Tornado Times, December 2020

Tornado Times Pompano Beach High School

December 2020 @TornadoTimes

Vol. 12, No. 2 thetornadotimes.org

Sweet victory is served Junior Victoria Ferreira serves the ball during the Nov. 16 match against Coral Glades. The team prevailed in all three sets.

PHOTO BY JAVIER GARCIA

E-Cheating: Answers to test, quizzes spread faster than COVID

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We didn’t cheat, we just had the same questions Tornado Times is produced by students at: Pompano Beach High School 600 NE 13 Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Phone: (754) 322-2000

December 2020 Volume 12, Number 2 Print issues in the 2020-21 school year are planned for October, December, February and April.

For students, teachers and parents who need information on the school and events, Tornado Times is a quarterly printed magazine and a daily updated website that will report the news, lead the school and provide a public forum. Unlike social media, our product provides more insight on our school and events. By emphasizing coverage of what is happening, offering an outlet for students and providing a check and balance, we will promote dependability, responsibility, honesty, accomplishment, teamwork and success.

For the students, by the students Tornado Times is a public forum for student expression. The newspaper staff is responsible for determining what subjects are to be covered and warrant placement in the newspaper.

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.

Advertising rates are available at estore.browardschools.com.

Please contact us by email or by phone if you have any questions.

Advertising which promotes illegal products under Florida law, includes false statements or is written in bad taste will not be accepted.

The opinions in this publication are not necessarily those of advertisers, Pompano Beach High School or Broward County Public Schools.

Tornado Times is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, which awarded the newspaper a bronze certificate for its 2019-2020 issues.

Our Staff Eduardo Andrade, Editor-in-Chief Matthew Shanbom, Editor-in-Chief Emma Parker, Managing Editor Keanu Silva, News Editor Alisha Durosier, Opinion Editor Kayla Gayle, Student Life Editor Javier Garcia, Sports Editor Sierra Van Dreason, Contributing Editor Brody Berrios, Tanner Block, Caleb Holness, Zoey Katz, Nicholas Rapalo, Nicole Torres, Staff Interns Dr. Andrew Shipe, Adviser

2 | Table of Contents < December 2020 > @TornadoTimes

School teams up with 15 countries for ’21 summit

5

Around the world, but virtually

Homies vs. roomies: Being behind computers can deprive students

6

Should students in school login too?

Get involved in local government following election

7

No, politics isn’t JUST the election

Gates open, masks on: school keeps students at distance

8

Face-to-face becomes mask-to-mask

Edubs Creamery scoop Senior marks 4 years of business

Season in review: How teams have fared in year of COVID

9 10

Sports have come back (kinda)

Calendar December 10. Hanukkah begins 14-17. Midterm week, Winter Spirit Week 14. Holiday Movie Monday (dress up as a movie character) 15. Sand vs. Snow (dress prepared for the beach or the cold) 16. Winter Wonderland Wednesday (decorate your room background) 17.Holiday Sweater Thursday 18. Hanukkah ends 21. Winter break starts 25. Christmas 31. New Year’s Eve January 4. Classes resume 5. Boys, girls soccer vs. Plantation 7. Boys, girls basketball vs.

Flanagan Boys, girls soccer @ Coral Glades

8. Boys, girls basketball vs.

Taravella Boys, girls soccer @ Miramar 11.Boys, girls basketball @ McArthur Boys, girls soccer @ Creek 12. Boys, girls basketball @ West Broward 14.Boys, girls basketball @ Piper Boys, girls soccer @ CS Charter 15. Boys, girls soccer @ Everglades 19. Boys, girls soccer @ Plantation 20. Boys, girls basketball vs.

Coral Glades 21. Boys, girls basketball @ Douglas Boys soccer @ Stranahan Girls soccer vs. Stranahan 27. Boys, girls Soccer @ Flanagan Boys, girls basketball @ Cooper City 28. Magnet Open House February 1-5. 2021 International Summit

E-Cheating Answers to tests, quizzes spread faster than COVID

By Eduardo Andrade, Editor-in-Chief

While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made almost every aspect of student life more difficult, the nature of online class has allowed for a proliferation of cheating.

