In the Middle (2016-2017 v3)

Spring 2017

Issue 3

Eighth Graders Meet Holocaust Survivors

By Eva Harari “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed.... Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.” This is a quote from Elie Wiesel’s “Night”, in which he illustrates his experience in the concentration camps.

The Holocaust was horrendous era where millions and millions of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, and Poles were killed by Adolf Hitler’s Nazis.

Racism and segregation roamed the empty streets every day. After all, the only reason they were empty is because these “different” people were too terrified to set foot on the cold pavement, stained with blood and fearing that soon theirs will be permanently stamped on the streets.

Every year, the eighth grade team organizes a Holocaust Education Day. This day is designed to teach eighth grade students the terrors of the Holocaust into greater depths. Of course, everyone has already heard about the Holocaust, but have they ever heard the stories com-

Center For The Arts

By Jacob Hare

Everyone knows about the Center of the Arts.

Mr. Mathes has provided the date when classes begin in the Center of the Arts. Information on delays and some descriptions on the building were also provided by Mr. Mathes.

Photo By Mr. Fallik

Elliot Surnamer listens to stories from Holocaust survivor Henry Fleischer. ing from the experienced mouths of survivors?

The survivors who came to speak to us were children at the time. In addition to their stories, they had scars to show that help tell their tales.

The day consists of a dialogue from the survivors, telling us their stories as precisely as

possible, and then a trip to the Holocaust Memorial. At the memorial, we took on the challenge of completing a scavenger hunt and visited the very moving and emotional exhibits.

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“Delays are unavoidable, and the library when we built it, was delayed over a year,” said Mr. Mathes, the Middle School Director. “It has to do with the weather and a whole bunch of other stuff, so we kind of expected it. The Center is delayed about four months. Students will begin their art classes after Spring Break at the new building.”

“After spring break, classes will begin in the Center,” said Mr. Mathes. “But people will be able to view it at the end of February. I don’t think classes will move over there until after spring break.”

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Jennifer Pharr Davis Tells Her Hiking Stories

By Miranda Marquez On January 11th, Jennifer Pharr Davis (long distance hiker, author, speaker and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year) came and did an assembly for MCDS. In this assembly she told the students when and how she started hiking, how she felt while hiking, and she recommended for people to try hiking.

“The hardest thing is having to constantly adapt to your environment,” said Ms. Davis. “You cannot control the weather or terrain so you always have to be prepared and willing to remain flexible yet determined. It's literally just one foot in front of the other and you can go at your own pace. There are trails everywhere and it is free or low cost.

Anyone can go hiking.”

When hiking you can hike alone or with someone, it depends on your preferences.

“I like hiking alone and with people,” said Ms. Davis. “I like hiking with other people because it's fun and you can have really great conversations. I also really like hiking by

myself because it makes me feel calm and at peace.”

It is very important to be prepared when going on a hike.

Anything can happen. And being prepared is also very important. Some COEP students told us about what they take with them to go on a hike. These students are going to the Appalachian trail on summer.

“I usually take a big backpack with a tent and clothing,” said Vladyslav Tsukanov, a seventh grader.

Photo by Miranda Marquez “I would take a water bottle, a compass, a watch, good pair of shoes and a snack in case I got lost,” said Sierra Hudson, a seventh grader.

Jennifer Pharr Davis told many interesting and funny stories about her hikes.

Ms. Davis also told the students about her essentials and what to bring on any hike, big or small.

But hiking is not perfect, it has it’s difficulties and they shared with us what they’ve learned not to do on a hike.

“Even on a day hike, I take an extra warm layer and rain jacket along with a first aid kit, guidebook or map and compass, and plenty of food,” said Ms. Davis. “I also bring water and a water filter. On backpacking trips I also bring shelter, a sleeping bag, and sleeping pad.”

“Don't wait to check your maps and guidebooks, you should keep them handy and look at them often,” said Ms. Davis. “Pack extra food and if you don't feel well then take a break to eat and drink. Food and water can solve a lot of problems on the trail. Always let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Don't panic. Quick

and impulsive decisions can put you in a really bad decisions on the trail. Try to consider all of your options and take the time necessary to make the best decision possible.”

But, not all hikes are easy. Ms. Davis told with us about her easiest and her hardest hikes and where she was.

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Art Students Get WICKED SUPERIOR Actors Win Again!

By Brooke Nieder The first day of the art trip we left at 10:00 in the morning. We took a four hour bus ride to Tampa. This was a ton of fun because my friends and I all hung out. Around three, we got to the hotel. We had an hour to change and get ready for the upcoming night. We then left for the theater to see Wicked.

Before the show, the show's manager gave us a backstage tour. This was super cool! We got to see all of the sets and the costumes. We had a great dinner afterwards, and then went to see Wicked, which was amazing!

The next morning our wake up call was at 7:30. We went

downstairs for breakfast and then to the Dali Museum. This museum was awesome. I especially loved the Frida Kahlo exhibit, which was especially interesting.

After around an hour in the Dali Museum, we went to lunch. We were at lunch for around 40 minutes then got back on the bus to go to the Chihuly Museum. I thought the artwork was amazing! The glass and the sculptures were really gorgeous. We then went to a glass blowing exhibit.

This was especially cool after going to the Chihuly Museum, because we got to see how the artwork was made.

We got back on the bus and went back to Miami. All in all, this trip was absolutely amazing and I'm so glad I could go!

By Belle Greenberg For the second time in a row, the Jr. Thespians took the stage for yet another incredible competition. With a record run of all SUPERIORS and one Critics Choice Awards, the Thespians made history at the State's competition that took place in February.

“Acting is a lot about having a strong fourth wall, but practice is also a main key to a good and believable performance,” said Natalie Berman, an eighth grader on the Thespians.

When preparing for the States competition, the Thespians were practicing almost everyday, during and after school. De-

spite how well they did at Districts, the Thespians weren’t satisfied and were all determined to do better. And that’s exactly what they did.

“I have been rehearsing a lot in class and at home,” said Sabrina Cohen, an eighth grader on the team, before the State’s competition. “I have been rehearsing with my self a lit and going over my lines because I feel like I have really high exception set for me because of how well I did in Districts so everyone is expecting me to do very well.”

“We practiced daily for long hours before the district competition,” said Natalie “We performed our scenes, monologues, etc. in front of our peers and had them critique.”

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Around MCDS SUPERIOR Jr. Thespians!

By Belle Greenberg (continued from cover) Camryn Johnson, a seventh grader in the Jr. Thespians, said, “My favorite part about competitions is watching one acts because I enjoy watching other performers.”

Nicole Rodan said, “One of my favorite parts of the competitions are the wonderful environment of doing something you love.”

After weeks of practicing and rehearsing for the competition, the Jr. Thespians took the stage and rocked the competition with all superiors and even a perfect score!

“I think the thespian competition went really well because we got all superiors and a critics choice,” said Sabrina. “Our troop was very happy and proud of each other. I would redo it all if I could but next year the high schoolers will be separated from the middle schoolers. It was such a fun experience.”

The Thespians did so well in the competitions that they were even featured in the Miami Herald! The Thespians all love competing, let alone acting.

“I performed very well I was never nervous instead I was excited especially in improv because you never know the prompt until you start your scene,” said Anastasia Brosda, an eighth grader on the Jr. Thespians. “So it’s interesting to see what Camille and I come up with because we are a great partners.”

The Thespians did absolutely amazing!

They got all SUPERIOR scores, one critics choice, and one honorable mention. The Thespians are all extremely talented and will continue to do what they love.

Photo by Linda Jarvis-Guerra

Aden Karp and Sabrina Cohen act out a scene during their thespians competition in Orlando.

