The CHAT newspaper, January 2015, year 15, issue #5

For more on the proper way to use social media: See Social Media Alert Page 34

Jake Dreilinger Editor-in-Chief Maria Bozo - Layout/Content Kyle Moss-Solomon - Video Managing Editors Chatter Daily News Taylor Horan Web Managing Editor Emily Deese Business Manager Mr. J. Harris - Layout Mr. F. Fagen - Content Mr. J. Harris - Video Advisers

Mr. P. Bayer Principal

Looghermine Claude News Editor Melissa Pierce Student Life Editor David Cha-Kim Technology Editor

Contents

The C.H.C. Staff

Shakayla Lee Entertainment Editor Brett Alayon Sports Editor Aalyiah Pasols Features Editor Nicholas Rivera Lifestyle Editor Hayley Hartwell Clubs Editor

Student Life:

Tyra Green By the Grade Editor Rebecca Gonzales - The CHAT Peter Dourvetakis - Web Photo Editors Matthew Perez Graphics Editor Carmen Pettersen Cartoonist CONTENT STAFF: Cristine Alayon, Josiah Celestine, Lauren Cookley, Matthew Deno, Sofia Gangotena, Camilo Grijalva, Hanan Hessin, LJ Lemmers, Amanda Peralta, Autumn Pough, Lauren Ramirez, Evan Samuels LAYOUT STAFF: Emily Deese, Tomas Eiletz, Esteban Gangotena, Jacob Morgenstern, Fernando Plata PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF: Ryan Corona, Jonathan Harris, Alexis MongeRodriguez, Aalyiah Pasols, Sydney Silverberg GRAPHIC STAFF: Katie Perez CHAT VIDEO NEWS STAFF: Samuel Eliacin, Matthew Fernandez, Genesis Vesco The C.H.A.T. is an official publication of the Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS). The content of our newspaper is not necessarily the opinions of our advisers and administration.

The C.H.A.T. staff welcomes any comments to the editors and/or staff.

The C.H.A.T is a publication of C.H.C (Charter High Communications) sponsored by the Communications & Technology Department of PPCHS. Pembroke Pines Charter High School 17189 Sheridan Street Pembroke Pines, FL 33331 Phone: 954-538-3700 Email: chc.ppchs@gmail.com Twitter: @_theCHATter Instagram: @thechatnews The CHAT welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for poor taste, libel, and space.

Drop off letters in room C113 or send an email to chc.ppchs@gmail.com

Ladies and Gentleman: Senator Noah Levy New ways to get music: Say goodbye, iTunes

Lifestyle: 1 Second Everyday: Your whole year in six minutes The CHAT Editorial: Are we talking, texting, or togther

Technology: Trivia Crack: Smartphone users suffer severe addition Wearable Technology: Technology and fashion collide

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Studen

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Feature on Senior’s Past: Pg 13

nt Life

Sports: Stuart Scott remembered: For his character in face of death Girls’ Basketball: Craving the Title

News:

Feature on Girls Basketball: Pg 17

Features: Looking back to the Past: Seniors reminisce back to 2011 Dreams v. Reality: The Future

Entertainment:

Je Suis Libre: Charlie Hebdo shooting in France

The CHAT Editorial: Gaps between movie sequels

A big change: Same-sex marriage legal in Florida

The CHAT Editorial: VIP packages leave Jaguars star struck

Clubs & Electives:

Columns:

Elective Spotlight: A different kind of AP Course

The right to censor: It’s a burden but it’s a barrier

Science Day: Jags claw their way into science

Say no to censorship: We shall not be silenced

Three Ways to Fight the Mid-Year Slump Taylor Horan

T

Managing Editor - Web

ired? Bored? Wishing Winter Break would come back? Already dreaming of the warm and restful days of spring break? Many students answer yes to the following four questions as they face the mid-year slump. The mid-year slump occurs when students come back from winter break and are out of their groove as they start second semester. Effects of the mid-year slump usually include less than satisfactory grades, tiredness, and a sense of boredom. When first semester concluded, students were ecstatic. Midterms were complete. Winter vacations were finally here. Moreover, many did not have winter break work. Winter break was two weeks of freedom for the school routine. All good things must come to an end though.

Sophomore El Garrison talked about how winter break leads to the mid-year slump. “Getting back from Winter Break is difficult for a lot of reasons. Most people spend the break traveling, spending time with friends and family, and running around doing a hundred different things so when you get back most of the time you feel more exhausted than refreshed,” she said. When students came back to school this January for the start of second semester, students were sad and tired. Students now are faced with the mid-year slump. Only one semester remains between now and the extended freedom of summer vacation. To assist in getting back in the swing of the academic year, here are three ways that you can fight the mid-year slump.

Follow your Goals: Writing down your Goals and sticking with them is critical in overcoming the mid-year slump.

P hoto by : R ebecca G onzalez

Unleash your creativity: One way to get out of a mid-year slump is to draw or write something. P hoto by : A lex M onge

Relaxing: Relaxing and taking the time to read a big is a great way to overcome the mid-year slump. P hoto by : R ebecca G onzalez

1.Creativity

Find a Way to Inspire Your Creativity 2.Many

Play Hard… But Work Harder is defined as “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relacome back to school not ready to begin work once again. Students want to be tionships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, and interpretations” (dictionary.com). Students come back to school often feeling bored and uninspired.

During Winter Break, there is no instructional time. Everyone is capable working on their own time and off their own schedule. Coming back to school is coming back to routine.

While the routine of attending six classes daily does not have much wiggle room, how students spend their time after school can be used in a much more creative way. By inspiring creativity, students can leave the boredom found in the mid-year slump and get back into the swing of things at a much quicker pace.

There are multiple ways that students can spark their creativity. One way is to invest in a new hobby. The start of a New Year is a wonderful time to explore a new interest through a hobby. One of the easiest ways to invest in a hobby is to join a club. If one is interested in service, Key Club has a second membership drive in January. Clubs such as Music Appreciation and Fashion Club are fueled on the interest of music and fashion, respectively. If students do not have the time to join a club, students could also explore new interests during available free time such as painting or drawing. By finding a way to inspire creativity, the mid-year slump can be a thing of the past as creative work is the opposite of boring work.

back in the comfort of warm beds and not have an alarm clock waking them up at the early hours of the morning. Without midterms to study for, most students did not have any schoolwork looming over head. Time that was allotted for schoolwork before break began to be filled with video games, Netflix, and sleeping. Everything is good in moderation.

It is okay to watch an episode of a favorite show on Netflix. It is okay, and even healthy, to get multiple hours of sleep a night. Binge watching a season of a television series on Netflix when a pile of homework is due tomorrow is not okay. It is important to prioritize to beat the mid-year slump. Play hard but work harder.

While it is best to work harder, one does not want to overwork themselves. Once again, everything is good in moderation. It is important to get good grades, but it is also important to remember to prioritize other activities such as sleep. Besides getting rest, it is important to be in the right mindset for success. “People feel tired, blaming their bodies for being so tired after a break, but it is really just in their head. They need to have the right mindset to return strong,” said sophomore Alex Diaz. Make sure to prioritize so you can have a right mindset to play hard, but work harder.

3.

Use Your New Year’s Resolution to Help Your Grades New Year’s resolutions are used quite often to improve upon one self. These resolutions

can be short term or long term goals. To assist in having a successful new year, resolutions can be made to combat the mid-year slump. The resolution could be broad such as beating the mid-year slump to something narrower such as getting better grades second semester compared to first semester.

Imagine a scenario of a student whose New Year’s Resolution is to spend time with friends more frequently. One easy way to spend time with friends while defeating the mid-year slump is to study with friends. It achieves the goal of the resolution, while creating a successful beginning of the year. Junior Jerika de Armas said, “In order to have school material fresh, why not study with a group of friends or even implement the lessons they’ve learned into favorite pastimes, such as sports or games?” By using New Year’s Resolutions, students can kill two birds with one stone- defeating the mid-year slump and being able to proclaim that they successful followed through with a resolution.

It is incredibly important for students to realize if they are in a slump and leave the slump.

Junior Monica Rodriguez said, “Students get out of their routine and have a hard time getting back into it. They need to get out of the slump though and get back into the swing of things if they want to do well and get on top of their grades.” It is difficult to get out of the slump but students can do it.

G

ood luck to all students this second semester! Remember, it is best to always think positively in situations. If none of these tips can help, just remember. There are less than 100 days until Spring Break, which officially starts Monday, March 23rd.

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Take the time: Being caught in the mid-year slump can be stressful, but following these tips can help. P hoto by : S ydeny S ilverberg

Say goodbye, iTunes

Sofia Gangotena Staff Writer

I

f one were to walk down the halls of PPCHS, they would see two things: students without headphones in their ears and students with headphones in their ears. Those jamming out to their favorite song have to have gotten it from somewhere. The automatic conclusion would be to say, “iTunes”. However, in a world where this music store is becoming less relevant than other sources to listen to music, the question arises: How do students listen to their music?

Some students use Spotify to fulfill their music needs. Others use SoundCloud and YouTube. Either way, there are not a lot of students who use iTunes to get music on their phones or iPods. “I usually just listen to Spotify when I want to listen to music,” junior Sabrina Ferrero said.

As more outlets to listen to music arise, the moments when we used iTunes to get music are nothing more than a memory. Senior Danny Arango said, “I haven’t used iTunes to get music in years. I usually just take music from my friends.”

For some, they only use iTunes because it’s the only program that works with their iPhones. However, now, that may not be the case. There are actually less people who sync their phones and music devices to iTunes because everything can be handled on their phones (fastcodesign.com). Senior Justis Harrilal said, “I usually just manage storage on my phone now, so I don’t have to go on the computer to do it anymore.”

In this day and age, music no longer has to be bought. Does this affect the musicians who have their music on iTunes? Taylor Swift recently spoke out against the use of Spotify and other free music-sharing websites. In an interview for Time Magazine, she said that artists should value their art and ensure that people are paying for their music. With that in mind, Swift decided to pull her music from Spotify. Sophomore Skylar Cannon and Swift fan, said, “I supported her when she made that decision. It’s her job, it’s her industry. She said that music is rare and valuable, and things that are rare and valuable should cost money.”

Other artists followed Swift’s lead, like Garth Brooks, and AC/DC. Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert, who have their label, Big Machine Records, with Swift, have also removed their latest music (foxnews.com).

“Artists are still going to get their money, it’s just not going to come from iTunes,” sophomore Timya Taylor said.

As someone who has his own music on iTunes, senior Brandon Ortiz thinks that it shouldn’t really affect the artist where the people get their music from. “I think that it depends. If you’re a big artist, then maybe, it should matter, because that’s where you’re getting a lot of money from. For me, it’s never been about the money, only about the music,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that music sales on iTunes in 2014 have “fallen 13% to 14% world-wide since the start of the year,” showing that there has been a much faster decline than in 2013. Senior Kevin Gonzalez said, “The only things I buy from the iTunes store are the games when I use the gift cards that people give me, but those last me forever.” And with that, iTunes is becoming less prevalent in day to day life. Student barely use and turn to other sources, like Spotify or SoundCloud, to get their music fix for the day.

Out with the new: Because people can now get music for free through new music apps, iTunes is becoming a thing of the past. P hoto by : J onathan H arris

In with the new: Apps like Spotify give users a new way to listen to music for free. P hoto by : J onathan H arris

Student Spotlight: Justis Harrilal, scholarship winner Lauren Cookley Staff Writer

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PCHS senior Justis Harrilal has been working hard his past few years of high school and has been focusing on his future towards success. As senior year began, he applied for many different scholarships as soon as possible.

Harrilal had received a brochure that explained the South Florida Scholarship. This scholarship was offered to 7 different counties in South Florida including Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Hendry, Okeechobee, and Indian River. There were over 120 students that applied for this same scholarship which would award anywhere from $100 to $6000.

Harrilal began to create a profile online that included all of his academic history to apply for this scholarship. He was up against many different people and after waiting weeks, he finally found out that he had won the scholarship out of all the applicants from Broward County.

“I was shocked and excited when I found out that I had won this scholarship, and the fact that I had been the only one in Broward County to receive it was very exciting for me.”

Justis has been accepted and plans on attending Bradley University. PPCHS congratulates Justis Harrilal for his achievement; all it takes is one application to bring good news.

Scholarship winner: Senior Justis Harrilal is the winner of the South Florida Scholarship. P hoto donated by : Y earbook

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Student Life Mrs. Rubio

What do you expect from you Mrs. Salazar

Mrs. R

“I want students to leave the school year with a solid understanding “I want students to work hard, study for my tests, and maintain good year.

“I want all students to be motivate of argumentative writing. I want them to be the best writers they could grades. Be prepared for all classes and excel in school. I also want my I want them to be interested in be, and to just be better people too.”

Mrs. Schwab

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students to pass the EOC.”

Mrs. Ferrer

“Istudents want all students to start the quarter on a positive note. I want “I want students to get better grades, and excel in school. Students to be happy to go to school, reach their full potential, need to be more focused in school, and be able to stay motivated for and just have a great time learning in school. Do not get lazy in the second half of the year.”

have a better understanding of scien

the second half of the year.”

Mr. Be

“M

y expectations are for studen students to prepare themselves bette ter. I want them to be prepared for t all be prepared for the rest of their li

ur students for the New Year?

Ramos

ted for the second half of the school n the topics we’re learning, and just nce by the end of the year.”

rtrand

nts to get their act together. I want er than they did in the first semeshe rest of high school and most of ives.”

Mrs. Rago

Student Life Ms. Russo

“I want students to reflect on what they did the first semester and try “At this point in the year, I want my students to always be prepared to become better based on their faults. I want them to be prepared and for class. I want them to get more involved in class by asking better actually study and put in effort for the EOC.

Mrs. Ogonowski

“I want students to reach out for their full potential. I want students

to enjoy their high school years, strive for greatness, and best of all just be themselves and be stress free.”

questions. I want my students to critically think more about in-depth topics.”

Mrs. Hyacinth

“I want all students to learn from their mistakes they had in the first semester of the school year. Students, remember to always read the rubric, and study for all tests. Make sure you do your homework!”

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Student Life Hayley Hartwell

Putting the “A” in AP

Pembroke Pines Charter is known as a college preparatory school that enables their graduates to succeed in their college career and earn numerous degrees. To get a taste of Clubs and Electives Editor

college while still in high school, students can challenge themselves to take an Advanced Placement class. An advanced placement class is characterized as a class that offers the college curriculum and examinations and is also recognized as course credit by some colleges and universities if a high enough score is achieved.

PPCHS has a wide array of AP classes to choose from, ranging from AP Statistics to AP Studio Art to AP Environmental Science. Students can choose to have all six of their classes as AP or only one, depending on the amount of workload one can handle will determine the number of classes they will take. There tends to be more work and higher-order thinking involved with taking an AP class, which is the challenge that will come along with college. These classes will help students in the long run although college is a different experience than high school.

Throughout the course of the year the main goal while taking an advanced placement class will be to prepare for the exam at the end of the year that will determine the amount of knowledge that has been retained. Students often find many ways to study to get the passing score that will be recognized by colleges as a course credit. There are study guide books sold by many brands including Barron’s, The Princeton Review, and 5 Steps to a 5, which hopefully achieve students the coveted score of a 5 on an AP exam. On Collegeboard.com, the inventor of Advanced Placement classes, there are practice tests for every AP subject and information about the actual testing process so students know what to expect. Since we have entered the third quarter of the 2014-2015 school year it is now the turning point and time for the teachers to crack down on their students and make sure they have retained all of the information relevant to the exam.

“I have bought a book for AP statistics because that is the only class that I think I am going to have trouble in. I am currently taking four AP classes and the past two years, I have taken five altogether, so I think I know the process and am prepared by now,” said senior Leysha Caraballo.

The AP Language and Composition class has set days where Ms. Sunshine Phelps either takes her students to the River of Grass Auditorium or the Library Auditorium to participate in an hour long AP exam practice since there is not enough time to get through everything in class. “The AP practice has really been helping me understand how the questions will be worded on the exam,” said junior Catherine Paneque, “We practice a couple Wednesdays out of the month and I think it will help me score higher than a 3 on the upcoming exam.”

Mrs. Torres, AP U.S. History teacher, is having a baby girl and after January 16th, she will be leaving her APUSH students to go on maternity leave. The students have already taken their mock exam and will be with a substitute until around May. She will be leaving her students in the hands of a substitute while she is gone.

“I will be in contact with the substitute and I am leaving specific instructions. I have good faith in whoever the school assigns me. My students will be able to pass this exam in May because they have learned how I operate so far,” said Mrs. Torres.

For last minute help the week before the exam, one can put down their review books and go on the computer to watch CrashCourse videos by John Green on youtube.com. Green covers numerous subjects in the science, history, and even psychology department. If one is trying to get through a lot of events quickly then the videos can go by faster than reading the information.

