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Fall 2010 Volume 14 Issue 10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157
And so it
begins...
AGAIN

2Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Economy continues endless downward spiral
Students’ families have been affected by the economic recession and want to know when it will end
JEREMY MATHURIN
Staff Writer
According to the Sun Sentinel,
the number of home loans in foreclosure
in Florida at the end of last year was 44%
higher than at the end of 2008. And since
the last quarter of the year, it has risen
another 4.5% and has the second largest
number of foreclosures in the country.
This information paired along
with the fact that the filling for bankruptcy
per capita is 2.24 paints a bleak image of
the stability of Florida’s economy. But one
of the most controversial and misinformed
pieces of information is how it happened.
How did the world’s largest superpower
come under the fear and uncertainty of
one of its worst economic recessions in
decades?
“In 2007 I started hearing things
about the economy failing, and there being
a recession. I heard a lot on the news and
the radio talking about it but it was hard to
completely understand the real reason why
we were having trouble with the economy,”
said VPA Junior, David Diaz-Peaz.
Economists have argued this
until they are blue in the face how this
came about. Well, most can agree that this
is because of the dreaded domino effect.
One infinitesimal, seemingly unimportant
event triggers a string of events that can
have cataclysmic effects. The reason
behind the current economic recession
was unequivocally the selling of subprime
mortgages. During the housing boom of the
mid 2000’s, people were buying houses like
crazy. Prices were going up and everyone
was making money. You could easily buy a
run down house for $200,000 and flip it for
twice the amount.
But then things got shady. Banks
or mortgage brokers rather were trying
harder and harder to sell houses and make
more profit. To do so, they began selling
subprime mortgages. To understand
the next events, it is important to fully
comprehend the circumstances behind the
crash.
One of the causes of the current
recession was that the Government was
slow to raise interest rates when the
economy started to boom in 2004. Low
interest rates in 2004 and 2005 helped
created the housing bubble. Irrational
spending set in as many investors took
advantage of low rates to buy homes just to
resell. Others bought homes they couldn’t
afford thanks to interest-only loans.
In finance, subprime lending means
making loans (in this case, a mortgage) that
are in the riskiest category of consumer
loans and are usually sold in a separate
market from prime loans. Because people
were buying mortgages that were subprime
and had a high turnover rate, banks placed
a low down payment but high interest rate
on the mortgages that sky rocketed to make
sure they are making the most amount of
money possible.
In 2006, when higher rates finally
kicked in, declining housing prices caught
many homeowners who had taken loans
with little money down. As they realized
they would lose money by selling the
house for less than their mortgage, they
foreclosed.
“I don’t think I totally agreed
with the idea of bailing out the banking
industry, by just throwing money at it…
but it’s hard to argue that it didn’t end up
helping in the long run. It’s almost scary
to think what would have happened it the
government allowed the banks to fail,” said
VPA sophomore, Adam Batchelor.
As the foreclosure rate increased,
so did the banks’ debts for making bad
loans. By August 2007, the banks were on
the verge of collapse. It seemed as though
the bankruptcies of Bear Stearns, AIG,
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, IndyMac Bank,
and Lehman Brothers were unavoidable.
By December 2008, employment was
declining alarmingly fast.
“In ‘08, at the height of the
recession, people were really freaking out.
I heard a story on NPR about overseas
investors buying up real estate on the west
coast. They made it seem as if we were
News
going to go bankrupt and some people were
genuinely scared. But as always, America
came through and stabilized itself,” said
VPA sophomore, Liam Allen-Mcgoran
In 2009, the government launched the
economic stimulus plan. It was designed
to spend $815 billion over several years to
stimulate jobs. It was technically successful,
and in fact, it halted a four-quarter decline
in GDP by Q3 of that year, thus ending the
recession.
Although the recession has officially
ended, the unemployment rate, in Florida
it is still in the double digits and has
dramatically affected our education
system. Because of the recent recession,
the Miami-Dade school board was forced
to cut spending due to an alteration in
property tax funding.
As the recession affects the
schools, so does it affect the regular market.
Spending is down due to mistrust or
unemployment, therefore businesses have
to cut back, which equals more layoffs;
creating a spiraling effect that touches
everyone.
But things are not as bleak as they
were two years ago. The unemployment
rate has reached a near stand still, the
foreclosure rate is increasing at a slower
rate and it seems as if things are turning
around. We can finally see the light at the
end of the tunnel.
College costs rising
Students scramble as tuition climbs
MICHELLE DAVIS
Staff Writer
Seniors beware: College
tuition is rapidly increasing in
price and students and parents
are stressing about being able to
afford the costs. Starting with
the application process, college
expenses are everywhere. Without
even without getting accepted into
the university, an applicant must
pay anywhere from $30-$70 to
purchase the application. Many
times, the tuition to a University or
college is overlooked.
Students are more
concerned with actually getting
into the college and when they
are presented with the final tuition
cost, they are forced to take out
ridiculous loans that plague them
until their graduation.
Scholarships are an
essential portion of the college
application. A senior in the VPA
academy, Andrea Vanegas said
that she is a “Hispanic girl living
with a single mom and getting
good grades. If anyone is getting
a scholarship, it’s me.” Andrea
is the prime example of a good
student attempting to attend a good
university but can simply not afford
the outrageous costs of university.
She is planning to apply to as many
scholarships as possible to make
the tuition more affordable.
One example of a
university whose tuition has
drastically increased is George
Washington University in
Washington DC. The tuition from
1999-2006 increased by 52%.
This year many students
are planning to aim higher in
their academic studies so that
they can qualify for scholarships
such as Bright Futures which is a
scholarship that pays for a greater
portion of your college fees if
you’re able to maintain or reach a
GPA of 3.5.
Even if you are not a
senior, it is still good to look in to
colleges and see what you need to
do to get into the school of your
choice. The best way to keep
informed with the colleges is to log
on to their websites and go through
the requirements and also to
contact the departments and try to
set up campus tours so you can get
an idea of college life and money
management.
VPA senior, Lauren
Linares has high hopes and dreams.
But like most, she has to work twice
as hard to qualify for scholarships
and Financial Aid.
“University of Miami is
my first choice. I’m trying to get
lots of community service hours and
hopefully I can get a scholarship for
that. I really want to stay in Miami
because I want to be close to my
mom still,” said Linares.
There are a number of
ways to receive scholarships, and
there are a number of scholarships
out there that can apply to all kinds
of students. Don’t think that just
because you can’t always have the
highest GPA that you won’t be able
to achieve your goals.
Silver Knight Nominees
Representing Art is Andrea Torres,
providing extensive volunteer service to the
San Jose Protector Shelter Home, where Andrea
worked with young girls suffering from abuse
and/or rape. Intensive work to learn English
through art with these young girls helped them to
communicate without fear.
For Athletics, Jillian Roberts, as a
freshman initiated her own project “Just Shoe It.”
Inspired by her love as a cross-country athlete,
her shoe drive has collected almost 5,000 pairs of
shoes distributed to over three dozen countries.
Angela Zhou, representing the Business
category, helped to create a fashion show focusing
on recycling. Merging her successful business
talents with her creative environmental concerns
has truly impacted others.
Erika Glass is the nominee for Drama.
Active with the Community Partnership for the
Homeless, she wrote, organized, and directed
theater productions for children at the center.
“Operation Pages for Presillas” was
initiated by Alexandra Sanchez, the nominee
for English and Literature. She visited the small
impoverished village where her mother was born
and immediately wanted the children there to have
similar educational opportunities to learn as she
had. With fundraising events and the donations
of books and toys, a library was established.
General Scholarship and Catherine
Zaw are synonymous. In addition to superior
academics, Catherine’s community service
includes Connect the Americas - collecting,
programming technology, developing and
maintaining the website, and making the public
aware of this project.
Combining her love of words and art,
Emma Singer, well represents The Reef in
Journalism. She developed a guide incorporating
graphic design techniques currently utilized in
Elysium, the school’s award winning literary
magazine. Besides her love or reading she is
an avid photographer, as she is always around
campus with her camera in hand for Tsunami and
Baitline.
Brian Rodriguez represents Coral Reef
for Music. A fixture at Mercy Hospital’s Teen
and College Student Auxiliary, he is dedicated
to volunteering not only in the hospital, but to
other organizations within our community. He
has organized several talent shows held at local
theaters with proceeds going towards the purchase
of school supplies for less fortunate youngsters.
Richard Horta, is the New Media
nominee. Involvement with the Youth Ministry at
Pinelands is chronicled in documentaries of the
group’s mission trips.
Representing Science, Brooke Borgert
teaches dance and recycling to young students
in a summer camp - incorporating planning and
cutting the music, researching resources, making
costumes, and coordinating activities with the
camp staff. In addition Brooke has been actively
involved with research at the USDA.
Nicole Brandfon, nominee in Social
Science, is the founder of Wheelcharity. Out
of frustration over the lack of access for the
handicapped, she established her organization.
Through demonstrations she is bringing
awareness to assisting individuals with special
needs.
Representing Speech, Kayla Malone is
active in her Teen Youth Group by hosting statewide
conferences. As well as an active member of
several school organizations she participated in
the Florida House of Representatives and Florida
Senate Page Program; FBLA Parliamentary
Procedures State Championships; Model United
Nations; and is serving as a member of The
Children’s Trust Youth Advisory Committee.
The Reef’s nominee in the
VocationalTechnical category, Nathalie Figueroa,
initiated Kids Without Limits, giving young
children at a daycare center the opportunity to
be successful in school. Nathalie is currently the
State President of Health Occupations Students
of America (HOSA)
World Language nominee, Julian
Munoz, began his project aiding the Red Cross in
disaster relief efforts. His ability to communicate
with families whose homes have been destroyed
helped bring a sense of calm into their lives.

