The Sunset Crusader

Volume 41 Issue 2 Miami Sunset Senior High OCTOBER 2018

Sunset Participates in Extraordinary International Collaboration Project

from a different country. Cultur-

By: Amanda Gomez
al differences and language bar-
Editor-In-Chief
riers can cause bumps, however
both Russia and the Sunset stu-
During the summer of
dents made it work.
2018, Miami Sunset’s Hospitality
Management & Information “The language barrier
Technology program engaged in and cultural differences was
a significant opportunity, by col- hard at first, but because every-
laborating with Russian high one was open-minded and un-
school students to better im- derstanding, we all made it work
prove tourism globally. and had great results.”

The project was spon- “We learned about the

sored by the Russian Federation,
U.S. corporation Global Initia-
tives Inc., and Moscow State
Technical University. In addi-
tion to improving tourism, the
purpose of the project was to
emphasize the importance of
STEM skills and how it can be
applied to the challenges of the
workforce, in this case being
tourism.
The project started in
the beginning of the school year
of 2017-2018. The Sunset and
Russian students were divided
and mixed with around seven to
eight students in per group.
Each group competed against
one another to create an innova-
tion that will improve tourism in
Moscow, Russia and Miami, Flor-
ida.
For six months, Sunset’s
students and lead teacher of
Hospitality, Mrs. Milagros Pé-
rez, would have to be up early in
the morning skyping with their
Russian partners to work on the
project. Genesis Torrez, 11th
grade, explained some of the
struggles revolving around the
project.
“The time difference had
to be the most difficult part
about this project. Their time
zone is about a seven-hour dif-
ference, so everyone in the class
had to be ready to skype them by
the time school started early in
the morning.”
The complexity of the
project really challenged the stu-
dents because they learned the
process of coming up with plans
in relation to business/tourism.
“It was really interesting to learn
the process behind making a
plan like this. Coming up with
the ideas, making a business
plan, financing and budgeting,
and marketing strategy,” Torrez
adds.
The winning idea to at-
tract tourism was to create an
amusement park, resort and a
mobile app. The winning teams
included the following students,
Ivan Espinoza and Britney Al-
meida in 1st place, Genesis Tor-
rez and Yamig Torres in 2nd
place and Felix Jaime and Kari-
na Lola in 3rd.
“The purpose of the
amusement park was to be edu-
cational for the kids that partici-
pate, alongside with a resort to
go with the park for everyone in
the family to enjoy. The mobile
app would be linked to all at-
tractions, waiting times for lines
and rides, restaurants.” Yamig
Torres explains.
Projects can come with
obstacles, especially when it
comes to working with people
importance of deadlines, how to
collaborate with people, and crit-
ical thinking skills, which will
last with us for a long time.”
Torres says.
The winners of the pro-
ject were rewarded with a trip to
San Franscio and to also meet
their Russian partners in person.
During this trip, the students
met with a variety of companies
to learn more about hospitality
and tourism and as well as visit-
ing Stanford University
Although it was very re-
warding for the students of Sun-
set to win during this collabora-
tion project, what was more
gratifying was the knowledge
and experience that came out of
it.

Miami Sunset School Spirit: Where Did It Go and Will It Return?

By: Emily Miranda
Staff Writer
Miami Sunset Senior High is suf-
fering from a lack of school spirit and
it is leaving everyone from teachers to
students searching for a cure.
School spirit is a big part of the
high school experience. It provides an
escape from the mundane parts of
school and gives students something to
look forward to. However, Sunset has
been low on spirit for so many years, it
appears that nobody knows how to
bring it back.
The few times student attend-
ance is respectable at games is be-
cause a game starts during school
hours and it allows them to miss out
on class. Once school is over, more
than half of the spectators leave,
proving they have no real interest in
supporting their classmates and rep-
resenting their school.
Having an audience that sup-
ports the school’s sports team is im-
portant to the athletes. It makes
players more confident because they
SGA and teachers showcasing the 2018-2019 Homecoming theme, “Electric Avenue.” have a support system.

