Once the rally was over, the teachers returned to the Civ ic Center and started reboard ing buses and cars. There was an excitement in the air, a sense of triumph and hope for the fu ture of educators in Florida.
MAST teachers Mayling Ganuza, Felizitas Pollak Reby, Laura Leigh Rampey, George Fahmie, and student Daisy Hoover Photo cour tesy of Felizitas Pollak Reby
Features, p.8
tion spending isn’t over yet.
Covering the destruc tion caused by the p.13
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entire lives in the profession. And another issue is that $47,500 sounds like a lot of money, but in a place like Miami where the cost of living is very high,
residents. mastbeacon.com MAST Academy 3979 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149 305-365-MAST hiisse...ustnI
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Ms. Rampey continued. “That went away, and when the lottery was passed...One of the ways they got the lottery passed was by saying that all that money is go ing to go to education. But what they didn’t say was the money we used to give to education, we’re going to stop giving that and replace it with money from the lottery So the overall money given to education didn’t go up.”
“Salaries are the most obvious issue to us teachers,” AP Stats teacher Ms. Laura Leigh Rampey, who attended the rally, said. “I mean, we’re 46th in the nation for median teacher salaries.”
Daisy Hoover Ramblings Editor
A sea of red swarmed T allaha s see the afternoon of Monday, January 13th, as thousands of teachers from all across Florida, including several from MAST, marched to the state Capitol steps, chanting and carrying signs that read “Fund Our Future” and “WTF: Where’s the Funding?”.
The protesters converged at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Cen ter near Florida State University before the rally began. Bus after bus full of teachers and public school staff pulled into the cen ter, some having travelled over 9 hours overnight to make it to the capitol. As the teachers gathered in the stadium, speakers from the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Feder ation of Teachers (AFT), the two largest teacher ’s labor unions in America, charged the crowd up and went over chants for the rally
“Several years ago, we used to have a system where we got a
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“I mean certainly, starting teachers need a higher salary,” Ms. Rampey said. “But there are a couple problems with it. One of them is that it doesn’t do any thing for teachers who spent their
MAST teachers show of f their protest signs while making their way to the Capitol Building Photo by Daisy Hoover
News,
Teachers gather outside of the Florida State Capitol building to demand funding for public schools
Taking place right before the start of a new state legislative session, the rally was designed to bring attention to years of public school funding issues, with a fo
“Joining thousands of ed ucators to rally at Tallahassee was more than just a memora
ble experience,” Ms. Mayling Ganuza, another teacher who attended the rally, said. “It rein vigorated my faith in the impor tance of taking collective action to keep our government account able to the will of the people.”
“Gov DeSantis has declared this the ‘Year of the Teacher,’” Ms. Ganuza continued. “Let’s make sure he keeps his word.”
According to the National Education Association, Florida is 46th in the country for public school teacher salaries, with an average salary of $48,169. The national average was $60,477.
AUSTR ALIAN FIRE S SUPER BOWL LIV p.2 p.12
“Why did this happen?” asked Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, as she stood in front of the crowd on the Capitol steps.
Science,
“Okay, here’s your Spanish lesson for the day,” Lily Eskel sen García, president of the NEA, said. “Vamos a ganar You just said: ‘We are going to win!’”
Photo by Daisy Hoover
“We’ve had 20 years of defund ing of public schools. 20 years of a petri dish of failed policies, where children have been de nied the education they deserve.”
Your guide to what’s happening in football before the Super Bowl comes to Miami.
Spor ts,
Move over, humans. We talk to students and faculty about MAST’s newest
ally in TallyRTeachers Florida march on the capital for increased school funding
cus on low teacher pay and a gen eral lack of support for instructors.
Governor Ron DeSantis has been trying to address teacher pay issues, recently declaring 2020 as the “year of the teacher.” Gov ernor DeSantis has been cham pioning a $1 billion increase in education spending, which would raise starting salaries to $47,500 and institute a new bonus pro gram. The plan aims to address teacher salary concerns and to attract more teachers to Florida, which currently faces a shortage of educators. There were over 3,500 teaching vacancies report ed in the 2019-2020 school year But while DeSantis’s plan looks good on paper, veteran teachers have some concerns.
EA CO BN
We sit down with ris ing rap star and fellow Mako Ayeisha Kirkland to discuss her latest album.
For years, Florida’s national ranking for teacher pay has been low, as wages have been rela tively static after recession hit the state in 2007. And with the elimination of the steps program, a system where teachers had a they worked, many teachers were left frustrated with the state’s handling of education funding.
Max Strongman Staff Writer
As of mid-October, Chilean political and social order has been in shambles, as many are fed up with the high levels of income inequality. Millions have tak en to the streets in protest of the govern ment’s inability to improve the econom ic system. Angry, frustrated, and jaded, Chileans have unified in defiance of det rimental government policy and practice, disrupting the steady stream of normalcy and daily life for the prospect of creating an environment fit for people of all so cio-economic backgrounds.
Colombia
Police officers in Colombia use tear gas and various other chemical means to try to silence the riots. Photo from Google Images.
It was no longer simply about medio cre public transport and consequent high prices, but rather, “the millions of ways they’ve [the government] been abusing the people of Chile for the decades since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship,” said Santiago resident Valentina Toledo. She explained that the demonstrators seek the end of the neoliberal economic model put in place at the end of Pinochet’s rule.
litical figures of protecting crim inals who threat ened the new government and the welfare of the state. Spain had denied these allegations and has since with drawn three diplomats from Bolivia. The Mexican government has already allied with Morales, yet again, granting him po litical asylum. Morales is now in Argenti na with hopes to return to Bolivia. In the midst of mass confusion and turmoil, one thing is certain: elections are to be held in March of 2020, and Anez will not be running.
The streets of Colombia’s capital, Bo gota, too, have been rocked by violent protests for the last two months. As with many South American countries, Colom bia’s society has been damaged by the government’s actions and abuse of power. In August 2019, the Colombian govern ment ordered a bombing attack on FARC
poor health care, and only more corrup tion. Water, gas, health, transport, and education have all been privatized, only benefiting those who own those com panies. We are fighting for a legitimate voice in government,” Toledo said.
Chilean locals put their lives at risk to protest their living conditions. Photo from Google Images.
Representative of the widening class gap, privatization has further separated the wealthy and the impoverished idealisti cally.Theprotests have also opened up a dia logue about the rewriting of the Chilean constitution. The government has prom ised to have a candid conversation about constitutional re form in April 2020.
Bolivian protests break out across the world, including this one in France. Photo from Google Images.
After Morales’ exile, Jeanine Anez, a senator from the northern region Beni, declared herself interim presi dent on Novem ber 12, 2019. Despite her in tention to keep Bolivia afloat in the long term, the question still remains: What will hap pen next? In the past few months, serious strains have cusingdiplomats,andicanmissedAnezandwithia’sbetweenemergedBolivconnectionsbothSpainMexico.hasdistheMexambassadortwoSpanishacthesepo
“I am surprised, yet proud of Bolivians for finally taking a stance with the corrupt politicians, given the social and economic situation of the country. By standing to gether, the country has demonstrated one of the best attributes of its culture, with the success that can come out of cohesive ness between each other, ” said senior and
Bolivia native Nicolas Betancourt. Morales, president of 14 years, was forced to step down last November. He was exiled from the country soon there after, seeking political asylum in Mexico. On January 22, the Bolivian parliament officially accepted his resignation.
With President Duque’s government un responsive to the crisis occurring in the country, a second strike was conducted on November 26, and a third on December 4.
“The current situation in Colombia is a result of the opposition to Duque’s pres idency and their protests in support of a leftist government,” said Colombian na tive and MAST senior Samuel Castillo.
Andrea Castiblanco Staff Writer Mateo Guevara Staff Writer
Bolivia Following what many saw as a fraudulent elec tion in November, where President Evo Morales won reelection unconstitutionallyafter running for a fifth term, there was consequent civilian backlash. Citizens protested against the corrupt elec tion, and tension increased between the people and paramilitary forces. Citizens took to the streets, expressing their anger and indignation. Globally, many Bolivi ans made their voices heard; cities such as New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Madrid had their own respective marches. The Bolivian people have received praise for their ability to join together and fight against injustice; this spirit gave many hope for a brighter future.
news2 The 01.30.2020Beacon
“It is terrifying not knowing what is go ing to happen next. It has gotten to the point that school was canceled for about two weeks because it was too dangerous to drive on the road. Even when we were allowed to go back, we were sent back early as a precaution to not get caught among the protests,” said Bogota resident Maya CitizensMercado.expressed their anger with Pres ident Ivan Duque and his government by conducting a national strike on November 21 in the streets of the capital. A massive crowd of about 250,000 protesters were mainly made up of university students and social leaders. Not only were citizens pro testing the deaths of the children, but also against government issued pension cuts, the lack of action in regards to the sup posed 2016 peace deal between the gov ernment and the country’s guerrilla group, FARC, and in favor of greater protection of indigenous peoples and local activists.
(Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colom bia) rebel groups in the jungle province of Caqueta, inadvertently killing eight in nocent children. The attack was covered up by both Colombia’s government and military, but in November 2019, news of the attack broke out, causing Bogota to fall into an uproar.
“It is scary to hear the stories of what is going on in Bogota,” said Co lombian junior Sebastian Galofre. “All I ever worry about is how my family is doing, but part of me is glad that people are taking a stand against corruption,” he said. “I just wish it was being done more peacefully.”Indeed,the protests in Bogota have been far from peaceful; protesters have thrown bomb blasts to blockades of police and government forces have retaliated with tear gas and even more violence. Numer ous deaths have piled up, with over 500 activists killed in November alone.
The riots began with a group of students who, revolting against a rise in subway prices, jumped the turnstiles at a Santi ago station. This small act of rebellion sparked an awakening within the country, allowing many to realize the true injus tices they had been enduring.
For nearly 60 years Colombia’s past has been one of violence and corruption; now, as in Chile and Bolivia, civilians have tak en a forceful stand in the name of genuine change.
