“Affluenza Kid” Caught in Mexico
By: Daniel Portuondo
In 2014, 18-year-old Texan Ethan Couch was charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. The previous year, on a Saturday on June 15, 2013, surveillance videos captured Couch stealing two cases of beer from a Walmart and getting into a Ford pickup truck with seven others. Going 70 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour zone, Couch was driving recklessly with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .24, three times over the legal limit for an adult, and under the influence of valium and marijuana.
Meanwhile, on Burleson-Retta Road, Chef Breanna Mitchell had blown a tire, causing her car to swerve into the front lawn of the Boyles’ home. The couple of the house, Hollie and Eric, along with their 21-yearold daughter Shelby, had walked over to come to Breanna’s aid. A youth minister named Brian Jennings, who happened to be driving by, also got out of his car to provide assistance. He was with two middle school students who were coming with him from his son’s graduation.
It was at this moment that the ignorance and blind youthful pride of a single individual caused a crash that
took the innocent lives of Breanna, Hollie, Shelby, and Brian. Couch’s pick-up slammed into Breanna’s car, taking the lives of the four, then slammed into Brian’s car, holding the middle school children. The pickup, which had Couch, along with five others in the front and two in the bed, flipped over upon collision. The minister’s car was projected straight, crashing against an oncoming Volkswagen. Luckily, the two children were saved, as was Eric, who was in the garage at the moment of impact.
When Ethan Couch was presented before the court, he faced a maximum of 20 years in prison; however, a psychologist somehow managed to convince Judge Jean Boyd that Couch suffered from a “mental illness” known as affluenza. Essentially, Couch’s upbringing in a wealthy family instilled a disability to fully comprehend the concept of consequences. He was so rich, that he could not distinguish right from wrong.
“This is a perfect example of the faults in our justice system. It’s incredibly unfair how someone can get away with such abysmal actions just because of his money,” said English teacher Carlos Maza.
Couch got away with just ten years probation and no jail time.
“If we were to adhere consistently to this principle, people living in poor communities should also be subjected to this ‘mental disability.’ It was only considered an acceptable theory because he was rich enough to hire a good lawyer,” says senior Michael Cairo.
That was until December 2nd, 2015, when Hannah Hardee posted a video on Twitter depicting Ethan Couch playing beer pong and writing “ya boy ethan couch violating probation.” When police came to detain him, Ethan Couch and his mother, Tonya, had disappeared. On the 28th of December, Couch and his mother were caught in an apartment complex in Mexico. According to a Mexican police report, Couch had allegedly been caught after making a call to Domino’s Pizza. To disguise himself, he had tinted his hair black, but left his beard.
Couch and his mother were both deported back to the U.S., and he is currently facing charges in an adult court.
“Maybe we’re finally going to see justice being served,” says senior Renato Scerpella.
Ethan Couch before and after his arrest in Mexico.
Photo
Fundrasing Made Fun
Justas they have been doing for many years, our school kicked off the month of February with our annual Tombola celebration. Every year, teachers, students, parents, alumni, and many other people gather to celebrate friendship, family, and most importantly, to raise money for the scholarship fund. An exciting event full of food and fun, the Tombola serves a larger purpose than entertainment. Our school does not hold this event for personal monetary gain; instead, net proceeds from the event go towards providing scholarships for students. The Tombola is good food and fun for a good cause.
This year’s Tombola was nothing less than a success. Over the three-day event, our school was able to raise over $500,000 dollars for the scholarship fund. This is the money that goes towards financing the education of 15-20% of the student body in need of assistance. The Tombola serves as the primary source of funding for the program. Put simply, it is one of the biggest money makers for scholarships. The funds gained by the event would not be made possible without the generous volunteer work of students, parents, faculty, and staff, and the
contributions of those in attendance. Tombola is all about giving to the school so that school can, in turn, give to others.
This year’s Tombola kicked off on Friday the 5th, with the Culinary Extravaganza in the Garrido Family Plaza. The extravaganza served to kickoff Tombola, where a variety of restaurants and sponsors catered a dinner to commemorate the beginning of this fun-filled weekend. Saturday and Sunday was where the real meat and potatoes of the event could be found. This is when the event truly began, opening a variety of food booths, rides, music, and even a marketplace. Despite some space constraints, most of the food booths made returns to this year’s Tombola, including the fan favorites Pan con Lechon and Churrasco.
“Easily the best part of the Tombola is the food,”said junior Carlos Peralta.
The event grounds were filled with the intoxicating aroma of a wide variety of foods, enough so that anybody could find something to enjoy. Inside the cafeteria, one could find an assortment of candies and other sweets like ice cream. Walk outside into the Garrido Fam-
By: Antonio Valencia
ily Plaza, and one would be greeted by live music and even a sneak peak at the upcoming spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors. In addition, this is where the adult attendees would have found a nice place to enjoy an assortment of drinks, along with some tapas.
If food wasn’t exactly what you had in mind, there were plenty of rides and games, some of which were run by the homerooms. In addition, there was a new “marketplace” set up in the gym where various second hand items were on sale. On Sunday night, Super Bowl 50 was streamed onto 2 large projectors so that those who were working or in attendance could enjoy the game. Despite some restraints due to construction, as well as a slightly smaller turn out due to some rain,the Tombola still managed to be a great success for the school.
“Despite some of the set backs, it was still an entertaining time”. Said senior Andres Concepcion.
Thanks to the generous volunteers and those in attendance, Tombola was, yet again, able to be a great aid for the scholarship fundrasier program, and will continue to be for years to come.
Every year, members of our school’s community come together for food, fun, and entertainment at the annual Tombola.
Photo Credit:
Belen Jesuit SmugMug
Periodic Table Completed
By: Daniel Portuondo
The field of chemistry received a late Christmas present last year, as the seventh row of the periodic table was completed and ratified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The 113th, 115th, 117th, and 118th elements were labeled Uut, Uup, Uus, and Uuo respectively. These numbers are not purely random; they indicate the number of positively-charged protons the element contains. The 113th element was unveiled in RIKENS Institute in Wako, Japan. Elements 115, 117, and 118 were discovered by a U.S. and Russian collaboration at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These elements are, of course, not found in nature. Elements past Rutherfordium (element
104) are labeled as “super heavy,” which implies that they can only be created synthetically, as the radioactive decay is more significant than in lighter elements.
“These types of ‘super heavy’ elements normally decay very quickly and live for only nanoseconds, but the new discovery is leading some scientists to believe that we’re near discovering a threshold where the mass will be large enough that the elements will exist for longer,” said senior Michael Cairo.
They were all created in a lab by blasting atoms together. The probability of the actual fusion that creates these elements to occur is around one in a million. Element 113 was created by “bombarding a thin layer of bismuth with zinc ions traveling at about 10% of the speed of light,” says Kosuke Morita, the lead researcher at RIKENS. It took the team over ten years to succeed.
As of now, Mendeleev’s table has been complete, but Morita says, “Now that we have conclusively demonstrated the existence of element 113, we plan to look to the uncharted territory of element 119 and beyond.”
Since the IUPCA has ratified their discovery, the process of naming the elements is now beginning. Element 113 has been rumored to be appropriately named “Japanium” due to its location of discovery, which would be the first element in history to be named by Asian researchers. Elements can be named after mythological concepts, a mineral, a property, a scientist, or a place or country.
Soon enough, these discoveries will have a properly recognizable title, so there’s no need to worry about memorizing ununtrium, ununpentium, ununseptium and ununoctium for your next chemistry quiz.
