CTHE

RUSADERMiami Sunset Senior High13125 SW 72 Street, Miami, FL 33183

Volume XXVII Issue 4December 2008

From the time one is bornandreared,hisparents instill theidea that simple acts of kindnesshave the power to change theworld. Divided individual actsmay seem insignificant, but collectivelytheymakeadifference. Habitat for Humanity is aproject designed for volunteers tohelp build homes for low-incomefamilies. Three hundred hours ofworkarerequiredfromeachofthehomeowners, whereas volunteersrun on eight hour workdays.Twenty-fourhoursofvolunteerworkqualifies a person for a certificate. On Saturday, November22, 2008, members of StudentGovernment (SGA)and the ItalianClubcametogetherwithover100other volunteers for the first time to support theHabitat forHumanitycause.AlthoughthiswastheItalianClub’s third year participating,this was the first time other Sunset groups have taken part.“They had me hammering andworking,andIcouldn’tevensuspendanybody!” Assistant Principal Dr.Harrisjoked.HejoinedtheSunsetgroups, parents, and sponsors to

contribute to the cause as well. “The benefit from going out to help someone fulfill their dreams is a very rewarding experience,”headdedonamoreseriousnote. This particular projectwasbased inHomestead. To kickoff this event, prayers wountout for the underprivileged.Afterlearningtheconstructionsitesafetyrules,thegroupwasdividedand subdivided. The resultinggroups were given the necessarytools to complete their tasks asefficiently as possible—everything from nails to ladder and, toolsthat many of the volunteershad never come into contact

with. As with any constructionsite, workers were required tocomply with building codes.Thekindofworkthesevolunteersweresubjecttowasintense.Climbingladders,nailingscrews,andcuttingwood all lead to a grandproduct. “We accomplished morethantheusualgroup.Wecompletedthewholehouseintheeighthours.Some of us had never touchedany tools before,” said beamingItalian Club Sponsor, Ms. Fusco. Hours of work led tomultiple positive outcomes—newly establishedfriendships,asenseofaccomplishment --in addition tomanyothers.Italsotaughtalifelong

Habitat for Humanity: Making a Difference in the WorldBy: Aura Altamiranda

Editor-In-Chief

lesson on appreciating blessings. “It was great to see the smileon the owner’s face when shesaw how her house had turnedout,” said Maria Castillo, senior.Dr. Harris was pleased to sharethat Sunset might revisit theHabitat project in February.It is a curious thing that parentsoften tell the story of the starfish on the beach because it relatesso closely with the homeownersand volunteers. The story isabout a man who walked acrossthe beach throwing each starfish back in the water. His friendasked, “Do you really think itmakesadifference throwingthemback?”Herespondedashetossedanother back in the water, “Itmade a difference to that one.”

English Honor Society’s Writing Contest Winner: Ericka Walls Opens Up On Certain IssuesIamfat…orclinicallyobese.I’m pudgy, chunky or anyothersugarcoatedadjectives.Nomatterhowyousay it, intheendI’mstillfat.Doesbeingoverweight keep me low onthe social ladder? In today’ssociety, being voluptuousis not considered beauty.Unfortunatelyforsomepeople,beautycomesatafatalprice.It’sashamewhenAmericanswouldratherdieorcutoffalimbthanbe fat.There isasocialstereotype that overweightpeople are lazy, stupid, andeven unprofessional. Studieshave shown that there is anemployment discriminationof those who are overweight.Employers would hire amore physically fit person rather than an overweightperson. Even if they havethe same qualifications, an

overweight person is saidto “slow down business.”Butthingsweren’talwayslike this. In the 60’s, peoplepraised voluptuous women.Thiswastheeraofthesize14Marilyn Monroe. Back thenshe was the true definition

of beauty. Even earlier bigwomenwerepaintedonsomeofthemostbeautifulmurals.InAfricabigisnotonlybeautiful,it’saculturalright.Ifyouareoverweight you are found tobe wealthy, prized, and evenattractive. I guess the United

States didn’t get that memo.Themediahasplayedamajorrole in fat discrimination.Magazines only feature thesuper thin models. This notonly pressures girls to tryand be something they’renot,itmakesthemthinkthatthis is the only way to lookto be considered beautiful.Pressure is apparent in mentoo.Theyarepressuredtobe“buff” and “ripped.” Fat guysare the butt of jokes, too.AndGodforbidawomanwhoweighed200lbs.beconsideredbeautiful. It would be a sin.ThistypeofmindsetshowsthefathatredinAmericansociety.Whenplussizewomendotryand find fashionable clothing its like finding a pin in a hay stack.It’slikebeingpunished

[Continued on page 2]

“It was great to see the smile on the

owner’s face...”--Maria Castillo, senior

The Sunset volunteers grin from ear to ear with the satisfaction from their accomplishment.

The InsideLook

Two Thumbs Down for Theatrical

Adaptation of Meyer’s Twilight Series

Page 2

Spotlight on the “Scene Kid”

Revolution...Page 4

The Arsenal Football Club

Page 5

Typical Driving: Only in Miami

Page 6Athlete of the Month:

Phillippe CuryPage 5

Inherwholecareer,popstarBritneySpearshasreleasedsome of the most danceable,modern, and thrilling albumsever made. Like Madonna,Spearsadjustsherselftoallthenewmusic trendsas theyearsgoon,whichhelpsalbumsaleshit the roof. With songs suchas “Baby One More Time,” hercareer has enhanced. Spearshasalsobeenestablishedasan

international sex symbol anda strong public influence on teenagegirls.Shehasalsobeenthemostpopularsearchtermforthelastfourconsecutiveyears.Afteradisastrousyearin2007,Spears is finally picking up the pieces in her career. Spearsstarted off 2008 with a smallappearanceontheshow“HowIMet The Mother,” then openeduptheMTVVideoMusicAwards,andultimatelyrecordedthenewalbumCircus (Jive),whichwasreleased on her 27th birthday.InSeptember,shewonthreeVMAsfor“PieceOfMe,”including