AP exams are something students worry about and pray they will do well on. Start review books before the week before the exam, get a good night’s rest the night before, and be sure to pay attention through the year; the exam will be a breeze!

Advanced Learning: PPCHS is home to a large variety of AP Courses for many students to choose from, like AP Environmental Science. A ll P hotos by : A aliyah P asols

AP Literature

AP Literature

AP Studio Art

David Menasche’s Priority to Live On Lauren Cookley

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Staff Writer

avid Menasche was a man of strength, courageousness, and inspiration. Menasche was teaching English at Coral Reef Senior High when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a lemon-size brain tumor in his right temporal lobe indicative of Stage IV brain cancer. He was given a few months to live. It’s likely that these words are confusing and unheard of, but that’s just how David felt. In an interview with Broward Palm Beach News, David said, "I had no idea what the doctor was talking about. He was speaking to me in this medical jargon that made absolutely no sense." David was blown away. Instead of dwelling on his condition, he decided that he would make something out of it.

Menasche was taken through many surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation processes. He was told that he would either lose the ability to speak or walk, but even worse: his life.

From that moment, David decided to write a book called The Priority List: A Teacher's Final Quest to Discover Life's Greatest. The book is an autobiography resembling his journey through his life. It voiced his thoughts and impacted others on arising the question: What really matters in life?

Here at PPCHS, The Priority List has become a top read. All teachers have received a copy of his book. English teacher, Ms. Lopez says “The book was an impactful read that taught many valuable life lessons. David Menasche was an inspiring fighter.” But not only have teachers read it, students have read it also.

Senior, Tanner Redding said “The book really reached out to me and made me realize that you shouldn’t take anything for granted.” The Priority List was so trendy that it was announced in March 2014 that it is going to be a movie. Warner Bros acquired rights to make the book into a film, with Steve Carrell playing the main roll as David Menasche.

When diagnosed with cancer, some suffer and some make something of it. David Menasche was one to respond. Easy or not, he did it. With only half a brain, half a body, and nearly no vision, he continued on. David traveled the world, made inspiring speeches, and wrote a book. He even spoke to PPCS teachers during their pre-planning week in August. But how can one continue living when shown their own expiration date?

For David, he didn’t pretend not to see it, it just never stopped him. David’s legacy lives on in hearts and also in his book as it continues to be read all over PPCHS.

Gone but not forgotten: Although David Menasche has passed away, his legacy will live on forever. P hoto D onated by : D avid M enasche

Ladies and gentlemen—Senator Noah Levy

Student Life

Josiah Celestine Staff Writer

While there are many interesting people to get to know at charter, one name many people already seem to know is senior Noah Levy, also known as senator Noah Levy.

While there are many ways a person can get to be well known in high school, Levy took the debate route to get to the position he is in today.

It all started when Levy was still in middle school, the eighth grade to be exact. Levy said, “When I was in the eighth grade at Pioneer Middle, I remember my friends were telling me about how their siblings at Cooper City High took ‘the best class in all of high school.’ According to them, that class was debate. Hearing about the public speaking part of the course was the x-factor that urged me to sign up.”

Even though Levy was convinced he was going to take the class, he didn’t jump straight into it by taking Debate 1 his freshman year. Instead he decided to take debate for the first time his sophomore year. Since he was already a little behind, he practiced extra hard to make up for lost time, and in the end he won third place in a November novice chamber.

“My first debate tournament was at a large high school in Miami, I cannot remember what school it was. At this tournament, I decided to run for the presiding officer spot and I won it. The experience of running an entire round of congressional debate with 20 competitors was quite a fantastic experience. Though, the most beneficial part of this experience was understanding the format of congressional debate. Unlike the school's name, I will never forget this experience,” Levy said. After winning, Levy decided to stick with it and see what else could win if he stayed with debate.

To Levy there are many aspects that makes debate different to him, but the most dom-

Tournament of Champions: Senior Noah Levy is looking to make an impact at the annual Tournament of Champions. P hoto D onated by : N oah L evy

inant feature that debate has over other activities according to Levy is the humility one receives from participating. Levy stated, “Not doing well at tournaments is in fact the highlight of my career because reflecting on why I did poorly at a tournament enables me to learn from my mistakes.”

When it comes to looking ahead, Levy also hopes to find a career involving debate. He would like to practice law and open his own firm so that he can carry out the judicial systems duties. After that, Levy even hopes to run for office for either the American Congress or a judge's seat in a courthouse. Despite his success, none of that would be possible without starting off small. Levy believes that debate helps to boost one’s confidence and esteem. Senator Levy’s motto is, “If you are able to give a speech in front of 100 intelligent spectators in a final round, imagine how easy it would be to talk to the interviewer of your dream university.”

Debate teacher at PPCHS Mrs. Schwab only has positive things to say about Senator Levy. Schwab said, “Noah is a great kid, and an excellent debater. He has brought a lot to the debate team and we will all be saddened when he leaves since this is his senior year here at PPCHS. He is going to the Tournament of Champions and we all wish the best for him.”

Noah Levy is a man with a plan at PPCHS, and this plan involves debate. It may have started out as a suggestion from friends to take a chance and see if the class was even worth his time, but in the end everything worked out for the best and Levy fell in love with debating. Debate is a subject that interests all, and Levy certainly loves doing it and will continue for as long as possible.

High School Senator: Senior Noah Levy has excelled in debate at PPCHS, even becoming the head to the Congressional Debate Team. P hoto D onated by : N oah L evy

Jags step out of their habitat Camilo Grijalva

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Staff Writer

s PPCHS students walk towards the water, net in hand, they are eagerly awaiting what lies ahead. From above the water, they can’t see much. They can only make out a few fish and some brightly colored shells. They stab their net into the water and drag it across the sea grass; they don’t know what they’re catching. When the net emerges from the water, they see such an amazing variety of marine wildlife that they can’t even believe it. From starfish to pipefish, it seems like students have the entire ocean in their hands.

It is that time of year again for the science buffs of Pembroke Pines Charter High School.

The time when they can take a day off from their school lives and explore the countless treasures that Key Biscayne has to offer. On January 16th, students had the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Biscayne Nature Center. The first 30 students to pay for their trip were the lucky few who took part on the adventure, and just like in previous years, the spots filled up very quickly.

“This field trip was honestly one of my favorite ones I’ve ever been on,” said sophomore Karla Hurtado. “The trip was such a great opportunity to see the marine life I learn about in class up close. The obvious highlight was when I caught a seahorse, I never thought I would do that in my life! I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who has the chance to go.”

Perhaps the biggest incentive for students to go on this trip is there is no assignment attached. It is just a peaceful day at the beach for students. However, this doesn’t mean the students won’t be taught by others. At the nature center, PPCHS Jags got the chance to meet and engage with nature experts who told them all about the different kinds of wildlife in the ocean.

“I have been on this trip in the past and also went this year and I never fail to have a fantastic time!” said Mrs. Larmony, the teacher in charge of the trip. “I love going into the ocean and seeing the students reaction when they catch ocean creatures in their sea nets.

Students can look forward to going into the ocean, capturing marine life and enjoying the day in an outdoor classroom.” As students enter the bus to return to PPCHS, they can’t stop talking about the different species of fish and crab that they caught in the sea grass.

It’s certainly a trip worth taking for all Jags at some time in their high school career. Year after year, students come back happy and full of newfound knowledge for marine life that can’t be taught by a textbook.

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The time capsule’s coming!

The time capsule’s coming!

“2015? You mean w

David Cha-Kim &

Nicholas Rivera

On December 11th, one of the most tremendous historical artiStaff Writer

facts was found dating back over 200 years. Boston, one of the most historical cities in America, just uncovered another piece of history. In 1795, a time capsule was buried in the ground by American icons Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Some 220 years later and the opening was finally commenced in the city of Boston on January 6th, almost a month after it was uncovered in early December.

“I find time capsules really fascinating. People are taking a normal item and placing it in a box and that box gets live through history. No matter how simple the items within the capsule are or how disappointing it may be to open it, you can’t deny that it’s an amazing idea,” said junior Giselle La Hoz. The removal of the time capsule had been planned for months. Records from the commonwealth of Massachusetts told of a time capsule left in Boston, and it was confirmed in the summer of 2014 when, while working on construction, a ground radar located it. Months of planning pursued on how the capsule could be carefully removed and opened without damaging it. Then, months later, a team spent seven hours removing the 5.5 by 7.5 by 1.5 box from a stone block. Another hour was spent removing the contents.

“When I first heard about it I was hoping that there would be some cool things in it like Paul Revere’s horse’s saddle or something. I was personally disappointed, but it’s still a pretty cool find for historians” said junior Mateo Matovelle.

A ceremonial opening of the capsule was held on January 6th. The results after an hour: a collection of old newspapers, 23 coins from as far back as 1652, and a metal slate believed to be carved by Revere with his name as well as that of Samuel Adams. While the capsule will be on display for a short time, there are plans of reburying the capsule at the Massachusetts state house.

While this mystery has been uncovered, there are still plenty more known time capsules that are scheduled to be open within the next century. One of those includes a time capsule that was buried at the beginning of this century on New Year’s Day. It’s scheduled to be opened in 2100, exactly 100 years after being buried.

As people walk the earth, it’s easy to forget what lies close beneath the surface. While each person lives their lives, time capsules continue to live throughout history unbothered until the day they are discovered.

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NJustASAabout and Nissan self-driving car everyone knows about Goo-

gle’s self-driving car, but what most people don’t know is that it won’t be the only robotic car hitting the streets in the near future. Recently, NASA has teamed up with Nissan to produce driving technology that can lead to self-sufficient navigation on the road and in space. Nissan has set a five year goal to have the self-driving cars available on the market by 2020. Researchers hope to be able to test some prototypes of the vehicles by as soon as the end of this year.

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Technology Edito

ccording to Steven Spielberg's legenda of flying cars, hover boards, food hydrators, ing fact that these inventions haven’t come to to look forward to in this New Year.

ASetppleto Watch come out no later than spring,

Apple’s newest innovative product, the iWatch, will soon hit the stores and join the world of wearable technology along with its current competitors: Google Glass and Samsung Gear Neo. Apple’s iWatch will bring the beautiful look and feel of Apple OS’s User Interface to a user’s wrist that will provide them with several creative ways to connect and interact with other iDevices.

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

Graphic by: Matthew Perez

OIt isneseen minute charger every day at PPCHS: students

walk into class and the first thing they take out of their bookbag isn’t a pen or paper, it’s their phone charger. Like a hawk, they sense the nearest outlet and leave their phone charging there for the entire class.

“I usually don’t have time to charge my phone at home, so I need to bring my charger to school and plug my phone in every class period,” said sophomore Jose Hernandez. Now, this won’t be a problem. A new charger called ‘FlashBattery’ by the company StoreDot can completely charge a smartphone in one minute, making charging phones quick and easy.

O culus Rift Although Oculus has no retail version of the

recent prototype is still worthy of this list. O the user to experience outer space with shock user feel like they’re actually floating throu literally be inside of a game or simulation bl sense missing from the simulation is touch; u hear the intimidating booming sounds with our time.

we’re in the future?”

Dreams v. Reality: the future

Looghermine Claude

& Camilo Grijalva

or

& Staff Writer

ary trilogy Back to the Future, 2015 is the year and self-tying shoes. Despite the disappointo be, there are still plenty more real inventions

News Editor

Everyone has dreams of what the future might hold. The entertainment busi-

EThere lectric ‘Rocket shoes’ are skateboards, scooters, bicycles,

rollerblades, and even electric scooters, but a new product called ‘Rocket shoes’ is about to eliminate all of these forms of transportation. Much like the old shoe trend Heelys, Rocket shoes are roller skates mixed with regular shoes, but they are electric and detachable. The maximum speed on Rocket shoes is 12 miles per hour and they are expected to hit the market this year at $399-$599.

W indows 10 Although 2015’s release of Windows 10

would technically be Microsoft’s ninth operating system, the company has named it 10 to suggest a “break with the past”.

Windows 10 will co-launch with their new browser “Spartan” and bring a large series of improvements to its touchscreen’s design and performance, speeds, and accessibility.

FSeniors ood-friendly belt have most likely heard about the Graphic by: Carmen Petterson

eir virtual reality product for 2015, their most Oculus’s newest model, Crescent Bay, allows kingly realistic visuals and sound, making the ugh space. “Having the idea of being able to lows my mind,” said junior Taj Ali. The only users can see planets, stars, meteors and even technology that seems way too futuristic for

‘freshman fifteen’ referring to the extra weight a freshman in college gains as a result of having to buy food for themselves.

When given this freedom, a regular teenager will most likely not make the best choices health-wise. This phenomena causes a problem for victims: tight pants! However, a new invention called ‘Belty’ revealed at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is the solution to this infamous problem. Belty is an electronic belt that automatically adjusts to the user’s waist should it grow or shrink while wearing it, which eliminates the problem of tight or loose fitting pants.

Graphic by: Katie Perez

Graphic by: Katie Perez Graphic by: Matthew Perez

ness thrives off of the never-ending ideas of creative writers. Today we’ve got The Hunger Games and Divergent, but back in the ‘80’s their view of the future came with the classic Back to the Future. When Back to the Future Part II came out in 1989, movie goers were able to see 2015 complete with advancements in communication, transportation, and entertainment. Now that that year has come, it’s time to look at the differences between what the movie predicted, and what technology actually brought to the table.

Surprisingly, there were some things that the writers got spot on. They imagined that in the future people would watch TV on flat screens and have video conferencing. They also predicted a version of the Google Glass. Writers like Gale also thought of holograms, which we have today, like the one of Michael Jackson performing post-mortem, and biometric identification. Disney World uses biometrics to make sure that only one person uses a ticket per day (biometrics.gov), and India currently holds the largest national identification program, called Aadhaar (cgdev.org).

“I think movies like Back to the Future really embody the dream of what we want to achieve as far as innovation in the future. It sets an expectation for us to meet.

Even though we’re still working towards some of the products seen in the movie, it’s still impactful,” said sophomore Shania Santiago.

But there were other things that Back to the Future Part II just got horribly wrong.

Though there is a continuing race to see who can build the first flying car and the hover board, they aren’t running through the skies just yet, and probably won’t be at the end of the year. Marty’s self-tying shoes or self-adjusting jacket are also out of the question, even though rumors are circulating that Nike is trying to make the shoes happen. And Jaws never got as many sequels as the writers projected when they wrote in ‘Jaws 19’. The writers heavily overestimated the population of the fax machine and telephone booths.

Other prediction flops include the pizza hydrator, that turned a mini dehydrated pizza into a full-size pie and the ‘Mr. Fusion’, which recycled garbage to create energy.

“I think everybody knows that in reality, you make smaller changes over time. Nobody really expects for the new year to come and there to suddenly be flying cars everywhere and fusion from trash,” said sophomore Elizabeth Garrison.

As we move towards the ‘future’ that movies have depicted, technology keeps on changing towards inventions that we were only able to dream of. Even though we’re moving slower than was predicted, one day we may be flying through the skies on our hover boards and cars, just like Back to the Future predicted.

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Features What do you expect to be invented this year in 2015?

Junior Carla Joseph

“I think the next invention will be an

even bigger phone.

Both Android and Apple are in competition with each other so I think they’re both going to come out with a bigger size phone. A few of decades ago phones were huge! They were big and bulky and I think that’s ultimately what technology is going to cycle back to.”

Freshman Steven Umbarita

“I think this is the year we’re going to

Seniors reminis

Aaliyah

Features

Ever since 2015 began there’s been a lot of talk about the future. “What will my future look like after graduation? I have to turn in this scholarship to benefit me in the

future. I wonder what my career will be in the future.” These questions and muses come from one group especially: the senior jags at PPCHS. Ever since the clock struck 12 on January 1st, 2015 there has been inevitable chatter about what the future may hold. But this, while exciting, is not the only thought on seniors’ minds. They are not only filled with anticipation, but nostalgia as well.

As a freshman, everything was different. Instead of gripping onto college tour maps, we were holding onto a map of our new high school. And instead of being at the top of the food chain, we were at the very bottom. Our personalities were different, our interests, our crushes, our physicality, and perhaps even our friends. We daydreamed during class about graduation day, yet it seemed so far. Prom seemed like a dream that would never be just four months away, and yet all of these exciting things are around the corner! We sat at the steps in front of the theater or lingered by the water fountain and imagined how our senior selves would turn out to be in four years. “Will I be crowned Prom Queen? Will I ever get to date so-and-so? Will I get accepted to the college of my dreams?” Whether these questions have been answered or not, there’s no denying that those old innocent freshman wonders don’t spring to mind and cause a chuckle every now and then.

