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Nourished students?By Kim KerrickStaff WriterStudents around the Reef havebeen complaining about the foodthey are being provided insteadof ordering from places such asChicken Kitchen and Gold Chinathat deliver directly to the school.As of June 2006, the School Boardhas implemented the SchoolWellness Policy in order to helpprevent health related diseaseand obesity among students. TheRecommended Dietary Allowancesstate that lunch meals provided inschool cafeterias have about 1/3 ofthe protein, iron, calcium, vitaminsA & C, and calories needed day today. Of this, no more than 30% oftotal calories from fat, and 10%of total calories from saturated fataveraged over a week period.As a surprising fact, the foodwe find in our cafeteria is basedon surveys taken by students tofind which foods are preferred.“It’s alright when I don’t havemoney, even when I do have moneythe lines aren’t worth the wait,”said Business freshman, JabariSterling. The students are involvedin taste tests and the results areseen through school menus. It isagreed that food outside of schoolmay be preferable and potentiallyhealthier depending on what youchoose to eat, however, schoollunch is what each of us have todeal with now, which is intendedto be a nutritional meal.Take into account the nutrientsneeded daily, items such asprotein, necessary vitamins,carbohydrates, and even calories.Not everyone is aware of thefunctions of these necessities.We need protein to help us growand to help the maintenance ofour bodies, which can be foundin meats and milk. Water-solublevitamins, or vitamins B & C,protect us from infection and helpcreate more red blood cells. Fatsolublevitamins, such as vitaminsA, D, E, & K, aid vision, helpbones grow stronger, and helpprevent blood clotting. Theseessential vitamins are found infruits, vegetables, and wholegrainproducts. Carbohydratesgive our bodies the energy weneed to function throughout theday, which is why it is crucial toeat foods from the grain and breadgroup during school. However, noteveryone is so calorie concerned,because calories are necessary inour everyday-diet. Calories area measurement of the amount ofenergy produced when food isburned by the body, and whentoo many calories are consumedand not worked off, this causesBig administrationBy Gabriel SchichiStaff Writer“Who feels comfortable when theythink they’re being watched? It’sweird. It’s creepy.” This is VPASophomore Corey Feldman’s viewon the cameras and the other formsof surveillance becoming more andmore prevalent.When walking into school thefirst day of last year ‘Cudas foundthemselves surrounded by camerasat every corner. 64 new securitycameras installed throughout theschool initially triggered jokesabout the school’s new resemblanceto a correction facility; since thenthe shock has worn off.So, now that ‘cudas are used tothe black bubbles above on theceiling, how do they feel aboutthem? Is it still an invasion ofprivacy?When 100 students were askedhow they felt about schoolsurveillance, 30% admitted tofeeling comfortable with thecameras, 46% did not approveof it and felt decidedly ill atease, 18% were actually veryangry about the cameras beingthere and, 6% of students polledclaimed not to have been awarethat security cameras existed.Moreover, 8 out of 10 teachersfeel completely at ease with theobservant presence of cameras.Yet, some students theorizethat administration doesn’t evenwatch the tapes; that they’re justthere for dramatic effect. This,however, is false, accordingto the horse’s mouth: head ofadministration Adriane Leal,who showed off a button on hercomputer that made all thefat to build up.“It’s not a matter of the amount youconsume, but what it’s composedof; I haven’t eaten cafeteria foodsince middle school because themajority is processed and theycontain a lot of fat,” said VPAjunior Kourtney Gillett.According to Food ServiceManager, Brenda Vogt, schoollunches follow a menu sent bythe school board weekly. Themenu includes exact amountof ingredients and servings perstudent. There are no variations,with the exception of the schoolboard approved “Cuda Chop.”This item can be found in the saladbar, which is available everyday,“even if only 10 to 20 students eatit,” said Brenda Vogt, “yes, it isvery nutritional, we [the staff] alleat it every single one of us; if Ienjoy it, students will enjoy it.”The school system may be uptightabout where and what we eat, butthey are only trying to benefitour eating habits and preventproblems in the future. There areother available options instead ofstanding in a line in the cafeteria,or waiting in a mosh pit to get tothe vendors. “Ew, that’s all I cansay, it’s just ew,” said Agrisciencesenior, Angelica Quintero. Takeinto consideration bringing yourown lunch from home, or orderChicken Kitchen the night beforevideo screens pop up right on herdesktop.If she - and Mr. Evans - have sucheasy access, why is there a wholeroom of surveillance screens? Lealdid not hesitate to divulge that“the police are in there” – for “thesecurity of the students.”Other speculations even includesuch far-fetched theories onwhether there are cameras behindthe school computer monitors,microphones in the CPUs, amemory program on the keyboardsto record what is being typed; anddoes the IT staff actually watchthe students and teachers surfingthrough the internet or typing?Cynthia O’Hair, TechnologyCoordinator, is very familiar withthe IT unit and disclosed that thetechnology department can chooseany school computer and directlyview what is being done on it; alive feed of what is being typedand what sites are being used.However, this ability of theirs issupposedly not abused. “It’s sowe can fix any problem that thecomputer is having without havingto go there. We can do it fromhere.” According to Ms. O’Hair,no one ever just gets bored andsnoops on students and teachers,unless there is a reported threat.“I’m sure it would be very boring,anyway.”Well, it’s not quite Orwell’s 1984dystopia, but you can decide foryourself where you fit in on thepie chart, despite our benevolentBig Brothers.and bring it with you.The point is, it doesn’t matterwhat lunch was like last year orwhat it’s like now, as long as weare all eating essentially the correctway, because it is our bodies weBy Lara HickoxStaff WriterThe IB Pinning Ceremony, atradition that has lived on foryears with the purpose of formallyinducting a student into the IBprogram, has many Juniors andSeniors anxiously awaiting itstentative date of October 11 th . Theannual event was given the namethe “Pinning Ceremony” for itscustom of seniors pinning the nextset of IB juniors into the program. Itwill feature performances by manytalented students from differentethnicities wishing to share theirculture with us.Juliette Naintre, a Junior inthe IB program, has her ownidea of what she expects to getout of the ceremony. To her, thePinning Ceremony is “going tomake her realize that she’s reallyin IB,” which means that her lifeis about to become a lot more“stressful” and “sucky.” But sheapproaches the ceremony, andher next two years of IB, withcautious and courageous steps,thanks to the knowledge that shehas already made it through twoyears and the great example hersister, Philippine, has set for her.Juliette, who believes “[she tries] alot harder than her sister at school,”feels inspired by her sibling tosurmount any obstacles that comebetween her and the IB diploma.Apart from a brilliant show ofcultural diversity and celebration,have to live with in the future andour health to be concerned with.Step by step processIB Pinning CeremonySeniors pin the new IB students in the annual ceremonythe pinning ceremony will alsorequire guest speaker to impart hisor her wisdom about life, success,and happiness onto the students.Martine Powers, an IB seniorin charge of coordinating theguest speaker’s appearance, hasa pretty good idea already of whothe speaker will be for this year.Carl Juste, a Haitian photographerfrom the Miami Herald, is knownfor his moving images of povertyin Haiti, and powerful speechesincluding the one Martine heardat a Journalism convention atthe University of Miami overthe summer. She was instantlymesmerized by his deep andinspirational voice that seemedso “spontaneous and casual but(…) [nonetheless] powerful”and eloquent in its deliverance.Martine, fascinated by his travelsand life experiences, knew rightaway that this man was meantfor the part. She describes himas “someone you really listen to”and an overall “dynamic speaker;”as opposed to those speakerswho students tune out almostimmediately because they fail tograb their attention or lack energyand enthusiasm.But the guest speaker isn’t theonly part of the night that studentsare excited about. There’s also thefood, the performances, and theactual thrill of being on stage, forthat moment of glory when you arepinned for the first and last time,to look forward to.

