The Muse Vol. 11 Issue 2 by The Muse at Dreyfoos

Volume 11 Issue 2 October 2013

AN ARTS EDUCATION Teachers use unique and innovative methods to inspire their students. Pages 17-19

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

OP/ED

TABLE

CONTENTS ON THE COVER

Falling in love with fall

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Guest teacher and Julliard alumnus Ryan Redmond intructs dance majors a master class to broaden their knowledge about the art.

Gender vs. control

NEWS

The traveling chemist

Science teacher Marilynn Pedek does more than experiement with chemicals, she’s also a varisty traveler.

FEATURES

Starbucks personality test

Starbucks addict? See what your favorite drink shows about your personality.

ARTS

A cappella is a-ca awesome

Sing to new heights with inspiration from the school’s new a capella group.

SPORTS

All around athlete

Read about a star athlete who excels in more than one sport at school.

WELLNESS

Fall superfoods

Listen to your mom next time she tells you to eat your brussel sprouts. They are better than you think.

Please recycle

The Muse

Video game madness

Has your free Netflix trial expired? Read the “Grand Theft Auto V” review, it may become your new favorite video game.

For more Museworthy stories visit: THEMUSEATDREYFOOS.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

Mental illness funding is frequently cut despite high rates by MuseStaff

OP/ED

Gender is not as important as you think. Read about how girls can take charge of their relationships.

The stigma against mental illness

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Editors-in-Chief Jennifer Yoon (left) and Camille Sanches (right) got into the spirit for their last Halloween at Dreyfoos and dressed as a superhero and a unicorn.

all is always such a wonderful time of year, the leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp and pumpkin spice lattes make their way back to Starbucks. As Floridians, we don’t get to experience all of the wonders of the season, but blasting our air conditioning while watching hours of “Gossip Girl” helps us get into the spirit. By this point of the school year we have finally adjusted to our classes and are comfortable with our teachers. As seniors, we are learning to appreciate every event at school because we know we won’t be able to experience them next year. SGA did an amazing job putting together the Fall Festival and students showed their creativity by expressing their inner Miley Cyrus’ and cats. There’s only one way to ring in the fall: a new issue of The Muse to share with

everyone. So relax from Instagramming pumpkin patch pictures, sip on some hot chocolate and dive into our second issue of the school year. We decided to reflect on the uniqueness of our school and highlight the art teachers’ pioneering teaching styles. You can catch a glimpse of each art major and learn about how your peers learn more about their talent (pg. 17). This issue we pushed some boundaries and explored the risky business of sex (pg. 4) and also discuss our love for DSOA Today announcements and “Storm Serge” (pg. 21). Now, it’s finally time to look ahead at the holiday season filled with cheer and eggnog. We’ve already gotten to work on our next issue for the school, but we’ll make sure to take a beat and enjoy the coziness of our pseudo Florida fall. g

ne in 12 teenagers in the United States have attempted suicide. Although suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young adults, schools and policymakers alike have refused to acknowledge the necessity of proper psychological health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Florida ranks 49th out of 50 in state per capita mental health spending. A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that one in five Americans suffer from mental illnesses. The frequency of mental illness is even more severe among young adults with 8 percent of teenagers having experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. Despite the incredible prevalence of mental illnesses, there is still a stigma against it. People are called bipolar, unstable or even dangerous if they have a mental illness regardless of whether or not they are managing their condition. Society has labeled people who have serious disorders as abnormal freaks who need a bottle of pills to get through the day. This has not only further worsened the condition of those that are diagnosed with a mental illness, but it has also made it more difficult for those who have not yet been diagnosed to receive treatment. “Prior to the onset of mental illness most people are aware of the culturally endorsed stigma associated with mental illness. Upon receiving a diagnosis, the beliefs associated with stigma are activated, affecting one’s sense of self,” according to the Journal of Mental Health. “Living in a culture steeped in stigmatizing images, persons with mental illness may accept these notions and suffer diminished self-esteem.” Despite the fact that they cannot control their mental health any more than a patient can control the status of his tumor, the mentally ill are typically demonized. They experience discrimination in school, the workplace and even at the

Graphic by Kyle Bell

doctor’s office. People with some sort of mental disorder such as bipolar disorder or depression are frequently treated differently than people without these disorders. According to a study by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London, doctors sometimes diagnose other medical problems as being a result of the patient’s mental disorder. In the end, patients are given the wrong diagnoses and undertreated. Conversely, there is still the significant problem of overdiagnosis. People can easily seek treatment for self diagnosed disorders and many doctors oblige. A study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that only 38.4 percent of people that were told by a doctor that they were depressed actually met the 12 month criteria for being considered depressed. Despite this, the majority of these people were taking psychiatric medication.

‘Society has labeled

people who have serious disorders as abnormal freaks who need a bottle of pills to get through the day.’

The negative stigma towards mental illness, under-treatment of those who need it and over-treatment of those who don’t come together to form one fundamental misunderstanding of what mental illness is. Though the words “crazy,” “depressed” and “bipolar” seem to be apt ways to describe your state of mind after a math test or a fight with a friend, they can carry much more meaning. Anxiety, depression and bipolar disorders should not be taken lightly and they are definitely not jokes. They are serious illnesses that affect millions of people. The best way to combat this negative stigma against mental illness and those who suffer from them is through better education. But with the constantly decreasing level of funding for mental health care, this may be difficult to achieve. States should maintain steady funding for mental health treatment. Furthermore, mental health should be an important part of every high school health class, so that students understand the symptoms of these disorders and know how to seek help. g

Contributor: Tess Saperstein

OP/ED

Birds and the bees in biology Should sexual education be offered as a class at Dreyfoos? by MorgaanJessell

he rappers are singing about it, E.L. James is writing about it, but students aren’t being taught about it. According to the Guttmacher Institute, by the age of 16, nearly half of adolescents are sexually active, yet over 75 percent of these same adolescents have not received a formal education on sex. A call to action must be made regarding the lack of sexual education in high school. As rappers Salt-NPepa would say, “Let’s talk about sex.” Currently, there is not a health class at Dreyfoos, only a mandatory Growth and Development lesson which is incorporated into one biology class period. Biology teachers like Sherry

Little, however, argue that this shouldn’t be incorporated in biology curriculum. “I don’t want to teach students about condoms and feelings,” Ms. Little said. “That is the job of a health teacher.” But Dreyfoos isn’t the only school that’s cutting back on sex education. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over the last decade, health classes have been cut from schools’ curriculum nationwide so that funding could be appropriated to core classes that focus more on preparing for standardized test. Just because the FCAT doesn’t test you on the various STDs, does that mean students shouldn’t have to learn about them? In 2008, Representative Ted Deutch proposed the Healthy Teens Act, which would require schools that Illustration by Santiago Ramirez receive state funding

to provide students with a comprehensive sexual education. “We are seeing studies that show one in four teenage girls have a sexually transmitted disease,” Representative Deutch said. “We cannot ignore that our kids need to be taught medically accurate information so they can keep themselves healthy.” It might be an uncomfortable topic, but it is necessary information that students should be aware of. Instead of allocating one class period per year, teachers should be delving more heavily into the curriculum knowing that it’s valuable information. Planned Parenthood’s website, which provides information about contraceptives and abstinence cannot be accessed on a Palm Beach County School District server because it also provides information about abortion. Information cannot be cherry picked and filtered to students at the discretion of those who decide what takes academic priority. It is critical that students are prepared to make decisions not just about what trigonometric function to use but also the mature decisions that sexual education prepare us for. “If you are knowledgeable, you are equipped,” Ms. Little said. “[Not teaching students about sex] is like driving a car without the manual – you have the body but you don’t know how to use it.” g

A classy classroom Miniskirt Madness Respect for teachers is on the decline by StarrCourakos

e all have a signature inclassroom pose. The Casual Slouch: students prop their feet into the basket of the desk in front of them and slither down their chair in an effort to hide behind the student sitting in front of them. The Faux Bookworm: students conceal their cell phone between textbooks or inside an open notebook. And then there’s the Cold Shoulder: students lean on their elbow away from the teacher in an effort to hide their cell phones. They do this because, let’s face it, not every second of AP World History is riveting. However, there comes a point in class where if you are updating your Twitter account more times than you actually comprehend what the teacher is saying, there’s a problem. Students today are more prone to take out their phones as opposed to taking notes. Even if your BFF is sitting next to you, no one wants the distraction of seeing your Snapchat selfie.

“When we were in school we didn’t even envision a world where you would have a phone in class,” social studies teacher Lea Jefferson said. “It’d be highly disrespectful, and we didn’t even have accessibility to one.” Decades ago, students couldn’t even stand up without getting in trouble. Today we are allowed to use the restroom at our will, have easily accessible lockers to hold all our stuff and learn from teachers who aren’t nuns. And yet students today still complain about sitting in class and getting an education I’m not advocating for the collection of all cell phones at the beginning of class; I think that students should show the courtesy of not using them when the teacher is talking. This should be applied even when doing class work or presenting assignments. It gives a signal to the teacher that you don’t care too much, which could be a one-way ticket to a D on your report card. Even though everyone loves their smartphone, there should be

Other than the fact that it’s just rude to the teacher, students are really damaging their own futures by not paying attention in class. Although a quick round of Candy Crush may seem harmless, a student could miss important information. Jotting down a perfunctory outline of the lesson won’t fly when it’s time for the final exam.

a time and place for that, neither of which are the classroom. You could miss important information, and it’s disrespectful to the teacher. So the next time you’re pulling out your cell in class, re-think your decision. Trust me when I say that your unfinished notes with a heavy filter are hardly Insta-worthy. g

Popping the question is not as easy as it seems by MichellyGonzalez

he Winter Formal may no longer be Sadie Hawkins, but that’s not stopping me. Breathe in. Breathe out. It’s a simple question. Wait, why are my hands getting clammy? Did I put my deodorant on? Did I brush my teeth? Ah, focus. What’s the worse he could say? “No.” Oh my gosh, what if he says no? That’s it. I’ll just take my cat to the dance. This conversation goes through my head every time I’m within 3 feet of my potential Winter Formal date. Yes, we’ve been best friends for years and yes, we’ve joked about going together almost every week, but when it comes down to actually saying those magic eight words, “Will you go to the dance with me?” I’m tongue-tied. Why is asking a simple question so nerveracking? I keep telling myself that the worst he could say is “no,” and yet that offers me no comfort. Since rejection is pretty much my worst fear, it’s a lot easier to be at the receiving end of the question rather than actually asking it. I’m not the only girl with this irrational

fear of rejection. For as long as we can remember, the boy is the person who asks. But with the dance fast approaching, girls are faced with responsibility of asking for the first time. Despite this liberating tradition, it seems that quite a few girls are settling with going solo rather than gaining the courage to ask a boy out. This seems strange considering whenever guys are faced with a similar situation, girls say things like, “Why won’t he ask me out already?” “What’s he so afraid of?” or “You know what? I’ll just marry pizza.” We adopt an accusatory attitude whenever a guy doesn’t ask us out right away, yet when we’re put in his position, we don’t take the initiative. Not only is this highly hypocritical, but it’s downright cowardly. I understand the reality of rejection is frightening but that is a reality boys need to live with for the remaining 364 days of the year. Doesn’t it seem only fair to return the favor for one night? Girls, we need to take the lead for a change. Buy some roses, learn a song on the

Illustration by Charlie Krumholz

Illustration by Santiago Ramirez

guitar and pay a visual major to make a cute poster. After all the fanfare, repeat those same eight words that we’ve often heard. I guess it’s my turn to practice what I preach. Breathe in. Breathe out. It’s only a simple question. Allan Doyle, will you go to Winter Formal with me? g

Students take advantage of the dress code Commentary by BariBossis

ress code. Immediately, I think of the Saturday detention I received in middle school for wearing a strapless shirt and jean shorts, a time in my life where I couldn’t turn the corner without a teacher trying to bust me for something. Now as I sit here in my junior year of high school, I am wearing long pants and a shirt with sleeves, at what is probably the most lenient high school in Palm Beach County. So why, you may ask, do I choose to cover my body rather than reveal it as my peers do? The answer is simple: I want to. It is no doubt that my transition from elementary school to middle school was monumental in several ways. I had seven different teachers that I had to travel to every day, all across a campus foreign to me, I was Bari Bossis surrounded by children using words that I was taught to affiliate with sin and perhaps most importantly, I could see hundreds of students around me expressing themselves through their attire, or lack thereof. While walking to class, it was common to see a 13-year-old sporting apparel that one could find in some of the nation’s most renowned adult clothing lines. “Why is this?” I still think. I have finally come to the conclusion that every issue that is trying to be avoided ‘I have finally come through the employment of dress code is to the conclusion reoccurring through its negative repercussions. that every issue When someone tells that is trying to be a young girl at the age of 12 that she cannot avoided through the wear her favorite jean shorts because they may employment of dress distract her male peers, code is reoccurring she will forever recognize the power that she holds through its negative through her physicality. In high school, or repercussions. ‘ at least from what I’ve acquired at Dreyfoos, the faculty supports the students in the choices they make on representing themselves, thus hardly implementing the “dress code” that we have. The significance in this goes past how the students dress themselves, but it also shows that students will realize right from wrong as they mature throughout their years in high school. High school is supposed to prepare students for the real world: their transition from children to adults. By allowing students to dress as they please, we are being given the respect that we so eagerly have craved; therefore, it is our job as future leaders to respect it. Although I still see the majority of Dreyfoos taking advantage of relaxed dress code, I am confident that the constant and innovative environment around us will persuade those to see their bodies as entities of respect, rather than mere existences. When it comes down to it, a student’s decision to dress is the one thing that represents their visual appearance. Although we would all like to say that people do not judge someone by their looks, it’s something natural. When it comes to the dress code issue, how long can a clown wear his costume before it defines who he is? g

