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Mr. Baracuda p. 14Coral Reef Sr. High SchoolBAITLINEGet Ho kedNovember/December 2009 Volume 13 Issue 3Music cansoothe thesavage beast p. 410101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157PHOTO CREDITS: LMFAO.COM & GOMIAMI.COMI ’ M I N M I A M I

2 NewsCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009Students celebrate being drug and addiction freeCoral Reef encourages its students to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and alcoholJEREMY MATHURINStaff WriterRed Ribbon Week is the America’soldest and largest drug preventionprogram reaching millions of Americansduring the last week of October every yearaccording to the US Drug Enforcementadministration. By wearing red ribbonsand participating in community anti-drugevents, people pledge to live a drug-freelife.“I think that red ribbon week really doeshelp people to stop doing drugs. I mean ithelps people to see the error of their waysbut I really don’t know how it originated,”said Andrew Rego, IB sophomore.The designation began when SpecialAgent Camarena, an 11-year veteranof the DEA assigned to Guadalajara,Mexico, was on the trail of the country’sbiggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers.In 1985, he was extremely close toinfiltrating a multi-billion dollar drugpyramid. On February 7, 1985, he wasdiscovered kidnapped, and murdered byMexican drug traffickers. His tragic deathopened the eyes of many Americans tothe dangers of drugs and the internationalaspect of the drug trade.Shortly after Camarena’s death, the firstRed Ribbon Week celebrations were heldin La Mirada and Norwalk, California in1988 by the National Family Partnership(NFP) with President and Mrs. Reaganserving as honorary chairpersons.To celebrate Red Ribbon Week, schools,Coral Reef celebrates Red Ribbon week every year. Students raise awareness by posting posters allover the school as well as playing music in the courtyard. This year’s theme was music as the anti-drug;something that could help students overcome addiction and temptation.businesses, religious organizations, andcommunity groups join together in manyways, such as organizing drug-free events,decorating buildings in red, handing outred ribbons to people, holding parades orPHOTO CREDIT: JEREMY MATHURINcommunity events, and most importantlypromoting a drug-free life.“Drugs are completely bad for you, that’sobvious, but when it comes to side effects,there is loss of brain cells, bad breath,yellow teeth and thereis some other stuff too,”said Estuardo Gonzalez,Business sophomore.Although most can agreethat drugs are bad for yourhealth, all the side effectsof using illegal drugsare not always commonknowledge. Some of themore serious long termside effects include in somemales an enlarged prostateand may become infertile.Any drug user is in dangerof depression, a loss of shortterm memory, brain damage,coma, seizure, respiratoryarrest or sudden death.“Red Ribbon Week isa really important week,and it’s great that it bringsa community togetheragainst a cause that isextremely prevalent in theentire country,” said ArnieHernandez, Business junior.Red Ribbon Week is aspecial holiday and allowsnot only students but entirecommunities to combat aforce that has been at theheart of devastation of thesocial stability of America. Red RibbonWeek helps mend the hole created byillegal drugs.Teens and breast cancerBreast cancer afflicting the young as wellDEVANTE MUHAMMEDStaff WriterBreast cancer is a terrifying prognosis.Cancer develops when abnormal changesoccur in the genes that are responsible forgrowth of cells and keeping them healthy.It can occur in both men and women,though in men it is much rarer. About 90%of breast cancer is not due to heredityfactors, but to genetic abnormalitiesthat can happen as a result of agingand life in general. According tothe American Cancer Society,400,000 people die annually ofbreast cancer.The conflict with breastcancer is that most teens arefamiliar with the term but donot know exactly what it is. Allthat can be inferred from what teensknow about breast cancer is that itis another way to die, yet theydo not know the seriousnessof this disease. The term“breast cancer” is justreferring a malignanttumor that has developedfrom cells in the breast.“Breast cancer affects bothmen and women. As far as it beinga family cancer, the woman is not the onlyone dealing with the disease. Her familysuffers along with her and deals with thepain and anxiety associated with treatmentand the horrible unknown of whether ornot she will succumb to the disease,”said Ms. Deidre Smith, Health Scienceteacher.Who does this affect? This diseaseperhaps connects with your family andfriends.“It affects people in your life, like itcauses grief with friends, family, andeveryone around you,” saidKeturah Modeste, MedicalSenior.There is some goodnews though. As of2008, there are about2.5 million womenin the U.S who havesurvived breast cancer.One in eight womenwill develop breast canceraccording to the AmericanCancer Society, but manypeople infer that thiscan happen on anygiven day, theyand the womenthey know havea one in eight riskof developing thedisease.People tend to have a verydifferent way of viewing the risk. Howyou view the risk of getting breast cancerdepends on the individual situation. Butnow that the awareness is out, help passon the message because being aware cando more that you think.SUBMITTOELYSIUMPOETRY-STORIES-DRAMATICWRITING-RAP-SONGS-MUSIC-SCULPTURE-PAINTING-COMICS-P H O T O G R A P H Y - G R A P H I CD E S I G N - E S S A Y S - P R O S E -FASHIONDESIGN-MUSICALCOMPOSITIONS-INTERVIEWSDrop entries off in room 310

7SportsCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009Boys Basketball team has big shoes to fillComing off a State win season the ‘09 team hopes to repeat last year’s season successSHAWN ROBINSONStaff WriterGet ready ladies and gentlemen,basketball season is approaching! As youall may know, our Coral Reef boy’s varsitybasketball team led us into becoming 6AState Champions for our 2008-2009 season.The big question is: Are we going to be asgood this season, or better?“It was honestly the best game I’ve everseen, I hope we’ll be just as good this year,hopefully better!” said Agriscience Senior,Eros Modena.We will have to see since the devastatingloss of last year’s dynamic duo, StevenLopez and Jerron Granberry. But withCharles Hankerson leading our Barracudas,we can only wait and see. Our CoralReef Cudas led us to a 27 win and 4 lossseason.Our starting line up for our boys varsityCudas consists of: Charles Hankerson;small forward, Jeese Holtzman; pointguard, Chris Stephenson; shooting guard,Danny Rodriguez; power forward, andJohn Mompoint; center.“I’m really hyped for this season, I knowWith the season quickly approaching, theLady Cuda’s basketball program has beenon pins and needles for the last few monthsabout lacking a coach. From 2006 to 2008,Coach A. Alvarez led the Lady Cuda’s totheir first district championship. Last year,the coach was A. Graham. Coach Grahamled the girls through their most rigorousgame schedule and first undefeated season.Although Graham was agood coach due to somepersonal issues he resignedfrom his position for thisupcoming year. Now withthe season only being twoweeks away, the teamacquired a new coach.Mrs. Denise Hannah isno foreigner to the game.In fact, she was the priorcoach at Miami Southridgein 1998-2000. She led theLady Spartans to be twodistrict championshipsand in her second year,regional runner-ups. Whenshe coached for Fergusonin 2005, they becamedistrict runner-ups her firstyear. Along with havinggood coaching credentials,Mrs. Hannah also has anexcellent background as aplayer of the game.Graduating from Southridge in 1985,coach Hannah went off to school to playcollege ball for Oklahoma City University(OCU). A fantastic player, she wasinducted into the NAIA and OCU Hallof fame. After 4 years of hard work anddedication she graduated from OCU in 89’and was drafted overseas. She played for 1year and then came back home to have herfirst child.After Jamal’s birth Hannah went proand ventured out to play for the MinnesotaLynx. After some time she got cut and thenset to play for the Orlando Miracles. Later,we’re going to do really good this seasonand hopefully bring back the title,” saidAgriscience Senior, Charles Hankerson.Speculation around the Reef is that“there’s no way” our Cudas this year canbring home the 6A State Champion titlea second year running. Yet many beg todiffer, the Coral Reef Baseball team areavid supporters of our basketball teamand attended almost every game last yearincluding the states game that took placein Orlando.“I know that we will bring back thetitle this year!” said IB Senior, MatthewMartinez.Coach “Chachi” Rodriguez is prettypumped this season and believes that our2009-2010 Cudas will give us an amazingseason. He’s back and ready to lead us toanother victory. The first preseason gamewill be held Friday, November 6th in“The Tank” against Miami’s radio station103.5 the Beat’s very own basketball team.Tickets will be sold for $5 dollars at thedoor. We can only hope our Cudas will leadus to another State Champion title in the2009-2010 school year.New basketball coachNew girl’s coach hopes to lead the team to victoryRAH’NIKA JONESStaff Writershe left and moved back to Miami whereshe found herself playing for the MiamiSol. Eager to play, she began practicingwith her new team but her basketballcareer was ended by a pre-season, left-kneeinjury. After that, she settled down and hadher second child, Jaddah. Jaddah is now 12and attends Frank C. Martin K-8 Center,where she is to an all-around athlete justlike her mother. Mrs. Hannah has recentlygotten married to Jeff Godfrey.“As a former professional basketballplayer ands t u d e n t -athlete I’mvery familiarwith whatit takes tosucceed. Ilove coachingso I’mexcited aboutc o a c h i n gthe girls thisyear. Theyhave greatpotential, andI am ready toteach themhow hard workand dedicationpays off andthat you’rea studentbefore you’rean athlete.Academics arevery important. As for the season, I thinkthings are going to just fine,” said CoachHannah.“I’ve been with the girls for the last fewyears and have seen them lose and withnew coaches. So far I must say that this isthe most rigorous coach. This is the hardestI’ve seen the girls work. They seem morelike a track team this year than a basketballteam but I’m glad they got a new coach.They have good potential and hopefullythey will go further than last year,” saysCharles Hankerson, Senior, returningvarsity playerAlexandra Cruz readies to shoota basket during a home game lastyear.PHOTO CREDIT: FOX-MAR PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTO CREDIT: SHAWN ROBINSONLast year, Coral Reef’s boys basketball team won state championships,bringing honor and glory to our school.ResidentialDoug’sApplianceServiceA/C - Major Appliances - Refrigeration RepairTel./Fax 305 255-3273Cell 305-299-5134CommercialFLORIDA INSURANCE GROUPPhone: 305-262-4142Fax: 305-262-8453Celida DelgadoLicensed CSR6860 West FlaglerMiami, Florida 33144E-Mail: insgroup@dsli.comAUTO - BUSINESS - HOMEMUSICIANS DISCOUNT CENTER19405 S Dixie HighwayMiami, FL 33157BUY • SELL • TRADEWE EXPORTSE HABLA ESPAÑOLPhone: 305-255-9466Fax: 305-256-0316

Coral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 20098 SUBMERGEI’m in MiaBasel: no longer just an herbArt Basel returns once again to Miami Beach to awe international art appreciatorsGABRIELLA REYESStaff WriterFor the past 40 years we haverecognized Switzerland as home to themost prestigious art show in the world. Thebeginning of this December though, Miamiwill be able to experience the phenomenonthat is Art Basel Miami Beach. This showis perhaps the most important art show inthe United States.Art Basel Miami Beach is a mix of aninternational selection of top galleries,film, architecture, special exhibitions, andof course, parties and events featuring greatmusic. It has a sophisticated selection ofover 250 leading art galleries from placessuch as North and South America, Europe,Asia and Africa. It features over 2,000artists including new comers, and artworksof the 20th and 21st century.“It has such a variety of artwork, theyrange from stuff from a piece of paperto actual sculptures, and they also havevideos and the most amazing photos,” saidRoberto Galdamez, VPA Junior.This event has several exhibition sectors.Including those of art galleries wherevisitors might encounter editorial pieces tomulti-million dollar museum masterpieces.There are also ocean front art performancesalong with beachfront video art created bythe Creative Time, New York.“The Art Basel is huge and pretty muchamazing. Every artwork you see has itsown style as well as every person you meetthere. You also meet the most gorgeouscelebrities. You can’t miss it, it’s awesomeand it truly inspires you,” said Kevin Ruiz,VPA Junior.Visitors and participants of this highlyanticipatedevent include art collectors,artists, critics, dealers and curators, alongwith visitants from all over the world.