The Gold Issue

From the highly anticipated “Inside Out 2” to the late summer release “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Disney has recently released multiple films to theaters worldwide. The summer blockbusters had some students at the Bay buying tickets, including freshman Antonia Barreto Muller. She said she watched “Inside Out 2” with her friends when it first came out and loved seeing all of her favorite characters from the original movie back on the big screen.

“I felt so many emotions while I was watching “Inside Out 2,” which I thought was so funny because it is a movie about emotions. There were some points where I was crying, some where I was laughing, and in general, it was just so funny,” Barreto Muller said. “I loved the movie, so I think I would rate it a nine out of 10. I

do not know if it is better than the first one; I would have to rewatch it to compare.”

While Barreto Muller was most excited for the “Inside Out” sequel, junior Salome Perez said she had been looking forward to “Descendents: The Rise of Red” but was ultimately disappointed with the movie. She said Disney films usually bring a sense of comfort, but this one had confusing plot holes and a subpar production that made her dislike the movie.

“I love Descendents, but this one let me down the most,” Perez said. “I would say it is a four out of 10 because the costumes were cheap-looking, the acting was not great and one of the characters, Chloe, her wig kept changing every scene, which made no sense to me.” finish reading on page 10

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As the new school year kicks off, previous students return to the Bay while a wave of freshmen gear up for their first year of high school. Upperclassmen said that freshman year can be difficult for some students as they are adjusting and entering a new chapter of their lives. Senior Manuel Perez said that first-year students might worry about a variety of things, like making mistakes or not fitting in, which he believes should not be nerve-racking.

“The first year of high school can be hard for incoming freshmen; it is a big change from middle school,” Perez said. “They often worry about being judged by older students, getting lost in the school or not knowing anyone in their classes. They should not stress about

this since everyone is in the same boat as them. Older students and teachers are also usually willing to help, plus it is normal to make mistakes and learn from them.”

While freshmen can ask for help around the Bay at any time, older students said first-year students have many responsibilities they must learn to manage by themselves, including being in class on time and completing assignments. Sophomore Luiza Parra was a freshman last year and advises younger students to attempt to balance out their lives and manage their time wisely so such problems can be prevented.

“Always try to stay organized and do not hyperfocus on one thing; instead, try to balance all aspects of your life equally,” Parra said. finish reading on page 16

Last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reported that over 30% of elite athletes struggle with mental health issues; similar reports were given by other sources, such as the University of Toronto in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Athletes like Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Novak Djokovic, known as all time greats in gymnastics, swimming and tennis respectively, have all been cited saying that they train 30 or more hours per week. Many elite athletes also work fulltime jobs, which requires even more effort. An athlete’s physical abilities can only take them so far; their mentality is what drives them to be better and compete at the level that they do, so how do the greats keep it together? For sophomore Sophia Moreau, she said it is her perseverance that keeps her cool-headed on the court.

“As a volleyball player, mentality is a huge part of the game. Wheth-

er it be strategic thinking or shaking off a bad play, the mental sometimes outweighs the skill,” Moreau said. “As a middle blocker, I am bound to make mistakes, but those mistakes should not affect the mentality, for you always play your hardest until the whistle blows.”

While there is no lack of praise for their skill, Olympians like Moreau’s favorite, Annie Drews oftentimes are not appreciated for their mindset. This includes the task of knowing when to push harder and when to step away. Athletes who panic in the face of adversaries can struggle to achieve greatness because they can no longer focus on their job: to improve. This is why junior Horus Chan, a waterpolo player at the Bay, said he strives for a more relaxed approach to each of his games.

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THE CIRCUIT

BY MANUELA CORREA OPINION SECTION/ NEWS COPY EDITOR

The Focus School Software (Focus) is the new system implemented in the 2024-2025 school year, which replaces Pinnacle, Virtual Counselor, PCG (Edplan), BASIS and TERMS. It is meant to centralize and unite all applications used by students, parents and staff into one system. Focus is 100% web-based and is currently used in more than two-thirds of school districts in Florida. The Focus Parent Portal allows parents to monitor their student’s academic progress, stay informed on school and district events and contact their student’s teachers.

Senior Grace Mazzelli said the new Focus system is not a bad addition.

“I think that the new system is definitely a big change, and it will take some time to get used to. This is not a bad thing, but it has felt a little stark with hardly any transition. Overall, I do not think that Focus is a bad addition, but I was surprised with the change.” Mazzelli said. “It provides a place where all information is accessi ble. On the other hand, the operating system is a bit difficult to navigate.”

Parent Portal to how it will be implemented. Each question has its own detailed answer, allowing for any confusion to be resolved. Despite the debate, if it is more efficient or not, some students have reported it to have changed their routine. Mazzelli said Focus has changed the way she finds her information and grades.

system we used before, it does take more to access where the grades are, but not that much. Additionally, it is nice to have one place to find grades and graduation requirements.”

The new software may create confusion among students, teachers and parents, so the Bay website has answers to commonly asked ques-

do think the system has changed how I do things. When I first started to use the system, I found it slightly difficult to navigate,” Mazzelli said. “Due to the fact that Focus has a more expansive database than the

Aside from some negative feedback, some students say they prefer Focus over the old system, which had several applications like Pinnacle and Virtual Counselor and had students’ personal information, school information, grades and forms of contact divided across several sites. Sophomore Luis Vasquez said he believes Focus is easier to navigate than the old system and that he prefers this to the alternative. “I like it more than Pinnacle; it is easier and has attendance and grading. It has everything in it,” Vasquez said. “For example, to get your service hours or to check your rank, you would always have to go to Virtual Counselor, and now it is just all in one place, and it makes it easier. I think it is better than Pinnacle; it is more simplified, it is easier to find your grades, it has attendance inside and you can see your graduation information.”

Just like students, Focus is also

a new system for teachers. This involves grading, attendance and other necessary steps for teachers to have their classes run smoothly. Whether it is effective and easy is the question. Creative Writing and English teacher Rebecca Bueno talks about her experiences with Focus from a teacher’s perspective and if it is an effective system or not.

“There are a lot of new good things, but I think every time you switch to something new it comes with a transitioning discomfort; for example, everything is in one nice spot, but I am having some trouble with the gradebook compared to Pinnacle’s. It changes how I input grades ,” Bueno said. “In some ways, it is better in organization; for example, everything having to do with my students is in one link; I hover and it shows me everything. It is just the gradebook I am not crazy about.”

BY OLIVIA TROCHE

A&E SECTION EDITOR

An early start to the school year greeted students when Aug. 12 rolled around and the first school bell rang. Starting school a few days earlier shortened the students’ summer break, which created different opinions on whether school should have started later, as it may have interfered with various summer plans. Philosophy teacher Ralph Cannizzaro agrees

with this but also understands the reason behind the school board’s decision.

“I do not like it. I think [summer] was a little bit too short, and I think we need another week from a student standpoint and a teacher standpoint,” Cannizzaro said. “It seems like they are doing it earlier and earlier every year; I think they are building some hurricane days off as a buffer. I get that, but still, I think it was one week too early this year.”

Some students and teachers coming into school may feel less prepared for the year ahead; less time on break may even lead to a lack of motivation and excitement. This, however, does not apply to Cannizzaro, as although he would rather have a later start, that does not make him any less ready or

excited for the new school year.

“I am excited to be back in class because I love teaching and I love what I am doing. As long as it is fun, you will see me doing it,” Cannizzaro said. “I love what I teach; I love interaction with the students; I love making a difference, as corny as that sounds; and with a lot of kids, I do as I teach them how to think and question everything.”

There is a division among the students that are discussing the situation, including sophomore Tanvi Bhide. She said she does not like the change at all, as students need time during the summer for relaxation and to get away from school. This earlier start date interrupts some people’s ability to have time to themselves, as once school begins, so does the homework and tests and extracurriculars.

“School did not need to stany earlier than normal; all that does is take away the only time we have for ourselves, family and friends. During the school year, I am swamped with all my classes and clubs, and as we continue into the next year, my schedule is not getting any easier,” Bhide said. “I use the summertime as a break, and although it is only a week difference, that changes a lot for me and many other students. I am sure not everyone is thrilled with this change, especially because a lot of other changes have been implemented this year.”

Other students, like junior Eli-

ana Stup, do not mind this change, as school now ends on June 3, a week earlier than last year. Stup said that although she would have enjoyed a few extra days of summer, it did not change much of her plans.

“Most of my summer plans occurred early on. I went to Seattle during finals week of last year. I cannot speak for everyone, but I fully got to enjoy my summer because we planned everything for the beginning of the break,” Stup said. “By the time school was coming back around, I was already preparing for the new year. I started American College Testing (ACT) preparation, summer homework and did my school supply shopping, none of which would have changed if we started a week later.”

By Olive JOnes-TOrres spOrTs secTiOn ediTOr

The 2024 Paris Olympics were one of the most highly anticipated and well documented events of the year. Awarded with the honor of hosting in 2017, France had over six years to prepare for the event; however, complaints arose the moment athletes arrived in Paris. From a shallow pool to slippery mountain biking trails, athletes continued to come forward with grievances, but the majority of the issues happened not at ath letic facilities or venues but in the Olympic Vil lage itself. Junior Mia Grauer said she thinks it is important for athletes to be in a comfortable setting be fore big competitions.

“I think that it is important for the Olympics to take care of the athletes competing because they have gone through so much training that they are not on their A-game, which causes them to underperform,” Grauer said. “I hope that next games, the Olympics steps up and prioritizes the athletes.”

tional climate change treaty. This means there were no air conditioning units in the buildings. Team United States (U.S.), along with Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece and Italy, are among the countries providing portable air-conditioning (AC) units for their athletes. Senior Paulo Vivero, who closely watched the American versus Chinese gymnastics rivalry, found the lack of AC concerning.