Could allegiance be anIt’s very discouraging to see thatthe youth of today lacks the physicalcapacity to stand at attention forlonger than a minute. Assumingthat the minimal enthusiasm inreciting the pledge of allegiancein the morning and standing for amoment of silence is owed to thefact that the student body is simplytoo fatigued.Or maybe that’s just a morecomforting idea than believingthat our student body has suchan absence of national identitythat we can’t dedicate a momentto commemorate the country welive in.Yeah, it’s understood that ournation has taken less than idealmeasures with recent events, butit’s still our country. As many mayhave noticed, class of 2007’s classpresident Brett Warner has begunto extend our normally short pauseinto a proper moment of silencefollowing a discussion in one of theIB senior required courses, Theoryof Knowledge.While the pledge of allegiancehas become more than half nulland void over time, the moment ofsilence has diminished into a shortbreath break.If anything, in respect to the lackof truth found in the Pledge ofAllegiance, the moment of silenceshould be taken more seriously,a moment to reflect properly thefeelings of our county or just to takea short brain nap.The groans and moans that ensuearound the classroom during Brett’sextended moment are what bringthis problem to my attention. Iunderstand not wanting to recite thepledge, I understand not wantingto sit and revere our country, I don’thowever understand the inability torespect those who do want to.The moment of prayer was changeddue to separation of church andstate, prayer in school was not to beenforced, but that doesn’t meanpeople don’t do it. Lack of respectin that moment is lack of respectof another’s faith.Personally, as I stand there Ithink mainly about my weekend,or what I’ll do that night, I don’tpraise a lord of any sort. However,I stand out of respect for thosewho may be praying, even I feeldisrespected by those who makea big show about how ridiculousa 30 second silence is.Think of it like this, millions ofpeople have died for our country.I don’t care how exhausted we are,I don’t care what we really thinkabout, but I think we should all beable to stand on our weary legs andshow respect. The way things aregoing we may be out there fightingfor our country some day soon,wouldn’t it be a small comfort toknow that you’re appreciated?Or Email:Baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.BaitLineEditor-in-ChiefAlma HaaseBusiness ManagerBrianna RosaOpinions EditorElyse MercadoNews EditorJennifer RoweSubmerge Yourself EditorLara HickoxA&E EditorGabriella KerteszSports EditorJessica Herzon2006-2007 StaffSpotlight EditorBrianna RosaTech EditorKarl CastanedaPhoto EditorAlma HaaseStaff WritersSheela AnassariAlan BonillaXuxa BrenesDominic ContrerasKimberly KerrickGabriella KerteszAmy KingSteven LiElyse MercadoChiedozie OcaforKarina PecinaCamila RodriguezCarla RodriguezJennifer RoweGabriel SchichiSheila StanleyRashielle TeapeAdvisorCheri Mitchell-SantiagoPrincipalAdrianne LealBaitLine is an open forum and the official publicationof Coral Reed Senior High School. The BaitLine’sgoal is to practice journalistic integrity, reliability andresponsibility.Information about submitting ads can be obtained bycalling (305)232-2044 ext. 2219 and asking for BriannaRosa, or by emailing baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net The articles included within this newspaperare views of the students of Coral Reef and the BaiLinestaff. The views do not necessarily reflect those ofCoral Reef’s faculty and staff. Letters to theeditor are appreciated and can be delivered to room 228or placed in the mailbox of Cheri Mitchell-Santiagoor by emailing baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.netAll letters submitted may be condensed or edited forgrammar and spelling. Libelous material will not beprinted.

Just a tacky day?By Elyse MercadoStaff WriterSeptember 11, 2006- five yearsafter the attacks and we still havea lot of people asking questionsabout what happened on that dayin New York, Washington D.C.and Pennsylvania. It is a total dayof both silent and deep meditation.Why then, if this is a day that shouldbe respected to the utmost ability,did we have our students here atCoral Reef Senior High School,dressed up in ridiculous outfitsfor Tacky Day. Is a zebra hat andunderwear on the outside of yourpants something you would wearon any other highly regarded day?In my opinion, this year, 9/11 wasnot taken seriously.Don’t get me wrong, Tacky Dayis by far my favorite spirit weekday, which is why having it onSeptember 11 th this year upset meso much. My ninth and tenth gradeyear I went all out. I even got mypicture in the yearbook last year forhaving such an outrageously tackyoutfit. But this year, out of all thedays in the week, who found it bestto pencil Tacky Day in on September11th? Monday could have beensomething more appropriate, suchas Red, White, and Blue Day orsimply just a Patriotic Day. I’m noteven patriotic, but I do have respectfor my country.Everyone was affected by that dayand we should not have allowed itssignificance to drop or be pushedaside. That day, we had a 2 minutemoment of silent meditation andwatched a couple of photographson the morning announcements. Ihad two teachers who took a standand talked a little bit about 9/11 andhow it affectedand still affects us.By Dominic ContrerasStaff WriterLooking back on my three anda quarter years, and forward tothe last ¾ of a year, I have fondmemories of a Reef that has beenat its best and its worst. From theuntimely death of a beloved teacher,to being ranked the 13 th best publicschool in the nation, Coral Reef hashad its share of up’s and down’s,remaining a great place to learn.Freshman year was an eventfulone to say the least. The transitionfrom middle school to high schoolcan seem a bit overwhelming attimes. People are everywhere, youdon’t know where you classes are,and many of us were still wishingwe went to our home schools. Butdon’t worry, you guys will makeit.Prior to my freshman year, longtime principal Mr. Zawyer leftCoral Reef replaced with formerHomestead High principal AdriannaLeal. Leal brought to the school anew style of authority, and in thecoming years turned Coral ReefSome people might think thatsince we live so far away fromNew York City, we weren’tdirectly connected or affected byit. It didn’t even necessarily haveto have been you who had a directloss. It could be your neighboror friend; you could have lostan acquaintance, family memberor simply just feel at a loss forthose innocent ones who diedin the towers, on the streets, onthe planes, or in the wars that theattack caused.There are also the firemen thatlost their lives in order to saveothers. That day is one that hasgone down in history and willforever be remembered. You willtell your grandchildren where youwere and what you were doingwhen you found out that a planehad hit the World Trade Center.My grandmother told me it willbe to us like it was to her with thespace shuttle Challenger. This