Innovative New Building @ CVS

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Innovative New Building @ CVS
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Generation Y:
At the Wheel
Latrinalia:The Writings
on the Stall
Spirited Away @ CVS!!!
CVS Danced “All Night
Long”
Getting Involved with the
Student Council
New Teachers vs. Experienced
Recycling for the Environment
This school year has been very
different from others due to
many changes in the faculty and
some activities, but especially
big changes in our school infrastructure. The Falcon Chronicle
interviewed Mrs. Ana Pagán,
school principal, and she explained that these changes
were made because there was
a “need for more space to
meet the requirements of the
students in our school”. She
also mentioned that many students, faculty members and
even parents have come up
with positive comments and
reactions.
head engineer is a Cupeyville
Alumni and parent, José Berríos.
These vary in size so that the
smaller classrooms were assigned for the electives.
This was a big project since
architects and engineers had to
take into consideration the
other buildings at school, as
well as rules and regulations
established by construction
committees. They also had to
keep in mind what Mrs. Pagán
wanted built in that building:
bathrooms, an office area for
Mrs. Álida Rodríguez, classrooms for eighth graders and
for electives such as Drama,
Art and Home Economics.
Since the building turned out as
she expected, Mrs. Pagán said
that she would not make any
changes to these classrooms.
She also commented that this
new building has a lot of staircases and even a ramp, “in
order to meet all security-wise
requirements”.
The new building was designed
by Caribbean Development,
and it was built by the Fairway
Construction Company, whose
There are presently eight high
school classrooms, two elementary school classrooms,
and 2 preschool classrooms.
A second ramp will be built to
complement the existing one.
Everyone at CVS has shown
satisfaction towards this new
change at school, which is just
the beginning of others that
will come along the way.
Patricia Negrón
Clubbing Around School
Let’s get TECH
CVS Tournament
CinemaVille
Viviana Bonilla & Amanda Figueroa
The new building was designed by Caribbean Development, and
it was built by the Fairway Construction Company, whose head
engineer is a Cupeyville Alumni and parent, José Berríos.
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A Whole New World @ Cupeyville!!!
Editorial
When Alan Menken wrote the
theme song for Disney’s 1992
animated film Aladdin, A
Whole New World, little did
he know that more than a
decade later, this song would
mark a “whole new” era at our
school. Just as he mentions in
the last lines of his song, this
year at Cupeyville we are striving for “a whole new
world...where we’ll be...a thrilling chase, a wondrous place,
for you an me”.
STAFF
Mrs. Yadirah Collazo
Newspaper Adviser
Melanie Iglesias
President
Pamela Rodríguez
It was just a couple of years
ago when plans started growing with the objective of making CVS a better place to study
and be at. Actual eighth graders had been promised they
would be the ones to premiere
the new building. Anxious and
eager to enjoy their new
‘homes’ they asked, and asked,
and asked when would this
promise come true. To their
fulfillment, and to the satisfaction of other high school students, this new building was
opened to the public last September. Reactions have not
been hidden. Happy and joyful
faces around school are clear
proof that the building fulfilled
their expectations. With this
new building all of us are endeavoring into a whole new
adventure in our learning environment.
But this new building is not the
only novelty happening around
school. New clubs, new teach-
ers, new electives and a new
school spirit have been born as
well. The Falcon Chronicle,
YOUR school newspaper, does
not want to be left behind.
With a whole new staff, and
new innovative, creative and
dynamic reporting ideas we
are compromised with helping
you walk around our hallways
informed with what is going on
in and outside Cupeyville.
On behalf of my staff, we
would like to welcome you to
our journey, which as Jasmine
and Aladdin’s, together we will
discover new things and travel
around to see and continue
building “a whole new world”
at CVS.
Mrs. Yadirah Collazo
Generation Y: Simply Misunderstood
Vice-President
Natalie Iglesias
Secretary
Patricia Negrón
Treasurer
Fidel Vélez
Michael Liberatore
Sarah Suárez
Lorena Mejía
Zulma Rivera
Luis Vélez
Mario de la Cruz
Katharine Miller
Viviana Bonilla
Christian de los Santos
Amanda Figueroa
Alejandro Pérez
THE
FALCON
Born between the years of 1977
and 1995 (approximately), Generation Y members are young,
smart, bold, and changing the way
the world works one step at a
time. The oldest (30 years old)
just finishing college and the
youngest (9 years old) still in
elementary school, we’re testing
the boundaries of business, education, society, and even organized religion. In doing so, we
might be labeled as “rebels”, but
we aren’t really. In general, Generation Y members are hard
workers, who want to work but
don’t want to make work their
life, and also pleasers, always
aiming to please everyone, including themselves. More and more,
Generation Y members turn to
careers that offer flexible work
hours and room for change. Most
CHRONICLE
even prefer to pick a career that
will allow them to start their
own, independent business,
where they are the ones who
pick their working hours. Why?
