the quest may edition

May 2014, Volume 41, Issue 2

NEWS - May 2014 -

In the city of Miami the Police Department has a monthly event called DO THE RIGHT THING. The purpose of Do The Right Thing of Miami is to recognize and reward Miami youth for their exemplary behavior, accomplishments and good deeds. Also, the DTRT Awards Program distinguishes exceptional school-age children who choose to be drug and crime free, exhibit non-violent behavior, do well in school, make a difference in their communities and demonstrate turnaround behavior.

Tanya Bien-Aime, a senior at our school, was nominated by someone we all know, who thought that Tanya’s exceptional attitude or behavior maker her very special, and a positive role for our peers. Ms. Cromartie nominated Tanya Bien-Aime for the City of Miami Police Department’s monthly Do The Right Thing Award. I am very joyful that I am recognized for all of my hard work that I do, and that I am acknowledged for being a great role model for my peers. I am also grateful for Ms. Cromartie and everything that she has done for me; she supports and encourages me in everything I do. Ms. Cromartie is my role model and I appreciate that she nominated me for this award.

Tanya Bien-Aime Receives Award

by Gabrielle Brown

Tanya Bien-Aime and Ms Cromartie

NEWS - May 2014 -

SkillsUSA certainly lives up to its legacy for many competitions it holds. The regional competition was held at Robert Morgan Educational Center, with schools from Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach coming to compete in the various categories. Students participated in competitions—ranging from Advertising Design, to Cosmetics, to Culinary, to even Auto Body—all having hopes of gaining either third, second, or first place to get a bronze, silver, or gold medal.

To say the location in which the competition was held was interesting would be somewhat of an understatement. Once there you are greeted by the sight of many students—and adults competing in the adult categories—differing in attire (dress code varies per competition), and armed with various tools and cases for the field they are participating in. Above all, however, the most prominent aspect is the eagerness of the contestants, all willing to show off their skills and knowledge to win.

For some, nervousness would be somewhat of an issue, even if there aren’t many others competing, but the unexpected comfort and friendliness of the staff seems to prove that the nerves are not necessary. In Advertising design, it was clear that the judges did everything they could in their efforts to make the event as fair as possible, placing everyone on the same level (more than likely similar to other judges). They even offer you some advice on how to approach the task as well.

While the actual completion is occurring, one is given 30 minutes for a written test and three hours to makes a creative piece, based on what was asked. While three hours is a considerable amount of time, it would feels like that the time is going fairly quickly as you continue to work. It is also expected that judges will walk around and view you and how well you work with the program you are using.

On the other hand, when you are done and await the other contestants to finish, and then wait for the judges to reach the verdict, time seems to slow down. You may have felt nervous before, but you are rather unnerved when you see the judge approach your work, sit down at your seat and deliberate on your design. You have no idea what they are saying, but you hope that what ever it is good and they are giving you high marks.

Once you are called back inside you have the greatest anticipation possible. You hope that among the five places they have called, you are at least one of them. “5th place… 4th place… 3rd place…2nd place…” With each passing second and each position is stated, you are filled with more and more hope to be called… In the event that you are, it could be a truly fulfilling experience. Even if you don’t, the judges offer great advice for you to be able to use to improve yourself for the future. Whether you win or loose, going to a SkillsUSA competition is very wonderful and interesting the say the least.

Going to SkillsUSA Regionalsby Elizabeth Martin

Rucardine Adrien and Elizabeth Martin Proudly display their winning medals

NEWS - May 2014 -

Russia Storms Into Ukraine Arising Conflict

by Keith Hagood

Recently, the news has been filled with reports of Russia going into their neighboring country of Ukraine for various reasons, mostly for the seizing of their own military bases centered in there. However, it seems the media is blowing the proportions of their disputes completely out the water. People even speak of a third world war being imminent on this matter, something that is a terrible thing to ever occur at the moment. So looking at what has happened so far, what is the actual truth or not? Will there be a world war three coming from these incidents? What are Russia and Ukraine disputing about in the first place? Well allow this summary of events taken place clear that up.

