THE PANTHER PRESS

The Voice of Career High School

November 2016

New Haven, CT

careerpantherpress.weebly.com

Remembering Mr. Heller

To be #Hellerstrong
means to be
courageous,
unforgettable, and
inspirational. After
meeting and playing
for Mr. Heller, I
learned to never let
anything stop me
from doing what I
aspire to do. We will
always be
#Hellerstrong.

Being #Hellerstrong
means you persevere in
spite of obstacles. You
look a challenge in the
eye and give it your best
efforts. It means taking
PRIDE in all you do. It
means honoring Mr.
Heller.

-Alexandra Queen
10th grade
_________________

To be #Hellerstrong is
to be selfless and work
as hard as possible;
never quit on the people
you care about.

-Mrs. Duff
Administrator
___________________

A fighter, and an
inspirational,
awesome role
model.

-Jordan K. Joyce
11th grade

-Ms. Greene
Business Teacher

Jonathan Heller, age 45, our beloved teacher, coach, and friend, died November 15th after a courageous battle
with cancer.
Mr. Heller is survived by a loving wife and daughter, and is remembered by his extended Career family of
coworkers, students, and athletes.
To read more about how Mr. Heller inspired us all each day, turn to page 6.
1

Hispanic Heritage Assembly a Success

Miles Dylan Wallace
Students at New Havens Hill Regional Career High School took to the stage on November 2nd to celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month lasts from September 15th to October 15th. Students and
teachers from the high school gathered in the auditorium to watch performances and celebrate various cultures.
Students were thrilled to come together to celebrate the multicultural diversity of the school.
During the assembly, many songs and dances were performed, including the Bachata by Career Seniors Jonathan Sosa and Maria Bernal. When asked about his performance of the cultural dance at the assembly, Sosa
stated, My partner and I decided to do this dance because we knew that by performing it we would represent
all Hispanic cultures and not just one specific background. I felt bold, proud, brave, and honored.
After many excellent student performances, Careers own Ms. Love brought everyone to their feet in celebration though her singing.
When asked how she felt watching the celebration, 12th Grader Natalya Marquez answered, I honestly like
that everyone kind of comes together-- like it wasn't just Hispanic people dancing that day, it was kind of everyone. A lot of people really look forward to that assembly because they like feeling represented in that way,
and I think it gives everyone a chance to kind of celebrate in different ways no matter where you come
from.
Congratulations to all performers on a job well done.

The Panther Press: The Voice of Career High School

Panther Press is a squad of students dedicated to getting the truth out to the public. We are determined to give
the people of Hill Regional Career High School a respectful voice.
2016-2017 Staff Writers:
Heidy Ayala Casillas

Natalya Marquez

Gabby Banks

Carolyn Martinez

Heaven Bradley

Sheyla Pedraza

John Cardenas

Charles Sakouvogui

Ashley Cisneros

Erik Sarango

Tahnele Everett

Miles Wallace

Tea Gray

Mya Yorke

Keyavonie Lawrence
Faculty Advisor: Ms. Murphy
Visit us online at careerpantherpress.weebly.com
Contact us at careerpantherpress@gmail.com
2

Before Thanksgiving, Capstone Creativity

Natalya Marquez
Our last day at school before Thanksgiving
break begins was jammed with seniors getting
one step closer to their cap and gown by completing their capstone projects.
The fun began first thing in the morning. Erinn
Moye held her Formation Fashion Show first
period for the school. The show featured different scenes of fashion, one of them featuring the designers Verbal Kent and George L.
Young, and their Icarus Brand Flight Apparel.
Erinn and Anniya Hansberry were co-directors
as well as models in the show. Other models
included were Destyne Moorning, Chassidy
Christian, Skylar Bramwell, Kenyla Sanders,
Shaylen Pasco, Johnay Reddick, Donae
Bess-Clarke, Chelsea Gonzalez, and
Teearra Harris.

Models perform in Moyes Formation Fashion Show. (Contributed

Photo/ Gina Benson)

In between the scenes, some beautiful performances took place. Tehyana Ferguson brought tears into everyones eyes with her rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water as a tribute to Mr. Heller. Following was
Kayla Williams, hyping the crowd up with Beyonces I
Was Here. Lastly was Thomas Oliver doing a solo
dance to get the crowd excited right before the last
scenes of the show.
For the rest of the day, Gleimy Rodriguez held her teachers vs. students volleyball game for the second year. It
began as a fundraiser to donate to Yale-New Haven Hospital for cancer research, but with a tragic turn of events
the cause has been changed to help raise funds to pay for
the funeral expenses of our recently passed teacher, Mr.
Heller. Each grade had a chance to put together a team
and play against teachers. The volleyball team also had a
chance to play in the match.
Funds were raised through generous donations as well as
a bake sale and #HellerStrong T-shirt sales. Gleimy
raised over $1700 that day. Once the funeral expenses
were all paid off, Gleimy decided to put the rest of the
money towards a college fund for Mr. Hellers daughter,
Grace.
Chelsea Gonzalez, Alexsia Udeokoro, Gleimy
Rodriguez, and Mark Plascencia collect donations for Mr. Hellers family.
(Contributed photo/Diovanni Prophet)
3