isnot something that is to be takenlightly or in a fun matter such aswith Tacky Day.If you are a junior like me,we were only in 6 th grade onSeptember 11 th , 2001. Sophomoresand freshmen were even youngerthan we were, possibly 9 or 10into one of the premiere publicschools in the nation.Sophomore year people in ourclass began to settle in to our newhome, no longer did students longto go to their home school, ratherwe raved to our friends about thegreat campus, friendly people,and enthusiastic teachers.The year started out great but onNovember the 7 th , 2003, long timebiology and chemistry teacherEvelyn Ducharme passed awayafter a long bout with lung cancer.The untimely passing of thisbeloved and respected teachershowed all of us that life is short,and that we must treasure what wehave, before it’s too late.On a brighter note, the 2004-2005 school year was a great onefor Coral Reef sports. The girl’svolleyball team won districts,and 8 Coral Reef football playersaccepted scholarships for division1 schools. Among these athleteswas 6-2 228 pound linebackerEric Houston, who was recruited,and eventually signed with theUniversity of Miami.Junior year was one of theCOURTESY OF STEVEN LIyears old. I know that that day in1 st period math class with Mrs.Carter at Southwood Middle isalmost a blur, but I do rememberthat I had no idea what the WorldTrade Center was. I had never evenseen or heard of these buildingsin my life. This was my firstyear completely understandingthe events that occurred on 9/11and their results on the Americanpeople and the rest of the world.My plan was to look throughmy closet, pick out the ugliestand most mismatched clothingitems and just throw them all on.I was probably going to be veryhot and look crazy but that’s thefun in Tacky Day. As much asI wanted to, the fact that TackyDay was on September 11 th heldme back. My dad’s a firefighter,and I can’t even imagine what itmust feel like every September11 th for the children who lost theirfirefighting moms and dads thatday. I wanted to show my respectfor all the innocent lives that wereon 9/11/01. I wanted to meditateon how we can make the world abetter place to live in where youdon’t have to worry about the word‘terrorist.’most difficult emotionally andacademically. As college looms formany of us in the class of ‘07, webuckled down and tried to get ourbest grades, junior year being oneof the most important to colleges.Aside from the mounds of classwork, and homework the year wasemotionally trying due to the loss,and severe injury of some of ourfellow students. The year startedout on a bad note when duringa varsity football game againstSouth Dade, then senior RyanSaavedra was tackled and in thecoming months was in an inducedcoma. Another low point camewhen 17 year old senior AlysonJones was killed in a car crashon her way to celebrate her 18 thbirthday. Jones, an accomplishedsinger, poet, and photographer,will be missed by students, staffand faculty alike.The 2005-2006 school years alsosaw one of the longest breaks inschool due to a natural disaster.Hurricane Wilma struck the westcoast of Florida on October 24 th ,2005 as a category 3 hurricane.Wanted: Class SetsBy Sheila StanleyStaff WriterNo offense intended, but whenI’m walking down the halls, I feellike I’m surrounded by freshmen,myself included. Everyone iscarrying two books on one armand a two-inch binder on the other.Is every teacher assigning toomuch homework, or is there justsimply a shortage oftextbooks?Rudy Crew,Superintendent ofMiami-Dade CountyPublic Schools,signed on as the newsuperintendent in Julyof 2004. His annualsalary is $295,000 witha $50,000 to $80,000bonus that goes upeach year. Crew alsoreceived a car, homeloan, and retirementbenefits that bring atotal sum to nearlyhalf a million dollarsa year. Well, afterdoing some research,I found out thathe received a $47,700 bonus,slightly more than last year’s$45,000. He could have receivedup to $55,000, but he fell shortbecause he only achieved about80 percent of the tasks the Boardset for him a year ago. I nmy opinion, he should have usedthat $92,700 bonus total and useit for a class-sets of textbooks.As I’m sure you all knowour school is an ‘A’ school andhas been for the past 5 yearsin a row. And to those of youwho are blissfully unaware, ourschool receives FUNDING justfor being excellent.Can you believe that? Well,it says so under the A+ SchoolNobody could anticipate therepercussions of the hurricane,Miami-Dade, and Broward schoolswere closed for 8 days, and manyMiami residents were withoutpower for most of them. Schooleventually resumed on November2 nd , 2005 but the storm, and its“hurrication” remains a vividmemory for students.In addition new policies wereenforced. The biggest of thesepolicies was the new ID policy,which forced every Coral Reefstudent, and staff member towear a Coral Reef ID at all times,punishable by a Saturday schooldetention.Also, the new math wing wasbuilt where “the field” previouslywas. “The Field” was a largegrassy area in front of the tenniscourts. Students would playsoccer, and football there, aswell as take in some sunlight,but with the addition of the newbuilding, that grassy green areashrunk considerably, and for manystudents ruined one of the bestparts of the school.Recognition Program, which saysthat schools that achieve an ‘A’ orimprove at least one grade fromthe previous year are awarded$100 per student. Last year alone,Coral Reef Senior High admittedjust over 2,800 students. Now youdo the math….no, wait, I alreadyhave the figure: $283,200.00. Myreaction: “GO CUDAS!!! GO ONWITH YOUR BAD SELVES!!!!!!”So my question is, where does allthat money GO?!!Certainly all of it wasn’t usedon those cheesy lanyards you seeeveryone sporting; if anything,they cost two dollars apiece.And surely it wasn’t all used onthe new detention/tardy machine .It most definitely wasn’t usedon the new building, or the newpick-up/drop-off entrance awaitingapproval; Miami-Dade Countypaid for the construction on both.Unquestionably, it wasn’t usedto replace the textbooks withstudents’ names in them from ‘98.It’s times like these and time againWhile the 2006-2007 school yearis just getting underway, so are newchanges. The luxury of orderingfood from outside restaurants isno longer permitted.Another big change this year waseverything being computerized.When students get to school latewe have to scan our ID’s, andwhile last year everything washandwritten, and students couldaccumulate as many as 30 tardieswith nothing happening, withthis new system the second wehit 3 tardies, we get a Saturdaydetention. Although this policyhelps the school keep track of usstudents, it puts more strain on uslate risers to get to school earlier.The Reef will always have aplace in my heart. All of thechanges occurred in my four years,including the school getting a bitstricter, have not stopped CoralReef from being a great place togrow up and have some of the bestyears or your life. Freshman, you’llmake it here some day with yourown report of life at the reef.

