Nov18

THE PANTHER PRESS
The Voice of Career High School

May 2018 New Haven, CT careerpantherpress.weebly.com

Career Pilots Academic Advisory

Beverly Rodriguez

On Wednesday, October 24, Hill Regional Career High
School had its first ever Academic Advisory period. Dur-
ing this Academic Advisory period, teachers were able to
request students who they felt needed help with a class.
There, they could do any work or extra learning that they
needed to finish. This event was the result of student re-
quests from last year, and it seems the students finally
got what they wanted.

The administration and teachers here at Career had dis-
cussed having this Academic Advisory for a while now.
Last year, there was a 340 student in-school survey ask-
ing students what should be done during advisory class
that students would benefit from the most. According to
the survey, “Catching up on my work/study hall,” was
the top student preference, with students stating that they
benefit the most from these activities.

A few days after the pilot Academic Advisory, 31 teachers took a survey which asked how beneficial they felt
that Academic Advisory was to the students. The survey was based on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being that they felt
their students really benefited from this, and a 1 that they felt their students didn’t. 80% of responding teachers
answered with either a 4 or a 5, indicating that the time given to their students was beneficial or very benefi-
cial.

“Personally, [academic advisory] was very beneficial to me because I got to see a lot of kids that might not
want to stay after school when I stay after school, so a lot of people came and it was a really good use of our
time,” said Spanish teacher Mrs. Cardalliaguet. “I think whoever wanted to benefited from it.” Senior Beatriz
Cartagena believed that the Academic Advisory “was very productive. In the advisory that I was in, we all
were doing our work for the class we had the most work in, and I found it very helpful.”

Students of all ages had much-needed time to catch up on their work. Freshman Josiah Rondon felt that the
advisory “was very productive and strategic, how everything was planned out and what they did with the
kids… I think the teachers did a phenomenal job in setting this up and going along with this, due to it being
their first time doing this.” Mrs. Cardalliaguet agreed with this, explaining that the logistics of advisory were
set up using an online spreadsheet. “Each teacher chose some students they thought they needed help the most
in their class, or just needed to do work.”

Students who benefitted from Academic Advisory felt that this event should happen more often. “I think that

this should be done at least once a week so that kids can stay on top of themselves and don’t fall behind,” said

Josiah Rondon. Hopefully in the future, students continue to benefit from and receive the support— and study

time— that they need in Academic Advisory. 1

California Wildfires Rage On

Veronica Borowski

The California wildfires have claimed over 75 lives, with 1,276 people still unaccounted for. Many families
are devastated and homeless or frantically looking for a loved one. The California wildfires have been an on-
going problem since December 2017, and yet now we are seeing the real consequences of them.

The cause of these wildfires and how they started is still unclear, but it is suspected that it is most likely be-
cause of us. California is a very hot and dry state, making it a perfect environment for fires to spread quickly--
and making them that much harder to stop. So why, with these fires going on for 10 months, is it now claiming
so many lives?

The answer to that question would be that the wildfires are getting more destructive overall. Many of these
large fires are under 5 percent contained, with no rain or helpful weather in sight, so it is going to take a lot of
resources to even hope to stop or contain them. According to the US Fire Service and the Department of the
Interior, the fires have already cost the government more than $2.1 billion. Climate change definitely has a role
in these events, as evident in not only the wildfires, but also the recent hurricanes in Florida and Texas. Hu-
mans are now seeing the effects of their actions to the environment.

The wildfires for all we know could last another few months, maybe even years, and might even spread to oth-
er areas. Firefighters are trying their best to contain and extinguish the fires, but they can't do it alone.

We can't change the past, but we could change the future. If we don't stop harming the environment to satisfy
our wants, soon there will be nothing left to want. Everyone can do something to help, whether it is driving
less, replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, or reducing, reusing and recycling.

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.

2018-2019 Staff Writers

Adam Ahmad-Rizal Tyanna Evans Jervone Myers
Veronica Borowski Kabryah Hamlet Franchezca Pérez
Michelle Browne Anthony Harris Beverly Rodriguez
Emily Cervantes Andy Herrera Angelina Saunders
Stacey Correa Yuliarys LeBron Justin Threet
Justyce Davis Jonazia McKinnie Valeria Torres Romero
Astou Diallo Lesly Mellado Joanna Wypasek

Faculty Advisor: Rose Murphy

Visit us online at careerpantherpress.weebly.com. Contact us at [email protected]

2

Preview: Coronation is Coming!

Angelina Saunders

The 2018-2019 Coronation will take place on Friday,
December 7th, from 7 - 11 pm. The theme for this year
is Winter Wonderland, and the colors that will be used
for the theme are “white for the snow and black/dark
blue for contrast,” says Carina Andrea, president of the
Art Club. The tickets are twenty dollars individually
and fifteen dollars each when sold in a pair. This year,
for the first time, the seniors are getting a discount on
tickets— if they pay their senior dues in full at the time
of their purchase. The discount is five dollars off, so if
two seniors buy in a pair and pay their dues, their tick-
ets would only be ten dollars each. Students will not be
able to get their tickets at the door, but the tickets will
be on sale through Wednesday, December 5th. So hur-
ry up, Career, and get your tickets for Coronation!

