Baitline Vol. 5 Issue No. 3

Publication Policy

The Baitline Newspaper is the official student news publication of Coral Reef Senior High School, and is written, designed, and published entirely by its staff members Baitline is an established public forum, and welcomes a wide variety of pieces with the ultimate goal of informing students about news, events, and happenings both inside and outside the Coral Reef campus. Through its articles and issues, Baitline hopes to create a more educated student population that is more overtly open to discussing current events and analyzing a variety of points of view.

As the producer of a scholastic publication, Baitline abides by the guidelines presented by the National Scholastic Press Association Code of Ethics for scholastic journalists and advisers. According to the policies of the Miami-Dade County Public School System, media produced by students is not subject to mandatory review by school administrators or district personnel Thus, all Baitline content is the product of views and opinions held by student staff members only, and is in no way a reflection of overall school views or beliefs The student editorial board and corresponding student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

Baitline gladly welcomes reader questions, comments, or feedback Letters to the editor may be submitted to Ms Woolley-Larrea’s mailbox, delivered personally to room 217, or emailed to reefbaitline@gmail com with the subject line "Letter to the Editor." Letters to editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed, and must include writer's address and phone number for verification. Baitline reserves the right to publish any letter sent

Coral Reef Senior High School Student News

Baitline

Editors-in-Chief

Katelyn Peña

Abril Strachan

Supervisor Mrs. Stephanie Woolley-Larrea

Editors

Ana Lucia Garcia

Natalie Jacob

Greta Carosio

Martina Jaramillo

Gabriella Gomez

Newsmagazine Staff Writer

Martina Lenz

Camila Yanez

Emma Chavannes

Valeria Hernandez

Leah Jones

Andrea Posner

Chloe Glasko

Veronica Martinez

Sofia Peralta

Caroline Toole

Layout Staff 10101 SW 152nd CT

Perla Chavez Camarena

John Malik

Taylor Medina

Sofia Ludovic

Daniela Rosell

Daniela Estrella

Aliuska Colmenares

Mariana Leyva

CORAL REEF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

+1-305-232-2044 | baitline@coralreefhigh org

EDITORS' NOTE

Towards a Better Tomorrow

We welcome you, the reader, to the end of a season. As Seniors leave and freshmen are incoming, we see the landscape change to accommodate the growth of the previous years. We hope that as you read this edition of our newsmagazine, you find inspiration for the year to come. In this issue, you will find various topics regarding climate, social issues, and more that will make readers look within themselves and want to advocate for change. We hope that through reading these articles, you may discover that change can be a positive, outweighing negatives.

Katelyn Peña & Abril Strachan Editors-in-Chief

Katelyn Peña

Abril Strachan

The Dual Nature of Social Media

BY: CHLOE GLASKO

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From environmental issues to peace issues, our whole world will always be connected through social media. Social media is an amazing source of communication where voices around the world get to be heard. There are tons of social media platforms that serve as news sources that people normally wouldn't be exposed to. For example, as external affairs are going on, places around the world are able to help out and spread awareness with social media. While social media offers many benefits, there are many drawbacks involved that have to do with safety, mental health, and more. Due to the wide demographics of social media it's important to only keep in contact with those you know. There have been many cases where older people try to get into contact with younger children and from there, things start to open up like a can of worms. For example, Isabella Acosta, a sophomore in the VPA academy, says, “A stranger has contacted me through social media and it didn’t make me feel too weird but it made me feel like I was being stalked, like he was looking for my account. While social media is good, it can be used irresponsibly.”

The best way to mitigate any risks involved with social media is simply by making responsible choices. When posting make sure to not include any personal information such as your

name, address, etc. In addition, maybe consider only following friends and people you physically know. It is dangerous to get in contact with strangers and while you may know your friend's friend and trust them to follow you, they could be a hacker or someone posing as them to get into contact with you and other younger people.

Social media can affect people's mental health with or without them knowing. Social media can also be very addicting and someone can feel the need to excessively post and excessively see what people have to say about them. In addition, there are many weird people on social media that enjoy manipulating users to want to talk to them and then implement negative thoughts in their head. In reference, Mark Zuckerberg recently attended an online child safety hearing where he apologized to parents whose children have been victims of the consequences of social media. The parents here urged Meta (a social media group in charge of Facebook, X, and Instagram) to pass “KOSA”, the “Kids Only Safety Act,” so that no more children would be subject to these consequences. Since social media is available to the whole world, that means countless people around the world are subject to its drawbacks. While most social media platforms say their age limits

are 13+ or even 18+, many young children still manage to gain access to these platforms. It is advised to implement all of the privacy settings that are offered. This is where KOSA comes in: according to the Blumenthal Senate, “The Kids Onlines Safety Act (KOSA) empowers kids and parents to take control over kids’ online experiences to better protect their health and well-being.” This bill endorses social media platforms to control inappropriate topics and assess their possible risk to minors: this includes everything that could negatively influence their mental health. Despite these perks, KOSA unfortunately limits children from seeing things they should be exposed to and censors topics such as LGBTQ+ resources. This makes social media extremely limited to those 17 and under.

While parents may see social media as a distraction to their children, children may see it as a way for others to hear their voices. In a world where parents are taken seriously and children are children, it's hard to be heard, which is why children try so hard to use social media to put themselves out there. If KOSA is passed, children will benefit and not have to deal with the dangers of social media, but they will also have limited information to indulge in. In contrast to KOSA, there have been other

attempts to mitigate the dangers of social media including Florida’s aim to ban social media altogether for everyone under 16. This seems very counterproductive but, no matter what, there will always be dangers involved with social media. While social media has its downsides, at the end of the day it seems to have a good impact on the majority; Mallory Glasko, a senior in the VPA academy, says “I love social media because I get to see all my friends posts and see what they’re up to and I also get to express myself through my instagram portfolio.” From being exposed to new ideas to getting your voice heard from people around the world, social media is a great innovation that has allowed people to connect.

