The Muse: February Edition by The Muse at Dreyfoos

e h T

Alexander W. Dreyfoos

School of

the Arts Volume 9 issue 4 February 2012

TWO-OH!

ONe-_! A look at the highlights of Spirit Week 2012. Pages 17-21

The Muse | February 2012

Table of Contents

TABLE OF

Election 2012: We Decide

CONTENTS ON THE COVER

op/ed

First Amendment rules, niceness drools

A Florida teen who sued her principal for punishment over a Facebook page she created about a teacher wins her case.

7 Photo by Rio Jacobbe

Seniors dressed as “Rebellious Youth” for Class Clique Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1, gathered on the soccer field bleachersuring lunch. Meanwhile, students participated in an upperclassmen vs. underclassmen kickball game.

News

A random act of kindness

A little-known $1.2 million donation from the late Beverly Taubert will lead to the renaming of Building 3 and the establishment of a scholarship.

An alternative to college scholarships

Basses of business

Features

Find out why visual senior Kathleen Wang finally cut her long, luscious locks.

Arts

Strings senior Ross Rucker turns a hobby into a business venture.

sports

Hunting season

The story behind band senior Kit Weber’s hunting career—up to his recent gunshot injury.

32 For more Museworthy stories, visit

entertainment

Movie Review

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” proves to be similar in quality but different in content to its book counterpart.

themuseatdreyfoos.com Please recycle

The Muse

The Muse | February 2012

Photo by Shawna Bilton

Editors-in-Chief Audrey Green (left) and Samantha Bilton show their spirit on Class Clique Day. Seniors could be seen across the soccer field clad in black clothing, fake piercings, tattoos and ripped clothing as the kickball game raged on.

s the 2012 election nears, we decided to form our own Super PAC, the Majority Unified Student Effort (M.U.S.E.). We endorse these worthy candidates: President: Tom West / Vice President: Sara Stout. This dynamic duo just looks presidential. White House Chief of Staff: Jeffrey Stohr. As teacher sponsor of the greatest number of Dreyfoos clubs (Jewish Student Union, A Prom To Remember club and at least four others), he has ample experience in saying yes to being a club sponsor and in managing them, of course. Office of Management & Budget: Richard Gallo. He has 12 years of experience in international banking and Long Island “street smarts.” United States Trade Representative: Gary Bicker. He has a British accent. Enough said. Environmental Protection Agency/Dept. of Energy: Kristen Perez. As head flower ranger, she would be the most competent in protecting our natural resources and in beautifying our country. Office of National Drug Control Policy: Danielle Edwards. Her threats of calling a student’s parents if they get an A on the Chapter 7 test (addictive

substances) makes her the most capable of waging the war on drugs. Dept. of Agriculture: Tom Smith. He has a comprehensive knowledge of all weather systems—and a passion for gardening. Dept. of Defense/Dept. of Justice: Geoffrey Waugh. We all saw how effective he was in removing students who were standing on tables during Spirit Week. Dept. of Labor: Betsy Christy. As a Teacher’s Union representative, she has abundant experience in defending the rights of American workers. Dept. of Education: Richard Ehrlich. He has an extraordinary talent in PowerPoint and a flair for adding sound, video and graphics to them. Department of Transportation: Tom Ruth. As the only certified bus driver on campus, he receives this nomination by default. Depart. of the Treasury/Dept. of Commerce: Patrick Marshall. His understanding of statistics would make both of these departments a “celebration.” Department of Health & Human Services: Stephen Anand. He grows bacteria and collard greens right here on campus. g

& P.S. Don’t forget to ‘like’ The Muse on Facebook to see MuseSecrets and much more.

Staff Editorial

Approaching Spirit Week all wrong It isn’t about class competition; it’s about unified spirit as a school by TheMuseStaff

wo years ago, the Class of 2010 seniors were outraged. Principal Ellen Van Arsdale announced that the sophomores had won the screaming contest, and chaos broke loose in the gym as seniors fumed over their defeat, storming outside into the retention pond. A Facebook page—featuring threatening, hateful posts—was created to vent vehement disapproval of the decision for them to share the win with the sophomores. The following Monday, seniors wore black to protest their loss, and some students handed out score sheets to affirm who had truly won Spirit Week. Meanwhile, some cried and others complained to Ms. Van Arsdale over the “wicked tragedy.” Finally, she was pushed to make a school-wide announcement to clarify that the seniors had indeed won Spirit Week. In actuality, they always had been the winners—when Ms. Van Arsdale had announced that the sophomores “won,” it was for the screaming contest, not Spirit Week overall. Later that week during lunch, two seniors sneaked into the Kravis Center parking complex and hung a banner reading “We Win” with their graduating year “2010” below it. Is this what Spirit Week is all about— mean-spirited competition? Where is the line drawn? This radical student rebellion took matters too far. This year, Spirit Week started with twin day—a broad, generic theme that has no grade-level distinctions. For the rest of the week, the format of themed dress-up days promotes competition. Class rivalry increases as we are psychologically prepared for the climactic class pride showdown during Friday’s pep rally. Enthusiastic freshman, new to the phenomenon of a Dreyfoos Spirit Week, do their best to keep up without seeming clueless, while seniors bare their teeth and beat their chests in elitist superiority. Rivalry is okay, so long as it is not taken to extreme measures like in 2010. This year competition was, once again,

POINT TALLY SPIRIT WEEK 2012

1st Place: Seniors (771 points) 2nd Place: Sophomores (758 points) 3rd Place: Freshmen (750 points) 4th Place: Juniors (481 points)

*Provided by SGA

taken too far. In anticipation of Spirit Week, various students boasted their class superiority on Facebook. On Friday, class flags were stolen—sometimes by physical force— and even ripped up. “I think Spirit Week serves a very valuable purpose at the School of the Arts,” communications teacher Ancil Deluz said. “It helps to bring us together, celebrate and reaffirm who we are as a community of young artists. I think that we should be collaborating and not competing with each other.” Spirit Week is about just what it sounds like—spirit, not competition. We dress up for spirit and pride—not because we get points for doing so. Lunch activities like Powder Puff Football and Capture the Flag may have winners and losers, but the bottom line and purpose of it all is to unite together for school spirit and pride. Everyone wins. Some profess that seniors should, by default, win Spirit Week. Justification for this is based on the idea that since it is their last year of high school, seniors should always be victorious because Illustration by Oscar Carl of the tradition that seniority created. If students think the 2010 situation was bad, in 1997 the seventh graders of Palm Beach School of the Arts won Spirit Week, while seniors did not place in second, but in third

place. At other schools, Spirit Week is centered on rallying spirit for the first football game of the year— homecoming. However, Dreyfoos does not have a football team. Instead, the purpose of Spirit Week should be to express school pride as a unified student body, not to stage a “battle of the classes.” In 1999, Spirit Week’s dress-up day themes did not have separate categories for each grade level. Rather, each day had one theme and everyone dressed accordingly. Monday was cowboys and Indians, Tuesday was ’20s and ’30s, Wednesday was ’40s and ’50s, Thursday was ’60s and ’70s and Friday was ’80s and the future. “Most spirited departments” were recognized, and after the pep rally there was a parade encompassing all of the themes from the past week plus a Valentine’s Day dance. We, as a school, should emulate and bring back to life these older Dreyfoos traditions to enjoy the fun and excitement of participating in Spirit Week as a unified student body. Class pride is okay, as long as it doesn’t get out of control. Students should celebrate the school that they go to—they should celebrate how special and unique Dreyfoos is. Above all, students should celebrate themselves, all of their artistic talents and the creative ways in which they express themselves. Remember the age-old cheer: “We’ve got spirit, yes we do; we’ve got spirit, how about you?” g Contributor: AdrianaRahrig The Muse | February 2012

op/ed

The thing about Facebook

From Farmville to the ‘to be honest’ girl, the craze kind of sucks Commentary by HunterTruman

isten, Facebook. I think it’s time we see other people; but don’t worry, we can still be friends. It’s not you, it’s me. See, Facebook, you actually haven’t disappointed me much at all—you’ve been a reliable, easy-to-use tool for contacting lost friends, getting directions to parties and receiving pictures of puppies holding silly objects. But I’m afraid you’re being taken advantage of. It’s not you; it’s your friends— most of them just kind of suck. First, there’s the “to be honest girl;” she’s probably gotten on your nerves too. She’s the one who insists on using you for self reflection, a gauge of popularity and as a launching pad for deeply intellectual issues such as “Have I ever had a crush on you?” or “Remember that time three years ago when we got in a fight…Well I forgive you now” or “You’re so beautiful, why aren’t we better friends?” If people like that existed in real life—just jumping up on the cafeteria table and shouting facets of their life to a few hundred acquaintances who don’t give a flying crap about their personal problems—they’d be ignored and later affectionately referred to as “that crazy chick.” Yet, somehow, in the wonderful world of the Internet, this behavior is socially acceptable—and is even “liked” by 30 or 40 people (unless no one liked your “TBH”

status, in which case you’ve probably entered a state of depression even worse than when “Gilmore Girls” went off the air). Then there are the mirror models, the guys who put on wife-beaters and sunglasses while flexing in their mom’s bathroom to show how tough they are. Or the girls who, oddly enough, also wear tight tank tops and sunglasses (apparently this is the standard uniform of the narcissistic and barely attractive) as they flash the peace sign in the mirror to show the world what brave advocates they are for international peace and exposed cleavage. I don’t even want to start on the people who play Farmville. There isn’t enough

profanity in the world to do justice to just how stupid a concept that is: “Hey, remember that mundane, backbreaking labor our ancestors left the old county to try to avoid having to do? Well, what if we turned that task into a game, in which all the mind-numbing monotony stays intact, but we get rid of any life-sustaining benefit!” I’m not saying you’re altogether bad, Facebook. You’ve proven to be a worthy source of two minutes of my day while I wait for my Poptarts to finish toasting. It’s the people who insist on using you for hours on end, as if having a thriving web life substitutes for living their actual life—people who add “friends” (also known as complete strangers who share a mutual friend with them) as if they’re some kind of quantitative commodity to be gathered and traded. It’s the Illustration by Oscar Carl people who use “lol” five times in the same sentence. For God’s sake, it’s the people who include in their personal bio that they are fluent in “English, Pig Latin and Sarcasm.” g

Senioritis is not a bad thing Commentary by AlecZisson

y attachment to Dreyfoos no longer exists. I got into my first-choice college. I am a senior. Plain and simple. Even though I’m not a novel exemplar of senioritis—I don’t skip Photo by Alexandra Lopez class every chance I get, and I still show up on Mondays—I will explain my point of view regardless. Senioritis is a mark of achievement. I have achieved what I wanted and am ready for the next stage in life. When I was an underclassman, school dominated my life: my studies and my friends were all I cared about. Now, I look at coming to school as something to do each day: a part of my day, my time, but certainly not what my

The Muse | February 2012

being revolves around. I’ve started wearing Crocs each day. They are incredibly comfortable and make the monotony of the day much more palatable. The idea of meeting new students each day, making a reputation for myself and getting good grades with the idea of college being the light at the end of the tunnel kept me excited to come to school each day as a freshman and parts of sophomore and junior year. Well I’m here. I’ve been making the walk from Building 1 to Building 4 for 3 1/2 years. I’ve been walking up three flights of stairs in Building 1 for 3 1/2 years too. When people ask me why I wear crocs, I simply reply, “Why not?” I see my Crocs as a sign of maturity. They embody my senioritis, my “I have

nothing left to accomplish here” attitude. It is the third quarter, and I have about a dozen weeks of showing up left to do. As I look forward to the next chapter in my life, I look back on my high school years as a generally happy, positive and easy part of my life. Do I still expect college to be better than high school? Yes. My apathy is a sum of my teenage satisfaction. I have to build up from it to feel truly satisfied. Senioritis has a negative connotation, and it really should not. It is a sign that a student has accumulated a certain level of satisfaction in school. The student does not feel as if he has anything left to achieve, to gain before leaving. The student feels complete and is simply ready for a new challenge. g

‘I see my Crocs as a sign of maturity. They embody my senioritis, my “I have nothing left to accomplish here” attitude.’

op/ed

First Amendment rules, niceness drools Sometimes it’s not whether you can say it, but whether you should

