Online relationships:Caught in the webFeaturesPages 4-5

Seniors:Mr. Jag ReviewStudent LifePages 2-3

Baseball, softball most promisingSportsPage 8

Student LifeFebruary 2013

2 Mr. Jag ReviewNina SALCICCIOLI and Briana CHA-KIM

STAFF WRITER AND STUDENT LIFE EDITOR In addition to many traditional senior ac-tivities, PPCHS kicks off the start of the third quarter with a very exciting event: Mr. Jag. Known as Charter’s very own male pageant, Mr. Jag features all senior male candidates that compete to earn the title of the new Mr. Jag of 2013. On Tuesday February 5th, 2013, students, parents, and faculty crowded the doors of the River of Grass Auditorium in anticipa-tion of the show. At 7 p.m. the audience entered the auditorium ready for a night of laughter and entertainment. Hosted by seniors Allison Tomey and Nick Polanco, the event lasted around two hours. All 15 Mr. Jag contestants competed in obstacle courses, scavenger hunts and a fashion show to determine who would be-come Charter’s Mr. Jag. The seniors that were in the show were Luis Riascos, Julian Graves, Jibri Durant, Chris Gardner, Jake Pare, Giovanni “Scooby” Aponte, Bomario “Bo” Segree, Danny Bolivar, Sheharyar “Paki” Hammad, Omari White, Deme-tri Narace, Cameron Brice, Juan Arango, Randall Collins, and Nick D’Agostino. Following an opening slideshow presen-tation of pictures of the candidates, the en-tourage of boys entered the stage with their escorts and quickly prepared backstage for the beginning of the show. “Love on Top” by Beyonce began to play as they took the stage and the audience immediately cheered as the group performed an amus-ing choreographed dance routine. Next came the trivia questions in the por-tion called, “Are you smarter than a 9th grader?” One by one each competitor came on stage and was asked a trivia question based on knowledge learned in 9th grade classes. If they got it right they moved on to the next round. If they got the question wrong, they were eliminated and returned to back stage. The questions varied in dif-ficulty such as, “name all 13 colonies”, “name all of the Avengers” and “What’s two plus two?” Ones that didn’t know the answers came up with amusing responses. After the hosts ran out of questions there were still several boys to be eliminated and they were all named smarter than a 9th grader. Following the trivia ordeal, Junior Mar-cela Ruiz and Sophomore Eddie, members of the Latin Dance team, performed during intermission. They danced their hearts out on stage and received a huge round of ap-plause despite encountering technical dif-ficulties. Next the seniors participated in the fash-ion show portion of the night. Given the op-portunity to show off their personal styles, the boys appeared on stage in their own

Shontel Medwynter still in our heartsJessica-Lynn CarvajalSTAFF WRITER Shontel Medwynter was a student at Pem-broke Pines Charter High school and part of the class of 2010. She was an excellent student who excelled greatly in her stud-ies and on the field. She was an athlete that was very dedicated to her varsity soccer team. She enjoyed volunteering through-out her community and had a dream and aspiration of becoming a pediatrician when tragedy suddenly hit. Shontel Medwynter was diagnosed with a cancer that was in-operable. She passed away in 2009 but is never forgotten since she lives on through her parents and in the history of the school. A special scholarship was started in her

personal outfits. Styles ranged from preppy to very casual and typical of teenage boys. Smiling at the audience, strutting down the stage, and posing at the end, these senior boys hoped to make a good impression on the judges and receive some applause from the crowd. This gave all the spectators a good laugh as some competitors did funny poses in between. After the Fashion show was the Scav-enger hunt. This was an interactive game that required assistance from the audience. Competitors were told to sit in a chair on the stage and asked to find a certain item out in the audience and the last person back with that item was out. The last person sit-ting in a chair won. The boys were asked to find items ranging from shoes to money to even individuals with certain hair col-ors. This portion had students laughing and shouting trying to help their favorite competitor win. “Mr. Jag was such a great event but my favorite part was the interac-tive scavenger hunt because it was so fun to see the items they were asked to find and I liked that I got to actually participate in the event,” commented junior Hunter Mo-rales. It was a close race between two seniors but Giovanni “Scooby” Aponte was the winner at the end of the Scavenger hunt, earning him extra points in judging. After this event was the Obstacle course where the competition was grouped in threes and the boys had to do 10 pushups, 5 frog jumps, run to the end of the theater and back and then spin around 5 times and sit down in their chair in the shortest amount of time. The audience cheered, screamed and clapped their favorites on. The final event in the competition was the personal talent portion. This gave the se-niors an opportunity to show any special or hidden talents to amaze the audience and the judges. Every boy was able to showcase amaz-ing talents that were unknown to many. Some performances included Juan play-ing the guitar as Bo sang “Little Things” by One Direction. Another was Nick solv-ing a Rubik’s cube after telling a series of corny jokes, and the more athletic boys like Julian, Chris, and Cameron completed bas-ketball dunks on a stationary hoop. After a long review the Judges deliberated the re-sults of the show. The winner, out of all the contestants was Randall Collins. Congrat-ulations to Randall for being crowned Mr. Jag. This was an amazing night filled with laughs with all of your closest friends. It was an event to never forget, and we all look forward to the Mr. Jag competition next year.

name. The Shontel Medwynter scholarship is available for all seniors to apply to. It has been an active scholarship since its initia-tion in 2010. The scholarship includes two levels of qualifying for it; academic excel-lence and community service. Students with a 3.5 GPA can qualify for the aca-demic excellence scholarship and students who would like to apply for the community service scholarship need not as high a GPA as the academic excellence GPA. Students with a GPA of at least 2.5 can qualify for this scholarship but the student must have completed an abundance of community service and volunteer work throughout their community. The scholarship was an

Photos By: Carli stander and reBeCCa Gonzalez

idea from Shontel’s parents. Since their daughter was such an excellent student and loved completing community service they thought that the way to have her memory live on would be through a scholarship. “Shontel Medwynter’s mother wanted stu-dents like Shontel to have the chance to go to college especially since her daughter did not have that opportunity,” says 12th grade guidance counselor Mr. Greenbaum. Two or three deserving students will re-ceive this scholarship later on in the year. Students can apply for this scholarship in March when it is made available. “ I am very interested in applying for this schol-arship, I think it’s great how they have a scholarship for this deceased student, it

makes this scholarship meaningful,” said senior Shantelle Gloria. The scholarship reward is worth a $1,000, and it is fund-ed in a unique way. Shontel’s doctor, Dr. Pathak, who treated her while she had can-cer, donates a thousand dollars every year. The money is also earned through dress down days the school hosts. There will be a specific dress down day in her name on February 20th. Students who dress down will have to pay an amount of two dollars. This money will go to the scholarship fund and in turn to the students who are awarded this scholarship. Shontel Medwynter’s aca-demic excellence and superior skills on the field made her known but even after her death she is never forgotten in PPCHS.

Troy BottomNews Editor

Brianna Cha-KimStudent Life Editor

Alexandra ManganoTechnology Editor

Angelique BerkowitzEntertainment Editor David NaborsSports Editor Jordana CutajarFeatures Editor

Victoria AlvarezEnvironmental Editor

The C. h. A. T. STAffNicholas D’ AgostinoEditor-in-Chief Nicolette Sponer-ContentJoshua Alleman -LayoutManaging Editors

Melissa SullivanWeb Managing Editor

Peter DourvetakisGabriela GarciaBusiness Managers

Mr. Fagen - ContentMr. Simon - LayoutAdvisers

Mr. BayerPrincipal

Gabriela CabezaPhoto Editor

Julian GravesGraphics Editor

Christopher FernandezVideo Editor

Emily SemanderCartoonist

CONTENT STAFF:Brett Alayon, Joshua Alleman, Andrea Bellorin, Cassidy-Rae Brantley, Jessica-Lynn Carvajal, Chelsi Chang, Hayley Coolidge, Jake Dreilinger, Gabriela Garcia, Jacob Isenberg , Anthony Kellher, Chelsie Ramos, Nina SalcicciloiLAYOUT STAFF: Victoria Alvarez, Maria Bozo, Jake Dreilinger, Nick Lee Yee, Annette Marin, William McKinley, Melissa SullivanPHOTOGRAPHY STAFF:Natalia Cevallos, Peter Dourvetakis, JP Dussan, Rebecca Gonzalez, Alex Monge, Carli Stander, Johmi Vargas GRAPHICS STAFF:Armando UrenaVIDEO STAFF:Troy Bottom, Andres Gonzalez, Kyle Moss-Solomon

Pembroke Pines Charter High School17189 Sheridan StreetPembroke Pines, FL 33331Phone: 954-538-3700Email: chatnews@pinescharter.comTwitter: @_theCHATter

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 ad-visers and administration. The C.H.A.T. staff welcomes any comments to the edi-tors and/or staff. The C.H.A.T is a publica-tion of C.H.C (Charter High Communica-tions) sponsored by the Communications & Technology Department of PPCHS.

And the winners are....