Jennifer Pharr Davis: Hiking Extraordinaire

COEP Adventures

By Miranda Marquez (continued from cover)

By Alexis Kaplan

“Setting the record on the Appalachian Trail and hiking 2,185 miles in 46 days was the hardest hike,” said Ms. Davis. “I had a pretty smooth hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2006. It wasn't necessarily easy, but I felt very competent and confident on that hike and I enjoyed it a lot.”

She shared some tips for future hikers.

“Don't be intimidated to start hiking,” said Ms. Davis. “You can always start with short hikes and go slow. It is great if you can start exploring the trails with someone who has more experience than you. Always be willing to learn new things. I am still picking up new information about the environment and learning new hiking techniques.”

“We are going to the Hershey Park, we are going to hike some of the trail, we are going to be zip lining and some other stuff,” said Sierra.

Ms. Bruno, more commonly known as Torreya by the students, the COEP teacher told us a little bit about her past experiences hiking.

“I enjoyed the Itchatupi Springs and Rainbow Springs treks,” said Torreya. “It is a natural river and it comes out of the springs. It is very cool and you get to float down the river, also there are all sorts of animals.”

Hiking can be hard but you get to enjoy nature and enjoy the time to yourself, thinking and looking around, seeing animals, and things you’ve never seen before. It can be hard but at the end of the day it is really fun.

of fun activities,” said Sam Netkin, a sixth grader.

“I like all the outdoor stuff, like making fires, canoeing, and meeting new people as well,” said Tommaso Figari, a seventh grader.

There are a lot electives you can take at our school, but one of the most interesting ones is COEP. COEP stands for Cooperative Outdoor Education Program. In this elective, you study the outdoors and the natural habitats. You also get to go on lots of neat treks where you go camping, hiking, and lots of other activities.

Since there are lots of exciting things you get to do in the COEP elective, the students who take COEP enjoy different things.

“I enjoy the outdoors and learning skills that you can carry on throughout your life,” said Sierra Hudson, a seventh grader.

“I really like the treks,” said Oleg Petukhov, a seventh grader. “My favorite trek was probably the paintball one.”

“I like that we work together as a team and get to do lots

You might also be wondering, who makes all of these fun treks and activities happen? The person who does this is Ms. Bruno, also known as “Torreya”. Some students say they call her Torreya because it’s a type of tree, and they saw one on one of the treks.

Ms. Bruno prepares them for all the treks by teaching them all of the outdoor skills. Then, when they go on the treks, they almost know exactly what they do because they have some experience from class.

“In a typical COEP class, we learn about an educational subject that will come in use for COEP treks,” said Sam. “Then, we are given an assignment, such as a google docs where we have to write about the topic. The assignment is graded on how well done and accurate it is.”

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Holocaust Day

By Eva Harari (continued from cover) “This is really a very special experience because we will probably be the last generation to meet the survivors,” said Zeina Bazzi.

Knowing that we were probably the last generation, really enriched the whole experience for many, many students.

“Not that many people get to have the incredible opportunity to meet a Holocaust survivor,” said Sabrina Cohen. “It’s a completely different thing to learn this from a teacher, than from someone who survived the Holocaust. People only associated the Holocaust with the gas chambers, the Jews, Germans. But there is so much more that no one ever hears about.”

“I really enjoyed the memorial,” said Saarah Rassif. “I felt it was very eye opening. And the actual hand from the memorial was very symbolic; reaching out of death, since the pool surrounding it was so dark, I found it very accurate prior to the Holocaust, itself.”

“My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, so I al-

ready knew a lot but I was able to hear everyone else's experience which was really special,” said Jordan Horn.

“Listening to the survivors really makes you compare your own life to theirs and it makes me really

grateful for all the opportunities I am handed,” said Maya Kreger.

“We got to see real people with their real experiences, how they felt, how their families were treated, how much food they got, etc,” said Natalia Socarras.

Photo by Mr. Fallik

The 8th grade visited the Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach.

“Being able to hear it from them was the memorable part. It was overall just an incredible experience.”

“I think the memorial is a very serious place in general,” said Anastasia Brosda. “The exhibits are really interesting and moving.”

“It was a very emotional experience, but I am so glad I got to experience this and hear their stories from a new perspective as a Jew,” said Jackie Ludicke.

One of the survivors, Andrew (Andy) Hall, told his story. He explained that he had to change his name frequently in order to SURVIVE. In order, to survive, one had to change their identity. This is absolutely outrageous, but also just one of the many results of the Holocaust.

Overall, everyone seemed to have learned a lot and definitely looked at the Holocaust in a new perspective. This day was not planned to scare us; it was to appreciate what we have and understand the value of everything; money, food, our lives. This day helped ensure that history doesn't repeat itself, and so that we can march into the future with our chins held high.

Holocaust Education Day

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Center for the Arts is Almost Done!

“The Center’s already great, I was over there on a special tour,” said Mr. Mathes. “It’s more than I even imagined, the size of the rooms, the stage is a professional theater. I think it will be a treat to be taking classes over there. The stage has got a box office, 650 cushion seats, a stage with lights, it’s really impressive. You have to be inside to see all its glory.”

more space and it would be a building for people’s passions,” Tamara Bhardwaj, a seventh grader.

“At this point, very few things would delay the center,” said Mr. Mathes. “They’re just putting finishing touches on the building. Unless if there was some exceptionally rainy period. I would doubt anything would keep the Center from opening.”

“I feel a bit bummed out because I would really like to do dance there for half of the year,” Tamara said. “But, if it’s delayed.”

“I think it will be amazing,” Mr. Mathes said. “When you go the the garden and the Tiki Hut and walk along the canal, it will really be beautiful and impressive. All the arts classes have beautiful big new classrooms for their classes. Also, all assemblies will be in the auditorium.

I’m not sure if the play will also be in the Center, that’s up in the air.”

“I’ve been waiting for 28 years for this,” Mr. Mathes said. “After all, that’s how long I’ve been here.”

Some arts students have also given their opinions of the Center of the Arts.

“The Center of the Arts is so far away, I don’t really want my classes to move there,” said Ryan Clarke, a seventh grader.

“I’m very excited because now we have more room to play our instruments,” said Renan Custodio, a seventh grader.

“I think we would have

Birds eye view of the Center for the Arts provided by Mrs. Sheryl Piper

“I wanted it to finished as soon as possible,” Ryan said.

“I don’t really mind because we just need to have patience, one day the Center will be ready,” Renan said.

“I think it’s really cool,” Ryan said.

“I think it’s a very interesting place because it’s cool that the school made the building for us,” Renan said.

“I think that this is a great place for people to go for a passion for Arts and that’s where people would go,” Tamara said “For the Center of the Arts I would probably change the distance from all of our other classes even though there really isn't anything to be done about it because the rest of our school is already built, and the time that it is done, but I think that it's great,” Nicole said.

“I want a better shortcut to get there,” Ryan said.

“Yes, I do think that the Center of the Arts will turn out great by far, its just that it is really annoying as I said before to have to walk so much,” Nicole said.

“I think it will turn out great,” Ryan said.

“I’m very excited for it,” Renan said.

“I think the Center will be flawless because they have so worked on a building for Art lovers, that wish to pursue their passions,” Tamara said.

“I think the Center will be open a month before the school year ends, so preparation for classes to move there can occur,” Tamara said.

The Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Butts has given some financial information on the Center of the Arts.

“It’s 45,000 square feet,” said Mr. Butts, the Chief Operating Officer.

“It’s got state of the art lighting and sound equipment as well as stage rigging. It’s for adults and students.”

“The Center of the Arts will be completely finished by April 10th,” Mr. Butts said.

“It’s 95% complete.”

