Change is Ultimate frisbee

prominent issue in takes sports to the

local elections extreme
Turn to page 8-9 for more Turn to page 16 for more

THE LARIAT
February 2007 www.coopercityhigh.net Issue IV

Old building, new paint job Facebook’s

BY REBECCA WEISS
Beacon raises
RWeissBecca@gmail.com
controversy
The Broward County School
Board is spending 293,531 dollars BY DAVID TINTNER
DMTintner@gmail.com
to repaint the entire exterior school
building that faces Stirling Road, over Facebook’s Beacon application,
the next three months. a program that tracks users’ internet
According to Anthony history and uses that information for
Valachovic, Assistant Principal, school selling and placing advertisements, has
board policy requires buildings to be been challenged since its November 6,
painted every seven years. The building 2007 launch.
has not been painted in eleven years. Facebook is a social networking
“The painting has been delayed site that started as a way for college
because of the anticipation of the students to keep in touch, but has
school being replaced,” Steve Dowling, become highly popular among high
Broward County School Board project school students as well. The Cooper City
manager, said. “People don’t want to high school network has 1,237 members
paint something that’s going to be torn and is growing rapidly.
down, but it takes time to develop the In November 2007, Facebook
new plans.” began selling commercial ads that were
Plans for the phase replacement displayed next to a person’s profile
in order include: building a new cafeteria picture. Forty four companies initially
and an administration building with signed on with Facebook to advertise
science labs. their websites on the Facebook users’
“It’s a lengthy process,” Principal profiles or newsfeeds.
Wendy Doll said. “We want to build The Beacon application monitors
and move kids in without losing any Facebook users’ internet history by
programs.” leaving cookies on their computer. The
According to Dowling, the cookies track which websites a user visits
school has to remain in operation for as well as what they do on that site, such
Michael Worley

at least the next three years. The main
reason for painting is due to water
intrusion issues inspired by the fact
that the “school is wearing out.” These
water issues made it imperative that the
painting would happen.
Part of the painting process
includes sealing, water proofing, and
caulking, which protects the walls from
any type of water damage.
“They decided to expend the
money because it will remedy some
things and make the school look more
presentable,” Wendy Doll, Principal,
CertaPro Painters repaint the front of the schoolʼs older building.
said. “A fresh coat of paint tends to renew
pride in school. It also keeps things
clean and keeps out water intrusion,
rusted out windows, and leaks.”
According to Doll, Cooper City
High does not have to pay for any of
the expenditures because the Broward
as buying movie tickets or planning a
vacation, to match ads with them.
A major complaint against
Beacon was that it was set as the default
option, and unless a Facebook user
opted out, their information would be
published. Also the window to opt out
County School board takes care of it with only appeared for a few seconds on the
their five-year maintenance allotment screen and was hard to fine.
from the state. According to Facebook founder
The building is being painted Mark Zuckerberg, Beacon is designed to
during school hours and weekends. bring in the advertising money, while
“I’d prefer that they don’t do maintaining the site’s friendly appeal.
Painting continued on page 2 Rather than pop-up or banner ads, the
Facebook ads are small and appear with
the profile picture of a Facebook user.

IOC may leave SGA Advertisers were quick to jump

on board with the program because
their ads will be displayed on the
BY MONICA BERRA service projects. pages of people who already visit their
MMBerra@gmail.com Currently, IOC’s sites frequently. This is supposed to
IOC, the Inter constitution specifies the maximize the effectiveness of the ad
Organization Counsel at CCHS, selection process for its since the friends of the Facebook user
proposed the idea of separating president and recording might have similar interests. Some of
itself from the Student secretary, which are currently the leading companies partnered with
Government Association, SGA, the only two officer positions Beacon are eBay, Fandango, Travelocity
and acting as a completely the club requires. In this and Blockbuster.
different governing body to club process, the first vice president “Beacon offers an interesting
representatives at their meeting of SGA automatically becomes new way for us to deliver on our goal of
Michael Worley

on February 4.
IOC allows
representatives from each
school club to communicate
and participate in collective
the president of IOC at the bringing more bidders and buyers to our
beginning of their term. The sellers’ listings,” Gary Briggs, senior vice
SGA recording secretary president and chief marketing officer of
becomes the IOC recording eBay North America said in a press
IOC continued on page 2 Lindsey Kushner and Shannon Garlin sell school shirts for SGA and IOC. Facebook continued on page 3