Photo Credit: C & EN
PROUD TO SUPPORT THE BELEN TRADITION WITH QUALITY UNIFORMS AND SERVICE
Holocaust Survivor Visits Campus
Ihad the great pleasure of speaking with Holocaust survivor, Eva Mozes Kor. She gave me the honor of granting me a special interview, where I got to ask her questions of my own, and that other students submitted. The answers she gave me were very surprising, as I was able to obtain information not many may know about. But for those of you who don’t know, let me tell you who Eva Mozes Kor is.
As a child, Eva lived in a Jewish household in a small town with her many family members, including her twin sister, Miriam. She lived a normal life up until Hitler’s rise to power. Eva and her family were then mocked and harassed by the people living in their small town. This continued for multiple years up until 1944, when Eva and her family were transported to Auschwitz II, a concentration camp. There, Eva and her twin sister were treated differently from other Jews at the camp, simply because her and her sister were twins.
They were used as test subjects for a man named Dr. Mengele. The doctor used them to see if there was any way to change a person’s genetics, so the similarity between the twins could be used as a step towards that direction, or so he said. Eva and Miriam were injected with all sorts of different substances, some of them fatal depending on the individual. At this point, this was a fight for survival for Eva and Miriam. But like the true survivors they are, they survived and
went on with their lives.
It has been about 70 years since this whole endeavor, and we are fortunate to still have a survivor who can tell us her story.
I had the great opportunity to ask her a few questions before she addressed a standing-room-only audience in the Roca Theater at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. Here are her answers:
Q: Had it not been for the Holocaust, what would you have been when you grew up?
A: I don’t really know. I remember that when I was little, I used to organize plays under an apple tree in our backyard. In these plays, people would laugh at what I presented. So I guess I probably would have been a comedian.
Q: How did you get into the state of mind to want to forgive?
A: When I met with a Nazi Doctor many years later, he told me how the gas chamber worked and how he had to confirm that everyone was dead. He had gone to Auschwitz II again and signed a confession of what happened. I came into the mindset to forgive afterwards.
Q: Other than Miriam, was there anything that inspired her to keep fighting?
A: Although Miriam was a factor for my fight for survival, she wasn’t the main reason. The main purpose for
By: Placido Valdes
wanting to fight was to beat the Nazis. And every day I survived was another win for me, and another loss for the Nazis.
Q: Did you ever resent who you were?
A: “I do not. You are born who you are, and you must like it no matter what.”
Q: The story that you are sharing is reaching many people. As for our generation, what do you hope we get out of your message?
A: I have two things I would like to instill in you. One, stop evil. You will stop evil by not having any bad mindsets that will lead to aggression. And two, appreciate what you have, for people around you may not have what you have.
Eva Mozes Kor is one person who really inspires. She has so much to share. If you want to know her full story, you can get her book, Surviving the Angel of Death, where it goes into detail about how she had to survive and the certain risks she had to take. The eighth, tenth, and eleventh grade English classes at our school read her book in class in preparation for Ms. Kor’s visit. It made her presentation to our community all that more meaningful. In her book, you will also experience what her life was like before and after the Holocaust and see what an impact it has made on her life.
Photo courtesy: Belen Jesuit
Holocaust survivor, Eva Mozes Kor, answers questions in the Roca Theater on January 18th, moderated by former Miami Herald publisher Dave Lawrence.
Honoring the Past, Defending the Future
By: Daniel Portuondo
Alittle over 71 years ago, on January 27, 1945, all surviving prisoners of the infamous death camp known as Auschwitz in Warsaw, Poland, were unshackled from their destitute cycles of torment and misery.
“This day marked a pivotal moment in history, permanently ceasing what has, to this day, stood as an epitome of evil and human suffering,” said senior Jaime Lopez.
Henceforth, the United Nations declared January 27th to be International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year marks the 71st anniversary of this occurrence, and even now those very survivors, who were all mere children at their time of imprisonment, tell their stories across the globe. Their words seek to inspire today’s youth, assuring that the horrors and travesties of World War II remain what they are: the past.
The Nazi regime cast a shadow of bloodthirsty discrimination upon Europe that will forever scar its history books. Their actions of anti-Semitism and blatant racism against Romani, Christians, homosexuals, the disabled, and just about any human being that failed to meet the “Aryan race” requirements effortlessly reached the point of coldblooded murder. This tragedy is incorporated into education all across the world, instilling two words into the hearts of the next generation, “Never
again.”
Each January 27, we honor the lives of those who were ripped from their homes and forcibly stuffed into trains like cattle. We remember those who were locked into ghettos and instructed to wear bright yellow stars and branded as “vermin.” We remember those who were stripped of everything they had, and left with nothing but striped pajamas to combat the relentless winter. We remember those who were robbed of dignity, food, water, and happiness because of who they were and who they weren’t. We remember those who were mercilessly separated from their families, who never could’ve guessed it was the last time they’d see their wives, husbands, daughters, and sons. We remember those who were subjected to indescribable, inhuman experiments, with the sole purpose of execution. We remember those who were forced to march through unending miles of snow with the sole intention of reaching the point of fatal exhaustion. To continue to list the horrors of the Holocaust would require a text larger than a complete encyclopedia. It was truly an era of despondency, when lives were reduced to numbers, and there is no better example than the Second World War. This community of seven billion raises its heart to those who were condemned to a life of fear where death was perpetually imminent.
We must be wary of our world today, as the responsibility to stand as sentinels of egalitarianism and combatants of discrimination has been handed down to the population of 2016. Unfortunately, our world today still resonates with discrimination and bears a reality that echoes that of the Holocaust.
“Many communities, especially in Europe, face the threat of extremist Muslim groups, while cultures in Africa are subjected to humiliation, torture, and mass execution from radical assailants from the very same country,” says senior Joseph Fuentes.
Though on the less lethal side of the spectrum, racism still exists even in our own country. It would be foolish and inherently ineffective to adopt a cynical or nihilistic view of our world. To believe our world cannot be saved merely sprouts apathy, a state we cannot afford to dwell in. It is through bravery, determination, and most importantly action, that we may truly honor the lives of the six million Jews, two million gypsies, 250,000 disabled individuals, 9,000 homosexuals, and thousands of Catholic clergymen who were slaughtered by the Nazi party. We must incessantly act against the forces that wish to return the world to that grim era of blood and battle. The darkness will never surrender to the light that doesn’t rise up against it.
Belen Captures First Soccer State Title
By: Matthew Powell
It felt a lot like last year. The Wolverines were tied 1-1 in a physical and enticing matchup, at home, in the regional finals. And then it happened. In the last minutes before stoppage time, a ball was whipped in from a corner before ping ponging around in the box and falling to the strongest leg on the team. Tavish Rice gave the team, the season, and the keeper no doubt. He smashed it home and propelled the Wolverines to the state final four, a far different ending than last season.
“Last year’s loss was devastating to the whole team, and we made it a point to remember the feeling we had when we lost. We just used it as fuel to come back better and more focused. We trained harder than any team in the state, and we stayed focus on our goal of winning a state championship throughout the whole season,” said De La Camara.
This team produced the best season in Belen soccer history. Ranked #9 by USA Today, the Wolverines posted the schools first undefeated and state championship win.
Led by the dynamic pairing
of Tavish Rice and Frankie De La Camara, the Wolverines blew out the majority of the opponents they played. Their ability to keep possession through Coach Tanger’s strict tactics and excellent finishing from De La Camara and passing from Rice led to their success.
