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Coral Reef Sr. High School
3BAITLINE
Which books are
Get Ho ked
Hispanic heritage
BANNED? p.2
month p.11
October 2008 Volume 12 Issue 10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157
Happy Halloween!
See the “Submerge Yourself” section
on pages 8 and 9 to discover the
origins of Halloween and some of
its ancient traditions and games.

2 News
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
Revised student
code of conduct
ALEXANDRA CASTILLA
Staff Writer
At the start of the
2008-2009 school
year the newly
revised student
code of conduct
was stressed at
orientation.
Many students,
however, didn’t
exactly understand
what it meant and
its consequences,
except that girls
now must wear
shirts with sleeves
opposed to spaghetti
straps.
“I don’t understand
why it necessary for
To the dismay of I.B. senior Sasha
Dunn, Mr. Mejia lays down the law.
such a change, bare shoulders never hurt anyone,” said IB senior Ana Perez.
Assistant Principal Mr. Evans says it all a matter of equality that Miami
Dade County Public Schools is trying to stress. It is only fair to have the same
regulations for all students no matter what gender they are.
“Such a strong focus on the importance of equality in schools has been put
in place in order to get rid of stereotypes and much smaller problems,” said
Evans.
It is important to understand, however, that the newly revised student code
of conduct applies to all Miami Dade County Public Schools and that Coral
Reef is not the only school forced to make such changes.
“Laws have to change as situations in schools change,” said Mr. Evans.
Amongst the changes in dress codes are changes in violations such as a
“procession of items or materials that are inappropriate for an educational
setting” (Level I Violation).
Other changes to the code of conduct include the addition of the “distribution
of items or materials that are inappropriate for an educational setting” (Level
II Violation) and bullying (Level III Violation).
Evans claims that most of these changes to the student code of conduct
don’t exactly apply to Coral Reef seeing as there has rarely ever been any
kind of high offenses taken place at the school and the majority of the student
body are well-mannered.
He also believes that the student code of conduct has a higher purpose.
“College is a lot stricter than high school. Many believe that in college
because you have more independence you are allowed to do anything you
want. The opposite is true. The student code of conduct is getting students
ready to be successful in college,” said Evans.
In the end, the aim for the school is to have a functional school setting, one
where students are allowed to learn and develop without distraction.
Harry Potter has been censored from schools because it allegedly promotes
witchcraft.
Banned book
ALEXIA FRITH
Staff Writer
week
For twenty seven years the American Library
Association has been “celebrating the freedom
to read.”
Banned Book Week, usually on the last
week of September, informs Americans of
the privilege that they have to be able to read
whatever book they choose.
This celebration is something that many
book lovers take great pride in. Libraries and
bookstores alike come together and display
different books that have been “challenged.”
These books have been censored for explicit
material.
“I feel that [book banning] is unfair, because
it withholds knowledge,” said Engineering
sophomore Jordon Thomas.
Books such as Killing Mr. Griffin, Captain
Underpants, To Kill a Mockingbird and The
Giver have been banned for reasons including
depictions of violence and destruction, or
negative messages.
“I don’t see why books would be ‘banned.’
People should be able to read whatever they
choose to. Just because someone doesn’t
approve of what someone else is reading
doesn’t mean they have the right to want to
make it inaccessible,” said IB sophomore
Britney James.
Some of the books inaccessible in some
schools are the Harry Potter novels, which
were censored due to allegedly promoting
witchcraft.
“The reason we celebrate Banned Books
Week is because it doesn’t matter what the
book is, people will have biases because of
a lack of knowledge or prejudices and they
are going to try to force their opinions on
everyone. Harry Potter was just caught up
in that net,” said the school librarian, Mrs.
Fradera.
Banned Book Week reminds Americans
of the importance in having freedom of the
press. Unlike in other parts of the world,
like China or Cuba, citizens in the United
States may read any book they wish.
With sponsors like The American
Booksellers Association and The American
Library Association, Banned Book Week
is something that is well endorsed and on
going. It is something students should take
pride in and use to their advantage.

News
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
3
Waiting on the world to change: genocide in Darfur
SHANE SUMBU
Staff Writer
As Americans complain about such
things as sky rocketing gas prices and the
recent dive the economy took, a youth in
Sudan is witnessing his home being burnt
to the ground, his sister being raped and
maimed and his peers being murdered.
For civilians in the Darfur region, in the
war torn eastern African nation of Sudan,
this has become a harsh reality.
As the United States has overstayed
its welcome in the Middle East for the
past 7 years, a similar Holocaust genocide
upon non-Arabs in Sudan has been taking
place for the last 5 years.
The conflict began in February of
2003 when two rebel groups accused
the Sudanese government of oppressing
non-Arab Sudanese citizens in Darfur.
In response, President Omar al-Bashir
sent an Arab militant group known as the Janjaweed from
the capital of Khartoum into the Darfur region, where they
killed unarmed citizens, systematically raped women and
burned whole villages to the ground.
Since then, nearly 400,000 have been murdered and
2.5 displaced, now living in refugee camps in the nearby
nation of Chad. An estimated nearly 15,000 people die
each month.
DROP forces teachers to retire and return
Mr. Hunt, a part time AP European
teacher, was forced to exit the
DROP program.
NICOLE BRANDFON
Staff Writer
Going into the 2008-2009 school year,
many students took notice of the amount of
teachers who came back with fewer classes
and fewer students. Mr. Hunt, an AP
European History Teacher, and Mr. Ford
both came back as part-time teachers due
to the change in the retirement program of
all state employees, DROP.
DROP stands for “deferred retirement
option plan,” which is a combination
of many retirement systems that allow
employees to retire but continue working
for several more years. Mr. Zucker
explained that after 5 years in the DROP
program you are supposed to automatically
retire and up until this year, teachers and
counselors could stay up to an extra three
years.
This forced many teachers to retire who are
now working part time in order to continue
to earn some extra money. Mr. Hunt had
completed seven years and was hoping to
“I think it’s
horrible the way
they’re trying to
get rid of a whole
p o p u l a t i o n ,
b e c a u s e o f
their ethnicity
and we’re not
doing anything
about it. I don’t
think it’s ethical
at all,” said IB
Senior Karishma
Gieowar-Singh
Currently,
peace-keepers
sent into Sudan
b y t h e U N
attempt to help
civilians as the
death rate grows
exponentially. However, these peace-keepers are illequipped
and poorly funded.
As students, we can help by donating to the cause through
web sites such as savedarfur.org or simply sign a petition
demanding international action against the brutal killing
through the same site.
In addition with events such as Amnesty International’s
“Dance for Darfur,” students can both show support and
have a good time.
Many students wear Darfur stickers, like the
one shown here, to voice their opinions on
the ongoing genocide.
Gone and Back Again
gain that extra year. Instead, this year he
has come back as a part-time teacher. He
said that the original proposition made was
to allow teachers to come back on a yearly
contract after the eight years but it was not
approved.
“I loved the insurance and salary of being
a full time teacher and now I’m being
paid only one-third of the salary with no
benefits. We were lucky though that Mrs.
Leal could bring us back part time. She has
been very good to us,” said Mr. Hunt.
The disadvantages of teachers not being
able to come back the three extra years
came down to the money factor. Working
three extra years allowed the returning
teacher to earn a lot more money; Mr. Hunt
estimated around $50,000 more each year.
As teachers, each year worked gains
more seniority which causes salary to go
up, even if by little, giving teachers who
work longer more money. For example,
a teacher who has been working in the
school system for 30 years will make
$68,225 versus a beginning teacher who
would make $40,804 .
“I understand why they made us exit the
program, however, it is ridiculous that Mr.
Ford and I could not come back as first year
teachers with beginning salary and benefits
because with 38 years of experience we
would be a bargain,” said Mr. Hunt.
This retirement program, DROP, has had a
great effect on many schools everywhere.
Now some teachers that were promised up
to three extra years of teaching full time
with a growing salary and benefits were
cut off.
Some of these teacher or counselors are
now back to school working part-time like
Mr. Hunt and Mr. Ford, but some schools
were not as lucky and could not rehire
teachers leaving them without their jobs
and fully retired.
The diversity of the student
body at Coral Reef is apparent
just by walking down the
halls any given day and being
surrounded by an abundance
of ethnicities and cultures.
Reef’s diversity is reflected by
the range of foreign language
classes offered, number of
afterschool activities, and
number and variety of
extracurricular clubs.
The Coral Reef High School
census, according to www.
muninetguide.com confirmed
the ethnic diversity of its student body in
it demographics.
Of Coral Reef’s 2,995 students, 50.2%
are Latino, 23.7% are White, 21.2%
are African American, 4.7% are Asian,
and 0.2% is Native American. This
is consistent with the demographics
of Miami-Dade County and its large
Hispanic population.
The diversity of clubs represents the
different ethnicities and cultures here at
Coral Reef High School.
