Music helps
stimulate studentsʼ
brains
Turn to page 10-11 for more
THE LARIAT
April 2008
Budget cuts affect schools
BY MONICA BERRA
MMBerra@gmail.com
The School Board of Broward
County has considered cancelling the
block schedule in all public high schools,
due to the loss in educational funding
from Florida’s tax payers.
On January 31, 2008, voters
across the state approved Amendment
One—a tax cut worth an average of $240 a
year for Florida homeowners. According
to the School Board of Broward County,
Florida public schools will lose $2.1
billion in property-tax revenue over the
next four years, as a result of this tax
relief.
“This statewide deficit has
caused us to closely examine budget
reductions,” Dr. Earlean Smiley, Deputy
Superintendent for Curriculum &
Instruction/ Student Support of the
School Board of Broward County, said.
“It is fiscally important for us to explore
every possible measure to reduce
spending, which may include getting rid
of block scheduling.”
Broward County is the sixth
largest school district in the country, and
has a yearly budget of $5 billion. It is
Michael Worley
made up of seven smaller district zones,
which include 158 elementary schools,
40 middle schools, and 30 high schools,
Smiley said.
According to the Department
of Education, a total of $34 million
has been cut from the District, which
includes Cooper City High School.
“The amount of money that
would be cut [from CCHS] has been
fluctuating,” Wendy Doll, Principal, said.
The School Board is currently mapping
out numerous cost-saving measures for
the whole District, in order to have the
Bright Futures own future cloudy
BY MAX LEVY
MaximusLevy@gmail.com
Florida Legislators may reduce the
amount of financial aid given to students
through the Bright Futures scholarship in the
next few years.
Currently, in order to receive full
coverage of tuition expenses at a Florida public
university through Bright Futures, students
must receive a 1270 on the SAT, or a 28 on the
ACT, and to have a cumulative GPA of 3.5.
Tight budgets may lead the University
system’s Board of Governors to propose a
change in this lottery-funded scholarship.
Budget cuts for the state’s public
universities have increased to $157 million,
Obama ignites student
Is IM Speak
destroying lanquage? political involvement
OPINIONS PAGE 5 FEATURES PAGE 14
CCHS sailors
blow away the
competition
Turn to page 20 for more
www.TheLariatOnline.com Issue V
English class
reinstated
BY ALEX WILD
AlexWild11@gmail.com
ENC 1101-1102, a year long
college English course offered on
the Cooper City High campus, was
reinstated on March 10 after it was not
offered on the initial 2008-2009 course
selection sheet.
When students received their
course selection sheets on March 3, they
found that Food Prep and ENC 1101-
1102 were not included on the form.
“Students flooded the office and
were asking if it was a misprint,” Leslie
Rivera, guidance secretary, said.
According to Ann Rocco,
Assistant Principal, Food Prep was
cancelled because the current teacher
will not be returning next year. ENC
1101-1102 was originally removed from
the classes available due to statewide
budget cuts.
Cooper City High School is the
only high school in Broward County that
offers ENC 1101-1102 to its students on
campus. Those who take the class their
senior year can earn college credit and
fulfill their freshman college English
requirement without having to pay
tuition.
According to course intructor
Ron Ziccardi, guidance counselor, reviews a student schedule for the upcoming year. The school Pat Scaffetti, ENC 1101–1102 offers
board has been considering switching to a rotator schedule due to recent budget cuts. students a college class experience in
least amount of impact on the individual students take four classes each semester a high school environment, without
school budgets. that last for ninety minutes in a day. setting foot on a college campus.
According to Doll, if all Broward Under a rotating schedule, students take Students can also take the class
County Schools shifted to a rotator seven classes throughout the whole year; at Broward Community College as part
schedule, rather than a block schedule, however they are alternated each day so of the dual enrollment program.
the District would save about $27 students only have six one-hour periods The cancellation of ENC 1101-
million. in one school day. Fewer teachers are 1102 caused many students to band
Under a block schedule, Budget cuts continued on page 2 1101-1102 continued on page 2
and according to the Board of Governors, no
increase in tuition can make up for this. For
this reason they are looking to reduce the
amount of money allotted to Bright Futures.
“Rumors have been circulating for
years now,” Christine Siwek, BRACE adviser,
said.
According to her, no bill can be passed
until Florida’s spring legislation session.
According to The Office of Student
Michael Worley
Financial Assistance, Bright Futures costs the
state more money than what comes in from
lottery sales.
The lottery money that funds it is
growing four times slower than the rising cost BRACE counselor discusses possible scholarship opportunities with senior . Many
Bright futures continued on page 3 students were eligible for Bright Futures this year.
Inside this issue
INDEX
Langerado music News...............................1-3
festival Opinions..........................4-5
Entertainment...................7-12
Trend Story.....................10-11
Features.........................14-17
ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 12 Sports............................18-20
 2 News
1101-1102
College class continued
from page 1
together in protest. Students and
parents wrote letters to the school
and schoolboard. They also formed
a Facebook group that reached 281
members.
“Both my parents and I were
outraged, and the day after we found
out about it, my mom called the school”,
junior Hannah Breitbart said.
Many juniors did not know
what classes to choose in place of 1101-
1102.
“I really didn’t want to go from
taking an AP English class in eleventh
grade to an Honors class senior year; I
had my mind set on 1101-1102,” junior
Andrew Becker said.
A week after ENC 1101-1102
was not included in the schedule, an
announcement was made that it would
be brought back.
“Certain cuts will have to be
made elsewhere,” Rocco said. But that
won’t be determined until we see which
classes have the least students signed
up.”
“I think it was the right decision,
and I’m happy to see that students will
fight for something if they want it bad
enough,” junior Michael Mitrani said.
Video chatting brings
people face to face
BY JONATHAN GRIFFITH
JonathanGregoryGriffith@gmail.com
Videoconferencing, involving a
web-enabled camera and a microphone
that connects to the computer,
has become a new form of global
communications technology among
people of all ages.
“Video chatting is amazing;
I basically live on it,” junior Lexi
Pomerantz said. “I chat with friends that
live far away and even family in other
states.”
According to students, video
chatting is very popular among those
in high school and college. Parents of
college students who have moved out
use video chatting to see their children.
They believe it is more effective and
satisfying than just talking via text or
instant messages.
“It allows you to bring emotion
to online chatting,” senior Morgan Jacobs
said.
According to Jacobs, getting
started with videoconferencing is a
simple process if the correct programs
are on the computer. Popular programs
include Skype, a platform-free software
that can be used with a Mac or Windows
Jeffy Joseph
Seniors Ryan Verola and Cavin Mui use ichat, a video chatting program on macs, to talk with friends.
CTV airs on cable network
BY RYAN PARKER
RyanJamesParker@gmail.com
Mayor Debby Eisinger
proclaimed December 11, 2007 as CTV
Day in Cooper City, in honor of their
recent accomplishments.
CTV is Cooper City High
School’s student-produced television
network well known for its weekly show,
CTV News. Besides covering school
events, CTV also produces special
reports about community events.
“I’m really glad CTV is getting
recognition because we work harder
than most people know, and now that
we have this one day of the year, people
can understand that,” Dean D’agati, CTV
president, said.
In September 2007, Eisinger
worked with CTV to create a video
presentation highlighting Cooper City,
after it was chosen as one of the top
10 cities for families by Family Circle
magazine. Juniors Monica Berra and
Amanda Katz were appointed by
CTV adviser Alfredo Pichardo to direct,
edit, and produce the video.
“The project took about eight
weeks in total and turned out to be a
huge success,” Katz said.
computer, and iChat, which is standard
on Macintosh computers.
With either of these programs,
it’s simply one click on a person on your
buddy list and you’re up and chatting,
Jacobs said.
For this reason, video
conferencing has become popular
among travelers. Because video chatting
is free, they feel that it is easier and more
sensible to use it rather than use money
on long distance phone calls.
According to sophomore
Eva Paelinck, fear and awkwardness
of eye contact among human beings
is a problem. While traditional
telephones don’t allow for eye contact,
videoconferencing specifically has
it, which is the main objective of the
communication phenomena. This
doesn’t click with some people, who are
shy on camera.
While video chatting is mostly
a tool used on computers, it has slowly
made its way onto a few cell phones
with online conversation capabilities.
Creators hope to keep it a free,
convenient way to communicate, just as
instant messaging and emailing are after
quite a few years of widespread usage.
CTV president, Dean Dʼagati, captures a segment on film. CTV, a popular show among both students and
teachers, helped produce a video presentation for the town of Cooper City and received CTV Day in return.
Eisinger presented the finalized
presentation at a mayor’s summit hosted
by Family Circle magazine.
“quote from Eisinger”
During this time, CTV
obtained a contract with Comcast to air
their show at least once a month before
Cuts threaten
schedule
Budget cuts continued
from page 1
needed to teach classes under a rotator
schedule system, and less materials have
to be provided for the students.
“I can see the positives in
both,” Beverly Childs, Guidance
Counselor, said. “This is a very realistic
recommendation, and the change could
actually be beneficial for some courses,
like those that are AP or Foreign
Language.”
According to Michelle Harding,
AP Calculus teacher, year long courses
can be beneficial for students because
the subject matter can “marinate” longer
over a 180 day period rather than the 90
days now.
If a change in the schedule
system is decided upon, it will not be
implemented until after the 2008-2009
school year, Smiley said.
The Executive Leadership
Team of the Broward School Board has
also suggested other approaches for
economic efficiency; these range from
a reduction in the amount of athletic
sporting events, to an emphasis on
shutting off the lights when classrooms
aren’t in use.
“Energy efficiency is a biggie,”
Smiley said. “Last year we saved $1
million in energy costs. This year, we
saved $1.4 million. We hope to keep that
pattern going.”
So far, the School Board has
also mandated several freezes to benefit
cost savings. These include a purchase
freeze on all items that are non-essential
or unrelated to teaching and learning,
such as new textbooks and equipment
for vocational classes, a hiring freeze
on additional school personnel, and a
freeze on giving employees overtime
working hours.
“My biggest concern is that these
restrictions would hold the students
The Lariat
Michael Worley
the city commission meetings aired.
They received a half hour time slot; ten
minutes longer than their normal Friday
CCHS episodes.
“I’m inspired and I feel that
having CTV aired on Comcast will
advance CTV altogether,” Pichardo said.
back from performing to the best of
their ability,” junior Kim Scottaline said.
“Many classes require renewed materials,
and students should be provided with
them if it means giving them a greater
learning experience.”
According to Doll, although 95
percent of the school’s budget is spent
on employee salary, the School Board
is trying to avoid the option of staff
reduction to save money. Instead, they
are encouraging teachers to attain dual
certification. By taking and passing a
certification test, teachers can verify
their qualifications to teach more than
one subject. If teachers are dually
certified, they could teach multiple
courses, which would reduce the
need for hiring additional teachers in
schools, and therefore would trim salary
expenditure.
“I hope the School Board
keeps the education of kids in mind,”
junior Emily Deacon said. “Although
they should be concerned about their
employees, they should also remember
that public schools were created first
and foremost to offer the best learning
environment for young people.”
According to the School Board,
as of now, discussion over the block
schedule system is projected to last
over a year. Board members, Principals,
and other District leaders are working
together to bring forth recommendations
in order to make a final decision.
“That is the definition of a
quality system,” Smiley said. “When
something happens, you should not have
a reaction, you should have a plan.”
Quick Facts about
budget cuts
-12.5 million in state revenue cuts for
the District to begin 2007-08
-21.7 million in new proposed revenue
cuts for the District to be voted on by
the Florida State Legislature
April
Fire drills ensure safety Bright
BY DAVID TINTNER
DMTintner@gmail.com
futures
On March 24, Cooper City
High had its latest fire drill, forcing
the school to evacuate for the eleventh
time of the year according to Thomas
Correa, Assistant Principal.
School Board policy requires
every Broward County school to have
at least 10 fire drills per year, two of
which must be within the first two
weeks of the school year.
“We should have a few more
this year,” Correa said. “One per
Michael Worley
month is required.”
According to Anthony
Valachovic, Assistant Principal, the
fire alarm can be triggered by many
things other than a fire.
This year alarms have been
set off due to pressure cleaning,
construction around school,
malfunctioning censors and steam
from the Food Prep classes.
The school’s fire alarm system
is made up of a network of smoke
detectors and heat censors.
“The censors are all set very
sensitive,” Valachovic said. “When in
doubt, we want to get everyone out
of the school so we can check it out.
Better safe than sorry.”
This year the evacuation policy
was modified by Correa. Every class is
assigned a specifically numbered spot
in either the bleachers on the football
Relay for Life raises cancer awareness Club News
BY JOLLY ATTIA
JAJolly17@gmail.com
Cooper City High hosted the
American Cancer Society’s annual Relay
for Life, a twenty four hour walkathon,
on March 15.
The Relay for Life is a bi-city
activity that is meant to “celebrate the
lives of those who have battled cancer,
remember loved ones lost to the disease,
and to fight back against a disease
that takes too much,” according to
relayforlife.org.
It brought together friends,
families, neighborhoods, and school
clubs and organizations, in an effort to
raise money for cancer research.
Clubs such as the National
Honor Society, Key Club, Class of 2011,
and Cowboys Walk It Out participated
in the annual event in an effort to raise
money for the American Cancer Society
and a cure for cancer.
Cowboys Walk It Out collected
donations from local sponsors and sold
raffle tickets for Starbucks gift baskets.
“We hoped to raise a lot of
money,” junior Ali Tishman said. “It was
Abby Lande
a great deal, $5 for a $50 basket.”
The Relay began with an
opening lap in honor of the Cancer
survivors, who were led by the CCHS
drumline.
When they finished, teams
sent members to walk on the track, as
one person from each team had to be
walking at all times.
quote about walking, being tiring
camping
The teams fundraised before
and during Relay for Life by recruiting
sponsors or selling items at the event.
They also raised money for charities,
clubs, organizations, and businesses
seeking to promote themselves.
News
Fire drills are a common occurrence on campus. The school is required to evacuate at least
once per month during the year.
field or the overflow parking lot in the
back of the school.
According to Correa, the
school board requires students to
evacuate at least 150 feet away from
the school. “The further we can get
students away, the better,” he said.
“It might take a little longer,
but if we had to dismiss students
directly from outside because the
school was not safe to go back into,
it would make things much easier,”
Valachovic said.
There is a monitor in the
main office of the school that detects
Vendors got into the spirit of the event, going the extra mile to raise money for the Relay for Life foundation.
All proceeds from the vendors was donated to the charity.
“I was with the Love Cures
organization, which raised money and
awareness for leukemia,” junior Christine
Leverett said. “Our booth offered Guitar
Hero, mosaics, face painting, and
sweets.”
Luminaries, decorated bags
representing someone who has battled
cancer or passed away from it, were
sold. At night they were lit and set up
around the track and on the bleachers .
“We lit a luminary for my mom
3
Bright futures continued
from page 1
of Bright Futures.
“We’ve reached the point that
we can no longer fund our growth,” state
Senator Jeremy Ring said in his Bright
Futures bill revision. “We will look
to other revenue streams to fund the
incentive program.”
“I think there are other ways to
help the economy,” junior Amanda Katz
said. “The state could lower the price
of college, and take away all needless
spending.”
The $400 million it currently
takes to completely fund the merit
scholarship is projected to reach $1
billion in 10 years.
Without funding, the “Change
exactly where the alarm was triggered it to Save it” campaign indicates that
from within instants. Even if it is the Bright Futures scholarship may have
determined to be a false alarm, the trouble being maintained. This difficulty
school’s policy is to proceed with a could cause a change in the form of a
full evacuation. more intense criterion for both the 75%
“We need to stay consistent,” and the 100% tuition scholarships.
Correa said. “We can’t stop the drill “There would probably be way
halfway through. We don’t want more competition for Bright Futures,”
anyone to think that we are not taking Katz said. “Students would overwork
a drill seriously.” and burn themselves out just for the
When an alarm goes off that limited space.”
is not a planned drill, the school can According to Siwek, any
still count that as their fire drill for changes to the scholarship they would
the month, Correa said. not affect existing users as they are
considered already “grandfathered in.”
-DECA had 55
members make it to
The International
Conference in Atlanta
-Junior Felicia Willis
is the new FASC Vice
President
-Youth Crime Watch is
hosting its Miss Cooper
City High Pageant on
April 25 at 7 pm
-Spanish Honor
Society is collecting
tooth paste for people
in Guatemala
-National Honor
Society has upcoming
elections for its officers
-Debate Club Senior
Michael Worley
because she survived breast cancer,” finished off the
senior Shelly Kruger said.
Several other activities were year once again as
available for groups of all different ages
including team skits, hula-hoop and a nationally ranked
limbo contests, and group dancing. The
entertainment ranged from Elvis Presley
competitor by placing
impersonations to Hawaiian dancers. at the Crestian
“I had a lot of fun,” Kruger said.
“I got to be with my friends and support National Debate
an amazing cause all in one night.” Tournament
4 Opinions April 2008
The Lariat
The Lariat Torch or no torch?
Staff Writers: Should countries boycott the Olympics because of China’s politics?
Editorial Board:
Jolly Attia
Adviser: Tom Grozan
Monica Berra BY MAX LEVY national discussions are rising part of the event. Personally, I
Editors-in-Chief: David Tintner
Michael Eisenberg MaximumLevy@gmail.com regarding whether or not to get see the point being made every
Ann Nacknouck
Ashley Fierman involved in the political matters day on CNN, and that seems
Managing Editor: Robert Yanks
Scott Gershkow Move over steroid abuse, of the 2008 Olympic host nation. sufficient. As the issue in Asia
News: Rebecca Weiss
Jonathan Griffith Yet to make a proper decision of
Opinions: Shaina Coogan there is a new party pooper in seems to be acknowledged
Lane Hacker
Features: Jennifer Pritchard town. No, a domestic terrorist what to do, we must understand across the world, having one or
Jeffy Joseph
Entertainment: Taylor Cohen
Max Levy isn’t going to set off a bomb what the Olympics stand for. two nations take a stand for the
Jaime Sloane (Atlanta 1996), no Israelis will The games have been around “brutally suppressed” Tibetans
Michael Llerena
Sports: Robert Yanks be kidnapped (Munich 1972), practically since the dinosaurs by forgoing their participation
David Nathanson
Chief Photographer: Michael Worley and ever since day one they in a sporting event is fairly
Ryan Parker and I highly doubt Nazi’s will
Business Manager: Sara Leiter
Lindsey Rolls use the games as propaganda have stood solely for sporting insignificant. If the countries,
Graphics Designer: Ashley Valdivia
Alex Wild (Berlin 1936). But what may purposes. Wars would cease America or not, truly cared
happen is not something new to in lieu of naked Greek foot enough to cause a big scandal
the Olympic tradition. Talk has races and friendly competition. concerning their absence from
The Lariat firmly believes in upholding the first amendment been circulating in the media Boycotting the Olympics based the Olympics, they should try
but also recognizes the responsibility of a publication
lately about possible boycotts of on a political matter is beyond to help out Tibet directly rather
to be accurate and factual.
the 2008 Olympics being held unfair to both the athletes and than calling for help.
Editorials in Beijing this summer. Unlike
the last string of boycotts in the
the legacy of the event.
After all, what message
Bush, among a plethora
of other leaders, chose to opt

