THE PANTHER PRESS
The Voice of Career High School
March 2019 New Haven, CT careerpantherpress.weebly.com
Haji-Daoud Nabi, 71Ramiz Arifbhai Vora, 28
Khaled Alhaj Mustafa, 44Ansi Alibava, 25
Hamza Mustafa, 16 Ozair Kadir, 24
Ali Elmadani, 65 Ashraf El-Moursy Ragheb, 54
Haroom Mahmood, 40
arohaAttaElayyan,33
Husna Ahmed, 44 Syed Areeb Ahmed, 26
Junaid Ismail, 36 Maheboob Allarakha Kokhar, 65
Hussein Al-Umari, 35 Muhammad Haziq Mohd-Tarmizi, 17
Mucad Ibrahim, 3 Hussein Moustafa, 70
Lilik Abdul Hamid, 58 Amjad Hamid, 57
Mohammed Imran Khan, 47 Mounir Soliman, 68
Linda Armstrong, 64 Ghulam Hussain, 66
Sayyad Milne, 14 Karam Bibi, 63
Ashraf Ali, 61
Syed Jahandad Ali, 34
Naeem Rashid, 51
Talha Naeem, 21
salamTariqOmar,24
Zeeshan Raza, 38
Abdukadir Elmi, 78
Mohsin Al Harbi, 63
Osama Adnan Youssef Abu Kwaik, 37
Mojammel Hoq, 30
Mathullah Safi, 55 Mohammad Omar Faruk, 36
Farhaj Ahsan, 30
Kamel Darwish, 38
Shahid Suhail, 35
peaceAbdelfattah Qasem, 60
Muhammed Abdusi Samad, 66
Muse Nur Awale, 77
Ahmed Gamaluddin Abdel-Ghany, 68
Ashraf Ali, 58
Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60 Zakaria Bhuiyan, 33
Arifbhai Mohamedali Vora, 58 Mohamad Moosid Mohamedhosen, 54
1
“I have spoken this evening to the mayor of Christchurch and I intend to speak this evening to the imam, but I
also want to send a message to those directly affected.
In fact, I am sure right now New Zealand would like me to share a message on their behalf, too.
Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have been impacted today. Christchurch was the home of
these victims. For many, this may not have been the place they were born. In fact, for many, New Zealand was
their choice.
The place they actively came to, and committed themselves to. The place they were raising their families,
where they were part of communities who they loved and who loved them. It was a place that many came to
for its safety. A place where they were free to practice their culture and their religion.
For those of you who are watching at home tonight, and questioning how this could have happened here, we—
New Zealand— we were not a target because we are a safe harbor for those who hate. We were not chosen for
this act of violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism. We were chosen for
the very fact that we are none of these things. Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home
for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it. And those values, I can assure you, will not, and
cannot, be shaken by this attack.
We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. And amongst that diversity we share com-
mon values. And the one that we place the currency on right now -- and tonight -- is our compassion and sup-
port for the community of those directly affected by this tragedy.
And secondly, the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this.
You may have chosen us -- but we utterly reject and condemn you.”
—Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister
The Panther Press: The Voice of Career High School
The Panther Press is a team 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.
Adam Ahmad-Rizal 2018-2019 Staff Writers Jervone Myers
Tyanna Evans
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 Mur phy
Visit us online at careerpantherpress.weebly.com. Contact us at [email protected]
2
The Career Panther Press stands by all those who were affected by the
terrible events in Christchurch, New Zealand, no matter their race,
religion, or background.
We choose our focus to be on those who lost their lives, those who lost
their loved ones, and those who were affected by this act of violence,
rather than on the terrorist who perpetrated this senseless act of white
supremacy.
Aroha, salam, and peace to Christchurch and our Muslim brothers and
sisters around the world.
— The Career High School Panther Press Editorial Board
3
Long Live Wells
Adam Ahmad-Rizal
(Photo/Kelley Fryer)
Former Hyde Leadership and East Haven High football coach Melvin Wells passed away on March 2, 2019.
He was killed in a 2-way car accident in Stonington, CT. The car that struck Wells was driving on the wrong
side of the highway on I-95 South. News passed on very quickly among the many former athletes and students
who knew Coach Wells.
Melvin Wells was well known to coach football for Hyde Leadership for many years in the early 2000’s and
helped bring success to East Haven High. His last position for Creed (formerly Hyde) was as the athletic di-
rector and as the coach for Creed’s outdoor track. He had recently been working at Hillhouse as a support
staff, as well as helping with the football program there.
Many former Creed athletes and students have had some form of interaction with Coach Wells, whether it be
through benefitting from his coaching, talking about issues, or just a simple “hi.” Everyone at the school knew
him as Coach Wells, and always knew his very low-bass voice. He was a father figure to most, if not all, stu-
dents at Creed. “He always looked after every student, even if he didn’t know you personally,” said Hector
Garcia, a current senior at Career and former Creed student. “He did what a typical father would do, like he’s
part of your family.”
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He was always a great help with big school-wide events, but still took the time to tend to the everyday mo-
ments that come with running a school. Many students remember how he often held the daily lunch line to-
gether. “I met him in the cafeteria, and every day, he would ask me how my day was,” says Geovanni Colon,
who is also a current senior and former student at Creed. Towards the end of lunch, he would often yell “Yo, if
you ain’t eat, come up!,” which was always followed by a chorus of other students repeating the phrase-- but
with Coach Wells, the mockery was out of love.
Coach Wells was loved not only by students, but by the teachers who personally knew him. Mr. Aurora, a cur-
rent teacher at Career and former teacher at Hyde, was close with Coach Wells. “Coach Wells is a good friend.
When we spoke, our conversations always had depth… he always had time to talk to you,” says Mr. Aurora.
Mr. Aurora was also privileged to witness Coach Wells’ interactions as a coach. “He seemed like he was al-
ways primarily concerned with developing his players. Of course, like any coach, he wanted to win. But it
seemed like his priority was development of character in his players,” said Aurora.
My personal experience with Coach Wells back at Hyde/Creed was that he was always someone you could just
say hi to. He always tried to support all of the sports teams and he helped coach outdoor track for Creed. He
was always a great support for us and always made sure the team was in the right place for the meets. I remem-
ber him cheering us on during Class S State championships, knowing that he was very proud of our perfor-
mances throughout the season.
Services for Coach Wells were held on March 8th. “It was hard to handle,” said Garcia when describing the
service. Hyde/Creed alumni of all ages attended, wanting to say goodbye. Though it was a very emotional day
for those who knew Coach Wells, “it was nice to see that everyone cared and everyone was together as one,”
said Garcia.
Mr. Aurora spoke about his last interaction with Wells, which occurred during a track meet. Unbeknownst to
Aurora, after their conversation, Wells had taken the time to speak with Mr. Aurora’s son, a track and field
athlete. “I didn’t even know it… it really resonated with me because that was his thing. He would do some-
thing great for somebody and never even let you know he was doing it.”
Melvin Wells
1963 - 2019
(Photo/GameTimeCT)
5
Opinion: It Starts at Home
Kabryah Hamlet
In light of recent events, both in New Haven and around
the world, conversations have been raised concerning the
wellbeing of children forced to be in situations where
adults show clear prejudice. It is important to ask our-
selves if we are doing right by our children. No one, let
alone an impressionable child, should be subjected to the
kind of aggression and mentality that we have sadly seen
on several occasions, whether in videos or in person.
Children learn from adults, and repetitive aggressive be-
havior or even a short, sudden outburst stays with a
child, regardless of how much you try to assuage the sit-
uation. My mother used to tell me, “kids are like spong-
es, so be conscious of your actions.” There has been
many a time that I’ve said something and a child repeat-
ed it just for fun, but imagine what that child learns if
daddy drinks every night before bedtime or if there is
consistent violence in the house. In a study published by
Izabella Milaniak and Cathy Spatz Widom, it was found
that in comparison to children who had not been abused
or a witness of abuse by the age of 29, those former chil-
dren “were significantly more likely to be poly-violence
perpetrators.” Now, this may not seem to be the most
direct comparison, but think about the violence a child
Mother and son, April 1956. (Photo/Getty Images) witnesses when they observe their parent screaming or
lashing out at another person. Violence is not always physical, and the escalation of an issue to the point of
screaming is unmistakably violent.
But how can we control the actions of others? How can we intervene in someone else’s parenting? I believe
it’s time to start questioning what people outside of that situation can do to protect that child or any child that
is subjected to issues that are both way beyond their years of understanding and not supposed to happen.
Should CPS get involved? Does the family need to be evaluated? Something needs to be done to make sure
that these kids are okay mentally and physically. Anybody can make the call to DCF and potentially help that
child while still remaining anonymous.
Even if you aren’t putting your child in the front row for a violent show, what you teach your child at home
about being a human being in society matters. Eventually, that kid is going to grow up and they are going to
exhibit the morals and structure you’ve instilled throughout childhood-- meaning all that dirty laundry will
come out. I’m not saying that every bad person was raised by violent white supremacists or that every good
person came from the best background, but I am arguing for nurture over nature. No one is born rude, ruthless,
or prejudiced. They are taught how to think of a certain person or group, and there isn’t much someone can do
to change that without drastic measures.
How can you, as a parent, own and recognize their mistakes, especially if your children mirror your mistakes?
As hard as it may be, I believe owning up to your crap is the only way to start a conversation that essentially
contradicts everything that you may have instilled into your child. A simple, “I was wrong” goes a very long
way and it can be a moment of deep reflection for the parent and the child, but until people can face that a hu-
man is a human regardless of skin tone, ethnicity, nationality, and religion, we can’t have meaningful change.
6
Racist Scandal in East Haven
Emily Cervantes
On Saturday, March 16, an altercation in which a white wom-
an screamed racial slurs at a Black man and woman occurred
at ShopRite in East Haven, Connecticut. A day later, a video
was uploaded on Facebook and Instagram by a man identifying
himself as the son of the woman being screamed at. The man
stated that his mother and uncle had been at the ShopRite when
they were attacked. The video revealed the white woman
screaming racial slurs and was captioned, “It’s gut wrenching
to think that we have to live in a world where Black People
and African Americans still aren't accepted.”
The woman screaming racial slurs was later was revealed to be
Corrine Magoveny Terrone, a New Haven resident. In the vid-
eo, she is with her children, screaming “F*** you, n****! Sit
down! Don't you dare talk to me in front of my kids like that,
motherf*****....There’s f**** n****** in East Haven!”
