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Miami Sunset Senior High School

theCrusaderVolume XXVII January/ February2008 Issue 5

13125 SW 72 Street, Miami, FL 33183

Mr. Sunset 2009: Derek TormesMr. Sunset 2010: Roberto Canales

Sunset Presents Academy Fairsto Incoming Freshmen

By: Aura AltamirandaEditor-In-Chief

continued on page 2

By: Adriana ArcosStaff Writer

The winners of the pageant, Derek Tormes, senior, and Roberto Canales, junior smile after their victory. Tormes will be the reigning Mr. Sunset this year; Canales will reign his senior year.

Byron Bermudez, Danny Cruz,Derek Tormes, William Schmidt,Alex Pacheco, Greg Gutierrez, RobertPrice, George Machado, and RobertoCanales were all participants in theMr.Sunset pageant held on January14th. The pageant was presented bySGAand Ms.Coto-Gonzalez. The eventwas graciously hosted by StephanieJacquemin and Claudia Torres The pageant commenced with anintroductionofthejudges,whoconsistedofMs.Martinez,Ms.Hevia,Ms.Ciccarone,Ms.Coleman, Ms. Hernandez and Ms.Parrilla.Awelcomingdanceperformedbythecontestantswasfollowedbyaparade,where each contestant demonstrated

“I had fun hanging out with the guys. It was a cool experience.”

--Derek Tormes, senior

An Inside Look...

FEATURES ACADEMYSPECIAL

EDITORIALS SPORTS

Byron Bermudez—Italian ClubRoberto Canales— Badminton

Danny Cruz—Water PoloGreg Gutierrez— SEGA

George Machado— Cross CountryAlex Pacheco— Class of 2009

Robert Price— WTKSWilliam Schmidt— Cyber Knights

Derek Tormes— Golf Club

pride for the clubs they represented.The pageant continued with the beach-wear and casual-wear segments whereeach contestant modeled their uniquestyles. The talent showcase followedwith everything from comedy pieces tobreak dancing. Bermudez, Schmidt,and Gutierrez each did a comedypiece while Tormes free-styled. Cruzshowed off his skills with a ribbon. Priceshowcasedhismusicaltalentability by singing “Afternoon Delight”by Starland Vocal Band. Machadopresented himself onstage dressed in ahula skirt andwith aukulele and sang“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. Pachecoperformed a guitar solo. Finally, after abit of a technical interruption, Canalesperformedarap,usinghisownmaterial. Theformal-wearsegmentfollowed.

Each contestant was interviewed withno previous knowledge of the questionsasked. Performances from the GoldenGirlsandasigningsolobyKevinMendozawere done throughout the competition. Contrarytopopularbelief,thiswasnot the first pageant of its kind Sunset has seen. Coto-Gonzalez announcedthat the original Mr.Sunset wascounselorMr.Phelan.Phelanannouncedthe awards, handing the first one to Machado, who won Mr. Congeniality. Tormes and Canales were thewinnersoftheMr.Sunsetaward.Tormeswill remain Mr. Sunset for the rest ofthe school year, until next year, whenCanales will have the title as a senior. Future pageants will onlybe open to juniors, who will holdthe titles during their senior years.

American Idol Presents New

JudgePage 3

Materialism Taken to New Heights

Page 9

ExtremeSports: AnInside Look on the MadnessPage 10

Valentine’s Day Special

Over the past few months, counselors andadministratorshaveoccupiedthemselveswithpro-motingSunset’snewestadditionstoitsfeeder-pat-tern middle schools. Dubbed “the best-kept secretinKendall,”Sunsethasarousedplentyofattentionfromeighthgradestudentsandparents. Throughout November, the middle schoolspaidavisittoSunsetthatconsistedofbriefQ&Ases-sions followedbyshort, yet thoroughexplanationsfromtheacademy leadersandstudents.Theeightoriginalacademieswereaccompaniedbyaseriesofclips compiled Ms. Martinez and her film students that described its strands. After the informationalsessions, studentswere treated tomini-pep rallieswithperformancesfromsuchperforminggroupsasthecheerleadersandtheband,inadditiontomanyothers. December and January also brought theirownwavesofAcademyFairdays. Flyersweremailedtofeeder-patternstudentsnotifyingthemofaJanuary10thgatheringfrom10A.M.tonoon.Theywereaskedtochooseandmailbackthreeacademypreferencestolearnmoreabout.That Saturday morning, for the first hour, once again faculty and administration explained the academygoalsandansweredthequestionsthatresulted.Thesecond hour was split in three with five minutes in betweeneachmini-periodforparentsandstudentstovisittheroomsoftheacademyleaderstheyhad

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previouslychosen.Thistime,theHospitalityandTourismacademywasintroduced.Thisacademy,whichisstillinitsyearofplanning,was promoted by means of flyers and Ms. Perez’s detailed explanation ofitsobjectives. ThisprocedurewasonceagainrepeatedfortheJanuary28thacademypresentations,thistimeonlyanhourlongminustheindi-vidualacademyvisits.Theleaderspresentedtheiracademyandre-ported their accomplishments. As Colonel Lozano took the floor, Dr. CovertrevealedthattwostudentsfromtheLawandPublicServiceacademy had been invited as interns to the state attorney’s office, muchtothecolonel’ssurprise. Clearly,plentyofcarefulplanningandschedulingwasputintoeach and every presentation. During the final week of January and the first week of February, counselors followed up their visits with subject selec-tion assemblies,choosing theircoreclasses,elec-tives, academies,strands. Thesefuture Knightswill surely bepleased.For more acad-emy information,please see thecenter spread,pages six andseven.N

