PANTHER
‘ 16
the
V 58 N 7
Miami Palmetto Senior High School
7460 SW 118 Street, Miami, FL 33156
Tuesday 31 May 2016
CONTENTS 2
5
SENSORY AWARENESS
8
15
TIMLINE OF GRADUATION
Are smartphones putting The milestones of us in harm’s way? senior year.
BRICK BY BRICK: SENIOR EDITORIALS As the school year comes to an end, senior staffers say their final goodbyes.
23 27 SUMMER TRAINING
TEENS NEWS SOURCE
Technology has changed Calling all athletes: Summer training to begin. where we get our news.
THE
COVER
ON
T
he day you have been waiting for is here. On that hot first day of freshman year, it seemed as though this moment would never arrive. Four years later, after every test, quiz, essay, AP exam, college application and rejection or acceptance letter, the time has finally come to walk across the stage. As the 2016 school year comes to a close, a new journey awaits the many graduates of Miami Palmetto Senior High.
The Panther’s 2015-2016 senior staff members pose against a brick wall backdrop. In the senior editorials found in this issue’s feature section, each senior recounts his or her unique high school experiences that have molded them into the people they are today.
The brick wall on the cover represents the theme of the senior editorials: brick by brick. This phrase serves to represent the “wall” that is high school, with each “brick” being a significant moment or experience that contributes to creating a memorable or fulfilling four years in high school. PHOTO BY AGNES BARTHA PHOTO BY CHRYSTAL PETERSON COVER PHOTO BY SARAH SICLAIT
REVIEW3
W E I ReV
BRIEFING
THE
ROUND-UP
GERMAN PEDESTRIAN STREETLIGHTS
117
MILLION THE NUMBER OF LINKEDIN PASSWORDS HACKED AND SOLD. INFORMATION COURTESY OF CNN
TWITTER DENIES CIA FROM CLASSIFIED DATA FEED PRODUCED BY TWITTER USERS INCLUDING ISIS.
“
I think it’s wrong. Isn’t Twitter an American generated company? They should be helping their country. It’s going against the country and safety of the people.
“
Jibril Rac-Maan (12)
FACE OFF FACE-OFF
HISTORY
1
in the making
st Time BURGER KING
OPENS ITS OWN
IN-STORE SAUNA IN FINLAND. INFORMATION COURTESY OF CNN.
DO YOU THINK TEACHERS SHOULD STOP TEACHING AFTER AP EXAMS?
“ Yes, because we have completed the course before the exam. We should have leanred all the information necessary before the exam.
“
JULIA DEMAYO (12)
“
No, if kids are learning a lot and it’s helping them, then they should keep going. Improve what you know. If kids are complaining, its good because that means it’s giving them a challenge.
“
“
Floor traffic lights have been installed on the sidewalks of the city of Augsburg, Germany after two pedestrians were hit by the quiet electric street trains while looking down at their phone. Luckily, both survived with minor injuries; however, in March, a 15-year-old girl was run over in Munich, Germany by a tram while looking at her smartphone having her headphones plugged in. The issue coined its own name, ‘sombie’—a combination of smartphone and zombie. Soon after the Augsburg incidents, the city installed traffic lights on the ground to warn people who are looking down at their screens whenever a tram is approaching. The lights flash red when a tram is approaching or when the normal traffic lights turn red to alert distracted pedestrians of their surroundings.
ZARLINE LAMONS (9)
INFORMATION COMPILED BY CHRYSTAL PETERSON AND ROBERTA NICASTRO
ZIMMER DOWN
George Zimmerman attempted, for the second time, to auction off the firearm he used to kill an unarmed 17-yearold Trayvon Martin, who was walking to his relative’s house in Florida in 2012. He planned to use the proceeds to fight Black Lives Matter violence, counter Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric and fire against Angela Correy, the prosecutor appointed to Martin’s case career. In an interview with FOX35, Zimmerman argued that the gun is a “piece of American history” and that he can do whatever he wants with it. Zimmerman wrote in both listings, which were later taken down, that he was honored to set the bidding at a start of $5,000 in comparison to a typical $200 gun listing.
BRADDOCK HIGH PROM TRAGEDY A group of four students from G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School were arrested for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman who was incapacitated at a Bal Harbor hotel on May 1. The woman had helped Julio Cesar Fernandez (19), Adrian Rene Machin (19), Luis Angel Rosello (19) and Adan Enrique Valdes (17) order their hotel room where the incident happened during their prom afterparty. The community took it to social media, calling for the seniors not to graduate next month by using the hashtag #DontLetThemWalk. Machin was arrested on Tuesday, May 10, and appeared in court the following day where he was held without bond and the other suspects were arrested on Wednesday, May 11, and the two were transported to jail.
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SENSORY
REPORT5
(UN)AWARENESS Resisting the temptation to check Twitter, Snapchat or texts is nearly impossible for many teens nowadays. When people set their eyes on a screen they often leave their outside surroundings behind as they are transported into a separate world. Distracted cell phone usage can be dangerous for users and those near them. Many use their time of walking from place to place to return calls, send emails and return text messages. When one texts and talks, they are distracted and might lose track of where they are. Although walking while using technology presents danger, students wear headphones walking from class to class and use the transition time to check their phones for updates. Pedestrians also employ headphones to tune out the often chaos around them and tune into their favorite music station or listen to a podcast, but this can prove deadly to themselves and those around them. Texting or talking may distract pedestrians who can bump into people or not hear cars zip past them, although wearing headphones on lower volume levels can increase users’ awareness.
“It doesn’t affect my awareness of the world around me because it’s visual and it depends on how loud you have your headphones,” senior Jibril Rac-Maan said. Although walking while using technology presents danger, students are seen plugged in with headphones simply walking from class to class and use the transition time in order to check in to their social media accounts. “I’m wearing headphones right now because sometimes I don’t like hearing what’s around me and I like to be in my own world,” Rac-Maan said. A study conducted by The Ohio State University, found that 1,500 pedestrians were hospitalized in 2010 as a result of accidents related to cell phone usage while walking; however, only reported injuries were accounted for by Dr. Jack Nasar who stated that it is more likely that nearly two million people sustained injuries as a result of technology use.
Remy Farkas Editor-in-Chief of The Panther r.farkas.thepanther@gmail.com
REPORT6
TAINTED TURF Health risks of a popular past time After years of replacing fresh green grass with artificial turf, athletes and parents are questioning the health effects artificial turf may have on players. The black particles that glue on to players’ clothing after a practice or game comes from used, grounded-up tires; this material is meant to cushion players’ falls and avoid impact injuries. The switch from grass to artificial turf in parks and schools began because of its easy maintenance and ability to withstand different climates. Even though synthetic turf is simpler to upkeep than normal grass, public attention has arisen concerning the health risks turf may cause to players. Crumb rubber industries rely on several studies that support their argument that turf fields are not hazardous; however, cases have surfaced that may support the opposing view. “I was playing a game and the team we were playing against, their keeper’s foot got stuck in the turf when she was going for a save. Her ankle twisted around and fractured four bones,” sophomore and soccer player Bari Gold said. “Turf fields are nice, but it is definitely hazardous.”
In an investigation done by NBC, researchers did not find a relationship between crumb rubber and health issues. Despite the proof industries such as The Synthetic Turf Council have claiming crumb rubber does not cause health problems, they continue to support any additional research done toward finding a definite conclusion on whether or not synthetic turf causes health issues. In order to have a final conclusion on synthetic turf, researchers are examining various kinds of crumb rubber to have a better understanding of the chemicals it contains and releases. Once the investigation reaches its final stages, researchers will be able to determine whether the exposure to crumb rubber harms players. “On hot days, it is hard to run because the bottom of your feet are always burning and when you slide on the turf it leaves scars,” senior and soccer player Christopher Corea said. Soccer coach for the University of Washington’s women’s soccer team, Amy Griffin, believes there is a link between synthetic turf and health problems such as cancer. Over the years, Griffin has
compiled a list of soccer players who were diagnosed with cancer. Of the 38 players Griffin has on her list, 34 were goalkeepers who played on artificial turf. Goalkeepers are constantly in contact with the ground making sure the ball does not get into the net. Their bodies touch the turf more than the other players, which may explain why the majority of players on Griffins list diagnosed with cancer were goalkeepers. Although there is currently no link between turf and health problems, cases such as Griffin’s have raised speculation. “There should be a different way to make turf instead of shredded tires, because the sun is being reflected off the turf instead of being absorbed by the grass,” soccer goalie and senior Morgan Lang said. “It affects the speed of the play and makes the ball bounce higher.” The attention brought to artificial turf has pushed counties across the nation to replace the fields made of artificial turf with an organic alternative infill.
