Christmas in Miami - Coral Reef Senior High School

2 NewsCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008Members from Aryan Nations attemptassassination plot on future presidentMEGAN MIRANDAStaff WriterHistory was made on November 4th, 2008 when the UnitedStates greeted its first African American president, BarackObama. Senator Obama beat John McCain in the 2008election and all over the country people rejoiced. But as somepeople praise President-elect Obama, there are others whoscorn him. Ever since themoment Barack Obamabecame a candidate forthe Democratic Party,there were people whowould not stand forthe senator to becomepresident.In late August, heinousplots to assassinate theDemocratic presidentialcandidate wereuncovered. Three menwere arrested and a planto kill Senator Obamawas uncovered. Thesethree men were foundto have ties to the whitesupremacist group,Aryan Nations. AryanNations is the mostinfluential of dozens ofneo-Nazi groups spreadacross the United States.The group is very bluntabout its bigoted goal to create a whites-only state in NorthAmerica. They aspire to create a space where only the peoplewho fit the description the cruel dictator, Adolf Hitler, createdof the perfect race.“I was ashamed of my nation,” said Legal senior JasonMills, when he heard the news.Shawn Adolf, 33, Nathan Johnson, 32, and Tharin Gartrell, 28,had planned to shoot Obama during his nomination acceptancespeech held at the Democratic National Convention. The daybefore the convention, a police car stopped a pick-up truckdriven by Gartrell and discovered two high-powered rifles,spotting scopes, bulletproof vests, ammunition, three fakeIDs, walkie-talkies, wigs, and a quantity of crystal meth inthe back. Needless to say, Gartrell was arrested. Later, policealso found and arrested Johnson and Adolf and while he was in jail,Johnson was interviewed by a CBS reporter. During his interviewJohnson spilled Adolf’s plan to kill Obama during the nominationacceptance speech. Adolf later showed discriminatory aggressionagainst Senator Obama, claiming that blacks had no place in anypolitical office.“I expected [assassination] plots to happen,” says Businesssenior Maggie Carulo, “I think peopleshould let his term play out and see what he[Obama] can do.”Unfortunately, the horrible plots to endthe presidential candidate’s life did not stopthere. In October, two white supremacistsplotted to go on a killing spree, their ultimatetarget being Barack Obama. The two men,Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman,were identified as neo-Nazi skinheads andplanned to kill 88 innocent people—14 bybeheading—with the final kill being SenatorObama himself.The numbers 14 and 88 are symbolic inskinhead power. The 14 refers to a fourteenwordphrase attributed to an imprisonedwhite supremacist, “We must secure theexistence of our people and a future forfuture children.” In white supremacistbeliefs, the number 8 represents the letter“H,” the eighth letter in the alphabet. Thenumber 88 ultimately stands for “HH” or“Heil Hitler”.Cowart and Schlesselman were chargedby federal authorities with possessingunregistered firearms, conspiring to stealfirearms, and threatening a presidential candidate. The twoconspirators were held without bond until their trial where a federalgrand jury indicted them. Cowart and Schlesselman are scheduledto be arraigned soon.“It shocked me that people were plotting to kill Obama,” saysRicardo Muniz, Legal junior, “But at the same time I expected it.There are a lot of people offended by having a black man becomingpresident.”There were some people who believed that when Barack Obamabecame president this country would become united in a way itnever has before. However it seems that no matter what happensthere will always be people who are too close-minded to acceptchange and believe the only way to stop it is through violence anddeath.Miami-Dade Schools discuss thepossibility of a four day school weekVANESSA RUEDAStaff WriterWhile four day school weeks are typicallythe result of a holiday or a teacher planningday, for over 100 districts in 16 differentstates, it is the result of high gas prices.Now, this idea of creating a 3 day weekendand shortening the school week is beingconsidered in all 67 districts in Florida tosave on gas costs and energy costs.Basically, implementing the four dayschool week will equal about two extrahours each day, extending the averageschool day from seven hours to about ninehours. If the days aren’t extended, then thesummer will be shortened in order to obtainthe 180 school days required with properamount of time for FCAT preparation.“I think it’s a great idea because theschool would have more money andstudents would be happier because theyget to rest more,” said VPA junior HenryMorillo.With the money that is saved from beingable to turn off the air conditioning, thelights and keeping buses stationary for anextra day in the week, schools will be ableto invest in the necessities that have beencut short as a result of budget cuts earlierthis year. Also, staff members will be ableto keep their positions because due to themoney saved, schools will be able to affordto keep its faculty.Brevard Community College in Cocoa,Florida implemented the four day schoolweek and has had amazing results. Inthe districts that have also applied thefour day school week, there has been animprovement in attendance and even betterperformance from students.“I support the idea of shortening theschool week to four days a week however,I would be against the idea if it overlappedwith the summer,” said VPA sophomoreJorge Muñiz.In a recent survey sent out on October29th with a deadline of November 17, 2008from Alberto M. Carvalho (superintendentof schools) to the United Teachers of Dade,questions were broached ranging fromwhether employees would support a fourday school week to be implemented duringthe summer only or year round to whatthey believed were the major advantagesand disadvantages of the four day schoolweek. In this survey, the possible schooltimes for the four day week were shown.The considered hours for high school werefrom 6:00 am to 4:30 pm. 7:00 am to 5:30pm, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, and 8:00 am to6:30 pm, along with the choices of flexible10 hours and other.“This is so wrong on so many levels, Ifeel like changing the school week wouldturn everything upside down as it relates toparents working and children staying afterschool,” said Mrs. Freeman when asked onher opinion about implementing the fourday school week.She later went on to say that she believesthere are other things that can be done tocut costs such as charging for each classtaken as a result of failing during the schoolyear in summer school and charging forelectronic rules that are broken.Even though critics of the four day schoolweek say that it will cause schedulingproblems with parents and will deprivestudents of their education, it comes withsome benefits and is being considered to beapplied for the 2009-2010 school year. Justlike with the school bus dilemma last year,the decision is uncertain and can go eitherway.The truthbehind thesecondamendmentJULIAN ORTIZStaff WriterThe second amendment is now thedefining factor of the definition ofmarriage. This amendment “protectsmarriage as the legal union of only oneman and one woman as husband andwife and provides that no other legalunion that is treated as marriage or thesubstantial equivalent thereof shall bevalid or recognized.”“I personally feel that gay people’srights are being violated, it shouldn’tbe the way it is,” said Medical seniorBrittany Roberts.People around the world feel stronglyabout same sex marriage. Whites,Blacks, and even Hispanics all engagein the support toward allowing samesex marriage possible.“Now that Obama is president, Ifeel that a lot of people’s views aregoing to be affected and changed,” saidAgriscience senior Derek Randolf.Presidential values have a greatimpact on what is accepted. Whetheror not something is accepted by societyplays an influential role in juvenilecrowds; many times changing theirpersonal views in order to abstain frombeing different.The popular vote towards the secondamendment counted 4,645,602 votingyes and 2,833,052 voting no. Thus, 62%of American citizens voted towardsthe passing of the second amendment,leaving 38% of Americans at unrest ofthe future true definition of ‘marriage’.Many members of the Do somethingClub here at Coral Reef, have spokenout on their position toward the passingof the second amendment.“To begin with, the passing ofthe second amendment is in factunconstitutional. It goes against themain ideals of the United Statesconstitution: life, liberty and the pursuitof happiness. It shouldn’t be anybody’sbusiness whether or not your significantother is a man or woman. Politiciansuse this amendment as a distractiontowards all the other arguments beingmade, such as tax rises and oil drilling,”said Julianna Dear.The second amendment has beenpassed and is a part of Florida’s legalstatute. As for whether or not it is hereto stay, the future will tell.