Spirit week frenzyBy Rashielle TeapeStaff WriterLast week, on Monday September11, Spirit Week kicked off with TackyDay, the one day where polka dotsand stripes are encouraged to mix.‘Cudas at the Reef put their tackiestfoot forward as they showed off theirwackiest, most mismatched outfits andstood out in bright colors and crazypatterns.Next came Switch Your Style Day,where students had a good laugh asthey put together their interpretationof styles that were the opposite oftheir own. So naturally, the preps went“ghetto” and the rockers did their bestto imitate a “chonga” style.After Switch Your Style Daycame Twin Day. Best friends raidedeach others’ closets and picked outmatching ensembles to show off atschool. Some even took in furtherby customizing their own clothesand wearing identical accessories.Students were matching right downto their socks and hair styles.As many have already noticed,Coral Reef has been renovating theparking lot, to now encompass 150new spaces and a new pick-up/drop-off entrance for parents. Inaddition to the new parking spaces,Coral Reef administrators are alsoconsidering turning the empty lotinto a soccer field as well as ideason improving the baseball field.Over the summer, the parking lotwas expanded to accommodate thegrowing population at our school.Due to this addition students areno longer having problems findingparking and have no excuse to parkin the adjacent field because of“limited space.” This improvementto Coral Reef has made getting inand out of the lot safer and easier.“Parking availability is better thisyear,” said senior Ian Christman.All of these renovations however,still do not change the fact thatAs a new school year begins,Coral Reef students find themselvesfacing a new obstacle.No longer can a Coral Reefstudent slack off and be late toschool, nor can they skip wholedays from school, or even be seenwithout the school-consented formof identification: an ID badge wornaround the neck at all times. Manystudents have felt the new crush ofstricter regulations as they beginthe 2006-2007 school year.Amongst the slew of newlytightened regulations and changesconcerning attendance are changesto the school IDs and the forcewith which the ID policy is beingenforced. No longer are all the IDs auniform teal-blue color, in keepingThen, on Thursday ‘Cudas flauntedtheir black and teal colored outfits forSpirit Day. The entire school eruptedin a wave of ‘Cuda Colors as studentsanticipated the upcoming pep rallyand Homecoming game.Finally, Spirit Week came to a closewith a blast from the past, as studentsborrowed their younger sibling’slunchboxes and book-bags, andwent all out for Kindergarten Day.Many students could be seen wearingbright colors under their overalls andshowing off backpacks featuringtheir favorite cartoons. Some evenadded their own touch by bringingalong a stuffed animal and girls tiedup their hair into cute pigtails.But of course, after school ended,students traded in their childish lookmore grown up look in preparationfor the big homecoming dance thenext day.Contruction continues at the ReefBy Sheela Anasarri &Sheila StanleyStaff WritersCoral Reef Drive, better knownas 152 nd Street, is jam-packedwith parents eager to pick-upand/or drop-off their children.The most reasonable explanationfor the over-crowdedness isbecause parents in previous yearswould pick-up or drop-off theirchildren in the student parking lot,inadvertently causing traffic jams.The disorder has been deterredto 102 nd Avenue, because parentsare forbidden to enter the newand improved student parkinglot. 102 nd Avenue was originallythe road where buses unloadedor loaded kids, and now thereis the added mass of parents.As for the fervent parents whoeagerly wait to pick-up theirchildren at 2:30 sharp, there’s ahorde of chaos and commotionto deal with, no matter how manytimes they swerve in and out oftraffic. This is why Mr. Zuckerhas repeatedly announced onthe PA for parents to “wait until2:45” to pick up their children.with school colors. These newerIDs will now span the spectrum ofthe rainbow, changing colors eachyear. The reasoning behind thisidea is to stop graduated studentsfrom lurking amongst the currentstudent body for a secretive,immersed visit.In addition, IDs can now bescanned and with great purposesupremeorder! The ability toscan IDs has both its positiveand negative traits. All who wentto their respective orientationswitnessed the positive of the newscanning abilities: school agendascould now be handed out withgreater ease and all at one time.Rather than packaging the agendasand sending them out to differentclassrooms around the school,then having everyone sign forthem, the agendas were handedIn order to solve this trafficpredicament, a new entrance wasconstructed to alleviate the delaythat has been happening for sometime now. Unfortunately, CoralReef and VPI, the company incharge of the construction, are stillawaiting Miami-Dade’s approvalto remove a part of the medianstrip on 152 nd Street to make aturning lane into that new entrance.It is expected to be functioningsometime within the next twomonths. With any luck, this willreduce the traffic and solve thedifficulty Coral Reef parentsand students are experiencing.“I feel they should’ve done itduring the summer recess, notnow, because they’re obstructingthe flow of parent pick-up/drop-offand it’s affecting the bus driversand students, too,” says MaureenSerrano, a parent at the Reef.The now empty lot has a brightfuture as a soccer field. Rather thanthe soccer teams playing on the JVfootball field, which is too small byTardies: the latest offenceBy Carla RodriguezStaff WriterSophia de Groen, Laura Sanchez-slik, and Samantha de Groen show off their tacky tasteout in a pseudo-factory styleprocession, all at once in a neatline of students. Such efficiencycan’t be ignored. However, asin all things, this system alsohas a negative for Coral Reefstudents.There will be no more slippingby the system, no more sneakingby administration. If you’re late,absent, or need to buy a temporaryID, it WILL be recorded. YourIDs will now be scanned and inthe latter case, your informationwill be noted, all for the purposeof a new electronic recordingsystem. Your every little slip upwill be known and attendanceorienteddelinquents (or lacktherefore of) will be watchedcarefully. From now on, you mustbe here at all times, unless youhave a “reasonable” excuse.regulation to be a Varsity footballfield, they can play on a newer, notto mention, bigger plot of land.To the baseball field, electricityfor the lighting was added.“Electricity was put over to ourfield, and some was given to softball,too,” said Nick Papaianni, a juniorin the Engineering Academy andon the baseball team. Accordingto Christopher Garcia, a Legal &Public Affairs junior also on thebaseball team, “The electricitywas run from the new building toour field.” So there you have it, allthe construction and renovationscurrently taking place at Coral ReefSenior High.REMODELING - Traffi c and construction seem to be moving atthe same pace.From now on, if a student is lateand happens to be without, ID he orshe will get an automatic detention;the same goes for the third tardyrecieved.From an administrator’s point ofview, this is an incredibly effectiveand useful new addition to theschool’s technological advances.After all, this is their job. However,Samantha de Groen gives us ‘Cuda spirit attitude.students are beginning to wonderwhether this new way of handlingthings isn’t a bit much. Whateverthe case, the coming year will tellwhether this new system will be aboon or a curse, for administrationand students alike.