Sofia Brand Staff Writer s.brand.thepanther@gmail.com
SYNTHETIC TURF 300 million PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS EACH YEAR
INFORMATION COURTESY OF THE SYNTHETIC TURF COUNCIL INFOGRAPHIC BY REMY FARKAS
3x
CAN BE USED INJURY RATES ON NATURAL LESS HIGHER EXPENSIVE hrs TURF WERE THAN ON SYNTHETIC TURF THAN GRASS PER YEAR DURING 2010, UPWARDS OF TIRES GALLONS OF WERE KEPT OUT OF WATER WERE CONSERVED LANDFILLS AS A RESULT OF SYNTHETIC TURF
3,000
6 billion
0.9%
105 million
SILVER KNIGHT
KAYLA SPIGELMAN SCIENCE
Senior Kayla Spigelman recently received the Silver Knight Award for science. Each year, 15 academically advanced students across the county are chosen to receive the award for selflessly serving the community. Seniors Ross Rosen, Carolina Miranda and Logan Kraus respectively received honorable mentions for their work.
REPORT7
KINDHEARTED PASSIONATE DETERMINED ALTRUISTIC OPTIMISTIC
TP: Who delivers the canned foods? KS: Feeding South Florida usually sends a
or Treat Food to Eat. Every year on Halloween night, I organize a group of friends to “trick or treat” for canned foods instead of candy. These canned goods are donated to Feeding South Florida and the JCS Kosher Food Bank. This project began as my Bat Mitzvah project with about 10 friends and has expanded over the course of six years to involve more than 60 friends who join me in trick or treating, as well as three youth groups and 10 clubs at school which host canned food collections.
TP: How has this project impacted you? KS: This project has impacted me tremendously
because it has become a part of who I am as a person. Hunger awareness is a cause that I am extremely passionate about and it will continue to be a cause that I will advocate for the rest of my life. Trick or Treat Food to Eat has taught me how to be a leader for those around me and how to raise my voice for issues that I care about. I hope that I can educate others about the problem of hunger in my community, and I know that I will bring the issue to my college campus to stimulate dialogue and find a solution.
TP: What are you most looking forward to about college? KS: I’m excited to get involved in other
community service initiatives and attend all of the sporting events. Additionally, I look forward to starting my path towards becoming an engineer.
Alec Lanzas Managing Editor a.lanzas.thepanther@gmail.com
PHOTO BY REMY FARKAS
The Panther: What is your service project? Kayla Spigelman: My project is called Trick
truck to pick up all of the canned foods; however, I participate annually in Sort-AThons at the Feeding South Florida facility where volunteers check canned foods for expiration dates and any possible leaks or sharp edges. Additionally, my family and I annually deliver baskets of food to the elderly before various holidays because many of them don’t have a way of obtaining the food for themselves. It is very meaningful and touching to me to be able to share the gift of food with others who struggle to obtain this necessity. For me, participating in service events serves as a reminder to be grateful for these basic needs that are so often take them for granted.
LIFE 8
AGRADUATION TIMELINE OF
On the first day of highschool, a sense of excitement and dread may overwhelm freshmen as they prepare for the the final four years that stand between them and any other postsecondary plans they have. Senior year is the final year to enjoy a first day of school or go to homecoming. Senior year poses the final year to stress over which colleges one will choose or get into or where life after high school will carry them. It comes as a bittersweet mix of impending goodbyes and anticipated hellos.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PALM ECHO
“It felt great as I walked into school with my senior crown and best friends who flooded the halls with our red ‘re16n’ shirts.” - ZOE ZELAYA “This is my first year here. I was ready to get this last year over with. Coming here was definitely different. I came from a small town, so going from 75 graduating students to over 600 is a change. That’s for sure. My first day was busy and very confusing.” - ANGELICA ROBINS0N
FIRST DAY
SENIOR YEAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIA COMPARINI
“The deadlines kept on approaching and I never got it in on time, and ended up doing the really late deadlines instead of being really early.” - OLIVIA GONZALEZ “The anticipation of it was more stressful than the process itself.” - SHAE DEMANDT
“It was fun. It was just what I expected, to be united with my friends and enjoy my last homecoming.” - MICHELLE LEVEL
APPLICATIONS
JET-SETTER
COLLEGE
homecoming
CHOOSING
A COLLEGE “When I got into college I first thought ‘yay, another four, five years--even more--of hard work.’ Then I thought it’s going to be different because I’m going to have more free time.” -JIBRIL RAC-MAAN “Choosing a college was tricky, but the lightbulb came amd I knew Wisconsin is where I want to spend the next four years of my life.” - NATHANIEL PARKER
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATHANIEL PARKER
PROM
DAY OF
LIFE 9
DESERT NIGHTS GRADUATION “Prom was truly amazing. It was such a great opportunity to see everyone get dressed up and looking fabulous. We got a chance to take pictures that will last a lifetime and created awesome memories. I really liked the animals, I got to take a picture with a parrot on my shoulder.” -EMILY WU
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY WU
“Thank God I’m finally done. It was fun, my last ride, but it’s kind of weird that I won’t be coming back to high school.” - MATTHEW CHANTI “I’m ready to leave but I’m not, because of all the memories I’ve made here, and the fact I’m going to be in the real world. I’m nervous about leaving but not about college.” - ADDIE ARILL
PHOTO BY CHRYSTAL PETERSON
THE END OF AN
ERA
As the number of days until graduation lowers with heightened excitement, the concept of saying a farewell to high school becomes all too real. The hallways and the Pawvillion shift from everyday sights to beloved familiarities. As the final 2:20 bell rings out on June 1, high school transforms into a memory-- a small, chaotic chapter that will eventually be looked back on with smiles, laughs and a few cringes. As seniors depart from the grounds of Palmetto, they enter a newfound territory : the rest of their lives. INFORMATION AND PHOTOS COMPILED BY VICTORIA ARGUELLES AND SOPHIA CARRILLO
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
SUICIDE SQUAD
Aliens receive a signal and threaten the human race once more with a larger and more powerful battle fleet.
A secret govern ment agency recruits imprisoned supe rvillains to execute dang erous black ops mission s.
Chrystal Peterson
ADVENTURE JUNE
ACTORS
Dory recalls her childhood memories 6 m onths after finding N emo.
17 ACTION JUNE
24 ACTION AUGUST
5
Print Editor-in-Chief
ACTORS
FINDING DORY
SUMMER MUST-SEES Ellen DeGeneres Ty Burrell Albert Brooks Diane Keaton
Jeff Goldblum Liam Hemsworth Bill Pullman Jessie Usher
Margot Robbie Will Smith Jared Leto Cara Delevingne
ACTORS
LIFE 10
c.peterson.thepanther@gmail.com INFOGRAPHIC BY VICTORIA ARGUELLES AND SOPHIA CARRILLO
POSTMATES
GRUB HUB
Postmates promises the delivery of restaurant food and store goods in under one hour, to connect local businesses with their customers in a more direct way. Postmates’ deliveries in Miami range from Pepto-Bismol and pencils from the Postmates general store to Dynamite Shrimp from P.F. Chang’s. Other available stores include Sally’s Beauty Supply, Walgreens, Whole Foods Market and Sparky’s Roadside Barbecue. The service is available through their online website and the app to allow customers to order from the comfort of their home or wherever they are located.
In August of 2013, food ordering companies GrubHub and Seamless merged. Seamless, attracted businesses working after hours by allowing corporate accounts to order food for businesses that wanted to cut costs for pickup or delivery orders. Both companies work with the same group of restaurants to deliver food within two to 72 hours from their time ordered in over 1,000 US cities, including Miami, and have mobile apps and websites. GrubHub includes Manhattan Chicago Pinecrest Pizza, Mario the Baker and China Gourmet as local restaurants to serve customers in the Pinecrest area.
UBER EATS
GRAPHICS BY VICTORIA ARGUELLES
CARBS BROUGHT TO YOU CURBSIDE
UberEATS is an on-demand delivery service that uses Uber drivers to provide quick restaurant food delivery to their hungry customers. The company promises to deliver from their Instant Delivery Menu in under ten minutes. UberEATS is available in 14 cities, but not Miami. They offer employment to potential drivers and partnership with restaurants interested in promoting their business. Couriers may deliver on foot, by bike or by car.
Carmella Jimenez Copy Editor c.jimenez.thepanther@gmail.com
FEATURE 11
BRICK BY BRICK
PHOTOS BY SARAH SICLAIT
High school is a unique experience. Each day marks one step closer to a ďŹ nish line that seems endlessly out of reach and through this tunnel vision, we lose sight of the journey. Every good grade, every long night, every new friend and every tear contributes to the high school experience we spend four years creating. Test by test, friend by friend, brick by brick we add moments to our lives that we can look back on in 30 years.