De La Camara came close to beating the Dade County record for most goals in a season with 59, three short of the record. When asked about how the team helped his performance, De La Camara said, “We won the state championship because of all thirty guys on the roster since day 1. The team was instrumental to my success because of the brotherhood we created on and off the field. It’s all about the trust we have within each other. That trust and faith we all have in each other is why we had a historical season by going undefeated and winning a state championship.”
The Wolverines began the final four against a promising Auburndale squad who had not given up a goal since district play. With 15 minutes left in the first half, the Wolverines were up 4-0. Playing somewhat conservatively throughout the remainder of the game,
Belen Jesuit cruised to the state final against Naples Gulf Coast. The State Championship game would turn out to be the hardest game of the season, not because of the quality of the opponent, but the way in which they defender our style. Right off the bat, Naples Gulf Coast parked the bus, playing an extremely defensive game and relying solely on counter attacks for their offense. Joseph Fuentes broke the deadlock when he slotted home a loose ball in the box. Gulf Coast scored within a couple minutes, and the game was tied at half.
Tanger lit a spark in his squad to start the second half, as the Wolverines jumped out to a 3-1 lead quite quickly. Gulf Coast then scored on a questionable penalty, but was never able to mount a full comeback as De La Camara was able to complete his hatrick and led his side to their first state championship, 5-2.
The team celebrating with Coach Tanger and his son after defeating Gulf Coast, 5-2.
Photo Credit: Victor Arrieta
Lacrosse Season Is Among Us
By: Max Fernandez
With the lacrosse season in action, the school has high expectations. This season’s team is filled with experience, boasting 17 seniors, most of whom have played at the varsity level for the past few years. This is a first in school history for this sport. With lacrosse being predominately a northern sport, it has taken a while for the sport to achieve the popularity it deserves. In the last couple of years, lacrosse has become increasingly popular in the South and especially at Belen Jesuit. Our team’s success has definitely attributed to its status of being in demand.
Last year, our varsity lacrosse team had a very successful season with only three losses. They managed to pull off the upset against arch rival Columbus and made it to the second round of the playoffs. Coming off such a successful season can be hard because you tend to lose a lot of key players, but our school won’t have that problem this year. We are bringing back 13
three-year letterman seniors who played a pivotal role on the team last year. The returning seniors include Danny Dager, Matthew Salas, Luis Corps, Oscar Ortega, Gaby Garcia, Ted Huertas, Nicholas Arias, Danny Martinez, Johnny Powell, Brian Pascual, Patrick Aren, Richie Perez, and Danny Hondal.
This season, the defense will be the focal point. It is going to be better than they were last year because they are starting the season healthier than last year with their anchor in defense, Luis Corps, back in the rotation. Corps played and was a starter as a sophomore, but he tore his ACL before junior year, causing him to miss his whole junior season.
“Last year was really tough. I spent the whole off-season getting ready and preparing for the season, and then a week before the season started, I lost everything. I am coming back this year better than ever and ready to make a huge difference and be a leader of one of the best
defenses in Belen’s lacrosse history,” said senior Luis Corps.
On every sports team at Belen there are people who have the ability to play at the next level, but only a few decide to make that commitment and play in college. This year, the lacrosse team has a bunch of players who might play at the collegiate level. The ones who have already committed to a college for lacrosse are Ted Huertas, Matthew Salas, Gaby Garcia, Oscar Ortega, and Luis Corps.
“Playing in college is a huge commitment, but I think I am ready for it,” said senior Ted Huerta.
The team hopes to make another strong playoff push behind their outstanding senior forwards Danny Dager and Gaby Garcia. The team is projected to win most of their games and to win a few invitational tournaments. This upcoming season will be exciting, as we can expect big things from this team.
The team gathers for a prayer before thier game against St. Brendan
Photo
Courtesy: Don Hunsinger
Alabama Captures Another Championship
By: Brian Pascual
The 2015 College Football National Championship was a very exciting game. The game was between the Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson tide. The Clemson Tigers defeated the Oklahoma Sooners to earn their spot in the college football playoff championship. Alabama had to defeat Michigan State in their playoff game to play for the championship. On an electrifying night in Glendale, Arizona, the Crimson Tide prevailed over the Tigers. Going into the game, the Tigers were ranked number one for 14 straight weeks. Alabama was in the number two spot for about six weeks. The Tide have dominated the series between Clemson with a total of 13 wins and 3 losses in their history.
The Clemson Tigers had a very impressive record of 14 wins and 0 losses going into the title game. They were led by sophomore star quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, who won the Davey O’Brien award. This
award is given to the quarterback with the best performance throughout the whole season.
“I thought Watson had a very impressive year. He really established himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in college football. I’m really excited to see how he performs next year,” said senior varsity quarterback Daniel Hondal.
The Alabama Crimson Tide also had an impressive season with a total of 14 wins and 1 loss. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry was one of the main reasons for the Tide’s success this season. Henry ran for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Tide’s win over the Tigers.
The National Championship game couldn’t have been a better one. On a clear night in Arizona, both teams played outstanding. Many experts predicted that the game would be tight for all four quarters, and indeed it was. The game teetered back and forth until the end. The Tide started off the game scoring first, but Clemson
came right back and knotted the score up at 7. The first half was a very close one, as both teams were tied at 14. The second half is when the game really started to heat up. There were a total of 57 points scored between both teams in the third and fourth quarter. The major turning point of the second half was when Alabama head coach Nick Saban called an unexpected onside kick and shifted all the momentum toward the Tide.
“After the gutsy call by Coach Saban, I really felt that Alabama was going to run away with it. The team just wasn’t going to let up in the end,” said senior Richard Perez.
The Crimson Tide captured their fourth championship in six years. They have established themselves as a college football powerhouse and will continue to dominate. They will certainly be a contender for next year’s championship.
Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, hoists the National Championship trophy.
Photo Credit: Chris Carlson
Miami Hurricanes off to Hot Start
By: Matthew Powell
The University of Miami has consistently been recognized as a football school. From the 80s until the early 2010s, Miami football has dominated the universities’ sports scene and you can’t blame them. Until now, their basketball program has had very little to boast about with zero national championships, zero final four appearances, a handful of NCAA tournament appearances and two sweet sixteen appearances.
This year, there is a different vibe surrounding the Coral Gables campus and the men’s basketball program. With the football team at a near all time low, students have transferred their devotion to the basketball team that is on an absolute tear early in the season.
The team is led in scoring by senior Sheldon McClellan, who is averaging a stout 16 points per game and is also leading in minutes per game. Beyond that, this is a
team filled with experience, but not tournament experience. Sure, many of the players have played in many regular season games, but almost all of them have no tournament experience, which is what always seems to hurt Miami in the postseason.
“Getting to the tournament is not enough, and Miami fans have been waiting for years to see this team get through to the elite eight and the final four,” said senior Luis Mejer.
The last time the team reached the sweet sixteen was in 2013, and they then proceeded to graduate what seems like every member of that team.
Recruiting is the base of the success pyramid in college basketball, and Miami has had its struggles at landing big name talent to come to Coral Gables. The last Hurricane to be drafted and actually receive some minutes in the NBA is Shane Larkin. Since then, the
recruiting classes have been mere average at best, but Miami still has a solid team. This year, things have drastically changed in favor of the Hurricanes. They boast the programs’ first five-star ranked small forward in recent memory and a top ten recruiting class as of right now.