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What people once consideredunfathomable has successfullybecome our reality; what oncestarted as an idea has nowchanged history, and ourgeneration was here to witness it. On Tuesday, January,20th Barack Hussein Obama tookthe oath of office and became the 44th president of the UnitedStates. Millions of people fromacross the country traveled toWashington to be present for themomentousoccasion.Althoughtheceremony was behind schedule,and President Obama had yet totaketheoathatnoon,hepromptlymade the transition accordingly.According to the Constitution,whether or not a president-electhastakentheoath,heistoassumethe presidency at noon. Shortlyafter12:00P.M.,he took theoathfrom Chief Justice John Roberts.Followingtheinauguration,theeventwascelebratedwithparades,balls, concerts, prayer services,andmeditations.ThisinaugurationmarkedtheendofGeorgeW.Bush’seight-year term and welcomedObamatoatermexpectedtoinstillchange throughout the nation. Within Obama’s inauguraladdress, he thanked formerPresident Bush for his generosityand cooperation. The crowd didn’treactquiteaskindlywhenBushtookthestage,however—thebooingandnegativeenergywasquiteapparent.Obama continued, addressing thecrisisofoureconomyandhowmuchofthatwasduetocertaindecisions

Obama Inauguration Makes HistoryBy: Gensis Alvear

Staff Writer

On Saturday January 24th,Troupe 3207 of Sunset attendedthe District 8 Individual Eventscompetition at Hialeah High.Taking nine performances, thetroupe performed monologues,ensembles,duetsandmusicalduets.“We did better than expected,considering our lack of time toprepare. That was our biggestenemy,” Mr. Garcia, troupesponsor and drama teacher, said.Still, this year’s outcome was a bitshy of theusual scores. Inpreviousyears, the numbers of Superiorand Excellent performances werea ratio of 50/50 or more Superiors.The troupe came back with fourSuperiors and five Excellent awards.“Every group achievedsomething anyway, and I was

extremely pleased and impressed,” Garcia continued.A scene that stood out among the rest was an ensemblecalled “Tarentino Variations,” played by JavierFiguerado, Steve Ozuna and Dario Bordon. It was acomedic masterpiece that had the judges bawling.“Iwasshocked,”Garciasaid.“Oneofthejudgestheyhadisextremelyhardtoplease,buthewasjustredwithlaughter.”However, when asked about the overall feel ofthe performance, the trio had mixed emotions.“Ifeltreallygood;Istillfeelgoodaboutit.I’mlikeakidwakingup on Christmas morning, super excited,” said Bordon.Figueradoontheotherhandwasn’tasoptimistic.“Ifeelhonored,privileged,andmostofall,Idon’treallycare.Wedidn’tevengettoperforminfrontofanewaudience,soI’mjustabitbitter.”Yetthetroupeiscontentwiththeirscores,noonegotCritics’Choice.Theystilldidagreatjob,though.Attheendofthedayoutofalltheschoolsthatattended,suchasVarela,Ferguson,Belen,Gulliver,CoralReefandmore,MiamiNorthwesternSenior High received the most Critics’ Choice awards.All district eight thespians were rounded up towatch the winning performances in the auditorium.“IsawfriendsfromVarelathatIhadn’tseeninawhile,anditwasfuntotalktothemaboutwhattheywereperforming,”saysKatlinSvadbik,freshman,whoachievedanExcellentonhermonologue.“Itwascooltoseestudentsfromotherschools,watchtheirtechniquesandcomparethemtoours.”Garciadeclaredthatthetricktoanyamazingperformanceis to make it as real as possible, not to pretend withany props, to actually use them as the character would.On Februar 13, 2009, the drama department willbe having a Valentine’s Show Case for the school,followed by the final senior spring showcase.

By: Aliana ZamoranoStaff Writer

Theater Geeks Compete

Photo by: Aliana Zamorano

that were made. He spoke of ournationatwar,theterribleconditionof our schools our schools, costlyhealthcare,andourenvironmentalneglect.Healso acknowledged thefact that many people doubtedhis ability to move our nation ina new direction. Obama enticedAmerica with his speech, whichmany expect him to follow up on. Thisyear’sinauguralthemewas “A New Birth of Freedom,”and commemorated the 200thanniversary of Abraham Lincoln’sbirth. The words came from theGettysburg address and describedLincoln’s hope that the death ofsoldierswillbehonoredbyleadingournationto“anewbirthoffreedom.”Afterthespeech,PresidentObamaescortedMr.BushtotheEastFrontof the Capitol, where a helicopterwas waiting to take him and hiswife to theAndrewAirForceBaseoutsideWashingtonforareturntriptoTexas.AfterwatchingMr.Bushtake off, he went back inside theCapitol to sign nomination papersforhiscabinetchoice.Obamathenattended the traditional luncheoninStatuaryHall. Itwasafter3:30P.M. before President Obamamade his way down PennsylvaniaAvenue. There he saw the paradeand the sidewalks that were stillfull of admirers who had beenstandingthereforhours.Itwasthelargestinauguralcrowdindecades. The inauguration clearlybecameapartofournation’shistorybyclosingtheracialgaptocelebrateachangeforthebetterinAmerica.

Photo By: Roselyn Anglade

Dr. Covert, Colonel Lozana, Ms. Fries- Furton, and Ms. Caesar listen to questions intently.

andexcitementfortheshow. Forthepastsevenyears,there have only been threejudges who decided whetheror not the performers wouldbeeliminated.Eversincetheaddition of the fourth judge;competition is heating up.Mike Darnell, president ofalternative programming onFOX, added, “For the past

seven seasons, Paula hasbeen the only woman at thejudges’table.She’sbeeninthemiddle between Randy andSimon,offeringherinvaluableexpertiseasaperformerandnumber one artist to thethousandswhohavecompetedon American Idol. With Karaby her side, Paula finally has some back-up and nowthereisgoingtobealotmore

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Who will be the nextsuperstar? American Idol launched its eighth seasonon January 12th. In thepreviousseason,DavidCookwas victorious in winningthe competition. What’s instore for this season, andwill it surpass the last one? American Idol usuallyruns from January to May-five months of intense struggling and performance.This season kicked off withthe addition of the fourthjudge: Kara DioGuardi. Thesinger/songwriterandrecordproducerwill join sideswiththe mellow, yet cool, RandyJackson,thevivaciousPaulaAbdul,andtheskepticalSimonCowell. Once again, tens ofthousands of contestantsgave their best shot for thechance to be the next Idol. “We are turning theheatuponIdolthisyearandwe are thrilled to welcomeKara to the judges’ table,”said creator and executiveproducer Simon Fuller.“She’ssmart,sassy,andoneofAmerica’smostsuccessfulsongwriters. DioGuardi willbring a new level of energy