They include the Afro-Heritage Club,
the Hispanic Heritage Society, the
German Heritage Society, and the
French Club Society. All of these clubs
acknowledge a preference for diversity.
“The many different ethnicities at Coral
Reef have taught me about my fellow
classmates and their backgrounds as
well,” said Leisure Medicine sophomore
Christine Webber.
Despite the many ethnic and cultural
groups, the students at Coral Reef High
School do not solely group themselves
according from where they came from
or their race.
“Dance for Darfur basically collects donations
going towards helping displaced victims of
the genocide in Sudan with food etc. and is a
6 hour dance marathon at the same time,” said
“Do Something” club president, I.B. senior
Mar Echevarria.
Though the UN has taken little action
towards ending or slowing the Darfur genocide,
students themselves can make themselves
heard and can take action through making
donations, or participating in events such as
“Dance for Darfur.”
“I think if the world is so concerned about
dictatorships and human rights then the UN
needs to pay more attention to what’s going
on in Darfur, if nothing else provide medicine,
food and clean water for the victims,” said
History teacher Mr. Bullard.
Most importantly, the genocide is going on,
and being aware is the first step in solving the
problem. Now is the time when students can
show their humanistic sides, to show their
potential to care and to effect a difference.
“I think students should be actively involved
in humanitarian efforts. As far as Darfur goes,
they should join the “Save Darfur” coalition’s
million strong list so they can get information
periodically on how they can help,” said I.B.
Senior Daniella Carucci.
Diversity in the Reef
Students from different ethnicities share their
experiences at school
JORDAN FELDMAN
Staff Writer
Melissa Cruz, Patrick Volum, Maya Carter,
and Kent White all share a common
friendship despite their ethnic diversities.
“Although I’m Hispanic, I have friends
of many different backgrounds which is
one of the unique features of Coral Reef
High School,” said IB sophomore Alejandra
Garcia.
There is a visual display as well as an
auditory display of the cultural individuality
of the student body of the many languages
being spoken.
It is not uncommon to hear conversations
spoken in Spanish, German, French, English
and many others. Many students learn a
second or even third language outside the
classroom as well as in.
The variety in cultures and ethnicities
enables Coral Reef to have such an
exceptional environment for its student
body to prosper.
Although the students at Coral Reef
come from different backgrounds, their
experiences and interactions with each
other leaves them with knowledge and
appreciation of each other.
“Being at Coral reef is like being back at
Jamaica. Everyone is of different cultures
and it puts a perspective for us as an
international community,” said I.B. senior
Rashielle Teape.

4Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
Student employees
Balancing school with work is a responsibility
many students have to deal with
SHATONE GRAY
Staff Writer
As students get older
there is a growing desire
for independence.
This sparks the search
for employment, the
installation into the work
force.
Few things excite a
young adult more than
the anticipation of their
very first paycheck. Plans
are made obligating
the funds that are well
on their way to a bank
account.
Aside from all the Shaqueena Davis shows off her
obvious perks that come Burger King uniform.
from having a job, there
are also difficulties that
some student employees face.
Things are compromised, such as using
available time effectively to complete
schoolwork, the time spent with a
boyfriend/girlfriend, and resting.
Students assume the responsibility of
working with hopes of being able to help
pay their senior obligations, buy a car, or
even some new clothes for partying on the
weekends.
“I go out on the weekends without
worrying about my mom pestering me
about how much money she’s given me,”
said VPA senior Jennifer Brewer when
asked about the advantages of being
employed.
A direct deposit
is another tool that
can aid an employee
in achieving their
personal financial
goals. Money goes
directly to your
account at the end
of the pay period.
“It’s rough
out here on these
streets! I gotta
pay for the things
my parents think
are unnecessary.
Sometimes I want
another haircut,
another pair of jeans
or shoes, my mom
doesn’t want to
buy that. So I have
to,” said Business
sophomore James Brown.
Being employed allows for the freedoms
that most kids want, but can’t afford.
But there is one thing that the employed
students should think about, saving their
money. Money saved now will be a lot
more useful in the future.
Also, with the upcoming senior
expenses, money should be put to use in
the wisest of ways. With Homecoming
tickets being $70; Grad Bash, $120;
Prom another $75; Senior Breakfast,
$35; Senior pictures ranging from $100
to, in some cases, $600; surely parents
would be more than grateful to have
some financial help.
ALEXANDER MELENDEZ
Staff Writer
Many seniors at the Reef are taking
advantage of an unique elective:
internships.
It is no surprise that Coral Reef offers
an abundance of electives to enhance a
student’s learning experience, like “office
aid” or music theory. These electives provide
a multidimensional element students’
curriculums, often allowing them to branch
off into other areas of study.
Yet among all the courses and activities
offered at our school, the one students
look forward to the most is internship. It
is a chance for them to get real hands on
experience in a field of their interest.
For I.B. senior Barbara Uchdorff, interning
at The Miami Herald offers her the chance to
have her writing read by the public.
News
Students in the “real
Seniors discuss the benefits of taking internships
I.B. senior Barbara Uchdorff interns at The Miami
Herald
“It’s a good experience
because I get to write
articles and not just do
clerical work, which a
lot of internships consist
of,” said Uchdorff.
A chance to go practice
a special interest is
always exciting, but
what really makes the
internship elective so
sought after?
It could be the fact
that it is offered only
to seniors which makes
it more exclusive and
ultimately a privilege.
“Personally I like
having an internship
because I have waited
four years to become
a senior to have the
opportunity to have an internship,” said
Legal senior Stacey Perrera.
Other seniors like their internships for
another reason, like the chance to leave
school a few hours early.
“I love my internship. I get real hands
on experience outside of school. Also
getting out every other day a little bit
earlier excites me,” said Legal senior
Sabine Salnave.
The answer is ultimately based on
personal preference.
The popularity of internships might be
because of the chance to leave campus a
few hours early, or that the experience one
receives at an internship cannot be found
in a school classroom.
Whatever the reason, it seems that senior
internships will remain a part of school
tradition in the years to come.
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Opinions
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
5
Teenage Love Affair
Teenage relationships from a guy and girl perspective
CHIEDOZIE OKAFOR
Staff Writer
CHAMERE LITTLEJOHN
Staff Writer
Teenage years are some of the best in a young man’s life. Male
teens are in their prime, and feel that they have the ability to achieve
anything. It just seems that young males, as most girls may say,
can’t achieve everything needed to make the relationship work.
There is no excuse for guys who are truly nonchalant and
choose not to put effort into his relationships; however there
are some guys that actually try, but just somehow fall short.
Teen relationships are always a hassle. Both the guy
and girl are young and just want to enjoy being a teen.
After asking students, majority of the girls feel that
being in a relationship can be a wonderful thing,
but nearly every male student felt that at times
relationships can be extremely stressful.
Females are a little too serious when
it comes to “teenage love,” it seems as if
they’re thinking about marriage as soon as
the guy consents to go out with them.
“Girls are so complicated and it’s hard
to have fun when you’re tied down,” said
Business senior Gerald Grant.
Ladies can be difficult! Guys are expected
to walk their girlfriends to and from class,
hold books, text her every second until
the bell rings, then do it all over again the
following period. Has it ever dawned on
these females that maybe their boyfriend
wants to be walked to their classes?
Do they not realize that the guys books
gets equally as heavy?
“A boyfriend is supposed to do things
for his girlfriend, not the other way around,”
said Business senior Alexandria Marsh.
True enough that part of being the man in
the relationship means being the rock, the
source of strength and stability, able to take
care and keep his “girl” happy.
“Some of these girls be tripping! It’s like,
you take them out to eat, and when the meal is
done and the check has come, girls would just
fold their arms and look at you. It would be
nice if a girl would at least offer to help pay for
the tab!” said Legal Senior Joseph Jefferson.
Joseph makes a good point. To take on the
title of a boyfriend now-a-days is like signing
up to be 24 hour assistant/ bodyguard. There are
some relationships where the female demands and
or expects certain things. The guy has to deal with
random anniversaries, attitudes and mood swings,
and trying to be considerate of feelings.
That is a lot to juggle; it seems that as soon as
the boyfriend messes up, he has committed the
ultimate crime. Some girls expect too much from
their boyfriends, claiming that it’s all a part of being
a “gentleman,” but what does being a gentleman
really mean?
“Well, Webster defines being a gentleman as a
civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man,” said Business
senior Stephanie Nicholas.
Whatever the case may be, both the guy and girl in teenage relationships
should try a little harder to enforce the 50/50 rule. Many girls have the
misconception that the guy is there to do things for them, and not the
other way around. Teen relationships are broken off by the male because
the girl in the relationship had the mind-frame of receiving and never
giving. So no offense girls, but you’re not perfect either!
Lovebirds Victor Garcia
and Sarah Gonzalez
The term “relationship” is a word that is vaguely used without
knowing the exact meaning of it. It is taken and played with like a
baby learning to walk; stumbling to grasp on to the concept. The
bigger debate is asking “What exactly does it mean to be in a
teen relationship from the girl’s perspective?”