Commentary by TessSaperstein

s a student reporter, I have always been an advocate of First Amendment rights, especially when it comes to maintaining those rights at school. But when it comes to the high school tradition of complaining about teachers, the line between exercising freedom of speech and abusing it is thin. In 2007, Katherine Evans, a student at Pembroke Pines High School in Broward County, created a Facebook page criticizing one of her teachers. According to The Palm Beach Post, Evans named the page “Ms. Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I’ve ever met.” Shortly afterwards, the page was discovered by school administration and Evans was removed from all of her Advanced Placement classes and suspended for three days. In 2008, Evans sued the school and stated that punishing her for what she put online was unconstitutional. While Evans’ decision to publicly criticize her teacher was rude (and in hindsight, not the most brilliant idea), she did have the right to do it. According to the Student Press Law Center, in February 2011 the court ruled in favor of Evans, and Pembroke Pines expunged the incident from her record and paid her $15,000 for her attorney fees. Since the landmark Supreme Court cases of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier and Tinker v. Des Moines, students’ right to freedom of speech within the classroom has always had some gray areas. However, in Evans’ case, her rights

were clear because she in no way threatened the teacher or wrote anything libelous. Therefore, the school had no right to interfere or inflict such a harsh punishment. Still, this does not mean that students should go around parading how much they hate any teacher who gives them an extra homework assignment. One outlet that students use to vent their feelings about teachers is RateMyTeachers.com. This website has provided thousands of students with the ability to anonymously complain about or complement any of their teachers. While this website has been beneficial because it provides future students with some inside information about teachers they will have in the upcoming semester, the comments about teachers can quickly become personal and nasty. Even Dreyfoos teachers have not been

completely immune to angry comments by frustrated students. One of the biggest controversies about the website is that some of the comments students write become very personal and mean-spirited. While this form of free speech is completely protected by the First Amendment, it leads to the question of what are the limits to freedom of speech for students. “Evans’ speech falls under the Illustration by Oscar Carl wide umbrella of protected speech,” said U.S. Magistrate Barry Garber, who was the judge in Evans’ case. “It was an opinion of a student about a teacher that was published off campus [and] was not lewd, vulgar, threatening or advocating illegal or dangerous behavior.” The great philosopher Madonna once advocated to “express yourself,” but unfortunately this is not always the case. When it comes to talking about teachers, especially on the Internet, it is best to use as much caution as possible. g

Honesty is always the best policy Unless of course it’s inconvienent, awkward or otherwise monotonous Commentary by GabiCohen

swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth… but not really. Ever since the day I was born, my parents have been saying over and over again Photo by Alex Rehberg that it’s terrible to lie. It’s immoral, I’ll never have any friends if I lie, people will hate me; but I just can’t help it. Lying makes everything so much more exciting. People may call me a pathological liar, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I like to think of myself as someone who likes to make things seem more exciting. Who wants to hear a boring story about

how I tore my anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus playing lacrosse? No one. I’m a much more likeable person when I tell all of my eager audiences about saving a blind infant from a vicious lion at Lion Country Safari. I’ll prop my foot up on a chair and roll up my jeans to brandish those scars that remind me of the time I did such a heroic deed. Perhaps a tear drop will roll down my cheek as I recall and describe the fear in the infant’s mother’s eyes as the lion tried to pounce on her poor child. I will be lifted on to the backs of my peers as they cheer me on for being a jolly good fellow. I’ll get fist bumps all around. Or how about all of those times I didn’t have my homework done and I blamed it on a dead pet? I’ll turn on the waterworks as I remember my bunny’s final breath. I’ll tell

my teacher about how I wrapped him in my favorite childhood blanket and buried him with a carrot in case he came back to life and got hungry while underground. Inevitably, my teacher will feel terrible about my poor, poor pet and give me an extension. Therefore, I have more time to make my work better quality. I don’t see the problem here. Why did my parents say lying was bad? I know that I seem like a terrible person for using my fantastic fibbing skills to my advantage, but I’m really not. In fact, I hardly ever lie at all. Actually, the three preceding paragraphs were entirely fabricated. Okay, I guess this is one of the few exceptions to the rule, but I really don’t ever lie. It makes me too nervous to have to keep all of my stories in check. g The Muse | February 2012

news

the

Over 600 hours (of service) and counting

S F E I BR of

Keli Hodges wins Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year Award by JosieRusso

ction , e l l o c a te-size ies bi hy stor ort notew

After cancer battle, Catherine Miller returns by KyleBell

ike every part of the human body, every teacher in a school has a purpose. Walking into an anatomy class taught by science teacher Catherine Miller makes this especially evident. Ms. Miller has returned to Dreyfoos this year as a full-time teacher after having retired for 3 1/2 years. Her love of teaching science arose from her own interests in anatomy and biology and from her desire to relate knowledge to students. In addition to a rich 40-year career in education, Ms. Miller is also a survivor of breast cancer. She retired from Dreyfoos after going to the doctor the day after school was out and seeing that her blood pressure was the highest it had ever been. Since then, she has regained her health. “I think that breast cancer made me an even better teacher,” Ms. Miller said. “What it did is show me that life is not a dress rehearsal, and you better enjoy every day, because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.” Ms. Miller has won the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence and the Palm Beach County Dwyer Award for Excellence in Teaching. g

heatre sophomore Keli Hodges was named Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year for the School District of Palm Beach County and 20112012 Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year of Region V by the Florida Department of Education. A ceremony for the county-level award was held at the school board meeting on Jan. 18, where Hodges was awarded a plaque to mark her achievement of over 600 hours of volunteering for the past year. She will be awarded another plaque at a volunteer breakfast hosted at the Kravis Center on May 2.

“I feel accomplished in winning this award, although when I heard that I had won, I was surprised,” Hodges said. “All the hours and days I spend helping others makes it rewarding to me. I enjoy it all so much that it doesn’t really seem like that much time.” Many of her volunteer hours came from her club Students Supporting Other Students (SSOS), which she started with her brother in middle school. SSOS focuses on helping students with financial problems or with obtaining needed items. “She has helped with a student being bullied for wearing tape on his

sneakers so they did not fall apart,” said Lenore Hodges, Keli’s mother. “Teachers or guidance counselors contact her when they need an item. Students are nameless to her unless she needs to tutor them.” Every month, Hodges has a garage sale or fundraising event and gives teachers and guidance counselors anything they want at the sales for free. This year, she partnered with the Arts Club to bring holiday toys to a family at an elementary school. The guidance counselor told them that the mother cried when she saw what they had done for her. g

Dreyfoos ranked #4 high school by TimothyDiTocco

reyfoos was one of only eight Palm Beach County high schools to receive an A grade for the 2010-2011 school year, and one of only three to obtain Adequate Yearly Progress. It was ranked the fourth best high school in Florida based solely on FCAT scores by the Florida Department of Education on Jan. 30. According to The Palm Beach Post in a Jan. 4 article, the number of A-rated schools was down by nearly

half from 15 the previous school year. Meanwhile, the percentage of B-rated schools rose from 25 percent to 53.6 percent. No school in Palm Beach County received an F, however, earning the district its “academic highperforming” title from the state. The drop in A-rated schools may have been caused by the new high school grading system, which takes into account the proportion of students who can enter community college

without needing remedial classes, pass exams to earn industry certification or college credit and actually graduate in four years, reported the Post. Grades also account for FCAT scores and other criteria. “I’ve been a part of Dreyfoos for around 12 years,” Assistant Principal George Miller said. “Every year I’ve been here, Dreyfoos has been an A school. I never remember Dreyfoos ever being anything less.” g

Guidance counselor wins $30,000 car by KyleBell

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Though he won a Toyota Highlander in a raffle, Guidance counselor John Webb had to pay taxes on his new vehicle. Mr. Webb is otherwise enjoying the features of his new car.

The Muse | February 2012

uidance counselor and athletic director John Webb was surprised when he learned that he had won a new car this holiday season. Mr. Webb was called and notified that he had won a car of his choice on a Saturday afternoon while watching a Dolphin’s football game. “It’s not every day you can go pick out a car you have dreamed of having,”

Mr. Webb said to The Town Crier Online. “It’s somewhat surreal.” Mr. Webb first learned about and entered the raffle through the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. When he saw the email, Mr. Webb noticed that it was a little late in the raffle entries, but he sent in a single $20 ticket anyway. In total, there were 3,000 tickets bought in the raffle. When Mr. Webb won,

he had the choice of any Nissan, Mazda or Toyota model worth up to $30,000. Mr. Webb chose the 2011 Toyota Highlander, an SUV equipped with the newest safety and motor technology. Before receiving the Highlander, Mr. Webb drove a Ford Fusion, and after winning the raffle, he gave the Fusion to his son. g

NEWS

Awards, money, and more awards

Stephen Anand finals for Dwyer Award

by JosieRusso

hree students placed in the Palm Beach County Science Fair Senior Division keyboard junior Christopher Wan won first place, strings senior Farahnaz Hadjimiry won third place and communications freshman Ximena Hasbach-Covian won fourth place. The music department was awarded $10,000 after winning third place in the Glee Give a Note contest. The department created a video highlighting the importance of the musical arts and the lack of funding the department receives. This video was submitted to the contest and voted for on the contest’s website. Communications senior Samantha Bilton and vocal senior Chrislyn Laurore were awarded the Posse Scholarship from the Posse Foundation. These two students were awarded over $164,000 in scholarship money to attend Mount Holyoke College in Massachusets. Theatre senior Sarah Baldinger, communications seniors Jillian Adams, Rachel Anderson, Nathan Ward, Alec Zisson, DJ Meyers and digital media senior Courtney Wayne are finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The program is an “academic competition for recognition and scholarships high school students enter the by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test,” according to the program’s website. Anderson and Baldinger were also announced as U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates. The candidates will be narrowed down to 141 students from all states and U.S. territories, who, as Presidential Scholars, travel to Washington D.C. in the summer. The program is one of the highest honors for high school students. g

Photo by Alex Rehberg

Science dean Stephen Anand talks with digital media sophomore Daniel Martin in his Biology Honors class. Mr. Anand has already been a finalist for the award once before.

by AlexRehberg

or the second year in a row, science dean Stephen Anand is a finalist for the William T. Dwyer Award for Excellence in Teaching along with four other Palm Beach County teachers. Mr. Anand said he was surprised to hear Principal Dr. Susan Atherley announce it over the intercom on Thursday, Feb. 9. “It feels awesome. My peers have nominated me and I have seen so much support from the students. It feels like I’ve

won already,” Mr. Anand said. Mr. Anand has a finalist interview with the Economics Council of Palm Beach, which will pick a winner for the reception at the Kravis Center on April 24. Mr. Anand will be honored at this event even if he does not win the top award. “[If I win] they will present me with a really awesome plaque that I can hang up right next to my brother’s [foreign language teacher Michael Anand], who is also a Dwyer Award winner,” Mr. Anand said. g

Taubert leaves a lasting $1.2 million memory by TimothyDiTocco

uring the summer of last year, Beverly Taubert presented the School of the Arts Foundation with an estimated $1.2 million donation. Ms. Taubert, a well-known patron of the arts, had previously moved from Minnesota to Florida with her husband. It was at this time that she had the idea to give less fortunate students a chance to succeed in college through financial aid. She expressed her thoughts to some of her close friends and neighbors, Mark and Jill Walter. “In April 2011, I received a phone call from Jill saying that Beverly was being assisted by Hospice at her home,” social studies dean Tom West said. “She told me that Beverly wanted to put her affairs in order. Jill wanted to ask me if I knew how a private citizen donates money for a specific cause.” Mr. West soon found out that she was looking to leave her money to a school and immediately recommended Dreyfoos.

“She decided that her estate was to be donated to the School of the Arts Foundation Inc.,” Mr. West said. “This included her house, car, investments and stock portfolios. I was stunned when I heard the news.” In May 2011, Ms. Taubert passed away. Mr. West organized some members of the band to play for Ms. Taubert’s memorial service. Her husband Bill Taubert passed away only two years earlier. Without his fortune from new vending machine patents, Dreyfoos would not have received such a generous donation from Ms. Taubert. “After we found out how much money would be donated, I was shocked. We immediately got to work on figuring out what to do with the donation,” School of the Arts Foundation Executive Director Patricia Broxson said. “Since it is an endowment, it will gain interest over time and will be used to help students who needed money for college. It will be called The Beverly A. and William T. Taubert Scholarship Fund.” The estate has no set value, but the $1.2 million will stay in a bank and gain about $50,000 in interest annually. The money will never be touched, which allows the scholarship fund to continue as long as the school does. g

The Muse | February 2012

news

Students enact their 26th amendment right by FrancescaOtero-Vargas

ith the Jan. 31 Florida primary behind us and the next presidential election less than a year away, many seniors who will be voting for the first time this November are keeping up with politics and the presidential race. “I feel that it’s important to educate yourself about the candidate online and to read their voting records and philosophies, because you’ll get better concrete knowledge and not have to deal with the sometimes boring GOP debates,” communications senior Javier Mora said. In the United States, you have to be at least 18 to vote, and in the Florida GOP primary, only registered Republicans were permitted to cast a ballot. “I’ve always been super-excited to turn 18 so I could finally vote,” band senior Drew Epstein said. “I’m a little skeptical about voting because I’m one of the people who think that my one vote wouldn’t make that much of a difference, but it makes me feel like a respected, adult American.” Republican front-runner Mitt Romney won the Florida primary with 46.4 percent of the votes, 14.5 percent more votes than runner-up Newt Gingrich.

The Muse | February 2012

Florida is considered by many to be an “I think that I would probably lean more important primary state because of its large towards voting for Obama in the presidential number of delegates and its early date, even election,” communications senior Pamela though this year the Republican National Mora said. “But I would look more carefully Convention (RNC) cut Florida’s number of at who the Republican candidate ends up delegates by half, from 100 to 50, for holding being before I say that I will definitely vote for the primary so early. Obama.” Since Florida is the Prior to the fourth most populous Florida primary, state, it also has the several GOP most electoral votes in candidates the general election. dropped out “I think that in of the race, the end of it, my narrowing the boy Mitt Romney candidate pool will end up winning even further. the nomination,” “I think Mora said. “I hope voting is the that he would be most important Photo by Angelica Moreno as smart as to pick thing that (From left to right) Communication seniors Javier Mora, Nathan Ward, Nathan John Huntsman as his Weinbaum, Cody Coven, Jeremiah Romano and Marco Dumancas pose at the Herman any person of Cain rally. running mate.” voting age can Though not all of do, especially the students who will be eligible to vote are the youth of America,” Javier Mora said. “I’m Republicans—in fact, it seems most Dreyfoos hoping that whoever gets the Republican students are Democrats—they are all still nomination will have their stuff together, excited to vote in the upcoming presidential because beating Obama isn’t going to be an election on Nov. 6. Some students already easy task.” g have an idea of who they are going to vote for.