Social Butterfly: Luis RiascosMost Photogenic: Julian Graves

Most Swag: Jibri DurantThe Smartest: Chris Gardner

The Funniest: Jake PareBest Tape: Giovanni Aponte

Best Speaker: Bomario SegreeMost Unique: Danny Bolivar

Best Personality: Nick D’Agostino Best Dressed: “Paki” Hammad

Best Talent: Omari WhiteBest Smile: Dimitri NaraceBest Hair: Cameron Brice

Most Athletic: Juan ArangoBest Dancer: Randall Collins

Mr Jag: Randall Collins

Student Life3February 2013

Romance all year round Victoria AlvarezENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH EDITOR Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine’s Day is over, but there is still some romance left for you. When the lovey-dovey holiday comes around, couples go out of their way to please their partners; purchasing the best gifts and planning the ultimate surprises for their special someone. Dozens of roses are bought, countless plush bears are cher-

ished, and thousands of chocolate pieces are consumed all on this one day. But why do couples feel the need to place all of their energy on this one day when there are so many days throughout the year to please each other with? After all the craziness of this famous holiday is over, couples can still find ways to be romantic and sponta-neous no matter what the occasion. Valentine’s Day may be the designated holiday for romance, but there are plenty of ways for couples to surprise each other with thoughtful and loving gifts on random days throughout the year. It’s seems so simple to give a girl flowers or to surprise a boy by offering to pay for dinner. Small gestures like these excite and flame up the relationship, keeping both parties happy. However, no matter how easy these small ideas may sound, many guys and gals have trouble planning such surprises. To help spice up some of the PPCHS relationships after this Valentine’s Day, here are some tips and ideas for the perfect gifts and dates to surprise those “special someone’s”: • SURPRISE! Surprising a girl or boy with some of their favorite treats or just a small gift can really excite the relationship. It’s mostly the girls that love to be surprised and see a guy standing outside with flowers or a huge teddy bear. But these things can sometimes be so common, so it’s important that couples add their own personal twists to their ideas. Things such as picture frames with the couple inside of them or tickets to see their favorite singer can re-ally show a couple how much they care and

Does gender rule the world of friendship?Angelique BerkowitzENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Have you ever stopped to take a look around you and observe the different cliques wandering around PPCHS? In a world where males and females co-exist as one, is it true that gender is the deter-mination for a new friendship to form? In a society that is co-ed, males and females befriend one another with the hopes of forming an everlasting bond; not the bond of romance but the bond of friendship. As you stroll through the corridors or take a walk through the student parking lot, you happen to notice boys and girls together laughing and simply having a good time. They’ve formed friendships that began as young freshmen and have blossomed into lifelong companionships as the seniors prepare to start a new life after graduation. Disregarding gender, friendships form and truly put the ultimate question to a test: can guys and girls be friends? While it is common that both males and females remain in a clique with their gen-der, it is often easy to find a clique that has a bit of diversity. There are several cliques

Valentine’s Day: Then and NowAlexys NowakSTAFF WRITER February 14th-The day Cupid sets out, arrow in hand ready to make two strang-ers fall blissfully in love with each other. Valentine’s Day has been around for centu-ries, but it wasn’t always about flowers and chocolate. This holiday originally came to be during the era of St. Valentine. Both the Protestant and Catholic versions agree that February 14th became a holiday when St. Valentine held secret marriage ceremonies for soldiers who were otherwise denied marriage. He was imprisoned for his ac-tions, but this made a statement. From that day on, February 14th was known as the day of love. Almost a thousand years later, Valentine’s Day is still a holiday that takes over the month of February. People of different ages either dread or look forward to this day the whole month. For some, it was much more exciting when they were younger than it is now. In elementary school, students get the chance to be creative and make a box that represents them and the holiday. They scan the aisles for little cards that will make the whole class laugh and give them to the whole class. “When I was little, Valen-tine’s Day was cute because everybody got a whole box of candy and a lot of cards. No-body was left out. Now, it’s so focused on couples that it can be kind of lonely if you don’t have a boyfriend or girl-friend”. Says Freshman Ileana Perez. Junior Fizza Nagi makes a similar point as Ileana. She explains “Valentine’s Day was more fun in elementary school than in High School. Back then, everyone re-ceived something no matter what and we got to make those boxes that we could keep the cards in. Today, everyone is stressed out about either finding a perfect gift for their special someone, or finding a special someone in the first place.” Basically, many High School students look at Valentine’s Day as a chance to re-ceive gifts from a significant other. Fresh-man Nicolas Cerulia is a strong believer that “girls start trying harder as it gets clos-er to Valentine’s Day because they want to have someone to share it with. They become worried that if they don’t have

someone, they will look bad when really it doesn’t matter. It was much better when we were little and everyone was happy no matter what.” In middle school, you were considered brave if you sent a girl or boy a Valentine Gram that you bought attached to a choco-late bar or flower. You wrote a small note on it and everyone beamed at how lucky you were. Moving into High School, it be-came a much bigger deal as to what pres-ent is received and how it is given. When a girl is walking around school with a life size teddy bear and a huge box of choco-late, they have all eyes on them. Sophomore Lawrence Nelson feels like “Valentine’s Day is more of a commer-cial holiday. It seems like it is about who can buy the best gift rather than focusing on who it’s for. It used to be about show-ing that you cared for a person even in the smallest ways, but now it’s a competition. “ Amy Etchechury; a junior, agrees with Lawrence that Valentine’s Day can now

draw more atten-tion to people, but for a different rea-son. “When people have a Valentine, they are happy and that’s it. When they don’t it can be an-noying because all you hear them say is ‘I’m for-ever alone!’ for the whole month when they’re obviously not. It’s only High school!” While some stu-dents may find it a bit of an annoy-

ance, others such as sophomore Vanessa Hernandez and Senior Gaby Urena agree that there is too much of a fuss made in the first place. “It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a Valentine. Everyone makes a big deal but really its just like any other day” stated Hernandez. Gaby believes that Valentine’s Day is just a day to show that you care, but people make too big of a deal about having a boy or girl to share it with. “There’s no rule against giving something to your friends, so having a Valentine doesn’t really make a difference.” While the students of PPCHS have differ-ent views on Valentine’s Day now, they all make one similar point: It is much differ-ent now than it was back in elementary and middle school. It will be interesting to see how people go about the Holiday this year!

that are mixed amongst males and females that have formed strong friendships. For many, it’s easier to become friends with those of the opposite sex. “I find it easier to make friends with boys than girls,” says senior Katherine Conrad. “Boys are more carefree and less dramatic so I have more fun hang-ing out with them.” According to psy-chologytoday.com, relationship experts have said, “The be-lief that men and women can’t be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for romance,” explained Linda Sapadin, a psy-chologist in Valley Stream, New York. In

the modern day, you observe women and men working together and socializing to-gether in their spare time. “This cultural shift has encouraged psychologists, soci-

ologists and communica-tions experts to put forth a new message: though it may be tricky, men and women can success-fully be-come close f r i e n d s . ” (psychology-today.com) “Since males and females work togeth-er, I feel as if they have to be friends and are more

likely to become friends because of it, says senior Kyler Hevia. “Recently where I’ve

worked, I was surrounded by females and became close friends with them; I felt as if I could tell them anything because I grew so close to them and was able to work well with them.” Even though several associate the pair-ing of a boy and girl together as a couple, a relationship related to friendship rather than romance is quite prevalent. Males are friends with females and females are friends with males. Friendships are created on the basis of similar television, music and style interests. The answer to the ul-timate question of friendship is a definite yes at PPCHS as guys and girls laugh and socialize while making their way to class and while eating lunch. In a society where girls and guys are relatively equal, friend-ship proves to be no different. Regardless of gender, everyone hangs out with those they have things in common with. “I be-lieve guys and girls can be friends,” says junior Melissa Rueda. “Sometimes friend-ships between the opposite sex may be a bit awkward but it is possible for males and females to live in perfect harmony and cre-ate everlasting friendships.”

know each other.• A new adventure: It’s very regular for a couple to go to the theatre to watch a movie or take a walk around the mall to eat and shop. However, the best dates take place where neither person has gone or experi-enced before. Couples can go to places outside of their comfort zones and go to an arcade to play games or even go go-kart racing for a competitive, yet fun, night.

“A few months ago I took my girlfriend to the drive-in movie theatre,” said junior Benjamin Miranda, “It was something that neither have us had done before because we had always gone to the movie theatre near our houses. But it was a really fun experience and it was nice to have time to ourselves to talk and enjoy the movie at the same time.” • Staying the night in: Although it’s fun to go out on dates or hang out with each other’s friends at parties, sometimes it’s best for a couple to just stay the night in. Couples can plan a movie night together to have a comfortable night and to enjoy their time as a couple. They can pig out on all types of treats while having the freedom of their own homemade movie theatre. Couples can also plan a night of cooking, where both people cook a meal together to eat and enjoy. This allows the couple to bond and have a good time while also hav-ing a romantic date. “My boyfriend is my best friend, even though we love to go out and have a good time, sometimes staying in is needed,” said sophomore Sofia Lalinde, “It’s nice to just have a fun and romantic night to ourselves sometimes. It allows us to really bond.” Valentine’s Day may be the day for candy-shaped hearts and loving gifts, but couples can always find ways to keep that romance around for the entire year. These simple tips and ideas can take a couple on a fun date or even build a stronger bond between the two people.

Keeping the romance alive all year round: Being spontaneous and surprising your significant other is impor-tant not only during Valentine’s Day. Photo by: Emily SEmandEr

Valentine’s Day: Jon Vogel(‘13) and Kassie Diaz(‘13) get to spend Valentine’s Day with someone they love. Photo by: JP duSSan

Girls and boys in friendships: Yasmeen Metellus(‘16) and Kellen Wills(‘16) taking a stand against the division between girls and boys. Photo by: natalia CEvalloS

FeaturesFebruary 2013

4

Former Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te’o won over the hearts of fans around the country with his heartbreaking story. Te’o told the public that his supposed girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, and his grandmother had died just days apart. Three days later, Te’o played in one of Notre Dame’s most im-portant games against Michigan State and had one of his best games of the season,

recording twelve tackles and leading his team to victory. In an interview after the game with ESPN’s Heather Cox, Te’o said: “I couldn’t do without the support of my family and my girlfriend’s family. I’m so grateful for all the love and support that all the fans, both Michigan State and Notre Dame, and fans around the world for sup-porting me and my family and my girl-friend’s family. I miss them. I miss them. But I know that I’ll see them again one day.”Te’o’s remarks had a profound impact on many fans around the country.“It was such an inspirational story,” said senior Jarrett Collins. “I became an instant fan of his.” Many people were sympathetic to his story after hearing this, as he seemed genu-inely depressed over the loss of two of the most important people in his life. He continued his success through the season, finishing second place in the Heisman Tro-phy voting, and leading his team to a spot in the BCS National Championship game. Already a national icon, Te’o was project-ed to be one of the top picks in this year’s NFL draft. However, a Deadspin publication broke the shocking and confusing news on Janu-ary 16th of a hoax. They said that while it was true that Te’o’s grandmother had died, there was no record of Lennay Kekua having ever lived. Kekua, Te’o supposed

girlfriend, did not exist. The person claim-ing to be Kekua was actually a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who had allegedly assumed the persona of Lennay Kekua and had participated in an internet and phone

