10101 SW 152 Street Miami, FL 33157October 2007 Volume 11 Issue 1

BAITLINE Get Ho ked

Coral Reef Sr. High School

said Legal senior, Eva Facundo. IB Freshman, Diamone Scott, described it as “different and fun.” On the negative side, Agriscience and Engineering sophomore, Caroline Ramos complained that she couldn’t hear the announcers, which lessened her enjoyment. She also lamented the lack of organization. On the extreme end of the scale, Agriscience and

Engineering junior, David Perez, commented that ‘last year’s pep rallies were WAY better,’ and that he missed hearing the band playing the FSU war chant. On a whole, the pep rally can be considered a success. It brought out school spirit and encouraged a sense of unity that encompassed the entire student body and extended to the staff. We felt like one, we felt like CUDAS!

More pep in this year’s pep rally?

By: Michelle PorterStaff Writer

The week leading up to the first pep rally of the 2007-2008 school year was full of hype. Every day the crew of CRTV Live would pump it up and try to get everyone excited for the upcoming pep rally. The CRTV Live crew spoke so enthusiastically of the surprises and new additions that would thrill the student body, that when it was time for the pep rally, the school was buzzing with excitement. The minds of all of the students were filled with anticipation when the fifth period bell rang on Wednesday, August 29.Activities were varied in the carnival-like setting. Outside, there was a dunk tank which boasted the unsinkable Mr. Menache as one of its ‘dunkees.’ For the brave at heart there was rock climbing and bungee racing. For the less adventurous a bounce house and

an inflatable slide beckoned lazily in the distance. The tank was ‘blacked out’ as the inimitable Coral Reef Barracuda Band struck up electrifying beats that sent sparks through the most lackluster of students. On the upperclassmen side of the tank, the seniors rocked out in their homemade ’08 crowns. What about the Cudettes and the new Kuda Krew? They definitely contributed to the intensity of the pep rally and gave us a glance on the many great performances to come. The atmosphere was charged as Coral Reef’s Cuda made his grand entrance and danced to the cheers and shouts of delight from the audience. Feelings towards the “new and improved” pep rally were mixed. Many of the upper classmen – mostly seniors – felt like this pep rally was the best one that we have had in the past four years. “I have never had so much fun at a pep rally! The mascot was AMAZING and everybody was just getting crunk!”

By: Elyse MercadoOpinions Editor

This year marked Coral Reef’s tenth year of education and dedication to greatness. It first opened it’s doors in August of 1997 and has been educating young minds ever since. Celebrating 10 years of academic achievement and thousands upon thousands of hours of community service, Coral Reef High School threw a “Birthday Bash” for all 3,000+ students and staff. Activities included rock climbing, a bounce-house slide, human slingshot competitions, popcorn, cotton candy, and a teacher dunk tank. Not to mention a kickoff to this year with a massive pep rally in which ‘Cudas received their “birthday present,” a brand new Barracuda mascot named Barry paid for by our very own principal Mrs.. Adrianne Leal. “You guys have worked

Coral Reef celebrates its 10th anniversaryso hard, and when you work hard, I work hard to make sure you have a great time,” said Leal. Activities Director Vicky Martinez was the coordinator behind it all with help from her student staff. “I told her what I wanted and she gave it her all,” says Leal of Mrs.. Martinez. It took her several weeks to plan and organize the entire bash but the staff and students all think it was well worth it. Appreciation poured in from all over as the whole school, minus only 13 students, wore black as requested. “I thought it was cool. It was a great gift from the administration to the student body after ten years of hard work,” says Legal Senior Julio Rodriguez. What Julio enjoyed most was the rock climbing and watching his teachers get soaking wet from the dunk tank. “And the energy of the pep rally was amazing. I’m glad we finally got a mascot after four years. I think it will boost our school spirit.”

“The pep rally was intensive,” says IB Senior Yasmin Chebbi. She enjoyed the dancing of not only the cheerleaders but the Cudettes and Cuda Flava as well. “Everyone looked like they had their act together. It flowed very well.” “I felt good because not everyone gets to participate in the celebration our school’s ten year anniversary. When I was dancing in front of the crowd, I felt comfortable, it felt as if I was at home,” says Legal Junior, and member of Cuda Flava, Chiedozie Okafor. “Hopefully the next years will be even bigger and better.” In addition to the music and dancing, the Reef took time to give special mention to the following staff members for ten successful years as the “original crew”: Colette S. Stemple, Jose L. Sardon, Ronald J. Beck, Hector Gonzalez, Anamaria Mederos, Charles J. Singleton, Arnelle Tompkins, Laura C. Fink, Marion L. Hanks,

Martha Y. Cabrera, Elisa E. Merly, Julia M. Molina, Ana M. De La Maza, Shari B. Lichtiger, Marilyn Stephens Franklyn, Rebecca Santalo, Nancy H. Adams, Larry Floyd, Michele F. Patterson, Warren K. Zucker, Ileana L. Valdes and Robin L. Sarantos. The school, in a sense, also received another birthday gift. Mrs. Leal and Assistant Principal Ileana L. Valdes attended the Miami-Dade County School Board meeting on Wednesday, September 5, where Coral Reef Senior High School was recognized as the only high school in the county to be designated a “Five Star School.” The award is a symbol of achievement and acknowledges CRHS and its exemplary community involvement. The Reef achieved 100% of the criteria in the categories of Business Partnerships, Family Involvement, Volunteers, Student Community Service and School Advisory Councils.

M r s . V a l d e s compiled a portfolio which is on display in the school. Mrs. Leal received a certificate from the MDCPS Board and a colorful banner which is displayed with great pride in the Reef courtyard. “It’s been a really long time,” says Charnele Maxwell, a sophomore in the Medical Academy. “ M y b r o t h e r was class of ’04 and we’ve just come really far.” Indubitably, Coral Reef will continue to progress to such heights as never seen before.

A new shade of black in the tank

The crowd goes wild as the pep rally roars into full swing.

““The energy from the crowd gives me more energy for mysel f . Its a fun experience and I love doing it.”- A l e x A n g l a d e

Page 10Summer Movies

Page 6-7Spirit Week

Shooting for 10 more years of excellence

2 NewsCoral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

This year, Coral Reef is celebrating its 10th anniversary but not as an A School. As many heard over the summer, Coral Reef’s “grade rank,” was demoted from an “A,” to a “B.” A shocking change indeed, considering Coral Reef has been an “A” school for five consecutive years. Coral Reef’s school grade history has changed over the years, from a “C” in the 1998-1999 school year continuing in an upward grade. During the 2001-2002 school year Coral Reef began its excellence as an “A” school. However, a dramatic change occurred during the 2006-2007 scores. The logic behind Coral Reef becoming a “B” school is strictly mathematics. Coral Reef reduced in

rank not because too many people failed the FCAT but because there was not enough improvement in the lowest quartile, or lowest 25% of the students. Compared to other schools however, Coral Reef’s lowest quartile does not consist of only students scoring below satisfactory it also contains students with passing scores. The grading system used only by Florida changed this year. Pupils not only needed to pass but needed to improve, specifically the lowest scoring 25%. Shockingly, the number of students that didn’t improve was staggering low. Many teachers question the change in the format of the grading system. “The grading system needs to be re-evaluated because it is misleading,” states tenth grade Geometry

teacher Mrs. Robinson. “Check again, check again, that can’t be right!” said principal Adrienne Leal. Leal’s initial reaction to the news was shocking. Surprisingly though she has come to terms with our score and is now focused on getting it improved for the next school year rather

then dwelling over it now. Tenth Grade English teacher Mrs. De Tuya was more disappointed than anything. She felt like “everyone was prepared for the test but a number of different factors could

have come into play.” The student body also has their own opinion on CR becoming a “B” school. Ashley Schmelkin, Junior in VPA feels indifferent about the recent demotion. “Coral Reef is no less of a school because of some stupid letter,” Schmelkin said. “Kids

are still taking AP and Honors level courses and we are still top ranked in the U.S. That stupid letter means nothing!” Other students however, more so seniors, are concerned about the effects of

having graduated from a “B” school. “Colleges look at that kind of stuff,” says Jocelyn Ramos, Senior in the Medical Academy. “I just thought it would look better if my transcripts said I graduated from an “A” school.” According to faculty and Staff interviewed, there

are several new measures being taken to improve test scores this year. All students, including Upperclassmen that received a one or two in reading are being placed in an Intensive Reading course.