NEWS

Arcaini leaves Dreyfoos to pursue conducting by KyleBell

arlier this school year, Anthony Arcaini was a keyboard sophomore, spending his time practicing in the music wing. Today, Arcaini is in Monte Carlo, Monaco, learning the arts of composition and conducting. Arcaini is a 16-year-old composer and conductor who left Dreyfoos to pursue his passion in conducting. Arcaini first started conducting at 13. Since then, he has conducted concerts in Florida and as far away as Italy. “At the moment, I’m in Monte Carlo, Monaco, assisting a ‘Mahler Symphony No. 5’ production,” Arcaini said. “I’m learning from Phillippe Auguin, the director of the Nice Opera.” When Arcaini was 13, he conducted his first concert in Italy with the Belogna Philharmonic Orchestra. Being a teenage professional conductor is hardly the norm for most, and Arcaini’s musical goals have already

brought him far in the world of conducting. every day for about 12 hours, from after lunch “I have two main goals: one is operatic to about two in the morning.” and one is symphonic,” Arcaini said. “Both In addition to conducting, Arcaini plays are really far away, but my really big goal is to the piano and cello. His musical ability was one day conduct the opera La Boheme at the discovered when he started playing piano at Metropolitan in New York.” the age of five; since then, he has composed Even though he has only conducted multiple pieces for piano and orchestra. four concerts, Arcaini has developed a deep “My first piece [for piano] was called passion for his art. In Monaco, Arcaini is ‘Beautiful Garden’ and it was the first perfecting his pieces and preparing for two movement of a Sonata in D major. It was in upcoming summer performances. the style of Mozart,” Arcaini said. “I wrote “In Monaco, I’m going to premiere the my first complete orchestral piece, which was orchestration of ‘Monaco ‘Dream of Tuscany’, Fantastique,’ a piece I which I feel was wrote back in July of starting to become 2008,” Arcaini said. “It its own style.” was basically a present Although it is to the prince of Monaco, more traditional to Albert. It’s a theme and conduct with the variations about Monaco, right hand, Arcaini and every variation is a prefers his left. highlight of Monaco.” As a sophomore, Some might think Arcaini has already conducting is as simple had numerous Photo by Anthony-Arcaini.com as waving a stick, memorable Former keyboard sophomore Anthony Arcaini conducts Mozart’s Symphony however conducting is, No. 29 at the Auditorium Manzoni in Bologna, Italy. experiences in actuality, an extremely during his in-depth art form that requires years of conducting career. He recalls many that have practice and hard work to master. Each day strengthened his love for conducting, and he as a teenage conductor requires a copious greatly appreciates his chance to pursue his amount of work and dedication. art. “My days vary a lot, but at the “There’s a feeling I get when I’m [on moment, I’ve been concentrating more on stage], I’m in a completely different world,” composition,” Arcaini said. “In the morning, Arcaini said. “When I start, I know exactly I wake up early and practice for about three what I want from [the orchestra], what the hours. In the afternoon, I work on a piece sound should be.” g

The Muse | February 2012

News

Senora Smith travels in bilingual bliss

LIVES

by ShawnaBilton

ach year millions of tourists travel across the world to see new sights and experience various cultures, and foreign language teacher Barbara Smith is no exception. Every chance that arises, Ms. Smith and her husband, math teacher Tom Smith, travel to either Europe, the Caribbean or different parts of the U.S. “As far as traveling, usually we have a big trip,” Ms. Smith said. “Sometimes it’s a cruise and we combine it with land and call it a ‘surf and turf.’ If not, we do a land vacation where we go away for a few weeks and travel to see different things.” Venturing across the Atlantic Ocean almost every summer provides Ms. Smith with an array of opportunities to put her linguistic expertise to use. “I use my Spanish everywhere. I always seem to find someone who speaks Spanish,” Ms. Smith said. “I have found people who speak Spanish, of course, all over Spain. In Italy, they speak Spanish and I know a little Italian.” In addition to new languages, the cultures and sights of the various countries Mr. and Ms. Smith travel to are not only historically fascinating, but their beauty also resonates with every tourist fortunate enough to spend

The Muse | February 2012

time there. “My first favorite place would be the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and my second would be Santorini in Greece,” Ms. Smith said. “It’s hard to explain, but it is absolutely picturesque wherever you go.” Ms. Smith and her husband have countless stories of fellow travelers they have met on their journeys. “I was on a cruise ship in the North Sea going from Rome to Copenhagen and I was sitting in a hot tub. Two adults—a mom and a dad—asked us, ‘Where are you from?’ and we said Florida,” Ms. Smith said. “It turns out that I was her daughter’s Spanish teacher.” Not only do they travel during the summer, but also during the various breaks throughout the school year. “There is only one thing bad about summer traveling. It’s high season, so you pay more money. Everything else is good because I love to travel and I can’t imagine my life without it,” Ms. Smith said. Despite the fact that she has travelled a countless number of times, there’s always somewhere new to explore. “I love to see other cultures, I love to meet new people and I like to practice my languages. I just find it fascinating,” Ms. Smith said. “I’ve always wanted to go to South

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Foreign language teacher Barbara Smith has travelled the world, using her bilingual abilities to maximize her experiences in other countries.

America, but we’ve been waiting until we retire because the seasons are opposite.” For Ms. Smith, going on excursions is an essential part of her life that influences her in numerous positive ways. “I’d highly recommend that everybody just try to get out a little bit. You never appreciate your own home unless you travel,” Ms. Smith said. “You really can understand humanity much better when you get away from everything you’re used to. I think the world would be a better place if people could speak a second language and travel to see what’s out there.” g

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The Muse | February 2012

Features

That awkward moment when you’re in a relationship by CamilleSanches

t’s that time of year when husbands buy dozens of roses for their wives, when Walgreens stocks up on cards and when loners stuff their faces to stifle their feelings. It’s the one and only Valentine’s Day. For about 500 years, people have been celebrating this holiday. Despite the universal theme of love, many people view this day contrastingly. For some students, relationships in general are nothing but awkward. g

Rejection Rollercoaster

“Once, I rejected this girl who asked me out via text message,” band sophomore Juan Suarez said. “Then I saw her at a carnival 30 minutes later which was kind of complicated.”

New York State of Not Funny

Angry Birds Ruins Relationships “When I was in the ninth grade after my boyfriend and I had been going out for weeks, he came over to my house,” theatre junior Gabrielle Mercado said. “We decided to go on a walk in my neighborhood. As we were walking under some trees I heard something, so I looked up and a bird pooped on my face. We rushed back to my house and I washed my face off. Afterward, we decided to finish our walk and that’s when he broke up with me. It was extremely embarrassing.”

“The day that [vocal junior] Shannon [Reagan] got back from New York for about 7 weeks this summer was really weird,” keyboard junior Josh Baldwin said. “I expected to have a good time, but she had a really thick accent and she kept on laughing at herself because she thought it was funny but it really wasn’t, it was just weird.”

Chutzpah and Hormones “One time me and my girlfriend Julia went to the movies,” communications sophomore Jarrod Carman said. “Her parents were above us, my dad was sitting two rows ahead of us and my rabbi was there too. It was really uncomfortable.” Graphic by Alec Zisson

What not to do with Seeds carnations

Valentine’s Day Shortlist Compiled by MikeshiaLewin Photos provided by selected teachers

Teachers reflect on childhood crushes and the outrageous things they did to get their attention.

The Muse | February 2012

Theresa Kanu English Teacher

“I was probably 16 [when I had my first crush.] I felt that I needed to behave in a very ladylike way so he would get my attention.”

Michael Rathe Science Teacher

We all feel sympathy for that adorable couple that just ended their wonderful relationship, so why not try getting them back together? Send a carnation under the ex-boyfriend’s name to his ex-girlfriend with a note like “Baby come back” or “I’ve felt lost without you in my life.” Assuming that they’re both still interested in each other (and not asking them to make sure) will save you precious time and give you the best results. When the ex-boyfriend swears that he never sent the carnation out, just start a rumor that he is too shy to share his feelings. This will prevent any complications and will ensure that they are that happy little couple again. g lec

Zis

son

Can we

Stuck in the “Friend Zone” but too scared to break out of it? Plan the perfect escape by sending a Seeds carnation to that special someone who considers you their “bestie.” Be

Sick of being ignored by that person you stare at everyday in class? Send them a Seeds carnation to show that you exist. Notes like “I failed last semester because I couldn’t stop staring at the back of your head” will make that special crush fall for you in no time. If they start giving you rude looks in the hallway the next day while talking to their friends, take it as a sign that they’re interested and approach them seductively to ask if

than just friends?

Breaking Out of the ‘Friend Zone’

The Creeper

Caring for the ‘Exes’

be m ore

Losing your best friend forever by doing something stupid is no joke – and neither is reverse psychology. Saying that you’re truly sorry is so overrated... but saying you’re not sorry is a different story. Don’t bring yourself down by admitting you made a mistake, because you are human, and humans never make mistakes. True friendship is all about innocence and finding clever ways to defend yourself. Send a Seeds carnation to your best friend with a comment like, “I’m not sorry for accidently kicking your dog” and “I don’t feel bad about wetting your bed at our second grade sleepover.” These amusing and biting remarks will reseal your friendship in no time and will grant you eternal forgiveness.

they received your carnation. Not only will this show your courage in dealing with the opposite sex, but it will impress them as well.

ic b yA

Resealing a Friendship

daring. Prove that you can be more than just a friend who helps with homework and gives them advice about the opposite sex. Notes like “I’ve always liked you as more than a friend” and “I fell for you at ‘you’re like a brother to me’” are a surefire way to start the perfect relationship. In fact, studies show that this method works 5 percent of the time and ruins relationships 95 percent of the time, so just be a hero and hope for the best.

Gra ph

by MackSchroeder

“[I was] around 12 or 13. I really wanted to show off on the ice-skating rink so I asked her if she would skate with me and she kicked me with the ice skates.”

Betsy Christy Foreign Language Teacher

Features

Forever alone or forever together

Do you need a companion to truly enjoy the day of love? Commentary by MikeshiaLewin

“I was 10 years old [when I had my first crush.] I chased him around the classroom and ripped my dress. I got paddled for it.”

Tom Smith Math Teacher

alentine’s Day happens to be every lone heart’s most hated holiday. To truly enjoy it, it’s necessary to have someone to share it with. You don’t have to be in love with the person; it could be someone you’re fond of or a person you like—smooching or cuddling with someone is just an added benefit. In all honesty, the day is celebrated so that couples can swoon over one another and shower each other with sweet gestures. Without that someone, the day is like cookies without milk: incomplete. “Being alone on Valentine’s in CityPlace is depressing,” theatre senior Deontra Palmer said. “I just want to feel loved when I open my locker and have sweet things coming out.” Even from experience, it’s no fun being alone on Valentine’s Day. Picture the lonely girl in a café full of lovers, looking longingly at the lovebirds, because that’s a scene ready to be directed by Woodie Allen. Instead of avoiding the mush, be a part of it. “I always have a date on Valentine’s Day,” dance senior Lawrence McClarin said. “I don’t know how it feels to be alone on that day.” People celebrate Valentine’s Day for multiple reasons, but it is often seen as a day to show gratitude and affection towards that special someone for being there. However, if you’re a single lad or lady looking for a meaningful relationship, then this day could be used as a steppingstone. It could begin simply as a boy asking a girl out. If she accepts, then perhaps they’ll enjoy a candlelit date on the shores of Palm Beach. They walk along the shore; he holds her cold hands, gazes into her eyes and gives her a big wet one on the lips. She will forever tell her friends of the day she and her beau met. All in all, Valentine’s Day was made to be enjoyed. Grab the person next to you and be a part of the love—not against it. g Be

Relationship

cb yK yle

Forever Alone

phi

or couples the only thing Valentine’s Day stands for is wasting money on candy and flowers for others; however, single people can actually or go out with friends just to celebrate the fact that they don’t have to buy anyone anything. Granted, the historical significance behind the day revolves around love, but with the divorce rate at a 50 percent and cheating rampant on the dating scene, people are better off kicking it with close friends. Feb. 14 does not have to be celebrated by only those who have a significant other in their life. For single people, glaring at all the couples hugged up in those random corners in school is the quickest way to become jealous of everyone that shows the slightest bit of PDA and to guarantee you will always celebrating Valentine’s Day by yourself. I understand that you may feel lame because you are with a friend, but crying about “The Notebook” or that whack movie “Titanic” is definitely worse. “I plan on going out with a girl who is a friend and acting as if she was my girlfriend,” communications junior Anthony Rodriguez said. “Even though I’m single, I never spend Valentine’s Day alone.” A few reasonable suggestions for enjoying Valentine’s Day while single are going to the movies, a fancy dinner or throwing an “I Hate Women/Men Party,” but, of course, those are for the 40-year-old virgins. Personally, as a slightly introverted character, I usually spend Valentine’s Day with my best friends: chocolate and ice cream. This Valentine’s Day instead of stomping up and down and hating on everyone you see, try going out and finding a new honey for yourself and maybe you will get lucky. g

Gra

Commentary by TijieneneGordon

“I was 2 years old when I had my first crush. I knew her since birth. My brother married us in a tree at the age of eight. We were separated at 12.”

