gator bites - Pembroke Pines Elementary

GATOR BITES
VOLUME XX ISSUE II Everglades High School Student Newspaper November 2012
SPECIAL HOMECOMING EDITION!
Gators Party All Night Long
By Tailyn Parboosingh
Gator Hard News Editor
On Saturday, November
9, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at
the Bonaventure Hotel, the Gators
held their 2012 homecoming
dance.
The theme was board
games, specifically Candy Land in
accordance with the senior’s
hallway theme.
The hotel catered for 200
individuals, including chaperons.
Originally, tickets for the
dance cost $65. However, due to
the fact that fewer than thirty
students bought tickets, tickets
were offered for free.
“Mrs. Darbar wanted to
invite everyone for free as a
welcome to the school. Also, she
wanted to enhance school spirit,”
said Caitlyn Lanke, senior, Student
Government Association (SGA)
president.
Students who paid the
original fee of $65 were given a
refund and automatically put on
the guest list.
Since 180 students were
allowed to attend the dance, a
BETWEEN THE TEETH
HARD NEWS......................A2-A3
Spirit week, Renewable energy, College fair
FEATURES...........................B4-B5
The Walking Dead, Powderpuff, Iphone 5
HOMECOMING................C6-C8
Twin day, Spirit day, Powderpuff, Pep rally
EDITORIALS.......................D9-D10
Healthy vending machines, Reality television
SPORTS..............................E11
Homecoming game, Athletics and Academics
raffle was held during A and B
lunches for the students who
turned in their permission forms.
The Parent Teacher Association
(PTA) moms assisted with the
raffle by drawing the ballots.
“The free homecoming
dance ticket was greatly needed
simply because with college
applications, transcript requests,
and prom preparations, I would
have been unable to experience my
last homecoming dance,” said
Sade Adeyemi, senior.
In preparation for the
dance, SGA held summer and after
school meetings. “I am extremely
proud of my SGA students because
they worked together and on task
to organize a great dance,” said
Ms. Christine Hudson, SGA
sponsor.
“ I am glad we were able
to end spirit week together on a
good note and especially free of
cost,” said Austin Dieppa, senior
class president.
By Kimberly Sanchez
Gator Features Editor
Kicking Off Spirit Week
The senior powderpuff cheerleading team proudly
sported their school spirit.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY KIMBERLY SANCHEZ, SENIOR]
Powderpuff is the
traditional start of spirit week,
where students watch their fellow
classmates participate in reverse
gender sports. Male cheerleaders
root for the girls’ flag football
teams, as the crowd cheers on
their respective grade level,
creating class unity and school
spirit.
On Monday, October 29,
during second period, the juniors
were set to compete against the
freshmen class. However, the
underclassmen forfeited due to
their inability to create a team that
met the team size regulation.
Instead, the sophomores
and seniors formed a team with
the single freshman participant in
order for the game to continue.
Since it was an unofficial friendly
game, the junior class
automatically advanced to the
final game.
The senior girls
conquered the sophomores in the
fourth period game, sending them
to the final championship against
the juniors.
The junior girls’ football
team defeated the seniors in the
sixth period game with a score of
7-6.
“As an underclassman,
the win gave our class a sense of
pride and accomplishment,” Tiana
Sera, defense player, said.
During half time of the
final game, the senior and junior
cheerleaders performed their
routines and dances.
Mrs. Monica Wozniak,
government teacher, judged their
performances and declared the
seniors the winners, making them
t h e c h a m p i o n s f o r t w o
consecutive years.
The juniors plan to
benefit from their loss and utilize
it as a learning experience next
school year.
“We plan on leaving
more of an impression during our
senior year,” Matthew Hasbun,
junior cheerleading captain, said.
The senior boys thanked
their coaches for teaching them
the skills necessary to obtain their
victory, deeming it “satisfying.”
Andres Elvir, senior cheerleader,
encourages underclassmen to
participate in the annual event,
claiming, “real men cheer.”

Homecoming: A New Experience
For the Youngest Gators
By Austin Felder
Gator Reporter
From Monday, October 29 to
Friday, November 2, the class of 2016
got their first real taste of the excitement
of high school during homecoming
week.
Anthony Wilson, freshman,
said, “I was excited for twin day
because my friends and I dressed up. It
was a lot of fun.”
During this action packed
week, freshmen actually had more fun
than they thought they would.
“Luau day was my favorite
because I like the nice floral shirts,”
Phil Nelson, freshman, said.
The preparation was different
because freshmen had not seen anything
like this before. Their way of showing
spirit was not expressed the same way
as the sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
There was only one freshman
participating in the Powder Puff game.
In order to participate, the sponsors
created a team that consisted of the
H A R D N E W S
single freshman, sophomores and
seniors to play against the juniors.
Ms. Kathy Saiano, English
teacher, said, “Many students received
forms in order to participate, but they
did not return them to the advisor by the
due date.”
There was also only one
freshman decorating the hallway for the
competition.
Sarah Uribe, freshman, said,
“Being the only freshman was a lot of
work. I was the only student decorating
our wall.”