“I don’t want to flat out say, ‘Well, everyone cheats,’” sophomore Samantha Bernstein said. “(But) I think everyone knows people take advantage of resources.”

Through technology, cheating has become, quite literally, effortless. Class group chats which are popular among students make it easy to quickly spread answers for all sorts of assignments and tests, and joining these chats is often as easy as just having a phone.

“I just opened Snapchat one day, and there was, like, six different group chats,” senior Imahri Johnson said.

While many students use these chats as an honest way

“(I have) never seen so many students getting these high scores on the tests, but hey, maybe this is my lucky year and I have all of the awesome hard workers in my classes.” — William S. Strachan, social studies teacher

to keep up with what’s going on in a class, they can quickly devolve into a way to get an edge on an assignment.

“I have a group chat for every single class … Most times it’s checking about what’s going to happen in a class,” Bernstein said. “But the times that there are quizzes and tests, people take advantage of that and use the group chats for everything they possibly can if they have the opportunity.”

Teachers have tried a number of strategies to curb cheating, including putting significant time restraints on tests, requiring students to

have cameras and microphones on while testing, using secure testing windows and many others. However, none of these have been able to completely solve the issue.

“You’re just not, as a teacher, going to be able to eliminate all cheating, and that’s just a symptom of online learning,” social studies teacher Michael Lichtenstein said.

Students have found simple workarounds to these tactics, and often teachers are lenient and understanding when kids say they have technology issues. As a result during a test where cameras are “man-

datory,” a class can find itself with only half of its students complying.

“If you put any senior in charge ... I swear to God no kid is gonna get away with cheating,” senior Juan Catoni said.

“They can be like, ‘It’s mandatory to have your camera on,’ and make kids provide specific reasons and show proof if they say it isn’t working. They would rope so many kids.”

Assessment coordinator Arif Mumtaz said that because teachers can’t do much to stop cheating, the focus must shift to making sure class time is used as effectively as E-CHEATING cont. on p. 5

How to ace midterms (without cheating) “Study but make sure to get a decent amount of sleep and food.

Focusing on passing is important but so is your health.”

— sophomore Shannon Hughes

“Keep telling yourself that it’s not that bad, and once you finish each exam you’re done, and you got a whole break ahead of you. All you gotta do is those tests --, nothing too long or too hard, so don’t stress too much.”

— sophomore Valeria Ferrari

“Exempt the core classes and the ones you are not sure about. Focus more than you think you should on the test when you think you can pass it easily, just in case. If it’s a language class, study hard for it but just try to pass.”

— sophomore Brian Tang GRAPHIC BY KEANU SILVA

4 | News < December 2020 > @TornadoTimes

Around the world, but virtually School ‘Teams’ up with 15 countries for ‘21 summit

By Emma Parker, Managing Editor

With the pandemic showing no end in sight and international travel not a possibility, the school has decided to host the biennial International Summit virtually.

Schools from 15 different countries plan on meeting virtually over Microsoft Teams and YouTube on Feb. 1-5, 2021.

Events and presentations will be scheduled throughout the week, and virtual host families will have the opportunity to meet international students one on one on weeknights and the weekend.

Approved host family applicants will receive an acceptance email on Dec. 15 and will find out their assigned family on Jan. 8. Meetings for further information will be scheduled and sent out when students find out if they were chosen.

Students were also able to apply to be

group leaders and group ambassadors.

“I will definitely consider it this year, since it doesn’t take that much time to host since it’s online,” junior Antonio Saladrigas said. “I think it would be nice to get to know someone else and see how their country is dealing with the pandemic as well as just getting to know their culture.”