By: Angelica QuezadaStaff Writer

American Idol Welcomes New Judge

The Misfits Take Music by StormBy: Cynthia Lopez and Esmeralda Zuniga

Staff Writers

“We are turning the heat up on Idol this year

and we are thrilled...”--Simon Fuller, Producer

Can you honestly say that you know a bandwith thirteen former members on their list? Idon’t think so, but for the Misfits, it’s definitely possible. The infamous Misfits’ logo is a skull that first appeared on the “Horror Business” single, basedonaposterforTheCrimsonGhost,which

isnowusedveryfrequentlyontheirmerchandiseandisverycommonlyknown.TheNewJersey-basedhorror,punkbandhasbeenrockingoutfansandterrifyingthemediaforoverthirtyyears.Evenwithatotallynewline-up(exceptleadvocalsandbassistJerryOnly),theyarestillabletoputonagoodshow.TheircurrentmembersincludeOnly,theband’sleadvocals/bassist,Robo,thedrummer,andDezCadena,therhythmguitarist. Ever since the band first started, they’ve used horror and science fiction inspired themes with makeup, clothing, artwork, and lyrics. Ashley Ameniero, sophomore, said, “I really like the skeletal patternsand dark makeup around their eyes, and I think that only realmen can perform on stage while having makeup on.” The Misfits have reached legendary punk rock status with songs like “HorrorBusiness,” “Night of the Living Dead,” and of course, “Halloween.” Even though the Misfits haven’t produced an album for a little over five years, that has not stopped them from touring. The Misfits are a huge influence in Roll-n-Roll culture. They have inspired many rock bands and icons with visuals such as AFI, MarilynManson, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold, and Wednesday 13. The band is currently touring for athirty year anniversary celebration. Withtheir stop in Ft. Lauderdale in CultureRoom on the December 7th, they leftfansinMiamiontheirtoes.Theirconcertconsisted of vigorous music selections,andcertainlyinvolvedcrowdparticipation.Not to mention the massive mosh-pit.Jerry Only stated, “Go have kids, andcomeback!”at the endof this concert toencouragefanstocomebackinthefuture.

ATTENTION: New Digital Age Begins 2.18.09:

“girl power” on the show. It’s true that Abdulwas the only female judge,but with DioGuardi beingincluded, the gendersare even. The songs thatDioGuardi wrote have soldfor more than 100 millionrecords. Her songs havebeen recorded by Grammyaward- winning artists likeKelly Clarkson, ChristinaAguilera, Gwen Stefani,Celine Dion, Faith Hill,Carrie Underwood, etc.Over the past four years,she has been awarded 10BMIPopAwardsforhavingwrittenthegreatestnumberof songs performed on theradio. From her catalog ofseveral hundred, over 264havebeenreleasedonmajorlabels worldwide; and over165haveappearedonmulti-platinum selling albums.DioGuardi co-owns ArtHouseEntertainment;whereshe develops and mentorshit writers, producers, andartists. Everyone will beexcitedtoseetheupcominginstallment of AmericanIdol—a new season, a newrivalry, and a new judge.

Knight Line February 2009

To set your televisions up to date, purchase a converter box for $50-$70; without one, your

television is subject to blacking out and becoming unusable if it was

purchased prior to a certain date. For more information, visit www.

DTV.gov.

2.13.09

2.16.092.18.09

2.19.092.20.092.21.092.23.09-2.27.09

-Senior Lunch-“Love Shorts” Drama Show 7 P.M.-Holiday-Progress Reports-Award Apps Due-Early Dismissal-FCAT Pep Rally-AGS Garage Sale-Water Balloon Volleyball Week

Photo By: Esmeralda Zuniga

ridiculousamountofpressuretheyareputunder.Somestudentstend to rush because they want to “get it over with,” a tacticadministratorshighlyadviseagainst;indoingso,manystudentsarepronetoendingupinintensivereadingandmathematicsclasses. Everyweekstudentslearnanewbenchmarkanddevelopanewreadingcomprehensionorcritical thinkingskill,butaresuchskillsactuallyvaluabletothestudentscometesttime?Thiscurriculum hardly guarantees higher scores for the students.For students, the FCAT first surfaces in third grade and ends in eleventh grade. Upon becoming seniors, they arefreed of the requirement, unless they have yet to pass thetest. Without a passing score, a diploma cannot be issued.

was once all about the music, is even covering thesepetty scandals and airing such pathetic attempts forratingslikeThe Hills.EvenDisneyhasturnedtorubbish.Overthelastthreeyears,thenetworkhaslostitsshinemaking non-animated shows. Hannah Montana hasbecomethebiggesthitamongviewersalmostovernight. Manypeopleturntothesecelebritiesforfashionsenseamongotherthings.Theyseektotoidolizethem.AsaresultofalltherealityT.V.shows,manypeoplehavelostinterestinrealtelevisionnetworks.Thebehaviorofcertaincelebritiesisseenbytheyoungergeneration,givingtheimpressionthat corrupt values make them better or cooler people.