“Excitement is key when you’re talking about getting fans into seats. Getting a five-star recruit is essential in building excitement and hype, and Miami has finally become an attractive option for top-tier recruits,” said senior and avid Miami fan Gabriel Cabrera. Coach Larranaga has much to prove, but he deserves all the credit in the world for taking over this Miami program with so little going for the team, including a mess after Frank Haith and a lingering NCAA investigation into the entire athletics program.
Senior Sheldon McLellan is trying to lead the team to a third Sweet Sixteen appearance and even further.
Photo
Credit: Michaeil
Hhikcey/Getty Images
Dolphins and Canes Begin New Era
By: Alex Hernandez
Another year and another sub-par season for some of our local teams. The Miami Dolphins didn’t live up to their hype, and the Hurricanes were a mess for most of the season. What these two teams have in common, besides a disappointing season, is a change at the helm. For the upcoming season, these two teams look to turn it around with a new regime. Each of these coaches will bring in their new philosophies and style of play.
The Miami Dolphins, yet again, finished with a losing record of 6-10. A very disappointing year for fans overall with the level of play, which led to the firing of head coach, Joe Philbin. It was a roller coaster season that showed glimmers of hope, under the interim head coach Dan Campbell. With a blowout win over the Houston Texans, who made it to the playoffs, the Dolphins seemed to turn it around, but that wasn’t the case.
At the end of the season, the owner, Stephen Ross, and several staff members casted out a net to see what they could find on the mar-
ket for their vacant head coaching position. After interviewing several qualified candidates, the Dolphins decided to hire now former offensive coordinator (OC) of the Chicago Bears, Adam Gase.
Gase has been dubbed the quarterback whisperer after turning around Chicago’s Jay Cutler’s season around. Gase was also the OC of the Denver Broncos when they advanced to the Super Bowl.
Gase has been chosen to put Miami back on the map and improve the mediocre play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
When you think of the Hurricanes’ football program, you think of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Andre Johnson, Sean Taylor. These are names of some of the most talented and respected athletes who attended the University of Miami (UM). There was a point in time when it was all about the U, and the phenomenon hit college football like none other before, as it became the maxim for one of the most successful collegiate programs ever. “UM has been up and down in the
past couple of years, but I think this will change starting next season,” said senior Johnny Hyland.
The U invented the swagger and the Miami Hurricanes have carried themselves with it since. But as of recent, it has been the opposite. During Al Golden’s tenure, he finished with a record of 32-25 and never won a bowl game. Golden also never beat UM’s biggest rival, Florida State, with an overall record of 0-5. So UM decided to go out and find Mark Richt. Richt is a proven 15-year veteran with lots of experience and also a former UM player. He comes from one of the most respected college football conferences in the NCAA, the Southern-eastern conference. Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who played for Richt at Georgia stated, “He’s going to hold you accountable. He prepares you for the real world. He helped mold me to become the man I am today.” This provides hope for all UM fans knowing they’re getting a coach who has a passion for the game and a winning attitude.
Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase (left), UM head coach Mark Richt (right) are both newly acuirred coaches for their respective teams.
Photo Credit: Chris Perkins
Photo Credit: Walter Michot
Broncos Stifle The Panthers
By: Max Fernandez
This year’s Super Bowl was a defensive shut down between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Unlike all the predictions, Peyton Manning was dabbing while Cam Newton left the field with his neck hurting and left the press conference early. Despite what all the critics may have thought, Peyton Manning will now most likely retire, ending his career as a Super Bowl champion. Manning’s last competitive throw was a two-point conversion with two minutes left that practically sealed Super Bowl 50. Although Manning’s performance could be considered atrocious, his team still managed to win. It wasn’t easy for Manning to get here. He got hurt, had his worst statistical season, and became a backup to Brock Osweiler. The Panthers went into the game with the number two-ranked defense and the number one-ranked offense in the league, but you couldn’t tell by watching Super
Bowl 50. They were held to only ten points (a season low), Cam Newton was sacked six times, and they had over six dropped passes. This season, Cam Newton was sacked three times, but in the Super Bowl alone he was sacked over six times in pivotal moments leading to turnovers and punts. In the first half, the Broncos had a 13-7 lead, with only four first downs. They did this by having the best defense in the National Football League (NFL). All year, the Broncos have caused havoc with a tremendous front seven and one of the best secondaries we have seen. They’ve been causing turnovers and daring teams to carve them up through the air, but that’s yet to happen. Newton went 18 for 41 with 265 yards and 1 interception and a lost fumble. This is his worst performance I’ve seen since his rookie season. The last time Newton and the Panthers played Manning and the Broncos was in 2012, and the Broncos won 36–14.
Usually, Super Bowls are denoted with Roman numerals and have been since Super Bowl V in 1971. But this year, the NFL announced this was to be Super Bowl 50, not Super Bowl L. But don’t worry; the Roman numerals will be back next year with Super Bowl LI. The Super Bowl ads this year are said to be up to an astonishing record of $5 million for a 30-second slot. This beats Super Bowl XLIX, which had a base price of $4.5 million.
The largest age gap between starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl was on Super Bowl 50 with Newton being 26 and Manning being 39, a 13-year and 48-day difference, making it the largest gap in Super Bowl history.
The Super Bowl was a fantastic gathering this year. Whether you wanted to see Newton dance and dabb or Manning retire as a champion, you realized that was one of the best defensive performances ever in the Super Bowl.
The Lombardi Trohpy, shown with the backdrop of California, where the game was played.
Photo Credit: David Foster
Varisty Basketball’s Thrashing of Columbus Unifies Senior Class
By: Matthew Powell
It is difficult to describe what a brotherhood feels like to someone who has never experienced it. The only way to understand the essence of what constitutes a brother is to witness it firsthand. It is a feeling of accomplishment, confidence, and happiness that one brother bestows upon the other. It is a feeling that is mutual, even though at certain times it may not feel that way.
Being a brother to someone is something that requires trust, beyond every other characteristic. It is trusting that your brother will always have your back, that he will be there for you when you are alone, down, or defeated. Brotherhood does not require blood relation or any relation at all; it requires respect and love for one another.
On the night of January 15, 2016, I experienced the strongest brotherhood I have ever felt while being at Belen Jesuit. When
I sat in the student section of the annual Belen vs. Columbus basketball game, I sat and watched as my brothers, on the court and in the section cheering behind me, watched our team completely dismantle a Columbus side that at times looked lost and frustrated.
“The atmosphere in the arena was awesome. The senior class showed great support, and it definitely gave us more of an advantage on the court with them backing us up,” said senior and guard Alfredo Consuegra. We watched them attempt to listen to their coach before his important words were drowned out by the emphatic noise and chants. Our new president, Fr. Guillermo Garcia Tuñon SJ, woke us up after halftime, leading us in the traditional “B-E-L-E-N” chant. I personally enjoyed this moment greatly. Seeing our leader embody himself within the student body
and really become one of us was the perfect way to cap off his first day as President of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.
“Father Willie’s presence among the students provided us with a great source of enthusiasm and passion that will carry us throughout the remainder of our senior year,” said senior John Hyland.
Father Willie’s presence was another aspect of brotherhood that was present throughout the night and an excellent example of what being a member of the Belen family means. From one generation to the next, we were all standing behind one team, one emblem, and one school. The idea that every single member of the Belen family, whether past or present, will be there with you was ever so present in the special moment Father Willie shared with the senior class.
