The Paw Print Volume XXXVIX, Issue 4, January 2017

JANUARY 2017

the paw print BOCA RATON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

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@bocapawprint

Guide New Year’s resolutions

Students outraged with new PTL policy Lauren Pires News Editor

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The bandana debate

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The thirteenth zodiac

VOLUME XXXIX ISSUE IIII

A new policy is only allowing PTL’S to be issued during class changes in an attempt to reduce frequent class interruptions. Administration has received an influx of PTLs during the past semester. In order to maintain an orderly procedure, students must have a PTL in their possession to leave campus, which they can pick up before school or right between class changes.

“The PTL policy is that we would like them at least a day or two ahead, even two days is fine. But we ask that the time to dismiss is at the bell cycle,” said Ms. Amy. This strategy was enacted due to the abundant amount of PTL’s that continuously flow throughout the day. Having over three thousand students, tracking PTL’s is a task that student services is attempting to appease; however, many students are opposing this approach. This new policy also reinforces that students may not leave with a PTL in the middle of class.

“I think it’s a ridiculous rule because sometimes I have to leave school for the doctor and scheduling my appointments around the bell schedule is going to stress my mom out,” said senior Gianna Tulio.

Multiple students have shared how they felt about the new policy and there was an obvious disconnect between what students know about PTLs. Some are under the impression that PTLs do not count as an absence, but, even if a student has a PTL, it is considered an excused absence, (even for seniors). Also, the only way a student can obtain an excused absence from a PTL is if

they actually go in the next day and return it to student services.

Ms. Amy, an essential part of the administration, has created the new guidelines, that strive to improve overall academic attentiveness. The policy still requires parents to call a day in advance and for students to pick them up before school. This new addition was created by Ms. Amy after many teachers criticized the old policy due to class disruptions.

“This new policy puts me in a situation where I can either miss the whole class or half the class and I mean obviously I’m gonna leave earlier which will just put me behind in my classes. So, if this is really being done to help students I don’t really see much of the benefit,” said sophomore Zoe Rypl.

Although many students seem to fall on the other side of the spectrum, teachers have a different opinion on the issue.

“When students leave in the middle of class, they are missing imortant imformation that would tie the lesson together.

It also is a distraction to all of the other students and interrupts the lesson that is in progress,” said Geometry teacher, Ms. Lent.

Ms. Amy has assured students that they can come to class and pick up their makeup work in the mornings or during the beginning of class.

“PTLs are crazy, there are way too many.

We should keep it to where everyone is flowing, not coming in and out of a class,” said Ms. Amy. lpires.pawprint@gmail.com

In loving memory of Taylor Carlock

Danielle Worthalter Staff Writer Taylor Carlock was a senior at Boca High, she enjoyed cheerleading and lacrosse and was a part of the Boca High teams. She loved children and animals and spent much of her time volunteering for the Chesed Foundation cat and dog rescues.

Taylor was a free spirited girl and did things how she wanted. Her personality warmed the hearts of many and will never be forgotten.

“She was a very nice student. She definitely had a passion for yoga; it seemed to bring her peace and centered her.” said Ms. Payne, the yoga teacher at Boca High.

Taylor was loved by many, and will be held in the hearts of friends and family. dworthalter.pawprint@gmail.com

Leadership opens student store on campus pg. 6

Surviving a meet and greet

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Girl’s soccer Review

pg. 12

Leadership seniors Anna Gonedes and Tyra Jackson work at the school store for experience Maria Rodriguez Staff writer Boca High leadership has opened a school store on campus. The store is located in the gym lobby concession stand and is open during lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The store is run solely by Boca High students involved in student government and leadership, including senior Anna Gonedes, who is the lead on the project.

At the store, any Bobcat, either students or faculty is able to purchase items ranging from Bobcat t-shirts to sweatpants.

One thing to remember, as mentioned by Gonedes, is to be sure one has exact change.

As to the reasoning behind opening the school store, it’s all about promoting Bobcat spirit. The overall motive of the store is to “improve school spirit around Boca High”

said Gonedes. Because the store makes the gear readily available and easily accessible to students, more students have the chance and are more likely to purchase clothing.

Additionally, Gonedes mentioned that the school store allows students who miss ice cream socials and other Bobcat events to have the opportunity to get their Bobcat apparel on their own terms.

An “increase of school spirit and general support within the community will benefit Boca High in multiple aspects” senior Erin Francois, who works at the store, said.

There exists a correlation between school spirit and overall better academic performance and student engagement. An added bonus to opening the school store is that the increase in school spirit works its ways and translates onto other areas involving Boca High. “You would be sur-

The Paw Print // Maria Rodriguez prised how much buying a Bobcat shirt could do,” said Erin Francois.

“Not only does the school store provide students with the opportunity to get Bobcat apparel, but it also is beneficial to us leadership kids,” said Francois.

With students given the task of independently organizing and working the school store, they become increasingly accountable for their own actions. “We get to gain experience in responsibility,” said Francois.

The school store is a project that leadership and student government aims to continue improve and run at Boca High in their continuous efforts to promote spirit amongst the Boca High community. mrodriguez.pawprint@gmail.com

[ features ] The type of friends you need to be happy

The Paw Print January 2017

Jennifer Balbier Staff Writer Friends are undeniably important.

Whether you have twenty or two, to be happy, the types of friends you have are important. A lot of teens are just concerned with finding friends who they can party with or who are tolerable enough to sit with for thirty five minutes of lunch, but, they may want to see if they’ve encountered these five friends.

The friend who you think is the coolest person on earth. This is the person who tells you countless fabulous stories and sometimes you have no idea what they are talking about but you just want to hear them talk. They are up for all the things that you would’ve passed up. They brighten your day as soon as they come in the room, and they inspire you to be better. You admire everything about them from their outlook on life, to their dog, but you’re never jealous because this person lets you know they admire you just as much.

The wise one. Somehow this friend is wise beyond their years and knows the best thing to do in every situation. You go to them whenever you need advice and leave the conversation with new knowledge. They

can be brutally honest when they know you need to hear it (like that time you were going to text Brad because when you thought about it he wasn’t that bad, right?) but are never judgmental. You can wear your heart on your sleeve when you’re around them because they are your most trustworthy friend.

