Tornado Times, February 2019

Pompano Beach High School February 2019 Vol. 10, No. 5

Sending Love 2 4 6-7 8 10

Senior Gracie Lorber pastes a heart onto a card for emergency responders. Interact club provided study halls with customizable thank you cards for first responders of their choice on Feb. 13 and 14.

Code red

What went wrong and why

PHOTO BY ANDRA DANU

Consequences Staff must take drills seriously

Two sides

Students who fought for justice

One year later

Hicks for win

MSD editor reflects on tragedy

Freshman captains boys lacrosse

PAGE DESIGN BY JULIA LATCHANA

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February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

news

Students left stranded during code red

By Charlotte Hood, Section Editor

GRAPHIC BY CHARLOTTE HOOD

Several groups of students were forced to take refuge in the stairwells or bathrooms during a code red on Feb. 5 after they were turned away from their second period classroom. Code red procedure dictates that staff members are not to allow students into their classroom during such an event.

“Me and ten other kids were running around trying to find somewhere to go,” senior Madeline Landau said. “We were pulling on every door …. We were like, ‘Let us in! Someone let us in!’”

Students in the courtyard when the code red was announced were instructed to report to their second period classroom by an office administrator. They now seek changes that would eliminate the possibility of such miscommunication.

“I … want administration to come up with a protocol in cases like that because I feel like everyone, including security, was extremely confused on what to do,” senior Vina To said.

Students involved recall feelings of panic and fear as they felt that they were left to find the closest form of shelter available during the disorder surrounding the code red.

“I was pretty startled,” senior Tiffany De Faria said. “I was with a group of senior girls in the bathroom hiding …. We didn’t have a teacher to guide us and tell us what was happening, so we were just basing our information off of rumors, so it was hard to keep calm.”

With memories of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High fresh in everyone’s minds as the anniversary of the day approached, some students assumed the worst.

“We went into the third floor bathroom, and these girls were in there, and they were freaking out because their parents got a text saying that there was an active shooter coming onto campus,” Landau said. “There were girls in the bathroom crying saying, ‘I don’t want to die.’ This girl was on the floor praying.”

“There were girls in the bathroom crying saying, ‘I don’t want to die.’

This girl was on the floor praying.” ­— Madeline Landau Several parents of students involved contacted the school to demand that school procedures better protect their children and the rest of the student body.

“When my daughter texted me while I was at work and told me that she was holed up in a bathroom waiting for a possible shooter to come through the door and felt like a ‘sitting duck,’ as a mother I never felt so helpless, scared and angry at the same time,” parent Rhonda Buchanan said. “I spoke with Mr. Thomas the following day expressing my outrage at how a code red was handled after monthly drills for a year. I feel that administration needs to educate all staff, employees and students the

correct protocols for all codes and situations that are not controlled just like this one was.”

Principal Hudson Thomas acknowledged the mistakes made during the code red left groups of students outside their classrooms without guidance, and he has since been working to address them.

“There was an issue in terms of location during the code red,” Thomas said. “They (students) went to that direction and, of course, all the doors were locked, so we had security … put them in a classroom.

That was a confusing situation, which we have since corrected.”

Following the event, Thomas and security staff met to develop changes to address the problems. Among these changes are safe rooms and security sweeps to ensure that all students have someplace safe to be during a code red.

“We had meetings and assigned people to certain areas, so that if that happens we are there ... in less than a minute (to) sweep everybody up into a safe area,” Thomas said.

“If something’s happening outside of school, we’ll be able to come and sweep students that are not in a classroom.”

Hudson said he considers the recent code red to be a valuable learning experience because it did not endanger the students (since the armed robbery that prompted the lockdown occurred off-campus) and exposed areas of improvement in code procedures.

“Every code red is a learning process because it’s not something that we’re used to,” Thomas said. “We’re always learning and improving our processes and procedures for that.”

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

news

Forum tackles mental health Five students hosted a forum that addressed the underrepresentation and poor handling of mental health in Broward County Schools.

