YOGO: You Only Graduate Once Pages 6 -7

Transcription

Senior Issue
Prom 2012 - Pages 4-5
Spring Sports - Page 10
YOGO: You Only Graduate Once
Senior Goodbyes - Page 16
Pages 6 -7
Student Life
May 2012
2
Juniors are ‘crowned’
into Senior Year!
Angelique Berkowitz
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
May 18th, 2012 marks the final day of
high school for the graduating senior class
of 2012, but it also is a prominent date for
juniors as they make the final transition in
their high school. As the seniors make their
way to the fountain for their final hurrah
and farewell, juniors gaze in awe thinking
that they only have a single year left until
they’re in the same position. They watch
as the seniors say goodbye and wait for the
moment to place their senior crown upon
their head- the definitive transition from
being a junior to becoming a senior.
At PPCHS it’s a jaguar tradition for juniors to spray paint a cardboard crown and
decorate it as they please. The crowns are
spray painted in black spray paint; however, this year’s junior class decided that
offering two color choices- black and silver- will provide more of a variety for the
soon to be seniors.
“We decided to choose two colors this
year to change it up a bit,” says class of
2013 Vice President Sarah Garcia. “Every
single year, black is always the chosen color for crowns and this year we wanted to be
different,” adds Garcia.
While several students know of the senior
crowns, many are unaware of the history
behind the crowns and why they were created. The idea for the senior crowns was
originally initiated by the graduating class
of 2010. One student, alumni Rafael Batista, was the major promoter of the cutout cardboard crowns. He was a junior at
the time when the graduating class above
Crown Decorations: Upcoming Seniors like Kyler Hevia (‘13) worked to create a crown fit just for him.
Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
him received a great amount of attention.
He understood that they were seniors and it
was their time to shine, but he felt that the
junior class had a bit of significance as well
and needed a little attention of their own.
The end result became a tradition that stays
true to PPCHS history. It marks the final
transition for juniors within the process of
becoming a senior.
“The tradition of the senior crowns is one
that creates class unity as the juniors embrace the fact that they have reached their
final year of high school,” says junior Gabby Rosario. “I’m really excited to wear my
crown and finally become a senior,” adds
Rosario.
As the seniors prepare to leave the jaguar family, the juniors prepare to cherish
Finally at the Top: Junior, Camila Vinas celebrates the
Class of 2012’s last day of school by wearing a crown.
their last year being a part of it. They start
to create memories for senior year and it all
begins the moment they place their senior
crown upon their head.
The Beginning of the End: Juniors enjoy their unofficial first day as Seniors as their last few days as Juniors wind down. Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
Junior Year has a nice ‘Ring’ to it!
Gabriela Garcia
STAFF WRITER
Once Herff Jones steps in, you know it’s
a big deal.
That’s exactly what happened a couple
weeks ago, when our Class of 2014 was
informed of the class rings they could potentially buy towards the end of the school
year. Herff Jones is a company dedicated to
providing students and schools with graduation accessories and they’re holding our
hands through this whole process. Now,
the time has come and sophomores have
officially ordered their class rings from
Herff Jones with looks of pure excitement
and anticipation on their faces. Little do
they know that this simple ring is their first
step out of high school and into the real
world.
Junior year of high school opens many
doors- it can mean smiles and excitement
for some, maybe stress and disbelief for
others. Regardless, it’s one of the crucial
years in our schooling years. By this time,
most of us are driving and have cars, begin
to take SAT’s and ACT’s, and even start to
apply for college!
Sophomore Nick Torres says it’s a big
leap forward. “It’s all a little bit overwhelming, to know that I have to start seriously thinking about what I want to do with
my life and how I’m going to get there,”
he says. “Things like the SAT and applying
for jobs make me feel like I’m growing up
too fast!”
People have always said that our high
school years are some of the best years in
our lives. Especially now, entering such a
stage like junior year, we’re experiencing
things like never before and are making
priceless memories.
Class of 2014 president Nicole Batista
believes that class rings are the perfect way
to capture this crucial time. “I want to be
able to look down at my finger in a couple
years and see not just a ring, but my high
school memories,” she says. “My ring will
signify all the good times and experiences
I’ve had or will have in these remarkable
four years.”
Herff Jones, the company selling us our
class rings, allows students to go all out on
their memorable jewelry. Students can customize their ring to however they like, and
make sure they get a perfect impression of
what they want.
Angelique Berkowitz
Entertainment Editor
Erin Jones-Content
Nicholas D’Agostino -Layout
Managing Editors
David Nabors
Sports Editor
Adrian Tabraue
Photo Editor
Jordana Cutajar
Features Editor
Eddie Baffa
Troy Bottom (content)
Gabriela Cabeza (photo)
Web Editors
Nicolette Sponer
News Editor
Brianna Cha-Kim
Student Life Editor
Alexandra Mangano
Technology Editor
Anjali Talwar
Clubs Editor
Julian Graves
Graphics Editor
Victoria Alvarez
Environmental Editor
Mr. Fagen - Content
Mr. Simon - Layout
Advisers
Alexandra Castillo
Fact Checker
Mr. Bayer
Principal
Valeria Perez
Cartoonist
now, they won’t arrive until next school
year. Until then, the class members should
definitely take the wise words of their president, Batista. “It feels like just yesterday
we were tiny freshmen getting lost around
the school!” she exclaims. “Time flies and
I definitely believe that we should enjoy
these years to the fullest. We only get to go
through high school once, let’s do it right.”
Rings that “Ring”!: Kelly McNamee (‘14) and her parents finding out the different ways
she can customize her ring. Photo By: Carli Stander
The C. H. A. T. Staff
Eliza Barrocas
Editor-in-Chief
Alexandra Mangano
Business Manager
“I’m very involved with in our school,
including sports and clubs, and my ring
definitely represents that,” says sophomore
Brittney Bruns. “My class ring will help
me remember the simple things like my
volleyball jersey number and my school
spirit. It’s the small things that mean the
most.”
Though class rings are being ordered
Content Staff:
Paul Austria, Julia Baca, Troy Bottom,
Cassidy-Rae Brantley, Matthew Coolidge,
Gabriela Garcia, Anyssa Gonzalez,
Isabella Jones, Anthony Kelleher, Selena
Newell, Melissa Sullivan, Chelsie Ramos
Layout Staff:
Joshua Alleman, Edward Baffa, Sarah
Deluca, Scott Gil, Andres Gonzalez,
Alexandra Mangano, William McKinley,
Lauren Olster, Ian D’meza
Photography Staff:
Troy Bottom, Gabriela Cabeza, Erica
Etchechury, Lisette Rivera, Carli Stander
The C.H.A.T. is an official publication of
the Pembroke Pines Charter High School
(PPCHS). The content of our newspaper is
not necessarily the opinions of our advisers and administration. The C.H.A.T.
staff welcomes any comments to the editors and/or staff.
Pembroke Pines Charter High School
17189 Sheridan Street
Pembroke Pines, FL 33331
Phone: 954-538-3700
Email: [email protected]
Student Life
May 2012
3
It is sad to think that sometimes people
have to leave to begin a new chapter of
their lives. These moments are the ones
where we look back and see what it is that
this person has done for us and how much
they have become a part of our lives. Unfortunately this year, we as a Charter family will have to say goodbye to one of our
very own, Dr. Vincent. Dr. Vincent has
been a part of Charter since the start of our
school, accumulating 12 years under her
belt. Working in the Social Studies department for all 12 years, she has held multiple
positions as an employee and member of
our Jaguar family.
There comes a time in life when we have
to decide what our next move is. At this
point, students must decide what college
they want to attend or what classes they
want to take in their next high school year.
However, once we get older and join the
working world these vital life-changing
choices bend more in the direction of deciding whether or not we want to continue
on with where we are in our life or if we
want broaden our horizons. For Dr. Vincent, a change in her life sounded like the
perfect idea.
After being at Pembroke Pines Charter High School for so many years, she has
taught in different classes and helped improve our school in many ways. When the
We bid a farewell to Dr. Vincent
Victoria Alvarez and Chelsie Ramos
ENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH EDITOR and STAFF WRITER
school first opened up to 9th through 11th
grade students only, Dr. Vincent taught 11th
grade US History, but hoped that she would
one day be able to teach 12th grade government/economics. Luckily, she was able to
do just that. At one point in time, she also
taught the yearbook class, stating “it was a
lot of work.” However, what Dr. Vincent is
most proud of to talk about is her civic involvement activities that she has added to
our school. “I have organized throughout
the years the voter registration drive and
the poll worker activity. The poll worker
activity has resulted in over $50,000 raised
for scholarships, cancer research, and student activities,” says Vincent.
Saying goodbye is a hard thing to do
once you have gotten so close to many
of the people around you. “I will miss
the wonderful friends that I have made
throughout my years here, including my
past and present students,” says Dr. Vincent, “It will be a significant difference for
me to not be around the seniors anymore,
and not be able to talk to them about college and give them advice. One thing for
sure is that I don’t know who I will be able
to repeat the line ‘there is no such thing as
a free lunch!’ anymore.”
Her time spent here as a part of our family is something that we will all keep with
us for a long time. She understands that
as a teacher they gain rewards through the
impression that they make on the students,
the school and even the community. She,
as the teacher has made a positive impact
in all of those areas. Dr. Vincent’s students
will also be missing her and this year’s seniors are considering themselves lucky to
have her as their teacher during her last
year here.
Senior Ashley Gruber, a student of Dr.
Vincent says, “Dr. Vincent has been a really great teacher. She makes everything
easy to understand. When she teaches, you
can tell Dr. Vincent really likes what she
does, and that she sincerely cares about
her students. I will miss having her as my
teacher.”
Dr. Vincent plans on focusing on her
summer plans after she leaves the halls
of our school. Her immediate plans are to
travel; she will be going to Canada, the Bahamas, and even Europe. After all she has
finished traveling the world, she doesn’t
know what she wants to do, but she hopes
to teach a college class part time, in a subject that interests her best.
No matter what Dr. Vincent does next,
she will always hold a place in our Charter
family. Students and colleagues alike will
miss Dr. Vincent and we all wish her the
best of luck as she continues on in her life’s
journey.
There is no good in goodbye: Many students have grown close
to Dr. Vincent, and will always hold a special place in our Charter
family. Photo By: Adrian Tabraue
The twists and turns of a soccer Seniors awarded for achievements;
player’s dreams
Rewarded with memories
Brianna Cha-Kim
STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
Pines Charter has not only proved itself
as a school of phenomenal intellectual ability, but also as an environment filled with
accomplished athletes. At this point of the
year, the majority of seniors have their college plans set in stone and all future plans
are arranged after their transition out of senior year. Now it’s time for the class of 2013
to begin planning out their last year as high
school students. While some juniors struggle
