The Panther 2023-2024 Issue 6: Panther-Preneurs$

PantherPreneurs

Some high school cliques consist of popular, smart and artsy kids, but at Miami Palmetto Senior High, a new crowd of moneymakers walk the halls. MPSH’s student body consists of a variety of talents. However, a small percentage of these dedicated, hard-working teens, distinguish themselves from others. These Panthers have created their own businesses and grown them from the ground up.

2024-25 student council board 06

This April, Student Council held elections for students to join their board. This story includes a list featuring the new board members for the 2024-25 school year and a glimpse of what they hope to achieve in their positions.

takeover promposal

NEWS BRIEFS

Local.

On April 15, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation SB 544, aSwimming Lesson Voucher Program. This program is within the Department of Health for the specific purpose of requiring the department to establish a swimming network of vendors who must participate. The program covers the cost of the lessons for families with an income of up to 200% of the federal poverty level. These families must have one or more children four years of age or younger. The Swimming Lesson Voucher Program was introduced by Republican Sen. Travis Hutson and will take effect on July 1.

National

Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson faces multiple threats to his speakership, and as of recently, has had a motion made against him to remove him from his position as speaker. This motion was made by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who accused Johnson of siding with the Democrats in funding the government. A letter Greene sent to the GOP on April 9 accuses Johnson of “advancing the Democrats’ agenda.” Recently, Rep. Thomas Massie announced he would support Johnson’s ousting. If Johnson does not step down, Massie and Greene have permission to take a vote to the House floor to oust Johnson and find someone to fill his position.

International

On the night of April 14, Iran carried out an air attack on Israel. The areas targeted include the cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ashkelon. The attack came as a result of Israeli attacks in Iranian-backed targets in Syria and a build up of political tensions. The Israeli war cabinet decided that a direct air attack was the correct response, and as of April 22, Israel has begun its response attack on Iran through attempted airstrikes. Israel has killed two Iranian generals with the airstrikes. The airstrikes hit an airbase in the Iranian capital of Damascus.

students take

For some Miami Palmetto Senior High student coaches, stepping out on the grassy field or shiny gymnasium floor to coach the children who love a sport just as much as they had in the past is very rewarding.

a.i.: the future or our demise

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, debate over its merits have followed. Like some people, I am pretty indifferent about A.I.. I recognize that there are benefits to its use, but its effects on schools and academia are detrimental.

Taking Care Of Miami: Earth day cleanups

First observed in 1970, Earth Day was created to honor the Earth and promote peace. During that first Earth Day, 22 million Americans participated in environmental cleanups across the country. Ever since then, cleanups and a general effort to take care of the environment have been commonplace.

The annual celebration of Earth Day is a day to appreciate Mother Nature, give back and help the planet. The well-being of the Earth draws the attention to the majority of the population for a single day as people try to participate in a cleanup or do their part in honor of Earth Day. However, the constant efforts of organizations all around the world are what maintain the clean and healthy environment. More specifically, organizations in the Miami community started and run by high school students help to make a massive change in the community.

Organizations and nonprofits like Miami Palmetto Senior High’s Key Club are constantly making changes to better the communities’ bodies of water, beaches and the environment in general.

“[Key Club] have been able to help the community in different ways. For example, every month we have one or two campus cleanups where we will clean around the school, mainly the student parking lot and we also do a lot of donations as well as go to many outside fundraisers. There’s one coming up soon for the Dance Marathon,” Key Club Sophomore Director Claudia VidesOlivencia said.

In March, Key Club had many volunteers for their campus clean up and helped eliminate trash from MPSH.

“We want to help make the world a better place of course and spread kindness and positivity through our different donations and activities,” Vides-Olivencia said.

Student run non-profit Clean Aqua also uses Earth Day to keep up the work of cleaning up our community. As advertised on their Instagram page, Clean Aqua has eliminated 1134 total pounds of trash from locations like the C-100 canals, Deering Point Park and Matheson Hammock.

“The goal of Clean Aqua is to clean Miami’s waterways. We have been able to help the local community by picking up pieces of trash at local parks like Matheson Hammock,” sophomore and Clean Aqua organizer Tristan Gettinger said.

Living so close to the ocean in Miami often influences residents giving them more of a personal reason to better care for the environment.

“I’ve always been around the ocean, and from a young age I wanted to help clean our oceans and maintain our aquatic biome,” Gettinger said.