As always, food will be served at Coronation. Ms. Murphy said “there will be an appetizer buffet, wings, and
lots of dessert!” Is there a caterer? Ms. Murphy and Mr. Werth will be purchasing the food and they also hired
Ms. Streater, one of our cafeteria workers, to use the cafeteria kitchen and help with the preparations.

The music this year has also taken a new turn, with a Career student DJing for the first time in the school’s his-
tory. “Davionne Matthews was a great choice to DJ,” says Ms. Murphy. “He knows what music students like,
he’s talented, and he’s able to take song requests ahead of time.”

This year the school’s Art Club is in charge of decorations. “The decorations are awesome!” said Ms. Murphy.
“We got $500 worth of decorations last winter to prepare well ahead of time.” Art Club is working hard,
“making a lot of paper snowflakes and other snow/winter themed decorations. I think that the more snowflakes
we have, the better they’ll look hanging down from the track and on the windows… Ms. Murphy also got a lot
of lights last year once they went on sale after the holidays. Teachers donated more lights and decorations as
well. Our plan is basically lots of Christmas lights and snowflakes, but nothing tacky or overly-Christmas
themed,” said Andrea.

The Art Club does not have any kind of budget, but this hasn’t been an issue so far. “Materials have been gen-
erously donated by teachers and students,” said Andrea. It already seems like the Art Club is doing a great job
on handling the decorations— are they facing any challenges? Andrea says that "our limitations have been
time and manpower. We haven’t had an art club meeting for two weeks now due to snow and Thanksgiving,
because we meet on Thursdays. We also don’t have many members-- more people to make snowflakes would
be nice.”

In terms of fashion, this year’s Coronation calls for lots of sparkle. “Winter Wonderland is a pretty flexible
theme. Classic winter colors like white, silver, gold, red, or green would work. Anything with sparkles or
shimmers would also work fabulously,” says Andrea.

Well, there you have it everyone, this year’s Coronation sounds like it is going to be the best one yet! I hope
everyone has an amazing time, and I’m sure all of you will look absolutely fantastic!

Going to Coronation? Win a chance to have your photos featured in The Panther Press and the yearbook!
Tag @careerpantherpress on Instagram.

3

Students Recognized at On-Track Assembly

Jonazia McKinnie

More than 120 juniors were acknowledged for their grades, perfect
attendance, being “on track,” and/or “on a roll” at Hill Regional Career
High School on Wednesday November 21st, 2018.

All students attended an assembly where student names were show-
cased, with some receiving things such as homework passes, gift cards,
and recognition for a job well done. Many students seemed excited to
be acknowledged and rewarded for their effort and hard work, while
others felt mixed emotions.

(Photo/Jonazia McKinnie) According to junior Ahmad Gidden, “it felt good to be recognized, but
[the assembly] was boring and seemed unfair to those struggling or not
doing as well as their peers.” In Gidden’s opinion, “students should be
recognized solely for their effort” rather than academic achievements.

Some students had a different perspective on the topic. According to junior Justin Threet, “the homework pass
felt really good, but the assembly could’ve been better. I think [the assemblies] are a good idea because it en-
courages students to work harder.” Threet disagreed with Gidden’s opinion about effort-based awards, stating ,
“students should be recognized for their academic ability.”

Junior Tyanna Evans, who also attended the assembly, believes that assemblies recognizing student achieve-
ments can have unintended consequences. “In order to encourage students,” said Evans, “you have to 1. moti-
vate them, 2. make them understand the importance to school, and 3. make learning fun. Most kids are not mo-
tivated because most already feel like they’re set up for failure because of these assemblies where they’re re-
quired to go, but aren’t recognized.”

According to math teacher Mrs. Nebouvailo, however, students can gain inspiration and motivation from the
assemblies. “The purpose of award ceremonies and assemblies is to celebrate students’ achievements and mo-
tivate them to continue the good work,” said Nebouvailo. Junior Destiny Leake challenged this statement, say-
ing, “students who never get recognized at these ceremonies probably become discouraged and convince
themselves that the awards don't matter.” Leake also added, “students should be acknowledged every day for
effort by their teachers. A simple ‘good job’ could set them straight for the day.”

Regardless of how students are doing in their classes, they should always find their motivation through what
works for them, whether it’s through assemblies, families, friends, or teachers. Great teachers, in addition to
teaching their content, motivate their students through encouraging them to want to do good better.
The next On Track assembly will be January 30.