Though another man appeared to try to stop the incident from
getting worse, Terrone continued to yell racial comments and
then spat repeatedly at the Black man and woman.
Incredibly, it was later revealed that Terrone was a school sec-
retary at Hamden High School. Hamden High junior Nyasia
Bellamy stated, “she was always miserable and rude.”
Terrone resigned from her position; Hamden Public Schools Corrine Magoveny Terrone. (Screengrab/
released a statement on Twitter and their home website, saying, Twitter.com)
“the language the employee used in the video is in conflict with
the values of the Hamden Public School System. Someone who will use that sort of language in any setting,
whether public or private, is not someone we want anywhere near our children. The employee is separated
from service, and we hope that her children will receive the support they need after witnessing such a traumat-
ic event.” Hamden Public Schools also states, “Because [Terrone’s] children were present, school administra-
tors filed a DCF report.”
In the days following, audio of Terrone’s 911 calls to East Haven (and Easton) were released. At first, Terrone
called the wrong police station (Easton, rather than East Haven) and then in her second try she called the East
Haven police. Her language when talking to the dispatcher was still very vulgar. She claimed in the call that
she was being falsely portrayed as a racist and that the man in video started the altercation by calling her a
b****. The dispatcher told her to come to the police station to file a report which led her to yell even more foul
language. She demanded a white officer assist her because she would not “deal with a n***** or s***” officer.
Career High School junior Lesly Mellado, who has been racially profiled before, said that “coming from East
Haven, I’ve seen many racist things. But the way to fight for change isn’t with violence, but keeping calm and
letting the other [party] do the negative action so you don’t look like the bad one and get blamed for it.” Career
sophomore Adira Ahmad-Rizal emphasized that bystanders and followers allow such things to happen, saying
that “everyone should be allies for Black people in situations like this. They suffer through too much discrimi-
nation and racism for anyone to stand to the side and let it happen.”
Speech, even hate speech, is generally protected by the First Amendment. However, “fighting words,” which
immediately constitute a breach of peace, are prohibited. Additionally, the fact that Terrone was caught on vid-
eo spitting can cause her to possibly be charged for assault if it made contact with the person, because assault
is identified as unwanted attention. The victims of this incident have yet not come forward, so decisions for
charges were, at the time of this printing, still not made.
7
Career Takes DECA State Competition
Astou Diallo
On March 5th, Marketing 1 and 2 students prepared to com-
pete at the annual DECA State Competition in Southington,
Connecticut. These students had been preparing their plans
for months and were ready to take home the glass trophy. Up-
on arrival, students saw a plethora of business students in
their western business attire with their fancy DECA suits, all
of them ready for a challenge.
DECA has two different categories for competition. One of
them is role play, in which students practice a case study and
answer questions that the judge asks. The other event is called
a written event, in which students complete a plan prior to the
completion that can vary from 5-30 pages. Astou Diallo,
Neishaly Colón, and Chamera Clark all competed in the writ-
ten event categories. Neishaly competed in the start-up busi-
ness plan categories and created an app which focused on
helping people by automatically putting their outfits together
accommodating their fashion taste, promoting empowerment
and self love while still being very convenient. Chamera also
competed in the start-up business plan and created an app that
teaches African-American students how to code. Knowing
that the future of American jobs will need coding knowledge, she decided to create an app that would help mi-
nority kids gain knowledge in these fields. Astou competed in the Innovation plan, and she created a drone de-
livery system which would allow people to get their packages in a timely manner while still being affordable.
Role plays were conducted in the halls at Aqua Turf in Southington, with students competing in different types
of events trying to impress judges from corporations, Ivy leagues, and dedicated volunteers.
Who is able to join DECA to learn and compete? “DECA is an opportunity all business students at Career
should take advantages of,” said Mrs.Williams, the advisor for Career DECA who took over after the unfortu-
nate passing of Mr. Heller. “It instills leadership and academic discipline into our students.”
Chamera Clark and Neishally Colón, who took home the 2nd place trophies in the Start-Up Business Plan in
the written division, also felt as though more students at Career should join DECA. “It's actually really fun,
and we're really excited to go to Florida to compete and go to Disney,” said Chamera, who won a $500 schol-
arship from CT DECA as well as the Emerging Leader Award.
The DECA winners were acknowledged by not only Career High School, but by New Haven Board of Educa-
tion and even by Response, which is a marketing agency in New Haven, Connecticut. We wish our DECA stu-
dents the best of luck within the next round.
Congratulations, DECA Students!
Well done to Naarai Little, Neishaly Colón, Tyler McCarthy, Tyra Newton, Marlon Myers,
Kyshawn Greene, Angelina Saunders, Dianalys Bonilla, Astou Diallo, Chamera Clark, and
Adji Cisse for representing Career!
8
Muslims Imprisoned in China
Michelle Browne
We like to believe that the occupants of Earth as whole have evolved from past tyrant, immoral mentalities.
The fact of the matter is that we have in many aspects but, we still fall short in the “treating all people as equal
individuals” division. In the Western region of Xinjiang China, there has been photographic evidence but de-
nial from the government that China is imprisoning hundreds of thousands of Muslims without trial.
The Uyghur people are a minority ethnic group that lives in East as well as Central Asia practicing Islam. The
government states that these camps are simply “vocational schools” which individuals willingly attend, and
that the “schools” combat “terrorism and religion extremists.” These weak responses from the government
show similarities to another individual that was so found of controlling a specific category of the public
though camps. Adolf Hitler had covered up his genocidal policies against individuals claiming the Jewish reli-
gion by stating that the Jewish population was simply a “resettlement.”
With the help of a satellite, we have photographic proof that between the span of July 12, 2015 to April 22,
2018, China built a massive 2km wall enclosed compound with 16 guarded towers. What is so unruly that it
must be kept so tightly from the public? John Sudworth from BBC news has attempted to take a trip to Xin-
jiang China to investigate the camps. By the time Sudworth and his camera crew had landed and began their
journey, they were immediately followed by the police. Then, once the police caught sight of the cameras
filming the camps, Sudworth was pulled over and told to not film. “What we suspected to be a big internment
camp now looks like an enormous one,” Sudworth stated when first seeing the camp.
The residents of the area have been brainwashed to believe the lies that the government is feeding them.
“There are tens of thousands of people [at the re-education school]... They have some problems with their
thoughts,” some citizens say when referring to the camp. Although
China has and will in the future deny the allegations of a Muslim concentration camp, there are tidbits that im-
ply that something is going on that is not being talked about. For example, when interviewing the “students”
involved in the “vocational school,” their responses resembled confessions instead of genuine responses, say-
ing “I have deeply understood my own mistakes” and vowing to be a “good citizen.” In addition to this, the
camps are exclusively for Xinjiang Muslim minorities operating on dress code, but none of the women are
wearing a headscarf.
41 year old freed individual Abdusalam Muhemet was arrested by the police in 2014 for reciting an Islamic
verse at a funeral. When interviewed by BBC, he stated, “they told me I needed to be educated.” This camp
has successfully brainwashed its “students” into thinking there is something wrong with them for believing the
higher power of their choice. Slowly but surely, they will make the Uyghur culture extinct in China unless
they are stopped.
Before and After: At left, a satellite image of the school” in Dabancheng, April 2018. At right: a satellite image of the
expanded “vocational school,” Dabancheng, October 2018.
9
March: Red Cross Month
Beverly Rodriguez and Anthony Harris
Career students get a tour of the Red Cross RV in Farmington. (Photo/Beverly Rodriguez and Anthony Harris)
On Tuesday March 19, some medical/health major students got the chance to visit the American Red Cross
Donation Center in Farmington, Connecticut. Students had the opportunity to see how blood is actually pro-
cessed once it is donated, as well as where the blood may go and why it’s important to donate blood anytime
you can.
Students learned about the process of donating blood. Once you donate blood, it goes to the processing center,
where your blood is scanned into their computer database. The blood is then spun in centrifuges to separate
the three components: Red blood cells, Platelets and Plasma. Your white blood cells are removed because
they provide no type of help to the recipient and may carry viruses and bacteria.
They next test the blood to make sure that there is no disease in each blood component. This is done in the
testing laboratory center. This makes sure that no recipient can get sick from the blood that was donated.
Fun Facts: Red Blood cells are stored in refrigerators at 6ºC for up to 42 days. Platelets are stored at room
temperature in agitators for up to five days. Plasma are frozen and stored in freezers for up to one year.
On the field trip, students got to visit the area where people are able to donate blood in the company. They
even got to see how even an adult could donate blood using both arms. “It was very interesting being able to
see how a grown adult has a needle in each arm to donate blood. It looked so crazy and possibly even pain-
ful,” said Anthony Harris.
Students also got to see the newly-donated American Red Cross RV. It holds 5 available seats to donate
blood. This RV is used when certain locations are too small to hold available space for the phlebotomist to
take the blood.
10
Students believed this field trip was very enriching. “The experience was astonishing as the people explained
the processing of blood before a patient of the person receiving it receives it. I learned more about how careful
people are when it comes to processing the blood and avoid the spread of diseases,” said senior Magaly Perez.
Senior Alejandra Quinones also described, “I loved going to the Red Cross. It was very informative and inter-
esting how they divide the blood into three components and each of them go into the different patients who are
in need of them. I’ve always donated blood. I personally went through things in which I saw people close to
me be in need of blood, and it is the simplest way to being a hero and saving someone’s life.”
Although some students did enjoy it, some did expect more. A senior, Kimberly Sacaza, said, “My experience
was okay, I was expecting more excitement. However, it was all informative. The way it changed my way of
thinking was by realizing how many people could be helped with just someone’s willingness of donating
blood. I learned how you can distinguish the different types of blood as well as the process.”
Donating blood can really help someone’s life. So if are able to donate blood or plasma, try and donate so that
someone else who needs it can use it. Be a hero and save someone’s life. Junior Umarr Lahun said that his
opinion about the importance of donating blood has changed. “It was nice to see how much time and thinking
they put into doing these blood drives. Now I believe giving blood is very important thing to do because with
just one pint of blood you could save someone's life in need.”
Donate Blood, Save a Life
Andy Herrera
Career held its American Red Cross Blood Drive Thursday,
February 28th in the gymnasium. Eligible students set up ap-
pointments the week before to donate blood. This local blood
drive was hosted by members of Career’s HOSA Future
Health Professionals club, who works with teacher Ms. Zajac.
