View - Coral Reef Senior High School

Coral Reef Sr. High School 

6BAITLINE 

Jessica Simpson 

Get Ho ked 

Remembering the 

performs at Chili 

King p. 4 

Cook-off p.11 

February 2009 Volume 12 Issue 10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157 

Forbidden Fruit 

In honor of Valentine’s Day - a salute to the Pomegranate 

Perhaps Eve should 

have taken a bite out of the 

pomegranate instead. The 

biblical tale of Adam and Eve has 

placed such an emphasis on the 

apple as a symbol of forbidden 

desires that the pomegranate 

is often overlooked as another 

forbidden fruit. 

What exactly is it about 

the pomegranate that makes 

it a symbol for desire? The 

pomegranate is filled with seeds 

(also called arils), which is the 

part that is consumed. Seeds are, 

of course, symbolic of fertility. 

The fact that the 

pomegranate is bursting with 

seeds makes it even more so a 

symbol of sexuality. 

There is also the red color 

of the pomegranate skin and arils. 

Red has long been associated 

with sensuality because it is the 

color of flushed skin and full lips. 

Lipstick, for example, makes 

the lips redder to give off the 

impression of this sensuality. 

The pomegranate is red 

inside and out. Eating the fleshy 

arils often leave stains of red juice 

on the fingers, a reminder of the 

act of enjoyment of consuming 

the fruit. 

Fruits can be considered 

the wombs of trees. They are 

formed as a result of pollination. 

They serve as containers for 

seeds, providing nourishment 

and protection. The seeds 

are often spread through the 

consumption of the sweet fruit, 

symbolic of an act of pleasure 

itself. 

In Greek mythology, the 

pomegranate is a heavy symbol 

for passion and sexuality. 

When Hades abducts 

the goddess Persephone into 

the underworld, the fruit that 

seals her imprisonment in the 

underworld is the pomegranate. 

Since she had eaten a few arils 

from the fruit, Persephone is 

forced to remain with Hades for 

several months (coincidentally, 

these months become the seasons 

of autumn and winter). The 

pomegranate is a symbol for 

Hade’s passion and the virgin’s 

sexual surrender. 

Aside from the sexual 

associations of the pomegranate, 

the fruit also has deep religious 

meanings in Christianity. In 

one interpretation, it represents 

Christ’s sacrifice. 

The cutting into of the 

fruit to reach its edible arils 

represents the sacrifice of 

Christ. The red pomegranate 

juice symbolizes his blood. 

Likewise, the life-giving seeds 

of the pomegranate symbolize 

the rebirth and resurrection of 

Christ. 

Whether as a forbidden 

fruit of passion, or a symbol of 

Christianity, the pomegranate 

is an ancient fruit laden with 

underlying connotations. 

The next time you enjoy the 

sweetness of a pomegranate 

consider its sensuality which has 

been around for thousands of 

years.

2 News 

Coral Reef Sr. High 

February 2009 

Colleges consider 

Facebooks in the 

application process 

JULIAN ORTIZ 

Staff Writer 

Seniors here at Coral Reef who are 

stressing over college admission and 

grades now have another burden to worry 

about…Facebook. 

“Facebook and students have grown into 

some sort of an unbreakable relationship 

over the last few years” said Medical 

senior Brittany Roberts. 

If not already accepted, students are 

preparing for the college of their choice 

to give the green light and send them the 

acceptance letter officially approving their 

acceptance. 

“This time of year is important of 

especially juniors because its when your 

grades stand out the most,” said medical 

lead teacher Ms. Fink 

Now what many don’t know is that 

when colleges are reviewing applications, 

several times student’s Facebook profiles 

are viewed. Profiles are scrutinized 

and pictures are viewed to judge for 

any lapse in judgment, like underage 

drinking. These profiles may in fact play 

a determining factor in the college’s 

admission decision. 

Concerns have been raised about 

these Internet sites and the potentially 

dangerous amount of information that 

can be misused and read by colleges. The 

amount of information that can be put 

under “my interest” is publicly displayed 

unless not set to private. 

Many times students put things on their 

profile just as a joke with their friends, 

but may be misconstrued when looked at 

by a college official. The question arises 

whether these statements or pictures are 

accurate representations of the student 

and suitable materials to be judged. 

Admissions officers say that even if the 

student’s grades are good and test scores 

are high, the impression given from a 

personal profile is enough to decline the 

applicant. 

“My profile has nothing that I’m 

ashamed of or even trying to hide. But 

this might be a problem for other people 

who negatively portray themselves 

through Facebook,” said Medical Junior 

Kelsey Evelyn. 

High school, a time of gradual 

independence is also a time of learning 

and even more so, a time of an increased 

responsibility. 

The kinds of decisions we make, whether 

large or small, all go back to the central 

control system of your very own body: the 

brain. The brain, no matter what age you 

are, affects the decisions you make, but our 

brain’s development and the age we are 

does affect how we think. 

Many may know or have heard that 

teenagers, having a young and less 

developed brain, are able to retain much 

more knowledge than adults. For example, 

it is best to learn a language at a young age 

than an older one. Adult brains, however, 

have developed greater connections 

between the different parts of the brain. 

These connections are what controls 

judgment and keeps you from risk taking 

behavior, while the teenage brain, less 

“Ipod Ear” 

JORDAN FELDMAN 

Staff Writer 

IPods and Mp3 players give people the 

power to listen to their favorite songs 

and express their personalities through 

different Ipod colors. Although iPods 

are enjoyable and pleasing, they might 

be dangerous too. The continuous use of 

iPods and other Mp3 players that blast 

music into ears may cause hearing loss 

symptoms. 

“Ever since I got my iPod in the 7 th grade, I’ve been listening 

to it all the time. I listen to it on the bus to and from school, on 

long road trips to visit my family, and sometimes I listen to my 

iPod before I go to bed. I use my iPod too much, but it lets me 

listen to my favorite music when I’m bored,” said Agriscience 

sophomore Michael Klugerman. 

IPods and Mp3 players can reach very high volumes that put 

many teenagers’ ears in danger. Some people play music very 

loud to block out noises around them. Hearing loss symptoms 

aren’t only caused by listening to iPods at high volume, but also 

Dangerous driving: the stats 

ALEXANDRA CASTILLA 

Staff Writer 

FBLA goes 

to districts 

KARLA ANDERSON 

Staff Writer 

Coral Reef FBLA members got ready to 

go to district competition. There were four 

different types of competitions: prejudged, 

testing, skill, and performance. 

The prejudged competitions included 

competitions like digital video production, 

business presentation, business plan, and 

web site development. These reports, 

videos, and power points were turned into 

the district adviser on Jan. 7th and will be 

judged between now and Jan. 28th. 

“This year we had a misunderstanding 

with the due date so our members that were 

competing in these type of events pretty 

much had to complete their presentations 

and reports in less than two days. We are 

hoping they still place so that they can be 

improved if they make it to the state level 

competitions,” said Business senior Luisa 

Santos. 

Each school in the district tested the 

FBLA members from their chapter which 

competed in the testing competitive events 

at their own school through online testing. 

developed, gives you lesser insight and 

poorer judgment in your decision making. 

Also, because the adolescent brain is able 

to retain much more information and learn 

more, teenagers, consequently, are more 

prone to addiction. 

It can be said that one of the proudest 

moments of a teenager is getting his or 

her license. For teenagers a license means 

independence, something you can make 

decisions about without your parents. 

With all the statistical evidence and 

numerous campaigns against careless 

driving why is it that teenager’s still intend 

on speeding? 

“I think it has to do with the fact that 

we are risk takers and we seek the thrill of 

speeding. We are able to go out on our own 

and we feel somewhat invincible,” said IB 

senior Kian Atash. 

Teenagers are not the only people on 

the road speeding. Adults speed as well, 

but the difference may be that teenagers 

are less experienced than adult drivers and 

therefore more prone to crashes. 

Keenan Manresa covers his ears in pain while 

Chris Cakmak blasts the music on his iPod. 

These events include over 30 different 

categories ranging from introduction to 

communications and marketing to sports 

management and business math. Those 

competitions took place in rooms 308, 

302, and 309 on Thursday Jan. 22 during 

first and third period. Each room has about 

thirty computers which allow 90 students 

to take their test online at the same time. 

The next type of competitions were 

skill events which included events like 

word processing I and II, spreadsheet 

applications, and desktop publishing. Each 

school in the district tested the FBLA 

members from their chapter who competed 

in skill competitive events at their own 

school. FBLA (the organization) sends 

the school a proctor which supervises the 

competitors as they complete their events. 

Students competing in word processing 

have to type, format, and edit a variety of 

business letters, reports, and memos. Those 

competitions took place in the library 

during 1st and 3rd period on Wednesday 

Jan. 28. 

The last type of competitions are 

performance events; which included events 

like emerging business issues, public and 

impromptu speaking, entrepreneurship, 

parliamentary procedures, and business 

ethics, among many others. All schools in 

the district meet at one school to compete. 

For the last two years Coral Reef High 

School has hosted these competitions, but 

In Florida, the 2007 Crash Statistics 

Report, according to the Florida Department 

of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 

found that fatalities as a result of traffic 

crashes on Florida roadways decreased 

to 3,221 in 2007 from 3,365 in 2006 yet, 

alcohol related fatalities increased to 1,244 

in 2007 from 1,099 in 2006. The report 

by listening to them for long lengths of 

time. 

Although the volume on iPods can put 

many at risk, there are ways of reducing 

chances of getting hearing problems. A 

way to prevent hearing loss is to reduce 

the volume on the iPod or Mp3 player. 

Another way to protect ears from hearing 

loss is by shortening the length of use on 

Ipods. By limiting the use of the iPod, 

listeners will have more free time and 

be able to rest their ear buds. Some must 

listen to their iPod or Mp3 player at all 

times, which may be very harmful to 

their ears. With iPod speakers, hearing 

loss can be reduced by limiting the direct 

contact of music to ears. An additional example to reduce hearing 

loss is by purchasing noise canceling headphones or “canal phones.” 

Many companies produce these kinds of headphones including 

Sony, Panasonic, and Bose. Noise-canceling headphones allow the 

listener to hear the music much better at a lower volume and block 

out other noises. 

Although technology is improving, hearing loss is still a problem 

to many teenagers. There are many ways to reduce the risk of this 

condition, but without taking precautions, many teenagers may be 

in danger. 

this year South Dade High School will host 

them. So on Jan. 28th the FBLA members 

competing in this type of events went on 

a field trip to South Dade. At South Dade 

each competition was hosted in a different 

room and usually there are between 2 to 4 

judges in each room. 