Reaching our values 1976, 1980, 1984 games, this

possibility arises from national
irresponsibility. Forty-nine years
In society, values are constantly expressed through a variety ago China, a communist nation,
of mediums: literature, art, film, music, posters with half eaten exiled Tibet’s (then independent)
apples and, most recently, stairwells. Many students observed in ruler, Tenzin Gyatso - the Dalai
early March that something new had arrived at Cooper, something Lama. Only recently though did
with red and black lettering, something of value. With the help of matters intensify as the Chinese
SGA, our school had painted the “Character Core” values on the chose their own successor to
old building steps. the Dalai Lama’s throne. Riots
Many self-proclaimed cynics immediately pointed out the have broken out in the region
irony of “walking all over our values,” yet The Lariat has come to in an attempt to restore Tibetan
see its deeper meaning. A flight of stairs is an important symbol in independence. The attempts
art. Whether it’s painted on canvas like M. C. Escher’s masterpiece to re-establish independence
“House of Stairs,” caught on film while Sylvester Stallone runs are being met with great
atop it, or on a vinyl record such as that found on Zeppelin IV, the disapproval among the Chinese
stairway has held its own as a key symbol in our time; a symbol of causing the Tibetans to be
hope, a symbol of a journey, a symbol of the future. “brutally suppressed and denied
By painting these values on such an important symbol basic fundamental rights and
within our school, a larger message is being sent: practicing these echo their call for independence,”
values will allow one to step above the difficulties in life and reach according to the president of
lofty goals, no matter how high they may lie. the Tibetan Youth Conference,
The Lariat severely doubts that such philosophical aims Tsewang Rigzin.
were the original intention of our student government’s project, What can be considered
but we sure wish people could think of it that way. Responsibility, a regional affair has become a
citizenship, kindness, respect, honesty, self-control, tolerance, and worldwide issue, however. With
cooperation sure sound like clichés, yet the need for their presence the Olympics in Beijing soon,
would that send? That just
because there’a controversy
somewhere in the world, an
athlete can’t compete at the
international level. Not to belittle
the often overlooked nature of
world issues, but the Olympics
were made in part to honor the
seperation between games and
politics.
This, of course,
brings light to a different
option: boycotting the opening
ceremony. French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, who became
the first world leader to suggest a
national boycott of the ceremony,
could very well end up doing
so. He has already explicitly
ruled out the possibility of
withdrawing France from the
games, as have several nations
worldwide. The reason behind
this is rather logical. Boycotting
the entire games can only hamper
a nation, as opposed to making
a statement by boycotting only
out of the boycott. However,
this does not mean that the
Olympics will be as expected.
The problem with Chinese
subjugation and oppression
against independence efforts
will most likely still linger
come time for the games. But
why should all the attention
go towards China’s issues?
There are countless problems
in the world that are growing
exponentially in severity as
time progresses. Overlooking
those problems is no way less
serious than (wisely) choosing
not to boycott the Olympics.
There is no reason to bridge the
gap between sports and politics.
After all, it’s just a game, and
if I can’t use monopoly money
to buy tickets to a Lupe Fiasco
concert, why should a nation
be able to use a skip card from
UNO on the Olympics?

Student Forum:
in today’s society cannot be overstated.

