vol. 17 is su e 3/
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Olympics Teacher of the Year Adams Family Play
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America's reputation in the world Felix Varela Sr. High School * 15255 S.W. 96 St., Miami, FL 33196
Hits and misses
n i t e l l bu rd a o b
Congratulations to the Boys Soccer team for winning Districts!
Because of the tragedy in Broward County security measures are tightening in all Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Our hearts and prayers go out to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Sr. High. The Viper Vibe stands with you.
Florida's State Congress passed a bill with tighter gun regulations. Never Again!
Spring Break is here! A whole glorious week to do nothing or everything!
Unfortunately, the Florida Bill 7026 did not ban assault weapons and gave school employees the right to be armed.
table of contents
Ta b le of Contents | View p oints
ViEWPOINTS
Editorial.............................................................. 4 Column..........................................................5
volume 17 Mar ‘18
News
Teacher of the year.....................6 Ms. Monica Suarez-Villaronga is Varela's Teacher of the Year.
Editors
headlines and happenings...7 military careers................8 DACA................................... 9 Self-driving cars........ 10 North Korea............... 11
Michael Black Jason Perez
Reporters
l Jahn Alago l Sophia
Almeyda l Brittney Alvarez l Sheilly Avilleira l Jonathan Bigio-Vargas l Daniel Cardenas l Sebastian Corrales l Alexander Dominguez l Yaira Doyle l Joshua Escobedo l Natalia Fernandez
lifestyle
Author Visit............. 12 Neal Shusterman, author of Scythe visits with English and Creative Writing classes.
Adams Family............13 Food.......................... 14 movies.......................16 Video Games.............. 19
sports Superbowl......................19 Olympics............................20
Adviser
Editorial Policy
The Viper Vibe is the student newspaper of Felix Varela Senior High (15255 SW 96 St. Miami, FL, 33196). It is an open forum for student expression. The opinions expressed in the publication do not reflect the official opinions or policies of the school. The Viper Vibe welcomes letters to the editor, but requires that they be signed and reserves the right to reject, edit and condense letters. The staff and adviser can be contacted at 305-752-7900 or thevipervibe@gmail. com
Winter sports........................ 22 On the cover: Students participate in a walk out on Feb. 21, to honor those killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Sr. High in Broward County. photo by Crotalus
Talk to us: thevipervibe@gmail.com
Dejesu l Nicolle Holguin l Karolyn Legra l Penelope Munguia l Kristian Nardo-Felipe l Delylah Nieto l Giuliana Palomino l Asahel Perez l Melissa Rodas l Fabian Rodriguez l Frank Siles l Jaylin Terrero l Michael Todisco l Estephany Wakil-Kassar
Elizabeth Cardenas
Check out how U.S.A. did in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
Above: Students hold up signs protesting gun violence at the walk out on Feb. 21. photo by Crotalus; Monica Suarez-Villaronga, Varela's Teacher of the Year, attends a workshop with other teachers in the media center. photo by E. Cardenas; Young adult author Neal Shusterman autographs copies of his books for students after a presentation with students at Varela on Jan. 16. photo by E. Cardenas; The Olympic cauldron at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium Stadium before the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Sunday, February 25, in South Korea. photo with permission Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS
l Nia Guillot-
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Viewpoi nt s | E d it or i al
america's place on the world stage threatened by apathy Editorial
I
n the past, the United States has been regard(Department for Professional Employees). ed as the “Big Brother”of the world and was Some of our most famous presidents have looked up to by other countries. We have been military experience. The president is in fact the the champions of democracy and individual free“Commander in Chief” of our armed forces. Howdoms that others did not have. However, the U.S. ever, that vital experience has been pushed to the isn’t the only one with these freedoms anymore. side. In fact, there are more countries with them than For a couple of decades now, the U.S. has been without. struggling to present the world with a leader that So, the question is, where does the United knows how to deal with other countries. Our leadStates stand in the world now? Are we still the ers are seen as jokes. From Clinton’s sex scandal to “Big Brother” figure? Are we still looked up to, or Trump’s Twitter feed, the world laughs at the men are we just another country in today’s society? we choose for our highest office. Elections have For decades, the U.S. has been a fearless boiled down to “which candidate is the least likely superpower in the world; however, since 9/11, we to mess up” rather than the “perfect candidate for are just like any other nation that can be affected the job.” by terrorist acts. The U.S. is a very young coun According to a Gallup poll, “one year into try compared to some nations in the Donald Trump's presidency, the image world. of U.S. leadership is weaker worldwide In recent year, it And yet our rise to power and posithan it was under his two predecestion on the world stage has garnered us feels like the world sors.” a reputation as the country willing to looks at us, not as a While the world as a whole has to stand up against opposing nations that with terrorism, it is America’s Secbig brother, but as a deal have threatened our way of life and ond Amendment that has drawn the big bully that of our allies. most attention recently. We are one of We have never been shy about only three countries in the world with getting involved in issues that we felt were in the the right to own a gun in our constitution, but the best interests of human rights. But in recent years, only country with no constitutional restrictions. it feels like the world looks at us, not as a “Big According to a 2012 Congressional Research Brother,” but as a “Big Bully.” Service, American’s own nearly half (48%) of the Our three biggest issues have been healthcare, estimated 650 million civilian-owned guns worldnational leadership and gun violence. wide. In a 2009 National Institute of Justice report, When it comes to healthcare many nations in 310 million firearms are available to American the world, especially those with universal healthcivilians. The second largest civilian stockpile is in care, believe that we, as a country, don’t take care India and they only have about 46 million. of our citizens. To a degree, this is true. The U.S. With a questionable healthcare system, a needs to start looking into reforming its healthreality TV president, and gun violence we can’t care system to be better equipped to take care of seem to control, is it any wonder that the rest of our citizens and make keeping us healthy more the world has very little respect for us? affordable. What we really need right now is to take care According to the Organization for Economic of our citizens, elect leaders that can actually lead, Co-operation (OECD), the U.S. and Mexican govand take a closer look at our priorities in terms of ernments play the smallest role in overall financgun laws. ing of health care. But, public (or government) What we really need, as one of the most develspending on healthcare per person in the U.S is oped countries in the world, is to stop slacking off greater than most other countries in the OECD and make a difference.
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Colu mn | View p oints
no words, just action
By michael black
editor mike0062875@gmail.com
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arjory Stoneman Douglas Sr. High School Adults already think that students are too in Broward County has had a major tragyoung, too immature, and too stupid to underedy, and everyone is shaken up. On Feb. stand what is really important in this world. All 19, Joel Franco, Twitter personality, posted that we did with the walk-outs was prove their point. schools across the country should stage walkAt the walk-out, I spoke with several students, outs and a March on Washington throughout the asking them why they walked out of class. Most months of February, March and April. of them said they were supporting Douglas High. On February 21, the first walk-out took place But my follow-up question stumped them. I asked at noon. Every high school in Dade County particthem how many of their elected officials they had ipated, including Varela. According to the tweet, contacted. The response...none. Not one student the walk-out was supposed to last 17 minutes, one had made the effort to do anything other than lip minute for each victim of the shooting. During Vaservice. And there are more walk-outs scheduled. rela’s walk-out, some students gave speeches and NJROTC sophomore Fabrizio Flores particisome were chanting with signs protesting Florida pated in Varela’s walk-out. And while he did say gun laws and school violence. But were the walkhe was there in support of the Douglas victims, he outs really that productive? said he hasn’t contacted his representatives since The First Amendment gives people the right he thought they wouldn’t take him seriously since to free speech. However, according to the Supreme he was just a kid. Court decision in Tinker v. Des Moines, students, If we, as students, want to make a difference, while still allowed to express themselves, have we have to change our method of protesting. Since certain limitations because of the most students in high school are not old school setting. Speech that disrupts the we need to show enough to vote, we have to change our classroom is unprotected. Therefore, that as kids and stu- tactics. We can write letters and emails walk-outs are not really the way for our state and national congressmen dents, we do care to students to express themselves. and senators. We can get our parents to about what happens. contact them as well. Case in point, several schools around Dade County had students who The March on Washington, were disrespectful and wild. According to video scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 24, is actually a very footage on Twitter, Ferguson Sr. High students good idea. It takes place on a weekend during ripped down a gate in order to leave the school Dade County’s spring break. If enough students grounds. A student from that school stood on go, it would show adults that students do care, someone else’s car and removed his shirt, spinand not just kids who want to get out of class since ning it around as he screamed. Several Snapchat they had a quiz scheduled. It will show that we are photos showed students horse playing with each willing to sacrifice our free time so we can voice other and jumping fences to skip school. and support our opinions. “It was madness. People started trying to talk We need to show that as kids and students, about the school first from the main door and then we do care about what happens. Call your senator. they went to the parking lot and a whole bunch Call your representative. Call the White House. of people followed and some started jumping the You don’t have the time to call? Send an email to fence and leaving school,” Ferguson senior Miguel them. It takes as little as five minutes to show you Lora said. want to make a difference, that you want change to “Some got on top of their cars to see what was happen. going on and then they broke one gate from the And for those seniors, who will be voting in parking lot and a whole bunch of people startNovember, this is a mid-term year. Let our politied leaving from there before they closed it. The cians know that if they won’t make the changes principal and staff tried shouting at the kids, but it we need, we will change them. Remember, your didn’t do anything.” vote matters, your voice matters, and maybe, just How is any of this showing respect to the maybe, you will be the drop that falls into the dam victims of that horrible tragedy? that releases the flood.