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ManyteensandadultswastetheirtimewatchingshowsontelevisionlikeExtraandRock of Love.WhyistheresuchanobsessionoverParisHilton’slatestarrestorAngelinaJolie’sgrowingfamily?Isitthatsocietytodayhasabsolutelynothingbettertoworryaboutandfeelstheneedtoconcernitselfwiththelivesoftherichandfamous? WaybackwhenHollywoodwasallaboutclassandsophistication,actressessuchasKimNovakandGraceKellywerebeautifulandglamorousladiesfamousfortheirskilland flawlessness. Today, celebrities are often found acting recklesslyinpublicbygettingdrunkpartyafterparty,orfiling for divorce the first chance they get post-marriage. Tabloidmagazines,alongwithtelevisionstationslikeE!,keepviewersuptodateontheseludicroussubjects.InmagazineslikeJ14,youngteengirlsaregivenrole-modelslikethecarelessLindsayLohanandself-centeredParisHilton.Whyshouldtheseobscenewomenbeidolizedbyyounggirlsfortheirfaultyincidentsandunrulybehavior? Nowadays television networks are desperatefor higher ratings and resort to creating ridiculousshows to attract viewers. Reality T.V. dominates mostnetworks including FOX, MTV, and CBS. MTV, which

Photo by: Amanda Hernandez

By: Amanda HernandezStaff Writer

Celebrities: The Objects of Our Obsession

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WhydothemajoritystudentsfailtheFlorida Comprehension Assessment Test(FCAT)?WhydostudentsopttocallthisexamtheFloridaChildAbuseTest?ManystudentsdisliketheFCATbecauseit’ssimplyatedioustest, which takes an excessive amount oftimeandconcentrationtocomplete.Threeyears ago Florida required that all 10thgrade students pass the FCAT in order tograduateandreceiveahighschooldiploma. It was decided that they would begiven multiple opportunities to pass theexam both junior and senior year, if theywere unable to pass the first time around. If students are unable to pass the FCATtheir senior year, they must complete 20hours of FCAT tutoring to receive a highschool diploma. In addition, for the 2008-2009 academic year, students in fifth, eighth, and eleventh grade are requiredtopassthescienceportionoftheFCATinorder to proceed to the next grade level. As the days for FCAT becomenumbered, students’ and teachers’ stresslevels reach maximum highs due to the

FCAT Pressures Target Students and TeachersBy: Kiara EijoStaff Writer

“Nowadays television networks...resort to creating ridiculous shows to

attract viewers.”

“The FCAT stresses kids out too much. I’ve seen plenty of kids cry when they fail it. Puts too much

pressure on them.”--Mr. Hernandez, English Teacher

FCAT worries plague freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and faculty as the date quickly approaches.

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Ifyou’reanactororactress,reachingthepeakofyourcareerwouldmeanreceiveanOscar.For81years, the Academy Awards have honored peoplewith awards such as Best Director, Best Actor andActress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, andBest Film. This year it will be held at the KodakTheatre in Hollywood, California. Oscar-nominatedactor Hugh Jackman, who starred in Australia andupcoming film Wolverine, will be this year’s host.On Thursday, January 22nd, Academy of MotionPicture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis andOscar-winningactorForestWhitakerannounced thenomineesforthisyear’sAcademyAwardsinBeverlyHills. There are a total of 24awards that will be given outalongwithtwospecialawards.Well, there may be one slightdifference. Academy Awardsnominees traditionally comefrom films that usually have great performances but havedone poorly in the box office. This year, that isn’t the case.Although praised films as Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road, Doubt,and The Wrestler were not nominated for the topawards, the Oscars have nominated other top films for the different categories. For instance, AngelinaJoliehasbeennominatedasBestActressforherrolein Changeling; Mickey Rourke has been nominatedforBestActor forThe Wrestler;andWall-EhasbeennominatedforBestAnimatedFilm;ForBestDirector,Ron Howard has been nominated for Frost/Nixon. Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated forBest Film. Other awards that will be presented willbeforBestCinematography,BestOriginalSong,BestLive Action Short, Best Documentary, Best Foreign

LanguageFilm,andBestAnimatedFilm. Wall-E has been nominatedfor six different awards, Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated forten awards but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has taken thecrown for most nomination for atotal of 13 including Best Film.The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonholdstherecordforthemostnominees this decade tying withThe Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring; and Wall-E ties the

most nominees for ananimation film with The Beauty and the Beast. The Dark Knightbrokerecord for the mostnominated superherofilm in Academy Award history. One out of twospecial award will begiven out the evening

of theAcademyAwardsandoneof themwillbeTheAcademy Honorary Award. The Academy HonoraryAwardisanawardthatrecognizestalentsofyearsofaccomplishmentssuchas1932winnerWaltDisneyforcreatingMickeyMouse.Theotheraward is theJeanHersholt Humanitarian Award. The Jean HersholtHumanitarianAwardisawardedeveryotheryear foroutstandingcontributionstohumanitariancauses.ItisnamedafterscreenactorJeanHersholtwhoservedasthepresidentoftheMotionPictureReliefFundfor18years.Thisyear’shonorarywillgotoJerryLewis.To find out who the winners will be at this year’s Academy Awards,tuneintoABConSunday,February22,2009.

“This year it will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.”

Viewers Anticipate Academy Awards Show By: Cynthia Lopez

Staff Writer

FCAT TUTORING DAYS

Room Day Subject264 Monday Science327 Wednesday Math327 Thursday Reading

&SATURDAYS 9 A.M.-12:00P.M.

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Academy Leader: Ms. Garcia

TheAGSmissionisto create an indi-vidualized learn-ing environmentwhere studentscan listen, ques-tion, read andmake decisions

based onsound prin-

ciples. In order to thrive asworldciti-zens who actively contribute to the globalcommunity, this curriculum serves to aid stu-dents.Itisacollegepreparatorycourse.Thisisforstudentswhohavecollege-setmindthrough-outhighschool.Thisacademyhastwostrands—

AdvancedAcademicsandWorldLanguages.

Academy Leader: Ms. Fries- FurtonThe Information Technology Academy offerswide variety of information and media tech-nology programs. This is also one of the fewacademies certified by NAF. The a c a d -emy includes five different strands:BusinessCom-puter Programming,Digital Media/Jour-nalism, Video/TVProduction,Network-ing(CISCO),andWebDesign.Thisacademyisforallstudentswhoare interested in appli-cationsincommunication

and media fields.

Academy Leader: Mr. YanowitzAnother NAF certified academy is Finance. This is for all those that show an interest in accountingand other financial operations. The academy’s two strandsareFinanceandHumanResources.Ithelpsstudentsdevelopthinkingandproblem-solvingskills.The Finance strand is currently workingon a project sponsored bythe South Florida Edu-cational Federal Cred-it Union (SFEFCU),Dade County PublicSchools, and StateFarmentitledFinan-cially Free with theintentofteachingup-perclassmenthebasics

of financial literacy*.

