THE PANTHER PRESS The Voice of Career High School

December 2017 New Haven, CT careerpantherpress.weebly.com

Coronation: Career’s Purple Carpet

Tajah Menafee

(Left: Mr. and Ms. Career, Marvin Delgado and DeAsia Ramos. Right: Mr. and Ms. Senior, Mondre Credle
and Tahnele Everett)

On Friday, December 2nd, the Coronation dance was held in the Jonathan Heller Gymnasium. Students en-
joyed their time at the “Career’s World Tour” -themed event, dancing and singing with friends, meeting new
people, and waiting to see who got crowned as Coronation royalty.

For the Coronation committee, which worked tirelessly along with advisors Mrs. Lavorgna and Mr. McTague,
the night was a success. “I liked the decorations!” said senior Marrilee May.

For many, the highlight of the night was hanging out with friends. “I liked that I got compliments, I got to see
my friends and have a good time,” said senior Brenda Alexander. Freshman Mary Orta agreed: “I liked how
everyone was getting along and dancing with each other.” “We liked hanging with our friends,” said juniors
Briana Phouadara and Emily Aguierre.

One moment people eagerly waited for was the crowning of the Coronation royalty. For many, getting
crowned felt like a proud moment. “It felt great to know that I have friends that support me, and I’m proud that
I even had the courage to run,” said Ms. Junior Maya Joyner. “It feels normal... being Ms.Senior is nothing but
a title,” said senior Tahnele Everett. “It felt good to have stepped out of my bubble and done something I
would not have done before,” said Mr. Career Marvin Delgado.
Story continues on page 3 (Coronation, Continued)

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Coronation, Continued
A lot of the students who were crowned overcame some nerves on the
night of Coronation. “At first, I was nervous but once they called my
name, I wasn’t so nervous,” said Joyner. “I was nervous, I didn’t think I
was going to win! So it was a surprise,” said Ms. Career DeAsia Ramos.
“At first I was hesitant because of the competition that I would be up
against. But I decided to sign up regardless of who would be running.”
said Mr. Senior Mondre Credle.

Most who were crowned had some words of encouragement for their fel-
low students. “If you want to run, do it. Don’t second guess yourself or
be nervous. You just have to be confident,” said Deasia Ramos. “Have
good sportsmanship if you have anyone running against you...be compet-
itive, but remember it's all about the fun of it,” said Marvin Delgado.
Tahnele Everett echoed that statement. “Do it to have fun and make new
experiences and don’t take it too serious because it's only a title,” said
Everett. Mr. Freshman, Billie Ricks, promoted confidence and sports-
manship. “Just believe in yourself, don’t let people bring you down, and
don’t make fun of the people you’re running against,” said Ricks.

Ms. Sophomore, Tayona Williams, promoted a balanced approach to

Coronation. “Stay true to yourself the whole way through, Don’t let the
title get to your head, and also remember that this isn’t everything. Yes,
it's a nice accomplishment, but there are other priorities you should focus
on, like passing your classes.”

The Panther Press: The Voice of Career High School

The Panther Press is a squad of students dedicated to getting the truth out to the public. We are determined to
give the people of Hill Regional Career High School a respectful voice.
2017-2018 Staff Writers

Beatriz Cartagena Melanie Velez Jordin Evans Imani Gonzalez Patrick Henri
Edilzar Mazariegos Josh Wallace Jon Melendez Tajah Menafee Marlon Myers
Alexandra Rosario Yaira Roman Jordan Nieves Thais Saucedo Jadyn Sledge

Ronnie Echevarria Henry Smith IV Christian Soarez Carlos Tafoya Anthony Troche

Solomon Bailey Sidem Yilmaz Shaun Sloley

December Contributing Writers

Karen Arredondo
Faculty Advisor: Ms. Murphy
Visit us online at careerpantherpress.weebly.com. Contact us at careerpantherpress@gmail.com

2
Honor Society Welcomes New Members
Ronnie Echevarria

(New National Honor Society members pose with their certificates. Photo/Ronnie Echevarria)

On December 7th, at approximately 5:30 in the evening, Career High School’s academically brightest were in-
ducted into the National Honor Society at Career’s own auditorium, to recognize and appreciate the exemplary
qualities of said students. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 and still runs strong today. Accord-
ing to www.nhs.us, the National Honor Society is “...more than just an honor roll,” and primarily exists to rec-
ognize those students who have “...demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and
character.” Only students who go above and beyond what is expected of them find a place in the NHS.

For those looking to get into the National Honor Society, specifically underclassmen, the inductees and admin-
istration have some parting advice. “It’s great to have a strong academic foundation, of course,” says Career’s
principal, Dr. Zakia Parrish. “Establish a good rapport with your teachers, and get good leadership positions,
because that’s what they’re looking for,” adds Seth Dalmacio, a new inductee.

“The National Honor Society...recognizes students for their achievements academically, their character, their
service of community- and they’re put through a pretty intensive interview application process, and when
they’re accepted they join this sort of national society that [...] carries a great deal of weight,” says Bridget Cor-
coran, a Career administrator who attended the induction.

The auditorium was filled with a palpable air of excitement as proud parents, guardians, siblings, and friends
watched the inductees proceed single file to the stage. English teacher Karen Robinson, the National Honor So-
ciety Advisor, opened with the pledge of allegiance, and Dyuthi Mathews and Selma Abouneamea, two Career
seniors (the Historian and Vice President, respectively) followed it up with a description of the four qualities
the National Honor Society upholds: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.

For each quality, a candle on a podium was lit, initiating the formal candlelight ceremony. The inductees stood
in a line and lit one another’s candles to commemorate the induction. Each student stepped forward individually
to accept their membership as the auditorium filled with pride and clapping, one proud father rising above the
rest with full-blown whooping and cheering, giving the event a much more light-hearted atmosphere. The en-
tirety of the induction was followed by a big, cheery dinner in the library that contrasted the formal air of the
induction event.

“[The] National Honor Society, to me, is the epitome of what it means to be an honorable student,” says Abou-
neamea. Mathews chimes in: “It feels nice to be a part of something that aims to encourage kids to do their
best.”
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Mosque Attack in Egypt Kills 305
Christian Soarez

Militants entered a mosque in Egypt and opened fire on a huge crowd of people after a bomb was detonated,
causing an extreme amount of casualties on November 24th. At least 305 people were killed and 128 were
wounded throughout the ordeal, leaving Egypt in national mourning for three days. ISIS and other terrorist
groups have been attempting to induce much terror across the globe. In Egypt, at least 27 children were slain.
Children should never fall victim to violence, especially when they have a bright future ahead of them.

ISIS and other terror groups tend to target areas which have large capacities of pedestrians to attack. This caus-
es an extreme amount of casualties and strikes fear into many others. Not only this but, they often attack inside
buildings which obviously causes panic among the people there, making it overwhelming for most people
when trying to get out or escape. The Sinai mosque was also threatened by terrorists about having worship
within the mosque, but did not bend to them.

The first thing to learn about situations such as this is to listen to warnings with caution and take threats seri-
ously, especially from a group who is already known throughout the world as a major threat to society. Senior
Career student Jana Hassan, whose family hails from Egypt, spoke about life in Egypt. “Life was always okay,
but I never really stayed there long enough to really see what it is like. But my family always tells me that it’s
a great time and there are so many traditions that can be taught there-- along with its historical background.
The people there who are being terrorized shouldn’t be going through any of that, it's a nightmare and families
and friends are constantly losing each other. If I were to give a message to Egypt and its people it would be to
stay strong and determined, because those are only things that keep people going.”

Connecticut and other states should take note of what is going on and take appropriate measures to make sure
that the people are secured in the best way possible. Simple police guarding is not going to be adequate. The
UK is a prime example of taking new measures. They are working to stop threats early, which allows them to
better see who is in charge of the plot itself. If everyone can adapt to that technique, we’d see fewer attacks
and we’d be better able to prevent them in the future.

In the News: What is Bitcoin?

Carlos Tafoya

Bitcoin is an known as a cryptocurrency on the internet that has re-

cently exploded in value in 2017, so much that one bitcoin is equiv-
alent to more than $17,000 dollars as of December 14 2017. At the
beginning of the year, it started off at $1,000 dollars and it is still
rising in price. The reason it has shot up in value is simply because
people seem to believe in this currency and are investing in it.

Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous person using the

name “Satoshi Nakamoto” online, and it was worth virtually noth-
ing.

A bitcoin back in 2010 was worth about $0.07. If you invested back then, that price could have gone up by
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since then, anybody who has money to spend has been able to invest in
bitcoin.

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How bitcoins are managed is through mining. This is when a “miner” goes onto their computer and collects a
few pending transactions. These transactions are from people who send their bitcoins to other people or just
need to send them somewhere. After this, a software made specifically for mining converts them into a mathe-
matical puzzle or problem. These problems are made very complex so that it keeps everyone from getting too
many bitcoins. Once the miner solves the problem, it rewards them with twenty-five bitcoins. This only hap-
pens when 99 of these transactions have been added to the “ledger,” which is a collection of financial accounts.
After this is completed, the network is updated, the bitcoin is verified and goes where it needs to.

To mine bitcoins you need to have a powerful computer with the best hardware because these problems take up
a large amount of storage. On regular computers, the process would be very slow, even if you upgrade it with
graphic cards or processors. Miners basically use supercomputers for this, or they can work in groups to com-
bine their computing power.
If you don’t have the resources to mine, there are still other ways to get bitcoins as an average person. You
don’t need to spend thousands of dollars; you can buy a portion of it. For example, you can buy $100 worth of
bitcoin and build up your investment from there. There are also many websites and sources online that can help
you with the basics to get started.

