March 2012 Edition

theCOURIER

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Volume 24

No. 5

March 2012

Aida wows crowd

Above: Left to right, sophomore Cara Harpest, junior Carolina Meneses, and senior Steven Pilato play Nehebka, Aida, and Mereb respectively. Right: Junior Sara Paull dances as Princess Amneris.

Aida, featuring music written by Elton John, has engrossed audiences on Broadway and around the world since 2000. The drama department’s production of the play in February featured a cast of over 50.

The plot features Egyptian Captain Radames (senior Elijah Word) capturing slaves off the coast of Nubia, including the Nubian Princess Aida (junior Carolina Meneses).

Aida is given as a gift to his betrothed Amneris (junior Sarah Paull), but, like the classic story of Romeo and Juliet, Radames falls in love with Aida.

The cast of Aida, which also included senior Steven Pilato (Mereb) and senior Relvin Samal (Zoser), was directed by senior Nicole Frank.

“Although there were a few technical difficulties, Aida was nominated for a Cappi, the high-school version of a Tony,” Frank said. “My favorite aspect of the play was the sense of accomplishment when the last show ended.”

According to senior Catherine Klemke, the lighting board director and sound designer, Aida was great experience.

Photos by Fallon Birke

“Getting to work with a professional lighting designer helped me gain experience in designing and learning more about the different ways to light the stage and enhance the show,” Klemke said. “I loved working on the musical, and it was very difficult at times. However, it was all worth it in the end.”

The drama department’s upcoming production, Dear Edwina, will run May 3 to May 4.

--RYAN BLITZER, Staff Writer

DECA students compete in Orlando at states

Photo by Kaleel Munroe (Aerie yearbook)

Junior Kevin Doan sells doughnuts after school on January 6 as a DECA fundraiser. DECA teamed up with Dunkin Donuts for the third consecutive year to create original doughnuts.

Junior Melissa Inzerillo’s Funfetti Fusion was the most popular selling 432.

“We came up with our idea based on what’s simple and what everyone was used to but with a classy look to it so we took two of people’s favorite flavors and combined them,” Inzerillo said.

MEGAN ROBB Staff Writer

DECA allows students interested in business careers to develop essential marketing, leadership, and management skills. Douglas offers eight DECA classes for students.

Enrollment in at least one DECA class grants a student membership in the after school DECA club.

DECA attended states March 1-4 in Orlando. To qualify for the competition, students took a 100 question multiplechoice test and performed a role-play presentation, wrote a 30-page paper, or performed

a presentation to business partners.

This is the first year a student from Douglas will run as a candidate in the elections at DECA states. Sophomore and DECA Club Recording Secretary, Zachary Shaja ran for state Vice President.

“We’ve never had a candidate from our school before,” Cutler said, “Twelve students from around the state are running for the position and only four get elected.”

Other students in DECA prepare to attend states for their very first time this year.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to compete in real

life application of financial situations against fellow peers around the state of Florida,” sophomore Drew Simkins said.

The DECA club has also conducted many projects throughout the school year.

Some of the most recognizable include a Dunkin Donuts apprentice project in February, a candy bar sale in October, and a CHOICES presentation.

“DECA teachers students teamwork, how to carry themselves, how to network, and how to act in business situations.” Cutler said, “In the real world it’s not a test anymore, it’s about how well you can do in a situation.”

Index News.................1-5 Feature..............6-9 Special..............10-11 Entertainment...12-13 Editorial............14-16 Sports................17-20

Battle of the sexes: what makes us different Page 8

Seapunk: a growing internet subculture Page 12

Track team looks forward to a season of improvements Page 17

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LIZ MYERS News Editor

The Courier

News

A Day in the Life of...

March 2012

Freshman Alexandra Barry

Freshman Alexandra Barry has battled illness her entire life. She is immune deficient meaning her immune system does not function properly.

“The best way to describe her illness is she constantly has upper respiratory problems, her lungs are weak, and her sinuses do not drain on their own,” mother Meredith Barry said.

According to Meredith, Alexandra was hospitalized for the first time at nine months old for pneumonia. Her first surgery, in which her tonsils and adenoids were removed and her sinuses drained, was at age four.

“She had 10 sinus surgeries following her first because her infections were so chronic,” Meredith said. “She suffered from severe migraines from her infections and in one of the surgeries, they had to take out a piece of infected bone in her sinus.”

When she was five years old, Alexandra was finally diagnosed as being immune deficient.

Since then, she has had a port in her chest and has had four surgeries to replace her ports. Through this port, she can receive IV medication to keep her immune system boosted.

“I first had a PICC line which was a tube, like an IV, which was inserted into my arm,” Alexandra said. “I had to change from that to a port because I was getting the tube too often because I was continually sick. I was too young and my veins were too

weak.”

At 15, Alexandra has had 15 surgeries, the most recent one on February 1 to have her port removed.

Alexandra became a MakeA-Wish child when she was six.

“Her immunologist and her home health nurse requested a wish for her,” Meredith said.

“They showed up at our door to surprise her.”

Alexandra was told to make three possible wishes, and one would then be granted.

“My three choices were a Minnie Mouse costume, a Barbie Jeep, and a Disney cruise,” Alexandra said. “My parents suggested the cruise but I said that I really wanted the costume. We ended up going on the cruise with my cousin Hunter, who is also a Make A Wish child, and his family.”

Because she has been sick since she was so young, she has not always understood her illness.

“I thought it happened to everyone at my age because I was so little,” Alexandra said.

“I thought surgery was you just lie down, go to sleep, and then wake up.”

At ten, Alexandra started to figure out what was going on.

“Surgeries scare me more now and I cry before every one,” Alexandra said. “I now know it’s serious to go under anesthesia when before I thought it had no risks.”

Despite her illness, Alexandra has danced for the past 13 years, spending her first five years at Ultimate Dance before going to Mrs. P’s Dance and Acrobatics Studio in Coral Springs. She has been on the competition team at

Mrs. P’s for the past six years practicing about three to four hours a day.

“In the beginning, my mom forced me to dance and I cried when I went into class,” Alexandra said. “I used to hate it with a burning passion. But at age 10, I decided I really like it for some reason. Instead of focusing on the bad, it keeps me busy and is a good hobby.”

When her best friend freshman Olivia Perron first found out, she thought something was seriously wrong with Alexandra.

“I initially always thought that when she got sick she was going to die,” Perron said. “Even now, I’m always so nervous when she has surgeries or is sick but I treat her the same no matter what.

No one would ever know she was sick if she didn’t tell them.”

According to Meredith, it is hard for any parent to watch their child suffer.

“I see a side of Alexandra that she has a hard time sharing with anyone, when she hurts and when she just doesn’t feel good,” Meredith said. “We have all adjusted to this and made sure that Alexandra is able to live as normal of a life as she can.”

Alexandra’s main concern is not her illness, but that she just does not want to be treated differently or for others to feel bad for her.

“She still battles her illness every day, but she has never once complained or fought anything they have had to do to her,” Meredith said. “She is a strong person. She always looks at the bright side of things and has never let any of this pull her down.”

Freshman Alexandra Barry competes her lyrical duet at Headliners dance competition on Saturday February 11 at the Omni at Broward College. Her duet won first place overall. Her next dance performance is at the Our Town Fair on March 10, and her next dance competition is OnStage America on April 14.

Courtesy of Alexandra Barry

News Briefs

Douglas redesigns website

Douglas officially launched its redesigned website, douglashigh. browardschools.com on February 6. The website was created by media specialist Jan Pryczynski, along with the input from guidance, teachers, administration, and the tech staff.

According to Pryczynski, the Broward Schools district wants to create more unified school websites as a part of their new school website initiative. Schools across the district, such as Douglas, have chosen to create completely new websites for students to use. According to this initiative, school websites are allowed to advertise. According to Pryczynski, the money that is made from the ads goes straight towards our school.

Pryczynski will update the website almost everyday. The new website still contains the same info as the previous website, such as upcoming events, links to teacher websites, and latest school news.

“I think our new website is easier to navigate, very clean looking, and easier to maintain,” Pryczynski said.

The website no longer has links to teacher websites located on the side, but rather in the departments portal. Also the design is now blue instead of the school color, burgundy. There is also an option to translate the content of the website through Google Translate. A new feature is the email subscription, which allows students and parents to subscribe to receive important announcements.

“I like the search term feature,” sophomore Robyn Ribotsky said. “But accessing teacher websites was originally a two step process and now you have to go through the department [button on top bar] and the teacher [after clicking on the subject department]. It’s so much more complicated.”

--AMANDA GAINES, Staff Writer

Zero Hour no longer offered

After six years, Stoneman Douglas will no longer offer “zero hour” as an option for incoming juniors.

Through zero hour, one class of seniors begins their school day at 6:30 a.m., in Advanced Placement Government and Economics with Jeff Foster.

“It [zero hour] is no longer needed, and we no longer have the adequate staff to ensure proper safety that early in the morning,” Assistant Principle Ty Thompson said. “It was designed in order to eliminate traffic at dismissal when the school had over 4,000 students. It was a great way to meet the needs of the school.”

With the recent news of the dissolving of the class, Douglas juniors who were looking forward to having the chance to take zero hour next year are disappointed with the change.

“I was excited to take it, because I have a lot of things to do after school,” junior Elana Leibovitch said.

“My sister took it four years ago, and she loved the class. I already wake up really early, so I might as well start my day early and have an extra hour to do my work.”

After having taught the zero hour class for six years, Foster has enjoyed the experience, but understands its end.

“I enjoyed getting the day started early and the freedom it allowed me at the day’s end to plan for classes and focus on basketball during the season,” Foster said.

“But I am okay with it not being offered anymore. I liked having the opportunity, but I guess I’ll catch up on some reading in the a.m. now.”

--ELYSSA RONIK, Staff Writer

March 2012

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Social Studies teacher brings civics opportunities to students SARAH PONCZEK Staff Writer

From Birmingham to Mongolia, social studies teacher Jennifer Jolley seeks to bring world politics into her classroom through the Civic Voices project.

“I love civics education and I am truly a civics and government teacher, so I believe it’s important for the younger generations to know how to become involved in the community,” Jolley said.

Jolley first learned of the Civic Voices project when she attended a weekend seminar in Birmingham, Alabama this past September. While there, she learned how to engage her students in the Civic Voices project, learned about the Civil Rights Movement, and received the opportunity to interview Lawton Higgs, the man who was responsible for initiating the first integrated church in Birmingham.

