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VOLUME XV, ISSUE III, MARCH 2018 DREYFOOS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
save the arts
PART THREE “WHOEVER NEGLECTS THE ARTS WHEN YOUNG HAS LOST THE PAST AND IS DEAD TO THE FUTURE” - SOPHOCLES
Photo by Emma Baldinger
n 2005 and 2008, The Muse covered "Save the Arts," a topic that brought awareness to protect Dreyfoos’ art programs which were under attack. Ten years later, the irony of our school continues, and the arts are dwindling. Students are heavily focusing on their academic courses in order to better prepare for college admissions, and some are neglecting what they initially came to Dreyfoos to pursue. Although our current art programs are not necessarily under attack, we’ve noticed the progression of our school becoming more academically-focused. We both want to pursue a career in the arts, but we hope to not return to Dreyfoos years later with the passions that we’ve ignited here to be severely diminished or worse: extinguished altogether. Recognizing this importance, our cover story, Save the Arts: Part 3, examines this very subject. Within this issue, we have also incorporated lighter pieces, including a Q&A with those who worked on the spring production, "Caucasian Chalk Circle," a feature on school counselor Georgia Mounce’s adoption, and a first-ever “unpacked” piece, examining the contents in piano senior Josh Boss’ backpack that parallel his life. We hope you read the cover story in its entirety and take its contents to heart. Let it serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to go to a school that gives us a creative outlet. What would our lives be without art? Photo by Natalie Bergeron
EDITORIALPOLICY The Muse is a student publication produced by Journalism IV, V, and VI classes at A. W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Opinion is limited to editorials and columns. We welcome and will print letters to the editors, which should be submitted to the Pressroom (1-102) or submitted to themusedsoa@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for grammar and space restrictions and will publish no letters that are libelous or defamatory to any staff, students, or members of the community. We also accept guest editorials, although we reserve the right to edit or to decline at our discretion. To produce parts of this issue, some sources requested anonymity. To establish journalistic integrity, these names will remain anonymous, protecting the identities of the individuals quoted.
CORRECTIONS
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Alexa Pope was credited as the writer of "Self Love" on the Table of Contents. The story was written by Dani Esquenazi.
ABOUTUS
The Muse is a national award-winning newsmagazine.The publication has won numerous awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) including a Pacemaker in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Muse has also won a Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) in 2011 and 2013. The Muse won a CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown award in 2015, which recognized the best print edition and website (themuseatdreyfoos.com) in the nation. The Muse is a finalist for the Hybrid Gold Crown in 2017. The Muse has also won The Palm Beach Post General Excellence - Newspaper Award in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. This publication is completely funded and created by its staff, advertisers, and donors. Over 1,400 students and a multitude of subscribers receive copies of the magazine annually. All aspects of the magazine are written and designed by the students. There are 48 staffers, grades 10-12 both, from the communications department and other art areas, including cartoonists from the visual department, who make this publication possible. We would like to thank the School of the Arts Foundation for their continuous support. Your donations are greatly appreciated by this staff.
@themuseatdsoa
The Muse at Dreyfoos
Photo by Natalie Bergeron
The Muse is generously underwritten by Mr. Donald Silpe
THE STAFF 2017-2018 Editors-in-Chief: Marianna Kaimakliotis,
Photo Staff: Rachel Jeune, Shelby Rabin,
Ruby Rosenthal
Sydney Walsh, Sydney Webb Business Editor: Elizabeth White Business Staff: Ally McGivney Cover Story Editors: Carleigh Dickinson, Danelle Eugene, Morgan Scott Opinion Editor: Cody Baez
Managing Editor: Alex Gordon Assistant Managing Editors: Emma Baldinger, Noa Kroyter, Carly Schwamm Online Content Editor: Danielle Cuestas Social Media Editor: Haley Johnston Multimedia Editor: Eliza Baker Multimedia Staff: Valerie Betts, Priscila Fernandez
Design Editor: Jenevieve Norton Design Staff: Sofia Grosso, Lily Gumbinner, Joel Soto
Photo Editor: Natalie Bergeron
Opinion Staff: Sasha Monaco, Ariana Richter News Editor: ZoĂŤ Romano News Staff: Sebastian Fernandez, Kate McNamara
Arts Editor: Jennifer Jia Arts Staff: Lila Goldstein, Ali Hussain, Anamaria Navarrete
Sports Editor: Shane McVan Sports Staff: Lilly Randolph, Tommy McCabe
Features Editor: Jordan Johnson Features Staff: Mira Rudensky, Maddy Rubin
Lifestyle Editor: Alexa Pope Lifestyle Staff: Daniela Esquenazi, Heather Rollins
Entertainment Editor: Chloe Girod Entertainment Staff: Rebecca Boss, Ally McGivney, Taryn Reagan Copy Staff: Izzy Kjaerulff Cartoonists: B. Amico, Jill Rooney Adviser: Carly Gates
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Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
Photo by Natalie Bergeron
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
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Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
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CONTENTS OPINION Calling Out the Catcaller | Sasha Monaco Pg. 10 Photo by Valerie Betts
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Mounce
NEWS Train Trauma | Sebastian Fernandez Pg. 16
ARTS
-Pablo Picasso
Arts Index | Arts Staff Pg. 22
COVER Save the Arts | Emma Baldinger & Alex Gordon Pg. 28
FEATURES Mrs. Mounce’s Miracle | Maddy Rubin Pg. 36
SPORTS Loyal Fans | Tommy McCabe Pg. 44
LIFESTYLE Colorism in Beauty | Dani Esquenazi Pg. 50
ENTERTAINMENT Copyright Copycats | Ally McGivney Pg. 58
EXPOSURE Leo Markel | Anamaria Navarrete Pg. 62 Graphic by Chloe Girod
Photo illustration by Sydney Walsh
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Photos by Shelby Rabin
6 OPINION
It only took six minutes. Six minutes for 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz to rampage the hallways of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, taking the lives of 17 people, each of whom had goals, dreams, and futures. Six minutes for the nation to change; teenagers are now standing up against a system that has for so long put guns ahead of their lives. By The Muse Staff his is America in 2018: a country where seemingly anyone can walk into a gun store or gun show and purchase a weapon made for killing. The long list of mass shootings added another name on Feb. 14. But, instead of the usual silence and inaction that follows a deadly event like the one at Stoneman Douglas, a wave of activism has swept across the country. Change is coming; now is the time for all of us to fight for it. Many politicians follow a pattern after each tragedy: they act surprised that another shooting has taken place, they send their “thoughts and prayers,” and they say there is nothing that could have been done to prevent it from happening. Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas—no matter the death toll, nothing changes, and more guns find their way into the hands of Americans. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, gun manufacturing in the U.S. skyrocketed under the Obama administration following multiple mass shootings, with 10.9 million manufactured in 2013. Not since the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which was passed in 1994 and expired in 2004, has there been any comprehensive gun control legislation enacted in the country. The consequences to this are lethal. Once again, the country faces the same question: are we going to sit by and put gun ownership ahead of the lives of our people? Once again, Politicians have said they stand with the victims in Parkland, while shifting the blame away from lax gun control policies and toward video games, school safety, mental illness, and other aspects of American culture. Instead of playing the blame game, survivors of the shooting have spoken out on what they perceive to be the real issue. Students such as Emma Gonzalez, 18, and David Hogg, 17, have called for action on gun control from both state and national leaders. High school students all across the country have organized walkouts and protests to call for stronger gun reform and real change in Washington, D.C., including stronger background checks, raising the age of purchase for firearms, a ban on bump stocks, and a ban on assault weapons. These reforms, while of course not stopping 100 percent of shootings, are common-sense measures that would legitimately improve the security of students by making it harder for guns to end up in the hands of the wrong people. The objective of gun control is not to take away people’s guns, but simply to ensure that people don’t lose their lives at the hands of a person with a gun. An October 2017 Gallup poll revealed that 95 percent of
Americans support background checks on all gun purchases, and 75 percent support a 30-day waiting period. These are essential steps that can be taken. The debate should not be a question of right or wrong; it should be a question of life or death. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 307 of the 535 members of Congress are either taking direct campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA) or have benefited from independent NRA spending. As long as outside influences continue to pour money into the pockets of politicians, no real change will occur – when elected officials are beholden to anything other than those that elected them there is a problem with the system. In a CNN Town Hall with the survivors of Parkland that aired a week after the shooting, 17-year-old survivor Cameron Kasky pleaded to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, asking him to refuse any more donations from the NRA, which has contributed $3.3 million to him already. He avoided answering the question, highlighting what so many Americans already believed: politicians are more concerned with money than their constituents. The only ones who can change this status quo is us: the students. Teenagers and post-millennials get a bad name from older generations: we are self-absorbed, technology-obsessed, and uninformed. We are anything but that. We are the generation that is conscious of others, media-savvy, and more cognizant of the world around us than anyone else. We are passionate, we are driven, and we are prepared to fight for change. The responsibility has fallen to adults for decades, but as a result of the gross inaction by those in office, students are now taking the lead. Real progress has already started, and it is because of our generation. On Feb. 23, over 1,200 Dreyfoos students participated in a walkout, bringing their frustrations and anger to West Palm Beach City Hall. In a display of solidarity with the survivors, students gave speeches, sang songs, and chanted slogans. This is just the first stop in an uphill fight that will be long and arduous, but rewarding. If we can set the political conversation, we can decide what our future will be. It is in our hands; we need to keep the pressure. Now is the time to for us to use our voices to speak out for what is right since no one else will. Silence makes us just as culpable as the politicians, and if we aren’t willing to use our voices for change, we are no better than they are. It took one person six minutes to take the lives of 17 people; it’s going to take our entire generation to make sure that it never happens again.
Contributor: Cody Baez OPINION 7
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If you are interested in advertising in the next issue of The Muse, please contact Ms. Carly Gates at carly.gates@palmbeachschools.org or 561-805-6252 Pricing starts at $50 THE
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BURSTING THE BUBBLE THE DREYFOOS ENVIRONMENT IS UNREALISTIC Graphic by Jill Rooney
By Noa Kroyter
few years turns into a few months far too quickly. In the blink of an eye, it is 100 days until graduation, and a world outside Dreyfoos looms on the horizon. Yet, what is it about the Dreyfoos community that has drawn in thousands of applicants and results in an almost perfect graduation rate? It is the Dreyfoos bubble: a phenomenon exclusive to our community. The bubble is very real, and unfortunately, very unrealistic. We mature in a space that is particularly accepting of diversity, with students who are disproportionately high academic achievers, and with low economic struggle. In a school dedicated to the arts, students tend to be far more considerate of the differences of their peers. Compared to other schools within Palm Beach County, Dreyfoos is known to have an extensively larger LGBTQ+ community. Furthermore, in a race analysis conducted by Niche, Dreyfoos lies in the middle of the diversity index of Palm Beach County schools, with a 58 percent “white” student body. Meanwhile, Jupiter High School reports at a 72 percent “white” student body, and Royal Palm Beach High School reports at a 21 percent “white” student body. Our student body is accepting in this sense: while our community is a relatively accurate representation of life outside of Dreyfoos, the amount of understanding is not. “Most teachers and students [here] take time to understand the way of life you come from, or how you may identify,” communications junior Michael
Bole said. “While there are individuals at other schools who do the same, Dreyfoos culture particularly enforces acceptance.” While statistics from the National Center for Education (NCE) outline that approximately one-third of students nationwide claim to have been bullied, there are virtually no incidents of physical bullying at Dreyfoos, compared to stereotypical high schools. This school is fortunate enough to be a supportive, wholesome environment, where peers rarely pick on each other for their differences. As exemplified by the NCE, the world beyond these walls is not as forgiving. Another Dreyfoos anomaly is the unparalleled academic achievement; there is a reason US News & World Report places the school in the Top 100 High Schools nationwide, coming in at 78. After all, nearly 100 percent of students from Dreyfoos graduate. The school clearly values its academics equally to—if not greater than—its arts. “We are so competitive within our arts, and that translates into our academics because we want to succeed in the same way,” dance senior Gillian Kovacs said. Because everyone in the student body auditioned in order to attend, Dreyfoos students want to be here. Therefore, academic achievement is just as strong as artistic achievement. To Dreyfoos students, we have just one message: before the real world comes to you, push yourself out of this bubble. Whether a student has a few years or a few months before they graduate, they are soon going to have to interact with individuals who come from extremely different places and experiences. Not everyone will be as accepting, but not everyone will be as competitive. Before a student leaves this space, it is necessary for them to figure out how they will pop this bubble and understand that Dreyfoos is not an accurate representation of the world.
OPINION 9
Photo illustration by Natalie Bergeron Graphics by Lily Gumbinner and Sasha Monaco
10 10 OPINION
CALLING OUT THE CATCALLER By Sasha Monaco ast year, as I was walking to school one morning, a car slowed down almost completely beside me. Rolling down his window, the driver shouted a string of obscene comments. My instincts kicked in: Stranger Danger. I had been taught to evade emergency. I had been taught to run. But all I could do was stand there, petrified. Fourteen years old at the time, I remember immediately looking down to see what I was wearing, as if it could somehow justify his amplified act of misogyny. He drove away at a high speed, but the fear he instilled in me stayed with me to this day; every time I cross the street, every time I wait for the train, and every time I leave the house with shorts on. I am just one of many young girls with a story like this. The act of catcalling is a societal norm: background noise in a hectic setting. The collective voice of the female population has been submerged in the gender norms; lost in the belief that freedom of speech dominates human decency. Catcalling is far more than just an attempt to establish superiority. It is an attempt to scare us back into our houses. According to a survey conducted by Cornell University, over half of women have changed their outfit, changed their form of transportation, or even refused to leave the house in order to avoid street harassment. As young girls, we are taught to avoid eye contact, to pull our shorts down, and to look the other way. This nonverbal communication is binding us to an unspoken code in order to avoid longstanding trauma. When young girls reach a certain age, we become a magnet to uninvited stares and uncomfortable remarks. The findings of a study conducted by Hollaback, an organization that aims to end sexual harassment, include that 67 percent of women in the United States experienced street harassment before the age of 14. Girls in this developmental stage are formulating expectations for themselves. Shouting comments about our physical appearance counters every lesson we’ve learned about the importance of intellectual
beauty. Catcalling teaches young women that looks do matter, and that changing from shorts to jeans is a necessary step to take if we want to walk to school. However, it should be evident to any rational human being that the problem at hand isn’t the length of our shorts. Don’t tell me not to wear my favorite outfit; tell the grown man not to marvel at a 15-year-old. When a grown man whom you have never met before tells you to smile, or demands you give him your number, or asks if you have a boyfriend, there is simply no way to react. There is no book entitled “Catcalling for Dummies,” because no one is in any place to tell young women how to reply. However, one thing is for sure: a catcall is not a compliment. A catcall is not a rite of passage, or an obstacle we should all learn to get over. A catcall is a watered-down version of sexual assault, and it should be treated that way. As sexual harassment finally begins to be seen for the trauma it truly is through the #MeToo movement, countries across the globe are working to combat catcalling lawfully by implementing legal implications for street harassment. Both Belgium and Portugal outlawed catcalling in 2014, punishable by a fine or up to a year in prison. Additionally, New Zealand law enforcement fines catcallers up to $1,000 for verbal taunting. These countries have realized that it is crucial to ditch the all too familiar mantra “boys will be boys” as the only way to rectify the situation at hand. It is time for men to discontinue the practice of dehumanizing young women and start defending them. Yes, I have a traumatic memory that has been with me from a young age, and most young women have similar stories. However, the pattern can stop here if we stop it. The world is begging for a paradigm shift, and we have the power to make that happen. I have already lived through my chilling experience, but my future daughter doesn’t have to. The world can create meaningful change if it refuses to see catcalling through a blurred lens, and instead sees it for what it actually is. This cat needs to be put down.