VideoOfTheYear. InOctober,“Womanizer” was the numberone song on the Billboard Hot100.InNovemberthevideoforthe same track was released.Justlikehersong“Womanizer,”Spears’smusichasalwaysbeena mixture of innocence, andsensualfeelings.Inthissongshetalksaboutagirlwhodiscoversaman’ssecretformovingfromgirl to girl.Heobviouslywantsher but she won’t let him.Britney’s songs such as thisone contain catchy phrases,and upbeat music that almostanyonecansinganddance to.MTV hosted a documentarycalled“Britney:ForTheRecord,”abouther life for a spanof 20

days. In this documentary shedoes nothing but work, andsheshowstheaudiencehownomatter where she goes, therewill always be paparazzi onestep ahead of her. Betweenmakingittoawardshows,radioand television appearances,running away from thepress, making music videos,rehearsing,ortakingcareofhersons,SeanandJayden,Spears

takes this all in and uses itfor inspiration for her music. One trackoffof thenewalbum called “Kill The Lights,”usesafewoldtunesfrom2007’sBlackout and is about Spearsattackingthepaparazzi.Anotheris the heart filled tune “My Baby,” whichwaswrittenanddedicatedto her two little boys. Asidefromwritingaboutherpersonallife in the album, Spears hasadded some old and also newsoundstotherecord.Thetrack“Blur” could remind some ofBritney’sfansofafamiliartrackoffof2003’s In The Zonecalled

“Early Morning.” Spears hasalsowrittenaslow jam for thealbumcalled“OutFromUnder.”Asmanyyoungadultsgrewup listening tohermusic, andwatchinghergrowthroughtheyears, a lot of people expectedhertokeepthenice,goodytwoshoes princess style that shehad when she was younger.We are all bound to grow upsomeday, and unfortunatelyher growing up was featuredin our lives on MTV. Her druguseand insanitydrivenby thepaparazzi only made mattersworse. There is no such thingas a perfect human being, butshe come close with all thethings she has gone through.

Britney Spears Back On TrackBy: Cynthia Lopez and Esmeralda Zuniga

Staff Writers

2 The CrusaderDecember 2008 FEATURES

EHS Writing Contest Winnerforbeingfat.IfIcouldsayonethingtoclothingdesignerswhomakeclothessizes 1-3-5, I would say “How would you feel going to five different malls, searching all day for a decent outfit to wear? How would you feel having the feetswellfromwalkingalldayandgohomewiththeagonyandpainoffeelinglikeyoudon’tbelonginthisworld?”Notmanycananswerthosequestions. In reality being fat isn’t as unhealthy as the methods of weightloss people try to use. Americans spend billions of dollars oncosmetic surgery, and diet plans doomed to fail. Some resultto starvation, even regurgitation. Constant depression andstress can actually kill a person faster than their weight could.Nowwhenitcomestorelationships,whyisitthatsomepeopleonlyview what’s on the outside? A person can have all the qualities youlookforinapartnerbutjustbecauseofsomelove-handlesorchunkythighs, they’re suddenlynot the type. I onceknewof a guywhowason the quest to find his one true love. Searching and searching, he couldn’t find one girl who met his standards. All he was looking for was a girl who was caring, sweet, thoughtful and trustworthy. Hestumbledupon a young ladywhowashis dreamgirl.His only issuewasthewayshelooked.Hisexcusefornotpursuingarelationshipwithherwasherweight.“Youhaveacuteface,”hesaid,“butI’mjustnotattracted to the body.” That girl was heartbroken. That girl was me.BeingasheartbrokenasIwas,Idecidedthatthatwasenough.Iwasn’tgoingtoletpeoplebringmedownanymore;Iwasn’tgoingtoletmyweightkeepmefromachievingmygoals.SoIdidtheunthinkable.ItriedoutandactuallymadetheCheerleadingsquadatmyhighschool.Notbecausethecoachfeltsorryforme,butbecauseofmyoutstandingskillsandwonderfulpersonality.Ibecameaninspirationtoallplussizegirlsatmyschool,lettingthemknowthatevenwithalittleextrajunkinmytrunk,Istilldidit.Nowdon’tgetmewrong;I’mnotpromotinganunhealthylifestyle.Ijustbelievethatifeveryonelearnedtolovetheskinthey’reinandstoppedcriticizingothersbecauseoftheirbodies,theworldwouldbeamuchbetterplace.Therewouldbenomorestarvationandregurgitationasmeansof losingweight.Nomore teasingorprejudice frombeingoverweight.Andnomoreheartachescausedbypeopletooblindtoseewithinthedepthsofone’ssoul.Acceptanceisthekey.Iamfatorclinicallyobese.I’mpudgy,chunkyoranyothersugarcoatedadjectives.But I’malsocourageous,strong,andmostimportantly,beautifulintheskinI’min….

The first movie adaptation to StephanieMeyer’ssuccessfulTwilightsagapremieredwithpraise,hype,andanticipationamongstdie-hardfansoftheseriesascendeduponmovietheatres across America inNovember.However,itfailedto resonate with generalaudiences outside of theteenage girl demographic,especially those who aren’tfans of Meyer’s mindlessand clichéd series of novelscentered around theromance between BellaSwanandhervampirelover,Edward Cullen. The film, unfortunately, turned outjust as mind-numbinglydull and conventionalas the source material. AftermovingtoForks,Washington from Phoenix,Arizona,Bellaadapts tohernew home with her dad,meets a group of friends inher new school and lateron crosses paths with themysterious Edward Cullen.