“I was amazed that this didn’t happen until the 1980s and the seminar really blew me away,” Jolley said. “I decided to bring the project back to the students at Douglas.”

Teachers from Mongolia, Northern Ireland, South Africa, the Philippines, Colombia, and Poland are implementing the Civic Voices project. Jolley’s students have interviewed civic activists including freedom riders, current feminist movement activists, and Holocaust survivors who belonged to the Hidden Children.

According to senior Erin Magliozzi, students were

instructed to choose group members and decide as a team whom to interview.

From there, they had to set up an appointment with the interviewee, take notes, transcribe the interview, and then upload the video to the Civic Voices memory bank and complete a post-survey and a reflection.

Magliozzi’s group chose to interview Carol Smith, who works with the League of Women Voters.

“She epitomizes an active citizen, and she has made it her life’s goal to motivate all citizens to vote, to be educated about how they vote, and to become involved,” Magliozzi said.

“Talking to Carol really motivated me to pay more attention to local politics and to be an active citizen because without engaged young people, our democracy Social Studies teacher Jennifer Jolley and civil rights activist Calvin Voices conference in Birmingham, Alabama last fall. doesn’t exist.”

Senior Jennifer with them,” Levick said. “Their and appreciate that.”

Levick and her group Jolley was selected at stories of how they made a interviewed Shirley Herman and difference make [me] want to the Birmingham convention, Joan Waitkevicz, two Freedom along with a handful of make a difference.”

Riders who also participate in Students found the other participants, to travel the feminist movement. The project both worthwhile and to Mongolia from March 17 Freedom Riders are a group through the 25, all expenses informative. of men and women who have “There is so much history paid. fought against segregation “I believe I was chosen and so much to be discovered since the 1960s. just in the stories we can hear because of my enthusiasm “These two women stood from the generations before and the commitment I showed up for what they believed in us,” Magliozzi said. “I feel like to complete the project in the even when others didn’t agree this project helped me to realize classroom,” Jolley said.

Woods pause during a Civic Jolley will visit the capital, Ulan Bator, where she will collaborate with other teachers from around the world on civics education and the Civic Voices project.

“Although I have not yet received the itinerary, I also hope to visit some religious sights that demonstrate the Asian culture,” Jolley said.

To learn more about the project, visit civicvoices.org.

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Anatomy teacher Dianne Melita retires after 35 years MITCHELL KAUFMAN Editorial Editor

For the past 35 years, Dianne Melita has been educating students. Originally, Melita taught anatomy and physiology, zoology, and biology at Cooper City High School.

“I have always wanted to teach zoology because I majored in that subject,” Melita said.

Melita then moved to Western High School to coach Cross Country for boys and girls and finally transferred to Douglas to teach anatomy.

Melita has shaped the anatomy program by implementing projects such as dissections of animal brains, eyes, and hearts.

“The kids love performing dissections of rats and studying their systems,” Melita said.

“They always walk out thanking me with smiles on their faces.”

Melita plans to retire at the end of this year.

“This is a bitter sweet moment for me,” Melita said.

“I loved teaching my students and will miss them, but I am looking forward to having free time.”

Her love for teaching translates to her students.

“She is a great teacher and makes the material interesting for us to learn,” junior Noah Peskin said. “I am sad to hear that she will be retiring.”

Over recent years, the popularity of the program has grown. The school even had to limit the amount of kids able to take the class due to lack of space.

“The program was so popular that at one point the school had nine anatomy classes, but we had to cut down the number of classes to six because of cost,” Melita said.

The class recently finished a dissection of cow and rat brains.

“I feel that the class strongly shapes the students’ interests and that it is very rewarding,” Melita said.

“I still receive emails from past students that said that my class made them want to pursue health careers in the future.”

After Melita retires, science teacher Jennifer Morris is expected to take over the program.

“I have been mentoring Mrs. Morris to take my place by sharing materials, helping her after class, and pacing the curriculum,” Melita said.

He cannot drive until the second semester of his senior year of high school, cannot vote until his second year of college, and cannot drink alcohol until after his college graduation.

Although he may seem like the average junior, Brandon Riley is 15 years old.

Typically, students turn 17 in their junior year, according to the Broward County school system. In Jamaica, where Riley lived for a large part of his life, schooling starts at age three.

Riley was born in New York, but moved to Jamaica as an infant when he was less than one.

Photo by Natalie Heim

Junior Ali Horsfall dissects a cow eye during Dianne Melita’s first period anatomy class.

MATT WALZER Staff Writer

Photo by Fallon Birke

Starting in April, Douglas will be completely wireless.

The 1200 and 1300 hundred buildings already have Wi-Fi installed, but now, thanks to a $4,000 donation from the city of Parkland and a $2,000 donation from the Parent Teacher Student Association, the rest of the school will have its own internal wireless system.

In the past, for teachers to access the internet in one of the older buildings, a laptop cart with a router had to be in that teacher’s classroom, or in a nearby classroom.

This would cause the problem of losing an internet connection, when a laptop cart is moved or turned off.

If no laptop carts were in proximity, teachers had to plug an Ethernet cable into the wall, forcing them to keep their laptops in one spot. This will give a new element of freedom to teachers and staff.

The only drawback is that the older buildings will not become smart rooms like the new buildings, with Promethean boards, Elmo projectors, etc.

“The classrooms will remain, as they are,” computer technical specialist Joseph Otero said.

“To upgrade the classrooms would be an expense we are not prepared for at this time.”

The installation of the wireless system will take place in two stages, the first being the installation of wiring in the most strategic places possible to get maximum coverage. The next stage will be the installation of the access points. Once everything is installed, Douglas will be wireless.

“I think it can only be beneficial because we are not limited to where the laptop carts are,” English teacher Laurie Edgar said, regarding the new wireless system.

AP Language offered to seniors next year SABRINA EISENBERG Staff Writer

Starting this year, juniors have an opportunity to sign up for AP Language and Composition for 12th grade if they failed to take it their

junior year.

Administration decided to allow this after students and teachers requested that the few interested students who had not taken AP Lang in 11th grade could make up for it the following year.

15 year old junior compares Jamaican, American lifestyles MITCHELL FELDMAN Staff Writer

School to be completely wireless in April

Broward County technology worker installs wireless capabilities in the second floor of the 200 building.

March 2012

AP Lang excuses two years of college English, if the students passes the AP exam.

The class teaches the purposes of a writer’s work and provides significant improvements of reading and writing.

“After registering we were

pleasantly surprised at how many [prospective] seniors want to take the class,” AP Lang teacher and department head Donna Amelkin said.

“We know that if they take it that they will be much more prepared for college writing.”

“My parents wanted me to have a Jamaican education.

Schools there are a lot stricter and more focused on grades because the schools are smaller.”

Brandon Riley Junior “My parents wanted me to have a Jamaican education.

Schools there are a lot stricter and more focused on grades because the schools are smaller,” Riley said.

Jamaica turned out to be very different from the U.S. “The people were nicer and more laid back,” Riley said.

“But there was a lot of graffiti and violence.”

Much of this stemmed from deep political issues in the country. Vandals drew signs for the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party.

“People felt more strongly about politics in Jamaica,” Riley said.

Jamaica is also different geographically.

The country consists mostly of rural land, with small cities in which everyone knows one another.

When Riley turned eight, he moved back to the U.S. “We used to come here every summer, and one time my mom just decided to stay,” Riley said.

Despite his age difference, Riley does not feel different from his classmates.

“People in my class make a big thing when they first find out how old I am,” Riley said. “But I feel the same age as everyone else.”

March 2012

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The Courier

March 2012

Feature

Footwear ‘shoes’ in era of muscle pain

LAUREN HALPERT Staff Writer

High heels and flip-flops may be fashion statements, but they also cause serious health issues.

These shoes can harm the muscles of the foot and leg and will lead to an increased likelihood of injury, according to the New York Times.

“Besides the long-term foot problems wearing high heels can cause, as a pediatrician I also see the immediate problems from high heels such as falls and sprained ankles,” Dr. Ilene Kaufman said. “If girls are going to wear heels for a special occasion, they should try them out at home first and must make sure the shoes fit properly and that they can walk in them.”

According to the New York Times, Neil J. Cronin and his team of researchers conducted a study at the Musculoskeletal Research Program at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, recruiting nine young women in their 20s and 30s who had worn high heels for at least 40 hours a week for the past two years.

As a control group, the researchers gathered women who rarely wore heels at all.

Both sets of women were supplied with electrodes to track leg-muscle activity, motion-

capture reflective markers, and ultrasound probes that measure the length of muscle fibers in their legs.

All the women walked along a 26-foot pathway 10 times, some with heels, and some without.The pathway contained a gauge to measure the forces generated as the women walked.

The women who wore heels walked differently from the women who rarely wore them, even when walking with bare feet.

In the results published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the scientists discovered that the heel wearing women walked in shorter strides, their feet in a flexed, toes-pointed position.

The same movement pattern occurred in these women when the heels were removed.

Because of greater mechanical strain on their muscle fibers, the calf muscles had shortened.

In the control group, walking primarily involved stressing and stretching the Achilles tendon. In the heel wearers, walking mostly involved using their muscles.

Dr. Cronin notes that “optimal muscle tendon efficiency occurs when the muscle stays approximately the same length while the tendon

Photo by Kim Moran

S e n i o r s Amber Ali, Sarah Miller, and Divya Jolly wear flip-flops to school on a regular basis.

Flip-flops can cause injuries such as stubbed toes, cuts, foot stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis. lengthens.”

Tendons act somewhat like springs, storing elastic energy and returning it when the foot pushes off the floor.

“High heels are fashionable, and they do look nice with any outfit. I tend to wear them only for special occasions,” junior Carli Marsh said.

Flat shoes can harm feet as well. According to the Washington Post, flip-flops can cause injuries such as stubbed toes, cuts, foot stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis, which leads to inflammation of the thick band of tissue along the bottom of the foot and causes a stabbing pain in the heel.

“I admit that my feet have been hurt while wearing flipflops. I’m sure most people can tell you they’ve been injured in some way or another while wearing the shoes,” freshman Jessica Polakoff said.

A 2008 study completed by Justin Shroyer, an assistant professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, studied 39 college-aged men and women to find the difference in walking when wearing flip-flops compared to sneakers.

Shroyer discovered that while wearing flip-flops, the participants took shorter steps, hypothesizing that this was because they wanted to get

their foot to the ground faster to ensure that the shoe would not fly off their feet.