Students who weren’t chosen or didn’t apply for an official role can still participate during the summit with in-class presentations, classroom visits and planned YouTube live streams.

More information will be released to the general student body about specific activities planned for the summit after the new year.

For specific questions, please email Assistant Principal Samaroo at jill.samaroo@ browardschools.com.

Jingyi Mei from Chongqing Fudan Secondary School plays the guzheng during the assembly in the gym at the 2019 International Summit. Fudan students also wrote a message in Chinese calligraphy to everyone who participated: “Peace and pure respect to Pompano Beach High School. We honor students from all over the world, and we will be family forever.”

PHOTO BY JEAN PAUL CARRASCO

E-CHEATING cont. from p. 4 possible to prepare students for standardized assessments.

“It is a challenge,” Mumtaz said. “Testing is not a number one priority right now, and it shouldn’t be. Right now we are trying to get the best out of online education and are seeing if we can try to do the best we can as though we were in person.

Our teachers are working extremely hard, most of them are working longer hours to accommodate our students. So testing is not a priority.”

While AP scores remained at about normal levels during online tests at the end of last year, other standardized tests given at home indicated that students were getting outside help.

“I’m telling you, from last year to this year, (in) elementary (students), dramatic increase. I mean it was such an increase that you’re 100% sure that Mommy and or Daddy or older brother or sister (helped out). There’s just no way that kid goes from … barely having phonetic knowledge, to being able to write four paragraphs.

We’ve seen that, and we talk about. But unless we put the camera on the whole time … there’s kinda not too much we can do about it,” school board member Nora Rupert said.

The same issue has been seen here, as tests and classwork have become essentially a formality for some students. “(I have) never seen so many students getting these high scores on the tests, but hey, maybe this is my lucky year and I have all of the awesome hard workers in my classes,” social studies teacher William S. Strachan said.

The ease of cheating has left some worried about the return to in person learning and to the long-term effects of being handed easy grades.

“People are becoming dumber, and people are not giving a (care) about school.

Yeah, things need to change,” Catoni said While cheating has become especially easy this year, the issue is not unique as schools have dealt with it for as long as they have been around.

“You cannot be naive and say, ‘Cheating would not have happened if this was in person or if we are back to normal,’” Mumtaz said. “It happens all the time. Yes, it probably happens more often now, we are hoping students will not do that.”

thetornadotimes.org < December 2020 > News| 5

Homies vs. roomies Being behind computers can put students at disadvantage By

By

Javier Garcia,

Emma Parker,

Sports Editor

Managing Editor

Now that we are in this new learning environment, especially with the transition from everyone online to teachers and some students in the classroom while others remain at home, the expectations toward teachers and staff have understandably, necessarily even, changed.

Classes are now divided between the “roomies,” those students that are in the classroom, and the “homies,” those students that are in their homes, and teachers are expected to uphold equal opportunities for both types. But that has proven to be a challenge, creating a clear contrast between the experiences of homies and roomies.

At the beginning of the year, all of us -- students and staff alike -- were, as senior Kyle Le put it, “confused and uncomfortable.” Now, when some of us were getting comfortable, there is this new curveball of the hybrid classroom, a mix between face-to-face and remote instructions.

Some teachers have been known to ignore online students, walk away from the camera, or start a conversa-

tion with the students in class and not make them turn on their microphones or repeat what they are discussing to the students online. We’ve been told, “You should always listen to peers’ questions in case it’s a question you have,” but you can’t listen to a question you can’t even hear. It’s like Jeopardy with only Alex Trebek (may he rest in peace), all answers no questions.

According to Broward County Public Schools, “All students in a specific class or course will receive the same curriculum, assignments, and assessments.

All curriculum resources, textbooks, instructional materials, demonstrations, assignments, and assessments will be delivered using distance learning technology.”