FEATURE 12
ISABELLE
CARBAJALES Editor-in-Chief of The Panther
THIS IS
HOW I FOUND MYSELF The first day of freshman year brought about a whirl of excitement and optimism that comes from fresh beginnings. I was under some preconceived notion that high school was just like “High School Musical.” I knew that there wouldn’t be people dancing on tables and that students wouldn’t just suddenly break out into song as the periods changed, but I anticipated an exciting and stimulating environment just the same - preferably with Zac Efron somewhere in the mix. But then as my first day of high school came to a close, I was oddly disappointed. I hoped that it was just the stigma of the very first day but I had a rude awakening when the weeks progressed and I hated it more and more. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and dreaded waking up so early to go to a place that I despised so much. Amid countless absences and awkward visits with our school’s trust counselor, I realized that it wasn’t the school, my classes or my teachers: it was me. Even though it had only been a few months, I felt like every student had their high school path perfectly carved out for them. Meanwhile, I was lost. I joined clubs and sports teams, still finding myself at a loss. But then, I found journalism. While journeying to finding my alcove within the tightly packed walls of Palmetto High, I realized that it had been there starting the first day of high school: my journalism 1 course. Having enjoyed reading the written word, as opposed to writing it myself, I overlooked the class-- unaware that journalism would become the pinnacle of my high school career. As the year progressed, the search subsided and my truest self appeared in the form of articles and design projects. After learning the basics of journalism freshman year, I was coerced by Mr. Panton to join one of our school’s journalism publications -- I chose The Panther. Over the course of the next three years and 21 issues, I found my very own creative sanctuary. Becoming a member of The Panther staff afforded me the ability to write without constraints, relinquish my creative inhibitions and find different aspects of myself. My hard work, dedication and most importantly, my passion allowed me to climb up the newspaper hierarchy, until I finally achieved the coveted position: Editor-in-Chief of The Panther. Throughout my tenure, my love for journalism transformed into a passion for leading others towards one unified goal. Ideally, I would like to think I had a positive impact on The Panther. What I am certain about, though, is that The Panther changed me. I made best friends that will without a doubt last me a lifetime. I had a teacher who taught me far beyond the course curriculum and molded me into the person I am today. I found a passion in leading others. And most importantly, I found me. For the freshmen who anxiously walks on the sidewalk on 118th street unsure of their place within Palmetto, for the student who sits in their Algebra class staring at the clock waiting for it to hit 2:20, for the anxious junior who feels like the stress is never ending, everything will fall into place in due time. While I never found my Zac Efron here at Palmetto, I did find the girl who I had always hoped to become, and for that I am eternally grateful.
ANNABEL
SANZ
Print Editor-in-Chief
JOINING THE
REJECTION CLUB
I should probably start this off with a thank you to Coral Reef for rejecting me four years ago. I wouldn’t have said that then, because I couldn’t speak through the uncontrollable, unsightly tears or because the pain of not getting into my ‘dream school’ was just too much for my 14-year-old self to bear. Okay, looking back, I’ll admit, this is kind of embarrassing. I mean, come on Annabel, you got rejected from a high school, not Harvard. Still, the loss stung. Ironically though, not being an IB student at Coral Reef turned out to be the best thing I never had. I didn’t know it at the time, but this seemingly catastrophic rejection would set off a domino-effect chain of events that has molded a high school experience I am insurmountably grateful to have had. I don’t believe the cliche, “everything happens for a reason” trope, but I have realized that when things do happen, good or bad, we create our own reasons in order to become the best versions of ourselves. Truthfully, until I joined newspaper my sophomore year, I wasn’t exactly sure of who I was. It seemed as though everyone at Palmetto had his or her ‘thing’- a spot on the lacrosse team, a star position on History bowl or class president- but I was lost in the very cliche way most freshmen are, feeling like the only person whose life has no direction. An overarching theme of continuously trying to squeeze myself into roles I just didn’t fit into followed me since elementary school. Since I didn’t know who I was, I molded myself into who people around me were or what I thought I was expected to be. In 5th grade when all of my friends got into acting, I did too even though I knew I could believably deliver a line as well as I could solve long division equations (not well- I would even say abysmally). Despite not being able to sing, act, dance or remotely do anything that Disney Channel stars could do, I auditioned for the drama program at Southwood. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get in. After my Academy-Award-winning aspirations were behind me, I moved on to newer, equally unfitting interests. In middle school, I decided that I would be an academic. Instead of monologues, I read textbooks and found myself on countless Principal’s Honor rolls but it still felt like something wasn’t completely right. I did what most 14 year-olds do when something feels off and ignored it. So, naturally, being rejected for the IB program came as a shock and I refused to believe this was happening again. That was the last time I ever cried over a rejection. Naturally, after this slew of devastating rejections, I didn’t exactly go into high school as the poster child for optimism. I had all but given up at that point because nothing I had tried to do worked out. I sulked my way through freshman year, hating almost every minute of it- except those spent in Room 911B during journalism 1. Unbeknownst to me at the time, that room and its teacher and the people I met in it would become the defining parts of my high school experience. If there’s anything I’ve learned in high school, it’s that good grades and happiness don’t always go hand in hand. Maybe if I had spent more time studying tangents and cosines instead of looking over spreads in newspaper, I’d have a higher GPA; but I certainly wouldn’t be as happy or as grateful. Without newspaper, I would not be the person I am today and no amount of wrong fits or rejections could ever replace this experience.
FEATURE 14
CLAUDIA
VERA
Online Editor-in-Chief
CHEERS TO
THE (MANY) TEARS When I look back on high school, everything’s a blur; not because of the chaotic array of events, tests and experiences, but because my eyes were typically filled with stress-induced, everything’s-fallingapart-right-now tears. Yes, I will remember high school well when someone asks me about my experience in 30 years –“We laughed, we cried, I cried, and cried, and cried, and cried, and cr–.” Ironically, it’s this same sentiment that embodies the most important lesson I learned during my time as a Palmetto student; sometimes, you have to allow yourself to break down, to cry and scream and feel that weight of life. And that’s okay. Throughout high school, the increasing heaviness of my backpack seemed to mock the heavier weight that perpetually sat on my chest. Over the course of four years, my life became a broken record of “calm down,” “you just need to relax,” and “at least it could be worse.” It seemed as if my sadness was constantly interrupted by a silver lining whose presence became more and more unwelcoming. I didn’t want consolance. I wanted happiness, yet it seemed like every force in the universe was pushing me in the opposite direction. The funny thing about comfort lies in the fact that sometimes the more you receive it, the more suffocated you feel. With these attempts at sympathy coming from family and friends, I found myself ignoring, and eventually invalidating my own pain. Every tear, every flash of frustration, every streak of panic piled up inside of me in an effort to feign positivity. I reached a point in the middle of my junior year where hiding crippling anxiety was durable in exchange for avoiding awkward conversations where I am told to “look on the bright side.” From where I was standing, every side was pitch black, and I was stuck fumbling around in the dark. My eventual realization of accepting sadness trickled through the cracks that had formed in my foundation over the years, slowly seeping into my psyche until it simply became common knowledge to me. For so long, I attempted to numb myself from feeling practically any emotion in an attempt to block out sadness. There was never a pinnacle moment in which it finally clicked for me. I didn’t shout “Eureka!” amidst my tears. Instead, I stopped viewing my moments of weakness as shameful, and began to embrace their cathartic nature. Yes, I spent a large amount of my high school years facing and fighting pain and loneliness head on. And yes, you’re right. It will get better, and this too shall pass, and so on and so forth. But the key to overcoming such trials of immense sadness lies in recognizing that its presence is not always a bad thing. Being human comes with a long list of terms and conditions, and people tend to skip over the section labeled “How Sadness Works.” Sometimes you have to sob in your shower while dramatically listening to Kelly Clarkson on repeat. Parking lots and bathroom stalls can act as a source of comfort to crying eyes. When people ask how you are doing, you are entitled to the luxury of saying “Not too great.” I now understand there will be days when I break down, shut off from the world, and just allow myself to feel. With all of these seemingly exhaustive woes comes a relief in knowing that you are alive. You are aware. You are feeling. And most importantly, that you are allowed to not be okay.