with the stress of SAT and maintaining a stellar G.P.A., a particular junior already has her
future planned out.
Seventeen year old Kayla Faulkner has
received a full scholarship to FAU in Boca,
Florida. Throughout the ’11-’12 soccer season Kayla vaguely remembers scouts from
a variety of universities attending the Jaguar
games. Soccer has played a significant role
through the entirety of Faulkner’s life. Beginning the soccer obsession at the age of
nine, the young athlete first played for a local
Rec center. She then moved onto West Pines
and currently plays for the Cooper City Cobras and of course, for the PPCHS Jaguars.
Faulkner has been on the Lady Jags soccer
team since freshman year and anticipates the
victory of senior year’s season.
“Soccer truly is my passion. I enjoy it more
than anything else. I now have the chance to
pursue my dreams with this college opportunity,” says Faulkner. She plays the forward
and mid-field position and actively practices every single day to improve her skills
and performance. Although Faulkner has
involved herself in other sports- swimming
and gymnastics included- her main focus remains to be soccer. Attending FAU provides
Victoria Alvarez
ENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH EDITOR
Dreams do come true: Junior Kayla Faulkner
recieves a full scholarship to FAU for soccer, and cherishes the once in a lifetime oppertunity she was given.
Photo By: Lissette Rivera
the opportunity for Faulkner to pursue both
her dreams. “FAU’s scholarship is a blessing to me. I not only get the chance to work
towards my goal of becoming a physical
therapist but now I also can play soccer for
my university. Words can’t express how
fortunate I feel,” says Faulkner.
Through perseverance and dedication,
goals are accomplished. Faulkner is a
prime example of a young woman chasing
her dreams and preparing for the future.
Older brother senior Ryan Faulkner said,
“Kayla has always had a special love for
soccer. I am proud of her. Hard work really
does pay off.”
For four long years, the class of 2012 has
worked extremely hard to make their way
to graduation. Each following different
paths of life, the students did their best in
each class to make not only themselves and
their families proud, but to also bring that
honor and pride into the halls of Pembroke
Pines Charter High School. The annual
Senior Awards Night was just around the
corner when faculty members were deciding between candidates, but after making
the final choices, it was clear as to which
students would receive each prestigious
award.
PPCHS offers many academic awards, but
aside from those, there are many awards
that truly bring forth the emotion and feeling into the night. Awards included the
Shontel Medwynter scholarship, a college
fund in honor of a student that the PPCHS
family lost to cancer, the Kevin Burton
scholarship, another college fund in honor
of a student lost so suddenly last year, and
the Jaguar Perseverance award. “Hearing
all of the stories behind these awards is just
so emotional, but also very inspiring and I
felt that all of the winners for these awards
truly deserved it,” said Principal Bayer.
Among the many winners of the awards
that night, the Jaguar Perseverance award
was given to Christopher Preston. Pres-
ton is an eleven year cancer survivor who
worked extremely hard throughout his high
school years, despite all odds, and came to
graduate from his home of PPCHS. Many
were, and still are, inspired by his fight
against cancer, and praise him for not letting his past dominate his future.
“When I found out I was nominated for
this award, I felt so honored, but I wasn’t
sure I would win. Finding out that I did win
made me extremely happy and showed me
that all my hard work truly paid off,” said
Preston.
Along with the many awards that were
be given out, the Jaguar Pride award was
given to two exceptional graduating students, Natalie Maria and Justin Yeh. By
dominating in the department award, it
was clear that these two students’ deserved
the Jaguar Pride award. All of the seniors
and parents at the ceremony showed their
agreement and support for these winners
with a standing ovation and an echoing
chant of “Yeh, Yeh, Yeh” throughout the
auditorium.
The class of 2012 is truly a class to remember, with so many memories and stories that will never be forgotten. As the
class moves on to the next stages of their
lives, PPCHS only hopes that they remember this night and keep a piece of Charter in
their hearts forever.
Grad Bash 2012 a smash for Seniors
Cassidy-Rae Brantley
STAFF WRITER
The finals days are approaching of the
2011-2012 school year and students, especially the seniors, are counting down the last
days. Memories fill the halls of PPCHS as
the seniors walk them for the last times. Grad
Bash 2012 is an event that will always be remembered by the class of 2012 for years to
come.
Buses left the school's campus at about
1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28th, to start the
anticipated overnight adventure that is Grad
Bash. Half of the fun happened on the buses,
sitting with friends and favorite teachers was
a favorite moment for some. "It was more
like quality time with everybody. It was a
great opportunity to have last times with
people you're not going to see again," says
senior Melissa Herrera.
Then the bus arrived between 4 and 5
p.m. at Orlando's Universal park area. Students got off their buses and were free to
roam and enjoy the Universal Studios and
Islands of Adventure with friends. "Just being able to walk around with all my friends
at once and hang out", says senior Shea
Vassall, "was fun. My friends were my favorite part."
Seniors tried to go on as much rides
as they could and try out some of the either new or improved parts to some of the
attractions there. Senior Josh Santacreu
recognized Rip Ride Rockit as his favor-
ite ride, truly enjoying the seventeen story
"adrenaline pumping and music thumping"
ride that looks over the amusement park.
The only problem that some could agree
on with Grad Bash seems to be the waits
in line. People split their groups up so they
could try to go on other rides, or just took
up the time of the waiting in other ways.
"It was cool to go on the rides. Meet people
from different states, North Carolina, California, and Georgia especially," says Herrera. "There was dancing in the lines and
lots of chanting and people singing.” A
little later in the evening the rest of the festivities like the street and dance parties and
concert from artist Pitbull got everyone
even more in swing and having the time of
their lives.
Seniors Melissa Miranda and Adrian Tabraue got the chance to meet Pitbull backstage during all the fun. Tabraue’s cousin
performed with Pitbull and even featured
on a song with him. "His cousin brought
us backstage to see the concert, and then
we went to the trailers," says Miranda. We
took pictures with Pitbull, he put his arm
around us, gave me a kiss on the cheek and
said goodnight." Miranda didn't plan on
going to Grad Bash at first. "Didn't think
of it as a big deal. But so glad that I went".
After all the fun in the park, seniors shuffled back to the buses to hit the road and go
back home. “Everyone was so tired,” say
Herrera. Grad Bash lived up to its rep.
Student Life
May 2012
4
Angelique Berkowitz
Party on the Dance Floor: Senior Pamela Delgado and Uzair Hammad share a dance. Photo By: Taylor Cowheard
A memorable night
where two worlds collide
On the eve of May 19th, 2012, PPCHS
students prepared for a night to remember: prom night 2012. Beginning to
prepare from the early morning hours
students soon arrived at the Westin Diplomat -in their limos and party busesready to indulge in a night of fun. Girls
arrived in dresses of all lengths and colors while the boys wore tuxedos with
vests and bow ties to match. Upon entering the venue, the students proceeded to
the third floor of the Westin Diplomat
where the PPCHS prom was being held.
Students began to arrive at the event
venue promptly at 6:00 p.m. where cocktails were being served in a lounge area
outside of the Grand Ballroom. Cocktails
ranged from crackers and cheese to carrots dipped in glasses filled with Ranch
dressing. During the cocktail hour, students were provided with the opportunity to mingle with their fellow classmates
along with the chance to take photos
with their friends in a photo booth. As
students brought their smiles, props were
provided in the photo booth for a funny
photo. In the lounge area there were also
photographers who were taking photos
of students standing in front of scenic
backdrops.
“Prom is a really fun experience and
it’s great to see everyone and hang out for
a final time before we graduate,” says senior Johnathan Tesone.
At 7:00 p.m., the doors to the Grand
Ballroom opened signaling the end of
cocktail hour and the beginning of a
memorable night. As students entered
the Ballroom, their eyes lit up in amazement as they took a first glimpse at the
decorated room fit for the theme of the
evening: Fire and Ice. The students passed
by an ice sculpture of a jaguar climbing a
rock with a sign that read ‘PPCHS Prom
2012’. The tables were each covered in a
white table cloth accompanied by chairs
that were covered in white with fiery red
and baby blue bows tied around them.
The center pieces, which were standing
red and silver branches covered in crys-
tals and roses, added a finishing touch to
each table. “I really liked the venue; it was
really big and nicely decorated according
to the Fire and Ice theme,” says senior
Alexis Harrison.
As students began to settle themselves
into the ballroom, they made their way to
each side of the room where there were
self-serve food stations filled with a variety of pastas, meats and vegetables. Students selected a table to sit at with their
closest friends to eat their meal before
they danced the night away. After dinner
and before the dancing festivities, dessert
tables filled with a plethora of treats including cookies, cheesecake and various
petit fours were open to students at their
leisure.
As the evening went on, students began to make their way to the dance floor
once they were summoned by the DJ
and his rhythmic dance songs. Flashing
strobe lights lit up the dance floor, and
the students danced the night away with
the music video for each song that was
played appeared on a screen in front
of the DJ booth. An hour before the finale of Prom- when the clock struck
11 p.m.- the results for Prom King and
Queen were announced. Students lined
up along the dance floor waiting to hear
the names of the winners revealed by the
DJ. After the final votes were tallied, Seniors D’Aundray Adams and Keisha Pitts
took the coveted title of Prom King and
Queen. Once they both were crowned,
they led a slow dance to the song “It Will
Rain” by Bruno Mars and stood center
stage as their classmates joined them.
“The evening was awesome,” says Mr.
Bayer. “The event was very classy and everyone looked amazing.”
What was left of the evening was filled
with dancing until the final song of night
was played. The class of 2012 participated in a night to remember as they danced
the night away and created memories to
last a lifetime. They experienced an evening where both fire and ice collided to
form a unity that will last forever.
Find Someone to Dance with: Seniors embrace each other for one of the only slow dances of the night. Photo By:
Gabriela Cabeza
Student Life
May 2012
Seniors Rejoice: Christopher Fernandez, Pamela Delgado, Victor DeSouza, Alan Montserrat, Uzair Hammad,
Athelino Maynard, Amarri Bryant, Casey Ford, Crosby Olinto, and Ronny Castillo. Photo By: Talyor Cowheard
Start the Night off Right: Junior Lauren Arenal with Senior Casey Ford and Senior Crosby Olinto with Junior
Kassie Diaz arrive at prom. Photo By: Taylor Cowheard
A Memorable Night: Seniors, Ashley Gruber, Taylor Samuel, Erica Etchuary, and Jordan King spend their time
partying the night away. Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
Party Time: Seniors and guests enjoying prom night. Photo By: Taylor Cowheard
5
Just get up and dance: A group of Seniors rejoice for one of their last nights together. Photo By:
Gabriela Cabeza
Its Time To Party: Senior Amari Bryant and prom date, Junior Ericka Soto dance with friends. Photo By: Gabriela
Cabeza