The most important freedom

In the last issue of The Lariat, a column appeared in the Letters to the editor
opinions section that set off a controversy across the Cooper City
High campus. Many students were vehement either in their support Confederate Flag Support Amendment. Online Newspaper
for or against the column. The confederate flag is a volatile topic. JAKOB MCLAUGHLIN For me the Confederate TRICIA CHUA
Grade 12 Grade 11
It always has been and always will be. But that should not keep it flag represented a nation that,
from being discussed. The Confederate flag: once formed, wanted to be left In this modern day and
The column initiated a dialogue and sparked debate. a symbol of racism or a symbol alone in peace. I believe like the age, I find it hard to believe that
Several teachers either read the column to their classes or allotted of heritage? Some people in United States, it went to war
our high school newspaper does
this school think that the to defend its homelands and
class time for discussion. A few teachers even incorporated the not have its own online site.
Confederate battle flag is a racist beliefs. In my opinion, the Civil
column into their lesson plans and created assignments from War was not fought to end the While I do take pleasure
it. This was a chance for students to experience their lesson symbol. In my opinion, I think
perpetration of slavery and that from reading things on printed
firsthand. They got to live and breathe first amendment issues, that David Tintner’s column on
the Confederate flag was wrong. the North wished to preserve paper, there’s no limit to the
American history, and the inner workings of social dynamics. As the Union and protect the ideals power of the internet. While
I respect others opinions on the
a newspaper, that is exactly what The Lariat strives for. matter but to people like me the of freedom our forefathers my eyes may protest, it’s a lot
In today’s day and age few people still read the newspaper, Confederate flag is a symbol of vouched for us. Others view more convenient for me to read
and even fewer still believe it can have an effect. Au contraire. southern heritage. the Confederate flag as racist little vignettes of school life
Some of the most influential movements throughout history began To me the flag because hate groups use it. while I surf online than during
with writing. Abraham Lincoln referred to Harriet Beecher Stowe represents all Confederates, I believe hate groups have school hours when I’m busy
after the publication of her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin as “the little and is the symbol of less desecrated the image of the
pretending to look busy.
government, fewer taxes, and Confederate flag in the same
lady who started the Civil War.” The Russian revolution, Cold War It might enhance
the right for the people to way they have desecrated the
and stained relations with Cuba can all be traced back to Marx and human race. To me the flag has reader interaction with the
Engel’s Communist Manifesto. Corruption in the White House govern themselves. We wear
nothing to do with hate and paper itself, leading to whole
was exposed and Nixon was forced to resign following a series of or fly the flag in memory of
our Confederate ancestors who everything to do with a proud new dimensions of journalism
articles published in the Washington Post. Even in our fast paced Southern history. the likes of which our school
willingly shed their blood for
society, the power of the pen should not be underestimated. Southern independence. To After reading this, I has never even dreamed about.
The freedom to express one’s beliefs is something that many Southerneners, the flag is hope that any who view the flag Then again, this is Cooper
should not be taken for granted. We are lucky to live in a country the symbol of their culture and as a racist symbol have changed City, where the contrast of the
where we can speak out. The Lariat respects all opinions and homeland. I believe people who their minds. For people like me high tech and the backward is
encourages the students of Cooper City High School to share wear the Confederate flag also the Confederate flag is a symbol a normal, everyday occurence
them. The newspaper is intended to be a forum for discussion. have the constitutional right to of heritage, not hate, and it
that usually amounts to piles
their heritage under the Ninth should be our right to display
Letters to the editor are printed in our opinions section, but we upon piles of inefficiency.
it.
also hope to ignite discourse throughout the school. It is important
Submit your 250-word letter to opinions_section@yahoo.com
that differences of opinion are not regarded with fear, but rather
openmindedness. There are two sides to every argument, and the
Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity and should pertain to any topic previously printed
only way to make responsible decisions is to understand both. in the newspaper or issue relevant to Cooper City High School and its students.
April Opinions
The Local View
SHAINA COOGAN
SECoogan@gmail.com
Last month, I received a letter enroll in English 1101 and/or 1102, one
from the University of Chicago. must earn a minimum of 440 on the
“Dear Shaina, verbal section of the SAT. These classes
You are not your test scores. are offered not only at BCC but on our
Someday you will sum up the very own campus as well. Considering
events in your life, your friends and high school students may enroll in these
accomplishments, your triumphs classes, admission should be based on
and your disappointments, and your “high school” standards: past success
standardized test scores will be long in English courses and willingness to
forgotten.” work. A simple SAT score should have
Not my scores, University of no bearing.
Chicago? I wouldn’t be so sure about Though letter grades are by
that. Collegeboard’s report for the no means a valid method of judging
University of Chicago stated the middle intelligence or success in high school,
50 percent of SAT scores of first-year they are a much more accurate gauge
students as being between 1330 and than standardized test scores. Grades
1530. Their ACT scores were similarly are cumulative averages of a year’s
high, between 28 and 33. worth of time and effort; SAT scores are
Alas, it had been quite a generated in a few hours’ time, meaning
romantic notion. Who couldn’t resist that, if you’re caught on a bad day,
a school willing to accept you for who there’s no opportunity to fix them.
you are, rather than a set of numbers? In the end, why are standardized
Far too much emphasis is placed on test scores so integral to the college
standardized test scores that often do admission process? They tell a school
not accurately represent a student’s nothing of a prospective student’s
potential to succeed. academic performance, extracurricular
Princetonreview.com explains involvement, or personal attributes.
that admission test scores are one of the Perhaps realizing this, colleges around
“big three” determining factors colleges the country are no longer requiring
look for, the other two being grades and applicants to submit standardized test
class rank. Though some schools may scores.
not even consider SAT scores during Several schools have
the admission process, they are few and already jumped on the SAT-optional
far between. In fact, “Only 12 percent bandwagon, including Bates College,
of schools acknowledged admission Drew University, and Sarah Lawrence
test scores as having ‘limited’ or ‘no’ College. In addition, Sarah Lawrence
importance. The remaining 88 percent not only follows the SAT-optional policy,
want to see you score big.” but completely disregards SAT scores
In reality, standardized tests during its admission process.
have been struggling to keep up with True, Sarah Lawrence may not
changing times. In 2001, University of be Brown University or Harvard College,
California president Richard Atkinson but it has produced several well-known,
suggested dropping SAT scores as an successful individuals. Among them
admission requirement for UC. Largely are acclaimed producer of Lost and
due to his complaints, the SAT-I was Cloverfield, J.J. Abrams, and famed
altered to include a writing section in broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. I
2005. It encompasses a student-written believe that, unlike Ivy League schools,
essay and two multiple-choice grammar Sarah Lawrence is judging its students
sections. on the right criteria. The school’s most
Unfortunately, this addition important admission factors include
hindered more than it helped. Dr. Les an application essay, recommendation
Perelman, a director of undergraduate letters, and the rigor of the applicant’s
writing at M.I.T., found an almost direct secondary school record. Academic GPA
correlation between essay length and is much, much further down on the list;
score: the more you wrote, the higher it’s even ranked below personal qualities
your score. This held true even for essays and extracurricular activities.
riddled with factual errors. Basically, it This is how it should be.
encouraged students to write as much Students should be able to present
as possible with little regard for validity. themselves not through their numbers,
This undermines the qualities of brevity but through their experiences and
and accuracy in composition, making ideas. Overemphasis on vastly imperfect
it a complete refutation of what any standardized test scores undermines
English teacher strives to instill in his or real success and effort, only reinforcing
her students. the notion that we are nothing but how
Standardized test scores even we look on paper.
infiltrate high school life. In order to
The National View
MICHAEL WORLEY
Worley.Michael@gmail.com
Some people write in diaries,
others in journals or notepads; yet, right
now in Japan, the preferred medium for
writing some of the most popular novels
is cellular telephones. According to the
New York Times, five out of the current
top ten best selling books in Tokyo were
originally cell phone novels, written in
short hand “instant-message speak,”
mainly by young women. This might
be one of the most bizarre social trends
in literature of the 21st century, not to
mention one of the most damaging.
In the words of Rita Mae Brown, an
American novelist, “language is the
roadmap of a culture. It tells you where
its people came from and where they
are going.” If this holds true, our culture
is heading into a dark time of Orwellian
newspeak, a time in which our language
is pounded into smaller, more simplified
sentences. Like a termite that eats away
silently inside the wall of a home, this
trend is tearing away, unnoticed, at
the foundation of our language. The
disintegration of the human language
through the proliferation of shorter,
grammatically incorrect phrases poses
a threat to our culture and society at
large.
The cultural effect ‘instant
messaging language’ has had on society
may prove to be incredibly damaging
in the future. This is becoming more
and more visible among young people,
the side effects of which are becoming
rapidly apparent.
“You don’t ask people what
their number is anymore,” said senior
Pol Paelinck, “you ask them [for] their
screen name.”
Feelings of isolation and
depression have erupted in recent years
due to the meteoric rise of messaging
systems that catalyze users, according to
Berkley University, to “start losing social
skills in the real world as [they] master
[their] social skills chatting behind a
computer screen.” This is a dangerous
precedent to set in a world in which
reported cases of teenage depression are
at an all time high (nearly two million
cases reported each year, according to
the Boston Globe.) This internet jargon
has also changed the way people talk,
both young and old. Hearing someone
say, “LOL” or “BRB” in public is no
longer a rarity; it has become accepted
diction.
One of the defining qualities
of the Western world has been our love
literature. From William Shakespeare
to Mark Twain, the written word has
proven to be our largest cultural export
to the rest of the world. It was the elegant
words of Hamlet and the sarcastic diction
5
of A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court that
made these authors so important. It was
the wide variety of words expressing all
sorts of emotion that captured readers
and turned mere words into cultural
cornerstones. IM jargon damages that
severely. The Miami Herald recently
reported that many teachers in Miami
had become frustrated after their
students used online abbreviations in
essays and other writing assignments,
a very negative harbinger of what our
culture is moving towards.
The largest threat posed by condensed
language is that of increased stratification
within our social classes. This has already
occurred in many areas of America.
Ebonics in urban neighborhoods,
Southern drawl in rural areas, and
New England slang in neighborhoods
of Boston, New York, and Buffalo have
all been cultural cornerstones in those
areas. Despite their tradition, these
vernaculars undermine the standard
English language.
Unlike the development of the
aforementioned slang, IM Speak didn’t
develop from the lack of urban and rural
literacy; it developed from a society
that favors speed and convenience over
quality and intelligent thought. It’s
that difference that makes IM Speak so
dangerous. This new form of illiterate
communication has blossomed not out
of poor, underprivileged communities,
but from a capitalistic society that
markets this form of language as
culturally acceptable. It will be much
harder to reverse this trend as long as
the businesses that perpetuate it are
allowed to continue these marketing
campaigns.
Ultimately, it will be the same
teachers who taught their students
new vocabulary who will now teach
them why using such eloquent words
is so important. That might be the
greatest challenge of our generation:
convincing students that the SAT isn’t
the only reason to expand their literacy,
to use proper grammar, to spell words
correctly, or to use punctuation. If our
generation cannot meet that challenge,
we will eventually face the threat of
a disintegrating language –a threat
greater than any war or conflict we
have ever, or will ever, face. In a society
of Blackberries, iPods and broadband
internet, the need to enrich our youth’s
language has never been greater; yet it
will be this challenge that will set our
generation apart forever.
2 b or not 2 b? That is the
question.
Juyoung Lee
6 April
The Lariat Entertainment
High School movies move beyond stereotypes
BY ANNA WALTERS
Contributing Writer
After an hour and forty-five
minutes of artsy-girl-yearning-for-
dreamy-jock frustration, our leading
lady finally ditches the glasses and
overalls for a shiny prom dress and
the guy of her dreams. The audience,
consisting mainly of teenage girls and
their reluctant boyfriends, bursts out in
applause punctuated by sobs of relief.
If only all stories had such perfectly
scripted endings…
For decades, teens have queued
up outside of theaters to catch the
latest “high school movie.” Although
commercially popular, this underrated
subgenre, which encompasses
everything from Sixteen Candles and
Mean Girls to Superbad and Rushmore,
is often denied the credit it deserves.
Despite what the critics may
say, movies with a high school backdrop
are not always banal fantasies; many
simply use the commonplace setting to
tell a story in a relatable way. The truth
is, almost everyone shares some similar
experiences in high school, regardless
of era or social category, and high
school movies simply tap into those
commonalities to make the audience
laugh, cry, or think.
In the 1980’s, John Hughes
films defined a generation by defining
their roles in high school. Movies such
as The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink
portray a highly stratified social structure
in which jocks, nerds, and freaks never
intermingle (unless physically forced to
in Saturday school).
But was high school really like
this, or did teenagers feel the need to fill
the roles set for them by movies? In a
way, it’s the question of the chicken or
the egg.
“Cliques exist,” CCHS English
Upcoming Movies
May 2
Made of Honor
Iron Man
May 9
Speed Racer
May 16
The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian
May 23
Indiana Jones and the Crystal
Skull
June 13
The Incredible Hulk
June 27
Wall-E
Wanted
July 18
The Dark Knight
Mamma Mia
The delinquent, jock, weirdo, prom queen and nerd as defined in 1980’s cult classic “The Breakfast Club.”
teacher and 80’s teen Rob Boone said,
“but social gaps are exaggerated to tell
the story.”
While on-screen “popular girls”
could have reflected the queen bees of
this time, it’s also quite possible that
young girls subconsciously mimicked
their catty ways in order to become what
they interpreted as “cool.” Likewise,
freaks and geeks may have felt less
intimidated by the jocks if movies hadn’t
drawn an un-crossable line between
them. In this golden age of teen film,
it’s likely that stereotypes were a self-
fulfilling prophecy.
Perhaps this cycle can be best
explained by the intensity of classic
teen movie archetypes. In these films,
the cool kids are never the nice kids;
they’re always jerks with fancy cars and
a D average. Nerds, on the other hand
are never portrayed as misunderstood
intellectuals, but rather socially inept
losers with taped glasses and eternal
wedgies. Of course these social extremes
Here we are, now entertain us
By Jaime Sloane
JaimeEsloane@gmail.com
A hearty helping of rock and
roll always needs to be served with a
great big side order of controversy, and
the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony fulfilled the menu
requirements perfectly. On Monday
March 2nd, the Hall welcomed Madonna,
John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, the
Ventures, the Dave Clark Five, and Little
Walter to its hallowed corridors. Outrage
swept over the nation as confused music
fans everywhere sent frustrated emails
and made frantic phone calls to the Hall
questioning the new inductees. I started
to wonder; who spiked the punch bowl
before the voting process began?
How exactly does an artist get
nominated to become a potential inductee
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and
what does it take to actually get in? After
tireless research on past and present
winners, I realized there doesn’t seem
to be much rhyme, reason, or rhythm to
the process. While some inductees such
as AC/DC make perfect sense with their
booming guitar riffs, screaming lyrics,
and thunderous bass line, others such as
Madonna, inducted last night, are enough
to make a rock fan’s head spin.
The nomination process is
controlled by a few individuals, such as
founder Jann Wenner (best known as
the founder of Rolling Stone Magazine),
April 2008
7
Cooper City- although the cops aren’t as
cool and the situations aren’t always as
hilarious.”
Continuing the trend of high
school movies, the coming of age story,
Juno, tells the tale of a 16-year-old girl
who gets pregnant after her first sexual
experience. We follow Juno over the
next nine months as she swims in a sea
of decisions “way beyond her maturity
level” – a sentiment teens can relate to.
“I connect with Juno because
she is your average high school student-
www.sheilaomalley.com
just wittier and with a better vocabulary.”
CCHS junior Tatum Norrell said.
“Although most students don’t share
her predicament (thankfully), we can all
identify with a situation that has forced
us to grow up.”
As the golden child of this
year’s Oscars, Juno is the first high
school movie in ages to receive such high
may have existed, but their exaggeration critical acclaim. And although it’s not
is anything but normal. the first in this genre to address a taboo
Without a caste of cliques subject, Juno is an important landmark
or cliché storylines, today’s cinema in the progression of teen film because
is much more realistic. Movies like it shows that young viewers are mature
Superbad and Juno are not all caught up enough to handle, and even excited
in defining what high school should be, to watch, a movie that is not cliché or
but instead they show these strange four over formulated. This new wave of high
years as what they really are. school films deemphasizes cliques and
Superbad stars Michael Cera stereotypes and shows the individuality
and Jonah Hill as best friends trying of our generation; that’s certainly
desperately to score alcohol and something to be excited about.
chicks while dealing with the threat of Ranging from the fantastical
separation after graduation. and formulated to the realistic and
The lead characters are clever, teen movies always manage to
outsiders, but like most kids in high weave a relatable thread through the
school Seth and Evan fit somewhere in story. The pioneers of this genre may
between the stereotypes of teen movies. have played up certain aspects of high
And as for their mouth-breathing school, but their themes of young love,
tagalong friend Fogell, well, everyone identity, and teen angst have proved to
knows a McLovin. be timeless. So even though Superbad
“I think Superbad is the most and The Breakfast Club may seem to be
accurate high school movie,” junior as different as night and day, they are
Michelle Blanck said, “The story is so loved equally by today’s teens simply
realistic that it could actually happen in because some things never change.
In my favorite movie “Almost
Famous”, Jeff Bebe (front man of the
fictional rock and roll band Stillwater)
put it in better terms:
“Some people have a hard time
former foundation director Suzan Evans, explaining rock and roll. I don’t think
and writer Dave Marsh. The entire anyone can really explain rock and roll.
election is purely subjective, voted on Except Pete Townshend, but that’s okay.
by taste and not by talent in the genre of Rock and roll is a lifestyle and a way of
rock. But the nomination choices weren’t thinking, and it’s not about money and
always so controversial and skewed. In popularity. It’s a voice that says, “Here I
1986, when the Hall was created, true am, and **** *** if you can’t understand
rock and roll was in its 9th inning and me.” And one of these people is going
slowly fading away. The first group of to save the world. And that means that
inductees included Chuck Berry, James rock and roll can save the world, all of
Brown, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, us together. What it all comes down to
and Ray Charles. This trend of obvious is that thing. The indefinable thing when
picks continued for a little more than a people catch something in your music.”
decade, and included The Beatles, The In my humble estimation,
Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and Janis rock and roll is the combination of belted
Joplin. But in 1999 when Billy Joel was out lyrics, fast-paced chords, and intense
inducted, the Hall of Fame induction drum solos that make the listener’s heart
game became fair play for anyone and beat a few paces faster. Don’t misinterpret
everyone who could pick up a guitar. my intentions, I love Bob Dylan and Dan
In the good old days of Zeppelin, Fogelberg (both members of the Rock
Floyd, and Hendrix (all Hall of Fame and Roll Hall of Fame) but their music
members), true rock and roll wasn’t doesn’t make me want to flail my body
questionable. Now, there’s many factors around like a headless chicken the way
that go into what’s “rock” and what’s not. rock and roll should. If a folk-rock hall of
Through its existence, rock fame were ever to be established, they’d
and roll has branched off into other styles be on the top of my nomination list,
like “pop rock” and “punk rock”. However, but for now, being the true to my roots,
the last time I checked, prancing around rebellious rocker that I am, I would vote to
in leggings, sweatbands, and dangling keep them out of this Hall of Fame. Will
earrings, singing Material Girl in too other rock and roll fanatics’ voices who
high of a pitch is not “rock and roll”. So feel the same way be heard and listened
I decided to stop and ask the pressing to? Who knows. I guess the answer, my
question: what exactly is “rock and roll”? friend, is blowin’ in the wind…
8 April

