life

FOR the OF LOVE DOGS

During the season of love, many people focus on what to gift their significant others. Some might purchase jewelry, others might buy roses and a teddy bear. But one of the most important gifts that people tend to dismiss is love for their dogs.

Unfortunately, thousands of dogs never find a home and receive death sentences. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 6.5 million animals enter shelters every year. Around 1.5 million of these animals are euthanized.

In South Florida, successful animal shelters focus on healing and nourishing dogs to make sure they feel as loved as possible without a home. PAWS4you Rescue, a nonprofit and non-kill organization, focuses on saving dogs from abandonment, providing medical care to dogs in need, spreading awareness about their mission and getting dogs adopted into safe homes. They not only focus on saving animals, but also try to change the way that people interact with their pets to avoid abuse and abandonment. PAWS4you Rescue, along with Palmetto students, have a vision of diminishing the threat of euthanasia and giving pets a loving home to live in.

“I have eight dogs. Seven are rescues from the pound or street, and one is a service dog for my mom,” sophomore Sydney Rouviere said.

Furthermore, sometimes our greatest love story exists right at home with our own dogs. Whether on Friday or Saturday night, everyone enjoys some quality time with their dogs such as going on walks, going to a doggy

beach or even just laying next to them on the couch watching Netflix.

“All the rescues have a story behind them. Like one of my dogs was found under a truck in Homestead, and he was hit by a car so he wears a shirt so he doesn’t scratch the scars,” Rouviere said. “The bulldog was tied to a tree and her puppies were taken from her.”

According to the HuffingtonPost, studies support the theory that dogs do feel the warm-and-fuzzies for their owners, even more so than for other animals. There are psychological clues that distinguish the way dogs feel around their owners. For example, dogs show an increase in brain activity when their owners come into contact with them, which proves the strong relationships between humans and their pets. This also supports the idea that when a dog’s owner comes back home after a period of time of leaving the dog alone,w the dog suddenly becomes excited and energetic because of the increase in their brain activity.

“The best part is coming home and they’re always

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK BELL

there waiting,” Rouviere said. “So I love hugging them and snuggling with them.”

So this year on Feb. 14, 2019, go home and share some love with not only your significant others, but also with our furry little companions.

Lindsey Solomon Copy Editor l.solomon.thepanther@gmail.com

HOW TO BE:

A FUN THIRD WHEEL

Hanging out with your friends for a Saturday night out may seem fun, but when your friends are dating, things can get a little awkward. While most people would try to avoid that situation, a fun way to third wheel does exists. Establishment as the fun third wheel can be obtained by cracking jokes and being yourself. The best way to own the third wheel title comes with being comfortable with it.

An uncomfortable person can make the mood awkward for the people hanging out with them. This can lead to a painful night full of anti-social practices, such as being absorbed by their phone, sitting alone in isolation or leaving early rather than making an attempt at bettering the atmosphere around them.

Taking pictures can keep the mood light hearted. According to Elite Daily, to avoid a crisis, the third wheel can simply whip out their phone and take a picture with the couple. For example, the lovebirds are showing a little bit of PDA. The third wheel can either sit on the side and wait for them to finish, or they can use their cell phone to take some pictures with the couple to keep them involved and jokingly entertained.

Staying loyal to both friends equally holds importance, and there will most likely be a time where the third wheel becomes the deal breaker. This includes choosing where to eat, places to go, what movie to watch and more. Instead of going with one or the other, the third wheel should take all the ideas of what the group wants to do, and make an ultimate decision that includes something that will make everyone happy.

When it comes to being the third addition to a couple, comedy is important. Rather than sulking in the idea of being the odd one out, making jokes about the couple or even one’s self can keep all three parties entertained. This can help the friends stay on a mutual level of conversation. Humor can help the third wheel feel more involved and secure with the group of friends rather than feeling divided or excluded.

A good source for funny comments comes from an instagram account called “@Imnotathirdwheel.” Trip Od takes pictures with his best friends, a married couple with a baby. The Instagram account contains a series of comments and pictures that have more than 8,000 likes per post. Captions such as “the weather was perfect on ‘our’ wedding night!” as he not so subtly peaked out from a bush in the background of the picture taken of the newly wedded couple, which exemplifies his use of humor. With the comedy, the third-wheel seems comfortable and willing to make fun of the situation, which keeps all three parties in a good mood.