Finally, on Friday Jan. 30th all members 

who competed in any type of event were 

eligible to go to South Dade for an awards 

ceremony. 

The ceremony awards anyone who places 

1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the district gets a trophy 

and qualifies for states. Some competitions 

give 4th and 5th place winners trophies or 

medals as well. 

“Usually Coral Reef wins significantly 

more than other schools in our district; last 

year we has over 90 students qualify for 

state competitions!” say Luisa Santos. 

“Probably one of the biggest reasons why 

people join FBLA is because they hear 

stories from states and want to go the next 

year, at states anyone who places 1st or 

2nd gets to compete at nationals which are 

in Anaheim CA this year! We are all very 

excited for that,” said Jacquelyn Garcia, IB 

senior. 

Coral Reef took more than half the titles 

at district with first and second placings. 

States will take place in Orlando the week 

after spring break. 

Andreina Weichselbaumer and Ana Perez demonstrate the dangers of reckless driving. 

also found that drivers in the age group of 

15 to 19 years old had the highest rate of 

crash involvement in all crashes, 555.68, 

and the highest rate in fatal crashes, 6.66. 

Even more so, car crashes are the leading 

cause of death of teenagers in the United 

States.

News 


February 2009 

3 

How to get money for college 

In face of the economic recession, federal funding and college grants are decreasing in the amount 

afforded to students. How then, are students planning to pay for their college tuitions? 

MEGAN MIRANDA 

Staff Writer 

At the beginning of every summer, masses 

of seniors graduate from their respective 

high schools and are thrust out into the real 

world. In this day and age, most of these 

seniors are finding their way into colleges 

and universities across the nation, but one 

of the biggest problems they face is finding 

money for their tuition. 

Tuition has become increasingly 

expensive and students must do all they 

can to scrape together enough for one 

year, much less four. Some schools are 

less costly than others, but the fact remains 

that the cost of college tuition is hindering 

students from attending certain schools 

that they simply can not afford. 

One way students are trying to gather 

money for college tuition is by applying 

for any and every scholarship they can 

find. Academic Scholarships are offered by 

the colleges and universities themselves, 

but when this is not enough, students resort 

to outside scholarships such as the Gates 

Millennium and Coca Cola Scholarships. 

The chances of actually receiving money 

from organizations are slim given these 

scholarships are awarded throughout 

the country. The Coca Cola Foundation 

only awards scholarship money to 1,400 

students a year and the Gates Millennium 

Scholarship has been awarded to 12,000 

students in the last ten years. 

Some students have turned to the 

government in hopes of receiving grants 

and loans to continue their schooling. An 

example is FAFSA (Free Application for 

Federal Student Aid) which is the form 

used by the US Department of Education 

to determine a student’s need for money 

based upon specific financial information 

such as household income and assets. 

Another way the government is helping 

students further their education is through 

the 2008 GI Bill which will cover the full 

cost of education to any public school in 

the country and many private schools as 

well as provide a annual $1,000 for books 

and supplies. To qualify, veterans must 

have served at least 90 days of active duty 

to their country. 

VPA senior Giovanni Martinez is one 

of the students that are utilizing this 

opportunity given by the US government. 

He plans on joining the US Coast Guard 

after he graduates and once he serves his 

time, he plans to follow through with the 

government’s promise of a paid education. 

Planning to attend Hampton University 

in Virginia, with an annual tuition of 

$28,000, Medical senior Gloria Melendez 

decided to call for help from an unusual 

source. 

“I do plan to apply to every scholarship 

possible,” said Melendez, “[But] I am also 

writing a letter to Oprah Winfrey.” 

As a last resort, many students turn to 

federal loans for help. These loans are lower 

on interest and a lot of time and leeway are 

given to students paying back loans. 

Many students, however, are fearful 

of accumulating large debts before even 

starting their career. Such debts often 

come back to haunt students after their 

graduation. 

So whether it is from the government, 

a corporation, or a celebrity; high school 

seniors are searching everywhere for 

money to pay for their college tuitions. 

It is a challenging competition between 

hundreds of thousands of students, all 

working to continue their educations for 

better lives. 

Pay it off later 

Advice to students on how to avoid the pitfalls of reckless credit spending 

LUKAS MOON 

Staff Writer 

Credit card debt is becoming 

one of the largest problems 

afflicting our country today. 

In fact many students as they 

finish high school and go 

through college find themselves 

in serious credit card debt 

on top of their impressive 

debt on student loans. Such 

accumulation of debt early 

on can strap someone with 

minimal payments they keep 

paying their whole lives. It’s 

hitting people like an epidemic 

with lifelong symptoms. 

For those who don’t already 

have credit cards in high 

school, it is in college when 

credit card companies start to 

bombard students with credit 

card offers and what seem like 

amazing deals. However the 

average student credit card 

interest rate is 15%. Meaning 

the interest alone would be 

equal to the debt in only four 

and a half years. So why do 

people fall for credit card 

scams and allow themselves to 

get into massive debt? 

The first problem is that 

people are always trying to 

live beyond what they can 

afford. The average percent 

of income that Americans 

spend has increased by over 

the past two years. People 

simply spend money they 

don’t have and constantly 

put off paying for it. 

Minimal payments may 

seem extremely appealing, 

but in reality it usually 

results in paying two to 

three times the original cost 

of what was purchased. If 

someone owed $3,000 with 

the standard 15% debt, if 

they only made minimal 

payments, it would take 15 

years and they would end 

up paying about $6,300. 

Minimal payments make 

people owe twice as much 

on what they already 

couldn’t afford. 

It can also be difficult to 

keep track of how much is 

spent on a credit card. 

“Most of the times I’m 

surprised at how high 

my bill is,” said Diandre 

Mentor, Business senior. 

When a person has 

cash in hand, it is easy to 

see how much they have 

and how much they have 

spent, however credit cards 

provide easy fast spending 

and it’s particularly easy to 

underestimate the amount 

that was spent. Keeping 

track of an electronic 

account is m u c h 

m o r e 

difficult 

to do 

than 

cash in 

hands 

“It’s easier 

to spend with 

the credit card 

because you don’t 

immediately feel 

the sense of loss,” 

said Business 

senior Damien Rigol. 

Perhaps the most 

scandalous aspect of credit 

cards is that the interest 

rate is adjustable, meaning 

that the credit company 

can charge more for their 

services at any given time. 

someone that had a 9% 

interest rate can overnight 

have a 20% interest rate. 

That’s the equivalent of 

buying a $3 burger and 

then being forced to pay 

another $2 halfway through 

the meal. It is an extremely 

dangerous pitfall that can 

put people in debt for 

life. 

College 

s t u d e n t s 

a r e 

particularly bombarded with 

credit card offers. Whether in 

the mail or stands that offer free 

goodies in exchange for signing 

up for a credit card, the companies 

are constantly trying to convince 

students to carry a card. They 

also provide teaser low interest 

rates to convince a person to use 

that card. With either low interest 

rates or zero interest to begin 

with, people develop the habit 

of using the card and in a few 

months the credit companies hike 

up the interest to their normal 

rate. It is a move equivalent to 

the subprime mortgage scam 

that so many Amercans 

have been ruined by. 

Students are 

susceptible to credit 

card problems because 

they usually aren’t fully 

aware of what they’re 

getting into. They also 

have high materialistic 

desires coupled with 

low income. College 

students in particular 

have this problem and 

it’s exacerbated by large 

debt caused by student 

loans.

4Coral Reef Sr. High 

February 2009 

News 

Remembering the 

visionary, celebrating the 

legacy... 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light 

can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only 

love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Megan Miranda 

Staff Writer 

Every year students are 

rewarded for their hard work 

with the occasional reprieve 

from school. Whether it is a 

simple teacher’s planning 

day or a national holiday, 

students all over the country 

celebrate the fact that they 

simply do not have school. 

This month, students are 

gifted with a day free from 

school thanks to Dr. Martin 

Luther King Jr. However, 

the day was not made for 

students to leave school, 

but rather to celebrate the 

freedom from segregation 

Dr. King fought adamantly 

for. 

Exactly eighty years ago 

on the fifteenth of January, 

Dr. King was born in 

Atlanta, Georgia to a simple 

reverend and his wife. He 

was an ambitious young 

man, having skipped his last 

two years of high school to 

attend Morehouse College 

at the age of fifteen and 

graduated with a Bachelor 

of Arts degree in sociology. 

He continued his education 

at Crozer Theological 

Seminary in Pennsylvania 

and left with a Bachelor of 

Divinity. 

He began his doctoral 

studies in Boston University 

and received his Doctor 

of Philosophy in 1955. He 

married, had children, and 

became pastor of Dexter 

Avenue Baptist Church in 

Montgomery, Alabama. On 

paper, Dr. King was simply 

a good man. He went to 

school, got a job, married, 

and had kids. But he was 

set apart as extraordinary 

because of his devotion to 

racial equality. 

Dr. King is well known 

for having led the 1955 

Montgomery Bus Boycott 

and for 

assisting in the establishment 

of the Southern Christian 

Leadership Conference 

in 1957. The SCLC was 

created to harness the moral 

authority and organizing 

power of black churches 

to conduct non-violent 

protests in the service of 

civil rights reform. 

“He was brave on how he 

took the road to freedom. 

He represented, not only 

African Americans, but the 

whole world for equality,” 

said IB freshman Daniel 

Lann. 

Dr. King’s passion and 

drive led to the 1963 March 

on Washington where he 

delivered one of the most 

well-known and revered 

speeches in United States 

history, I Have a Dream. 

The great man stood 

in front of the monument 

erected in the honor 

of President Abraham 

Lincoln and spoke of 

poverty, segregation, 

and discrimination. He 

demanded an end to racial 

segregation in public 

schools, civil rights to all 

citizens of the country, 

and prohibition of racial 

discrimination in the 

workplace. 

More than a quarter 

million people of all 

ethnicities attended the 

momentous occasion to 

listen to Dr. King’s chillinspiring 

speech that 

would go down in history. 

In 1964, Dr. King became 

the youngest person to 

receive the Nobel Peace 

Prize for his dedication to 

end racial segregation and 

discrimination through 

non-violent means. 

“Martin Luther King Jr. 

was ahead of his time. 

His message continues 

to resonate today just as 

it did when he delivered 

his speech,” said Mrs. 

Freeman, honors English 

and journalism teacher, 

“And I’m sure that his 

message of hope and unity 

will be relevant eternally.” 