OP/ED

The language

barrier: by MariaGrosso

was seven, freezing cold and my only friend was a round-faced boy named Anthony Montano with no front teeth. To my demise, Anthony spoke as much Spanish as an FLVS Spanish 1 student and I spoke Spanglish heavily interjected with phrases from “That’s So Raven.” I was very misguided during that first week in an American school. Perhaps I was being Punk’d, but I like to think Anthony’s good intentions were lost in translation. With no intent of deciphering my jumbled speech, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Robinson, addressed me with simple commands, pointing to direct my attention to neat labels on every object. Every day, Mrs. Robinson would point to an object, pronounce its name and prompt me to repeat. Within three months I could effectively read, write and communicate in English. Five years ago, I began learning French. Although through time my reading comprehension has improved, my written and verbal communication abilities have remained deplorable. Throughout my experience of

Foreign language teaching methods pose learning challenges for students

learning French, there has been an emphasis on relating foreign language back to English and on the use of complex grammatical rule titles in attempts to aid the learning process. Confusion between the subjunctive and the conditional has troubled me through many quizzes. Perhaps the most troubling difference between the two experiences has been that while learning English was taught as necessary for of survival, French has increasingly been addressed as a vacation tool and as a graduation requirement. Long have vocabulary lists been centered on “shopping around town,” “staying with a host family” and “ordering at a restaurant.” Psychologically, these associations prevent students from viewing the full range of applications and the importance of learning another language. Some may argue that my success in learning English was due to my age. However, according to a study by Washington University, the brain’s ability to learn easily remains active until the age of 25. More so, Massachusetts Institute of Technology linguistics professor Noam Chomsky states that the ability

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Margo Gellert vs. the world Cartoon by Charlie Krumholz

to learn grammar is hard-wired into the brain and familiarity with language through observation leads to the application of knowledge innately. This means that the introduction of grammatical rules at an introductory learning stage, regardless of age, is unnecessary and detrimental to the acquisition of language. If we truly seek to have bilingual students, the way foreign language is taught in middle and high school needs to change. The textbooks and methods are outdated, designed to motivate uninterested masses to look beyond their immediate environments. In treating the learning of foreign language as an organic process, our abilities to comprehend and acquire these new languages will increase substantially. g

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Gellert takes part in an international effort to break the Guiness world record for the largest scavenger hunt 19, poses on her bed while her friend sews toast onto the G-string she is wearing. These are not just young adults doing crazy things for attention, or just to pass the time during the summer. These are three of the members of Team Impala completing tasks for The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (GISHWHES), a three time Guinness World Record breaking scavenger hunt hosted by actor Misha Collins. Photo by Margo Gellert “[Mr. Collins] is a Gellert’s mother, Andrea Gellert, dresses as a squid eating calamari to prove part of this charitable that you are what you eat. organization called GISHWHES believes that “‘normalcy’ is Random Acts,” Gellert overrated and that true ‘living’ can be found said. “He uses GISHWHES as a hidden under the rocks of community artistic way to gather his fans to do crazy, wacky, life-changing things that they’d creation and in acts of artistic sublime public performances.” Nasim, Gellert’s team member normally never do, while also doing from Pakistan, experienced this first hand. random acts of kindness such as “Pakistan is pretty reserved country, so donating to a diaper drive, serving two girls doing that random a thing in a cow salad at a soup kitchen, or buying a farm was shocking and people were staring. meal for a homeless person.” From where I come from, being ‘proper’ Thousands of participants come is considered very important, especially together to form international teams for the scavenger hunt, and document for girls,” Nasim said. “There are so many restrictions. For the first time in forever, Photo by Margo Gellert their completion of tasks through because of GISHWHES, I felt free. People Enjoying the sunny summer day, Gellert scores 48 points for pictures or videos. After filling out Team Impala by completing the task “Have at least six men in staring and judging didn’t matter because military, police or fire uniforms holding you over their heads as you a five-page application and having a there were people all over the world doing the sunbathe on your beach chair.” Skype interview with the team leader, same things. It might be confidence building Harry, Gellert joined Team Impala. and amazing for everyone, but for me and my “At first I was nervous that it was going sister, it was an experience that changed our to be super serious and organized, but we lives.” were all a family in no time,” Gellert said. “We Participants, also known as played board games together online, watched Through her travels, Ms. Pedek has GISHWHESHEANS, had to complete tasks YouTube videos together, called each other been able to learn about the diversity that required the help of others, such as of countries around the world. when we had bad days, and we still do. We all getting GISHWHES decals on a military still talk on a daily basis.” Learn the latest on A Prom to aircraft or having at least six men in military, GISHWHES pushes its participants to go Remember, the Blue Key debate police or fire uniforms holding a team tournament and how students feel out of their comfort zones and beyond the about seven-period Thursdays. member over their heads as they sunbathe on boundaries of social norms to create different This year’s Halloween fall festival a beach chair. continued on page 8 forms of art. According to the website, was sponsered by SGA featuring

by JosieRusso

n Florida, theatre junior Margo Gellert wanders Wal-Mart looking for a ring toss to take to a dog park, dressed in medieval attire. While people stop and laugh at her, a mother shields her daughter’s eyes, telling her not to go near Gellert. In Pakistan, Tayyaba Nasim, 22, and her sister visit a cow farm and strut around like proud fathers, half dressed as men and smoking cigars while scandalized people stare at them. In Vienna, Austria, Tamara Nagelstrasser,

In this section: 8 10 11 costumes, candy and competition.

NEWS

GISHWHES

The admin project:

Becoming

Most students spend their years at Dreyfoos without realizing what it takes to maintain an entire school. Join me on my journey as I take on the roles of various administrators. by ValeriaRivadeneira

I Photo by Margo

In taking a ballet class at a local dance studio, digital media senior Melanie Duran fufills the task, “Attend a ballet or cycling class wearing full scuba gearflippers, mask, tanks, and all.”

continued from page 7 “One of my items was to sell an eBook to the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. I contacted him and he emailed me back “Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt?” He even sent me the eBook he bought as a gift,” Gellert said. Even though Gellert was the only one on her team from Dreyfoos, she had help from other students to complete her tasks. “I was actually so surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of people who just wanted to help. People I barely speak to read through the entire items list and offered advice on certain tasks,” Gellert said. “When I first called Melanie Duran to ask about borrowing her scuba gear for an item, she said it’s ‘too weird’ and hung up on me. [She] reluctantly gave in, and even said she’d wear it for the photo since the gear could hurt my

Photo by Margo

“Have a pool party with at least three guests swimming. In this case, your ‘pool’ shall be made from a large garbage can or dumpster. The party must also include towels, a BBQ, cocktails and flotation devices. All three must be in the ‘pool.’ Bonus points if its in a dumpster.”

back if it didn’t fit right. By the time we were driving home from the dance studio, she was smiling ear to ear asking if she can be on my team next year. ‘What’s next on the list?’ She had a complete change of heart.” Gellert hopes to get more students from school involved in GISHWHES next year, as a way to express art that everyone can participate in. “There’s an item for everyone at this school whether it’s visual art, theatrics, band, dance and this hunt is all about photography, videography and communications,” Gellert said. “Since the hunt took place during the last week of summer this year, it was hard to utilize the talent we have at Dreyfoos, which was a total bummer when it came to items such as the flash mob, the marching band and

items involving big groups of people.” Last year, GISHWHES broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Scavenger Hunt with 14,580 participants, and it broke the Guinness World Record for the most charitable pledges of Acts of Kindness with 93,376 participants. “If you’re thinking of completing GISHWHES next year, you need to be prepared to disregard your dignity, put on that kilt and throw that 10 foot asparagus as far as you can. Literally,” said team member Hannah Davies, 17. g

Visit themuseatdreyfoos.com for more pictures of Gellert’s challenges

Pedek packs her bags for world travel

Science teacher explores the South American continent with an interest in ecological studies by TaylorRich

rom Luxembourg to Belize, and France and England too, science teacher Marilynn Pedek’s passion for traveling has lead her to some of the most interesting places on Earth. “I [liked traveling to] Costa Rica a lot. Some teachers and I went for three weeks and stayed in two different research stations, where we worked with scientists. Marilynn Pedek They were in a tropical rainforest and a dry tropical forest,” Ms. Pedek said. In the rainforest, Ms. Pedek studied poison dart frogs and observed runoff from a banana plantation. “It rained so hard in the rainforest that

LIVES

there was a washout and we had to pull ourselves up a hill with roots of trees,” Ms. Pedek said. “As we were grabbing the roots, there was a snake making his way through the water. I thought he was a root, but he wasn’t, so that was scary.” Ms. Pedek has also traveled to Peru, because of an award she won from the U.S. Presidential Scholars program. A former student nominated her to receive this award for being the most influential teacher. Ms. Pedek traveled to Peru with many different teachers, one of which was a Spanish teacher. The Spanish teacher’s family lived in Peru so she was able to stay with them. “It’s amazing to see a place upfront from its actual culture and not just be a visitor,” Ms. Pedek said. Ms. Pedek was able to see the Inti Raymi ceremony in Cusco, a tribute to the Incan sun god. A re-enactment of this solstice celebration takes place annually on June 24,

and it’s known as a festival of the sun. Ms. Pedek visited Lake Titicaca in Peru, which has floating islands made of reeds. “This little boy on one of the floating islands asked me if we wanted to see his house. We [walked] into the house and [there were] blankets on the floor and a shelf made of reeds,” Ms. Pedek said. “The little sister was sitting on the floor watching TV. There was a car battery hooked up to the TV, which was hooked up to a solar panel with an antenna. Other than that, everything else was like you were in the middle of nowhere. It was interesting to see.” Ms. Pedek has also traveled to the British Virgin Islands, as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with science dean Stephen Anand. “I plan to continue traveling throughout the world,” Ms. Pedek said. “I travel to be a better teacher and to embrace diversity.” g

n all my years of student journalism, I’ve never encountered someone who was harder to find than Officer James O’Sullivan. I went on an endless search for days, during various class periods and he was always busy, either conducting confidential investigations or all the way on the other side of campus. My restless pursuit, however, finally came to an end when I cornered him by the student parking lot gate and interviewed him about his life at Dreyfoos. Each morning, Officer O’Sullivan strolls in to Dreyfoos not knowing how many cellphones he’ll have to hunt for, how many trespassers he’ll have to stop or whether any many small plastic bags filled with suspicious substances will end up on top of his desk. “Every day is a different day here,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “There’s nothing routine about this job.” Despite the assortment of the responsibilities Officer O’Sullivan has to accomplish throughout the day, he knows there’s one thing he can always count on doing, and that is investigating the whereabouts of what he states to be the most commonly stolen item— cellphones. There can be a lot of paperwork involved in investigations, but he says it always depends on the number of witnesses present. “Most of the time [it ends up not being a theft, rather] someone had secured the phone for their friend,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “I’d say we get about 80 percent of all phones back.”

Photo by Aubrey Levin

School police officer Officer O’Sullivan checks for parking passes and greets faculty members as well as students as they drive in to school through the parkinglot gate.

Officer O’Sullivan always starts his mornings the same way—by greeting students and fellow staff members. While he enjoys seeing students as they drive in as they drive past the gates, having a guard at the gate is actually one of the safety measures put in after the Dec. 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. After the incident, Officer O’Sullivan met with principal Dr. Atherley and discussed a change in safety measures. “Our number one goal is for the children to not only be safe, but feel safe,” Officer O’Sullivan said. Officer O’Sullivan, most commonly known as ‘Officer O’, worked at Jupiter Elementary for two years before coming to Dreyfoos in 2007. “I went from working with a group of happy kids, to a group of happy teenagers,” Officer O’Sullivan said. Prior to working at Jupiter Elementary School, Photo by Aubrey Levin he was a Sergeant in New Communications senior Valeria Rivadeneira interviews Officer O’Sullivan regarding his daily activity at Dreyfoos. York, but he left the NYPD before being promoted to a

Lieutenant. “I had a 4-year-old,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “I thought life would be better down here [in Florida].” Another safety measure required for all school police officers is that they take a twoweek defense course during the summer. “We learn defense tactics, learn about legal updates, cultural awareness and sensitivity training,” Officer O’Sullivan said. Among this training, Officer O’Sullivan learns about different types of ways to deal with bullying. “[The worst thing is] when I see kids being bullied,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “Especially when it’s a freshman who doesn’t know how to deal with it.” Officer O’Sullivan deals with bullying, theft and other confidential issues while simultaneously trying to help students and keep them out of the criminal justice system. “I’d rather help people than hurt people,” Officer O’Sullivan said. On more than one occasion he recalls having students come back and thank him for setting them on the right path. “There’s nothing like helping children and seeing the impact,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “I love my job; every day is a good day here.” g

NEWS

Debaters place at Blue Key

the

Speech and debate team competes at national tournament at University of Florida

S F E I BR

f on o i t c lle , a co ite-size tories s b thy r o w note

APTR goes to war against cancer

Photo courtesy of Kayleigh Rubin

Tribal Wars help club raise funds to send teenage cancer patients to prom

The Speech and Debate team, debate coach and communications dean Angela Weber and chaperone Melissa Gifford pose outside Turlington Hall at the University of Florida before a long first day of competition.

by AmandaGoodman

by RowanBennetti

ost every high school student has the opportunity to attend prom. However, cancer patients aren’t so lucky as to experience this. On Nov. 15, A Prom to Remember will be holding Tribal Wars, a field day event where students and teachers can form teams to compete in events, earn points and raise money for children with cancer to have a prom of their own. “This event is to help kids battling cancer have a night they wull never forget,” communications junior and A Prom to Remember president Morgaan Jessell said. “The whole goal is that Dreyfoos students are having fun, while also helping kids with cancer.” The cost to participate in the events is $10 per person, and teams are from seven to ten people. Concessions and merchandise will also be for sale during the games, to help the club reach their $2500 goal. g

stein competed against 240 other students to place third in Congressional Debate. embers of the speech and debate team “It was an amazing experience and an attended the prestigious National Blue incredible competition,” Saperstein said. “I’m Key Speech and Debate Tournament on Oct. overjoyed with how I did but I was also really 25-27. happy to be with the team.” Twenty students from the team from all Saperstein wasn’t the only grades attended the one who placed. Communicatournament, which was ‘Every member was tions senior and team captain held at the University of on the bus at 7 Micaela Fagan won first place Florida. The students, who spent months prea.m. when only four in Humorous Interpretation for paring, saw their hard [competitors] needed the second time at Blue Key. “It felt very gratifying; I’m work pay off as they to be there.’ so lucky and grateful,” Fagan advanced through the -social studies teacher and said. tournament. assistant coach Melissa Gifford “Out of the 20 At the end of the tournament, the team was a cohesive students, almost half unit that cared more about each advanced to the eliminaother than their individual performances. tion round and we had two students take “Every member was on the bus at 7 a.m. home trophies,” communications dean and when only four [competitors] needed to be team coach Angela Weber said. “I think they did exceptionally well.” there,” social studies teacher and assistant coach Melissa Gifford said. “I love my Of the students that advanced, communications senior and team president Tess Saper- team.” g

Student Shortlist

by RowanBennetti and AmandaGoodman

What is your opinion of the seven-period day in the middle of the week?

