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Homecoming Hispanic Heritage Spectre Sports Wrap Ups
Varela Vices Felix Varela Sr. High School * 15255 S.W. 96 St., Miami, FL 33196
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The Vipe r Vibe I sponsored ssue 2 by: The Fau bert Fam ily The Vald es Famil y The Delg ado Fam ily The Cost antino F amily The Mal kin Fam ily The Mau ra Fami ly The Leh em Fam ily The Ara ncibia F amily The Pon de de Leo n Famil y The Dal ey Fami ly The Varg as Fami ly The Del Fa Fami ly
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a blockbuster and it hasn’t even come out yet.
Country mourns a national hero, and then celebrates his return! Stop playing with our emotions AMC.
We found where they moved the 3rd floor pool...the auditorium.
“Hello” Adele. Welcome back!
Winter Break! Two weeks to finally catch up on all your Netflix shows.
“Hotline Bling” video...
From th e Ed itors
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the editor says: Seek help The Viper Vibe has always been an outlet for student expression, tackling the issues that the student body faces. Issue two sees our reporters exploring the seedy underbelly of addiction, and the effect it has on students. Their investigative reporting took the story to interesting places, making me proud to feature it in this month’s magazine. Students, if you or anyone you know is facing problems with addiction, please do
We Say:
not hesitate to seek help. It’s a problem. It’s a problem that you can find a solution to with the help and support of others. Enjoy issue two and stay safe. Cj Salcedo Editor-In-Chief The Viper Vibe #SeekHelp
Too much of anything can become harmful
There’s a huge difference between someone suffering from a habit and someone suffering from an addiction A habit is done by choice. The person affected can stop if they want to if they really wanted to. An addiction is a psychological affliction where the victim has no grasp on the situation. This issue, the editorial staff looks at the problems caused by addiction. Last year, The Viper Vibe’s editorial staff discussed drug testing and the freedoms it affected. Most students felt that drugs and testing only affected those using the substances. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Stories of kids without homes or families out of money because of somebody’s addiction to drugs have flooded TV, newspapers and the Internet. It becomes this situation where an abuser will find a way to get his next fix, no matter the cost. They could resort to theft or violence if it means a way to get high or drunk. Though, it’s not only drugs causing the issue at hand. Carl Jung once said, “Every form of addic-
tion is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” The vices that seem healthy (working out, work, and social media) can cause a lot more harm than good. Yes, even working out, which is a benefit to the human body, is a time-consuming and compulsive activity. And that’s one of the big factors of what makes addiction harmful. Sure, you won’t lose your teeth, or start developing open wounds on your arms, but it takes time away from what actually matters. Families and school can become after thoughts if someone’s only worried about getting fit or trying to make a lot of money at their job. It can also create mass amounts of stress and arguments can break out amongst families. Out of stress, someone can turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of release, thus causing another circle of addiction. We at The Viper Vibe feel that addiction is a terrible disease. One that can be helped. One that, through proper medical diagnosis, can be eradicated from those afflicted. No matter how good or small something may seem, if it becomes something that affects the way someone lives, it becomes a serious problem.
Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism
volume 15 dec ‘15 Editorial Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cj Salcedo Section Editors Devoun Cetoute Laura Chirino Giovanni Del Fa Danielle Malkin Krystal Valdes
Staffers Jaiden Butka Alexa Castillo Nicole Castro Taylor Daley Michael Espinoza Alicia Garcia Yunier Iglesias Kathleen Maura Christine Monge Amy Moscoso-Orella Alexia Ponce De Leon Julian Vargas Brandon Vergara
Adviser Elizabeth Cardenas
Editorial Policy 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 advisor can be contacted at 305-752-7900 or thevipervibe@gmail.com
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The Viper Vibe solicits advertising but reserves the right to reject any material deemed obscene as to minors, defamatory or materially and substantially disruptive of school activities.
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HoMeC
This year, homecoming took place during the week of Novem all led up to the game agains the Ronald Reagan/Do
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2 From dressing up as a superhero (1) to wearing all school colors (2), Vipers went all out for the 2015 Spirit Week. Clubs celebrated homecoming week by making banners that were hung around the school on Oct. 30 and displayed for the whole week (4). Aside from dressing up, students also participated in the annual Club Chaos (3) where they competed in several games with their club mates.
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CoMiNg
ovember 2. Spirit week, club chaos, banners, viper vamp... Doral Bison and a japanese garden homecoming dance.
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6 Clubs also put on funny skits, making fun of Reagan/Doral at Viper Vamp (5), where this year’s homecoming queen was announced...Francesca Blanco (8). The week ended with a loss from the Viper football team during the homecoming game against the Ronald Reagan-Doral Bison 14-18. It was the last game of the season for the Vipers. At halftime, the
photos by Alexia Ponce de Leon, Fox-Mar, Kathleen Maura Jahhel Thernelan
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Homecoming court and their escorts were presented. The next night, students dressed to impress for the homecoming dance, a Japanese Garden themed event, where Vipers of By Alexia Ponce de Leon staff reporter all classes danced the alexia0114@hotmail.com night away (6,7).
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New s A ro u n d V arel a
Inside the Staff Lounge If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
“What up G! We got Pac and Biggie waiting for you in the back!”
Rapper, I want to drop bars
What sound or noise do you hate?
What’s your favorite part of UM?
Nothing, I hate UM/ when they lose
Amber alert Mr. Patrick Ledan
Mr. Ledan has been teaching for M-DCPS for 3 years. He currently teaches Algebra I and Advanced Topics in room 117. He also works as an assistant coach for football and girls basketball. This year, Ledan was voted Varela’s Rookie Teacher of the Year.