Welcome, Mr. Loman!

Patrick Henri

As the new school year began, students returned to their favorite

teachers. Students at Career have also started to adjust to the new
teachers who’ve joined the faculty. Lots of the new teachers are
teaching interesting courses at Career. Fortunately, we have a lot of
great new teachers who’ve come from other schools. Over the sum-
mer, they’ve prepared for this new challenge. It takes a lot of hard
work being a High school teacher, especially at a new school. Busi-
ness teacher Mr.Loman is Career’s newest face and is accepting the
challenge here at Career.

Patrick Loman is a new business teacher at Career. Mr.Loman has

taught for twelve and a half years. Mr. Loman said he has wanted to
teach since he was a child. His teaching goes beyond books; Mr. Lo-
man said he’s accomplished a lot before the accepting the position at
Career. He’s taught boat navigating, taught boat license courses, has
taught his former high school students how to build boats, engineer-
ing, and drafting. He’s also taught video production and web page
design. Most of his teaching involved a lot of hands on activity; formerly, he’d be teaching approximately 70
students per block. Mr. Loman is versatile and is more than qualified to lead our students at Career.

Mr. Loman came to Career after teaching for seven and a half years in Bridgeport, two years in in Oxford, and
3 years at West Haven. This year, Mr.Loman said he’s teaching Web Design, Computer Apps, and Digital Me-
dia. Mr. Loman said he’s liking his job at Career, saying that it’s a “good environment” because the teachers
are helpful and lots of the students are ready to learn, so he’s been able to adjust quite nicely. For Mr.Loman
it's been an easy transition even though he says that the biggest difference from his other schools is the block
periods; he says he’s used to seven to eight classes in a day. He’s very excited and happy about having this
teaching opportunity.

On behalf of Career, The Panther Press welcomes Mr. Loman to the family!
5
Senior Ewing Researches Fall Prevention
Imani Gonzalez

On Friday, December 15, anxious seniors crowded the library as they waited to present their capstone projects.
Senior capstone is a graduation requirement at Career, where students pursue a project they’re passionate
about while fulfilling the components of the 21st Century Rubrics. One especially impressive project on Friday
came from senior Mackenzie Ewing, who did her senior capstone on fall prevention.

Fall prevention avoids accidental injury through falling. Most people do not realize the seriousness when deal-
ing with this topic. Have you ever experienced a grandmother, aunt, or any older relative fall? If you haven’t,
then visualize an older relative taking a tumble down a flight of stairs, moaning and aching in pain. Your first
reaction would be to ask if she is ok and attend to her aid. Now, if your best friend were to take that same tum-
ble, you would burst out in laughter because you’d know they are ok. Most people that fall on average are fine,
but with older people, they are fragile and are more vulnerable to breaking a bone.

Mackenzie Ewing did her capstone to show all of the ways people --elderly people especially-- can prevent
these accidents. One reason she wanted to pursue this topic was because of a summer program called
“PRIDE.” She worked with people who have experienced this and wanted to help.

As part of her project, Mackenzie held a community event at a senior

housing facility. She also did a presentation on fall prevention. At her
community event, she informed the staff and patients about how easy it is
to fall and what we can do to prevent this.

She demonstrated ways that people with a disability or the elderly can stop
this from happening. For example, one way of stopping this in hospitals is
to have patients wear the “Ruby Red Slippers.” In the hospital, “Ruby Red
Slippers” are socks that contain grippers at the bottom to prevent falling
amongst the patients. If a patient is seen wearing these, you know that they
are a patient who has a risk of falling.

Through her capstone on this important topic, the most difficult task for
Mackenzie was finding a senior housing facility to hold this event. She
thought about using the school gymnasium, but what better place to use
than an actual nursing facility where people are more likely to get hurt?
“Every 20 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall,” says Mackenzie. “I
wanted people to understand that this statistic was true.”

Want to see your name in print? Do you want to gain experience in

journalism?
Want to boost your resume?
Write for the Panther Press!
We need writers to help cover sports at Career, submit opinion articles, send in poetry and art, and anything
else you can think of.
Email careerpantherpress@gmail.com to get started.
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Senior Echevarria Educates Peers About
PTSD
Shaun Sloley

On December 7, Senior Ronnie Echevarria presented as

part of their Capstone project about the mental condi-
tion known as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
and the misconceptions about it. Ronnie included de-
tails about why PTSD is a problem in the world, and
how it affects people. Ronnie presented to Mr. Bren-
nan’s 4B AP Psychology class about how PTSD is a
very important issue that needs more attention due to
many people’s lack of education about it.

In reality, anyone can have PTSD, and the side effects

are not always apparent in some people. It is hard to
know who is suffering from the illness. Ronnie states
that their goal with this project is to spread awareness
about PTSD and debunk the several misconceptions
about it. They stated that they want to “get rid of the
stigma surrounding it, especially in Western society.”

As a PTSD survivor, Ronnie seemed very passionate

about the issue. With their struggles, they want to help
others have an easier time dealing with the disorder by
helping people understand it.

Their presentation was indeed very informative and useful to Ronnie educates Mr. Brennan’s class about
the students of the class. As the presentation was taught to a PTSD. (Photo/Shaun Sloley)
psychology class, the information was very connected to the
curriculum. Mr. Brennan stated, “the 4B class overall just on an
intellectual level benefited from the presentation.” He described how he could see the students thinking about
the information and how interested they were in it. Ronnie went over misconceptions such as how men are
supposedly diagnosed more with PTSD. This statement is false; women are actually diagnosed more often than
men. Ronnie also explained how people with mental illness are typically not dangerous, contrary to what some
may believe.

This information was presented in a form that was easy to understand and very informative. The classes also
gave some good feedback about the issue of PTSD with their questions and were very receptive towards Ron-
nie’s presentation. Overall, Ronnie’s message is powerful: be kind, because at the end of the day, you don’t
know what a person is going through.

PTSD is common and it is treatable.

If you want to talk, go to a trusted adult to learn about resources to
help.

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Club Feature: Anime Club
Thais Saucedo

Anime is a Japanese term for hand-drawn or comput-

er animation. The word is the abbreviated pronuncia-
tion of "animation" in Japanese, where this term ref-
erences all animation. Some people really don’t
know what Anime is-- and until this past week. I did-
n’t know what it was either.

Even if you aren't familiar with Anime, you might

know it’s very popular. It’s also very unique. It’s not
something you hear of every day or really see people
talking about. Career has an Anime club, which
meets Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30-4:30.

The Anime club president is sophomore Veronica

Borowski. Veronica got involved in the club since
she has always been fascinated by Anime. In order to
start the club, Veronica had to complete some paper-
work, but being able to have the club makes it worth
it.It might surprise some students to know that the
Anime club is not small; many students come by
Anime Club President Veronica Borowski (Photo/Thais
each week. Saucedo)
There are many genres to Anime. “It’s like TV shows, but drawn out,” says Jalen Alvarado, a club member
who says he has always liked Anime. Sophomore Emily Cervantes says she joined the club from her love of
Anime, while sophomore Seyna Ndiaye says that “it’s nice to have something in common.”

If you find Anime interesting, you should definitely join Career’s Anime club. You won’t regret it if you love
Anime and want to meet new people. Trying new clubs in high school can be very exciting, so give Anime
club a try.

Unreliability in Forensic Science

Anthony Troche

For years, forensic science has been used to solve mysteries and grim murders that can not be seen with a first
glance of a human eye. However, according to past accounts, the true reality is that not all forensic “science” is
backed by scientific research. This can cause people to get accused for something they did not necessarily do.
As a matter of fact, according to The Innocence Project, misapplication of forensic science is the second most
common contributing factor to wrongful convictions, found in nearly half (46%) of DNA exoneration cases.

The one method that forensic science stands by which is referred to at the “gold standard” is DNA analysis.
Other than DNA analysis, the other methods of identifying in forensic science cannot always be trusted. Stud-
ies have demonstrated that forensic methods used in criminal cases cannot consistently produce accurate re-
sults. Examples would include bite marks and hair analysis. In September of 2016, the president's council has
stated that bite marks do not give accurate results. The Innocence Project/National Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers found that in cases from the 1970’s - 1999, of 268 cases where FBI hair analysis lead to a
conviction, 257 of those cases had a use of flawed forensic testimony.
8
Not only is bite mark analysis and hair analysis considered unreliable, but by many sources so are fingerprints.
According to the FBI, fingerprint analysis can have a false positive rate as high as 1 error in 306 cases.

An American man named Brandon Mayfield was a victim of bad forensics when was wrongfully accused for
the Madrid train bombings in 2004, when investigators traced a set of fingerprints found on the detonators
back to him. But they then realized that there has been another match to another man that is native to Spain.

At Hill Regional Career High School, Ms.Scheetz, forensic science teacher, said, “I think people often get con-
fused with the amount of work it takes to to solve a criminal case with forensics.” When asked about the recent
accusations of the unreliability of forensics, she stated that “high school forensics is just an introduction to the
subject. We aren’t actually solving any criminal cases and are not professionals by any means. We just learn
basics of what needs to be known.”

In addition, Ms. Scheetz cautions students from believing everything they see on TV. Very often, forensics-
based shows often show an unreal side of forensics. Scheetz stated that “shows like Law and Order and Foren-
sic Files often make it seem like crimes get solved in an instant and computers do all the work.”