The toe flexors end up fighting what they are naturally inclined to do.

“When I wear flip-flops, I grip onto the shoes with my toes so they don’t fall off. Also, people walking behind me tend to step on the back of my shoe, sometimes causing me to trip,” Polakoff said.

The best way to establish muscle health is to wear sneakers or other cushioned, supportive footwear on a daily basis. High heels and flip-flops may be worn once in a while, but not every day.

March 2012

New dog park ‘paw’fect addition RACHEL EPSTEIN Staff Writer

Parkland has expanded its horizons for man’s best friend.

On January 7, the city opened up Barkland, Parkland’s first ever dog park.

With unique features on just over two acres of land, Barkland has become the hot spot for Coral Springs and Parkland dogs.

“I went to Barkland last weekend after attending the Farmers’ market. I drove by it and just had to take my puppy Lilly. It was my first time at a dog park and I absolutely loved all of the dogs roaming around freely,” junior Carolina Meneses said.

Many people wanted a dog park built since regular parks do not allow dogs. For safety precautions, Barkland has two sections: one for dogs over 25

pounds and one for dogs under 25 pounds.

“I think Barkland is great and it’s perfect for the dogs. I went with my sister and her friend and we brought my dog,” freshman Sabrina Sprott said.

“I’ve only been to one other dog park in Boca and I heard about [Barkland] from my friend.”

According to Parkland Mayor Michael Udine, Barkland averages a couple hundred people with their dogs each day.

“The building process was timely and easy. Other than a slight delay due to rain, [we were able to complete it] on time. The best part is that no tax dollars were used. It was built entirely through a donation by the developer of Parkland Golf and Country Club,” Udine said.

The park is unsupervised and includes water fountains,

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Feature

Photo by Kim Moran

A yellow Lab puppy plays with a Siberian husky at Barkland. The park is divided into two sections, one for smaller dogs and the other for large dogs to provide a safe environment. benches, and a walking trail for its guests.

The dogs have hoops to jump through, ramps to climb on, and tiny bars to jump over.

Doggie bags are supplied throughout the park so owners

can clean up any messes.

“I thought [Barkland] was fun and maintained well. The park has a homey feel to it, and everyone just seems to get along,” junior Kirsten D’Souza said.

Barkland is located directly next to Liberty Park. Due to limited parking, guests may park at City Hall.

Barkland is free and open daily from 7:30 a.m. until sunset.

Sinitch said. “It just makes things easier for me.”

Protein substitutes from other brands such as Boca, known for its frozen veggie burgers, help breach the protein gap that would have previously been fulfilled by meat.

For some vegetarians, skeptics of the vegetarian lifestyle are a challenge.

“I’ve gotten meat thrown at me and shoved in my mouth.

None of [my friends] really understood at first, they were like, ‘What do you eat?’” Gayle said. “It’s not about what you do eat, it’s what you don’t. There are so many other food groups and the only one that you cut out is meat.”

Often, when a student turns vegetarian, it results in a major

change in the restaurants they go to. Though fully vegan or vegetarian restaurants, such as Sublime in Ft. Lauderdale, are rare, many popular restaurants offer vegetarian dishes.

Chili’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Moe’s Southwestern Grill, Panera Bread, and Pollo Tropical are among the chain restaurants known for their vegetarian-friendly options.

According to multiple vegetarians, the biggest motivator to continue the diet is a love of animals.

“Animals have souls and we have this mindset that we have to eat [them] and live that way, but if everybody just took the time to try it, it’s a healthy lifestyle,” said Sinitch. “There’s this quote, ‘If slaughter houses

had glass walls, we’d all be vegetarians.’ I just think that’s so true. What people do to them and how people slaughter them, it’s terrible.”

Popular Youtuber Damon Fizzy, who speaks of his vegetarianism frequently in his videos, says he stands by his decision to be vegetarian, whether or not it affects the number of animals killed, a reason that is frequently cited by critics. Fizzy has over 300,000 subscribers on his video blog channels.

“When you don’t support something, you don’t take part in it. I don’t support how they slaughter animals, so I don’t take part in eating meat,” Fizzy said in his video ‘Eat a Hamburger, You Vegetarian.’”

Teens avoid meat, choose to ‘veg out’ VICTORIA MALCOLM Staff Writer

What do Mike Tyson, John Lennon, Aristotle, Natalie Portman, and Albert Einstein have in common? They were all vegetarians at some point in their lives.

In a nation where vegetarians make up about three percent of the population, vegetarian diets have caught on in high schools. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, two percent of youth, ages 6 to 17, never eat meat, fish, or poultry.

According to savvyvegetarian.com, the adjustment to a meat free lifestyle is aided by a well

balanced diet and support from family and friends.

“My mom said no at first.

She thought I was being rebellious. Then we made a deal that I would cook my own meals,” junior and three-year vegetarian Laura Gayle said.

“When we are at the grocery store, I get my separate [food] and, as long as I cook it, my mom is supportive.”

For most vegetarians, protein substitutes are part of a daily routine, because meats are the main source of protein in non-vegetarian diets.

“I’ve been eating Morningstar Farms foods. It’s like anything you could eat that was made [of] an animal, but it’s soy products,” junior and five-year vegetarian Brittany

How teachers live their lives outside classroom YAELL LIVNI Staff Writer

weekend and boat, fish, scubadive, snorkel, and go tubing For students, seeing a behind the boat.”

Boyd has also been teacher in a nonacademic environment is like seeing a featured in the scuba diving Hollywood actor at the park magazine Skindiver. She took an underwater photography with their family.

At first it probably feels class with the world-renowned photographer, unnatural, but then they underwater realize, that in reality, teachers Stephen Frink.

To relax, some teachers are people too. Teachers have hobbies, families, and lives enjoy watching television. outside of school, just like The favorite television shows of Amelkin, AP government students do.

“I like to spend time with teacher Jeffrey Foster, and teacher Marcia my own children, see friends, English go for a nice leisurely dinner, Cunningham include How I Met watch good movies, and do Your Mother, Terra Nova, and yoga,” English teacher Donna Modern Family, respectively.

However, not all teachers Amelkin said.

Summer is not a vacation feel that television is a from school only for students. necessity .

“I still don’t have cable. I Teachers also do the everyday activities that their love listening to National Public students enjoy over break and Radio,” social studies teacher Diane Wolk-Rogers said. keep just as busy.

For some teachers, a “I just bought a cottage in the Keys and rebuilt it this profession in teaching was summer,” science teacher not initially part of their life plans but something that they Cynthia Boyd said.

“We go there almost every decided to pursue later in life.

Photo courtesy of Cynthia Boyd

Science teacher Cynthia Boyd takes a break during a ride to Key West on her husband’s Ultraclassic.

Amelkin said that she had actually been a family therapist prior to becoming a teacher.

Wolk-Rogers also had other plans.

“I planned to pursue a graduate degree in anthropology after I taught for a few years and paid off my student loans, but instead

I enjoyed teaching so much I earned my Masters in education, and here I am 30 years later, still teaching and loving it,” Wolk-Rogers said.

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Feature

Battle of the sexes: differences between men, women comes down to science NATALIE HEIM Staff Writer Although the evident difference between men and women seems to be the physical aspect, science is proving that the source of our variances is our brains.

“During embryonic development, the high testosterone levels in males and the high estrogen levels in females influence not only structural differences in the brain but also the levels of other neuron transmitters that affect behavior,” anatomy teacher Diane Melita said.

According to the Discovery Channel’s Science of the Sexes, estrogen is a hormone that enhances neural connections allowing for brain communication, while testosterone is a hormone that provides strength, libido, and energy.

Estrogen also influences high levels of oxytocin,

which is referred to as the nurture hormone, making girls more gentle and empathetic by nature. Males have significantly more testosterone, which decreases oxytocin levels, leading to behavior that tends to be more aggressive and less nurturing.

“One of the major differences structurally in the male and female brains is the thickness of the corpus collosum, which is a structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres,” Melita said.

“Women’s tend to be 10 percent thicker than men’s due to higher estrogen levels that promote neural connections.”

The thicker corpus collosum allows women to multi-task more successfully due to better communication between the brain hemispheres, while males tend to be more compartmentalized.

“Especially high levels

of testosterone in males strengthen right brain spatial capacities, which is the region of the brain associated with hand-eye coordination,” Melita said.“ This helps explicate why men tend to better at spatial activities such as parking.”

According to Melita, neither gender’s brain structure nor chemistry is better: it creates many fundamental differences between the two. She explains that it is part of the reason why the sexes sometimes have difficulty understanding each other, but warns that the environment is an influence also.

“My brother always insists that girls can’t drive, and although I don’t like to admit it, it does seem like guys tend to be better drivers,” senior Brittany Sauls said.

In John Gray’s book Women are from Venus Men are From Mars, Gray suggests

that the genders score giving and receiving love differently.

Men seem to give a large chunk of points for those big acts of kindness while women give each act of love one point at a time.

This is exemplified by the fact that men often believe they can do one huge thing to earn all their points, but then become frustrated if they do not receive what they think is the appropriate recognition since the woman awarded it less points than what the man thought it deserved.

“I hate how guys think that they can do no wrong if they just get you flowers every once in a while,” sophomore Allison Hennessy said. ”If they had been doing the right thing from the beginning they would never have to get flowers in the first place.”

Gray proposes that women would rather little acts of love

on a regular basis because they like to be reassured that the other is thinking about them all the time.

Another key concept of Gray’s is how the genders handle stress. Under stress men tend to withdraw while women’s natural reaction to stress is to talk about it.

“I don’t get why girls insist on asking what’s wrong multiple times in a day. If I don’t want to talk about it, that’s that,” junior Nick Lombardo said.

This lends to the common dynamic of a girl wanting to be closer as a male pulls away, and without communication Gray believes this can be a major source of conflict between the two.

The scientific research as well as Gray’s novel help to explain why at times it truly seems as if men and women are from different planets.

Why do you find your gender superior to the opposite sex?

“We’re a lot more compassionate. Guys don’t feel pain as much as we do.

They’re more serious.”

- Meera Olson, junior

“You usually don’t see girls opening doors for guys. Girls don’t have as high expectations [as guys do].”

- Tony Jiang, sophomore

“We can drive better. We have better hand-eye coordination because of video games.”

- Jared Portnoy, junior

“Women, regardless of the fact that they are meaner, can be more honest. Guys lie about everything.”