OPINION 11
12 OPINION
TIME’S UP Sexual harassment scandals prove Hollywood’s hypocrisy
By Ariana Richter creasing in detail against the Hollywood pig, McGowan has ollywood, the land of self-righteous saints and emerged as the fiery voice and unexpected heroine sweeping saviors of the movement against sexual harass- beyond the entertainment industry. Channels such as NBC ment, recently found an opportunity to put its claim they are in support of ending rape culture, yet they athypocrisy on full display with the development of tempt to give aid to Weinstein. According to The Washington the Time’s Up movement. Time’s Up began to fight systematic Post, NBC quoted Weinstein saying he hoped for a second sexual assault in response to the Harvey Weinstein incident chance for “being complicit in rape culture.” #MeToo. Kevin Spacey, who is a powerful man in the entertainment At the conclusion of the 75th annual industry and who too has a Golden Globes that were held on Jan. 7, it “DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF known history of sexual misbecame clear that the accusations of sexual conduct, was asked about his misconduct were growing higher. Holly- VALUABLE REPORTING, opinions towards Weinstein. wood was not only too busy celebrating it- THE PUBLIC IS NOW ABLE He disgustingly responded by self to face the allegations, but was turning saying that he strongly believes the campaign into a bandwagon. This was TO UNDERSTAND HOW Weinstein will one day make a all to keep their damaged image, that is a YEARS OF SYSTEMATIC comeback, and that the public sinking ship, afloat. and media has been too hard on SEXUAL HARASSMENT One after another, celebrities took to him. the stage to accept their awards while si- AND ABUSE HAVE BEEN It is no doubt that the world multaneously showing off their black ABLE TO FLOURISH WITHIN of Hollywood has an outward dresses and tuxes. And, one after another, appearance of female empowerthey showed how the same industry that HOLLYWOOD.” ment; however, the industry is stood complicit in the entire Weinstein laced with misogynists and the scandal has claimed this movement as its own. While the peo- sexist systems that protect them. Due to the amount of valuple of Hollywood may see themselves as heroes in the Time’s able reporting, the public is now able to understand how years Up movement, the truth reveals that for many of those people, of systematic sexual harassment and abuse have been able to #TimesUp is nothing more than free publicity through the flourish within Hollywood. writing on a pin. The current generation of Hollywood A-listers are linking Following the tidal wave of accusations against veteran film arms and standing together in a circle of hypocrisy. It is disproducer Weinstein in October of last year, women have been heartening to hear actors rave about #TimesUp as if they are attempting to call out the male-dominated industry that has the survivors and victims who have sparked a cultural revoluinstitutionalized rape, harassment, and abuse. Rose McGowan, tion. What is occurring in Hollywood currently is a complete who should be labeled the true hero of today’s survivors, was farce. When men like Casey Affleck feel it is appropriate to calling Weinstein out in the 1990s, but was continuously dis- ask to give out an award, that is when the public needs not be missed. As the survivors began to multiply, their stories in- blinded by the hypocrisy that continues to occur. Photo illustration by Natalie Bergeron
OPINION 13
NCE ON SIS 1223456778889 1223456778889 1223456778889 STANCE STANCE ON ON SIS SIS STANCE ON SIS STANCE ON SIS STANCE ON SIS STANCE ON SIS STANCE ON SIS STANCES ON SIS STANCES ON SIS faculty, and district officials Students, faculty,and and district officials NCE Students, ON SIS Students, faculty, district officials discuss discuss the of new Student discuss the impact impact of the the newInformation Student the impact of the new Student Information System (SIS) System (SIS) Information System (SIS) By Kate McNamara
teacher awakens computer with aaaquick shift technology coordinator Edward Hornyak in teacher awakens their computer with quick shift ofthe teacher awakens their computer with quick shift of technology coordinator Edward Hornyak said. “So in the the long long run, run, teacher turns on thetheir computer with a quick shift ofof won’t have to wait overnight, it will happensaid. that“So day.” teacher awakens their computerglow withofofathe quick shiftbeaming of their mouse, the incandescent screen I think it’s going to keep you guys in class a little bit more. In their mouse, the incandescent glow the screen beaming theirthe mouse, the incandescent glow of the screen across beaming I think it’s goingSIS to keep you guys in class athe little bit more.process In the the mouse, incandescent glow of the screen beaming Additionally, will serve to facilitate attendance their mouse, the incandescent glow of the screen beaming future I could say, ‘Where do you need to be?’ and pull up SIS right future I couldassay, do you need to be?’ and pull up SIS right their desk. The names and smiling faces of each student in for teachers, well‘Where as streamline parents’ abilities to view their the third period up the on student inthird theteacher’s teacher’sclass third period class pop upon onone the student in the teacher’s third period class pop up on the on my my phone.” phone.” thestudent teacher’sin period pop up onclass thepop monitor, students’ absences. Teachers will also gain the option to track an student in the teacher’salongside third period class popsymbol up on the one of appearing aaalime-green of In prepare the adjustments, monitor, one ofthem them appearing alongside lime-green symbol ofaaa individual monitor, one of them appearing alongside lime-green symbol of In order order to tostudent’s prepare families families for for the upcoming upcoming adjustments, the the SDSDof monitor, them appearing alongside a lime-green symbol of a globe, which absences throughout the day. monitor, one of them appearing alongside a lime-green symbol of a globe, which reveals that English is the student’s second language. PBC is currently “pushing progress reports daily” on Edline, globe, which reveals that English is the student’s second language. globe, which reveals thatstudent’s English is the student’s second PBC is currently “pushing on Edline, accordreveals that English is the second language. Theselanguage. features “Parents and teachers willprogress be ablereports to go indaily” and look at youraccordhisglobe, which reveals that English is the student’s second language. ing Hornyak. can pluck from ing Mr. Mr.attendance, Hornyak. SIS SIS cancan’t pluck the data from teachers’ gradebooks are all part of the School District of Palm Beach County’s (SDPBC) torical so you bethe likedata ‘I had an teachers’ SRA thatgradebooks period,’” County’s (SDPBC) new Focus Student Information System (SIS), at any given time and project it to students through County’s (SDPBC) new Focus Student Information System (SIS), (SDPBC) new FocusSystem Student Information (SIS), at any givencoordinator time and project it toHornyak students said. through Edline. newCounty’s Focus Student Information (SIS), which wasSystem implementtechnology Edward “SoEdline. in the long County’s (SDPBC) new Focus Student at Information System (SIS), “I it, do it, II like to where grades which wasimplemented implemented by thecounty county atthe thestart startof ofthe the2017-18 2017-18 which was implemented by the county at the start of the 2017-18 “I love love it, II really really do love love it, because because like to see see wherebitmy my grades run, I think it’s going to keep you guys in class a little more. In ed which by the was county at the startby ofthe school year. which was implemented by the county at the start of the 2017-18 school year. school year. schoolgoal year.is to put more information in more people’s hands,” the future I could say, ‘Where do you need to be?’ and pull up SIS “Our schoolgoal year. put in hands,” said fact II can go “Our goalisisisto tothe putmore moreinformation information inmore morepeople’s people’s hands,” said right “Our goal to put more information in more people’s hands,” said fact that that can go home home everyday everyday and and see see my my grades grades isis just just amazing. amazing. on my phone.” said“Our PJ D’Aoust, Department of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) “Our goal is the to put more information in more people’s(FTE) hands,” said PJ D’Aoust, Department of Full-Time Equivalent and It shows me what aspects of school I need to work on and PJ D’Aoust, the Department of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and D’Aoust, the Department Full-Time (FTE)Beach and It shows me what aspects families of schoolfor I need to work onadjustments, and how how I’m I’m In order to prepare the upcoming andPJStudent Reporting Director of the School Equivalent District of Palm PJ D’Aoust, the Department ofthe Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and Student Reporting Director of School District of Palm Beach progressing.” Student Reporting Director of the School District of Palm Beach Student Reporting Director of the progressing.” the SDPBC is currently “pushCounty (SDPBC). “Our teachers areSchool District of Palm Beach Student (SDPBC). Reporting Director of theare School District of Palm Beach County teachers be for Althoughthe theSIS SISprogram programmay mayappear appear to beaaagodsend godsend forstudents, students, County (SDPBC). “Our teachers arealready alreadyon onthe thesystem, system,so sothey they Although County (SDPBC). “Our teachers already on the system, so they Although the SIS program may appear to be godsend for students, already on the system,“Our so they can are ing to progress reports daily” Although theadministrators SIS program may appear to be a godsend for students, County (SDPBC). “Our teachers are already on the system, so ALL they I BELIEVE IN MY HEART I BELIEVE IN ALL MY HEART teachers, and alike, the county-wide implementation teachers, and administrators alike, the county-wide implementation teachers, and administrators alike, the implementation see information they haven’t been on county-wide Edline, according to Mr. I BELIEVE IN ALL MY HEART teachers, and administrators alike, the among county-wide implementation student and see of to aaWILL of system has sparked number of ofthe the system has sparkedcontroversy controversy amongaaaSIS number offaculty faculty can look atpreviously. studentdata, data, andcan see[a [arange range ofsymbols symbols toshow] show]ifififWILL a can look at student data, and see [a range of symbols to show] of the system has sparked controversy among number of faculty ablecan tolook see at They Hornyak. can pluck the THAT THERE BE AT LEAST THAT THERE BE AT LEAST of the system hasLEAST sparked controversy among a number of faculty can lookisisatESL, student data, and see [a range of symbols toreal show] if WILL a THAT THERE BE AT student or if they have a medical allergy, all in time.” members. members. student ESL, or if they have a medical allergy, all in real time.” student is ESL,data, or if they members. look at student and have see [aa medical allergy, all in real time.” data from teachers’ grademembers. student isfaculty ESL, members or if they have a the medical allergy, allmade in real 100 STUDENTS GRADUATE 100 STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE 16,000 faculty have the transi“SIS to “SIScompared compared tothe theold oldsystem system(TERMS) (TERMS) has more information 16,000 members across SDPBC have made thetime.” transi- THAT 16,000 facultyto members across the SDPBC SDPBC have made the transi“SIS compared to the old system (TERMS) has more information range of symbols show] ifacross a stu-the books athas anymore giveninformation time and 100 STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE “SIS compared to the old can’t system (TERMS) has more information 16,000 faculty members across the SDPBC have made the transition to the new system. SIS replaced the Total Educational Resource in it, but [administrators] get to it,” an anonymous in it, but [administrators] can’t get to it,” an anonymous Dreyfoos tion to the new system. SIS replaced the Total Educational Resource tion to theornew system. replaced the Total Educational Resource in [DUE it, but [administrators] can’t get to it,” anitanonymous Dreyfoos dent is ESL, if they have SIS a mediproject to studentsDreyfoos through THAT SHOULDN’T TO THAT SHOULDN’T [DUE TO it, but [administrators] can’t get to it,” an anonymous Dreyfoos tion to the new system. SIS replaced the Total Educational Resource in [DUE THAT SHOULDN’T TO Management System (TERMS) and GradeQuick—the previous Management System (TERMS) and GradeQuick—the previous System (TERMS) and GradeQuick—the previous cal Management allergy, all in real time.” Edline. Management (TERMS) and GradeQuick—the previous INACCURACIES, GPA-RELATED GPA-RELATED INACCURACIES, programs used to and students’ instantaneous; itititcan work, programs usedSystem tocontrol control andsupport support students’grade gradecalculations, calculations, instantaneous;in inSIS, SIS,it’s it’sat atleast leastaaasolid solid minute until canlove work, programs used to control and support students’ grade calculations, instantaneous; in SIS, it’s at least solid minute can work, Sixteen thousand faculty mem“Iminute love it, until Iuntil really do it, GPA-RELATED INACCURACIES, programs used to control and support students’ grade calculations, instantaneous; in SIS, it’s atthat least a solid minute until itSIS canisiswork, personal information, and other administrative procedures. and a lot of [information] went from TERMS to inaccupersonal information, and other administrative procedures. and a lot of [information] that went from TERMS to SIS inaccuinformation, and made other administrative procedures. and a lot of [information] that went from TERMS to SIS is inaccuberspersonal across the SDPBC have because I like to see where my BUT] NOT BUT]procedures. NOT FROM FROM DREYFOOS. DREYFOOS. personal information, and other administrative and a lot of [information]III that went from TERMS to SIS is inaccuBUT] NOT FROM DREYFOOS. the transition to the new system. grades are,” communications BELIEVE THAT BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE Mr. D’Aoust doing grades, have taken of Nobody us needs other,” Mr.the D’Aoust said.“Teachers “Teacherswere were doingattendance, attendance, grades,THERE havebeen beenWILL takencare careBE ofat atthe thedistrict. district. Nobodyasked asked uswhat whatZimneeds other,” Mr. D’Aoust said. “Teachers were doing attendance, grades, have been taken care of at the district. Nobody asked us what needs SISother,” replaced Total said. Educationsophomore Nikolas BELIEVE THAT other,” Mr. D’Aoust said. “Teachers were doing attendance, grades, THERE have been WILL taken care BE of at the district. Nobody asked us what needs to happen.” to happen.” to happen.” al Resource Management System merman said. “The fact that KIDS IMPACTED. KIDS THAT THAT WILL WILL BE BE IMPACTED. to happen.” KIDS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED. (TERMS) and GradeQuick—the I can go home everyday and QUESTION MY MIND. NO QUESTION IN MY MIND. While students currently unable operate the school year, which information stored Whileprograms studentsare are currently unableto toNO operate thefull fullrange rangeof of IN school year, whichrequired requiredstudent studentsee information previously stored While students are currently unable to operate the full range of school year, which required student information previously stored previous used to control my gradespreviously is just amazing. QUESTION IN MY MIND. While students are currently unable toNO operate the full rangewill of be school year, which requiredto student information previously stored features available within the SIS program, new components on TERMS be transferred SIS; this caused an array of substantial features available within the SIS program, new components will be on TERMS be transferred to SIS; this caused an array of substantial within SIS program, new components will be on TERMS be transferred to SIS; this caused me an array substantial andfeatures supportavailable students’ gradethe calcuIt shows whatofaspects of features within the SIS program, new components will be on TERMS be transferred to SIS; this caused an array of substantial added in the of the inaccuracies in data. added inavailable theform form of“district “district portal tiles”throughout throughout thecourse course inaccuracies instored storedstudent student data. added in the form of “district portal tiles” throughout the course inaccuracies in stored student data. lations, personal information, andportal oth- tiles” school I need to work on and added in the form of “district portal tiles” throughout the course inaccuracies in stored student “Instead to of “Instead ofhaving having totype type[all [alldata. ofthe thestudent studentinformation] information]in infrom from “Instead of having to type [all of the student information] in from er administrative how I’m of progressing.” e to facilitate the attendance processprocedures. “Instead of having to type [all ofofofthe student information] in from the form of a new system known as SIS Gateway for Parents and scratch, they tried to import all the data from TERMS into SIS,” the form of a new system known as SIS Gateway for Parents and scratch, they tried to import all the data from TERMS into SIS,” thetoform oftheir a there new system known as SIS Gateway for Parents scratch, theyadminis triedSIS to program import allmay of the datatofrom SIS,” “In theview past, were ligible like 80GPA different systemsfrom talking to and each Although the appear be aTERMS godsend into for stucomplaints students add up they for amline parents’ abilities the form of a newwill system known as SIS Gateway for Parents andbegan toMr. scratch, tried to import all ofaathe data from TERMS into SIS,” Students, which replace the nearly expired Edline. Hornyak said. “TERMS was very old system, and as a brand Students, which will replace the nearly expired Edline. Mr. Hornyak said. “TERMS was very old system, and as a brand Students, which will replace the nearly expired Edline. Mr. Hornyak said. was a very and as implea brand Mr. D’Aoust said. “Teachers were doing attendance, grades, dents, teachers, and“TERMS administrators alike,old thesystem, county-wide trators school counselors. s will also gain theother,” option to track anwill Students, which replace the and nearly expired Edline. Mr. Hornyak said. “TERMS waslooking a very old system, and in as brand web-based to out data aaaacertain new web-based system, SIS was looking tospit spit out data innumber certain new web-based system, SIS was looking to spit out data certain then mentation of thesystem, systemSIS haswas sparked controversy among ain have onesystems, girl—I and had to giveit itwould to thebepeople new at the district—every es throughout theand day.other things in all these“Idifferent new web-based system, SIS was looking to spit out data in a certain gradebooks at home, but you only see the information that’s gradebooks at home, but you only see the information that’s gradebooks at home,and but Edline. you only see it’s theall information that’s shipped to TERMS Now in one system.” of faculty members. be able to go in and look atoffyour gradebooks athistorhome, butD’Aoust you only see “When the information that’s important to you,” said. aaateacher aaa important to you,” Mr. D’Aoust said. “When teacher updates important to you,” Mr. D’Aoust said. “When teacher updates While students are Mr. currently unable to operate the fullupdates range of “SIS compared to the old system (TERMS) has more infor’t be like ‘I had an SRA that period,’” important you,” Mr.to said. “When ahappen teacher that updates a computer led complications start grade, you won’t have wait day.” computer systems ledto toaaarange rangeof ofcan’t complications at the startof ofthe the grade,available youto won’t have toD’Aoust wait overnight, willcomponents happen thatwill day.” grade, you won’t have to wait overnight, ititwill will happen that day.” computer systems led to range of complications at the start of the features within the SISovernight, program, itnew be mation insystems it, but [administrators] get to it,”at anthe anonymous computer systems led to a range of complications at the start of the grade, you won’t have to waittoovernight, it will happen that day.” Additionally, SIS will serve facilitate the attendance process Additionally, SISofwill serve to facilitate attendance added in the form “district portal tiles” the throughout theprocess course of Dreyfoos staff member said. “Before, looking at a student’s records -Additionally, SISwell willasserve to facilitate theabilities attendance process for teachers, as streamline parents’ to view their ligible GPAinstantaneous; complaints from from students began to add up up for adminisadministeachers, as well as streamline parents’transition abilities towill viewbetheir ligible GPA complaints add for thefor year. The most noteworthy upcoming in the was almost in students SIS, it’s atbegan least to a solid minute until for teachers, as well as streamline parents’ abilities to view their ligible GPA complaints from students began to add up for adminisstudents’ absences. Teachers will also gain the thefor option to track track an and school school counselors. students’ absences. will also gain option to an trators and form of a new systemTeachers known as SIS Gateway Parents and Stuittrators can work, and a counselors. lot of [information] that went from TERMS to students’ absences. Teachers will also gain the the day. option to track an trators and school counselors. individual student’s absences throughout “I have one girl—I hadeveryone to give give ititisto toworking the people people at the theasdistrict—every district—every individual student’s absences throughout the day. “I have one girl—I had to the at dents, which will replace the nearly expired Edline. SIS is inaccurate. Now 10 times hard to fix individual student’s absences throughout theand day. “I have one girl—I had to give it to the people at the district—every “Parents and teachers will be able to go in look at your histor“Parents andsystem teachers able tolike go you in and at your histor“The [SIS] willwill be be almost arelook in your teachers’ what should have been taken care of at the district. Nobody asked “Parents and teachers be be able to‘Igohad in and lookthat at your historical attendance, attendance, sobut youwill can’t like an SRA SRA period,’” ical so you can’t be like ‘I had an that period,’” gradebooks at home, you only see the information that’s importus what needs to happen.” ical attendance, so you can’t be like ‘I had an SRA that period,’” ant to you,” Mr. D’Aoust said. “When a teacher updates a grade, you The TERMS system was phased out at the start of the 2016-17
“THE [SIS] SYSTEM WILL BE ALMOST LIKE YOU ARE IN YOUR TEACHERS’ GRADEBOOKS AT HOME, BUT YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE INFORMATION THAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU,” MR. D’OUST SAID.