Career Profile: Officers Bell and Gibbs

Beatriz Cartagena

High school security guards go through so much stress on a daily basis. We students might not always see it,
but they do so much to keep us and our school safe. Whenever something goes down, like an argument or a
fight between students, they are the first ones to put themselves at risk to stop the altercation.

Officer Bell, a security guard here at Career, says that he first started looking into the job in 2010. He took
classes and training in Wallingford. Bell says his least favorite part of the job is getting up early. But other
than that, he loves and is very committed to his job. He says he likes interacting with the students. He doesn’t
like getting disrespected, but when he does, he thinks to himself that those kids don’t know any better. Bell
doesn’t take it to the heart, though he does believe that many kids have it “sweet” and they don’t have any re-
spect for authority.

It’s easy to see how the school security guards support students each day. While I was at the security guard
booth, I witnessed how both Officers Bell and Gibbs--another security guard-- gave valuable advice to a stu-
dent who stopped by. Our security guards can really be helpful if we listen to them. I strongly admire how they
have so many responsibilities and personal issues, and still manage to be here for the students in Career. Our
security guards always have to be alert of any circumstance or situation that can and might come up.

Henry Smith, a Career senior, says that he believes that security guards have to deal with too many little and
silly situations, such as when students get out of class. He also thinks it’s a shame when security guards are
forced to break up fights-- especially ones that get dangerous for both the students and the guards.

I like when I see students communicating and having productive conversations with the security officers.
That’s really what they’re here for-- to look out for us and give us advice that can help us in the long run.

Students should take into consideration all that the security guards do for us and what they are willing to do as
well. It’s really a difficult job, even though they make it look easy. They have many obstacles in their way on a
daily basis and still manage to overcome them, making them role models for Career students.

9
Senior Matute Advocates for a Plan C
Patrick Henri

For seniors at Career, one of the final tests is the capstone project. A
capstone is a major project which is a graduation requirement at Ca-
reer. Seniors are responsible for piecing together a presentation that
shows work they’ve done that relates to a project that they’re pas-
sionate about. Presentations are judged by 3 teachers who use a ru-
bric to give a pass or fail grade. Most seniors put lots of effort and
emotion into their presentations.

On December 15th, senior Edward Matute, a business student at Ca-

reer, opened up about his capstone project, which he called Plan C.
For Edward, a Plan C is something everyone should consider. In his
Capstone, Matute explained how there are many alternatives to go-
ing to a university. He suggested that if you are someone who plans
to work right after high school, then Plan C may be the right move
for you.

The Plan C engages students from 8th grade to 12th grade. Edward
stated that only 57% of students who graduate from college can af-
ford their university education. In addition, many students lack the
necessary qualifications to attend a university.. Edward proposed
that a trade school can be a better fit because universities are expen-
sive and require high SAT scores and/or GPAs.

However, this doesn't mean that the road to college is a dead end; it might take a longer process to attend a
university, but attending a trade school puts you in a position to make money in a shorter time. In the future,
Edward would like to further his education in college in case things fall apart.

According to Edward, most trades open many doors and opportunities. The statistics Edward provided at his
presentation reflect the success and wealth of several skilled trade positions. Statistics Edward provided stated
that these are the salaries of skilled careers today: Truck Drivers accumulate about $39,400, a General Manag-
er earns $43,900, Postal Worker earns $50,000 to $55,000, Licensing Examiners earns $69,180, a Ship Cap-
tain makes $83,150, and a Diesel Mechanic makes $38,900. Edward informed his audience that these careers
don’t require college degrees. Said Matute, “56% of People who go to college graduate.” By using a Plan C,
Edward explains, he won’t waste his money at a 4 year college and end up paying back loans for his entire life.

In the future, Edward aspires to start his own business and pursue a trade in the Electrical Engineering field.
He says that he wants to be in the Engineering field and be an established entrepreneur in a projected 5 to 10
years, and he’ll know what to expect because of his business background at Career.

Edward’s advice to students choosing an alternative route after graduating high school is to research the trades
that you’re interested in, because there are thousands of them out there that may interest you. He expressed
that there should be passion in your Plan C, so if you have passion, don’t let anything or anyone discourage
your decision.

10
Career Profile: Ms. Huckabey, School Counselor
Beatriz Cartagena

It takes a lot to be a school counselor. Counselors often have

more than 500 kids coming to them when something is needed.
A school counselor must be trustworthy and dedicated in help-
ing students navigate themselves through their high school
years. Some students might think that high school counselors
are too busy to be helpful, but in reality, that is never the case.
They provide plenty of advice and they are always willing to
give you their time to make sure that you feel comfortable in
school.

One beloved school counselor at Career High School is Ms.

Huckabey. Surprisingly, however, Ms. Huckabey says that she
didn’t start out wanting to be a school counselor. At first, she
didn’t know what she wanted to do. She started off in nursing;
she went to school here at Career and studied in the medical
field. Ms. Huckabey then decided that nursing wasn’t for her.
She went to UConn and studied in a program called “Human
Development and Family Studies.” Then, she continued on and
studied child development, which she says she “always en-
joyed.”

It took a special person to help inspire Ms. Huckabey in her

career choices. Ms. Solomon was a counselor and an assistant
principal here at Career when Ms. Huckabey was a student. Ms. Huckabey studied Ms. Solomon and she
looked up to her and admired her. Ms. Huckabey searched on the internet to research the idea of becoming
a school counselor. She then started working with a non-profit organization called “Best Buddies.” With
this program, Ms. Huckabey managed 26 schools, and by then, Ms. Solomon was her mentor.

Ms. Huckabey got her bachelor's degree at UConn, her masters at Southern Connecticut, and did 6 years in
school for school counseling. She got a job here at Career as a “career services manager.” Sadly, Ms. Solo-
mon passed away during Ms. Huckabey’s first year working here. Ms. Huckabey is very proud of being
here at Career.

Ms. Huckabey says she loves her job. She says that one challenging part of her job is that there are “so
many different aspects” and that she can “lose the moment with the students.” Other challenges include lots
of meetings and paperwork. The best part of her job is that the students “make her day”. She likes being
able to help students and ensure they stay on track.

Ms. Huckabey loves the fact that she gets to build a lot of relationships with students and families. She
loves getting to see students develop, and she gets to see all of the different successes. And Career is like a
family; simply, she says, “purple and gold runs in my blood.”

11
Club Feature: Philosophy Club
Christian Soarez

There are many clubs that exist within Career, all of them offering new knowledge and new experience.
Whether it’s something you’re already interested in or just want to try it, it’s more than likely that you will en-
joy a new experience when you try a club for the first time.

Philosophy club is a very new group at Career, and already it has quite a few members. They have discussions
about the nature of knowledge and plenty of other things as well, with students having new questions each
time they come in. Two students who participate in this club, Jorge Blanco and Rich Tran, are both heavily
involved in the group and love all aspects about it.

Why philosophy? Ancient philosophers were said to be very wise and known for their impact on society, and
even today they are still praised. A well-known philosopher you may have learned about in classes would be
Aristotle. He contributed to almost every aspect of what we know today, from logic to advanced biology.
Learning about philosophy is valuable; regardless of your specific interests, it’s always good to have some sort
of knowledge about life’s basic principles.

Junior Rich Tran believes that people should seek to know more about philosophy and its findings, as it teach-
es people about other things that should be focused on in life besides academics. When asked about why it is
an important thing for students, Tran said that “The truth and values in life are important. They should be em-
braced, because they give other people in society knowledge that can be passed down to the world.”

There are so many things that change through life, and it’s not just about school. It’s good to be well-rounded
rather than one-sided, and philosophy helps students explore their own paths.

There are posters around the school that relay information to others about this club and where to find mem-
bers. Each member is happy to meet new people and introduce them to Philosophy Club and its many benefits.

#Throwback: High School in Canada

Melanie Velez

This is the second installment in a series of articles in which reporter Melanie Velez interviews adults about
their own high school experiences.

Mr. Merk, Career history teacher, went to St. Robert Catholic High School in Gormley, Ontario, Canada. Mr.
Merk did not have the typical high school experience; in fact, Mr. Merk dropped out of high school. He says,
“high school was difficult for me, and tedious.” He felt that school wasn’t educational to him except for read-
ing a lot and learning to write well.

Mr. Merk sees big differences between Career and his own high school. He says, “My high school was highly
physically punitive, while Career just gives detentions,” which gives insight to understand why he didn’t like
his high school years very much.

Later, Mr. Merk returned to an adult alternative high school and is now teaching today. He says he likes teach-
ing at Career in this generation if the classes are not too large in size and if the students are willing to learn.

Mr. Merk’s story shows that it doesn’t matter if your path veers off for a short period of time. If you keep try-
ing, once you get up on your feet, you can pursue what you love. Mr. Merk didn’t stop his education. In fact,
he worked that much harder for it.
12
Understanding Autism: A Reflection
Karen Arredondo

Autism is a developmental disorder. It is not just a

mental disorder or a disability like most people think.
Autism affects a child’s development by affecting
they way they talk (though sometimes they don't talk
at all) and by affecting the way they see others around
them.

My own experience with autism comes from a family

friend, Lisete. Lisete has a 4-year-old son named Se-
bastian. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3,
but even before he was diagnosed, Lisete knew there
was something different about him. He did not know
how to speak at all, and he did not interact with other
kids.