The forum was held at senior Allie Tomaini’s home on Feb. 12 and included fellow seniors Madison Tappa and Bryan Cia, along with sophomores Jordan Greene and Stephanie Vagelos, and Mike Olbel, a school alumnus who now works with a nonprofit organization called Community-Based Connections Inc. This forum arose from the fact that the shooter of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High

School was labeled as a person who suffered from “behavioral issues” along with depression, autism and ADHD. “Safety wasn’t an issue until Parkland happened,” Olbel said.

CBCI is dedicated to its surrounding community and families, particularly the youth, within it by offering different programs to engage the youth in their own futures.

The purpose of the forum was to brainstorm solutions as to how to address mental health in schools properly and in a way that will reach the particular students who want help without alienating them.

“When you’re dealing with politics, change doesn’t happen as often as you want it,” Olbel said. “You’re not just speaking for yourself, you’re speaking for everyone.”

GRAPHIC BY CHARLOTTE HOOD

By Jordan Brown, Section Editor

HOPE Club spreads love for 2/14

By Kayla Gayle, Asst. Section Editor

HOPE Club poses during its “hug-a-thon” on Feb. 14. The club held a variety of activities during the week to honor the victims of MSD and to spread awareness of “Random Acts of Kindness Week.”

PHOTO BY ANDRA DANU

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In remembrance of the 17 students and teachers who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, and to spread awareness of “Random Acts of Kindness Week,” the Helping Overcome Problems Effectively Club held activities during lunch on Valentine’s Day. “We’re doing ‘share your love’ hearts where you write a message to anyone that you love,” HOPE Club president Paris Colbert said. “And we’re also doing our hug-a-thon that we do every year, where you go down the line and you hug everyone.”

HOPE Club partnered with school counselors to include activities to honor the victims of the MSD tragedy.

HOPE Club’s goal is to “put together events to stop suicide and bullying,” Colbert said.

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February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

opinion

Students, staff must take drills seriously Our generation has had more inschool tragedies than ever before, and when it comes down to it, some of the people we’re supposed to be able to count on and look to for support still have little to no idea how to make us safe.

In the year following MSD, the district has required monthly code red drills in addition to the monthly fire drills, but much like the fire drills we’ve grown accustomed to over the years, the students — and sometimes the teachers and administrators — take these drills as a joke.

These drills are in place for a reason, and that reason is to prepare us in case of events like MSD, and yet, many of us see the drills, and even the very real code red we were under on Feb. 5 as a time to finish homework or talk to friends both inside and outside the class.

While it’s bad enough that some students refuse to take these codes seriously, it’s even worse that some teachers, the people responsible for our safety during times like Feb. 5, see these codes as downtime. Using the time a school is under lockdown as extra time to grade papers or even teach a lesson is unacceptable, and sets an awful example for the students who will then think acting as

though the codes are anything less than mandatory is just fine.

Students should feel safe with any teacher they’re in the room with during a code red, and while for some that is the case, many students feel nothing but fear and nerves.

“A lot of the kids were loud during the code red, and you could tell that they didn’t think it was serious,” said a junior who wanted to remain anonymous because they feared backlash from staff and administration.

Administrators have greatly increased their emphasis on safety, from the fences that were put up at the start of the year to the added security around campus, yet like the teachers, some were conflicted about how to go about procedure, as seen in the recent code red.

Several students weren’t allowed into the front office during the code red because administrators didn’t know what procedure to follow, endangering the lives of all students who weren’t in class when the code started. This is a prime example of why knowing the codes and taking them seriously, no matter the circumstance, is so important.

“Typically when we do a code red, we start with a code yellow, so in a code yellow that (not letting the

GRAPHIC BY JULIA LATCHANA

students into the office) would be the procedure. Whenever you have a situation like that, what you practice is kind of what you implement,” Principal Thomas said. “That was the issue, going from a code red to a code yellow.”

More teachers need to take the drills seriously, like tech teacher David Holley, who is known across campus for taking every precaution and going through with every safety measure he can to ensure safety for all of his students.