B School BluesCoral Reef Senior High School ...Ten years of excellence?

In addition, any 12th or 11th graders that did not pass the FCAT have mandatory Saturday morning tutoring, not yet open to 9th or 10th graders. Lastly and most importantly, all of English, History, Science and Academy teachers are working together; all of them are “intertwined,” meaning they will all be cooperatively teaching necessary test preparation as well working on individual weaknesses. So how can Coral Reef become once again an “A” school”? The criterion of last year still applies. Thus meaning that if our lowest scoring quartile does not improve we will automatically be lowered a whole letter grade. Of course, students must initially get a satisfactory score on the test! The pressure ultimately lies within the 9th and 10th graders. These students ultimately determine if Coral Reef will redeem its status, or sink into the status quo…but no pressure right?!

Dear Students, Each year, a theme is chosen for Coral Reef. This year, as we celebrate our tenth birthday, our theme is appropriately “Shooting for Ten More Years of Excellence.” Our school is unlike any other in Miami-Dade County, and I, for one, feel extremely fortunate to be here. Where else can 3000 high school students eat lunch together every day without incident? Where else can students with such diverse interests and abilities work together to accomplish so much and reach goals that for so many are unattainable? As ‘Cudas, we should ap-preciate the opportunities that we’ve been afforded, never taking for granted the school that will help to mold our characters and that will be molded by us. Your character, the respect that you show for others,

and the decisions that you make will have a far greater impact than you can imag-ine. The desire to excel and the culture of learning and achievement that exists here help to set us apart. As we move forward into this school year, wear the teal, silver, and black proudly! As you sing the alma mater, understand that you and your fellow stu-dents are leaving footprints for others to follow. Tradi-tions are made over time, and you are an important part of the process. Enjoy your time at Coral Reef – immerse yourself in the experience of a lifetime, but don’t loose site of your goals. Our expectations for your success are great, and I am confident that we will not be disappointed. Help us to make this the best school year ever at Coral Reef, and remember –If you’re not a ‘Cuda, you are ‘Cuda bait!!!

Letter from LealRegarding our decade

of dilligence

By: Bryan HerbertStaff Writer

All Work and No Fun?Students balance employment and education

Students have already experienced fatigue within the first week of school. Heads down in class, sloppy homework, dark circles and bags under their eyes. No, its not senioritis yet. It’s the responsibility of a part time job. Summer brings along many excitements: no school, vacations, time at the beach, hanging with friends, and the occasional summer laboring. Most stu-dents receive their first jobs by landing a part time sum-mer job. Most high school students obtain their first jobs during the summer, but there are concerns that keeping the job throughout the school year may result in a confusion of priorities, an increase of stress and an unnecessary additional hassle. But having a job isn’t always something to dread, (well, that de-pends on where you work) working can be fun when meeting new people, gain-ing experience in a field in which (hopefully) you de-sire to be and getting paid! However, jobs can be very demanding, especially going into your senior year. It is difficult to balance the typical demands and deadlines that contribute to our usual senior stress and maintain successful performance at job without becoming overwhelmed. Senior year is by far the most finnancially demand-

ing year of your four years of high school. A universal burden of costly propor-tions is shared by all seniors alike, what with senior ob-ligations, academic fees, homecoming and prom

tickets, and if you’re lucky, a car. Therefore, you must find someway to pay for it, unless you’re fortunate enough to have parents who give you a weekly allow-ance; for others giving up a few hours a night during the week and weekend fun is the only choice to earn money. But are students making a bigger sacrifice than they think? How much does working affect school performance? With AP and honors classes, extra cur-ricular activities and not to mention college applica-tions, how much can stu-dents effectively balance? During the past two or three decades, there has been an immense increase of students entering the work force. Today part time employment is very

common amongst high school students. Yet labor force studies have shown that there is a small nega-tive effect of employment on student’s academic achievements. The con-

nection that work affects student performance has been discontinued by most studies. However, how much can students here at the Reef really handle? “Trying to manage AP classes, rehearsal for drama everyday, and working as a hostess at PF Changs on the weekends is no piece of cake. It has taught me how important time manage-ment is. It gets really stress-ful sometimes, because I can’t even find time to re-lax on the weekends, but it’s completely worth it on pay day!” said Tiffany Mi-lakovich a senior in VPA. Working five hours a day, maintaining grades and balancing extra curricular activities and home life has a tendency to add up, and the potential to overwhelm.

Business Senior Vanessa Farrell, a Hollister employ-ee of the Falls, describes how work can sometimes interfere with school. “I work five hours a day after school at least twice a week, and also on weekends. My classes are challenging when it comes to homework, but they are never over bear-ing. Working during the week can leave me pretty tired, especially if I have to work late hours. Tak-ing care of everything can be hectic and some-times when it comes to school I can be exhausted. However, I’ve learned to manage my time wisely to get my priorities done.” Medical Senior Brittany Guy, also an employee of Hollister at Sunset says that handling work and school can be difficult at times, but can handle everything efficiently. “It’s a task to be prompt when completing home-work, because there is no room to procrastinate.” Beside the exhaustion from working, it has been shown that working builds character amongst stu-dents. Working also gives students responsibilities that can further them in the future. Having a job isn’t important for stu-dents to obtain, but if em-ployed it is important to be able to maintain a good performance in school and organization of priorities.

Brittany GuySENI

RO

“ It’s a task to be prompt with homework, because there is no

room to procrastinate.”

By: Jennifer RoweNews Editor

3News Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

Homecoming, senior breakfast, grad bash, prom, graduation; there’s so much going on throughout the senior year, it’s almost impos-sible to think about all the upcoming events without getting excited. But it’s unbelievably important that seniors know how to balance grades, fun and the dreaded college applications. “Seniors think it’s a life or death situation, they have their hearts set on a certain school, when in reality, if you’re prepared, you have a better picture and thus realize how many op-tions you have,” says CAP Advisor Mrs. Harper.

The best way to handle senior year while si-m u l t a n e o u s l y enjoying your-

self AND preventing a full-blown meltdown is to stay on top of things. So take a deep breath, put all your preconceived notions of the application process aside and prepare to be relieved. Mrs. Harper alleviates the college frenzy with five simple, easy to follow steps:

1.Do an interest inventory on yourself to de-termine which schools are right for you.2.Organize a folder of schools you’re inter-ested in, make sure it includes important in-formation such as deadlines, financial aid information and admission requirements.3.Take college admission exams, make sure to give both the SAT and ACT a shot, it has been proven that a student will do substantially better on one or the other.4.Check your school e-mail. (Mrs. Harper is constantly sending updates about your scholarship opportunities)5.Start early. Start early. Did I mention to start early? Anyone can start getting ready, whether it’s through research, prepatory classes, or juts talk-ing to your counselor; there is never a wrong time for college preparation. “Coral Reef is such a nurturing school, because they invest so much effort and time into their students, we try to make this whole process as bearable as possible and do as much as we can so that the students don’t be-come too overwhelmed,” said Mrs. Harper, “I’m

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!Seniors struggle to find a balance By: Tatiana McInnisA&E Editor

The Dreaded 3 Letter AcronymsThe ABC’s of the SATBy: Alexa WattsSpotlight Editor

With college soon approaching, high school students often feel the pressure to ob-tain high SAT and ACT scores. These standard-ized, comprehensive exams are designed to test students’ intellec-tual ability. However, years of controversy have questioned valid-ity of these exams and it has been proven that they are not entirely accurate by any means. Despite the fact that some may be extreme-ly smart, those who are not good test-takers unfortunately suffer. Even though extra-curricular activities still maintain a promi-nent role in regards to college requirements, the SAT and ACT scores are still consid-ered determining fac-tors in the application

process. It is vital that students are aware of the obligation they are responsible for, as col-lege should be priority for all. The SAT used to stand for “Scho las t i c Assessment Test” but due to notorious circumstances in 1997, the acronym no longer repre-sents anything for admis-sions. The new Sat range is out of a 2400 scale where students test in three aca-demic subjects: math, reading, and writing. In each section you are capable of acquiring a total of 800 points. The average national scores for 2006 were: Critical Reading-503, Math-518, and Writing-497.