News
Cuda Cudos
National Merit Scholarship®
Program Semifinalists
Ricardo Dueñas, Audrey Perkins, Maryjo Lopez, and Jacob Barkow
ExxonMobil
Bernard Harris
Math and Science
Scholarship
Winner
The Council of Great City Schools
has named four high school graduates
as the inaugural winners of the
ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and
Science Scholarships. The awards are
given annually to four students, two
African American and two Hispanic,
residing in the largest urban school
districts in America, to encourage their
pursuit of technology-related degrees.
Congratulations to Leangelo Hall, a
Coral Reef Senior High School 2010
International Baccalaureate Academy
graduate, as he was awarded a $5,000
scholarship to continue his education
in science, technology, engineering
or mathematics. Leangelo has been
accepted to Princeton University with
a career goal of pediatric neurosurgery.
Leangelo has participated in a number
of fundraising efforts along with
tutoring elementary students and was
the school’s Silver Knight nominee in
Science.
The scholarships are named after
former NASA astronaut, Dr. Bernard
A. Harris, Jr., who came from humble
beginnings to become the first African
American to walk in space, a physician
and businessman. The winners were
selected from more than 400 applicants
and are being awarded on their
academic successes and future plans
as well as their leadership and civic
responsibility.
Four Coral Reef Senior High School students were
among National Merit Scholarship® Corporation’s
Semifinalists in the 56th annual National Merit
Scholarship Program. Of the 1,600 nationally named
Semifinalists these academically talented high school
seniors: Jacob Barkow, Ricardo Dueñas, Maryjo Lopez,
and Audrey Perkins have the opportunity to advance
in the competition and be considered for a Merit
Scholarship® award. Semifinalists must fulfill several
requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the
competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are
expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately
half of the Finalists will win a National Merit
Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an
academic competition for recognition and scholarships
that began in 1955. High school students enter the
National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT®)–a test which serves as an initial screen
of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and
by meeting published program entry/participation
requirements.
Semifinalists in the 2011 National
Achievement Scholarship Competition
Congratulations to Tiffany Johnson and Audrey Perkins, two participants in
the National Achievement® Scholarship Program from Coral Reef Senior High
School. The National Achievement® Scholarship Program is an academic
competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black
American high school students. Black students may enter both the National
Achievement
Program and the
National Merit®
Program by taking
the Preliminary
SAT/National
Merit Scholarship
Qualifying
Test. These
two qualifying
seniors are in
the International
Baccalaureate
Academy. in the
Management
Decision Making
Audrey Perkins and Tiffany Johnson
- Team Event.
HOSA
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), held the HOSA National
Leadership Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida.
The highlight of every year for HOSA members is the HOSA National Leadership
Conference. The conference is held in June in different cities across the United
States. Congratulations to Coral Reef Senior High School’s the following students
from the Academy of Health Science: Sergio Cuevas and Chaliz Demuth who won
Second in Nation for CPR/First Aid as well as Crisveth Ortega won Third in the
Nation in Speaking Skills. She gave a speech on The Merits of Being Involved in
HOSA.
FBLA
At the annual National Leadership Conference (NLC), this year held in Nashville,
Tennessee, FBLA members convened to compete in leadership events, shared
their successes, and learned new ideas about shaping their career future through
workshops and exhibits. This four-day conference is considered the pinnacle of the
FBLA experience. FBLA has forged partnerships with industry leaders to underwrite
competitive events and scholarships for students achieving national ranking.
CLASS OF 2010 SFEFCU SCHOLOARSHIPS
Congratulations to three Coral Reef Senior High School 2010 graduates awarded
full tuition scholarships through South Florida Educational Federal Credit Union’s
Hubert O. Sibley Four-Year Florida Prepaid Tuition Scholarship. The 2010
scholarship winners are Caitlin Canavan, Christopher Munoz and Sarah Olson. This
scholarship is a Four-Year Florida Prepaid University Tuition Scholarship awarded
to graduating high school students by the South Florida Educational Federal Credit
Union. The Hubert O. Sibley (HOS) Four Year Florida Prepaid Tuition Scholarship
began in 1995. Since then, South Florida Educational Federal Credit Union has
helped hundreds of students attend college.
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Big
changes
3
around the
Reef
Students and teachers
pitch in to create
a better leaning
environment for future
Cudas
PHALECIA SEARS
Staff Writer
In this vast tank we call Coral Reef
we must all help out in order to make
this a school worth coming to every day.
Similar to Christmas morning when all the
presents are opened and the new items are
surrounding you, new changes around the
school are surrounding us; and we are left,
on both occasions, with wide grins on our
faces.
Maybe you’ve noticed some of
these changes, or maybe you haven’t been
able to soak them all in throughout your
busy schedule; when you take the time to
look around, it may surprise you!
Of course, one of the biggest
changes here at Coral Reef is the black,
white, teal, and gray. All the colors of
choice for your polo! No IDs required, now
that uniform shirts are the standard fare.
These lovely polos can be accompanied
by a cardigan with the school’s logo, either
the representation of the academies, or the
hardcore Barracuda.
For instance, alongside the math
building you may have noticed the addition
of picnic tables. These picnic tables were
bought by John Blaser, a senior in the
Agriscience and Engineering program, and
his Eagle Scout troupe built as a part of
the Eagle Scout Award. These tables were
made of recycled wood and determination
to make this school a better, more attractive
place.
“I really enjoy the new picnic
tables; they make lunch time seating much
more convenient and pretty,” said Solon
Arguello, Medical Senior.
Another change at the Reef that
has been under construction for quite
a while is the new design on the front
of the school’s building that similarly
matches the logo on some of our new
uniform shirts. This artwork represents all
of the academies here at Coral Reef in a
creative and altogether professional way
to those driving by on 152nd street and to
the parents dropping their students off for
school. Though it may seem like a minor
change to our school, it actually revitalizes
the building and gives it a fresher look.
A quieter change would be the
accessibility of the school’s website with
the new ‘drop down’ menu that better
organizes the links on the page to student
e-mail, student portal, as well as faculty
and parent websites.
We can all look forward to seeing
the new things that come across our line
of sight and learn to appreciate the little
things. In the end, the little things are what
make the difference in us all.

4Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Editorial
Tea Party: Grass roots or Astro-Turf?
A new political party is gaining power in the United States. Where did they come from and what do they want?
On November 2nd, millions of
Americans all across the country will cast
their ballots in the Congressional midterm
elections. Democrats, who now control
both the House of Representatives
and the Senate, are expected to
suffer massive losses in both
chambers as a result of voter
frustration over shaky
economic growth and
high unemployment.
Polls indicate that
Republican or
conservative voters
are much more excited
and motivated about
this year’s elections
than Democrats or
liberals.
For example,
a recent NBC News/
Wall Street Journal poll
showed that the Republicans
have a 46% to 43% lead over the
Democrats on a generic Congressional
ballot. A Republican lead on the generic
ballot is generally viewed as a sign that
the GOP will make significant gains in the
midterm elections.
The enthusiasm among
c o n s e r v a t i v e s to
get out and vote this
November has been
widely attributed
to the Tea Party
movement, a newlyformed
coalition
consisting of many
allegedly ‘grass-roots’
conservative political
organizations.
The Tea Party has been
heavily promoted by Fox News
personalities such as Glenn Beck
and Sean Hannity, who encourage their
viewers to attend the rallies of this political
movement.
Spearheading the Tea Party
movement is a group called FreedomWorks,
a non-profit led by Dick Armey, a former
Republican House Majority Leader. Armey
frequently claims that FreedomWorks
and other similar organizations such
as Americans for Prosperity and Tea
Party Express are funded
primarily by small individual
contributions f r o m
dedicated m i d d l e -
c l a s s
c o n s e r v a t i v e
Americans.
But is the Tea
Party really the grass-roots
movement its leaders portray
it to be? Both FreedomWorks and
Americans for Prosperity were founded
by a man named David H. Koch, a
conservative corporate leader and the
richest man in New York City. Koch is the
executive vice-president of K o c h
Industries, a conglomerate of energy,
manufacturing, and investment companies
that is the second largest privately-held
company in America.
Koch, along with his brother
Charles, who serves
as the CEO of Koch
I n d u s t r i e s ,
have been
f u n d i n g
conservative
t h i n k - t a n k s
and activist
organizations
for decades.
These two brothers
pay for the buses
that transport
c o n s e r v a t i v e
activists to
the Tea Party protests, the flyers and
pamphlets filled with right-wing
propaganda that are distributed to
protesters, and even the food that is served
at the rallies.
The Koch brothers have brought
out the worst of America in these Tea
Party protests, appealing to hate, fear,
and the ignorance of average Americans
about complex political issues. The Kochs
have a legitimate incentive to stir up
emotions within conservative Americans
in an effort to restore Republican control
of Congress. They hope to facilitate the
passage of legislation that will benefit
America’s millionaires and billionaires,
such as massive tax cuts for the wealthiest
Americans that would cost the federal
government a staggering $700 billion over
10 years.
The enactment of such disastrous
policies would come at the cost of massive
federal budget deficits, the continued
deterioration of the middle class, and an
economy that continues to experience
weak growth and lackluster
job creation. It doesn’t take
an elite political analyst to
understand that the Tea Party
movement is not a grassroots
organization, but
an ‘AstroTurf’ illusion
set up by American
corporate leaders to restore
Republicans to power and
strengthen their grip on America’s
economic and political
systems.
BAITLINE
Adviser
Cheri Mitchell-Santiago
Principal
Adrianne Leal
Editor-in-Chief
Emma Singer
2010-2011 Staff
Staff Writers
Giovanni Arce
Nicholas Arcia
Erica Bacourt
Mitsu Bueno
Michelle Carrera
Rhea Cassimire
Michelle Davis
Guillermo Escobar
Giovanna Gonzalez
Matthias Kammerer
Celine Khouri
Andrew Lanser
Elliot Levey
Jackelyn Limardo
Jeremy Mathurin
Elizabeth Otero
Michelle Ponton
Gabriela Reyes
Brittany Roth
Dorothy Sanchez
Phalecia Sears
Daiana Torres
Baitline strives to provide quality student-led publications to the
student body providing the school community with an open forum
of public expression. In the publications class, students will make
all editorial decisions including, but not limited to: generating story
ideas, writing copy, editing copy, laying out copy, taking photographs,
and handling all aspects of running the business end of a school
publication. Because of this, any comments or concerns should be
addressed to the editorial staff.
It should be understood that the newspaper is not a professional
publication; therefore, students will make mistakes during the
learning process. As a staff, we will make every effort to learn from
these mistakes and continually improve the publication.
While our primary goal is to inform and entertain the school
community, we also strive to maintain high journalistic standards.
All opinions expressed in the publications are the students’ or the
individual sources, and not the staff’s as a whole, the advisor, or
school officials.
Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to room 305
or e-mailed to cmitchell@dadeschools.net. All letters submitted may
be condensed or edited for grammar and spelling. Libelous material
will not be printed.
Information about submitting ads can be obtained by e-mailing
cmitchell@dadeschools.net.
Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net.