“At any time, in any sport, in anything in life, you do what is practiced,” Holley said, regarding why drills must be taken so seriously.

“In basketball, they have you shoot thousands of free throws, so that way when the pressure’s on, it’s muscle memory. So when the drills happen, you know what you’re supposed to do, you do it, muscle memory, do the right things quickly, and you don’t freeze because you know what to do.”

We have these drills for a reason, and that reason is to prepare for the actual threat that happened on Feb. 5. Teachers were informed of an “armed person seen running toward PBHS,” which sounds like what happened before the shooting started at MSD last year.

No one should think it can’t happen here. Students need to take these drills seriously, but we also need to feel we can count on our teachers and administrators to make sure we’re safe. “Never Again” needs to be more than just a hashtag; it needs to spur clear action by the school.

Jessica Buchanan, Editor in chief Alexis Schatten, Managing Editor Charlotte Hood, Section Editor Jordan Brown, Section Editor Emily Powell, Web and Business Editor Eduardo Andrade, Asst. Section Editor Andra Danu, Asst. Section Editor Javier Garcia, Asst. Section Editor Kayla Gayle, Asst. Section Editor Julia Latchana, Asst. Section Editor Matthew Shanbom, Asst. Section Editor Delaney Staples, Asst. Section Editor Madison Tappa, Asst. Section Editor Kimberly Scanlan, Staff Intern Dr. Andrew Shipe, Adviser Tornado Times is produced by: Pompano Beach High School 600 NE 13 Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Phone: (754) 322-2000 Email: pbhsnewspaper@gmail.com Website: thetornadotimes.org Twitter: @TornadoTimes Print issues in the 2018-19 school year are planned for October, January, March and May. Online issues are planned for September, November, February and April.

For students, parents and teachers who need to be informed about what’s happening in and out of the school that affects them, Tornado Times is a print and web publication that provides timely multimedia and interactive coverage. Unlike social media, our product is focused around school events from the perspective of the bigger picture.

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As a public forum, Tornado Times welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and sent to pbhsnewspaper@ gmail.com. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for poor taste, libel and space.

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February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

opinion

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Clothing controversy

Shoulders should scare less than guns By

Emily Powell,

Web and Business Editor One student wore a shirt that says “Coexist” spelled out in guns.

Another student wore a tank top exposing the shoulders.

Guess which one got dress-coded.

“We enforce things such as I.D. badges to promote safety, yet I can’t even feel safe when someone is walking around with a shirt that promotes the same guns that caused the enforcement of these rules,” junior Alexis Torres said.

The Broward County Public

Schools code book for student conduct states clothing that “encourage(s) the use of drugs, alcohol, or violence” is not allowed. But administrators decided they could “coexist” with the shirt promoting guns.

Some students do enjoy showing off parts of their bodies that would be better kept away.

“There’s some girls who wear the shortest skirts and are pencil thin and somehow get away with showing off their butts,” an anonymous senior said.

But even this aspect of the dress code, what must be covered and what may be uncovered, seems to be policed arbitrarily.

“Some tiny girls wear the shortest clothing, and if I wore that or a

really curvy girl wore that, we’d be dress-coded so fast,” senior Gabriella Justamante said.

Administration targets curvy girls.

Change my mind.

Many students also agree that dress code is sexist.

“I think that it’s unfair that the school dress code is more aimed toward girls and barely penalizes the guys at all,” junior Mariana Larsen said. “Guys at this school can walk around in togas for spirit week and it’s okay, but us girls have to struggle to find a shirt that doesn’t show too much shoulder, and even then we are still sometimes called out for it.”

Doesn’t sound right coming from a female student? Male students have even noticed that themselves.

“Dress code seems to be sexist, and

that’s coming from a male who has worn some shorts that were definitely too short,” an anonymous sophomore said. “Then I turn around and see a friend who gets dress-coded just for the top of her shoulders.”

The fact that there are this many complaints and more about how dress code is being handled proves that something is wrong. I get it, dress code is necessary, but why have one and enforce it on us if you will only call out people for exposing their shoulders wearing one shirt when there are people promoting the use of guns on another?