On the day of the blood drive, Career students came down to
the gym with their appointments set. First, the students had to
bring an ID to prove you are 17 or older. Then, they look over
a handout given by one of the HOSA members to make sure
they understood the process of blood donation. Students were
then questioned about personal factors that could impact a
blood donation, including if they had ever left the country as
well as basic questions about drugs and alcohol. Lastly, the instructor pricks a finger to check iron levels.
Ms. Zajac’s involvement with this blood drive is huge. Her Red Cross coordinator, Brian Steskla, also made
this possible with the help of the HOSA members. Ms. Zajac made sure everything ran smoothly, helping with
the appointments and the organization of students donating.
Senior and HOSA member Alejandra Quiñones finds it extremely important to give back to her community
through blood donation. “I get to help out a lot of people and help people who need [blood] to get better,” said
Quiñones. Not only does she get to help out a lot of people, she also sees giving blood as a way to give back to
a community that helped her through her own life.
Ms. Zajac encourages students to donate blood because it is always a necessity to people around the world who
really need it. However, there are some requirements to donate blood. The Red Cross has “certain parameters
that they need to stick by as far as donating like proper height, weight, age, and hematocrit level,” says Zajac.
The next Blood Drive in on April 29, so come in and set your appointments as soon as you can!
11
Stone Academy Visit Inspires Students
Beverly Rodriguez
Stone Academy is a college that provides a career-
focused education in Connecticut. Stone Academy
has three campuses, which are located in East
Hartford, West Haven and Waterbury. They are
quite small, but offer a safe and comfortable envi-
ronment.
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward
path to become active in the healthcare field,
Stone Academy could be a great fit for you. Stone
Academy offers Medical Assistant classes (MA), a
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) program, and a
Patient Care Specialist (PCS) program.
The Stone Academy Medical Assisting program
trains students using many different and inclusive
methods to achieve clinical and administrative
functions. A medical assistant is an allied health
professional that assists the work of physicians
and other health professionals in the clinic setting.
Being an MA is not for everyone, but it allows you
to work in many different locations in a clinical
setting, and you work in a team. The process of
becoming a Medical Assistant is not long; it takes about a year to become one. The Medical Assisting program
at Stone Academy includes training and certification eligibility in the American Heart Association Basic Life
Support for Healthcare Providers training, including Heartsaver First Aid, AED, and CPR for adult and pediat-
ric patients.
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) cares for the injured, sick, disabled, or a person recovering from an illness
or injury. A Licensed Practical Nurse is much like a Registered Nurse, but the LPN program takes about a
year, meanwhile becoming an RN takes about two to three years. An LPN also does not get as many responsi-
bilities as an RN does. The Stone Academy Practical Nursing Program trains students in all aspects of health
care, with a combination of classroom study and supervised clinical practice. The LPN program at Stone
Academy also includes training and certification eligibility in American Heart Association Basic Life Support
for Healthcare Providers training, including Heartsaver First Aid, AED and CPR for adult and pediatric pa-
tients.
A Patient Care Specialist is more than a CNA. It focuses more on working with patients closer. They perform
various tasks, such as taking vital signs, observing patients, and charting changes in their health or behavior.
They also help patients with their basic needs, such as helping patients with using the restroom, serving them
their meals, changing their bed, and more. The Stone Academy Patient Care Specialist (PCS) Program gives
students skills that are “high in demand in the healthcare industry”.
Ms. Zajac’s 3A class got the opportunity to go to the Stone Academy campus located at West Haven. Her 3A
class is actually her Health Career Pathways 2 class, composed of students who are currently working on be-
coming a Medical Assistant themselves. There, the students got the chance to meet with many of their faculty
and staff. Students saw the environment and how each staff member was very dedicated to their students.
12
“Going to Stone Academy was great! I learned so much and they have such a great team who work together in
order to give their students the best education they can receive,” said Alejandra Quinones, one of the students
working on becoming a Medical Assistant. “Initially, I was thinking of going to college and going to Stone
Academy as well, but I realized I wouldn’t be able to do both of them. But, I do consider this to be a great
place for people who are trying to get an education fast in order to start working.”
“My experience was very memorable, there was a lot of things that the school offers that I thought you could
only get attending a traditional 4 year university,” agreed Kimberly Sacaza. Although Stone Academy was
very surprising experience to Kimberly, she wouldn’t personally attend Stone Academy. “I don’t like an envi-
ronment that’s extremely small, and I want more than a certification. I want a degree.”
Some people might not want to go to college due to the length in time a degree would require. They may also
not be informed about the many opportunities there are out there for a quick and straightforward certification
to get yourself to stand apart from others. If this may be you and you are looking for your path to the
healthcare field, Stone Academy could be a great fit for you.
Ready for a Challenge? Try ISSP
Kabryah Hamlet
Many students wish for the perfect course to both challenge and interest them. However, high schools are lim-
ited in what types of courses they can offer their students. The solution? A program that will allow students to
make independent choices and pursue their interests.
ISSP, or Independent Study and Seminar Programs, helps students to enroll in college before college classes
and independent studies. In order to qualify for college before college you need to have an unweighted 3.0
GPA , be in the 11th or 12th grade, and to have grades above a C- on your latest report card. Each individual
college has their own requirements as well. For independent studies, a student would have to speak to a teacher
who is qualified and willing to teach that specific subject as well as creating the curriculum and syllabus be-
fore the submission deadline. If there are any questions, you have Career’s resident ISSP coordinator as your
resource. Dominique Argo is here on Wednesdays in the guidance suite, or you can consult the website isspin-
fo.wordpress.com for further information.
Students who have taken courses through ISSP before have good things to say about the preparation they now
have for college knowing what the workload and classroom is like. Aesha Acevedo, a Career senior, took Psy-
chology 111, which is an entry-level college course. She enjoyed the “early college experience in the sense of
seeing how some teachers work and how the classroom environment works.” Another senior, Pamela Samuel,
took Psychology and Sociology. In her time at Gateway, she noticed a clear difference between high school
and college. The professors weren’t like teachers because they never asked why her homework wasn’t turned
in and they didn’t give extensions. It is an expectation that you will do your work— and if not, that’s a person-
al problem. Both students were able to handle the workload and still have a life by prioritizing.
Some of the great things about ISSP are the things you leave with, like having the college classroom experi-
ence far before you actually become a college student. According to Argo, participating in this program “gives
students the opportunity to distinguish themselves as someone who wants a challenge.”
The schools available to students wishing for college courses are Southern, Gateway, and Yale, all of which
allow you to take one pre-requisite course each semester. Being a part of college before college or independent
study gives students a chance to go the extra mile and show initiative. In addition, taking advantage of the
great opportunity to earn college credit for free may impress college admissions officers with your decision to
get a head start on your education.
13
Teacher of the Month: Ms. Germanakos
Joanna Wypasek
In the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, Hill Regional Career High
School’s staff and students happily welcomed a new teacher in the social
studies department: Ms. Germanakos. Ms. Germanakos dutifully dedi-
cates her time to not only teaching students in her United States History
and Civics courses, but to coaching the enthusiastic cheerleaders as
well.
When asked about Ms. Germanakos, many students responded:
Junior Jonazia McKinnie mentioned, “I like how she teaches. Any other
civics class would be boring.”
Junior Seynabou Ndiaye said, “She is easy to talk to, and I like how we
have active discussions in class without judging everyone’s views.”
Senior Jervone Myers stated, “She knows how to talk to her students
right. Not a lot of teachers are like that.”
Junior Chamique Young expressed, “I admire and love Ms. Germanakos.
She is reliable, determined, and fun. With the circumstances and obsta-
cles placed upon us [the cheerleaders], she lifted spirits and gave us hope and confidence to be a better and
stronger team!”
Junior Rachel Matamoros said, “She’s really nice. She cares for all of her students, and if you are struggling,
she takes time from her lunch and helps you and makes you catch up.”
Junior Karina Cabassa mentioned, “She’s very into her class and makes everyone feel welcomed into her class.
She also knows how to control her classroom very well and is very sweet and polite.”
A warm thank you to Ms. Germanakos for everything that she has done for our school!
Girls With Curls
Jonazia McKinnie
If you have curls, or even know someone with natural hair, then you know it can be a struggle to keep up! Going natural
or wearing your natural hair isn’t easy or cheap.
People often discriminate against women natural hair, saying things like, “aren’t you going to straighten your hair for the
interview or for the first date?” There are women getting fired from jobs and young ladies getting suspended from school
for “breaking dress code” with their kinky/curly hair. Imagine having the hair you were born with discriminated against
or restricted from being seen at work or school because it doesn’t fit someone’s standards.
Girls with curly/natural hair really have it tough, between the expensive products and the time required to maintain their
beautiful flourishing hair. Sophomore Tyler Wilson says, “it is important to me to have natural hair because growing up I
didn’t really see people with my hair texture and I never wanted to wear my hair out because it was too different. As I
got older, I started to put chemicals in my hair and alter it so that my hair looked more like everyone else’s. Now, I’ve
learned to embrace my curls and I now know that it is okay to be different.”
14
Wilson also commented on how people are getting a lot of hate based
on their hair from schools or jobs, saying, “I think it’s degrading Black
women and/or people with natural hair. I feel like we should be able to
do whatever we want with our hair, whether it’s in braids, straight, or
curly. I also think that if white women came in to work with curly hair,
there wouldn’t be a problem. I don’t think this should be controver-
sial.”
Lots of people try to hide their curly/natural hair because of society’s
beauty standards. The modern day “pretty girl” has straight hair, with
lots of damage and harmful chemicals. Women should start to embrace
their beautiful hair and let those curls bounce! Natural hair is healthy
hair. Being natural can help work out a lot of insecurities and, in the
end, can make you not only stronger, but more confident as well.
Skincare With Michelle:
Everyday Routine
Michelle Browne
I am very organized with my skin care routine. I was not always like this, though. When getting into it I want-
ed to use every product under the sun, which resulted in pimples, discoloration, burns, and dull skin. It is ex-
tremely important to keep a stagnant routine, meaning always using the same products on a cyclical schedule.
This way, your skin can fully get used to the products you're using and can create an accurate result.
Weekly mask routine:
*I have a set schedule for facial masks during the week so that I am not doing them willy nilly!
