By Alessia Pizzorni

The nominees for the Silver Knight Awards are in. Miami Beach Senior High nominated six students who will be interviewed by a panel of judges in late March: Taylor Calibo, Athletics; Miriam Kolker, Journalism; Kylie Montero, Speech; Julie Rivo, Social Science; Hannah Snitzer, English & Literature; and Daryl Stein, Music. Each senior has at least a 3.2 unweighted GPA and a strong record of school and community service.

According to Beach High’s Silver Knight Coordinator, William Presswood, a project should be original and long lasting, but does not have to coincide with the category. Last year, former MBSH student Claire Austin won the county-wide award in the Journalism category with her project starting the school’s recycling program.

Snitzer’s project, which she has participated in for years, brought teens and adults together to dress up as clowns and visit children in residential shelters.

“We’re not looking for validation because the community service that we have done is already enough of a validation,” she said.

Notwithstanding, the awards ceremony will take place on May 19. Silver Knight winners receive $2,000, a trophy, as well as a medallion presented by American Airlines.

By Wendy Goya and Lyssa Goldberg

Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, the Florida Department of Education will no longer assign letter grades to schools based on FCATscores alone. In addition, the FLDOE will begin to consider high schools’ graduation rates and the college readiness of their student bodies, according  to Florida Senate Bill 1908.

“By signing Senate Bill 1908, the Governor has kept Florida  on a path to increased student achievement,” said Eric Smith, Florida Commissioner of Education. 

The bill dictates that only fifty percent of the school grade will still be based on student FCAT  scores, which are currently used to grade secondary schools. While the details are yet to be finalized, the  other fi fty percent will include graduation rates and student scores on tests to measure postsecondary  readiness such as the SAT and ACT. In addition, the state will begin to measure student participation and  performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, dual enrollment and industry certifi cation. 

 According to the Florida School Counselor Association, the change is intended to create higher expectations, more rigorous curriculum, respond to student needs, and ensure that students are suitably prepared for college and the workforce.

At Miami Beach Senior High, news of the  change was greeted warmly by students in honors and AP classes.

“It should hopefully take a lot of heat off the importance of the FCAT,”  said Darren Richmond, senior. “Especially with top students, the way to tell if  they’re doing a good job is with AP tests.”

“I never liked that  the FCAT played such an important role in the way a school was looked upon,” said Leanna Rodriguez, Miami Beach Senior High alumna. “FCAT scores do  not refl ect what the teachers can truly offer to their students.”

 However other students questioned how well Beach High would respond to the measurement criteria. In 2007, the average SAT score was 970 out of 1600, compared to a national average of 1070. Beach High students passed just under 50% of their AP exams, compared to 59% nationwide.

 ”I don’t really judge myself as a teacher based on how my students do on the AP test,” said Kenneth Spiegelman, who teaches AP European History and AP Government and Economics. “I like to see them pass, and I push them to, but it’s not what’s going to change what I do in the classroom.”

Spiegelman stressed the importance of balancing performance on exams against participation in the rigorous curriculum. “One of the goals of teaching Advanced Placement is you want to see your students pass your AP test,” he said,”but that’s not the only goal. There’s definite data out there that tells us that students do better in college regardless of how they do on the AP test.” Students at MBSH took over 550 AP exams in 2007, or approximately one for every four students.

The new grading system’s exact standards have yet to be worked out. Bill 1908 mandates the Department of Education to come up with different models and methods of measuring data before passing a fi nal version in May 2009.

“The Florida Department of  ducation is still reviewing how this will be implemented,” explained Dr. Martin Karp, School Board member of Miami- Dade County Public Schools. “A large portion of the data has not been collected.”

“The idea that we’re going to look at schools in a more holistic sense is fairer than simply grading the school based on how the kids do on one day in March,” said Principal Rosann Sidener. “The concern that I have, and that is shared by my fellow administrators across the state, is that we’re jumping into a grading system before anyone knows what the rules are.”

According to the bill, once the new criteria are determined, FLDOE will publish two sets of school grades at the end of the school year: the official grade, using the old criteria, and an “FYI release of new school grades” that is unofficial and will utilize the new criteria. The new criteria will be used officially for school grades for the first time in 2010.

“The implementing of the grading system this soon is a bit disconcerting,” said Sidener.

According to Karen Rivo, PTSA President, inadequate funding for Miami-Dade County Public Schools poses another problem for implementing the new grading system.

