Volume 7, Issue 1

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The Wildcat Chronicles

Westland Hialeah Senior High

Rejoice, citizens of Wildcat nation, our school recently

opened the Wildcat Depot to buy all kinds of school goodies

and the credit union opened its doors inside the school. The

credit union, having opened on October 6th, will be officially

known as: The Wildcat Credit Union. Students will be able to

visit said institution in the auditorium area near the existing

Wildcat Depot.

An inauguration for the opening of the Wildcat Credit

Union took place on Monday, October 6th, 2014 . Opening an

account will not be limited to any age group and its services will

be available Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10:00 am to 2:45

pm. All students, parents, and staff are invited to open an ac-

count! There will be a minimum deposit of five dollars, which

will be already included in your balance. Accounts will be avail-

able both online and in any South Florida Credit Union institu-

tion.

Director of activities, Mrs. Katrina Cordova, said that

the credit union will help students acquire the necessary skills

to manage a real account. In regards to the success of this pro-

ject, the activities director and South Florida Credit Union offi-

cials hold an optimistic view of the students financial capabili-

ties, having said that students will have the financial capacity to

maintain efficient accounts.

The clock is set, start saving for future investments

with an initiative of five dollars in our Wildcat Credit Un-

ion. Plus, don't forget to show your support for Wildcat nation

by acquiring beads and your very own Wildcat spirit tattoo,

amongst other goodies, at the Wildcat Depot!

Westland's faculty has decided to go green! This tran-

sition began with a message from the Miami-Dade district in-

troducing schools to the BYOD policy. Along with this policy

came the switch from textbooks to tablets for the class of

2018, and the limitation on the amount of papers that can be

printed in school for earth-friendly purposes.

The addition of the BYOD policy is what sparked this

environmental change in our school. BYOD stands for: Bring

Your Own Device. This approach allows students to bring their

devices, such as phones, tablets, and laptops, to school and

use them in class for academic purposes. The BYOD policy also

lets students download apps such as, Edmodo and Remind,

that keeps them connected with their teachers and school

work at all times.

The main change has been the replacement of text-

books to tablets for the class of 2018. At the beginning of this

school year, freshmen received tablets that they will be using

in class as a substitute to using textbooks. In the current class

of 2018, Lourdes Gonzalez, said "The tablets are really useful in

school, however at home I find using my computer more com-

fortable". Freshmen will continue receiving tablets until all

classes at Westland Hialeah use tablets, instead of textbooks.

Along with these technological changes came the restriction

on papers to be printed in school. In order to be an eco-

friendly school, the faculty has limited the amount of copies

that can be printed by teachers for all of their classes. Instead,

teachers now can post class papers on websites or applica-

tions.

Slowly but surely, our school is becoming an earth

friendly learning environment.

Wildcats Go Wild: Depot, Accounts, and Credit Union

By: Jatniel Carvajal

Westland Is Going Green

By: Kevin Ordaz

Volume 7, Issue 1

Feminism is the political, social, economic equality of the sexes. Many people have a misconception of feminists

and women rights. No, it is not men hating or any other social stigma that you might have heard. It's about women wanting

to be treated equal to men in society.

Recent statistics show, women get paid about 27 % less then men. For example, imagine if your mother and your

friend's dad have the same job, same degree, and the only difference is that he's still getting paid more. Women are paid

eighty two cents for every dollar a man earns.

Equally important, feminism in the social aspect has nothing to do with thinking we're better than men or anyone

else for that matter. It's all about the way society views women. Feminism brings awareness to all, including having a voice

in delicate topics. Recently, Harry Potter star, actress Emma Watson, gave a speech to the United Nations Organization, in

which she talked about equality, not only for women but for men as well. He For She is a global campaign for men to take a

stand on gender equality, for women rights and the benefit of men as well. "I want men to take up this mantle. So their

daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and

human too."

Fortunately, women and men are helping to fix the inequality of women that is present in society. Although there

are still some issues that will take some time to change, with woman speaking out around the world and others taking a

stand as well, we will be able to see a refined and true way for gender equality to come be the norm.

"Wendy Davis Overstates How Much Full-time Working Women Make in Texas Compared to Men." @politifact. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.