Sunday = Hyperpigmentation focus using “The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA Peeling Solution”
Tuesday = Hyperpigmentation focus using “The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA Peeling Solution”
Thursday = Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask
Saturday = Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask
I have transitioned the focus and have also condensed my skin routine. My routine was focused on getting rid
of my hyperpigmentation chemically. Now, my focal point is collagen + vitamin C. Collagen is the main pro-
tein found in our skin. The benefits include: glowing skin, skin elasticity, and more youthful skin. As we age,
our collagen production decreases, which results in fine lines and wrinkles. By using a collagen + vitamin C
routine twice a day, I am decreasing the increase of wrinkles in my future. Vitamin C plays a vital role in col-
lagen production. The two working together on the skin creates plumper, more glowing healthy skin .
Skincare routine :
1. Wash your face with “Dudu Osun Black Soap” with a Clarisonic spin brush. This will gently exfoliate
your skin, leaving you feeling refreshed from natural ingredients
2. Take a cotton ball and swipe your face with Humphreys Witch Hazel Maravilla Lotion to tone your
skin.
3. Apply aloe vera gel to soothe your skin,
4. Next, take “AHA + Glycolic Acid” lotion from Acne.org to produce new healthy cells on your skin for
a clear complexion.
5. Then rub on any Vitamin C serum to increase healthy collagen production
6. After that, moisturize your face with either The Body Shop's Vitamin E sorbet or collagen lotion
7. Top it all off with Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil to reduce scars, dry skin, uneven skin tone, and aging
skin.
15
Undocumented and Unafraid: Career
Students Chase Dreams
Franchezca Pérez
It is surprising but true: every year, according to the United
Nations, 27 million young people between 15-24 years old
leave their country with the intention of emigrating, hoping
to leave a life of poverty and insecurities in order to have a
better life.
Emigration is the movement of the population that consists
of the arrival of people in a country different from their
place of origin to establish in it. In the previous definition,
it does not mention if a person is legal or not, but the gov-
ernment assigned this term to a specific group of people.
Teenagers who travel illegally come to establish their new
home who do not have a legal migratory status. From a
young age, they experience more complicated situations
Students protest for immigration reform in Hartford. because they have to work twice as hard to achieve their
goals. A student from Career (whose name is anonymous
(Photo/Facebook) for safety) said, "when I was in middle school, there was
one girl who was helping me. Another girl came and said 'don't help her,' that was a mean thing." This shows
how these students, since coming to the United States, are working harder than people who already know the
language. Now, this anonymous Career student is a successful student who is also learning a third language.
Other students from Career think that this experience has been a positive experience. "I love being bilingual
and I will continue speaking my language,” said another student.
"Young migrants are exposed to several situations, both to a series of risks during their transit to another coun-
try and when they join the society" according to the Animal Político newspaper. "Many young migrants face
similar threats or even worse (than in their places of origin), such as racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and
human rights violations. Young people, in particular, are exposed to the risk of exploitation and sexual abuse.”
During an interview, anonymous Career students were asked if they had ever been excluded from society, in
school or out. One of the students answered, "I never felt like that with people,” while other other students
commented that they have not felt excluded. One Career student expressed, "when I came to America, it was
really hard because I didn't speak English and people in middle school, because I wear my country's dress,
were looking at me and talking about me. Here in high school, teachers and peers bring me help." Another stu-
dent said, "when I came to this country, for two months I cried because I wanted to return to my country, but I
started to get things done and the school brings me help."
Other students also share the obstacles they had to overcome. "When I came here, I felt strange because I did-
n't know English. It was difficult in my classes because it was in English and my other peers know more Eng-
lish and they were more advanced than me [in school]. When we did an activity [in the classroom], I did not
like it and I felt sad because of the English.” Understanding and knowing English makes a difference. It is the
main way in which people in the U.S. communicate with each other. These students, whose main language is
not English, commented "It makes a lot of difference! [Knowing English], you can talk, make friends. If you
do not know English you can feel lonely and sad.”
Undocumented people have to work twice as hard to achieve their goals. During the anonymous interview, we
talked about college and their goals as students. As we all know, the pathway to get to college is harder and
expensive, but not impossible. In the U.S., the government gives financial aid for students who want to achieve
higher education. Unfortunately, some of the financial aid does not apply for people with a migratory status.
However, there are some helpful organizations of which some students are not informed.
16
The students of Career were asked if they knew of
any organizations that could help them pay for col-
lege and get information relating to an undocumented
status. Most said that they did not know anything
about the organizations, with only one responding
that they knew an organization existed.
One of our school counselors, Ms. Otero, discussed
the lack of knowledge relating to organizations that
help undocumented students. Undocumented students
often “are not informed,” said Ortero, “and that’s why
they are scared to look or ask for information. In my
experience, some parents and students don’t know
about organizations or resources.” Ms. Otero also
commented, “students came to ask about college, but
I noticed that students don’t say all of the story [about
their migratory status], but I have been working with
students that have similar situations. I ask about if
they have documents. If ‘no,’ it does not matter. I try
to break the ice so that they can feel more comfortable
and so they can trust and ask me about anything.”
Some students don’t like to talk about their migratory Career graduate Yenimar Cortes, who works with CT
status because some of them feel that other students will Students for a Dream. (Photo/Facebook)
be looking at them in a different way, and that this could
affect their social environment. “I don’t feel comfortable sharing with anybody about my situation. I'm scared
that people would look at me in a different way or that they would judge me,” expressed a student from Ca-
reer.
In the end, we all want a higher education, whether we are undocumented or not. For undocumented students
in Career, their migratory status is not an obstacle that will stop them. Some students commented that their sit-
uation does not influence their future decision to have a higher education. One student exclaimed, “I want to
Want to learn more?
Here in New Haven, there are organizations that help undocumented people.
CT Students for a Dream (C4D) IRIS is an organization that helps Junta for Progressive Action em-
is a statewide youth led network refugees or persecuted people from powers the Latino and low-income
fighting for the right of undocu- different countries and provides community to take control of their
mented youth and their families. support for providing such services economic and social wellness. Junta
C4D provides resources such as as daily English lessons, education offers adult education such as Eng-
scholarships available for undocu- and youth programs among others. lish as a Second Language (ESL)
mented students, guides to get to classes, English General Equivalen-
the university, training on the rights cy Diploma (GED), and two levels
of undocumented students, among of Spanish GED. Junta offers chil-
other resources. dren’s programs, economic devel-
opment, family management, immi-
grant rights, and cultural apprecia-
tion programs.
If you would like to know more information about these organizations, have questions about college, or would
like to volunteer at any organization, you can check with Ms. Otero at guidance. She will keep things confi-
dential.
17
Polski Wielkanoc (Polish Easter)
Joanna Wypasek
Located in Central Europe, the country of Poland flourishes with immense culture and old traditions, which are
quite evident during the times of religious holidays, such as upcoming Easter. The majority of Polish people
identify as Roman Catholic, tying in many of their beautiful traditions with the Church, and often believe that
the holiday of Easter is more significant than that of Christmas. Throughout the Easter season, which com-
mences on Ash Wednesday, not only do many Polish people invest much time in attending church to dutifully
pray and repent, but they leave a vast amount of time to tackle many other activities as well, such as:
Creating Pisanki
Pisanki, or painted hard-boiled eggs,
are often decorated with colorful, intricate patterns that are main-
ly hand-painted. While some buy the necessary dyes and paints
from the store, others continue to utilize the original dyes once
used, which are obtained from boiled onion skins. Common in
many other Slavic cultures, this well-known tradition has been
dated and recorded from over 5,000 years ago.
Eggs (Pisanki). (Photo: Marian Zubrzycki/ Blessing of the Baskets
FOTORZEPA) Every Saturday before Easter, which is known as Holy Saturday,
many Polish people happily fill their weaved baskets with a vari-
ety of foods and sweets that are meant to be eaten on Easter Sun-
day. The delicious foods that are most commonly placed into
these adorned baskets are eggs, bread, a traditional cake known
as a babka, horseradish, salt, pepper, a lamb made out of sugar,
and cold meat, such as ham.
Spring Cleaning
Falling on the week just before Easter, Holy Week is seen as a time of cleansing to prepare homes and
property for the arrival of Jesus Christ on Sunday. In the countryside, some take up the strenuous task
of repainting their barns just for this special day.
Enjoying a Bountiful Breakfast
After the early Sunrise Service in Church on Easter Sunday, many families sit down to reflect upon
themselves through prayer and enjoy a great amount of food that was blessed the day before on Holy
Saturday. The tables are gracefully beautified with a white cloth, pisanki, and fresh flowers, signifying
a time of “new life” within the religious community. This meaningful breakfast begins with sharing
blessed eggs, a tradition that is similar to another unforgotten Polish custom during Christmas. Career
Junior Veronica Borowski, who is Polish, commented, “Eating the food is my favorite part.”
Smingus-Dyngus
Unlike in the United States, the eventful festivities associated with Easter do not conclude on the Sun-
day that is recognized by many. On Smingus-Dyngus, which is also known as Wet Monday, both rela-
tives and strangers splash water onto one another, an act which used to symbolize the awakening of
nature and cleansing of dirt. In a plethora of villages in southern Poland, this splashing of water is also
accompanied by distinct small pranks, such as the placement of the neighbor’s farm tools on top of
their roof.
Although these traditions may not seem as entertaining as an Easter egg hunt, they are truly remarkable in the
eyes of those who continue these customs yearly. They provide the foundation for the growing Polish culture
not only in Poland, but in the United States as well.
18
Life with a Disability
Justyce Davis
People with disabilities aren't different; they are just living with a disability. They probably can't do things the
same way as a lot of people, but that doesn't change who they are as a person-- and that's what a lot of people
fail to realize.
Kids living with a disability should not be treated badly. It seems like kids get treated worse than adults with
regards to social situations. Some schools have bullies who don't understand what's going on with the other
child living with their disability. If the bully is ignorant or if they know and choose to behave badly anyway,
this is a problem that the schools should look at. Bullying behavior makes a child feel less of him or herself.
People with disabilities getting treated badly is such a common story, but people living with disabilities just
have a different path or way of doing the same things. I was watching a 2004 show called Degrassi where one
of the characters was in a wheelchair because he got shot. Mind you, he was a good basketball player, though
because he was in a wheelchair he thought he would never be able to play ball again. But he still played while
he was in the wheelchair, still playing the game but not the same way. So he found something else that he nev-
er thought he would be interested in, and he was good at it.