“Until the state properly funds this new mandate, including increased funding for additional AP/ IB classes and free SAT or ACT tests, it will only promote more inequity in our schools,” she said.

By Maria Guzman

A red wave of seniors, a multitude of Supermen, and teachers dressed in drag took over Miami Beach Senior High the week of November 3 for the annual Spirit Week. Along with dress-up themed days, students were encouraged to participate in a series of class- war challenges all week.

Students disguised themselves as superheroes and cartoons at the start of Spirit Week on Monday. In addition, each class competed in the Jell-O eating contest, where the seniors were crowned champions.

A parade of mismatching outfits took over the school for ‘Wacky Wednesday.’ To continue the wars, the senior class showed the most muscle at the tug-of-war competition.

Students dressed with a ‘Viva Las Vegas’ theme on Thursday in honor of Homecoming. Once again, the seniors won the daily challenge in the obstacle course.  

“We start to prepare the moment we find out the theme,” said activities director Marysol Rivero. With her help, the Student Government Association planned the events. “There are so many things that are going on,” she  explained. “All these things happen this month, and it’s a lot of preparation for it all.”

Crown and Capers was also part of the festivities. The Body and Soul dancers hit the stage, and the cheerleaders performed in the auditorium. Edward Cobin lip-synced Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas,” while faculty members Kerim Yalim, Carlos Rodriguez, Steven Gonzalez, Samuel Brown, LaRosa Legree, and Principal Rosann Sidener dressed in classic  Las Vegas costume as Cobin’s backup  singers.

The crowning of the Homecoming Court was the main event of the assembly. Carlos Macias and Jennifer Rodriguez won Freshman Prince and Princess. Jeffrey Martinez- Malo and Calypso Gibaldi took the crowns for Sophomore Prince and Princess. Juniors chose Adolfo Roche and Sofia Delgado to represent them.

“I was very happy and I liked the experience,” said Freshman Princess Jennifer Rodriguez. “It was something different.”

Homecoming King and Queen  were not revealed until the homecoming game Friday night, where Martin Iglesia and Angela Castro took the crown.

On the last day of Spirit Week, Beach High was filled with waves of black, white, gray, and red for the final class war event. Each class wore their assigned color to display the most Hi- Tide pride.

A pep rally topped off the week, preparing students for Friday’s Homecoming game. The rally included a surprise performance by rapper Bizzle. “I think that this year is unlike any other; excitement is at an all time high,” said Master of Ceremonies Adam “DJ Classik” Haas, a senior.

By Alessia Pizzorni

The United Way student campaign sparked class rivalry at Miami Beach Senior High during the last week of October. The annual campaign consisted of ongoing and daily competitive events, including penny wars, senior auctions, faculty pie-in-theface, and donation collections in every classroom.

The Student Government Association held meetings every Monday prior to the campaign to brainstorm fundraising strategies.

“The activities were really fun and encouraged students to give back to their community while showing lots of school spirit,” said sophomore class representative Gabriela Lins. “It started to get competitive, which was exactly what we wanted. That way, more and more money was donated.”

Miami-Dade County Public Schools have the largest United Way school campaign in the nation, according to Ana Martinez, Director of Development of United Way of Miami-Dade.

“Thanks to all of our contributions last year, United Way re-invested $13 million back into programs that serve our schools,” said Jacqueline Tedaldi,  evelopment Officer at United Way of Miami- Dade.

According to Martinez, the money students raise assists three main areas in the community: education, income, and health. Volunteers decide where the funds are directed. They conduct a thorough procedure of auditing, processing, and interviewing to make sure that the money is well invested within the community.

The United Way school campaign works to improve quality of life by funding over 150 programs, including the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and the Keys, Aspira of Florida, Inc., and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Miami. United increases the impact of student donations by matching 95 cents for each dollar raised.

“We feel that every gift counts and every gift matters,” said Martinez.

By Maria Guzman

Fifteen flags rushed down the aisles of the new auditorium in celebration of Hispanic Heritage on October 22. The Hispanic Club’s annual demonstration of cultural pride included a variety of performances from tango dancing to reggaeton to a Celia Cruz impersonation by senior Angela Castro. The classes that were invited to the assembly were chosen based on how many cans they donated to a food drive benefiting Hurricane Ike victims in Cuba.