Inside this issue INDEX

Economic Go Grease Student News...............................1-3
recession prominent lightning! cheating Opinions..........................4-5
Opinions on the downward spiral of Behind the scenes of the audition A rising trend in schools
Entertainment...................6-7
the US economy Trend Story......................8-9
FEATURES PAGE 10 Features.......................10-12
OPINIONS PAGE 5 ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 6 Sports..........................14-16
2 News
Key club holds canned food drive
BY MICHAEL LLERENA
MTLlerena@gmail.com
Key Club’s Souperbowl of
Caring, a canned food collection
competition for local food banks, took
place from January 28 to February 7.
The Souperbowl, sponsored
by the Miami Dolphins, collected
cans from school clubs and sports
teams. Acceptable items included non-
perishable foods, like soup and cereal.
According to Julie Klitzner, Key
Club sponsor, students were eligible to
receive one service hour for every five
cans that they brought in.
In order to determine the
winner, the number of cans were tallied
and divided by the number of people in
each group. The winning group received
a pizza and ice cream party.
“Our goal is to replenish the
local food banks and break our record
from last year’s Souperbowl,” Klitzner
said.
Last year, the Souperbowl of
Michael Worley
Caring gathered 1,490 cans.
“The local food banks can get
very depleted after the winter season
due to many families needing aid
during Christmas, Hanukkah, and other
holidays,” Nathan Shammay, Key Club
Online pre-voting gets students involved
BY ALEX WILD
AlexWild11@gmail.com
Broward County Social Studies
students were able to cast their vote the
week before the Florida primary for the
presidential and local elections using
KidsVotingBroward.org.
John McCall, American
Government teacher and Social Studies
department head, was in charge of
running the operation. Students voted
in the library using the computers,
with McCall there to supervise and
help anyone who had trouble with the
system.
“It’s an excellent opportunity
for high school students to participate
in the election process. Even if the votes
don’t count, they are given the chance to
officer, said.
Key Club tried to create
competition between clubs and teams to
get the school involved.
“We pick groups that have long
standing rivalries and are interested in
competing,” Shammay said.
Match-ups included Student
Government Association and National
Honor Society, Key Club and Journalism,
Jewish Student Union and Bible Club,
Senior Katie Golembieski adds her canned food to the collection. Classes and clubs competed to collect the
most cans, which were donated to local food banks in the area.
see who is running and how simple in
fact voting is,” McCall said.
Not only is Kids Voting Broward
a way for students to see what it’s like to
vote, it also encourages them to register,
which now 16 year olds are allowed to
do.
In 1972, the legal voting age
was lowered from 21 to 18, and ever
since then the voting rate among 18-24
year olds has drastically declined. 50%
of 18-24 year olds voted that year. In the
1996 elections only 32% of the younger
age group voted. In 1998 the turnout
was below 20%. But these numbers have
gone up in the most recent elections,
mainly due to the celebrity involvement
in the Rock the Vote campaign. In the
2000 election, 36% of 18 to 24 year-olds
and CTV and Science Club.
According to Shammay, about
4,300 cans were collected. Journalism
came out victorious with a total of 1,541
cans and peer counseling came in second
with 836 cans.
“I was very proud of the
students,” Bonnie Lashbrook, Peer
Counseling teacher, said. “We wanted
to win very badly, but we also wanted to
help out the homeless.”
voted.
KVB is a way to see who the
students would vote for, and compare
that to whom elegible adults vote for.
“Most people vote in connection
with what they have heard and learned
about,” Dennis Maguere, AP American
History teacher, said.
The results of this mock
election came to be that out of the 61,125
students, about 38% of them who cast
their vote using KVB voted for Barack
Obama, Senator of Illinois. Hillary
Clinton, who had a 35% of the vote, and
as for the Republican Party, front runner
John McCain only received about 5% of
the votes.
The Lariat
IOC to become its own club
IOC continued from page 1
secretary as well.
“Besides the fact that SGA and
IOC share officers, they function as
completely separate units,” Toni Megna,
president of IOC, said. “The only change
this will bring is the introduction of the
election process to IOC.”
All service or special interest
clubs, must be members of IOC in
order to participate and function at
school. According to Linda Snider, the
IOC sponsor, if this change is decided
upon, officers of individual clubs will be
eligible to run for office.
“This could take a lot of pressure
off of SGA. Many clubs think that
these officers approve which projects
can happen and deny those that can’t,
but it’s actually all up to the principal,”
Megna said. “The officers just give an
update to the club representatives. We
are just the middleman.”
Snider, who is also the SGA
sponsor, believes that making IOC
independent from SGA would compel
clubs to both take ownership within the
organization and also have a position on
the board.
“Clubs are not enthusiastic
about participating in IOC,” Snider said.
“This could be a step towards finally
getting them interested.”
Each year, IOC brings clubs
together to do school-wide community
service projects. This year, they will be
having a campus clean-up on March
4, in which all clubs will participate in
picking up trash around the school. In
the spring, they also hope to gather and
redo the front entrance shrubbery.
Megna still believes that
although SGA is the most experienced
and qualified to run IOC, other club
officers can easily be trained to fulfill
the positions.
“It really isn’t a hard job to do,”
she said. “They should be fine with just
a little bit of coaching.”
Club representatives were
told to discuss this idea with their
sponsors and members. In March, they
will relay the feedback with the other
representatives and determine a final
decision. According to Snider, a decision
will be made by the end of the year.
Painting
affects
students
teachers
Painting continued from page 1
it during school hours,” freshman Lilio
Camere said. “When I’m in an outside
classroom, I can hear them working and
it gets annoying.”
According to Doll, the paint is
harmless to the students and faculty.
“There’s nothing that they’re
using that is dangerous,” she said. “We
are in communication with the paint
company every single day.”
During the week of February 4,
teachers had to relocate their cars to the
side parking lot, while the front of the
school was painted.
“I don’t want any paint on my
car, so I thank the school for looking
out for it,” Bonnie Lashbrook, Peer
Counseling teacher, said.
February
Website feeds the hungry
BY JEFFY JOSEPH
JJoseph08@gmail.com
FreeRice.com, a website
founded by the United Nations World
Food Program, is raising money to feed
starving children across the world while
improving students’ vocabularies.
At FreeRice.com, people can
play a vocabulary game. For every correct
answer, 20 grains of rice are distributed
by the United Nations World Food
Program, to starving people in countries
like Bangladesh, Uganda, Cambodia,
and Nicaragua.
The WFP buys the rice from
small-scale farmers in developing
countries. This also provides a boost to
local economies.
The website raises money to
buy the rice by utilizing the Internet’s
advertising capabilities. Businesses
buy advertisements on the website,
essentially paying for the rice while at the
same time encouraging education and
reaping profits from their marketing.
Students at Cooper City High
have taken advantage of FreeRice’s
commitment to education. Kids across
the school have been clicking away,
donating rice to the struggle against
world hunger, while raising their reading
levels at the same time.
“FreeRice has really improved my
Freshmen pick majors
BY MONICA BERRA
MMBerra@gmail.com
Incoming freshmen are required
to declare a “Major Area of Interest”
before entering high school.
When scheduling their classes
for their first year of high school,
students met with guidance counselors
who helped them select a major based
on their career goals and interests.
These majors range from Engineering/
Architecture to Performing Arts.
“This process was mandated by
the State Department of Education last
year, so that freshmen could embark on
their high school careers with a clear
focus in mind,” Ron Ziccardi, ninth
grade Guidance Counselor, said.
According to Ziccardi, given
this opportunity, incoming freshmen
can have an educational experience
similar to that of a college student.
“They are not locked in and may
change their Major Area of Interest when
they meet with their guidance counselor,”
Ann Rocco, Assistant Principal, said.
Completing a major entails that
students take and pass four major-related
courses. Majors offered at the school
include Accounting, Finance, Drama,
Communications, Fine Arts, Auto-
Tech, Chemistry, Sports Management,
Pre-Med, Law, Education, and dozens
more. Students can choose elective and
academic core classes to enroll in to
supplement their majors.
“All the majors have a sufficient
amount of electives to compliment
them,” Ziccardi said.
This may benefit students who
have an explicit mindset on what they
want to study in the future because
it narrows down the course selection
process to those classes solely related to
their major.
If a freshman chose to be a
Journalism Major, he or she would sign
up for classes that compliment that field
such as Introduction to Journalism and
Mass Media.
News
Freerice.com gains popularity as people learn new diction and donate food to the poor.
everyday vocabulary,” senior Colleen
Murphy said. “Words I don’t use on a
regular basis have been popping into my
head lately.”
Several English teachers have started
encouraging students to partake in the
FreeRice program. Some offer extra
credit for participation, while others
inform students of the program and
“This process helps you keep
your head straight and gives you more
understanding of what you want to do
in the future,” freshman Avi Raz, an
Engineering/Architecture major, said.
Raz took courses in Drafting
this year, and says he plans to take
additional Math and Tech Studies
courses, to further his study.
“I’m glad I took these electives
and did well in them,” Raz said. “It
reassures me and I know that this major
is something that I can definitely pursue
in college.”
At the end of their eighth
grade year, many students still remain
undecided on a major. These students
prefer a standard high school education
that offers a variety of electives to help
them choose a major after completing
their four years of high school and before
going off to college.
Raquel Ezrati chose Marine
Biology as her Major of Interest, but
doesn’t believe she will pursue this
subject in the future.
“I don’t think many ninth
graders know what they want to do,
so choosing a major might not be a
good idea,” Ezrati said. “I will probably
switch to something more of my interest
eventually.”
Robert Yanks
Freshman have to choose majors to select which
courses they will take during the year.
Michael Worley
leave it at their discretion.
“I found out about the program in
October and since then I’ve offered
extra credit for participation,” Suzanne
Margolin, English teacher, said. “It’s a
great way to motivate students to learn
vocabulary while having fun at the same
time.”
Many students have demonstrated
Internet tracking
raises controversy
Facebook continued from page 1
release. “In a marketplace where trust
and reputation are crucial to success,
giving sellers the ability to easily alert
their network of friends to an item for
sale has the potential to be a powerful
tool.”
The non-profit civic action site
Moveon.org was among the first of many
groups to campaign against Beacon and
Facebook’s tracking software. By late
November, Moveon.org had created a
Facebook with over 50,000 members to
petition against Beacon.
“Websites need money from
advertising,” senior Brittany Mullen said.
“People already put so much of their
personal information online. If they give
their consent it should be allowed.”
On December 6, 2007
Zuckerberg released a statement
apologizing for Facebook’s handling of
Beacon and announced that it would be
changed to an opt-in program. Users
3
awareness of the world’s problems and
taken their own initiative to fight world
hunger through freerice.com. Without
any classroom compensation, they’ve
started groups to get the word out.
“FreeRice encourages everyone to
contribute to the betterment of society
regardless of their economic situation,”
senior Daniel Rodriguez said. “It allows
us to do our part in the global war on
hunger while at the same time helping
ourselves.”
Sponsors of FreeRice have proven
that advertising on a charitable website
can reap profits while at the same time
securing a reputation as a business
committed to both education and
humanitarianism.
“The more the public understands
businesses care, the more inclined
they will be to support the business,”
Margolin said. “Philanthropic and global
awareness is on the rise.”
Companies such as the ones
advertising on FreeRice.com are paving
the way for future business endeavors
into world affairs. They are showing that
a business can be profitable and ethical
at the same time.
“It’s fine for businesses to profit,”
Margolin said, ‘But proportionately,
it should serve the needy significantly
more than the corporate interest.”
are now notified before each story is
displayed on their Facebook and asked
if they want to continue to allow this.
Facebook is not the first site
to track internet users’ surfing history
and use that information for marketing.
Websites such as Google and Yahoo
have been keeping tabs on the searches
they process since their inception.
Google keeps track of every search sent
out on its website and what computer
it came from for 18-24 months. This
information is used to provide ads that
fit the interests of the person viewing
the website.
The Federal Trade Commission
does not regulate ad networks’ privacy
policies. A ‘Do Not Track’ list was
proposed to the FTC on October 31, 2007.
The list would be a registry of computers,
similar to the ‘Do Not Call’ list enacted
in 2003, in which advertisers would not
be allowed to track the internet history
of people on the list.
February
The Local View
DAVID TINTNER
DMTintner@gmail.com
A serious history lesson is in
order for some of our darling students.
You see, there is a group of kids
at school that identify themselves with
the confederate flag. They tote their
rabble rousing apparel on their clothes,
backpacks and cars. While they don’t
mean any harm by it, they do plenty.
These kids are just like any
other clique in school. They are no
different than the rockers, band kids, or
wanna-be gangsters, and like any other
clique, they are easily identified by their
style of dress.
It goes without saying that many
teenage fashion trends are ridiculous.
Baggy pants worn around the knees
clearly aren’t practical. And while I’m
sitting in class praying that I won’t have
pit stains when I raise my hand, hoards
of teenage girls are walking around with
calf-high fur boots like they’re on an
arctic excursion.
While those trends may be
goofy and irrational, they don’t hurt
anyone. The confederate flag on the
other hand does.
If you thought it was just a
symbol of southern pride or good ol’
Dixie land, you are not alone. However,
I must inform you that it is much, much
more. It is a symbol of hatred and
disunity. It is a symbol that, except
for history books, should not be seen
around our school.
The flag, also known as the
Dixie or Rebel flag, originated in the
lowest point of our country’s history.
It was the battle flag of the confederate
states of America. Let me emphasize
that point; it was the symbol of the
side that fought a war in order to break
away from the union and preserve the
institution of slavery.
So you can see how the flag
might be just a tad bit offensive. You
might as well be walking around with
a noose hanging from your pocket. But
it goes even further than that. This flag
is more than just an attack on Blacks, it
is an attack on everything our country
stands for. It is a direct objection to
the bill of rights, the 13th, 14th and 15th
amendments, the pledge of allegiance
and any of those other slightly important
Student Forum:
Antidepressants
Rebecca Bine
Grade 9
Thank you so much for writing
the antidepressant center spread article
last issue. Teenage depression is often
something that goes unnoticed by both
adults and by other teenagers that don’t
suffer from depression. Adults assume
that its simply hormones and that we’ll
grow out of it and our peers that don’t
have depression can’t fully comprehend
what its like. But for all of those who
have had to deal with depression or
anxiety, you know its a debilitating
disease that can get in the way of even
simple everyday tasks.
Whether medication is the
answer or not goes on a case by case
basis. It might be what one person needs,
while another person can be helped by
talking with a psychologist or making
dietary and lifestyle changes. What is
more important is for everyone to know
Submit your 250-word letter to opinions_section@yahoo.com
Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity and should pertain to any topic
previously printed in the newspaper or issue relevant to Cooper City High
School and its students.
Opinions
documents that kind of, sort of built the
foundation for our country.
So this problem has a pretty
simple solution right? One group of
students is doing something that offends
another group of students. Clearly
the answer is to prohibit them from
continuing that offensive action.
As disdainful as it might be,
it would be futile to ban the flag from
school. The confederate flag needs to
be banned by society. By this I mean it
needs to be taken for what it really is. It
needs to be equated with other symbols
of hate like the swastika.
Our country still fails to see
the harm in the confederate flag. The
South Carolina state legislature voted
to remove the flag from the capitol
building’s dome in 2000. Yet, this only
resulted in the flag being moved to a
monument on the front lawn. Current
state law actually prohibits the flag’s
removal from the capitol building
without further legislation.
You might not expect it from a
football coach, but in April 2007 Steve
Spurrier gave an acceptance speech for
a community service award in which he
condemned South Carolina displaying
the flag at their state capitol building.
He went on to say that the South
Carolina- Tennessee game was marred
“by some clown waving that damn
Confederate flag behind the TV set. And
it was embarrassing to me and I know
embarrassing to our state.”
You can’t put it much better
than that. Embarrassing. That’s truly
what it is. While I may not advocate
chewing tobacco, wearing camouflage
8 days a week, or driving a ’98 chevy
pickup with monster truck tires, that’s
entirely their prerogative.
But once a harmless, high school
clique becomes notorious for plastering
the confederate flag on everything they
own, they’ve crossed the line. They’ve
now offended not only me, but every
American citizen.
“One nation under God,
indivisible.” That pledge is engrained
in our memory. But as long as the
confederate flag flies, there cannot be
“liberty and justice for all.”
exactly what depression is and the facts
and statistics about the medication that
can possibly cure it. It is also essential
for everyone to know that there are
alternatives to taking pills. Hopefully
this article has opened people’s eyes to
see the truth about what some students
have to go through when dealing with
mental disorders.
Locked Bathrooms
ERICA FREEMAN
Grade 10
I completely agreed with
the article “Locked restrooms arouse
questions” by Robert Yanks. Due to the
fact that I am a part of the soccer team at
school, I drink at least one large bottle of
Zephyrhills water each day. Therefore,
I go to the bathroom often, but it is a
huge inconvenience when I can’t find
a bathroom to go to. Several times on
my way to third hour, the bathrooms by
the gym are locked. As I said before, I
The National View
MICHAEL WORLEY
Worley.Michael@gmail.com
It was March of 2007 when things
started to really change in my life. Not
in a religious or spiritual sense, but
more about my “time management.” Up
to that point my day-to-day schedule
would consist of the following: wake
up, go to McDonalds and order a #11
with a Coke, go to school, arrive late
to my first hour class, come home and
sleep for 3-4 hours, wake up in the late
afternoon/ early evening, listen to music
until strange hours of the night, repeat.
My father, it seems, had a problem
with this line up. He thought my lazy
[expletive deleted] needed a job, not so
much as to bring in extra revenue, but
more to get me out of the house. For
over a month and a half, I searched for a
job that met my criteria: do nothing, get
paid decently, don’t sweat or be put in
a situation that may catalyze sweating
such as performing physical labor, and
don’t work with food, unless it is at a
restaurant that I enjoy and possibly
may receive discounts on the food/ tips
Surprisingly, few jobs in Cooper City fit
into that category.
On January 22, 2008, this newspaper
officially recognized that our country’s
economy has entered into the beginning
stage of a “recession.” What is this
magical word and why does it matter?
For the economic textbook answer, you
can visit Mr. Tanner in room 3456, but to
save time I’ll summarize: An economic
recession occurs when a country’s
economy, that has been experiencing
economic stimulus and growth, slows
down.
Many things can cause a recession
and make it better/worse; inflation
(when the price of things go up at a fast
pace) and unemployment are two major
examples.
During a recession, because items
and services become more expensive
and people are making less money, fewer
people will be buying things such as fast
food, DVDs or bass guitars (items that
aren’t necessities to live… depending on
the person’s point of view).
As our country begins to slide
into a recession, several things are
going to impact high school students
everywhere.
Letters to the editor
always have to go to the bathroom, and
Ms. Salmon does not appreciate having
to repeat part of the lesson when I get
back to the class. One of these incidents
occurred a couple weeks ago. As usual,
I gave myself a couple minutes to go to
the bathroom before class. I got there
and they were locked. Fortunately, Ms.
Salmon understood how badly I needed
to go and she gave me a pass but I was
disappointed to discover once I got back
to the bathrooms they were still locked.
After acknowledging the fact that I
couldn’t use the auditorium bathrooms
either because of, as Robert stated in
his article, “supervision and security
reasons.” I had to walk all the way down
by the cafeteria to finally reach a girls
bathroom that was open. It took me at
least ten minutes to find it open and I
missed most of the lesson we learned in
geometry. It would be much appreciated
if this issue can be avoided and if the
bathrooms were available for use on my
way to class. I’m glad that The Lariat has
brought up this problem because I truly
think that it affects learning at Cooper
City High School.
5
Part-time jobs will be harder to find.
During a recession, very few employers
are going to be hiring, especially
teenagers who can’t work full time
or during the lunch rush. At a place
like Stein Mart, or other local clothing
retailers, finding a job will be hard
because the holiday rush has passed and
less people will be out buying expensive
clothes they can do without.
Little items may become more
expensive. Items like fast food, vending
machine sodas, clothes, and CDs many
become more expensive. Notice how
soda prices have gone up twenty five
cents over the past few years? That’s
an example of inflation affecting the
“little things.” The difference is that
the price escalation in products in
today’s recession may occur much more
quickly.
Driving will cost more. In a
recession, gas prices tend to go up
substantially. Mechanics may also charge
more to fix your vehicle to compensate
for the increased inflation. If Nick the
mechanic has to pay two dollars extra
for his lunch because of inflation, he’s
going to charge you two dollars more for
labor on your Toyota Sienna.
Just as I had to restructure my life
last year, many of us may have to think
about doing things differently as well.
My morning trips to Mickey D’s may be
cut back due to the higher costs in food
and gasoline. My first hour teacher, who
already isn’t being paid enough, will get
doubly irritated; not only is he having
to put up with my truancy, he is having
to pay more money for the coffee that
keeps him awake to notice my truancy.
As for my mid-afternoon catnaps – well,
they’re on their way out too. Higher costs
in energy mean my parents are going
to be pumping the air conditioner a lot
less, and it’s no fun taking an afternoon
nap when you’re sweating through the
sheets. Our smartest move is to just
bite the bullet and spend our money. If
everyone in our country gets scared and
starts hoarding their cash, things will
get much worse. So go out there and
buy that new Abercrombie sweater, get
those new shoes and spend all that cash.
Our future may depend on it.
Library take over
STAV LAVI
Grade 9
A library is a place to read. It
is a place to finish homework, look at
magazines, complete research, check out
novels, and go online. It is not a place to
play computer games.
While some students strain to
concentrate, others talk loudly and shoot
digital pistols at imaginary robbers. With
computers breaking down and internet
connections often lost, its hard for some
of us to finish our work even without a
bunch of game fanatics clogging all the
working screens.
If people are working on school
assignments, that’s fine. It’s maddening
to wait, but at least its fair. But if they are
just playing games, huddled together
in their little groups, screaming and
laughing while others are working just
yards away - that is when it becomes
unfair.
So please, people. Leave the
games at home.
6 Entertainment February 2008
The Lariat