- Sam Siegel, senior

March 2012

The Courier

Feature

Students work, volunteer at local Farmers’ market

Page 9

VICTORIA MALCOLM Staff Writer If you’re looking for homemade sweets, fresh produce, raw honey, warm cider doughnuts and vegan soap all in one place, then look no further than the Parkland Farmers’ market, held on the first and third Sunday of every month at the equestrian center on Ranch Road.

According to Parkland’s special event coordinator, Colleen O’Dea, each event hosts about 80 vendors, 75 of which sell strictly food items, and between 2,600 and 3,200 shoppers.

According to senior Alex Weinraub, who works as a vendor at Pickle Delicious, the Farmers’ market is a great place for anyone looking to try something different.

“We have products that aren’t sold in stores and they’re fresh and organic,” Weinraub said.

Junior Brandon Smith, who works with Weinraub, loves the atmosphere the event provides.

“It’s interesting that all of us come together every two weeks. All of the vendors compete with each other for the money, but we’re all friends in the end and we trade our items,” Smith said. “There’s another guy who is a farmer, and we’ll trade him a quart of pickles and take some produce.”

Other students, such as senior Jordan Abolafia, like the market for the business experience it provides. Abolafia

Photo by Roxanne Zech

Senior Alex Weinraub (left) and junior Brandon Smith sell their pickles at the Farmers’ market every other Sunday in Parkland. works with the Gourmet Sausages vendor.

“I want to do marketing when I get older, so I just want to sell products and [the Farmers’ market] gives me a way to do it,” Abolafia said.

There are more aspects to participating in the Farmers’

market than just vending.

Juniors Dillon Espey, Nathan Varias, and Ryan Kerce direct parking for service hours.The market also features several food trucks, which are currently trending all over South Florida.

The trucks provide restaurant quality food in more casual

tell anything about personality.

There are many different indicators and patterns in handwriting.

Together, these form clues that reveal various personality traits. Some of the important clues that handwriting analysts look for are slant, pressure, rhythm, and the distribution of the writing on the page, according to handwritingpro. com.

According to handwritinginstitute.com, handwriting that slants to the left and has a low t-bar indicates that the person suffers from low self-esteem and a feeling of insecurity.

Tall upper strokes combined with a “pretty” style of writing shows that the person is strongly affected by what people think and tries to make a good impression.

Words that do not have a lead-in stroke, the small tail in the beginning of a word, and have a well-placed and tall t-bar show that the writer is confident and an independent

thinker with a strong element of self-reliance.

Dotted i’s show that the person is meticulous and cares about details, according to handwritinginstitue.com.

“I took the test and besides only one prediction, it was weird how accurate it was. I think it is a little creepy and I cannot figure out how it can predict my personality just by my handwriting,” freshman Lindsay Wolk said.

Accorinding to James Ongley there are two aspects of examining handwriting.

The first is the analysis of the handwriting and the second is the analysis of the paper and ink.

In order to compare handwriting, police will examine past writing such as letters and checks to get a standard from the suspect. The analysis then looks at a variety of factors including the angle and spacing of letters.

Because of the widespread use of computers, handwriting analysis is less common today.

Handwriting may reveal personality characteristics YAELL LIVNI Staff Writer

Whether you mind your p’s and q’s or dot your i’s and cross your t’s can say a lot about how you think and behave.

According to howstuffworks. com, handwriting analysis is a method of identifying, evaluating, and understanding a person’s personality through the patterns revealed by their handwriting.

The scientific validity behind it is debatable, but handwriting analysis is still being used as a means of determining a person’s nature and personality traits.

“I took a sample handwriting analysis test and I would say that about half of the results were accurate. The results said that I am easygoing, ingenious, good at handling criticism, thoughtful, and of excellent strength of mind,” freshman Danielle Jensen said.

According to James Ongley, the lab manager at a crime laboratory handwriting can not

environments.

“The food is really good. It’s high quality, and they take care of [the trucks]. Everything is clean,” said Smith.

Holding the market at the equestrian center is not without its quirks.

“The only thing that’s weird

is the horses that just randomly come into the parking lot, and the market itself, on occasion,” said Kerce.

For more information on the Farmers’ market, go to cityofparkland.org. The next markets will be held March 18 and April 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

10

The Courier

Junior Ortal Levi helps children in US, Israel

How community ser

* Studies show that teens who vo higher self-esteem and more resil likely to smoke, drink, or do drugs * 68 percent of those who volunte volunteering has made them feel

Volunteering b ERICA TURRET Editor in Chief

Commentary

Photo courtesy of Ortal Levi

Junior Ortal Levi (right) waits for lunch with a fellow counselor in Haifa, Israel. Levi built and worked at a summer camp here for young Israeli Scouts.

DANIEL HARRISON Staff Writer Junior Ortal Levi has over 1,000 service hours, all due to her work with the Israeli Scouts. Levi works as a counselor for fourth grade girls every Sunday, playing games and running activities that help the girls relate to their homeland, Israel.

She also goes on weekend trips with them, and she recently went to Los Angeles to meet with 17 other Israeli scouts in high school across the United States and Canada.

“Being a counselor encourages me to be a leader. I know I have younger kids looking up to me as an example,” Levi said. “Teaching the next generation how to continue the same traditions is a very important aspect of my morals and aspirations.”

Aside from working with kids, she also has participated in fundraisers benefiting Israeli pediatric cancer patients.

Levi prides herself not on her large number of service hours, but rather on having a direct impact on her community.

“Being a part of your community gives you a

chance to be something bigger than yourself,” Levi said, “You get the opportunity to take things in to your own hands.”

Born and raised in Israeli, Levi moved to America when she was eight. She first got involved with the Israeli Scouts when she was in the fourth grade because her older sisters had loved the program.

Since then Levi has returned to Israel every summer to visit her grandparents, but last summer she went back to Israel with the Israeli Scouts. For two weeks they built and lived in a summer camp.

“The camp was in the woods, and [we] slept on the ground, in a sleeping bags. It was such an amazing experience that this summer I will be doing it again,” Levi said.

Levi has a true passion for the Israeli Scouts, for both her work and her fellow Scouts.

“Israeli scouts has been a once in a lifetime experience. I have met an extraordinary amount of people that have changed my life, and some that I will stay in contact with forever.”

Students complain constantly about simply not having enough hours in the day to complete all of the tasks demanded of them. Between AP classes, extra-curricular activities, standardized tests, jobs, sports and community service, admission to a top college requires a very rigorous high school schedule, well beyond the seven hour school day.

Broward County schools mandate that all students complete a minimum of 40 community service hours in order to receive their high school diploma.

The logic is simple.

Community service has a direct correlation with academic achievement and future success. As research compiled by the University of Michigan points out, service learning motivates students to push themselves academically by demonstrating the relationship between the knowledge they learn in the classroom and the skills they will need to triumph in the workforce.

Some question the necessity of requiring service hours as a requirement for graduating from high school, but it is through volunteering that students become more civically aware, gain selfesteem, feel as if they do have the power to make a difference, and become less likely to drop

out of schoo W.K. Kello Learning In D A quality much more t and reading The best lea hands on ex Commun offers stud to make more impor a work ethic disappearing as our gener age of entitle Broward continue t requiring ser students wh beyond to f their commu Silver Cord p Currently earn at le hours throu school care with a Silve graduation.

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11

Special

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olunteer just two hours per week have liency. They are also 50 percent less s than non-volunteers. eered in the past year report that physically healthier.

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benefits students

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throughout the world look extremely highly on community service. U.S. News and World Report explains that there is a direct correlation between community service and college admissions and the annual dosomething.org survey consistently finds that community service is a top factor in admissions.

The Silver Cord program encourages students to develop a true sense of volunteerism by devoting many hours to a cause which coincides with the fact that 72 percent of college admissions officers prefer students who consistently participate in a service organization.

The Florida Bright Futures scholarship program requires that students complete 100 service hours in order to be eligible for the Florida Academic Scholars Award.

This magnifies the importance of community service in not only admissions but in receiving scholarships as well.

Schools create the next generation of American citizens and leaders and, with a seeming growth of apathy among young people, it is ever more important that schools encourage and require students to complete community service hours.

The goal of an education is to become a better and more well-rounded individual, and this objective is aided by a community service mandate.

Photo courtesy of Natasha Garcia

Freshman Jenifer Mai participates in Key Club’s Birthday in Box project where students made boxes for homeless children to receive on their birthdays.

Interact, Key Club offer service opportunities

CHRISTINA SILEO Entertainment Editor Clubs offer opportunities for students to earn service hours. Both Interact and Key Club offer a variety of service projects that help the school, the community, or even the world.

Interact is sponsored by Rotary International, a foundation dedicated to service in the community, and is required to do a school based, local based, national based, and international based project. For the past few years, Interact has been involved with KIVA for their international service project.

“KIVA is an organization that gives small business loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries,” Interact advisor Lauren Rosa said. “They repay their loans very quickly and you can donate in $25 increments. We have $300 that we keep in our account that we lend out and as soon as we get money back we lend it out again.”

Interact has also been involved with Heifer International, an organization that gives livestock to people in underdeveloped countries and teaches them how to properly utilize all of the resources that the animals can yield. Locally Interact helped with the Harvest Drive and the Inlet Bike Challenge benefitting Kids in Distress.

“The Harvest Drive is an event we hold where we collect food and we give it to families who can’t really afford Thanksgiving dinner,” Interact member senior Brandon Zelman said.

The Interact club also helped to refurbish the Stoneman Douglas marquee on Pine Island Road and Holmberg by replacing all of the vegetation around it. They plan on repainting it as well.

Key Club has collected school supplies for kids in need and shoes and cell phones for soldiers. They have done projects for many organizations including Women in Distress.

“The community does help us in a way and I don’t like when people just sit around and not help the community back so I feel like we have to give back,” Key Club President Senior Natasha Garcia said. “We can’t just have people help us; we should help people as well.”

Starting soon, the Key Club is going to start serve at a soup kitchen twice a month and start a “Jeans for Teens” drive in the school.

To join Interact, students with good grades and no obligations who are interested in joining the club can fill out an application designed through Rotary International, which can be found on rotary.org. Interact meets every first and third Tuesday of each month in room 509.

Upon joining, attendance to Key Club is not mandatory and students are encouraged to get involved with as many projects as desired. Students can join any time; the only requirement is a $20 fee. Meetings are on the second Thursday of each month in the Media Center.

Page 12

The Courier

Entertainment

March 2012

All American Rejects release catchy single

Photo by Carlos Morales

(From Left) Freshman Sean Weiser and sophomore Josh Reiner play a show at Sweat Records in Miami with three other bands on February 18.