Technology
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
5
Jellyfish smoothies
Using jellyfish to solve the energy crisis
GIOVANNI ARCE
Staff Writer
It’s energy efficient and cost
effective; it’s the new Jelly Shake! Yes,
mankind has finally gained an appetite for
freshly blended jellyfishes at the small cost
of the life of a jellyfish! Smoothie King is
preparing to bar its doors and receive a
couple of class action lawsuits from P.E.T.A
and other jellyfish rights activist marching
down the front gates of the Smoothie King
kingdom.
The truth is that through scientific
research scientists have figured out a way
to grind the innocent Aequorea Victoria and
utilize the green fluorescent protein (GFP)
that it contains to create miniature fuel cells.
These miniature fuel cells are designed for
the purpose of nanotechnology.
The Eco-friendly scientist that has
developed this ingenious method -Zackary
Chiragwandi - discussed generating power
at a nano-level by administrating a droplet
of jellyfish-type GFP onto aluminum
electrodes and exposing it to ultraviolet
light. Nano technology is still in its early
years of life and has yet to meet its full
capacity. This leads to the fact that nanotechnology
does not sound massive in size
but it can lead to groundbreaking advances
in the efficiency of solar energy.
This new form of solar cells is
more secure than already existing forms of
solar cells. “Gratzel cells” The creator of
the Gratzel cell was a swiss scientist named
Micheal Gratzel who made this solar cell
with commonly found titanium elements.
These solar cells are acclaimed to mimic a
plant’s ability to perform photosynthesis.
At first, these solar cells seemed
very effective due to its low cost in creation
and that it can be available in multiple
countries with a variety of economic states.
These cells however are only effective
with their main ingredient, which is light.
These new solar cells are said to be
completely self sufficient, creating their
own source of light. With the self-efficient
characteristics of these biophotovoltaic
nano devices, this can lead the way
for new diagnostic, medical or even
communication devices that can reside in
a living organism without the need of an
external power source.
Other than grinding jellyfish, another
organism that can possibly save the
jellyfish is sea algae. Scientist Paolo
Bombelli explains how it could be
possible for people to hack into the
power released by photosynthesis using
specially designed transparent electrodes.
At this moment scientists managed only
to generate enough energy to run a digital
clock. Which does not sound like much
but give this a couple of years and a lot
more resources, photovoltaic solar cells
can become the most cost effective and
energy efficient solar cells ever created.
The P.E.T.A organization has not
called any course of action against the
grinding of these defenseless jellyfishes,
which shows that even animal lovers love
the fact that jellyfishes could possibly solve
some of our energy problems. Almost like a
miracle of life Scientists have just recently
discovered a way to grow their own green
fluorescent protein using bacteria, which
takes jellyfishes out of grind time, and
back into the safe haven of the deep blue
sea.
Be on the lookout for
these new products
New 4G phones and tablets hit the market
ANDREW LANSER
Staff Writer
Blackberry 4G- With the majority of major cell phone manufacturers
coming out with 4G devices, it is no surprise that Blackberry is trying
to get ahead of the game and stay on top of the market. Rumored to be
called the Blackberry “Triton”, many loyal Blackberry users are hoping
for faster web browsing, dual cameras, and an HD video camera.
White iPhone 4- The release of the iPhone 4 sparked a fire in many
apple users who were tired of the look of the past iPhone’s, whose
appearance had not changed in a while. Following the path of the
iPhone 3G, Apple is planning the release of a white iPhone 4 with all of
the same features. Apple founder Steve Jobs has recently been hinting
the release and shipment of the device, for those who decide to preorder,
before Christmas. Just in time for the parents of anxious teenagers
to buy one in time for the holidays.
Dell Streak- The iPad caught the attention of countless numbers of
techies who were anxious for an innovative tablet, and with all the
media attention and users pleased with the idea of a tablet that can do
more than just read books to you, it is safe to say that laptop and cell
phone makers are quickly releasing future plans for their own tablets.
Contrary to the structure of other tablets on the market, the Dell Streak
features only a 5 inch screen. The Dell Streak has now created a
category of its own, the “Mini Tablet.”
Blackberry Playbook- the interesting name of this device quickly
catches the attention of many sports fanatics alike and possibly
increasing their sales. Many blackberry lovers are excited for the new
blackberry technology it features, individual to this device. Another
appealing feature is the size of it. Although larger than the Dell Streak, it
is much easier and smaller than the iPad.
Chatroulette craze: why has it been successful?
The new internet sensation has caused major controversy among teens and adults alike
MICHELLE CARRERA
Staff Writer
Chatroulette originated from a
17 year-old Russian teenager’s bedroom
simply as an experiment. Now it’s one of
the newest and most distinct anonymous
video chat services around that has started
a new craze among high school students
and internet users in general.
The concept revolves around
pairing users with random chat partners
from all over the globe via webcam and
allowing people to meet others they would
have normally never encountered. After its
launch in November 2009, Chatroulette
had little more than 500 visitors a day, a
number that grew exponentially to reach
the current estimated 1.7 million users.
One of the benefits of Chatroulette
is that creating an account is not necessary
and there is no login information to
remember. A user can simply connect
their webcam, press “Play” and connect
instantly to a stranger.
The U.S. has the highest number
of participants with 47%, followed by
France with 15% and other countries
such as Canada and Turkey that make
up less than 10% of users, according
to CNBC. Members are predominantly
male, occupying 89% of users, while
PHOTO CREDIT: MICHELLE CARRERA
Michael Klugerman, Ag, 12, and Daniel Annone VPA, 12 enjoy playing
Chatroulette
only 11% were female. Chatters can end
a conversation by simply clicking ‘Next,’
and proceed through a series of chat
partners.
But user beware, Chatroulette
has been seen as both an example of
how Generation Y is progressing into a
new “digital world” and as a tasteless
site overflowing with explicit content.
Undoubtedly many of the benefits of
Chatroulette are overshadowed horror
stories of those who use the site for
unintended purposes. The site is infamous
for the uncensored nudity that will
frequently be either shown or requested by
the anonymous chat partner, a complaint
that plagues the unsophisticated technology
the website uses. According to web
research firm RJMetrics, 1 in 8 “spins,” or
video sessions, yields content R-rated or
worse.
“I’ve seen on TV that people
flash and it’s really disgusting,” said VPA
freshman Gabriela Millan.
Other students also express
anxiety about connecting onto the website,
among them IB sophomore Carolina Otero,
“You don’t know who’s out there [or] if
they could be videotaping you. It could be
a one time thing but it’s not.”
Chatroulette has also spawned
internet viral sensations of users engaged
in humorous activities. A simple Google
search will conjure hundreds of screen caps
that range from a man in a leopard suit, a
Lady Gaga parody and a mock conversation
between Obama and Batman among
other less benign images. With the main
demographic of the website being young
adults below the age of 30, companies have
also started to use the emerging website as
a platform for business. Travelocity and
Dr. Pepper are some of the first to market
their products and service with this method
and recently independent film distributor
Lionsgate also launched a viral campaign
to promote the new horror film The Last
Exorcism. The video campaign starts with
what seems like an average female chat
partner, however her eyes then proceed
to roll back and her face transforms into
a demon’s, after a few seconds the screen
goes black leaving only the movie website
visible.
Chatroulette reflects both the
progressive and adverse aspects of the
modern social network.

6
Coral
Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Opinions
No IDs: are we in more danger?
Does the lack of visible IDs make us more vulnerable to intruders?
We want
vegetables
Vegetarians want
healthy cafeteria food
DAIANA TORRES
Staff Writer
The menu in the cafeteria has been
a dilemma since the beginning of the
public school system and this year is no
different. It has come to the attention that
a significant percentage of students are
eating less in the cafeteria and the issue
of lack of vegetarian food plays a big role
in this dilemma.
The cafeteria forces the students to
get ‘a meal’ which, the majority of the
time, includes beef or poultry and ‘a
side’ of a salad or fruit with the option of
milk or juice. Vegetarian students cannot
get food in the cafeteria because once
they reach the cash register they aren’t
allowed to pay for what is considered
‘an incomplete meal’ since they lack the
‘meal’ component of our lunch tray.
“I can’t eat cafeteria food. I’m a
vegetarian,” said IB senior Amelia
Grant. “If they had food for vegetarians
I wouldn’t go without food or constantly
eat pizza.”
Amelia isn’t the only one. IB Senior
Jessica Stavro says, “Digesting meat
is hard on your stomach even when it’s
fresh and school food is not fresh. It
comes frozen.”
Jessica believes that it is not about
adding a vegetarian side, instead it is
about adjusting the cafeteria food to
better the quality of the food our students
are eating “food that has too much salt
and too much grease and is not healthy.”
The situation can be helped by “adding a
veggie stand a salad bar would help but
we aren’t going to eat salad every day,”
says Jessica.
Most students would agree that the
cafeteria food, not only in Coral Reef
but also in majority of the Miami-Dade
County Public Schools, isn’t as tasteful
as we would like. Also to the fact that it
is obvious that majority of the time food
is passed from one day to the next and
therefore the food the next day is less
tasteful than the day before and is many
times hard, like the macaroni and cheese
of which the macaroni the following day
are hard and very unpleasant to eat.
These very students find themselves
supporting a healthier menu in the
cafeteria and even agreeing to eat adding
a vegetarian section to the menu if it will
better the food quality in our schools,
yet why is it that these accommodations
haven’t been implied to our school menu is
beyond understanding for many students,
especially when more schools everyday
are bringing up the obesity issue in teens
and how it is increasing every day.
ERICA BACOURT
Staff Writer
We’ve experienced a lot of changes
this school year at Coral Reef: different
counselors, new teachers, new students,
and of course, new uniforms. Some were
elated about it, others not so much.
However, one change that
may be miniscule and often
overlooked is our student ID
policy. We no longer have to wear
our IDs on our necks; we just have to
have them with us.
From a student’s perspective, the
majority feel that this is a great thing.
Ta’von Brooks, a junior in the business
and finance academy says, “We already
have on a uniform shirt, so I don’t see the
purpose in wearing an I.D too.”
Many students have this same rationale
but they don’t see the other side to that
argument. What if some random stranger
walked into the school with a black polo
shirt on and harmed one or more of the
students?
Ashley Alexander, an IB junior, has
It was the first time I had ever seen a
detached spinal cord. I had never seen a
boy crumpled, dead in the passenger seat.
I had never seen a pool of blood displayed
on a big screen in the auditorium in front of
almost 700 minors. But, most shockingly,
I had never seen any of this being called
“educational.”
Believe it or not, this traumatizing
footage was school sanctioned. As part of
a failed attempt to teach the student body
about the dangers of driving while drunk
or texting, the school brought in a police
officer to scare and disgust students with
this unnecessary show of violence and
gore.
The presentation began mildly.
“No crashes are accidents,” said the
policewoman. Wait. Hold up. No crashes
are accidents? We are to blame the victims
for their own death, always? As you can
see, this show was a misguided attempt
from the start.
“I’m sick of funerals, sick of lines
waiting to go to the viewing,” she continued,
in a manner so detached that already
students were feeling uncomfortable.
Around the room, murmurs of shock could
be heard. But then the sadistic theatrics
began.
“Turn off the lights! We can’t see,”
yelled the students. Little did they know
how much they would later regret that
decision. The first slide wasn’t terrible.
Though it was shocking, an image of a car
split in two after a collision with a tree, it
was not over-the-top. However, the next
slide was.
It displayed a student of Archbishop
Carroll High School. For over five
minutes the photo of his body, crumpled
and broken, torso bruised, and neck at a
sickening angle remained on the screen.
Students yelled for the officer to “please,
thought about this scenario many times
and explains her thoughts. “So some
random man walks into the school with a
black polo on, because any random person
owns a white or a black polo, and hurt
some kids in the school. After they get
h i m and arrest him, the damage
is going to already be
done. Everyone’s parent,
especially those whose
kids got hurt, will
be extremely mad.
Then we’re going
to have to start
wearing our
I.D’s again
anyway. So
I say we
should just
wear them.”
Kiara Moyer, a sophomore
i n the legal academy says, “It’s better
to be safe than sorry.”
Wearing our I.D’s is a safety precaution
that can’t be disregarded simply because
we put on a shirt in a common color. Many
of the administration and staff will argue
that the emblem on the shirts take care of
please, change the slide,” but she refused,
replying, “You [the seniors] need to see
this. You need to always remember this.”
Where has respect gone? A huge lack
of respect was shown for both the dead
student, whose body was displayed like an
exhibit at a freak show, or for the students,
who were politely pleading for the removal
of the traumatizing image.
And where were the adults, you know,
the ones whose job is to protect and teach
us? If they were there, they did not speak
out against the atrocity.
And it gets worse.
At this point, students were beginning
to leave due to the fact that they did not
want to pollute their minds with such
disturbing images. How I envy the ones
who left.
After fifteen minutes of other photos
from this horrific accident, each more
gruesome then the next, a new theme was
touched upon. Actually, it can’t really be
called a theme. It was more like a new type
of gore.
We saw another victim’s torso. And his
face. His crushed, bloody, face. His legs
were nowhere to be seen. At this point,
students were leaving in waves, many
of them crying, others clutching their
stomachs. I joined them after the police
officer displayed an image of his lower
body, entrails trailing across the asphalt,
vertebrae lying intact on the highway,
making his lack of upper body even more
obvious.
Now, reader, I could go by hearsay and
that problem. Number one, what if a kid
can’t afford emblems on every shirt and
the best they can do is a polo with no logo
at all? Will we deprive them of a quality
education at Coral Reef because of that?
That wouldn’t be fair. Number two, if
someone wants to do wrong they will.
They could easily buy a patch and pretend
that they come to the school.
In a nutshell, a polo doesn’t do the job
for security. Having no IDs could actually
be more of a bad thing if something serious
were to happen at Coral Reef. If someone
fainted on their way to the bathroom and
didn’t have their ID, because the student
didn’t follow the rules, how would anyone
identify them quickly? An ID comes in
handy no matter what the situation may
be. So, while some students think it’s a
positive thing and other students think like
Courtney Taylor, a junior in the business
and finance academy. “I don’t care about
I.D’s, I just don’t want uniform.”
Students have to think about the worst
case scenario and argue both sides of the
argument to understand that not wearing
I.D’s could be a big mistake.
Traumatizing event school sanctioned
Students left school disgusted and shocked at what they had been shown
EMMA SINGER
Editor in Chief
www.savemolives.com
describe to you the rest of the presentation.
But I won’t. I will only tell you what I saw,
what I felt, and what I heard with my own
two ears.
On the subject of proper terms, I
have a question. If we are not allowed to
watch rated R movies without parental
permission, why was this acceptable? If
I am not mistaken, scare tactics are the
weapon of choice for fascist government
regimes and leaders. I did not need a horror
show to be taught not to drink and drive. I
did not need to see what I saw. But I did
need to do something.
However important the message
may be, this was the wrong way to inform
students of the dangers of drinking and
driving. Make sure you let your voice be
heard.
What should be done now? Well,
students, if this presentation was even
half as upsetting to you as it was to me,
I recommend that you make your feelings
known. By giving yourself a voice, you are
giving yourself the power to change things.
Write a letter to your counselor. Have your
parents call the school. Do whatever you
need to in order to speak out.
But however disgusting the presentation
may have been, the message was true. Be
safe. Do not drink and drive. Do not text
and drive.
But do not show this presentation
again.