Pollution is a massive threat to the ecosystem of Key Biscayne. Runoff and improper disposal of trash leads to damage to seagrass and mangrove ecosystems, which are vital to protecting our shorelines from erosion and storm surges during hurricanes. These cleanups aid in the restoration of the oceans and help protect the ecosystem from the threat of human consequences and natural occurrences.

Jake Hawkins Multimedia Photo Editor j.hawkins.thepanther@gmail.com

Justin Fechter Staff Writer j.fechter.thepanther@gmail.com

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Introducing 2024-25 the Student council Board

This April, Student Council held elections for students to join their board. Below is a list featuring the new board members for the 2024-25 school year and a glimpse of what they hope to achieve in their positions.

PRESIDENT: SCOTT GOULD

As Student Council President, Gould aims to boost school spirit and increase representation in school events. He hopes to harbor a safe community where every Panther feels at home.

vice president: noah coulton

Running for Student Council Board for the first time, Coulton won Vice President unopposed. Coulton hopes to diversify the ideas brought to the table by promoting higher inclusivity among the student body.

vice president of student outreach: david cohn

As VP of Student Outreach, Cohn wants to include the House of Representatives in Student Council’s policy-making process for referendums and resolutions so the student body’s voices are more clearly heard.

chief of staff: ava stuzin

Stuzin plans to unite all of Student Council as well as the study body by ensuring that all students are informed on meetings and initiatives taking place at school.

chief of staff: peyton byrd

With Stuzin, Byrd aims to take over weekly Panther Updates to ensure students are consistently informed on school events occurring each week.

chief of senate: alex perodin

One of the only three juniors to make Student Council Board, Perodin aims to improve Student Council Senate’s organization and make sure members are working effectively to carry out their projects.

chief of senate: aayana baid

As her third year on Student Council, Baid wants to work with Perodin to elevate Student Council Senate’s impact on the school by guiding them in completing their projects.

SECRETARY: MIA SHIELDS

Shields is looking forward to uniting members to become more involved and passionate about their initiatives so that students can leave a greater impact on the school.

TREASURER: BROOKE WILENSKY

Returning to Student Council Board for her third year, Wilensky is prepared to take on the responsibilities of treasurer yet again. As treasurer, Wilensky oversees and guides individual class treasurers to help them budget and raise money for their classes.

TREASURER: DANIEL MAZER

After learning the ropes as underclass treasurer, Mazer plans to help guide the younger treasurers in conjunction with Wilensky.

SOCIAL CHAIR: GOLDEN BROWN

Brown hopes to plan fun and inclusive events so that all aspects of the Panther community can show off their spirit on campus.

MARKETING DIRECTOR: NATALIE RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez aims to make the Public Relations team more efficient by getting information out to students quickly so that they are aware of upcoming events.

Gabriella Alvarez

Life Editor g.alvarez.thepanther@gmail.com

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From Trend to Tradition:

The Takeover of The “PromPosal”

One of the first-ever proms in American history, or “promenade concerts,” as it was called, occurred at Yale University in 1850. However, this version of prom is hardly recognizable compared to the modern-day high school dance depicted in popular television, movies and books.

In those days, Yale held oral exams that involved tedious public speaking in front of a large student audience. In between each student’s oral assessment, a band would briefly play. However, the student body was dissatisfied with the quality of music that provided momentary relief between presentations. Thus, the “prom” was born so that ticket sales could raise money to hire a better band for their oral exam presentations the following year.

Despite its rather pragmatic origins, the tradition of prom has evolved dramatically over the years with fun themes, bright dresses, photo booths and the famed promposal, of course. Promposals quickly gained traction among high schoolers seeking memorable ways to invite their crushes to the most anticipated event of the year. What began as a casual invitation soon transformed into a cultural phenomenon, with teenagers competing to outdo one another with grand gestures and inventive proposals. Over the years, expectations have been set extraordinarily high: according to Teen Vogue, notable promposals in the books range from using U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to ask your date at a campaign rally to spelling out the word “prom?” on the side of a mountain.

While the official label of a “promposal” is fairly recent, the concept of using creative methods and grand gestures to ask someone, whether a significant other or a friend of a friend to prom, has been around for a while. Numerous news sources such as the Washington Post cite the first promposal as occurring in 2000, but business owner and Miami local Jane Moore experienced what many would now refer to as a promposal in

1987. Moore was taken by complete surprise when a sign reading “Jane, will you go to the prom with me? - Brad” was wedged in a tree in the front yard of her home.