The solution is simple: “Stop sexualizing young, underage girls for a shoulder, and focus on inappropriate, offensive clothing,” an anonymous senior said.

Black History Month not taken seriously By

Jordan Brown, Section Editor

As a school whose student body is 21 percent black and constantly preaches about its immense diversity on every level, there seems to be a lack of attention to Black History Month.

Granted, there can’t be interesting and thought-provoking activities every day of February, and a big showcase means less time to teach curriculum and a copious amount of planning in order to do it right. How-

ever, our school can do more than just putting up banners of famous black people in the courtyard.

Two years ago on Feb. 22 there was a showcase honoring Black History Month, and students of color performed various acts, ranging from a group of all-black majorettes (girls that are very flexible and twirl batons, similar to a color guard but at the same time very different) to reading an excerpt from famous speeches such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream.”

However, that is the last time I saw something big being done about black history in February. That showcase gave black students and faculty a chance to be proud of their history, the good and the bad parts, and taught white students that black

people have struggled -- and still do -- ever since we were ripped from our homeland 400 years ago.

In today’s social and political climate, Black History Month is needed more than ever because we are dying in droves, the most controversial cause of death being the police. In fact, according to Mapping Police Violence, of the 1,147 people killed by police in 2017, 25 percent of those people were black, despite black people making up only 13 percent of the U.S. population.

In June 2018, a study done by Boston University’s School of Health and the University of Pennsylvania concluded that police brutality against black people have unforeseen mental health consequences on the remaining members of the black

community.

In a country where we’re targeted unfairly by people in and out of authority and killed, we need this month to shed light on the good things about our race and the bloody times previous generations had to go through for us to be where we are today.

I’m not asking administration to do anything out of their reach and the blame isn’t all on them, but I am asking that the school appreciate its black students as it appreciates the students who are sports stars or in the top 10 percent because black students (along with faculty) have fought a unique fight to be at the forefront.

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February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

Tomaini fights for justice

By Jordan Brown, Section Editor

Ever since the Feb. 14 tragedy, senior Allie Tomaini has been working tirelessly to fight for the security of her younger peers and every high school student in the future.

“The fact that it hit so close to home inspired me to do everything in my power to rally as many voices as I could so we could be the change,” Tomaini said.

Tomani was a close friend to Meadow Pollack, one of the victims of the shooting, and credits her as her sole inspiration for her developing political career.

“I lost a friend, and I realized that if no one said anything it would happen over and over again,” Tomaini said.

After the travesty, Tomaini organized and led the walkout to city hall that involved over 150 students and fellow Broward County officers.

Even though it was a year ago, she hasn’t stopped fighting for what she believes in.

“Becoming a politically active high school student has been a difficult task,” Tomaini said. “It’s stressful and frustrating when people don’t listen or say that I’m too young to be in such an uproar.”

Recently, she, along with six fellow students, have met with Mike Obel, a PBHS alumnus who ran to represent District 7 on the school board, to discuss mental health in schools and how it can be addressed.

“We met to speak about a course of action to replenish the current systems in place to help students with mental health issues,” Tomaini said.

Along with staying on top of budding security issues on our campus by regularly meeting with Deputy Stephanie Smith, she also plans to meet with all nine district school members.

“But when I continue to fight the fight despite all those telling me I can’t, I know I have 17 angels that keep me going,” Tomaini said.

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

centerspread

Campbell says justice not served

By Jordan Brown, Section Editor

Senior Bailey Campbell, president of the Model UN club, organized the first school walkout after the Stoneman Douglas shooting.

“The whole point of the walkout was to honor the lives lost while also condemning those who are at fault,” Campbell said. “It was sad that the only way to enact real changes is to display a bunch of scared kids.”

The event motivated Campbell to become even more of a campus leader.

“The reason I became politically active is because it never should’ve happened ” Campbell said.

According to Campbell, last year’s walkout wasn’t strictly politically motivated.