It is a concept that is most often misinterpreted in the eyes
of adults. Often parents figure that teens are too young to date,
or they aren’t yet ready.
It gets even worse, when the controversy of dating
between boys and girls are mentioned; is it fair that
girls always seem to be targeted when it comes to
the mere mention of dating, yet guys never seem
to have that problem?
Ironically, it always seems to be the girls who
go through the most problems throughout the
relationship.
These include disputes with parents, cheating,
lies, break-ups: the list can go on forever. This
is not to say that guys make all the mistakes, but
most of the time they are the cause.
Stereotypes have always seemed to come into play
Young men are blind when it comes to painting
the image of how a young lady is supposed to be
treated. They have not yet gained the knowledge
of the right and wrong doings that tie into being in
a relationship. Are these really stereotypes or is it just
reality that girls face while being in a relationship?
“No, guys should not be taught the ‘correct way’ of
being in a relationship. We just want to do it our way,”
said Legal senior Jean Andre.
In reality, there is no ‘correct way’ of being in a
relationship. Guys just need to understand that not all girls
are the same and they all deserve to be treated with a fresh
heart. Some girls tend to enjoy the silliness guys portray
and love their joking manner, but sometimes a boyfriend
can go overboard. Don’t forget, girls still love the sensitive
and sweet side, too.
“If he can’t make me laugh, I’ll lose interest. His personality
should compliment mine,” said I.B. senior Daniella Carucci.
Girls usually stress out more that guys do when it comes to
relationships, mainly because they are struggling with the “L”
word. Typically girls seem to fall in love quicker than guys do;
they tend to get the fuzzy feelings in their hearts at a faster pace.
“Most girls do like to think that they’re in love, because they
want to feel wanted. For guys, not so much. They want to feel
needed, but not needy,” said I.B. senior Hannah Dowd.
Guys aren’t off the hook though. A study shows that it is
the guy’s fault for the love trap. So, exactly what trap do they
set up to let those caterpillars out of their cocoons? It is the
goofiness and wittiness that girls oh so love.
“People are just in love with the idea of being in love. There
have been times where I use to believe that myself, but I’m
not going to let it discourage me. It brings in the idea that
many people have married their high school sweethearts, so
why can’t I?” said senior Anquanette Anderson. “I believe if
two people are deeply in love and both want that relationship
to work out, then they would do whatever they have to in order to
make it last.”
In actuality, girls tend to have a hate/love relationship when it
comes to adoring the guys. They seem to love the things they hate.
It’s where they find their comfort that is lacking elsewhere. So do
not fret guys, although slackness may occur, you’re still loved just
that much more.

6 Editorial
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
The Modern prometheus
Will today’s science become tomorrow’s Frankenstein monster?
As science speeds towards new innovations with each
coming year, scientists must be evaluative and self-reflective, with
a cautious eye on ethics. Otherwise, today’s science itself
may become tomorrow’s Frankenstein monster.
Mary Shelley saw the future when
she wrote Frankenstein in 1818, originally
conceived as an idea to present at a
ghost story telling event.
What I mean when I
refer to science as today’s
Frankenstein is not in the
literal sense. Rather, I
mean that science has
as much potential for
destruction as it does
for helping people.
Should we not
be careful in
our judgments
and ethical
considerations,
we may just
suffer the same
fate as Dr.
Frankenstein:
d e s t r u c t i o n
from our own
miscalculated
creations.
A prime
example of this is
the controversial
topic of stem-cell
research, which is
usually supported
by liberals a pathway
to curing disease, while
conservatives denounce
it as humans attempting to
play God.
Undoubtedly it would be seen
as a good thing if life-prolonging
treatment became available to the
public. Yet there are critical questions
that society must ask itself and important
consequences that it must consider.
With an increase in life-span, Americans would
find it more desirable to pursue a career later in life. After
all, the amount of time that can be afforded to waste in adolescence has
increased. If humans could live up to a hundred and fifty or two hundred
years, they might not pursue a career or begin a family until fifty years or
so. Then humans in their first fifty years life would just be resource
depletion with no contributions to society.
On the positive side, an extra fifty years in adolescence
could mean fifty years dedicated to education; with
such time given for schooling humans could
become even more skilled in their areas
of study. Society could then become
exponentially more efficient if such an
education plan was possible.
An increasing life span would
also mean that the age gap
between children and their
parents would increase. With
reproduction occurring
so late in life, there is
greater risk of humans
dying before they have
children.
The world could then
experience a drop in
population growth,
which may either open
up job opportunities
to people, or disrupt
the economy because
of a lack of inflowing
skilled labor.
But will world-wide
economies be able to
support such a prolonged
program of education
of fifty years for every
human?
And who would be granted
this treatment for prolonged
life? Will it be like the treatment
of AIDS, so expensive that only
the rich can afford it? And would it
be ethical if some humans could live
significantly longer than others?
These questions are the kinds of questions
we as a society must ask ourselves as technology
becomes ever so advanced. By no means is science
“evil;” it helps millions of people every day (a little
something called “modern plumbing). All the same, a cautious
approach is the best approach because it is better to be safe than
dead.
BAITLINE2008-2009 Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Steven Li
News Editors
Leidy Perez
Megan Zucker
Opinions Editor
Jasmine Calin
Submerge Yourself
Editors
Lukas Moon
Karla Anderson
A&E Editor
Jillian Roberts
Sports Editors
Julian Ortiz
Vanessa Rueda
Spotlight Editor
Alexandra Castilla
Tech Editor
Emma Singer
High Tide Editor
Karla Anderson
Guest
Photographers
Bryan Hesser
Matthew Martinez
Staff Writers
Karla Anderson
Nicole Brandford
Jasmine Calin
Alexandra Castilla
Trudy Clarke
Gabriella Delpozo
Jordan Feldman
Alexia Frith
Shatone Gray
Steven Li
Chamere Littlejohn
Andres Lopez
Ricardo Martinez
Alexander Melendez
Megan Miranda
Lukas Moon
Chiedozie Okafor
Julian Ortiz
Leidy Perez
Jillian Roberts
Vanessa Rueda
Emma Singer
Shane Sumbu
Megan Zucker
Advisor
Cheri Mitchell-
Santiago
Principal
Adrianne Leal
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Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to
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Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net.

Opinions
Uniforms
To wear or not to wear?
MEGAN MIRANDA
Staff Writer
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
College Applications
My tips to help ease the process
7
Five years ago, all public high schools had one thing in
common. When you walked on campus, all the students
were wearing their clothing of choice. Now, fewer high
schools in Miami are allowing their students to dress
freely. Among these high schools are Felix Varela, Miami
Palmetto, and our very own Coral Reef.
“We are privileged, unlike other schools, because we
get to express ourselves and portray how we feel,” said
Medical senior Diana Perez.
From patched jeans to multicolored tops, Coral Reef
students express themselves through the clothes they
choose to wear.
“Everyone has their freedom,” said Engineering freshmen
Tyler Kushma. Coming from a school wear he was forced
to wear uniforms, Kushma is happy to be able to shed the
conformity of uniforms and wear what he wants.
However, there are people at Coral Reef who do not
shun the idea of uniforms. Some believe they advocate for
school spirit and make the lives of students a bit easier.
“If we had uniforms we wouldn’t have to worry about
what to wear,” said Agriscience senior Alina Sabatini.
Imagine how much time could be saved in the mornings
U n ifo rm s : W h a t S tu d e n ts T h in k
7 3 %
2 7 %
JASMINE CALIN
Staff Writer
College application time can be
both exciting and confusing.
To help ease the stress, here are my
10 tips to help you survive through
the college application process:
1. Don’t rush: Give yourself
time to write your essays and more
importantly give your teachers
and counselors time to write your
recommendations. If they have
to write in a rush or last minute it
either won’t get done or they’ll be
too angry with you to write anything
worth reading! No one wants to
have a recommendation from a mad
teacher.
2. Make your essays about you:
This is your one chance to have them
get to know you as a person and not
just a student. Don’t write a report
or research paper that will bore the
college acceptance committee in the
first paragraph. “Follow the prompt”
suggests Mrs. Harper, Coral Reef’s
CAP advisor.
3. Figure out which colleges
you’re applying to take the
Common Application: Make life
easy for yourself; if the college takes
the Common Application that’s one
less application you have to fill out.
Just make sure you also fill out each
schools respective supplement. Go to
www.commonapp.org.
4. Gather all the information
you will need to fill out
applications: Get your
unweighted and weighted GPA,
class percentile, school CEEB
code (101199), and ACT/ SAT
scores and the dates taken all
together so you can get the
application done quicker without
having to wait on this information
from your counselor later.
5. Narrow your colleges down
to a manageable list: Having a
list of 31 colleges to apply to is
ridiculous! But only applying to
one is no more sensible. Pick a
number that is good for you but
not vast. Remember that you
are only going to one school in
the end. Applying to dozens of
schools in hopes of getting into
one may not be too smart… you
may end up getting into a college
you aren’t particularly fond of.