Stephen Moore Communications Teacher

“I was playing baseball and I was pitching and it was a pop fly. I went to catch it and I went down with the catcher. The catcher stepped on my ankle. I knew my girlfriend was watching so I faked an injury for her attention.” The Muse | February 2012

Features

Schroeder juggles and struggles to find a beat commentary by MackSchroeder here are many celebrities who achieved their fame by being good at one thing and one thing only. Vanilla Ice is renowned for making an international hit that is played at every bar mitzvah, and Rick Astley proved that you can anger millions of Internet users with one catchy tune. As for me, my life has been full of potential one-hit wonders, but none of them have materialized into something that would have helped me gain any form of recognition. For the record, my most quirky and unique talent is that I can juggle knives and flaming torches. At 11 years old, I took pride in the fact that I could walk into a friend’s kitchen and put on a show for his family just by tossing up the apples and oranges in their pantry. Everywhere I went, I brought my complete juggling equipment set with the hopes of impressing anyone and everyone. Until I turned 14, my bowling-like pins, light-up balls, unsharpened knives, flaming torches and an assortment of other useless tricks never left my side. In the end, though, I learned that juggling was about as practical as the ability to do burp the alphabet backwards. It’s enough to make your friends laugh and smilebut at the same time, they feel bad that you actually took the time to teach yourself. As my juggling career came to a close, I decided to take it to the streets and started laying down some sweet rap tracks. My one single, “Blow Your Mind,” by my sixperson rap group Swagg Tagg, gained virtually no hits on

the Internet and has only been recognized by small groups of people around school. Lines like “make your eggs turn green like Sam I Am” and “don’t screw with us ‘cause we about to go ‘H.A.M.’” should have helped me skyrocket to the top of the musical hierarchy, until I realized that Dr. Seuss is not widely accepted by the rap community. While I may not be the first white Jewish rapper named Mack, and though I may not have the ability to grunt as loudly as Rick Ross or perform in Cirque du Soleil, I am still somewhat proud of my worthless talents. Though my juggling equipment has remained in a dusty pile under my bed for the past two years and my rhymes aren’t as fresh as they once were, it’s nice to know that I will always have the talents at my disposal during moments of spontaneity. Yo, I’ll juggle at your party so just tell me when, son. I’m unstoppable like Kim Possible, this kid ain’t even done. But I won’t rap for your enjoyment so don’t even ask me. Haters say I’m rapping now? Nah, they’re just trying to sass me. g

Illustration by Oscar Carl

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The Muse | February 2012

Features

Hair today, college tomorrow by JenniferYoon ar washes, lemonade stands, selling candy and…selling hair? Most people find it difficult to deal with their hair after it gets to a certain length, but visual senior Kathleen Wang had no problem growing it out for over six years. Wang’s college plans required her to raise money and selling her hair seemed like the perfect solution. “I was lazy and never cut [my hair] and then I realized ‘oh look how much hair I have. I should sell it,’” Wang said. “It used to be a little past my shoulders the summer before sixth grade and I haven’t cut it since, until a few weeks ago. I plan to sell it because I want to go to medical school and that costs a lot of money.” Wang cut off three feet and four inches of her hair. She hasn’t sold it yet and doesn’t know how much she wants to sell it for. “It was really weird watching [my hair] get cut in the mirror,” Wang said. “I expected it to be a lot lighter, but it didn’t feel lighter. I miss it a little. [The price of my hair] depends on the buyer. The highest I’ve seen for hair about that length was $2,300.” While Wang was growing her hair out, she faced many challenges. “I sat on it a lot so I instinctively moved it away after a while,” Wang said. “It got caught in doors and random people came

up to me and touched [my hair] without my permission. It [also] gets in the way of my sight sometimes, like when it is windy.” Before Wang cut her hair, her peers wondered how she maintained it. “I thought it was absolutely ridiculous [that her hair was so long] and wondered how long it took for her to shower,” keyboard junior Cara Zhuang said. When Wang came to school for the first time after cutting her hair, her friends were shocked. “I didn’t recognize her [at first],” visual senior Dean Longhofer said. “Then, she came up to greet me and that’s when my jaw nearly hit the floor.” Wang didn’t see her long hair as much of a bother because she found many creative uses for it. “Kathleen was a multi-talented hair user and her hair was multifunctional,” visual senior Claire Salmon said. “She could fan herself by twirling her hair, wear it as a scarf and hide in it. It was quite a marvel.” After over six years of letting her hair grow, Wang had to say goodbye. She plans on getting scholarships and a job to help pay for medical school in addition to what her hair brings her. After all, money doesn’t grow on hair. g

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Visual senior Kathleen Wang post-haircut.

-3’4”

Photo courtesy of Kathleen Wang

Visual senior Kathleen Wang sold her hair to save for college and medical school. Wang sold 3-feet-4-inches of hair, which is taller than the average 4-year-old (3-feet-3-inches tall).

Shark Week takes Stiglmeier higher by JosieRusso heatre junior Jack Stiglmeier walked up to the beach dressed in an “uncomfortably short” 1950s bathing suit. Armed with a syrup bottle filled with “blood,” a concoction of red dye and chocolate syrup, he had only one thing to do: get killed. Stiglmeier portrayed the death of realistic character Allan Green in the locally-shot TV docu-drama “Killer Sharks” last summer. “Shark Week, what more can I say? Whenever you get to die on camera or on stage it’s fun, but getting your legs savagely ripped off by a shark tops it all,” Stiglmeier said. Stiglmeier, using his stage name Jack McAllister, filmed an audition tape for the documentary “Killer Sharks,” and sent it to Los Angeles, where the casting directors later chose him for the role. “It had been about two weeks, and I was waiting to hear a yes or no,” Stiglmeier said. “When I got in the car with my dad, he told me [I made it] and I could barely contain myself. This was a chance to be on national television. I finally had an opportunity to get my foot in the door.” Stiglmeier’s pre-shoot preparation

consisted of memorizing player.” the lines and practicing Stiglmeier passed screaming and flailing when the California High no one was home. But when School Proficiency he got to the set, the writers Exam (CHSPE) and changed his scene and he now has the equivalent had 45 minutes to get the of a high school new script down. diploma, allowing him “On the first take, when to work as an adult it came to the shark part, I in California. He is had to stop and ask what Photo by Discovery Channel looking at colleges in Theatre junior Jack Stiglmeier has starred in various other exactly they wanted me to the Los Angeles area projects in addition to “Shark Week.” “They said ‘get killed by a shark,” Stiglmeier said. “So flailed around like none other and so that he can pursue do,” Stiglmeier said. “They said ‘get killed by a shark,’ so screamed at the top of my lungs.” an acting career while I flailed around like none other and screamed studying. at the top of my lungs.” “My primary hope for Jack is that he is Marielle Woods, a supervising producer happy, doing something professionally for for “Killer Sharks,” was impressed with which he has a passion,” said John Stiglmeier, Stiglmeier’s acting skills, especially for a high Jack’s father and manager. school junior. She has no doubt that she will Stiglmeier has been in several other be seeing more of him in the future and said acting projects since Shark Week, including she would be happy to work with him again. “Silent Movie,” a film premiering at the “Jack was a consummate professional Nantucket Film Festival in Massachusetts. and an all-around pleasure to work with,” His ultimate dream is to win an Academy Ms. Woods said. “I enjoyed his positive Award for Best Actor, and his main energy and appreciated his total dedication motivation is to make any project the to the role. When it comes to actors, he’s the absolute best it can be, whether he has two or dream: talented, hard-working and a team 200 lines. g The Muse | February 2012

I 16

The Muse | February 2012

Cover Story

THE HISTORY

OF SPIRIT WEEK

SPIRIT

by ShawnaBilton and DominiqueMcKenzie

n 1999, Spirit Week began with a “Cowboys and Indians” theme day that allowed for students to relive the Wild West. In 2012, students arrived on campus purposely wearing the same exact outfit as a friend, and no one was embarrassed about it. Looking back to the early ’90s, it is clear that the School on the Hill was filled with the same liveliness and spirit as it is today. But like all things, Spirit Week has progressed and evolved into what it is today. The crazy outfits, wild hair and insane personalities are still displayed, but rules and themes have changed throughout the years. “Spirit week has evolved from being art areas to grade levels, which almost involves the entire school community. That, to me, is a positive change,” communications teacher Ancil Deluz said. “We built floats but I think that in it of itself was an art centered activity whereas now, with the type of activities that we have, the entire school community participates.” Rather than dividing the school by art area, students are now separated by class which allows for a more unified atmosphere during Spirit Week. “I think it’s [as] equally competitive [now], but each grade level takes a little more pride in their class than a diverse group of different age levels and grade levels did in their art areas,” said student services secretary Lynn Berryman. Spirit Week has endured a variety of changes, such as the elimination of building floats for a parade in the parking lot, which many believe was a positive change. Many students and teachers still feel as though there are further improvements to be made. “There was a lot more freedom early on, and because of some abuse of rules, [the sponsors] had to tighten some of the regulations,” English teacher Theresa Kanu said. Despite all the altercations made, the main purpose of this week of spirit remains this: a school wide celebration and festival. The competitive aspect of this week has gotten increasingly more intense as students have accepted the different challenges of dressing up, running on the field and cheering with more vigor. “I think Spirit week serves a very valuable purpose at the school of the arts. I think it helps to bring us together, celebrate and reaffirm who we are as a community of young artists,” Mr. Deluz said. “And I think that we should be collaborating and not competing with each other. However, this is a step in the right direction.” g

[Far right] In February 1999, dance senior Sheila Burford and dance sophomore Billy Smith dance in Monday’s lunch swing competition.

WEEK

[Right] In February 1999, representatives from each art area participate in the sack races during Tuesday’s lunch.

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The Muse | February 2012

Cover story

MONDAY by JosieRusso

oys jump around the soccer field clad in hula skirts, sports bras and shiny green wigs while girls lunge for each other with a football sailing through the air. Shouts from the crowd ring out across the campus as students cheer on their teams. Spirit Week has arrived. Spirit Week kicked off with its traditional game of Powder Puff Football, where the girls played and the guys cheered. The juniors faced off against the freshmen, with the juniors coming out victorious. “I’m so impressed with the students with their behavior and I think everything went amazing,” Principal Susan Atherley said. “I was very impressed with such a large turnout.” The sophomores versus seniors game lasted the entire lunch period, extending into overtime. The seniors beat the sophomores, and won over the juniors. “We worked together very efficiently as a team and we executed a lot of random plays very smoothly,” communications senior Tatiana Lestido said. “We were all connected and on the same page that day. But, I mean, most importantly we had a great time.” g

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Communications senior Laura Pitts gets hoisted in the air by a crowd of thrilled seniors after winning the Powder Puff Football game.

TUESDAY by EsterMendoza and JenniferYoon

s students arrived at school long before the first bell rang, SGA greeted students with music and 32 dozen donuts at both the bus loop and the front of the school. Even Republican primary voters visiting campus

The Muse | February 2012

wanted to share in the spirit, taking a couple of donuts themselves. The excitement carried on throughout Musical Genre Day, especially during lunch, where the real games began on the soccer field. Juniors won the first activity of the day, the Over-Under Race, followed by communications seniors Cody Coven and Nathan Weinbaum placing first in the Three-Legged Race. Visual

Photo by Shawna Bilton

[above] Theatre sophomore Ramiro Retes sprints with the Frisbee during the 50-Yard Dash relay. The sophomores won. [upper left] (from left to right) Judy Gaunt, Tabitha Bartley, Khala James and Geralyn Cardenas catch some air during Quadruple Dutch. Bartley was the last one jumping, giving the juniors a win. [lower left] Communications sophomore Jade Riggins gets ready to throw the football as the seniors prepare to defend the pass. Photo by Aubrey Levin

sophomore Robert Langdon, theatre sophomore Ramiro Retes, communications sophomore Munashe Kwangwari and digital media sophomore Jordan Starkey triumphed in the 50-Yard Dash, and visual senior Marcio Do Nascimento winning the Potato Sack Race. Dance junior Tabitha Bartley also scored a win in Quadruple Dutch, which involves four people jumping rope at the same time. In addition to a high level of

student participation, Tuesday’s success was clearly a result of the many hours SGA put towards making Spirit Week enjoyable for everyone. “[The events] are always fun, but it’s hard to organize [them],” social studies teacher Tom Ruth said. “But I think the most fun event is just the music and watching the dancing and costumes.” g

Cover story

WEDNESDAY by SavannahArtusi

reshmen and sophomores showed their abilities by defeating the juniors and seniors in a game of Kickball during lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Although many assumed the upperclassmen would win, the underclassmen beat them 6-5. Usually, the kickball players are all boys, but this year digital media freshman Kendra Martin and visual freshman Rachel

Rabinowitz took the field as well. Math teacher Traci Whalen, who supervised the Kickball game, was excited to see girls playing. She also said that the soccer players on the underclassmen team were keeping the game interesting. “At first I thought the upperclassmen were going to win because they’re older, but now I don’t know. It’s anyone’s call,” said Ms. Whalen during the game.