Mostly what has happened is that Russia came into Ukraine to obtain a base they have legal rights to have over in Crimea, a part of Ukraine. One of the problems is that Ukraine is usually affiliated with Russia on certain issues and National affairs. However, for a good amount of time now the European union has tried to get Ukraine into their orga-nization. However, due to several incidents and events with Russia, their ties can’t be cut that easily so they refused to join them. In doing so Ukraine’s elections are coming up, in which recently one of the main issues disputed was to either join the European union or stay with Russia, even with the thought that they might come together again just like when they were in the U.S.S.R, but a post communism form of it. So after the pro-Russian impeached president Viktor Yanukovich

flees to Moscow, protesters for pro Europe arise and an inter-mediate government is formed at the time for this.

No fighting is going on currently, as Russia owns every right to occupy their base there as it is. The European union has offered 15 billion, and the United States offering 1 billion dollars in aid to Ukraine to help. This should allow Ukraine to pay its debts and energy bills to keep the interim government running smoothly. In this the possible chance of a world war three is very slim, only being an option if Russia continues to move farther east into Ukraine, in which case NATO and the EU have to step in. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Russia’s foreign minster Sergei Lavrov in Paris to see if he can strike a deal to calm the military ordeal in Crimea. Russia hopes to not advance further east, howev-er U.S. sanctions are already placed on them and Ukraine, United States and the EU are ready to use military force. In conclusion, the situation doesn’t seem as bad as the media made it out to be. Hopefully, things can be settled out without the use of militarily forces. If not this could mean drastic measures.

FEATURES - May 2014 -

Manners in School

by Gabrielle Brown

Manners are the socially correct way of acting. In most cases manners are broken into two parts, good manners and bad manners. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” as Aretha Franklin sings it. When most adults, if not all, think of the word manners, they think of both the negative side and positive side. Positive being the concept of showing respect and proper etiquette to both adults and peers, and negative being the opposite of such, in other words bad manners. Though the idea of good manners is still embedded in some students’ minds, in today’s society a simple “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome” are hard to find among students in high school. At North Miami Beach Senior High, the lunchroom is a common example of where proper manners are lacking. Instead of being mannerly and giving leeway to other students as they pass by one another, students push and pull each other out of the way to receive lunch. With proper manners, students would know that the respectable thing to do is say “Excuse me.” In the lunchroom, approximately two hundred students make the everyday commute of joining a line to receive food, at the end of these lines, lunch ladies are seated, ready to cash them in and allow them to go about their day. At the end of this a simple thank you would be nice, instead the students, keeping their heads up and continuing to walk.

Another common lack of good manners and courtesy is when students are in the hallway. Good manners can go far. If students were to be more mannerly, school life would be very different from the usual. Instead of being disrespectful to teachers, students would understand that a simply “Please” and “Thank You” could help them gain more respect from their teachers. Proper manners in school are very important to students being successful and doing well, because school is like a workplace and eventually students will have to work. As many employers will say, being proper in the field is a necessary asset to an employee. Being rude and arrogant will get the employee nothing but a pink slip. If students understand that the best practice for life is school then they should practice their relations with people in school as well as being respectful to peers and especially their elders. Having acquired this skill in high school they will be proper, and not be rude to a costumer. Thereby, making their work experience great, and not one of being on a roller coaster of employment. If better manners were to be demonstrated in schools, or taught in schools, students would have better manners and be able to show respect to the adults and their peers. As Bryant H. McGill puts it, “Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred.”

I have seen students suffer through their Florida Virtual School classes (FLVS). Many struggle with the overwhelming amount of work necessary to satisfy a week’s deadline. There are those who see FLVS classes to be a relief contrary to ordinary class work. The flexible scheduling is a big plus, but there are many factors that make FLVS classes difficult. As someone who personally has gone through this, and still is, I would like to offer you a few tips on complet-ing FLVS classes with ease. Time for a few Do’s and Don’ts on the subject.

Do NOT take a FLVS class lightly! FLVS class-es can prove to be easy and simple if you maintain focus. Do not underestimate the amount of work and time necessary to complete courses. FLVS classes are just like any other class, you have to focus and do the work. DO be prepared to take on this class like you do every other class you have.

Do NOT plagiarize. FLVS classes, as stated be-fore, are just like other classes. They can tell when you’re copying someone’s work and you will get penalized. Copying information directly from other sources can be tracked down and you could get in trouble. Another issue that tends to walk along the gray area of plagiarism is working together. Students are encouraged to assist each other but if the work is too similar, to the point where it’s word for word, they will claim plagiarism and you will get in trouble. DO check your work for any information that does not have a proper citation. If cited, information can be used mildly word for word. Just don’t go overboard.