When Lisete took Sebastian to the doctor, she found

out he had autism. After that, Lisete and I become
really close and I helped her take care of Sebastian
when she needed it. Taking care of Sebastian was not
Karen presents the “End the Word” pledge project to a
something easy because sometimes I was trying to un-
sophomore class. For more information, see r-word.org. derstand what he wanted, but it was almost impossible
since he did not communicate with me and he would
only point at things he wanted. Sebastian is a really special kid, and today, he and I are really close. I try talk-
ing to him and help him communicate. It’s not something easy, but he is learning. He has special preferences
that I have learned; for example, he does not like kissing or hugging at all. Hugging or kissing is something
that makes him very uncomfortable.

Sebastian, finds it difficult to communicate with others. Lisete says, “the only words he can say is mom and
dad...when he wants something he just points at things.” In addition, many people don’t understand the way
that Sebastian reacts to situations where he’s uncomfortable. “He gets frustrated when something is not going
the way he wants,” says Lisete. “Everything has to be perfect for him to be ok.”

At first, Lisete was confused when she realized her son was not developing typically. She was not sure of why
this was happening. When he was diagnosed with autism, the simple word made her uncomfortable because
she thought that autism meant being crazy; she was not familiar with what autism really is. Lisete said, “I was
shocked, and mad at myself because I thought I did something wrong.”

As time went on, Lisete and I learned more about autism. I did my research and everything I learned I shared
with her. First, we learned that autism does not mean crazy; instead, it is a developmental disorder. We learned
that every kid with autism has a different behavior. Many kids with autism can read, write, and speak with no
problems. But others can have a difficult time with speaking, reading, and writing.

After all the challenges, Lisete wants people to know that her son “is a normal kid, he is just a little different,
but he is a normal kid.” People should know that a kid with autism might have special needs, and they can also
be sensitive to certain things. People should stop judging instead of understanding what is happening to a kid
with autism; sometimes the way people see things is not the way things are.

13
Ask the Panther
Dear Panther,

I am a freshman at Career, and it’s December and I still feel like I don’t know anyone. Almost all my friends
from middle school went to a different high school, and I wasn’t able to go with them. It feels like everyone
came in already knowing a whole group of people. I want it to either get better, or I want to transfer, but I
don’t want to mess up my credits. I wanted to come here, and I want it to work out, but I don’t want to be that
loner for all four years.

Thanks,

Frustrated Freshman

Dear Frustrated Freshman,

You might feel lonely at first and feel like people are staring at you because you feel like the loner in the
school, but I’m 100% sure half of the school came to Career not knowing anyone here and feeling the same
way. You’re not alone. It's all about taking advantage of new things and having the courage to getting to know
people, as well as asking for help when you need it. It can all start through a single casual conversation, which
leads to the next, and so on and so forth.

If you’re not a conversationalist, then start slow and simply— for example, asking someone a question in class
or working on a group project— to work on your people skills. These are skills you need throughout your
whole life, but it’s hard because to make conversations easier, self-confidence is helpful. If you’re not feeling
confident, ask yourself what would make you feel better or stronger. You need to make sure you are confident
in your words and actions. If you are not, then do yourself a favor and make whatever change you want to
make yourself happy. Don't listen to the criticism of others. In my experience, most “criticism” we face from
others is actually imagined in our own minds, anyway.

To meet more new people, school activities are one main reason students interact with each other. For in-
stance, there are school clubs that may interest you like robotics or art, as well as all sorts of athletics if you’re
interested in sports and being active. Around this time of the year you can join Boys Basketball, Girls Basket-
ball, Indoor Track, and Cheerleading. Clubs like anime, book club, GSA, and art club are always open. If
you’re interested in knowing what clubs are available, just ask a counselor and they will inform you. If you
have a favorite teacher, you can ask if they advise a club for a more comfortable or familiar setting.

If you're still having trouble making friends, or if you are constantly feeling anxious or sad, then speak to an
adult about the problems you're having. There is nothing wrong with asking for help—it takes a strong person
to do so.

Good luck,

Panther

Problems? Ask the Panther.

We know that high school can be rough. Use the anonymous form at careerpantherpress.weebly.com to ask
the Panther for advice. All questions are completely anonymous. No one, including the Panther Press staff,
has access to your name.
This column is not a substitute for professional help. If you're feeling distressed, go to your guidance counse-
lor or a trusted adult.
14
Suicide Prevention Requires Care, Outreach
Alexandra Rosario

Depression and suicide are very sensitive subjects, but they are things that need to be spoken about to bring
awareness of their harm. First of all, for those who may be having suicidal thoughts or feeling depression, you
are not alone. There are people who have been in those situations and conquered them; you can and will be a
member of that group of survivors. There are lots of things that can help you when you are in those trains of
what you think are endless thoughts. Speaking to school counselors and addressing what you feel can bring
relief into your life. Speaking about what you’re feeling will give you power, and you may be able to even take
that power and help many others relating to the situation that you are in. Never consider yourself alone, be-
cause you aren’t.

According to an article written in Time Magazine by Susanna Schrobsdorff, “a study of national trends in de-
pression among adolescents and young adults published in the journal Pediatrics on November 14 found that
the prevalence of teens who reported a MDE (Major Depressive Episode) in the previous 12 months jumped
from 8.7% in 2005 to 11.5% in 2014.” This study should open eyes to the struggles that have been occurring
in the daily lives of teens.

Parents need to be aware of these risks. Take consideration for your child's well-being and strengthen your re-
lationship with them. Children live their own lives and see things in their own ways, which makes them reach
their own conclusions. They may do this without their parents knowing. Because of that it is shown in one
study that “teens who have tried to attempt suicide, or tried to harm themselves, are most likely to try again to
kill or harm themselves if they think their parents or peers “invalidate” their feelings, people can feel invalidat-
ed if they feel someone’s not listening to them, or when someone negates their feelings” (Ronnie Cohen, Reu-
ters Health).

Career senior DeAsia Ramos completed a Capstone project about suicide prevention. In an interview, Ramos
said that “suicide prevention is important to me because my stepfather committed suicide in January and it is
something that made my mom and me depressed. A lot of people joke about suicide as in, ‘go kill yourself,’
but it's something that isn't a joke.”

DeAsia has become a survivor who is inspiring and helping others. If you ever need your voice heard or even
someone to depend on please call (1-800-273-8255) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, speak to a school
counselor, or reach out to a trusted adult.

15
STDs in Connecticut On the Rise
Henry Smith IV

From 2015 to 2016, STDs in

Connecticut have risen a tremen-
dous amount. According to the
Sexually Transmitted Disease
Surveillance Report, chlamydia
has risen across the United States
with 1,598,354 cases. Compared
to 2015, this has increased by
4.7%, Gonorrhea has risen
18.5%, making the number of
cases to be 468,514, and syphilis
has a 17.6% increase. This is
dangerous to the health and well-
being of young adults or teens,
with numbers that large making
STDs easier to catch.

Connecticut ranks as the 43rd state in cases of high-ranking STDs, which is not bad compared to other states
like Alaska, Louisiana, and North Carolina (the top 3 in the country) however, this doesn’t make it better just
because we have a lower rate. In Connecticut, the STD rates for cities are still high. The top 3 cities in Con-
necticut with the highest rates in STDs are New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford. Hartford has the highest out
of the three with rates with 1,689 Chlamydia cases and 415 Gonorrhea cases. Bridgeport had the second-
highest, with 1,254 and 314. Lastly, New Haven was the third-highest with 1,125 and 260.

Chlamydia is the most common STD in Connecticut, and is the one you have to look out for the most. It most
common in females than in males. Females will have symptoms of discharge, pain when urinating, bleeding
between menstrual cycles, lower bellyache, lower back pain, nausea, fever, pain during sex, and sore throat.
Symptoms that are less common but can still occur are itching and burning around the opening of the penis
and testicular pain and swelling. Gonorrhea may not be as common, but is still a concern to the people of Con-
necticut. People with gonorrhea may have similar symptoms to Chlamydia.

When asked why the rates of STDs are so high in teens and young adults, Career High School health teacher
Bonnie DiCocco stated, “I feel that teens and young adults may have that mindset that things will never occur
to them, and they engage in risk-taking behavior that may be harmful. They never really think about the con-
sequences of their actions.” Dicocco also stated “I also think maturity plays a major factor when it comes to
young people and taking risks.”

Teachers like DiCocco take their job seriously about raising awareness to prevent these cases from happening.
DiCocco says, “my job as a health educator is to make students aware of the STDs that are out there, and
some of the effects these STDs have on their daily lives. I also try to teach them the proper methods to protect
themselves from these diseases. I try to be as informative as possible when it comes to spreading awareness,
because this is a serious issue that students need to take into consideration when they are going to be engaging
in sexual activity.”

How can schools help students decrease their risks? “More education,” says DiCocco, “such as health classes
that keep young people informed, guest speakers, and medical professionals also can play a major role.”

16
With STDs on the rise, this is a very important issue that needs to addressed for both teens and adults. There
are many health clinics in CT to look to for treatment and testing. They are able to test you via urine sample or
even blood work, and some are able to visually test you. Some of these clinics are the Charter Oak Health Cen-
ter, the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, and the Hill Health Corporation. If you have questions, visit the
school nurse or the clinic on the first floor.

STDs Can Affect Pregnancy

Jadyn Shaunnyce Sledge

STDs during a pregnancy cannot only harm you, but also your developing child. Depending on what type of
STD you have it might not affect your baby at all. However, people shouldn’t be careless towards what can
cause harm, whether pregnant or not.