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The Lariat
On the road to success
Brittany Mullen, also known as Nicole Patrick, plays her heart out in the school parking lot.
ROCK BAND revolution rocks CCHS
BY MAX LEVY
MaximusLevy@Gmail.com
America: where people go to
pursue their most sought after dreams
and aspirations. Well, anyone outside
of their cozy naive bubble can tell you
that isn’t exactly true, unless you aspire
to put down 2000 calories in 15 seconds.
But luckily, for someone whose dream is
to tour the nation with inked up rockers,
a big break now exists. On November
20th, 2007, Rock Band hit the shelves, and
was sold out within the blink of an eye.
The game, along with its predecessors
Guitar Hero I, II, and III, revolutionized
the idea of what video games are, and
what they could become.
Contrary to popular belief, the
revolution did not start with the Guitar
Hero series. Actually, the first game
of its kind fit in neither a Playstation
nor an Xbox. Instead, the originator,
GuitarFreaks, was designed for arcades
in 1999. GuitarFreaks was an inspiration
for Harmonix, motivating them to launch
their unexpectedly successful franchise.
Going from a $1 million dollar budget
to a first week revenue of $115 million,
the newly popularized gaming genre has
met undeniable success.
“It’s the new thing,” junior Joelle
Waksman, Guitar Hero guitarist, said.
“It gives people the opportunity to show
off insane jamming skills.”
The newest game, Rock Band,
allows unjustifiably confident teens to
put their mediocre skills to the test on
any one of four “instruments” (drums,
bass guitar, guitar, and microphone).
On these overly simplified models of
Entertainment
Michael Worley
real instruments, players can create
their own band and play songs ranging
from Weezer’s “Say it ain’t so,” to South
Park’s “Timmy and the Lords of the
Underworld.
“Maps [by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs]
is by far the best song” sophomore Taylor
Millovan, drummer for “The Fingerpntrs”,
said. “The thing about Rock Band is that
they provide songs people actually listen
to.”
Harmonix, Guitar Hero’s
original designer, sold the franchise
to Activision in 2006. Thus, forfeiting
temporarily the right to design a game
that lets gamers such as Waksman
assume the identity of Jimi Hendrix. But
Rock Band’s release marks their return
to the virtual music business. This of
course means that the two games are
now competing for supporters.
“I like Rock Band better,”
Millovan said. Although a Guitar Hero
supporter herself, Waksman agrees
with Millovan with the fact that “for
social purposes, Rock Band is the better
game.”
Possibly the most revolutionary
of the Rock Band instruments is the
microphone. Many seem to enjoy
making a fool of themselves, bringing
the band down with them in doing so.
Sure this may be a pessimistic outlook
on the singing abilities of the average
person, but some amateur singers
can without a doubt substantiate this
case. Senior Ben Schlang was recently
recorded while singing “Say it ain’t so.”
The performance- in a very loose sense
of the word- wasn’t too good. The video,
exemplifying the humorous aspect to
BY TAYLOR COHEN
TayCohen@Gmail.com
A talented, young aspiring pop-
country artist walks into a room filled
with snobbish, overanalyzing critics and
producers, anxious and overcome with
emotion. Her hard work, dedication,
and determination, has finally all paid
off. Maybe this will be her big break?
She presents herself, after years of
preparation, feeling as if she’s at the top
of her game, only to be crushed by the
bias ideals and opinions of those she
formerly admired.
CCHS student Brittany Mullen
(stage name Nicole Patrick), student
board member and aspiring pop-country
star is well seasoned for this type of
situation. But it seems as if she is finally
begining to see the light at the end of
the tunnel, so to speak.
“It’s a great feeling to finally get
some success out of so much time and
effort,” Mullen said.
Mullen is 100% dedicated to her
future. CTV has covered her involvement
with Disney, sporadic music videos,
and constant trips to Nashville to work
on her recording. What CTV failed to
manifest in their stories is her future;
what’s in store for Nicole Patrick.
This March, Mullen got on a
plane to Nashville to finish her first
solo album entitled ‘Everyone Who’s
Anyone’. The album consists of 10
songs, four of which she co-wrote and
two of which she wrote herself.
Not only has she just finished
her first album and is on German radio
station “X-radio”, Mullen is now taking
the 2nd step in stardom; preparing to
Sophomore Joey Truscello shows that real guitars are for old people.
having a microphone in Rock Band, is
currently on Facebook.
“The singing is actually more
efficient than I expected,” singing
sensation Nicole Patrick said. And the
singing is not limited to just the songs
that come with the game. Bonus tracks
and downloadable (purchasable) tracks
enhance the already time consuming
nature of Rock Band.
“The game is very addictive,”
junior Eric Munoz, lead guitarist of The
Goonz, said. “The ultimate goal is to get
better for bragging rights, which takes
plenty of time.”
Whether it be for the drums,
9
Senior Brittany Mullen is set
to tour the world this summer
go on tour. Her first tour will be with
Armed Forces Entertainment. The tour
will start with a 12-day trip through the
Caribbean to entertain soldiers whose
spirits are in need of a lift. From the
Caribbean, she will be off to Europe
with a band of musicians and promoters
to perform her music overseas. If all
goes well in Europe, she will go on to
do the same thing in Japan, hoping to
thereafter come home and promote in
The States.
Although her future looks
promising, Mullen is determined to
cover all of her bases in full. She is
planning to attend UM’s elite music
program, hopefully on scholarship.
Beyond college, Mullen has
connections with acclaimed producers
such as Rush Reagan and Clive Davis.
She is enthralled about both of these
opportunities, but remains elegantly
nonchalant.
“If it works it works, if it doesn’t
it doesn’t… but it’d be nice if it worked,”
Mullen said.
Coming from humble
beginnings, trials and letdowns, Mullen
is well on her way to making it to the
“big-times”.
“It would be amazing to do what
I love to do for a living, I wouldn’t work
well in an office setting,” Mullen said.
It is safe to say that, with the
right connections and help, Mullen is
going places with her love of song, and
will continue to do so until she reaches
the top.
“I feel like the longest part of my
album is going to be the credits, there
are so many people I have to thank,”
Mullen said.
Michael Worley
bass, guitar or microphone, teens find
unquestionable joy in “living the life” of
a rock star. And this gaming revolution
has infiltrated not only the video game
community, but also the network of
videos on the Internet. When searching
songs (that happen to be in the games)on
YouTube, expect to encounter an
inescapable barrage of “Dani California
guitar on Expirt!!!!!” (spelling error
intended). But the games bring plenty to
the table, raising the bar along with the
interactivity of their games. Gamers can
only hope that more games will follow
suit. If so, they should look forward to a
dangerously realistic Halo 4.
6`jsm46
`jsm466 6 6 6 6 6 6
10 April

