The Viper Vibe - Volume 18, Issue 1

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Felix Varela Sr. High School * 15255 S.W. 96 St., Miami, FL 33196

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Varela is a

vol . 18

Hits and misses

n i t e l l bu rd a o b

Miami has dodged the hurricanes this year!

Our hearts go out to the Ferguson family in the loss of a beloved student. But we thank him for his willingness to be an organ donor.

Our thoughts go out to those in Florida's panhandle affected by Hurricane Michael.

The police caught the political bomber and the man who killed Jewish people in a synagogue in Pittsburgh!

'Tis the season for movies!

Bumblebee, Fantastic Beasts 2, Aquaman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Mary Poppins Returns

Why do we even have situations like the political bomber and people shooting up a church?

table of contents

Ta b le of Contents | View p oints

ViEWPOINTS

Editorial.............................................................. 4

News

volume 18 nov ‘18

Nicole Donate.................................. 5 Varela News................................6 New Academies.........................7 Title I..................................... 8 "B" School...........................9

Editors Jonathan Bigio-Vargas Natalia Fernandez Sarah Guzman Karolyn Legra Fabian Rodriguez

After being a "C" for a few years, Varela is on its way back up, scoring a "B" this year.

Learning English....... 10 Museum Fire................11

Reporters

l Carlos Macias Cardenas l Letisleidi l Alex Martinez Dominguez l Andy Maza l Jose Donate l Isis Palacios l Valeria Franco l Pedro l Karla Gutierrez Petit-Phar l Paulette Lam l Catherine l Isabella Silvestro Londono l Abigail Valdes l Anthony Lopez l Isabella Vallejo l Daniel

lifestyle Summer Movies.......12 Incredibles 2.......... 13

After 14 years, Disney/Pixar brings back everyone's favorite superhero family.

Marvel/Sony........... 14 Legacies....................15 Video Games............... 16

Adviser

sports

Elizabeth Cardenas

Editorial Policy

Pro Sports.......................17 Varela Sports................... 19

The Viper Vibe is the student newspaper of Felix Varela Senior High (15255 SW 96 St. Miami, FL, 33196). It is an open forum for student expression. The opinions expressed in the publication do not reflect the official opinions or policies of the school. The Viper Vibe welcomes letters to the editor, but requires that they be signed and reserves the right to reject, edit and condense letters. The staff and adviser can be contacted at 305-752-7900 or thevipervibe@gmail. com

Check out the latest in Fall Sports.

On the cover: Varela has raised its grade to a B. photo illustration by M. Sakowicz.

Above: Superintendant Alberto Carvalho spoke at a town hall meeting at Varela to discuss Referendum #362. photo by Sarah Guzman; Students in ICE programs have helped to improve Varela's school grade. photo by Matthew Melton; Incredibles 2 photo courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios; Runner Cayla Moore made it to Regionals for Cross Country this year. photo by Fox-Mar

Talk to us: thevipervibe@gmail.com

Sponsorships

Your thoughts may be featured in the next issue of the Viper Vibe!

The Viper Vibe welcomes sponsorships from individuals and businesses, but reserves the right to reject any material deemed inappropriate for a high school publication.

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Viewpoi nt s | E d it or ial

Voters pass referendum approving teacher supplements Editorial

T

he midterm elections this year were gravely referendum will help a lot of teachers make the monimportant, not just because we influenced ey they need to live in South Florida. Most teachers congress by electing in new senators and reprecan't afford to live in 91% of homes in Miami (wlrn. sentatives, but because we voted on multiple state and org). local amendments and referendums, one of which

Whether we like school or not we need to realize was referendum #362. Earlier this year the school that teachers play a very big role in everyone's lives; board asked to place on the November 6th ballot an all other professions are made possible by education.

Ad Valorem Levy to improve school teacher salaries When people can't afford to become teachers because and school safety concerns. The school board wanted of how underpaid they are, there will be no one to to add 75 cents to every $1,000 in taxable form the minds of our youth. If teachers property value. For most homeowners this All other profesdon't start receiving the salaries they not would amount to about $144 per year. sions are made pos- only deserve but need to live in the district

This referendum will provide at least a where they teach, the rate of teachers 12.5% supplement for each teacher, which sible by education leaving the profession will keep increasing. would cost approximately $148 million per The passing of this referendum was a very year. This would all be funded by 88% of much needed step in the right direction for the $232 million raised by the referendum. Meanchange on how Miami-Dade recruits and keeps their while, the other 12% of the $232 million will go to teachers. upping the security in schools to keep our students and teachers safer.

In a recent town hall meeting held here at Felix Varela Senior High, superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he would use the money to bring back step fifteen, raise salaries (only for four years), fund retirement, and hire full time officers to protect our students and staff.

This referendum is temporary and would only be collected till 2023; then voters would have to vote again on an extension of the referendum.

We here at The Viper Vibe support this referendum and are glad that it passed. A majority of Miami-Dade voters, over 70 percent, agreed to foot the bill for higher teacher salaries. According to the Superintendent Alberto Carvalho came to Varela for a town hall meeting to disMiami Herald, Miami-Dade county “received the cuss Referendum #362. On Nov. 6, voters in Miami-Dade County overwhelmingly approved the referendum to give teachers a salary supplement. photo by Sarah third lowest increase among all 67 counties for base Guzman student pay in this year’s budget.� We believe that this

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Aro u n d Varela | N ew s

News Student uses business skills for Vet project

Above: Junior Nicole Donate is selling her chickens’ eggs after school to help support her Vet project. photo by Catherine Silvestro; Below: Junior Nicole Donate shows off one of her chickens. She raises and shows her chickens as part of the Vet program. photo by Paulette Lam

The Vet magnet here at Varela is known mostly for its care and training of dogs.