In an interview with a group of stu-
dents who wish to remain anonymous, one of
them said, “There is no school spirit, no one
participates in activities and they don’t go to
the games. This effects everyone.” Though
this is a good point, when that person was
asked if they participated in any school
events, they said they were too busy and could
not. That is symptomatic of the problem.
Being involved in high school activi-
ties, such as attending sporting events, is
crucial in order for spirit to spread. It en-
courages performers that were supported to
go out and support other performers. It’s
how you build a community feel in a school.
However, multiple students told the Crusad-
er that the reason they don’t go to the games
is because our teams “suck.”
Wrestler Brent Alemany says, “Having
an audience is extremely important; it pushes
you to try harder to prove yourself. When I
have a bigger audience, I feel like my time and
effort was worth it.”
Baseball player Johnathan Ramallo adds,
Continue on page 2
 THE SUNSET CRUSADER SPORTS AND CLUBS OCTOBER 2018 PAGE 2

School Spirit is Important to Our Student Athletes

Continued from page 1
“It helps us become
more motivated, many of us can
get nervous in the beginning
but by having that support, it
helps us perform so much bet-
ter.”
Although Sunset still has
a dance team, “Synergy,” the
school still has no cheerleading
team or even a color guard.
That’s two less large teams to
support our school athletes and
motivate others to come to the
games.
Another issue is that stu-
dents don’t realize the true pur-
pose of pep rallies. After doing
a survey of a variety of stu-
dents, it was discovered that
most don’t really know what
pep rallies are supposed to ac-
complish. The majority claimed
they didn’t really know, or they
said that it was just for school
spirit.
The purpose of pep ral-
lies is to excite the student pop-
ulation about their sports teams
and players, and motivate stu-
dents to attend the games. Pep
Rallies are supposed to be a
very loud, exciting, and long
commercial promoting whatever
game is happening that day or
weekend.
Schools like John A. Fer-
guson, have everyone in the
stands cheering, wearing their
school shirt and colors, and
overall proud to be there.
Coral Reef Senior High
School comes with their legs
painted with their gradua-
tion year, cudas drawn on
themselves, some go as far
as bringing wigs. “I love my
school, and ill do anything
and everything to represent
it. It is who I am, I am cuda
for life,” said Kaitlyn Fair-
cloth, a senior at Coral Reef.
Part of the issue
stems from the outbreak of
social media. Ever since
smart phones became com-
mon, school spirit has never
been the same. Some
schools have been able to
hold it together, particularly
the larger schools like Fer-
guson and Coral Reef. Schools
with smaller populations, like
Sunset, have really felt the
winds of change.
It seems like students
would rather be at home and
not be involved in school just
to be on their phones, rather
than experiencing the world
and what it has to offer.
“Back when I was in
Braddock, our school would
have over a thousand students
in the stands cheering on our
football team regardless of
how good we were. Everyone
was excited to be there, it was
like the social event of the
week and it didn’t even matter
if you liked football or not,”
Sunset English/Business teach-
er Will Cohen says.
In the past few years,
pep rallies and spirit weeks have
failed to fulfill their purpose.
The student body didn’t do their
part to bring and encourage
school spirit.
However, Sunset’s most
recent pep rally has proven that
there is a lot of potential for the
future. Students who participat-
ed in the pep rally had very pos-
itive feedback. Hurma Aziz, a
sophomore, says, “I thought this
was the best pep rally since I’ve
been in the school. Many of my
upperclassman friends and I
discussed how great the pep ral-
ly was in comparison to the
ones that they’ve seen.”
This year’s SGA is much
more involved and reliable when
it comes to their plans for the
school year. Although, it isn’t
just up to SGA to bring school
spirit back, the power comes
from the students.
School spirit comes from
the heart. No one can force that
out of students, but if instead of
complaining about the lack of
school spirit, everyone should
take initiative and do something
about it. The only solution is
for the students to solve it
themselves – if they really want
it.