Your personal cheerleader, this is the friend that makes you feel like you deserve an award just for waking up in the morning. They are always encouraging you and showering you with compliments whenever you achieve something, even if it’s just that your outfit is on point. They are the first one you call whenever you have good news. This also friend knows just how to cheer you up whenever you have not so good news. This person always reminds you that you are great and gives you that warm feeling we all need.

The funniest person you know. This person has the best sense of humor and they make you, not just giggle, but full on ugly laugh. When you two get together there is never a dull moment. You have so many inside jokes that when you just look at them you laugh. They are so much fun to be around, you don’t know if you’ve ever even had a serious conversation with them. But

How to write an email to your teacher

Check your mailbox reguarly to see if your teacher responds to your email.

Maria Rodriguez/The Paw Print Maria Rodriguez Staff Writer French teacher Mme. Menchari is not happy about the fifteen emails received over late work.

Teachers, of course, are there to guide and support students throughout their educational career. Emails are a key factor in supporting that teacher-student relationship. The direct source of communication guarantees a higher chance of success. Although writing an email to a teacher seems like the simplest of tasks, most students would be surprised that there are in fact do’s and don’ts when asking a teacher a question about a grade or assignment.

Grammar is everyone’s best friend, and revising is a student’s best friend. Reading over your work to make sure what is being said makes sense or to recognize a misplaced comma is simply a formality. It’s equal to filtering through what one is going to say before it is said.

It’s important to be appropriate. In an email, students should make sure to talk to their teacher in a similar manner as they would in a face-to-face interaction.

The teacher reading your email about how you would like to know how on Earth your grade can be moved up three percent the day before grades are submitted to Edline, is the same same teacher whose class you sit in everyday. This is the biggest rule in email-writing, if you wouldn’t say or ask it in person, don’t say it over email.

On the other hand, don’t stray from the format and formality of an email. It’s similar to a letter in that you include a greeting as well as a proper closing. Before asking

about your grade in the class, make sure to open with a “good evening” and close off with a “sincerely” or “best regards.” Again, this is a formality.

Furthermore, when emailing a teacher, don’t demand. As a student, you should not want to come off as rude by sending an email with the subject heading “You didn’t tell us” with no greeting or closing, complaining about how there was an extra free response question on the past Friday’s test. It simply doesn’t set up for the warmest of responses. As well as it’s rude to your teacher. Your teacher is there to help you, they’re not plotting against you or your gpa.

Make sure to reference your teacher properly. Oftentimes, students forget that an email should be structured semi-formally. This means that students should refer to their teacher by their proper title of “Ms.” or ‘Mr.” On an everyday occasion, since you don’t call your teachers by their first names that definitely means that you shouldn’t be using it in an email.

Writing a basic email to a teacher has become a quickly decaying skill. There’s no denying that Boca High flourishes with close relationships between teachers and students, but it shouldn’t blur out the fact that they’re still your teachers, and should be treated that way. Know how to write your emails, kids. mrodriguez.pawprint@gmail.com

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that’s what’s so great about them, they just make you laugh and make you so happy.

The caregiver. This friend is kind of similar to “the wise one” and “your personal cheerleader,” except this is the friend you go to when instead of advice or encouragement you just want someone to talk to.

But beware, there is a difference between getting your feelings out and gossiping; if the only thing that connects you and your friend together is gossiping and being negative, end that relationship because if you’re not having fun, it’s just unhealthy.

The caregiver is also the parental figure type; they listen to you, with interest, about things no one else wants to hear about like how a character being killed off in your favorite show has emotionally impacted your life. They are the friend you bake cookies with, watch movies, or go to breakfast. The perfect way to describe them is sweet with a lot of heart.

Friends like these are the ones that make the bad days better and the good days greater.

Jbalbier.pawprint@gmail.com

Senior best friends Alexa Palermo, Samantha Martinez, and Gianna Herman couldn’t live without Jennifer Balbier/ The Paw Print each other.

70 years in remembrance Danielle Worthalter Staff Writer Holocaust survivor Nathan Steven Montrose arrived at Boca High on December 8th to speak about the genocide that happened over 70 years ago. He came to speak to the 10th grade AICE General Paper classes.

Ms.Betances organized the speaker to come speak to the students after they had finished reading the book, “Night.”

“My students loved the book and I wanted to make the experience of the Holocaust come alive for them,” Ms.Betances states.

Nathan Montrose is a survivor of the concentration camps, and was one of the few children who was able to leave Germany and immigrate to the United States.

In his introduction, Montrose projected a picture of himself at 5 years old. He looked happy here, and bundled in a coat that he would later explain was the only source of warmth he had over the next few years. He has spread his story around the globe, and many students, including Boca High sophomores, were grateful to hear it.

Montrose and his family were split up at the beginning of the war. He and his father began to run from Nazi Germany, hiding within ghettos and scrambling for food.

Eventually, the Nazi patrols caught up to them and put them onto an overcrowded train heading to the labor camps.

Montrose explained that the train cars smelled of urine and the sound of crying could be heard from miles away. On the way to Ravensbrück, the concentration camp in Northern Germany where Montrose would spend the next nine months, his father was sent to another camp.

Ravensbrück was a women’s concentration camp along with a killing camp “where you could smell burning flesh,” according to Montrose.

Unethical medical experiments were done on the women at Ravensbrück, often killing them. As a child, Montrose was sent here along with his aunt who raised him.

Montrose recalls scavenging for food by stealing and picking roots right off the ground. He slept on mattresses infested with lice and often urinated through the sheets out of fear.

After months of staying in the labor camp, the Russian army soon liberated the camp and Montrose was able to reunite with his father. Nathan Montrose was sent to England and eventually New York City with the help of his father. During the presentation, Montrose expressed his love for the United States and the solace that it has since brought him.

At six years old, Montrose remembers an experience with the Russian soldiers,

Mr. Montrose meeting young students after his speech.

Danielle Worthalter//The Paw Print as it was Montrose’s first time drunk. Over the years, his dependency on alcohol soon caught up to him and put him in a rehabilitation center. Now eighty, Nathan Steven Montrose stood in front of a group of teenagers to tell them he’d been sober for over three decades.

“Montrose’s speech made me realize to live my life to the fullest and to not take it for granted,” sophomore Peter Senatus said.

The experiences that Nathan Montrose encountered are life changing. He spoke to students at Boca High in hopes of inspiring them to reflect on their own lives.