That part of the program is the most visual. But the students training to become Vet assistants work with many more animals. They are a part of FFA, the national association that supports classes that promote agriscience.

Through FFA, students compete in many categories with their animals from grooming and health to training them to be service animals to business and entrepreneurship. Through the state Agriscience program, students must complete a yearlong project in an area of interest.

In addition, students must complete 500 hours under a licensed veterinarian in and out of class in order to sit and test for the FVMA Industry Certification.

While some students train dogs and others show off their lambs and rabbits, Junior Nicole Donate, who raises and shows chickens, has decided to make egg production her FFA project.

Vet teacher Ms. Yleana Escobar pushed her into the experience as part of her third year. Part of this project involves selling the eggs.

“I feed them the normal food most people do, but I add cayenne pepper and cinnamon to promote respiratory health and to get the egg yolk

a lot dark- By Catherine Silvestro Staff Reporter er,” cathysilvestro@gmail.com Donate said. “And since they are free to walk around, the eggs end up having 40% more vitamin A and other types of minerals.”

Donate sells her eggs in the Vet room 307 for $5 per dozen. While this is more than the average amount someone would spend at the local Publix, she said that her eggs are more humane than the store bought kind because they have more minerals that aren’t harming the chickens.

Taking care of and showing animals is a very expensive project, so the money raised will help her sustain her project relieving some of the pressure on her parents. She is also saving up some money for the Vet program itself. She helps them anyway she can like donating much needed supplies.

Escobar encourages her students to find their passion.

“Nobody truly knows what they want to be until something comes along that strikes their fancy,” she said.

For Donate, that just happened to be poultry science.

With all the work that she is doing, Escobar has no doubt that she will find her skills in demand and a scholarship on the horizon.

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News | A ro u n d V arel a

HEADLINES AND HAPPENINGS September 7

September 14 Club Rush

With music, food, and contests, clubs battled to get students to sign up during both lunches. Club Rush was an interactive event that allowed students to see all the clubs in action and gauge their interests.

There was also a contest to see which clubs had the most sign ups and the results will be released some time in November by Activities.

Excitement was definitely in the air that day, unfortunately, the weather was not too helpful. It poured throughout the event, but the clubs did not give in and stayed out there with their stands.

The newest club, Chess Club, advised by Mr. Rodolfo Amaral, got a lot of attention and they are up and running with meetings (and games) every Friday after school.

Sr. Red Carpet Day

Seniors started their final year of high school with their first official activity exclusively for them.

As students entered the breezeway, the activities department literally rolled out the red carpet, that led to a throne where all the seniors took pictures.

“I think it’s a great way to kick off the year for the seniors and gets them really pumped,” Activities Director Jennifer Gambale said.

A wide range of crowns roamed the school in different varieties; pink fluff, flowers, pictures, and decorations filled the crowns. There were even awards given to the best crowns in the school. The seniors were all coming to the realization that they were finally seniors.

“This activity really sets the tone for our senior year and I’m really excited,” senior Gisell Perez said.

September 29

September 24-29

College Fair

Spirit Week

Spirit Week kicked off with clubs hanging banners in the cafeteria. Students arrived dressed in themes from “Meme Monday” to “Freaky with Spirit Friday.”

Toon Tuesday brought out the kid in all of us whether it was a favorite old childhood show or a new Netflix cartoon.

Western Wednesday brought out the inner outlaw in Vipers. Flannels, cowboy boots and the iconic cowboy hats wandered around the halls.

Throwback Thursday allowed students to dress as timeless icons like Audrey Hepburn to 80s leg warmers and spandex. Friday, students showed up in Viper colors to be able to attend the Homecoming Pep Rally.

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October 9

Homecoming Dance

The Homecoming Dance theme this year was Club Venom and was hosted in the school gym. The activities department sold about 500 tickets which was up from last year. Glow in the dark sticks were handed out and seating areas were arranged to make students feel like they were actually in a dance club.

There were special performances by singer 2 Nyce and LED robot dancers Nitro Men. Club Venom went all out and gave the Vipers a night to remember.

Different colleges and universities from around the country attended a College Fair hosted

by Varela. Students were invited via their 6th period classes on Tuesday, Oct. 9, to come to the gym and tour the tables set up by the different institutions.

“This fair gives students an experience of what college really is and to help them with financial aid, giving them an opportunity to choose a career on something the students are interested in,” CAP Adviser Ms. Clara Gonzalez said.

photos by Crotalus, Fox-Mar and Jose Donate information gathered by Valeria Franco and Karla Gutierrez

Aro u n d Varela | N ew s

Above: Ms. Houda Elaadil shows students how to position the patient’s mouth during a cleaning. Students in the Dental Academy will gain certification as Dental Assitants. photo by E. Cardenas Below: Students experiment with the new oculos headsets. Students in the Virtual Reality Coding Academy will learn how to create video games in a 3D world. photo by M. Sakowicz

Varela welcomes new ICE programs Due to Flori-

By Isabella Londono & da’s new School Isabella Vallejo Choice program, Staff Reporters IG: isabella.xoxoxo IG: asthxticbxlla

Varela has made a push to up their game by adding new classes to the 2018-19 curriculum. These classes will be a part of the school’s ICE program by providing students with industry certification in the areas of medicine and information technology. They are the Dental Academy and the Virtual Reality Coding Academy.