Chile was long ruled by the tyrannous Au gusto Pinochet, the general and self-pro claimed president who ran the country for nearly two decades after overthrowing the democratically-elected socialist govern ment via a violent military coup. In 1990, Pinochet’s dictatorship was ousted there after and the Chilean people slowly ad justed to democracy. However, ever since then, the population’s collective angst has been bubbling under the surface. Chileans claim the economic system has not adapt ed in accordance with the country’s mod ernization, leaving a majority of the less affluent stranded.
“The economic model currently in place has created a pathetic pension system, miserable salaries, privatized education,
“I am hopeful that this will change the country for the bet ter,” Chilean soph omore Dominga Castro said, add ing, “If the people work directly with the fourthprotestsoptimisticyetoforsortthisbodyhopefullygovernmenteverywins.”Itisstillunclearifwillleadtoanyofreferendumactualchangegovernment,manyremainastheentertheirmonth.
Crisis in South America
“What started as a peaceful demonstra tion in the streets of major cities quickly escalated into widespread delinquency and damages to public works. These pro tests are nothing but a demonstration of the left’s incompetence and willingness to ruin the beautiful democracy that is Co lombia,” he said.
“It is empowering to see how the Boliv ian people came together to prove a man wrong. It shows the strong nature of our country and our people,” junior and Santa Cruz native Oliver Sejas said.
South America has long been off the world’s cumulative radar. Removed from the geopolitical ‘to-do list,’ the continent’s col lective future appeared promising. But appearances can be de ceiving.Thisarticle focuses on Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia, three countries which are enduring troubling unrest as a result of poor leadership and deep-seated cor ruption. The problems in these nations are reflective of the social and political upheaval occurring in much of the con tinent: in Bolivia, with the forced exile of ex-president Evo Morales; in Chile, with protests against economic injustice; and in Colombia, with violent protests against what critics see as its corrupt government.
Chile
The time is here, four years have passed and on November 3rd, 2020, registered voters will crowd around ballots and check a box for who they want as their leader, as the President of The United States of Ameri ca. However, in the next two months, the country is depending on citizens eighteen years and older to register to vote and have a say in the future of their country.
The illness named “EVALI” coined by the CDC occurs with short-term use of vap ing products. This is why advocates such as Matthew Myers, president of the Cam paign for Tobacco-Free Kids, applauded the move to raise the age of buying to bacco products to 21 but warned that this alone will not be enough to curb teenage use. In a post on the Campaign for Tobac co-Free Kids website Myers commented on the recent change of legal age. “Rais ing the tobacco age to 21 is a positive step, but it is not a substitute for prohibiting the flavored e-cigarettes that are luring and ad dicting our kids,” Myers said
Students must vote to be rightfully repre sented, many online platforms that give information on each candidate and what they stand for. The February edition of the
Raccoons start to take over MAST
On December 20, President Donald Trump signed a (add ) that raised the legal age to buy cigarettes and vapes to 21. This policy will be en acted as an effort to curb teenage tobac co use that has seen a resurgence due to the rise of vape products such as JUUL. The University of Michigan reported that in the last year 37 percent of high school students reported that they vaped, making vaping the most commonly-used form of nicotine among youth in the United States.
tered under one of Florida’s major political parties (Republican and Democrat) vote for which candidate they wish to see rep resenting them in the general election bal lot on November 3rd. Along with 12 other states, Florida is a closed primary election state meaning citizens must register to vote as part of either the republican or democrat ic party to vote during the primary election, unlike open primaries where voters do not have to register under one-party affiliation. The deadline to register to vote in the primaries is February 18th. At the gener al election, all registered voters may vote for any candidate or question on the ballot regardless of the political party you regis tered for in the primary election.
news 3The01.30.2020Beacon
of the year, so there are no days to slack off. Although Ms. Reyes has been beyond helpful, It’s hard to keep up the pace and motivation in the media center.”
Roaming raccoons have been the talk of the school recently because of the inconvenience they have caused.
Raccoon roundworms are parasites found in raccoon intestines whose eggs are laid
Comic by Daisy Hoover
The saga continues, however, as the rac coons have found a new home in English teacher Eric Eideniere’s room and rum blings have been heard in the ceiling tiles outside of Dr. Samantha Bañal’s door.
Sofia Marin Truck Editor
Time will tell whether this ban and newly-raised age to purchase tobacco ac tually lower the use of nicotine products in teens or actually increases the illegal use of said products.
“Sadly the least likely demographic to vote are young people and yet they have the most to gain out of the decisions that their representatives are going to make. Young people need to start voting in record numbers. The future is yours,” Jeffery Ray mond said.
be able to vote you must be 18 years or older, be a citizen of the United States and not committed a felony crime (unless the sentence is served completely). When you register to vote you must state your current residency. For more information on voting rules, regulations and general information, visit “DemocracyGoVoteMiami.org.onlyworks when we partici pate. It’s the flip side of the ‘right to vote’ that we have to do the job of actually vot ing. We know its complicated; that’s why GoVoteMiami offers information and train ing on the mechanics of voting,” founder and president of GovoteMiami, Cristina Bracken, said.
in their feces. Because the eggs are so mi nuscule, they are not visible to the naked eye and remain in the feces if not properly cleaned up. This raises a major concern, because if an individual becomes infect ed, although these infections are rare, they can lead to irreversible brain, heart, and sometimes eye damage and death. This is why the raccoon feces must be cleaned up quickly and properly. According to the Center for Disease Control and Preven tion, bleach and other household products are not effective in killing the roundworm eggs. Bleach only loosens the “glue” that holds the eggs in place, making it easier to
Over the past few years, raccoon drop pings around the school have appeared ev erywhere. These would not be a problem if they were properly disposed of, but they are only gone when the rain washes them away. It is common knowledge that rac coons carry rabies, but what most do not know is that their poop is extremely toxic and carries roundworms.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administra tion) called for this to be done to protect the health of young people. This is a reac tion to the outbreak of vaping related ill nesses that has caused the hospitalization of at least 2,600 people since June 2019. The youngest reported death due vaping was the death of a 15-year-old in Texas.
Fortunately, after weeks of missed learning opportunities for her students, the broken ceiling tiles in Mrs. Rossin’s room were repaired, and her room was profes sionally cleaned.
Voting: A brief guide to understanding 2020 electoins
JonesSkye-Hervas Editor-in-Chief
Vote for the candidate you want as your leader, vote in the primaries to choose who will represent you and what you stand for. The system won’t work if you don’t vote, so vote for hope, for life, and for a brighter future.
THC vape cartridges that included ingredi ents that would make people fall ill. I feel like raising the age will put more products like these into the market. Some teens may not care about where the cartridge come from but that they just get their hands on it. I hope the new policy curbs vaping, but I am not too sure,” Martin said.
There are multiple ways to register to vote, in Mr. Raymond’s room there are voter registration cards that you can fill out. To
“I feel that it would make a difference and help with the issue of teenage nicotine use. It would be less available to teens and in term lowers the number of people that can use.” Senior Riley Garcia said.
Amir Bredy Staff Writer
The choice between 14 candidates begin, -- democrats and --- republicans. On March 17th the Presidential Preference Primary Election will take place, here voters regis
21: the new smoking age
newspaper beacon will also have its center spread dedicated to each of the candidates running to help you figure out who has your best interests as well as the country and the greater world in mind. The future of the country is in the hands of not only adults but teenagers too.
wash them off a surface. Recently, Mr. Leon Greenwald was greet ed by a mother raccoon and her offspring in Mrs. Genevieve Rossin’s room. Along with the raccoon family, there are rac coon urine and feces located in the ceil ing. If not disposed of correctly, the fumes from these excretory products can travel through the air vents and harm the MAST population. As a result, Mrs. Rossin’s AP World History and AS Psychology classes have been displaced for over three weeks.
“I guess my biggest frustration is not being in my classroom to teach,” said Mrs. Rossin. “Both courses have tests at the end
A ban on some flavored nicotine vap ing products was announced by the Trump administration on January 2. It prohibits the selling of e-liquids in fruit, dessert and mint flavors. This ban still allows manual ly filled tank e-cigarettes to be sold on the
There are differing views on this topic, some believe that this is a giant step to stop teenage smoking while others think it will not do
“Willmuch.raising the legal age actually put more of the United States youth at risk?,” asked by senior Alvaro Martin.“The recent outbreak of the vaping-related illness was started in part by the black market of fake
market. This raises the question of whether this partial ban will curb teen use vaping or just change the young people’s preferred method of ingesting nicotine products. “We have seen when things are prohibited, kids want it more and want to experiment with it. Even though the legal drinking age is 21, we all know people under that age still drink. Instead of prohibition, children need education to stop them from engag ing in habits detrimental to their health,” teacher Maria Sardinas said.
“Voting gives young Americans a say in their future. If you have the privilege of voting and you don’t, you are silencing yourself and ignoring your beliefs,” senior Bertha Wagner said.
World News
Symptoms include pneumonia, tight ness in the chest, and coughing. There are currently around 880 confirmed cases, with the majority being in Wuhan itself and surrounding cities. There are isolat ed cases in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. There has been 1 confirmed case in the US, in Washington State.This
SARS 2.0: what to know about the Wuhan corona-virus
Trump, Drone Strikes, and a Ukrainian Plane Crash
A man in the Chinese city of Wuhan died of an unidentified virus. Subsequent lab testing showed that the virus was a new variant of a Coronavirus, so for lack of a better term, it became known as the Wu han Coronavirus. Not much was known until subsequent lab work came back. Here is what we do know.
On December 27, 2019, the world’s worst fears were confirmed.
virus is related to the SARS virus that swept Asia in 2002, and the MERS vi rus that swept the Middle East in 2012. No one still knows how dangerous the virus is officially, but estimates are placed at a fatality rate of around 4%. That number
Iraqi guards. Worries about Iraq getting caught in the middle of a US-Iran conflict are still high, as the leadership of Iraq has asked for a withdrawal of all American soldiers sta tioned in the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reversed course from pre vious statements saying that the US would do no such thing.