4Coral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008EditorialGLuttony: the deadliest sinSerious diet-related risks can lurk beneath a healthy appearance. The solution issimple: be aware of what you eat and know how your body manages hunger.With Thanksgiving over and Christmas coming,this is the season of family dinners and platters offood. Gluttons, rejoice! What students may notknow, however, is that healthiness is linked to morethan just body weight.Looks can be deceiving. Although some peoplemay be of normal weight, they are metabolicallyobese. This means that although theseindividuals are in the normal bodymass index range, they have certain metabolic problems.These include low insulin sensitivity and abnormalcholesterol levels—all of which can lead to diabetes.So what is it exactly that makes us eat? It’s all controlledby your central nervous system, notably your brain. In1999, a hormone was identified called ghrelin that links toour appetites. It is produced by the gut and is used by ourbodies as part of a scheduling for eating.When the levels of ghrelin rise in our blood, the hormonesends a signal to our brain—the result is that we feelhungry. In obese individuals, ghrelin can rise to severelyhigh levels. This, in addition to a larger stomach capacitydeveloped over time, leads to uncontrolled appetites.There are simple ways to curb appetite and theybegin with eating habits. The first is to eat fiber, foundin unrefined foods and vegetables. Fiber suppresses therelease of hunger-causing hormones.Crash dieting? It doesn’t work. Eating mealsregularly tends to keep ghrelin levels stableand scheduled, preventing hungerpangs.Another way: eat slower. There exists a briefgap between eating enough and feeling satisfied.People who eat quickly and eat a lot tend tooverstuff themselves by the time their brainsregister that they’ve had enough. The reason forthis is evolutionary: individuals who overstuffedthemselves survived longer when famine struck.The problem with this in modern day U.S. societyis that resources are abundant, and this evolutionarymechanism has backfired.A little restraint can go a long way. Maintaininga healthy, moderate diet leads to lifelong healthbenefits—lower chances of heart disease, cancer,liver complications, osteoarthritis, and type 2diabetes. When that Christmas dinner comes around,t a k e it slower, eat a bit less, maybe even runa few laps the morning after.You’ll be healthier off inthe long run.BAITLINESports EditorVanessa RuedaEditor-in-ChiefSteven LiNews EditorsLeidy PerezMegan ZuckerOpinions EditorJasmine CalinSubmerge YourselfEditorsLukas MoonKarla AndersonA&E EditorJillian Roberts2008-2009 StaffSpotlight EditorAlexandra CastillaFeatures EditorSteven LiTech EditorEmma SingerHigh Tide EditorsKarla AndersonAlexandra CastillaStaff WritersKarla AndersonNicole BrandfordJasmine CalinAlexandra CastillaTrudy ClarkeGabriella DelpozoJordan FeldmanAlexia FrithShatone GraySteven LiChamere LittlejohnAndres LopezRicardo MartinezAlexander MelendezMegan MirandaLukas MoonChiedozie OkaforJulian OrtizLeidy PerezJillian RobertsVanessa RuedaEmma SingerShane SumbuMegan ZuckerAdvisorCheri Mitchell-SantiagoPrincipalAdrianne LealBaitline strives to provide quality student-led publications tothe student body providing the school community with anopen forum of public expression. In the publications class,students will make all editorial decisions including, but notlimited to: generating story ideas, writing copy, editing copy,laying out copy, taking photographs, and handling all aspectsof running the business end of a school publication. Because ofthis, any comments or concerns should be addressed to theeditorial staff.It should be understood that the newspaper is not a professionalpublication; therefore, students will make mistakes during thelearning process. A0s a staff, we will make every effort to learnfrom these mistakes and continually improve the publication.While our primary goal is to inform and entertain the schoolcommunity, we also strive to maintain high journalisticstandards. All opinions expressed in the publications are thestudents’ or the individual sources, and not the staff’s as awhole, the advisor, or school officials.Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered toroom 305 or e-mailed tobaitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net. All letters submitted may becondensed or edited for grammar and spelling. Libelous materialwill not be printed.Information about submitting ads can be obtained by e-mailingbaitline@coralreef.dadeschools.net.Past issues can be viewed at http://crhs.dadeschools.net.