“I do not think it is acceptable to put athletes in uncomfortable places, especially during their competitions, as it can hinder their performance for the next day or as the week continues,” Vivero said.

The Olympic Village began construction in 2019 and is “eco-friendly” to abide by the Paris Agreement, an interna-

“The Olympics will be causing carbon emissions regardless due to the usage of stadiums and other sources of energy.”

Another part of this attempt at a “green” Olympics is the intention to turn Paris’s Olympic Village into a residential commercial complex following the games. This entails the impermanent furniture needing to be disposable, hence the Olympic cardboard beds. As a result, many athletes brought their own mattresses, including U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who reported that she and her teammates would be getting mattress toppers for their beds. Others took to social media to “test” the dura-

bility of the beds. These videos proved that while uncomfortable, the beds could withstand wrestling moves, jumping, diving and even the weight of a cyclist doing BMX tricks. Despite the stability of the beds, Distribution Education Clubs of America (DECA) Advisor Karina Reid, a former 800 meter runner, said she believes the athletes deserve better.

“It is terrible. No athlete should have to be under those conditions where they cannot perform at their best,” Reid said. “I would definitely say that for Los Angeles (LA), let’s hope they improve and actually have comfortable beds for the athletes, because they have to perform well.”

The final issue is at no fault of the Olympic Village’s coordinators, but does beg the question of how much effort the Olympic Committee put into making the 2024 Paris Olympics a well functioning event. Bronze medalists Yasmin Harper (British diver) and Nyjah Hutson (American skateboarder) have reported that their medals began deteriorating not even a week after earning them. Senior

Isabela Nierth Moreno, a swimmer who supported the U.S., Ecuador and Germany while watching the Olympics, agrees that this is an Olympic Committee issue.

“I feel like during the Olympics there were several times where the committee messed up [for example, mixing up South Korea and North Korea],” Nierth Moreno said. “It is not a huge shocker that they messed up with the awards as well.”

Apparently, even small bits of water and sweat could cause tarnishing on the medals, which are actually made of copper and red brass. Early in the year, a short strike took place at the French National Mint where the medals were produced. A group of workers refused to continue producing medals until they were offered the “Olympic bonus” that government workers received, but not even 5% of workers striked, so the effect this demonstration had on production was pretty inconsequential. While the poor quality could be partially attributed to this strike, Nierth Moreno stands by her opinion.

“Honestly, I did believe the Olympic medals were made out of their respective elements (Gold, Silver and Bronze) which would last a long time,” Nierth Moreno said. “The fact that the quality was terrible enough that the athletes reported the deterioration of their medals only days after receiving them is pretty ridiculous and definitely the fault of the Olympic Committee.”

BY CAROLINE GEFFNER A&E COPY EDITOR

Welcoming new students to the Bay is an opportunity many clubs take to show incoming freshmen how they can get involved. Surf School Freshman Orientation took place on Aug. 1, 2024. This event provides incoming students with information about the Bay, including a tour of the school and a presentation on rules and booths for most available clubs. Marketing Essentials teacher and advisor of the Black Student Union (BSU), Dr. Jamez Williams, attended Surf School in support of his club. He said that he believes allowing incoming students to see the Bay before the school year starts is an important experience so they can get acclimated to the school before the entire student body is there.

“This school has a population that is skewed across different diasporas,” Williams said. “BSU is representative of those of African descent and from the Caribbean, so we must reach out to those students so they know they can have a club space that speaks to their needs.”

BSU allows any member to join their cause, not only of African descent, as it allows students to explore themselves, their culture and become more informed of the world around them. Williams said that these val-

ues that the club portrays are why being the advisor is so special to him.

“I think being a representative of our culture through BSU and also being a mentor is very important,” Williams said. “I have been pushing for and fighting for this club for years because I think it is so important for students to have a space where they feel that they can express them

selves culturally to each other and the student body as a whole.”

to welcoming new members and giving them a community to be a part of. He spoke to some potential members and their parents while at freshman orienta tion and said they seemed very promising.

explore opportunities,” Williams said. “BSU is on average 25% freshmen. Having a mix of grades helps. After all, we usually have upperclassmen

“I was inspired to join this club because I saw them at Club Love Day and I liked seeing their event, International Fest.”

BY SOFIA FERNANDEZ

FEATURES SECTION/SPORTS COPY EDITOR

From mid-May to the beginning of August, students in marching band attended the Bay’s annual band camp. During this camp, students in band and color guard put in many hours to practice music, technique and choreography for competitions and performances taking place later on during the school year. Trumpet player and junior Gustavo Zorilla-Jimenez has been attending band camp since his freshman year, when he first joined the Bay’s marching band. He said that while in band camp, students revise, rehearse and perfect skills taught to them by instructors.

“A good chunk of band camp is just relearning all of the basics and getting down to a good form down to the most minor detail,” Zorilla-Jimenez said. “The more precise, the better the scores at competitions. Other than that, we focus on learning this year’s upcoming show’s music and drill and doing exercises that will help us nail the performance.”

Incoming freshmen who are interested in joining the marching band are invited to attend this camp to learn the skills they might need for future performances and understand the basics of how the band is organized. ZorillaJimenez said that while in band camp, underclassmen are able to form connections with other students who have the same interests as them and become more comfortable with the people they will be playing with for the rest of the year.

“Band camp started around mid-May so that we could get the freshmen interested and learn marching

“Being able to show what the clubs are will give any student, one who is pretty excited or one who is a little more reserved, the opportunity to explore their interests better and the opportunity to

cer positions and lowerclassmen in trainee

cause we work to take our bers and convert them

liams also said it is very beneficial

ers and get involved, and this rings true

ticultural Club President Andres Nieves said that he looks forward to welcom ing new members, as he has seen many prospective members at his club’s booth.

“My favorite thing about representing Multicultural Club is seeing a variety of people come together to work towards a common purpose,” Nieves said.

Events that showcase the Bay’s clubs have encouraged lots of students to get involved. Freshman Carolina Crepaldi said she enjoyed seeing all the Bay has to offer and was excited to start school. She said orientation was a beneficial experience all around as it not only showed her the clubs the Bay has to offer but also allowed her to see the campus and some older students.

“I am glad I came to orientation before starting school because I was scared I would not be able to find all my classes,” Crepaldi said. “My favorite part of Surf School was seeing all the clubs because I am excited to get involved in the community and school.”

technique before summer starts,” Zorilla-Jimenez said. “Then there are a couple of camps sprinkled throughout the summer. This year, it ended on Friday before school started so we could get a lot of practice in. The idea

students in color guard rehearsed the choreography that goes with the music the band is playing. Senior Sofia Albornoz has been a part of color guard since her sophomore year. She said that guard is a vital part of the marching band as it helps

is to have the show done and ready early in the year so that we can have our best performance at finals in November.”

While the students in band practiced playing their instruments and perfected their marching technique, the

make the band’s performance more visual.

“Color guard is an activity that adds visual effect to the marching band with dance and spinning different equipment like flags, rifles and sabres,” Albornoz said. “Color guard

is important to the marching band because it helps the audience interpret the show and make the theme more understandable; it also enhances the show by adding more movement and color.”

Much like the students in band, students in color guard must attend band camp to practice routines and performance etiquette for future shows. Albornoz said that people do not usually realize how physically exerting, how much discipline and how much time is put into marching band and color guard to perfect performances.

“Attending is very helpful in getting ahead in cleaning our show. Our show is around 12 minutes long, so it is necessary that we get ahead of our competitors,” Albornoz said. “Band camp is one of the first times everyone in the band comes together. Some of the things we do include learning the basics, our show drill and also learning choreography.

Band instructor Brett Dawson is in charge of organizing band camp and occasionally teaches the whole band. He decides when and where rehearsals will take place and which instructors will work with certain sections of the band. Dawson said that he enjoys watching students in marching band work, grow and make lifelong memories together in the small amount of time band camp takes place.

“I enjoy getting kids to work hard for a common goal. It is a bonding experience for the band students and sets them up for success throughout the year,” Dawson said. “They learn our system of rehearsal and performance. They also get accustomed to the layout of the school early on. They basically have a big band family.”

By: Sofia fernandez featureS Section/SportS copy editor

The final whistle blows, and as the 2024 Copa América comes to an end, Argentina wins this year’s tournament. From June 20 to July 14, 2024, 16 soccer teams, each representing a different country in the Americas, came together to play a quadrennial competition known as the Copa América. At the Bay, teachers and students said they loved being able to watch this competition again after a long four years. Junior Giampero De Libero said he had been watching the Copa América for a long time and was happy with his country’s performance this year.

“I enjoy watching Copa América because I love to watch soccer; it’s always been in my life, and I have grown up watching almost every major international tournament,” De Libero said. “I was rooting for Venezuela because it is my home country. I think they did way better this year than in the past, even though they did

not make it too far in the competition.”

Fans said that this year’s Copa América surprised them in many ways. While some said that the performances of countries like Colombia, Venezuela and Canada exceeded their expectations, others said they were disappointed in countries like Brazil or Mexico for not playing as well as they usually do. Viewers said that they were also surprised by the performances of a number of players. De Libero said that Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez’s playing amazed him.

“I was very disappointed in Brazil’s performance. They had such high potential, and this team did not live up to any of it. Hopefully they learn from this to perform better in the World Cup,” De Libero said. “I think James Rodriguez played the best throughout the tournament. The amount of composure he has at such a high level is incredible, and he was super consistent throughout the tournament.”