4

Career Students: Not Throwing Away Their Shot

Valeria Torres Romero

Two teachers from the English department at Hill Regional Career
High School have organized an upcoming field trip unlike any other.
On Thursday, December 13th, Career students will go to the Bushnell
Performing Arts Center in Hartford to see Hamilton, a musical most
famously known for combining hip hop and history about the Consti-
tution.

English teachers Mrs. Grandfield Schimanski and Ms. Murphy sent an
email to the Hamilton team two years ago, asking them to keep Career
in mind if the opportunity to attend one of the shows ever became
available. Surprisingly, they received an answer this year, informing
them that Career students would have the chance to attend one of the
shows in Hartford.

Of course, with such a popular show, there had to be a limit. The Ham-
ilton team gave Career a total of 150 tickets for students, as well as
chaperones, to attend the show. Students who desired to attend the
show were required to do a creative writing project to reflect that their
learning about the setting of the play, which is known as the Founding
Era. Students read articles and primary source documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, to prepare.

Hamilton, the most popular show on Broadway, is known for high ticket prices as well as its many sold-out
shows. Tickets currently range in New York from $378.00 to $1,015,00. The good news is that the Hamilton
team gives people a chance to get ten dollar tickets by a lottery, which can be entered from their app.

How did this show become the sensation it is now? Lin-Manuel Miranda read a biography of Alexander Ham-
ilton by Ron Chernow in July 2008 during a vacation in Mexico. After that, he was inspired. In May 2009, Mi-
randa performed at the White House for the first time with the song “Alexander Hamilton.” He worked on
writing more songs until 2012, when he performed the songs from his work with other people who were going
to be in the show. By January 2015, Hamilton opened to the public for the first time. By July, Hamilton had
transferred to Broadway.

The opportunity to attend the show is huge, and the anticipation is shown by the excitement of the students at-
tending. “Students were very excited about a field trip,” said Mrs. Grandfield Schimanski, “but once they lis-
tened to the music, they really seemed to connect with the message of the show. I am thrilled to take students
to see their first musical!”

Teachers chaperoning the show are also excited for this amazing opportunity. Ms. Murphy, one of the teachers
who helped organize the trip, stated, “Hamilton is incredible— it’s one of those shows that really lives up to
the hype. It’s so unique, so well-done, and it’s fantastic that Career students will get to experience it.” Mrs.
Grandfield Schimanski agrees. “I am a huge fan of Hamilton. I have been a fan since the musical won the To-
ny Award in 2016. The show is brilliant and smart. It takes all the types of music that I love —Broadway,
R&B, rap— and brings it all together. I also love the idea that all the actors are people of color— something
lacking on Broadway.”

To add to the excitement, the Bushnell Performing Arts Center donated money to cover bus fares to Hartford,
making the trip totally free for the students.

5

Abusive Relationships: It’s Not Just Adults

Tyanna Evans

It seems like teen abusive relationships are never talked
about in society today. However, according to data from
the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 10% of high school
students have reported that they have been physically
abused by a dating partner in the past 12 months. Accord-
ing to a survey by the CDC, 23% of women who experi-
enced abuse by a partner first experienced it between the
ages of 11 and 17. Clearly, abusive relationships are more
prevalent than they might seem.

An anonymous Career junior who is a survivor of domestic
violence said that she was scared to report what happened
to her because she didn’t know how seriously administra-
tors would take it. Additionally, not wanting to get into
trouble herself, she didn’t want administrators to view the
abuse she experienced as a typical teenager fight. A Career
High School senior reported that he had a friend who was
actually an abuser in a abusive relationship. He witnessed
physical violence from the abuser, but he never reported
because he didn’t think it was a big deal.

“I wanted to step in and break it up, but I also wanted to
mind my business for my safety as well,” says an anony-
mous Hillhouse junior regarding witnessing an abusive in-
cident. The junior said that it made them upset to witness
such a horrible incident, but also made them feel like a
coward for not stepping in and helping to break it up.

That junior is not alone. Many teens do not know what to do in instances like this, and many teens in abusive
relationships do not report situations like this because they are afraid to tell friends or family. According to
One Love, a nonprofit that educates teens about healthy relationships, many survivors of abusive relationships
find it hard to leave the relationship because of the way society normalizes unhealthy behavior. People may
not understand that their relationship is abusive. Emotional abuse destroys a person’s self-esteem, which
makes survivors think that is impossible to have a fresh start.

One anonymous teacher at Hill Regional Career High School whose daughter is a survivor of an abusive teen
relationship discussed how teenagers find themselves in these types of relationships. “Teenagers are often re-
ceiving some sort of message about how to act in a relationship-- whether it being positive or negative advice--
from friends, family, and social media. [Bad advice] often suggests that any kind of behavior is acceptable, and
it’s not.”

