The Phoenix Flyer

   Halloween, a night of tricks and treats, has roots that go beyond candy and horror. Halloween began as the ancient Celtic religious festival of Samhain. The Celts believed that the barrier between our world and the world of the spirits and goblins became thin after the summer. This meant that the weird ghosts and ghouls could wander into our world with their spooky, magical powers. Therefore, the Celts would throw a huge festival in order to scare away the spirits. As time passed, the Christian religion adopted the day to be All Hallows’ Eve, the day before All Saints’ Day. Now, in the United States, the holiday has risen and become immensely popular. Traditions like pumpkin carving and trick or treating came into our culture in the 20th century. Jack-o'-lanterns became the symbol of Halloween but people in Ireland and Scotland originally used beets or turnips as lanterns on Halloween. According to Karin Lehnardt, senior writer for Fact Retriever, here are some Halloween facts for the spooky skeleton in you:
★Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. 
★In 2014, U.S. citizens spent $2.8 billion on Halloween costumes.
★The costume for kids this Halloween in 2016 is any action hero or superhero, while adults are more likely to dress as a Batman comics character.
★Halloween falls on a Monday in 2016, so the spookiest thing you may see is the homework due the next day.
 
Works Cited:
History.com Staff. "History of Halloween." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. 20 Oct. 2016. Web. 

   If you’re looking for an action-packed, fear-filled, heart-racing adventure this Halloween, then the Zombie Run is the perfect event for you. Thousands of people will come together and participate in this greatly anticipated event. However, one may ask, what exactly is the Zombie Run? In this event people “run for their lives from flesh hungry zombies through a 3.1 mile race where ZOMBIES are the obstacles.”
   During this event, participants have the choice to be a runner or to dress up as a zombie. The goal of the runner is to finish the long and thrilling course with as many flags (lives) as possible, while the goal of the zombie is to pull the runner’s flags to prevent them from finishing with any lives. Runners begin with 3 flags on their belt and must run away from the zombies to “survive” this eventful course. The zombies are staged throughout the course ready to chase you and steal your flags; however, the suspense builds as a zombie can seem to appear out of nowhere. Some zombies act as walkers and runners, some hide in the bushes, and some are crawling on the ground. As a runner, it is crucial to look for Safe Zones at mile markers 1 and 2 in order to receive water and possibly an extra life flag.
   If you choose to become a member of the Zombie Horde on the other hand, the event’s expert make-up team will “adorn you in true flesh-eating fashion” and you will have access to visit the Blood Splatter zone. This event is a mixture of fun and fear that appeals to the likes of everyone. This event is sponsored by One Blood, which is the same company that does iPrep blood drives. Go find out more at http://www.the5kzombierun.com! The next 5k zombie run isn’t until November 19, 2016; however, there are many Halloween races to keep you satisfied until then. 

Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon- October 29, 2016 
http://halloweenhalfmarathon.com/events/miami-beach/register-now/

Halloween Happenings- October 29, 2016 
http://www.davie-fl.gov/Pages/DavieFL_CommCal/FAV1-0003B92D/S024B56E7-024B5762?formid=161

Do try something different:
Deviate from the norms. Step outside of the box. Everyone else dresses up as an angel or devil, or as a vampire. Challenge societies expectations and dress up as someone vital to our world, such as Pepe. By getting a vibrant blue sweater, a frown, and big ol’ eyes you can easily make him a costume.
 
Do try to be creative:
Maybe it’s the night before Halloween, but your costume didn’t come in the mail on time. Or, you couldn’t make up your mind on which costume you’d wear, so you put off getting one until you ran out of time. In this case, you can do a closet costume, which actually isn’t as bad as it sounds. You have a red skirt and an orange turtleneck with some thick glasses? You could be Velma. Do you have a polo t-shirt and some khaki’s? You can dress up as Vancol. It just takes a bit of innovation.
 
Do get creative with makeup and accessories:
Become an icon by adding winged eyeliner to your look. Or, wear a shimmery eye shadow that really brings out the browns in your eyes. Maybe contour heavily for the perfect zombie look. Use makeup to your benefit and transform!
 
Don’t be insensitive:
This should’ve been an expected bullet, honestly. There are many costumes that are sold every year that are actually very offensive and dehumanize the people it attempts to emulate. Some examples are ones modeled after Native Americans, Mexicans, and sugar skulls. These are aspects of various culture that hold a lot of importance/ are actual people that are marginalized and wearing a costume “of them” is a mockery of who they are.
 
Don’t wear a costume that doesn’t fit comfortably:
If what you’re dressing up as wears clothes that are, for example, oversized it’s okay- just make sure that whatever else you’re wearing is comfortable as well so that you don’t spend your entire Halloween in discomfort.
 
Don’t forget to check local thrift stores for certain items:
Maybe there’s a metallic skirt you have no idea where to find, or you can’t think of where to get a wide brimmed hat for your Indiana Jones costume. Just check a local thrift store for those accessories; they’re usually sold at affordable prices.
 
Here is also a helpful video by a Youtuber named Rian Phin for more Halloween costume ideas that you can do with basic clothes you likely have at home:
https://youtu.be/sD7U90_aAHQ
 
Halloween is the best time of year to have fun, so make the best of it! 