Theo Miller Staff Writer
A crash course on the Iran situation
Adding fuel to the fire was Ukraine In ternational Airlines flight 752. The plane left Tehran International Airport at 6:12 AM on a planned route to Kyiv on Janu ary 8. The plane’s last signal was received two minutes after takeoff. Video obtained and confirmed by the New York Times showed the plane being struck by an Ira nian missile, killing all 176 onboard, in cluding 82 Iranians. Iranian leaders have issued a statement, saying that the attitude and flight pattern of the craft was similar to that of an enemy aircraft, called the strike the result of human error, and apol ogized.
China has informed and is cooperat ing with the World Health Organization to contain the outbreak. Public transpor tation and various community events in cities around China have been canceled or closed to prevent the virus from spread ing. Almost all flights in and out of Wuhan have been canceled. Face masks are now mandatory in the province, and various checkpoints have been set up to help iden tify new cases.
The White House has not provided a clear justification for the strike, the order for which reportedly came from President Trump himself, without consulting Con gress. Trump has claimed that Soleima ni was targeting four4 US embassies for imminent attack. National Security Ad visor Robert O’Brien has suggested that Trump’s order was based on his interpreta tion of available evidence. On January 12, he revised his statement, calling Trump’s analysis of threat an “assumption.”. Mean while, Defense Secretary Mark Esper has only confirmed evidence of targeting the US embassy in Baghdad. A Washington Post report from January 10 claimed that the Embassy was not warned of the threat. Congress was finally given a brief ing on January 8 regarding the action in Iraq and Iran, but various members of Congress have come forward, saying the briefing included nothing about the four embassies. Meanwhile, Iranian missiles were launched at two Iraqi bases housing US troops. No one was killed. A subse quent strike on January 12 injured four
The plane crash seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Iran’s capital city has become a hotbed for po litical protests once again. Symbolic US
This strain of coronavirus is not unknown to scientists. This very disease has been studied before, but never in humans. Photo from Google Images.
news4 The 01.30.2020Beacon
Back home, talks of World War III and the draft dominated social media and the trending tab for days following the attack.
and Israeli flags have been painted on the sidewalk outside of Beheshti Univesity, which protestors refuse to walk on. This is a stand against the Iranian government’s tendency to use legitimate grievances with the US and Isreal to deflect criticism for their own actions. “Our protests were about all of the irresponsibility of the re gime, not just the plane. The plane was the trigger of this protest,” said a protestor named Elhan to NBC News.
The WHO has so far not classified this breakout as a global health emergency. Yet. The US Centers for Disease Control have said that the virus currently poses a low risk for Americans, but is keeping tabs to potentially increase that classification. There is currently no vaccine for this vi rus, and developing one will take months of research and clinical trials before ap proval.
is subject to change. The SARS epidemic had a fatality rate of around 15%. Current ly, there are 26 confirmed fatalities from this Wuhan virus.
Theo Miller Staff Writer
Iranian protesters burn American flag after the assassination of Soleimani. Photo from Google Images.
Tehran is no stranger to democrat ic protests. Last November saw massive anti-government protests over fuel prices in the city. Iran is technically a democra cy overseen by a religious and autocratic “supreme leader”. Cries for true democ racy and for a new government are only getting louder, both in and outside of the country. Canada’s Justin Trudeau and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky have both issued formal calls for justice and restitu tion. The House has passed a resolution to limit Trump’s ability to perform military actions in Iran. At this point, all anyone can do is wait, hope and pray that cooler heads prevail.
Tensions flare in the Middle East once again. Millions of Americans are waiting with bated breath in hopes that those in power can actual ly negotiate a deal that does not involve conscripting their youth to the Iraqi coun tryside.This whole saga started during the early hours of January 3 with a drone strike on the Iranian Major General Qa sem Soleimani’s convoy outside of Bagh dad International Airport. Reactions have been mixed, to say the least. Agnes Cal lamard, a UN special rapporteur, has said the strike is a “[violation] of international human rights law” while the Russian For eign Minister has called it “flatly illegal.” Conversely, ISIS, the terrorist organiza tion, has praised the killing, and some have speculated that they could regain some lost influence with Iran’s foremost military commander gone.
From now on, all bi ographies of Donald Trump will begin with the fact that he is only the third president in United States history to be impeached. On December 18, the Democrat-held House of Representatives approved arti cles of Contraryimpeachment.topopular belief, this does not result in immediate expulsion from of fice; for Trump to be removed from the Presidency, the Senate would need a twothirds vote in favor of impeachment as well. Since the Senate is strongly held by the GOP and lead by Mitch McConnell, who is staunchly loyal to Trump and has sworn himself as an enemy to the im peachment proceedings, stating: “I’m not
An anti-trump-ist holding his impeachment sign in an impeachment rally in March of 2019. Photo from Google Images.
an impartial juror. This is a political pro cess. There is not anything judicial about it. Impeachment is a political decision.”
The House called forth an array of wit nesses close to the phone call for their testimony as part of the impeachment probe. Amongst them was Bill Taylor, the acting ambassador to Ukraine who called withholding security clearance for personal gain “crazy”.
Trump is impeached World News
Nancy Pelosi, one of the major advocates for Trump’s impeachment, announcing the results of the impeachment vote. Photo from Google Images.
news 5The01.30.2020Beacon
Trump was impeached under accusations for two separate crimes, Abuse of Power, and Obstruction of Congress. Both are in association to a phone call Trump made with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zel enski. In the phone call, Trump hinted that the US would withhold military aid to Ukraine if it did not announce it would open an investigation of Joe Biden, a democratic candidate running for the presidency against Trump. “I feel very surprised and disappointed,” lamented MAST Academy sophomore Isabella Conroy, “I just don’t understand how he’s President.”
For the first time he offered firsthand in formation about conversations between himself and the President, as opposed to all of the other past witnesses who only offered secondhand intel. His testimony solidified the claims of an anonymous
whistleblower who had alleged that Trump’s request for investigation of the Bidens was to help his personal presiden tial Withcampaign.theImpeachment moved to the Sen ate, controlled by a GOP majority, con trolling Republicans are hastily working to end the proceeding, a move approved by MAST Academy sophomore Chris Perez, “I don’t like how Democrats are changing how impeachment used to be, bipartisan agreement, to now trying to use it as a ploy to get a Democrat elect ed.” “With Nixon, everyone knew he was guilty, so I don’t like how there’s so much debate on whether or not Trump did an impeachable offense.”
Possibly the most explosive testimony, however, came from Gordon Sondland, a previous donor to Trump’s 2016 cam paign who was nominated to be the US representative to the European Union.
Jaim Steele Staff Writer
One of the new proposed bell schedules pushes high school times from 8:30am-3:30pm, while the other is even later, from 9:30am-4:30pm. At The Beacon we are con cerned that the new bell schedule, particularly the later one,
the street or in the bike lane, scooters can only reach about 15 miles per hour, it is in riders’ best inter est to obey the laws of traffic (which they should be doing anyway). Scooters cannot be parked on pri vate property or in areas outside of District 2 and will be impounded with a fine of $25 per scooter.
Graphic by Theo Miller
Daisy Hoover Ramblings Editor
will negatively impact students, especially for students who do not live near their school, as is common at MAST. For many students, their commutes include a car or bus ride to a Metrorail station, a train ride, and a bus ride to school.
of social media and depression have been well documented, but when that toxic en vironment is your workplace with no closing time, no commute, and no HR department to complain to, burnout seems inevitable from the very first upload. It can get worse, too. Streamers on Twitch and other sites face the same issues, while also having to perform live for hours every night, in exchange for tips. Forward mo mentum is key for every creator online. Success builds on success, or at least that is what The Algorithm dic
The pilot will last through February 14, after which the city commission could either make the program permanent or shut it down for good. Cur rently, the pilot is only in effect in District 2, which includes Coconut Grove, Brickell, and Downtown Miami. It is unclear which way the commission will lean, as the pros and cons of scooters are hotly con
recipe for success. At one level this is true, at another, this is a false meritocracy. YouTubers are wrongly told that the harder they work, the more money they make. In reality, though, it’s out of their hands. Being targeted for demone tization could crater the potential of their video, and there is very little recourse that a creator has if that happens. If a creator cannot compartmentalize, this mass produc tion can be really damag ing for their mental health, and lead to them losing the passion to make videos, also known as burning out. YouTube pro vides little to no aid to cre ators strug gling with mental health, instead link ing them to a fairly ing”.&ator“TipsplaylistuselesstitledforCreHealthWell-beThepressures
Theo Miller Staff Writer
As the February deadline for the scooter pilot program approaches, I find myself torn about what I hope the city commission will do. I personally have never ridden a scooter, but they seem like a fun, af fordable way to get around the city.
The Beacon’s Belief: Less sleep, later hours: Why starting school later will harm the wellbeing of students
YouTube was launched in 2005. With the addition of moneti zation, it became possible for cre ators to actually make a living on the site. In this, the hero of the in ternet emerges: Felix Kjellberg. He joined YouTube in 2006, proceed ed to lose the password to his ac count, and in that he gave birth to the now ubiquitous “PewDiePie” brand.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is currently in the process of redefining the bell schedule for its 392 ele mentary, middle, and senior high schools with the aim of adjusting school schedules toward the natural sleep cycle of teenagers. The change follows recommendations by nu merous health organizations, based on research that claims “Waking a 16-year-old at 6:30 a.m. is the equiv alent of waking a 40-year-old at 4:30 a.m.,” ac cording to the Dadeschools website on the subject.
out completely restructuring how it works, there does not seem to be a clear solution. YouTube is finally mak ing changes to its system with respect to demonetiza tion, copyright strikes, and being more transparent, but none of this addresses creators and their mental health in the way that they need to be addressed. Hopeful ly, on the eve of their largest creator’s departure, the heads at YouTube will reconsider their policies and cre ate a healthier platform for everyone in the opinionsprocess.
Having classes end at 3:30pm or 4:30pm would push the departure time of these students further back, meaning they may not arrive home until 4:30pm to 5:30pm. In mak ing it easier for teenagers to get a proper amount of sleep at night, these new start times would actually harm stu dents at magnet schools who have to commute to get there.