If the policy states that both in-person and online learning should receive the same education and treatment, then both in-person and online students deserve to have the same education. There will be the obvious advantages of being in-person over remaining in e-learning, such as being able to ask a teacher a question directly and immediately,

6 | Opinion < December 2020 > @TornadoTimes

but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be efforts to match accessibility for students at home.

Nothing is more frustrating when you are in class and the students in-person are having a full conversation about the lesson with the teacher, without turning on their microphones, and the teacher gets so caught up with the conversation they don’t remind them to turn on their microphones until much later, if at all. I recognize that most teachers are just excited to have actual students in person, but that shouldn’t mean that people who choose not to go on campus should be put at a disadvantage. The education must remain fair to all of those affected by this pandemic.

All that said, there also have been obvious bright sides to having students partially return

to school for learning; for instance, teachers once again being able to see if students are still writing and if they should move on to the next subject or not. It is understandably an extra burden for teachers to be perfectly accountable for roomies and homies simultaneously while still getting the proper portion of their material fairly taught. And we recognize that many teachers are doing their very best, but more has to be done if everything is to remain fair. Students should not have to pick between their personal safety, and their education during a pandemic and that can start with the teachers.

Efforts need to be made to even the fields, not create vivid distinctions between the two options.

189 students 42 teachers in school in school

1022 students at home

6 teachers at home GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW SHANBOM

Follow up

Get involved in local government following national election Now that the election season is over, it can be easy to ignore most politics for the next four years. However, politics does not stop with the national election. In fact, the times when politicians don’t have to worry about reelection is when the most gets done. While national politics are very important, local politics have much more impact on day to day life. Additionally, it is much easier to be involved in government at the local level.

If you are a student who can’t vote, or even if you can, you can participate in your local government by attending meetings for the school board, city and county commissions and more by taking advantage of the Sunshine Act, which serves to make government easily viewable by the populace or “in the sunshine.”

As a student or parent, one of the most important groups to follow is the School Board of Broward County. This nine

CARTOON BY JAVIER GARCIA

member elected board has regular meetings every other week at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and usually has workshops during the off weeks. All meeting and workshop agendas are released in advance to allow for public comments. School board members read public comments and respond to emails because at these lowest levels of government, it is easiest to get in contact with politicians.

Especially if you are a student, school board members want to hear from you.

While public comments are great, there are also several advisory committees that take into account students’, parents’ and experts’ opinions and make recommendations to the board or schools. There are 14 different groups that advise the school board, including the technology advisory committee, diversity advisory committee and the gifted advisory council. Student representatives to these councils are named by the student advisors to the school board and can be contacted at student.advisor@ browardschools.com. While only a limited number of students can be voting members of advisory committees, as stated earlier, under the Sunshine Act all meetings must

be publicly viewable.

At the school level, every student and parent can participate in the School Advisory Council (SAC) and the School Advisory Forum (SAF). Both are small groups designed to invite feedback from students, parents and staff. SAC is also in charge of a small amount of government funds for local decision making to support the school improvement plan, which focuses on increasing metrics of school effectiveness.

SAC meets once a month on the second Monday of the month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all of these previously mentioned advisory councils are taking place on Microsoft Teams making them easier to participate in than ever.

While the groups mentioned only relate to school, many other groups influence day to day life. City commission and county commissions each meet with the Broward County commission meeting every week. The Florida state legislature meets two months a year during the spring.

Pay attention to what’s going on in local government and participate when you can, so when the next election comes around, local politicians will face just as much scrutiny, and hopefully even more, than the national ones. Even if you can’t vote, you can still make your voice heard through advisory committees.

thetornadotimes.org < December 2020 > Opinion | 7

Freshman Ericka Alice sits almost 10 desks away from Marcelo Pileggi Since in school learning started, students have had to sit at least six feet apart. “It doesn’t feel any different than online school,” Alice said.