6Coral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008OpinionsSHANE SUMBUStaff WriterMEGAN ZUCKERStaff WriterJim Crow legislation keep AfricanAmericans from voting in the early 1900s;a young Black teenager is lynched for simplywhistling at a Caucasian woman in Mississippi in1955, peaceful protesters march on Washington DCalongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fighting fortheir civil rights as American citizens in 1963.Fast forward approximately 40 years to November4th, 2008 and Illinois Senator Barack Obama isnamed 44th President of the United States, inturn making him the first Black President in U.S.history. Undoubtedly the 2008 election has becomethe most pivotal and historical election as “change”has come with afresh new face in theWhite House.“I’m grateful andstill very shocked.Still I’m hopefuland expecting a lotto change,” said IBSenior ShambrikaTomlin.Overcoming falseaccusations, negativeads, and an obviousracial disadvantage,Obama ran anamazing campaignto gain a landslidevictory with 365electoral votes,as opposed tohis Republicancounterpart John McCain’s 162. The Obamavictory can strongly be attributed to the grass rootsmovements that supported him helping him winbattleground states such as Ohio, Florida, Virginiaand traditionally Republican North Carolina.But it was Obama’s charisma and promiseof change that boosted his support winning themajority in exit polls in nearly ever demographic(except older Whites, those who make more than50K a year, and those who consider themselvesconservative). Instead it was his clean plan thatwould help America climb out of the economicslump that it has built for itself. The exit polls go toshow Obama’s ability to unite the nation, no matterwhat race, sex or gender.Time is ticking and it’stime for those exams thatstudents despise. Withclasses still in session,midterms are slithering theirway into the curriculum totake over.These are the exams thatstudents fear for when thetime comes in December orJanuary.This year students aregetting prepared early asopposed to last year. Examswill begin on MondayDecember 15, 2008. Thebig question that arises is:Is this good or bad?“I don’t think it reallymatters when midterms takeplace. It’s not like I studyfor them over the breakanyways,” said IB SeniorKarla CobreiroMost studentsstand neutral onthis issue andsimply state itdoesn’t matterwhen they takethe exam. Nots u r p r i s i n g l y ,many students arepondering why arethe exams beforethe Christmas breakthis year. It wassuch a nice presentlast year.With the timewinding down,studying formidterms almostseems impossible. Itsimply feels as thoughthere is not enoughtime to prepare. The“I think the Obama victory isa great thing for America, it showsthat we have grown as a nation sincethe times of theJim Crow Southand segregation,”said IB SeniorTavarus AndrewsNow that theAmerican peoplehave chosen theirCommander-In-Chieffor the next four years,there is a lot of work tobe done. With the obviousfinancial crisis and recessionplaguing the United States,the former Senator has a lot ofwork to do from day one. As theU.S. economy is in dire straitsObama must assemble a strongcabinet to assist him in ratifyingPresident Bush’s costly errors,as well easing the weight of theshoulder of the average American.But will Obama be able to get us out of the economichole we’ve dug ourselves into? Will he be able tobring Congress together to make policies benefitingAmericans everywhere? Can he actually provide theuniversal health care and tax cuts he’s promised?Barack Obama’s victory in this historical electionis unprecedented and a beautiful thing. Though he isconsider inexperienced, his campaign and ability tounite the American people during this election goesto show what he is capable of. He has displayed hisgreat potential as a leader. Obama has a lot of work todo come January, but has a very promising future. Hiselection inspired young people of all races affirmingthat thought that “impossible is nothing” and theAmerican Dream is truly attainable.With a little over 2 months remaining in the Bush administration, it’s time to take a deepsigh of relief and think about how our country has made history, by electing BarackObama as the next president of our United States.While we are all waiting to see how President Elect Obama willincorporate the change he has promised to bring to our country, weworry that President Bush will screw up our country even morethan he already has in his last few days in office.“I definitely think that it’s possible for him to screw upmore. Just look at what he’s done to our country already,” saysIB sophomore Melissa Cruz.Bush was recently quoted as saying that there is still“lots to do before leaving office.” As if he hasn’t alreadydone enough, President George Bush plans to create morerules on the environment, civil liberties, and abortionrights before December 20, which is the deadline he hasfor making new changes. He plans to spend his remainingdays making the economy, nation, and the war evenmore disastrous than they already are.“Anything could happen in the next 2 months,” saysVPA senior Paul Warren.It leaves the question lingering in many people’sminds, “Why doesn’t he just stay put for theseremaining days and enjoy his last days in theWhite House?” It seems as if Bush is trying toalter the views that many have on him, beingseen by most as the worst President in U.S.history.Although many are happy for Bush to beleaving the White House, it’s importantto remember that although he will beleaving office, his policies will not.It will take more than four years ofObama’s administration or for thatmatter, anyone’s administration tovirtually “undo” what Bush has doneto our country and economy. From the priceof gas to the war in Iraq, we bid you farewell PresidentBush.The Bush CountdownClockExpiration Date: Jan. 20, 200912 p.m.Before or after: the decision for midterm examsMidterms will take place before winter break this yearCHAMERE LITTLEJOHNStaff WriterArtwork courtesy of Noel Kasselwitzadvantage withhaving themidtermafter thew i n t e rbreak lastyear wasit gavestudents theopportunityto studyover thetwo weektime period.This yeartime seemsto be runningout beforestudents evenhave the timeto catch it.The fortunateaspect of havingto take midtermsearly is studentscan enjoy thebreak without beingworried about studying. Itisn’t really a break if you’reworried about midterms.“I think it is better tohave midterms before thevacation because personallyI would forget all theinformation that I learnedbefore the Christmas break.I also feel that havingmidterms in the samesemester would be veryhectic,” stated CriminalJustice Senior Belinda Lys.Although midterms aresomething that studentdread, it is time to startstudying. Time is entirelytoo little! There is a littleover a month left andteachers have yet to starthanding out study material.It makes it that much harderto prepare for six classes.