Teenagers who are in an abusive relationship or who want answers to their questions can get help by using
resources like the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (1-866-331-9474) or the Rape, Abuse & Incest Na-
tional Network hotline (11-800-656-4673). You can also reach out to an adult who you feel comfortable with
and who can help you find a solution— at Career, there are many options, such as the nurse’s office, your
counselor, Dr. Franklin, or Ms. Westefeld.

6

Body Image: A Reflection

Yuliarys Lebron

Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. It
can include perceptions of your height, weight and body shape. Body image is a part of our mental and physi-
cal health. Negative body image is when a person feels embarrassed in their body, possibly lacking confidence.
Positive body image is when a person is happy with their body and can accept their appearance no matter what.

I started off with a negative body image. Usually people think that means you're overweight or “fat,” but in-
stead I was actually considered underweight. Growing up, I was always shorter than the other kids, and as I
became older I was considered “too skinny” or “too small.” Everyone was always taller than me, or thicker,
and my body was always pointed out as the first thing someone noticed about me. Because of this, I became
insecure with my body.

When I started high school, I weighed about 87 pounds. I felt ugly and weak. The people that I started high
school with would often told me I was “really small,” and they could probably “pick me up with one hand.”
People viewed me as an easy target, and as a result, people chose to pick on me. They would put their hands on
me without asking or push me around, or even ask to fight me because they thought they'd most likely win.

As a 14-year-old girl, I would go home look in the mirror and cry about the size of my body, I would question
myself— why was I so skinny and weak? I hated my body and the only solution I could think of was to eat-- a
lot. For dinner I would serve myself more than I could fit. I would make sure to have dessert. Later, at night, I
would snack on as many things as I could find. I saw other females with nice bodies and compare myself to
them, but social media had the biggest impact on me. I saw all different kinds of women with nice, thick, hour-
glass-shaped bodies and felt ashamed to post any full-body pictures of myself.

Body image is something that impacts everyone-- boys and girls, men and women. We all want to look skinni-
er or thicker to be found attractive, and social media has
a big impact on body image and confidence. Coopera-
tive Arts and Humanities High School student Jailene
Alizé Torres said, “I think my body is nice how it is.
My stomach sometimes bothers me, I think I need to
lose a little weight, but I still think I’m beautiful, alt-
hough I do sometimes struggle finding clothes that fit
me when I go shopping.” Cooperative Arts and Human-
ities student Vida Harris said, “I never had a problem
with my body image just because I played a lot of
sports and loved to stay in shape, but just because I had
a little extra weight in some areas, my dad often made
me wear baggy clothing so it wouldn’t be noticeable.”

We all want to have a nice perfect body, but truly-- (Photo/The Just Girl Project)
what is perfect? As I’ve learned, there is no perfect
body. We are all meant to be different and stand out.
Sometimes accepting ourselves as we are just takes
time. It took me a while to learn how to love and accept
myself as I am. Today, I weigh 99 pounds. I’m still a
little small, but I am comfortable with my body. Why
try to fit in when you were born to stand out? That goes for
loving your body and loving yourself in every single way.

7

The Season Finale: Seniors Reflect

Kabryah Hamlet

Senior year: the season finale to high school. With events like prom and graduation just around the corner,
there is so much to look forward to-- but how many of us have looked back? Think back to freshman year
when we couldn’t wait to be seniors-- what have we learned since then?

Senior Michelle Browne reflects back on her freshman year with contentment. “I like the relationships I’ve
built friendwise,” she says. "The school has always been quite diverse, and there is a person for everyone.
There are plenty of opportunities to meet new people, like the AHEAD program that runs each summer for
incoming freshmen, which sets expectations and allows for acclamation to the school. Breakfast and lunch are
prime times for people to interact and make friends.”

For Browne, there was a clear appreciation for the years she’s spent at Career and the things the school has
offered its students like the “Yale programs and fee waivers for the SAT and college [applications].” Classes
like Honors Anatomy for juniors give students the chance to study at the Yale cadaver lab. Additionally, a few
sophomore students each year get the opportunity to go to the Yale Simulation Lab with Mr. McTague.

Senior Myah Darden, on the other hand, regarded the conversation with indifference, saying, “I wish I cared
more about my grades [during freshman year].” Students often come the school as freshmen so preoccupied
with social aspects that they slack academically. As Darden stated, this misconception will only set you up to
struggle in the future. If you start off low, it is a lot harder to get your grades up. According to school counse-
lor Mrs. Otero, freshmen don’t fully understand that “ninth grade grades do affect your GPA and your overall
transcript.” Though every senior’s experience with their grades varies, it can be said that many incoming
freshmen aren’t aware of the true atmosphere and purpose of high school. Students have to take initiative for
getting their work done because, unlike middle school, teachers are not going to chase you down for work.

Darden and Browne --along with many other seniors-- will be closing this chapter of their lives soon and will
begin a new one, but the memories they’ve created while at this school will never be erased. No matter the
high school struggles experienced, our seniors shared a common opinion: Career is just a taste of what life
might be like and --no matter how difficult the lessons learned-- they have grown as people because of it.