The homecoming game
appealed to freshmen students because
they were looking forward to relaxing
with their fellow classmates while
watching their team obtain a victory.
Karla Pascual, freshman, said,
“The homecoming game was a lot of
fun because I got to hang out with my
friends and cheer on our Gators.”
Gators Welcome Renewable Energy
to the Swamp
BY INDIRA BUSTAMANTE
Gator Reporter
Everglades is one of ninety
educational facilities in the state of
Florida that will have a solar electric
system. This system, with battery
backup, will have the ability to power
thirteen classrooms on a typical day.
The solar panel installation has begun.
The panels are located between the
stadium and the athletic wing.
[PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. MARILYN
ZARAGOZA, SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
CHAIR]
Dr. Marilyn Zaragoza, science
department chair, wrote the application
over two years ago in hopes of
decreasing the school’s electricity costs
and making the school more
environmentally friendly.
The 10,000-watt system will
be connected to the school’s main power
and will work together to offset the
price paid during normal operation of
the facility.
This program is funded by the
state of Florida through a grant from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA).
The Florida Solar Energy
Center, a research institute at the
University of South Florida, administers
the Sun Smart E-Shelter Program.
As part of this program,
teachers will also be able to incorporate
this technology in their lessons. The
program will offer workshops
throughout Florida over the next six
months.
For more information about
this program, go to fsec.ucf.edu.
We’ve Got Spirit,
and We Show It
By Pamela Valverde
Gator Reporter
Wearing their assigned colors on Monday for color
wars, students showed their grade-level pride, starting off the
2012 spirit week.
Freshmen dressed in yellow, sophomores in green,
juniors wore blue and seniors in red. Some showed off their
creativity by dressing up in morph suits while others dressed up
like movie characters with their color.
With everyone dressing up like twins, everyone was
seeing double on Twin Day Tuesday. From simply wearing the
same colored shirt to full on role-play and costumes, dressed up
for the part. One girl, Rebekah Jones, junior, even dressed up like
twins with her toy doll, carrying it around the whole day.
Lauren Douglas, sophomore, who dressed up like Psy,
the Korean pop-star sensation who sings “Gangnam Style”, with
her friend Hailey Brun, sophomore, said: “We just really liked
the video and thought it’d be a fun idea.”
On Wednesday, students dressed up along wit their
decorated hallways. A week prior to spirit week, the classes met
to decide the theme for the hallway for each grade level.
Freshmen had the theme of Battleship, and came as by
being sailors, both dead and zombiefied.
Sophomores had the game Jumanji and the Swamp was
filled with explorers and wild animals.
Juniors had a magical time with Dungeons and Dragons
and their wizard and magical creature costumes.
Finally, seniors blended perfectly with their hall way as
they got sweet with Candyland and dressed up as King Kandy,
Princess Lolly and Queen Frostine.
It felt like Gators swam to Hawaii on Thursday when
students dressed up in their best luau day attire. From hula skirts
and leis to Hawaiian shirts and straw hats, the Swamp turned into
a tropical paradise.
The week concluded on Friday, November 2, when
Gators dressed in silver and black to show off their school pride.
From silver and black glitter, face paint and even people dressed
up as alligators, students showed how much school spirit the
swamp really has.
This all was displayed at the annual pep rally at the end
of the day, pumping us up for the Homecoming game against
West Broward later in the day.
Marcela Marrugo and Alejandra Benjumea
Trillos, juniors, dressed for twin day.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY FABIOLA PINA,
FRESHMAN]
Check out
more
Spirit
Week
photos on
pages
C6-c8
A2

Band and Color Guard’s
First Competition
By Giovanna Consuegra
Gator Reporter
On Saturday, October 20, the Everglades’ color
guard and marching band participated in their first
competition of the season, The Hialeah Showcase of
Champions at Milander Park.
The Gators competed against Miami Coral
Park High and Palm Beach Central High. Eighteen
schools from different districts competed against each
other.
Jaqueline Fisher, junior, color guard captain, said,
“I’m super proud of how we did. We got 74 out of 100
points, along with third place in class 3A.”
The show’s theme was a rock and roll
tribute dedicated to the late Chris O’ Farill, former
assistant band director of the Everglades marching band.
The show included music selections by Van Halen,
Aerosmith, and Queen.
The band and color guard took the competition as
a learning experience. They used it as a way to prepare
for the final competition of the season, Florida
Bandmasters Association (FBA) which will take place
Saturday, November 10.
Fort Lauderdale
National College Fair
By Karen Francois
Gator Reporter
Annually, a National College Fair, held at the
Broward County Convention Center, offers students the
opportunity to receive information about different
colleges.
With just under 200 booths, students are able
to meet with a representative from different schools and
receive information on application deadlines, majors,
campus life, and requirements.
At the fair, students are also able to obtain
information about other paths they can take after high
school, including joining the military or applying to a
vocational school.
During the morning, the fair is available for
schools to bring interested students. At 5 p.m., parents
and students are able to come and scout through the
choices.