Robert Roman put together a daring ensemble.ID color change causes distressBy Steven LiStaff WriterA new year at the Reef meansnew friends, new teachers, andapparently, new IDs. The questionon everyone’s mind this year is,“Why are they red?” This year’sIDs come with a plastic cardholder, a new lanyard, and scanablebarcode.“I like the plastic holders,” saidIB sophomore Isabela Delapuente.“I don’t have to worry about my IDbreaking anymore.”However, not everything new aboutthese IDs is so readily approvedby Reef students. Ever since theID policy was strengthened lastyear, there has been increasingresentment towards them. Firstoffense at not wearing an ID resultsin a warning. If repeated, a detentionwill be issued. Why, though, arethey required if they are stronglyNew year brings with it new buildingBy Lara HickoxStaff WriterWhen students first looked attheir schedule this year, many werepuzzled by the strange 400 numbersthey saw as some of their roomnumbers. As the day progressed,however, students realized thesenew numbers correspond to thenew building, located in the backof the school near the field. The 24-classroom building, adorned withwhite and blue-colored windows,was originally supposed to befinished by January but was thrownoff course by last year’s hurricaneseason and finally completed overthe summer, so it could be put touse this school year.Most have the impression thatthe new building was built toaccommodate the overflowingstudent body. However, PrincipalAdrianne Leal has explained that thegrowing population was irrelevantopposed by the students?“It’s for the safety of ourstudents,” said assistant principal,Ms. Magda Pereira, who is incharge of IDs. “They make surethat people who don’t belong heredo not get in.”Security at Coral Reef is nolight matter, as the many cameraslocated around the school remindstudents. Yet, that does not justifythe new color, which still confusesmany students.“Red is not a school color,” saidMalcolm Symonette, a newlyarrived freshman.Last year’s IDs were teal, which isone of Coral Reef’s school colors.Some students were offendedby this dramatically bright newcolor.“It’s like blood,” saidLegal sophomore StephanieNicholas. “And it clashes witheverything!”in the decision to construct a newbuilding, considering the freshmanclass is the same size as last year’sand is in no way making traffic inthe halls worse than it was before.The real reason for adding thisnew structure to the Reef was toadhere to new class-size reductionregulations passed by the SchoolBoard. Most students can testify tothis with the observation that manyof their classes are smaller thisyear, containing at least less than30 students per class.“The district looks at the currentclass-sizes of the school and howbig it is and determines what theaverage class-size should be inorder to promote a good learningenvironment for the students,” saidprincipal Leal.Nevertheless, despite all therules and regulations the schoolwas required to follow duringthe construction, Leal took intoconsideration the amount of kidsSergio Noriega flaunts his threads.Many students, like Stephanie,find these alarmingly vividIDs particularly disconcerting.However, the high visibility maybe exactly the point.“We want to be able to see theseIDs easily,” said Ms. Pereira.“That way, we can quickly spotthose who do not have one on.”Administrators have previouslycaught students using IDs frompast years. They saw this as asafety issue and decided to changethe color every year so paststudents can’t get back in.New lanyards have also beena source of complaint amongstudents. They are thicker andembroidered with the words“Coral Reef Barracudas” in tealletters. Many students chose touse different lanyards, but foundthat like the IDs, these lanyardswere being enforced as well. Noteven last year’s black lanyardsthat eat lunch in the field and left job, however, there is not muchmore than enough space so that of a difference between the new“kids could still congregate” and building and the older, but stillenjoy lunch in the open air. fairly new, ones here at Coral Reef;“It’s a nice change; it’s not ascongested and is very clean,bright, and professional-looking,”said IB senior Katerina Gonzalez,she particularly likes the windowsin the new building that allow fora lot of light to filter in and radiatefrom within.Once the building wascompleted, after a year and ahalf of construction, the teachersand administration sat downat a meeting and decided thatthe building would be used bythe Math Department, a rewardfor having earned high scoreson the FCAT year after year.Administration hopes that the newaccommodations will prolong thattradition.Other than the more modernbathrooms and the new paintPaul Ward and Gigiana Friand switch up their styles.were acceptable.“I find them very itchy anduncomfortable,” said IsabelaDelapuente. “My friend even gota rash from wearing it.”However, despite the discomfort,there may be a positive side.“The lanyards were a giftfrom the school to the students,”said Ms. Pereira. “We wanted topromote a sense of school spiritand unity.”School spirit is an important partof any school, with Coral Reefbeing no exception, as our pepralliesprove. Yet, some studentssee these IDs and lanyards as toomuch unity in the school.“I feel like students are losing asense of individuality,” said VPAsenior Jessica Packer.Students have also noticedthe barcode on the bottom oftheir IDs. Technology has beenincorporated into the ID cards thisyear, with the scanable barcode.This new scanning system mayprove to be an effective way ofkeeping track of student tardiesand absences. Administrators lookforward to seeing this new featureused extensively in the future.“Since students must wear theirIDs anyways, why not make thempurposeful? In addition to attendancepurposes, we’ll also be using themfor events and assemblies duringthe year,” said Ms. Pereira. “In thisfast world of modern technology,we have to keep up!”Administrators hope that studentswill appreciate that these IDsare here for their own safety andsecurity.“I understand the school’s goodintentions,” said IB sophomoreMarleen Hernandez. “I justwish they didn’t choose such aconspicuous color.”the new building was built to codeand is no more than a standardmodular structure with newbuildingsmell.