Do NOT get lazy. Brushing off an FLVS class is easy and helpful up until you get a call saying you’re a whole module behind! Keep a balanced and simple plan for completing assignments, this proves to be helpful when you’re trying to keep up a good pace. Other classes may take away valuable time from com-pleting FLVS assignments but if you work extra hard to catch up, you will not suffer any repercussions. DO your work on time.

Do NOT be afraid to consult your teacher for help. FLVS teachers cannot assist you with personal prob-

lems but they sure can assist you with course prob-lems. Students are too timid sometimes when dealing with a teacher they’ve never seen face to face. DO allow yourself to seek assistance when needed. Although unnerving, it’s best to get a little comfortable with the teacher and in assistance is need, ask for it. They’re not there to teach you directly but they can assist of problems come up. They offer great advice and nice solutions that prove beneficial to you.

Do NOT overwhelm yourself. FLVS classes are difficult to keep up with due to the higher standards set each year. Classes set new quota to be met due to overwhelming amounts of cheaters who set the bar too high by completing assignments ahead of time. As a result, classes ask for more to be completed. The work may or may not come to you easily but the issue still remains are you overwhelming yourself? Students who try to complete assignments too rushed, end up turning in unsatisfactory work. Students who don’t turn in the required amount tend to fall back. DO keep at a steady pace and balance your work.

Remember these general tips and your FLVS ex-perienced should be a good one. Every FLVS class is different, so there were no specifics that I could have gotten in to but these tips are for basic understand-ing of FLVS. Try to spread the word on this subject because this may just help someone who is struggling with FLVS. These would have been beneficial to me if I had known it when I started FLVS. At this point, I can only assist those who may be dealing with the same

CENTERPOINT - May, 2014 -

Do’s and Don’ts assist FLVS Studentsby Christopher Padilla

Many students have faced the issue of having to take a class through Florida Virtual School (FLVS). FLVS has now become a graduation requirement. On the other hand, it should be noted that a consider-able amount of students struggle with virtual schools as well. Some of the reasons for this are the common mistakes that are made when taking the online course, and yet if they are avoided the course could be far eas-ier. Here are some “don’ts” that should be applied to make the virtual school experience less demanding. One of the biggest mistakes that you should not be done when doing an FLVS course is procrastination! Every student has done it at least once in his or her life but FLVS is certainly not the place where it should be done. A pace chart is made available for every course taken, and it is in your best interest to not fall behind in the pace chart because of the many negative conse-quences that could occur as a result of doing so. For example, if you are too far behind, the deadline that is set may not be met and the assignments that you did not complete by the latest time given, then the rest of the many assignments that you have not done will be marked as zeros.

This also leads me into the issue of keeping up with your teacher and not skipping DBA’s, otherwise known as Discussion Based Assignments. If you took

virtual school, you would have heard the phrase, “Don’t skip DBA’s” quite a few times. While some would find it overrated, there is strong truth to the statement. When you complete the DBA’s in time with the scheduled assignments, you are more likely to do better. Given that the knowledge is “fresh” in your mind, more infor-mation would come to you quicker when you’re asked about it. Don’t leave the DBA to be done weeks later; by then, you’d be overwhelmed with other information and you may even end up having to do an extra study session that you wouldn’t have needed if you had done it earlier. Furthermore, teachers can offer advice to fu-ture assignments or even try to walk you through it. Over all, doing it at the designated is highly beneficial.

DO. NOT. CHEAT. Nor should you turn in bad work. At least one of the many students that see this would quickly dismiss it as nothing, but you should know that it’s far more serious than you would normal-ly think. Most people are adapted to thought that if they “change it up a bit” the information they received from another will pass of as good. In reality, if your paper matches another too closely, teachers take note of this. Even if you have seen your grade as good, the teacher notices the high match and reports the student in question. When the issue is occurring a consider-able amount of times, you can be removed form virtual schools and it is often difficult to get back in. Teach-ers also notice a change in formatting or the way one writes or speaks. You can save yourself a considerable amount of trouble of redoing and resubmitting an as-signment by doing it yourself in the first place.