“It was fun and interactive. It allowed me to
see all of the options I will have in the future and it
helped me choose my career path,” said Pamela
Valverde, freshman.
Mainly juniors are in attendance looking at
which colleges they plan to apply to in the next fall.
Some seniors also attend the fair to receive further
information on the colleges they applied to.
H A R D N E W S
By Luna Carvajal
Gator Reporter
Election day, Tuesday,
November 6, made people all over the
country buzz with anticipation to see who
the nation’s leader would be.
Barack Obama won the election,
and will remain as the President of the
United States for the next four years.
Voting polls could have been
found in Mirmar at Dolphin Bay
Elementary, Sunset Lakes Community
Center, Florida Bible Church, and
Miramar City Hall. There are different
methods of voting besides going to a
voting location. Voters can mail in their
votes as well.
Even if voters could not make it
to the voting polls on time, they could
qualify for absentee voting, which is when
voters mail in their vote due to their
absence on Election day.
Many students feel that their
peers should be informed on politics and
Gators heard
laughter coming from
the pavilion area on the
morning of Tuesday,
October 23. The Best
Buddies had their kickoff
breakfast to
celebrate the start of the
new school year.
T h e 6 2
buddies met and talked,
some for the first time,
shared some
refreshments on the
picnic tables and began
friendships that could
last a lifetime.
Gabrielle
Delaine, senior and Best
Buddies President, and
Mrs. Lisa Gould, Best Buddies sponsor,
thought the event was a success as did
other participants.
Kiara Edwards, sophomore, said
“I really liked it and I’m sure the buddies
also enjoyed it. I just wish we had had
more time, it was nothing compared to the
90 minutes we had last year.”
Best Buddies consists of a group
of students who befriend other students
with disabilities. These friendships flourish
both inside and outside of school.
Your Vote Counts!
vote because they are the future of
America.
Andy Pineiro, senior and first
time voter, said, “Students should vote
because you’re deciding who is running
our country, and the person who’s running
the country shouldn’t be someone who
doesn’t care.”
Danielle Hernandez, senior, said,
“We should also vote because were
choosing the person who’s making our
decisions for the next four years.”
Even if students do not make the
age requirements for voting, some history
teachers prepare their students for voting
by doing a mock vote.
The mock election prepares
students to make the necessary decisions it
takes to choose their candidate for the
future.
Best Buddies Kick off New School Year
By Indira Bustamante
Gator Reporter
Freyner Velasco enjoyed spending
time with his buddies.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY GABRIELLE
DELAINE, SENIOR]
A buddy, Melissa Reyes,
senior, said “I love being
in Best Buddies because
of the friendships I’ve
made.”
Delaine said that the
buddies are very fun and
outgoing, “They like
spending time with us,
and we are happy to hear
that. We enjoy being
with them, too.”
Philippe Edmond,
senior, thinks that there
are some nice people in
the club and that they
“do some cool stuff”
together.
Another buddy, Felix
Perez, senior, still keeps
in touch through Facebook with his past
buddies who have graduated.
Best Buddies Vice President,
Marijah Hart, senior, said “ I love
interacting with the kids, seeing them
happy, and enjoying the activities we have
for them.”
The buddies meet every second
and fourth Monday of the month after
school. They are currently not accepting
any new members, but they hope to have
more participants in the future.
A3

By Alejandro Jose Vasquez
Gator Reporter
Anybody who speculates that
cheerleading is not a sport has
obviously never had to do the
demanding and rigorous training
required for it.
Twenty boys learned this
lesson during their training as a cheer
team for the Powderpuff Games, an
annual school event where gender roles
are reversed on the football field. The
girls played flag football grudge
matches between the grade levels and
the boys cheered them on from the
sideline.
Sergio Yep, who finished his
first and only year on the team,
defiantly proclaimed, “We were
athletes. We might not be great at it, but
we were athletes.”
Training initially focused on
learning simple sideline cheers. The
coaches, Cristina Miro and Ashley
Ygarza, seniors, who respectively had
eight and seven years of experience in
school cheer teams, taught them some
moves and chants.
The event was especially
memorable for the fliers, the five boys
who were lifted or even launched into
the air.
Daniel Quintana, senior, one
of the fliers, explained, “Being a flier
was extremely scary, as well as loads
of fun. Having to trust others to catch
you from falling and face-planting made
me very uneasy, but the rest of the fliers
and I were able to pull it off and fly high
when it really mattered.”
Besides flying, later practices
focused on the main cheer, designed as a
minute-long boast insulting the other
classes’ teams and bragging about the
superiority of the senior team. The
words and choreography, created by
Miro and Ygarza just for this year’s
games, were more difficult to master.
Also, some of the moves initially made
the boys uncomfortable.
The coaches also complained
that at times the boys “had short
attention spans and were easily
distracted.” At one practice, it got to the
point that one person actually halted
everyone to take a moment and
appreciate the beauty of a sunrise, which
served as yet another diversion.
However, the coaches also
called them a “fine group” and
“talented,” and no one was let down.