Miami Sunset’s Band is Bigger and Better Than Ever
By: Emily Batista
Staff Writer
In recent years,
Miami Sunset Senior
High’s band has had an
exponential growth and
has surpassed expecta-
tions this year with more
students who are eager to join.
As well as upgrading in more ways
than one, Sunset’s band has improved im-
mensely in the last couple of years within
their music, students, and instruments. To
compare Sunset’s band to three years ago
from today, the differences would be unrec-
ognizable.
As quoted by Matthew Hernandez,
one of the lead drummers in the band, “Our
band has changed so much, we have better
instruments now and many more kids who
actually care about the band.”
This year, the band is starting fresh
with an almost all freshman band. That
means more untapped talent is waiting to be
exposed.
However, not everything has to be
based on talent. Mr. Smith, Miami Sunset’s
band teacher said, “I am excited about the
new batch of freshman not
because they are stellar
musicians, but because of
their drive.”
Hurma Aziz, a veteran per-
cussion player, is one of
the many students who
stands out because of the
dedication she has for the
band. Laura Rodriguez, who plays the french
horn, is another student who stands out, ac-
cording to Smith.
Smith also said, “I’m thrilled to see
how well the new students have taken to the
instruments.”
Another improvement for Sunset’s
band is their instruments. A couple of years
ago, the instruments were broken down and
beaten, or nearly destroyed. But with more
funding in play, fortunately new instruments
have been added.
“Mr. Lux has helped us greatly with
more instruments and repairs,” Said Smith.
“More instruments equals more students,
and new music is also coming our way.”
Due to the assistance provided by the
school, Sunset’s band has many opportuni-
ties to open their horizons by upgrading the
band like never before.
Here’s the Scoop for Sunset’s
Drama Department
By: Victoria Landa
Staff-Writer
Miami Sunset Senior High’s drama
teacher, Justin Conley, has revealed his plans
for his drama classes that will be presented
during the 2018-2019 school year.
He had a chance to talk to us about
some of the plays that his students will be
participating in.
This year, he plans on producing two
major shows with his students that will be
presented on December 2018 and April 2019.
For the winter show, the production
will be called “Sound of the Season,” which
will showcase on December 13. The show will
be about celebrating the diversity of winter
holidays and will also be in collaboration with
the dance department.
The spring show will be based on a
famous Broadway musical, popularly known
as “Chicago,” which is a show based on the
1920’s that gets into the details of the obses-
sion of getting to the top by any means neces-
sary in show business.
Alongside Conley’s production plans,
he also wants to branch out more with his
classes. “This year I am focusing on them be-
ing more professional, try to push the creativi-
ty, and try to leave their comfort zone.”
If Conley’s plans come to fruition, the
Sunset drama program will be making the big-
gest impact it has in at least a decade.
 THE SUNSET CRUSADER SUNSET & LIFE OCTOBER 2018 PAGE 3

The Best Films to Watch This Spooky Season

By: Angelina Buenaventura
Assistant Editor

Whether you’re a horror fanatic or a
bit of scaredy-cat, most people enjoy getting
into the Halloween spirt, even if it means
grabbing a bowl
of candy corn,
turning on a
scary movie, or
just going
pumpkin pick-
ing.
If you’re
looking for a
classic slasher
story, a modern
terrifying tale, an underrated festive anthol-
ogy, or even a family friendly film, this Hal-
loween movie list could be just what you’re
looking for.
Let’s begin with the film that cata-
pulted the slasher genre into the main-
stream, “Halloween.” A 1978 film, directed
by John Carpenter, is always a great classic
to revisit. The masked killer, Michael Myers,
has become a sort of Halloween mascot over
the past four decades. This movie follows
the course of several babysitter murders on
Halloween night. Halloween carries a con-
sistent feeling of suspense and anxiety as it
bounces from the killer’s point of view back
to the victims. You might catch yourself an-
grily yelling at the oblivious characters since
you know exactly what’s coming to them
when they make a wrong turn. This film also
gave birth to one of the most recognizable
movie themes, and the song will surely
haunt you after the credits roll.
Some horror fans claim that over
time horror movies have lessened in quality
and scare factor, but the 2016 film “The
Conjuring 2,” directed by James Wan, proves
that the genre still has it. This is one of the
rare times where a sequel lives up to its orig-
inal, and to some, even surpasses it. The
Conjuring 2 takes place in London, England
in 1977, where a single mom and her three
kids become the victims of a powerful de-
mon. Experienced paranormal investigators
Ed and Lorraine Warren try their best to help
the family vanquish the demon back to hell.
The release of this film disturbed many
mostly due to the terrifying demonic nun
character. Unlike some modern horror mov-
ies, this one has some great acting perfor-
mances which helps make the horrifying sto-
ry even more believable.
A perfect Halloween movie doesn’t
always have to give you nightmares. That’s
why “The Addams Family” is a family friend-
ly spooky film that is great to watch in cele-
bration of Halloween. In 1991, this movie
jumped onto our screens giving us one of the
most iconic
families in film
and another
very recogniza-
ble theme
song. This
movie show-
cases many
extraordinary
comedic per-
formances by
its actors. Line
after line there’s a hilarious joke about spi-
derwebs, ghosts, or graves. It is the perfect
balance of dark humor and loving family mo-
ments. The movies take you on a crazy ride
with the ghoulish family as they get a visit
from their long-lost family member, Uncle
Fester.
Last but not least is an underrated Hal-
loween themed horror film that is rarely
talked about “Trick or Treat.” This anthology
film truly captures the essence of the holiday.
It follows several different stories on the night
of Halloween that all comes together in a very
interesting way in the end. Although it might
not fit the conventional mold of a horror mov-
ie in such things like gore and scare factor, it
surpasses expectations in its writing and
creepy storytelling.
One of the best ways to celebrate Hal-
loween is to indulge yourself in a night of
movies and these flicks won’t disappoint.