Already, input from teachers, students, and communi ty members have made the 9:30am start time option less likely. An 8:30am start time would not impact MAST nearly as much, but there is still a concern that the lat er option could become the new schedule. If this hap pens, there may be a decrease in students attending mag nets schools that are far away from their home schools.
scooter. For most rentals, it is a flat fee of $1 to start rid ing and 15 cents for every minute thereafter. When riders are done, they can leave the scooters pretty much any where. At the end of the day, employees of the scooter companies track the scooters and collect them, charging them back up and redeploying them to specific locations.
If you are walking around Downtown or Brickell, you cannot miss them. They are everywhere: zipping down sidewalks, cruis ing through streets, and littering the side of the road. Yes, electric scooters have invaded Miami, but they might not be here to stay.
To rent a scooter, download the app for one of the companies mentioned earlier and use the map to find a nearby one. After you pay, scan a barcode to unlock the
YouTubers and mental health: Horror of the old gods
“Opponents criticize unsafe driving, illegal park ing practices, and the cluttering of sidewalks.”
So how does scooter rental work, and what restrictions are placed on their use?
tates as gospel. Creators who cannot form healthy habits for maintaining a work-life balance and a good mental state can and have been pushed to their breaking point. In 2018, YouTube’s HQ was the target of a shooting by Nasim Najafi Aghdam, an aspiring fitness personality, in response to the company’s censorship policies. She injured 3 before turning the pistol on herself. In 2019, Twitch streamer and YouTuber Etika committed sui cide, citing the pressures of so cial media and self-doubt on his suicide note in the description of a video titled “I’m sorry.” He had over ken,systemClearly,ingcomehealthwiththattwoThesesubscribers.865,000arejustofthousandsstrugglethementalissuesthatwithbeonYouTube.theisbrobutwith
That being said, I do think that scooter regulations need to be im proved and better enforced. In the past, District 2 Commissioner Ken Russel expressed a need for an education campaign about scooter rules and safety and suggested fining parents for allowing underage riding. The city is also supposed to be rolling out designated drop zones for scooters to minimize sidewalk clutter. If city offi cials can come through on ideas like these, electric scooters might continue to have a future in Miami.
After school activities may also be more difficult, espe cially if school ends at 4:30pm. While students will have woken up later, the activities will still take up time and
The scooter rental pilot pro gram began last April with just 300 approved scoot ers. Six companies participated—Bird, Bolt, Jump by Uber, Lime, Lyft, and Spin— each with a fleet of 50 electric scooters. But in just under a year, the program has grown to 100 times its original size, with the number of approved scooters ballooning to over 3,000.
tested by city officials and Miami residents alike. Supporters of scooters argue that they serve as a valu able alternative to cars and help residents better reach mass transit. Opponents criticize unsafe driving, ille gal parking practices, and the cluttering of sidewalks.
Fast forward 10 years and 102 million subscribers later to December 14, 2019. Kjellberg upload ed an episode of his recurring “Pew News” series, with a small addendum at the end. The largest independent cre ator on youtube would be taking a break in the first half of 2020 “I’ve never not worried about uploading a video” Kjellberg said to his audience in a subsequent video. “Even on my honeymoon, I was worried about filming a vlog.” What Felix did in those select few words is the most important thing a large YouTuber can do. See, YouTube has a problem at its core. The creators that it relies on to fill its site with content are given free rein on what to upload, compared to a traditional TV network, and thus YouTube has to adopt a hands-off approach to oversee ing these channels. And because, legally, YouTubers are self-employed, they set their own hours, write their own paychecks, and produce their own content, they do not punch the clock. Because of the 24 hour nature of the internet, creators can technically work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year if they choose. This is where it starts getting shady. The Algorithm. Invok ing its name in the presence of those who know it’s power carries with it the connotations of mentioning C’thulhu. It can make or break a channel in the darkest way. Es sentially, the Algorithm decides what videos appear on a user’s recommended feed. If the Algorithm deems your video unworthy, it can be hours, days, or weeks of time wasted for a pittance of money, or possibly none at all. The only common knowledge about the mysterious Algo rithm is that it likes consistency. Uploading regularly is a
students may find themselves going home in the dark. One argument for school start times is that it will ensure that children do not have to walk to their bus stops in the dark in the morning, but now they would have to walk to their stops in the evening, eliminating this benefit.
Ramblings... The great scooter invasion
6 The 01.30.2020Beacon
Contrary to common belief, there is an age lim it for scooter use. To rent and ride one, you have to be at least 18. And while it is no`t illegal to ride on
This calls to question our motives. Are the Americans on Twitter who produce these memes genuinely scared of a potential World War III, and so they have turned to humor as a coping mechanism? Are people just looking for a few retweets? Or does this situa tion only confirm that we are blissfully ignorant of our own faults and privileges?
The fact of the matter is that the assassination of Qa ssem Soleimani, a top Irani an miliary commander, has placed America’s soldiers in a compromising situation. While the possibility of a World War III is highly im probable and Iranian officials
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During the application process, I came across past online threads regarding student qualifications for ad mission. With this came the discovery of parents who were upset that their children did not get into their alma mater, many placing the blame on minorities “taking their seat” rather than on the qualifications of their children. It seems that with every admission into a top school, the first question asked is whether or not the student was a minority. I have witnessed this first-hand. “Did so-and-so get into *insert name of prestigious col lege*? Is she a minority?” If the answer to the second question is “yes” then the statement is usually followed by an “of course he/she did.” The condemnation of affirmative action policies makes it seem like the stu dent being a minority was the sole factor in their admission. Being a minority who is going to attend a historically white top college, the idea that my ethnicity was the sole basis of my admission is ridicu lous to me. I did not take anyone’s seat; I earned my own. All of the work I have put into the last four years of my life was not done be cause I am a Hispanic woman. It was done because I chose to put into the work--I wanted to. And I did. The truth is, no student is going to get into a top college if they do not have the qualifi cations to attend. Even if they
Amber Haydar Features Editor
These questions prompt students to consider the many factors that can gain them admission into college, one of the factors being race and ethnicity. Affirmative action has come under scrutiny for being unfair in the college admissions process, and as of the passage of House Bill 623 on January 1, 2012, affirmative action is not allowed in college admissions. Butcolleges can still take race into account when making decisions, as race does play a fac tor in student representation on campus. With the rise of diversity in many top colleges, people still condemn the idea that affirmative action policies persist as an under lying part of the process in college admissions. Many oppose the consideration of race or ethnicity in the col lege admissions process because they see affirmative ac tion as “reverse discrimination.” But those who hold this outlook fail to realize that affirmative action is meant
MAST
claim they do not want war, Iran has called off all pledges to not seek to create a nuclear bomb.
Graphic by Theo Miller
itanything,tosponsealmostdoesnot
The main reason we find ourselves able to make light of the situation is because of the fact that not many Amer icans are likely to be killed over this conflict, but instead, Iranians will be dying. Iran is in constant war and the Amer ican people see none of the violence being caused. The situations we joke about are Iranians’ everyday reality and their nightmare. World War I and World War II both had everlasting effects on our lives and those of our predecessors, as the effects of which are ex plained in nearly every histo ry textbook I have ever come across. Why would World War III be any different?
THE B
The anatomy of affirmative action
are a minority, admission is not granted to students who would not succeed at their college of choice. Some who are not part of minority groups feel they are disadvantaged in the process, but non-marginalized people account for over 50% of the population that is getting admitted to college anyway, even with the rise in minority students being accepted. The fundamental idea of affirmative action ideals is that nobody gets to choose where they come from, so nobody should get left behind in progression. There are areas of the college admis sions process that should be improved, but it is unjust and ignorant to reduce the successes students achieve to the color of their skin and/or their cultural background.
ican’santernettoresortingAstheinisAmer
first re
Poll was taken on January 13, 2019. It was randomly distributed to 100 students from grades 9 through 12 by Amber Haydar and Paolo Montoya. The results show that overall, more students find nothing wrong with WWIII memes. Graphs by Isabella Zimmermann.
and sheltered lives.
opinions
Fiona Killian Truck Editor
WWIII memes Student poll: Are WWIII memes morally correct?
The Beacon is an open forum for the free expression of ideas and welcomes readers’ opinions on all topics. Letters to the editor must bear the writer’s full name. The editor reserves the right to reject, edit or shorten letters. Content may be ed ited for grammar or clarity. All letters should be placed in Lynn Paisley’s mailbox, put into The Beacon Box in room 5427 or mailed to: AcademyThe Beacon 3979 Rickenbacker Cswy. Miami, FL 305-365-627833149
to ensure that diversity at least exists (as it should).
come as a surprise to me that thousands of Americans have turned to memes at the news of America’s conflict with Iran.While World War III has been a topic of discussion on social media platforms for years with the once-looming threat of Osama Bin Laden and the rise of Kim Jong-un, in times so dire our very hu manity comes into question. However, we often find that the people posting comical memes would not dare make a joke out of the tragedy of, say, 9/11 solely because of the fact that American lives and fam ilies were affected. Despite these circumstances, we lack empathy in our so privileged
Editors-in-Chief Skye Hervas-Jones Piper Penney News Editor Paolo Montoya Opinions Editor Isabella Zimmermann Truck Editors Fiona Killian Sofia Marin Features Editor Amber Haydar Science Editor Emilio Pagan Sports Editor Taylor Politi Spotlight Editor Mora Bustos Ramblings Editor Daisy Hoover Business Manager Emilio Pagan Staff Writers Amir MaxJaïmHillaryLeaTheoMateoAndreaGiorgiaBredyCattaneoCastiblancoGuevaraMillerRabaronSimmonsSteeleStrongman Advisor Lynn Paisley Principal Derick McKoy Vol. XXIX Issue 4 EACON
The query remains as to whether we are making light of a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, or if we are sharing our concerns for a possibly very dangerous reali ty. Those who find themselves choosing humor in what is a potentially lethal situation should at least be educated on America’s conflict with Iran.
The Beacon accepts all legal advertisements. Should a mistake occur, the ad will be reprinted, with out charge, in the following issue. This publication prints 1,000 copies monthly, which are distributed free of charge to MAST Academy’s 1,500 students, faculty and staff.