What sound or noise do you love?
What is the hardest math problem you have had to do?
What is your least favorite word?
Teaching others how to do math
Nonchalant
What is your favorite word?
Lit What inspires you?
The microwave when it’s finished/cleats When FSU beats UM on concrete 8 t h ev i per vi b e @ g mai l . com
What’s the weirdest thing you have seen on the football field?
When face masks lock together
What profession other than yours would you not like to participate in?
Counselor
These questions are based on the French television series Bouillon de Culture hosted by Bernard Pivot. Information gathered and photo by Rehyny Vargas
Aro u n d Varela N ew s
CBS4 visits with Varela
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS4 morning meteorologist, visits Varela for Hispanic Heritage Month. A former Miss Miami, Gonzalez spoke about her struggles as a Hispanic trying to get her education. photo by Taylor Daley
Meteorologist LisBy Taylor Daley sette Gonzalez paid Felix staff reporter Varela Senior high School IG: captainjamaica24 a visit in the middle of October to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. Students were able to listen to her speak about her story and how she got to her position as CBS4’s morning meteorologist. “Every year we try to get a local Hispanic from the community in a certain line of work to talk about their profession,” social studies teacher Daniel Vinat said. “We contacted CBS to see who would be willing to come to Varela, they recommended Gonzalez.” While here, she talked about her journey to become a meteorologist, and her Hispanic influences while growing up in Miami while she graduated from Miami-Dade Public Schools. “Since I was born and raised here [in Miami], I felt like it’s my responsibility to inform the community,” Gonzalez said. She spoke about her struggles to succeed since she was born to immigrant parents without a lot of money. “I’m a product of public schools here in Miami-Dade County, so I always love to reach out the students,” she said. “I love to give back.”
Varela celebrates its Latin roots
Top: Students performed in the open courtyard with the Varela jazz band for Hispanic Heritage Month. photo by Alexia Ponce de Leon Bottom: In cooperation with the Piag Museum, students created the floating boxes featured in the open courtyard pond. photo by E. Cardenas
To show off the impact of the Hispanic community, Felix Varela Senior High School participated in Hispanic Heritage Month with several activities, which included a dance and music show, writing, art, and a cooking contest. All in the name of Latin roots. The cooking contest had over ten entries of side dishes, dessert and main dishes. Teachers came down during their lunch period and sampled the plates. The winner of the contest was sophomore Reme Elias. The Piag Museum worked with students to create the art cubes that were displayed floating in the school’s pond in the open courtyard. The annual essay and art competition was in both English and Spanish, with both sponsored by the Felix Varela Foundation; however, the results are not yet in.
Varela By CJ Salcedo competed in the Editor-in-chief first Hispanic @cj_fett_salcedo Heritage Oratorical Competition sponsored by the C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse. Freshman Laura Guerrero, who spoke for two minutes about Father Felix Varela, won second place for our school. Aside from food and writing, the music and drama departments put on a performance in the open courtyard during both lunches. “It was different from all my other performances throughout the year,” senior drama student Liliana Fonte said, who performed “Stand by Me” by Prince Royce. “I usually don’t get to perform in Spanish.” This performance was similar to last year, where students were able to enjoy the show over lunch instead of during classes.
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New s A ro u n d V arel a
Visiting from China
Sophomore Dante Yuan comes from Dongguan in southern China to study at Varela
is a nice 74 degrees, Dante has grown to like our Miami climate. “Where I come from, it’s warm, but nothing like Miami,” he said. The other major change for him is the school climate. “School over there is nothing like how it is here,” he said. A regular school day is 12 hours long, and students attend eight classes a day. It’s not uncommon to stay the night in school and some students actually live on campus, similar to what we would call a boarding school. This school year here in America is, in a way, a break from all the school stress in China. Compared to Sophomore Shichen (Dante) Yuan, left, talks to his fellow Chinese exchange student senior his regular eight classes a day routine, three is basically Tianmin (Elijah) Cen. Yuan has made several new friends here at Varela and learned a little nothing. Dante plans to study hard and attend college. bit of Spanish. photo by Julian Vargas He said he would enjoy a modeling career in China, al While it’s not exactly new news to hear that though he plans to permanently move here to America By Julian Vargas a student here at Varela was born in ansomeday, although it most likely won’t be to Miami. staff reporter According to Dante, the people here are friendlier comIG: julianmatteo other country, it is exciting to know that our student body has students made up of kids pared to over there in China. He’s made a lot of new friends from as far away as China. Our foreign exchange program this school year; he’s even learned a bit of Spanish due to Vahosts students from Germany, Slovakia, Brazil and, of course, rela’s diversified environment. He also added that we dress China. differently in America, more exposed. Although most of the students participating in this pro One thing he is definitely going to miss when he goes gram are seniors, we also have some underclassmen involved back home in June…our pizza. as well, specifically sophomore Schichen Yuan, better known “We have pizza in China of course, but it’s nothing compared by his American name, Dante. His American name was asto American pizza,” he said. signed to him in order to make pronunciation easier for us. Although his home is 8,164 miles away, China is not all Dante is 16 years old and came all the way from his homethat different from the U.S. Students over there enjoy the town of Dongguan in southern China to finish his sophomore music we do, including Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, and Adele. year. When asked if people over there like the Kardashians, he While Dongguan is subtropical, it’s average temperature gave a strange look, so I guess we’re not that alike.