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New s | A ro u n d V arel a
News
Inside the Staff Lounge What is your favorite word? Fulfilled
What is your least favorite word? I can’t What inspires you? Nature and conversations
What sound or noise do you love? Bamboo windchimes
What sound or noise do you hate? Tapping on a desk
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Wedding dress designer What profession other than your would you not like to attempt? Criminal defense lawyer
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “Let me take you to the puppy room!”
What’s your favorite book? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
What’s the craziest excuse you’ve ever heard from a student as to why they didn’t do their homework? Student: “My internet was down.” Me: “You didn’t need the internet to complete it!”
What is your favorite memory from teaching? When we finished reading The Great Gatsby together and some students were crying and thanked me for teaching and allowing them the opportunity to connect with literature. I was touched and they still reach out to me and talk about it till this day.
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Varela celebrates Suarez as Teacher of the Year Every year, English teacher Lara Bukens, teacher of the year committee chairperson, puts together a group of teachers who get together and nominate a fellow educator to be Varela’s Teacher of the Year. This year’s winner is English teacher Monica Suarez-Villaronga. The process of becoming Teacher of the Year takes several weeks and lots of paperwork. First of all, the teacher must have worked a minimum of five years, need to teach a majority of their classes, and be in good standing. Then the nominating committee accepts submissions from the faculty and meets to discuss the nominations. The nominated teachers must accept the nomination. Eventually, they narrow it down to the three teachers that they feel best symbolize and represent Varela and the school’s mission. The committee presents the three teachers to the whole faculty who vote at one of the faculty meetings. To win, the teacher must get 51 percent or more of the vote. Villaronga feels honored to be
chosen teachBy jonathan bigio-vargas er of the year Staff Reporter from among bigioj5291@gmail.com the faculty. She believes that she has learned from the best here at Varela, which has given her a chance to grow and become a better person, educator, and friend overall. This year, she is teaching English 2 and Contemporary Literature. What she loves about teaching is that she is able to help her students succeed at passing the FSA. “I think Mrs. Suarez is an excellent teacher. Not only does she manage her time and lesson plans [well], she also teaches me and others very well. I feel like I’ve become a better writer because of her,” sophomore Marina Sanchez said. “And not only as a teacher, but I know I can come to her for advice on anything [about] school or out of school. She is just a really great teacher and an excellent person all-in-all. I’m glad I had her this year.”
Aro u n d Varela | N ew s
HEADLINES AND HAPPENINGS TUESDAY FEB 6 SENIOR LUNCHEON
By SHELLY AVILLEIRA
The class of 2018 had a very Staff Reporter “sweet” experience IG: @UMSHELLY at Senior Luncheon this year. Students visited the Dadeland Marriott for the afternoon to enjoy lunch with their friends. At the event on Feb. 6, superlative winners were finally announced and students got a chance to preview their senior DVD. “I was kind of shy to think that people thought of me like that,” Biggest Gossip winner Leyanis Oliver said. “But it’s cool that they all come to me for the gossip.” The food offered consisted of bread, salad, chicken, potatoes, and fruit. For a nice surprise, there was a sundae bar, as well, where students stacked their ice
cream with toppings on top of toppings. Centerpieces included vases with large candy models sprouting out and a variety of candy scattered on the tabletops. “The sundae bar was my favorite part of the luncheon,” Gabriela Manco said. “I might have gone overboard with the endless toppings, but it was worth it.” Students took advantage of the day by taking photos with their friends, some for memories and others for Instagram. For entertainment, a hypnotist brought some lucky people from the audience onto the stage to hypnotize them - or try to. “It was funny, because I was acting everything out, and everyone believed me,” Lukas Gonzalez said. “I was pre-
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Students were hypnotized as entertainment for Senior Luncheon. photo by Fox-Mar
tending to be hypnotized to make everyone laugh.” Senior luncheon represents the beginning of the push to graduation for seniors as they look forward to the “sweet” end to their high school experience.
TUESDAY FEB 12 JUNIOR RING CEREMONY
The Junior Ring Ceremony is a memorable time for juniors and represents their three years soon ending and their final transition to an upperclassman. On Monday, Feb. 12, students and parents gathered in the school gym to celebrate that transition. “There were 198 students that had purchased their junior ring and about 180 that had attended the junior ring ceremony,” Activities Director Jennifer Gambale said.
The rings, purchased through Herff Jones, can be customized to one’s liking. It can include carvings to represent an individual’s hobbies, likes, or interests, as well as, any clubs or activities participated in at school. Now it is time for them to look forward to the next few months and their last year of high school. The history of class rings is a short but special one. The wearing of class rings first took place in 1835, in Virginia, at West Point Military Academy. The class of young men decided that they should have rings to establish their accomplishments and to symbolize brotherhood. That feeling of accomplishment is still felt today. “I felt emotional and really happy to have my junior ring
and I’m grateful By NIA GUILLOT-DEJESUS to have two speStaff Reporter cial parents in my ig:@princessnia_16 life that I really love and that really love me,” junior Gabriela Ezaval said. The Junior Ring Ceremony was an experience not just for the students, but also for their parents and family. Ezaval’s parents said that they were excited and felt like crying because she was growing too fast and that she deserved it because of all her hard work. “I feel great getting my junior ring. I feel like I’m one step closer to the road to graduation,” junior Amanda Bravo said. Bravo’s parents said that they felt happy for their daughter and were excited to see that she had come so far and that they couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for her. The ceremony celebrates a high school milestone that carries with it memories to last a lifetime. Juniors show off their new class rings. photo by Fox-Mar
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New s | A ro u n d t h e C o u ntry
Right: A room full of young men and women raise their right hands as United States Army Captain Telica Watkins administers the Oath of Enlistment at the United States Military Processing Station at The Federal Building in Dallas, Texas, Sept. 1, 2010. With a soft job market, higher military pay and high tech recruiting methods, all four military branches and the reserves are easily hitting their targets. photo with permission Dallas Morning News/MCT Below: Students in Varela’s NJROTC program learn about leadership, maritime history, military law and Naval aircraft, along with their physical training and exercise. photo by Michael Todisco
Military affords possible career options By michael todisco
So, you’re a junior or senior Staff Reporter in high school and IG: DR_michael_ you have no idea about what you want to do in life or what you want to be passionate about, and that’s okay. The choices are endless and it can get a little overwhelming. After high school, most kids choose one of two routes - college or work. However, there is at least one other option. Joining the military. For some reason, there is a misconception about what exactly people do in the military and the jobs/careers can range from secretaries to doctors to computer specialists, almost anything that can easily translate to civilian life. Options do tend to be geared toward the specific branch of military chosen. For example, most jobs in the Air Force are related to aircraft, and so on. Additionally, one big pro about joining the military, is that they pay for your housing, food, medical and essential needs (this is for active duty, in the reserve component of each branch
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soldiers don’t get housing and only get fed when they are on duty). The biggest con about the military, however, is that going active duty means that soldiers may be away from family for long periods of time and be forced to follow rules that civilians don’t necessarily have to follow. There is no “I was only one minute tardy this morning” or “I couldn’t find my black sweater for the uniform policy.” There is a process when it comes to joining any military branch. First students need to take the ASVAB which is basically a general knowledge test which evaluates math, science, mechanical knowledge and so forth. Many students here at Varela already take this test. It’s a good indicator for trying to figure out what a person will be good at. The Army primarily focuses on land warfare and is the oldest and largest branch in the military. There are over 250 jobs and career fields including doctors, lawyers, engineers, electricians, and computer programmers. Recruits are able to choose a specific job, which is called an MOS (military occupational specialty), before leaving for basic training. The Marine Corps primarily focuses on amphibious warfare and is generally seen as the all-around branch with naval, land and air components. Like the Army, the Marines
break their enlisted jobs down into MOS’s. The Navy has jobs that include infantry, engineering, music, legal and aviation. The Navy primarily focuses on naval warfare and has air components. The Navy calls their enlisted jobs “ratings.” Similar ratings are placed into various “communities.” Communities can range from administrative to aviation and from intelligence to builder. The Air Force primarily focuses on air warfare and aerial mechanics. Enlisted jobs are known as “AFSCs,” or “Air Force Specialty Codes.” These enlisted jobs can include operations, maintenance, medical, legal and special investigations. The Coast Guard primarily focuses on defending the U.S. mainland coast and offers more than 200 types of jobs. There are technical and labor positions available, as well as, boatswains and Marine Science positions. All the branches offer programs to help soldiers continue their education for free or a significantly reduced cost compared to civilians (this goes for all branches). For those that want more information, it’s important to do independent research, because every recruiter will want to say why their branch is better than the others. It’s also important to have an overall understanding when speaking to a recruiter. And never sign anything blindly, because it may determine placement for the next few years. Joining the military can increase self-confidence and provide on-the-job training for any civilian career field afterwards.