The ACT ranges from 1 to 36 and the exam is split up into 4 sec-tions: English, Math, Reading, and Science with an optional writ-

ing section (which is required for most schools). The average national composite score was 20.9. Al-though these numbers are representative of how the typical student does, more competi-

The Balancing Act- Students struggle to balance school activities and their grades.

Study, Study, Study- Hopes of getting high scores cause many students to study for the ACT/SAT when ever possible

and test accordingly. Most schools that oblige SAT II’s tend to ask for 2 subject and the scoring rang-es from 200-800 just like the regular SAT. In order to take these tests, you can sign up for the SAT online at Collegeboard.com and the ACT at ACT.org. Classes are available at UM, FIU as well as the Princeton Review class and other online sources. If classes are not convenient for you, there are also pri-vate tutors if the mon-

ey is available or you can simply go to the local bookstore, buy the practice books and study on your own. Ultimately, it is ex-tremely important to take these tests serious-ly as they help colleges and universities get a general idea of you scholastic potential. specific. The ACT, on the other hand, stands for American College Test.” Most colleges and universities accept either of the two tests

tive collegesand universities re-quire higher scores. Both exams take about 4 hours to complete and can be taken as many

times as d e s i r e d . H o w e v -er, 2 to 3 times is sufficient for most. T e s t i n g is most c o m m o n for 11th and 12th graders as most ap-plications are due by D e c e m -ber/Janu-ary of your se-

nior year. SAT II’s, also known as Subject Tests, are required for certain schools as well. The student is able to choose their stron-gest academic subject anywhere for Chemis-try to Spanish to Math,

here to help you, and don’t mind at all if you stop by to relieve your stress or ask questions.” Some seniors, IB senior Tara Fatmi, are putting Mrs. Harper’s advice to good use. “It’s all a matter of time management, once you have that down, you can pull off many different activities and not even worry too much about college,” said Tara. Everyone has an opportunity to attend their dream college, you just have to make sure you’re aware of everything going on and remember that is no such thing as “too early” in terms of col-lege. Just get organized, learn what you need to do and schedule an appointment with either your counselor or Mrs. Harper. “Do not, and

repeat, do not put anything off until the last moment! You will regret it, and you’ll end up overwhelmed with no other option than to set-tle, and risk their dreams,” says Mrs. Harper. Seniors, juniors, and even underclassmen—don’t freak out about college. If you remem-ber these tips; stay organized, stay aware, stay open and start early, you won’t get swept away with the current of unnecessary stress, stay on track and remember, enjoy your senior year!

Michael Martinez

“College applicationsmake me want to

enroll in a community college.”

M.R. Interiors Inc.Magita Rojas8431 S.W. 100 Street

Miami, Florida 33156

(305)525-4494 Fax: (305)273-0036magitalrojas@aol.com

Opinions

In this generation, weight gain among teenagers has continued to increase, with 15% being classified as obese. Due to this epidemic in the United States, many government and school officials are making de-cisions that affect all the teenagers in public schools. Looking in vending ma-chines, you no longer see the sodas or the variety of candy that once included M&Ms and Snickers. Schools are trying to make the decision. Teenagers should be taught to make the healthy choice and be intro-duced to a healthy diet that can be continued at home. Schools all over the Unit-ed States are eliminating the opportunity for teenag-ers to eat candy and soda at school, ultimately adding to the temptation and mak-ing them want it more. Ni-cole Escalante, a senior in the IB academy, says, “not being able to eat the candy I’m craving at the moment, makes me want it even more and causes me to eat more of it when I get home.” The

increase in over-weight teenagers is a problem that needs to be addressed, not by eliminating the food that are unhealthy for you, but by teaching teenagers how to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Schools are also under scrutiny for the lack of students’ participating in physical education classes and the fact that physical education is no longer man-datory every year. Schools should not require a student to take a physical educa-tion course if it is against their will. Students should not be forced to change their lifestyle; they should want to change their life-style and be concerned about their health without being forced. If there is no initiative by the student, schools can not change the direction in which teenagers in this country are going. By eliminating the ability to choose between healthy and unhealthy, teenagers are unable to acquire healthy habits and just wait to eat junk food at home or after school. Obesity, in general, is caused by the inactive lifestyle that the teenag-ers of this generation have adapted to, often choosing

to sit in front of the TV or computer rather than go out-side and exercise. Teenag-ers would rather sit at home playing videogames or go-ing on the computer rather than being outside and exercising. By enjoying an hour of exercise a day, the

Obesity among teenagersAre schools to blame?

number of overweight teen-agers in this country would dramatically decrease. This lack of activity is some-thing that schools can not fix. Teenagers need to become aware of the con-sequences of the choices they are making and de-

cide to take actions. It’s time for teenagers to take responsibility, put down the cheeseburgers, and take up an active lifestyle. If not, who knows. By the time this country finds a proper way to fix this prob-lem, it may be too late.

By: Annie QuintanaNews Editor

Surely you’ve heard by now, about some random kids getting deported. Well actually they aren’t just any kids. Juan and Alex Go-mez were rudely awakened on the morning of July 25th from their Miami homes to be told they were being taken away. Yes, I said Miami. We’re all well aware of the giant cultural melting pot that Miami is nowa-days. In fact it’s hard to go very far with-out being asked to translate something into Spanish. So if our community has managed so well to assimilate to the influx of minori-ties what’s wrong with one more family? The issue is weak US immigration laws. By “weak” I in no way mean to advocate harsher border controls that keep our coun-try for the few, the proud, and the strictly American. Rather, what I mean here is un-clear and poorly reasoned immigration laws. Even Lou Dobbs, CNN reporter and a man who’s words America takes seriously said,

Youthful DreamThe Dream ActBy: Fabienne ElieNews Editor

Vending Machine Frequent Buyer- Most students pass over the 100 carlorie snacks to purchase the Doritos, unbaked please!

“There’s no question that there should be an exception made. The issue here is what is going to be the policy of the

United States? The immigration policy is a disaster.” Why does this matter to you? Well aside from being an astute and in-formed student, this issue should hit close to home seeing as the spearheads of this campaign to keep Juan and Alex Gomez home are students just a few years older than all of us. Joanna Perdomo and Mau-ricio Perez-Rosas, both Alumni of Coral Reef Senior High School, got together with a few other close friends of Juan and put their education to some good use. Regardless of whether these students suc-ceed or not their campaign serves as a great symbol and reminder for those of us almost ready to step out on our own. A warning to men and women alike that there is a burning strength in our younger generations that just needs to be focused to become a powerful force in the political world. Fortunately I was able to get in touch with two of Juan’s friends and co-conspir-ators behind the Dream Act campaign, Jo-anna Perdomo and Mauricio Perez-Rosas.

After chatting with them for a bit they con-fessed that their road to recognition wasn’t exactly simply paved with welcoming arms. “When we were stuck in the Philadelphia airport at 2:00 AM about to board a two hour bus to DC, where we would lobby in Congress on no sleep I definitely thought, ‘Joanna, what have you gotten yourself into?’” said Perdomo, “But I don’t think any of us ever looked back or though twice about what we were doing. No matter how much negative response or doubt we en-countered, we remained wholly devoted and motivated and truly realized that, even at 18, we had the power, the will, and the right to change legislation and fight for Juan.” Though Perez-rosas did refer to himself and his fellow advocates as “na-ïve, arrogant, recent high school gradu-ates” he admitted, “when told going to DC to lobby for this issue ‘might’ be a good idea, we didn’t take that lightly.” Essen-tially, the outcome of their efforts has yet to be definitive. Hopes are still high and immigrants everywhere are holding their breath. It’s up to us to fight for the rights of those who have been thus far neglect-ed- age does not a good lobbyist make.

““Both the

s c h o o l s and the famil ies are [to blame].On T.V. they portray the bad foods as being great to eat and fun

because they associate them with games and p o p u l a r c a r t o o n characters.