Because, unlike previous generations, we want to live life fully
now. We’d choose family and
work, and want our jobs to
work around our families and
social lives. However, this has
caused clashes between generations in the office as well as in
the classroom.
Members of the Baby Boomer
and X generations clash with our
forward thinking and authority
challenging approach to situations. While a member of the
Boom or X Generation would
receive an order and follow
through immediately, a Y Generation member would ask:
“Why?” “What benefit does it have
to you, me, or the company?”
“Why do I have to do this?” And
so, almost immediately, we’ve been
labeled with having a serious
“attitude problem”. According to
Jordan Kaplan, an associate managerial science professor at Long
Island University “[Generation Y
members have] grown up questioning their parents, and now they’re
questioning their employers. They
don’t know how to shut up, which
is great, but that’s aggravating to
the 50-year-old manager who says,
‘Do it and do it now.’” In other
words, we’ve adopted a “speakyour-mind philosophy” that doesn’t
agree with everybody. “We are
willing and not afraid to challenge
the status quo,” Katie Patterson
says.
CONTINUE ON PAGE 3
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looked upon as a
positive is appealing to people my
age. We’re very
independent and
tech savvy.”
Every generation
has been labeled
with having an
“attitude problem” at one point
o r
a n other. However, it all comes down to the
way we’ve been raised, and how our reaction to our upbringing clashes with everyone else’s. Generally, the parents of Generation Y members treat us like we’re the
most important things in their
lives. Generation Y members have been
pampered and programmed to believe that
“Anything is possible”, and that we’re the
ones who can make it happen. Also, we’ve
grown up getting constant feedback and
recognition from those around us, and
some resent it or feel lost if communication
about how they’re doing or appraisal isn’t
received regularly. Then, there’s the fact
that many Generation Y members, like most
Cupeyville School students, “have traveled
and had many enriching experiences, so
they may clash with older generations they
see as competition or not as skilled,” points
out Matt Berkley. As a result, “we’re surprised we have to work for our money. We
want the corner office right away,” Berkley
says. However, as much as we believe in
ourselves, and no matter the smarts we
have to back it up, most don’t realize that
life isn’t that easy. We do have to work
towards gaining that corner office, and in
the process we seem to disregard others
and don’t respect them for what they bring
to the table as well. Berkley adds: “It seems
like our parents just groomed us. Anything
is possible. We had karate class, soccer
practice, everything. But they deprived us of
social skills. They don’t treat older employees as well as they should.” For things to
move smoothly in the classroom, as well as
in the office, there must be mutual respect
between the teacher and the student.
Also, it seems that most people have turned
a blind eye towards the fact that most of
the things around us weren’t always
there. Computer access and the Internet
weren’t always easily accessible, and it wasn’t
until recently that these things were open to
the general public. What Generation Y members don’t seem to realize is that we’ve grown
up in a time that’s given us tremendous opportunities, practically on a silver platter. We’ve
seen the amazing advances in technology occur around us, yet we don’t appreciate the
work that others put into making those things
available to us. Computers, Internet, cell
phones, iPods, TiVo, none of these things ex-
Characteristics of Generation Y
From Employment Review—Dec. 2002/ Jan. 2003
From www.businessweek.com
...Generation Y (continued)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flexible and adaptable
Confident
Optimistic
Independent and selfsufficient
Impatient
Highly idealistic
Entrepreneurial
Creative
High level of sociability
Free-agent; don’t respect
status and authority
isted before. However, all positives have a
negative. We’re growing up in a time where
the Internet gives us results instead of a connection; TiVo gives us options, instead of a
time to just sit down and watch TV with
friends or family; iPods give you readily accessible music on the go, but also make it easier
to plug-in the headphones and block out the
world. There’s so much that technology’s
given us and that we have to offer by knowing
how to use it. If we used our ability to use
these tools to our advantage, to create and
help, instead of blocking out and ignoring, then
we’d turn our “attitude problem” label into a
better outlook for the future.
ter. Already, teen pregnancy rates have decreased, as well as drug consumption. Especially after witnessing the events of
9/11 and the terrorist attacks that followed,
we’re more aware of ourselves and how
important life is.
We’re known as the Echo Boomers (an echo,
or copy of our Baby Boomer parents), the
Millennials, and Generation Y; but most commonly, as the jewels and pain in the side of
our parents and teachers. This is not another
excuse that I’m providing. It’s not meant to
be taken as another excuse to use for the
way we act against others when we’re
scolded. After all, it’s the generation that
defines the name, not the other way
around. The names are just something to
generalize, stereotype, and turn individuals
into a collective in order to identify us more
easily. We should focus our energy instead
on creating, on bettering oneself, instead of
focusing on the negative and challenging all
the time. Asking questions isn’t bad; it’s part
of the way we learn and grow. However, if
you were to sit still and listen for a while,
you’d find that by listening to others you
could learn and grow a lot too. So, what kind
of person will you be? The type that lets
labels and others define you, or will you be
the type that defines a new label? As a wise
man once said, “Allah loves wondrous variety.” So, why strip ourselves of that gift? Be
different. Be happy. Be you.