Unfortunately, Dr. King 

was assassinated on April 4, 

1968 at the young age of 39 

in Memphis, Tennessee. He 

was in Tennessee supporting 

the black sanitary works 

strike for higher wages and 

better treatment. He was 

shot late in the afternoon 

while standing on his hotel 

balcony and died in the 

hospital. 

“I think [what happened to 

him] was very unfortunate. 

Dr. Martin Luther King was 

very important and had he 

not died, he could’ve done 

so much more,” commented 

Business freshman Nichole 

Rios. 

He was posthumously 

awarded the Presidential 

Medal of Freedom in 1977 

and the Congressional 

Gold Medal in 2004. 

Martin Luther King Jr. 

Day was established as 

a United States national 

holiday in 1986. 

“I really think his work 

has changed life for all 

Americans. I would 

think that without him, 

it would not be possible 

to have an African 

American president 

now,” IB sophomore Rafa 

Khundkar noted. 

Decades after his death, 

Dr. King’s dream seems 

to be coming true. In 

this new, technological 

age, people are slowly 

forgetting that skin color 

once mattered. The people 

of this country have 

become more accepting 

as it becomes clear that 

we are all citizens of these 

fifty states and all human 

beings. 

Economic 

breakdown 

Jillian Roberts 

Staff Writer 

Take a look around. On almost every 

street corner and in almost every shopping 

center, stores are disappearing with the 

blink of an eye. 

The economic downfall is having a vast 

affect on citizens nationwide. How is this 

economic disaster affecting the students of 

Coral Reef? 

“My dad, who is pharmacist at Walgreens, 

told me that Walgreens is cutting over 

1,000 employees. It is so sad to see so many 

people losing jobs,” said IB sophomore 

Rafa Khundkar. 

Not only are workers losing jobs, but 

the Miami-Dade County school system 

also has a shortage of money. It has been 

rumored that next school year there might 

not be any buses transporting students to 

and from school. This poses as a major 

problem for students who do not have cars 

and have no other way of getting to 

school. 

Another outcome of the bad economy 

is the closing of several businesses. 

Numerous stores that students regularly 

shop at are either going out of business 

or closing many locations. 

Some of these stores include: Pac Sun, 

Gap, Footlocker, Cache, Ann Taylor, JC 

Penny, Linens and Things, and many 

more. 

Recently, Circuit city has gone 

wholesale bankrupt. This alone has 

lost 30,000 jobs. Circuit City is a large 

chain of electronic stares that has been 

around for as long as many students can 

remember. Now it’s gone. 

“One thing I have learned through 

living in the economy today is the 

value of a dollar. I appreciate money a 

lot more than I used to,” said IB Junior 

Monica Merel. 

Yes, hundreds of thousands of people 

have lost their jobs. Yes, businesses 

have gone out of business. But, look 

on the bright side. Things can only get 

better. 

Although the recession may be felt 

increasingly on a local level, things could 

be worse; in comparison, unemployment 

National unemployment rates according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

rates during the Great Depression were as 

high as 24.9 percent nationally. 

“It’s true that our economy has reached 

a low point in recent years, but simply 

acknowledging this isn’t going to solve 

our situation. As President Obama takes 

African Americans 

Hispanics 

Miami/Ft. 

Lauderdale/ 

Pompano Beach 

Whites 

steps towards economic recovery, we, as 

Americans, must put a check on greed and 

corruption if his plans are to succeed,” said 

IB senior Rashielle Teape.

Opinions 

FCAT frenzy 

MEGAN ZUCKER 

Staff Writer 

All of us have had to take it at one time 

or another. It’s the notorious FCAT that has 

been given acronyms such as Florida Child 

Abuse Test and the new “F word.” Although 

all students are told that it is beneficial 

to them to assess their knowledge, it can 

sometimes very well hurt students. 

“I see both the benefits as well as the 

downside of the FCAT. I do believe that 

it motivates students to become better 

readers to pass and gain knowledge, but I 

also feel that it puts too much pressure on 

some,” says Language Arts teacher Mrs. 

Mesa-Verga. 

Students taking gifted or AP courses 

are taught to write with mature language 

and diction, but the FCAT goes against 

that. They are taught to make up statistics 

and think of cheesy grabbers to begin 

their essays, they would never think of 

doing that in an AP essay. In addition, 

FCAT includes many questions that can 

be answered multiple ways, making even 

the best students and test takers confused. 

Of course it’s important for students’ 

knowledge to be measured in some way, 

but the FCAT just doesn’t cut it. 

“At the end of the day, there needs to 

be a way to be assessed on our curriculum. 

Although FCAT is strongly disliked and 

is not the greatest way to assess learning, 

it does have positive intentions. In my 

opinion, the FCAT constricts the students’ 

learning growth, confines our materials and 

doesn’t allow room for improvement,” said 

IB sophomore Jake Schiff. 

Also, months are spent preparing for the 

FCAT, not allowing teachers to teach their 

own material and the things that are really 

important for future knowledge. FCAT 

seems to take over our lives. Almost every 

week, language arts teachers are forced to 

give their students practice FCAT essays 

and multiple choice questions that interfere 

with what is really important for us to 

learn. It can be very confusing to be taught 

to write in one way for the FCAT and one 

way for other essays in different classes. 

While many may not like taking the 

FCAT, some students actually do feel 

like it’s beneficial to their knowledge and 

allows them to see their weak points. 

“I think the FCAT is really helpful because 

it’s just another way for me to improve my 

reading and writing skills. It also allows 

me to see what I need to improve on and 

what my strong points are. Even though 

everyone complains about it, I don’t mind 

it at all,” said VPA sophomore Jonathan 

Martinez. 

Students can complain all day about 

how horrible and annoying the FCAT can 

be, but in reality, it’s a requirement for 

graduation and something that just has to 

be done. Whether or not we like it, FCAT 

will continue to be taught and be practiced 

by students until something is done about 


February 2009 

5 

Is FCAT an accurate indicator of a student’s progress and is preparation for the FCAT taking over 

the time teachers have to teach their actual curriculum? 

Music madness 

“FCAT constricts the students’ learning growth, confines 

our materials and doesn’t allow room for improvement” 

My review of some of the year’s musical releases 

changing the way students are evaluated for 

their progress in a more accurate manner 

representative of college-level academics. 

ALEXIA FRITH 

Staff Writer 

Music is changing at a very fast pace 

and many artists are changing their styles 

to match other artists, hoping to have the 

same success. From artists such as T-Pain 

to MIA, this year has definitely been a 

breakout year for the music industry. 

Kanye West blazed the charts with his 

release of 808’s and Heartbreak, releasing 

hits including “Love Lockdown.” 

“Heartless,” and “Coldest Winter.” This 

album definitely showed a different side 

of Kanye, a side that made more of people 

relate to what he was saying than they did 

before. 

This album gained extremely high praise 

even though Kanye West tried something 

different than any of his other albums, 

he sings on every song using a machine 

called Auto Tune. This machine adds a 

mechanical tone to the voice. There were 

of course some skeptics, saying that he 

couldn’t sing and that he was just trying to 

be like the R & B singer T-Pain, the next 

artist with a breakthrough album this year. 

T-Pain has been using this machine since 

his debut in 2005 with his album Rappa 

Ternt Sanga and since then he has been 

topping the music charts and blowing the 

competition out of the water. With his new 

album Thr33 Rings, T-Pain is definitely 

setting the stage for hip-hop music. Artists 

like Kanye West and Lil Wayne have both 

used the Auto Tune because of T-Pain’s 

success and it has worked for them as 

well. 

Another artist who has released an album 

recently and has had great success is T.I. 

with his album Paper Trail, personally my 

favorite album of the year. With his recent 

drama of being arrested among other issues 

he came out strong and proved that he truly 

was capable of being one of the best in the 

game despite personal issues. This album 

definitely deserves to be on top of the charts 

Photo credit: amazon.com 

A highlight of some of 2008’s top albums 

which it is. With hits like “Whatever You 

Like” and “Live Your Life” it’s no surprise 

that the album did so well. 

MIA is an artist that came literally out 

of nowhere. She is a British musician that 

released two chart topping hits this year, 

including “Paper Planes” and “Swagga 

Like Us.” She has been around since 2002 

and has hits throughout the years, coming 

in and out of the spotlight, making a name 

for herself along the way. This album 

entitled Kala has really outshined a lot 

of other artists this year and made her a 

household name. 

Although this has been a good year for 

music it has also had its downfalls. Artists 

that everyone thought was going to come 

and blow everyone away didn’t quite 

measure up. For example rap artist Ludacris 

shocked many when his album Theatre of 

the Mind wasn’t up to par. Of course he 

had hits, but the fact of the matter is that 

he did not step his game up, making more 

of “club bangers” and not classic rap songs 

like he had in the past. A lot was expected 

of him and he basically let the “rap game” 

down. 

This year has been a very unusual year 

for the music industry with many ups 

and downs. Most artists kept up to the 

expectations and others just didn’t do what 

was expected. 

Megan Zucker 

Staff Writer 

With all of the issues and concerns 

brought up about the importance of 

preserving our planet, many people are 

trying to incorporate “go green” tactics into 

their daily lives. But what about a greener 

school? Here at Coral Reef, recycling 

bins have been put in many classrooms, 

but are we doing enough to help save the 

environment? 

“We can have more recycling cans all 

around the school, try not to use as much 

electricity, have class outside to conserve 

energy, and open the window when it 

gets chilly so we don’t have to use the 

air conditioner,” says IB sophomore Kira 

Graber. 

Recently, a school was built in Bali, 

Indonesia called The Green School, where 

learning and the curriculum is centered 

around a passion for keeping the Earth a 

cleaner place. All of the structures, furniture 

such as desks and chairs, are made from 

sustainable bamboo, mud, and grass. Much 

of the learning is hands on and takes place 

outside allowing children to experience 

nature while gaining knowledge. 

Although in America, we don’t have 

these types of natural resources or funds in 

the education system to produce a project 

such as this, there are many ways that we 

Isn’t it time we went 

“green” too? 

can make our school greener and save 

energy to make the planet a cleaner and 

better place. 

“We should reduce paper use by e- 

mailing teachers more often and students 

shouldn’t be allowed to sit in their cars 

with the engines running in the morning 

and afternoon,” said Legal senior Alyssa 

Mandel. 

Just think about all the energy we waste 

during class, without even knowing it. 