With college admissions season around the corner, there is one issue that is beginning to be dis cussed amongst the senior class: affirmative action. What exact ly is affirmative action? It is the practice or policy of favoring in dividuals in the process of em ployment or allocation of resourc es who belong to groups known to have been discriminated against previously. The reason affirmative action becomes such a widespread topic of interest around this time of year is because of the questions that arise during the college admissions process. Am I qualified enough? What are colleges looking for? Will I get in?
The Beacon is MAST Acade my’s student-produced newspaper. Opinions expressed in The Beacon are those of the editors and writers and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the school.
Senior Catalina Cabral interns at RJ Heisenbottle Architects firm in Coral Ga bles Photo by Herf f Jones
children through clothing and fun activities is amazing,” Stuyck said.
When asked what her internships Kelli explained, “I get been getting a lot of insight how to “essentiallyoslaI help onKelli the
She offers the following advice to students looking for an internship: “Take initiative. Buff up your resume. If you have no by myself.”
8 The 01.30.2020Beacon
“We sometimes mix songs into news pieces. It helps to im merse our audience deeper into our stories,” Camacho reveals.
Seniors Dania Lechter (lef t) and Isabella Stuyck (right) pictured with a suppor ter of Style Saves Photo by Isabella Stuyck
A particularly interesting extracurricular local veterinary clinic, learning the Kelli might not have even have had an internship her self-starting attitude. Instead of waiting for an her lap, she took the wheel and guided her own internship been interested in veterinary work for many years, nearby veterinary Grove Animal [they] were alright [them] and helping “I knew a veterinarian so I it and see if it might pursue as a career,” When asked what Kelli explained, been getting a lot how to “essentiallyoslaIno
Senior Isabella Stuyck became interested in an internship at Style Saves after hearing about the work a friend’s sister did there as an intern herself. This led her, along with her fellow senior Dania Lechter, to contact the founder and become an intern. The
Isabella works in large-scale event planning, as well as with marketing and social media to increase the
Through her internship experience she has realized that what she loved about journalism was the process of getting to know people and understanding their different layers. Cama
A particularly interesting extracurricular local veterinary clinic, learning the tools Kelli might not have even have had an internship if her self-starting attitude. Instead of waiting for an opportunity her lap, she took the wheel and guided her own internship been interested in veterinary work for many years, nearby veterinary h o s Grove Animal Clinic, [they] were alright with [them] and helping out whenever “I knew I wanted a veterinarian so I wanted it and see if it might be something pursue as a career,” R o
Through her internship experience, Isabella has realized that she wishes to become a social entrepreneur in the future.
“My favorite part is the day of our events, when all our hard work pays priviledgedoff.
Senior Gabriela Camacho has gotten the opportunity to
“I would recommend having some journalism related experience. I was in yearbook club before I start ed the in te r ns h i p and it helped improve my writing. It also helps to listen to some NPR podcasts to get a feel for
“I have always seen the importance of preserving the stories and his tory of buildings and about learning their architectural style,” Cabral said.
Senior Gabriela Camacho interning at local NPR radio station WLRN reviewing and editing audio Photo by Gabriela Camacho
fashion and philanthropy,and to be able to create a lasting impact in her community
Richard J. Hesisenbottle (center) , Cata lina s mentor and the firm s principal architect, pictured with co architects
She admits that her favorite part about her internship opportunity is getting to edit stories that have musical aspects within them.
Jaïm Steele Staff Writer
“It is as much fun as it is work. However, as long as you love what you are doing, it is all worth it. Don’t be scared to approach them and send out an email or DM if you are interested in interning or even just volunteering,” Stuyck said.
At her internship site she edits audio most ly and writes pieces to be read out loud on the radio by other reporters or herself at times.
Children in the community who have been helped by Styles Saves pictured with volunteers Photo by Isabella Stuyck
“IKelli would totally recommend interning great experience whether they want
After asking a presenter she had met during Art Deco weekend to put in a good word with the architec managed to get an “Before going to university, I wanted to have a background in working in restoration and preservation, so what better way to do that than working at the top architectural in Florida that works on places such as the Miami Marine S ta d ium , Vizcaya, and the Deering Estate?” Cabral said. Catali n a has her own desk where she works on architectur al drawings and models of im portant sites. She learns how to use Revit and other programs in her free time to prac tice using them.
Mora Bustos Spotlight Editor Ravi Lima Staff Writer
at MAST Academy In order to get her spot, she had to email the station herself and I ask if they had any positions for high school students.
“I wanted a chance to have real journalism experience before leaving high school and I also knew that radio was different from print journalism, which excited me since I would be exploring a different type of work than I am used to,” Camacho said.
Senior Kelli Rombeiro pictured holding a kitten during her internship at Co conut Grove Animal Clinic Photo by Kelli Rombeiro
Senior Catalina Cabral has always been interested in ar chitecture, with a strong interest in computational design.
“I would totally recommend interning great experience whether they want
Isabella Zimmerman Opinions Editor
WLRN headquar ters located in Downtown Miami Photo by Gabriela Camacho
Although Cabral has always known that she has wanted to major in architectural design, her in ry of certain sites in Miami, which will certainly give her a head start once she starts her university career
“Making a positive impact while being a sustainable global business leader is what I wish to do and be,” Stuyck said.
Senior Internships
truck
Lesentier now works for Hallock Design, where she organizes the products that are used in the client’s rooms in houses and hotels. She must determine space requirements and select decorative items, such as colors and lighting, while also reading blueprints and keep ing building codes and inspection regulations in mind.
Liam Magee as sists in building and as sembling submersible machines Photo by Liam McGee
Modern and chic Hallock Design headquar ters in Miami Shores Photo by Jacqueline Lesentier
engineering department you must be hands-on,” Magee said. Liam loves his internship and he has even developed a liking for engineering. Perhaps that will be what he studies in the future.
with things like cleaning and organizing,” said more laborious side of her internship. at a veterinarian, it’s a really be a vet or not,” Rombeiro said.
ffabout the ocean’s physical environment,” senior Liam Magee said. Oftentimes, Liam solders circuit boards for the data pods, connects the data pod computers to
“ I recom me n d j t h a t s t u d e nt s interest ed in a n inte r io r desi g n internship should reach out early in the s u m mer to make sure that you have a good shot at what you want. In smaller companies es p ecia l ly, start talking and persisting early so you h a v e more chance of getting the internship” Lesen tier said.
making it a prime work environment. I am always looking forward to going and that made me realize that although plastic surgery is my passion, interior design makes me happy too. This is a great experience to have in case I ever decide to switch career paths.”
family friend based on her hobby: interior design.
of submersible systems, or works on any other miscellaneous tasks that need to be completed around the workroom. He does have a few words for people wanting to join the group at NOAA
Emilio Pagan Science Editor
Liam McGee working on data collection at his internship at NOA A Photo by Liam MaGee
Senior Jacqueline Lesentier pic tured at her internship at design group Hallock Design. Photo by Jacqueline Lesentier
Taylor Politi Sports Editor As an intern, you often get the chance to work hands-on and have experiences that better en hance activities you already love. Senior Iliza Aguiar has been a swimmer for over 10 years and was fortunate enough to have found an internship where she can be outdoors and on the water Through her alumni
a person at NOAA contact a student. Knowing that Liam was interested in marine science and that she had an extra spot, she offered him an internship on the spot. Now at NOAA, Liam not only focuses on marine science but also engineering. The awesome mentors and staff have him work with data pods and sea gliders that will soon be thousands of feet underwater
ilar rec o mmen d s to any one po tentiall y doin g an in te rnsh i p to truly learn about what the c o m p a ny is all about be cau s e it is the secret to truly enjoying and growing from the job.
Choosing this internship was one of the best deci sions and when asked about the best part of her internship Lesentier answered, “There are
The Coconut Grove Animal Clinic on a sunny day Pictured by Kelli Rombeiro
extracurricular intern, senior Kelli Rombeiro has been volunteering at a of the trade, while making connections and enjoying herself. it had not been for opportunity to fall in internship path. H a v in g she went to her s pi t al , C o c onu t Clinic, and “asked if with [her] shadowing whenever [she] can.” wanted to intern at wanted to get a feel for something I could Rombei r o dias internships consisted of, get to watch surgeries and other appointments, and I’ve insight on how to run different tests like blood tests, and
queline Lesentier, whose dream is to be a plastic surgeon, was looking for an intern
with things like cleaning and organizing,” said more laborious side of her internship. interning at a veterinarian, it’s a really to be a vet or not,” Rombeiro said.
We have interviewed seven bright seniors who have embarked on creative journeys through their internships. From fashion and architecture, to marine science and veterinary medicine, there are endless opportunities to explore the vast scope of real world work experience at MAST.
mentor asks me if I want to spend the rest of the afternoon sailing and we spend a few hours out on the water It has made me discover more of my creative side through digital design and photography,” said Aguiar School internships have the potential to open your eyes to possibilities in your ca reer that you had not realized before. For instance, Aguiar wants to pursue a degree in com munications, and her internship sparked a need for a career where she can be creative daily
“Although you are an intern you still have a part in assisting and helping build and assemble submersible machines that will give important ofni
Graphic by Theo Miller
“My favorite about my internship are the days where my
Taylor Politi Sports Editor
“ I
usually post photos and updates to the social media accounts, I make bro chures and posters for the different events that are going on, or I am out on the water taking photographs of the people sailing,” Iliza Aguilar said about her respon sibilities as an Agintern.u
9The01.30.2020Beacon
acquiring his internship.There were complications with his
intern, senior Kelli Rombeiro has been volunteering at a the trade, while making connections and enjoying herself. had not been for opportunity fall in path. avin g went her al , Coco nu t and “asked if [her] adowing whenever [she] can.” wanted to intern at to get a feel for something I could ei r o dias internships consisted of, to watch surgeries and other appointments, and I’ve insight on how to run different tests like blood tests, and
Senior Iliza A guiar pictured at her internship at Team Paradise Sailing Photo by Iliza A guiar
Sailboats on the tranquil blue sea by Coconut Grove overlook the sk yline Photo by Iliza A guiar
Although this project is art-ori ented, it is also including math and science, since one of its purposes is to combine the STEM and art pro grams. Gabriella states that, “Hope fully, this will turn into something where kids who are good at both science and art can express them selves through all of those medias.”