Inter Strong

By Emma Chavennes

In Miami, we are open to numerous sports. We have exceptional teams like our beloved Miami Heat, the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Marlins, and our newest and most exciting team, Inter Miami FC (Football Club). Inter Miami FC, currently 14th in the MLS (Major League Soccer) in the Eastern Conference, is the soccer club David Beckham started in 2018. Inter Miami has been a popular topic worldwide due to the recent signing of the star forward, Lionel Messi. The club has had a massive spark in media talk and publicity now that Messi won his 8th Ballon d'Or. Even with this star player, Inter Miami was officially eliminated from playoff contention with only two matches remaining, a massive disappointment for we Floridians. The past losses and draws of Inter have been blamed on Messi's recent absence from the games due to an injury. Despite the past losses and eliminations, Inter Miami continues to have extremely promising players. One of these players being Facundo Farías, who was recently called to play for the Argentina U '23 National team.

Facundo has stated, "Every summer I was linked to a new team. It never happened to me and that can affect your mentality. But my injury happened for a reason. I came back from it with a purpose. I wanted to be stronger and thankfully Inter (Miami) came with an offer." Inter is a promising club, hopefully in the future, we can only expect nothing but greatness from it.

Common App vs . Coalition

By: Valeria Hernandez

With so many options and decisionmaking requirements in the college application process, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Knowing what your choices imply and becoming informed of their benefits and disadvantages is the first step in taking control of the application process and ensuring that you make the choice that suits you best. Regarding application forms, different colleges will have different requirements or preferences. Most typically used are the Common Application and the Coalition Application, but before deciding on anything, it is vital to research which applications the colleges you are looking at accept. In the first instance, the Common App is the more widely used of the two forms, having been established for a much longer time than the Coalition App, offering an array of more than a thousand different colleges, both private and public. Designed to facilitate the application process, the Common App offers a platform that allows students to apply online to multiple colleges at once. Partnerships of the Common App reside in all fifty states of the U.S., along with some international schools as well. While most schools accept the Common App, this may not always be the case, so it is important to make sure that this option works for you and to inform yourself of any additional supplements that schools may require to submit.

The Common App is free but similar to the extra supplements that schools might require; specific schools may require a surplus of fees. The form opens up to public use every year on August 1st; you should pace yourself and set aside enough time for editing and reviewing based on whether you are applying for early action/decision (October-December) or regular decision (January). Though similar in its purpose – to facilitate the college application process – the Coalition App has its own set of qualities to consider that may cater more to your situation. Being a newer form of application, the Coalition App offers applications to nearly one hundred fifty different colleges. It is to be duly noted that some member schools only accept this option of application. Similar to the Common App, the Coalition App is online, opens August 1st, may require additional information depending on the school, and is free without taking into consideration any added fees by specific colleges. Where the Coalition App shows the most contrast is in the idea that it is

meant to be aimed at underrepresented groups such as first-generation students and minorities. The Coalition App only partners with schools that either offer adequate financial aid or that have low-cost tuition, offering the opportunity for success for people all around. Other unique aspects of the Coalition App include an extracurricular section for “family commitment,” which allows colleges to consider fairgrounds of how a student spends their time, as well as a locker section that serves as a digital space that organizes information, making for easy access to documents whenever they are needed to be accessed. So what is the best choice? Apart from the colleges' requirements, the application you end up choosing should be what suits you best and will facilitate, to some extent, the already stressful process. If the schools you are looking at vary in their acceptance of the Coalition and Common App, you can use both applications and submit them accordingly. Another option would be to apply using the application that the majority of schools use and apply to the remaining independently. Other forms, such as the Universal Application or applying through Questbridge, are always possible options that reiterate the idea of why it is important to look at what your colleges require and to assess your standings and situation to allow

for the most ease and for the process that caters to you. Congratulations to all seniors who have received their college acceptance letters, and good luck to all juniors who are about to begin this whirlwind of a process!

Breeze Breeze

By: Camila Yanez

T h e w i n d o w s a r e a w f u l l y

f o g g y t h i s e v e n i n g .

U s u a l l y , t h i s w o u l d b e t h e

b e s t o c c a s i o n t o s i t d o w n

w i t h a c o m f y b o o k a n d p u t

s o m e m u s i c o n , b u t n o .

N o t t o n i g h t . N o t h e r e a t

l e a s t . N o t w i t h t h e

h o s p i t a l l i g h t s b l a r i n g d a y

a n d n i g h t t h r o u g h t h e

c r a c k o f t h e d o o r . N o t

w i t h t h e d e a f e n i n g n o i s e

a n d s c r e a m i n g s i l e n c e

w i t h i n t h e c o n c r e t e w a l l s .

A n d o n t h i s n i g h t t h a t i s

s o d r a b , i t i s e s p e c i a l l y

n o t a g o o d n i g h t f o r

C h a r l i e . N o t f o r C h a r l i e i n

R o o m 7 6 o n t h e s e c o n d

f l o o r , w i t h e n o u g h w i r e s

a n d m o n i t o r s h o o k e d u p

t o h e r t o m a k e h e r l o o k

l i k e a n u n f i n i s h e d c r o c h e t

p r o j e c t , t h e r e m a i n i n g

y a r n s t r i n g i n g o u t i n a n

a b a n d o n e d e f f o r t , C h a r l i e .

N o t f o r t h e s m i l i n g a l l t h e

w h i l e a g u n i s c o c k e d t o

h e r h e a d , C h a r l i e . S h e ’ s

a w o k e n s o t h e n u r s e c a n

e m p t y h e r o s t o m y b a g , t h e

o n e s h e r e c e i v e d a f t e r h e r

l a s t s u r g e r y . B o u n d t o h e r

b e d , s h e ’ s g r o g g y a n d

i n c o h e r e n t f r o m t h e

m o r p h i n e s h e ’ s r e c e i v e d .

And yet, with the little she’s willing to open her eyes, she sees a cluster of unfamiliar faces approach the side of her bed, her parents standing behind them. One of the faces speaks with a soft, sympathetic voice.

“Hello there, Charlie. You haven’t met me before. I’m Dr. Whitney and I’m the Head Doctor of the Inpatient Cancer Unit here at Sunny Hills Hospital. These are some of my friends behind me.” The small group of doctors and nurses wave, their lab coats and scrubs making that familiar swishing noise Charlie has heard far too many times.

“We all understand your…um...dire circumstances.” They all shift uncomfortably at unsaid words: the fact that Charlie’s cancer has metastasized to her pelvic bone, and will soon consume the rest of her body. She will never leave the bed she lies in ever again. Her parents have already heard the news thirty minutes before this meeting, allowing them to collect themselves after mourning their child who has yet to leave this planet, let alone the hospital building.