After discovering that he isavampirewithadarkpast,shelookspasthisfaultsandpersonality flaws and decides to continue seeing him;eventually, she obsessivelyfalls for him. The rest ishistory (i.e. girl meets boy,falls in love, but somethinggoes terribly wrong; thenthe hero saves the “damselin distress” and they enduplivinghappilyeverafter). Throughoutthecourseof the film, the dim-witted storyunfoldsandcontinuesto carry onawkwardlyuntilthe final scenes which were at least somewhat entertaining(albeit ridden with obviouspoorly-done special effects).Although filmmakers didn’t have much to workwith since the film lacked a big-studio blockbusterbudget,theydealtwiththeirlimitations–asmallbudgetand poor source material

[Continued from page 1]

[Continued on page 3]

“Between ...running away from the press, making music videos, rehearsing, and taking care of her sons...Spears take all this in and

uses it for inspiration...”

By: Christian CaldazillaStaff Writer

Twilight Premiere Bombs Horribly

“How would you feel going to five different malls searaching all day for a different

outfit to wear” --Ericka Walls, senior

By Carlos Espinal & John Hernandez

– accordingly, at the expense of low-budget specialeffects and a cast of young, relatively unknown actors. Regardless of this, the cast did exceptionally wellwithKristenStewartasBellaSwan.Shestoodoutamongstthe rest with the best acting performance by far for anactress her age. Her co-star, Robert Pattinson, however,failed to capture the role of Edward, acting dully with aforcedAmericanaccent.Theoutstandingcinematographywas what saved the film from being a complete disaster – with the stunning scenery of the on-location filming in the Oregon/Washington Pacific Northwest region working in thefavorofthislow-budgetproduction,providingsceneryand natural lighting unparalleled by anything that a bigHollywoodstudiosetcouldcreate(andsomethinginterestingfor non-fans of the series bored with the film to look at). Meyer’s conservative take on this teen romancehas oftenbeenaccusedof being sexist andpre-feminist,with Bella becoming overly-dependant on the controllingand possessive Edward; however, this was not themovie’s biggest failure. It was the mundane sourcematerialofTwilightcoupledwith thedownsideofhavinga low-budget small studio production with a relativelyunknown and inexperienced director that resulted inwhat we saw – a film adaptation of the book that failed totranslate intosomethingengagingenoughtoentertainmoviegoersoutsideof theseries’ easily-pleased fanbase.

[Continued from page 2]Two Thumbs Down for Twilight

“Mycityscreams,sheismyloverandIamherspirit.”This flick is based on a newspaper comic stripseriesbyWillEisner fromthe 1940s. The Spiritis an action packed,super-hero movie.

Opening December25, 2008, The Spirit starsGabrielMachtandSamuelJackson as The Spirit/Denny Colt and Octopus.It was directed by FrankMiller,thecreatorofSin City. The Spirit is a hero,born,murdered,andbornagain, whose mission isto fight and conquer the evil forces lurking in theshadows of Central City.Hisarch-nemesis,Octopusisavillainwhokillsanyoneunlucky enough to seehis face. His plan is todestroytheentirecity.The Spirit must face him andmany other women whoeither want to love himor kill him such as SandSaref, the love of his lifeturnedbad,playedbyEvaMendesandSilkinFloss,apunk secretary and frigidvixen, played by ScarlettJohanson,andLoreleiRox,a phantom siren, playedby Jamie King. Someother women charactersare Ellen Dolan, thewhip-smart girl next doorand the Plaster of Paris,a dangerous nightclubdancer. They surroundThe Spirit at every turn.“TheSpiritisadeparturefrom what they’re usually

seeing as comic bookhero’s.” said Miller.“Iintendtobeextremelyfaithful to the heart andsoulofthematerial,butitwon’tbenostalgic.Itwillbemuch scarier than peopleexpect,”MillertoldVariety.

“TheSpirithimselfhasgotagreatsenseofhumor,heloveswomenandwomenlove him,” Macht said.The Spiritislikesteppinginto a comic book. Greenscreen took a major partin the filming of The Spirit, making the scenesappear as the colorfulbackgrounds of a comic.The Spiritcomicswrittenby Will Eisner went from1940to1952,hewassaidto be the godfather of allcomics. He wrote manystories but none grew aspopular as The Spirit.Unlike the comics, themoviewillincludeOctopus’faceandasitseemshehasa love for large powerfulguns. Another differencealreadyseenisthecostumeworn by The Spirit, in thecomicheworeabluesuitwith a red tie and in thefilm he uses a black suit. Filming started inOctober of 2007 andthe original release datewas January 16, 2009. The Spirit is rated PG-13 for “Intense sequencesof stylized violenceand action as well as

“The Spririt is a departure from what they’re usually seeing as comic book heroes. I intend to be extremely faithful to the heart and soul

of the material...”--Frank Miller, director and writer

The Spirit Lives On in Theaters3The Crusader

December 2008FEATURESBy: Aliana Zamorano

Staff Writers

Midnight Club Los Angeles is the fourth sequel to theMidnight Clubseries.Thebestword to simplify this game isspeed. That’s the main pointofthegame,it’saracinggamethat has to deal with cars.The only thing you have todo in this game is beat theopponents and come in first place. You don’t get a widevariety of cars in this gameonly tuners, muscle, luxury,sports bikes, and exoti cars.InMidnight Club 3 Dub Edition yougetallwhat Midnight Clubhastoofferplusmusclebikes,SUVs,andtrucks.InMidnight club Los Angeles, you get tocustomizethevehicleuntilitiscompletely “pimpedout.”Youcancustomizetheinteriorandtheexteriorofthevehicle.Forthe exterior you can changethefront,rear,andsides.Forthe frontyoucanchange thebumper, headlights, coolingsystem,andgrill.Fortherearyou can alter the bumper,taillights, spoilers, exhaustpipes, and license plate; youcanevenputthenameonthelicenseplate.Onthesidesyou