Some disabilities are visible-- like someone who uses a wheelchair-- but many are invisible. Many people
might never know that someone could be living with a certain disability. Another thing you should know about
people living with a disability is sometimes
a disability is discovered later in life.
Sometimes disability happens as a result of
an accident, but regardless, people should-
n't think people with a living disability are
different. It's not like they had a choice to
be living with the disability; it just happens
and that’s life.
Disability does not discriminate against
race, religion, culture, or how much money
you have in your bank. It can happen to
anyone. Overall, if you are someone with a
disability or know someone living with a
disability, you shouldn't be treated like
you’re less than than anyone else.
Career administrator Mr. Ciarcia said that
“kids living with a disability are normal
people. They should feel welcomed com-
ing into their school.” People need to un-
derstand that those who live with disabili-
ties need everyday friendship, not judge-
ment. Living with a disability really can't
let you stop you from doing what you want
unless you let it. There are always other
ways. There no way you can't unless you
don't try.
19
The Logic Of Luck
Veronica Borowski
Are you truly “lucky,” or is your mind trying to find explanations for
the unexplainable? Career students seem to have varied opinions,
with some believing in luck and some believing in random chance.
Many studies have found that what a person might perceive as “luck”
has more to do with psychology than probability. Some studies
found that the idea of "luck" is actually just your own positive atti-
tude that keeps you open to new opportunities or perceiving patterns
in random acts of chance. Other studies focused on the ideas of su-
perstitions, lucky streaks, and lucky people.
Some examples of common superstitions are if you break a mirror you will have bad luck, if you walk under a
ladder you will have bad luck, if you cross your fingers you are able to break your promise, etc. The word su-
perstition is a pejorative or negative term for any belief or practice that is considered irrational or supernatural.
It might come from a misunderstanding of science, a positive belief in fate or magic, or fear of the unknown.
Lucky streaks are when you are placing bets on games such as roulette which is a chance-based game, and you
end up having the winning most of the bets. Statistics show a person who wins two bets in a row has a 57%
chance of winning the next bet, while a person who has lost two bets in a row has only a 40% chance of win-
ning their next bet. However, this is not truly luck. People who have been winning take safer bets; this means
they'll probably keep winning. When people have been losing, they take riskier bets to try to win, which means
they actually lose more all together. So there is no such thing as a lucky streak, it’s up to chance and how
much you bet.
There is a difference between chance and luck. Chance is the objective reality of random outcomes in the real
world, or in other words, when an event occurs over which you have no control, like winning or losing the lot-
tery. Luck is more "coincidental”and depends on your own attitude and how observant you are.
Can a person a personally truly be lucky? If a person thinks they are lucky, it just might their attitude. A study
conducted by Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in England,
showed that “lucky” people are more likely to extroverted and are more likely to be optimistic and overall be
more positive, while an “unlucky” person seemed to be more introverted and showed more signs of anxiety. So
if you are a happier and more outgoing person, you are more likely to identify as “lucky” compared to some-
one who isn't.
So to answer the question if luck is real, the answer is no. Superstitions let people misunderstand something or
fear the unknown as they try to rationalize it by saying it is supernatural, fate, or magic. So-called lucky
streaks are more chance and statistics rather than luck itself, and “lucky” people are merely positive and opti-
mistic people.
Calling All New Haven Public High School Students!
Each year, Artspace brings New Haven high school students into its galleries for three weeks to work as ap-
prentices with a Master Artist. Since its inception in 2001, Artspace’s Summer Apprenticeship Program has
given over 200 New Haven Public High School students the opportunity to work on their very own gallery
show, learn about contemporary studio art practices, and build self-esteem while making a project relevant to
their own lives. Apply for the 19th Annual Summer Apprenticeship Program this summer with the LA film
collective “The Sounds We See.” Program Dates are July 8 – 26, 2019. The program runs Mondays-Fridays, 1-
4pm. All materials, snacks and $175 work stipends provided. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2019 at 5pm. Go to
artspacenewhaven.org/sap to find out more and apply.
20
When Life Changes: Teen Pregnancy
Yuliarys LeBron
When you're a child, you always imagine what life would be like when you grow up. You think you'll grow up
to be a singer, a firefighter, a doctor, a teacher, etc., but you never imagine yourself as a teen parent. Although
a little girl might say she wants to have a child one day just like her mom, she never states she wants to have a
child as a teenager.
It is innate biology for teenagers to engage in sexual activity. Most teenage girls don't plan to get pregnant, but
many do. Each year, over half a million U.S girls in their teens or younger become pregnant.
Teenage pregnancy can affect a person in many different ways such as dating, school, friendships, and money.
Sometimes a teen’s education can be disrupted. Polly McCabe High School was a school in New Haven, CT
intended to educate only pregnant teens and give them the chance to get their academic lives on track to avoid
dropping out. Polly McCabe is no longer operating, but New Haven now offers services for pregnant teens in
their own schools.
When a teen gets pregnant, there are people out there in the world who will judge them-- even guys will judge
them, even though a girl doesn’t get pregnant on her own. They’ll call a girl a “whore” and keep their distance
because some guys don’t want to be with a girl who is pregnant. Friends may start to distance themselves for
many reasons. Money also is a big concern for a pregnant teen; finding a job may become difficult. Some teen-
age girls don’t have any job experience and makes it a little harder to find one that’ll hire them. An employed
girl may not be able to keep her job because the most common jobs for teen girls include food service, retail
sale, and cashier jobs. Because these jobs involve standing for a long period of time, a pregnant teen might not
be able to keep her job in the last trimester of her pregnancy.
One anonymous teen girl from Camden, New Jersey, shares her own personal experience with teenage preg-
nancy. The girl explained that “it is very uncomfortable having to walk around with a big belly, not knowing
what people are saying about you, but it's not hard when you've learned to accept the facts. It always helps
when you have at least one supportive friend.”
Daily life for a teen who is pregnant can be difficult. The teen from New Jersey said, “I wake up at about 5AM
to go to school and attend some college classes at noon. After my college classes, I go home to eat something
and get ready for work. I work two jobs. Some days I work at both, and other days I'll work at one. After work,
I go home to work on any homework I might have from that day. I also work on weekends.”
Teenage pregnancy is not easy. However, though it is a challenge, it's not impossible. It is important to remem-
ber that there are resources, help, and support for you. It is also important to keep yourself close to positive and
supportive people. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
If you’d like to talk to someone or just ask a question, please go to the nurse’s office or the clinic.
21
Featured Country: Cuba
Valeria Torres
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbe-
an, and it lies where the Caribbean Ocean,
Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean
meet. It is conformed of the main island
as well as other small archipelagos, which
are groups of islands. Around 11 million
people call Cuba home, and around two
million tourists and investors visit this
country annually. But what makes Cuba
so popular?
Cuba is known for many things, such as
its food, music, weather and rich culture.
Cuba is well known for their production
of the finest cigars. The people of Cuba
have had hundreds of years of experience
of planting tobacco, manufacturing cigars
as early as 1527. These cigars are made one by one, and it is estimated that it takes over a 100 steps to pro-
duce a single Cuban cigar.
Cuba's government has had a rough history. In April 2018, Cuba got a new leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, who
isn't under Fidel Castro’s influence. Cuba became a communist country after Fidel Castro got into leadership,
and many people have different opinions about him. He provided free education, healthcare, and created em-
ployment, but Cuban citizens had to pay a price for this: private businesses were no longer existent, there
were many public protests, the free press and political opposition were brutally suppressed, and free elections
were not longer allowed.
Something Cuban citizens, as well as the many tourists that visit the island every year, enjoy is the beautiful
weather. In Cuba, the hottest months are between June and August with temperatures that rise up to 96.8 de-
grees. During this season, many carnivals and festive activities are held in different parts of the country, so
tourist numbers increase during these months. Also, hurricanes are something people are used to on the beau-
tiful island. Hurricane season starts in July and ends in November, but September and October are the months
when this type of activity will most likely happen. The hurricanes that do go through Cuba luckily often im-
pact more rural areas where no one's life is in danger, and Cuba is very prepared for evacuation in case it is
needed.
Lastly, Cuban cuisine is something all tourists and Cuban citizens talk about, love, and can’t get enough of.
Cuban cuisine varies, but most dishes offer rice, beans, or plantains as a side dish or as a part of the plate.
Ropa vieja is one of the famous entrees from Cuba, and it consists of stewed shredded beef, which is slowly
cooked with tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and wine; this dish is then served with white rice, black beans,
and sweet plantains. Cuba is a beautiful island worth visiting. Its food, warm weather, and rich culture make it
an awesome and unforgettable experience.
22
Living in Poverty
Jervone Myers
One of the worst things in the world has to be living in poverty. I know what it feels like because I’ve been
there before, and it’s not a great feeling at all. Feeling like others will always have more, that you’ll always be
struggling than others-- that feeling hurts you. It makes you feel worthless, feeling like there's no hope in your-
self. When you’re feeling like that, it feels like it's harder to do everyday things. That pain hits because you’re
wishing on things you want and it's just not getting there.
Being in poverty creates a disadvantage for children on a long-term basis. The consequences of poverty can be
emotional issues and lower academic achievements. Poverty is increasing and affects a larger and larger num-
ber of children. From 2007 to 2008, the number of children living in poverty grew by over a half a million in
the United States. Healthy social and emotional development is a challenge for poor children. They are at risk
of developing emotional and behavioral problems like disobedience and difficulty getting along with others.
Family poverty is also associated with lower self-esteem. But just in general, poverty makes it harder for chil-
dren to develop and have normal emotions as they live with a stressful environment. I know how it works-- I
went through for years, but it made me who I am. It made me watch people, it made me smarter and helped me
to move in the right direction. It made me motivated that I could do anything. It makes me want to give back to
the community.
Many children are in poverty because they have parents with no jobs. Children living in poverty are most like-
ly also living in bad housing. This has a big effect on both their physical and mental health. Children from
families with low income often drop events that most of us would probably take for granted; they up missing
school trips, can't invite friends over, and can't afford special holidays. In families that are poor, parents may
have to work three jobs. Children can feel alone due to the lack of parent attention.
Everyone knows people who are hurting and struggling, people need help and need a boost. People know that
there’s lots of poverty in New Haven, but what people don't know is that there are a lot of community pro-
grams for people who are in poverty just to help them get on their feet.