6. Be sensible with your choices
but don’t undersell yourself:
Know what colleges you are
capable of getting into and focus
on those. However, it is okay to
apply to your dream college,
but it is recommended to have a
safety school.
“UF is no longer a safety school.
It is getting even harder to get in,”
said Mrs. Harper.
A poll taken out of 500 students
if students didn’t have to spend ten minutes staring sleepily
into their closets for an outfit that matches their mood for
the day. Instead they would just grab the required uniform
and maybe use those extra ten minutes for much needed
rest.
Uniforms would rule out any prejudices or assumptions
people make based on appearances alone. By wearing
the same thing, no one could mock one another for their
choices in clothing.
“Having uniforms would unify us as a school. We’d be
one student body and our lives would be easier. No one
would judge us because of what we wore,” said Legal and
Public Affairs senior Frederick Montgomery.
Uniforms would significantly decrease the chances of
outsiders coming into the school and causing any trouble
or harm to the students or staff.
“I would love to see students wear uniforms because
it would be easier to identify who belongs to the school
instead of looking for the ID badges,” said AP Biology
teacher Laura Vogl.
Coral Reef does not have uniforms and the majority of
the students rejoice at the freedom to express themselves
through the clothing they choose to wear.
The people that do support uniforms make strong
arguments in their favor, but are they strong enough?
Will Coral Reef one day adopt the same uniform policies
that high schools across Miami-Dade County have? Only
time will tell.
LUKAS MOON
Staff Writer
One of the greatest political
and economic problems
facing the United States
today is its dependence
on foreign oil. Yet it is
well known that
vast reserves of
oil lie underneath
the ocean floor and
can be tapped into
if Americans allow
offshore drilling.
The use of limited
offshore drilling
would be a great
value to our nation
as it transitions
into a new phase of
renewable energy.
“[If we drill] we
won’t have to buy
oil from other countries. It
is something that we have
to do until we get alternate
fuel sources,” said Legal
junior Charquavis Bell.
Indeed, it seems that a
temporary solution to our
oil crisis is right on our
shores. Russia and Cuba
have successfully found oil
reserves on the ocean floor.
Drilling the seas
7. If possible, make visits to the
schools you are really interested
in: Being on the campus will aid
you in your decision on forming
an opinion of the university. Ask
yourself: could I be here for 4
years?
8. Apply to a couple state schools:
with a 1270 or higher on the SAT or
a 28 on the ACT while maintaining
a 3.5 GPA or an IB diploma will
award you 100% paid tuition to a
Public Florida University through
Bright Futures Scholarships.
9. The Early Bird gets the worm:
Apply in Both college applications
and in financial aid,” adds Ms.
Harper. Most colleges have a
rolling application acceptance
process so students can send in their
applications from the start of their
senior year.
10. MOST IMPORTANTLY- Keep
track of all your deadlines. It is
very easy to miss a deadline here and
there but it could be the difference
between getting into to college of
your dreams or your safety school.
As a last note, it is important to
stay focused during senior year
because colleges can choose to
revoke your acceptance.
Refer to these tips anytime you
get stressed and remember, there is
a perfect college for every student.
Brazil has tapped into an
oil reserve off of its shore
that is the second largest
known oil source in the
world. Imagine what large
oil reserves could be found
hidden beneath the ocean
floor around the North
American coast.
There are many concerns
with such drilling. There is
the environmental concern:
it would be a nightmare
if one of the drilling sites
resulted in potentially the
largest oil spill in world
history, bringing destruction
to both human and ocean
life. It also costs a lot of
money to look for oil and
these offshore drill sites
are susceptible to natural
disasters.
Due to these concerns
government should set
limits and safety regulations
Americans are one of the largest consumers of oil
on such sites to avoid
accidents and to prepare for
the worst case scenarios.
They should limit the areas
that can be drilled, set strict
safety regulations, and
hold the drilling companies
accountable for any
shortcomings in drilling
safety.
Unfortunately, it seems
that both political parties
have got it wrong when it
comes to offshore drilling.
The Republicans are pushing
for offshore drilling with few
limits and little regard for the
environment; they also treat
it like the final solution to our
dependence on foreign
oil.
The Democrats are
fighting against it
and want the United
States to change to
renewable fuel sources
overnight, something
that will take many
years to do. We need a
plan that will support
offshore drilling for oil
while simultaneously
increasing research
and development of
alternate fuel sources.
“I think it will help us until
we can get a better alternative
fuel source,” said VPA senior
Christina Persaud.
The United States must
begin limited offshore drilling
as a means to move on to
renewable fuel sources to buy
time for the development and
employment of renewable
energy. Offshore drilling
does just that.

Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
8
Don’t turn off the
light
VANESSA RUEDA
Staff Writer
SUBMERGE
It’s that time of
year again where the air becomes just a bit more frightening,
the dark holds more surprises than ever, and there is more
to a mirror than meets the eye. At least, that’s how it is at
this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
in Orlando, Florida. The theme is “Reflections of Fear”
featuring urban legends such as “Bloody Mary”
among others.
While there have been
rumors that seniors would
be attending this event
as a class trip, Mrs.
Martinez was
quick to end
them.
“The rumors
aren’t true. It’s
not appropriate for h i g h
school students. If they choose to
go on their own then that’s fine.
There’s alcohol served and it’s just
not something that Coral Reef will
approve.”
While it may not be a class trip,
several seniors still plan on attending.
Among them is Business senior Joel
Perez who will be attending
for the 4th time. Joel says:
“I’ve been going for 4 years.
It’s a thrill, I enjoy being
scared and I usually go with
a group of 25 people. This
year’s gonna be sick!”
While Joel’s personal view is that “Tales of Terror”
“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give
me something good to eat”—a song
I will be chanting door-to-door on
Halloween.
Yes, at the age of 17, I will be
dressing in a costume along with
friends to not only play tricks, but to
get some treats.
Many people have come to me and
asked whether I feel that I’m too old
to participate in the tradition of trick
or treating. My response is always
the same: “NO!” There are no age
limits on traditions and holidays.
That’s like someone saying you’re
too old to have a Christmas, it’s just
unheard of!
Although I feel a certain way about
participation in such a “childish”
holiday, I wanted to ask someone
else their opinion.
“If you’re going with a group of
people then its okay, but if you’re
alone then yes, you will look foolish,”
said VPA senior Tiffany Shultz.
I somewhat agree with Tiffany.
Yes, it’ll seem better with a group
of people around my age group, but
if I was alone, is it that bad to want
candy?
“Thirteen is the last age anyone
should be trick or treating. It’s so lame
was the best theme the park has had since he has been
attending, this year promises to be the best one yet. With
several haunted houses such as “Reflections of Fear,”
“Once Upon a Nightmare,” “Creatures!,” “Interstellar
Terror,” “Dead Exposure,” and others along with “scare
zones,” areas of the park that are themed specifically to
scare you, such as “Asylum in Wonderland,” “Streets of
Blood,” and “The Path of The Wicked,” to name a
few. This year has more haunted houses and
“scare zones” than years before. For
those who have never attended, yes,
the rides remain open when
you attend.
This year’s Halloween
Horror Nights is sure to send a
scare down the spines of students
at Reef that will last a lifetime.
How old is too old to trick-or-treat?
CHIEDOZIE OKAFOR
Staff Writer
The Halloween Horror Nights shirt from last year.
17 years old, Thomas Martinez wonders why he shouldn’t
Trick-or-Treat
to see older kids come to my house
begging for candy,” said Legal Senior
Nichel White.
Now I know never to trespass
Nichel’s House on Halloween! Maybe
there is an age limit to trick or treating.
After candy and
trick or treating are
usually associated
with little kids.
“I don’t see
anything wrong
with being over
17 and trick-ortreating.
I know
I’ll be doing it!”
said Legal senior
Jean Sebastian
Andre.
Apparently
e v e r y t h i n g
concludes to
“different strokes,
for different
folks.” Everyone
feels differently
about the so called
“age limit” for
trick or treating
on Halloween.
Personally, I feel
that it’s okay. Why
should anyone
be hindered from
doing something
fun all because
people claim
“you’re too old”? My advice is for
everyone to enjoy everything life has to
offer. We are all here for a short while,
so why not do something that brings
nothing but harmless fun.

YOURSELF
9
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
It’s all about the tricksters
Harmless (and not so harmless) pranks liven up Halloween night
CHAMERE LITTLEJOHN
Staff Writer
Halloween has always been one to have
the best pranks and tricks up its sleeve.
Ironically over the years, things have
changed. It isn’t all about giving candy
anymore, now-a-days it’s about playing a
prank on society.
The old classics are Ding dong ditching
and going to a house to TeePee (toilet
paper) it. However as a new generation is
running the town, new pranks are in order.
To what extreme have people gone to turn
this holiday into what is called fun?