Aro u n d the Co u ntr y | N ew s
Exercise adds years to life Want to feel better, have more energy By nicolle holguin and even add years to your life? Just exerStaff Reporter cise. The health benefits of regular exercise IG: nicolle_A_holguin and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, gender or physical ability. Everyone is always wondering what can they do to be in shape or just how exercise is going to help them be healthy. Even for older people, exercise helps them combat health conditions and diseases, such stroke, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, depression, a number of types of cancer, arthritis and falls. Exercising also helps to improve mood. A gym session or brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave us feeling happier and more relaxed. We may also feel better about our appearance and ourselves when we exercise regularly, which can boost confidence and improve self-esteem. “For young students, we [P.E. electives] are the only free option for students to do sports, be in shape and be healthy,” said P.E. teacher and Coach Juan Monge. “Exercising helps you not to go to the doctor that much. When you start exercising, it helps you to eat better, it helps you to sleep better, you are more energetic, and your body stays fit.” Sophomore Kaylee Trutt, a student in P.E., said that besides P.E. class, she walks and runs in the afternoon while she’s taking her dog outside and it helps her to be healthy and in shape. Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better and boost health . Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise. Try to engage in a combination of moderate aerobic exercises, such as running, walking or swimming. Space out activities throughout the week. To lose weight, or meet specific fitness goals, we may need to ramp up exercise efforts. All participants should check with their doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if they haven’t exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, or have any concerns. Living in South Florida, where outdoor activities are available pretty much year round, we put up our own obstacles of not working out and being healthy.
Top: Students in P.E. stretch out before running laps.; Middle: Students in P.E. walk and run laps to prepare for the mile test.; Bottom: Senior Michael Allende does pull-ups in Fitness Issues for Adolescence. photos by Nicolle Holguin
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New s | A ro u n d t h e C o u ntry
Self-driving cars take over the future by brittney alvarez estephany wakil-kassar Picture
staff reporters a world brittneyalvarez2001@gmail.com where estephanywakil@gmail.com you’re sitting in the driver’s seat of a car, your hands and feet free and far from any control as you enjoy a passenger experience in your moving vehicle. Well, this brief imagination is on the highway to becoming a reality. Making cars safer, drivers more cautious, and accidents not so common is the greatest concern for the push of automotive technological advancements. According to the Association For Safe International Road Travel, “nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled,” making car accidents one of the top ten leading causes of deaths worldwide. All rising achievements, in attempts to reduce these numbers, have blossomed into the future idea of the autonomous vehicle, a development
From top: A Google self-driving car travels eastbound on San Antonio Road in Mountain View, Calif., in October 2015. photo with permission Bay Area News Group/TNS; Danny Shapiro, senior director, holds the company’s Nvidia Drive PX2 processor at Nvidia in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Known for making processors for video games, Nvidia makes the “brains” behind most self-driving cars on the road today transforming itself into a leader in the self-driving car industry. photo with permission Bay Area News Group/TNS
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that almost seems like it comes right out assured and people’s jobs wouldn’t be of a science fiction movie. The actuality hurt,” Social Studies teacher Lissette of it all is that the self-driving car is des- Hernandez said. tined to become our fate, yet, discussion While the autonomous vehicle has still climbs as to whether this reduces many advantages, it also has many roadaccidents and makes driving a safer and blocks. Many people have jobs that rebetter experience, or if it just introvolve around road transportation, such duces a whole wave of new dangers to as taxis, Uber, and Lyft drivers, which the next generation of drivers that just may make their jobs obsolete. With this aren’t worth it. technology, there may be a car accidents are demand for more technologi Although self-driving cars seem like a frightening one of the top ten cal/engineering careers. experience, engineers are Even though human working on making them a leading causes of dangers are minimalized, very secure environment. deaths worldwide. technology has the ability to They want to make the car a malfunction, causing many safer vehicle by combining sensors and issues, and even accidents, and it has software to command, navigate, and plenty of times. Sure, car accidents can drive the vehicle to assure protection. be reduced, but they aren’t completely According to StateTech, about 81 preventable. Self-driving cars bring percent of car crashes are the outmuch questioning and worrying of new come of human mistake. NVIDIA is the hazards not experienced before. company that develops the software for One concern is what if these cars self-driving cars. were to hit something? In the circum “These cars that we’re developing stance of a crash, who is responsible? don’t suffer from the same problems The car owner? The car company? that human-driven cars do...the driver These concerns elevate when we distraction is now gone,” senior director consider the human equation taken of NVIDIA said. out of driverless technology. Although Countless factors come into play humans are in harm’s way once they get when a person slides that key into the behind the wheel, they are much more ignition; whether it’s distractions, faillikely to consider a moral choice than ure to follow road laws, or even driving the AI of the car. For example, if the car while under the influence, humans are was about to either crash into a man way more the cause of accidents than riding a bike or the car in front of it, the not, which may very much significantly AI of the car might let it crash into the decrease if a computer is in complete man on the bike, because the cost of control. that crash would be less. While a human Some cars out on the market today driver may choose to hit the car, because already include driverless features such even the cost of the damage to their car as adaptive cruise control, automatic is better than killing someone. parking, and Tesla’s advanced autopilot. Furthermore, driverless cars deOther benefits of the driverless car focus pend on gathering and sharing location around time, speed, and space. data, intensifying uneasiness about There is said to be less time spent how safe the software is and if it can commuting as road capacity will rise be hacked. Weather is even a possible and speed limits become higher. Remov- factor to consider, since it can interfere ing the responsibility from the driver, with cars’ sensors and cameras. Ecoallows passengers more time to do what nomically, the cost of these cars will they please. Even economic savings probably go up thousands more dollars. prove a huge convenience; the premium Companies such as Google, Uber, cost for insurance, as well as fuel charge and Tesla have made and tested dozens are predicted to plunge. of these automobiles and aim to put “[I’m] all up for technology, but them on the road by 2020 and make it it would be great if safety would be the fate of travel.