Gangsta Rappa takes the school by storm

BY BEN JUSTER His other hobbies include
Juster08@gamil.com watching movies and participating in
the Best Buddies program. His favorite
Garret Holeve is celebrity movie is Step Up, which he is extremely
around the halls of CCHS. If someone passionate about.
hasn’t heard of his renowned rapping
skills, they are probably living under a
rock. His presence illuminates any dull “If someone
challenges me, I
moment and his charm makes the girls
go crazy. He is the epitome of liveliness,
always bursting with energy, which
enhances his dancing and rapping.
“I just do what I do,” said
have to take it”
Holeve.
He walks through the halls with “I love the hot dance moves, and
the assurance that no one is superior at all the cuties,” explained Holeve.
spitting a rhyme. He even went as far as saying

“If some one challenges me, I
have to take it.”
He broke into the rap scene two
years ago with his lunchtime freestyles
and tricky dance moves. He progressed
to stage performances, taking the 2006
variety show by storm, showing off his
moves in front of hundreds of newfound
admirers. His dream is to become the
greatest rapper of all time and it seems
as if nothing or no one could ever change
that.
“Garret loves to rap, and he’s
not shy about it,” said Holeve’s longtime
friend Adam Nadel.
If someone were to inquire about
Holeve’s talent, there’s one thing they
must know, Holeve makes that apparent,
Garret the Gangsta Rappa in his coveted b-boy stance.
“My rap name is Gangsta Rappa, and
I’m with the TNT Homeboys”.
After his performance at this
year’s Senior Variety show, Holeve
decided that he would invest all his time
into creating a successful rap group that
would take America by storm.
“After school is over, I want
to go to New York and make my own
company,” said Holeve.
The TNT homeboys, Holeve
plus Steve Winnett, Andrew Sinkoe,
Michael Worley
and Seth Miller, plan to start recording
sometime this year.
“Garret is a loveable guy, and
we’re going to have a lot of fun recording
music,” said Miller.
When Holeve isn’t rapping,
Holeve might be found perfecting his
jump shot at the JCC. Holeve refers to
Basketball as his escape from the world.
“Basketball is my favorite sport,
and I score a lot, I like the 3-point shot,
but my favorite shot is the dunk.”
his first album will be titled “Step Up;
The Streets”
One thing Holeve says he’ll
never forget about high school is how
much fun he had performing at the
2007/08 Senior Variety Show. His rap
performance wowed a crowd of over 600
people.
The scene was unforgettable,
Garrett the Gangsta Rappa coming
through the smoke, with screaming fans
all around, one hand in the air, the other
gripping the microphone. For Holeve,
nothing can eclipse that kind of thrill .
“I’ll never forget my homeboys
from variety show.”