PHOTO BY BRODY BERRIOS

Freshmen Kyler Eickhorn and Jonathan Ayala stand together in the car pick up line. Social distancing rules prevent students from having private conversations during the school day. “After school is some of the only time I get to talk to my friends,” Eickhorn said. PHOTO BY BRODY BERRIOS

Gates open, masks on

School keeps students at distance with reopening

By Alisha Durosier, Opinion Editor After three months of remote learning, freshmen were welcomed back on campus on Oct. 9, with the other grades following on Oct. 13.

Returning students were met with new guidelines, such as mandatory masks, a minimum physical distance of 6 feet from one another, constant sanitation of their workspace and one-way traffic patterns.

Like many who opted out of e-learning, junior Hayli Balgobin sought an environment better suited for learning.

“Learning on campus has allowed me to work in an environment meant for learning, instead of my bed which is meant for sleep and relaxation,” Balgobin said.

The school’s learning environment ranges from physically distanced classrooms to the physically distanced media center, where students log into Microsoft Teams if teachers or classmates are not at school.

“Spending the first couple months online, I was unfocused,” junior Olivia Kimmelman said. “Having the structure of going to school is better for me, especially when it comes to my grades and tests.”

Large signs with clear instructions, along with arrows to manage student traffic and floor decals marked with bold letters stating “6 ft” fill the hallways and stairwells of the school.

To decrease traffic and provide potential COVID-track-

8 | Student Life < December 2020 > @TornadoTimes

ing, while still allowing restroom use during class, the school established a system that requires students to scan a QR code and use their phones as hall passes.

The school also developed a system that dismisses students from their classrooms based on the first letter of their last name.

“Many changes I tend to forget since I am not fully adjusted to them,” Balgobin said.

Students also face limited movement and interaction at lunch to promote social distancing and mask wearing.

“I used to sit at lunch with six people,” Balgobin said. “Now I only sit with two.”

Only 186 out of 1,203 students chose to return to

physical school, according to school records.

“I just wish there were more kids,” Kimmelman said.

The high number of students online has prompted teachers to figure out ways to engage both in person and online.

Usually between six and 12 teachers are remote, leading students at school in the media center or gym to interact the same way they would at home, through Microsoft Teams. Still, Kimmelman appreciated the work the school put in.

“I was surprised about how safe it was,” Kimmelman said.

“The way the staff organized and handled everything was in our best interest. I'm glad that I am able to learn in an environment that's safe.”

The scoop on Edubs Creamery Senior marks 4 years of business

By Emma Parker, Managing Editor

Most seniors have been waiting four years for their just desserts.

But senior Eden Wright started in eighth grade, creating and managing her own homemade ice cream company, Edubs Creamery.

“I have always loved ice cream, and when I got my first ice cream maker and made my first batch I knew that was the start of everything,” Wright said.

Wright is involved in every aspect of the company, from making the ice cream, packing and distributing, to marketing the company and its products on the company’s Instagram, @Edubscreamery. She spends weekends planning out her marketing strategy for the next collection, designing the new flavors, and then makes the ice cream during the week after school. All business interactions go through her Instagram where she confirms the orders and schedules a pick up time for each customer.

Each collection consists of 20 pints, and are designed around a specific theme. She released a Mean Girls collection on Oct. 3, Mean Girls Day. The flavor was “So Fetch” and it was a vanilla ice cream with a pink marshmallow swirl, pink sprinkles and animal cookies. The collection before that was “Stranger Things”, consisting of two new flavors that was released near the premiere of Season 3 of the Netflix science fiction horror series.

This could be the last chance to order Edubs ice cream as Wright has her sights on going out of state to Belmont University

PHOTO COURTESY OF EDEN WRIGHT in Tennessee or The King’s College in New York City to study business, perhaps with a specialization in entertainment.

“I don’t think I would continue Edubs Creamery once I’m in college,” Wright said. “It logistically doesn’t make sense on how I would be able to make ice cream out of my dorm. But I will definitely still continue to make ice cream for fun.”

