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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.
Page 1: Coral Reef Sr. High School 1BAITLIN
Page 5 and 6: Technology Coral Reef Sr. High Fall
Page 7 and 8: Opinions Coral Reef Sr. High Fall 2
Page 9 and 10: PHOTO CREDIT: DOROTHY SANCHEZ Fashi
Page 11 and 12: A & E Coral Reef Sr. High Fall 2010
Page 13 and 14: Spotlight Martial Arts Master VPA s
Page 15 and 16: Sports How to show school spirit @

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