Grease lightning strikes

BY ASHLEY FIERMAN
FiermanA@gmail.com
Modeled after the original
Broadway musical, Grease is taking the
stage of Cooper City High to show the
world Rydell High School in the 50’s.
“Grease is a great pick to
perform because you get a lot of people
who are familiar with the story line, but
not the full scope of it,” said Adam Crain,
who plays a Greaser named Doody.
Most people think this
performance is going to be a lot like the
well-known, well-loved movie, with the
program,” said Adam Crain.
The four day process for
auditions included singing a song on
the first day, learning choreography and
being ranked on dance skills the second
day, cold readings where students
read from the scripts on the third day,
and on the fourth day, there was a big
dance audition to cast for the ensemble.
Students from all grades tried out for this
musical, and the cast now consists of 76
people, which is a lot more than previous
performances.
“The characters in Grease
Michael Worley

action centered around Danny Zukko can be compared to those

and Sandy Dumbrowski. However, this
musical is going to have a storyline that
focuses on the rest of the cast growing
up during their senior year.
The musical is going to be a
mixture of dark-undertones, along with
some smart-humor thrown in. The
main characters are each in one of the
two “gangs”; the Greasers and the Pink
Ladies. The Greasers are the leather-
jacket wearing bad boys, and the Pink
Ladies are the tough chicks of the school
who have been friends since they started
at Rydell.
“The characters in Grease can be
compared to those in movie, Mean Girls,
in the sense that life as a popular high-
school student isn’t always perfect,” said
Ms. Thomas, Cooper City High’s drama
teacher.
The try-outs for Grease were very
in the movie Mean Girls”
“Every day we are putting
Left to Right: Richard Forbes, Daniel Maguire, Seth Mahl, Bret Helmes, Aharon Corseri
everything together for the show, and
even though it’s hectic, these 3 hour
sessions are all worthwhile,” said
Amanda Barrist who plays Patty Simcox
in the show.
“It’s a little stressful because
it’s such a big cast, but overall it’s been
great. I hope the audence wants to get
up on stage and dance with them,“ said
stage manager Catherine Campos.
The casting, set-making, and
exhausting practices, all lead up to the
premiere of Grease, on March 6th, 7th,
and 8th.
“A lot of energy is involved in making
this musical happen, and the show will
allow everybody to be a part of what’s
on stage,” said Ms. Thomas.
Michael Worley

crowded considering the number of kids

that came to audition.
“The response from the student
body was huge, and it was really cool
to have all that attention on the drama
Grease is sure to be another fantastic
performance put on by Cooper City
High School’s Drama Department.
The boys of Grease doing line readings during auditions
February
Hannah Montana excites fans
BY JAIME SLOANE
JaimeESloane@gmail.com
Frustrated, confused,
and distressed, sophomore
Corrina Dolan trudged away
from the computer with a look
of devastation upon her face. She
had gone into battle with all of the
necessary provisions: credit card,
fan club membership, even high
speed internet to try to beat out
the other warriors. Despite her
best efforts, she had once again
lost a war with Ticketmaster. But
how? How could a concert venue with
a seating capacity of 21,371 sell out in
a matter of minutes? That seems to be
the question of the year for Hannah
Montana fans all over the country.
Frenzied fans are so desperate
to land tickets for the teen sensation’s
54-show “Best of Both Worlds” tour that
they are willing to pay through the nose.
Tickets were originally $26 to $56, but
Hannah fanatics were doomed from
the start. With special software, ticket
brokers scooped up thousands of tickets
within minutes of them becoming
available online and shut out legitimate
Hannah followers. Brokers are now
receiving four-to-five times face value,
creating a wave of complaints from
frustrated parents. StubHub, a popular
concert ticket website, asked for $3500
and up for tickets to the November
concert. Senior Angelica Dolan found
asking prices as high as $20,000, and
reluctantly gave up hope of seeing her
favorite artist.
Thursday, January 31st, was
the second time Disney Superstar
Miley Cyrus graced South Florida with
her presence; her previous concert in
November sold out in four minutes flat.
Cyrus’ television show Hannah
Montana debuted March 24th, 2006 with
Cyrus cast as Miley Stewart/Hannah
Montana, who lives a double life as a
normal 14-year-old girl by day and a
famous pop star by night, concealing
her secret persona from the public. With
its catchy tunes and cheesy jokes it has
quickly become hit. The series premiere
scored record ratings for the Disney
Channel: 5.4 million viewers. The show
is also the #1 Disney Channel Original
Series to date and is the first Disney
Channel Original Series soundtrack to
hit #1 on the Billboard Charts.
Why is Hannah Montana
such an idol? Simple, she’s America’s
sweetheart, a perfect role model that
parents love their kids to love. Parents
are grateful for Cyrus’ squeaky clean
Indie cinema introduces new music
BY DAVID NATHANSON
DavidN31@gamil.com
“You gotta hear this one song,
it’ll change your life I swear”. That was
Natalie Portman’s character in the cult-
flick Garden State, talking about a Shins
song. And while it may not have literally
changed anyone’s life, it did introduce a
whole new wave of people to an amazing
band they otherwise would not have
heard about.
Such is the new trend in
mainstream cinema, taking relatively
unknown bands and launching them
to the front of the charts. So called
“indie” music is being commercialized,
and it’s not such a bad thing. In the
case of The Shins, having a few songs
prevalent in such a widely known film
as Garden State helped boost awareness,
Entertainment
Above: Sophomore Kim Briggs is decked out in her Hannah Montana attire.
Inset: Senior Laura Fountain lip syncs to a Hannah tune.
image, which her father, Billy Ray Cyrus,
makes sure she maintains. He shelters
her from the media as much as possible
while keeping her in the public eye.
While her innocent aura is a plus, young
girls appreciate the teen phenomenon
for different reasons. The popularity of
“Hannah Montana” goes two ways; she’s
both the average girl, and what every girl
dreams of becoming.
“Every girl wants to be a
singer, actress and movie star rolled
into one,” claimed sophomore Caroline
Lashbrook.
Her genuine feel is what attracts
most fans.
“She’s a girl just like me, who
knows that nobody is perfect and life
really is what you make it,” explained
Sophomore Melissa Cohen.
The show is ageless, girls ranging
from five to seventeen tune in to watch
her make mistakes and learn valuable
lessons. Although few girls will get to
experience “Hannah Montana” live, all
of Cyrus’ fans can enjoy the next best
thing: a movie of the concert. “Hannah
Montana 3D” is a medley of Cyrus’ best
performances from her tour. At the
and in turn sales, immensely. Following
their inclusion on the soundtrack, the
group released an album that entered
the Billboard Charts at #2. Previously,
the best they could muster was 86th.
And this is no coincidence. Many more
artists these days take advantage of the
huge publicity a movie can garner.
For example, the recently released
hit movie Juno features a soundtrack
chock full of unknown performers. One
of these is Kimya Dawson, who sang the
majority of the tunes in the flick. The
Juno soundtrack sold well, reaching the
top spot on iTunes, and thus propelled
Dawson into fame. Now, she’s appearing
on talk shows like The View, and people
everywhere are taking notice. “I had no
idea who she was until I saw Juno” says
junior Ashley Ferren. “Now I listen to
her almost every day.”
7
REVIEWS
Lupe Fiasco’s: The Cool
BY DAVID NATHANSON
DavidN31@gmail.com
I’ll be the first to tell you that I
know next to nothing about Hip Hop and
R&B. Ask me about anything The Velvet
Underground has ever released, I’m fine
with that, but this is just not my forte.
So when I first started listening to Lupe
Fiasco’s The Cool, I really didn’t know what
to expect. Simply put, it blew me away.
This isn’t one of those typical rap records
full of misogyny and repetitive lyrics. No,
this album has a meaning, a message, a
story within almost every track. You can
learn from this album. For example, “Little
Weapon” tells the story of child soldiers in
Africa trained to kill at an early age. The
song is so vivid, so graphic, it really drives
the point home. The rest of the songs are
pretty much the same, filled with great
beats and hooks, guest stars and, most
importantly, great
kirradio.blogspot.com
lyrics that can speak
to anyone. As cheesy
as it sounds, the
only way to describe
The Cool is that it’s,
well… very cool.
Lupe Fiasco at his Coolist.
A Long Way Gone:
Robert Yanks
Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
BY TAYLOR COHEN
TayCohen@gmail.com
With his flawless writing techniques,
former Seirra Leonian boy soldier Ishmael
price of $12, fans can throw on a pair of
Beah describes the devastating effects of
3D glasses and pretend they were lucky
civil war on his country. From the slums
enough to get tickets to the concert.
of Seirra Leone to the ironically named
“I bought my tickets the
capital Freetown, Beah takes the reader
first day they were available, I’m so
from the naive innocence of a child to
excited!” exclaimed sophomore Roshelle
the devastating
Wijeratne.
corruption of a
The movie came out February
drafted child soldier
1st, and lines at Muvico were out the
forced to fight over
door.
diamonds for his
“It was amazing, I felt like I was
government. Words
really there! The movie deserves 5 stars,”
can’t even describe
declared sophomore Rachel Kohn.
the devastation I felt
Hannah Montana’s aptly named
for Beah throughout
Best of Both Worlds concert tour is the
the book. He is an
perfect opportunity for kids and teens
eloquently spoken
across the nation to see two different
individual, who uses
worlds rolled into one 90-minute show,
Critically acclaimed book, imagery that will
complete with addictive music, surreal
A Long Way Gone. undoubtedly change
special effects, a fun atmosphere,
any reader’s perspective. Diamonds
and free of risqué antics that cause
are only for a lifetime, his story will live
complaints from parents. The only
forever.
problem is, how can average teens from
this world get to experience that second
world that seemingly only grants entry There Will Be Blood
to the wealthy. For now, the Disney BY JUYOUNG LEE
Channel and kids to whom money is no Contributing Writer
object are the only visitors able to enter “There Will Be Blood” is an epic
into this elite dual universe. masterpiece from the modern auteur
P.T. Anderson (“Punch Drunk Love”,
“Magnolia”) full of lush performances and
yearning film scapes. Oil tycoon, Daniel
Plainsview (Daniel Day Lewis of Gangs
While some may look with of New York fame), enthralls the viewer
disdain at “indie” artists who use movies in every scene with a vivid ferocity that
as launching pads to the planets of will haunt
fame and fortune, labeling them as “sell you in your
outs”, this is the really not the case. Why dreams. An
shouldn’t hard working entertainers art house
www.msnbc.msn.com
earn a little for their years of obscurity? film set in
As Senior Evan Weinberg puts it, “They the dawn
deserve to have success, and they should of the
get it any way they can.” twentiet h
Besides, the real winner of Juno c e n t u r y,
isn’t Kimya Dawson, who is now raking it L e w i s
in; rather, it’s that one girl who has fallen symbolizes Above is a scene from
There Will Be Blood.
in love with a new type of music she’s the evil
never considered before, or that one kid nature of capitalism growing apart from
who can now seem cool by introducing Old America’s religious morals. It is a
his friends to some incredible new songs. tale relevant to our demoralized times,
So perhaps Natalie Portman was right in beatifully capturing the loss of humanity
Garden State. Perhaps hearing that Shins in the face of wealth through the words
song really did change someone’s life. and expressions of Lewis. It is a classic
for the ages.
8 The Lariat
LOCAL ELECTION
A supporter of District 4 Candidate Jamie
Curran stands across from City Hall on 90th Ave
campaigning. Supporters of various candidates
came out early Tuesday morning to wave signs,
hand out flyers and encourage Cooper City citizens
to get out and vote.
Mayor, Debby Eisinger, walks down the street
with a campaign sign. Even the mayor herself
was heavily campaigning outside of City Hall,
underscoring the importance of this election and
how serious her competition was.
An election in a small town is a very curious thing. Unlike national elections, ther
It’s fun to campaign for a neighbor or get into discussions with total strangers about a ca
that they plan to try and sway their vote. Therefore, gaining support among even the sm
Mr. X and Mr. Y and Mrs. Z… so vote or me!”
These small town elections are even more exciting to photograph. Whether it’s
mother walking into the Rock Creek community center still without a clue about who sh
“Community elections are by far the most important in terms of a direct impact on
to be a part of and to educate yourself about.”
With this in mind and with so much emotion in the air, it was no surprise that th
District 3 Candidate, Neil De Jesus, speaks at the Embassy Lakes Town Hall Meeting
days before the election. These small community debates were quite heated, allowing
citizens to ask the hard-and sometimes publicly awkward-questions regarding a
number of issues.
Construction of the new housing development begins on the corner of Stirling and
Pine Island. The development, Monterra, was among the key issues debated before the
January 29th Election was the community policy towards Over 1,800 homes will soon
be built on what was once the Waldrep Dairy Farm property; creating what some fear
will be major overcrowding and traffic for our local schools and streets.
10 Features February 2008
The Lariat