“Charlie, it’s crucial you also understand your condition and what this means for you.”

Charlie, having been rudely awakened and already quite bored of having this conversation multiple times, disinterestedly remarked, “Alright Doc, tell it to me straight. Am I really dying today? Or will there be another rain

c h e c k o n m y d e a t h d a t e ,

j u s t a s t h e o n e b e f o r e ?

W i t h a l l h o n e s t y D r .

W h i t e y o r w h a t e v e r y o u r

n a m e i s , a l l I ’ m c o n c e r n e d

w i t h i s w h e t h e r I ’ m s t i l l

g o i n g t o g e t t o s e e t h e

m e t e o r s h o w e r t o n i g h t . ”

C h a r l i e h a d b e e n

d r e a m i n g o f s e e i n g t h i s

m e t e o r s h o w e r a l l y e a r ,

m a r k i n g o f f d a y b y d a y o n

h e r c o n s t e l l a t i o n - t h e m e d

c a l e n d a r u n t i l t h i s c h i l l y

w i n t e r d a y , D e c e m b e r

1 5 t h . H e r h o s p i t a l r o o m i s

a d o r n e d w i t h p o s t e r s

d e t a i l i n g b l a c k h o l e s ,

n e b u l a s , e x p l o d i n g s t a r s ,

a n d a l l t h e m o r e . Y o u

w o u l d t h i n k t h e w h o l e

u n i v e r s e w a s m a p p e d o u t

i n t h a t h o s p i t a l r o o m i f

y o u w e r e n o n e t h e w i s e r ,

t h e c e i l i n g c o v e r e d w i t h

l i t t l e g r e e n s t a r s t h a t

g l o w e d i n t h e d a r k . T h e

s k y m e a n t a l o t t o C h a r l i e ,

e s p e c i a l l y o n t h o s e q u i e t

n i g h t s i n t h e h o s p i t a l ,

w h e n h e r p a r e n t s w e n t

h o m e t o g e t s o m e r e s t i n

t h e i r b e d s f o r o n c e . W i t h

o n l y t h e w h i r r i n g o f

m a c h i n e s t o k e e p h e r

c o m p a n y , i f s h e s t a r e d o u t

o f h e r w i n d o w l o n g e n o u g h

s h e c o u l d

close out her peripheral vision and pretend she was floating in space. No oxygen, no noise, no worries. Surrounded by complete silence. She’d thought to herself that in space, so little mattered that you would not even need a ventilator to keep you breathing, or a feeding tube running down your throat all the way to your stomach to keep you alive after you’d stopped being able to stomach solid foods three months ago. You would never need to blink, never feel the need to cry. You would never need another X-ray to see where the cancer metastasized now. All that was the universe could be in your hands if you could just reach out and grab it. And Charlie did, every night, reach her hands out from her bed hoping some greater being would empower her to fly.

Dr. Whitney replied, “No Charlie, you’re not going to see the meteor shower tonight.”

The night sky could have come falling down at that very moment.

After days had turned into weeks, then months and then years, this might have been her last chance to see all that was of so much greater importance than her, from a better view than the sliver of cosmic wonderland the hospital window provided. Charlie protested all she could, screaming as loud as her little lungs would allow her, but there was

n o t m u c h t h a t c a n b e d o n e

i n a b o d y f r a i l a s

p o r c e l a i n g l a s s .

D e f e a t e d , s h e l a y s t a r i n g

a t t h e c e i l i n g f o r m o s t o f

t h e n i g h t . C h a r l i e c o u l d n ’ t

b e a r t o l o o k a t h e r

d r a w i n g s o f a l l s o r t s o f

i m a g i n a r y p l a n e t s s h e h a d

t h o u g h t u p . S h e w o u l d

n e v e r g e t t o b e a n

a s t r o n a u t , n o r b u i l d

r o c k e t s , n o r e v e n s e n d

m o n k e y s u p t o s p a c e , s o

w h y c o u l d t h e y n o t j u s t

g i v e h e r t h i s o n e v i c t o r y ?

T h e e v e n i n g w e n t o n d u l l

a s e v e r , e v e n g r a y e r t h a n

b e f o r e . A n d j u s t l i k e t h a t ,

i t w a s l i g h t s o u t . A t l e a s t ,

f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e

h o s p i t a l , b u t c e r t a i n l y n o t

f o r C h a r l i e . S h e t o s s e d

a n d t u r n e d i n b e d

r e s t l e s s l y , a s i f s o m e t h i n g

w e r e t r y i n g t o e s c a p e o u t

o f h e r b o d y . S h e h e a r d a

s e r e n e , s o f t w h i s p e r

c a r e s s h e r e a r d r u m s .

“ C h a r l i e , w a k e u p

C h a r l i e … W A K E U P ! ”

A l l t o o s u d d e n l y , t h a t

v o i c e w a s n ' t a k i n d

w h i s p e r , b u t a s o n i c b o o m

w i t h t h e f o r c e o f a

t h o u s a n d m o n s o o n w i n d s

s u d d e n l y p i c k i n g C h a r l i e

up. With the gentle, almost motherlike demeanor of the winds, Charlie was hoisted up into the air and unlatched from all the medical contraptions which bound her to her bed and to her life, composed within the four slabs of concrete that encaged her. Suddenly in one quick gust, Charlie was launched out the window and into the sky. The playful spirit hoisted her up, up, up into the clouds. Charlie passed her hands through the soft flurries of condensation, wonderstruck and curiously unafraid. She spread her arms out like wings and began to glide weightlessly in the world, just as she had imagined carelessly floating in space, except this was undeniably much more exciting.

The mysteriously kind phantom revealed itself as a river of wind and glitter moving all around Charlie, playfully weaving its way around her legs and arms. Everything she had ever dreamed of was coming true tonight, the universe had finally heard her prayers and had manifested itself into a breath of fresh air for Charlie to float atop of. They flew over the bright blaring cities as Charlie giggled at the silly tunes the honking cars made, and danced gracefully midair when passing symphonies playing in open arenas. As the city lights trickled out of view and they ventured into the rural pastures, the notorious light pollution of the city began to wane.