Opinions
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
7
Facebook obsession and addiction
Social networking has become an interference of everyday life
VICTOR BIONDOLILLO
Staff Writer
Poke wars, graffiti, pictures, events
and groups are all elements of Facebook
that make it so appealing to students.
It is highly uncommon that a
teenager in today’s society does not have
a Facebook profile. I stopped 10 random
students in roaming in our hallways and
asked each one of them if they had a
Facebook. Unanimously, they all had one.
“It is a good and fast way to
meet new people and find parties to go
to,” said Trashaun Ward, a junior in the
business academy.
His fellow classmate, Chris
Lardner, another junior in the business
academy agreed and said that he can
easily “interact and keep up with
friends.”
Just recently, Facebook updated
their website and allowed users to instant
message each other while online. Many
people use this alternative to chat with
their friends because they can view
pictures while chatting in the same internet
window.
The question continually pops up with
teenagers in today’s society: Are you
addicted to Facebook?
Legal senior, Jalen Eutsey said that
it depends on “how much you use it,
The Twilight craze needs to end, NOW
Thankfully, the vampire and werewolf fetishes are dying down
DOROTHY SANCHEZ
Staff Writer
Team Edward? Team Jacob? How
about no team at all? What used to be such
a fast growing obsession among teens is
now losing momentum…finally.
About three years ago, I first heard
of Twilight, the first installment of the series
written by Stephanie Meyers, and I haven’t
been able to stop hearing of it since. Since
the first of the four novels was published
in 2005, the series has just snowballed in
power. This love triangle between Isabella
“Bella” Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob
Black has taken the world by storm.
I would always ask myself what
was so appealing about these novels. Was
it the teenage love triangle so many girls
found themselves relating to? Was it the
lure of the forbidden fruit? Was it the
fantasy of an immortal, beautiful vampire
fighting a strong, passionate werewolf for
the love of a mere human? Whatever it was,
it stuck, and suddenly we found ourselves
in a world immersed in the lives of these
fictional characters. We all belonged to one
of three groups of people: those who loved
Twilight, those who hated Twilight, and
those who couldn’t care less.
“If you don’t go for Team Jacob,
there’s no point in living,” professes Ashley
Delva, a senior in the Medical academy.
“The story is so good, and Jacob’s love is
so genuine.”
“I have to hear this everyday,”
responded Ashley’s friend Danielle
Webley, also a Medical senior, who stands
at the other end of the spectrum.
“I think it’s stupid,” said Danielle.
“Girls go crazy over this, and there’s no
reason for it.” Even someone who has
never read the books knows pretty much
the entire story because of their overzealous
and how.” He checks it once a day for a
maximum of thirty minutes. A varsity
baseball player, he naturally doesn’t have
time to constantly check it. “I use it for 30
minutes tops, but I know some people out
there that are on there for 3 hours a day.”
Originally, Facebook was invented
for new college students to meet each other
in their new homes. It has grown rapidly
over time. Facebook users range from
Hollywood actors to the president of the
United States.
“
Although students might think that
Facebook is fun and can help them, there
are hidden aspects of the social network
that can be detrimental to their future.
”
Students addicted to Facebook can be
affected negatively. While they should
be studying for school or completing
projects, they are spending pointless time
on Facebook chatting with their friends
or commenting on pictures. As an avid
Facebook user, I can say that time flies
when you’re on Facebook. While you may
only want to spend 30 minutes updating
your status and checking newly tagged
pictures, before you know it, its 11:00 and
friends and relatives who jump and down
with excitement as they tell Bella’s life
story like it’s their own.
The books were even more popularized
with the more-than-a-tad-melodramatic
Twilight Saga movies. There seems to be a
consensus that it was the movie series that
made up people’s minds against Twilight.
Grace Arzola, a sophomore in IB,
said she loved the books when they first
your history paper is due tomorrow.
“I log on to check my wall and see what
people are talking about,” said Business
sophomore Brandon Narino.
By doing something as simple as this,
students can be carried away and waste
time.
Although students might think that
Facebook is fun and can help them, there
are hidden aspects of the social network
that can be detrimental to their future.
Everything that users post on the website,
whether they are pictures
or statuses, are saved in a
database.
If the information
provided by the students
contains inappropriate content,
they can get into serious
trouble with the school as well
as legal trouble. No addiction
is a good one, but a Facebook
addiction is slightly more dangerous to
underage people because students are
naïve and don’t understand that all of their
information can be public.
Facebook can be checked on cell
phones throughout the day and applications
have been developed to make browsing
easier and more accessible. With today’s
technology, the Facebook addiction is
continuously growing and negatively
affecting students throughout the world.
according to some. Eclipse was okay, but
by Breaking Dawn, it wasn’t the same,
and it quickly turned tedious and a bore to
read.
Although the books and novels may
have some nice messages and themes -
standing up for what’s right, love conquers
all, so and so forth, there are obviously
some disturbances. One of the big ones,
is the creepy controlling relationship
Edward has with
Bella. “Watching
over you constantly,
not letting you talk
to certain people,
watching you sleep
all night all because
he loves you…telltale
signs of an
abusive controlling
relationship. So
is that what we’re
teaching girls now?
That it’s okay for a
boyfriend to be like
this as long as he has
pledged his undying
love for you? I don’t
PHOTO CREDIT: DOROTHY SANCHEZ
think it is.”
The everything-inmoderation-way
has
came out and she, too, was obsessed. But been thrown out the window by Twi-hards,
after the start of The Twilight Saga movie With the t-shirts, coffee mugs, notebooks,
series, she was no longer a fan. “I don’t posters, sweaters, bags, perfumes, dolls,
really care anymore. The movies messed necklaces, buttons, bedspreads, creepy lifesize
cardboard cut-outs (…need I go on?),
up everything.”
Linda Dalvio, a Legal junior, this whole Twilight obsession is getting
agrees. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, old. Everyday something on the radio,
and Taylor Lautner just do not cut it for TV, or internet comes up about Twilight or
them. “I like the books,” Linda said, “but the “on again, off again, on again but not
not the movies. The acting is just bad.” officially” life of the actors playing these
But even the books themselves characters. Admittedly, the story line is
have lost some of their audience. Twilight good, but that’s exactly it. It is just a story.
and New Moon were great page turners, Let’s keep it that way.
Video games
and brains
MITSU BUENO
Staff Writer
Remember when kids spent most of
their time playing outside? Today, hardly
any kids spend time outside anymore. Most
teens spend it inside their houses playing
their Xbox or PS3. What started as another
simple recreational activity turned into an
addictive and isolating activity.
Over the years, games have become more
and more violent. These games have been
affecting kids in a harmful way. One of the
most popular video games is Call of Duty;
it has realistic images and sound effects and
lots of violence. This game is rated M for
mature for having a lot of violent content,
but most kids who play it are from ages 13-
17. Most kids don’t believe violent games
affect them, but scientific studies proved
that they do.
According to a scientific research
project, “Study: Violent Video Game
Effects Linger in Brain, Campaign for a
Commercial Free Childhood,” 2006, one
study observed two groups of kids from
ages 13-17, one group played a rated T
violent video game involving military
combat and the other group played a non
violent game. After taking a scan of the
kids’ brains, the first group showed more
activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain
which plays a part in emotional arousal,
and less activation in the part of the brain
that connects to focus, concentration and
control.
From constant violent images, most
teens aren’t surprised or disgusted. In fact,
now kids find realistic scenes amusing and
entertaining. It has changed the way kids
behave and makes them feel less empathy
and remorse from causing pain, which
leads to bullying. Today, there has been
more bullying from filling kids’ brains with
so much violence from video games.
Video games don’t only contain
physical violence but sexual violence as
well. In “Grand Theft Auto,” it contains
a lot of violent and sexual content. Most
teens care about their social status and
use violent acts to establish their place in
the social chains. According to research,
“Using Violence to Establish Control,”
violence is also used to establish control
over women and repeated exposure and
participating in these storylines teach kids
how to navigate relationships and can
impact their expectations of each other.
Video games have also affected the
way kids live. It has made teens a lot more
indolent and developed a poor eating
habit.
Addictive video game users also stop
doing homework and eating dinner with
their family, they just sit down for several
hours with unhealthy food by their side.
“I think it makes teens procrastinate and
want to play it all the time. It deprives them
of time to do school work, yet it makes
them feel happy at the same time,” says
VPA Junior, Christian Gulke.
Teens have been also losing sleep from
being so addicted to video games and
unable for them to stop. Most parents don’t
even know what their kids are viewing and
how it has affected their brain, development
and behavior.

