The Viper Vibe - Volume 13 Issue 3

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/a ‘14 il pr

Senior News Sochi olympic Controversy Gamers head down to South park

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

Hits and misses America came in fourth in number of medals won at the Sochi Winter Olympics...

Need for Speed.

...if only the American people actually watched the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Spring Break - one week spent binge watching Game of Thrones and drowning in hours of Titanfall!

Varela Boys Soccer and Girls Basketball have great seasons taking them to Districts and Regionals.

The entire month of May. Five weeks of no early releases, teacher planning days, or holidays. Yikes!

View p oints F rom th e E d itors

The Editor Says: Issue 3 of The Viper Vibe is here, and what better way to celebrate than a sportsthemed issue?

Since we at The Viper Vibe are so into sports and love everything that they stand for, we decided it’s time to celebrate their greatness.

In the past we may have ragged on sports, and probably angered a few, but in reality, we do

appreciate and see their significance and contributions in society.

From baseball to soccer and the Olympics too, we’ve covered a wide array of topics pertaining to all things athletics.

Enjoy! #GolfIsTheOneWithTheBasketRight?

Cj Salcedo Managing Editor

sports has a place in We Say: our society The Viper Vibe has always been seen as a very anti-sports organization.

In reality, we see the positive aspects of sports and the great impacts they make.

What positive aspects?

Well, for starters, sports offer people a sense of community. Whether a part of a team and hanging out with other players, or a family sitting together and watching a big game, they bring people closer.

Just think of those kids who made friends by joining a local sports team.

They now have a place to play, people to talk to and an entire team on their back.

It’s just amazing.

Also, people don’t even have to be athletic Someone who enjoys watching a football game or plays NBA 2K14, can have conversations with friends and family about sports games, players and other things.

Sports offer kids a home. Certain inner-city kids rely on playing basketball or soccer to keep them off the

streets. In fact, most NBA players who came from poor backgrounds, such as Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, eventually grew up and became some of the greatest players in the league.

Sports also benefits people physically. It offers an escape from the mundane that is school life. Shooting some hoops and throwing a football around offers some excellent release. Health and fitness are also some of the lasting benefits of sports. This is one of the most important aspects of sports. They give people high levels of self-confidence and a drive to constantly better themselves; it encourages self-perseverance.

So the lesson here is: Don’t hate on sports. Sure, there are people who don’t fully appreciate them, including some of our very own, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad for our society. Quite the opposite actually.

So, next time you scoff at a football player or insult a soccer athlete, ask yourself, what have you done lately?

volume 13 April ‘14 Editorial Board MANAGING EDITOR Cj Salcedo SECTION EDITORS Taylor Daley David Murray Christian Schlegel

Staffers

Valery Morales Veronica Martely Isabel Martinez Alec DiLella

Adviser

Elizabeth Cardenas Cover photo by Fox-Mar

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 davisor can be contacted at 305-752-7900 or thevipervibe@ gmail.com

Ads 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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View poi nt s Op i n ions

With many thanks to Lebron James By cj salcedo

managing editor @cj_fett_salcedo

For the first 15 years of my life, I was never that big of a sports fan. I was one of those kids who would rather watch an Oscar-winning film, than a game-winning play in a huge football or basketball game. I would rather play hours upon hours of a video game than even consider picking up a baseball bat.

Then, my freshman year happened.

It was May 3, 2013, at Sunset Place. A couple of friends and I were watching Iron Man 3 at the IMAX theater. We had arrived late so we had to sit at the lower level seats.

Upon arriving, we noticed the row behind us blocked off. We dismissed it as we sat down and waited for the movie to start.

Five minutes in, we notice a few people walk into the theater and sit in the row behind us. I remember distinctly whispering, “Oh my God! That’s LeBron James and Ray Allen!”

Me, being the anti-sports guy I am, didn’t really care. The movie ended and these two men my friends were such big fans of walked besides us and shook our hands.

That handshake changed me.

The Monday after that weekend, I told my peers of my experience. Jealousy from both students and teachers ran through the rest of the school year. It

was actually pretty cool.

This experience of meeting LeBron James brought my attention to the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat played the San Antonio Spurs, and ended up winning.

My dad and brothers called me their good luck charm.

Fast forward to October 24, at the American Airlines Arena. My friend won a pair of Heat tickets and invited me to go see a preseason game. It was an exciting experience that sparked some interest.

My love affair with sports grew stronger as the days passed on. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were coming out with great games. One game that truly caught my attention was NBA 2K14 on next-gen consoles.

The realistic graphics and the amazing soundtrack featuring artists such as Kanye West and Jay-Z all pulled me in. Even though I wasn’t a fan of the sport, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer sight of all the flashing lights and muffled rap music.

So when my brother got the game for Christmas my entire life revolved around my PS3. I learned players’ names, rules and actual plays. I entered a new world and I began to like it.