A STD can make your pregnancy harder than a regular pregnancy, causing serious problems with the mother
and developing child. Some of the problems may be noticed at birth or some may not be noticed until the child
is a year or two old. Another thing to take into consideration is a person with a STD is more likely to get in-
fected with HIV, which can cause worse problems. Most of these problems can be prevented if you receive
regular medical care during pregnancy. This includes tests for STDs starting early in pregnancy and repeated
close to delivery. Science teacher Mr. McTague stated, “some STDs can harm the fetus and others can’t. I also
know that nowadays, if the mother has AIDS or HIV, the baby won’t be born with it.”

Sex is not the only way of getting a STD, so you want to be really carefully, especially while pregnant. You
can be infected with Hepatitis B, which can survive on the outside of a human body for up to a week. This is
caused from dirty needles or other sharp surfaces/tools, or contact with open sores or blood of another infected
person. Personal belongs such as razors and toothbrushes are other materials that can cause this infection.

Human papillomavirus infection is an infection that causes warts in various parts of the body. Genital herpes is
a common sexually transmitted marked by genital pain and sores. Chlamydia is a common sexually transmit-
ted infection that may not cause symptoms. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that, if un-
treated, may cause infertility. HIV can develop into AIDS and interferes with the body's ability to fight infec-
tions.

Infections can be passed to your baby through the placenta, or transmitted when delivering your child. When a
STD is contacted with a newborn baby it can be life threatening, and can cause developing problems and long-
term irreversible health problems. It can be unsafe to breastfeed your baby after giving birth.

Be very careful with STDs, pregnant or not a STD can cause horrific problems with you and your fetus. Get
tested after coming in contact with anything that can cause an STD. If you feel like you have on get checked at
your local clinic or hospital.

17
Kwanzaa Lights Up December
Marlon Q. Myers

The word Kwanzaa comes from a phrase “matunda ya Kwanza,” which

means “first fruits” in Swahili. Families celebrate Kwanzaa differently. The
Kwanzaa celebration mostly contains dancing, poetry, songs, and a large tra-
ditional meal. Kwanzaa lasts seven nights, and on each of these nights, a
child in the family lights one of the candles on the kinara (which is a candle
holder). When one of the candles is lit, the family will discuss the seven prin-
ciples, also called the Nguzo Saba (“seven principles” in Swahili), meaning
the values of African-American culture. This helps build the community
among African-Americans. Each of the seven principles have a meaning that
can be guidelines to a wonderful life for the African-American community.

The first principle is unity, or umoja. Umoja means to have unity within fam-
ily, community, and race, which is very important for African-Americans to
have instead of being against each other.

The second principle is self-determination, or kujichagulia. This is to stand for yourself and create your own
name.

The third principle is collective work and responsibility, ujima, to build your community up and solve prob-
lems together as brother and sister.

The fourth principle is cooperative economics, ujamaa . This means to have your own businesses and profit off
them together.

The fifth principle is purpose, or nia, to rebuild and make the community bring out its true potential.

The sixth principle is Creativity. Kuumba is to do as much as you can to make your community beautiful and
leave it for younger generation to inherit.

The seventh principle is faith, imani, to believe in our people-- for example, our parents, teachers, and leaders.

There are also seven symbols that have a important meaning-- for example the candles and the candle holder
have their own important meaning for the holiday Kwanzaa.

To Mrs. Duff, Kwanzaa means “having culture, pride, living life by Kwanzaa principles, placing less on mate-
rial things and more on family.” Mrs. duff and her family celebrate Kwanzaa with her family recording plays,
singing, and dancing all the principles of Kwanzaa they do as a family and rewatch it the next day.

According to npr.org, only about two percent of Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. Mrs. Duff believes that if peo-
ple don't celebrate Kwanzaa, they should at least understand the ideas behind kwanzaa because the principles
have a good meaning of living your life with purpose, “having self-determination and speaking for yourself,
because on TV, we’re not presented in a positive way, but Kwanzaa is a complete opposite. We should be
proud of how we are presented and creating that positive image for ourselves. Even if [people] don't celebrate
Kwanzaa, they should understand the meaning.”

The seven principles of Kwanzaa all play a huge part in the lives of the people that celebrate it. To Mrs.
Duff imani, or faith. is her favorite principle. “Imani means the most to me, actually it's the day we celebrate
Kwanzaa on the last day and the name is so beautiful. In order to make changes, you have to believe and have
faith.”
18
Other symbols of Kwanzaa also hold meaning. Mrs. Duff says, “corn would symbolize the children in the fam-
ily, because you want them to grow tall and strong like corn. That one means a lot to me because my family is
really important to me. The variety of fruits would mean to have a fruitful life and produce good things.”

Mrs. Duff started celebrating Kwanzaa when she was working at the WYBC radio station and a guy gave her a
book about Kwanzaa. Her aunt, who was very into African-American culture, also mentioned Kwanzaa to her,
but reading the short book about Kwanzaa made her want to celebrate.”I was in college at time trying to figure
out who I was still and after reading the book it really resonated with me, and gave me a positive direction on
what I want to be in life,” says Mrs. Duff. “I hope the celebration of Kwanzaa is celebrated in my family
through generations, even the kids that are adults now still take part in organize Kwanzaa and the middle
schoolers that participate in it.” For people who want to celebrate something else that may be good for you as a
person, consider Kwanzaa.

Christmas: The Unknown History

Jordin Evans

As you all know, Christmas is a holi-

day that occurs on the 25th of Decem-
ber every year. Most people exchange
presents, decorate the house, put up a
Christmas tree, make their look fes-
tive, throw parties, and gather with
family. But does everyone know the
true meaning behind Christmas and
the deep history behind it?

Yes, Christmas is an annual festival.

But what some people don’t know is
that Christmas is a annual festival that
celebrates the birth of Jesus. The peo-
(Photo/jonvilma.com) ple who do know that, assume that it's
the day of his birth. However, no matter
how many sources try to convince you, no
one really knows the official date of Jesus’s birth. Jesus was not born on Christmas. His birth is celebrated on
this holiday because of the late bishop of Rome, Pope Julius I. In the year of 366, he declared that the birth of
Jesus would be celebrated every 25th of December.

Another thing that’s very popular about Christmas is the tradition of Santa Claus. In 1881, a political cartoon-
ist named Thomas Nast illustrated the poem “Twas The Night Before Christmas,” creating an image of what
Santa Claus still looks like up to this day. Younger audiences tend to celebrate the existence of Santa Claus
because they believe that he climbs into their chimney at night and drops off their presents.

The idea of Santa Claus climbing into peoples’ chimneys at night, is from the Europeans. During the winters
of the early 1800’s, it was extremely frigid. Because of temperatures being so low, people did not want to
leave doors or windows open for Santa to enter. According to americanchimneysources.com, smoke holes
were used in the early 1800’s, meaning that Santa could not come through them. Chimneys were used, but not
by many people. Most people who used them were better off and lived wealthy lives. Months later, smoke
holes were officially being replaced by chimneys and soon everyone had one. Since chimneys were warm and
always open, the Europeans decided that Santa Claus would now come through the chimney to deliver pre-
sents.
19
Fun Winter Break Activities
Jordin Evans

Are you trying to think about what you want to do over winter break, but can’t think of any ideas? No need to
worry, I’ve got you covered. Here are five fun activities to do over break. Hopefully you’ll find them interest-
ing, and maybe even put some to use!

1. Snow Construction.
Over break, there is a 99% chance that snow will be on the ground, mean-
ing that you have unlimited access to create some snowman and snow an-
gels. Take advantage of it, even if you aren't the biggest fan of winter. If
you really like to play in the snow, you might even want to ride a sleigh, or
even have an extreme snowball fight. Besides, it’s all good exercise.

2. Take Over the Kitchen.

If you’re the type of person to stay in all break, that’s fine. There’s still fun
things to do indoors as well-- for example, baking. Buy (if you don’t have
already) supplies to bake from scratch or different kinds of mixes, such as
brownie mix, cake mix, cornbread mix, etc. You can spend your day using
your creativity with food. Take over the kitchen with your magic. After
that, there’s the best part of it all: EATING. When you’re all finished in
the kitchen, you can make a nice warm cup of hot chocolate, get comforta-
ble underneath a blanket, and watch movies.

3. Shop Til You Drop.

The best time to shop for the things you want/need is over winter break.
You know why? Because there are many sales, meaning that you can get
more than what you usually would on an average day. There will be lower
prices on items such as clothes, shoes, decor for the house, food, etc. Go
to the mall and shop all day.

4. Invite friends over.

What’s a winter break without friends? Text some of your friends and in-
vite them over. Stay inside, watch movies, bake cookies, make up games
to play, dance to music, etc. Or go out and enjoy the winter weather, may-
be even shop a little. Each day, you could take turns choosing an activity
to do for the day, or just chill. (

5. Spend time with family.

If your friends happen to be busy during Christmas break, then you can
spend time with your family, even if you see them all the time. You and
your immediate family can travel to see faraway family members, or stay
home and have your own relaxing holiday with your smaller family.

Happy Holidays, and enjoy!

(Photos/123rf.com)
20
Holiday Spirit at Career’s Library
Ronnie Echevarria

During the holiday season, it’s hard not to notice the gem of festivity that is the
Career Media Center. Rife with bright lights and jolly decorations, the school
library shines above the usual beige and grey undertones of the building. From
the moment one walks into the library, they are greeted by a unique holiday dis-
play filled with jubilant Christmas lights and- of course- library texts about the
holidays. From a full-size display case filled with cheerful red and green to a
miniature Christmas tree covered in ribbon and lights, the school library is nev-
er a dull place.