Club Feature: Yale Urban Debate League

Astou Diallo

Do you enjoy discussing controversial topics? Like having conversations with your peers about topics that are
meaningful and examining other people’s viewpoints? Well then, the Debate Club is for you!

The Yale Urban Debate League teamed up with various schools all over New Haven, enabling students to
build their public speaking skills and giving them an outlet to voice their opinions regarding controversial top-
ics. Students are also able to be exposed to new viewpoints by looking at the perspective of other students.
The benefits of debate are eternal; not only can you learn how to communicate at a higher level, but you’re
also able to expand your vocabulary, make new friends, and have meaningful conversations-- which isn’t
common elsewhere.

There are meetings in room 304 every Friday at 2:30 with Yale University undergraduate mentees, who are
the best in the game. They guide every student on how to construct proper and effective debate speeches for
our tournaments.

8

Because the team uses the Parliamentary Debate structure in our debates, we have to follow certain guidelines.
For example, students have a prep time limit in which partners have 15 minutes to prepare their speeches-- and
yes, you are allowed to use the internet if you’re not familiar with the topic. Mentees also teach flowing, which
is the act of taking notes while your opponent is speaking so that when you go back and give your second
speech, you’re able to properly refute them.

Once you’ve learned the basics, you can take part in debate tournaments. Our tournaments take place once
every month. We walk over to Yale University (100 Wall Street) and meet with other New Haven schools,
both middle schools and high schools.

Debate tournaments usually take place from 3:30-7:30. We usually socialize before proceeding to our sessions.
Finally, we wait for our results, socialize with other schools, and eat pizza and ice cream. You then you get
awarded based on your performance.

For more information about the Debate Team, stop by room 304 on Fridays after school.

Book Review: I’ll Give You the Sun

Franchezca Pérez

I’ll Give You the Sun is a contemporary young adult novel written by
Jandy Nelson. It tells the story of twin artists Noah and Jude. Since
they were little, they were very close, having a very special relation-
ship as best friends. But during the ages of 13 to 16 years old, a series
of events passed that made the brother and sister distance so much that
they reached a point of not even talking— instead, they just communi-

cate through glances.

The novel is narrated in the first person. It tells us, in two timelines, of
how the distancing of the twins occurred during the 3 year period.

Each character has different perspectives. Noah tell us what happened
in the past, when he and his sister were 13 years old, and Jude tells us
what is happening in the present, when both are 16 years old. Both
perspectives alternate and constitute the story so the reader slowly
comes to understand what caused the rupture of the relationship be-
tween Noah and Jude.

Personally, I like how Jandy Nelson portrays each character. She gives (Photo/Goodreads)
each character a unique voice and personality. Noah, at the age of 13
years old, was a dreamer and creative. Jude, at the age of 13 years,
was crazy and sociable. But by the age of 16, both siblings have
changed drastically.

This story is about family relationships, dreams, and losses. And of course, each character has his or her own
love story, which is tragic and intense. It also touches a lot on the idea of art; the reader comes to understand
the art through the eyes and feelings of Noah and Jude, making this book a unique experience.

The story also beautifully portrays an LGBT relationship. It teaches a lesson— that people should never be
afraid to express themselves and be true to themselves. I give I’ll Give You the Sun five stars.

9

Skin Care with Michelle

Michelle Browne

Your face is the opener to every conversation you have. It is the “hello” before your hello, so it is important to
keep your skin up to par. Your skin is also a direct indicator of what your body is experiencing. By targeting
your skin’s issues and tackling them head on, you can tackle inner body issues that may be produced chemical-
ly or mentally. It is understandable that high school is a very intense time for students (especially at Career
High School), and that’s evident when it comes to our skin. Stress, hormones, constant bacteria contact,
makeup overload-- the list goes on-- all show on our skin.

Here at the Panther Press I, Michelle Browne, will be giving you monthly tips and tricks on how to accomplish
your dream skin. To share a little background about my own skin: I have struggled immensely with my skin
ever since freshman year. I do not have traditionally “bad skin,” but I was never confident in my skin. It start-
ed with constantly wearing makeup. My skin became dull and oily, as well as acne-prone because of the over-
load of foundation and concealers clogging my pores. Come sophomore and junior year, I began my skin care
journey, trying out every regimen and product on the market, in addition to concocting treatments in my own
kitchen. This had both positive and negative effects; because I was using numerous new products every week,
my skin was not used to it. I sometimes made matters worse. Whether that was creating a rash, breaking out, or
even in some extreme cases burning my skin raw, my skin was suffering. My skin still fluctuates, of course, as
I still am a teenage girl, but I am happy to say I now have clear skin and no longer wear any makeup.