And the Winners are: Prom King, D’Aundray Adams, and Queen, Keisha Pitts share a dance.
We Like to Party: Seniors dance the night away. Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
We End This!: Seniors enjoy their final night as they take the dance floor. Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
Dance till you Drop: Kevie Rivero, Yanell Ordonez, Hector Rivero, Sarah Garcia, Andres Manrique partying at
prom. Photo By: Taylor Cowheard
Student Life
May 2012
6
YOGO: You Only Graduate Once
Alexandra Mangano and Nicolette Sponer
MANAGING EDITORS- WEB AND CONTENT
The Broward Center for Performing Arts
was bustling on the night of May 25, 2012.
There were no Broadway plays, operas or
Miami City Ballets captivating the audience; rather, four hundred plus seniors stole
the spotlight. PPCHS’s senior class of 2012
embarked together one last time on their last
high school journey: graduation.
The night started off with seniors Kayla Bernal and Anyssa Omram singing “For Good”
from the Broadway play, Wicked. The song
describes how two friends have grown and
learned from each other, and are saying their
final goodbyes, much like the class of 2012.
The song set the mood for the night, and
gave a warm welcoming to family, friends
and graduates. After administration was acknowledged, the seniors marched into the
theater alphabetically to Pomp and Circumstance, the traditional graduation song, and
took their seats as seniors for the last time.
The PPCHS band was then introduced, as
well as our school choir. A number of seniors
took the stage and, led by Ms. Rivero, belted
out the songs “Lean on Me” and “I Believe I
Can Fly”. The songs evoked a wave of emotion from the crowd, parents and students
combined.
Senior Amari Bryant said, “The opening
ceremony was really emotional. When we
were backstage, it was a rush of adrenaline,
and being with my friends one last time was
amazing. When I took my seat in the theater,
it all hit me that I was really leaving my second home and moving on to the next chapter
in my life.”
Mr. Bayer proceeded to take the stage,
standing at the podium to deliver his farewell speech. He started off like any principal
would, with sorrow for the graduating class
and praising their achievements. However,
Bayer put his personal twist on the moment
by emphasizing two words: “Don’t go”. He
then started singling out multiple seniors,
including our morning announcers, Joey
Engleman and Lucas Lucini. The two were
even brought on stage to deliver their final
announcements, making jokes about the traffic on the way to graduation and other things.
Following Mr. Bayer’s speech was Mayor
Frank Ortis. Mayor Ortis revolved his speech
on PPCHS’s unique tradition of throwing
shirts on the tree on the senior’s last day of
school.
One of the exceptional aspects to Charter’s
graduation is that there is no Valedictorian or
Salutatorian. Rather, we have Summa Cum
Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude,
representing the top five, ten and fifteen percent of the senior class. Mr. Bayer had these
students stand and face the audience in recognition for their hard work throughout high
school.
Student speeches ensued, with the senior
class president and both Jaguar pride recipients speaking. Eliza Barrocas, class of ’12
president, gave a fantastic oration, which
focused on the metaphor of backpacks. Barrocas claimed that a backpack is “more than
just a bag on your shoulder”; it defines every
student and depicts their inimitable personality. Natalie Maria was next to speak, giving
her Jaguar Pride Address. Donning an afro
wig and neon glasses, Maria gave an overlyintellectual speech, circulating around the
subjects of physics, chemistry and literature.
Her most applauded line of the night was
when she referenced the senior class to science beakers, “half way filled”. But with the
knowledge and wisdom gained throughout
their high school career, they have now become “graduated cylinders”. Justin Yeh followed Maria’s presentation, also giving his
Jaguar Pride Address. Yeh again centered his
speech on the academic side of high school,
saying how high school students get more
done before the sun rises than most people
do in their whole day.
After standing ovations and chants of “Yeh,
Yeh, Yeh!” filled the theater; Mayor Ortis
certified the senior class. He said, “I now acknowledge that the senior class of 2012 has
met the mandatory graduating requirements
and is ready to graduate.”
The moment everyone had been waiting for
was finally here: the distribution of diplomas.
Mr. Bayer headed the line of handshakes on
stage, with city officials and school administrators following behind him. The names
were called alphabetically, and one by one
the seniors paraded onto the stage to receive
their final achievement as a senior.
Mr. Velasquez, a social studies teacher, as
well as a favorite among many seniors, said,
“Seeing these kids grow up was amazing.
I’ve had most of them throughout their high
school career, and they are a great group of
kids. I have no doubt that they will continue
to broaden their horizons and achieve everything they put their minds to.”
Four hundred and fourteen students later,
the diplomas were all handed out and the seniors were back in their seats. The second to
last act of the night was the changing of the
tassel. Students reached up to the left side
of their graduation cap, and on Mr. Greenbaum’s cue, switched it from left to right.
Their maroon and silver tassels, situated on
the right side of their cap, now signifies that
they have officially graduated high school.
No graduation is ever complete without the
tossing of the caps, and PPCHS’s graduation
was no exception. The now-graduated seniors threw their maroon caps in celebration
and chanted “12! 12! 12!” The students also
chanted Kevin Burton’s name, in memorial
to the fellow classmate they tragically lost
last year.
Mr. Greenbaum, the senior guidance counselor, said, “It’s going to be hard to let these
kids go, but I will certainly appreciate hearing their future success stories because I
know there will be no shortage of them.”
The ceremony came to an end with the
PPCHS’s band playing Alma Mater, and the
graduates filing out of the theater. Parents,
family and friends were emotional as they
met their college-bound children outside of
the Performing Arts Center, snapping a thousand pictures per minute, creating memories
that will surely last a lifetime. After all, you
only graduate once.
7
Student Life
May 2012
News
May 2012
8
David Nabors
SPORTS EDITOR
So many things about the 2012 presidential election are still to be decided. The
only thing that almost everyone seems to
agree on is that it will be close.
Incumbent president Barack Obama is
struggling to keep his approval rating
afloat and is having a difficult time dealing
with an economy that is still limping after
more than three years under his administration. The major issues that the president
and the Republican nominee will spar over
will be the economy, the constitutionality
of “Obamacare” (the health care bill that
will be reviewed by the Supreme Court),
and the social justice programs that have
been advocated by the president and the
Democratic Party.
A portion of Pines Charter’s own senior
class will have a say in the direction of
the country as well, and every vote counts
in what has become the nation’s biggest
swing state in recent presidential elections.
“I’m excited about getting the opportunity
The 2012 Presidential race:
What’s at stake
to vote in the election,” said senior Connor
Lowther, who is planning to cast a ballot
in November. “I feel like a more significant member of society now, knowing that
I have a say in politics in America.”
It is very apparent that the president
has already begun his reelection bid. The
presumptive Republican nominee Mitt
Romney just recently edged out competitor Rick Santorum in a difficult primary
race, and has been volatile in criticizing
the president’s economic policies and lack
of control of government spending (Under
President Obama, the national debt has
increased to almost $16 trillion, and welfare spending has increased by 41 percent).
Though still early, both of the candidates
have taken numerous shots at each other
through the press.
The numbers are not promising for the
president, but in no way is he out of contention. Recent polls have had President
Obama and Governor Romney in a dead
heat, with President Obama edging Romney out in a popular vote, but still within
the margin of error. According to a recent
Fox news poll, 67 percent of Americans
say they are unhappy about the direction
of the country, which is dire news for the
president.
Mitt Romney has his own problems, too.
The Governor has struggled to break away
from the perception that he is out of touch
with most American people (he is wealthy,
reportedly worth more than $200 million).
Critics have portrayed him as a candidate
who will not look out for the poor and who
cannot relate to the general public. The
governor has responded to this criticism by
saying attacks on his personal success is a
diversion from the real issues of the country, and that his experience in business will
only help him to create jobs and grow the
economy.
“I think the election is going to be really
close,” said junior Devin Rivero. “It will
probably come down to just a few states,
and maybe just Florida again like it did in
2000.”
Experts have asserted that the presidential
Graphic by: Julian Graves
election of 2012 could be one of the most
important in United States history. These
are tough times in the country, and both of
the candidates have completely contrasting
views about how the government should
be run. The American people, the state of
Florida, and even some recently graduated
alumni of Pines Charter will decide this
November.
Trayvon Martin shooting makes an impact on America
Melissa Sullivan
STAFF WRITER
Lately, the news has been full of opinion
and controversy as the Trayvon Martin case
has continued to stir up residents not only
across Florida, but the nation as well. More
than two months ago, a young 17-year-old
boy was walking to his home in a neighborhood in Sanford, Florida when he was
fatally shot and killed. It was this event that
caused uproar across the U.S.
People, young and old, have continuously
spoken out about the shooting of Martin in
an effort to seek justice and have the alleged murderer, George Zimmerman, arrested and tried for the killing. In recent
news, the shooting has been associated
with racism, unequal rights and poor law
making by politicians. Due to the continuous uproar of citizens in the surrounding
Florida neighborhood and the nation, Stanford police officials have stepped down
from their positions and a new prosecutor
took over the case on April 11th, 2012.
“The Trayvon Martin case has shaken up
this country and caused an outbreak. People have never come together so much; it’s
amazing how people come together in time
of need, this event will forever go down in
history. There is no doubt,” said, Spanish
Graphic By Nick D’Agostino
teacher, Ms. Holt.
The case has even caused chaos here at
PPCHS, teachers and students alike are
upset over the injustice of the case especially since Martin himself lived in South
Florida. Sophomore, Izaak Kaufman, had
this to say about the ongoing case:
“The shooting shouldn’t be so revolved
around race and ethnicity. No matter the
race of the person, the point is, someone
was killed. That’s what the news should
focus on, not the color of someone’s skin,”
stated Kaufman.
But finally, after a long and grueling
journey, Zimmerman turned himself in on
April 11th, 2012. He was taken to Seminole
County prison and a hearing took place the
next day, where Zimmerman pleaded not
guilty to second degree murder. The trial
will continue before a jury. Zimmerman
has already stated that he was simply acting in self-defense when Trayvon Martin
was shot and killed, bringing into play
the Florida Stand your Ground law. The
law states, that any citizen may use deadly
force when acting in self-defense if there is
belief of a threat.
The case of Trayvon Martin will forever go down in U.S. history because of
its drama, controversy, and racial issues..
Hopefully, the people involved will finally
receive the justice they’ve been seeking
and the Martin will get the peace that he
deserves.
Countries battle it out during Currency War