What does this mean, basically?

I now have a higher appreciation for these players and the games themselves.

I went from a kid who knew nothing about the game, to someone who can name players and plays in an instant.

I’m always watching games and keeping up with my favorite teams as they win or lose.

Aside from all of that, I can now talk to my brothers and my dad about basketball, a topic I knew virtually nothing about. It’s pretty cool to have this relationship that was sort of closed off to me in the past.

From all of this, I’ve learned that it’s important to keep an open mind about anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to play some 2K now.

What do you think?

Let us know!

We’d love to hear from you I can now talk to my brothers and my dad about basketball, a topic I knew virtually nothing about. It’s pretty cool to have this relationship that was sort of closed off to me in the past.(photo by C. Salcedo)

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Write to us at: thevipervibe@gmail.com

New s Aro u n d Varela

Senior Lunch

One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of the Senior Superlatives.

Voted on by their peers, these students will go down in history. T’Yanna Melendez fell victim to hypnosis speaking to her favorite celebrity on another student’s shoe.

Senior News

Seniors started the last half of their year with the annual Senior Lunch. They were treated to a buffet which included an array of desserts.

The afternoon’s entertainment included a hypnotist.

photos by Fox-Mar

Graduation

Senior Spirit Week April 21 - Jersey Day April 22 - Camo Day April - 23 - Celebrity Day April 24 - Disney Day April 25 - Grad Bash!

May 30 @ 2:00 p.m.

UM Bank United Center

Prom

May 17 @ 7:30 p.m.

Jungle Island

Cap and Gown Distribution May 20 @ 7:30 a.m.

Auditorium

$75

Tickets on sale in Activities Office both lunch waves

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New s Beyon d V arel a

Olympics surrounded by political debate By isabel martinez

staff reporter isamartinez217@gmail.com

The issue with gay rights in Russia has been a hot topic in the news and on the Internet. Last summer, Russia’s parliament passed a federal law banning gay propaganda.

The vote was unanimous.

However, it wasn’t until the hype surrounding the 2014 Winter Olympics began, that people really began to take notice. In February, the Olympics were hosted by the Russian city of Sochi.

Russia has a strict policy on gay people, because they believe that homosexuality does not follow their old traditions and beliefs and conservative views; they equate homosexuality with pedophilia.

The law makes it a crime to influence or show gay material to a minor which, according to CBS News, may include “public displays of affection by same-sex partners and clothing or statements affirming gay rights.”

Individuals can be fined up to 100,000 rubles, which is about $2,800 US. Even foreigners are subject to this law.

Violators could be charged a fine, get deported from Russia, or serve a few days in jail. Due to the new law, Russia has seen an increase in anti-gay violence.

Some Olympic athletes felt that politics had no place in the competitions. This was reiterated in the Olympic opening ceremony when IOC President Thomas Bach gave his speech.

“Olympic Games are always about building bridges to bring people together.

Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity. Therefore, I say to the political leaders of the world...have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes.”

Some athletes wanted to take the opportunity of being

an Olympic athlete to say something about how unfair they felt the ban was.

One of those athletes was snowboarder Belle Brockhoff.

She wanted to win gold, and once she did, she wanted to make a statement about Russia’s new law.

“We want to show the world that this is not OK and they need to change,” Belle told NBC in Austria (where she trains), in late January.

Former figure skating champion Johnny Weir (who is also openly gay) came to Sochi as a commentator for the Figure Skating competitions.

As a nod to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the law, his appearance for the first few days ranged from a hot pink Chanel blazer to a silver coat covered with Edward Cullen’s super, shiny ashes - with matching shoes

included. He did tone it down a bit, (probably for the public’s sake) but this proves that a simple gay ban can’t tie down who he is or his outfits.

“If it takes me getting arrested for people to pay attention, and for people to lobby against this law, then I’m willing to take it,” he told CBS News. “Like anyone, I’m scared to be arrested. But I’m also not afraid of being arrested.”

Even though the Olympics are over, the current conflict in Ukraine concerning Crimea and the location of Kazakhstan make us wonder - will Russia’s anti-gay law spread.

Terrorist threat in Sochi affects ticket sales threat two weeks prior to the start of the Games. staff reporter

Hosting the Olympics has gone from @vero_nikkie96 being a boom to host countries to being an enormous cost and fewer and fewer

The world’s attention turned to Sochi, Russia on February 7, as the Olympic countries can sustain those costs. Russia spent $51 billion on the games in Sochi, Winter Games began. So too did the making them the most expensive Olymrising concern about the growing numpic games to this date. ber of terrorist threats from Islamist

Fox News reported that Russia used terrorists. man power and money to protect the

According to Canada’s National games, with about 40,000 security offiPost, Public Safety Minister Steven cers on the scene and checkpoints set up Blaney said the games were an “attracacross Sochi. tive” terrorist target and that airports Olympic athletes advised their and border crossings were “particularly families to stay home. The U.S.A. ski and vulnerable.” snowboarding team hired a private secu The travel advisory said the “most rity agency to provide extra protection likely threat” to the event was Imarat throughout the games.