Till then, Wright plans on continuing working on Edubs Creamery and finishing senior year while taking part in her extracurriculars such as First Priority, Quill and Scroll and Disabled and Abled United.

GRAPHIC BY KAYLA GAYLE

thetornadotimes.org < December 2020 > Student Life | 9

Senior libero Julia Lima bumps the ball in play. The team swept Coral Glades 3-0 on its Senior Night, Nov. 16. PHOTO BY JAVIER GARCIA

Season in review How teams have fared in year of COVID

By Javier Garcia, Sports Editor, and Eduardo Andrade, Editor-inChief

Ready to serve Like many athletes this year, the girls volleyball team had to grapple with the question of whether there would even be a season.

“Because of COVID, I didn’t think there was even a chance to have a season,” Naja Taylor, senior middle blocker said.

“But I think the school handled it really well.”

To have a season during a pandemic required many new precautions.

“It was amazing to have the

opportunity to play this year,” junior libero Victoria Ferreira said. “Our season was a little different and we had some surprises.”

Wearing masks, tracking oxygen saturation and temperatures, and recording all this information in a daily report through Google Forms all were introduced.

“We also have to be extremely careful because if anyone on our team gets COVID, we would not be able to play for two weeks and (we’d have to) quarantine,” Ferreria said.

The pandemic has even affected how the players respond on the court.

10 | Sports < December 2020 > @TornadoTimes

“Volleyball is a very close contact sport (with one another),” Taylor said. “Especially if your relationship with your teammates goes beyond volleyball. Playing involved a lot of hugging and cheering each other on after a good play… we do a lot more yelling than touching now.”

Since it was so clear what was at stake and how easily it could be taken from them, this season felt more important than ever if they were lucky enough to secure one. Through weeks of deliberations and district workshops, practice time and preparation were gradually chipped away. Traditionally,

they would begin pre-season practices starting in July, but this season they started in October.

“Especially this year with a shorter season, we have to give our all,” Ferreira said.

This season was practically gone before these athletes’ eyes. Once it started, they were determined not to waste their chance, going on to a 9-1 record as of Dec. 4 and securing a strong win on Senior Night, taking all three sets over Coral Glades on Nov. 16.

“The underclassmen really outdid themselves and all of us had a great time,” Taylor said.

“It was better than I could have

ever expected.”

Senior Night was originally scheduled for the first home game of the season in case it needed to be postponed -- and it was, several times. The original two Senior Night games were cancelled due to a tropical storm. The next one was cancelled due to the opposing team having COVID cases.

“To be honest, I’m grateful to have a season at all,” Taylor said. “I’m grateful that I got to play my senior year.”

Taylor, playing her third year on varsity, said that the team’s short preseason forced players to deal quickly with the graduation of last year’s star, Giulia Dias.

“Everyone needed to step up and do their own job, and it took a while for us to work together cohesively, but when we got it, we got it,” Taylor said.

Tackling the pandemic The football team hasn’t been a stranger to the challenges of this year either. From a shortened season to COVID scares, the team has faced a number of issues that, on their own, would be calamitous.

Early on, senior captain

Junior Amanda Marsenison lunges to return a serve.

PHOTO BY JAVIER GARCIA

Sophomore running back Evan Bryan takes a pitch from junior quaterback Nico Diaz in the game against Northeast on Nov. 12. The team lost 38-7. PHOTO BY SIERRA VANDREASON Brayden Larosee had to quarantine for two weeks after someone he came in close contact with tested positive for COVID, leaving the team worried for his health and the future of the season.

“Definitely was worried,” senior linebacker Davine Martinez said. “We were all hoping he and (the other person) were ok and that they would be safe, as well as worried if we had to shut down for two weeks.

Brayden is a big part of this team, physically and mentally getting guys going as well as playing very well on the field.”

Around the same time, the cheerleading squad also had to quarantine after a member awaiting COVID test results, which later returned positive, participated in practice. The football team continued to play games because they had already been isolated from the cheerleaders. Everybody involved has since recovered and is in good health.