Jump on thebandwagonBy Chiedozie OkaforStaff WriterIt’s commonly said that CoralReef does not have the best footballteam in Dade County, but at leastwe were blessed with the mostdedicated players. Everyday from2:30 to 6:30 in the evening, thesefootball players are either outsidepracticing on the field or in theweight room, training harder andharder to achieve their goals. Sure,winning more games is one of theirgoals, but mainly they just want toearn the students’ respect.“I’m not sayin’ that they aregarbage, but they’ve got a lot ofwork to do. I feel that this yearthings are going to change becausemy brother Branden isn’t playingon that field, this year ain’t nojoke!” said Business sophomoreKimberly Pitts.The football team suffered a defeatof 13-21 against Lake Wood onAugust 18, 2006.“That wasn’t nothing but a littlewarm-up for us. We’re takingit all the way this year,” saidfootball player, business sophomoreBranden Oliver.Although others may see the gameagainst Lake Wood as a loss, CoachCoaches at Coral Reef SeniorHigh have always been determinedto improve their game play onthe field. This year they havedecided to develop new methodsfor practice, bring in new playersand assistant coaches, and areplanning to have more intense andtechnical practices.For football, the game plan thatCoach Bryant has in mind is tocreate a more unified team bygiving them a difficult time andmaking them work harder duringpractice so they can help oneanother and grow closer to eachother. In addition, he plans ondeveloping different methods ofpractice, which he prefers not todisclose. He feels that having hisplayers react quickly in difficultsituations will allow his team tobring in more wins on the field.“I feel that once we get on the rolland use different techniques to wingames, the players will developthe intensity that will allow us tobeat teams such as Southridge orKillian,” Coach Bryant said.Being more successful on the fielddoes not come easily, but CoachBryant feels that with time, successwill come. With help such as CoachEdwend Oliver form Killian aswell as Coach Pete Harris fromSouthdade, the team’s defensiveline should turn into a solid brickwall. Coach Gordon, the headBryant sees it as a victory.“The ninth and tenth gradersplayed with a lot of enthusiasm. Itwas a positive experience becauseit bonded the teammates,” saidBryant.The Varsity team is workingmore on improving their blockingskills, running skills, tackling,and definitely defense and specialteams. It may seem like a lot toimprove on, but with their urgeto be on top, the practice withintensity and drive, hoping thatthese areas will improve theirwork on the field.“Pretty much, we’re trying toimprove from last year’s season,and win more football games.To gain more respect from otherschool football teams, as wellas Coral Reef students,” saidfootball player, Legal juniorDavid Bess.This year, incoming freshmanare expected to lead Coral Reef’sJV football team to a few gamevictories.“Basically I look for this JVteam to do well. Not to excludeor make excuses for last year’s JVteam, but this group of guys that’scoming in have more experiencebasketball coach, also has animprovedgame plan.CoachGordon isnot new tocoaching,he hasbeen withCoral ReefBasketballfor severalyears andfeels thatthis yearwill be oneof the bestyears thebasketballteam willever have.Duringthe summerCoachGordon was training his playersin fall leagues so that his athletescould continue to develop andimprove more on the fundamentalsof the sport.“I feel that the fundamentalsare the most important aspect ofthe sport, having great playersand plays is good, but if thefundamental aspects of the sportare not present then everythinghas gone down the drain,” saidCoach Gordon.Coach Gordon is also receivingaid to help with the success ofhis team; Coach Graham fromRichmond Middle School hasand playing time then those fromlast year, and the year before that.So when you add what we havethis year and the guys we have onVarsity, our future looks bright, inmy opinion,” said Coach NelsonThe football players havegreat faith in each other, butthey acknowledge the lack ofconfidence that the student bodyhas in them.“I hope they do a lot betterthan they did the past couple ofyears, I mean, I am a barracudaso I’m going to stand by thenone-hundred percent,” said juniorVanessa Perez.Our players work very hard,and are hoping to see a renewedfaith in them from their fellowstudents.“Our time is coming, and it’scoming soon. By the time they readthis story, hopefully they’ll be onour band wagon, singing anothertune,” said Coach Nelson.As a “Cuda” family we need tosupport our team, and hope thebest for them. Let’s encourage ourplayers instead of downing them,just like Coach Bryant alwayssays“We gon’ make history babe!”Rasing the barBy Alan BonillaStaff Writercome over to help out with JVteam, which will allow CoachGordon to focus on the Varsityteam and bring home a StateChampionship.The volleyball team is not one tobe left behind. Run by none otherthan Coral Reefs Coach Del Valle,the Coral Reef volleyball team hasbeen improving constantly withhim leading the way. Although theteam is doing well, he feels thereis always room for improvement.“I feel that our players need to getstronger and they need moreexperience,” said Coach DelValle.Although chemistry is presentin the team Coach Del Valle doesnot feel thatit is strongenough totake themto the top.He hopesthat duringseason hisplayersdevelopstrongerbonds tohelp themthere.CoachDel Vallehas alsocalled forassistance,bringing ina formerplayer thatwent All-Dade two years in a row playingfor Coral Reef, Bryant Salter.With the corrections in passes, setups, and spikes and the help of hisnew assistant coach, improvementshould be seen.Can’t forget the “All Americantradition” baseball. The Coral Reefbaseball team is run by CoachBisceglia, a highly dedicated andknowledgeable man very familiarwith the sport.Coach Bisceglia believes thattheteam needs a lot of work.“It is easy to say that our teamdoes not really do well, but thatusually comes from people thatdo not really understand the sportand understand that we are playingagainst the hardest teams,” saidCoach Bisceglia.Coach Bisceglia plans on usingmore instructional videos andweight training to improve theplayers’ output on the field andallow them to reach the playoffs.Lastly, the Coral Reef wrestlingteam, lead by Coach CJ Singleton.This year Coach CJ plans onworking harder than ever in orderto have a remarkable team thatwill take a large group to State andbring home the gold.Because wrestling Is such aprecise and technical sport, CoachCJ has called for help from aformer wrestler who received thirdplace at State while wrestling forCoral Reef, Jason Bendezu.Along with all the precisionneeded to do well in the sport,Coach CJ feels that intensityis also required to build up thetoughness of his athletes and makethem stronger, so they can performbetter on the mat and bring a statechampionship to the Reef. CoachCJ has enlisted the help of formerCoral Reef wrestler Jason Bendezuto help make this happen.New school year and higherexpectations, clearly it’s beendecided that Coral Reef has raisedthe bar in academics, and now it’sthe sports’ turn.