Anthony Kelleher
STAFF WRITER
A currency war (competitive devaluation) is defined as a state in international
affairs where countries are competing
against each other for a low exchange rate
for their currency. The currency war in the
United States started in 2009. The three
nations that are in this war are Brazil,
China, and the U.S. Due to the economic
downturn, Edwin Truman, an American
economist, warned that there was going
to be a currency war at the G-20 London Summit in 2009. The Summit was
a meeting to discuss the economy of each
country and how to fix them if they are
broken. Truman was right; on September
27th 2010, Brazilian Finance Minister
Guido Mantega declared that the nation
was in a currency war.
“I feel that the currency war is a good
thing and a bad thing. It is a good thing
because of the low exchange rates, so currencies could be easily converted. The bad
thing is that it causes tensions between
countries,” says sophomore Omar Noble.
Currently, China made the right decision
to double the trading band of their currency, the Yuan. By making this choice, China
hopes to free up the Chinese exchange rate
and make the Yuan, a currency to be traded
internationally like the Euro and the U.S.
dollar. In a CNN article, Christina Lagarde,
managing director of the International
Monetary Fund, said “This underlines China’s commitment to rebalance its economy
toward domestic consumption and allow
market forces to play a greater role in de-
termining the level of the exchange rate.”
China is giving up a band that they don’t
really need in order to benefit their country
and currency. The United States and Brazil
have been criticizing China for how “out
of control” the rise and the fall of the Yuan
is. China feels that this change could put
them at equilibrium and it could also end
the currency war.
“I like that our nations are trying to end the
currency war, but is this tactic going to end
the war. I absolutely do not know, but we
will see what happens,” says senior Isabel
La Salvia
Source: CNN
Entertainment
May 2012
9
Chelsie Ramos
STAFF WRITER
Go back into the 1990’s, and what you
heard on the radio consisted mainly of
techno, a new rock and roll, and hip-hop.
However, something happened and two
bands that consisted of all boys emerged
causing massive hysteria from girls all
over the world. Then, think back even
further to the 60’s when The Beatles came
out. The frenzy that overcame girls-and
some guys- was madness. Once again this
has happened today: the boy band mania is
back, with a new string of bands that are
conquering the music world.
The term “boy band” first was officially
used in the 1980’s, but all male groups have
been around for years before. It’s these
boy bands that pop up every so many years
that cause a sort of hysteria that is like no
other, from fans all over the world. They
say that history repeats itself, and looking
at the music industry now, it is easy to see
that it truly does.
Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s,
the Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, and
N’Sync were dominating the music scene;
today the new crop of big “Boy Bands”
are One Direction, The Wanted, and Big
Time Rush. Both bands The Wanted and
One Direction have recently just jumped
the pond to try and branch out their fan following here in the states. Big Time Rush
however was created by Nickelodeon, here
in the states, and they have their own TV
show with the same name.
The band One Direction came from the
British version of X-Factor, where all 5
members, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn
Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson
tried out for X-Factor as solo artists. But
once they got through boot camp, their
time as solo artists ended when judges
Boy Band Mania, is it a comeback?
Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger
thought that they should unify the boys into
a band and thus One Direction was formed.
The boys ended up taking 3rd place in XFactor, but in the end signed a record contract with Simon Cowell’s record company
Syco and another with Columbia Records
in North America. The boys are the target
of young fans- girl fans being their most
dedicated fans. The ages of the One Direction boys range from Louis being the oldest at 20 and Harry the youngest at 18. 1D
as they are called released their debut CD
here in America on March 12, 2012, which
then debuted at #1 on the US Billboards
200. They then became the first UK band
in history that had their first CD debut at
number 1.
The Wanted also decided to try out their
luck here in America, when their hit single
Glad You Came entered the American airwaves. But unlike 1D, The Wanted was
formed by Universal Studios when they
were having a mass audition throughout the
United Kingdom and Ireland. The members are Max George, Siva Kaneswaran,
Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness, and Tom
Parker, with their ages ranging from Tom
being the oldest at 23 and Nathan the
youngest at 19. The media has tried to
spark conflicts between The Wanted and
One Direction over their fans; however,
many fans of The Wanted are over 18 and
even extend to fans of the age of 21.
The home Boy Band is Big Time Rush,
who was founded by Nickelodeon, and
given their own TV show named Big Time
Rush back in 2009. Members Kendall
Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr.,
and Logan Henderson all came together
mainly for the purpose of just a show, but
instead came out a full time band. The
band’s first CD, which was self-titled, was
One Direction: Sophomore gabriela Goenaga is a huge fan of One Dirrection and wants to attend one
of their concerts. Graphic By Julian Graves
released in 2010. Then a year later their
second studio album “Elevate” was released.
Between 1D, The Wanted, and Big Time
Rush it seems that the boy bands may be
taking over the music scene. Many people
are thrilled about getting to see a group of
attractive boys sing songs that make girls
swoon. Some of our very own have become obsessed with the new influx of boy
bands. Sophomore Gabriela Goenaga
says, “I honestly love boy bands, their music is fun and upbeat, and they always seem
to be having fun with what they do. In particular I love One Direction, their music is
amazing and they are all gorgeous which is
an added bonus.” Radio station calls have
been blowing up with people requesting
for these bands to have their songs played.
This is only adding to the massive air time
that these bands have been getting lately.
However, not everyone has joined in on
the new craze. Some just think that the boy
band name has just become overrated, or
just haven’t felt the need to join in on the
craze. “I understand that some people get
excited for certain bands and people and it
is honestly amazing. It just depends on the
person, I personally just don’t really see it,
all the hype in particularly to One Direction,” says sophomore Sarah Mulchan.
“With so many more boy bands coming
out, it is almost like they are now taking
over the music industry,” says Goenaga.
And she is right, no matter what you think
about boy bands and the latest batch of
them, you can’t help but admit that they
have caught fire.
Don’t let the memory of Titanic sink away
Victoria Alvarez
ENVIRONMENTAL/HEATH EDITOR
When the movie Titanic first came to
theatres in 1998, millions of people were
rushing to purchase tickets, not only to see
the recreation of the horrific event that took
place in 1912, but also to see the beautiful
love story of the two fictional charactersJack and Rose. During its time in theatres,
the movie smashed box office records with
booming ticket sales and won more Academy Awards than any other movie up to
date. However, 15 years after the movie
came out, and 100 years since the sinking
of the ship, is the movie Titanic worth seeing again in 3D? Yes, it most definitely is.
When the ship sunk on April 14th, 1912,
it took along with it not only 1500 lives,
but many memories and futures as well.
But those are just facts; we have all heard
about how the ship hit the iceberg and how
there weren’t enough life boats for every
single person on the ship. But without any
of us physically being there, how can we
possibly fathom the true impact of that
night? With the movie Titanic, though they
may only be actors, you can see and feel
the true fear of that night 100 years ago.
The movie takes you from the first day that
the Titanic ever set sail, to the last day that
the boat ever saw sunlight. While watching the film, you can see how the people
dressed, what they ate, how they acted, and
what they spent their time doing on the
boat. It also shows you the extreme class
divisions and how those played out when
it came down to who was able to get into
a lifeboat. The film shows you more about
the ship than any article or book ever can.
And on its 100th year anniversary, it only
seems appropriate to re-release the movie
to remember those innocent people that
lost their lives that night.
“I am definitely a huge Titanic fan,” said
sophomore Jessi Rowe. “The minute I
heard that they were going to re-release it
into the theatres, I made sure to buy a ticket
to go watch it with a friend. Even though it
is about 2-3 hours long, it’s time well spent.
The movie takes me through the ship and
through a wonderful storyline that I believe
everyone should experience once again.”
Seeing the movie in 3D only makes your
experience at the theater even better. With
every scene, the movie hits you with
great features and extensive camera work.
Watching Jack and Rose fall in love, the
real footage of the Titanic underwater to-
Graphic By Julian Graves
day, and the sinking of the ship in 3D is
a much more lively view for you. It may
sound cliché, but it really does make you
feel like you’re on the ship as well. Yes,
theater tickets are more expensive than
they were in 1998, but for a timeless movie
like Titanic, a ten dollar bill is
worth it.
“At first I didn’t really want
to go see the Titanic, but one
of my closest friends dragged
me to theatre. After watching
it though, there was nothing
I regretted. The movie was
great and everything felt so
real and alive,” said sophomore Natalia Cevallos.
Titanic is more than just a
movie acted out in Hollywood. It’s a film action, love,
and remembrance for an event
that took place so many years
ago. It’s important that we do
not forget what happened to
those people on the night of
April 14th, 1912. Their lives
deserve to be celebrated, no
matter how long ago it was.
The movie Titanic isn’t a boring, black and white, documentary. It is a
film that reenacts the night of the sinking,
and gives you an amazing fictional love
story as well. Titanic will forever be timeless.
A summer of sequels
Nicolette Sponer
MANAGING EDITOR
As summer approaches, students are lining up their plans: going to the beach, traveling, working, or just chilling at home.
Hollywood is also lining up big movies to
debut over the summer. The previews we
have all seen and anticipated are coming to
life on the big screen, most of them being
the sequel or prequels to huge movies.
The Avengers is the first flick to kick off
the summer movie movement. Any Marvel Superhero fan will be dying to see this
movie, for the Avengers is the epitome of
superhero clans. The Avengers will bring
together the super hero team of Marvel
Comics characters for the first time ever,
including Iron Man, Captain America,
Thor, The Hulk and more, as they are
forced to band together to battle the biggest foe they’ve ever faced.
“Here come the Men in Black!” The Men
in Black are at it again, for a third time.
Coming to theaters on May 25, this film
will bring the future wannabe MIB members together once more. The MIB duo of
Agent Jay (Will Smith) and Agent Kay
(Tommy Lee Jones) are back in action.
When the world is threatened by an evil
alien, Agent Jay travels back in time to
1969, where he teams up with the younger
Agent Kay to stop an evil villain named
Boris (Jemaine Clement) from destroying
the world in the future. Junior Alexis Good
says, “I loved the past two Men in Black
movies, so I will definitely make it a point
to see the third one. It’s been a while since
the second film came out, so I’m really excited to be ‘reunited’ with the MIB.”
Another Marvel superhero film debuting
this summer is the Amazing Spider-Man