No Serious Injuries in School Bus Accident

Tea Gray
Five students from Hill Regional Career High School were sent to the hospital for minor injuries after a car hit
a school bus on Monday, November 14, 2016, at the intersection of Elm and Orchard streets.
A bus from Hill Regional Career High School was at a standstill when the car hit the bus from behind, causing
the bus to jerk forward.
The front of the car was ruined, but the back of the bus didnt have any serious damage.
The bus driver was out for two days due to a neck injury because of the accident.
Luckily, no one was seriously injured from this accident.
Phone calls made to First Student Bus Company and the New Haven Board of Education were not returned for
comment.

Coronation Ball Preview

Heaven Bradley

Be on the lookout for Careers Coronation on December 2 at Hill Regional Career High School. Students will
be competing for the titles of Mr. & Ms. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, and Career. Students will be
provided with snacks, drinks, and music. Senior student government member Kayla Claiborne mentioned that
DJ Bugsy will be on the 1s and 2s and that the theme will be Emerald City . Class Advisor Mrs. Gardner,
Kayla Claiborne, and art club leader Kyra Catubig discussed how they united together with other hardworking
students, all contributing many ideas to create what promises to be a joyful and unforgettable event.
nd

Kyra Catubig of the art club mentioned that

they all contributed their ideas, but that
schedules were busy due to events, clubs,
and various programs. The items and ideas
that are being made now were mostly
planned over the course of two weeks of
intense hard work. For example, the art
club agreed to help student government
make dazzling decorations and props for
the dance.

Senior Kyra Catubig and junior Shamla Fazl Mohamed work to create
centerpieces and decorations for the Coronation Ball. (Staff Photo)
4

Claiborne then mentioned that the first

theme proposed, A Night Out in The
City, at first interested to the group, but
that they then decided to pursue a more
original and exciting new theme. A committee member came up with the idea of
The Wizard of Oz, and then the group
jumped on to the idea and immediately got to
work with the logistics and decorations.

An Interview With the President

Carolyn Martinez
In our first installment in this series of student government interviews, the Panther Press sat down with Junior
Class President Azhaleia Reyes to ask her about her student government experience.
Panther Press: Is being class president what you expected?
Azhaleia Reyes: Being class president was not what I expected! It definitely ended up being more work then I
originally planned.
PP: How do you balance all your responsibilities?
AR: I do student government things on weekends. Schoolwork is my priority during the week.
PP: How do you manage conflicts or disagreements between members?
AR: We always try to reach a compromise. We haven't had any conflicts yet-- hopefully it isn't much of a
problem!

First-Generation College Students Face

Unique Challenges
Miles Dylan Wallace
For many, being the first in a family to attend college comes with many pressures aside from the pressure to
do well in the college classes themselves. The first member of a family to go to college, also known as a
firstgeneration college student, carries a lot of weight.
For many first-generation college students, one of the hardest obstacles is finding scholarship money. According to the Huffington Post, around 40% of all first generation students come from households that live below
the national poverty line.
According to the US Department of Education's
study in 2013, 32% of all students enrolled in college were first generation students. However,
3 out of every 5 first-generation students did not
finish with a certificate or a degree within 6 years.
This may be partially due to the added pressures
of being the first one to go to college.
To those in in the class of 2017 who will be the
first in their family to go to college, advice for all
students attending college can be given by your
high school or college counselor.

#Hellerstrong
#Hellerstrong means to never ever give up, because
no matter what you go through in life, you can still
have the life you want.
Benjamin Washington, 10th grade

To be #Hellerstrong means to be determined and

dedicated to everything you do in order to make it to
your goal, even in hard times
Kayla Claiborne, 12th grade

To bring all your courage, you fortitude, your optimism to every moment and everyday.
Julia Webb, 10th grade Administrator

#Hellerstrong means no matter what condition you

are in, you can overcome any course in life
Tywain Harris, 11th grade

#Hellerstrong is staying focused.

Kel McCoy, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong means to find what you love most in

life and commit to it despite the circumstances.
Kenneth Andersen Jr., 12th grade

#Hellerstrong is to be hopeful in the darkest of

times and to never give up!
Amanda Mantegna, 11th grade
#Hellerstrong is to be courageous and fight.
Tylese Salters, 11 grade

Mr. Heller was the strongest teacher that I ever had-and the strongest person in general to actually still
want to come to work every day and teach his students, no matter how his health was.
Teresa Figueroa, 11th grade

#Hellerstrong means to fight through any problems

that come your way, and to reach to your highest
limits.
Najia Jackson, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong means take nothing for granted, and

inspire others with your dedication to the kids of
Career.
Mr. McTague, Teacher

#Hellerstrong is to be selfless and not take any day

for granted.
Taijzeeaunna Kelley, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong is to never give up, to keep your head

up no matter what.
Paige Ewing, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong means to keep your eye on the prize.