“I really liked listening to The Rea son. I like how she is very lyrical in all of her verses, and she is very in spiring with her music. Ten out of ten would recommend.” Robinson said.
Ayeisha enjoyed making music for fun
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radio station. Ayeisha thought it was for an interview, but was taken aback when she learned the invitation was to host her own talk show. The first episode was a success, and the one-time thing turned into a permanent part of Ayeisha’s week. Listeners can catch her every Thursday night from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on her church’s radio station, wizetalkradio.com and live on her Instagram, @kirklandatwork.
In order to make this more accessi ble, the head of this project, Gabriela Camacho, a MAST senior, is currently working on launching a website and Instagram page for students who wish to express their artistic skills through electronic media. She claims that “Not everyone that goes to MAST is very STEM-oriented. I know that math and
December 1, 2019, AK released The Reason, where she discusses the reason she belongs to Youth for Christ. In one month, it has gotten over 700 streams. She credits her fellow Makos for supporting her in this effort. From this album, her fa vorite track is Good News for its lyricism and the fun she had making it. Her albums are available to stream on all platforms.
“Never in my life would I have imag ined telling people I have self-esteem issues [or] telling people that I’m still trying to fit in. It’s about being human,” Kirkland said.
Junior Jimmia Robinson has listened to this album and had a positive review.
“Even though this is a religious val ue, it applies everywhere. When you see success, and you truly have the motiva tion...remember to stay humble. Pride comes before the fall. When you become so prideful and so full of yourself, you burn bridges. The same way up is the same way down, you get what I mean? I realize I have talent as many of my peers do. But I have gotten opportunities over other people because of my charac ter, so that’s my advice,” Kirkland said.
The MAST Art Magazine Instagram account: @ artmastacademy.
Ayeisha is not only a rapper and poet; she also has her own podcast which she uses to educate others on the Bible. This past summer, she was talking to her pas tor when he invited her onto their church’s
As surpris ing as it may be for a school so focused on math and science, a group of students have been working on creating a MAST Academy art magazine, sponsored by Mr. Lacayo, in hopes of provid ing students with a platform through which they may share their artwork.
AK’s talent has been recognized across the county. She has been nominat ed for a few awards and performed many times. In 2017, Kirkland was a winner of Piano Slam, Miami-Dade County Pub lic School’s annual poetry competition, where she performed her poetry at the Adrienne Arsht Center. She was named the best middle school-aged poet under the English section of the show. Miami Enter tainment Awards nominated her best gos
pel artist in Dade County in 2019. Ayeisha has performed at the Arsht Center a few times--the largest audience she had was 2,000 people. Superintendent Alberto Car valho invited Ayeisha to perform at Miami Arts Studio for a benefit concert as part of the Bahamas relief effort and she has also performed at the Betsy Hotel South Beach a number of times for various events.
As Kirkland explained, motivation is key. And she is a living example of what comes with hard work, dedication, more than a little talent and a lot of faith.
Hillary Simmons Staff Writer
Ayeisha has been in love with music for as long as she can remember and has been playing the piano since age five. She particularly enjoyed learning the lyrics of different songs, like Flocabulary vid eos and doing karaoke. After some time of immersing herself into the music of others, Ayeisha wrote her very first song at ten years old one day while at church, New Alpha Worship Center, in her youth group. Her youth leader challenged to write her own gospel lyrics to a secular melody. The song, Awaken, did not re ceive a great response from her peers; but, Kirkland was not deterred by this.
and originally did not plan to release it on an album, but this all changed one perfor mance at her church. She was performing an original song at her church and every one was singing along to it when the build ing had a power surge. Despite the lights, speakers, and microphones being off, the congregation continued the song with such energy and spirit that she knew at that mo ment that she wanted to publish her music.
From pianis simo to rhythmic flow, music pumps through this young artist’s veins. You may know her as that female rapper at our school. And you may remember her mind-blowing rap perfor mance at the first MAST Spirit show case. This astounding person is Ayeisha Kirkland, or AK, as her stage name is. Ayeisha is currently a sophomore in the graduating class of 2022 and intends to make her impact through her lyrical arts.
artistic talents, but also for anyone with an interest in art. Gabriella ex plained that along with the artworks, students would also be able to pub lish art-related articles. She stated, “If someone wanted to write an arti cle about the MET Gala and fashion, or makeup and euphoria, they would have the opportunity to do that.”
What sets Ayeisha apart from many of her peers is her drive to be the best she can be. She touches everyone she meets with a genuine kindness that is rare and strives to inspire her peers. Fellow Pia no Slam 2017 winner Nina Ahmadi was touched by Ayeisha’s character and re calls meeting her and competing with her.
The MAST Art Magazine
science is something that is always there for me, but I’ve always liked arts and humanities more, and I think that giving MAST an art magazine can give students a greater opportunity to share what they want if they feel like they do not fit in with the STEM program.”
The art magazine and Instagram page will not only be for those with
One day, headphones on, Ayeisha was on the school bus rapping along to an un derground rapper. A student overheard her and excitedly asked her to repeat the lyrics to his friends. Soon after, word got around to Ayeisha’s music teacher, who asked her to perform at the upcoming school show case. Ayeisha knew she could not perform someone else’s song, so she went home, wrote some verses, then performed her new song for the school. The crowd went crazy, so Kirkland was motivated to make more music to perform. Unfortunately, her peers’ excitement for her music gradually declined after the first few performances. They told her that she would never make it. So Kirkland allowed her haters to be her motivators. Instead of backing down and caving to the pressure, AK worked on her rhymes everyday after school.
Ayeisha Kirkland recording on her church’s radio station, wizetalkradio.com. Photo by J9 Graph ics
Kirkland at work features
“[What stood out about Ayeisha is] how talented she is and how she is in credibly good at what she does. She is incredibly driven and focused and is a joy to be around,” Ahmadi said.
For our generation, Ayeisha has this advice: “If you want to pursue anything, first things first...sit down and consid er why you are really doing it...The day I started winning musically is the day I stopped basing my feelings on oth er people’s opinions,” Kirkland said.
“When something is for your sat isfaction, you will continue to have your motivation. Never quit, like no, not an option,” Kirkland said.
Ayeisha is from North Miami and has two brothers and one sister. Ayeisha has a few mentors she looks up to and is espe cially inspired by her mother. Her moth er, born and raised in Trinidad and Toba go immigrated to America at age 16. She worked hard in school to become a nurse.
is a movement targeting young people to spread the word of the Bible. In over a year, the album got over 400 streams online. Additionally, she printed 100 CD’s, which sold out. Two weeks after, she gained the attention of rappers Major Nine and Kid do Marv. They were impressed with AK immediately. Her single Find Your Way ft. Kiddo Marv and Major Nine” has re ceived over 71 thousand streams online.
“Coming from where she came from to do as much as she did created better oppor tunities for me. So I want to take those new opportunities and do even better to show that her hard work carries on,” Kirkland said.
Her first studio album, Youth For Christ, was released on December 8, 2018. This album was made to tell the world that she is a part of Youth for Christ, which
Overall, the publication of the art magazine, Instagram page, and website will provide students with an outlet to learn and experience art through different media, pro viding an outlet for them to share their mutual, unique artistic talents.
This New Year’s Eve, AK released her third album, Thank God I’m Not. On this album, she gets up close and person al with her listeners. Despite the chal lenge, she was the most vulnerable on this album, sharing about problems she has experienced in her life. Her favor ite from this album is Thank God I’m Not (Intro) since it is the one where she is most open and real with her listeners.
Lea Rabaron Staff Writer
For Mifsud, her greatest opportu nities have come out of uncomfortable situations, and so she encourages stu dents to follow their interests by taking chances they would not normally do.
The goal of Zero Waste is simple: not disposing trash into the ocean, incinerators, and landfills. With additional job growth and new products from raw materials, Zero Waste helps strengthen the local circular economy, support the surrounding environment by keeping trash out of local landfills and benefit your community as a whole.
As well as, we have a partner ship with Frost Science for a green er school… What we are trying to do to get closer to Zero Waste is have a robust program,recyclingof
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Another advocate for zero waste is Marine Science and Experi mental Science teacher Gina Sese.
“...I went to a school in North Carolina called the Out door Academy and that helped me develop my passion for the environment because I spent a ton of time outside, for days at a time, learn ing about what it was that I was trying to protect…After Dr. Kahlil’s class, I defi nitely became an environmentalist and was really involved in the Environmental Club and that’s where I started doing in ternships on these topics, but my time in North Carolina at the Outdoor Academy helped me develop a relationship with the environment in a way that I hadn’t when I was at MAST,” Mifsud said.
When asked about a typical day at RMI, Mif sud explains that every day brings something new.
fer lunch kits/ utensils that kids can bring to school so they are less likely to use that spork, and use water bottles instead of plastic water bottles and we provided the bottle filling stations, ``said Ms.Drucker
This is the advice that MAST alum na Ana Sophia Mifsud gives to any stu dents who are trying to pursue their pas sions. Mifsud knows a lot about seeking out the unknown and uncomfortable: at just 24, her work within the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Islands Energy Pro gram has helped bring clean energy to the Caribbean and has gained her a spot on this year’s Forbes “30 Under 30” list.
“I think seeking things that make you feel uncom fortable is a good thing.”