Sophomore Isabel Hurtado agreed with De Libero and was impressed with Rodriguez’s performance; she was rooting for Colombia throughout the whole competition since she is from there. Hurtado said that one of her favorite games to watch was the final, where Colombia played against Argentina at the Hard Rock Stadium. She said that although she was upset that Colombia did not win, she was still really proud of how far they came in the tournament.

”My opinion on the final is that it was very suspenseful and stressful. Al-

though Argentina is a good team, Colombia has been playing really well recently,” Hurtado said. “Players such as James Rodriguez, Richard Rios and Luis Diaz showcased incredible skills, ranging from speed to passes and strategies. Although they played well, Colombia sadly lost which was heartbreaking knowing how good they were playing at the start of the match. It is sad that Argentina has won again, but hopefully in the future, Colombia will be able to win the Copa América for the second time.”

tacular performance, defending Argentina’s net all the way. The goal by Lautaro, which came late in the extra time of a very tense and heated match, felt like a huge relief and was probably one of the goals that I have celebrated the most in my life.”

While some students have said Colombia played very well in the final, Argentina was still able to win the game with a score of 1-0, earning them their 16th Copa América title. Math teacher Juan Sanchez Quintana grew up rooting for Argentina, his home country, in every tournament they participated in. He said that this final was very entertaining to watch and showed the true talent of Argentina’s team.

“It was a very tough match, with the two best teams of the competition meeting for an intense game. The game was very tight, and while both teams fought to their best, Argentina deservedly took the win.”

Sanchez Quintana said, “While Lautaro Martinez took most of the credit for sealing the match with the only goal of the game, both center backs from Argentina, Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero put on a spec-

While some Argentine players like Alejandro Garnacho and Valentin Carboni won their first Copa América, right winger and attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria played his last game with Argentina’s national team after 16 years. Sanchez Quintana and other Argentina fans said that watching Di Maria win his last game and competition with his country was a very emotional moment to witness.

“Di Maria is simply a fantastic player, a phenomenal dribbler, who always plays with pure heart and dedication and who would do anything to play for the Argentine team,” Sanchez Quintana said. “I felt very sad knowing that this could be Di Maria’s last match with this team, but I also felt extremely happy that he could retire from soccer right after winning another trophy with the team he loves the most, his country.”

with bronze, silver and gold medals that came with hard work and dedication. After a controversial setting took place, it has been expressed that Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles has had judges attempt to strip her medal due to “incorrect judging.” After Chiles performed her floor exercise, she finished fifth in the eight-woman’s final before Team United States of America (USA) appealed her score. Although Chiles had no plans of returning her medal, Team USA strongly believes she deserves it.

As Team USA fought back after her score was posted, she was bumped up from fifth place to bronze with two other women of color on the podium. The appeal was submitted four seconds too late; inquiries must be made within one minute of the performance. Team USA gymnastics posted time-stamped videos showcasing their evidence, proving the inquiry was filled and a second statement was made within the oneminute deadline. Athletes have also lost

ing positive for banned substances. I could not imagine how Chiles is feeling throughout all of this. Olympic athletes work incredibly hard just to get chosen to be a part of their country’s team. Given the fact that Chiles was selected, it says enough about her drive to play the sport she loves so much. I believe it is incredibly unfair to Chiles as judges should always be on top of their game. Mistakes in judging happen all the time, but given how important the Olympics are, the best of the best eyes should have a say in scoring. It is a back-andforth cycle of both teams’ coaches appealing for what they believe happened; with better judges, this would not have happened. The judges should have taken it upon themselves to review the score rather than it getting to the point where coaches feel the need to appeal scores.

Gymnasts have to make it to level 10, and then you choose whether you want to go to college or do elite gymnastics. If you choose to go elite, you go to multi-

ple competitions a year in an attempt to make it to the Olympic trials. Five girls make the team at Olympic trials, and two alternate girls join them in case of an injury. The team fi sist of five girls, and competes against countries, resulting medal. The individ routine Chiles per was overturned in of winning bronze. Chiles has done so much to get to where she is. For example, she start ed working very hard at a young age, consisting of pri vate training, endless hours in the gym and traveling for com petitions. At the U.S. Olympic trials, Chiles had to compete in front of selectors, showing off her skill level and performance pres ence. I strongly believe that with that amount of hard work and dedication, no one should have to go through what Chiles did. Seeing all the backlash in the media, it may be difficult for Chil es to open up about what she’s expe riencing. She needs to speak up and raise awareness of this situation, espe cially since other Olympic athletes have experienced the same situation. Unfor tunately, Aly Raisman, an American gymnast, can relate to this situation. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, there was a con troversy over whether Raisman’s scoring was incorrect; this also resulted in a

handful of complaints from Team USA.

Bottom Line: Judges should be more mindful and aware of keeping track of the performance so these situations do not ocand pressure to can be very with knowing training their to this point

BY OLIVIA TROCHE

A&E SECTION EDITOR

A new controversy arose surrounding the 2024 Olympics gymnastic beam finals, as many believe it was not fair this year. One argument surrounds the fact that during this event, there was zero cheering or music played, which psyched out competitors and affected their performance. Although it is common for gymnasts to have background noise like this when doing routines, at the Olympics, it is not required to have anything playing. As an athlete, you should be prepared for everything, including a quiet arena. Yes, many may not feel as comfortable in the silence, but at the end of the day, it is their responsibility to practice for occasions like these. The silence also lasted through every single one of the final beam routines. It would have been unfair if some got music while others did not, but that is not what happened. Everyone

got a fair shot in the silence. This whole event of people slipping could have also just been a simple coincidence since not everyone fell, only about half of the competitors. Although they are unlikely, coincidences do happen, and that is all this was. Olympic competitions are stressful, and there is always a chance of messing up, even if you are as talented as Simone Biles. The athletes slipped, and that is all; it was not the Olympics’s fault. So far, no competitors have come out and claimed the actual beam to be loose or slippery; the games did everything they could, but in the end, it was down to how well each gymnast performed. We should be celebrating the winners’ hard work along with all the other competitors rather than diminishing their achievements because your favorite gymnast slipped and did not win.

Bottom line: The Olympics 2024 gymnastics beam finals were fair for all competitors involved.

BY LUCY CUBETA FEATURES COPY EDITOR

The beam at the 2024 Paris Olympics saw a great number of falls and wobbles from finalists on Team United States of America (USA), as well as other countries’ teams. Gymnasts, such as Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee, described the arena as oddly quiet, which gave them an unsettling feeling going into their routine. Usually the crowd is amped up and music is playing, but this time was different. Athletes were seen to be falling in almost the exact same spot every time, so this did not seem like much of a coincidence. This also was not the only time the Olympics had technical difficulties in an event. At the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, the gymnastics vault was set five centimeters too low, which is a big deal to the athletes since they have consistently practiced a specific height, only to mess up at the Olympics. The balance beam is a tough event, so people are bound to

make mistakes, but this particular situation seems suspicious. Considering the fact that these athletes were hitting their routines perfectly before finals does not seem right to me. Simone Biles is a very advanced gymnast and usually does not make many mistakes, but this event really came back to bite her and took away her chance to receive a gold medal for this event. I feel like the staff should check up on the stationary regularly at big events like this to make sure they are in the best condition for athletes. For this situation specifically, staff members should have examined the area where the gymnasts were falling to see what the problem was and see if they could fix it. Athletes get badly injured when things are not set up the way they should be and teams had the risk of getting hurt if this beam was truly not kept up well. The balance beam at the 2024 Olympic finals did not seem very fair because of multiple people falling in the same spot. Bottom line: The gymnastics beam final was not fair at the 2024 Olympics.

By Manuela Correa opinion seCtion/news Copy editor

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games, officially known as the games of the XXXIII Olympiad, were an international event featuring 329 events in 32 sports across 48 disciplines, which took place from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024. The Summer Olympics take place every four years and are hosted by a different city each time. Originally, the Ancient Olympic Games were part of a religious festival to honor the Greek god Zeus. The first

cause you get to see the gymnasts’ personalities through the routine and style of the choreography,” Hernandez said. “The girls seem to really enjoy doing it, and it makes it so much fun to watch. Suni Lee is such an inspiration, and it was great to see her second Olympics.”

Aside from the competitions and events, this year, the Paris Olympics was surrounded by controversy due to some allegations. One being the protests against the 1.4 billion euros Paris invested in a project to clean the Seine River before the Olympics opening ceremony. In anticipation, protests were made against the French government as they were angry over the amount of money spent on cleaning the Seine. Junior Michael Simonian describes his frustration with Paris and how he believes they did not live up to the Olympic standards.

games were held in 776 B.C. in the town of Olympia. The Olympics entertain every age group as there are so many different events it has to offer. Senior Manuela Hernandez describes how she enjoys watching gymnastics and how she gets inspired while watching the events.

“I think that the best event is floor be-

“France had an atrocious turnout,” Simonian said. “France’s government made a bunch of empty promises, above all the fact that when the Olympics occurred, the Seine looked atrocious when the swimmers had entered.”

As the games were hosted in the “City of Love,” it was said that there were seven marriage proposals made. This included a handball player, Pablo Simonet, from Argentina, proposing to his girlfriend,

By olive jones-torres sports seCtion editor

The 2024 Paris Olympics featured hundreds of teenage athletes competing in various sports. More than 20 of Team United States of America’s (USA) ranks were not even 19 yet; some were returning Olympians, like 18-year-old swimmer Katie Grimes, while most were first-time competitors, like the USA’s youngest, 16-year-old gymnast Hezly Rivera. The events were far more interesting this year due to the sheer number of young athletes who surpassed their older competitors, and it was reminiscent of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where many teens made their Olympic debut. Even if there is nothing new about young athletes at the Olympics, 2024 has brought many to the forefront of social media and international news, such as the USA’s Quincy Wilson, Canada’s Summer McIntosh and China’s Zheng Haohao. Haohao was one sportsperson representing the Chinese national skateboard-

hockey player Pilar Campoy. Even a double proposal made by two summer rope skippers, Charline Picon and Sarah Steyaert, in Marseille, France. As for sports, in track, there were many records broken in several events, including the women’s 800 meter, men’s 4x400 meter relay, and men’s pole vault. Simonian describes his love for track and the connection he has to the sport.