“I woke up one morning and people were calling the house and [saying] ‘Wow, that sign is amazing,’ So, I was wondering, ‘What are they talking about?’ I walked outside and there was a sign. I was surprised; I was flattered; It was crazy,” Moore said. “Then I went to school, and the crazy thing is there were two Brads in my school that I was friends with, so I wasn’t exactly sure [which one it was] until I saw [Brad Vanpelt] in the halls and we chatted, and then I said yes.”

Asking someone to a school dance in such a way was not commonplace at the time. In fact, this gesture was so attention-grabbing that the Columbus, Ind. local newspaper, The Republic, reported on the gesture, filling a page titled “Hard to Refuse.” Moore had not heard of any of her peers having such an extravagant and public promposal; the word itself was not even in their vocabulary.

“I think most people just get invited through conversation,” Moore said. “People hung out between classes at the lockers, hanging out and talking … And I think most of the [time] people were invited to prom that way. So, this was a little bit more creative,” Moore said. “It was a small town, and I was very involved in school. So, it was nice to be in the paper for something not school-related.”

Nowadays, a promposal similar to Moore’s is a cultural norm in many U.S. high schools. With extravagant asks going viral, or circulating amongst the student body, standards have risen. As a result, every year, the student body is given the opportunity to witness new entertaining promposals from sincere to funny by our very own Miami Palmetto Senior High students.

Couple Juan Galarza and Kate Markus are proposal pros, as

they have now shared both a homecoming proposal, or “hocosal,” and a promposal. This prom season, Markus was unsure of when Galarza would finally prompose and was met with a heartfelt surprise on an important occasion.

“It was me and Juan’s 16 months, so when he said we were going on a beach date, I didn’t suspect anything about prom. I just thought it was going to be something cute for our 16-month [anniversary] So, we got in the car and we drove to our favorite restaurant, Planta Queen. We picked up sushi and … He took me to Miami Beach. When we got there, all of a sudden I saw this beautiful setup right in front of us as we walked up to the beach. And then, Juan held up a sign that read, ‘16 months of beach and bliss, let’s make a splash at prom together?’,” Markus said.

But, a thoughtful promposal like this does not just happen — it requires time spent planning and preparing on behalf of the person asking.

“Kate and I have always done beach-related activities. Our first date was on the beach; our first Valentine’s Day was on the beach; I asked her to homecoming on the beach, and it just felt right to capture the moment at the beach. As seniors, it’s our last ever prom, and to share that special moment with my girlfriend, it meant a lot to do at a place we both love,” Galarza said. “And, another part of the plan was to pick up her favorite restaurant … I just thought it would be perfect to combine two of her favorite things.”

Though this is an example of a prom posal that was more private, some prefer a big ask in front of a crowd. Each year, the MPSH courtyard experiences promposals in the form of signs popping the question, often employing funny wordplay or a unique theme and, if luck serves, a song serenading the lucky individual. This sends onlookers into a frenzy gushing as they take pictures and crowd around to hear the answer.

Overall, whether asking one’s girlfriend of 16 months or a casual school friend, asking in private or for the whole neighborhood to see, make your mark with a thoughtful promposal. From humble origins to a viral trend, the art of the promposal boils down to a simple science: making someone feel appreciated and excited to spend time together at the ultimate high school event.

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Copy Editor a.levitt.thepanther@gmail.com

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STAFFER OF the month PANTHERthe

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APRIL COLUMN

PANTHER’S ULTIMATE STUDY PLAYLIST

While studying, some may need a mundane, quiet study place to concentrate, but there are also others who require a lively study environment. Whatever one may prefer, listening to music while studying can have multiple benefits. According to John Hopkins Medicine, music can provide better memory and brain stimulation, while also increasing your motivation for studying. Personally, I like to listen to a variety of music genres — normally on the calmer end — while studying or doing homework. Usually, this music consists of songs I already know; so, I do not focus too much on the lyrics, but rather being relaxed by them and drowning out the noisiness around me. This playlist, selected by the staff of The Panther, consists of some of our favorite study songs from a variety of genres and artists.

Open your camera on Spotify to scan the playlist and listen!