Snapchat adds new geofilters, can include schools Despite privacy con-
of factors, these factors being location and holiday. Geofilters can be applied to staff reporter Snapchat remains a videos as well as pictures. You can acIG: nicolee53_ popular form of social cess these geofilters by simply swiping media among teens. The across a photo. video messaging app allows pictures to Usually, Snapchat generates and be taken and sent similar to Instagram creates these geofilters, but recently and Twitter; however, the images disap- they are letting users submit their own pear after a limited amount of time. geofilter artwork. The rules are that Its appeal is in its apparent temporary you can’t create one for a business; it access. Users need to remember that has to be a local and public place that anything posted online or digitally is visited a lot by the local community never really disappears. and tourists. “Every like three hours or so, I’m on Snapchat also has new school it to see people’s stories,” senior Stacy filters. Santalis said. “First we need Barnett (assistant This is the average response when principal for curriculum) to speak to it comes to Snapchat. In the years since Schneider (the school’s website manits inception, the app has added new ager), and then when Schneider gets features, geofilters being the newest the approval from Barnett, we have to feature. make the geofilter, from the geofilter “I use Snapchat and I think we we have to send it to Snapchat and we should get a geofilter for our school to have to wait for Snapchat’s response,” show our school spirit,” senior Melany senior Megan Reyes said. “We already Torres said. did it once but it didn’t go through.” They vary depending on a couple One nearby school that has a geo-
By Nicole Castro cerns and other issues,
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filter is Coral Reef Senior High School. Students can get inspired to create one of these geofilters for the school so one day we can see one for Felix Varela. “It would be pretty cool to have a geofilter for the school,” senior Christopher Pinango said.
Snapchat has added geofilters to its app. Students at Varela are trying to get a geofilter for the school. photo by Devoun Cetoute
Addiction: Truths revealed By devoun cetoute
section editor devoun24@gmail.com contributing writers jaiden butka jaiden@live.com Amy moscoso-orella amymoscoso14@gmail.com
A
ddiction is affecting the United States of America, and it is influencing youths of our nation. Our community, the Kendall area, is no stranger to the addiction scene. We usually think of addiction as drugs and alcohol, but there are other forms that are more mainstream, especially to our student body, including but not limited to caffeine, exercise, work, and social media addiction. Addiction has now become a commonplace phenomenon that is nationally accepted and because of this it is not actively protested. Most of those topics have been so ingrained into our American culture that it has become something to expect during late adolescence and young adulthood. Drug Addiction Here in our school and community
we always hear that we are drug-free. Is this statement actually true? A national polling firm, named RT, reported that in 2007, 35 percent of high school seniors used some illicit drug during the school year and by age 17, 70 percent of teens had been offered an illicit drug. At Varela we are no exception, we have students that do drugs too. “MDMA and medicine, you drink it a lot and it affects you. MDMA is like Ecstasy, it is a powder. It has cocaine, but I have never done cocaine,” sophomore Cindy Smith said. “I have done LSD and Weed, but that really isn’t a big deal. LSD is a psychedelic drug that is bad because it affects your body but it also opens your mind more. When you are on it you see different perspectives. I did Bars, it is like Xanax. I have drunk Grey Goose, Bacardi, Cîroc, Hennessy, and Aguardi-
ente. I’m more of a hard liquor drinker but I can’t do shots. I have to mix.” NIDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, reported that 64 percent of high school seniors do not view regular marijuana use as harmful. Based on the NIDA statistics, high schoolers are ignorant when it comes to the effects of drugs and how they are illegal in our state. One of our own senior Vipers admitted, “I really am indifferent to it. To me it’s legal because there is nothing wrong with those drugs,” he said. “To me I think everyone should try psychedelics because they are life changing. It’s just there is nothing wrong with it; people are ignorant about the effects of it. They say it makes you stupid and it doesn’t. The only thing I can agree on is that it makes you lazy. When I smoke I don’t want to do anything.”
addic - Addiction a habit that is done repeatedly that turns into something negative or something harmful.