Photo courtesy of Kayleigh Rubin

Before the awards ceremony, communications seniors Colin Duffy, Max Fields, and Jarrod Carman pose for a photo op as they recreate the famous “Titanic” scene.

Connor Mock visual sophomore

“Well thing is about the all days is that they really even things out, schedulewise. But it really doesn’t help anything, because it feels like it’s the longest day, it sort of doesn’t feel right. We take up to seven tests in one day; I don’t like it.”

Veronica Faison communications senior

A frighteningly fun fall festival SGA kicks off the season with spirited fall contests

fishing for doughnuts contest. Each grade had a single representative blindfolded and had n Oct. 31, students swarmed the gym in a mass crowd of costumes, varying from Miley Cyrus to dozens of minions from “Despicable Me.” This year, the Fall Festival was moved from the cafeteria to the gym and seemed to have an enhanced atmosphere. “We moved to the gym because we were having problems with some people not being able to see. This way everyone can see and participate,” said SGA sponsor Traci Whalen and math teacher. “SGA put in a tremendous amount of work as a team. I think this [year] was the Photo by Aubrey Levin best decorated Fall Festival.” Principal Susan Atherley awards the “Pac-Man” group 1st place in The balloon popping event, which the Fall Festival costume contest. replaced last year’s Witch Hat Toss, had them race to eat their doughnut entirely. Band two representatives from each grade and bags senior Kaye Guardiario came out victorious. of balloons that were the signature colors of “The seniors were the first and only team each class. In each couple, one student held to eat the entire doughnut while it was on the balloon on a chair while the other team the string,” said SGA co-president and visual member had to pop it with their rear end. Visual freshman Gleinys Martinez and theatre senior Charlie Krumholz. “The other classes picked them up off the floor and ate them freshman Brandon Moitt won first place. with their hands.” Four SGA officers held black sticks with A favorite event, the pumpkin pie-eating a single doughnut strung at the end for the by AlexandraLopez

contest, involves not only a student from each grade, but also a chosen teacher. When science teacher Sherry Little did not show, seniors broke into a chant to nominate social studies teacher Gary Bicker to be a part of the competition. Science teacher Michael Rathe won in first place for the sophomores with science dean Stephen Anand in close second. The teacher mummy wrap followed with another win for the sophomores, who were able to wrap up science teacher Anuska Larkin with toilet paper the quickest. “All I have to say is I love pie,” Mr. Rathe said, in regards to his win. The Fall Festival closed with a traditional crowd-pleaser: the costume contest. Principal Susan Atherley picked her favorites and the winners were then chosen based on cheers. First place went to band seniors Justin Velasquez, Pierce Connell, David Stern, Reed Rabideau and Javier Otovera, dressed as a “Pac-Man” game. Vocal senior Stanford Purnell came in a very close second place in his ‘70s attire. “I love the costumes and the creativity,” Dr. Atherley said. “The events we [did were] fun, safe and I loved the energy.” g

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After struggling for years, Martin begins her transition from male to female by MackenzieWhite tepping out of her car in front of Building 2 on her first day of junior year, band senior Valerie Rain Martin was prepared to begin her new life. After a lifelong struggle with her gender, the day had arrived when she could finally step out as herself and trade in her jeans for dresses. Yet, faced with the reality of the situation, her anxiety built at the prospect of her peers’ reaction. She turned, prepared to get back into her car and drive away from it all. But with one word her mother gave her daughter the final push: “Go.” Valerie was Brandon up until the beginning of her junior year. Valerie is maleto-female transgender. She was born with all of the physical qualities of a male, but she identifies with and has transitioned to the female sex. For the past year, she has slowly been transitioning with the help of estrogen pills and testosterone suppressers, camps and support groups. “When you first start off when you’re little, the differences between male and female are very slim. As you grow up, the differences get wider,” Valerie said. “When puberty hits, the differences become very prominent. That’s when it started to be a problem for me. Going through puberty was very hard for me.” Transgender is the “T” in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender [LGBT] community. It is an umbrella term that applies to gender queer, drag queen/king, intersex, transsexual, cross dresser and many more. Often times, anyone who falls under that category is underrepresented. Most of these deal with gender identity, which is how a person perceives their gender. Growing up, Valerie had more male friends. About 10 years ago, Valerie began to question herself. She felt as though she didn’t fit in with the other kids. “When I realized that it wasn’t going to go away, that was devastating to me because

In this section: 14 15 16

The evolution of Thanksgiving, from its founding to present day, is described on page 14.

This issue’s fun page features a resturaunt review of Rocco’s Tacos and a brief in which theatre senior Annabel Meschke describes her rise to Vine fame. Discover how your Starbucks order reflects your personality and lifestyle.

I had no idea what to do,” Lori Martin, Valerie’s mother, said. Mrs. Martin didn’t know how to go about dealing with Valerie’s transition at first, afraid of the repercussions that could follow if she did come out. Valerie was already ostracized and bullied in middle school due to her lack of interest in activities thought to be for boys, like sports, so her mother feared that coming out would only give bullies more of a reason to harass Valerie. “They bullied me for anything,” Valerie said. “You know, they were just bullies. I remember there was one time I was being bullied for playing on medium on ‘Guitar Hero’.” Valerie spoke with her mother about how she felt and how disassociated she was with the male gender. The two began to talk about how Valerie identified herself and who she really was, but kept Photo by Elizabeth Lane her father, Greg Martin, in Band senior Valerie Martin flaunts a tee-shirt urging to “believe in yourself.” Martin the dark. began her physical transition at the beginning of her junior year. “I’m much more “At that point, not comfortable in my own skin than before I transitioned, “ Martin said. coming out was hurting testosterone suppressers. These are a type of me more than coming out hormone that has helped change her body to ever would,” Valerie said. one she identifies with. Valerie told a few friends in the last “The day I found out I could start taking quarter of her sophomore year, but she began hormones was the best day of my life,” Valerie her physical transition in Aug. 9, 2012. Valerie said. continued on page 14 didn’t come to school in women’s clothing until she started to take estrogen pills and

FEATURES

Martin

continued from page 13 Though her parents never tried to stop her, there was some opposition. Valerie had never openly spoken to her father until the summer before her junior year. Mrs. Martin had told her husband about how Valerie was feeling when she was in middle school, but Mr. Martin hoped that his son would just grow out of it. “It’s very difficult. You have a boy for 16 years and then all of a sudden you have a girl. It’s difficult to make that adjustment,” Mr. Martin said. Though Mr. Martin accepts Valerie for who she is, he still mourned the loss of his son, whom he raised and loved. “You invest 16 years in raising a son and then when the transition was announced, the vision you always imagined is erased,” Mr. Martin said. The Martin family feared the ostracism Valerie could face if she openly came out, even though Dreyfoos can be very open and understanding to people of all lifestyles. The Friday before her junior year, the Martins met with Valerie’s teachers along with some of the administration and told them Valerie was female and would be referred to as Valerie, not Brandon. This meeting included former

‘Cell’ebrity guidance counselor Patty Tyler, secretary clerk Becca Mroczkowski, guidance counselor John Webb and Principal Susan Atherley. “The reaction was a thousand times better than I ever expected. I am in awe of [everyone’s] acceptance,” Mrs. Martin said. “I never dreamed people would be so accepting. I thought it would be hard. The thought of the transition beforehand was far worse than the actual transition. All of the fears were blown up in my head.” When she first transitioned, Valerie was very sensitive about being transgender, even after she had come out to the school. A misused pronoun or the slip of a name would hurt. The difficulty she found was not people misunderstanding her, but the idea of being transgender. “It was very difficult because you can’t explain the feeling of being transgender. It’s like describing the color blue to someone born blind,” Valerie said. Being misunderstood has been a common factor in Valerie’s life. Going to a weekly support group for people in the transgender community has helped her become more confident. Due to the apparent general confusion of being transgender, Valerie is very open

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Band senior Valerie Martin practices playing the bassoon during class. She has been playing the instrument since seventh grade.

in talking about herself in order to inform others. “There’s so little information out there,” Valerie said. “Through being open with myself, I also like to educate and make others aware.” g

Plymouth Rock? More like shop ‘til you drop The holiday has changed from New World tradition to shopping by PaulaGalvan

nce a year, we sit down at our dinner tables, look at our family members and mentally prepare ourselves to gain at least 20 pounds. This year, that day falls on Nov. 28, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. Even though it will take most of second semester to fit in something other than sweatpants, there is a lot more to this holiday than stuffing (get it? Stuffing?) ourselves with pumpkin delicacies. Here’s the story of how America’s favorite holiday came to be. The First One It’s not every day you land on Plymouth Rock. Chances are, none of us have. But back in 1620, a very lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) group of people arrived on a Maryland beach. They called themselves Englishmen but we call them Pilgrims because it sounds a lot cuter. Life was rough and a lot of them didn’t survive that first winter. But the ones who did enjoyed a tasty feast on the fourth Thursday of November. Along with their Native American friends, they ate corn, deer and shellfish. On a side note, whoever

Good eats: Rocco’s Tacos

by KateNouhan

came up with the idea of replacing deer and shellfish with turkey, thank you. Honest Abe After that fateful day in 1620, colonists forgot all about Thanksgiving. For at least 200 years, turkeys were spared and pumpkin pies were eaten throughout the year. The day made a comeback when America’s Favorite President, Abraham Lincoln, declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. For those of you who haven’t taken U.S. history yet, that was around the 1860s. Because really, a nice dinner was all the Civil War soldiers could be thankful for besides the abolishment of slavery. Thanksgiving Today Not that many things have changed since the 1860s. Turkeys are still stuffed, shoved in ovens and their carcasses ravaged. There is one particular tradition that has survived the years other than grandma’s secret gravy

n July 29, theatre senior Annabel Meschke posted a video on Vine, a social networking site where people create six-second videos. In the clip, she compares Vine to Instagram, which recently acquired the ability for users to post videos. A few days later, the video had almost 50,000 revines. “My inspiration was that on Vine, I could literally post anything and nobody would care,” Annabel Meschke Meschke said. “I find the whole thing pretty amusing and slightly embarrassing, but it is what it is, and I’m glad I have my own little audience who surprisingly actually wants to see the posts that I put on Vine.” Meschke decided to make a Vine account after being convinced by a friend that it was the next big thing in social media. “The fact that nobody really had one made it more fun, because I knew that only 15 or so people were watching my Vines at the time,” Meschke said. Creating Vines has helped Meschke to pursue her passions. Meschke has recently developed a love for improvisational theatre, which is what Vine is all about, leading her to attend a two-week improv program at The Second City. “I’m really fascinated by improvisational comedy theatre. I’d love to entertain people for a living, or at least make that a part of whatever I end up doing,” Meschke said. As for the video’s question, “Vine vs. Instagram,” Meschke prefers Instagram over Vine. “To be quite honest, I actually prefer Instagram,” Meschke said. “Some people go way over the top on Vine, using video editing software and costumes, which I’m far too lazy to get into.” g

Photo by Dana Miller

Rocco’s Tacos, located in the center of West Palm Beach on Clematis, offers outdoor dining and a staff that is welcoming to students.

by RileyFreese

Known by students for the table side preparation of their guacamole, Rocco’s Tacos has a huge selection of tapas and tacos. Rocco’s offers food items from $4 to $23. The restaurant is located in the center of West Palm Beach on Clematis. Dreyfoos students are just a trolley ride away. Rocco’s offers outdoor dining and a staff that is welcoming to students. Classic Mexican paintings and masks adorn the exposed brick walls, while unique lighting fixtures add a more modern touch. Service: Food:

The service is prompt and the eating areas are very clean. A half order of guacamole is $6.25 and comes with chips that are seasoned with salt and a hint of chile powder and cumin that can be overpowering. For $2.95, a roasted pork taco is another filling option for a tight budget. Rocco’s Tacos offers great service, good food and a convenient location. The menu could use more variety under $10, but it is a good deal for students who are looking for some Mexican flavor in their afterschool snack. g Prices: Overall Experience:

Graphic by Erik Ridd and Adam Nir

recipe that is the tradition of pardoning turkeys. Started by dear old Lincoln, president after president has spared two lucky turkeys each fall. But if you don’t feel like watching two turkeys meet the president while you sit on your couch eating their brethren, flip the channel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s a little boring, but then again, no one looks forward to Thanksgiving, they look forward to the really great deals at Wal-Mart’s Black Friday sale. g

COVER STORY

FEATURES

What your brew says about you Which Starbucks order matches your personality? by SydneyMcAuliffe

e love it and our bank accounts hate it. It’s the largest coffeehouse in the world, infamously known for overpriced drinks, the newest acoustic music tracks and workers who misspell our names. Starbucks, however, is much more than just a coffeehouse. For when you buy a drink from Starbucks you are buying into a lifestyle. Your regular drink order, or “your drink,” reveals more about you than you may think.