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and admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and /or other school-administered programs.
8
Coral
Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Stay
Closer
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New Uniforms
BRITTANY ROTH
Staff Writer
“I don’t think it’s fair that we have uniforms because I followed the dress
code and I feel that only people who didn’t should have to follow the new
uniform policy. At the same time, I think its interesting that everyone is
wearing the same clothes but still add their own personal touch. Coral Reef is
a really good school and everyone is very individualistic but now, we’re just
like everyone else which is why I got a uniform waiver.”
Amanda Brenlla
“I think uniforms are easier than everyday clothes and it allows me to get
ready faster in the morning. Even though everyone looks fancy with their
matching shirts, I feel that everyone looks the same. Accessorizing allows
people to express their individuality.”
Lilah Saunders
“I’m the type of kid who doesn’t have a lot of variety in my clothes before I
heard about the uniforms so when I was going to high school, I was worried
about wearing the same types of clothes everyday. So when I heard about
uniforms, I was relived because I knew that everyone would be dressing the
same.”
Noah Diaz
“When I heard it on the P.A. last year, I didn’t care. I like not having
uniforms because you can express yourself but I like them because it takes
less time in the morning to choose an outfit. However, I think the dress code
that is enforced this year is too harsh and I prefer the one from last year.
Everyone is the same which is bad because their no creativity.”
Ingrid Moreno

PHOTO CREDIT: DOROTHY SANCHEZ
Fashion
Gretchell Trochez shows off her
favorite pair of jeggings
Jeggings:
hot or not?
Leggings/jeans combo
draws many opinions
DOROTHY SANCHEZ
Staff Writer
Skinny jeans, “silly bandz”, v-
necks, Vans, neon colors, high-waisted
skirts, funny t-shirts: we’ve all seen fads
that take the fashion world by the seams.
New trend alert, all: jeggings.
Celebrities and fashionistas like Whitney
Port (from The Hills and The City),
Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kate Bosworth, Rachel
Bilson, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba (and
the list goes on) all have been seen rocking
this hybrid between leggings and jeans.
But will the student population take this
new fashion to heart.
They’re very adaptable and can
be worn with anything according to her.
Another sophomore, from Agriscience,
agrees. “They’re awesome! They’re
incredibly comfortable,” says Marjim
Avellan. “I don’t wear them to school. I
just reserve them for going out.”
Apparently, boys admire them too.
Diego Figueroa, a Medical freshman,
very seriously comments, “In my opinion,
they’re hot.”
A good part of the student body,
however, is not so fond of this new
trend. Some people are more tolerant of
them. Vianca Atencio, a sophomore in
Business, explains, “I tried them on but
I don’t like how they look. I just don’t
feel comfortable in them.”
Jessica Cerda, a Medical
sophomore says, “I’d rather just wear
normal jeans.”
There are some students that just
cannot stand jeggings. Samantha Aponte,
an IB senior, grudges “I hate those stupid
pants. They were about to become my
uniform at my job when I quit.”
VPA freshman, Jose Araya,
insults jeggings. “They’re stupid. They
need to make up their mind: are they
jeans or leggings?”
Anabelle Vabre, a VPA freshman
too, criticizes, “They are a hot mess.
They’re way too tight, and it makes people
look bad, especially if they have muffin
tops. And some people wear skirts or shorts
over them, and that’s so much worse.”
And Jessica Rodriguez, a business
sophomore, thinks, “they’re tacky. I
wouldn’t wear them.”
So, hot or not? It’s just a matter of
personal taste. But if you’re concerned with
other people’s comments or thoughts, you
might want to get your friends’ legitimate
opinions before coming to school in them,
where a lot of kids seem to have quite
hostility to them.
9
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
What to expect for winter fashion
Don’t let uniforms bring you down; still dress up for winter!
GABRIELA REYES
Staff Writer
In the snow globe of Coral Reef,
it is only right for all our fashion-inspired
students to dress up nice this winter despite
the fact that this year we are abiding by
a new uniform code. Being able to only
wear black, silver, white, or teal jackets
definitely limits our outfits of choice. But
with coats, booties, high-waist jeans, 501
Levis, and even cute long-sleeves, Cudas
are sure to surprise fashion experts as
they have always done.
“It’s going to be a little tough
to doll up this year only because of our
limited choices, but I think that those
who know how to dress, will be able to
put together something hot no matter the
restrictions,” said Monique Seabrook,
Business Junior.
The possibilities of putting an
outfit together that is jaw-dropping and
still passes as permissible school attire is
high to those that know their individual
style. Always keep in mind that fashion
trends don’t exist, it is the trend that you
create for yourself that shows off your
fashion capabilities.
“There are so many cute shoes
and boots that people can wear. Like, one
day, girls can wear furry boots and the
next day we can wear some cute Chucks
or other types of sneakers. Plus, since we
have to wear school-color jackets, we got
really lucky that there is such a variety of
cute and affordable coats for us to choose
from,” said Jessika Lilly, Legal Senior.
It all depends on the individuals
choice of fashion that determines whether
Fashionista of the month
Jessica Stavro is going places in the world of fashion
MICHELLE PONTON
Staff Writer
Fashion is a way for IB
senior student Jessica Stavro
to expresses herself even with
the new enforced uniform
policy in place. A classy
unique touch is what defines
her wardrobe. She prefers
tp wears something that is
different but at the same
to time it has match and
flow with whatever she is
wearing.
Her fashion signature
look would probably be her
high-waist skirts and ballet
flats. She feels that with
these fashion elements
you can easily either
dress up or down an outfit
depending where you are
going.
When Jessica was asked what
she believed makes a person
unique with fashion, she replied
that “As a person grows up, they
start developing their own style
and they become aware of what
works and what doesn’t work for
them.” Her fashion tip would be
to get a few key wardrobe pieces
that can go together and easily
with other pieces, so you can
mix and match to change up the
look with every new outfit you
put together.
In the mall you can probably
they make a statement or not, but the
possibilities to rock an amazing outfit are
infinite to those that actually wish to.
“When I went to New York I
noticed how when it’s getting cold people
wear long sleeves under their polo’s. In
fact, I even tried it once. I think it’s a cute
idea, and perhaps a little different because
people always focus on buying cute jackets
and cute little winter accessories, instead
of going for the even more basic fashion
trend,” said Vanessa Baez, Business
Junior.
Winter accessories are just an
added bonus to our Barbie and Ken winter
outfits, but for those that want to try it, there
run into Jessica shopping for
her clothes in stores like Zara or
Urban Outfitters, but she mostly
only purchases the things that are
on sale. She feels that a person
does not have to spend so much
money to look and feel good
in their clothes. Wearing your
clothes with confidence is what
makes any outfit. Jessica also
mentioned that TJ Maxx has a
lot of fashionable things if you
take the time to find something.
Clothing labels in her fashion
world don’t matter.
Her inspiration for fashion
sparked at the age of twelve,
especially when she saw the
second season of the show
Project Runway. After she saw
this show she knew that fashion
would become a big part of her
life.
Actresses like Rachel
Bilson and Zooey Deschanel
also have inspired her with
their vintage style. Two years
ago Jessica did some sewing in
her free time and created some
clothes, however she said that “I
am my worst critic,” Even though
others that saw her creations
thought otherwise.
She has a good support
system back at home with family
that understands her love and
are a variety of
pieces that will
make it work
for just about
anybody.
The first
piece would
be gloves.
These can be
furry, sheer,
or perhaps
even leatherstudded
out.
Then, there are
scarves. Highfashion
scarves
can be worn by
both our guys
and girls as
they come in
different cloths,
styles, lengths, colors, and even patterns.
Not to mention that if the material is light
enough, they can be used year-round and
might even be able to worn around the
hips if our ladies wish.
Keep in mind that other pieces
such as winter hats and ear muffs can also
dress up any regular outfit.
Dare to add your individual style,
and bring out your inner-fashion-freak
and you will be surprised by the winter
statement you will be causing throughout
our hallways.
PHOTO CREDIT: GABRIELA REYES
Taja Brown, Business, 11, Andres Bernal, Eng. 11, and Teanya
Brown, Business 11, demonstrate their winter fashion by rocking the
newest styles of school uniform jackets and sweats.
interest for fashion.
Jessica stated that her
style is streamline, but for her
mom that is not the same case.
She says her mom does have a
different sense of style than her,
however it’s her own and she as
well likes fashion. “My mom
likes wild colors and prints and
tops it off with her bright heels.”
Last year, Jessica
participated in the school event
called “The Eco-fashion Show.”
For this new type of style of a
fashion show, Jessica created a
skirt made out of a lampshade
that was a hit and very distinctive.
She enjoys sketching new
ideas and formulating different
elements into her designs.
Jessica’s strong love for
fashion will keep evolving after
high school with her interest in
majoring in fashion design and
merchandise in a university.
She hopes that she can
get into a school like the New
York State University called
Fashion Institute of Technology.
Jessica also mentioned that
“costume design is also very
interesting and I love Broadway,
so that can also be an option for
my future.”

10 A & E
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
Album reviews: rap, rock, and pop
Baitline’s music expert tells us what to listen to this year
GIOVANNA GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
This year a few albums have
been released by well known artist.
In the Rap category we have a new
album called Free Wired by Far East
Movement. The album contains many
songs that are rap electronic but the
most well known song is “Like a G6
ft. The Cataracs and Dev.” The song is
very upbeat and is great for parties
“It is my favorite song, every
time I go to parties and the song goes
on I go crazy,” said Joshua Vergara,
freshman.
The album is great for parties
and having a good time with your
friends, when you just feel like dancing.
Other great songs in the album are
“She Owns the Night ft. Mohombi,”
“Fighting For Air ft. Vincent Frank aka
Frankmusik,” and “Girls on the Dance
Floor ft. Stereotypes.”
For the Pop category we
have the famous artist, Bruno Mars.
Most people would know him by the
adorable song “Just the Way You Are.”
However, he does have other songs in
his new album, such as “Doo Wops and
Hooligans.” A few of the other songs
are “Grenade,” “Count on Me,” “Marry
You,” and “Somewhere in Brooklyn.”
Freshman Kriss Camacho talks
about “Somewhere in Brooklyn,” “It’s
a love song, and it’s really good, it is
depressing but yet it is fun to listen
to.”
The song “Just the Way You
Are” a lot of people especially girls
and myself are in love with the song. In
my opinion it is a great song and it is very
romantic, yet fun to listen to.
Freshman Kerry Hulse in the
Joshua Vergara sports new tunes on his
iPod including the new Free Wired by
Far East Movement.
Legal academy says, “It is really romantic,
it’s what any girl would want a guy to tell
them.”
Also, Angela Williams, a sophomore,
explains, “It is special, and it makes me
Upcoming
Movies
Exhibits in Miami include Art Basel and Menagerie
Living in Miami affords students to be able to attend innovative art exhibits throughout the year
PHOTO CREDIT: GIOVANNA GONZALEZ
feel happy, I like to dance to
it.”
Another great song that
is on the Bruno Mars album
is “Count on Me.”
Tristan Skeete, a
freshman in the Engineering
Academy, tells us that “the
song is great, but really
emotional.”
Another album that was
released this year is Icon by
Nirvana. Most people do
not know about Nirvana, or
maybe know more about their
old songs. It is a different
story for Sophomore Julio
Suarez, he believes that
they are a great band, and
“anytime I listen to the songs
I lose it…in a good way.”
He also explains that
“Nirvana’s music tends to
clear my mind.” Some of their
songs this year are “Smells
like Teen Spirit,” “Dumb,”
“About a Girl,” “In Bloom,”
and “Lithium.”
Emily Barron, a
freshman legal student,
thinks that Nirvana is a great
band. She says, “I think that
everyone is really weird for
saying that they are overrated
cause they actually play good
music. They’re really good
songs, and “Lithium” and
“Rape Me” are some of my
favorites.”
This year a lot of great
songs and albums have been
released and hopefully these well known
artist will continue to create songs that us
students can listen to and help us have a
better day.
Paranormal Activity 2
October 22
Saw 3D
October 29
Due Date
November 5
Megamind
November 5
Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows
November 19
Faster
November 24
Red Dawn
December 3
I Love You Philip Morris
December 10
Upcoming no dates
The Tempest
The Tourist
And Soon the Darkness
Tron: Legacy
Little Fockers
GUILLERMO ESCOBAR
Staff Writer
Miami is home to many
festivities all year round. Some
things are small and local like
summer concerts such as Warped
Tour, and others are larger and
made for people with more
refined taste. For example, the art
exhibits downtown such as Art
Basel, Menagerie, and the Nudist
Museum which are new exhibits
to the site they are located at.
Shanique Smith is
holding an art exhibit here in
Miami at MOCA museum. The
exhibition is called Menagerie,
and it is showing from September
16- November 19, 2012. The
exhibition includes videos,
installations, and artworks on
paper from 2002 to the present.
Her artwork is made up
of collections and a jumble of
objects and second hand clothing.
She ties all of this together and
forms cubical as well as spherical
bundles. The installations are
made up of cloths, string, and
ribbon at the start of the
exhibit and there is a also
a draping canopy to the
end where there are two
earlier installations one
called No Dust, No Stain
made in 2006, as well as
Twilights Compendium,
made in 2009.
Caroline Clock,
Junior in the Business
academy said “I would
like to visit this exhibit
because the art is different
and has its own unique
style that I have never
seen, and I find it amazing
the way the exhibit was
installed.”
Another art
exhibition happening
during months of October to
the beginning of November is
the Nudist Museum by Ellen
Harvey at the Bass Museum of
Art here in Miami. The exhibition
is basically all the permanent
collection at Bass redrawn to be
nudist paintings.
There are fifty four
paintings in total most of them
PHOTO CREDIT: GUILLERMO ESCOBAR
Austin Morales and Gabriela Millan show their appreciation of the hanging
art exhibited here at school.
cropped to focus on the naked
body. Every part of the painting
is in monochrome except for the
human body with the color of the
flesh being a random color.
The weird thing is that
once I looked at the paintings
closely I found that there are
smaller versions of nudist people
used today in the present mass
media. Samantha Dubin, VPA
Sophomore, had this to say after
noticing these smaller versions.
“I think Harvey is trying to
make fun of the differences of
the time periods. She’s making
it ironic by showing us how
different our views truly are, I am
definitely interested and hope to
visit the exhibit.”
Art fanatics, guess what’s
coming up this December!? ART
BASEL. Art Basel
is a four day event
at Miami Beach that
is basically the most
significant art show
in the United States
with more than 250
art galleries from
around the world,
artworks done by
over 2000 artists
with many different
art techniques and
styles such as pop
art, fine art etc.
Rachel Cohn,
VPA Junior, says,
“Last year at Art
Basel I was only able
to stay two hours and
I hope this year I am
able to stay longer since I got so
into it.”
These art events that only go on
for a short amount of time so take
the opportunity to check them
out both the general admission
for MOCA and Bass are less than
$10. Art Basel is pricey but if
you’re really into art, go. It’s not
an event you want to miss.