The team was still able to pull
themselves together and pull off
complex tricks, including the
“helicopter”, where the flier teams were
Real Men Cheer
F E A T U R E S
Sean Waxman, senior, flew high with his stunt group
waiting to catch him.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY KIMBERLY SANCHEZ,
SENIOR]
arranged in a circle and the fliers were
all thrown to another team at the same
time, at the fourth-period halftime show
on Monday, October 29. Previous
attempts to do the helicopter ended in
catastrophe, so the team was especially
proud of accomplishing that feat.
Miro found her first time
coaching a team stressful, but it paid off
in the end. The seniors’ Powderpuff
cheerleading team beat out the other
classes for the award, even though the
football team they rooted for lost to the
juniors.
Ygarza said it they did it
because “It sounded like fun and
something we would like to do, and we
both felt we were qualified with our
experience to do this.”
“Since it was my senior year, I
wanted to do something special,” Yep
said.
Quintana admitted, “I always
liked the idea of cheerleading with a
bunch of my guy friends. It’s hilarious.”
He also tried it out because “All my
friends were on it, and I heard it was fun
and a great thing to be part of. It’s true!”
Behind the Scenes of
Homecoming
By Jennifer Wills
Gator Editor-In-Chief
Every school year, students anticipate the
arrival of spirit week and the homecoming dance.
However, they only see the end result of these
activities, and little is known about the hard work
that goes into the planning and preparation for these
events.
The Student Government Association
(SGA) begins planning for spirit week during
summer before the school year starts. Summer
meetings involve all of the members coming up
with homecoming themes, spirit week games, and
planning for the week’s events.
In order to make them happen, each
activity during spirit week, including powder puff,
lunchtime games, the homecoming dance, and the
pep rally, all have to go through a long process of
planning, approval, and preparation.
All activities require an activity approval
form, which must be approved by Mr. Fred Azrak,
Athletic Director, and administration.
After activity approval forms are returned
to SGA members, only then can they begin planning
their event. Each event needs an itinerary, which
includes all the activities that will take place during
a specific event and how long each will take.
Along with time management, SGA
members need to create budgets, buy materials, set
up administrative meetings, and have constant
communication with every person or group involved
with their certain event.
“We started planning for the pep rally in
August,” Fatima Pina, senior and pep rally
committee chair. “The pep rally committee went
through an incredibly long process, from meetings
with administration and every person involved, to
make it all come together in the end.”
During the months prior to spirit week,
SGA members are extremely active in the
classroom, preparing for these events for all
students to enjoy and participate in.
“As Secretary of School Spirit, it was
extremely important that all of the SGA members
were constantly on top of their projects,” Adam
Villegas, senior and Secretary of School Spirit, said.
“The planning and preparation may be stressful at
times but it’s all worth it in the end.”
Throughout all the planning, stress and
excitement, year after year, SGA has been able to
produce a successful spirit week for all students to
enjoy and remember through their high school
years.
“I’m so proud of SGA and all of their hard
work for this spirit week,” Caitlyn Lanke, senior
and SGA President said. “It really is great to see all
of our hard work pay off in the end.”
B4

Paranormal Activity 4:
Hit or Miss?
By Deja Alexander
Gator Reporter
Paranormal Activity 4 was one of the
most highly anticipated movies of the Halloween
season. However, was it a hit or miss? Big miss!
Out of all of the previous sequels, this one had to
be the poorest.
Though there were some scary,
spontaneous moments, there were not enough of
them. Too much of the movie was consumed with
insignificant events that did not add to the plot of
the story.
Some of the anticipated “scary”
moments of the movie were ruined usually by a
scene change from night to day. This completely
affected the momentum of the movie.
Christopher B. Landon, writer of this
screenplay, made many parts of the movie very
predictable. An example of this was when the
butcher knife fell from the ceiling.
The ending of the Paranormal Activity 4
was too similar to Paranormal Activity 3. Once
again, that the main character was bum-rushed by
zombie-like people in efforts to escape.
Apparently, the rest of America feels the
same about Paranormal Activity 4. The latest
movie faltered tremendously in the box office,
compared to Paranormal Activity 2 and 3. Though
it debuted at number one its opening weekend,
Paranormal Activity 4 only made $30 million in
contrast with Paranormal Activity 2 and 3 that
made $40 million and $50 million, on opening
weekends, according to box office numbers.
Fellow Gators also concurred. Nyah
Martin, sophomore, said “The fourth one tied into
the second one. However, it was worse than the
other ones. It could have been better.”
Jessica Hyek, sophomore, said, “It
wasn’t that scary compared to the other ones. It
was the worst one of the 4, and the end made no
sense.”
This movie gets 3 out of 5 Gator Tails.
F E A T U R E S
iPhone 4S v. iPhone 5: Is it Really Worth it?
Alejandra Benjumea
Gator Reporter
In the midst of a presidential election,
Apple Incorporated unveiled their newest iPhone.
Before being lured to an Apple store, one must ask,
“Is it really worth it?”