"Emma Watson Spotlights Feminism at United Nations." POLITICO. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.

What Is Feminism?

By Dashielly Quintero

HOSA, which stands for Health Occupations

Students of America, is a club available here at our

school for anyone interested in pursuing a career in

the health science field. The purpose of the HOSA

organization is to develop leadership and technical

skills in its members by providing them with many

opportunities to help meet the needs of the health

community field. One of its goals is to help students

make realistic career choices and seek successful

employment in the health science field. Club sponsor,

Lieutenant Espinosa, says "HOSA is an excellent oppor-

tunity for students that are interested in pursuing a

career in the health science field to see the real life

jobs as they are being performed." There will be

many educational fieldtrips and activities coordinated

by the members. If interested in joining, speak to Lieu-

tenant Espinosa in room 215.

Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://hosa.org/

node/115

The HOSA Club

By: Yasneli Alonso

THE WILDCAT CHRONICLES The Wildcat Chronicles mission is to inform & entertain all students, faculty, and staff with everything Wildcat.

Westland Hialeah Senior High

4000 West 18th Avenue

Hialeah FL, 33012

(305) 818-3000 Ext: 2198 Editor in Chief: Felipe Martinez

Layout Editor: Lourdes Gonzalez

Managing Editor: Rshwined Scott

Editorial: Alejandro Rodriguez, Lourdes Gonzalez

Entertainment Editor: Felipe Martinez

Photo Editor: Jatniel Carcajal, Kevin Ordaz,

Staff Writers: Kevin Ordaz, Jatniel Carvajal, Dashielly Quintero, Yasneli Alonso, Lourdes Gonzalez,

Rshwined Scott, Felipe Martinez, Alejandro Rodriguez, Angel Garcia, and Karen Marrero

Adviser: Ms. Arlene Socorro

Volume 7, Issue 1

Since the growth of the cocaine distribution in Colombia, corruption has been a critical problem in Latin America and its neighbors in the Antilles. Trinidad and To-bago, two islands located in a vital South America-Europe shipping route has been the target shipping port for the forbidden narcotics. The accessibility to drugs has lead to the growth of urban and suburban gang groups, where police are often corrupt and the low socio-economic levels have led to a rising dependency on community gangs for protection. In the last years, political turmoil and gang wars has caused a spike in murder rates, leaving the question of whom to blame the situation on, corrupted politicians or community gang leaders.

The people of urban and suburban Trinidad and

Tobago rely on a system of local leaders to defend their

communities from rival gang groups that control territories.

The government is accused of corruption and targets com-

munity leaders for bribes and unstated purposes. The state

blames the local police for their weakness in combating

crime and their long known history of corrupt activities

within the forces. Political analysts predict that the rising

murder rates would continue to exist unless the govern-

ment takes legislative action to refine the political system

and starts to construct trust within the common popula-

tion.

“Trinidad and Tobago | VICE News." VICE News RSS. Web.

22 Sept. 2014.

Trinidad & Tobago: Islands of Corruption

By: Jatniel Carvajal

In light of Ally Week at our school, our LGBT+ or

MOGAI (Marginalized Orientations Gender Alignments and

Intersex) students were reassured of their safety within

Westland’s walls. Around the world this safety isn’t assured

for those who identify within the LGBT+ umbrella, being

prosecuted for their identities. LGBT youth are four times

more likely to commit suicide and otherwise questioning

teens are three times more likely than those who are

straight.

The reason for these high death rates come from

two factors: parental denial and school bullying. Parents typi-

cally don’t realize that their child’s gender identity and sexu-

ality is not a choice but a truth for them, and thus believe

that they can “teach” them to be straight or cisgender (when

youth gender correlates with your physical sex). This is a

common misconception and makes way for different disor-

ders within these youths, and commonly causes parents to

even throw out their children. Bullying within school is higher

for LGBT youth, 85%-90% having been verbally bullied.

Around 40% of LGBT students have been physically harassed

and 20% have been physically attacked by their peers. Bully-

ing and parental rejection come from these similar causes.