EMMA
SECKINGER
Print Managing Editor
GO AHEAD
BREAK THE BOUNDARIES I cannot begin to count how many times I’ve heard “I never knew you were so funny.” The “I always thought you were shy” grew old really fast. My all time favorite, however, would have to be “I would never expect that from you.” I used to wonder where people get the information to base their assumptions about me off of. It can’t possibly be from spending any time with me or from what my friends have to say. When people say that I’m different than they expected, I want to know what made them expect anything in the first place. I understand that I’m not the most outgoing person and don’t open up to people after having one conversation. But I also know that everyone acts different outside of class than the way they do inside. Not wanting to present a project or volunteer to read does not make me a quiet person. Doing my work when I am supposed to instead of socializing does not make me closed off. Preferring to listen to a teacher over interrupting a class discussion with my thoughts certainly does not make me any less capable of producing my own opinions. Since so many of my peers expected me to be shy, I let them believe their preconceived notions rather than try to prove them wrong. I acted based off of the stereotypes my classmates had created for me instead of acting upon my own individual ambitions and desires. I became passive and unwilling to speak up out of embarrassment and the fear of being judged and still regret not raising my hand every time I knew an answer to a problem or wanted to ask a burning question. Throughout my four years of high school, I have gained the confidence to be comfortable in my own skin. I finally realized that I alone am responsible for how I perceive myself. I no longer feel the need to constrain myself to please others, because I’ve wasted enough time conforming to what others want and expect from me. As soon as I stopped caring about other people’s opinions, I started to enjoy high school a lot more. My senior year has been filled with so many amazing memories that even last year would never have happened because I feared failure. I’ve made more friends and feel less pressure on myself to be a spitting image of perfection. Although perception is reality, don’t let that categorize you into a box that makes it impossible to branch out from. If you want to be the captain of the lacrosse team and senior class president, do it. If you want to have a place in the top five percent and be the Silver Knight nominee for athletics, it can be done. If you want to have a major role for the school newspaper and still go out on the weekends, go for it. Never let someone else stop you from accomplishing what you can achieve; only you know what you’re truly capable of. A lot of what I have accomplished would never have happened without my friends and teachers at Palmetto. While many dread going to school, I enjoy having the opportunity to learn everyday and being part of such a tight-knit community. Because of this, I took advantage of the unparalleled opportunities that Palmetto offers. Through my involvement in the school, I was able to change the way people see me. Even though I know for fact that I have changed, but some labels are impossible to shed. Maybe I will always be known as “the quiet one.” But how other people see me is different than how I see myself and I finally refuse to let boundaries limit my potential.
FEATURE 16
VICTORIA
ARGUELLES
OnlineManaging Editor
DON’T BE
AFRAID TO FALL Three years, nine months and 11 days ago, I still had braces. I didn’t know what high school was or who I would become. I knew I was on the brink of something wildly different and knew, but that didn’t really matter to me at the time. I did what came naturally. I continued the extra curriculars in middle school: drama and student government. Though in the latter part of my freshman year, I surprised myself by applying to be on the newspaper staff. A week after my impromptu interview, I was put on staff. What they didn’t tell me, though, was that I had just become part of something that would help me figure out what I was born to do, and that I had just found a group of people who would care for me unconditionally. Most of the other staff members my age on staff had journalistic experience, but I didn’t. I was intimidated by the talent around me. Luckily, with every assigned task that seemed impossible, there was an “I believe in you” attached. And because someone believed in me, I made the impossible possible, to my own surprise. I found myself at a crossroads in my junior year, torn between wanting to invest myself in leadership positions in student council and newspaper. I wanted to be student council president since I was elected freshman class president, but I lost the presidency junior year, which I didn’t think I could bear again. I also wanted to be editor-in-chief of The Panther, but I would be going up against four of my closest friends. I did what came naturally to me, emotionally and physically investing myself in pursuing both of them. When I wasn’t campaigning, I was working on my editor-in-chief application, struggling to make the deadlines as a section editor and not sleeping. Before I had time to worry about being put in the same student council position as the year before, I was in it again; I didn’t not win the election. Disappointedly, two weeks after that, I was appointed as the online managing editor of The Panther, not the editor- in-chief. I was embarrassed and disgusted with myself, because I felt responsible for putting myself in such vulnerable positions. I was told that it “wasn’t the end of the world” so many times before, that it started to feel more and more artificial each time I heard it. It wasn’t the end of the world, but not getting either position felt like a rug had been ripped out from under me, leaving me on the cold floor of reality. Then several hands reached out to me to pick me up off of that floor. I had forgotten that the organizations I had joined consisted of people who loved me and wanted me to reach my full potential. Looking back now, I have few things to say other than this: failure is possibly the best thing that happened to me. Cliche, I know. But everything happens as it should, and at the time, I didn’t see that there was a greater plan. I found where I belonged in high school, with people who legitimately wanted the best for me and knew what I needed, even though it may not have been what I wanted. In two days, I will shake Mrs. Dobbs’s hand and receive my diploma. I will graduate a more wise and humble version of myself I could’ve never imagined I’d become. I will be graduating with all of those who have picked me up when I’ve fallen, and all of those I’ve picked up when they’ve done the same. Falling is a part of growing up. But no matter where, when or how you fall, there will always be someone there to pick you up.
SAMANTHA
GANTER
Senior Copy Editor
THE CHANGE
THAT CHANGED ME The certainty of change is, quite often, the only constant factor in our lives. From our first breath to the mystery of tomorrow, our surroundings transform faster than we can keep up with, sometimes thrusting us beyond our place of comfort. High school epitomized the most transformative time of my life thus far. In eighth grade, my dad approached me with the nausea-inducing news that my family would be relocating to Miami from Jupiter at the end of the summer. While the move would take me only two hours away from home, the change that would follow brought me to a place in my life that was not only terrifying but, in hindsight, also massively gratifying. The next four years of my life included more variables than I ever saw in calculus class and they were certainly more difficult to decipher. I found myself floating between groups of friends each year and I struggled to find the ones who made me feel at home in a place that still felt foreign to me. With each group I identified with, my style and antics changed, and my views transformed with the new perspectives they introduced to me. I fell in and out of love with others and back in love but with myself. Each new experience humbled me with the reality that the present and the future could never return to the warmth of past. Four years later, as I prepare to call New Orleans my home, I finally settled into place and found the people who brought me back to a place in my life that feels like home. While it does hurt to come to the sobering realization that I found them later in my high school career and that I will eventually leave most of them behind in wrinkled memories, I feel endlessly grateful for the love they have all shown me and the experiences they provided me with. To those who have already nestled into the corners of my memory and to the losses that I have already mourned, thank you for being a part of the journey that brought me to myself. Having endured a lifetime of change in four short years I have a newfound sense of confidence that has prepared me to evolve with whatever my new adventure brings. So yes, change is utterly terrifying. You will want to recede into your comfort zone; your stomach will twist with fear and uncertainty; and sometimes you will think the pain was for nothing. But like Paulo Coelho said in “The Alchemist”: “A shepherd always takes his chances with wolves and with drought, and that’s what makes a shepherd’s life exciting.” Face your drought, and fight your wolves. Plunge into the unknown and embrace the inevitable fear that will ensue. Let that fear drive you to chase the infinite horizon of opportunity that the world has to offer. I was lucky enough to scratch the surface here at Palmetto and The certainty of change is, quite often, the only constant factor in our lives. From our first breath to the mystery of tomorrow, our surroundings transform faster than we can keep up with, sometimes thrusting us beyond our place of comfort. High school epitomized the most transformative time of my life thus far. In eighth grade, my dad approached me with the nausea-inducing news that my family would be relocating to Miami from Jupiter at the end of the summer. While the move would take me only two hours away from home, the change that would follow brought me to a place in my life that was not only terrifying but, in hindsight, also massively gratifying.