According to Apple fanatic Ryan Serpico,
senior, it is definitely worth it to get the iPhone 5, if
one has enough money. He has always admired
Apple’s products and says that they never
disappoint.
According to apple.com, the iPhone 5’s
screen is half an inch larger, has a new camera,
more megapixels, and a sleeker look. The camera
contains a sapphire lens, which is impossible to
break. Also, the new design is captivating with an
aluminum and glass body.
With the new iOS6 update, the iPhone 4S
has many of the same qualities as the iPhone 5. That
makes people hesitate to buy the 5.
The price for the iPhone 4S is $99, while
the iPhone 5 starts at $199.
As always, Apple will continue to release products so there must be another iPhone in the
works, and next time it may include a Near Field Communication (NFC) device.
Techradar.com states that the device has the ability to share photos, videos, music, and
more by simply tapping phones together. Supposedly, it is the future of payment and should be
included in the next iPhone.
Whether one wants to get the new iPhone 5 because of the devices added, or just for the
glamour, it is a decision worth considering. Apple sets the standards on how phones are supposed
to be made.
However, the iPhone 5’s qualities prove to be superior, making the iPhone 5 a must-have
for the holiday season.
By Gryan Tavarez
Gator Reporter
The Walking Dead Season 3 Premiere
The second season finale of The
Walking Dead left the audience speechless,
shocked, and wanting more.
The show left audience anticipation
at an all time high because of the shocking
season two ending, therefore the premiere
brought back die hard fans in an instant.
The season three premiere, which
aired on Sunday October 14 put fans at ease
and began giving them their weekly dose of
zombies.
The shows return compared to its
first two premieres, broke its own record.
According to hollywoodreporter.com
10.9 million viewers tuneed into American
Movie Classics to watch the new season,
which they been patiently waiting for since
November 2011.
Season one had 5.4 million views
and season 2 had 7.3 million views making it
the most watched drama show on basic
television according to amctv.com.
When the episode premiered viewers
were introduced to the group moving as
scavengers eliminating zombies along the way.
Old and new faces appeared bringing
more exciting twist and plots to the shows
storyline.
The visual and technical differences
between the phones is a sweeping
sensation.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY ALEJANDRA
BENJUMEA, JUNIOR]
The crew has left the comfort of the Greene
farm and is ready to take on walkers.
[PHOTO COURTESY OF AMC]
Since the new season aired , fans and
critics alike have been giving it positive
reviews and feed-back.
New York Post Critic Linda Stasi
wrote that The Walking Dead is the flat-out
scariest, best , most unsual show to ever hit the
small screen, according to metacritic.com
If you would like to watch The
Walking Dead, the show airs every Sunday at
9 on AMC.
B5

SPIRIT WEEK 2012
Students showcased their school spirit at the pep rally.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY MARCELA MARRUGO, JUNIOR]
Mr. Robert Doyle and Mrs. Lisa Gould celebrated when
they were crowned the winners of the teacher
homecoming court.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY JANIER PENA, FRESHMAN]
Savannah Gross and Madison Rabatie, freshmen,
dressed up as Minnie Mouse for twin day.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY JANIER PENA, FRESHMAN]
Shannon Swain, Lauren Molina, and Inae Lee, juniors,
proudly sported their junior class pride on color wars.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY MARCELA MARRUGO,JUNIOR]
C6

S E Q U O I A C L U B
SPIRIT WEEK 2012
Sandra Bouzas, Anam Khan, Monica Deng, Isabella Bustamante, Jaromir Gomez, Daniel Lee,
and Jonathan Lai, freshmen, were all excited to showcase their spirit during their first spirit week.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY FABIOLA PINA, FRESHMAN]
Rae-Ann Guy and Erika Cordova, seniors, dressed as angels for their final twin day.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY JANIER PENA, FRESHMAN]
Ginei’ja Merus, senior, went all out for her =inal day of
spirit week as a senior.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY FABIOLA PINA, FRESHMAN]
Rashavia Peterson, junior, happily posed to promote her
junior class spirit during color wars.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY MARCELA MARRUGO, JUNIOR]
C7

S E Q U O I A C L U B
SPIRIT WEEK 2012
Ramsey Fernandez, junior, dressed up as the West Broward High bobcat for
the pep rally skit against Al. E Gator.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY MARCELA MARRUGO, JUNIOR]
Maria Brito, senior, creatively expressed herself during spirit
week with face painting.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY FABIOLA PINA, FRESHMAN]
The varsity cheerleaders performed a routine during the pep rally to hype
up students for the homecoming football game.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY JANIER PENA, FRESHMAN]
Saud Hasnain, Alejandro Sobrino, Rachel Hollands, Alyssa Connor, Viviana
Maleno, Elissa Quesada, and Diana Lizarralde, sophomores, went all out in
sophomore class green for color wars.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY JANIER PENA, FRESHMAN]
C8

By Laura Caicedo
Gator Editorials Editor
From Florida’s Parent Teacher
Association (PTA), to students in the state,
many people are showing their outrage
regarding the new race-based goals set by the
Florida Board of Education.