Chai Tea Latte

You are laid back and open minded. Chances are you are heading home after your Vinyasa Flow yoga class taught by, none other than, your favorite instructor. Most likely sporting the newest Lululemon yoga fit pants, which you’ve strategically paired with your favorite cardigan. We even know about your late night beach Instagram posts with of course, no filter.

Also orders: Orange Mango Smoothie. Can also be found at: Spin class and Pilates.

Pumpkin Spice

You are trendy and enjoy your frequent trips to Starbucks. You like the culture of Starbucks, but often at times, feel overwhelmed by the abundant menu choices. When the seasonal drink “pumpkin spice” makes its first appearance on the menu, not only are you excited to be the first of your friends to try it, but you also are relieved that you now have a fast and easy choice to resort to. Also orders: Cinnamon Roll. Can also be found at: Home, making fall craft books and baking seasonal recipes.

Caramel Frappuccino

You are most likely the diva of your friend group who thinks she or he is actually ordering “coffee” when in fact that “frap” has more whip cream than it does actual coffee. Chances are your friends are constantly making fun of you for asking for extra caramel syrup. Also orders: Bistro Box. Can also be found at: Any shopping center with valet parking.

Black Coffee- Americano

You are likely wearing a crinkled shirt, already five minutes late to school and subconsciously hoping that your peers have forgotten about the fedora you tried to pull off last week. As you finish your Starbucks order you slyly pull out your breath spray, an essential you never leave the house without. Also orders: Double Shot Espresso. Can also be found at: The media center (after hours).

Tazo Tea

You think you are too cool for coffee and casually scoff at your friends for drinking their mainstream Frappuccinos and seasonal drinks. Though you think by ordering Tazo tea you are setting yourself apart from the rest of those stereotypical Starbucks consumers, the second you post that Instagram picture of your Starbucks drink order, you are just as guilty as the rest of us. Also drinks: Starbucks Refresher. Can also be found at: Green Market.

Ethos Drink

You are globally minded and make sure everyone knows that you will be completing a study abroad program in college. You easily buy into campaigns guaranteeing to help the environment or better yet, children in Africa. Your favorite shoes are your pair of TOMS, which you explain to your grandma, is not your boyfriend’s shoes but actually a company dedicated to helping change lives. Also orders: Coffee beans from Ethiopia. Can also be found at: Animal Shelter. g

Photos courtesy of Starbucks

Tip top teaching

Photo by Alex Lopez

Visual senior Allie Kirschner (left), visual teacher Marsha Christo (middle) and visual senior Chloe Kimball (right) collaborate their creative opinion into a painting.

Art instructors implement unconventional teaching styles

ince its creation in 1990 as the Palm Beach County School of the Arts, Dreyfoos has evolved from an experiment to the pinnacle of artistic and academic success. Twenty-three years later, it is still held in the highest regard not only around Palm Beach County, but also nation-wide. Despite the school’s name changes and building developments, one thing has remained constant: its drive to be innovative. “I think Dreyfoos is innovative on several different levels,” communications teacher Ancil Deluz said. “One, on the secondary school level we offer students not just an exploratory experience but immersion in the arts and I think that is a lifelong skill that these kids take with them. Second, Dreyfoos is innovative in the climate that students are in. On one level it might look like a normal school because there are certain procedural things that we have to do. But students work collaboratively in this environment.” Apart from the environment and the administration, the soul of the school lies within the teachers. The teachers are the

force that drives these students to explore their creative limits while at the same time instructs them how to apply their knowledge to life beyond the walls of Dreyfoos. Visual Students are overcome with a sense of freedom once they step into the visual building. They are given the chance to paint walls and wander from class to class, acts that anywhere else would result in punishment, but here are routine. The visual art department has adopted a system based on the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. The system allows students to leave their classes and attend short workshops in different classrooms. Workshops are taught by alumni, famous artists or visual art teachers and include drawing, sculpting, painting and welding. The workshops are open to all grade levels but students have to sign up or apply in advance to attend. Some workshops take an entire day and give students an SRA. They introduce ideas students may never have

noticed before which change their perspective and help them to understand and take control of different concepts. “[Workshops] let me experiment with things I didn’t even know existed,” visual senior Santiago Ramirez said. Digital Media A trip to the graveyard probably is not one of the first things to cross your mind as a typical digital media field trip. For digital media dean Peter Stodolak, this is just one of the many innovative methods he uses to teach his students about photography. “Mr. Stodolak is one of my favorite photography teachers,” digital media sophomore Sebastian Baldeon said. “One of the first things he taught us about film [was] when he took us to a graveyard to teach us to focus on [various subjects].” Digital media teachers show students every aspect of their art. From using a photo scanner to doctoring an image, digital media students learn it all. Teachers instruct their students through visual and auditory techniques. They constantly have students continued on page 18

COVER STORY

COVER STORY continued from page 17 analyzing their assignments to improve their work. “[The teachers] prepare you for life as a professional,” digital media senior Madeline Bertelson said. “Because art in general is becoming very digitalized, they show you how to adapt.” Vocal Through constant movement, different languages and guest teachers, vocal students learn their art in quite innovative ways. “I’ve learned a lot about different languages, like Italian and some German, and how to correctly pronounce the words,” vocal sophomore Sydney Wolff said. “[Learning languages] helps to learn different vowels and different languages help with different things, like German is good for pure vocal sounds.” During a recent master class, when a guest teacher came and taught, students learned how to associate emotions with tone variety. For example, a happy emotion would be associated with a higher tone and an angry emotion would be associated with a lower tone. However, it takes more than a master class to learn about voice. On a daily basis, vocal dean Arlene Sparks gives all of her students constant individual attention. Photo by Aubrey Levin She puts sections together into different choreographer Christopher Huggins (left) instructs dance junior Mycaela Everly (right front) and Eddiomar Gonzalez practice rooms to rehearse their part of the Guest - Castillo (right back) as they practice Huggins’ routine called “Mothers of War.” The piece addresses a mother sending her son off to war and the internal conflict she feels when letting go of her child. song. “During a sectional, each section has these meetings,] Mrs. Katz-Shear time to practice their part and then we are focuses on helping students to tested on it,” vocal junior Cara Young said. fix mistakes,” keyboard senior “[Sectionals are] really helpful because once Ian Lao said. everyone completely knows their part, the She entrusts her students music we create is absolutely stunning.” with a considerable degree Music of independence. Keyboard With precise flicks of their batons, the students are expected to convert music directors at Dreyfoos meld voices into this freedom into self-discipline, symphonic euphoria. Before they conduct goal-setting and responsible Beethoven symphonies in Meyer Hall, they practicing. work their way through the pandemonium “I really like that Ms. Katzof rehearsals. The teachers, balancing Shear gives us the amount concert series with theory classes and juries, of freedom we have in class,” have developed innovative approaches to keyboard senior Michael Dinh organizing their ensembles. said. Music dean Stefanie Katz-Shear directs the Across the hall from the keyboard department from an office instead piano lab is the band room, of a conductor’s podium. Unlike band and where the great orchestras of orchestra, in which the individual musicians Dreyfoos rehearse. Band director combine to form a whole, the musicians in the Evan Rogovin and strings Photo by Michelle Birch piano lab practice individual material. Because director Wendell Simmons are Strings teacher Wendell Simmons demonstrates a passage on his violin to a roomful of 20 pianists playing different the conductors responsible for his class. In using his own instrument Mr. Simmons can directly show his students the specific style of playing that he expects. pieces at once would sound disorderly, their ensembles’ success. students practice with headphones. Each Mr. Simmons offers an students, which is amazing because he directs student’s progress is then monitored with experienced background, which includes an ensemble of 90-something students,” individual checkups in Ms. Katz-Shear’s office, orchestral performance and instruction under strings senior Justin Velasquez said. where she decides concert programs based on legendary Juilliard School instructor Dorothy During rehearsals, Mr. Simmons will what she likes. DeLay. Through his technical knowledge, Mr. often lead by example, using his violin “Ms. Katz-Shear has one-on-one meetings Simmons is able to provide a hands-on and to demonstrate appropriate bow strokes, with students in her office. The meetings are personal approach to his strings students. fingerings and dynamics. Because each like private lessons, except they’re shorter. [In “Mr. Simmons cares about all of his

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Commuications senior and DSOA Today producer Sergio Rodriguez (left) goes over the script with communications seniors and DSOA Today anchors Randen Lubart and Melissa Marks before the taping of the show.

section of the orchestra is supposed to sound like a uniform voice, his approach provides consistency and tightness. “Mr. Simmons focuses a lot on precision to make us sound pleasing to the ear,” strings senior Megan-Joy Daorerk said. Dance Dance is a universal language used since the beginning of time to convey moods, ideas and messages. At Dreyfoos, the students are given a chance to immerse themselves in their art and learn from talented and experienced dancers, who, using the traditional means of teaching dance, show dancers how to excel. However, advances in technology are revolutionizing the way that teachers are helping the students excel. “[We can] show them a dancer on YouTube and show them what we’re talking about,” dance dean Jan Hanniford-Goetz said. “We can give them that kind of visual imagery to say ‘Okay, this is kind of what it’s supposed to look like.’” The dance program strives to provide their students with practical, real world applications for dance through various guest choreographers. These choreographers often stay anywhere from one week to a month and have a chance to work with every student in the department. “We have people who choreograph all over the world,” Ms. Hanniford-Goetz said.“By the time [the students] leave here, they have résumés like they’ve been at Julliard, which is kind of our model, which is to offer them in high school that kind of exposure and education.” Theatre In order to portray emotions, one must have a connection to the piece and the ability to connect to the audience. These skills are encompassed by theatre department at Dreyfoos. Their main goal is to introduce students to the intricacies of the field and to provide them with a solid foundation for their futures as thespians.

“We are very, very hands on with our students,” theatre dean Bruce Linser said. “There are a lot of teachers that get stuck, especially in the theatre, with this [specific] way, and we’re not that. We’re like ‘Bring us something and we’ll see what happens.’” In freshman year, students are given the chance to experience all of the aspects of the theatre. Their sophomore and junior years are spent either on technical or performance tracks, and each is centered on the specific strengths of the students. Senior year is spent auditioning for a variety of performances and competitions. Yet, learning in the classroom is only part of what happens in the theatre department. “Our class work is very different from what we do afterschool,” Mr. Linser said. “We usually say that during the day were a conservatory and afterschool we’re a regional theater company.” Communications Fast-paced and always evolving the field of communications has always been a large and important part of society which affects everyone. Whether reading Homer’s The Odyssey or watching the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries, communications takes many shapes. One of the most wide-spread majors, at Dreyfoos, communications encompasses everything from television production, speech and debate, creative writing, graphic design, film production and the various publications such as Seeds, The Muse and The Marquee. Similar to its versatile nature, the different teachers of the department have each adapted their personal teaching styles, such as Communications Dean Angela Weber, who teaches speech and debate and creative writing.

“I’m fairly structured, but I allow flexibility,” Ms. Weber said. “With creative writing and speech and debate, the importance isn’t only on the product but it’s more in the process. My goal is that there’s a real world element through the art process. [My teaching style] is definitely different. I’m probably stricter because of the nature of what I teach.” In their freshman year, all communications students are required to take a series of wheel classes, designed to allow the student insight on the different classes. Sophomore year is when the student is allowed to choose two areas they would like to specify in, and the rest of the years are spent perfecting and refining their skills. No matter what the students do, the teachers strive to give the students not only real world knowlegde, but give the students the tools they need to think creatively and effectively. “We have so many components [in the communications department] that it allows students to express themselves through speech, image, written word and not always through one medium. The other art areas are more traditional. A lot of other students undervalue communications but it is perhaps the most important in the real world, both socially and professionally.” g

Photo by Alex Lopez

Theatre teacher Bradley Barfield instructs and gives his students tips on how to convey lines effectivley for their monologues.

Contributors: Esther Mendoza, Kate Nouhan, Tiffany Abreu, Felipe Bomeny, Jack Reagan

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The new

news New TV production teacher gives ‘DSOA Today’ a makeover by XimenaHasbach and JadeLenkersdorf ig changes are happening in the world of DSOA Today. This year, the communications department welcomed a new film teacher and an accompanying makeover for the morning announcements. “We really revamped the whole system as far as how it works,” communications senior Sergio Rodriguez said. “We’re changing the way that we make the show [and] amping up the quality.” These changes will be made available through a combination of new technology and student creativity, often putting comedy in the mix. “My favorite part is this segment called ‘Bothering Bicker,’” communications junior Dominique Stoney said. “We will literally just get to mess with [social studies teacher Gary] Bicker.” Students who have worked on the announcements in past years are best able to appreciate how much the show has progressed in such a short amount of time. A lot of equipment has been added to the studio, including a green screen, new lighting and digital backgrounds. The new TV production teacher Anyerson Hernandez has also brought of real-world experience to the studio. “Looking at our shows from last year compared to this year, I think it’s really obvious how the changes have made the announcements much better,” communications junior Shane Meyers said. These changes have been brought about in part because students have developed a greater motivation to impress viewers. “[My favorite segment is] Storm Surge, because I’m getting my weather, but it’s making me laugh while I get my weather,” theatre senior Antonio Chicco said. “Who could ask for anything more?” The crew has also noticed a dramatic change in product from last year. Last year, students were used to more lenient classroom

In this section: 23

Read about the start of a new student-run organization at Dreyfoos, the a capella group. The founders of the group, vocal juniors Sarah Rogers and Alexandra Zaidspinner talk about their journey and hopes for the future.