Academy Leader: Colonel LozanoDocriminaljustice,publicserviceandhomelandse-c u r i t y professionssoundinterestingtoyou?Then

thisistheacademyforyou.Itoffersvarious opportunities to learn

about the judicial system, gov-ernmentagenciessuchatheFBIand CIA, EMY, fire and rescue services,crimesceneinvestiga-tion,aswellastheArmedForc-es, including the Army, Navy,

Air force, Marines, and CoastGuard.Thethreestrandsinthis

academyareCriminalJustice,LegalStudies,andJROTCandLeadership.

Financially Free ambassadors will be conducting in-classlessonsthroughseniors’governmentandeconomicclasses.Theywasalsobeadvertisingthroughouttheschooltopromote

their cause. Pre-tests and post-testswill be administeredto students totrack progress. Theultimate goal is toraise financial literacy amongseniorsheadedofftocollegeprimarilyin the areas of creditand student loans.

*Financially Free Initiative

miAmi sUNseT seNioR HigH2008-2009

AcAdemies

Information Technology

Advanced Global Studies

Finance

Law and Public Service

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Academy Leader: Mr. MoreraTheBiomedicalacademy is for studentswhowant to pursue careers in the medicinal field suchasdoctors,nurses,vets,etc.Thisacad-emy of- fers internships and other

hands-on experiences.SportsMedicine,Pre-

Med, and Scienceare the three ex-clusivestrandsin

thisacademy.

Academy Leader: Ms. CaesarEarlyChildhoodEducationandTeacherAs-sistingaretwostrandsoftheEducationAcademy. It consists of a four-yearprograminwhichstudentsworkintheLittleKnightsdaycare.StudentsmustacquireCDAcredentials,DCF40-hour certification when completed, and9collegecreditsatany juniorcol-lege in Florida. In the fourth year, astudent can intern at an elemen-taryschool.Theteacherassistingstrandalsooffersafouryearpro-gram.Bothprogramsofferthegold

sealscholarship.

Academy Leader: Ms. PamajalaEngineeringisoneofthethreeSunsetacademiescer-tified by the National Academy Foundation (NAF). It offerscompletecareertechnicalconcentrationwithbothmathematicsandscience.Theacademyworkswith Project Lead the Way—which helps studentsa p p l y theirknowledgetovariousproj-

ects resulting in handson experiences for the

volunteers. It alsohas A Pre-CollegeEngineering Cur-riculum. The proj-ects help studentsunderstandhowthe

skills they are learn-ing in the classroom

canbeusedpractically.

TheHospitalityacademyisSunset’snewestacademy.Duringthepastfewmonths,counselorsputittoavote.Freshmenvotedbasedontheirhowstrongtheirinterestwasinit.ThisacademyismadeforthosewhowanttopursueaprofessionalcareerintheHospitalityandTourism.ItalsoconsistsoftheCulinary Operations for all those interested in a cookingcareer. Though this academy is still in the making, it is

rousingplentyofinterestfromthestudentbody.

Academy Leader: Mr. SmithThe goal of theVisual and Per-forming ArtsAcademy is toincrease aca-demic rigor,enhance theschool climate,improve overallstudentachieve-mentandcreatea learning envi-ronment basedoncreativity.ThoseinterestedinDance,Dra-ma, Drawing and Painting, Music, GraphicDesign,andPhotographywouldthriveinthis

academy.

Preview 2009-2010:Hospitality and Tourism

miAmi sUNseT seNioR HigH2008-2009

AcAdemies

FocUs oN:AcAdemiesBiomedical

Visual and Performing Arts

Engineering

Education

When I was little I rememberalways wishing that superheroeswerereal.Ifyou’reacomicbookfan,maybeyoucanempathizewithme.Iwasamazedbytheideathatthereweremenandwomenouttherethatcould singlehandedly savepeople’slives. The heroes of my childhoodwere so powerful that they couldeven save the entire world withoutevenbreakingasweat.Ittookuntilmy tenth or so birthday to realizethat Iwasn’t going towakeuponemorning and see someone flying through the sky or lifting a car offofinnocentpeople.ButonJanuary20th,intheeyesofmanyAmericans,Barack Hussein Obama waselevated to super herostatus. Obama’s Inauguration speechdideverythingthataninaugurationspeech should do. It inspiredthe masses, made the chests ofthousands swell with pride, andbrought a much needed sense ofsecuritytoAmerica.Afterhearinghishalfhourmasterpiece,everyObamafan’s opinion of the new presidentwas confirmed. Obama’s in office, we’re good. Through presidentialpropaganda, an amazing controlover the English language, andpromises that were favored byAmericans, President Obamaadopted an almost superhumancloakofperfectionandinvincibility. Thepromiseshemadeconsistedofcuttingtaxesfor95%ofworkingfamilies, ending our dependencyon Middle East oil in 10 years,ending insurance companies’discrimination against those who

needthemostmedicalcare,and(here’sthebigone)ending the ongoing war in Iraq. He’s made manymorepromisesanddeclarationsinhisspeechesandcampaigns,allofwhichwereacceptedwithoutadoubtby the majority of the American people. What thepeopledon’tunderstandisthat,eventhoughObamais young, head strong, wise, and will do everythingandanythinghecantoachieveallthethingsthathehaspromisedthepeople,someofthosepromisescan

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simply not be done, at least not in one presidency. Obama’staxcutpromisesareestimatedtocosthim $60 million per year. His plans to “fix” health care will cost us $1.2 trillion over ten years. Heplanstogivebusinessesapremiumforeverynewjobposition they fill; that’s another $40 billion. Obama claims that he will be supplementing these fundsby using various saving plans. He expects to savemoneybyhaltinghealthcarepremiumsandbringingthe troopshome.Hisplans to lower thehealthcarepremiums could earn $30 billion in a perfect worldand his estimation of cutting premiums by $2,500is optimistic guess work at best. Leaving Iraq willearnthegovernment$90billion,anamountObamahas spent several times over with his other plans. Many Americans may ignore these blatantparadoxes in light of rewards thatwouldarise fromObama’s plans. The president has already set intomotion several seemingly heroic plans to jumpstartoureconomy.Heisalreadytryingtopasssomeofthetaxcutsthathehaspromised.Collaboratingwithourcountry’s Native Americans, Obama is planning onusingtheirreservationstobuttresstheAmericanenergycrisis.NativeAmericanreservationsarekeylocationsforsolarenergy.Alone,thereservationscanproduceuptofourtimestheenergythatthewholecountrydoes. Althoughhisspeechwas,quitefrankly,riveting,Althoughheisearnestlytryingtobetterourcountry,Although he is charismatic and knowledgeable,Barrack Obama is no super hero. He will not beable to do everything he has promised. He will notbe able to single handedly save the world. He willtry his best, but his best does not mean we’re inthe clear. He had my vote but I’m quite aware ofhisshortcomings,as the restofAmericashouldbe.