Giving the gift of life

BY JENNIFER PRITCHARD
JenRPritchard@gmail.com

As students enter the mini gym

they are welcomed by representatives
of Key Club and offered a selection of
snacks to eat. Once they satisfy their
bellies and fill out a questionnaire sheet,
they then proceed to the next station.
Here, a friendly nurse records their
temperature, pulse, and blood pressure,
pricks their finger for a blood sample,
and then decides whether they meet the
standards for the next step. Those that
have been approved then reach the last
step in which they lay propped up on a
long chair with their arm exposed. As
the good Samaritans willingly donate
a pint of their blood to a good cause,
the recipients are more than grateful to
receive.
One recipient, thirteen-year old
Pioneer Middle student Alex Churnetski
deals with his own health problems.
Once a month, a private nurse comes

to his home to set up an IV on his arm.
He must sit immobile for eight hours
while the infusion from the IV enters
his body.
At the age of two, Alex was diagnosed
with Immune Deficiency. This hinders
the body’s ability to fight off infections
from viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and
can have a large impact on a victim’s
daily life. It develops when one or more
essential parts of the immune system
are missing or not working properly.
Without a properly working immune
system, the victims become very
vulnerable to the slightest amount of
germs. “He could get pneumonia from
someone sneezing,” senior Heather
Green, Alex’s cousin, said.
More than likely you’ve seen
or heard of the movie The Boy in the
Plastic Bubble. The main character of
this movie deals with this same disease,
and therefore leads a secluded life in
a plastic bubble. This bubble protects
him from outside common germs that
could easily kill him, while they are
harmless to the rest of us. Fortunately,
the monthly infusion treats this disease
and allows life to be livable.
Sophomore Brock Snider donates for Key Clubʼs blood drive.
A typical infusion used to treat
immune deficiency extracts plasma and
red blood cells from over 1,000 pints of
blood. This large amount of blood is
collected from healthy donors and then
purified through a special process. This
process helps in reducing the frequency
or severity of infections. Therefore, in
order to stay alive, Alex is very dependent
on blood donations. This is where the
blood drive comes in.
With the help of Key Club, the
Community Blood Centers of South
Florida have been holding blood drives
here at CCHS for the past six years.
“High schools are the main sources of
our blood donation,” said Area Director
Dawn Bossaller. “That’s why it’s so
important for us to hold these drives and
for the students to participate.”
For the September and
November blood drives, Alex helped
Key Club organize, promote, and spread
awareness not only in our school, but
outside, in the community, as well. For
his Barmitzvah in October, he chose
Immune Deficiency Awareness as his
community service project. He even
attached notices for the blood drive in
his invitations.
Alex made himself well known
amongst the donors of the blood drive by
assisting in any way he could. Attending
to the donors with refreshments and
food, and having friendly conversations
with them were just some of the ways
he was able to lend a helping hand.
“Alex became the ‘face’ for the blood
drive,” said Vice President of Key Club,
Heather Green. Donors knew exactly
where their blood was going and how
they were helping a life. “He’s a perfect
example of how crucial blood drives
are,” she said.
Michael Worley
Alex’s help proved successful
as September’s drive proved to have the
best results yet. Out of 150 donors, 119
good pints of blood were collected. Alex
will continue to depend on blood drives
throughout his entire life, which is why
Key Club stresses their importance.
“Donating could take as little as half an
hour and could change a person’s life,”
said Green. “I don’t understand why
anyone eligible wouldn’t.”
- 153 blood donors participated
in the last drive.
- 119 pints of blood were donated
from Cooper City High in a
single day.
- Four drives have already been
conducted this year and four
more are planned.

Students united in divorce

BY TAYLOR COHEN
TayCohen@gmail.com
One day after school, a group
of kids started an innocent conversation
about the fragile topic of divorce. Out of
this conversation, senior Steve Winnett’s
brainchild “Dealing with Divorce Club”
was born. “Instead of talking about
[divorce] at home, why not talk about
it at school?” said Winnett. With the
help of sponsor and family counselor
Mrs. McCallif, the idea finally became a
reality.
Being a child of a three-time
divorced parent, Junior Stephanie
Berman was thrilled to hear of a club
that wasn’t afraid to deal with such a
delicate topic. For students like her,
divorce is an apparent, everyday reality.
“I was always taught not to
hang my dirty laundry where everyone
could see it,” said Stephanie. “[Dealing
with divorce] club is a great outlet for
students like me to finally feel like they
can express the effects of divorce in a
private setting.”
Just like a professional
counseling session, the adage “what
is said within the group stays within
the group” applies. The club provides
a confidential setting, where students
are free to express themselves with no
threat of their personal business leaving
the room.
“Anonymity, of course, is crucial
and the club makes you feel that from
the moment you step in, to the moment
you walk out,” said Stephanie.
One of the most appealing
aspects of the club, is that everything
is dealt with in a professional manner.
CCHS family counselor Mrs. McAuliffe,
is the sponsor of the club. She has
been trained in the field of psychology
and obviously has plenty to offer to the
attendees.
“I feel comfortable talking in
front of Mrs.McAuliffe because I know
she is a professional, plus not everyone
could afford a weekly therapy session,
so the club is a great alternative,” said
Stephanie.
Dealing with Divorce has
proven to be an important program for
the students of Cooper City.
“[The importance of the club]
is to provide students with an outlet to
discuss how they feel amongst peers in
similar situations,” said Club founder
Steve Winnett. “It seemed [like the club
was helping the kids]. After the first
meeting everyone seemed to like the
club and had positive reactions.”
Winnett went into the club
wanting more than just recognition.
“It’s good to know other people
have similar situations, how they deal
with it, and that [divorce] is not always a
bad thing,” he said.
Overall, the benefits of having a
Divorce Club are countless in the eyes of
the members.
“Divorce isn’t just a one moment
thing that happens and then there
are no consequences,” said Stephanie.
“Students come in every week with a
new story about how divorce affected
their lives recently and they look forward
to entering an environment where
everyone’s attention is on them and they
can just talk and receive support from
people who know exactly what they’re
going through. I know I do.”
For anyone who is “dealing
with divorce,” meetings are held every
other Tuesday after school in room 128.
Whether you’re having real household
problems or maybe just want to talk
to other students who understand the
hardships of divorce, this could be the
perfect outlet to do just that.
February
Getting the “A” the easy way
BY JAIME SLOANE
JaimeESloane@gmail.com
You stumble through the
parking lot, trying to speed read without
tripping over the curb. As you walk
down the hallway, students and teachers
stop to stare. Your hair is a bird’s nest.
The bags under your eyes nearly touch
the ground. Nose buried in your AP
book, you manage to make it up three
flights of stairs and slide into your desk,
trying your hardest to get every last
piece of information tucked into your
over worked brain. As the test begins
you survey the room to see who else is
having difficulty. It is then that you see
some are bending over to get a better
view of the tiny notes scribbled on their
arm. Others are arched forward to see
the cheat sheets under their legs. A few
are stretching their necks, managing to
get a good glimpse of their neighbor’s
answers. It seems as if you are the only
one running this race fairly, yet you will
be the last one to the finish line.
Cheating is, and has always
been, a major concern for teachers and
administrators alike. Whether it’s the
valedictorian copying answers during a
quick quiz, or the lazy underachievers
who write notes up their wrists, one
thing is for sure: its happening. The
penalty for cheating at CCHS is an
automatic F, detention, and, depending
on the teacher, Internal Suspension.
With penalties so harsh, isn’t it obvious
that cheating isn’t worth the risk?
Obviously not.
Statistics show that academic
cheating among high school students
has risen dramatically during the past
50 years. Researchers at the University
of Kentucky studied cheating patterns
among almost three hundred high
school students. Forty percent of the
students admitted to cheating.
However, adults always seem
shocked to learn of cheating, especially
when it’s a high-achieving student.
Unrealistic demands for academic
Dedicated students racing to the finish
BY MAX LEVY
MaximusLevy@gmail.com
Imagine a downhill sledding race
consisting of your entire graduating class.
The race seems to be fairly up in the air,
but after a series of zigs and zags, some
pull ahead. This is a lot like the school-
wide valedictorian race. Undeniably, some
students are more capable than others,
but intelligence is not all that contributes
to the utility belts of valedictorians.
How students go about achieving
this is no mystery, as many teachers
recognize the skills it takes to finish at
the top of the class.
“It takes commitment and drive to
succeed,” Herb Slusher, chemistry
teacher, said.
Bearing in mind that most
parents still think of themselves as owners
of their children, some of the measures
taken by the school’s high-fliers may not
be of their own will. In other words, peer
pressure may take a backseat to parental
pressure.
“[My parents] expect the best
of me. But on my own, I want to make
sure that I don’t make careless errors,”
junior Kathryn Radovan said. Radovan,
Features
English teacher Ms. Margolin frowns upon cheating in her class.
achievement cause students to crack
under pressure. When grades matter
most, cheating rises as students begin
to use every available means to increase
their class ranking.
“In the past it was the struggling
student who was more likely to cheat,
just to get by,” Professor Donald
McCabe, Founder of The Center for
Academic Integrity, said in an article by
the Ad Council. “Today it is the above-
average, college-bound students who are
cheating. ”
The annual 29th Who’s Who
Among American High School Students
Poll (a poll of 3,123 high-achieving 16
to 18-year olds) showed that 80 percent
of the country’s best students cheated
at some point or another. Of those, 95
percent said they were not caught. The
most alarming statistic however, was
that more than half the students said
they don’t think cheating is a big deal.
Students cheat for understandable
reasons; to get high grades and because
there simply aren’t enough hours in the
the projected valedictorian of her class,
is known for taking and retaking tests
four times before finally handing it
in to receive a routine 100 percent. In
Kathryn’s case, parents act as mere
training wheels, reinforcing the academic
stimulus. Her initiative, uncommon
to the majority of students, genuinely
epitomizes the rift between the achiever,
and the overachiever.
What also goes into creating an
academic all-star is ambition. And so
the student must commit to taking the
hardest classes out there.
“I plan on taking as many AP
and BCC classes as I can,” sophomore
Brian Yip said. His goal of passing ten
AP and BCC classes does, in fact, serve
the purpose of not only advancing his
rank, but also securing his position at the
top.
With that said, the school’s
current standards for determining
valedictorians are not met with undivided
agreement. Controversy arises regarding
certain policies.
“It puts students at a
disadvantage,” Slusher said. “Some
students have jobs and are unable to take
these classes that boost their high school
GPA,” he said.
day to do it all. College bound students
are expected to be all they can be to beat
Ivy League Standards. In order to get
in to these upper tier schools students
must make the best grades, play the
best sports, show the most leadership in
clubs, and rack up the greatest amount
of community service hours. According
to the Higher Education Research
Institute’s annual survey, 47 percent
of incoming college freshmen in 2003
reported having earned an A average in
high school.
“Teachers never hear things
like, ‘We have too much homework,’”
McCabe said. “It’s more of, ‘I’m involved
in basketball, I’m involved in the Glee
Club and I’m involved in helping the
homeless.’ They have tons and tons of
activities, and schoolwork is only part of
it.”
Studetns have to cut back somewhere.
Is cheating wrong, against the rules,
and just plain immoral? Absolutely. But
does it happen? Yes, and for the many
students who try to justify their cheating
This of course raises a very valid point.
“The classes offered in high school should
be the only one to affect GPA,” junior Ian
Margol said.
Teachers also seem to have a
problem with how graduation is carried
out. At each graduation, after the
valedictorian’s graduation speech but
before the rest of the class is called up
one by one, the students ranked in the
top ten are called onto the stage.
“I’d rather have the top five or ten percent
up there,” Patricia Manly, English teacher
said.
But teachers aren’t the only ones
with a difference of opinion. For some
students’ after school customs differ from
those of more impassioned contenders.
“I hang out with friends, do my homework
once in a while and watch ‘Grey’s
Anatomy’,” sophomore Kim Briggs said.
“I’d much rather make my high school life
worthwhile than focus only on school.”
Other students, such as
sophomore Caroline Lashbrook, question
the true significance of valedictorian
honors.
“Anyone can be valedictorian,”
she said. “Those who are, devote their
time only to academics, and don’t balance
other things.”
11
Michael Worley
by blaming it on the extreme pressures
they feel, the resulting consequences can
be more devastating than simply failing
a test. The negative habit of cheating
can easily morph into other dishonest
behaviors since not getting caught
validates the “right to cheat” for many
and can quickly spiral out of control. If
the habit of cheating continues into a
student’s college life, the punishments
they face are much more severe than
in high school. For example, UF has
no tolerance for cheating; if a student
is caught, they will face probation and
suspension or expulsion.
The challenge then becomes
how to stop students from cheating. The
answer: remove the reasons for cheating,
and the root cause for cheating will
eventually dissipate. The honor system
and all it stands for really can work, if the
concept of “reaching your full potential”
truly means your potential, and not the
potential of someone else.
Top students are known for
their initiative and drive to succeed. But
what is truly remarkable about these
overachievers is that they are not ‘all talk’.
Students like Kathryn Radovan show the
power of devotion and ambition at work.
Provided that high school is a downhill
race, it’s up to the student to decide
if they would rather be the Jamaican
Bobsledding Team or the avalanche that
crushes the competition.
-School districts in Maryland,
Minnesota, Washington, Vermont,
Colorado, and Florida have
discontinued their valedictorian
progress, in order to eliminate
unhealthy competition
-Eight schools in the Chicago
school-district had valedictorians
who scored below 20 points on the
ACT
- In many cases, valedictorians and
salutatorians are separated by a
thousandth of a point in their GPA.
12 Features The Lariat