Every month I will introduce a popular skin problem among teenagers, whether they are submitted to me by
my peers or problems that I notice teenagers face as a whole when it comes to skin. To address these issues, I
will share ways to treat them correctly by sharing my experiences with treatments and products so you will not
make the same mistakes as I did. Topic examples you
can look forward to in Skin Care with Michelle include
issues like acne, dark spots, and menstrual skin. In addi-
tion to products you can find in stores, I will also incor-
porate an organic option, which will include ingredients
you can find in your home to conjure up treatments to
assist your troubled skin on a budget.

You can email me at [email protected] —
anonymously or personally— with the troubles you’re
facing when it comes to your skin. I’m looking forward
to helping you achieve the skin you want, but most im-
portantly, know that no matter what skin you are in, you
are beautiful-- no matter the issue.

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.

10

Prayer Club Brings Peace, Friendships

Lesly Mellado

2017 marked the year that Prayer Club was created here at Hill Regional Career High School. The club was
organized by Hannah Marcano, a senior who has been continues her commitment by going to Prayer Club
each Thursday throughout the school year. While Prayer Club now flourishes, starting the club came with ob-
stacles and challenges.

Creating a new club is a long process for students, and Marcano had to navigate this process. During this pro-
cess, she researched laws that involve religion in school, finding out that as long as religious activities are stu-
dent-led and not part of the curriculum, then it would be possible to organize Prayer Club. Additionally, Mar-
cano went through the effort of filling out registration paperwork and advertising around the school to reach
out to people. Marcano says, “I wanted to make a club here that is positive and really help people have hope.”

But she wasn't working by herself; Marcano had help from her uncle, who taught her about her rights as a
Christian and showed her sources online that helped her start the club. Mr. O, the first ever advisor of the
Prayer Club was also very helpful, and as is Mr. McCoy, who now gives his classroom space so that Prayer
Club can get together.

Prayer Club is a welcoming and a safe place where anyone can go and enjoy a peaceful environment. From
the first ever meeting of the club, Marcano has seen a diverse mix of different people from different friend
and social groups. No one looks down on anyone and everyone get together to be positive. It's where people
can talk about what's happening to them and no one judges, instead praying about it so things can get better.
One student reported, “while going to Prayer Club for the first time, I felt welcomed and able to talk about
things without being judged.”

Many teenagers are quiet about things because they are afraid of the criticism they will receive. Many battle
through things by themselves and never ask for help, but at Prayer Club, people act differently; you don't get
judged and won't get any critical remarks. Everyone is friendly without feeding into the judgement that socie-
ty brings upon us. Being able to talk openly without being ashamed of bringing up tough situations is a posi-
tive way to deal with problems. The discussion prevents people from taking impulsive actions towards their
issues, and the kindness people show towards one another helps you really get to know people and connect
with each other. Prayer, Bible study, and games keep the atmosphere peaceful and fun.

Marcano states, “It's hard being a teenager and a Christian right now, because you can be ashamed of who
you are or ashamed of your faith. You should definitely not be ashamed and should be happy with who you
are, and embrace who you are.”

Prayer Club meets on Thursdays after school in the Music Room. See Hannah Marcano or Mr. McCoy for
more information.

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Opinion: Student Body Not Represented at
Assemblies

By Emily Cervantes

Hill Regional Career High School hosts two assemblies every year— one for Hispanic Heritage Month, and
one for Black History Month. While many students enjoy their countries and cultures being celebrated, others
question: why are other cultures left behind?

“This is disappointing because New Haven Public Schools are known for being diverse, so they should voice
minorities more,” said Nadia Sauffian, a Career junior with Asian heritage. It’s not only New Haven, but
America itself that is the home of people of many different cultures and beliefs— why should Career not re-
flect this diversity?

“The majority of the school is either Hispanic or African-American, so I do understand why they do those as-
semblies, but they should also focus on other cultures, since our school is very diverse,” stated junior Sofia
Mazzacane, who is Moroccan. Other students agreed, stating that though the assemblies are a good thing, they
do not reflect the reality of Career’s students. “I feel bad, because how can a school be culturally diverse but
not represent all of them? It’s sort of offensive, because my culture can be just as important as any other cul-
ture in our school,” stated sophomore Gina Patel, who has Indian heritage.

When students were asked if there should be an assembly (or multiple assemblies) representing minority herit-
ages— for example, celebrating Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern, and European students—
sophomore Adira Ahmad-Rizal, who is very proud of her Malaysian heritage, stated “I do think an [Asian her-
itage] assembly would be amazing for students. We have such a diverse community in our school that it would
be awesome to show people how diverse Asian countries are. Our countries are not represented enough.”

Joanna Wypasek, a junior who is of Polish descent, stated that “culture is what allows us to really find our-
selves in this world, and it is a beautiful thing to celebrate all heritages and traditions that we may not have
known of… There are so many cultures all around the world that are so valuable but are underrepresented, not
only in our school, but in the majority of the schools around the United States.”