Obama Promises: Will He Come Through?By: Carlos Espinal

Artist

“President Obama adopted an almost superhuman cloak of perfection and

invincibility.”

Illustration By: Carlos Espinal

Illustration By: John Hernandez

Obama Picks Up the Pieces of a Disastrous Presidency

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Shallow Materialistic Values are Taken to New Heights

With Americans enduring suchhardshipsassoaringcostsanddecliningemployment rates during the currenteconomiccrisis,thisiseasilytheworstrecession since the Great Depressioninthe1930s.Thatfactalonegivesoneall the more reason to assume thatconsumerismshouldbeonthedeclineas well. Wrong. On the contrary, thedeclineofAmericanvaluesisbecomingdangerously more frequent. Manyblame the materialistic craving onconditionedhabitsandaninexplicablewant for that which one can’t havebut perhaps it’s more than that. Americans may have alwaysbeen frivolous, wastefully spending

their much needed cash on materialpossessions, but the level of frivolityhas been taken to a new level. Myguessisthatthisinverselyproportionalrelationship of rising consumerismand a declining economy is morethan just a correlation. Never beforehave Americans jeopardized theirfinancial stability for a set of shiny new toys—a brand new iTouch, a flashy car, or a pile of glamorous clothes. Statisticsprovethatratherthanspendingsalariesonthebasicsoffood,water, and shelter, many well-paidindividualsclaimtocomeupshortonmoneytocovernecessities.Lesserpaidindividualshavereasontobeinsuchasituation,butthisstatementisnotoneexpected of the upper class who, onewould think, would have a firm financial stance given their standing in society. Perhaps the sole reason

Americans have come to spendmore than they earn lies intheyearningtoprovetothemselvesthatthey aren’t economically handicappedby the depression—an underlyingirrational sense of pride may be whatbooststhealreadyextensivefrivolity.It’salmostlikepeopleareputtingtheideaof self-fulfilling prophecy to the test; the ideathatiftheyactasthoughtheyareabovethecurrentcrisisandcangetbyontheirpreferredstandardofliving,maybetheywill.Thenmaybetheywon’thaveto deal with what’s really happening. Whetherornotthisisthecase,the acts prompted by Americans’mentality spawns an unhealthydependencybecausetheirhappinessisdeterminedentirelyonwhatnewthingsare available on the market. A lineneedstobedrawnbetweenoccasionalspending and ridiculous splurging. Thesamewaypeopledon’tspendmoneyforthesakeofspendingit,Idon’tbelievetheybuythingsforthesakeofhaving them.Everyact canbe readily

attributedtoapsychologicalrationale.OnBlackFriday,amanwastrampledto death by a crowd of remorselessshopperseagertogetajumpontheday’ssales.This,ofcourse,tracesbacktomobpsychologyandtheideathatwedonotretainourindividualitywhenplacedingroups.Likewise,wemaybeabletopinAmericans’increasedspendingontheirunwillingness to accept the presentissueofourfailingeconomy—thisdenialofrealitywhichrearsitsuglyheadintheshapeofuselessmaterialpossessions.Ifso,thisboostinconsumerismmaybejustaphase,onethatwillberestoredtoitsoriginalludicrousnatureintime. Certainly,onceAmericanstakea step back to closely examine thesituation, if ever, they may find that they havebittenoffmorethantheycanchew.Meanwhile,allwecandoissitbackandhopethisphasewillwearoutonitsown.

“...this inversely proportional relationship of rising consumerism and a declining economy is

more than just a correlation.”

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By: Aura AltamirandaEditor-In-Chief

Illustration by: Carlos Espinal

Sunset, are you ready torock?Well,maybenot,consider-ingwemightbeoneoftheonlyhighschoolsthatarenothostingaBattleoftheBands.“Battleofthebands”isatermforaseriesofperformancesbymusicalgroups.Usuallythesearedifferentstylesofrockbandsthatplaytheirmu-sicattheevents,andcompeteforthetitleofthe“bestband.”LocalschoolssuchasJohnA.Fergu-sonandFelixVarelaHighSchoolannually host their own. I con-

sideritamustduringone’shighschoolyears;evenMarilynMan-sonwasonceinpartoftheeventwhen he was in high school,before becoming making it big. So, why exactly has Sun-set never had a battle of thebands? Is it lack of space? Notenough money? Or did no oneevercomeupwiththeidea?Forstarters,Mrs.Cotomentioneditwouldn’t be a spacing problemand could just beheld outside.To host a battle of the bands,not much money is required tobeginwith, justcablesandam-

plifiers which the bands usu-ally provide themselves. There-fore, the problem seems to bethat no one ever had the idea. “Therehasneverreallybeenaninteresthere,andevenwhenit was talked about or initi-ated, the idea never went fullythrough,” says Mrs. Coto. Thisjust leaves everyone hangingondoesn’t it? It isalluptothemusic department to organizeand sponsor it, but withouttheirconsentorsupport,wewillnever be able to pull through. Even though we don’t host

one, about 54% of the studentbody believes Sunset definite-ly should, while 31% say theyshouldn’t. 15% remain indiffer-ent. Flip Vieira, who has beentobattleofthebandsatFergu-son,said,“Yeah!Therearealotofbandshere,but I’mnotsureanyone would come.” With theright kind of promotion, how-ever,abattleofthebandscouldhappen at Sunset very soon. Overall, this would be avery fun experience. Sun-set should definitely host a battle of the bands in 2009.