FEATURE 18
SOPHIA CARRILLO
Senior Design Editor
PLANS CHANGE AND THAT’S OKAY
Most people come into high school with their next four years meticulously mapped out. I would know-- I was one of them. I always pictured myself dancing for Variations, but my failure to make the team led to a passion I would have never considered otherwise. At the end of my sophomore year, my friend Emma urged me to apply for newspaper. This unexpected turn of events was the first time I fully embraced change in my life. The familial atmosphere radiating throughout room 911b is like no other. Being surrounded by a group of people who all share a common goal- creating the highest quality publication possibleproved to be the most rewarding experience of my high school career. I fell in love with the design aspect of the production process immediately. As Marc Anthony once said, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I found myself looking forward to staying after to design my pages without worrying about how it would affect my grade. I found myself mentally deconstructing billboards, magazine layouts and any graphics in my daily life to envision how I could use them as inspiration for my design. I found myself with a second family, and a new passion that I want to build on for the remainder of my life. Prior to my involvement in newspaper, ‘creative’ would not have been a word used to describe me; now, it’s one of the first that comes to mind. Change can occur in the simplest forms. It does not always have to be centered around a single dramatic event. For obvious reasons, most people reject change. People fight the idea of change so much that oftentimes the fight ends up changing them. As a middle schooler, I stubbornly believed that I would defy the odds and finish high school with the same friends I started it with. In hindsight, I am pleasantly surprised by how wrong I was. Four months into my freshman year, reality hit me. I found myself with an entirely new group of friends after being molded into a version of myself that everyone seemed to accept but me. I used to be someone who seeked validation from my peers instead of intrinsically. I turned to gossiping in order to fit in with the petty middle school clique, and formed opinions on people based on what I heard about them in the hallways. My past four years at Palmetto have taught me not to fall into my old ways. The distorted perception I had on what a true friendship consisted of proved to be completely wrong; my thoughts on friendship were completely redefined. In the moment, change may disguise itself as an obstacle; In reality, it has the potential to lead you to exactly where you need to be. You will uncover new passions and new experiences. You will end up exactly where you are supposed to be. As I prepare to begin a new chapter in my life that holds the most change I have encountered to date, I urge you to stop fearing change. Instead, be the proponent of innovation and change within your own life. Progress is impossible without change. You may lose something good in the process, but it holds the potential to lead to something better. Florida State University: I can’t wait for what you have in store for me. After 14 years of being a Palmetto student, I am prepared to expand my horizons, experience new things and relish in all the changes that come my way.
SHANE
MCCRINK Sports Editor
GO YOUR OWN WAY
Throughout my tenure as a Palmetto Panther, I thought high school was a waste sometimes. High school was not necessarily for me, but I am glad I experienced it. Looking back, to the beginning entering high school was a major adjustment. A class with a college curriculum like AP World History was not easy to keep up with as a freshman. Document based questions and taking notes from the textbook nightly to prepare for discussion in class the next day was an unforeseen experience. I played baseball and was sidelined when I injured the ulnar collateral ligament in my throwing elbow. I went through therapy for four months. The injury that kept me from playing the sport I loved and the academic adjustment was the most adversity I had been through at that point in my life. The adversity forced me to mature and grow as a young adult. After freshman year, I decided to change my perspective on high school. I did not want to think of it as a daunting or overwhelming task, but instead a learning experience where I discovered myself and took advantage of its opportunities. In my sophomore year, I decided to join The Panther. In newspaper, I have met a diverse group of people from different grades, backgrounds and perspectives that widened my perspective. It helped me keep an open mind, something I suggest all people have in high school. I learned not only about myself, but about others. I also learned in high school that there are two kinds of people: the ones who try to fit in and the ones who do their own thing. I fit into the latter. Why would I ever try to be something other than me? I recognized that caring about what other people think of me wastes energy not worth wasting that could be used for studying for AP classes, saying no to drugs or just flat out bettering yourself. I learned that most of the popular kids in high school were hitting their peaks in life and that mine was still in the works. It is important to surround yourself with people worth your time. People that accept you and have similar goals and aspirations are critical to experiencing high school. Those who pressure you to do negative things or compromise who you are as an individual are not friends. Surrounding yourself with ambitious people like yourself will challenge you academically and motivate you to be the best that you can be academically. As senior year comes to a close, I have met some people over the last few months that I wish I met earlier on in high school. To current underclassmen: get out and meet new people; explore outside of your niche. These four years are not necessarily about hanging with the same crowd all the time-- they are about meeting new people that can help you discover new interests and backgrounds. You can learn something from each person you meet, whether they have done something unbelievably brilliant or something astonishingly ignorant. Depending on what you learn it can impact your life positively and help you advance in your development as a human being. Most importantly, remain true to yourself. There will always be someone better in some aspects of life than you are, but in the end they will never be you. Stay true to yourself by being you. Everything you’re not makes you everything you are.
FEATURE 20
KEITH RICHARDS Report Editor
THE SEARCH
FOR IMPROVEMENT My four years at Miami Palmetto Senior High School can only be defined as a spiral downward in an attempt to find myself. I bounced from basketball to writing to philosophy to journalism without any real idea about the inner workings of any of them. Sometimes when I look back at all of these activities, I feel tempted to just say that I wasted my time pursuing them, because they would never amount to what I want to do for the rest of my life; I have no desire to play college basketball, write the next great American novel, do whatever philosophy majors do, nor win a Pulitzer. Yet in retrospect, I regret none of these decisions. I learned along the way through doing each thing. Basketball taught me how to work with other people in situations that require quick thinking. Writing taught me how to express myself. Philosophy taught me how to reason. Journalism taught me how to construct a point both objectively and with sufficient evidence in a coherent way. All of these things will help me for the rest of my life, both professionally and personally. There is this unfortunate stigma that we need to put our minds to what we want to do for the rest of our lives and stick with only that - well before we can even vote. It is not uncommon for people to declare that they knew what they want to do not only in college but also for a career as early as freshman year. Everyone applies to that prestigious summer program that some Ivy League school charges an exorbitant fee to attend, only to eventually find out that whatever it was they wanted to do actually does not interest them. At that point, it becomes almost too easy to just scrap the idea and say both time and money were wasted. But neither of those thoughts are true. Learning more about yourself through high school ultimately defines who you will become later in life. These experiences mold your world view and fundamentally change the way you see things. It is better to start back at square one than to have never left it at all; at least now you bring some new lesson to the table that you can draw from for your next major life decision. Every teenager has a fragile sense of pride. Even the most laid back person has some button that they never want pressed. Many people try to avoid making any mistakes - regardless of how small - to prevent their ego from being remotely damaged; but mistakes make us human. Mistakes teach us far better than any textbook, novel or TV show. Experiencing life and stumbling along is the only true way to understand ourselves and the world around us. Maybe your last breakup really hurt you. That is completely okay. Maybe you made a stupid decision and now your parents are upset. That is completely okay. Maybe you have no idea where you want to end up in ten years. That is completely okay. High school is an environment that allows us to experiment with ourselves. We can dye our hair, try a new style, ask out that girl in Government class and so many other things. It is the one time in our life to make mistakes and still have the safety net of our parents to catch us if we fall. It would be a waste to never even take a plunge
MEGAN MARTINEZ Business Manager
EMILY DIEZ Report Editor
TRANSFORMATION THROUGH AN UNFAVORABLE SITUATION Plaid skirts, Thursday ballet classes and weekly Friday masses were the three most defining elements of my childhood. Everyone wore the same clothes and, coincidentally, seemed to have the same personalities. If parents were friends, their daughters were destined to be friends as well. Friday masses manifested the routine religion taught to me in Catholic school. This was my life for 12 years and I knew nothing different. A week before my sophomore year started, my family made the decision that attending a public school would be best for my academic career. I had never been to a school with more than 200 people in my grade and my transition from a boutiquey Catholic high school in Coconut Grove to a suffocatingly large public school, like Palmetto, was far from easy. I regretted this decision most of my time here. Although I lost connections with most of my friends, I learned more about myself than I ever thought I would. I learned that
people who grew up in public school can be much more genuine than people who grew up in a school heavily influenced by Christian principles. I learned that not everyone will like me, not everyone wants to be my friend and not everyone has good intentions for me. I reestablished a stronger relationship with my faith. Believe it or not, sometimes one has to be separated by something to appreciate its full beauty. Most importantly, I discovered that if they want to, people can stay in your life no matter the circumstances. My best friend stood by me through the transition. She walked into my life when everyone else seemed to walk out. Thank you to my mother for holding my hand through my bumpy transition and reminding me that my duration in Palmetto is temporary. Thank you to my father for making me stay at Palmetto when I almost transferred back junior year. If I had returned to my previous school, I would have never learned to embrace unfavorable situations.
SCORES ARE BUT A NUMBER The first day of my freshman year at Palmetto, I wore a new long sleeve school gray shirt--an outfit I had planned from my three color options of blue, white and gray-and lingered next to the few people I knew in the humid Miami heat. It felt disgusting, but I didn’t care because I was eager to start my new future as a Panther. Quite quickly, however, I felt the weight of the competitive environment surrounding me. I questioned why I didn’t take two APs instead of one my freshman year. I felt guilt for taking only two APs sophomore year when I had the opportunity to take three. I stopped taking drama junior year because I didn’t want to take another regular credit class that wouldn’t pad my resume. I studied inaccurate graphs of my potential to get into certain colleges. I probably joined a total of 14 clubs and tried out for three sports teams, only making the bowling team (and I am by no means athletic). But the reality is, none of it really mattered. Unless you are still obsessing about what
schools you did not get into by the end of senior year, believe me, most people will not care about your SAT or ACT scores senior year. And no one in college will care that you did not pass some AP test or that you got a C on your report card. I know it seems consuming now, but as shocking as it sounds, there will come a time when you don’t think about it everyday. No one can make you feel less than you are. Whether you take 20 AP’s or all regular classes, whether you have perfect or failing test scores, none of these things define you. The most valuable things you have are your moral values, your goals, your ambition and your drive. If you have a perfect academic record but make fun of kids going to community college, does that really make you a better person? You may or may not have the most golden grades or extracurriculars, but in the end, it is up to you to decide what person you want to be and what defines you. No set of numbers can determine that.