Middle Name Roxy rocks South Florida Ska Scene MEGAN ROBB Staff Writer Ska music became popular in the 1960s in Jamaica as it gained its independence from Britain. Artists in Jamaica tried to imitate the sounds of jazz, which was popular in the United States at the time, but instead of replicating it they created a genre of music blending jazz, blues, and the Jamaican sounds of calypso and mento.

The ska genre, named for either the scratching sound made on the guitar or by musician Cluet Johnson’s use of the word “skavoovie,” became popular in Europe and the United States during the 1980s.

A genre titled ska punk, which combines ska with punk rock, became especially popular in the United States in the 1990s. Two ska punk bands, No Doubt and Sublime,

gained mainstream popularity during that time.

Sophomores Josh Reiner and David Rosenbaum, along with freshman Sean Weiser, created their own ska punk band titled Middle Name Roxy.

Reiner and Weiser always wanted to create a ska punk band, but needed a drummer.

That’s where Rosenbaum came in.

The name of the band, Middle Name Roxy, apparently comes from a story between Reiner and his friend Allison.

Allison lied to Reiner, saying her middle name was Roxy for years, when it is not.

The members of the band have listened to ska punk music for a few years, Reiner and Rosenbaum since eighth grade, and Weiser since seventh.

In the band, Reiner does

lead vocals and electric guitar, Rosenbaum drums, and Weiser does back up vocals and bass.

“Ska punk music is fun, energetic music that really gets me through my days,” Reiner said.

The band will play in March at the SKA Party Day event at the Talent Farm on March 17 at 4 p.m. The event takes place at 20911 Johnson St #111, Pembroke Pines, FL, 33029.

Tickets can be purchased from any of the band members.

The band will play a 30 minute set of six original songs and two covers.

“I look at the Beatles playing shows and girls fainting by just looking at them, but there’s something about staying an underground band that’s more appealing to me,” Rosenbaum said.

AMANDA GAINES Staff Writer Their first video in three years, “Beekeeper’s Daughter” is the alternative-rock band The All-American Rejects’ first single from the upcoming album Kids In The Street, which will be released on March 27.

The upbeat song tells the story of a guy who has no more time for girls, and does not have time for chit-chat, with the lyrics “You’re a pretty little flower/I’m a busy little bee/Honey that is all you need.” The single has a beat similar to the band’s previous hits “Move Along” and “Gives You Hell.” This song is catchy with a “la da da da” tune after each chorus. “‘Beekeeper’s Daughter’ was the starting point of the journey, and it’s about this guy who’s crazy, self-absorbed guy who thinks he owns the world and is bullet-proof,” lead singer Tyson Ritter told Billboard.com

on the set of the video.

Along with the release of their new album, The AllAmerican Rejects are asking fans to submit their favorite moments in life as a part of their contest, “Submit Your Kids In The Street Story.” For this contest, fans are able to submit paintings, photos, videos, interpretive dancing or whatever captures a moment in their life.

The best submissions will have an opportunity to be nominated and the winning creators will earn an invitation to a special event where they will meet and The All-American Rejects and tell them their stories about what inspires them.

Students can enter the contest by visiting burnbothends.tumblr.com/ submit. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST on March 15.

Underwater ravers: seapunks ‘surf’ the net

Photo courtesy of the supersuper.com

Rising seapunk musician Zombelle released the album Tropicult in collaboration with Myrrh Ka Ba in late 2011.

AMEEN METTAWA Copy Editor As the seapunk movement splashes to the Internet surface, web subcultures are finally replacing the in real life (IRL) tribes of punks, goths, and gangsters from the preInternet dark ages.

The Tumblr-based seapunk subculture arrived in Fall.

Musically, it focuses on watery rave with pitch shifted samples and buoyant beats a la early dubstep, only more upbeat.

The visual art seapunks tend to blog involves a new age, oceanic fantasy aesthetic with abundant computer generated dolphins and floating pyramids.

Artists such as Zombelle, Teams, and Unicorn Kid, dressed as nautical goths sporting turquoise hair and hologram sunglasses, developed and disseminated seapunk’s audiovisual style through Tumblr, where it quickly gained traction, becoming a subcultural

meme that electronicbeats. net editor Daniel Jones calls a “URLifestyle.”

Pictureplane, an electronic musician associated with witch house, a URLifestyle from 2010, describes seapunk as “a sort of cyber punk meets futuristic Mad-Max on water attitude meant for those who can surf the gnarliest swells of the world wide wave.”

Seapunk’s dedication to its web roots is seen in its juxtaposition of the outdoors and the indoors. Self-identified seapunks show religious devotion to the beach, as long as it’s seen through a computer screen. This ironic stance permeates throughout seapunk, blurring the line between which parts of the subculture are meant to be taken as jokes and which parts are legitimately embraced.

Seapunk differs from previous movements born on the net by the unabashed commitment participants of

the subculture have for the term “seapunk” itself. With the previously mentioned witch house trend of 2010, a movement combining industrial goth with dubstep and hip-hop, artists such as Tearist and CREEP attempted to distance themselves from the term “witch house” whenever music critics applied it to them.

Seapunk musicians, on the other hand, happily brand themselves as belonging to the watery subculture, regularly tagging Tumblr and Twitter posts as #seapunk, #splishsplash, or #oceangang.

This makes seapunk feel much more like an IRL subculture than previous URLifestyles, perhaps suggesting the future viability of similarly net-based tribes as IRL personal branding becomes less visible.

But, even if such a shift is not in store for the future, at least we can web surf the seapunk waves that these oceanic artists are making.

March 2012

The Courier

Entertainment

Page 13

TV tantrums attract viewers

RACHEL KAHN Staff Writer The world of child performers has trended on television networks, bringing curious viewers to the screens and putting the spotlight onto daily activities that normally go unseen by millions of Americans.

Across the country, girls and boys of different ages, assisted by their parents and instructors, compete in pageants for crowns, ribbons, titles, and large amounts of money. Makeup, false eyelashes, spray tans, fake hair and teeth, and extravagant dresses and costumes are only a few aspects that make up the TLC reality show Toddlers and Tiaras.

The show follows the pageant contestants and their parents competing at different events and preparing for these competitions with coaching sessions, hair and nail appointments, and gown and costume fittings.

According to People, over two million people tune in to watch Toddlers and Tiaras, now in its fourth season, every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on TLC.

Controversy has surrounded the show since it first aired on January 27, 2009, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Pageant competitor, Alana Thompson’s mother gives her “Go-Go Juice,” a blend of Mountain Dew and Red Bull.

According to ABC News, people across the country and critics who heard about the drink say it can endanger her health.

Each week cameras follow different children and parents to a variety of competitions, so different controversies, like the one about the “Go-Go Juice,” tend to arise.

“The parents are ridiculous, and the whole thing is completely over dramatized,” six-year dancer and junior Hannah Santo said. “Toddlers and Tiaras and Dance Moms are both overrated and do not portray how most competitions are.”

Dance Moms, a Lifetime reality show, is a mix of Toddlers and Tiaras and Real Housewives, according to Glamour. Dance Moms, set in Pittsburgh at the Abby Lee

Dance Company, follows competing dance students and their mothers as the dancing girls increase their skill levels and ‘pyramid’ position.

The pyramid, a rating tactic that Abby Lee uses, shows one dancer on top, two in the middle, and three or four on the bottom. Abby Lee causes dirty looks, rude comments, and perfectionism, according to a review on danceteacher.com.

“I find Dance Moms fun to watch, especially the kids dancing at competition, the ambitious mothers, and what the dancers do, as well,” sophomore Shana Rosenthal said.

The show first aired on July 13, 2011, and, since then, has gained close to 300,000 fans on Facebook and over 2.5 million viewers, according to TV by the Numbers. In its second season, Dance Moms airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

“It is amazing and crazy to see the things that parents put their children through,” sophomore Samantha Nirenberg said. “It shocks me every episode, but I get hooked all the same.”

Photo courtesy of how2car.com

Destiny Ellis (center) competes in the Southern Celebrity Beauty Pageant on Toddlers and Tiaras.

Photo courtesy of sheknows.com

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) hunts in the woods outside of District 12 in The Hunger Games movie opening on March 23.

Fans crave film version of best-selling novel

YAELL LIVNI Staff Writer After 160 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with over eleven million copies sold, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games finally hits theaters on March 23.

The Hunger Games takes place in Panem, the remains of what used to be the United States. Long ago, the 13 districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated but as a reminder of the power the Capitol holds over its citizens, each district must send one boy and one girl, called a tribute, to appear in an annual televised event called The Hunger Games. The game is a fight to the death.

“I love The Hunger Games and cannot wait for the movie to go into theaters. Just reading the book made me feel thankful for everything I have,” freshman Evan Faust said.

Gary Ross directed The Hunger Games and cowrote the screenplay along with Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray. Jennifer Lawrence

plays the girl tribute Katniss Everdeen, the main character, and Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta Mallark, the boy tribute from Katniss’ district. Liam Hemsworth plays Katniss’ loyal friend Gale.

The Hunger Games has even been touted as the new Twilight or Harry Potter according to MVTimes.com.

The Hunger Games has a Facebook page and a Twitter.

“The Hunger Games is such a great book. I am worried that the movie will be different from it,” senior Teresa Vossilla said.

Although some students feel concerned the movie will not do the book justice, other fans are eager for the movie to come out.

“I have seen all of the trailers and I am excited for the movie to come out. My favorite part of The Hunger Games is when they choose the tributes because it is so dramatic,” sophomore Brandon Poblete said.

Try to get your tickets soon and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Page 14

The Courier

Editorial

March 2012

Internet piracy harmless to industry

Disney

Pirates like you are the reason we never make money anymore

CBS

see an incredible governmental push against piracy through SOPA and PIPA, two bills which intended to give the government virtually complete control over the Internet under the directive of stopping piracy, even though the very same government already concluded that no evidence supported the claim that piracy hurts the entertainment industry?

Looking to the government will not provide an answer.

A study by Media Matters published in February found that Comcast, News Corp., CBS, Time Warner, Disney, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association “hired 28 different lobbying firms to lobby Congress on SOPA.” Despite the massive amount of money these entertainment industry giants poured into lobbying, the reason for the push was not monetary. All of the data listed above, which the industry would have to be delusional to ignore, demonstrates that piracy has no discernible influence on the industry’s revenue stream or ability to produce new goods.