The main event of the festival was Miss Hispanidad, a beauty contest that featured a representative from each of 15 Spanish- speaking countries. “The contestants first signed up for the country they wished to represent,” explained Hispanic Club President Rhobynette Sala, a junior. “These contestants went through a short interview with foreign language teachers who then determined the best candidates for those countries.” The contestants dressed in native costumes  and were asked questions  about their heritage.

“It was very hard [to judge the  contestants]because they were a    very talented,” said French teacher Elena Rivas. “They all  had a very positive attitude and I think that they represented  their individual countries very well.”

The judges chose the winner of Miss Hispanidad  based on originality and complexity  of the traditional dress, catwalk, dance, interaction  with the public, charm and wit, and fluency in Spanish during the question and answer portion. 

Miss Dominican Republic, sophomore Adrisha Diaz, was crowned the winner. “I was so surprised, I was completely speechless, and I felt like crying. It was such an amazing feeling!” she said. Sophomore Melanie Veizaga, Miss Bolivia and First Princess, won for the best traditional dress. Senior Alma Ramirez, Miss Honduras, sang “Algo Mas” by La Quinta Estacion and won Second Princess.

“We’re all individuals and we all have our cultures,” said Assistant Principal Miguel Flores, another judge of the contest. “The more we educate others the better the chances we have of eliminating things like racism, and that’s what thi  whole thing is about: individuality and understanding that we all come from different places.”

By Joshua B. Dermer and Patrick Quinlan

With a final win of  365 Electoral College votes, Democrat Barack Obama was declared President-Elect at 11 p.m. on November 4. Exit polls suggest that the key to Obama’s win was an outpouring of support from young voters, who constituted the margin of victory in Florida and six other states lost by Kerry and Gore. The youth vote came out for Obama in numbers not seen since 1972, when the voting age was lowered at the height of the Vietnam War.

“In his speeches, he was able to capture the youth in a way that Kerry couldn’t,” said Carlo Fassi, senior. Kerry won voters aged 18-29 by 10 points in 2004, but they broke decisively for Obama in 2008: 66% of young voters supported the Democratic nominee, compared to only 32% for Arizona Senator John McCain.

Obama’s relative youth helped him connect with a new generation voters who came of age during the Bush presidency. “I noticed that kids were more connected with him than with McCain because he was younger,” said Piero Caceres, sophomore. In a national election that  ften centered on Obama’s age and race, he found a way to turn the concerns of some older voters into rallying points for young people and minorities.

“For the first African- American to get this far, I think the youth wants to be part of something like that. This is a different generation,”  said Fassi. “If I asked my Italian grandfather who moved here in the early 1920s if a black man had ever  considered running, no one would have ever thought of it, and I think our generation  is completely 100% on board.”

“I’m a person of color, so of course  it was a very, very emotional time,” said Chris Mayorga, senior. “My whole family was very excited about it. We believe in his policies.” 

 The Democrats were also able to mobilize young voters with an  elaborate network of text messages and social networking websites. In Miami’s Bicentennial Park, 30,000 people came to see Jay-Z perform in support of Obama, after word of the concert spread by text message and over the Internet. Voter registration drives were held th  ughout the concert grounds.

“Obama is the first candidate to use technology to reach  out to voters, and I think that that is a great idea,” said Jason Albert, freshman. “We are the next generation, and technology  is a very important way of communication.”

The Democratic victory has young conservatives wondering whether  2008 is a signal of a long liberal trend, or whether Republicans can replicate the bama youth outreach tactics in 2012 and  beyond.

“The Republicans have the right policies but they failed in their campaigning,” said Sean Burstyn, senior. “They failed to communicate and level with the youth. The Republicans will absolutely be able to regain the White House, but they need a total party makeover.”

Part of the answer will depend on how Obama delivers on the issues that matter to young voters. “He said he would give you $4,000 for college if you did some sort of community service so he should stick with that,” said Caceres, “because some of us do need the money, and it’s not easy to pay it back  

“He knows and understands that he owes his campaign promises,” said Fassi. “He knows that without the youth or without the enthusiasm of all the 18- year-olds from his rallies, he knows that he wouldn’t be where he is right now.”

Burstyn was skeptical that Obama would be able to stick to his ambitious agenda in the midst of the current economic crisis and international turmoil. “We haven’t been around long enough to think of times when war was necessary,” he said. “Obama will have a very difficult time keeping up on his promises.”

Some Obama supporters expressed their hopes in the sweeping language favored  by their candidate. “He’ll change our world and make it better,” said Nicole Campbell, sophomore.