Among the many things that you should not do, these just so happen be some of the most important. You should take note of these “don’ts” so they do not make the mistake of getting themselves in the sticky situation that many find themselves in when they do these don’ts.

The Quest - May, 2014 -

What you DON’T do in FLVSby Elizabeth Martin

FEATURES - May 2014 -

We all do it but why? Procrastination is something that is very common, especially amongst teens. People are getting lazier and lazier as time progresses. I’ll do it in an hour, a little later, or the next day, we all say it sooner or later. Then before you know it, it’s the night before its due and you have to stay up all night trying to finish it. Causing you to have lack of sleep and add unnecessary stress, to yourself. Take for example this paper, I had more than enough time to complete it but I waited till the last minute to do it. Now I’m stressed and worried about not finishing it on time. I’ll also have to stay up late finishing it, loosing sleep, therefore stressing myself out. It doesn’t really seem like a big deal at first but if you look at the “big picture” it’s a recipe for disaster. Saying you’ll do it later instead of doing it now seems like bliss in the beginning, however take a second and stop and think next time you want to procrastinate. Think of what you could achieve if you do it before last minute, versus doing it last minute. Teens are the future of our society. Let’s face it the majority of us are really lazy and rather go shopping or play some video games than do what we are actually supposed to do. Why don’t

we cut back on doing things that fill in our time with meaningless stuff, rather than important stuff than can actually benefit us in the future?

STOP THE PROCRASTINATION: JUST DO IT!

Teenagers are stressed, which seems normal, but in actuality it’s not. What if there was a way to reduce your stress levels? Would you do it? Stop the procrastination and just do it now. Procrastinating increases stress levels, reduces sleep, and can even make you temperamental and moody from lack of sleep. Often, the work we get is not fun or entertaining enough to keep our attention for extended periods of time, so we decide to put it off until the very last minute. Why don’t you find a way to make the work more fun, find a way to motivate yourself? Such as rewarding your self or even turning the assignment into a fun little game, or anything that can keep your attention until you complete your work. Like Lord Chesterfield once said, “Know the value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”

Stop ProcrastinatingJust Do It!

by Tatiana Federick

EDITORIALS - May 2014 -

Gun Violence:TakeControl

by Nedgine Joseph

Gun violence has taken a big toll in America. It has caused a lot of death and tragedies, especially with children. It’s just messing up the world as we know it. Crime rates have been increasing, bullied kids are killing people in their schools, gangs are using guns to perpetuate their business and murdering people. We are loosing control.

According to Brad Campaign about gun violence, on average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns every day and 140 are treated for a gun assault in an emergency room because of guns being used for violence, and killing innocent people. Every day on average, 51 people kill themselves with a firearm, and 45 people are shot or killed in an accident with a gun. The U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 countries that are our peers in wealth and population. A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or injure in a domestic homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense. Gun violence has gone so out of control that now children all over the world use guns over a bullying case. Parents are leaving their guns at home unprotected and their kids just take them, They’re just kids they’re not mature enough to know what to and what to not fight for. Teens these days only think about violence. What do you think they will do when they see a gun? There was that 13 year old boy named Kyle Nucum who went to Sparks Middle School, where he was getting bullied, so one day he got tired of it and took his parent’s handgun down there and shot a fellow student in the shoulder, and another one in the abdomen, then shot himself. I don’t know how a child could be so hurt

to do a thing like that but think about it, if he didn’t have the gun, that would not have happened. Guns are a big problem to society. They should get rid of them and give them to the military.

Most people know about the Sandy Hook story, where Adam Lanza went to his mom’s house and grabbed three guns, then went to Sandy Hook Elementary and shot down 20 little children and six adults, including his own mother. This happened in Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Our Generation is way too angry to be able to support this kind of responsibility. I mean 20 young kids… just kids, they could’ve become something in this world, but he just took their lives. He took them away from their relatives, their loved ones and on top of that he took his own mother.

Guns are only causing hurt and pain to all of us around the world. Too many people are dying. When are we going to stop? We need to control this gun problem, or else this is going to keep happening to us… more people are going to die more children are going to die.