Addiction to alcohol and drugs has reached our school population, even though those who say they have been addicted knew about the side effects. Most students who say they have been addicted comment that they have gotten clean because of the use of e-cigarettes and hookah pens with a low amount of nicotine. “I smoke cigarettes. Used to. But I used to smoke for a while and I knew about the effects,” senior Kevin Hernandez said. “Because my grandma died of lung cancer and I was a heavy cigarette smoker, but that is all behind me. I just did the vape pen to get off the cigarettes and every once in a while I will do it. I used to smoke like eight to ten a day, now a day like one or two a week.” Some students are also alcoholics. “I’m alcoholic, I used to be, and it started off as me drinking with friends at parties. I just started partying a lot, every night I used to sneak out of my house at two in the morning just to get a drink with my friends,” senior John Thomas said. “Then it turned into I have to have a whiskey by my bed when I went to sleep, then I would have to hide it when my mom wakes me up the next morning for school. I would constantly come to school with a hangover.” Felix Varela Senior High School and Miami Dade Public Schools support and advertise a drug-free environment within our schools and community. In Drug-Free Workplace General Policy Statement 6Gx13- 4-1.05 it states, “Miami-Dade County Public Schools
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is responsible for the instruction and well-being of the students entrusted to its care. A consistent message needs to be communicated to Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ students and staff; the use of illegal drugs, the abuse of alcohol, and the misuse of prescription drugs is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” Although they say this our students think and do otherwise. Our students believe that our drug use policy is sedated. “You can walk into a classroom high and teachers will know but they won’t say anything,” senior Yunier Iglesias said. This is not a far-fetched idea because the CASA Columbia National Survey on American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVII: Teens found “that 86% of American high school students said that some classmates drink, use drugs and smoke during the school day.” They also found out that “36% said it was easy for students to use drugs, drink or smoke during the school day without getting caught.” Our school is putting in every effort to protect our students from the influence of drugs, even though they know that they can’t catch every case of drug use in our school. “I have no tolerance for drug use, whether it is by child or adult. I don’t think any person should have drug use unless it is something medically necessary. I’m very hard; some students say I’m too hard, because I want them [drugs] out of my building,” said Principal Nery Fins. Alcohol and illicit drugs are not the only things Vipers may be addicted to in the realm of drugs. There is one drug that is the most mainstream and advertised drugs in our community; it is caffeine, and to be specific, coffee. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 73 percent of American children consume caffeine each day. The amount of children who get their caffeine from coffee is 24 percent. Our students here at Varela also ingest a high amount of coffee to the point where it could be seen as an addiction. It is not only our students, but our
teachers too drink lots of coffee to start their day or give them a boost. They even have coffee machines inside their rooms so drinking is easier and faster. “I drink in the morning café con leche, after lunch I have dark coffee,” said Spanish teacher Arcesio Jaramillo. Taking in so much caffeine at a young age can cause unforeseen consequences in the future. Dr. Marielys Rodriguez Varela, a pediatrician at Miami Children’s Hospital, said caffeine’s potential effects include rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure and anxiety. “Caffeine doesn’t have a place in the diet of any child or adolescent,” she said. Our students aren’t the only ones who can be affected; teachers and staff are also at risk of health problems because of their need for coffee. According to Mayoclinic.org, heavy daily caffeine use can cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, muscle tremors, and irritability. So when we see a poster at the Miami Dade Public Schools Administrative Building that says “It Takes Coffee” and explains how a mother needs this caffeinated beverage to start her morning, should we be worried that the influence of coffee has now reached our school system? Now drinking coffee once or twice a day isn’t going to cause the same side effects as five or six, but we should be trying to find better and healthier alternatives to keeping us alert and awake. Work Addiction It may be a strange concept to think of, but work addiction is real and affecting our student body. Work doesn’t just mean after school jobs, it also applies to the every day work load of student academics and extracurriculars. In our society, hard work and putting in extra time is a norm and often rewarded, for students it would be in the form of honor rolls and special diplomas. According to Healthline.com, reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA, the signs to work addiction is losing sleep to engage in work projects or finish tasks, a fear of failure at work (school), disintegration of personal relationships because of work, and use of work to avoid relationships. These are common things
ction that we see in our students but we don’t see them as alarming because everyone does it or goes through it. “On A days I can expect work from AP Research, Human Geography, and Calculus. On my B days I can expect readings from AP Government/Macroeconomics and AP Literature,” said senior Alejandro Gonzalez. Work addiction is a medical problem that most students face. Work addiction is a real problem that effects real people, if you think you suffer from work addiction there are different solutions for you. Talk to your primary doctor to make sure. Exercise Addiction Not all addictions are bad ones, some can be healthy, but when doing something repeatedly non-stop it can become dangerous. Exercise addiction is in this special category. We are taught, whether it be by our P.E. teachers or personal trainers, that we can exercise every day but you need a minimum one to two rest days for our bodies to cooldown from long days of workouts. When students don’t heed this warning and exercise nonstop everyday, a problem accrues. “I work out seven times a week, I tore my back couple months ago,” junior Conner Green said. When this nonstop exercising occurs, addiction arises. Marlys Johnson, author of Understanding Exercise Addiction, explains that exercise addiction comes in many forms. “Teens become addicted to exercise in many different sports. Running, cycling, and aerobics are the most common sports where exercise addictions occur. But you can become addicted to swimming, tennis, golf, basketball, skateboarding, weight lifting, and almost any other sport activity. You can become addicted to exercise or a sports activity either physically or psychologically.” She also tells us how to get away from this addictive behavior. “Treating an exercise addiction is about learning to enjoy exercising again, to manage your exercise workouts so that need to exercise does not manage you.”
Varela’s weight room plays host to the weight lifting classes.photo by Christine Monge
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers show Molly pills that were logged and then released from evidence at their secret facility in Miami-Dade County on June 9. Walter Michot/Miami Herald/TNS
Textbooks at the University of Texas at Dallas bookstore in Irving, Texas, August 10, 2006. Natalie Caudill/Dallas Morning News/TNS
Social Media Addiction Even everyday activities can become addictive. Ever since the turn of the 21st century the internet has been part of our daily lives, even more so for teenagers. Social media is an active part of our lives as teenagers; most of us are on it practically every day. “I feel that I’m on social media more than I should,” junior Gabby Chin said. Social media does not only include Twitter, Instagram, and sites of this nature. A clinical report titled The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families, created by Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, MD, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, MD, and the Council On Communications and Media, says that social media is a very big topic. It found that “any Website that allows social interaction is considered a social media site, including social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; gaming sites and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Second Life, and the Sims; video sites such as YouTube; and blogs.” The same report states that opening ourselves to these types of sites can cause “potential problems with cyberbullying, ‘Facebook depression,’ sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content.” Also because of teens’ constant use of social media, they have no care for their digital footprint, something that follows us through every college application and job interview. So when teens post inappropriate content it follows them, staining their image and reputation without them even knowing. So control the time you are on social media and what you click or post because it can affect you greatly in the future. Conclusion Addiction is a real problem that is affecting real teens in our community. There is help in many different forms for someone with addiction problems: family, therapist, or doctor intervention. There are also anonymous hotlines like the Crisis Call Center which you can call at 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863.