Then what was the reason for the push for the SOPA and PIPA bills we saw at the end of last year?

As Sanchez points out, “no doubt piracy is costing the content industries something— or they wouldn’t be throwing so much money at Congress in support of this kind of

ast Co mc

AMEEN METTAWA Copy Editor Finding any negative impact of piracy “is difficult, if not impossible”, according to a 2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Research conducted by Julian Sanchez of the Cato Institute found that “compared with the rest of the economy, [entertainment industry] employment seems to have held relatively stable at a time when you might expect cash-strapped consumers to be turning to piracy to save money.”

Harvard Business School professor Felix OberholzerGee and University of Kansas professor Koleman Strumpf found in 2010 that “file sharing did not discourage authors and publishers. Since the advent of file sharing, the production of music, books, and movies has increased sharply.”

The argument that, although the entertainment industry has not seen a decrease in revenue due to piracy, it would be earning more money without piracy is entirely unsubstantiated.

Sanchez’s research found that individuals who pirate media, rather than putting less money into entertainment products simply shift their “consumption within the [entertainment] sector” to, for one example, live performances instead of albums.

So, why did the end of 2011

Illustration by Phoebe Hughes

legislation.”

The reason: a push to retain power, a demonstration of the entertainment industry’s desire to continue its monopoly upon culture and its dissemination in the face of a populist medium, the Internet, which puts cultural clout back in the people’s hands.

Internet file sharing threatens the structure of the entertainment industry by decentralizing culture and increasing the creative powers of those who once exclusively consumed.

The easy availability of

professional quality video and audio editing software via file sharing allows for a radical method of reasserting the role of the people with regard to culture.

While the entertainment industry flails about, regurgitating the same old ideas with remakes, sequels, and adaptations, Internet users are creating their own infinitely more creative and boundary pushing culture, and distributing it for free legally.

At the point when society stops paying attention to the antiquated entertainment

industry and shifts its focus to its own innovative creations, the industry’s piracy problems become monetary as the industry loses its consumer base.

So, while Time Warner, Disney, and the rest of the cultural cadre are experiencing no economic problems from piracy today, they foresee their demise in the movement of culture into Internet communities.

We can only hope that this demise is as absolute as the fear which inspired SOPA and PIPA suggested.

Letters to the Editor Use of school bathroom for bullying, skipping must end Throughout the four years of my high school career, I have only experienced our school’s bathrooms about three times. This was not by choice, and obviously, by necessity.

The current state of our bathrooms is disturbing.

Even the new freshman buildings bathrooms appear to be beyond repair. All of our bathrooms are plagued by misuse, lack of respect, and malicious, often vulgar, bullying bathroom talk.

The stalls have become a place for students to spread rumors about peers, leave offensive comments, and draw obscene pictures. Some bathrooms are hiding grounds for those students who sneak around and take all three lunches or use illicit substances.

Even though it seems our school has a significant amount of security, it is blatantly known that the bathrooms are the only place a student can hide from an administrators watchful eye.

Because of this, our bathrooms have become foul. It is not a matter of properly cleaning toilets or sinks, it is a matter of keeping a bathroom a neutral space.

Of course, bathrooms being used by a student body of our size are vulnerable to dirt, grime, and lack of toilet paper, but our school should attempt to discourage students from using their stall as a gossip column or a hiding ground.

Our school has only partially shown success by locking up the bathrooms in the foreign language hallway, but only to my (and many others) dismay, knowing those are the only clean bathrooms in the entire school.

If there is one problem in our school that I think needs upgrading, repair, and stricter regulation, it is the misuse of our bathrooms. For the future of Stoneman Douglas, I think it is necessary for students to understand that our

bathrooms have an exclusive purpose--to be a bathroom.

This way, our bathrooms would be kept clean and free of pernicious words and prohibited actions.

Tamar Nir, senior

rs to ff Lette r o p o r D o om 236 r in Ro o it d E the n them o submit ourier.com sc dougla be r voice Let you he Courier!

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Extremely early scheduling detrimental to students I believe that selecting next year’s classes at this point in time is absolutely ridiculous. February is just too early.

It is a burden enough to get through this year’s current classes, but to painstakingly pick courses for next year is a nuisance.

However, I do understand the allotted time needed for the school to create the schedules, which is probably extremely time-consuming.

Not to mention, the scheduling process is extremely confusing. I understand that it is Broward County’s fault for the delay, but the county has had a year to ensure the website is up and running, and we only have about a week to pick our classes.

Also, there is a lack of information given about the courses Marjory Stoneman Douglas has to offer. It would be extremely helpful in my decision process if students were required to meet with our guidance counselors to review all of our potential options and listen to their recommendations. This year’s scheduling process proves to be nothing but a hassle.

Caleb Lugo, sophomore

March 2012

The Courier

Editorial

Page 15

Charities should stress frugality, not waste MITCHELL FELDMAN Staff Writer Charity Navigator, a nonprofit company that finds information for prospective donors, found that in 2010, the median salary for top leaders at charities was $147,273.

According to Forbes, John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer society, made a shocking salary of $2,428,592 in 2009.

Charities should be using as much money as possible for their designed purpose, whether it be to help cancer patients or rebuild Haiti.

These CEOs are working for “non-profit companies,” and their pay should reflect that.

Millions of dollars could be put back into the charity and used to help people in need.

Many charities additionally do not allocate their money efficiently.

Reuters says that in 2010, the American Cancer Society spent 30 percent of donations on “funding and administration costs.”

This translates to approximately $6.5 million out of $17 million not going to cancer research or help for the cancer stricken.

This waste of money seems to be the fault of fundraising.

Charity Navigator found that five well known charities including Wishing Well Foundation USA and the Cancer Survivor’s Fund spend over 80 percent of their money on hiring fundraising professionals.

Charity navigator’s target percentage for fundraising spending is from one to eight percent.

The problem is not only the fault of the charities, though.

We as donors need to better choose the organizations to

which we give, websites like CharityNavigator.org provide information about charities along with ratings on their use of donations.

Charities should be using as much money as possible for their designed purpose, whether it be to help cancer patients or rebuild Haiti.

Some methods of charity are more productive than others.

For example, John Arnold, the former executive director of Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank, explains how donating canned goods

to organizations has a much diminished effect from just donating money to food distributing charities.

If money is donated directly, the charity can buy food at a lower cost due to the charity’s status as a non-profit.

Arnold found that every $10 spent on donating canned goods results in $5 of actual aid use.

In addition, if the charity allows the needy families to choose which products they receive, all products end up being used and the process becomes more efficient.

Using this logic, our school should host “money drives” rather than canned food drives so we can better help the hungry.

Many charities also focus on the wrong part of charity.

Programs like One Laptop per Child spend their money giving

laptops to children in Africa or cheering up patients.

We should focus instead on preventing hunger in Africa and finding the cure to diseases.

It would be more effective to start at the root of the problem.

Charities like Engineers Without Borders work on forming infrastructure and pipelines in Africa that can make the people more self sufficient.

These actions increase the amount of food and clean water, solving all of the problems other charities attempt to fix.

We as citizens, along with the government and charity leaders, need to better regulate the money used by charities to help the world as efficiently as possible.

We have the power to choose who we donate to, and we should use that power to help the recipients of charity.

Athletic scholarships allow universities to function Increased profits, exposure make grants worthwhile ROBBIE KRAVEC Sports Editor

In an age where the college admission process has become increasingly competitive, some have argued that athletic scholarships, grants given to students based on the ability to play one or more sports, compromise the integrity of the country’s finest educational institutions.

With Harvard and Stanford accepting only 7 percent of applicants in the Fall of 2010, it may seem unfair that schools deny academically superior students the chance to pursue a higher learning opportunity, while admitting studentathletes who have achieved less academically.

However, athletic programs are essential to the promotion and operation of most colleges, so therefore, the current system must remain in place.

Sports bring some schools enormous wealth and media coverage.

According to Forbes, the Texas Longhorns accrued 71 million dollars from their football program in 2010, a monumental amount considering that they can only allot 85 football scholarships.

The University of Texas has experienced so much athletic success that in 2011, it debuted its own television network to broadcast games and attract publicity.

As evidenced by the over 90 percent of students that played intramural sports at Notre Dame in 2007-2008, athletics play a dominant role in campus life and better the college experience.

According to the Center for College Affordability, athletic success can even help build school solidarity among the entire university community.

During the intellectual rigors of college,

I know your grades are not the best, but...

Dean of Admissions

Illustration by Ameen Mettawa

developing a sense of school pride and rooting for a team on campus can alleviate stress and establish a recreational attitude.

Opponents of academic scholarships often equate this practice to affirmative action because superior applicants are denied admissions based on factors other than academics.

Michelle Gideon Advisor Lauren Kandell & Erica Turret Editors in Chief The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the advisor, administration,or advertisers. The Courier welcomes letters to the editor which can be turned into Michelle Gideon in room 236 or online at douglascourier. com. These letters can be edited for content but these changes will not affect their meaning. The publication abides by the scholastic press and is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. If you would like to advertise please call (754) 322-2150.

Contact us at douglascourier.com

Mitchell Kaufman Editorial Editor

Liz Myers News Editor

Robbie Kravec Sports Editor

Adar Livni & Kim Moran Feature Editors

Alex Newman Ads Manager

Christina Sileo Entertainment Editor

Ameen Mettawa Copy Editor

However, colleges are not required to admit a certain number of athletes to meet quotas.

In fact, the number of scholarships set aside for each sport per year is restricted.

The amount of money contributed to athletic scholarships, about $76,000 per person every year, pales in comparison to the profits accumulated because of the toil of these individuals.

According to ESPN, The Southeastern Conference alone made over $1 billion dollars of pure revenue in 2010. This type of money can be used to make incredible strides toward university improvement, and grants based on physical potential are an integral part of this process.

Additionally, athletic scholarships provide an opportunity for less gifted minds to get a first-class education that could not have been secured without sports.

While providing a service and gaining leadership experience, student-athletes are compensated by receiving an opportunity to flourish and grow.

The grants are secondary, just a means of alleviating potential financial burdens.

According to NCAA president Mark Emmert, over 80 percent of student athletes graduate from their respective universities, revealing the academic seriousness of these young adults.

College applicants denied admission because their spots have been taken by athletes are the unfortunate casualties of a process that makes universities around the country richer and better able to attract applicants and donors.

An end to athletic scholarships mean the death of a multibillion dollar industry that helps sustain the academic framework of America and power the future’s greatest minds.