Computers and televisions being left on 

may not seem harmful, but the amount 

of energy wasted from these things being 

left on is definitely not environmentally 

friendly. 

It is true that recycling bins are put into 

most classrooms and teachers encourage 

their students to recycle anything they can, 

it can be easy to forget to recycle during 

class time. In addition, there are large 

dumpsters around the school where old cell 

phones and computers are supposed to be 

recycled, to reuse them instead of throwing 

them away. 

To many students, making our school go 

greener may not be a priority, but it’s just 

the little things that make a difference. By 

putting scraps of paper in the recycling bin 

instead of in the trash, and turning off the 

computers during school hours we can, as 

a school, make a huge difference.


February 2009 

Editorial 

Re-evaluating the role of sensationalism in 21st century 

American journalism 

These photographs throughout history that have influenced the way we see people and events. Top left: two girls protest against child labor in a labor parade. Bottom left: a girl in 

the Cherryville Mill during the early 1900’s. Right: a poverty-stricken mother of seven during the Great Depression. Photos from the Library of Congress. 

In the United States, we tend 

to blow every little thing out of 

proportion. Often times, this is 

simply ignorance on the part of 

the general public. We have a 

great penchant for cruelty and 

petty abuse. The tabloids which 

cover “celebrity” lives are prime 

examples of this. We like 

controversy and sensationalism, 

but at what price? 

A new wave of controversy 

arose when Leon Panetta was 

announced in early January to be 

President Obama’s pick for the 

next director of the CIA. 

This political debate reached new 

levels when several conservative 

blogs and publications accused 

Leon Panetta of having a radical, 

anti-American, anti-military 

leftist daughter. 

Posted across the internet was 

a picture of Linda Panetta with 

Hugo Chavez, the socialist 

Venezuelan president and a firm 

anti-American. In the photograph, 

Chavez’s arm is around Panetta, 

which according to the blogger 

of “Political Warfare” suggests 

that she is in close relations with 

Chavez and which, according to 

another blog “P.U.M.A.,” makes 

her an “anti-US agitator.” 

In fact, Linda Panetta is not 

the daughter of Leon Panetta. 

She told Accuracy in Media 

on January 19th that although 

there may be a distant family 

connection somewhere, she is not 

the daughter of Leon Panetta and 

has never met him before. 

It only takes one blogger to 

make bold accusations based on 

inaccurate information and hasty 

generalization to potentially 

tarnish a political figure’s 

reputation. Perhaps he (or she) 

would like to say, “Whoops, I 

made a mistake. Sorry about 

that,” but the damage is done. 

Associated with Leon Panetta’s 

name will remain the vague 

notion that he is somehow related 

to anti-American, pro-Chavez 

beliefs. 

Damaged as well is Linda 

Panetta’s reputation. Her work 

revolves around much more than 

meeting with Latin American 

leaders like Hugo Chavez. 

According to the Optical 

Realities Photography website, 

an organization she founded, 

Panetta is a photojournalist whose 

work revolves around “cultural, 

environmental, and human 

rights.” While she is involved in 

anti-war demonstrations, it does 

not necessarily correlate that she 

wishes America any ill will, as the 

aforementioned blogs suggest. 

While free press may be one 

of the most respectable elements 

of the US, perhaps it is time we 

considered the importance of 

accurate reporting. 

The writers for internet blogs 

should be held up to standards 

matching those of commercial 

newspapers and magazines when 

it comes to accuracy. After all, 

blogs are no less influential and 

impactful—the Information 

Revolution and the onset of the 

internet have seen to this. 

The blame does not reside solely 

in these bloggers; the American 

public as a whole needs to be more 

discerning in the information that 

they believe. 

It will be a frightening day when 

all of the public can be doped by 

false information and a dangerous 

day when this false information 

comes from the government— 

sound like an invitation for Nazistyle 

propaganda? 

A general ignorance and blind 

acceptance of information makes 

it easy for thought-control, 

something characteristic of most 

totalitarian, oppressive regimes 

throughout history. 

Although commendable, the 

enthusiasm of these bloggers to 

participate in politics is not an 

excuse for inaccurate reporting/ 

It is important to examine the 

core values of journalism. 

Ultimately, sensationalism must 

take second place to fair and 

accurate reporting. 

BAITLINE 

Sports Editor 

Vanessa Rueda 

Editor-in-Chief 

Steven Li 

News Editors 

Lukas Moon 

Megan Zucker 

Opinions Editor 

Emma Singer 

Submerge Yourself 

Editors 

Leidy Perez 

Karla Anderson 

A&E Editor 


2008-2009 Staff 

Spotlight Editor 

Alexandra Castilla 

Tech Editor 

Emma Singer 

High Tide Editors 


Guest Artist 

Noel Kassewitz 

Staff Writers 


Nicole Brandford 

Jasmine Calin 

Alexandra Castilla 

Trudy Clarke 

Gabriella Delpozo 

Jordan Feldman 

Alexia Frith 

Shatone Gray 

Steven Li 

Chamere Littlejohn 

Andres Lopez 

Ricardo Martinez 

Alexander Melendez 

Megan Miranda 

Lukas Moon 

Chiedozie Okafor 

Julian Ortiz 

Leidy Perez 


Vanessa Rueda 

Emma Singer 

Shane Sumbu 

Megan Zucker 

Advisor 

Cheri Mitchell- 

Santiago 

Principal 

Adrianne Leal 

Baitline strives to provide quality student-led publications to 

the student body providing the school community with an 

open forum of public expression. In the publications class, 

students will make all editorial decisions including, but not 

limited to: generating story ideas, writing copy, editing copy, 

laying out copy, taking photographs, and handling all aspects 

of running the business end of a school publication. Because of 

this, any comments or concerns should be addressed to the 

editorial staff. 

It should be understood that the newspaper is not a professional 

publication; therefore, students will make mistakes during the 

learning process. As a staff, we will make every effort to learn 

from these mistakes and continually improve the publication. 

While our primary goal is to inform and entertain the school 

community, we also strive to maintain high journalistic 

standards. All opinions expressed in the publications are the 

students’ or the individual sources, and not the staff’s as a 

whole, the advisor, or school officials. 

Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to 

room 305 or e-mailed to 

baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net. All letters submitted may be 

condensed or edited for grammar and spelling. Libelous material 

will not be printed. 

Information about submitting ads can be obtained by e-mailing 

baitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net. 

Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net.

Pro/Con 7 


February 2009 

Against affirmative action: same as racial profiling 

Affirmative action implies that minorities cannot be held up to the same standards as Caucasians 

Lukas Moon 

Staff Writer 

Affirmative action was a term 

originally used by JFK to take all 

actions necessary to stop racial 

discrimination in university 

admissions and job applications. 

In a tragic Irony, it has been 

used as processes that actually 

discriminates rather than protects 

people from discrimination. 

Universities in particular do 

it by having pre-determined 

percentages off students that 

belong to specific minorities. 

This is wrong on many levels; 

it provides unfair advantages to 

some and unfair disadvantages to 

others. 

“It is a form of racism that someone 

would receive an advantage based 

purely on race or skin color,” said 

Cheyenne Crawford, a senior in 

Engineering. 

The concept of accepting 

more minorities was initiated in 

response to the educational gap 

found between the average white 

student and the average black or 

Hispanic students. There is also 

a wealth and employment gap 

between white adults and black or 

Hispanic adults. Reasons for the 

gap are difficult to explain. 

However, race is not the cause 

of the gap, there is no genetic 

superiority or inferiority between 

the different races; but rather the 

real causes of the racial gap form 

patterns that particularly affect 

black and Hispanics. 

It is important to remember 

however that race by no means 

has anything to do with one’s 

economic status. The only way 

that race can affect someone is 

if they’re discriminated against. 

There are poor unemployed and 

unsuccessful white people and rich 

successful blacks and Hispanics. 

The racial gap is merely a trend in 

Ethnicity 

“Advantage” in SAT points 

White 0 

African American +230 

Hispanic +180 

Asian -50 

A 2005 study by Princeton sociologists Thomas J. Espenshade and Chang Y. Chung compared the effects of affirmative action on racial and special groups at 

three highly selective private research universities. 

our society. 

That being said, affirmative 

action is the wrong response to the 

problem. It provides advantages 

to black and Hispanic students, 

while hurting white and Asian 

students. 

The first problem is that it 

undermines our merit based 

college system. Under affirmative 

action, a less qualified student 

might gain the spot of a more 

qualified student solely because of 

race. Accomplishment and merit 

are thrown aside because a racial 

percentage hasn’t been met. 

“I understand the concept of 

Affirmative action but I disagree 

with Affirmative action, because 

it is unfair that because I’m Asian 

I am disadvantaged. I think the 

system should be merit based,” 

said Rachel Chang, an IB senior. 

The second problem is the 

message being sent. An arbitrary 

advantage to racial minorities 

sends the message that the 

minorities are inferior because of 

race and therefore the advantage 

must be specifically applied to 

race. Often times, the categories 

are obscure. As a Brazilian I am 

put in the Hispanic category but 

Brazil is not a Hispanic country. 

And what makes natives/pacific 

Islanders/Alaskan a category? 

Why are they arbitrarily grouped 

together? 

Finally, is affirmative action 

the real solution to the racial 

gap and racial discrimination? 

Can discrimination be ended by 

creating a new mathematical form 

of discrimination? Since no race 

is genetically inferior, race cannot 

be a cause for unfair advantage. 

“Affirmative action only begets 

racism by assuming minorities are 

disadvantaged,” said Legal senior 

Justin Forti. 

Instead there should be a greater 

focus on providing aid and need 

based grants to students to help 

those who are disadvantaged by 

social and economic causes rather 

than by what the color of their 

skin or origin of ethnicity is. 

“[Affirmative action] is not 

fair because they are basically 

lowering the standards of 

minorities to get into college. It’s 

implying that they do not have 

the capabilities to meet the same 

standards as ‘whites’,” said IB 

senior Ashley Lewis. 

The positive side of affirmative action: keeping 

our schools diverse 

Affirmative action ensures that all students have equal opportunities when it comes to colleges 

Emma Singer 

Staff Writer 

In 1961, President Kennedy proposed a 

plan of affirmative action, with the goal 

of righting the wrongs that occurred as 

a result of discrimination. Today, many 

students are unaware of what affirmative 

action is; let alone what its intentions or 

results are. Defined as “the encouragement 

of increased representation of women and 

minority-group members,” affirmative 

action serves to level the playing field. 