Brains vs. BrawnBy Alan BonillaStaff WriterSociety has generally beencategorized into two separateclasses: you either have brains oryou have brawn. Rarely however,exceptions slip through the crack.Here at Coral Reef Senior High,Jonathon Acosta manages to getgreat grades and participate in threesports.Jonathon is asenior in the IBAcademy andword is that, IBis by far the moststrict, stressful,and difficultacademy here atCoral Reef. Howdoes he manageto pull it off?“It’s reallyhard to managethree sports anddo well in IB,I do pull a lotof all-nightersand even though it is tough Ido it because it looks good forcollege and will hopefully get me ascholarship,” said Jonathon.Jonathon is taking all AP andIB courses, prepares for theseexaminations, and participates intrack, cross country, and wrestlingall in the same year. Miraculously,he continues to receive good grades.In fact his grades are so good hereceives the superior honor roll ona regular basis.“College appeal is what it is trulyabout,” said Jonathon. His one truemotivation to do well is to receivea college scholarship for eitheracademics or athletics. Jonathonwould prefer to get an academicscholarship for NYU but wouldbe content with one for crosscountry,the least difficult of thethree sports.Working hard physically andmentally is Jonathan’s way ofpreparing for his life whether onor off the track or mat.His advice towards students whoare in the same or similar situations,is that school comes first, nomatter how good you may be ata sport.“Youracademicsshouldalways beprioritynumber onebecausethey cantake youfurtherthan anysport,” saidJonathon.“I knowJonathonis in the IBacademy,but I still expect him to do wellon the mat because he has becomea part of the team and has beenconsistent and dedicated, andalthough he makes mistakes it iswithout a doubt in my mind thathe can do well this season,” saidwrestling Coach CJ.It is no surprise that studentswith this potential can be foundat Coral Reef. Students whoare willing to do what it takes,to not only succeed in theirschoolwork, but also in the sportsthey participate in.Discovered talentBy Jennifer RoweThis past summer while manyof you were at the beach tanning,traveling, or just hanging out withfriends, Alexandra Bermudez wasin the recording studio writingand producing songs for her veryfirst demo. A junior here at CoralReef, she is very much at homeamong fellow students who streamfrom an array of academiesand talents. The Visual andPerforming Arts Academy’sChorus division is home to thisnew talent, known by her stagename, “Aly.”Alexandra began singing inher church at the age of four.Her talent impacted by hergrandma, has lead her to becomethe budding performing artistshe is now. She was discoveredby Christian Artist-Rapper anddemo producer, G-Notes, whileperforming at a local church.Alexandra has been recordingfor the past four months forUnderground Blaze Records.She recently recorded withG-Notes a song entitled,“Summertime Love” whichcan currently be heard on www.myspace.com/GNotesMusic.Currently, she is being featuredalong with various artists onthe Sony Mix Tape due out thisfall.But what makes Alexandradifferent from other young teenidols on the rise? Don’t fret, sheisn’t into putting out cheesy popmusic. Hoping to be signed toSony BMG Christian label, shesays Christian R&B/Pop is whereher heart is.SPOTLIGHTByStaff Writer“Christian artists can presentthemselves with more integritywith their music, and don’t pridefor over exposure of sex appealand greed,” said Alexandra.Working on her first songs lyricsabout a girl, who realizes thatshe doesn’t need a guy to holdher back in life, and that herstrength comes from Jesus. Notonly does Alexandra’s musicexemplify a strong up-bringingof righteousness and purity, sodoes her own writing. Currentlyco-writing her own music, sheis inspired to write about whatreally matters to girls; how theyare depicted, relate to real issuesin society now, boys, love, family,and self image.Alexandra is now in Select MixSheela Anassari& Brianna RosaStaff WritersChoir here at Coral Reef, studyingclassical music as well as musicaltheatre. The realization of herdream has become more obtainablethan ever. Having the gift tobe musically inclined isn’t theonly blessed aspect Alexandrahas in her life. She regularlyvolunteers at the Miami RescueMission Community Center forthe homeless. Noted for beingvery family oriented, she thanksher family for all the love andsupport they’ve given her overthe years. Having a mother andfather who are supportive of hercareer is very important to herwork.“Having been with me everystep of my music process, [theyhave] only made me become astronger artist,” said Alexandra.“In the future I would like towork with Jackie Velasquez, afamous Christian singer whomI admire, along with WhitneyHouston and Celine Dion, mychildhood motivators,” saidAlexandra, inspiration beingvery dear to her.As teenagers, we are so usedto seeing new young talent onthe brink of stardom. We eitherhate or love them, but Alexandrashows that a great enjoymentwill come from her melodic andmarvelous vocals. Her goal inthe future you may ponder?“My goal is to have people listento my music, and know that theydon’t have to lose their integrityto become an artist. It’s not mygoal to become some huge musicDiva, I just want people to listen,”said Alexandra, dead set on notbecoming a money-making diva.Name: Mrs. BarretoTeaches: Biology to Pre-IBstudentsOut of the Water:· She is on the Salsa Heat Waveteam· In total she has been salsadancing for five years· Loves to spend time with hernewborn baby.· Loves frogsName: Mr. MateoTeaches: Chemistry 1 HonorsOut of the Water:· In charge of SADD (StudentsAgainst Destructive Decisions)· He is very interested byplants, he loves everythingabout them· He has green thumb and canplant anything given to him· He also likes salsa dancingand engineeringName: Mr. MillerTeaches: American Governmentand SAT prepOut of the Water:· He enjoys boating and basketball· He also sings with a rockband.· Mr. Miller volunteers as a mentorwith Big Brother/Big Sisters.Name: Mr. RodriguezTeaches: World HistoryHonors and DebateOut of the Water:· In charge of the Debateteam.· He is very interested inthe Japanese culture andunderstands some of thelanguage too.· He is a great sushi maker· In the process of writing aName: Ms. MackTeaches: BiologyOut of the Water:· She is really interested in AncientEgypt and its medicines· She also likes Herbal medicines· She spends her time studyingdifferent varieties of them

Art Gallery: ReopenedBy Carla RodriguezStaff WriterThe art gallery: a small hub ofgenuine creativity and developingart has finally been restored atCoral Reef. After a year or two ofbeing used as a regular classroom,Coral Reef reopened room 124as the GalleReef, opening upnew possibilities for current andincoming art students, magnet andelective alike.During the early 2004 school year,the administration decided the ArtGallery would be better suited asa small, closed-in classroom dueto the ever-increasing amountof incoming students and thecontinually decreasing room tohouse them. Crowding in schools,as most public school attendeesknow, has not spared Coral Reefand as more and more freshmenwere accepted into Coral ReefHigh School, less and less roombecame available to teach them.Classroom sizes began to swellat an alarming rate, and so theadministration sought to turn any“extra” rooms, such as storagerooms, teacher’s lunch rooms, andthe gallery into extra classrooms.The construction of all those newrooms Coral Reef students now seeon the back field was quickly putinto motion and as of September2006, Coral Reef gained a littlebreathing room. With this greatnew cluster of numbered rooms,the art gallery was turned intoa temporary storage room andrecently re-opened as the ArtGallery, although not fully openedyet due to some pricey TVs stillstored and locked away in it. Theadvent of the new building madethe gallery once more available tothe faculty and students of CoralReef Senior High.When the art gallery was firstclosed down during the 2003school year, the art magnet studentswere the first to react.