Can Civil Disobedience Be Justified?

by Farheen Damani

Lots of the countries in the world are currently in turmoil. Countries like Syria, Kenya, and Egypt appear in the news a lot. However, Ukraine has been hitting the news lately, as well. The fact that Ukraine is a democracy, like us, is raising our eyebrows. The before and after pictures of the country are what personally scare me, because when the people got mad they got violent and the results were what they call Civil Disobedience. I personally feel that what the people did was crazy, because I know the cold hard facts.

First of all, people are given opportunities to choose their leaders so they should listen to what they say to do. The leaders outwardly show their thoughts and plans on topics before elections, and since the majority chose them, the majority of the country agrees with the candidate’s views and therefore the people should abide by the set laws. If a view of the candidate is strongly opposed by a majority of the people, the public can vote against the law, form petitions, etc.

Next, I feel that civil disobedience is a step below a revolution. According to philosophy researcher Fredrik Benz, “Civil disobedience is a forceful way of having society do things your way.” We can’t always get what we want. Sometimes, the government does something in order to protect its people.

Finally, I feel that there our other ways that we can get our point across without using civil disobedience. A perfect example is the Women Rights Movement. They didn’t protest or anything but what they did helped them achieve equal rights. So burning down buildings and killing other people is not a way that our community’s point should be achieved.


Is America truly free? This has been the topic of discussion for many years and many different opinions have been formed. The United States of America was founded on the concept of freedom and it was suppose to become synonymous with the word freedom. It seems that the dreams of our forefathers, for a land of the free and the home and brave was all just a dream. There have been many things that support my opinion that America is not truly free, not even close. There is much evidence that backs up my claim that America is not truly free and therefore it does not live up to its name. In the 21st century we have not made our forefathers’ dreams come true. The first reason for my opinion is immigration. If this land was truly free then why do they have such tight security and laws to keep illegal aliens away? America should wel-come all those who want to come to the country and accept them with open arms. I agree that they should go through a process first, but I am against America kicking them out just because they do not have the necessary paperwork. This country should try to welcome all those who are trying to escape poverty, oppression, and death. If this land was truly free then it would welcome all those people with open arms and America would try its best to get these people integrated into our society. The second reason that makes me believe that America is not truly free is because of the ever-watchful eyes of the NSA (National Security Agency). The NSA (National Security Agency) is a multi-billion-dollar government funded intelligence agency that spies on America. Funded by

billions f dollars from the government this agency has the technology to look at everything we do: From calling our friends, to emailing each other… they have access to all of this and more. This agency threatens an aspect of freedom that is very important to all humans, and that aspect is privacy. If this country were truly free then why would they have such a thing as spying on everyone in America? To do such a thing is surely against the Constitution of America. They hide behind the claim that they are doing this to protect us from terrorism but even if this was true they still have no right to spy on us. What this agency does threatens our privacy and just proves that the United States is not truly free. Another reason why I do not believe that America is truly free is because of the kind of things you are put through if you are suspected of terrorism. If you are suspected then the government has the power to detain you indefinitely. While being detained he government will most likely put you through hours of unnecessary questioning, which usually leads to them finding that you are not a terrorist and they have wasted their time and effort. If they still have suspicions they will watch your every movement and monitor all your emails and calls. This alone shows just how much freedom there is in this country. America has more freedom than other countries, but it does not live up to its name. Spying on millions, keeping immigrants away, and what they can do to you if you are suspected of terrorism are just some of the nicer reasons why the United States is not free. There are many more reasons why the United States is not truly free but they are much worse then anything that has been discussed.

Is America Truly Free?

by Olivier Romulus


Justin Bieber. Everyone sees him as the famous teenage boy who has gotten caught up with the fame. The poor boy is blinded by all the fame and fortune. He started out as a down-to-earth boy from Canada just trying to make it big. Unfortunately, as the years passed, he started hanging out with the wrong people.

People make mistakes and Justin Bieber is a human being just like the rest of us. I think that if he could, he would take back all the bad things he has done. He did not start the New Year off well. Just one month into 2014, and the Canadian had already been arrested twice, in two different countries, and now faces charges for driving under the influence, speeding and assault. Some skeptics however, think that Justin’s unusual behavior over the past year, along with his most recent clashes with the law, are all part of an attempt to shed his squeaky clean pop star image and slip into the role of the dangerous bad boy. Another famous artist is going through the same process. Miley Cyrus has changed tremendously throughout the years.