Sports 7Coral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008Football RecapBarracuda football team earns big winsJORDAN FELDMANStaff WriterWith much improvement this year, theBarracuda football team looks back at agreat season and expects big things for theyears to come.This year, with an overall record of 3-7,the Varsity squad progressed from last yearwith two more wins. Many players on theteam have had positive reactions about theoutcome this year, although many expectedb e t t e rr e s u l t sfrom theirhard work.“Weimprovedfrom lastyear andf o u g h treal hard,but wejust needto keep onw o r k i n gto getbetter andd e v e l o pour skillsfor nextyear,” IB Sophomore Nick Suarez said.At the end of the season, looking back,there are many aspects of the team’sgame that they would like to improve.The team would like to improve on theirball movement up the field and minimizeturnovers, which lead to unnecessarypoints.Even though the Barracudas did notadvance to the district tournament, manyfans still supported the team and went towatch every game. Although the footballsupporters enjoy attending every game,they would like some more wins from theirvarsity team in return.“I go to many football games, but ourfootball team doesn’t always come out ontop. It’s fun to attend the games, but it willbe nice if they got some more wins,” saidVPA Sophomore, Chrystian Xavier.Starting off the season with two strongwins, the players realized that victorycould be obtained with determination andDarius Hall, gets first down aganist Varelafocus. With big wins against American andFerguson the team looked to be headingin the right direction, but with big footballteams like Killian and Palmetto, victorywas getting slimmer by the week. Withstrong morale on and off the field, theBarracudas are hopeful to put their nameinto the district picture.Many players believe that a strongoff-season leads to a better season andmomentum on the field. Heading into theoff-season, the Barracudas know whatneeds to be done to win football games.Dropping BannersLady ‘Cudas win 2008 district titleJASMINE CALINStaff WriterNovember 21, 2008was a historic day atCoral Reef. It was the daythat the Coral Reef Lady‘Cudas girls basketballteam put up their firstDistrict banner.For the first time inschool history, the girl’sbasketball team was ableto proudly say “Yes, thereis a banner in the gym forgirl’s basketball.” It was acelebratory night for theLady Cudas. Graduatedplayers and formercoaches, who took part inearning the district title,returned one more time toCoral Reef to celebrate the unveiling of thebanner.“It’s a beautiful sight to be able tosay that we are champions,” said TriannaWilliams, a 2008 Coral Reef graduate.Former coach Amaury Alvarez andcurrent assistant- coach George Richardsonwere presented with plaques of their ownto commemorate their accomplishment.Once all the celebration was over though,the Lady Cudas still had business to attendto. They defeated the Varela Vipers thatnight 38 to 64, proving they are still on topof their district.That night was a night of honor and praisebut for a long time, the word “champion”was no where near being associated withthe girl’s basketball team at Coral Reef.There was a time when they were 4- 15and did not even earn a spot in the districttitle game, let alone being contenders forwinning it.In three years that all changed when theywon their firsteven Districtchampionshipand SilverG M A CChampionshipas well. “Youhave no ideahow it feels tobe part of thistransformation,”admits IB SeniorJasmine Calinwho played forthe team throughthe good timesand bad, “thes o p h o m o r e sand freshmancame in during the good times and can’tappreciate all we have been through as ateam. I’m proud of us.”Some attribute the success to the formercoach who dedicated most of his time andenergy to this team. What ever it was thatcaused this change, it worked and the LadyCudas look like they are on their way toanother district title in 2009.“The district title is a huge honor butonly the start of where we can go,” sayscurrent coach Adam J. Graham, “I expectnothing less then a state title this year fromthis team.”Never being satisfied is the sign of achampion. It is what led Michael Jordanto back to back championships in theNBA and is what drives this Coral Reefbasketball team. So to the Lady Cudas,Congratulations and we look forward towatching you dominate the court onceagain.Yahjaira Vasquez makes a shotagainst Varela High School

Coral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008Our pagan rootsLEIDY PEREZStaff WriterThe original principles ofChristmas have changed throughout theyears. What used to be a celebration for thebirth of the messiah has turned into a socialupheaval of gifts and parties.According to the Christianreligion, the 25th ofDecember is celebratedas the day baby Jesuswas born into theworld to save thelives of the perpetualsinners.But what manyChristians don’t knowis that this holiday canbe traced back to paganroots. Although the endresult of many of these rootshave changed throughout the yearsit is evident that many of the Christmastraditions can be ruled back to the sameancestry.The ringing of bells for example, whichthe Christians use to invite the spirit ofJesus into the world, has been associatedwith the pagan tradition of ringing bells todrive out evil spirits. Even the decorationof the tree goes back to the veneration8 SUBMERGEof trees by many different cultures. Forexample; the Druids worshiped the oaktree, the Egyptians the palm tree, while inRome the fir tree was revered.One of the most important parts of whatChristmas used to be wasthe birth of baby Jesus.In ancient BabylonDecember 25th wascelebrated as YuleDay, or Holy InfantDay, as Yule was aninfant. Accordingto pagan traditionit was on this daythat the holy infantappeared as a babyboy from the sun toredeem the world fromdarkness and evil.Many of the traditions thatcan be dated back to the pagan yearscan also be linked to other cultures likethe Jewish and the Scandinavians. TheScandinavians celebrated a different kindof Yule day of which they called NorseYuletide. Norse Yuletide lasted fromDecember 20th to December 31st. Like theScandinavians the Jewish also celebratedwhat’s originally called the Jewish festivalWhere did Christmas go?MEGAN MIRANDAStaff Writerof light or Hanukah, whichoccurred on the 25th day of theHebrew month which wouldbe equivalent to December inthe Roman calendar.Most of the festivals thatwe know celebrate have beenknown since the pagan timesas the winter festivals becausethey were celebrated duringthe winter solstice. They allinvolved gift giving, coloredlights which most used to wardoff evil spirits, decorative treesand colored lights.The origins of anyreligious festival isalways somethingto look back upon,since only byknowing thepast canwe reallyunderstandt h efuture.Many faiths,There used to be a time when Decemberheralded in the holidays that were celebratedas a time for families to come together.But it has become obvious that this haschanged. When Christmas came around,students would be released from schoolfor two weeks and joyful family traditionsbegan. Families would come togetherand pick out a Christmas tree, decoratethe house, dress the tree, go caroling, tellstories about St. Nick, and bake cookies.Religions praised and celebrated the birthof their savior Jesus Christ. The list goeson and on.It is understandable that as the studentsgrow older the holidays adjust to fit thefamilies, but if one takes the time to lookaround it is hard not to notice how muchthings have changed.The big, fragrant evergreens that usedto cause families much fuss have beenreplaced with plastic trees that can bebought generically at department stores forcheap prices. Even the act of decoratingthe tree has been done away with by theartificial clones that come with lightsalready embedded in them.Santa’s cookies are no longer madefresh and houses remain bare throughoutthe holiday. It has become too expensiveor too time consuming to continue withthe old traditions. Christmas caroling hasbecome a thing of the past and Christmasmusicals all over the country have beenremade into “Holiday” musicals with theclassic Christmas songs undergoing plasticsurgery to be sure no one is offended.“I love Christmas,” says Medical seniorGloria Meléndez, “But I know since we’vegrown up it has become centered aroundgifts instead of family. It used to be aboutgoing to grandma’s [house] and putting upa tree, but now it’s ‘I want money so I cango shopping.’”Society seems to have lost the meaning ofthe holiday. Children today are discoveringthe truth behind the Santa Claus mythearlier and earlier, taking away one ofthe most important parts about being achild. Teenagers spend less time with theirfamilies during the holidays, choosing tospend their time with their friends or theirnew gifts. Adults are struggling in thishectic economy and need to work on thedays in December that they should be withthe families.“Things have changed and all holidayshave become nothing. No one celebratesthe same,” says VPA senior Jerel Levy, “Itused to be about caroling and picking trees,but now everything is done inside. No oneleaves the house.”Perhaps one of the most shocking thingsthat society seems to have forgotten was thereligious aspect of the holiday. December25th is celebrated as the birth Jesus Christ,but the spiritual part of the holiday hasbecome smothered by the people’s needfor material gifts.When the children of today grow up andhave children of their own, what will havehappened to the holidays? People today arelosing the significance of the holidays. It isnot about the gifts or the sales. It’s aboutcelebrating life and spending time withfamily. It is a time about tolerance, charity,and love. The gifts that are given are onlysymbols of a person’s love and should notbe looked at as anything more. The bestgift of all to receive on Christmas is thepresence of a family, wrapped up with eachother.

A & ECoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 200811“Time is Running Out” by Noel KasselwitzReef’s own Art BaselSTEVEN LIEditor-in-Chief“Ripped from Mother’s Arms”by Noel Kasselwitz“Anorexia nervosa” by TatianaJackson“Pyre of Knowledge” by Raquel KiddSix chosen artists from the VPA academy held the first major art show ofthe year on Thursday night, October 20th. VPA seniors Audrey Gonzalez,Ronel Constantin, Noel Kassewitz, Tatiana Jackson, Raquel Kidd, and NickPendas combined their works into one large portfolio and invited parents andstudents to come see their art for free. These works were originally entriesinto the NFAA young artists competition.Each artist chose a specific concentration for their works, a unifying themearound which their artwork revolved. These ranged from themes like “mentalillnesses” to ones to “endangered species.”“My concentration was technology’s role in today’s society,” said RaquelKidd. One of her works, entitled “Pyre of Knowledge,” depicts a burningstream of literature (incorporated into the painting are actual pages frombooks). “It’s scary to think that one day technology may lead to the loss ofall knowledge.”Tatiana Jackson chose a darker topic for her works: mental illnesses. Herworks depict various illnesses ranging from anorexia to gluttony.“My piece about insect phobia was most influential on me, because itsuggests how there is a thin line dividing the mentally ill and fears in everydaylife,” said Jackson.As for Audrey Gonzalez, she chose a theme that was more abstract: thefeeling of loss. Some of her artworks include “Petrified,” “Blinded,” and“Fruitless.” For her, the hardest part of the process was putting the portfoliotogether.“We only had around 24 weeks, so it was stressful to get everythingtogether, but I’m proud of how far we’ve come,” said Gonzalez.The subject of endangered animals and the destruction of their naturalhabitats was Noel Kassewitz’s concentration.“It’s interesting to hear people tell you why they liked a particular piece ofyours, because you always receive different feedback. Some people liked mywhale piece simply for its enormous size,” said Kassewitz.For the next couple of weeks, the show will remain in the Allyson Galleryfor all students to see. This won’t be the last of the art academy’s shows,though, as these artists assure the student body that this is just one of manyto come.“Blinded” by Audrey Gonzalez“Silencing the Song” by Noel Kasselwitz“Gluttony” by TatianaJackson“Fruitless” by Audrey Gonzalez

12 SpotlightCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008High carb eating tri-athlete competes year-roundEverardo Vidaurri trains and competes in world triathlonsJULIAN ORTIZStaff WriterEverardo Vidaurri has competed atnational levels; earned first place finishes inhis age group, and even competed againstseveral of the world’s most well knownand competitive tri-athletes.Tri-athletes such as Everardo Vidaurritrain year-round to be able to participate andcompete in triathlons. These competitiveevents involve the three skills of swimming,bicycling, and running. Usually swimmingis the first event followed by bicycling andthen finishing with a run. These distancesmay vary between the levels of competitionbut are usually long and difficult tocomplete.Everardo is an IB senior but is better knownas a superior tri-athlete. By competing onsuch a consistent schedule, Ever has nochoice but to be in optimum fitness at alltimes. A gruesome fitness regimen must beobeyed and applied to his every day life inorder to stay fit for such events.“It’s actually not that hard. I only swim2 hours during the spring and winter andthen start running in the fall. During thesummer, I combine all three workouts totrain myself,” said Ever.In addition to hisschedule, anotherimportant aspect is hisdiet. Ever has a highcalorie diet, a muchneeded diet for hisbody in order to stayactive and perform tothe best of his abilityduring the triathlons.“People call me luckyfor being able to eatwhatever I want, but Isee it as my chance tomaintain my fitness,”said Ever.Weighing 130pounds, Ever’smetabolism needs tohave accessible energyat all time. Not only ishis diet an importantfactor for performingwell, but for over allhealth as well.During Ever’s firsttriathlon, he wasWho is Mrs. Kirchner?Mrs. Kirchner, a more than ordinary teacherJILLIAN ROBERTSStaff WriterFor those who have had her, Mrs.Kirchner is the fun, crazy teacher whoseclass is always a thrill. Those who havenot had her hear stories about the wild,entertaining, and motivational teacher whois always full of energy.Mrs. Kirchner is the 11th grade IB Englishteacher. But shedoes more than justteach English. Mrs.Kirchner teachesteenage mindsand structures herclasses in waysthat take advantageof teenage energy.She tries to inspireher students toget involved inthe bigger picturein life, not justpursue their ownindividual careers.She strives for amore equitableworld; a worldof social justiceand world peace.Her principlephilosophy isto create goodcitizens whose job it is to save the planet.“My goal is to have all my studentsparticipate in all activities because thenI’m creating citizens for a participatorydemocracy,” said Mrs. Kirchner.For 24 years, Mrs. Kirchner was a teacherin urban high schools consisting mainly ofAfrican American students who have lowincomes. Her specialty was teaching andreaching out to these inner-city students.“That’s why I’m so funny!” said Mrs.Kirchner. “With kids who school is hardfor, I needed to make it fun and enjoyable.So, I developed tricks to make learningmore amusing.”Now, at Coral Reef, Mrs. Kirchner likesto be an unorthodox teacher who usesnumerous different teaching strategies toengage her students in her lessons. Her IBstudents love her fun techniques that incitethe classroom.For example, her students’ first assignmentb e g i n n i n gthe year isa personalmonologue.They arerequired tom e m o r i z eand performt h e i rmonologuesin front ofthe class.Although theassignments e e m e dtedious atfirst, by thetime theyare finished,her studentsadmit theye n j o y e dthe creativeassignmentand got a lot out of it.Mrs. Kirchner is one of the most widelyknown teachers at school and has thebiggest reputation for being one of thefunniest and craziest teachers at school.She is an extremely successful teacherwho has won many teaching awards suchas being regional teacher of the year twotimes. She cares a great deal about herstudents and only wants the best to comeout of their futures. She has a love forteaching and a love for her students, whichis the best recipe for creating a top of thenotch teacher.Ms. Kirchner likes to be in the center of herclassroom, enthusiastically teaching her studentsOn the last part of the triathlon, Everraces to the finishneither mentallynor physicallyprepared.