FEATURE 22
SUNGHO
SON Design Editor
VICTORY THROUGH SACRIFICE As a huge procrastinator, I always relied on the last few minutes to study for a test or to submit an assignment on turnitin.com; but senior year does not work the same way as all the other years of high school. College applications must adhere to each specific deadline. Financial aid and scholarships also take up space on your calendar with their own deadlines. It may sound simple at first but if I prioritized schoolwork and still procrastinated, it would have left me a fraction of a second to get any applications done. I would have nearly lost my mind and made my last year the most dreadful out of all four from the stress piling up. When I stopped binge-watching Netflix and spending hours clicking through YouTube videos, I had enough time to sail through senior year smoothly. With all the rigorous courses, studying for five tests for the next day and getting ready in the morning with only three hours of sleep became just another weekly activity.
When all the stress flows in from the excessive amount of homework and exams, it is easy to just surrender and buckle under the weight. As the year goes on, our ambition to strive for straight A’s diminishes to getting no D’s on our report card. Yet for a small sacrifice of time and sanity, we can land our hands on the college acceptance letter of our dreams. As a bonus, we carry over invaluable skills like time management and responsibility, something Netflix and YouTube never could provide. Every opportunity comes with a cost. The payment may come in intangible forms like time and commitment. We spend 18,144,000 seconds within the walls of columbia blue and white and each second determines where we will end up in the adult world. Yet if we do not focus on failures or cling to unnecessary attachments, and rather, tackle new challenges and keep on moving despite the stress and fatigue, victory stands on the back of sacrifice.
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SPORTS 23
FALL INTO SPORTS BOYS AND GIRLS GOLF Coach Michael Klekotka will hold the first team golf practice at the Palmetto Golf Course on Aug. 2 at 10 a.m.. The first match will take place just 11 days after, on Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. on the same course. “The team is very close and we all know each other very well and hang out everywhere, not only on the course,” senior team captain Gareth Williams said. “There are some great golfers, and if they put in the work this summer and during the season, then I could easily see them going to states.”
BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING Coach Chase Vaughn will be hosting dryland conditioning beginning Aug. 8 from three to four in the afternoon at the Palmetto field. Vaughn encourages swimmers to join his club team for extra practice. The Riptides practice is Monday through Saturday at Gulliver High School all summer. “It’s my passion,” junior Matthieu Vatinelle said. “I feel at home in the water PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PALMECHO
and love pushing myself beyond the limits.” Vatinelle hopes to continue a tradition of outstanding swimming at Palmetto as captain next season as his fourth year on the team.
BOYS FOOTBALL Coach Michael Manasco will be hosting football practices Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. “It shows you who’s really got your back on the field. It basically makes you feel like you’re part of something,” sophomore Jorge Arana said. Practices for the highly anticipated sport begin June 13 on the school field and run all summer long. “It’s a life experience because not everybody gets to play high school football,” junior Javier Rodriguez said.
BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Dates for cross country summer practices and tryouts are to be announced the week of May 30 by Coach Michael Reynolds or
athletic director Steve Batten. “I joined at first to get in shape for other sports but then I just really liked running,” Yuwei Jiang said. “Train hard over the summer because once the season starts we’re pretty much competing.” Next year marks Jiang’s fourth year on the team as she advises newcomers to make time for practices to excel during the meets.
BOWLING AND GIRLS VOLLEYBALL The bowling team hosts tryouts at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year with Coach Chris Hirth. The Bird Bowl allows students to use their summer clinics for practices at little to no cost. Coach Maricio Palacios will be hosting girls volleyball summer practices beginning July 6. They will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Palmetto gym. Physicals are due June 27 and tryouts will be held Aug. 1 for any girls interested in joining.
Agnes Bartha Photo Editor
a.bartha.thepanther@gmail.com
SPORTS 24
AN ATHLETE’S FILTER From what began as a way for a sports team to update its fans on previous events, social media has changed sporting interactions. Social media has transformed into a place where athletes and fans can discuss their feelings and input before and after the games. “Social media could be a distraction for athletes because if they don’t have the right mindset, hate comments could throw them off their game,” sophomore Diego Ventosa said. “For example, during the season Lebron James might use social media to generate hype before games, but during big games like the playoffs, it could be a distraction so he might not use his account.” What an athlete, team or league posts on their account can directly affect a fan’s opinion of that organization. An athlete utilizing social media outlets to their advantage would probably engage their fans by asking for their opinion about something they promote. Positive presence on social media may even benefit athletes with their fellow teams. While many enjoy playful interactions, most of these back and forth responses quickly tend to escalate in a negative way. Fans rooting for teams might trash talk opposing athletes to try to rile them up for upcoming sporting events. Many fans on Twitter criticized NBA player Russell Westbrook after a playoff game where he yelled at an opposing team’s fan. Fights on Twitter can also occur between Palmetto and rival schools because of the increasing usage of social media. The Palmetto junior varsity girls softball team engaged in a Twitter fight with the Coral Reef junior varsity girls softball team after some Reef players posted videos of themselves burning Palmetto softball jerseys. The teams exchanged profanity-laden messages on Twitter that ultimately energized the rivalry between them on the field. In addition, professional athletes can get into fights between each other on social media. For example, NFL players DeAngelo Williams and Vontaze Burfict carried their on-field taunting to Twitter where they each took shots at each other following their playoff game. Social media also uses hashtags to promote certain sporting events, such as #TORvsMIA, #WhiteHot and #HEATTwitter used by the Miami Heat during their playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. Social media has served as a hub for sports and only looks to increase its impact on athletes. “Social media affects each player differently,” junior Matthew Hellinger said. “Some players let things that happen on social media get to their head while other players take what people say and embrace it and use it as motivation to do better in their respective sport.”
Blake Rubenstein Staff Writer
b.rubenstein.thepanther@gmail.com
Bryce Harper @Bharper3407
What a team win yesterday! I love this organization, these fans, and the team that we have... What a family! Murph you rake. #OnePursuit #Nats 4/5/16, 9:46 AM
Tony
@tpolcaster @KingJames not your day, get over yourself. This is why people don’t like you. 4/14/16, 4:55 AM
Vontaze Burfict @King55Tez
@DeAngeloRB u didn’t even play nor help yo team and I’m happy to still b in ya’ll heads 4 months later #gethealthy 4/6/16, 6:00 PM
Miami HEAT @MiamiHEAT
#MIAvsTOR Game 5 Final: HEAT 91 Raptors 99. Wade 20pts 7rebs, Dragic 13pts/ Richardson 13pts, Johnson 11pts 8rebs, Winslow 8pts 7rebs. 5/11/16, 10:42 PM
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS IN
On Aug. 5, the world will converge and tune in to the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics from Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is expected to begin amid political and environmental instability in the country. Two summers after hosting the FIFA World Cup and spending $14 billion on the event, the Brazilian government will unload another $11 billion this time around. The country must find a way to move past these two events and revitalize an economy that is nearly $700 million in debt, even though the political structure is dysfunctional and riots have become normal in Rio. Earlier this year, President Dilma Rousseff, who once had a seventy nine percent national approval rating, was forced into the impeachment process after allegations of corruption that include tampering with financial statistics relating to its budgets and making fiscal adjustments that benefited several corporations in the stock market. Rousseff will most likely be forced to step down, as she now possesses a nine percent approval rating according to The Wall Street Journal, as well. The aforementioned Zika virus may also play a large role in the cause of a hypothetically devastating Olympics. The effects of the mosquito-borne illness usually last up to a week, but pregnant women are at most risk from the Zika epidemic, because the virus can lead to complications in the birth
of their children that include brain and eye defects, impaired growth and hearing loss. These possibilities have led many to wonder how Brazil will deal with the presence of the illness that has affected over 1.5 million of its inhabitants and many more across the world. “The only thing that should be done is to monitor the health of people exiting the country after the games are over, like at airports,” Brazilian-born junior Victoria Noisom said. Fumigation in the country’s capital figures to be the force of action, and with the Games taking place during Brazil’s winter, when the amount of mosquitoes will be considerably lower than it was at the beginning of the year, infection should be minimal. This is a cautious hope, though, as there are many other problems that could affect the Olympics, such as the worst drought in Brazil’s history and electricity that consistently falters on a citywide scale in the major cities; these issues may not only hinder the Games, but also the infrastructure of the developing country. Brazil isn’t economically prepared to handle such an event and bidding was done years prior so it’s not like they knew what state the country would be in present day,” Victoria Noisom said.