Kavkaz, an umbrella group for various

With such threats surrounding armed factions fighting to impose their harsh version of Islamic law in the North the Games, ticket sales have also been affected. Opening day of the games ticket Caucasus region east of Sochi. demand was solid but short of a sellout

The leader of the group made a which is strange for the Olympic Games video last July threatening to attack because most sell out within weeks of the games and then also made another

By veronica martely

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going on sale.

At the end of January, about 80% of the total tickets to the games had been sold. This is in contrast to the 2012 London, Olympics (wsj.com).

At the height of the 2012 Olympics, organizers in London said 2.5 million people per day were accessing the official ticketing website. The Sochi organizers said that 55,000 new visitors a day were logging on by opening day. Of course, London’s population of eight million dwarfs that of Sochi, which has only about 350,000 residents.

However, despite all the threats, the 2014 Olympic Games ran a smooth two weeks with no kind of attacks or acts of terror of any kind. Some speculators now wonder if the terrorist threats were a real threat or just another event blown out of proportion by the media.

In any case the 2,900 athletes from some 88 countries were all well protected and able to compete at their best capacity with no danger at all.

Shailene Woodley (left) and Theo James star in “Divergent.” (Jaap Buitendijk/MCT)

Viewers have Divergent opinions

In the world of Divergent, a dystopian society, built on the ruins of Chicago, revolves around the choices of 16-year-old teenagers.

Society is divided into five factions based upon personality types: Erudite, Abnegation, Candor, Amity, and Dauntless. This separation of factions is supposed to help maintain a perfect, peaceful society.

At 16, teens must make the decision of whether or not they stay with their families and their factions, or switch to a new faction.

Having read the Divergent trilogy and being a big fan of the series as well, I am able to say that I was pleased with the movie. Expectations are always high for fans of novel-based movies. The novel has an extremely complex plot, making it tough to get through on the big screen.

Those who haven’t read the books may not be able to understand what was missing and what was added.

The scenery went along with the book very well considering it was set in a destroyed Chicago. The buildings were old and the streets were cracked, but then there were the buildings which were new and clean for the factions giving it the appearance of any city pulled out of a typical post-apocalyptic film.

The costumes were key for describing who was who, and the film did a good job on that. Just as in the book, the different designs and colors helped distinguish who was in what faction.

Although the characters were only scraping the surface, they were good as

To help the teens with their life decisions, they undergo computer-generated hallucinatory tests whose simulations help indicate their personality, thus showing them the faction for which they are best suited.

Test-takers must choose to stay with their family and conform, or leave their family for a new faction. Either way the choice is permanent. “Faction before blood.”

The dark spot in this society are the Divergent. They are the people who fit into

multiple factions. These individuals are viewed as dangerous since they do not conform to the rest of society.

The heroine of the story, Beatrice (Tris) Prior, was born and raised in Abnegation, a modest and self-denying lifestyle. She chooses to leave and join Dauntless. What follows is an adventure in which Tris must decide who she is and where she fits. How much of her old life she can leave behind and how much of her new life she can embrace.

Having not read any book well. Other than a handful of in the Divergent trilogy, my characters, most didn’t show expectations for the movie that much of a complex perwere solely neutral. Keep in sonality. mind that I am not, like the

Even though there was a many the movie was meant lot of fighting and the potento appeal to; namely tial for a faction war lingered in the air, reviews by teenage girls in middle school and none of the characters Valery Morales & Alec DiLella early years of @valery_yasmin @alecdilella high school seemed to that can’t help be nervous. but swoon over an actor’s In the story, there are gruesome fights and gory injuries, good looks.

The movie was plagued but they only showed the with simplistic diction and occasional nosebleed and the sound score was equally several bruises. immature. Having a music

Many people call Diverscore with clear vocals in the gent a Hunger Games wanna-be, which couldn’t be more foreground only intensifies wrong. While they do relate in the notion of teenage angst.

I couldn’t help but notice several aspects: dystopian fu- ture, evil government, female that the majority of the shots in the movie were close shots teenage heroine; they also of Tris’ face. This bothered differ, especially in theme. me to the core as a lover and Katniss from The Hunger enthusiast of films of various Games values family and is desperate to get back home to types because it only emphathem. Tris is confronted with sizes the director’s attempt to the idea of leaving her family relate the character to the audience and increase the level physically and politically. of attachment and sympathy

Divergent is one action for her. filled and dramatic movie, The point of the movie with scenes that will have you grip your seat and others that should not have been to relate us to the character’s free spirwill make you cry. it, but to get us thinking about

the possible – and interesting – effects of a government dominated society.