on July 3. The Amazing Spider-Man is the
story of Peter Parker- who is now played by
Andrew Garfield- an outcast high schooler
who was abandoned by his parents as a
boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle
Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally
Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying
to figure out who he is and how he got to
be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush,
Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and together,
they struggle with love, commitment, and
secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious
briefcase that belonged to his father, he
begins a quest to understand his parents’
disappearance – leading him directly to
Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors
(Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner.
As Spider-Man is set on a collision course
with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter
will make life-altering choices to use his
powers and shape his destiny to become a
hero. Although the reason for remaking the
Spider-Man movie is uncertain, this film is
a definite summer must-see.
The Dark Knight Rises ends the summer
movie motion on July 20. Following the
death of District Attorney Harvey Dent,
Batman assumes responsibility for Dent’s
crimes to protect Dent’s reputation and is
subsequently hunted by the Gotham City
Police Department. Eight years after the
events of The Dark Knight, Batman returns
to Gotham, where he encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle while stopping the villain Bane’s plans to destroy the city. Sophomore Andre Batista says, “This film is the
one I’m most excited for. I really liked the
past Batman movies and I can’t wait to see
how amazing the Dark Knight Rises turns
out.”
Junior Kayline Maraj says, “My favorite
thing to do over the summer is go to the
movies. With this amazing line up, my
nights will be filled!”
Sports
May 2012
10
Spring Sports Round-up
David Nabors
SPORTS EDITOR
Succesful Season: the softball team ends with a tremendous season 17-3 and wins States. Photo Donated By
Cheyenne Willeford
The football team is back in the weight
room, getting a head start in preparing
for the upcoming season in September. The Jags football team will hold
their annual spring game on May 24th
at 4pm at our school. Last season, the
team faced American Heritage in the
spring game, but this year the event will
be an inter-squad (our team split in two)
scrimmage.
The softball team is building on last season’s success, when they came within one
win of reaching a state berth. Led by ace
pitcher Cristina Sacramento, who is now
12-2 on the year, the Lady Jags have looked
even stronger this season; they finished the
year with a 17-3 record, and hosting the
district 15-6A tournament as the number
one seed, they defeated Hollywood Hills
13-0. They fell to Archbishop McCarthy
6-5 in the final, but they will now proceed
to regionals. Update: The softball team
achieved total victory by defeating Niceville 1-0 with the help of Senior Cristina
Sacremento’s great pitching arm. Find out
more on this story at: http://hs.pinescharter.
net/?page_id=55.
Graphic By: Gabriela Cabeza
The boys’ volleyball concluded their season with a winning record of 10-8, surpassing the win total of last season, when they
finished 6-13. The Jags have been carried
by their senior leadership this season in senior setter Jerry Oomen and senior outside
hitter Mason McConchie. They qualified
as the fourth seed in the district and will
face Chaminade in the first round. “Right
now, we’re putting in our last efforts before
districts start, trying to make a good run,”
said head coach Carlos Pita.
The baseball team finished their season
13-6, and defeated Fort Lauderdale High
5-3 in the first round of districts. Before
they head to regionals, they will face Archbishop McCarthy in the district final. They
are led by seniors Kevin Daly, Carlos Lopez, and Jorge Marrero.
Training: the football team getting ready for their up
and coming season: photo by: Adrian Tabraue
Cristina Sacramento: Ace of States
Troy Bottom
NEWS EDITOR
It was the day of the 2012 softball State
Championship, and onto the orange clay
stepped the Jaguars main weapon, the
claws and teeth in their attack. Razor sharp,
deadly accurate, she always delivered a
strike on the opposition when they needed
it most. Her name is Cristina Sacramento
and her job is simple, throw a ball underhand full of fury and spin, that will dodge
any metal bat that comes swinging its way.
Since her first year in middle school, Sacramento has been pitching, hitting, fielding
for the Pines Charter Jaguars. At age 5 she
began playing softball, and at age 10 she
took on the mound, to clock in the hours to
strike out as many would-be hitters at possible. With the help of her father, who got
Sacramento into softball, Cristina began
separating herself from the competition.
“Cristina is such a great player and just
such a strong leader. She made us focus
when we needed too and laugh when we
needed a laugh. She not only helped us
with her pitching but her leadership,”
sophomore Jamie Gonzalez.
When a batter steps up to the plate, it’s a
duel. Batter staring into the pitchers eyes,
each of the two tries to call the other’s
bluff. Before the batter sees the umpire
call the third strike on them, they may see
past Sacramento’s competitive glare into
who she really is. When she’s off the field
she’s most likely flying right past you on
her bike alongside her best friend, or just
relaxing at home watching movies.
“I honestly love just hanging around and
watching different movies and going for a
nice bike ride,” added Sacramento.
With every strike, drop of sweat, and minute put into softball, colleges noticed and
came flocking to her. With many different
options, she chose St. Thomas University
and will continue her schooling with softball right beside her. As she studies at St.
Thomas University she will be majoring in
criminal justice.
“I would love to play softball for a living;
I’m really upset there’s no professional
league. Throughout my whole career I’ve
played my own style
of softball. I never really idolized a player,
and in college I want
to show everyone
my style of softball,”
Cristina commented.
She pitched a one
hitter in the state
championship game;
she led her team to
win after win. She
has been arguably
the best athlete in
charter history. She’s
taken her final steps
on Charter grounds
and leaves senior
year with a State ring,
countless victories,
and great memories.
“Charter has been an
amazing experience
on and off the field; I wouldn’t trade anything about it. I’ve met great people and
had amazing teammates, and I’m happy to
Photo Donated by: Cheyenne Willeford
be leaving with a state title and a championship ring,” Sacramento said.
Softball team raises first state banner in Pines Charter history
David Nabors
SPORTS EDITOR
It took a dozen years.
The drought is finally over for Pines Charter athletics. The school’s most successful
athletic year to date was topped off with
a 1-0 Class 6A state championship victory
by the girls’ softball team on May 10th
over Niceville in Clermont. In Charter’s
first twelve years of interscholastic athletic
competition, no team has ever earned the
distinction of being a state champion; that
is, until now.
The Lady Jags had their season end prematurely last year in a regional final loss
to powerhouse Eau Gallie. But, with their
core players returning, it was obvious
all along that this season was the time to
make a run. Carried by senior pitcher Cristina Sacramento’s right arm, the Lady Jags
tanked just three out of twenty games in
the regular season and suffered once more
in a tough loss to Archbishop McCarthy
in the district championship. They would
later avenge that loss and defeat the Mavericks in the regional semifinal en route to
the state title.
“Since the beginning of our school, we’ve
State Champions: The Pembroke Pines Charter softball team brings home the first win for states, impressing
all of their fellow peers and student body. Photo donated by: Cheyenne Willeford
always had a fantastic softball program,”
said PPCHS’s Principal Peter Bayer. “Over
the years, we’ve maintained a consistency
of excellence, and this year everything just
happened to fall into line.”
Judging off the softball team’s history at
Pines, the victory for the Lady Jags was a
long time coming. Most sports at Charter
took years to get off the ground since its
founding in 2000, but the softball team has
been one of the only consistently successful programs. Coach Tom Fadul has been in
charge of the team since its beginning, and
assistant coach Kat Stauffer was a pitcher
for Florida Atlantic University after graduating as part of Pines Charter’s class of ’03.
The final against Niceville turned out to
be a pitching duel for the ages. The game
remained scoreless until the top of the
fourth inning, when Lady Jags junior second baseman Victoria Gonzalez knocked a
home run over the left field wall to score
the only run of the game. Besides the home
run, both offenses were at the mercy of the
dominating pitchers they were lined up
against. Sacramento walked just one batter
in the game and carried a no-hitter into the
final inning. With one out in the seventh,
the Niceville catcher sprayed a single into
right field to break it up. Sacramento persisted and struck out the next two batters,
and with the final strike she was mobbed
by her teammates on the mound. Out of
23 batters faced in the game, Sacramento
struck out eighteen.
“It’s still just hard to believe,” said junior
centerfielder Cheyenne Willeford two days
after the victory. “It still hasn’t sunk in. I’m
so proud of our team and what we did. We
made history.” And they did indeed. The
victory was a triumphant and fitting way to
end the Pines Charter athletic year.
Features
May 2012
12
11
Features
May 2012
CHAT SENIOR STAFF
Best High School Memory: Everyday
brought someone new; worth remembering.
Advice: Enjoy high school, these days
don’t come back. Have fun but don’t forget your priorities.
College you are attending: Florida
State University -- Honors Program.
Hopes for the future: To one day become a doctor that travels the world
changing lives. Work for CNN as a medical correspondent.
Quote: “To laugh often and much; to
win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure
the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better whether
by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a
redeemed social condition; to know that
even one life has breathed easier because
you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Best High School Memory: Switching
out of A.P. Biology into newspaper, it
was a blessing in disguise.
Advice: Don’t be afraid to take chances.
College you are attending: University
of Central Florida.
Hopes for the future: Thinking of becoming a banker or a sports agent.
Quote: “Stay hungry, stay humble.” –
Anonymous
Anjah Talwar
Clubs Editor
Best High School Memory: When I came to Charter from
West Broward, my life changed in a good way.
Advice: I could try to give them all the advice on what to expect what to do, and how to face senior year, but when you’re
in it you find your own way and it truly defines the way you
look at life.
College you are attending: Nova Southeastern University.
Hopes for the future: To become a doctor, but even if I don’t
to just be successful and happy in anything I do.
Quote: “The road not taken wasn’t taken for a reason. No regrets. Where you are is where you’re meant to be.” – Anonymous.
Best High School Memory: Getting accepted into University of Miami, George
Washington University, American University, and Northeastern University.
Advice: Always work hard, because
what you put in is what you’ll get out.
of Miami or Florida International University—Honors Program.
Hopes for the future: For now, attend a
graduate school in the Northeast.
Inspiring Quote: “In three words I can
sum up everything I’ve learned about
life: It goes on.” –Robert Frost.
Paul Austria Isabella Jones
Sports Editor Features Editor
Best High School Memory: There have been many great memories, but with
Grad Bash, Prom, and Graduation right around the corner, I think the best
high school memories are yet to come.
Advice: Anything can be accomplished if you put your mind to it; don’t let