Tory James, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong means never give up and always be

positive.
Shyna Almodovar, 12th grade

What is means to be #Hellerstrong is no matter

what you go through, you can always to live life to
its fullest. R.I.P Coach.
Tanaiza Glass, 10th grade

#Hellerstrong means never give up and fight your

hardest.
Jalan McGill, 12th grade
To be #Hellerstrong is to not give up on what Mr.
Heller wished we could accomplish.
Jose Velez, 11th grade

To be #Hellerstrong is to keep your morals and

work your hardest no matter the situation.
#Hellerstrong is to never make excuses.
Rahjah Cunningham, 10th grade

To be #Hellerstrong means to always be determined

and never let anything else or anybody else define
who you are.
Erinn Moye, 12th grade

To be #Hellerstrong is to keep fighting, no matter

what.
Tyreek London, 12th grade
6

Lessons Learned from our Teacher,

Coach, and Friend
Mr. Heller showed us all how to be strong and always
do what you love because you never know when its
going to be your last day.
Ashley Lizondro, 10th grade

To be #Hellerstrong means to be a hero, because I

have never met someone that went through so much
and still was smiling and coaching volleyball.
#Hellerstrong means Hero.
Agdielys Alicea Cruz, 10th grade

Motivation, strength, encouragement, dedication and

love for your family, friends and team.
Emily Jalbert, 12 grade

Being #Hellerstrong is standing tall even when you

want to fall!
Nyla Harrison, 12th grade

To me, being #Hellerstrong is living each and every

day to the fullest.
Lexie Kelleher, 12th grade

To be #Hellerstrong is to pull through and keep fighting. Dont give up.

Cheyenne Stewart, 11th grade

To be #Hellerstrong is to be as strong as Mr. Heller

was through his tough fight. No matter the pain, he
still made everything possible.
Kelsey Snedeker, 11th grade

To be #Hellerstrong means to be courageous and determined. To overcome obstacles and dare to beat
anything that comes your way.
Tamar Williams, 11th grade

To be #Hellerstrong means to never give up despite

the hardships.
Tia Brown, 12th grade

Determination. Strength. Positivity.

Alejandra Quinones (10th grade) and Ms.
Quinones (teacher)

To be #Hellerstrong is to be able to still have smiles

on your face, even knowing youre in a bad situation.
Marvin Gaye, 12th grade

#Hellerstrong means support for one another, school

and community togetherness, and love of all.
Mrs. Ukah, Teacher

To be #Hellerstrong is to be strong-- no matter what

youre going through.
Wytika Unique Walker, 12th grade

To be #Hellerstrong is to have faith and commitment

to your peers, even in your hardest times.
Ulani Soares, 12th grade

When you are #Hellerstrong, you support your community

Karen Arredondo, 11th Grade

Being #Hellerstrong means to continue striving even

when all odds are against you! #Hellerstrongforever
Azhaleia Reyes, 11th grade

To put others before yourself - always. To be optimistic in the face of the biggest challenges. To teach
about strength and kindness by example.
#Hellerstrong #pantherpride
Rosa Ayala Once a panther, always a
panther
I think that Mr. Heller was a strong person. He was
going through a lot, but he always stayed strong.
#Hellerstrong means fighting through everything.
Carolyn Martinez, 11th Grade

#Hellerstrong means never give up.

Khaleel Kidd, 11th grade
Love till your heart aches,
Teach and learn till your body breaks,
Coach and play tilll the game ends,
Leave your best on the court.
Mr. Wight, Teacher
7

Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Big Benefits

Heaven Bradley
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a program where volunteers take the responsibility of being a childs mentor
their big brother or sister. In New Haven, the program takes place on Tuesdays at Columbus School, Wednesdays at Troup School, and Thursdays at Truman school from 3 to 5 PM. Mentors earn community service
hours, work experience, and it looks amazing on a transcript for college or job programs. Every year there are
a total of 140 littles and bigs who attend. Big brothers and big sisters help their assigned little with their
homework. After they're finished, they have the option
to play games or go play in the gym.
Being a big is a lot of responsibility. The organization
has some rules to ensure that all volunteers form successful relationships with their littles:
Never ignore your little
You can check your phone, but do not be on it the
whole time
If you bring snacks, do not share with your little due
to allergy restrictions
Do not use foul language
Help your little learn good behaviors
No violence
The benefits of the program arent just for the volunteers.
A big sister helps her little brother with a holiday
Program Coordinator Melissa Novak reports that according craft. (Contributed Photo)
to statistics, kids involved in the program enhance their reading and mathematics skills. They also form better relationships within their schools, communities, families,
and peers. The program has been around for 6 years, but Ive been a part of it for 4 years. I like the program
because I get to work with all ages and grades up to seniors, says Novak.
Volunteer mentor Jackie Hinen agrees. I really enjoy getting to meet the kids and making connections, says
Hinen. Mentor Kia Mack also appreciates the social aspect of the program. I enjoy helping the kids out and
meeting mentors from different schools. And most importantly, says Mack, the kids learn how to respect and
interact with each other!