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L if est y le
M ovies
Del Toro tells gothic love story STARRING Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain DIRECTED BY Guillermo Del Toro RATING R
LENGTH 1 hr., 59 min.
By Michael Espinoza In Guillermo Del Toro’s new film, we are
Staff Reporter introduced to a new beautiful world called ig: _itsmikesaaan_ Crimson Peak. This movie captures a beauty we haven’t seen in a while. Although the marketing for this movie makes it seem as if it’s a horror movie, it’s actually a gothic love story that is beautifully told. But this movie holds many eerie and terrifying moments that are sure to keep you on edge. In this film, we follow an aspiring author, Edith Cushing, that doesn’t seem to make it anywhere due to the fact that female authors were very undermined during that time period. Tom Hiddleston’s character uses this struggle to his advantage. The two fall in love and after they marry, he takes her to his home, Crimson Peak. The mansion itself in this movie is a living, breathing character. This film does such a magnificent job at making this house feel so alive. Marketing really brought this movies expectations through the roof making it seem like Del Toro’s new full on horror movie. Del Toro himself went to a secret screening at Fantastic Fest and had to explain to the audience the true genre of this movie and how he believed the marketing for his movie was horrible, but I digress. The writing for this is so phenomenal and so capturing. Every minute of this movie holds a new twist, and each actor gives off their own incredible performance. What really captures this movie is the chemistry you feel between the three main characters played by Hiddleston (Avengers, Thor) Jessica Chastain (Interstellar) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland). Crimson Peak is perfect for gothic fans and I feel is a very successful love story. Fans of Del Toro will not be disappointed.
Mia Wasikowska in Crimson Peak. photo courtesy Universal Pictures/TNS
Daniel Craig in Spectre. photo courtesy MetroGoldwyn-Mayer Pictures/ Columbia Pictures/EON Productions/TNS
Craig returns as Bond for Spectre STARRING Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux DIRECTED BY Sam Mendes RATING PG-13 LENGTH 2 hr., 30 min. In this 24th installment to the James By Michael Espinoza Bond franchise, Spectre surely does not Staff Reporter disappoint. Unlike other Bond films, this ig: _itsmikesaaan_ isn’t its own story; it is a continuation to its previous movie Skyfall, although it’s not really necessary to watch the previous film to understand it. In Spectre, we follow Bond, played by Daniel Craig, trying to finish his mission of identifying “Spectre.” In doing so, he has to go rogue with a little help from the latest Bond girl, played by Lea Seydoux, and his tech partner Q, played by Ben Whishaw. Spectre does not fail in story development or in action. Craig brings such a brute persona compared to the other actors that have played the iconic character, yet he brings a sense of smoothness we all recognize and missed in his portrayal of Bond. From the beginning to the end of the film, it is a phenomenal story with intense action including crazy air fights (literally), epic car chases, and amazingly choreographed fight scenes. I would even go so far as to say that this is one of the best Bond films of all time. Rumors are spreading that Spectre is the final film for Craig’s run, and if it is, it would be such an amazing conclusion to his time. Spectre is a must see film and whether you’re new to the franchise or a lifetime Bond fanatic, this movie is a spectacular ride from start to finish. Ben Whishaw and Daniel Craig in Spectre. photo courtesy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios/ Columbia Pictures/TNS
Movies
L if estyle
Top 5 things By the Numbers... Back< to the Future got right and wrong the second movie of Back to the Future, we follow a character named Marty McFly who, with the help of By Michael Espinoza In his friend Doctor Emmett Brown, time travels from the year 1985 to 2015, The director, Robert Zemeckis, Staff Reporter ig: _itsmikesaaan_
made many predictions of how advanced we’d be in the year 2015. Check out how we’re doing.
#1
The Hover Board: Although we all aren’t riding them around like the movie predicted, Lexus is currently in development on the “Slide” and you can find videos of this fully functioning hover board on youtube. And yes, it runs on water.
#2
photo courtesy of www.lexus-int.com
Flying cars: Some flying cars do exist with wings, but none look the way the movie envisioned with cool hovering abilities. However, it may not be too much longer and the future may be closer than we thought.
#3
photo courtesy of www.aeromobil.com
Smart Glasses: In the movie, it is predicted we’d have glasses that would be useable for making calls and following commands for reminders and GPS. Do the words Google glass ring a bell?
#4
Software developer Monica Wilkinson wears Google Glass in San Francisco in April 2013. photo with permission John Green/San Jose Mercury News/TNS
Self Tie Shoes: Sadly we don’t have the self-tie shoes yet for retail purchase, but Nike Designer Tinker Hatfield is working on releasing a limited line of self-tie Nikes from the film and in fact just presented a pair to actor Michael J. Fox who played Marty in the movie.
#5
photo courtesy of news.nike.com
Video communications: Although in 1985 the Internet wasn’t around yet, that didn’t hold Zemeckis back from his prediction that by 2015, we would be able to communicate with each other through video. This prediction was right on. Today, we have Skype, FaceTime, Oovoo, and so many ways to communicate face to face without having to be next to each other.