“I am not at all how I was as a freshman. I remember in Ms. Davis’s class in 9th grade, she had each student in her classes write themselves a letter. She told us that she would hand them back to us when we became seniors. I was impatient and decided to open mine last year instead and I couldn’t believe the stuff I actually wrote down [in that letter]. I used to be very judgmental and I would care a lot about what other people did or said. It’s safe to say that if I met my freshman self now, we definitely wouldn’t get along,” said senior Daga Nyang.

cure cancer. Technology is advancing every year, it’s crazy. I have a class mate that who has cancer and I think we’re finally going to find a cure in 2015.”

Senior Jonathan Selman

“S mell-o-vision.

It’s where you can smell things from your TV. It’s been a widely popular concept on the internet.

It would be cool to see foods on TV or watch the cooking show and then something sprays out of the TV like air fresheners. “

“I know how to cook but I think ro-

Junior Gibou Njie

bots that can cook for you and help around the house is all we need. I think robot maids are coming soon.”

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Freshman to senior year: Senior Jeanine Hurtado looks back at a picture she uploaded her freshman year. Photo by: Aaliyah Pasols

ce back to 2011

h pasols

s

Editor

It seems as if everyone really has changed since freshman year. Maturity has kicked in, experience has provided us with knowledge to not go over the same mistakes, failed relationships and friendships have taught us how to treasure the good people in our lives, and much more. A multitude of lessons have been learned in such a short span of four years, and we have all grown up from the small teenagers that were sitting wide-eyed at the high school orientation. We roam the familiar halls everyday like it’s nothing, but just four years ago we were peering around every corner frantically trying to find our 2nd period.

The main question in all of this reminiscing, is, are you where you thought you would be as a freshman? Our hopes were high, our dreams were big, our slates were clean and we hopped right into high school hoping to accomplish great things. Were those things accomplished? Just as Bob Gale, writer of Back to the Future II, is being questioned about his predictions about 2015, seniors at PPCHS are doing their own pondering about their past predictions.

“I’m not who I expected to be as a freshman. You learn a lot of lessons throughout high school that shape who you are. You get different friends, and in general learn a lot about people and yourself. I’m a lot more mature than I was freshman year, but if I met my freshman self now I wouldn’t give her any advice. I think it’s important to make mistakes,” said senior Jeannie Hurtado.

As memories of freshman year come back around, with graduation day so close, there may be mixed emotions. Mixed emotions are always common when there’s an end that leads to a beginning. Some people have regrets that they wish they could go back and fix, others are glad to toss their cap in the air in May. But mixed emotions aside, it’s safe to say that every senior, whether they lived up to their freshman expectations or not, is happy to walk down a new path, towards a bright looking horizon. Freedom is so close we can almost taste it, and the passage to the real world is only 10 steps across a stage.

Freshman to senior year: Senior Jessica Flores looks back at a picture she uploaded her freshman year. Photo by: Aaliyah Pasols

Features What did you think would have been invented by 2015?

Sophomore Neena Morazan

“O ne thing that I thought would be

here by now is holograms to talk to each other instead of phone calls. I know we have FaceTime, but it would be a 3D version which is way better. I thought everything would be based off of technology without any type of interaction with each other, which is partly right but not really.”

Sophomore Jamilla Amon

“I thought there would be more ad-

vanced cars. Maybe if they could float over all the traffic on the roads, kind of like the one in Test Track in Epcot. I also didn’t expect schools to be lacking this much in the technology department. Apart from the computers and projectors there, isn’t really anything too advanced”.

Freshman Jasmine Otero

“I n 2015, I expected smart houses

that would do things on its own for me.

Houses that would be able to open the door for me when I approach it, make my coffee by a certain time, and even knows my schedule.

I would definitely want that, it would make life so much easier.”

Freshman to senior year: Senior Joseluis Moronta looks back at his freshman year yearboko photo. Photo by: Aaliyah Pasols

Junior Saman Govaria

“I expected hover boards, flying cars,

and an alternative fuel source. Things to make life way more efficient.”

Freshman to senior year: Senior Nick Azcarate thinks back to his freshman year and how much has changed in a short four years. Photo by: Aaliyah Pasols

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Elective Spotlight: A different kind of AP course Maria Bozo & Lauren Cookley

A t the end of the year when course selection cards are being filled out, one sees endless options of Advanced Placement

(AP), Honors, and all kinds of interesting electives. One very unique class on the card is AP Studio Art. When stepping into room M101, it’s like entering a new world. Paint, cameras, and vibrant works of art being made by PPCHS’ very own artists can be seen. It is clear that this class is one of the ones that has established PPCHS’ reputation as one of the best public schools with Ms. Vazquez, the AP Art instructor, as the ring leader.

AP Art is split into two courses. One is 2D Design and the other is drawing, and the difference is the look of the work that they do. The drawing artists focus more traditional drawing skills like mark making and light/shadow. The 2D design students focus on more techniques that are related to graphic design, but they can also have the option of taking Photography. Because of that, there is a separate section in the class. During Ms. Vazquez’s second period, there are 11 students who are in 2D Design, and the rest are doing Photography.

Students spend the year creating a portfolio that will then be submitted. There isn’t a large test with multiple choice questions and essays that need to be written. Instead, they submit this Portfolio which includes 24+ artworks that they have to submit to the College Board. Twelve of them show their variety as an artist, so they have to do different and unrelated artworks.

This means that they have to use different mediums and styles in their pieces. The other 12 have to make up what is called a concentration, which are artworks that are closely related. For example, if someone were to pick up a book by Picasso or Van Gough, and was to flip through their work, there’s going to be a very common style and usually a common subject. So the AP Art students need to do just that.

Senior Kyllah Melton said, “I am not a very talented artist when it comes to drawing which is why I chose to take photography. I love to go out and take pictures and capture many different moments. I am very interested in photography now and can’t help but carry my camera everywhere I go. We have been working on our portfolios and I started my concentration which will be fashion orientated. My main goal is to learn different

Managing Editor - Layout & Content & Staff Writer

ways to take pictures and how to incorporate them to look better.”

Students work tirelessly to not only come up with their own style and subject, but to also execute it well. This makes the Portfolio somewhat tricky because they have to show both extremes. They show all of the different things that they can do, and then create a body of work that is very focused.

Sophomore Anette Mago is a student who has always been intrigued by art. Mago said, “I wanted to take this class my freshman year but I didn’t receive it due to confusion on my course schedule. When I did receive the class this year, I was so excited because my dream is to be an artist and taking this class would be my first step to getting closer to that dream. I have learned a lot over the course of this year and it has especially taught me to expand my horizons.”

After working for almost the entire year on this Portfolio, the students begin to work closely with Ms. Vazquez to select their best artworks in April. After the art has been selected, they must then be uploaded to the College Board website. Additionally, they have to submit five physical artworks, so students prepare those so they can be shipped off.

Then they receive their scores over the summer, just like other AP classes.

Passing rates for this class vary extremely, depending on the amount of students enrolled in the course. One year, only seven people took the class, and six of those students passed, so the passing rate that year was extremely high.

Last school year, there were about thirty people taking the class and only about half of them passed.

“I have no idea how my students are going to score on this year’s AP exam because of the fact that it has varied. I have three full classes of AP Art so I think that about half of these students will pass, but you never know,” said Ms. Vazquez.

This AP class is truly a great experience for students who are interested in art and photography. Students are able to expand their horizons and learn how to create art of many different styles. It is a class full of fun and creativity.

AP Art: Students interested in photography are enjoying their time in AP art. Photo by: Alex Monge

Photography: After taking AP art students will be able to take photos like this. Photo by: Alex Monge

PPCHS reads to youngsters Hayley Hartwell Clubs and Electives Editor

S ophomore CJ Cruz along with the help of Mrs. Sarah Phelps are producing a new club where they will travel to the FSU Elementary campus to read to kindergarteners. The club

New Club: A new club is making its way to PPCHS and it will be centered around reading to Kindergarteners. Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

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will be starting in February and will occur every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to around 3:00-3:15 p.m. By participating in this club, students may earn volunteer hours for however long the reading takes place. The club is very laid back; you may attend the elementary whatever days possible for you. Your schedule does not have to be a consistent amount of days, the leaders are very flexible and understand that the members have other activities.

“So far the new club will only be reading to kindergartners, but hopefully we will be able to branch out to others as the time goes on and the process becomes perfected. I am very excited because we had a good amount of people turn out for the meeting so I believe there will not be a shortage of people to read,” said CJ Cruz (’17).

To sign up travel to Mrs. Phelps’s class, D203. The reading will begin in February, so that is when the club will close its doors. For every couple of students there will be one reader so it will be very close and personal with the kindergartners. “I think this is going to be an interesting club to join. I want to share the books that I read when I was little like Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, No good, Very Bad Day,” stated Catherine Panaque (’16). The readers will be choosing books from the class reader of whatever kind of book the kids want to read.

“I attended the meeting that told me what the club was going to be about and how it was going to be run and I am very excited to participate. I love little kids and I love reading so it just seems like the perfect match. It is not even for a long period of time after school so I don’t think it will ever interfere with my day,” states senior Jeannie Hurtado.

Join the group of High School students that read to the FSU kindergartners to help further the kindergartener’s growth. By reading to the kindergartners it will help them comprehend stories and maybe even learn how to read small words.

Young Jags claw their way into Science Josiah Celestine & David Cha-Kim Staff Writer & Technology Editor

D

etonating pumpkins, burning flames full of lively color, experimenting with fogging bubbles of dry CO2 ice... this is just a small sample of the entertaining and mind-blowing experiments that took place on PPCHS’ Science Day. On January 8th, after the first high school study day of the New Year, the first ever Science Day with the new middle school was held on the high school campus (in and outside of the S building). The schedule was 10:30-11:35 a.m. for sixth graders, 1:15-1:15 p.m. for seventh graders, and 1:30-2:30 p.m. for eighth graders.

Science Day was organized and planned out by the Science Club, SNHS (Science National Honor Society), Dr. Glenn and Mrs. Hernandez-Davis. Middle school students, along with the assistance of high schoolers, carried out 12 different experiments covering the sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics. The names of the experiments performed by the participants were “Boo Bubbles”, “Oozing Timmy”, “Balloon”, “Rainbow Fire”, “Swamp Monster Germs”, “Physics and Company”, “Bed of Nails”, “Invisible Glass”, “The Spinny Chair-Centripetal Force”, “Exploding Pumpkin”, “Whoosh Bottle”, and “Exploding Soda”.

The purpose of Science Day is to get middle schoolers excited about different fields of science from before the time that they come to high school.

Although the subjects of biology, physics, and chemistry are usually thought of as intimidating, the experiments that the members of Science Club and SNHS came up with are specifically designed to be fun for younger scientists. As Science Club and SNHS members spent the day with younger students and taught and explained several scientific concepts, they got a feel of what their own teachers do on a daily basis.

“The goal of science club and SNHS is to reach younger students and infect them with enthusiasm for science,” said Dr. Glenn. “It is important to expose younger kids to science now because there will be a better chance that they will have an appreciation for science as they go through life.”

Although this was the first Science Day on our home campus due to the recent integration of the Charter Academic Village middle school, this year’s Science Day was not Charter’s first. First starting off as a small success led by former Jag Renata Dineamarco and Mrs. Hernandez-Davis (HD) herself, it quickly grew into what is it today.

Mrs. HD and Dineamarco wanted to spread the joy of science throughout the whole charter system, and even to the world, specifically Haiti. They found a way to send supplies and instructions on how to children in schools in Haiti could be able to experience the joy students at charter were feeling because of science day. Science Day quickly grew and Science Club and SNHS have done Science Day with other Charter middle schools and even fifth graders at elementary schools (East and West Campus) for over five years.

“In the past when we’ve done Science Day with other Charter campuses, it’s been a success every time,” says Mrs. Hernandez-Davis. “It always gets a lot of praise from all of the teachers and students and is something they look forward to.”

Though this year was the first ever Science Day on our campus, it went surprisingly well and most of the experiments had positive and accurate results. However, due to unfortunate time limitations, some of the smaller experiments had to be cut.

Sophomore representative of the PPCHS science club Valentina Jimenez said, “Overall the whole day was a great experience for the middle school students even though not all of the intended experiments were performed. Only the bigger experiments were performed due to the amount of time available. It was still a great day that we hope to improve on in the coming years.”

Science day is a day that is filled with entertaining activities and experiments that may just seem like fun and games, but in reality it is a day to help teach younger minds about various subjects of science. It is always a success and will continue to stimulate minds for years to come.

Science day: SNHS has dedicated their day to try to get the middle schoolers interested in science. Photo by: Peter Dourvetakis

Talent triumphs at the PPCHS talent show

O

n Thursday January 22nd, the annual PPCHS talent show took place at the River of Grass auditorium. Many charter students and parents filled the auditorium to watch what the Jaguars had in store.

The night was filled with many memerable acts, like host RJ Reyes’ comedy, junior Jasmine Alomar singing “Take me to Church”, and freshman Mackenzie Henderson-Kell’s breakdancing. The last act of the night was freshman Sofia Storti and her powerful singing to the song “What about Angles”. The night was concluded with a fun performance by the dance team to the song “Bang, Bang”. The talent show was a spectacular night for all those in attendance.

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The CHAT Editorials: The Secrets to Sustaining Success in Sports Matthew Deno Staff Writer

“T

hank you all for coming to tonight’s game and please drive home safely. The final score is Hallandale, 38, Pines Charter, 7.” It’s an all too familiar sound for the players on Charter’s varsity football team. Losing game in and game out by considerable margins has become the norm for this group of players. It seems as though they are overmatched every time they step foot on the field. The question is, how did this start to become a habit and what can be done to fix it? In contrast to the football squad, some of Charter’s other athletic teams have excelled at a consistent rate each year. The girls `’ varsity soccer team, boys’ varsity basketball team, and the girls’ softball team are a few examples of programs that have regularly made District Finals, Regionals, and even won State championships. What do these teams do differently that allows them to have continued success? Well, there are answers, and they’re the secrets to sustaining success in high school sports.

“I believe that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication from the players, coaches, and parents to have consistent success,” said girls’ softball coach Mrs. Alongi. “The most important trait each player should have is ambition and determination to win and improve every day,” Ultimately, it comes down to three key factors: location, coaching, and tradition. Together these differentiate the dominant athletic programs from the rest of the pack. There are two aspects of location: school size and competition. Charter has about 1,800 students while other public schools in the county have double that amount. The bigger the size, the more accessible students there are to compete for the school’s teams, thus increasing the possibility of finding athletes that will soon become future stars. With Charter’s small number of students, it limits the school from having multiple teams that are successful. In addition to having a large number of students, high school sports teams need to have worthy competition from neighboring schools. If a team plays in a district that has many inferior or superior opponents, then they will never get the challenge needed to improve.

By the football team becoming independent last year, they have chosen to compete with other teams that are at their skill level.

Another important ingredient in a successful high school sports team is the coach. While this may seem obvious, there are two important ways a coach can create and maintain a successful team. First is the motivation a coach can provide his athletes so that they will want to improve and succeed in the sport. The coach must win the respect of his athletes and be able to encourage them to work hard and stay dedicated. Also, they will have to have stability by staying in the program for a considerable amount of time and set realistic expectations for the team to meet. Next is perhaps the most important part of coaching, the physical aspect. If any coach wants their team to be successful, they must design a training routine that works. The best coaches stay true to these training plans year after year and keep their athletes in better physical shape than their competition.

“Without a doubt, I can credit our teams’ success to our coach. He has done all the right things to motivate us and gets us prepared for every game, regardless of the strength of the opponent or the importance,” said junior girls’ varsity soccer player Emely Sosa.

The last factor, and the one that most teams seem to be missing, is tradition. Tradition is essentially a combination of the first two factors.

If a team has a favorable location and a good coach, they will begin to win, and that will establish a platform of tradition even before the team becomes successful. What the successful teams are able to do is draw many students to come and join them because of their winning history. Once a team has shown it is capable of winning, they will gain the confidence that they can do this every time and the winning will continue. Every year, these teams are able to get and keep the top athletes from their school. This includes many students who were planning on joining a specific sport, but realized that they had a poor tradition, so they joined another sport that had a better history.

When it comes to high school sports, it is extremely tough to maintain a winning team year in and year out. However, there are three crucial factors that will help any team turn it around, or continue their success. Those factors are having an advantageous location, keeping a stable and motivational coach, and creating a positive tradition. If every team follows these proven winning ways, we can transform Pines Charter’s athletic program into a consistently successful one.

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Photos By: Alex Monge

Girls’ basketball road to success Cristine Alayon Staff Writer

B

asketball is a sport that takes passion, effort, and love for the game. This season it seems that the Lady Jags have it all. With a record of 11-4 and automatically qualifying for the district championship game, the girl’s team has made Pines Charter history.