““VPA JUNIOR

CHANEL NUNEZ

Making the Dream a Reality:

Getting Involved For those of you already interested in helping the cause but not knowing where to start here is everything you’ll need to get involved. When you have a chance check-out the website: www.ActOnADream.net. On this site you’ll find everything you need from your local senators phone number and/or email, to addresses to send donations to help fund the campaign. There’s also start up materials to get Dream Act Clubs started across the nation. Hopefully you paid spe-cial attention on club day where our very own Ellie Harrington, a senior in the IB program, was working hard at getting the ball rolling in our school. You can fight for a cause right from school. For those of you lucky few who drive to school, great bumper stickers and other advocacy ma-terials are available for downloading. You don’t need to “act out” on your own either, above all, this dream is about cooperating. Gather your friends, family, and any espe-cially influential connections to help you. After all, Juan did not achieve all the politi-cal acclaim he has on his own, it took some very dedicated and concerned friends.

4Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

5Opinions Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

Co-Editors-in-ChiefElyse MercadoJennfier Rowe

Business ManagerDiego FernandezOpinions EditorElyse MercadoNews Editors Fabienne ElieAnnie QuintanaJennifer RoweSubmerge Yourself EditorElyse MercadoA&E EditorTatiana McInnis

Sports Editor Sheila StanleySpotlight Editor Alexa WattsTech EditorSheldon DearrHigh TideJennifer Rowe

Staff Writers Janee BrownSheldon DearrFabienne EliDiego FernandezBryan HerbertSamantha HeskeyAnya Kaplan

Tatiana McInnisElyse MercadoMichelle PorterAnnie QuintanaAndrea RodriguezRaziela RodriguezJennifer RoweSheila StanleyElizabet TorrentsAnthony TorresAlexa Watts

Guest ArtistFernando Rosales

Bait Line2007-2008 Staff BaitLine is an open forum and the official publication of Coral Reed Senior High School. The BaitLine’s goal is to practice journalistic integrity, reliability and responsibility. I n fo r m at i o n a b o u t s u b m i t t i n g a d s c a n b e o b t a i n e d b y v i s i t i n g Mrs. Mitchell- SAntiago in room 305. The art ic les inc luded with in th is newspaper are views of the students of Coral Reef and the BaiLine staff. The views do not necessarily reflect those of Coral Reef’s faculty and staff. Letters to the editor are appreciated and can be delivered to room 305 or placed in the mailbox of Cheri Mitchell-Santiago. All letters submitted may be condensed or edited for grammar and spell ing. Libelous material will not be printed.

Although many of us would have prob-ably loved to have spent a little more time at the beach or visiting with family and friends, we are glad to say welcome back to the Reef for another academic year full of possibilities. This year our Baitline staff of editors would like to try something new. We are doing our best to redesign the newspaper giving it a complete makeover. We’re striving to put in articles of more interest, graphics to catch your eyes and only the best information to inform of the is-sues that surround Coral Reef and our world. We’d like to take some time to mention to the freshmen who don’t already know and the other lower classmen who might not either, that we’d love to hear your opinion. Whether it’s about an article or just the paper in general, e-mails can be sent to Elyse Mercado and Jennifer Rowe, this year’s Co-Editors-in Chiefs. Also, another feature we offer is being a guest writer for an issue. We all feel passionate on one topic or another, whether it’s a news piece, tech, or an opinion, if you send it to either editor, it could end up in the paper.

CORAL REEF UPCOMING EVENTS:

10/16SALSA DANCE COMPETITION

10/19HISPANIC HERITAGE SHOW

10/26TEACHER PLANNING DAY:

NO SCHOOL10/29

HISPANIC FILM FESTIVAL

10/30EARLY RELEASE

PARENT/TEACHERCONFERENCE

Let us take a moment to introduce ourselves. Elyse Mercado is a senior in the Legal and Pub-lic Affairs academy, Criminal Justice strand. This is her second year on the staff, last year being Opinions Editor. Jennifer Rowe is also a senior but in the Business and Finance acad-emy. This is also her second year on the staff, last year being News Editor. We both plan to go into Journalism as a career so Baitline is our top priority. Along with the support and guidance of our sponsor Mrs. Mitchell-Stantiago, and her many years of experience, this paper will reach the height it has always deserved. Backed by our dedicated editors and staff writers, we plan to make reading this newspaper worth your while. We hope you enjoy this issue as well as the many others to come. Hopefully you read this pa-per with an open mind because a lot of hard work was put into it with your benefits in mind. It is now up to you. We leave this issue in your hands.

Sincerely,Your Co-Editors-in-Chief

Mirelis Martinez Speaks OutOne student’s view on Dress Code

To Coral Reef Staff and Students

From Monday through Friday the faculty and staff of Coral Reef Senior High School walk through the hallways and in and out of classrooms with contentment until a student is spotted wearing a spaghetti strap shirt. The student is immediately told that she must wear a sweater over her shirt or go to the office and be forced into a hideous item of clothing which will cover her indecent exposure, a situation which Mr. Evans points out every year during orientation at the beginning of the school year. The student would consider this to be one of the worst and most humiliating punishments ever received and to be completely unfair. However, the school is simply putting into motion

a School Board Rule on dress code. Furthermore, if the student chooses to reject the offered item of clothing the school is once again protected by the law which states that a student may “be sent home by the administration to be properly prepared for school.” The actions against improper attire have earned the praise of parents and are approved by teachers. They blindly believe that all students are being educated to “dress for success” in the future by learning to wear appropriate clothes from an early age. However, notice that the responsibility of having apparel which “reflects a respect for learning and is not revealing, indecent, distracting or disruptive to the school’s learning

overlook the errors male students commit when it comes to the way in which their clothes are worn. Before classes formally start the upcoming freshmen go through Coral Reef’s popular program Ready for the Reef where the faculty specifically tells the female students how distracting some items of clothing are for male classmates and how these items, mostly short skirts and spaghetti strap shirts should not be shown on school grounds and if they are they should be covered up to show as less skin as possible. When I heard this I just rolled my eyes. I admit that I, along with parents and fellow students never take the time to analyze how the school shows discrimination towards females by always

environment,” as specified in the student agenda, only falls on us, the female students. Meanwhile, the male students are free to dress as they please even if it is inappropriate. The most popular style is to wear pants several inches below the waist. In several occasions the way the pants are worn is covered by long shirts but when the students decide to wear a fitted shirt other students and staff can clearly see the boy’s boxers. At no time are visible boxers considered improper attire for school and their owners even receive compliments by classmates while teachers silently watch along. Last year I witnessed how a classmate told her friend how much she liked his hot dog boxers, to which he simply responded “Thanks” as if

he had been complimented on a new haircut. And don’t we deserve the right to spaghetti straps? Tell the truth, does this look like it could disrupt the learning environment. If guys can attend school showing their boxer-covered derrières then, why can’t girls show their collar bone? We realize that we are constantly singled out for our spaghetti straps and build up resentment towards the school and its administrators. There is always the question of how are thin straps harmful if guys dress worse and why don’t the administrators punish them, what do they have against me or against my cute shirt? The answer is that administrators focus on female attire to such an extent that they completely

attacking our wardrobe but there is never any reference as to how a male should dress nor is there any mention of any restrictions for their attire. These facts are quite easily overlooked because women in general believe that in the twenty-first century they are equal in all aspects to men. Therefore, it is easy to dismiss the attacks on female attire in school as annoying rules instead of thinking that it is truly a blow on women throughout the world by making us subordinate to men from an early age by imposing more rules on us than on our male classmates which leads us to become more controlled. Ponder upon the future of female students. How much more controlled will every aspect of our lives be once adulthood is reached?

AdvisorCheri Mitchell-Santiago

Principal Adrianne Leal

6 SUBMERGE YOURSELFCoral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

As you have noticed spirit week is pretty crazy getting ev-eryone hyped up for the antici-pated event, homecoming! The second day of spirit week is known as kindergarten day where students are given the chance to go back to the good old days. Only a few people dressed up but those who did had fun with the idea. Girls put their hair in pigtails and boys combed their hair nicely just like there mothers did the first day of kindergarten. Many accessories included peo-ples favorite stuffed animals and

Stuffed Animals and Piggyback rides- IB senior Ni-cole Escalante reverts back to the good ol’ days where cooties were the only thing you had to worry about!