“I don’t really know much about artshows but my friend told me to go with herthis year because she went last year and itwas great, and aside from all the artworkit’s in the beach and you meet a lot ofinteresting people over there, plus it letsyou enjoy something that we don’t usuallyget a chance to enjoy in Miami, it takes youoff the regular weekend schedule,” saidJames Brown, Business Junior.Undoubtedly, the Art Basel Miami Beachis an event to take advantage of as well asan event that will show you a new worldcreated by imagination and creativity.Miami International Book Fair returnsStudents appreciate the literary magic present at the Miami International Book FairANNA MEBELStaff WriterMiami’s annual Book Fair is a nirvanafor any bookworm. For the past twentysixyears, booths stacked with books havepopped up on the streets of DowntownMiami in November offering a wideselection of purchases that would satisfyany taste, no matter how eclectic. Thetents at the fair could be divided intothree categories: the booths advocatinga religion or political issues, the cheapbooks, and prominent bookstores flexingtheir commercial muscle.The religious tents were, more thananything, diverse. There were onesadvocating spiritual enlightenment via thepractice of yoga and ones offering Biblesin all shapes, languages, and sizes. Evena few Islamic tents were present. Perhapsmost memorable was a tent that supportedpro-life—it featured colorful reproductionsof the fetus in its different stages anda children’s book about the beginningof life in a mother’s womb. However,political activism was not only limitedto booksellers. One individual made anoutfit out of recyclable items, rangingfrom cracked CDs to candy wrappers,and walked around the fair advocatingenvironmentalism.Aside from demonstrating the ideologicalleanings of Miami citizens, the Book Fairoffered bargains and vintage novelties tosavvy shoppers. Used bookstores were aprominent feature on the fair’s landscape,offering bulky anthologies and dictionariesfor fewer than ten bucks. One bookstoreeven sold brand-new, five-dollar novels.Prominent bookstores such as Books &Books set up massive tents that offeredfancy picture books and autographednonfiction.The Book Fair also served as a venuefor aspiring writers to entice new readersand established writers to advertise newmaterial. Upcoming children’s booksauthors, poets, and novelists welcomedpasserby’s, eager to offer their creations.One major event of the book fair was theLeonard Pitts’ presentation. A well-lovededitorialist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Pitts,penned a new novel, Before I Forgot. Ata presentation geared for high-schoolstudents, he read a chapter of his book,afterwards discussing the importance ofseizing the moment and his prolific writingcareer.Thus, the Miami Book fair has become atime of opportunity for writers and readersalike. Featuring a variety of interesting andpoints of views, it is a vibrant depiction ofthe city’s spirit.PHOTO CREDIT: CAMILA BERNALLeonard Pitts spoke at the BookFair about his award-winningeditorials and articles. Studentsfrom Coral Reef were privilegedenough to be able to take afieldtrip and see Pitts’ speak.

YOURSELF 9Coral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009mi, Trick!Local bands have a chance at stardomMiami Music Festival showcases Miami’s rocking music sceneGABRIELLA REYESStaff WriterHave you ever gone through the streetsof Downtown Miami during the winterand heard the noise of the beat of thedrums? Well this December, Miami willbe experiencing a music festival that willtake place from the 11th through the 12th.It’s a highly anticipated event that includesmusic from all genres, multi-cultural foods,and undoubtedly many music lovers.It’s the type of event that is ideal totake your family and friends. It’s trulyenjoyable and amazingly refreshing to theresidents of Miami. But also, it has visitorsfrom all over the country. This event hasover 600 performances, and as many as 25stages with music, rhythm and artists. Themusic featured will include Jazz, Urban,Caribbean, House, Latin, and Hip Hop aswell as many others.“A music festival in Miami is an amazingway to start the Winter break, especiallyafter all these school days and it gives us away to clear our minds before the midtermsexams,” said Olivia Celestin, Legal Junior.The festival is being planned byCOMCOR event planner, which is anaward winning event production companythat specializes in creating one-of-a-kindevents. This mind blowing experience willbe sponsored by many well recognizedmedia organizations, including the MiamiHerald and NBC Miami.“Events like these are the ones that letyou go out and socialize with people whohave your same interests. I’m going to usethis as a way to expand my social circle andstart getting some connections with peoplewho might show me the way to being asuccessful musician,” said Vanessa Baez,Business Junior.If you are interested of attending this youshould know that people will be served on a“first come, first served” basis. Wristbandswill be available to cover either a one dayevent, or the two full days. By showingyour student I.D, the price will range from20 to 25 dollars, as opposed to it being theregular price of 50 dollars.“It’s totally a steal how we get a discounton such a fascinating event just for beingstudents,” said T’anna Jules, MedicalSenior.With no doubt, everything about this eventis amazing. Don’t miss out on this fabulousevent; it’s sure to rock your world!MIAMI MUSIC FESTIVALHIGLIGHTS12/12/09FINNEGAN’SSpinlight CityTRANSIT TENT 3Tokyo Monster ControlTRANSITCity of SirensJAPENGOJitterbugHAVANA DREAMSPalomino DiazECCO LOUNGEMilitary?TOBACCO ROADGhost of GloriaTHE WALLFLOWERLife of SealsDaysleeperPriceSunny Got MoneyHat Trick HeroesJingle Ball signals the beginning of anexciting holiday seasonPopular artists perform show stopping actsELIZABETH GONZALEZStaff WriterJingle Ball has become the traditional endof the year event of the 21st century. Eachyear a list of the years most successful Popand Hip-pop artists are lined up one afteranother in a series of breathtaking musicalperformances. The event takes place onseveral dates in December throughout thecountry. Each concert is sponsored by oneof the city’s local radio stations. Last year’shighlights included performances by Ne-Yo, Leona Lewis, Rihanna, and ChrisBrown. Because tickers are difficult toacquire due to popular demand, most fansof popular music just tune in to the liverecording on MTV to enjoy the musicalperformances of their beloved artists.“I didn’t get to go to the actual concertbut I saw it filmed live on MTV. Myfavorite part was Rihanna and ChrisBrown’s performance together. Thechemistry was so obvious,” said EstefaniAguiluz, Medical Senior.This year, Jingle Ball is coming downto Sunrise, Florida in the Bank AtlanticCenter on December 12, 2009. The lineupfeatures artists like Jordin Sparks,Shakira, and Flo-rida. They will hit thebig stage along with performers such asLMFAO, 30H!3, and The Fray.