canchangetheskirtsandthedoors.Youcanalsochangetherimsandtiresandthesizeandwidth. The color designs areincredible,pre-madedesignsthat seem really complicatedtocreate.EverycarinMidnight ClubLosAngeleshasachoiceof four different specialabilities:zone, agro, roar, andEMP. Zone allows the car tocompletely slow down so youcan maneuver through tightspots. Agro allows the car togain invincibility for a shorttime so you can crash intoother cars and not take anydamagetothecar.Roarallowsthecartogiveoffabigsoundwave that blows everythingaround away. EMP gives thecarashortelectricchargesothatwhenyouhitanotherracernext to you, they completelystopforashortperiodoftime.All these powers could helpwin a race. The performancepartiswhatmakesupmostofthecar.Itgivesthecarspeed,acceleration,andnitrous.Thenitrousisthemostexpensiveperformancepartinthestore,it cost about $50,000. There

are a lot of different streetracers thatwant tochallengeyouthatcanwinyourewardsif you win. The story of thisgame starts with a man youwork for Karol, he helps youmostofthewaywithgame,themain point is that this otherguy named Brooke stole oneof Karol’s cars and he wantsto get it back. Throughout

the game you will also helpBrookebutyouaren’t;youarejusttryingtogainhistrustsoKarol can get his ride back. The one thing thattakes away from the qualityofthegameisthefewchoicesof cars. However, overall thisis a good game with goodgraphics.Thisisagreatsequelto the Midnight Club series.

By: Stephen SinghStaff Writer

Midnight Club LA Sequel: A Great Addition

By Carlos Espinal & John Hernandez

first think of personal behaviors that need improvementand relate it to one’sultimatedesiresandaspirations.Thishelpspeopletothinkaboutwhattheywanttocontributetotheworld around them. Fulfilling others’ needs, helpingoutcommunities,andthinkingabouttheenvironmentcanbridgeworldstogether,filling the world with happier individuals. Surveys have shown that amongstteenagers, some of the most common NewYear’s resolutions include getting in shape,donating one’s time through volunteering,studying hard to reap the benefits in the future,andsaying“No!”tocigarettes,drugs,and alcohol. Those are four major goals.Just imagine making a personal choicethat’s so great, it evenhas a positive effecton other people or on one’s surroundings.Littlestepsgoalongway,especiallyifone’sresolutioninvolvesacommitmenttoasocialcause.NewYear’s resolutions givepeople achancetolookatthebiggerpicture.Peoplemake up many pieces of the puzzle of life,so it is each individual’s job to contribute. Improving our own lives is the first step in improving our world. Resolutionscan inspire, push, test, and changeindividuals. This infamous cycle of goalsand attainment is what makes resolutionssomething to think about every year.

FEATURES4 The CrusaderDecember 2008

Themostrecognizablefashion among youngadults in 2008 is the“scene” style. Broughtabout by the emolabel, scene is themetamorphosis from thedrab and sad emo lookto a much happier andbrighter fashion trend.Emomusicfromthe‘90swasthebasisforthefadthathasbecomepopularin the last few years.Emokidsaredescribedas sad and depressedloners who keep tothemselves and listen todepressingmusicorwrite

poetry.Hairisthebiggesttrademark of emo kidsasthestylecallsfordyedhair and slanted bangsover one eye. They areoftencategorizedasbeingemotional and listen tobandsthatplaysadsongs.Such bands includeDashboard confessionaland Hawthorne Heights. The emo stereotypecompletely differs fromthehappy-go-luckyscenekid fashion. Happy,bright, and loud, scenekids are referred to asthe “preppy emo”. Thesignature looks include

the angled hair cut,skinny jeans, and bandtees.Neoncolorhairdye,HelloKittyhairpins,andsmiles separate scenefrom emo. Hair style isthe most important partof any scene look. Girlssometimes chop theirhairshortandputmulti-colored extensions onto make a dramatic andexotic look.Boysusuallyhave the same emo-kid hairstyle-- feminineironed-straight hair. Withoutadoubt themost interesting aspecttosomeoftheirhairstylesare the raccoon stripes.Strands ofhair aredyedinhorizontalstripeswitha different color makingit a very unique style.Hairbowsareamust-have for any scene girl,along with neon coloredskinny jeans courtesyof Hot Topic. Many liketo wear over-sized sunglasses and buy noveltytoys,andaccessoriesjustto take pictures with.Thescenelookfollowsmany threads of fashionfrom the ‘80s. Thisdecadeisoneofthemostpopular decades of the21stcenturyandthemes

from the 80s play a bigroleinmostsceneattire.Patterned jackets andretro accessories, oncepopular in the 80s, arefavorites among scenekids. A lot of slang fromthe 80s is also usedincludingrad,andstellar.Scene kids also like touse a lot of old Hip-Hopslangandmakeupwordslike “kiid” and “fosho.” The music genreswidely associated andpraised by this fashionareElectronica,Poprock,Hip-Hop,andIndiemusic.Favorite bands includeCuteIsWhatWeAimForand Paramore. Myspaceisthemeccaforallscenekidsandtheplacetoshowoff their modeling skills.Mostscenekidstakelotsofpicturesandpostall

Photo By: Amanda Hernandez

By: Amanda HernandezStaff Writer

Spotlight: A Look Back On the “Scene” Revolutionofthemonline.Theytakenumbers of poses andtend to be very creative.OneofthebiggesticonsscenegirlsidolizeisHelloKitty,alongwiththeirlovefordinosaurs,robots,andninjas.Scene is justoneofthestylemovementsof2008andit’smadeabigbanginthefashionworld.It’s not a stereotype,though it’s easy to figure outsomeofthecommonelementsthatrelatescenekids to one another, buteach is original in theirownway.Peoplecopyoffof each other when theysee something they likeandinthismodernworldit’s hard to find anything original anymore.Scenekidsjusthappentostandoutrightnowasauniquetrendfrom2008.