Jordan Mooney, a student at Boca High, said that Montrose speaking about his experiences “impacted me and made me feel like I am able to be a part of his history.”

Although 70 years have passed since the Holocaust, the effects of discrimination and antisemitism are still seen today.

Nathan Steven Montrose was able to share with students the aftermath of a country is built on the grounds of hate. With only a few survivors if the genocide left, students end to forget just how impactful the Holocaust was and still is.

“To see them interact with Steven was such an amazing experience. They even took selfies with him,” Ms. Betances said.

It’s for this exact reason that Montrose’s visit was so important for students to witness because through the Nathan Montrose’s story lives on. They felt extremely thankful to be able to talk to Mr. Montrose. dworthalter.pawprint@gmail.com

[ features ]

The Paw Print January 2017

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New year’s resolutions: more than just the gym

Melissa Topel & Madison Lynn Centerspread Editor & Features Editor Before you go get your new LA Fitness membership, maybe you should take into consideration the overlooked issues surrounding New Year resolutions.

The idea of New Year’s resolutions is cordial in its nature. Whenever someone says they don’t have a New Year’s resolution, they often get an open-ended stare with an underlying tone of judgement. The fact is, we all judge someone who doesn’t make New Year’s resolutions. These people seem stuck in their ways or unwilling to participate in a beloved cultural tradition.

This just furthers the hypocrisy of New Year’s resolutions. The fact is that we judge others for not participating in something that we will all soon abandon.

The abandonment doesn’t lie in the idea of New Year’s resolutions but in the execution of them. If someone needs to wait until the first day of the new year, when all their best friends and favorite TODAY show host are out getting a gym membership, they probably don’t even really want one. It’s the chameleon effect. The fact that every-

LA Fitness offers keychains for easy gym access. one you know is doing it, along with the fact that an exercise routine is extremely beneficial for your health, prompts you to do it as well.

It’s even harder to fade into healthy diets when you’ve spent the last two weeks eating sugar cookies and spent the previous night

Beginners guide to body language Jennifer Balbier Staff Writer The way we interact with one another goes far beyond the spoken word. Body language alone can say much more because it reveals a person’s inner thoughts and a pro in body language reading can help find out what people are really saying.

The Paw Print

1510 NW 15th Court Boca Raton, FL 33486 The Paw Print provides a forum for student expression at BRHS. All material produced & published is copyright 2016-2017.

No part of this work may be reproduced without the written consent. The opinions do not reflect the views of the BRHS staff or the PBCSD. Valeria Munoz & Gary Putnik Editors-in-Chief Lauren Pires News Editor Madison Lynn Features Editor Juliette Armsworthy Opinion Editor Anastasia Ivanova Entertainment Editor Melissa Topel Centerspread Editor Michael Bidun Sports Editor Nathaniel Hopwood, Jorge Soares-Paulino, Emily Pravel Copy Editors Alexandre Pagani Business Manager Bredi Aranya, Jennifer Balbier, Hannah Mason, Hannah Oakland, Savanna Pear, Maria Rodriguez, Eddie Witherspoon, Danielle Worthalter Staff Writers Ms. Camile Betances Adviser

Loves you: Notice when you walk into a room and raises their eye brows: that means they are happy to see you. People who lower their eyebrows when they see you, may think you’re less than on fleek. When you start a conversation with someone, if their pupils get bigger that means they like you!

Of course if someone has dark eyes it’s safe to assume they’re in love with you. Look at pictures of yourself smiling posed and then candid, can you notice the difference?

Distinguish a real smile from a fake one by looking for lines around the eyes. If someone mirrors your body language unconsciously, for instance, resting their arms the same as yours they think you’re interesting. And, if someone goes from being the hunchback of Notre-Dame to facing you with perfect posture they pretty much want to marry you.

Loves you not: Since most people don’t blurt out, “you’re uncomfortable and annoying,” (probably because it’s what we’d say to one another 75% of the time,) look for these indicators for when someone’s just not that in to you. If someone puts an object between you, like a bag or a cup, they are trying to create more space or a barrier between you. It shows they feel withdrawal from you and are emotionally and literally putting up a wall.

Since the neck has many nerve endings, sometimes when someone is uncomfortable they will rub their neck or play with a necklace as it slows heart rate. People also will tend to cover their wrists. When you see someone do this try to reassure them that things are okay or change the topic to dogs.

When someone has checked out of a conversation their feet will be pointed away from you. Let them leave and go find a new person to chat with.

And finally, if you tell someone news and they seem to freeze for a second that means they are not sure how they feel and are analyzing the situation. They could still give you a positive response but they may not be as “chill with it” as you think they are.

Picking up on these cues can help improve our relationships and conversations with the people around us, or you could just text them. jbalbier.pawprint@gmail.com

Melissa Topel// The PawPrint

drinking your weight in ounces of sparkling apple cider (that is, if you kept New Year’s eve classy).

Furthermore, if you truly don’t want to diet or exercise, it becomes more of an obligation than a resolution. Something you are forcing yourself to do rather than some-

thing you genuinely want to change — and there is no fun in that.

We make New Year’s resolutions to try and feel better about ourselves by picking out something in our lives and planning to change or improve it. The problem with this mentality is that we place so much hope and energy into believing the saying “New year, new me.” Except, you don’t need to wait a whole entire year to change something about yourself. If you wake up one day and want to start eating healthy, don’t wait months until it’s the next year just to change your diet, start that day. The same goes for wanting to be a better person.

We place so much on one day of the year to declare to ourselves and others that “this is the year,” and “it’s going to be different this time.” Meanwhile everyone knows in the back of their minds that in a week’s time, we will all fall back into our old ways like the creatures of habit that we are. mtopel.pawprint@gmail.com mlynn.pawprint@gmail.com

Top 5 conspiracy theories Hannah Oakland Staff Writer Often times following tragic or unbelievable events, people create alternate and sinister explanations. From politics to aliens, there are hundreds of conspiracy theories for almost any major event known to man. But there are five fairly profound ones that have crossed the mind of most Americans at least once in their lifetimes.

The controversy surrounding aliens has been around since the first publicized “sighting” in 1947 by businessman Kenneth Arnold. Since then, speculations have arose about how much the United States government really knows about the existence of extraterrestrial life. Area 51 has been shrouded in secrecy and has been connected with the government cover-up of aliens.