All this ornamentation and adornment may look effortlessly blended together,
but is it really? Who puts it all together, and how? Mrs. Wilson, the Career
High School Librarian, says, “I like to keep the library looking bright and joy-
ful, because to me it’s not only important for the library to be an academic envi-
ronment, but a warm and welcoming environment.”

“I’m constantly seeking artifacts and collecting display items to keep our dis-
plays fresh and attractive.” With all the decor and design, one may wonder how
Mrs. Wilson keeps up with it all, especially financially.

“Budget is a big issue, [so] I’m always begging people for contributions, and
collecting items from home.” It is even more heartwarming that nearly all the decoration comes out of Wil-
son’s pocket-- everything in the library has a touch of home.

There’s a lot going on in the Career Media Center at any given time, from Library Aide projects to displays
being put up, and maintenance of our 3D Printer (which Mrs. Wilson happily named Bob Marley because of
the artwork a former Career senior, Kyra Catubig, taped to its side). It’s a wonder how the librarian can keep a
healthy balance between her more formal work and the beautiful decorations of the library.

“As far as my duties as librarian, I really look to my Library Aides for assistance for the decorating, for assis-
tance, etc.,” Wilson stated. Mrs. Wilson has a sizeable team of student Library Aides who tirelessly help her
decorate, holiday after holiday.

“The smiles and the compliments from students and staff keep me motivated to keep decorating year after
year. I think people really do enjoy coming here and seeing it be very festive for each holiday.”

21
Opinion: Driver’s Ed Would Bring Benefits
Jordan Nieves

When a teenager gets to the age of 16 in Connecticut, they are finally able to attempt their driver’s license test.
However, most of them don't really know how to drive or are scared to attempt driving, A majority of high
schools today don't have driver’s ed class, which is a shame.

I grew up with my parents telling me about how their high school had a driver’s education class where they
would learn all year about the safety of driving. Around finals time, they would be able to take their driving
test at school, and would then go to the DMV to officially have a license. But for years now driver’s ed have
no longer been popular in schools anymore. It seems like they disappeared out of nowhere. I think that if Ca-
reer or any high school in New Haven were to bring back the class, maybe more students would be attracted to
it and the percentage of driving test passes would increase. The class would help so many students understand
the safety of being on the road and it would teach them the basics— from learning the signs or knowing when
to take a right turn.

If Career were to have a driver’s ed program, I feel like an after-school program would suit the class more than
a day class would, Students from 16-19 who go to Career would be able to sign up for it with a parent/
guardian’s permission. The after school program could run all year and every class could be built on road safe-
ty. The majority of the program could be like an ordinary class, but it could transition students from learning in
a classroom to being a full driver ready for the driving test.

Driver’s education classes used to be more common in high schools. Mr. Cotto, Business teacher, had driving
classes in his high school. “For us, it was very informative and demonstrative. There's a lot of different rules
and procedures and responsibilities that go into driving. Having a license is more than just hitting the gas and
brakes. It helped us understand a lot of different rules and logistics. It would be great for most young students
who are just getting their license who feel like its a privilege and they’re super excited, but they don't under-
stand yet the responsibilities and risks that come with operating a vehicle. It's something that if not done
properly can lead to a lot of bad things, and not just for the driver but for their surroundings. Being able to
properly educate them and make them comfortable for the road before they go on the road would lead to a saf-
er environment.” At least some if not all high schools should have an educational driving class that could help
newly-licensed students who need help with being comfortable on the road feel more confident about driving.

Opinion: Soccer Fundraising Poses Challenges

Thais Saucedo

It’s definitely not easy to raise money for clubs, student organizations, and sports teams. In my opinion, it’s
actually a little sad that athletes have to try so hard to raise money, but that’s how things are. The C-HOUSE
(Career and Hillhouse) soccer team raises money in different ways. Coach G and Mr. Werth get creative in
finding funds for their team.

At first, Mr. Werth said it was definitely challenging to come up with enough money to actually get the sup-
plies needed, let alone to get senior presents, or coming up with enough money for the end-of-year banquet.
Over the years, Coach G and Coach Werth tweaked a couple of ideas after a difficult start. They had to do a lot
of the work on their own.

All of the money they raise goes into their fund that they have through the school. Coach G and Coach Werth
allocate where those funds are going to go. They save a portion of it to buy each senior some type of gift, such
as a shirt, or some kind of other memento to remember their team. If they have enough money, they end up
getting more expensive things for the whole team, like equipment. This year, they bought practice jerseys for
everybody.
22
 They save the rest of their funds for the end-of-year banquet, which is a little celebration of the season. Any-
thing left over goes back into the fund and saved for next season. In order for them to have all of their materi-
als and celebrations, they have to keep fundraising through a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s something sim-
ple like selling bracelets at Career, or sometimes they’ll do a can shake at Stop & Shop.

All the work the soccer team and coaches put in is pretty awesome. It’s all up to them to get all of this togeth-
er, and everyone on the team helps somehow. It seems like every sports team at Career has to raise money in
order to make it. Participation is what makes fundraising successful. Some don’t donate or participate, making
fundraising challenging. It can be very challenging for the team and coaches. When it comes to fundraising,
everyone should contribute however they can.

Opinion: Sign Language Class Needed

Yaira Roman

Here at Career High School, we have many language classes like Ar-
abic, Latin, Spanish, and French. However, one one American lan-
guage needed that Career High School does not have is American
Sign Language (ASL).

We need an American sign language class because we students are

studying either for business careers or health careers. In the
healthcare setting, medical students need an ASL class. Some of us
are going to be doctors, nurses, LPNs, or CNAs, and one day these
professionals are going to cross paths with a person who is mute or
deaf. Medical students should be the first to know and take action
about how to be able to do sign language when necessary to provide
patient care.

One Career student, senior Niyah Russ, completed her capstone pro-
ject on this specific topic. Niyah stated that learning languages is val-
uable; students have to learn about languages like French and Span-
ish, and it’s mandatory to take Latin for two years for the health
track. However, ASL is not taught. Niyah stated, “I think it's im-
portant because just like we have to learn Spanish, French, other
Nyiah shows the ASL for the word things, American Sign Language is a language and there are a lot of
“sign” deaf people.” Russ also stated, “We could come across a Deaf person
where we would need to use ASL way more [than other languages],
and I feel like it's very important that we should have that.”

Russ has her own personal experience regarding ASL. She has difficulties communicating with her Deaf
cousin, who would have to read Niya’s lips in order to know what she is saying. Niyah and her cousin could
also communicate by writing. However, Niyah and her cousin have grown closer by communicating through
ASL. Niyah stated, “I have a Deaf cousin and now she's 20 years old, and only now I am learning how to com-
municate with her with ASL. That’s what made me want to learn it even more. We have been making her read
our lips and stuff like that, and we don't really understand her. That made me really think that we should learn
it.” Recognizing that most people won’t be able to learn a completely new language, Niyah says that just
knowing basic ASL would be enough to communicate respectfully.

Students should have a class to learn ASL.. For the students who are studying for the medical field, they may
come upon a person who is deaf. It's our duty to cover all of the curriculum that we need to become a profes-
sional in the field that we want to have in the future, and maybe having an ASL class will inspire more of a
connection towards people who are deaf.
23
 Entertainment
Music Review: “I’m Not Racist”
Jonathan Melendez

“You motherf**** needa get your damn priorities straight. Wait, it's like you're proud to be fake. Butyou lazy
as f*** and you'd rather sell drugs.Than get a job and be straight, and then you turn around and complain.
About the poverty rate? F*** outta my face!”

Rapper Joyner Lucas’ viral song, “I’m Not Racist,” has been sweeping social media. At first, many people at
Career listening to the song found it disturbing. “The harshness towards everyone involved was unsettling,”
says history teacher Mr. Osborne, who eventually used the song as a teaching tool in his class. Although he
says that this should be taught “Not as a regular thing,” he thinks that it could work as a teaching tool “to
showcase what the artist did, by showing two points of view.” When people first heard the above verse, there
was a lot of controversy because of all the stereotypes that were being stated. “I found that the hardest part to
listen to because it was very diminishing,” stated Mr. Osborne. “They were all stereotypes, negative ones,
nothing was fact. It was all opinion.”

Lucas’ rap has shocked the country. In the unusual music video accompanying the song, he portrays a white
middle-aged man who is a Trump supporter as well a young man who portrays the “stereotypical” black man
(ripped jeans, gold chains). In this song, Lucas is rapping in two perspectives. In the quote above, he’s talking
from the white man’s point of view and how white people can view black people. Joyner Lucas also brings up
the point of prejudiced people viewing black people as thieves by saying, “I can't take you nowhere without
people pointin' fingers.”

Later in this verse, Joyner brings up the freestyle that rapper Eminem did on the BET Awards about Donald
Trump “The Storm:” “I heard Eminem's rap at the awards, who's he fightin' for? Y'all can take that moth-
erf**** too, he ain't white no more.” This second verse was not as impactful nor was it as harsh as the first
verse. “I felt like he could’ve said a lot more in reaction.” Mr. Osborne said.

24
Joyner Lucas has a very unique style of rap. He raps about real life issues and instead of stating his opinion,
he tries to target both point of views, as he in this song. Mr. Osborne felt that “what he [Lucas] was trying to
do was to let people know to listen to each other,” rather than just yell at each other and argue.

“The power in the word "Ni***"is a different sin. We shouldn't say it but we do, and that just what it is.
But that don't mean that you can say it just 'cause you got ni*** friends. Ni***, that word was origi-
nated for you to keep us under. And when we use it, we know that's just how we greet each other. And
when you use it, we know there's a double meaning under.”