Sunset Urged to Host “Battle of the Bands”By: Esmeralda Zuniga

Staff Writer

The Crusader StaffADVISOR:

Juliana Carreira

Editorial Board:

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF& CENTER SPREAD:Aura Altamiranda

NEWS & FEATURES:Katerina Sardi

EDITORIALS:Roselyn Anglade

SPORTS:Amberli Prieto

ARTS:Karla Barrios

ARTISTS:Carlos Espinal

John Hernandez

STAFF:Genesis AlvearKevin AmadorAdriana ArcosKarina Aswani

Christian CalzadillaGabriellle Cruz

Garret CulpBranden Duasso

Kiara EijoAmanda Escasena

Amanda HernandezMatthew JordanCynthia Lopez

Juan OrtizAngie QuezadaAlexandra SalasEnrique SengerStephen SinghMaricielo SolisWilliam Valdes

Jacqueline VienesAliana ZamoranoEsmeralda Zuniga

Please visit the Student Press Onlinelink on the Sunset website.

The Crusader is a monthly publication of Miami Sunset Senior High School.

13125 SW 72 ST Miami, FL, 33183.(305) 385-4255

The views expressed are solely those of The Crusader staff. The Crusader welcomes signed letters to the editor

which may be edited for content. Please bring to room 227.

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Whenonehearsthetag,“extremesports,”whatusuallycomestomindaresportslikeskate boarding, surfing, skydiving, and BMXbiking.Whileit’struethatalloftheseare considered “extreme sports,” we’vegrown accustomed to them. They’re verypopular, many of them adopting official organizations(BMX,Motocross,andSkateBoardingworldsarenowlegitimatesportsandbusinesses)andhavebecomecommoninthepubliceye.Andjustliketheendofanydynasty,anewmachinearisesfromthewoodworks,bringingafresh,new,andveryoddoutlook to the term “extremesports.” Popular in New Zealand is a sportcalled Zorbing. Basically as a human-sized hamster, a person is placed into a

ZorbBall, a giant spheremade of perplex (the samematerialPlexiglas is made of), and sent rolling around down a gentleslope. Though it sounds as pleasant as a ride through theparkonabike,someadrenalinejunkiesouttherehaveturnedthe sport to fit their taste, just as the BMX’s did with bikes. Startingoffatthetopofasteephillormountain,theseextremeZorberslaunchthemselvesdownit,lookingforthesamerushahamster looks forwhen it rolls its ball downan exit ramp. Thedown-hillmovementbringsanothersocalled“extremesport”tomind:CheeseRolling.OriginatingfromEngland,onestartsatthetopofanincrediblysteephill.Arollofcheeseisrolleddownthe hill and any number of people race after the cheese. The first onetomakeittothebottomgetstokeepthealreadydirtycheese.Mostofthe“athletes”thatparticipateinCheeseRollingleavewithbrokenarmsandlegs,complimentofthesteepnessofthehill. Now surely many people would like to take mundaneactivities and make them fun, but the inventers of ExtremeIroning have pushed the limit. More popular than you wouldbelieve, the main goal of an Extreme Ironer is to out-doeveryone that comes before him. Whether or not the articleof clothing actually leaves the scene ironed seems to comesecond to the ridiculous (and dangerous) places these peopletake their clothes. Some of the craziest locations includeunderwater,whileparachuting3000feetintheair,inacanoe,

and suspended on a tight rope extended over a canyon! Thereseemstobenolimittowhatamanwilldoforanadrenalinerush.Someotherextremesportsinclude:FreeDiving,“oneofthemostdangeroussportsintheworld,”isthesportofdiversplungingupto400feetunderwateronasinglebreath.ShrovetideFootball,agameoffootballthatincludes300playerson the field at the same time, pushing, kicking, and screaming theirwaytothegoal.RockJumpingisthe“art”ofjumpingfromonerocktoanother.Don’ttakeRockJumperslightly,though.Thejumpscanhavemuchas100feetbetweentakeoffandlanding. Whilemostofthesesportsseemalittlebitridiculous,if

notdownrightstupid,someofthenewsportsthathavecometofruitionareactuallyprettycool.BaseJumping,acombinationof Sky Diving and Para-gliding, places one at the top of a fixed object(usuallyamountainorabuilding)wheretheyjumpoffatheightsofover2000feet.BaseJumperseitheruseaparachutetosurviveor,foramuchmorethrillingexperience,awingsuit(which is the flying squirrel’s retort to the hamster’s Zorb Ball). Free Running is an exhilarating sport that puts onemanagainsta city full of obstacles,armedwithnothingbuthis bare hands and a pair of running shoes. No problem.Freerunnershavebeengiven themonikerof “UrbanNinjas”because of their ability to clear 20 feet long jumps betweenrooftops, climb up 10 feet tall sheer walls, perform complexflips, and dive off four story buildings with relative ease. While all these sports are already popular in someparts of the world it seems unlikely that most will reachthe level of legitimacy that the first generation of extreme sports has found. But some will surely make the cut. BaseJumping and Free running have already been featured inthemoviesLara Croft Tomb Raider: the Cradle of LifeandThe Punisher: War Zone, respectively. Keep an eye out for theseand more new generation extreme sports. For all we know,someone will invent a Human-Bunny Rabbit sport next.

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“There seems to be no limit to what a man will do for an adrenaline rush.”