Perspective: Being a Student Athlete

Mya Yorke
At times, being an athlete can mean sacrificing your mental health and your physical health. When it comes to
the hard practices and long nights, only athletes can understand the struggle.
I made it my job to show the public what it takes to be a athlete. I interviewed Career athletes to gain more
perspective on what it's like being a high school athlete. From Anniya Hansberry as cheer team captain to
Mark Plascencia, football player, being an athlete can push you to become your best. Cheer captain Anniya
Hansberry states, I live by the model of excellence. In the end we only regret the chances we didnt take.
With this, we see that athletes like Anniya don't think of their sport as a game-- its a lifestyle.
8

Dreaming Isnt Just for Dreamers

Gabby Banks
Dreams nowadays can seem far away and foolish, so sometimes
we change our dreams into something more realistic. At Career,
the Future Project makes dreams more attainable, they make
dreams realistic. Jay Kemp, Future Project Dream Director, spoke
to the Panther Press. What happens when you settle? You have
people in their 40s who are sitting at a desk job and unhappy that
they didnt follow their passion. What if they thought they should
pursue their dreams? You would have nurses who really want to
be nurses. You would have singers that truly want to sing.
The Future Project is an organization affiliated with our school.
Their mission statement is: We work with schools to unlock the
limitless potential of every young person in this country
At Career, it all started as a small club with eight people and grew
in five years to an astounding 100+ members in this school. This includes people from the students of the
Dream Team to the directors. The organization all started with and was made by Kanya Balakrishna and Andrew Mangino. These two kids looked around and saw that people were settling for realistic and giving up
on their dreams. Two kids wanted to make a difference-- and today they are, with every high schooler who
doesnt give up on their dream.
This organization wants to change the way schools are run and how students are graded. They want school
like San Diegos High Tech High, where there are no bells and you are graded on a huge project that you work
on throughout the school year. You go to classes you want to go to and are interested in. This school has
higher than average scores reported on their standardized tests.
At Career, our Future Project strives to
connect with the community and get everyone engaged in city wide events. At the
moment they have a project called Why I
Matter. It is a wall in the Stetson library
where kids and teens are coming and writing on the wall answering: Why do I matter?
If you want to learn more about the Future
Project, visit their website at
www.thefutureproject.org or just ask Jay
Kemp, our personal Dream Director.

Dream Director Jay Kemp poses with senior Jazmine Dell (and Mr. Ciarcia).
(Photo/Careerhighschool.org)
9

Netter Program Brings Benefits for Students

Sheyla Pedraza
The Quinnipiac Netter program gives high school students the opportunity to gain experience in the medical
field. The Netter program, an after-school college medical program, is free for high school students so they
can have an idea of what type of medical career they want. The Netter program allows students to meet with
medical professors at Quinnipiac who can help them learn more about careers they may have never heard of
before.
Some of the opportunities available to students through the Netter program are:
Help with college applications.
Using medical equipment.
Meeting medical professors who can serve as mentors
Meeting successful medical students
At Career, Dr. Decter is the teacher who organizes the program. She helps students who are interested in the
medical field to be exposed to different medical careers that might interest them based on the pathway they
want to take. Not every student is interested in the Netter program, says Dr. Decter. Only the ones that are
interested in medical careers, or those who dont know yet and they want to explore that area.
Dr. Decter believes that the Netter program is a valuable program for interested high school students. They
learn about different careers and health. They get to meet medical students and other medical professors that
can mentor them. They get help with college applications and they get a tour in the medical school and have
hands on experiences. Dr. Decter also thinks students appreciate the diversity of careers shown through the
program. I like how it exposes students to careers that they have never heard before. It allows them to see a
medical school and talk to people that work there and see the equipment they used and even use it themselves.
The Netter program is especially useful for health students at Career to be exposed to different medical careers
that might interest them. Students interested in the Netter program should contact Dr. Decter in room 311 for
more information.

The Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. (Photo/Quinnipiac.edu)

10

Perspectives: Student Opinions on Advisory

Ashley Cisneros
Advisory is a period of time when students meet in a group with their advisors to discuss future academic and
personal plans/goals. At High Regional Career High School in New Haven, students meet for advisory every
Wednesday for 45 minutes. Each advisory group has the same advisor and group for their 4 years of high
school. When students come into advisory, they take their seats and their advisor takes attendance. Afterwards,
activities can vary; sometimes, teachers lead their students in discussions about college and career readiness.
Other times, the discussions are more unstructured.
Sometimes the advisory
teachers give directions
for students to go
online to Naviance.com
and finish any missing
tasks they need to complete. Naviance helps
students track their
process of reaching
their goals over the next
few years of their high
school careers. Based
on the Naviance website, using the program
Family Connection lets
students link themselves to Naviance in
order to educate themselves on colleges. In
advisory, students are
advised to use Naviance to encourage them to
be organized with their future goals and plans
for their benefit.