“I’m super excited for Jingle Ball. Allmy friends are coming with me, the crowdshould be wild and I can’t wait to seeShakira perform ‘She Wolf’,” said LeahSinger, IB sophomore.“I’ve been waiting for a long time. Lastyear I couldn’t go so this year is going tobe extra special,” said Daniel Dranoff, IBSophmore.It seems Jingle Ball lives up to its hype. Itis the perfect event to start off the Christmasseason.Studentsstay up lateSleepless Nightsonce again surpassesexpectationsCAMILA BERNALStaff WriterGear up, wear comfortable shoes, bringa camera, and be well rested becauseSleepless Night will keep you up fromsunset to sunrise. On November 7th, MiamiBeach hosted the arts and entertainmentevent that lasted from 6 pm to 7 am the nextday, entrance to all events were free, andthe endless possibilities for entertainmentkept hundreds of people busy.Miami Beach was divided into differentzones with different events taking place ineach, from musicians playing “Afro-Cubanbeats” to short film festivals to expositionsat the Bass Museum of Art. Some of ourvery own Coral Reef students attended thisevent, taking with them the memory of avery sleepless night.“My favorite part was the spoken wordreadings at Books and Books, I’m a suckerfor emotional poetry, I really loved hearingthese different poets express themselves,”said Ryan Wilkinson, a senior in theBusiness and Finance Academy.Sleepless Night is an extraordinaryevent, more than 150 events took placethroughout Miami Beach, one thing peopledid complain about though is the distancesbetween the zones, many did not get achance to attend all events because theyrefused to drive to the different events andendure the Miami Beach traffic.“I consider myself a pretty awesomedriver, slightly impatient, but cautious, sowhen I realized the distance between thedifferent zones, I decided to just stay inthe area with the most activities, and themost interesting events,” said MagdalenaQuintanilla, senior in the MedicalAcademy.“I got to watch This Is It! I was soexcited to be able to watch this movie atthe Palms Hotel and Spa. My favorite partof the night was all the music events,” saidQuintanilla.Sleepless Night will be back next year,so make sure to mark down the date soyou don’t miss a night filled with freeentertainment, good music, fabulousweather, and delicious food.

10 A & ECoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009WinterFashionheats upthe ReefThis year’s winterfashion is sure to makea statementLAUREN GARNERStaff WriterMany think that fashion is nothing morethen clothes and peoples desire to gainpopularity in the social depths of CoralReefs student body.Some students like VPA Junior, JefferyMayer say, “Why should I care about whatI wear, if people judge me on how I lookthan they really aren’t getting to knowme.”There’s more to it than that. The truepurpose for fashion is to show individualityand to attract others who think ‘Wow Ireally like her shirt’ and then the bondingbegins! You could almost say that fashionis an ice breaker to a friendship or even arelationship, in almost every group of kidsthere’s an image they carry.Coral Reef has a wide variety of fashionand many students are deciding to staycomfortable for the winter months, likeVPA sophomore, Amanda McGibbonystates“My friends and I have been wearingUGGS even though its not that cold they’reactually really comfy and go great with justabout anything; jeans, shorts, you can eventuck some of Victoria’s Secret PINK pantsin some UGG boots.”A majority of the students dress forcomfort, there’s nothing better than sittingin a freezing class totally bundled up whileothers are suffering. Some students gobelow cute and just decide to be 100%comfortable like Agriscience junior, CraigMartin states “When its freezing outsideI just layer up with a hoody on top andsweats, I probably look like a fat cow butit’s the price ill pay to be warm.”Though we are all diverse in our comfortlevels and opinions here at Coral Reef,one thing is for sure- we never go withoutstyle.Girls run to see the latest Twilight filmCrazed fans flock to movie theaters to see a bare chested teenagewerewolf and a cold-blooded ancient hottieVALERIE DIAZStaff WriterOn Novermber 20th, fans flocked enmasse to movie theatres nationwide to seethe second film of the Twilight Saga: NewMoon. The movie was very successful,selling $140 million worth of tickets intheir first weekend since its midnightshowings Thursday and its last screeningsSunday night.The excitement in the theatre waspalpable. Girls wore their Team Edwardor Team Jacob T-shirts and once the moviestarted, their animated screams filled thetheatre. Expectations were high, and thefans were about to be very pleased.Like in the novel, the film starts off withBella’s 18th birthday party. She has a neardeathaccident when a paper cut turnedEdward’s brother, Jasper ravenous for herblood. Edward fears for Bella’s safety sohe makes her believe that he no longerloves her and is leaving Forks. Of coursehe doesn’t say that. Instead, he manages toconvince her that he no longer loves herso that she can move on with her life moreeasily.Bella is left in shambles, but findsconsolation in her new best friend, JacobBlack. The only problem is that he’s awerewolf. Jacob soon falls in love with her,but she can’t reciprocate the feelings. Sheknows her heart belongs to Edward. Manyplot twists later, Bella finds herself facingthe Volturri (aka the “Vampire Police”)with her and Edward’s life in the balance.The movie’s special effects aresignificantly better than Twilight’s. One ofthe best scenes is when Paul, one of themembers of the “wolf pack” turns intoa werewolf and gets into a face-off withJacob. Guys will definitely appreciatethe vampire fight scene and the werewolftransformations. There’s also plenty ofthe romance that made the book seriesinfamous. And seeing Taylor Lautner’s(who plays Jacob Black) bare torsothroughout the movie is a mega plus.Overall, New Moon is a better qualitymovie than Twilight. There was even alittle humor and the script was infinitelybetter. However, there were some scenesin the novel that were either not addedin the movie or altered in some way.WE want youPHOTO CREDIT: VALERIE DIAZStephanie Costa, VPA Senior, shows off her favorite Twilight shirt.Usually, fans would scream sacrilege butin this case, the changes actually made themovie better.