music and
BY JENNIFER PRITCHARD
JenRPritchard @gmail.com
as Hungary, Netherlands and Japan, all place high emphasis and
Mikey Arbulu has been playing the clarinet for seven years, commitment to vocal and instrumental music education. Despite the
beginning his musical training at Pioneer Middle’s school band and extensive list of beneficial effects of instrumental music on the brain and
continuing on to do four years with our Cooper City High School’s Sound the research to back it up, the arts are facing difficult times in public
of Pride. He has spent three of his four years with the Sound of Pride as schools. Here in America, schools face constant budget cuts and art
the drum major. Even with all the time and energy Arbulu spends with programs are suffering a continuing war of funding cut backs. On the
his music, he continues to excel at academics , with his weighted high national average, only four percent of the $450 billion spent on teaching
school GPA at a 4.9. children goes to music, which means that 55 percent of our students
““My music training has helped me process information differently aren’t getting adequate music education.
and think about things with a new prospective,” Arbulu said. ““I think the budget cuts are awful,” Arbulu said. ““We don’t have
Arbulu attributes his self-discipline in school to his extensive any money; the band is in debt.”
musical training. To make matters worse, President George W. Bush submitted his
“ ’ve gotten A’s in all the classes I’ve taken in high school,” Arbulu
“I Fiscal Year 2009 budget, in which there was a $16.3 million cut in support
said. for the National Endowment for the Arts.
The world’s top As of right now, there is a hiring freeze for Broward
a c a d e m i c County Schools, which means that if a program ends or
countries is cut back teachers will be reassigned or make
such use of dual certification.
The budget crisis has music
programs finding alternative solutions
to their needs.
““Traditionally, Chorus has
received a stipend to purchase
new music, but due to the
current budget crisis, we’re
forgoing new sheet music
and pulling from CCHS’s
Music Department library”
Katina Dziewiatkowski,
CCHS chorus teacher,
said.
““The lack of
money is preventing
us from learning
a lot of things in
band because we
can’t always buy
and use the proper
equipment,” Arbulu
said.
Music affects
mood, concentration,
and creativity, but
most importantly,
it affects the brain’s
ability to learn. The
sound of music helps us
in the learning process
by increasing attention,
improving memory,
and releasing tension
by establishing a positive
learning environment. For
example, when listening to
classical music such as Mozart,
there is a 60 beat per
minute pattern
that is repeated
throughout his
pieces, known as
the Mozart effect.
This effect
activates the
action potentials
in the brain, and
strengthens
the connection
between the
left and right
hemispheres.
6 6 6 6 6 44vkel66
The Lariat 11