See what’s been going on in each of the art areas, as well as what’s coming up in the departments. The Arts Index includes everything from performances to preparations to in-class activities.

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Photo by Aubrey Levin

Communications seniors Melissa Marks (left) and Randen Lubart (right) share a laugh as they practice their lines before being recorded. Students typically do three practice runs before recording their show to be aired.

policies; Hernandez’s teaching style is ensuring that students do not waste class time. “Mr. Hernandez has been pretty strict with grades, so students aren’t able to slack off without their laziness being reflected in their grade,” Meyers said. While Mr. Hernandez is optimistic about the future of the morning announcements, he is the first to acknowledge that the remake has not been easy. “It’s been challenging because I have to remember the kids are not professionals, and I have to remember that in this field you have

to be very professional,” Mr. Hernandez said. “But so far they’re picking [it] up and they’re doing great. I’m giving responsibility and they’re handling that responsibility in a timely manner.” Mr. Hernandez knew as soon as he saw the studio that there was a lot to be done. Having worked in the television industry for a decade, he knew how he wanted the announcements to function. “For one, I knew I was going to change continued on page 22

ARTS

DSOA Today continued from page 21 everything about that studio, including going from [an] analog to [a] digital [set]—changing with the times. A lot of stuff there were really antiques,” Mr. Hernandez said. “Immediately the kids wanted to get involved in production so I brought in my own green screen [and] brought my own virtual sets until we ordered new equipment.” A digital set is one that is computer generated, and an analog set is a physical set that you can touch and move by hand. The materials and equipment used for production are not the only changes that have happened this year. There has been a shift in the environment of the studio itself. “I have noticed an atmosphere change,” Meyers said. “Last year, my job was assistant poster engineer, which entailed creating a couple of posters each nine weeks. This year, I’m a field reporter and I’ve already done more work than I did all last year. It’s pretty crazy how much work gets done when a teacher is slightly strict but still allows students to have artistic freedom.” Mr. Hernandez and his students have developed a partnership, a system in which knowledge travels back and forth. The morning announcements are a team effort, and this

year’s team is feeling positive. “[Mr. Hernandez] is really dedicated towards morning announcements as a project,” communications junior Ian Steele said. “[He] sees it as a work in progress and sees it as a thing he wants to work on just as much as the rest of us do.” Being a teacher for the very first time, Mr. Hernandez was surprised by the skills students adapted from previous TV production teacher Christine Tieche. Photo by Aubrey Levin “It’s totally differCommunications senior Sarah Katz and communications teacher Andy Hernandez ent [here] because review their footage for the morning announcements. the [students] want to be here. I was them more and I’m learning from them, too,” surprised [at] how knowledgeable the [stuMr. Hernandez said. “I think we went in and dents] were. They urge me to keep teaching exceeded our expectations this year.” g

Hitting new highs: Dreyfoos A cappella by TiffanyAbreu

he human voice is an instrument of its own right. A trained voice can hit the same notes as a piano, whether a tinkling soprano or deep bass. A cappellas are performances without instruments. The musicians have no guitar, no piano and definitely no rocking drum solo. A voice provides the harmony, the melody and everything in between. There is finally an a capella club at Dreyfoos. The idea came from a successful a capella trio performance of “Kiss the Girl” from “The Little Mermaid” at the vocal Pop’s Concert last year. Vocal juniors Sarah Rogers, Alexandra Zaidspiner and Sophia Marques made up the trio. With the success of the show, Rogers and Zaidspiner decided to start an a capella group called The Staff. “I didn’t think [our performance] was going to happen. I was so surprised and amazed,” Rogers said. “It went so well even I got chills. There were only three of us and it showed me we can do this.” The girls were at first overwhelmed with how to go about it. They figured that they would have to hold a blind audition. “We just want this to be about the sound, not having all our friends in our club,” Rogers said. “Our biggest fear was having a great group and a great sound, and people coming

up to us like, ‘Why am I not in it?’ We wanted to avoid the drama.” During the audition process, Rogers and Zaidspiner were sitting behind a curtain. Each applicant was given a number for anonymity. They would perform a song and then sing back notes Rogers and Zaidspiner played on a piano. The auditions took place over the course of a week during lunch. “It was a little hard getting the equipment in every day,” Zaidspiner said. “We had to bring in a curtain and make sure the practice rooms were free.” The two were surprised at the amount of enthusiasm the group generated. They had originally planned two audition dates and expected about thirty applicants. Instead, about 160 people signed up for the group at Club Rush and more than 90 returned to audition. Only 15 were called back. “Some mom that I don’t even know went up to my mom and was like, ‘Is your daughter the one starting the a capella?’” Zaidspiner said. “It was so surprising. We’re like the talk of the school.” The girls are looking forward to the future. While they are still getting the hang of running a club, their goals include flash mobs, singing telegrams and video recordings of performances. They hope for a performance at

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Vocal juniors Alexandra Zaidspiner (left) and Sarah Rogers (right) began the a cappella group called The Staff.

the Brandt Box Theater. “We are so excited. We didn’t expect this kind of hype,” Rogers said. Rogers attributes a lot of their club’s attention to the success of the film “Pitch Perfect,” which is about a college a capella club. Screenshots and quotes from the film were used to advertise the club. “[The film] really helped because before ‘Pitch Perfect’ some people didn’t even know what an a capella was,” Rogers said. The girls have their members and hope to start practices soon. With luck, a performance is not far behind. g

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ARTS

Arts Index

ARTS

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

by ArtsStaff

Keyboard

fter the success of their showcase, IIImpromptu, keyboard majors are now concentrating on coming up with arrangements for the music department’s annual holiday concert, Prism, sponsored by James Patterson. Students auditioned after school On Oct. 29. “‘On with the show’ is constantly thrown [around] in the piano department. There’s a lot of stress put on us to fulfill expectations such as creativity as well as technique,” keyboard junior Zariah McNeil said. After certain selections are chosen for the final program, students will prepare for the performance on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Kravis Center. g

Dance

Vocal

here was a chorus concert Oct. 8 in Meyer Hall. The ensemble class performed Beatles-themed a capellas. Then, students divided themselves into smaller ensembles to perform. The Belle Chanson group sang in both English and Italian. The Singing Gents sang “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. The highlight of the night was the School of the Arts Singers’ performance of “A Hymn to Saint Cecilia,” a 10 minute, religious classical piece. “At first, we didn’t really want to do [the song] because it was so long,” vocal senior Crystal Cleare said. “But once we learned it, we really loved it.” Upcoming vocal concerts include the Winter Concert on Dec. 7. g

igital seniors will be submitting photos and other unrelated works for the National YoungArts Foundation competition and students have even caught the attention of a local arts museum. “We are submitting our summer architecture assignments to the Norton [Museum of Art] and the YoungArts competition,” digital senior Jake Seiler said. Approximately 80 digital media students are predicted to participate from Dreyfoos. Unlike previous years, applications and work will be submitted online. If they are selected, the National YoungArts Foundation will award prize money and a chance to collaborate with some of the best from the digital media field. g

Photo by Delaney Cotton

String majors perform for the school while artwork from the visual and digital media majors project in the background at Passport for the Arts on Oct. 10.

Communications

n preparation for Halloween, Seeds started selling candy bags in the cafeteria on Oct. 7 and delivered them on Oct. 31. In the same spirit, Seeds also finished promoting its own Halloween contest. Art submitted included scary poems and mysterious short stories. Submissions were due on Oct. 21 and first, second and third place winners were awarded. Along with tournaments, the debate team put on its own fundraiser. SpeakEasy was held on Oct. 19 and included performances from debate students who received money for every hour they spent debating. Matrix Mediation generously donated refreshments and their office space for the event. g

Photo by Dana Miller

Visual sophomore Zach McLaughlin works on an iron like figure that is designed to look like Mechas, a giant robot in the popular movie “Pacific Rim”.

he halls of the dance building ring with excitement for the Fall Show, which debuts Nov. 21. Guest Choreographer and dance alumnus (’12) Christopher Huggins came back for the second time to choreograph an additional dance number for the show. He visited first in September to choreograph a ballet piece that will also be in the Fall Show. The style of the new piece has not been determined yet, but auditions began on Oct. 9. Under 30 students will be picked to dance in Huggins’ second piece. “He’s a fabulous choreographer, you learn a lot from his work,” dance freshman Darius Hickman said. “He’s very technical which is really good for dancers.” g

Digital Media

Band ymphonic Band and Wind Ensemble have started to rehearse for the upcoming concert on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in Meyer Hall. “[Repertoire includes] a piece called ‘The Vulcan’s Eye.’ It’s basically a folk song piece,” band freshman Tommy Gallagher said. Dreyfoos’ jazz band will also have its first concert of the year on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Meyer Hall. One week after the jazz band concert, some band students will also perform in the jazz combo concert, where students play jazz standards in small group settings. Band majors are also focusing on solo repertoire for their winter juries. Like other music majors, band students are also preparing arrangements for Prism. g

Visual

isual majors are soon due to submit their portfolios for the National YoungArts Foundation competition in November. “YoungArts is a nationwide contest and the deadline is [Oct.] 18,” visual senior Theresa Ryan said. “So we’re all rushing to get our portfolios done.” If they are selected, YoungArts is prepared to provide renowned mentors, access to significant scholarships, national recognition and other opportunities throughout their careers to help ensure that talented and dedicated visual arts students can pursue careers in their field. g

Strings

he Dreyfoos Philharmonic Orchestra is preparing for its concert on Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. in Meyer Hall. The orchestra will perform noted works such Rossini’s Overture to “The Barber Seville” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1 in C minor.” The program also includes J.S. Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4,” which features three soloists: strings junior Taisuke Yasuda on violin, band senior Sarah Barden on flute one and band senior Jorge Ramos on flute two. g

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Dance senior Cassidy Spaedt performs a contemporary solo representing her major at Passport for the Arts on the second LTM of the year.

Theatre

heatre majors are currently putting on the final touches for their first play, “Lend Me a Tenor.” The lighting and sound crews have begun to work with actors who are now getting accustomed to the stage in Meyer Hall. Meanwhile, thespians are raising money for Broadway Cares, an organization that funds research for a cure for AIDS. A selective impromptu group of nine comical theatre majors are preparing for their monthly show Hairy Details. Eight underclassmen theatre majors, who were considered but not chosen to be in the group, will be performing another extemporaneous show called, Fury Tidbits, along side of Hairy Details. “[Right now we are working on] exercises and warm-ups in order to get a feel for everyone’s energy, flow and comedic timing,” theatre sophomore and Hairy Details member Matthew Paszkiet said. g

PHOTO PACKAGE

Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports • Sports Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Keyboard senior Abigail Schirmer swims the butterfly during a practice at Gaines Park. Even though Schirmer placed in the Freestyle swim event, she still likes to practice all the different swim strokes.

Visual sophomore Thomas Cody and science teacher Mr. Rathe celebrate after winning the pie eating contest for the sophomore class.

Photo Package

oughnuts and Photos and story by PhotoStaff costumes and pies, oh my. This year, For more photos SGA took Halloween and videos, go to: to the next level and presented to the THEMUSEATDREYFOOS.COM student body a fall themed “pep rally,” completed with mummy wrapping, balloon popping and plenty of delicious food. “For the past couple of months, SGA has been meeting once or twice a week to plan and finalize all of the little details to make this year’s Fall Festival the best it has ever been,” communications junior and SGA co-vice president Ricky Morris said. “Students can feel more involved in the contests and activities now that it was moved to the gym.” The four grade levels came together for healthy, holiday themed competition. By the end of the extended lunch, the freshmen won the balloon popping contest, the seniors won the doughnut eating contest, the sophomores won the pie eating contest, the sophomores won the mummy wrapping contest, and a group of seniors dressed in a “Pac-man” theme won the costume contest. g Communications sophomores Emma Sue Harris and Riley Freese wrap their science teacher Ms. Anuska Larkin in the mummy wrapping contest. The sophomore class won this event as well as the pie eating contest.

Swingin’ and swimmin’ to success Dreyfoos students are recruited to Division 1 for their athletic abilities by JackReagan hen students think about Dreyfoos sports they begin to spew laughter, but now colleges are thinking of Dreyfoos sports and are spewing scholarships. Although this may be unbelieveable, the amount of students that will be leaving this campus with an acceptance letter and a scholarship to a Division I school for their athletic abilities is baffling.

Schirmer Swims to College The senior class takes the cake for doughnut eating contest at lunch. Strings senior Kaye Guardiario and theatre senior Parker Camp team up in winning this ultimate fall festivity frenzy. Principal Susan Atherely gets the crowd roaring when judging the contestants for the costume contest. Vocal senior Stanford Purnell won 2nd place to the senior “Pac Man” group.