Slowly, more and more stars appeared as little flecks of light seemed to manifest suddenly. Charlie thought how starlight was really merely the image of a star's light reaching Earth just then, when in reality, it could be a flaming body of light that’d been around far longer than anything or anyone. The stars she saw might’ve even been gone, hanging their coats up as one last hurrah, and shedding their kaleidoscopic life into space, hoping someone might notice the effort they put up to burn for so long. Charlie could relate to the stars in having to burn for so long only to be noticed long afterward, but in this very moment she couldn’t help but feel blessed to be alive and take all of life for what it is, the good and the bad. Had it not been for her circumstances, perhaps she would have never paid any mind to the sky at all, as some do. Perhaps, she thought, it is those struggles that give any meaning to beauty at all. A star may have to burn until they die out just to be seen, yet nothing compares to that moment a family might share making shapes out of the clusters of light. Had that star not been there, would that Scorpion or Big Dipper in the sky ever be complete? And so, the galactic spirit carried Charlie on over to a group of the fluffiest, bounciest clouds she had ever seen, and set her down atop a throne.

f cumulonimbus ones. Charlie, curious, asked the spirit a question.

“Well then, what now?” she asked.

The spirit responded in a smooth, mature and woman-like voice, “Ah, you children, always so impatient. Look up my dear, and see that what you have been looking for you have found at last.” Per the spirit’s request, Charlie did look up, and what she saw she would never forget. Every speck of light that could have possibly been seen was out that night, and by one girl and one girl alone. Two wide eyes were plenty to witness the wonders that presented themselves before Charlie, and most importantly, the hundreds of meteors raining across the sky like a herd of bison trudging across an open field. Each boulder would hurl across Earth’s atmosphere, leaving a trail of burning rock fragments behind itself as it disintegrated into the atmosphere. It was as if someone took a wide paintbrush and sparingly wiped the bristles, dipped in white paint, across the black canvas that was the night sky. As fast as the meteors had arrived, they were gone, all hundreds of them, roasted into a fine gust of dirt.

Charlie lay back, her hands behind her head, and stared up into the sky. The spirit lay beside her, occasionally blowing a gust of wind to rid Charlie of her hot flashes from the sudden change in atmosphere she had experienced from going from the hospital room to the stratosphere. Yes, Charlie had hot flashes, but she’d never felt better. For once, she could truly breathe like never before, see like never before, and hear like never before; she felt truly weightless, not only because of the cloud cradling her, but the weight of the world was off her shoulders. Up here, there was no noise and no worries. Surrounded by complete silence, so little mattered that you would not even need a ventilator to keep you breathing, or a feeding tube running down your throat all the way to your stomach to keep you alive after you’d stopped being able to stomach solid foods three months ago. You would never need to blink and never feel the need to cry. And for the first time in the little time Charlie had spent on this Earth, she slept. That night, up in the clouds with the stars keeping her company, Charlie closed her eyes, relaxed all the tension that had built up in her bones and muscles from being bedridden for months. Miraculously, all the stress escaped into thin air. That night, up in the clouds, for the last time, Charlie truly slept.

THE HISTORY OF THE SUPER BOWL

BY: LEAH JONES

T h e S u p e r B o w l h a s b e e n a

k n o w n t r a d i t i o n i n t h e

N a t i o n a l F o o t b a l l L e a g u e

a n d i n h o m e s t h r o u g h o u t

t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s f o r

y e a r s . A l t h o u g h t h e N F L

o f f i c i a l l y f o r m e d i n t h e

y e a r 1 9 2 0 , t h e f i r s t

S u p e r B o w l g a m e w a s

a c t u a l l y i n t h e y e a r 1 9 6 7 ,

c a p t u r i n g i t s a u d i e n c e i n a

r i v a l r y b e t w e e n t h e G r e e n

B a y P a c k e r s a n d t h e K a n s a s

C i t y C h i e f s . T h i s g a m e w a s

o r i g i n a l l y c a l l e d t h e “ A F L -

N F L W o r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p

G a m e ” u n t i l t h e n e w n a m e

“ S u p e r B o w l ' ' w a s

i n t r o d u c e d i n t o t h e m i x b y

L a m a r H u n t i n t h e “ m i d -

1 9 8 0 s . ” N o w , s o m e f a n s

a r e n ’ t j u s t c r a z y a b o u t t h e

i n t e n s e c o m p e t i t i o n b u t

a l s o a b o u t t h e a m a z i n g

h a l f t i m e s h o w s a n d

d a z z l i n g p e r f o r m a n c e s t h a t

t a k e p l a c e t h r o u g h o u t t h e

n i g h t .

O v e r t h e y e a r s , s o m e

i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y f a m o u s

a r t i s t s h a v e p e r f o r m e d ,

g i v i n g v i e w e r s a n

e n t e r t a i n i n g s h o w a l l o v e r

t h e w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g

M i c h e a l J a c k s o n , M a d o n n a ,

L a d y G a g a , P r i n c e , Q u e e n -

B ( B e y o n c e ) , S n o o p D o g ,

R i h a n n a , a n d o n e o f t h i s

y e a r ' s p e r f o r m e r s , t h e

t a l e n t e d s i n g e r a n d

d a n c e r , U s h e r . E v e r y

h a l f t i m e s h o w i s f a m o u s

f o r t h e p l e a s a n t s u r p r i s e s

a n d e v e n s o m e c r a z y

m i s h a p s . F o r e x a m p l e , t h i s

y e a r , U s h e r a n d h i s b a c k u p

d a n c e r s c a m e o u t i n r o l l e r

s k a t e s ! A b a c k u p d a n c e r

e v e n r o l l e d r i g h t o f f t h e

s t a g e ! T h i s c a u s e d f a n s

( b e t t e r k n o w n a s T i k T o k )

t o c a u s e a n u p r o a r a b o u t

t h i s u n e x p e c t e d s i t u a t i o n ,

a l s o i n f o r m i n g f a n s t h a t

s h e w a s o k a y . H o w e v e r ,

t h i s w a s n ’ t o n e o f t h e o n l y

o n s t a g e m i s h a p s t o h a v e

h a p p e n e d . I n 2 0 1 3 , t h e

p o w e r w e n t o u t r i g h t i n

t h e m i d d l e o f B e y o n c e ’ s

h a l f t i m e s h o w ! B u t s h e

s t i l l p e r f o r m e d a s i f

n o t h i n g w a s t h e m a t t e r .

