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<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
6BAITLINE<br />
Jessica Simpson<br />
Get Ho ked<br />
Remembering the<br />
performs at Chili<br />
King p. 4<br />
Cook-off p.11<br />
February 2009 Volume 12 Issue 10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157<br />
Forbidden Fruit<br />
In honor of Valentine’s Day - a salute to the Pomegranate<br />
Perhaps Eve should<br />
have taken a bite out of the<br />
pomegranate instead. The<br />
biblical tale of Adam and Eve has<br />
placed such an emphasis on the<br />
apple as a symbol of forbidden<br />
desires that the pomegranate<br />
is often overlooked as another<br />
forbidden fruit.<br />
What exactly is it about<br />
the pomegranate that makes<br />
it a symbol for desire? The<br />
pomegranate is filled with seeds<br />
(also called arils), which is the<br />
part that is consumed. Seeds are,<br />
of course, symbolic of fertility.<br />
The fact that the<br />
pomegranate is bursting with<br />
seeds makes it even more so a<br />
symbol of sexuality.<br />
There is also the red color<br />
of the pomegranate skin and arils.<br />
Red has long been associated<br />
with sensuality because it is the<br />
color of flushed skin and full lips.<br />
Lipstick, for example, makes<br />
the lips redder to give off the<br />
impression of this sensuality.<br />
The pomegranate is red<br />
inside and out. Eating the fleshy<br />
arils often leave stains of red juice<br />
on the fingers, a reminder of the<br />
act of enjoyment of consuming<br />
the fruit.<br />
Fruits can be considered<br />
the wombs of trees. They are<br />
formed as a result of pollination.<br />
They serve as containers for<br />
seeds, providing nourishment<br />
and protection. The seeds<br />
are often spread through the<br />
consumption of the sweet fruit,<br />
symbolic of an act of pleasure<br />
itself.<br />
In Greek mythology, the<br />
pomegranate is a heavy symbol<br />
for passion and sexuality.<br />
When Hades abducts<br />
the goddess Persephone into<br />
the underworld, the fruit that<br />
seals her imprisonment in the<br />
underworld is the pomegranate.<br />
Since she had eaten a few arils<br />
from the fruit, Persephone is<br />
forced to remain with Hades for<br />
several months (coincidentally,<br />
these months become the seasons<br />
of autumn and winter). The<br />
pomegranate is a symbol for<br />
Hade’s passion and the virgin’s<br />
sexual surrender.<br />
Aside from the sexual<br />
associations of the pomegranate,<br />
the fruit also has deep religious<br />
meanings in Christianity. In<br />
one interpretation, it represents<br />
Christ’s sacrifice.<br />
The cutting into of the<br />
fruit to reach its edible arils<br />
represents the sacrifice of<br />
Christ. The red pomegranate<br />
juice symbolizes his blood.<br />
Likewise, the life-giving seeds<br />
of the pomegranate symbolize<br />
the rebirth and resurrection of<br />
Christ.<br />
Whether as a forbidden<br />
fruit of passion, or a symbol of<br />
Christianity, the pomegranate<br />
is an ancient fruit laden with<br />
underlying connotations.<br />
The next time you enjoy the<br />
sweetness of a pomegranate<br />
consider its sensuality which has<br />
been around for thousands of<br />
years.
2 News<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Colleges consider<br />
Facebooks in the<br />
application process<br />
JULIAN ORTIZ<br />
Staff Writer<br />
<strong>Senior</strong>s here at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> who are<br />
stressing over college admission and<br />
grades now have another burden to worry<br />
about…Facebook.<br />
“Facebook and students have grown into<br />
some sort of an unbreakable relationship<br />
over the last few years” said Medical<br />
senior Brittany Roberts.<br />
If not already accepted, students are<br />
preparing for the college of their choice<br />
to give the green light and send them the<br />
acceptance letter officially approving their<br />
acceptance.<br />
“This time of year is important of<br />
especially juniors because its when your<br />
grades stand out the most,” said medical<br />
lead teacher Ms. Fink<br />
Now what many don’t know is that<br />
when colleges are reviewing applications,<br />
several times student’s Facebook profiles<br />
are viewed. Profiles are scrutinized<br />
and pictures are viewed to judge for<br />
any lapse in judgment, like underage<br />
drinking. These profiles may in fact play<br />
a determining factor in the college’s<br />
admission decision.<br />
Concerns have been raised about<br />
these Internet sites and the potentially<br />
dangerous amount of information that<br />
can be misused and read by colleges. The<br />
amount of information that can be put<br />
under “my interest” is publicly displayed<br />
unless not set to private.<br />
Many times students put things on their<br />
profile just as a joke with their friends,<br />
but may be misconstrued when looked at<br />
by a college official. The question arises<br />
whether these statements or pictures are<br />
accurate representations of the student<br />
and suitable materials to be judged.<br />
Admissions officers say that even if the<br />
student’s grades are good and test scores<br />
are high, the impression given from a<br />
personal profile is enough to decline the<br />
applicant.<br />
“My profile has nothing that I’m<br />
ashamed of or even trying to hide. But<br />
this might be a problem for other people<br />
who negatively portray themselves<br />
through Facebook,” said Medical Junior<br />
Kelsey Evelyn.<br />
<strong>High</strong> school, a time of gradual<br />
independence is also a time of learning<br />
and even more so, a time of an increased<br />
responsibility.<br />
The kinds of decisions we make, whether<br />
large or small, all go back to the central<br />
control system of your very own body: the<br />
brain. The brain, no matter what age you<br />
are, affects the decisions you make, but our<br />
brain’s development and the age we are<br />
does affect how we think.<br />
Many may know or have heard that<br />
teenagers, having a young and less<br />
developed brain, are able to retain much<br />
more knowledge than adults. For example,<br />
it is best to learn a language at a young age<br />
than an older one. Adult brains, however,<br />
have developed greater connections<br />
between the different parts of the brain.<br />
These connections are what controls<br />
judgment and keeps you from risk taking<br />
behavior, while the teenage brain, less<br />
“Ipod Ear”<br />
JORDAN FELDMAN<br />
Staff Writer<br />
IPods and Mp3 players give people the<br />
power to listen to their favorite songs<br />
and express their personalities through<br />
different Ipod colors. Although iPods<br />
are enjoyable and pleasing, they might<br />
be dangerous too. The continuous use of<br />
iPods and other Mp3 players that blast<br />
music into ears may cause hearing loss<br />
symptoms.<br />
“Ever since I got my iPod in the 7 th grade, I’ve been listening<br />
to it all the time. I listen to it on the bus to and from school, on<br />
long road trips to visit my family, and sometimes I listen to my<br />
iPod before I go to bed. I use my iPod too much, but it lets me<br />
listen to my favorite music when I’m bored,” said Agriscience<br />
sophomore Michael Klugerman.<br />
IPods and Mp3 players can reach very high volumes that put<br />
many teenagers’ ears in danger. Some people play music very<br />
loud to block out noises around them. Hearing loss symptoms<br />
aren’t only caused by listening to iPods at high volume, but also<br />
Dangerous driving: the stats<br />
ALEXANDRA CASTILLA<br />
Staff Writer<br />
FBLA goes<br />
to districts<br />
KARLA ANDERSON<br />
Staff Writer<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> FBLA members got ready to<br />
go to district competition. There were four<br />
different types of competitions: prejudged,<br />
testing, skill, and performance.<br />
The prejudged competitions included<br />
competitions like digital video production,<br />
business presentation, business plan, and<br />
web site development. These reports,<br />
videos, and power points were turned into<br />
the district adviser on Jan. 7th and will be<br />
judged between now and Jan. 28th.<br />
“This year we had a misunderstanding<br />
with the due date so our members that were<br />
competing in these type of events pretty<br />
much had to complete their presentations<br />
and reports in less than two days. We are<br />
hoping they still place so that they can be<br />
improved if they make it to the state level<br />
competitions,” said Business senior Luisa<br />
Santos.<br />
Each school in the district tested the<br />
FBLA members from their chapter which<br />
competed in the testing competitive events<br />
at their own school through online testing.<br />
developed, gives you lesser insight and<br />
poorer judgment in your decision making.<br />
Also, because the adolescent brain is able<br />
to retain much more information and learn<br />
more, teenagers, consequently, are more<br />
prone to addiction.<br />
It can be said that one of the proudest<br />
moments of a teenager is getting his or<br />
her license. For teenagers a license means<br />
independence, something you can make<br />
decisions about without your parents.<br />
With all the statistical evidence and<br />
numerous campaigns against careless<br />
driving why is it that teenager’s still intend<br />
on speeding?<br />
“I think it has to do with the fact that<br />
we are risk takers and we seek the thrill of<br />
speeding. We are able to go out on our own<br />
and we feel somewhat invincible,” said IB<br />
senior Kian Atash.<br />
Teenagers are not the only people on<br />
the road speeding. Adults speed as well,<br />
but the difference may be that teenagers<br />
are less experienced than adult drivers and<br />
therefore more prone to crashes.<br />
Keenan Manresa covers his ears in pain while<br />
Chris Cakmak blasts the music on his iPod.<br />
These events include over 30 different<br />
categories ranging from introduction to<br />
communications and marketing to sports<br />
management and business math. Those<br />
competitions took place in rooms 308,<br />
302, and 309 on Thursday Jan. 22 during<br />
first and third period. Each room has about<br />
thirty computers which allow 90 students<br />
to take their test online at the same time.<br />
The next type of competitions were<br />
skill events which included events like<br />
word processing I and II, spreadsheet<br />
applications, and desktop publishing. Each<br />
school in the district tested the FBLA<br />
members from their chapter who competed<br />
in skill competitive events at their own<br />
school. FBLA (the organization) sends<br />
the school a proctor which supervises the<br />
competitors as they complete their events.<br />
Students competing in word processing<br />
have to type, format, and edit a variety of<br />
business letters, reports, and memos. Those<br />
competitions took place in the library<br />
during 1st and 3rd period on Wednesday<br />
Jan. 28.<br />
The last type of competitions are<br />
performance events; which included events<br />
like emerging business issues, public and<br />
impromptu speaking, entrepreneurship,<br />
parliamentary procedures, and business<br />
ethics, among many others. All schools in<br />
the district meet at one school to compete.<br />
For the last two years <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> <strong>High</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> has hosted these competitions, but<br />
In Florida, the 2007 Crash Statistics<br />
Report, according to the Florida Department<br />
of <strong>High</strong>way Safety and Motor Vehicles,<br />
found that fatalities as a result of traffic<br />
crashes on Florida roadways decreased<br />
to 3,221 in 2007 from 3,365 in 2006 yet,<br />
alcohol related fatalities increased to 1,244<br />
in 2007 from 1,099 in 2006. The report<br />
by listening to them for long lengths of<br />
time.<br />
Although the volume on iPods can put<br />
many at risk, there are ways of reducing<br />
chances of getting hearing problems. A<br />
way to prevent hearing loss is to reduce<br />
the volume on the iPod or Mp3 player.<br />
Another way to protect ears from hearing<br />
loss is by shortening the length of use on<br />
Ipods. By limiting the use of the iPod,<br />
listeners will have more free time and<br />
be able to rest their ear buds. Some must<br />
listen to their iPod or Mp3 player at all<br />
times, which may be very harmful to<br />
their ears. With iPod speakers, hearing<br />
loss can be reduced by limiting the direct<br />
contact of music to ears. An additional example to reduce hearing<br />
loss is by purchasing noise canceling headphones or “canal phones.”<br />
Many companies produce these kinds of headphones including<br />
Sony, Panasonic, and Bose. Noise-canceling headphones allow the<br />
listener to hear the music much better at a lower volume and block<br />
out other noises.<br />
Although technology is improving, hearing loss is still a problem<br />
to many teenagers. There are many ways to reduce the risk of this<br />
condition, but without taking precautions, many teenagers may be<br />
in danger.<br />
this year South Dade <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> will host<br />
them. So on Jan. 28th the FBLA members<br />
competing in this type of events went on<br />
a field trip to South Dade. At South Dade<br />
each competition was hosted in a different<br />
room and usually there are between 2 to 4<br />
judges in each room.<br />
Finally, on Friday Jan. 30th all members<br />
who competed in any type of event were<br />
eligible to go to South Dade for an awards<br />
ceremony.<br />
The ceremony awards anyone who places<br />
1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the district gets a trophy<br />
and qualifies for states. Some competitions<br />
give 4th and 5th place winners trophies or<br />
medals as well.<br />
“Usually <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> wins significantly<br />
more than other schools in our district; last<br />
year we has over 90 students qualify for<br />
state competitions!” say Luisa Santos.<br />
“Probably one of the biggest reasons why<br />
people join FBLA is because they hear<br />
stories from states and want to go the next<br />
year, at states anyone who places 1st or<br />
2nd gets to compete at nationals which are<br />
in Anaheim CA this year! We are all very<br />
excited for that,” said Jacquelyn Garcia, IB<br />
senior.<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> took more than half the titles<br />
at district with first and second placings.<br />
States will take place in Orlando the week<br />
after spring break.<br />
Andreina Weichselbaumer and Ana Perez demonstrate the dangers of reckless driving.<br />
also found that drivers in the age group of<br />
15 to 19 years old had the highest rate of<br />
crash involvement in all crashes, 555.68,<br />
and the highest rate in fatal crashes, 6.66.<br />
Even more so, car crashes are the leading<br />
cause of death of teenagers in the United<br />
States.