A & E
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
11
Concerts make an impact on students and teachers
Students, especially those in the VPA academy, feel that concerts are one of the best parts of life
MICHELLE DAVIS
Staff Writer
Music is what feelings sound like. Lori
Weaverling, VPA Junior, has been to too
many concerts to count. From Warped
Tour to Ultra, she finds an escape in any
type of music. Recently, she attended the
Sara Bareilles concert. She drove all the
way to Ft. Lauderdale on a school night to
see one of her favorite artists perform live.
Lori had been anticipating this
concert for months. She had bought an
extra ticket for her best friend’s, Laura
Plyler, 17th birthday. It happened to be
Laura’s first concert.
“It met more than my
expectations,” said Plyler.
Laura’s favorite song from the
concert was “Kaleidoscope Heart” and
“Let the Rain.” Laura said how she was
so close to Sara Bareilles that she actually
saw her wink at her!
Since Coldplay has a new album
coming out in December, Laura is hoping
they have a new tour next year.
Our own Mrs. Martinez, Coral
Reef’s Activities
Director, recently
went to a Celine Dion
concert.
“It was a great
concert, but nothing
beats the concert I went
to in 1982, The Police.
It was so amazing!”
A n o t h e r
memorable concert
Martinez attended was
Michael Jackson’s
Victory tour at the
Orange Bowl Stadium.
A n o t h e r
teacher here at Coral
Reef has been to a
share of concerts. Mr.
Ernsberger went to
The Police as well, but
unlike Martinez, he liked the opening band,
Maroon 5, more than The Police.
There are a lot of concerts this
year that many people can be excited for.
On December 18th, Justin Bieber will be
performing at American Airlines Arena.
Lady Gaga tickets have been on
sale for about a year now. On April 12th
she will be at Bank Atlantic Center for the
Monster Ball Tour, and on April 13th she
will be at American Airlines Arena.
Also, for those that would like
Latin music, Chayanne, will be performing
at the Hard Rock Live on November 19th,
in Hollywood Fl.
Tylere Styga and Sophia Cuello,
VPA Seniors, attended the John Mayer
concert on September 11, 2010. Tylere
had been to his concert earlier this year in
Febuary but she stated how this experience
was ten times better.
“Having lawn seats made the
concert more personal,” said Styga.
Sophia said how she felt like John
was singing directly to her. They agreed
their favorite song that he performed was
“Edge of Desire.” Lori also went to the
John Mayer concert but said that Sarah
Bareilles still has the top spot on her
favorite concerts list.
Many people go to Ultra Music
Festival each year, regardless of the price
of the tickets. This music festival is
usually the first weekend of spring break
but pre sale tickets go on sale starting in
December.
You can get a two day combo for
$140 but if you wait till the day to scalp
tickets, you’d be lucky to find a ticket for
fewer than $300. Be on the lookout for
exciting new concerts in your area. Miami
is always a hotspot for up and coming artists
so check make checking Ticketmaster a
Perry’s Teenage Dream
Tracks contain songs with meaning and beat
GIOVANNA GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
Katy Perry’s new album
Teenage Dream was released August
24th, 2010. The album consists of
twelve songs, but the most popular ones
are “Teenage Dream” and “California
Girls ft. Snoop Dogg.” The album has
great music, especially for teenage girls.
My favorite song is “Teenage Dream,”
because it is about teenage love, and
most girls can relate to the song.
“ W h e n
I was touring, I
wanted people to
dance more. So I
wrote an album
that made people
move, yet didn’t
sacrifice the story
substance that I
had on the last
record,” Katy
explained to
Moxie about her
new album.
A l s o ,
all her music is
very upbeat and makes you want to
move your feet or simply just dance.
The album in general is great to listen
to and sing to it. Katy’s voice can make
the song very powerful with each lyric.
The song “California Girls” is a great
song to sing with your friends in the
car with the windows down, especially
for the boys, they can rap when Snoop
Dogg begins to sing.
“You’re getting the sugary
sweet, but you’re getting the ‘oh my
goodness, she had to sit down for a
minute and let some things off her
chest’,” Katy explained to Moxie.
As you can see, the album has
a lot of meaning to Katy Perry. Even
the meaning has a connection with the
artist. Katy explains that she named it
PHOTO WITH PERMISSION OF MOXIE
Teenage Dream because she wanted
to be in everyone’s dreams at night,
she wanted to be that pin-up poster in
peoples’ rooms.
“I love Katy Perry. She’s super
hot and her music is awesome, but the
music a little bit too girly for me,” said
Devante Muhammad, Business Junior.
Students especially enjoy the
remixes of her albums, because they
make her music more “danceable,
especially for parties. I love when they
put a stronger beat into it, because then
you can really dance to it but still know
the words and the
song. The album is
a great present to
get a girl because
they almost all
love Katy Perry
and her songs
about teenagers in
love make it into
a super romantic
gift,” said Patrick
Volum, IB Senior.
Katy Perry
seems to be the
new craze. Her
name has become
well known to everyone, and it’s hard
to find someone who doesn’t like her
music.
“I’m really not a fan of her
music. It’s kind of lame, because she
talks about the same thing over and
over again. Her first album was good,
but now it all sounds the same. It’s
impossible to dance to, and it’s so
annoying when girls blast it in the car
and sing it off key,” said Joel Leon, IB
Senior.
So, there you have it. Katy
Perry’s new album has become a
beloved CD in any teenage girl’s car,
and it’s very difficult to find anyone
who dislikes her music. Hopefully she
will produce a new album soon, but
include a greater diversity of music.
Robot Tea Party
Coral Reef’s very own celebrity band
NICHOLAS ARCIA
Staff Writer
Four talented boys, Isic Da-Silva,
Nick Verrire, Pedro Aviles, and Javier
Amador started their path for success with
the creation of a unique musical group,
known as The Robot Tea Party.
Amador brought together
his fellow bandmates to create a
group that focused on the alternative
pop-rock genre of music. Together,
the four boys produced their own
songs, including a song titled
“Apologize,” which has given them
the opportunity to play at Holy
Rosary Crafts and Car Show and at
numerous charity events.
In addition to playing at
these numerous venues, The Robot
Tea Party has been able to perform
at Black Point Marina, and recently
at the “Cancer Relay for Life” in
Doral, which the group believes to
have been their best performance to
date.
Even though the band
has had many charity based
performances, they mainly play for
profit, $150 being the maximum
profit that each of them has received
at a single event. However, what is
truly unique about this high school
band is that each member is a part
of either the Coral Reef Senior High
School band or orchestra.
The Robot Tea Party has
had great success throughout their
career and has even been able to sell photos
for five dollars and personalized t-shirts
for twenty. Lately the band has had trouble
balancing the practice of their music
while still being able to complete all their
schoolwork. The true answer is dedication
but when they do get together they feed off
of each others energy to create alternative
pop rock music.
Javier, who is the bass player and back-up
vocalist, has helped compose eight songs.
Not only being completely and
utterly devoted to this band, Javier, who
is a senior and is focusing on applications
to college, is having an especially difficult
time seeing as how he has deadlines to
PHOTO CREDIT: EMMA SINGER
Javier Amador, bass player and back up singer
for Robot Tea Party performs at Mr. Barracuda.
He hopes to get publicity for his band as well as
win the competition.
meet, essays to write, and obligations to
fulfill. However, after the completion of
high school, Javier hopes to pursue a career
as a musician, believing that his musical
abilities will take him far in life.
The Robot Tea Party has truly
had their fair share of difficulties but their
perseverance and dedication will take them
far on the road of success.