the brain!
With this strengthened connection, information is processed much
easier.
According to the Center for New Discoveries in Learning, learning
potential can be increased a minimum of five times by listening to this 60
beats per minute music.
Listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Piano’ss in D major releases
neurons in the brain, relaxing the body and improving concentration.
Students who listen to this music can temporarily increased their IQ and
spatial reasoning skills by as much as forty percent. Playing this same
music during testing as from learning will also increase the recall.
““The The mathematical skills, linguistic/reading skills, and spatial
skills are benefited the most,” Band Director Christopher Schletter said.
After discovering his love of music Schletter pursued a music
education degree at the University of South Florida. He was a member
of the Cadets of Bergen County Drum for three summers, joined the
Broadway show Blast! for two years, and was band director at Flanagan
High School for three years before coming to Cooper City two years ago.
““II can’t even imagine the massive differences there would be in
my life if I were not around music like I have been,” Shletter said. He has
been playing the piano for over twenty years and has witnessed first hand
experiences on how music affects the lives of his students academically
and personally.
Even though music has benefited Arbulu in achieving a lot of
his school success, it has taught him things outside of the classroom as
well.
““It hasn’t just helped me academic wise,” Arbulu said. “It “ ’ss also
helped me juggle things.” When playing his clarinet, for example, Arbulu
listens to make sure he is in tune and following in the correct beat. If he
isn’tt playing correctly to either one of these, he is quickly able to adjust
himself, a skill of multi-tasking that musical training has allowed him to
master.
““There
There is an expressive side of music that can never really be
fully defined,” Schletter said. ““We We feel things, remember things, and
experience things when we perform or play music.”
As Thomas Jefferson wrote The United States Declaration of
Independence, a violin sat nearby, in which he improvised on when he
faced the challenges of writer’ss block. Likewise, Albert Einstein, used
the violin to help him focus when calculating problems.
““Experience
Experience with music appears to help with many other things
in life, potentially transferring to activities like reading or picking up
nuances in tones of voices or hearing sounds in a noisy classroom better,” better,
Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, told LiveScience
in a 2007 article.
In a 2006 online edition of the Journal Brain, it was shown that
musically trained children performed better in a memory test correlated
with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory,
mathematics, and IQ. According to Stanford University, research shows
that our brain is adaptable and with musical training, people can change
their mental agility. Using a functional magnetic resonance imaging
scanner, or FMRI, researchers proved that musicians had more focus
than non-musicians because their brain activity was described as more
efficient.
According to the College Entrance Examination Board, those who
take more than four years of music, in a recent study, scored 34 points
higher on the verbal portion of the SAT and 18 points higher on the math
portion, than those who took less than a year of arts education. These
higher test scores were not only seen on the SAT, but also in reading
proficiency exams.
““My highest SAT score is a 1430,” Arbulu said. Arbulu’ss SAT score
assisted in his acceptance to the University of Florida’ss Honor Program.
““Music
Music really helped me get into college because it gave me so
much extracurricular activities,” Arbulu said.
He’ll ll be receiving $2,100 a year from UF in scholarships, and can
still apply for more once he starts school there.
““Arts
Arts help you become a better rounded individual and earn a
well rounded education,” Arbulu said. ““A A lot of people are too obsessed
with their academics and they need to take a break once in awhile.”
12
Langerado experience transcends music
BY DAVID NATHANSON
DavidN31@gmail.com
Six years ago, Ethan
Schwartz and Mark Brown
teamed up to create the largest
music festival in Florida. In
keeping with the tradition of
kooky names for big music
festivals (Bonnaroo, Sasquatch),
they decided to christen it
“Langerado”. This year Langerado
was held on March 6-9 in the
middle of the Everglades. My
photographer Mike Worley and
I went to investigate.
We left right after
school on Thursday, got some
necessary provisions like gas,
ice, and Mike and Ike’s, and
hit the road. The line of cars to
enter Langerado was long, but
after a two hour wait, we finally
arrived on the campgrounds.
After setting up our tent and
unpacking our things, Mike and
I walked to the festival site. The
area consisted of five stages,
food vendors, craftsmen selling
unique products, and other fun
activities.
The first thing that caught
my eye were the dreadlocked
hippies. They surrounded me
in every direction, as far as the
eye could see. Dreadlocked
individuals covered in body
paint, dancing and grooving to
the music. Not that I minded;
it was a nice culture shock and
Left: Fans jam out as Ozomatli performs. Center: CCHS senior Juyoung Lee and Cypress Bay senior Victoria Guida
take a seat in the crowd as they wait for the next band to come on the stage.
they made for
great company.
T h u rs d ay
night was when
we first started to
feel the festival’s
momentum.
There were always
decisions to be made,
because at any given
time there were numerous bands
playing on five different stages.
The first show we
caught was That 1 Guy (Mike
Silverman), who played his
homemade instrument, dubbed
“The Magic Pipe”. The crowd
really got into it, dancing and
yelling their way through the
set.
Langerado is known for
having a plethora of jam bands,
and this year was no exception.
A perfect example was Dark
Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead
tribute band. Their set was
loose and free flowing, and they
played well into the night.
The next morning I awoke
with bug bites all over my body.
Camping was a mix of heat, dirt,
insects, loud music blasting
from cars, clouds of smoke
floating above, and walking. The
campgrounds were huge, with
thousands of tents, flags waving
and policemen patrolling on
horses. My feet became worn
out pretty quickly. The Port-
Entertainment The Lariat
Clockwise from top left: G Love performs for adoring fans. Campers at Langerado
display signs of politcal activism and environmental conservation around the
reservation. 311 performs on the “Everglades” Stage. The trombonist from
Ozomatli takes a solo.
a dreadlocked, half- dance moves were insane,”
naked man standing Morin said.
very still and looking The stage was a frenzy
straight ahead. of lights, the band sounded
Random people were amazing, and the crowd loved it.
walking up to him, Senior Sierra Manno, who was
waving their hands in his face in the front row, said she even
A-Potties were also in horrid
and doing whatever they could got to sing into the mic when
condition; they were temporary
to make him blink, yet he would Offer jumped off stage into the
portals to hell.
not move a muscle. I guessed it crowd.
It began raining at noon
was a form of meditation, but After !!! were done, I
on Friday, but the bad weather
really I had no idea. Strange watched The Roots, ate dinner,
passed fairly quickly. In no time
sights like this were common and headed over to the main
I was back enjoying music, albeit
throughout Lanerado. stage to watch the headlining
with an increasingly sunburned
The Wailers were fun, act, The Beastie Boys. Much to
neck, as we had forgotten to
and reggae phenom Matisyahu my disappointment, they were
bring sunscreen.
sang a tune with them as well. unimpressive.
“That’s something every
The crowd danced along, arms “The sound was horribly
Fest goer must know, bring
in the air, each person doing his low, and it just wasn’t their
sunscreen and bug spray,” senior
own thing. That was one of my night,” Manno said.
Chloe Morin said.
favorite aspects of the Festival, At this point, with Mike
I stored that common
how everyone was so free, and feeling a bit sick and the both
sense for future reference.
not caring what anybody else of us so sunburned it hurt to
I saw Bret Dennen,
thought. It was a joy to witness. move, we decided to head home.
who was spectacular, and The
After The Wailers, I made Langerado truly was a fantastic
Walkmen, who captivated the
my way to watch !!! (pronounced experience, bringing people from
audience. I took a break from
“Chk Chk Chk”). I thought this all over the country together for
music to watch some Alligator
was, by far, the best performance the sole purpose of having a
Wrestling. Since the Festival was
of Langerado. blast while listening to some
on an Indian Reservation, there
“The music was groovy, great music. Maybe they should
was a heavy Seminole vibe. I saw
and the lead singer (Nick call it LangerFUNdo next
a man dressed up in an alligator
Offer) was really year
suit, and another who looked
fun to watch.
like a Native American Chief.
H i s
As I was heading over
to catch The Wailers, who used
to tour with Bob Marley, I passed
All photos by Michael Worley
April 13
14
Obama inspires young voters
BY MONICA BERRA
MMBerra@gmail.com
After the New Hampshire
primaries, Barack Obama addressed
an exuberant crowd, spotlighting the
progressive attitude of the voters on that
day.
“There is something happening,”
he said, “when Americans who are young
in age and in spirit, and who’ve never
participated in politics before, turn out
in numbers we have never seen because
they know in their hearts that this time
must be different.”
The crowd, a myriad of young
and old voters, responded with an
applause lasting for eighteen seconds.
For the remainder of his speech, the
crowd seemed barely able to compose
themselves as they clung to the edges of
their seats. Senator Obama continued
speaking and introduced a simple
slogan that was, for the first time in
years, plausible: “Yes we can.” His words
roared through the room as they were
carried on by the chant of the audience,
“Yes we can. Yes we can. Yes we can.”
Over the past year, Barack
Obama’s words have been distributed
to listeners everywhere. This is evoking
a genuine belief that he is the best
candidate, and that he’ll bring about the
most change in Washington, and most
importantly, that he can. Though many
of the other candidates have offered
valid arguments to prove they are the
best presidential candidate, Barack
Obama seems to appeal more to the
youth of America as both a presidential
hopeful, and a celebrity.
“Obama relates to [people] on
a more personal level,” senior and first-
time voter Solange Colin said. “He tends
to reach out to the younger population
more so than the other candidates do—
he’s very cool.”
While other politicians strive
to appear vibrant and calm when
addressing the youth, Barack Obama
does this naturally.
“I tend to lose interest when
politicians speak about national and
worldwide issues,” Colin said. “But
Barack is easy to understand, and
he speaks about issues that directly
affect me more, like getting money for
college and finding a job easily after I
graduate.”
Obama’s plan, the American
Opportunity Tax Credit, promises an
almost-free tuition to colleges and
Junior Nick Ramos
Features
Did YOU know...
• Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and raised in
Indonesia for several years.
• He spent his first night in New York on the streets.
• Has published two New York Times Best Selling books.
• He was the first African - American President of The
Harvard Law Review.
universities. About two thirds of tuition
will be granted for most public university
bound students; those who plan on
attending local community colleges
pay close to nothing. He also plans
to simplify the process for Financial
Aid, which currently consists of 127
questions distributed throughout a five
page packet.
A poll in the Politics Application
on Facebook.com showed that Obama
was the most popular among Facebook
users, with 82.98% of the vote. Last
year, the New York Times conducted a
“He’s got the charisma.
People, like Hillary
Clinton, say he’s all
talk, but he seems the
most passionate, and
kids, whether they
are indifferent in the
political world or not,
are drawn to that.”
April 2008
survey in which Barack Obama was also
the most favorable candidate for voters
between the ages of 17 and 29. In fact,
the official Students for Barack Obama
Coalition, “one of the largest grassroots
student organizations in history,”
originally began as a Facebook petition
founded by a few students in 2006.
According to Obamites, the
future of the war in Iraq plays a cardinal
role in which candidates they choose to
support.
Barack, who initially opposed
the war, plans to immediately withdraw
Senior Brian Vitale
The Lariat
troops, and according to his campaign
site, “remove one to two combat brigades
each month, and have all of our combat
brigades out of Iraq within 16 months.”
“He knows how to compromise,
without compromising what’s
important,” junior Anna Walters said.
Over the past few pivotal months
on the campaign trail, Barack Obama has
incurred a fan-base very different from
that of the other presidential hopefuls.
He has the facebook fanatics, he’s been
on MTV and Monday Night Football, and
of course, there’s Obama Girl’s YouTube
sensation “I Got a Crush on Obama”
music video. Fanatic supporters like
these perceive Obama as a fad rather
than a leader.
However, Barack Obama
does arise skepticism amongst his
competition.
Former mentor and esteemed
opponent Hilary Clinton called Barack
Obama “a man with little national [and]
international experience.” Because
Obama is still a newbie, as Senator of
Illinois, he’s developed the reputation of
a buoyant, overambitious dreamer, one
who cannot fulfill the responsibilities
that accompany the position of
Commander in Chief. Of course, many
students still uphold their faith.
“He’s someone that could bring
change, not just because of his policies,”
sophomore Oliver Doren said. “He
symbolizes social progress and diversity
in the U.S.”
“He’s more than just a fresh
face in Washington,” Walters said. “He
plans to repair the damage Bush has
done to our economy, while reducing
political lobbying and making us more
energy efficient. His promises aren’t
that far-fetched; people have just lost
hope because of the struggle we’ve had
in the past eight years.”
Undoubtedly, students have
regained hope in Barack Obama, and
restoring our country has proven to
be the sole foundation for this year’s
presidential election.
“I’m asking you to believe, not
just in my ability to bring about real
change in Washington… I’m asking you to
believe in yours,” an enthusiastic Obama
said. Whether or not this statement is
conceivable is up to the youth—the young
revolutionaries, the unbiased minds, the
future of this country.
“This is a big concern
for people my age
because the longer the
war goes on, the more
likely the draft could
be reinstated.”
 April
Iguanas invade South Florida
Tom Grozan
An iguana bathes himself in the warm South Florida sun. Feral iguana’s have become
a nuisance in residental areas.
BY REBECCA WEISS
RWeissBecca@gmail.com
The temperature outside is 50
degrees and to some Floridians this
means that the world is freezing over.
To an iguana lying in the middle of a
cul-de-sac, it very well could be. Lying
motionless on the cold pavement,
passerbys are unaware if this creature
is dead or alive. So would this iguana’s
death be a major loss to the population
as a whole?
These creatures are non-native
to Florida yet can be found all over the
state.
State president is homegrown
Ricky Oxenhandler battled childhood difficulties to rise to success
BY JEFFY JOSEPH
JJoseph08@gmail.com
Ricky Oxenhandler took the
podium at the Florida DECA Conference
exuding confidence, intellect, and
excitement. His first speech in front of
thousands was a brilliant success. He
spoke concerning his plans for the future
of Florida DECA, as the newly elected
President of the statewide business
marketing club.
The journey to the presidency
began as a freshman here at Cooper City
High School. He was convinced to join
DECA by his sister’s experiences with
the club.
“My sister, Lea, had done it
before me and I knew what a great
time she had as a member, so I decided
to join,” Ricky said.
After competing at the state
level freshman year and proceeding to
international competition sophomore
year while holding a position in the
Cooper City High School chapter office,
Ricky decided to run for state office in
his junior year.
“In a way, it’s a Catch-22 for
me as an adviser,” Brian Chalk,DECA
Adviser, said, “On one hand, I wanted
to see Ricky run for state office with his
outstanding leadership skills. On the
other hand, you hate to lose good people
from the chapter.”
Over the course of his term as
President, Ricky has seen his leadership
skills tested as he’s dealt with the various
tasks that accompany the title.
“Ricky works well with just
Features
“They’ve been here since at
least the 1970’s in small numbers,” Chris
Maler, ex-iguana trapper, said. “The
population has really exploded during
the 1990’s with the commercialization
of exotic pet stores.”
According to Maler, the feral
iguana population explosion is a result
of owners releasing their pets into the
wild once they outgrow their cages
or once the owner gets tired of having
them.
There are three species of
iguanas that can be found in South
Florida areas. The most prominent in
Broward County is the Iguana iguana,
also known as the green iguana. It is
as the Florida DECA president
about every type of person,” Mr. Chalk
said, “He is the ideal officer because he
gets along with everybody.”
Ricky has attended and helped
plan all of the Florida DECA conferences,
making sure everything ran smoothly.
He also wrote monthly web blogs,
while visiting schools around Florida
to talk about DECA. He has traveled
as an officer to Clearwater, Orlando,
Washington D.C, and West Palm Beach.
“I don’t know anybody with
better qualifications than Ricky for the
state presidency,” Senior Sam Schlang
said, “He really dedicated himself to the
office and put a lot of time and effort into
it.”
Many of the characteristics that
make Ricky a great officer stem from
the adversity he faced as a child. One
morning in 4th grade, Ricky woke up to
the revelation that he had lost his ability
to walk. He was diagnosed with juvenile
arthritis, a disease that occurs in children,
causing joint pain and inflammation. Over
the years, through various medications
and hours of physical therapy, he moved
from a wheelchair to a walker, and then
from a walker to his own two legs. It was
a true test of his patience, perseverance,
and temperament. Today, however, Ricky
realizes that this adversity played a part
in shaping him into the individual he is
today.
“Ultimately, I think the challenge
of arthritis was beneficial,” Ricky said, “It
puts everything in perspective.”
Through DECA, Ricky has been
exposed to the real business world,
the biggest of the three, and if needed,
would cause the most damage from a
bite or a tail lash. Ctenosaura similis and
Ctenosaura pectinata are the other two
species of iguana that can be found.
Fortunately, these iguanas
aren’t as ferocious as they look and do
not attack unless cornered. Or so they
say.
“Most iguanas carry salmonella
in their feces which can be spread to
humans or pets who come in contact
with it,” Maler said. “Iguanas like to
defecate in and around water, such
as swimming pools, so this can be a
potential for infection.”
Iguanas are also decimating the
vegetation, plants, and vegetables found
in nearby gardens and fields, their
favorite being hibiscus flowers.
“Iguanas cause damage by eating
native, ornamental, or crop plants and
digging nesting burrows along canals
and lakes, leading to soil erosion and
sea wall collapse,” Maler said. “They
also displace native animal species such
as native lizards and amphibians.”
As non-native species, iguanas
have no natural predators, which
allows the population to go unchecked
and continue to grow. Originally
from tropical climates such as Beliz,
iguanas thrive in the South Florida heat,
according to Maler. On the opposite
end, because they are cold-blooded,
their systems shut down and they will
die in the event of a freeze. This is the
reason why many iguanas are seen lying
on the pavement during a Florida ‘cold
spell.’
Ricky Oxenhandler delivering the key note address at the DECA states competition.
gaining valuable experience for his
intended future in the field.
“I’ve become experienced with
public speaking and acting professionally,
while also gaining knowledge about
business through competition,” Ricky
said.
That experience should be
valuable as Ricky plans to attend
Wharton School of Business at the
15
Although they may be lying
motionless and seem harmless, many
people think that the iguana population
is getting out of control.
“There is no way to remove or
eradicate of all the iguanas. The best we
can hope for is to reduce the populations
to acceptable levels, through county-
wide and state-wide control,” Maler
said. “Most county governments don’t
consider iguana control as a necessary
public service, so they aren’t addressing
the issue.”
Others enjoy seeing the iguanas
and think of them as part of the pleasant
landscape and exotic wildlife.
“I love iguanas!” senior Katie
Golembieski said. “I enjoy looking for
them as I drive down the road.”
Needless to say, iguanas have
begun to appear more around the state
of Florida, but it is illegal to kill, move, or
relocate iguanas anywhere in the state.
“The iguana must either be
given a home as a pet, or euthanized
in a humane manner recognized by
the state,” Maler said. “If it is in an area
where it causes a health threat, call a
trapper to remove it because neither
Animal Control nor Wildlife officers
handle iguana calls.”
As the sun and temperature
begin to rise, the brown-green iguana
feels the warmth re-enter his body.
Looking around, as not to get hit by a car,
he crosses the street into the neighbor’s
garden for a tasty snack. This will not be
the end of his iguana years, he vows as
he runs back for a quick nap.
Lea Oxenhandler
University of Pennsylvania in the fall, a
school ranking among the top business
schools in the world.
After being diagnosed with
juvenile arthritis in the fourth grade,
Ricky has beaten the odds and achieved
success both academically and socially
today. He has a bright future to look
forward to and tons of untapped potential
in the tank.
16
Finding the cure for ‘65 Roses’
BY LINDSEY ROLLS
LJRolls@gmail.com
For four-year-old Richard
Weiss, it is difficult to pronounce the
name Cystic Fibrosis. A carrier of the
disease, Richard Weiss inspired his
worried mother to begin volunteering
with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,
seeking financial support for CF
research. With all three of her little boys
suffering from the disease, Mary G.
Weiss began working nearly full time for
the foundation.
Along with young Richard,
millions of children with CF have used
the term “65 roses” to describe their
disease, merely because it was easier to
pronounce. From this, “65 Roses” quickly
turned into the CFF’s symbol, standing
for love and hope.
Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, is an
inherited genetic disorder that leads
to breathing problems and other
difficulties with the digestive system.
Sticky mucus clogs the lungs and causes
threatening lung infections, stopping
natural enzymes from helping the
body break down and absorb food. CF
makes it extremely difficult for those
who suffer from it to participate in any
activity that involves heavy lung work,
such as running track or even swimming
distances.
Affecting only about 30,000
children and adults in the United States,
there are not many who know about this
rare disorder. In an effort to promote
awareness and hopefully find a cure,
Joel Herbst, our area superintendent,
Driving expenses leave teens without licenses
BY JAIME SLOANE
JaimeESloane@gmail.com
Driving has long been the
golden key that could unlock the doors
to adulthood and freedom for teenagers.
However, according to statistics from
the Federal Highway Administration the
number of 16-year-olds nationwide that
hold driver’s licenses has dropped from
nearly half to less than one third.
There is more than one culprit
to blame for this downward spiral of
licensed teenagers. In addition to fewer
schools offering courses in driver’s
education, car insurance costs have
skyrocketed, in addition to the passing
of stricter driving laws.
In the 70’s, drivers-ed was a
class taught by teachers in the school
parking lot during the summer.
Students learned first hand how to drive
and gained well-needed experience. At
the end of the course, students were
tested, and earned their license if they
passed. The system was brilliant; make
sure all of the new drivers on the road
had hands-on experience. But due to
high costs, drivers-ed has slowly faded
out of the school system. The number
of high schools that offer the program
has plunged from 90% to 20%.
As a mixed blessing, private
driving academies have stepped in.
While the instructors are experts and
can assist the students in more advanced
ways, prices for an average course are
expensive.
“The prices are absurd, I’ll just
learn with my parents instead,”
Sophomore Elia Magari said.
Insurance is another problem.
Features The Lariat
suffering.,” vice president of SGA, senior
Jared Frieder said.
To do their part in making a
difference, SGA has decided to raise
money for the CFF.
The plan of action began with
SGA’s Trick-or-Treat for Change, a
charity where members would walk
around during the Halloween season
with egg noodle boxes asking for any
loose change for CF. About $500.00 was
raised from just that one night, but they
were in need of more.
In a second attempt, SGA
decided to open the charity to the entire
school with Hat Day. Students were able
to purchase a voucher allowing them
to wear a hat to school without being
hassled by the school’s staff. Only about
$126 was raised.
“So far we’ve raised about $600,
which leaves us to still raise $1, 400,”
SGA sponsor, Linda Snider said.
The Rose Garden was SGA’s
final CF fundraising activity.
All four grade levels and the
staff will competed against each other in
buying the most cards to build a mural
in the cafeteria.
“Raising money for this
Michael Worley
foundation will generate more notoriety
for the foundation and hopefully get
more money to help find a cure for this
disease,” Toni Megna, Vice President of
SGA, said.
Students bought cards to create a mural in the cafeteria in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The
With all going well, SGA hopes
SGA sponsored project aims to raise $2000.
to adopt and continue this year after
has decided to have all Broward County “Cystic Fibrosis is a heartbreaking year. If it is made a Broward County
public schools participate in raising disease in which the afflicted are project, it could be continued until a
money. burdened with unfathomable pain and cure is found.
While parents were once able to add their
teens to their policies for a reasonable
fee, according to spokesperson for the
Allstate Corporation, Raleigh Floyd, it
now costs 80% to 100% more to add a 16-
year-old to a family’s auto policy .
In general, teenage drivers have
the highest crash risk of any group.
According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
car accidents account for one-third of
all deaths of 16 to 18-year olds.
“Graduated driver-licensing
laws, which delay awarding a full license
until a teenager spends time with a parent
or driving under certain conditions, are
also keeping down the number of 16-
year olds on the road, “ Fredrik Mottola,
Executive Director of the National
Institute for Driver Behavior said. These
laws were created a decade ago, helping
to reduce the number of fatal crashes
involving 16-year-old drivers by 11%,
according to a 2006 study by the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health.
Strict laws intimidate teens out
of attempting to get their licenses.
Under Florida DMV guidelines,
one may not apply for a learner’s permit
until his 15th Birthday. Once the
permit is obtained, the teen must hold
Michael Worley
the learner’s permit license for at least
twelve months before applying for a full
license.
“I know that if I got my permit,
I’d feel it burning a hole in my pocket, Cooper City students may find empty parking lots because of the drop in number of licensed teenage drivers.
and the wait for my license would be too The rising cost of drivers education and insurance are keeping many off the road.
hard. I’ll just get it later when it’s less of
a big deal,” Sophomore Brigitta Holtheur century are holding off on buyingthat setback will not only lessen the amount
said. expensive new car and hitching rides of gas exhaust toxins in the air, but also
It seems as if the teens of the 21st from friends instead. This gradual make the roads a safer place to be.
April Features 17