What most affects Coral Reefs’ students 

are the affects of affirmative action in 

college acceptances. Many students feel 

like affirmative action is an unfair system, 

because of the common misconceptions 

concerning the system. 

Popular rumors concerning affirmative 

action compare it to adding or subtracting 

points from one’s final SAT score based 

upon race. This is entirely untrue. 

Affirmative action allows for race and 

economic background to be taken into 

consideration when sorting through college 

applications or SAT scores. 

This consideration is necessary because 

the SAT itself is an unfair test. Wealthy 

students are able to pay for tutoring, or 

SAT preparation, whereas poor students 

are left to prepare themselves. As a result, 

the scores are skewed. Instead of inflating 

SAT scores of disadvantaged students (or 

Ethnic demographics in college according to the National Census Bureau in 2005 

deflating those of privileged students), 

affirmative action allows disadvantaged 

students to gain equal footing in college 

admissions. 

Additionally, in many colleges, goals 

are set concerning the minimum amount 

of students from each ethnic or racial 

background that should be accepted into 

the school. Affirmative action provides for 

racial diversity within schools, as well as for 

a range of students from varying economic 

backgrounds. In doing so, college students 

are able to learn from, experience, and learn 

toleration for various races and cultures. 

Today, colleges are 75% white, 15% 

Hispanic, and 10% African American (see 

graph). Affirmative action strives to 

level the playing field, and create a more 

balanced college attendance. 

A less widely known purpose of 

affirmative action is to correct past 

wrongs. Decades of slavery takes a toll 

upon a people and affirmative action 

attempts to repair that. 

“You have to provide reparation for 

hundreds of years of oppression. Those 

years did not allow for education or 

worldly knowledge to be dispersed 

amongst the African-American people. 

Also, today’s young adults live within a 

shell. Affirmative action allows for that 

shell to be cracked open, in a way which 

allows minorities as well as Caucasians 

to expand their worldview and see 

the light of day,” said Medical senior 

Christian Perez. 

Affirmative action paves the way for 

disadvantaged students who want to get 

an education. It allows for diversity and 

equality in colleges. 

“Affirmative action is not prejudice or 

discrimination. Like all other government 

organized actions, it does leave room for 

error. But the good outweighs the bad. 

By allowing room for racial and ethnic 

diversity, as well as economic diversity, 

affirmative action provides all students 

with the opportunity to get an education 

and realize the American Dream,” said IB 

sophomore Brianna Morris.


February 2009 

8 SUBMERGE 

He loves me, he loves me not 

What exactly does “love” mean in the 21st century? 

LEIDY PEREZ 

Staff Writer 

In a world of technological advances, genetic engineering, and online relationships, has 

the definition of love changed? 

Our society has progressively changed the meaning of “love” making the boundaries 

that once existed between interracial marriages, same sex marriages, and marriage 

between differing social classes disappear. 

“I don’t know what love means to everyone else, and during these time the 

word love is thrown around so frequently that we seem to have lost all meaning 

of it; but what love means to me, and not only romantic, give-me-roses, giveme-chocolates, 

is the ability to care so much about someone else’s feelings, 

their well-being, their happiness, that you are willing to go to any length to 

see them smile. When your own feelings depend so much on this other 

person’s that you cannot find yourself being happy until they are,” said IB 

senior Natalia Agredo. 

In many instances, love is used by corporations as a source of 

revenue, exchanging cards with messages and gifts for sincere tokens of 

affection. But what some students here at Coral Reef believe love truly 

is seems to be far from the overly simplistic definition placed upon it. 

“Love is what you want it to be. It’s the one feeling that you can’t 

live without. It’s when you finally trust someone more than you trust 

yourself. You want them to be there when no one else is to share those 

small moments that count, to live those moments that matter. You 

know you’re in love when you’re willing to give all you have just so 

you can see them smile. That’s why you fall in love and never rise 

in it,” said IB senior Noman Baig. 

To be in love, or just simply to love has become somewhat of 

an ambiguous concept, because as we move through the XXI 

century and the not only expectations but possibilities broaden for 

teenagers, both men and women; it is placed more and more to 

the back of the list of priorities. 

“Love to me is an uncontrollable unpredictable feeling you get 

where you can’t get the other person out of your mind. Your life 

sort of gravitates towards that person and to you no one else truly 

matters as much as they do,” said IB senior Patricio Toledo. 

Technological advances have to some extent made the process 

of love much easier. Computers and phones have completely 

disintegrated the barriers between two people, making their 

communication much easier and much more available. 

As we evolve as a race though, many traditions alter and are 

even eliminated, but it seems to be that even the value of an “I love 

you” is becoming more and dichotomized, breaking into one of two 

branches: custom and true feeling. The key to our century is slowly 

but surely becoming how to differentiate the polarization of both 

these meanings. 

The good, the 

bad, and the ugly 

What Reef students like (and dislike) about 

Valentine’s Day 

“Deny thy father and refuse th 

be but sworn my love, and I’ll 

Romeo and Juliet 

EMMA SINGER 

Staff Writer 

February 14th, a day of 

balloons and teddy bears, 

calories and broken hearts. 

Valentine’s Day is the one 

day a year where children 

and adults alike profess 

their undying love and 

devotion to one another, 

all the while feeding the 

monster of corporate 

America. For teenagers 

in particular, Valentine’s 

Day is a very controversial 

event. 

Yet, even though 

Valentine’s Day is the 

cause of many tears, it is 

a highly anticipated and 

beloved holiday to scores 

of teenagers. 

When asked about the 

dark side of Valentine’s 

Day, many students simply 

stated, “I love Valentine’s 

Day.” And if someone 

is in a relationship, why 

wouldn’t they? Teens seem 

to enjoy receiving gifts, 

particularly those from the 

opposite sex. 

Valentine’s Day will 

(hopefully) also provide 

clubs and small businesses 

with an opportunity to make 

money by selling flowers, 

candy, stuffed animals, etc. 

In this recession, it will be 

a much needed source of 

revenue. 

What is the downside to 

this seemingly innocent 

holiday? For one thing, the 

amount of money spent on 

frivolous gifts is ridiculous. 

According to Entrepeneur 

Magazine, consumers are 

expected to spend at least 

$13.7 billion this year, 

22% more than has been 

spent in previous years. 

Charquavis Bell, a Legal 

junior, agrees that the 

amount of money spent 

is outlandish, stating 

that “Valentine’s Day 

has become a corporate 

holiday.” 

Many students have begun 

calling Valentine’s Day 

“Singles-Awareness Day.” 

Valentine’s Day can be a 

dreaded event for single 

students in the school, 

causing them to feel alone 

and unloved. Students 

fear the humiliation that 

accompanies walking 

through the school 

empty-handed, while 

other students’ arms are 

overflowing with tokens of 

devotion. 

Additionally, many 

students have bad memories 

stemming from Valentine’s 

Days of the past. Joel 

Perez, a Business senior, 

relates a traumatizing 

anecdote. 

“In eighth grade I came 

t o 

school 

with teddy b e a r s , 

flowers, and chocolates for 

my girlfriend. I was madly 

in love with her. I opened 

the door to the hallway 

where we were going to 

meet, and I saw her there; 

but she was hooking up 

with another guy,” said 

Perez. 

Male students such 

as Perez and Robert 

Brooks, a junior in the 

engineering academy, fear 

that Valentine’s Day is an 

“opportunity for [other] 

guys to get your girl.” 

So this February 14th, 

do something different. 

Get a gift for the lonely 

girl in your English class. 

Don’t try to steal someone 

else’s boyfriend/girlfriend. 

Make a gift, instead of 

wasting money on nothing. 

Do something special 

for someone who seems 

to be upset. Make this 

Valentine’s Day unique by 

sharing it with someone 

who would otherwise be 

alone.

YOURSELF 

y name! Or, if thou wilt not, 

no longer be a Capulet”- 


February 2009 

Romantic, yes, but not very helpful 

Can watching date movies actually jeopardize a 

relationship? 

VANESSA RUEDA 

Staff Writer 

A study conducted at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland concluded 

that watching romantic comedies, also known as rom coms, can actually lead to 

the terminating of a relationship. While many would believe that romance movies 

were made to be watched by couples and can’t possibly have any negative 

effects, the study shows that watching rom coms can harm a relationship 

because it gives people, women in particular, unrealistic expectations to 

what a perfect relationship is like. 

“I strongly agree because in the movies everything ends up working 

out and there’s a solution to all problems, whereas life is unpredictable, 

you never know what’s going to happen,” said IB Sophomore Amore 

Rodriguez in response to her opinions on the conclusion of the study. 

Different people have different views on relationships and every 

relationship is different. While some couples refuse to watch romance 

movies at all, others enjoy watching them because it can bring them 

closer together. The study says that women are most affected by 

watching romantic movies because in general women’s views on 

relationships tend to differ a lot from men’s. Many women after 

watching a romantic comedy would cling onto the actions that 

the man did and have hopes of their partner to do the same or 

something similar which can lead to spoiling of the relationship. 

“ I think it does effect you because they expect you to be like 

the movies and you can’t live up to it but it’s also good because 

it gives the guy ideas,” said Legal junior Roberto Machado. 

The movies taken into consideration for the study were 

40 successful box office hits from 1995 through 2005. They 

included movies such as “Maid in Manhattan”, “Four Weddings 

and a Funeral”, “Notting Hill”, “The Wedding Planner”, “While 

You Were Sleeping”, “Serendipity”, and “Runaway Bride” 

amongst others. 

“I think they give people an unrealistic idea on what relationships 

are like or should be like. When you see those romantic comedies 

there’s always an easily solved problem and relationships aren’t 

really like that,” said Ms.Coppock. 

The results of Heriot Watt’s study can be taken as true or false. 

Everything depends on each individual’s personality that is in the 

relationship because not every woman enjoys watching romantic 

comedies and not every guy hates watching them. Further study is 

being done on this subject and a survey is available to participate 

in at http://remark.sls.hw.ac.uk/cgi-bin/rws3.pl?FORM=Media_ 

study . 

The TOP Six 

cheapest dates 

countdown 

Alexander Melendez 

Staff Writer 

We have all been on one of 

those dates where you know that 

type of date where the only good 

part is when it’s over. 

With Valentine’s Day just 

around the corner, we have 

created a handy guide to help 

those in need of a little date 101, 

to know exactly what not to do 

on a date. 

This is a count down of the top 

six 

w o r s t 

dates ever 

imaginable. 

Date #6: Just because 

something is cheap doesn’t 

necessarily make it bad. 