In previous years, the girls’ basketball team never had the success they’ve achieved this season. This year is nothing like the others, it’s a whole other story.

New additions have been added to the team to help alter the philosophy from the past seasons. Head coach, Ashley Olsen, has been a major addition to the Lady Jags as she has found her position as head coach of the girl’s team. “My goal coming into coaching here was and still is to create a winning culture, but most importantly to prepare young women for the next step in their lives,” said Olsen. Another major addition is starting point-guard Samantha Provenzano. She has been a major contribution to this season due to the fact that the point-guard role has been missing over the years. Provenzano attended PPCHS her freshmen year, but left to Sagemont High School to play basketball her sophomore year. Unsatisfied, Provenzano wanted to return to Charter to play basketball, which worked out in Charter’s favor.

Behind the scenes, the Lady Jags practice about 3-6 times a week for 2 hours to prepare for upcoming games. Running through plays, drills, and workouts are all part of the training that is done out of the lights.

Despite team practices, some of these athletes do individual training to work on their game. Freshman guard, Samariah August said, “Other than school practice, I do my own workouts at home and play basketball constantly at my house.” Without the determination and hard work at practices, the Lady Jags wouldn’t be nearly as successful as they are now.

As far as talent goes, the Lady Jags have it all. There are a total of 11 athletes on the team: four juniors, two sophomores, and five freshmen. Having a young team is a bonus for the Jags because they will grow together and be more comfortable in the future seasons. Four out of the five starting players participate on the same travel basketball team. Luckily, this works to their advantage because it helps the team chemistry.

Practicing what you love can take you many good places and for the Lady Jags it has taken them on a great route. This season the girls have accomplished things that have not been accomplished in previous years at Pines Charter such as winning 11 games while only losing 4 and defeating the district teams in the regular season. The athletes agree that they have worked tough this season and believe that the district title is in their hands. The Lady Jags’ journey this season has taken smooth and bumpy roads, but with much talent and the hard work paying off… their road to success is underway.

Photos By: Alex Monge

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Sports G

Grasy Gomez

rasy Gomez is a softball star. She has charisma, bravery, and she has a great attitude to always put her team first. She has a desire to play at the college level, and her teammates always keep her going. Softball was her first love and it’s something she cannot live without.

She got into softball at a young age when her sister was playing, and she ended up wanting to do the same. She plays the position catcher because in her perspective, the catcher controls every aspect of the game. When asked who her favorite teammate is, she said “I don’t have a favorite. I love all those girls with my heart and they mean the world to me. They are all my sisters and people I can count on for anything.” This attitude of team first is what makes her such a great and honest teammate.

Her best softball moment was when the high school team last year won the States Title. She said, “The feeling is indescribable. To crave something so bad, work hard every day, have practices in the rain, and then to finally attain it. That truly is the best feeling in the world.” Grasy Gomez will never let anything in between her teammates, and that is what her teammates will always love about her. Gomez will keep working hard until she finally reaches her goal to play softball; at the college level.

Once she gets there, she will make sure to put her team first.

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Claire Blount

hen kids are young they pick the sport they want to pursue for the rest of their childhood and even further on. Some kids will juggle many sports or choose one to focus on; softball is the sport that Claire Blount never regretted choosing. From the age of seven Blount knew this sport was for her and has dedicated all her time since.

Every summer is start of the travel season where Blount travels to different states to play in tournaments that will help her get scouted for her future hopes in playing college ball. She already has offers from Florida State University, Tennessee, University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, FAU, and Ole Miss. Blount still has more time and opportunities to be scouted by other colleges since she is only in her junior year.

In terms of collegiate recruiting, it doesn’t get much better than this.

“My favorite part about softball as a whole is the feeling I get when the lights get low and I step on to the mound trying to throw a crucial strikeout or inning and all the pressure is on me,” stated Blount. Last year with the support of her team she made crucial pitches that led the Lady Jags to the state finals where they walked away with an easy win 3-0 against Lake Region. For the high school season Claire plans on carrying her team once again to the states tournament in hopes of another ring for back-to-back championships.

L

Julia Ramos

ast year, the PPCHS girls’ softball team continued their outstanding run by adding yet another state championship to their collection.

One huge reason for the historic success of the team is sophomore 3rd baseman Julia Ramos. Ramos has been playing softball for fun ever since she was in elementary school and soon after decided to start playing competitively. Now she is in her second year looking to make an even bigger impact on the team which is looking to bring home back-to-back state championships for Pines Charter. However, winning states again this year will be a lot tougher as the team lost key seniors from a year ago.

This means that the younger but extremely talented group, like Ramos, must step up this year and show their full potential.

“I know that my role on the team this season is going to be very different than last year. Improving on leadership skills is something that I have to work on in order for the team to pick up where we left off last year,” said Ramos.

Being a good leader is something that won’t be as hard to accomplish for Ramos because her team is already used to the motivational pep talks that she gives before every game. As for the team, they will be more than ready for the start of the season as they continue to practice and work towards their ultimate goal: becoming repeat champions.

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Softball’

Sports

’s top six S

Sophia Devesa

ince the age of 4, Senior Sophia Devesa has developed the love for the game of softball. This love came from the inspiration of her dad teaching her the game at a very young age. Positioned at first or third base and batting 3rd in the lineup, Sophia has been a major contribution to the Lady Jags softball team. Last year, the girls made it all the way to states and won the title of State champs. “My number one goal for this season is to repeat last year and win states,” said Devesa. Throughout her years, Sophia has been a versatile athlete by participating in basketball in her first two years at Charter as well as softball.

Outside of the Pines Charter premises, Sophia plays travel softball for Florida Power in Coral Springs. Travel softball has helped her become a superb player and has given her an insight of higher competition, such as college.

Devesa recently committed to Nova Southeastern University off a scholarship in November. “It was a dream of mine since I was little to play for a division 1 college. Now that it has come true, I am really excited and I cannot wait to go,” said Sophia.

With the help of Sophia, the Lady Jags hope to conquer a back-to-back State championship title this upcoming season. Sophia is looking forward to getting the job done on the field this year and carrying her talent over to NSU in the future.

“T

Lindsey Fishbach

he rush, the feeling after a tough game, and getting the win,” explained junior Lindsey Fishbach, are her favorite parts to the game she loves- softball. Sporting number 23 on her jersey, she first experienced what it was like to be on the turf at the age of 11. Although she was “unbelievably nervous” she understood that because she was “always willing to learn and do good for her team”, the nerves would subside.

She has played for the PPCHS softball team for three years, and has loved every minute. Expanding her talent on all fronts, she has also played for her travel team, the Plantation Pressure, for 6 years.

As the softball season approaches she stated, “My expectations are high but we had our first tryouts today. I feel I can help my team stay focused on the main goal which it to get another state championship”.

As a second baseman and a shortstop, Fishbach understands that it takes dedication and determination to continue to improve day by day. Her most memorable season was when she joined a football team and proved that the girls can teach boys a thing or two on the field.

After dedicating 6 years of her life, she explained that there is no doubt that she will continue in her senior year and beyond. “I'm starting to get offers now and I plan to be committed by my senior year. I don’t want to play softball professionally but I do have a career interest. My first choice school is Florida Gulf Coast University because I want to study forensic science and they are one of the best colleges in the nation”.

T

Kayla Borges

here are hobbies, and there are sports. For senior Kayla Borges at PPCHS, softball has always been her favorite hobby and her favorite sport ever since the age of 8, when her father got her into it for the first time. Borges has played for three different travel teams including teams in Weston, Sunrise, and Pembroke Pines. Her experience has surely helped the Lady Jags as she looks to go out with a bang in her final season. The senior outfielder has gone to States in her first three years, capturing two rings in her tenure. If that’s not an impressive resume, then what is?

Borges’ favorite part about softball is being with a team because to her, they’re like her second family. She loves the feeling of hard work paying off with a group of close friends, and that is in fact the state rings she and the rest of the Lady Jags have earned. The senior’s team spirit and positive attitude has allowed her to enjoy her time on and off the field to the best of her ability.

“When I put on that Jaguar jersey for the final time, I will have a lot of mixed emotions. I’ll be sad because I know that this is the last time I’ll ever be on the field with my teammates but I’ll also be really happy with my time as being a Jaguar. I know my team has put in really great work over the years and my high school career has been an experience that not a lot of people can say they’ve had,” she stated.

The time is now for Borges and the softball team to get the job done, and they’re confident they’ll be at the top once again.

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Sports

Lacrosse’ F

Daniel Moran

or PPCHS senior Daniel Moran, the 2013-2014 school year was a living nightmare. After suffering from Osteochondritis dissecans in his knee, Moran was forced to miss the entirety of the boy’s varsity lacrosse season last year.

Osteochondritis dissecans, describes in simple terms, is a joint condition where the cartilage disconnects from the bone it is connected to.

“I hope to be able to come back stronger than ever this year. After last year’s combination of a winless season and sitting out with an injury, an improvement would be nice to see this year. I haven’t been able to see the new team, but I have heard good things and know that we are capable for making a complete turnaround from last season,” said Moran.

Daniel Moran has been playing lacrosse since he was in fourth grade, which makes him an eight year veteran of the sport, one of the most experienced students on the team. He was inspired to play by his brother and father, who both play the sport. Lacrosse is a major part of the Moran family, it is in their blood. Moran’s positional versatility is part of what makes him an especially dangerous player, being able to play as a midfielder and an attacker.

As a senior, this is Daniel Moran’s last chance to prove himself. Moran hopes to attract the curiosity of his dream colleges; UF and Cornell University. Let’s wish Daniel Moran and the lacrosse team good luck for a prolific and injury free season.

Ian Gonzalez

S

enior Ian Gonzalez may be finishing his high school career, but as of right now, his lacrosse career is just taking off. Gonzalez only began to play the sport last year when he was a junior, but as soon as coach DeLuca gave him the little push to play the sport, he fell in love with it. When he was on the team as a junior they didn’t go as far as they would have hoped to have gone, but that’s not stopping Gonzalez from working hard and getting the team as far as possible.

“Last year we didn’t do very well because of an injury to a key player, but now that I am a senior I think that the responsibility to carry the team as far as possible is on my shoulders now. I think the team can do it, and we hope to make it as far as districts this year,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez’s preferred position to play on the field is midfielder, and his best attributes are getting around opponents because he is very fast. With all his ability, Gonzalez believes that he has the chance to play in college but he has decided not to, and instead focus on his education.

Lacrosse isn’t one of the major sports at charter, but with a dedicated athlete like Ian Gonzalez, it can get the school very far and a lot of recognition.

A

Steven Barnes

n opposing player is running down the field with his lacrosse stick in hand. He is about to take a shot after passing two Charter players. Then all of a sudden, Steven Barnes comes out of nowhere to stop the opposition from scoring. Barnes uses his size like a brick wall to knock the player down and get his team the ball. His teammates come to congratulate him on his amazing defensive ability. Steven Barnes has once again saved his team from going down a point.

He is a defensive player for the lacrosse team and has been playing since last year when his friend Amir Banks asked him to come out and play the sport. Barnes is the only defensive returning player from last year. His main objective and the rest of teams is to train really hard so they can go farther than last year.

“I hope that we can at least win a game this year. It would really boost our confidence level for this year and maybe good things will come if we win a game early in the year. I just really hope everyone has a fun season.” said senior Steven Barnes.

For college, Barnes doesn’t know yet but is still looking at his options. He hopes to at least attend a big university. His hobbies include watching TV, playing football, playing video games, and catching a movie with his friends.

With a lot of hard work, Barnes is sure to help his team win several games this year.

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’s top six I

Sports

Reno Mannucci

t takes a certain skill to succeed in lacrosse. Constantly being knocked down, having to catch a ball coming at you with your stick, and being able to pass that ball will either make or break you. For senior Reno Mannucci, he goes through this every practice and game. As a forward, he has only two thoughts in mind: catch the ball and score the goal. But unlike other forwards, Mannucci is left-handed, which allows him to play the especially tough position of left forward.

“I love lacrosse because it’s a fun fast paced game,” said Mannucci. “I’ve been playing it since my freshman year, and I love it.”

When asked about his favorite part of the game, his response was simple: “laying people out” and “scoring goals”. In a game last season against West Broward, Reno recorded a hat trick, three goals in one game, which he easily described as his favorite memory. Last season, Mannucci recorded three goals and one assist, stats he hopes to increase as he enters his final season as a jaguar.

His goals for this season are simple. “I want to get to the playoffs,” said Mannucci. “First, though, I want to get three wins. If we are doing well, then I want to go to Districts.”

With number 19 on his back and his head held high, Mannucci will do everything he can to help his team win. He will use his veteran expertise to mentor the new players and score as many goals as he can.

Jake Dreilinger

F

or senior Jake Dreilinger, his second year with PPCHS lacrosse is also unfortunately his final one. As an all-around midfielder, Dreilinger is required to constantly play both offense and defense, a very physically demanding role on the pitch. A fairly good lacrosse player for someone who has only played one season of lacrosse in his life, Dreilinger is known to be a great defensive player, but he hopes to work on improving his offense and being a playmaker for the team under the supervision of Coach DeLuca and Coach Cory Masiello. As many of his cousins have played lacrosse for their high schools, even one of them returning to his past school to coach his former team, Dreilinger has quite a bit of family history with the sport, which played a key role in his inspiration to take up the sport in his junior year.

“I’ve definitely become a lot closer to many of my friends with lacrosse,” said Jake Dreilinger. “The idea of being a team brings us closer. Seeing each other every day at every practice and every game, and hanging out on high school study days really brought us together as a team. The more chemistry you have as a team, the better you play.”

Though Dreilinger doesn’t intend to continue with organized lacrosse in college, he will always have a deep passion for the game and it will forever remain as a way for him and his friends to connect and have a fun time.

F

Matthew Curiel

or junior Matthew Curiel, finding a sport that he was truly passionate about was a difficult task for him. That is, until a couple of friends introduced him to lacrosse in his freshman year and he quickly realized that he could be on to something. As it turns out, it was a perfect match and from that point on, he has become an extremely versatile player who can play either attacker or midfielder. Even now in his junior year, he is still amazing those who are lucky enough to watch the show he puts on. There is no doubt that these spectacles of his outstanding ability will be greatly needed this year as Curiel and his team are getting ready to start a brand new season.

“Playing lacrosse here at Charter has really helped me grow as a player, and more importantly, as a person. I’ve learned so many valuable lessons from my teammates and coaches. That’s one of the many things that I’m thankful for,” said Curiel.

Before the season begins, Curiel hopes to improve upon and polish some areas of his game that are weaker, like keeping control of the ball and passing with better accuracy. He definitely feels that the experience of playing here at Charter for the past two years has him poised for a breakout year. If he keeps up the hard work and dedication, he’ll be reaching those goals in no time.

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Sports

Buckey

The Journalism World Remembers Stuart Scott Brett Alayon Sports Editor

A

s sports fans across the globe lethargically fall out of bed to turn the channel to ESPN, their lackluster mood immediately switches to a sense of indescribable stimulation. It’s not enthusiasm for the day of work or school ahead, but its hope for another day to be on the face of Earth and anxiousness to discover who broke the next record or which coach got fired. The journalism world and the sports world, including those that tune in to ESPN, took a huge a loss on January 4th as Stuart Scott passed away at the age of 49. Athletes, colleagues, celebrities, and all sports fans mourned Scott’s passing as his story and battle with cancer touched so many people’s hearts.

“It’s not every day where you get to see an inspiring anchor on TV. That’s exactly what Stuart Scott was. I’ve been watching him as far back as I can remember and it won’t be the same without him,” said senior Gabriel Lopez.

Scott was part of the launch of ESPN2 in 1993 and progressed in the ranks as one of the network’s main SportsCenter anchors thanks to his rapid-fire delivery and unique phrasing to describe highlights. His specialties, “As cool as the other side of the pillow” and “Booyah!” were the catchphrases that everyone will remember him by. His resounding live shows earned him the spot of being the lead host for the NBA on ESPN and ABC where he was announcing the San Antonio Spurs 2014 as the NBA Champions in early June.

What many ESPN viewers didn’t realize was that Scott went to work even when we was physically and mentally drained from his cancer treatments. Scott would constantly be working out, taking martial arts classes, and suiting up to head to work like if he was 100% healthy, although it was constantly on his mind. In his remarkable ESPY’s speech in mid-July when he received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, Scott shared his story with the world. The manner and passion in which he spoke in reminded all spectators of the all-time great Jimmy Valvano and his unforgettable speech and battle with cancer. Scott famously noted, “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”

As many have come know it, family is a priority in their lives. For Mr. Scott, family was everything. He made it clear in front of millions at the ESPY’s that the reason he was standing up there that night was for his two daughters, Taelor and Sydni. He mentioned they were his “heartbeat” and the best thing he has ever done and will ever do, is be a dad to them.