“Scene is just one of the style movements of 2008

and it’s made a big bang in the fashion world.”

December31stisauniversalholiday.MostpeopleconsiderNewYear’sEveandNewYear’sDay as perfect opportunities to reflect on the past and set new goals for the future. It’salsoatimewhenmanypeoplebeginthinkingahead about possible travel plans andimportantupcomingevents.Yetoverall, themostcommonlyheldbeliefaboutNewYear’sisthatit’stheseasontobeopportunistic.Thisiswhenpeople take the initiative to lookatlife with a fresh, new perspective—and apply thatwayofthinkingintoallnewexperiences.Some people set goals to break bad habitsas others try to learn from their past andformgoodhabits.Theideaofsettinggoalsattheverybeginningofthecalendaryearandreaching thesegoals throughout theyear isknownasaNewYear’sresolution.Thinkingthoroughly about what types of goals onewantstomake,canhelpformanachievableresolution. Sticking to a promise requirescommitment.Thereareafewstepsthatonemustfollowtohelpmakeitwork.Changeisn’teasyforeveryone,that’sonereasonwhytheplanningphase isa vitalpartofdevelopinga good New Year’s resolution. Some peopleend up setting unrealistic goals that aretoo difficult for them to follow through with. For that reason, before making aNew Year’s resolution, there are a few

By: Karina AswaniStaff Writer

considerations one may want to keep inmind:Whydo Iwant tomake thischange?Isitachievablethisyear?Isitrealistic?Andif not, how can I make it a reality? Howwill this new commitment improve my life? A New Year’s resolution is believed tobe nothing more than a starting point.Resolutions are set in one day, but canonlybeaccomplishedby takingsmallstepsthroughout the year—maybe for the rest of one’slife.Inthatcase,oneshouldexpecttheirplan to change; that’s why being flexible is a big part of fulfilling one’s New Year’s resolution.

Life does, and will, throw curve balls.The most important part is howone handles and accepts change. It all starts with a solid, well thought-out resolution. Reflecting on the past and planning ahead go hand in hand. To worktowardsbecomingabetterperson,onemust

A Revision of New Year’s Resolutions As We Know Them

“This is when people take the initiative to look at life with a

fresh, new perspective.”

Withhalftheschoolyearyettocome,thisschoolhasseenitsfairshareoftopperform-ingathletes.Whiletheyhaveall represented our schoolproudlyandhavehelpedourteamsshine,atthetopofthelist is Philippe Cury. If youfollow Sunset Soccer thenyou all ready know who heisandifyoudon’t,youhaveto see this kid play! His po-sition on the field is Attack-ing Midfield and he wears

thenumber sixteenproudly.Philippehasplayedinsixout of the seven games thisyear. In those six games hehas scored four goals andhadtwoassistshe isalmostguaranteedofmakingagoalagame.Whilethere’snodeny-ingthisathlete’ssoccerskills,you have to love how muchhearthehas.Philippeinjuredhisrightankleaweekbeforetheseasonopener.SincethatgamePhilippehasnotmissedanother one. While the doc-tors told him he should notplay on it for two months,

Philippe could not just siton the sidelines and watchhisteamstruggletowin.“MyfreshmanyearIhadtomissmostof theseasondue toaback injury. I told the doc-torandcoachesstraightup,Iamnotgoingtomissoutonthisseasontoo!Theonlywaythey’re getting me off thatsoccer field is if it they cut my right leg off,” said Cury. Cury’s teammatesknowjust how much he has to

offer to the team and arehappy to have him back.“Philippe brings Experi-ence, technical ability, goodtransitional moves and he’sgood at distributing theball,” said Frankie. A pret-ty impressive resume andthat just goes to show howhigh Philippe’s teammatesthink of him as a player. Philippe, now a junior,alsoplayedhisfreshmanandsophomoreyear.Sohisgoalsfor this year on the field are pretty straight forward-- towin states. Sunset has not

won states since its 2005seasonandPhilippehopeshecanhelpbringonebackbeforehistimeisup.“Yeah.Itwouldbe nice to finish the year off leading in goals, assists orany other personal achieve-ment goals, but at the endof theday itmeansnothing.Iwould ratherwin statesasateamanydayoverpersonalachievements,”Philippesaid. Off the field, Philippe’s goals don’t shy away from soccereither.Hehopestogetintoagoodcollegewerehecanplaysoccerandgetagoodeduca-tion. “I’m starting to reallytaketheeducationpartseri-ousandnotjustsoccer,”saidPhilippe.“Youneedtohaveaneducationtoo,whathappenswhenyouareplayingsoccerasacareerandthenhavetohang it up due to a seriousinjuryorsomeotherreason?” Hopefully Philippe cangiveahelpinghandinbring-ing Sunset Soccer back toState Champions statues.He has already contributedto this team with winningdistricts last year. He evenhad the game winning passthat lead to a one to zerowinoverCoralPark.Thehotstart he has all ready gotoff too, and the amount ofheart he has shown playingon an injured ankle shouldonlyhelpouthischancesofhelpingSunsetsoccerreturnto the State Championship.