The reason we came together as a class that night was to
Senior Guard Alfredo Consuegra celebrates after the final buzzer.
celebrate the success of a few of our classmates who were clashing with our greatest rival and needed our support. That is why nearly two hundred of us rode to the game in pajamas - not to look cute in our jammies, but to take part in something as a class, as a brotherhood. I mean, come on, we went out in public dressed in the most ridiculous of things, including onesies and Harry Potter bath robes, because the man standing next to you was doing it for the same exact reason.
The Wolverines put on an absolute show and were led by seniors Alfredo Consuegra, David Salazar, Luis Mejer, Daniel Romeu, Gabriel Cabrera, and Daniel Puente. Every time someone pulled up for a three, usually after a beautiful sequence of passing and basketball poetry, I put three fingers in the air with the confidence that one of my guys was going to hit it, and the majority of the time my confidence was validated and led to me turning around and going absolutely crazy
in our section, resulting in the loss of my voice.
“The team had a great week leading up to the game, beating two district rivals on Monday and Wednesday. Being able to say that you beat Columbus senior year is something few Belen classes are able to say, and I am glad we will be one of those classes. Our guys played outstanding, and I’m proud of each and every one of them,” said senior Giancarlo Pinto.
The team was led in scoring by Consuegra and JC Carrillo, both with 9 points, but wound up winning 51-35, really showcasing a team effort with having no players in double digits and still producing a large margin of victory. The game started with a 7-0 Wolverine lead before Columbus was able to answer, but Belen led throughout its entirety, with the Explorers never having the lead.
The basketball program as a whole flexed its muscles in all three contests against the Explorers, earning three victories at the
freshman, junior varsity, and varsity level for the second time in four years. The night was capped off with the senior players embracing their fellow brothers in the student section and posing for a photo that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
The idea of a class coming together in pajamas during a friendly basketball game between two longtime rivals may seem bizarre to many, including some members of the Class of 2016, but it meant something else to me. Something so simple brought together a group of people to participate in something we will never be able to do again as seniors, and it was the perfect catalyst event that will push us in the right direction to finish our last ride at Belen Jesuit in the most positive way possible. Our basketball team completely and utterly destroyed our arch rival and our class grew to the strongest it has ever been because of it. I cannot wait to see what’s in store next.
Senior Guard Gabriel Cabrera pulls up for a wide-open three. Fr. Willie, energizing the seniors at the beginning of the second half.
Photo Credit: Belen
Jesuit/ Victor Arrieta
Players Take Action Against Concussions
By: Alex Hernandez
There are many misconceptions on what a concussion means in today’s society. A concussion occurs when the head sustains a hard blow and the impact jars or shakes the brain inside the skull, interrupting the brain’s normal activities. A concussion can become a very serious brain injury that can lead to further implications. For this reason, preventing concussions is becoming one of the utmost priorities of today’s sports scientists and doctors everywhere.
Concussions are starting to take center stage when it comes to safety in sports. Recently retired players have brought some of their problems to light. Through new technology, scientists and doctors are able to now further understand what a concussion does to the brain. They’re also finding better ways to prevent them.
The NFL, for example, is taking every opportunity they can to solve this issue and protect their players from this type of injury. The game of football is being plagued with concussions and the NFL is working on ways to fix this. They’ve implemented rules and regulations such as
a concussion protocol. This protocol consists of tests and assessments of the player to assure the player is no longer concussed. This further protects players from re-injuring their head.
“Concussions are very scary, and I think about this often. It is one of my biggest fears playing football,” said senior Andres Cesin.
New technologies for helmets have been developed to prevent traumatic injuries to the head. They’re making more flexible helmets to prevent the shock and impact sustained in case of any head collision. The most recent NFL sustained injuries happened in a playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Both concussions were due to helmet-to-helmet hits. The NFL is constantly cracking down on illegal hits to make it a safer game to play.
Another sport being scrutinized is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Fighters are constantly being knocked out, leading to multiple concussions. The public is worried that they don’t get enough rest or time off. But what most people don’t know is that after a diagnosed
concussion, the UFC suspends their fighters from any physical contact for three months, unless told otherwise by doctors. This way, they ensure that they have fully recovered and reduce the possibility of sustaining another injury.
A recently released movie, “Concussion,” looks at the findings of Dr. Bennet Omalu. He was conducting an autopsy on a former football player and discovered a deterioration in the brain that is similar to Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery is a main contributor to why we know more about concussions today.
Further studies are being conducted to protect players and athletes everywhere as scientists experiment how to best combat this affliction.
“I hope one day we will live in a world without concussions, and with good research, I believe this is possible,” said junior and football player Lucas Pola.
Many sports are administering safety rules and guidelines to protect themselves. Through awareness, the future is looking brighter for concussion prevention.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, Austin Collie (17), unconscious after receiving a blow to the head.
Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock
Wolverines getting ready to sign their national letters of intent.
Belen Athletes Moving On
By: Brian Pascual
Last month, four Wolverine athletes signed their letters of intent to move on to the collegiate level. The annual ceremony took place in the gym lobby, with many students, coaches and family members in attendance.
Pablo Venegas, Mario Robaina, Tavish Rice, and Daniel Brennan all signed to their respective schools.
Pablo Venegas, Tavish Rice and Mario Robaina are all going to play football at the collegiate level. Venegas will be attending Claremont University in California. He was the starting center on the varsity team since sophomore year.
“I’m really excited to be given the opportunity to go to a great school and continue playing the sport I love. I will be dedicating much time and effort to my studies and team,” said senior Pablo Venegas.
Tavish Rice will be attending the Ivy League school Princeton University. He was awarded
First team All-Dade this past year.
“ I am very excited to be attending Princeton in the fall. I am also excited to live in another city and have a great college experience,” said senior Tavish Rice.
Mario Robaina will be attending Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
“It has been my dream to play college football ever since I was little. To finally know that my dream has become a reality is a blessing. I cannot wait to compete at the collegiate level. I also cannot wait to represent Belen while I’m at Case Western. This will really be a rewarding experience for me,” said senior Mario Robaina.
“We are very proud of these young men. This signing day is a result of many years of hard work on the playing fields and in the classroom. All of them are outstanding young men, and they will be excellent Belen ambassadors at their respective universities,” said
Richard Stuart, Head Football Coach.
Aside from the football players, the crew team also had a signing in Daniel Brennan. Brennan has signed to row at the University of Pennsylvania. Brennan has led the crew team to many accomplishments.
As a Wolverine family, we cannot wait to see what these four athletes do at the collegiate level. We wish them nothing but the best as they continue their careers in college.
“It is a great honor for the Belen community to have these athletes recognized for their stellar abilities,” said Jesuit Father Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, President of the School. “They are not only great athletes, but fine students and a wonderful representation of Belen Jesuit.”
Photo Credit: Belen Jesuit
Marching for What’s Right
By: Ricky De Aguiar
The March for Life is a nationwide event that takes place every year in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. The March for Life is literally a “march for life,” protesting against abortion.
The mission of this event is to provide all Americans with the opportunity to defend the beauty of life and the rights of every human being. It takes place on January 22nd because that is the anniversary day of abortion being legalized in the United States. The reason it takes place in Washington, D.C. is because the government is located there, and they are one of the main groups of people that protesters want to capture the attention of.
The government is the reason abortion is still legal. Many people believe that once a woman is pregnant, they should not have the option of abortion and they should go through with the birth. There are other options such as adoption. There are plenty of couples waiting to adopt a child. If a pregnancy is past week 24, abortion is complete-
ly out of the picture, and no longer an option, but the March is protesting that it should not be allowed at all.