Since no civilian has ever made it into the top secret military base, theories can only be based upon former military personnel.

Some theories strongly claim that the historic moon landing on July 20, 1969 never actually happened because, in the photos taken from the moon, the shadows appear to be like shadows seen on a Hollywood film set. This conspiracy theory concludes that NASA as well as other film and design industries, such as FOX Studio, helped create this elaborate hoax in an effort to trick the United States into thinking we had accomplished something that we hadn’t really done.

The tragic assassination of former president John F. Kennedy, has always been a hot topic for conspiracy theorists as the event that took place on November 22, 1963 has so many missing links for a logical explanation. According to the most popular theory, most witnesses were either silenced or threatened to not discuss what truly happened that fateful day. It is also believed that the Soviets had an underlying motive for killing Kennedy. The infamous Babushka Lady and a number of cameramen simply disappeared after the assassination leading theorists to believe that not only could communist motives be behind this tragedy, but the CIA as well. Many believe that the CIA saw Kennedy as a threat because he may have revealed some government secrets. Whoever was really behind this murder and whatever the reason, this tragedy should have never happened.

The newest of conspiracies include the 2016 Presidential election being rigged by the Russians. This theory states that the United States electronic voting system was hacked by Russia (or another unknown attacker) for their own future benefits. President Elect Donald Trump even said himself,

Is this man a lizard? We may never know. //Google in a tweet that “The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest.” Theorists claim that the President Elect may have been foreshadowing a cyber-attack on the United States to influence the 2016 Presidential election. Whether or not Americans agree with the election results or not, it is still scary to think this kind of influential attack could ever be accomplished.

The biggest and most well-known conspiracy theory of all is the infamous group called the Illuminati. Identified mostly by finding triangular shapes in everyday life, conspiracy theorists theorize that the Illuminati is part of the “new world order.” It is often believed that major world leaders, celebrities, notable wealthy businessmen, and even musicians are all part of the secret international organization. Within this organization, decisions about population control, world powers, and world health are made. The Illuminati is said to be a limitless and ruthless organization that is behind every major event that ever happens in the world.

-Whether or not you believe conspiracy theories, it is very interesting to think about another, more unconventional side of the story. With similar “conspiracy theories,” such as the mind control experiment MK-ULTRA, or the Watergate Affair, not all theories are false. However, only time will tell if what we thought we knew turned out to be an elaborate coverup.

hoakland.pawprint@gmail.com

Aries Mar 21-Apr 19

Taurus Apr 20-May 20

Gemini Mary 21-Jun 20

Cancer Jun 21-Jul 22

Leo Jul 23-Aug 22

Virgo Aug 23-Sep 22

Melissa Topel Centerspread Editor

If your birthday falls anywhere between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17, you are no longer a Sagittarius. Instead, you have been assigned to the new zodiac sign, Ophiuchus (that’s if you want to believe all of the news going around). Consequently, many signs have been shifted, but is this thirteenth zodiac sign really going to affect our entire identities?

The Internet went crazy earlier this year when NASA announced a thirteenth zodiac sign. Articles circulating everywhere claimed that NASA had ruined our lives by “updating” the astrological signs. However, there are so many things wrong with such a claim.

Let’s get this clear, NASA has not ruined our lives because our zodiac signs have not changed. So for anyone who has a zodiac-related tattoo, you can relax. Zodiac signs are based off of the constellations that the Sun passes through every year. These zodiacal constellations have been around for as long as astrologers can date back and there has actually always been more than twelve of them. In fact, according to the International Planetarium Society, there are 21 constellations: Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricornus, Cetus, Corvus, Crater, Gemini, Hydra, Leo, Libra, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pegasus, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Scutum, Sextans, Taurus, and Virgo.

Ophiuchus is considered the thirteenth because of its size, but astrologers choose to ignore it. This whole ordeal started when NASA’s kid-friendly website, SpacePlace, updated an old article about zodiac constellations. The person who started all of this fake news came across this article and must have misunderstood it, because in no way does it say anything about NASA adding a new zodiac sign. Instead, NASA simply listed all of the constellations and their corresponding zodiac signs, including Ophiuchus. So in essence, NASA didn’t change or add anything, they simply made us aware of a constellation that has existed forever.

It’s also probably fair to mention that Astrology isn’t even a science, it’s a pseudoscience.

This means that while many believe it to be a true science, it has no foundation in the scientific constellation of Ophiuchus is the only sign of the Zodiac method. So even though it’s fun to read our horoscopes and check the compatibility of our sign The which is linked to a real man. with our crush’s, there’s no need to lose sleep over this “new zodiac sign.” // Google Images mtopel.pawprint@gmail.com

Madison Lynn Features Editor Sagittariuses: By nature, Sagittariuses are adventurers. Their sign is an arrow which is symbolic of their drive. They enjoy to travel and learn. They are honest, optimistic, and easygoing. They have introverted tendencies and are usually emotionally distant until they get to know someone. However, once they are around close friends that are the life and laugh of the party.

Sagittarius: Brad Pitt, Katherine Heigl, Sam L. Jackson, Taylor Swift Capricorns: Capricorn is probably the sign of every class valedictorian. Capricorns are pragmatic, prudent, and quite frankly, a little pessimistic. Though this negative view usually comes from their complete understanding about the world around them. Capricorns are realistic but that doesn’t stop them from working as hard as they possibly can to meet their end goal.

Capricorns: Martin Luther King Jr, Stephen Hawking, Charo Aquarius: Aquarians are wallflowers. They are youthful yet independent spirits. Aquarians are sociable, friendly, and loyal. Though they may come off as emotionally detached, it isn’t something to worry about because they are loyal creatures at heart. They are often good listeners who provide intellectually stimulating conversations.

Aquarians: Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Pisces: Pisceans are practically perfect in every way. This is because they are compassionate, kind, imaginative, and selfless. However, they are also secretive, and weak-willed, Pisces ultimately desire to escape reality. At heart, they are creative and caring individuals that usually thrive in artistic or musical occupations. Just having a small conversation with a Pisces will be immensely thoughtful or philosophical.

Pisceans: Albert Einstein, Nina Simone, Elizabeth Taylor Aries: Attributed to the Greek god of War, Aries is the masculine sign. This means that Aries tend to be confident, assertive, and impulsive. They strive for the stars and refuse to reach anyway less than utter success. Aries are enthusiastic and energetic and are most likely to lead a friend-group or class project (even if it isn’t called for).