However, others were more tempered and tentative in their expectations. “I think that there are some people who are going to want him to fulfill every campaign promise, with such high expectations, which I believe is not very possible,” said Albert. “Some will be disappointed because he set the bar pretty   gh, but I think that he will meet his goals.”

According to Fassi, Obama will have to build coalitions outside of his core supporters. “He needs to figure out a way to make his decisions help the 18 to 25- year-olds, but still help small businesses, still help veterans,” he said. “He needs to make sure that his policies are helpful to everybody.”

By Joselyn Garcia

Class sizes have  risen significantly at Miami Beach Senior High due to budget cuts across the county totaling over $300 million. According to principal Rosann Sidener, the countywide cuts resulted in a loss of roughly $550,000 at Beach High.

“You get what you pay for,” said Sidener. “People need to understand that, yes, it’s nice to have that $150 back from my taxes but its going to mean that my child’s education is not going to be what it used to be.”

According to assistant principal for curriculum  Mayra Raya, there were 128 classroom teachers in the 2007-2008 school year,  with 1,960 students. There are 122 teachers this year, with 2,024 students. 

Raya said that Math classes and Foreign Language classes have seen the most overcrowding this year, and that Freshman Academy classes have also increased in size.

Excluding Physical Education classes, there are five teachers with an average class size above 20, and 26 teachers with an average class size above 27. Physical Education teacher Juan Camarotti has th   highest average class size, with 42 students per class.

“My biggest class has 57 students,” said Camarotti. “I have two double- classes with one teacher. It’s just a lot of work.”

“I feel that it’s a situation that ultimately hurts the students,” said English teacher David Reese. “The students will get less contact from their teachers, and in any situation a smaller class size is a better situation.”

To compensate for the deficit, Beach High even borrowed chairs from other schools. “We have kids sitting on the sides of the class and don’t even have a desk space,” said senior Alexandra Gonzales of her AP Environmental Science class. “You feel as though you’re not really getting the personal attention with your teacher as you normally would.”

Class sizes would have been even higher if Beach High hadn’t been able to obtain $199,000 in Title I funds last year. The extra money saved one counselor’s job and allowed for seventh period supplements, a case in which a teacher teaches seven classes instead of the typical six. Each supplement costs approximately $9,000.

In addition to the Title I funding, Beach High received a smaller learning communities grant that will bring in more supplies and aid in tutoring and academy  needs.

“We make the best of the situation we have,”  said Reese, “and its always  going to be a difficult situation in a public school system. We understand that.”

By Margaret Cohn

Scholars Academy students entered the new 700 building for the first time on August 18, while construction workers rushed to run internet cables and put other finishing touches on the structure.

“I just pushed,” said Principal Rosann Sidener. “I just got real stubborn and said, ‘That’s it; we’re going in, and you [Suffolk Construction] will finish this.” According to Sidener, the construction company repeatedly suggested that she formulate a backup plan in case the work went past the opening of school deadline.

“There are classrooms in that building,” said Sidener. “There is no Plan B.”

The rush of the final push is evident. The smell of fresh paint pervades the stairwells, although their walls are yet to be painted. While internet and phone lines were installed over the first several weeks of school, the classrooms still lack filing cabinets and Smartboards.

The wrong door hardware was originally installed, leading to several incidents of students and teachers being locked inside classrooms.

“It was actually  funny for the first 20 minutes,” said senior Daniel Mejido, who was locked inside Mariela Perez’ AP Calculus BC class. “But after a while, we were like ‘OK, we just want to get out of here.’”

“It was a refreshing experience,” said senior Kyle Rego. “We all had a good laugh.”

Looking forward, Building 6 is currently being built on the land between the old 100-400 wings. According to Sidener, Building 6 will house the sports facility, cafeteria and three classrooms. It is set to open in August 2009.

In late 2009, the gym will be torn down, leaving space for the patio and courtyard, and completing the construction of Beach High. By the time construction is over “I’ll be dead,” Sidener joked.

By Joshua B. Dermer and Joselyn Martinez

Principal Rosann Sidener announced the results of the uniform vote at the end of the day on April 29. The policy passed by a vote of 233 to 155, and Miami Beach Senior High will now join the other 65% of Miami schools that have a mandatory uniform policy.

“The decision for the school uniforms was solely based, as per School Board Rules, on parental vote,” said Maria Sahwell, co-chair of the uniform committee. “Parents voted, they sent their ballots in and wanted their voice to be heard.”