Star Football Player Gets HoaxedJacob IsenbergSTAFF WRITER relationship with Te’o for roughly two to

three years. On the same day of the report, Te’o re-leased a written statement, claiming to be a “victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies.” He also said the entire ordeal “was, and is, painful and humiliating.” There has been controversy over whether Te’o was in on the hoax, or whether he was innocently having a relationship with who

he thought to be Lennay Kekua. When Deadspin broke the story, they believed that he was in on the hoax, but information released after that publication seems to in-dicate that he was unaware of it all.“I was so confused when the news broke,” said junior Alejandro Khan. “I could not understand how someone could have a girlfriend that did not exist.” Since the story broke, both Te’o and Tuia-sosopo have done nationally televised in-terviews to share their sides of the story. Te’o spoke with Katie Couric and contin-ued to maintain that he was not in on the hoax, and that all of the emotions he felt for ‘Kekua’ were real. He vehemently de-nied that he was using the death of Kekua to generate sympathy from fans for per-sonal gain, and also added that he was not homosexual. Tuiasosopo participated in a two-part in-terview with Dr. Phil, in which he admitted that he was the person who created Lennay Kekua and created her voice. He claimed to have genuine feelings for Te’o, and ex-pressed his apologies for the pain he has caused to him. In the interview he also ad-mitted he was gay, although he seemed to be very confused about this. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is a catfish: someone who creates fake online profiles and pre-tends to be someone they are not by using fake pictures and information. He tricked Te’o into thinking he was Lennay Kekua,

and was able to maintain the relationship for over two years. This should serve as a lesson that not all people are what they seem--especially on the internet.

Graphic by: Julian Graves

Graphic by: Julian Graves

Times have clearly changed since the dial-up computer modem and the “brick” cell phone. With the technological break-throughs of the twenty-first century comes the evolution of romance. Meeting face-to-face with your significant other and writ-ing love letters has turned into FaceTiming and emoji-laden quick chats on iMessage. Technology has not only taken over the world, but now, more than ever, it’s played a major role taking over relation-ships. Back in elementary school, if you liked someone, you told your friend who told their friend who told their friend who told your crush in a constant game of tele-phone. Then in middle school, technol-ogy was advancing as AIM Messaging and texting became the go-to tactic to talk to that special someone. Now, in high school, cell phones are glued to the hands of couples as they have a relationship that is totally dominated and captivated by technology. Junior Nicole Batista says, “I think that technology now makes rela-tionships so much less personal and less meaningful.” TV shows and movies also portray this progression in relationships: Catfish on MTV, Pretty Little Liars on ABC Fam-ily, and The Social Network all reveal the typical modern relationship. Catfish is the newest show on MTV that visits several relationships solely based on technology, mainly those started on online social net-works. “Social networks make it easier for

Angie Berkowitz and Nicolette SponerENTERTAINMENT AND MANAGING EDI-TORS

The Carousel of Progress: Relationship editionpeople to meet,” says senior Bryan Gonza-lez, “so I believe it’s easier to talk to people and form a relationship.” Face-to-face communication slowly de-teriorates as technology advances (for the shy, this is great news). However, times will never go back to courting and horse-n-buggy rides through the park. “I’ll find it interesting to see how much more relation-ships progress 50 years from now with the

huge prospective advancements in technol-ogy,” say senior Nick Polanco. “Relation-ships are always changing and it’s going to be cool to see how my kids pick up girls or guys in 2030.”

Dating has been a trend amongst young adults and teenagers for centuries. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular and easier for young people to date through the use of internet and social networking sites such as Facebook. Catfish is a new hit series on MTV featuring this trend. The se-ries, in its first season, highlights relation-ships that start through the use of the web and follows the troubles that come along with it. According to the producers of the show, a “catfish” is someone who pretends to be someone they’re not and uses social media to create false identities. The show often highlights people who use false identities to begin relationships with others, proving

the stereotypes of false internet dating to be true. Those who have engaged in an on-line relationship are given the opportunity to meet the people they have been speak-ing to and confront them in person. These “catfish” often use other Facebook users’ photos and names to portray an alter ego and persona unlike their own, often blam-ing insecurity issues as the source. They often scam other users into believing that these alter egos are true and communicate with several people at once, using these fake profiles.

“The show is an eye opener to the world of internet dating, and definitely scares me. There is no real way to know who you’re talking to, someone you’re in love with can just be a fake,” says junior, Josie Laue. On the season finale of the show, airing on February 18th, one of Charter’s alumni will make an appearance. Felicia Clarke graduated from PPCHS in 2007 and will be one of the many catfishes that have ap-peared on the new hit reality series. Origi-nally from New Jersey, Felicia says she first came in contact with her prospective boy-friend, Mike, through a dating site while on vacation. She continues by saying, “We had this strong connection; I just wanted to continue talking to him so I never told him I lived in Florida. I made up excuses and lies on why I couldn’t meet until we finally

met on MTV.” Fe-licia claims that unlike many other catfish featured on the show, she did not lie about who she was as a person and did not create a fake persona. Many couples that appear on the series stay in con-tact through social media after meet-ing through MTV but choose not to pursue a romantic relationship. Mike and Felicia on the other hand, chose to continue dating

after MTV helped them to meet. “Mike and I dated after the show and we loved each other very much…but in the end he broke my heart,” says Clarke. The new series Catfish has proved to be a hit in the world of reality television. It serves as proof that internet dating can be dangerous and misleading if precautionary measures are not followed. The series has definitely affected the lives of many, even a Charter Alumni. Make sure to watch the season finale of Catfish on February 18th at 11:00 p.m.!

Catfish creeps its way into realityMelissa SullivanMANAGING WEB EDITOR

Catfish: Felicia Clarke, a PPCHS alumni, will be featured on the MTV show “Cat-fish” for the season finale. photo donated by: Felicia clarke

Online Relationships: Caught in the Web

Love in technology: Times have changed,, relationships are more based off of text messages and the web. photo by: natalia cevallos

Features5February 2013

PROS: If Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram isn’t aware of your new relationship, then it practically isn’t happening at all. Today, if you aren’t a proud user of one of these social sites, then who are you really? Most couples nowadays are fully aware of this; social networking sites are the true test of love in a relationship. The dating world is a fierce one. For teen-agers the emotions of jealousy, ecstasy, and infatuation come far too easily. Once you make your great catch, you would never want to run the risk of losing it. In other words, all precautions must be taken to protect your new relationship against these

negative emotions that have been mani-fested in others. Making your relationship known is as easy as the click of a button. When the word “Single” transforms itself into “Taken” on your profile, your friends, followers, and even strangers will know to keep their hands off. When you’re young, commitment is a touchy subject. You may not be able to put a ring on your finger, but a title is the closest you can get. Many love birds will agree that one of the most exciting stages in a relationship is the beginning. The feeling of a new warm hand in yours, the butterflies that seem to attack you whenever your loved one catches your eye and a racing heartbeat are sensations that only belong to the victims of love. As time goes on, feelings begin to fade, com-fort begins to settle in, and the excitement tragically disappears in too many situa-tions. To keep the spark alive and the fire blazing, sometimes a couple may need outside support. When you publicize your relationship openly, it is easy to find that kind of support and fuel to keep going. For example, when you post a picture online, the resulting comments are often flattering and confidence boosting. “You two are so cute!” or “What a beautiful pair!” or even a “Congratulations, you look so happy!” can often be a casual reminder of the excite-ment you felt not so long ago. Sometimes, you must see yourself reflected in others as a reminder of all of the beautiful things you are experiencing. There is no doubt that times have changed throughout the years. Nowadays, it’s rare to stumble upon a printed photograph; most of our memories and life happenings are documented online and forever in-grained into technology instead. Pixels are the new Polaroid’s, and who needs a pen and paper when you can type it and tweet it? Of course, this all in turn applies to rela-tionships and the making of memories.

Jordana Cutajar and Gaby GarciaFEATURES EDITORS

Public Relations

CONS: While it’s great in the beginning to post pictures of you and your significant other, not all relationships are long lasting. So many couples get caught up in the magic of admitted mutual feelings, the first few exciting dates, the infamous first kiss that Taylor Swift describes as, “Makes your head spin ‘round’”. Many teenagers fall into that romantic cycle, and after only two months of being on “top of the world,” the pictures of your friends or even your dog start to disappear. Unfortunately the thrill of the chase and enthusiasm begins to quell as both become more comfortable discov-ering all the secrets and thoughts of their

significant other. Not all relationships are built to last, and many will find themselves after the breakup with a bunch of photos that all their friends liked and commented, “You guys are so cute!” While it may be pessimistic to think of the duration of one’s relationship, caution and privacy can save one humiliation and maybe some extra unneeded sadness. It’s rational for people to want some privacy, and everyone is certainly entitled to it. When a publicized relationship begins or ends suddenly many people are aware of it without the words even escaping one’s lips. Bad breakups cause rumors to spread as quickly as the time it took one to post that once “adorable” photo. When the news has settled and both are ready to move on to new relationships, there is a digital chronicle of one’s past relationships available had the pictures been removed. When a new significant other sees these photos of “happy times” they may become discouraged or even jeal-ous of what once was. Not only that but as your ex begins a new relationship and starts posting statuses and new photos you are the one on the other side of the screen witnessing the budding new relationship unfold. Everyone heals and moves on in unique ways, regardless of the path chosen most do not want to see or hear anything about their ex and their new boyfriend or girlfriend. Over time we grow and can reflect on our past relationships, each one teaching us something. To become a young adult with a collection of young frivolous relation-ships may cause a degree of shame or em-barrassment as one progress in life. New beginnings may be clouded by images of the past.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram- these three words will make a teenager’s eyes light up and suddenly become attentive. These smartphone applications have worked themselves into the typical teenager’s daily routine of scrolling, typing, liking, and retweeting. Personal thoughts and opinions are shared; countless pictures are snapped, in the end all leading to one result- the user being freely exposed to their friends, followers, and the entire World Wide Web. There are many who believe “It’s not official until it’s Facebook official”. In other words a romantic relationship is almost nonexistent if it hasn’t already been publicized. It’s not an oddity for a couple to post a cute photo every once in a while, but some even include their relationship status in their bios. “My heart belongs to so and so”, “Happily taken by so and so”. Any way you word it, the message is very clear, and very visible to all whom search or follow you. While many teenagers are absorbed in social networking sites it’s up to them whether they want to publicize their personal life experi-ences and possibly relationship status.