PANTHERPRENEUR$

Some high school cliques tend to consist of popular, smart and artsy kids, but at Miami Palmetto Senior High, a new crowd of moneymakers walk the halls. MPSH’s student body consists of a variety of talents and opportunities to pursue one’s area of interest. As a young entrepreneur, knowing how to beat the stigma around age immaturity can be difficult, “At a young age they think ‘ what do you know?’ You get a good feeling when you prove them wrong.” Junior and business owner Edilberto Escalante said. “You have to learn how to sell yourself before you learn to sell a product or anything.” A huge advantage to being your own boss is having creative freedom and the room to have fun. “Having a business is just, it’s fun. Like you do it because, you know it makes you happy and like, do it for yourself if you’re gonna like it.” Senior and business owner Julian Perez said. A small percentage of these dedicated, hard-working teens distinguish themselves from the others. These Panthers have created their own businesses and grown them from the ground up. From friends to coworkers, these students have worked hard to achieve the success they have today.

Aayana Baid Copy Editor a.baid.thepanther@gmail.com

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PANTHER-PRENEUR$

Juniors and co-owners of Kings Basketball Academy, Ignacio Perales and Zachary El-Assad have been best friends since sixth grade. In eighth grade, they created Kings Basketball Academy, a basketball team for children in their community.

“We started in eighth grade all the way up to where we continue now. We noticed there was an ever-growing market for young children to play basketball. So, we saw an opening in the market, and we capitalized on it,” El-Assad said.

At a young age, getting new clients can be challenging, but beating the stigma around young entrepreneurship was a key goal for El-Assad and Perales.

“Getting clients and organizing it all is difficult. It’s tough dealing with the kids. So we deal with the kids but also the parents,” Perales said.

El-Assad and Perales attribute their success to those who have supported them since day one.

“Our biggest influence was our mothers who helped us the entire way. [We even got help from] our old AAU coach, Coach Jeffery, who taught us basketball,” El-Assad said.

Junior Nicolas Hernandez, another business savvy student, is most often seen courtside at the MPSH gym or on the sidelines during football games with a camera in hand.

Hernandez began NicFlics Photography — a for-profit event photography business — in his freshman year. He began shooting for the school as a sophomore and shoots sports games in and outside of school, even expanding into weddings. Although he began shooting as a freshman, his foundation in photography took root long before.

“My grandpa owned a photography shop, and when he had the business, he gave me an old camera, and I started using it and playing around with it. My aunt is a graphic designer so she started

making designs. She told me, ‘I need you to take photos for my designs,’ So, I started taking photos for her designs, and she really liked the way I took the photos,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez learned of the ups and downs of starting a business through his mother, who is not only his biggest supporter, but also his best mentor.

“My mom is my biggest supporter. My mom helped me pay [for] half of my first camera when I first started. [She] saved enough money to help me buy all my camera equipment. She took me to most of my events when I didn’t have a car,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez has been able to overcome the typical challenges of balancing school and work through his flexible schedule, and plans to continue his passion for photography in college and after graduation.

“Time is of the essence when owning a business … So, when I shot the wedding, I didn’t come to school that day because it was from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., so I love it, just nonstop shooting,” Hernandez said. “I’m actually going to college for photography and videography at Full Sail University. I see a big future in it. I want to shoot for the NFL. It’s one of my biggest goals.”

Senior and Clean Street Skate Co. owner Julian Perez kickflipped into his business to promote skating, style and service.

“My business, Cleanstreet Skate Co., is a skate and streetwear brand. I make shirts, hoodies, cropped tops and skate decks. I donate 10% to Miami Rescue Missions and once a month I’ll team up with another brand or another local organization. One day I went and made bags that were given out to homeless people,” Perez said.

Starting his business in his junior year, Perez faced obstacles with balancing school, work, sports and extracurriculars.

“The most challenging part for me is probably the business, it sounds simple but there’s a lot behind it. You have to deal with

money and all that, so that’s really the hardest part. Then it’s also hard balancing lacrosse and all that too, because you want to make money. You also want to like what you’re doing and be passionate about it,” Perez said.

Perez credits his success to his mom, who showed him how to

Escalante focuses on public speaking and digital creating. He enjoys the opportunity to network and converse with like-minded individuals, exploring different points of view.

“I like being the decision maker, which also is nice. And the fact that I can expand my goals and my ideas and make them a

From Playing to Coaching: MPSH STUDENTS TAKE THE SIDELINES

For some Miami Palmetto Senior High student coaches, stepping out on the grassy field or shiny gymnasium floor to coach the children who love a sport just as much as they had in the past is very rewarding.