County silver medalist in the 100m freestyle and keyboard senior Abigail Schirmer wants to continue swimming throughout college. “UNC Asheville and University of Miami are both schools that have directly recruited me,” Schirmer said. “There are some other smaller schools that I have gotten calls from [too], such as John Carroll University and Boston College.” Schirmer swims for the Dreyfoos team and loves to participate in swimming freestyle. She takes about 17 to 20 hours of her

In this section: 28 Find out about the significant disadvantage Dreyfoos athletics are put at when it comes to funding

An exciting fall sports season has come to an end while the basketball team prepares for their upcoming season in the winter preview

Visual junior Rachel Rabinowitz displays her talents on the volleyball court as well as the soccer field in the jaguar profile

week and devotes it to swimming. She swims before school from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., after school until 7:00 p.m. and even on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the morning. Over the summer Schirmer placed first in the 200m freestyle at the St. Andrews Invitational and was a member of the team that won the Speedo sectionals in Orlando. With swimming taking up most of her life, she is motivated to overcome the struggles that come with swimming. “Not only do you consume your body with swimming and training, but mentally it is a lot to handle,” Schirmer said. “That is what motivates me, improving both mentally and physically.” Although she spends her time with schoolwork, the Dreyfoos team and her club team at St. Andrews, she was still able to escape the school campuses and visit an offering college, UNC Asheville. “Asheville was great, it was a great school, it was very different but also very similar to Dreyfoos in a lot of ways,” Schirmer said. “It was [a] very artsy, very cute little town and it was beautiful but I’m keeping my options open.” While in Asheville, Schirmer enjoyed meeting the coaches and team members, and viewing a swim team practice. “Recruiting is an exciting time,” Schirmer said. “It is a really stressful process, but at the same time it is really fun and interesting.”

Instead of playing on a travel team Langdon practices individually and then plays on two showcase teams, the South Florida Bandits and South East Show, which he plays for only in tournaments. continued on page 28

Although Dreyfoos does not have a baseball team, visual senior Robert Langdon finds way to express his inner athleticism by playing in baseball leagues outside of school.

Visual senior Robert Langdon throws to first base after fielding a ground ball at his second base position during a showcase game. Langdon is ranked in the top 16 second-baseman in the country by PerfectGame.org.

From 2nd Base to D1

Photo courtesy of Robert Langdon

SPORTS

D1 Recruits

his college baseball career as a Mountaineer. on the team as a walk-on, where he would continued from page 27 “Showcase teams are made for recruiters,” Appalachian State offered Langdon a place play for the team but wouldn’t receive a paid tuition. Langdon said. “They are able “I just went on my official to see our individual abilities visit to Appalachian state, where and can choose us based on they pay for your flight and they how we play in tournaments.” Langdon has been playing pay for where you stay,” Langdon said. “Then you meet up baseball since he was seven with a player and you hang out and is ranked in the top three second baseman in Florida with them, go to parties, go to football games, they show you and in the top 16 second basearound and you stay with them man in the nation by Perfecta night. It’s a fun time.” Game.org. Even with Division I heading “I was selected as honorable mention All-American his way Langdon is unsure of what he is going to do after he for Perfect Game, which is a graduates from college. very prestigious recruiting “I don’t know if I will play company,” Langdon said. baseball after college, it depends Although Langdon has on whether I get drafted or not,” been given offers from numerLangdon said. “Most division ous other Division I schools, Photo courtesy of Robert Langdon one athletes do get drafted, he verbally committed to Visual senior Robert Langdon fields a groundall in between first and second base during a so if I do get drafted I would Appalachian State in Boone, warm-up between innings during a showcase game. probably go for it.” g North Carolina to pursue

A fundamental lack of funding

Dreyfoos sports are pushed to the background due to insufficient budgeting by CharlesBonani high school sports team requires a variety of components, which include soccer balls, volleyballs, nets and referees. The one thing that all of these components have in common is their need for money. Say all you want about coaches, players and the effort that is needed to be successful, but without proper funding that effort is meaningless. Dreyfoos generates the least amount of sports funds in Palm Beach County. This is due to the lack of ticket sales, since we do not have a football team to bring in a profit and basketball is the only sport charging for admittance this year. Without the proper funding to provide equipment for the players, maintain the courts and fields that are being played on, finance the bus trips to away games and pay the referees for home games, our athletic program is put at a serious disadvantage. It’s as if we’re in a broken down 2000 Nissan Maxima racing in the Daytona 500. “If we wanted to replace the [volleyball] net, probably $400 or $500 [would be the cost],” girls volleyball coach and science teacher William Wood said. “Brand new [volleyballs] would probably be about $250 [or] $300.”

Rival high schools such as Boca Raton Community High School have been able to establish successful athletic programs through their ability to continually provide

and other schools is ticket sales,” athletic director and math teacher Christopher Burns said. “Each [basketball] game costs $100 to run just to pay the referees or more.” The athletic program does get a $10,000 grant every year from the school district if the school is considered to have reasonable gender equity. The difference is that other high schools bring in a majority of their profit from ticket sales from their football team. According to The Palm Beach Post, Boca High’s football team brought in $24,122, Palm Beach Central High brought in $35,915 and Park Vista High brought in $35,004 last year from ticket sales alone. “They use that money to hire additional coaches to buy specialized equipment,” Mr. Burns said. “We don’t have that money [so] we don’t buy Cartoon by Santiago Ramirez those things.” Dreyfoos’ inability to buy this equipment and hire additional coaches the necessary funds that all of the athletic distorts the “level playing field” of high school sports, and leaves our athletics fighting an arteams need to succeed. They get these funds through their largely successful ticket sales, tilleries war with box cutters. The only upside especially from the football team. With only to our depleted funding is that the athletic the boys basketball team selling tickets this department doesn’t have to fund as much because of the lack of a football team. year to earn a profit, Dreyfoos athletics are at a series stage of deprivation when it comes to “[Other schools] have more income but funding. have a lot more expenses [due to their football teams],” Mr. Burns said. g “The big difference between [Dreyfoos]

Finalizing fall and warming up winter The fall sports season wraps up while the winter season prepares to kick off basketball and soccer players are just by AdamNir beginning their preparations for the upcoming efore the winter sports season kicks winter sports season. off, fall must come to a close. This With winter right around the corner, there year, several athletes broke out and proved is an odd occurrence at Dreyfoos. The teams themselves on the court, field, alley and pool, that compete on the court and soccer field including four advancing to state competitions. The girls varsity cross country team placed third at the district competition and advanced to the regional meet. Individually, keyboard junior Sean Fournier and theatre sophomore Matthew Dickinson advanced to regionals with Fournier advancing to the state competition. He will race on Nov. 9th. The girls swim team finished their season on a winning note, going 4-1. The boys team ended their campaign going 2-3. Photo by Bethany Ebanks Keyboard senior Abigail In their home match against Forest Hill High School, the girls volleyball team Schirmer, communications stands in their base positions as they serve the point. junior Michael Rahrig and band junior Nolan Mallet all qualified for state are poised to be successful. The girls soccer team is trying to win their division this year championships after putting up low times at after coming in second place last year. One regionals. main focus this winter, however, is the boys The girls golf team posted a winning basketball team. After a 13-2 record last year, season with a 5-4 record. Visual senior the team feels like they have to stay focused. Nicole Wellman shooting 111 and vocal “We need the players to show up in senior Elizabeth Hornor shooting 101, both qualified for regionals. As a team, the boys golf team went winless with an 0-7 record. However, digital media sophomore Bennett Ragan qualified for regionals individually, shooting a 42.4 by MaxFields on the season. olf is considered by many as a sport that The girls bowling team, which began requires only a single person and a club, districts seeded fourth, lost to eventual but in reality it is much more complicated for district champion Jupiter in the first boys golf coach and communications teacher round of play. Digital media senior Emily Stephen Moore. Greentree, strings senior Rain Duncan “I like to keep the team aspect of golf toand vocal senior Rachel Leder shot sixth, gether,” Mr. Moore said. “There is an argument seventh and 11th in the district, respectively. that can be made that golf is an individual The boys bowling team, which played sport, but I like to attempt to do as much as their entire season with four players, lost in a team. We try to encourage each other and I the first round of districts as well. make it as much as a team sport as we can.” The girls volleyball team finished with a When he is not coaching the golf team as record of 3-10 and lost in the first round of a group, Mr. Moore likes to work with each the district tournament. golfer individually. “The volleyball team, although our “I like to play with everybody separately, record does not show it, had their best where I get to see their weaknesses,” Mr. season in history,” said communications Moore said. “[I] teach them respect for the junior Bari Bossis. “We played every point game, the opponents and honesty with respect to the fullest, so our number of losses to the score and how to handle certain equipdoesn’t exactly represent how hard and ment. That is when I can teach them what I well we performed this season.” know about and how to play golf.” As the fall season comes to a close, While Mr. Moore takes a hands-on attitude

shape and we need them to be driven and successful,” said social studies teacher and boys basketball coach Jeffrey Stohr. “It is very difficult to go from being really mediocre to really good, and then to still challenge yourself to be better.” The success of the team is not the only thing the team is excited about; this year is the first year that the boys basketball team will be a member of a division.“[We now have] the opportunity to experience the playoffs,” communications senior and boys basketball player Randen Lubart said. Though the basketball team is cause for excitement, the boys and girls soccer teams are also worthy of attention as they head into their first season in the new division. “The new division will be more challenging but also exciting as we push ourselves,” visual arts sophomore and boys soccer player Abbott Schrotenboer said. Coming off of a 4-11-1 season, the team is looking forward to getting on the field again. This time they are more motivated and looking for something to prove and are trying to correct the mistakes they made last season. The girls soccer team is also going into their new season looking for redemption after losing to rival Suncoast last season in their district match. “They ended our season last year,” said Kelly. “Last year was the first time we beat them in 10 years. Now we know we can beat them.” g

Moore than a teacher

towards mentoring his golfers, he takes a much different approach during a live match. “When we are playing I do not coach,” Mr. Moore said. “I support them by saying ‘hang in there’ or ‘keep it up’. I’ll never say ‘you need to hit a better shot’ or that you need to win the match. During the game it is a time to focus, not to fix.” g

Photo by Emily Greentree

Boys golf coach and communications teacher Stephen Moore discusses golf strategies with boys golf player and visual senior Charlie Krumholz.

SPORTS

A sea of bacteria

Rabino-wins

Visual junior Rachel Rabinowitz showcases her strength in sports

Flesh-eating and brain-eating bacterium invade the Florida waters

JAGUAR PROFILE V by TomasCabezas

isual junior Rachel Rabinowitz was first exposed to volleyball when her brother started playing, and it soon became a part of her life. Her skills have made her a strong asset to Dreyfoos’ girls volleyball team and have gotten her into the 16 national team for the Palm Beach Juniors volleyball league. “It was really appealing to me because there are so many aspects to the game, and it’s thought provoking,” Rabinowitz said. Rabinowitz develops her skills through her daily two hour practices after school. Her natural talent has caught the eye of many players including band junior Zoe Scheiber, a veteran in club volleyball who has been playing for seven years. Throughout Scheiber’s entire volleyball career, Rabinowitz

Student Shortlist by TomasCabezas

What is your weirdest mid-game moment?

Kaitlyn Svopa band sophomore

“This one time in a soccer game my team got a corner kick and my teammate crossed the ball and it bounced off my butt and went in the goal.”

Photo by Bari Bossis

Visual junior Rachel Rabinowitz prepares to defend the goal in a home match versus Royal Palm Beach High School.

her, so she gets a lot of sets. She is really consistent, for example if we really need a point, we’ll just substitute her in.” Rabinowitz made her soccer debut as goalie for the girls soccer team during their first match against Royal Palm on Monday, Sept. 28. With limited soccer experience she surprised everyone with her headstrong attitude, being able to defend the ball multiple times. “The volleyball approach to jumping is the same as the jumping and diving approach in soccer in order to defend the ball,” Rabinowitz said. g

Dylon Thompson communications junior

“In eighth grade, we were playing [a lacrosse] game and a bird flew down and I got scared, so I pushed my arms forward with the stick, and I accidentally hit one of the kids on my team and dislocated his shoulder.”