News<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
3<br />
How to get money for college<br />
In face of the economic recession, federal funding and college grants are decreasing in the amount<br />
afforded to students. How then, are students planning to pay for their college tuitions?<br />
MEGAN MIRANDA<br />
Staff Writer<br />
At the beginning of every summer, masses<br />
of seniors graduate from their respective<br />
high schools and are thrust out into the real<br />
world. In this day and age, most of these<br />
seniors are finding their way into colleges<br />
and universities across the nation, but one<br />
of the biggest problems they face is finding<br />
money for their tuition.<br />
Tuition has become increasingly<br />
expensive and students must do all they<br />
can to scrape together enough for one<br />
year, much less four. Some schools are<br />
less costly than others, but the fact remains<br />
that the cost of college tuition is hindering<br />
students from attending certain schools<br />
that they simply can not afford.<br />
One way students are trying to gather<br />
money for college tuition is by applying<br />
for any and every scholarship they can<br />
find. Academic Scholarships are offered by<br />
the colleges and universities themselves,<br />
but when this is not enough, students resort<br />
to outside scholarships such as the Gates<br />
Millennium and Coca Cola Scholarships.<br />
The chances of actually receiving money<br />
from organizations are slim given these<br />
scholarships are awarded throughout<br />
the country. The Coca Cola Foundation<br />
only awards scholarship money to 1,400<br />
students a year and the Gates Millennium<br />
Scholarship has been awarded to 12,000<br />
students in the last ten years.<br />
Some students have turned to the<br />
government in hopes of receiving grants<br />
and loans to continue their schooling. An<br />
example is FAFSA (Free Application for<br />
Federal Student Aid) which is the form<br />
used by the US Department of Education<br />
to determine a student’s need for money<br />
based upon specific financial information<br />
such as household income and assets.<br />
Another way the government is helping<br />
students further their education is through<br />
the 2008 GI Bill which will cover the full<br />
cost of education to any public school in<br />
the country and many private schools as<br />
well as provide a annual $1,000 for books<br />
and supplies. To qualify, veterans must<br />
have served at least 90 days of active duty<br />
to their country.<br />
VPA senior Giovanni Martinez is one<br />
of the students that are utilizing this<br />
opportunity given by the US government.<br />
He plans on joining the US Coast Guard<br />
after he graduates and once he serves his<br />
time, he plans to follow through with the<br />
government’s promise of a paid education.<br />
Planning to attend Hampton University<br />
in Virginia, with an annual tuition of<br />
$28,000, Medical senior Gloria Melendez<br />
decided to call for help from an unusual<br />
source.<br />
“I do plan to apply to every scholarship<br />
possible,” said Melendez, “[But] I am also<br />
writing a letter to Oprah Winfrey.”<br />
As a last resort, many students turn to<br />
federal loans for help. These loans are lower<br />
on interest and a lot of time and leeway are<br />
given to students paying back loans.<br />
Many students, however, are fearful<br />
of accumulating large debts before even<br />
starting their career. Such debts often<br />
come back to haunt students after their<br />
graduation.<br />
So whether it is from the government,<br />
a corporation, or a celebrity; high school<br />
seniors are searching everywhere for<br />
money to pay for their college tuitions.<br />
It is a challenging competition between<br />
hundreds of thousands of students, all<br />
working to continue their educations for<br />
better lives.<br />
Pay it off later<br />
Advice to students on how to avoid the pitfalls of reckless credit spending<br />
LUKAS MOON<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Credit card debt is becoming<br />
one of the largest problems<br />
afflicting our country today.<br />
In fact many students as they<br />
finish high school and go<br />
through college find themselves<br />
in serious credit card debt<br />
on top of their impressive<br />
debt on student loans. Such<br />
accumulation of debt early<br />
on can strap someone with<br />
minimal payments they keep<br />
paying their whole lives. It’s<br />
hitting people like an epidemic<br />
with lifelong symptoms.<br />
For those who don’t already<br />
have credit cards in high<br />
school, it is in college when<br />
credit card companies start to<br />
bombard students with credit<br />
card offers and what seem like<br />
amazing deals. However the<br />
average student credit card<br />
interest rate is 15%. Meaning<br />
the interest alone would be<br />
equal to the debt in only four<br />
and a half years. So why do<br />
people fall for credit card<br />
scams and allow themselves to<br />
get into massive debt?<br />
The first problem is that<br />
people are always trying to<br />
live beyond what they can<br />
afford. The average percent<br />
of income that Americans<br />
spend has increased by over<br />
the past two years. People<br />
simply spend money they<br />
don’t have and constantly<br />
put off paying for it.<br />
Minimal payments may<br />
seem extremely appealing,<br />
but in reality it usually<br />
results in paying two to<br />
three times the original cost<br />
of what was purchased. If<br />
someone owed $3,000 with<br />
the standard 15% debt, if<br />
they only made minimal<br />
payments, it would take 15<br />
years and they would end<br />
up paying about $6,300.<br />
Minimal payments make<br />
people owe twice as much<br />
on what they already<br />
couldn’t afford.<br />
It can also be difficult to<br />
keep track of how much is<br />
spent on a credit card.<br />
“Most of the times I’m<br />
surprised at how high<br />
my bill is,” said Diandre<br />
Mentor, Business senior.<br />
When a person has<br />
cash in hand, it is easy to<br />
see how much they have<br />
and how much they have<br />
spent, however credit cards<br />
provide easy fast spending<br />
and it’s particularly easy to<br />
underestimate the amount<br />
that was spent. Keeping<br />
track of an electronic<br />
account is m u c h<br />
m o r e<br />
difficult<br />
to do<br />
than<br />
cash in<br />
hands<br />
“It’s easier<br />
to spend with<br />
the credit card<br />
because you don’t<br />
immediately feel<br />
the sense of loss,”<br />
said Business<br />
senior Damien Rigol.<br />
Perhaps the most<br />
scandalous aspect of credit<br />
cards is that the interest<br />
rate is adjustable, meaning<br />
that the credit company<br />
can charge more for their<br />
services at any given time.<br />
someone that had a 9%<br />
interest rate can overnight<br />
have a 20% interest rate.<br />
That’s the equivalent of<br />
buying a $3 burger and<br />
then being forced to pay<br />
another $2 halfway through<br />
the meal. It is an extremely<br />
dangerous pitfall that can<br />
put people in debt for<br />
life.<br />
College<br />
s t u d e n t s<br />
a r e<br />
particularly bombarded with<br />
credit card offers. Whether in<br />
the mail or stands that offer free<br />
goodies in exchange for signing<br />
up for a credit card, the companies<br />
are constantly trying to convince<br />
students to carry a card. They<br />
also provide teaser low interest<br />
rates to convince a person to use<br />
that card. With either low interest<br />
rates or zero interest to begin<br />
with, people develop the habit<br />
of using the card and in a few<br />
months the credit companies hike<br />
up the interest to their normal<br />
rate. It is a move equivalent to<br />
the subprime mortgage scam<br />
that so many Amercans<br />
have been ruined by.<br />
Students are<br />
susceptible to credit<br />
card problems because<br />
they usually aren’t fully<br />
aware of what they’re<br />
getting into. They also<br />
have high materialistic<br />
desires coupled with<br />
low income. College<br />
students in particular<br />
have this problem and<br />
it’s exacerbated by large<br />
debt caused by student<br />
loans.
4<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
News<br />
Remembering the<br />
visionary, celebrating the<br />
legacy...<br />
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light<br />
can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only<br />
love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
Megan Miranda<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Every year students are<br />
rewarded for their hard work<br />
with the occasional reprieve<br />
from school. Whether it is a<br />
simple teacher’s planning<br />
day or a national holiday,<br />
students all over the country<br />
celebrate the fact that they<br />
simply do not have school.<br />
This month, students are<br />
gifted with a day free from<br />
school thanks to Dr. Martin<br />
Luther King Jr. However,<br />
the day was not made for<br />
students to leave school,<br />
but rather to celebrate the<br />
freedom from segregation<br />
Dr. King fought adamantly<br />
for.<br />
Exactly eighty years ago<br />
on the fifteenth of January,<br />
Dr. King was born in<br />
Atlanta, Georgia to a simple<br />
reverend and his wife. He<br />
was an ambitious young<br />
man, having skipped his last<br />
two years of high school to<br />
attend Morehouse College<br />
at the age of fifteen and<br />
graduated with a Bachelor<br />
of Arts degree in sociology.<br />
He continued his education<br />
at Crozer Theological<br />
Seminary in Pennsylvania<br />
and left with a Bachelor of<br />
Divinity.<br />
He began his doctoral<br />
studies in Boston University<br />
and received his Doctor<br />
of Philosophy in 1955. He<br />
married, had children, and<br />
became pastor of Dexter<br />
Avenue Baptist Church in<br />
Montgomery, Alabama. On<br />
paper, Dr. King was simply<br />
a good man. He went to<br />
school, got a job, married,<br />
and had kids. But he was<br />
set apart as extraordinary<br />
because of his devotion to<br />
racial equality.<br />
Dr. King is well known<br />
for having led the 1955<br />
Montgomery Bus Boycott<br />
and for<br />
assisting in the establishment<br />
of the Southern Christian<br />
Leadership Conference<br />
in 1957. The SCLC was<br />
created to harness the moral<br />
authority and organizing<br />
power of black churches<br />
to conduct non-violent<br />
protests in the service of<br />
civil rights reform.<br />
“He was brave on how he<br />
took the road to freedom.<br />
He represented, not only<br />
African Americans, but the<br />
whole world for equality,”<br />
said IB freshman Daniel<br />
Lann.<br />
Dr. King’s passion and<br />
drive led to the 1963 March<br />
on Washington where he<br />
delivered one of the most<br />
well-known and revered<br />
speeches in United States<br />
history, I Have a Dream.<br />
The great man stood<br />
in front of the monument<br />
erected in the honor<br />
of President Abraham<br />
Lincoln and spoke of<br />
poverty, segregation,<br />
and discrimination. He<br />
demanded an end to racial<br />
segregation in public<br />
schools, civil rights to all<br />
citizens of the country,<br />
and prohibition of racial<br />
discrimination in the<br />
workplace.<br />
More than a quarter<br />
million people of all<br />
ethnicities attended the<br />
momentous occasion to<br />
listen to Dr. King’s chillinspiring<br />
speech that<br />
would go down in history.<br />
In 1964, Dr. King became<br />
the youngest person to<br />
receive the Nobel Peace<br />
Prize for his dedication to<br />
end racial segregation and<br />
discrimination through<br />
non-violent means.<br />
“Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
was ahead of his time.<br />
His message continues<br />
to resonate today just as<br />
it did when he delivered<br />
his speech,” said Mrs.<br />
Freeman, honors English<br />
and journalism teacher,<br />
“And I’m sure that his<br />
message of hope and unity<br />
will be relevant eternally.”<br />
Unfortunately, Dr. King<br />
was assassinated on April 4,<br />
1968 at the young age of 39<br />
in Memphis, Tennessee. He<br />
was in Tennessee supporting<br />
the black sanitary works<br />
strike for higher wages and<br />
better treatment. He was<br />
shot late in the afternoon<br />
while standing on his hotel<br />
balcony and died in the<br />
hospital.<br />
“I think [what happened to<br />
him] was very unfortunate.<br />
Dr. Martin Luther King was<br />
very important and had he<br />
not died, he could’ve done<br />
so much more,” commented<br />
Business freshman Nichole<br />
Rios.<br />
He was posthumously<br />
awarded the Presidential<br />
Medal of Freedom in 1977<br />
and the Congressional<br />
Gold Medal in 2004.<br />
Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
Day was established as<br />
a United States national<br />
holiday in 1986.<br />
“I really think his work<br />
has changed life for all<br />
Americans. I would<br />