Pigtails and PJ’sLetting your inner child shine through! By: Elisabet Torrents

Staff Writer

Many students began Home-coming Spirit Week by dressing up unusually tacky. Students adorned their necks with colorful beads and wore mismatching t-shirts and shorts. One would ask where these hideous, tacky pieces of clothing came from. “I scrounged through my own wardrobe, but I chose pieces that don’t work well togeth-er,” said Senior, Chantal Herry. Tacky day is fun for students to express their colorful side. One can see Reefers with their

Wacky Tacky day

The Glamorous- IB senior Stephanie De-Verteuil shows off her stunna shades and colorful bling-bling.

What in the world were they thinking?!

hair dyed green and other wacky colors. To be honest, the outfits looked extremely uncomfort-able and distracted students from paying attention in class. “I kept on drifting off during class be-cause my eyes were drawn to the colors and trippy patterns,” said Senior, Jessica Lorenzo. Never the less, tacky day is a fun way to get Cuda students involved in the homecoming festivities. Let’s just hope they don’t dress like that every day.

their little sister’s or brother’s book bags with their favorite Disney char-acter. Nicole Escalante IB Senior wore her hair in pigtails and her shirt tucked in neatly. She said she wanted to wear a hat because when she was in kindergarten she would wear hats to school but decided not to because she didn’t want to get in trouble. When asked why she dressed up she said, “Because I am in IB I have a lot of stress and dressing up like a kid makes me feel like one again.” Don’t forget that there is still a kid in all of us and if you forgot to dress up this year be sure not to forget next year.

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, its Quailman!”- Actually it’s Business & Finance senior Marlon Gutierrez.

By: Anya KaplanStaff Writer

Superfly superherosMath class by day and super-hero by night

Many students came to school today representing their favorite Super heroes. Whether they were impersonating Batman, Superman, or even Quail-man, students around the Reef were demonstrating their school spirit. “Quail-man is my fa-vorite hero, I’m just trying to fight crime and find my Patty Mayon-naise.” Gutierrez stated. Super he-roes were not our only participants; we also had our fair share of our Super heroines. “We call ourselves the Wonder Women!” exclaimed senior Danielle Harris, Medical academy, accompanied by her fel-low heroines. Some heroes did not receive much recognition, yet still did their part in saving the world. From helping janitors to saving the cheerleaders, they played impor-

Spirit Week at the Reef

Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007 SUBMERGE YOURSELF 7

Twins are usually a rare sight, but upon walking into Coral Reef Senior High on September 28 a bountiful of twins walk through the halls. In the celebration of homecoming, Twin Day was the perfect end to a week of school spirit. “We planned for two weeks,” said Cierra Lynch, soph-omore in the Legal and Public Affairs. Lynch and her twin, Ash-leigh Rogers also a sophomore in the Legal Academy are best friends. “We saw what other peo-ple did last year and as best friends we decided to make customized shirts!” Enisha Montegomery, senior in the Legal academy, de-

Seeing Double?Spirit Week ends with a Double Take By: Bryan Herbert

Staff Writer

Twins for the day- Medical seniors Bryan Herbert and Sharkie Miles match in Brazil shirts and plain jeans

Coral Reef’s homecoming was Saturday, September 29, 2007. After discovering the hefty price tag, many students spent the entire month battling to determine whether the event was worth the $60. In addition, they were concerned as to whether or not they would be able to afford the outfit they wanted or par-ticipate in any post-homecoming activities. These issues and various others caused last minute ticket sales and even some absences. “It was a bit expensive, and I was hesitant to buy my ticket, but homecoming this year was awesome! The best homecoming Coral Reef has ever had!” said Legal senior Candice

Morris. Many students shared Morris’ opin-ion; they wanted to attend the traditional event, but weren’t sure it would be worth the money. “Don’t worry about the $60, worry about having fun!” said the 2008 class presi-dent, Lasonya Rodgers during ticket sales. When the students reflect on that memorable night, they’ll be glad they followed her ad-vice and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. On the contrary, other students agreed with Agriscience senior, Ka’Tia Alderman, “Home-coming was nice, and I love getting dressed up and enjoyed the laughs, but it wasn’t worth the extra $15.” Although students enjoyed them-selves, they still did not find the reason for the increase in price. Conversely, if you were pres-ent at homecoming, you could see the jovial faces and moving bodies, all evidence of

enjoyment from the Coral Reef barracu-das and their guests. Without question, a majority of faculty, staff, and students would agree, “Homecoming was PER-FECT!” (Leisure Medicine and Health Science Senior Christina Carnot.) So, was homecoming worth the money? Numerous students decided it wasn’t and did not attend, others also felt it wasn’t worth the extra fifteen dollars yet still enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day, the answer to whether or not homecoming was worth the price is subject to interpreta-tion, but Coral’s Reef goal was to host a great party for their students, and it is undeniable that they did just that.

Reef Rock HomecomingWas YOUR 60 Bucks worth it?By: Janee’ BrownStaff Writer

Coral Reef Senior High celebrated its annual Spirit Week from September 24th- September 28th starting with the traditional “Tacky Day” and ending with “Twin Day.” September 27, 2007 was “Crank That Spirit” Day on which students of each graduating class were required to wear cer-tain school colors to display their school pride. There was some un-rest, because seniors were required to wear teal, despite the traditional requests to “Black Out The Tank.” “I don’t have ANY teal shirts, and teal is such an ambiguous color, you’ll have people wearing blue, aquamarine, and turquoise, even

some of the school shirts have differ-ent shades of teal,” said Business se-nior Thelma Cabrera. “Even though none of the seniors matched, it was a great day, and nice to see that all the school colors were represented in the pep rally,” said Cabrera. Fresh-men were supposed to wear white shirts which also led to some confu-sion. “ I didn’t think white was one of our school colors, but I wore it and still had a great time at the pep rally,” says Business freshmen Arelis Mederos. The sophomores wore grey, and the class of 2009 (responsible for carrying out all the Spirit Week activities) wore black. All in all, spirit week this year was great, and it’s always nice to see school spirit.

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, its Quailman!”- Actually it’s Business & Finance senior Marlon Gutierrez.

Superfly superherosMath class by day and super-hero by night By: Diego Fernandez

Staff Writer

tant roles as members in the Hero/Heroine elite. Flying through the hallways (maybe it was just walking) was Lizzette Barnesroyes, Senior in the medical academy, disguised as an unknown heroine. “I’m just trying to save all the cheerleaders in distress” said Barnesroyes, outfitted in a su-per-cheerleading uniform accompa-nied by a super-cape. The Reef was also visited by not only one, but two marvel heroes in the same hallway! Mathew Wolach, a senior in VPA-band, was found in the new building with a complete Batman suit. “Bat-man was, and still is my favorite Su-per hero” said Wolach. At the end of the day, all of our Super Heroes/Her-oines went home to return to their accustomed life, hoping that one day they will be called upon, just one more time, to fight crime around the Reef!

cided to dress like her best friend Ashlee Thompson. “It’s our last year being able to participate in Twin day at Coral Reef, we want-ed to look cute and be spirited.” “We’re not twins, there are four of us!” said Desiree Gonge, soph-omore in the Legal Academy. “Why limit it to two people when you can make it four.” Gonge and her twin sported a black school shirt with teal and white letters reading “Cuda Perfection.” So now with spirit week coming to an end, we saw the tacky, the young, the school spirited and lastly the double, its not a fashion disaster, they really did plan to look like that.

Color War- Group shot of the seniors supporting the color teal. Unfortunately there were some who didn’t get the memo who were wearing black.

Crank that spirit dayHolla if you got Barracuda pride By: Tatiana McInnis

A&E Editor

Spirit Week at the Reef

8 SportsCoral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

Thirty soldiers, one goal!