They say beauty is in the eyes of the be-holder. But why is it that the media has such a big role in dictating the definition of pretty? It seems that every day there is a new trend to follow in order to be con-sidered “attractive”. As time passes by, pop culture’s definition of beauty seems to be-come increasingly narrower. To some, being pretty is all about what’s on the outside, not what’s on the inside. For example, waking up two hours before school starts to straighten their hair, or wearing expensive, trendy clothes to show off to their peers. The vast majority of to-day’s generation goes to great lengths to be considered attractive. The media puts so much emphasis on the exterior of females, rather than the components that make them an individual. Girls especially will try al-most anything just to be noticed. Some go to the extent of following every trend that meets their eye in the monthly fash-ion magazine that arrives in the mail. What girls today seem to forget is that there is no specific style that the entire population will consider “pretty”. Why can’t anyone just accept who they are? We were all created to be the best version of ourselves, not to transform into someone we aren’t. According to the media, a “pretty” girl, is one who is thin, with blemish free skin and flawless makeup. When exactly did a magazine get to decide how people should look? Who gave them such power? We as Americans fought for our right to be able to think, dress and act the way we want-ed. Yet we try to copy others in order to fit in. Nowadays, many people have become ar-chetypes of ce-lebrities. Some live to see what their favorite star is wearing the minute they step out of their house, and what diet trick they can sink their teeth into. In my opinion, it is not at all attractive to pass ten peo-ple on the street and see seven of them wearing the exact same type of cloth-ing. What is the fun in that? We are supposed to be individuals, not pop culture clones. Not only do young members of society feel pressured to follow trends, but also they try to change their actual bodies. In magazines, the celebrity women are shown as ridiculously disproportioned with micro-scopic waist lines, collagen injected lips, and even breast augmentations. Honestly, who really needs to change themselves that much? I believe that everyone is a certain shape and size for a reason; they look their best when they have their natural phy-sique. Life itself is a wondrous thing; we are all individually crafted individuals with our all own personal attributes. Our bod-ies function in a specific way which when treated healthily, is meant to run smoothly. It is sad that some people aren’t satisfied with what they were given. Even more dis-appointing is the behind-the-scenes people that common folk have never even met; these people play a huge role in dictating how others should look. In reality everyone should love themselves the way they are. It is understandable for a woman to feel the need to fit in with modern-day society, but

Alexandra SaoJOURNALISM I WRITER

The CHAT Editorials:The Definition of Beauty

they shouldn’t go to risky extremes such as plastic surgery. Not only is going under the knife not completely safe, but also it can have long term disadvantages. Every few years, implants must be removed or new ones must be reinserted because they lose their shape. Isn’t it so much easier to stay natural? Your body doesn’t have to be retouched up every couple of years, so why put yourself in a position where annual en-hancement would be necessary? Though plastic surgery is a risk today’s women undergo, it is not the only one. Binge eating is another agent in which fe-males often face unhealthy consequences. Binge eating is a type of dieting where the person eats, and then purges their food. It sounds horrific and sadly many women feel such a strong desire to be skinny that they actually put their bodies in harm’s way. Binge eating not only causes health problems such as heart failure, fatigue and the decaying of teeth, but also overtime it may lead to death. Binge eating can lead to a disorder known as Bulimia. Those suffer-ing from Bulimia compulsively purge after eating or at times not eat at all (known as Anorexia Nervosa). They find it very hard to quit their harsh dieting habits. I find it hard to understand why someone would go to such lengths in order to be skinny as society says they should be. No matter what is considered pretty, people should never have to go to the point of hurting themselves in order to succeed in fitting in. A bit of extra priming in the morning or reapplying lip gloss throughout the day is

normal. As long as you aren’t hurting your body or becoming obsessed with attempt-ing to be perfect, there is nothing wrong with trying to look your best. As teens, it is natural to want a sense of social belonging. No matter what is on the cover of maga-zines, or what the trend of the month may be, the definition of beauty is very broad. No one is perfect, but there are many ways to achieve a state of looking good. Every-one is beautiful in their own way, big or small, everyone has something that makes them unique, and that is what beauty doubt-lessly is. True beauty is being able to ac-cept your flaws and still being able to love yourself. For someone to love you, you must love yourself. So no matter what you look like, you can still take each step being confident that no one else in this world is exactly like you. Be yourself and don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t beautiful. Beauty is not forced nor created; it is about the uniqueness in you that is radiated.

Cartoon by: Emily SEmandEr

Online Relationships: Caught in the Web

GraphiC by: Julian GravES

EnvironmentalFebruary 2013

6

As Valentine’s Day has become increasing-ly commercial it has become more impera-tive than ever to receive something red, pink, or sweet on the most romantic day of the year. No one wants to be the “for-gotten” one with no flowers or sweets to hold on February 14th. As a result men and women go to great lengths to ensure that everyone on their list is ac-counted for. Flowers, cards, candies, and even jewelry are purchased on this day in an attempt to show affection, but once the day is over a good portion of these gifts end up in the trash. It seems that not too long ago Ameri-can’s would walk to their quaint neigh-borhood florist shops to purchase bouquets for their loved ones. Today those colorful arrangements are eas-ily accessible in grocery stores and super markets. Most of these flowers are grown in Colombia or Ecuador and then are dashed with different types of chemicals. The flowers are then boxed and kept refrigerated as they travel thousands of miles emitting toxic pol-lutants into the environment. The chemicals being used on these plants were banned in America, and have det-rimental effects on workers and the envi-ronment. A lot of flowers are also bred in European labs where the duration of the bloom is extended and the colors are fre-quently altered. Every rose in every color contributes to the 321 million flowers that are purchased each year. It is perhaps the most popular flower giving day right up there with Mother’s Day (smithsonianmag.com). Senior Brianna Bauman said, “It’s not fair for us to consume all of these resources. Trees are being cut down every second,

and forests, which have the greatest biodi-versity, are being wiped out. We should live more simplistically, and focus on the person not the material. If a person can’t do that they should at least recycle.” When we were in elementary school it was customary to give Valentine’s Day cards

to our entire class, and of course a special card for our favorite teacher. Now that we are older we still exchange cards, only they are larger and more grown up, but there are still hundreds of thousands of little kids, couples, spouses, friends, and other family members exchanging cards on the most ro-mantic day of the year. Each year 180 mil-lion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged! That’s enough to wrap around the Earth five times over! (statisticbrain.com) Junior Alexandra Leno said, “Valentine’s Day has become a very commercial holi-

day. People feel that like they have to give all these gifts, but most of the time they will just end up in the trash a few days later.” Chocolate has also been associated with Valentine’s Day. The lovely pink and red heart shaped boxes delicately

decorated containing delectable chocolates are customarily ex-changed. Similar to the flowers, about 70 percent of chocolate is important from West Africa (mnn.com). West African work-ers are typically mistreated and do not participate in agricultur-al sustainability. As the cliché goes, “Every woman loves diamonds”. And apparently Valentine’s Day is the best day to give them. More diamond jewelry is pur-chased on February 14th than any other day of the year. Dia-mond mining, as well as min-ing for other precious stones, is dangerous and extremely detrimental to the environment. Most diamond miners are irre-sponsible and mining leads to soil erosion, deforestation, and the relocation of local popula-tions (brilliantearth.com).

While everyone can get caught up in the whirlwind romance of Valen-tine’s Day, the decisions that people make can negatively impact the envi-ronment. Every rose, chocolate, card, or diamond that people exchange provides an excessive drain on Earth’s natural resources. Perhaps this Valentine’s Day everyone should aim to give mother Earth a gift, so that there can continue to be more holidays for future generations. Have a green Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day:A gift for Mother Earth

Jordana CutajarFEATURES EDITOR

Valentine’s Day may be widely known as the day for love and romance galore, but the celebrated holiday does not require anyone to be in a relationship to enjoy it. Although being in a relationship allows people to grow close, fall in love, and ex-pand their lifestyles, it is not the only choice that people have to ensure happiness in their lives. Being single, even on Valentine’s Day, comes with certain benefits that many people are not aware of. Being in a relation-ship requires full com-mitment and time; two things that many stu-dents have trouble giv-ing. Late night phone calls, daily text messag-es, and undivided atten-tion can sometimes be hard to offer if someone is living a busy lifestyle. “My junior year has kept me far busier than I ever expected. Not only do I take AP classes, but I am also dually en-rolled at Broward Col-lege, while doing my best to maintain my job while working at a sushi restaurant. I have abso-lutely no time for a rela-tionship,” stated junior Jessi Rowe. As high school stu-dents, many teenagers find themselves too busy with school, jobs, and other extracurricular activities to make time for a guy or girl in their lives. There is always homework to do, practice to at-tend, or work to be attended to, causing many students to surrender their love lives. But this surrender of a relationship allows a student to focus on both school and their future. “Not being in a relationship isn’t a bad thing, it actually allows me to focus on the important things I need to do before I move on to college. I just think that at this time in my life a relationship would distract me more than it would help me,” added Rowe.

Not having a boyfriend or girlfriend will allow students to focus more on themselves and not on other people. As growing teen-agers, it’s important for students to find themselves and grow into the people that they wish to be, without someone holding their hand the entire step of the way. For students to successfully make it on their own, they must gain self-confidence and self-reliance. Such independence is the key to growing in the world today. Although it is important for students to surround them-

selves with loving friends and family, some-times a close-knit relationship isn’t the best answer for everyone. “I think it’s important for people to grow on their own before they learn to grow with another person,” said senior Rendell Alme-ria. “Being in a relationship is a great feel-ing, but being an independent and confi-dent person feels better.” Many students think that facing their fu-tures alone seems much scarier than facing it with someone beside them. And in some cases that may be true, but a sense of indi-viduality is one of the healthiest qualities that a teenager can possess.