The next months are important in determining the future of Bieber’s career. I say it’s best if he stays low for a while and lets this entire situation die down. The

problem is how can a superstar stay low if the paparazzi are always following them. If his manager were to send him to his room for two months, there would be pho-tographs taken of him from outside his room. Justin is only 19 years old. The boy is changing and he wants the world to know that he is no longer the boy he was when he first got noticed. Unfortunately, he is ‘showing’ the world the wrong way. There are many other ways he could do so.

Justin is not as bad as people portray him. I per-sonally think that he just isn’t making the best decisions at the time. No matter what Bieber does, he will always have his fans (Beliebers) along his side. When Justin was arrested his fans reacted almost immediately on Twitter and began to post many things about the pop-star. They tweeted things such as “#FREEBIEBER,” this tweet started to trend and became a top trend. It is good that he has such dedicated fans but he deserved the consequences he received. As I said before, I think Justin Bieber just needs to watch what he does and how he reacts to certain things, just like any other 19 year old kid. He is not a bad person, I think he just doesn’t know how to handle the spotlight.

Is Justin Bieber as bad as they portray him?

by Joanna Vargas

TECHNOLOGY/ENTERTAINMENT - May 2014 -

It’s no secret that in today’s era, online multiplayer has become a sensation in the gaming community. This is made possible by the high speed Internet provided by your company. However, all this online traffic has drawbacks. Ver-izon chief executive Lowell McAdam thinks that heavy data users should pay more for broadband access. This means the people constantly streaming high-definition video from Netflix and downloading massive game files from Steam, Xbox Games Store, or other services. “It’s only natural that the heavy users help contribute to the investment to keep the Web healthy,” McAdam says. “That is the most important concept of net neutrality.” Verizon and some other companies might say that bandwidth is a utility, like water and gas. The more you use, the less is available for everyone else. You pay your gas com-pany depending on how much you use, but it seems weird to pay your Internet provider depending on how often you use the Internet.

So what does this mean for gamers? Well, if they’re using Verizon, odds are they’ll be paying more than any other gamers pay their Internet provider. McAdam’s news has sent gamers in a frenzy, saying it’s not fair for them to pay more. Verizon users complain of lag in Netflix streaming and online gameplay, but say it’s not their fault but rather the company’s for providing subpar services. If Verizon does go through with their change, a massive crowd of customers will leave them. In the end, it’s not the gaming community’s loss, but Verizon’s instead.

Verizon Overcharges Gamers

by Jose Salazar

TECHNOLOGY/ENTERTAINMENT - May 2014 -

This new year is going to be reeling in many movies. There will be approximately seventy-one films hitting theaters this whole year. Many people have already started to vote on movies that are a must and the ones that may be a disgust. 2014 will be fairly interesting with the releases of each these movies. Some of the big movies being talked about are X-Men: Days of Future Past, Maleficent, The Fault In Our Stars, Think Like a Man Too, Transformers 4: Age of Extinction, The Giver, and If I stay.

X-Men: Days of Future Past takes place in an alternate future where surviving mutants have been held up in concentration camps. There are giant robots monitoring America, and most of the X-Men have been killed. The X-Men in the present must stop an important event from occurring to not have that future unfold. It will be in theaters on May 23, 2014.

Maleficent is based upon the Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty. This movie is about Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty, untold story. It shows how she was once a good woman who then turned into a villain because of betrayal causing her pure heart to turn to stone. It ties in with her putting the curse on Aurora and the story after that. It will be in theaters on May 30, 2014.

The Fault In Our Stars is said to be a beautiful movie release from those who have read the book. Others debate that the movie won’t be half as good as the book so there’s no point in the movie. The movie is about a 16 year old girl who has cancer and falls in love with a boy she met in her support group. Though they both have severe illnesses they

bravely face the future together. It will be in theaters on June 6, 2014.

Think Like a Man Too is on how the couples are reunited for a wedding in Vegas but their romantic plans soon go awry. The big event is almost derailed due to misadventures that get them into some serious situations. It will be in theaters on June 20, 2014.

Transformers 4: Age of Extinction follows the conclusion of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Autobots and Decepticons have mostly vanished from the planet. A group of powerful scientists and businessmen try to learn from previous Transformer incursions and push the limits of technology. This all happens as a powerful Transformer menace has Earth on its radar. It will be in theaters on June 27, 2014.