Gift Guide: Popular Electronics

Yaira Roman

Many people are looking for gifts for the holidays, and electronics are some of the most popular big purchas-
es. The best-selling electronics sold are iPhones, televisions, iPads, PS4, and the Xbox. These electronics are
the most commonly bought. Why? Maybe because these are the most in use with teens. Playing video games,
using phones to text communicate-- sometimes it seems like the society that we live in now would be nothing
without electronics.

iPhones are one of the most commonly-sold electronics because they upgrade almost every year. For exam-
ple, the iPhone 5 came out in 2013, the iPhone 6 in 2015, iPhone 7 in 2016, and just recently the 8 came out
in September of 2017. It’s good business-- why wouldn’t iPhones be bought constantly? Every time a new
iPhone is introduced, the public has the urge to buy it because it may have new features, more storage, better
quality on the camera, new filters, and more.

Televisions are also popular-- without a television, how you would be able to watch movies, or even play
your video games? Sometimes there is a new television that would fit a gaming system. For example, the
Xbox has the 4K. They upgraded to a television that has 4K as well. This will allow you to have better
graphics and good quality when playing the games that you want, or even watch movies.

iPads have the same qualities as the iPhone. But that doesn't stop customers from purchasing them.. Many of
these tablets have flash storage memory, but only depending on the model.They also have VGA (640 pixels
wide by 480 pixels tall, for better graphics) quality pictures and videos.

Now, any gamer knows why the Xbox and the PS4 are the top two most commonly-bought gaming devices.
Their manufacturers push a lot of upgrading as
well, with the Xbox X, Xbox S, and the Xbox 1.
The PS4 already has the PS4 1, PS4 2, PS4 3,
and the PS4 4.

Once a system or any type of device that is al-

ready popular is upgraded, customers have the
urge to have the new and improved electronics.
Why have last year’s version when you can have
the new, bigger, and better version? That's what
grabs the attention of customers. The ads manu-
facturers produce show how well they’ve up-
graded all these systems, resulting in a rush to
purchase the new models, especially around the
holidays.

25
Review: Best FPS Games
Shaun Sloley

There are a wide range of FPS (first person shooter) games out there. But which ones are the best of 2017?
This year, the top 3 games in my opinion are Call Of Duty WWII, Destiny 2, and Overwatch.

1. Overwatch
There are many reasons why Overwatch is one of the greatest FPS games out there. The whole basis of the
game is to capture an objective in a 6v6 match with each character having different roles and abilities to elimi-
nate your enemies and accomplish this goal. However, there are other game modes that allow you to play for
different objectives, with the arcade system with games modes such as 8 player free-for-all, mystery heroes,
and seasonal events throughout the year. There are a total of 26 characters in the game at this current moment;
however, the developers are still increasing that number throughout the year by adding more characters.

What makes the characters so great in this game is the fact that the characters are so unique with each charac-
ter having a drastically different moveset, abilities, weapons, personalities, and character model from the last.
This allows for people with different skillsets and playstyles to have a hero that fits them perfectly. The heroes
are also split into 4 classes in game, attack, defense, tank, and healers. The characters are typically called he-
roes because of their special abilities but not all of them are heroes, there also some villains in the main cast of
characters that are playable in game as well.

The game has a competitive game mode where it allows you to go in and try your best to win and rank up
through the various tiers. What makes the competitive experience so fun is the fact that you have to work to-
gether as a team to capture the objective using various tactics, strategies, and overall mechanical skill to defeat
your opponents. Team composition, in other words, which hero you pick in the team, is very crucial to your
success. You must build your team composition to effectively counter the enemy. What’s also great about the
game is that it is constantly being updated, changed, and characters are being balanced. These consistent
changes keep the game fresh and more fun to play. This longevity is what keeps the game going, along with all
of the other great things about the game.

2. Call Of Duty WWII

Call Of Duty World War II is one of the greatest games of this year due to its heartfelt story, traditionally and
fundamentally fun gameplay, and its online multiplayer experience that will leave you keep coming back. The
game is great because of it forces you to want to strive to get better. The game takes a lot of strategy, skill, and
it has a high skill ceiling, meaning that there is a lot of room for improving on the game. No matter how good
you are, there is almost always someone who is better. In order to be good at the game, you need great deci-
sion-making skills, reaction time, muscle memory or mechanical skill, and a high game sense; in other words,
knowing the game on level above just being good at aiming. WWII has a campaign, multiplayer, and zombie
mode that allows a variety of different activities depending on what you enjoy doing. The story mode takes
place in World War II, where you follow the journey of Red Daniels, a soldier for the U.S. army, and his com-
rades in the emotional story in fighting the Nazis. Story mode is not only fun, but also has a great plot with
various deaths, friendships, love, and action. The zombie mode has its own story where you battle in a group
of 4 players to fight waves of zombies that last until you die. This mode is fun to just hop in and test how good
you are at fending off these zombies with friends.

The most enjoyable part of this game is its multiplayer mode, where you play online in a 6v6 battle against
other players as soldiers. There are a variety of game modes that you can play such as Team Deathmatch,
Domination, Demolition, and Uplink, just to name a few. There is a lot of customizability in this game. Before
a game starts, you are able to set up a class, choosing your own weapons, lethal equipment, perks, and
scorestreaks to take into battle. The streaks accompany the player’s play style, depending on which streaks that
player wants.
26
Not only is the casual side of the game fun, but there is also a competitive mode. This ranked system lets play-
ers who want to play competitively to play in an environment where other players have the same mindset. The
game mode has skill-based matchmaking that puts you in a match with people of similar skill. With this sys-
tem, you rank up by winning games and getting high stats. Overall, what makes this game is its capacity to
keep you interested for a long time with its story, multiplayer, and zombie modes having so much replayabil-
ity.

3. Destiny 2
Destiny has a great immersive world that allows you to travel
from planet to planet fighting various alien civilizations.
There is a variety of races, weapons, and special powers that
you can choose from to fight your enemies. What is really
captivating about the game is its amazing story mode. The
story mode allows you to embark on a journey that allows
you to create your own character called a guardian and
choose out of the three races: an exo (robot), an awoken
(alien), or a human. You then take this character to regain a
hidden power you once had called the light alongside your
little floating talking robotic companion called a ghost, fight through hordes of alien races such as the vex,
hive, drax, and cabal, using the tons of weapons you find and upgrade throughout the story. You finally regain
your “light” or powers and eventually face off against the cabal leader in the final act.

Even after completing the story mode. there are many side quests that are just as entertaining as the main story.
These side quests include strikes, raids, and public events. Stikes are basically side missions where you fight
enemies leading to a final boss in the end. Public events are where you meet random people to hold a point and
fend off enemies that give you loot after its completion. Raids are almost like strikes; however, they’re much
harder, more complex, and require a lot of team coordination to beat. These raids may take hours to complete,
and for good reason. There are a bunch of obstacles and puzzles you have to solve in order to even get to the
final boss and defeat him. You are unable to even enter this game mode without a team of at least four people.

The final aspect of the game that makes it so great-- and the part that I have the most fun with-- is its PVP
(player vs player) mode. In this mode, you battle with your team of other guardians in a 4v4 match up in a
game of either Capture the Flag or Team Deathmatch. There is also a competitive mode to help test your skills
even further. Destiny 2 is great because of its amazing story, interesting weapons and abilities, and its reliance
on teamwork and coordination with your friends in order to win.

At the Movies:
New Releases

27
Recap: CW 4-Part Crossover
Henry Smith IV

This recap contains spoilers for Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.

On November 27th and 28th, the CW aired a four part crossover event with the their four main “arrowverse”
shows. These shows were Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. This crossover’s plot was
story about an alternate earth where the Nazis won WWII by developing the nuclear bomb first. This earth is
known as Earth-X, the 53rd universe in the multiverse. The first episode and part1 of this event was a Super-
girl episode starring Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Supergirl and Kara/Overgirl and Chyler Leigh as Alex
Danvers, with featured guest stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Dark Arrow and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Vic-
tor Garber as Martin Stein/Firestorm, Caity Lotz as Sara Lance, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory, Candice Pat-
ton as Iris West, Franz Drameh as Jefferson Jackson/Firestorm, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin as Snow/Killer
Frost, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon, and Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash. The episode sets up the
wedding of of Barry Allen and Iris West, with many characters from the four shows attending, but the event is
interrupted when invaders from Earth-X crash the wedding followed multiple fight scenes.

Part 2, an Arrow episode, hits hard with a call back to season 1. Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn is revealed
to be Prometheus (one of the villains from Earth-X) who commits suicide. The episode carries a lot of drama
between couple Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen due to Oliver’s failed marriage pro-
posal. A small team consisting of The Flash, Supergirl, and Green Arrow confront the main villains, only for it
to be revealed that Overgirl and Dark Arrow are the doppelgangers of the their opponents. Near the conclusion
of the episode, a bigger team minus Supergirl decides to attack the villain’s facility as a method of putting a
stop to them, only for the team to get captured and taken to Earth-X. Meanwhile, Dark Arrow goes to the
hero’s base of operations and proceeds to take them down.