Zero Waste at MAST
Ana Sophia Mifsud’s headshot. Photo by Rocky Mountain Institute
“I took a class with Dr. Kahlil, who is no longer at MAST, but she was a solar energy teacher and at the time she taught the only solar energy class in the United States, as far as I know, for high school. She developed this curriculum and I, at a really early age, felt inspired by what she was teaching. I think I was broadly interested in the environment before tak ing the class but after taking her class I felt…like I had an understanding about why taking care of the environment was important. Not just for the environment’s sake, but what it meant in terms of our societies to have a warming planet. That class helped me remove this idea I had in my head…that environmentalism was all about making hard choices, sometimes it is, but I learned that you could make easy choices, choices that were good for ev
Mifsud took this interest one step further when she went to an semestereco-consciousschool during her soph omore year, which proved to be even more in fluential on her future career.
ing its way to reduce the use of plastics with the help from Michele Drucker, “We have a program called the green champions that has a mission emission statement that was started in 2017 when the kids spontaneously voted to have a zero net energy school, and after hearing from Delaney Reynolds... She did a pre sentation at MAST called Sink or Swim, which is all about sea lev el rise and what to expect and there’s so much more awareness now then there ever was and cou pled with that there’s a lot of concern about Marine plastic waste as well, so what we did in order to pursue this was look for ways we can get recognition as a school by becoming a more eco friendly school. And the way we did that was by becoming a Green Apple school through the Florida department of environmental protection which includes a recycling waste reduction category and from there we looked for funding and registered with other national campaigns like the Pep si Recycle Rally and looked for ways to install recycling bins recycling and labels and work worth the Eclipse club to pro
ity to schools that are still dealing with damage from Hurricane Maria.
“There is nothing that is either con sumed or utilized that can not be recy cled and reused. So nothing that can be thrown away, no part of anything is wasted as energy,” Mrs. Sese said.
MAST Excellence: Alumna Ana Sophia Mifsud shines a light on Puerto Rico’s energy crisis features
Mifsud calls this project one of her most fulfilling because of the con nection she has been able to make with the individuals she is helping.
Mrs. Sese and her family do their part to reduce their use of plastics, they
ensure everything is consumable even down to very thin biodegradable plas tics. Her family uses edible water caplets and grows as much of their own food as possible, which is shared amongst the whole family. Mrs. Sese even has her own solar panels in an effort to re duce her family’s carbon footprint..
“[In reference to Greta Thunberg’s address] although I admire her tenacity and passion, she stood on a platform and condemned people for their behaviors but didn’t offer any meaningful solutions. To my understanding, I’m wrong for driv ing my car, taking plane rides, turning on my lights, etc. I have a carbon footprint. I don’t produce plastic but I have to pur chase items that contain them because there are no other options. Instead of con demning me for my actions, accept that I am going through the human experience and offer a solution. Perhaps offer to cre ate a device that removes carbon from the ocean to reduce the amount of CO2 being dissolved. Or, why not put a device on top of buildings that turns on when high lev els of CO2 are detected in the air, in an effort to reduce the CO2 pollution. Even more, create a drone that detects high lev els of CO2 and moves into those areas to scrub the excess. Again, don’t yell at me for my human experience, I only get one and I want to drive to work to sup port my family, I want to use a plane to take them on vacation, I want to purchase toys and watch my children enjoy them. Work with me to fix the problems creat ed so that we can preserve what we have while still living the only life we have.”
While in high school, Mifsud took Solar Energy, at the time taught by for mer teacher Dr. Wafa Kahlil, which she says helped her understand the signif icance of preserving the environment.
“Every day is very different. There are days that I wake up at 3 in the morn ing and I head to the airport so that I can travel somewhere to the Carribean for a project that I am doing and…I have lots of meetings with a variety of stakeholders from everyone like the CEO of an electric company or a regulator or a school principal, it just kind of depends on the project that I’m doing. When I’m at home, which is New York City right now, I do a lot of modelling work, so I do a lot of analysis and pretty much a lot of answering emails and having meetings… your typical office job, but re ally focused on…[illustrating] the benefits of what I call “win-win” solutions for the environment, so things that are good for the economy, good for resilience, but also good for the environment,” Mifsud said.
“I’ve worked with a group of non profits to install solar and battery sys tems on these schools to help ensure that regardless of whatever happens with the electrical system outside of their schools that they can have stable electricity that they can depend on and the school is al ways able to be open regardless of what ever the situation was,” Mifsud said.
One of her recent Caribbean proj ects is in in Puerto Rico, where she has helped to provide electric
eryone if you were able to communicate appropriately the benefits,” Mifsud said.
The next step is really getting the kids and the Eclipse club kids to try to promote less single use plastics by the kids by sell ing water bottles, we got the water bottles installed throughout the school, that was an initiative, this is all through the PTA.
“I typically didn’t do what my friends were doing in the summer. I chose to spend some time outside of MAST... going to another school, I did intern ships that really put me outside my com fort zone, and all of those experiences were the ones that shaped me the most.”
tiple projects on sustainable develop ment and was accepted into a fellowship program working for RMI, where she still works today.
According to the United States Envi ronmental Protection Agency, the United States generates about 230 million tons of waste --about 4.6 pounds per person each day. It is estimated that around 2.7 bil lion plastic bottles hit landfill every year. One thing MAST Academy has done to reduce that number is to install water bot tle refill stations. MAST has been work
A study conducted by a team of sci entists from the University of Geor gia, the University of California, Santa Barbara and Sea Education As sociation found that over the 6.3 mil lion metric tons of plastic waste pro duced only 9 percent of that is recycled (approximately 91.1 is not recycled).
Giorgia Cattaneo Staff Writer
After graduating from high school, Mifsud left Miami to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental System En gineering at Stanford University. During her time in college, she worked on mul
Piper Penney Editor-in-Chief
There are many stores in Miami, such as Verde Market located in Wyn wood or any local farmers markets, which help fuel this movement to wards a more eco-conscious lifestyle.
This QR code is a link to a survey promoting a “no plastic water bottle” initiative at MAST.
The benefits from Zero Waste are to reduce climate impact by lessening the amount of waste and plastic put back into the Earth, conserve resources since fewer resources will be used to make the same products, minimize pollution, promote social equity, and create more jobs. Zero Waste opens many new doors and opportunities for new local shops and composting businesses, for instance.
mote these better practices at the school.
“[The project is] very tangible and I get to interact a lot with the community that is affected by it. Sometimes when you work as a consultant or as an advi sor of some sort, you’re kind of removed from the final product. This is one of the projects where I can directly see the im plementation of and therefore see the impact of. It’s a different style of work and it’s quite exciting,” Mifsud said.
astrophic. Already, as of January 8th, 2020, glaciers in New Zealand, a distance over 2,000 kilometers, have been turned brown due to the ash and smoke created by the
Samsung Ballie
possible Burger 2.0 debuted at CES last year, to much fanfare, and 6 months lat er rolled out nationwide to Burger Kings
sciencemonth.The01.30.2020Beacon12
Theo Miller Staff Writer
has more profound, adverse, unforeseen effects on not only the land and the animals on it, but even the people who live in Australia--and even the countries near it, and beyond that, the world itself.
Impossible Pork
incredible amount of carbon dioxide, contributing further to the already snowballing climate change. In three months
of smoke and carbon dioxide will eventually bring animals to extinction, place humans’ lives at risk, and even threat en the globe by contributing to climate change.
Some gardens
Over 8000 koalas have died in the fires, reducing their population by over 30%, officially placing their population on the endangered spe cies list Cour tesy of Google Images
for months, potentially putting infants and babies in the womb at risk of long term respiratory problems. To adults, however, the effects of the smoke are alarming. In most adults, the particulate pollution increases the risk of diabe tes, strokes, heart attacks, and even neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer ’s.
The whole point of a concept car is to be a design exercise: let the engineers go ballistic. Do crazy things that have no practical application, simply because we can. By their very nature, concept cars are illogical, and Mercedes’ new est project is no exception. It’s an elec tric supercar The wheels look like blue peppermints. The trunk lid has reptilian scales that cascade down the back of the car And each one is motorized. The car is inspired by the movie Avatar The keynote was hosted by James Cameron. Why? Because they can, and because it’s kind of cool too.
carbon dioxide. When you hear things like this, it really them over there,” junior Alex Nelson said.
Mercedes VISION AVTR
One of the more far-fetched ideas this CES was Samsung’s Ballie, a social ro bot. Ballie is shaped like a round plastic ball, roughly the size of a grapefruit. He rolls around your house and acts like a supervisor for all your smart home tech. If he sees a mess, he can turn on the Roomba. If it’s morning, he can open the curtains and turn on your coffee maker Whether Ballie will ever make it to mar ket remains to be seen, as no price or re lease date was announced.
Paolo Montoya News Editor
Au stra l ia Und e r Fi re- Literall y
“We really have to stay hopeful in times like these and make sure that we provide aid to Australia. My family has donated money to them already, and I hope more will do nate too because it is so important to make sure we re solve this problem that has not only nationwide effects in Australia but impacts the entire world. We have to stand together,” freshman Andrea Sanchez said.
It’s a very special time of year in Las Vegas. Once a year, tech companies from all over the world converge on the Las Vegas Convention Center for CES: the Consumer Electron ics Show It is an important place for companies to make announcements, un veil concepts, and make business deals. Often times, one can get a feel on what this year ’s tech products will be like from looking at the trends on display
an environmental science teacher, it amazes me the long term effects this will have not only on the Earth but on the Australian population as well. We have to do something to stop it,” Ms. Monica Branton said.
with a greater concentration of gases, wind currents will be canaltered.affect
Even psychological effects have been observed in Aus es fear and anxiety in most of those who live surrounding those who are alive right now, but will continue to be per petuated into the future generations of Australians, biolo it will almost certainly become ingrained within the minds of the generation to come.
have ravaged its lands. Over 15.6 million acres or 100,000 square kilometers have burned, leaving the lands barren, and the wildlife in it at great risk of extinction, with over 1 billion animals dead. Koalas, kangaroos, dunnarts, and black glossy cockatoos have all joined the endangered
One of the great success stories of last year was the Impossible Burger, a plantbased ground beef substitute that used the plant version of the same protein that
and White Castles as well as select gro cery stores. This year, Impossible hopes to recreate that success with Impossible Pork and Impossible Sausage. Pork is the world’s most consumed meat, at 36%, and represents a huge international mar ket. Burger King is trialing Impossible Sausage on breakfast sandwiches in 139 locations later this
Eg g Chairs, Robot Balls, and Not Pork : The Coolest Showcases from CES 2020 idk what to put if theo designed this graphic
In recent weeks, Australia has caught
The brushfires have destroyed millions of hectacres of forest Cour tesy of Google Images
Segway S-Pod
meaningful announcements, but here are a few favorite concepts and products an nounced at the show They may not ever make it to market, but they sure are cool.
ible amount of smoke that is being produced from these release particulate matter pollution, particles that are small enough to enter the lungs and cause discomfort and making respiration more tasking and less effective. Some cities in Australia have 20 times the normally hazardous amount of particulate pollution. Such a high concentration of these particles places most asthmatics at risk of death.