The Giver is about a perfect world where there is no bad and every member of society has a specific role. A 16-year old Jonas is selected to become the Receiver of Memories. He discovers many things especially how the perfect world came to be. It hits theaters on August 15, 2014.

If I Stay is a story that talks about a musician and her boyfriend who’s arising star in the indie rock world. Already struggling with many decisions she is faced with the choice between life and death after being in a devastating situation. It hits theaters on August 22, 2014.

There are many more movies that are going to be hitting theaters such as 22 Jump Street, Think Like a Man Too, The Purge 2, etc. Don’t miss out on these movies that will be making a scene in 2014.

Movies Making a Scene in 2014

by Ruth Rocker

In the past few years, Marvel has created many successful box office dominating movies. Marvel’s success can be said to come from their planning, having phases of movies that intertwine together in the future. Marvel is currently working on three new movies to be released this year, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. These movies are part of Marvel’s phase two, which will intertwine at Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. With many classic superheroes coming to the big screen, many people will continue to support Marvel’s huge success in the movie industry, as well as the phases, which have been thought out by Marvel.

Marvel has shown to be the successful one in the movie industry of superheroes. Their competitors, being Fox with X-Men and DC Comics with their own superheroes, have even followed in the example from Marvel’s established dominance. Similar movies with higher budgets have tried to achieve such overwhelming success, only to crumble, leaving wonder as to what their secret is. While there is no true ‘secret’ to Marvel’s success, they have a clear formula on what to do, which has shown in the past five years.

Marvel has created something in their superhero movies that is unique; character. Character is very important in defining any role, and without the charm of Steve Rogers or the empathy of the Hulk and Doctor Banner, the movies would not be anywhere near the same. Along with character, there are different genres among each movie. There are fantasy movies, Thor, buddy cop movies, Iron Man, political thrillers, Captain America, and sci-fi space operas, Guardians of the Galaxy, all of which are another part of Marvel’s success. Marvel’s domination lies with ¬their ability to portray a story. Their movies are excellent sources of media to tell those stories and have them interact together. As Marvel keeps releasing movies, I can safely say I will continue watching them.

TECHNOLOGY/ENTERTAINMENT - May, 2014 -

Marvel’s Movie Monopolyby Tommy Maharlika

The Quest - First Edition -

Every year companies try making cellphones differently and adding new features to the electronic device. People like to see what companies have done to remodel cellphones and what new advantages cellphones have given to us. People everywhere like to buy the newest phone out there with its awesome advanced technology, especially Galaxy’s and Apple product, but the newest phone people have seen attached to would be “the LG G Flex”.

The LG G flex is the newest phone to 2014 technology; this phone has a curved OLED, real RGB display and high capacity flexible battery. The cellphone comes in an odd form but when you’re using the phone it makes sense, it could fit in your palms perfectly and pocket as well. The phone has a self-healing package, which means that if the back case were to get scratched the scratch would vanish. That doesn’t mean that you could drop the phone everywhere and think the scratch marks would vanish.

The phone is not as indestructible as Track Phones. It’s hard to break a Track Phone. If the phone manage to falls on concrete, the possibilities of it not braking are 50/50. The screen is wide and has a Real RGB HD display, which helps watch videos and makes them seem realistic. Who wouldn’t want this phone? It’s a flexible smart phone but just because its flexible doesn’t mean that it cannot break. The phone is

flexible but not that flexible where you could fold the phone up to sections.

All those other smartphones are unique in their own ways but the LG G flex has advance features that some of them don’t have. People get tired of always having to charge their phone over night, always waiting for their phone to reach to 100%. Well why wait when you can have the LG G flex and charge the phone for a while so it can last through out the day. It gets irritating having to charge your phone or having to turn it off so you can conserve your battery for later when you really need it.

People have been able to purchase these phones almost everywhere but they are also expensive. Of course this phone is expensive! It has a lot of features people seem to like, the phone just came out so that alone would make it more expensive than usual. Most economic people like to wait years for cellphone prices to come down in price because people seem to lose interest in the phone later on when newer and better phones comes out.

Just like Galaxy’s and Apple products, old androids are worth barely anything anymore but yet back then when they were released people seemed to go crazy after them. Now they are just old cellphones that people don’t like anymore but they are A lot more affordable now than they used to.