Aro u n d the Co u ntr y | N ew s
Starbucks affects wallet and waistline By jaylin terrero
What exactly makes Starbucks Staff Reporter IG: asap.jayxx coffee so good? Starbucks iced lattes are the reason I fell in love with coffee. As a high school student, coffee helps me survive those tedious tasks of attending a couple of hours of lectures and classwork, and after school, we’re back at square one. With Starbucks a couple minutes away from my house, it feels like heaven dropping by for something delicious. But lately, I have begun to think, “What makes their drinks so good?” The drinks are no more than a calorie bomb, and now, when I get one, it feels like a guilt trip. According to FoodBabe, a food blogger, Starbucks uses “conventional (non-organic) milk at Starbucks which comes from farms where the cows are almost always fed a diet that consists primarily of GMO feed (soy, corn, cottonseed) that is laden with pesticides.” GMO is an organism the DNA of which contains one or more genes not normally found there. Organicauthority.com says that “GMOs require massive amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. These things are poisons, and should not be eaten or allowed to run off into our water supply. But they are, every day, by companies who care far more about the bottom line than they do about your health, your environment or your children’s future.”
Starbucks also still uses high fructose corn syrup in their “caramel sauce” found in many of their drinks. This sweetener, generally made from GMO corn, has been shown to contribute to the development of diabetes. “Although, they have taken the caramel color that’s linked to cancer out of most of their syrups, you will still find it in this caramel sauce,” FoodBabe said. According to Business Insider, over the years, Starbucks has invested millions of dollars to get away from their “basic” image and want to be seen as a premium upscale brand that is “values-based.” And their marketing is working. According to Statista, the number of Starbucks stores worldwide has grown from 7,225 in 2003 to 27,339 in 2017. Tempting as Starbucks is, we can go for healthier, cheaper choices for our coffee. The cost per cup of coffee is cheaper for homemade coffee, or Kcups. And for those who must have their “flavored” coffee, we can get storebought coffee creamers for under $10, and it will last a couple of weeks. The flavors can vary from simple mocha to creme brulee to seasonal favorites like pumpkin spice, and many of these can be bought sugar free. It is way cheaper to make our own coffee than to buy one at Starbucks. A cup of coffee at Starbucks can range
Chai tea from Oprah Winfrey is available in hot and cold servings at Starbucks. photo with permission Chicago Tribune/MCT
in cost from $2.95 to $4.15 and adding flavors is extra. Most grocery stores now sell coffee K-cups in a variety of flavors and strengths, including Starbucks brand. Between that and the flavored cream, a cup of coffee from home can be as little as $1 per cup. Imagine the money we can save just making our own coffee. In the long run, avoiding Starbucks can save us in our wallet and our waistline.
Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT
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Lif est y le | B o o k s
Lifestyle Q&A with Neal Shusterman Q: How do you come up with an idea that doesn’t mimic others work? A: That’s one of the things that is the hardest things to do. I tend to come up with many other ideas that I can’t possibly write. The ones I end up really going for is the ones that have three things going for them. It has to be original, something I’ve never seen. If I’ve already seen it, I have no interest in writing it. It has to be universal, appeal to all people, regardless who they are. And it has to be a story that is screaming to be told, a story telling me that it needs to be written. Q: How do you help yourself when you have writer’s block? A: I’ll tell you a secret, there is no such thing as writer’s block. Writing is sometimes easy and sometimes you feel like you are going nowhere. You have to work your way through it and understand it’s part of the writing proccess. Q: What’s the hardest challenge you face writing a film or book? A: Writing for a film, the hardest thing is the entertainment industry itself, and how it works. In the publishing industry, the hardest thing is probably coming up with that original story.
Q: What inspired you to write? A: It was a combination of my 9th grade English teacher and a book called Jaws. Q: What advice would you give for people who are aspiring to become authors? A: You have to write. It may seem obvious, but some don’t. You have to rewrite. It is the most important part of the writing process. You have to read, especially different genres. Lastly, you have to persevere.
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by Michael Black & Alex Dominguez
editor & Staff Reporter alexthechew56@gmail.com mike0062875@gmail.com
Author Neal Shusterman speaks to students about the writing process and his new YA novel Thunderhead. photo by E. Cardenas
Students discuss writing process with author visit Neal Shusterman is a young adult author who wrote books such as the teen dystopia Unwind series, Challenger Deep, and his newest series, Arc of Scythe. Shusterman recently came to Varela in January, to talk about his new book, Thunderhead (second in the Arc of Scythe series), and answer questions about his writing process and how he got the ideas for his books. Although Shusterman began his career as an author in the late 1980s, it was his Unwind Dystology that really got him recognized as a major young-adult novelist. He has won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the California Young Reader Medal and the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Speaking to an auditorium of English and Creative Writing students on Jan. 16, Shusterman explained how he came up with such a bizarre and interesting story idea. He read an article about teen delinquents in England and how it was a problem. In the article, people said that the teens would be better off dead. In an unrelated article about the future of organ transplants, Shusterman began to put together a story about unwanted children who could become involuntary organ donors, and Unwind was born. In his current series, Shusterman decided to go in a different direction. The world of Scythe is perfect. Mankind has accomplished immortality. But with death out of the way, how do we control overpopulation? The solution is Scythes, human forms of the Grim Reaper who help to keep the population in check by killing or “gleaning” individuals, a permanent death. Shusterman said that his publisher wanted him to do another story along the same lines as Unwind. However, after a straight 10 years of teen dystopia with books such as Divergent, Hunger Games, and Maze Runner, “...it was starting to feel a little bit [tiring]. The last thing I wanted to do was to write another teen dystopian novel,” he said. Shusterman said he began to think about a perfect world and how we would achieve it. A world with no disease, poverty, death, war, and racism. He shared how humans have cured more diseases in the last 30 years than in all of history, and scientists like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, are beginning to research why humans age. Shusterman explained that his writing process includes a lot of research and he encouraged the students that are interested in writing to make sure that they do it every day. For him, writing is something that he does constantly, whether it leads to a novel or not.
Clockwise: The cast of the Drama department’s production of The Addams Family; Senior Serguey Bravo plays Uncle Fester; Freshman Anthony Valle and seniors Maria Alvarez and Angel Valle play the Beineke family; Ensemble actors portray the Addams family ancestors. photos by Fox-Mar
The Addams Family
“Love Triumphs” in drama program’s spring musical By Sophia Almeyda “Wait, I
Staff Reporter know this IG: sophie_smiles00 tree! it’s where I first saw her! I was lost in the park when a pigeon dropped to my feet with an arrow in it, I looked up, and there she was! Wednesday with a crossbow.” If you never got a chance to attend the Drama department’s production of The Addams Family, you missed out on a dark, but humorous, musical. The preview night was on Feb. 27, $5 per ticket, the next two, Feb. 28 and Mar. 2, were both $10 each. Seniors Leo Cribeiro and Taylor Fernandez play Gomez and Wednesday Addams. photo by Fox-Mar
Our principal, Nery Fins, enjoyed the musical so much, that she has decided to invite some local middle schools to watch a showing or two of the performance. Set design and props fit the picture of the original Addams family with headstones, pale trees, spider webs, and worn out furniture, giving off a dark ominous feeling to the audience. There were some minor issues with sound, microphones not working, causing the actors to not be heard over the live band performing below them.