Chances are you’ve probably seen them tower-ing above your head in the halls, hanging with their cliques or girlfriends, or practicing after school in their black and teal uni-forms. That’s right! It’s football season again at The Reef and our thirty-something players are back –with a vengeance. All of the football coaches – Bryant, Cole, CJ, Nel-son, Corbett, Copeland, and Marion– worked hard these past few months to make the Coral Reef foot-ball team unstoppable. A spring game and a pre-season game against Lake Wood Ranch in Tampa on August 24th –both of which we won– not only lifted the spirits for the team, but the school as well. “When the football team does well, there’s defi-nitely a lot more school spirit,” said Legal junior Samantha Robinson. “But when our team loses a game, people lose confi-dence in them and don’t want to go to the games.” This winning streak is thanks to the rigorous practices the football team endured over the summer. “Two-a-days were hor-rible: three or four people a day would be on the bench throwing up because

of heat exhaustion,” said Business senior Daniel Ferro, who plays center. “There’s only about thirty of us, so we have to work out and play twice as hard because everyone plays both offense and defense.” To raise hype amongst themselves on game day, when one football player sees another in the hallway, they shout, in unison, “Dog Check! Woo!” One can hear them at lunch time, on a game day, screaming the ‘Dog Check’ chant re-peatedly, unless of course the team lost the last game they played. For example, after the Lake Wood Ranch game, ‘Dog Check’ could be heard all over campus. “The football team went crazy screaming their heads off. I must’ve heard it at least 10 times that day,” said Medical sophomore Sam-mie Pino. “I’m glad that they found a way to raise spirit.” However, neither the spring game nor the game against Lake Wood Ranch counts towards this sea-son’s record. The first game of the season was against American High School on August 30th, which Coral Reef lost, 31 to 12. “Since the Lake Wood Ranch game we definitely put ourselves on a pedestal. The game against American served as a reality check for us,” said IB junior Adrian Llama, who plays guard. “The first game was

By: Sheila StanleySports Editor

a dry run-through to see where we stand as a team. Now we can see our faults and work out the kinks.” Therefore, on the next game day, no ‘Dog Check’s were heard because of the devastating loss. “You have to earn the re-spect of the ‘Dog Check’ in order to say it,” said IB junior Fabian Diaz, who plays safety tight end. “Since we lost against American, we don’t have the right to say it.” Apparently, worked out the kinks they did because the second game, against Fer-guson High School on Sep-tember 6th, was a success! Coral Reef not only did an amazing job offensively, but defensively too; the Fal-cons weren’t able to make a single point, making the fi-nal score 20 to zip, nada, nil, nothing, the goose egg…

Kind of ironic, when you think about what the Fergu-son coach said about Coral Reef’s football team. In a football forum, he stated that he’s going to have a 2-0 record once he beats Coral Reef. He was so confident that he’d beat us, that he called us quote-un-quote, “nothing.” Coach Bryant posted this in the boys’ locker room for all to see, not only fueling the anger, but dousing it in gasoline. “I was so mad I punched the paper, forgetting it was on a locker, and cut my knuckle,” said Ferro. No matter, our football team did an excellent job showing him who’s “noth-ing.” Being that our team has such a low number of play-ers –there are only 9 seniors on the Varsity team– hope-fully more unity will arise. “Team unity this year

is amazing –we all talk, all hang out and it shows when we play. We trust each other on and off the field,” said Business senior David Thompson, who plays left guard. “No matter what ev-eryone thinks, things will go in our favor this year!” Sadly, on September 14, our football team lost to G Braddock Holmes, 20 to 7. On September 20, against South Dade, Coral Reef lost 22 to 6. The Homecoming game to the Varela Vipers left the final score at 36 to 6, Coral Reef’s 3rd consecutive loss. This leaves Coral Reef’s current football re-cord at 1-4, a bleak and disappointing number. So whether Thompson is right about ‘making it,’ whether our team goes all the way or not, it takes a lot of heart, dedication, and love of the game to go out on that field and try your hardest, knowing that almost the entire school population doesn’t support you. Keep in mind that our team doesn’t try to lose; almost everyone makes it seem that way. Next time you see a ‘footballer’ on campus, let them know you support them; they re-ally need that encourage-ment to perform well on the field. There’s this sci-entific law that points out a direct correlation between teal, black and silver and touchdowns: school spirit.

Varsity football says, “We will make it!”

Throughout Miami-Dade County rules are be-ing changed; some of them apply specifically to the ath-letes here are the Reef. One of the new rules being en-forced deals with absences – if an athlete accumulates 10 or more, he/she will be excluded from participa-tion in any sport for the re-mainder of the school year. “Even if your absences are excused, you cannot play?” asked Engineering junior, Zackery Day, who plays on the Varsity football team. “So even if I’m sick, I have to come to school?” Another new rule deals with the athlete’s Grade Point Averages. In order for a stu-dent to be eligible to play a sport, he/she must have

at least a 2.0 GPA in both academics and conduct. To discourage student-athletes from behaving in a manner that would provoke disciplinary ac-tion, athletes will be un-able to play in a game if they are currently attend-ing CSI on the same day. But the icing on the cake – the rule that has become the talk of the athletic community – is about the steroid test-taking rule. Steroids are synthetic male hormones that can either be taken in pill form or injected into the bloodstream, via needle. Throughout the majority of the nation, steroids are designated as illegal except when prescribed for certain kinds of medical conditions. Teens who take steroids run the risk of prema-ture fusing of the bones,

which can severely stifle height growth. These in-dividuals also run the risk of injury due to overde-velopment of muscles on their premature frames. Other side effects include acne, bad breath, swelling of the feet, baldness, and skin discoloration. The fatal effects include heart attack, stroke, and even liver cancer. Although the benefits of a rule that can prevent steroid-use are obvious, some students complain that it is biased: athletes on the basketball, foot-ball, softball, and baseball team are the main ones be-ing tested for steroid-use. “Just because I play foot-ball doesn’t mean I’m tak-ing steroids to get bigger,” said Legal senior David Bess. “It’s not fair that we’re the main ones targeted.” Some students, like Le-

gal sophomore Kourthney Vaughn, weren’t able to play on the Varsity football team because of the test. “I missed the day of the test, plain and simple,” he said. On the flip-side, some stu-dents – the ones who turned their papers in on time – agree with the steroid test. “It’s actually a good rule because the athletes who use steroids will get sin-gled out and have to face the consequences,” said Engineering senior Dan-iel Roque, who plays on the Varsity baseball team. Also new to the Reef is Mr. Donald Jackson, the new athletics director. Providing justification for the controversial rule, “I think the testing will be very beneficial; unfortu-nately, in today’s society, it is much overdue,” he said. “It could have saved lives.”

Students and SteroidsNew rules enforcedBy: Tyrell Hall & Samantha HeskeyStaff Writer

Getting Big - It is possible to get big with-out the use of illegal drugs.

Coral Reef 2007

Barracuda Varsity

F o o t b a l l Schedule:

8/30 @ American7:00 PM

[Traz Powell Stadium]

9/6 @ Ferguson7:00 PM

[Harris Field]

9/14 @ Braddock7:30 PM

[Tropical Park]

9/20 @ South Dade4:00 PM

[Harris Field]

9/27 Felix Varela7:30 PM

*HOMECOMING GAME*[Harris Field]

10/5 @ Homestead7:30 PM

[Harris Field]

10/20 @ Killian7:30 PM

[Harris Field]

10/27 @ Palmetto7:30 PM

[Harris Field]

11/3 @ Southridge7:30 PM

[Harris Field]

11/11 @ Sunset7:30 PM

[Tropical Park]

Practice makes perfect - The football players practice even on the weekends.

9Spotlight Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

I believe in astrology for one reason or another and that has never changed. I’m a Taurus so I was unquestion-ably proud of my stubborn nature. I loved the way I was so routine oriented, I admired my detailed agenda plans, my color-coded annotations for every class assignment. I also hated change, despised reforms. And, even though it’s hard to admit I flaunted my emotional detachments and my love for the material as well as the fact that my ill temper always got me what I wanted. I was a hard-brick wall until the summer of 2007 when I became a teacher. I was then oblivious to what really being a Breakthrough l Miami teacher was, I merely assumed it was tutoring, which I had done since middle school or a summer camp, which seemed like a no-brainer. The brutal awakening took place in the month of May, after I had bragged to

Making a BreakthroughBy: Raziela RodriguezStaff Writer

Injustice in the Justice System

A high school black youth asked the vice prin-cipal if he and his friends could sit under a tree in the courtyard- it was a hang-out spot for white students. The vice principal re-plied that they could sit anywhere they pleased. But some did not agree with this statement. Their response: three nooses hung from the tree’s branches the following day. This was the starting point for the tension that has ultimately led to

A Real Educational Experience

Racism in Jena, LABy: Tyrell HallStaff Writer

Breakthrough Miami- Razy and two of her students at Breakthrough Miami.