The benefits of being singleVictoria AlvarezENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH EDITOR

Over the course of everyone’s lives, people en-counter all kinds of relationships. Whether it is romantic, platonic, professional, or otherwise, these relationships shape people’s everyday lives. They affect their emotions, choices, and life-styles. When a person decides to invite someone into their personal life and put their walls down, it is a profound moment. They do this because the people that they choose to let in make a significant impact in their lives. These individuals play a vital role in people’s thoughts and opinions, and can potentially sway a person in a different direction when making life-changing decisions. However, sometimes, the people that individuals decide to put in their lives aren’t particularly healthy for them, but other times, the association may be ex-actly what they need. Some relationships create a feeling of sheer bliss between both partners, allowing the honeymoon phase to last forever. This honeymoon phase may feel good from the inside, but from the outside looking in, it leads down a dangerous path. Many teenagers begin to isolate their friends and fam-ily members when in a relationship without even noticing. This is bad for several reasons, the main one being that if the relationship ends, all that per-son’s friends are too upset to help them through the breakup. This story has been the end of too many friendships in high school. The fear of los-ing their partner by not being there all the time in turn allows that one person to become their whole life; this thrusts a beautiful relationship into an unhealthy downfall. However, such a relationship is completely avoidable. By simply allowing each other to have space to still be with friends, go out on Friday nights, and have a life outside of the relationship, this will be the healthiest approach. This way, a person’s life is neither consumed with a partner or their friends. Letting go of the small things, such as not walking to each class together or sit-ting at the same lunch table every single day, can make a huge difference. Young love is a beautiful thing, as long as it’s not controlling. It is impor-tant to have balance in a person’s relationship life. It’s important to know that it’s normal and okay to have an intimate relationship with a significant other but one mustn’t forget the outside life with friends and family as well. One senior, Gabby Rosario, is in a relationship and says simply, “Relationships are mainly good, if you’re not too possessive with each other and you’re not obsessive.” No relationship is perfect and of course there will be ups and downs-- that’s normal, in fact it’s healthy! Many couples have their fights, but most come out stronger than before because they find out more about that person they are in a relation-ship with. They get to see the raw person, without the “perfect mate” façade. These ‘tests’ in the re-lationship really make a person think about how much that person means to them when they’re not talking. “When you’re in a relationship and you’re in love with somebody, you’re just on top of the world and nothing can stop you from being happy,” said senior Kassie Diaz. Being in a healthy relationship in high school can help many students in different aspects of their lives. Being in a relationship can make you feel confident and at ease because that person knows that at the end of the day there is someone who loves them past all of their flaws. There is someone that knows you in a more inti-mate way and knows you better than anyone else. This leads a person to feel more confident about themselves and the decisions they make. Interactions with others are one of the only things that are guaranteed to happen every day. Studies show that people in harmful relationships are usually more stressed out. People who immerse themselves in helpful relationships usually live longer and happier lives (PMC.org). Smiling and laughter is good for the heart, so naturally, being around friends and partners that bring such energy will only bring more light into one’s life. There are many things in life that a person can and can’t choose; one thing you can choose is who to date and who to bestow friendship upon. Almost all of these decisions are made without a second thought, but in the end can be extremely powerful. It’s important that teenagers pick the people who will be there for them in their times of need and help them believe in themselves. In both friendships and relationships, fighting is in-evitable. If this fight is over a person who is worth stressing out over, then it’s probably worth it.

Around the holidays, especially on Valentine’s Day, many teenagers tend to think that they “need” to have a special someone in their lives. This common and very cliché thought is almost uni-versal. “A lot of people go out of their way on Valentine’s Day and other holidays when they’re in a relationship,” said junior Ol-ivia Hamilton. “It’s as if they feel forced to do something romantic and cute just because they’re in a relationship.”

High school couples tend to represent these thoughts and ideas because of the lengths that they’re willing to take to make their signifi-cant other happy. This hard work may be romantic, but it’s also stressful as well. Planning surprises, new dates, and gift ideas can sometimes put an emotional and physical toll on students. With so much going on, their stress levels just rise as more things are added on. Some-times, the presence of a relationship can be one of the main causes of the stress. Whether it is that the couple is arguing

or that their anniversary is coming up and they’re having trouble making plans, relationships can provide a lot of high school students with unnecessary stress. “School, clubs, and other extracurricu-lar activities that I am a part of already stress me out enough,” stated junior Jada Hemming. “I know a lot of couples, and trust me, I don’t think that I can handle any more troubles on my plate.” Relationships offer and hold many op-portunities and beautiful qualities, how-ever so does being single. Teenagers do not have to be in love to be happy or cel-ebrate Valentine’s Day.

Healthy relationships worth the heartacheChelsi ChangSTAFF WRITER

Single and content: Some PPCHS students prefer to be single and enjoy the company of friends than be in a relationship with a significant other. Photo By: Natalia Cevallos

Green world: An eco-friendly Valentine’s Day is sure to show some love to the planet. GraPhiC By: NiCk lee yee

The CHAT Editorials:

Technology7February 2013

Looghermine ClaudeSTAFF WRITER Take a look at the Pines Charter hall-ways in between classes and see the bright, glowing screens of cellphones, iPods, and a countless number of other electronics shining on the faces of students. From way back in the 1990’s to now in the 2010’s, technology has changed drastically and so have students’ uses with them. Now with the rapid changes that are occurring, you can see revolutionary gadgets affecting even the most intimate areas of high school lives: relationships. Updates in the tech world are constantly affecting the way stu-dents communicate with their “other half”. For the most part, social networking has ruined the concept of getting to know an-other person. Nowadays, before one meets or even talks to a person of the opposite gender, they know practically everything about them from sites like Facebook, Twit-ter, and Instagram. Only in history text-books can you find the times when people talked about their likes, dislikes, and hob-bies. Here in the age of technology where information is out everywhere, there is an

instant knowledge about everyone anyone has wanted to meet. There are infinite posts and tweets on the internet depicting the love life of everyone in school. It seems like there is not any privacy left for couples. Facebook, Twit-ter, and Instagram have been the tools used by everyone to display their love life to the world. There is virtually no more privacy. The secret hush-hush meetings of couples have been replaced with a world of tweets, statuses, and posts. “People are starting to put up more things about their relationships online than they used to in the past,” says sophomore Sora-ya Lopez. “It gives people a chance to say things about their lives that we sometimes don’t want to hear.” Today the thumbs have taken over the mouths. Though asking a girl out in person is still alive in today’s society, many don’t bother to talk to their partner that much face-to-face. Couples are now relying on text messaging to tell their other about their day, life, and other events. With the outpouring of new apps, there are dozens of ways for couples to communicate with

It’s never too late for some Competition: Blackberry Z10Alexandra ManganoTECHNOLOGY EDITORA generation late, the blackberry compa-nies finally redeem themselves from a big hit. Many people who owned blackberry’s first fell in love with these hand-held device that could access anything. Now more than ever, more and more companies have been producing smart phones. One company that has significantly impacted the world in this industry is Apple. It seems nowadays that everyone owns an apple product, most commonly the popular iPhone. Many “Crack berry” fanatics turned over to iPhones but still have feelings attached to their old BlackBerry devices. “The only reason why I have an iPhone is because it is the newest technological device out

there. I love having the most advanced cell-phones; however I do miss my blackberry, and cannot wait until this Blackberry Z10 comes out,” explains Junior Galit Sims. The expected release date for this new de-vice is in May or June of 2013.The Blackberry Z10 is a spinoff of the iPhone. The touch screen device has also a visible keyboard that attracts most black-berry users. The phone will be produced in both black and white which is a standard color for most cell phones. With expecta-tions continuously rising, pioneers are as-sured that this technological advancement will be popular for a lengthy time (cnn.com). “I love the blackberry keyboard. It is much better than the touchscreen keyboard on the iPhone anyway. I think with so

Sent from mobileJoshua AllemanMANAGING EDITOR – LAYOUT

Protecting your phone 101Chelsie Ramos STAFF WRITER In a world where people spend the majority of their day with their cell phones glued to their hands, the risk of personal infor-mation slipping into the wrong hands is very high. However, protecting your information from getting in the wrong hands is just one worry that many may deal with on a daily basis. Another worry is the risk of physically damaging the device that is in the palm of your hands. Both wor-ries are due to the problems that occur often in our world based on technology. In recent events, multiple ac-counts on social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook have had breaches in their security and users have been get-ting hacked. It is cases like this that causes hesitation for many on what information they should have stored in these accounts. However, many link these personal ac-counts to their phones, which can increase these hacking occurrences unfortunately. As of recently, Twitter sent out a few tips to protect their millions of users to falling prey to hackers. Some tips are: having a strong password with a combination of up-per and lower case words along with num-bers and symbols. Another is to not have the same password for multiple accounts. Junior Adrian Dunbar is a bit hesitant to believe that just a strong password can pro-tect you. He thinks, “People can hack your account if they really want too. There are so many types of coding and programs that people have designed purely for the use of hacking. If you do get hacked, all I can say is hope that they didn’t happen to change your password, and if they did then reset it and start over.” Having so many accounts linked to your cellular device can be a problem too. Ac-counts like Twitter, Facebook, and Ins-tagram may be the only accounts you are connected to now, but if you connect to your banking account later, then securing your phone with a lock passcode is one way to try to protect you information. IPhones

also give their users options if their phone is misplaced or lost with the application, Find My iPhone. This app allows you to locate, lock or erase your phone, so that your information cannot be compromised. Another issue that concerns many smart-phone owners is the possibility of doing physical damage to their delicate devices. This worry had led to the booming industry of cases and screen protectors that are sold in the millions. Phones are easily broken if they are not taken proper care of. “Some cases can be very expensive, but it’s worth the protection of your phone. Leaving it bare is the worst thing to do. Investing in an Otter Box or Lifeproof case is good,” says junior, Shelby Watson. Cases for your smartphones, like the Ot-ter Box or Lifeproof cases, are good in-vestments. Prices for Samsung cases range from $25 to $60 while iPhone cases range from $15 to $60. Despite their high prices, they can prevent the destruction of a $250+ phone. Any type of case in the long run is better than no case at all. The technology age is at an all-time high, and the possibility of something going wrong is there. Whether you unlink your personal accounts from your phone or use lock passcodes for protection, it is impor-tant to be cautious of both the threat of los-ing valuable personal information and the phone itself.

cause it’s simple and great for group mes-saging,” says sophomore Kelsey Faren-hem. Only time will tell what will happen to this huge website in the future.