“Yes, additional revenue will be generated,” Mr. Butts said. “Octillery programs has added new programming and music lessons, music camps, with a company called ‘Live Music Nation.’ MAD Dance will be doing new dance programs there and we have added the Actor’s Garage, which is NYC’s premiere drama camp which will be doing a camp here this summer. First thing going into the Center of the Arts will be for revenue programs.”

“We just purchased a piece of residential property that cuts the walk by half and everyone will be able to get there in half the time,” Mr. Butts said.

A path will cut the time in half to get into the Center and the Center will be officially open on May 4th. The pathways and the delays were the two complaints, however they were answered by Mr. Mathes and Mr. Butts. As described by them both, the Center will be a very beautiful building and others think that too.

Art and Theater Trip

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8th Grade Civil Rights Trip

Exploring America's civil rights history Page 7

Photo by Mr. Fallik

Eight grade students visited the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. This balcony is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

8th grade travels through the South

By Various 8th Graders

Belle Greenberg CNN Studios: On our first day, the eighth grade went to the CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The CNN Headquarters is the place where famous news channels and shows like HLN, My Morning Express, and Anderson Cooper 360 take place. We began our trip by taking a photo in front of the CNN sign in the front of the building. Once inside, we had to do some security checks because the location is very important. After we got something to eat at the food court, we were taken on a tour throughout the whole building, starting at the basics of news broadcasting.

We were shown how the technology like green screens and special effects work. Then, we were shown a step by step monitor view of how the programs are formed; from audio and visual recording and editing, to adding in certain effects, and then to the production, and finally what we see on TV. Afterwards, we were taken to see the HLN studio. Being a huge fan of My Morning Express with Robin Meade and HLN in general, I was very excited to see that a live news broadcast was being taped as we were walking by and I was lucky enough to see my favorite journalists only a few yards in front of me.

Next, our tour guide took us to see the tech room and the other studios for Telenovelas and other international news channels. We were taken through to the viewing rooms for the other facilities and finally ended at the gift shop. At the gift shop, I bought an HLN My Morning Express mug for my mom and a CNN long sleeved shirt for me. I had an amazing time and it was a great experience for an aspiring journalist like me.

Food: The food on the trip was absolutely amazing! I enjoyed tasting the new flavors of the Southern food. On the first night, we met with Reverend Robert and Jeannie Graetz and had a classic Southern meal. We were served mashed potatoes,

beans, french fries, chicken, beef, salad, and the classic ice tea to top the meal off. The meal was absolutely fantastic and was genuine Southern food.

The second night, in Birmingham, Alabama, we were treated with a not-so-southern meal; pizza and soda. The pizza was great, but it was very fun to bond with friends, new and old.

The third night, we went to New Daisy Theater in Memphis and ate a great taco dinner with live entertainment. It was so much fun being able to watch country music and eat a great dinner. Once everybody was done, the country music ended and we were treated with a classic bar/batmitzvah style party with a dj and lights. It was so much fun and we all had a great time. Everybody was dancing, having fun, and showing off cool tricks like backflips and dance offs. IT was an overall amazing night.

The fourth day, we went to the Central BBQ and ate a classic BBQ lunch with pork, meat, and more! The food was great and everybody enjoyed it. It was very good and very well made. The BBQ is one of the best barbecues in the country, and I can see why!

Overall, the food was all amazing, whether it was at a food court or jamming out to a performance, it was all great. I enjoyed it so much and I am so lucky to have had a taste of true southern culture.

Elvis Presley's Graceland: For those of you who don’t know, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, is the home of the well known heart throb of the 1950’s Elvis Presley.

Elvis purchased Graceland as his home and kept the name Graceland because he loved the way it complemented the house. Upon entry, we were given an interactive electronic tour hosted by John Stamos, but I disregarded it during my tour because I did not want to miss out on anything. We began the tour by going on a bus to the main estate. The house is bigger than a modern day mansion and is absolutely jaw dropping. I was in awe at the sight of the massive estate.

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8th Grade Trip

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"I really enjoyed this experience and definitely learned a lot about civil rights." - Eva Harari Graceland cont'd: To start the tour, we were taken to the house and shown the whole first floor and basement. Sadly, we were not shown the infamous toilet on the second floor where Elvis sadly died. But we were introduced to many of the amenities such as the kitchen, guest rooms, living room, photo gallery, and much more. We were shown the trophy and treasure hall where all of Elvis’ awards and outfits were displayed.

To be honest, I started fangirling when I saw Elvis’ classic guitar. Being a guitarist myself, I was extremely excited to see the very guitar that Elvis made history with. It inspired me to play more.

After I caught up with some of my friends, we walked through the car museum and were all astonished at how many cool and fascinating cars Elvis had, including the famous pink Cadillac. Other facilities at Graceland include his horse barn, garden, pool, office, and even his airplanes! Finally, we ended our amazing experience at the ice cream parlor located on the grounds. The ice cream was amazing. When we got to the gift shop, I purchased a record key chain for my dad, an Elvis teddy bear for my mom, and a pink Cadillac Elvis sweatshirt for me which I wore home that very night. I had an incredible experience, I highly recommend you go visit Graceland.

Dinner with Rev. and Mrs. Graetz: During the Civil Rights Movement of the 50’s and 60’s, people of all races were involved in making America equal for African Americans. Two of those people were Reverend Graetz and his wife Jeanie Graetz. The

couple are in their late 80’s and are still telling their stories today. The eighth grade was lucky enough to be able to sit down and have a genuine Southern meal with these two amazing people. The dinner started with an introduction to the Graetz’.

Shortly following, several eighth grade students read their poems that we had written about a photo of Bloody Sunday. All of the poems were amazing. Then, we got dinner which included chicken, mashed potatoes, ice tea, veggies, and more. The food was all delicious.

After we ate, we had the pleasure of hearing Reverend Graetz and Jeannie Graetz’ stories about their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. They were very inspiring and made me want to go and help people. I enjoyed hearing their stories about knowing MLK Jr., Rosa Parks, and participating in historic events. The night was ended with a song sung by one of the members of the staff. Rev. Graetz had written a book and I was lucky enough to purchase one. I am halfway done with it and this experience was definitely once in a lifetime. I enjoyed the whole experience.

Eva Harari: Georgia Aquarium: The Georgia Aquarium was overall, an extremely fun experience. We had the liberty to explore this aquarium with a partner for a good hour. We saw different species of sea life ranging from bottlenose dolphins, to penguins, to jellyfish. My favorite animal to observe was definitely the beluga whale. It was simply astonishing as to how a creature so large in size, can be so graceful and glide so beautifully through the water. The sea turtles were also very cool to watch. Not only did the sea turtle look old and experienced, but it looked as if it carried wisdom with it, on its beautiful shell that I like to compare to a mosaic; a true piece of art. Lastly, the sea otters were the most fun to watch. They were so cute and playful and rubbed their faces like newborns.

It made me reconsider getting an otter as a pet!

First White Confederacy:

House

of

the One

of the most interesting experiences of them all, was visiting The First White House of the Confederacy. Not only did we get to explore Jefferson Davis’s home and scrutinize each room individually, but our tour guide had prepared for us a short scavenger hunt. During the tour of the house, we were told to find specific items, some of which were quite difficult to find. After thoroughly inspecting the home of an American hero for a half an hour, we were given an oral pop quiz. The pop quiz consisted of questions about Jefferson Davis’s home as well as his personal belongings.

In conclusion, I found visiting his home and seeing the style at the time of the American Civil War very, very interesting.