Melanie Iglesias
Generation Y is more liberal and progressive
than other generations, both in political and
social issues, such as homosexual marriage and
immigration. We are the most diverse generation ever, as well as the most tolerant, believing that everyone should be part of the community. Just by accepting a different mindset,
and having an open mind, we’ve proven that
we can change the world for the betFrom bookshop.blackwell.co.uk
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Let’s Get TECH
Compiled by Christian De Los Santos
Some iPods Infected with Virus
•
•
•
•
•
•
A number of Video iPods are infected with virus.
It is unknown the amount of iPods affected by this massive virus.
The virus is known as RavMonE.exe.
The iPods were infected with the virus at one of Apple's contract manufacturers.
Apple has issued instructions on removing the virus by using anti-virus software.
The virus does not affect Mac computers.
Taken from www.shinyshiny.tv
From www.apple.com
Self-cleaning Toilet
From www.shinyshiny.tv
PS-3 Lands on NYC
From www.us.playstation.com
Do you hear angels singing? I do. That's because
the bowl of this around the toilet cleans itself
C|Net.com informed
automatically - for up to three months. Sure - it's
that after a mad-
got lots of other fancy-pants features: it's energy
house welcome in
saving, it has a speaker system to help drown out
Japan, the PS3 has
unwanted sounds (which is even MP3 player com-
finally
patible), has it's own lighting to make turning on
American land.
the bathroom lights at night unnecessary, and
was informed that
comes in a variety of inoffensive colors. But
on November 17,
frankly, even at $3,277.56 they had me at only
Manhattan’s Sony Plaza received the awaited
needing to clean my toilet four times a year.
piece of technology that promises to revolu-
Who ever thought heaven could be found in the
tion the world of entertainment..
bathroom? (Taken from www.shinyshiny.tv)
Information
official
Enhanced Archos 604 Media Player
reached
It
retrieved
website
from
Playstations’s
(www.us.playstation.com),
mentions that this piece of technology
“unleashes a brilliant, high-definition entertainment experience”.
Archos mentioned their upcoming wifi
With an invitation to “PLAY BEYOND”, PS3
plans in the video after the jump, filmed at
features: Cell Broadband Engine, which fea-
IFA, but have now officially announced it
tures the unpredictability of live competition;
to the rest of the world. It's the upgrade
built-in Blu-Ray disc player for higher defini-
from the 604 version, which features a
tion; and SIXAXIS Wireless Controller, which
30GB hard drive and 4.3-inch color touch
“enables you to harness the potential of the
screen LCD, along with an optional DVR
system”, among others.
Station accessory that turns the 604 WiFi
into a portable Digital Video Recorder
From www.mobilewahck.com
You have the option of choosing between
two different configurations: the 20GB HDD
(DVR). The WiFi element means that you can surf the web, check emails, access files from
or the 60GB HDD. YCC
a remote network, and soon, with the help of their upcoming Pod Catcher software, collect
For more information regarding this products, just
podcasts without going near a computer. All that, and it plays music and photos too. It'll be
access http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/About.
with us next month, although no word on cost. (Taken from www.shinyshiny.tv)
THE
FALCON
CHRONICLE
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Ready to Drive!!!
How many times
have you ever played
a video game were
you drive a car? For
some, driving a car is
something they do
daily. For others,
turning sixteen and getting their license is the
biggest thing that has happened to them after
having reached High School. It’s a turning
point in ones life: you can now legally drive (of
course, whether you’ll get a car or not is an entirely different story).
The first wonderful step to getting your license is a written test. Simple? Yes, if you
study the laws and traffic regulations listed on
the Manual del Conductor para Estudio. Trust
me, just because it’s written and it’s only
twenty questions it doesn’t mean that you will
pass. I’ve seen people not pass that test the
first, the second or even the third time. So
really, go take it when you are TRULY pre-
pared.
Driving, in theory is pretty straight forward,
but when you get behind the wheel for the
first time you realize that it’s not as easy as
you thought. There are many little things that
you have to do: change gears, look to the
sides, know when to slow down, the distances between cars, using the mirrors, the
way you put your hands, knowing how to
park, and so on and so forth. It is highly suggested that before you take the practical
exam you take a few lessons. You might think
you’re a good driver, but when you take a
lesson the instructor will point out so many
things that you did wrong that you will realize that you had no chance in passing the
practical exam.
can and cannot do on a test; all they get you
is an immediate fail.
So, when it comes to getting your license,
remember: PRACTICE. Take a class or two.