T h e y d o n ’ t c a l l h e r Q u e e n -

B f o r n o t h i n g !

N o w , g e t t i n g i n t o t h e

S u p e r B o w l t h a t ’ s a l i t t l e

c l o s e r t o h o m e , T h e M i a m i

D o l p h i n s h a v e p l a y e d a

t o t a l o f f i v e g a m e s i n t h e

S u p e r B o w l . H o w e v e r , o n l y

t w o g a m e s w e r e w o n

a l t o g e t h e r – o n e i n 1 9 7 3

a n d a n o t h e r i n 1 9 7 4 . T h e i r

1 9 7 2 s e a s o n e n d e d w i t h o u t

a l o s s a n d c u l m i n a t e d i n a

v i c t o r y i n S u p e r B o w l V I I .

E v e n t h o u g h o u r M i a m i

D o l p h i n s h a v e n ’ t m a d e i t

t o t h e S u p e r B o w l i n q u i t e

a f e w y e a r s , t h e r e ’ s a l w a y s

h o p e f o r t h e n e a r f u t u r e .

A l t h o u g h o n l y t w o t e a m s

a r e a b l e t o m a k e i t t o t h e

f i n a l g a m e , t h e

u n t o u c h a b l e f e e l i n g o f

g a t h e r i n g a r o u n d t h e T V

o n S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n t o

w a t c h S u p e r B o w l L i v e i s

a n u n f o r g e t t a b l e m e m o r y

t h a t n o o n e w a n t s t o

f o r g e t ,

e v e n i f t h e r e i s a l i t t l e b i t

o f f r i e n d l y c o m p e t i t i o n i n

t h e a i r .

A l t h o u g h o n l y t w o t e a m s

a r e a b l e t o m a k e i t t o t h e

f i n a l g a m e , t h e

u n t o u c h a b l e f e e l i n g o f

g a t h e r i n g a r o u n d t h e T V o n

S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n t o w a t c h

S u p e r B o w l L i v e i s a n

u n f o r g e t t a b l e m e m o r y t h a t

n o o n e w a n t s t o f o r g e t ,

e v e n i f t h e r e i s a l i t t l e b i t

o f f r i e n d l y c o m p e t i t i o n i n

t h e a i r .

T h i s y e a r ' s S u p e r B o w l

c h a m p i o n s , t h e K a n s a s C i t y

C h i e f s , w o n b y 3 p o i n t s

a g a i n s t t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o

4 9 e r s . T h e r e w a s m u c h

d e b a t e w i t h i n t h e p e o p l e

o f F l o r i d a o n w h o t h e y

w e r e r o o t i n g f o r . T h e

C h i e f s o r t h e 4 9 e r s ? A p l u s

t o m a n y p e o p l e w h e n

c o n s i d e r i n g t h i s q u e s t i o n

r e v o l v e d a r o u n d a v e r y

p o p u l a r m u s i c a r t i s t ,

T a y l o r S w i f t , w h o r e c e n t l y

s t a r t e d t o g e t i n t o a

s e r i o u s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h

o n e o f t h e C h i e f p l a y e r s ,

T r a v i s K e l c e . T r a v i s K e l c e

i s a t i g h t e n d a n d h a s b e e n

p l a y i n g f o r t h e C h i e f s

s i n c e 2 0 1 3 , w h e n h e w a s

s e l e c t e d t o p l a y i n t h e

d r a f t s . N o w , b e c a u s e o f

t h i s n e w f o u n d

r e l a t i o n s h i p , o n e h e a v i l y

s c r u t i n i z e d b y t h e p r e s s , a

l o t o f p e o p l e w h o d i s l i k e

t h e m u s i c p r o d u c e d b y

T a y l o r S w i f t d e c i d e d t o g o

a g a i n s t t h e C h i e f s

p r i m a r i l y f o r t h i s r e a s o n .

A n d t h e s a m e g o e s f o r

m a n y s u p p o r t e r s w h o a r e

j u s t T a y l o r S w i f t f a n s .

S o r r y t o s a y t h a t t h e T a l o r

S w i f t h a t e r s g o t a m a j o r

d i s a p p o i n t m e n t o n t h i s

o n e . I t d e f i n i t e l y w a s a

w i n f o r t h e T a y l o r S w i f t

f a n s a n d t h e C h i e f f a n s

e v e r y w h e r e !

The Light at the End of the Sickle Cell Tunnel

By: Martina lenz

S i c k l e C e l l A n e m i a i s a

r e l a t i v e l y u n r e c o g n i z e d d i s e a s e

t h a t d r a s t i c a l l y i m p a c t s t h e

l i v e s o f r o u g h l y 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e

i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . O n g o i n g

r e s e a r c h , s u c h a s s t e m c e l l

r e s e a r c h , h a s b e e n d e v e l o p i n g

i n r e c e n t d e c a d e s t o c o m b a t i t .

H o w e v e r , n o t h i n g h a d b e e n

p r o v e n e f f e c t i v e u n t i l t w o

t r e a t m e n t s w e r e a p p r o v e d b y

t h e F D A o n D e c e m b e r 8 t h , 2 0 2 3 .

T h e s e t r e a t m e n t s h a v e a l r e a d y

b e g u n t o c h a n g e t h e l i v e s o f

s i c k l e c e l l p a t i e n t s f o r e v e r .

S i c k l e C e l l A n e m i a i s a g r o u p o f

i n h e r i t e d b l o o d d i s o r d e r s . I t

o c c u r s w h e n t h e n i t r o g e n o u s

b a s e o f A d e n i n e i n t h e D N A

m u t a t e s a n d b e c o m e s T h y m i n e .

I n a p r o c e s s c a l l e d t r a n s l a t i o n ,

t h e a m i n o a c i d t h a t s u b s t i t u t e s

t h e R N A b e c o m e s v a l i n e i n s t e a d

o f g l u t a m i c a c i d . T h i s l e a d s t o a

m u t a t i o n i n h e m o g l o b i n , a

p r o t e i n f o u n d i n r e d b l o o d

c e l l s . T h e r e d b l o o d c e l l s

d e v e l o p t o b e c o m e a c r e s c e n t

s h a p e r a t h e r t h a n a n o r m a l

h e m o g l o b i n t h a t i s m o r e r o u n d .