Ever since junior Alexis Cohen was in first grade, she played basketball at Temple Beth Am with her father as her coach. She had to stop playing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but after being asked by the kids that she babysits to coach their team, she was right back on the court where she played basketball when she was a child. This time, however, she stands on the sidelines and coaches her team to victory.

In elementary and middle school, Cohen was a player for her dad’s team, but now they get to coach players together.

“It’s really a full circle moment because he coached me and now we get to coach together. [Coaching together is] fun,” Cohen said.

The transition from being a player to a coach has been one Cohen has enjoyed, as she gets to see the game from a new perspective.

“I like to coach them because I was in that position at one point in my life, and it’s just fun to see them like that sport,” Cohen said.

Cohen has gotten to form a bond with the girls she coaches, adding parts of teaching and fun.

“Our play names are like ‘Dunkin Donuts’ and then they get donuts after the game. Their parents bring donuts after the game,” Cohen said.

Dunkin Donuts has gotten her team as far as the semifinals, but for Cohen, it is not all about winning.

“[The most important part is] making sure everyone has fun and gets to play and that it’s not like a competition within the team, it’s a competition against other teams,” Cohen said.

For junior Zachary Bales, coaching a variety of sports to multiple age groups at an after-school program at the Jewish Community Center allows him to do what he loves four days a week, two hours a day.

“I don’t think you can be a coach unless you love sports. I just grew up playing all the sports because of my dad, so that’s why I enjoy coaching different stuff, on different days. It’s not the same thing over and over. It’s a fun experience to work with kids that I have come to enjoy,” Bales said.

Some days it is coaching soccer to three-year-olds or basketball to 11-year-olds, so Bales had to learn different coaching techniques to get through to each age group.

“For my three to five [year old] kids, it’s very different. They like to run around. So it’s like, ‘Oh let’s do a lap guys’ and they love it … But the older kids I have to be super strict or else they are just gonna go crazy. So if they mess up, I kind of make them do push-ups or sit-ups, whatever I’m deciding that day and depending on the kid,” Bales said.

Bales has been coaching sports at the JCC since last summer as a counselor for Sports Camp and made such an impact that he was asked to return during the school year. Coaching for over seven months has allowed him to form

form bonds with his players. Without fail, at every practice, the same newly turned three-year-old brings Bales a flower or leaf she picked off the ground for him. At practice she refuses to leave his side, even holding up the class until she is allowed to be coached by Bales.

“[My favorite part is] probably just watching them get better like I did when I was little and it’s just been fun,” Bales said.

For sophomore Ruby Pelz, helping coach the Palmetto Elementary School’s cheer team is an activity that brings back memories for her as she was once on the team.

“I was a cheerleader at the elementary school from third grade and on and then I saw my coach at Publix and she was like, ‘Oh, how are you?’ And she was telling me how different [cheer] is. And I offered to help out and then ever since that I’ve been going every week,” Pelz said.

Helping out every Tuesday and Thursday, Pelz works with the two cheer teams at the school working with the second and third graders and then the fourth and fifth graders. Having volunteered since the beginning of the ninth grade, Pelz has been able to build relationships with the kids and watch them grow.

“I love being able to watch the kids learn and understand it, and when they perform, they get so excited and nervous,” Pelz said.

Working around her schedule, Pelz also makes sure to balance school with helping out at the elementary school and attending their cheer performances.

“I make my time out of the schedule help because it’s also super rewarding for me to be able to see the final version. I’m usually really good with going every Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes something of course will come up that I have to stay for school, but I usually go twice a week,” Pelz said.

Coaching their respective sports, these MPSH students have been able to share their passion and love for their sport.

Ava Stuzin News Editor a.stuzin.thepanther@gmail.com

Brooke Wilensky Opinion Editor b.wilensky.thepanther@gmail.com

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HAWKINS

Artificial Intelligence: The Future or Our Demise

Artificial Intelligence: The Future or Our Demise

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, debate over its merits have followed. Like some people, I am pretty indifferent about A.I.. I recognize that there are benefits to its use, but its effects on schools and academia are detrimental.

As Chat-GPT was popularized within schools in 2022 and 2023, I watched as many people started to use it in a multitude of ways. Some had used it for school or just in their daily life for random tasks. I do not use A.I., so I have no previous relation to it, but have seen it in action among my peers.