Mr. Michael Sakowicz is teaching the new Virtual Reality class in room 105.

They use new oculos headsets which allow them to experience the different virtual reality worlds in a much better way.

They will also be receiving new computers that will be able to better handle the mem-

ory needed for the coding.

“Students are learning basic coding skills using new technology that is expanding tremendously, as well as, growing with digital information in the game design industry,” Sakowicz said.

Ms. Houda Elaadil has joined the faculty to add Dental to our health sciences program.

“This program will help enlarge the schools population and also allow students to pursue their carriers even if its not in the dental field,” junior Dailany Camacho said.

A multipurpose chair with advanced technology provides the students with the opportunity to have a hands on experience

and a better understanding of the whole dental world.

“Just like Nursing, students who complete the program and its required training hours will receive certification in Dental Assistance and have access to job opportunities after high school,” Elaadil said.

“This class creates a great foundation for the future, it covers not only dental, but also other subjects that will create more opportunities for students,” junior Kevin Better said.

Both programs are a part of what the district calls Academies of Choice. Any student may apply for the academies, as long as they meet certain grade requirements.

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News | A ro u n d V arel a

School gets Title I status

Varela still offeres students six periods of classes. The teachers have voted for an eight-period schedule for a couple of years now. photo by Jonathan Bigio-Vargas

It takes a lot of monFabian Rodriguez ey to run a school and schools are always looking Editor for ways to get more. This IG: sds.fabian year Varela is a Title I school.

What is Title I?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title I “is part of the secondary education act, which provides financial assistance to local education agencies and schools with a high number or high percentages of children from low income families.”

In order for a school to receive these Title I benefits, they must show at least 75% of their students are qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Usually, Varela does not make this quota. However, last year, during Hurricane Irma, Varela was a local shelter.

When they arrived, evacuees had to fill out a registration form where one of the questions was “what is your child’s homeschool?”

Enough people said their child’s homeschool was Varela, and therefore it aided our eligibility for Title I. school actually costs a lot of money, ap Title I money is restricted. The prinproximately $1 million a year. With more periods comes more classes which requires cipal, Ms. Nery Fins, can’t just spend it on whatever she wants. She has said that the additional salaries and supplements for money will be directed at activities around teachers.

“I think having eight periods is a good the school such as tutoring and different idea because you have more electives, also programs that will help students who are less financially able to get their education. you have more choices to choose from.

Varela received a total amount of That way you have four core classes and four electives, and the students would like $200,000. That pays for two teachers init because they would have more activities cluding Ms. Elisa Dean who is our new CIS (Community Involvement Specialist). She to choose from.” junior Joshua Escobedo serves as a bridge between home and school said.

But not all students want more classes. for parents and students here at Varela.The money also goes towards substitutes, seventh

“I am against eight periods because period classes and school supplies. it’s double the work and it’s more hard

Title I status renews every year. So it work everyday. I think it’s just fine having six periods and three classes a day,” junior is very important that students fill out the applications for free/reduced lunch in order Claudio Medina said. for Varela to maintain it’s 75% quota for next

Schools that chose the eight-period year. day several years ago are already funded; however, Southwest, who was slated to get the new schedule this year, lost its funding at the last minute. Since school had already started and going back to six periods would disrupt schedules, Southwest decided to fund it themselves.

Every single dollar that could be used, from Title I to AP money, is being put towards the new schedule. Whether they maintain that schedule next year remains to be seen. So even if Varela had gotten an eight-period day this year, there’s no guarantee that it would have remained funded.

Teachers will vote again in the Spring Ms. Elisa Dean, whose office is in Attendance, works as a liaison between the community and the school. Her role as the Community and what happened at Southwest may Involvement Sepcialist is due to our Title I status. photo by Fabian influence the decision.

Rodriguez

Eight-period day is still on the wish list Miami-Dade

Jonathan Bigio-Vargas County Public

Editor Schools require bigioj5291@gmail.com that faculties vote every year on their schedule. The options include time of classes and number of classes.

Schools like Killian have a traditional schedule; they see all their classes every day for one hour each. Since its opening, Varela has always chosen block schedule.

For the past few years, the option of having an eight-period day has been offered to high schools that approve the schedule.

Most of the schools around Varela, such as Ferguson and Braddock, have chosen this option. They see their classes in a 4x4 block schedule with each class running 90 minutes. Varela has always voted to remain a six-period school. However, for the last two years, we have requested an eight-period day.

“I would love for our school to have an eight-period day,” Digital Video Production teacher Ms. Vivian Lorenzo-Guerra said. “I think it would give students an opportunity to take more electives and have more fun in school while taking some of the classes that they would like and it would give students an opportunity to make up some credits that they miss without have to go to night school.”

Once the faculty has approved the eight-period day, the decision to grant the school the new schedule falls on the county. Running an eight-period day

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Aro u n d Varela | N ew s

Right: Students in Mr. Michael Sakowicz’s Digital Media class learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

They take and industry certification exam at the end of the course which gets them a cord at graduation and gets the school articulation points for the school grade. photo by M. Sakowicz Below: Ms. Catherine Sanabria works with seniors to make sure that they are staying on track for graduation. photo illustration Doug Griswold/KRT

School grade moves up to a B One of the first

Sanabria. She monitors all the seniors

By Karolyn Legra things prospective closely to make sure that they have all

Editor parents and stuIG: Its.karoo dents look at when choosing a school is the school’s grade. For the last couple of years, Varela has been a C school and last year, we missed the B by only one point. But now, that has finally changed and Varela was awarded a B grade by the State of Florida.

