42 percent commitment rate between all of the couples, according to Rise News. That means that less than half of the people who apparently find their soulmate actually meet that goal.

The reasoning for this stems from a number of possibilities. For one, you only spend about three months between the time you meet a person and when you become engaged or committed to them, which really isn’t a lot of time. Based on a survey of 1000 couples done by Price Economics, the median amount of time that a couple dated before getting engaged was about three years.

Another possibility is that the contestants on “The Bachelor” fall in love with more than one person. In fact, on Season 13 of “The Bachelor,” Jason Mesnick was deciding between contestants Melissa Rycroft and Molly Malaney. In the season finale, Mesnick gives the final rose to Rycroft. However, he later breaks the engagement and professes his love for Malaney instead. Mesnick and Malaney are still together, but his uncertainty is an example of the unhealthy way that the couples may come together.

The next time there is an episode of “The Bachelor,” do not obsessively fall in love with the romantics of the show and form an idea of “true love” constructed on the dramatic, staged scenes that are mostly manufactured. It’s important to keep in mind that at the end of the day, the purpose of the show is to provide entertainment to the world. While some people really have found their soulmates, try to stick to more conventional ways of meeting people. A much more real love story may be found that way.

By Noa Kroyter

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T

In this day and age, why has the movie-going population declined?

The ‘50s: a period of Cadillacs, Martini’s, and James Dean. When movie stars were mythic and idolized by the people. At the heart of this culture--the movie theater. Statistics from Business Insider shows that at the height of its popularity, close to 60 percent of the population attended the theater every week. Yet in 2017, cinema faces a stark reality--theater attendance is at an all time low.

In 2016, 1.23 billion tickets were purchased. These numbers are only slightly higher than the current record low of 1.21 billion that occurred in 1995. In a survey of 235 Dreyfoos students on movie attendance, 53 percent of Dreyfoos students go once a month and 33 percent go every six months.

Only 8 percent go every week. So why are people not going to the movies?

Today’s viewers have more options. Netflix, Hulu, and even movie channels like HBO and FX offer streaming services, bringing thousands of television shows and films,

and even original content that can’t be seen in movie theaters, into our homes. In contrast, the cinema may only have ten movie options to choose from.

Among Dreyfoos students, popular alternatives to going to movie theaters are streaming services at 69 percent and cites that facilitate illegal downloading at 14 percent. The convenience of streaming even brings movies still in theaters directly to our living rooms.

Furthermore, the theater’s largest audience, 18-39 year olds, are mostly millennials. Those millennials are the biggest users of social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. So word spreads quickly if a movie isn’t worth seeing.

Aside from online content, prices have undeniably risen within the past decade. In fact, 46 percent of Dreyfoos students said that cost was the main reason for not going to the theater.

In 1995, ticket prices were, accounting for inflation, averaging at $6.77. In 2015, a de-

WHY DON’T PEOPLE GO TO THE MOVIES ANYMORE? Graphics by Noa Kroyter

until er wait h t a r would can be “People rite movies [ e take th vo their fa ] rather than ys to go ed da stream of their busy t and ea t u s r o e t e a e tim h t priced to over d food.” acs ice an Kov i l l i overpr G r nio

- Dance

ju

cade later, prices had increased to an average of $8.43. There’s also concessions to take into account, overpriced popcorns and sodas that can cost $20 together. Combined with the initial price of a ticket, it quickly burns a hole in your wallet.

Skyrocketing prices discourage people to see movies they are unsure if they’d like.

Going to the theaters spontaneously, or as a regular hangout, is economically unfeasible.

What this means, especially for those pursuing theatre or film careers at Dreyfoos, is that dreams of working for Universal, Disney, or Paramount may have to change. Instead, they may be looking at a future with Netflix or Hulu. On the other hand, the audience for independent films has increased.

Whatever the future holds, the movie theater still remains an integral part of our culture; there are not yet any home viewing experiences that simulate the grandeur of IMAX.

By Ariane Dixon

“It’s very easy to find movies online nowdays.

Spending $10 to see a movie in a theatre does n’t make sense whe n there is a free alternative.”

- Theatre senior

Tess Gaynor

“I think it’s because of new apps like Netflix. You’re able to see movies at home instead of actually going places.”

- Visual freshman Jessica Gonzalez

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How did you find out about the School of American Ballet?

When [dancers] are 12 years old, a lot of them begin auditioning for professional summer programs. The School of American Ballet, which is the official school of the New York City Ballet, is one of the most prestigious summer programs that you can attend, and they have a school that you can stay at year-round. I thought I might as well audition for the summer program in 2013. I received a full merit scholarship for five weeks in New York, and in 2014, I auditioned again, receiving another full merit scholarship and went back for another five weeks. [That] summer, they invited me to stay year-round.

How did you audition for the summer and winter programs?

The summer program auditions are held in January and February. It’s an international audition tour. [There are] auditions at 25 cities across the world - usually 20 national and five international cities. They take about 250 students for the summer program, ages 12 to 18. At the summer program, they watch you over the course of five weeks, and the artistic staff will send you an invitation if they’re interested in having you stay for the winter term. The time you spend taking classes over the summer is kind of like your audition for the winter term, which accepts 63 people from around the world.

What was a typical day like?

I went to a private high school called Professional Children’s School [during part of the day]. When you’re at the School of American Ballet, you can choose to go to the private or the public high school, called PBAS. Every morning, I walked five blocks to get to school, which started at 8 a.m. I would take two academic classes, walk back to the dormitories and take a ballet class from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. After ballet class, I would get changed, grab my lunch

from the cafeteria, and walk back to school for two more academic classes. After those academic classes finished around 2 p.m., I would take another ballet class.

What was the change between living in a house and living in a dorm?

My parents stayed [in West Palm Beach] and I lived in the dorms [from 2014 to 2016]. The dorms are located on the Upper West Side in the Rose Building in Lincoln Center, so we shared dorms with the Juilliard School. It gave me insight into what college is going to be like, because most colleges require that freshmen live on campus in a dorm. These dorms had suites, and each suite had two to four rooms and each room had two girls. It makes you work and communicate with other people in order to keep everything clean.

Q&A

EXPOSURE

V i c t o r i a Vo l p e

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ance junior and Florida native Victoria Volpe spent her freshman and sophomore years at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She took dance classes while living in her new schools’ dormitories. Now in her junior year, she has returned to West Palm Beach to finish her high school experience at Dreyfoos.

Why did you decide to come back to West Palm Beach?

Unfortunately, I was constantly getting injured [at SAB], and out of the two years I was there, I only danced one year. I had surgery on my ankle the second year. I felt that I [shouldn’t] give up my education in order to pursue a career in ballet.

Do you want to pursue a career in ballet in the future?

I left New York City because I didn’t want to pursue a career in ballet.

Next year, I [still] want to audition for professional companies and see if I get any job offers. Unfortunately, how ballet works is if you get offered a job, it’s only a one year contract.

After a year, you could be out of a job and do the whole process over again. The professional companies don’t have partnerships with colleges and universities. That’s something I wasn’t really willing to give up. I actually want to study medicine; I’ve always been interested in math and science, and those have been my two best subjects. I think that’s the route I will want to take.

By Ruby Rosenthal

Photo by Julia Bonavita

40

Issue 5 Master.indd 40

3/16/2017 3:13:18 PM