“Everyone’s out here to have a good time.” On the underclassmen team was theatre sophomore Ramiro Retes, a top scorer on the soccer team. Retes used his experience in soccer to help his team to victory. Just minutes before the game, he scored the final point. This point changed the score from a 5-5 tie to a win for the underclassmen. “I kicked the ball into the ditch, so I was able to run to second base. I knew we only had one last kick and [theatre sophomore Arron Tsipis] kicked it in my direction even though I

wanted him to kick it the other way,” Retes said. “I ran to home as fast as I could, which made us win the game.” g

Photo by Francesca Otero-Vargas

Photo by Shawna Bilton

[above] Dance sophomore Amaris Graham sways to the beat of the “Hairspray” classic, “Welcome to the ’60s” during the sophomore generation dance. [left] Senior dance majors end their generation dance to Journey’s hit song “Don’t Stop Believing.” Dance senior Caitlin Butler choreographed the dance. [top] Band senior Eric Miessau gets ready to kick the ball during the underclassmen victory in the kickball game.

THURSDAY by CamilleSanches

tudents crowded in the cafeteria eager to cheer on their dancing classmates. Due to the rain, the generation dance was moved to the cafeteria, but that did not stop the seniors from winning. The freshmen were up first

to boogie to ’50s music, students went wild when they started doing the hand jive. “I really liked doing the hand jive,” dance freshman Gabriela Rubio. “We rehearsed two times, but I think it went well.” Next were the sophomores. To portray the ’60s they danced to

Photo by Aubrey Levin

“The Twist” and “Welcome to the ’60s.” “Cassidy [Spaedt] threw me out there, it was a [spur of the moment thing], but I enjoyed it,” dance sophomore Amaris Graham said. Afterwards, the juniors took their place on the dance floor and showed everybody how fun the ’70s were. Dance junior Diana Haber led her class to songs like “Funky Town” and “YMCA.” “It was really fun, I just went

up there are enjoyed myself,” Haber said. “I think we had great music that everyone knew and could dance to. Last to compete were the seniors. They danced to a variety of well-know ’80s songs like “Bust a Move,” “Jessie’s Girl” and “Don’t Stop Believing.” “I feel awesome. I already knew we were going to win and I felt it ever since we [practiced the dance] for the first time,” dance senior Pierre Clerger said. g The Muse | February 2012

Cover story

FRIDAY by JenniferYoon

ours before the pep rally, students took part in the last of Spirit Week’s activities. While dancing to the DJ’s music, they also enjoyed rooting for their respective classes in Capture the Flag. “All the teams did very well and played their best,” band sophomore David Stern said. “Even though I had no idea what was going on, it was fun to cheer for your team.” The game started off slow, but gradually gained its pace. “I think [it was slow] mainly because people [were] afraid of trying to run in and losing their flag,” communications freshman Matt Charlton said. There were no winners or losers for this Spirit Week activity since no grade level could get the flags that their teams needed. The game ended in a tie, but the classes were satisfied with the results nonetheless. “I think we did pretty [well],” communications sophomore Charles Bonani said. “We could have worked a little harder, but we did our best.” g

Photo by Shawna Bilton

Photo Aubrey Levin

[top] Dance teacher Garry Lewis dressed up for the senior class as Beyoncé. [above] Visual senior Oscar Carl runs onward with his fellow classmates, playing a Storm Trooper from Star Wars. [right] Theatre junior Jesse Ramos chases visual senior Eric Miessau during the Capture the Flag game at lunch. [far right] Communications freshmen Haley Lickstein and Madeleine Fitzgerald sing during the karaoke competition at the Pep Rally. “We know we did horrible, we had fourteen people cancel so we had to fill in,” communications freshman Madeline Fitzgerald said. “We did is as a joke and we were going to lose anyway.”

The Muse | February 2012

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Photo by Shawna Bilton

Cover story

TWO-OH! ONE-__! Pep rally brings end to a week of cleavage, costumes and competition A by ShawnaBilton and DominiqueMcKenzie

s Spirit Week came to a close, underclassmen and upperclassmen truly showed their school spirit by coming to school dressed in their class colors to enjoy the last day of Spirit Week. Freshmen wore blue, sophomores wore green, juniors wore red and seniors wore black. After a tie in Capture the Flag during lunch, students came to the Pep Rally with the intention to end the week with a bang. Once all other grade levels were seated, the seniors marched into the gym sporting “Star Wars” masks, while the commonly known “Star Wars” “Darth Vader” song began to play. Chaos broke out as the seniors began to wildly run and dance around the gym. To kick off the Pep Rally events, two students from each grade level went head to head at musical chairs. In the end, sophomore Juan Granados was victorious against the other competitors. “I felt really good winning, like real proud. I got to actually represent my class and win the event,” Granados said. “In the first round when I was the first person to sit down I was like, ‘Alright good I got through this’, but I was still really nervous as heck.” Keeping the spirit going, 10 students from each class competed in a round of Tug-of-War, the first round between the freshman and the juniors. Once defeating the freshman, the juniors went up against the seniors who defeated the sophomores in the previous round. Even though they put up a good fight, the juniors could not match the brute strength of the senior class. The seniors took another victory. “This was the first year that I’ve done Tug of War, so I didn’t know what to expect,” communications senior and senior class president Donald Meyers said. “I didn’t wear gloves and ended up getting two layers of skin ripped off the palm and middle finger of my right hand.” Following Tug of War, teacher representatives of each class strutted their stuff in the Teacher Dress Up. The school was graced with the surprise appearance of Beyonce, otherwise known as theatre teacher Garry Lewis, and her newborn baby, dance senior

Lawrence McClarin. Students from all grade levels roared in laughter throughout the event and the seniors were once again crowned number one. During karaoke, the sophomores were able to impress both teachers and students with vocal sophomore Micailah Lockhart’s performance. However, the most anticipated event was next: the Dance Off. Due to possible disqualifications because of dress code, no winner was announced. Math teacher and SGA sponsor Traci Whalen and principal Susan Atherley helped judge the Scream Off. The freshman, sophomores and seniors screamed as loud as they could, but the juniors remained silent due to protest their alleged disqualification from the dance. The end of the Pep Rally marked the end of Spirit Week 2012. The seniors were able to beat out the other grades and obtain the spirit stick once again. “I was excited [about our win]. [Spirit Week] is something that Jeremiah [Romano] and I have been looking forward to for 4 years as class presidents,” Meyers said. “It was awesome to see how excited our class was." g

Photo by Shawna Bilton

[top] Theatre junior Stoan Maslev (left) and dance junior Christopher Huggins (right) struggle to keep their footing in the Tug-of-War contest against the seniors.

[below] Social studies teacher Richard Gallo, dressed as the Hulk, roars to the sophomores.

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

The Muse | February 2012

Arts

Arts Index visual arts

theatre

ityPlace’s EG Gallery displayed pieces from visual and digital media students who placed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Overall, there were 20 students who placed in photography and 24 students who placed for their other artistic pieces. Many students also had their portfolios reviewed at the Dreyfoos College Fair on Jan. 18. g

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

communications

he Speech and Debate team traveled to Emory University’s Barkley forum debate tournament in Atlanta on Jan. 26-31. Film students are working on silent films, and are getting videos ready for the Communication Arts Showcase on April 5. The 30 communications students who placed in the Scholastic Art and Writing awards were recognized at an awards ceremony held on Feb. 8 at the Mos’Art Theatre in Lake Park. g

band

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Teacher Pedro Hernandez taps along to keep his students in beat during his first hour band class.

and students performed at the Solo and Ensemble Festival on Jan. 27-28 in Orlando, a contest where students perform solos in front of judges or a small audience. They are also preparing for their Spring Concert on Feb. 21. “It’ll be great. We’ve been practicing for awhile now so it’ll blow everyone’s mind,” band freshman Benedetto Salvia said. g

Former Miss America Katherine Shindle visited the Theatre Department. Ms. Shindle, who performed in “Legally Blonde” on Broadway in 2007, held a Q&A session in the Black Box and advised students on auditioning. “Nobody else is you, and you have to take all of you to Photo by Aubrey Levin whatever audition,” Theatre sophomore Lindsey Hasak works on an assignment for Mr. Blanchette. Each Ms. Shindle said. g student was given a famous portrait and were then instructed to make a hat that reflects that painting.

dance Dance majors continue to work on pieces in their regular ballet, modern and tap classes. The department recently hosted guest choreographers such as “So You Think You Can Dance” winner and Dreyfoos alumnus Billy Bell who helped choreograph dances for their upcoming April 12-15 concert. “It’s going to be a great show,” said dance sophomore Sophie Chateauvert. “We have a lot of guest choreographers who are always so amazing and always make a great show.” g

strings

trings students traveled to Orlando Jan. 26-27 for a national conference held at the Contemporary Hotel in Disney. “It went really well. We were the entertainment for the arts association banquet,” said strings sophomore Kaelin Espinosa. They are also practicing for their upcoming Spring Concert. g

keyboard

he keyboard students are practicing for their upcoming duet recital, which will take place on Feb. 17 in Meyer Hall. “We’re featuring romantic music by numerous composers,” said keyboard junior Ben Batalla. “It’ll be absolutely great, so come on out.” g

vocal

he vocal department practiced for their annual Valentine’s Day concert, which was held Feb. 14 in Meyer Hall. The concert included love songs in different languages. g Photo by Aubrey Levin

Keyboard senior Christopherr Ngo and keyboard junior Robert Faber practice for the upcoming duet recital.

The Muse | February 2012

Arts

From a student to a star Galarza continues his acting career in a Disney sitcom ARTIST SPOTLIGHT by DanaMiller

our years ago, when theatre senior Nick Galarza made his big break on the USA TV series “Burn Notice,” he knew this was just the beginning. Now, after traveling between Los Angeles and Miami about five times since school started, Galarza has been casted as Marty in the new Disney sitcom “Zombies and Cheerleaders.” “When I auditioned, I saw the casting directors and I was like ‘hey what’s up’ and then I gave them high fives,” Galarza said. “After I was called back multiple times, I knew that I was doing something right.” Although Galarza appeared to be calm, cool and collected while approaching the casting directors, he knew that he had some stiff competition. “There was a strong level of competition to overcome before securing the role,” Galarza said. “Throughout the audition process, I considered the amount of kids going for the role and that was a good reality check.” After being cast for the role, Galarza left for Los Angeles to film the pilot on Jan. 4 and returned on Jan. 31. “I was on my own,” Galarza said. “My mom flew with me there for a couple of days just because we were getting situated in my

apartment. Disney paid for everything.” On the show, Galarza’s character, Marty, acts as the comedic relief. “He’s very odd and quirky,” Galarza said. “He hangs out with only zombies even though he is a human and is kind of your typical high school oddball.” Galarza plans on graduating from Dreyfoos, but based on the projects he is working on, he might have to leave again. He is auditioning for a part in a possible Disney movie named “Big Moves.” If Galarza gets the role, he will have to go to Puerto Rico and shoot there for two months. “I feel like this show will open a lot of doors for me with Disney as well as getting my name out there as a young actor,” Galarza said. “I also think that I can showcase a lot of my comedy in this particular part which is always good.” Galarza’s role as Marty on “Zombies and Cheerleaders” and his work on “Burn Notice” have allowed him to make acting a career. “He has filmed already for television by doing commercials in middle school and two weeks of filming his freshman year,” said Diana Galarza, Nick’s mother. “When you film, you get days off, it becomes a regular work job.”

Photo by Aubrey Levin

Theatre senior Nicholas Galarza performs his favorite pose during his first period acting class. He recently got back from filming his television show in California.

The show “Zombies and Cheerleaders” has only filmed a pilot and is still awaiting approval from Disney to film the rest of the season. “If the directors determine the show as worthy of continuing and they really like it, it will be aired in the fall,” Galarza said. g

Chef John Carlino (561) 281 -2531 http://cooksstudio.com

An Interactive Culinary Experience in Palm Beach Gardens

Cooking Demonstrations Hands -On Cooking Classes Chef's Tables Dinners Corporate Team Building Kool Kids Cooking Classes & Parties

Chef John Carlino (561) 281 -2531 http://cooksstudio.com

An Interactive Culinary Experience in Palm Beach Gardens

Cooking Demonstrations Hands -On Cooking Classes Chef's Tables Dinners Corporate Team Building Kool Kids Cooking Classes & Parties

The Muse | February 2012

Arts

DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT: Communications

by ValeriaRivadeneira

ike an old tree, the Communications department has many branches, all pointing in different directions and giving students many paths and possibilities in order to continue with their artistic passion through life. Film, Graphic Design, Yearbook, Literary and Arts Magazine, Journalism, TV production, Speech and Debate and Creative Writing are the art classes that the Communications department offers.