The acting was nowhere close to the caliber of The Hunger Games, a comparison some might find unfair and unjust; however, having the same exact theme of an independent young woman breaking free of the boundaries of a conformist society does not exactly help to justify Divergent’s independence as a plot or movie.

Perhaps I missed out on the nuances of the plot and details of the story’s progression because I didn’t read the book, but that should not have been a problem. The role of the first movie in a series is identical to that of the first book in a series… to introduce its audience to a plot that can be maintained and easily followed. The first movie in any series is worthless if it causes its audience to feel clueless at times where the book would’ve filled in the blanks.

As a TV Production and film student, I did not feel like the production of Divergent was as well executed as it could have been. Honestly, this movie was a chick-flick.

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L if est y le E nt er tai n m ent

Taken on a Plane

Reviews by Cj Salcdo Managing Editor @cj_fett_salcedo

Say what you want about Liam Neeson, but he is probably the undisputed king of thrillers. Films like Taken, The Grey, and Unknown are all decent films and they keep audiences on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next. The latest thriller film starring the Irish actor, Non-Stop¸ is more of the same thing, and it doesn’t bring anything new to truly move this genre forward.

Thankfully, a great story and some pretty decent acting take it far enough. Air Marshall Bill Marks (Neeson) is taking a flight to London, England. Upon taking off, he receives text messages from an unknown terrorist who claims that he will kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a bank account. So, it’s up to Marks to find out who this man is, and how he will stop people from dying.

Every passenger, pilot, and flight attendant is a possible suspect and the way the story plays out is just brilliant, though some plot holes and obvious racial overtones

are issues that are sometimes hard to overlook.

Special effects are very hit-or-miss.

The scenes where the plane starts bobbing around looks convincing, yet the CG model of the plane could use some work.

Then we get to the dialogue and acting. The cast is pretty solid, comprising of actors such as Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scott McNairy and others. Unfortunately, most of the dialogue between these actors comes out as forced or just plain awkward. It’s like these guys are 13-year-olds asking a girl to a dance; it’s cringe-worthy at times.

The film is an enjoyable one, at times. It manages to suspense and thrill, yet its writing won’t win any awards.

Thankfully, Neeson’s acting makes the ride worthwhile.

Need for Speed needs a plot

It’s a shame that no filmmaker has been able to make a film based on a video game. Fans expect an experience that matches the caliber of their favorite franchise, yet end up getting a cheap cash-in attempt that destroys the very nature of what makes these games great. Scott Waugh’s adaption of EA’s racing franchise, Need for Speed is no different. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be an amazing movie, but I was expecting a decent film, with a decent plot and some acting that didn’t feel forced.

So what’s the story behind this wreck of a movie? Generic

Aaron Paul, left, and Dominic Cooper in “Need for Speed.” (Courtesy DreamWorks Pictures/MCT)

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nice-guy mechanic, Tobey Marshall, played by Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, is framed by a wealthy business associate for a crime he didn’t commit. With revenge in mind, he joins this cross-country race against this rival of his. Upon learning of this plan, his rival, Dino Brooster (Dominic Cooper), places a bounty on his head.

The simple story wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t backed up with atrocious dialogue and acting. The film is filled with awkward pauses and moments that take themselves too seriously, to the point where it’s laughably bad. What’s worse is that Waugh didn’t even use any game as a basis for the story. This could have easily been called something else and would have made no difference to the story. The only things this movie and the game have in common are the cars and racing.

The one positive aspect of the movie was its stunt work.

No CGI was used to create these spectacular crashes and jumps. The film does a great job of submersing you into a 230 mph vehicle.

But alas, all of that sadly ends when one of these cardboard cutout characters opens their mouth and spews out clichéd dialogue. This film is a lemon compared to other racing films, like Drive and The Fast and the Furious series. It not only makes a mockery of other racing movies, it also has me worried about other video game-to-film adaptions. Here’s hoping The Last of Us gets a decent film adaptation.

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Lifestyle E nter tain m ent “Because the internet I’m here, because of the internet we’re all here. It’s the language of earth. Everyone keeps saying by this or that year, Mandarin or Spanish will be the most dominant language, but the internet is already a language we are all connected to; even my dad can understand the meme format. But the thing is, there are no rules, which is also the awesome thing.”

-Donald Glover, on the title of his second studio album, because the internet

B+ Chvrches and Gambino A-

Closing out 2013 by reinvigorating genres dominate.

It’s not surprising that managing editor the work is filled with an @cj_fett_salcedo almost endless amount of

The Internet has become charm and wit. Glover’s career as a star of NBC’s less of a tool and more of a Community has really come way of life. Twitter and Facebook are the first place to find in handy. “3005,” the quintessential track on because the news, millions of selfies are internet, deals with themes of being posted on Instagram loneliness wrapped around a day, and chances are, your mom has shared a few cat gifs an uplifting chorus that evokes the braggadocio of with you at least once.

because the internet, Don- artists such as Kanye West ald Glover’s (Childish Gambi- and Big Sean.