“New Moon surprised me. I had lowexpectations but it deserved all the hypepeople gave it. New Moon turned out to bereally different from Twilight and in a goodway,” says Maria Diaz, Business Senior.However, one thing that hasn’t changedsince Twilight is Kristen Stewart’s (Bella)acting. She still doesn’t show the emotionthat fans expected from Bella’s character.Her stiffness and awkwardness ruinsimportant scenes and is almost painful towatch.Another disappointment for some fans isthat Robert Pattinson, who plays Edwardwasn’t in the film very long. His onlyappearances are in the very beginning andthe very end. However, Team Jacob fansdidn’t seem to find a problem with that.Also, people who have not read thebook series argue that the movie was toolong. And at 130 minutes, who can blamethem? But for fans of the novel, the filmseemed all too short. Edward’s last lineleaves you at a cliff hanger, and there’s nodoubt that the third movie, Eclipse will bean even bigger hit. Its release date is June30, 2010.FLORIDA REALTYOF MIAMIGIOVANNA GONZALEZ, LLCREALTOR ASSOCIATEGIOVA@NEWDEVELOPMENTS.COM305-244-0539PHOTO CREDIT: LAUREN GARNERStefania Garcia, Carolina Ramirez,Michael Brutto, and James Brown showoff their fabulous winter style.To write for us!If you are interested,stop by room 305 oremail Emma Singer ats2310@coralreef.dadeschools.net9415 Sunset DriveSuite 236Miami, FL 33173www.floridarealtyofmiami.comwww.newdevelopments.comOFFICE 305-598-5488FAX 305-529-0099

A & ECoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 200911Tri-M Sessions display Coral Reef’s musical talentCoral Reef students try to encourage creativity through their sponsorship of Tri-M SessionsANNA MEBELStaff WriterIn the past few years, the music honor society,Tri-M, has hosted Sessions, informal lunchtimeconcerts set on the grass in front of the musicwing. The goal of Sessions is to allow students toenjoy live music without having to come to schoolduring the after hours and provide performers withmore opportunities to showcase their work in frontof an audience.“The basic intention behind sessions is to exposethe student body to live acoustic music and to giveperformers a platform to gain a following,” saidKacey Zilberberg, VPA senior and Vice-President.With the success of the Benefit Concert still in theair, the first Sessions, occurring on November 25,is mainly for the individuals who did not get thechance to perform at the concert. However, sinceSessions is a monthly event, anyone wishing toperform in the future sessions can do so by talkingto a Tri-M officer beforehand. Though sessionsmostly feature students from the VPA academy,Sessions are not exclusive and are open to anystudent willing to share their musical talents.Dramatic monologues are also encouraged. Themajority of performers are usually singers, butofficers are always looking to add variety.“In the past few years, we’ve gotten a lot ofvocalists, some guitarists, and few pianists,”said Catherine Hernandez, VPA senior and clubSecretary.Officers of the club encourage aspiring performersto memorize their music, since having sheet musicon a windy day is not the most pleasant situation.Also, bands with many set pieces may find itdifficult to achieve the sound quality they desire,an issue that can seriously spoil a performance.“Make the act something simple. We manage toset up a pretty nice sound system outside, but still,we are nonetheless limited (basically, no 5-piecebands),” said Nicholas Maas, VPA senior and Tri-M Treasurer.It is a mystery when exactly Sessions began. Eventhe students who have been involved with thehonor society for all their four years of high schoolhave given vague responses about the matter.“I don’t know how long sessions have been goingon. Since before I became a member at least,” saidMaas.Despite their murky origins, Sessions has becomea vital part of Coral Reef’s artistic scene. Often,aspiring songwriters sing their own compositions,casually presenting their creations to the friendsand strangers nestled in the grass. Free coffee andvarious concessions are offered to entice the casualpasserby. Though many come for the promiseof free food, they stay to enjoy the blossomingcreativity of their peers.“I don’t even have a favorite performance.Everyone does a great job and it’s always reallygreat to see what my fellow students have beenpracticing throughout the school year,” said VPASenior and club President Victoria Morrow.PHOTO CREDIT: ANNA MEBELErik Wilson demonstrates his newest song, which he hopes to displayat the next Tri-M Session.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is no choreGamers rendered speechless by this astounding gameJUSTIN SOLERStaff WriterEvery year there is one major videogame release that nearly every personin the world is waiting for, this year thathonor goes to Modern Warfare 2. ModernWarfare 2 is part of the infamous and longlivingCall of Duty franchise, which had itsbeginnings in World War 2 and has sincemoved onto current day conflict.The first and most important part of theexperience is the single-player campaign;number two goes to a strong multiplayershowing; and last but not least is somethingcompletely new to the Modern Warfarefranchise, Spec-Ops mode.“All our grades are going to suffer sincethis game came out, but its so worth it. Icant wait to stay up until 4 o’clock, whenI should be finishing my homework,” saidEric Tryon, IB Senior.Let’s start our journey through theepic adventure that is Modern Warfare 2by looking in detail at the single-playercampaign mode, what most would considerthe meat-and-potatoes of any successfulvideo game.There is a large variety of levellocationsin the game, taking players fromsunny Brazil to the snow all the way towar-torn Washington D.C. in the UnitedStates. The one and only gripe that youwill hear about Modern Warfare 2 is thelength of the campaign, clocking in around7 hours on normal difficulty, however ifyou bump it up to the most realistic andenjoyable setting of Veteran the campaigntakes much longer, well over ten hours onaverage. I believe it was for this reasonthat the developers decided to includemy personal-favorite aspect of ModernWarfare 2: Spec-Ops mode.“Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is aphenomenal state of the art war experience.It has revolutionized the gaming world andhas made an impact on all future shootinggames,” said Georges Descrhyver, MedicalJunior.There is no form of“story-mode” co-opin Modern Warfare 2,instead Infinity Warddecided to change theformula up a bit andinclude Spec-Ops.There are fivechallenges per stage,each with three levelsof difficulty and up tothree stars to earn perresult. The goal is tounlock all challengesand garner perfect threestarratings in each andevery one, the challengeare different from oneto the next, even in thesame grouping. A couple examples aresniper cover from the top of a building,running the pit challenge course, racingsnow mobiles down a mountain, andcovering your buddy via helicopter turret.Spec-Ops ads a great amount of replayabilityto Modern Warfare 2 and helpsease the pain of not having story co-op.As we mentioned before players have theoption of playing with their buddy locallyor with one other player over the internetvia Xbox LIVE; split-screen was anexcellent addition and we are glad to see itmake an appearance in the game.“For a first-person shooter it doeseverything right. Infinity Ward has masteredthe techniques and Modern Warfare 2 istheir shining glory, in the 40+ hours I havespent with the game I never once felt likeI was cheated in some way by the controlSCREEN SHOT COURTESY ACTIVISION, INC.Screen shot from Call of Duty Modern Warfare.mechanics or computer AI,” said RobertRhodes, Agriscience Junior.Going back to the single-player storymode it has to be said that the writers atInfinity Ward have crafted one of, if notthe single best, pieces of video gameentertainment of all time.The story flows in and out of missionordersand briefing tools, letting the playertake over control for the major plot points.There are more twists and turns thansome entire game franchises feature. Ohand don’t get too attached to any specificcharacter because this is a tragic story evenQuentin Tarantino would be proud of. Ifthe first Modern Warfare is something totrust it’s the multiplayer portion of thisgame that will truly set the world on fireand provides hundreds of hours of fun.“There is so much amazing stuff jampackedon this disc I have a hardtime finding negative things tosay about it, and every time Ido it is followed quickly by abut for statement,” said PatrickLobo, IB Senior.All the normal MP game modes,team deathmatch, capture theflag, etc. are available in ModernWarfare 2 - as well as a coupleunique additions such as thirdpersonmode.The completely upgraded perkand killstreak, customizationoptions, and redesigned levelsetup help complete whathas to be the most completemultiplayer experience gamerswill ever see.A lot of the new challenge rewards foundin Modern Warfare 2 have something to dowith the class system, and how the playeruses their chosen class to help the team wineach match.The ranking system is back and comesinto play a lot more this time around,controlling exactly what upgrades a playercan use at what time, helping give reasonsto play online.

12Silver Knight nominees hope for a chance to winCommunity service and stellar academics with a need to make the world a better placeELISE KUGLERGuest WriterWith great pleasure and admiration, theReef proudly congratulates its fifteen SilverKnight nominees for jobs well done.Representing Art is Juliana Dearr.With extensive volunteer service ather synagogue, Juliana worked withyouth group programs to strengthenand develop lasting values. Inaddition her photograph “Freckles”was selected by the nationwide highschool arts competition sponsoredby the Members of the U.S. Houseof Representatives and is beingdisplayed for eleven months inthe tunnel that leads to the U.S.Capitol.For Athletics, Samantha Depriest-Capparelli not only has volunteeredteaching water safety and howto avoid drowning to both youngand handicapped children, but shealso reaches out and participatesin school sponsored activities.She is a member of Best Buddies,National Honor Society, and FutureFarmers of America. MyckaellaLopes, representing the Businesscategory, helped to create a Spendfor Ed organization linking theSouth Florida business communityto education and working closelywith the partners at John Hancockas well as with Best Buddies, anorganization dedicated to enhancingthe lives of people with intellectualdisabilities.Amy Rauchwerger is the nomination forDrama. She is active in creating technicaltheatre by promoting festivals, garage sales,and extracurricular performances. She alsodoes fundraising charity events to save thearts. Active in the Holocaust Theatre andCamp at Sunset, Alexandra Levy is thenominee for English and Literature. Sheis a natural writer as well as an active inyouth organizations and sports.General Scholarship and Melinda Agrongo hand-in-hand. In addition to superioracademics, Melinda’s community serviceincludes leadership in her synagoguesyouth group, being a camp counselor, actingin a Holocaust remembrance-themed play,Have you ever looked downat someone’s feet and seen shoesso odd, so random, so unique,that you’ve felt the uncontrollableneed to say something? You saythe one thing that escapes yourmouth, the only thing you can sayto describe the situation: “Whoa,those kicks sure are something!”To some people, shoes areeverything; they are life, loveand passion. Other people collectshoes because of their uniqueness.Still others regard shoes asjust another fad item, one that willeventually fade into the categoryof “last week’s next best thing.”Although different people mayCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009and serving on the Greater Miami JewishFederation’s Board of Directors.Schuyler Polk, with her numerouspublications, represents the Reef forJournalism well. She is involved withImpact Theatre as a writer, director,producer, and actress and her articleshave been published often in Teen Visionmagazine as well as a contributor toElysium.Mathematics nominee Andrew Maxwelllinks his love for the subject area withcoaching sports elementary school studentsand tutoring through the mathematics honorsociety, Mu Alpha Theta. He is active in hischurch as well as tutoring through NationalHonor Society and an active member ofDrug Free Youth in Town.Nicholas Maas represents the Reef forMusic. Creating and serving as webmasterfor Where Every Child is a Star, Inc., thatpromotes music throughout the community,volunteering at Miami’s Children’s Theatre,Homestead Junior Civitan Club, FirstBaptist Church of Cutler Ridge, the KiwanisClub of Homestead, and previously workedPHOTO CREDIT: ASTRID SANTIAGOFrom left to right: Elise Kugler, Caroline Ramos, Nicholas Maas, Andrew Maxwell, Rachel Gonzalez,Samantha Depriest-Capparelli, Schuyler Polk, Michael Cisneros, Adrianne Leal, Alexandra Levy, AmyRauchwerger, Julianna Dearr, Natalie King, Leangelo Hall, Melinda Agron, Myckaella Lopes, MonicaMerel.have differing views on shoes, noone can say that they hate shoes.After all, people wear them everyday!Those who collect shoes havedifferent reasons as to why theydo it. It may be for popularityreasons, to accomplish a personalgoal, or just for plain enjoyment.Whatever the reason may be,one thing is certain: the personcollecting the shoes is sure tohave fun.