Now that A.I. has become so normal in everyday life, it is hard to avoid it and the effects it will have on the world.

People all around the world have turned to A.I. for solutions to their problems, as it is a faster alternative for getting something done. Through the lens of academics of using A.I. for school assignments, this fact becomes terrifying. Since I am a junior who is currently awaiting the college application process, I watch as people use A.I. to their advantage. Not only do I see students on multiple social media platforms bragging about using A.I. for their personal essays, but I also see posts from the admissions side saying that it is obvious when one uses it in their application. The problem with using it is that it breaks the barrier in the connection the writer has with their work. When students use A.I., there is no emotion or link to the topic a robot is writing about.

Since A.I. has become widespread throughout colleges and universities around the world, many have started to implement protocols to combat this problem. Applications like Turnitin and the College Board have placed detections to monitor the use of A.I. in papers that have been submitted to them.

At Miami Palmetto Senior High School, a board of teachers came together and created an Academic Integrity Policy that is trying to prohibit the use of A.I. within the school. On the first day of school, students had signed an obligation to not use A.I. and if

caught they would be penalized in the class and at the expense of extracurricular activities.

Since this technology has become so widespread, it limits the ability to truly be able to ban all use of it. Due to this, teachers around the country have started to incorporate A.I. into their curriculum and classrooms.

A.I. in education can have its benefits. Many educators in the U.S. have openly suggested using A.I. to help outline the work done in class, with some teachers even recommending it to create study guides and vocabulary lists.

When A.I. becomes an open platform within classes, it can result in a decrease associated with the use of technology in assignments, as it is no longer banned in the classroom. A.I. will no longer be this secret that students try to hide; it will just form into any other technology that is used every day in the education sector.

Still, there should always be limits to the usage of A.I.. Students will not change their habits with A.I. overnight, and it has already created a lasting impact on students’ work habits. Placing limits on how and when students should use A.I. is only a small step in how it can become normalized, while also ending the harm it has on education.

Madeline Volpe Multimedia Video Editor m.volpe.thepanther@gmail.com

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YES:

Plastic, paper, metal, glass, etc.. When people say “reduce, reuse, recycle,” their intentions may be in the right place, but what is so relevant about this mantra? As a result of the environmental movement and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, Americans began to recycle to deal with massive amounts of waste produced in the second half of the 20th century. Sending less waste to landfills and incinerators, preventing pollution and creating jobs for Americans, the benefits and importance of recycling significantly outweigh the negatives.

As an important economic driver for the finances of the U.S., recycling helps create jobs and generates significant tax revenue. According to epa.gov and the Recycling Economic Information Report, recycling was found to account for 757,000 jobs, $36.6 billion in wages and $6.7 billion in tax revenues. Moreover, this evidence reflects the relevance of recycling to our country’s economy, keeping its citizens employed. While making positive environmental use of waste products, saving energy and increasing economic security through tapping a domestic source of materials, the recycling industry’s multifaceted benefits to the economy make its practice necessary in every American household.

Concerning the benefits of recycling on the environmental front, the epa.gov website reports that, in 2018, data reflected recycling and composting of municipal solid waste saving over 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Today’s environmental conditions reflect an utmost necessity for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The effects of global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer and the predicted atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reaching 550 parts per million by 2050 demonstrate a serious need for all efforts to take advantage of recycling initiatives to save our planet’s atmosphere.

In summary, the benefits of recycling extend beyond the simple household action of sorting waste by paper, plastic and metal products: taking the time to understand recycling and engaging in the action both benefits the economy through generating jobs and tax revenue, as well as making a small dent in the necessary actions toward improving the earth’s atmosphere.

Sara Paredes Senior Copy Editor s.paredes.thepanther@gmail.com

FACEOFF: FACEOFF: Is Recycling Really Benefiting the Environment?

NO:

We have been told that recycling is good, but little has been said about the negative impact that it has on the environment, our health and the price that developing countries pay for our guilt. If we pull back the curtains on recycling, we will see that it may be doing more harm than good for the environment. One issue is its cost. Recycling programs are costly to implement and maintain. Along with cost of maintenance, is the lack of consumer knowledge of what should or should not go into the recycling baskets. If one item such as a plastic bag goes in the recycling bin, the entire batch is ruined and will be discarded, becoming extremely costly for recycling plants.