Drive like you’re the only sane driver on
the street. Really, people we don’t need any
more crazy drivers in Puerto Rico. Just
drive well and safely.
If you need more information regarding this topic
just access http://www.dtop.gov.pr/disco/disco.htm.
Pamela Rodríguez
Essentially the test is all basic things that you
need to know. You can ask your driving instructor to take you to the test site to practice. There are also certain things that you
Acclaimed Stars Shine at the “Choliseo”
Take your favorite artists; now add
some vivid performances, moving
songs, exciting choreographies and
18,000 adoring fans. What do you
get? The annual “Noche de Estrellas de
Fidelity” concert.
This year it was held at the Coliseo
José Miguel Agrelot,where fans gathered to enjoy live performances by
Ednita Nazario, Lu, La Quinta Estación, RBD, Luis Fonsi, and the revered Chayanne.
presenters Héctor Bravo and
Roque José delighted the
audience with quirky comments and silly humor. This
record-breaking event was
sold out in less than 24 hours.
Viviana Bonilla López
Next up was RBD, who finished their
performance with their current hit
single Ser o parecer. RBD’s energetic
members, Christopher, Anahí, Maite,
Dulce María, Poncho y Christian,
ruled the stage with their fun beats.
At midnight, the time came for the
show to end, but not before the
anticipated Luis Fonsi, who taught
spectators how to Abrazar la vida.
With guitar in hand, dancers on key,
and his wonderful charisma, Fonsi left
people wanting more.
Between each performance radio
From www.fidelitypr.com
Ednita Nazario brightened up the
night with her exquisite voice and fire
effects. Following her romantic performance, the duo Lu sang it up with
two of their hit singles: Por besarte
and Una confusión. Next in line to
delight the public were the Spanish
group La Quinta Estación, whose lead
singer, Natalia, surprised the fans
with her powerful voice, and sensational smile.
As the public screamed for their
favorite artist the name Chayanne
clearly stood out. The Puertorican
had not performed live in the island
since 2004, and the public was anxious for his return. With singles like
Caprichosa and No te preocupes por mí,
Chayanne reminded everyone just
why he is so acclaimed.
Chayanne and RBD were the most acclaimed stars.
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Latrinalia: The Writings on the Stalls
Wikipedia defines latrinalia as
being any deliberately inscribed
marking made by humans on
bathroom walls. Lately, this common form of graffiti has become
the preferred means by which to
post comments and other forms
of expression. But why are teens
switching from chat rooms to
bathrooms? The Falcon Chronicle investigates.
Melanie Iglesias
“The anonymity
of writing
something
without having
to stand by it
may be the
main reason for
the existence of
LATRINALIA.”
According to teen and child
psychiatrist, Dr. Iris Rodríguez,
the anonymity of writing something without having to stand by
it may be the main reason. “The
bathroom provides secretiveness
and a sense of privacy,” she says.
Although Dr. Rodriguez does
not specialize in the analysis of
latrinalia, she provided a few
hidden messages behind the main
topics discussed in bathrooms.
These main themes are as follows: cries for help, the timeless
“I was here”, love declarations,
political and philosophical discussions, gossip, and sexual content.
People who write cries for help
are seeking attention, support,
understanding, and overall sympathy.
Those who write the traditional
“I was here” are simply wanting
attention and to be noticed.
THE
People who write about their
political or philosophical beliefs
certainly demonstrate a higher
level of maturity. The author is
definitely interested in more
FALCON
CHRONICLE
Similarly, when writing a poem, a
person is expressing a more complex emotion. It is a sort of anonymous art that reflects a greater
intensity.
On the other hand, gossip is the
most common form of latrinalia.
But nevertheless, it is different
from the other themes because it
is based on suppositions and can
usually cause harm to others. The
authors of these graffiti are mostly
people who wish to start conflicts
or release anger in a vengeful way.
The benefit is that the author can
dish on a person without having to
stand by what he/she said.
Another common theme is sexual
content. It is usually written by a
person who is not comfortable
with his/her sexual impulses or
needs. The author uses this anonymous means to manage his/her
sexuality or inform others of what
is not easily said.
It is evident that teens have a lot
to express. These themes reflect
the problems and conflicts that are
lived during this complex stage.
But these themes don’t necessarily
apply to both sexes. Guys and girls
have different problems and worries, therefore they write about
different things. According to
Bruno and Kelso, authors special-
ized in latrinalia, women show a
more interpersonal approach to
graffiti, by having conversations
and mostly describing relationships. Meanwhile, men show
mainly sexual content and remain
individualistic.
After doing research at our
school, these ideas proved to be
correct. At Cupeyville School,
the boys stick to witty comments and obscene texts. But the
girls are highly interpersonal and
have even divided each stall into
a different topic: parties,
“algarete”, teachers, and relationships.