Sophomore students create vision boards featuring their goals for the
future during Advisory class. (Staff photo)

Student opinions about the advisory program vary. According to Junior student Christina Rojas, she believes
that advisory informs students more about college and gives them advice in order to succeed at life. Students
should take advisory seriously because it will help them later when applying to college, says Rojas.
Opinions about advisory vary; some students believe that Advisory should be improved if the school wants to
help all students-- and if it is not improved, some students would like it to be made into a study hall. One student who would like to remain anonymous believes that advisory does benefit most of the students who use
their time wisely during that extra 45 minutes each Wednesday. Most students use that time to catch up on
homework and projects they mightve missed that week. While on the other hand, some students dont take
advisory too seriously. This student also believes that advisory should be replaced with study hall. I think
kids would appreciate their time in that class and use it to their full advantage. Also, it may or may not make
students less stressed about doing assignments as soon as they get home from school, when they could have
time during the school day to complete them.
Although students have different opinions on advisory and its purpose, advisory seems to be benefiting the
students who want that extra help preparing them for the future.
11

Panther Press Teacher of the Month: Mrs. Wilson

Gabby Banks
We all know Mrs. Wilson as our local librarian, but she means so much more to this school. She teaches freshmen how to use the library and all its online resources. In addition, she is definitely the peacekeeper of the library.
Mrs. Wilson is a generous and informative adult figure in our lives. She uses her position to provide us with
tools and advice that enhance our character(s) and give us a better sense of self. She is a confidant and an overall inspiring individual.- Johnae, Senior
Mrs. Wilson is lively, quirky, and very nice to everyone she meets!- Kyra, Senior
So happy to have her back! She is the morale and energy of our school and its so awesome to have her back
happy.- Nyla, Senior
She is very helpful. She will do anything for you. She is great with computers and will go to great lengths to
help you. Natalya, Senior
She is sweet and understanding, a great listener, and is very caring. She always has a smile on her face and
tries to bring out the best in everyone. Gabby, Senior

Freeze! #MannequinChallenge
Natalya Marquez
Social media is raging with trending challenges for the millennials to recreate for their own comedic relief.
Beginning with the #mannequinchallenge, people all over the country recreate videos of themselves seemingly
frozen in time. Not only has this reached teens, but even a few celebrities and sports teams have taken their
part in participating in the challenge.
The day of the presidential election, Hillary
Clinton had posted her own take on the challenge with her campaign staff using the caption, Dont stand still. Go Vote, with a link
to her website.
Some people even use this challenge as a
method to communicate a message. A video
recently went viral using clips displaying different instances of police brutality featuring
some of the cases that created an uproar in the
Black Lives Matter movement. The audio in
the videos used clips from real 911 calls,
speeches, and a failing heart beat.

A screencap from a viral #mannequinchallenge video brings

awareness to police brutality. (Photo/Simone Shepherd)

12

Opinion: Police Violence Must Stop

Keyavonie Lawrence
This year, police violence has increasingly come to the attention
of the news. The
#BlackLivesMatter movement has
grown in response to these killings of African Americans-some killed in front of their own
family members for looking like a
threat.
Police brutality is a crime and
should be prosecuted. Police departments need to take appropriate steps to prosecute violence.
Officers accused of violence
shouldnt just be fired. They
should serve jail time.

Betty Shelby and victim Terence Crutcher. (Photo/ Heavy.com)

On September 16, 2016 at 7:36 p.m, police officer Betty Shelby killed an African American named Terence
Crutcher when he was already tased by her partner Tyler Burnbough. Shelby was released with a $50,000
bond.
In another example, Philando Castile was killed in front of his fiance and her 4 year old daughter by officer
Jeronimo Yanez inside of his own car. Officer Yanez was charged with manslaughter rather than murder.

13

Open Campus: Freeing or Frightening?