think that without him,<br />
it would not be possible<br />
to have an African<br />
American president<br />
now,” IB sophomore Rafa<br />
Khundkar noted.<br />
Decades after his death,<br />
Dr. King’s dream seems<br />
to be coming true. In<br />
this new, technological<br />
age, people are slowly<br />
forgetting that skin color<br />
once mattered. The people<br />
of this country have<br />
become more accepting<br />
as it becomes clear that<br />
we are all citizens of these<br />
fifty states and all human<br />
beings.<br />
Economic<br />
breakdown<br />
Jillian Roberts<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Take a look around. On almost every<br />
street corner and in almost every shopping<br />
center, stores are disappearing with the<br />
blink of an eye.<br />
The economic downfall is having a vast<br />
affect on citizens nationwide. How is this<br />
economic disaster affecting the students of<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>?<br />
“My dad, who is pharmacist at Walgreens,<br />
told me that Walgreens is cutting over<br />
1,000 employees. It is so sad to see so many<br />
people losing jobs,” said IB sophomore<br />
Rafa Khundkar.<br />
Not only are workers losing jobs, but<br />
the Miami-Dade County school system<br />
also has a shortage of money. It has been<br />
rumored that next school year there might<br />
not be any buses transporting students to<br />
and from school. This poses as a major<br />
problem for students who do not have cars<br />
and have no other way of getting to<br />
school.<br />
Another outcome of the bad economy<br />
is the closing of several businesses.<br />
Numerous stores that students regularly<br />
shop at are either going out of business<br />
or closing many locations.<br />
Some of these stores include: Pac Sun,<br />
Gap, Footlocker, Cache, Ann Taylor, JC<br />
Penny, Linens and Things, and many<br />
more.<br />
Recently, Circuit city has gone<br />
wholesale bankrupt. This alone has<br />
lost 30,000 jobs. Circuit City is a large<br />
chain of electronic stares that has been<br />
around for as long as many students can<br />
remember. Now it’s gone.<br />
“One thing I have learned through<br />
living in the economy today is the<br />
value of a dollar. I appreciate money a<br />
lot more than I used to,” said IB Junior<br />
Monica Merel.<br />
Yes, hundreds of thousands of people<br />
have lost their jobs. Yes, businesses<br />
have gone out of business. But, look<br />
on the bright side. Things can only get<br />
better.<br />
Although the recession may be felt<br />
increasingly on a local level, things could<br />
be worse; in comparison, unemployment<br />
National unemployment rates according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.<br />
rates during the Great Depression were as<br />
high as 24.9 percent nationally.<br />
“It’s true that our economy has reached<br />
a low point in recent years, but simply<br />
acknowledging this isn’t going to solve<br />
our situation. As President Obama takes<br />
African Americans<br />
Hispanics<br />
Miami/Ft.<br />
Lauderdale/<br />
Pompano Beach<br />
Whites<br />
steps towards economic recovery, we, as<br />
Americans, must put a check on greed and<br />
corruption if his plans are to succeed,” said<br />
IB senior Rashielle Teape.
Opinions<br />
FCAT frenzy<br />
MEGAN ZUCKER<br />
Staff Writer<br />
All of us have had to take it at one time<br />
or another. It’s the notorious FCAT that has<br />
been given acronyms such as Florida Child<br />
Abuse Test and the new “F word.” Although<br />
all students are told that it is beneficial<br />
to them to assess their knowledge, it can<br />
sometimes very well hurt students.<br />
“I see both the benefits as well as the<br />
downside of the FCAT. I do believe that<br />
it motivates students to become better<br />
readers to pass and gain knowledge, but I<br />
also feel that it puts too much pressure on<br />
some,” says Language Arts teacher Mrs.<br />
Mesa-Verga.<br />
Students taking gifted or AP courses<br />
are taught to write with mature language<br />
and diction, but the FCAT goes against<br />
that. They are taught to make up statistics<br />
and think of cheesy grabbers to begin<br />
their essays, they would never think of<br />
doing that in an AP essay. In addition,<br />
FCAT includes many questions that can<br />
be answered multiple ways, making even<br />
the best students and test takers confused.<br />
Of course it’s important for students’<br />
knowledge to be measured in some way,<br />
but the FCAT just doesn’t cut it.<br />
“At the end of the day, there needs to<br />
be a way to be assessed on our curriculum.<br />
Although FCAT is strongly disliked and<br />
is not the greatest way to assess learning,<br />
it does have positive intentions. In my<br />
opinion, the FCAT constricts the students’<br />
learning growth, confines our materials and<br />
doesn’t allow room for improvement,” said<br />
IB sophomore Jake Schiff.<br />
Also, months are spent preparing for the<br />
FCAT, not allowing teachers to teach their<br />
own material and the things that are really<br />
important for future knowledge. FCAT<br />
seems to take over our lives. Almost every<br />
week, language arts teachers are forced to<br />
give their students practice FCAT essays<br />
and multiple choice questions that interfere<br />
with what is really important for us to<br />
learn. It can be very confusing to be taught<br />
to write in one way for the FCAT and one<br />
way for other essays in different classes.<br />
While many may not like taking the<br />
FCAT, some students actually do feel<br />
like it’s beneficial to their knowledge and<br />
allows them to see their weak points.<br />
“I think the FCAT is really helpful because<br />
it’s just another way for me to improve my<br />
reading and writing skills. It also allows<br />
me to see what I need to improve on and<br />
what my strong points are. Even though<br />
everyone complains about it, I don’t mind<br />
it at all,” said VPA sophomore Jonathan<br />
Martinez.<br />
Students can complain all day about<br />
how horrible and annoying the FCAT can<br />
be, but in reality, it’s a requirement for<br />
graduation and something that just has to<br />
be done. Whether or not we like it, FCAT<br />
will continue to be taught and be practiced<br />
by students until something is done about<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
5<br />
Is FCAT an accurate indicator of a student’s progress and is preparation for the FCAT taking over<br />
the time teachers have to teach their actual curriculum?<br />
Music madness<br />
“FCAT constricts the students’ learning growth, confines<br />
our materials and doesn’t allow room for improvement”<br />
My review of some of the year’s musical releases<br />
changing the way students are evaluated for<br />
their progress in a more accurate manner<br />
representative of college-level academics.<br />
ALEXIA FRITH<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Music is changing at a very fast pace<br />
and many artists are changing their styles<br />
to match other artists, hoping to have the<br />
same success. From artists such as T-Pain<br />
to MIA, this year has definitely been a<br />
breakout year for the music industry.<br />
Kanye West blazed the charts with his<br />
release of 808’s and Heartbreak, releasing<br />
hits including “Love Lockdown.”<br />
“Heartless,” and “Coldest Winter.” This<br />
album definitely showed a different side<br />
of Kanye, a side that made more of people<br />
relate to what he was saying than they did<br />
before.<br />
This album gained extremely high praise<br />
even though Kanye West tried something<br />
different than any of his other albums,<br />
he sings on every song using a machine<br />
called Auto Tune. This machine adds a<br />
mechanical tone to the voice. There were<br />
of course some skeptics, saying that he<br />
couldn’t sing and that he was just trying to<br />
be like the R & B singer T-Pain, the next<br />
artist with a breakthrough album this year.<br />
T-Pain has been using this machine since<br />
his debut in 2005 with his album Rappa<br />
Ternt Sanga and since then he has been<br />
topping the music charts and blowing the<br />
competition out of the water. With his new<br />
album Thr33 Rings, T-Pain is definitely<br />
setting the stage for hip-hop music. Artists<br />
like Kanye West and Lil Wayne have both<br />
used the Auto Tune because of T-Pain’s<br />
success and it has worked for them as<br />
well.<br />
Another artist who has released an album<br />
recently and has had great success is T.I.<br />
with his album Paper Trail, personally my<br />
favorite album of the year. With his recent<br />
drama of being arrested among other issues<br />
he came out strong and proved that he truly<br />
was capable of being one of the best in the<br />
game despite personal issues. This album<br />
definitely deserves to be on top of the charts<br />
Photo credit: amazon.com<br />
A highlight of some of 2008’s top albums<br />
which it is. With hits like “Whatever You<br />
Like” and “Live Your Life” it’s no surprise<br />
that the album did so well.<br />
MIA is an artist that came literally out<br />
of nowhere. She is a British musician that<br />
released two chart topping hits this year,<br />
including “Paper Planes” and “Swagga<br />
Like Us.” She has been around since 2002<br />
and has hits throughout the years, coming<br />
in and out of the spotlight, making a name<br />
for herself along the way. This album<br />
entitled Kala has really outshined a lot<br />
of other artists this year and made her a<br />
household name.<br />
Although this has been a good year for<br />
music it has also had its downfalls. Artists<br />
that everyone thought was going to come<br />
and blow everyone away didn’t quite<br />
measure up. For example rap artist Ludacris<br />
shocked many when his album Theatre of<br />
the Mind wasn’t up to par. Of course he<br />
had hits, but the fact of the matter is that<br />
he did not step his game up, making more<br />
of “club bangers” and not classic rap songs<br />
like he had in the past. A lot was expected<br />
of him and he basically let the “rap game”<br />
down.<br />
This year has been a very unusual year<br />
for the music industry with many ups<br />
and downs. Most artists kept up to the<br />
expectations and others just didn’t do what<br />
was expected.<br />
Megan Zucker<br />
Staff Writer<br />
With all of the issues and concerns<br />
brought up about the importance of<br />
preserving our planet, many people are<br />
trying to incorporate “go green” tactics into<br />
their daily lives. But what about a greener<br />
school? Here at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>, recycling<br />
bins have been put in many classrooms,<br />
but are we doing enough to help save the<br />
environment?<br />
“We can have more recycling cans all<br />
around the school, try not to use as much<br />
electricity, have class outside to conserve<br />
energy, and open the window when it<br />
gets chilly so we don’t have to use the<br />
air conditioner,” says IB sophomore Kira<br />
Graber.<br />
Recently, a school was built in Bali,<br />
Indonesia called The Green <strong>School</strong>, where<br />
learning and the curriculum is centered<br />
around a passion for keeping the Earth a<br />
cleaner place. All of the structures, furniture<br />
such as desks and chairs, are made from<br />
sustainable bamboo, mud, and grass. Much<br />
of the learning is hands on and takes place<br />
outside allowing children to experience<br />
nature while gaining knowledge.<br />
Although in America, we don’t have<br />
these types of natural resources or funds in<br />
the education system to produce a project<br />
such as this, there are many ways that we<br />
Isn’t it time we went<br />
“green” too?<br />
can make our school greener and save<br />
energy to make the planet a cleaner and<br />
better place.<br />
“We should reduce paper use by e-<br />
mailing teachers more often and students<br />
shouldn’t be allowed to sit in their cars<br />
with the engines running in the morning<br />
and afternoon,” said Legal senior Alyssa<br />
Mandel.<br />
Just think about all the energy we waste<br />
during class, without even knowing it.<br />
Computers and televisions being left on<br />
may not seem harmful, but the amount<br />
of energy wasted from these things being<br />
left on is definitely not environmentally<br />
friendly.<br />
It is true that recycling bins are put into<br />
most classrooms and teachers encourage<br />
their students to recycle anything they can,<br />
it can be easy to forget to recycle during<br />
class time. In addition, there are large<br />
dumpsters around the school where old cell<br />
phones and computers are supposed to be<br />
recycled, to reuse them instead of throwing<br />
them away.<br />
To many students, making our school go<br />
greener may not be a priority, but it’s just<br />
the little things that make a difference. By<br />
putting scraps of paper in the recycling bin<br />
instead of in the trash, and turning off the<br />
computers during school hours we can, as<br />
a school, make a huge difference.