Graphic by Bennett Morgan

fatal outcome. Infection typically occurs when people go swimming in freshwater places and sometimes, in very rare circumstances, water from other sources like an incorrectly chlorinated swimming pool. It is safe to say that jumping into your chlorine balanced pool is a better idea than hopping in puddles or swimming in a murky lake, no matter how adventurous you are feeling. The warm and tranquil waters that splash the shores of our beaches and run through our seaside backyards are not the fun places we used to think of them as. These warm waters are a perfect host for the bacterium. Tropical fish that find their way into the majority of Florida kitchens can also be a carrier of a serious bacterium that can cause people to become brain dead for one to three years. This infection is called Ciguatera. It is a food borne illness and is transmitted when people consume fish that carry a marine toxin called ciguatoxin. The infection has frightening and almost immediate effects, such as nausea and the neurological symptoms: headaches, muscle aches, numbness, vertigo (dizziness) and hallucinations. Severe cases of the infection can result in cold allodynia, a burning sensation that occurs when you come into

contact with cold temperatures. These symptoms occur for up to 20 years unnoticed, which often leads to long-term disability, although most people do recover over time. According to the CDC, Ciguatera is hard to detect because it is tasteless and odorless. It is also very heat-resistant, which means that traditional forms of food preparation will most likely not remove the bacteria from the infected fish. The bacteria typically affects anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000 people annually. According to Seafood Source, fish such as barracuda, snapper and rouper are the most commonly affected fish. These fish are common to Florida waters and the infection has been found on multiple occasions in the Florida Keys, which has become a favorite vacation and fishing spot for many Floridians. More and more cases are being reported from the Florida Keys, resulting in research being conducted by the Florida Department of Health. Tests are conducted monthly to examine the amounts of various bacterium, toxins and other environmental factors in the water. Samples of fish are also being gathered three times a year to test for toxin pulses. g

WELLNESS

has stuck out to her the most. “She makes everybody including myself want to hit [the ball] as hard as she does and play as hard, and she always gives 100 percent,” Scheiber said. “She is one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen.” Rabinowitz’s ability to raise the spirit of her teammates coupled with her sheer hitting power makes Rabinowitz an invaluable teammate. “She is an outside hitter and typically you think of outside hitters as being really tall,” Scheiber said. “But it’s amazing to see how high she can jump because even though she is so short, she has these amazing hits that nobody can believe.” Outside of school, Rabinowitz plays at the Palm Beach Juniors volleyball league, and last November her skills helped her progress to the 16 national team. An advanced team that travels all over Florida, the 16 national team plays against other volleyball teams in national tournaments. “We traveled to tournaments almost every weekend during the season that were nationally held within Florida,” Rabinowitz said. “There are tryouts held during the fall where a couple of coaches hand-pick players to be on an elite, national or regional team.” Alongside dealing with pregame issues, Rabinowitz is also flexible in dealing with situations during the game. She is a key player in getting them points. “She is kind of like our go-to if we Photo courtesy of Hanai Garcia really need it,” girls volleyball coach Visual junior Rachel Rabinowitz stretches before a home match against and science teacher William Wood Atlantic Christain Academy said. “Everyone on the team trusts

by MichelleBirch and DanaThomas lthough the waters of Florida have always been threatened by numerous species of predators, it turns out that there are killers in our waters that have a “bite” far worse than a bull shark. With the increase of water related activities and tropical fish imports in recent years, life-threatening strains of bacteria are becoming more prominant within our community. Vibrio Vulnificus, more commonly known as the “flesh-eating bacteria” has become more predominant throughout the United States. Statistics show that 33 percent of the cases were fatal according to the Florida Department of Health in 2013. In the constant Florida heat, the waters are warm and the bacteria begin to thrive within the Gulf of Mexico, allowing more of the virus to spread. The bacteria is most commonly picked up by people through an openwound or cut on the body when swimming in the ocean or any other infected body of saltwater. While the chances of someone catching the bacteria are very slim compared to the number of people that enter the ocean every day, those with compromised immune systems should be cautious of the infection. When the virus has made contact with the skin the bacteria begins to enter the blood stream and can ultimately lead to the body’s main organs shutting down and death if not treated within the first 48 hours. Even though the most common way to become infected by the flesh-eating bacteria is through an open-wound while in the ocean, a common misconception is that it cannot be picked up by consuming raw shellfish. In the event that a restaurant or market’s raw shellfish, for example oysters or clams, is infected with the bacteria, a person can become susceptible to the virus. Another rare parasite that finds refuge here in Florida is Naegleria fowleri, more commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” It is an uncommon and deadly disease also known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). PAM is typically found in soil or warm freshwater like lakes, streams and hot springs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when someone becomes infected with the bacteria, there is a 99 percent chance of fatality. It will usually enter your body through the nose. Once it goes through the nose, the amoeba will travel to the brain, with

Put the super in your supper

by JessicaRalph or many Floridians, the fall season does not feel or look too different from the summer months (or the whole year for that matter), as the temperatures barely change and the leaves stay green. This tends to put many of us into a missing-summer slump. One way to get into the change of seasons is through food. The tastes of fall are full of savory and interesting flavors, and as certain foods hit their harvest time they can be beneficial to your health. During fall you start to see the muffins, candy and pumpkin spiced everything take over. Instead, ditch the desserts and try some of these healthy and delicious fall choices.

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Visual senior Robert Norris is on vocals and guitar for S.S. Francis. His original lyrics draw from his personal experiences. The intamacy of their songs is part of their draw their audience.

mashed potatoes. Reason being is its high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential in reducing inflammation, which helps prevent heart disease and heart attacks.

casserole, but fear not, this veggie is actually delicious. Its somewhat bitter taste compliments the fall spices beautifully in a salad. Not only that, but only a half a cup of brussels sprouts contain more than half of your daily recommended amount of vitamin K, a vitamin that aids in clotting the blood after being wounded.

Pears:

This delicious fruit is great in your warm fall dishes. Sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar, then baked or broiled, the fruit caramelizes into a dessertlike treat, a healthier dessert. While indulging

In this section: 35

Kale:

The name itself sounds healthy, but it is also delicious. Try replacing iceberg lettuce with this leafy green in your salads, or for a tastier treat, drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until the leaves crisp. They taste exactly like potato chips. Kale is extremely high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps protect the immune system and is suspected to help fight certain kinds of cancers. g

Brussels Sprouts:

The sound of this vegetable may remind you of an awkward family gathering where you are forced to eat brussels sprout

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in this festive food, you are consuming fiber, vitamin C and copper, which aid in digestion and strengthens your immune system.

American Horror Story returns for its third season, featuring witches, voodoo queens, the living dead and Emma Roberts.

WELLNESS

Winter Squash:

Unlike summer squash, winter squash has an avocado-like texture and a sweet taste. This gourd is popping up all over menus in ravioli, salad and even as a replacement for

Drink this not that DRINK THIS

Student Shortlist

“I do basically every sport. I also go to the gym three nights a week and work out and do yoga.”

NOT THAT by RickyMorris n the fast pace of a typical Starbucks line, you probably start to panic as you approach the barista and have yet to make up your mind on the extensive and confusing coffee choices. It’s no surprise that you will blurt out the most commonly ordered drink. However, you may be unaware of the differences in “iced or hot?” The frappucino is a Starbucks signature. While their icy texture and syrup swirls may appear to be an appealing choice, the nutritional facts may change your mind. A grande mocha frappuccino has 400 calories, 60g of sugar and 15g of total fat. That is close to 1/5 of your

daily intake of calories for only a drink. Paired with a quick snack or pastry, this Starbucks run can turn into a weight gain. Instead of ordering a frappuccino, opt for a latte. Starbucks’ grande chai tea latte contains only 240 calories, 42g of sugar and 4.5g of total fat. Compared to the mocha frappuccino, the 160 calories may not seem like a big deal. Although, the total fat difference of the two drinks is 11.5g and can have a large effect on your weight if you indulge too often. All you have to worry about now is the barista spelling your name right. g

by MichelleBirch

How do you workout?

Steffan Gawlikowski communications junior “Every Saturday I go running in my neighborhood and play soccer every day after school for two hours. I also garden with about 30 little kids, it really is a workout.”

Giselle Graham strings senior “I will sometimes do yoga. once you get over the fact that mostly girls do it, i throw that towel down, play my youtube videos and do some yoga.”

Rowan Golob theatre junior

“Once upon a Time” gets a spin off with new characters and settings in “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.”

Grand Theft Auto V brings America to its knees and poisons the minds of the youth with its violence. Other than that, it’s a pretty good game.

S.S. Francis

sets sail After years of struggling, S.S. Francis shines on stage

by SamanthaRose n stage, two musicians sit with a kick drum, a keyboard, an acoustic guitar and two microphones. Tonight, they play on a stage that is only a few feet off the ground, but theatre senior Cristofer Carianna and visual senior Robert Norris aspire for a bigger stage. Carianna and Norris comprise the band S.S. Francis. Their sound is a blend of several genres, with traces of folk, bluegrass and indie. The band formed when Carianna and Norris began high school. It took shape with a few other students, initially called The Haze. They had a single live performance, covering artists such as The Black Keys and The Strokes. The band reinvented itself into what is now S.S. Francis. They started to write

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Theatre senior Cristofer Cariana is on vocals and keyboard for S.S. Francis. His original lyrics draw from his personal experiences. The intamacy of their songs is part of their draw their audience.

original music, which they view as an outlet. “It doesn’t feel like words are enough. [Music] is the best way to express what we have to say,” Norris said. Returning Dreyfoos students may recall S.S. Francis’ performance at last year’s Multicultural Show, where they represented the culture of bluegrass. “We don’t play the kind of music to get up and get crazy over,” Norris said. “You don’t get a response. When we were playing, the whole audience was completely silent. They were just staring at us.” The performance ended with a standing ovation. S.S. Francis gained exposure through the show and many Dreyfoos students have become familiar with them. The duo plans on auditioning to play in the Multicultural Show again this year.

After over a year’s worth of writing, S.S. Francis is finally headed into the studio to record. The record will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and will be sold at their shows. In the music industry, knowing the right people is essential. Such is the case for Norris, whose dad owns Saturn Sound Studios in West Palm Beach. Because of Mr. Norris’ connections in the business, S.S. Francis’ album will feature musicians who have played for names such as Dave Matthews and Bruce Springsteen. “Growing up, I met some really wellknown people,” Norris said. “Now I realize who they are. They let me in their circle.” continued on page 34

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S.S. Francis continued from page 33 Mr. Norris plans on starting his own label, which S.S. Francis will join. Once their album is released, they hope to go on tour. The musicians are so serious about the band that they are considering deferring college for a year to pursue touring. “We don’t want to stay local. We want to make a career out of this,” Norris said. S.S. Francis plays at Swampgrass Willys (www. swampgrasswillys.net) in Palm Beach Gardens once or twice a month for their all-ages shows. They’ve been playing there for two years. Social studies teacher Lea Jefferson came out to one of their performances to show support. “Both are talented young men. I like how they write their own music. It’s not flashy. It shows their musicianship,” Ms. Jefferson said. “It makes you see the other side of the diverse talent [at

Dreyfoos].” According to Carianna, S.S. Francis’ best show fell under unusual circumstances. “I wrote a song about my exgirlfriend, and we played it at a show,” Carianna said. “She came [to the show] with a new guy. It was a really good show because I was so impassioned.” S.S. Francis wants to help change the entertainment business. “I’d like to make an impact because I feel like the music industry right now is really lackluster,” Norris said. “There are bands like The Black Keys, Arcade Fire, all of those guys who are really trying to make a dent, and I want to be part of that whole movement.” Students can follow S.S. Francis on Facebook and Instagram (@ssfrancisofficial) for their latest updates. g

‘American Horror Story: Coven’ The FX horror anthology returns to disturb and amaze audiences the first season of “AHS” was veteran actress Jessica Lange, who played their mysterious and conniving neighbor. The polarizing show sharply divided critics, with some hailing it as a horror masterpiece and others claiming it was too over-the-top. Deciding to turn the show into an anthology series, Mr. Murphy went with an entirely different concept for the second season, titled “Asylum.” Keeping only few of the original cast members, this season focused on a 1960’s Catholic church-run insane asylum governed by the strict but conflicted Sister Jude (Jessica Lange). In terms of the season’s theme, Mr. Murphy stated he had different goals than last season. “I guess if the first season was about infidelity, the second season is about sanity,” Mr. Murphy said in an interview with Vulture.com. “What makes someone sane or insane? Sometimes the people you think are insane are actually the most sane of all. It’s fun to write about people who society throws away.” “Asylum” dealt with issues of religion, mental illness, sexuality, corruption and serial murders, among others. Set in the ‘60s, “Asylum” received much better reviews from critics, most of whom complimented the plot lines and ensemble cast. Set in a secret New Orleans school for young witches, “American Horror Story: Coven,” the third installment in the series, premiered Oct. 9 to extremely positive reviews. Described by Photo by Fox (left to right) Fiona (Lange), Madison (Roberts), Nan (Jamie Brewer), Entertainment Weekly as “a Zoe (Taissa Farmigia) and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) walk through New witty critique of our cultural Orleans on a field trip to the house of the late Madame LaLaurie (Bates).

by JuanRamirez

Photo by Elizabeth Lane

Visual senior Robert Norris (back) and theatre senior Cristofer Cariana (front) perform at a concert at Swamp Grass Willy’s. The duo dedicated one of their songs to visual teacher Marsha Christo, who was in the audience. By the end of the song, Ms. Christo was overcome by happy tears.

wo years ago, audiences across the country were introduced to the hairraising terror of “American Horror Story,” a television series built on the premise of using common American fears against the people watching. A year later, audiences were shocked to discover that the second season would feature a partially different cast in a completely different situation, titled “American Horror Story: Asylum.” This year, the new installment in the thriller anthology is “American Horror Story: Coven.” Aired on the FX network, the series sprang from the most unexpected of places: the mind of “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy. In the first season, audiences were treated to a season full of tense drama set in a haunted house in an affluent suburb of Los Angeles. Mr. Murphy took a typical family through almost every imaginable domestic American horror including rape, infidelity, murder, home invasions, miscarriages and school shootings. While the tortured Harmon family served as the focal point of the show, the true star of

Photo by Fox

uneasiness with female power,” the season deals with discrimination, voodoo, torture, modern medicine and slavery. Unlike previous seasons, “Coven’” is led by a younger cast, including Emma Roberts, yet includes acclaimed actresses Kathy Bates, Angela Basset and Lange. Lange’s acting in the series has received very positive reviews, including an Emmy for her work in the first season. Receiving the highest ratings in the series’ history, “Coven” was watched by 5.54 million viewers. If this is any indication of the show’s future, it is likely FX will renew the series for another riveting new season. Not since “The Twilight Zone” has a show dealt with as many contemporary fears as this show has. Airing every year around Halloween, “American Horror Story” is the perfect series to prepare you for the scares to come. g