It is a difficult to comprehend for some because of

strict religious views for some. Many don’t realize the kind of

damage they deal to LGBT youth by denying their identity

and by restricting their ability to grow, they are damaged and

forced into toxic relationships or environments. This can be

avoided by more open thinking and acceptance, as even the

smallest gesture can be monumental to someone.

Facts About Suicide." The Trevor Project. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://

www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/facts-a bout-suicide>.

"LGBT Youth Suicide: As Serious As It Is Preventable." Goodtherapy. Web. 1

Dec. 2014. <http:// www.goodtherapy.org/blog/LGBT-youth-suicide-as-

serious-as-it-is-preventable-0916134>.

LGBT Suicide Prevention

By: Lourdes Gonzalez

Volume 7, Issue 1

ALS: A Silent Disease

By: Lourdes Gonzalez

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the world by storm; from celebrities to political figures, everyone fell in love

with the chilly trend. Of course, it's not all fun and games—the truth is that ALS is very serious degenerative disease.

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and it is a condition that affects

the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It causes motor neurons to slowly degenerate, meaning the person steadily

loses the movement of their muscles. The brain no longer has the ability to send signals to start and control the muscles

movements. This steady degeneration causes the patient to become paralyzed after a few years and eventually leads to

death.

Currently, there is no cure or treatment for ALS, although there is currently one FDA approved drug for I-- Rilu-

zole slows the progression of the disease. As of now, there are multiple

clinical trials going on for different drugs. Certain devices and types of

therapies for ALS are available, though, with the intention of giving pa-

tients the most independence as possible and prolong their lives.

"What Is ALS?" - The ALS Association. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Wildcats in

Action

Volume 7, Issue 1

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or as it’s

called by United States: Official Islamic State of Iraq and

the Levant (ISIL), are a military group made up of funda-

mentalist Sunni Muslims and Foreign Jihadist. ISIS has been

terrorizing parts of Iraq and Syria with their extreme and

savage tactics as they attempt to convert and rule all of the

Middle East as an Islamic state since late 2013.

ISIS has no tolerance for any sort of religion under

their rule that is not Islam and those who are not are bru-

tally murdered and massacred, even those from their own

country. ISIS is known for killing dozens of people at a time

and even carrying out public executions. They are especial-

ly brutal to Christians, women, and young girls. Also to

show the world their merciless power, Isis went on to be-

head more than 10 innocent people from countries such as

Britain, Australia, and sadly even the United States. James

Foley, an American journalist was the first to get beheaded

as retaliation to US airstrikes against them.

ISIS released an extremely graphic video of Foley’s

beheading which was used as an example for other country

to not intervene in the Middle Eastern conflicts. The United

States took this as an offence and did not back down even

sending more drones , ISIS kept their word and beheaded

another American who they had kidnapped, Steven Sot-

loff. His beheading was also uploaded on YouTube causing

even more horror and uproar from the world.

All of these beheadings and threats helped the US

to obtain support to form an alliance. Britain, France, Aus-

tralia, Canada, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Den-

mark all enlisted to help the United States dissolve ISIS.

However this back fired, ISIS had neither fear nor mercy

when it came it those who wanted to take them down.

British humanitarian aid worker David Haines had been

kidnapped during early 2013, He was ISIS next victim. His

beheading was published under "A Message to the Allies

of America" on September 13. This left the world scarred

as to what ISIS would have up their sleeve next. The latest

beheading was American aid worker and former soldier

Peter Kassig on November 16 . President Obama confirmed

the beheading while saying Kassig "was taken from us in an

act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly

associates with inhumanity."

If left unchecked, ISIS could pose a growing threat

that could reach Europe and America.

However, President Obama has vowed to disman-

tle and destroy ISIS.

War on ISIS

By: Rshwined Scott

Rowen, Beth. "Sunni Militants Have Terrorized Iraq and Syria in Their Bid to Implement an Islamic State Read More: ISIS Explained." Infoplease. In-

foplease. Web. 18 Nov. 2014

Cohen, Roger. "The Horror! The Horror!" The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014

Mckee, Rick. Isis Junior Varsity COLOR. 2014. Cartoon. Political

CartoonWeb. 1 Dec 2014.

"ISIS Political Cartoons." CAFFEINATED POLITICS. Web. 1 Dec.