The only time that the student body is fully represented is at the ONE Club Fair, which is hosted by Dr. Decter,
Ms. Ukah and the students of the ONE Club. Unlike the assemblies, however, this is not a mandatory event.
Additionally, this fair is not advertised as much the two assemblies, and not all teachers allow students to at-
tend. For all students to be equally represented, all students must be celebrated.

Did You Know…

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month

April is Arab American Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Sports @ Career

Accomplishments, Events, and Features

Season in Review: 2018-2019 Boys Soccer

Anthony Harris

This fall season of the Career/Hillhouse soccer team has been a difficult season full of hard work for the
team. They did not have the most ideal season due to injuries and inexperience on the starting lineup. Finish-
ing 3-10-1, they still enjoyed their time and worked hard at the season.

In the 2017-2018 fall sports season, the Career/Hillhouse boys soccer team had a more experienced team—
out of their 11 starters, 7 were seniors, with only four juniors in the lineup. The season was a huge success;
they finished with a record 7-7-3. Coming off that strong season, they had high expectations and really high
hopes. However, “Through the [2018-2019] season, the team hit a ton of bumps with injuries and getting
used to playing against bigger teams, and also getting used to playing with new guys instead of seniors,” said
Andy Herrera, one of this year’s captains.

This change in lineup, said Herrera, “was one really big challenge the team faced. Practice was really differ-
ent, missing the guys who usually run practice and make practice loud.” Still, says Herrera, the team is re-
maining optimistic for the future. Team members enjoyed “having a good season and making new friends,”
but “the season was over and we had to get ready for next season.”

Some players were looking forward to the beginning of the soccer season, but hit a sudden decline as the
season progressed. “This season was pretty rough. We were really excited in the beginning of the season,
and then a lot of issues came in with injuries and a lot of times we weren’t playing as well as we wanted to,”
said Adam Ahmad-Rizal, one of the players on the Career/Hillhouse soccer team. Throughout the season,
injuries became a bigger and bigger problem. “We lost a majority of our starters because of injuries, but we
still kept fighting,” said captain Herrera.

Despite these difficulties, the team found some success towards the middle of the season with wins over both
Notre Dame and Bassick, but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.

However, through the season, a lot of players improved and took on these challenges with a good attitude.
“This year we witnessed a number of players step up to the challenge of a new season, We could not be
more proud of them as individuals and as a team” said assistant Coach Mr. Werth. Coach Werth also stated,
“We gave several awards to both Varsity and JV teams at the end of the season, including Most Im-
proved. Gabe McGaw (Varsity) and Cristian Morales (JV) won the Most Improved awards. Both players
showed incredible growth from year to year as well as throughout the season. This growth was comprised of
both defensive skill, player awareness, team leadership, and coachability. They were always willing to learn
and gave everything they had on and off the field in both games and practice. With that being said, there
were many players that showed tremendous growth, which makes our future seem very bright in the seasons
to come.”

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Boys Soccer Team Celebrates Season

Stacey Correa

The music and voices could be heard echoing all around the room as students swayed to the beat of the music
blasting through the speakers. More students played water polo in the pool. They all seemed to be enjoying
themselves on Tuesday, November 20th as the teammates screamed and laughed with each other. It was the
Career/Hillhouse boys soccer team senior night, and spirits were high as players celebrated their seniors and
teammates.

The boys were all proud of their accomplishments. Senior David Vallejo, one of the captains, stated that one
his proudest moments was when “we won our senior night game.” They faced Bassick that night with an end-
ing score of 1-0, scored by sophomore Fabrice Ndayizeye.

At 4:00, they boys began to make their way out of the pool to head to the awards ceremony at the school cafe-
teria. The awards were being presented by none other than their dedicated coaches. As the boys arrived to the
cafeteria and sat down, they waited for Ms. Gawel and Mr. Werth to begin the ceremony. The boys waited
with anticipation as the awards were being given out, and the pride of the players was evident as their hard
work was recognized.

The following players received awards on the varsity team :
Best Sportsmanship: Adam Ahmad-Rizal
MVP: Ethan Silver
Most Improved: Gabe McGaw
Best Coaching: Sam Bobson
Best Offensive Player: Oury Diane
Best Defensive Player: Kelvin Cokely
Rookie of the Year: Mark Congacha

And for the junior varsity team:
Best Sportsmanship: Wilbert Palma
MVP: Jaheim Sewell
Most Improved: Cristian Morales
Best Coaching: Jamel Sharhan
Best Offensive Player: Kennedy Ewakwe
Best Defensive: Mohammed Naji
Rookie of the Year: Alan Hernandez

Adam Ahmad-Rizal said, laughing, that “the banquet was super duper fun,” and that he especially enjoyed
watching his teammates all bond together.