“I like track the most; I have been watching it since I was little, and it always ends up having some really close calls and just tends to be so enjoyable to watch compared to most other sports,” Simonian said. “This year especially had some great moments, above all, Sha’Carri Richardson, both performance and personality wise.”

The Olympics this year had different opinions on the way Paris hosted, from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony. Despite the differences in sports and countries, even language barriers, the athletes competing showed true sportsmanship throughout the games. Government and Economics teacher Hana Casey describes her favorite events and opinions on the athletes from this year’s games.

“I have a few favorites; I like gymnastics, track and swimming.

ing team, at only 11-years-old, and the youngest to compete in the Paris Olympics. Training professionally since 2020, she is the first of her age group to represent China in an Olympic sport and has quickly risen to fame. Specializing in bowl and pool skating, Haohao’s achievements include winning gold at the China Skateboarding Open in Lishui, first place at the National Roller Skating Championships and second place at the first National Youth Games in Nanning.

It was not only the age of athletes like Haohao, but also their perseverance that has brought such increased visibility to their respective sports this Olympic season. Adolescents are more prone to injury because their bodies are still growing. This possibility, combined with the pressure that representing one’s nation puts on an athlete, makes their feats so much more impressive. Haohao acknowledges her shortcomings, such as slender limbs, but refuses to put pressure on herself. Her only concern is competing to the best of her ability

The fact that people are so fast and strong while we mere mortals struggle walking up several flights of stairs without being winded is amazing.” Casey said. “The swimmers are like fish and are so graceful and strong. I cannot imagine being so good at something, like the pommel horse, that it’s my job on a world stage. These athletes are regular people; they are moms and students; however, they have this extraordinary skill set that sets them apart in such an amazing way.”

and reaching goals that others cannot.

Closer to the Bay, Florida’s own 18-year-old Kaii Winkler exercised his dual citizenship after placing eight in the USA’s Olympic Trials, and then going on to represent Germany’s national swim team in the 100-meter butterfly race. Winkler’s resolve allowed him to recover from fractures in his left wrist and right elbow, an injury that prevented him from competing in the 2023 U.S. National Championships. Since then, he has continued to excel, being ranked 15 in the high school class of 2024; he placed 28 in his Olympic race with a time of 52.64 and holds the US National Age Group record in the 15-16 men’s 100 yard freestyle. All in all, these young competitors have worked towards the games and earned their places beside veteran Olympians, many of whom are inspirations to the younger generation. Hezly Rivera draws her inspiration from Simone Biles, whom she has now trained, competed and secured an Olympic gold medal with. Quincy Wilson referred to the more

seasoned members of Team USA as his older brothers and the very reason he will be running his fastest at the Olympics.

Many of these teen Olympians have looked up to their senior teammates since they were young athletes themselves. This alone is proof that youthful Olympians inspire new generations of young athletes, along with the supporting research. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), there has been a significant increase in support and interest in sports among young athletes during and directly after the Olympics, and this interest is only expected to grow. The visibility and success of these young athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics will likely continue to inspire and motivate future generations to pursue their athletic dreams, and with arenas doubling in size to accommodate growing interest, it only begs the question of who will be the next teenage athlete to capture the world’s attention.

BY OLIVE JONES-TORRES SPORTS SECTION EDITOR

Last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reported that over 30% of elite athletes struggle with mental health issues; similar reports were given by other sources, such as the University of Toronto in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Athletes like Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Novak Djokovic, known as all time greats in gymnastics, swimming and tennis respectively, have all been cited saying that they train 30 or more hours per week. Many elite athletes also work fulltime jobs, which requires even more effort. An athlete’s physical abilities can only take them so far; their mentality is what drives them to be better and compete at the level that they do, so how do the greats keep it together? For sophomore Sophia Moreau, she said it is her perseverance that keeps her cool-headed on the court.

“As a volleyball player, mentality is a huge part of the game. Whether it be strategic thinking or shaking off a bad play, the mental sometimes outweighs the skill,” Moreau said. “As a middle blocker, I am bound to make mistakes, but those mistakes should not affect the mentality, for you always play your hardest until the whistle blows.”

While there is no lack of praise for their skill, Olympians like Moreau’s favorite, Annie Drews oftentimes are not appreciated for their mindset. This includes the task of knowing when to push harder and when to step away. Athletes who panic in the face of ad-

-versaries can struggle to achieve greatness because they can no longer focus on their job: to improve. This is why junior Horus Chan, a waterpolo player at the Bay, said he strives for a more relaxed approach to each of his games. “The key is to be laid back. T-

-here is this army training technique where the participants have to hold their breath underwater for as long as possible, but the more you try to breathe, the faster you die out,” Chan said. “Research has shown that most athletes who do not overthink are often the most successful, while others who overexert during hard matches will often find themselves in a more difficult situation.”

Chan said he understands that the worst pressure is the pressure you put on yourself. Confident athletes like Noah Lyles, Leon Marchand and Stephen Curry showed up and showed out at the Olympics this year, all because they believed that they would come out on top. The Bay’s swimming and diving coach, Rodrigo Mendes da Silva, regards a successful athlete’s mindset as having three aspects.

“First, practice every day as hard as you can. Second, trust in yourself. Third, be excited for the game,” Mendes da Silva said. “These three things are dependent on each other. It does not make any sense for athletes to be working hard and being excited but not trusting themselves. These three things are connected and have to be used at the same time before and during their games.”

TEAM USA OLYMPIAN SPOTLIGHT

Nedoroscik made headlines as he took home the first medal for the men’s gymnastics team since 2008 Specializing in the pommel horse event, he received two bronze medals for his routine.

After taking part in this year’s games, Ledecky has officially tied for the most Olympic gold medals won by a female. She competed in multiple swimming events this season, taking home four medals. Montalvo has continued to breakdance since a young age, and now he was able to compete and win bronze in the 2024 Olympics Breaking, or b-boying, is a new sport added to the Olympics this season; however, it will not be showing up in the 2028 games. Wilson officially became the youngest Olympic male track and field medalist ever at 16 years old Adding humor to his current status, Wilson is going viral on social media for posting about going back to school after winning an Olympic medal

Maher helped win the first-ever medal for the USA’s Olympic team in the rugby sevens event. She originally became interested in the sport because it combined different sports she played into one, allowing her to use all of her talents

BY MANUELA CORREA

OPINION SECTION/NEWS COPY EDITOR

The New York Times bestseller “Once Upon a Broken Heart” by Stephanie Garber is a young adult fantasy/romance book published on Sept. 28, 2021. It has won a number one GoodReads Choice award and was nominated for Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction in 2021. It is part of the “Caraval” series published in 2016 and opens the door to a world of love, curses and betrayal as it takes you through the sacrifices one is willing to make for true love.

The story follows Evangeline Fox, a sweet girl who grew up in her father’s curiosity shop, known for her prominent rose-gold hair and soft demeanor. The book picks up with her being left in the care of her cruel stepmother after the untimely deaths of her parents. She is led to believe that the boy she loves, Luc, is enchanted after finding out he is set to marry her stepsister, Marisol. Evangeline grew up with her father telling her stories and legends of immortals, so in the confusion of her sadness and betrayal, she strikes a deal with the Prince of Hearts, a Fate, in order to save Luc by putting a stop to his wedding. Except the Prince of Hearts is not all Evangeline thinks he is. This deci-

sion leads to chaos, and everything goes awry. Now, Evangeline must make the ultimate decision: sacrifice herself for the boy she is convinced loves her, or save herself and fall into the hands of heartbreak.

This novel is truly a favorite of mine, leaving me unable to put it down all summer. I really enjoyed the chaos each chapter brought me and the trials and tribulations Evangeline had to endure to find her happy ending. The drama, romance and fantasy all came together to produce an amazing book that captures readers inside its twisted, unbelievable and fantastical world. Each page only brought more jaw-dropping scenarios and silly dialogue. The way that each character was described truly sealed the deal in the rating I gave it. I fell in love with each character and their individual personalities and sprinkled remarks throughout the book. I think that the author was able to convey the theme beautifully while also keeping it entertaining. This is the perfect novel for lovers of all genres, since it has romance, fantasy, suspense, mystery and sadness all in one story. Although romance is only a subplot, it gives you enough to stay interested and adds an adventure-filling plot to keep you flipping pages. There is so much the book offers in terms of plot, setting and dialogue that there is no way to get bored while reading. Another aspect of the

book that was beautifully portrayed was the world-building. The curiosity shop that belonged to Evangeline’s father was perfectly described and left little to the imagination. Each little detail was narrated so interestingly, which created a setting that I was excited to read about in every chapter. You could also tell that each character was carefully written and planned, as they each had their own description, personalities and quirks that made it feel as if they were real people. All of this added more depth to the plot, which is an important

part of writing an entertaining book. All in all, this novel was a great read that kept me entertained, captivated and amazed all summer, and I highly recommend it to readers of all interests.

& ENTERTAINMENT

BY KATY PULITANO MANAGING EDITOR

Charli XCX changed the course of this past summer with her sixth studio album, “BRAT.” On June 7 of this year, Charli XCX released “BRAT,” arguably one of the most anticipated albums of 2024. With the rise of house music and festivals at this time, “BRAT” was right up the alley of a large population. Despite its popularity, it can still be considered niche, with a very unique voice that makes the listener either love it or hate it.