Hollywood Snoballs roll through town

BY SHAINA COOGAN during the summer months.
SECoogan@gmail.com He made his way down to
Hollywood, beginning in a trailer
For something that has taken among the palm trees along Sheridan
the CCHS student population by storm, and 64th Avenue in February, 2004. In
at first glance, one might not expect September, McKaig had a shed delivered
much from Snoballs. At the end of a that eventually became his trademark
row of flower and hot dog stands, the “Snoball Stand.” Unfortunately, the 2004
shed’s only identifying hurricanes caused him to
feature is a large focus more on reinforcing
purple and orange his investment than
sign, proclaiming drumming up business.
“SNOBALLS” for Four years later,
any and all to see. however, business is
Only when one booming, with CCHS
wanders up to the students making up
window do they some of McKaig’s
see the extensive most enthusiastic
menu and meet patrons.

Shaina Coogan
the smiling Matt “My mom
McKaig, ex- saw Snoballs in
military man the newspaper,”
and snow cone sophomore
connoisseur. It’s Daniella Ohayon The Snoballs stand is a very popular choice for Cooper City students.
only at first bite said. “When we The low prices make the product affordable for teenagers.
that one really were driving,
falls in love. we saw the sign friends told me about it, and I loved it.” “monkey juice” and “tiger’s blood,” a
on the side of McKaig believes his innovative fruity coconut concoction. However,
McKaig’s first the road and techniques are the secret to his success. Snoball fans seem to stick to the basics,
experiences decided to try “My ice is soft and fluffy, as with cherry, banana, pineapple, and
with flavored it. I love that opposed to crunchy. I also make all of coconut among their favorites.
ice stem from they have an the syrups myself.” As for prices, Snoballs can’t be
his job at a infinite amount That’s certainly no small beat. The smallest size costs $1.25, with
Maryland snow of flavors, and I feat, for his menu compiles over fifty the largest cup of ice (“ginormous,” and
cone shop especially love different flavors. His shed’s fare includes it lives up to its name) only $3. For the
when he was piña colada.” everything from the sweet (cherry and adventurous, all sizes and flavors can be
fourteen. His “Everyone goes pineapple) to the sour (Blue Raspberry topped with marshmallow or condensed
ultimate dream after going to Warhead) to the just plain strange (egg milk for only 25 extra cents.
was to open Hollywood custard and flan). After my first taste of “Skylite,”
shop in sunny B e a c h , ” “Up in Maryland, egg custard which could be described as a “creamy
South Florida, sophomore is a favorite,” McKaig said. “Down here, cotton candy,” a Snoball fan was born,
where his icy C a r o l i n e a lot of people seem reluctant to try it one more amongst a sea of CCHS loyalty.
treats could be Lashbrook, – even I am, and I know it’s good.” Snoballs is a shining (and delicious)
sold year-round raspberry Some of the more popular example of the age-old adage “don’t
instead of only fan, said. “My flavors are just as exotic, including judge a book by its cover.”

Following the leader Leadership

BY MICHAEL LLERENA
MTLlerena@gmail.com
Projects
Leadership teacher Linda
Snider begins her day at the crack of
dawn, waking up at 4:30 a.m. She arrives
- Sexual Assualt Treatment
at the doors of Cooper City High two Center Holiday gift drive
hours later, where she faces painstaking and party. Made Easter
multi-tasking. As head of SGA, she
oversees most matters concerning the baskets.
school, as well as teaching her leadership
and computer classes. In fact, she is in - Souperbowl of Caring
school for such long periods that she has
her own fridge, microwave, and private canned food drive.
office. All she is missing is a nice, cozy
cot. - Class Elections organized
Often times, leadership’s work
in these programs goes unnoticed. In and supervised.
fact, there are many misconceptions
about them. Many students assume that - Teacher Luncheon in
all they do is paint banners.
“We don’t just paint banners,” support of teacher
Freshman Carolina Echeverri said. One appreciation week.
of the most important things we do is
planning all of the events around the
school.” - Flick on the Field gave
Naturally, the kids of leadership students a chance to watch
do not start out as professional event
Michael Worley

organizers. Night At The Roxbury during

“In this class, we try to facilitate
the training of officers in their duties.
We teach them basic skills, like phone
conversation etiquette, planning
projects, and filling out project
approvals,” Snider said.
This particular leadership class
in unlike many in the Broward County
school system. “Many other schools
don’t offer leadership as a class, but as
an after school extracurricular activity,”
Snider said. “Kids are forced to stay after
school to do their work, which eliminates
time for sports or a part-time job. Our
homecoming week.
Leadership student Carolina Echeverria putting together an easter basket for abused children.
- Cutest Cowboy Pageant
raised money for the
system really benefits the kids.” At the end of the day, after Student Government
Aside from participating in Mrs. Snider has finished signing her
larger endeavors, the students also have eight billionth project approval form, Association.
their day to day clerical work. she finally exits the doors of Cooper
“When you first start in this City High. Suddenly, she asks herself - Beach Cleanup helped
class, you don’t understand things “Did I finish writing my lesson plan
like parliamentary procedure, but you for leadership class?” Then she recalls to decrease pollution on
learn a lot as you go through the class,” “Yes, I finished it right after I faxed that Hollywood Beach.
sophomore Brock Snider said. purchase order.”
18 Sports April 2008
The Lariat
As I see it
LANE HACKER
LaneRHacker@gmail.com

Should athletes
be considered
role models?
Athletes can get caught with
drugs or guns in their possession, they
can beat their wives and even drive
drunk, yet children around the country
still idolize them. Society is always ready
to turn the other cheek to their run-ins
with the law. For this reason, athletes
should set a good example for students
to ensure that America’s future is not
filled with crime and corruption.
No matter what happens, kids
will always idolize athletes. Roscoe
Parrish was recently convicted of driving
under the influence. Jamal Lewis was
found to be the middleman in a drug
trafficking deal. Yet both their jerseys
remain among the most popular sellers
in the NFL. Each of these convictions

Robert Yanks
not only endangers the athletes
themselves, but also the people around
them. Children should not think of
these actions to be acceptable in today’s Varsity football team player, Tommy Steele, does a decline dumbell chest press as junior Ryan Anderson spots the weight from behind.
society. Unfortunately, when such The football team weight trains everyday after school in the weight room.