First Flex Phone

Erline Meraz

Joel Compass, Artist to Watch

TECHNOLOGY/ENTERTAINMENT - May, 2014 -

by Samiha Hassan

Joel Compass, Artist to Watch

Attention all R&B lovers! 20-year old Londoner, Joel Compass is an artist who will soon take over the airwaves. He is a talented young singer who puts a melancholic twist to your average R&B song. He is compared to the likes of Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and Drake. So if you like these artists, give his EP, Astronaut a listen. Yes, R&B and originality do not usually go hand in hand, however his sound is far from the typical R&B crooner. He brings freshness and personality with his music. He impressively belts out soulful yet moody lyrics over atmospheric R&B beats. Did I mention he is also a songwriter and producer?

So what were his plans before getting into the music business? Originally, he planned to study medicine. He was also interested in getting into psychiatry. He also has interests in fashion and art. However, he was offered a record the same time he was supposed to start University.

When he began making music, he planned on becoming a producer. However, he later changed his mind and now singing is his main focus. Although, he does say the fact that production was previously his forefront helps him communicate his sound better to

producers and engineers. He can clearly explain what he wants to sound like.

As for his song-making process, his technique is to view the music and lyrics as two halves that make a song. He likes to first write on a simple structure and finish producing afterwards.

When will we see or hear more of him? His album comes out this summer on Black Butter records. He is also scheduled perform at The Parklife Weekender 2014, joining artists like Snoop Dogg, Nero, Disclosure, Kendrick Lamar, Bastille, and Pusha T, to name a few. He has also announced a new single, “Forgive Me”. He has also recently been in the studio with Pharrell Williams.

Joel Compass definitely has potential and is an up and coming artist to watch in 2014. Be sure to give him a listen

SPORTS - May, 2014 -

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is nearing. Set in Brazil, thirty-one teams from eight groups will compete to see who is the best of the best. The stadium was finally inaugurated on Sunday, March 9, 2014 with a quarterfinal match in the Copa Verde. (A competition for clubs from Brazils northern region)

With a capacity of fourth thousand people, this stadium will be the host for four stage fixtures; the meeting of Croatia and Cameroon in Group A on June 18; the United States against Portugal in Group G on the 22nd of June; Switzerland and Honduras in Group E on June 25th; and the long anticipated clash of Italy and England in Group D on June 14th.

Every day, one hundred days prior to the event, FIFA will give a piece of trivia regarding the days remaining, for example, on day 97, FIFA said: “ Over ninety seven matches, allotted over nineteen world cups, Brazil has shown themselves to be the tournaments most successive competitor. From today (March 10, 2014) there are ninety three more pieces of trivia which puts the first game of the FIFA world cup on July 6th, at 5 P.M.

This is the second time that Brazil has hosted this competition, with the first being held in 1950. Brazil was

elected as the host nation in 2007 after FIFA stated that the competition will be held in South America for the first time since 1978 and the fifth time overall. Qualification for the competition had begun in June of 2011 for teams that will participate in the final tournament in Brazil. Sixty four matches are to be played in twelve cities across Brazil in redeveloped or new stadiums.

Including the host country, all world champion teams since the first world cup have qualified for this completion. (Italy, Germany, France, Spain, England, Argentina, and Uruguay) Spain is the current defending champion beating the Netherlands one to zero in the 2010 world cup finals, this was Spain’s first world cup title.

The finals of this world cup will be the first to use goal-line technology. Goal line technology or GLT is the use of a soccer ball that has been implanted with a tracker, the tracker is used to confirm if or if not the ball crossed the line and indeed went into the goal. The use of this is not to remove the officials but to aid them in the use of confining the goals. This has not been implemented before because it has a 95% accuracy and that was too low for it to be approved by FIFA,

FIFA World Cup

Michael Pressman

Art DirectorJose Salazar

Page DesignersGabrielle BrownElizabeth MartinChristopher PadillaRanal AzuetaTommy MaharlikaSamiha HassanTavaris HooksMalik PierreMichael PressmanMateo BecdachImani Wade-AllenKeith Hagood

PrincipalRandy Milliken

AdvisorReiner Luzardo

Charger Pride

“Live Your Life, Take Chances, Be Crazy. Don’t

wait. Because right now is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be again.”

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