Part 3 starts where Part 2 leaves off, with the team split in two and separated-- one on Earth-1 and the other
on Earth-X. The team is stranded and is ordered to be executed by the Nazi soldiers, but they are
saved Wentworth Miller as Leo Snart and Russell Tovey as Ray Terrill/The Ray and are introduced the to
rebellion, lead by Jeremy Jordan as Winn Schott. In this episode, we learn Overgirl is dying from too much
solar radiation and needs supergirl’s heart. Winn wants to blow the base of the Nazis, but the team disagrees
with him, saying that it contains the only mode of transportation for them to get home. He decides give them
one hour to plan and execute their mission. Meanwhile, Iris and Felicity try to free the other remaining heroes
on their earth by cutting out the power, but are stopped in their tracks by Eobard, who threatens to kill them if
they don't turn it back on. While most of heroes are fighting against the soldiers, Winn decides to ditch the
plan and sends in their secret weapon: the android Red Tornado. During the gunfight taking place in the base,
Professor Stein gets shot in the back three times while trying to open the breach between the two earths. He
manages to complete his task, but it fatally wounded in the process. The Ray and The Flash manage to take
down Red Tornado and the team escape back to Earth-1. Legends members Nick Zano as Nate Heywood/
Citizen Steel and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/ The Atom manage to stop the operation from happening and
save Supergirl’s life in the process.

Part 4, the final episode in the crossover, is the most action-packed and the most emotional. Following events
of part 3, Stein cannot be saved and gives his final words to Jax, who like a “son” to him. Jax takes the re-
sponsibility of telling Stein’s wife and daughter the terrible news. The two teams to prepare for their final face
-off of good and evil for the sake of the multiverse. The Nazis begin their assault on the civilians throughout
the city. The team arrives and engages in the confrontation led by Oliver. The battle rages, with many of the
heroes taking out a majority of the soldiers. The two Karas take the skies to have their bout, while the two
speedsters duke it all around town at supersonic velocity, and the the two archers fight out on the streets.

28
Eventually, the Flash beats Eobard and struggles against his morals to take his life. Ultimately, he allows him
to escape-- but not before promising they will meet again. Overgirl and Supergirl’s battle reaches its climax
when Overgirl’s condition causes her to explode and die. The Earth-X Oliver watches in horror seeing his
wife die, causing Green Arrow to land the killing blow. With the Nazis defeated, the team attends Stein’s fu-
neral, sharing their memories and thoughts about him and to his family. Barry and Iris get get married, along
with Felicity and Oliver, with everyone going forth with their lives and missions.

Part 4, the final episode in the crossover, is the most action-packed and the most emotional. Following events
of part 3, Stein cannot be saved and gives his final words to Jax, who like a “son” to him. Jax takes the re-
sponsibility of telling Stein’s wife and daughter the terrible news. The two teams to prepare for their final face-
off of good and evil for the sake of the multiverse. The Nazis begin their assault on the civilians throughout the
city. The team arrives and engages in the confrontation led by Oliver. The battle rages, with many of the he-
roes taking out a majority of the soldiers. The two Karas take the skies to have their bout, while the two speed-
sters duke it all around town at supersonic veloc-
ity, and the two archers fight out on the streets.

Eventually, the Flash beats Eobard and struggles

The team assembles for their final fight with Earth-X
(Photo/Den of Geek)
against his morals to take his life. Ultimately, he
allows him to escape-- but not before promising
they will meet again. Overgirl and Supergirl’s
battle reaches its climax when Overgirl’s condi-
tion causes her to explode and die. The Earth-X
Oliver watches in horror seeing his wife die,
causing Green Arrow to land the killing blow.
With the Nazis defeated, the team attends
Stein’s funeral, sharing their memories and
thoughts about him and to his family. Barry and
Iris get get married, along with Felicity and Oli-
ver, with everyone going forth with their lives
and missions.

DC vs. Marvel
Jordan Nieves

All comic book nerds know about the war that Marvel Comics and DC Comics have had for nearly a century,
ever since DC comics arrived in 1934 as Detective Comics and Marvel arrived as Timely Comics in
1939. However, DC Comics is better than Marvel.

DC is better than Marvel in TV shows, video games, comics, and literally anything DC has ever released. DC
currently isn't doing so well in the movies. In the last 2 years, DC has released 4 Superhero movies
( BvS:Dawn Of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League) but out of the four movies,
Wonder Woman is the only one to have prevailed on top with a score of 92% on rotten tomatoes. Comparing
that to Marvel’s intensive 5 movies (Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man Homecoming,
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 and Thor: Ragnarok) which all grossed over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with
Thor recently destroying its opening weekend box office within $122,744,989 in ticket buys.

But if we are to be specific with “Comics,” DC is better than Marvel. Recently, DC has returned with their
“Rebirth,” which pretty much reintroduced all of their top Superheroes and teams with their original comic
form which the “New 52” altered to change, But since Marvel came out with there comics, there's always
been a debate that maybe they’re better than DC; however, DC comics are simply better and more intriguing.
29
UFC 218 Recap
Solomon Bailey

The Main Card for UFC 218 was a showcase on an absolutely devastating one-punch knockout power that lead
to a title shot and an excessive beating by the current champ on the former champ. Jaws were cracked and you
know brain damage had to occur during these fights.

The Co-Main event was ended by Francis Ngannou throwing a crazy left uppercut that floored the former K-1
Kickboxing champion, Alistair Overeem. With ridiculous left uppercut in the first round from the current
World’s Strongest Puncher, Francis Ngannou took the soul from the Dutchman Overeem. During the first
round, Overeem came out sprinting, slipping and moving his head, trying to find an opening for an overhand
left, but Ngannou saw the strike, so he moved his head defensively. Overeem kept trying for the overhand
punch, but during the recovery of the strike he had thrown, he was caught with an uppercut that for sure turned
off all the lights. The highlight of this KO gave this Cameroonian-French man a shot at the title holder of the
UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic, who must be excited to fight Francis Ngannou in the biggest heav-
yweight fight in recent times.

The Main Event was a repeat of pretty much the same beating Max Holloway inflicted on the former Champ
José Aldo-- possibly even a little worse because it was even more one-sided than before. José was beaten un-
recognizable, just an onslaught of outstriking by the Hawaii native. This is not surprising, since he already lost
this matchup before. Lacking in stamina and endurance, José Aldo simply drowned in the 3rd under the pres-
sure that Max Holloway put on him. Max outstruck José, landing 174 of 397 of his significant strikes-- 135 be-
ing strikes to the head. Aldo’s face became unrecognizable. Considering how badly he lost along with the pre-
vious match, he should consider retirement.

The match between Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje was a straight-up war, simple as that. Nobody was pull-
ing punches in this cage. Eddie, with a spectacular and perfectly-placed knee to Justin’s face, put him away in
the 3rd round. No one was going backwards, only forward. This was a obvious contender for fight of the year,
with constant back and forth action. This will for sure be a classic match in hearts of true mixed martial arts
fans for years to come.

Arts Corner
My Life
Joshua Wallace

Now, I ain’t going to be long describing my feelings because that ain’t me, and that is not why I got this pen
and pad. I came here to talk about my life, my story. I want to give it to you. I just thought you should hear it
even though I know y’all probably don't care, but my mom told me “never keep something inside,”and this
what I'm going to tell you today.

“Your dreams don't live down.” There. That's what my older brother used to tell me. I assumed he told me that
because I always had my head down. When I was younger I used to dream about a light shining on me. “What
is that light?” I used to think. “What is this light?” As I looked around in my dream, I saw a crowd and they
shouted something. I just couldn’t hear them. I can hear them saying something, but it’s not clear.

30
Maybe it’s important for me not to hear it yet. I have to go through some trials first before my life actually
starts. Seeing my mom work 2-3 jobs so my 6 brothers and I could have what we want made an impact on me.
It seemed like every year, she always made Christmas happen. I don't understand how she did it, but it worked.

Starting off with friends, I had a good amount of women come in and out of my life, but my mom, my lady,
was the only woman who stood at my side, the only one who believed in me. Growing up without my dad-- I
mean, he wasn't always there, but he was he always told me how to be positive and to keep my head up. And
throughout, through all the people I called friends, my brothers never abandoned me. Blood or no blood, my
brothers never left me behind. Some friends I call brothers are my brothers. I don't need to say no names, they
know who they are, and I hope they see this.

Love and Loyalty, I wish I could tell yah more about my life, but I guess it’s still happening. I guess that is just
for another day.

Education in the Land of the Free

So education has a face?
In front of you I stand,
Not a washed-away color,
But a beautiful tan,
A person of color,
Discriminated in my education.
For those who are washed away
Doubted me in every way,
As if I were in shackles,
While standing in the land of the free,
Expressing to me,
I could never be intelligent and proud for what I stand,
Washed away color—
Why so ignorant? Why so idiotic in the way that you stand?
Standardizing me for my tan
Education has no face,
Just determination of one's hands,
So do not discriminate against me,
Because my hands
Will always find power within what you discriminate,
Oh mighty power of mine,
At the end of these stairs that I reach,
I will present you my hands,
And I’ll prove
That a person of tan
Has worked harder than those
Who will always be considered
Washed away.

-A.R.

31
Fun and Games
Crossword: Happy Holidays!
Across
2. The day Jesus was born
6. Workers for Santa Claus
7. A word used as a candle holder on Hanukkah
9. A man known as Santa Claus
13. Big helpers to Santa
16. Where the gifts are made
18. A cup of Unity
19. The candle holder of Kwanzaa
20. 8 days of celebration
Down
1. The snacks for Santa Claus
3. A word symbolizing faith
4. Pancakes fried and eaten on Hanukkah
5. A gift
8. Lamp with 8 candles
10. Gold coins/ Chocolate coins
11. A famous snowman
12. What you use to decorate
14. Light the candles of the "lamp"
15. The words Santa Claus would say before saying Mer-
ry Christmas
17. A word used to mean gifts
32