“I also think it’s important to point out that the first priority for the walkout was to pay respect to those who lost their lives and to encourage school safety,” Campbell said.

However, since the beginning of this school year, Campbell has not been as involved with politics as she was the previous year.

“I found it redundant to try to make political changes before we even knew who the governor was,” Campbell said.

Campbell doesn’t believe that the necessary measures haven’t been taken and that nothing has changed to prevent another school shooting.

“To be blunt, the only thing that has changed was the fear of public scrutiny felt by school board members and policymakers,” Campbell said. “I wrote to congressmen and spoke to Florida representatives, but it didn’t feel like anything really changed.

There’s still a lot to improve and I’m just happy to be escaping the Broward Schools public school system,” Campbell said.

Campbell believes that all of the rallying for justice that she has done has surmounted to nothing.

“I don’t think it’s fair to think that we’ve done anything to enhance school security or to help with mental health issues,” Campbell said.

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February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

student life

One year later

MSD editor reflects on tragedy, aftermath

By Matthew Shanbom, Asst. Section Editor

The Tornado Times sat down with Einav Cohen, the managing editor of the student newspaper at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the Eagle Eye, to find out how it covered last year’s Feb. 14 mass shooting and how the school and its students are still affected. The Eagle Eye recently won a Pacemaker award from the National Scholastic Press Association for its coverage.

How many years have you been working on the newspaper staff?

I have been on the newspaper staff since I was a freshman. My friend was an editor and she was able to get me to skip the Journalism 1 year.

How did your paper cover the events of last year?

We actually released a memorial issue. We had all the victims on it. We had a few poems written in it so that everyone could see, and we made sure to spread it online so that anyone who wanted to read about the victims could.

That was sort of an out of the blue issue, we’ve never done that before. The actual issue for the 14th was about the politics of everything and the extraordinary acts that have happened. It was in collaboration to everything on our website.

Was the first issue online and the second print?

We did both print. And then we offered them both online.

How are you covering the anniversary this year?

We’re partnering up with The Guardian to write a little bit about our personal experiences. We’re doing a lot of multimedia things which means on our Instagram we are interviewing a bunch of friends and teachers who knew the 17. On the 14th we are going to post each one on Instagram that day. The actual issue is going to have to do with the service projects commemorating the victims and everything going on in our community and politics not only the day.

What has changed this year at the school in terms of security?

In terms of security, they have done a lot. Last year, they were more strict with the backpacks. This year it is basically from what the students can see, is that they check our ID’s. If we have any extra bags in the morning they check our bags, they have checkpoints now. It used to be an open campus but now they have only four entrances.

That’s where they check our ID’s and extra bags. There are less police officers this year than last year so it is not as overwhelming. We have something called the wellness center, so that’s if you ever feel like you need therapy or you can’t be where you are. If something is wrong, you go there for therapy. I think there are six therapists there every day. We still have our therapy dogs and there are a lot more people who have their own therapy dogs on campus.

Do you feel like there is more to be done that has not already been done?

Personally, I think walking alone in the hallways alone is still scary because it still feels empty. There aren’t specific places where there will be officers, they walk around. What students can see is that (officers) do not stand in one place all the time. It would be a little nicer to know where the people taking care of us are.

Are all the teachers taking code reds seriously this year?

They are, some more than others. I have only experienced it with three teachers. One of them was in the freshman building, and another just had us sit in the corner. I’m sure there are teachers who do not take it seriously.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAGLE EYE

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

Drama shows ‘Monsters’

student life

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Left: Sophomore Alfonso Mazzarella holds a classic polyhedral Dungeons and Dragons die on stage in the school’s adaptation of “She Kills Monsters.” The drama department spent a month preparing for the play.

Top right: Seniors Alexandra Vagasy, Jessica Romer and freshman Taylor Holland simultaneously worship a sword on stage in the school’s adaptation of “She Kills Monsters.” The play was first performed by the drama department on Feb. 21.

Bottom right: Senior Jessica Romer is illuminated in a spotlight as she recites her lines in the school’s adaptation of “She Kills Monsters.” The play was written by Qui Nguyen and debuted in 2011.