TV Production In TV Production, students learn how to work in a real-world television studio environment. They face tight deadlines, criticism, spontaneous equipment failures and carry the full responsibility of getting the morning announcements aired. “It’s a lot of teamwork. If someone slacks off it hurts the whole show and not just that one person,” communications junior Dylan Kiley said. Kiley works as a field reporter and back-up technical director. Field reporters are in charge of getting stories. They often work in pairs, carrying cameras, tripods and microphones to wherever they must shoot. “Everyone has two jobs: one is to make news packages for the rest of the school to see and learn what’s going on, but they also have in-studio roles,” communications senior Alex Rehberg said. “When it’s time to get my floor director, teleprompter runner and audio technician in the same room at the same time, they could be off doing other things and then we miss our deadline.” Rehberg is the producer for one of the TV classes and often struggles with getting everyone to simultaneously cooperate. “I’ve had times where teleprompters stop displaying the words right when we’re ready to film or when audio levels don’t record to the tape even though we see the levels working,” Rehberg said. TV Production students often face much criticism for things that are out of their control such as equipment failures or last minute connection malfunctions. “A lot of people say it’s not that good but we’re just a school. It’s really as good as it can go. We get awards but we don’t have professional equipment,” Kiley said.

The Muse | February 2012

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Communications senior Alex Rehberg makes sure every camera is set up properly before taping a show. Rehberg is the producer for his TV Production class.

Film In Film, students must compile an entire production notebook before actually starting to film. “The hardest part of film, is compiling the production notebook before shooting because it requires every detail that makes up the film you’re making, from how you came up with it, to what exactly happened,” communications sophomore Sergio Rodriguez said. Students discuss different elements that are used throughout film history, such as lighting, color, medium close ups, long shots and dominant and low angles. They’re faced with tight deadlines, especially when entering a film contest or festival. The film process can take months. “It’s very difficult making a film. The most difficult part is editing and regretting not having gotten that extra shot,” communications junior Joe Huard said. “People don’t realize how much time and effort it takes. My film took about 50 to 60 hours of work and it’s only seven minutes long.” The film process is like putting together puzzle pieces, although many time students are unsure of how the puzzle will come out. Many of the students in film classes at Dreyfoos wish to pursue film as a career later in life. “It’s a dream of mine to be able to present unorthodox and underappreciated ideas into the visual medium of film,” communications sophomore Sergio Rodriguez said. “Film is the most conceptually artistic and libertydriven branch of the communications department.”

Seeds Seeds is Dreyfoos’ award-winning literary and arts magazine. Throughout the year, they collect submissions ranging from poetry, prose and artwork, to photographs, plays and music pieces. “We’re like a little family, sometimes we sit around, drink tea and discuss the magazine,” communications sophomore Chelcee Pangerl said. Although Seeds sells many copies each year, the money generated is still not enough to produce the entire magazine. “I have to plan all the fundraisers, organize them and make sure they’re all okay with the bookkeeper,” communications junior Jenny Mazzarino said. “If it’s a sale such as carnations, we have to deliver and that takes organization too.” Mazzarino is the editor of fundraising, which must raise over $3,000 in order to print the magazine. “It’s hard to get everyone motivated. The biggest challenge is getting people to care sometimes,” Mazzarino said. Book production staff is in charge of coming up with a theme, laying out and designing each page. Submissions staff grades and picks out every individual piece of art and writing that will go in the magazine. Advertisement staff makes the commercials that are aired on the morning announcements and the posters that can be found all throughout school. g

Arts

Rucker learns the bass-ics of business

A click on Facebook lands Ross Rucker a job with Chapman Guitars

By KloeeCiuperger

hat started off as a post on Facebook has now turned into a unique business venture for strings senior Ross Rucker. Rucker, a bass and guitar player, has been a fan of Chapman Guitars, a company based

commissioned and making a great job out of it,” Chapman said. “My wife turned to me and asked, ‘who does that remind you of?’ It was exactly the entrepreneurial move that I had pulled many a time in my history and Ross had the same ‘go get it’ attitude.“

Photo by Kloee Ciuperger

Band senior Ross Rucker plays his bass at lunch. He used to put on a musical show outside the Cafeteria during lunch and hopes to bring the show back before he graduates.

out of the United Kingdom. Rucker posted on Chapman decided to bring Rucker onboard the Chapman Facebook page a proposal that the Chapman team officially. He gave Rucker the company start making basses. Fans are a Chapman Guitars email address and able to vote for the design of the company’s made a video introducing him as the project upcoming guitars. Rucker wanted to be a coordinator on his voluntary team. He will part of the voting, vying for a unique bass he also receive a bass at a high discount and VIP helped create. tickets to a festival hosted by He made a Chapman. video on his “[Rucker] is awesome, an own promoting absolute gold mine. [He has] the potential so much energy and American Chapman bass. enthusiasm. He is exactly what -Rob Chapman, “I tried is required to enroll customers,” Owner of Chapman Guitars to do it by Chapman said. “Finding people myself. I that can present like him and made a YouTube video about it and I got make a video as watchable as his was is some supporters, six at first. It was a work extremely rare.” in progress and he saw what I was doing,” Rucker’s success was the result of a single Rucker said. comment on Facebook. Rob Chapman, owner of Chapman Guitars, “An idea came into my head and I went quickly noticed Rucker’s video and began onto his Facebook page just as a fan and alerting his employees and family of his new was like ‘you’re awesome! Oh, here’s a discovery. crazy thought. Why don’t you start making “I described this kid [in a] conversation basses?’” Rucker said. with my wife. [Rucker was someone who] I Chapman has over 3,500 subscribers and had never met, making this video I had not Rucker had little confidence that he would

‘[Rucker] is an absolute gold mine. [He has] so much energy and American enthusiasm.’

reply. Within three minutes, Chapman sent him a message about the process. “I must have received more than 50 requests to make a Chapman Bass guitar by the time Ross approached me,” Chapman said. “My standard response was at the ready: ‘Ok, go and find me 100 people who would want to help design and buy a bass and I can work with that.’ ” Rucker, enthusiastic and determined, set out to gain 100 deposits for a Chapman-made bass. “He emailed me that he liked what I was doing but I needed to take down the video. He gave me more information to re-make the video and he made me an officer of the Chapman Bass Project,” Rucker said. “[When I found out], I was in shock. It’s like talking to a celebrity and for him to put me in charge is amazing.” According to Chapman, Rucker would reach a wider audience because he was a multi-instrumentalist of good ability and has great presentation skills. Rucker is getting more out of this experience than just a discounted bass. “I see this as an experience that will help hone his communication skills, teach him the business of instrument manufacturing and development, as well creating a friendship with a musical entrepreneur of the caliber of Mr. Chapman,” said Ross Rucker Sr., Rucker’s father. Rucker’s video promoting a potential Chapman bass now has over 12,000 views and he has found over 90 people to pledge a deposit for a bass, just a few shy of making the project a reality. Rucker hopes to go wherever his music takes him. As for now, music is making him a businessman. “This is a really big, great thing to start off the new year. A lot of people say it’s hard to follow your dreams and it’s tough to find big people to help you,” Rucker said. “[To get to] the position I am in now, all I had to do was ask, or write a comment. It’s as simple as being determined, and saying I’m going to do this. Work towards your goal.” g

Check out Ross!

www.youtube.com/user/

TACOMANSUPERFUNKY The Muse | February 2012

Arts

Photo by Dana Miller

Visual sophomore Juan Granados concentrates as he shapes graphic objects on an iPad before sculpting.

Happenings in Building 9 by DanaMiller

Photo by Dana Miller

Visual junior Katelyn Fay sits on the windowsill as she uses Crayola markers to capture her image of a vibrant city.

ntering the visual building, the scent of acrylic paint is overwhelming, transporting you into another world. Through multiple mediums, you begin to enter the minds of unique artists. To the right, one splatters paint against the wall, hitting the artist next to them, who is working on their sketchbook, and causing a commotion. To the left, you find students on their stomachs concentrating on their artwork. They gaze around, searching the chaotic setting for their next muse. From the taxidermy room to the charcoal walls, one never knows what they will find in this magical building. Walking up the stairs, it almost seems like you’re stepping into their minds. You never know what you’ll discover when you enter the doors of Building 9. g

Photo by Dana Miller

[Above] Visual junior Nita Miller listens to her music as she flips through a friend’s sketchbook.

[left] Digital Media senior Larissa De La Roche took this picture as a collaboration. It was her first silhouette shoot shot in a warehouse earlier this year.

Photo by Dana Miller

Visual sophomore Megan Luchey uses gloves to avoid staining herself with the paint. Photo by Dana Miller

The Muse | February 2012

Arts

themuseatdreyfoos.com

Dreyfoos Dressup

This is a q-r code, scan it with your smart phone and it will take you directly to the muse website.

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Costume teacher Penelope Williams and theatre senior Bernard Ofori work on a costume for the upcoming theatre production, Metamorphoses.

Students wow audiences in their on-stage attire developed. magine a group of actors standing on stage, “[Originally,] we didn’t have enough clad in their everyday attire of jeans and storage here at all, [the storage room in the t-shirts while reenacting a passionate scene theatre building] is the size of a bedroom,” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Now Ms. Williams said. “So money was raised imagine that same performance but with the by the Theatre Parents Association and our actors sporting elaborate wonderful foundation [to and colorful Elizabethan go towards the creation of a garb. Now decide which storage warehouse].” would captivate the The significance of onaudience and send them stage attire does not only back to the 16th Century. apply to performances in “The clothing the theatre department, expresses the character; but those of all other the color of the costume, performing arts including the style of it, the cut of music and dance. it, the whole look and “It is very important feel of it,” said costume - theatre freshman Jake Poser for everyone in a [vocal] teacher at Dreyfoos for 17 concert to look their best,” years, Penelope Williams. vocal junior Georgia Sackler said. “If one Costumes for productions in the theatre singer is out of uniform, the audiences’ eyes department are created by the students, go directly to that person and it distracts from store-bought or donated. The theatre the performance.” department stores these costumes in a In order to retain that uniformity of the separate warehouse by the soccer field. This singers, there are specific requirements for warehouse stores costumes that have been what must be worn in vocal performances. worn since Dreyfoos’ first performances. Different vocal groups within the school have “It’s kind of mind blowing how many their own clothing requirements, including costumes the theatre department has,” theatre tuxedos and bow ties for the boys and black freshman Jake Poser said. “[Our stock] is chorus dresses for the girls. If a student not the most organized thing. I don’t think forgets an item from their outfit, points are we get rid of the costumes unless they are deducted from their performance grade. completely worn out and disgusting.” Those who fail to bring their outfit all together The costume supply began to accumulate are not allowed to perform. back in 2001 after former costume rental “The students pay for their own uniforms,” company owner Vivian Jamshidi donated the Sackler said. “Ms. Sparks [the vocal majority of the costumes once she retired in teacher] stresses the importance of being in Florida. Since then, an extensive stock has uniform as much as possible, but it is our by ElizabethLane

‘It’s kind of mind blowing how many costumes the theatre department has.’

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

Theatre senior Tara Aboumahboub sifts through costumes in the costume warehouse’s extensive stock.

responsibility to come dressed appropriately.” The attire for dance performances at Dreyfoos is also vitally important. Usually the choreographer of the dance will choose the costumes for that performance. The costumes are paid for by funds within the dance department and reflect the feel of the dance being performed. “The tutus [cost] somewhere around $70 but we as students don’t pay for them,” dance sophomore Carley Wright said. “The costumes usually relate to the piece we are performing, mainly in a way that helps give the performance completeness.” g

The Muse | February 2012

Sports

Kaufman tears up the court and her meniscus

JAGUAR PROFILE

Kaufman returns to tennis to serve up success for the Jaguars

issue. surgery, the doctor botched the surgery to ast year, the girls tennis team returned to “That was the third time I had torn a repair the meniscus and didn’t tell us. [It] the court with a high level of confidence meniscus,” Kaufman said. “I have a rare took me five months to recover.” after winning the previous season’s district discoid meniscus; it means I have an extra Due to Kaufman’s condition, every time tournament. At the first day of tryouts, meniscus, which makes them more likely to she plays there is a chance of tearing another communications junior Alexis Kaufman was tear.” meniscus. Even though she has been lucky so playing theatre junior Caitlyn Johnson when The first time Kaufman tore a meniscus far, tearing a meniscus could end her sports halfway through the match Kaufman jumped was over four years ago. At the time, she had career. for a ball and when she came down she no idea she has a condition that, according to “There’s always a chance to be reinjured,” twisted her knee, the organization Kaufman said. “There is always a slight fear tearing a meniscus. Medscape, is of going back onto the court, but I love tennis Her season was found in less than so much I’ll do it.” over. 3 percent of the With her knee fully rehabilitated, Kaufman “I remember she population. looks forward to the upcoming season. She was on the court, “The first hopes to help her team regain their district -Communications junior Alexis Kaufman time [I tore my and then I remember title, and is even working towards the regional looking across the meniscus] I was tournament. courts and seeing her on the ground,” tennis in the seventh grade. I remember I walked “I’m hoping to beat Cocoa Beach at coach Ancil Deluz said. “I went over to her, around in extreme pain for three months regionals this year,” Kaufman said. “They beat and she was reluctant to get up. She knew because I assumed it was some abnormal us last time we were at regionals...It would be something was wrong.” growth spurt,” Kaufman said. “The first good to get some payback.” g Kaufman’s injury is one of the most common injuries sustained by tennis players; however, it is less frequent among younger players. When Kaufman tore her meniscus last season, she knew it immediately. “I had spent the entire summer, and the entire first semester preparing and getting better for season. Four games in, I tore my meniscus,” Kaufman said. “I remember hearing a loud pop, and feeling an excruciating burning pain. I knew it was torn, and I was crying, but not from the pain. I was crying because I knew I wouldn’t be able to play that season.” Without Kaufman, last year’s team didn’t defend their district title from the 2010 season. “Alexis was a very important asset to the team,” band senior and No. 1 seed Judy Gaunt said. “She is very consistent and persistent [on the court]. She works so hard to get every ball back.” For Kaufman, it was an even more difficult season of waiting rooms and rehabilitation centers. “The most disappointing part of last season is that while I was sitting in rooms in therapy for my knee, I would think of my friends playing tennis,” Kaufman said. “[Meanwhile], I was with a bunch of old people who looked so sick they might die any minute.” The meniscus is the cartilage in the knee that prevents friction between the tibia and femur. Although common, it is an extremely painful injury and the rehabilitation process Photo by Kevin Levine takes months to complete. In Kaufman’s case, Kaufman bends for a ball during warm-up before a practice match. She has a rare discoid meniscus, “It means I have an extra meniscus, which makes them more tearing her meniscus was only part of a larger likely to tear.” Kaufman said. by KevinLevine

‘I knew it was torn, and I was crying...because I knew I wouldn’t be able to play that season.’