Dexter Avenue Parsonage: This tour was probably the most moving and emotional one of the whole trip. We had the opportunity to visit Martin Luther King’s home as well as the street he lived in. We saw different places that were important prior to his life. As we visited his house, we toured the bedrooms, living room, bathrooms, and the most symbolic room of the house, the kitchen. We learned that the kitchen was the place where Martin Luther King would go to think late at night when he returned from his secret meetings at the church. This was the place he recollected his thoughts when he received a call saying that if he didn’t leave town, they would bomb his home. It was very emotional to be in the same kitchen that he was in and standing in the same spot he stood in. We then listened to one of his symbolic speeches.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was one of the many civil rights museums we visited. This one was very interesting and I found it particularly moving.

Not only was it enjoyable, but it provided many accurate sculptures as well as many interesting exhibits. I really enjoyed this experience and definitely learned a lot about civil rights. When walking into the institute, we were greeted with a very educational and moving video on racial segregation.

The screen proceeded to rise, and we were introduced to the actual exhibit, which consisted of the a haunting KKK exhibit where we were shown the actual uni-

forms of the members. We were also shown the classroom of a black student, in contrast of one of a white (the same concept was displayed with the water fountains). This really emphasized segregation in a visual manner, rather than reading it in a textbook or on a website. We were shown jail cells as well as statues and sculptures that varied from a recreation of the bus the freedom riders were in, and symbolic statues of MLK and Rosa parks.

National Civil Rights Museum: The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, was absolutely incredible. They made the museum inside the Lorraine Motel. The Lorraine Motel was the motel that Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in when he was assassinated. We were able to see his hotel room, the balcony he was standing on when he was shot, and a timeline from the past (the time when MLK Jr. was around) all the way to present day time and how society and racial segregation has changed since then. Regarding the exhibits themselves, they were incredible. We saw the student sit-ins were amazing as they recreated a bar with menus, statues, and dishes making it seem all the more realistic. The bus from the freedom riders was so incredibly moving. We were fortunate enough to see the actual shell of the bombed bus. On another note, the gift shop had a wide variety of small souvenirs with inspirational quotes from the most significant people from the movement.

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Journey through Some memorable moments... the South Continued from previous page Hotel Fun: The Drury Inn was mediocre, but I slept well. I was so happy with who I was rooming with and we stayed up late. The breakfast had a “make your own waffle bar,” which I really enjoyed. Let’s just say that before boarding the buses, I spent most of my morning at the waffle bar.

The second hotel was also a similar Drury Inn. The last hotel in Memphis was a Holiday Inn. The rooms were fine and we went to sleep straight away, EXHAUSTED from the day’s excursions.

The breakfast I did not enjoy as much, but the hotel itself was much nicer. The view in the dining room was also gorgeous.

Lewis, who led the march, was beat to almost death, and Joanna Bland's sister had a gash in her head.

Hearing the hardships that she went through made me appreciate what I have.

After speaking to Joanne Bland we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It felt eerie to be walking where so many social injustices took place.

When we got to the bottom of the bridge there was civil rights graffiti.

After walking the bridge i was pretty shook, seeing and hearing what people went through just because they have a different color skin.

Blues Concert: Ending day three we went to the New Daisy Theater in Memphis (where it was freezing may I add) for dinner and entertainment.

Before entering the theater we got to walk around Memphis for a little and got to see the area. It was a little bit different from the other places we had been to which where very southern and proper places. As you walked down the street it was bars and theaters filled with the younger and older people of Memphis, coming together and having a good time.

The New Daisy Theater has been open since 1963 and has a cool rock and roll edgy vibe too it.

We walked in and sat down to watch the _____ play a couple of songs and to our surprise they knew a couple of newer songs too like “Bad and Boujee” by the Migos. We listened as we waited for the food to be served.

It was served in a way where you serve yourself we were given soft shell tacos, that I in particular did not eat because there was none left by the time I went up to get some.

After a little while of lounging and eating and enjoying the music the band called up Lucas Zayden, Logan Behlman, and Jonathan Augustine to the stage where they began to dance and sing as the band played a jazzy beat.

Then when they got off the stage some students began dancing to the music being played and where Emanuel Rivero did a backflip and everybody began chanting.

We then walked out of the theater and walked to our busses to then go to our hotel.

"The children of Birmingham marched for their civil Elinka Ordway rights while ruthlessly being Kelly Ingram Park/16th St. Baptist: attacked by police dogs, On day three of our trip we visited Kelly In- firemen hoses, and even a gram Park and the 16th military grade tank driven st Baptist Church.

We left the hotel after by the chief of police." breakfast and headed for the park. When we arrived it wasn’t like your typical park with swings and a slide. It had statues depicting the infamous “Children's March," when the children of Birmingham marched for their civil rights while ruthlessly being attacked by police dogs, firemen hoses, and even a military grade tank driven by the chief of police, all in attempt to stop from granting the black people of the United States their civil rights.

In the park you could walk through the black metal statues, which gave me goose bumps.

After walking in the park we went to the 16th st Baptist Church, where 4 girls ages 11 to 14 died because of a bomb planted by the KKK. We watched a video explaining the bombing.

Photo by Pearl Azeroual Dray

From left: Kristina Zivenko, Swan Azeroual Dray, Zeina Bazzi, and Gabriela Andrade

- Elinka Ordway

Selma, Alabama: When we got off of the bus in Selma, we went into a church where Joanne Bland spoke to us about her battle with civil rights being denied.

She was present at Bloody Sunday, where peaceful marchers were protesting for their voting rights and were beaten by police.

Jimmy Lee Jackson was shot in the stomach by a police officer and lost his life 7 days after. John

Photo by Mr. Fallik

Felix Elortegui had the opportunity to sit at the anchor desk and read a teleprompter.

Photo by Mr. Fallik

8th Graders visited the biggest aquarium in the world, in Atlanta.

Photo by Mr. Fallik

Lucas Zayden and Logan Behlman perform on stage with a blues band at the New Daisy Theater in Memphis, TN.

Alexii Bassette meets with civil rights leaders Rev. and Mrs. Graetz.

Sports

Page 10

MS Baseball: Team- Lacrosse gains popularity work and hard work

By Jovan Joseph

By Alex Kalvarskiy

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Our school is lucky enough to have one. To get into this team, all you have to do is sign up, and you are in.

Alex McMillan is excited about the team and the season. “I entered baseball when I was way back in the 2nd grade, and then stopped playing in the 4th grade," said Alex. "I joined baseball again in the 6th grade and I have been playing ever since. Baseball is my primary sport, I focus on it the most. I used the number 14 last year but I will be changing my number this year to 22. I can't remember the amount of runs I have scored for our team, but I will know at the end of this season. I became interested in baseball around the 2nd grade. My friend Zac Wyka asked me to join the team and I joined right after that. I would say that joining the MCDS baseball team is a great idea. Just the amount of fun and great moments I have on and off the field with my teammates just make it worth it. You don't have to know how to play, just come out with enthusiasm and our great coaches will teach you everything you need to know.”

won 12 games and only lost 5.There are 8 different school teams that we compete against. I got into coaching by accident, I worked for the school moving furniture but after my dad called me and said that he knows a guy who coached, and so I joined the MCDS Baseball team as a coach. Our games are usually 6 innings, so about 2 hours each game. ” One thing is for sure, and that is that this year, the season will be better than last year, since there are some people like Jeff Jeffries, who has really improved in baseball since his first year and seventh grader Eric Germeus, who will most definitely boost the team.

"It’s never too late to learn a new sport."

Eric came to this school because of his baseball skills. “I start playing baseball when I was 5. Baseball is my primary sport," said Eric.

"My number is 5. I haven't scored runs yet. I needed a hobby that would be fun for me. It is my first year on the team.I wanted to be on varsity which inspired me to play for the team. I would and I have recommended a friend to play because it’s never too late to learn a new sport.”

- Eric Germeus

MCDS baseball also has lot’s of competition, because many schools around the U.S. has their very own baseball team, which is sometimes a school’s only sport, which makes the school boost their success with their baseball team.