T h e c r e s c e n t s h a p e r e s t r i c t s

f l o w i n b l o o d v e s s e l s , w h i c h i n

t u r n d r a s t i c a l l y l i m i t s t h e

o x y g e n d e l i v e r y t o t h e b o d y

t i s s u e . T h i s c a n b r i n g p a i n f u l

c r i s e s c a l l e d V a s o O c c l u s i v e

E v e n t s ( V O E s ) o r V a s o

O c c l u s i v e C r i s e s ( V O C s ) t h a t

c a n l e a d t o l i f e - t h r e a t e n i n g

d i s a b i l i t i e s a n d e v e n e a r l y

d e a t h . O n a d a i l y b a s i s , s i c k l e

c e l l p a t i e n t s s u f f e r f r o m

f a t i g u e a n d p a i n d u r i n g f o r m s

o f e x e r c i s e a n d a t h i g h

e l e v a t i o n s .

S i c k l e C e l l i s m o s t c o m m o n i n

A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s . T h i s i s

b e c a u s e p e o p l e w i t h s i c k l e c e l l

a r e n o t a s a f f e c t e d b y m a l a r i a .

I n m a l a r i a , t h e P l a s m o d i u m

p a r a s i t e b r e e d s a n d m a k e s

b l o o d c e l l s s t i c k y , c a u s i n g t h e m

t o e x p l o d e . T h i s a l l o w s t h e

p a r a s i t e t o s p r e a d t o o t h e r

c e l l s . H o w e v e r , s i c k l e c e l l s c a n

g e t r i d o f p a r a s i t e s a n d

i n f e c t i o n s f a s t e r a s t h e y a r e

c l e a r e d b y t h e i m m u n e s y s t e m

b e f o r e a p a r a s i t e c a n c a u s e t h e

b l o o d c e l l t o e x p l o d e . I n a r e a s

w i t h t r o p i c a l c l i m a t e s w h e r e

m a l a r i a i s p r e v a l e n t , s u c h a s

A f r i c a , t h e r e i s a h i g h e r

l i k e l i h o o d o f i n d i v i d u a l s h a v i n g

s i c k l e c e l l . T h i s i s b e c a u s e t h e

t r a i t w a s s e e n a s b e n e f i c i a l

t h r o u g h n a t u r a l s e l e c t i o n .

S i c k l e C e l l a l l o w s f o r a l o n g e r

l i f e e x p e c t a n c y t h a n m a l a r i a

d o e s , a n d t h e r e f o r e , t h e

m u t a t i o n p r e v a i l s i n s u c h

a r e a s .

T o w a r d s t h e e n d o f l a s t y e a r ,

t h e F D A a p p r o v e d t w o g e n e

t h e r a p i e s t o t r e a t p a t i e n t s w i t h

s i c k l e c e l l d i s e a s e : L y f g e n i a

a n d C a s g e v y . L y f g e n i a i s a c e l l -

b a s e d g e n e t h e r a p y t h a t u s e s a

l e n t i v i r a l v e c t o r ( g e n e d e l i v e r y

v e h i c l e ) f o r g e n e t i c

m o d i f i c a t i o n . T h i s t r e a t m e n t

w a s t e s t e d i n p a t i e n t s t w e l v e

y e a r s a n d o l d e r w h o h a d a

h i s t o r y o f V O C s . A c c o r d i n g t o

t h e F D A , w i t h L y f g e n i a , p a t i e n t

b l o o d s t e m c e l l s a r e g e n e t i c a l l y

m o d i f i e d t o p r o d u c e H b A T 8 7 Q ,

a g e n e t h e r a p y - d e r i v e d

h e m o g l o b i n t h a t f u n c t i o n s v e r y

s i m i l a r l y t o h e m o g l o b i n A ,

w h i c h i s t h e n o r m a l a d u l t

h e m o g l o b i n p r o d u c e d . T h e s e

n e w c e l l s h a v e a m u c h l o w e r

r i s k o f s i c k l i n g a n d a r e t h e n

d e l i v e r e d t o t h e p a t i e n t .

S u p p o r t d a t a f o r t h i s t r e a t m e n t

w a s c o l l e c t e d t h r o u g h a s i n g l e -

a r m , 2 4 - m o n t h m u l t i c e n t e r

s t u d y i n p a t i e n t s w i t h s i c k l e

c e l l d i s e a s e o f 1 2 - 5 0 y e a r s . T h e

e f f e c t i v e n e s s w a s t h e n

e v a l u a t e d b y s e e i n g w h e t h e r

t h e p a t i e n t s h a d c o m p l e t e

r e s o l u t i o n o f V O E s ( V O E - C R )

b e t w e e n 6 - 1 8 m o n t h s p o s t -

t r e a t m e n t .

8 8 p e r c e n t o f t h e p a t i e n t s

a c h i e v e d V O E - C R d u r i n g t h i s

t i m e . H o w e v e r , t h e r e a r e s o m e

s i d e e f f e c t s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h

c h e m o t h e r a p y , s u c h a s f e b r i l e

n e u t r o p e n i a ( f e v e r a n d l o w

w h i t e b l o o d c e l l c o u n t ) .

H o w e v e r , t h e s i d e e f f e c t s a r e

o f t e n p r e f e r r e d o v e r t h e

s t r u g g l e w i t h V O C s a n d V O E s .

C a s g e v y i s a l s o a c e l l - b a s e d

g e n e t h e r a p y t h a t w a s a p p r o v e d

f o r p a t i e n t s b e t w e e n 1 2 0 5 0

y e a r s a n d a h i s t o r y o f V O E s . I n

t h i s t r e a t m e n t , C R I S P R ( a

g e n o m e e d i t i n g t e c h n o l o g y )

c u t s D N A i n t a r g e t e d a r e a s ,

a l l o w i n g i t t o e d i t a n d r e m o v e

t h e D N A w h e r e i t w a s c u t . I t

c a n t h e n b e m o d i f i e d b y a d d i n g

o r r e p l a c i n g c e r t a i n D N A .

M o d i f i e d b l o o d s t e m c e l l s a r e

t h e n t r a n s p l a n t e d b a c k i n t o t h e

p a t i e n t , w h e r e t h e y a t t a c h a n d

m u l t i p l y i n t h e b o n e m a r r o w .