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school year, which required student information previously stored on TERMS be transferred to SIS; this caused an array of substantial inaccuracies in stored student data. “Instead of having to type [all of the student information] in from scratch, they tried to import all of the data from TERMS into SIS,” Mr. Hornyak said. “TERMS was a very old system, and as a brand new webbased system, SIS was looking to spit out data in a certain way and that caused some of it to be a little off.” The clerical issues caused by the oil and water combination of computer systems led to a range of complications at the start of the school year, including grade-calculation errors. These seemingly negligible GPA complaints from students began to add up for administrators and school counselors. “I have one girl—I had to give it to the people at the district—every day she has a different grade point average,” the anonymous staff member said. “I always fix it, it looks good, and then the next day it goes down. One day she’s ranked 24, another day she’s ranked 87, and they can’t figure out why.” And “this is just a microcosm” of the issues SIS has created for Dreyfoos according to faculty members. For instance, some students also encountered troubles with obtaining accurate college transcript reports earlier in the year. “On SIS, a bunch of [my classes] were highlighted in red saying that I didn’t have any grades,” theatre senior Heaven Vital said. “[The grades] went into the systems and eventually got messed up. When I went to get my college transcripts, my GPA wasn’t accurate because the two systems weren’t updated. I had to go get that all fixed and go to a guidance counselor. It was a lot of unnecessary stress. Things like that shouldn’t have
to happen.” To some, the technological glitches in SIS are simply a speed bump on the road to what lies ahead for the system. According to faculty members, each malfunction discovered in the program is reported to district officials and analyzed accordingly. “I think after one year we should be in a good place and have everything worked out at that point,” school counselor Mark Carson said. “I’m sure we’ll find little things from here to there, but it’s just a matter of finding those things. We’ll see how it works and do what we have to do to make it better in the future.” Beyond Dreyfoos, the SDPBC believes that the Focus system will ultimately benefit the district as a whole through simplifying everyday procedures for those engaged in student data calculation. “Long term, we think that parents, students, teachers, and all other personnel in the district will realize how powerful the SIS is when it comes to accessing student data,” said Jason Smith, FTE Field Tech Specialist for the SDPBC. “Every day, we have to make decisions about individual students, small groups of students, and schools that requires accurate and easily accessible data to make sure that our choices provide good outcomes. The SIS allows all of those stakeholders the ability to get the most accurate information.” All stances considered, some argue that technological change is inevitable in the 21st Century. “This is like the fourth grading system I’ve used since I’ve become a teacher,” social studies teacher Wendy Zietz said. “As the world changes, technology changes, and the grade system changes. I don’t see why everyone’s getting fired up about it.”
Q&A: ANONYMOUS STAFF MEMBER Q: Overall, how do you think SIS will work in the future? A: I think that eventually it should be a good thing. It has the right mindset, we just aren’t ready for it yet. It’s not what it’s supposed to be. I think it will eventually be a good program, but right now it’s not, it’s too tedious. You run something and you don’t know if it’s right or if it’s wrong.
Q: How do you believe the switch to SIS will impact the county as a whole?
USER ID 47DHF84
A: I believe in all my heart that there will be at least 100 students that graduate that shouldn’t [due to GPA-related inaccuracies, but] not from Dreyfoos. I believe that there will be kids that will be impacted. No question in my mind. Graphics by Joel Soto and Kate McNamara
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TRAIN TRAUMA
Student safety is questioned after several accidents By Sebastian Fernandez our pedestrians have ignored the flashing warnings reading “railroad crossing,” violating Florida law, leading to both minor and fatal accidents. The new Brightline train travels along the Florida East Coast Rail Corridor (FEC), reaching speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour. Inside the train, passengers can hear the the muted horn and see the safety gates lowering as it crosses 110 roads between the West Palm Beach (WPB) and Fort Lauderdale stations. Students who travel near these tracks, such as the crossing at Clematis Street just one mile from Dreyfoos, could potentially encounter the Brightline train as it travels through the area. “The [Florida East Coast] Rail Corridor traverses a portion of the region that has more population and pedestrian/bicycling activity than the [South Florida Rail Corridor] where Tri-Rail operates,” Kim DeLaney, Director of Strategic Development and Policy at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council said. This very aspect makes the rail corridor highly suitable for an inter-city rail service to connect coastal downtowns, “but at the same time, the increased amount of human activity also creates more opportunities for accidents,” DeLaney said.
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On top of the high pedestrian traffic, the elevated speeds of this new train also pose a larger risk than similar train services, such as Tri-Rail. However, train systems such as Tri-Rail only operate at around 40 miles per hour within the West Palm Beach metropolitan area, leaving locals accustomed to a slower-moving train. “Brightline is going to have a much more significant impact [than Tri-Rail],” assistant principal Leo Barrett said. “[Students] can’t always judge how fast the trains are running.” In fact, in two Boynton incidents, the Boynton Beach Police Department found that the injured parties misjudged the fast-moving train and crossed while the gates were already down—an action that is both illegal and dangerous. Nonetheless, these collisions led people to question what Brightline has done to prevent such incidents from occurring, causing many concerned citizens to call for more preventative actions to be taken. “It is critical that the Department of Transportation assess safety measures with Brightline,” Senator Marco Rubio of Florida wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Rubio also questioned the safety of pedestrians under jurisdiction of the Florida Depart-
Photo by Natalie Bergeron
ment of Transportation and their partners. The company has defended their various campaigns, which have been in effect “for more than a year,” according to Brightline Director of Public Affairs Ali Soule. They have also implemented additional safety measures to prevent such accidents from occuring again. Twenty electronic signs were placed at key intersections between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, informing pedestrians of the new train’s power. Additionally, the City of West Palm Beach has painted new designs on sidewalks near Clematis Street, Fern Street, and Banyan Boulevard which say “See Tracks? THINK TRAIN.” “We want our citizens in West Palm Beach to be safe,” Mayor Jeri Muoio said in a press conference. “The message is, ‘you have to be careful.’” This campaign, funded by the City of West Palm Beach, reflects the actions of other cities through which the track traverses and coincides with several additional initiatives taken by Brightline. In April 2017, Brightline and the School Distrit of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) ran a campaign to educate students near the FEC corridor about railroad safety. An educational flyer was mailed to over 40,000 families that live near Brightline’s tracks as part of the campaign.
The company has also hired several “Safety Ambassadors” who can be found near certain intersections, distributing safety pamphlets and communicating the safety concerns with pedestrians. “Brightline also deployed street teams to community events to distribute rail safety information,” Soule said. “Both of these activities are still underway.” They have also partnered with Operation Lifesaver, a group working to change people’s behavior around railroads. Approximately 40 Brightline employees are trained Operation Lifesaver volunteers and participate in community outreach and train safety education. “Increasing awareness about rail safety is of critical importance, which is why we continue working with our transportation partners to help spread the word,” Brightline’s COO and President Patrick Goddard said in a press conference. He encouraged the public that patience is key. “Your life is worth more than waiting a few extra seconds for a train to pass,” Goddard said. The depth and scale of their initiatives vary, but all have served to educate the public on the new train and how to remain safe around it. All campaigns share a similar theme: being mindful around train crossings, whether they belong to Brightline or not. “Just use your brain, people,” Muoio said. “If the arms are down, don’t go across the railroad tracks.” 17
“JUST USE YOUR BRAINS, PEOPLE. IF THE ARMS ARE DOWN, DON’T GO ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS,” MS. MUOIO SAID.
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Photo illustration by Danielle Cuestas, ZoĂŤ Romano, and Sydney Webb
CYBER CRACKDOWN School officials are disciplining students for their online misconduct, warning them to be mindful of their online behavior By Zoë Romano any students across the Dreyfoos community have experienced some form of online misconduct, whether they were the perpetrators or the victims. Over the years, the school has been hit with both large and small online controversies, from a fake clown sighting to the use of vulgar language on social media. In light of a rapidly increasing presence of social media, many school administrations have faced questions regarding discipline for students’ private, online behavior. In January, a student at Alabama University, Harley Barber, released a video of herself on social media where vulgar, racial slurs were used to attack the necessity of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Soon after, Barber was removed from her sorority, Alphi Fi International, and was later expelled. However offensive these types of comments can be, punishment for online misconduct can be a controversial issue. Schools who decide to discipline their students based on their online behavior walk the fine line between appropriate discipline and infringement upon first amendment rights. While Barber’s particular story happened in a college community, Dreyfoos is not immune to online misconduct or its consequences. “Anything you put on social media or on your phone leaves an imprint, and even if you delete it, it is still there and can come back to haunt you,” school counselor Mark Carson said. “People have to realize, delete does not mean gone.” For the majority of the student population, it is unclear what the rules are for online misconduct. Assistant Principal Corey Ferrera estimates that there can be as many as five to 10 serious online misconduct cases that the school is involved in every year. Usually when a student brings these cases to the attention of the administrators, it goes through a hierarchical process based on the details of each individual’s offense.
WHAT IS ONLINE MISCONDUCT? Online misconduct is defined by the U.S. Army as the use of electronic communication to inflict harm. Many instances of online misconduct occur in the form of cyberbullying. For an event to be
considered cyberbullying within Palm Beach County schools, the instances must be repetitive. If a student makes a singular comment or gets in a fight that goes back and forth with another person, these scenarios are not considered online bullying. Instead, these cases could be considered inappropriate activity or disrespectful language. According to Ms. Ferrera, an event is only considered cyberbullying if an administrator talks to an individual and informs them that their behavior is “wrong” or “inappropriate” and directs them to stop. If the student continues the behavior, the school gets involved in the now labeled cyberbullying incident.
WHY DO PEOPLE CYBERBULLY? A screen can act as a barricade between people, which can cause them to be less kind, careful, and conscientious. People tend to disassociate who they are in reality from their online personas. We are often more flippant and cruel with our online conduct. The reason it is so easy to be inflammatory online is because many can feel untouchable, but that is not the case. “Young people don’t understand the full ramifications and there is a feeling of empowerment behind [it]. You are empowered to say a lot of things you might not say face-to-face to somebody,” Ms. Ferrera said. “There is an unhealthy level of detachment when it comes to what people will do behind a device.”
RULES FOR ONLINE CONDUCT With online misconduct cases only growing in number, more schools are choosing to take disciplinary actions on their students based on their online presence. The level of punishment a school chooses is directly proportional with the types of online misconduct that occurs. The School District of Palm Beach County gives each school administrator a disciplinary matrix to ensure that punishments are given to students equally and fairly. It is not up to administrators to determine the basis of a punishment solely on what they personally believe. However, if a student’s conduct gets to the point where police
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involvement is necessary, a school police officer steps in. He or she must first determine whether or not the conduct is school related and considered cyberbullying. “That [online situation] is going to be something that I will try to get all of the information and then help pass it on to the local authorities,” school resource officer James O’Sullivan said. Officer O’Sullivan also talks with the parents of the student being bullied to discern what course of action they would like to take. If the parents prefer it be handled without police involvement, he will sometimes help mediate a discussion. If the parents would prefer to press charges, Officer O’Sullivan will help them get in contact with law enforcement. No matter what path of discipline is taken, students must always keep in mind that their online actions will have consequences. “I especially make that child’s parents aware because a lot of times, the parents are totally unaware of [the bullying] and once they become aware of it there is a loss of social media privileges or something like that,” Officer O’Sullivan said. Cyberbullying is considered a level two offense in the student handbook. For a student’s first offense, they can receive as many as five days of an out of school suspension (OSS). Any offenses beyond this can result in as many as 10 days of OSS. When a student reports a case of online misconduct they usually go to a school counselor.