Sweeney Scott: student barber of CCHS

BY MICHAEL LLERENA
MTLlerena@gmail.com
Long ago, when senior Julian
Scott was just a freshman, he began
what would be his first steps into the
haircutting business. A neighborhood
friend and CCHS graduate, Aaron Alva
had asked him for a simple haircut. Julian
gladly accepted the offer. Everything
was fine until about halfway through
the haircut, the attachment on Julian’s
clippers fell off. The result? A patch
of hair missing from Aaron’s head. In
reaction, Julian did what any strategic
professional barber would do; shave the
rest of his head to mask the spot. Need
less to say, Aaron wore a hoodie for the
next couple of weeks.
Julian began his interest as an
amateur barber over two and a half years
ago. He was fed up with unsatisfying
haircuts and the fees from barber
shops. As a result, he came up with the
solution to start cutting his own hair.
After sharpening his skills, he started
giving free haircuts to all of his friends,
who, in turn spread publicity about
Julian’s service. As his customer base
grew, Julian started charging minimal
fees. He then used these profits to
purchase professional equipment like
clean cut of the hairline. Currently, he
does male haircuts, but has often been
asked to cut females’ hair as well.
Julian also possesses something
that all small businesses need in order to
succeed: a reliable customer base.
“I offer people quality haircuts
for affordable prices,” Julian said.
Among his list of clients are seniors
Ben Juster and John Lennon and junior
Thomas Procopovich.
Julian consistently offers them
good service and maintains a friendly
demeanor.
“I think he’s better than a
barber. You can really talk to him like a
real person. He knows the style you like
and takes all the time needed for you to
get it,” Procopovich said.
He also offers a convenience
unlike many of his corporate peers.
“It’s so much better for me to
pay $10 to go to his house than to pay
$20 to go to a barber,” Lennon said. “I’m
a lot more comfortable with him than
some stranger,” he said.
As for future endeavors, Julian
has a solid plan for where he is going.
He says “After I finish college, I want
to get my barber license and open my
own shop. If things got really good, I
would consider turning it into a chain
franchise.”

new clippers, scissors, outliners, and a
straight edge razor.
Julian uses his house as his own
personal barber shop, performing all the
necessary tasks on his own, including
cleanup duty. Customers pay the $10
Michael Worley
Julian has come a long way
since his beginning mishaps. He has
improved his craft, built a loyal customer
base, and set up goals for himself. His
days of hair patches missing are merely Julian Scott cuts students hair for affordable prices.

haircut fee, or $5 for a tape, which is a humorous memories from the past.

Students expressing their creative thoughts

with me for writing at school, and I have
two whole binders at home full of my
finished pieces and brainstorms.”
One may wonder how exactly
she brewed up a story about a blood-
sucker’s shopping spree. In fact, her
prize-winning story originally began as a
prompt given to her at a creative writing
club meeting.
Established in 2006, the freedom
found in the weekly, hour-long meetings
is nothing common to the English
classroom. Typically, the members first
go over any business matters that need
to be taken care of, and then are turned
loose with a prompt. The young writers
allow their words to run rampant, and
sharing work is always encouraged.
“In school, you sometimes get
put down just for saying what you’re
Michael Worley
Tom Grozan, the literary magazine
appears to have undergone a drastic
makeover. According to English teacher
Ms. West, the magazine used to be
produced by Ms. Liverpool through her
creative writing class.
“After Liverpool left, the
magazine pretty much faded away,” West
said.
In the past, the magazine was
often adopted by different groups
of students instead of a solid staff.
Consequently, each issue had a different
title and layout.
“I remember it being a sporadic
publication,” English teacher Suzanne
Margolin said. “From what I’ve seen, the
format has been exponentially bumped
up.”
Because the book was not

“Mixtape” was published through the Creative Writing Club last year.
BY SHAINA COOGAN
SECoogan@gmail.com
“Now don’t make a mess like
you did with Snowball,” I said fondly,
watching them.
“Don’t worry mommy,” said
Timothy. “He won’t feel a thing.” Then
without another word, he plunged
his fangs into the puppy’s neck. Benji
whined faintly, then fell silent, but I
didn’t care. I just watched with pleasure,
knowing the present was well worth the
trouble.
Thus closes Terese Morgan’s
award-winning short story, “Well Worth
The Trouble.” Dark and sinister, Morgan
claims that vampires going shopping
isn’t one of her usual themes – and
she has many. Terese Morgan admits
that she’s thought of herself as a writer
ever since she could string two words
together.
For only a high school junior,
Morgan has a lot to be proud of. She
won $100 in a writing contest sponsored
by Literary Feast for her tale about
a vampire going shopping, and has
recently entered a 100-word essay
contest, in which she had to construct a
masterpiece in exactly 100 words – no
more, no less. Suffice it to say, Morgan
cuts no corners when honing her craft.
“I carry my composition book
thinking. I think there’s a lot less of that
in the writing club,” Morgan said.
Not only does the club offer
inspiration to the teenaged authors, but
it also makes something out of their
finished products.
The creative writing club
released the first literary magazine to
be seen in the halls of CCHS in about
five years. Aptly dubbed Mixtape,
the one hundred-page book contains
an assortment of stories, poems, and
artwork produced by students of every
grade level. The club plans on releasing
their second issue sometime in April.
“I entered two stories and a
poem,” Morgan said. “The great thing
about the magazine is that it lets you
actually do something with what you’ve
written, instead of just keeping it to
yourself.”
Recently revived by none other
than yearbook and newspaper adviser,
heavily advertised, it did not garner
much popularity in 2007. However, the
club has bigger plans for publicity this
time around, and has already gotten
a jumpstart on fundraising. Several
members participated in holiday gift
wrapping at Barnes and Noble, a
familiar place and beloved hangout to
the blossoming authors. There are other
projects in the works, and the club will
be hosting presales of the book in all
English classes.
While this club is surely already
bursting at the seams with tale-telling
talent, there is certainly room to grow.
New creativity is always welcome –
and no one should let fear of criticism
overshadow their urge to take a stab at
it.
“Don’t ever be afraid to express
yourself,” Morgan said. “Any idea is
worth sharing, and any experience is
worth writing about.”
February 13