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Grey’s Anatomy: End of an Era

lives, scandals and romantic entanglements of the doctors , while simultaneously informing ike fashion, American television goes through fads. One year, it was soap operas, us about critical health issues and fostering another year, it was sitcoms, such as “Friends” awareness of diseases. Arguably the most popular medical drama, and “Seinfield,” which feature ensemble casts ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” takes us through and no plot. Recently, it was the medical the lives of interns and residents in fictional drama, but, like all fads, it must come to an end. The end is near, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (previously Seattle Grace Hospital) as they strive with the death of “Grey’s to become respected surgeons while Anatomy.” For decades, television maintaining personal lives. The beginning of every episode is the same: a voice over viewers everywhere were of Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) entranced by medical introducing the central theme of that dramas, with shows episode, with each episode more focused such as “ER,” “Scrubs,” “General Hospital” and on the doctors’ personal, rather than professional, lives. Heavy on character “St. Elsewhere.” The BBC Photo by ABC development, the doctors tend to form reported that the popularity Anatomy” airs on deep bonds with their patients. These of all forms of medical-based “Grey’s Thursdays at 9 on ABC. bonds often cause the doctors to look inside drama suggest that we love themselves and evaluate some aspect of their to watch and read about people dealing with personal life that they are struggling with. pain and discomfort, facing problems we fear Each season is meant to represent another we might face too at some point in our lives. academic year, and a rise to a higher level in These dramas often involve ordinary people their surgical field. Consistently ranking in that we can relate to directly and viewers the top 10 dramas on television among 18 to often times find themselves entrapped in the

by AubreyLevin

49 year-olds, it averages over 9.9 million total viewers. After 10 seasons, the loved series is coming to an end this February. However, TV’s oldest and most consistent genre seems to be steadily declining, with recent Nielsen ratings, which determines audience size and composition of TV shows, reported that viewers are growing increasingly tired of this field. Losing patience in complicated plot lines, recent shows such as “The Mob Doctor” and “Emily Owens, MD,” with average views of 1.3 million, have been cancelled after a single season because they failed to capture the attention of the audience. With TV being simplified throughout the years, it has become apparent that reality shows such as “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “Teen Mom” have become the favorites. When we sit in front of that screen after a long, stressful day, we don’t want to have to analyze a show. We simply want to sit back, relax and treat ourselves to hours of E!, Bravo or MTV. Maybe after all this trash television, we just might need those doctors after all. g

Is ‘Wonderland’ as wonderful as ‘Once?’ Alice is grown up. The story begins lice in Wonderland” in the asylum, is working its magic where Alice has once again at pulling been stuck since creators down the her initial visit rabbit hole of brilliant to Wonderland. insanity. Edward Kitsis Face-to-face with and Adam Horowitz, the a panel of doctors creators of ABC’s “Once discussing her Upon a Time,” have sanity, Alice agrees created a spinoff series, to undergo a “Once Upon a Time in Photo by ABC lobotomy when she Wonderland,” which “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” airs on Thursdays is whisked away by premiered Thursday, at 8 on ABC. the Knave of Hearts Oct. 10. “OUATW,” similar to its parent series, (Michael Socha). With ninja-like combat skills, knocks to the head with high-heeled is based on the original story by Lewis boots and a fast paced chase, they make Carol combined with re-imagined twists. their escape to Wonderland. The Red Queen Jafar (Naveen Andrews) and the genie, (Emma Rigby) and Jafar conspire against Cyrus, (Peter Gadiot) are from the tales of Alice and plan to keep her from finding Cyrus. Aladdin. Alice (Sophie Lowe) has returned to Wonderland several times and left a bad taste Trekking through the Tullgey Woods, battling an angry larger-than-life Cheshire cat (voiced in the mouths of those who live there. This by Keith David) and searching for the missing series takes place in Victorian London when by BriPosner

Student Shortlist by JuanRamirez

What song gets you in your feelings?

Mateo Dorado strings sophomore

“‘Connect’ by Drake. It talks about his inner issues that everyone can relate to. Everyone really is just “swangin’” through life.”

Cyrus are just the tip of the mushroom for this story. The challenge with making this series is its ability to stand on its own. “People that have not seen “Once Upon a Time” will be able to follow it,” said Kitsis at the “OUAT” panel at Comic Con 2013. The writers want to take us through Wonderland in just one season. The series is not set to be a specific 13 or 23 episode season; it will be not be continued. There will be crossover episodes between Wonderland and Storybrooke in Maine. Characters from the original “OUAT” series will be involved in several of the episodes, but each episode will explain their connection. As the story goes on, we are taken deeper into the heart of Wonderland, and Alice herself, to explain what exactly happened during her trips beforehand. Take a tumble down the rabbit hole and reserve time every Thursday to join in on the impossible adventures of “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.” g

Cassandra Console dance senior

“The strings and lyrics of ‘Falling Slowly’ from the ‘Once’ soundtrack always gets me in my feelings. The voices are really passionate too, so it’s impossible not to cry.”

TLC’s ‘Bridezillas’

In Georgia, Willaura fought with very once in a while, a television her Maid of Honor, her sister. Willaura series comes along that will change knew exactly how to defuse the tense the face of the Earth. That series will situation. Willaura brought her sister, explore every corner of the human Tina, to a dance club so, with the aid condition and, in the long run, help the of a microphone, she can inform the viewer become a better human being. whole world that Tina was the worst That series will bring about the end of bridesmaid of all time. Willaura’s Golden Era of Television. That series is reasoning was completely justifiable. “Bridezillas.” Tina was too busy working two jobs “Bridezillas,” which airs on WE TV, is to pick up a phone call from her sister. a critically acclaimed drama that follows The fight was brought outside, where different brides Willaura begged before they head Tina to hit her down the aisle. with her shoe. I Of course, every was aghast. bride does not Additionally, act like a human Willaura hacked being and exists her husbandonly to create to-be’s email to havoc. ascertain the From the first location of his second I turned bachelor party. Photo by WE TV the show on, I Willaura slowly Willaura (right) and her groom-to-be argue on the day of their wedding. Full episodes of “Bridezillas” are was captivated. interrogated her available at www.wetv.com. As a cultured husband as if and learned writer, I had no choice but she was a villain out of a James Bond to thoroughly document and analyze the film. She, despite her completely rational events of the series finale. It followed behavior, could not get him to admit that the exploits of two brides, Megan and he was going to a strip club. It seemed Willaura. Both brides went on a quest their wedding might not happen after all. to reach the American Dream, but had Luckily, both women had beautiful different ways of achieving it. weddings. Megan’s husband, as if held at Megan met her groom at work and, gun point, said “I do” to his brand-new after hatred at first sight, they learned to wife. To capture the raw emotion of the love each other. After a short courtship moment, music from “Lord of the Rings” process, she gained complete control is played in the background. As a bonus, in her relationship. She even stopped Megan informed her husband that they her fiancé from going to the gym by will be having children, whether he grabbing onto his legs and refusing to wants to or not. The whole world cried let go. tears of joy and fear. If we’re lucky, Their love, however, was less Megan’s child will grow up to be just like important than her shoes. In a brilliant her. feat of American ingenuity, Megan “Bridezillas” is simply too compelling decided that the only way to salvage to be summarized in one review. It, her disaster of a wedding was to apply like most reality shows akin to it, make-up to and subsequently sprayunderstands gender roles so perfectly paint her shoes, which were shipped in that it’s scary. In fact, all writers the wrong color. As I sat on the edge of attempting to explore the complexity of my seat, sweat dripping down my brows, relationships should give up now. After Megan finally made sure her shoes were “Bridezillas,” there is nothing new left to painted the appropriate color. say. g

What song did you play during the government shutdown?

by JarrodCarman

Mason Schuessler visual sophomore

“I love ‘Into the “I think ‘Erase Past’ by Nero from Me’ by Kid Cudi the ‘Great Gatsby’ because it speaks soundtrack because to you without all the sounds are being morose. timed very well to It’s relatable and set a mood that upbeat.” really gets you Maicie Ramirez thinking.” communications junior

SamROSE

It’s hard not to get angry after the federal government shuts down due to something as simple as a disagreement. I wish I could march up Capitol Hill, plug in my stereo and have a passive aggressive performance of “Get’cha Head Photo by Walt Disney Records in the Game” by the High School Musical cast. You know something is wrong when the federal government can learn something from Zefron.

BriPOSNER

As the news of the government shutdown circulated, it felt like I was a duck sitting numbly in the middle of a storm. I do not watch the news, or have time to check out breaking stories online, so I was clueless as to Photo by Island Records what was going on and why everyone was freaking out. Frankly, I do not care about everything because I can’t comprehend it all. This is why “I Don’t Care” by Fall Out Boy is the song I blast.

ToriFERNANDEZ

For those who have taken APUSH, we now know that the brunt of American history is comprised of white people arguing over supercilious things. Last month, we were in the midst of the biggest temper tantrum a group of Photo by Interscope Records white men over fifty have ever thrown. In order to celebrate the current shutdown of the American government, I plan on walking through Washington D.C. with “White America” by Eminem on a large boombox, while making dramatic poses in front of all the closed national monuments.

JarrodCARMAN

If any song can sum up my emotions on the government shutdown, it’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” by the Rolling Stones. It seems a certain political party needs to realize that they can’t hold the government hostage anytime Photo by Decca Records they don’t get what they want. Also, all of national parks shut down, so I’m still stuck in the middle of the Grand Canyon with no one to help me find my way out. There are blood-thirsty wolves here and the only weapon I have is a DVD of “Transformers” that I’ve sharpened into a knife. Help me.

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Get live for ‘GTA V’

Record-selling video game attracts both praise and controversy by FelipeBomeny

hen our parents were teens, the game “Pong” was all the rage. The kids of Generation Z, with their Playstations instead of books and iPhone chargers for veins, would surely scoff at “Pong.” The game’s basic premise and minimalist graphics seem incredibly primitive when compared to current releases. Today’s 8-year-olds aren’t as easily amused, favoring gunplay over Atari installments. And, judging by “Call of Duty” and “Grand Theft Auto V” sales, gamers are more intent on shooting Russians and trampling escorts with stolen Ferraris. According to review aggregator Metacritic, “GTA V” is supposed to be a good game. Faced with the dilemma of “GTA” or “GPA,” my experience with the game has been limited to a mere hour-long demo. From what I picked up, the developers paid a lot of attention to detail in creating the fictional setting of Los Santos. The gameplay also retained the same basic features as its predecessors. The professional nerds who dedicate their lonely existences to games had more to say, praising the game’s mechanics and storyline

with overwhelmingly positive reviews. IGN’s neckbearded reviewers, who awarded the game

on TV shows are nothing new, either. Critics of video games argue that exposure to sex and violence in games is worse because players are encouraged to enact these behaviors on-screen. Defenders of “GTA” and other series, however, argue that ratings and warnings are useful in preventing children from interacting with disturbing material. As the content of video Graphic by Kyle Bell games becomes more sophisticated, a perfect score upon the the public may come to accept the artistic license of video games. Even then, the content game’s release, retreated to their basements with copies of “GTA V” and have not been of video games will still attract issues, despite being within an artistic framework. heard from since. As the video game industry grows, it looks Critics outside of the video game industry, however, haven’t shared the same praise. like the debate of what is and isn’t appropriate in video games will continue. Some will find Outside of the gaming world, media outlets torture missions disgusting and some will have reflected their concerns with the series’ inherent violence. Amnesty International see it as political commentary. Whether or not “GTA V” publisher Rockstar Games is condemned the game’s depiction of torture, joining other non-governmental associations actually pushing the envelope, two things are such as Freedom for Torture. for certain: first, the game’s mammoth sales record will surely be surpassed in the near Perhaps more worrying is that this “GTA V” isn’t the first game to feature controversy future. Second, children will be children— which is to say, they will continue to mash of this magnitude. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” another bestseller, included an Xbox buttons and fire at anything in sight in their lonely, digitalized existences. g infamous mission in which the player had to shoot civilians at a Russian airport. Moralists point out that sex and violence

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The Muse is a national award-winning newsmagazine. The publication has won numerous awards from the National Scholastic Press Association including a Pacemaker in 2004, 2008 and 2011 and a Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and is currently up for a 2013 Pacemaker. In 2012, The Muse won First Place General Excellence Newspaper from the Palm Beach Post Excellence in High School Journalism Awards. This publication is completely funded and created by its staff, advertisers and donors. Over 1,300 students and a multitude of subscribers receive copies of the magazine annually. All aspects of the magazine from the cover to the Exposure on the back page are written and designed by the students. There are 61 staffers, grades 10-12, from the communications department (and cartoonists from the visual department) who work during and after school to make this publication possible. We would like to thank the School of the Arts Foundation for their continuous support. Your donations are greatly appreciated by everyone on this staff. Please visit our website at www.themuseatdreyfooos.com. g

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EXPOSURE

by AlexandraLopez

“I Fall”

Arianna Leon

s a school of the arts, it is remarkable to discover a student who is a jack-of-all-trades with experience in more than one major. Digital media senior Arianna Leon was a dance major at Bak Middle School of the Arts and has been dancing since fifth grade. Leon’s work reflects her passion for dance, as seen in her piece, “I Fall.” “There are two aspects to why I love taking pictures of dancers,” Leon said. “I wanted to take advantage of the

opportunities I had, so I would be in the wings with a camera in my hands. I would go on stage to dance then go back and take pictures. I like the idea of mixing the art worlds.” As a company dancer for Wellington Dance Theatre, Leon enjoys performing at places like public amphitheatres around Wellington and sharing art with the community. In “I Fall,” the viewer can see Leon’s experience with dance as if she were dancing in the performance on the stage instead of documenting it. She

identifies with the little boy falling and the dancer doing a cartwheel. “The photo relates to my own experience because their faces are shadowed so it could be anyone. I tried to express myself in them,” Leon said. “My favorite form of dance is contemporary. I like doing the choreography and creating moves that would not typically be beautiful or ordinary. I try to show the same with my work in photography too.” g