6<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Editorial<br />
Re-evaluating the role of sensationalism in 21st century<br />
American journalism<br />
These photographs throughout history that have influenced the way we see people and events. Top left: two girls protest against child labor in a labor parade. Bottom left: a girl in<br />
the Cherryville Mill during the early 1900’s. Right: a poverty-stricken mother of seven during the Great Depression. Photos from the Library of Congress.<br />
In the United States, we tend<br />
to blow every little thing out of<br />
proportion. Often times, this is<br />
simply ignorance on the part of<br />
the general public. We have a<br />
great penchant for cruelty and<br />
petty abuse. The tabloids which<br />
cover “celebrity” lives are prime<br />
examples of this. We like<br />
controversy and sensationalism,<br />
but at what price?<br />
A new wave of controversy<br />
arose when Leon Panetta was<br />
announced in early January to be<br />
President Obama’s pick for the<br />
next director of the CIA.<br />
This political debate reached new<br />
levels when several conservative<br />
blogs and publications accused<br />
Leon Panetta of having a radical,<br />
anti-American, anti-military<br />
leftist daughter.<br />
Posted across the internet was<br />
a picture of Linda Panetta with<br />
Hugo Chavez, the socialist<br />
Venezuelan president and a firm<br />
anti-American. In the photograph,<br />
Chavez’s arm is around Panetta,<br />
which according to the blogger<br />
of “Political Warfare” suggests<br />
that she is in close relations with<br />
Chavez and which, according to<br />
another blog “P.U.M.A.,” makes<br />
her an “anti-US agitator.”<br />
In fact, Linda Panetta is not<br />
the daughter of Leon Panetta.<br />
She told Accuracy in Media<br />
on January 19th that although<br />
there may be a distant family<br />
connection somewhere, she is not<br />
the daughter of Leon Panetta and<br />
has never met him before.<br />
It only takes one blogger to<br />
make bold accusations based on<br />
inaccurate information and hasty<br />
generalization to potentially<br />
tarnish a political figure’s<br />
reputation. Perhaps he (or she)<br />
would like to say, “Whoops, I<br />
made a mistake. Sorry about<br />
that,” but the damage is done.<br />
Associated with Leon Panetta’s<br />
name will remain the vague<br />
notion that he is somehow related<br />
to anti-American, pro-Chavez<br />
beliefs.<br />
Damaged as well is Linda<br />
Panetta’s reputation. Her work<br />
revolves around much more than<br />
meeting with Latin American<br />
leaders like Hugo Chavez.<br />
According to the Optical<br />
Realities Photography website,<br />
an organization she founded,<br />
Panetta is a photojournalist whose<br />
work revolves around “cultural,<br />
environmental, and human<br />
rights.” While she is involved in<br />
anti-war demonstrations, it does<br />
not necessarily correlate that she<br />
wishes America any ill will, as the<br />
aforementioned blogs suggest.<br />
While free press may be one<br />
of the most respectable elements<br />
of the US, perhaps it is time we<br />
considered the importance of<br />
accurate reporting.<br />
The writers for internet blogs<br />
should be held up to standards<br />
matching those of commercial<br />
newspapers and magazines when<br />
it comes to accuracy. After all,<br />
blogs are no less influential and<br />
impactful—the Information<br />
Revolution and the onset of the<br />
internet have seen to this.<br />
The blame does not reside solely<br />
in these bloggers; the American<br />
public as a whole needs to be more<br />
discerning in the information that<br />
they believe.<br />
It will be a frightening day when<br />
all of the public can be doped by<br />
false information and a dangerous<br />
day when this false information<br />
comes from the government—<br />
sound like an invitation for Nazistyle<br />
propaganda?<br />
A general ignorance and blind<br />
acceptance of information makes<br />
it easy for thought-control,<br />
something characteristic of most<br />
totalitarian, oppressive regimes<br />
throughout history.<br />
Although commendable, the<br />
enthusiasm of these bloggers to<br />
participate in politics is not an<br />
excuse for inaccurate reporting/<br />
It is important to examine the<br />
core values of journalism.<br />
Ultimately, sensationalism must<br />
take second place to fair and<br />
accurate reporting.<br />
BAITLINE<br />
Sports Editor<br />
Vanessa Rueda<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Steven Li<br />
News Editors<br />
Lukas Moon<br />
Megan Zucker<br />
Opinions Editor<br />
Emma Singer<br />
Submerge Yourself<br />
Editors<br />
Leidy Perez<br />
Karla Anderson<br />
A&E Editor<br />
Jillian Roberts<br />
2008-2009 Staff<br />
Spotlight Editor<br />
Alexandra Castilla<br />
Tech Editor<br />
Emma Singer<br />
<strong>High</strong> Tide Editors<br />
Karla Anderson<br />
Guest Artist<br />
Noel Kassewitz<br />
Staff Writers<br />
Karla Anderson<br />
Nicole Brandford<br />
Jasmine Calin<br />
Alexandra Castilla<br />
Trudy Clarke<br />
Gabriella Delpozo<br />
Jordan Feldman<br />
Alexia Frith<br />
Shatone Gray<br />
Steven Li<br />
Chamere Littlejohn<br />
Andres Lopez<br />
Ricardo Martinez<br />
Alexander Melendez<br />
Megan Miranda<br />
Lukas Moon<br />
Chiedozie Okafor<br />
Julian Ortiz<br />
Leidy Perez<br />
Jillian Roberts<br />
Vanessa Rueda<br />
Emma Singer<br />
Shane Sumbu<br />
Megan Zucker<br />
Advisor<br />
Cheri Mitchell-<br />
Santiago<br />
Principal<br />
Adrianne Leal<br />
Baitline strives to provide quality student-led publications to<br />
the student body providing the school community with an<br />
open forum of public expression. In the publications class,<br />
students will make all editorial decisions including, but not<br />
limited to: generating story ideas, writing copy, editing copy,<br />
laying out copy, taking photographs, and handling all aspects<br />
of running the business end of a school publication. Because of<br />
this, any comments or concerns should be addressed to the<br />
editorial staff.<br />
It should be understood that the newspaper is not a professional<br />
publication; therefore, students will make mistakes during the<br />
learning process. As a staff, we will make every effort to learn<br />
from these mistakes and continually improve the publication.<br />
While our primary goal is to inform and entertain the school<br />
community, we also strive to maintain high journalistic<br />
standards. All opinions expressed in the publications are the<br />
students’ or the individual sources, and not the staff’s as a<br />
whole, the advisor, or school officials.<br />
Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to<br />
room 305 or e-mailed to<br />
baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net. All letters submitted may be<br />
condensed or edited for grammar and spelling. Libelous material<br />
will not be printed.<br />
Information about submitting ads can be obtained by e-mailing<br />
baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net.<br />
Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net.
Pro/Con 7<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Against affirmative action: same as racial profiling<br />
Affirmative action implies that minorities cannot be held up to the same standards as Caucasians<br />
Lukas Moon<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Affirmative action was a term<br />
originally used by JFK to take all<br />
actions necessary to stop racial<br />
discrimination in university<br />
admissions and job applications.<br />
In a tragic Irony, it has been<br />
used as processes that actually<br />
discriminates rather than protects<br />
people from discrimination.<br />
Universities in particular do<br />
it by having pre-determined<br />
percentages off students that<br />
belong to specific minorities.<br />
This is wrong on many levels;<br />
it provides unfair advantages to<br />
some and unfair disadvantages to<br />
others.<br />
“It is a form of racism that someone<br />
would receive an advantage based<br />
purely on race or skin color,” said<br />
Cheyenne Crawford, a senior in<br />
Engineering.<br />
The concept of accepting<br />
more minorities was initiated in<br />
response to the educational gap<br />
found between the average white<br />
student and the average black or<br />
Hispanic students. There is also<br />
a wealth and employment gap<br />
between white adults and black or<br />
Hispanic adults. Reasons for the<br />
gap are difficult to explain.<br />
However, race is not the cause<br />
of the gap, there is no genetic<br />
superiority or inferiority between<br />
the different races; but rather the<br />
real causes of the racial gap form<br />
patterns that particularly affect<br />
black and Hispanics.<br />
It is important to remember<br />
however that race by no means<br />
has anything to do with one’s<br />
economic status. The only way<br />
that race can affect someone is<br />
if they’re discriminated against.<br />
There are poor unemployed and<br />
unsuccessful white people and rich<br />
successful blacks and Hispanics.<br />
The racial gap is merely a trend in<br />
Ethnicity<br />
“Advantage” in SAT points<br />
White 0<br />
African American +230<br />
Hispanic +180<br />
Asian -50<br />
A 2005 study by Princeton sociologists Thomas J. Espenshade and Chang Y. Chung compared the effects of affirmative action on racial and special groups at<br />
three highly selective private research universities.<br />
our society.<br />
That being said, affirmative<br />
action is the wrong response to the<br />
problem. It provides advantages<br />
to black and Hispanic students,<br />
while hurting white and Asian<br />
students.<br />
The first problem is that it<br />
undermines our merit based<br />
college system. Under affirmative<br />
action, a less qualified student<br />
might gain the spot of a more<br />
qualified student solely because of<br />
race. Accomplishment and merit<br />
are thrown aside because a racial<br />
percentage hasn’t been met.<br />
“I understand the concept of<br />
Affirmative action but I disagree<br />
with Affirmative action, because<br />
it is unfair that because I’m Asian<br />
I am disadvantaged. I think the<br />
system should be merit based,”<br />
said Rachel Chang, an IB senior.<br />
The second problem is the<br />
message being sent. An arbitrary<br />
advantage to racial minorities<br />
sends the message that the<br />
minorities are inferior because of<br />
race and therefore the advantage<br />
must be specifically applied to<br />
race. Often times, the categories<br />
are obscure. As a Brazilian I am<br />
put in the Hispanic category but<br />
Brazil is not a Hispanic country.<br />
And what makes natives/pacific<br />
Islanders/Alaskan a category?<br />
Why are they arbitrarily grouped<br />
together?<br />
Finally, is affirmative action<br />
the real solution to the racial<br />
gap and racial discrimination?<br />
Can discrimination be ended by<br />
creating a new mathematical form<br />
of discrimination? Since no race<br />
is genetically inferior, race cannot<br />
be a cause for unfair advantage.<br />
“Affirmative action only begets<br />
racism by assuming minorities are<br />
disadvantaged,” said Legal senior<br />
Justin Forti.<br />
Instead there should be a greater<br />
focus on providing aid and need<br />
based grants to students to help<br />
those who are disadvantaged by<br />
social and economic causes rather<br />
than by what the color of their<br />
skin or origin of ethnicity is.<br />
“[Affirmative action] is not<br />
fair because they are basically<br />
lowering the standards of<br />
minorities to get into college. It’s<br />
implying that they do not have<br />
the capabilities to meet the same<br />
standards as ‘whites’,” said IB<br />
senior Ashley Lewis.<br />
The positive side of affirmative action: keeping<br />
our schools diverse<br />
Affirmative action ensures that all students have equal opportunities when it comes to colleges<br />
Emma Singer<br />
Staff Writer<br />
In 1961, President Kennedy proposed a<br />
plan of affirmative action, with the goal<br />
of righting the wrongs that occurred as<br />
a result of discrimination. Today, many<br />
students are unaware of what affirmative<br />
action is; let alone what its intentions or<br />
results are. Defined as “the encouragement<br />
of increased representation of women and<br />
minority-group members,” affirmative<br />
action serves to level the playing field.<br />
What most affects <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>s’ students<br />
are the affects of affirmative action in<br />
college acceptances. Many students feel<br />
like affirmative action is an unfair system,<br />
because of the common misconceptions<br />
concerning the system.<br />
Popular rumors concerning affirmative<br />
action compare it to adding or subtracting<br />
points from one’s final SAT score based<br />
upon race. This is entirely untrue.<br />
Affirmative action allows for race and<br />
economic background to be taken into<br />
consideration when sorting through college<br />
applications or SAT scores.<br />
This consideration is necessary because<br />
the SAT itself is an unfair test. Wealthy<br />
students are able to pay for tutoring, or<br />
SAT preparation, whereas poor students<br />
are left to prepare themselves. As a result,<br />
the scores are skewed. Instead of inflating<br />
SAT scores of disadvantaged students (or<br />
Ethnic demographics in college according to the National Census Bureau in 2005<br />
deflating those of privileged students),<br />
affirmative action allows disadvantaged<br />
students to gain equal footing in college<br />
admissions.<br />
Additionally, in many colleges, goals<br />
are set concerning the minimum amount<br />
of students from each ethnic or racial<br />
background that should be accepted into<br />
the school. Affirmative action provides for<br />
racial diversity within schools, as well as for<br />
a range of students from varying economic<br />
backgrounds. In doing so, college students<br />
are able to learn from, experience, and learn<br />
toleration for various races and cultures.<br />
Today, colleges are 75% white, 15%<br />
Hispanic, and 10% African American (see<br />
graph). Affirmative action strives to<br />
level the playing field, and create a more<br />
balanced college attendance.<br />
A less widely known purpose of<br />
affirmative action is to correct past<br />
wrongs. Decades of slavery takes a toll<br />
upon a people and affirmative action<br />
attempts to repair that.<br />
“You have to provide reparation for<br />
hundreds of years of oppression. Those<br />
years did not allow for education or<br />
worldly knowledge to be dispersed<br />
amongst the African-American people.<br />
Also, today’s young adults live within a<br />
shell. Affirmative action allows for that<br />
shell to be cracked open, in a way which<br />
allows minorities as well as Caucasians<br />
to expand their worldview and see<br />
the light of day,” said Medical senior<br />
Christian Perez.<br />
Affirmative action paves the way for<br />
disadvantaged students who want to get<br />
an education. It allows for diversity and<br />
equality in colleges.<br />
“Affirmative action is not prejudice or<br />
discrimination. Like all other government<br />
organized actions, it does leave room for<br />
error. But the good outweighs the bad.<br />
By allowing room for racial and ethnic<br />
diversity, as well as economic diversity,<br />
affirmative action provides all students<br />
with the opportunity to get an education<br />
and realize the American Dream,” said IB<br />
sophomore Brianna Morris.