Aries: Charlie Chaplin, Emma Watson, Diana Ross, Leonardo da Vinci Taurus: Taureans are the peaceful, patient bull. Though it may seem contradictory, so are Tauruses. They are reliable but inflexible, warmhearted but resentful. Nonetheless, they are joyful, hilarious, and loving individuals. Taureans are stable and soft. No matter your sign, Taureans will remain constant in your life through the tough times.

Taureans: Salvador Dali, Adele, Mark Zuckerburg, Tina Fey Geminis: If you ask Tumblr, they’ll say Geminis are two-faced jerks. And that is far from true. Geminis do tend to have two personalities but it isn’t a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation; rather, Geminis’ dual personality comes from their natural versatility. And although each Gemini’s duality can vary. All under this sign are intellectual, inquisitive, and lively. They are the most likely to brighten your day with their bubbly personality (after all, Elle Woods was a Gemini!)

Geminis: Marilyn Monroe (or Norma Jean, talk about a dual personality!), Queen Victoria, Kanye West Cancers: Cancerians are crybabies. Okay Cancers, before you start to cry, know that being a “crybaby” isn’t a bad thing. In fact, Cancer’s sensitivity and intuition make them uniquely empathetic.

Cancers are ruled by the moon and therefore, are the most feminine and maternal of the signs. Because of this, they are intuitive, imaginative, and introverted.

Cancers: Princess Diana, Frida Kahlo, Malala Yousafzai, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Leos: Leos are always in the spotlight. They are bossy, outgoing, and broad-minded. But don’t let Leos loud personality scare you, they are caring and consoling leos. Leos are the most loyal of all the zodiac signs and will always stand by you, even if they steal the spotlight.

Leos: J.K. Rowling, Kylie Jenner, Barack Obama, Neil Armstrong, Lucille Ball, Jackie O Virgos: Virgos aren’t virgins. Well, not in the 21st century way. In the roman roots of astrology, virgos were associated with the virgin, or unmarried woman, because of their independence.

Virgos are diligent, modest, and analytical. They are innately helpful, although somewhat overcritical but that is only because they are perfectionists.

Virgos: Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Twiggy, Bernie Sanders Libras: Libras are flirts. They are romantic, charming, and idealistic. They are represented by the balance but are characteristic indecisive and easily influenced. Libras are sociable, melodramatic, and fashionable individuals that are an absolute delight to have around. Just imagine a beauty vlogger, Nicholas Sparks’s novel character, and a pinterest board roled into one coherent person.

Libras: (also known as scandalous celebrities): Kim Kardashian, Oscar Wilde, Julie Andrews (basically, god’s gift to humanity), Carrie Fisher Scorpios: Scorpios are a force to be reckoned with. They are passionate, compulsive, and powerful individuals. Out of the three water signs, they are the most head-strong and probably they only one to be crying and planning revenge at the same time. Still, they are some of the best friends you’ll ever make, not only are they sympathetic and soft-hearted, they will stick up for you. Scorpios are truly magnetic people.

Hillary Clinton, RuPaul, Georgia O’Keefe, Joe Biden, Julia Roberts, Kris Jenner mlynn.pawprint@gmail.com

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Libra ep 23-Oct 22

Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21

Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18

Pisces Feb 19-Mar 20

Jennifer Balbier Staff Writer

Lauren Pires News Editor

Ever wonder why you and your middle school soul mate never worked out, or how your besties always seem so in sync? It may have something to do with your zodiac compatibility. Each sign brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the table, but when you can find the one that compliments you best, you should never let them go.

Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra: Geminis and Libras will help Aquarians to soften up and get in touch with their emotions. Aquarians and Libra’s easy going and balanced nature can easily keep up with Gemini’s ever changing personalities. Over the top Libras will depend on these signs to bring them back down to Earth when their dramatics start. These creative signs will bond with over love of the arts and their witty sense of humor. Libras and Geminis both can’t make a decision, even, if their lives depended on it, so it will take hours deciding where to eat.

Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio: Cancers and Scorpios will help Pisces cope when they are let down by their more dreamy view of life. Pisces’s compassion and Scorpio’s strength can get Cancers through any mood. Scorpios will look to these signs for guidance when they feel like stinging the rest of the world. These signs are deep thinkers and can have the most passionate relationships.

Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius: Leos and Sagittarius both move on easily when Aries becomes too hot headed. Aries and Sagittarius can be understanding when Leo’s egos get a little inflated. Sagittarius knows that their co-fire signs will always let it go when they say something not so appropriate. These signs have so much energy together, they could run the school. They share the lime light and bond through going out together night after night.

Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo: Capricorns and Virgos help Taurus to loosen up their stubborn horns. Capricorns are brought down to earth by these signs when they get a little condescending. Finally, Taurus and Capricorns help Virgos relax and not worry so much.

These signs can spread their ideas and create beautiful things.

In astrology, there is something called polarities, or the sign that is the exact opposite of you. These can actually make really well significant others. The polarities for each sign are; Aquarius=Leo, Pisces=Virgo, Aries=Libra, Taurus=Scorpio, Gemini=Sagittarius, Cancer=Capricorn.

Water, Earth, Fire, and Air: These four elements are extremely related to our zodiac signs. Each sign is categorized into four sections, and a person’s corresponding zodiac can predict certain aspects of his or her personality.

As one may expect, fire signs are the most unpredictable. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius all fall under this element. Basically, fire signs are like the crazy neighbor who gets home at 2 AM after a night of partying down Atlantic Avenue. These party animals have dynamic personalities and are the most passionate types of the zodiac. They have an adventurous mindset and aren’t afraid to get into trouble if it means they can protect the people they care about. The typical stereotype of Leos being self-centered actually derives from the elements. Fire signs have a strong love for themselves, and like fire, they have no regard for others if it means they’ll become stronger.

Cancers, Scorpios, and Pisces all fall under water signs. These signs are the most emotional, their behavior varying like sea level and sometimes flooding out of control. Since water is pretty much one of the most essential elements, water signs are usually good at speaking with and helping others. These signs are the shoulder you go to cry on when you’re sad or just need someone to be around. They use their empathy by holding their friends like a warm blanket. Water signs are one of the easiest people to talk to and like being deeply involved with others.

