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By Samantha Cawley and Sidney Harada, Eighth Graders
Have you been paying attention to international news? If you haven’t, then here is the information you should know. The Venezuelan crisis started in 2010 under the presidency of Hugo Chavez and continues during the presidency of Nicolas Maduro. Political corruption and unemployment along with other problems have contributed to the worsening crisis in Venezuela. What’s wrong with Venezuela you might ask? Venezuela is currently dealing with many catastrophic issues. Venezuela’s population used to consist of 32.4 million people. However, since 2014, 2.3 million people have left, reported BBC news.
Political corruption is a growing issue in Venezuela, it can’t get any worse. Venezuela has hit “rock-bottom” (Mrs. Hauser), they can go further into the depths of dictatorship and the only help they’ll be able to receive will be from forming a coup, or by receiving soldiers from other countries. The large amount of corruption and misgovernment in the country has resulted in severe economic difficulties. Nicolas Maduro, the current ‘president’, has been known to “bribe people in Venezuela for ‘votes’” (Naomi Eshghi). Not only does this imply political corruption, it also implies that whenever there will be another ‘election’ it will be “completely rigged.” There are many issues occurring within Venezuela, political corruption being only one of them. Ms. Hauser, a high school teacher, is from Venezuela. When asked if she was originally from Venezuela, she elaborated with saying, “I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I moved to the United States when I was 18 years old to attend college.” She further explained, “I do not see a viable resolution to the problem. I also feel very sad that I will most likely never return to Venezuela, and my children will never see where I grew up.” Ms. Hauser believes the only way something will change will be with military intervention. Ms. Hauser concludes with what she thinks the biggest problem facing Venezuela currently is, “Lack of ethical leadership that has led to extreme poverty." Naomi Eshghi, an eighth grade student, is Venezuelan as well. When asked what her opinions on this current issue are and what does she predict will happen, Naomi responds, “The government is advertised as a democracy but in reality it is a dictatorship.” The government gains power and this power is then used for drug dealing. On top of that, they give benefits to the people who support them, and if you don’t, consider yourself dead. “Currently, the major problem is their government because it holds power that controls everything else. Companies have been forced to close. Not only because they go bankrupt but the value of Bolivar (currency) constantly changes. When these businesses close down, people lose their job and can no longer pay for human necessities.” Sebastian Lopez, a tenth grader, says he was born in America but his Grandmother is currently living in Venezuela, and so is the rest of her family. When asked ‘what are your opinions on the current crisis and what do you predict will happen next?’ Sebastian exclaims, “I don’t know everything that is going on, however I do know it’s a really bad situation. I have a feeling that this issue at hand is going to get worse and possibly destroy their livelihood. The biggest problem that faces Venezuela is probably the fact that they are running out of food rapidly fast.” The crisis in Venezuela is only getting worse. More and more people are leaving it, allowing the country to fall into a deeper depression. People with Venezuelan heritage are worried about what is going to happen. Our hearts go out to the people of Venezuela…
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By Hollie Robinson and Kimberley Rodriguez, Eighth Graders
How does a New Yorker born of Puerto Rican parents grow up to be an award winning musical playwright genius? Even if you haven’t heard his name, you’ve probably heard about his Tony Award winning Broadway musical, Hamilton! As a matter of fact, there are hardly any awards he hasn’t won. He’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Pulitzer, Oliver, Obie and more.
Early Life Lin-Manuel Miranda was born to Puerto Rican parents and grew up with Puerto Rican heritage. At the age of seven, Lin-Manuel Miranda saw his first Broadway musical, and it changed him forever. He attended Hunter College High School for gifted students most of his early life. He was also heavily involved in music such as: piano classes, musicals, and hip-hop classes. Lin-Manuel Miranda Accomplishments/Works “In the Heights” was Miranda’s first massive hit. This musical is influenced by his hispanic Caribbean background and is based on 3 days in the life of Washington Heights, a neighborhood dominated by immigrants of Dominican heritage. He took this musical on tour to Puerto Rico back in 2010, to the delight of audiences there. Miranda recently created a campaign to help reconstruct Puerto Rico in the aftermath of hurricane Maria. It was the worst hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in 85 years. With massive winds of 150 mph, Hurricane Maria left 1 million people without power. Accessing clean water and food has become a huge difficulty. Puerto Rico was, and still is, in utter devastation. Miranda created the Tee-Rico with a goal to help pay for the estimated $90 billion dollars worth of damage done by Hurricane Maria. “The goal wasn’t just artistic satisfaction, but how can we leave Puerto Rico a little better than we found it,” declared Miranda, according to AP News. Miranda hopes to raise $15 million dollars from this charity and help in any way he can. He also produced a song called, “Almost Like Praying”, this song was quickly produced as a response for Hurricane Relief. “Almost Like Praying” features 22 hispanic artists including Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, Gloria Estefan, and Marc Anthony; all the song’s profits went to Puerto Rico. If you would like to be a part of this campaign, go to www.teerico.com/collections/puerto-rico-relief-collection where you can find more information about this charity and help raise money to help Puerto Rico. References: https://www.biography.com/people/lin-manuel-miranda-041416 https://www.broadway.com/shows/in-the-heights/ www.teerico.com/collections/puerto-rico-relief-collection |
Samantha CawleyI enjoy spending my days watching Netflix and playing video games, I am also bilingual. My direct family is from South America and Europe. In more depth, I am Peruvian, Incan, Italian, Irish, Scottish, and English. Writing is one of my many passions, which is the reason why I chose Journalism as my elective for eighth grade. Sidney HaradaHello, my name Sidney. In my free time I love to scroll through instagram, read books, and binge watch Netflix shows. I have a passion for musical theater and the arts. 
Hollie RobinsonMy name is Hollie Robinson as some may know I am obsessed with anything pertaining to doctors and surgery. I love Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and The Good Doctor. I love to laugh and have fun! Watching netflix, and shopping are hobbies I enjoy. I would love to one day become a writer. 
Kimberly RodriguezI’m Kimberly Rodriguez and I’m 13 but most people just call me Kim. You should know that I’m obsessed with conspiracy theories, Tyler the Creator, Omar Apollo and The Good Doctor. Read More!
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