Along with these new tips, keep the benefits of being a third wheel in mind as well. The third-wheel has a lot to themselves when they are out with a couple on a weekend night, and sharing never becomes a problem. When hanging out or going to dinner or movie, food or even earphones don’t have to be shared. Although couples have a tendency to try and set the third-wheel up with a new significant other, the couple can help provide dating advice and points on uncomfortable situations the third wheel may be in. Having good friends in a thriving couple adds a bright side to being the third addition. In the end, what the person makes of being a third wheel becomes the outcome. As the fun third addition, three things stay at the top of the list: stay light hearted, keep it funny and stay comfortable.

Chloe Gallivan Design Editor c.gallivan.thepanther@gmail.com

generations OF

LOVE

ROMANTICS THE NEW

In light of our Valentine’s Day “Love and Sex” Issue, The Panther takes a look at the evolution of relationships across different generations. Featured are three generations of the Farkas family and two generations of the Talas family to highlight these differences in a unique but familiar way.

n modern families, the difference between each generation’s ideas of love continues to grow and evolve. Redefined ideas of marriage, premarital sex and divorce have become more evident amongst the younger generations due to a growing influence of the society around them. With these new ideas spanning across the baby-boomer generation to Generation Z teenagers, relationship ideas have differed drastically, despite the familial values, traditions and ideals they were raised with.

“I think relationships have been more free and we have really been more open and accepting of everything. I think it’s been a progressive change,” Mackenzie Farkas said. I

The ways that modernday teenagers view relationships contrast from the views of their parents and grandparents, illustrated through their personal perspectives on marriage. Forty-two percent of all millennials grew up with divorced parents, according to the Pew Research Center, which changed from their grandparents’ traditional views of divorce.

“Living together before marriage was unacceptable. Children weren’t acceptable before PAST WAYS

marriage and getting divorced was absolutely not acceptable. It was more of a stricter routine. That’s the way their parents were and those morals were handed down to the children,” Geraldine Farkas, Mackenzie Farkas’ grandmother, said. “Even though we probably didn’t think it was right, you had your parents disapproval if you did that, and that was big.”

However, modern progressive views not only impact teeangers’ perpectives on relationships, but adults in older generations as well. It also changes gender roles within a home, with more women getting jobs. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of stay-athome fathers has risen significantly since 1989, growing up to two million in 2012.

“On TV, sometimes you see that when the husband works a lot that’s when you know the marriage isn’t going to work. I don’t think there should be any stigmas. I don’t want to stay home. I am so grateful to have two working parents — that has shaped me and taught

me that you don’t need to be home,” Mackenzie Farkas said.

This change in the marital roles of husbands and wives advanced slowly, with a clear division of its progression through the years. With most grandparents today who grew up in a society when men dominated the workforce, the changes that their children made to break the mold differs from the changes made today.

“The fact that I worked, that I was a working mother, was really weird especially among the community I live. I was looked down upon and as my husband became more successful, it became even more frowned upon that I was still working,” Julianne Farkas, Advanced Placement World History teacher and Mackenzie Farkas’ mother and Geraldine Farkas’ daughter, said. “I think it’s very important for our own identity, and I think women should work, however it was expected for women to have more traditional roles.”

Regardless of all the changes that have been catalyzed in relationships alongside the turn of the generations, the core of relationships remains the same. No matter what changes take place in the traditional ideals of relationships, the substance of them will stand strong for generations to come. FEATURE 13

*out of 255 MPSH students do you believe a couple should be married before having children together? Y E S 40.3 % N O 59.7 % do you think a wedding dress should be white? % % yes no 58.4 41.6 a change of heart

would you be okay living with someone you're not married to? % 5.1 yes NO 94.9 % do you believe WOMEN SHOULD TAKE THEIR HUSBAND'S LAST NAME AFTER MARRIAGE? yes no 65.1 34.9 % % do you believe men SHOULD WORK AND WOMEN SHOULD STAY AT HOME? N O Y E S 11.3 % 88.7 %

defining ROMANCE MODERN

With social media today, this includes texting and snapchatting, but not being “a thing.” TALKING: Ending a relationship with someone suddenly, and cutting off all communication. GHOSTING: CUFFING: Usually around winter and fall, when people want to enter into relationships. FRIENDZONE: One member of the relationship wants more, but they are rejected by the other person.

THIRST TRAP: Photos meant to draw attention to oneself in a “subtle” way. CATFISHING: A relationship where someone pretends to be someone they ’re not.