“We were scared … we definitely got lucky and I’m thankful for

it,” Martinez said.

Larosee had a strong bounceback, returning an interception for a touchdown his first game back against Coral Glades on Nov. 20, the team’s Senior Night.

“Definitely one of the best moments of my high school football career watching him run down there and score and celebrating with him, knowing how much work he’s put in all these years,” Martinez said.

“It’s amazing that he could show everyone else what he is capable of.”

Despite a strong showing from underclassmen players, the shortened season and certain COVID restrictions have kept the team from getting to spend as much time together as they normally would.

“A lot of (the team) is young and new to football, but we should come together soon,” sophomore cornerback Eric Campbell said. “We have a lot of new players with a shorter season, so we aren’t as close as last year, but we can build that over time.”

Even the team’s pregame rituals, including blasting music and getting rowdy in the locker room, had to change.

“Sadly we aren’t allowed to get hyped in the locker room like that anymore due to COVID only allowing us to have eight people at a time in there,” Martinez said.

Still, players did see some upside to a shortened season. “(It) brings out more competition with guys knowing that because of the shortened year coaches won’t keep trying to play someone that’s constantly doing something wrong,” Martinez said. “So the young guys are fighting more for playing time which brings out the best in everyone.”

While the situation for the team and the world looks grim at the moment, the team remains optimistic for the seasons to come.

“I feel like we have the potential to do great things but we need to play as a team and work hard,” Campbell said.

thetornadotimes.org < December 2020 > Sports | 11

Even though the boys soccer practice schedule has been postponed until Dec. 14, the players are still keeping a positive attitude regarding the season and the hard work to come.

“It’s up to each player to practice on their own,” junior goalkeeper Luís Cáceres said.

The team’s first game is scheduled for 5 p.m., Jan. 5 at home against Plantation.

The boys basketball season is scheduled to start games in January, and the players are already practicing for it.

“I think this upcoming basketball season will be tough but I hope we have some fun,” freshman Jaden Odom said.

The football team is sitting on a 0-3 record as of Dec.1.

“I feel like the team has come closer together and that we can finish the season strong,” senior lineman, Diego Orellana said.

Girls basketball tryouts took place

before Thanksgiving break.

According to the Broward County Athletic Association website, “Regular season games are tentatively scheduled to begin the week of January 4, 2021,” allowing winter sports teams to qualify for regional and state championships.

Teams have already begun practices, and are preparing for their season.

This year’s boys and girls golf seasons will be postponed until the spring.

“Due to the late start to the fall sports season and current COVID-19 conditions impacting our community, there are currently not enough golf courses,” according to a Broward County Athletic Association statement.

Unlike previous years, the teams will not have the opportunity to play in the regional or state championship. Instead, golfers may qualify for a tri-county (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties) championship at the conclusion of their

revised seasons, BCAA stated.

“It’s unfortunate that the season was postponed until spring,” senior James Kassis said. “But it is understandable as to why it was pushed back due to COVID.” Senior cross country runners like senior Joel Williams are excited to qualify for championships.

“We’re kind of the team that you wouldn’t ... think would win,” Williams said, “because we have a lot of new people and our veterans who caused us to make it to regionals last year graduated .”

At the beginning of the season, Coach Darius Brown said, “They are going to have to get out and persevere,” and Williams said the runners have definitely achieved that by training hard.

“We don’t walk when we run,” Williams said. “We try to stay in a pack to decrease wind resistance, and we work off each other.”

The team’s final competition of the season is the Tri-County Championships at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 at South County Regional Park.

Dig it Sophomore Hailey Mull and junior Amanda Marsenison watch as junior Anna Moreira and senior Kate Marsenison dive for the ball.

The girls volleyball team beat Coral Glades 25-15, 25-7, 25-23 in straight sets in the gym on Nov. 16.

PHOTO BY JAVIER GARCIA