Belen’s Respect Life Club traveled to Washington, D.C. this January during a blizzard to participate in the March for Life alongside other schools from the Archdiocese of Miami and the rest of the nation. They arrived in Washington, D.C. two days before the March, and were there at the same time that students from Close Up were in D.C. Some students from March for Life and Close Up even ran into one another while at Union Station. Fortunately, the storm held up and Belen was able to march with thousands of other people down the National Mall.
They stopped at multiple places on their trip, including the National Basilica at Catholic University. The basilica is an amazing church to visit. The inside is a long nave leading up to a dome with a fresco of Jesus. There are smaller side chapels all along the inside of
the basilica. Also, there is an underground floor with different shrines to popes and saints. There is often a Mass going on in the church downstairs for visitors as well.
“The basilica was one of the most overwhelming buildings I’ve ever seen, especially from the inside, said sophomore Javier Bustamante.”
The March for Life is a great experience every year for thousands of people around the country, but especially for the Respect Life Club from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.
This year’s group of Belen students was accompanied by Respect Life Club moderator, Ms. Susy Corzo, and Jesuit Father Frank Permuy.
Particiapants in the March for Life from the Archdiocese of Miami smile on the steps of the National Basilica.
Photo Courtesy: Belen Jesuit
A Trip to Remember
By Ricky De Aguiar
Close Up is a program that provides students from all around the country with the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. with their school to explore the city and learn about their nation’s capital.
Upon arriving at Close Up, the 85 Belen students were divided by class into three different hotels. Students were assigned two roommates from different places in the country, along with one roommate that was chosen from Belen. Not far into the first night, roommates were introduced during a workshop, and small groups of students were formed. These groups would be together for most of the week. It started off with fun and awkward icebreakers, but at the end of the week, everyone was basically family.
“After a full day together, everyone in the workshop was comfortable with each other, which made the experience better,” said junior Diego Somarriba.
When students traveled to monuments, they would travel with their group, along with another group on the same bus. All of the workshop groups had the same schedule, so even if you didn’t have certain people in your workshop, you were able to hang
out with them at different memorials or monuments. The bus was always really fun when there wasn’t “up time,” which was the time that they were explaining a variety of things to the students. There were always a multitude of funny conversations going on and music in the background as students traveled throughout the city. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were provided every day by the Close Up program, and everyone came together to eat and enjoy themselves. Sometimes, lunch or dinner was not at the hotel because students would be out and about.
On Capitol Hill Day, each school did their own thing, so Belen students traveled as a pack on that day instead of being separated by hotel. Belen students were wearing suits and ties, and the day started off with seven Belen alumni speaking to them in the Capitol Building room where foreign affairs are discussed. A tour of the Capitol Building soon followed. Next, the students were provided with a few hours of free time to explore the National Mall and the museums surrounding it such as the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, or the National Gallery of Art. The reflecting pool in front
of the Capitol Building was completely frozen, leading to different birds, objects, or people standing on top of the ice. That night, student groups attended a play at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. This day was the highlight of the trip for many people. The final day of the program was January 21st. It was filled with visits to different sites such as an art gallery and the White House. The program ended in the evening with a dance in each hotel for all the students to enjoy themselves.
“The people I met on Close Up are what I’m going to miss the most,” said junior Brandon Torricella.
A blizzard was expected later the next day, and it would last through the weekend. Some students had the opportunity to leave the trip early in order to avoid getting stuck in the storm, but forty-five students chose not to leave early and stayed in the Westin Hotel for the weekend as a group.
Belen alumni speak to current students about how Belen Jesuit helped prepare them for the future. Photo credit:Belen Jesuit
Carlos Maza English Department
What is your favorite song?
Either “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen or “The Last Resort” by the Eagles.
Who is your celebrity crush? Salma Hayek.
What is your favorite movie? Godfather II.
What was your favorite class assignment? Teaching Existentialism in literature and film.
What is your favorite book? The Prince of Tides by Pat Canroy
What would you do if you won the Powerball?
I don’t like to share this too often, but I gave up a six figure job to teach.
If you could learn one skill instantaneously, what would it be?
Play the piano. It’s the perfect synthesis of art and science.
Matthew Powell
Senior - Vincam Editor in Chief
What is your favorite song?
A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay (Hardwell Remix)
Who is your celebrity crush?
Mila Kunis.
What is your favorite movie?
“The Shawshank Redemption” or “Step Brothers”.
What was your favorite class assignment?
Making a commercial for our research paper in Ms. Ramirez’s class.
What is your favorite book?
Don’t Put Me In Coach by Mark Titus
What would you do if you won the Powerball?
Buy part ownership in the Dolphins and Heat, and then buy a massive piece of land on the water and build a dream house. Then I’d get a lambo.
If you could learn one skill instantaneously, what would it be?
I have always wanted to dunk a basketball.
What is your favorite song?
Either “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel or “The Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the frog.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Anna Kendrick.
What is your favorite movie?
I would normally say Back to the Future, but “Guppy” picked that last month, so I’ll say Pinocchio or Little Miss Sunshine.
What was your favorite class assignment?
Dr. Goodall’s film project to adapt C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce.
What is your favorite book?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
What would you do if you won the Powerball? I would save it to fund a movie.
If you could learn one skill instantaneously, what would it be?
The ability to finally choose one skill to write as my answer.
Alec Castillo
Senior
Does Black History Month Do What It Was Meant To?
By: Peter Prieto
February marks the beginning of Black History Month. The month honors everything about the struggles of one race throughout history. It honors those who came before, like Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among other advocates for change in our country. It began in 1926 under a different name, Negro History Week. A week during the month of February was selected that encompassed both the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas. With the addition of the Civil Rights Movement and the evolution of the race relations, it went from just one week in the second month of the year to the entire month.
The recent hullabaloo about the lack of Academy Award nominations for African American people in film has come at an important time. With this month underway, it made people question if there really has been a change in the treatment of this race. Many actors have been
quoted saying that the reason there are no African American nominees is because studios are not casting them for roles.
“I believe the problem lies within the industry, not with the academy itself,” said senior Gabriel Tozo.
Most actors agree that an underlying problem in Hollywood caused the shortage of nominations, not the “racist” Academy Awards. Therefore, a month-long celebration for Black history has been criticized by proponents for the advancement of race relations and eradication of racism. One of the most famous examples of criticism towards the month came from African-American actor Morgan Freeman. In an interview with 60 Minutes, he said, “I don’t want a Black History Month,” adding “Black history is American history.” Many feel the same as Freeman, and others believe the forcing of a celebration of this type can lead to animosity towards a group of
people.
Black History Month today is celebrated in our culture. We see TV ads and radio bumpers, but we don’t learn anything. People have been known to complain about large companies promoting the month as one that we remember Black history, yet nothing is learned. One such company that students would recognize is Snapchat. The popular app added a filter that users could add to their photos. Companies have been criticized for making useless additions and edits to their work that add no value of any kind. If the month is to actually be recognized as something by our nation and our nation’s people, they should actually try to educate us on the people and events that make this month important. In our school, this is the case. Upon entering our library this month, you will find many profiles, articles, and books on influential, historic African Americans.
The Sit-In became a popular way of fighting racial injustice. It is still used as a tool today.
Remembering an Important Role Model
By: Richard De Aguiar
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the mid1900s who fought for the rights of African-Americans. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta Georgia, to Martin Luther King,Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He is best known for being the leader of the Civil Rights Movement and for the role he played in the advancement of civil rights.