Apart from the effects on humans, ecologists have pre
the world and the people in it in such a drastic way I would never think that it would turn glaciers brown,
the amount of smoke in some Australian cities amounts to the equivalent of smoking over a pack of cigarettes per day This smoke is expected to remain in Australia
of carbon dioxide, the amount Australia normally releases in one year, and this amount CO2 will take over a century to reabsorb into the Earth. Furthermore, the concentration of ash, smoke, and pollution in the atmosphere creates conditions ideal for more severe thunderstorms and even poses a threat to the global wind patterns of the Earth, for,
The makers of the famous two-wheel er are back with a new concept. It’s an egg-shaped wheelchair, but it only has two wheels, it balances itself, and has a top speed of 24 miles per hour A preposterous concept it may be, but the Segway S-Pod is a real product, and it will be coming to market starting in late 2020. Perhaps this could have the same viral effect of 2016’s Hoverboards, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
able to participate and I was also upset in realizing that I would be missing out on further develop ment during that time.”
Fiona Killian Truck Editor
The01.30.2020Beacon
Moving For ward on the Field
gonna be a great one, and possibly a close one,” sophomore Jeffrey Killian said.
States, but more men have been joining in recent years, giving boys a chance to become part of teams and compete as well.
Taylor Politi Sports Editor
Eighth-grader Nicolas Diaz has recently leveled up in his chosen sport, having been chosen to join the national played the sport since he was three years old, he has been able to see not only himself improve as a player, but the sport expands in popularity as well.
Taylor Politi: “How old were you when you started playing Tbasketball?”revorBurniske: “I started playing in 7th grade. I had played basketball before that but only on occasion and with some TP:friends.”“Last season when you had surgery on your hand, how did you feel about the setback?”
Superbowl Sunday Madness
point,” senior Brian Carlos said.
injury was disheartening. Given that it took me out of play for the
TB: “Although my setback was not too serious, I did have sur
season is approaching and fans across the United States are beyond thrilled. After some major upsets, like the Patriots- the 2019 NFL champions- not even making
senior Elissa Irwanto said.
has started, do you ever feel like you hold yourself back or not play as aggressive now?”
Field hockey had been pri marily a women’s sport in the United
Nicolas Diaz is all smiles as he stands with teammates Mateo Barletti, Nicolas Arias, and Luca Civetta after a successful tournament in California (Photo cour tesy of Florencia Manero).
Trevor Burniske works on his shots after a grueling practice as he prepares for the rest of the season (Photo cour tesy of Trevor Burniske).
Many49ers.NFL fans that have been keeping up with different teams and partic ipate in fantasy football leagues are excited about the big game. “Personally, I’d like to see Kansas City win...the Chiefs are a great team and they have extensively proved
Player to Watch: Trevor Burniske
TB: “I received tons of support from my team and my coach and all of them, especially Mr Rossin, assisted me greatly by helping me keep my spirits lifted and not allowing me to believe that my time playing basketball was over.”
TP: “How were your team and coach supportive afterward?”
The beauty of Super Bowl night is that it is not just about football. It is about the tricks of Corporate America, as well as musical entertainment, and good company You do not have to enjoy football to enjoy the Super Bowl, and you should tune in to watch on Sunday, February 1st.
The game is not the only aspect of the Super Bowl to look forward to, though. With an audience of almost 100 million, every second of broadcasting is bound to be seen. The Super Bowl is notorious for having advertisements of all kinds; from
Mora Bustos Spotlight Editor
Waiting all day for a
TP: “Now that the new season
TB: “My goals this season are plainly to get better as an indi vidual player and then, after that, to improve within the context of the team as I know that I and several other Makos are soon to move on to our senior year at MAST.”
raunchy ads to sentimental ones, there is an endless array of emotions presented to viewers. Some even pay attention solely to the commercials.“I’mnot the biggest fan of football, but every year I look forward to watching the commercials. They are so strange! I love it...advertisers manage to connect complete ly unrelated topics and make trivial matters
Others watch for the snazzy halftime show which never fails to cause a
“It’s been nice to grow up with share my passion and have things in common with me, which is a fun expe rience altogether When I was young, there weren’t any boys that played at all, but every time I go to Cal Cup, a big tournament in California, more boys come in,” Diaz said.
“The national team gave me a chance to meet new people and new coaches. It’s a whole different experi ence to the small clubs with mostly girls that I had been used to,” Nicolas Diaz said.
As a growing sport, players to gain attention, with new teams and competitions cropping up throughout the country“It’s such a fun sport to play that now it’s pretty big. I hope it gets bigger so that more people can experi ence it too,” Diaz said.
Graphic by Skye Her vas Jones
excited for halftime. The show is always extremely extra, so it’s fun to watch…J Lo
sports 13
TB: “This season, despite facing a few other injuries, I don’t believe I hold back from playing my hardest and I think that I’ve come back stronger and more experienced than I was the year TP:before.”“What did you learn from the TB:experience?”“Iftherewas once thing that the injury has taught me, it would be that I need to play smarter and not be as careless within a game. I was already shown the consequences of making that mistake, and I’ve learned that some plays just ar en’t worth risking an injury for TP: “What do you want to ac complish this season?”
bowl are the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco
The 01.30.2020Beacon14 interactive MAST Crossword Answers:Across:2.Captain,4.Mako,7.AirConditioning,9.Blue,10.GirlsDown:1.Lacayo,3.TheBeacon,5.Cinderella,6.Technology,8.Orange
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What’s trending now
SPOTLIGHT
January 25- February 18- Cirque du Soleil at Hard Rock Stadium January 31- Gretel and Hansel premier January 31-February 1- Vewtopia at Marlins Park February 1- The Chainsmokers at Virginia Beach Park February 7- Birds of Prey premiere February 8- Rex Orange County at the Filmore February 15-17- Coconut Grove Arts Festival February 21- Call of the Wild premier
Coming-Up
Ravi holding a beautiful painting of woman inspired by nature . Photo by Ravi Lima
biggest success,” Ravi Lima said.
“There was a really cool vibe to the place and Ravi’s art was amazing. The bands were awesome too, at one point there was even a mosh pit in the middle of the room. It
5
Australia is known for being the home for a vari ety of exotic wildlife, but ever since the country’s wildfires began in November of 2019, plenty have lost their homes, leaving a large amount of displaced and orphaned animals. Animal Rescue Craft Guild, a Facebook group, has recently launched in hopes to help. They have been collecting crafted dona tions from all across the globe, varying from blankets to pouches to bird nests. People have been sewing, knitting, or cro cheting requested necessities for the or ganization who then delivers them to ani mal rescues. Not only does this approach greatly help with the rehab process for the overwhelming amount of animals in need, but it is an effective way to promote international help for Australia’s wildlife.
Expression and creativity flourished last weekend as a small group of artists and designers showcase their work at Artpaloo za 5 in Homestead. The event took place in a small warehouse creat ing a warm and personal ambiance between the artists and the guests. Downstairs the artists stood by their pop up stands to talk to peo ple from all over Miami express ing how they started their journey and their experiences along the way. Upstairs was an open game room and a henna artist as well as tarot card readers. The headlining artist for the show was MAST’s
was just a really good night, supporting my friend and listening to some good music,” senior Ivan Rivera said.
Album of the Month
“I had shared flyers for the event on my social media a week prior and was surprised that so many people showed up to sup port me and my art. I’ve had my art brand OceanSightings since January 2017, when I first start ed my Instagram account, and I would have never imagined that lo cal art shows would reach out and give me the opportunity to display and sell my artwork. Even though I’ve been to art shows before, Art palooza 5 was definitely the most different showcase and by far the
Skye Hervas-Jones Editor-in-Chief
MAST students have been inspired to take initiative and join in on crafting for a cause. “Many students have taken a fabrics and fibers class as an elective before and have learned how to crochet, so I feel like ‘why not put that skill to use and help out?’,” senior Renata Volonte rio said. Crafters can communicate and inspire each other through the group’s main Facebook page. “It’s so great to see people from all over the world sending these donations all the way to Australia. It’s definitely something that I instantly wanted to be a part of,” senior Barbara Alvarez said. Before the club gained viral exposure, the group handmade 5,000 bat wraps, thousands of joey pouches, and
As a continuation of swimming, Mac Miller’s posthumous album Circles serves to continue his legacy as a Grammy award winner. Circles remains composed as a tranquil and refreshing project, impos ing a dreamlike feeling as Miller’s vocals are laid out amongst a 12 song tracklist.
hundreds of towels and blankets for the animals in need. “It’s exciting to know that you are helping out. I just think that any one who knows how to crochet, knit, or sew should try to donate at least one thing to the cause,” senior Martin Chujfi said. There is still an incredibly large de mand for all these handmade necessities due to the high number of orphaned an imals in need, so help is still greatly ap preciated. To be a part of the club, join the Animal Rescue Craft Guild Face book group and get to creating. With each donation, Australia and its many animals gets one step closer to fully recovering from the dreadful conse quences that have come with the flames.
Ravi Lima Staff Writer
Not only did the killer music, inspirational art, and delicious food truck burgers and fries create a great night, but the abundant turnout of students who showed up in support of Ravi was amazing to witness. Hopefully, soon we will see more exhibitions of Ravi’s talent and art along with the creations of other creative and determined Makos.
MAST senior Ravi Lima’s table at Artpalooza. Photo by Ravi Lima
very own senior Ravi Lima who exhibited and sold different paint ings as both small and large prints.
The other artists at the events sold an array of different items including self embroidered and hand-sewn clothes. Upstairs, there was an open game room and a henna artist as well as tarot card readers. Through the night different bands also showcased their musical talent with original songs, the main genre of music was Punk Rock with taste breakers in rap and Latin pop.
Artpalooza
Corner
Knitting for the Kangaroos and Koalas
The Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guilld logo has been used to promote the group’s goal and efforts. Photo courtesy of ARCCG
Compiled by Mora Bustos