The invention of shaving cream has been
brought from under the sinks and is used
to leave a nice clean shave on someone’s
car. Pumpkin smashing has won an Emmy
and now is the star role in our society.
There’s nothing like seeing the extravagant
pumpkin you took the time to create
decapitated the next morning.
Toilet paper still stands strong in spite of
the competition it faces. The idea of having
to clean up wet toilet paper that has been
stuck to your tree doesn’t tend to be the
best feeling you anticipate.
Stephanie Nicholas, a senior in Criminal
Justice, spoke out against Halloween
pranks, “I think doing pranks are a waste
of time. I feel the people that do pranks are
juvenile.”
Yet Halloween hasn’t completely lost its
whole demeanor. Children (teens too) still
On the 31st of October, the veil between
the spirit world and ours is thin. That night,
children and teens alike take to the streets,
piling their bags with candies. Yet, this
holiday was not always as light-hearted:
Halloween originated from the Celtic
holiday of Samhain, also known as “All
Hallows Eve.”
Traditionally the festival of Samhain is
celebrated on the first of November and
is considered the Celtic New Year. On the
night before, the final harvest takes place
and the dead are honored.
Seniors Damien Rigol and Michel Tabbal “Teepee” the barracuda statue as their
Halloween prank.
get the enjoyment of going around trick-ortreating.
There still is a fashion show in the
streets with hideous costumes, and creative
ones.
Advocates for the thrill of Halloween also
go to the extent of setting up their garages
or homes into a haunted house. This can
too be a practical prank because people
go to the extreme to get the screams of
the night. Be careful though, those talking
The ancient Celts believed on this night,
the barrier between the living and the dead
was thinnest and their lost friends and
family members could cross over. Usually
in preparation for this visit, an apple is laid
out: a feast for the dead.
These ancestor spirits are believed to
bring guidance to their families for the
year to come. In remembrance, candles are
placed at the graves of loved ones. At the
stroke of midnight, the spirits cross over
and all remain in respectful silence.
A Halloween tradition, trick-or-treating
originated from the tradition of going from
door-to-door collecting bread, cheese,
and apples in preparation for the Feast of
garages can sometimes have tricks parked
in them.
All in all, Halloween is a much anticipated
holiday that most can’t wait for. There is no
crime for having fun, just make sure it’s the
right kind of fun. Tricks are always okay if
they are safe and harmless. Is there advice
of any sort? Sure, beware of those talking
garages and don’t worry too much, your
candy bags will surely do all the thinking
for you.
Samhain: the night of the dead
Discover the Celtic origin of Halloween and some its traditions and
All Hallows Eve was a time of fortune-telling. Tarot cards were popular means of
divining the future.
STEVEN LI
Editor-in-Chief
Samhain, which occurs the next day.
Another Samhain tradition held that
Halloween was a time to eliminate
weaknesses—to do this, a person’s
weaknesses were written on a piece of paper
and then burned away.
Halloween was a also time for fortunetelling
and divination. Children and adults
alike played games on All Hallows Eve to
know their futures.
To test a relationship, two hazelnuts were
burned over a fire side by side. If they stayed
together as they burned, the relationship
would last. If they burst away from each
other, the relationship would break up.
Another small ritual on Halloween night
was to place a perfect ivy leaf into a cup
of water. It was left over night and if in the
morning the leaf remained perfect, without
any spotting, the person who placed the
leaf would remain healthy until next
Halloween.
Yet another game was played blindfolded,
with several saucers containing different
things. After the saucers were shuffled
around, the blindfolded person would reach
out and touch a saucer. If the saucer contained
water, the person would travel next year; salt
meant future wealth; dirt meant illness; a bean
foretold poverty; and a ring predicted love.
Samhain symbolized the dying of autumn
and the transition into winter. It was a time
for change, to let go negative things from the
past and start new. So this Halloween, get out
those dusty Tarot cards sitting in the drawers,
burn a few hazelnuts, or burn a few candles
for the dead, and take part in this ancient
Celtic holiday.

10 A & E
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
The Dark Knight hits the stage
Drama students competed for victory in “Battle of the Classes,” parodying movie hits
This summer’s blockbuster
hits battled it out Monday,
September 15: theater style.
The “Battle of the Classes”
is a play put on by all the
drama classes: freshman,
sophomore, junior and senior,
where they create a 6 minute
skit based on that year’s
theme.
The 2008-2009 school
year’s theme was movies,
giving each class a different
hit movie. The freshman were
given Wall-E, the sophomores
had to base their skit on I
am Legend a movie starring
Will Smith, the juniors skit
was based on the movie The
Dark Knight and the seniors
reenacted Mama Mia.
Once all the skits were
finished they were performed
for the parents. Once the
parents have seen all the
skits, they donated money
to the class based on which
performance they thought
was the best. At the end, the
class that ended up with the
most money won the battle,
which happened to be the
sophomores this year.
“Battle of the Classes”
was put together solely by
the students, with the juniors
directed by Henry Morillo.
“The juniors did amazing,
in my opinion they were the
best. We had people rapelling
from the second floor and
dead bodies hanging from
the catwalk,” said Morillo.
As for whether it was
daunting for the juniors to
live up to The Dark Knight’s
reputation, the actors weren’t
intimidated.
“You feel some sort of
power when you represent on
of the most famous villains
in Batman,” said VPA junior
Oscar Muñoz, who played
the “Joker.”
After the “Battle of the
Classes” was over, the
drama academy moved on
to other productions. The
next play performed by the
drama students was called
“The Brain Wave Plays” on
October 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
This was their last play for
the 2008 year.
Starting off 2009, the I.B.
senior drama class will be
performing their show in late
February.
Jamie Wheeler as Poison Ivy and Oscar Muñoz
as the “Joker”
College isn’t exactly Ivy
League
MEGAN ZUCKER
Staff Writer
While buying my ticket at the box office
for the movie, College, I knew I would
not be seeing an Oscar award winning
performance. I went in with semi-hopeful
expectations of the movie, which were
crushed. What I really got was a waste
of 94 minutes. The plot of the movie
wasn’t the least bit unique and had many
similarities to the film Superbad.
“The movie was alright, but sometimes
it got really boring. I would give it 3
stars,” said Business sophomore, Sheldon
Oxendine.
When the main character, played by
Drake Bell, gets dumped by his girlfriend
for being too boring, he and his two friends
decide to visit a local college campus as
prospective freshman. The
three friends, with large resemblances
to the three characters in Superbad, get
recruited to one of the rowdiest fraternities
on campus for the weekend and are granted access
to the college party scene.
Throughout the movie, typical fraternity
brothers put the three high school seniors through
humiliating and disgusting acts of hazing. The
movie becomes uninteresting and painfully boring
within 45 minutes. Although I did let out a few
laughs during the movie, it was mostly at the
pathetic performances and screenwriting.
Somehow, the three boys manage to attract the
attention of a few college girls, who not only seem
to believe that the boys are in college, but the
girls actually really like them. When the fraternity
brothers find this out, they turn their antics of
embarrassment up to a greater level, forcing the
Paul Warren, VPA senior, debates
which college to attend, like the
characters in the movie College.
high-schoolers to fight back, becoming the “heroes”
of the movie.
“This movie was like American Pie, but 10
times better. It was definitely the best movie of the
summer!” said VPA junior Josh Burstein.
During the entire movie, the audience was
repeatedly disgusted with the many vomit and fecal
centered humor. Whether or not it was the intention
of the director to continually sicken the audience is
up to the viewer to decide.
In the end, College was very predictable and was
a downright horribly made imitation of Superbad.
Unless you enjoy watching repetitive vomiting
scenes and typical fraternity hazing, I would not
recommend anybody to waste their money and
time on this film.
Tri-M United Way
benefit concert
ALEXANDRA CASTILLA
Staff Writer
The Tri-M Benefit Concert is a tradition here at the Reef,
taking place every year since the events of September
11th. Each year since 2001, the concert is put on in order
to support a different cause. This year the Tri-M Benefit
Concert supported United Way through donations of five
dollars or more. The officers of the Tri-M Honor Society
and Coral Reef Music organized the event with the teacher
sponsorship of Mr. Rose and Mr. Caves.
This year, the concert incorporated students from all
branches of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy,
including band, chorus, drama, orchestra, and piano
students. These students had been auditioning and
rehearsing since September 2nd, and their hard work
proved to be a success at the benefit. Performances ranged
from classical, musical theatre, pop, R&B, jazz, Latin
music, and monologues.
“The show went incredibly well. All the performers did
an incredible job, and I can honestly say that the officers
of both Tri-M and Music Club were extremely impressed
with how smoothly everything ran. There really weren’t
any complications, and it was obvious that the audience
really enjoyed the show as well,” said Nicole Iduate, Tri-
M Honor Society President.
This year, the concert raised a total of $1,400, the most
out of all seven years of the concert.

What?