SPORTS 25
PHOTO BY FIONA STOERR DE QUEIROZ
THE GAMES BY THE NUMBERS
480,000 tourists are expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro.
Golf, rugby and kitesurfing will become part of the 38 sports in the Games. This will be the 1st Olympics held in South America.
Thomas Martinez
Online-Editor-in-Chief
t.martinez.thepanther@gmail.com
INFORMATION COURTESY OF THE WALLSTREET JOURNAL
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INSIGHT 27
#THISISNOTREALNEWS
11% 8% 4%
Other**
Snapchat
News Apps*
18%
What digital source do students rely on the most for breaking 18% 17% news? None
24%
*Includes AppleNews, SportsCenter, CNN, BBC, New York Times, NPR, Google News, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, etc. ** Includes YouTube and Tumblr
Twitter is not ABC, CNN or The New York Times. Verified accounts are not always verified news sources. Hashtags are not headlines. Social media includes websites other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and develop social contacts. Today’s teenagers at large use social media to share infamous selfies, tweet to celebrities and broadcast the ins and outs of their lives to their followers. What they post may vary significantly from what they see. Hashtags and trends flood social media daily and provide a platform for users to share their opinions regarding specific events or ideas. Social media is an excellent platform for individuals to express themselves. News, however, is not about expression. It is about timeliness and accuracy. Current events often appear on social media, surpassing the dialogue of major news networks. This is where the problem begins. Social media’s “news” is not only biased, but it is not trustworthy. Just because Kim Kardashian has a blue checkmark next to her name, verifying that the internet-breaking pop culture icon is indeed running the account, that does not make her tweets credible,
Student Views “I watch Snapchat, usually Vice on the discover part. There is always a bunch of interesting news stories that are relevent to the world.” Joshua Geltzer (12) “I do use social media, but not for information around the world. My dad works in the stock market, so I’ve always just watched the news. Because social media is so big and so many people are on it, the information is changed and is not always true.” Heather Loader (10) “Sometimes I find out news stuff through social media. It is easy access to the information you would get on the news channel, without having to actually sit there and watch the news.” Jaqueline Manresa (10) INFOGRAPHIC BY ISABELLE CARBAJALES AND MARLOWE STARLING
newsworthy information. If trends and hashtags are the only source of current events teenagers see, they are predisposed to hopping on the bandwagon before gathering the true facts and forming their own opinions; they are exposed to only the surface-level details of the complex issues that broach public awareness. People, especially teenagers, who only see news through social media platforms are susceptible to becoming misinformed and influenced by the opinions of the uninformed. Users do not have to follow journalistic conduct and post reliable, credible information that has been compiled professionally. Users reserve the right to post whatever they feel like. With this, users truly do not know if what they see is accurate. Even if the news broadcasted on social media is often distorted, it still raises awareness. A more pressing issue regarding current events is absence of any coverage on social media. For those whose only news source is social media, they are unaware of many world news stories not trending on social media. Certain accounts are directed toward teenagers and the more modern population. For example, Trump and Clinton ordinarily
may not be the ideal Twitter user, but social media is the perfect platform to connect with users at a low cost. Controversial topics take the Internet by storm everyday and incite discussion. With all of the hype regarding the presidential election swarming social media, teenagers quickly form their opinions on candidates. Oftentimes they are unaware of what the candidates stand for. In today’s a day and age, some popular social media accounts are paid by companies to advertise their products. So who is really running these accounts? Celebrities and heavily trafficked accounts may say certain things because they are paid to do so. So where does the solution begin? If reading the newspaper or watching the nightly news is out of the question for the technology driven teenagers- that’s okay. The world is modernizing more and more everyday. Real news sources have social media accounts and mobile apps where they share credible information. Teenagers can be exposed to reliable news without exiting out of their time line by following the right accounts.
Morgan Elmslie Staff Writer
m.elmslie.thepanther@gmail.com
INSIGHT 28
WHEN YOU GO TO WASH YOUR HANDS IN THE
??? ??? BATHROOM AND THERE ARE NO PAPER TOWELS WHEN YOU’RE WALKING BACK FROM THE PARKING LOT AFTER LUNCH
AND SEE ADMINISTRATION WHEN THERE ARE RANDOM UNIFORM CHECKS
AND YOU WANT TO DIP PHOTOS BY AGNES BARTHA, SUSAN AGHEDO, BLAKE RUBENSTEIN
Far beyond the emergence of fine arts, religion and language, an anomaly of human nature ingrained itself into the culture of generations across time. Cavemen did it; Vikings did it; royalty of the Dark Ages did it. Beautifully horrific Impact fonts and slews of Reddit forums come together to create the greatest art form humanity has ever seen. Yes, you guessed it. I’m talking about memes. From stone tablets to the printing press, our means of communicating as a species has evolved to cross the barriers of distance and demographics alike. In order to fully understand the weight that memes hold in our history, you must first eliminate any preconceived notions that the name offers. For many, memes embody a black hole of chaos filled with “Pepe” and “Dat Boi” frogs. In reality, the word itself is defined as concepts that are passed through culture from one individual to another, whether in the form of ideas, images or text. In his novel “The Selfish Gene,” Richard Dawkins explains that replicators of culture come from memes, as he expanded its spectrum to encompass everyday concepts, such as cliches, faith in God and the understanding that the earth revolves around the sun. By modern-day standards, memes surpass these commonplace ideologies and transform into a newfound digitized language for Generation Z. Understood humor unifies us as an entire demographic; together, we understand the panic of a distressed Mr. Krabs. As a unit, we will in fact seize the means of production. Side by side, we connect with the pain of a crying Michael Jordan face. Somewhere along the way, our generation established a visual dictionary, abundant with constantly evolving texts, hyperlinks and images, all archived in the catacombs of the Internet. Without the presence of memes, the fabric of our culture would have unraveled years before our time. Indeed, we would still have subsets of intellectual achievement to be admired in the future. Yet entire online communities built upon ubiquitous interests in humor and consciousness alike would be eliminated in their absence. Many are quick to claim that these factions are comprised of unintellectual, slothful individuals who spend their days living in their parent’s basement. In actuality, meme culture is practiced by every one of us. No stories would survive the passage of time without memes. An unspoken connection seen on Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit would cease to exist. Our technological footprint would disappear faster than the time it takes for memes to appear after award shows. All our traditions, beliefs and presumptions, everything we accept as the “norm” derives from the development and passing of memes. With all this in mind, one thing is both certain and accurate in observation – in essence, memes truly are life.
Claudia Vera Staff Writer
c.vera.thepanther@gmail.com
WHEN YOU’RE WALKING TO CLASS
WHEN YOU SEE YOUR FRIEND IN CLASS
AND SEE A COUPLE MAKING OUT
BUT THEY DON’T SEE YOU
INSIGHT 29
IS SUMMER BEST SPENT WORKING?
YES
NO
While most teens simply use their summers as an excuse to lay complacent and allow all of the knowledge acquired in the previous school year to drain from their heads, the premonition of promoting a lazy summer should be disregarded. Rather, summer exists as the perfect opportunity for students to refresh their minds and quench their thirst for any personal goals. Summer provides a much needed break from the unrelenting monotony of school; however, this opportunity, which provides a unique amount of freedom, should not be squandered in a comatose state. In a highly competitive college admissions process, what a student does with his or her summer says a lot about them. Students should fill their summers with worthwhile activities, whether it be participating in a college summer program or simply volunteering at a local summer camp; no one should let summer go by without accomplishment. In reality, a resumé filled with activity could make a huge difference when applying to college. Seize opportunity. Allowing the 11 weeks of summer to pass you by laying complacent on your couch is a waste. Explore a passion, play a sport, get a job or learn to tie your shoes. Just ensure that when you look back on the summer you can proudly say you accomplished something. Additionally, a great deal of students have and squander their abilities to travel both abroad and within the United States. While family vacations may not seem like the ideal way to spend your summer to everyone else, take advantage of the opportunity. Who knows the incredible experiences which you could gain exploring some new corner of the world? Rather than just wasting time in a hotel room, go out and explore, find a program or charity to involve yourself in. All in all, never waste your life. Admittedly, the appeal of a perfectly complacent and uneventful summer is understandable and the perfect contrast to a hectic school year; however, do not allow this mentality to negatively permeate your identity. Once started, it becomes incredibly difficult to detach from this lackadaisical lifestyle.