Scorpio’s relate to strong, flowing rivers, being full of energy, and are all about having self-control.

Earth signs are total hippies. They’re peaceful, down to Earth, and one of the most stable signs. Taurus, Virgos, and Capricorns are all about self-growth, just like Jack’s beanstalk. Earth signs have the most stable lifestyle and never want to change. These zodiac signs get their stubbornness from the Earth, wanting to keep their solid foundation.

Capricorns have the most symbolic status because they are represented by lower earth. This sign relates the closest to Earth, having many different personality traits just like Earth has many diverse depths and summits.

Air signs are filled with mystery. The air isn’t tangible, it’s something you can’t see but is still extremely vital. Geminis, Libras, and Aquarius have very advanced thinking, usually with their heads in the clouds.

These signs are almost as unpredictable as fire signs, sometimes creating a hurricane, but other times creating a cool breeze. Just like air, these signs can’t be contained or restricted. They have strong opinions and tend to be right. They’re great problem solvers and very mental oriented.

Zodiac signs are very powerful in our society and may feel like an accurate representations for our identities. Of course, these horoscopes aren’t science and not everyone will fit into these characteristics, but learning the underlying factors show that our signs are more complex than we may think. lpires.pawprint@gmail.com

Jbalbier.pawprint@gmail.com

[ opinion ]

The Paw Print January 2017

The great bandana debate: a school-wide controversy Jennifer Balbier Staff Writer

When I started doing research for this article, I expected to see dozens of articles outraged on how not allowing bandanas in school is conforming or that it unconsciously sends the wrong message to our young minds. And I was going to act like I was outraged too. Of all my years of Googling I had never been more disappointed, there was nothing. No plagiarism for me.

Nobody really seems to care about this topic. We all seem to collectively agree that wearing a bandana in school is just not something one does. Except for a few girls on the internet who were extremely annoyed that their totally cute outfit was ruined when their “uncool” administrators made them take them off. Bandanas are banned because of their gang affiliation and because they can be considered disrespectful like hats, hoods, and other head coverings. Different colors can represent different gangs and with over 3,000 of us, administration doesn’t have time to whip out their handy dandy color swatch to see if you’re safe or not.

Do I think that there’s anybody at Boca High wearing these because they’re gang members? Of course not, it’s just us Boca

High kids loving to make a fashion statement. But just because for students it’s just fashion, the administration is just trying to enforce dress code policy that is implemented and practically nationwide.

In a perfect world, everyone would be able to wear whatever they want without being judged or misinterpreted. We also would be able to take less than half hour to agree on what to watch on Netflix. Unfortunately, we aren’t there yet but that doesn’t

mean we have to have an uprising and shout “free the bandanas,” from the roof top. Remember, you can always be stylish on the weekends or starting at 3:21 PM. Also, in the times we live in today there are more pressing issues to be concerned about, like world hunger or who your zodiac sign is most compatible with.

Jbalbier.pawprint@gmail.com

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Required classes can pose barriers to students’ creativity Alex Pagani Business Manager

Wearing bandanas at school may never become a reality, but this is a fashion statement that you can still show off when the final bell rings.

Jennifer Balbier // The Paw Print

ACCREDITED BY THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & SCHOOLS

Tutoring SAT/ACT Prep Courses for Credit College Counseling

Every student has been in the position where they have had the sheet of all Boca High’s classes in front of them and felt the excitement of having the freedom to choose the classes that would make their next year the best one yet. However, that sense of freedom quickly fades when students read the fine print on the sheet, or worse, get their class choices rejected.

High school is arguably one of the most defining ages of everyone’s lives. Many discover their passions and career choices in high school, and therefore want to choose classes that correspond to their interests so that they can learn more about what they love.

Schools seem to have no issue with promoting the idea that students are all unique, yet force all students into generalized class schedules and leave niche classes to be regular elective credits. This is an extremely detrimental view on how classes should be structured because it’s essentially telling students that want to succeed academically that the only way to do that is to take high-level core classes. Students have to make an extremely difficult decision every year: take classes that they are passionate about or take classes that will make their report card more attractive to colleges. In an age of ever-competitive college admissions, students basically have no choice to take classes that the school determines makes them a “good student.”

Even if a student makes the conscious decision to sacrifice his or her HPA in order to take their favorite classes, they’re still limited by the fact that there are many classes that every student must take in order to be allowed to graduate. Someone passionate about the arts is still forced to take science classes that will never be of benefit to them. A keen mathematics student is still required to take classes in history. Generalized class schedules greatly limit the student’s say in what they get to learn and do with their high school careers. This is a major component of what education reformers claim is the issue with today’s education; Students are pushed into all the same classes, severely depleting their individuality and becoming just “another cog in the machine.”

Of course, diversity in what we learn is essential. Being a well-rounded individual has its uses for all career paths. There should always be core classes that allow high schoolers who aren’t sure of what career they want to pursue to explore. The danger here is when the amount of required classes and the kinds of classes that are required start posing a barrier to students’ interests.

It’s the job of all educators not only to teach, but to nurture the natural and acquired talents of today’s generation to ensure everyone has the knowledge and ability to work in their desired field by the time they graduate. By doing that, students will be happier, motivated, and more productive in school and beyond.

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Entertainment ] [Survivng a “Meet and Greet”: Do’s and Don’ts Valeria Munoz Editor-in-Chief Meet and Greets, the single most important event a fangirl anticipates after a concert. First impressions, in this instance, are a make it or break it kind of deal. Most of the time meet and greets only last a few minutes, make that seconds for the teen pop sensations. In order to ensure that one has left a lasting positive impression on the celebrity rather than an embarrassing one, preparation is key. Thus, consider these tips before venturing past the curtain.

Do have a pose in mind: Have your pose ready to avoid nerves getting the best of you. Pose ideas are available on Google if you don’t want to resort to the overused prom pose. One thing is for sure, don’t go in expecting to use your phone to record the meeting or take selfies with Shawn Mendes as it depends on the artist’s management.

In some meet and greets, they may take your phone and belongings away during the meeting and return it to you afterwards.

However, you may have the chance to ask

the person directly before you or after you in line to record the meeting on your phone. If the artist is just starting out in his career they may allow fans to take pictures on their phones. For those that have a large fan base, the artist will have an assigned photographer to speed up the meet and greet and you will be able to see the picture within a day or two on the band or artist’s website.