everyone this “job” was go-ing to be so easy and that I didn’t even need to get interview, I was a shoe-in, did I realize I was all wrong. The interview room

was filled with Brown, Harvard, UNC and even UF juniors and seniors majoring in education or social sciences and I was frightened. I honestly thought of making a run for it; no one would ever notice. But then in came Michele Gasiewski, the program director who was dying to meet me because I had email her about a thousand times with questions and concerns, and so my conscience convinced me to stay and pull through this interview. Three days later I was called to come to Orientation week, I was hired! So orientation began and it was only a ruder awakening. I was one of the seven high school students and not to men-tion I did not know anyone. Orientation week was a long six days, ten hours a day and it was filled with psycho tests and pointless discussion until Wednesdays came around. There was a presentation on lessons plans, all the skits and songs the teachers had to sing and act, the students body, our role as TEACHERS, and then I knew why was here. I was here to make a change, a significant change in the student body where more than half the students did not speak English or were homeless. The first day of the pro-gram seemed like torture for I was reluctant to show any emotions, I did not want to admit I was scared. I had made some friends but still decided to keep to myself. But as I saw the students walk in a smile escaped my lips for in them I saw myself: worn down shoes, the hand-me down collard shirts and a mother behind them with tears in her eyes. I saw myself in them in every single way, they were all like me, all of them and that was enough to give me the will pow-er to make that change. This was my opportunity to give these kids everything I missed out on when I was a child. I started class and actually introduced literary circles, Socratic method, and other things I had learned in Orienta-tion, which to my surprise were extremely helpful. I grew close to my students but soon saw that this hindered my role as the authority figure in the classroom so I saw that things needed to change: there must be a clear distinction between work and play and I need to draw the line. Sure,

this declared war between my students and I but it all seems humorous now. They refused to do my homework, made my classroom a complete pigsty and even prank called me and then I gave in. Not in letting them do what they want-ed but in doing something to make it all stop. As a crafty teacher that I am, I decided to make paper plate awards and it worked wonders. These paper plates were very personal for every one of them was unique to the student as each was accompanied with a speech. Class began and there was no journal, no pile of homework on my desk for them to add on and they knew what was coming. I called the first student up and gave him “the most active award” because indeed he was one of the bad seeds but I found myself tear-ing up as I told him all the things I would miss about him once the program was gone and how I never really meant to yell at him. By the end of class I got a hug and a smile from each and every one of them and peace had been declared. It was not easy to get them to all love learning or to want to read aloud but on good days that was the case and I loved what I did. I looked forward to grading papers that were A’s and I liked answering their emails about homework. The summer ended with an event called Celebration, which we would identify with as graduation and it was where I had to work the hardest. Celebration consisted of each and every single class having to put on a performance with the teachers coordinating the whole. One day I literally came in at 7:30 a.m. like very other day and ended up leaving at 9, a whooping 13 hours of work and trust me I woke up the next day and refusing to go to work but the outcome of my hard work was inexplicable. It was truly heartwarming to see the students dressed in their best accompanied by their families. My students all awaited to show case all they had worked on for weeks and weeks. Not to mention, I wanted the parents to realize how hard I myself had worked on this. When the show was over, it seemed like everything was still; the summer was over. Inevitably, tears ran down my cheeks and a swarm of little bodies surrounded me and it was all words of good-byes. It was as if I wanted to take back all the times I cursed having to wake up at 6 am or the times I had screamed at them for sneaking away my markers or making fun of the fact I could not tape anything above the board. My students were gone as was the old me.

accusations against 6 teens and a fire storm of protest. The hanging of the noos-es occurred in September of 2006 at a high school in Jena, Louisiana- popu-lation: 3000 people. No considerable amount of time passed before it was discovered that three white students were behind the vi-cious display. FBI officials stated with much certainty that the incident had all the elements of a hate crime; however, they decided not to press charges because the students involved had no past criminal records.

School officials obviously disagreed, but just barely, as they proceeded to pun-ish the culprits with a mere three day suspension. Racial tension built up throughout the duration of the next three months, as many fights were reported on and off campus. In one extreme case, a young white male pulled a shotgun on three black teens; in defense of their lives, they attacked and wrestled the shotgun from his grip. Surprisingly, the wielder of the weapon was not charged. Instead, the boys were slapped with convictions for assault and robbery, for failing to re-

turn the gun to their assail-ant before they escaped. Then the event that finally drew nation-al attention arose. In December 2006, five black students jumped a white classmate, causing the student to be briefly knocked unconscious. However, the injuries sustained were not enough to prevent the student from attending a school function the same night. So why were the students charged with conspiracy and attempted murder? J. Reed Walters, the Dis-trict Attorney for the area, commented to reporters that race had nothing to do with his decision to punish the boys with accusations that many in Jena complain are overly severe. Protes-tors cried injustice through-out the nation. Finally, as a result of growing pres-sure and criticism, Walters reduced the charges to ag-gravated assault and con-spiracy (these charges are still considered by many to be too serious). After black students staged a sit-in under the contested tree, Walters came to the school and, according to numer-ous witnesses, ominously told the student body that if they did not settle down,

“I can end your life with the stroke of my pen.” Activists across the na-tion have rallied in sup-port of the 6 black teens, all of whom stand in jeop-ardy of imprisonment up to 20 years. They have

become known through-out the states as the Jena 6. Everyone’s Wearing Black- Is It A Pep Rally Day? Coral Reef students and faculty were asked to wear black on Thursday, Sep-tember 20, 2007 in sup-port of the Jena 6 cause. Mr. Bullard explained why it is important for teens to support the protests. “The students of Coral Reef need to be aware of any issue that could potentially affect them. The 6 young men are members of the classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010, so it has a direct correlation to people of high school age. The situation in Loui-siana is a case of injustice manifesting itself through racism and the most tragic part of it is that 6 teenage lives hang in the balance.” When asked his opinion

on the tragic incident, Le-gal Senior Jason Culmer commented, “ I’m sur-prised that it is still hap-pening in America, but, then again, I’m not sur-prised because racism still exists. Yet, I’m also glad

that now people know that it is a problem-America’s not perfect, there are a lot of things we need to fix.” It is essential that all recog-nize the wake-up call which rings from Louisiana-slam-ming the snooze button is no longer an option. We must recognize our duty as citizens to lend our legs to the march of the movement, a movement that travels forward with the goal of positive change in our soci-ety. Those who support the Jena 6 do not claim that the group is completely inno-cent-but they assert that the punishment should match the crime. Parents and fu-ture parents of our society should be free from the fear that their children will be wrongfully jailed and ac-cused. It is self explana-tory: justice should be just.

“Can we sit under the tree?”

ACQUIT

THE JENA 6

10 A & ECoral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

On January 20, 2006 Disney channel released an original movie that took the world by storm. High School Musical took the world by storm with an audience of 7.7 million. The soundtrack was the best-selling album of 2006 and #133 on the Billboard 200 chart. Its se-quel, High School Musical 2, was released on August 17, 2007. With an astound-ing audience of 17.2 mil-lion, it become the highest rated basic cable broadcast of all time. Both movies, starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Gra-beel and Monique Cole-man, have become the talk of elementary schools ev-erywhere. But does it stop there? Is it possible that we’re all secret Wildcats? “The first one I saw two days after it premiered and the second one the day after

Wildcat Fever By: Andrea RodriguezStaff Writer

The High School Musical crew brought together again in this summer

Those Lazy Summer Days at the Box OfficeA review of this summer’s bangs and flops

By: Tatiana McInnisA&E Editor

As the school year comes to a close, and the anticipation for summer begins to rise, the movie theatres get ready for their busiest sea-son. The cinematic geniuses decide to pounce on our newfound liberation and empty our bank ac-counts by releasing amazing, must-see movies. The summer of 2007 was no exception, and how about all the sequels? Pirates of the Ca-ribbean: At World’s End, Evan Almighty, Fantas-tic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, Live Free or Die Hard, Ocean’s Thirteen, Shrek the Third, Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter 17 (just kid-ding), and not to mention the smashing originals such as Transformers, starring Disturbia’s Shia Labeouf, Ratatouille, the most recent Disney-Pixar creation, Stardust, starring the charismatic Robert Deniro, I Know Who Killed Me, starring Lindsay Lohan and, following in the raunchy footsteps of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad. However, there are always disappoint-ments, as described by Legal senior Carlos En-carnacion, “Third time’s not always a charm,

you’ve got your highs like Pirates [At World’s End] and Rush Hour 3, and you’ve got your