After careful analysis, it is necessary to make clear that the purpose of this article is not to
stimulate latrinalia, but to inform
on why it is done. Maybe, if the
true motivations behind latrinalia
are known, then they can be
understood and eventually
changed. It is important to express oneself and deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way.
But it is not correct to disrespect others and private property. Most importantly, these
results can teach us that everyone has their own problems and
that just a smile may help to
bright up someone’s day. After
all, we are all part of the same
community.
Viviana Bonilla López
Melanie Iglesias
Melanie Iglesias
When a person declares his/her
love, they are releasing all the
feelings they have but don’t dare
to demonstrate. It is a way of
letting it all out without anyone
knowing who said what. Another
reason for declaring love on a
wall may be to mark territory
and make sure that others know
that the object of your affection
is taken. These writings might be
caused by a person’s insecurities.
than gossip and wishes to communicate a belief dear to him/her.
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Teacher’s Thoughts
Mr. Kenneth Elkner
Teachers, old and new, have different experiences on the school system. Whether it’s
because of their personality, or because of
their years of teaching in Cupeyville School,
no two teachers have the same opinion of this
educational facility.
he mentions he would like to be a school
administrator or work for the Department of
Education.
Fifteen years ago, Mr. Elkner used to teach at
Baldwin School, and mentioned that “he likes
the way that Cupeyville runs; in terms of
student body, it is better”.
While Mr. Elkner believes that the rules and
regulations of the school are just, he could
stand to make certain changes. Nevertheless,
Mr. Dávila believes that the rules are excellent and would not change absolutely anything in the school’s rule system. He believes
that the rules are much updated and has
absolutely no complaints.
During this year’s Spirit Week, he thought
that “it was a lot of fun”. He states that
teachers were well organized, and believes
that the students had fun too.
When questioned about what job would he
had if he had not become a teacher, Mr. Elkner did not hesitate to share that he would
have been working with a space program,
because he is curious about what is in outer
space, and if human beings can get there.
As opposed to Mr. Elkners’ thirteen years of
experience at CVS, Professor Tomás Dávila
started teaching at Cupeyville School this
year. One of the first things that first attracted him to this educational institution
was that he saw it as a good opportunity to
develop his profession. This sounds like a
compliment coming from a man who has
been teaching for ten years in a variety of
different schools, such as: Escuela José Colombán Rosario, a public school; and San
Agustín, where he taught an adapted course
on Physical Education. Even if he wasn’t a
Physical Education teacher, Mr. Dávila would
like to be involved in education and sports;
Even though one teacher has a lot of experience in this school and the other is just starting to teach at it, their opinions on the school
system are similar, if not the same. Apparently the years of teaching in Cupeyville
School do not matter when it comes to the
seemingly unanimous acceptance of the
school system.
Fidel Vélez
Viviana Bonilla & Amanda Figueroa
Mr. Kenneth Elkner, eleventh grade Chemistry
teacher, started working at CVS in 1993. He
states that his reasons for choosing this school
were: his stepson needed a place to study, the
facility seemed like a good one, the staff
needed a new chemistry teacher, and it was
close to his residence. When asked about his
relationship with other teachers, he stated
that he tends to isolate from his co-workers,
even though he says he gets along well with
them. “You have different relationships with
different people,” said Elkner referring exclusively to other teachers. But, what about with
his students? The chemistry teacher men-
tioned that there were all kinds of students,
but all in all, he likes their motivation during
his class and gets along with them, as well.
Mr. Tomás Dávila
Four CVS students were recognized by The
College Board for being among the students,
from all around the island, who scored the
highest on the PIENSE test.
Every school year, during the second semester, each CVS student from sixth to eleventh grade is required to take a standardized
test known as PIENSE. This is a test that
intends to assess students in two different
areas: cognoscitive ability, which aims to
determine the grade of logical thinking of
students; and the use of knowledge acquired
in different subjects such as Math, Spanish
and English as a Second Language.
This year, Cupeyville is proud to say that we
Viviana Bonilla & Amanda Figueroa
CVS Students Excelled!
were the school that received the
most awards, a total of 4.
An award ceremony was held at
the Paradisus Puerto Rico Resort,
in Rio Grande, during the month of
November. There Caterina Colón
and Xavier Iglesias, from eighth
grade, along with Nicole Pimentel
and Charlene Ruiz, from ninth and
eleventh grade, respectively, where
recognized for their outstanding
performance in completing the test.
CVS faculty and administration are very
proud of the student body. Keep up the
good work! - Falcon Chronicle Staff
From left to right, Caterina Colón, Xavier
Iglesias, Nicole Pimentel and Charlene Ruiz.
CVS: Spirited Away!!!
I was about to get a late slip, trying to think up an excuse for
not having done my Science homework, when suddenly, I saw
myself surrounded by fashion icons, airhead divas, flashy dancers, Olympic medalists, afros, tights, and a variety of very large
candies. “How could Miss Universe 2006 be giving me History?