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
8 SUBMERGE<br />
He loves me, he loves me not<br />
What exactly does “love” mean in the 21st century?<br />
LEIDY PEREZ<br />
Staff Writer<br />
In a world of technological advances, genetic engineering, and online relationships, has<br />
the definition of love changed?<br />
Our society has progressively changed the meaning of “love” making the boundaries<br />
that once existed between interracial marriages, same sex marriages, and marriage<br />
between differing social classes disappear.<br />
“I don’t know what love means to everyone else, and during these time the<br />
word love is thrown around so frequently that we seem to have lost all meaning<br />
of it; but what love means to me, and not only romantic, give-me-roses, giveme-chocolates,<br />
is the ability to care so much about someone else’s feelings,<br />
their well-being, their happiness, that you are willing to go to any length to<br />
see them smile. When your own feelings depend so much on this other<br />
person’s that you cannot find yourself being happy until they are,” said IB<br />
senior Natalia Agredo.<br />
In many instances, love is used by corporations as a source of<br />
revenue, exchanging cards with messages and gifts for sincere tokens of<br />
affection. But what some students here at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> believe love truly<br />
is seems to be far from the overly simplistic definition placed upon it.<br />
“Love is what you want it to be. It’s the one feeling that you can’t<br />
live without. It’s when you finally trust someone more than you trust<br />
yourself. You want them to be there when no one else is to share those<br />
small moments that count, to live those moments that matter. You<br />
know you’re in love when you’re willing to give all you have just so<br />
you can see them smile. That’s why you fall in love and never rise<br />
in it,” said IB senior Noman Baig.<br />
To be in love, or just simply to love has become somewhat of<br />
an ambiguous concept, because as we move through the XXI<br />
century and the not only expectations but possibilities broaden for<br />
teenagers, both men and women; it is placed more and more to<br />
the back of the list of priorities.<br />
“Love to me is an uncontrollable unpredictable feeling you get<br />
where you can’t get the other person out of your mind. Your life<br />
sort of gravitates towards that person and to you no one else truly<br />
matters as much as they do,” said IB senior Patricio Toledo.<br />
Technological advances have to some extent made the process<br />
of love much easier. Computers and phones have completely<br />
disintegrated the barriers between two people, making their<br />
communication much easier and much more available.<br />
As we evolve as a race though, many traditions alter and are<br />
even eliminated, but it seems to be that even the value of an “I love<br />
you” is becoming more and dichotomized, breaking into one of two<br />
branches: custom and true feeling. The key to our century is slowly<br />
but surely becoming how to differentiate the polarization of both<br />
these meanings.<br />
The good, the<br />
bad, and the ugly<br />
What <strong>Reef</strong> students like (and dislike) about<br />
Valentine’s Day<br />
“Deny thy father and refuse th<br />
be but sworn my love, and I’ll<br />
Romeo and Juliet<br />
EMMA SINGER<br />
Staff Writer<br />
February 14th, a day of<br />
balloons and teddy bears,<br />
calories and broken hearts.<br />
Valentine’s Day is the one<br />
day a year where children<br />
and adults alike profess<br />
their undying love and<br />
devotion to one another,<br />
all the while feeding the<br />
monster of corporate<br />
America. For teenagers<br />
in particular, Valentine’s<br />
Day is a very controversial<br />
event.<br />
Yet, even though<br />
Valentine’s Day is the<br />
cause of many tears, it is<br />
a highly anticipated and<br />
beloved holiday to scores<br />
of teenagers.<br />
When asked about the<br />
dark side of Valentine’s<br />
Day, many students simply<br />
stated, “I love Valentine’s<br />
Day.” And if someone<br />
is in a relationship, why<br />
wouldn’t they? Teens seem<br />
to enjoy receiving gifts,<br />
particularly those from the<br />
opposite sex.<br />
Valentine’s Day will<br />
(hopefully) also provide<br />
clubs and small businesses<br />
with an opportunity to make<br />
money by selling flowers,<br />
candy, stuffed animals, etc.<br />
In this recession, it will be<br />
a much needed source of<br />
revenue.<br />
What is the downside to<br />
this seemingly innocent<br />
holiday? For one thing, the<br />
amount of money spent on<br />
frivolous gifts is ridiculous.<br />
According to Entrepeneur<br />
Magazine, consumers are<br />
expected to spend at least<br />
$13.7 billion this year,<br />
22% more than has been<br />
spent in previous years.<br />
Charquavis Bell, a Legal<br />
junior, agrees that the<br />
amount of money spent<br />
is outlandish, stating<br />
that “Valentine’s Day<br />
has become a corporate<br />
holiday.”<br />
Many students have begun<br />
calling Valentine’s Day<br />
“Singles-Awareness Day.”<br />
Valentine’s Day can be a<br />
dreaded event for single<br />
students in the school,<br />
causing them to feel alone<br />
and unloved. Students<br />
fear the humiliation that<br />
accompanies walking<br />
through the school<br />
empty-handed, while<br />
other students’ arms are<br />
overflowing with tokens of<br />
devotion.<br />
Additionally, many<br />
students have bad memories<br />
stemming from Valentine’s<br />
Days of the past. Joel<br />
Perez, a Business senior,<br />
relates a traumatizing<br />
anecdote.<br />
“In eighth grade I came<br />
t o<br />
school<br />
with teddy b e a r s ,<br />
flowers, and chocolates for<br />
my girlfriend. I was madly<br />
in love with her. I opened<br />
the door to the hallway<br />
where we were going to<br />
meet, and I saw her there;<br />
but she was hooking up<br />
with another guy,” said<br />
Perez.<br />
Male students such<br />
as Perez and Robert<br />
Brooks, a junior in the<br />
engineering academy, fear<br />
that Valentine’s Day is an<br />
“opportunity for [other]<br />
guys to get your girl.”<br />
So this February 14th,<br />
do something different.<br />
Get a gift for the lonely<br />
girl in your English class.<br />
Don’t try to steal someone<br />
else’s boyfriend/girlfriend.<br />
Make a gift, instead of<br />
wasting money on nothing.<br />
Do something special<br />
for someone who seems<br />
to be upset. Make this<br />
Valentine’s Day unique by<br />
sharing it with someone<br />
who would otherwise be<br />
alone.
YOURSELF<br />
y name! Or, if thou wilt not,<br />
no longer be a Capulet”-<br />
9<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Romantic, yes, but not very helpful<br />
Can watching date movies actually jeopardize a<br />
relationship?<br />
VANESSA RUEDA<br />
Staff Writer<br />
A study conducted at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland concluded<br />
that watching romantic comedies, also known as rom coms, can actually lead to<br />
the terminating of a relationship. While many would believe that romance movies<br />
were made to be watched by couples and can’t possibly have any negative<br />
effects, the study shows that watching rom coms can harm a relationship<br />
because it gives people, women in particular, unrealistic expectations to<br />
what a perfect relationship is like.<br />
“I strongly agree because in the movies everything ends up working<br />
out and there’s a solution to all problems, whereas life is unpredictable,<br />
you never know what’s going to happen,” said IB Sophomore Amore<br />
Rodriguez in response to her opinions on the conclusion of the study.<br />
Different people have different views on relationships and every<br />
relationship is different. While some couples refuse to watch romance<br />
movies at all, others enjoy watching them because it can bring them<br />
closer together. The study says that women are most affected by<br />
watching romantic movies because in general women’s views on<br />
relationships tend to differ a lot from men’s. Many women after<br />
watching a romantic comedy would cling onto the actions that<br />
the man did and have hopes of their partner to do the same or<br />
something similar which can lead to spoiling of the relationship.<br />
“ I think it does effect you because they expect you to be like<br />
the movies and you can’t live up to it but it’s also good because<br />
it gives the guy ideas,” said Legal junior Roberto Machado.<br />
The movies taken into consideration for the study were<br />
40 successful box office hits from 1995 through 2005. They<br />
included movies such as “Maid in Manhattan”, “Four Weddings<br />
and a Funeral”, “Notting Hill”, “The Wedding Planner”, “While<br />
You Were Sleeping”, “Serendipity”, and “Runaway Bride”<br />
amongst others.<br />
“I think they give people an unrealistic idea on what relationships<br />
are like or should be like. When you see those romantic comedies<br />
there’s always an easily solved problem and relationships aren’t<br />
really like that,” said Ms.Coppock.<br />
The results of Heriot Watt’s study can be taken as true or false.<br />
Everything depends on each individual’s personality that is in the<br />
relationship because not every woman enjoys watching romantic<br />
comedies and not every guy hates watching them. Further study is<br />
being done on this subject and a survey is available to participate<br />
in at http://remark.sls.hw.ac.uk/cgi-bin/rws3.pl?FORM=Media_<br />
study .<br />
The TOP Six<br />
cheapest dates<br />
countdown<br />
Alexander Melendez<br />
Staff Writer<br />
We have all been on one of<br />
those dates where you know that<br />
type of date where the only good<br />
part is when it’s over.<br />
With Valentine’s Day just<br />
around the corner, we have<br />
created a handy guide to help<br />
those in need of a little date 101,<br />
to know exactly what not to do<br />
on a date.<br />
This is a count down of the top<br />
six<br />
w o r s t<br />
dates ever<br />
imaginable.<br />
Date #6: Just because<br />
something is cheap doesn’t<br />
necessarily make it bad.<br />
Coupons and classiness<br />
however don’t belong in the<br />
same category. The only place a<br />
coupon belongs is in the pockets<br />
of a soccer mom. So therefore,<br />
any date involving the usage of<br />
coupons falls in the number 6<br />
slot.<br />
Date #5: Theme parks are<br />
always fun, and places such as<br />
Miami Seaquarium can make for<br />
a date that the other person will<br />
never forget. Taking your date<br />
to your community<br />
pool and trying to pass<br />
it off as a water park, on<br />
the other hand, will cause an<br />
uncomfortable situation which<br />
will most likely lead to a decline<br />
in the chances for a second date.<br />
Date #4: Being budget<br />
conscious is never bad. Many<br />
have downgraded from the valet<br />
serviced restaurants such as The<br />
Fort, to casual places such as<br />
Applebee’s.<br />
Unfortunately, some penny<br />
pinchers have downgraded to<br />
the point where a date to Johnny<br />
Rockets is considered fancy.<br />
A word of advice, if you’re<br />
trying to go for that whole<br />
mature type of date, a place<br />
where they serve your ketchup as<br />
a smiley face is never the way to<br />
go. That’s why the kid’s hangout<br />
will always make for a bad date.<br />
Date #3: When buying in<br />
bulk or simply looking for some<br />
money saving products, Costco<br />
is undoubtedly the place to go.<br />
Undoubtedly, however, unless<br />
you’re buying dates in bulk, it’s<br />
best to stay away from Costco as<br />
a dating destination.<br />
Hit up Expedia and find a<br />
cheap 3 day cruise, before ever<br />
hitting up Costco for a Wetzel<br />
Dog. Word to the wise, stay clear<br />
from taking your date to the<br />
Costco food court. Clean up on<br />
aisle three anyone?<br />
Date #2: When you’re hanging<br />
out with some of your buddies,<br />
and a sudden urge of hunger over<br />
takes your body, it is natural to<br />
hit up the closest all you can eat<br />
buffet.<br />
When you’re with a date, the<br />
all you can eat buffet, should<br />
never ever be an option. Unless<br />
you and your significant other<br />
have already established a<br />
relationship in which you feel<br />
comfortable enough to binge in<br />
front of each other, stay away<br />
from those endless crab legs.<br />
Date #1: Dollar stores are the<br />
epitomes of cheapness. Landing<br />
in the number one spot is the<br />
dollar store shopping spree.<br />
Although making it seem like<br />
you’re a big baller is always<br />
impressive to your date, it’s<br />
impossible to be a big baller in<br />
a dollar store. Walking in and<br />
signaling to your date “Baby<br />
you can pick out whatever you’d<br />
like”, simply doesn’t work in a<br />
dollar store.