​Don’t Breathe: (In theaters now!)
   This film is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece. It manages to follow the normal plot development seen in numerous horror movies, as well as incorporate several clichés seen in the cinematic universe. Yet, it somehow manages to be unpredictable. The storyline was a little unbelievable initially; the three friends were prompted to burglarize the home of a disabled war veteran based on an unsubstantiated claim that he had inherited a hefty fortune. However, once the film developed and unraveled, the audience slid to the edge of their seats in anticipation and often slammed to the back of their seats in fear. Don’t Breathe is without a doubt one of the best modern horror films this generation of moviegoers has yet to witness.
 
Kill Command: (coming soon to stream…was in the theaters May 2016)
   Set in a futuristic society where humans can be merged with technology, Kill Command is the perfect blend of science fiction and horror to create a thriller that gnaws at the omnipresent rhetoric of machines acquiring the ability to overpower man. In the film, a diverse group of soldiers are called into a base for a training exercise utilizing a newly manufactured robot that soon gains sentience. The film takes little time to get to the gory deaths, and as the plot progresses, more is revealed about the truth behind the nature of the experiment and the soldiers.  For anyone interested in movies that toy with the apocalyptic scenario of machines taking over the world, this is definitely the movie for you. 

   Ms. Philp, one of iPrep’s newest members to the incredible variety of teachers we have in our high school, has had quite an interesting past-time filled with just as interesting friends and acquaintances. In this article, we interview one of her friends by the name of Felix Thomson because of his experience with Roller Derby. Ms. Philp explains that she tried the sport for some time, however, persists that Felix is definitely a professional on the topic.  
 
   To give you some background about the sport, Roller Derby is an American sport that started out in Chicago in 1935. With a pair of roller skates, a helmet, knee pads, wrist guards, elbow pads, a mouth guard, a Roller Rink, and a lot of courage, you're ready for a Rugby-on-wheels type of gameplay. Roller Derby is not as friendly of a sport as it may sound. The point of the game is to have a “Jammer”  ride rough and hard through a wall of players- or “Blockers”- to try and make as many laps as possible without falling out of bounds in order to score points for the team. If the opposing team is able to keep the Jammer from passing or is successful in knocking them out of bounds, a point is lost for that round and the game moves on to the next. The interview with Felix Thomson is below: 
 
How often did you play the sport? What position did you play?
Thompson: Okay, I will start with how long I played. I played Roller Derby for about three years- between 2012 to about 2014. The positions I played in Roller Derby were Blocker and Jammer. Interestingly with Roller Derby you’re not going to find any teams that play for any schools, they’re mostly independent leagues.

How would you describe Roller Derby to anyone who hasn’t heard of the sport before?
Thompson: A question I hear very often that I should honestly have a better answer for but I don’t! Often, I guess, the best way to describe it is… It’s a race. Ultimately it’s a race. It’s a race where one player from each team is attempting to score points for their team and they score them by actually passing or lapping opponents from the other team. So, the goal is for your team’s Jammer to get through a full lap and the goal for the other team is to block that Jammer from getting past. That would be the best way to describe the flat track roller derby.
 
Have you played any other sports?
Thompson: Have I played any other sports? Seriously? No. No, I wasn’t a very good athlete. Roller Derby is pretty much the only sport I’ve ever played at a professional level.
 
Do you think we could bring either sport to iPrep?
Thompson: It can be… but, I will say one of the biggest- I guess-  prohibitive things about Roller Derby is cost and severe chance of injury. You know, even from a referee stand point there is a chance you are on roller skates and it is a full contact sport. So there’s absolutely risk of injury but at the same time there’s a Junior Roller Derby association where skaters under 18 with varied levels of contact.

   If anyone had asked me what my senior year would be like, I would have never expected for my last year of high school to turn out this way. Senior year, contrary to the popular myth, isn’t about the “chillness” of seniority; instead, it has been commanded by sneaky deadlines, vague prompts, and the constant stress to compose the perfect college list.
​
   In order to give you my first tip for your senior year, I guess that I should take you back to when it all began for me: the summer of my junior year.

  As I rejoiced to watch the clock strike three that afternoon that sixth of June, my mind was plagued with the thoughts of an adventurous summer and an upcoming year filled with memories of the senior privileges: the prank, the tardiness, and the awaited independence. Nevertheless, I should have known better.

   Through out the summer, I kept thinking about Pedroso’s repetitive advice to begin my college essays. But, I, like the rebel I was meant to be as a rising senior, silenced her voice, giving into the power of “seniority.” I bedazzled myself on the promise that in September I would still have time. This was my first taste of senioritis and my first misconception about it.
​
   In order to give you the most genuine advice, I must confess that this decision was highly detrimental. I know that procrastination is the potent darkness in all students; however, when it comes to the college process you must not give in. Hence, I advise you to buckle up, be strong, and resist.