Coupons and classiness 

however don’t belong in the 

same category. The only place a 

coupon belongs is in the pockets 

of a soccer mom. So therefore, 

any date involving the usage of 

coupons falls in the number 6 

slot. 

Date #5: Theme parks are 

always fun, and places such as 

Miami Seaquarium can make for 

a date that the other person will 

never forget. Taking your date 

to your community 

pool and trying to pass 

it off as a water park, on 

the other hand, will cause an 

uncomfortable situation which 

will most likely lead to a decline 

in the chances for a second date. 

Date #4: Being budget 

conscious is never bad. Many 

have downgraded from the valet 

serviced restaurants such as The 

Fort, to casual places such as 

Applebee’s. 

Unfortunately, some penny 

pinchers have downgraded to 

the point where a date to Johnny 

Rockets is considered fancy. 

A word of advice, if you’re 

trying to go for that whole 

mature type of date, a place 

where they serve your ketchup as 

a smiley face is never the way to 

go. That’s why the kid’s hangout 

will always make for a bad date. 

Date #3: When buying in 

bulk or simply looking for some 

money saving products, Costco 

is undoubtedly the place to go. 

Undoubtedly, however, unless 

you’re buying dates in bulk, it’s 

best to stay away from Costco as 

a dating destination. 

Hit up Expedia and find a 

cheap 3 day cruise, before ever 

hitting up Costco for a Wetzel 

Dog. Word to the wise, stay clear 

from taking your date to the 

Costco food court. Clean up on 

aisle three anyone? 

Date #2: When you’re hanging 

out with some of your buddies, 

and a sudden urge of hunger over 

takes your body, it is natural to 

hit up the closest all you can eat 

buffet. 

When you’re with a date, the 

all you can eat buffet, should 

never ever be an option. Unless 

you and your significant other 

have already established a 

relationship in which you feel 

comfortable enough to binge in 

front of each other, stay away 

from those endless crab legs. 

Date #1: Dollar stores are the 

epitomes of cheapness. Landing 

in the number one spot is the 

dollar store shopping spree. 

Although making it seem like 

you’re a big baller is always 

impressive to your date, it’s 

impossible to be a big baller in 

a dollar store. Walking in and 

signaling to your date “Baby 

you can pick out whatever you’d 

like”, simply doesn’t work in a 

dollar store.

10 A & E 


February 2009 

Battle of the Classes: the competition ensues 

Photos courtesy of Hannah Arielle 

Above: The dodgeball teams pose in their uniforms before the game, the Juniors in red and Seniors in blue. Below: The Freshman pose in purple and Sophomores in yellow. 

TRUDY CLARKE 

Staff Writer 

The battle of the classes 

is a week long battle that 

involves all four grade 

levels. The games range 

from dodge ball to tug 

of war. The teams have 

anywhere from 6- 10 

players from the different 

grade levels. 

Battle of the classes was 

started by senior Luisa 

Santos in the 2006 – 2007 

school year. At the time, 

she was a sophomore, and 

asked the current class 

of 2007 president, Brett 

Warner, to help her get the 

activities approved by the 

administration. 

At first, everyone was 

very unsure as to how the 

event would turn out. The 

school was fortunate to 

have Coach Plyler, who 

agreed to help Luisa and 

Brett set up all the sports 

events. 

“His expertise and passion 

for organizing tournaments 

like these truly made the 

week a true success”, said 

Luisa. 

Since it was the first year 

that battle of the classes 

took place, the seniors in 

2007 did horribly and the 

underclassmen won almost 

everything. The class of 

2009 won only because they 

had over 200 sophomores 

sign for the color war. 

The next year, which 

was last school year, Ms. 

Martinez suggested that 

Battle of the Classes should 

be homecoming week to 

cooincide with Spirit Week. 

The administration loved 

that idea, but the student 

body preferred to have two 

different weeks of fun. 

Last year the class of 2008 

put up a very good fight, 

but once again, the class 

of 2009 took the title. This 

year, battle of the classes 

week was not associated 

with Spirit Week, and once 

again with the help of coach 

Plyler, it was a success. Ms. 

Martinez was unable to be 

here during the week, but 

Mr. Mejia took on the role 

of adult supervisor and 

helped with student release, 

and staff supervision. 

Traditional games that 

are played during this 

week include tug of war, 

dodgeball, powder-puff 

football, and an obstacle 

course. A competition for 

best attendance also takes 

place. 

The colors for each of the 

classes were random, with 

the exception of seniors 

whom always get to wear 

black – mostly since it’s 

the easiest due to the fact 

that most people wear it 

anyway. Hopefully some 

underclassmen will take 

the lead and continue the 

tradition. 

“Since the 3-time 

champion class of 2009 

will be gone, it’s going to 

be extra interesting to see 

who will take the title next 

year,” said Luisa Santos. 

UPCOMING FLICKS 

• Confessions of a Shopaholic (2/13) 

• The International (2/13) 

• Friday the Thirteenth (2/13) 

• Madeo Goes to Jail (2/20) 

• Fired Up (2/20) 

• Jonas Brothers: The 3D 

Concert Experience (2/27) 

• Street Fighter: The Legend of 

Chun-Li (2/27)

A & E 

Rocking Out 

Students discuss what it’s like to be part of a band 

NICOLE BRANDFON 

Staff Writer 

Music is a part of 

everyone’s life, whether 

they know it or not. In some 

students lives it is not only 

something they encounter 

on a daily basis, but a big 

part of their everyday 

lives. Student bands are 

very common among 

high school students, and 

can range from religious 

groups to alternative style 

music. Kyle Paula, VPA 

freshman, is in a band with 

other students, not all from 

Coral Reef, called “Fresh 

Javelin.” 

“My bassist came up with 

the name while we were in 

Mississippi on a mission 

trip with our church. He and 

a friend of ours thought that 

those two words sounded 

sort of like they flowed 

when you said them,” said 

Paula. 

Ismeraly Torres, and IB 

sophomore, is the singer 

in a band, A 24/7. The 

band name was thought up 

because Adoracion means 

worship in Spanish, leading 

to Worship 24 hours, 7 days 

a week. 

“We perform every 

Friday at a youth group. We 

are a Christian band. We 

are also asked to perform 

at other events such as 

“Night for Christ,” which 

happens once a month and 

is basically a fun place that 

kids can play games, listen 

to music, and eat free food,” 

said Torres. 

Out of all the bands 

there are that go out and 

perform in front of live 

audiences, there are also 

those few bands that keep 

to themselves and do it just 

for the enjoyment they get 

from making 

music. 

Pablo Gonzalez 

and Alex 

Scholz, both 

IB juniors, have 

a band together named IB 

Rockin’ purely because 

they like to play their 

music together. They 

are both guitarists and 

singers who make their 

own songs based on the 

influence of Van Halen and 

Guns n’ Roses. 

Student bands are some 

of the most popular 

providers of music 

among high school 

students. They 

are entertainment for the 

audience as well as a fun 

way to pass time for the 

musicians participating in 

the band. 

VPA freshman Leah Clegg 

rocks out with her guitar. 


February 2009 

11 

Movie review: 

My Bloody 

Valentine 3D 

The Chili Cook-off: country craze 

Country fans get excited about the biggest country concert of the 

year: the Chili Cook-off. 

Amid screaming fans, Jessica Simpson performs on stage at the annual Chili Cook-off event in Pembroke Pines. 

ANDRES LOPEZ 

Staff Writer 

In the month of January, 

every country listener 

awaits the arrival of what 

they consider to be the best 

country concert of the year, 

the “Kiss Country Chili 

Cook-off.” 

At this concert, country 

listeners get together, listen 

to their favorite country 

artists, and just have fun. 

“It is a place where I can 

be myself and not have to 

worry about showing off my 

country side,” said Legal 

senior Brittany Hueston. 

This year, there were 

artists including Jessica 

Simpson, Jason Aldean, 

Little Big Town, Justin 

Moore, and Alan Jackson. 

“I think these performers 

are younger than the past 

ones. I like it because they 

sing the new music I like to 

hear,” said Legal sophomore 

Courtney Hueston. 

When you first walk 

through the gates, you 

encounter fans wearing 

red, white, and blue. They 

wear these three colors as 

the sign of their American 

pride. 

The fans looking to eat 

chili must go on a treasure 

hunt because it is way in the 

corner of the park. There 

are many kids and cooking 

teams entering their special 

recipes of chili in the cookoff. 

“I am entering my chili 

in the cook-off,” said 

Agriscience Senior Derek 

Randolph. 

The Chili Cook-off 

arouses much excitement 

for country listeners across 

south Florida. 

Photo from http://lionsgate.com/ 

Vanessa Rueda 

Staff Writer 

Previews for My Bloody Valentine 3D were 

seen in theaters ever since December, which 

built the anticipation for its release in January 

16, 2009. The first movie of its kind, My Bloody 

Valentine is a horror film in digital 3D, released 

by Lionsgate in only 900 theaters across the 

Unites States. It was released in 2D in several 

other theaters. 

While the tickets may have been on the 

expensive side, costing $12, it was definitely 

worth the price. Moviegoers are given glasses 

in order to experience the 3 dimensional effects, 

and a survey was given the first couple of days 

following the release to gather viewer opinions 

on how they felt about the movie. 

The story behind this movie is definitely a 

unique one that adds to the overall breathtaking 

experience. The movie takes place in a town 

called Harmony, where miners are trapped in a 

mine. When rescuers appear on the scene, it turns 

out that they were all killed, except for one who 

could not be found. From there, the movie has 

viewers on the edge of their seats as more and 

more deaths occur and the killer is unknown. 

While it may be expected that the creators 

of My Bloody Valentine 3D would use tasteless 

scenes of violence in order to make the 3D 

experience more impactful, Lionsgate did an 

excellent job in making the movie as credible and 

thrilling and possible without making anything 

dumb. The majority of the movie feels like it is 

in 2D, but the 3D is definitely felt when people 

are being killed, which happens unexpectedly 

throughout, making audience members jump 

and gasp in fear. 

Overall, My Bloody Valentine 3D is a definite 

must see and is truly one of a kind. The ending is 

unexpected, and the 3D makes everything scarier. 

However, this movie isn’t for the faint of heart 

and will have viewers’ hearts racing throughout. 

If it’s horror that is being craved, this movie is 

something that should not be missed.

12 Spotlight 


February 2009 

Faces of Coral Reef 

The hallways at school are filled with a diverse student body, each with their own unique personality, interests, and style. As students walk through the halls, they wave to friends 

in the distance, say “hi” to classmates passing by, and stroll past unknown and unfamiliar faces. However, there are so many students at Coral Reef, it is impossible to get to know 

everyone. People profiles are a way to get to know these fascinating students who you might not know, each with their own distinct identities. 