Was I seeing double? What could be causing this commotion?”,
I thought. And then, there it was, a large sign that read “SPIRIT
WEEK”.
Of course, Spirit Week! What other occasion could unite such
festivities as the Welcome Dance, the Volleyball Tournament,
and Spirit Days all in one week?
And with this, the calendar days from the second to the eighth
of October filled with colorful events. And, what more could
we ask our Student Council officers and teachers for? We partied, we dressed up, we laughed, we cheered, and we played.
Yes, this Spirit Week was definitely a success!
Amanda Figueroa & Viviana Bonilla
THE
FALCON
CHRONICLE
Dancing ‘All Night Long’
This year, Cupeyville School’s annual Welcome Dance, sponsored by
the Student Council, took place at Brava. In a phone interview with
Student Council president, Javier Meléndez, fondly known around
school as Javi, The Falcon Chronicle was informed that approximately 550
tickets were sold. This “greatly exceeded our expectations,” Javi
pointed out. The Student Council had hoped to sell around 400 tickets.
Upon asking the council president what goals were kept in mind when
planning the dance, he replied that their main goal was “to create an
environment where everyone could have fun, and have a good time”.
Why was the dance such a success compared to previous years? One
could conclude that school spirits and the desire to have fun were still
high after participating at Spirit Week. Whatever the reason may be,
Javi, along with the rest of the school community, hopes that the Welcome Dance tradition continues improving throughout the years. If
school spirit continues to increase as desired, next year even more
students will hit the dance floor.
Sarah Suárez
PAGE
10
Reducing, Reusing, Recycling
Fun Facts about
Recycling:
•
Everyday,
American
businesses
generate enough
paper to circle the
world 20 times.
Every hour,
Americans use 4
million plastic
bottles, but we
recycle only onefourth of them.
The energy saved
by recycling one
aluminum can
could run a TV for
3 hours.
•
•
Five good
reasons to
RECYCLE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
This year, the Environmental Club,
headed by Mrs. Gago, has implanted a
recycling program to get the Cupeyville
School community involved in the fight
to help make a difference in the improvement of our environment for a
cleaner Puerto Rico. As part of the
project, several blue bins, mainly for
cans and plastic bottles, have been
placed around the school campus for
the proper disposal of these items.
Environmental Club
-Adviser: Mrs. Lourdes Gago
-Objective: To make each and every
member of the Cupeyville School community conscious about the importance
of recycling and the great necessity we
have to reduce the amount of waste
that is sent weekly to the dumpsters.
- Goals: To implant a recycling system
in the school for cans, newspapers and
plastics.
- About 12 CVS students make up the
members of the Environmental Club
- Activities that will take place this year
are: to recycle to full capacity. As part
of the suggested activities, members of
this club will visit a certain area or
beach and recycle what can be recycled.
“Look for the blue recycling bins located all around the school campus
and help us live in a better, cleaner
environment." - Mrs. Gago.
Clubbing Around School
It conserves our
valuable natural
resources.
It saves energy.
It saves clean air
and clean water.
It saves landfill
space.
It can save money
and create new
jobs.
fortunate.
Goals: Adopt a neighboring public school, and help the SER organization raise funds.
Special activities: Adoption of a
public school, as well as donating
a Thanksgiving dinner to 10 families.
This year Cupeyville School has
reinstated the usual clubs, and
given students the option to sign
up to several new ones. Below,
you will find a list of at least 3 of
the clubs that you might like or
have already joined.
Sharing Hearts
Adviser:
Mrs. Figueroa has
been the club’s adviser for the
past three years, and says it has
been a very enriching and satisfactory experience.
Objective: The purpose of this
club is to make the community
conscious of its multiple needs,
and to spend time with those less
THE
FALCON
Natalie Iglesias
CHRONICLE
Information Club
Adviser: Mrs. Casals
Objective: Get students up close
and personal with their library,
and make activities related to the
innovations in the technology
field.
Goals: Do several fund-raising
activities such as:
Backyard,
Movie Theaters and Library
Week.
Mrs. Casals is also in charge of the
Reading Club, which is entitled
to promote a good taste towards
reading, and a good analysis of a
book. The Reading Club is planning on reading, analyzing and
discussing at least one book per
semester.
There are some other clubs you
might also like to join. Some of
these are: the Italian club, the
Health club, the Newspaper club,
Círculo de Español, Revista Pandora, Science club, Forensics,
Oratoria, and United Nations.
VOLUME
1,
ISSUE
PAGE
1
11
Representing the Student Body
It all started with a quote: “We just
gotta roll with it”, answered Javier
Meléndez, when asked to explain
how does he, along with the rest of
the Student Council, react whenever an activity planned does not go
as expected. “Usually, things don’t
always go as planned. It is all a matter of adaptation and of finding a
commonsense solution to the problem”. According to him there is no
special feeling of knowing himself as
president of the Student Council.