“I like retro shoes,” said Businesssophomore Devin Burnside. “Iused to collect them two yearsago. That was the way that peoplegot popular back then. If you haddifferent shoes, you were fresherthan Febreze in others’ eyes. Itwas all about how you presentedyourself.”Shoes are undoubtedly a methodof self-expression for somepeople. Forothers, it’smore of a display on h o wthey feel that specific day. Stillothers regard thenumber of shoes they own as awith Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Heis also an accomplished musician. Withthe establishment of the One Cool WorldSummer Film Program, Michael Cisneros,selected for New Media gives children inthe Coconut Grove area an opportunity tolearn about cinematography. In addition, heis on staff of Elysium, Coral Reef’s awardwinning literary/art magazine designed toshowcase student creativity, and directs theschool’s Cinematic Arts Commission.Representing Science, Leangelo Hallbegan Save Cans Can Save, benefittingFarm Share, a non-profit food bank, soupkitchen, disaster relief, for recovery anddistribution of surplus assistance food forSpotlightmeasure on how rich they are.For most people, shoes are thereto add some spice to theireveryday outfits.“The shoes I weardepend on my outfit;it all lies on what I’mwearing,” said VPA seniorAdriana Campos. “Iusually wear funkyConverse. Butwhen I’mf e e l i n grelaxed, Iw e a rs h o e s with monotonecolors.”We are currently living in a timewhen money is a big issue. Doesthe price tag matter when one layseyes on the most beautiful shoesthey have ever seen?hungry people. Furthermore, Leangelohas been awarded for his participation inthe Florida Engineering/Science Fair, atop seed on the Reef’s tennis team, andthe founder of a tutoring program at FrankC. Martin K-8 Center, aswell as participating inenvironmental activities.Mónica Merel, nominee inSocial Science, is workingto empower Honduranchildren in El Hogar deEmanuel Orphanage andthrough her project; shetravels there periodicallyto work the children therein spite of the politicalturmoil. In addition, Mónicais a tutor at a K-8 Center, anofficer in Best Buddies andNational Honor Society,participates in ModelUN, and volunteers at herchurch.Representing Speech,Rachel González is active inMiami Children’s Hospital’sVACC Camp working withdisabled youngsters. Sheis a competitive PublicSpeaking and Debatewinner and very passionateabout helping others.The Reef’s nominee inthe Vocational Technicalcategory is Caroline Ramosserves in the Miami-DadeCounty Fair AgriculturalProgram, as well an officer in FutureFarmers of America, Future BusinessLeaders of America, and NationalHonor Society. Through the AgriculturalAmbassador Program, she introduces thecommunity to the field of agriculture.World Language nominee, Natalie Kingbegan her project as a Girl Scout GoldAward, gathering volunteers to assistat the Community Partnership for theHomeless. She is an outstanding pianist,a competitive fencer who qualified for theJunior Olympic National Championship,as well as the Outstanding Delegate in the2009 Boston Invitational Model UnitedNations Conference.Take a long walk in another Reefer’s shoesStudents at Coral Reef express themselves and their unique style through their funky footwearMARIA ESPINALStaff Writer“I wear a variety of shoes, onesthat appeal to me,” said VPAsenior Melanie Patterson. “Eventhough shoes are important totying outfits together, I alwaystry my best to buy sale shoes. Theprice range for the shoes I own isfrom 10 to 80 dollars.”There are many ways for oneto express their own style, theircreativity, and their passions. Youmay choose your way to be byyour hair.Your friend might be uniquein the cheerful way she sparksup conversation when there isseemingly nothing to talk about.Your brother might have a milliontattoos. Whatever method of selfexpressionmay take place, everyindividual is different and specialin their own manner.

14 Mr. BarracudaCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009i want to bemr. barracuda competition rocks the tank17 Reefers competing for the top prize. Male models strutting their style on the Coral Reefstage. Brandon Bryant dancing on stage. It could only be one thing: Mr. Barracuda.Before last year, Mr. Barracuda did not exist but thanks to our activities director Ms.Martinez, it was given a green light. Our school’s student government played a huge role in theplanning of this pageant and decided that it was a great year to begin a tradition that has beenfollowed in other schools such as Palmetto for the last couple years. Coral Reef investigatedthe contest at Palmetto known as Mr. Panther and transformed it into a tradition that willhopefully stay alive in our school for many years to come.This year’s competition exceeded expectations. The Mr. Barracuda pageant included aswimsuit competition, lyrical dancing, a ukulele performance, and singing. Although Ms. Lealwas not thrilled with the amount of skin bared during the performance, all in all, it was a majorsuccess.“I had an amazing time! The performance was super cool. I didn’t know the guys inthis school were that talented. I’m definitely going again next year,” said Leah Singer, IBSophomore.Keenan Ellis aka “Mr. Soouul,” VPA Senior, was crowned Mr. Barracuda after his vocalperformance. However, Coral Reef students were not all pleased with the results of thecompetition.“Romajen “RJ” Mata [Mr. Asian Sensation] was ridiculous! It took real guts for him to get upon that stage and dance like that. He was unbelievable though, I was really impressed with hisperformance,” said Pierre “Alex” Massa, IB Senior.“Steven Montero should have won! He was one of the best, if not the best, dancers. Hisperformance literally made my jaw drop,” said Jenny Cifuentes, IB Senior.Although not all students supported the winner, everyone agreed that the show was asuccess. This year’s show sold out, even the mezzanine was packed. The only bad thing is thatnow Coral Reef has to wait a whole year to see Mr. Barracuda again.PHOTO CREDITS: JULIAN ORTIZ

AdCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 200915