“BRAT” has a total of 15 songs, along with her deluxe album “Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not,” which has an additional three songs. In its entirety, the record has 18 songs, which add up to 49 minutes. Charli emphasized that this album was meant to represent all of her flaws and life struggles; one of the songs highlighting the troubles of girlhood is called “Girl, so confusing.” The lyrics hit home to a lot of teen and young adult relationships by putting it into simple terms. An example of this is when she says, “Sometimes I think you might hate me, sometimes I think I might hate you,” and “Man, I don’t know, I’m just a girl.”

Within her songs like this, Charli rep-

resents her messy lifestyle while still relating to her younger audience. This song is one of my favorites, as it is something that I can relate to personally, as well as dance to with any of my friends. She does a great job at creating universal songs that anyone can listen to despite their music taste, with different genres and meanings sprinkled throughout.

Social media took to this album like a fish does to water. The anticipation was built up like no other album, with genius marketing to get listeners excited. One example of this was the “Brat wall” located in New York. It teased lyrics, song names and the general atmosphere the album was trying to portray. Not only did this new release catch the eye of teens on social media, it also got attention from various busi-

nesses. Many brands have taken an interest in her aesthetic, one of these being Wildflower phone cases, as they released a special line in reference to her. Even a hit online game called “Dress to Impress” on Roblox is releasing a new update that highlights “BRAT” in the platform’s clothing items.

Other than claiming summer, “BRAT” also claimed the color green. This album made an iconic impact on the pop culture world, and social media has created a new shade called “brat green.” The font on the album cover has also been coined as a new trend, with statements being posted in the same style and with abnormal spacing. An example of this is seen on TikTok, where creators are putting their name with the font as their pro-

file picture.

Charli XCX also broaches the topic of romantic relationships and the difficulties that she has faced with them. Her song “B2b” references a situation with an on-and-off relationship, saying, “I don’t wanna fall right back to us. Maybe you should run right back to her.” While this circumstance can be rather sad, Charli introduces it in an upbeat way that keeps her listeners entertained. Keeping the direction of deeper songs, she also included “I think about it all the time,” which touches on the fears of growing up and how she feels as though she is running out of time. I tended to gravitate more towards her deeper songs as they held more of an emotional meaning and allowed me to truly connect with her and the song. It is fascinating how Charli can express her darkest secrets as well as her funniest mistakes in one place. The atmosphere she creates is one that pop culture has not seen in a long time, and the impact it made is one for the books. This era of Charli XCX’s music and aesthetic looks far from over, and hopefully “Brat summer” turns into “Brat fall.”

BY ALIA LANGSHAW NEWS SECTION/OPINION COPY EDITOR

From the highly anticipated “Inside Out 2” to the late summer release “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Disney has recently released multiple films to theaters worldwide. The summer blockbusters had some students at the Bay buying tickets, including freshman Antonia Barreto Muller. She said she watched “Inside Out 2” with her friends when it first came out and loved seeing all of her favorite characters from the original movie back on the big screen.

“I felt so many emotions while I was watching “Inside Out 2,” which I thought was so funny because it is a movie about emotions. There were some points where I was crying, some where I was laughing, and in general, it was just so funny,”

Barreto Muller said. “I loved the movie, so I think I would rate it a nine out of 10. I do not know if it is better than the first one; I would have to rewatch it to compare.”

While Barreto Muller was most excited for the “Inside Out” sequel, junior Salome Perez said she had been looking forward to “Descendents: The Rise of Red” but was ultimately disappointed with the movie. She said Disney films usually bring a sense of comfort, but this one had confusing plot holes and a subpar production that made her dislike the movie.

“I love Descendents, but this one let me down the most,” Perez said. “I would say it is a four out of 10 because the costumes were cheap-looking, the acting was not great and one of the characters, Chloe, her wig kept changing ev-

ery scene, which made no sense to me. Disney movies are classics, especially the old ones, but this movie just did not fit in.”

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teacher Jeffrey Rose agrees with Perez’s view on Disney classics. As an avid Star Wars watcher, he said both the original Disney movies, Star Wars classics and newer Star Wars releases give him a chance to connect with his family and remain nostalgic over movies and shows he watched as a child.

“For my family, and I suspect for many families, watching classic Disney movies and the original Star Wars movies is an excellent way for parents and kids to connect,” Rose said. “I have really enjoyed watching movies I loved as a kid with my family. The original ‘Star Wars’, ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Sleeping Beauty’ were favorites of mine that have stood the test of time. It is fun for me that I have had a chance to enjoy them all again with my kids.”

As Rose advocates for classics and the connection brought by Disney releases, junior Maximus Suarez said he saw the newest Deadpool movie because of all the

hype and promotion around it. He said he was looking forward to “Deadpool & Wolverine” because of the collaboration between two heroes that are well recognized and popular.

“I would give it an eight out of 10 because it included every emotion that I could possibly feel. For example, the comedy from the intro and the sadness from the sacrifice Wolverine made,” Suarez said. “My favorite part was the end of the movie when Deadpool and Wolverine achieved their goal and went back to Deadpool’s world together.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By sophia paduano Managing editor

Over the course of this past year, famous country singer Zach Bryan has exceeded country music’s expectations. With sold-out shows around the United States, he has quickly become a favorite artist for many. Bryan has hundreds of thousands of listeners on Spotify each month, reflecting on fans’ wide appeal for his lyrics and catchy songs. This July, I got the opportunity to experience what a live performance looks like from Bryan. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram already showed what an amazing performer he is, and the live show exceeded my expectations.

The opening song, “Overtime,” plays as Bryan enters the stage, getting fans pumped up for a great show. Even ballads such as “I Remember Everything” and “Heavy Eyes” have fans getting excited since they have significant emotional stories and messages that fans can relate to.

During these songs, flashlights and cheers filled the arena, showing how Bryan can pump up his supporters with the fast and catchy songs as well as the slow er and more meaning ful songs. A few fans in the pit and the first cou ple hundred rows held up posters with requests to perform songs such as “Dawns.”

At my show, a young man opportunity to sing with Bryan, which shows how much he enjoys his fan’s com pany and how they both bond over their love for the song. It also gets the fans super excited since this ritual differs from what other artists tend to do at their shows. Bryan also got the opportunity to play songs from his new album “The Great American Bar Scene,” which other shows did

not get the chance to see live as the album was released a few days prior to my show.

Bryan is known for several popular songs, such as “Revival” and “Something in the Orange.” While I know most of his discography, I learned while at the concert that you do not have to be a loyal fan of Bryans to attend since he creates such a safe space for both his die-hard fans as well as the less frequent listeners. The overall experience was truly unforgettable; fans got to bond with one another while sharing their love for his music. I admired how Bryan continuously made sure all his supporters knew how grateful he was for all of us attending and how he made sure everyone had a great time, even those in the nosebleed seats. Bryan walked around to different sections during the course of the show, so all fans had the chance to see up close, regardless of where they were sitting. Not only was Bryan an incredible performer, but his band was extremely talented live. He has a mix of guitarists,

bassists, fiddlers, pianists, violinists and drummers to play a blend of his music. The band’s stage presence kept up with Bryan’s, as they made funny jokes and were full of energy to excite fans. During the 10-minute version of “Revival,” the final song played of the show, banjo player Drew Barid pulls a stunt every show. It is a continuous joke for the band as Barid pretends to faint, leaving all the fans confused as the song dies down. He jumps back up and continues to play with even more energy, which gets fans extremely excited. Inviting celebrities or famous influencers on stage is also Bryan’s specialty, as it thrills fans. Artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Aj Dillion, Maggie Rogers, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Alonso, Sexxy Red, Tate McRae and John Mayer have all been brought out on stage to perform with Bryan. This concert was truly something I will never forget, as I have been listening to Bryan’s music for a while, and I expected nothing less. He is truly an amazing performer, and I would recommend getting tickets to anyone, regardless of whether they are a major fan or not. This show was loved by so many groups of friends and family and has become a show I will forever talk about.

BY LUCY CUBETA FEATURES COPY EDITOR

As summer break came to an end, people got the chance to look back at the newest movies released in theaters these past few months. This summer gave people the chance to come together and watch films that had been advertised for months. Movies varied from sequels, originals or live-action films based on books. These trending hits gave people the chance to unwind and enjoy a show.

Senior Corina Figuera said Twisters was her favorite film of the summer because of how well the production was curated.

“I went into the movie blind with zero knowledge about the previous film, and I left that movie theater obsessed. I immediately watched the original,” Figuera said. “The remake, in my opinion, was better due to the fact that it had so many genres in one, such as action, comedy, drama and romance.”

This hit release was a remake of the popular 90’s blockbuster, Twister. Actor Glen Powell played Tyler Owens, and actress Daisy Edger Jones played Kate Carter in the film. Figuera said she enjoyed the fact that it was a remake but did not exactly copy the original but had its own twist, which made her love this movie even more.

“The movie was just so well made, and

the cast did such a good job at making these situations feel real; at points the computergenerated imagery (CGI) and the acting honestly made me feel like I was a part of the movie,” Figuera said. “The marketing for his movie also helped its success, and the hard work that was put into this movie definitely deserves all the hype.”

Some students seemed to enjoy this movie, as it took viewers through a romantic love story and a suspenseful thrill.

Figuera said the accuracy of showcasing tornadoes through special effects with this film made it feel real and raw.

perfect summer mov ie. It is

great for people that do not really like sticking to just one genre, since it showcases so many different types in this one film,” Figuera said. “The cast is absolutely amazing and makes the film come to life. The CGI is out of this world. It looks so real it makes you feel like you have been in the eye of four tornadoes.”