He mentions he does not feel superior in any way. Nevertheless, he
must “admit that sometimes he
feels acknowledge, when someone
he does not really know calls him
by name. But ‘it’s all part of being in
the public eye’”. Even though he
doesn’t feel special for that reason,
he assures that being president of
the Student Council has helped him
in many areas not directly related
to school. Meléndez pointed out
that his “position has granted me
the opportunity of letting others,
such as college recruiters or interviewers, know that I have strong
leadership characteristics, and am
willing to work on behalf and for
the benefit of others”.
What else did Javi tell The Falcon
Chronicle? Keep reading to find a
transcription of the interview.
FC- What is the true function of
the Student Council?
JM- Its main goal is to represent
the student body. We are here for
all of you, as a link between your
requests and the administration.
The council is a student organization aiming to serve every student.
FC– How have the results of this
year’s activities affected your plans
for future activities?
JM– Up until now, every activity
realized has been a total success.
Spirit Week was phenomenal; there
has not been that much student and
teacher involvement in many years.
Our Welcome Dance was also a
success. Student involvement and
administration’s support have been
extremely positive. This has indeed
altered our future plans, because
with everyone’s support I can dare
to plan bigger activities, and have
the assurance of them being a success.
FC– What would you tell the readers of The Falcon Chronicle?
JV– I hope you all have a great year,
and that you enjoy all of the activities we have planned for next semester.
Amanda Figueroa Ruiz
This school year seventh graders
are new to the High School system.
Contrary to what they were used
to in Elementary School, seventh
graders now have an assigned
locker. They also have the opportunity of taking new classes such as:
Drama, with Mrs. Pérez; Home
Economics, with Mrs. Mántaras; and
Art, with Mrs. Ortiz.
Girls, on the other hand, are very
excited with their new uniforms.
Now they get to wear vests, which
set them apart from younger kids.
Seventh graders were accustomed
to being dismissed at exactly
2:35pm, but as part of High School,
just as the first bell rings at 2:25pm,
they are out in the halls and ready
to go home.
Good and bad
things
come
along
with
every change in
life.
There’s nothing
else to say, just:
WELCOME & ENJOY A WHOLE
NEW YEAR AT CVS!!!!
Alejandro Pérez
Viviana Bonilla & Amanda Figueroa
Freshening Up!!!
PAGE
12
Spiking It at Cupeyville!!!
When talking about sports, Cupeyville athletes receive the full
support of the student body, the
teachers and the administration.
Needless to say, volleyball is one
of the most supported sports at
our school. Consequently, when
the Volleyball Festival was announced the whole school exteriorized their excitement. In the
tournament, eight teams represented our school, including the
teams from the Mini category up
to the Senior Varsity teams. A
total of 56 teams, from different
schools, participated in the tournament.
The tournament was sort of a
concluding activity for Spirit
Week; so, school spirit was outstanding. Parents, teachers and
students gathered from Friday,
October 5, to Sunday, October
7, to help this activity be a total
success.
and fries; ninth graders,
’alcapurrias’ and other ’frituras’;
tenth graders, tacos; eleventh
graders, kabobs (’pinchos’); and
the seniors, drinks.
Just before the tournament began, The Falcon Chronicle, interviewed Cheo Feliciano, Head
of the Athletic Department. He
mentioned the fact that ”even
though there were more than 56
different teams playing, and competing to see who was the best,
only 20 schools, from around the
metropolitan area, were represented”. Some of the schools
invited were: St. Mary’s School,
Bayamon Military Academy, and
Colegio Puertorriqueño de Ni-
ñas, among others.
Luckily, our school has great
coaches that led our most acclaimed teams, Junior and Senior
Varsity, to obtain a second place
at the end of the tournament.
Ariel Ortiz, girl’s Senior team
coach mentions: “ I think that
Cupeyville has a great girls’ Senior team, because last year they
won second place in the league
and first place in the tournament,”
This year, the tournament turned
out to be awesome. It was well
organized and everyone was truly
pleased .
Luis E. Vélez &
Mario de la Cruz
Just as the lunch bell rang on
Friday, students began putting
together the kiosks, which would
offer a variety of food to the
guests. Seventh graders sold
candy; eighth graders, chicken
From a Player’s Point of View
This year’s tournament was
different from previous ones.
First of all, the different school
teams that were invited were
of higher rank and competitive
quality. The teams that came
are from schools who give
scholarships and have really
hard and strong team players .
Almost all Cupeyville teams got
to finals and won many games.
I believe all Cupeyville teams
made a good impression because the players gave their
THE
FALCON
CHRONICLE
strongest effort and kept their
spirit up high, which made the
audience get into it and cheer
for their school.