10 A & E<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Battle of the Classes: the competition ensues<br />
Photos courtesy of Hannah Arielle<br />
Above: The dodgeball teams pose in their uniforms before the game, the Juniors in red and <strong>Senior</strong>s in blue. Below: The Freshman pose in purple and Sophomores in yellow.<br />
TRUDY CLARKE<br />
Staff Writer<br />
The battle of the classes<br />
is a week long battle that<br />
involves all four grade<br />
levels. The games range<br />
from dodge ball to tug<br />
of war. The teams have<br />
anywhere from 6- 10<br />
players from the different<br />
grade levels.<br />
Battle of the classes was<br />
started by senior Luisa<br />
Santos in the 2006 – 2007<br />
school year. At the time,<br />
she was a sophomore, and<br />
asked the current class<br />
of 2007 president, Brett<br />
Warner, to help her get the<br />
activities approved by the<br />
administration.<br />
At first, everyone was<br />
very unsure as to how the<br />
event would turn out. The<br />
school was fortunate to<br />
have Coach Plyler, who<br />
agreed to help Luisa and<br />
Brett set up all the sports<br />
events.<br />
“His expertise and passion<br />
for organizing tournaments<br />
like these truly made the<br />
week a true success”, said<br />
Luisa.<br />
Since it was the first year<br />
that battle of the classes<br />
took place, the seniors in<br />
2007 did horribly and the<br />
underclassmen won almost<br />
everything. The class of<br />
2009 won only because they<br />
had over 200 sophomores<br />
sign for the color war.<br />
The next year, which<br />
was last school year, Ms.<br />
Martinez suggested that<br />
Battle of the Classes should<br />
be homecoming week to<br />
cooincide with Spirit Week.<br />
The administration loved<br />
that idea, but the student<br />
body preferred to have two<br />
different weeks of fun.<br />
Last year the class of 2008<br />
put up a very good fight,<br />
but once again, the class<br />
of 2009 took the title. This<br />
year, battle of the classes<br />
week was not associated<br />
with Spirit Week, and once<br />
again with the help of coach<br />
Plyler, it was a success. Ms.<br />
Martinez was unable to be<br />
here during the week, but<br />
Mr. Mejia took on the role<br />
of adult supervisor and<br />
helped with student release,<br />
and staff supervision.<br />
Traditional games that<br />
are played during this<br />
week include tug of war,<br />
dodgeball, powder-puff<br />
football, and an obstacle<br />
course. A competition for<br />
best attendance also takes<br />
place.<br />
The colors for each of the<br />
classes were random, with<br />
the exception of seniors<br />
whom always get to wear<br />
black – mostly since it’s<br />
the easiest due to the fact<br />
that most people wear it<br />
anyway. Hopefully some<br />
underclassmen will take<br />
the lead and continue the<br />
tradition.<br />
“Since the 3-time<br />
champion class of 2009<br />
will be gone, it’s going to<br />
be extra interesting to see<br />
who will take the title next<br />
year,” said Luisa Santos.<br />
UPCOMING FLICKS<br />
• Confessions of a Shopaholic (2/13)<br />
• The International (2/13)<br />
• Friday the Thirteenth (2/13)<br />
• Madeo Goes to Jail (2/20)<br />
• Fired Up (2/20)<br />
• Jonas Brothers: The 3D<br />
Concert Experience (2/27)<br />
• Street Fighter: The Legend of<br />
Chun-Li (2/27)
A & E<br />
Rocking Out<br />
Students discuss what it’s like to be part of a band<br />
NICOLE BRANDFON<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Music is a part of<br />
everyone’s life, whether<br />
they know it or not. In some<br />
students lives it is not only<br />
something they encounter<br />
on a daily basis, but a big<br />
part of their everyday<br />
lives. Student bands are<br />
very common among<br />
high school students, and<br />
can range from religious<br />
groups to alternative style<br />
music. Kyle Paula, VPA<br />
freshman, is in a band with<br />
other students, not all from<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>, called “Fresh<br />
Javelin.”<br />
“My bassist came up with<br />
the name while we were in<br />
Mississippi on a mission<br />
trip with our church. He and<br />
a friend of ours thought that<br />
those two words sounded<br />
sort of like they flowed<br />
when you said them,” said<br />
Paula.<br />
Ismeraly Torres, and IB<br />
sophomore, is the singer<br />
in a band, A 24/7. The<br />
band name was thought up<br />
because Adoracion means<br />
worship in Spanish, leading<br />
to Worship 24 hours, 7 days<br />
a week.<br />
“We perform every<br />
Friday at a youth group. We<br />
are a Christian band. We<br />
are also asked to perform<br />
at other events such as<br />
“Night for Christ,” which<br />
happens once a month and<br />
is basically a fun place that<br />
kids can play games, listen<br />
to music, and eat free food,”<br />
said Torres.<br />
Out of all the bands<br />
there are that go out and<br />
perform in front of live<br />
audiences, there are also<br />
those few bands that keep<br />
to themselves and do it just<br />
for the enjoyment they get<br />
from making<br />
music.<br />
Pablo Gonzalez<br />
and Alex<br />
Scholz, both<br />
IB juniors, have<br />
a band together named IB<br />
Rockin’ purely because<br />
they like to play their<br />
music together. They<br />
are both guitarists and<br />
singers who make their<br />
own songs based on the<br />
influence of Van Halen and<br />
Guns n’ Roses.<br />
Student bands are some<br />
of the most popular<br />
providers of music<br />
among high school<br />
students. They<br />
are entertainment for the<br />
audience as well as a fun<br />
way to pass time for the<br />
musicians participating in<br />
the band.<br />
VPA freshman Leah Clegg<br />
rocks out with her guitar.<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
11<br />
Movie review:<br />
My Bloody<br />
Valentine 3D<br />
The Chili Cook-off: country craze<br />
Country fans get excited about the biggest country concert of the<br />
year: the Chili Cook-off.<br />
Amid screaming fans, Jessica Simpson performs on stage at the annual Chili Cook-off event in Pembroke Pines.<br />
ANDRES LOPEZ<br />
Staff Writer<br />
In the month of January,<br />
every country listener<br />
awaits the arrival of what<br />
they consider to be the best<br />
country concert of the year,<br />
the “Kiss Country Chili<br />
Cook-off.”<br />
At this concert, country<br />
listeners get together, listen<br />
to their favorite country<br />
artists, and just have fun.<br />
“It is a place where I can<br />
be myself and not have to<br />
worry about showing off my<br />
country side,” said Legal<br />
senior Brittany Hueston.<br />
This year, there were<br />
artists including Jessica<br />
Simpson, Jason Aldean,<br />
Little Big Town, Justin<br />
Moore, and Alan Jackson.<br />
“I think these performers<br />
are younger than the past<br />
ones. I like it because they<br />
sing the new music I like to<br />
hear,” said Legal sophomore<br />
Courtney Hueston.<br />
When you first walk<br />
through the gates, you<br />
encounter fans wearing<br />
red, white, and blue. They<br />
wear these three colors as<br />
the sign of their American<br />
pride.<br />
The fans looking to eat<br />
chili must go on a treasure<br />
hunt because it is way in the<br />
corner of the park. There<br />
are many kids and cooking<br />
teams entering their special<br />
recipes of chili in the cookoff.<br />
“I am entering my chili<br />
in the cook-off,” said<br />
Agriscience <strong>Senior</strong> Derek<br />
Randolph.<br />
The Chili Cook-off<br />
arouses much excitement<br />
for country listeners across<br />
south Florida.<br />
Photo from http://lionsgate.com/<br />
Vanessa Rueda<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Previews for My Bloody Valentine 3D were<br />
seen in theaters ever since December, which<br />
built the anticipation for its release in January<br />
16, 2009. The first movie of its kind, My Bloody<br />
Valentine is a horror film in digital 3D, released<br />
by Lionsgate in only 900 theaters across the<br />
Unites States. It was released in 2D in several<br />
other theaters.<br />
While the tickets may have been on the<br />
expensive side, costing $12, it was definitely<br />
worth the price. Moviegoers are given glasses<br />
in order to experience the 3 dimensional effects,<br />
and a survey was given the first couple of days<br />
following the release to gather viewer opinions<br />
on how they felt about the movie.<br />
The story behind this movie is definitely a<br />
unique one that adds to the overall breathtaking<br />
experience. The movie takes place in a town<br />
called Harmony, where miners are trapped in a<br />
mine. When rescuers appear on the scene, it turns<br />
out that they were all killed, except for one who<br />
could not be found. From there, the movie has<br />
viewers on the edge of their seats as more and<br />
more deaths occur and the killer is unknown.<br />
While it may be expected that the creators<br />
of My Bloody Valentine 3D would use tasteless<br />
scenes of violence in order to make the 3D<br />
experience more impactful, Lionsgate did an<br />
excellent job in making the movie as credible and<br />
thrilling and possible without making anything<br />
dumb. The majority of the movie feels like it is<br />
in 2D, but the 3D is definitely felt when people<br />
are being killed, which happens unexpectedly<br />
throughout, making audience members jump<br />
and gasp in fear.<br />
Overall, My Bloody Valentine 3D is a definite<br />
must see and is truly one of a kind. The ending is<br />
unexpected, and the 3D makes everything scarier.<br />
However, this movie isn’t for the faint of heart<br />
and will have viewers’ hearts racing throughout.<br />
If it’s horror that is being craved, this movie is<br />
something that should not be missed.