Tahnele Everett
Many students at Career complain about many things throughout the school, but the main thing the students
complain about is the school lunch. Many students absolutely hate the lunch that is served in school. Eating
lunch should be the time where we are able to look forward to sitting down and eating the best food, but instead we do not. As a solution, many students would like to go out to eat during lunch to enjoy food.
I would like to go out to eat during lunch because the school lunch is disgusting and it would be fun says
Patrick Henri, grade 11. While going out to eat would be fun, it also would be a big change for the way students think about their school. I would feel like our school cares about us more and trust us, says Henri.
Going out to eat during lunchtime would most definitely a huge difference to not only our students but also to
administrators and teachers. Ms. Grandfield says that timing would be an issue and that students would not
come back to school on time. Not only timing, but safety is an issue says Ms. Grandfield. From a teacher's
perspective, students would use their phones to call people to come deliver food. Theyll be using the side
doors when the front door should be used.
Students, however, feel that having options during lunch would
broaden their minds to different
things. If we go out to eat during
lunch I would be able to choose
what I want to eat instead of being forced to eat, Ill have a variety of choices. It's good to get out
instead of being in school all
day, says junior Tamar Williams. Having different varieties
to go out to eat is every teens
dream rather than being limited
to being one thing. However,
Williams acknowledges the possible consequences of an open
campus.School would be more
free. However, students would be
given more leeway. I don't want other schools to look at us like we can do anything.
Azhaleia Reyes, grade 11 says, I would like to go out to eat during lunch, it increases cultural beliefs because
of the many restaurants. In Puerto Rico, their lunch is open, you can leave the school and go home for lunch. I
would be more open-minded, it would decrease stress from being in school all day.
Administrator Mrs. Duff echoes the safety concerns voiced by others. A kid was held at gunpoint and asked
for his shoes and if they were not given he would be shot. Going to the store is not safe. Safety is also tied in
security breaches, opening the door for a complete stranger, and food being stored in classes. Teachers would
be concerned about rodents.
Whether we get the chance to go out to eat for lunch or not, it would be a great opportunity to someday give it
a try and see what it would be like. Until then, it seems like for now, well have to wait for college.
14

Social Media Wars: Instagram vs. Snapchat

Tea Gray
71% of teens use social media-- and they mostly use Instagram and Snapchat. Instagram is a social network
where you can post pictures and videos to your feed, and it stays there until you delete it. Snapchat, on the
other hand, is where you can post a picture or video on your story and it only lasts for 24 hours.
However, Instagram has a new update where users can post pictures and
videos on your story, and it will disappear in 24 hours.
Lets all be honest: Instagram is trying to hard to be Snapchat.
The benefits of Snapchat are:
Your story only lasts 24 hours
You can upload pictures or videos from your camera roll
The numerous filters
The fun articles
Speed of the video
It only shows who viewed your photos and videos
The disadvantages of Snapchat are:
It makes your phone freeze
Sometimes the filter doesnt work
The facetime thing doesnt work
The benefits of Instagram are:
They have photo filters
The new Story feature lasts 24 hours
Everyone who follows you sees your pictures and video
They have funny videos and photos
Your pictures stay up
The disadvantages of Instagram are:
More cyberbullying
More competitionpeople get too caught up with the drama of Instagram
In my opinion, Snapchat is much better than Instagram.
I use Snapchat to post funny videos or pictures that I normally wouldnt post on Instagram. Plus, the benefit
of the video going away in 24 hours is perfect for me. People use Snapchat more than the new Instagram
story.
I use Instagram to post pictures of special events-- or if I was looking cute that day. With Snapchat, people
can see what you did at that special event or how much fun you had.
Instagram is getting old now, and Snapchat is more fun and exciting than Instagram.

15

Throwback: TV of the 90s

Tahnele Everett
Have you ever just sat on the couch with the blankest stare? Nothing
going through your head besides what to watch on TV? Back when we
were younger, there was never that feeling. In the 90s, the music was
the best and the greatest fashion trends were in but most importantly,
the TV was bomb.
You could sit down on the couch all day and skip through channels.
Each time your tiny fingers pressed a button on the remote back and
forth from Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, Playhouse Disney, to Cartoon Network there was always something to watch-- no matter what time of the
day it was. From the best movies playing on Disney to the best cartoon
drama series on Cartoon Network, we children were living in a time
when TV was great. So what happened? Who knows, but what I do know is the best
shows and movies to watch-- and Im about to blow your mind with the best list ever
of 90s cartoons and dramas. Here are 5 of the best shows.

Nickelodeon

Rugrats
Nickelodeon
Who didn't like Rugrats?! They were the original baby gangsters of the
90s-- no one could tell them a thing. Everyone can pretty much relate to
the Rugrats-- they have a mean older cousin who thinks she's the best
and an annoying little sibling, plus a loving family.
Ed, Edd n Eddy
These two knuckleheads plus one had no chill. They were down for just
about anything, whether it was scraping up money for a jawbreaker or
making a crazy clubhouse for the kids on the block to play in just to get
some money. These scammers would do just about anything for a jawbreaker. Watching Ed, Edd n Eddy was always the funniest to watch-especially when Eddy and Ed would go at it.
Fanpop

Kenan and Kel

Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda! I do, I
do,I do. Every time this line came out of Kels mouth it
made everyone cry. These two were the best duo to
watch they were teens who didn't know what to do with
themselves and always got into trouble by doing the
dumbest things in the world.
SlashFilms

Could we go back to the 90s where everything on TV actually made sense? And if we cant, why not just put
the greatest shows of all time back on TV?
16