Unfortunately, there’s a no) second studio album, is lot of unnecessary filler in more than just a rap album; the album. Also, it’s pretty it’s a gateway that reveals clear that Glover was inspired all the love, loss and laughby other artists and tries to ter that everyone has gone through while providing some mimic their style. One example, “Flight of the Navigator,” thoughtful and provocative commentary in an age where although a great song, tries smartphones and 3D printers too hard to sound like a Frank

reviews By cj salcedo

Ocean ballad.

Thankfully, the album as a whole is a progressive piece of commentary in the form of a rap album. From start to finish, it’s a journey through Glover’s psyche and will have listeners wondering where Glover ends and Gambino starts.

My original opinion of the Scottish synthpop group, CHVRCHES, debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, was an incredibly negative one; yet, after listening to these songs one more time, my eyes were finally open to a world of music I just discovered.

The album does an excellent job of blending different elements, whether it’s Lauren Mayberry’s vocals

South Park invades consoles

In my 13 hour play-through of South Park: The Stick of Truth, I slayed a horde of Nazi-zombie cows, shrunk down to the size of a gnome in order to diffuse a nuclear bomb and, in true South Park fashion, learned some magical spells using nothing more than my custom character’s farts.

The craziness all begins with the story of a new kid moving into the quiet mountain town of South Park. Players control a custom character that must go on an epic quest to guard a magical relic known as the Stick of Truth. The game’s story is hilarious and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s involvement in writing that story make it better.

Almost every character makes an appearance, from Eric Cartman to Mr. Hankey. The story is filled with jokes and parodies, ranging from fast-food franchises taking over, to cheesy summer

blockbusters that are constantly being released.

Its excellent writing is a compliment to the great RPG-gameplay that Stick of Truth has. Obsidian Entertainment, makers of games such as Fallout New Vegas and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, has crafted an excellent turn-based system, reminiscent to that of Pokémon. Players choose one of four classes: Fighter, Mage, Thief and Jew, each with their own abilities and perks. Unfortunately, there aren’t any major differences in the classes.

During combat, players are aided by other characters that also possess their own special abilities. For example, when playing with Butters, players have the option of allowing him to transform into his alter-ego Professor Chaos. Enemies range from fourth graders dressed as knights, to Al Gore trying to kill anyone who might be an evil creature known as

A+

or Iain Cook’s composing, and creating a sound that works.

In fact, a lot of the songs are reminiscent of progressive rock bands such as Muse and Rush and evoke a very Daft Punk-esque feeling.

Unfortunately, this familiarity starts to sink in after a few songs. Some awesome beats and catchy lyrics make it stand out, but a lot of these songs sound like they’ve been done by other artists a lot better.

Thankfully, these instances are few and far between and what listeners are left with is a piece of Scottish synthesized gold. The Bones of What You Believe may go down as one of the greatest works in the electronic genre of music.

Manbearpig.

The game is also littered with fan service to the show. There are references to past episodes of the show, such as the Chimpokemon dolls scattered everywhere, to Cartman’s Awesome-o suit lying in his closet.

Overall, the game is not only an excellent South Park game, but a superb RPG. It’s probably the funniest 13 hours anyone will spend on a video game and more than makes up for the terrible last season of the show. This game is a mustplay for all South Park fans.

With South Park: The Stick of Truth, the residents of the sleepy mountain town have finally arrived on the gaming scene with the franchise’s humor intact. (MCT)

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oscars

Expectations versus Reality Best supporting actress

Best supporting actor

Winner: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) My thoughts: June Squibb was just hilarious in Nebraska. This award should have been given to her instead.

Winner: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) My thoughts: Although Jared Leto truly transformed to play his role in Dallas Buyers Club, I felt that Captain Phillips costar Barkhad Abdi really deserved the award.

He played one of the greatest film villains ever and made Captain Phillips great.

Best actor

Best actress

Winner: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) My thoughts: Everyone on the internet agrees with me on this one: Leo should have won this award.

reviews By cj salcedo

managing editor @cj_fett_salcedo

Best picture

Winner: 12 Years a Slave My thoughts: Was I surprised? No. Disappointed?

A little. The film was hailed as one of the greatest films ever made by some publications, but I felt that it should’ve gone to another film. My picks would have been Nebraska or Her. Congratulations to Steve Mcqueen, though.

Best director

Winner: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) My thoughts: Cuarón’s Gravity was an achievement in the special effects department and told a pretty great story. The win was well-deserved, mostly because this film was not going to win best picture.

Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) Bradley Cooper (American Hustle) Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave) Jonah Hill (Wolf of Wall Street) Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Supporting Actress

Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) June Squibb (Nebraska) Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)

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Winner: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) My thoughts: Cate Blanchett’s performance in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine was just phenomenal and flawless. She did everything right and her Oscar win was well deserved.

Actor

Christian Bale (American Hustle) Bruce Dern (Nebraska) Leonardo DiCaprio (Wolf of Wall Street) Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Actress

Amy Adams (American Hustle) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) Sandra Bullock (Gravity) Judi Dench (Philomena) Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Adapted Screenplay

John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater (Before Midnight ) Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street ) Billy Ray (Captain Phillips) Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope (Philomena)

Original Screenplay

David O. Russell & Eric Singer (American Hustle) Bob Nelson (Nebraska) Spike Jonze (Her) Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack (Dallas Buyers Club) Woody Allen (Blue Jasmine)

Director

David O. Russell, (American Hustle) Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) Alexander Payne (Nebraska) Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Picture

American Hustle Captain Phillips Dallas Buyers Club Gravity Her Nebraska Philomena 12 Years a Slave The Wolf of Wall Street

Cate Blanchett on stage during the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles.

Steve McQueen pumps his fist and trophy into the air as “12 Years a Slave” celebrates on stage during the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Lifesty le E nter tain ment

Watching the perfect game

information gathered By cj salcedo managing editor @cj_fett_salcedo

1976 Rocky The all-time greatest underdog story about the dream to be the greatest. No one can beat Rocky!

Hoop Dreams (1994) A documentary that tells the story of two kids who aspire to become NBA players. An honest and raw portrayal of inner-city life and a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking.

Bend it Like Beckham (2002) A story of a young woman who dreams of playing soccer, but her parents aren’t too accepting of this choice. Watch this if you like stories about fighting for what you believe in.

1993 1994

2000 2002 2005

Coach Carter (2005) A man who coaches an inner-city school’s basketball team uses education to empower and to inspire.

Blind Side (2009) The true story of Michael Oher, a young man who eventually overcomes all of his hardships with the help of Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock.

2009 2011

Cool Runnings (1993) The first ever Jamaican bobsledding team and their struggles as they reach their way to the top at the Olympics.

Remember the Titans (2000) Denzel Washington stars as a football coach who moves into a segregated town and coaches the local high school’s football team. A great inspirational tale that uses football with a very serious issue.

Cinderella Man (2005) The true story of boxer James J. Braddock, the greatest of his time, who falls into the clutches of the great depression, as a new boxer, Max Baer, arrives. The film is directed by Ron Howard and stars Russell Crowe.

Fever Pitch (2005) A love story that deals with the fan mentality. Jimmy Fallon stars as an obsessed Red Sox fan who struggles to keep his romantic life and baseball life in balance.

Moneyball (2011) Not so much about the players, but about the use of statistics to help win games.

S por t s A ro u n d V arel a

Tennis

Boys Volleyball

Softball 1 2 t h ev i per vi b e @ g mai l . com

The girls overall record was 6-5 and the boys 5-8.

Coach Kubit called this a “Great year.”

Her key player for the girls team was Jenny Lin. “She has been very impressive this year,” she said. One match coach was happy about was against Coral Gables where both teams won.

The teams overall record is 11-2. One of their main focuses was to defeat Southwest. They lost to them earlier in the season by losing all three sets. “We have a very young team, but they are doing so well and I think we can make it all the way to District finals,” Coach Kenny Milnes said.

“I am very proud of the team this year, it was better than I expected” said, Coach Cindy Castrillon. The teams overall record this year was 10-8 and the district record was 6-6. Lady Vipers would make the playoffs but lost in the second round to Coral Reef.

photos by Fox-Mar

The season has now come to an end and the team looks forward to districts.

“This season was a rebuilding season; we’ve seen a lot of new faces but we had a great season,” Coach Susan Chue said. Top events for the boys team was the 800, 600, 4x1 and 4x8 meter relay. For the girls, it was the 1 mile, 2 mile and 400.

The boys are 10-11 with a Distict record of 7-8. “This is not the season we expected it, like a lose one win one. We are rebuilding this year and don’t have any experience,” Coach John Barbato said. Key players are pitcher Nick Leon and Spatty Gomez, also sophomores Tony Mejias, Chris Allende and John Burredez.

Badminton ended its season with a record of 10-6-1. Their best events were Girls Singles 1 and Doubles 1 girls and boys.

Key players were Valeria Ruiz, Rebecca Garcia and Juan Garutti. “It was one of most successful seasons because some of our players made it to the GMAC Finals,” Coach Ryan Schneider said.

Track and Field

Baseball

Badminton

S P R I N G S P O R T S

Boys Soccer makes a statement school Coral Reef with a score of 2-0.

With many of the team’s members Section editor being graduating seniors, the team is @heyydavidd looking to work harder for next year’s season and figure out what they will do with the team.