Staff Sam Ball Fallon Birke Ryan Blitzer Sabrina Eisenberg Rachel Epstein Mitchell Feldman Amanda Gaines Lauren Halpert Daniel Harrison

Natalie Heim Rachel Kahn Yaell Livni Victoria Malcolm Sarah Ponczek Megan Robb Elyssa Ronik Matthew Walzer Roxanne Zech

Page 16

The Courier

Editorial

March 2012

Struggle over birth control not yet won Teens must stand up for women’s health, rights ERICA TURRET Editor in Chief It is so ironic that birth control has moved to the forefront of the national political debate exactly 100 years after birth control advocate Margaret Sanger resigned from her nursing job to begin distributing information about contraceptives.

Back in 1912, the public vilified Sanger, as birth control was a taboo topic. Today, however, according to Center for Disease Control statistics, 99 percent of all women have used a form of birth control at some point in their lives.

We have all seen the advertisements for birth control methods on TV and have watched movies and television shows that demonstrate the use of protection.

The number of teens filling prescriptions for birth control pills increased 50 percent over the past decade, with 18 percent of teen girls aged 13 to 18 taking oral contraceptives in 2009.

Birth control today is used

and accepted throughout the United States as an appropriate and valid method of family planning, protection, and medical treatment for conditions such as ovarian cists and heavy or irregular periods.

The recent Republican attack on birth control is an assault on women’s health.

Conservatives have attempted to defund Planned Parenthood and have required teens to have parental permission before purchasing contraceptives.

They are currently attacking Obama’s recent proposal that all insurance companies include birth control as a part of their preventative care coverage, even for employees of religious organizations such as Catholic hospitals and universities.

The Catholic Church still bans the use of birth control even though 98 percent of all Catholic women have used contraceptives at some point in their lives, according to a Guttmacher Institute report.

Regardless of whether a woman works at the University

of Notre Dame or the University of Florida, she should have access to birth control coverage, as it is a staple of preventative care.

Adolescent girls today have grown up in a world where access to birth control seems like a given rather than the result of a hard fought struggle.

No one should be denied medical care based on a religion’s position on this issue especially since Obama has since devised a compromise solution in which the religious institutions would not have to pay for birth control for their employees.

The insurance companies will now foot the bill, which is justified especially now, when insurance companies are making record profits in the

face of the hardships millions of us are facing in the aftermath of the recession.

As teenagers, we often take for granted our basic rights, and adolescent girls today have grown up in a world where access to birth control seems like a given rather than the result of a hard fought struggle.

It is so important for us to realize that we must continue to stand up for women’s health because there are very prominent people out there, including the Republican presidential candidates, who would jump at the chance to snatch away funding for women’s health and women’s reproductive rights.

Every teenager can understand that preaching abstinence is ineffective, so why can’t politicians?

Birth control is one of the most widely used medications in the United States and we are not hearing any outcries over Viagra or other pills that men view as crucial to their sexual health.

Margaret Sanger set up the

first birth control clinic in the United States in 1916 and we must continue the battle she spent her life fighting against male-chauvinistic myths and a right-wing agenda that imposes itself on the rest of society.

Conservatives have argued that Obama’s recent rule is an infringement of religious liberty and a sign of government overreach, but on the contrary it is a continuance of government policy that has existed for decades, that stands up for women’s health and individual rights.

Our generation must view this birth control political firestorm as a sign that the fight to maintain rights has not yet been won and that we must not forget that limited access to birth control means limited opportunities for women.

We have grown up understanding that birth control is a part of life and in the years to come, we must look at the issue with the knowledge that the use of birth control is perfectly okay and is here to stay.

Approximately 6 out of 10 women use birth control regularly

The most popular method of birth control is the use of oral contraceptive pill, which is used by 10.7 million women in the US in 2008.

Oral contraceptives are up to 99.7 percent effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.

In 2009, 20 percent of sexually active high school students reported using birth control pills at their most recent sexual intercourse.

Thirty-four percent of twelfth-grade sexually active females report using birth control pills.

Information from the CDC, Child Trends Databank

Obama correct in calling for end to dropouts

LAUREN HALPERT Staff Writer In his most recent State of the Union address, President Obama proposed that all states mandate high school attendance until age 18, with the goal of more students achieving high school graduation.

Currently, 21 states require students to remain in high school until they reach age 18.

Eleven states require high school attendance until 17. In the rest of the nation, including Florida, students are permitted to drop out at 16.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD), the United States ranks 21st in the world in terms of high school completion and 15th for college completion.

Students must strive to complete high school because it will improve the quality of their own lives and aid in the economic recovery of our

nation.

Our foreign economic competitors have increased the number of students who graduate from high school and college, while in the United States the number of graduates has started to dwindle.

According to “Education at a Glance,” a study conducted by the OECD in 2007, about 55 percent of adults ages 25-34 in Canada and Japan had college degrees, while only 40 percent of adults in this age range who resided in the United States had college degrees.

According to U.S. News and World Report, in 2008, the national high school graduation rate was 74.9 percent. With the rate failing to increase in recent years, Congress passed the Every Student Counts Act in 2011, setting a graduation rate goal of 90 percent for students across the United States.

According to the act, Congress expects an increase in graduation rates by three

percent per year for the next five years.

Society does not hold students who fail to graduate from high school in high esteem.

In the world of employment, education credentials matter.

The person who continues to receive an education will trump the one who ended his opportunity to learn by dropping out of high school.

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, in 2005 the average annual income for the high school dropout was $17,299 compared with $26, 933 for the high school graduate.

According to Cecilia Rose, professor of economic and public affairs at Princeton University, each high school dropout costs the nation approximately $260,000 over his lifetime.

Unless high school graduation rates rise, more than 12 million students will drop out during the next

decade, resulting in a $3 trillion loss to our nation.

People who are given an education tend to be the innovative creators of new ideas and technology.

According to the New York Times, “educated workers provide the basis for economic growth.”

Whether or not a student chooses to attend college, if he graduates from high school, he will obtain greater employment and income opportunities.

The New York Times reports that his earnings will increase anywhere from 50 to 100 percent during his lifetime, and he will be less likely to require government assistance in order to survive.

Only 7 out of 10 current ninth graders will receive high school diplomas, amounting to 1.3 million high school dropouts per year in the United States.

In Florida, only 37 percent of people ages 25-64 have postsecondary degrees. By

reducing the current annual high school dropout rate by 50 percent, nearly 90 billion dollars could be saved for each year that the number of dropouts is reduced.

This is because high school graduates earn more money and pay more taxes.

There is a $1.45-$3.55 return for every dollar of investment in education. Requiring high school students to stay in school makes good economic sense.

Although more must be done to help struggling students, other than just keeping them in school.

Several studies have shown that higher dropout ages improve high school graduation rates, as well as rates of entrance to higher education, and career opportunities.

States should strive to support President Obama’s call to increase the dropout age, for the benefit of students, their future families, and our country.

March 2012

The Courier

Sports

Page 17

Going the distance: track teams look to run, hurdle, vault to victory SARAH PONCZEK Staff Writer

Photo by Lauren Kandell

Senior captain Jen Cavalieri runs warmup labs during practice.

“We are also trying to establish ourselves as an important team for Douglas by working for new uniforms and raising enough money to host our own [home] meet.”

Cavalieri strives to run the mile in under six minutes this year and the two mile in under 12:30.

After the boys finished fifth in the district and the girls took third last year, the track and field team hopes to surpass its previous records and bond.

“We have dedicated student athletes and experienced, knowledgeable coaches,” boys’ first year head coach Justin Boruch said. “We are looking forward to competing this year, growing closer as a team and stronger as a program.”

Track and field encompasses pole vaulting, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put discus, and various running competitions.

According to junior Lauren Chabarek, the team works out every day after school and completes either a running or stair workout followed by an abs circuit. The team also goes to the weight room twice a week to increase both core and upper body strength. Chabarek is on the pole-vaulting team and has also competed in the 100-meter, 300-meter hurdles, and 4x100 meter relay.

“I was disappointed with my finish last year. I plan to jump at least 10’6’’ and maybe even 11’ if I work hard enough this year,” Chabarek said. “I also hope to qualify for the state meet.”

According to senior Jen Cavalieri, who runs the 3200-meter and 1600-meter events and has personal records of 12:56 and 6:10, respectively, the girls will most likely make it to the regional meet and a few individuals will make it to states based on qualifications.

“We could have done better as a team last season, but that’s when you just have to get back up and work harder,” junior runner Matan Ozery said.

This year, the boys and girls are focusing on becoming one big team rather than various subteams.

“I can already see the importance of team bonding and closeness,” Cavalieri said. “We are trying to establish ourselves as an important team for Douglas, and we are now working on new uniforms and trying to raise enough money to host our own meet.”

According to Boruch, the team is very young but has a tremendous amount of potential, so students must commit themselves to success, dedication, and hard work.

“We need to become as close as a family as possible because we will only achieve success by working together and pushing each other,” polevaulting senior captain Daniel Oliva said.

Page 18

The Courier

Sports

March 2012

New coach motivates baseball team to avenge last season’s collapse FALLON BIRKE Staff Writer The baseball team finished its season 17-3 last year, losing in the first round of districts to Deerfield. According to senior co-captain Chris Pannell, this reflected the team’s lack of focus and unity, which will be rectified this year by a new family atmosphere.

“It really helps knowing that you have your guys around you all the time,” Pannell said. “We know they’re like our brothers, we really are a family. “ Spending time together on weekends, mini golfing, and having team dinners solidify their relationships.

Junior shortstop Luis Silverio has played on the varsity team for two years and led the team in doubles this past season.

“This year we are less selfish, and we do things to help each other out,” Silverio said. ”We don’t put ourselves before the whole team; therefore we help each other in games.”

In addition to the team’s new familial outlook, they acquired new head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald from American Heritage, where he had been head coach for 10 years.

Junior Derek Fritz

Photo by Fallon Birke

Senior outfielder Brandon Dreichler swings at a pitch during a February 23 game against Coral Springs. The Eagles amassed a four run lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning before giving up six unearned runs and losing 8-6. transferred to Douglas from Heritage, where he had played on their varsity team since eighth grade. According to Fritz, close relations between players will produce positive outcomes during the season.

“We weren’t really together at Heritage,” Fritz said. “We just played, but this team here is

like a family and we trust each other.”

According to Pannell, FitzGerald motivates the team and dedicates himself to their improvement.

“Even when we reach our potentials, he still isn’t going to be satisfied,” Pannell said.