The costumes had a typical Addams family look; they fit the character’s parts well and seemed very well thought out. Overall the acting was great; none of the actors broke character, no matter how funny the joke. The actors also sang with a lot of passion; you could tell they truly took their parts seriously. Senior Taylor Fernandez, Wednesday Addams, had a major role which required her to perform in a majority of the songs. But it was her song “Pulled” that showed her emotion the most. She sang with heart. Senior Leonardo Cribeiro, Gomez Addams, was another outstanding actor. As the iconic patriarch of the family, he never missed a joke and had the audience laughing. Unfortunately, Cribeiro never performed in a Varela drama production until this year, making this his first and last
musical in high school. While he is going out on a high note, he isn’t necessarily going to make it his career. “It’s fun, but I also need to make a steady income,” he said. “And theater is notorious for not being able to do that.” The new drama teacher , Ms. A, as her students call her, has put on a very successful musical while still learning everyone’s individual personalities. She did have the assistance of a choreographer, Xavier Dubrocq and vocal coach, Damarys Lopez during the preparation for the show. “My favorite part of working in the Addams Family is the great job it does honoring these iconic characters. I loved working with the cast and crew. The students made the experience for me a really positive one,” she said. In the end they put on a wonderful performance, with minor quirks here and there, but still leaving watchers dazzled and wanting more.
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Lif est y le | Fo o d
Diners gorge on food they can trust Right: Diced has a friendly and modern environment that makes you feel at home accompanying your mouth-watering meal; Below: You have the choice of ordering a bowl consisting of rice or quinoa, any type of beans or cheese, salad, pico de gallo, corn, and a veriety of homemade sauces; photos by Sebastian Corrales
“Food You Can Trust!” is the mot-
By sebastian corrales to Diced lives by every day. They
Staff Reporter have several locations in Miami, in@scorrales_ cluding Kendall, that are open from 11am till 10 p.m. Diced’s Kendall location is located right across from Miami-Dade and is accessible by the turnpike making it easier to come and go as you please. Inside, the location is a vibrant atmosphere and casual feel, with a modern look and spacious dining area with several booths and tables. The tables and booths have several useful functions such as a charging stations and bottle openers to help the needs of the customers. The employees are driven to work and are extremely helpful on recommending their personal favorites and stay attentive to their customers. Recently, having gone on a date with my girlfriend, we both loved the experience, service, quality of food, and the healthy options. However, the pricing doesn’t suit the quantity of the meal compared to other restaurants with the same concept. Other restaurants may be cheaper and serve a larger quantity of food for prices ranging from $6 to $7.50 compared to Diced at $7.30 to $10. Diced offers healthy eating by offering a choice of all-natural hormone free chicken, grass fed beef and tuna, in a choice of bowls, wraps, salads, and smoothies. In addition, there are choices of different gluten free and sodium free rices, vegan beans, cheese, veggies, and sauces reduced sauces made from yogurt . While my girlfriend ordered a quinoa and chicken bowl, I ordered a chicken wrap. Both our plates cost roughly $20 plus the tip for the excellent service. The overall experience was satisfying for the both of us and we would definitely go again, so we highly recommend it.
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Roots Juice Bar offers a variety of choices to indulge on with their specialty being acai bowls that could consist of acai, almond milk, banana, coconut, almonds, chia, and any berries of your choice. photo by Melissa Rodas
Local Juicebar fills nutritional needs
Snacking after school is a must, but run- By melissa rodas ning to Subways or McDonald’s every day Staff Reporter can really stretch the waistline. Roots Juice IG: melyix3 Bar is a healthy alternative to the fast food choices. Located on 124 Ave. and 83 St., Roots Juice is open every day of the week. They serve fresh, organic goods and the restaurant is spotless. The company is unique and different from what we usually see at other juice bars. Their food is fresh, not frozen, and their offerings use catchy, creative names, such as “Got the Beet” and “My Roots.” Going with a group of friends allowed me to see all the variety of options that are offered. Their smoothies can be made from a set menu, or customers can mix and match from a variety of ingredients, including adding boosters. The boosters target areas like anti-inflammatory and detox. Their cold-pressed juices are simply that, fresh fruits and vegetables that are juiced and blended. But they don’t just sell drinks. They have plant based foods, such as soups, lentils bowls and salads, and their specialties called smoothie bowls. Everything is basically vegan, organic, and healthy. Many of the employees attend Varela, which makes going there almost a school event. The only downside is the cost. A snack at McDonald’s can be under $5 using the dollar menu. But at Roots Juice, most items start at $4 and can go as high as $10, maybe even higher if boosters or superfood addons are included. So this may not be the place for every day, but maybe once a week. Other than that, the food was very good. I would highly recommend giving it a shot, especially for those who like to eat healthy and feel great.
Fo o d | L if estyle
Versailles represents best of Cuban Culture
Ay Bendito con Sabor a Puerto Rico is a food truck that specializes in Puerto Rican food. photo by Jahn Alago
Puerto Rican cuisine stands out in Miami Miami is a city of immigrants and at some
By Jahn Alago point, they miss their home country. What bet-
staff reporter ter way to remember it than enjoying the food. ig: Jahnnnnn Food is not just a thing for survival, it is a way to express culture. Even though there aren’t many options in Miami where Puerto Ricans can appreciate the delicious dishes from their home, there is a food truck called Ay Bendito con Sabor a Puerto Rico, and a restaurant called Isla del Encanto. They are both located here in Kendall, very close to Varela. The restaurant, located on 120 St. and 128 Ave., has a setting so special that it makes guests think of Puerto Rico. Upon entering, customers will hear authentic music from the island. All the dishes are traditional, there is a wall painted with Old San Juan on it, and even the tablecloths have sayings from Puerto Rico. Everything feels like home. They serve appetizers such as bacalaitos (golden batter-fried codfish, flavored with coriander) or alcapurrias de carne (plantain and tanier root fritters filled with beef). Main dishes range from mofongo with churrasco to arroz con gandules y chuletas (rice and pigeon peas with pork chops). And for dessert, I would totally recommend the tembleque (coconut souffle) or arroz con dulce de coco (coconut rice pudding). The food truck has less menu options, however, they are similar to the ones in the restaurant, and are only open Friday to Sunday. But, it is convenient after a hot day at the beach or to make a quick stop for a bite. Like the restaurant, the food truck also has music, but the space is more limited. The truck is usually parked in the lot of Lord of Life Lutheran Church on 137 Ave. and 92 St. For those boricuas who miss the food of home, or those who want a taste of traditional Puerto Rico, these spots are the best to enjoy.
Versailles is the most famous Cuban By karoyn legra restaurant in Miami. Named for the famous staff reporter Palace of Versailles outside Paris, its resem- ig: its.karoo blance can be seen in its beautiful mirrors and chandeliers, so similar to the French palace. It is wellknown not only for its traditional Cuban cuisine, but also for its social gatherings for Cubans. Versailles restaurant is the place to go for Cubans everytime there’s a significant Cuban event, from Cuban-American relations to the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Politics of the day are discussed at the “ventanita” over cups of “cafecito” and plates of “pastelitos.” Versailles, located right on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, has been open for over 40 years. It’s so popular, that it is on the list of places to visit when coming to Miami. It’s no surprise that it is also a main stop for politicians looking to garner the Cuban-American vote here in Miami. Some of the most popular dishes are congris (mixed rice and beans) with pork and platanitos (fried plantains), yuca, and potaje (thick stew). They have weekend specials like imperial rice which is a rice loaded with boiled eggs, green peas, plantains and more. They have delicious dishes like vaca frita de pollo (dried, shredded chicken), beef stew with potatoes, and a half roasted chicken and ajiaco (a tropical soup made with vegetables and various kinds of meat). “The restaurant has a lot of history and it has grown a lot overtime, and many, when they come to Miami, that’s one of the places they go to,” Social Studies teacher Pablo Gomez said. “They have pastries and cafecito, the ‘cafecito’ is really good.” Gomez also mentioned that his favorite dish is “vaca frita” (dried, shredded beef) with rice. Math teacher, Lourdes Garvalosa, has also been to Versailles and says her favorite dish is “croquetas and tamales.” “The palomilla is really good,” she said. If you really want to try good Cuban food, get a taste of Cuban culture and maybe even discuss some Cuban politics, Versailles is the place to go.