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 200811
Spanish Heritage Show spices up October
VANESSA RUEDA
Staff Writer
“I’m going crazy!” said Mrs. Merly, the
Hispanic Heritage and National Spanish
Honor Society sponsor, in response to her
feelings about the upcoming activities for
the month of October.
In celebration of “Dìa de la Raza,”
the day of the discovery of America, on
October 12th, the Hispanic Heritage club
is bringing several events to the student
body in order to appreciate the Hispanic
culture. The kickoff activity is a Hispanic
Country fair that will take place in the
courtyard during lunch.
There will be arts and crafts, ceramics,
newspapers, posters, folk clothes, and
more, all unique to an individual country.
There will also be a film festival during
school, where three different Hispanic
films will be shown to foreign language
students. A salsa competition sponsored
by the Salsa Club will also take place in
the main courtyard.
Of course, the main event will be the
annual Hispanic Heritage show. Since
September, performers have been
rehearsing for the auditions of the music
portion of the show. Contrary to previous
years, there will only be one showing at
school during 5th period for students and
teachers, and one showing after school at 7
pm for parents and community members.
“We’re going to be doing an Afro-
Cuban piece called Aguanile by Marc
Anthony. It’s a very African very jungle
piece. We don’t have costumes yet, but
we’ll be wearing big flowy skirts,” said IB
senior and Salsa Club president, Karissa
Dieseldorff.
The club has been rehearsing on
Mondays and Wednesdays in room 263
until 4:15 pm. The “big flowy skirts”
Karissa referred to hold a lot of symbolism.
While dancing, the men typically have a
scarf that represents passion. They snap
the scarf at the women in a seductive
manner while the women use their skirts
as a shield and back away from the men.
The skirts are opened and closed as the
ends are flicked out in a frantic manner,
symbolizing the acceptance of the man.
In the show, students can expect to see
several singing numbers from students
including Layla Martin, Karol Ramirez,
and several others, along with several
traditional dances such as salsa from Cuba,
tango from Argentina, Plena from Puerto
Rico, and meringue from Dominican
Republic.
The Magnet dancers are expected to
perform along with the Chamber orchestra,
a select ensemble of 27 students of the
most advanced orchestra instrumentalists
in VPA. They will be performing a piece
titled “Margarita” by Manuel Tavarez.
“I enjoy performing in the show because
it allows me to show my Latino heritage,”
said Legal senior Eduardo Herrera.
The month of October is certain to bring
many surprises and much entertainment,
courtesy of Mrs. Merly and the Hispanic
Heritage club.
Hispanic
Heritage Month
Calendar
Oct. 8- Hispanic Country Fair
(Central courtyard- Lunch)
Oct. 6 to 17- Hispanic Legacy
Exhibition
(Media Center)
Oct. 16- Hispanic Musical Show
(Auditorium- 1:00 PM)
Oct. 17- Salsa Competition
(Central courtyard- Lunch)
Oct. 28- Spanish Film Festival
(Auditorium- FL Teachers)
Oct. 31- Faculty & Staff Hispanic
Lunch
(Media Center)
Other activities:
•
Lectures TBA/ pending
confirmation
•
Documentaries for School
viewing/ TBA
•
Presentation of Hispanic
Personalities/ CRTV Live

12 Spotlight
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
Balancing it all
Kathryn Hemsing talks about balancing
academics and sports.
LEIDY PEREZ
Staff Writer
Kathryn Hemsing,
Business senior,
is the ideal well
rounded student.
She has successfully
balanced herself
between sports and
school throughout
her entire high
school years.
She has played
volleyball, softball,
badminton, and
basketball and has
also been involved
in the nationally
recognized club
FBLA.
“My favorite
has always been
volleyball, it’s
exhilarating because
you are always on
the move whether
you are touching the
ball, covering, delivering, or just getting
ready for a hit; but more than anything I
love it because it’s all about teamwork,”
said Kathryn.
Teamwork is what she mostly refers back
to, stating that “the volleyball team is like
a family.” The team is now going through
tough times because of the budget cuts but
they are fundraisings to raise money for
the uniforms
and for the
season in
general. The
team has
only been
p e r m i t t e d
to use one
bus, due to
the severe
budget cuts
of MDCPS.
Along
with being a
star player,
she holds
the national
community
service chair
in FBLA.
K a t h r y n
has done
a c t i v i t i e s
such as the
March of
Dimes and
a walk at
Coral Reef
to collect funds for those in need. Kathryn
has placed in nationals with the FBLA and
is also a member of the Business Honor
Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
Kathryn serves as an inspiration to all
those students at Coral Reef who fear the
struggle of balancing the academic part of
their student’s life with the extracurricular
activities.
A poet in our midst
Kim Berkley talks about her writing career and how to face criticism
EMMA SINGER
Staff Writer
Coral Reef is home to a variety
of talents, ranging from art to breakdancing.
VPA senior, Kim Berkley,
is a talented poet, as well as an upand-coming
author.
Kim’s inspiration comes from
some of her favorite authors, such
as J.R.R. Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe,
as well as her 11th grade English
teacher, Mr. Menasche.
“He taught me more about writing
in one year than I had learned in
five,” said Kim.
Apart from poetry, Kim is also
working on a fantasy titled Three
of Swords, which deals with
contemporary issues in a fantasy
setting.
She also writes short stories, which
she posts online, at www.deviantart.
com.
Writing is Kim’s emotional outlet;
she unconsciously incorporates
issues she is going through into her
character’s lives. She uses her poetry
as a vent for her emotions; some of
it is rather private.
“I’m hoping to make writing my career.
Getting a real novel of mine on the shelves
is one of my dreams (and it wouldn’t hurt
to have a hit like Harry Potter, either!). So
hopefully I’ll finish Three of Swords soon.
Who knows, maybe some crazy publisher
will decide its good enough to sell!”
Kathryn Hemsing wears her volleyball jersey
before a game.
Kim Berkley demonstrates her creativity with artistic
make-up
Many teenage writers face harsh criticism
from friends and family. Kim’s advice is to
listen to everything, but to not necessarily
follow their advice.
“If it’s someone close to me or, worse,
someone I really look up to (like a famous
author I like or a good friend who also
happens to be a great writer), then it’s a
Leading the masses
Students show remarkable signs of leadership
ALEXANDER MELENDEZ
Staff Writer
In a school known for its prestigious
academics, tailored classes, and outstanding
alumni, how is it possible for one student to
stand out among the rest? The only answer
is to become a leader of leaders.
It is already hard for one to find the time to
stick out with hectic teenage schedules and
the added stress of being a Reef student.
Yet students such as Louisa Santos, Sonul
Rao, and Mar Echevaria find a way.
“It’s called no sleep. I sleep about two
hours a night and even then it is a constant
effort,” said Business senior and class
president Louisa Santos.
With the busy daily schedule she has, it
is no surprise that she only gets about one
fourth of the recommended sleeping time.
Why anyone would put themselves
through the added stress seems absurd.
Is it to look better on a college resume or
simply to make a difference?
“For me, it is not so much about
competition as it is about getting involved.
I want to get people aware,” said VPA
senior Mar Echevarria.
Mar is the President of “Do Something,”a
club designed to get students involved in
the community.
Other students find unique ways to stick
out in a highly demanding school like
Sonul Rao, President of National Honors
Society who reached her position in a very
creative way.
“I rapped my speech,” said Sonul.
In a school filled with students who are
set to be the future of America, one needs
to find their own way of sticking out.
little harder to take their
criticism,” said Berkley.
Kim is cautious about
sharing her work with
others. “I usually tend
to keep my writing to
myself until I really feel I
like a piece but even then
I hesitate about sharing
it. It’s actually much
easier for me to accept
extremely harsh criticism
from, say, someone online
who knows what they’re
talking about but doesn’t
know me personally than
to hear it from someone
I really care about,” said
Berkley.
Still, Kim acknowledges
that criticism is a
necessary part of writing.
“At the same time it
means a lot more to me
when someone I love
praises my work,” said
Kim.
As to what advice she
has for young writers,
poets and novelists alike,
Kim urges them to listen to their
English teachers and never stop writing
or reading.
“And above all, never stop dreaming.
The best comes in the form of
daydreams and nightmares.”
Whether being President of a club or
volunteering for community service,
students find creative ways to help the
community and make a difference.
Sonul Rao, President of National
Honors Society.
Mar Echevarria, President of
the “Do Something” club.
In Retrospect
by Kim Berkley
Sitting on the wall by the beach
frontier
Waiting for the warriors of the
waves to join me
It’s a good day for a battle, and I’m
ready to fight
I’m ready to fight
Standing on the scaffolding hanging
way up high
Waiting to grow wings so I can fly
far, far away
My feet are tired of walking, but I’m
ready to go
I’m ready to go
Someone once asked me for a handful
of change
And in retrospect, I didn’t give him
enough
I gave him everything I had at the
time, everything
I gave him nothing
Watching me walking my warping
path
You never knew who I was, but you
guessed
Flick of my hair and a single step
more and I’m gone

Spotlight
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 200813
“So little time, so much
to do”
Alexandra Blake speaks about applying to
colleges
LEIDY PER-
EZ
“Between printing
the applications
online, turning
them in on
time, SAT, ACT,
essays, and good
grades this college
stuff is rather nerve
wrecking,” said IB
senior Alexandra
Blake.