16 High TideCoral Reef Sr. HighNovember/December 2009Student parking lot is not safeA single camera in the parking lot is not adequateRHEA CASSIMIREStaff WriterAs many students may already know, the parkinglot at Coral Reef may not be the safest place forstudents to leave their car.In an attempt to try andmake the parking lot a bitsafe for the hundreds ofcars parked inside of it,a camera was installeda couple years backfor the surveillance ofactivities inside of thelot. Unfortunately, thesingle camera, realisticallyspeaking, has quite thedisadvantage due to theoverwhelming size of thelot in comparison to thecamera. Only being ableto focus in on the nearlots, this single camera isessentially limited to onlyviewing cars in the neararea.Coral Reef’s students have many of things totake pride in this school, but unfortunately, schoolparking lot safety is not one of them.“I had the pleasure of getting my car keyed at aschool dance show, and unfortunately the camerascan’t clearly see past about 50 ft. I have to now pay700 dollars for a paint touch up, without having thecomfort in my mind of at least knowing who didit,” said VPA junior, George Burns.This matter is obviously one to be addressedbecause 700 dollars is no laughing matter. A brandnew 2009 Mustang could average about $19,000,and for his parents it was a present that meantthe world to him. Washing it every weekend andpolishing the rims became a ritual which shows thesignificance and value this car had to Burns. Onecan only imagine how distressing this event was toBurns and his devastated parents.The office wasaddressed aboutthis occasionand of coursethey checkedthe camera to tryand see if anyvictims couldbe revealed.S t u d y i n gthe filmeds u r v e i l l a n c e ,nothing was ableto be seen due tothe poor visualp e r c e p t i o nenabled by thefocused lens.Either we investon some other cameras so they can be sporadicallyplaced around the lot to ensure visual surveillanceon every single car in the lot, or this will continueto happen.“I’m worried about my car now because whoknows what will happen to it when people knowthey can do just about anything without gettingcaught by the one camera we have,” said IB senior,Eric Tryon.This problem is flowing through more and moreminds of the students who park their cars in the lotevery morning. From 7:30 to 2:30, cars are parkedand at the mercy of mischievous students.PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH GONZALEZWith minimal security in the student parking lot, itmay not be the safest place to park. One camera andthe occasional security patrol is not enough to protectstudents’ most treasured possessions.Teachers fallingRAH’NIKA JONESStaff WriterAt the Reef we are know tohave some dare-devil teacherswho give out IA’s during thesame week of another teacher’sexam day or lab day. We arealso known to have teacherswho dare to eat in the cafeteriabut who would have known wehave teachers that jump out ofplanes.Mrs. De-Tuya, a teacher inour school’s English departmentseems to be the automate daredevil.During the last sixteenyears she has gone sky-divingfour times! Who would havethought she’d be the one to bejumping out of a moving plane?“I never thought aboutjumping before. Sixteen yearsago I brought my husband a giftcertificate to go sky-diving sincehe was always talking about it.It was kind of my way of callinghim out. He told his friends aboutit and they all said they wouldgo with him but they all endedup chickening out. So I did itwith him instead so he wouldn’thave to do it alone. And that’show everything started,” saysMrs. De-Tuya.Driving under the influence of texting dangerousTexting and driving has become a huge distraction, especially for teenagersStay safe behind the wheel or in the backseatWhile driving:1. Be sure to turn your phone onsilent, so you are not tempted toreply to a text message.2. Don’t eat or drink while driving.3. Obey the speed limit and therules of the road.4. When driving with friends, don’tlet their conversation distract you.PHOTO CREDIT: CHLOE CASTROMrs. DeTuya makes her descent after her fourth airplane jump.This time it was to celebrate her oldest daughter’s 18th birthday.While in the backseat:1. Make sure the driver isn’ttexting or talking on the phone.2. Don’t distract the driver bybeing overly crazy.3. Make sure everyone has theirseatbelt on, ensuring optimalchance of survival in theunfortunate case of a crash.RHEACASSIMIREStaff WriterPHOTO CREDIT: ANNA MEBELMany students disregard the dangers of texting and driving.For this reason, according to the SafeTeens Organization,teens that text and drive are 23 times more likely to beinvolved in a car accident.It has taken overthe advertisementbusiness, and hasbecome on of themain reports on thenews: texting whiledriving is becominga big problemamong youngdrivers. Everywireless providerpresses on thefact that they havebrand new phonesstrictly made fortexting such as theEnvy from Verizon,Blackberry Curve,My Touch fromT-Mobile, and theiPhone from Appleto name a few.While these phonesmay be designedto enhance yourtexting experience,they can also beputting your life indanger.VPA senior, JulianaDearr has a personaland moral reasonfor not texting anddriving,“I don’t text anddrive because ifmy dad found outhe’d hide the keys.It scares me whenpeople text anddrive because mybrother used to doit, and it freakedme out. There arelaws and they arethere for a reason,people, come on!”said Dearr.Most people don’t think that texting is abig deal because they could be talking topeople who are sending messages that areimportant, like directions to somewhere,where to meet the person, or if the personthey’re looking for is home or not.Agriscience senior, Julian Buttler agreeswith this theory.“I text and drive because what if I get animportant message? If I miss it, I would’vegone out of my way for nothing and wastedgas. When I’m in the car with someone elsewho is texting and driving then it makes menervous because my life is in their hands,”said Buttler.Buttler has a very good point. Whenyou text and drive you’re putting someoneelse’s life in danger since you’re notpaying attention to the road or don’t havecomplete control of the wheel. It only takesa few seconds to run a red light, or driftinto the other lane unknowingly, but it alsoonly takes a few seconds to make sure youcan come to a safe stop and change lanesproperly. When you text and drive you’renot only endangering yourself and theperson with you, but innocent people onthe road next to you.Legal freshman, Dennis Sladek thinksthat waiting to answer a message is the bestthing to do when driving. Even though hedoesn’t drive yet, he knows that it’s betterto be safe then sorry.“I wouldn’t text and drive because Idon’t like driving with people and feelinguncomfortable by the things that they do,so I wouldn’t put anyone in that situation incase they feel the same way. That doesn’tmean that when there’s no one in the carI’d text and drive,” said Sladek.So the next time you get in the car andyou see your phone light up, think: is itreally that important?