The Versailles coffee shop is an epicenter of Cuban American life in Miami, Fla. People often gather here for enthusiastic, almost ceaseless conversations. photo with permission Tribune Washington Bureau/TNS
Lif est y le | B o o k s / M ovies
Simon says read this book By yaira Doyle In 2013, YA readers
Staff Reporter were introduced to the IG: Yaira.doyle LGBT character Simon, in Becky Albertalli’s book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This March, audiences will meet the same character, but on the big screen in Love, Simon. The book won the 2016 William C. Morris Award from the American Library Association. The story is fast paced and interesting. The format of the book is also very fun to read. There are chapters that further the story, and others that are written like emails between Simon and Blue, which is the meat of the story. These two characters fall in love through words. The book and the movie have one major difference which is the title, but it’s understandable, since much of the book is done in emails which are signed Love, Simon. In the movie, Simon’s little sister, Nora, was younger. In the book, Nora is always with Simon because they are close in age, giving Simon someone to talk to. She is the first of his family to know that he is gay, which helps him when he comes out to his parents. Albertalli hopes her book and the movie will inspire more stories based on the LGBT community. “Let’s broaden the community and tell more stories because Simon’s is just one story; Simon doesn’t represent the entire community,” she said. Is there going to be a sequel? “Yes I have written a sequel, and it is in the point of view of Leah because there is more of her story to be told,” Albertalli said. Unfortunately, she does not see herself writing more of Simon’s story because she does not want to mess with Simon’s and Blue’s relationship.
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photo courtesy of Fox 2000 Pictures
Movie based on YA novel tackles LGBT issues When it comes to romance movies, Love, Simon really breaks the mold. It tackles the struggles and challenges that people in the LGBT community have to go through in coming out to their family and friends and how scary it can be for them. The movie is based on Becky Albertalli’s YA novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. “I came off working early as a clinical psychologist and I worked a lot with LGBT kids,” she said in an interview with The Viper Vibe. “But Simon is not based on any of my clients. That would be a horrific breach of confidentiality. I do believe my experience as a psychologist kind of gave me a mature awareness of some of the issues that they grapple with.” I have to praise the movie in its amazing depiction of the main character Simon, played by Nick Robinson of Jurassic World. He struggles with self-acceptance, and ways to overcome the fear of losing everything and everyone he loves for just being how he is. Throughout the movie, audiences are confronted with the reality that even in today’s world, which is more accepting of the LGBT community than ever, there are still people out there causing it to be a lot harder than it needs to be to just show others our true selves without being ashamed or discouraged. I also have to praise the movie’s depiction of the bullying that people in the LGBT community have to go through. Simon is blackmailed to do things like help the loser kid of the school get in to a relationship with one of his friends or face being exposed to the whole school. There are also examples of how other schools publicly make fun of the only
photo courtesy of Balzer + Bray
openly gay kid in school. By Jason Perez The movie also Editor shows a great story of @jasonP1314 the growing friendship between Simon and Blue. Through their many emails, they were able to grow closer, to the point where they were able to trust each other and even fall in love through just their words. The character development in this movie isn’t limited to just Simon. Throughout the story we are able to see a change in many of the main characters, either by accepting new things about themselves or others. I believe that the actors did an amazing job in portraying the characters and in telling us the story of the love between Simon and Blue. I highly recommend seeing this film in theaters. Even though it doesn’t have huge special effects and superheroes, it is an important movie for people to see, whether they are going through what Simon was going through, or they have a friend or family member going through it. It’s a step forward in promoting acceptance and understanding of the LGBT community.
Author Becky Albertalli speaks with The Viper Vibe about her book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda which was turned into the movie Love, Simon, opening in March. photo by Cristina Capote
M ovies | L if estyle
“WCKD is Good” for the third time By NATALIA FERNANDEZ
Many times, the success of a staff reporter young adult novel IG: OHITSNAAT doesn’t necessarily transfer over to its movie version. For every Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Twilight, there is also a Percy Jackson and Divergent. In 2010, author James Dashner introduced the world to The Maze Runner and in 2014, Hollywood brought that series to life. The third installment, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, hit theaters in January, and they didn’t disappoint. In the world of Maze Runner, after powerful sun flares kill off most of the planet’s population and a virus that turns humans into murderous savages threatens what’s left, the remaining governments, realizing that the virus was beyond their control, created an organization called WCKD (World in Ca-
tastrophe: Killzone Department). WCKD selected 100 teenagers, both immune and not, to go through two trials, the Maze and Scorch, in the hopes of finding why some subjects were able to fight the virus and hopefully lead them to produce a cure. The first book and movie covered the Maze trial and the second covered the Scorch trial. The third deals with the finding of a cure for the virus. All these movies focus on how a fearless boy finds his way out of the dangerous obstacles thrown at him. Thomas, the protagonist of the three movies, goes through all these death traps just to save the people he cares about. The special effects, while not as spectacular as current superhero movies, was good. The world of the Scorch may be fantastical, but it was totally believable. And the effects in this movie surpassed the other
two movies combined. One reason that these movies have done so well when others have not is their budget. According to IMDB, the budget for all three movies together has been $157 million compared to the $208 million it cost just for the first two movies in the Hunger Games saga. Even though they haven’t had quite the audience of other popular young adult movies, a strong fan base has kept the movies alive and kicking. “All the movies were amazing, but if I had to pick my favorite movie, it would be the Death Cure where the unexpected conclusion occurred,” junior Raul Gonzalez said. Maze Runner: the Death Cure is worth a movie ticket in theaters. This movie is best seen on a big screen where the viewer can really appreciate the special effects.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure is the third book in the Maze Runner series by author James Dashner. The movie stars Dylan O’Brien as the main protagonist Thomas. photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox and Delacorte Press
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Lif est y le | M ovies
Wars that have changed America By Jason Perez Throughout human history there have been many conflicts and wars that have shaped the world in some way.
Editor But in the last two centuries, there have been five major conflicts that have put a mark on the world through @JasonP1314 either technological innovation or by the sheer number of casualties. These wars have shaped how we see the world today. While the U.S. is often portrayed as heroes in war, there are times that we are not the shining beacon that we say we are. The following five movies display the best and worst of America as we worked to shape the world around us.
D
uring World War I, the U.S. wasn’t really a major power until the last year or so. In the movie The Lost Battalion, the combined armies of the U.S., U.K., and France attacked a German
D
uring the mid 19th century, the U.S. was not the big influential nation that we are today; we were a nation bitterly divided on an issue that grew to a head and sparked the start of a great civil war. To to this day, it is the deadliest conflict that the U.S. has ever been involved in, with some 500,000 casualties on both sides. The movie Gettysburg really helps depict the ferocity of the war as well as how divided we as a nation really were over the issue of slavery and that of states’ rights. It really shows how every person that was fighting in the war was fighting for completely different personal reasons. During this dark time in our nation’s history, we were just a speck on the foreign relationship radar, being overshadowed by more powerful nations of the time like that of the United Kingdom and France.
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position in the Argonne Forest. During this attack, the Germans were able to stop both the British and French advances on the flanks but not the Americans in the middle, causing the Americans to be surrounded on all sides by German forces. However, even against all odds and high casualties, the Americans were able to hold off the Germans for three days, until reinforcements were able to arrive. This defense of other countries against the forces of evil, showed that America was becoming a world power and was willing to step up when allies called, no matter the cost.
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hen it comes to American war movies, the top one on almost everyone’s list has to be Saving Private Ryan. The movie follows a group of of U.S. Army soldiers as they go through the largest amphibious assault in history, World War II’s D-Day, to find the last survivor of a group of four brothers that have died serving their country. In just the opening scene alone, we see
the true grotesque and horrific environment that these men had to go through to complete their mission. This film really helps us see the true colors of the American Spirit, and how we never give up, even with the odds so heavily stacked against us. It also shows us the grave and noble sacrifices that so many had to give to protect this great nation that we all call home.
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f all the conflicts that the U.S. has been in, the one that has caused the most negative effect on the soldier and us as a nation has to be the Vietnam War. This war contributed to a change in how the world perceived us, and became the true turning point in world opinion on the U.S. The movie We Were Soldiers follows a group of American soldiers that have to go through some of the dark and horrible things that occured in this war, like the guerrilla tactics used by the North Vietnamese. Before this war, the world saw us as a “Big Brother.” Because of our involvement in Vietnam the world’s
view of us began to change, not only because of our conduct there, but because of the way we treated those soldiers when they came home.
photos courtesy of TriStar Television, A&E Television Networks, Dreamworks, Icon Entertainment International, and Warner Bros.