“As long as I have been teaching

“Hopefully our young team will be at this school I have to say these boys able to defeat some of our rival teams fight, bleed and live for soccer the way next year, because a lot of people will be they played this season,” Assistant Boys gone due to graduation and a new set of Soccer Coach Arcesio Jaramillo said. players trying to emulate or sur The Boys Soccer team shined and made a successful run in the 2013-2014 pass the seniors,” senior defender season. Their regular season ended with Dominick Dudley said.

Next year the team will lose a a record of 13-7, enough to get them into the District finals. Senior forwards John- lot of players due to a large number of graduating seniors, making John Diaz, Kevin Pizzolo, and Daniel it a very young team.

Foen led the team in scores and assists.

“I think it would be a rebuildTheir district record was 10-4. ing year for the team. We are

The goalie Juan Grimaldo would losing a lot of key players for the have 8 shootouts in the season keeping team. But we look to have a great clean sheets in multiple games. season,” sophomore Nico Alvarez

In the middle of the season Varela, in a climactic battle royal, defeated rival said.

“I am excited for next season. school Ferguson in a conference game We will be a young team but I to a score of 2-1. Ferguson along with think we will have a great season,” Braddock, Terra and Sunset became sophomore Gian Martinez said. their biggest foes.

Along with their group

To the fans dismay they lost the dis- trict finals game to Sunset, however, the achievements, individual players team still qualified for the Regional play- were recognized as well. Pizzolo and Foen were named to the 1st offs. Unfortunately, they were knocked All-Dade team. Dudley and senior out in the first round by competitive

By David Murray

photos by Fox-Mar

Christian Santillan made the 2nd AllDade team.

The whole team played in the Miami-Dade High School All-Star Game.

Dudley received a full scholarship to FAU.

Despite not winning the championship the Vipers showed growth and hopefully the Vipers can continue to grow as a team.

t h ev i per v i be@g mail.c om 1 3

S por t s Out s i d e V arel a

Sochi delivers surprises, excitement Bydavid murray section editor @heyydavidd

Millions of people all over America tuned in to NBC in February for the XXII Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia. The addition of digital viewing allowed fans to watch some events live even though the time difference ranged from nine to 12 hours. According to the L.A. Times, even though prime-time viewing was down 2 percent from the 2010 Vancouver games, digital viewing was up 54 percent.

According to stats, Team U.S.A would not do that well this year (nbc. com). Our best event in men and women was Freestyle Skiing, in which we would win an overall of seven medals. Mikaela Schifrin, David Wise and Joss Christensen would all win gold medals for this event.

“I just want people be excited about free skiing,” Wise told NBC.

Shiffrin would win her first gold medal ever in Slalom after almost falling during her second run. She is the youngest athlete to win a gold medal in that event at the Olympics.

“I am a dreamer and I want them all not this just this one,” she said.

Snowboarding would win five medals with the gold medalists being Sage Kotsenburg, Jamie Anderson, and Kaitlyn Farrington. Anderson was the first to win in the brand new category of Slopestyle. The 20-year-old Maddie Bowman won a gold medal in the Halfpipe. The young winner was very was excited about her win.

“It’s crazy. It definitely feels…gosh The USA’s Meryl Davis, left, and Charlie White perform to “Scheherazade” during their free dance in the ice dancing competition Feb. 17.

Davis and White won the gold medal. (Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT) U.S. snowboarder Shaun White performs his final run in the men’s halfpipe competition Feb. 11. (Colorado Spring Gazette/MCT) USA forward T.J. Oshie (74) scores a goal against Russia goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in a shootout of a men’s hockey game Feb. 15.

USA defeated Russia, 3-2. (Chicago Tribune/ MCT)

1 4 t h ev i per vi b e @ g mai l . com

I don’t know, to show the world exactly what I can do is just unbelievable,” she said (nbc.com).

Bowman is now in college at Salt Lake City and is looking to continue her wins for many more years.

While Team U.S.A. finished with a silver medal in Women’s Ice Hockey, the men’s team was shut out in the bronze medal game by Finland. However, one of the most exciting games by the men wasn’t even a medal game and took place against Russia. The tied game went into overtime and then a shoot-out. T.J. Oshie made six out of eight goals against Russian goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

U.S.A. Figure Skating team took home Olympic bronze. But it was the smooth moves of Ice Dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White that brought home the gold. Their rivalry with silver medal winners Canada stretched back to the 2010 Olympics where the medals were reversed.

Snowboarder Shaun White would enter two events, drop out of one of them and come out with no medals. He was first in the Slopestyle event but decided to drop out of that event to focus more on the Half-pipe. After he had done that, a crash kept him from reaching no higher than 4th place. He would lose his first place title in this event, a place he has held since the 2006

games in Turin.