“Baseball season starts January 30 each year," said Coach Broderick. "I have coached the MCDS baseball team for 4 years in a row.

My second year was the most successful, we

Jeff Jeffries has been on the team for now 2 years. “Last year I joined the baseball team because my friend Jake Goldberg convinced me too," said Jeff. "Baseball is my primary sport that i play. My number is 24. I scored 2 runs last year but I have since then improved. I got interested in baseball when I was around 8.

Last year was my first year at the MCDS baseball team. My friend really inspired me. I would recommend baseball because it is very fun.”

The message is clear, and that is the MCDS Baseball team is an exciting place to go and play, and also learn teamwork and friendship.

Photo by Alex Kalvarskiy

The MS baseball team listens to advice from their coach.

This year has been full of many successes and improvements in our Spartan Athletics Teams. This spring sports season brings to mind many activities. One of them includes lacrosse.

Lacrosse is the contact sport of this season and also one of the most exciting. Our school offers Middle School B-Team, Middle School ATeam, High School JV, and High School Varsity teams to all players.

Our Middle School A-Team is led by current star Ryan Mendelson.

Ryan is the primary and leading attackman on the team. He has already contributed so much to the team, in fact, he has more than 5 goals within the 2 games of play in the beginning of the season.

Our A-team also include rising stars, such as Oliver Zigel (goalie), Lucas Zayden (defense), and Naszir Mantilla (midfield).

Our Middle School is proud to

have 3 students playing on the high school level of lacrosse. Two of them are Romain Vinois and Elliot Surnamer. They are both midfield players on the High School JV Team and are starters who add on to the hard work and determination that the rest of their teammates bring on the field.

Eighth grader Jovan Joseph is playing on the High School Varsity Lacrosse Team and is also a starter.

He plays Long Stick Midfield better known as LSM, and although primarily playing defense is essentially his job, Jovan has also scored on the team.

That is it for lacrosse. Hopefully, I will see you at a future Middle School or High School game supporting your Middle School Spartan Athletes.

Sports

Page 11

Winter Sports Award Winners Compiled by Mr. Fallik Boys Middle School (Varsity) Basketball Most Valuable Player Award- Ryan Mendelson, Jovan Joseph Most Improved Player Award – Aden Karp Coaches Award – Lukas Peterson

Girls Middle School Soccer Most Valuable Player Award – Maya Leoni Coaches Award – Jordan Horn, Mia Scemla Most Improved Player Award – Mary Hanson Newcomer Award – Ebba Larnholt Spartan Award – Logan Sennett

Boys Middle School (JV) Basketball Most Valuable Player Award – Torrence Mack Coaches Award – Logan Traband Most Improved Player Award – Michael Port

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball Most Valuable Player Award – Reggie Luis, Evan Mendelson Most Improved Player Award – Dylan Goureau

Girls Middle School Basketball Most valuable Player Award – D’Yani Gregoire, Jordan Sheppard Most Improved Player Award – Abigail Cherenfant

Boys Varsity Basketball Most Valuable Player Award – Mick Lynott Most Improved Player Award – Julius Delgado Coaches Award – Ibrahim Doumbia

Boys Middle School Soccer Most Valuable Player Award – Antonio Redriguez Offensive Player of the Year Award – Itai Arguetty Most Improved Player Award – Santino Buttice Defensive Player of the Year Award – Joseph Bassett Coaches Award – Matthew Collins

Coaches Award –Jordan Fishman Most Valuable Player Award – Channise Lewis Most Improved Player Award – Asha Taylor Spartan Award – Dashaun Jackson Boys Varsity Soccer Offensive Player of the Year Award – Dre Medici Defensive Player of the Year Award – Nicolas Arriola Coaches Award – Jeremy Cross Spartan Award – Khalil Winder, Liam Weil Most Valuable Player Award – Owen Wesley

Congrats to all of the winners!

Girls Varsity Soccer Spartan Award – Mary Elizabeth Allen, Amanda Martin Most Valuable Player Award – Danielle Geathers Newcomer Award – Sofia Dieppa Coaches Award – Giulia Bronzi Girls Varsity Basketball

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

4-Year Plaques Isabella Allen – Soccer Mary Elizabeth Allen – Soccer Giulia Bronzi – Soccer Danielle Geathers – Soccer Laureen Jean-Jacques – Soccer Aaron Dillworth – Soccer Matias Marine – Soccer Maria Alvarez – Basketball Mick Lynott - Basketball

5-Year Medallion (1) Carly Garazi – Soccer (2) Ava Hansen – Soccer (3) Laurel Ivory – Soccer (4) Channise Lewis – Basketball Seniors Boys Varsity Soccer (1) Kassandra Espinosa – Manager (2) Luna Garcia-Pereyra – Manager (3) Natalie Mlikota – Manager (4) Sasha Bhardwaj (5) Aaron Dillworth (6) Matias marine (7) Owen Wesley Girls Varsity Basketball (1) Sierra Mathis – Manager (2) Dashaun Jackson (3) Channise Lewis (4) Kelsey Marshall Boys Varsity Basketball (1) Ibrahim Doumbia (2) Justin Russell Girls Varsity Soccer (1) Mary Elizabeth Allen (2) Giulia Bronzi (3) Laurel Ivory

Tennis Talent

By Francesco Rumiano Tennis, the sport people can play for your entire life. I assure you that upon entering a court, there will be people from all ages playing this sport. The sport that arguably creates the most anxiety and excitement. In the sport there are many different tournaments players play in (US Open, Australian Open etc.)

As of for all sports in Miami Country Day School, players need to go through the tryouts.

Tennis tryouts are very different. If you are really good at the sport, you can be selected into the team early.

“I was chosen to the team because I was good enough to do so,” said Max Castañon, a player.

“The ones who aren’t picked right away will have to work doubly as hard because there are only five spots and 30 player,” said Janet Haas,the coach of the middle school team .

Kids placed on the team include Lucas Chemla, Zachary Freedman, and Joshua Finvarb.

There are many different type of tennis players on the team ranging from ones that like to rally the opponent into making him commit a mistake to players that will literally rip your head off.

“I was so excited when I won my first singles match” said by the players including Cliff Halliwell and Max Castañon. “I just hope that the rest of my teammates won as well so the team can get the win against Divine Savior,

Mariapia Onorato practices as part of the tennis team. our first opponent in the season”.

“I am nervous to go against Ransom Everglades because there is so much praise around them that they seem very superior to the rest of the school,” said Cliff Halliwell and Jacobo Menasche, both players from 6th grade..

“The thing is with Ransom and Gulliver, our main opponents, is that they have over 100 students more to choose from,” said Mr. Hayes, the social studies teacher. “So that is what gives them the advantage over us. The team plays five single games and four doubles. The win is given to the ones who win the most games. If either school loses four games they are automatically out. During games the

stronger players go against each other so that the games are evenly matched.”

The games last for around 20 to 30 minutes (if is a really tight one). If our team does well and with a bit of luck, and if we win enough games we can move on to the playoffs to earn a chance at the trophy.

Entertainment

Page 12

REVIEW: A Dog's Purpose

By Jacob Hare

is alive. Unfortunately, Ellie is shot and killed during a mission to rescue a kidnapped girl.

A Dog’s Purpose is a movie that was released on January 27, 2017. The movie was directed

by Lasse Hallström. The primary focus of this movie is on a dog (first named Bailey) and shows at least a total of four lives that he was reincarnated into. His job in the movie is to one, find what a dog’s purpose is and, two to make all of his respective owners happy with their current lives and also for a push in the right direction.

Bailey/Ellie is then reincarnated into Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Tino. He is adopted by an college student, named Maya. Like with Carlos, the two form a close bond and they binge-eat a lot. Tino then runs into a female dog who is owned by Al, an other college student.