The State Board of Education has
approved a six-year plan regarding student
achievement goals based on race, income,
disability, and English proficiency.
According to Benjamin Fearnow for
the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
news, these goals stem from the fact that only
38 percent of African American, 53 percent of
Hispanic, and 69 percent of Caucasian students
are reading at the level of their respective
grades.
Florida Education Commissioner
Pamela Stewart stated that students do not all
start at the same level of proficiency, so
progress should be based off of where their
current level starts.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
set the objective of having all students up to
their grade level’s standards by 2014. However,
since officials in the state think this is
unrealistic, they are hoping to get a waiver for
penalties using this new plan.
The plan hopes to get 74 percent of
African American, 81 percent of Hispanic, 88
percent of Caucasian, and 90 percent of Asian
E D I T O R I A L S
Race-Based Student Goals
students reading up to level by 2018, with
similar percentages for math proficiency.
Cheryl Etters, a Florida Department of
Education spokesperson, says that this plan is
not meant to lower expectations for specific
races, but to set “realistic and attainable” goals
for all students.
Opposition to the goals is based
around the fact that the unequal standards for
each race will promote racial stereotyping and
racism as a whole.
According to John Padget, a Board of
Education member, the differentiated race or
ethnicity-based goals are very offensive. They
send the wrong signals to all Floridians.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 16,
Governor Rick Scott said the six-year plan “did
not clearly articulate our shared commitment to
fully close that achievement gap for all students,
regardless of race, geography, gender or other
circumstance.”
Despite officials’ efforts, however,
these plans clearly show the fact that some races
are held to a higher standard than others. Good
intentions do not erase that aspect of the goals
from Florida students’ minds.
Calls for revision of the goals have
been clearly stated. Now it is up to the Board of
Education to rethink their seemingly racially
stereotypic plan.
The Politics of A
Leader
By Rhea Brown
Gator Reporter
Social skills, patience, fair judgment,
consistency, and perseverance are traits that
political leaders should have in order to sustain a
country.
Communicating with the citizens of the
country and understanding their social and
economic circumstances may inspire more
positive responses from the public whenever a
leader attempts to make changes to the country.
A leader must also be patient and fair
when dealing with their country. Exercising
concern for the people who will be affected by
decisions that leader makes is crucial because
they cannot lead without supporters. No one will
follow a leader that is not involved with the
people.
According to the article, “Great
Leaders Are Made, Not Born,” by Marshall
Goldsmith, leadership is, "working with and
through others to achieve objectives."
Maintaining civil structure in society
requires consistency in improving the country
itself, as well as its citizens’ quality of living. A
leader’s mark is made in history depending on
the changes they made to lives of the people.
“One of the most important things a
great leader will do is to identify those people in
a company who are the leaders, and then change
the management structure to promote those
leaders,” said Kenneth Chenault, Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of American Express.
Faith in one’s country influences the
changes that occur within it. Establishing pride
in the hearts and minds of the people is the mark
of a great leader.
What was the most important issue in this year’s election?
Mrs. Rosario Gonzalez,
science teacher
The most important issues for
me was workers, and gay and
lesbian rights because this
group seems to be oppressed by
current laws.
Sky Rodriguez, senior
The most important issue for
me was the loss of America’s
moral values because
America’s strength comes from
its beliefs.
By Brandon Mercurius
Gator Reporter
Melissa Mansaive, senior
The most important issue for
me was no abortion because I
feel no one has the right to
decide who should live and
who should die. Adoption is
always an option.
Yannelyn Alvarez, senior
The most important issue for
me was the plans that the
candidates had for college
education funding since I will
be going to college next fall.
D9

Keep the Swamp
Clean!
By Claudia Tio
Gator Reporter
Do you clean up after yourself
during lunch?
According to an October report
published by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the average American
generates an average of 4.4 pounds of trash
per day. For Everglades’ student body of over
2,600 kids, that adds up to 11,440 pounds of
waste.
Littering has become a huge
problem. Soda cans, candy wrappers, and
paper trays are constantly found on the
ground. It is especially noticeable during
lunchtime.
Much of the school’s trash could be
recycled, but it is placed in the wrong
container. Sometimes, it is not even placed in
a bin at all. Students who choose not throw
away their trash properly either leave it on
the table or toss it on the floor.
“I think that if people keep littering,
the school will just end up looking like one
huge landfill,” said Savannah Jeffries,
freshman.
The maintenance staff is not a maid
service. They are here to keep the school
looking polished, but students need to do
their part as well. Due to school budget cuts,
there are fewer janitors in the school now
than ever before.
Putting trash in the garbage can will
not make anybody seem any less cool.
Trashcans are placed all over the school, both
inside the cafeteria and in the courtyard area.
There really is no excuse not to do it.
Once students take initiative and
pick up their trash, the school will be in a
much cleaner state. Even if a student sees
garbage on the floor that does not belong to
them, they should just pick it up and leave
the school cleaner than when they found it.