For the actions he took to defend the rights of people, the United States now celebrates a day specifically for him every January. All schools get the day off in his honor. King became a civil rights activist early on in his life. He led different protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, where blacks refused to use public buses as their transportation. His most famous event was the March on Washington that he helped organize. This is where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. During this speech, over 250,000
people attended to listen at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. He was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial while addressing the crowd. This speech is by far one of the most iconic speeches in American history.
The Ramon Guiteras Memorial Library is taking part in this celebration with an exhibit full of books about King. The school encourages students to go and search through the books in the display. Also, in Dr. Goodall’s class, students are reading one of King’s works called Letter from a Birmingham Jail. King wrote this while literally in a Birmingham jail.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is recognized with a national holiday, observed on the third Monday of January.
“Martin Luther King Day really reminds me of how times have changed for the better, and how equality is much more present” said junior Pedro Garcia.
The United States as a whole celebrates many national holidays like the Fourth of July, President’s Day, or Columbus Day, but Martin Luther King Jr. Day impacts more lives because of the way it completely changed the way everyone looks at African Americans. Also, there have been hundreds of books specifically written about King or the day itself. A well-known book on King is Tyler Branch’s Parting the Waters, which tells about the connections between King and President Kennedy. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1989.
Overall, this is a very special day in America, whether you are black or white. Everyone has learned something from this great leader and pacifist.
A crowd of thousands applauds Martin Luther King King Jr. after “I have a Dream Speech.”
photo credit: brainz.org
Showcasing the Future
Every year, technology gets more advanced. New innovations in transportation, entertainment, and health technology are constantly on the way, making ideas of the future a present day reality. With all this new technology, companies need a place to roll out the red carpet for their new line of products. That place is the Consumer Electronics Show, held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is the premier place for major electronics companies to unveil their latest and greatest inventions. Hover boards, smart watches, new cars, and TVs are just a few of the exciting pieces of technology that these companies show off.
This past December, CES kicked off another year of exciting announcements in the world of technology. Some of the big names at the show were Sony, Samsung, LG, and even some car companies like Toyota. 4K televisions made major appearances at the show, with companies like Sony and Samsung unveiling new lines of 4K resolution smart TVs. These companies hope to eventually phase out 1080p televisions in favor of the new ultra-high definition models.
By: Antonio Valencia
4K boasts a superior image and color quality to the standard HD TVs available in the past five years, and will soon become the standard.
Another major technology explored at the show was the idea of artificial intelligence and home management. Google has acquired a new automated home system called Nest. This is a self-learning intelligence that manages thermostats, smoke detectors, and security, saving you money and potentially your life. Google announced that it would be partnering with other tech companies to allow for third-partner connectivity with the system. In a more extreme case, Intel, in conjunction with iRobot and Toshiba, unveiled prototype household robots. Someday in the near future, robots could make their way into our homes to clean and perform other chores.
“It’s a very exciting look into the future,” said sophomore Max Salazar.
In transportation news, more car companies announced the addition of assistive parking and driving systems, similar to those in Tesla Cars. The technology was previously only available in highend brands, but it could soon make
its way to more common brands like Toyota. It’s yet another step in the direction of driver less cars, which are becoming more and more of a reality as time goes on. In addition, other forms of transportation were showcased, such as Segway’s new hover board. An alternative take on the popular version of a hover board, which in reality is closer to a scooter. Segway’s hover board is similar to a skateboard, but rather than having four wheels, it features one large, self balancing wheel in the center.
CES showcased exciting new innovations in the consumer electronics world: new TVs, cars, and even robot butlers. It goes to show just how fast technology is advancing, as each year there is something new and exciting.
“They reveal some really cool pieces of tech here. It’s exciting to see that it gets better every year,” said senior Alexander Alepuz.
Each year, the show grows in size and scope, and one can only wonder what will be on display next year.
The Consumer Electronics Show showcases some of the latest and greatest innovations in technolgy from all around the world.
Photo Credit: CES
Philosophy Corner:
On Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience and its idea and practice is taught to us in several classes we have here at Belen Jesuit. On several occasions, it is taught in both Social Studies and English when we review famous writings and influential protests of the past. However, most certainly, civil disobedience is not encouraged in our community. For obvious reasons as well, perhaps. We would not like a community that encourages active disobedience to its established ways and rules. However, does this attitude seems like a recipe for a subtle form of tyrannical conformity? When in the face of government laws and private dictates in our community, what is the proper place and duty of civil disobedience?
A great place to start is Henry David Thoreau’s influential essay ‘On the Duty of Civil Disobedience’ (taught in tenth grade English classes). In this work, Thoreau argues that individuals are responsible primarily to their consciences, and that it is improper of government to alienate them of their convictions to justice by forcing them to act against it. Asserting that democratic (or any other real form) of government is not necessarily accountable for taking the most just actions, Thoreau asserts that the only way to avoid the doubly unjust act of improper governing and compelling constituents to comply is to allow the constituents to be unbound to the government’s actions in a civil manner, like by avoiding taxes or pro-
testing a draft. In practice, this idea didn’t really work out for him. Thoreau wound up spending a night in jail for tax evasion. And perhaps there are broader issues with Thoreau’s idea. For instance, is it the place of an individual to decide what laws are just or not? Certainly, many emotion-driven murderers thought their killings were justified in light of their personal experiences. In this way, if the role of legislation was truly reduced to all individuals, society would collapse into a type of anarchy, where people would act however they thought was best. So, may any active violation of the law be considered civil disobedience?
Many political philosophers, like Jean Jacques Rousseau, would say it is never civil to disobey a law. Such thinkers suggest that laws are the necessary element to a civil society; their just formation and enactment are what define what civility is. If there are no laws (or laws are reducible to individual’s consciences), then society would not act in an agreeable or civil way. Laws are not formed in a vacuum, and each justified law is an expression of the general will. In such way, to act against the law is to act against the essence of civil society.
To be fair, those who advocate for Thoreau’s style of civil disobedience are not anarchists. Rather, they call of the ‘refinement of government’ through the disobedience of its unjust proceedings. At this point, the arguments become a game
By: Michael Cairo
of cat-mouse: what then is the proper scope of what an individual can deem unjust? Could murder or theft be deemed unjust laws? What are we to do in the face of truly unjust laws then? Obey them and become agents of wrongdoing? Is not attacking government (and civility) a more profound wrongdoing than the laws themselves? The back and forth goes on forever.
Some light could be shed with some additional nuance, should one still not have taken a side on this issue. There could be a happy sort of medium where civil disobedience remains civil. This is to say that we may be, in a way, disobedient to government actions while still following the laws. Proper protest is one form, community organization and activism are great alternatives. Perhaps so long as the one in opposition follows all the laws (rules of civility), their disobedience remains civil.
The distinction should also be made between private and public authority. Public authority is law, while private authority is mere suggestion. We may disobey the mandates of private rulers, but perhaps not public rulers. In other words, we may not be justified in stealing, but we may be justified in growing out our hair past our school’s standards. We do, however, need to be prepared for the consequences that this may bring.
There Has Been an Awakening...