Army SGT Michael O’Callaghan, 39, talks daily by Skype with his wife and children in St. Louis while serving with the Missouri National Guard’s 1138th Engineering Company in Afghanistan in January 2013. J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
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Screenshot from Kingdom Hearts III. photo courtesy of Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts delayed for fans Screenshot from Destiny: The Taken King. photo courtesy Handout/TNS)
Destiny: The Taken King introduces micro transactions By Alicia Garcia Destiny: The
Staff Reporter Taken King, aliciawonderland04@gmail.com a massive multi-player online role-playing game (MMO RPG), has officially released a new feature whereby players can spend real-world money to obtain in game currency. The new currency is called Silver and the only way to get it is by swiping those credit cards. Silver can be bought through the Playstation Network (PSN) Store or the Xbox Store as you would with any downloadable content (DLC). As of right now the only thing available in the Silver store is character emotes. These emotes can be dances or some different moves. Legendary emotes will cost 500 Silver and Rare emotes will cost 200 Silver. As of right now only the Slow Clap and the Enthusiastic Dance, more commonly known as the Carlton Dance are the only Legendary emotes available. Bungie has said that they will add more emotes in the future but no word has been made when and whether we will also see other stuff sold through the Eververse Trading Company, but players sure hope so. Players are hoping for the store to eventually have things like charac-
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ter cosmetics and costumes. Players also have said that the Silver store should have some type of in game buffs. “If I were to buy anything with real money for this game it would have to be an item that would actually help me in my game performance, but I also wouldn’t want the game to become a pay to win either,” senior Elvys Diaz said. While some players wouldn’t buy anything unless it actually buffs them up or helps them, plenty of players love cosmetic items and are waiting to see if Destiny game developers will add things like weapon skins and Shaders/Emblems. Adding Micro Transactions to Destiny will allow for Bungie to release free and regular game updates instead of selling more expansion packs that cost $20 to $40. Bungie will release those new experiences and updates for free, and rely on micro transactions to fund these updates. The new transaction system will benefit players as they won’t have to spend money on content every few months, but instead swipe their card for cool bonuses and still benefit the game makers. Depending on how this goes for Destiny, we may see micro transactions come for other major console games.
Developer Square Enix By Yunier Iglesias 1st Production DepartStaff Reporter ment and director Tetsuya yunierjr@gmail.com Nomura are finally bringing us Kingdom Hearts lll, maybe. On June 10, 2013, Kingdom Hearts lll was announced and the fans went crazy with the teaser trailer on Sony’s E3. The game play according to the trailer is pretty similar to that of its predecessors. “The combat would be along the lines of the combat style seen in Kingdom Hearts ll,” Tetsuya said in an interview on IGN.com. Two years later, new gameplay has been revealed in the trailer seen at E3 2015. It showcased new enemies, summons, keyblade transformations, and team-up attacks. Tetsuya explained how the Keyblade transformations would be similar to Aqua’s ability as in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Every Keyblade transformation will be unlocked by clearing all the missions in the world that you’re in. It can transform into many different things like a rocket launcher, dual bow guns, a sword, or a magic blaster. The game will have a more dynamic feel to it and will also feel crazier with more interactive enemies. AI, other NPC’s, and characters can join in the fight depending on the world you’re in. Looking at Disney’s insane vault of properties, the possibility of worlds they can use are endless (personally, I would like Star Wars where Sora and friends make their way through a death star using a light saber Keyblade). They have already confirmed the new worlds of Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Tangled. The possibilities are endless and social media is full of fan requests such as Tomorrowland, Star Wars, and Toy Story. As of now, the game is scheduled to be released in 2016; however, its release has been predicted for more than two years with constant delays. Fans will just have to wait.
Music
By Krystal Valdes
Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye, Country music’s new dynamic duo, met Section Editor through a mutual vocal coach at 15 years IG: Krystalvaldes old in Nashville for a publishing summer camp. From that moment on the girls have been inseparable, writing music and performing, until they got signed to a record company in 2013. Maddie & Tae have absolutely blown away the Country charts with their new debut album, Start Here featuring the #1 Platinum selling song “Girl In A Country Song” and their current hit song “Fly.” “Girl In A Country Song” is a feminist declaration of all country clichés. Maddie & Tae refused to continuously listen to the same type of songs that objectify women in today’s society. It is powerful and catchy; it’s a tune that sends a wonderful message. “Our whole project revolves around keeping it real,” Maddie said in her bio, and it certainly shows. Most of the girls’ songs portray meaningful themes; bullying (“Sierra”), friendship (“After the Storm Blows Through”), heartbreak (“Smoke”), and coming of age (“The Down Side of Growing Up”). Start Here is truly an amazing album that will impact any listener that needs motivation and some acoustic guitar.
By Christine Monge Staff Reporter IG: scarletmarked
photos courtesy of Dot Records, Global Music/UMGD, and Interscope
L if estyle
By Alexa Castillo Staff Reporter ig: alexac__
In 2014 British boy band The Wanted, mostly known for their hit single “Glad You Came,” decided to take a break & pursue personal endeavors. Former band member, Nathan Sykes has taken his solo career to the next level. “Kiss Me Quick” is his new single which was released in July. Rumor has it that this song will be included in his next album. “I’m really bad at flirting,” Nathan told Schön magazine. “So we wrote a song that can flirt for me; it’s as simple as that.” Sykes’ single has reached almost three million views on YouTube and continues to go up daily. As a solo artist, he is making songs with artists like Ariana Grande, reaching music charts and doing tours around the world. Although “Kiss Me Quick” has a basic theme that is easily understood, it’s upbeat and fun to listen to. The tune will have you singing and dancing to its resonant and electronic sound. Nathan Sykes has truly impressed me with his new found success after The Wanted’s breakup.