Tino accidently push both dog owners into a romantic relationship. Maya and Al get married and have kids. However, due to all the peoplefood eating Tino dies and is reincarnated into another dog.

"This movie is still in theaters, so what are you waiting for?"

Bailey's first life was as a golden retriever with no name as he was captured. It is implied the he passes away.

The next life was a little more interesting.

He was a red retriever at first with no name.

He was taken by the dog catchers and he was locked in a car, windows up, on a hot summer day. Then, a boy and his mother found the dog in the car. The mother proceeded to break the dog out. When they took the dog back to his home, the dog was soon named Bailey and the boy’s name was revealed to be Ethan.

Bailey/Ellie/Tino’s fifth and most current life starts with him being taken in by a poor family that never paid any attention to him. The husband of the family decided to take the dog to the “pound”, which is actually an abandoned lot with young people that smoke. Bailey takes his leave and ends up finding his old master, Ethan living in the farm, alone, and with no one else living except for a donkey. Bailey ends up staying at the house until Ethan gets him out and takes him to the pound.

- Jacob Hare

It wouldn’t be a dog centric movie without doggy shenanigans involved and there were a ton of them. Also, Ethan also had a life full of tragedies that involved Bailey. Long story short, Ethan wished to go to a sports college but after an accident he can no longer go to said college.

Because of this, he breaks up with his girlfriend, Hannah. He then has to go to an agricultural college and leave Bailey behind. While Ethan is at college, Bailey is about to die due to old age.

His final moment of that life is looking at Ethan and passing away.

Bailey’s third life was as a German Shepherd K-9 named Ellie. Ellie was owned by Carlos, a policeman, and they quickly grew close as Ellie

Ethan ends up deciding to take him out of the pound and Bailey’s new name is Buddy. Buddy ends up accidentally finding Ethan’s old girlfriend, Hannah which when she sees the dog, she takes him back.

This movie was wonderful. This movie is still in theaters, so what are you waiting for? The only thing is, this movie is quite long. This movie has amazing music. If you are a dog lover or an animal lover, then see this movie! Even if you love cats more than dogs, the movie has a bit of cat moments, too. So there really is something for everyone! Go see this movie this weekend or, rent on it Netflix, when it comes out!

8th grader sings in rock band

By Eva Harari

Arya Chatani, an eighth grade student, is living the rock ’n’ roll life as the lead singer of a band, Arrowhead. Arya and her band have played in a series of places, such as the Miami Heat games and the Edition Hotel.

“Well I think we started two years ago,” said Arya. “We have played at the Heat game twice! We have played a show at the Perez Art Museum and the Edition Hotel! And it's just really fun being in a band.”

“I joined the band when I found out about it from my siblings' guitar teacher and they said they needed a singer and keyboardist,” said Eliza Greenwald, another band member.

“I really love the whole concept of being in a band,” said Arya. “Not only does it keep you occupied, but it gives you a chance to work on your teamwork skills. I feel that we are always working towards something and that is what really motivates us.”

“Arya being part of a band has really made our lives more beautiful and more musical,” said Mrs. Chatani, Arya’s

mother. “We spend more time together, we support each other, and we encourage each other. Arya being part of a band has been nothing but wonderful for everyone in our household.”

“Arya became the singer, and I the keyboardist,” said Eliza. “I've gotten really close with all of the members and it was a great opportunity to meet new people and gain friends. I really, really enjoy working as a team.”

“I even went to one of their shows and I really, really enjoyed it,” said Brooke Nieder, an eighth grade student.

“Eliza and Arya have both been my friends for a while and it wasn’t one of those concerts where you get tired of listening to the music, I feel like it was really enjoyable and the band was excellent.”

“I think that my being in a band has really affected my life, positively,” said Arya.

It seems like the band is really working hard and Arya and Eliza are certainly enjoying themselves. Everybody looks forward to hearing more from the band in general, and more musical updates are in progress. Congratulations are definitely in order for Arrowhead!

89th Annual Academy Awards: Full Winners Compiled by Alex Kalvarskiy

Best Picture Nominees: Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by The Sea, and Moonlight.

Winner: Moonlight Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominees: Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea, Andrew Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge, Ryan Gosling in La La Land, Viggo Mortensen in Captain Fantastic, and Denzel Washington in Fences.

Winner: Casey Affleck Actress in a Leading Role Nominees: Isabelle Huppert in Elle, Ruth Negga in Loving, Natalie Portman in Jackie, Emma Stone in La La Land, and Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins.

Winner: Emma Stone, for La La Land Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees: Mahershala Ali in Moonlight, Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water, Lucas Hedges in Manchester by The Sea, Dave Patel in Lion, and Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals.

Winner: Mahershala Ali. Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees: Viola Davis in Fences, Naomie Harris in Moonlight, Nicole Kidman in Lion, Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures, and Michelle Williams in Manchester by The Sea. Winner: Viola Davis Animated Feature Film Nominees: Kubo and The Two Strings, Moana, My Life as A Zucchini, The Red Turtle, and Zootopia.

Winner: Zootopia Cinematography Nominees: Arrival, La La Land, Lion, Moonlight, and Silence.

Winner: La La Land Costume Design Nominees: Allied, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Florence Foster Jenkins, Jackie, and La La Land Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Directing Nominees: Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, Manchester by the Sea, and Moonlight.

Winner: La La Land Documentary Nominees: Fire at Sea, I am not Negro, Life, Animated, O.J: Made in America, and 13th.

Winner: O.J: Made in America.

Documentary Short Nominees: Extremis, 4.1 Miles, Joe’s Violin, Watani: My Homeland, and The White Helmets.

Winner: The White Helmets Film Editing Nominees: Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, La La Land, and Moonlight.

Winner: Hacksaw Ridge Foreign Language Film Nominees: Land of Mine, A Man Called Ove, The Salesman, Tanna, Toni Erdmann.

Winner: The Salesman Makeup and Hairstyling Nominees: A Man Called Ove, Star Trek Beyond, and Suicide Squad.

Winner: Suicide Squad.

Music (Original Score) Nominees: Jackie, La La Land, Lion, Moonlight, and Passengers.

Winner: La La Land Music (Original Song) Nominees: "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land, Can’t Stop the Feeling, from Trolls, "The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story, City of Stars from La La Land, How Far I’ll go from Moana.

Winner: La La Land City of Stars Production Design Nominees: Arrival, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Hail, Caesar, La La Land, and Passengers.

Winner: La La Land Short Film (Animated) Nominees: Blind Vaysha, Borrowed Time, Pear Cider and Cigarettes, Pearl, and Piper.

Winner: Piper Short Film (Live Action) Nominees: Ennemis Intérieurs, La Femme et le TGV, Silent Nights, Sing, and Timecode.

Winner: Sing

Arrival, Deepwater Horizon, Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, and Sully.

Winner: Arrival Sound Mixing Nominees: Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

Winner: Hacksaw Ridge Visual Effects Nominees: Deepwater Horizon, Doctor Strange, The Jungle Book, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Winner: The Jungle Book Writing Adapted Screenplay Nominees: Arrival, Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, Moonlight.

Winner: Moonlight Writing Original Screenplay Nominees: Hell or High Water, La La Land, The Lobster, Manchester by the Sea, and 20th Century Women.

Winner: Manchester by the Sea

Sound Editing:

What is Valentine's Day?

By Alexis Kaplan

TOP: Emma Stone won best actress for La La Land. BOTTOM: Mahershala Ali became first Muslim to win an Oscar, for his work in Moonlight.

RECIPE: Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

By Martina Zapata

Each year on February 14th, a holiday is celebrated. This holiday is called Valentine’s Day, and it is celebrated in many parts of the world such as America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, France, Australia, and more. The name came from an ancient saint named Valentine, but there are many different legends of why Valentine’s Day might have started.