“The first stepis getting readybefore the triathlon.By eating highc a r b o h y d r a t emeals, you allowyour body to accessthat quick energy.Together witheating, sleepingbefore is a sureway to guaranteebeing awake withenergy. I had noidea what I wasin for, and I wishI could have beenmore prepared. Itsnot as easy as mostpeople believe it tobe; competitors arealways fainting andpassing out becausethey are not prepared,” said Ever.During most triathlon events water standsare set up on the perimeter of the routeswhere the athletes pass by. These standsgive the athletes a chance to catch up ontheir hydration levels.Once the race is completed, it is crucialfor the competitors to cool down. Thecool down stage is used in most sports toprevent muscle strains. Stretching and awalk is suggested and used as a precautionto ensure that there are no muscle injuries.“I competed in 10 sprint distances, 5Olympic distances, and plan on moving onto the next level by entering in an Iron man70.3 next year,” said Ever.Looking into the future, EverardoVidaurri plans to progress in his missionin being a prospect iron man by the age of18. College is an important future aspect inhis life and he plans on pursuing it with allhis will. The knowledge and skill he has inboth academics and athleticism will bothin conjunction help him reach his dream ofbeing very successful in the future.Free-styling onto theVictor Garcia and his dance accomplishmentsCHAMERE LITTLEJOHNStaff WriterGrooving his way into thedance industry, Victor has beendancing since the age of fiveyears old. Influenced by MichaelJackson, he began to pick up hisdance career and really caught apassion for this art. He has beendancing professionally for 7years.The first major accomplishmentVictor achieved was earning1st place in the World Hip HopChampion in the year 2003 withhis group.He has worked for variousSpanish TV shows on Univisionand Telemundo such as SabadoGigante, Despierta America,and Christina. Victor also hasappeared on commercials whichinclude VERB and Rooms To Go.He even took it a step further andhas modeled for a few cataloguesin Europe and the U.S.“I have had the chance to workwith different choreographerswho include Shane Sparks ofAmericas Best Dance Crew,Marty Kudelka who has choreographedfor Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson,and Shotyme who choreographs for GwenStefani. I have also had the chance to workwith Wade Robson,” said Victor Garcia.Here at Coral Reef, Victor is enrolled inthe VPA academy for dance. He has workedon Spanish Award Shows as a dancer andwas the assistant choreographer who puttogether a few pieces for the show.“Victor has really ambitious goals. Hehas big dreams and aspirations and is verytalented. I believe he will go beyond far inthis industry. His creativity and passion isVictor shows off one of his many movesreally admirable,” said Sarah Gonzalez ofthe VPA academy.He teaches at different dance studios asa Hip Hop choreographer for all levels ofdance which are Beginner, Intermediate,and Advanced. His latest movement ispromoting his Monday night classes 7:30pm at Focal PointVictor’s main focus is to develop intoa professional Hip Hop choreographer. Heintends to graduate high school and moveforward to college. In addition to that, hewants to write and produce his own musicand become successful in wherever histalents take him.

SpotlightStar wrestlerJonathan Jones, an aspiring professional wrestlerTRUDY CLARKEStaff WriterWrestling is an act ofphysical engagementbetween two wrestlersin which each wrestlerstrives to get an advantageover the other, or controlover their opponent. CoralReef Senior High Schoolis home to an awardwinning wrestler Jonathan“Jamaica” Jones. Jonathanis a Junior in the Legal andPublic Affairs Academyhere at Coral Reef.Jonathan started wrestlingin the fifth grade and hasfallen in love with the sportand has been wrestlingevery since. He wasintroduced to wrestlingfrom a friend in elementaryschool at the time he askedhim if he wanted to trainand that turned into his firsttraining session.The training processconsists of taking out heavy mats, cleaningthem and running super loops which arerunning around the perimeter of the school.Then, after running the team do sprints,cartwheels, flips, rolls and take differentshots around the cafeteria and the mat.After, they get on the mat and do pushups,sit-ups, mountain climbers, and crabwalksuntil there arms ache. Then, they stretchand begin practice.“I always liked sports that involvedEMMA SINGERStaff WriterMr. Hunt, Coral Reef’s very own manof mystery. Who is he? Where did hecome from? Our school is flooded withrumors, some more bizarre than others.Mr. Cloutier claims that he heard a rumorsaying that “Mr. Hunt has just inheritedHunt’s Ketchup Corporation; that’s whyhe decreased his workload.”Yet as mysterious as he is, Mr. Hunt iswell loved by his students.“He’s a character. He talks badly aboutpeople, but in a loving way. He’s reallyfun, and he has these really lame jokesthat he thinks are funny,” said IB Senior,Victoria Melendez.According to his students, Mr. Hunt’sfavorite joke goes along the lines of:‘How is my hand like a piece of lemonpie?’ The answer being, ‘Cause its gotmeringue (My ring) on it.’When asked about the impact Mr. Hunthad on her life, Stephanie Casas, an IBsenior, replied that “He humiliated meevery day. He told me I was useless andcouldn’t make it on my own, and had tomarry a rich guy who would take care ofme. Mr. Hunt was the greatest. I love thatguy.”Let’s start with what we know for sure.He’s Southern. The proof is in the numberof y’alls he can use fluently in a sentence,for example, “Y’all better get y’all’s bookout and study the French Revolution orI’m gonna call y’all’s parents!” Everyoneknows he is young (45! or so he claims…)and not balding.The proof is the chorus of students whoare required to respond to comments suchfull contact,”said Jonathan.Around the ageof nine time,Jonathan hadjust come fromJamaica andwasn’t reallyused to sportslike wrestling. InJamaica he wasdoing track andfootball whichis Americansoccer.Then, practicestarts whichmainly focus ondrills/ techniqueto developstrength andspeed. Practicesare usually fivedays a week forabout 4 hours.Eric Grajalesfrom Braddock senior high school, andformer Coral Reef Senior High studentCarlos Encarnacion are two of Jonathan’sbiggest influences.Jonathan hopes to continue wrestlingin college. After college Jonathan hopesto continue MMACALL (mixed martialarts) which is professional fighting. “Thisschool year we have a young team but, weare working hard to be our best, and do ourbest!’’Jonathan Jones in his prizedwrestling uniformMr. Hunt: mystery manMr. Hunt reveals the truth about his past lifeas, “Speak up! I’m old! I can’t hear you,”with responses lauding his many physicalattributes. Other than that, the informationis confusing and very contradictory. Somewould accuse him of lying. He says heuses “Southern literary license” to make atrue story more interesting.In an exclusive interview, Mr. Huntcleared up some of the mystery thatsurrounds him.What do you think that your studentsthink of you?You’ll have to ask them... my guess....That I’m really funny and a difficultteacher.What about your social life? Anyrelationships?No, I took a vow of celibacy when Iwas young. My entire life revolves aroundmy students. I have no life except for anoccasional libation on Friday afternoon.What about childhood memories?Too many to even start! I grew up incentral, rural Mississippi. We used to hangCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 200813out at the service station on the highway...it really wasn’t as grim and red neck asit sounds! Only the cool kids were there(yes! I was a cool kid!)... And have dancesat a local hang out called “the Cat’s Cave”because our football team was calledthe Bearcats (also a play on the beatgeneration’s “cool cats”.... never mind,you’d never understand). Yes, I playedfootball, 4th string tackle... my youngerbrother was 1st string! We won 3 gamesin 3 years! They should have let me play,we’d have had a perfect record!What were you like in high school?Need you ask? POPULAR! Not a goodstudent...Very social - was there anydoubt?What would people be surprised to knowabout you?Nothing, I’m a pretty open book. I’vejust been accepted into grad school towork on my MA degree in History atFIU... hopefully “they can teach an olddog new tricks…”Why did you choose to become ateacher?What else could I do? Make a living onmy good looks and charming personality?The big question… what happened toyour hand?Was it really blown off in Vietnamby a hand grenade? Or amputated afterdeveloping a tumor caused by wearinga radium dial watch when I was a child?Was I caught stealing in a Middle Easternmarket? Eaten by sharks as I paddledthe row boat out of Cuba? Perhaps it justfell off! I’ll never tell you. You will neverknow.

14 FeaturesCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008What are you getting for Christmas?JORDAN FELDMANStaff WriterWith winter approaching, Coral Reefstudents are distracted from classes andactivities as they think of all the gifts theywill receive from family and friends thisupcoming holiday season. The gift lists ofmany teenagers are sure to be lengthy, withthe latest technology in stores.Electronics and other gadgets are verycommon during this time of the year.Although almost everyone has an iPod orsome sort of Mp3 player, due to the newupgrades and models, it is still a populargift among students at Reef.Gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360,Nintendo Wii, and the Play Station 3 arepopular gift requests, despite the complaintsof parents that it cuts into schoolwork.Digital cameras are also among thepopular gifts this season, coming out withattractive compact designs with an increaseof zoom and memory, making them hardto find since there offered at reasonableprices. An example this season is theCanon Powershot A1000 IS with 10 megapixels and 4X optical zoom and selling at alow price of $180.Mobile phones also continue to be apopular holiday gift as they evolve in theirappearance and functions. The BlackberryStorm is an example of this season’s hottestphone as it offers a new appearance andmany advanced technological features.“For Christmas, I would love to see anew iPhone waiting for me under theChristmas tree in my living room. I havebeen dying to get the Blackberry or iPhone.Hopefully, my wish will come true!” saidIB Sophomore, Alixandria Fiore.Never a disappointment for today’steenager is a gift card. Whether it’s tothe movies or a local electronic store tobuy DVD’s, CD’s, or computer games,a gift card is always appreciated. Othergreat gift card ideas can be for restaurants,bookstores, or the mall, where there is awide variety of shops. Gift cards can alsobe used to purchase items on the Internetletting you shop 24 hours a day withoutleaving the house.Student athletes at Coral Reef oftenrequest to their parents new or upgradedsports equipment helping them excel intheir sport. In sports such as baseball andtennis, the equipment is being improved,helping athletes perform at a higher level.Popular gifts this season in the tennisworld are the Dunlop Aero Gel 200 and theBabolat Aeroprodrive.Regardless of tough economic times,some students wish for more than a giftcard at their local mall. Some studentsyearn for the keys to a new car and arehoping it happens this holiday season.“I’ve been working hard this schoolyear and hopefully myparents will recognizemy hard work andsurprise me witha new car. Maybe,they will give me a fewdollars for gas,” saidVPA Sophomore, JerryGadway.This holiday season,Coral Reef students aresure to be as rich withpresents as with, well,homework.

AdCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 200815

16 High TideCoral Reef Sr. HighDecember 2008Television and radio make it sound easyto “Just say no” to drugs, alcohol andtobacco but in reality it’s not that simple.Teens may be facing pressures fromfriends who smoke, they may be stressedout at home, school or work, or they maythink smoking is going to make people likeyou. Nevertheless, it is important to not letanyone or anything, whether its friends orcigarette ads, convince you that it’s okayto smoke.Cigarettes not only contain nicotine, thedrug that makes smoking addictive, but manyother dangerous chemicals that many wouldnever want to voluntarily put in their bodysuch as tar, carbon monoxide, chemicalslike DDT, arsenic and formaldehyde. TheseTeens and tobaccoALEXANDRA CASTILLAStaff Writerchemicals are highly between 12 and 17 years of age smoketoxic and bad for your their first cigarette, and an estimated 1,300health. Nicotine of them will become regular smokers. Halfraises your risk ofheart attack andstroke and tar andcarbon monoxideof them will ultimately die from their habit.If current tobacco use patterns persist, anestimated 6.4 million current childrensmokers will eventually die prematurelycause serious from a smoking-related disease.breathing problems.Tobacco smoke has beenknown to cause cancer andtobacco in itself causesmore health problems andearly deaths than all illegaldrugs combined. Not only istobacco extremely poisonous toyour body but is highly addictive.Although the consequences of smokingand tobacco are lethal to your healthand may cause premature death, many,including teens, continue to smoke, nomatter what the cost. The statistics aremore than frightening. A 1999 NationalYouth Tobacco Survey, reported that halfof adults who smoke were regular smokersby their 18th birthday, and 90 % had startedby the age of 21. Also, the average age ofdaily smoking initiation for new smokersin 2006 was 18.9 years.Even more shocking is The WHO (WorldHealth Organization) Report on GlobalTobacco Epidemic in 2008 that found that“Smoking causes cancer, so I don’tunderstand why people smoke in the firstplace,” said IB senior Dimaris Acevedo.Tobacco is known as a “gateway drug”and is associated with alcohol and illicitdrug use. The U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services in a Report of theSurgeon General in 1994 found that 12to 17 year-olds that smoked in the past 30days were three times more likely to usealcohol, eight times more likely to smokemarijuana, and 22 times more likely touse cocaine within those past 30 days thanadolescents who had not smoked duringthat time.So why smoke when the consequencesare so fatal? Many teens like the feelingthat smoking gives the appealing factthat smoking will help them lose weightor stay thin. Also, some may feel likesmoking gives them a sense of freedomand independence, and some smoke to feelmore comfortable in social situations. Evenso, are all of these reasons worth the risk?every day approximately 4,000 childrenTeenage drinking is very, very bad.KARLA ANDERSONStaff WriterAlcohol is becoming a very populardrink amongst teenager. Why? The mediathese days is popularizing drinkingthrough songs, television shows, movies,eve in advertisement. It is made seen thatdrinking is not a big deal, and everyonethat is anyone consumes alcohol.Drinking has begun at an earlierage, as early as 12 years, according tothe Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration’s NationalHousehold Survey on Drug Use and Health(NSDUH).In a survey taken to see who has drunk analcoholic drink in the past month, 28.2% of12-20 year olds reported they did. 18.8 %of underage drinkers were binge drinkersand 6 % were heavy drinkers.Binge drinkers are those that intentionallydrink to get intoxicated. Binge drinking isgrowing more popular among teenagersmaking it one of the main motives to goto a party.The percentages of 12- to 17 year-oldswho have had five or more drinks on thesame occasion on each of 5 or more daysin the past 30 days are 2.4%. This is called“heavy drinking.” Heavy drinking is oftenlinked with alcoholism later on in life,GAYTON AND ASSOCIATESMAXIMIZE AND PROTECT YOUR WEALTH9038 SW 161 Terr.Miami, FL 33157ALEXANDER GAYTONWWW.WEALTHASSURANCE.INFOdue to an addiction to drinking. Youngpeople who begin drinking before the age15 are four times more likely to developalcoholism than those who begin drinkingat 21.786-319-6370Alcoholism can lead into depressionwhich make people seek treatment forrehabilitation; very popular amongst ourculture with celebrities checking in as if itwas a hotel.Alcohol is a leading cause of deathamong youth, particularly teenagers. Itcontributes significantly to adolescentmotor vehicle crashes, other traumaticinjuries, suicide, date rape, and family andschool problems.“In fourth grade the first person i knew toever die was killed by a drunk driver,” saidIB senior Hannah Dowd.Alcohol is by far the most used andabused drug among America’s teenagers.According to a national survey, nearly onethird (31.5%) of all high school studentsreported hazardous drinking.“Cultural differences need to be takeninto account when people denounce teenagedrinking, because in Haitian culture, it isacceptable for 18 year olds to drink,” saidElodie Jospitre.Although alcohol is “supposedly” forpeople age 21 or over, there are still peopleyounger who have access and abuse of itspower and situations can end deadly. Thereis an age for everything.LAW OFFICE OF GINA MENDEZ, LLCCRIMINAL DEFENSE AND FAMILY LITIGATION1999 SW 27TH AVE,Second FloorMiami, Florida 33145GINA MENDEZATTORNEY AT LAWPhone 305-285-3191Fax (305) 285-9799Studylinks TVto teenpregnancyALEXANDRA CASTILLAStaff WriterThe first study to demonstrate anassociation of its kind, the RANDCorporation, a nonprofit organization,found that adolescents with a highlevel of exposure to television showswith sexual content are twice aslikely to get pregnant or impregnatesomeone as those who saw fewerprograms of this kind over a period ofthree years.The new findings are from a RANDresearch project that previouslylinked viewing of TV programs withsexual content with earlier initiationof sexual intercourse and other sexualactivities.“I think that people who areuneducated about sex are morelikely to get pregnant by watchingTV because it is their only source ofinformation,” said IB senior MarleenHernandez.To measure exposure to televisionshows with sexual content, theresearchers used a method developedby another research group evaluatingtwenty-three shows for sexual content.Researches then asked teenagers howfrequently they watched each of thoseshows, and last developed a scorebased on exposure to the shows.The RAND study, published inthe November edition of the journalPediatrics, looked at the resultsof three surveys of about 2,000adolescent’s ages 12 to 17 from 2001to 2004.Researchers asked adolescentsabout a mix of sitcoms, dramas,animated shows and reality showsknown to have sexual content. Itfocused on the results from more than700 participants nationwide who hadengaged in sexual intercourse by thethird survey.RAND researchers found severalother factors, in addition to TVviewing, that influenced whetheradolescents were likely to experiencea pregnancy. Adolescents living ina two-parent household had a lowerprobability of pregnancy, while girls,African-Americans and those withmore problem behaviors such asdiscipline problems were more likelyto experience a pregnancy.Researchers from RAND Healthsay that exposure to sex on televisionmay influence teen pregnancy bycreating the perception that there islittle risk to engaging in sex withoutusing contraceptives and acceleratingthe initiation of sexual intercourse.