12 Spotlight
Students
saving the
world one
computer at
a time
Connect the
Americans brings
together students and
technology
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
ANGELA ZHOU
Guest Writer
B r e t t
Boren watched his mother prepare to toss
out old but still working computers. He
wanted to find an organization that recycled
them by sending them to other places in
need of technology. Most technology, if
not recycled properly, is harmful to the
environment and a waste of elements such
as lead and copper. When Brett couldn’t
find an organization, he and his friend,
Brian Tan, created their own.
Connect The Americas is a
n o n p r o f i t
organization
c o m p r i s e d
of dedicated
high school
s t u d e n t s
in Miami.
M e m b e r s
collect old
computers and computer parts and spend
hours fixing them so they can be reused.
The refurbished computers are then shipped
to schools in need of the technology, most
of which are located in Latin America
or the Caribbean. For example, during
the summer of 2010, CTA prepared for a
shipment of ten computers to be delivered
to a school in Haiti.
However, computers are not the
only thing CTA accepts. Current officers
Catherine Zaw and Angela Zhou say
“We’re open to any type of technology,
whether they are speakers, motherboards,
or laptops. We’ve even received cell
phones and cash registers before. We’re
confident there’s someone out there that
can appreciate it.”
Also, CTA needs large cardboard
boxes, tape, and materials when they ship
the computers. Donators can get community
service hours. If you would like to donate
or become a member, please email us at
connecttheamericas@gmail.com
Contestant breaks arm at rehearsal
Drummer works his way through Mr. Barracuda with one arm
CELINE KHOURI
Staff Writer
PHOTO CREDIT: CELINE KHOURI
Rafael Ribiero shows off his new cast after getting injured during
practice for Mr. Barracuda.
Every year there are more than
1,800 injuries that take place in schools
based on bone
injuries and
fractures. *
“They are among
the most common
o r t h o p e d i c
problems in the
United States.”
Coral Reef
High School
students seem to
always get hurt.
You will always
see a person on
crutches on any
given day. The
usual causes of
these accidents
would be sports
or a person’s
klutzy nature. To
be more precise, I
have heard many
people’s stories
about their
injuries, in which
many have said
their accidents
occurred due
to stubbing of
toes or fingers,
tripping, falling
out of trees, or
even because of
trampolines.
M r .
Barracuda is a
male pageant that takes every place year
based on a talent show that is hosted. The
winner of this contest, decided by a panel
of judges, represents the Coral Reef student
body. This person is judged based on talent,
personality and school spirit brought to the
stage.
It is not every day that a Coral
Reef student trying out for Mr. Barracuda
expects to get hurt while doing something
they have been doing for the longest time.
Rafael “Rafa” Ribeiro, a sophomore in IB,
fractured some bones in his left wrist and
arm while practicing for the introduction
of Mr. Barracuda pageant. His dance move
required his friends to throw him in the
air and for him to land it. However, they
did not support his back properly causing
him to be thrown in the air and fall back
down. “It all just happened super fast,”
said Rafael.
Mr. Lil Drummuh has been
drumming for six years now and takes part
of the group School of Rock. “It was the
worst pain I have ever felt,” said Rafael,
and said that everyone was shocked when
he fell into pain and wanted to make sure
he was alright.
Waiting in the hospital room,
Rafael and his parents were not expecting
the results to be so severe. “We were
shocked when the doctor came out and said
I broke my wrist and needed to wear a cast;
I didn’t expect that,” said Rafael.
This talented IB sophomore could not
play the drums when he first had his cast
on, due to the pain he felt.
However, because he is very
enthusiastic about Mr. Barracuda he
was able to perform in front of all his
classmates.
Congratulations to Mr. Barracuda!
James Hall, Mr. Dark Chocolate, won the crown of Mr. Barracuda 2010-2011
EMMA SINGER
Staff Writer
It’s hard to imagine an IB
student with a passion for acting, music
and dance. But he exists, and he has
finally been recognized for his talents.
James Hall, IB Senior, was crowned Mr.
Barracuda 2010-2011 on October 20,
2010.
“I was shocked that I won! But
it was definitely a happy surprise,” said
James.
James, aka Mr. Dark Chocolate,
had a huge fan base (of screaming IB
girls) cheering him on.
“I lost my voice cheering for
him! I brought a sign, but everyone was
so excited that it got ripped,” said Amore
Rodriguez, IB Senior.
James’ talent was a Michael
Jackson dance medly, with music cut by
Joseph Chakko, IB Senior. He used some
of Michael Jackson’s most popular songs
as well as some of the more obscure
ones.
“I loved the music! He did
an amazing job of capturing Michael
Jackson’s littlest movements as well as
his signature moves,” said Amore.
Other contestants, though
disappointed, were happy for James and
his success.
“He’s worked so hard, he
definitely deserved this. And let’s face
it; he did awesome!” said a group of his
former competitors.
That night, James’ Facebook was
spammed with hundreds of congratulatory
notes (mostly from admiring girls) and
requests for repeat performances. What
does James have to say to this?
“I love performing. I love
the stage. Maybe I’ll get the chance
to perform at our next pep rally!” said
James.
Now, what’s next for Mr.
Barracuda? Who knows? Maybe he’ll hit
Broadway, get an acting job, or something
different entirely. But what we do kn ow
for sure is that no matter what James Hall
does, he will succeed.
SUCCESS FAME GLORY
POPULARITY PUBLICITY MUSIC
ART CONCERTS GIGS MONEY
Want to promote your band in the newspaper?
Inexpensive ads are available to Coral Reef
Students. Contact Emma Singer
s2310@coralreef.dadeschools.net
Hey baby, I love you so much.
I want to be with you forever and ever and
ever and ever and ever and ever.
Be mine?
Insert your name here
Want to tell the girl of your dreams how you feel? Buy an ad in
the newspaper! Low rates available to Coral Reef Students.
Contact Emma Singer: s2310@coralreef.dadeschools.net

Spotlight
Martial Arts Master
VPA senior knows how to defend himself
GIOVANNA
GONZALEZ
Filipino Kali
doesn’t sound like a
martial arts, does it? Here
at Coral Reef Senior High
School, Paul Poppe, VPA
senior, practices Filipino
Kali, which is a type of
Martial Arts. He has been
training for three years at
Hybrid Martial Arts.
Filipino Kali
emphasizes stick combat,
knife work, and hand
techniques.
“It’s great for self
defense, and I really enjoy
knowing that whatever
situation I’m in, I can
protect myself,” Poppe
explains.
A person
who trains or practices
Filipino Kali is called
an “eskrimador.” When
being an eskrimador, and
to be an eskrimador you
must know yourself, and
have self knowledge. Poppe explains that
in Martial Arts you must understand the
way you fight, the reasons why, and how
to train to maximize the potency of your
style.
One of the great aspects of Filipino
Kali is that it’s not as structured because
the fighter can create their own moves that
would fit their own personal style. When it
comes to technique, there are many ways
they can block an attack, many ways they
can counter it, or anything else.
Everyone has their own technique
that works best for them. For example,
Poppe enjoys stick work, but he does
PHOTO CREDIT: GIOVANNA GONZALEZ
Paul Poppe shows off some of his favorite moves
and fighting stances from Filipino Kali a unique
form of martial arts.
love empty hand techniques and the knife
combat the most.
When he first began training, he
was taught foot work and angles of attack.
These angles where you can be attacked
can range but usually they consist of twelve
basic strikes in different regions of the
body. Once he had this down, he learned
how to block and double stick work.
After a while, the training does
become more intense and they begin to
learn stick locks, disarms, flow drills, and
of course the empty hand techniques.
“That’s one of the best parts
of kali, the art just keeps building and
building.”
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 201013
Q&A with Felicia Prospere
An ex-cheerleader shares quirks about her life
CELINE KHOURI
Staff Writer
What type of music do you like?
Country music because it tells the funniest stories.
What is your goal in your life?
My goal is to be happy. Don’t get me wrong, being fabulously
wealthy when I’m older (because that would make me very
happy), but as long as I’m happy, I’ll be fine
What is your favorite cheese?
Anything that comes in string form because it’s so fun to eat
What has been your weirdest dream you have
ever had?
I fell asleep watching Jersey shore and I had
a dream that I was in an MMA match with
Angelina. I had on Snooki’s fuzzy slippers and everything. I
won
What is your favorite subject?
Math, because it’s ALWAYS stays the same.
Who is your role model?
My role model is anyone who lives out their dreams.
I admire people who have the ability to pursue their
dreams without fear.
What is your sanctuary?
In my room under my loft bed. It’s like I have my own little
cave in my room
What is your most memorable childhood memory?
I gave my mom chicken pox for my 3rd birthday party and she had
to watch everyone having fun from the bedroom window.
Sweet or salty?
Salty. Too much sweet gives people a stomach ache and cavities.
Describe yourself in three words.
OCD, colorful, bubbly
This Cuda is going places in the world of art
VPA Senior, Avery Bailey, has found her niche in the artistic community
GABRIELA REYES
Staff Writer
This summer, VPA Senior, Avery Bailey,
went to Rhode Island School of Design to study
illustration for 6 weeks. Ever since 8th grade, her
dream has been to attend RISD.
“I wanted to go to RISD pre-college
because art has always played a really big role in my
life and I want to go to a prestigious art school.”
At RISD she experienced the college life
to its plentitude; she drew all day, and stayed up
drawing all night.
“It was a real college life. We lived in dorms
and got to do what ever we wanted throughout the
night and there was no high school drama. Everyone
there was into art. I also had a lot of freedom. There
were times that I would simply get on the train and
just go to Boston. I also discovered Red Bull, which
I practically lived off the entire trip!”
Avery was also able to experience what the
actual academic life of a RISD student is like.
“I drew naked models everyday. I knew
I had to do it even before I went, I just didn’t want
to. The worst part was that they were usually old
and fat. They definitely weren’t easy on the eyes. We
had to stare at them for basically an entire day and
draw them. It was one of the most uncomfortable
situations ever! But I ended up feeling way better
about myself. Because I thought if these people
had no problem looking like that and being naked
in front of a stranger, then I better start loving my
body.”
The whole pre-college life also proved to
be a door opener.
“I met so many cool people. The creator of
Avatar went one day and did a seminar, and I had
the chance to talk to him for a few minutes. It was a
fantastic experience!”
Overall, Avery’s summer at RISD helped
her to learn a lot about illustration and taught her
how to market herself correctly.
“I plan to pursue a career in illustration,
and foundation drawing. And, if that doesn’t work
out, I’m going to become a stunt pilot.”
Undoubtedly, Avery is a child of the arts
and will continuously show her love for it. Even right
now, in high school, she has her own art business.
A few years ago she started a line called: B*tchin
Kicks.
The whole idea behind this concept was
that life’s a bitch so shoes don’t have to be.
Through means of Facebook, she has
marketed herself and receives more and more
customers on a daily basis.
For $20, she would turn any pair of white
shoes to a fairy tale, or urban dream. All you have to
do is bring her the shoes and she draws any design
you want to have on them.
“I live off of art; to me it’s sacred,” said Avery.
PHOTO CREDIT: BRITTANY ROTH
Avery Bailey shows some of her recent pieces of art. She uses
these ideas to create unique shoe designs.