“Pretty much when we get a case like that, it is brought to the school police and administration,” Mr. Carson said. “Generally, people report it to counselors and we go from there to an administrator or school police.” Punishment for online misconduct can become more complicated when a student decides to screenshot a private conversation and post personal details about these conversations on social media. In this scenario, a student’s first amendment rights are being violated. This right protects all U.S. citizens’ right to free speech. Punishing students based on their online speech could potentially lead to impeding their rights as U.S. citizens. Administration must take not only what is said in that conversation into account, but also whether or not that student's rights have been violated. The only way to ensure what one puts on the Internet does not come back with negative consequences is for users to stay mindful about what they choose to display to the world. As shown in the case of Harley Barber, not being mindful of how a person’s online content is perceived can lead to both perpetrators and victims being hurt. “We have to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and we have to practice empathy and we have to practice kindness,” Ms. Ferrera said. “We could all do better to educate ourselves on the dangers of social media.”
“FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS DON’T STOP WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE [SCHOOL] DOOR,” MS. FERRERA SAID.
FIRST AMENDMENT
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
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ARTS INDEX By Jennifer Jia, Anamaria Navarrete, Ali Hussain, and Lila Goldstein
Dancers of all grades received mentoring from guest dance instructors while the department’s teachers were away. The teachers, along with select juniors, traveled to New York City to scout various dance programs. Guest teacher Joanna Blake stepped in for dance dean Heather Lescaille and dance teacher Garry Lewis on Feb. 7, teaching the students ballet numbers including bar and center exercises. Demonstrating what the dancers had learned from both guest-directed master classes and the teacher’s efforts, the dance department will be performing the Spring Dance Concert the weekend of April 13 in Meyer Hall. Photo by Valerie Betts
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Theatre students rehearsed for “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” which debuted on Feb. 23 in Meyer Hall. This year’s spring production featured minimalist sets, moral dilemmas, and social metaphors, which differentiated the play from more traditional shows such as the fall musical “Kiss Me, Kate.” “I especially loved approaching [‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’]," theatre senior Brennah Leone said. "It really was a collaborative, experimental process where we tried different things and saw what worked.” In the play, Leone portrays the lead character Grusha. Select students are crafting and directing Theatre for Young Audiences on April 14 in the Brandt Black Box Theater, showcasing storytelling and humorous monologues. Photo by Valerie Betts
Vocal students prepared for the Chorus Concert, which premiered on March 14 in Meyer Hall. Ensembles and choruses performed songs ranging from jazz to classical. The department began preparations for the annual Pops Concert on April 11 in Meyer Hall, featuring band instruments, lighthearted tunes, and costumes reflective of a wide variety of music eras. Photo by Sydney Walsh
Visual and digital media students finalized their illustrations and displayed their creations on the annual Portfolio Day. The gym served as a showcase site for the creativity of both departments on Jan. 17. Students worked to impress the college officials exhibiting their artistic creations. Students also displayed their art in the Black Student Union Gallery in late February. Following the event, students began working on new pieces to exhibit at the annual Visual Arts/Digital Media Spring Show on April 11 in Building 9, with pieces that reflect the seasonal spirit including vibrant hues. Photo by Shelby Rabin
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the Southeast Writing Region recipients were announced on Jan. 30, where students won numerous awards including gold keys, silver keys, and honorable mentions. The film department selected numerous films to showcase at the annual Streaming Canvas Film Festival on March 9 in Meyer Hall. Photo Courtesy of Destiny Hannon
The piano department held Klavier Concert One on Jan. 26 and Klavier Concert Two on Feb. 9. Known as a seasonal series, the concert features new pianists with every performance. Additionally, the Pianoforte Recital was held on March 2. Piano students are now preparing for Klavier Recital Four on April 5 in the Black Box, along with the Piano Duet Recital in Meyer Hall on April 20. Photo by Valerie Betts
Inspired by the bright and floral aura of spring, the band department produced the Jazz Combos Concert on March 12 in the Brandt Black Box Theater, featuring impromptu tunes and extemporaneous melodies. Following the concert, the jazz ensembles began preparation for the Jazz Concert on April 21 in the Brandt Black Box Theater. Photo by Valerie Betts
The philharmonic orchestra, composed of instruments ranging from strings to brass, featured their first concert of the new year on March 15 in Meyer Hall. Following their performance, strings students went back into preparation for the Strings Orchestra Concert on April 4 in the Brandt Black Box Theater. Unlike the philharmonic, the strings orchestra features strictly violins, violas, bass, and cellos. Photo by Valerie Betts
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SPEAKING THROUGH STREET ART
Artists and spectators alike decorated the streets of downtown Lake Worth with imaginative artwork By Jennifer Jia he black asphalt concrete sectioned with fluorescent tape was a peculiar sight to pedestrians on the day leading up to the 24th Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival. The following evening, the streets of downtown Lake Worth were adorned with vibrant pastels, leaving the black road underneath unseen. Featuring renowned international artists, local artists, and area students, participants painted the streets from Feb. 24-25 in the hopes of turning their visions into artwork. “The Lake Worth Street Painting is different from other street painting festivals in that many of the participants are elementary and high school students,” Lake Worth Street Painting Festival executive director Maryanne Webber said. “Other festivals are made up primarily of professional artists. Our festival inspires so many young people and encourages them to believe in themselves and aspire to their dreams. Half of the street paintings that are created during the festival are done by students.”
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Known as the world’s largest free art festival of its kind, the event attracts over 100,000 people annually, along with exhibiting the artwork of over 200 artists. Spectators were not only able to appreciate the artwork, but also were able to listen to live music and shop through hundreds of street vendors and restaurants. As a noncompetitive festival, with no prizes or special recognition, the street painters were able to foster a supportive environment. “It’s important for students to participate in festivals to get them active and in the community as an artist,” visual senior JJ Johnson said. “No art exists in a vacuum, so to participate in festivals like these that are so community-oriented is a great way to see how art can bring people together. Even for those who don’t plan to pursue art as a career, it’s a wonderful way to gain experience.” Preceding the festival, each artist was required to pitch an idea, either an original or reproduced image, to a panel of committee members starting in the middle of October. Applicants were notified in February if their proposed sketch was approved. Once accepted, artists refined their sketches to fit their designated canvas at the festival. The pavement, consisting of asphalt concrete, posed initial challenges to many par-
“The Street Painting Festival is the epitome of what a muse is and what a muse does. The Street Painting Festival is a source of artistic inspiration that has motivated and affected the lives of thousands of individuals.” -Lake Worth Street Painting Festival Executive Director Maryanne Webber
ticipants, as opposed to the typical cotton or linen canvas. “Because students do not often complete their artwork on pavement or asphalt concrete, it’s a new experience for many artists,” visual artist-in-residence Genesis Allione said. “It takes a lot of practice for artists to be comfortable working on that medium. For beginners, I would definitely emphasize the importance of planning. Planning allows artists to see a realistic rendition and expectation of what their art will look like as the end product.” Striving to feature international artists as well as introduce children to art, the festival is divided into three divisions: Young Artists Studio for students of all grade levels, Children’s Meadow for young children, and featured artists invited by the festival committee. “Participation in the festival fosters positive accomplishment for many young street painters,” Webber said. “Young artists work on equal ground with professional artists who offer mentoring to young artists. Many of these children, now adults, continue to return to the festival to participate. The festival [is able to] provide a quality cultural event to the community and its children who may not have had the opportunity.” The first day of the festival was reserved for artists to create their artwork as visitors strolled through the downtown streets admiring the art. As the sun set, the finished artwork
decorated the pavement of Lucerne and Lake Avenue. Johnson chose to collaborate with his peers in recreating “Boy Bitten by a Lizard,” originally produced by Caravaggio. “My friends and I decided to paint [that piece] because it’s honestly just really funny,” Johnson said. “Since it is our senior year, we wanted to paint something that we’d have a lot of fun doing. We’re also hoping that this piece will work in our favor technically. Since it has so many dark values, we will be able to start with a black underpainting, which will save us a lot of time and energy that might’ve been spent filling white space.” While the rain eventually faded away the artwork that formerly embellished the streets of downtown Lake Worth, artists hoped that the artwork they produced would resonate with the people who had seen artists express themselves through their pieces. “In 2014, the Street Painting Festival was the proud recipient of the Muse Award for Cultural Excellence awarded by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County,” Webber said. “The Street Painting Festival is the epitome of what a muse is and what a muse does. The Street Painting Festival is a source of artistic inspiration that has motivated and affected the lives of thousands of individuals. We have seen this festival grow from a small community event to an internationally-recognized festival of the arts.”
Photos by Natalie Bergeron
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THE CAUCASIAN Every year, the spring play brings together theatre majors from all grades and disciplines in the pursuit of creating a lasting theatrical impression on the Dreyfoos community. This year’s production of “The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” written by Bertolt Brecht, opened on Feb. 23, and the show presented unique challenges to every student involved. By Lila Goldstein
ISABELLA SCHWARTZ SUPPORTING ACTRESS Are there any unique alterations Dreyfoos has made to “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” before performing it? If you were to see “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” at two different theaters, they would both be completely different. It’s always very open and abstract in the blocking and sets, so it’ll be interesting to see how Dreyfoos does it. We’re adding some humor, some big twists and revealing moments, and shining light on some things, so it’ll be cool to see.
EPIC THEATRE
A genre of theatre that prioritizes examining contemporary existence. Popularized by playright Bertolt Brecht, elements of epic theatre include audience interaction, acting that combines physical gestures and attitude (gestus), manipulative plots, and an emphasis on actor-audience relationships.
26 26 ARTS
Theatre senior Jacquez Linder-Long narrates the events of the unfolding scene, reading from a storybook that serves as a history of the plot. As the end of the play approaches, LinderLong’s character blurs the lines between narrator and character, with the story becoming his first-person account. Photo by Natalie Bergeron
JORDAN HAFT STAGE MANAGER
How is “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” a unique job? Well, it tries to force the audience to realize they’re watching a play. It doesn’t immerse [the audience] into the world, so it’s interesting because we have to keep the element of ‘you’re watching a play’ alive the whole time. They’ll see the simple elements, like the actors, and because there are chairs on stage, they’ll be able to see everything happening backstage: the fly crew, anyone on deck crew, and all the technical aspects back there.
What is tech week? It’s a week right before performances start when we start staying until 9 p.m. each night. Crew heads and run crews come, and we basically just run through [the show] with every single technical element we can [include], so it’s like putting on the real show, but as we go, we work out the mistakes.
BRENNAH LEONE LEAD ACTRESS
How would you describe “The Caucasian Chalk Circle”? You never really know how to explain [“The Caucasian Chalk Circle”] because it’s written by a man named Bertolt Brecht, and he created his own style of theatre called epic theatre, and it’s such a unique experience. With every single cast that does a Brecht show, it’s so different because it’s what you make of it. It’s hard to explain in the process because you don’t really know what it’s going to be [like until] the end. I especially loved approaching the play. It really is a collaborative, experimental process where we try different things and see what works.
-BERTOLT BRECHT, PLAYWRIGHT OF “THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE” ARTS 27
TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE SCHOOL WAS FOUNDED, DREYFOOS’ MISSION STATEMENT NO LONGER ALIGNS WITH ITS STUDENTS’ PRIORITIES By Emma Baldinger & Alex Gordon
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Photo illlustration by Natalie Bergeron
DO YOU CARE MORE ABOUT ARTS OR ACADEMICS?
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he student’s primary focus should be on the arts. All faculty, parents, and students see art as a common purpose in all classes,” Dreyfoos’ mission statement reads. “The School of the Arts fosters a life of appreciation and support of the arts.” However, a recent poll of 1,012 students conducted by The Muse found that 56 percent of students say they care more about their academics. As the Dreyfoos community works to adapt to a changing school culture brought on by reallocation of financial resources, revised arts scheduling policies, and pressures of the college application process, the ideals presented in the school’s mission statement have become increasingly controversial. “When [the mission statement] was written, it was about a school where kids came, sat out on the lawn, played their instruments, like on TV, but it has evolved,” Principal Dr. Susan Atherley said. “It can’t go back to just being an art school because it is [also] an academic school.”
HOW ARE THE ARTS FUNDED? Financial support for the arts at Dreyfoos comes from multiple sources, the largest of which is the School of the Arts Foundation (SOAFI). Each year, SOAFI contributes approximately $1.2 million to the school to support the arts in a variety of ways, from the artist-in-residence program and guest artists to student scholarships and art supplies. Funding from SOAFI provides for 19 artists in residence, totaling approximately 300 instructional hours every week. Over 40 course offerings are supported through SOAFI via artists in residence, from creative writing and printmaking to set design and music theory. “If you took away all 19 artists in residence, the arts curriculum wouldn’t be anywhere near what we have right now,” SOAFI executive director Kris Lidinsky said. “There wouldn’t be an arts program.” One of SOAFI’s grant sources is Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs, which awards grants to organizations whose “mission must directly support arts and cultural programming.” For the 2014-15 school year, SOAFI received a grant from the Division of Cultural Af-
44% ARTS
56% ACADEMICS fairs of $150,000 for artists in residence. However, over the course of the next three years, that amount has decreased to $46,000. During this period, the Division has faced cuts in their own budget from the state for cultural grants—last year, the state legislature cut the funding for cultural grants from more than $33 million to nearly $25 million. As of March 5, the Florida House recommended $5 million for cultural grants, while the Senate has allocated only $203,985 to be distributed to almost 500 different cultural organizations in the state. In order for a budget to be established, the state House and Senate will need to come to a consensus. Another source of support of the arts comes through the annual Campaign for the Arts, formerly known as the Save the Arts Campaign. According to Ms. Lidinsky, the Campaign for the Arts is an appeal to families of the school, the community, alumni, the state of Florida, and various foundations to help raise close to $300,000 to support all of the artist-in-residence positions. “We do have to save the arts,” Dr. Atherley said. “We couldn’t survive without [SOAFI]. We would not have all those artists in residence teaching classes. So a lot of those classes would just go by the wayside. [Students] might be taking one art class.” In addition to the artists-in-residence program, funding for arts instruction comes from “AP money,” dollars awarded by the state to Dreyfoos for each Advanced Placement (AP) exam that a student passes. In any given year, around $1 million may be brought in through AP money, but only a fraction of it is spent on the arts. According to Dr. Atherley, the School District of Palm Beach County takes 20 percent of the money, an additional $100,000 goes toward teacher bonuses, and a final $300,000 is spent on the AP tests themselves. The remaining $400,000 pays for six-and-a-half full-time teachers.
Continued on page 30
In 2005, after the state legislature passed an amendment regarding class sizes that would result in the loss of eight arts teachers, there was a protest to save the arts.