Here at PPCHS, the passing of Stuart Scott was one that surely did not go unnoticed as the head of “The CHAT”, Mr. Fagen, weighed in on the journalism legend. “In journalism, a lot of times people are behind the scenes and it’s about other people. You look at Stuart Scott’s character and how he shared his story, it’s necessary to use his journalism as a platform. It’s a really good opportunity for people in general and journalists to see someone face death with such great character and live life in a great way even though you don’t know how many days you have left.”

So as journalists, sports fans, and others who remember Stuart Scott continue our simplistic lives, let’s not forget how fortunate we are everyday. Scott taught millions several lessons in the manner in which he in fact lived in day in and day out. Living is an opportunity that Scott took great advantage of. His class, maturity, perseverance, and love for sports and journalism was truly “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”

22

O

hio State was done when star quarterbac it lost at home to Virginia Tech in September. Oh Barrett got hurt in November. The only thing is, In this new era of college football, that was enou of an opportunity they never would have had in belonged among college football's final four. Th Elliott, and the rest of the Buckeyes won the fi this year’s Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mari of muscle in Jones and the relentless running of remarkable in-season turnaround with a dominat “It is mind boggling to think that Ohio State is just goes to show how a team is season is never r junior varsity football player Ian Schettini.

Ohio State began the first college football playo top-seeded Alabama and second-seeded Oregon Buckeye’s spot. Well, there is no question abou ever crowned. The Buckeyes overcame two injur Virginia Tech early in the season to win their first

Sports

yes bash Ducks in inaugural CFP championship

Graphic By: Katie Perez

Matthew Deno Staff Writer

ck Braxton Miller got hurt in August. Ohio State was done when hio State was done when the sensational backup quarterback J.T. s, every time the Buckeyes looked done, they kept getting better. ugh to earn a chance to win a championship. They took advantage n the old BCS system, shaking off questions about whether they hird-string QB Cardale Jones, sophomore running back Ezekiel first College Football Playoff National Championship, upsetting riota and Oregon 42-20 on January 12th. Behind the 250 pounds f Elliott, the Buckeyes, who finished the year 14-1, completed a ting performance against the Ducks, who finished 13-2. s where they are now compared to just a couple of weeks ago. It really over until the final whistle of the final game is blown,” said

off as the fourth and final seed, and was an underdog against both n. Plenty of people thought TCU or Baylor should have had the ut it now: Ohio State is the truest champion college football has red Heisman contending quarterbacks and one awful 35-21 loss to t national title since the 2002 BCS championship. In the BCS, the

early loss to Tech could have pretty much eliminated the Buckeyes from the championship race.

Head coach Urban Meyer now has three titles, adding this one for his home state team to the two he won for Florida. He now matches Alabama's Nick Saban as the only coaches to win a national championship at two schools. It has taken just three seasons for Meyer to put the Buckeyes, and the Big Ten, back on top, with a team that looks built to last for years to come. The games offensive MVP was the powerful and speedy Elliot who ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns on a career-high 36 carries. At quarterback, Cardale Jones, who took over during the Michigan game for the injured Barrett (who had taken over at the start of the season for the injured Miller), passed for 242 yards and a touchdown and ran for another in his third career start. The third-year sophomore proved he could keep up with this year’s potential No.1 pick in Oregon’s Mariota. The Heisman winner passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but the Ducks' high octane spread offense missed too many red zone opportunities and couldn't establish its running game against a tough and physical Ohio State front seven.

“From my point of view, Oregon got dominated on both sides of the ball from start to finish. It was easy to see that Ohio State was the bigger, stronger team. That’s why it made it hard to believe that Ohio State was the underdog coming into the game,” said sophomore JV football player Wynton White.

About halfway through the fourth quarter, the packed AT&T Stadium in Dallas was a sea of Buckeye’s scarlet red. However, that site would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the college football playoffs.

With all the talk of wanting to see the playoffs expanded, it’s hard to argue with the results. An incredible finish to an incredible first playoffs with a deserving champion is just about all fans can ask for.

23

Movie Reviews Melissa Pierce

Student Life Editor

T he Interview S elma Set primarily in Pyongyang, North Korea, this “humorous” Sony film featured an American talk This Golden Globe nominee for Best Motion Picture was more than moving. It show host (James Franco) who was asked by the CIA to assassinate the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The infamous dictator invited the talk show host Dave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) to the country known to be under tight lock and key because of his die-hard love for their show. As was previously disputed, the moral of the story was far from being politically correct. Although James Franco’s character befriends Kim Jong Un, the dictator is painted to be a brainwashing, false god towards his people, of which he is accused of being in reality.

Considering Dictator Kim’s threats towards the United States and his instability as a young, new, power-hungry ruler, this movie never should have been made nor released. The Interview will only serve as grounds for Kim Jong Un’s anger to grow, especially since the film features his demise as a dictator. The movie as a whole was overrated; the humor was less than amusing. It was a typical Seth Rogen and James Franco film; thus, it isn’t for everybody. Sexual content was in abundance, as per usual, and the amount of explicit language would make even a sailor sick to the stomach.

Bottom line, this two-star movie is far from getting my stamp of approval.

nowned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) through one of his many fig unwavering equality; in specific, his fight for equal voting rights in Selma, Alabam tured the famous five-day march from Selma to Montgomery which was conducte Dr. King to make his point clear-- not only did he want the African-American peop be able to vote, but he also wanted his people to be able to physically register to vo emotionally and politically inhibited by the local officials. Selma blew my min of the humble struggle of the African-American people during the Civil Rights vivid and impeccable. I was surprised however by some intense and graphic scene murder and gore; nonetheless, this only goes to show how accurate and honest S it came to displaying the harshness of these times. All in all, this movie was far f ment. It brought a certain pride and justice to African-American people, even tod in preserving and honoring the legacy of the great Dr. King.

murderer of his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) after he’s been framed for the killing. Detective Franck Dotzler (Forrest Whittaker) is on the case following Mills and trying to capture him as he avoids arrest. Though the movie promised to be an exhilarating ending to the series, Taken 3 is not the action movie anybody wanted. The movie has all the points of a basic action film. It has the foreign bad guys with thick accents, overdone explosions, and a predictable ending. From the moment that the conflict in the movie is introduced, the “mastermind” behind it is obvious, despite the movie’s feeble attempts to throw Red Herrings. Another problem is Mills character. He’s no longer the insanely cool fighter that everybody is looking for. The movie was obviously shot for a PG-13 rating, as Mills kills only two people throughout the entire film. And Mills survives scenes where he should obviously be dead and the movie makes no attempt to show how he survives. The filming of the movie is also shoddy. In chase and fighting scenes, the camera cuts from wide angles to close-ups so quickly and repeatedly that there is no time to focus on the action taking place and everything gets too confusing too quickly. Overall, this movie falls short of the expectations that everybody had. It’s not a good ending to the Taken movies. It’s not a good action movie. It’s not worth $12.50.

as dust storms rage throughout the small town that Cooper (Matthew McConaugh ily lives. After stumbling across a secret NASA base, Cooper signs up to go on a s save the human race. His crew includes Dr. Brand (Anne Hathaway) and TARS capable of doing anything and everything. One of the best parts of this movie was space. The movie makes you feel like you are actually with the crew on their spa is both good and bad, captivating the audience as well as making you feel dizzy a great part of the movie is the connection between Copper and his daughter Murph and Jessica Chastain). Their bond makes the movie more personal and makes you their success. Anne Hathaway also pulled off a touching and noteworthy perfor any movie, Interstellar has its pitfalls. The biggest one is that the movie is really lo and seems to drag on for too long at times. Also, the ending, though amazing, d with the rest of the movie. The first 2/3 of the movie is a realistic space adventure plot, but the last 1/3 seems more like a sci-fi ending taken out from one of Nolan’s the movie is a great sci-fi adventure that fits right along with the other Nolan grea and The Dark Night.

TIn aken 3 IInnterstellar the finale of the Taken trilogy, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back and on the hunt to find the this Christopher Nolan sci-fi space adventure, the people of Earth are dying. C

The CHAT Editorial: Gaps between movie seque Nicholas Rivera Staff Writer

Photo by: Jonathan Harris

24

A

lot can happen in a decade. In 10 years an infant is already intelligent enough to read 10 years. In 10 years almost all of the cells in someone’s body will be replaced. In 10 year pletely change, and it seems that in 10 years, they are going to release a sequel to that pop everyone’s forgotten about.

It’s widely accepted that sequels are rarely ever live up to the standards of the first mov when the sequel is better than the original. So why are there sequels? Unfortunately, for ma writers, sequels are not necessarily made to made the beloved characters live on, but inst almost guarantee success at the box office with a story that is already known by the audien makes sense, half of the jobs of directors, writers, and actors is to please the audience and o disappoint an audience is by coming out with unnecessary sequels too long after the origin out.

In 1994, Jim Carrey pleased audiences and critics is the popular comedy “The Mask”, whic on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a movie that could be watch again and again and still manage Then, almost 11 years later in 2005, director Lawrence Guterman disappointed “Mask” fans e his take on the sequel, “Son of the Mask,” which, to give perspective, only received 6% on R “Depending on how long afterwards the movies come out, they shouldn’t happen. Since have happened so far back, the people that worked on the first one aren’t going to be the pe sequel. There is going to be plot holes and mistakes. It’s sad but they are only done for th junior Taj Ali. The same disappointment came from countless other movies, including classics-turned-seq 2”, which came out 63 years after the first, Peter Pan’s sequel, “Return to Neverland”, wh years after the original, and “The Fox and the Hound 2”, coming out 25 years after the origi It seems as if these sequels are not beneficial to either the movie makers or the watche movies come out too long after the original, they make less money in box office, sometime enough to break even.

“I don’t think that movies should be delayed with their sequels because people are always e next one, but sometimes when you see the sequel of a movie you saw years ago, it’s a nice fla become more excited for it,” says sophomore Eduardo Hernandez.

It is not uncommon for movies to have a second or even third reboot, especially if it was po is a limit where movie sequels should be cut off. There is no way to tell this to all directors, can at least hope for better releases.

followed the reghts for true and ma. The film feaed in an effort by ple to technically ote without being nd. It’s depiction Movement was es which showed Selma was when from disappointday, and did well

Crops are failing hey) and his famspace journey to S, a robot who is s its depiction of ace mission. This at times. Another (Mackenzie Foy u want to root for rmance. But like ong (2hr 45 min) doesn’t match up with a plausible s dream. Overall, ats like Inception

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Sequels that come out too early LJ Lemmers and Nicholas Rivera

Throughout the years, there have been many famous movie titles with many sequels that have come out two to three years after the next. Series titles like Fast and Furious, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Staff Writer and Staff Writer

Potter for the past 10 years have entertained millions of people with their exciting plot twists, interesting characters that keep the movie going, and a collection of famous actors that make sequels some of the greatest movies of all time.

Sequels keep the story of a franchise going. It gives character development, uncovers secrets that were left unanswered in the previous title, and overall takes elements from the previous installment and gives a deeper message making it better than its predecessor.

Personally I feel that movies with early sequels are a good thing even though it is a marketing plan to get more money. After seeing a cliffhanger from one movie, I immediately can’t wait for the next sequel to come out and reveal the hidden secrets the last movie left behind. Fast and Furious 5 at the end of the movie left a very big cliffhanger. Letty, the wife of the main character, Dominic Toretto, in Fast and Furious was supposedly dead with the events that transpired in Fast and Furious 4. However, in the end of Fast 5 Letty was seen in a picture involved with a gang robbery. Instead of waiting three to five years for the next sequel to came out, Fast and Furious 6 came out in the next two years. It explained why Letty was working with the bad guys due to her having amnesia which explained to many watchers why she was an accomplice with the bad guys.

I feel that sequels coming early are a good thing because viewers don’t have to wait too long for the next film to come out. Sometimes a movie will leave with a cliffhanger and a sequel will be planned for the future, however waiting too long can cancel the sequel leaving the series with no closure to end the story.

Inception is a perfect example of a movie that needs a sequel. At the end of the movie, Dom Cobb placed his totem on the table leaving many people in the audience at the time on the edge of their seats. Watchers were wondering if the totem would continue to spin hinting that Cobb was still in the dream world, or would it fall over, concluding that he has finally made it back to his kids.

Some major problems that happens affects my opinion on sequels that take longer than usual to air is the question of “where did we leave off?”. When a movie takes too long with a sequel to come out, my brain can’t remember all the major details that were left previously or the minor details. So sometimes, I will be watching the sequel to a movie and not even remember who some of the main characters were. Early sequels give viewers a better understanding of the story and don’t make them lost in the middle of the story because it didn’t take another five years for a sequel to come out.

There are some sequels that are just rushed and used as a marketing plan to get more money. Transformers are a perfect example. While there are some points in the sequel that move the plot forward, Transformers has a repeating pattern in each installment. The Decepticons come and terrorize the humans. The Autobots go into hiding and at the last minute come out and save the day. In between this, Optimus Prime in every movie either dies and must be revived or is physically disabled and making a major comeback at the end.

Then at the end he makes an inspirational speech about protecting the humans. Even though I love Transformers, I hate sequels that do the same plot from the previous movie just to get money out of it.

Sequels move the story forward giving watchers a connection to the characters in the story. They move the plot forward and answer many questions left behind. A movie that started out small quickly turns into a series with the help of sequels establishing it as one of the greatest titles in history.

A lot can happen in a decade. In 10 years an infant is already intelligent enough to read large novels. In 10 years. In 10 years almost all of the cells in someone’s body will be replaced. In 10 years, you can completely change, and it seems that in 10 years, they are going to release a sequel to that popular movie that everyone’s forgotten about.

It’s widely accepted that sequels are rarely ever live up to the standards of the first movie. Even rarer is when the sequel is better than the original. So why are there sequels? Unfortunately, for many directors and writers, sequels are not necessarily made to made the beloved characters live on, but instead as a way to almost guarantee success at the box office with a story that is already known by the audience. Although it makes sense, half of the jobs of directors, writers, and actors is to please the audience and one way to easily disappoint an audience is by coming out with unnecessary sequels too long after the original movie comes out.

In 1994, Jim Carrey pleased audiences and critics is the popular comedy “The Mask”, which received 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a movie that could be watch again and again and still manage to get a laugh. Then, almost 11 years later in 2005, director Lawrence Guterman disappointed “Mask” fans everywhere with his take on the sequel, “Son of the Mask,” which, to give perspective, only received 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Depending on how long afterwards the movies come out, they shouldn’t happen. Since the first would have happened so far back, the people that worked on the first one aren’t going to be the people that did the sequel. There is going to be plot holes and mistakes. It’s sad but they are only done for the money,” said junior Taj Ali. The same disappointment came from countless other movies, including classics-turned-sequel like “Bambi 2”, which came out 63 years after the first, Peter Pan’s sequel, “Return to Neverland”, which came out 49 years after the original, and “The Fox and the Hound 2”, coming out 25 years after the original.

It seems as if these sequels are not beneficial to either the movie makers or the watchers. Generally, if movies come out too long after the original, they make less money in box office, sometimes barely making enough to break even.

“I don’t think that movies should be delayed with their sequels because people are always excited to see the next one, but sometimes when you see the sequel of a movie you saw years ago, it’s a nice flashback and you become more excited for it,” says sophomore Eduardo Hernandez.

It is not uncommon for movies to have a second or even third reboot, especially if it was popular, but there is a limit where movie sequels should be cut off. There is no way to tell this to all directors, but for now we can at least hope for better releases.

Photo by: Matthew Perez

Photo by: Carmen Pettersen

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Entertainment Words jumping on the big screen in 2015

The CHAT Editor

Nicholas Rivera

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Staff Writer

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aper Towns by John Green It debuted at number 5 on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books and was awarded the 2009 Edgar Award for best young-adult novel, John Green’s third novel may not be as emotional as The Fault of the Stars. Nonetheless, the book turned movie is still compelling and suspenseful. John Green will be taking over the big screen again on June 5th.

Soundcheck: Demi Lovato performs “Believe In Me” with guitarist Mike Manning in an intimate performance during soundcheck of the Neon Lights Tour. Photo donated by: Jasmine Alomar

Graphic by: Rebacca Gonzalez

IThensurgent

by Veronica Roth sequel to the best seller

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez

Divergent is coming to a theatre near you. Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James, this is the story of Beatrice Price who must fight both her inner demons and a powerful alliance to keep society together. When it all comes down to it Beatrice must make careful decisions because one choice can destroy everything. Action, Adventure and Sci-Fi, Insurgent will premiere on March 20th.

Meet and Greet: Junior Maria Bozo’s meet and greet photo with Demi Lovato during the Neon Lights tour. Photo by: Maria Bozo

T he Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

A Nicholas Sparks original will be returning to the big screen this year as his 17th romance novel will be shown all across the country on April 10th. In true Spark fashion, this movie will bring joy, happiness, sadness, and tears. Similar to Spark’s previous novels like The Last Song, Safe Haven and Dear John, The Longest ride is a story of two love stories and one car accident. Tears are inevitable.