T h i s i n c r e a s e s t h e p r o d u c t i o n

o f f e t a l h e m o g l o b i n ( H b F ) , a

t y p e o f h e m o g l o b i n t h a t

f a c i l i t a t e s o x y g e n d e l i v e r y .

T h i s , i n t u r n , c a n p r e v e n t t h e

s i c k l i n g o f r e d b l o o d c e l l s . F o r

C a s g e v y , a s i n g l e - a r m ,

m u l t i c e n t e r t r i a l w a s a l s o

c o n d u c t e d o n p a t i e n t s b e t w e e n

1 2 a n d 5 0 y e a r s o l d . T h e

e f f i c a c y o u t c o m e w a s f r e e d o m

f r o m s e v e r e V O C s f o r a t l e a s t

1 2 c o n s e c u t i v e m o n t h s f r o m t h e

2 4 f o l l o w - u p m o n t h s . O f t h e 3 1

p a t i e n t s t r e a t e d w i t h f o l l o w - u p

t i m e , 9 3 5 % a c h i e v e d t h i s

o u t c o m e T h e r e a r e a l s o s i d e

e f f e c t s w i t h t h i s t r e a t m e n t ,

a l t h o u g h t h e y a r e l e s s s e v e r e

t h a n t h o s e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h

L y f g e n i a

T h e r e a r e i m m e n s e g l o b a l

i m p l i c a t i o n s t o t h i s d i s c o v e r y

a n d d e v e l o p m e n t . A l t h o u g h t h e

t r e a t m e n t i s s t i l l e x p e n s i v e d u e

t o i t s n o v e l t y , i t h a s c h a n g e d

t h e l i v e s o f p e o p l e w h o t o o k

t h e s t e p t o c h a n g e t h e i r

f u t u r e s e n t i r e l y . V i c t o r i a G r a y , a b r a v e w o m a n w h o

p a r t i c i p a t e d t o b e t h e f i r s t

p e r s o n t o b e t r e a t e d w i t h

C a s g e v y t r e a t m e n t a l m o s t f o u r

y e a r s a g o d u r i n g t h e t r i a l s ,

f e e l s n o s y m p t o m s a n y m o r e

t o d a y . S h e h a s f o u r c h i l d r e n

a n d c a n n o w p u r s u e a f u l l - t i m e

j o b w i t h o u t h a v i n g t o r u s h t o

t h e h o s p i t a l f o r V O C s e v e r y

m o n t h . N o w , o v e r 2 0 0 p a t i e n t s

h a v e s u c c e s s f u l l y r e c e i v e d t h e

t r e a t m e n t .

G r a y ’ s j o u r n e y r e f l e c t s t h e

i m m e n s e o p p o r t u n i t y o f t o d a y ’ s

m o d e r n s c i e n t i f i c d e v e l o p m e n t s

a n d h o w t e c h n o l o g y h a s e v o l v e d

t o c h a n g e o u r l i v e s . S l o w l y b u t

s t e a d i l y , t h e s c i e n t i f i c w o r l d

h a s e x p e r i e n c e d t h e t r u e p o w e r

o f g e n e e d i t i n g t e c h n o l o g y a n d

h o w i t c a n o p e n d o o r s t h a t

s e e m e d p r e v i o u s l y i m p o s s i b l e

t o o p e n . W i t h t h e f u n d i n g o f

s u c h s c i e n c e s , t h o u s a n d s o f

i n d i v i d u a l s o f t e n g o

u n r e c o g n i z e d a n d c a n l i v e a l i f e

o f h o p e , j o y , a n d p a s s i o

LEWIS HAMILTON SHOCKS RACING WORLD

LEAVES MERCEDES TO DRIVE FOR FERRARI

I n a s h o c k i n g t u r n o f e v e n t s f o r

F o r m u l a 1 f a n s w o r l d w i d e ,

s e v e n - t i m e w o r l d c h a m p i o n

L e w i s H a m i l t o n h a s d e c l a r e d h i s

d e p a r t u r e f r o m M e r c e d e s - A M G

P e t r o n a s F o r m u l a O n e T e a m , a

c o l l a b o r a t i o n t h a t h a s s e e n

u n p r e c e d e n t e d s u c c e s s o v e r t h e

p a s t s e v e r a l y e a r s . S p e c u l a t i o n s

a b o u t H a m i l t o n ' s f u t u r e i n t h e

s p o r t h a v e b e e n u n c o n t r o l l e d , b u t h i s d e c i s i o n t o s w i t c h

t e a m s , p a r t i c u l a r l y t o a h i s t o r i c

r i v a l l i k e F e r r a r i , h a s s e n t

s h o c k w a v e s t h r o u g h t h e r a c i n g

c o m m u n i t y . H a m i l t o n ' s m o v e t o F e r r a r i

m a r k s a s i g n i f i c a n t s h i f t i n t h e

l a n d s c a p e o f F o r m u l a 1 a s h e

s a y s g o o d b y e t o M e r c e d e s ,

w h e r e h e c l i n c h e d s i x o f h i s

s e v e n w o r l d t i t l e s . T h e B r i t i s h

r a c i n g i c o n ' s d e c i s i o n t o j o i n

S c u d e r i a F e r r a r i , o n e o f t h e

m o s t l e g e n d a r y t e a m s i n t h e

s p o r t ' s h i s t o r y , a d d s a n e w

d i m e n s i o n t o h i s a c c l a i m e d

c a r e e r . T h i s m o v e s e t s t h e

s t a g e f o r a n i n t e n s e r i v a l r y

b e t w e e n H a m i l t o n a n d c u r r e n t

F e r r a r i d r i v e r C h a r l e s L e c l e r c , p r o m i s i n g a n e x h i l a r a t i n g b a t t l e

o n t h e t r a c k s i n t h e u p c o m i n g

s e a s o n s .

T h e M e r c e d e s t e a m e x p r e s s e d

g r a t i t u d e f o r H a m i l t o n ' s

i n v a l u a b l e c o n t r i b u t i o n s

d u r i n g h i s t e n u r e w i t h t h e

t e a m , a c k n o w l e d g i n g t h e

n u m e r o u s c h a m p i o n s h i p s a n d

m e m o r a b l e m o m e n t s t h e y

s h a r e d t o g e t h e r . T o t o W o l f f ,

T e a m P r i n c i p a l a n d C E O o f t h e

t e a m , c o n v e y e d h i s b e s t w i s h e s

t o H a m i l t o n f o r h i s f u t u r e

e n d e a v o r s w h i l e r e a f f i r m i n g

t h e t e a m ' s c o m m i t m e n t t o

p u r s u i n g e x c e l l e n c e i n F o r m u l a

1 .