Thriller movies have been trending this past summer, leaving people at the edge of their seats. Since these movies have been trending all over social media, it has gotten people’s attention; therefore, movie theaters have -

said Deadpool and Wolverine deserves all the hype it was getting.

“This movie was hilarious and full of characters we wanted yet have not seen before,” Cristo said. “This movie came with a lot of unexpected things, such as fight scenes that got me more engaged. I think the message of this movie was to get help from your family and friends when you are in a tough situation.”

BY OLIVIA TROCHE A&E SECTION EDITOR

One of the most beloved movie series across all audiences came out with yet another piece of the saga, Despicable Me 4, which was released this summer on July 3. Part of the appeal comes from the minions’ silly jokes and antics. This movie is centered around Gru’s family, as they recently welcomed a new member: Gru Jr. Their lives get flipped upside down when Gru’s old rival from school threatens to seek revenge on him. To protect his family, Gru moves them to an entirely new town where they are living a double life with secret identities.

I enjoyed the concept of Gru’s battle with his inner self as it added layers to a simple kids movie. In his new neighborhood, a girl named Poppy Prescott pressured Gru to become a villain again for one more heist. Gru was clearly hesitant to accept it, as he had changed his life for the better and he had a family now. The only reason he agreed was because she

bra 1 teacher Adam to

Movie theaters give people the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy a cinematic film that took lots of hard work to produce. With the movie industry today and technology evolving, movies have only gotten more special effects and advanced stunts, such as recent Marvel films. Cristo is not the only one who appreciated the movie Deadpool and Wolverine; as senior Nico Monterrubio said, he is a big fan of superhero movies and really enjoyed seeing Deadpool on the screen.

“This movie was really funny and filled with lots of jokes that got the audience laughing,” Monterrubio said. “There were lots of fights, which is great because I love action movies. This movie deserves the hype because it is the top movie of the summer, in my opinion. My favorite character in the movie is Deadpool because he is really hilarious and he has the power of immortality.”

was blackmailing him about the exposure of his real identity. He became a villain again to protect his family, which I loved because it shows Gru’s true character.

Songwriter Pharrell Williams’ wrote an enjoyable song for this movie that many users on social media have been raving about. The Despicable Me series is known for its music, including famous songs like “Happy,” which now has over 25 million streams, despite originally only being made for Despicable Me 2. The writers did not expect this song to go viral along with the new hit ‘Double Life’ by Pharrell Williams from Despicable Me 4. Across social media platforms, this song is being played everywhere. I love how the lyrics and instruments work together to create a hype song with a catchy chorus that I cannot get out of my head.

I am disappointed, though, with the Mega Minions plot. Five minions got transformed into superhero-like figures where they each had separate powers like flight or strength. These minions are all over the promotional videos and posters about the movie; however, they are bare ly in it for a few minutes, and when they are, they have no effect on the actual plot. It felt like a cheap cop out to get people

to watch for the minions, when that is not what they are actually paying to see. This is especially true because minions already have special capabilities. I think the idea was there, but it could have been executed so much better to make it more pleasant to watch and more relevant to the movie. Overall, the actual animation and script were very enjoyable to sit through. Looking at it through the lens that this is a kids movie, I think it was pleasantly surprising. I cannot wait to see what else this franchise will give us in future viewings.

By Katy Pulitano ManaGinG EDitoR

The last first week of one’s high school experience has the chance to create a nostalgic atmosphere that can run deep throughout the class of 2025. Feelings may have been all over the place as students were approaching a criti cal year of high school while also preparing to enter a new chap ter of their newfound adult lives. Senior Monica Covarrubias said that this year is bringing lots of high expectations for what is to come.

“The start of my last year of high school brought so much anticipation for the new experiences my senior year would bring,” Covarrubias said. “I felt nostalgic for how many first days I have had and how this was my last, but I am mostly excit ed. While getting ready, picking up my friends and even walking through the white gates to meet my new teachers, all I felt was excitement.”

ed Kids’ Backpack Day, Senior Signin, Senioritis Day, Throwback Thursday and Senior Sunrise. Covarrubias said she participated in most of the activities over the course of the week, but some stood out more than others.

“The Kids’ Backpack Day was definitely my favorite. That theme being on our last first day made it perfect. Seeing so many seniors with their kids’ backpacks reminded me a lot of when we were younger and wore the backpacks of our favorite characters,” Covarrubias said. “My least favorite theme was probably Throwback Thursday, mostly because I did not have any ideas of what to wear. I still liked seeing everyone in what they would wear as kids, and I wish I could have participated.”

Along with anticipation, the last first week also brought lots of activities for seniors to participate in. This includ-

Other seniors, however, have different opinions as they come into their last first week. Senior Samuel Gomez said that he was able to participate in all of the activities and found the days he got to dress up to be his favorites.

“My favorite theme this week was Throwback Thursday because it was

funny to see people dressed as their younger selves,” Gomez said. “Senior Sign-in was my least favorite day; it was still good, but it was not as notable since we had less to do, whereas on the other days we got to dress up.”

When it comes to ap proaching the last year of high school, some seniors may be look ing to take it easy. Af ter spend ing the past three years taking different courses to get where they are now, some seniors may want to slow down the course load. Students like Gomez have to start applying to colleges and focus more time on extracurricular activities.

more people know who I am. This has already helped me get a job in October.”

“I made my schedule more on the easy side this year so I can focus on theater work outside of school,” Gomez said. “This is so I can build on my professional resume as I am starting to apply to colleges. I plan on doing sound engineering professionally, and by doing work at other theaters,

Certain teachers are also able to experience this week with the seniors. Various classes and teachers at the Bay are available for only senior students, such as Advanced Placement (AP) United States (U.S.) Government teacher Timothy Petraitis. He said that he observes his seniors as they come into class during that week and notices that their feelings are always varied.

“I think the seniors are feeling pretty confident. They are willing to speak their minds and their opinions about policy, classes, etc. The seniors are more mature and thought out,” Petraitis said. “I am sure some will be sad that childhood is fading, while others are excited that adulthood is starting. The most well-rounded are probably able to embrace the duality and experience of being adults while still being able to enjoy youthful experiences.”

By alia lanGshaw nEws sEction/oPinion coPy EDitoR

As seniors prepare for their final year at the Bay, many use their summer as an opportunity to visit and tour colleges across the country. One of the advisors that seniors contact to understand what colleges to look at, where to apply and what the best school is for them the Director of College and Career, Dr. Kristina Taylor. She said physically visiting a school is instrumental in the process of deciding whether the school is the right place for a student.

“Touring a school and physically being on a campus is the only way a student can really determine whether or not they can see themselves call- ing it home for the next four years,” Taylor said. “I think committing to a university before visiting is a huge mistake that can end up being very costly. Take advantage of tours and visits, ask questions, talk to students on campus, sit in on a class and genuinely immerse yourself to see if you feel at home.”

teo Briones, an aspiring aerospace engineering major, said he vis ited the University of Michigan and Purdue University. He said touring a school, rath er than just looking at pic tures on Google or listening to others’ opinions, makes it easier to choose where to ap ply because of the more handson experience.

Briones said when looking at schools, he is focused on whether the school is ranked well for his major and if he will have a wellrounded experience.

well-rounded place.”

As Briones looks for colleges that excel in aerospace engineering, Taylor said she is an avid supporter of all students looking for schools that align with their program or major. She said knowing yourself and choosing a school that puts you in a position to succeed will help you end up right where you were supposed to.

er she can really see herself at the college. “I toured UCF, FSU and UF because they are some of the biggest and top colleges in Florida, and I wanted to explore what options they had,” Torres said. “I think the process of visiting makes choosing a school a lot easier, because if you like the school and feel comfortable, you know it is a good place for you. I think it is better to visit places in person than online because you get to see the vibe and figure out if it fits you as a person.”

Following Taylor’s advice, senior Ma-

“I chose to visit those two schools because they are pretty well ranked in what I wish to study,”

Briones said. “My dream school

is the University of Michigan because they have a really good ratio of the fun you have to good academics. It is also really well ranked, with really good sports teams and social life. It is just a great,

“I am very big on making programdriven decisions, meaning the first thing you should consider when choosing a school is how strong of a program they have for what you are interested in studying,” Taylor said. “However, you have to be realistic about what environments you will most thrive in and trust the process. You will always end up where you were meant to be, even if where you first land does not end up being the right fit.”

Senior Maria Torres said she recently visited the University of Central Florida (UCF), Florida State University (FSU) and the University of Florida (UF), while her dream school is New York University (NYU). She said she is looking to study art and design, fashion or film and visiting the schools allows her to scope out wheth-

BY SOPHIA PADUANO MANAGING EDITOR

This year’s 2024 Olympics were held in Paris, France, and some fans flew out from all over the world to watch their country or favorite athletes compete at arenas all throughout the city. One of these fans is junior Simon Moros, who got the opportunity to attend this year’s games with his family. Moros got to experience a live view while millions of fans watched from the comfort of their own homes.

“As much as I love watching the Olympics from home, there is something so cool about being in Paris to attend the competitions,” Moros said. “Paris is such a cool city to travel to, filled with cinematic scenes and history. I really enjoyed this location the Olympics chose. The city was also decorated, and the Eiffel Tower had the five interlocking rings in the colors to symbolize the Olympic Movement.”

Paris is known for its busy city life, and this year’s Olympics were no different. Moros said it was not too difficult to manage getting around from place to place; the subways, which several use as their main mode of transportation, were easy to figure out. However, in an attempt to get to a big event, the subways are super packed

without any air conditioning, which may make it a challenge for those trying to get to the arena. For some of the events Moros attended, he walked a few miles before he went into the stadium. From there, Moros said the process was a breeze as he went through lines to scan tickets to access seats.