The uniform committee is made up of students, parents and teachers. Prior to the vote, it issued a statement that uniforms would consist of red, white or silver colored tshirts or polos. Bottoms would be black, khaki or denim no higher than mid-knee.

Report cards were released early to parents who came by the school to pick up ballots, which included a statement from the PTSA in support of the measure.

Sidener endorsed the decision. “I think having kids in school colors improve the image of the school and tends to work better   she said. “When everyone looks good you feel a sense of pride.”

A logo contest was initially proposed as a way to garner student support for the measure, but according to Sahwell the few entries that were submitted were, “extremely unoriginal.”

Junior Kristeen Pawly described the logos submitted for the contest as “boring.”

The uniform committee has decided to adopt the school letters as the logo, although the current uniform regulations will not require students to wear the logo.

“The simple M.B.S.H. will make the clothes seem more like a brand than a uniform. I like to think of it as ‘professional school apparel,’” said Sahwell.

“The plan is for shirts to be ready for orientation,” said Mike Perry, cochair of the uniform committee. “We plan to meet with the vendors to reach an equitable price,” he said. A survey of five high schools in Miami-Dade County revealed an average of $15 to $18 per polo shirt.

While the parent vote was overwhelmingly in favor of uniforms, student opinion was more divided. “It’s cheaper, simpler, cleaner, brings equality to the school, and isn’t distracting,” said sophomore Rachel Belensz.

Junior Myriaha Diaz disagreed. “High school is a place where you can express your individuality – who you are – and grow as a person,” she said. “Uniforms only restrain and restrict you from that.” 

“I think it will make the school look better and maybe the FCAT scores will go up,” said freshman Nicole Bonifaz. “Students will concentrate more on school than on judging other people’s looks.”

According to Sahwell, “individuality can be expressed in many ways while wearing similar clothing.” As a teacher herself, Sahwell feels that “school is a place where students come to learn and teachers to teach.”

By Roberta Roberts

In a possible counterweight to impending state budget cuts, Miami Beach Senior High will receive almost $200,000 in federal Title I funds next year. The new source of funding was the result of a “concerted effort” on the part of the new administration, “to become a Title I school.”

“Title I brings tremendous resources to the school,” said principal Rosann Sidener. “We receive about $300 for every student that qualifies for free or reduced lunch.”

According to Sidener, the money will save the job of at least one teacher and allow others to teach extra periods, reducing class sizes for students. According to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Title I Administration website, “the Title I Program is committed to helping schools close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers.”

Because money is awarded to schools based on the number of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch, assistant principal Ray Patrice spearheaded a schoolwide attempt to encourage reluctant stud  ts to turn in their lunch forms.

Incentives, which were funded by the PTSA, included Krispy Kreme parties for classes with 100% lunch form submissions, and a dance for students who turned in their forms.

“I think it’s a good idea because most of the students here are underprivileged and it would help us get more money,” said senior Angelica Galan.

But for all of the effort the administration put into securing Title I funds, a recent survey revealed that less than half of the teachers at Miami Beach Senior High understood why it had applied for the money or how it would be spent.

Some questioned whether the federal money would come with additional federal scrutiny. “You do get money, you do get stuff,” said math teacher Steven Gonzalez, “but there’s the very old adage: you don’t get anything for free… If we’re going to get extra money for the school that means teachers will be required to do extra things. Administration needs to be very clear with teachers about what exactly will be expected of teachers if we become a Title I school.”

Still others were concerned that the Title I label would hurt the school’s image. Participating Miami-Dade County Title I high schools include chronically troubled schools such as Miami Northwestern, Miami Central, Miami Edison, Miami Jackson, Miami High, MacArthur North and South, William H. Turner Tech and Booker T. Washington High.

“I think that at Beach High, some people don’t understand… that Nautilus is a Title I school,” said Sidener in response to these sentiments. “If we’re serving the same kids that we’re serving in Nautilus, there’s no reason that we shouldn’t become a Title I school. The only reason that we haven’t been a Title I school is because not enough students have been turning in their lunch forms.”

“It seems that a lot of students are embarrassed to apply for free and reduced lunch,” said Patrice. “I grew up financially stable”, he shared, “but I got a scholarship to go to college, [and] I didn’t turn any free money down.”

Programs under Title I include Migrant Education Programs, Homeless Services, Neglected and Delinquent Centers, Advanced Placement Programs, Dropout Prevention, and various other mentoring and enrichment programs.