The Russian Freestyle Federation was crippled when Maria Komissarova crashed during a training run for the ski cross event. She broke her back and was taken to a hospital in Germany where doctors have announced that she is paralyzed from the wasted down.

“I don’t feel my body below my navel. But I am strong and I know that I’ll be able to stand on my legs again someday,” she said on her Instagram page.

One of Russia’s most promising figure skaters, 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia, dazzled the crowds with her amazing spins by helping Team Russia with the very first Team Figure Saking event. However, when it came time for the ladies single figure skating event, she would choke. She fell twice during her long program and seemed like a whole different person.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Russia was #1 with 13 gold medals, and while Team U.S.A. may have been fourth in gold medals, they came in second in total awards at 28, just shy of Russia’s 33.

East pull out a win at the NBA AllStar game

By Christian Schlegel

staff reporter @chrisschlegel21@gmail.com

Fans from all over the country filled the Smoothie Center in New Orleans to witness their favorite players compete in one of basketball’s biggest nights. The 63rd annual NBA All-Star Game took place in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 16.

This was the second time since 2008 that it was hosted in New Orleans.

Frank Vogel and Scott Brooks were selected as East and West coaches, respectively.

The NBA All- Star Game started out with a performance by Pharrell Williams alongside other rappers such as Nelly, Snoop Lion, P Diddy and Busta Rhymes.

Most of the players were chosen or voted on by NBA fans. Eastern All-Star players included Dwayne Wade and LeBron James from the Miami Heat, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and

Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks.

Western All-Stars included Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, James Harden from the Houston Rockets, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Eastern team was the first to score, leading with a strong start. Irving contributed the most to the East’s success, closing out on the West with an 87-89 score to help play catch up for the East team. James scored a total of 22 points to help the East Bounce back.

There was a large number of layups and dunks from the West and they scored 44 points in the first quarter and 45 in the second.

Griffin had 18 points in the first quarter and the Durant had 22 at half-

time, both shy of records set by Glen Rice in 1997. Both Durant and Griffin scored 38 points in the All-Star Game and tied for third all-time in basketball history.

In the East, Anthony made eight three-pointers, the most made in NBA All-Star Game history, scoring a total of 30 points. Irving made 14 of 17 shots to score 31 points and also had 14 assists becoming the youngest player ever to win the MVP just two seasons after he took the same honor in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend.

The game ended with the East winning by eight points.

During the game there were notable celebrities in the audience such as comedian Kevin Hart and hip-hop artist Drake. Also attending was former NBA star, Bill Russell who had turned 80 years old that day.

history.

The Seattle Seahawks finished their section editor season 13-3 winning the NFC-West @heyydavidd division and home-field advantage

Over 85,000 football fans braved the throughout the playoffs. They were also 52 degree weather to attend Super Bowl the number one team in defense making the Super Bowl the best defense verses XLVIII in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Sea- the best offense. The Seahawks scored hawks faced off against Denver, the clear 417 points in the 2013-2014 season just giving up 231. favorite.

They were led by quarterback Rus Fox broadcast the game to approxsell Wilson who is barely out of training imately 111 million viewers making it pants. He was their rookie quarterback the most watched event in U.S. history last season. Most of his passes were (nbc.com). received by Golden Tate who caught 64.

Peyton Manning, quarterback for

“That game was a practice game for the Broncos, won MVP of the NFL this year. Manning went on to tie one record the Seahawks,” - most touchdowns thrown in a game (7) sophomore - along with six other players, and break David Rosa said.

Junior Ryan one record – most touchdowns thrown in a season (55). Marking that, Manning Rigaud felt “that the Broncos had one of the greatest seasons in his defense was just career. off and could

The Denver Broncos finished their season 13-3 winning the AFC-West Divi- not get a rhythm sion and had the best offense in the NFL going on the offense either.” leading in most points scored in NFL

Malcom Smith, linebacker for the Seahawks, won MVP of the game. He is the first defensive player to win the award since Dexter Johnson in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Besides the Super Bowl itself, Bruno Mars and The Red Hot Chili Peppers brought down the house during the halftime show. Mars showcased his talent in not only singing, but also playing the drums, performing “Locked out of Heaven” and “Gorilla.” The RHCP’s performed “Give It Away.”

“Overall, one of the greatest performances ever. Better then Beyoncé,” sophomore Cindy Alghawi said.

Seahawks surprise the nation at Superbowl Bydavid murray

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) dribbles to the past against the Washington Wizards in Washington, D.C., Friday, Feb. 7. (Mitchell Layton/MCT) The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Feb. 18. (Los Angeles Times/MCT) Peyton Manning (18) of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, Feb. 2. (J. Patric Schneider/MCT) Russell Wilson (3) of the Seattle Seahawks hands off to Robert Turbin (22) against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, Feb. 2. (Abaca Press/MCT)

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