“Although the flight from Florida to Paris is a pain, I do not regret it at all since it is such a once-in-alifetime opportunity. It is such an incredible experience to be able to see what you usually witness on television in real life,” Moros said. “Although a few events happen at the same time, there is never only one event going on, making it difficult to focus on one thing, which was unexpected.”

Being a Floridian, Moros enjoyed cheering on Team United States of America (USA) as they won silver or gold in several events. For example, track and field star Noel Lyles, known for his speed and determination, won bronze in the men’s 200-meter race and gold in the men’s 100-meter race. Moros said it was an unforgettable experience watching Lyles take home his medal along with watching world records being broken.

“I got the opportunity to watch swimming, boxing and track and field twice. I wish I could watch tennis, since I am a super big tennis fan, and also given the fact that the final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz was so competitive,” Moros said. “I also would have loved to have gotten the chance to see gymnastics as well, since it is such a classic and beautiful sport to watch.”

The Olympic arena, filled with fans of all nationalities representing and cheering on their countries, is what the Olympics are all about. Focusing on global unity regardless of what happens throughout the past four years before the Olympics builds its significance. It allows countries to share their cultures, values and traditions when playing their sports.

“Attending this year’s 2024 Olympics is something I will never forget. Watching the athlete’s support systems cheer them on was emotional and so wholesome, which was very enjoyable to see live,” Moros said. “I cannot wait to see where the next Olympics are held in the future, and I hope I get to go.”

ing for them this year.”

Teachers were not able to commu nicate or post information for students until the first day of school on Aug. 12. Therefore, teachers could not make their requests for classroom supplies until stu dents got to class for the first time. For that reason, junior Chloe Blum said she

MOD BY LUCY CUBETA

most often at the Bay this year.

“Every year, there is usually a new trending water bottle. Last year, it was the Stanley one, and I think that this year it will be the Owala water bottle,” Gigliobianco said. “I do not think I will buy one, but I like the design and all the different colors.”

Along with trending items, stu-

ones shopping in preparation for the school year. Peer Counseling teacher Jennifer Cook said that her favorite part of back-to-school shopping is buying things that will make her happy.

“If I am happy, my students tend to be happier, and I try to bring things in

BY: SOFIA FERNANDEZ FEATURES SECTION/SPORTS COPY EDITOR

As the new school year kicks off, previous students return to the Bay while a wave of freshmen gear up for their first year of high school. Upperclassmen said that freshman year can be difficult for some students as they are adjust ing and entering a new chapter of their lives. Senior Manuel Perez said that first-year students might wor ry about a variety of things, like mak ing mistakes or not fitting in, which he believes should not be nerve-racking.

ly so such problems can be prevented.

“Always try to stay organized and do not hyper-focus on one thing; instead, try

can change the course of their futures.

“Some mistakes I see in freshman students are being too extreme in their ad-

egies to stop that way of thinking.

“The first year of high school can be hard for incoming freshmen; it is a big change from middle school,” Perez said. “They often worry about being judged by older students, getting lost in the school or not knowing anyone in their classes. They should not stress about this since everyone is in the same boat as them. Older students and teachers are also usually willing to help, plus it is normal to make mistakes and learn from them.”

While freshmen can ask for help around the Bay at any time, older students said first-year students have many responsibilities they must learn to manage by themselves, including being in class on time and completing assignments. Sophomore Luiza Parra was a freshman last year and advises younger students to attempt to balance out their lives and manage their time wise-

ating too much on your social life can hurt grades; you should stay organized and fo cus on goals to pre vent these problems.”

Advanced Inter national Certifi cate of Education (AICE) English General Paper and Creative Writing teacher Rebecca Bueno has taught freshmen for many years. She said that she believes students already have expectations or an idea of what high school is like based on movies and potential older siblings, but there are many small challenges they might not expect. She stated that she tends to see freshmen make similar mistakes every year, some of which

said. “Primarily, the first year sets the tone for the rest of your high school career. Doing poorly in classes, for example, can dictate which classes are available to you in the future, and the people you decide to let into your life can be fairweather or forever friends.”

Upperclassmen have said that adjusting to high school life was difficult during their freshman year and that it is normal to feel stressed about earning high grades and making friends. Bueno explained that she can tell when freshmen experience these worries, but said that there are some helpful strat-

“I think the biggest stresses for freshmen are social and academic. Finding your comfort zone can be daunting if you do not have a support group, and many students have lost friends in the transition to high school. Clubs are a great way to solve social issues and meet students’ individual interests; they also look great on applications,” Bueno said. “Academically, courses can also be overwhelming, especially at a school is so competitive and/or where parents encourage students to take multiple high-level courses; however, there are so many groups and tools available to students that I am confident that both issues can be overcome quickly.”

Freshman year is not entirely full of stress and worries; though, people said that some of their favorite memories were made while in high school. Perez said he wishes he would have enjoyed his first year more and that incoming freshmen should remember to always try new things and not forget to have fun.

“Enjoy the high school experience while also focusing on academics,” Perez said. “I wish I could tell my freshman self to not be afraid to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. It is okay to make mistakes and learn from them. High school is a time for growth and self-discovery, so embrace it and make the most of every opportunity.”

BY: LUCY CUBETA

FEATURES COPY EDITOR

After coming back from summer break with limited commitments to school work and tests to study for, some students at the Bay took that to their advantage, as they went to bed as late as they wanted these past two months. Everyone has a sleeping pattern that fits their own schedule; some prefer to be tucked in bed early, and others find it pleasurable to stay up until the sun rises. Senior Ivan Tav eras said he caught up on all the sleep he missed during the school year this break.

“My sleep schedule varied this sum mer. Some days I would wake up pretty late, and other days I would wake up earlier than I would like to,” Taveras said. “For a week straight, I fell asleep at 10 a.m. and did not wake up until way later in the day.”

With some students hav ing no responsibility to wake up for school every morn ing, they may choose to stay up late because they do not have to worry about early wakeup calls. After establishing sleep pat terns like this, it can be difficult to adjust once the school year starts. Taveras said that as of right now, he is trying to get settled into waking up early for class, but it has not been as bad as he anticipated.

up at 6 a.m. five days out of the week,” Taveras said. “I am fine with waking up earlier, but some days it is a little bit difficult to get out of bed in the morning.”

Re-establishing a consistent sleep schedule before school starts helps stu-

for school, you will be late. The sooner you go to sleep, the earlier you will wake up, is how I like to think about it.” When school starts, students may also have to factor homework and studying into their daily routine, which can take

sleep is ideal for a student in high school.

“Sleep routines are different in the summer since we are not having to wake

up until 11 a.m.,” Frisch said. “I think sleep schedules are super different from the school year compared to summer because if you do not wake up early

just a few hours of sleep is not healthy and can make it hard for your mind to retain the information you learned the day before. Getting at least eight hours of

“I think sleep is very important for people’s daily lives because if you are too tired, you will not have energy,” Frisch said. “Especially for school, you will not be able to focus in class because of how tired you are. Transitioning from choosing your sleep schedule in the summer to waking up early for school five days out of the week can be hard for some students at the Bay, especially if they did not go to sleep at a reasonable time during the break. Math teacher Joseph Despagne said that, like his students, his sleep pattern was unsatisfactory during the summer. “I travel to Paris several times during the year. As a result, I constantly have to adjust because of jet lag, but you learn to cope,” Despagne said. “On weeknights during summer, I usually went to sleep around 11 p.m. to 12 a.m., and on weekends, I went to bed at any time.” Maintaining a good sleep schedule is important for your everyday life as it improves your mental and physical health. Despange said that, especially for growing teenagers, it is vital to get a good night’s sleep to focus and retain information at school.

“With school being closed and students knowing that they don’t have to get up early, it’s one of the factors why students go to bed later in the sum-

BY CAROLINE GEFFNER A&E COPY EDITOR

From June 10 to June 14, Apple held their annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Here, they announced many new updates coming to Apple devices. Lots of these updates are based around their new software, Apple Intelligence. These include practical features like advancements to Siri as well as more recreational features, such as customizing app icons and designing new and unique emojis. Sophomore Juliana Calle said she is an avid Apple user and likes the new updates to iMessage.

“I think I will use the emoji reactions the most because I love reacting to chats on iMessage,” Calle said. “I think this will make it more convenient to add emotion and personality into my texts. This will make texting a lot easier because there are more ways to express yourself with new reactions and emojis.”

These new updates are different from anything done before, due to the fact that Apple is utilizing lots of technology that is still relatively new. Not many other mainstream tech companies have built artificial intelligence (AI) this prominently into their everyday products. Calle said she thinks this will push more companies to start developing similar features.

“Different companies will definitely want to use more AI to make the playing field more even. These updates are definitely opening the door to more ad-

vancements because there is already so much AI and it is making a big difference in the world because everyone is using it more often,” Calle said.

“This could be bad, though, because people might get so used to being on their phones with all the new technol-

arez said that he thinks companies like Samsung and Google will incorporate AI more to keep up with competition.

“Other companies will for sure add features like this to make sure they stay in the game,” Suarez said. “They are going to want to keep im-

ogy that they might stay on their phones rather than speaking in real life.”

Some other students may share her thoghts that these new advancements will inspire other companies to create similar features. Senior Jose Su-

proving on the issues they have or any updates they may want to make.”

Suarez said that he does not think he will use many of the new updates to iMessage or Siri. However, he is still looking forward to seeing how they help increase

productivity on his Apple devices.

“I do not really like Siri, so I will not use any of her updates. I never use Siri, so I do not think these updates will change that,” Suarez said. “But this will probably help everything I work on my phone and laptop be processed faster and make everything I do quicker.”