In 2008, after a change in district policy that cut one-third of the AP money budget that funded arts teachers, equivalent to $300,000, there was another movement to save the arts. COVER 29
“Until the funding gets changed, and we don’t have to work so hard on the academics, if we didn’t have to buy so many art teachers, maybe that would change the outlook of the school,” Assistant Principal George Miller said. “Each year the district takes more and more.” The school employs 20 arts faculty members across all departments, but only 10 of them are funded by the school district as part of Dreyfoos’ magnet program. The rest of the funding comes from AP money, but when AP money doesn’t cover all the faculty needs, Dr. Atherley is forced to find the money from the school's budget. “With the way the funding is, it’s hard to be an arts school,” Mr. Miller said. “Because what pays for the art teachers? The AP money. When you take away the AP money, you take away the art teachers.” According to SOAFI Director of Development Stefani Kochanski, a member of Dreyfoos’ Class of 1996, the number of full-time art teachers has not changed since she was a student. The instruction has shifted to artists in residence, who work part-time and are paid hourly. “The artists in residence are the backbone of the arts program,” Ms. Kochanski said. “Without them we would not be an arts school.”
half-day SRA. Now, the dance department receives no SRAs for performance rehearsals. “At other schools, sports teams practice after school and on the weekends,” Dr. Atherley said. “Dancers don’t need to be out of school for three days to practice for a rehearsal.” Dreyfoos’ Employee Building Council (EBC) brought about the change in SRA policy. The EBC, comprised of teachers and administrators, felt the need to address the inordinate level of excused absences that were being provided to students as a result of outside engagements. Dr. Atherley, who must approve of all SRAs, allows them for competitions, such as sports games and debate tournaments, or important school functions, such as Pep Rally and blood drives. “If [an SRA] is academic in nature, I’ll usually let them do it,” Dr. Atherley said. SRAs for performance rehearsal are only awarded to the music department for the annual Prism Concert at the Kravis Center. “It means we have a lot more rehearsals after school, which is often a challenge because people have commitments after school with their own [dance] studio or work,” dance senior Leah Wilson-Griffith said. “Especially when people have dance after school and they can’t come, people aren’t prepared. I remember at past dance concerts people were taken out of [pieces] because they weren’t at the rehearsals.” Similarly, the communications department no longer receives an SRA for their annual Communications Showcase, and the theatre department was unable to receive an SRA for “Kiss Me, Kate” rehearsals this past fall, even though the show lost a week of production time due to Hurricane Irma. “With any theatre show, the volume of things that come together from separate theatre departments is enormous; the inability to have an SRA was detrimental to the rehearsal process because we didn’t have the time to have everybody working together,” assistant director of “Kiss Me, Kate” and theatre senior Evan Kwon said. “Instead, we gave up time from our own schedules to come in on the week-
WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, IT WAS, ‘GIVE ME THAT THIRD ART CLASS.’ NOW, TO BE COMPETITIVE, [STUDENTS] DO REALLY NEED THAT EXTRA AP CLASS. IT’S ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF COLLEGE,” MR. MILLER SAID.
WHAT POLICIES AFFECT THE AFFECT THE ARTS? ARTS? This school year, students and teachers saw an increased difficulty in obtaining approved School Related Absences (SRAs) for events that were often approved in previous years. These new limitations on SRAs seemed to affect art-related functions especially. Over the past few years, the dance department in particular has felt the impact of SRA limitations. For the 2014-15 school year, a full-day SRA was given to students to rehearse for the Fall and Spring Dance Concerts. In the 2016-17 school year, this was revised to a
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ends and extended periods of time after school. People would stay [at school] well after midnight.” While the dance and theatre departments have struggled with these new limitations, 30 percent of Dreyfoos staff, according to a poll of 57 staff members, feel that students should not be allowed to receive SRAs to prepare for events in their art areas. This sentiment is especially present among academic teachers, particularly those of more rigorous courses that require preparation for AICE, AP, or endof-course exams. Various laws, on the state and county level, align student performance with teacher pay, heightening pressures on teachers to keep their kids in class. “It’s hard to have this debate. I’m torn because I understand why [the SRAs] are necessary, but as a calculus teacher, it’s hard,” math teacher Olive Bryan said. “When our paychecks depend on students’ achievement, you can’t say, ‘Oh well, my students were gone 60 or 70 days out of the year.’”
WHAT ACADEMIC PRESSURE DO STUDENTS FEEL? Although 44 percent of students say they care more about their arts than their academics, 85 percent say that their parents care more about academics. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who have gotten their kids involved in the arts so that they can get into Dreyfoos,” Ms. Bryan said. “They say things like, ‘We make him take piano lessons so that he can get into Dreyfoos because Dreyfoos has such a good academic reputation, and the kids get into great schools.’” In addition to the emphasis that a lot of parents place on academics, many Dreyfoos staff members agree that the pressures of the college application process greatly contribute to the increasingly academic culture on campus. As college admissions have become more competitive over the years, many students at Dreyfoos and across the country have ceded to test preparation, resume-builders, and extracurricular activities. The arts, at most schools, are a bonus for students; at Dreyfoos, “the arts are part of our curriculum,” social studies teacher and Dreyfoos alumnus (‘12) Javier Mora said. Since entering Dreyfoos as freshmen, students have faced college needs, parent influence, a new SRA policy, and heightened state and national testing. Over 60 percent of juniors and seniors believe that throughout their time at Dreyfoos they have seen an increase in focus
60% of juniors and seniors believe there has been an increase in focus on academics since entering dreyfoos on academics. “When I do schedule changes, more students now, instead of a third art, are taking another AP class, so I see that change,” Mr. Miller said. “When I first got here, it was ‘give me that third art class.’ Now, to be competitive, they do really need that extra AP class. It’s only for the sake of college.”
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE ARTS? Over the years, cuts to arts education funding, the closing of orchestras, and a decrease in community cultural programs have become commonplace. Moreover, President Donald Trump’s recent proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Budget eliminates the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA is a federal agency that works to promote arts accessibility throughout the U.S. One way that they do so is through their arts education programs, which include direct “learning grants” to pre-K through 12th grade students as well as professional grants to improve and support arts educators. “It’s sad, illogical, and it will be damaging,” Robert Lynch, president and CEO of the Americans for the Arts, told The Washington Post. “All the data, everything, points to the fact that investment in the arts industry has been a big win, economically and job-wise.” Continued on page 32
N YOUR ART AREA?
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1 out of 4 students have become less passionate about their art area throughout their time at Dreyfoos
Even at Dreyfoos, where dozens of arts performances take place throughout the year, only 15 percent of students say they attend more than five performances outside of their major per year, and that number is at 28 percent for staff. Additionally, 10 percent of students say they do not attend any performances outside of their major. “A teacher is never going to figure out how their student works unless they see them outside of class performing," Mr. Mora said. "A kid might hate math or history, and in class you only see them like that: a grumpy kid who is never going to achieve anything. But seeing a kid give their full effort at something they truly love is enlightening. It gives a way deeper connection, that you support your kids and are willing to make a sacrifice to support them.” All faculty can receive complimentary tickets to student performances, but if they want to bring a spouse or friend, that ticket needs to be purchased. As a result, some teachers say that is why they may only attend a few performances throughout the year. “I am amazed when I go to the dance shows and musicals and things, and I see the long hours that students put in," Ms. Bryan said. "Like how? I couldn’t do all that and be a good student.” Although one line in the school’s mission statement reads, “The major function of our school is to provide our students with the tools necessary to pursue the arts at the college, conservatory or professional level,” only 51 percent of Dreyfoos students intend to pursue a career in their respective majors. “Students think we get mad when they don’t want to pursue their art after high school, but we don’t,” visual dean Lacey Van Reeth said. “We get mad that they’re not investing themselves in what they came here for.”
HOW CAN DREYFOOS FIND A BALANCE? In a school as artistically inspired and academically motivated as Dreyfoos, almost every student is constantly seeking a balance between arts and academics, and sometimes struggling to achieve it. Assistant Principal Corey Ferrera sees the responsibility of a balanced school culture falling both on faculty and students. “The balancing act tends to fall a lot on the students,” Ms. Ferrera said. “In terms of how we balance it here as a staff and as a school community, I think there has to be mutual respect between the academic teachers and the arts teachers, and I think for the most part, we’re doing well with that. That helps to balance it as well.”
Piano senior Nicholas Caggiani attended Atlantic Community High School for his freshman year, where he was a part of their IB program. Caggiani then transferred to Dreyfoos for his sophomore year, satisfying his need for a creative outlet and his desire to play piano. “I think it’s important for kids our age to have the arts,” Caggiani said. “It’s an important part of discovering oneself and your mental capacity, and getting exposure to not [just] the books and academics.” While Caggiani found Atlantic to be a much more academically intense environment than Dreyfoos and is grateful for the access to the arts, many students struggle with managing both demanding aspects of their daily school lives. “Balance is achievable, but it’s hard,” Ms. Bryan said. “You can do violin and calculus; you can walk and chew gum at the same time.” Seventy percent of Dreyfoos staff members feel that students should be prioritizing both arts and academics equally—Dreyfoos was ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2017 as the 78th best high school in the country, and part of that justification is its artistic prowess and academic achievement. “I always felt [Dreyfoos] would be something that would be successful, but not the extent that it is now,” Edmond Duhy, Dreyfoos’ founding principal, told The Palm Beach Post in 2014. Dreyfoos’ debate team ranks as one of the best in the country, the theatre department collects awards from thespian competitions, musicians travel the globe for performances, dancers go on to attend Juilliard, and visual and digital media students showcase their art in professional galleries. Almost every student at Dreyfoos has participated in the AP program, academic teams place in competition, alumni attend Ivy League schools, and Dreyfoos’ graduation rate in 2017 was at 100 percent. “It is an arts school, but in this day and age, it has to be both [arts and academics] right now, and I think that’s what we are really seeing happening,” Dr. Atherley said. “Your art teachers integrate academics and your academics integrate art. You have to believe the school can continue to get better both artistically and academically. We will always be an arts school; however, along with that now, comes a very close academic school.”
HOW DOES DREYFOOS MOVE FORWARD? In the past, policy changes and fundraising for the arts came from students and parents who were dedicated to preserving the school’s mission. Since Dreyfoos’ opening in 1990, then called the Palm Beach County School of the Arts, there have been significant changes across the board. State testing mandates, funding cuts, college pressures, and even culture shifts on campus have forced changes, but the school continues to see success. “As long as we can maintain the setup that we have now, and we continue to bring in faculty that agree with the vision and mission that we have here, we have a strong community that would rally for how important this community is,” Ms. Ferrera said. Even in an evolving educational culture, Dreyfoos students and faculty, arts and academic teachers alike, are working to maintain one aspect of the school that has been constant since it was founded: a unified environment in support of the arts. “If anything, there are more shows now and more opportunities for artists to display themselves,” Mr. Mora said. “A love for the arts [brings] people together.” Graphics by Jenevieve Norton
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THE ROOTS Part Three of a Four-Part Series TRACING THE ROOTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA STUDENTS AND HOW THEY DISCOVERED THEIR PASSION
By Ali Hussain igital media senior Sydney Walsh still remembers the first time that she ever held a camera. “My grandparents were visiting, and we went to the beach after dinner,” Walsh said. “I started taking pictures on my dad’s phone, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I really like this!’” Many digital media students remember their first time holding a camera, just like Walsh does from that day on the beach. Whether it was on their fifth grade Washington D.C. trip, like digital media freshman Savannah Keys, or after unwrapping it from underneath the Christmas tree like digital media freshman Clara Sullivan, the roots of digital media, the place that stemmed digital media students’ passion for their arts, can be traced from a very young age to the day of their auditions. Keys’ grandfather, Steve Gadney, was the one who gave her her first camera. Through Gadney’s influence, Keys was persuaded to explore digital media and photography seriously. Her grandfather wrote books, traveled often, and worked in the creative field. Because of this, Keys was exposed to the arts at a very young age, and this pushed her to become the artist that she is today. “We [would] always talk about pictures that I would take and post on social media,” Keys said. “He would say ‘Oh wow! That is really good! What if you did that professionally?’ He inspired me to do photography.” Gadney’s strong ties to digital media pushed him to pass it on to Keys. While spending time together, they would often take trips and through that, Keys began to enjoy photography more. “I was taking pictures since I was younger than Savannah. A few years back, when we would go visit, we would go out into the parks, into the wetlands, and I am sure she saw me taking pictures,” Mr. Gadney said. “But, a few years back, she said she wanted a pretty good digital single-lens camera. So I bought her one.” Digital media freshman Tea Walsh’s sister, Sydney Walsh, influenced her art. Up until she got her own camera, Tea was always using
34 FEATURES
her sister’s camera, but when she got her own, it was a whole new experience for her. “We were going to pick up something for my sister, down at a camera shop [on] Clematis. It was a surprise. They had my camera there, and my mom went ‘surprise!’” Tea said. “When I got my first camera, I was like ‘Yay! I have my own camera. I can take my own photos. I don’t have to borrow someone else’s.’” Sydney describes the effect that Dreyfoos had on her, and how coming here has changed her point of view on photography, and has inspired her to continue it. “When I first got here, in sophomore year, [photography] was something I did just for fun,” Sydney Walsh said. “But when I got here, and started going to an art class everyday, I realized there is so much more to photography. My ultimate goal is to work for National Geographic as a photographer.” Like Sydney Walsh, digital media sophomore Sophia Dawson was surprised when she learned the usefulness of digital media in her day-to-day life, and how [there] was “so much more” to photography. That helped her ignite the spark of digital media to her. “I went to this function once, and they needed help working out things with the sound, and the projector. I was like ‘Oh I got this!’” Dawson said. “I went to visit my dad in Alabama after my seventh grade year. He started to talk about John Crowell, and he was a photographer. So [because of that connection], for the first time, I picked up a camera and said, ‘Let’s see what I can do!’” Dawson cites Dreyfoos as the reason for change from her first work to today. “[My first piece looked like] trash. It was a blurry picture of a sunset in Tennessee. [Now] I know the functions of a camera and a lot more about online [editing].” Dawson said. “I feel like I haven’t really learned enough yet. I am kind of just testing the waters right now.” Dawson attributes her success in digital media to her mother, Suzanne
Cohen. Through Cohen’s guidance, Dawson was able to flourish in digital media. “Initially, I enrolled her in a class at the Palm Beach Photo Center, and she and I took a class together so she and I could learn our digital cameras.” Mrs. Cohen said. “I helped her with the application process.” Mrs. Cohen had mixed feelings about her daughter pursuing digital media. On one side, she wanted her daughter to pursue academics, but she thinks that other plans might be in store. “I am glad that she likes the arts, but I know that she is strong in many other areas,” Mrs. Cohen said. “At first I was unsure, but now I realize that it encompasses all of those things. I think that God calls you into what you are supposed to do, and what you are supposed to be, so she should follow her calling.”
Digital media freshman Ali Cardelli (left) poses for digital media freshman Tea Walsh’s photo for studio class. “I decided to put two different gels on each light,” Walsh said. “[This] made it half and half on her face and I thought it was fantastic because it showed that there can be two sides to a person and how the different colors make the viewer perceive two different images.” Photo courtesy of Tea Walsh A surfer rides the waves (top right) as digital media freshman Tea Walsh capures the movement when with her sister at the beach. “[We] saw some surfers and started shooting them,” Walsh said. “[This] looked great and gave a warm feeling to the surfer. The photo shows how with a click of a button you can freeze time and motion and savor the moment.” Photo courtesy of Tea Walsh
FEATURES 35
MRS. MOUNCE’S MIRACLE
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Mounce
36 FEATURES
School counselor’s adoption of baby girl adds to Dreyfoos family By Maddy Rubin hen most people think of gambling, casinos and poker chips come to mind. For school counselor Georgia Mounce, the picture is a little bit different. “[Deciding to adopt was] the biggest gamble of our life,” Mrs. Mounce said of her and her husband. “We both wanted a family so bad. We wanted to share our lives, to be able to provide a better life and an opportunity that a child might not have gotten.” 135,000 children are adopted in the U.S. each year, according to the Adoption Network Law Center. Gwenyth Noel Mounce officially became one of those 135,000 exactly 48 hours after she was born, the legal number of time a birth mother in the state of Florida is granted before she can no longer change her mind about putting her child up for adoption. “There’s a lot of emotional things because it’s never a guarantee. Meaning, they could change their mind even when the baby is born,” Mrs. Mounce said. “We could lose everything, financially, we put in.” Mrs. Mounce’s story began far before those 48 hours ensued. Adoption was a concept she first thought about in middle school, when someone close to her went through the process themself. “I’ve always wanted to adopt. Growing up, the first time I was exposed to adoption was [when] my associate pastor was adopting his daughter from China,” Mrs. Mounce said. “I watched this whole video on it, and it really opened my eyes to adopting in general, even though that was international. When I met my husband, [I found out] his sister is adopted, so then I learned a little bit more about domestic adoption. I just knew that adoption was kind of the route for us and that’s what we wanted to do, even though it was a big emotional and financial risk.” Her journey with adoption picked up again in March 2017, when the couple took their first steps in the adoption process and began an uphill battle that came to a close almost a full year later. From deciding whether to adopt through an agency or a lawyer, to creating an adoption book through which prospective birth mothers and fathers could consider them, to meeting with social workers, it all led up to one phone call in late August. Mrs. Mounce and her husband were presented with a potential match; a birth mother and father who had chosen them, who had decided their adoption book stood out among all the rest they had been presented with; all they had to do was accept. “I was actually at school, at the end of the day [when I got the phone call] and I couldn’t think the rest of the day. I cried, because it was like ‘our baby’s gonna be here!’ It felt more real,” Mrs. Mounce said.