negative comments, or people saying that you can’t do something deter you.
If you are determined, anything is possible.
College you are attending: University of Miami.
Hopes for the future:To get my Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering, and
change the world, and hopefully be a part of the innovation of our generation.
I know the specifics may change but my constant hope is that I’ll be successful and live happily, and that I’ll leave the world in better shape than it was
when I entered it.
Quote: “Nowadays we are not bound by the restrictions that held back so
many of the people before us; we are free to be the writers of our own stories,
the creators of our own futures.”
Anyssa Gonzalez
Entertainment Editor
Best High School Memory: On the college tour, my friend got locked in
the bathroom stall of a public bathroom on the FSU campus. She called me
thinking I could magically get the door open somehow. She ended up having
to crawl under the bathroom stall door to get out. It was just a bizarre, funny
experience.
Advice: Don’t take yourself too seriously. When something horrible happens
just know that you will get past it. It will become a memory you will be able
to hopefully sit back and laugh at in the future. Learn from your mistakes and
move past them. Don’t hold on to the negative experiences you have; learn
from them.
College you are attending: Florida State University
Hopes for the future: I’m not sure what my future holds but I just want to
be happy. I want to find something that I’m passionate about and enjoy doing
every day.
Inspiring Quote: ” Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about
learning to dance in the rain.” -- Anonymous.
Best High School Memory: My best
high school memory has been being a
part of the Newspaper and Drama Club.
I learned that it’s about being part of a
family, and I am proud to say I am part
of two wonderful families who mean the
world to me.
Advice: High school is the road to everything else—don’t let yourself slack.
You may get senioritis, or freshmanitis,
but you can’t ever let it get in the way
of what you really want to do. You can’t
regret your future before you’ve even
started it. Work hard so you can play
hard.
College you are attending: I will be attending Florida International University
in the fall as a journalism major.
Quote: “Sometimes your circumstances
suck, but life doesn’t” – Andrew McMahon
Best High School Memory: Meeting all my close friends, I
will never forget them.
Advice: Stay on task, get everything done on time, and don’t
wait until the last minute.
College you are attending: I am attending the Art Institute of
Ft. Lauderdale
Hopes for the future: To become a famous photographer.
Quote: “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come
from or how much money you got in your pocket, you just remember that you’re a superstar and you were Born This Way,
don’t let anyone bring you down or tell you that you can’t
achieve your dreams.” -Lady Gaga.
Eliza Barrocas
Editor-In-Cheif
Selena Newell
Staff Writer
Edward Baffa
Web Editor
Best High School Memory: Going to
Sarasota with the baseball team, we went
out to see Project X and Chipotle.
Advice: Every day is an opportunity to
learn something new and improve yourself. Don’t be afraid to learn from people
you don’t know.
of South Florida
Hopes for the future: To become a lawyer.
Quote: “Don’t let what you cannot do
interfere with what you can do.”- John
Wooden
Best High School Memory: My favorite high school memory was when I delivered a ten minute speech in my debate
show case. That was when I truly gained
my confidence with public speaking.
Advice: Don’t slack on your grades, every grade counts and stay on top of your
college applications.
of Florida.
Hopes for the future: I hope to become
a physician’s assistant and eventually become a CEO of a hospital.
Quote: “Be who you are and say what
you feel because those who mind don’t
matter and those who matter don’t
mind.” -Dr. Seuss
Matthew Coolidge
Staff Writer
Best High School Memory: Way too many to
count! Becoming Editor-in Chief, becoming class
president, going to Europe, and meeting the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Advice: Capitalize on every opportunity given to
you. Dare to go achieve all of the goals you have
set for yourself. High school can be an amazing
experience if you let it.
What you will miss the most: The comfort of high
school. I loved attending a high school where the
teachers and administration knew my name…college will bring a lot of new people, experiences,
and changes.
College you are attending: University of Florida.
Hopes for the future: Major in Political Science
and attend law school to specialize in Family Law.
Quote: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt,
just how we play the hand.” –Randy Pausch
Erin Jones
Managing Editor
Adrian Tabraue
Photo Editor
Best High School Memory: Visiting
Italy, England, and France in 10th grade
with some of my good friends and every
Relay for Life event; all four years.
Advice: Always work hard on what is
important to you instead of focusing on
what is important to other people. Don’t
listen to your parents, your teachers, your
friends, or society to figure out what you
want, listen to yourself.
College you are attending: Florida International University
Hopes for the future: Graduating from
College and just being independent and
happy with my life. I hope to travel the
world, help people, and become the best
version of myself that I can possibly be.
Quote: “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be
slaves.” –Henry David Thoreau
Best High School Memory: Meeting
people that I have grown a strong friendship with that I carried throughout High
School.
Advice: Take school seriously because
you want to be stress free senior year.
College you are attending: Broward
College
Hopes for the future: My hope for the
future is to be very successful in whatever career I choose.
Quote: “If you really believe that you
can see yourself differently, then you can
affect the world around. And if you are
going to affect the world around you,
then you affect the world itself.” –Tom
Delonge
Alexandra Castillo Erica Etchechury
Fact Checker Photographer
Julia Baca
Columnist
Technology
May 2012
13
Brianna Cha-Kim
STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
Since the year 1998, Florida students have
been exposed to the FCAT. Every year
since, teachers focus the curriculum on
FCAT related material until the February/March exam rounds the corner. In the
school year of 1999-2000 the first FCAT
writes evaluation was implemented. This
Opinions about online FCAT
year was the second year FCAT was administered through an online program. The
question remains as this- does the distribution of FCAT impact the results? How do
students feel about online testing? Is it beneficial to their score, does it impact them
negatively, does it interfere with their test
performance? Here at PPCHS the sophomore class holds strong opinions.
"I felt that it really did not affect my performance whether
Ms. H.D.’s class votes:
it was on the computer or not. What really mattered was how
4 positive
well you can comprehend and analyze reading passages,” said
9 negative
Catalina Villegas.
1 neutral
"I think it will affect my results negatively due to the fact that
I usually highlight key terms and on the computer, that was obviMs. Santiago’s class:
ously impossible,” said Alexandra Lanao.
13 positive
"I think the computer helped, because I’m very computer
11 negative
friendly so it made me want to read the passage and focus at a
0 neutral
greater extent," said Adrian Mati.
14
12
10
8
Positive
Negative
6
Neutral
4
2
0
Ms. H.D.’s class
votes
Ms. Santiago’s class
Mobile Apps:
The future is calling:
The latest on Instagram One tattoo at a time
Anthony Kelleher
STAFF WRITER
Instagram is a photo sharing app
for smartphones, such as the iPhone. With
this app, you can follow your friends’ photos and share your own photos. Instagram
has an estimated 30 million users (Washington Post), with some of those users being our very own PPCHS students. Earlier this month, Facebook announced that
it bought Instagram for $1 billion dollars.
Many have wondered what this purchase
would mean for Instagram and would both
social networking sites merge together as
one company. Sophomore Raena Thelwell
thinks that “Instagram is not going to
change very much. It is going to still be
the same app and that Facebook wanted
to remove a top
social networking website.”
In a
USA Today article, Mark Zuckerberg, founder
of
Facebook,
was quoted stating “It was an
important milestone for Facebook, because
they acquired a
company that
had so many
users.” Zuckerbeg also stated,
“Not
much
will change to
the service [of
Instagram].”
This basically
means that users can still
share
photos
through Twitter
and other rival
social networking sites.
In-
stagram will be run independently from
Facebook and the two sites will not be connected. The only difference is that Instagram is owned by Facebook.
Instagram is now available for Android users and for free on the Play Store.
There are a lot of similarities to the iPhone
app, but the Android version is missing a
few things, such as the tilt-shift function
where users can zoom in to a specific part
of a photo. Also, users cannot sync Flickr
and Instagram photos on the android version of the app. Overall, Instagram is currently going through minor changes, but
nothing drastic enough that will stop the
app from living up to its standards.
Graphic By: Julian Graves
Melissa Sullivan
STAFF WRITER
It’s already old news that our generation is dependent upon technology; most
teenagers can barely even go a day without
having their phone on or with them. Something as little as missing a text or phone
call from your girlfriend/boyfriend drives
you into panic mode and you stress out.
But now, famed phone developer, Nokia,
has developed a patent so that no one will
ever miss a call or text again.
The patent describes an advanced and futuristic tattoo that will vibrate and alert a
person when their phone rings. The tattoo
is expected to be able to notify individuals
when they have an incoming phone call,
have received a text or even when their
phone is dying. The technological advancement even allows users to set their
tattoos to different vibration levels.
“It’s strange thinking of a tattoo that vibrates but at the same time it sounds like
a really good idea, no one would ever
miss a call and if they don’t want to answer
they can just lower the vibration. It might
take some time to catch on, but I think we
will be seeing these tattoos around,” says
sophomore Jonielle McDonnnough.
Since the invention of cell phones
in the 1970’s, they have come a long way.
Cell phones have changed through time,
appealing to the youth and targeted audiences. When portable phones were first released to the public, they were roughly the
size of a brick. Being extremely hefty, and
costly, low coverage was a major flaw as
well. This is nearly opposite now that we
are making our way through the twentyfirst century. Nokia’s patent is not only a
huge advancement for technology but for
the cell phone industry in itself.
Sophomore Melvin Lattimore says “My
parents have told me about their old cell
phones and how frustrating they were to
carry around. With this tattoo, that will be
a problem of the past forever. No matter
where I am, I can know I am getting a call
or text,” says Lattimore.
Cartoon By: Valeria Perez
Health
May 2012
14 There’s always something waiting
Chelsie Ramos
STAFF WRITER
Running a marathon or a track race requires you to train long and hard. However,
once you have crossed the finish line, and
completed the long journey of the race, the
recovery period begins. The recovery time
after a race is one of those iffy topics that
many studies haven’t focused on. So when
people ask how long will they are expected
to be in recovery mode, there really is no
official answer.
For some people, the recovery period
could be brief. Usually, these are the people
that have been training for a lot of races,
whether it being a marathon or a track race.
Sophomore Brittney Bruns, who is a part
of Charter’s track team, says “Honestly it
depends on the type of race that I did, and
how long it was. For my body to recover