12 Spotlight<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Faces of <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong><br />
The hallways at school are filled with a diverse student body, each with their own unique personality, interests, and style. As students walk through the halls, they wave to friends<br />
in the distance, say “hi” to classmates passing by, and stroll past unknown and unfamiliar faces. However, there are so many students at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>, it is impossible to get to know<br />
everyone. People profiles are a way to get to know these fascinating students who you might not know, each with their own distinct identities.<br />
Jennifer Brewey<br />
Beca Eisenberg<br />
- Hobbies/Interests<br />
Beat-boxing and ATVing<br />
-Special Talents<br />
Making shampoo mohawks with my hair in the shower<br />
-Biggest fear<br />
Getting stuck in an elevator full of people and the harness of a roller coaster getting stuck<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Mac-and-cheese and chicken nuggets<br />
- Pet Peeve<br />
People touching my hair<br />
-Interesting things about you<br />
The sun makes me sneeze and I randomly burst out in harmony<br />
Chris Anderson<br />
Yana Gueorguieva<br />
- Hobbies/Interests<br />
Skating<br />
-Special Talents<br />
I can do handstands<br />
-Biggest fear<br />
Dragonflies<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Ice cream<br />
-Favorite music<br />
Rap<br />
- Pet Peeve<br />
People scratching themselves while they are talking to me<br />
-Interesting things about you<br />
I don’t tell secrets<br />
-Hobbies/Interests<br />
Tennis, graphic design (I designed the ’09<br />
shirts last year), piercings<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Anything with rice<br />
-Pet Peeve<br />
When creepy people talk to me on the<br />
Metro<br />
-Interesting things about you<br />
My middle name and last name are the<br />
same and I am Bulgarian<br />
Cami Rodriguez<br />
-Hobbies/Interests<br />
Volleyball<br />
-Special Talent<br />
Dancing<br />
-Biggest Fear<br />
Lions<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Sushi<br />
-Favorite music<br />
Pop/Hip-hop<br />
-Pet Peeve<br />
I hate liars<br />
-Biggest Secret<br />
I actually enjoy my AP class!<br />
-Hobbies/Interests<br />
Music is my life! It is amazing and just<br />
makes sense.<br />
-Special Talent<br />
I am the lead singer of a band, Perry and<br />
the Grandkids.<br />
-Biggest Fear<br />
Hospitals, doctors, and anything to do with<br />
sickness<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Mint chocolate chip ice-cream from Hagen<br />
Daz and dinosaur chicken nuggets<br />
-Favorite music<br />
Matitsyahu, Pepper, and all musicals<br />
-Pet Peeve<br />
Grammatical errors and slow drivers<br />
-Biggest Secret<br />
I can’t say it because then everyone would<br />
know!<br />
Star basketball player<br />
Charles Hankerson talks about the opportunities basketball has provided for him and his dreams<br />
for a future in the NBA<br />
TRUDY CLARKE<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Standing at 6’3” Charles<br />
Hankerson is an award-winning<br />
basketball player on the <strong>Coral</strong><br />
<strong>Reef</strong> team. Charles is a junior in<br />
the Agriscience Academy here at<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>.<br />
Charles enjoys playing his<br />
Xbox in his spare time: he plays<br />
mostly football games instead of<br />
basketball games.<br />
“Basketball is fun and it has<br />
opened a lot of doors for me, it<br />
has allowed me to travel places I<br />
have never went before like Texas,<br />
New York, and Los Angeles,” said<br />
Charles Hankerson.<br />
Charles started basketball at the<br />
age of two and fell in love with<br />
the sport. He has been playing<br />
basketball ever since. Charles<br />
was introduced to basketball by<br />
his father.<br />
The training process<br />
consists of running,<br />
shooting, and dribbling<br />
drills. Then, practice starts<br />
which mainly focuses on<br />
drills and technique to<br />
develop strength and speed.<br />
Practices are usually five<br />
days a week for about four<br />
hours.<br />
Before every game<br />
Charles recites his favorite<br />
quote—“play every game as<br />
if it’s your last,” of which he<br />
holds close to his heart.<br />
“I listen to music before<br />
every game to calm myself<br />
and focus on the upcoming<br />
game,” said Hankerson.<br />
Charles, as well as the<br />
rest of the barracuda team,<br />
recently played in the<br />
King of the Blue Grass,<br />
which is a tournament in<br />
Chalres shines during a recent game<br />
Kentucky. Charles won the<br />
all-tournament award, which<br />
is awarded to the best players<br />
from each of the participating<br />
teams. Charles has also won<br />
many MVP awards.<br />
Charles hopes to<br />
continue basketball<br />
in college. After<br />
college Charles<br />
hopes to make<br />
it to the national<br />
basketball league<br />
(NBA). Charles also<br />
has future goals<br />
of making it to the<br />
McDonald’s all<br />
American; which is<br />
a group of the top 20<br />
high school players.<br />
“I would like to play<br />
basketball in college.<br />
So far I’ve been<br />
accepted into Florida<br />
State University,<br />
Texas University, Tennessee<br />
University, and the University of<br />
Miami,” said Hankerson.
Spotlight<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
13<br />
Jordan Kreke<br />
Joel Perez<br />
-Hobbies/Interests<br />
Fashion and design<br />
-Special Talent<br />
I know how to dress people and I’m persuasive<br />
-Biggest Fear<br />
Never finding love<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Sushi<br />
-Favorite music<br />
All kinds of music<br />
-Pet Peeve<br />
When people touch stuff in my cart and pick their lips<br />
-Biggest Secret<br />
I’m really innocent<br />
- Hobbies/Interests<br />
Skating and football<br />
-Special Talents<br />
Writing<br />
-Biggest fear<br />
Possums<br />
-Favorite food<br />
Pasta<br />
-Favorite music<br />
Reggae<br />
- Pet Peeve<br />
Loud People<br />
-Biggest Secret<br />
I play the Ukulele<br />
Tiffany “Tiff” Schultz<br />
- Hobbies/Interests<br />
Theatre, singer, choreographer, texting, and talking on the phone<br />
-Special Talents<br />
Theatre<br />
-Biggest fear<br />
Frogs<br />
-Favorite music<br />
Country and R&B<br />
- Pet Peeve<br />
When people don’t follow through<br />
-Interesting things about you<br />
I’m obsessed with arm fat<br />
-Biggest Secret<br />
I drive like a maniac
14 Sports<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
The Infamous Lakeland<br />
Boys and Girls teams both strive for State against all odds<br />
Badminton<br />
team<br />
prepares<br />
for a new<br />
season<br />
Julian Ortiz<br />
Saff Writer<br />
2008-2009 girls basketball team 2008-2009 boys basketball team<br />
JASMINE CALIN<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Lakeland…<br />
to any basketball player in<br />
Florida, this place is infamous.<br />
It is the location of the annual<br />
State finals for both boys and<br />
girls basketball. Neither the<br />
boys’ nor girls’ basketball<br />
teams here at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> have<br />
ever made it to Lakeland.<br />
The closest the girls have<br />
ever gotten was in the 2007-<br />
2008 season when they made<br />
it to the Regional Semi-Finals,<br />
needing only two more wins<br />
to reach the State Semi-Finals<br />
and win a free trip to Lakeland.<br />
After last year’s upset in the<br />
district finals, the boys are<br />
looking to make a run in the<br />
long trek to Lakeland.<br />
“Our goal this year is to win<br />
states and I know we deserve<br />
it,” said senior and team<br />
Captain Steven Lopez.<br />
This year’s boy’s basketball<br />
As the new year begins, the <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong><br />
tennis team starts conditioning for the<br />
upcoming season. Last year, the boys<br />
varsity tennis team did not make regional.<br />
Although the boys were not victorious, the<br />
girls varsity tennis team won at districts<br />
and regionals earning them a spot at states.<br />
The tennis team lost many seniors last<br />
year such as Jake Annear and Bria Hitt,<br />
but with hard work they will be able to<br />
have a successful season.<br />
“I started playing tennis in middle<br />
school and it’s now my favorite sport to<br />
play. I already know most of the people on<br />
the team from last year so it will be more<br />
competitive. Hopefully, if I work hard this<br />
year so I can improve and beat the higher<br />
positioned people on my team,” said IB<br />
sophomore, Jonathan Bensoussan.<br />
Some look at tennis as if it were an<br />
individual sport. Off the court, the tennis<br />
team encourages each other and trains<br />
together to improve. Once they step on<br />
the court, it’s just them and their opponent.<br />
Tennis is enjoyed at <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> for its<br />
competitiveness.<br />
During conditioning, the tennis team takes<br />
team has a lot to prove, being<br />
recognized as the top team<br />
in Dade- County and as a<br />
contender for state champions.<br />
The same thing was thought<br />
about them last year when they<br />
fell to South Dade 79- 74.<br />
“Last year we just lost focus.<br />
That won’t happen this year,”<br />
the team assured when this<br />
tough game was brought up.<br />
What is different? The<br />
team has been practicing and<br />
working tirelessly for months<br />
to prepare for this year, even<br />
playing together during the<br />
summer.<br />
They are determined to take<br />
it all the way this year. With<br />
the team harboring five they<br />
are more focused than ever.<br />
For those six seniors and for<br />
the juniors as well, this may be<br />
the last chance to get that State<br />
title. After this year, Coach<br />
Rodriguez will need to build<br />
an entirely new team.<br />
GIRLS TEAM<br />
The Lady Barracudas have<br />
had it a little harder. They were<br />
not predicted to make much of<br />
a run at the state championship,<br />
and being ranked the #8 team<br />
in the south, they were also<br />
not seen as the top team in the<br />
Dade County either. However,<br />
this means nothing to the<br />
relentless girls’ basketball<br />
team who says they don’t<br />
pay attention to all of those<br />
rankings and ratings.<br />
“All that matters is how we<br />
perform on the court. If we<br />
play our game, we will be at<br />
Lakeland at the end of the<br />
season,” said Coach Adam<br />
Graham, head coach of the<br />
girls’ basketball team.<br />
So far the Lady ‘Cudas<br />
have proved their doubters<br />
wrong. After about two and a<br />
half months of play, the girls<br />
are still undefeated in their<br />
district. They have beaten<br />
every team by an average of<br />
20+ points, their biggest win<br />
being the 72- 11 triumph over<br />
the Buccaneers of South Dade.<br />
Tennis Conditioning Begins<br />
JORDAN FELDMAN<br />
Staff Writer<br />
a slow jog around the track to warm their<br />
bodies up. Then after stretching for fifteen<br />
minutes they start to hit with each other to<br />
get ready to play. When their muscles are<br />
warmed and their strokes are ready, they<br />
Coach Villegas is excited to begin a new<br />
season<br />
play a practice match with fellow students,<br />
either singles or doubles. When everyone<br />
is done with their matches, they do sprints,<br />
The Lady ‘Cudas have five<br />
<strong>Senior</strong>s and a new coach this<br />
year. These girls have changed<br />
their whole attitude and style<br />
of play since the addition of<br />
the no-nonsense coach, Coach<br />
Graham.<br />
“We are more focused. We<br />
are planning to take it one<br />
game at a time, not get ahead<br />
of ourselves. Just play hard<br />
every game as if it were our<br />
last,” said Coach Graham.<br />
Once both teams enter the<br />
playoff brackets, it is one<br />
loss and you’re home and for<br />
these <strong>Senior</strong>s, every game<br />
could be their absolute last.<br />
While the Sophomores and<br />
Juniors have a year or two<br />
more to try again, these eleven<br />
<strong>Senior</strong>s understand that this<br />
is it. This will surely be an<br />
interesting journey for these<br />
two determined <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong><br />
Basketball teams.<br />
lunges, and other conditioning exercises<br />
until they’re sore.<br />
“I don’t play tennis, but I enjoy watching<br />
it. I’m amazed by the endurance of some<br />
of the players and how they can play for<br />
several hours. I think that some of our<br />
tennis players are good enough to play<br />
in college,” said Medical sophomore,<br />
Christine Webber.<br />
All athletes need to be physically fit<br />
to play their sport. In tennis, players<br />
must have enough endurance to play for<br />
several hours and outlast their opponents.<br />
Players must have muscular legs, for a<br />
stronger serve and better footwork to set<br />
up their shots. They must have strong<br />
arms to have good volleys and to hit the<br />
ball with power and spin. With sprints<br />
and other drills, the team will obtain these<br />
qualities and become better tennis players<br />
and athletes.<br />
Tennis is not only a physical sport, but<br />
mental too. The sport has players thinking<br />
about whether to hit the ball hard or soft,<br />
deep or short, and what type of spin to use.<br />
The athlete has to think about what tactics<br />
to use when playing their opponent. With<br />
better strategy, the <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> tennis team<br />
will have a successful year.<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> is a school known for<br />
academic accomplishment but is<br />
currently striving to surpass academics<br />
with its improving athletics. The obscure<br />
study habits of our students here at the<br />
school are prevalent, but it’s time we<br />
share our focus on school sports such as<br />
badminton, a sport which should receive<br />
more respect than given.<br />
“Badminton is the sickest sport I have<br />
ever heard of. I wish I would have tried<br />
out last year, I just never heard about it<br />
and nobody ever talked about it either,”<br />
said criminal justice Sophomore Suraj<br />
Garib.<br />
Last year <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>’s badminton team<br />
showed outstanding accomplishments<br />
with their high statistics and win<br />
percentage. Many of the seniors<br />
graduated; therefore, according to the<br />
team, crucial players have been lost.<br />
“We should have a decent team this<br />
year because we still have a strong player<br />
line up,” said medical Junior Alejandra<br />
O’Sullivan.<br />
Players last year such as Ale O’Sullivan<br />
and Allisa Osit made it as a team to the<br />
Greater Miami Athletic Conference<br />
(GMAC) last year but think they could<br />
have made it further. Conditioning hasn’t<br />
yet started, but the athletes have begun<br />
individual training in hope of performing<br />
better this season.<br />
“I have already started to run, and<br />
crunched down on my dietary discipline,<br />
and my friend Ale and I sometimes run<br />
together,” said junior Allisa Osit.<br />
This Spring season sport is growing<br />
more with its spectators here at <strong>Reef</strong><br />
because of the talk that has been going<br />
around, thanks to the athletes spreading<br />
the word about the incoming season.<br />
Many of the students have never even<br />
seen a badminton match. Speaking<br />
optimistically, this will change, come<br />
Spring when the gymnasium will be<br />
home to the <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> badminton team<br />
(together with volleyball).<br />
Depending on budget cuts, jerseys for<br />
these well deserved athletes have stirred<br />
up quite the conversation.<br />
“I think we deserve real jerseys instead<br />
of just t-shirts with writing on them. If<br />
we want to be considered a real sport,<br />
we have to be presented as one,” said<br />
O’Sullivan.<br />
Fundraisers and candy sales have<br />
been planned in order for jerseys to be<br />
guaranteed towards the athletes.<br />
“I’m going to see a badminton game<br />
this year, my friend is part of the team<br />
and I never took time to realize how<br />
interesting the game truly is,” said VPA<br />
junior Nicole Fuentes.<br />
The student body strongly supports<br />
these athletes and wishes them a winning<br />
season that will represent <strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong><br />
athletics.