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hen it comes to war movies this one is the one that really hits home to many people because it covers a war that is currently still being fought. American Sniper really shows the effects that war has on our service men, not just during the war but after they leave. It also depicts how families of the servicemen deal with the men and women that come back. As of today, the war that is depicted in this movie has become the longest war in which the U.S. has ever been involved. How we have conducted this war has been watched by the whole world. Sometimes we have been right and sometimes we have overstepped. Ironically, the subject of the film, Chris Kyle on whose life the book and movie are based, was killed by a fellow veteran that Kyle was helping.
EA Games brings FIFA to life By joshua escobedo
For people interested in playing soccer, there’s a video Staff Reporter game all about the sport, even joshuae298@gmail.com letting gamers play as famous pro players. FIFA 18 was developed by EA Games and was officially released worldwide in September 2017 for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Real Madrid’s soccer player captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, appears on the front cover of the game. The game is all about simulation, and it is considered the best FIFA game ever made by EA. Players get to choose their own soccer team, can either play solo against AI - computer controlled players - or against other players online. According to EA’s website, they used real player motion technology to make it more like how the player runs and moves in real life. The controls are pretty simple, movement is controlled by the controller left analog stick while other movements like shooting the ball, slide tackling, and passing are controlled by the buttons on the controller. In FIFA 18, there are many modes to play such as Ultimate Team, in which owners of the game can play matches against their friends by choosing their favorite team and soccer players. Moreover, the game has a new offline mode called Squad Battles, where players compete against each other for coins - currency a player gets from winning. The players are awarded coins based on the quality of the other team and the difficulty level the player selects. Overall, the game is worth the money out of pocket ($55 new or $38 used), since there is so much to the game. With online game modes and online features, playing with friends, etc., I know that players won’t get tired of FIFA 18.
photo courtesy of Arc System Works
DRAGONBALL is full of FighterZ
DRAGONBALL FighterZ is a new DRAGON- By kristian nardo-felipe BALL game that was released earlier this year Staff Reporter in January. DRAGONBALL FighterZ is different k2darkphantom@gmail.com than the previous game DRAGONBALL Xenoverse 2 due to FighterZ having the gaming mechanics and fighting style as other fighting games like the Street Fighter series, BlazeBlue series, and the Marvel vs Capcom series are basically a 2-D fighting game. Xenoverse 2 is an open world fighting game; basically players can move around all over the map, having more freedom to move like the Naruto games. The game is played with three primary attack buttons on the controller and one unique button for a Special Attack, which is also used to charge a player’s Ki. Ki is used for special attacks or to power up attacks, but this can also be possible if for Xbox One both A+X are pressed and on PS4 X+Square are pressed. The story of the game takes place after the Universe 6 Saga but before the Future Trunks Saga and Universe Survival Saga. It starts off with the player as a soul linked to Goku allowing the player to use Goku’s body to fight various enemies. If the player decides to play the Super Warrior Arc then the character is a new villain who used to be human but now she’s an android named Android 21 who schemes with the help of Android 16. In the game players must stop Android 21 by possessing individual characters one at a time to fight enemies and stop Android 21. This game is available for Xbox One, Playstation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Steam. This game, like other DRAGONBALL games, is also able to be played online to fight against other players who have purchased the game. Gamers can play as characters other than Goku, such as Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Gotenks, Beerus, Hit, Android 21, Goku Black, Freeza, Cell, Gohan and more. The controls are pretty simple so players will get the hang of playing the game quickly and be able to use combos without too much trouble. DRAGONBALL FighterZ is a lot of fun, and I totally recommend the game, which has lots of hours to enjoy the Story Mode. The game can be purchased new for about $60.
photo courtesy of EA Games
Dragon Ball FighterZ feels like it draws from the classic games in the Dragon Ball series while also taking a lot of cues from modern fighting titles. photo with permission TNS
Spor t s | P ro
sports Eagles surprise with win against Patriots By Daniel Cardenas
Super Bowl LII was the national championship game for the National Football League’s 2017 season. Staff Reporter Chasing the title were the NFC’s Philadelphia Eagles and danielcardenas2020@gmail.com the AFC’s New England Patriots. Due to quarterback Carson Wentz’s injury, Nick Foles started as quarterback for the Eagles and he was also selected Super Bowl MVP. Foles completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Patriots’ Tom Brady completed 505 passing yards and three touchdowns. Brady leads the NFL for the most passing yards in a playoff game. The Patriots attempted to pull off a complicated trick play early in the second quarter. Brady handed off the ball to running back James White, who then handed it off to wide receiver Danny Amendola, who then attempted to pass the ball back to Brady. However, it became an epic fail when Brady failed to catch the ball. The Eagles attempted the same trick play later in the same quarter and not only did Foles catch the ball, he went on to score a touchdown. This was pretty much the turning point for the Eagles and set the tone for the rest of the game. Fighting for the title in the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the Eagles pulled through for the win 41-33. Weather was not an issue as the stadium is an indoor stadium and temperature regulated. Super Bowl LIII will be on February 3, 2019, at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia. Top: Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham knocks the ball out of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s hands late in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Feb. 4. Defensive end Derek Barnett recovered the ball. photo with permission Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS; Left: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) gets a pass away under pressure from New England Patriots defenders Trey Flowers (98) and Lawrence Guy (93) in the first half on Sunday, Feb. 4, at Super Bowl LII. photo with permission Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS; Right: Justin Timberlake performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018 at Super Bowl LII between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. photo with permission Sipa USA/TNS
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Timberlake returns to Super Bowl LII Justin Timberlake By Jason Perez rocked the U.S. Bank editor Stadium in Minneapolis @jasonp1314 at the Super Bowl LII Halftime show. Timberlake sang “Filthy” from his new album Man of the Woods, as well as, some of his classic songs like “Sexyback” and “My Love.” He did an amazing job getting the fans in the stands to be a part of the show by going into the crowd and interacting with them, including taking “Super Bowl selfies.” In 2004, his Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime appearance created controversy with “nipplegate.” This year, he did a tribute to Prince, a native of the city. A huge screen played video of the late entertainer singing with Timberlake and the whole city participated by turning all the lights in the downtown city area purple. While I personally enjoyed the performance, many Prince fans felt that it was a disrespect to his wishes not to be hologrammed after his death. Timberlake is obviously talented. His music is entertaining and he can dance. However, the whole show was lacking in the grandeur usually seen in a show of this magnitude with such a massive audience. I felt like I was watching an ordinary concert.
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Team U.S.A. inspires with their run for gold
By Fabian Rodriguez Staff Reporter IG: SDS.fabian
Snowboarding Men’s Slopestyle & Women’s Halfpipe
Men’s Curling Team USA’s Olympic Curling team is a true example of starting from the bottom, in one of the most incredible stories in Winter Olympic history. Team captain, or skip, John Shuster, played in the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Olympics. The team placed dead last and second to last respectively. In 2014 he was kicked off the team, but he was not done yet. Instead, Shuster recruited Tyler George, John Landsteiner, and Matt Hamilton, a “team of rejects” they were called. Surprisingly they qualified for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. After a miserable 2-4 start, the team, re-energized with a new attitude sparked by Shuster and won their last five games which ended with an unforeseen 10-7 win over Sweden in the gold medal game. This is the first time U.S.A. has ever won Olympic gold in Curling.
Women’s Ice Hockey
Making everyone at Varela feel worthless, 17-year-old Redmond Gerard, the first gold medal winner at the Winter Olympics, and 17-year-old Chloe Kim, the youngest woman to ever win an Olympic Snowboarding medal, are proving that age is just a number. Both of the Slopestyle pros were ecstatic over their unexpected victories. Gerard was in eighth place until his clutch last run where he got 87.16 points catapulting him to first place. Chloe Kim was dominant throughout the whole competition surpassing second place finisher Elli Pikkujamsa by six points.