The Muse | February 2012

Sports

Inside Athletics: boys basketball Don’t be deceived by my washboard abs or glowing tan: I’m not an athlete. I’m a journalist. I am trying out all the varsity sports and relating my experiences directly to you.

Anderson finds basketball is a contact sport I by RachelAnderson

Photo by Daniel Milstein

During a drill, communications senior Rachel Anderson tries to escape visual senior Tyrone Lane (center) as he attempts to block her shot. Michael Hall (right) helps Anderson by moving to a more accessible position.

want to play ball like a girl—like strings sophomore Jenna Meyers-Sinett, to be specific. For the first time in school history, there were not one but two girls at one boys basketball practice. But where I lacked in skill on the court, Meyers-Sinett made up for my deficiencies. Practice began with drills, but no dribbling was allowed—and thankfully so, since I do not have the coordination for that. In teams of three we ran up and down the court, switching from offense to defense with each shot. Once, I went the wrong way, but after a few rounds I got the hang of the rotations and actually enjoyed the drill-- until we started a no-dribble scrimmage and I took a couple of elbows to the jaw. The hardest part was free throw practice. From the free-throw line, you had two chances to make a shot. If you miss one—run two laps. If you miss two—run six. Although I spent

most of the drill running, by my final attempts I usually made at least one shot and saved myself from running four extra laps. We ended with a real scrimmage, dribbling included. Once I switched in, every other shout was “Anderson!”—I needed to fix my form, run faster, move to the other side of the court, follow the instructions, cover that person, switch positions with another player. No practice, however, is complete without sprints, and thus we ended practice with a modified suicide run drill with push-ups. The last person to finish (which thankfully wasn’t me—what I lack in basketball fundamentals I make up in running) had to make a layup or do 25 push-ups. He missed, so the whole team did 25 push-ups. Despite a few squished toes and a bruised jaw, I survived basketball practice unscathed, for the most part. From now on, though, I’ll stick to sports more welcoming to the vertically-challenged self. I’m too short for basketball. That’s my excuse, I’ve decided. g

At Palm Beach Atlantic University, learning in the Arts is active. Impactful. Creative. You’ll learn to see what you were blind to, feel what you were numb to, and hear what you were deaf to — all at deeper and richer levels.

AUDITION DATES

Saturday, March 17, 2012 b March 31, 2012

West Palm Beach, FL b 888 GO TO PBA (468-6722) 561 803-2000 b www.pba.edu The Muse | February 2012

Sports

Student of Prey

The story behind band senior Kit Weber’s hunting and recent injury

by EstherMendoza

ith his prey in sight, band senior Kristopher “Kit” Weber prepares for the kill. He aims his gun, takes a breath and pulls the trigger. Almost instantly the coyote goes down. Weber calmly walks up to it, cautiously pokes it with his foot and then proclaims, “Yup, it’s dead.” This was the first time that Tom Weber, Kit’s father, had accompanied his son on one of his hunting expeditions. Even though Kit has always been comfortable with the idea and act of hunting, according to his father, he was surprised at his son’s natural ability. “The first time I went hunting with him we were in North Carolina with his uncle on a private farm and coyotes were a problem on the farm,” Mr. Weber said. “Kit shot a coyote and that was the first time I had seen him shoot an animal [...] That’s the moment I realized that Kit was a real hunter.” Mr. Weber has a theory on why his son is able to handle hunting so well. He believes that it is Kit’s extremist personality that helps keep him in balance. “He loves classical music and jazz on one side of him. He loves the fine arts,” Mr. Weber said. “But on the other side he’s a hunter and survivalist. Kit has two very extreme sides.” Kit was taught how to hunt by his partCherokee Indian uncle at the age of six. Besides being just a pastime, hunting is also a way for Kit to put food on the table. Occasionally when he catches a hog, he will make his renowned homemade jerky to share with his fellow classmates at Dreyfoos. Communications senior Nicole Hamilton first tried Kit’s jerky in freshman year and can assure that it lives up to its reputation. “During freshman year Kit brought a bag of jerky - I believe it was boar jerky,” Hamilton said. “At first I thought it was a bit odd but a few people tried it and then everybody wanted to, including myself. I was surprised how good it was and how much work it was to make.” Even with all this natural talent, accidents

The Muse | February 2012

Photo courtesy of Kristopher Weber

Band senior Kristopher “Kit” Weber focuses on his target before getting ready to pull the trigger. “I love the adventure. The ability to look around, find and stalk an animal and then catching it,” Kit said.

are bound to happen. Recently, Kit shot himself in the thigh attempting to replace parts in his weapon after a day of hunting. “I was getting done with a competition and I was replacing some parts on my [.45 Taurus] 1911 [gun] and I decided to proof check it,” Kit said. “I put in a whole magazine and on the last bullet when I pulled back the slide, the hammer didn’t lock and I shot myself.” Even though these injuries take time to heal, Kit was up and walking in minimal time, despite the doctor’s orders. “Technically I’m still recovering,” Kit said. “But against the doctor’s suggestions I was up and running the next day. I’m still supposed to be on crutches.” The injury did nothing to change Mr. Weber’s support of Kit’s hunting. Having seen Kit in action has affirmed his faith in his son’s precautionary measures. “I’m not worried because Kit is very

meticulous in terms of safety. He’s gone to many courses and teaches other hunters in safety and how to shoot [at the local shooting range],” Mr. Weber said. Band senior Samantha Webster, Kit’s girlfriend, also trusts Kit and his ability to keep himself safe when he’s out hunting. “Yeah, [I support his hunting]. He loves it and it’s a good thing,” Webster said. “It’s good for self-defense and he’s a fanatic about that. I feel bad for the person who breaks into his house.” Although Kit has suffered many injuries due to his hunting, from his recent shot to the leg to cutting himself on knives while out hunting, he plans to continue his sport and recommends it. “I would encourage everyone to try it once. It’s not just the thrill of the chase but being one with nature and being amongst it,” Kit said. “It’s a very relaxing experience.” g

Sports

Girls soccer succeeds despite difficult schedule by MaxFields

he girls soccer team began the season facing a tough schedule and competing in a talented district. It finished the season with a 9-5-1 record and had coach Stephen Anand complimenting the team’s efforts. “It was one of the hardest schedules we have had in a long time,” Mr. Anand said, “and the girls did very well against their tough opponents. We knew we had a good team. With all of our players and weapons, we were confident, but we knew we had to prove ourselves.” According to Mr. Anand, the most valuable player on the team was communications senior Tatiana Lestido. “ She is a hard worker, team captain, and a game changer,” Anand said. “The dynamic she brings really affects the game and its outcome.”

Boys Soccer

The boys soccer team was young and inexperienced, but coach Tom Ruth said his team still had a solid season and finished 6-8. “The team had much potential,” Ruth said, “but due to injuries and a lack of senior players it was a season for rebuilding the team.” Injuries to starters hurt the team, but Ruth said one player who replaced an injured player

finished the season as the team’s MVP. “Well I think the MVP is Arron Tsipis,” Ruth said. “When our best player, skill wise, was out for the second half of our season he stepped in and really pushed our team forward. He plays tough as a goalie or by scoring goals. He is really good with both his left and right foot, which makes him the deadly weapon he is.”

Basketball

The boys basketball team finished 2-13 this year, but first year coach Jeffrey Stohr was still encouraged by the team’s effort. “With four of the five starters being sophomores and a large portion of the team being underclassmen, it was a challenge competing against more experienced opponents,’’ Stohr said. According to Stohr, the team had three young MVPs. “I think this year we had a number of great players, but (communication sophomores) Munashe Kwangwari, Kevin Levine, and (band sophomore) Jorge Ramos really stood out this season,” Stohr said. “They all have grown from the beginning of the season and started to play at a level you would expect from senior players. I am really excited to see how they and the team will play next year.” g

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

The basketball team gets a strategy talk from basketball coaches Jeffrey Stohr and Michael Rathe.

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

(From left to right) Band junior Brandon LaRosa, communications senior Nathan Ward, visual senior Chloe Toscano, keyboard freshman Sean Fournier and band senior Lena Franklin try out for the track team.

Tennis, track in full swing

Boys & Girls Track Schedule

2-17-12 Cardinal Newman Away 2-22-12 PB Gardens Away by JosieGraham and JensenTate 2-28-12 Park Vista Away 3-2-12 Jupiter HS Away he track and tennis team 3-9-12 Park Vista Away tryouts began on Jan. 17 and 3-13-12 Kings Academy Away lasted for around three weeks. With 3-28-12 County Qualifier Away both fresh talent and experienced 4-4-12 County Champions Away 4-5-12 County Champions Away players on the teams, hopeful Away seasons are in store for the sports. 4-12-12 Districts Champions Away 4-28-12 FHSAA State Finals Track coaches Geoffrey Waugh Boys & Girls Tennis Schedule and Christopher Burns have high 2-13-12 Royal Palm Beach Home expectations for the track team. 2-15-12 Palm Beach Central Home They hope that the team will 2-16-12 Jupiter Christian Home 2-21-12 Kings Academy perform well at the district and Away Oxbridge Academy 2-22-12 Home regional levels. 2-23-12 Cardinal Newman Home “The team is looking good from 2-27-12 Suncoast Home the athletes I’ve seen at practices,” 2-29-12 Jensen Beach Away John I. Leonard 3-1-12 Mr. Waugh said. Away Well. Christian 3-5-12 Home The captains of the girls team Cardinal Newman 3-6-12 Home Martin County are band senior Lena Franklin and 3-8-12 Suncoast Away 3-12-12 PB Central communications senior Rachel Away 3-14-12 Anderson. The captain of the Wellington Away 3-27-12 Oxbridge academy Away boys team is band junior Brandon 3-28-12 Away 4-2-12 Districts LaRosa. Their goals are to make sure the teams have a lot of spirit competitive.” and support at the meets. Mr. Webb hopes to improve “[My expectation is] getting this year’s team by focusing on a team to regionals instead of individual players’ weaknesses. He singular event runners,” Franklin expects older players to work with said. “So we have a whole team to younger players to better the team represent [Dreyfoos].” and looks forward to watching Last year, both tennis teams students evolve as athletes. had successful seasons. Strings Ultimately, he hopes both teams sophomore Reed Rabideau finished will win districts. second in the district in the “[What I’m looking forward number four singles category. The to is] the same thing I have for girls finished with a 6 – 5 record the last 25 years as a coach and and boys 5 – 6. Tennis coach John an athletic director, just the Webb describes the team as young, progression of watching a player but talented. start at a certain point and finish at “We’re looking strong. We’re a higher point,” Mr. Webb said. “As going to play a lot of tough matches long as they progress positively, and tough competition,” Mr. that’s all I care about.” g Webb said. “We should be very

The Muse | February 2012

Entertainment

SPOTTED: Bigfoot on Animal Planet by LauraPitts

ave you ever heard howls and woops in the night and just instinctively know it’s a Bigfoot, lurking somewhere in the distance? So have the four Bigfoot experts on Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot.” The show has been airing since last May, and new episodes for its second season are featured on Sundays at 10 p.m. “Finding Bigfoot” follows the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, (founder Matt Moneymaker, credible James “Bobo” Fay, analyzer Cliff Barackman and sometimes skeptic Ranae Holland) as they carry cameras, thermal imagers, night vision lenses and perhaps most importantly, hope, lugging through woodland after woodland in search of the illusive Bigfoot.