“It was excitement; it was fear; it was hope; I can’t explain it. I didn’t sleep that weekend. We decided instantly that we were going to accept the match.” A common misconception associated with adoption is that it is free, and while some forms of adoption can be, private adoptions, those administered by a lawyer and not an adoption agency, can cost upwards of $30,000. In Mrs. Mounce’s case, some of the price tags of the process included the birth parent’s expenses and the baby’s medical fees, which posed a great financial risk in the event that the baby’s birth parents decided not to go through with the adoption. “[Adoption is] not a clear process, it changes everyday,” school counselor and friend Olga Middleton said. “I think, number one, what a gift, how selfless of them to welcome a child into their lives that is not biologically their own.” Throughout the whole process, Mrs. Mounce had what she called a “strong support with family and friends” who helped get her spirits up when the wait dragged on, and when it seemed there was no hope a match would be found. “People need to know that you are in their corner when they are going through something stressful,” Assistant Principal and friend Corey Ferrera said. “This was one of those times. It’s not so much about what I said or what I did, but just the fact that Mrs. Mounce knew that I was there with whatever she may need.” Another source of comfort during the period of uncertainty within the adoption process was the inspiration behind the baby’s first name, Gwenyth, which means “blessed.” “I believe in signs, and I’ve had so many signs leading up to her adoption. I saw more friends [who were] on baby number two and three, and I would be upset and crying and wondering “When is it my turn? I really want a baby,” Mrs. Mounce said. “And then all of a sudden, a Gwen Stefani song would come on, and then one night my husband and I watched a movie and the main character’s name was Gwen, and then something happened with Gwenyth Paltrow, and I was just constantly being shown that name as a sign, and it’s truly how we feel. We feel blessed, so it just fit perfectly for her.” The Adoption Network Law Center reports that only 2 percent of Americans have ever adopted, however, for Ms. Mounce, meeting Gwenyth proved the perfect remedy to all worries. “[Adoption is] an emotional journey. It is a risk, but being able to have your child eventually, it’s worth every risk in the world,” Mrs. Mounce said. “She’s here and she’s more than we hoped for, and all those fears I had just kind of went away.”
FEATURES 37
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STUDENTS WORLDWIDE Dreyfoos students use language to connect with their culture
By Mira Rudensky
ARABIC Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, found mainly in the Middle East, with around 250 million native speakers. Arabic is very diverse in its regional dialects. Because of this, two people from different countries, both speaking Arabic, may not be able to communicate. “At school when you meet that one friend that does speak [Arabic], you instantly connect with them,” piano senior Adrianna Sabat said. Like many other foreign language speakers living in Florida, Sabat feels Arabic acts as a direct connection to her Middle Eastern heritage. “I learn a lot about my culture because I speak [Arabic],” Sabat said. “When I go visit [Bethlehem], no one really speaks English. When you listen to the music and you understand what they’re singing [or] when you watch TV, you can understand their stories.” Sabat has lost her native Palestinian accent; however, retaining her fluency is still very important to her. “I’m a first-generation American,” Sabat said. “It’s important that I keep the language and pass it on. My parents sacrificed so much to bring me here, and I feel like I can honor them a little bit by keeping what they taught me with me. It definitely connects me to my identity so I can always connect [myself ] to where I came from and who I am. Plus, it’s also really cool.” Common Slang: علي كيفيك- “ala kaifak” - Cool يالا- “yallah” - Hurry Up/C’mon حبيبي- “habibi” - My Love
TELUGU
POLISH
Telugu is a Southern Indian language from the Dravidian language group. It’s a regional language, mostly spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. India has a very diverse language climate due to its rich history, but as a general rule, the Northern states are home to Aryan and more Arabic influenced languages, while the South is home to languages by the original inhabitants of India, the Dravidians. “I mainly speak Telugu at home with my family,” visual sophomore Aarthi Allady said. “But in elementary school, I learned it so I can also read and write and understand the grammar.” Like many children of immigrants, speaking her family’s native language is vital to communicating to relatives who don’t speak English. “If I didn’t know the language, there would be a huge barrier between me and my grandparents and my family in India,” Allady said. “I wouldn’t understand a lot of the things because you can’t translate everything back to English.” Despite the hardships, speaking Telugu is still a source of pride for Allady, a feeling many bilingual people share. “I guess, subconsciously, it makes me feel better about myself,” Allady said. “Especially in America.”
Polish is spoken mainly in Poland, but can be found throughout Eastern Europe. Unlike some other Slavic languages, Polish uses Latin characters with a few exceptions. Oftentimes, Polish speakers also speak other languages in the Slavic language family, such as Russian or Czech. “I speak Polish and German fluently.” piano junior Kasper Dzeidic. “I’m a bit weak right now at Russian.” For him, practicing Polish isn’t difficult due to many Polish people working in South Florida’s distribution industry. “My father owns a deli,” Dzeidic said. “And I get a lot of Polish clients. I have the ability to practice languages on a daily basis.” Due to this constant connection to Polish, Dzeidic still thinks in Polish. “I speak in a mix of Polish and German,” Dzeidic said. “When I’m at school it’s English, but when I’m out [and] when I get road rage, it’s Polish.” Polish is an important part of Dzeidic’s identity, and he feels that more and more children are beginning to lose their desires to keep their languages. “My little sister is starting to lose our native language, and my parents don’t like it,” Dzeidic said. “I don’t like it; I feel like in some ways, kids these days, especially in America, are afraid to speak their native language even though it’s such a great skill.”
Common Slang:
xL
ILZ - “orey” - Hey
- “ra” - Come Here
Common Slang: Siema - What’s Up? Ziomek - Dude/Bro Nadawac - Annoying
POLISH
ARABIC
Graphic by Lily Gumbinner
TELUGU
3939 FEATURES
ATYPICAL ATHLETICS JIU-JITSU
Photo courtesy of Armin Khoshbin
ROWING
rom his in-school art to his martial art, vocal junior Armin Khoshbin stays busy between practice, learning a new song, or practicing to defend his black belt in a gym. Khoshbin started jiu-jitsu roughly nine years ago, following in his father’s footsteps. Taking Brazilian origins and combining a variety of skills from other martial arts, jiu-jitsu stands out from other sports of its kind and tends to require more precise skills from an athlete. In middle school, he competed in many events and had various successes, including winning state championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014. He even took home the first place prize in his age division in a world championship in 2014. “[The Prince of Dubai] called my coach and asked him to get five guys together for who he’d fund the trip to Abu Dhabi for [the world championship],” Khoshbin said. Looking back at his experience, Khoshbin thinks highly of the times he has had and the hard work that he has put in, knowing that the opportunities that he has received would not be as obtainable if he were in another sport. “I feel like I have an advantage in jiu-jitsu,” Khoshbin said. “This is because the uniqueness of the sport makes me feel like my abilities are special and stronger in the sense that not many people practice it.”
By Tommy McCabe
Photo courtesy of Julia Guerrero
40 SPORTS
By Lilly Randolph
any parents often encourage their kids to participate in sports growing up, especially mainstream sports like soccer and baseball. However, communications sophomore Julia Guerrero took a different path, deciding to go with a less popular, more costly, and even more time-consuming sport. With 48 athletes, rowing is the third largest U.S. delegation to the Olympic Games, according to USRowing. Guerrero’s role in the boat is known as the “coxswain;” in which she manages to steer the craft, while at the same time, directing her fellow family of rowers. “I think [rowing] is about the same level of difficulty, it’s just different,” Guerrero said. “I feel like [the team is] a lot more like family. We spend a lot of time together so I’m so very close to the people.” Guerrero believes that the reason for the significant lack of participants in rowing is due to the pricing. Each year, rowing costs approximately $2,000 in order to finance for the equipment and boats. However, she believes that the experience, the rowing community, and the scenery balances it all out in the end. “The scenery is awesome, seeing as you’re on the water,” Guerrero said. “Compared to all of the other sports that are typically more focused on, the environment that you compete in definitely makes it worth it.”
Students participate in unconventional sports outside of school By Shane McVan questrianism is not just a sport, but a lifestyle. Visual senior Tessa Cole has participated and competed in riding from a young age. Her love for horses arose when she attended her friend’s birthday party when they were giving pony rides. “When i️t was my turn to ride, these trash cans that were next to the ring fell over and the horse spooked,” Cole said. “I fell off and thought i️t was so fun; I kept asking to get back on. [Because of this], my parents decided to buy me lessons.” Cole has competed in three disciplines: hunter-jumpers, equitation, and show jumping, and has won a grand champion in equitation. “When I first started riding, I did Interscholastic Equestrian Association,” Cole said. “You have to draw a random horse from the hat that’s assigned to your show height and show how well you can make yourself and the horse look if you’ve never ridden i️t before.” Beyond competition and constant practice, this sport carries much more. It is the love and passion that is shared between the the horse and the rider that makes it all worthwhile. “You learn responsibility, love, and trust and have fun doing i️t,” Cole said. “I’m 100 percent confident in saying that if I could do one thing for the rest of my life, it would be to work with horses.”
By Tommy McCabe veryone enjoys a good movie fight scene, whether it be the underdog taking down the school bully, or even an intense one-on-one between Bruce Lee and one of his greatest foes. But for visual sophomore Natalia Lanier, watching Tom Cruise in his latest action blockbuster isn’t as exciting as it used to be, as it has now become her reality with Krav Maga. “Krav Maga is a self-defense class that entails a lot of determination and focus,” Lanier said. “It requires us to learn them and practice them over and over again during the class and on our own.” According to the official Krav Maga website, the sport was originally an Israeli self-defense created by Imi Lichtenfeld to help members of the Jewish community protect themselves from brutal Nazi forces. Today, it is taught to students across the world who are looking for a challenge. Lanier believes learning this martial art has taught her new skills that she wasn’t necessarily being taught in her other activities, such as her involvement in soccer. “I think practicing Krav Maga differentiates you and you learn a lot of valuable skills that you could use to protect yourself,” Lanier said. “It teaches you lessons that other sports may not teach you, such as confidence, discipline, or focus and determination.”
EQUESTRIANISM
Photo courtesy of Tessa Cole
KRAV MAGA
Photo illustration by Natalie Bergeron
SPORTS 41
LEARNING LINGO Sports jargon is essential for communication between teams
By Shane McVan
o accomplish success, communication is vital. From Jordan’s Bulls to Montana’s 49ers, communicating on the playing field has been the key component to any great franchise. Dreyfoos has a long history of excellent cooperation between the various arts and academics, but its potential does not cap there. The athletics depend on more than the performance of the players; it is how they interact with each other and the way in which they do it. “A lot of the terms we use on the team are to help us work more smoothly together to score a point,” visual sophomore Amanda Cohen said. “Communication between players is extremely necessary during games, because it takes away a lot of potential confusion and makes the plan to put the ball away more clear.” Using lingo in game is a learned behavior that cannot be perfected overnight. It is imperative that the veteran players guide the younger ones to have a better overall performance. “Everyone knows what role they have to play to get that play to work. If one guy doesn’t know what he’s doing the play falls apart,” visual junior Lance Carter said. “We usually used mnemonic devices so [the younger players] can remember some of the plays, so they won’t freak out during a real game.
To see sports lingo used in action, visit themuseatdrefyoos.com or scan the above QR code with Snapchat or a QR Reader.
SOCCER
BASKETBALL
Slide Tackle: To complete this move, a player slides on the ground next to their opponent and extends their leg to hit the ball and effectively kick it away. Slide tackles are controversial because they may result in a foul if the player kicks or trips their opponent while sliding. To avoid a penalty, the player must complete a slide tackle safely without endangering the opponent.
And One: A phrase used to describe when an offensive player is fouled while successfully making a shooting attempt. They get the points from the shot, and then are granted a free throw. When a player says “and one,” it refers to them getting “one” free throw attempt, giving the player a chance for a three, or even four, point play.
VOLLEYBALL
42 42SPORTS
In every sport, there is lingo that teammates uses to signal to each other during play. It is the words that they use which gives better on-field performance, because they know what each other are going to do at all times. “I’ve learned this lingo over the years by just playing my whole life and being surrounded by the language all the time,” communications senior and soccer captain Zachary Stoloff said. “I’ve become so accustomed to all of these terms that it’s honestly become a part of my vocabulary.”
Slide: An attack where the hitter fakes a quick-set (one) approach with his/her first step and subsequently chases the ball behind the setter and parallel to the net, jumps off one foot and hits the ball close to the antenna on the weak-side. Graphics by Marianna Kaimakliotis and Noa Kroyter
TENNIS
Ace: The player hits an ace when they serve the tennis ball and it lands inside the service box and is not touched by the receiver. An ace is a shot that is both a serve and a winner. The fastest serve on record was hit by Australian Sam Groth in 2012, clocking in at 163.4 mph.
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43
LOYAL FANS
Visual seniors Dalton Nellegar (top left) and Jared Amrose (top right), visual sophomore Ayana Harris (bottom left), and dance senior Skylar Smith pose to represent some of the biggest fans of Dreyfoos sports. Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
Dreyfoos sports teams have attracted dedicated fans who fill up the bleachers By Tommy McCabe he score is tied, 2-2. Only 10 seconds are left in the game. Dance senior Skylar Smith watches with her friends in the crowd as visual senior Carlos Rosales dribbles the ball across the field and toward the goal. In the last five seconds, a hollow thud can be heard as Rosales kicks the ball. It flies past the goalie, into the threading of the soccer net, giving Dreyfoos boys’ soccer team another victory. Typically recognized for their involvement in the arts, Dreyfoos students are not particularly known for their outstanding participation in sports. At most Dreyfoos sports games, it is rare to see more than a couple of students cheering in the stands. However, there are those students who go out of their way in order to attend these games: the loyal fans of Dreyfoos sports. “I really do enjoy [the games],” Smith said. “It’s exciting to see your friends play something that they’re really talented at [doing]. A lot of them practice, not just in school programs, but outside of school programs. It’s just nice to see them do something more than their arts, which I see most often.” Visual sophomore Ayana Harris, who has attended soccer, basketball, and volleyball games throughout the year, first started attending the games when she had to stay after school last year. “I had to stay after all the time, so I decided to go to the volleyball games because a lot of my friends were on the team,” Harris said. “Then, I just went to all the other games because it wasn’t very difficult for me to go.” Harris eventually grew to enjoy the games, and she now attends every game she has the opportunity to go to. “I really like the basketball games, especially because a lot of people
44 SPORTS
go to those,” Harris said. “It’s really fun to just scream at the other team, even though I don’t know what’s going on. The only sport that I really truly understand is volleyball, and with that one, I’ve actually just gone to the games by myself because I just enjoy watching them and seeing how well my friends do.” Visual senior Jared Amrose first decided to go to a Dreyfoos sports game at the beginning of this past soccer season, not knowing what to expect. After attending the game, not only did he end up enjoying it, but he also came to develop a sense of team admiration. “After only half of the first game I watched, I had already gained extreme pride for the team,” Amrose said. “Just being put into a situation where it is Dreyfoos versus anyone else, you instantly side with Dreyfoos no matter what the outcome of the game is.” Visual senior Dalton Nellegar, who attended all but two of the Dreyfoos home basketball games, experienced a similar emotion for another Dreyfoos team. “I’d say because of my background in sports, I’ve always had an easy time with backing a team and showing pride for them,” Nellegar said. “Seeing the team bond over the year was great.” Many Dreyfoos students don’t give the sports games the chance that they deserve. Proven to be enjoyable, fun, and even engaging, these games would be ten times as exciting with the participation of more fans. While Dreyfoos doesn’t have a football team to cheer on, it still has many other teams that would certainly appreciate the support of more students like Smith, Harris, Amrose, and Nellegar. “You don’t really realize how much it means to them, but after you see them win, it just brings a smile on your face no matter what happens,” Smith said. “Win or lose, you get to see them and the sportsmanship they have for doing what they love.”