Don’t be starstruck: Granted it may be difficult to anticipate your reaction when Demi Lovato or Ed Sheeran is only a few feet away, but treat them as you would treat a friend. Don’t be hesitant to approach them and avoid gawking at them. After all, they are people too.

Do stay calm: After posing, start talking to the celebrity or singer because time is precious and limited at meet and greets.

Begin a short conversation with them by either complimenting the artist’s work, mentioning your favorite songs, or asking them a question. The question can range from their album to personal quirks. For instance, Ariana Grande is a diehard Harry

Potter fan, and if it interests you to know which Hogwarts house she was sorted into, don’t be afraid to ask. However, try to steer clear from questions that are too personal or have already been answered in interviews. Be original but respectful with the questions you think up.

Don’t overthink it: When it comes to choosing your outfit, if you are stuck between looking fancy and being comfortable, choose comfort. Since waiting in line for the meet and greets’ start may be from one to three hours, depending on the fan base and demand for the artist. Try to find an “in between” outfit, one that is both dressy and comfortable to wear if you are seriously indecisive.

Overall, when meeting the celebrity, be present. Try to take in every detail because the moment may be brief. The last thing you want is to miss what Shawn Mendes or Selena Gomez said to you because you were focused on not tripping. vmunoz.pawprint@gmail.com

Senior Valerie Boukzam,and Analiza Garcia rocks her Meet and Greet with members of R5 before the concert at the Count De Hoernle Amphitheater.

Will Bolton //R5Rocks.com

Amazon’s Echo Dot is small but smart Alex Pagani Buisness Manager Just a few years ago, the smart home was a concept seen only in science fiction movies. Having lights, speakers, thermostats, locks, robots, and many other connected devices work together leads to an easier and more enjoyable lifestyle at home.

While the cost of much of this hardware is still absurdly high, Amazon took the first step to making a smart home affordable and appealing with their new Echo Dot. It features Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa, whose abilities are seemingly endless.

The only difference between the $180 Echo and the $50 Echo Dot is the speaker.

The original Echo comes with a large and powerful speaker while the intent of the Dot is to be connected to existing speakers via aux cord. However in my experience, the Dot comes with a good enough speaker for use within smaller rooms, such as a bedroom. No compromises were made with the actual functionality of Alexa.

What can Alexa do that justifies buying

it? I’ll walk through a usual day with the Echo Dot on my desk in my room. In the morning before going to school, I ask Alexa what the weather and news is in a conversational manner. There isn’t one specific way to ask Alexa to do something, so I can ask “What does the weather look like?” “What’s the weather?” and “What temperature is it?” while still getting the same result and not confusing Alexa. Another neat feature for those who like to stay updated is the Flash Briefing, a customizable news feed that Alexa can deliver in a few minutes.

Some other functionalities include setting alarms, playing music, controlling other smart home products (Nest Learning Thermostat, Philips Hue, etc.), and even learning third-party “skills,” certain commands created by other companies and developers. My favorite skill enables Alexa to even order pizza for you if you ask it to.

I was very impressed with the voice recognition of the Dot. There are seven microphones packed into the tiny device that can pick up your commands clearly from across

the room. A small issue that I personally experienced is that because of my name, other people that are talking to me in my room can sometimes trigger Alexa on accident.

Then again, this is only an issue if you have a name similar to Alexa’s.

The Echo Dot is the device aimed at bringing the rest of us into the future. Amazon is constantly working on making Alexa more functional and effective, rolling out updates to make Alexa better even for those with older Echo devices (this review is on the second-generation Echo Dot). I’d recommend the Dot to anyone curious about the smart home concept or simply wants to feel like Tony Stark from Iron Man on a daily basis.

If you have any business inquiries or would like to purchase an ad, contact Alex Pagani at: apagani.pawprint@gmail.com

The Paw Print January 2017

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Kanye, J. Cole, and Chance headline 2016’s top rappers Nate Hopwood Staff Writer 2016 can be regarded as one of the most influential years in hip-hop. New artists have propelled themselves to stardom and mercenaries of the hip-hop realm have proven that they still have what it takes to create fire. There are countless mixtapes and albums that allowed us to reimagine the possibilities that hip-hop has to offer.

2016 introduced many of us to some of the games fairly young artists such as No Name, Tory Lanez, Mick Jenkins, Vic mensa, Chance The Rapper, Rae Shurmman, Desiigner and Bas. However, new artists were not the only ones to make their mark on 2016. Some of Hip Hop’s veterans returned and made us remember why they will go down in history.

Artists such as Kanye West, Kamaal Fareed, Jarobi White, Malik Taylor, Snoop Dog, De La Soul, and Common all had albums that broke the Internet. One could never say there wasn’t enough music to listen to last year because the bodies of work being produced by each artist was plenty.

Last year not only had collaborations made in heaven to give birth to some of the most epic tracks in hip-hop history, but also held up some of the rap game’s controversy between artists. J. Cole is one example of a bombshell artist who rocked the boat for many rappers. J. Cole threw shots at rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, or “little whatever” as J. Cole would refer to it. Whether it be subliminal blows between Kendrick Lamar and Drake; or outright diss tracks between Meek Mill and Drake, 21 Savage vs Tyga, Lil Wayne vs Birdman, Joe Budden vs. Drake; nearly all rappers had some friction with one another in the year 2016.

But with tensions also comes resolution.

Many artist in the rap genre had amazing collaborations. Chance and Jerimih released Merry Christmas Little Mamma, DJ Khalid collaborated with nearly the entire roster of hip hop to release Major Key, and Drake collaborated with 21 Savage to release Sneakin’.

Hip-hop not only had some of the best albums of 2016 it has some of the most historic mixtapes the world has ever bared witness to. Mixtapes like Joey Purps’ iiiDrop; Chance the Rapper’s, Coloring Book; Telefone, by Noname; and 1992 by Princess Nokia were all getting recognition as if they were full length albums. The past year can be seen as history in the making for some artist. Artists like Taylor Bennet, Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Boogie, Token, and Vince Staples had breakthroughs to a much bigger stage. Chance the Rapper broke records and after releasing his third project, he received several Grammy Nominations.