The show is perfect for avid Bigfoot skeptics and believers alike, compiling every inconclusive piece of evidence into one-hour segments. Although the team has yet to catch a Sasquatch in the 12 episodes premiered so far, they must be close. Grainy photos and blurred videos are just one step closer to capturing the beast, right? In a season one episode, the BFRO visits a relatively nearby location, northern Florida, to investigate the native swamp ape. As Bobo spots a burning image on his thermal heat-reading camera, he gets over-excited and falls down the stairs of a rural home’s porch, losing the image. In a different episode, Mr. Moneymaker, also on his thermal camera, spots a bipedal figure stalking in a forest. Instead of standing steady and following the figure with the lens, he decided it was a better idea to chase after the potentially dangerous creature on foot, making as much noise as possible. Unsurprisingly, that method chased

the animal away. This seems to be a trend with Sasquatch hunters: nearly every piece of documented footage contains merely seconds’ worth of Bigfoot itself, and what seems like minutes of blur. Although the show can seem Photo by Animal Planet ridiculous at times, between all the imitation Bigfoot calls and recreating of evidence turned in, “Finding Bigfoot” becomes addictive. It gets viewers caught on wanting the crew to find a Bigfoot and hoping that in the next episode they do. g

‘Extremely Loud’ sobbing fills theaters nationwide by GabiCohen

eptember 11 is perhaps the most infamous date in modern American history. Stories of tragedy and loss will scar the memories of Americans forever. But what about the people who knew those who so tragically lost their lives? “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is a movie about a 9-yearold, Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), who lost his father (Tom Hanks) in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Prior to Mr. Schell’s death, Oskar, who narrates the film, and his father went on what they called “Reconnaissance Expeditions.” Mr. Schell provided Oskar with hints, and it would be Oskar’s job to find some sort of connection between all of them by exploring New York City, talking to strangers and finding clues. Unfortunately, Mr. Schell’s untimely death

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The Muse | February 2012

occurred in the middle of The Greatest Reconnaissance Expedition Ever: the search for the Sixth Borough of New York City. Oskar is left with just a note to “notstop looking” and his own desire to stay close to his father by connecting the clues to solve the final mystery. Hanks does an excellent job at portraying Thomas Schell, which was to be expected of such an experienced actor. But what was perhaps unforeseen was Horn’s incredible portrayal of a young child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Horn is an amateur actor (his only other “acting” jobs have been on TV game shows), so a mediocre job was expected at most. His impeccable ability to channel the sort of emotion that a kid would have after finding out his father had died was shocking and moving. The movie is based on a book of the same title by Jonathan Safran Foer, which goes into great-depth with Oskar’s emotions, as well as with the story of his grandmother. The one thing that is really lacking in the movie, then, is the fact that the grandmother’s story isn’t elaborated upon as much as it is in the book.

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Photo by Apple iTunes

his reflex-testing app features an adventurer jumping gaps in bridges, sliding under trees and taking swift turns to collect coins— all to escape the evil demon monkeys, who are after him for stealing their valued treasure. It sounds strange, but it is extremely addictive.

That’s somewhat understandable, considering that the movie is already over two hours long. If every detail of the book had been in the movie, the total running time would probably amount to about five hours long. If you ignore Photo by Warner Bros. the fact that the movie is an adaption, it is very well done. Between Oskar’s violent outbreaks and his fond memories of his father, the audience yearns to get in to Oskar’s mind and understand how he feels. Not only is the movie a tear-jerker, but it’s cute, clever and appeals to audiences of all ages. g

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Entertainment

TOP 5 Love Songs by MaggiePatterson

5. ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift

Staff Picks Gabi Cohen

Yes, it’s Taylor Swift, but this song is insanely romantic. The lovers in the song just want to be together, but their parents hold them back from each other. This song takes the classic tale of forbidden love, Romeo and Juliet, and neatly cuts out the whole ‘killing yourself’ part, making it much more appropriate for a young audience.

4. ‘Chasing Cars’ by Snow Patrol This song is slow. It sounds like the sound track to floating on water and looking up at the clouds. In the song, all the boyfriend wants to do is be with his girl, traffic be damned. The boyfriend croons about independence, doing things for himself, but it’s clear that ‘by himself’ includes his girl. He literally can’t imagine being without her.

Photo by Fox

Maggie Patterson

“Pushing Daisies,” is a charming, brightly-colored series about a private eye who can revive the dead. It has romace, action and Kristen Chenoweth. Watch it online; it was cut down in its prime by the major networks.

3. ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros “Home” is a little less known than the other songs on this list, but it sounds so sweet it’s a miracle it hasn’t made it to the radio. In the song, a boy and girl sing about how being with each other is like coming home and being accepted. As the song goes on, we find out that the girl attempted suicide, and the only thing that saved her was the boy’s love.

Photo by ABC

Laura Pitts

2. ‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper Cyndi Lauper proves that girls want to do more than have fun. They also enjoy playing hide and seek with their boyfriends. More than that, “Time” is about longevity. Cyndi’s relationship with her boyfriend in this song is strained, but in the end, both of them know who’s going to catch each other when they fall.

1. ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Photo by ABC Family

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Season 2 of “Pretty Little Liars” started back up in January, and I look forward to new episodes each Monday at 8 p.m. The mystery thriller and drama series is addicting and leaves viewers wondering what “A,” the mysterious threatening figure, will do next.

Enrique Orosco

If you’re like most people, you just heard the chorus from this song in your head. “Ain’t No Mountain” was covered by several artists, but the most popular version is sung by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Mountain is about being with the one you love the most, even if you have to do insane levels of hiking and kayaking.

Word Lens

If you’ve never watched “Arrested Development,” you’ve made a huge mistake. It is the “punniest” and most clever show you will ever watch, assuming you catch on to its subtleties and running jokes. It features a sensational cast, which includes Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, David Cross, Will Arnett and Portia de Rossi.

Photo by Hasbro

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or iPhone users that love photography or just want to share images from their lives with friends, Instagram allows photos to be taken, edited and shared to different locations—all within the app. Share edited photos to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr and the Instagram community.

Photo by Apple iTunes

The Muse | February 2012

Entertainment

Zuri struts her way to Tibby top

by MaggiePatterson

s far as dream jobs for young girls go, being a model is right up there with being a princess or a singer. Most girls decide to become something else by the time they grow up, but from the time she was a preteen, communications junior Zuri Tibby believed that one day, she could model. “I’ve wanted to be a model since I was 12 or 13 years old,” Tibby said. “My serious interest was sparked during tenth grade. I wanted to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel model.” Even though being a model was her goal at that age, Tibby did not actively pursue a position. Instead, Tibby was discovered by chance, just like Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. “I was at the mall one day, and somebody from a management came up to me and asked me if I’d ever thought about modeling. They gave me their card, and then my mom and I had a meeting with them about two weeks later,” Tibby said. “We had a contract written, and they did a test shoot. They sent pictures from the test shoot to multiple agencies, and I got set up for modeling in New York.” Tibby’s first professional photo shoot was a fashion editorial for Teen Vogue, taken

in October 2011. Fashion photo shoots are usually shot a season ahead. She appears in the February issue, on newsstands now. “Everyone [at the photo shoot] was really nice,” Tibby said. “The photographers were nice and they had good food there. But it was cold, [around] 26 degrees out, and we were shooting spring clothes. Even besides the cold weather, that was probably my best experience.” In the fashion industry, an editorial is a collection of full page photos showcasing clothing on a specific theme, designer or model. “Editorials are really long,” Tibby said. “What happens is that they get hundreds and hundreds of shots they could use, but they only pick [a few]. It’s all about the clothes at the end of the day. The shots that make the clothes look the best, not specifically the models; it’s about how the clothes look.” Even though the high-stakes world of modeling seems to be full of glitz and glamour, the average photo shoot is more like a business meeting than a game of dress up. Photo shoots sometimes last all day. “You really have to do what the client

wants,” Tibby said. “After you’re chosen and the client likes you, you do the shoot. It’s all Photo by Teen Vogue about the Communications junior Zuri Tibby is seen in the February clothes at issue of Teen Vogue. Her photo shoot was in October in New York. the end of the day and what’s going to make it sell.” Tibby plans to model as a career. Her friends have confidence that Tibby will succeed in her chosen path. “She tells it like it is,” theatre junior Ayla Mejia said. “She’s as real as it gets, and I love her for that. She’s going to be fabulous. I can see her at Fashion week, Chanel, everything.” “If you have dreams, you can go out and pursue them,” Tibby said. “No one can tell you no. Keep doing it.” g

Canon Quartet takes the Breakers The quartet had its beginnings in 2008 with n the Gold Room of the Breakers Hotel, the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County. portraits of kings and explorers from the The Orchestra asked strings sophomore Age of Discovery line the upper walls. While violinists Ericsson Hatfield and Javier Otalora benefactors of to form a quartet. At first, they Palm Beach weren’t able to find enough Healthcare members, so Hatfield and mingle, the Otalora remained a duet until Canon Quartet their orchestra hired Jonah Kim, plays the first a renowned cellist, to coach movement of them. Quartet No. 2 “We didn’t really have the by Alexander intent of making the quartet Borodin. The until we got with Kim, and then cello deeply he really started pushing us,” Photo by Alexandra Lopez Hatfield said. “We realized that hums while [Left to right] Strings freshman Nicholas Rose and strings sophomores Ericsson the viola and Hatfield, Javier Otalora and Stephanie Carrejo perform in the Gold Room the we could do gigs and could second violin really be successful.” Breakers Hotel. rise in fall in The quartet was completed after recruitperfect anticipation of each other and the first ing Carrejo, a violist, and freshman Nicholas violin. A crowd accustomed to professionallyRose, a cellist. Despite being the youngest trained orchestras now enjoys a piece member of the group, Rose has shown nothperformed by a group of high school students. ing but confidence in his performances. “The first time I played at the Breakers, “We wouldn’t have chosen Rose unless I [thought], ‘Wow; this place is gorgeous,’ he was the best cellist that we could find,” and when I sat down to play I felt like a real Hatfield said. musician in the professional word,” strings The quartet found popularity playing at sophomore Stephanie Carrejo said. “It was upper-end gigs at venues like the Breakers just a feeling of immense personal satisfacOceanfront Palm Beach Luxury Hotel. Instead tion and nervousness and excitement all at of traditional promotion, the group relies on the same time.” word of mouth and aggressive marketing by by EnriqueOrosco

The Muse | February 2012

Hatfield’s mother. “All these people at the Breakers see us, [and] want to hire us for their private parties; foundations see us and they all want us to play for their charity events,” Hatfield said. Unlike other student bands, the quartet plays more conservative music. Aside from the occasional request for Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” or “The Imperial March” from Star Wars, they usually sticks to classical pieces by artists like Tchaikovsky while providing ambience at their gigs. “We’re not a band,” Hatfield said. “Bands put on a performance. We’re more like a painting on a wall.” Although they’re enjoying success with their performances, the group’s members have varying ideas for their future. “It’s really nice to have a gig, but the real honor is actually doing all the music and doing the competitions,” Hatfield said. “I want to get awards for the Quartet and make it something special.” More important than the music, however, is the camaraderie that the Canon Quartet provides the four. “One of the best aspects about this quartet is that we’re all really good friends,” Carrejo said. “We get paid, but it’s also because we really enjoy doing it with the people we’re doing it with.” g

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About The Muse

Samantha Bilton, Audrey Green Rachel Anderson Alex Rehberg Daniel Milstein Nicole Hamilton Kelly Berger, Shawna Bilton, Dominique McKenzie Adriana Rahrig Tess Saperstein, Hunter Truman, Tijienene Gordon Francesa Otero-Vargas Kyle Bell, Timothy DiTocco, Josie Russo Mack Schroeder Camille Sanches, Mikeshia Lewin, Jennifer Yoon Mack Schroeder Josie Graham Max Fields, Esther Mendoza, Kevin Levine, Jensen Tate Kloee Ciuperger Elizabeth Lane, Valeria Rivadeneira, Aubrey Levin, Dana Miller Laura Pitts Gabi Cohen, Maggie Patterson, Enrique Orosco Tijienene Gordon, Emily Lane Enrique Orosco Alexandra Lopez Savannah Artusi, Jillian Adams Angelica Moreno Alec Zisson Max Fields and Josie Russo Oscar Carl Stephen Moore

Editorial Policy

Thank you for reading and supporting The Muse, Dreyfoos School of the Arts’ award-winning newsmagazine put together by Communication Arts students in grades 10-12. As a 2011 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker recipient, The Muse was recognized for excellence in coverage and content, quality of writing, in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics. The Muse was also identified as a Silver Crown publication by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, a tribute to the dedication of its 42 staff members staff who work hard during and after school to publish six issues each year. Readers of The Muse include Dreyfoos’ student body of approximately 1300 students and its 80plus faculty and staff members, in addition to a multitude of independent subscribers nationwide. Thank you to all our donors, advertisers and subscribers for their continued support; the success of The Muse would not be possible without them. We would like to specially thank the School of the Arts Foundation (SOAFI) for their unwavering generosity and extend our heartfelt gratitude to SOAFI board members Lisa Marie Browne, Ralph Guild and Donald Silpe for their generous contributions in support of the 2011-2012 issues of The Muse. Please visit our new website www.TheMuseAtDreyfoos.com.

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Dreyfoos School of the Arts 501 South Sapodilla Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33401 or call (561) 805.6252 The Muse | February 2012

exposure Marty Conklin

Photo by Alexandra Lopez

igital media senior Martin Conklin took this photo, “American Youth,” in downtown West Palm Beach. Conklin says that it represents “the youth of our nation who have inherited a broken, run-down America.” The piece features theatre sophomore Brandon Staffico and earned Conklin a Gold Key from the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards.

After having the idea for the photo in his head for a few weeks, Conklin decided to make it a reality. “My classmates and [digital media teacher Peter Stodolak], my photography teacher, always push me to try new concepts and processes. My style is strictly portraiture, but there are no boundaries for me aside from that,”

Conklin said. “I have photo shoots ranging from silly to scary.” Conklin plans to continue his photography in college and hopes to pursue a career in fashion photography. He has already been accepted to the School of the Visual Arts in New York and the Savannah College of Art and Design. g Written by Savannah Artusi