Something people may not know is that there is a community organization right across the street from Career
that offers help to those who need it. Continuum is located at 109 Legion Avenue. Continuum is a agency that
is non-profit in New Haven that is helping people get back on their feet and rebuild their lives one step at a
time. One of the great gifts that they give is giving the residents the opportunities to learn a trade and get into
the workforce. This organization helps adults with mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, stress
disorders, PTSD, and more.
If you are interested in learning more about Continuum, go to continuumct.com.
23
Vaping: Not a Safe Option
Lesly Mellado
Smoking and vaping, known to be an epidemic across the world, has now been targeting high schools students
and even middle schools students in different ways. People think high schooler would mainly smoke week,
which students still do-- but vaping has been growing in popularity among teens today.
Many teens might try vaping for the curiosity of it, but later on could get addicted to it if they vape all the time.
Some vape because of peer pressure or just because they want to fit in a friend group. Whatever the reason
people smoke, do teens actually know how dangerous it can be to inhale a juul/e-cig?
One Career High School student discussed the first time they tried vaping. “I fell into peer pressure which is
tragic,” they said. “I’m very disappointed in myself and never going to do it again.” A Career junior said,
“during a party, I was with some friends and they were vaping, I wanted to be part of that and I was also curi-
ous and so they offered me. When I did, everyone was shocked and hyping me up because I didn’t look like
the typical person that would do such things. After that day, I continued to smoke. However, now I’ve stopped.
Honestly, I just wanted to experience it a little. I wasn’t informed of how harmful it really was.” Not knowing
the problems you are facing when vaping can lead to health problems. Knowing what you’re getting yourself
into before curiosity can kill you will result in you making a better choice.
Vaping contains nicotine. Nicotine is a very addictive drug and potentially can end up in killing you. Accord-
ing to E-cigarette Overdose, “nicotine is a poison. And not just a long-term poison in the sense that smoking
can put you on the slow but steady road to cancer.” Nicotine is known to harm the development of the brain
and while growing up that is very essential for all of us. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
claims, “60 milligrams of nicotine is enough to kill a 150-pound adult.” Imagine what it could do to a high
school student or even a middle school student.
Like smoking, vaping has been proven to cause cancer. Even though it’s a slow process, if people keep vaping,
cancer can be right at their door at an early age. A study about the consequences of nicotine from the National
Institutes of Health says, “smoking
during adolescence increases the risk
of developing psychiatric disorders
and cognitive impairment in later
life.” This is what happens when you
inhale nicotine; it enters the body
and is distributed quickly through
the bloodstream, entering the brain
in around 10-20 seconds. Then, it
binds the nicotinic acetylcholine re-
ceptors, which control muscle move-
ment and other parts of the body to
harm development.
Vaping might seem safer than ciga-
rettes, but be careful with what you
do. Everything has consequences,
either good or bad. Make sure to be
informed and don't let others peer
pressure you. You are your own per-
son and you make your own deci-
sions-- so make them smart.
24
Stand Against Gender Stereotyping
Tyanna Evans
Cover yourself up. Do you want people to think you’re a slut? If you cover yourself all the time, none of the
boys will talk to you. You have to get married and have kids one day. Smile. You’re too aggressive.
The messages young women receive
makes it clear that our country is still seg-
regated and sexist, just as it was years ago.
Women have been receiving the short end
of the stick for most of their lives. Dec-
ades ago, men had always had stereotypes
about how women should act, look, and
present ourselves. An article called What
Are Gender Roles and Stereotypes by
Planned Parenthood said, “girls and wom-
en are generally expected to dress in typi-
cally feminine ways and be polite, accom-
modating, and nurturing. Men are general-
ly expected to be strong, aggressive, and
bold.”
As a young woman growing up in today’s
society, I admit that the stereotypes that I
hear and see have sadly taken an affect
on how I view myself and other women
as well. Even when you know the stereotypes exist, they’re not easy to ignore. “I believe getting dressed every
morning is one of the most challenging obstacles women have to do every morning,” said one anonymous
woman. “If you wear a shirt with your cleavage out, you’ll be seeking attention from boys, but if I wear baggy
pants and a oversized t-shirt, I’ll be considered a tomboy who’s one of those ‘misfit’ kids.”
This might not seem serious to some. Some men and even women may feel like stereotyping is just a part of
life, but why would anyone think stereotyping is okay? Personally, I believe it’s because society has normal-
ized these types of behaviors, which makes majority of the people think it’s okay. Social media especially
plays one of the biggest roles in stereotyping women or anyone at all. Stereotyping has become something that
is so normalized to society that some people don’t even realize that they live according to these stereotypes
everyday.
For example, today many boys think that wearing pink is feminine. But many years ago, it was encouraged for
boys to wear pink. Thee color pink was looked at to be “decided and a stronger color,” according to a June
1918 article from the trade publication Earnshaw's Infants' Department. Girls wore blue because it was looked
at as “more delicate and dainty” on them. It’s society that randomly decides what is acceptable and unaccepta-
ble.
Women shouldn’t have to live with gender stereotyping. Not only does it affect self esteem, but it stops some
women from being who they actually want to be. “Just be who you want to be and don't let the gender stereo-
types knock your confidence, you’re beautiful just the way you are,” said Career junior Justyce Davis. Today’s
society isn’t always the best place to seek positivity, as we all know. But we have many things to work on. In-
stead of putting each other down, we should try to all spread positive vibes instead of negativity. Women
across the nation should be able to wear and act how they want without being judged by men and women. Be
who you want, dress how you want, and build other women up, because all the negativity we face every day
because of our gender has the potential to tear us down-- but we can stand strong together.
25
Why Are Windmills So Important?
Jervone Myers
Windmills transform the energy of the
wind, and their largest and most im-
portant role is to convert wind energy
into electricity. We need windmills just
like we need the wind power in the
world. Wind power offers a lot of ad-
vantages, which maybe explains why it
one of the fastest growing energy
sources in the world. In the society that
we live in today, it has become more
common to think ecologically and act as
you pay attention to nature. Those who
agree with this might have homes with
New Haven wind turbine and Q Bridge.. (Photo/Phoenix Press) solar panels, drive a hybrid car, and try
taking care of their environmental im-
pact. It seems as if windmills are part of one big story about the environment, and it's very interesting how
they all work and provide us with lots of needed electricity. Wind power has been used for thousands of
years as a source of power. Sail boats are one of the first and simplest examples.
Before electricity was invented, windmills were primary use to grind grains and pump water. Wind power
was used to turn the blades of a rotor, which was connected to pumping mechanisms or grinding stones. To-
day, we have windmills that generate electrical power. Over the years, wind power has changed. Lessons
have been learned from years of operating wind power pants. Wind energy is the earth’s fastest-growing en-
ergy and will hopefully power the industry, businesses, and homes with clean, renewable electricity and
many more years to come.
Some people feel as windmills are not important and there's no reason to have them because people think
that there is no climate change. However, climate change is one of the main problems in our time. People
who don’t want to believe climate change exists think that natural storms and disasters are not influenced by
people. They think it's just a natural cyclical weather event. Other people don’t like the way windmills look.
They have to be built in certain areas, and people think that they’re just too big and too expensive. However,
if people are worried about costs of windmills, they should think about prices of fossil fuels. Fuel prices
right now are high, and if you think that fuel prices are coming down, think again.
But there other people who enjoy windmills and think they are helpful for our planet-- like me, for example.
Career biology Mr. McTague thinks that wind power is good for the environment. “An advantage of wind
power is that we don't need a nonrenewable fuel,” said Mr. McTague. Mr. McTague is saying that wind
power doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on fossil fuels, like coal or natural gas, which cause
environmental damage and human health problems.
In certain communities that have open space and lots of wind, windmills can be a smart choice. Mr.
McTague stated that “windmills are suitable for places that catch a lot of wind, like the northeast, where we
live. Anywhere along the ocean works, because there will be a lot of wind blowing in from the coast, so also
places like Massachusetts.” McTague stated that “when the climate changes, we will have no choice but to
go with renewable energy sources... but we also will have an advantage because we been having wind tur-
bines built for years.”
If you’re interested in learning more about wind energy, please visit:
visit www.energy.gov If you want to research more about how to use renewable energy in your own life, go
to www.thegreenage.co.uk
26
Thinking of Changing Districts?
Justin Threet
Switching school districts can be challenging and difficult for a variety of reasons. There are some students in
Career who have made the decision or have had their parents make the decision from them to be transferred
into the New Haven public school system from other districts. These kids come from districts such as West
Haven, Derby, Branford, Seymour, etc. Schools in these districts are predominantly filled with white students,
and the change to an inner-city school district can be a complete change in atmosphere.
There are a variety of things that go into the decision making when thinking about changing school districts.
There is even more of a variety when choosing which school district to transfer into. People tend to think that
the outer-city school districts are filled with tons of tools and a bunch of opportunities for people to succeed,
but some don’t realize that there are opportunities and programs that are the same, if not better, inside of the
inner-city districts. When asked why she decided to transfer into the New Haven School District from a Derby
private school, junior Joanna Wypasek said she transferred because of “the health and science program, I knew
people who came [to Career] and they spoke highly of it.” Making the jump to a new district, even if you’re
excited about a program, can still come with challenges, especially coming from such a small school. “The at-
mosphere coming from a smaller school to a bigger school was very different,” said Wypasek, “but I would
prefer it over a smaller atmosphere because I get to see new faces every day.”
Some students move out of New Haven to another dis-
trict and still decide to remain inside inner-city school
districts. Students from different school districts could
be raised differently due to the location of their housing.
Kids sometimes don’t like the vibes or the energy of the
people from the district they recently moved to, so they
decide to hang out with their friends from their original
districts. This would inevitably mean they wouldn't want
to leave the school they were originally attending. There
are a few students who, if you never asked them where
they live or where they're from, you would never guess.
Senior Anthony Harris, who formerly lived in New Ha-
ven but is now based in Branford, says “I don't really
hang out in Branford like that-- I don't really hang with
kids in Branford.” When asked why he says, “The kids
over there are… different.”
Although changing school districts may sound like a
great idea at the time, it may come to some challenges.
When thinking of switching school districts, you should
keep these challenges in mind. Things like the size of the
new schools, the types of people in these new schools,
and of course the new type of atmosphere that you’ll
now be engulfed in are not small considerations. Chang-
ing school districts isn’t always bad or challenging,
though; they come with their benefits. You can meet
new friends, engage in promising programs and organi-
zations, and always enjoy the new change in environ-
ment.