2014.

Volume 7, Issue 1

On November 20th 2014 President Obama spoke on national primetime television about his executive action. President Obama announced that with his executive order he would introduce a three part plan to help the massive immi-gration issues that we have in our country. The first part of Obamas immigration plan is to continue securing the border and adding more law enforcement personnel. This way the number of illegal crossing will decrease and the deportation process those who do succeeded to cross will be speed up . The second part of the law will alleviate the struggle that high skilled workers and colleges graduate immigrants must go through. This will allow and make it easier for them to assimilate to the American business world and help our economy flourish even more with their extended knowledge. The third part which is the most important and controver-sial consists of a reform that will allow millions of immigrants living in the shadows to come out, without fear of being deported. How-ever this part of the plan will NOT apply to all of the 11 million+ ille-gal immigrants that currently reside in the United States. Only the parents of US citizens and US residents will be able to apply of this amnesty .Also the parent MUST have entered the United State BE-FORE January 2010 and must NOT have left the country since and must be willing to pay all of the taxes that they did not pay since 2010. Another important restriction that plan has to apply is that the person must NOT have committed any federal crimes and are only allowed to have three misdemeanors or less, if they do have the above their deportation will be speed up, as the United States will have NO tolerance with criminals. President Obama stated in his speech that the United States is “-going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, NOT families. Criminals, NOT children. Gang members, NOT a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids” This Executive law will eliminated the fear of American born children being ripped away from their parents. A

trauma no child should go through.

"Transcript: Obama's Immigration Speech." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

Cook, Lindsey. "The Data Behind the Immigration Speech." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Time to Step Out of the Shadows

By: Rshwined Scott

The recent Ebola outbreak has been the worst out-

break of the disease since it was discovered back in the

1976. By now, most people around the world have heard

about this disease. The outbreak is far from contained and

every day the numbers increase. No place has been affected

by Ebola more than West Africa; however it is not exclusive

to the region. A man in Texas was diagnosed with Ebola and

panic spread quickly through social media and television.

Soon, everyone knew of the disease but not much about it.

First and foremost, the virus is transmitted through direct

contact with blood and bodily fluids such as; saliva, urine,

and sweat. It is not spread through the air, water or food. It

is much harder to transmit the disease than many think and

with proper precautions it can be contained.

In this Ebola epidemic there have been over 11,700

laboratory – Confirmed cases and nearly 7,000 lost lives as

of December 13th. The numbers are increasing at an alarm-

ing rate and Sierra Leone just over took Liberia as the most

affected country by the Ebola virus. However, the fatality

rate of the disease has decreased significantly.

In the United States, the virus hasn’t spread as

quickly as in West African countries because health care

workers are more prepared and have the proper working

equipment to treat the disease. Even with all the proper

conditions and knowledge, healthcare workers are at a high-

er risk of contracting the disease than anyone else because

they work so closely with the patients. The CDC confirmed

four cases of Ebola in the US but the US is Ebola free as of

now and it should remain that way.

Ebola Outbreak

By: Felipe Martinez

"About Ebola Virus Disease." Centers for Disease Control. Centers for Disease Control, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Volume 7, Issue 1

Sneaker collecting has become a worldwide phe-

nomenon. Collectors of sneakers are often referred to as

sneakerheads. The trend first became popular in the United

States when sportswear brand, Nike, signed basketball hall

of famer Michael Jordan by giving him a signature sneaker

line called Air Jordan. Fans watched Jordan play in his signa-

ture shoes during his games and Nike promoted the shoes

by saying they had performance improving aspects to them.

Meanwhile, hip hop music culture was booming. Artists

would mention the sneakers in their songs, giving the shoes

more social value and street credibility. Both things com-

bined made everyone rush out and get these shoes. Basket-

ball fans bought the shoes to “Be Like Mike.” Soon Nike

started to sign other stars of the game. Charles Barkley and

Penny Hardaway also received their own signature sneaker

line. People started appreciating the shoes not only for their

performance, but for their looks as well. Then the sneaker

business skyrocketed. More brands and players than ever

before had signature shoes, and this has continued to to-

day. Now more people than ever are collecting shoes,

they’re even willing to wait days in lines to get shoes about

to release. Sneaker collecting has made a huge turn since it

first started, and all it took was a brand and an athlete to

create one of the biggest markets to date.