Miami Sunset’s United Way Campaign

By: Victoria Landa
Staff Writer
Starting Thursday, Octo-
ber 11th, Miami Sunset Senior
High is granting its students
the opportunity to participate
in fundraising for the United
Way organization by having a
spirit week.
For the following few
weeks, students will be al-
lowed to dress out of uniform
for the price of a dollar. Unit-
ed Way’s goal is to receive do-
nations from students to help
the people in need.
United Way is an organi-
zation that is focused on creat-
ing a community-based and
community-led solution that
strengthens the cornerstones
for a good quality of life, for
example, education and finan-
cial stability. The organization
is engaged in nearly 1,800
communities across more than
40 countries and territories
worldwide.
Due to the donations
from a variety of people,
they have been able to
change the lives of millions
every year. A few projects
United Way has collaborated
with are, supporting chil-
dren in Zambia, creating a
healthier environment in
India, and tutoring youth in
the Philippines.
On Thursday, Octo-
ber 11th, it is “Shorts Day.”
Students can wear knee
length shorts, basketball
shorts, and Bermuda shorts.
However, students will not
be allowed to wear short
shorts, short with holes or
tears, legging or bike shorts.
On October 25th, stu-
dents will be allowing to wear
sweat pants for one dollar.
Sweat Pants and joggers will
be permitted on that day, but
leggings or clothing with
holes will be not.
On October 31st, is
“Halloween Day.” No masks
or face covering, weapons or
replicas of weapons, disrup-
tive costumes or props at any
sort, leggings, ripped jeans
nor skirts and dresses above
the knee, open-toe shoes,
strapless or spaghetti straps,
costumes with graphic gore,
or vulgar saying will be al-
lowed at school.
On November 8th, it is
“Squad Day.” Students will
grab a group of friends and
coordinate outfits to show
who you are. All clothing must
be appropriate in length, cov-
erage, and subject matter. No
disruptive outfits or props of
any sort, leggings, ripped jeans
or skirts and dresses above
knee, open- toe shoes, strap-
less or spaghetti straps, weap-
ons or replicas of weapons are
allowed at school at any time.
And lastly, on Novem-
ber 15 , it will be “Sports Day.”
th
Students will be allowed to
wear their favorite sports
team’s jersey, cheer bow, or
team uniform for the entire
day.
If you’re interested in
dressing out, or simply want
to donate to help the cause,
please remember to partici-
pate in United Way weeks,
from October 11th, to Novem-
ber 15th.
THE SUNSET CRUSADER
Student of the Month
Naeli Emad
- 12th Grade
-Weighted GPA: 4.2
What sports/clubs/
activities have you
been in or are you
currently in?
Over the past three
years, I have joined
many clubs like Key
Club, FBLA, Gardening Club, Interact Club,
SGA, Flag Football, and Women of Tomor-
row. Currently as a senior, this would be my
third year of playing Flag football and my
second year being in Women of Tomorrow,
now as the president. I am also the president
of SGA and have been a member since my
junior (vice president) and sophomore
(Treasurer) year.
What do you plan on doing once you grad-
uate?
Once I graduate I plan on continuing my
classes at Miami Dade College to get my as-
sociate degree and from there transfer to
University of Florida.
What is your drive to succeed?
My drive to succeed is knowing that one day
I’ll become an ER Doctor, saving lives and
helping people.
Who is your role model?
My mom is my role model because she is a
single mom who raised four kids all on her
own with no support and having several jobs
to make sure she can give her kids every-
thing she never had.
What teacher inspires you the most?
My middle school teachers from Howard D.
McMillian, Mr. Adamson and Mr. Rimmer
have inspired me to give my all into my work
and always believed in me.
What lesson impacted you the most about
high school?
The lesson that has impacted me the most is
that my grades are a reflection of my effort,
pushing me to give my all in everything I do.
Why are you so involved in school?
I am so involved in school because I don’t
want to regret not participating in an event.
These are the last years where we can be a
kid and hang out with friends without so
much stress and responsibility.
What has been your favorite memory or
moment so far in Sunset?
My favorite memory in Sunset was attending