The much anticipated album, Honeymoon, is the fourth in a line of albums that Elizabeth “Lizzy” Woolridge Grant has recorded as Lana Del Rey. While some of the songs were released early as singles, her latest album dropped on September 18. Del Rey’s albums have sold over a million copies and her song “Young and Beautiful” was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s film The Great Gatsby. Honeymoon has a very smooth and vintage feel to it, just like all her other albums. It is a very relaxing record to listen to, and has powerful lyrics that don’t really hit you as hard the first time you listen to the album. “God Knows I Tried” depicts her overwhelming struggle of dealing with paparazzi, and having her privacy being invaded. “The Blackest Day” takes the listener through her harsh breakup, with lyrics like “Ever since my baby went away, it’s been the blackest day.” Her more upbeat songs include “Freak” and “Salvatore” which combine smooth beats and strong vocals. The album also includes an interlude, titled “Burnt Norton” one of Del Rey’s favorite lectures. She also pays tribute to Nina Simone, by covering her song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Del Rey has always been a fan of vintage and jazz songs, and incorporates them into her song “24.” In honor of her album, she created a “Honeymoon Hotline” in which fans can call to hear news about the record, songs, and even some of her favorite lectures. This album sets itself aside from the others, and shows off Del Rey’s progression in her musical career.
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Girls Volleyball
Cross Country
The 2015-2016 season for Girls Volleyball ended with a record of 16-5 with an ever changing coaching staff. “We did a lot better than I thought we would and had the best season I’ve had for the past four years” senior captain Claudia Campero said. The ladies progressed to the district rounds but were unable to succeed past the final rounds, losing to the Coral Reef Barracudas. Impressive players this season included Tiffany Bolaños, Brianna Brown, Valeria Mondino, Valeria Sanchez, and Katherine Arauz.
This year’s Lady Vipers made it to Districts as a team; however they had no individual runners that made it to Regionals. Meanwhile, the boys Cross Country team had several injuries depleting the number of athletes competing at Districts. Since teams are required to have five runners, the boys had to compete individually. Three seniors ran the 5,000 Meter Run Invitational Finals, Raul Balarezo, Cesar Mariaca and Giovanni Del Fa. Balarezo, placed 28th in finals with a time of 18:01.66, Mariaca was ranked 55th with a time of 18:44.66, and Del Fa ranked 130th with a time of 20:31.72 out of 170 runners. Neither team made it to Regionals, but next year will see several underclassmen running as seniors hoping to improve their times.
Football
Swimming
After another heavy graduation year and a change in coaching staff, the Varela Viper Swim team hit the pool once again. With the reopening of the aquatic facility at Miami-Dade College, Vipers were able to bring a little bit of swimming glory back to Felix Varela. The Boys Swim team finished with a record of seven and five, and qualified swimmers for regional and state meets. Junior George Lubian traveled to compete in the Pinch-A-Penny 2015 FHSAA Swimming and Diving State Championships, where he placed 7th and met a new time in the 100M back stroke. “It was awesome. The caliber of swimmers was crazy,” senior captain Randall Elkind said. “This year’s team felt like a family, it was very united.” The ladies hit the pool with much success as well. Senior Andrea Gutierrez, finishing her fourth year on the team, saw this as a bittersweet ending. “It’s been a pleasure to represent our school at Regionals for four consecutive years. Our team really grew,” Gutierrez said. Despite being unable to send any competitors to state competition, there was stiff competition at the regional and district level.
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The Varela Viper Football team fell short of district contention once again, with a final record of 4-6, placing second to last in district 8A-15. “I feel like we came into the season with high expectations, we worked hard as a family throughout the entire summer,” senior quarterback Jonathan Aburto said. Aburto, threw for over 1000 yards and eight interceptions. “As the grind caught up to us, we started to take the little things for granted.” Senior tight end/defensive back Ricardo Matos was recruited to play in the Miami-Dade Public vs Private game and senior receiver Jeremiah Stringer is in the process of college recruitment and visitation. If underclassmen like Delano Morgan, Shamar Munroe, and Julian Harris can avoid the lures of recruitment, then they will take the roles as playmakers next season.
photos by Fox-Mar and Alicia Garcia
Contributing Writers: Kathleen
Varela S p or ts
Soccer
Basketball
Viper Soccer is back with a young squad on both the boys and girls teams, after the class of 2015 graduated many talented Varela athletes. “We started out struggling, but we are working to fix it,” girls team captain Harley Garcia-Hall said. The Lady Vipers hold a record of nine wins and five losses. Leading for the Vipers offensively are Garcia Hall and Emily Perez, with five and six goals respectively. On the boys side, it’s a different story. The Varela Vipers Boys team has two victories and four losses, along with two ties. Despite struggles, the team is facing adversity as one. “I feel like we’re more united as a team,” senior center back Ian Salinas said. The regular soccer season will continue until early January. For many years the boys team has progressed into district playoff rounds, but it is undecided at this moment. As for the ladies, they plan to “go big or go home.”
In another Viper sport, the ladies are dominating the men. The Lady Viper Basketball team is currently seven and two, while the Varela Viper Boys’ Basketball team is three and five. Senior Laura Chirino and Junior Natasha Polanco lead the ladies’ offensive with season highs of 22 and 23 points scored, respectively. “We have a good chance at winning district,” Polanco said. The team’s toughest lost was that of rival South Dade. “It was tough, but it was a learning experience.” The ladies believe that the most important factor in their playbook this year is remaining united. “Coach always says family over everything,” Chirino said. “The only way we can win is if we work as a family.” As for the boys, life on the court hasn’t been so easy. With only three victories, leading the team has been seniors Brandon Zapata, Diego Petrosemolo, Malik Lyewsang, Reinieri Ramos, and Jahhel Thernelan. The team is currently struggling with keeping game leads and players facing individual struggles. “We have to come out and play hard…it’s part of being the underdogs. Hopefully we make it to districts,” Ramos said. “I feel like this year we have overcome adversity.”