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Cooper City, FL 3328 (954) 252-5100
14 Opinions February 2008
The Lariat

The Lariat Staff Writers:

Survival of the slimmest
MAX LEVY leading to a bottomless pit for the obese
maximusLevy@Gmail.com of Mississippi. However, many doctors
Jolly Attia
Editorial Board: disagree with the validity of the BMI
Monica Berra A stumbling drunk asks the scale. The scale measures the ratio of
Adviser: Tom Grozan Michael Eisenberg bartender for a drink, only to be denied. weight to height, but it fails to account
Editors-in-Chief: David Tintner Ashley Fierman This is a common sight in bars, as for muscle mass or other aspects of
Ann Nacknouck Scott Gershkow bartenders have a duty to cut off people fitness.
Managing Editor: Robert Yanks Jonathan Griffith who have had too much. That one Yes, the bill can benefit the
News: Rebecca Weiss extra drink can prove fatal for those obese of Mississippi by bringing
Lane Hacker on the road, or even a simple passerby. unprecedented attention to the issue, but
Opinions: Shaina Coogan Jeffy Joseph So when W.T. Mayhall Jr. proposed a the bad certainly out-weighs the good.
Features: Jennifer Pritchard Max Levy bill to the Mississippi state legislature The bill in question is unconstitutional
Entertainment: Taylor Cohen Michael Llerena that would ban all obese people from and passing it can open up doors for
Sports: Robert Yanks David Nathanson restaurants, he had the same idea in further violations of human rights.
mind. For the welfare of the community, Don’t get me wrong, there is
Chief Photographer: Michael Worley Ryan Parker Mississippi should have the right to cut plenty of evidence that America’s love
Business Manager: Sara Leiter Lindsey Rolls off an overweight person when they handles are growing exponentially.
Graphics Designer: Ashley Valdivia Jaime Sloane have had one too many Big Macs. But there are other ways to go about
Jade Taylor Now, how on earth can such solving the issue. Restaurants and
Alex Wild a proposition cross the minds of even even cities have taken significant
the most minimally logical beings? Two strides in the battle against cellulite
The Lariat firmly believes in upholding the first amendment but also recognizes words: Mississippi. No, I did not make tsunamis. More and more restaurants,
the responsibility of a publication to be accurate and factual. a mistake in my arithmetic; I am merely even fast food, are keeping their
mimicking the dim-witted nature of the

Editorials
Mississippian legislature.
In a nation that has endured a
handful of social faux pas in the past, it’s
safe to say that motions of this sort can
only regress our gradual march towards
nondiscrimination. We have overcome
customers calorie-conscious. And city or
statewide approaches are also proving
effective. Last year, New York banned
all restaurants from cooking with trans-
fats
On top of being utterly absurd,

Too young to decide

the proposition cannot be less practical.
slavery, virtual misogyny, and inequity I doubt that lawmakers expect to arm
based on age, to establish nationwide every restaurant with a BMI scale,
suffrage and equal employment potentially scaring off their most
This year, freshmen are required to choose a major and direct their classes opportunities. And yet new instances valuable customers. The criteria are also
toward their single goal. Although it focuses the freshmen on their priorities and of discrimination arise readily. With flawed in that it rewards the 29s and 28s
future goals, it limits their ability to explore other fields. Freshman year is critical in this intolerance, the representatives for being slightly less fat.
high school, not only because grades actually begin to count, but also as a chance to of our beloved nation had the nerve to It goes without saying that
test the waters of all different fields of study. propose outrageous bills in an attempt Mississippi is neither the smartest or
Fourteen year olds are too young to be deciding on a future, especially when to “call attention to the serious problem slimmest state in America; but it doesn’t
the goal of this requirement is to give students a feel for college. Freshmen, upon of obesity.” take much of a genius to see the flaw in
choosing a major, are supposed to complete and pass at least four classes geared If passed, though highly Mayhall’s proposition. Our country has
toward their selected major. This plan was meant to prevent failure and lower unlikely, enforcing the law will not be a gotten past enough irrational laws to
dropout rates, but it can easily backfire. Furthermore, this requirement comes at judgment call. “Any food establishment… make a healthy decision regarding what
a time when fewer electives are being offered, thus limiting the choices freshmen shall not be allowed to serve food to any to do with the issue of obesity. And so it
have. About twelve electives were dropped from the course selection list. Students person who is obese.” The criteria for disgusts me that the bill wasn’t met with
who are uncertain and are still forced to make a decision might drop out, or fail the obesity depends on the person’s Body enough public ridicule to send Mayhall
classes that don’t interest them. Mass Index. A BMI of 30 or higher crying home to his tub of low-fat Ben
The idea of each student having a chance to plan their entire high school rings an alarm and opens a trap door and Jerry’s ice cream.
career and a more individualized relationship with his or her guidance counselor.
However, we do not believe that any freshman should be forced into declaring a
major.

Commercial controversy
As if the endless streaks of commercials on TV weren’t enough, inescapable
advertisements are now arousing discontent on the Internet. Sure, flamboyant
ads are nothing new for Internet users worldwide, but the manner in which the
advertisements are created has proven to pester many.
The launch of Facebook’s “Beacon,” created a whole new level of needless
voyeurism. Who cares if their best friend just rented The Shawshank Redemption?
Or if a random acquaintance just booked a flight to Brussels? Despite our outward
discontent with “Facebook stalkers,” we continue to be them. Not seeing a problem
with that implies inexcusable blindness.
We at The Lariat recognize the importance of profits from ads, but the lack
of consent in this new wave of advertising appalls us. The Lariat sees this as border-
line unconstitutional, and we condemn those who disregard privacy policies and
demonstrate a lack of respect for the population. It is doubtlessly wrong to exploit
confidential information without an explicit go-ahead. Despite the fact that is it
nearly impossible to go five minutes surfing the web without seeing a single pop-up
ad, we should still have some right to privacy.

A wasted week
Juyoung Lee

In 2007, a law was passed mandating that Florida public school years could
begin no earlier than fourteen days before Labor Day. A later start meant later
testing; final exam schedules had to be pushed forward until after winter break.
Finals are stressful enough without a seventeen day break between class and exams.
Upon returning to school, most students are lost in a haze of laziness.
Though there was one week of classes immediately following the break,
and before finals were administered that week was, essentially, a washout. Very
little was actually learned, and most students were buckling under the pressure of
remembering and cramming everything they didn’t study over vacation.
The Lariat understands that there are many reasons that school needs to
begin at the end of August, but having finals before winter break is beneficial to
students and teachers alike. Though it will make the second semester a week longer
than the first, the extra week before finals after break is not productive.
14 Sports February 2008
The Lariat

Signing for
scholarships
BY LANE HACKER
LaneRHacker@gmail.com
Only two years old and
in a crib, it was quite obvious
to father, Pete Schlang, that his
son was going to be a dynamic
soccer player. At this early age,
Ben Schlang always found a
way to kick the toys and stuffed
animals that littered his crib,
out onto the floor. No matter
what his father did to prevent
this from happening, Schlang
never failed. It wasn’t until his
third birthday that Schlang
was introduced to his first
soccer ball, an orange, inflated
rubber ball, about the size of a
You can’t play exceptionally
well in your sport and expect to
be seen, it’s a long and drawn
out process.”
The recruiting process
usually begins for an athlete on
September 1, during junior year
when coaches can legally send
letters or packages. Phone calls
and personal contact begins
July 1, after junior year. During
an athlete’s senior year, they
can officially visit five different
Division I colleges at the
college’s expense. The visits
can last anywhere from a single
day to two nights. The visiting
athlete will stay in a dormitory
“Location is a huge
factor for me as a kicker,” senior
football recruit Robert Yanks
said. “I really don’t want to
play football for a school up
north where games throughout
the season can be at or below
freezing temperatures which
would make the ball much
harder to kick.”
Schlang is a top recruit
and was recruited by Davidson,
Brandice, Case Western, Temple