Athlete of the MonthBy: Garrett Culp

Staff Writer

“My freshman year I had to miss most of the season...I I am not going to miss out on this season

too!”--Philippe Cury, junior

5The CrusaderDecember 2008SPORTS

ArsenalFootballClub:mypride,mypassion,myjoy.Ilovethisclubasifitwerealivingbeing,abrother.Suchan illustrious history, lostduringtheearly1990s,whenaperiodofmediocritycausedthe Arsenal to stagnate andlanguish in mid-table flux. They were labeled “Boring,boring Arsenal” by punditsand opposing fans alike. Itsnot that theclubwasbad, itwas the fact theydidn’thavetheproperguidance.Thetal-ent was definitely there: Den-nisBergkampbecameone ofthegreatestplayersofalltime.Tony Adams, Nigel Winter-burn,andMartinKeownwerethe most feared defenders intheEnglishgameatthetime.Arsenalhadallthemakingsofachampionshipwinningside;theteamjustdidn’thaveacat-alyst. The catalyst arrived intheformofawidelyunknownFrench manager named Ar-sene Wenger. Wenger hadbeenmanagingJapanesesideNagoyaGrampusEightwhenhewasapproachedbytheAr-senal board. He was officially

signedtotheclubonSeptem-ber 28th, 1996. Wenger hadpreviously won the FrenchLigue one with A.S. Monacoand the J-League with Na-goya,but thatwasabout theextentofhisexperience.Dur-ing his first season at Arsenal, herevampedtheteam,impos-ingastrictdietontheplayers,who had been left quite unfit by their previous manager,PatRice,whoisnowArsene’sright hand man. He broughtin future superstars such asPatrickVieira,EmmanuelPe-tit,andtalismanicstrikerThi-erryHenry.Theplayershehadinherited, Dennis Bergkampand Tony Adams primarily,were extremely talented, andWenger, with his great man-management skills, unlockedtheirfullpotential,catapultingthemtosuperstardom.Inonlyhis second season in charge,heledArsenaltotheirsecondDomesticDouble(TheEnglishPremiershipTitleandtheF.A.Cup).Hediditagainin2002.But perhaps his crowingachievement, his footballingmagnumopus,wasthe2004-

2005 season. Arsene Wengerbecame the first manager to leadanEnglishfootballteamthrough a whole season un-defeated.Itwasamomentousachievement,ahugelandmarkinEnglishandworldfootball.Tothisday,ArseneWengerisstill inchargeatArsenal,be-ing theclub’s longestservingmanagerandthesecondlon-gest serving manager in thehistory of the English game.He’sbeenat thehelm for12years and doesn’t look likequitting any time soon. Foranyfan,amanagerisgaugedonly on his success. Wengerisbelovedbyhisconstituents,theArsenalfans.Heisarevo-lutionaryintheworldoffoot-ball. Hechanged the faceofEnglish footballwithhisphi-losophy of not only winning,but winning with class andstyle. All of Arsene Wenger’ssideshaveplayedwithanall-out attacking mentality. Hepromotes flair, promotes pa-nache, much as the nationalsidesofBrazilandtheNether-landsdo.Moderndayfootballisdrivensolelybytheresult.

Most managers mimic theCatenaccio,adistinctlyItalianstrategy consisting of playingwith a solely defensive men-tality,takingadvantageofoneortwocounterattackchancesthroughout the game. Thisstrategywasusedtogreatef-fectby2004Europeancham-pions, Greece. The flair-filled, attack-minded, vastly more

talented Portuguese squadsuccumbed in the final to a stubborn Greek defence. Af-ter this monumental upset,managers world-wide startedmimickingthestrategyoftheGreeks, sacrificing style for results.ArseneWenger,how-ever, stoodaloneon theoth-er side. He was the only topmanager who did not throwawayhisphilosophy,his ide-als forvictory.He is theonlyone who infused his philoso-phywithadesire for victory.Hedidnotgobackonhiside-als. He stood as a championforall the footballingpurists,all those who truly love thegame,thosewhowouldrathersee20intricatepassesbeforea goal than a defender hoofing a ball upfield and hoping the forwards can do somethingwith it. With the fundamen-tals of the game dying, it istrulybraveofaman tostickto his philosophy and thatiswhatWengerhasdone.Arsene Wenger has alwaysput emphasis on the finan-cialaspectoffootballaswell.Modern day football has be-comemoreofabusinessthana sport. Footballers are paidexorbitantwagesfortheirser-vices.Clubspayhugetransferfeestoacquiretheservicesofthe world’s best footballers.Just this summer, Braziliansuperstar Robinho movedto Manchester City FootballClub for 32.5 million Britishpounds. Bulgarian strikerDimitar Berbatov transferredtoManchesterUnitedFootballClub for 30.5 million Britishpounds. Another Brazilianmaestro, Ronaldinho, movedtoA.C.Milan fora fee in theregionof20-25millionEuros.Similar to the current stateof Wall Street, the economyof world football is spiralingout of control. The smallerclubs simply cannot competewiththegiantsbecauseoftheeconomic disparities betweenthem.Arsenal,underWengerhas not allowed the club’s fi-nancial success to become afootballing powerhouse. Ar-

sene Wenger graduated fromthe University of Strasbourgas an economist and this isevident inhis tightwageandtransfer fee constraints. Themost expensive dealing Ar-senal has ever done was 13million British pounds forFrenchman Sylvain Wiltord.Hisgeniustranscendsfootball;itleaksintohiseconomicac-

tionsaswell.OneofWenger’sfirst transfer dealings was the purchase of 18-year oldNicolas Anelka from ParisSaint-Germanforapaltryfeeof500,000Britishpounds.Afew years later, Wenger soldthe young Frenchman toSpanish giants Real Madridforahuge22,000,000Euros.Itwasagemoftransferbusi-ness,earningtheclubenoughmoney to purchase playerssuch as Thierry Henry, Rob-ertPires,andFredrikLgung-berg, integral parts of theaforementioned undefeatedArsenalsquad.Tothisday,hekeeps the wage budget tight.He has developed an insis-tenceonyouthplayerswithalot of potential, who demandlowerwagesandwhohe canmold into future superstars.This past summer, he onlyspentabout22millionBritishpounds, his most expensivebuybeing21-yearoldFrenchstarlet Samir Nasri. Wengerdoesn’t only think about thepresentandtrophiesnow;in-stead, he assures the futuresuccessoftheclub.Heshowsthat he doesn’t need moneytoachievewhat’sbestfortheclub.Heuseshispsychologi-calintellect,histacticalprow-ess,andhiseconomicsavvytoleadArsenaltosilverware.Asyou can see, my admirationfor this commendable mangoes beyond my love for thefootball club he manages. Itisa fundamentaladmiration.Ilovepure,attackingfootball.Idobelievethatfootballisnotabout money. Football is asportaboutpassionandintel-ligence,notmoneyandmind-less efficiency. Arsene Wenger is an advocate of the gameworldwide. His teams playwith the kind of fast-pacedstyle that true fans want tosee. He makes sure that histeams always play with flair and panache, winning andstyle and entertaining themasses.ArseneWengershowswhyfootballiscalledthebeau-tiful game. Arsene Wenger isa true champion of football.