The boys started their season in late August, and ended it in late October. Throughout the season, they faced
many hardships and although they didn't make it to States again, all the players put in hard work and effort
into their games. The senior night banquet gave closure to the players and season and recapped all of their
achievements and memorable times. Captain of the Varsity team, Andy Herrera, would like to advise future
Career soccer players to “never give up, even through tough losses.” After all, it’s that type of mentality that
led his team to continue to succeed and pursue growth to continually improve.

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Panthers Dashing Fast: Indoor Track Preview

Adam Ahmad-Rizal

The Career Panthers indoor track runners are ecstatic for the many successes that are anticipated for the season
for both boys and girls. The official 2018-2019 season starts on November 29th. The runners, jumpers, and
throwers have been working hard throughout the month and plan on working harder to find success that may
lead athletes to the State Championships.

The girls, in particular, are looking forward to qualifying for States once again this year. One clear highlight
will certainly be the girls 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams. They have competed in Class M States for many
consecutive years. “I’m very confident in both of the relays because we’re starting practice really early and all
of us want to win,” says junior Gabriela Soriano, who is running indoor track for the third year in a row.
Terrace Gray is a long jumper for the indoor track team, and looks to find success in jumping competitions.
She has built confidence through the past season and has high ambitions for herself and her fellow teammates.
“I’m going to be the one to qualify… the other people who do jump as well are good, and we’re working now
so that we can get better.”

The girls have found high spirits in each other and believe everyone can find success. Being self-motivated
and motivating others is this season’s mindset. “I hope that [the Career track team] know they can push them-
selves to their full potential,” says Adira Ahmad-Rizal, a second-year track runner. “This year, everybody is
really down for everything, and we’re all committed to track,” says Juan Rivas, a runner for the Career Pan-
thers boys indoor track.

The boys are looking for a fresh start for the indoor season coming up. This year will be particularly different
since there will be bigger numbers for the indoor season. The boys know how hard they must work to find suc-
cess with the potential they have. “Training has been good. We’ve had some pretty good workouts, pretty hard
work outs. But it’s only going to get better,” says Marcus Golett, a runner and thrower on the indoor track
team.

Last year, the boys only had a relay during the developmental meets, which were not official meets. The boys
have not had a competitive relay team since 2013, and that relay team qualified for States. Now that there are
more runners for the indoor track season this year, the boys believe there will be enough for a consistent relay
team.

They believe that they can go quite far with both the boys relay team and as individuals. “States and even
more— that would be perfect,” says Ahmad Gidden, another runner on the boys team. Senior Anthony Harris
believes that “if we have time to practice on it and work on it, I think we’ll do really well.”

Coach Kareem “Action Jackson” Jackson is particularly excited to help improve the boys and the girls teams.
Coach Jackson feels that “watching all the student athletes accomplish certain goals that they would like to
achieve” is what constitutes a success for the season. He wants to make sure the students are motivated to keep
working hard and are committed to the team. “The sky's the limit,” says Jackson. “If everybody works hard,
great things will happen— no doubt about it.” When asked if the boys team can qualify for States, he said
“Absolutely”.

The team has high hopes for the coming season. They have been anticipating it for months, and now the time
has finally come. It will be a long season for them, lasting until mid-February if they qualify for the State
Championships and State Open. Only time and hard work will tell, and the Career Panthers will surely look for
glory.

15

Fun and Games

Thanksgiving Trivia

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States that is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of Novem-
ber. This fall holiday commemorates a harvest feast that was attended by both the colonial Pilgrims and the
Wampanoag Native Americans in 1621. The Native Americans’ assistance in the valuable skills of farming
and fishing ultimately allowed for this three-day feast to set its roots in American history. On November 22,
2018, families all across the United States came together to reflect on the values of giving, sharing, and fam-
ily. Even though you may consider yourself an expert on the delicious foods found on the Thanksgiving din-
ner table, how much do you actually know about this annual holiday? Take this mini trivia quiz to find out!
—Joanna Wypasek

1. Which of the following foods was 3. Who is considered the “Mother of 5. Which of the following presidents
not included in the first Thanksgiving Thanksgiving”? declared Thanksgiving a national
Day feast? a. Lucy Knox holiday in 1863?
a. Rabbit b. Martha Washington a. Andrew Johnson
b. Mashed Potatoes c. Mary Todd Lincoln b. John Adams
c. Cabbage d. Sarah Hale c. Zachary Taylor
d. Lobster d. Abraham Lincoln
4. What food was not only eaten at
2. When were the first NFL football the first Thanksgiving feast, but also
games played on Thanksgiving Day? used for medicinal purposes by the
a. 1900 Native Americans?
b. 1916 a. Cranberries
c. 1920 b. Pumpkin
d. 1924 c. Corn
d. Squash
Answers: B, C, D, A, D

Coronation Word Search

ART CLUB
CORONATION
COURT
DANCE
DECORATIONS
DRESS
FRIDAY
GLITTER
MUSIC
NIGHT
SASH
SNOW
THEME
TICKETS
WINTER
WONDERLAND

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