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzalez Meet and Greet: Junior Jasmine Alomar’s meet and greet photo with Demi Lovato during the Neon Lights tour. Photo donated by: Jasmine Alomat

G oosebumps by R.L Stine From ventriloquist dummies

Photo by: Rebecca Gonzales

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ou’re standing in li ning according to plan. Y tears from both happines this point; the same pers right in front of you. No you’re going to be able t Often, when a celebrit attending soundcheck, to ages he or she is offering Miley Cyrus was on her memorabilia and fan me greet, but these VIP pack worth the money.

I met Demi Lovato twic on September 14th. For b as well as a VIP laminate age also came with a tic answered some fan ques soundcheck, so it cost $ than the first one. Becau bodyguard wasn’t telling her. These were truly the Junior and concert fana Tour said, “Soundcheck that VIP packages are w celebrities or you see the range from $400 to $600 Junior Ariana Noda als When I walked in, I told all super nice person. I d the line so we couldn’t d experience and I would For those who don’t w brother meets celebrities Christina Perri, and Lad He’ll call an airline and on in Miami, there are a said Tabraue.

The mixture of anxiety you meet them is unlike until it begins to come b the picture. For my seco many people, but once y I have met Demi Lovato packages are worth ever

found in a dumpster to something dark and scaly lurking underwater, author R.L Stine can be blamed for our nightmares. Sixty-two books were published from 1992 and 1997 usually following the plot of a young girl or boy getting into a scary situation. The popular children fiction/ horror books are taking to the big screen this year, on August 7th two kids will have to do everything to save the day from monsters.

Meet and Greet: Order con meet and greet package availa to’s Neon Lights Tour. Photo b

Soundcheck: Demi Lovato answers fan questions read by her assistant, Natalie Martin during soundcheck for her Neon Lights Tour. Photo donated by: Jasmine Alomar

Meet and Greet: Order con meet and greet package avail vato’s DEMI World Tour. Phot

Entertainment

rial: VIP packages leave Jaguars star struck Maria Bozo Managing Editor - Layout & Content

ine surrounded by a group of your closest friends with security guards everywhere making sure everything is runYou can feel your heart pumping faster and faster as the line progresses. People exiting the room walk past you in ss and shock. The moment you have been anticipating for months is approaching ¬¬ fast. It doesn’t even feel real at son who you have seen for years on your television screen, on YouTube videos, and at award shows is going to be t only is this person going to be in the same room as you, but he or she is also going to take a picture with you and to have a brief conversation with them. This is a teenager’s dream. y goes on tour, he or she will have VIP packages available for fans to purchase. These VIP packages range from o an individual meet and greet, to group meet and greets. It all depends on who the artist is and what kind of packg. The cost of these packages also range; the more established an artist is, the more expensive they will be. When Bangerz World Tour, an individual meet and greet cost $1000 and came with a professional photograph and other erchandize. There were also several other packages available that weren’t as pricey that didn’t include a meet and kages leave people wondering whether or not they are worth the splurge. Personally, I think that they definitely are

ce this year. The first was for her Neon Lights Tour on February 25th and the second was for her DEMI World Tour both concerts, I purchased an individual meet and greet that also came with a limited edition poster, tote, and t-shirt, e. The first meet and greet was very different from the second. With the Neon Lights Tour, the meet and greet packcket to soundcheck, so before the actual meet and greet began, Lovato came on stage, sang a couple of songs, and stions. This package cost a total of $350. For the DEMI World Tour, the meet and greet package didn’t come with 325. Even though the second package didn’t come with soundcheck, I think that it was a much better experience use of the fact that there was no soundcheck, the meet and greet was much more relaxed. It was less rushed, so her g people to hurry or anything like that. You felt like there weren’t 100 more people waiting in line after you to meet e best moments of my life thus far. atic Tayler Ramsay purchased a VIP package that came only with a ticket to soundcheck for Lovato’s Neon Lights was so much fun because they don’t let a lot of people in so it was a really personal experience. I definitely think worth the money, even though a lot of people don’t understand, but nothing compares to the rush when you meet em at concerts. My dream is to get a meet and greet for Justin Bieber at Madison Square Garden. His meet and greets 0 but I don’t care how much it costs because it’s worth it to me.” o met Lovato for her DEMI World Tour. When describing the experience, she said, “It was an amazing experience. her that I had been waiting eight years to meet her and she said ‘eight years in the making!’ and she is just an overdefinitely think VIP packages are worth the money, even though Demi started feeling sick about half way through do really personal pictures like hugging ones. Despite the fact I couldn’t get a really personal picture, it was a great do it again.” want to spend the money to meet celebrities, there are other ways to meet celebrities. Sophomore Kevin Tabraue’s s all of the time. Even though his brother has purchased VIP packages to celebrities like Becky G, Demi Lovato, dy Gaga, he meets celebrities at the airport and on the streets of Miami as well. “It’s crazy what my brother does. act as if he’s a celebrity and ask for his flight number and other information. This week, because Art Basel is going lot of celebrities coming in. Just this week alone, he’s met Joe Jonas, Jessie J, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian,”

Soundcheck: Demi Lovato covering Rihanna’s song “Stay” during soundcheck for her Neon Lights Tour. Photo donated by: Jasmine Alomar

Meet and Greet: Junior Maria Bozo’s meet and greet photo with Demi Lovato during the DEMI World Tour. Photo by: Maria Bozo

y, excitement, and nervousness you feel while waiting to meet a celebrity, and the rush of happiness you feel after any other experience. Because of the adrenaline in your body, you sometimes don’t even remember what happened ack slowly in the following days. For my first meet and greet, I don’t even remember turning to the camera to take ond meet and greet, I took a hugging picture and I don’t even remember hugging her. It may sound ridiculous to you meet a celebrity who you’ve admired for so long is when you begin understand this feeling. The two times that o have been wonderful experiences that are extremely difficult to put into words, so there is no denying that VIP ry penny.

Meet and Greet: Junior Ariana Noda’s meet and greet photo with Demi Lovato during the DEMI World Tour. Photo dontaed by: Ariana Noda

nfirmation for the ble for Demi LovaMaria Bozo

by:

nfirmation for the lable for Demi Loto by: Maria Bozo

Neon Lights Tour: Front row seats were definitley worth the money when Demi Lovato stepped off the stage to interact with the audience more closely while performing “Two Pieces”.. Photo by: Maria Bozo

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Smartphone users suffer severe ‘Crack’ addiction David Cha-Kim Technology Editor

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feeling of suspense takes you over as the virtual spinner that lights up your screen starts to slow down. It’s a close game, you and your opponent have been tied at a score of 5-5 for what seems to feel like an eternity. Luckily for you, the spinner barely just lands on the spot that beholds the glistening crown. The question emerges before you and you select your answer. Yet another opponent conquered. You feel glorious as it fills your ears, the sweet sound of a victory in Trivia Crack, the world’s most recent smartphone app craze.

Trivia Crack, which seems to be the world’s new Candy Crush, has been the number 1 app on the Apple App Store and Google Play market in the US for close to two months and it seems to have the whole of America hooked on a very serious severe crack addiction.

The game, developed by Latin American-based company Etermax, was actually extremely successful long before its American explosion in December. It was the most downloaded free game in South America last year and was the number one free app download in more than 20 countries long before its mass introduction to the US. Etermax CEO and founder Maximo Cavazzani had even made the game into a hit TV game show in Argentina and has plans for similar shows to follow in Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico (inforum.com) However, the explosion of the app in the States ultimately lead to Trivia Crack’s completely global worldwide spread.

Though the 13 million Trivia Crack players in the US make up only a percentage of its 85 million worldwide, America is already in its top three countries for both revenue and number of downloads. Since Trivia Crack has gained so much popularity in America, it has also spread to other countries due to the US making it such a trending topic on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Now, the US alone is providing Etermax with over 700,000 daily app downloads and 1 in every 8 smartphones in the world have Trivia Crack installed (businessweek.com).

The game features a classic yet at the same time unique competitive trivia experience. Users spin the wheel on the screen as it stops on one of the six categories of questions: art, entertainment, geography, history, science, and sports, and answer as many questions correctly in a row as they can. Once you get a question wrong, it is now your opponent’s turn to play. Every three questions answered correctly allows you an opportunity to either win one of the characters that represent each category of questions by answering a bonus question correct or by taking your opponent on in a timed challenge, answering as many questions possible in a short period of time. Whoever wins the timed challenge receives the character and gets one more added to their score (triviacrack.com).

Along with the six categories as options on the spinner is the seventh possibility, the crown, which, when landed on, allows the player to skip the three question requirement and immediately have a chance to win one of the six obtainable characters. The first person to obtain all six characters and take control of all of the categories is the winner (triviacrack.com).

“Trivia Crack is one of the few times when I feel like I actually use the things I learn in school,” says sophomore Christina Hartenhoff. “I feel like sometimes it even teaches me more than school does.”

Similar to fellow Smartphone app/game craze Words With Friends, Trivia Crack c be played against people you know via username or against a random opponent fro anywhere in the world and matches can also be played in turns with up to two days between each, not necessarily requiring any real constant time on the app, (though, course, people do so anyhow).

As the game continues to spread across the globe, Etermax couldn’t possibly more pleased. Though the game is completely free on all of its accessible devices, money Etermax is making from companies paying them for advertisements, play paying for in game coins to use power-ups and buy extra lives, and players paying the premium version (removing the advertisements from the game) is giving the sm Latin-America based company revenue unlike anything they have experienced befo “I love Trivia Crack but the advertisements are such a big downside,” says soph more Aspen Oudshoorn. “It would be nice to play a match without having to see K Upton’s face every five minutes.”

The game’s explosive activity over the internet and social media sites doesn’t sh any indication of slowing down anytime soon. Players continue to post their us names, seeking other opponents, and to tweet about the game, making other peo curious to download it. The Trivia Crack official twitter page has over 56 thousa followers on Twitter and almost 5.5 million likes on Facebook.

Trivia Crack’s massive impact has even somehow made a way into our lives school. Students, and even some teachers including Mr. Curry, Ms. Portalatin, M Torres and Ms. Rago, have been furiously tapping away at their screens whether it in the hallways, the cafeteria, and even the classrooms.

“I think the competitive aspect of the game is what brings teachers and students gether,” says Mr. Curry. “Students and teachers both want to learn new information fun ways. Just because you’re a teacher doesn’t mean you ever stop learning.”

As Trivia Crack continues to grow in popularity, the app itself is growing as w New features have recently been added in updates making Trivia Crack have a mo social element to it. Players can now make their own questions and hope to ha them approved to become actual questions people use in the games, players can n compete through Facebook, and players can even message their friends and view ea other’s stats.

It’s not very often that a game is both fun to play and uses your brain, or that a ga has the ability to connect students and their teachers, but Trivia Crack seems to be extremely special exception. Already available on iPhones, iPads, Android phon and tablets, Windows phones, and on computers through Facebook, Trivia Crack m soon be available on even more platforms and the smartphone phenomenon does seem to be slowing down anytime in the foreseeable future.

2015’s Most Anticipated Games

While it was an incredible year for video games in 2014, 2015 looks like it can be even brighter. The PS4 and Xbox One are both settling into

their second years on the market, and the Wii U is finally ramping up its own titles, too. There are blockbusters, indie games, adventures, and even some horror games you'll need to play with the lights off. The next year in video games will have a little bit of everything. We've already discussed about the best video games that came out during the holidays; now it's time to take a peek into the future.

Batman: Arkham Night: The final game in the Arkham series, Arkham Knight is the first new-gen game in Rocksteady’s incredible look into the Batman universe. Players will be able to wander all of Gotham City freely, and also have new tools to get around with, besides the gliding and rappelling from building to building. It’s also the first time you can drive the Batmobile, which is pretty awesome to say the least.

Battlefield: Hardline: Hardline features a new variety of gameplay that breaks away from the traditional Battlefield game modes. The focus of the game has been shifted to police and the "war on crime", breaking away from the military setting that the series is known for. The Levolution mechanic from Battlefield 4 will be implemented into Hardline.

“I’ve been a huge fan of the whole Battlefield series as I own every single game. I’m hoping that this new transition from the traditional game will be a success, and I honestly think it will,” said junior Brandon English.

Halo 5: Guardians: The next big entry in the classic Halo series is 343 Industries’ third shot at creating a new Halo game, following Halo 4 and The Master Chief Collection. This series is Microsoft's most important franchise for the Xbox, and even though the plot and setting is still unclear, the first cinematic trailer looks pretty sweet. Gamers got a first glimpse of the game through the beta, which was only accessible through The Master Chief Collection.

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Matthew Deno Staff Writer

The Legend of Zelda Wii U: The first truly open-world Zelda game, that borrows key elements from games like Skyrim, has absolutely jaw-dropping visuals. Gameplay was shown off at 2014’s E3 conference, and since then, its designers have said that the graphics have improved, if that’s even possible. If this game doesn’t sell Wii U units, nothing will.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End: Uncharted is perhaps the best reason to own a PlayStation, as this first new-gen entry in the chronicles of Nathan Drake looks beyond stunning. The graphics and action were both like nothing we’ve seen before from the series. The story takes place years after Nathan Drake's last adventure. A conspiracy surrounding hidden pirate's booty brings the treasure hunter out of retirement.

“One of the main reasons why I chose to buy a PS4 over an Xbox One was because of Uncharted being PS4 exclusive. It’s is probably one of my top three favorite series of all time and I see no reason to believe that A Thief’s End won’t be as amazing as the others,” said sophomore Juan Ardila.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: The third and final installment of The Witcher series, in which you're out to stop an evil army called "The Wild Hunt," will take place in a massive open world that's larger than any other in modern RPG history. There will be some new mechanics to help player get around and every action a player takes will have an affect the giant world around them.

There is no telling what games will be the best of the 2015 year. These six are simply the most hyped and talked about. So what are you looking forward to in the coming year? What game is getting stuck in your mind?

What will you be playing with the most this year? Any of these six smash hits should be a great choice to get in 2015.

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magine having a pair of glasses that could perform as a smart phone and a computer all in one. With wearable technology this fantasy could soon be a reality. As technology advances, more and more forms of communication seem to be continuously evolving.

Wearable technology can include anything from smart watches to programmable headbands. These products have the ability to connect people and increase efficiency. The products can be easily taken on and off and have tiny microchips to process information. Products such as Google Glass- the beginning of a product that can be considered “smart glasses”- can be controlled just by the movement of your eyes- an incredible feat for the technology industry. The purpose of wearable technology is to create the hands free ability to access electronics and computers from anywhere at any time. “I think products like Google glass and the new iWatch are things everyone will want to own,” said junior Matias Matias, “once they go into mass production and the prices drop- I’m sure you’ll see one in every student’s possession.”

The apple iWatch is another form of innovative wearable technology that is rapidly expanding. Although this product is not yet commonplace, it is predicted that it could expand to be so within the next year.

“Technology is beginning to wrap around us and cater to our needs, we’re moving more toward a natural experience, whether that is through motion and gesture – moving your hands through the air and being able to have those movements tracked – or from a neural capacity and being able to use your brain to control an experience,” virtual reality trend researcher Helen Papagiannis told the popular news magazine Globe and Mail.

Another example of advances in wearable technology is the new Canadian- made product, Nymi. Nymi is a wristband that measures a wearer’s heartbeat and cardiac rhythms. Because each person has unique cardiac rhythms, soon enough MasterCard users will be able to pay for products by simply tapping their wristband.

The many wearable devices and smart appliances available could also signal new opportunities for tech companies to target offerings to a consumer’s behavior, said Shawn DuBravac, the chief economist and director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association. For instance, by monitoring your smart thermostat, in-home camera, and smart watch, he said, Netflix might eventually be able to determine that you’re alone, sad, and cold and offer a movie that might cheer you up (Technology Review).

Wearable advances in technology can be useful, supplementary, and even a little scary. It is not unlikely that they will continue to become integrated into our society in

New browser: This is Spartan!

LJ Lemmers

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Staff Writer

or nineteen years, Internet Explorer has brought shame to the Microsoft name. It has crashed down upon users due to its slow internet access, making many suffer. Internet explorer just couldn’t compete with top web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. However, on the edge of the horizon stands a new browser. It will offer many new features that Explorer could not, giving hope to Microsoft that they will soon once again reign supreme. The name of this browser is Spartan.

Microsoft has revealed a new browser, Spartan, to support Internet Explorer that could top Chrome and Firefox as the best web browser. It will have many features that Chrome and Firefox will not have and will be much faster than Internet Explorer 11.