“I thought it was truly unfair- itwasn’t like it was always emptyor unused. There was plenty ofartwork and it was just seen as anunused, empty space for storage,”said Art senior Jessica Packer.Most, if not all, art students feltcheated out of valuable spacethat could further their studies inthe visual arts. Taking away suchvaluable space hindered the magnetart class in significant ways. Manyof the art students will tell how itimpacted their studies.“It took away places to presentartwork- the actual art classroomitself became more crowded andhectic,” said IB junior MichelleGiovani.“Our art critiques, which arecentral to progressing in our work,lost a certain something. Attentionwasn’t as keen when we crowdedin the art room. We couldn’tdisplay all the work at the sametime, like we were used to. Thatmade things easier. Instead, wehad to constantly put up workthen take it down… it created abit of mayhem and stressed a lotof us out,” said Art senior CarmenGuillen-Casal.However, in-class disorder wasn’tthe only problem with the lossof the gallery. Art students whowere serious about going on to ArtColleges were now at a significantdisadvantage as well. Nelson, onesuch serious student, can speakfrom experience.“We were no longer able touse it for college interviews andportfolio reviews, which areincredibly important for art schoolscholarships. Our performanceduring such meetings becameweakened- they were not aspowerful in our presentations.”However, now that the art roomhas reopened, many of the artstudents feel enthusiastic andhopeful on many fronts. They saythey feel that critiques will driftMaking the bandBy Chiedozie OkaforStaff WriterEvery student here at Coral ReefSenior High School looks forwardto pep-rallies. Everyone from thestudents to the staff, shows theirschool spirit by dressing in theirteal and black attire, paintingtheir faces, and temporarilyspray painting their cars. Whenquestioned about what is beinglooked forward to seeing duringthe pep-rally, the majority ofstudents said Cuda Flava, whileothers said Cudette dancers. Theprevailing question is what aboutthe band? For the first ten to fifteenminutes the band plays, and afterthat period, no one else noticesthem. Every day they practicediligently for hours outside inMiami’s scorching weather.During the summer for fourweeks, color guard and bandmembers practiced from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m.“Summer conditioning was sooohot! Well it was worth it,” saidcolor guard member Businessjunior Hanna Morton.If you spend enough time afterschool, you will notice howseriously the band members takeby with more ease, enabling themto hear more commentary fromclassmates and their teachers andimprove upon their work moreefficiently.Many art students feel morethan enthusiastic about holdingart exhibitions now that the galleryhas been re-opened. Nelson feelshe would “definitely take the timeto put together an exhibition.”Several other students agreedthat they’d add artwork forpresentation. When asked whetherhe’d help put together such ashow and feel enthusiastic abouta student exhibition, magnet artteacher Mr. McKinley respondedwith a hearty, “Totally.”Many art students, magnet andelective alike, have positive thingsto say about the re-opening of theart gallery. Natasha Brunhill says“Now it’ll be easier for the generalstudent body to come in and seeour artwork!”Another magnet art studentfeels “This’ll make the art kidsfeel more like they’re actuallyin a college-level course. It’llmake most of the art kids moreenthusiastic about their craft.”The only complaint seemed tocome from Corey Feldman, whosaid, “I’m really grateful that it’sopen, I just wish we could reallyuse it already- there are still aboutthirty TVs in there and the roomhas to stay locked until they’reremoved.”their craft. You can literally heartheir passion just by the way theyplay. These students are extremelytalented, yet no one seems to takenotice of what they do.Being a member of the colorguard team seems like militarywork, but all the girls seem toenjoy each other’s company.“Participating on the colorguard team is no joke, but I enjoyevery minute of it,” said Legalsophomore Imani Bradford.Keeping control of the flag is notan easy task, since it takes a lot ofconcentration and practice. WhenCaptain of the color guard team,Krystal Mack was asked abouther feelings on having to lead thisgroup and set positive examplesfor them, she said that it was a veryhard thing for her to do.“There are twenty girls on thesquad that depend on me. I don’twant to let anyone down. I alsohave to watch everything I do andsay,” said Krystal Mack.This team of great talent needsto be noticed more in theirperformances. They dedicatetheir time to this, all they ask isthat we notice.

The earlier date for Homecoming came as a shocking surprise to many students, especially seniors when asked. This year’sHomecoming was on September 16, 2006, a few weeks earlier than the norm.“I think it is too early because girls don’t have enough time to make or buy a dress and there’s not much time left to get adate,” said medical senior Bryttany Stringer. School just started and there are many fees required that still need to be paid.Students did not have time to save for all of the homecoming expenses, not realizing how early homecoming would be. Whywas homecoming so early? Many students are still pondering this question.“Homecoming had to be on September 16th for various reasons,” said activities director, Mrs. Martinez.The main reason is the football schedule. Every Homecoming game must be a home game and so Homecoming had to bescheduled around band members and the football game schedule. The first few home games are even earlier than September16th, but luckily, there was no way Homecoming was going to be in August.To complicate matters, the last home game would create conflict between band students who are entered in a competitionfor the same day. The best day and available day just happened to fall on September 16th, the Saturday after the footballgame against Palmetto, at Harris Field. While many complain, other students think that having homecoming early was awonderful idea.“Having an early homecoming would pep seniors up and give us a taste of what this year will be like,” said VPA seniorKenny Zapata. To get the ball rolling in time, everything including the Homecoming theme had to be decided on earlyas well. This year, the students got to vote on the theme, pleasing many students. The opportunity to participate in makingdecisions for their own Homecoming was satisfying.Popular demand settled the theme to be “Moulin Rouge,” other possibilities such as Dr. Seuss, Midsummer Night’s Dream,and Treasure Island were rejected.The cost of the ticket was $55 dollars, an increase from last year but supposedly worth it. “It was so much fun. It wasdefinitely worth the $55,” said VPA senior Nicole Tewolde.The decorations were spectacular. As you entered, you felt like a star as you walked down the red carpet. The centerpiecesfilled the room with the Moulin Rouge vibe adding color and vibrancy.“I truly felt like I was in the Moulin Rouge with the red carpet, the top hats and the masks,” said Legal and Public Affairsenior Mari Sotome.Also new this year, was the choosing of Homecoming court. If you didn’t notice, there wasn’t any voting or hanging up ofposters around the school. The voting was done at home electronically. The winners of Homecoming Queen and King wentto Dawn Reeves and Abdel Marquez.“O.M.G.!!! I was shocked and excited at the same time,” said Homecoming Queen Dawn Reeves. “I want to thank all ofthose that voted for me as well as a big thank you to Mr. Margolis who made me stay in detention that morning.”“It felt great,” said Homecoming King Abdel Marquez. “When I first found out, I was like holy [cow]. It was a greatfeeling.”There may have been some doubt do to the early date but students still had a wonderful time. Whether it’s believed thatHomecoming was too early or just right, there is no doubt that September 16, 2006 was a night to remember.