“He wants to always push us

forward and keeps raising the bar.”

According to Pannell, intense practices will lose last year’s lackadaisical temperament and take on a more up-tempo regiment, focusing on speed and agility.

Twelve seniors play for the varsity team and each plans

to uphold the saying “tradition never graduates.” As a cocaptain, Pannell plans to instill his leadership and love of the game into the underclassmen.

“It’s about learning a sense of urgency and passion for the team, knowing when you put the jersey on you have something to represent,” Pannell said.

Hanley holds key to successful Marlins season Shift to third base will test questionable adaptability

Photo courtesy of Google Images

The Miami Marlins debut their new stadium, uniforms, logo, and player personnel April 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. The stadium covers 17 of the 42 acres left vacant by the destruction of the Orange Bowl and can seat 37,000 people.

MATT WALZER Staff Writer

Commentary

When the Miami Marlins underwent their rebranding in November, everything changed: their name, their

colors, their manager, and their financial philosophy.

A team that seemingly had no funds spent $191 million on three key free agents, shortstop Jose Reyes, closer Heath Bell, and starter Mark Buehrle.

However, heading towards opening day on April 4, none

of these acquisitions seem to be the team’s top story line.

Hanley Ramirez, the team’s superstar since winning rookie of the year in 2006 will assume third base this year, as Reyes takes over and plays shortstop.

The question is will we see a phenomenal performance as in

Ramirez of 2009 or a bust as in 2011?

In 2009, Ramirez had a career year, hitting .342 with 24 home runs and 106 RBI, but slumped in 2011, hitting .243 with just 10 home runs and 45 RBI, an all career lows.

He did suffer a seasonending shoulder injury in August that required surgery, and limited his year to 92 games.

There are times when Ramirez thinks that he is bigger than the team; for example last year when he was benched for arriving late to a team meeting.

He has not said much publicly on the switch to third, but team president David Samson has displayed confidence in the change. “[He] looks great, feels great, ready for Opening Day,” Samson said on Marlins.com.

“He’s been working to rehab very, very hard. He will be there.”

New Manager Ozzie Guillen has confidence that Ramirez will have no problem moving to third base.

“A lot of good players move,” Guillen said at a team luncheon. “Like I say, bad players, they get released or traded, or they play in Mexico.

Good players, they move to

another position. Look at the players being moved. Good players: Michael Young, Miguel Cabrera, A-Rod, Robin Yount, Cal Ripken. You’re not talking about Pedro Perez. You’re talking about good ones. That is for a reason.”

Besides having success managing in the major leagues, Guillen is known for his ability to have good control of his players and should make a good connection with the Latin population in Miami.

Regarding Ramirez, Guillen also said something along the lines of motivation for him to play better in 2012.

“Hanley Ramirez can be one of the best players in the National League. But he has to want to be,” Guillen said on Marlins.com.

Ramirez has said that he will have no problem playing third base this year, but actions speak louder than words.

“I never said I’m not going to do it,” Ramirez said according to the Palm Beach Post. “I’m just happy to be here, be back in the spring with my guys, my teammates. I know I was injured. I was hitting .201 and went all the way to .243. I know what kind of player I am and I know what kind of player I’m going to be this year.”

March 2012

The Courier

Sports

Page 19

Spring football combines strength training, focus on basic fundamentals

Photo by Lauren Kandell

Freshman Brett Israel power cleans during a spring football workout. According to head coach Rick DiVita, additional training decreases the likelihood of injuries in the fall. preparation for a four-team LAUREN KANDELL jamboree at the end of May, Editor in Chief focuses on basic practicing of After the fall football season offense and defense in order to ends in November, the Eagles avoid injuries. do not cease their training “It lets us know the team’s schedule. strengths and weaknesses so Instead, the team returns we have a good baseline, and to the field each May for the it helps us prepare for summer spring season. According to training,” senior captain Peter head coach Rick Divita, this Malcolm said. season, during which the For the graduating seniors, team will hold 20 practices in the underclassmen’s practice

fosters a relaxing tradition to end their high school football careers.

“On the first day of full pads, when [the underclassmen] actually start hitting, all the seniors bring out someone’s truck and grill,” Malcolm said.

Before the spring season begins, players work out in the weight room three days per week for winter training.

“At least 40 players have been coming every day [to winter training],” Divita said. “A lot of our kids are playing other sports: basketball, lacrosse, track. We’re just trying to work hard.”

According to junior Jake Miller, players appreciate the training between seasons because it forces them to stay fit without their usual daily practice routines.

“A lot of us wouldn’t have the motivation to get a membership [to a gym] and stay in shape ourselves,” Miller said.

“I don’t find there to be any drawbacks because I love being with my team and knowing that we’re getting better daily.”

This year’s jamboree will take place on May 24 at Coral Springs High, in which Douglas will play against Coral Springs High, Fort Lauderdale High, and South Broward High.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s a lot of fun,” Miller said.

“Everyone gets to go out there and compete and show what they’ve learned through spring, and what they need to work on to get better by the start of the actual season.”

Heat PA announcer Michael Biamonte provides play by play commentary during Miami Heat home games.

As a teen, he did the morning announcements at Gulliver Prep High School. He then majored in business at FIU, and ultimately turned toward professional sports.

Photo courtesy of Miami Heat

Biamonte brings energy, flair to Heat home games MATT WALZER Staff Writer Heat public address announcer Michael Biamonte, now in his 21st year with the Heat, originally got his start announcing basketball games during his junior year in high school at Gulliver Prep in Miami.

He knew from doing the morning announcements in high school. When the Heat started playing in 1988, he applied for the job of PA announcer, but was turned down. However one night when the main PA announcer got sick, they contacted him and asked him to be the permanent backup.

Ultimately though, he was named main PA at the start of the 1990-91 season.

Some of his famous calls were not actually formed with the Heat.

“My ‘three’ and ‘too many steps’ [traveling] calls originated during my college announcing. I took them with me when I went to the Heat,”

Biamonte said via e-mail.

His “dos minutos” call started with the Heat, referencing that two minutes were left in the quarter.

To get the crowd going, he will use a prompt that the team gives him for certain situations or, if he feels that the crowd needs a little morale boost, he will use personal judgment and start a “Let’s go Heat!” chant.

Through 21 years calling Heat games, there is one game that sticks out to him in particular, game three of the 2006 finals.

“The Heat were down 2-0 in the series, and Dwayne Wade brought the team back in the fourth quarter, I fed off the excitement of the fans, they fed off of me, I fed off of them, and we went on to win the game,” Biamonte said.

To get the crowd going, he will use a prompt that the team gives him for certain situations, or if he feels that the crowd needs a little morale boost he will use personal judgment.

Page 20

The Courier

Sports

March 2012

Hawaii-bound senior leads girls’ water polo

SAM BALL Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Lynda Rusinowski

Junior goalie Diana Luzardo throws the ball down the length of the pool during the team’s February 22 game against South Broward. The Lady Eagles defeated the Bulldogs 17-4 in this game, their season opener led by senior captain Mallory Rusinowski, who has received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Hawaii.

Boys’ water polo team utilizes offseason training program

Photo courtesy of Lynda Rusinowski

Sophomore Thiago Pereira prepares to throw a pass during a game against South Broward in which the Eagles lost 11-10.

VICTORIA MALCOLM Staff Writer To prepare for the season, which began on February 22 with a loss against Nova, the boys’ water polo team hit the gym.

“We’ve all gotten a lot stronger,” sophomore Andy Hofmann said.

“We condition before the season for about a month or so. The whole team went to the weight room.”

Head coach Lauren Rubenstein uses the preseason to prepare new players for the intensity of the sport.

This includes teaching the ‘egg beat’, which is the leg

movement used in water polo to stay afloat during play. It consists of rotating ones legs in a circular, inward motion.

“In the beginning of the season, [we’re] teaching the game and the rules. It’s not a sport you grow up watching,” Rubenstein said.

“Water polo is very difficult.

It combines quite a few different disciplines. You have to have leg strength, be able to tread and control the ball, and you have to be able to do all that while someone is trying to bring you underwater.”

Unlike other school sports, boys’ water polo does not have a separate junior varsity team.

The 21 boys that play water polo, under the leadership of Rubenstein and team captains Gary Wexler and Frank Guzman, are all part of one varsity team.

The boys’ and girls’ water polo teams practice together, which promotes a feeling of community among players.

“It’s girls and guys, so it’s two separate teams but one family. Everybody gets along with everyone else,” said Wexler.

According to sophomore Frank Guzman, players motivate each other before games.

“We usually do a lot of chants and to call each other we do jungle noises,” Guzman said. “It makes it more fun.”

According to Rubenstein, it will take a few games before all the players are comfortable in their new roles.

“Once we see our competition we’ll see how well our new players will be able to adapt. It usually takes one or two games for everyone to really understand the sport,” Rubenstein said.

“It’s a challenge to get the newer players confident and comfortable in what they know how to do [and] to have them see that they know what they’re doing.”

Home games take place at Deerfield Beach High School.

With the exception of district games, attendance is free.

After losing to Westminster in the district finals last year, the girls’ water polo team, led by sixth year head coach Lauren Rubenstein, has set higher goals for this season.

“We had worked so hard all season and it all came down to one game and we just couldn’t cut it,” senior captain Mallory Rusinowski said. “It was a wake up call for the amount of work we’d have to put in next season to get a better result.”

Rusinowski started playing for the school team her freshman year and began playing club the next summer.

“I fell in love with the sport and have worked really hard to build the team up over the past few years,” Rusinowski said.

“This year our team is pretty new so it’s taking time for the girls to get into the game.”

Rusinowski has received a full scholarship to the University of Hawaii and will be signing with them in April.

“I was so excited because

it has been my dream to go there since freshman year,” Rusinowski said. “I’m nervous because it’s a Division I school, but I know that I can handle it.”

The girls practice every day at the aquatic center from 7:30 to 9:30. During practice the girls perform drills to better their skills and scrimmage to prepare for game situations.

“I’d say we’re close to where we were last year, but we have a little more building to do fundamentally,” Rusinowski said. “A lot of the girls have not played water polo before, so the few returners we have need to step up and help coach the newcomers.”

According to multiple players, everyone on the team has each other’s back and works hard with the team’s welfare in mind.

“We all try extremely hard to help each other out as much as possible and encourage one another,” junior goalie Diana Luzardo said. “We’re a strong team this year and I think we’ll do well if we keep the right mindset, We can only improve and move forward.”