Facebook is one of the most popular and most visited websites in existence. In the past few years it has developed, changed, and added many features which include video chats, timelines, groups, and the mobile application. Recently, the mobile aspect of Facebook has been growing at an exponential rate; it is now being used by more than half of the people on Facebook. “I prefer the mobile Facebook because I can take it anywhere and see what’s going on while the desktop can’t be taken with you everywhere. Also the mobile Face-book is easier to update your stuff and you are able to look at it whenever and wher-ever you are and you don’t have to worry about turning on and logging into your desktop because the mobile Facebook app is easy to log on to. I like to have Facebook right there in my palm,” says junior Geor-gia Goldstein Facebook has become the number one mobile site; users spend almost twice as much time on Facebook mobile than they do on Google. Of course, there are pros and cons to choosing a mobile platform or a stationary platform which have to be taken into consideration when asking why so many users have stopped using their computers and have started using their phones and tablets to access Facebook. “While the mobile version of Facebook is great on the go, the desktop version gives you more features, plus it’s spaced out and clearer than its counterpart,” says senior JP Serrano. Whether it is on the go or on the com-puter, Facebook has become a big part of everyday life and is important for com-munication, it has come so far since it was invented and it will keep evolving in the years to come. “I like the desktop version a lot more, because I feel like the mobile version is a lot harder to access. I have an android, and Facebook loads really slowly on it. It shows a lot of posts out of order, which is pretty annoying because I mostly use Facebook for clubs, and all the group pages load funny, so I hardly ever use it. On my phone, there’s a separate app for the messenger and I like using that a lot be-

many users being frustrated over ap-ple technology, some might switch back to BlackBerrys,” states Senior Ashley Klapper on the features of the new Z10. There has been much struggle with producing this new device, however to some it is all worth it in the end. The high demand for fast multi-media and applications is what the Blackberry Z10 has to offer. It is pos-sible that blackberry might regain its power that it once had. According to CNN.com, engineers and pioneers are hopeful that loyal blackberry us-ers will love the Z10 and others will go back to the original smartphone; the BlackBerry.

Case Care: A case goes a long way to preventing a cracked screen. Photo By: Alex Monge

Locked in love: Modern couples are constantly to-gether thanks to tech. Photo By: nAtAliA CevAllos

Desktop V. Mobile: Different ways to get on, still same old Facebook. Photo By: ReBeCCA gonzAlez

Blackeberry Z10: The next conteneder to the iPhone throne steps up to bat. gRAPhiC By: JuliAn gRAves

• The desktop version has more features than the mobile version has and is easier to navigate without going to multiple screens like on the mobile app

• Desktops usually load much more quick-ly than the internet connection of phones

• The ads are less in engaging and don’t distract the user as much from their activi-ties, unlike the mobile app which allows the ad to fill up the whole or most of the screen

Pros of Desktop

Pros of Mobile• Facebook is more focused on mobile and will be developing special features for it in the next few years

• Easier access and on the go use is a definite plus; status updates, pictures, and most other Facebook activities can be done while being anywhere with internet

• The mobile app on a phone or tablet can automatically send notifications to the home screen or calendar to allow users to stay updated without having the app open on the screen

each other that don’t include the simple in person conversations. The times have changed and so have the ways couples used to be. But technology has not completely ruined relationships. The efficiency brought on by text messages has given couples an instant response to messages sent. There are no more long horse rides to your lover’s house to give her a letter to begin your courtship. In an instant, people can check up on their soul mates. New apps and features have given partners access to a range of meth-ods to contact and connect with each other. Now, with a cellphone, couples can keep in touch even if they are on opposite sides of the world. “I think technology has helped kids in our school get to know each other better. Tex-ting has allowed us to learn to learn things about each other that we may not neces-sarily be able to talk about in school,” says freshman Genesis Vesco. “Also, you don’t see a lot of kids around campus so social networking sites help us meet other stu-dents.” The ever changing bank of technology has

affected students’ relationships for the bet-ter and for the worse. The gizmos available to teenagers today have changed their con-versations from in person to ones across multiple digital networks. High school stu-dents might have lost the personal touch of having face-to-face conversations, but have gained access to a worldwide database that shares everything. The list of effects is endless, but there is one thing students can be sure of: technology has shaped the lives of teenager relationships forever.

The CHAT Editorials:Technology steals the hearts of many

SportsFebruary 2013

8

The Florida Gators and the Miami Hurri-canes basketball teams have truly stood out this season as some of the top schools in the nation. With pure talent and teamwork, both teams have rose to the challenge day in and day out. For several years the Florida Gators have dominated the SEC and most of the nation in college basketball. Once again the Ga-tors are at the top of their conference and are crushing their familiar foes. With an 9-1 record within their conference, Florida has much breathing room heading into the NCAA Tournament in March. As a matter of fact, their only inner-conference loss came to an unranked Arkansas team on the road on February 5th. The Gators are cur-rently ranked #7 in all of college basketball and are led by senior guard Kenny Boyn-ton and senior forward Patrick Young. Key wins against Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ole Miss have highlighted their season so far as they have a current record of 20-3. Head coach Billy Donavan has done an outstand-ing job with his team as he remains one of

Gators continue to chomp, Canes continue to surpriseBrett AlayonSTAFF WRITER

Courtney Dart, junior, shortstop Since the age of 5, Courtney Dart has been playing softball. Her dad got her in-terested in the sport and he became her biggest motivation throughout her softball career. Now, she continues that career with the PPCHS girls’ softball team and their journey to maintain the title of state cham-pions. She is the shortstop of the team and can occasionally pitch as well. As a sophomore on last year’s varsity team, Dart helped the team go all the way to states and win it all. Now in her junior year, she hopes to help the team make it back to states to de-fend their title they earned last year. “We are better than last year’s team,” said Dart. “We can go to states,” she states adamant-ly. Her ultimate goal is to win states for a second year in a row. She also wants to help the team perform their best. Currently, Dart wants to play softball at the University of Nebraska after graduat-ing. Whether it’s for pitching or for playing in the infield, she is ready to play to her fullest potential. Courtney Dart is ready to help lead this team to states and win, just like last year.

Danny Melgarejo, junior, pitcher Junior Danny Melgarejo is a star pitcher for the Jaguars varsity baseball team this season. Last year, Danny made the varsity team as a sophomore and is ready to now have a bigger role in the rotation. “I think I can carry the team deep into games by keeping the games close for our offense to do their thing,” he stated. After losing more than 10 seniors last season, the var-sity team is searching for guys to step up and become great team leaders. Despite this, Danny believes the team has a good shot at their first district champion-ship and may even go farther than last year. This junior began playing baseball when he was just 4 years old and has always had a passion for the game. Danny’s aspirations for the future include going to a Division 1 college. Danny said, “I would love to play at FSU, but really any D1 or high D2 is good. Who knows, maybe the big leagues will be in the picture too one day.” With Danny’s leadership and command on the mound, the Jags varsity baseball team is ready to do big things this year be-hind one of Charter’s most promising ath-letes in baseball.

Jake Jacobs, junior, centerfielderJunior center fielder Jake Jacobs returns for his second year on varsity as one of the premier players in the county. Making the Sun-Sentinel Honorable Mention team as only a sophomore last year, he feels this is his year to really stand out. His com-bination of speed, arm strength, fielding, power, and batting average makes him a five-tool player. “Baseball is my passion, and I feel ready this year more than ever to break out,” said Jacobs. “We have the team to make it far this year.”Any success the Jags have this year will have to go through Jacobs. As an upper-classman, Jacobs understands the leader-ship role he must fulfill. He will look to build on his success of last year, specifi-cally noting he wants to raise his average above .400 and steal more bases. If Jacobs can have the season he is capable of hav-ing, the future for the varsity team is bright.

Jesse Gonzalez, Senior, right fielder Jesse Gonzalez is a seasoned veteran and will be a leader for this younger Jaguars baseball team. An occasional starter last year, Gonzalez has burst on to the scene in the preseason and looks to be one of the main producers on the team. “We have a lot more chemistry this year,” says Gonzalez. “Our goal as a team is to play hard and pick each other up whenever we make mistakes. If we can do that, our team can do some pretty big things this year and win a lot of games.” As an individual, Gonzalez is looking forward to a breakout senior season and if his success so far is any indicator, there are some good things to come from this Jaguar outfielder. “I’ve played baseball for 14 years now,” said Gonzalez, “I love to play baseball and the game is extremely important to me be-cause it has been a part of my life for such a long time.”

Jamie Gonzalez, junior, catcher At the age of 8, Pines Charter starting catcher Jamie Gonzalez first picked up a softball. At that moment she had no idea how much that ball and the sport would change her life. “I actually started off in dance and cheer-leading and then one of my closest friends had left cheer to play softball so I tried it out and loved it,” said Jamie Gonzalez. She follows in her brother’s footsteps, a standout baseball player on the varsity team and a senior at PPCHS. The mor-als of toughness she learned from him are definitely demonstrated as she consistently battles bruises and sore muscles to stay in the game for the Jags. Besides catcher, she really is a true utility player, with all the attributes to play at any position. “I just love the sport so much. My favorite thing would be practicing a play and then executing it perfectly in a game,” Gonzalez added. “I get this feeling of accomplish-ment that is indescribable.” Hopefully Jamie can continue her suc-cess in executing these plays and can help bring Pines Charter back to the top of the podium.