Jennifer Brewey 

Beca Eisenberg 

- Hobbies/Interests 

Beat-boxing and ATVing 

-Special Talents 

Making shampoo mohawks with my hair in the shower 

-Biggest fear 

Getting stuck in an elevator full of people and the harness of a roller coaster getting stuck 

-Favorite food 

Mac-and-cheese and chicken nuggets 

- Pet Peeve 

People touching my hair 

-Interesting things about you 

The sun makes me sneeze and I randomly burst out in harmony 

Chris Anderson 

Yana Gueorguieva 


Skating 


I can do handstands 

-Biggest fear 

Dragonflies 


Ice cream 

-Favorite music 

Rap 

- Pet Peeve 

People scratching themselves while they are talking to me 


I don’t tell secrets 

-Hobbies/Interests 

Tennis, graphic design (I designed the ’09 

shirts last year), piercings 


Anything with rice 

-Pet Peeve 

When creepy people talk to me on the 

Metro 


My middle name and last name are the 

same and I am Bulgarian 

Cami Rodriguez 


Volleyball 

-Special Talent 

Dancing 

-Biggest Fear 

Lions 


Sushi 


Pop/Hip-hop 

-Pet Peeve 

I hate liars 

-Biggest Secret 

I actually enjoy my AP class! 


Music is my life! It is amazing and just 

makes sense. 


I am the lead singer of a band, Perry and 

the Grandkids. 

-Biggest Fear 

Hospitals, doctors, and anything to do with 

sickness 


Mint chocolate chip ice-cream from Hagen 

Daz and dinosaur chicken nuggets 


Matitsyahu, Pepper, and all musicals 

-Pet Peeve 

Grammatical errors and slow drivers 


I can’t say it because then everyone would 

know! 

Star basketball player 

Charles Hankerson talks about the opportunities basketball has provided for him and his dreams 

for a future in the NBA 

TRUDY CLARKE 

Staff Writer 

Standing at 6’3” Charles 

Hankerson is an award-winning 

basketball player on the Coral 

Reef team. Charles is a junior in 

the Agriscience Academy here at 

Coral Reef. 

Charles enjoys playing his 

Xbox in his spare time: he plays 

mostly football games instead of 

basketball games. 

“Basketball is fun and it has 

opened a lot of doors for me, it 

has allowed me to travel places I 

have never went before like Texas, 

New York, and Los Angeles,” said 

Charles Hankerson. 

Charles started basketball at the 

age of two and fell in love with 

the sport. He has been playing 

basketball ever since. Charles 

was introduced to basketball by 

his father. 

The training process 

consists of running, 

shooting, and dribbling 

drills. Then, practice starts 

which mainly focuses on 

drills and technique to 

develop strength and speed. 

Practices are usually five 

days a week for about four 

hours. 

Before every game 

Charles recites his favorite 

quote—“play every game as 

if it’s your last,” of which he 

holds close to his heart. 

“I listen to music before 

every game to calm myself 

and focus on the upcoming 

game,” said Hankerson. 

Charles, as well as the 

rest of the barracuda team, 

recently played in the 

King of the Blue Grass, 

which is a tournament in 

Chalres shines during a recent game 

Kentucky. Charles won the 

all-tournament award, which 

is awarded to the best players 

from each of the participating 

teams. Charles has also won 

many MVP awards. 

Charles hopes to 

continue basketball 

in college. After 

college Charles 

hopes to make 

it to the national 

basketball league 

(NBA). Charles also 

has future goals 

of making it to the 

McDonald’s all 

American; which is 

a group of the top 20 

high school players. 

“I would like to play 

basketball in college. 

So far I’ve been 

accepted into Florida 

State University, 

Texas University, Tennessee 

University, and the University of 

Miami,” said Hankerson.

Spotlight 


February 2009 

13 

Jordan Kreke 

Joel Perez 


Fashion and design 


I know how to dress people and I’m persuasive 

-Biggest Fear 

Never finding love 


Sushi 


All kinds of music 

-Pet Peeve 

When people touch stuff in my cart and pick their lips 


I’m really innocent 


Skating and football 


Writing 

-Biggest fear 

Possums 


Pasta 


Reggae 

- Pet Peeve 

Loud People 


I play the Ukulele 

Tiffany “Tiff” Schultz 


Theatre, singer, choreographer, texting, and talking on the phone 


Theatre 

-Biggest fear 

Frogs 


Country and R&B 

- Pet Peeve 

When people don’t follow through 


I’m obsessed with arm fat 


I drive like a maniac

14 Sports 


February 2009 

The Infamous Lakeland 

Boys and Girls teams both strive for State against all odds 

Badminton 

team 

prepares 

for a new 

season 

Julian Ortiz 

Saff Writer 

2008-2009 girls basketball team 2008-2009 boys basketball team 

JASMINE CALIN 

Staff Writer 

Lakeland… 

to any basketball player in 

Florida, this place is infamous. 

It is the location of the annual 

State finals for both boys and 

girls basketball. Neither the 

boys’ nor girls’ basketball 

teams here at Coral Reef have 

ever made it to Lakeland. 

The closest the girls have 

ever gotten was in the 2007- 

2008 season when they made 

it to the Regional Semi-Finals, 

needing only two more wins 

to reach the State Semi-Finals 

and win a free trip to Lakeland. 

After last year’s upset in the 

district finals, the boys are 

looking to make a run in the 

long trek to Lakeland. 

“Our goal this year is to win 

states and I know we deserve 

it,” said senior and team 

Captain Steven Lopez. 

This year’s boy’s basketball 

As the new year begins, the Coral Reef 

tennis team starts conditioning for the 

upcoming season. Last year, the boys 

varsity tennis team did not make regional. 

Although the boys were not victorious, the 

girls varsity tennis team won at districts 

and regionals earning them a spot at states. 

The tennis team lost many seniors last 

year such as Jake Annear and Bria Hitt, 

but with hard work they will be able to 

have a successful season. 

“I started playing tennis in middle 

school and it’s now my favorite sport to 

play. I already know most of the people on 

the team from last year so it will be more 

competitive. Hopefully, if I work hard this 

year so I can improve and beat the higher 

positioned people on my team,” said IB 

sophomore, Jonathan Bensoussan. 

Some look at tennis as if it were an 

individual sport. Off the court, the tennis 

team encourages each other and trains 

together to improve. Once they step on 

the court, it’s just them and their opponent. 

Tennis is enjoyed at Coral Reef for its 

competitiveness. 

During conditioning, the tennis team takes 

team has a lot to prove, being 

recognized as the top team 

in Dade- County and as a 

contender for state champions. 

The same thing was thought 

about them last year when they 

fell to South Dade 79- 74. 

“Last year we just lost focus. 

That won’t happen this year,” 

the team assured when this 

tough game was brought up. 

What is different? The 

team has been practicing and 

working tirelessly for months 

to prepare for this year, even 

playing together during the 

summer. 

They are determined to take 

it all the way this year. With 

the team harboring five they 

are more focused than ever. 

For those six seniors and for 

the juniors as well, this may be 

the last chance to get that State 

title. After this year, Coach 

Rodriguez will need to build 

an entirely new team. 

GIRLS TEAM 

The Lady Barracudas have 

had it a little harder. They were 

not predicted to make much of 

a run at the state championship, 

and being ranked the #8 team 

in the south, they were also 

not seen as the top team in the 

Dade County either. However, 

this means nothing to the 

relentless girls’ basketball 

team who says they don’t 

pay attention to all of those 

rankings and ratings. 

“All that matters is how we 

perform on the court. If we 

play our game, we will be at 

Lakeland at the end of the 

season,” said Coach Adam 

Graham, head coach of the 

girls’ basketball team. 

So far the Lady ‘Cudas 

have proved their doubters 

wrong. After about two and a 

half months of play, the girls 

are still undefeated in their 

district. They have beaten 

every team by an average of 

20+ points, their biggest win 

being the 72- 11 triumph over 

the Buccaneers of South Dade. 

Tennis Conditioning Begins 

JORDAN FELDMAN 

Staff Writer 

a slow jog around the track to warm their 

bodies up. Then after stretching for fifteen 

minutes they start to hit with each other to 

get ready to play. When their muscles are 

warmed and their strokes are ready, they 

Coach Villegas is excited to begin a new 

season 

play a practice match with fellow students, 

either singles or doubles. When everyone 

is done with their matches, they do sprints, 

The Lady ‘Cudas have five 

Seniors and a new coach this 

year. These girls have changed 

their whole attitude and style 

of play since the addition of 

the no-nonsense coach, Coach 

Graham. 

“We are more focused. We 

are planning to take it one 

game at a time, not get ahead 

of ourselves. Just play hard 

every game as if it were our 

last,” said Coach Graham. 

Once both teams enter the 

playoff brackets, it is one 

loss and you’re home and for 

these Seniors, every game 

could be their absolute last. 

While the Sophomores and 

Juniors have a year or two 

more to try again, these eleven 

Seniors understand that this 

is it. This will surely be an 

interesting journey for these 

two determined Coral Reef 

Basketball teams. 

lunges, and other conditioning exercises 

until they’re sore. 

“I don’t play tennis, but I enjoy watching 

it. I’m amazed by the endurance of some 

of the players and how they can play for 

several hours. I think that some of our 

tennis players are good enough to play 

in college,” said Medical sophomore, 

Christine Webber. 

All athletes need to be physically fit 

to play their sport. In tennis, players 

must have enough endurance to play for 

several hours and outlast their opponents. 

Players must have muscular legs, for a 

stronger serve and better footwork to set 

up their shots. They must have strong 

arms to have good volleys and to hit the 

ball with power and spin. With sprints 

and other drills, the team will obtain these 

qualities and become better tennis players 

and athletes. 

Tennis is not only a physical sport, but 

mental too. The sport has players thinking 

about whether to hit the ball hard or soft, 

deep or short, and what type of spin to use. 

The athlete has to think about what tactics 

to use when playing their opponent. With 

better strategy, the Coral Reef tennis team 

will have a successful year. 

Coral Reef is a school known for 

academic accomplishment but is 

currently striving to surpass academics 

with its improving athletics. The obscure 

study habits of our students here at the 

school are prevalent, but it’s time we 

share our focus on school sports such as 

badminton, a sport which should receive 

more respect than given. 