By Asia Riley
Gator Reporter
In an effort to meet the state's class
size mandate, Broward County Public
Schools (BCPS) required all of the district's
high schools to switch to a seven period
schedule.
A c c o r d i n g t o
Browardcountypublicschools.com, the
uniform schedule allows the district to offer
one additional class per day; which, in turn,
allows the school to offer more classes
because teachers will now teach six of seven
classes; thereby reducing the number of
students in a class.
Although there are less students in
a classroom, that does not make a subject
any easier to understand. Seven classes may
E D I T O R I A L S
By Rhea Brown
Gator Reporter
With only two
healthy vending machines in
the cafeteria, the lines are
long and often, the food is
sold out within the first 15
minutes of lunch.
If the school had two
more vending machines, then
the lunch lines would be
shorter and students would
feel more inclined to try the
food due to their shorter lines.
According
Healthy Vending Machines
to letsmove.gov,
sponsored by First
Lady Michelle
Obama, lunchtime is
a break in the day
where students need
to recuperate, and having healthy food will
give them the energy to pay attention in
class.
be too much for high school students to
handle all at one time.
Under the seven period schedule, a
student can earn 28 credits during their high
school career, as opposed to 32 credits under
block (4x4) scheduling.
“I don’t like it [7 periods], because
class is a lot shorter. You don’t learn as much
as you did with the block schedule,” Richard
Leveille, junior, said.
Leveille said that his grades have
dropped because with less time, he gets
easily distracted, and picks up less
information.
Ms. Lisa Alonso, personal fitness
teacher, said, “Personally, I like the block
schedule because they [students] had more
Students are determined to get in
line early enough to get a parfait,
Caesar wrap, or Montego Bay wrap
from the vending machines before
they are sold out. This results in
students rushing, which increases
the risk that someone could get hurt.
“Throughout my high
school career, I have had to suffer in
these long lines five days out of
each week. There needs to be a
change,” said Layla Nanita, junior.
M o r e
vending machines
should be added to
the cafeteria
because students
should not have to
settle for whatever
lunch they get; they should enjoy it because
lunch is the only free time students have during
the school day.
How Bad is the Influence of Reality Television?
By Fabiola Pina
Gator Reporter
Reality television audiences today
are not looking up to positive role models.
Shows currently on air are teaching
adolescents to behave and think in an
unsophisticated manner.
The Girl Scout Research Institute did
a study on reality shows and their effects on
teenagers. It said, “ Of girls surveyed, regular
reality TV viewers differ dramatically from
their non-viewing peers in their expectations of
peer relationships, their overall self-image, and
their understanding of how the world works.”
Out of the 1141 people studied, 37
percent thought they had to lie to get what they
want, 28 percent said they would rather be
known for their outer beauty than their inner
A few food items that are available to students in our
healthy vending machines.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY RHEA BROWN, JUNIOR]
New Schedule Change
beauty, and all of this, they said, was due to the
influence of people on reality television.
Reality show Jersey Shore constantly
promoted fighting, drinking, and promiscuity,
and despite all of that, Music Television
(MTV) still aired five seasons of it.
According to misrepresentation.org,
individuals are concerned about the renewal of
the Kardashian’s family TV show. Parents are
worried about the message that the media is
sending to their children and their generation,
setting poor role models.
Reality television can serve as a bad
role model to teenagers that look to them for
guidance. It condones uncivilized behavior and
thoughts, and negatively impacts the way
adolescents think.
time for the P.E classes.” She said that the
longer class blocks are, the better it is for
dressing out and with the new schedule, they
cannot do drills.
“Seven periods is a lot more
stressful for student athletes. Instead of four
homework assignments, it’s now seven,”
said Hakeem Duncan, sophomore. He said
that it is hard for him to complete so many
homework assignments and go to practice
everyday.
The new schedule is going to take
some getting used to due to the change from
previous years. Seven classes at one time
may prove to be overwhelming and difficult
to juggle for some students.
D10

Mayor’s Cup Remains
in Patriots’ Possession
By Danielle Lockamy
Gator Sports Editor
The Miramar Patriots defeated the varsity
football team in the Mayor’s Cup on Friday,
October 19.
The Patriots started off the game strong
with a 50 yard kickoff return. Within the first three
minutes, the Patriots scored their first touchdown.
Miramar continued to run through the Gators’
defense scoring two more touchdowns in the first
quarter.
Second quarter provided Miramar with
another touchdown leaving the score 27-0.
In the third quarter, the Gators get on the
board with a 99 yard kickoff return touchdown by
Andre Hallmon, senior, wide receiver. However,
they cannot get the ball through the field goal post
to gain an extra point. On the Patriots’ next
possession, they responded by scoring another
touchdown.
Fourth quarter neither teams could put up
points which closed the game with the score of
34-6.
Braxton Dudley, junior, defensive tackle,
said, “We did not go in the game with the right
mindset and therefore left with a disappointing
score.”
Preceding the game, the City of Miramar’s
mayor, Lori C. Moseley, stepped onto to the field to
present the Mayor’s Cup trophy to Brian C Faso,
principal of Miramar High School.