   This column will continue every month, so let's start at the beginning: :
TIP 1: Begin college writing as early as possible, as most state schools release their prompts during late summer (July). Common App does so as well. This advanced preparation will allow you to allot more time for revisions, and the endless reading that will eventually drive you towards memorization. Writing is your weapon to fight the tired eyes of the “readers;” it is your chance to return joy to their eyes; it is your ability to take someone else to your story. Your essay is your only voice in a process controlled by numbers and statistical predictions.  So YOU have to make it the best reflection of yourself it can be. START WRITING IN JULY!!!!
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   Finally, I know that this tip can seem vague, to those of you who relish in stress, anxiety, and uncertainty but I, nor anyone, has the answer that you want: the chances of your acceptance. Your best chance is only your best self. Hence, I command thee, Phoenixes, to let your voice write the most powerful prose. I command thee, to show yourself in the truest matter, for your character is the only thing that will never depend on the acceptance of others. Lastly, I command thee, to write, to dream, and to hope because I believe that you are all believers, and only believers can attain greatness.  START WRITING IN JULY!!!

   On November 8th, voters in Florida will get to decide the future of the Florida constitution with respect to a solar bill, a medical marijuana bill, and tax exemptions for disabled first responders and low-income seniors.
 
   However, Amendment 1 is described in a very deceiving way.
 
   This is the text for amendment 1 on the ballot:
 
This amendment establishes a right under Florida's constitution for consumers to own or lease solar equipment installed on their property to generate electricity for their own use. State and local governments shall retain their abilities to protect consumer rights and public health, safety, and welfare, and to ensure that consumers who do not choose to install solar are not required to subsidize the costs of backup power and electric grid access to those who do.
 
   Let’s ANALYZE, shall we?
 
Line 1, in grey, establishes a right that every Floridian already has! We are already allowed to own/lease solar panels and use it to generate electricity.
 
Line 2, in blue, establishes that governments should protect consumer rights and public health/safety, something that governments already do, in essence, this does not add any new policy.
 
Line 3, in black, is a horribly misleading statement that supposedly does not require people who use the grid to subsidize those who do. When this statement is analyzed, however, it can be inferred that it will cause those who are off the grid to pay a mandatory fee for the upkeep of the electrical grid to their house. This essentially would give a blank check to power companies, enabling them to add a “grid maintenance” fee to all customers, even if they don’t pull any electricity from the grid.
 
   In essence, Amendment 1 will be a detriment to the expansion of solar, since it will cause people who use solar to pay for the upkeep of the electrical grid, in the words of Justice Barbara Pariente of the Florida Supreme Court, the bill is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and would allow utilities to levy fees on solar customers.
 
   I implore everyone voting to choose NO on Amendment 1, this amendment will give power monopolies such as FPL more power while slowing the adoption of solar energy.

     Voting, paying taxes, following laws, and many responsibilities come from the enfranchisement of becoming an American citizen. Adults, more than anyone, commit much of their time and effort to ensuring a safe, stable, and healthy environment. The 2014 article, “The Meaning of U.S. Citizenship,” from the Los Angeles Times details that citizenship is an “individual's relationship to his/her country and thus strikes chords of nationalism and personal responsibility, duty and rights.”
 
   Therefore, Miami Dade County Public Schools encourages us, the students, to be aware of these core values.  The “Values Matter” program inspires and encourages students to promote the important principles of an exemplary citizen in society.  You may ask yourself, how can students become better citizens?
 
   The younger generation can improve their relationship with their country by contributing time to community service. Several volunteering opportunities are given to students through Miami Dade Public Schools. Here, at iPrep Academy, students in our honor societies have a chance to give back to the community by tutoring struggling students and assisting teachers with organizing schoolwork through the “Teacher’s Pet” program. Participating in clubs held at our school such as SAGA, SHAPE, Key Club, Girls Who Code, Robotics, and Speech and Debate are other ways of giving back to our community, while learning new things provided by these organizations.
 
   Sexuality and Gender Alliance, also known as SAGA, supports and unites people of diverse sexual orientation and identification in an attempt to achieve peace in society. SHAPE Club engages students in philanthropic projects, as well as building leadership and problem solving skills, by exchanging ideas that will benefit them and their community in the future. Key Club, like SHAPE Club, focuses on finding community service opportunities for students while strengthening their leadership skills. The more students participate in holding club meetings and suggesting new ways of giving back to the community allows them to have an idea of what citizenship is. Girls Who Code encourages female students to practice computer skills at a young age in order to possibly inspire or achieve a STEM based career.  Robotics Club also focuses in STEM skills and practicing inventive abilities. This program gives students the opportunity to create innovations through teamwork and participating in competitions that could award them recognition of their work as well as support future projects from potential inventors. Speech and Debate supports and recognizes the voices of the youth as members of this club enhance their argumentative and public speaking skills by participating in student debate competitions.
 
   Ways of serving the community outside of school vary from participating in awareness projects, such as the Breast Cancer Walk, which takes place during this month of October, to volunteering at animal shelters in Miami. Students who aren’t involved in school-wide community service can find other ways to help the community through nation-wide organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club of America. The volunteering experience teaches students to give back to their immediate community and reinforces the importance of giving back to others for the sake of exemplifying productive citizenship for growing generations.