1
8 2 9 3 4
10
5 6
7 Photo illustrations by Shelby Rabin
UNPACKED By Lilly Randolph
The final bell rang throughout the campus, but piano senior Joshua Boss’ day was not over yet. In the fall, Boss was trying to make his tee-times after school. Second semester came and he was shooting goals for the soccer team. Boss also balanced AP classes, college applications, and various other hobbies. After exploring what activities are meaningful to Boss in his daily schedule, objects were selected to represent his involvement in the academic and athletic communities. 1
“As a piano major, I use sheet music when I am learning a new piece either for ensemble selections or for solo pieces because that is what we use to practice and learn a piece.”
6 1 “Although I am not
very good at golf, it’s a lot of fun especially because I’m out there with some of my closest friends. During the season, we would practice every day after school and participate in matches. I’ve been on the golf team since my sophomore year.”
2 “I bring my soccer
shoes to practice every day. I have been on the team for all four years of high school and it is one of my favorite things to do.”
7 “I was in the Huf-
flepuff house for Pep Rally. This scarf is definitely something awesome that I can keep for the rest of my life to remember my high school years, especially senior year, which has been so much fun.”
3 “I use my phone for
podcasts because I listen to them a lot. I especially like to listen to ‘The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz’; that is my favorite podcast.”
8 “Over the summer, 8
I had the opportunity of working in the lab at Scripps and doing some cancer research in the chemistry lab. I wore the lab coat every day that I was there to protect myself from harmful chemicals.”
4 “I am president of the
5 “I use these lures
9 “I use my notebook
10 “Calculus is my
Dreyfoos National Honor Society so I help lead all of the meetings for officers and the members along with coordinating and making sure everything is in line.”
a lot which I take very illegible notes in. If you ask any of my friends, they won’t know what my notes say. [Social Studies teacher Thomas] West also takes five points off of every assignment because of my illegibility.”
from my tackle box for fishing trips that I like to go on with my friends on weekends.”
favorite subject and I am currently in AP Calculus BC. I have a good time in calculus with [math teacher Olive] Bryan, and it is a class that a lot of my friends are in, so we work together a lot and it’s very collaborative.” SPORTS 45
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S U W O N T TO K
Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation
GE
46
(“the foundation” aka “soafi”) We awarded students a total of $175,000 in college and summer program scholarships last year.
Last school year, we gave $1.2 MILLION overall to Dreyfoos!
S
U FOLLOW dreyfoos.soafi
@dreyfoossoafi
@DSOAFoundation
www.soafi.org
Through Ray of Light and Amy’s Light we provided $42,000 overall to students who qualified for financial assistance last year.
Through Campaign for the Arts and grants, we raised the funds for the school’s 20 Artists in Residence.
S VISIT U (we’re nice!) The Foundation office is located in Building 09 Rooms 110 & 111. Our hours are 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
B O D Y
The media stigmatizes the pressures put on individuals to have an ideal body LIFESTYLE 47
By Alexa Pope
Photo illustrations by Haley Johnston
48
rom a young age, people are introduced to the idea of body image, and the media’s opinion on what one’s shape should look like. Whether it’s all over magazine covers, broadcasted on television commercials, or implied by Barbie dolls and action figures; the constant push for individuals to lose weight or look a certain way is damaging to one’s mental health and self-esteem. This can easily give children the wrong idea about a healthy body at an early age. “Kids at a younger age are getting onto social media and they’re seeing all these things that are presented to them, screaming at their faces ‘this is who you should be,’ and they can’t be who they are,” band sophomore Payton Andisman said. The media propagates the idea that being thinner is a more attractive trait for women, whereas a more muscular appearance is more attractive for men. This type of perspective creates a disparity between “real” and “ideal” bodies. “There’s a weird standardization for guys where we have to look somewhat taller, and if not muscular, on the leaner side,” visual junior Njari Anderson said. The media creates a pressing issue: it lacks representation for those who have transitioned, are transitioning, or those who do not identify with either gender. Society’s ideal bodies for men and women are subjective in that they imply what men and women have to do in order to be their gender, rather than themselves. “I feel like we need to start focusing on people who don’t conform to gender norms, especially trans people. They really need to be represented more,” communications senior Margaret Lusk said. “It would be so awesome for society to accept that everyone is different and looks different.” Unrealistic body standards have plagued society for generations. If the media isn’t the one making individuals question the way they look, it’s overly open adults expressing their distaste toward their image. “One time I was in a group setting, and I decided to eat one of the last cookies. As I was picking up the cookie, I could see an older woman eyeing me from across the room and she gave me the look. Just a look up and down saying ‘Do you really need that cookie?’ but I ate it anyway,” theatre senior Azure Kordick said. “Whether or not I am ‘allowed’ to take the last cookie should not depend on the way that my body looks.” In learning what society’s ideal body looks like, the likelihood of one to compare their body to someone else’s builds. The time it takes to make sense of media images and messages provides an ample opportunity for one to target their own body and become a victim of comparison. Due to the rise of technology and social media use, it has become second nature for people to assess their own body. After seeing someone else’s beach picture on Instagram, or a recent photoshoot from a model or influencer that they follow an individual can see their body as inferior. “There is no better way to feel like crap about yourself than to go on social media. Body comparison is the reason I deleted my previous Facebook and Instagram. I used to follow fitness models because
supposedly they give you inspiration to get out of bed, but that doesn’t apply to everyone,” Dreyfoos alumni Ivonne Palacious said. “That comparison of progress, and shape varies so much from individual to individual that social media doesn’t actually account for.” There has been a growing acceptance toward realistic body standards as a result of the Body Positive Movement. The movement encourages individuals to drop the ideal body standards that have been pressed upon them from such a young age, and adopt more forgiving and assertive attitudes toward their own bodies. Their overall goal is to improve society’s mental health and self image.
“INCLUSIVITY SHOULDN’T JUST BE A TREND. I GET THAT YOU HAVE TO START FROM SOMEWHERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE BRANDS ARE USING IT AS A MARKETING PLOY RATHER THAN A WAY FOR THEM TO GROW,” KORDICK SAID. “I love being Body Positive. I struggled with my image for the longest time. I would always look at myself in the mirror and not like what I saw, but after a while I learned to accept what my body looked like and that’s when I started to lose weight,” Lusk said. “It’s not that I needed to change something about my body, it’s that I can make my body better.” This contemporary attitude toward body image has made the fashion industry warm up to the plus-sized market. Clothing brands such as Rebdolls, ModCloth, Old Navy, and Asos are all size inclusive, providing sizes beyond small, medium, and large. As things change and progress in the fashion industry, plus-size models are becoming more and more prominent, and continue to make history with each magazine cover and campaign. For instance, plus-sized model Ashley Graham has become the first plus-sized woman to be featured by Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. “It’s great that different clothing brands are including plus-size girls and people of color in a campaign, but the rest of the campaigns go back to their typical models,” Kordick said. “Inclusivity shouldn’t just be a trend. I get that you have to start from somewhere, but I feel like brands are using it as a marketing ploy rather than a way for them to grow.” Even though society is taking very small steps toward equal representation and body acceptance, they are steps that haven’t been experienced by mankind yet, and hopefully will evolve into a giant leap toward body equality. “People need to be more positive about people’s bodies, and just spread more things showing with people who have a little more weight, that are really skinny, short, or really tall because they are all beautiful and unique, and that’s what makes people amazing,” Andisman said. “It’s okay if you don’t have abs, or an hourglass figure, you don’t need those things to be beautiful. Just love yourself, that’s what matters.”
49
IN BEAUTY The beauty industry's tendency to neglect people of color when creating makeup products
Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
50 LIFESTYLE
By Daniela Esquenazi exaggeratedly dark. Other makeup brands like It Cosmetics have also young girl sits in front of a mirror squinting her eyes, tried to incorporate darker shades, but they fall short. tilting her head, and moving it slowly from side to side Rihanna released her beauty line Fenty Beauty, which was created as she analyzes her new hairstyle. Her fingers touch so that ‘all women everywhere would be included’ (from the Fenty the cornrow braids that were delicately woven into her Beauty website). Her product has received high praise for its extremescalp, annoyance bubbling up at first from her chest, then slowly tak- ly diverse foundation collection that includes ALL shades, even for ing over her whole body. She stares at her reflection, and visualizes those with pale skin. instead a girl with long, flowing straight hair with bangs, like her role Other makeup brands saw the influx of approval and began dropmodel, Hannah Montana. ping their own “diverse” lines; Kylie Cosmetics, Estée Lauder, and It wasn’t until ten years later that communications senior Nia Mi- Maybelline are just a few. Though their attempts at being more incluchel realized that the woman who gave her cornrows all those years sive can be applauded, these brands felt threatened by Fenty Beauty’s ago actually did her a favor, and that she was influenced by a society influx in profit. that taught her young mind to think that straight, caucasian hair was “We cannot force these brands or let alone the industry to fix this beautiful-and that her black hair was not. issue if they [don’t] want to,” vocal senior Bijou Aliza said. “In regard “[Looking back] I realized how stupid that was,” Michel recounted to what we [can] do: Don’t support these brands. Don’t buy their after her initial anger. “Bangs as braids was probably one of the most products if they cannot create makeup that is compatible to their stupid ideas I’ve ever had, and as much as I was obsessed with Han- customers of darker complexions.” nah Montana, bangs weren’t for me, and neither was having her type Even in the entertainment industry, POC struggle to find roles of hair. It took a hot minute before I was able to truly be comfortable where they aren’t playing stereotypical characters, or competing with with the way I came into this world.” their white counterparts, like when AnA person of color (POC) has always had “YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY gelina Jolie played an African American to prove themselves and work twice as hard FROM THE COLOR OF YOUR in “Wanted,” a series based off a comic than their lighter skin counterpart. With the book. If a black woman is on screen, very rise of empowering movements, more and SKIN OR WHO YOU ARE. THE seldom is she ever on the darker specmore POC are coming forward to shed a SMARTEST THING TO DO IS trum. Hollywood even goes as far as to light on problems rooted in a deep history TO FALL IN LOVE WITH BOTH. apply lighter foundation on their actors if full of racism and colorism, especially in the BE IN LOVE WITH THE COLOR they deem them “too dark.” beauty industry. “I think it’s ignorant,” Smith said. “If Colorism is discriminating someone ac- OF YOUR SKIN,” ALIZA SAID. you’re going to represent someone of colcording to their skin color, and while it “REALIZE THAT THE COLOR or, do it right or don’t do it at all. Don’t sounds similar to racism, it is different beOF YOUR SKIN IS BEAUTIFUL, whitewash the characters just because you cause colorism happens even within POC don’t like the way they look or they don’t communities, for it favors those with lighter AND THAT YOUR MELANIN IS represent your vision. Children watch skin than dark. It doesn’t help that the soci- SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.” these movies; children like me, who hatety we live in actively encourages the doued their skin when they were younger beble standard that those with skin considered “too dark to be pret- cause they never understood why they were different or why when ty” should lighten their skin, while those who are “too pale” should they turned on the TV or went to the movies, no one looked like darken theirs. In places like South East Asia and the Caribbean, them.” skin-lightening products are sold in an attempt to encourage darkDespite this, there’s been more efforts to give black women roles skinned women to bleach their skin, all under the ideology that they that steer away from the stereotypes they’re always forced to play, like are not attractive enough as they are. the angry black woman, slaves, or the “token” black girl. “There has always been color problems in the black community. “I love seeing darker-skinned women on TV with non-stereotypiEven in [the era of slavery], light-skinned people have always been cal roles,” Michel said. Seeing stars like Kerry Washington, Gabrielle treated better than dark-skinned people,” dance senior Skylar Smith Union and Viola Davis play these powerful women who know how said. “I have been told I’m not pretty because I’m not light-skinned, to dress and act is empowering. I like breaking these stereotypes be[or that] I’m cute for a dark-skinned chick. [I’ve even been told] cause it’s making darker-skinned women have a more diverse role in things like ‘I love me some light-skinned girls like you.’” society.” Black women especially have the pressure of changing their appearSociety is constantly shifting in its views of what is and isn’t beautiance. These days, POC women are calling out the beauty industry for ful, and the view we need to strive for is the one that tells all the peotheir continuous neglect and lack of consideration for people like ple who have ever felt like they weren’t good enough, pretty enough, them. While some big makeup brands have attempted to be more or desirable enough because of the way they looked, that they beauinclusive with their foundation lines, they haven’t quite gotten there. tiful just as they are. After posting a photo on their Instagram of an array of founda“You cannot run away from the color of your skin or who you are,” tions, Tarte has received a lot of backlash for claims stating that their Aliza said. “The smartest thing to do is to fall in love with both. Be in product was diverse and inclusive. Not only did the “diverse” and love with the color of your skin. Realize that the color of your skin is “inclusiveness” only really apply to those with lighter skin, but the beautiful, and that your melanin is something to be proud of.” product also contained only two dark shades-both of which were
LIFESTYLE 51
PERI D STIGMA
The menstural cycle has always been a taboo, leading many to be unaware of its significance By Heather Rollins o you have the thing?” she whispers into her friend’s ear. They are standing at the preordained meeting spot on campus, backpacks shielding the entire interaction. With a brief nod, the friend slips a discrete hand into her jacket pocket, all the while scanning the surroundings for watchful strangers. Satisfied that no one is paying attention, the friend slips a small package into the other girl’s hand. She shoves it into her pocket and mutters a quick thank you before rushing off. Even in 2018, the exchange of pads and tampons between girls is more like a drug deal than a quick favor. If a tampon falls out of a girl’s backpack, it is the equivalent of Mariah Carey’s 2017 New Year’s performance. Periods are constantly seen as embarrassing and shameful, even though half of the world’s population has or will have one. Currently, around 800 million women globally are on their period. Even so, it is still a social taboo for girls to talk about their menstrual cycle in public, a common topic for boys to make jokes about, and a negative bodily function as portrayed by the media. In the 1997 film “In the Presence of Men,” management employee Chad advises not to “trust someone who bleeds for a week and doesn’t die,” and most commercials for pads use blue liquid as a substitute for blood, according to The News Minute. But girls globally are standing up against period shaming, deeming it unfair and misogynistic in nature. “It’s terrible that negative social stigmas around periods still exist,” strings junior Amanda Harris said. “Having a period is completely natural and normal, and is not something a young female should be ashamed of. Boys should never shame a girl for having a period, talking about a period because, last time I checked, males do not have periods and never will have a period.” Striking back against the negative stigma around periods
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has been going on even as early as the 1940’s. Courtesy of Kotex, Walt Disney produced a short film titled “The Story of Menstruation” that aimed to explain periods in a way that made the menstrual cycle seem completely normal to anyone watching. “There’s nothing strange, nor mysterious about menstruation,” the narrator says at the close of the film. “All life is built on cycles and the menstrual cycle is one normal and natural part of nature’s eternal plan for passing on the gift of life.” This message of menstrual education was revolutionary for its time, and undoubtedly inspired today’s women to speak out about period stigma. “As far as period stigma goes, it is because of a lack of education,” school nurse Darlene Vargas-O’Connor said. “If people knew what it really does and what’s happening on your period, then they’d probably look at it differently. If kids come to teachers or even the nurse and ask questions about it, then we should be able to answer and give information so that they can be aware.” In a world where acceptance and love are becoming expected of everyone, the negativity that comes with the menstrual cycle is outdated. As funny as period jokes may be, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), bloating, cramps, and endless other side effects of periods are no laughing matter to girls who experience them. Periods are hard enough on the female population as it is; there is no need for an additional negative stigma. Instead of ostracizing females who are going through a predetermined cycle of nature, society should help them feel more positive about their bodies. “If anyone sees a girl struggling because she is on her period, help her out regardless of your gender,” Harris said. “If a few tampons fall out of a girls bag, pick [them] up and hand it back to her without shaming her. And mostly, what it all boils down to is to be kind to one another because you only live once and it is worth it to be your best self.”