“Arsene Wenger became the first manager to lead and English

football team through a whole season undefeated.”

The Arsenal Football Club: The History Behind ItBy: Fidel Leblanc

Staff Writer

FEATURES

should be aware of. Warning labels,apparently, are meantfor the asinine people

of society. Who reallyneeds to be “warned”that consumption ofClorox is harmful toone’s health? Forthose people who areclueless to this fact,theyshouldjustdown

abottleofthestuffandfind out for themselves. The stupidityof people seriously

neverceasestoamaze.Windexnowhastoputa warning label thatsays “DO NOT SPRAYIN EYES.” It doesnot take a genius torealize that sprayinga strong chemical

The Crusader

StaffEditorial Board:

Features/ Entertainment: Katerina Sardi

Editorials: Roseyln Anglade

Sports: Amberli Prieto

Center Spread: Jacqueline Vienes

Tribute to the Arts: Karla Barrios

Staff Writers: Genesis Alvear Karina Aswani Gabrielle Cruz

Branden Duasso Kiara Eijo

Amanda Escasena Alexandra Salas Stephen Singh William Valdes

Aliana Zamorano Adriana Arcos

Amanda Hernandez Juan Oritz

Christian CalzadillaGarrett Culp

Carlos EspinalJohn Hernendez Cynthia Lopez

Angelica Quezada Enrique Senger

Esmeralda Zuniga Maricielo Solis

Advisor: JulianaCarreira

Editor-in-Chief:AuraAltamiranda

Visitusat:www.myspace.com/

crusaderstaff&

http://sunset.high.k12.fl.us/

thecrusader

TheCrusaderisamonthlypublica-

tionofMiamiSunsetSeniorHighSchool

13125SW72STMi-ami,Florida33183(305)385-4255TheviewsexpressedaresolelythoseofTheCrusaderstaff.TheCrusaderwelcomessignedletterstotheeditorwhichmay

beeditedforspace.PleasebringtoRoom

227.

Warning labelsarefoundoneverythingfrom householdcleaners to peanutbutter.And,althoughtheconceptofwarninglabels is a good idea,dowereallyneedtobeinformedofthehazardofinsertingaforkintoan electrical outlet orthe threat posed byblowdryingthehairinabathtub?Surprisinglynumerous people stillwonderwhyweappearto be becoming lessintelligent and lackingcommonsenseasasociety.Warninglabelshavebecomeabsolutelyridiculousandabsurd,informing us of thepossible dangers,anyone with themental developmentof a six year old child

cleaning product intheeyesmightstingabitandseverelyirritatethe eyes. Sleeping pillmanufacturers nowhavetoalertthepublicthat their pills maycause drowsiness.Peanut butter makerssadly need to cautionconsumers that theirproduct containspeanuts; for fear thatthose people allergicto peanuts may enterastateofanaphylacticshock,afterconsumingtheir peanut butter. Warning labelmakers are effectivelypointingouttheobvioustothe imbecilesof thepopulation and theyare also successfullyannoyingtherestofuswhodohaveanymentalcapacity whatsoever.

Two lane black-top, winding streetblocks, and theinfamous Kendall

drive;allthesethingsthe average driversees everyday whiledriving in Miami. Inmost places drivingis a tedious task, ameans to an end.Some individualsevenenjoydrivingasapasttime.InMiamidriving is a differentbeast altogether.Each time a driverenterstheircar,everyminute is a constantstruggle forhis lives. Maybe it isbecause of theyoung age at whichrestrictedlicensescanbeissued(asearlyas15yearsold)andthesubsequent age thatlegitimate Driver’sLicenses are issued(16) but driving inMiami is always adangerous ordeal.BaddriversinMiamiarelikepigeonsinNew

York. You can’t turnaroundwithoutseeingsomeone tailgating,breaking quickly in

traffic or committing some other idioticdriving maneuver.And once you turnback around you’llfind that someone is backing up intoyou. The questionisn’t,“Howmanybaddrivers are there inMiami?”Thequestionis, “How many gooddrivers are there?” Ms. Martinez,the Film and T.V.Production teacherat Sunset, says, “Ithink old peopleshouldn’t drive. It’shazardousandMiamiseems to have theworst drivers ever.” Elderly driversaren’tjusthazardous,they’re tantamounttodeath.Therehavebeen more than afew news reportson an elderly driveraccidently running

people over. It’sunderstoodthatsomeofthemneedtodriveas much as anyoneelse, but there mustbe some kind ofsolution to their lackof attention, drivingprowess, and vision. AutoVantage,a Connecticut-based automobilemembership, haslistedMiamiashometotheworstandrudestdrivers in America(closely followed byChicago).Askanyoneon the street andthey’ll have a fewchoice words aboutdriversinMiami.Butare they really theworstinthecountry? H e c t o rMontano, senior,recentlyhadsomeoneback up into his carright in the schoolparkinglot.Bothcarswereabout to turnacornerwhenthefrontcarsuddenlyreversed

to allow someoneto pass. Withoutlooking behind him,the careless driverbacked up into theleft side of the frontof Montano’s car,chipping some paintintheprocess.Livinguptothetitleofrudestdrivers in America,the unwitting driverturned around inhisseatandactuallyyelled at Montano. “It’sridiculous,”says the frustratedMontano, “When Isteppedouttotalktohim,hejustdroveoff.” Ridiculous isright.PeopleinMiamijust seem to drivewith the mentalitythattheroadbelongsto them. The mostimportant factors inbeing a good driverarebeingcarefulandconsiderate, bothof which seem to beexcluded in Miami’sdriver hand book.