By: Alec Castillo
Over the Christmas break, moviegoers got to experience the most anticipated movie of not just the year, not just the decade, and not just the century, but the most anticipated movie in history. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the newest installment in the Star Wars saga, but most importantly, it is its return to form after three atrocious prequels. The charm, wit, action, adventure, and wonder of Star Wars is back on the big screen for the first time since 1981’s Return of the Jedi
The original Star Wars trilogy was at the forefront of technology in cinema. The films used a clever juxtaposition of matte paintings, practical effects, puppets, and stop motion. It was a sight to behold, and it was incomprehensible how it was achieved. In 2015, we’ve become accustomed to big spectacle films, but The Force Awakens provided a return to special effects wizardry. The visuals were a combination of in-camera effects and computer generated imagery, but they were seamless. You didn’t know whether or not you were looking at a “real” thing or not, but most importantly, it didn’t
matter because we were caught up in the story.
The Force Awakens’ story goes back in order to move forward; it parallels the original Star Wars in 1977, while feeling fresh. Some may disagree with the similar plot points, but it re-introduces the magic of Star Wars in its purest form for a new generation. Too many films nowadays concern themselves with setting up the next sequel and spinoff, but The Force Awakens had a satisfying beginning, middle, and end, while teasing a bigger world among our characters. We immediately wanted to know what happens next, but it by no means undermined the singular experience of that particular film. There were a couple of flaws and cold spots in the story, but they are surely overshadowed by the excellent screenplay JJ Abrams and Larry Kasdan crafted.
It was refreshing to see the return of old faces like Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, or Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, and Carrie Fisher’s Leia. But the newcomers (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac) absolutely stole the show. Daisy Ridley is the first
female heroine in the Star Wars saga, and her performance carries the film.
Throughout the saga, the characters have either been light or dark, but Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren transcends this and does not know where he stands (even though he is, ultimately, a baddie). He is full of emotion and raw power, as opposed to Darth Vader’s calm and cool strength. This makes him one of the most interesting characters in the saga. Oscar Isaac, a Miami native, is incredible in every single second of the film. You can’t help but love Poe Dameron: the absolute best pilot in the galaxy. The future of the franchise is certainly in good hands.
The Force Awakens also featured the return of legendary composer John Williams. The new original score has some great pieces, but it fails to live up to the iconic tunes of the original trilogy. The next film in the saga has a confirmed release date of December 15, 2017.
Grade: A-
Photo Credit: Disney
Kylo Ren, the new “bad guy,” shows great promise for future movies.
The Beatles Hit Spotify
Over the past five years, music streaming services have boomed in popularity. These services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, must sign contracts in order to acquire the rights to play an artist’s music. In the past, many artists have refused to sign or renew these contracts; however, many have no contracts at all, meaning streaming services cannot release these particular artists’ music. One such example is The Beatles, easily one of the most popular bands of the 20th century which has always been in the middle of copyright disputes. This past Christmas, however, marked a major milestone in music streaming and copyright, when The Beatles music was finally made available for streaming in Spotify.
The Beatles is one of, if not the most popular rock band of the 20th century. Their music has been, and still is, widely enjoyed throughout the world. Despite this, The Beatles have had a long history of royalty disagreements between its holders, only finding its way to iTunes back in 2010, a whole nine years since its inception, and over 20 years since the release of their last major studio album. With the rise in popularity of music streaming, The
By: Antonio Valencia
Beatles, after much dispute, finally signed a contract with Spotify, making their entire discography available for streaming this past December. The addition of the Beatles to Spotify marks a major step into the future of streaming services. Services like Spotify and Apple Music are becoming increasingly popular alternatives to purchasing music. With relatively low monthly costs, streaming services are becoming the standard, shifting entertainment not only in music, but in movies and television.
“Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify are way better than buying movies and watching TV,” said senior Andres Signoret. They are extremely cost efficient, with their true value being determined by how much the consumer chooses to utilize the service.
Despite the success and apparent positivity of streaming services, they have often been criticized for under compensation and underrepresentation of artists. Famous artists, new and old, like Taylor Swift, King Crimson, and Prince, have made a conscious decision to not have their music on Spotify. These artists believe streaming services, Spotify in particular,
do not pay enough money to their signed artists. While some artists like Prince have selected some albums to stay, Taylor Swift and King Crimson have no music on Spotify whatsoever. Swift herself believes that certain artists, namely big player name ones, should have their music behind premium pay walls so that the most popular artists can receive payment more closely proportional to the amount of pay they receive every month.
Regardless of their reputation, it is easy to see that The Beatles aren’t as popular as they used to be. It is because some people consider them outdated? Possibly, maybe even probably. Is it because their music was previously very hard to access, requiring you to buy it physically or download it? there;s no doubt about that. By putting The Beatles on Spotify, it makes it that much easier for more people to listen to more Beatles. Streaming is the way of the future, and by putting your music on Spotify, you’re putting it out to the world.
“It’s cool to finally see such a legendary band like The Beatles on Spotify,” said senior Ryan Rodriguez.
The legendary rock band is now availabe to stream on Spotify.
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Credit: 20th Century Fox
The Hateful Eight’s limited release should’ve hindered its success at the box office, but a Tarantino film can fight against all obstacles it has to face.
Heavy Hitting Movies Recieve Amazing Praise
By: Peter Prieto
The last year in movies ended with a huge surge in box office ticket sales. The end of the year brought us some of the most anticipated movies in a long time.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened with a lot of skepticism coming from a good portion of the franchise’s fan base.
“I didn’t feel completely disappointed when watching it,” said senior Gabriel Tozo.
The last trilogy, directed by George Lucas, left some fans angry with how the prequels were presented. The new film broke the one billion dollar mark within twelve days of its worldwide release, becoming the fastest movie to reach the milestone. It quickly became the highest grossing film of all time, surpassing James Cameron’s Avatar.
Legendary director Quentin Tarantino had a limited run, seventy millimeter film roadshow for his eighth film, The Hateful Eight. The film opened on Christmas Day, and this movie was the largest seventy millimeter release in over a decade. Tarantino fans claim that this now
out of the ordinary way of viewing a movie is the best way to watch the movie. The script was leaked years ago, and Tarantino threw a tantrum, canceling the movie. He later brought it back from limbo after witnessing a read through of the script.
“I felt that The Hateful Eight shows Tarantino’s writing skill. This movie flows with the dialogue. His other movies could exist without dialogue, but this one cannot. It is honestly some of the best writing, and one of the best films I’ve ever seen,” said senior Zane Todywala, a self-proclaimed Tarantino expert.
The Revenant began its slow ascent on the same day as Tarantino’s film
Many claim this movie includes Leonardo DiCaprio’s best role in his career. DiCaprio plays a betrayed, abandoned man who witnessed the worst pain a father can experience. The movie’s screenplay is based on some of the real life experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass, who had a bad run-in with a grizzly bear. The film also stars Tom Hardy, who was recently in Mad Max: Fury
Road. Both Hardy and DiCaprio have great careers to show their acting prowess. Their skill shows, and they immerse the audience in the time period and the dangers of the frontier. One can view the movie in a theater that is one hundred degrees, yet almost feel the cold snowy frontier air brush their face.
With the great movies that have come out in the past month, this month is looking to be a great year for movies. This year brings the sequel to Ben Stiller’s Zoolander in February, along with a heap of superhero movies. Many comic book fans are scared that new movies like Gambit and Doctor Strange will come out and ruin a superhero’s potential for a theatrical release, much like Daredevil starring Ben Affleck. Another change that a fanbase is weary of (as the release date approaches) is the new imagining of Ghostbusters, which many are afraid will ruin the Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd originals. Speculation can ruin a movie’s potential to hit the ground running, but if the movies are well made, they will succeed.
Photo Credit: The Weinstein Com -
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