KNOW YOUR CYCLE
$18,171 on average is spent for period supplies during a women’s lifetime
LUXURY TAX is placed on items seen as unnecessary such as feminine hygiene products
A woman will go through an average of 9,600 tampons in her lifetime
There are about control available
15 different types of birth
Girls are born with 2,000,000 eggs, but by the time puberty hits, there are only around 400,000 left
More than 40% of women have cramps during their period Graphics by Chloe Girod and Jenevieve Norton Sources: Sharecare, Huffington Post, Fact Retriever, Dr. Ed
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LIVE
THE DEMONETIZATION DILEMMA
By Chloe Girod
fter putting in countless hours to perfect a video, it finally gets uploaded to YouTube only to be automatically demonetized for “inappropriate content.” Confusion surfaces: it was only a thrift haul video, what could be so bad about that? In duress, the “check for review button” is clicked shortly after, but it’s too late. The initial view count has already hit its peak and your pockets are left empty. During Vine’s demise, creators desperately needed a new platform that would fulfill the needs that Vine couldn’t; many looked to YouTube as the answer. One of the biggest problems with Vine was that it wasn’t paying its creators, and they had to rely solely on outside advertising if they wanted to make an income. YouTube was the best solution: it paid its creators and allowed for a space that could allow viewers to build a subscriber group. Everyone was happy, watching anything from gaming videos to cat compilations. However, it has recently begun to change and turn into the very problem that the platform initially solved. YouTubers around the world have voiced their opinions on the recent changes in YouTube’s algorithm. Deemed as the “adpocalypse,” YouTube sought to appease bigger business-
es that were placing their ads on videos without knowing what that video’s content was. The video platform changed its policies so that controversial content was no longer monetized, meaning there were no ads that could be placed on these “inappropriate” videos. This act affected view counts, subscriber numbers, how the videos were promoted, and most importantly for creators: their income. “YouTube altering their algorithm has not only affected me but thousands of others,” Emma Topp, a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle YouTuber said. “Basically the bot deems it inappropriate, and I have to submit [the videos] for an actual person to look through and either approve or decline [its monetization status]. This can take up to seven days, where a lot of the initial views are gained, and as a result I lose a percentage of my monetized content. It’s frustrating as a creator to work so hard on your videos to just have them automatically demoted on the platform.” Some creators have risked it all for YouTube, putting everything they have on the line to produce full time content on the platform. Creators put a certain faith in YouTube by trusting that they would be taken care of as time goes on. Unfortunately, because YouTube’s recent changes have harmed this trust, it is quite possible that YouTube did not intend for any changes that drastic. “I think YouTube’s intention was to get people to think more critically about their goals and their channel growth,” former studio manager and lead producer of the Creator Residency Program at YouTube, Christopher Chan Roberson said. “When I managed YouTube Space NY, I unfortunately saw many YouTube partners that weren’t doing basic things like custom thumbnails, calls to action, secondary hub content, or even things like tags. Again, none of this prevents people from uploading content to YouTube, but if you want to make money off of your channel, then you’re going to have to think about the criteria set forth by YouTube.”
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AFTER YOUTUBE CHANGED ITS GUIDELINES, CONTENT CREATORS HAVE VOICED THEIR OPINIONS ON HOW IT AFFECTS THE YOUTUBE COMMUNITY Despite YouTube’s original intention of trying to incentivize small channels to grow, creators have already started looking toward other platforms. Twitch, a live streaming website, or Patreon, a platform that allows for paying subscribers, both allow YouTubers to have a dedicated fan base while making up for the lack of money that could occur when not fulfilling the required changes in order to grow. “Every 60 seconds, four days worth of content is uploaded to YouTube,” Roberson said. “Those that say YouTube can be more proactive in promoting people’s content need to think for a second what YouTube does. It’s providing you with the ability to potentially upload unlimited amounts of content for no cost, and if you want to earn revenue from your posted content, the platform is asking that you maintain a monthly number of [subscriptions] and views. What else do you want YouTube to do for your channel? It’s the world’s second biggest search engine (with Google being the first) and if you provide the right tags for your content, [the platform]allows your work to be seen pretty much anywhere on the Earth.” While the changes might not have meant to have any negative effects, it can be a disadvantage to the viewers. YouTube is actively seeking to expand its resources, which is clearly showcased through YouTubeRed and YouTubeTV. Having an upset community can throw off their business and put a crack in the foundation that has been steadily built up. “I barely ever go to the explore page, and I really only watch who I’m subscribed to, so [not seeing people’s videos because of demonetization] hasn’t been the biggest issue, but I can tell that there is a difference,” dance freshman Grace Handel said. “YouTubers that I watch have been more vocal about how it’s affecting them and it definitely feels like more can be done so everyone is happy with the end result.” YouTube could very well have the same demise that Vine did by continuing their current actions. If YouTube wants to continue expanding their resources and audiences, then there must be visible changes that occur. “There are multiple issues that YouTube needs to fix,” Topp said. “It’s promoting the wrong people, killing smaller creators, and the platform is slowly changing from a creativity based platform to a money driven platform. YouTube needs a more extensive and personalized algorithm, as well as promoting creators that are genuine, creative, and a role model for the millions of people that watch the platform. ”
LIVE
Photo illustration by Haley Johnston, Rebecca Boss, and Chloe Girod
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DISCONNECTED A FIVE-DAY EXPERIMENT WITH NO SOCIAL MEDIA
As a high school student, it’s easy to tune out and log in. So, what if we were to disconnect? Shut off our phones, log out of Snapchat, and stop retweeting? To tackle this question, I decided to cut out social media and find out for myself. By Rebecca Boss Photo illustration by Shelby Rabin
Day One
I have always thought of social media as a distraction, a means to pass time. But today, I discovered that social media is a habit. On the way to school, my phone rested in my lap. I was unsure of what to do with this newly silent time. My thumbs were mindlessly opening apps like Instagram and Snapchat without my conscious consent. While this pattern did continue, it slowly became less frequent. I deleted the apps to ease my temptation. I felt a loss of social contact, and became somewhat uncomfortable with this loneliness. At the end of the night, I went to sleep with my phone switched to silent.
Day Two
I noticed less of an urge to check my appearance. On a typical day, Snapchat is always close at hand. This causes me to constantly check my reflection in the conveniently available camera. My unyielding use of the app has prompted me to subconsciously force a standard upon myself to appear presentable, and I have now found that mindset easy to let go. I realized that my need for reassurance was a ridiculous, unnecessary stress that only distracted me throughout the day. To top it all off, when I looked in the bathroom mirror at the end of the school day, I was happier with my appearance than I ever had been, and I knew that it wasn’t a coincidence.
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THE RULES
No social media platforms whatsoever You may ask someone to keep your Snapchat streaks, but you can not ask if they’ve kept up with it You may use your phone for texts, calls, emails, Google searches, and homework No YouTube, with the exception of school-related videos
Day Three
While the urge to check my social media had significantly subsided, it didn’t change the fact that the time I spend on social media had been replaced by a void of inactivity. For months, I had been trying to set aside time to create a new playlist, so I decided to use the free time to make it. The more I added to my list, the deeper I ventured into Spotify, and the more amazing, unfamiliar music I was exposed to. Now I have a playlist that spans more than seven hours, and have been listening to it since.
Day Four
This was the first day that I didn’t mindlessly reach for my phone the moment my alarm sounded to check my notifications. With my earbuds in and my new playlist blaring, I felt good, and honestly, I hardly noticed social media’s absence in my life. In class, I wasn’t compelled to check my phone. At lunch, I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my friends without any technological distraction. I was even content on the 30 minute bus ride home just looking out the window. I had become less dependent on the artificial contact social media had provided me for so long.
Day Five
Approaching day five, I felt more comfortable than I had all week. This experiment had started to feel less like a chore, and instead more of a realization: I don’t need social media to feel like myself. Yes, social media connects us more than ever, but this contact is surface level, depriving and distracting us from working on the relationships that really matter. I thought I would be more excited to access my social media accounts the following day, but I found myself reluctant to return. While my lifestyle was not drastically altered, it was such a refreshing experience to unplug, and I would encourage anyone to make their own rules and participate in this experiment themselves. ENTERTAINMENT 57
COPYRIGHT COPYCATS
The lack of awareness surrounding copyright laws has led to lawsuits in the music industry By Ally McGivney
Graphics by Chloe Girod
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ower on. Earbuds in. Press play. When people listen to music, the last thing they tend to think about are the legal matters that go into producing a song or an album. In the music industry, many laws regarding copyright and royalties go unnoticed, leading to conflicts and lawsuits that tarnish reputations. For the many singers and songwriters in the Dreyfoos community, these laws must be acknowledged. The majority of these lawsuits surround plagiarism or royalties. Plagiarism claims often come from one artist “copying” another song or sound, while royalty claims regard a person or company using or profiting from a song they don’t have the rights to. Musicians everywhere must consider both of these or they might have a lawsuit filed against them. According to Washington State University, composing a song similar to another is considered plagiarism. These claims often result in an outof-court settlement, or even a lawsuit, either of which can potentially ruin a musical artist’s career. After someone has negative stigma attached to their name, they may never be viewed the same way in the public eye. If an issue does go to trial, the best case scenario would be compatible to 1989 single “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” from 2014. According to Rolling Stone, the choruses of the two songs were very similar. This case became controversial, as Smith won Record of the Year in 2015 for “Stay With Me.” However, the dispute ended with “no hard feelings” after Petty and Lynne were credited as co-writers. However, many artists don’t offer forgiveness. Artists who take the matter to court can often feel personally insulted and want money for compensation. “[Legal conflict] is the greatest source of potential revenue,” marketing consultant and former member of the VH1 promotions department David Hazan said. “There’s a lot of money at stake.” The band Radiohead is also in a potential legal battle with Lana Del Rey due to their 1992 song “Creep” having similarities to Del Rey’s 2017 song “Get Free.” According
to Huffington Post, the songs have a “similar, yet common, chord progression.” Lana Del Rey labeled the likeness as unintentional, but intention is not considered in these kinds of cases. While Radiohead isn’t suing, the band has stated that they want credit where credit is due; it can be a time-consuming process if either party remains unsatisfied. This lawsuit has sparked controversy regarding general copyright claims. There are only so many ways to rearrange chords and melodies in a song, meaning a truly unique song is hard to come by. “A lot of songs can’t be original now because there [are] so many songs out there,” vocal sophomore and songwriter Noah Sams said. Plagiarism and common choruses aren’t the only dilemma. As aforementioned, royalties can spark the same controversies and issues as copyright infringement. One lawsuit in particular, Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. v. Spotify USA Inc. (2018), includes a streaming service used around the world and in our own Dreyfoos community. According to Cable News Network (CNN), Spotify is being sued for $1.6 billion by Wixen Music Publishing for lacking proper compensation and licensing. “I feel like every artist should profit off their own music if they’re using a platform,” vocal sophomore Sophy Demoya said. “You also have to be aware to give credit to where it’s due.” With many Dreyfoos students aspiring to pursue singing and songwriting, it is essential to be educated on copyright and royalty laws. Doing so gives musical artists more security when it comes to producing music. Because there are countless amounts of money and fame involved in the industry, putting music out there without considering its legal consequences is a mistake many musicians make. Whether or not listeners realize it, copyright laws are behind almost every song out there. To succeed, artists must create a sound that is unique to them. “When you write from the truth in your heart, you will have no problem with originality,” Sams said. “The best you is the person you are and nobody else.”
“I FEEL LIKE EVERY ARTIST SHOULD PROFIT OFF THEIR OWN MUSIC IF THEY’RE USING A PLATFORM. YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE AWARE TO GIVE CREDIT TO WHERE IT’S DUE,” DEMOYA SAID.
Listen to the Spotify Playlist: “Copyright Copycats” @themuseatdreyfoos ENTERTAINMENT 59
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HOMEWORK HELP FOR TEENS
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LEO MARKEL By Anamaria Navarrete
very year, millions of viewers tune in to watch as the Recording Academy recognizes all types of musicians at the Grammy Awards. Audience members and artists alike awaited the decisions. But for band junior Leo Markel, this year’s Grammys brought along the usual entertainment, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime chance: to attend the exclusive 2018 Grammy Camp - Jazz session. By seizing opportunities and honing his skills, Markel has reached many musical triumphs with his passion for the trombone, including becoming a semifinalist for the YoungArts competition in the Jazz category. Markel was also one of only 18 high school students selected from across the country to participate in the Grammy Camp - Jazz session, which took place in New York City from Jan. 23-29. “Music has taught me to stay humble,” Markel said. “When I go out to things like [the Grammy Camp], I’m by far not one of the best ones there, so it’s very cool to see how good people are at my age, and even younger.” The audition process was an integral aspect of Markel’s admittance into these reputable programs. Countless hours of devotion to the music were manifested in audition tapes that Markel uploaded to YouTube, preceding both YoungArts and the Grammy Jazz Camp. Markel regularly practices for about two hours on a daily basis, and he invested studio time to enhance the audio quality of his audition tapes. “It was kind of scary at first, submitting a tape and hoping to get into the programs,” Markel said. “I sent in the same audition tape to the Grammys [as I did to YoungArts], and I wasn’t expecting to get [into] either, so it was cool to get both opportunities.” Throughout the seven-day Grammy Camp tour, the selected students participated in specialized performances to refine their musical proficiency. Nearing the end of the week, the participants were invited to the 60th annual Grammys Award show in Madison Square Garden, and they were given time to shine as performers in the after party celebration. “I can’t think of something that [the program] compares to,” Markel said. “It was definitely a special opportunity that not a
lot of people get to be a part of, and I was really lucky.” Since the program recruits students nationwide, a diverse panel of musicians from nine different states consolidated to form the 2018 Grammys band. As Markel was the sole participant from Palm Beach County, he was exposed to a variety of different techniques practiced by students from other parts of the country. “I enjoyed working with all the different kids there and to make friends with everyone because we were seeing all the famous musicians who we aspire to grow up to be,” Markel said. Prior to his experience in the Grammy Camp, Markel also received the opportunity to participate in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra; a program that only 21 high school students across the nation are chosen for each summer. The group selected to be in the program during the summer of 2017 embarked on a tour that concluded with a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. “I got to go on tour with a band in New York and Canada, and we played at three of the biggest jazz shows in the country,” Markel said. “It was an awesome experience.” Outside of the creative community on the Dreyfoos campus, Markel has utilized his talents as a key to open various doorways, and his successes are proudly recognized among his peers. The Dreyfoos community eagerly celebrates his early endeavors in the music industry. “He is so driven and focused, which is why he achieves so much,” strings junior Valentina Paolucci said. “He is also very modest about his playing and many accomplishments. He’s a great musician to work with and always helps other musicians at school.” With music as his vehicle of expression, Markel proceeds on his path to being a musician. He aspires to pursue music on the collegiate level after graduating from Dreyfoos, and to continue to further his abilities as an artist. “When I play music, I feel like there’s nothing else I would rather be doing,” Markel said. “It just feels right, like it’s what I should be doing.”
“HE’S A GREAT MUSICIAN TO WORK WITH AND ALWAYS HELPS OTHER MUSICIANS AT SCHOOL,” PAOLUCCI SAID.
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Photo illustration by Sydney Walsh
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