Snowboarding Men’s Halfpipe
The U.S.A’s Women’s Hockey team hadn’t won Olympic gold in 20 years. For the past four Olympics, Canada has reigned supreme. But not in PyeongChang. This time, team U.S.A beat the odds. The gold medal game ended in a tie, went into overtime and ended in a tie again. It all came down to a shootout, player vs. goalie. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored the game winning goal in the 3-2 point shootout to secure team U.S.A’s gold.
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U.S.A. Olympic Medal Count
Four-time Olympian, 31-yearold Shaun White came to PyeongChang with one goal in mind and that was to redeem himself. White’s story sounds like something out of a movie, a perfect example of perseverance. White has competed in the Winter Olympics since 2006 in Turin, where he won gold in Men’s Halfpipe. He continued his streak until 2014 in Sochi, where he didn’t even step on the podium because of a gruesome wipeout. White came to PyeongChang and won gold with a perfect score of 100 points.
Clockwise from top left: John Shuster delivers the rock during a curling match against Norway on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Gangneung Curling Center during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea; Red Gerard celebrates his gold-medal finish in the Olympic Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle event at Phoenix Snow Park during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 10; Chloe Kim celebrates after placing first in the Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 13; USA celebrates after beating Canada in a shootout to win the gold medal at Gangneung Hockey Centre Thursday, Feb. 22, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics; Shaun White of the USA celebrates after his final run during the Men’s Half Pipe Snowboard finals at Phoenix Park in South Korea on Wednesday, Feb. 14, during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. photos with permission Minneapolis Star Tribune/Zuma Press/TNS
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Spor t s | Varel a
Spring Sports Girls Track and Field
Boys Track and Field Track and Field is more than just running. Athletes in this sport may also compete in long jump, shot put and high jump. Ten meets are scheduled for this season, with anywhere from two to thirty schools represented at each meet. This year’s team consists mostly of freshmen and sophomores, with just a few seniors. Head Coach Mayra Sasso believes that Varela’s team will have a great season. “My vision for this team is to ensure that runners beat their personal bests each meet. I want them to feel like they have grown, not just as athletes or runners, but as people,” she said. “Their improvement overall is our number one goal.” Coach Sasso believes a few athletes could break records, and that senior Daniel Fory has a good chance in the long jump. He got second place in the 100 meter dash and first place in the long jump at the Spartan Invitational on Feb. 24. He also won the long jump at the Tri-Meet at Varela on Mar. 12, with a distance of over 19 feet. Fory said, “It’s possible, I just need to work harder and everyday.” Sophomore Benjamin Pena did his personal best on the mile, with a time of 5:48, at a meet on Feb. 20. Senior Frank Siles beat his personal best on the 800 meter, with a time of 2:25 at the Sam Burley Hall of Fame Invitational on Mar. 3. At the meet on Mar. 12 against South Miami and Coral Park, Isaiah Diaz-Moore did his personal best in the 4x400 relay.
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With a new season comes many changes, new faces, new coaches. The Girls Track and Field team consists of only six sophomores and seniors. While Coach Mayra Sasso is still working with Track and Field, she is joined by Coach Sheldon Wilson as they work together with the boys and girls teams. Coach Jordan Armstrong works with the mid-distance runners and Coach Wilson focuses on sprints, hurdles and jumps. At a meet at Sunset the girls represented the school by time trialing and head to head races against the best Sunset had to offer. Standing out was the lead 100m specialist, sophomore Gabrielle Murad who came in first in a head to head race against two Sunset Knights, hitting 13.09 seconds, breaking her personal record. She broke it again at the Tri-Meet at Coral Gables Sr. on Mar. 7, running at 12.8 seconds. Due to the small line-up, the Lady Vipers are limited for available races.
At the Spartan Invitational, the girls ran 55.59 seconds for the 4x100 meter race, which included Murad, seniors Maria Rivera and Tiffany Cruz, and sophomore Arielle Ho. Ho placed fourth with her 5’ 1.75” for her high jump. Munoz competed in the two-mile, also called the 3200 meter race, at the Tri-Meet at Varela on Mar. 12, and ran her personal best, breaking 16 minutes at 15:59. “The Varela Track team this year is full of new, ambitious runners who have caught on to the track way of life. We are also excited to have returning runners who are serving as leaders for our rookies. We are excited to see all of our runners improve,” Coach Sasso said.
Clockwise: Sophomores Kason Bonds and Isaiah Diaz-Moor run the 4x400 relay at a meet on Mar. 6; Senior George Gallardo tries to get a runner out at second base in a game versus Keys Gate; Sophomore Aaliyah Valdes pitches in a game against Southwest Sr. High; Sophomore Geovannis Fernandez and junior Kevin Carmenaty play boys doubles against Coral Reef Sr. High. photos by Luis Rodriguez/Best Photo Creations; Sophomore Arielle Ho jumps a hurdle in the 300 meter hurdle at a meet on Mar. 6. photos by Fox-Mar
All scores and times current as of March 13 at noon.
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Baseball Over the last three years, the Baseball team has had three different coaches. Last year’s team thought there would be no baseball program at Varela this year which resulted in several students transferring to other schools. With only six seniors, this year’s team is being coached by Carlos Yedo, who sees this as a year of “building from scratch.” “We’re going to play hard, and I believe we are gonna surprise some people,” said Yedo. “I know what our goals are, I’m not going to talk about those, but I will say that we will have a chance. Now if they win or they don’t, I don’t know yet; we don’t have a lot of experience. We are playing against teams that are very experienced.” Sophomore Brandon Diaz thinks that the team will improve. “I don’t think it’s going to be a good or a hard season. I think, it’s more going to be a learning season for us,” he said. The boys started their season on Feb. 20, against iMater, but lost 2-16. So far, they are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in Districts.
Softball This year’s softball team is being led by Coach Larry Mejia and Coach Enrique Melo. The team has 16 girls and none of them are seniors, yet the team works well with each other and they all agree they have a good team bond. “The chemistry between the team is really strong and we all have trust between each other to get things done,” junior second baseman Isabella Fadhel said. “The girls need to work on their mindset and their mental game. We’re pretty decent and the defense and offense are running really good so they just need to get their minds right,” Coach Mejia said. The team has had some pitching setbacks. The starting pitcher quit the team and the backup pitcher, sophomore Daniella Alzate, suffered an injury that keeps her from pitching.
Badminton
By Sophia Almeyda/IG: sophie_smiles00 Penelope Munguia/IG: penelopemunguia Delylah Nieto/IG: delylahn Giuliana Palomino/Gpalomino27@yahoo.com Asahel Perez/asahelperez14@gmail.com Frank Siles/SC: Fsilesjr_11
Staff Reporters
Varela’s co-ed Badminton team has a new coach. Over the past three years, the team has had three different coaches. This year Coach Juan Monge, who also coaches Boys Soccer, has taken over the position. The sport is part tennis, part volleyball. Like tennis, players use rackets and “balls,” called a birdie, and must hit the birdie over a net. Like volleyball, the net is high and the birdie cannot touch the ground. Games can be played as singles or doubles, single gender or mixed. The first team or player to reach 21 points wins the game. Best of three games wins the match. Varela’s current team is composed of mostly new players and their first game of the season was Feb. 20, against Ferguson Sr. High and Coral Gables Sr. High. Most meets are against two different schools each game day. The winner of the meet is determined by adding up points from all the matches. “So far boys doubles is 4-1. We are the most consistent in scoring,” junior Kevin Carmenaty said. “I think we have a good chance of going to Districts.”
“I have bicep tendonitis on my right arm,” she said. “I got injured from pitching all last year, and my arm got worn out. I should be good to pitch towards the end of the season.” Coaches Mejia and Melo are currently training two sophomores, Kelly Penate and Aaliyah Valdez, but they are not accustomed to that position and with several games in a week, training usually takes place during the games. “I feel very optimistic. They’re doing very good. They’re getting better everyday and they have a bright future,” Coach Mejia said. Their first game was on Feb. 13, against Southridge and unfortunately the team suffered a loss. The team’s current record stands at 4-7.
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