14
Fall
Coral Reef Sr. High
2010
Golf teams shows promise on and off the green
New coach and players have real potential mixing work and play for better results
RHEA CASSIMIRE
Staff Writer
The start of the new school year
brings many makeovers. The first one
started with the school’s wardrobe, and
then with makeover of the front of the
school, and now we’re making our way
down to the sports teams.
This year Coral Reef girl’s golf
team received one big make over - they got
a new coach and some new players to the
team.
Returning players Rhea Cassimire,
Megan Whitney, Sarah Mann, and Kira
Kuhnert are now accompanied by VPA
freshman, Leia Schwartz, IB freshman
Gillian Sutherland, and IB junior Claudia
Carvajal, making the team a total of six this
year instead of four.
The boy’s team got a makeover
as well. They have strengthened their team
with newer players, making their team a
total of 8 players. Along with new players is
the new coach of the team, Wen Bray, who,
before teaching golf here at Coral Reef,
taught basketball to the girls of Palmetto.
But along with great coaching
techniques, Bray has also brought a fun
spirit to the teams, providing the right
balance of work and play.
“I think the team this year has
gotten way better than before, especially
since we have a new coach. I don’t think we
have such tough competition this year, so I
think that as a team we have the potential
to go to states,” said Mann.
Bray’s approach to the teams is to
make sure that everyone gets a fair chance
and to make sure that everyone knows that
they all have the potential to get better even
if they’re already great. This seems to be
having a great effect on the teams because
both the boys and girls interact with each
other on the course and in school, there is
no longer a sense of strangeness between
them, and the teams work together to bring
Coral Reef to the number one spot.
Both the boys and the girls work
together to try and better one another by
practicing together and having small
competitions to compare strengths and
weaknesses.
In each team, there are small
bonds that have been made between the
players. The strongest bonds are between
the returning players because they’ve been
together for three years.
“This season was a lot of fun; we
had many adventures and rides that were
a lot of fun and we learned a lot this year,
I also look forward to learning even more
next year,” said Whitney.
“The golf team has come to be
like a little family to me, especially this
year with the girls I’ve played with for the
past one and two years, as well as the few
new faces. We’ve grown to be a strong
team that works hard and has amazing
unity. We support each other to the fullest
because that’s what the fun is all about and
where the best memories come from,” said
Kuhnert.
The most important part of being on
the team is creating a family. And being
students of a school like Coral Reef, we
are no strangers to this. The girls and boys
of the Coral Reef golf team have come
together to create this family for three
months that will continue for the rest of the
school year and into the years to come for
those who are left.
Sports
PHOTO PERMISSION: FOX-MAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Students practice putting on the practice green
at Palmetto Bay Country Club during regular
after school practice.
Girl’s volleyball team working a win
Commitment and talent are plans for regional competitions
MATTHIAS KAMMERER
Staff Writer
Ice baths, three a day practices, and wind
sprints in the summer heat. This is just part of
the grueling summer workouts
that the girl’s Volleyball team
had to endure to prepare for the
season. This summer the girls
practiced at school from 8 am
to 6 pm, working harder than
ever before and their hard work
is being shown by their play on
the court.
The girls have recorded a
near perfect record at 8 wins
and 2 losses, with both losses
coming to their fierce rivals
Palmetto. Both matches against
Palmetto were nail biters to
the end with only a few points
separating the teams when the
match was over. With their
final two matches of the regular
season coming against Killian
and Varela, the Lady Cudas
look to head into districts in
second place and get a shot at
knocking off Palmetto. They
have high hopes off moving
on from the district tournament
on to regionals and eventually
states.
“Volleyball has been such a huge part
of my life and this is a team I will never
forget,” said IB Senior Kayla Malone, one
of four returning seniors all of which are
hitters.
Not only has all their offseason work
improved their performance on the court,
but it has also brought the team closer
together something that will be very
important as they make their run into
districts, regionals and beyond. When
asked about the chemistry of this year’s
team, IB Senior Megan Brockmeyer said
“Our chemistry this year is better than ever.
We have really come together as a team due
to all the time we spent over the summer
and different camps and tournaments.”
Along with their hard work ethic,
the girls have also been eating very healthy
something that their coach has been
preaching to them all during offseason
workouts. The girls have been focusing
on not eating junk food and soda is not
allowed. The efforts by their coach have
not gone unnoticed as she won the Got Milk
Grant given to a high school coach for their
efforts to promote healthy eating. At the
end of the month a professional athlete will
come to Coral Reef to present the check to
the team. The girls really appreciate their
coach as she was actually nominated by
PHOTO PERMISSION: FOXMAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Carly Misztal and Elizabeth Fiorentino run for the ball during a game. The team did so well this
year that they made it to GMAC.
her team.
“I am so glad she came to us three
years ago,” said IB Junior Kathleen
Brockmeyer.
With the type of chemistry this team has
with each other and the hard work that they
have put in, this girls volleyball team looks
to do some big things in the near future and
turn heads all around the county. But even
if they do not reach as far they would like,
they have made friends and memories that
will last them forever as one team member
put “Volleyball has become our life.”
Bowling
Little known sport
steals Coral Reef
spotlight
MATTHIAS KAMMERER
Staff Writer
Many students around Coral
Reef may not know that we even have a
Bowling team, but the bowling team is
rapidly getting the spotlight.
Our bowling team is off to a
terrific start this year, starting the year off
with a 6-2 record. Their two loses came
in close matches with district rivals South
Dade and Palmetto. Led by Coach Staples,
the bowling team has worked hard at all
their matches at Bird Bowl and their hard
work is starting to pay off.
“I believe we can make states this
year and make a run for the title,” says IB
Senior Jacob Leinberger when asked about
his expectations for the team.
With standouts such as Joey
Tucker and Brandon Wendel it’s hard not
to like the Barracudas chances. Wendel, a
senior in the Business academy, has helped
lead the team by bowling an outstanding
258 this season and has already received
scholarship offers.
“We have a very high-spirited
team that is really coming together and
it’s really something special” said Wendel,
who eventually looks to turn pro in the
sport he has played since age seven.
With all the talent and optimism
surrounding the bowling team, you
wonder how anyone could not be excited
about their potential to go far in the state
tournament.

Sports
How to show school spirit @ games
We should support all our players, not just at football games
MITSU BUENO
Staff Writer
Coral Reef has a
variety of sports such as
football, soccer, basketball,
badminton and many
more. Showing school
spirit increases the players’
confidence levels and helps
them reach their goals. On
October 6, 2010, Coral Reef
had a homecoming pep
rally to support our school
football team. It boosted the
football players’ energy and
got them excited for their big
homecoming game against
district rival Killian.
At the football
game, students painted their
faces with school colors
and wore their Coral Reef
shirts. Some students were wearing crazy
hats and wore hand prints all over their
bodies just to have a good and crazy time.
A group of students even wrote letters on
their stomachs to spell out REEF.
The marching band played and
everyone sang and cheered on their football
players. The football players’ confidence
just reached a high peak and made them
play really well at the game. We won 48-
7.
Our school shows a lot of school
spirit at the football games but rarely
anyone shows any spirit at other sports.
Coral Reef isn’t only about football; we
have to support the other sports as well.
We can encourage our school
teams to play better by boosting up their
confidence and cheering them on. Coral
Reef has a fall, winter and spring pep rally
to support our school sports but no one
really cares about the other sports unless
they’re in it.
Attending at sports such as soccer
or volleyball games just makes the players
feel more energetic because it reminds
them that they want to win it for the
school. We can support our school teams
by encouraging a lot of friends to watch
An athlete’s state of mind
a game and cheer on friends.
Even if the team is losing, we
shouldn’t be ashamed and still
support our team by chanting
“go team” and keep the players
confident and encourage them
to play harder to beat the
opposing team.
Another way to show
school spirit at a school
sporting event is by bringing
posters. The bigger and
colorful the posters are,
the better the school spirit.
Athletes can’t always hear
people scream and chant for
them, but they can see the big
posters cheering them on. The
more support the team sees,
the more likely they’ll play
a lot better and increase their
chance of beating the team.
“There should be
cheerleaders supporting the
team and should more spirit as well like
do stunts like at the other schools,” says
Business sophomore Annie Grafe. We
need to have a little bit more spirit and also
support teams by chanting.
“We should make it big like
having fireworks and having a singer to
perform during halftime like in the Super
Bowl,” says Medical junior, Joel Sanchez.
The more fun and encouragement
for people to come to the games, the more
spirit there will be. The more spirit there
is, the more confident our players will have
and the better our sports will be.
Athletes share their opinion on hard work and what it takes to succeed
JACKIE LIMARDO
Staff Writer
Coral Reef has an immeasurable
variety of students distinctly categorized
into one of six academies that each
focuses on a future focal point. Not only
do these academies separate the student
body but sports have a big contribution.
Many believe one is different from another
because of what they do, play or study. But
at the end of the day, everyone thinks the
same and operates the same.
Whether someone is a football
player, dancer, softball player, or even a
basketball player, all minds think alike
and have a common goal - being the best
and having pure dedication. For example,
Junior, Andres Bernal is a basketball player
who is a true believer in “Don’t hate the
player, hate the game.”
“People always get mad when I
beat them, but it’s not my fault I am better
than them.” In my opinion, this shows
Bernal’s dedication and confidence he
has in himself. Without confidence, where
would you get?
Playing football has been
a lifetime career to Junior, Brandon
Clements. Football is like a drug to him, it
is vital; he couldn’t picture life without it.
“I’ve been playing football since I was four
and I don’t know to function without it.”
It is obvious that Clements will
pursue his football dream and make it to the
pros if he continues with his determination
that he has now. “I don’t need people to tell
me I am good, I know I’m good. Everyone
PHOTO CREDIT: GALLIANE PUECHAVY
IB students celebrate a homecoming victory at Harris Field with the
football team’s win
has a couple of losses now
and then but you need to
just get right back up and
keep going. That’s what
makes you a winner.”
Many conflicts
arise with athletes because
of envy, but the strong
overcome them.
Dancer, Ashley
Ramsey says “There are
no problems just solutions.
Some girl wanted to start
problems with me because
I am a dancer and for no
apparent reason she didn’t
like me and I told her, look
there are no problems just
solutions, so just drop it.”
On top of regular
day dilemmas, athletes
have to deal with these
absurdities on the regular,
on top of the stress that
comes along with their
passion - sports.
“I’m not going
to let little problems like
these distract me from getting what I want.
I want it too bad to give it up, and I won’t,”
says Ramsey.
Being an athlete isn’t always how
people make it out to be, all nice and dandy.
Everyone believes the only hard thing
about being an athlete is extra practice
taking away from your free time; which
is a complete deception. Athletes, whether
PHOTO CREDIT: RHEA CASSIMIRE
Michael Bruno, a multi-talented athlete, shows how
to make a successful basket.
being bowling, football, basketball or golf
all have the same goals and dedication to
what they love.
They want to be the best and
will do whatever it takes to make it there.
Softball player, Ashley Fernandez sticks to
her motto, “Impossible is nothing.” You
can do anything you set your mind and
dedicate yourself to, athlete or not.
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 201015
Cross country
training
Team works hard to be
the best
ELIZABETH OTERO
Staff Writer
Running can be a sport or it can be
a passion; either way, these individuals all
have the will to keep striving, even through
brutal workouts to do their best. However,
those running in cross country go beyond
the limits to achieve such a success, not to
others, but for themselves.
Of course with cross country, it is
not just about running but it is also about
the training behind it. Each time runners
train, they improve their technique. They
learn that if they run where the ground
is softer; the knees need to bend slightly
more so they don’t lose the energy stepping
on the surface. Nevertheless, they improve
their long strides and short strides, balance,
and strengthen their muscles.
“It’s fun but hard work,” says
Oscar Hernandez, IB sophomore.
Working out with Coach Wilson
will always be tough. Runners in cross
county run between five and eight miles
a day. In addition, they spend much of
the summer training and running in the
exhausting heat.
Running is more of a mental
thing, and the coaches provide great
support, however the self-motivation and
the perseverance is within oneself.
“It’s a mind over matter kinda thing.
Don’t stop. Training is fun but hard.
It’s worth it,” states Lauren Holian, IB
freshman.
Cross country runners don’t run
the same tedious route, but it is mixed with
either running long distances or running in
long intervals.
“[It’s] tough and exhausting but
worth it. I’m in tip-top shape with my
six-pack abs,” said IB Junior, Alexander
Maturell.
The benefit of running and
training is its outcome: physically-being
healthy and fit. Each teenager’s goal is
remaining fit, and it does not come easy.
Unfortunately the hardest and unwanted
part of training for cross country is the
weather conditions that are presented. It’s
either having a nice breeze, horrible rain,
sticky humidity, or whatever mother nature
decides to present. But as a runner, it must
be done.
Medical senior and the captain of
the cross country team, Dylan Cook states
that “the hardest part is staying up with the
fast people.”
Like any sport, it is a matter of
working to be the best… but the situation
is different for those in cross country—you
have to run to be the best. On and off the
field, each cross country member is like a
family. They support each other and help
to achieve in being the best. Along with
the coach, the mind set, and the support of
other runners, everyone is able to make it
through.
“It’s rigorous but hard work does
pay off in the end. You always have good
and bad days. It’s worth it in the end ‘cuz
the feeling when you make a PR, personal
record, and go to states is unbelievable,”
says IB sophomore, Areila Maturell.
As the coach would say, “if it
were easy, everybody would do it.”

16
Coral Reef Sr. High
Fall 2010
High Tide
Remember when...
Coral Reef Senior High has changed a lot over the years. Teachers and students have come and
gone, principals changed, and new policies were implemented. But the core values of Coral
Reef remain the same: Learn as much as possible, live as much as possible, and enjoy life to the
fullest.
-Emma Singer
We had to wear IDs?
Pizza cost $1.50?
School started
at 7:30?
Uniforms weren’t mandatory?