27
Are You Losing Your Mind?
Tyanna Evans
Have you ever put your cup down somewhere and couldn’t find it? Or you’re looking for that homework as-
signment you could have sworn you put in your folder? We’ve all experienced feeling like we lost our minds
at one point in our lives. Due to stress, procrastination, being overwhelmed, and not having good organization
tips for your brain, we get disorganized and distracted. Well, if you’re like me and seem to be losing every-
thing you own, forget often what you have to say, and have no idea what’s going on, I hate to say it, but
you’re probably losing your mind. A World Economic Forum article called 5 Ways to Organize Your Mind for
Maximum Productivity by Travis Bradberry says, “the average person has 70,000 thoughts each day, and if
you don’t learn to organize them, they have the potential to wreak havoc on your productivity.” But some peo-
ple have different patterns of their thinking, depending on how
they organize their thoughts or items to remember anything.
“I’m just an unorganized person. My thoughts are always wan-
dering off, I throw everything everywhere, but I can still manage
to find whatever I’m looking for, unlike some people. They need
to be organized in order to find items and think straight. I call
those people neat freaks,” said New Haven resident Jasmine Gar-
seen. Some people may find that being “neat freaks,” as Garseen
calls them, is completely necessary. Those who are organized
who would actually lose their mind in a disorganized environ-
ment. For example, Biology and Anatomy and Physiology teach-
er Mr. McTague is known for one of his many talents-- color-
coordinating all of his assignments and supplies with vibrant col-
ors. From cool colorful duct tape, folders, pencils, pens, and
flashcards-- anything you could think of, he has it, and he knows
exactly where it is.
“Recently, I used Marie Kondo’s cleaning method to get orga-
nized,” says McTague. “I took all of my things out, made a spe-
cial space for those things, and put them away. Now I know
where everything is, and I use labels in case I forget. I use the
calendar app Fantastical to remember important dates and doc-
tor’s appointment. Sometimes I get a little messy and do a big
clean to stay organized,” says McTague.
From someone who isn’t organized and someone who is, you can
see they both live by different routines. So if you are that some-
one who constantly is looking for something, forgetting every-
thing, and think your losing your mind, you may want to start
trying to adapt the habits of being organized. If you’re interested
into getting organized here are 5 tips from weforum.org
Step 1: Find the Right Amount of Challenge in What You Do
Step 2: Take Control of Your Emotions
Step 3: Sustain Your Focus
Step 4: Take Breaks
Step 5: Shift Focus Back to Tasks
Right: Mr. McTague’s preferred method of
tidying. (Photo/MakeSpace)
28
Senior Spotlight: Hannah Marcano,
Southern Connecticut State University
Angelina Saunders
Hannah has always known that she will be going to college and that she
does not want to pay a dime for it— and she’s well on her way. One of
the biggest things that has helped Hannah not have to pay for college is
getting great grades. Hannah is a straight A student and takes AP classes
that she will need for college so she can defer that cost by already com-
pleting necessary classes in high school. The major that she wants to
study is education-- “nothing specific right now, I don't want to think
about it too much and I want to do middle school. I just really like help-
ing people and I like kids a lot. I think that teachers have a really big im-
portance in children's lives, and if we have more teachers then we can
make a bigger difference for future generations.”
Hannah said that her application process was “tedious, but I got through
it with the help of the guidance counselors and how helpful Common
App is.” Many students are helped by how widespread the use of the
Common App is, saving students from putting in the same information a
thousand times for different colleges.
When it came to deciding what colleges to apply to, it was all about the
commuting for Marcano. “I want to commute, but I didn't want to drive
for an hour, so I didn't apply for too many” said Hannah. The colleges she ended up applying to were Southern
Connecticut State University, University of Connecticut, Albertus Magnus, Quinnipiac University, and Uni-
versity of New Haven; not surprisingly, she got accepted to all of these colleges. This made her feel very proud
of herself to be able to have options-- and happy that they provided scholarships.
The school Hannah originally really wanted to go to was Albertus Magnus College because it was basically
her dream school. It was a hard decision for Hannah to decide not to go there but, her goal main is to be com-
pletely debt-free through and after college. Hannah did receive great academic scholarships to Albertus Mag-
nus, but she didn't get full rides to cover the full tuition cost. She also got the New Haven Promise, which was
really helpful for her because it helped her making her final decision. Hannah used the information she got
from colleges and the New Haven Promise, she decided that Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU)
would be her best option; “it's a good school for someone who wants to become a teacher,” Hannah said.
The New Haven Promise will pay for Hannah’s full tuition at SCSU, and since she is commuting she won't
have to pay for room and board and the big dining cost. Hannah is currently applying for some outside scholar-
ships that are on the College Greenlight website to cover the cost of books and other fees.
The best part of the college process for Marcano was the end, when she got all the best results she worked for.
The worst part about it was getting all the information together, because it’s very tedious. “The hardest deci-
sion I had to make was deciding between Albertus and and Southern,” said Marcano. “I was given a lot of
money from Albertus, but I still had five thousand dollars left for each year, and I really didn't want to be in
debt.” Hannah said.
Currently, Hannah is pretty much done with her college process. She has paid for her deposit and is registered
to start. She just is applying for some private scholarships and grants. It’s amazing to see that she was able to
accomplish exactly what she wanted for herself. Her message to Career students? “Working hard actually pays
off, so don't slack off,” said Hannah.
Congratulations Hannah Marcano, you really deserve it. I hope the rest of your road to college is just as great
and even better than high school. GOOD LUCK!
29
Name How are the seniors Do you have any What are you most
Fernando Monter feeling about the regrets about your excited about for
after high school high school career? after high school?
process? If you do, what
would you do differ-
ently?
“I'm feeling confident “My regrets is slack- “I'm most excited
with what I want to ing off, it's really my about going to
do!” only regret. What I Johnson Wales Uni-
would change about versity in Rhode Is-
it is focusing more on land.”
my education and
studying.”
Emilio Vaught “It sucks because I “Yeah, I should have “I'm most excited for
Thais Saucedo don't know what I taken my freshmen leaving high school!”
want to do after high year more seriously
school. Teachers at and I wish I did better
this school haven’t on my SATs. I would
really prepared us for definitely try harder
college. So far I on my SAT.”
haven't seen anything
about college from
my teachers or from
guidance.”
“It's definitely going “Maybe not putting “Basically, being
to be something to my 100 percent at able to not be in
get used to, but I'm some points.” school all day. I'll
happy to start that have more free time
new chapter.” and be able to work
more.”
30
Opinion: Why the Wait, FAA?
Joanna Wypasek
On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines
Flight 302 sadly crashed in Bishoftu,
Ethiopia, killing all of the 157 passen-
gers and crew on board. Almost immedi-
ately after takeoff, the experienced pilot,
Captain Yared Getachew, and his co-
captain, First Officer Ahmed Nur Mo-
hammod Nur, urgently reported an
emergency, one that ultimately led to
complete loss of control of the suspi-
cious aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX 8, in
panic to the unsuspecting air traffic con-
trollers.
Although it is not officially concluded
upon, the evident cause of this unfortu-
nate crash, as mentioned by many, is be-
cause of a faulty system known as the Ma-
neuvering Characteristics Augmentation Ethiopian Federal Police officers look at the wreckage of Ethiopian Air-
System, or MCAS, that aircraft carrier lines Flight 302 in Bisoftu, Ethiopia. (Photo/Tiksa Negeri)
Boeing sneakily implemented because of
the new placement of the larger, more fuel-efficient engines on the relatively young, failing aircraft.
As a result of the striking similarity with the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018, a plethora of na-
tions such as China, Ethiopia, and Indonesia grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircrafts immediately follow-
ing the report of the Ethiopian Airlines crash. But what was surprising about this national aviation emergency
was that the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, although being one of the most influential avia-
tion agencies in the world, refused to ground the 737 MAX 8’s that were flying over American aerospace until
March 13, 2019, about three days after the saddening crash.
Many, including myself, began to wonder, “By not immediately acting, was the United States considering
placing the profitability of a large American company before the safety of the American people?”
Connecticut’s very own Senator Richard Blumenthal was one of the first influential individuals in a higher
government position to call out the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, becoming a voice for all
those concerned. In an interview with Mary Louise Kelly of NPR on March 12, he emphasized, “So this re-
sponsibility [to maintain safe air travel], it belongs to the FAA to put safety ahead of airline profits.” After
hearing that one of her representatives took early action in this emergency, Career junior Valeria Torres men-
tioned, “I feel happy because finally someone we can feel closer to took action to prevent any more accidents
and pain to other families.”
As a result of the similarity of the crashes, the entire aviation industry should consider permanently grounding
their Boeing 737 MAX 8’s, which would not only ensure more safety to those flying, but also open up new a
new field for the development of a more technologically advanced, fuel-efficient jet. After learning the details
of this crash, one can notice that the United States is beginning to stray away from its foundational morals,
leaving the American people to concernedly wonder what other “priorities” the government will intentionally
place on top of the necessary ground of safety.
31
Sports @ Career
Accomplishments, Events, and Features
Treating Shin Splints Panthers In The Wild: Out-
door Track
Shin splints: probably the
worst, yet extremely common, Adam Ahmad-Rizal
chronic injury to happen to a After a long and exhausting season of indoor track and field, the Career Pan-
person. Shin splints typically thers are getting ready for another track season: outdoors! The Panthers are
happen when you are overus- working hard together and are hoping to bring the momentum from the in-
ing your legs for physical ac- door track season into the outdoor track season.
tivity. What is actually hap- Select athletes had a terrific season during indoor track, especially the girls.
pening is that your muscles in Both of the girls relays, along with sprinters and long jumpers, competed in
your shins are microtearing SCC Championships, Class S States, Class M States, and State Open. With
and tangling because of the four athletes being named All-SCC, the girls will definitely have high hopes
impact of planting your foot for the new outdoor season, especially for the relay teams.
onto the ground. The girls will be featuring both 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay teams for
the outdoor season. With such huge success from the indoor relays, they
A lot of factors play into shin hope to apply that momentum into the outdoor relays. “I have high hopes for
splints, including: our relay teams this season,” says junior Gabriela Soriano. “We still have the
same energy and we’re going to carry it onto the outdoor track and have an-
Improper footwear other successful season.”