Sports @ Career
Accomplishments, Events, and Features

Featured Athlete: Pierrete Toupou

John Cardenas
This month's featured athlete is Pierrete Toupou, a sophomore varsity starter on
the girls volleyball team.
After the volleyball season ended, we asked Pierrete a few questions about how
she had prepared for this busy season. My expectations going into the season
were that I needed to be prepared for any challenges that may be thrown at me
and the team, said Pierrete, whether it be facing our rivals on a highly skilled
team or the health complications that went on with our coach, which greatly affected the team emotionally and skillfully.
Pierrete also said that her older sister was also a big reason for her improvement
this season, saying that she trained with her sister at home. Marie Toupou played
for the Career volleyball team before her graduation in 2013.
Pierrete doesn't take all the credit for her success. She thanks all of her teammates who supported and helped
her improve. She describes the chemistry between her teammateslike a sisterhood. Weve all grown close

Girls Varsity Basketball Schedule

Date

Opponent

Directions

Time

Thu., 12/1

Pomperaug (Scrim.)

Away - PHS Main Gym

5:00 p.m.

Tue., 12/13

West Haven

Away - WHHS Gym

7:00 p.m.

Fri., 12/16

Lauralton Hall

Home - Career HS

7:00 p.m.

Tue., 12/20

Cheshire

Home - Career HS

7:00 p.m.

Tue., 12/27

Guilford

Home - East Haven HS

5:00 p.m.

Thu., 12/29

East Haven Christmas Away

Tournament

5:00 p.m.

17

Featured Coach: Becky Gawel

Charles Sakouvogui
Career teacher and coach Becky Gawel grew up in
Meriden, CT and attended Maloney High School.
She started playing sports at an early age. At the age
of 5, she began playing sports through the Boys
and Girls Club. Growing up, her main sports were
softball, soccer, and basketball. Coach Gawels
early sporting experience and her ability to keep up
with 3 different sports paid off when she captained
all three sports during her senior year of high
school.
Coach Gawel went to Southern Connecticut State
University after graduating from Maloney High,
where she once again discovered a new sport. I
had never played rugby before, but I instantly fell in
love with the sport, said the soccer coach. After
Coach Gawel leads the Career Boys Soccer to a draw against the Govjoining the rugby team in her freshman
ernors of Wilbur Cross during the 2015-2016 regular season.
year, her love for the game pushed her to
work hard. She managed to quickly learn every
aspect of the game during her freshman year and
ended up being captain for the last 3 years in a sport she just learned in a year.
Becky Gawels coaching career in New Haven started 6 years ago. She first started out coaching basketball at
Wilbur Cross High and softball at Career High and Hillhouse High. She also volunteered to coach different
basketball, softball, and soccer camps throughout her college years.
A few years ago, Coach Gawel was asked to join one of her good friends, Coach Weeks, who had just attained
the position of the Head Coach of the Career/Hillhouse Soccer team. With hard work and dedication, Coach
Becky Gawel climbed her way up to become the first high school soccer female Head Coach in the Southern
Connecticut Conference. Her commitment has brought the team to playoffs for the past 4 years.

Boys Varsity Basketball Schedule

Date

Opponent

Directions

Time

Sat., 12/10

Hoops for Food Away

12:00 p.m.

Mon., 12/12

Westhill
(Scrim.)

Away

5:00 p.m.

Tue., 12/13

New Britain
(Scrim.)

Home

3:30 p.m.

Thu., 12/22

Hamden

Home - Floyd Little Athletic 7:00 p.m.

Center
18

Boys Indoor Track Schedule

Tue., 12/20

V Boys Indoor
Track

SCC Boys Devel- Away

opment

5:00 p.m.

Tue., 1/17

V Boys Indoor
Track

SCC Novice
Meet

Away

3:30 p.m.

Sat., 1/21

V Boys Indoor
Track

SCC Coaches
Invitational

Away

9:00 a.m.

Wed., 1/25

V Boys Indoor
Track

SCC Sectional
West

Away

4:00 p.m.

Fri., 2/3

V Boys Indoor
Track

SCC Championships

Away

4:00 p.m.

Girls Indoor Track Schedule

Wed., 12/21

V Girls Indoor
Track

SCC Girls Devel- Away

opmental

5:00 p.m.

Wed., 1/4

V Girls Indoor
Track

SCC Girls Devel- Away

opmental

5:00 p.m.

Tue., 1/17

V Girls Indoor
Track

SCC Novice
Meet

Away

3:30 p.m.

Sat., 1/21

V Girls Indoor
Track

SCC Coaches
Invitational

Away

9:00 a.m.

Wed., 1/25

V Girls Indoor
Track

SCC Sectional
West

Away

4:00 p.m.

Do you love sports? Do you want to gain experience in sports journalism?

Want to boost your resume?

Write for the Panther Press!