A lot of things go into the grade that’s assigned to a high school. The most visible points come from how students do on their EOC’s (end-of-course exams). These tests include Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, U.S. History, and both 9th and 10th grade ELA (English Language Arts). Because all of these exams are given to freshman, sophomores, and juniors, many people believe that seniors do not contribute to the grade.

“I don’t really think my grade or what I get in tests affects the school grade,” senior Raul Gonzalez said.

However, another component to the school grade is graduation rate. Varela tackled this problem with Ms. Catherine

their requirements and are maintaining a passing GPA. She also watches over their absences and tardies.

Besides test scores and graduation rates, high schools are also awarded points for acceleration. This can include passing an AP exam, passing a Dual Enrollment class or passing an ICE (industry certification exam).

According to Assistant Principal for Curriculum Ms. Lisa Aviles-Knight, “a combination of hard work by the kids, by the teachers and by administration” helped us get to a B. She said that we are doing much better getting kids graduated and passing the acceleration classes.

The next step for Varela is to get to an A. Our school is only eight points away but we’re about a year behind when we do our acceleration numbers. So we’re more likely to achieve a high B.

“We’re working on our lowest [kids], trying to get all kids and our [lowest] 25% because those kids count twice,” AvilesKnight said. “Thanks to Sanabria, our graduation rate has already increased 10 points and that will be in our new grade… we have 15 points more than we did last year in those areas all together.”

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News | A ro u n d V arel a

Los estudiantes de primer año de ESOL estudian inglés utilizando libros de trabajo especiales. foto por Natalia Fernandez

Estudiantes extranjeros luchan por aprender inglés en América

column by Isis Palacios

Yo llegué a los Estados Unidos el 17 de septiembre del 2017. Soy de un pueblito al norte de Honduras. Dejé mi pequeño

La Sra. Larios trabaja con estudiantes de diferentes niveles en el programa de ESOL. foto por Natalia Fernandez

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terruño por motivos de educación para forjarme en este gran país de un futuro; para hacerme de una profesión que es casi imposible obtener en mi suelo patrio. Mi madre tuvo la suerte de venirse hace 11 años y yo poco de ella sabía. Desde los 3 años no la había visto. Conforme crecía la necesidad de estar con ella aumentaba cada vez más. Sentía cada vez más la necesidad de verla, de besarla, de abrazarla, de sentirla cerca de mí.

Y fue el año pasado que tuve la increíble suerte de conocerla -mis peticiones se hicieron realidad. Mi madre es en efecto ese ser humano, esa gran mujer que siempre imaginé. Asimismo, tuve la oportunidad de conocer a mi padrastro que gracias a él puedo vivir con mi madre.

Cuando llegué a esta ciudad, mi impresión fue saber que estaba en una de las ciudades más grandes del país. Yo estaba acostumbrada a una vida en el campo y ahora vivir en una ciudad le daba un gran cambio a mi vida; en esta metrópoli tan llena de vida, vibrante, inmensa, con cosas que nunca me imaginé que existían.

Indudablemente se me ha sido difícil asimilarme, aunque no dejo de poner todo mi empeño. No es fácil aprender otro

staff reporter IG: isis.palacios.7758

idioma, otra cultura tan diferente a la mía. Al principio me afectaba mucho el inglés en mis estudios, me sentía aislada, extraña, ajena a todo lo que me rodeaba y me rodeaban. Durante mi estancia en el programa de ESOL aún no soy capaz de hablar el inglés con fluidez.

Sé que primero se desarrolla la comprensión y poco a poco se adquiere la habilidad de hablar.

Un año aquí y aún se me dificulta tremendamente la pronunciación de muchas palabras del vocabulario que aprendo.

Mi voluntad por aprender el inglés para poder salir del programa de ESOL antes de que me gradué de FVSH, es constante y perseverante. Tengo la suerte de que mis padres y mis profesores son los que más me apoyan para poder desempeñar mis metas.

Cuando me gradué de FVSH quiero ir a una universidad y estudiar una carrera que me guste y pueda conseguir un buen trabajo. Estoy sumamente agradecida de vivir en los Estados Unidos porque sé que aquí llegaré a ser lo que yo desee en mi vida como mujer, como ser humano, como un miembro de esta sociedad que ofrece tantas oportunidades para que una persona pueda vivir libremente.

Aro u n d th e W or ld | N ew s

Brazil loses national treasure

National Muse-

By Andy Maza ums are really import-

Staff Reporter ant and historically 27andysin@gmail.com rich places, they are also a fun place to visit with friends and family members. Overall, they can be a great place to learn something new be it from the past or present.

The night of Sept. 3, the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) caught fire.

While there have been many rumors about the cause of the fire, the museum administration has shouldered most of the blame due to flammable plastics on the museum’s

roof and uncovered wires.

But the real tragedy is what was lost that night. More than 200 years of history was affected. According to National Geographic, the museum’s entire entomology and arachnology collections were destroyed. The museum also housed Latin America’s oldest collection of Egyptian artifacts and some of South America’s oldest human fossils. The building itself is a historical piece.

Several Varela students from Brazil said they had just visited the museum over the summer with friends and family and

this has made them feel bad and nostalgic.