“Badminton is the sickest sport I have 

ever heard of. I wish I would have tried 

out last year, I just never heard about it 

and nobody ever talked about it either,” 

said criminal justice Sophomore Suraj 

Garib. 

Last year Coral Reef’s badminton team 

showed outstanding accomplishments 

with their high statistics and win 

percentage. Many of the seniors 

graduated; therefore, according to the 

team, crucial players have been lost. 

“We should have a decent team this 

year because we still have a strong player 

line up,” said medical Junior Alejandra 

O’Sullivan. 

Players last year such as Ale O’Sullivan 

and Allisa Osit made it as a team to the 

Greater Miami Athletic Conference 

(GMAC) last year but think they could 

have made it further. Conditioning hasn’t 

yet started, but the athletes have begun 

individual training in hope of performing 

better this season. 

“I have already started to run, and 

crunched down on my dietary discipline, 

and my friend Ale and I sometimes run 

together,” said junior Allisa Osit. 

This Spring season sport is growing 

more with its spectators here at Reef 

because of the talk that has been going 

around, thanks to the athletes spreading 

the word about the incoming season. 

Many of the students have never even 

seen a badminton match. Speaking 

optimistically, this will change, come 

Spring when the gymnasium will be 

home to the Coral Reef badminton team 

(together with volleyball). 

Depending on budget cuts, jerseys for 

these well deserved athletes have stirred 

up quite the conversation. 

“I think we deserve real jerseys instead 

of just t-shirts with writing on them. If 

we want to be considered a real sport, 

we have to be presented as one,” said 

O’Sullivan. 

Fundraisers and candy sales have 

been planned in order for jerseys to be 

guaranteed towards the athletes. 

“I’m going to see a badminton game 

this year, my friend is part of the team 

and I never took time to realize how 

interesting the game truly is,” said VPA 

junior Nicole Fuentes. 

The student body strongly supports 

these athletes and wishes them a winning 

season that will represent Coral Reef 

athletics.

Features 


February 2009 

Controversy surrounds PETA’s treatment of animals 

VANESSA RUEDA 

Staff Writer 

15 

As the amount of people becoming 

vegetarian has grown, so has the amount 

of PETA members. PETA is the People for 

the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a group 

that consists of vegetarians and vegans 

who are against any form of animal 

cruelty even if it is just in the form of a 

video game such as the popular “Cooking 

Mama” for Nintendo DS, where gamers 

get to cook meals. 

However, what many people don’t know 

is that while PETA does a lot of good, it 

also does things that contradict their own 

ethical claims. 

PETA’s headquarters is located in 

Norfolk, Virginia where over 90% of 

the animals taken there to be put up for 

adoption from 1998 through December 

2007 were euthanized, meaning that they 

were put to death painlessly through an 

injection. Other nearby shelters were 

able to find homes for about 70% of the 

animals taken in between those years. 

PETA stores the bodies of the 

euthanized animals in a walk in freezer 

located in their headquarters and has them 

cremated. 

While it may not make sense how 

PETA euthanized so many animals, they 

have a defense posted on their website 

to the several accusations of them killing 

animals. 

Their defense is that they take in all 

animals, unlike no-kill shelters, which 

refuse certain animals that are in bad 

conditions. Since they accept animals that 

are in bad condition, such as animals that 

have been severely abused, sometimes 

the only solution is to euthanize them 

regardless of whether it makes their death 

rate numbers looks bad. Even though 90% 

seems like a lot of animals to have killed, 

PETA argues that it was the most humane 

thing to do and critics don’t realize the 

reasons behind them doing it. 

Another issue raised against PETA is 

the fact that they have donated massive 

amounts of money to violent criminals 

and convicted arsonists, people who 

voluntarily set fire to objects, such as 

the Earth Liberation Front which is 

considered a domestic terrorist group by 

the FBI. 

PETA donated over $70,000 to Rodney 

Coronado, a former member of the Animal 

Liberation Front, who was convicted 

of burning down a research laboratory 

at Michigan State University. PETA’s 

response to the criticism about donating 

to convicted criminals is that they’ll do 

whatever it takes to raise awareness about 

the cruelty in humans towards animals and 

to stop it from continuing. 

“As an animal lover, I appreciate what 

PETA does in terms of educating people 

and providing information about the 

ethical treatment of animals. But if such 

an organization takes it upon itself to use 

These stickers are given to members who sign up for membership with PETA 

radical means to convey their message, 

than they are no better than the people 

abusing the animals in the first place,” 

said Mr. Cloutier, a former vegetarian. 

In order to raise awareness about 

becoming vegetarian or vegan, PETA 

uses celebrities as spokes models. While 

this appears to be a practical tactic, what 

many don’t know is that many of those 

celebrities are not actually vegetarian/ 

vegan themselves. Examples include 

famous icons such as Steve-O who 

campaigned for PETA even though he 

made a career out of harassing animals in 

film on his show “Wild Boys.” Kimora 

Lee Simmons, designer of Baby Phat 

clothing, campaigned for PETA as well 

even though she works with fur and 

leather in her designs. 

“I think that if somebodys gonna 

be a part of PETA, they should fulfill 

their duties instead of being hypocrites 

about it,” said Agriscience Senior and 

vegetarian, Javier Tijerino. 

However, it is to be taken into 

consideration that PETA’s ultimate goal is 

to educate people in the ethical treatment 

of animals and using popular celebrity 

icons can be considered a great way to 

do so, regardless of whether the person 

themselves abides by PETA’s values. 

“I know there’s some things that they 

do that are radical but to me they’re 

right. If you’re trying to do something 

for mankind, do it to man,” said IB 

sophomore and PETA member Amelia 

Grant. 

While to some PETA may be radical and 

use extreme tactics, to others PETA is a 

worthy organization with a good cause.

16 


February 2009 

The Little Fabric That Could! 

The infamous fl annel comes back onto the school scene 

High Tide 

ALEXANDER MELENDEZ 

Staff Writer 

The world of fashion is in constant flux. 

This season’s fabrics are certainly not to 

be the next season’s textiles. However, 

some fabrics seem to constantly be 

making a comeback, especially the 

soft woven fabric known as flannel. 

So why the sudden outbreaks 

in the flannel fever; and why 

are so many students around 

the reef wearing this funky 

fabric? 

“I think it’s just so fun 

and so comfy. Plus, it 

is just one of those 

prints that match 

with everything and 

anything.” said Legal 

Junior Stephanie 

Dufresne. 

Flannel may match 

with everything but 

there must be more 

to this new trend that 

meets the eye or skin. 

“Since I am from Miami, as 

soon as it hits below 60 degrees, I tend 

to pull out the flannel. It really is just 

one of those fabrics that keep a person 

warm. Also, it is really soft, so I like 

how comforting it feels” said Medical 

Sophomore Felipe 

Palacio. 

It seems to make 

sense up north 

where people 

wear flannel for 

its functional 

purposes, but 

down here 

in the south, 

where the 

weather at 

its coldest 

never drops 

below 40, 

why would 

anybody 

buy flannel. 

It seems 

evident that 

it is more for 

its fashion 

purpose than 

its coziness. 

“I personally 

wear it because 

it looks cool and funky. I love the retro 

style, and nothing screams retro more to 

me than flannel. My older sister works 

at Pacific Sun wear, and she says that 

flannel is definitely one of their best 

selling items,” said Business Sophomore 

Maria Canella. 

Flannel is just one of those fabrics that 

seem as if it will never go away. 

Flannel is functional, especially 

when it comes to its warmness and 

comfort. It has one of those looks 

that are timeless and really do match 

with everything and anything. No 

matter what way one looks 

at it, flannel is 

part of 

America’s past, certainly part of 

it present, and will undoubtedly 

be part of its future. 

Flannel simply rocks. So 

rock on flannel, rock on! May 

you be part of our outfits for 

decades to come! 

Ralph Pierre Louis and Avery 

Bailey show off how they wear 

their flannel shirts. 

The evolution of jeans over the decades 

Whether your jeans are skinny, engineered, loose fi t, or cargo - jeans have become America’s 

favorite pants 

CHIEDOZIE OKAFOR 

Staff Writer 

Over the decades, students have been 

keeping up with the different styles of 

jeans. If we were to take all of the jeans 

we have taking up space in our closets, 

and lined them together we will see just 

how the style of jeans we wear have 

changed. 

The truth of the matter is, just as 

humans evolve so does our clothing. 

When revering to jeans, people gone 

from far extremes as the 70s styled bell 

bottoms up to millennium skinny jeans 

First worn in the eighteenth century as 

trade, slave labor, and cotton plantations 

increased, workers wore jean cloth 

because the material was very strong 

and won’t wear out easy. Today jeans 

have a whole other use, and that use is 

for pure fashion. 

Students change their styles every day, 

and silently that change has influenced 

the style in their jeans. From Levis to 

Route 66, from straight legs to skinny, 

students are definitely keeping up with the 

latest. 

“I’ve noticed that, from freshman year 

up until now, guys have gone from really 

baggy pants to tighter, and girls are even 

wearing tighter pants,” said Business 

senior Yvanie Jean. 

When traveling the courtyard Look left 

and right and you will catch a student 

wearing a pair of denim jeans. But where 

exactly did the style of ‘denim’ emerge? It 

wasn’t until after the first pair was made 

in the 19th century by Leob Strauss, who 

changed his name to “Levi” in honor of 

his label. Later in the 1950’s, the so-called 

“rebels decade” when teenagers began 

wearing denim jeans because that was the 

image of the teenage rebel on. This image 

was usually depicted on TV shows and 

other media. There were even schools in 

the USA that banned their students from 

wearing the jeans. Must be many rebels at 

Coral Reef, because there are more Levi’s 

and True Religion’s hugging the student’s 

legs to start our very own jean shop. 

“I got in trouble two weeks ago for the 

jeans I had on,” said Legal Sophomore 

Louis Martinez 

Today students have stumbled into 

the era of skinny jeans. Girls and guys 

included are jumping on board with this 

trend. 

“There isn’t anyone who could come 

between me and my skinnies,” Said 

VPA sophomore Linroy Johnson. 

It seems that these trends are 

standing strong will it fade away 

along with other trends?. 

“I don’t think so, our age seem 

really content with the style of the 

skinny or straight legs. Maybe when 

we grow up then we will change out 

of the skinny and into some slacks,” 

said IB senior Sorina Vaziri 

Well based on the history of jean 

trends, the style is bound to change 

somehow. Only time can really tell.

View - Coral Reef Senior High School

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