Although people see many benefits to these updates, Suarez also sees flaws in the increasing prevalence of AI. He said he believes that it is starting to become too humanistic and advanced.

“One of the faults I see with these updates is AI becoming more common,” Suarez said. “AI has more human traits, such as ChatGPT’s new update where it responds back and you interact with it as if it were a human.”

Craig Wise, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) advisor and marketing teacher, shares a similar opinion on the AI takeover. Wise said he believes that AI is lowering individuals’ mental capacity. He said that he sees some benefit in these updates but believes that Apple tends to reuse very similar material with a different name.

“AI is making people not use their brains. I worry that the world is going to get lazier and lazier, and we will not be able to solve life problems by ourselves,” Wise said. “I do think these updates are fun and bring joy, but the last time Apple really did anything good was the iPhone 2.”

BY CAROLINE GEFFNER A&E COPY EDITOR

Social media is often used in the context of cautionary tales and scan dals, but it has evolved to encom pass much more than just pop cul ture. When scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, the content shown has lots of variety. Some suggested vid eos may be funny animals or a recap of last night’s Love Island episode, but other creators post content about politics, charities, fun facts and even school events or clubs. Many organi zations at the Bay utilize social media to promote fundraisers, club meetings and other extracurricular activities.

Posting online allows these class es and clubs to stay in touch with the school community and reach a larger audience than they would if they re lied on fliers or word-of-mouth. By al lowing school clubs to extend beyond just students, having a social media presence can be used to encourage other members of the community to get involved with the causes promot ed by organizations at the Bay. More over, this not only helps promote the clubs, but also makes it much easi er and accessible for people to learn about their cause and event details.

Students also use social media to cultivate their personal projects as well as small businesses. Gaining followers and support online can make student-run non-profit organizations and businesses more successful and widely known. In addition, having a thriving and popular organization can make these activities more appealing to the students’ prospective universities or alternate programs they may apply to. Promoting on social media gives students the platform to communicate with potential customers or supporters with ease and efficiency. This can also help teach professionalism by encouraging students to connect with clientele or donors, depending on their cause. It’s not only students who benefit from social media, many teachers also enjoy using it to communicate with their students. Since the Bay has such

a large student body of over 4,600 students, when teachers and staff have to communicate with them, using apps like Whatsapp, Remind and Band makes it much simpler to send a message to larger groups. Additionally, teachers use YouTube for extra help videos and to provide other supplementary resources to stu - dents. Along with communicating with students, teachers use social media to connect with their peers. Lots of educators may be part of online messaging groups where they get ideas for their lesson plans or feedback from other teachers in the same field. That’s especially helpful when teachers don’t have counterparts at their school to bounce ideas off of. Also, this helps build a community among

staff members across many schools. Social media is also used by students to conduct research and collect data. Although not all information on the internet is always accurate, social media gives great inspiration for further research. Lots of content creators post videos with facts about a certain topic, and as long as this information is fact-checked, it can be used as a jumping-off point for projects. Many social media apps have interactive features that allow people to give feedback through polls. Overall, social media lets students collect data based on people in the community that can be used to help curate events and posts according to their interests.

BY JOSHUA STOLL MANAGING EDITOR

Summer work is important and should be assigned for advanced and college-level classes. For instance, Advanced Placement (AP) and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) teachers struggle to teach all the required content before the exams in early May, making it harder to fully prepare students in these short time frames. If teachers give out prerequisite summer assignments, students will be better prepared to hit the ground running when the school year officially starts and be better prepared for the exam. Additionally, there are some classes, such as AICE Classical Studies, that have exams in November; handing out summer assignments would allow students to be ready for those exams despite the time strain. Although it may be unpopular at first, after getting exam scores back, students will realize that the extra work paid off in the end. For specific subjects such as math, it can be helpful for students to keep practicing over the summer so they

can remember all the content and be more prepared for the next school year. Moreover, summer homework allows students to familiarize themselves with some of the courses and take less time to adjust to their new classes. Furthermore, teachers can use the summer to review the syllabus, eliminating all the time teachers spend explaining basic information on the first day back. In addition, students have a lot of time to work on assignments over break, they can space the work out while also having time to relax, travel and spend time with family. Completing work over the summer will allow for a less stressful start to the new school year for both students and teachers.

BY SOPHIA PADUANO MANAGING EDITOR

As a long school year comes to an end, the last thing students want to worry about is summer work. Summer is all about taking the time given to fully recharge so you can come back and have a productive school year. If summer work is assigned, students are not given the opportunity to fully reset and will burn out before the next school year even starts. Also, it is unlikely that the assignments will be the students best work because they are not as focused. Therefore, this gives the teacher a false interpretation of the student’s ability level. Moreover, summer is a time for students to spend with family and friends; sometimes this is their only opportunity. Whether it is traveling to a new city to visit family or going on a trip with friends, it may be very difficult for students to find time in their summer to do school work, leading to unnecessary stress. Students should also be excited and motivated for the new school

year, but summer work would do the opposite, leading to students dreading the start of the year. In addition, several students strive to accomplish many goals over the summer, whether it be receiving service hours, working a summer job or putting time into extracurriculars. Adding summer work to the equation would cause chaos in a student’s schedule. Students also put so much time and effort into summer work for it not to be a guaranteed grade; this can cause frustration and a depletion in the students motivation. For these reasons, there should not be any type of summer work, as students need to go into a new school year without feeling stressed or burned out.

New Policies: Positive or Painstaking?

BY KATY PULITANO MANAGING EDITOR

As the 2024–2025 academic year rolls in, students are noticing the impact of the new policies that the Broward County School Board has implemented and their effects on an average school day. The first one is the metal detectors that greet students and staff immediately at all entrances. These new devices were passed to ensure safety from weaponry so that they could further ensure the safety of students at the Bay. While this definitely was a smart move, the first day of school was a little bit hectic. The three lines that extended from the white gates went all the way down to the bike racks, causing many students to be late by up to an hour for their first period class. This caused stress for many students, as it was only the first day, and no one was expecting it to go like this. It also caused teachers to be behind schedule due to the fact that everyone was arriving at least 20 minutes late to class. Since then, the Bay has done a much better job at dealing with the flow of students and has also managed to acquire two additional metal detectors. They have also made a new station for kids who get flagged so they are not in the way of other people coming through. This has made arriving at school a lot easier and less stressful. At first, I was worried

that the first day was foreshadowing how the rest of the year was going to go, but I am glad to say I was proven wrong. Because of these changes, I think that the metal detectors were a good decision from the school board, as it allows students to have peace of mind that they are safe in school.

Along with the implementation of metal detectors, another policy was passed that forbids students from using their phones during class, passing periods or lunches, ranging from 7:40 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The new slogan that is being used is “Disconnect to Reconnect,” and while I think they have the right idea, there are some aspects that should be reconsidered. I do understand that preventing students from using their phones in class will increase productivity and limit distractions, but they should be allowed to use them during passing periods and lunch. These times are supposed to allow kids to unwind, listen to music and not worry about their classes. At the end of the day, although it may be annoying, I believe it will improve productivity for students and decrease distractions.

Even though there are still some kinks that need to be fixed in the new policies, the Bay appears to be heading in a more controlled and safe direction. I believe that we will eventually get everything straight so that the students feel they are learning in a safe and comfortable environment.

as senior year where everyone is experiencing their last moments in their hometown.

THE CIRCUIT EDITORIAL TEAM

THE CIRCUIT IS THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CYPRESS BAY HIGH SCHOOL. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE NEWSPAPER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE ADVISER, ADMINISTRATION OR ADVERTISERS THE PUBLICATION OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE CIRCUIT DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT THE CIRCUIT IS A FREE PUBLICATION AVAILABLE TO APPROXIMATELY 4800 STUDENTS AND 300

FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS AT CYPRESS BAY HIGH SCHOOL THE PUBLICATION PRINTS 1000 COPIES 4 TIMES PER YEAR THE CIRCUIT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS COLUMBIA

SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION SILVER CROWN WINNER

NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION -ALL AMERICAN PUBLICATION AND FLORIDA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION-ALL FLORIDA PUBLICATION

EDITORS STAFFERS

JOSHUA STOLL: MANAGING EDITOR

SOPHIA PADUANO: MANAGING EDITOR

KATY PULITANO: MANAGING EDITOR

SOFIA FERNANDEZ: FEATURES SECTION/SPORTS COPY EDITOR

LUCY CUBETA: FEATURES COPY/MODS EDITOR

OLIVIA TROCHE: A&E SECTION EDITOR

CAROLINE GEFFNER: A&E COPY EDITOR

ALIA LANGSHAW: NEWS SECTION/OPINION COPY EDITOR

MANUELA CORREA: OPINION SECTION/NEWS COPY EDITOR

OLIVE JONES-TORRES: SPORTS SECTION EDITOR

CARLOS ADRIAN, SABRINA BORMAN, KARINA JIMENEZ, GABI CREPALDI, LAURA DIVINE, SARA DIVINE, SYDNEY FALK, KAYLEE FERNANDEZ, JOSEPH FLEURAT III, DANIELLE GREENBAUM, DIVYA GREENLEAF, AMELIA IBARRA, EMILY

LEVINE, LUCAS LOPEZ, SOFIA LUGO, GABRIELLA MARTINEZ, ALEXA MURGUIA, ALEXANDRA NUNEZ, ANAYA PATHAK, MARIANA RODRIGUEZ, RICARDO ROMAN CRIADO, SOFIA SAN SEBASTIAN, VICTORIA SARDI, ANABELLA SULBARAN

ADVISER: MS POITRAS