right after a race it can be anywhere from
30 seconds to 2 minutes.” These brief recovery times are known as the short-term
recovery periods that can benefit those that
have become used to the rigorous challenge of running for that amount of time
and distance.
This time frame depends on the person
and how fit they are at the time, too. Some
coaches believe in a theory that is based
on how many miles you run and that that
amount is equivalent to the amount of time
needed for recovery
“The longer that you have been doing
these races, the more the body becomes fitter and allows it to handle more pressure.
So because of this, the recovery time, as in
behind that finish line
days, doesn’t have to equal the amount of
miles that you have run. The better shape
your body is in, the quicker that you recuperate,” says Bruns.
A major thing to remember is that whether
or not your muscles are sore, you have to
keep training and working out. If not, you
will go into a state called detraining, which
is when you won’t work out for days or
weeks after an event because your muscles
are sore. This will only cause it to become
harder for you to get back into your training mode. Continuing to work out your
body, after any type of event that causes
strenuous activity for a prolonged amount
of time, is the key to becoming fully recovered.
Whether it is that you play football, soccer, or track and field each sport requires
your body to become rejuvenated. Make
sure that once you finish whatever the activity is, just keep moving, don’t stop or sit.
Just walking allows your body to go into
its resting state. Another important thing is
to replenish your body, make sure that you
drink fluids and eat carbohydrates and proteins. Other suggestions are to take an ice
bath, which helps to decrease inflammation. All of these suggestions are important when it comes to allowing your body
to try and recuperate from the demanding
training that you might have put your body
through.
Treating your body correct is a significant
thing to remember. At the beginning when
you are just getting used to the training,
it may take more time to recover, and for
some the theory of miles to days might suit
Sleep or Safety, your choice
them. However, once your body becomes
more fit and accustomed to the training,
that amount of time will decrease. It is
these times when you will truly have to
become one with your body and see what
best suits you at that moment of time. The
crucial thing is to just be careful with what
you do and make sure you allow yourself
to recover before you do something else
that can end up hurting you.
Everyone is different in every sport: Sophmores Brittney Bruns and Andrea Gonzalez train properly for
marathons, and make sure that they find the healthy way. Photo by: Lisette Rivera
Charter students walk for Autism
Troy Bottom
NEWS EDITOR
Melissa Sullivan
STAFF WRITER
Everyone has felt that
drowsy exhausted feeling
before. Your eyelids feel like
they have ten pound weights
latched onto them, your
mind prays for sleep, and
your body is corrupted with
the thought of just relaxation. Being this tired seems
to be normal through a tough
day of school, work, etc. But
when one craves sleep this
much and enters that drowsy
state when they’re driving,
disasters may strike.
With the increasing numbers of high school students
receiving their license and
permits, plus the addition of
more homework and tests,
the proper hours of sleep
are not being reached. 8 ½
to 9 hours of sleep are recommended for high school
students. In a recent poll by
www.drivingdrowsy.org,
26% of high school students
get between 6-7 hours of
sleep a night and 29% get
less than 6 hours of sleep at
night.
Sleep or Saftey your choice: Senior Michelle Diaz demonstrates the
So what’s the seriousness constant struggle many teenagers face: falling asleep at the wheel.
of a little lack of Z’s? Recent Photo by: Carli Stander
studies have been done by
universities on the combination of sleep to sleep,” junior Wade Meade commented.
and driving, and when mixed, what the The main people at risk, according to www.
outcome is. The results were jaw-dropping. nhsta.gov, are the people working jobs that
A study done by Cambridge University re- end past 8 p.m. Other groups consist of
vealed people’s senses are more impaired young males and high school athletes. Of
when sleepy then when one is drunk. Like course one must drive to commute but it is
alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, de- highly stressed that you be extra cautious if
creases awareness, impairs judgment and you have just come from an activity requireven increases your risk of crashing. One ing strenuous physical activities.
in six traffic fatalities are a result of one “I just try and make sure I can physically
being drowsy or not fully alert due to lack drive. It’s not hard, but when you’re fatigued and cramping it can make it a little
of sleep.
“When I drive I know I better be alert and bit harder,” sophomore John Davis added.
awake. The road is so unpredictable and The truth is sleep can save your life. Withif I’m not awake or quick enough to react out enough hours of sleep, you might close
due to drowsiness, I can become a victim your eyes at the wheel and never wake up.
PPCHS is not only a
school but a tight knit
community comprised of
students, faculty, and administration. We bind together in times of need to
help any person or group
of people that may need
support and care. Through
Relay for Life, fundraising events and recently
the annual Autism walk,
Charter students and administration have come
together to help different
causes.
The annual Walk Now PPCHS walks for Autism: PPCHS students create a tight knit community,
for Autism Speaks event and volunteer at multiple events including the Autism walk this past year.
is held to help raise Photo donated by: Anne Thomas
awareness and support
According to the foundation, roughly 1
for the brain developing disorder, Autism.
Walk Now for Autism Speaks holds annual in about 54 boys and 1 in approximately
Autism walks every year with thousands of 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in
participants joining the walk for the cause. the U.S. every year. A staggering amount
PPCHS supported finding a cure and rais- of children have this disease and need the
ing awareness for autism by participating support of others. Having public fundraisin one of the many walks held nationwide ers like the walk that PPCHS students and
each year. On Saturday, April 14th sev- staff participated in, helps those with the
eral students and staff members, including disease while also providing support to
tenth grade counselor, Mrs. Thomas, par- their friends and family.
“Autism is beginning to affect too many
ticipated in the event.
“I began walking for autism about four people, we need to find a cure and put an
years ago with my friend, being that her end to it once and for all. I know a lot of
niece has autism. While walking, I would people who are affected by this disease.
see a lot of high school students and thought It needs to be put to an end, before it gets
it would be a good idea to have a PPCHS out of control,” stated sophomore Myiesha
team,” said Thomas. “It also turned out that Miller.
my middle son has Asperger’s syndrome, a
lesser form of autism. Being so, I thought Walks similar to Walk Now for Autism
provide comfort to those who
it would be great to make a team and have Speaks
need it most. If the public continues to supstudents participate in helping the cause.”
The event took place at Nova Southeast- port organizations and events like this one,
ern University. All together, the partici- the chances of finding a cure for autism
pants at the event raised $171,265. The would increase dramatically. If citizens,
proceeds of the walk will be used to aid young and old, continue to come together
funding research to help find a cause, pre- and participate with each other, they will
vention, and other treatments for different continue on the path to finding a cure for
Autism.
forms of autism.
Clubs
May 2012
15
Senior presidents shine through
their goodbyes
Angie Berkowitz
Taylor Orsini (TROOP) - It was a very
successful year in TROOP. We participated in several events this school year
and donated a large amount of money
to worthy causes. This year was also a
success because our club grew to an outstanding number of 204 members.
In the near future, I am planning on attending Either NSU or Barry University
for my college studies. I want to become
a teacher and still donate my time and
volunteer for local causes. Ultimately, I
want to be a good person and impact a
lot of people in a positive way.
Alexandra Castillo (NHS) – NHS experienced great success this school year.
We were more involved and were able to
pave the way to a better club. As president, I feel that getting kids to want to
be involved and participate in activities
was an important factor in the success
of NHS.
I am planning on attending the University of Florida (UF) in the summer. I hope
Troop President: Senior Taylor Orsini was very proud
to become a neonatal nurse and work
and happy of the successful year troop had as a club.
with newborn infants and eventually be
Photo by: Lisette Rivera
an administrator for a hospital.
Morgan Kidd (Black History Club)
school year went as well as it could have
– The Black History Club was very suc- gone, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
cessful this year. Our Black History Show- I will be attending Florida International
which occurs every year- was a great suc- University (FIU). I hope to continue to
cess and had a great turnout. We were very pursue my love for dance and join the FIU
active this school year and participated in Golden Dazzlers dance team. I also hope to
several activities which was a major goal obtain a degree in Pharmacy while studyof mine as president.
ing at FIU.
I will be attending Florida Agricultural and Justin Yeh (Science Club and Mu Alpha
Mechanical University (FAMU) to pursue Theta) - Both the Science Club and Mu Almy studies. FAMU is best known for be- pha Theta had a very successful year. This
ing a historically black college and by at- year, the Science Club visited both the Eltending this college I hope to continue to ementary and Middle Schools to teach scienrich my culture and learn more about my ence concepts to younger students. In Mu
heritage.
Alpha Theta, we had 38 new confirmed
Yanell Ordonez
(Latin Dance) –
The Latin Dance
team had a great
start this year. We
became a family and closer as
a dance team.
A great success
this year was being able to pull
it off on my own
as captain and
dance instructor.
I had to teach the
members how to
dance completely
from scratch and
it was a difficult
feat but not im- President of Black History club: Senior Morgan Kidd was estatic aabout the way
black history show turned oput this year, and the reaction of the student body here
possible.
This the
at PPCHS. Photo by: Lisette Rivera
members this year and revived the club Give A Schmidt Yogurtland Fundraiser. It
to take it to a whole new level. We also felt good to help out a family in need, esparticipated in tutoring to help the stu- pecially one that is part of our own Charter
dents in our school thrive in their stud- family.
ies. As president, I feel that my largest I am planning on attending the University
accomplishment was helping students of Florida (UF). Going into college I am
to find a passion in both the subjects of undecided on what I want to major in, but
math and science.
my main goal in college is to explore all of
I plan to attend John Hopkins College my options.
in the future. My goal is to study hard Carolyn Cesarotti (Relay for Life) – Relay
and head off to Medical school. I hope for Life had much success this school year.
to someday become either a general We received a lot of new members, and our
surgeon or ER doctor.
returning members are much more pasChristy Dunbar (GSA) – GSA was very sionate about Relay than they ever were.
successful this year. We had two ma- The Relay team also become much closer
jor fundraisers this year- the Hallow- and become more of a family this year.
een and Valentine’s Day dance- which I’m planning on attending the University
were great contributors to our success. of Florida (UF) to continue my educational