“This will be very good for Microsoft. Most people I know never use Internet Explorer, but Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Spartan has the potential to be a better browser than Chrome and Firefox,” said junior Marcos Vidaurre.

Spartan will have inking, the ability for users to make notes on web pages with a stylus and share them with other users. It will be powered

by Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage, allowing users the ability to access, edit and share the web pages through any browser across multiple platforms (ign.com).

Many students have high expectations for this new browser. They hope that it brings something new to the PC world and can rise to a new height changing the Internet forever.

“I think it will be a lot better than Internet Explorer. I hope that it is faster and easier to use than Internet Explorer. Also, that its new features like inking comes useful to me and many others,” said sophomore Alexa Aguiar.

Cortana is a digital assistant integration that allows users to seek information on hotel information, flight

status, and tracking for packages through the browser’s address bar. It is expected to replace Bing in Internet Explorer.

“When I told my mom about Cortana, she was excited to hear about what it can offer. With its ability to see hotel information, Cortana will be very useful in vacation planning,” said sophomore Michayla Konen.

Spartan’s browser tab will be used in an effort to cleanup multiple browser tabs. Users will be able to group tabs to their preferences, like personal and work tabs. Spartan will support browser extensions unlike Internet Explorer (businessinsider.com). It is a single browser app intended to work across PCs, tablets and phones. It will look and feel similar across all devices. The new browser will be available on Microsoft’s Windows Store for the company to simplify the update process for the browser. The desktop version of the app will offered separately from the mobile versions (ign.com).

“Hearing the design for Spartan sounds really cool. It seems like a design that can be similar to Chrome which will make browser easier to use. Right now, Internet Explorer is slow and the design is just plain, making it very boring to use. Hopefully, the grouping tab will be useful for many users as well.” said sophomore Esther Omole.

The design of Spartan gives a lighter feel just like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Spartan will be powered by the Trident engine and Chaka Java Script like Internet Explorer. It is unclear if Spartan will be available for their rival platforms Android, OS X, and iOS. Microsoft has yet to announce if they will get rid of Internet Explorer and replace it with Spartan. However, it will be a crucial part of the Windows 10 system and could eventually replace Internet Explorer (bidnessetc.com). On January 21st, Microsoft will have a Technical Preview that will possibly have more information about Spartan (techrepublic.com).

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Piola. Famous for More than Pizza.

Taylor Horan

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Managing Editor - Web

hen one envisions an Italian restaurant, one may think of dimmed lights with soft Italian music playing in the background. If you are looking for a less traditional and more modern Italian restaurant, Piola is the restaurant for you.

The first Piola was opened in 1986 in Treviso, Italy (piola.it). The goal of the restaurant was to reinvent the pizzeria. It sure has. Located in the Sheridan Shoppes, Piola is a modern Italian restaurant. Bright lights and colorful décor is the interior of the restaurant. Piola has a warm and welcoming atmosphere that you experience before you even open the door. The restaurant is located next to Cold Stone and a quick walk from Cinemark Paradise 24. When you enter Piola, a host greets you and inquires if you wish to sit inside or outside. With the lovely Florida winter weather, it might be a good idea to take advantage and take a seat outside.

The menu for Piola is written in Italian but the descriptions are written in English. The servers are extremely knowledgeable and can assist with meal selection. The menu of Piola ranges from salads, pizzas, pastas, and other famous Italian dishes. Pizza dough is made fresh on premise every day. Every dish on the menu is made to order ensuring quality and freshness with every bite.

After you order your meal and waiting for it to cook, the server brings small plates, olive oil, vinegar, parmesan cheese, a mixed spice blend, and bread. One of the most unique parts about Piola is that you create the dipping mixture for your bread. You can choose olive oil and parmesan or just plain vinegar. You can choose how much or how little of every mixture you wish to mix.

The bread and mix is a wonderful starter before appetizers or entrees.

The tag line of the restaurant translates to Famous for Pizza but the pastas are delicious as well.

I strongly recommend the Fusilli Bianco Verde. This dish is sautéed chicken, broccoli, cream, and parmesan cheese. This dish is reminiscent of Chicken Alfredo but with more flavor and a tad bit more cream. There are over 20 pizzas and 11 pasta dishes to choose from. The desert menu has decedent selections such as tiramisu and Fresa Y Chocolate (Stawberry and chocolate) Pizza, which is a Nutella pizza.

If you are in the mood for some modern Italian food, Piola is the restaurant for you. From the friendly atmosphere to the delicious dishes, this place is certainly going to delight your taste buds.

H

“ igh school is the best time of your life” -- a line said by many but believed by few. High school is full of adventures, drama, and learning experiences. Often the work can feel so overwhelming, students forget to enjoy their teen years. According to Dr. Carol Glod, who writes for familyaware.org and wrote a section on depression, studies suggest that many as 20% of teens suffer from depression. Teen depression has become a more common problem in the recent years. Due to many reasons including social media, risen expectations from the public, and low self-esteem teen depression has become a more widespread problem than most people realize.

Teen depression can often be perceived like a black hole that feels impossible to get out of. If not detected early, teen depression can lead teens into problems both at home and at school, drugs, or even worse, suicide. Parents many times overlook teen depression thinking it is normal, and part of the hormonal changes a teen goes through (helpguide.org). Common symptoms of teen depression are irritability, unnatural sleeping habits, lost in appetite, and loss of interest in usually enjoyed activities.

The rise of social media in the recent years plays a big part in teen depression. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc., broadcast inaccurate images and information of how an adolescent boy or girl should look, dress, and act (pediatrics.aappublications.org). Many times, a young person will look at this information and think to themselves “why can I not do that?” or “why does she have that body and I don’t?” These thoughts can lead to sad thoughts, unhappy lifestyles, and irrational decisions. Depressed teens will repeatedly feel sad, disappointed, and at times, hopeless.

Senior Vanessa Rodriguez said “all of high school has been very busy for me but senior year has been crazier than usual because of the school work I have and I am trying to submit my college applications, before their deadlines.” Although school is a very important part to growing up, it should not take up all of a teenager’s time. Sometimes school can get too overwhelming for a teenager and they start to feel overburdened, it becomes a continuous cycle that they feel they will never get out of.

It has been seen oftentimes that a depressed teen will fall into the wrong path, hanging out with the wrong crowd, starting drug and alcohol abuse, in hope of finding the answer to their continuous helplessness (mytroubledteen.org). It is a common fact that early substance abuse can affect a person for the rest of their lives. That is one of the many reasons that teen depression can be so dangerous and should be detected early on. This “black hole” that many teens feel can cause them to make decisions that they once would not make. One of those poor decisions can have a grave consequence.

School and the work it carries is an extensive part of teen depression. Sophomore Sophie Fabien said, “I go home and have at least 2 hours of homework. I spend all day after school and most of my weekends doing homework and before I realize it, I haven’t seen or talked to my friends outside of school in a few days.”

Early teen depression detection can change and save lives. Any teen that is feeling unusually unhappy or like they are in a “black hole” should seek help, because having the support of another person makes it easier and gives the teen the strength to help themselves. Teen Line is a crisis hotspot made for helping teens of depression, abuse, etc. you can call 310-855-4673 or text TEEN to 839863. Parents that feel their teen is suffering of depression should offer a helping hand because they cannot do it on their own and

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Piola pizza P hoto

Detect Depression Amanda Peralta Staff Writer

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Your whole year in six minutes Hayley Hartwell

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a Pizza: A delicous from Piola’s. o B y : A lex M onge

new app that is storming into the conversation is called “1 Second Everyday”. Created by Cesar Kuriyama, the app allows you to capture a video from every day of the year. At the end of the year you pick a one second snippet from every video to compile into a 6 minute video of every day of your life from the previous year. The creator of the app describes his app on the App Store as “…providing me with a treasured perspective on life. It holds me accountable for making each day count.”

“This app sounds like a really cool idea. I have never heard about it, but I want to check it out. I think it would be great to watch forgotten memories at the end of the year and be able to have my 17th year documented,” states junior Maria Osario.

1 Second Everyday is sold on the iPhone App Store for $0.99 but on some androids there is a free trial for specific phones. The app can access your videos and sort them by date, but also allows you take new videos right from the app.

It doesn’t only have to be about you either, you can have separate projects about your animals, or siblings, or sport you like to play. The video can be from the whole year, a month or even a day and all different projects can be compiled and saved to your library.

“Since all the important dates are approaching in my senior year I think this would be a great app to invest in and could even carry over to my freshman year at University of Florida playing on the soccer team,” said senior Rachelle Smith.

Cesar Kuriyama plans on creating videos of his life every year and will ultimately by the age of 50 have an hour long video from the time he turned 30 to then. This app could be useful throughout your high school career and most 1 Second Everyday: The app importantly senior year so you have something tangible that you could go back that allows you to view your year to and reflect on the last year of high school before you are thrust into the colin only 6 minutes. lege atmosphere.

P hoto B y : A aliyah P asols

Are we Talking, Texting, or Together?

Aaliyah pasols Features Editor

T

holas Berardino

y

Clubs and Electives Editor

S ilverberg

he vibration of the iPhone shakes the girl awake as she struggles to read her bright phone screen in the middle of the night. He finally texted her back twelve hours later…again. She rolls her eyes as she turns over to go back to sleep. Why are relationships so complicated? If two people like each other why can’t it just be as simple as that? There’s always additional factors that need not be there like the mind games, the jealous exes and the six other girls he/she is texting.

But the main reason relationships between two potential lovers is difficult in modern society is due to what is known as commitment-phobia.

Commitment-phobia is exactly what it sounds like: the fear of commitment. This can apply to jobs, projects, and agreements but the most common area that commitment phobia is linked to is relationships. Think about it: how many times have you heard your friends gushing about that new crush? And how many times have they claimed that they’re “just talking” to or “just texting” the guy? What’s with that? If two people are going on dates every weekend, text or call every day, and have met the family, they should be considered dating. Or at least, that’s what it used to mean. However, in this decade, “dating” has come to mean when two people are boyfriend/girlfriend official or boyfriend/boyfriend official, or…you get the picture. If the modern day “talking” is actually “dating” then why not just make it official? It seems as if people today are just too afraid to commit to something, or are too turned off by the idea of committing.

“Sure, we’ll go on dates with you. Yes, we’ll shower you in affection on the daily…but try and slap a label on any of that and we’ll have this…in a coffin by day’s end,” Emma Golden writes in her article “No, I Will Not ‘Hang Out’ With You” (ThoughtCatalog.com).

Labels are another problem young people today have that corresponds with commitment phobia. All can be going swimmingly well with that new crush. You’ve been watching Netflix at his/ her house afterschool, you call each other every night to talk about your day, and he/she even picks you up from time to time to go get a bite to eat. But as soon as you pop that question, twirling your hair nervously around your finger, you can bet that you will hear silence on the other end of the line. The infamous “So what are we?” is infamous for a reason. No one wants to hear that, and no one wants to have to pose that question.

“I think the whole ‘talking’ stage is so unnecessary. The ‘texting’ stage is more relatable because maybe you haven’t met this person yet and you’re just casually texting and flirting, but the talking stage should definitely just be labeled as dating,” freshman Angela Santiago said.

But what exactly caused this generation to cringe at comments on commitment? There’s not a certain answer…yet, but theories have surfaced. One theory is that social media is the accused in this strange case of modern day commitment-phobes (HuffingtonPost.com). Another one suggests that we just can’t accept rejection.

“I lay off commitment every now and then. I might not want to be in a real relationship, or I might not be ready to accept that job position. I think it’s all about timing,” said senior Kevin Gonzalez.

Whether it’s about timing, fear of rejection, or the fact that he/she is just not that into you, this generation has clearly taken a step back from the previous one. ‘Fess up your feelings and ask the chick/dude out. Take a leap of faith, as Dominic Cobb from Inception once said. And stop it with the whole texting/talking/taken/together/totally-trivial labels. Together or not? Keep it simple.

Commitment: A couple, divided .

Photo By: Peter Dourvetakis

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Je Suis Libre Aaliyah pasols

“America, land of the free.” This is a phrase that Americans are so accustomed to hearing and taking for granted. All over

Features Editor

the world, there are harsh countries with strict laws that place injustices upon their citizens each day. All over the world, there are countries that are going through many battles and wars just to protect human rights we should all be entitled to. When it truly comes down to it, whether its America, France, or Belgium, everyone deserves to have the right to freedom of speech. Even if it may be a wrong opinion or an ignorant statement, every human should be able to express themselves with the art of words in whatever way they want to. And there should be no violence to follow up on it.

On January 7th, 2015 two masked gunmen burst through the office doors of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. They ran wildly throughout the room shooting in all directions while shouting in Arabic, “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad!”

Twelve employees were confirmed dead, and others critically injured (BBC.com). The shooting occurred in response to the many comics that Charlie Hebdo had published depicting Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic extremists, later confirmed to be brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, had taken the cartoons offensively and committed the shootings as a way to get revenge.

Claiming that they were led by Al-Qaeda, (CNN) they targeted the editors and cartoonists that were responsible for the cartoons. To commemorate the shootings, there have been candle lighting ceremonies, speeches and even peaceful rallies bearing the words “Je Suis Charlie” throughout the world.

“When I first heard [about ‘Je Suis Charlie’ and the shooting] I was shocked that so many lives had been taken just because of a satirical cartoon. It’s crazy that terrorism like this is still going on today,” said senior Jaime Jiminez.

The main message in all of this chaos is that freedom of speech should be a human right that should not create reactions like the shooting that occurred in early January. Although some may argue that the comics were distasteful and offensive, the newspaper is a satirical newspaper that aims to poke fun at real world topics.

Nothing in it should be taken to heart. In France, there’s Charlie Hebdo. In America, there’s The Onion and The Colbert Robert.

In the past, these two satirical newsfeeds have poked fun at very

serious topics themselves, but the worst that has happened was a #CancelColbert hashtag arising on Twitter, and rage from fangirl tweens about mean comments poked towards Justin Bieber (Deadline.com).

“Freedom of speech is something that everyone should be entitled to, and I’m so grateful that I live in a country where a person’s freedom of speech isn’t limited or denied. I just wish that it was the same way all around the globe,” said junior Catherine Paneque.

Journalists have freedom of speech that allows them to write about any topic they may want, no matter how controversial. In France, twelve journalists were cruelly punished for expressing themselves through writing and cartoons. As Prime Minister Manuel Valls said about the shooting, “Journalists were killed because they defended freedom" (Hosted.AP.org). Hopefully one day, instead of protestors walking down the streets with “Je Suis Charlie” signs, they will finally be walking down the streets with signs in every language, claiming: “I am free.”

Graphic by: Katie Perez

Huge Changes: People all over the state overjoyed to finally see same-sex marriage legal in Florida. Photo by: Aaliyah Pasols

Sofia Gangotena Staff Writer

can be attributed to six couples who went to the county clerk for marriage licenses last year. When they were denied, they went to federal court and won. Florida will now became the 36th state to legalize same-sex marriage (New York Times).

Many judges had overturned the ban, but stayed the decision, pending appeal. One of whom was U.S. District Judge Robert N. Hinkle of Tallahassee. In August, he overturned the ban, but stayed his decision until Monday (Miami Herald). The first county to legalize was Miami-Dade. There, many couples lined up at the door to marry their partners, some of whom have been waiting a long time. Anthony Butera, 44, and Abdel Magid, 45, had been together for 12 years prior to their wedding. Magid told New York Times, “It’s special to be recognized and treated like everyone else.”

According to the Sun-Sentinel, 1,233 same-sex marriage licenses were issued only on the first day. The first same-sex couple to get married in Florida were Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello, partners for 14 years. Both wearing cream colored dresses, they were surrounded by TV crews as they wed in a quick ceremony (Miami Herald).

Freshman Kevin Arroliga said, “This is a big step. If we give it a bit more time, we will see even greater progress.”

According to Floridian legislation, laws that discrim-

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Autumn Pough Staff Writer

ISIS targeting teens A n Illinois teenager pleaded not guilty to supporting and helping ISIS on Tuesday,

Jan 13. Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 19, had invited his family to join him in his plans to travel to join ISIS in the Mideast. The teenager's mother, Zarine Khan accused ISIS of using social media to contact Muslim youth and influence them into joining ISIS. “I think ISIS is a huge problem for Muslim youth because these teens that ISIS targets do not have a mind of their own and are easy to be influenced,” said sophomore Nicole Mercadal.

Boston Bombing Trial Delay O n Tuesday, January 13 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers asked for trial delay, cit-

A Big Change: Same-Sex Marriage Legal in Florida

On January 6, 2015 at 12:01 am, Florida made a big step: it legalized same-sex marriage. This big step in Floridian legislation

Weekend Reviews

inate against same-sex couples include the law that says, “No person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is a homosexual.” This section was overturned in 2010, however, same-sex couples cannot adopt together, only separately.