“It was a fun time when I visited the museum with friends,” junior Joao Damaiasantos said. “I just hope that they find whoever did this.”

Many people feel that the museum is underfunded and neglected. According to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro the national museum has not received its full annual budget of $128 thousand since 2014 and this year it received only $13 thousand.

The museum has had to resort to crowdfunding to raise money to repair exhibits infested with termites.

According to Michael Greshko from National Geographic, this is the greatest lost that Brazil has ever suffered. It was Brazil’s “oldest scientific institution and one of the largest and most renowned museums in Latin America.” It means a lot for Brazil to lose something as precious as this.

“I visited the museum not so long ago during summer,” ESOL teacher Ms. Veronica Larios said. “I could never see this tragedy coming.”

The causes of the fire are still unknown and the authorities in Brazil are still investigating.

Above: A major destroyed large parts of the Brazilian National Museum in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 2, the flames spreading to almost all parts of the historic building. photo with permission Abaca Press/TNS; Left: The Palacio de Sao Cristovao in Brazil houses the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. Before being a museum, it was an imperial palace that housed the Portuguese Royal Family and the Brazilian Imperial Family.

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L i f est y le | M ovies

Hollywood enjoys hot summer nights Summer 2018 was a good time for Hollywood. With sequels and movies based on true stories, fans were out in theaters and leaving fairly good reviews. So from the time school let out in June, til it started up again in August, these are five of the most memorable movies of the summer.

Incredibles 2

After 14 years, the much-loved superhero family returned to the big screen picking up where the first movie ended in 2004. This movie was demanded by fans for years and they finally got the movie they wanted.

Incredibles 2 cost $200 million to make and earned back almost that much just in its opening weekend. Worldwide, it has generated over $1 billion. It is great to see a film company actually listen to their fans and deliver with a bang. It has a 94% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and is well worth seeing.

BlacKkKlansman

This movie is based on a true event about a Black policeman, Ron Stallworth, who went undercover to infiltrate the KKK. Directed by Spike Lee, the film steps back into the 70s and shows the tensions of the Civil Rights movement and chronicles Stallworth’s time as the first African American police officer in Colorado Springs.

While only costing $15 million to make, the movie has more than doubled that at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes critics give it a 95%.

Pedro Petit-Phar

Staff Reporter knightwing2903@gmail.com

Tag

This movie is also based on a true story about a group of friends playing the same game of Tag for 30 years. Tag is a comedy that is based on a Wall Street Journal article. I liked how a film company decided to make a movie that most people would see as foolishness.

This movie isn’t for everyone, only getting a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. But I enjoyed it for what it was, a fun, cheesy movie. While its box office wasn’t stellar, it did manage to double its money in the U.S. and it did better worldwide.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

As a sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World, this movie was sad and filled with action.

A volcano on the theme park’s island becomes active, threatening to kill all the dinosaurs that were left. Of course, they aren’t just up against the volcano, they must battle mercenaries who show up to retrieve dino DNA.

What made this movie great was the returning of characters and the new breed of dinos. The director made the movie with more jump scares and a little more sympathy for the dinosaurs. Worldwide, the movie has made over $1 billion making it a box office hit, but critics didn’t like it at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Uncle Drew

The funniest, slam dunk, basketball movie of the summer had some big name basketball players portraying old men.

Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal, and Reggie Miller are just some of the reasons basketball fans will love this movie.

The director also cast comedic actors like Nick Kroll and Lil Rel Howery to make the tone lighter during dark times in the movie. It did decently at the box office, but based on its Rotten Tomatoes score of 63%, basketball lovers are the ones who will really enjoy the film. photos courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Broken Road Productions, Summit Entertainment, and Amblin Entertainment

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Mov ies | L if estyle The new Incredicoaster, based on the characters in Pixar’s latest film, “The Incredibles 2,” at Pixar Pier, part of the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif., on June 21, 2018. photo with permission Los Angeles Times/TNS

Incredibles are back in action

By Natalia Fernandez Editor IG: ohitsnaat

After 14 years of waiting, Incredibles 2 came out over the summer and it did not disappoint. While the movie was a Disney/Pixar animated film, adults, as well as kids, were looking forward to seeing what happened to everyone’s favorite superhero family.

Incredibles 2 returned with almost all of its original voice actors, except for Spencer Fox who voiced speedster Dash. Due to age and voice changes, his character had to be recast.

But leads Holly Hunter and Craig T. Nelson returned as parents Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible, as did director Brad Bird who voiced the iconic character of Edna Mode.

In its opening weekend, Incredibles 2 took in over $182 million, and worldwide, its box office has topped $1 billion. It has already passed Finding Nemo, making it Pixar’s most successful movie.

Despite it being a movie that took over a decade to produce, Incredibles 2 doesn’t feel dated. The sequel picks up right where the previous movie left off...taking on the villain Underminer. The family of superheroes accepts their calling as superheroes,

even though the world doesn’t and it is still illegal.

After failing at defeating the Underminer (and being arrested), their future as superheroes remains on hold. In spite of that, Elastigirl gets an offer by the wealthy Deavor siblings to recreate the public image and legal status of all Supers and be the shining example of how great and helpful superheroes can be.

When Elastigirl accepts the offer, Mr. Incredible agrees to be a stayat-home dad and soon finds out what kinds of challenges Jack Jack has in store for him. The family battles a new villain, Screenslayer and his ability to control minds.