Building more than muscle

popular figures get away with breaking
the law, it seems as though society
tolerates negative behavior.
Although there are many
incidents in which athletes portray BY MICHAEL EISENBERG
themselves in a negative light, this does MikeEisenberg@gmail.com to the expense,” Anthony Valachovic, inadequate due to its limited size. Certain
not mean that younger athletes should 12th grade administrator, said. teams can only fit either the varsity or
not idolize professional ones at all. In about a year from now, Sixty percent of the new gym the junior varsity in the weight room at
A great athletic role model is Cooper City High is scheduled to break equipment is expected to be Hammer one time. Scott Sodergren, the wrestling
Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat. ground on building a state of the art Strength equipment and the other coach, enjoys the current weight room
If all athletes were the person that weight room. The new building will 40 percent will be Life Fitness cardio but doesn’t like how “only one wrestling
Mourning is, the nation would not have be situated between where the softball equipment. The Hammer Strength team can fit at a time.”
to worry about athletes having a negative fields and the gym currently sit. Workers machines utilize free weight plates to The location of the power lines
influence. Mourning is one of the finest will begin construction on the new allow users to adjust their resistance at the back of the school is currently
humanitarians in any sport. He runs his weight room to replace the existing one workload. The Life Fitness cardio hindering the construction process.
own charitable organization and donates after the new cafeteria, pool house, and equipment consists of cardio and strength The school is deciding how they could
millions of dollars every year to help the locker rooms are completed. training machines with set weights to remove the power lines to bring the
needy while maintaining great character Right now, it remains choose from. These percentages are construction efforts back up to speed.
on and off the court. He is highly questionable as to whether or not the consistent with the weight room that is After the power line issue is resolved,
respected in the athletic community and weight room will be shared by both currently used by the school. The new the school will begin working on phase
does not need to act like a rebel to earn athletes and weight lifting classes. The weight room will be three to four times one and two of the new building.
this honor. school is hoping to provide both athletic as big as the current one with a couple “An up to date and modern
Other athletes share the teams and classes with separate weight hundred machines more than what we weight room will help our athletic teams
charisma of Alonzo Mourning to better rooms, but the cost may be too high to currently have. compete at a higher level and hopefully
society even though they have once do so. Administration must wait for the “The current weight room is very make Cooper City High a power house
experienced troubles with the law. school board to approve the proposed small considering the large population in sports,” Tommy Steele, varsity football
Muhammad Ali once refused to serve budget before they begin the building of students that we have at the high player, said.
in Vietnam after being drafted and process. school,” Sam Schlang, senior soccer
although the public, for not supporting “We probably won’t get the player said.
the governments’ decision harshly weight rooms the way we want them due The existing weight room is
criticized him, he was at least standing up
for a principle that he strongly believed
in. The decision he made to act against
something he believed was wrong and
unfair was very courageous and taught
the youth of the nation to stand up for
things that they feel strongly about. Kids
should look up to these humanitarians
instead of perpetual trouble makers
like Michael Vick. Vick’s previous legal
battles, including 23 months behind
bars on account of dog fighting charges,
show just how corrupt of a person he
is. This is not what students should be
living up to.
As a professional athlete, you
are constantly in the national spotlight.
Being in the spotlight, you’re held to a
higher standard of conduct to set a good
example for others. Athletes that do not
live up to these standards do not deserve
to be role models. Athletes that live up
Robert Yanks

to these rules or go beyond them should

be the ones that are idolized. Society
should not praise athletes based on how
well they play or how popular they are, Freshman junior varsity football player, Ian “Pubes” Pubillones, does 40-pound bicep curls with the aged dumbells of the existing weight room.
but instead, their morals and character. Athletes like Pubillones benefit from the use of the weight room.
 April Sports 19

Leading
the pack
BY SCOTT GERSHKOW
SGershkow@gmail.com

You may have noticed senior

Travis Burch representing our school on
the gridiron, going head to head against
defensive linemen twice his size, or
performing hilarious skits and vignettes
on CTV every Friday. However, you may
have failed to realize that he is a key asset
of the boys volleyball team.
Travis is one of two seniors
that plays on the team along with Matt
Bente, but is actually the only senior
who is in his fourth year competing with
the team. Unlike football, basketball

and baseball, the volleyball team is not
separated between the upperclassmen
and the underclassmen; there is no junior
varsity team. Burch likes mentoring the
freshmen and sophomores who play
along the same side of the volleyball
court as him. In fact he seems to enjoy
the idea of being a sort of fatherly figure
to them.
“They look up to me,” Burch
said.
He is definitely taking the
senior leader role seriously and there is
no doubt that he is the clear-cut captain.
Finally being in control of the team, he
has the power to influence younger
comrades.
“Being a senior on the team
is empowering as I demand respect from
the underclassmen,” Burch said.
When practicing with
teammates, Burch leads by example
Robert Yanks
Travis Burch (second from right) displays an act of good sportsmanship by shaking hands with the opposing team following a match.
The Cowboys defeated Pembroke Pines Charter School three games to none.
and makes sure his younger teammates while attending Pioneer Middle School. both football and volleyball.
always remain on task toward the teams Upon entering high school, The volleyball team has
goals. Burch had to find a way to incorporate contended for the district title year after
“Travis is an excellent volleyball with his other school activities year, but they have also been rich in
leader and always keeps his teammates such as football and CTV. He was seniors throughout these years. It is
enthused,” Warren Denise, the boys forced to take some kidding from his now up to Burch, the most experienced
volleyball coach said. “Coaching Travis is football teammates since they considered player on the team, to lead this group of
a pleasure as you only need to tell him volleyball a lesser sport. young athletes through a season that will
something once and he’ll do it.” “When Travis told me that he have numerous ups and downs. With
Even though Burch has been made the volleyball team I wanted to go the heralded character and remarkable
a member of the volleyball team since buy him a pair of ballet shoes and a tutu to talents that Burch has to offer, the team
his freshmen year of high school, his go along with his newfound talent,” Bryan is in great hands. Burch has proved to be
volleyball roots go much deeper. His Vitale, senior varsity football player said. an integral part of the team throughout
mother was a volleyball player as well, Thankfully, Burch was able to overcome the duration of his high school career and
and was the one who encouraged Travis his football teammates’ playful ribbing hopefully his younger teammates will
to join the team in his seventh grade year and he now has successful careers in strive to follow in his footsteps.

No ‘love’ for the tennis team practice. The girls go over to
Pioneer Middle School where
three courts are available, and
the boys go to the courts at the
Embassy Lakes Clubhouse.
“Since I don’t have a
car, I’m glad that our practices
are nearby and within walking
distance,” sophomore Jennifer
Gutierrez said.
For some of the tennis
players it’s hard to see the bright
side of not having courts at the
school, especially when it comes
to a sport that you love playing.
“I understand that the
tennis team is a small group
of people, but there should be
no reason why we don’t have
home courts because it’s a huge
disadvantage to play on unfamiliar
Above: Amanda Tucker returns a volley on the tennis courts of Pioneer Middle School.
territory for every match,” junior
Photos by Robert Yanks
season, the boys team traveled
to Miramar only to find out that
their match had been cancelled.
However, out of all
the disadvantages that comes
from not having a home court to
practice or play matches on, one
of the biggest issues that both the
girl’s and boy’s tennis teams face
is fan support.
“We would definitely
benefit from having our own
courts because then it wouldn’t
be as hard for all of our families
to come to the matches if they
were closer to the school,” Jared
Frieder, the captain of the boy’s
team said.
There have been a lot
of organization and equipment
issues, but both teams have been
doing their best to overcome these

BY ASHLEY FIERMAN
FiermanA@gmail.com
As she returned the ball to
her opponent, Amanda Tucker
found the barren, desert-like
surface of the tennis courts to be
hindering her ability to play at
her highest potential. The cracks
and crevices scattering the tennis
court are just one of the many
Inset: Jared Frieder serves to open a game on an Embassy Lakes Clubhouse court.
disadvantages in not having a
home court.
For three years, the
tennis team has been without
home courts during the school’s
renovation process began.
According to Assistant Principal,
Anthony Valachovic, the tennis
teams won’t have their own
courts for at least another full
school year.
“I’ve played on the
tennis team throughout high
school, unfortunately, I’ve only
played on campus during my
freshman year,” disappointed
senior Danielle Barmann said.
Even though the tennis
teams are at a disadvantage
without home courts, the teams
are thankful to have Mr. Megna
who has done a fantastic job
coordinating transportation.
“One advantage is that the
team isn’t distracted by friends
or other after school activities
such as track or band,” Sherry
Cardona, the girl’s tennis team
coach said.
As a result of not having
tennis courts at the school, the
two teams split up when they
Amanda Tucker said.
The girl’s team has
10 scheduled matches and the
boy’s team has 12, but out of all
the matches, only one of them
doesn’t require a bus.
“It’s a major
inconvenience to arrange all
of the matches because we’re
dependent upon the other
schools as to whether the match
will be played since they’re the
ones with the courts,” Chris Tully,
the boy’s tennis coach said.
Sometimes the teams
won’t know if the match is
cancelled until they arrive at
the other school. Earlier in the
setbacks and come out on top.
“Even though there are
disadvantages across the board,
the better team will almost always
win whether the match is home
or away,” Tully said.
The tennis teams wish
that they had the proper facilities
considering the hassles of never
having a home match, but all
of the players along with their
coaches don’t make excuses.
They go into every match with
this mentality that the court
doesn’t decide the game, but
each member of the team agrees
that home courts would make life
much easier.
 April
Breaking the waves
Sophomore Eva Paelinck (right) leans over the side of a Hobe Cat to prevent wind from flipping the vessel over while senior Sierra Manno steers the ship to safety. The two sail every weekend in their spare time.
BY ROBERT YANKS
RMYanks@gmail.com
It was another brilliant Sunday
afternoon in South Florida. Rays of
sunshine peaked through the scattered
balls of cotton in the sky and shimmered
off the calm, rippling waters of Biscayne
Bay. Locals took to the beach to enjoy
a relaxing barbecue or soothing lounge
on the sand, but just a short distance off
shore, it was a whole other story.
Slicing through the once
tranquil waters of the bay, you can find
sophomore Eva Paelinck and senior
All photos by Robert Yanks
Sophomore Eva Paelinck (left) and senior Sierra
Manno prepare the sail to be hoisted onto the mast.
Sports 20
Sierra Manno of Cooper City High. one another to maneuver a Hobie Cat, thoroughly cleaned.
The two share a passion in competitive a small catamaran appealing for its size Carefully, they are stored
sailing and enjoy catching the forceful and high performance. in trailers and the day
South Florida gusts in their sails while “It’s nice to sail with a friend officially comes to a
gliding through open waters. every once in awhile,” Manno said. close. Paelinck and
“There’s no better feeling than “There’s always a chance to learn Manno leave the
swerving your boat through the water something new and it’s a lot more fun yacht club tired and
while listening to the wind whistling when you have somebody to share the sore, each anxiously
through the sails,” Paelinck said. “It gives experience with.” awaiting the
you a sense of freedom and happiness.” Manno doesn’t enjoy traditional next time
Both Paelinck and Manno are sports like softball and basketball as they will cut
members of the Miami Yacht Club much as she does water activities. After through
on Watson Island. The 81-year old spending her freshman and sophomore the bay
establishment is where the two train for years at American Heritage High School again.
races, better known as regattas in the on an athletic scholarship with the
boating world, take lessons from coaches swimming team, she gave up swimming
and in Manno’s case, teach youngsters and focused on her other hobby, sailing.
how to sail. The result… numerous regatta wins
“I’ve been sailing since I was including the Conch Regatta, an annual
twelve years old,” Manno said. “In race hosted by the Miami Yacht Club.
that time I have learned quite a bit Paelinck, who is more
about sailing and I enjoy passing my of a newcomer to the sport, is
knowledge down to children who are just beginning to use the more
also looking to compete in the sport. powerful vessels. She competes
Plus it’s a pretty good paying job that I in numerous regattas as well
don’t mind doing.” and is beginning to contend
Whether the job pays well or for the title at each of
not, Paelinck highly values the character them.
she has built through her sailing efforts. The sun melts
“When I first began sailing I into the horizon
spent more time preparing the ship to as boats cruise
sail than I actually did sailing… it was to shore. Sails
very frustrating,” Paelinck said. “The drop from the
more work and practice that I put into mast and
it, the quicker I became. It basically the bodies
taught me to never give up and to use of the
patience.” catamarans are
Although the two have their own
sailing partners and do not normally sail
together, they occasionally work with