Seniors have
many responsibilities
and expectations.
The college
deadlines are coming
near and the
seniors suffer through managing their time
just right to be able to handle everything.
“Not only do we have to deal with college
stuff, but as IB students we have to
deal with IB things as well,” said Alexandra.
The essays are one of the section of the
application that students have the hardest
time with.
“It isn’t hard, it’s stressful because of the
uncertainty of what to write, your not supposed
to be writing to your best friend but
it isn’t an English paper either.”
Alexandra is applying to eight different
universities and is struggling to keep up
with all the demands that are expected of
her.
She is one of the many seniors that are
struggling between trying to keep up their
high school grade point averages and still
being able to finish the college applications
Our own soldier
Mr. Mahoney after being sent to Germany speaks about his experience in the Air Force
KARLA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
History teacher, Mr. Mahoney,
returned from his 15-day trip to
Germany.
His trip wasn’t a vacation but in
fact a job. Last year Mr. Mahoney
was in Kuwait for two months of
the school year and returned to
teach in October.
This year, he was sent to the
Ramstein Air Base, Germany to
fulfill his annual tour requirement
for the Air Force Reserves, which
is done once a year for 15 days.
“My job was to coordinate
the movement of passengers
and cargo on the cargo aircraft
that the United States Air Force
uses. The specific section that I
work in is called the Air Terminal
Operations Center also known by
its acronym of ATOC. We are
part of several sections in the Aerial Port
Squadron,” said Mahoney.
On a daily basis, Mahoney and his squad
would go out to the airplanes and check the
cargo and passengers. They would gather
the necessary paperwork and if needed,
Seniors, Karla and Claudia Cabreiro and Alexandra Blake
look over college applications.
on time.
“It is a very hectic time of the year. But
it gives me a lot of pleasure because this
is what it is all about, getting the kids into
college,” said IB counselor Ms. Vidaña.
Not only are the students in a rush to finish
all the applications, but the teachers and
counselors are also pressured to finish their
part of the process.
“It is kind of fun, seniors have done their
jobs and this is just what is going to reflect
all their hard work,” said CAP Advisor Ms.
Harper.
The college application and acceptance
process is a very chaotic and time consuming
one, but time management is the key
to successfully finishing it in time. And for
most seniors this is what it comes down
to, the acceptance into the college of their
dreams, even if that means having to go
through such tedious processes.
would call other sections of the Aerial Port
to service the aircraft.
Mahoney and his squad would also go
out to the planes before they would depart
and ensured that all proper paperwork,
cargo, and passengers were on the plane
ready to go.
Jammies for Kids
Michelle Fuentes,
IB Senior, opens up
KARLA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
Michelle Fuentes, an IB senior,
was watching Oprah when she saw
that one of the guests from Chicago
started a pajama and duffle bag drive
for infants and children up to the age
of eight.
Realizing that she could change the
lives of orphans after that Oprah
show, Fuentes started a project of
her own.
“I thought this was a cool idea, so
I decided to talk to Mrs. Martinez, as
well as the Children Home Society
to see what I can do to help,” said
Fuentes.
This task was not as easy as it may
seem. First, she had to contact both
the Children Home Society and His
House Children Home to see if they
agreed with her idea.
“It took over a week for them to
call me back, I thought they didn’t like the
idea,” said Fuentes. “I thought they had
enough projects helping them already.”
But as a matter in fact, both home societies
accepted the idea.
So Fuentes quickly started making flyers
and collected boxes to put in different
rooms of the school that the students could
donate.
In addition to collecting pajamas, Fuentes
is also collecting hygiene products, like
toothpaste, toothbrushes, pampers, etc.
which would go to the His House Children
Home.
“This is a very important project to me,
and I’m trying to spread the word out to
everyone. I’m hoping to incorporate this
project into the new club at school, Do
Something.”
The military
places a lot of
emphasis on
not accepting
delays in
departures and
so things would
more than
likely become
tense prior to
takeoff.
When asked
what he
enjoyed the
most about his
e x p e r i e n c e ,
Mahoney said,
“Visiting the
nearby area
around the
base as well as
a weekend tour
in Belgium
with about 11
others from my
squadron. We went by tour bus, which was
full to its 45-passenger capacity. We visited
Brussels and Bruges the next day before
going back to our base. We also visited
a town called Idar-Oberstein to sightsee.
There is an old church that was built into
Mr. Mahoney is happy to be back in school and grading papers after his trip
to Germany.
Michelle Fuentes, IB Senior, posing with
received donations.
Do Something is a club that recognizes
amazing young people who see a problem
in the world and want to tackle it.
There are boxes located throughout the
school: rooms (Ford) 248, (Kirchner) 223,
(Scott) 310, (Paz) 307, and (Vargas) 105 for
those who would like to make donations.
“I think its great of her to do something
like this and show how much she cares
for those less fortunate than her,” said IB
senior Barbara Uchdorff.
For those students who donate, some
teachers are even considering giving extra
credit.
Fuentes will finish her drive on October
18th.
“Please donate, because these are children
that barely have anything and just the fact
that they have pajamas will make a big
difference in their life.”
the side of a mountain about halfway up
the side and then you go to the top where a
castle is. They are both over 400 years old
and are kept up nicely. It was quite a climb
up the steps for a total of around 500 feet.
Beautiful!”
But of course, not everything was
supposed to be fun. The part that he least
enjoyed was actually doing his job. The
worst parts are when he had to inspect the
planes that carried the remains of soldiers
who died in Iraq.
“All movement stops in respect for the
dead as they come through the Port. We are
constantly reminded that there is a war going
on and there are very real consequences,”
said Mahoney, as he reflected back.
Mr. Mahoney’s annual tour ended two
days earlier than planned due to the several
hurricanes in the Caribbean.
“We flew on an Air Force C-17 plane
into Dover, Delaware where we spent the
night and we were bused into Philadelphia
to catch a commercial flight into Miami the
next day. We made it into Miami and down
to Homestead Air Reserve Base where we
spent the night until we were released on
Saturday September 6th to go home. This
ended our annual tour for this year.”
We are all glad to have Mr. Mahoney
back in school and proud that he is serving
our country.

14 Technology
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
Saving the world, one car at a time
An emission-free, fuel-efficient “Air Car” is in production
JILLIAN ROBERTS
Staff Writer
With gas prices skyrocketing and the recent
obsession with the environment, the cost of
driving a vehicle has an enormous effect on the
average car owner, and more importantly, on
our world.
It is becoming a burden to own a car due to the
outrageous price of gas and a vast amount of air
pollution.
Gas prices are constantly increasing. It costs
more per gallon to fill up one’s car than it does
to buy a meal at a fast food restaurant.
People are constantly finding themselves leaving
gas stations with full tanks, but empty pockets.
In addition, the carbon monoxide emissions
let out by cars is believed
to be a major contributor to
global warming.
What is America going to
do? The answer lies with the
Air Car.
Instead of being powered
by gas, the Air Car uses a
motor that is driven by compressed
air. It gets an equivalent
of 100 miles to the gallon,
can reach speeds of over
90 miles per hour, and costs
less than $18,000.
It is also environmentally
friendly, because it is emission
free.
“This is the most amazing
thing I have ever heard of!
The last time I filled up my
tank, it cost me $115. The
A new kind of
Facebook
EMMA SINGER
Staff Writer
Air Car is a great idea, and a big money saver,”
said IB junior Alex Hernandez.
The Air Car, currently being produced in India,
will be released in late 2009 or early 2010. Even
though the cars won’t burn any gas, and there are
no emissions, they still leave carbon footprints.
It will take small amount of energy to compress
the air, but much less than getting
oil from the ground and burning it in a car.
People are now more focused on “going green”
and saving the environment and Air Cars are the
perfect way to “go green.”
Not only will CO2 emissions be greatly reduced,
but people will save hundreds, even thousands
of dollars on gas.
Only time will tell if Air Cars will become the
key to ending global warming. But for now, they
are certainly the best that we have.
Miles per Gallon in popular cars
Upcoming
Gadgets
EMMA SINGER
Staff Writer
Google Phone
Estimated to cost $179 with a two
year contract, the Google Phone has a
tentative release date of Oct. 22.
Apple MacBook Touch
Using the technology developed for
the iTouch, Apple is making a laptop
with a built-in touch screen keyboard.
160 GIG PS3
Scheduled for release in Europe in
October, the 160 GIG PS3 is rumored
to cost $499.
Facebook is seen by its 100 million users as a
harmless, fun way to gossip, keep in touch, and
share pictures. But all that is about to change.
The CIA and FBI are teaming up to develop a
new kind of Facebook, called A-Space, better
known as Facebook for spies.