Features<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
Controversy surrounds PETA’s treatment of animals<br />
VANESSA RUEDA<br />
Staff Writer<br />
15<br />
As the amount of people becoming<br />
vegetarian has grown, so has the amount<br />
of PETA members. PETA is the People for<br />
the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a group<br />
that consists of vegetarians and vegans<br />
who are against any form of animal<br />
cruelty even if it is just in the form of a<br />
video game such as the popular “Cooking<br />
Mama” for Nintendo DS, where gamers<br />
get to cook meals.<br />
However, what many people don’t know<br />
is that while PETA does a lot of good, it<br />
also does things that contradict their own<br />
ethical claims.<br />
PETA’s headquarters is located in<br />
Norfolk, Virginia where over 90% of<br />
the animals taken there to be put up for<br />
adoption from 1998 through December<br />
2007 were euthanized, meaning that they<br />
were put to death painlessly through an<br />
injection. Other nearby shelters were<br />
able to find homes for about 70% of the<br />
animals taken in between those years.<br />
PETA stores the bodies of the<br />
euthanized animals in a walk in freezer<br />
located in their headquarters and has them<br />
cremated.<br />
While it may not make sense how<br />
PETA euthanized so many animals, they<br />
have a defense posted on their website<br />
to the several accusations of them killing<br />
animals.<br />
Their defense is that they take in all<br />
animals, unlike no-kill shelters, which<br />
refuse certain animals that are in bad<br />
conditions. Since they accept animals that<br />
are in bad condition, such as animals that<br />
have been severely abused, sometimes<br />
the only solution is to euthanize them<br />
regardless of whether it makes their death<br />
rate numbers looks bad. Even though 90%<br />
seems like a lot of animals to have killed,<br />
PETA argues that it was the most humane<br />
thing to do and critics don’t realize the<br />
reasons behind them doing it.<br />
Another issue raised against PETA is<br />
the fact that they have donated massive<br />
amounts of money to violent criminals<br />
and convicted arsonists, people who<br />
voluntarily set fire to objects, such as<br />
the Earth Liberation Front which is<br />
considered a domestic terrorist group by<br />
the FBI.<br />
PETA donated over $70,000 to Rodney<br />
Coronado, a former member of the Animal<br />
Liberation Front, who was convicted<br />
of burning down a research laboratory<br />
at Michigan State University. PETA’s<br />
response to the criticism about donating<br />
to convicted criminals is that they’ll do<br />
whatever it takes to raise awareness about<br />
the cruelty in humans towards animals and<br />
to stop it from continuing.<br />
“As an animal lover, I appreciate what<br />
PETA does in terms of educating people<br />
and providing information about the<br />
ethical treatment of animals. But if such<br />
an organization takes it upon itself to use<br />
These stickers are given to members who sign up for membership with PETA<br />
radical means to convey their message,<br />
than they are no better than the people<br />
abusing the animals in the first place,”<br />
said Mr. Cloutier, a former vegetarian.<br />
In order to raise awareness about<br />
becoming vegetarian or vegan, PETA<br />
uses celebrities as spokes models. While<br />
this appears to be a practical tactic, what<br />
many don’t know is that many of those<br />
celebrities are not actually vegetarian/<br />
vegan themselves. Examples include<br />
famous icons such as Steve-O who<br />
campaigned for PETA even though he<br />
made a career out of harassing animals in<br />
film on his show “Wild Boys.” Kimora<br />
Lee Simmons, designer of Baby Phat<br />
clothing, campaigned for PETA as well<br />
even though she works with fur and<br />
leather in her designs.<br />
“I think that if somebodys gonna<br />
be a part of PETA, they should fulfill<br />
their duties instead of being hypocrites<br />
about it,” said Agriscience <strong>Senior</strong> and<br />
vegetarian, Javier Tijerino.<br />
However, it is to be taken into<br />
consideration that PETA’s ultimate goal is<br />
to educate people in the ethical treatment<br />
of animals and using popular celebrity<br />
icons can be considered a great way to<br />
do so, regardless of whether the person<br />
themselves abides by PETA’s values.<br />
“I know there’s some things that they<br />
do that are radical but to me they’re<br />
right. If you’re trying to do something<br />
for mankind, do it to man,” said IB<br />
sophomore and PETA member Amelia<br />
Grant.<br />
While to some PETA may be radical and<br />
use extreme tactics, to others PETA is a<br />
worthy organization with a good cause.
16<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong> Sr. <strong>High</strong><br />
February 2009<br />
The Little Fabric That Could!<br />
The infamous fl annel comes back onto the school scene<br />
<strong>High</strong> Tide<br />
ALEXANDER MELENDEZ<br />
Staff Writer<br />
The world of fashion is in constant flux.<br />
This season’s fabrics are certainly not to<br />
be the next season’s textiles. However,<br />
some fabrics seem to constantly be<br />
making a comeback, especially the<br />
soft woven fabric known as flannel.<br />
So why the sudden outbreaks<br />
in the flannel fever; and why<br />
are so many students around<br />
the reef wearing this funky<br />
fabric?<br />
“I think it’s just so fun<br />
and so comfy. Plus, it<br />
is just one of those<br />
prints that match<br />
with everything and<br />
anything.” said Legal<br />
Junior Stephanie<br />
Dufresne.<br />
Flannel may match<br />
with everything but<br />
there must be more<br />
to this new trend that<br />
meets the eye or skin.<br />
“Since I am from Miami, as<br />
soon as it hits below 60 degrees, I tend<br />
to pull out the flannel. It really is just<br />
one of those fabrics that keep a person<br />
warm. Also, it is really soft, so I like<br />
how comforting it feels” said Medical<br />
Sophomore Felipe<br />
Palacio.<br />
It seems to make<br />
sense up north<br />
where people<br />
wear flannel for<br />
its functional<br />
purposes, but<br />
down here<br />
in the south,<br />
where the<br />
weather at<br />
its coldest<br />
never drops<br />
below 40,<br />
why would<br />
anybody<br />
buy flannel.<br />
It seems<br />
evident that<br />
it is more for<br />
its fashion<br />
purpose than<br />
its coziness.<br />
“I personally<br />
wear it because<br />
it looks cool and funky. I love the retro<br />
style, and nothing screams retro more to<br />
me than flannel. My older sister works<br />
at Pacific Sun wear, and she says that<br />
flannel is definitely one of their best<br />
selling items,” said Business Sophomore<br />
Maria Canella.<br />
Flannel is just one of those fabrics that<br />
seem as if it will never go away.<br />
Flannel is functional, especially<br />
when it comes to its warmness and<br />
comfort. It has one of those looks<br />
that are timeless and really do match<br />
with everything and anything. No<br />
matter what way one looks<br />
at it, flannel is<br />
part of<br />
America’s past, certainly part of<br />
it present, and will undoubtedly<br />
be part of its future.<br />
Flannel simply rocks. So<br />
rock on flannel, rock on! May<br />
you be part of our outfits for<br />
decades to come!<br />
Ralph Pierre Louis and Avery<br />
Bailey show off how they wear<br />
their flannel shirts.<br />
The evolution of jeans over the decades<br />
Whether your jeans are skinny, engineered, loose fi t, or cargo - jeans have become America’s<br />
favorite pants<br />
CHIEDOZIE OKAFOR<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Over the decades, students have been<br />
keeping up with the different styles of<br />
jeans. If we were to take all of the jeans<br />
we have taking up space in our closets,<br />
and lined them together we will see just<br />
how the style of jeans we wear have<br />
changed.<br />
The truth of the matter is, just as<br />
humans evolve so does our clothing.<br />
When revering to jeans, people gone<br />
from far extremes as the 70s styled bell<br />
bottoms up to millennium skinny jeans<br />
First worn in the eighteenth century as<br />
trade, slave labor, and cotton plantations<br />
increased, workers wore jean cloth<br />
because the material was very strong<br />
and won’t wear out easy. Today jeans<br />
have a whole other use, and that use is<br />
for pure fashion.<br />
Students change their styles every day,<br />
and silently that change has influenced<br />
the style in their jeans. From Levis to<br />
Route 66, from straight legs to skinny,<br />
students are definitely keeping up with the<br />
latest.<br />
“I’ve noticed that, from freshman year<br />
up until now, guys have gone from really<br />
baggy pants to tighter, and girls are even<br />
wearing tighter pants,” said Business<br />
senior Yvanie Jean.<br />
When traveling the courtyard Look left<br />
and right and you will catch a student<br />
wearing a pair of denim jeans. But where<br />
exactly did the style of ‘denim’ emerge? It<br />
wasn’t until after the first pair was made<br />
in the 19th century by Leob Strauss, who<br />
changed his name to “Levi” in honor of<br />
his label. Later in the 1950’s, the so-called<br />
“rebels decade” when teenagers began<br />
wearing denim jeans because that was the<br />
image of the teenage rebel on. This image<br />
was usually depicted on TV shows and<br />
other media. There were even schools in<br />
the USA that banned their students from<br />
wearing the jeans. Must be many rebels at<br />
<strong>Coral</strong> <strong>Reef</strong>, because there are more Levi’s<br />
and True Religion’s hugging the student’s<br />
legs to start our very own jean shop.<br />
“I got in trouble two weeks ago for the<br />
jeans I had on,” said Legal Sophomore<br />
Louis Martinez<br />
Today students have stumbled into<br />
the era of skinny jeans. Girls and guys<br />
included are jumping on board with this<br />
trend.<br />
“There isn’t anyone who could come<br />
between me and my skinnies,” Said<br />
VPA sophomore Linroy Johnson.<br />
It seems that these trends are<br />
standing strong will it fade away<br />
along with other trends?.<br />
“I don’t think so, our age seem<br />
really content with the style of the<br />
skinny or straight legs. Maybe when<br />
we grow up then we will change out<br />
of the skinny and into some slacks,”<br />
said IB senior Sorina Vaziri<br />
Well based on the history of jean<br />
trends, the style is bound to change<br />
somehow. Only time can really tell.