PHOTOS BY JORDAN BROWN

How can we celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Anniversary of MSD dredges up conflict

By Jordan Brown, Section Editor

In light of the one year anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre, students struggled to celebrate Valentine’s Day while still honoring the 17 lives lost.

“My Valentine’s Day is forever changed (because) I lost four of my friends,” sophomore Stephanie Vagelos said. “I used to look forward to hanging out with my friends, but instead I have to mourn the loss of 17 souls that didn’t deserve to die.”

Since it only happened a year ago, some students find that it’s hard to find a balance, but with more time, it can be possible.

“I still have so much love in my heart, but it’s so hard to be the same person I was on that day now,” senior Allie Tomaini said.

Vagelos believes that the tragedy outweighs the holiday and that more focus should be on grieving the 17 lives lost.

“Valentine’s Day has never really

been an important holiday for me, but this cause is important to me, so I would rather focus on remembering the 17 than Valentine’s Day.” Vagelos said.

On the other hand, Tomaini believes that we need to find a balance between the holiday and the anniversary of MSD. “For some, the MSD tragedy will be something that will haunt Valentine’s Day for a long time,” Tomaini said.

“For me, I think that each are impor-

tant and that Valentine’s Day helps soften the blow of the pain that the shooting causes.”

Vagelos plans to further commemorate the 17 lost.

“I plan to start a Make Our Schools Safe Club, which would definitely plan a commemoration for the 17 in the future,” Vagelos said. “I think that we should remember the 17 while celebrating Valentine’s Day and make sure their memories stay alive and help try to make a change.”

10 sports

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

Freshman leads lacrosse team

By Javier Garcia, Asst. Section Editor

Often sports teams name one of their most established members as captain. But for boys lacrosse, freshman Matthew Hicks has been appointed as the offensive captain.

“I understand the responsibilities that have been given to me now and I’m ready to take them all and more,” Hicks said. “I definitely was not expecting to come in and become a captain as a freshman, but now that I am here, I know I have what it takes.”

Other players who have had the chance to watch him perform on and off field expected nothing less.

“I knew he was gonna come out and act the part of a leader, especially with all the skill he has built up over the years of playing,” sophomore Christopher Hicks, his teammate and brother, said.

Matthew has played the

sport for eight years, including both travel and recreational play. His journey has been hard he admits, and though he clearly has an edge at the sport, it was not always like that.

“I had to work a lot harder than everyone else at first to get where I am,” the fivefoot-two-inch freshman Matthew.

To his teammates, his size and age mean less than his skill and passion.

“He definitely has become the figure to look up to for a new player such as myself, and is that person you want to be or to play like,” freshman Lucas Marcus said.

His influence is not only restricted to new players.

“Even though he is younger than me he is still someone to look up to, not just his character but just his raw skill,” junior Michael Raszka said.

“I have a good feeling he is going to work into this position and fit well in it.”

Freshman Matthew Hicks comes from behind the goal to score the team’s first goal of the game. The boys lacrosse team lost 16-2 against West Broward on Feb. 19.

PHOTOS BY EDUARDO ANDRADE

GRAPHIC BY CHARLOTTE HOOD

“I had to work a lot harder than everyone else at first to get where I am.” — Matthew Hicks

sports11

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

Cheerleading team first to make it to finals in 10 years

By Alexis Schatten, Managing Editor

The cheerleading team placed fourth at the 2019 Florida High School Competitive Cheerleading State Championships, the first team from this school to make it to the finals at states in a decade.

The team competed against 12 other teams from across Florida in semi-finals, where it placed second, qualifying for finals, where it competed against five other teams, placing fourth overall.

Leading up to states, the team greatly increased its practice time, going from three practices a week to daily practices, to perfect it’s routine.

“We prepared for states by practicing every day for two to three weeks straight and making sure every stunt wasn’t falling at practice,” freshman

The boys and girls tennis teams played their first games of the season on Feb. 11 away against Monarch.