What I loved about this movie, was that they brought back original actors and didn’t try to fast forward the time line.

It wasn’t a “14 years later” story that would require flashbacks and explanations to help the audience understand what had happened to the characters.

The movie shows that it’s not easy being different and standing out in a world of regular people. This movie is a fun watch, no matter the age of the viewer.

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L i f est yle | M ovies

Sony expands Spiderman universe with Venom

In the 90s, Marvel li-

Jose Donate censed out various charac-

Staff Reporter ters to different studios to IG: asvp.josee make movies. The character of Spiderman, and anything associated with him, was licensed by Sony and all X-Men characters and Fantastic Four characters were licensed by 20th Century Fox.

According to the contracts, as long as the studio continues to make movies, the contract stays alive. When the studio goes a certain number of years without making a movie, the licensing rights revert back to Marvel.

That’s why Netflix was able to make Daredevil and its related shows. When Disney bought Marvel, they wanted to unite the Marvel universe, however, they had to honor the pre-existing contracts with Sony and Fox.

Disney suggested partnering with the studios. Fox was resistant. They didn’t want to share their characters with the Avengers.

However, Sony agreed bringing Spiderman into Captain America: Civil War and

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Avengers: Infinity War and creating a cameo of Iron Man in Spiderman: Homecoming.

The resulting deal brought a lot of money into a franchise that was flagging.

The Spiderman movies of the 2000s, with Toby Maguire in the lead role, made pretty decent money. However, each sequel had a higher budget with a smaller box office return.

The Amazing Spiderman, with Andrew Garfield, had the worst profits. After two disappointing movies, it seemed like the public was finally getting tired of the young web-slinger.

But then The Avengers came calling.

Sony could have held on to their contract tightly and refused to partner with Disney.

But in a stroke of genius, they decided to loan Spiderman to Captain America: Civil War. The reception was so high, that a stand-alone movie couldn’t be far behind.

Homecoming, with Tom Holland, cost less than many previous Spidey movies and yet took in more, putting your friendly neighborhood Spiderman, back in the game.

With another role in Avengers: Infinity War, Sony greenlit a second Spiderman movie and decided to expand his universe with Venom.

Rated PG-13, Venom’s persona is more like that of Deadpool and Punisher, an anti-hero. In the original comics, Eddie Brock, the main character, is a reporter at the Daily Bugle where Peter Parker, Spiderman’s real identity, is a photographer.

However, the movie shifts the setting of the story from New York to the west coast.

While the movie, which came out Oct. 5, received less than stellar review by the critics, audiences have responded favorably.

I can honestly say that the movie was good; it had a nice ending and created a sense of suspension throughout. The CGI effects are top notch and just as good as other superhero movies. They need a big screen.

Tom Hardy fit right in as Eddie Brock/ Venom showing that he work the villain in both DC (he was Bane in The Dark Knight Rises) and Marvel universes.

While Venom may not be a Deadpool, it is definitely worth the cost of a movie ticket.

TV | L if estyle

Top Left: The Vampire Diaries aired from 2008-2017 and centered around the supernatural lives of the people of Mystic Falls. Top Right: The Originals told the origin story of vampires in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Bottom Left: Legacies will continue the story of the people of Mystic Falls with characters from both series. photos courtesy of CWTV

CW’s “Legacies” might just suck

The Vampire Diaries (TVD) was a main staple of the CW channel for eight seasons.

It was based off the best-selling novels by Julie Plec and spawned a spin-off called The Originals (TO).

The year before the show aired, Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular Twilight series came to the big screen creating a vampire/werewolf/supernatural fan base on which CW capitalized.

Girls all over the world swooned over Stefan and Damon Salvatore and envied Elena Gilbert’s constant dilemma over which sexy, undead brother to love.

The series expanded to include other supernatural beings such as witches, werewolves, hybrids, and doppelgangers. TO added to the world by creating an origin story for vampires through the Mikaelsons.

In the series, Klaus Mikaelson (a hybrid werewolf/vampire and the son of a witch) has a child with Hayley Marshall (a werewolf) and they have a daughter, Hope, who becomes the first tribrid werewolf/ vampire/witch. All the drama and all the fights they have are to save Hope and each

other. TO aired for five years and just ended their final season.

Now that both shows have ended, what are fans supposed to do? Fear not! The CW has created yet another spin-off called Legacies which begins this season.

Legacies takes place in the same world as TVD and TO and centers on Hope. It takes place in Mystic Falls where everything originated, but this time around, most of the main characters are students at Salvatore Boarding School.

Alaric Saltzman, Josie and Liz Saltzman, Matt Donovan, Caroline Forbes and Jeremy Gilbert from TVD will be appearing in the show. None of the characters from TO, other than Hope, have signed on to join Legacies. Although Elena and Damon got married and had children, sadly no Salvatore children will appear.

There will be a two year time jump making Hope 17 years old, the same age as Elena when TVD first aired. However, the spin off of TVD and TO will pick up where they left off.

Legacies premiers in October and will

be taking over Arrow’s spot on Thursday nights. By Abigail Valdes Some may be excited for Staff Reporter IG: abxgailx__main the new series.

Junior Karolyn Legra believes that “the show will meet up to the standards that the previous shows set.

In fact, it may be better.”

I am scared that Legacies won’t live up to the name that both TVD and TO have built. There’s a big chance that Legacies will not turn out to be as interesting as TVD and TO were. All of their material seems over used and that may lead to repetition which won’t keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

In TVD and TO they had many chances to come up with new things and more complications, but pretty soon, the new series will run out of problems and loopholes and it will become very dry and boring.