History of Sneaker Collecting

By: Alejandro Rodriguez

Attracting more than 3.5 million people to the streets of New York City each year, as well 50 million TV view-

ers nationwide, the Macys parade has been a tradition since 1924. This amazing NYC spectacle is one of the most pop-

ular events in the City and easily the most famous parade in the United States. The parade takes place in Manhattan,

New York and starts on the west side of central park and ends at 34th Street and Seventh Avenue.

The event started at 9 am and ended at 12pm, NBC broadcasted the

parade live for the rest of America to see. The parade featured great blend of

dancer, clowns, marching bands, cheerleaders, participants and a wide variety of

colorful parade floats. The parade originally started out in December on Christ-

mas day and included Macy’s employees dressed in fun and wacky costumes like

cowboys, clowns. The parade also included animals from central park zoo. The

meaning of the Macys parade was first used to draw attention to the Macy’s

stores in New York City. The very first balloon in the parade to ever be lifted in

the air was Felix the cat. Today many famous characters from TV shows and

mascots from brands have been added to the parade. The parade still continues

to attract millions of viewers every year and includes a variety of fun characters

that we all know and love.

"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History." Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons Get a Test Run." New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

The Macy’s Parade

By: Angel Garcia

"Sneakerheads: A Brief History of Sneaker Collecting." Sneakerheads: A Brief History of Sneaker Collecting. Mental Floss. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

"Upcoming Events." KicksOnFirecom. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 3 Dec. 2014

Sneaker Release Calendar Winter 2014-2015

Brand Color Way Date Price ($USD)

Air Jordan 13 Black Infrared 12/13/2014 $185

Air Jordan 11 Legend Blue 12/20/2014 $200

Nike LeBron 12 Data 12/20/2014 $200

Nike air foamposite Volt Black 12/24/2014 $230

Volume 7, Issue 1

Humorous Horoscopes

By: Karen Marrero and Felipe Martinez

Aries: You have an inventive mind but you make the same mistakes. Making mistakes comes natural to you

Taurus: You are very practical and work like CRAZY. Most people think you’re more stubborn than a mule with only three legs.

Gemini: You think you are extremely intelligent and better than others. Unfortunately, your IQ disagrees.

Cancer: You fall for many simple pranks and believe anything people tell you. Cancers always click those “Free Ipad” links.

Leo: You consider yourself a leader. Sadly, no one else feels the same way.

Virgo: You are afraid of everything from heights to long hours in enclosed spaces. Yet, you are hoping to become an astronaut.

Libra: You’re the artistic type and have a difficult time with reality. Chances for employment are greater if you start watching

grass grow.

Scorpio: You are a sweetheart and have nothing but good intentions . Yet you still get on everyone's nerves by doing simple

things like cracking your fingers and asking obvious questions that prolong class.

Sagittarius: You’ve struggled to find your talent. Yet, hard work beats talent .. With that said you are way too lazy to even

consider working hard

Capricorn: You are hardworking, reliable, but dull. You love to be seen using your phone although it is not actually turned on

because Capricorns don’t have friends.

Aquarius: You love to party. It has become a problem, that’s why you don’t get invited to them anymore.

Pisces: You love to be seen dancing, but you have two left feet, and your hips DO lie.

*Disclaimer: These are only for entertainment purposes and should not be taken as fact.

Upcoming Movie Releases

Annie (December 18)

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

(December 19)

Night at the Museum: Secret of the

Tomb (December 19)

The Interview (December 26)

Unbroken (December 26)

Holiday Word Search

Snowman

Santa

Kwanzaa

Eggnog

Elf

Family

S C H I I Y L I M A F C K D E

X L X R S G X H W P A V G P O

H A S J N C V C R N M B U C T

L S A S K Q I E D W D J G H E

C N N Z I J S Y L L A T T G L

T O T W N E C O Z F E Q G P T

N W A E N A R V F L J N D F S

E M E T N N W J U F O Q J W I

P A S E D L O K K G Y G D O M

Z N U A S J T H F C I R K N Z