Running on hard sur-
faces
Lack of arch in foot
Lack of warming up/
cool downs
A lot of times, people might The girls have acquired many more athletes, and will be looking to take ad-
not even know they have shin vantage of the higher numbers. In addition to girls who ran indoor track,
splints. Even the slightest tap there are girls returning from previous outdoor track seasons, meaning there
on your shins can inflict some will also be more experience. This may mean more fluctuation in the line-up
pain, because anything can for the 4x100m relays and 4x400m relays. “They make a great addition to
tear up the muscles. If you the team; they’re fast, committed, and hungry for success,” says junior Sofia
have shin splints, a lot of com- Soriano.
plications can happen in your Though the boys will be starting the outdoor season with different personnel
shin area, including a lot of than during indoor, they will still be having some high hopes. Each athlete
pain and potentially breaking may be a lot more independent of each other, allowing them to focus on their
the bone itself, if left untreat- individual events, hoping to qualify for SCC Championships and Class S
ed. State Championships. “I hope to bring the momentum back [from indoor sea-
son] by keeping the same focus as I did during indoor season,” says Marcus
To treat shin splints, the best Golett. “If we keep focus and get the techniques right, we could do some-
options are to.. thing really special.”
Although there was no relay for the boys indoor track season, they will have
Stretch the calves: a 4x100m relay for this outdoor season. The team so far is looking quite
Massage and roll the strong. With the new addition of Shiv Patel, the boys are looking to boost
muscle around your shins team’s chances of qualifying to states. “I feel like we definitely have a
Ice your shins chance to do really well, even if we don’t do well the first meet. Everyone is
Rest!!! hungry to improve and to get better, it will be great to see how much we im-
prove throughout the season,” says Patel.
—Adam Ahmad-Rizal
32
The first meet of the season will be April 2nd, 2019, where the Panthers face Branford, Amistad High, and Xa-
vier High and will hope to have a strong start to the big outdoor track season coming up!
Athletes to watch:
TayJana Greene- Former Career girls basketball player and Creed Outdoor track runner, Greene achieved run-
ning Class S States as a freshman, running in the 4x100m relay, 300m hurdles, and 100m dash.
Jenia “Tiny” Whitney- Former Career girls basketball player and Creed outdoor track runner, Whitney has
gained potential and experience from her former school. She was part of the 4x100m girls relay team at Creed
as a freshman, where she qualified for States.
Johnae Jones- One of the superstars of the indoor season, Jones managed to snatch the silver medal for the
300m dash during indoor SCC Championships and helped anchor the relays to victory.
Shania Jackson- An exciting prospect, Jackson is part of the superstar relay team that competed during indoor
State Open and is one of the fastest girls there is on the team, earning many medals for the relays.
Gabriela and Sofia Soriano- The Soriano twins were part of both the 4x200m relays and 4x400m relays during
the indoor track season. They performed exceptionally well in their individual 300m dash events.
Shiv Patel- A new addition to the team and new to the track and field game, Patel has boosted the relay team’s
confidence with his efforts during practice. He has potential to perform the best for the boys during this out-
door season.
Anthony Harris- A hard worker in practice and even harder worker in the meets. Though a very unideal season
during indoor, Harris has the potential to perform well during State Championships for the long jump and is
part of the 4x100m relay team.
Antonio Brown’s Trade: Not a Smart Move
Anthony Harris
Antonio Brown, a wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, has been traded to the Oakland Raiders. The Pitts-
burgh Steelers will receive a 3rd round pick (no. 66 overall) and another draft pick for the 5th round (No. 141).
The Raiders will receive Antonio Brown. Oakland and Brown have agreed to a 3-year, $50.125 million con-
tract with a guaranteed of $19 million dollars. So what’s the reason the Steelers traded away Antonio Brown,
arguably the best receiver in the league and the leader in touchdown receptions?
For a while, Antonio Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, have been having some issues with each oth-
er for quite some time now. These problems would sometimes show on the field, with Brown getting visibly
frustrated with Roethlisberger because of bad passes to him, or Roethlisberger not throwing the ball to him
when he was open.
Antonio Brown would later say on his Twitter account that there was “No conflict, just a matter of respect!
Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but
they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game.”
In my opinion, I think trading Antonio Brown to the Raiders was a bad move because the picks that the Pitts-
burgh Steelers got for trading Antonio Brown weren’t worth it. Over the last 5 years, Antonio Brown caught
the ball 686 times for 9,145 yards while catching the ball in the end zone 67 times. Pittsburgh should've traded
Antonio Brown for a 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick instead of a 3rd round and a 5th round pick.
33
Entertainment
Concert Review: Travis Scott
Stacey Correa
On Saturday, March 9th, Travis Scott performed at the XL Center in
Hartford, CT. Travis Scott was supposed to originally perform on Fri-
day, November 30th, but had to postpone due to production issues.
Four months later, fans were able to finally see him.
Fans started lining up outside the doors at 2 p.m. to be first in line
and had to wait until 6 p.m. for the doors to open. People with a sea-
son pass would be entering 30 minutes prior than the rest of the crowd
and would get early access to buy merch. Within 10 minutes of wait-
ing outside, fans started to complain about the cold weather because
they didn't bring much to cover themselves with. They knew that once
the concert started, it was going to be extremely hot, so most fans did-
n't bring a coat. Some ladies also wore crop tops. Richard Cabrera, a
senior at Metropolitan Business Academy, said “I can’t believe we’re
going to wait outside in the cold for another 3 hours. I know it’s gon-
na be worth though. Trust the process.”
Once the doors finally opened at 5:30 p.m., the line broke and fans
started running towards the door. There was no longer a line and it
had become a free-for-all, with people bullying their way to the front. The security guards then started bring-
ing people in one-by-one until finally everyone was in by 6 p.m. .
The next two lines formed in front of the arena doors and the merch. Most fans went to go buy merch and
the prices for merch ranged from $25-$160. There were 3 different merch stations and they were placed de-
cently far from each other. Once they bought merch, they joined the growing line waiting outside the doors.
The wait began around 6:15 p.m., and the doors finally opened at 7:00 p.m. After the arena doors opened,
and the fans’ tickets were scanned, everyone ran to either the floor or their seats. After they got to their spot,
they waited for another hour until the show finally started.
Sheck Wes was the opening act for the Astroworld Tour and performed about 6 songs. He was the only per-
former to open for Travis and he warmed up the crowd. Once he finished his set, the crowd waited for Scott,
who would be on stage at 9:00p.m., according to fans.
Scott started his set 9:14p.m. The lights dimmed down and the show had finally started. His opening song
was STARGAZING and he performed in front of a circular roller coaster at the end of the arena. He had fire
shoot out on stage, brought out an enormous inflatable astronaut, and had another rollercoaster come from up
above the arena.
The show continued on until 10:30p.m., with Scott performing songs from his previous albums and mix-
tapes. After he finished his last song for the night, he walked off and all the lights turned on before the crowd
called for an encore.
Security yelled for everyone to leave the stage and after that, the fans left home with a great memory and sto-
ry to tell. Steven Ortega, a senior at Wilbur Cross High School, said “Travis put on a good show and how the
whole crowd was raging. I love Travis Scott!
34
Motivation As you sit up late at night, in the pale moonlight,
Justin Threet I want you to know that everything will be alright.
Everyone starts somewhere,
seeds turn into flowers that bloom,
butterflies arise out of caterpillar cocoons.
First, we have to be uncomfortable to gain comfort
in something productive we do.
How do we better ourselves if we stay in our same box?
That's like taking a shower and putting on the same dirty socks,
Ew, that was gross, but it was a simile I had to use
to gain the attention of most, because you see,
if I would have juxtaposed,
it wouldn't have gone over their head,
it would have slid right under their nose.
Look, poetry is my craft, and I'm going to perfect it
by writing every poem using every skill that I have,
you should do the same with everything that ends up crossing your path.
Throw ideas in the air like beach balls,
and spike one into existence like volleyballs,
you can’t change the world if you sit home all day watching Gravity Falls.
Plus, you and your friends are only getting older,
it used to be to “let's go outside and pretend we’re agents that are undercover,”
now it’s, “move over, spark the L, pass the controller,”
and now you’re stuck on Pete's couch.
We waste a whole hour of our day staring at the floor
just to say, “aight bro I’m out.”
Time is at an essence,
it's always good to take time and count our blessings,
but it's never good to waste time and use weapons.
Peace, love, and positivity are always at the base of what I'm saying.
If we were in chemistry you’d say I’m a cation,
the pathway to change and greatness is through our generation,
hopefully hearing this poem you’ve gained some new thought
and motivation.
Aries (March 21- April 19) Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Symbol: The Ram Symbol: The Bull
Polarity: Positive Polarity: Negative
Traits: Independent, Impatient, Traits: Dependable, Musical,
Passionate, Adventurous Practical, Intense,Creative
Ruling planet: Mars Ruling planet: Venus
Element: Fire Element: Earth
Spirit Color: Red Spirit Color: Pink
Lucky Gem: Diamond Lucky Gem: Emerald
Flower: Thistle & honeysuckle Flower: Rose, Poppy, & Fox-
Ruling House: First glove
Ruling House: Second
35
Career Life Crossword
Across Down
1. A special day before break where students are able 1. A course for seniors to explore their passion
to explore new careers and interests 4. Mrs. Bryson teaches Accounting through the Uni-
2. Ms. _______ taught us everything we need to know versity of ________.
in PhyChem. 5. Students keep track of grades and attendance
3. Career students did not throw away their shot to see through their _______ account.
this Tony-Winning musical in December. 7. Mr. ______ teaches us both Arabic AND French!
6. Name of street where Career is located. 9. These tests are coming in May!
8. Works with The Future Project to help Career stu- 10. This class includes field trips to the Yale cadaver
dents pursue their dreams lab!
13. This club brings students to Quinnipiac to explore 11. Mr. Werth teaches AP ____________.
future careers in medicine. 12. Before its current name, Career was called _____
15. ___________ Advisory helps you catch up on all High School.
that missing work. 14. Dance team
17. Organization that helps students work towards 16. Career Mascot
their goals in the business field 18. Mr. _________'s hilarious jokes keep us laugh-
19. The class responsible for creating The Panther ing...even when they're not so hilarious.
Press 20. See Ms. Vigliotti if you want to talk about these
21. Get 40 of these done to be eligible for the New college before college classes
Haven Promise 23. A strong GPA, excellent leadership skills, and
22. A language requirement that is unique to Career community service could lead to membership in the
_______________.
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