Zulma Rivera
I am looking forward to next
year’s tournament because
since its going to be my last
one, after 6 years of being in
the Cupeyville volleyball
teams. I have high hopes for
all our Falcon teams, especially the varsity team.
Zulma Rivera
VOLUME
1,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
13
Enjoy your Recess!!!
http://welcome.topuertorico.org
Even though many plan on traveling outside the Island to enjoy a great vacation,
others decide to stay ‘at home’. For those of you who prefer to stay here, there
are many places you could visit, many activities you could realize, and many food
that you can enjoy as well as cook.
The Falcon Chronicle staff has compiled a list of places you could visit, as well as
easy-to-cook recipes you could enjoy.
Sorullos de maíz
Ingredientes
2 tazas de agua
1 ¼ cucharaditas de sal
1 ½ taza de harina de maíz
queso americano (media rebadada
por sorullo)
Procedimiento
Piña Colada
Ingredientes
15 onzas de crema de coco (Cream of
coconut)
Ron blanco de Puerto Rico
Jugo de piña, sin endulzar
Procedimiento
http://www.gastronomicakny.co.za
Mezcle el agua, el azúcar y la sal
en un recipiente mediano, caliente
hasta hervir. Añada la harina hasta
hacer una masa. Coloque la masa
en otro recipiente y con las manos forme sorullos como del
grande de medio "Hot Dog" colocando el queso adentro. Fria hasta
dorar.
http://welcome.topuertorico.org
3/4 taza de azúcar
En un recipiente grande, vierta el contenido de la lata de crema de coco.
Añada 30 onzas de ron blanco, Añada
45 onzas de jugo de piña. Mézclelo
todo. Conserve en la nevera. Al momento de servir, agite bien el envase y
sirva la bebida.
Proporción de la Piña Colada: 1 parte
de crema de coco, 2 partes de ron
blanco y 3 partes de jugo de piña.
http://welcome.topuertorico.org
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Stress-Less Page
Albertville
Amsterdam
Antwerp
Athens
Atlanta
Barcelona
Berlin
Calgary
Chamonix
Grenoble
Helsinki
Across
1. near
3. short
5. summer
9. big
10. sad
Innsbruck
Lake Placid
Lillehammer
London
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Mexico
Montreal
Moscow
Munich
Oslo
Down
1. empty
2. cold
4. hate
5. black
6. mean
7. dull
8. strong
Paris
Rome
Saint Louis
Sapporo
Sarajevo
Seoul
Squaw Valley
St. Moritz
Stockholm
Sydney
Tokyo
From www.mazes.org.uk
“The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up.”
Mark Twain
ERAGON
This movie will
hit
theaters
around the Island
on
December
14. Some of the
actors included
in this movie are
Edward Speelers,
Jeremy Irons and
John Malkovich,
among others.
In this movie, a
boy named Eragon finds a polished blue stone,
which he believes will lead his family out of
poverty. Nevertheless, it immerses Eragon
into a world of magic and power.
———————————————————
ROCKY BALBOA
Sylvester Stallone is back to
complete the
story of former
heavyweight champion, Rocky
Balboa. In this
movie, Balboa
steps out of
retirement
and gets back
in the ring.
This
movie
promises to
follow the lead of the previous 5 films, which
have been highly acclaimed in movie theaters
around the world. Don’t miss this exciting
movie hit that will start showing on December
21.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and
Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a
morally upright young man who values
honor and discretion, qualities that help him
to be recruited for a career in the newly
founded Central Intelligence Agency. While
working there, his ideals gradually turn to
suspicion influenced
by the Cold War
paranoia present
within the office.
Eventually, he becomes an influential
veteran operative,
while his distrust of
everyone around
him increases to no
end. His dedication
to his work does
not come without a price though, leading
him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his
family. (www.caribbeancinemas.com). Opening in a theater near you on December 21.
——————————————–—–
THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPYNESS
Chris Gardner is a bright and talented, but
marginally employed salesman. Struggling to
make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and
his five-year-old son evicted from their San
Francisco apartment with nowhere to go.
When Gardner lands an internship at a
prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his
son endure many hardships, including living
in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.
(www.caribbeancinemas.com). Starring Will
Smith and his son, Jaden Smith. Opening on
December 14.
NIGHT AT THE
MUSEUM
Good-hearted dreamer
Larry Daley, despite
being perpetually down
on his luck, thinks he's
destined for something
big. But even he could
never have imagined
how big, when he accepts what appears to
be a menial job as a
graveyard-shift security
guard at a museum of natural history. During
Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to
occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage
epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the
Hun pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a
T-Rex reminds everyone why he's history's
fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only
person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax
figure of President Teddy Roosevelt , who
helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a
nefarious plot, and save the museum. Starring Ben Stiller, and Dick Van Dyke, among
others. Opening on December 28.