grapefruit. Schlang kicked the
ball and never looked back.
Following his crib
kicking days, Schlang expressed
a desire to play at a higher level
and earn a college athletic
scholarship for soccer. Through
a combination of competitive
youth teams and high school
soccer, Schlang advertised
himself the best he could to
college scouts and eventually
earned a scholarship to play at
Emory University.
“It took a lot of hard
work on behalf of my coaches,
parents and myself, but I finally
got the scholarship I wanted
all my life,” Schlang said. “The
scholarship doesn’t just happen.
with one of the college’s
players.
There are countless
numbers of reasons that factor
into a decision of where to
attend college. Many athletes
that go to college do not end up
going on to play in professional
sports. For this reason, the
quality of education that the
college has to offer plays an
important factor in the decision
for athletes. Playing time and
the style of coaching are also
major factors in deciding which
college to attend. Location can
also be a factor in the decision
process because some players
may not want to go to a college
far from their home.
and Emory. It didn’t take long
for Emory to establish itself as
his favorite.
“I fell in love with the
campus after taking my official
visit,” Schlang said. “The strong
soccer and academic programs
made my decision easy.”
Laura Fountain has
recieved a scholarship as well
with great success in softball.
Being recruited by the University
of Tennessee, the University
of Florida, the University of
Alabama and the University of
South Florida, she decided to
become a Bull and attend USF.
“USF gave me the
best chance to gain a good
education, while still playing for
Robert Yanks
Above: Laura Fountain signs her letter of intent for USF.
Inset: Ben Schlang emphasizes school spirit in an Emory University sweatshirt.
a competitive softball program,” 20 liberal arts programs in the
Fountain said. “They have the country, combined with being
medical program that I want able to play college football
to attend, which was also a big led me to commit to Oberlin,”
factor in my decision.” Curtis said.
Sean Curtis, starting There are millions of
fullback for the football team, high school athletes that aspire
recently played in the BCAA to earn a scholarship every
All-Star game. Oberlin College year. Only a select group of
noticed his outstanding play athletes have the athletic ability
and began recruiting him. He to accomplish this goal. For so
recently committed and plans many Cooper City students to
on enrolling there next year. be part of this group, it is a very
“Having one of the top- special feature.
 February
Best of both worlds
Growing up in Africa, Coach Julius Sandi was a soccer phenom.
Little did he know, basketball would go on to shape his life.
BY MICHAEL EISENBERG
MikeEisenberg@gmail.com
10 seconds left in the game. His
heart is throbbing, eyes are twitching,
and his mind is running. The pressure
is building on Coach Sandi as he tries to
coordinate an effective team play. Sandi
speaks with intense passion to his team.
This is the willpower that has helped
Sandi accomplish many achievements
throughout his life.
Julius Sandi began his sporting
career as a child with an early love for the
game of soccer in Liberia, West Africa.
He played soccer almost everyday with
his neighborhood friends whenever he
could find free time. Sometimes he was
limited to playing with grapefruits and
oranges instead of playing with a latex
rubber soccer ball.
“Occasionally, we could not
find a soccer ball in the neighborhood;
instead we had to play with fruits until
they burst,” said Sandi.
Sandi and his friends decided
to develop a league after many years
Robert Yanks
Coach Julius Sandi (center) mentors senior Geoff Turnquest (22)
during a timeout in the district playoff loss to Cypress Bay.
As I see it
ROBERT YANKS
RMYanks@gmail.com
As the clock approached
zero, the nerves and thoughts that
raced through my mind grew and a
chilling fright swept over my body. It
was only a preseason jamboree game
against Hallandale High School. The
outcome wouldn’t carry any influence
into the season ahead, but for me, it
was life or death.
The first time I ever lined up
for a field goal in a varsity football
game, the only digits on the scoreboard
were the two seconds left in the time
slot. A 42-yard, walk off kick, could
break the shut out and bring victory
to the visiting Cowboys. As I trotted
onto the field, every bone in my body
was trembling. It wasn’t until Coach
Jim Elder said a few simple words
that I was calm and collected.
“I believe in you Yanks,”
Elder said. “Just go out there and
kick it through the posts like you do
everyday in practice.” These were
the last words I heard before my
teammates were jumping up and
down in celebration on the sideline.
Sports
of leisurely play in the street. They had
tournaments in which they kept track of
results and standings. What looked like
a strong future in soccer turned into a
life full of success in basketball.
At the age of nine, Sandi moved
to the United States where he began to
learn and play the game that uses hands
instead of feet.
“When I came to the states I
picked up the basketball and the rest is
history,” Sandi said.
As a talented shooting guard and
point guard, Sandi advanced his career
by playing NAIA Division II basketball
at Johnson and Wales University in
Miami. Although he was attending a
school notorious for the culinary arts, he
earned a degree in sports management
and event management. He was a
basketball captain, a student activities
center leadership participant, and an
alumni award recipient of Johnson and
Wales. His biggest success in college
came when the team won a national
championship in 2003. It was a struggle
for him throughout the season, but the
I owe a great deal of my
success to coach Elder, the All-
American and All-State selections
I received would have been near
impossible under any other coach.
His belief in me to succeed was so
strong, that in only two seasons of
varsity football, I received more field
goal attempts than most high school
kickers receive in their career.
Following a highly successful
season with seven wins in a district
that boasts the state champion, St.
Thomas Aquinas, Elder announced
his retirement which came as a shock
to all. With the need to spend more
time with family, Elder ended his
legacy as the Cowboys’ head coach
after 11 years at the position. I would
like to thank Elder for every hour of
time spent in developing the program,
every punishment given for broken
rules and every ounce of belief he
poured into my teammates and I. I
would not be the player, or the man
I am today without the guidance of
coach and I wish him the best of
15
championship erased the thoughts
of all the bad stats he had in the
regular season.
“It was a tough season
for me but I was able to overcome
the pain when I won the
championship,” Sandi said.
After completing four
victorious years and winning
a national championship as a
student athlete, he began using his
valuable skills to coach children
ages 6 and up.
“I love coaching and
I try to make every kid that I
encounter have as positive of an
experience as possible,” Sandi
said.
For three years,
he coached Broward travel
basketball. He jumpstarted his
high school coaching career when
he became the Junior Varsity head
coach for Cooper City High School.
After three years at the position, he
took a promotion becoming the official
head coach of the Varsity basketball team.
It was considered a drastic change for him
as there is a major difference in the skill
level between junior varsity and varsity
basketball players.
“The speed, strength, size, mental
aspect and the social environment are all
aspects that are different between the two levels,”
Sandi said.
As a new coach with a team full of young
players, the season outlook was optimistic from the
start. Winning four of the first five games on the schedule,
it looked as though they would contend for the district title.
Although, since the quick start the team has had its up and
downs, it is expected given the circumstances.
In addition, to coaching the varsity basketball team, he also is a private
basketball instructor. He manages basketball camps during the spring, summer,
and winter school breaks.
“Sandi’s experience and expertise of the game combine to provide Cooper
City High School with the finest basketball coaching,” varsity basketball player, Josh
Rosa said.
Julius Sandi’s presence at Cooper City High School gives the varsity
basketball team hope for many successful seasons.
luck in the future with his family and has never coached at the varsity level
any other coaching oppurtunity he
pursues. Unfortunately, every good
and expect to win. A coach with
experience ultimately knows how to
thing comes to an end, and it is time handle situations and problems better
to look ahead at what will become of than those without experience.
Cooper City’s Friday night pride. As I have stressed earlier in
Although a new coach has yet the article, the most important quality
to be chosen, certain characteristics to look for in a coach is belief. Not
and qualities are needed in any viable everyone believes a bunch of scrappy
candidate. The coach must be able and immature high school students
to demand respect out of the team. can mesh together to form a winning
Elder was the Bobby Bowden, the Joe football team, it is this belief that
Paterno of Cowboy football. Anyone sets a good coach apart from a great
who played on the team knew what coach. A coach should be able to
to expect from him and immediately look at the players on the team and
lent him their respect. The new coach see college football potential in every
must build a fresh legacy and tradition one of them. After recognizing the
that will influence students to try out potential, it is important for the coach
for the team and influence fans to to improve the players in areas they
come out to the games. Respect is need work on, including athletic
the key characteristic in making this and academic aspects. High school
legacy a reality. football can open doors for student
Experience in the sport athletes that can lead to a free
would be a welcomed quality in any college education through an athletic
candidate. A coach who has played scholarship. After all, there is nothing
high school and college ball knows more important than school, not even
what each player goes through on a football.
daily basis. This type of coach knows The holes that Elder left
how tough it can be to complete the behind will be tough to fill, but with
normal load of homework assigned proper research and interviews of each
every night, along with football candidate, the program can soon be
practice and a job. Coaching better than ever. The decisions made
experience on the high school level today can affect the team for the next
is crucial as well. You can’t hand decade, we should use caution before
the program over to someone who making such a drastic change.
February Sports 16

Sporting the ultimate

Michael Worley
Senior Jonathon Scharr (right) fully extends his body to catch the Frisbee as Junior Matthew Dalmau (left) attempts
to defend the incoming attack. The two play every Friday afterschool with the rest of the Ultimate Frisbee Club members.

BY JONATHAN GRIFFITH
JohnathanGregoryGriffith@gmail.com
The common chaos,
competition and training that is a part
of the tryout process in most school
sponsored sports is not appreciated
by senior Sean Roberts. Roberts, who
participated in the JCC youth basketball
league as a child enjoys the passion,
skills, and excitement that sports have
to offer but can’t stand it when players
take competition too seriously. For this
reason, Roberts has created the Ultimate
Frisbee Club; students can now take
part in school related sports that do not
mandate competition. The club does
not require any athletic experience or
ability, just a good attitude and a will to
play the game.
“I just wanted to start a sport
at school, that students didn’t have
to try out for,” Roberts said. Roberts
started the Ultimate Frisbee Club late in
2007 and was shocked with the number
of students who showed up for the first
meeting in December.
“I couldn’t believe about 40
kids came out to play Frisbee,” Roberts
said. “I’m really glad someone made
a club for Frisbee, we had been talking
about it for a while, but now it’s a reality,”
senior club member Ryan Verola said.
Very active in the school’s
extracurricular activities and loved by
students around the campus, English
teacher, Mr. Boone, is the club sponsor.
“Why’d I do it? Because some
kid asked me to be a sponsor, I didn’t
think much of it, figuring it would be
just a few kids,” Boone said. “I expected
maybe 10 kids, when 40 showed up to
the first meeting I had to rethink things,
this club was serious.”
The objective of Ultimate is to
score points by receiving a teammate’s
pass in the opponent’s end zone,
Robert Yanks
similar to an end zone
in American football or
rugby. Players may not run
while holding the disc which
makes it necessary to pass in
order to advance the disc. Fouls
can be called if a defender physically
prevents the attacker from throwing
the Frisbee or puts any other player in
danger. The referee is responsible for
calling the fouls and makes sure play is
legal and fair.
The club has a meeting once or
twice a month on Friday’s in room 213.
They remain indoors for a few minutes
until the club is quickly moved to the
athletic fields. Billy R. Gill Stadium is
the field of preference but the members
play where ever space is available.
Depending on the amount of students
on any given Friday, the club will split
into two games to accommodate the
crowd.
The first collegiate ultimate
club
w a s
formed
by Hollywood
producer, Joel Silver, when he arrived
at Lafayette College in 1970, the first
intercollegiate competition was held at
Rutgers, between Rutgers and Princeton
on November 6, 1972. Now, after 30
years, Ultimate is being brought to
Cooper City High School.
Roberts and Boone have high
expectations for the club and hope to
eventually create an interscholastic team
and league to help spread the popularity
of the up and coming sport. All students
are welcomed and encouraged to come
out and play whether they have a lot of
athletic ability or none at all.

Robert Yanks

Members of the Ultimate Frisbee club enjoy the camaraderie of the game. Senior Jason Kroon attempts a back handed pass while
The club is not only for competition, but for friendship and teamwork as well. Sophomore Brock Snider tries to block the Frisbee’s path.