This new website will enable Secret Service
personnel to access information without barriers.
Any information written online, filed in a
computer, or discovered by other agents will
be posted on A-Space. This website is a place
where spies can meet, share information, and
brainstorm about current issues.
Does A-Space violate our privacy?
“I’m really big on privacy, so this makes me
uncomfortable. I think it really depends on your
perspective,” said VPA sophomore Giovanna
Barreto.
Technically, A-Space is completely legal. The
Patriot Act, passed by President Bush in 2001,
enabled the government to legally be
able to listen in on telephone calls, read e-
mail communications, and gave them access to
medical, financial, and legal records. A-Space
will be a combination of all of this information,
an immense database with all of our lives on
file.
A-Space has cost America just under five
million dollars. This program was put into effect
without the consent of Americans, and without
their knowledge. Do taxpayers approve of how
their money is being spent? Does it matter?
“I think that it’s okay and worth it, but should
be really restricted because it has the potential
to be used dangerously. But it’s good that our
government can keep us safe,” said IB sophomore
Patricia Dranoff.
Where will the Secret Service be obtaining this
information? Mainly from other branches of our
government, but also from internet sources.
“I think that this is a great idea, and not invading
our privacy because if we put our
information out there, whether its Facebook, or
Myspace, people can see it. That’s why it’s
called the world-wide-web,” said IB freshman
Benjamin Pham.
A main concern of many spies involved in
this project is a potential leak, from the inside
or outside. A spy with conflicting interests could
easily transfer this information. Though this has
been a possibility since the establishment of the
Secret Service, previously, a spy would only
have been able to leak information from their
own case/branch. But now, all of the information
is accessible to any spy.
Whether or not this new program is morally
right, it is too late. The program will launch
sometime from early October to December.
So remember, when on Facebook, be careful.
Someday the FBI may poke you.

Sports
A new beat hits the Reef
Cuda stomp makes its debut as the new step team
Coral Reef Sr. High
October 2008
15
07-08 Lacrosse District
Champions
Can they do it again?
JORDAN FELDMAN
Staff Writer
Gerald Grant (president), Michael Davis (vice president),
Tavares Andrews (member) of the Sigma Beta team.
TRUDY CLARKE
Staff Writer
Cuda Stomp is Coral
Reef’s brand new step /
hip- hop dance team.
The clinics for Cuda
Stomp were held on
Thursday, September 4th
and Friday September 5th.
Finally, try outs were on
Friday September 12th.
Anyone who was
interested in auditioning
was told to come in a
white t-shirt, black shorts,
sneakers, and have their
hair pulled back out of
their face. But what were
they preparing for?
The four captains of
Cuda Stomp are medical
juniors Sarah Girma,
Estefani Aguiluz, and
legal juniors Francesca
Polanco, and
Stephanie Dufreshe.
On the first day of the
clinics, 94 girls and guys
showed up for a team
that will consist of only
15 girls or guys and five
alternates.
Although Cuda Stomp
is not guaranteed at all pep
rallies, we will see Cuda
Stomp at other shows,
including the annual
Sigma Beta Step Show.
Students will also see
them at the Dade County
Fair and Expo dance
competition
On the other end, Sigma
Beta is a youth group
sponsored by the Phi Beta
Sigma fraternity. It consists
of 25 male members and
is dedicated to mentoring
youth and keeping men
off the streets. They can
be seen doing road blocks
in order to raise money.
“Our main focus is to
get out to the community,
last year we performed
at Miami heights
elementary,” said Business
senior Gerald Grant.
“We are currently
looking for sponsors for
our team uniforms,” said
Legal junior Stephanie
Dufreshe.
Sigma Beta will perform
at their annual step show
hosted at Robert Morgan,
which will be held on
December 19th, 2008.
Tickets sales start some
time in November for
$10.
The goal of the show
is to raise money for the
groups’ main event which
is the college tour.
Students interested in
performing in the Sigma
Beta step show can
contact Gerald Grant, who
is currently the president
of Sigma Beta.
“We are a family not
a team… a group of
brothers. Expect greatness
when you hear from Sigma
Beta,” said Grant.
“Expect greatness” is a
quote that both teams hold
deeply in there heart. For
the 2008 – 2009 school
year, Reef will hear a lot
from both Sigma Beta and
Cuda Stomp.
The Coral Reef Lacrosse team is looking
forward another exceptional year after
going undefeated in the regular season last
school year. The team came out victorious
as District Champions, but was later
defeated at Regionals.
“This year is going to be a big challenge.
We lost all but a few returning varsity
players so were going to have to reinvent
our style of play,” said IB sophomore, Jake
Schiff.
Due to a tough schedule for the 08-09
season, the Coral Reef Lacrosse team has
a long road of hard work and dedication
ahead of them. Their District opponents
include Palmetto, Killian, Western and
Columbus high schools.
With the graduation of many seniors
last year, including Scott Levitt, Michael
Matthiesen, and Paul Thompson, the
team will have to work even harder to
defend their status as defending District
Champions. It will not be easy to replace
1st team All-League Joseph Bellando, 2nd
Team All-League Andrew Bekkevold, and
3rd Team All-League Logan Gomez on the
Coral Reef Lacrosse Team.
Practicing every week, the team is looking
to improve their game plans, conditioning,
and most of all, playing as a united team.
“This is my first year on the Coral Reef
Lacrosse team so I have much to learn and
improve on, but if I work hard I’m sure
I’ll see some progress in my game,” said
Business and Finance Freshman, Justin
Garcia.
Head Coach Alan Bellando, starting his
third year as head Varsity Coach at Coral
Reef High School, will lead the Barracudas.
Coach Bellando was the recipient of the
2008 Coach of the Year out of Coral Reef’s
District.
Boy’s lacrosse district championship
trophy for the year 2008
“I expect to repeat our District Champion
like last year, even though we lost 9 out
of our 10 starters, we are still the team to
beat,” said IB senior Michael Franklin.
Ranked in the top ten in the State of
Florida for Lacrosse Club teams last
season, the Barracudas must over-achieve
to match last years success.
Upcoming varsity football games

16
October
Coral Reef Sr. High
2008
High Tide
The Game of Life
Our biology age vs. chronological age: how old are we really?
Alina Sabatini, Agriscience senior, taking the Biological Age quiz online.
MEGAN MIRANDA
Staff Writer
Scientists have theorized that humans have
two ages. There is the chronological age, which
is the number of years a person has been alive,
and the biological age, the body’s true age.
Biological age tells how fast the body ages
based on what is done to it. The more stress,
health problems, and abuse one puts on their
body, the faster they will age.
David Niven Miller, author of “Grow
Youthful,” has written his book to try and
help people slow their aging so that they can
appreciate the time they have.
But how accurate is this theory of Biological
Age vs. Chronological Age? On his website
www.growyouthful.com, Miller has a Biological
Age Test for any person interested in knowing
their biological age. It calculates the body’s true
age based on answers given to 140 questions
ranging from stress to health to dietary habits.
Several Coral Reef students have taken
Miller’s Biological Age Test and they all
seemed to have different reactions to the ages
the test gave them. Some took the test lightly,
such as Engineering senior Matts Michel.
“[I] didn’t know I’d still be in school,” said
Michel, in response to finding out that while
chronologically he is 17 years old, his body has
aged to 24 years old.
Others seemed a bit stunned by the results
expressing surprise and even a hint of
apprehension. Jeffery Mondesir, Legal and
Public Affairs senior, is also 17 years old and
from the test he found out his body is 21 years
old.
“I think the test is accurate and it’s scary. It
feels like its taking years from your life,” said
Mondesir.
This test was taken by seventeen Coral Reef
students, varying from freshmen to seniors. The
average biological age for these students was
22 years old. This means that the bodies of
these students are aging much too quickly.
“It made me realize that I need to take
more precautions in my life,” said Frederick
Montgomery, senior in the Legal and Public
Affairs academy.
In order to slow down this aging process,
changes must be made in the students’ lives.
These changes are made in their eating
habits, stress levels, sleep habits, and many
other factors that contribute to the aging
process.
For example, someone who chooses to
eat fast food everyday would have an age
significantly higher than someone who eats
fast food once in a while and instead eats a
balanced meal made from home.
The number of hours a person sleeps a
night affects many body functions such as
immunity production.
Other major factors the test considers when
calculating biological age are how much
alcohol, recreational drugs, nicotine, and
prescription medicine a person consumes.
The intake of the aforementioned items
significantly affects the body in different
ways. Alcohol, nicotine, and recreational
drugs damage the body’s nerves, organs, and
reflexes which adds several months if not
years to the body’s biological age.
However, there is no way of telling how
much a specific factor will age the body
because of the numerous other factors that
need to be calculated as well.
The test and theory are just that, a theory,
but the point made by both is that people
need to take care of themselves.
The body is fragile and easily affected by
everything that is done to it, and ultimately,
it will affect the life of the person.