Gators Come Home to
a Victory
By Gabrielle Delaine
Gator Reporter
On Friday, November 2, the varsity
football team defeated the West Broward Bobcats,
35-17 at the homecoming game.
The Gators had several key plays. Seniors
André Hallmon, wide receiver, Donovan Rattigan,
runningback, and Rodriguez Alexander, wide
receiver, made the first three touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback, Joshua Cartwright, threw
for 153 yards and rushed for 103 yards.
“It was a good game. We just did what needed
to be done to win,” said Sean Charles, senior,
offense of guard.
This was a very important game for the team.
Not only was it the homecoming game, but it was
the last game of the season.
“Since this was our last game as seniors it
was pretty emotional. We took the pressure and
applied it in a way that gave us the opportunity for
this win. It felt good to win,” said Joshua Shaw,
senior, wide receiver.
S P O R T S
Gator Becomes a
Wildcat
By Demetria West
Gator Reporter
Senior football player, Alvonte Bell, is excited to
attend the University of Kentucky.
[PHOTO TAKEN BY DEMETRIA WEST, JUNIOR]
Amongst our varsity football players,
6 foot 6, 228 pound defensive end, Alvonte
Bell, senior stands out in particular to
University of Kentucky (UK).
On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, Bell
verbally committed to UK in pursuit of a
football career.
Bell is a three-star recruit on many
major sites and multiple other colleges offered
him a scholarship including Florida State,
Clemson, Louisville, Mississippi, Mississippi
State, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
and Ohio State University.
Rivals.com ranks Bell as the number
22 weakside defensive end in the class of 2013,
and the number 73 overall player from the state
of Florida.
Scout.com, the service that ranks Bell
as a four-star recruit, has him as the number 33
defensive end in the class,” according to
ukrecruiting.com.
Bell said that UK is more likely to
give him a chance of playing his freshman
year, which narrowed his decision down to
choosing UK.
He also noted that UK would launch
him in the direction of the National Football
League, something he plans to do once he is
out of college.
One of Bell’s goals is to attend
college on a football scholarship prior to him
starting his freshmen year.
Alongside playing his freshmen year,
he wishes to play professional football all four
years and to graduate with a degree before
proceeding on to the NFL.
Balancing Athletics and
Academics
By Asia Riley
Gator Reporter
Being a student and an athlete can be
difficult and time consuming. Having to go to
practice everyday and still have homework to do
after is stressful.
Students who play sports and still do
well in school are commendable. It is hard to
balance time between schoolwork and sports.
Although teachers may seem
to understand the difficulties of time
management for athletes, late work and excuses
are not acceptable for most teachers.
Katherine Diaz, junior varsity
volleyball player, said, “It is hard for me to
balance the two out because I have a lot of
difficult classes. You just have to put your mind
into it, and it will get easier.”
School should always be one’s top
priority. If one cannot manage to perform well
in school while playing sports, they should
reevaluate whether they should be in that sport
or not.
In reality, as a student, school comes
first before any other activity one decides to
participate in.
Elizabeth Mompoint, volleyball
outside hitter, junior, said she prioritizes her
schoolwork and has always been on top of it. If
she does not, she cannot play volleyball.
“I never want to stop playing. I want
to get accepted into a good college,” said
Mompoint.
Luckily, most athletes know that
school should come before sports, and therefore
should divide their time evenly between practice
and schoolwork.
The best way for athletes to continue
to balance out sports and school is to complete
all of their assignments. If they are having
trouble understanding something they should
ask their teacher for help whenever they have
the time.
The role of student athlete takes
dedication and effort. As long as one can find a
way to balance the two out, then ones position
as a student athlete will be secured.
E11

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Editors:
Jennifer
Wills
–
Editor‐In‐Chief
Section
Editors:
Kimberly
Sanchez
–
Features
Editor
Tai‐Lyn
Parboosingh
–
Hard
News
Editor
Laura
Caicedo
–
Editorials
Editor
Danielle
Lockamy
–
Sports
News
Editor
Reporters:
Deja
Alexander
Alejandra
Benjumea
Trillos
Rhea
Brown
Indria
Bustamante
Luna
Carvajal
Keihysha
Cenord
Giovanna
Consuegra
Milacy
Daniel
Gabrielle
Delaine
Austin
Felder
Karen
Francois
Megan
Francis
Eduardo
Hernandez
Alejandra
Marin
Marcella
Marrugo
Advisor:

Mrs.
Kathy
Moyna
Principal:

Mrs.
Haleh
Darbar
Monica
Martinez
Brandon
Mercurius
Janier
Pena
Fabiola
Pina
Asia
Riley
Jasmine
Robertson
Janelli
Sama
Alejandra
Sanchez
Melanie
Sartin
Gryan
Tavarez
Claudia
Tio
Pamela
Valverde
Tan
Van
Alejandro
Vasquez
Demetria
West
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Support your student journalists and advertise in your community!
We offer a variety of options at reasonable rates.
For more information, email Mrs. Kathy Moyna
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