A s H a m i l t o n e m b a r k s o n t h i s

n e w c h a p t e r w i t h F e r r a r i , f a n s

a r e l e f t e a g e r l y a n t i c i p a t i n g

t h e d y n a m i c c h a n g e s t h i s m o v e

w i l l b r i n g t o t h e s p o r t . W i t h

t h e 2 0 2 5 F o r m u l a 1 s e a s o n o n

t h e h o r i z o n , a l l e y e s w i l l b e o n

H a m i l t o n a s h e d o n s t h e i c o n i c

r e d o f F e r r a r i , a i m i n g t o a d d

t o h i s r e m a r k a b l e l e g a c y w h i l e

F e r r a r i s e e k s t o r e c l a i m i t s

d o m i n a n c e i n t h e c h a m p i o n s h i p

s t a n d i n g s . H a m i l t o n ' s d e c i s i o n

m a r k s a p i v o t a l m o m e n t i n

F o r m u l a 1 h i s t o r y , p r o m i s i n g

a n e x h i l a r a t i n g r i v a l r y a n d a n

e l e c t r i f y i n g s e a s o n a h e a d .

The Stanley Cup: The Ultimate Oxymoron

In 1913, William Stanley Jr. established the Stanley Brand, introducing the innovative portable steel vacuum bottle designed to insulate hot drinks. The current Stanley website proudly emphasizes its commitment to sustainability in the manufacturing process. These include making “reusable, Built For Life products for over 100 years, reducing demand for disposable products that end up in waste and water streams” (“About Stanley| Since 1913 | Built For Life Stanley 1913”). Ironically, some enthusiasts of the Stanley Cup seem to overlook the intended purpose of these cups, purchasing them in bulk as if they were mere collectibles. This raises the question: are reusable cups no longer sustainable?

Water bottle brands have always been victims of virality and compulsive shopping. Swell, Hydroflask, Starbucks Venti cups, and now Owala are brands aside from Stanley that have plagued the consumer market. Like a moth to a flame, reusable water bottle collectors flock to buy the latest color, edition, or style of these trendy products once they are dropped. This defeats the purpose of reusable technology and may even hurt the environment more in the grand scheme.

To manufacture stainless steel for these bottles, coal is used “indirectly as coal

coke to smelt iron ore into iron” (“Use of coal - U.S. Energy Information Administration”). Coal mining leads to devastating environmental consequences, including habitat destruction, air, and water pollution. Additionally, many manufacturing factories require burning coal to produce energy. The resulting air pollutants include carbon dioxide, which most notably leads to global warming, and sulfur dioxide, which can produce acid rain. Mercury emissions from coal combustion are the leading cause of high mercury levels in aquatic species. Thus, despite the environmental sustainability of reusable water bottles in the long run, their overproduction may outweigh these positive effects.

Some propose effective solutions to address this overconsumption, such as offering consumers services that revamp their old water bottles or establishing recycling and trade-in programs. For instance, Hydro Flask provides customers with the option to send their used water bottles for recycling and rewards them with a $5 discount on their next purchase. With this in mind, it is time that these brands practice what they preach and that consumers curb their shopping urges. When will protecting the planet become the new trend?

College 101: How to Write Your Best College

Essay

By: Veronica Martinez

As current seniors wrap up their college application process, the new application season is on the horizon. For upcoming seniors (current juniors), now is the best time to start preparing, and one of the most effective ways to do so is by commencing the writing process for your college essay. Most recommendations suggest that juniors start preparing their college essays during the summer before senior year, placing us right on track to start now.

So, what exactly is the college essay?

According to Harvard University, the college essay is "your unique opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions committees who must sift through thousands of applications each year." While encapsulating your entire life into a 650-word limit might seem daunting, the essence of the college essay is not about cramming but rather about understanding the prompts and what they seek. Common App, the platform used by the majority of juniors planning to apply to college next year, features a set of seven standard prompts each year. These prompts all share a common goal: asking you to reveal a part of yourself that helps admissions officers get to know you and your character better. At its core, the essay is about you using your own writing style, humor, and a single, unique topic dear to you will be instrumental in the long run.

Transitioning to the actual writing, capturing your admissions officer's attention from the start is crucial. After brainstorming an interesting and relevant topic, take the time to create a compelling hook. Whether it's intriguing, humorous, thought-provoking, touching, or something else entirely is up to you and what you want your essay to convey about yourself. Following this, formulate a strong thesis statement This thesis will guide your college essay, ensuring organization when you find yourself veering off track.

Writing the essay itself is a formidable task, but it becomes simpler after deciding on your topic. A key recommendation from most college admissions officers when writing the bulk of your essay is to show, not tell. Students often become so caught up in describing their experiences in detail that they forget to demonstrate how these experiences, or whatever the essay focuses on, have impacted, changed, or reinforced aspects of their character. Ask yourself: What did you discover about yourself in this situation, with this person, or during this time? While narrating your story, concentrate on unveiling unique aspects of yourself through deeper themes of self-discovery, transformation, adversity, etc. This will elevate your college essay from being good to being your very best.

Lastly, one of the most critical aspects of writing a college essay is to revise, revise, and revise. Numerous drafts should come out of this writing process. Many overlook the importance of revisiting your essay later on and checking for grammatical errors. If this is an area where you might struggle, consider two options. First, enlist a trusted family member or friend to read and edit your essay Remember that their feedback is constructive criticism, and great results don’t come right away; even the best ideas need some shaping. Alternatively, if you prefer to edit the essay independently, try reading it aloud. Reading your work aloud often helps uncover errors that may have gone unnoticed during the writing process. In fact, I'm probably going to read this article out loud! What can I say, it's a helpful strategy. While the college application season can be stressful, starting early on certain aspects, such as your college essay, can help alleviate some of the pressure in the long run. Remember, your worth is not defined by your application; instead, your application is the medium through which you get to showcase to college admissions officers just how hardworking, interesting, and amazing you are!