The girls won 5-2, and the boys lost 3-4.

“I think we played well, although when we were playing our match it was really windy so it was kind of hard for some of us,” senior Isabella Tran said.

The next home game is at 4 p.m. on Feb. 28 against Blanche Ely. The girls water polo team won its first game of the season 16-4 on Feb. 19 against St. Thomas Aquinas High at Northeast High.

“I think we did really good because this was our first real game aside from the preseason games, and everybody tried their best,” senior Kaitlyn Bergeron said. “We were worried about this game but we all gave it our all. There were a lot of

Brooke Sacca said.

States was the biggest competition many of the team members had ever competed in, and they wanted to make sure that their routines looked better than ever.

“We worked extremely hard,” senior Chanieya O’Neal said. “Our goal as a team was to make it to finals, so we had to work hard and give a performance that was worth going to finals.”

Being the first team in so long to make it to states didn’t surprise the team, and scoring as well as it did didn’t come as a shock either. The girls’ increased work on their routines made them confident that they would do as well as they did, according to senior Samantha Leonard.

“We were hitting our stunts con-

secutively,” Leonard said.

Even though the score came as no surprise to the team as a result of their hard work and long hours, making it to finals was still a huge feat for the team.

“It felt absolutely amazing to see that our goal was accomplished and to see our coach, who was on the team 10 years ago and also advanced to finals, be so happy for us and to get that feeling back again of accomplishment,” Sacca said.

great passes and goals, plus we had a lot of shots at the goal, which was really cool because normally that doesn’t happen for us.”

The next game is at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 against Douglas at Northeast.

“I have trained intensely, mostly by myself, doing seven miles each day,” Ramirez said.

Sophomore Maisha Daley said that the whole team trains hard in practice.“There’s not much thinking, we just go,” Daley said.

The team has bonded over the few years it’s been together and opened its arms up to the newcomers.

“We’ve gotten a lot better with all the new people,” sophomore Maria Palmer said. “Our team is much bigger and we have more to put in events.”

The team’s next meet will be on March 6 at Westminster High School.

The boys water polo team won its first game of the season 18-8 on Feb. 21 against Cardinal Gibbons at Northeast High.

“It was a fun game,” senior Ronald Hache said. “It was great for our new players. Our starting team got the lead. After the lead we let our new guys play in the game to learn and have some fun.”

The next game is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 against Douglas at Northeast.

Junior Esteban Ramirez finished in first place with a time of 4 minutes, 59 seconds in the mile at the track and field team’s third meet on Feb. 20.

Senior Tatiana Johnson poses with “pride” sign during a mini-competition routine. The competitive cheer season started with minicompetitions and ended with finals.

PHOTO BY ALEXIS SCHATTEN

The boys lacrosse team started its season 1-1 after winning its second game 15-4 against Coral Springs.

“Tuesday was our wake-up call especially since most of our starters

are first time players so last game we came out with our heads on straight and a whole new view for the sport,” sophomore Javier Garcia said. “That said I think it’s all uphill from now.”

The next game is at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 against Plantation.

The girls lacrosse team started its season 1-1 after winning its second game 17-4 against Coral Springs.

The next game is at 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 against Plantation.

The girls softball team lost 7-1 against West Broward High School in its first game of the season on Feb. 21.

Freshman Ella Russo pitched 3 innings, had 2 steals, 1 RBI and 1 base hit.

The next game is at 4 p.m. Feb. 28 against Fort Lauderdale.

12 last look

February 2019 • thetornadotimes.org

Heartbroken to hearts spoken Students write messages of gratitude, honor one year later

Senior Jason Nguyen staples his message on the “Share Your Love” bulletin board outside of the cafeteria.

The Helping Overcome Problems Effectively (HOPE) Club held activities during both lunches on Feb. 14 to honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy on its one year anniversary.

Junior Luanna De Melo writes a letter dedicated to public service workers during her study hall on Feb. 13. Interact Club sponsored the card making activity for first responders.

PHOTOS AND PAGE DESIGN BY ANDRA DANU