“I feel like the show Legacies isn’t going to live up to the high title that both TVD and TO set,” junior Natalia Fernandez said.

Viewers will soon find out as the new show airs just in time for Halloween.

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L i f est y le | V i d e o G ames

Gamers are hyped for upcoming titles People have always anticipated games,

Alexander Dominguez especially those that are sequels to pre-

Staff Reporter viously loved games or reboots of old alexthechew56@gmail.com games. These are games coming out in Winter 2018 and early 2019.

October

Red Dead Redemption 2 The sequel that gamers have anticipated since 2010 will have over 100 gigabytes of storage and will include realistic elements such as weapon cleaning, weather stains, and horse compatibility, all which will affect play style in both positive and negative ways adding in multiplayer and hunting.

Fallout 76 Fallout 76 features a very much wanted four player co-op and sets the story back 200 years to right after the bombs fell on the planet. Featuring a new story mode with four player compatibility, it is set in West Virginia and the story will not feature raiders, but a gang of radiated ghouls, as well as skill trees and lots of new weapons to use in the wasteland.

photos courtesy of Microsoft (TNS), Rockstar Games, Activision, Bethesda Game Studios, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and CD Projekt RED

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Spyro Reignited Trilogy Spyro is coming back in his new reignited form from his original games. The remastered games include the first three games Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.

November

December

February

Anthem Anthem is a science fiction cooperative action game taking place on an alien planet. Gamers play as a freelancer inside a mech suit called a javelin fighting aliens and other enemies on the planet. Its open world and the javelins will be completely customizable

Forza Horizon 4 In the fourth new installation for the Forza Horizon series, this new arcade like simulation is adding all four seasons of weather, a new story mode called British Racing Green, and seasonal events. Car Pass is involved and acts like a season pass costing $30 and gives the player 41 cars over a 21 week period.

June

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Smash Bros Ultimate will feature the largest character roster in Smash Bros history. It will add back every character from the previous games like Solid Snake and Ice Climbers, to new characters from newer games like the Inkling Boy/ Girl from Splatoon and Ridley from the Metroid Saga. Even though there are 68 playable fighters, with over 130+ stages to fight, there’s still room for more characters as well.

Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk takes place in the future where cybernetic augments are the new norm and characters live in the most violent city in the United States. It’s a first person RPG with no multiplayer, but an extremely immersive story.

Pro | S p or ts

sports

Victory seems to be rolling in with the tide College Football Mississippi State will have a huge impact on Alabama who tends to rely more on Staff Reporter will a new team their offensive plays. Teams will have Antlopez012002@gmail.com be crowned to bring it when it comes to Defense by National Cham- shutting down offenses as efficiently as they pion or will Alabama be crowned National can. Breaking up pass plays, stopping runs, Champion again? There are several teams breaking through the offensive lines and that have started strong this year and it forcing quarterbacks to draw back or get might not be that easy for Alabama to rid of the ball fast will give defensive backs claim the top spot. a chance to turnover the ball.

Offense

Defensive Backs will have to stay on

So far, Alabama has the offense to receivers as best as possible and break up beat. If teams like Kentucky, Clemson, and passes and safeties watching for runs and Alabama-Birmingham are going to beat the deep threats. Defensive lines will have to Crimson Tide, they will have to penetrate react fast and adjust to plays with Defenses their line much more effectively. A team’s looking for more sacks, interceptions, and offense wins Championships. These teams fumbles per play. will protect their quarterbacks, their run Football is more than just a game ning game and passes perfectly fine. played and won by bronze; it’s a lot more

Alabama’s offense is potentially complicated than that. Because of new unstoppable due to their stacked running rules, the game is becoming much more backs and wide receivers. They also claim strategic. It’s going to come down to which that their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa is team is able to read and adjust to plays and the best in the nation. tackle them accordingly.

Defense

It’s also going to matter as to which

A team is only as good as its Defense. team is going to bring something new to Power houses like Kentucky, Clemson, the field, whether it’s something improved Alabama-Birmingham, Fresno State, and or something that hasn’t been seen before.

Top: Clemson Tigers made the playoffs last year. Will they be able to take down Albama for the title this year? photo with permission Miami Herald/TNS Middle: Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) intercepts a pass by Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, Jan. 8, in Atlant, Ga. photo with permission Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS Below: Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake (91) tackles New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in the first quarter on Sunday, Nov. 4, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. photo with permission Miami Herald/TNS

The new NFL season began on Sept.

6, and it has been a very interesting two months. Because of the increase in injuries, and as a precaution to concussions and rough housing, the league has made changes to many rules and added a few others. Many people are complaining that the game has gone soft. It almost feels like there are more penalty flags on the field than players.

According to ESPN, players who deliberately lower their head to hit with their helmet will cost their team 15 yards.

Also, players will have to have more control of the ball. In order for a catch to be legal, they will have to perform a football move after the catch. And while the rules for kickoffs have changed to allow for a permanent touchback at the 25-yard line, the injury rates are so high that the competition committee is considering eliminating

kickoffs completely.

The Dolphins started with three wins which hasn’t happened in 16 years. Their loss to the Patriots was expected, but they were without wide receiver Devante Parker and safety Rashad Jones due to injuries.

The Patriots would probably have still won, but the Dolphins would have been more of a challenge. According to Bleacherreport, the Fins got an F for week 4 and are looking at a C for the season thus far.