HAUNTING: When an ex continues to keep tabs on you without direct communication. ZOMBIEING Sudden communication with someone after they were ghosted.

Much like the younger generations of the past, millennials and Generation Z have defined modern romantic culture.

Technology has revolutionized the way relationships begin, endure and end. According to The List, matching websites have dominated the way young people find partners. Apps like Tinder, Plenty of Fish and Bumble give users the ability to match and connect with people they might not have otherwise.

“It’s hard for me to comment on whether it’s bad or not because I’m not living it. It’s definitely different, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a negative,” film studies teacher Ron Talas said.

Along with matching services, messaging apps such as Snapchat have changed the way romantic interests interact with each other. According to The Dating Glossary, what was once “going steady” and being “keen” on someone has morphed into modern terms such as “ghosting,” “catfishing” and “breadcrumbing,” to describe the common ways young people interact over social media and in real life.

“I don’t think the idea has changed, I think people still connect with each other new ways

with someone special in different ways — however they share that is the beauty of it. Whether it’s text, or over the phone or in person,” Ron Talas said. “I think the connectivity of relationships is hyperintense right now. There is no break, people can be connected all the time.”

The way couples start relationships has evolved, but the way they end has changed as different generations choose to get married, or chose not to. According to TIME, divorce rates among younger generations have begun to decrease. Even though most of Generation Z has not gotten married because of their young age, millennials have chosen to hold off on marriage indefinitely. The recent drop comes from fewer and fewer couples choosing to get married until much later in life, after other important factors in their lives have settled, such as building a career and reaching financial stability.

“I think that people are becoming more open with new ideas,” Moutaz Talas, sophomore and son of Ron Talas, said. “The women now are working more, and I love that.”

Although divorce remains a main example of just how great the discrepancy in different age groups and their ideals has become, many other aspects of relationships have evolved as well. Breaking away from the strict traditions their grandparents followed, teenagers today reimagine relationships.

“My generation grew up in the wake of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Divorce was starting to take root in society,” Ron Talas said. “Divorce was still —I don’t wanna say taboo because a lot of people were getting divorced —but divorce was becoming a very common thing.”

According to TIME, U.S. divorce rates have plummeted 16 percent from 2008 to 2016. Fewer people are choosing to get divorced and the couples that do get married, tend to stay married more often.

Millennials also have a tendency to keep their maiden names, not wear white to their weddings and live together with their partners before marriage.

“Society is teaching people to be more open and more available to new ideas,” Moutaz Talas said. “As opposed to before where everything was set in stone.”

Camila Myers Online Managing Editor c.myers.thepanther@gmail.com Alessandra Inzinna Senior Copy Editor a.inzinna.thepanther@gmail.com

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HEALTH SCREEN THROUGH A

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNA BONDY

With the introduction of online physical education course and lowered standards of physical activity, gym class has transformed from a mandatory course to an optional elective.

Illinois is the only state in the U.S. that requires daily physical education starting from kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. The state of Florida only requires high school students to complete one credit of physical education with a component of health.

Online classes allow students to take courses from the freedom of their own home in addition to the curriculum they take at school. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015 less than 55 percent of high school students attended a physical education course in a typical week and less than 30 percent participated daily.

Students choose to take online courses for various reasons. Senior Melody Rizo took Personal Fitness in freshman year instead of taking PE in return for taking another elective.

“I think PE is more of a personal thing, some people have a niche for it and others don’t,” senior Melody Rizo said. “I think health and maintaining it is very important, especially for teenagers, but if some people don’t get a lot from it and it is just holding them back from things that they are better at and grow more from, it shouldn’t be forced.”

However, online courses allow more freedom and flexibility to cheat and lie about physical activity without the presence of a coach or supervisor. Classes in school make sure that does not happen.

“In my classes, all are required to participate to earn their grade, therefore, all students who can pass my class benefit physically from the course,” physical education teacher Kimberly Latshaw said.

According to a study by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, researchers found a strong negative association between physical activity and the risk of obesity. In other words, minimal exercise and the risk of obesity correspond with one another. This study also found that more exercise leads to a lower risk of childhood obesity. Some believe that striving for mandated physical education classes at school could help this problem and many others

“Health care and medical problems cost individuals thousands and the country billions every year,” Latshaw said. “If our society had a greater focus on health, nutrition and fitness, we could greatly reduce the numbers on: diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, suicide and even cancer.” Mia Zaldivar Print-Managing Editor m.zaldivar.thepanther@gmail.com