The school days seem to grow longer as the effects of academic burnout catch up to us: the long nights of homework, stressful testing schedules and endless competition to maintain satisfactory GPAs. We are beyond exhaustion by the time summer arrives, and it is the perfect time to unwind and reboot for next year. Summer vacation is part of every school’s annual schedule for a reason. One could easily choose to catch up on FLVS courses or take dual enrollment classes for supplementary credits. While there is no harm in doing so, summer should also be full of memories with family and friends, traveling or simply doing the hobbies and activities we do not necessarily have time for in the school year bustle. Be a kid before the shock of adulthood hits after high school. According to the American Journal of Play, between 1950 and 2005, suicide rates quadrupled for children under 15 years old and doubled for people between 15 and 25. The answer, they suggest, may be unstructured play and free time - something the modern-day high school student often cannot find. Summer, a period devoid of obligations and abundant with exciting opportunities, allows for the overworked student to release those tensions and rediscover themselves. The education obtained during the regular school year is doubtlessly valuable. Sure, it ultimately helps us get to where we will be as adults, but it sometimes feels too much to bear. There are plenty of activities outside of school that nourish wellbeing all the more. That goal you had to paint more often? To watch old movies? To fish off the Seven Mile Bridge? Go for it. Nowadays, if we do not exceed the standard GPA or fluff up our community service records, the pressure is on us to get into college and go far in life. Who’s to say an online course here and a volunteer project there determines a student’s success? So this summer, go ahead and take out that dusty adirondack chair; rediscover those books you meant to read for fun; break out the sidewalk chalk. I dare you.
Brian Morrison
Marlowe Starling
b.morrison.thepanther@gmail.com
m.starling.thepanther@gmail.com
NATIONWIDE
PARTICIPATE IN
SUMMER SCHOOL
2.6 MATH
ABOUT
STUDENTS LOSE
OF
MONTHS
WORTH
SKILLS OVER THE SUMMER
Copy Editor
INFORMATION COURTESTY OF NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING ASSOCIATION
57% OF
PEOPLE
WHO TRAVELED
A KID WENT TO
AS
OF
COLLEGE
MORE THAN
HALF
OF CHILDREN
WHO TRAVEL BETTER
GET
% 1 0 STUDENTS
GRADES
Insight Editor
INFORMATION COURTESTY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
EDITORIAL 30
STAFF
FAST FORWARD EDITORIAL On May 19, 1993 Sri Lanka announced their defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant terrorist organization. The LTTE worked to create an independent state in the northern region of Sri Lanka for the Tamil peoples. Through their use of fear tactics and public assassinations of government officials, The Liberation Tigers created fear and panic throughout Sri Lanka. Eventually, the rift that LTTE created amongst Sri Lankans led to the Sri Lankan Civil War which spanned over 26 years.
26 years LATER…
Samantha Ganter
Senior Copy Editor s.ganter.thepanther@gmail.com
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
An A320 Airbus travelling from Paris to Cairo unexpectedly plummeted from its flight course just as it entered Egypt’s boundaries. The jetliner not only crashed, but fell out of Greek and Egyptian air traffic control radars. Although no individuals or organizations have officially claimed responsibility for the crash, the Egyptian government has publically stated that terrorism is the most likely cause, far more likely than technical failure. The 66 lives on board remain unaccounted for, including seven crew members and three infants. During the 1970’s, terrorism seemed like an isolated and distant issue-- an idea that shifted rapidly for most Americans following the events on Sep. 11. In recent months, the presence of terrorism has become universal. From Paris, to Nigeria, to Brussels and even San Bernardino, terrorism is no longer a foreign or unknown concept. In times of global crisis, even those who remain physically unaffected cannot ignore the unsettling fear that follows. Consciousness must first be present toward such calamity; then and only then can progress occur.
F
our years can feel like forever. From the time each freshman sheepishly enters the doors of Miami Palmetto Senior High School, more than a handful could willingly admit to look forward to the day they graduate and move on from the rusting gray walls, gum-littered desks and stress-riddled classes. Yet, how is it that when most of these same students graduate, they weigh heavy with what they left behind in their high school experiences? With each new school year, we step into something new, while leaving behind something old (ironically, there is blue involved for Panthers). The new sophomore leaves behind the biology class where her green-eyed crush sat three seats behind her. The incoming junior leaves behind days without hours of homework. The senior leaves behind summers under their parent’s roof. We leave behind teachers who positively molded us into who we are, and sometimes friends who no longer understand us. We leave behind parts of ourselves with each interest we abandon and discover new ones with each unexpected talent or passion. Sometimes, we leave behind our innocence. We make choices we can’t undo; see things we can’t unsee; hear things we can’t unhear. We leave behind pieces of ourselves when we make decisions we regret. We try to hurt others in order to make up for our loss, yet we only lose ourselves more. By the end, the trail of destruction we leave in our wake causes us to arise from our slumber and humbles us. We gain understanding from the foolish decisions of our past.
*Letters submitted may be edited for length, grammar and clarity. Letters can be submitted to Room 911B or thepanthermpsh@gmail.com
DEAR EDITOR, I really enjoyed the theme of this month’s feature article. It was interesting to see how long Miami Palmetto Senior High has been around and that so many people have shared this school with me, not just the 2000 students MPSH has now. I also enjoyed the “If the World Went Vegan.” The infographic in the center of the article was really intriguing. The overall spread was very pleasing to look at.
DEAR EDITOR, I found that the article on Hillary Clinton-- despite being intentionally satirical-- went too far with some rhetoric seeming sexist. There are clever innacuracies as well. When it claims, “She has no qulifications.” it blatnatly neglects her eight years as a US Senator and four years as Secretary of State, making her more qualified than Barrack Obama upon entering office and practically every other candidate running for office.
SINCERELY,
SINCERELY,
MIA SALDIVAR (9)
JAKE WILLIAMS (9)
the
PANTHER STAFF
MISSION STATEMENT The Panther staff aims to inform fellow students and parents about school-wide, local, national, and international news. The Panther’s content aims to represent the student body. Editorials feature the opinions of staffers. Features of other students, teachers and clubs further promote the spirit, culture and personality of Miami Palmetto Senior High School.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE PANTHER
Remy Farkas
PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Chrystal Peterson
ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Thomas Martinez
MANAGING EDITOR
EDITORIAL POLICY
Alec Lanzas
The Panther is a monthly publication of Miami Palmetto Senior High located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street Miami, FL 33156, (305) 235-1360 ext. 2337. The views expressed are solely those of The Panther staff. Students who wish to respond to an article in this publication or discuss another issue may write letters to the editor and submit them to room 911B or e-mail us at thepanthermpsh@ gmail.com. The Panther has professional membership in NSPA and CSPA. The Panther prints 3,000 copies per issue for distribution. The Panther is distributed for free to all students in school. Subscriptions (for cost) are also available. Please visit our paper online at thepalmettopanther.com. Byline policy All creative work (such as illustrations, graphics, photos and writing) excluding staff editorials and staff member pictures will include byline credits. Correction Policy: Any errors in print will be acknowledged in the next print issue in a correction box. Any errors online will be acknowledged immediately. Errors include facts, figures, misquoting and name misspellings Advertising Policy Ads will be designed by the advertiser and include all information the advertiser wants included. If the advertiser asks the staff to design the ad, the individual who sold the ad will design the ad or the Ads Manager will. Ads will be approved by EICs, the Adviser and the Ads Manager. If an ad produced is illegible, contains false information, or the advertiser does not like it, they will receive a free ad in the next issue. If you would like to advertise, please contact us.
SENIOR COPY EDITOR
Samantha Ganter DESIGN EDITOR
Sophia Carrillo COPY TEAM
Brian Morrison Carmella Jimenez DESIGN TEAM
Roberta Nicastro Katharine Hsiao Sungho Son Victoria Arguelles REPORT EDITORS
Emily Diez Keith Richards LIFE EDITOR
Olympia Rodriguez FEATURE EDITOR
Annabel Sanz Isabelle Carbajales SPORTS EDITORS
Shane McCrink
INSIGHT EDITOR
Marlowe Starling PHOTO EDITOR
Agnes Bartha
VIDEO EDITOR
Maxwell Landy
ONLINE TWITTER
@pantherupdates
@thepantherpaper
BUSINESS MANAGER
SNAPCHAT
WEBSITE
Megan Martinez
STAFF WRITERS
Morgan Elmslie Sofia Brand Blake Rubenstein Annabella Ruozi Susan Aghedo thepantherpaper
www.thepalmettopanther.com ADVISER
Kurt Panton
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