Ingredients 3/4 cup Nutella 2 tablespoons of cinnamon 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips Dough 21/2 cups of flour 2 tablespoons of sugar 11/4 tablespoons of baking powder

One of them is that Valentine might have been eliminated by helping Christians escape Roman prisons, where the prisoners were often beat. The legend says that while he was imprisoning the Christians, he fell in love with a young girl. Before Valentine’s death, he sent a letter to the girl and signed, “From your Valentine”. This expression began to be used by many people, creating the holiday Valentine’s Day. This is just one belief, but it’s a very common one.

1/2 tablespoons of baking soda 1/2 tablespoons of salt 11/4 cups buttermilk 6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled Icing 2 tablespoons of butter, softened 2 tablespoons of -milk 1 cup powdered sugar

The Valentine’s Day stories aren’t very well known. Some of our middle school students have some things to say.

Procedure

“I heard a Valentine’s Day legend about a Mortal and god that were in love,” said Lauren White, sixth grader. “I heard about this in a music class.”

“Yes, I’ve heard a few brief things, but I’m not really sure about the story,” said Riccardo Di Giuseppe, an eighth grader.

“I really haven’t heard anything about the story of Valentine’s Day,” said Madison Castro, a sixth grader.

On Valentine’s Day, we do lots of different things to celebrate. What most people do on a typical Valentine’s Day is exchange cards and gifts with their loved ones. Some people also celebrate with their families.

“I don’t really do anything special for Valentine’s Day,” said Lauren. “I purchased and received candy grams and wished all my friends and family a happy Valentine’s day.”

their opinions on decorating for Valentine’s Day. “I eat candy and chocolate,” said Elliot Karp, an eighth grader.

“I spend Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend from Italy,” said Riccardo. “I also go to a special dinner with my family,” “Valentine’s Day was really just a normal day for me,” said Breanna Wolfschlag, a sixth grader.

“I went to school and also got candy grams from my friend Anna. I also went to a family dinner.

That’s pretty much it.”

“I hung out with my friends and we got candy grams for each other,” said Madison.

Decorating houses is more of a big thing for Halloween and Christmas. A few people shared

“I don’t really decorate my house for Valentine’s Day,” said Hailey Asseus, a sixth grader. “I wouldn’t know what to decorate with.”

“Yes, I get some decorations for my room,” said Madison.

“I decorated my room with these pink wrapped kisses in a jar and red heart hangers,” said Sydney Brown, a sixth grader.

Overall, Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday where we get to celebrate love and friendship. We celebrate the people we love. It is celebrated all over the world and we all do different things to celebrate, that we all enjoy.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Prepare the dough. In a large bowl Using your hands, press the dough Spread Nutella in an even layer over the dough Sprinkle with cinnamon and chocolate chips Roll the dough (starting from the long side), roll it into a cylinder. Pinch the dough to seal Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece of the dough, you have to try to keep the filling in.

Put butter in the pan and then place the 8 pieces on the pan Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are a little brown Carefully take the pan out of the oven once they are done Let the rolls cool down for about 10 min. . Meanwhile, prepare the icing, in a small bowl Put the icing over the cinnamon rolls.

Food REVIEW: The Grill at Bal Harbour

By Eva Harari

Are you tired of going to the same exact restaurant every weekend? Do you think it is time to try something new? Well, if these apply to you, you should definitely try going to the Grill at Bal Harbor shops.

If you want a culinary experience beyond compare, this is your new go-to place! Not only is the food exceptional, but the waiters are friendly, kind, respectful and will do their best to ensure your dining experience is a wonderful one.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious home-style cooking from seafood that literally takes you “under the sea” to a simple, yet delectable burger that will take you back to a family barbecue! No doubt about it, The Grill offers options for everyone!

One of my recommended dishes to order would definitely be the tuna tartare as well as the Thai steak and noodle salad. Both are extremely delicious and fresh. The tuna tartare comes with baguette crostini and a deviled egg. As for the tuna tartare itself, it’s finely chopped tuna with avocado, spring onions, argan oil and many more delectable ingredients. The tuna tartare at The Grill is truly an incredible and

must have dish.

The Thai steak and noodle salad is an absolutely mouthwatering dish. The noodles are tossed with a wonderful dressing and the steak is extremely tender. The dish comes with soft avocado and sweet mango that marries extremely well with the salad.

The spice from the salad binds incredibly well from the tanginess of the mango and the sweetness of the sauce.

For a sweet dessert to cleanse your palate after a delightful meal, I highly, highly recommend the hot fudge sundae. Three scoops of vanilla ice cream (four if you’re feeling spontaneous), topped with a tasty hot fudge and sugar roasted pecans. Now, at first glance, this seems like a fairly simple dessert, but sometimes simplicity is the way to go. The homemade vanilla ice cream is incredible and the hot fudge, beyond compare. The roasted pecans are an incredibly pleasant surprise that greet you with a satisfying crunch and I must say, they truly do complete the dessert.

If you come for dinner or lunch, fancy or casual, with company or alone, The Grill at Bal Harbor Shops can accommodate to your liking.

REVIEW: P.F. Chang's

By Francesco Rumiano

P.F. Chang’s is a modern Chinese restaurant offering a wide gamut of foods from all over Asia. The food and service are great.

The waiting could be long or you can be attended right away, so if you don’t plan on waiting then call in advance to reserve a spot. As of for the food quality it is very good, maybe one of the best in the area. The restaurant’s highest rated food on the menu are the steamed pork dumplings. They are so heavenly that there are no words to describe it’s fabulous taste (that goes for the wonton soup too). The orange chicken has a strong orange taste to it, but not to strong and the Mongolian beef is one of their best meat products as well.

Every ingredient is grown on a farm and is accepted by a culinary expert, so you don’t have to worry if what you're eating is unhealthy. The dim sum, including egg rolls, dumplings (my favorite) and wontons, take true skill and care to prepare. The savory food is cooked in a wok, which has been used for thousands of years in Chi-

nese cooking. The 700 degree heat keeps the nutritional value of all the foods there.

The restaurant's founder was Philip Chiang, a painter/owner of PF Chang's.

“I paint what is natural to me, food is the same way,” Chiang said. “My goal was to make a place that was different and that would gather people around to experience this difference.”

Cecilia Chiang, Philip’s mother, opened a restaurant called Mandarin to introduce old-style Chinese food to people.

Soon they opened Mandarette, which offered more casual food. Soon enough he joined these two restaurants to form P.F Chang's.

The decoration of the restaurant resembles an old Chinese restaurant. I encourage you to go and test this restaurant out because it is different from the rest of Chinese franchises. It isn’t very high0end, but if you want to go out at night to enjoy the breeze and sit outside, this place is for you. I encourage you to do so because it delicious!

REVIEW: Mignonette

By Alex Kalvarskiy

and solid, then you would pick the east coast oysters.

Also, the Filet Mignon there is outstanding.

There are many great restaurants in Downtown Miami, but one of my favorites is Mignonette, at 210 NE 18th St, Miami, FL 33132. This restaurant was a gas station in the 1930’s, but then remodeled into a luxurious oyster bar/restaurant. Reservation are accepted.

The service is very good. The staff is friendly, and your waiter can easily answer your questions.

Also, the manager is always available if you have problems.

The food is just fantastic. I think that this restaurant is one of the best oyster bars in Florida. They have all kinds of oysters, from the east coast and from the west coast.

If you like creamy oysters, you are sure to pick the west coast oysters.

But if you like your oysters nice

Not only do they have water and Coca Cola, but they also have interesting drinks, like Boylan’s Cream Soda.

This restaurant will open up many new amazing drinks to you, and maybe even introduce you to a drink that you will label as your favorite.