Prom of 2017 with all my senior friends who
graduated, dancing and having a good last
time together.
What will you miss most about Sunset?
I will miss all the memories I have made with
my friends and teachers throughout my high
school years.
Are there any accomplishments that you
receive, that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of my Outstanding Junior
Award I received as a Junior and my SGA
awards.
Is there a certain quote you live by?
I live by two quotes, “Do one thing every
day that scares you,” - Eleanor Roosevelt
and “Better to say, “oh well,” than wonder,
“what if?” - Anonymous
How do you manage to do all your extra-
curricular activities?
I am able to do all the extracurricular activi-
ties that I enjoy, by managing my time wisely
on my schedule. This allows me to give all
my time and effort to every club on different
day, so that I don't fall behind or overlap
things.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Teacher of the Month
Carlos Hernandez
Carlos Hernandez is a science teacher in
Miami Sunset who teaches Zoology. Many
students may know him for his laid back,
humorous and easy-going personality.
When you walk into his classroom you
can immediately tell he loves what he
does and enjoys teaching his students.
Why did you decide to be a teacher?
I fell into it accidently. Once I graduated
from college, my friend offered me a po-
sition as a teacher and I’ve been here ev-
er since 1997.
Did you always wanted to be a teacher,
what was your original career goal?
I originally wanted to be a pharmacist,
but school got too difficult and I got
tired. On top of all that, I really needed
money, so I got into teaching.
Why do you continue teaching?
Once I got into it, I really ended up en-
joying the job. One of the things I love in
this industry is the impact you can have
on a student as a teacher, you can really
help change their lives for the better.
Who or what inspires you in teaching?
What inspires me to continue is when I
see that a student understands the con-
cept and can apply it to life. It’s like, they
come in not knowing much of the mate-
rial but when they leave your classroom,
they leave with a set of skills that will
greatly help them when they move on to
college or the workforce.
How do you keep your students en-
gaged?
I understand that it can be difficult
sometimes for students to pay attention
and I try to combat that through being
interactive with the students during my
lessons. I show them videos, I try to be
hands-on, and I continue to be on top of
things so they can understand the con-
cepts.
Why did you choose science?
It was either science or math, ha. But no,
really, I chose science because I really
think science is important to everyone. It
teaches people how the world works and
the reasons why things function which I
think is amazing. There are so many stu-
dents who come in asking questions and
this is the subject that gives them their
answers.
OCTOBER 2018 PAGE 4
Staff of The Month
Maria Castedo
How long have you work at sunset?
I’ve worked at Miami Sunset Senior High
for 21 years.
What is your job as a registrar?
Being a Registrar is a very entertaining
job to do; a lot of diversity which I’m
used to, since I was a Principal’s Secre-
tary. You deal with students, parents,
teachers, and staff. The main responsi-
bility is the student’s registration,
which is a very detailed process.
What is the easiest and hardest part of
your job?
The easiest part of my job is ordering
transcripts for the students; and, the
hardest is to assign courses for the stu-
dents’ semester.
Why do you like your job?
I really like my job and the responsibili-
ties that come with it. Also, I love to be
busy all the time. I do my job and keep
on trying to do my best.
What is it like working for Sunset?
Working for Miami Sunset High School?
It’s lovely. I’ve enjoyed all these years
working for the school, getting to know
everybody, obtaining and giv-
ing respect from the faculty and staff.
Why did you choose this job?
I chose this job because I knew I was
capable of helping develop a better im-
age for Miami Sunset Senior High
School, where my four sons graduated.
Does some of the things you have to
do require other people to help? I can
always use some assistance.
SUNSET’S QUOTE OF THE
MONTH
“Learning is a treasure that will
follow it's owner everywhere."
-Chinese Proverb