Thanks to hip-hop, many people have been able to voice their joys, frustrations, and hardships through a platform the whole has changed for the better. With the plethora of artists racing out of the gates in 2016 it’s nearly impossible to keep naming all the artist who contributed to hip-hop’s growing diversity.

And with 2017, comes a year full of possibilities. Hip-hop will only continue to evolve, the question is whether it will continue its progress.

nhopwood.pawprint@gmail.com

The Dot is an intelligent assistant… and looks the part too (Turbofuture.com)

//Google Images

sports ] [Baseball team looks to regain former glory AM

Danielle Worthalter Staff Writer

Dilbert states that the team “is like a brotherhood,” and that the boys spend their time on and off the field together. He explains that this chemistry is what will bring the team together and push them far

Vista. The season starts February 24th against Chaminade-Madonna.

The Bobcat Varsity Baseball team findworthalter.pawprint@gmail.com ished off their 2016 season with a record of 17-7, getting much needed offense from Anthony Acino and Zach Zientarski as well as solid pitching from Jager McCoy and Dalton Senger.

The team ended the season with a heartbreaking loss to Santaluces in the division semi-final, after previously beating them in a district game just weeks before.

“Last year we had thirteen seniors who we ended up losing.

It is going to be very challenging to come back from that loss,” Brendan Hughes states.

The team is excited to start off their 2017 season with a whole new dynamic. The Bobcats have changed quite a bit from last year as Last season Captain Austin Dilbert goes 2-2 with 2 runs in a 16-2 victory over Olympic Heights. // Mr. Sweeten many seniors have left, and a lot of new in the season. players have joined, such as Jon Young “Everyone on the team loves each other, and Andrew Capeller who look to boost the we joke around with each other. We hand Bobcats offensive presence. New Pitchers out after school, before school, and during Alex Creighton and Ryan Lashley hope to practice we always have a great time,” said add much needed stability in the pen since Hughes. former Bobcats Dalton Senger and Jager Baseball begins in late February, and McCoy have left. the team is preparing for a long season that Senior Austin Dilbert and Junior Brenis up to five months. During the offseason, dan Hughes lead the team this year. Addiplayers have individual workouts and contionally, returning members of the team are ditioning to stay in shape for the hot and welcomed by a new coach, Alex Pepe. Prihumid Florida weather. By doing so, the or to this season, Alex Pepe was the Head team is prepared for their season to begin.

Coach of Junior Varsity, and the Varsity The team is especially looking forward team was excited to have him coaching the to playing their biggest rival in the upcomteam this year. ing season, Park Vista High School, whom “Coach Pepe makes sure we are having the Bobcats beat 11-7 last March. The team fun and that we stay interested in what we plans on continuing their wins against Park are learning,” states Hughes.

Girls’ varsity soccer firing on all cylinders put up to win a game. This season the girls’ margin of victory sits at about 4.6 goals.

“Having [a solid defense] that allows us to go forward and attack easily as a team allows us to capitalize on our opportunities,” said LaPorte.

The Lady Bobcats began their postseason run as the no.1 seed in District 12-5A, after making quick work of Coral Springs High in a 6-0 win in the district semifinals, the girls took on cross-town rival Spanish River in the district finals. This game was another blowout, as the girls beat the Sharks 7-0, led by junior Kendra Cashion who was able to score three times for the hat trick.

Their next matchup will be in the regional quarterfinals, where the girls will take on Palm Beach Central, a team the Lady ‘Cats have already beaten 7-0 earlier this season. gputnik.pawprint@gmail.com After beating Spanish River in the district finals, the girls secured their secon d district title in the last two seasons. // Mr. Sweeten

Gary Putnik Editor in Chief After falling just short of the 5A state tournament with a tough 3-1 loss to Park Vista in the regional semifinals last season, the girls’ varsity soccer team finished the season with a (23-4) record in 2015-16. But this year the Lady ‘Cats have steamrolled through their competition all the way to a perfect (19-0) regular season.

“The camaraderie between the girls and the dedication each girl gives to bettering themselves and the team is on the next level,” says senior Savanna LaPorte

Along the way this season, the girls have scored a total of 93 goals, while only giving up 5 in their 19 regular season matches.

Their most impressive win came when they took down a one loss Wellington team, 3-1 at Boca High earlier this January.

In terms of defense, led by senior keeper Ali Taylor, this team has been as close to perfect as you can get, only conceding five goals is certainly the most impressive stat that a team can put up in a game that is usually decided by a goal or two. With their defense doing a lot of heavy lifting, it takes some of the pressure off the offense when it comes to how many goals they have to

YV

The Paw Print January 2017

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Florida Panthers are skating on thin ice Michael Bidun Sports Editor The Florida Panthers can’t seem to finish and that’s a problem. On November 27, 2016 the Panthers fired then head coach Gerard Gallant and assistant coach Mike Kelly (and left them stranded outside the PNC Arena in North Carolina) after starting the season with an 11-10-1 record. That’s when general manager Tom Rowe stepped in as “Interim” Head Coach and proceeded to go 9-8-8, winning just four out of their twelve games in overtime. This begs the question, is it really the coaching staff that needed a change?

The short answer is no, definitely not, not by a long shot. In recent years it’s been clear that the statisticians in the owner’s box have had their way with the team.

Which means that if a player doesn’t produce, he gets released, as seen by the Panthers trading away or failing to resign players that aren’t small, quick puck handlers.

Larger players like Erik Gudbranson and Logan Shaw have been done away with in favor of guys under 5’10. Seth Griffith, Denis Malgin, and Kyle Rau all fall in this field and combined have six goals and sixteen points in 84 total games played. Obviously there’s an x-factor that larger guys bring to the ice. They’re grittier, they grind on every play, and most importantly, they keep the other teams players off the quick puck handlers so that they can score.

But above the problems of poor player performance and lack of an understanding on how hockey works, is the sheer fact that the suits in the booth fire a head coach after just 22 games. Include in the fact that the Panthers had big name players Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad on injured reserve and it becomes clear that Gerard Gallant wasn’t fired because of performance. Gallant realized that larger hockey players are needed out there to balance the team and that half the team can’t be traded away just to appease the statisticians. The problem was that he wasn’t quiet about it.

It was obvious there would be kinks to work out with a team that had new players on every line, but Panthers management wanted to fire Gallant because he didn’t agree, and a slow start to the season was just reason enough to throw him to the curb. mbidun.pawprint@gmail.com

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