Maura, Danielle Malkin, Antonella Costantino, Laura Chirino
photos by Alicia Garcia and Crotalus Staff
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S por t s Varel a Delano Morgan (Football) aka “D-Money” Raul Balazero (Cross Country) “I love cross country because my mind just goes blank when I run. I don’t know; I just run.”
“I don’t know if I can explain why I love football. It was the first sport I started playing and I fell in love with it.”
Profiles Sofia Naya (Cross Country) “My special moment was the race before districts when I broke 26 minutes. Running with my team was very inspiring.”
George Lubian (Swimming) “I love swimming because it gives me time to think about everything that’s going on around me. Stats 122 carries and 808 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns; Season high vs Ferguson Falcons with 172 rushing yards.
Stats 5K (3.1 miles): 18.01 minutes); 1 miles record: 5.06 minutes “When I hit 18.01 minutes, that was probably my best moment. Or when I get medals.”
“My mom told me to join a sport because I liked running. So it’s all thanks to my mom.”
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“My favorite moment was scoring the touchdown against Killian to take the lead. It felt good.”
Stats 7th place at 2015 FHSSA Swimming & Diving State Series (52.47 seconds) in 100 Meter backstroke; 1st place at 2015 FHSAA Regional Swimming and Diving Series (53.13 seconds)
“My favorite moment was at districts…We were all cheering for each other.”
Stats 5K (3.1 miles) 26:00 minutes
“My hidden talent? I can sing and I’m in the advanced TV production class.” “I wear #5 because that’s my mom’s favorite number.” photos by Fox-Mar
Pro S p or ts
Injuries plague NFL With the latest by Brandon Vergara movie Concussion
Staff Reporter shining a light on IG: Brandon_V13 football related injuries, it seems appropriate considering the amount of injuries in the real NFL. All these players’ chances of wearing that ring in early February have somehow managed to become slimmer and slimmer as the NFL season continues. Jamal Charles, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, is out for the season due to a torn ACL while playing against the Chicago Bears. They do not have a replacement running back as he was a game changer for the Chiefs’ offence. Currently in Miami, the Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes suffered severe knee pain which then turned into an injury while playing against the New York Jets. He is currently practicing right now with them and will be able to get back to the field very soon when he’s 100 percent ready. Quarterback Tony Romo recently broke his shoulder after
a tough game against the Philadelphia Eagles and got re-injured for the same reason. The Carolina Panthers are the only undefeated team. Being undefeated can be a risky, ground breaking task, but these NFL teams have no problem getting down and dirty to get to the playoffs much less the Super Bowl. According to ESPN, the likeliest teams to make it to the playoffs are the New York Giants, Jets, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals. Many teams dream and work to make it to the Super Bowl, one of the most watched TV shows all year. It’s going to be the Super Bowl’s 50th anniversary, taking place at the San Francisco 49ers home, Levi Stadium, in Santa Clara California.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) is unable to reach a pass as Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (21) defends during the first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Soldier Field in Chicago. photo by Chicago Tribune/MCT
Carolina Panthers defensive end Ryan Delaire sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston during third quarter action on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. photo by Charlotte Observer/TNS
FC Barcelona may be best ever FC Barcelona by Giovanni Del Fa is looking for yet section editor
another championship this year. The team, directed by Luis Enrique, is triumphing internationally and have been winning trophy after trophy, not to mention that two out of the three players that were voted for the UEFA best player award are two of Barca’s very own strikers, Neymar and Lionel Messi. The best version of the team has @gio_delfa
been said to be the 2009 Barcelona which won six out of six competitions internationally and nationally, had the best technical director in the world voted by FIFA, Josep Guardiola, and the best player in the world voted by FIFA, Messi. During the 2014-2015 season, the team achieved a National League Championship (most commonly known as La Liga), the UEFA Supercup, The King’s Cup, the UEFA Champions League and in December is going to dispute the Intercontinental Cup against CA River Plate from Argentina. A couple of months ago, the chance for Barca to win the Sextet (when a club wins all six possible competitions) went out the window when they lost the National Spain Supercup to Athletic Bilbao 1 – 5 back in August. This particular loss stopped fans from comparing them to the 2009 Guardiola Dream Team which is the only team in history to achieve a sextet. Messi, considered by some to be the best player in the world, has been a key player for Barcelona since 2004 and has achieved individual awards ac-
companied by the team’s awards every year since 2009. Before Enrique, the team was coached in 2013 by Tata Martino and did not achieve a single trophy which resulted in the end of Martino as FC Barcelona’s technical director. Fans were content with the decision, being that it was the first year in almost a decade that Barca did not achieve a single cup. Shortly after, Enrique (an ex-Barcelona player) took over the team and gave the team unparalleled success during the season. No matter the coach, the FIFA club ranking has recognized Barcelona as the best team in the world of soccer more than any European team in the past 10 years. In the last decade the team has won six league championships and three UEFA Champions’ League cups, more than any other team or European Rival, such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain. Now the team seeks to win their 3rd FIFA World Cup with Messi leading the team, and the world at their feet.
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, left, battles FC Barcelona’s Gerard Pique in the first half during the Guinness International Champions Cup at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, July 25. photo by Bay Area News Group/TNS
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