‘I can’t believe I paid to see that movie,’ lows, like Spiderman 3.” While many peo-

We’re all in this together!

song with Corbin and Lu-cas on the baseball field called “I Don’t Dance” was my favorite part be-cause it combines two

things that really interest me; music and baseball.” It isn’t only the fresh have gone Wildcat crazy. Legal senior Zeysha Man-

ple said Spiderman 3 was a major disappoint-ment, box office figures would disagree; the film made $382 million on its opening weekend alone. “I hated it [Spiderman 3] because it’s for people who have never even seen a Spiderman comic, I liked I Know Who Killed Me, but Knocked Up was my favor-ite,” says Legal senior Francesca Leyva. Even though there was some discontent-ment at the theatres, there were undoubtedly plenty of great films to leave everyone with a great impression before going back to school, and also plenty of films to look forward to. There were types of movies to suit ev-eryone’s needs, for romance fanatics there was No Reservations, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, for the action lovers there was Transformers and Live Free or Die Hard, for the die hard (pun defi-nitely intended) comedy fans, you can never go wrong with any of the Rush Hour trilogy films. All in all, despite its pitfalls, this summer was home to some of the most releases in movie history.

gual has seen both movies. “I really like the movies. The songs are really catchy. Corbin Bleu is my favorite actor. Vanessa has a great voice and she’s amazing as Gabriella,” said Mangual. Like any Disney movie everyone can find a little bit of themselves in one of the characters and that’s what really attracts us. “I definitely relate more to Zac’s character Troy Bolton because I feel I’m a born leader and I usually have a lot of pressure put on me,” said Rodriguez. “I would most likely re-late to Vanessa’s charac-ter Gabriella Montez be-sides the fact that she is a triple threat, she wants to be true to herself and her heart, no one could argue with that,” said Mangual. There has been a buzz everywhere in school about the High School musical movies. But wait, does that mean that teachers also bought into the Wildcat Ma-nia? Ms. Loffredo, Drama and English teacher, happi-ly admitted that she has en-joyed watching both High School Musical movies “I love music, acting and especially high school stu-dents so combined, they’re

all the better. The energy is brought out through young actors, there’s just no holding them back!” Ms. Loffredo’s favor-ite character is none other than Corbin Bleu. “He’s cute as a button! He reminds me a lot of Fernan-do, which a lot of current seniors would know him as the male lead in Shake-speare’s The Taming of a Shrew. Corbin understands the level of intensity needed to bring his character to life, and lets the emotion rise gradually and naturally.” It’s funny how so many students find themselves drawn to High School Musical, but why is that? Is it just the catchy songs, or the underly-ing morals that attract us? “Kids today have gone through more things than I ever had to go through as

a teenager. Watching these movies brings them back to a place of innocence, and no matter how cheesy the movies may be, it helps bring them back. As teach-ers we always want to have some kind of connection with our students but in order to see the sparkle in them, we must connect with their inner child.” Perhaps High School Mu-sical does bring out the in-ner child, give confidence, and allows the real spirit to shine through the facade people put up to impress their friends. If so then maybe we should be proud of watching the movies and follow their musical advice. “Wildcats everywhere, wave your hands up in the air. That’s the way we do it, let’s get to it. Time to show the world that we’re all in this together.”

Tech Coral Reef Sr. HighOctober 2007

If there’s one thing in this world that screams power and money; it’s the limousine. But it’s also one of the least changed status symbols of our time. Thankfully, change is on the horizon. The KAZ (Keio Advanced Zero-emission) is a brand new, state of the art, super vehicle. Its three main compo-nents are Lithium-Ion Battery (similar to the ones used in phones or laptops), a redesigned lightweight power module, to convert and regulate power, and the Nd-Fe RE Magnet engines are a marvel

of modern technology. KAZ’s most marvelous feat yet, is the new-est edit to the design; all the components lie in the base of the car! The top of the KAZ is just a shell, changeable as easy as a few screws and some wiring. The platform design is revolutionary in a vehicle this size, and allows for all kinds of adaptations to the KAZ. Dr. Shimizu and his genius design team has begun to ap-ply the platform, and has begun working on a cockpit for passenger cars, a taxi, a bus, and a large truck. Even though General Motors has developed a simi-lar idea to the platform design, their version al-lows for multiple bod-

ies to be placed on the same form just like the KAZ, but its system is a hydrogen combustion system and requires advanced electric mo-

tors that are not yet available for produc-tion. The KAZ contin-ues to keep the upper hand in size though, as

The Future of LimousinesThe future of transportation; fast, clean, efficient, and powerful

GM’s platform model is a sedan design only. The KAZ dominates the road at a whopping 6570 lbs. The power behind this monster is

the new trend of using in-wheel motors. Each of the KAZ’s eight wheels houses the nor-mal braking systems, a

By: Sheldon DearrTech Editor

iPod is finally personalThe Wiz casts his spell on the iPod

Segway’s secondbornSegway centaur in the wombBy: Sheldon DearrTech Editor

Back when the Segway was released in December of 2001, nursing homes and golf clubs were abuzz with the talk of a radical new way to travel. Unfortunately, the Segway PT, the two wheeled scooter, sunk in sales, and was reduced to a vehicle purely for pleasure. These days, Segway has embraced their new calling as a recreational vehicle manufacturer. They have designed a marvelous new ATV-the only ATV that balances on its hind wheels- called the Centaur. While this product has wonderful features like on Segway can provide, it fails to realize that its market is tiny. The ATV in society is a rugged, offroading, solo-flying jeep, while the Centaur is a scooter with four wheels and a truckload of gyro-stabilization technology. The Centaur uses the same gyroscope as the PT, but incorporates a new system where the tilt sensors are housed in a small box full of electrolyte fluid. Three small copper pins can indicate, by means o f va ry ing electric current, which way the device is leaning.

11uniquely smooth sus-pension, and a 55 Watt electric motor. With its system of alterna-tors, power managers, and batteries, the KAZ

can sustain a top speed of 192 mph for about 124 miles, before re-suming cruising speed. Although electric cars

aren’t particularly new, the in-wheel motor de-sign beautifully comes to life in the KAZ because of its eight wheels instead of the conventional 4 or six. The only real hurdle right now is the cost of parts, which puts the KAZ at an unsettling $400,000. The price would come down to a low fifties range when the parts are more available and less costly. However, even though this new car sounds like a dream, it won’t be hitting the American markets any-time soon. The KAZ is not yet up to U.S. safety requirements and the important tax will considerably in-crease the MSRP. .

The KAZ takes the cake at the track tests in early production stages in Japan. It outperformed it’s calculation’s in the labora-tory and accelerated to 15.3 seconds in the quarter mile, roughly similar to a 7 second 0-60 test.

For years iPods have been a status symbol of the youth, showing that you can afford a stylish piece of hardware that is less bang than buck. However, our efforts to dress up this status symbol have been finally outdone. With the release of iPod Wizard v.1.3, any pa-tient com-puter liter-ate person can make their iPod p e r s o n a l . The pro-gram was r e l e a s e d not long after the i n t roduc -tion of the iPod video –or 5g- and has since expanded to include the iPod nano, the iPhone, and the soon to be iTouch. These

products all share in common a simple op-erating system full of hex codes, which is translated quickly by iPod wizard into com-mands and system ed-i t s .

A wonderful trait of iPod Wizard goes out to all the nerds, who would love to edit raw hex code. The resources and

layouts section of the program allows for direct editing to make special changes to the iPod firmware. If you don’t handle your computer skills well, maybe you will want to go for the simpler task. The title bar, the back-

ground, the games, the calendar, ev-erything on the iPod is made up of small pictures. You can change these pictures to anything you like, as long as it has the same di-mensions as the picture that preceded it. Be fore-warned; any t a m p e r i n g

with the iPod’s firm-ware might make you look like a nerd. Re-gardless of your Lou-is Vutton cover, you need this new tool.

By: Sheldon DearrTech Editor

The newest Segway has been redesigned to accommodate a seated driver.

One of the original models -PT, of the Segway line sagged in popularity due to the expensive price tag. The technology used is paralleled five-fold in the new Segway Centaur (seen above).

12High Tide Coral Reef Sr. HighSeptember 2007