“The question isn’t, ‘How many bad drivers are there in Miami?’ The question is, ‘How many good

drivers are there?”

“I think old people shouldn’t drive. It’s hazardous and

Miami seems to have the worst drivers ever.”

--Ms. Martinez, Television Production teacher

By: Amberli PrietoStaff Writer

By: Carlos EspinalStaff Writer

Warning: Do NOT Read This Story

Driving in Miami: Too Much Hazard to Handle

6 The CrusaderDecember 2008 EDITORIALS

By Carlos Espinal & John Hernandez

7The Crusader

December 2008

ForyouIwouldclimbThehighestmountainpeakSwimthedeepestoceanItsTheloveIdoseek.

ForyouIwouldcrossTheriversmostwideWalkthehottestdesertsandTohaveyoubymyside.

ForyouaretheoneWhomakesmewholeYou’vecapturedmyheartAndtouchedmysoul.

ForyouaretheoneThatsteppedoutofmydreamsGavemenewhopeShowedmewhatlovemeans.

ForyoualoneAremyreasontoliveForthecompassionyoushowAndthecarethatyougive.

YoucameintomylifeAndmademecompleteEachtimeIseeyouMyheartskipsabeat.

For you define beautyInbothbodyandmindThesoft,gentlefaceMorebeautyI’llneverfind.

ForyouaretheoneGodsentfromaboveTheangelIneededForwhomIdolove.

M&M’sandlightscol-oredRed,white,andgreenColdweatherandsnowanglesSomethingpeoplefromMiamineverfeelorseeHotchocolateandsnowmancookiesSosoftandsoyummyFruitcakeandginger-breadmancookiesMakesmewarmandhappyinmytummyDecoratingthehousewithreindeersandsleighsI’msoscaredtogetontheroofandputthelightsupFormybraveryIshouldgettwogiftsOrmaybethreeorfour,yupChristmasshoppingisfunButlonglinesmakemesadIespeciallylikeshop-pinginsecretPresentsformysib-lings,momanddadButthebestpartofChristmasiswhatIgetI’llprobablyhaveanewcameraOrmaybeanewItouchIbetChristmaswillbegonesoenjoyitwhileit’shereBecauseoncethepresentsareopenedWe’llhavetowaitan-otheryear

TRIBUTE TO THE ARTS

Illustration by: AngieQuesada

Yoshi’s Christmas Onecalmwinter’sday,itwaschillyoutandeveryonewasanticipatingthecomingweek--Christmas.Butwhattheydidn’tknowwasthatSantadidn’thaveplansforthatthisChristmas.Atleast,notallofhumansknewhewasn’t.SantahadbeentalkingtotheHomelandSecurityunitintheEasternUnitedStatestoensuretheskieswerecleartoroamthrough.Onachilly“TakeTheChildtoWorkDay,”GeneralDavidsontookhisdaughter,Lily,tohisjob.NowGeneralDavidsonwasinthehighestrankinHomelandSecurity.Lilywassittinginachairforaboutanhourbeforehercuriousitybegantoconsumeher.Shelookedeverywhereforsomethinginterestingtodo.Shecameacrosssomeverycolorfullettersonatable.Theycaughthereye,sosheranuptothemandsawthattheywerefromSanta.Shestartedtoreadinorder.Theyhadbeensentfrompreviousyears.ShecameacrossasealedenvelopedatedDecember18th.Shedecideditwouldbebestforachildtoreaditinsteadofanadult.Theletterread“Startingnowallelvesarestoppingfactoryproduction,becauseeconomyishorridhere.Weallquit.Therewillofficially be no Christmas.” Lily couldn’t catch her breathe. She hid the letterinherbagimmediately.Withherperipherals,shecaughtagiftbox.Sheapproachedit,grabbedit,andranwithittothebathroom.Sheripped apart the bag to find a doll, a potion, a box, Santa’s great wish list, and a note. The note said, “This doll can turn into whatever youwant.Theboxwill containanypresentyouwish forandcanmultiplyendlessly.” Lily couldn’t believe her eyes. She went back to the chairshe had sat so long in, grabbed her father’s keys, and rushed to thecar to stash thebox.When shewenthome, she thought and thoughtfor hours, she knew she couldn’t tell anyone about Christmas failing.SoonshefellasleepanddreamtaboutaworldwithoutChristmas.The nightmare ended with Lily’s fall to the floor. She opened her eyes and knewwhatshehadtodo.Shegrabbedthefacelessdollandtightenedhereyes,thenwishedthatthedollwasSantaandhissleighofreindeer.

POOF! The roof thumped. She ran out and heard, “Ho ho ho!” She saw areadySantastandingonherroofbutnopresents.Sheranbackinsideandgrabbedtheboxandthewish list.Shecameoutandwishedthateveryone’s presents on the list would become real and would stuffinto Santa’s enormous pouch. Then she yelled, “You need to deliverall these gifts to these addresses.” She gave him the list and he flew into the freezing abyss. Christmas was saved and nobody knew ofthis yound girl’s selfless act. In a way, she preferred it that way. Fame was overrated anyway. By: Branden Duasso

Lily Saves Christmas

The Grinch Stealing ChristmasIllustrationby:JohnHernandez

For You Are The One

By:JuanOrtiz

AMulti-Colored

Christmas By: Cynthia Lopez

Happy HolidaysIllustrationby:AngieQuesada

8 The CrusaderDecember 2008