This restaurant has only two bad things; the location, and the temperature in the restaurant. The restaurant is located right in front of a cemetery, so to me it wasn’t comfortable eating near a place where many people were buried. The restaurant is also cold. I think that the reason being, is to keep the oysters nice and fresh.

"I give this restaurant 9.5 out of 10 stars."

- Alex Kalvarskiy

In conclusion, this restaurant is great. I give this restaurant 9.5 out of 10 stars. I would recommend this restaurant everyone who likes good quality food in the MCDS.

Editorial Muslim Ban "Irrational"

By Elinka Ordway

Donald Trump, our 45th president, caused a lot of drama during his run for presidency.

Whether it be calling out Hillary Clinton on being in on ISIS, to giving speeches about his infamous wall that would separate the border of Mexico and the United States.

Whatever it may be, President Trump has found a way to be in the public's eye.

opportunity to come here so early on in his presidentship and not have to endure what many people in Venezuela are going through now.

My grandmother has lived her entire life in Venezuela and she raised my mom and and two uncles there, but unlike my mom she was not as fortunate to come here early on and currently is fighting for her Visa.

She is missing so many things that we don't even think about, she doesn't have easy access to food and struggles to get the medicine that she needs.

"These are innocent On January 27th, people who are ready President Trump issued a “Travel Ban,” to become part of this or as most people refer to it, a Muslim country like millions But sadly this is just ban. In this he has one of the many stories of others before of the “banned” all citizens hardships and of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, struggles of immigratthem."

Sudan, Syria, Libya, ing from a broken and Somalia.

- Elinka Ordway

His reasoning behind the ban is honestly quite irrational. He says he wants to stop terrorists from coming into the country, yet 7% of people who are banned have been marked as terrorist since September 2001.

And from that 7% the terrorists are people from Iran and Somalia, who have caused no fatalities. So the other 93% are people from countries who are terrorist and who have taken the lives of innocent people over the last 15 years are being exempt from the ban.

Being from immigrant descent, I can sympathize with all of the people being denied entrance to the United States. My mom came from Venezuela almost 14 years ago along side my dad and brother. She was escaping the president at the time, Hugo Chavez. She was very lucky in getting the

country.

These are innocent people who are ready to become part of this country like millions of others before them. This country was made on immigrants and immigration, people just like you and me are being denied rights that are the foundation of this country.

But what can be done to fight against this?

It may seem difficult to go against the President of the United States but it is possible… Protesting, writing to congress, or even voicing an opinion are things that can be done to fight against or towards what you believe in.

This is a time of change and we can decided if the change is going to be positive or negative, voice your opinion and stand for what you believe in to achieve a better future for you and generations to come.

Refugees are fleeing the Middle East after being tormented by terrorists.

8th Grader Marches

By Lorelai Konen On Inauguration Day, January 20 2017, my mother and I traveled to Boston to participate in the Women’s March. We chose Boston because we could stay with family and the March in Boson was predicted to be several people smaller than the one in Washington, D.C. However, when we arrived at the march and saw the sea of people wearing pink hats with cat ears, it appeared that there were far more people than expected.

I stood around men, women, young, old of every race and ethnicity as we all shouted “Love trumps hate” and held up signs that said: “The Future is Female”, “Proud to be a Girl”, and“Women's Rights are Equal Rights.”

There were many famous speakers in attendance like Senator Elizabeth Warren, who talked about the importance of standing up for what we believe in. “We can whimper. We can whine. Or we can fight back!” shouted Warren.

She talked about the importance of respecting ALL human beings in this country and in the world. She said, “We come here to stand shoulder to shoulder to make clear: We are here! We will not be silent!”

Everyone DID come together to protest. In addition to the thousands of marchers who gathered on the Boston

Common, protesters hung out the windows of nearby buildings holding pieces of white cloth; white was the color the suffragettes wore when fighting for women's voting rights.

After about an hour and a half we finally started to march. People cheered, took pictures, screamed, and chanted. It took us a very long time to march the entire route because there were around 175,000 people marching with us! It was incredible to surrounded by so many people fighting for the same things: the rights of women.

The march in Boston was only one out of 670 marches held all around the world. There were marches held in places like: Kenya, India, Serbia, and even Alaska where it was snowing like crazy. Women in Portland, Oregon also marched despite the pouring rain. The fact that so many people marched all of the world shows how many people do not support Trump’s views on women, trans people, minorities and immigrants.

They even held a march in Antarctica where there is only a population of around 4,000, and even though only thirty people showed up their voices still matter.

It was an unforgettable experience to see how many people want to take action. I'm fortunate to have seen that action firsthand and even be a part of it.

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COEP continued from page 2

Alexis Kaplan

Ms. Bruno is a great teacher for COEP; she knows a lot about the outdoors and has been teaching the class for about 10 years.

“I teach COEP because it’s not a difficult class,” said Ms. Bruno. “It’s fun, unique and in the outdoors. The kids get to learn and do things they have never even thought about before. It’s a new experience.”

“I picked COEP for an elective because it is a fun elective and it’s very different from all the other electives,” said Sam. “I did the Alaska summer trek, and we had a really fun time,” said Sierra. “We did lots of things. We went ziplining, whitewater rafting, hiking, and a lot more. I also did the class in fifth grade and really enjoyed it, so it seemed fun.”

“It’s better than any other elective in my opinion,” said Tommaso. “It’s not boring and actually very fun.”

COEP is a very fun elective that you might want to consider. If you like the outdoors, and working together as a team, this is a very good elective for you.

Midterms: Not as bad as you think

By Miranda Marquez

During midterm week every student takes an exam for almost all of their classes. This exam is given near the middle of an academic term. In MCDS, the students have two exams a day, except on the last day when there is only one. In this week students have really long breaks so they can study or take their minds off exams for a little bit.

At the beginning of the day students have a 45 minute study hall in advisory.

Then, after having their first exam, they have a 50 minute break. After their break, they have a 55 minute lunch. Once lunch is done, students have a 45 minute study hall to prepare themselves for their last exam. After study hall is over students go to their last exam. The first two days, students are dismissed from 30 to 40 minutes before 3:30. On the last day, students are dismissed at 10:10.

“The best thing about midterms is that they are over really fast and you have a lot of breaks,” said 7th grader Sophia Tillis.

“The best thing about midterm week is getting out early,” said 7th grader Arielle Rubens.

Some students take their exams pretty fast, while others are able to get extended time. For most of the students in MCDS, studying is really stressful. Many use quizlet or make flashcards, as well as using the study guides that teachers provide.

“Quizlet is a good way to study, and having your relatives help you is a good way as well,” said Sophia.

“I make a study guide and my mom quizzes me, and mostly I use the study guide that the teachers give you, plus I use quizlet,” said 7th grader Gabriela Martinez.

All students take different times to study for their tests.

“I take two hours for a test, and 30 minutes to 60 minutes for a quiz,” said Ana

Photo by Miranda Marquez

Seventh grader Ana Muniz prepares for midterms.

Muniz, a seventh grader.

In this week teachers were helping the students relax, Ms. Byrne had a dark classroom for people to go and do mindfulness. But for some students this week is still pretty stressful.

“The worst thing about midterm week is that you’re cramming in study,” said Arielle.

“The worst thing about midterm week

is that you are really tired and you have to study all the time,” said Gabriela Martinez.

Every single student has a subject that they are good at, or that it is easier for them to study. Some students shared what their easiest subject to study is.

“My easiest subject to study is Spanish,” said Ana. “My easiest subject to study is math be-

cause I think I am pretty good at it,” said Arielle.

Midterm week can be a pretty rough week. Even though this week is stressful, you can end up having fun. You study with your friends and you leave early.

Midterm week isn’t that bad at all.