Our main event- Day of Silence- also studies. While in college I want to major in
added to our club’s success. We had International Studies. I hope to travel the w
guest speakers
come speak to
students and
open the eyes
of several on
the issue at
hand. I feel
that as president I have a
larger impact
on my school
by raising my
voice and getting
others to raise their
voices as well.
I plan on attending either Broward College (BC)
or Florida Gulf
Coast University
(FGCU) and study
to become a band
director. In the fuRelay for Life Presidents: Twins Anna and Caroline Cesarotti were extremley
ture I also hope to pleased with the way the relay for life event turned out this year of 2012.
create and be a part Photo by: Lisette Rivera
of a GSA at the
school I work at.
Amora Hannah (Dance Team) - This year orld and have the dream to join the Peace
was a very successful year. The Dance Corps.
Team participated in several events includ- Julia Baca (Relay for Life) – This year was
ing the Black History Show, Mr. Jag, Pep a very successful year for Relay for Life.
Rally, Eighth Grade Orientation and the We came very close to reaching our goal
Dancing for a Cause event. As captain of of the amount of money we wanted to raise
the team the most important thing I accom- this year. I was glad that I was able to teach
plished was mixing two different dance the underclassmen this year how to run Regroups and dance styles together to form lay for Life and help to make the club what
one.
it is today, and what it will soon be in the
In the future I will be attending Florida future.
International University (FIU). I want to I’m planning on attending Florida Internacontinue to dance in college and join FIU’s tional University (FIU) in the fall. I hope to
dance team. I also want to study the field graduate college successfully and explore
of nursing and pursue a career in becoming different professions.
a nurse.
Anna Cesarotti (Relay for Life) – It was
a very successful year for Relay For Life.
We were very successful in promoting the
Weather can’t stop Relay For Life’s mission
Anthony Kelleher
STAFF WRITER
On April 20th 2012, members of Relay for
Life participated in the annual Relay event
that they have been anticipating and planning for all year. This event takes place in
Walter C. Young Middle School’s track and
field. Relay for Life Teams from all over
Pembroke Pines gather around and stay for
the duration of 18 hours to raise awareness
and money for American Cancer Society.
“I feel Relay for Life is a great club here
at PPCHS and the event is a great way to
bring money for cancer research,” says
sophomore and member of Relay for Life
Fabiola Moleiro
The event is open to the public from 5:00
pm until 11:00 pm and then the only people allowed to stay overnight are the Relay
team members. Relay for Life teams in the
Pembroke Pines are welcome and each
stand represents a part of the theme of Relay for Life. This year’s theme was “It Takes
a City” and each team was a part of the city.
Unfortunately due to inclement weather,
the overnight portion of Relay for Life was
canceled and the event was moved to the
gym and ended at 11 pm.
Team Captains Anna and Carolyn Cesarotti both felt that “Even though the weather canceled the overnight portion, our team
tried to make the best of it and we had fun.
Also, the event might be rescheduled so we
will see what the future holds.”
The weather may have cancelled the event,
but the rain didn’t put a damper on the students’ attitude. Determined to put an end
to cancer, these Relay for Lifers will stop at
nothing to spread the awareness.
Realy for life: fellow member of Relay for life Fabiola Moleiro talks about the importance of raising money for cancer research. Photo By: Gabriela Cabeza
Columns
May 2012
16
Senior Goodbyes
Thankful for Charter experiences, now to start the next journey
Eliza Barrocas EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As I sit at my computer desk to
write this “Senior Farewell,” I still cannot believe that I am only days away
from graduating. I was always that
one girl who couldn’t wait to graduate.
Now that this is finally my reality, all
I want is for the next few days to just
come to a screeching halt. It has finally
hit me that in a matter of two months, I
will have a whole new life, completely
outside of my comfort zone. It has fi-
nally hit me that I will be lucky enough
to keep in touch with at least 10 of the
people that I’ve been in school with
since fourth grade. It has finally hit me
that some of my best friends are now
officially turning into my biggest college rivals. It has finally hit me that I
will no longer be a part of the Pembroke Pines Charter High School family.
PPCHS has offered me a plethora of
Anjali Talwar
Clubs Editor
I started out as a student with interests lying in
the field of Media Productions, Web Designing
and anything that allowed me to have a camera in my hands. I came from a private school
where opportunities were there but, I was never
encouraged to reach for them. I stepped into
PPCHS in February of my freshman year. I
was nervous, terrified and shy because I was a
new student in a school where I did not know a
soul. I got through the rest of my freshman year
with good grades and some friends, but the façade I had put up for being shy never melted. I
thought that if I did not talk I would get through
this horrifying high school experience, taken
right out of the movies. Then sophomore year
began. I signed up for a class that I believed
was the closest thing I could find to media productions offered at the school: Journalism 1. I
was practically the only sophomore in the class
and I was still getting used to the whole PPCHS
atmosphere. I started to get to know people,
and that class is the reason why I have so many
wonderful friends today.
I am truly blessed that destiny compelled me
to take this class and stick with it. As I write
this farewell, tears roll down. I peer over the
classroom looking at all my writers, my friends,
my newspaper family. I truly believe that this
class is more than what we take it to be. I have
developed skills in this class that are going to
assist me in my future. What I always thought
to be my least favorite thing to do, writing, is
now my favorite thing to do. I always hated
writing papers, but after coming into Newspaper I have established myself and my writ-
phenomenal experiences and opportunities. From being class president and
a Jaguar Ambassador to meeting Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and
having an article published on Congressman Alcee Hastings’ website, I
have been given amazing opportunities
here at PPCHS. One of the experiences
that I am most thankful for is being part
of the CHAT newspaper staff. Newspaper has been such a large and influential part of my high school career. I
will miss walking in to both Mr. Fagen
and Mr. Simon’s class room and feeling like I am at my home away from
home. The thought of parting from the
familiarity and comfort that I feel when
I walk into the Newspaper and Digital
Publishing classes is definitely pulling
on my heartstrings.
The summer before freshman year,
I anxiously logged on to my Virtual
Counselor account to see what classes would make up my freshman year
schedule. Considering it was my first
year in high school, I was sure that
my schedule would make or break my
year. I logged on to find that I had been
placed in Mr. Fagen’s 1st Period Journalism I class. Mind you, this was a
class I had not put on my course selection sheet and was a class that I certainly had no interest in. I quickly began to
panic and I was already certain that the
next year was going to be the longest
one I would ever have to endure. As if
my nerves about starting a high school
weren’t enough, when I arrived to Mr.
Fagen’s class on the first day of freshman year, my stomach was doing summersaults, my heart was pacing, and I
felt like I was on the verge of fainting.
Four years later, I am currently finishing my year as Editor-in-Chief of the
CHAT and I can honestly say that be-
ing part of the newspaper staff was one
of the most fulfilling experiences of my
academic career. This class taught me
what it is like to be part of a team. Not
only did I get the experience to work
with a number of people and personalities, it also gave me the chance to
develop lasting friendships and bonds.
Furthermore, this position has allowed
me to develop personally. Freshman
year, I was shy, reserved, and just trying to get through the year without attracting any attention. If someone were
to ask me what I would be like senior
year, I never would have thought that I
would be in charge of the high school’s
newspaper. The time management,
organization, and responsibilities involved with being Editor-in-Chief allowed me to become a better leader,
communicator, student, and person.
I am now on the brink of closing the
high school chapter and moving on to
a completely new chapter in the story
that is my life. This summer, I will
be attending the University of Florida
with plans to major in Political Science and hopefully attend law school
after receiving my undergraduate degree. Although I am feeling just as, if
not more, nervous and anxious as I felt
the summer before my freshman year
of high school, I truly believe that the
experiences I have had here at PPCHS
have prepared me to move on to the
next phase of my education. Although
I may have some regrets, just like most
people do, I have embraced my high
school years as years definitely well
spent. I can confidently say that with
my nerves aside, I am feeling ready,
ambitious, and excited to take everything I have learned in high school and
apply them to my college career.
Erin Jones
Managing Editor
leaving high school,
“ I’m
but all the lessons and
experiences I’ve been
fortunate enough to
have are forever a part
of me.
ing skills. Newspaper has allowed me to gain
confidence in myself and make friends with
students, teachers, and administrators all over
PPCHS. The reason why I can interview freely,
talk to people without any hesitation now is
because Newspaper compelled me to go out
into the real world, move beyond the classroom
and see a side of myself that was always hiding
in the dark. When you ask anyone today, they
would describe me as loud, crazy and talkative.
If you would have spoken to anyone freshman
or beginning of my sophomore year they would
have said the complete opposite. I believe that
whatever happens to us in life happens for the
best. We are placed where we belong! I want
to truly thank everyone who ever had a hand
in my success. As I pack my bags and gear up
to go to Florida State University, starting on a
pre-med track with a minor in communications,
I want to take everything I have learned and
maybe one day show up on CNN as the new
DR. Sanjay Gupta!
”
It’s all said and done, it’s been
real, and it’s been fun
I remember walking into my first third
period newspaper class as a scared little
freshman unsure of what this experience
would bring me. Four years later I’m about
to embark on another journey. I must admit
I’m a bit scared and very unsure of what I
will face in the road ahead but I’m slightly
more confident than I was four years ago.
High school has taught me so much but
newspaper has specifically given me experiences that have made me a better person.
Who else can say they got to tell the story
of a boy who narrowly escaped death?
Who else can say that they got to tell the
story about the end of a major high school
tradition or the beginning of a new one? I
was able to experience so many things by
connecting with so many people. I’m going to miss the security of high school, being surrounded by the warmth of friends,
and having a routine I have gotten pretty
used to. However, I am so ready to continue my journey in life. I’m leaving high
school, but all the lessons and experiences
I’ve been fortunate enough to have are
forever a part of me. I’ve enjoyed writing
stories about others but now I’m ready to
begin writing my own.

YOGO: You Only Graduate Once Pages 6 -7

Transcription

Similar documents

View Promo - St. Michael`s Health Group

and print our poster!

www.mikes-music.com

MySQL DB Editor Documentation

2009-2010 Facts

The History of Middle Eastern Dance, Part 1.

Parent Newsletter

Andre Rieu concert_17Sep14

Community Workers Paper Dolls

Agulia, Johnny 2014, 5