Extreme Sports: An Inside Look on the MadnessBy: Carlos Espinal

Artist

Fourandnine,thatistherecord for Sunset’s Wrestlingteam this year. However theonly number that Coach Ri-vera cares about is the verylarge number opposite of hisfour wins. All of Sunset hadhigh hopes for this year’swrestlingteamgoing intotheseasonand sodidCoachRi-vera. “No, this isnotwhere Iexpected this team to be atthis point in time,” said Ri-vera. While Coach Rivera isnot satisfied with his team’s record,therehavebeensomekeyfactorstotheirslumpthisyear. “We have a very youngteam, unfortunately we have

had a lot of injuries this yearandsomeoftheguyshavenotbeen able to pass the hydra-tion test,” said Rivera. Mostofthisyear’steamismadeupof sophomores and countlessplayers have gone down withwrist, finger and hand injuries.Thatisalottoovercomeforany team but it’s also part ofthegameandRiverawillnotlethisplayersuseitasanexcuse.Whilefourandninedoesn’tlookgreat there have been brightspots to the season.The teamplacedsecondintheBocaRa-tontournamentandonlycameup1pointshortofwinningthechampionship. Rivera’s threeCo

ach’

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By: Garrett CulpStaff Writer

bestwrestlershaveagreatin-dividualrecordthisyearandtheyoungguysontheteamaregettingbetterandbettereveryweek,whichwillpayoffinthefuture for Sunset Wrestling. Stillm this season is farfromover.There’sabigtour-namentcomingupcalledtheGMACandeveryteaminDadeCounty will be participating.“Columbus is even going tobethere,thisisourchancetoshowwearebetterthanourre-cordsaysweare,”saidRivera. Even more importantthan the GMAC Tournamentis when they go up againsttheir districts. The top four

from there will go to region-als,andthetopfourfromre-gionalswill endupat states. “That’s been ourultimate goal: to makestates,” said Rivera.Allthewrestlersknowtheyhave an outstanding coachinRiveraandthinkthehigh-est of him. There isno othercoachanyofthemenjoysuit-ingforweekinandweekout.This season is far from lost,and if there’s any coachwhocan help turn this seasonaround and into a Cinder-ella story it’s the tough andgritty nineteen year experi-enced head coach, Rivera.

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TRibUTe To THe A

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Illustration By: Angie Quesada Illustration By: Gina Thompson

L’AMOUR DE MA VIE Illustration By: Matthew Jordan

Illustration By: Karla Barrios

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Valentine’s Day 2009A Paradox:

Simple in Theory, Complex in Practice

Averywisepersononcesaid,“Love—awidelymisunder-stood,highlydesirablemalfunctionoftheheartwhichweakensthebrain,causeseyestosparkle,cheekstoglow,andlipstopucker.” Valentine’sDayisthemostcomplicated,yetmostcelebrat-edholidaynotableinAmerica.Itisacombinationofloveandhate,affectionandanger,anddevotionandannoyance,whichgeneral-lycapturesthemeaningofatrueconnectionbetweenamanandawoman.Forthoseofyouwhohaveexperiencedthissortoflink,I commendyou forsurviving the rollercoasterofa journey.Tothosewhohavenot,consideryourselflucky—yetstillunfortunate. I’mnothere to rantonaholiday,but rather to tell youthatyouaren’taloneintheconfusionofitstruemeaning.TheoriginofValentine’sDayisstillhazyastherearemanylegendsregardingSt.Valentine,theheroandutterromantic.Still,itisdefined as “a day for the exchange of valentines and other to-kensofaffection,”andthatispreciselywhatitis.Itistoexpressto“thatspecialsomeone”yourtrue feelingsthroughmessagedcandies and bouquets of roses. Although this holiday doesn’textendfor longerthanaday,thesefeelingsshouldnotbelim-itedtobeingrevealedonlyonFebruary14th,buteverydaythatthey are felt. This day is to help emphasize that connection. Andstillmanypeoplestandtoquestionifthisholidayisle-gitimate. Seeing as how this holiday seems to only benefit those who areinlove,whatdothosewhoaren’tgainfromthisday?Manycan

argue that big-time card companies and jewelry stores are the ones making monetary profits off of this holiday, that it is solely a way ofgivingloveacost.Especiallyindayslikethese,withtechnologyexpandingatitsquickestpaceandmaterialismenlarging,Valen-tine’sDayhasbecomeagreatassetforthesecompanies.Andifthatindeedisthecase,isn’tthatwhat“month-aversaries”arefor? ButValentine’sDayisn’tonlyforthoseembodiedinlove.Itcanbeembracedinalldifferentformstoshowpeoplejusthowmuchyouappreciatethem.InSouthAmerica,asimilarholidayiscelebrated,moreliketheonejustdescribed.ElDiadelaAmistadiscelebratedbetweenfriends,parents,siblings,andofcourse,lovers.Adaylikethisleaveseveryonefeelinglovedandvalued,notjustthose confined in a relationship. So take this day and view it in an alternate form, not one defined by society that will put you down.

By: Katerina SardiNews & Features Editor

Singles’ Awarness Day or Warm and Fuzzy?

Valentine’s Day is a day when couplesshowtheir loveandaffection foreachother.Tothem,it’sagreatdaytobuygiftsandspendsomealonetimetogether,butforsinglesoutthere,it’sadaytositonthecouchwatchingThe Notebook,eating chocolates and crying about how much

you hate this holiday. Many believe thatValentine’s Day is a holiday created

by greeting card companies tomake profit. Truthful or not, thisholidayhasthepowertomake singles feel miserable.Then again, it alsostrengthens bonds and

renews relationshipsfor those blessedwith their other half.“MyboyfriendandIare

really looking forward toit this year,” said juniorAmanda Salas. “We’replanning on going tothe beach to celebrate.” Loving someoneis a beautiful thing,and some believeValentine’sDayistheday

to express one’s passion for the other. “Oh my god! My boyfriend and I, welove each other and I don’t care whethersomeone feels lonely. It’s been a while,and who cares? I just want flowers!” said a sophomore who chose to remain anonymous. On the other hand, somepeople spend this holiday withtheir friends showing eachother that their friendshipis greatly appreciated. “Thisyearmybestfriendis my valentine,” said KarenReyes. “I think it’s a niceidea so in the endyou aren’t alone.” Valentine’sDay is a niceholiday to spendwitha lovedone,butwhenyouaredepressed andlonesome, it isprobablyadatethat shouldn’tbe marked onone’s calendar.

By: Alexandra SalasStaff Writer

Pictured: Julian Velasquez, senior, &

Natalie Pacheco, sophomore

Pictured: Jonathan Martinez & Lellany

Fajardo, sophomores