Victoria Gonzalez, senior, first base Victoria Gonzalez is a tri athlete who plays basketball, volleyball, and softball. She dominates in every sport she plays whether it’s shooting hoops or pounding the softball over the fence for a home run. It is no wonder why Victoria Gonzalez is one of Charter’s most promising athletes. Gonzalez started playing softball at the young age of four, when her dad got her into the sport. Since playing for PPCHS, she works out every day through condi-tioning and practice. She is currently the first baseman of the team. Last year, she had a .444 batting average with 12 home runs. In Thursday’s double header, she hit 4 homeruns. “We are going to have a lot of pressure on us this year, because we are state champs,” said Gonzalez. “Everyone wants to beat us.” Her goal is to get to states and win again. For college, Gonzalez got a full ride to Palm Beach Atlantic. “I want to be the best leader I can be to better myself and my team,” said Gonza-lez. “I will do what I can to help the team and win states.”

the best coaches in all of college basket-ball. “The Gators never fail to impress,” said se-nior Brandon Rosen. “Hopefully they are able to make a deep run and cut down the nets in March.” As the Gators keep rolling, the Miami Hurricanes have been one of the most surprising teams in college basketball this season. The canes are undefeated in conference play with an impressive 10-0 record including a 27-point blowout vic-tory against rival Duke Blue Devils. Led by senior forwards Kenny Kadji and Reg-gie Johnson, the Canes have an identical 20-3 record with the Gators. Head coach Jim Larranaga has truly impacted the team as he preaches defense and teamwork ev-ery time his team takes the court. Besides beating the former #1 team in Duke, Mi-ami has taken down Michigan State and a strong NC State on the road after forward Reggie Johnson tipped in a game-winning shot with less than one second remaining. The Canes are opening all eyes across the nation and are instilling hope in their loyal fans who are waiting for a championship. They are currently ranked #3 in all of col-

lege basketball. “It’s unbelievable what the Canes have been able to accomplish so far this season,” said sophomore fan Nick Del Mazo. “I can’t wait to see what they do in the tour-nament and the rest of the season.” Florida and Miami are certainly teams to

Most promising Baseball and Softball players at Charter

look out for once the 64-team tournament comes around in March. The stakes are high for both teams as they seek to make a Final Four run. There’s still much basket-ball to be played and the Gators and Canes are determined to achieve something spe-cial in the big dance.

College Basketball: The Gators and Hurricanes are proving that Florida teams currently stand out amongst all other college basketball teams. Graphic by: armando Urena

photos by: chat photo staff

News9February 2013

Start planning ahead with the College Fair It always happens at big gatherings: someone brings up the topic of the future. For some, that topic can be one that they love talking about, while for others it is one that they cringe at. Thinking past high school, college is the next thing on the ho-rizon, some people know automatically where they see themselves, while others have difficulty getting past the initial idea of moving on. Choosing colleges can be a scary thing, the options and ranges to choose from are abundant. For this very reason Mr. Greenbaum and Mrs. Cabeza have teamed up together again for the sec-ond year in a row to host College Fair. This event occurred last year during the school day at our very own school gymna-sium; however, this year the fair will take place February 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium to allow parents to also participate in the planning for the future. Together Mr. Greenbaum and Mrs. Cabeza are creating a “one stop shopping for in-

formation on schools and their admissions process and course studies,” says Mrs. Ca-beza, English I teacher. Reps from schools both in state and out of state will be pres-ent at the occasion, allowing students and parents to get the needed infor-mation about mul-tiple schools in a contained and easy manner. 47 schools are slated to visit our very own Jag-uar gym, with out of state colleges such as Cornell Univer-sity and Boston’s Pharmaceutical Col-lege on the list. College is something that everyone wor-ries about, which is the reason as to why everyone is welcome to attend the College Fair. Freshmen and sophomores are en-

What’s next for Hillary Clinton? After February 4th, 2013, Hillary Clinton will no longer be able to call the Depart-ment of State her home. On February 1st, Clinton announced her resignation from Secretary of State around 4:00pm. Her po-litical career started when her husband Bill Clinton became governor while she was a big time lawyer. She became very well known as the 42nd first lady during her hus-band’s presidency term from 1993-2001. Even though she had some failed attempts as first lady, she was known for her dignity and per-severance. Later, her attempt to become the 1st woman president in 2008 ended when she lost the primary to by Barack Obama. “Even though Hillary Clinton did have many failed attempts at bettering the United States, I still think that she is a great role model to all women who may want a job in the government,” said junior Melissa Wagner. Aside from Clinton’s unsuccessful efforts, she has come very far in the government world. She has restored American cred-ibility around the world with missions like hers to Burma where she supported party reform that supports human rights. In addition to unsuccessfully running for president in 2008, she was elected into the US senate and held a federal cabinet level

position. Clinton’s main reason behind re-signing from her 4 year term as Secretary of State is simply her health. She was di-agnosed with a blood clot in her head and planned to step down from office as soon as someone was available to take her spot. As she stepped down, her successor John Kerry took oath into office later that day. A letter that Clinton wrote to Obama right before she resigned read, “I am more

convinced than ever in the strength and stay-ing power of America’s global leadership and our capacity to be a force for good in the world.” The next big question on everyone’s minds is whether Clinton will try for presidency again in 2016. After her attempt in 2008, her status has improved with her posi-tion and experience as

the Secretary of State. Some may say that she isn’t ready for the stress that presidency brings, while others think that she is more than capable to become our first woman president. However, in a recent interview for the Washington Post, Clinton stated that: “After a rest, I would like to devote myself to writing, teaching and other good works.” As of now nobody knows what’s next for Clinton in politics; we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for her and for our nation.

The Push toward National Immigration Reform According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are approximately 11 mil-lion illegal immigrants living in the United States today. Though they have broken the federal law, most would agree that some-thing must soon be done not only to secure the country’s borders for the future to en-sure safety and government efficiency, but also to address the legal status of so many illegal immigrants who are here already. Debate over the issue by Washington law-makers has begun and all early indications show that it will be both a fiery and intrigu-ing deliberation.“I hope any new law passed will be fair,” said senior Bryan Villa, who is the son of legal immigrants. “I think it’s important that the illegal immigration problem is fixed and that it is done in a way that makes sense.” In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) granted legal status to about 3 million formerly illegal immi-grants that had entered the country before 1982. Ultimately, the act dealt with the le-gal status of illegal immigrants who were already living in the United States but did very little to curb illegal immigration or secure the border. In recent years several states have approved their own versions of the DREAM Act, a Senate bill that pro-

Governor Scott, proposed bill give hope for Charter funding With schools like those in the Charter sys-tem, many parents and students across Flor-ida are grateful for institutions that really show positive motivating results for the fu-ture of thousands of K-12 students. Unfor-tunately, though, the major funding prob-lems the Charter schools endure could lead to a future where those positive motivating results might not exist anymore. Gover-nor Rick Scott and a recently proposed bill have many people hope-ful that this ca-tastrophe may be prevented. Last month, two town hall meetings were held in the PPCHS caf-eteria where parents filled the room to hear what town and school officials had to say on the status of the funding going into the Charter schools. Parents who attended were not happy to hear the bad condition funding was in. One Charter school receives 40 cents less per dollar in the area, and the Charter system had to dig into their savings last year just

to run. The bill proposed entails public schools to share tax dollars with Charter schools. If something is not done as soon as possible to get money to the Pines Char-ter schools, there is the high chance they will deplete their reserves in 3 years and possibly shut down (Sun Sentinel). Recently, a few days following the town meetings, Governor Rick Scott has an-nounced a budget to go into effect that will increase funding for K-12 public schools

by $1.2 billion. That budget will also include $10.7 billion in fund-ing from the state for K-12 schools. Governor Scott has also proposed an increase in per-student funding and bringing up education to be a legisla-tive importance (Florida Gov). Gov. Scott announced that one of his top priorities “in the upcoming budget and legislative session is funding for education.” He also addressed how “investing in our teachers and in our education system is the key to our state’s continued economic growth”.Gov. Scott’s plans has many hopeful for the education future. Curriculum specialist Ms. Yanez is one who is

“hopeful” that Rick Scott’s announce-ment will truly come to suffice, saying, “It’ll help us to be better than we are.” Many parents, officials, and state legisla-tors are behind the bill with full-on support for its passing in Tallahassee.

vides a pathway to citizenship for young illegal immigrants who graduate from high school and have lived in the country con-tinuously for five years or more. Just last year, President Obama issued an execu-tive order that created a deferral program called Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which allowed im-migrants who entered the country illegally when they were children to remain and work without being deported for at least two years.

“I think the biggest problem is that we don’t know how to properly utilize the skill set that some of these immigrants possess,” said senior Debate team captain Daniel Kalter. “We should fix it by making citizenship more accessible to working im-migrants.” The United States has always been a na-tion of immigrants and undoubtedly immi-gration has always played a key role in the country’s success. However, over the last few years and decades it has become very apparent that a lack of enforcement of im-migration laws can have devastating con-sequences on fiscal policy and economic vitality. Immigration rates have slowed in the most recent years, most likely due to the struggling economy. And while most efforts toward meaningful immigration reform include the granting of green cards

for undocumented immigrants obtaining advanced science, mathematical, and en-gineering degrees, there are relatively few who will meet the standard for this exemp-tion. More than a million immigrants, legal and illegal, enter the United States every year and as a group, they generally have less education and fewer skills than the av-

erage U.S. citizen. Immigrants, legal and illegal, also consume three times as much in government benefits as they pay in taxes. Many would also argue that uncon-trolled immigration can have distressing effects on the economy, especially during prolonged times of high unemployment such as these. Additionally, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in 2010 does not provide coverage

David NaborsSPORTS EDITOR

Chelsie RamosSTAFF WRITER couraged to begin their college process ear-

ly on in their high school careers. Howev-er, the fair is geared toward juniors mainly since they are only a year away from mak-

ing the big choice as to where they will spend the next four years of their life. Junior Courtney Merolle says, “I think it is a great event because it gives kids a chance to take some time and talk to col-leges from across

the country. Also now since parents are able to go it al-

lows them a chance to hear all the informa-tion first hand from the colleges too.” But no school event can go on without help, which is why parents are being asked

for donations. Items such as plastic table cloths, balloons, and paint in white, black, or burgundy would be greatly appreci-ated, as well as water bottles, cereal bars and canned soda. All items can be sent in to the attention of Mrs. Cabeza in room D221. Parents who donate these items will receive volunteer hours, just like those who accompany their kids to the event. The 28th will surely help bring students and parent’s one step closer to the decision that will change their future. Every day, each student at PPCHS gets one step closer to their future; with the help of this event, students will have the chance to go through this process in a calm man-ner. As for what Mrs. Cabeza hopes for the night, she says, “We are really excited, we have a lot of different schools coming and we are hoping for a great student turn out. We want to have a lively event, that when people walk in, they will see the jaguar col-ors and the colors of the future schools.”

for illegal immigrants, so during a time of soaring deficits emergency room costs for the illegal immigrant population will likely continue to be another taxpayer expendi-ture. Taking the lead on national immigration reform has been our own state’s senator, Republican Marco Rubio. Rubio, a promi-

nent leader of the Hispanic community has both criticized the DREAM Act for being too broad and gone against the grain of hard-line conserva-tism when it comes to offering illegal immigrants a “pathway to citizenship”. However, as he has previously articulated parts of his plan, it is obvious that certain aspects of it are ap-pealing to both sides.“Legal immigration has been, for our country, one of the things that makes us vibrant

and exceptional,” Senator Rubio has said. “Every country in the world has immigra-tion laws and expects to enforce them and we should be no different.”The push toward vital immigration reform looks like it will be a long and grueling process. For the sake of the well-being of the United States, however, it is just as nec-essary as it will be difficult.