Currently, the Dolphins have a 5-4 record after a win over the Jets in a lowscoring game, 13-6. Rookie Linebacker Jerome Baker intercepted Sam Darnold and scored the only touchdown on a 25-yard return with 11 minutes left. How the Dolphins finish out their season will depend on the performance of quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the defenses ability to sack quarterbacks and hold their lines.

By Anthony Lopez is heating up,

NFL changes rules of play

By Carlos Macias

Staff Reporter carlosmac2121@gmail.com

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S por t s | V arel a

Fall Sports Football This year’s Football Team started with new head coach Patrick Ledan. By the end of June the boys were back and practicing everyday. While their main focus is to win, they have had a rough time at 0-6.

“There’s a lot of variables that go into that. There’s obviously our experience, there’s obviously execution, yet I’ll still argue that we are doing a lot of things on the field that would constitute a win,” Ledan said. “I strongly believe our young men are becoming better players of character. I think they are becoming more involved in our school and have the spirit of a Viper.”

The team began the season unable to put points on the scoreboard at 0-62 against South Miami, but they slowly started to improve getting 25 points against Hialeah Gardens, 35 points against Coral Reef, and 13 points against Coral Park.

However, no matter their efforts, the boys were unable to win any games and ended their season 0-10. Ledan feels that with hard work, the boys

Swimming

Senior Yender Rojas competes in the Butterfly. Junior Gabriela Valenzuela competes in the Backstroke. photos by Best Photo Creations

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Above: Quarterback Kevin Medina prepares to throw the ball in a game against Miami Beach Sr. High. photo by Paulette Lam Left: Receiver, Jonathan Vargas. photo illustration by E. Cardenas

will improve next year.

“We had a very young team this year and we set a solid foundation for next year,” he said. “We’ve just got to continue to improve on our fundamentals, on our IQ of the game and slowly but surely we will do that and we’ll see improvement.”

The boys have learned a lot this year and are eager for next year. Receiver Jonathan Vargas will use what he learned this year to help improve the team.

“[I will bring] my IQ for the game, my speed and my leadership for the whole team,” he said.

The Varela swimming team has achieved new heights as far as skill is concerned. A new school record was established in the men’s A-Relay, against Archimedean on Sept. 13. The team also came out on top in the 200 meter Individual Medley (IM) and Men’s 100 meter Breaststroke. Senior Yender Rojas and fellow team member/twin brother Yonder Rojas propelled the team and competed at regionals on Nov. 1. Yender qualified for States in the 200 meter IM.

Compared to last year, when the team couldn’t even practice because of Hurricane Irma, the team feels like they are having a much better season.

“We have been successful overall, but we have a lot of new inexperienced people that slowed us down, but I believe we will grow as a team by the end of the season,” junior Maria Cisnero said.

The team has been training since the end of last year. Senior Juan Martinez thinks their improvement is because of the strict training and believes that it had a direct impact on their performance.

“I would encourage all students to participate in the swimming team, here in Varela, because Coach Camila will help them improve their times in a way that they wouldn’t imagine, making them able to participate in high performance competitions,” he said.

The team has also come very close to breaking other records, only missing them by one or two seconds.

“I love swimming... It’s the best sport that exists,” Martinez said.

Varela | S p or ts

By Daniel Cardenas IG: d.cardenas_

Letisleidi Martinez IG: xo.letisleidi

Fabian Rodriguez

IG: sds.fabian Staff Reporters & Editor

Cross Country

Right: Freshman Cayla Moore qualified for Regionals this year and placed 16th. Below: Boys Cross Country made it all the way to Districts. photos

by Fox-Mar

Running five to seven miles a day might sound exhausting to some kids, but to the athletes in Cross Country, it’s just another day of practice. They enjoy the grind. There are 40 plus runners on the team this year, up from eight last year.

Besides winning, head coach Juan Monge said that the most important thing he wanted his athletes to learn is discipline and showing up every single day.

According to Monge, freshman Cayla Moore is the fastest in the school right now. She enjoys “working as a team, getting medals and qualifying for Districts, Regionals and States.”

She made it to Regionals and placed 16th. However, only the top 15 athletes move on to States.

The boys team made it to Districts, but fell short and were unable to move on to Regionals.

Girls Volleyball

Top: Sophomore captain Rachel Arevalo digs the ball in a game against Palmetto at Districts.

Right: Amanda Avetrani bumps the ball in a game against Homestead. photos by Best Photo Creations

This year’s Girls Volleyball has had “its ups and downs,” according to sophomore Arianna Suarez. The team seems to be doing better than last season and the team thanks their coach, Pablo Baez. It also helps that they practice five days a week after school for two to three hours. The Lady Vipers ended their regular season 6-10 and went on to place 4th in Districts.

“We put up a fight. We played a really good team, so it was difficult,” junior Amanda Avetrani said.

The girls are passionate about the sport which helps them connect better as a team more this year than in previous years.

“I love playing the sport and the way that I can get on the court and forget about everything outside of the sport,” Avetrani said.

However, the team is young and there are high hopes for their performance next season.

“[We need] to talk to each other more and improve communication.

That’s pretty much it; we’re a pretty good team,” sophomore captain Rachel Arevalo said.

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This issue of The Viper Vibe is sponsored by: The Acosta Family The Barredo Family The Cardenas Family The Couzo Family The Echeverri Family The Fernandez Family The Franco Family The Legra Family The Licor Family The Maldonado Family The Zurita Family

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