Some will argue that recycling is good for the environment, but the recycling process also negatively impacts pollution. The process uses lots of chemicals, water and energy, some of which can get into drinking water and canals. Recycled plastic can also release many polluting chemicals into the air. For example, during the papermaking process,ink and dye must be removed. The remnants of this are burned or dumped into the ground, which end up in sewage systems. There are additional reports of the health hazards of those who work and live near a recycling plant.

Have you heard of the term waste colonization? This is when developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. send their waste and recycling to less developed countries such as Mexico. In 2023, the city of Phoenix, AZ, published the news about the new strategy for waste diversion. The city plans to send most of its plastic to be recycled in Mexico. Mexican environmentalists see it as more garbage and plastic pollution from the U.S., and are asking for the U.S. to reduce plastic consumption and to stop prompting recycling as a cure. In 2018, China banned plastic imports from North American countries because of the negative health impacts.

Our efforts should be focused on finding a solution to reduce our plastic consumption, not just to recycle plastic.

Luna Garcia Design Editor l.garcia.thepanther@gmail.com

GARCIA

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STAFF

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Brooke Wilensky

Video Editor

Madeline Volpe

Multimedia Team

William Albury

Seth Clarin

Ella Wehmeyer

Jake Hawkins

Alexis James

STAFF EDITORIAL

To Mother Nature,

In celebration of Earth Day and in response to the need for conserving our environment, for many reasons, we thank you. Thank you for creating the coral reefs off the crystal shores of the Keys where we can enjoy an underwater world of vivid coral and fish. Thank you for housing the mountains that provide us with breathtaking views and unimaginable heights. Thank you for the trees that are home to many of our fauna and to the oxygen produced by those trees, allowing us to take in the freshness of our green and blue world. Thank you for the jungles where complex ecosystems thrive ; thank you for the seven seas– where our travel comes with views; thank you for the powdery slopes and alps that create winter wonderlands. Thank you for all of you that feeds our imagination. Nature is food for the soul. Thank you for your paintings at the start and finish of our days – from sunrise to sunset. You have always kept our home perfect and beatiful, and now we owe it to you. download our app!

Lilianne Fernandez

Design Team

Luna Garcia

Mia Shields Copy Team

Anna Levitt

Aayana Baid

Savanna Byles

Eleanor Harris

Sophia Snyder Staff Writer

Justin Fechter

Paulina Handal Adviser

Laura Aviles

MISSON STATEMENT

The Panther staff aims to inform fellow students and parents about school-wide, local, national, and international news. The Panther’s content aims to represent the student body. Editorials feature the opinions of staffers. Features of other students, teachers and clubs further promote the spirit, culture and personality of Miami Palmetto Senior High School.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Panther is a monthly publication of Miami Palmetto Senior High located at 7431 SW 120th Street Miami, FL 33156, (305) 235-1360 ext. 1124. The views expressed are solely those of The Panther staff. Students who wish to respond to an article in this publication or discuss another issue may write letters to the editor and submit them to room 1124 or e-mail us at a.shapiro. thepanther@gmail.com. The Panther has professional membership in NSPA and CSPA. The Panther prints 1,300 copies per issue for distribution. The Panther is distributed for free to all students in school. Please visit our paper online at thepalmettopanther.com.

BYLINE POLICY:

All creative work (such as illustrations, graphics, photos and writing) excluding staff editorials and staff member pictures will include byline credits.

ADVERTISING POLICY:

Ads will be designed by the advertiser and include all information the advertiser wants included. If the advertiser asks the staff to design the ad, the individual who sold the ad will design the ad or the Ads Manager will. Ads will be approved by EICs, the Adviser and the Ads Manager. If an ad produced is illegible, contains false information, or the advertiser does not like it, they will receive a free ad in the next issue. If you would like to advertise, please contact us.

The School Board shall comply with all Federal Laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. The Board will enforce its prohibition against discrimination/harassment based on sex, race, color, ethnic, or national origin, religion, marital status, disability, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy and any other basis prohibited by law. The Board shall maintain an educational and work environment free from all forms of discrimination/harassment, which includes Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct such as unwelcome touching, graphic verbal comments, sexual jokes, slurs, gestures or pictures. All students, administrators, teachers, staff, and all other school personnel share responsibility for avoiding, discouraging, and reporting any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment against students by employees, other students and their parents or guardians, or third parties. This policy prohibits discrimination and harassment at all School District operations, programs, and activities on school property, or at another location if it occurs during an activity sponsored by the Board.