Haley CoolidgeSTAFF WRITER Cassidy-Rae Brantley

STAFF WRITER

College Fair: Students at PPCHS are ready for the upcom-ming college fair at the end of the month. Photo by: Natalia Cevallos

Graphic by: Armando Urena

Graphic by: Armando Urena

Graphic by: Armando Urena

EntertainmentFebruary 2013

10 X-Factor, American Idol, and The Voice sing offChelsi ChangSTAFF WRITERWith all the new shows in development and making their way onto the television screen, one show genre has yet to fade away. Watching singing competition shows have always been one of America’s favor-ite pastimes. Its appeal never seems to die; maybe it’s the fact that audience member get a say in whether or not a contestant continues on or is eliminated, the witty judges, or the catchy pop tunes. Whatever it is, the appeal has graduated from one of the first successful singing competition shows- American Idol- to new shows such as The Voice and X-Factor. Looking at all of these shows holistically, one would be lead to believe that all of these shows are all the same, when in reality all of these show possess different quirks that make their show unique. The Voice is a show that airs on NBC and takes auditioning to a whole new level. The judges and coaches- Christiana Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green- sit facing away from the people auditioning to avoid from letting looks or performance distract them; these people can only use their voice to dazzle the judg-es. These are called the “blind auditions.” Anytime during the audition, the judges can choose to turn around which means they would like that person to be on their team. If more than one judge turns around, the person auditioning gets to choose what team they would like to be on. As soon as the teams have been decided, the coaches work with their team members on their voice, and performances to perform

in front of a live studio audience. How-ever, these contestants are not performing against other teams, but members from their own team. The coaches pick two team members to sing the same song and pick

a winner to advance onto the next round. The contestant that is dropped can then be picked up by another coach to be on their team. In the final live performances, the teams will perform against each other and the two with the lowest votes gets sent home (NBC.com). In their 12th season, American Idol has experienced some controversial changes by including new judges. The new judges have been named as Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, and the last one left

of the original judges- Randy Jackson. “I believe Idol’s ratings have gone down for a good reason: the show was getting boring. I’m actually excited to watch all the dra-ma that is going to happen on the judge’s

panel this year. It’s so obvious that Nicki and Mariah don’t like each other and that looks like a blast to watch,” said sopho-more Leysha Caraballo. The show will be following its original formatting in which they travel all across America looking for the next greatest pop star. Starting in Sea-son 10 if the person auditioning impressed the judges, they are sent to participate in Hollywood Week, and then also competed in Vegas. In both cities the surviving con-testant completes a series of challenges be-

fore being chosen for the live shows. On the lives shows, the contestants compete for the audience’s votes. Finally, the infamous cranky judge Mr. Simon Cowell has transitioned over to the X-Factor. The X-Factor has three judges/ coaches, this past season’s judges in-cluded Demi Lovato, Brittney Spears, LA Reid, and of course, Simon Cowell. These judges watched auditions in front of a live audience and if a person auditioning made it through, they were sent to a weeklong boot camp where contestants are pushed to their limits with performances and heavy scrutiny from judges. If the contestants advance, they are put into their category whether it be groups, over 25s, teens, or young adults, and go to the judges’ home that will be coaching that category. From there, the final eliminations are made and the teams are made. Under guidance of their coaches, competitors have concert-like performances with background danc-ers and confetti cannons galore. Hosted last season by Khloe Kardashian Odom and Mario Lopez, the show offers a wide range of talent and performances for all ages and musical tastes. “I watched this season mostly because Khloe Kardashian was hosting, but then I really got into it. I loved their performances, it felt like I was watching mini concerts every time,” said junior Rebekah Welch. All these shows have upped their antics to claim that number one spot as #1 mu-sic competition show but each one offers a unique experience that the others do not. No matter what show you watch, each show promises drama, great music, and the opportunity to watch the next rising star in the making.

Sing offs: Some of the most popular shows on tv are singing competitions. Photo By: Peter Dourvetakis

Beyoncé puts America’s Love On TopGabriela GarciaBUSINESS MANAGERHer name has been praised across the country and is spreading like an epidemic across the globe. Such a name is linked to elegance, beauty, independence, and pas-sion. She has been mentioned in countless awards shows, numerous chart-topping hits, at legendary sporting events, and even at the most recent presidential inau-guration. Her musical career and success is at its highest peak; if you don’t know her name by now then you must be living under a rock. Beyoncé is a woman who is shaking and shaping this generation. Emerging out of the 90’s recording group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s career started at the young age of nine. After many suc-cessful years of making music and history with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé left fellow group members Kelly Rowland and Mi-chelle Williams to work on her own in-dividual music. From the very beginning Beyoncé’s work was considered gold- lit-erally. In her first year in the business go-ing solo Beyoncé tied the record for the most Grammy’s won by a female artist in a single year, winning five in 2004. A lot has happened since 2004, and over the span of those nine years Beyoncé’s suc-cess has only heightened. Now married to well-known American rapper and record-producer Jay-Z, Beyoncé has started a fam-ily and welcomed her daughter Blue Ivy Carter into the world around a year ago. Despite her focus on her personal life, Be-yoncé has not quit. She has released a total of four blazing records that are overflow-ing with hits and have earned her countless awards and titles, including third place on VH1’s “100 Greatest Women in Music” in 2012. Senior Feda Fitian is a huge fan. “I respect how she’s such a hard worker. I mean, I think she’s amazing inside and out. She’s done a lot to help the world- she just had a kid and look at how much she’s already doing to contribute to the entertainment world. The way she dances, the way she can sing live, it just shows how extremely talented and beautiful she is.” Beyoncé’s most recent performances have only proved her determination to keep stepping it up and moving forward. A tremendous honor, Beyoncé belted out the National Anthem in a performance that blew away Mr. President himself. Beyon-cé’s singing at the 2013 Presidential Inau-

guration of Barack Obama’s second term has earned her an overflow of respect and adoration from the entire world. On February 3rd, 2013, America proved that they just could not get enough of this female sensation. At the 47th Super Bowl Halftime Show, Beyoncé served up a time-line of her greatest hits. Songs such as “Crazy in Love” (2003) and “Halo” (2008) were featured, and even a special surprise reunion of Destiny’s Child was seen on stage, shocking and exciting millions. Afterwards, Beyoncé announced ecstatic news: the dates to her nearest upcoming world tour. The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour has only received positive responses, and pre-sale tickets have officially gone on sale. Senior Omari White could barely con-tain his excitement. “I went to one of her first concerts and I absolutely loved it. My whole family is hoping to be front row at her upcoming world tour!” Junior Desiree Scott says that this is ex-actly the news she was hoping for. “I‘m most definitely going to her concert when her world tour comes down here! Her lyr-ics inspire me, and I’m proud to say that she’s one of my idols.” Beyoncé has proved herself over the years and has made sure to engrave herself in the music industry. The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will surely be one that will blow up the box office and cause another wave of love and adoration for Mrs. Carter. “She’s the best female entertainer out there right now. She’s full of life, and she’s so invested in everything she does,” says White. “I think everyone should be able to do that. Being fully emerged in what you love is such a beautiful thing, and Beyoncé is living proof.”

GraPhic By: armanDo urena

Music on the BrainMusic is a part of our everyday lives and is all around us. Music is known to lead to feelings and emotions which lead to human behavior, both positive and negative. Is there really any conclu-sive research that can shed light on music’s ef-fects on behavior? The answer to this question has been the topic of an ongoing public debate for decades. According to Dr. Michael Rich of Children’s Hospital of Boston, “Music in ado-lescents is a powerful motivator of behavior.” Dr. Rich believes that music can affect the lim-bic system of the brain, which is the area that contains our emotions. He believes that when fully engaged, emotions can be very powerful and can overwhelm the other brain functions such as rational think-ing. Senior Dana McGee says, “I believe music does affect your behav-ior. Music is made to express feeling, so that feeling influences peo-ple because people listen to it constantly.” In turn, some people believe that there are other controlling factors that play a role in a person’s behavior when listening to any type of music such as: the environ-ment surrounding them, the company and people that they are with, the clothes they wear and other external factors outside of the music itself. However, music has been proven to affect people’s emotions and at times their emotions can lead to action. In these cases it is believed that the music ac-tually affected behavior in a more indirect way. There is a new study in the journal “Pedi-atrics” that shows a significant connection between listening to a variety of non-main-stream music such as rock and hip-hop and

delinquency. According to Michael D. Le-monick of “Time Magazine”, “A tune can induce emotions ranging from joy to deep sorrow and can drive listeners into states of patriotic fervor or religious frenzy.” Lem-onick believes that much more research is needed to address the mysteries of music and the brain. Freshman Christina Villegas says, “I think music really affects behav-ior but it doesn’t have to be in a negative way. For example, people listen to certain sons to get pumped for a race or a game or some people listen to classical music while studying to focus.” There has not been suf-ficient research and studies conducted on the topic of music’s influence on human behavior. So the question remains, is musi-cal preference and genres a scapegoat for conscious bad behavior?

The Effects of Music: Whether its rap, pop, house, or country that you listen to it is scientifically believed that music can affect your emotions and the way you behave. Photo By: alex monGe

Anthony KelleherTECHNOLOGy EDITOR