We need writers to help cover Career games, feature Career athletes, and write about the world of athletics.
Email careerpantherpress@gmail.com to get started.
19

Untitled

Arts Corner

Ianaliz Rivera, Senior

At least I'll have the decency to tell you when I bleed
At least I will let you know when I'm on my own
Unlike you
The artistic soul who never lets me know about their secret tattoo
Because it's just not working between us
it's just not saving your soul anymore
I let you in
You breathed me out
I tried to fix you
I couldn't fix you
Cause your mentality
Has blocked me
Gosh, I miss you, & I love you
But this is no longer a mistake
These are your intentions
You risk the chances that you take
You gave me the wrong impression
& now you're wondering why you're alone
My thoughts shattered me
I ran away from home
To find myself, and not you in me
To click into reality

20

Fun and Games

Goofy Question of the Month
Heaven Bradley

Question: Would you rather drink fish bowl water or beach water?
I would drink fish bowl water because people and animals leave behind their feces in the beach. -Keyavonie
Lawrence
Fish bowl water. Its more sanitized and taken care of. Despite them being
bacteria infested, the fishbowl sounds a lot safer -Tamar Williams
Fish bowl water because theres only one fish there...IDK whats in beach water -Edward Matute
I would prefer fish bowl water because a fish bowl can be cleaned and filtered
but beach water has no sanitation at all with so many more germs.- Crystal
Graham
I would rather drink from a fish bowl because freshwater is used in fish bowls and its not as polluted as sea
water . - Johnae McArthur

New In Theaters
Ashley Cisneros
Movie

Release Date

Genre

Rating

Doctor Strange

November 4

Action/ Fantasy/ Adventure

PG- 13

Hacksaw Ridge

November 4

War/ Biography/ Historical Drama

Shut In

November 11

Thriller

PG- 13

Arrival

November 11

Science Fiction/ Drama/ Thriller

PG- 13

Fantastic Beasts and

Where to Find Them

November 18

Fantasy/ Adventure

PG- 13

The Edge of Seventeen

November 18

Comedy/ Drama

Bleed for This

November 18

Biography/ Drama

Moana

November 23

Musical Comedy/ Adventure/ Animated

PG

Bad Santa 2

November 23

Comedy

21

Word Search: Top 20 Artists

Heidy Ayala

Word
Scramble
Gabby Banks
Test your memory! Unscramble these words
featured on the
morning announcements.

22

November Birthday Shout-Outs

Tea Gray

Emir Zouhdi Abouneameh

Zaavia Ansari
Jorge A Asencio Ortiz
Keshare M Baines
Maria Bernal Portillo
Donovan Bracey
Reyana Brown
Maria Camel Hernandez
Alyssa Jocelyn Cotto
Myah Darden
Marvin E Delgado
Jazmine K Dell
Alex U Diaz
Julius I Dixon
Tyquan Iris Reyes Ford
Cameron Webster Foskey
Tanaiza Glass
Kabryah D Hamlet
Marvin Anthony Hodge
Taryn B Joseph
Taijzeeaunna Kelley
Umarr Lahun
Ciara M Little
Naairai E Little
Tajah T Menafee

Oscar Morales Quinones

Christian Morales
Danielle Patricia Morallon
Denise Alyssa Morallon
Jerry Nava
Sumaiya Sultana Nizam
Margarita Ortega Lucero
David Padilla
Karla Daniela Perez Sanchez
Johnay Reddick
Eliezer Joel Robles
Elizabeth Eunice Rocher
Deja Jamari Rodriguez
Samuel Rodriguez
Yairia Alexandra Roman Torres
Alexandria A Rosario
Janelyn Joan Sanchez
Stephanie Santaliz
Julian Serrano
Aby Marie Silva
Daila E Smith
Joshua Allan H Smith
Justin L Threet
Joshua Martin Williams
Shauna Nicole Wilson
Nevaeh E Wimbish

Make sure to wish these people a Happy Birthday!

23

We, the writers of the Career High School Panther Press, would like to extend our heartfelt
thanks and appreciation to the donors who have so generously supported our newspaper. It
means the world to us to know that people weve never met before believe in us and believe
in the power of our writing. Thank you for helping us share our stories with the world!

Julie McGarry and John Peters from Pennsylvania

Anonymous Donor from Connecticut
Anonymous Donor from New York
Matt Donahue from Oregon
Danny Wicentowski from Missouri
Dale Griffith from Connecticut
Sherry Hill from Connecticut
Joann Blythe from Connecticut
Drew Puig from New York
Anonymous Donor from Massachusetts
Bonnie from Massachusetts
Jeff Koyen from New York
Anonymous Donor from New York
Toni Goldfarb from New Jersey
Loren Bechtel from New York
The RISE Network
And Anne Ruesing from Switzerland, who donated in honor of her father and grandfather,
both teachers, and in loving memory of her brother, who died before finishing his education.

Thank you.

24