Another piece of legislation that discriminated against same-sex marriage was the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, passed in 1996 and signed by the president at the time, Bill Clinton. This act did a series of things. Section 2 states that all states and territories have the right to decide whether or not same-sex marriage will be legal in that state or territory. This section has not been overruled or challenged. Section 3, however, has been ruled as unconstitutional. This stated that the federal government was prevented to recognize same-sex marriages. It was ruled unconstitutional in 2011 (GLAAD).

“It doesn’t end with the legalization of same-sex marriage.

It’s still legal for someone to get fired because they’re gay. I think we’re almost there, but not quite yet,” said senior Isadora Zuidema.

The legalization of same-sex marriage is the first step, now we must wait for full equality. “If you have your foot in the door, it’s easier to open the door rather than when the door is completely closed. Now that gay marriage is legal in Florida, other things like gay adoption and recognition from the government, I think, will be on the way,” senior Raul James Reyes said.

ing Paris attacks. Tsarnaev, as well as his brother, is accused of and carrying out the attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. This incident killed three people, wounded more than 260 and started a massive manhunt that terrorized the city for many days in 2013. “I do not think that the jury should grant Tsarnaev a trial delay just because of the recent events in Paris. If anything it is fitting for the Boston Bombing suspect to go on trial for terrorism because of the latest news”, said sophomore Casey McNamee.

Officers Face Murder Charges A fter shooting a homeless man in the hills above the city last year, two Albuquer-

que police officers are going to be facing first-degree murder charges. Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez are accused of killing James Boyd in March. Boyd lived in a shelter, but after it closed for the winter, he tried to camp up in the hills, which is illegal. “Killing an innocent homeless man is definitely an inhumane action to partake in.

Even though his overnight camping was illegal that did not give the officers the right to take someone’s life”, said sophomore Cheyenne Wakeland-Hart.

B O n January 7th, a 44 year old Michael Robert Hoyt, a bartender at the Wetherartender Charged with Plotting to Kill Speaker of the House

ington Country Club in West Chester, Ohio, was indicted on charges of threatening to murder the congressman, John Boehner. The charges were for either poisoning the congressman or shooting him with a handgun. The trouble began when Hoyt blamed Boehner for getting fired from the club. The police seized several boxes of ammunition and a notebook claiming that Boehner was responsible for Ebola and later recovered his SKS assault rifle at his mother's home. Hoyt is currently undergoing evaluation in a prison psychiatric facility in Massachusetts.

We shall not be silenced

It’s a burden but it’s a barrier T

Melissa Pierce

Looghermine Claude

Student Life Editor

News Editor

he American people want safety, security, shelter. They want to be in a zone of neutrality whenever it comes to any source of danger, yet they outrageously protest when the government withholds information for their own good. Censorship in the modern-day United States is widely misunderstood; rather than keeping people in the dark, it shows one enough for enlightenment and keeps at bay the information that could be detrimental to one’s well-being.

Foremost, censorship successfully serves its prime purpose in this country—to protect. According to Micah Mattix from the American Conservative, to censor means to assess and value. It is a type of critical thinking and judgment that is one of the many “oils of a civilized society” (www.theamericanconservative.com). Contrary to popular belief, the democratic styled government here in the United States doesn’t have an obligation to answer to the cries of the public. Although citizens in this country have freedom of speech and wish to educate themselves about the state of their country, the government does the best it can to listen and there is no law that says that what the people say, goes. Thus, censorship is intended for good, and for the most part, it does just that.

Censorship’s intention to protect is actually in compliance with exactly what the American people ask for. They want to be shielded from danger at all times; no war, no disruption to society, no violence, just peace. However, they want all information about the country to be open to the public eye. Most times, when a country is at war, certain pieces of information are crucial to the well-being of the entire population. The best thing a country can do at this point is cooperate with the government, not press them for information. Censorship helps in this way considering that it keeps political concerns within the government and social concerns in the hands of the people.

Most importantly, censorship in the United States works in favor of the countless children across the country. In this day and age, the American youth has access to almost any piece of information they would like, including information that is too mature for them. An anonymous individual from debate.org said, "Censorship is a good thing, it keeps children from hearing and seeing inappropriate things. I for one like the censorship because children do not need to hear a slur of cuss words, or see body parts of others. I also do not want to hear or see it either, so I appreciate it".

A key component in the ease of access of information is the media. Members of the various different types of media see it their job to uncover the juiciest, most top secret facts of any given time period. But here is the thing, these facts were never made public in the first place for a reason. Even when it comes to celebrities, the media makes every piece of information known to the world. Although they choose to be in the public eye, the entire Kardashian family can't have a simple outting without being swarmed by TMZ reporters; their family secrets have even been publicized. Censorship allows us to understand that this is a breach of privacy, even though it continues to happen; without censorship, there would be no security and rumors would fill the ears of individuals even more so than they do now. Censorship in the media is also pertinent on a grander scale. When Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. Special Forces in 2011 (cnn.com), the media went wild, searching for information so deeply as to uncover details that didn't concern the American public. Within a month of this event, the press had revealed every fact that they had uncovered, down to the exact time of Bin Laden's murder, the date on which President Obama ordered the mission, and the troops involved in the carrying out of his death. All of this information made public to Americans could now be accessed around the globe; what if Al Qaeda was deeply angered by this?

Did all of these facts about Bin Laden's death need to be made public? Censorship allows us to realize that although the public needed to know the Al Qaeda leader was gone, the press didn't need to detail the event for the entire world to see.

The act of examining materials and omitting unacceptable parts is a much needed and a much appreciated practice in the United States (www.gilc.org). Some may see it as a burden, but at the end of the day, it is a necessary barrier between what any given person needs to know and what may hurt them.

Wisely stated by www.targetgdpi.com, "An absence of censorship might not be a perfect notion...".

U

.S. citizens pride themselves on a few key ideas. Two of those are democracy and freedom of speech. But recently out seems that government and enforcement have been been infringing both both of these ideas. Not to sound like a foil-hat wearing conspiracy-spitting crazy person, but its true. Everyday they keep on bending the rules to push forward their own agenda. Maybe the news is hidden Sifting through what people are allowed to hear creates an almost propaganda-like form of the news where events may be twisted to form support for or opposition against certain topics. The news is supposed to be a source for all information in the world.

It’s supposed to give an unbiased view on what is going on and keep people informed.

Instead, the information that is shared is whatever the powerful few want the masses to hear. Whatever they don’t want us to know gets taken out, and anything they don’t want to hear gets shut down. The information has been filtered, taking out all the dirty particles. But in this case, the dirty particles might be necessary. Yes, the American public might not be ready to face all the realities of government, but that does not mean that anything that causes a blemish in anybody’s record should be taken out or edited.

Think about Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In the allegory, shackled slaves are kept in the bottom of a dark cave as shadow puppets dance along the sides of the cavern controlled by masters hidden behind tall walls. Imagine that we are the people at the bottom of the dark cave, information and knowledge is the light that never reaches down below, the puppet masters are the rich and powerful, and the shadows across the wall is the media. Ideally, the rich and powerful would come down below and get the shackled people and bring them out of the cave and into the light. Instead of going to the like and being given , like it should be in a country built of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, we are only given what the powerful want us to see, and kept shackled down below, unable to see the light.

How can we as a country try and bring up the citizens of tomorrow and citizens of the world if we don’t teach them about the world that they live in? Education and the children are always a priority, but to me it seems that covering kids’ ears and eyes is more important than letting them understand the truth. This is not to say that children should be exposed to everything that is out there in the world.

There are things that are just too grotesque or scary for children to see at such a young age. But sometimes adults underestimate the wealth of knowledge that children are able to comprehend. I believe that parents need to take current events like the Ferguson protests or the unrest in the Gaza Strip, sit their children down (depending on their age), explain the basics of the situation, and have their children understand what’s happening around them. Because the over-censorship of information towards kids makes them “sheltered”.

We don’t need sheltered children who only know the good and the just and the right.

When those kids group up, they don’t know how to react to bad situations or how to solve problems. We need kids who grasp both the good and the bad and use the information that they have gained over the years to analyze the situation that they are facing at the present moment and make an educated decision. these are the kids that will grow up to be leaders and thinkers and solvers.

Not only do children need to hear the truth in order to learn, adapt, and, change, adults need to do so as well. We've all heard the saying 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'. We need the information

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The silver lining of social media VS Don’t let social media be a burden F

Looghermine Claude

Taylor Horan

Aaliyah pasols

Tyra Green

Shakayla Lee

News Editor

Managing Editor - Web

Features Editor

By the Grade Editor

Entertainment Editor

irst, there was MySpace. Then, there was Facebook. Now, students like to spend their time posting 140 character posts on Twitter. All of these are social networks. Social networks tools for students to utilize. These networks are quick and efficient way to get information out and communicate with friends. While there are many benefits to social networks, there can disadvantages. Sure, one can delete a photo off Instagram but is that photo ever truly gone? While what is posted can be deleted, it can always be found online. It may be deleted from a pr the information posted can still be found on servers. It is important for not only Jags, but everyone to use social networks in an appropriate and responsible manner. On January 29th, PPC temporarily close due to someone using social media in an inappropriate manner. While the school reopened quickly after the temporary shutdown, students were still shaken up by the The events of yesterday occurred because of misuse of social networks. This situation could have been avoided if everyone was aware of proper conduct on social media. There is a ri wrong way when it comes to utilizing social networks.

“I

usually use it to check out what my friends are doing and update them on what I’m doing,” said senior Taylor Torres. “Social media makes it easier to remind us of certain events, get a group of people together and share information.

Amongst stories of sadness and terror, news stations like to report stories of some good in the world. Sites like today.com and huffingtonpost.com have ‘Good News’ sections and NBC’s Nightly News has a ‘Making a Difference’ segment. With the ever growing importance of social networks, many of those heartwarming stories have some aspect that takes place on the internet. These stories not only bring a little bit of joy into our lives, but also show that social networks are not the monsters everyone makes them out to be.

One of the best examples of using social networks to do good deeds is the website Humans of New York.

Founder Brandon Stanton uses his camera and communication skills as he walks through the neighborhoods of New York to capture the stories of people on the streets. Tuesday, January 20th, Stanton interviewed a middle schooler, Vidal, about life in Brownsville, Brooklyn. When asked who influenced him most in life, Vidal shared the powerful words of his principal, Ms. Lopez. Vidal’s interview set off a chain reaction of good. Two days later, Stanton went out to Vidal’s school, Motts Hall Bridges Academy, and spoke to Ms. Lopez herself. The two formed a partnership to create a fund to send 6th graders from the school on a trip to Harvard. A week later, followers of Humans of New York’s social media accounts from all around the world have donated 1,102% of the original goal. Currently, $1,102,131 of a $100,000 goal on Indiegogo has been donated. This is enough money to create an annual trip to Harvard, an effective summer program for the school, and The Vidal Scholarship Fund, the first recipient being Vidal himself.

Another great example on how to utilize social media responsibly is to experience now and share later.

It is important to live in the now, but it is also good to take photos to be able to relive the memorable moments. Social networks give a great way for people to share photos with a large amount of people. While it may have taken a long amount of time to share photos before, with the click of a finger, photos can be saved in a minute. Junior Alexis Mesa is a fan of using social networks for photo sharing. “I use social media for mostly personal reasons like [sharing] vacation, family, and friend photos,” she said. It is important to show discretion on what photos to post and share with the world.

With good intentions, social networks can be used to share great experiences.

Social networks are relatively new tools that have many benefits. There are always pros and cons though.

Social networks are great for communicating, sharing, and fun. Social networks can also invade privacy and create issues that would not have begun if not for the power of the internet. When everyone is informed on how to use social networks, social networks can be used for positives and be a wonderful addition to everyday life.

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long with PPCHS, a certain domino e curred as several other schools were locked started with several rumors spiraling aroun media, primarily SnapChat and Twitter, about act occurring at Charter and then broadened to other schools in the area as more threats cam Broward College sent out alerts through text, students to stay away from the area due to a threat. Archbishop McCarthy was also locke due to a video that was spread through text m featuring a student threatening to hurt other at the school. The lockdowns of the many sc Broward County clearly demonstrates how o or SnapChat story that may have been inten joke can become something a lot more serious “Negative effects of social media are that peo assume that their posts are innocuous, but th hurt someone else's feelings,” said Senior Cla ident Leon Morgan. “People will always ha opinion, but sometimes posts can be miscons be harsher than they were originally intended t Through social media sites like Twitter, S Instagram and Vine, people all around the w provided with a platform to speak their mind, themselves, and share it with the world. Howev platforms are sometimes used negatively and pose opinions or statements that can be contr Social media is often interpreted to be one percent free speech with some restrictions. characters can be used to talk about any issue, doesn’t mean that it should be used for harsh t “People tend to forget that once they post something, it exists forever. Even if it is delete may have already saw it or even screenshot it. There are consequences to everything so e should be cautious,” said senior Leah Stern.

In addition to violent threats, social media h known to harbor cruel bullying. Twitter h known to be used as a springboard of 140 char target people as a joke. Whether it be celebritie cians, teachers, or students, many cases of thes jokes have been popping up all over the inter more than ever. Personally targeting people is disregard to how severe they may take the co made about them, and it can lead to serious em damage. Cyber-bulling is something that shoul en seriously because disregarding a person’s is never a joke.

“Sometimes students make the mistake of a that their posts on social media are just betw student and their friends but anybody can see it and hold them accountable for their words Assistant Principal, Mrs. Battle.

There is no doubt that social media has take away from its original intended purpose. A a six second SnapChat story or a two senten may seem innocent and even funny, someone e sees it may not have that same reaction. It is im to think before posting something on social m cause these actions will not go unnoticed and consequence.

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A normal morning that took a turn Nicholas Rivera Staff Writer

By 6:45 a.m. on Thursday morning no one was allowed in or out of the campus. One by one, police cars showed up and blocked each entrance. While rumors floated around

Academic Village, it seemed no one knew for sure what was going on.

The first rumors began on Wednesday, when there was talk about a potential school violence that was said to take place during A lunch on Thursday. At 3:19 p.m. on Wednesday, these rumors were squelched in a letter sent out through email and JupiterGrades.

The letter explained that the rumors had started on social media and had been traced back to the source.

“We can assure everyone that the rumors are unfounded and false. There is no threat nor was there ever any threat regarding the rumor spread today,” said Principal Peter Bayer.

It was deemed safe to attend school on Thursday.

Then, confusion arose on Thursday morning with the influx of police cars. Students who were already on campus were told to wait in the River of Grass auditorium or cafeteria until further notice. All others, including student drivers and busses, were sent home.

Shortly after, Mr. Daughtery, band director, instructed all student drivers trying to pull into the student parking lot to head over across the street to North Park, as administration expected school to open at approximately 7:30 a.m. Students patiently waited for any new information both at North Park and in the cafeteria/River of Grass auditorium.

Teachers and administration performed backpack checks on each student and by 7:46 a.m., a letter had been sent out saying that police had deemed it safe for the school to reopen to students and teachers. Shortly after, students were release from the cafeteria and the River of Grass to go to their second period and students on the school busses and in their cars at North Park were welcomed back to school. According to an interview in the Sun-Sentinel, police said that the rumors had started on twitter, so there was no need for further investigation.

“Every step of the way, decisions were made in the best interest of those we serve.

Again, we can assure everyone that the rumors that have led to an unexpected lockdown are unfounded and false. There is no threat nor was there ever any threat to our students or staff,” said Bayer in a final letter sent on Thursday afternoon.

Five other school were affected by the threats and while it is unclear exactly why the events on Thursday occurred or where it originated, it is important to know that no one was ever in peril and the school was prepared for any situation that may have occurred.

Always remember your netiquette!

Melissa Pierce Student Life Editor

R espect others’ privacy: Although the Internet and social media it-

self is extremely public, users still deserve the right to privacy on their accounts. Even if one does not agree with something that is posted, that does not give one the right to infringe upon another person’s rights.

Don’t embarrass other people or post anything about anyone without their permission.

N o spamming: Going out of one’s way to harass another

person on the Internet is the wrong way to spend one’s time. Some sites, such as Twitter, try to control spam, but users should be mature enough to not spam these sites at all.

Ithenformation on the internet spreads faster than almost anything else in world, so when you hear/see something online, don’t contribute to its

David Cha-Kim Technology Editor

spread, especially if you don’t know whether the information is true or false.

D

on’t type anything you wouldn’t say to someone in person Think about what you say before you say it. The principle of not saying anything if you don’t have anything nice to say applies regardless of whether or not one is online or not. Typing defamatory statements can put you in a spot that you don’t want to be in.

D on’t spread false information!

Information on the internet spreads faster

than almost anything else in the world, so when you hear/see something online, don’t contribute to its spread, especially if you don’t know whether the information is true or false.

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